Spare Parts (2015)

Summary
Four Hispanic high school students form a robotics club under the leadership of their school's newest teacher, Fredi. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country's reigning robotics champion, MIT. On their journey, they learn not only how to build a robot- they learn to build a bond that will last a lifetime.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA

Cast :
George Lopez : Fredi Cameron
Marisa Tomei : Gwen Kolinsky
Jamie Lee Curtis : Ms. Karen Lowry

Director : Sean McNamara


My opinion   

"No matter what happens up there,
I don't want the word "Hooters" coming out of your mouth."

Is your mood not that positive and you've lost your faith in things, then I advise you to go and watch this movie, because this is a feel-good movie of the first rank. After watching this "everything-is-possible" movie, maybe you're going to realize that things aren't that bad and that for every hopeless situation there's a solution. You should only believe in it and grab every opportunity with both hands. Nothing seems impossible as long as you don't waste your perseverance. Voila, thus the positive tone of this film has been set. It's a film that contains all the ingredients needed to make some kind of Disney-like story in which a group of students without a future (and some without identity) and looked at as outcasts and hopeless underdogs, have to compete against individuals who have everything and whose future looks promising. Without much effort you can mention countless movies dealing with the struggle of the weak against the strong (like "The Karate Kid", "October Sky", "The Blind Side", "Forrest Gump", "Major League" ...)

 

 

"Spare Parts" also belongs in this list. Young people of Mexican descent, most undocumented, are attending a high school in Phoenix and being assisted by passionate teachers and an enthusiastic director (Jamie Lee Curtis), despite their sometimes desperate situation, so they can obtain a proper education. Fredi Cameron (George Lopez), an engineer, is apparently desperately looking for a job and therefore applies for the vacant position as temporary science teacher. At the insistence of Oscar (Carlos Pena Vega), who due to the lack of a birth certificate can't enlist in the US Army, Fredi accompanies a group of students to compete in a national robot competition against renowned universities such as MIT and Virginia Tech.

   
The sad thing about such "underdog-contending-with-a-superior-group" films, is that the outcome is already known before the film started. An additional issue covered in this film is the problem of people living illegally in the USA. The constant threat of being arrested and deported, is regularly brought up. Furthermore, the known clichés aren't eschewed either. The sympathetic teacher who acts as a father figure and apparently suffers of a trauma out of the past (although this is not really explained in detail in this film). The romance that blossoms between him and fellow teacher Marisa Tomei (Gwen Kolinsky), a single mother who also happens to know a bit of programming. The animosity between the young people that slowly turns into an intense friendship. And of course the ultimate denouement which is so obvious. Although I had to restrain myself from spontaneously bursting into an applause. But that's usually the objective of such a movie.

Certainly you can't say this film is truly original, but the performances are admirable. The diversity of the teenagers and their array of talents ensure both funny and heartfelt moments. Maybe at times a little bit too corny. Oscar is the driven leader. Christian (David Del Rio) is the intellectual who has a proper scientific solution for every problem posed. Lorenzo (Jose Julian) is the electronics specialist and Hector (JR Villarreal) is not the brightest of them all but surely is useful when it comes to lifting things. Both the interaction between these characters and the way they build a prototype with cheap material and spare parts (even tampons solve a problem) creates humorous moments. And I thought Jamie Lee Curtis was a surprise as a supporting act. A director who uses non-conventional methods for running a school. Brilliant at times.

"Spare Parts" certainly isn't a blockbuster and will appear in the VOD circuit. It's no more than a TV movie based on a true story, as so many movies have already been broadcasted. The most captivating moment was when Jamie Lee Curtis announced the results via the intercom, and you see that nobody is really listening. A brief moment so meaningful : a school community where certain individuals do well-intentioned efforts and you realize that this school community show no interest in it at all. Fortunately, it's not always like that ! 

My rating 5/10 
Links : IMDB 

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Summary
Jupiter Jones was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people's houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine Wise, a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along - her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

Genre : Action/Adventure/SF
Country : USA/UK

Cast :
Mila Kunis : Jupiter Jones
Channing Tatum : Caine Wise
Sean Bean : Stinger Apini

Director : Andy & Lana Wachowski

My opinion  

"It can be difficult for people from underdeveloped worlds to hear that their planet is not the only inhabited planet."

In terms of views and images, "Jupiter Ascending" is a spectacle with an impressive space footage, sometimes rousing action sequences and titillating extraterrestrial fantasies. But just as a book of Jack Vance, it really doesn't make any sense in the beginning. The difference is that while reading that book of Vance, the intended message becomes clear to you. With "Jupiter Ascending" it's still fairly muddled and incomprehensible in the end and you seem to sink into hotchpotch of futuristic ideas. An epic work that throws together different aspects from other SF classics such as "Flash Gordon", "Star Wars" and "Battlestar Galactica". The added Cinderella fairytale with someone living on earth whose DNA equals that of some space queen, makes it complete.

Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) is of Russian descent and has to get up early every day to help her mother clean up rich people houses. Every day she plunges the toilet brush in dirty toilets, without realizing that she has identical genes as the deceased matriarch of the house of Abrasax and in that way she's the owner of planet Earth. The house of Abrasax is an alien royal family that owns several planets. These planets serve merely to be harvested so they can produce a youth serum. The remaining heirs Balem (Eddie Redmayne) Kalique (Tuppence Middleton) and Titus (Douglas Booth) only benefit from the disappearance of this earthling. And that's when Caine Wise (Channing Tatum) shows up. Caine, a former soldier, has been instructed to protect Jupiter.

The Wachowskis not only experienced a physical (at least one of the two) transformation, but there's also something missing when it comes to creativity because they seem to be unable to match the masterful and groundbreaking "The Matrix". Visually "Jupiter Ascending" is a masterpiece, but the story is a messy and chaotic whole. The release of the movie was delayed because of certain deficiencies and they still needed to adjust the visual character of the film. That wasn't a good omen in the first place. Especially the characters without depth, the ridiculous dialogues and a forced romantic story make this film pretty weak. I admit that the rescue operation at the beginning of the film in which Caine prevents Jupiter being abducted by alien "Keepers", while flying around on his jet-like roller skates, was a breathtaking part that lasted for ages. The flashy chase between the buildings is intense, exciting and masterfully portrayed. But that wasn't the last time he had to save her. The film seems like an endless rescue operation. And after a while those special skates aren't that special anymore.

The weakest point of this movie are the characters. Mila Kunis is better than expected but unfortunately it feels as if she's running around the whole movie screaming out loud, while showcasing her "looks". Channing has a tough appearance, but soon gets bogged down in an uninspired parody of himself, struggling with his own feelings. The duo eventually ends up as a kind of "Danny and Sandy in space" couple. A faint love story about two people from two different space systems. The Abrasax family is also a mishmash that didn't really convince. Tuppence Middleton plays no significant role at all. And Redmayne surprised me completely (after I've seen him shine in "The theory of everything") as the wily and cruel Balem who sounded fairly menacing with that whispering voice. Until he starts shouting out of anger and frustrations in a fit. I spontaneously started to chuckle. The only two actors who were convincing were Sean Bean and Douglas Booth. And let's not forget the Russian family sitting together at the dining table. These scenes achieved the highest grade of humorous content.

Do you want to be lead away through the infinite universe where you'll experience one surprise after another and become completely bewildered by the brilliant computer graphics (and as I have been told the 3D version is unprecedented) ? Well, then you have to see this epic space story, full of strange creatures, aliens and exotic places. You also like some romantic posturing and a happy ending ? Than you shouldn't miss it either. But are you also wishing for a fascinating story filled with interesting characters, then this will be a huge disappointment. A better alternative is "Guardians of the Galaxy" where the mix of all these ingredients doesn't create a bitter aftertaste !

My rating 3/10 
Links : IMDB

Jurassic World (2015)

Summary
22 years after the original Jurassic Park failed, the new park (also known as Jurassic World) is open for business. After years of studying genetics the scientists on the park genetically engineer a new breed of dinosaur. When everything goes horribly wrong, will our heroes make it off the island?

Genre : Action/Adventure/SF
Country : USA

Cast :
Chris Pratt : Owen
Bryce Dallas Howard : Claire
Vincent D'Onofrio : Hoskins

Director : Colin Trevorrow

My opinion  

Universal Pictures pulled out his magic box once again and gathered a horde of extinct dinosaurs, which are resurrected with the use of some scientific tricks, on the big screen. Looking at the box office (apparently almost $ 1 billion), it seems like everyone was eagerly looking forward to seeing those prehistoric creatures rumbling around again. Although some scientists were so quick off the mark to prove that some things don't correspond to reality (not all dinosaurs lived in the Jura era, the velociraptors weren't bigger than a turkey and were covered with feathers, the mosquito from which the DNA was extracted, didn't suck blood and the mosasaur wasn't so big as it's portrayed), it's still a lot of fun. I was ready to be overwhelmed and before I knew it, I was looking at the bottom of my bag of popcorn, which is a good sign and a reliable value indicator when it comes to the entertainment content of a feature film.

