DJ Elroy's Digital Dancefloor

I’d really dug the trailers for this one but missed it’s theater showing… And I’d forgotten about it completely until  The Girl brought it over. But I’m glad she reminded me…

Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland (think “Mad Max“, or for you gamers, “Fallout 3“), you’ll notice right away the saturation and drab colors and desolation… And this works in creating a successful ambiance.

The players: Denzel Washington shines in the leading role and is a perfect cast for the part. Gary Oldman is a great contrast and works his evil mojo. And spank-material Mila Kunis is the annoying tag-along (like she is in almost everything else).

The story is pretty predicable with a few minor twists, but it was good to see an underlying religious message presented in a fresh way. Usually we’re just beat over the head with the Ideas; this time the story actually comes first. And makes one think.

The camerawork is great, locations are good, and the ambiance is well-delivered. The action is well-choreographed and the scenes are well polished. Not sure what more I can say; it’s a pretty simple premise but it delivers nonetheless.

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Netflix surprised me this weekend with Pierre Morel’s “From Paris with Love“. I somehow missed hearing anything about this; was it even in theaters? The movie isn’t meant to be taken seriously — I hope — and that makes all the difference in viewer perception. It’s an over-the-top action/twisted thriller (emphasis on ‘over-the-top’) and “corny but entertaining” is probably the most accurate way to describe it. Nobody will win any awards for this one, but still…

It’s a formula that’s been done before: Straight-laced rookie (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is partnered up with the “no rules, just results” jaded professional (John Travolta). Book-smarts meets Street-smarts.

Travolta’s eccentric character is what makes this movie. He’s got all the good one-liners and is the center of all the good action scenes. And although it took some getting used to, his bald-head really fit his personality, it didn’t look too bad either.

Suspend belief, don’t expect too much, and strap yourself in for 90 minutes of well-choreographed violence. It’s a Guy Movie all the way, with plenty of guns, explosions, and fantastical mayhem. Fans of the genre will want to pick this up; a rental will be enough for the rest of us.

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I had an epic review written for this movie, but thanks to an untimely computer crash (hooray, Vista!), everything is gone. I’ve managed to cobble together some of my thoughts on the picture but I’m not going to try a re-write of the entire thing.

I wasn’t able to catch this on opening weekend but was lucky enough to find some time and a lovely lady to spend the afternoon with at the theater.

Having never cracked the comic, I went into the movie blind, not knowing much about this film other than what I’d seen in the previews. I haven’t heard from many fans yet about how faithful the Silver Screen is to the Original, but I’m assuming the silence is good. After all, it’s only when the Die-Hards complain that those of us on the Outside ever hear about it.

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