Reel Thoughts: Wild About Harry

When a film series reaches its sixth installment, usually the well is running pretty dry (think Halloween or Friday the 13th). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince succeeds beautifully in continuing the series and deepening the characters, relationships and upcoming menace. And the cast is uniformly terrific as it matures before our eyes.

Harry Potter benefits from its strong literary source novels by J.K. Rowling, but that by no means makes filming her works a piece of cake. Call it Harry Potter and the Raging Hormones, since this is the first time we see the kids really grappling with their sexuality. Being more of a casual observer of the films, and never having read the novels, I wondered where Harry’s love interest from the previous film went, and why he suddenly had the hots for Ron Weasley’s ginger-haired sister, Ginny (Bonnie Wright).


I only point that out as a way of saying that for the first time, you can’t watch the new film without being familiar with the series. As wonderful and entertaining as Half-Blood Prince is, its best moments come in seeing new sides and levels to characters we’ve grown to love over the past years. Evanna Lynch steals her scenes as the ethereally kooky Lana Lovegood, and Sir Michael Gambon is the best he’s been as the embattled Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.

As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine Granger (Emma Watson) return for their sixth year at Hogwarts, the work of the Dark Lord Voldemort grows so brazen that even muggles (non-wizards) are getting killed in mass numbers. Everyone knows that Harry is the “Chosen One,” and he’s as beloved in the wizardly world as Radcliffe is in real life.


In this, the sixth of seven books, Dumbledore has a vital mission that involves bringing back an old professor (James Broadbent) who knew Voldermort when he was a student. Broadbent is wonderfully duplicitous, coming across as dithering yet manipulative, and the central mystery of Half-Blood Prince concerns what he knew and how he helped Tom Riddle become the Dark Lord, who murdered Harry’s parents. The title refers to a mysterious inscription Harry finds in a book of potions he is lent to attend Broadbent’s potions class. In addition, the book is full of “the Half-Blood Prince’s” notes that fix errors in the text, and make Harry seem like a star pupil.

Like The Empire Strikes Back, Half-Blood Prince revels in being an open-ended and darker entry in the series. It packs a huge dramatic event that you probably already know. Director David Yates creates a sense of menace and suspense and leaves you anxiously awaiting the two-part Deathly Hallows that closes out the saga in November 2010 and summer 2011. I can’t say if the film does justice to the novel, but it certainly is a shining addition to the Harry Potter film chronicles.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Movie Central: Shrek Forever After

Shrek Forever After (Coming Soon)

Release Date: May 21, 2010 (conventional theaters and IMAX)
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Director: Mike Mitchell
Screenwriter: Tim Sullivan, Josh Klausner
Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: Not Available
Production Stills: View here
Plot Summary: Shrek Forever After will be released on May 21, 2010. Aron Warner (producer of the "Shrek" franchise films) and Andrew Adamson ("Shrek," "The Chronicles of Narnia") are serving as executive producers on the film, which is being directed by Mike Mitchell and produced by Teresa Cheng and Gina Shay and will feature the original all-star cast, including Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas.

Trailer:
Coming Soon!

'Funny People' tops modest boxoffice

"Funny People"

Universal's "Funny People," a film about stand-up comics with serious problems, staged a good-humored weekend bow estimated at $23.4 million.

But that was on the lower end of industry expectations for the Adam Sandler-starring dramatic comedy, which will be watched for drawing power during coming weeks. Industry consensus maintains summer-laggard Uni needed not only to open the R-rated "Funny" well but also to sustain positive word-of-mouth. Its first-frame tally gains luster when viewed among lackluster results elsewhere in the limp boxoffice session. The weekend's top 10 rung up $106 million, or 25% less than top performers in the same frame last year, according to Nielsen EDI.

As for the other openers, Fox's "Aliens in the Attic" arrived in fifth place with $7.8 million, down in the cellar of prerelease forecasts for family action fantasy, and Freestyle Releasing's R-rated horror film "The Collector" missed the top 10, collecting just $3.6 million.

After topping the previous weekend's rankings, Disney's animated family actioner "G-Force" dropped 46% in its sophomore session to $17.1 million and third place, with a 10-day tally of $66.5 million. Sony's romantic comedy "The Ugly Truth" tumbled 53% in its second outing to ring up $13 million with $54.5 million in cumulative boxoffice, and Warner Bros.' horror pic "The Orphan" slid 44% for $7.3 million in sixth with a $26.8 million cume.

Warners' leggy sequel "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" took the frame's silver medal with $17.7 million. Bolstered by $3.2 million from 160 high-grossing Imax playdates, "Prince" boasts a $255.5 million cume through three sessions.