After the amazing and impressive Jurassic Park in 1993 (Damn, that's 22 years ago), two lousy sequels were released for the dino-crazy public. Unlike the first film, of which I can recall large parts as if I saw it yesterday, I barely can remember anything of the two successors. And let's not mention the awful rip offs that were subsequently thrown on the market (recently I gave "Jurassic City" a chance and already dropped off after 10 minutes due to lousy special effects). In "Jurassic World" they returned to the successful formula of the well-known theme park. Only now it's not an empty amusement park, which should be approved by a select group of scientists, but a crowded park where the owners want to add a new attraction. But again the end result is (as you might guess) less attractive and cozy. It's perfectly summed up by the words of Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in "The Lost World": "Yeah. Ooh and ah, that's how it always starts. But then later there's running and screaming".

The two teenagers Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson), the first one is a dinosaur fanatic and the second one has more interest in the opposite sex, are on their way to the amusement park of InGen, where their aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) works as a operations manager. Of course, the latter doesn't have time to babysit and she leaves them in the hands of her assistant Zara (Katie McGrath). To ensure the income of the park and meet the demands of the main sponsors, the small army of geneticists fabricated a hybrid version which would be even more frightening than the existing species. They use the genes of prehistoric predators and contemporary species. The owner of the park wants Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), the Velociraptor trainer, to check the enclosure of the hybrid. And soon Owen comes to the conclusion that once again they are playing with fire.

Is "Jurassic World" an impressive film? Yep. Did the special effects and computer animation make me drool again ? Yep. Are those fearsome dinosaurs overwhelming again ? Yep. Did it exceed the first film ? Uh, actually not quite. What makes this film memorable ? Well, the park itself for starters. A sort of Disneyland but with unparalleled attractions. The monorails, the infrastructure, the holographic displays and the overall total picture were impressive. The mosasaur was the masterpiece of this film. Superbly imaged. Both the physical appearance as his natural living space. The "gyrospheres" and the accompanying scenery is the first attraction I would like to try out. The action-packed part at the pterosaur cage was breathtaking. But the rest of the used scenes showed similarities with the first film. A park where the situation turns out to be life threatening. Again a couple (who had a thing in the past most probably) need to bring two teenagers in safety while they are surrounded by dangerous prehistoric creatures. Even Claire imitated the dress of Dr. Sattler at one time: an unbuttoned shirt over a T-shirt.

What I didn't get while watching "Jurassic World", were shivers down my spine and goosebumps moments. Emotionally, I don't think there'll ever be another movie (with prehistoric monsters) that surpasses the experience I had while watching "Jurassic Park". When Dr. Grant turned around,peered over the valley where different prehistoric species wandered around and said "Look at that. It's a dinosaur.", my hair stood straight up. When the T-Rex left his cage and started chasing the jeep and you could see the gaping mouth approaching in the rearview mirror. The raptors sneaking through the kitchen with two teenagers scared to death. These are all particular moments I've missed in "Jurassic World". Yes, it was terribly exciting and impressive to see. But that subtle difference was there anyway. I also missed a character like Jeff Goldblum with his dry humor and pertinent observations. And then of course the charismatic dreamer John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), who saw a fantasy collapsing. In some ways it was all there, but it didn't feel the same way.

 

But forget about my nitpicking and hurry to a cinema to watch this two-hour action packed, exciting and entertaining film. The success of "Jurassic World" is its link with the first movie and the overall nostalgic value. You can add the question "How did you feel after watching Jurassic Park?" to the long line of historical questions such as "Where were you when Kennedy was shot ?" And "What were you doing when the radio broadcasted Elvis passed away ?". "Jurassic Park" had a major influence on films that appeared afterwards. My main conclusion is that "Jurassic Park" was far ahead when it's about CGI, because the creations at that time looked as lifelike as those in "Jurassic World". But I am quite convinced that I'll never set foot in such a park, would it ever exist in reality ...

PS. Funniest moment for me : pay attention to what a visitor does during the pterosaur attack ... Yes, he saves two cocktails ! I almost choked on my coke!

My rating 7/10 
Links : IMDB

Anarchy Parlor (2014)

Summary
Anarchy Parlor is a horror film about a mysterious nomad simply known as the "Artist" who practices a dark art form passed down through the generations. He creates much more than tattoos for tourists who visit his Lithuanian Tattoo Parlor. Shot entirely on location in Vilnius Lithuania, this film features two well-known cast members in the tattoo and horror world. Anarchy Parlor will be a frighteningly, terrific thrill to the die-hard fans.

Genre : Horror
Country : Lithuania

Cast :
Robert LaSardo : Artist
Sara Fabel : Uta
Tiffany DeMarco : Amy

Director : Devon Downs

My opinion  

“The Yakuza got it all wrong.
Skinning a dead man’s body only wounds the canvas.
Elasticity is gone.”

