Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review

Genre – Comic Book, Sci-Fi/Action

Director – Jonathan Liebesman (Battle Los Angeles)

Cast – Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Johnny Knoxville, Tony Shalhoub, Jeremy Howard, Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, and Whoopi Goldberg

Alluring element – Um, it’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Scorecard:

Plot – 6

Acting – 7

Representation of Genre – 7

Cinematography – 8

Effects/Environment –8

Captivity – 8

Logical consistency – 6

Originality/Creativity – 7 

Soundtrack/Music – 7

Overall awesomeness – 7 

 

 

 

I need to put a few things out there before I begin my review. My second word was “Leonardo.” I had a yellow jumpsuit and a Polaroid camera that I wore almost everyday when I was 3 to the time I was 5. When I was 3, I got my hair cut like April O’Neil (specifically The Animated Series version). I wore out my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 VHS. Twice. I often wished I could find a lantern at a garage sale that would transport me back in time and, that I too, could meet a little boy named Yoshi. And at some point, all four Turtles have been my favorite Turtle. Why am I telling you this? I am in no means trying to be a braggart, but I am letting you know one thing: I am very biased when it comes to my beloved Ninja Turtles.

The Good

Why not start with the good parts of the movie? What you may read or have read on Rotten Tomatoes or MetaCritic may mar every aspect of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, but I am here to tell you, there are some good parts. In fact, I wouldn’t say the film was necessarily bad, as you can judge from the grade I gave it, but it wasn’t great either.

The mesmerizing parts of Ninja Turtles were the fight scenes. Let’s face it, when we see a film with Michael Bay’s name attached to it, we don’t exactly go for the plot. However, the action sequences are awesome. They are fast-paced, and all the martial arts tricks are gripping to watch. There were many scenes where the Turtles are bounding around and I thought it was beautiful. In one particular scene, they jump from a building and a full moon is in the upshot of the camera angle. It seemed very much like a scene out of the comics. Added to the visuals, the look of each Turtle wasn’t bad. Many fans seemed angry about their look, saying they looked scary. Their facial features were different from each other and they were huge. Notably, Mikey was smaller than his brothers, which seemed like a good touch. All animals have different features from each other, and so do the Turtles. I really liked the animation of the Turtles, personally. I also liked all their accessories, from Michelangelo’s sea-shell necklace, to Donnie’s science gear, to Raph’s full head bandana, to Leonardo’s NYC pin. I also liked the Pimp My Ride style Party Wagon. The best part of all of the animation was the beginning credits. The motion-comic style animation, based off the original artwork of the comics, with the splashes of color was really captivating. I truly feel that if someone wanted to pick that up, it could be a highly lucrative straight-to-DVD venture for Nickelodeon, similar to what DC Comics does.

Mikey and his distinct Turtle look.

In case you were wondering, the story is changed. I won’t give you spoilers, but there was one story that I was not disappointed with, and that was April O’Neil’s. Given the other changes in the story, I felt that April’s made the most sense for why she feels such a connection with the Turtles. Because this is a Ninja Turtles origin story, you have to expect there is a Subway scene. Personally, I thought this scene was one of the best of the film. There was enough of a change that I didn’t feel like I was watching the same thing I’ve seen before, but it was still reminiscent of the original story.

Megan Fox as April O’Neil.

There were plenty of funny scenes, most of which involved either Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett), who is April’s cameraman, or Donatello. Both characters had plenty of good lines and were a-dork-able. Enough so I that I walked away feeling like this was the first film that gave Donatello more play than normal, but I would like to have seen more. Even so, Raphael was able to sneak in one piece of comedy in a heartfelt speech, which is one of the most memorable moments. Other moments that made me think, “Hey, that’s cool!” were seeing Donnie’s computer lab which was quite impressive, an intense scene where Leonardo improvises by using his Katanas as ski poles, and once we are in the Turtles lair, a sign can be seen in the background that reads “POWER.” However, the best scene in the film is when all four Turtles are in an elevator awaiting epic battle and they start a hip-hop beat. I was smiling the entire time this scene went on because I felt like those were my Turtles and they would so obviously break out a beat before fighting a foe.

