First Trailer for Les Miserables

Best Director winner Tom Hooper (The King's Speech) gives us our first look into his telling of the Broadway classic Les Miserables. Starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfriend, Les Miserables is expected to have a mid-December release.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Film: Snow White and the Huntsman

Starring: Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Chris Hemsworth (Marvel's The Avengers), and Kristen Stewart (The Twilight franchise)

Director: Rupert Sanders

U.S. Release: June 1st, 2012 (Rated PG-13)

Genre: Drama/Action

Runtime: 127 minutes


It was announced around the same time that two movies based on the fictional character of Snow White would be released in 2012. First, there was Mirror Mirror, a lighthearted and quirky take on the Disney Princess. The other being Snow White and the Huntsman, Rupert Sanders' dark and Grimm-like interpretation of the iconic story. Headlined by Kristen Stewart, the star of the Twilight franchise, along with Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Charlize Theron, Sanders has everything imaginable at his disposal. But even with an Academy Award winning actress and one of the most famous stories ever created,  can the first-time director deliver?

Snow White and the Huntsman initially ventures back to the childhood of Snow White (played by Stewart). After the death of her mother, Snow White's father falls victim to the luring charisma of the Queen (played by Theron). When the villainous woman murders him on their wedding night, the Queen overtakes the throne and the kingdom succumbs to evil. Eventually able to escape imprisonment from the Queen, Snow White must survive the dark forest and conjure up an army to reclaim the throne. With the aid of the Huntsman (played by Hemsworth) and seven dwarfs, Snow White attempts to restore peace and serenity throughout the land.

Director Rupert Sanders is given a large task with his directorial debut. Serving up a never-before-seen interpretation of a much anticipated blockbuster, the bar was set astronomically high. To his praise, Sanders delivers an astonishingly visual and profound journey into the childhood story that we all know so well. The director does a fantastic job of effectively using colors to set the mood for each and every scene. Easily the highlight of Snow White and the Huntsman, it's no exaggeration to start talking about a possible Visual Effects nomination from the Academy. In addition to the film's stunning visuals, actress Charlize Theron must once again be applauded for her magnificent work on screen. The remarkably gifted, Academy Award winning actress takes control of the film and shoulders all of the attention on herself. In doing so, she proves to be a much more reliable central character than the heroine Snow White. Theron effortlessly commands the screen and shows the audience multiple dimensions to the character of the Queen. In a similar approach to 2008's superhero classic The Dark Knight, Snow White and the Huntsman is a daring rendition that ultimately succeeds because of its elaborate focus on the villain.

Although the dark fairy tale manages to work well on screen, it does so with a few blemishes. Snow White and the Huntsman starts out strong and hits a lull in the second act. The audience is forced to sit through a mid-section that is much longer than it needs to be. Surprisingly, the body of the film adds minutes to the runtime without ever offering much to the story. Flooded with uninteresting subplots and other various nonsense, the middle portion pushes the level of unbearable. However, just moments before you're ready to throw in the towel, Sanders introduces the dwarfs and the comical characters give a much needed boost of energy to the feature. From that moment on, the movie picks up and the audience has no need to ever look back. Furthermore, for all of the praise given to Theron, it becomes almost too easy to criticize the casting decision of Kristen Stewart as Snow White. Offering up about as much emotion as a paper clip, Stewart only makes sense as Snow White by her appearance alone. Luckily for Sanders, Theron dazzles and Hemsworth proves to be adequate enough in his role to help sustain the film.

For the massive level of excitement I had prior to viewing the film, Snow White and the Huntsman came just shy of meeting my expectations. That being said, I must give the movie the respect it deserves and recognize it as the solid work that it is. Stunningly visual and original, Snow White and the Huntsman is a winning debut effort from director Rupert Sanders and his entire team. If you're eager to see the picture, then I suggest doing so. Chances are, you won't leave the theatre bitter with your decision.


