Man on a Ledge

Sam Worthington plays Nick Cassidy, an ex-cop who’s sent to prison for stealing a giant diamond from a wealthy and shifty businessman (Ed Harris). When Nick is allowed to attend his father’s funeral, he pulls off a daring escape and plants himself on the ledge of a high-rise hotel in Manhattan and proclaims his innocence. A police psychologist who ‘lost’ her last jumper attempts to talk him down, as a whole other series of events unfolds in a building across the street.

That’s all you’ll get out of me plot-wise.

Man on a Ledge is reminiscent of the 1998 movie The Negotiator with Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey. Both involve dirty cops, conspiracies and who-can-you-trust conundrums. The acting in The Negotiator was more intense, but Man on a Ledge does manage to keep you on the edge of your seat, with the constant sensation that you might fall off. So if you have vertigo or a fear of heights, rent The Negotiator instead.

If you’re in the mood for a combination thriller, psychological drama and heist movie that doesn’t cut too deep, then take the leap and catch Man on a Ledge.

The plot is a convoluted, and I get pretty tired of watching a woman get knocked around by men, even if she can take care of herself and ends up dispatching them one by one. Haywire will certainly not go down as one of Soderbergh’s hits. It isn’t a total miss, but it could use the some of the intelligent plotting of Traffic, or some of the wit of Ocean’s Eleven. Mostly it suffers from the lack of a female star who could make you care that everyone is trying to killer her. I’d say wait to watch this one on an airplane.

As the War breaks out, Albert’s father is forced by circumstances beyond his control to sell Joey to a cavalry officer to use in battle, and from there the horse goes through a series of owners, across battles, from the British to the German side and back again with a sojourn in a little girl’s care. Where we have seen a war through the eyes of many human’s over the years, here it is seen through an equine lens. The film is rated PG-13 for its realistic depiction of the war, and it is horrific. I am sure that many people have no idea how brutal the First World War actually was. And there is something of the same feeling in many of the scenes as in Saving Private Ryan, that brothers in arms camaraderie kind of thing– total carnage beautifully captured by cinematographic genius Janusz Kaminski.

Everywhere the horse goes, he finds a person who recognizes his greatness. There are lots of those triumph of the spirit moments. Joey is the fastest, the most beautiful, smartest, loyalest, etc. And he makes an equine friend early on in the war that stays with him through his many tribulations. Then mid-way through, Albert joins the army and you just know that he and Joey will end up somehow coming together one way or another, because it is a Spielberg film after all, and there just has to be a happy ending.

War Horse is designed to be a total crowd-pleasing, tear-jerker movie — good for the family (not the little ones) or a date — though I didn’t cry as much as I expected. Spielberg can be a little too sappy at times for my taste (especially that ending Steven!) Unfortunately, most of the characters are not all that well-drawn, and the horse, which should have a big personality, really doesn’t. He is just beautiful and brave. And it is a bit long (146 min). Ultimately, it is a throwback to the good old fashioned Disney family film with fairly generic salt of the earth characters. It does have a decent though mostly low-key cast including Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves), David Thewlis (Naked), Niels Arestrup (A Prophet), and Tom Hiddleston (Midnight in Paris). Bonus: My nephew tells me the lead actor who plays Albert (Jeremy Irvine) looks just like a young Tom Brady (as if I knew who that was.)

From a purely visual standpoint, The Adventures of Tintin is rather stunning with its use of motion-capture technology. But the story itself falls a bit flat, even at the direction of the almighty Steven Spielberg.

Here’s the gist: Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) buys a model ship at an outdoor marketplace, only to discover that a nefarious dude named Red Rackham (Daniel Craig) wants the ship so badly that he’s willing to kill for it. Turns out the ship, called The Unicorn, is one of a series of three model ships that together will unlock the ancient secret to a hidden treasure. Rather than relinquish the ship, Tintin (who can’t resist the urge to follow a good story) embarks on a dangerous journey on the high seas, where he ends up joining forces with a drunken Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). Haddock holds the key to the entire mystery if he can sober up long enough to figure it out.

The movie, like the comics, is peppered with slapstick humor, social commentary, and quirky characters. In many ways, it feels like an animated version of Pirates of the Caribbean, with a couple of keystone cops thrown in (a pair of detectives named Thompson and Thomson, voiced by Nick Frost and Simon Pegg).

