X-Men: First Class (2011)

Sporadically exciting, but schizophrenic in tone, this 1960s-set prequel deals with the origin of Professor Xavier's "School for the Gifted" amidst the national and social turmoils of the era. After brief introductions to their childhood, we follow telepath Charles Xavier and human magnet Erik Lensherr as their parallel quests (Xavier's for acceptance, Lensherr's for revenge) finally intersect with their mutual adversary, the energy-absorbing Sebastian Shaw (who mercilessly killed Erik's mother in front of him to provoke his mutant abilities). Along with his companions, Mystique (the shape shifter), Dr. Moira McTaggart (the token normal human), and, later, the child versions of Havoc (with his energy blasts), Angel (flying and spitting venomous loogies), and Banshee (screaming so piercingly that it can actually propel him off the ground), Charles attempts to swiftly integrate mutants into society with a carefully constructed, CIA-funded program. However, as anyone who has ever seen or read anything X-Men related, humans are sucky and intolerant, so Charles' valiant efforts are doomed to be in vain for at least another 4 sequels. At the same time, he struggles to quell the bubbling angsts of his Holocaust-survivor partner, Erik, and his adopted sister, the insecure, blue-scaled Mystique.

The latter element, with Mystique first eschewing, then embracing her striking blue features, is the weaker factor of the film; her civil rights-lite squabbles and physical insecurities take up a lot of screen time, all with the audience knowing, full-well, what kind of gleefully empowered badass the character ends up as (easily understood, seeing how actress Jennifer Lawrence was just in the running for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars). The other premature X-Men, Charles included, suffer from thin exposition, aside from the requisite introductions to their powers and, ultimately, their alleigance to either X or Magneto. The tie-ins with JFK and the Cuban Missle Crisis, so prominent in the marketing, is only a small factor late in the film, a "wouldn't-it-be-cool?" afterthought just designed to incorporate the X-Men into something from real-life. Rose Byrne and Oliver Platt, both quite talented actors, are wasted as "sympathetic" humans who, predictably, have absolutely nothing to do once the energy rays break out.

If half of the film is a younger-demo-skewing hodgepodge of powers, montages, and rudimentary conflict, the half of the film that does end up working is Magneto's story. 20th Century Fox had been developing a stand-alone Magneto prequel for years before they eventually greenlit First Class, and, when watching the film, it seems that they have literally copy-pasted scenes from that proposed movie into this one; the early scenes of Magneto being forced to learn his powers by Nazis, then, later, hunting them down, one by one, and killing them with the supposed knowledge that HE'S THE WORLD'S ONLY MUTANT have far more weight, subtext, and tension than any of the stuff with Charles and his band (probably due to a greater number of thorough script meetings). Along with the clearly thought out, Inglourious Basterds-esque revenge plotline, the other thing that makes Magneto's arc the most interesting aspect of the film is the performance by Michael Fassbender. Had this film been the monster hit it could've been, Fassbender would have been the monster breakout to come with it, for his European good looks mask a consistently devious, yet self-assured demeanor that makes for incredibly well-rounded, watchable villains like Erik Lensherr; compared to James McAvoy's bland, been-there-done-that Charles Xavier, he, like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan before him, shows that this material really lends itself to good, nuanced ACTING. The majority of the extended cast is wasted and glossed over, save for Kevin Bacon and January Jones, who, as two of the villains, perfectly maintain the over-the-top, yet weighty comic-book tone of the film. Matthew Vaughn, probably given this script late into pre-production, has injected the more traditional, "young X-Men" stuff with a color-rich, stylized palette, matching the slower, "look-what-I-can-do!" dialogue scenes with the more grandiose, action-y stuff through sheer visual technique; the faults of the film are certainly not due to Vaughn's abilities as a director. However, the script remains achingly dull and obvious, with the Magneto-centric scenes coming off the best due to the obvious care and time spent developing them, and the central "good guy" trio of McAvoy, Lawrence, and Byrne do absolutely nothing to liven up the telegraphed, patchworked plotline of the formation of Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted.