Donnie’s impressive computer lab.

The Bad

I’ll be honest; there are a lot of things I could nit-pick at because the logical consistencies of many aspects are…illogical. For instance, in a moment of being airborne through the city, because that always happens, April O’Neil (Megan Fox) catches herself with one arm on a steel beam. One arm! I am a female, and I can attest that the average female CANNOT do that. While I’m on the topic, I want to say that Megan Fox doesn’t do a horrible job in the role, but she still is no April. Another inconsistency was that Splinter learned the art of Ninjutsu from a book he found in the sewer. I only wish I could pick up things I read about so quickly. He then passed on the knowledge to his sons. The Foot Clan were not overly scary except for their quick draw on some machine guns. But they didn’t really use their resources to their advantage of being thugs. Also, Karai, their leader, wasn’t well explored. Her role in other TMNT franchises is more significant.

Master Splinter teaches his young sons Ninjutsu.

My list of annoyingly bad things includes voices. Namely, Megan Fox’s shrill scream that made me jump in my seat, and Tony Shalhoub’s voice does not translate to a Japanese Sensei sewer rat. The over advertising of Pizza Hut was also annoying, but expected in a movie that Michael Bay produced. Shredder was annoying because he looked ridiculous. I’m going to give you an assignment. Go to your utility drawer, pull out your Swiss Knife, pull out all the pieces of it, and slash wildly at the air. Did you feel badass, or just goofy? That’s what I thought. Mikey’s character was more of a characterization of himself; he was over done as the “stoner”. I love Mikey, I really do. And I did thoroughly enjoy him in this incarnation, but it would have been nice if he did as much martial arts as he did talking. And as much as I love Raphael, there was a great deal of him, and not enough of why he is so angry or why he isn’t the leader. We have seen the story of Raph saving his brothers; this film attempted to re-tell the story, and it failed.

Look at my hands!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ writers didn’t take into account the intelligence of the public, either. Sure, the average American may not be very sharp (other people’s quotes, not mine), but we don’t need to be force-fed either. There was so much about this film that was told and not shown: Splinter’s relationship with the Turtles, the Turtles rivalry with the Shredder, the Foot Clan being bad, Eric Sacks being a bad guy, and the list goes on. Even a child who loved this film, could look back in 20 years and say, “Nope, I got this all the first time” because even children can understand intangible things if they are portrayed properly. That intangible “thing” was the idea of family. It was a concept referred to several times in the movie, but I never really felt that Splinter and the Turtles were ALL a family. There really was no connection to Splinter, which felt odd and wrong.

Leo looks on wondering why the movie didn’t make more of the family.

The worst part of “The Bad” is the overall grand plan by the main villain, Eric Sacks. Yeah the Shredder has those hands, but he wasn’t really the nemesis, which I’m not sure was on purpose. Anyhow, (SPOILERS AHEAD!) Eric Sacks is an evil scientist who plans to take out New York City and then cure it with the same mutagen that made the turtles into Turtles and make lots-o-money. But for so many reasons this is a bad plan! Why is money a bad plan? Oh, because if he takes out all of NYC, won’t he, the Shredder, and the Foot Clan all be dead, too? Also, the dude is already loaded. He has a frickin’ gated mansion. His grand plan is all because he doesn’t have enough money? He doesn’t want, say the other thing all evil genius’ want, power? Nope. Just more money. I find major fault that this was never questioned by anyone.

Donnie is screaming because Eric Sacks was a terrible villain.