Stars: 2 and a half stars out of 4

Grade: B-

Hit and Run Trailer

Check out the trailer for Hit and Run, a hilarious comedy from writer and star Dax Shepard, featuring Bradley Cooper and Kristen Bell.

Chernobyl Diaries

Film: Chernobyl Diaries

Starring: Jesse McCartney (Beware the Gonzo) and Jonathan Sadowski (Friday the 13th)

Director: Bradley Parker

U.S. Release: May 25th, 2012 (Rated R)

Genre: Horror

Runtime: 90 minutes


Oren Peli dabbles. He enjoys various aspects of the filmmaking process. As the scribe of the entire Paranormal Activity franchise and the director of the first installment, Peli also enjoys going beyond the pen and the director's chair to produce a feature every now and again. This time around, Peli is tackling the business end of 2012's newest horror film, Chernobyl Diaries. At the helm of the project is first time director Bradley Parker, most known for his visual effects work on the 1999 mind-bending thriller Fight Club. But one question remains, can the horror guru and newbie director deliver another hit?

Chernobyl Diaries revolves around Paul (played by Sadowski), an American born young adult now living in Kiev. When Paul's brother Chris (played by McCartney) travels to visit (along with Chris' girlfriend Natalie and mutual friend Amanda), Paul plans an "extreme tourism" excursion to Chernobyl. Completely run down and supposedly abandoned, due to the nuclear disaster that happened there in 1986, Paul and company discover that there's something living at Chernobyl.

Bradley Parker's Chernobyl Diaries is an unoriginal and superficial endeavor into the horror genre. What begins as an intriguing premise and suspenseful tale, ultimately unfolds in a reiterated and reused fashion. To its benefit, Chernobyl Diaries doesn't hesitate to jump into the thrills. However, once the scares begin, the movie spends very little time developing any sense of a meaningful plot. This becomes a frustrating aspect of the film since there's plenty of opportunities to elaborate more on a minimally addressed plot point. By failing to do so, Chernobyl Diaries ends up feeling all too flat and lacking in any depth. In addition to its flaws in the screenplay, the horror tale also falls victim to a second and third act that's completely overfilled with unnecessary chase scenes. Reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project, Chernobyl Diaries chooses to spend most of its duration having its central characters running from a villain that we hardly get to see. Rather than using screen time to build on a strong premise, the film mimics The Blair Witch Project to a fault. Furthermore, Chernobyl Diaries is filled with weak dialogue and mediocre acting, resulting in a failed attempt on many different levels.

On the other hand, there's a few redeeming qualities to 2012's newest horror effort. Chernobyl Diaries remains at least mildly entertaining throughout its mere 90 minute runtime. Also, the feature hints at an intelligent rationale for the events that transpire on screen. Yet, you can only walk away wishing that the writers had done more with the idea. Therefore, as the Chernobyl Diaries concludes, it feels more like a letdown than an abomination.

Much like Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity, Chernobyl Diaries leaves much to be desired. The entertainment value and the occasional scare are prevalent, but its one dimensional feel is far too disappointing to ignore. The core ideas are there, but the necessary creativity and execution are not. Hence, do your best to avoid rushing to the theatre to see Chernobyl Diaries. You're better off waiting for DVD.


Stars: One and a half stars out of 4

Grade: C-

New Trailer for "Maniac"

A new trailer has surfaced for Maniac starring Elijah Wood. As a somewhat re-imagining of the 1980's cult classic, the film is almost shot entirely in a POV style. As seen in the violent and creepy trailer below, Maniac follows a mannequin store owner, with some serious mommy issues, who has a knack for scalping beautiful models. Be warned, there's some nudity in this international trailer as well.

New Trailer for "The Watch"

The Watch (formerly known as Neighborhood Watch) is a comedy starring Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn, and Richard Ayoade. It hits theatres on July 27th and you can view it's newest official trailer below.