In a limited bow, Sony Pictures Classics unspooled the Belgian drama "Lorna's Silence" in six locations to gross $36,219, or a solid $6,037 per site.

Roadside Attractions opened eco-documentary "The Cove" in four theaters and grossed $55,500, or an impressive $13,875 per venue.

Focus Features debuted the Korean vampire film "Thirst" in four locations and fetched $55,173, or an encouraging $13,793 per site.

Fox Searchlight sent out its romantic comedy "Adam" on Wednesday with four playdates to woo $66,265, or $16,566 per engagement, with five-day cume of $94,776.

IFC Fims opened Danish WWII drama "Flame and Citron" in a pair of New York theaters, grossing $13,620.

Elsewhere, Searchlight's romantic comedy "(500) Days of Summer" added 181 theaters for a total 266 to register $2.8 million, or a sunny $10,338 per venue, with a $6.8 million cume.

Iraq War drama "The Hurt Locker" from Summit Entertainment and Maple Pictures added 285 locations for a total 523 in grossing $1.9 million, or a sturdy $3,654 per site, with a $6.8 million cume.

IFC Films added 27 engagements for a total 35 for military comedy "In the Loop" and rung up $308,947, a solid $8,827 per playdate, with cume of $589,535.

And Here Media's Japanese drama "Departures" added one theater for a total 22 in grossing $44,540, or $2,121 per venue, as cume hit $1 million for the foreign-language Oscar winner.

Directed by Judd Apatow, "Funny" co-stars Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann. Toting a nearly 2 1/2-hour running time and $70 million negative cost, the dramedy has drawn largely positive reviews and debuted midway between the two previous Apatow-helmed movies. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" unspooled in August 2005 with $21.4 million and registered $109.4 million overall domestically; 2007's "Knocked Up" bowed with $30.7 million and rang up $148.8 million in domestic coin.

"We're pleased to be No. 1," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said. "We're pleased with the opening, as it was a different sort of role for Adam. And for Judd, it has him evolving into a more serious kind of comedy."

Audiences skewed 53% male, with 52% of "Funny" patrons aged 25 or older.

Like "G-Force," "Aliens" mixes whimsical CGI characters into live action, though with production costs estimated at $45 million, the latter was a lot less expensive to produce. Rated PG, "Aliens" features a young ensemble cast including Ashley Tisdale ("High School Musical"), with John Schultz ("The Honeymooners") directing.

"The kids do love the movies, so hopefully we'll take advantage of the summer days ahead," Fox senior vp distribution Chris Aronson said.

Opening audiences for "Aliens" comprised 52% females, with family patrons accounting for 75% of its support.

Liddell Entertainment's "Collector" stars Josh Stewart ("The Haunting of Molly Hartley") and was helmed by "Saw IV" writer Marcus Dunstan. Playing in 1,325 locations, "Collector" targeted primarily young males.

"Exceeding $3 million was our goal, so we are quite pleased," Freestyle president Mark Borde said.

Looking ahead, wide openers set for Friday include Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" -- the first pure action release in several weeks -- Sony's Meryl Streep starrer "Julie and Julia" and Universal's R-rated horror thriller "A Perfect Getaway."

Coraline

(focus features)
Director: Henry Selick
Writer: Henry Selick
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ian McShane
Plot: Adapted from the Hugo Award-winning, internationally best-selling novel, Coraline is a spine-tingling tale about a curious girl who unlocks a mysterious door in her family's new home and enters into an adventure in a parallel reality. On the surface, this "Other World" eerily mimics her own life - though it is much more fantastical. In it, Coraline encounters different versions of her own life, including off-kilter neighbors and an Other Mother who attempts to keep her forever. Ultimately, Coraline must rely on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back home.
Genre: Animation | Family | Fantasy

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:Jan 23, 2009 Wide

Box Office: $33,165,746

I'll accept to actuality afraid that the Underworld alternation has accomplished a third installment. Apparently, these films aren't that big-ticket to accomplish because they accept never been big box appointment performers. With the additional movie, Underworld: Evolution, accepting captivated up things too neatly for this assembly to abide affective forward, the filmmakers accept adopted to do some backtracking. This is an "origin story" - one that allotment to the alpha and chronicles how the vampire/werewolf war started. The limitations of the Underworld adventure are on display: the storyline about replicates that of Underworld and Underworld: Evolution, acceptation that if you've apparent one or both of them, there's no acute acumen to absorb your adamantine becoming dollars on the third.