The Ugly

Beyond all my complaints listed above, there is the ugly. There were parts of this movie that made me cringe. Shredder’s backstory and relationship to the Turtles was not explained AT ALL. Like not even a little bit. There is no reason for them to despise each other. None. Oh, and for the first 15 minutes of the movie, there are no Turtles. Nowhere in sight. Now I know they are ninjas, but it wasn’t because they are sneaky, it’s because the writers didn’t do a good job at writing. I did not intend to go see a movie about April O’Neil, and God knows I love her. Except that Megan Fox isn’t a good actress. She’s just not. This movie should have been entitled April O’Neil and her Pets. If you had known the entire story revolved around her, would you have gone? Well, I still might have, but at least I wouldn’t have felt lied to. But my biggest gripe is that there was not a story for Leonardo. Leonardo. LEONARDO! He is the leader of the group! He should have led! And I’m not mad at him, because he is just an innocent Turtle, I am mad at the writers. It came off as if Raph was the leader, but that is not the case. How could they cut someone’s story so much? They cut Splinter’s story, they cut Shredder’s story, but to cut one of the actual Ninja Turtles’ stories makes me want to raise my hands and say “Damn. Damn! DAMN!”

It’s ok Raph, we sympathize with your anger.

I have tried to be careful of comparing the 2014 film to the 1990 film because I know I am biased. I could write a book on why the 1990 film is better. I will spare you from that (for now), but I feel there was so much that could have been done to improve the current film. When I went to the theater (and I went in the early evening), there were not many children there. You know who was? 20 somethings wearing shell backpacks and those felt bandanas. Millenials. Truthfully, the production company had to have known that it was my age group who would be spending their money on this movie. It would have been nice if they had respected us. Now I’m not saying that they had to re-create the 1990 film, but some nice nods to it would have been great. Maybe Danny Pennington is New York City’s police chief. Maybe Judith Hoag and Elias Koteas are seen arguing in the background. Maybe the baby Turtles say “Pizza! Pizza!” Maybe we see Raphael in a fit of anger toss aside an old Vanilla Ice CD he finds.

I must say that it was very tough for me to write this review because Ninja Turtles holds a large place in my heart.  I found a lot of faults with the film, but I admit that I will watch it again.  I admit that I have bought a lot of the action figures for the movie.  And I admit that despite all its faults, it still made me smile, even if the movie wasn’t full of T-U-R-T-L-E Power.  Until next time, Cowabunga, dudes!

all media belongs to Nickelodeon

What are your thoughts on the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie? Let me know in the comments!

All photos belong to Nickelodeon

Monthly Movie Preview: March 2014

March is here and with it comes a few of the year’s most anticipated action films. There’s a little something for everybody: big money blockbusters, children’s flicks, intriguing independents and guilty pleasure films.

March 7 – 300: Rise of an Empire

Starring: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson

Now that all those crappy Valentine’s Day movies are out of the way, it’s time for the manliest of manly movies. A prequel? A sequel? The answer is C, all of the above. Following the tale of the man-God named Xerxes from his “transformation” to the defeat of the Spartans and quest for domination against Greece. Meanwhile, Themistokles gathers the entire Grecian fleet to take down the Persians. Like 300 before it, Rise of an Empire will be directed by Zack Synder and based off of Frank Miller’s writing. Oddly enough, this film is based off Xerxes, which hasn’t even been published yet. I’m not sure how the story will play out, but all I really expect is big budget action and effects – anything more than that is just syrup on the pancake. – S

March 7 – Grand Piano

Starring: Elijah Wood, John Cusack

Stage fright? No worries, because Grand Piano has the solution. In this independent film, which debuted last September, a famous pianist (Wood) returns to the stage after infamously choking at his last performance. This time, though, the pianist has the added motivation in the form of a sniper, who threatens to shoot him if his fingers mess up a single note. It’s a bit of a crazy idea, but I think that’s what will really make this work. Everything seems dramatized in the trailer, insinuating that this will be a real thriller – not the cheap horror angle that is so easy to play off. I’m interested to see where this goes, but I’m not vested enough to see this in theaters – S

March 7 – Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Starring: Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Allison Janney

