Angels & Demons - 3 smiles

It was quite obvious, after reading Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, that the plot for a movie version was going to have to be streamlined and altered, especially the portions that strain credibility. Luckily, the script by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman focuses on straightforward action and doesn’t get bogged down in lengthy explanations and back-stories. To be sure there is exposition. After all, we’re in the middle of a mystery and we need some historical perspective. Tom Hanks, who returns as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, is called upon by the Vatican to help in locating the Illuminati, an ancient brotherhood that reportedly is ready to take its revenge on the Catholic Church. Langdon, who has less than 12 hours to solve the mystery behind this attack on the church, is aided by Italian physicist Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), the former pope’s chamberlain, the Camerlengo (EwanMcGrefor) and Vatican cop, Inspector Olivetti (Pierfrancesoco Favino). Standing in their way are the chief of Vatican security (Stellan Skarsgard) and the eldest cardinal (Armin Mueller-Stahl), who refuses to interrupt conclave, a meeting of high-ranking cardinals determined to select a new pope.

While Langdon does a miraculous job of picking up the most obscure clues, there are a lot of lucky coincidences and at this point, you’re either going to go with it or not. However, the incredibly high production values will certainly enhance your viewing pleasure, especially the cinematography, which combines stunning scenes of Rome with intriguing sculptures of angels and demons. And director Ron Howard has an effective cast of actors, starting with Tom Hanks, who has so much on-screen charisma that he lends believability to any role he plays. Zurer is a better compliment to Hanks than Audrey Tatou was in “The Da Vinci Code” and Skarsgard is effective as a possible bad guy. The one negative in simplifying the plot means that the philosophical discussion of science vs. religion gets short shrift. But what an author can explore in a book does not always translate into a movie’s visuals. 5/15/09

Star Trek - 4 smiles

Seeing “Star Trek,” is like reconnecting with an old friend. I had high expectations as I went to see this movie and I wasn’t disappointed; this is the best “Star Trek” movie ever.  Director J. J. Abrams and his screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman go back to “Star Trek” basics and retool them for today’s audience with a story that honors the essence of that older television series. It will please both hard core Trekkers and the masses. In addition, exemplary casting of actors who not only look the parts but make them their own also assures this movie’s success. Familiar sound effects from the old TV show pop in and out, the CGI visual eye candy just pulls you in and the amazing action sequences keep you engaged. And to top it off, Leonard Nimoy plays a time-traveling Spock Prime. What more could you want?

Chris Pine, who provides Kirk with an effective transition from cocky kid to matured leader, doesn’t try to imitate Shatner yet he becomes a believable Kirk.  Zachary Quinto is spot on as Spock, being a close physical match with slightly softer features that give Spock a touch more of a human look than Vulcan. The rest of the cast, particularly Karl Urban as the surly, cynical Bones – ‘I’m a doctor, damn it, not a physicist!’ – play their roles to great effect. Abrams’ brisk direction speeds The Enterprise to a rousing close, which features the familiar “Star Trek” theme and Nimoy’s variation on Shatner’s ‘Space, the final frontier…’ voice-over. This movie is full of excitement, adventure and just plain fun. See it. You won’t be sorry.  5/8/09

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - 2 1/2 smiles

The “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” predictable if you know anything about A Christmas Carol, is ruined by its star, Matthew McConaughey. He’s so good at being sleazy that I didn’t believe his transformation at the end. Fortunately, the movie benefits from a stellar supporting cast. Connor Mead (McConaughey) is a womanizing photographer whose relationships last as long as it takes to have the women fall in love with him. Connor doesn’t believe in love or marriage, which means he’s not pleased that his younger brother Paul (Breckin Meyer) is getting hitched to the high strung daughter (Lacey Chabert) of a former military man (Robert Forster). Connor’s boorish behavior threatens to ruin the wedding weekend as he propositions both the bride’s mother (Anne Archer) and a bridesmaid and leaves the bride in tears. The only person willing to call Connor on his behavior is Jenny (Jennifer Garner), his childhood sweetheart, who is now a doctor. Paul and Jenny are the only two who hope that Connor can be redeemed and that salvation arrives in the form of Connor’s late Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), a consummate ladies’ man who has returned from the grave to show Connor the error of his ways. To prove his point, he has arranged for his nephew to be visited by three ghosts.

A more talented actor would have proved believable in this role. As it stands, McConaughey allows his character to remain such an unrepentant, misogynistic creep for most of the movie that almost all sympathy has been lost for his character by the time he finally begins to see the light. Luckily, when the two of them are on screen together, Garner is able to coax some genuine warmth and depth of character from McConaughey. While she and Meyer provide the emotional heart of the movie, others pick up some slack by providing laughs, especially amusing are Forester and Douglas. Director Mark Waters was smart to surround his star with such talent. Without their combined efforts, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” wouldn’t stand a ghost of a chance of being entertaining.  5/3/09

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 3 smiles

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is a super-action extravaganza enhanced by dynamic performances fro Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber as sibling rivals. As origin stories go, however, it’s better than “Elektra” and “Ghost Rider,” but not as good as “Iron Man.” A short prologue reveals that, in the 1860s, a young boy named Logan discovers that he and his brother Victor have mutant genes that give them unusual powers. Then an effective montage takes us through the years as Logan, Wolverine (Jackman) and Victor, Sabertooth (Schreiber) fight in various wars, from the Civil War through Vietnam and beyond. Subsequently we learn that their mutant powers have been discovered by the slimy Col. William Stryker (Danny Huston), who recruits them for a top-secret team dedicated, allegedly, to protecting America’s best interests around the world. Logan grows tired of the abuses he sees under Stryker’s command and leaves. He lives a simple life in Canada as a lumberjack and finds Kayla (Lynn Collins), his true love. Victor tracks him down and kills Kayla in the process. Bent on revenge, Logan accepts an offer from Stryker to participate in an experiment that will make him virtually indestructible. He becomes Weapon X when a substance called adamantium is fused to his skeleton. He sets out to kill Victor but discovers a trail of betrayals instead.

“X-Man Origins: Wolverine” is more about the ‘hows’ rather than the ‘whys.’ We find out how Logan turned into Wolverine but we don’t know why he and Victor have become such bitter rivals. Nor do we learn why he and Kayla fell in love. Obviously, going into more depth in the story would detract from the Wolverine vs. Sabertooth conflict, but “Wolverine” would have benefitted from delving into the personal side of the mutants a little more than it does. The action sequences are terrific, especially the effects-enhanced three-way mutant fight atop a nuclear reactor and Jackman and Schreiber are superb. There are moments of humor and cameos from some of the other famous X-Men. So all in all, there’s enough here to make “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” worth seeing.  4/2/09