Slightly Recommended to fans of the series, the comics, or of Michael Fassbender. Matthew Vaughn jumped on this in the aftermath of Kick-Ass, which was a surprising international hit; this falls more into the realm of Stardust, with Vaughn's obviously deft visual touch overcoming a somewhat half-assed script, while failing to reach the overall impact of that film.

P.S. A montage about halfway through, with X and Magneto scouring the globe for mutants (including a wonderful utterance of the film's lone F-word), is terribly exciting in a stand-alone sort of way, and is the closest this film gets to truly incorporating the 1960s aesthetic into the X-Men visual vernacular. It will be on youtube.

Death Note (2006)

Bleak, serio-comic Japanese film about a young man who comes into possession of a book that has the power to kill any living person on earth by merely writing their name down in it. The protagonist (if you can call him that), Light, is an average teen who finds the book in a dumpster, and is immediately descended upon by a creature named Ryuk, who identifies himself as the previous owner of the book. He explains the rules to Light, and acts as sort of a guardian angel, only without the angel part; he is more of a sounding board for Light's ideas than a conscience. Initially well-meaning and focusing only on nationally known criminals, his antics with the book become so nefarious and undeniably supernatural that a force begins to oppose him, led by the police and an ominous force named L who communicates through a surrogate and a computer. The moral and practical implications and pressures of what he is doing begin to take their toll on Light, and he descends into a pragmatic madness to justify his use of the book.

The film is based on a Manga, and it is evident by the structure of the plot; even more so than Akira, this feels like a perfectly compiled "Greatest Hits" of a larger, more overarching story. Light is a very complicated protagonist, and his issues are certainly not resolved by the films end, enticing me to next seek out the films sequel. His relationships with his girlfriend, his father and, later, L, are layered and real, way above most western portrayals of dark, haunted teens. Him and Ryuk, his Jiminy Cricket, have a uniquely personal interplay that makes one easily forgive the so-so computer animation of his character; neither being a saint, they talk of morality and responsibility in vague terms, aware of goodness but never fully compliant to it. The whole film has a moralist edge that conflicts with the pseudo-nihilism of the characters, and it works in the films favor, creating a world where ethics are impotent without power, while achieving power corrupts ones ethics.

Highly Recommended for fans of gritty Japanese morality tales a la Battle Royale. As I have not read this or any other manga, I cannot refer to how it compares to the final film, but I've heard from friends that the Death Note manga is overdrawn, melodramatic, and superficial, none of which I would say about the cinematic adaptation.

Valley Girl (1983)

Energetic, breezy '80s teen romance about two L.A. high schoolers, one a Hollywood rebel, the other a prospective prom queen from the San Fernando Valley, who fall in love despite their social backgrounds. The focus is on the titular valley girl, Julie (Deborah Foreman), as she and her friends giggle, dance, and shop their way through life in their insular, and totally super popular, clique. She decides she's sick of her "hunk" boyfriend, and dumps him, leaving room for Nicolas Cage's wild Randy to instantly fall in love with her at a party. They tiptoe around their mutual attraction for a little bit, before beginning a tenuous, but warm and passionate romance. They both have clear, distinct personalities outside of their relationship, but when they are together, they are rendered shy, open, and endearing; it is in these simple, innocent, nearly-wordless passages between them that the film truly clicks. They are helped by an ever-present soundtrack filled with early-'80s New Wave that, alongside the films heavy visual aesthetic of neons and flashing lights, gives the film a distinctive flavor despite its tired Romeo and Juliet structure. Another huge benefit of the film is the cast. While Deborah Foreman is not the most interesting or mature lead (to her credit, the role certainly has something to do with that), the rest of the players are pitch-perfect, and create a complete portrait of the environment of the film. Nicolas Cage is not as manic here as one would expect, and, with unglamorous facial features long-since remedied by surgery, is a sympathetic and likable romantic lead. Frederic Forrest, as Julie's former-hippie father, is absolutely hilarious, and unconventional; neither a louse nor a blowhard, he questions his own bizarre parenting methods while consistently making sure that his little girl is as happy as a bird, despite his misgivings. Elizabeth Daily and Michael Bowen are both memorable as one of Julie's ditzy friends and her brutish ex, respectively, who have a terrific, realistic scene together where they drunkenly and absent-mindedly cavort at a party. And the rest of the film is peppered with small roles that are given enough attention and character that they are just as memorable as the central love story.