Grab onto your butts and get ready to go on an adventure with everybody’s favorite dog genius. Originally a short in the Rocky & Bullwinkle show called “Peabody’s Improbable History” in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Mr. Peabody has been renewed in epic proportions. The original segment was purely educational, so it will be bittersweet to have the movie become such a spectacle. There are a lot of laughs in the trailer alone, but I really enjoyed learning about historical times and figures, and it feels like Dreamworks is cheapening the experience a little. Visiting Egypt, Italy and Greece will be fun for the whole family, I’m sure, so If nothing else, I look forward to the witty banter of Peabody and Sherman – just like old times. – S

March 14 – Need for Speed

Starring: Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Dominic Cooper, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi

It’s a funny cycle, this racing genre thing. When I was in high school, the Need for Speed games were really taking off – and it seems as though the Fast and the Furious films only only amplified it’s success. Heck, the downhill drifting scenes in Toyko Drift looked like they came straight out of Need for Speed: Carbon. Ten years later and the Fast and the Furious has solidified itself as a stable movie franchise, while Need for Speed‘s popularity has dwindled considerably, even after the addition of a story mode. Now Need for Speed has entered the realm of movies. There’s really only one selling point for me here, and its name is Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad). It might be too early to suggest replacing the late Paul Walker with Aaron Paul, but I’m seeing no reason for another street racing genre movie. – S

March 14 – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman

Wes Anderson is a movie making genius.  So thank goodness that his latest project is coming out this month – The Grand Budapest Hotel.  The story follows Misuser Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), the illustrious concierge of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and his various and most interesting adventures with his disciple lobby boy.  While the main plot appears to revolve around the theft of a famous painting, the real allure are all the minute – and more often than not – hilarious details that can only be seen in a Wes Anderson movie.  GBH (yes, I’m giving it an acronym cause it’ll be that cool) promises to be one of Anderson’s best.  You can tell by the star studded lineup: Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, and it wouldn’t be a Wes Anderson without Bill Fu**ing Murray.  Not bad for an independent filmmaker.  Anderson’s approach and style to filming is so creatively unique, it’s practically hypnotic.  I’d dare to say that nobody out there makes a better “feel-good” movie than this guy.  If you’ve never heard of Wes Anderson or seen one of his movies, Hush Comics highly recommends you find your nearest Indie-Cinema and add The Grand Budapest Hotel to your must see list for March. – T

March 14 – Veronica Mars

Starring: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter

I won’t lie,  I have never seen Veronica Mars the TV show.  Why would a girl my age not have seen it?  Well, it came out around the time Buffy was ending and I was bitter that any other pretty blonde chick was trying to be a badass.  Ten years later, I realize my mistake.  Not only do I wanna veg on my couch and watch every ep of the show, I really want to see this movie.  The trailer makes it obvious that in order to totally enjoy it, you would have had to have watched the television show.  What is Veronica Mars you may be asking?  Well its about a woman who is really good at investigating crimes in her hometown.  The movie shows her ten years later as a successful lawyer who gets dragged back into the PI biz.  Plus, who doesn’t love Kristen Bell? – A

March 14 – Ernest & Celestine

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright

Now if this isn’t the most adorable movie since Wall-e, I’m not sure what is. Ernest and Celestine follows the unlikely friendship formed between a bear and a mouse, both of whom are outcasted for their bond. E & C was originally a 2012 Belgian film that is being released as an American film; this version has some top-notch actors voicing it. I’m also in love with the animation style. I’m usually crazy about any earnest story about two unlikely friends that come together despite outside circumstances, and I will continue to be inspired until it becomes a non-issue in our world culture.  – S

March 21 – Muppets Most Wanted

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ray Liotta, Kermit the Frog

Kermie!!!!!  The Muppets franchise is always a must see for the whole family.  In Muppets Most Wanted, Kermit is framed by Constatine, his evil twin.  And Kermit’s friends must save him.  What more do you need to know? A simple plot, but the laughs are sure to be constant.  Not to mention that Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais are in it, so it is sure to be silly and amazing.  – A