The Adventures of Tintin should appeal to nostalgic fans of the comic series and boys aged 8-12. Beyond that, it could be a tough sell. Then again, family movies are big this time of year, so perhaps Tintin will be able to capitalize on that.

The movie is rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking. And while the motion-capture technology is awesome, the 3D doesn’t add much.

All the same elements are here that made the first one such a fun romp – the women (Noomi Rapace, Kelly Reilly, Rachel McAdams) who are lovely but peripheral, the Guy Ritchie-style fight scenes, the witty banter, the delightfully designed Victorian sets and clothes, and the most satisfying part of this franchise, the buddy relationship. Downey and Law really do have wonderful chemistry, which makes this kind of silly flick totally entertaining, even if it has a few scripting holes and you don’t ever get to know the girl that comes along for most of the ride. You don’t even notice that it clocks in at 129 minutes.

This time around the story centers on Professor Moriarty’s plan to start a World War and become a rich man by cornering the munitions market. He and Sherlock have a few scenes together where they play mind games with one another, and a few where they attempt to kill one another, and while the fate of the world lies in the balance, they even play a nice game of chess. And just to keep Holmes on his toes and out of his hair, Moriarty goes after Watson and his new bride, on the train to Brighton for their honeymoon, which of course brings Watson right back into the thick of the story, as the two of them race to stop the villainous Professor from destroying Western civilization.

This is the kind of movie where the story isn’t really all that important. It is all about Holmes and Watson having a ripping good time. As usual, the über-talented Downey goes all out, one minute fighting with a parkour-adept Cossack, the next showing up in another silly disguise (his urban camouflage is particularly fun), and later dancing with his perfectly sane sidekick Watson. It is this infectious sense of intelligent whimsy that will keep this series going. There are also some very funny scenes with Holmes’s brother Mycroft played by the hilarious Stephen Fry. [But if there was one thing I would ask of Guy Ritchie for the next one, could you please let Holmes shave? Downey is scruffy throughout and, as the minutes go by, more and more beaten and bruised. I'd just love to see that face in its beautiful, pure state for a scene or two before the brass knuckles come out.]

I’d recommend this one to anyone who liked the first Sherlock Holmes. It the same winning formula and I can see many more to come. It would be great for a date night movie, too. Cute guys for the chicks and lots of fight scenes for the roosters. Something for everyone.

For those actually counting, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the fourth installment in the franchise starring Tom Cruise as secret agent Ethan Hunt. He leads a black ops team known as the IMF – the Impossible Mission Force (not the International Monetary Fund, though both are equally mysterious to me).

I honestly can’t remember if I saw any or all of the previous MI films. I think I saw one – or maybe it was two. The storylines don’t exactly stick with you nearly as much as the classic theme music. But I’m happy to report that Cruise seems to be aging quite nicely in (what I hope is) his post-crazy period.

The gist of the story is this: The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin and the theft of nuclear launch codes. The President invokes “ghost protocol”, meaning the team is disavowed and devoid of backup as they try to clear their name and prevent World War Three. Hunt’s rogue team includes the dangerously beautiful Jane (Paula Patton), the quirky gadget-meister Benji (Simon Pegg), and the secretive government analyst Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Most of the stunts (especially those involving Cruise) are totally absurd yet entertaining – even breathtaking. If you have a fear of heights, you may want to shield your eyes in Dubai.

There’s more to the story of course, including a ruthless female assassin and a diabolical Russian extremist codenamed “Cobalt” who hold the keys to destroying détente’. I’d go on, but this review is rigged to self-destruct in five seconds…

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is rated PG-13 for some intense action and violence, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously or go too dark. The film runs a pretty fast-paced 2 hours, 13 minutes. Here’s a taste:

The Sitter

The Sitter is an okay movie, but it may suffer from an identity crisis. On the surface, it looks to appeal to The Hangover Two and Pineapple Express crowd. But deep down – it wants to be a chick flick.  So chances are, it won’t fully click with any particular demographic. One thing it did do, however, was make me nostalgic for the original Adventures in Babysitting. If you haven’t seen that one, rent it. Or wait for The Sitter to come out on DVD and enjoy one very trippy double-feature.

The Sitter is only 80 minutes long, but feels longer. So you may want to save 10 bucks and watch the trailer instead:

I won’t bother delving too much into the plot, because it will just propel the non-Twihards among you to wonder how and why the “young adult” novels by Stephenie Meyer grew to such Potter-esque proportions. It is what it is, people.