Highly Recommended for fans of '80s teen movies or girly films a la Clueless (although this is infinitely more mature and endearing). This is a film that is confident, and insightful, in its presentation of young love, and has many qualities that make it one of the truly enjoyable teen movies of the era.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

Hipster trash about an unemployed 22 year old who falls in love with a girl who, he discovers, has seven evil ex-boyfriends who will fight him to the death for her honor. Michael Cera is poorly cast in this film; right off the bat, we discover Scott has a 17 year old girlfriend (they "held hands for a sec, but she got uncomfortable") that he is using to get over his own ex, but who is completely in love with him and his shitty garage rock band. He leads her along and drops her when the real love story of the film (with the girl with the psycho exes), making him kind of an ineffectual asshole before the film has even gotten going. If he had been played by someone with a little more range or edge, it would be easier to dismiss his transgression as post-relationship trauma, but his apparent awareness and lack of sincerity make him fairly unlikable right from the get go. The love interest, Ramona Flowers, is also quite worthless, never exhibiting any qualities that would be worth fighting anyone for, let alone crazy psycho powerful superhero exes; as he fights for her, she continually dismisses and ignores him, making one wonder why Scott is as willing as he is to fight for a girl who may or may not care about him. The whole emotional core of the movie is empty and stupid, which is a real shame because Edgar Wright actually scores major aesthetic points here with his filmmaking methods.

There is narrative text throughout, random video game elements relating to the story, and crazy, larger-than-life, Stephen Chow-esque battle sequences. It is all really cool stuff you can stuff in a trailer, but when in the context of this film, it is loud, hollow, and pointless. The characters are not amicable enough for the audience to root for them, and the emotional situations are plodding and uninteresting. The leads, and Cera's rock band posse of friends, are contrived and unlikable, and are basically hodgepodges of other characters from other movies (the freckled angsty drummer is a third name away from being Mary Stuart Masterson in Some Kind of Wonderful). The only actors who come out of this film looking good are Chris Evans, Brandon Routh (as two of the more heinous, infamous exes), and, surprisingly, Kieran Culkin as Scott's snarky gay roommate, who shares his bed with Scott AND whatever conquests he brings home, much to Scott's chagrin; it is a huge detriment to the film that Culkin, the most likable character, does not throw down at any point to back up his best friend. However, the moments where the fights actually break out are typically fun and exciting, particularly the ones with the two aforementioned actors (Routh has a killer sense of timing and delivery, and Evans has the funniest moments in the film with his over-the-top movie star routine). And it was definitely cool to see a bad guy burst into coins after being defeated just like a goombah in Mario, until, like most of the interesting concepts in the film, it is repeated at face value (but NEVER explored) to the point that noone is allowed to oversee how friggin COOL the film is trying to be (and it's not.)

Slightly Recommended to hipsters and video game junkies. This is Edgar Wright's first film that is not a masterpiece (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz will still get play on my TV for many years). Once again this year, I find myself dismissing a film with one constant, unswaying mantra repeating in my head: "KICK ASS WAS BETTER!"