March 21 – Divergent

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort

Divergent is yet another book-to-movie adaptation.  And in the time of dystopias and apocalypses, it just seems like we have all seen this before.  Yet, there is something about the premise that makes me want to read the book (nope, I haven’t read it, yet) in time for the movie.  Honestly, I don’t think the movie looks that great, but the concept of people being broken up into factions is a fascinating metaphor for government control.  Kate Winslet may be the only actor who is worth going to the theater for.  But I will probably wait for the DVD. – A

March 28 – Bad Words

Starring: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand

Is it bad the movie I want to see the most this March is about a 40 year old who joins a kids spelling bee, uses the worst kinds of cuss words and really self-centered?  Well, I don’t think so.  Mostly because Jason Bateman has usually played the guy with a head on his shoulders, ya know, like Michael Bluth.  But in Bad Words, he is anything but, and I kinda like it.  Bateman (who also directed and produced this film) plays Guy Trilby who is a high school dropout.  He befriends a boy named Sriram at the spelling bee and learn about life from each other (or at least that’s my guess).  It looks downright hilarious, but check for it in your local indie theater, it won’t be mainstream. – A

March 28 – Noah

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson

Since The Passion of the Christ, Hollywood has been trying to make epic Bible flicks.  Without going into religion, I don’t really like those types of movies.  But Noah?  It looks pretty darn good.  Maybe its because the director of The Black Swan also is directing this.  Maybe its because the actors are some of the best ever.  Maybe its because the music makes it sound frickin’ epic.  Or maybe, for me, its because my love of A Beautiful Mind proves that Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly should be 2gether 4ever, and were even in Biblical times.  Oh, and voices talked to Crowe even then.  Plus, isn’t Anthony Hopkins a modern day Methuselah?  All jokes aside, I am looking forward to Noah.  It seems less to be promoting religion and more so telling a story that is recognized around the world. – A

March 28 – Sabotage

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Josh Holloway

Raise your hand if you think Arnold Schwarzenegger should just call it quits already and step away from the camera?  If you were to ask me that a few months ago, my hand would have been up high and waving.  Ask me that now, and you’ll find me sitting on my hands.  Actually, you’ll probably find my hands frantically working my smart phone to find a preview of Sabotage to lay aid to my newfound change of heart.  While I agree with the notion that Arny needs to stay as far away from the Terminator franchise as California is long, I think The Governator is catching his second wind.  He’s not the young action hero he used to be, but roles like the one he has been cast in for Sabotage are perfect for him today.  The film follows a highly trained and effective DEA task force lead by John ‘Breacher’ Wharton (Schwarzenegger) that ends up on the wrong side of a cartel affair.  Wharton and his fellow operatives along with their families are threatened by the drug lords and it’s up to Wharton to GET EVERYBODY TO DA CHOPPA… err… I mean save the day.  Whereas Arnold’s most recent films have been overwhelmingly-cliché action flicks, Sabotage has a real gritty and realistic vibe.  Though I’m sure the action will come in full force, I’m more anxious to see how well Arnold can carry a more serious role.  I’ve got fairly high expectations for what I’m going to coin as the film where “Arnold Got His Groove Back.”  – T

Written by Adrian Puryear, Sherif Elkhatib and Taylor Lowe

Monthly Movie Preview: January 2014

Welcome to the New Year!  2014 kicks off with a menagerie more Oscar hopefuls and contenders along with a few sure flops, the kid movie and the annual Mark E Mark, er Wahlberg movie we all know we are gonna watch.  Here are our January 2014 previews!:

January 10 – August: Osage County

Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch

August: Osage County is based on the Tony Award winning play of the same name by Tracy Letts.  Now a film adaptation and sure to be a strong contender for several acting categories, the story follows the Weston family after the suicide of their father.  Filled with all sorts of sins including but not limited to, drug use, incest, infidelity and molestation August may be a tough watch, especially since it is touted as a dark comedy.  It is hard to believe that the combination of those things can be funny.  It does have a stellar cast, and I for one am excited to see Julia Roberts back in the type of role that suits her best. -A

