Your Highness

Universal Pictures

Rated R

Running time: 102 minutes



In Universal Pictures Your Highness, Prince James Franco's bride-to-be, Lady Zooey Deschanel gets kidnapped from their castle home by the evil wizard Justin Theroux. Franco then goes on a quest with his knights to rescue Deschanel - along with his lazy brother Danny McBride.

A cross between The Three Musketeers as well as The Princess Bride and Xena: Warrior Princess, this film is much more of an action film than a comedy that the trailers make it out to be. You can feel the jealousy that loser brother Danny McBride has for his heroic brother James Franco, but never forget that they are brothers. McBride reminds me of Oliver Platt in The Three Musketeers. although not as sophisticated, while Franco reminds me of Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride. On the eve of the Royal Wedding, one can imagine the chaos Theroux created during Franco's wedding and why the brothers are now on a quest. The quest picks up when they encounter fellow warrior Natalie Portman, a hot woman who can kick serious ass, but who has her own quest to get Theroux. Treachery and villainy abound as evil Chosen One Theroux needs virgin Deschanel to fulfill the ancient astrological prophesy to give birth to a dragon which he can control for his evil deeds. While a lot of magic bolts were flung around, it is surprising that the bolts were not actually deadly but only threw everyone around. The Great Wize Wizard is the most perverted muppet-like character I have ever seen, even more so than the Minotaur. At least you can understand the Minotaur's beastiality in his home lair.

The 3-D-like opening credits were pretty cool, especially when watching a 2-D film. I can imagine how they would look like in a real 3-D movie.

Rated R for violence, language, and sexual situations. Running time: 102 minutes.

Pancho
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PAUL

Universal

Rated R

Running time: 104 minutes
















Click below to watch the Paul trailer.



Universal Pictures Paul has two English science fiction geeks, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, on an American road trip to Area 51 - when they come across an extra-terrestrial alien from space, Paul -  voiced by comedian Seth Rogen - who escaped and is on the run from the government.

As a fanboy, I appreciated all the science fiction movie references. A cross between Men in Black meets E.T.: The Extra-Terrerestrial and Due Date, I was expecting more biting humor from the movie after all the fanboy reviews I heard - especially with the geeks going to the San Diego Comic-Con. With science fiction writer Jeffrey Tambor as a sarcastic writer, I almost expected him to be a major part of the movie like a bad guy or an unlucky road companion. Fortunately his sarcasm was kept to a minimum and kept the movie from being mean, and the film really was rather cute with Kristen Wiig as the religious girl road companion who wants to kiss someone for the first time. Although Wiig and her religious father could turn off those with religious views because of their attitude, it was interesting to see their development as the film went on. With the science fiction references, it makes me wonder how the fanboys at the real San Diego Comic-Con reacted to the movie Paul.

The film is rated R and does not seem to deserve it. To me an R film is supposed to be very graphic. It is mostly because of the language that the film is rated R and even then it seems mostly like a PG-13 film to me, even a PG film. This is a shame as I think the film would have had more of an audience as a PG-13 family type film. Paul very easily could have related to children.

The computer generated motion capture animation for Paul is very good and realistic, especially the animation of the eyes. This is better than the animation of the similar grey Roswell aliens of Stargate SG-1. It makes you wish you could care more for Paul just as people cared for E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Paul is just a little too funny and rude for that kind of audience identification, even if he does want to go home - however it was cute to see how he was the fictional inspiration for E.T. along with a cameo voice-over by Steven Spielberg.

Jason Bateman and Sigourney Weaver are good as the intimidating government Men in Black who are after Paul, including the rookie Men in Black assigned to assist with their search - who realize the U.S. Air Force's investigation of UFO's in Project BLUE BOOK was real. Unfortunately, or fortunately for Paul, the rookies do not know how to shoot. Jane Lynch as a truck stop woman and Blythe Danner as the adult version of the kid who found Paul - who came to Earth and crash-landed on her dog 60 years ago - were also good.

Rated R for language, violence, and casual drug use. Running time: 104 minutes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Battle: Los Angeles

Columbia Pictures

Rated PG-13

Running time: 116 minutes



In Columbia Pictures Battle: Los Angeles - Los Angeles is being invaded by aliens from space and a U.S. Marine unit defends the city against them.

Staff Sargent Aaron Eckhart decides to retire, after losing his men in a previous tour - when the aliens arrive under the guise of meteorites. He now has to lead his men, who distrust him to keep them alive - especially the brother of a Marine killed under his command. Also leading the men is 2nd Lieutenant Ramon Rodriguez, fresh out of Officer Candidate School as the Marines are sent in to evacuate some stranded civilians from a West Los Angeles police station. Amongst the civilians is veterinarian Bridget Moynahan who helps dissect an alien. Along the way the Marines pick up a squad of friendlies, including Technical Sargent Michelle Rodriguez from the U.S. Air Force who was sent on a recon mission to search for the aliens Command and Control center.