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2008)

An alright, but deeply flawed sequel to Eli Roth's dastardly original that keeps a high school prom full of people in an infected area. The intro, like the one in Hostel Part II, fills in the details as to the fate of the previous films protaganist (let's just say Rider Strong does not deserve really top billing), and then we meet our real protagonist, a high schooler with a crush on his lifelong friend and a Clark Duke acting-and-looking sidekick, who is admittedly a fairly funny character. The evil water that capped the kids in the first one is bottled and shipped out to a local high school about to have its senior prom (don't drink the punch!!). It's not the freshest material I've ever seen, but director Ti West, following up his phenomenal House of the Devil, turns this for-hire gig into a showcase for some hilarious visuals and surprisingly straight moments; it's never achieves the same level of utter claustrophobic terror the first one did, but it is significantly better than your average DTV horror sequel (the From Dusk Till Dawn ones remain the best). One of the better choices in the film was to give the deputy character, played by Giuseppe Andrews, more of a presence throughout, and he has several terrific hick-humor scenes with some hilarious people (including Mark Borchardt!). It's really the abrupt, and terribly out of place, ending that sinks the movie; I believe Ti West was fired at some point for some reason, and it shows in the way the film quickly wraps things up and then has a pointless epilogue that seems to just be there to kill time. It hurts, because up until that point the film was in the makings to be a fairly legit sequel, taking the original's set up into a fresh direction, instead of basically a really cool Masters of Horror episode (which I think Ti West is more than capable of). I am definitely still very impressed by his handling of tension and gore, and his next film, with more creative control, will hopefully be more sure of itself and original.

Slightly Recommended to fans of the original and predictable, but fun horror films; this is not as good as Feast, a somewhat similar film I've reviewed recently, or the original, but it has enough original touches and over-the-top gore visuals to make it fairly fun for horror buffs.

Mystery Team (2009)

Funny, but overeager debut film from comedy troupe Derrick Comedy involving three 18 year old amateur sleuths who are given their first big case; a double murder. The sketch comedy aesthetic Derrick is known for has been thrown out the window in lieu of a straightforward narrative in the mold of the Hardy Boys or similar boy detective styles, albeit with a relatively real-world backdrop. The bulk of the humor comes from the juxtaposition of the crew's juvenile, pre-pubescent behavior with the cynicism and deadpan indifference of the world around them (most memorably with a pre-teen boy who talks, and acts, str8 gangsta compared to them). This tends to be the more dominant, and obvious, form of humor throughout, but the true joy for me was watching these obviously real-life friends interact within this comic setting. The weak link of the crew is, ironically, rising star Donald Glover; as an actor, his desperation and desire to stand out from the troupe is tangible, and he only dials in at 9+ where his costars are satisfied with playing scenes at 8 or even 7 when necessary. On his own, which he is towards the third act of the film, his interactions with those outside of Derrick are awkward, and laughably abrasive and obnoxious. But when the crew is together, they have a very strong interplay that carries the flimsy narrative across the finish line, where there is actually a relatively poignant surprise revelation that closes the film well. Also, for a low-budget comedy, there is a distinct visual aesthetic, most obvious in the comedic framing of the three actors at once in awkward, apparantly-staged poses. The director, officially a part of Derrick Comedy, establishes himself as an unseen comedic member of the crew, and I hope his talents remain for their next projects, for he is inseparable from this material, unlike, say, Edgar Wright with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Recommended for fans of Derrick Comedy and/or offbeat, original comedies (albeit with a juvenile tinge throughout).

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

John Hughes wrote this and Pretty and Pink. I will present Some Kind of Wonderful in relation to the earlier, superior Pretty and Pink.

Molly Wringwald + Sex Change = Eric Stoltz
Duckie - humor + androgynous angst = Mary Stuart Masterson
Andrew McCarthy - money = Lea Thompson
James Spader - talent = Craig Sheffer
Annie Potts - quirky charm = John Ashton

The main deviation in plot is that the pining loser actually asks out the dream girl, and she leads him along with everyone, save for him, knowing that she's being totally insincere. Other than that, it is basically the same movie, with the class struggles between the rich and poor cliques taking center stage and the young teens struggling for identity amidst adolescent development blah blah blah. It's not all that bad, and Thompson, easily the best thing in the film, has a subplot involving her richer, domineering friends that is actually quite heartbreaking and genuine. But it's too derivative to be worth recommending for anything except the strong direction, dependable acting, and killer soundtrack.