January 10 – Her

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde

Written by Spike Jonze, Her follows Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix, a man in the midst of divorce and falling in love with an operating system named Samantha.  A seemingly odd plot, Her will more than likely be a little eye-opening about how we all feel about love.  Joaquin Phoenix is said to give a sensational performance and the film as a whole has already received numerous accolades.  I expect this is a film that will define my generations take on love. -A

January 10 – Lone Survivor

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana

Lone Survivor is a film about four Navy SEALs sent on a mission to take out a Taliban leader in Afghanistan.  When the mission becomes compromised, the four SEALs mission becomes one of survival as they try to escape across the hills of Afghanistan.  The most compelling reason to see this film is that the story is based on true events.  The story was originally told via book authored by Marcus Luttrell – the actual “Lone Survivor” of the SEAL team sent to Afghanistan.  Luttrell was also very involved in the filming process to ensure event accuracy and keep film makers focused the important details.  This film stars Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell and is directed by Peter Berg (Hancock, Battleship).  Wahlberg plays the military role so well (can I get a hey-hey for Shooter?!) and it’ll be good to see him playing the role of true American hero.  Expect this film to be action packed, suspenseful and heart wrenching, but also well worth the trip to the theater. – T

January 17 – Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Starring: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Peter Andersson, Kevin Costner

Chris Pine as Jack Ryan?  Why not!?  He is the most popular current action-hero.  Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit continues the Jack Ryan film series and is based off the character created by late author Tom Clancy.  Shadow Recruit is a little different than the other movies because it is an original screenplay rather than based off a book by Clancy.  Jack Ryan finds clues that a terrorist attack is going to happen and he must stop it.  Meanwhile, his lover finds out his true identity as a CIA junior analyst.  It’s pretty cut and dry, but who doesn’t love an action-thriller?  I’m looking forward to the newest installment in the series. -A

January 17 – The Nut Job

Starring: Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Gabriel Iglesias, Liam Neeson, and Katherine Heigl

This month’s kid flick The Nut Job seems to be aimed toward older kids and adults alike.  Aside from the obvious sexual jokes that can be made out of the title alone, the story is about squirrel named Surly who decides to pull off a heist on a nut store after being forced out of the park and into the city.  The previews look pretty funny and the animation will be a draw for younger kids.  And for the fans out there, lets hope that Will Arnett will show us all a little Gob from Arrested Development in this grand heist. -A

January 17 – Ride Along

Starring: Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Tika Sumpter

If you haven’t been wedged in a box screaming, “my stomach in my ass,” then you don’t know love. Tim Story, who has directed other films such as the Fantastic 4 films, Think Like a Man, and Barbershop, is out to make sure your stomach is in your ass by the end of this movie. Ben (Kevin Hart) is out to prove to James (Ice Cube), a no-nonsense cop, that he is the right man to marry James’ sister. He does this by agreeing to go on a ride along in the mean streets of Los Angeles. Needless to say, things may or may not get a little out of hands…okay, they definitely will get out of hands; bullets will fly, explosions will erupt and I plan on laughing the whole time. In recent years, Kevin Hart has been everywhere in world of comedy, which should balance well against Ice Cube’s seriousness. So if you want to see Kevin Hart argue and fight with kids and see Ice Cube smash people’s faces in, then this is one you will definitely want to check out in the new year. – E

January 17 – Reasonable Doubt

Starring: Samuel L Jackson, Dominic Cooper

I know you all are just like me – ever since Snakes on a Plane, you haven’t been able to get enough Samuel L. Jackson in your life.  Worry not, faithful fans, Jackson returns in the new year alongside Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark from Captain America) in Reasonable Doubt.  Mitch Brockden (Cooper), District Attorney, finds himself between a rock and a hard place when he runs over a man taking a late night city stroll, killing him.  Mitch flees the scene of the crime, seemingly with no witnesses.  The plot thickens when Mitch becomes the assigned DA for Clinton Davis (Jackson), the man accused (wrongly so, but only know by Mitch) of committing the fatal hit-and-run.  Dun-dun-dunnnn!!  Previews indicate that the story may be even more twisted as Davis begins to reveal he may know more about Cooper and the man he ran over than an innocent man should.  The film is directed by newbie shot-caller Peter P. Croudins.  It’ll be interesting to see if Croudins can carry a complex plot on his first go-around.  With Sam-Jack and Cooper in the spotlight, this one should be entertaining at the least. – T