Inspired on the real events of the 1942 Battle of Los Angeles, this is an intense film of a homeland invasion. Done in the style of Cloverfield and told from the point of view of the Marines, the shaky-cam might be a distraction in the beginning - but is soon ignored as the action starts. The initial breaking news stories adds to the realism of the film. The film deals with intense urban street fighting, ground combat. There is very little air combat action, despite the use of helicopter troop carriers and the drone foo fighters. As a Los Angeles local, it was nice hearing them mention Los Angeles streets, so you can track the Marines progress through the city. The intense action amongst our neighborhoods makes you wonder what it would really be like if our homes really were invaded - and not necessarily by aliens. You do not really get a good look at the aliens and for a while I was not sure if the aliens were drones or aliens in battle armour.

The film really is about the story of the Marines and not the aliens, and there were times that I teared up as I related to what happened to the Marines. The actors trained with the Marines, so their depiction was very believable, as I am sure their characters were as well. It was nice that the movie opened on 03/11/11 as 0311 is the Marine Corps Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for Infantry Riflemen. The film was such a positive movie that at the end of the film the audience cheered. As the Marines say: Retreat? HELL!

Rated PG-13 for violence. Running time: 116 minutes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

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The Eagle

Focus Features

Rated PG-13

Running time: 114 Minutes



Set during the Roman Empire, Focus Features The Eagle, has a Roman Legion of 5000 infantry men disappear. 20 years later, the Legion commander's son Channing Tatum tries to find out what has happened to his father who had commanded the missing legion in order to regain his honor and retrieve their golden emblem - an Eagle.

This film is about honor as Channing Tatum tries to regain his family's honor - especially when his men consider Tatum to be a bad omen; Tatum's slave Jamie Bell's honor of staying with Tatum when Tatum saved Bell's life; and also of the Eagle's honor - which represents Rome. The senator friend of Tatum's uncle, Donald Sutherland, as well as the senator's son did not seem to have any honor as they refuse to support Tatum's one man expedition to investigate rumors of the location of the Eagle. The film also becomes a road/buddy film when Tatum and Bell leave home and set off past the "known world" and explore the land out north past the Wall Barrier to search for the Eagle. When the tables turn, and Bell becomes the master and Tatum becomes the slave, makes you think about the whole idea of slavery that we do not experience today and what it really means to be free - that slavery is more than just a matter of servitude.

I did not know that the Roman Empire had reached as far as the British Isles. That part was very interesting to me as the British Isles gave a different landscape for the film than a traditional European location for the Roman Empire. While The Eagle is more of a drama than an action film - there are battle sequences in the move, which unfortunately are not as epic as I would have preferred. The battle scenes also just end - instead of finishing the battle, which left me feeling a little unsatisfied as to the resolution of the battles. However, the violence of the movie is not that graphic despite the brutality of the times. The final fate of what happened to the missing legion is rather sad and made me consider what could go up against 5,000 trained heavily armed legionnaire soldiers.

Rated PG-13 for violence. Running time: 114 minutes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

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The Mechanic

CBS Films

Rated R

Running time: 93 minutes
































Click below to watch The Mechanic trailer.



In CBS Films The Mechanic, Jason Statham is a "Mechanic" - otherwise known as a hit man. When his mentor Donald Sutherland is killed, Statham reluctantly takes on Sutherland's hothead son Ben Foster as his trainee as they both go after the people responsible for Sutherland's death.

A remake of The Mechanic that starred Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent, this movie shows that being a Mechanic is a profession and the type of "hits" Statham is required to do is almost an art form. I like the quote that "the best jobs are the ones, nobody ever knows you were there." While I have never seen the original film - and granted one of the reasons I saw this current film was that someone that I have worked with in Hollywood, Richard Wenk, co-wrote the script - I liked how Statham trained Foster, stressing the homework and surveillance as well as the weapons training. Stathan and Foster basically become a professional choreographed team, despite Foster's rashness. There is also more characterization in the movie than I had expected for this film, as really the film is more about the almost father-son relationship between Statham and Foster. Sutherland is a memorable character as Statham's mentor, while Tony Goldwyn is not as smarmy as I wanted him to be as the head of the company that Statham works for - especially when you consider the many millions each contract hit is worth.

The direction by Simon West is typical for his action and seamier side of life - although putting both styles together is almost too schizophrenic for the film. The people getting shot in the film can also be rather graphic. Considering the amount of mayham and destruction that was carried out amongst the streets, it was unbelievable to me that no police forces were anywhere around to try to handle the situation. The climax is not as satisfying either - as the bad guy just basically runs away, instead of trying to fight Statham and Foster. The tag can also be depressing to see as it was for me, as you have grown to care about the characters.