The affidavit for watching the aboriginal two Underworld movies were simple: Kate Beckinsale in a bound covering costume, lots of fast-paced action, Kate Beckinsale in a bound covering costume, affluence of claret and gore, and Kate Beckinsale in a bound covering costume. The fast-paced activity and claret and claret are still present in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, but Kate Beckinsale is boilerplate to be begin (excepting a abrupt actualization abreast the end in a blow that I accept was aerial from the aboriginal film). Back Underworld would not be Underworld after the dominatrix aspect, Rhona Mitra accomplish into the bound covering costume. The aftereffect is agnate but not absolutely the same. Beckinsale's husband, Len Wiseman, who directed the aboriginal two Underworlds afore axis his absorption to Live Free or Die Hard, has ceded the top armchair to Patrick Tatopoulos (a beheld furnishings authority who formed on the antecedent two Underworld films), although he gets a adventure credit. Tatopoulos, it should be noted, does a adequate job of assuming Wiseman's style.

The adventure takes us aback hundreds of years to back the werewolves were disciplinarian to the vampires. (A allegiant apostle of the cine ability alarm this aspect allegorical.) Viktor (Bill Nighy), the baron of the bloodsuckers, has a accurate affection for Lucian (Michael Sheen), the best and bravest of his wolf bite-infected pets. Unfortunately, as abundant as Lucian brand Viktor, he brand Viktor's daughter, Sonja (Rhona Mitra), alike more, and the activity is mutual. Back sex amid vampires and lycanthropes is forbidden, the two charge accommodated in secret. Alike afore they are begin out, the activity leads to their downfall. In adjustment to save Sonja's life, Lucian charge abolish the collar that inhibits his shape-shifting. This is an breach that acreage him in a corpuscle and, while he's there, his words and accomplishments bulb the seeds for the insurgence that will alpha the war.

Those who awful Twilight because of the way in which it defanged vampires while axis women into victims can blow calmly here. Sonja is annihilation but a victim and the vampires, abnormally Viktor, are awful pieces of work. The botheration with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is the way in which it repeats all that has gone before: banned love, desaturated color, blood-soaked battles amid CGI werewolves and all-too-destructible vampires. The accomplished acquaintance feels obligatory. If the filmmakers were activity to go to all the agitation to accomplish a new affiliate to this saga, why not do article absorbing with it?

Bill Nighy, who had a cogent role in the aboriginal Underworld, is a contentment to catch in the way he blithely overacts. This is accurate scenery-chewing. Here's a accepted amateur who has adopted to go as far over-the-top as the administrator will acquiesce (and that turns out to be absolutely far). There are times back it's absurd not to chuckle. This first-rate amateur achievement causes the added sedate assignment by Michael Sheen and Rhona Mitra, who booty their genitalia seriously, to achromatize into the background. (Although, to his credit, Sheen does accompany the affair during scenes back he gets to bark snippets of "rousing" dialogue.)

The appropriate furnishings are beneath absorbing than in the antecedent two installments, conceivably because of bread-and-butter restrictions. They assume like they were done cheaply and/or quickly. Granted, we're not accepted to accept that an army of werewolves is affronted a castle, but neither is it declared to be accessible that the absolute arrangement was put calm on a computer. The akin of captivation accepted by the adventure has not been accomplished by the furnishings technicians. Also, the action scenes are accumulated with the now-popular fast-edit address that makes them difficult to follow.

Does one accept to be a fan of the alternation to acknowledge Underworld: Rise of the Lycans? Probably, back the cine assumes a acquaintance with the saga's mythology. The blur can be watched and accepted by a abecedarian (although I accept apparent the added two, I can't affirmation to bethink them decidedly well), but there's no acumen why addition alien with Underworld would appetite to bother. The aboriginal blur was decidedly bigger and, therefore, is the abode to alpha for anyone with a atom of interest. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is an also-ran that is acceptable to be accepted alone by completi

Starring: Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Steven Mackintosh

Starring: Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Steven Mackintosh, Kevin Grevioux, Danny McBride

Director: Patrick Tatopoulos

My Bloody Valentine (2009)

Tom (Ackles) returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a homecoming, however, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders, and it seems like his old flame (King) is the only one will believes he's innocent.

Ip Man - Review

If you look at the last 5 movies in Donnie Yen’s filmography, I feel that his better works had resulted from his collaboration with director Wilson Yip. In Painted Skin and An Empress and The Warriors, he was relegated to supporting roles, with the former being ineffectively cast against type, and the latter playing second fiddle to the leads Kelly Chen and Leon Lai. With Yip, he’s the able star of the show, and in each of the movies, was put to do what he does best – numbing arse kicking action, with SPL sparring with Sammo Hung and Wu Jing, Dragon Tiger Gate having to lead Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue battling bad hair days, and introducing some wildly kinetic Mixed Martial Arts action in Flash Point. So how does his latest collaboration with Wilson Yip fare?