January 21 – Knights of Badassdom

Starring: Peter Dinklage, Summer Glau, Daniel Pudi, Steve Zahn

Can we just take a moment and applaud whoever had enough clout to cast all of these BAMFs in one movie? Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones), River Tam (Firefly) and Abed (Community) are going to be sharing the screen in just a few weeks. This movie hasn’t been heavily promoted – nor should it be. In what has become the niche genre of Horror-Comedy, with movies like Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil and This is the End, Knights of Badassdom looks to be by fanboys for fanboys (and fangirls!). Don’t believe me? Check out director Joe Lynch’s short film inspired by Eddie Brock (Venom) called “Life in Journalism.” Badassdom centers around a group of LARP-ers (Live Action Role-Play) friends who accidentally summon a succubus (female sex demon). If I haven’t sold you yet, I probably am not going to at all. Seeing Daniel Pudi on the big screen is exciting to me, and this will be a must-watch for any self-proclaimed geek. – S

January 24 – I, Frankenstein

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy

Set in present day, Adam Frankenstein (Aaron Eckhart), still sees himself as the monster that was created 200 years ago, but in fact he may be the key to ending a war between two eternal clans within an ancient city. The movie is based on the graphic novel, with the hopes to be an action packed, dark tale of good versus evil, as well as redemption. However I am skeptical of it all. Yes, there are indeed some things about this movie that could be really cool; gargoyle transformations, weapons and fighting, fire and explosions, but I’m not so sure that stuff alone can carry the story Stuart Beattie is trying to convey to the audience. I do have faith because Beattie has brought this world the Pirates of the Caribbean films as well as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Either way, the legend lives, and his name is Adam. Personally I just think it’s weird that this monster of a man that people fear is named Adam. He ought to just stick with Frankenstein – E

January 24 – Gimme Shelter

Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Rosario Dawson, Brendan Fraser, James Earl Jones

Another January movie with great acting, Gimme Shelter (not like the song by the Rolling Stones) is about a young girl named Apple (Vanessa Hudgens) who is sick of the street life her junkie mother has provided her. She leaves to find her father, who quickly kicks her out due to her pregnancy.  She then is taken into a shelter for expectant teen mothers.  Hudgens is definitely shedding her Disney image in this independent film.  But really, she is the only selling point for me other than the Lana del Rey music in the ad.  It seems like a more privileged Precious and in an era still recovering from 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, it may be refreshing to see teen girls be normal again. -A

January 31 – That Awkward Moment

Starring: Zac Efron, Michael B Jordan, Miles Teller

What do you call a chick-flick made for men?  A manly-chick-flick?  Maybe a chickman-flick?…  Well whatever you call it, That Awkward Moment is sure to exemplify it.  Total mega-hotties Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Mile Teller play three best friends in the prime of their sexy-young adult lives.  Each of them will explore love and relationships in their own way all the while adapting to the ever changing dynamics of their own friendships.  The lovely female roles are played by Imogen Poots, Addison Timlin and a lot of other hot Hollywood ladies – check the IMDB list and proceed to drool, gentlemen.  That Awkward Moment looks like it’ll be a lot of fun to watch.  I certainly appreciate these types of films where romance and love are put in a more relatable context.  Something that you can watch and think, “I know what that’s like!” or, “that’s definitely happened to me.”  None of that Notebook nonsense.  Now if only I could figure out how Zac Efron got his hair to do that… – T

Written by Adrian Puryear, Taylor Lowe, Evan Lowe and Sherif Elkhatib