Slightly Recommended for fans of John Hughes and corny '80s teen movies.

Lucas (1986)

Endearing, if ultimately hollow coming-of-age story about an oddball botanically inclined outcast who falls for a new girl 2 years his senior. Corey Haim plays Lucas, an insect collecting 14 year old who meets 16 year old Maggie (Kerri Green) a few weeks before school resumes. They connect, and have a great time outside of the high school realm, which Lucas understands will end once classes start. And lo and behold, the distractions of high school strain the duo, with Lucas being picked on by jocks (such as Tom Hodges and Jeremy Piven) and Maggie getting picked up by one (Charlie Sheen) who happens to be Lucas's friend. The romantic tension between the cast during the first 2/3rds of the film is tangible and very realistic; most of the characters have set their sights on someone who is either unattainable, or unworthy of their affections. They set themselves up for heartbreak, willfully ignorant to the practicalities that render their feelings moot; Lucas develops a fixation on Romeo and Juliet, citing that the 2 main characters were 13 and already capable of forbidden love. The best scene in the film involves a long tracking shot showing all the principal characters of the film eyeballing their respective crushes, with only one tragic reciprocation. The story falters a little bit in the third act, when the emotional trials of the beginning are sacrificed for a rousing football game/slow-clap climax. But at that point, the characters feel organic enough that you want to see their stories through, and that is mostly due to the strength of the cast. Green, Sheen, Piven, Hodges, and especially the recently deceased Corey Haim (we miss you, pal) turn in very fleshed out performances, far more organic than other teen films of the era, save for John Hughes'. Winona Ryder also shines as Lucas' friend, who, despite being far prettier and cooler than anyone else in the movie (my Winona love knows no bounds), has her affections for him ignored.

Recommended for fans of quality, realistic (and slightly painful) '80s teen films or Corey Haim. This is one of the better examples of his talent, and, alongside License to Drive and The Lost Boys, a great testament to what he represented at the height of his talents and fame.

The Informers (2009)

Decent, hollow Bret Easton Ellis adaptation that finds L.A. denizens bumping around in the mid-'80s as AIDS, addiction, and general aloofness take their toll. Jon Foster is, arguably, the lead, whose jealousy over his friend and girlfriend's relationship is simmered by the fact that they are constantly in menage a trois. Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger are his parents, who have just reconciled their marriage, primarily for image purposes, as they are both seeing younger people. Brad Renfro is the doorman in his apartment, whose uncle, Mickey Rourke, comes to town with a underage mistress and a kidnapping scheme. Chris Isaak is the father of one of Foster's friends who takes him on a drunken Hawaiian vacation to maybe get closer with his son or, more definitely, to get laid. There are other characters and subplots, the most interesting of which, involving Brandon Routh as a modern-day vampire (ripe with L.A. symbolism and metaphor), was cut prior to production. The slice-of-life structure, lifted directly from Ellis, is not carefully constructed enough, and just comes off as isolated incidents rather than a cohesive package. Each celebrity feels like they are walking in off of a different film (especially the shamefully underused Rourke), and the younger actors' seem to be distanced from the material, and almost seem to be making a hot-body filled Showgirls interpretation of the plot. The actors who fare the best are Amber Heard, whose AIDS-ridden nymphet has a apathetic, cool exterior to hide her increasingly unhealthy body and mind, and the late-underrated Brad Renfro, who gives his overweight doorman a sort of lonely dreamer quality that places him in context to the other, more wealthy players in the film, which the other stories fail to achieve. Overall, though, the script does not allow for much pathos and humanity in the superficial, distant landscape, and director Gregor Jordan is, unlike Ellis, only interested in depicting the action, not commenting on it.