They do no wrong. I shall now proclaim unabashedly that I absolutely love this movie! It’s been some time since we last saw a biopic on one of the Chinese’s martial arts folk heroes, with Jet Li’s Fearless being the last memorable one to hit the big screen. While Li lays claim to three of such roles in the iconic Wong Fei Hung (in the Tsui Hark movies), Fong Sai Yuk and Huo Yuan Jia in Fearless, after which he felt he had to hang up his martial arts roles because he thought that he had communicated all that he wanted about martial arts through these films. And thank goodness for Donnie Yen still being around to pick up from where the genre left off, and presenting a memorable role which he truly owned, with Ip Man being the first cinematic rendition of the Wing Chun martial arts grandmaster.

In this bio-pic, Ip Man, one of the earliest Wing Chun martial arts exponents credited to have propagated its popularity, gets portrayed as the best of the best in 1930s Fo Shan, China, where the bustling city has its own Martial Arts Street where countless of martial arts schools have set up shop to fuel the craze of kung fu training. With each new school, the master will pay their respects to Ip Man and to challenge him to a duel. Ip Man, an aristocrat who spends most of his quality time developing and perfecting his brand of martial arts, will take them on behind closed doors, so as not to damage his opponents’ reputation nor embarrass them in public. His humility is his virtue, and his style is never violent or aggressive, which often gets assumed and mistaken for being effeminate, since Wing Chun after all was founded by a woman.

The bulk of the story gets set in the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, and it’s not all fight and no story. Witth this historical setting, at times it does seem that there is an air of familiarity with the type of stories told, with how the Japanese Imperial Army had made life really miserable for the Chinese, and how the Chinese being fragmented in spirit, fail to unite during dire straits. More often than note, martial arts become a unifying force, and this aspect of the narrative might seem to be a walk in the usual territory.

But with its array of charismatic supporting cast with the likes of Simon Yam as Ip Man’s best friend and industrialist Quan, and Lam Ka Tung as a cop turned translator, there are little nicely put sub plots which seek to expand the air of respect that Ip Man commands amongst his community. The story by Edmond Wong did not demonize all the villains, often adding a dash of empathy and sympathy to the likes of the Japanese General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), a highly skilled exponent from the North called Zhao (Fan Siu Wong) as well as Lam’s translator character who is deemed as a traitor for being in the service of the Japanese. Ip Man the family man also gets put under the spotlight, where his passion could sometimes leave him neglecting his wife and kid, and through the course of the story this focus often leaves one quite exasperated for his family’s safety as he puts his countrymen above self and family when going up against the oppressive Japanese forces.

So what’s the verdict on the action? Action junkies won’t have to wait too long before watching Ip Man in action, and to Sammo Hung and Tony Leung Siu Hung’s credit, they have intricately designed some of the most varied martial arts sequences in the movie, such as private fights in his home, a factory melee, a Japanese dojo battle as seen in the trailer, (which I know has actually sent some positive vibes amongst moviegoers, mouth agape at that incredible scene of Yen continuously beating down a karateka) being somewhat of a throwback and reminscent of Bruce Lee in Fists of Fury, and a ringside duel amongst others. And it’s not just Ip Man who gets in on the action, but specialized martial arts moves designed for the various practitioners as well. It’s so difficult to name any particular one as a personal favourite, though I must add that you definitely won’t feel short changed by the time the inevitable final battle comes rolling along and gets delivered with aplomb.

I’m no Wing Chun practitioner, but Donnie Yen has this marvelous calm and zen like approach with his Ip Man taking out his opponents quite effectively with the minimal of moves. Like Huo Yuan Jia, he doesn’t deliver the killing blows to friendly opponents, but rather simulates the various hit points, which actually calls for some astonishing control of strength and precision. This approach will change of course as the opponents become anything but friendly. And unlike the usual martial arts stance of crouching low, here we see him standing tall and striking with such precision and efficiency, it’s like poetry in motion with some astounding closed quarter combat utilizing plenty of upper limb strength.

With Wong Kar-wai at one point also declaring interest in making a Ip Man movie, I thought that this effort will be hard to beat, just like how Tsui Hark has crafted some of the more definitive movies in modern times about Wong Fei Hung and Jet Li benefiting from a major career boost, I’d say Ip Man just about cements Yen’s reputation as a martial arts leading man, which I guess the cinematic world these days severely lacks. Definitely recommended, and surely a thrill ride for Donnie Yen fans!