Breaking Dawn picks up where Eclipse left off. Eighteen-year-old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and her immortal boyfriend, the intense but charming vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) tie the knot. Bella gets pregnant on their honeymoon and the ‘baby’ grows at an accelerated pace, feeding off the ever-weakening Bella, and triggering a potential war between the vampire clan and the local werewolves whose pack includes Bella’s best friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Jacob remains ever-protective of Bella despite his hate for all things vampire. I know – it’s absurd. But every time Jacob rips off his shirt and leaps into werewolf mode, you can almost forgive the cheesy, stilted, so-bad-it’s-funny acting that often fills the screen.

This particular movie is simply a means to an end – the end being Bella’s transition to life as a vampire. For the rest of the story, you’ll have to wait for Breaking Dawn – Part Two, hitting theaters just in time for Thanksgiving 2012. Twihards, save the date. As for the rest of ya – don’t be hatin’ or criticizin’ or mockin’ (too much). Just skip it and move on, knowing it’ll all be over soon.

For the two-and-a-half minute version of the entire movie, watch the official trailer:

Ben Stiller is no George Clooney, but he does do a respectable job as the ringleader of a group of working stiffs out for revenge against a Bernie Madoff type character, played by Alan Alda.

Stiller plays Josh Kovacs, the long-time manager of a ritzy Central Park high-rise that has a large, devoted staff catering to the every whim of its wealthy residents, including penthouse occupant and Wall Street titan, Arthur Shaw (Alda). When it’s revealed that Shaw has swindled his clients out of two billion dollars – including the pensions of the building staff – Josh devises a scheme to break into the über-secure penthouse and find Shaw’s hidden stash of cash. After all, nobody knows the building’s layout and security better than Josh and his cohorts. What they don’t know is how to commit a crime. So Josh recruits a petty thief from his own sketchy hood (Eddie Murphy) to mentor the Robin Hood wanna-bees. This is probably Murphy’s best role – albeit a relatively small one – in several years and it brings back memories of his old SNL “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood” persona (remember that one?).

The supporting cast – including Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, Tea Leoni, Stephen Henderson, and Gabourey Sidibe – is decent, but the movie falters near the end, when it abandons any attempt to keep the action even remotely plausible.

Tower Heist certainly plays for more laughs than other recent ‘ripped from the headlines’ movies ‘occupying’ theaters (In Time, Margin Call, etc.) but it’s not a must-see. It’ll make for a good little rental or travel time-filler, or maybe a matinee – unless you desperately need a PG-13 alternative to this weekend’s other new comedy release, the very R-rated buddy adventure, A Very Harold and Kumar 3-D Christmas. Oh joy.

Click here to watch the official Tower Heist trailer.

It’s about the “haves” and “have-nots” in a future world where time is – literally – money. Everything is bought and sold in units of time: minutes, hours, days, months, years. So a cup of Joe might cost ya four minutes… a nice car could set you back a few years… and there’s a “99 seconds only” store on the corner. Get it?

Oh, here’s the big catch: Everyone is genetically engineered to stop aging at 25. Then a clock embedded in their forearm starts ticking down. If it zeroes out, they drop dead. So folks need to make more “time” to survive.

Justin Timberlake stars as Will Salas, an inherently good guy who lives “day to day” in the equivalent of a futuristic ghetto. When he suddenly comes into a whole lot of time, he also becomes a wanted fugitive. Though on the run, Will is determined to challenge a system that basically decrees, “For a few to be immortal, many must die”. In other words, the “one percent” is golden. The other 99 have a rough go of it. Sound familiar?

Timberlake rocks this role, proving he can do much more than romantic comedy, SNL skits, singing and dancing (all of which he does remarkably well – it’s really not fair). He is at once sympathetic, empathetic, endearing, mysterious, serious, cocky, cute and charming – even when he’s taking a rich, rebellious and beautiful young woman (Amanda Seyfried) hostage at gunpoint.

Click here to watch the official trailer

It’s a little bizarre to watch a movie where everybody looks approximately the same age regardless of their relationship to one another (Olivia Wilde plays Timberlake’s mother. How creepy is that?). But you get used to it. The movie has some flaws. But overall, it’s a nice mix of drama, humor, action and eye candy, and it manages to tackle some heavy issues without being too heavy-handed. So for a PG-13 sci-fi twist on our own twisted reality, consider “Occupying Theaters” for In Time. For 110 minutes. Or 10 bucks.