Slightly Recommended for fans of coked-up 80s glam and Bret Easton Ellis. This is a casual viewing; any close attention and you will probably feel as time-wasteful as the dumbass Los Angelinos in the flick.

Gentlemen Broncos (2009)

Cute, but unremarkable geek-hipster tale of a homeschooled wannabe sci-fi writer who has his ideas pillaged by both a student filmmaker and his idol, a sci-fi writer named Ronald Chevalier. Jared Hess definitely makes this more Napoleon Dynamite than Nacho Libre, focusing on the redundancy and repitition of these characters' lives and deriving comic value from their total lack of self-awareness. The films fatal flaw is his lack of desire to take things to the next level; there are no scenes a la Jack Black actually mastering his eagle powers at Nacho's climax. He seems far more fascinated with the universality of his characters as they deal with problems so banal that only we can recognize their stupidity. Which is a shame, because his cast seems game for much more than they are given. Michael Anganaro is actually an appropriate lead, emoting both familiar and idiosyncratic vibes throughout while retaining our sympathy. Jennifer Coolidge is hilarious as his mom, an overbearing, but generous woman whose delusions are almost as expansive as her failed nightware line. Hector Jiminez (from Nacho Libre) is funny, but tired; he does not figure out how to differ his character from Napoleon's Pedro or his own from Nacho Libre. But the actors that make this film more than just disposable hipster trash are Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords) and Sam Rockwell. Rockwell plays the protaganist of the story that the plot revolves around, and he injects his nonsense, archtype-derived role with a mad energy that makes his sequences highlights of the film. Jemaine Clement plays Chevalier as the epitome of stuck-up, with a brandy-tinged pretentious accent and line delivery that insinuates that he feels absolutely impervious to reality, logic, or ethics; for Flight fans, more of him would make the film much more worthwhile. However, as is, both him and Rockwell are merely momentary flashes of hilarity in a movie that does not earn it.

Slightly Recommended for fans of sci-fi novels, Jemaine Clement, and Jared Hess. This could have been a better movie if they had been more willing to escape the "trapped teen" storyline that grounds the film in cliche. Alas, I'll still see Hess's next film.

The Chocolate War (1988)

Wonderful film about a Catholic all boys school that is forced, by its headmaster, to sell chocolates to make up for mismanaged funds. Ilan Mitchell Smith, from Weird Science, plays a kid named Renalt struggling for a QB position on the football team and who's mother has recently died. He refuses to sell the chocolates, creating a rift between the administration and the students, who are ostensibly led by an underground preppie group called the Vigils. The film explores the politics of this corrupt, hypocritical high school, where the dogma of Catholicism is barely present, but rather exists to keep the students docile and fearful. The competitive nature of the students is also very apt, as the schemers value their worth in results and the good guys compete with each other to be the most virtuous.

Performances are great all around, with Smith registering, again, as in The Wild Life and Weird Science, as a wonderful, if nondescript-looking young actor. Adam Baldwin and Doug Hutchison are terrific as high-ranking members of the Vigils, and Wally Ward is absolutely slime-drenched and despicable as their leader, Archie. Jenny Wright has a cameo as an infatuation of Renalts, but does not have enough screen time to be crucial to the plot.

The lack of a love story is one original aspect of the film, and another is the almost-exclusively male cast. Aside from visions of Renalts dead mother and Wright, there are no major women characters in the film, and the undiluted, but Catholically castrated masculinity that permeates the film is fascinating and highly entertaining. The presentation of high school as its own universe, with its own rules, ideals, and punishments and goals that do not begin to observe the outside world, is well-explored and atmospheric. The film succeeds in making you feel the stress that the characters undergo, as well as understanding the underlying tragedy that all their youthful pressures are superfluous and tenuous. But, of course, they don't know that.

Highly recommended. A little more intellectual and reflective than most high school movies, especially from the 80s; this ain't no John Hughes flick.

P.S. The Soundtrack has kickass tracks from Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and 2 from Yaz, including the pitch-perfect title song, In My Room. New Wavers take heed.