Rated R for violence, nudity, and sexual situations. Running time: 93 minutes

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

 Pancho's Movie Reviews

The Green Hornet

Columbia Pictures

Rated PG-13

Running time: 119 minutes


















Click below to watch The Green Hornet trailer.



In Columbia Pictures The Green Hornet, playboy Seth Rogen's stern newspaper publisher father Tom Wilkinson, who writes about corruption in the city - is murdered. While trying to do something crazy to spite his stern late father, Rogan and his driver, Jay Chow, stop a mugging. Rogan then decides to become the crimefighter "The Green Hornet."

In a campy remake of the short-lived TV show from the 1960's The Green Hornet, starring martial artist Bruce Lee, The Green Hornet movie is the opposite of Batman in that playboy Seth Rogan as Britt Reid becomes a crimefighter while pretending to be a criminal - while Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne pretends to be a playboy in order to hide the fact that he has become a crimefighter that was wanted by the police for being a vigilante. While comedian Michael Keaton became too serious for playboy Bruce Wayne/Batman, comedian Seth Rogan is not serious enough as crimefighter Green Hornet/playboy Britt Reid. This is not surprising as the movie was co-written by Rogan. Although there are a couple of dramatic scenes for Rogan in which he was good at, there are very few of those scenes and the movie is really full of your typical Rogan comedic scenes. If we could combine the playboy Seth Rogan and the Michael Keaton's Dark Knight Batman, as well as treating the material seriously like The Dark Knight, we could have had the ideal dual identity/schizophrenic crimefighter.

Asian pop star Jay Chou as Bruce Lee's Kato is the brains of The Green Hornet duo - as Rogan's father's former mechanic, who not only designs and builds all of The Green Hornet's incredible gadgets - Kato also builds The Black Beauty, their car which kicks ass much better than The Batmobile. In fact, really The Black Beauty is why you want to see this action movie - with Jay Chou's martial arts the next reason. There is an homage to Bruce Lee with a sketch of him supposed to have been done by Kato, as well as homages to the old Batman TV show. It was great to hear the Green Hornet TV theme song at the end. The bad guy at first seemed to be a formidable foe, but he soon turned into a comic book character that even his henchman says that he is crazy. Rogan's secretary Cameron Diaz is the unsuspecting female brains of the duo as Chou and Rogan pick her journalistic brains to see what she thinks as to what the criminal "The Green Hornet" might do next.

Despite the fact that a paper newspaper seems old school, they have Edward James Olmos as the newspaper editor in the movie. Sadly - after an incredible performance in Battlestar Galactica - Olmos performance was practically non-existent in the movie as the newspaper editor, which is too bad as Olmos is in the perfect position to be Rogan's mentor. Rogan's desperation to upload incriminating evidence on the web seems very contradictory to the archaic newspaper technology in the newspaper plant that he finds himself fighting amongst. As friends of mine who work for newspapers will attest, the newspapers as a media for delivering news are moving more and more to being online and that there is less news paper being produced.

Rated PG-13 for violence. Running time: 119 minutes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Little Fockers

Universal Pictures

Rated PG-13

Running time: 98 minutes
















Click below to watch the Little Fockers trailer.



Universal Pictures Little Fockers has male nurse Ben Stiller being reluctantly made the family Godfocker by the family patriarch, ex-CIA man Robert De Niro. De Niro soon regrets this decision when, after using the Google search engine, he suspects Stiller of cheating on his daughter Teri Polo with medicinal drug representative Jessica Alba.

A sequel to Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers, Little Fockers is a cute, but uneven film. Considering the title, you would think that Little Fockers would be more about the kids Daisy Tahan and Colin Baiocchi interacting more with Stiller and De Niro -  especially interacting with grandfather De Niro. It was great to see a scene with De Niro and Harvey Keitel, even if it is a short scene. I am surprised I have not seen these two actors together in a movie before. While De Niro is still a tough guy, it is hard to compare Little Fockers to the 30th anniversary Blue-ray edition of Raging Bull which had just come out. This is especially true with all the ED jokes with De Niro from Jessica Alba's new impotence drug, the treatment for which is quite traumatic. While Jessica Alba is hot, I also miss Alba doing the serious roles as well - like Dark Angel, the role which had made Alba famous. Laura Dern is interesting as the head of the school that Stiller and De Niro want to put the children in. As Dern says, "there are a lot of family dynamics at play here" when she Meets the Parents. New age guru Owen Wilson can get annoying as he horns in on Stiller's family. A cameo by self-improvement guru Deepak Chopra is cute although you wish the cameos by Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand, as well as the cat Jinxie, would have been more. 

Rated PG-13 for violence and sexual situations. Running time: 98 minutes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Pancho's Movie Reviews