Now and then I like to watch a horror movie from the sub-genre "torture-porn". I've read somewhere, before I saw this movie, this description : "a gory, gruesome black comedy horror flick". Well to be honest it was quite a huge disappointment. Indeed it's a "torture-porn", except that the torture part looks really soft (or you're someone who only saw "The little house on the prairie" all his life of course). In addition, there's quite some female nudity shown throughout the movie, as if they wanted it to be a soft-porn. As far as the tortures is concerned, it could be more extravagant for me. As for the female nudity (which incidentally contributed absolutely nothing to the story), this could be less explicit (Not that I'm a prude or anything, but when I watch a horror movie, I don't want them to serve me a half-baked porn).

Amy (Tiffany DeMarco), Jesse (Jordan James Smith), Kelly (Claire Garvey), Kevin (Anthony Del Negro), Brock (Ben Whalen) and Stephanie (Beth Humphreys) are 6 friends who are on a summer vacation in Europe and they decide to make a stop in Lithuania. Their main activities during their stay in this country include partying all night long, consuming liters of alcoholic beverages and an attempt to work themselves through the entire Kama Sutra. Brock, a chunk of energy when it comes to drinking and seducing girls, bumps into the eccentric, wild and fully tattooed vamp Uta (Sara Fabel) who invites him to a private party in a tattoo shop called "The Parlor" where she works as an apprentice with a person who's just called "Artist", an expert in the field of tattoos. Brock likes this idea and Amy accompanies him with the intention to get a tattoo as a souvenir. However, they soon realise that the "Artist" preserves a centuries old tradition. It's a procedure that involves more than just tattooing a butterfly.

 

First of all, I do want to make a remark about something that really gets on my nerves in movies. If you really want to show scenes that are filmed in a dance hall or disco, is it so hard to put together a crowd with people who are able to dance to the rhythm of the music? I fully understand that not everyone has the talent of a Fred Astaire, but a whole dance floor filled with "out of rhythm" dancing stiff youngsters, is a bit too much. If you start paying attention to it, it's quite disruptive. Next time call for a bus full of teenagers who hang around in a local dancing all the time and this scene will be more credible and realistic. That alone was already a bad sign about the level of this film. Another bad sign is the phenomenon female nude (or it might be necessary and functional for the film). I remember "The Sacred". A terribly bad horror where soft erotic scenes were used. In my opinion this is a smart way to camouflage the pitiful story. And in "Anarchy Parlor" the ladies were well equipped to cover the minuses. Google for images of Beth Humphreys and you see what I mean. The career this lady has in mind is obvious (And her butt is also a treat to look at). Joey Fisher is also such a lusty lady who has more space for flower pots on her balcony, then I have here at home. Had the "Artist" used her as material, than he easily could reproduce "The Night Watch" by Rembrandt.

 

Is there something positive to say about this movie ? Of course. The charismatic and demonic-looking Robert "Death Race" LaSardo was a hit. Obviously his physical appearance is perfect for this movie, which connects the art of tattooing with bloody ancient traditions. The man himself is a walking tapestry. But above all it's his engaging and captivating personality on the one hand and the indifferent attitude that makes him extremely creepy. The conversation between him and Amy is without a doubt the best part of the whole movie. And then there's the like-minded Sara Fabel, a well known Finnish tattoo artist, who plays an energetic role and makes a ravishing appearance with those long blonde manes and a sensual body covered with winding tattoos. Only the acting isn't her greatest asset. It all seems so exaggerated and forced. And Tiffany DeMarco wasn't bad at all, except that she's repeating herself all the time and uses the "You're sick / Let us go / Fuck you" quotes over and over again. The rest was negligible victim material. A group of pampered and terribly annoying teenagers with an intellect of a very low level.

Are you a hardcore fan of this genre ? Then this is a must see for you. But the "Artist" summarised it already when he expressed his dissatisfaction about the art of tattooing in a philosophical mood. Once a tattoo was a statement and a way to live outside the structures of a conventional society, while now it's just a fashion trend. The ultimate message and thoughts behind the phenomenon of tattooing, diluted over the years. Ultimately you can connect this reverie to movies like "Anarchy Parlor". The first torture-porns like "Hostel" and "Saw" were imitated by a series of failed attempts that profit from the success of previous successful films. Metaphorically, you can say that "Anarchy Parlor" solely is a butterfly among the "torture-porn" movies. Such a pitty !

 

My rating 3/10 
Links : IMDB

The Bag Man (2014)

Summary
A professional shooter gets a new job from his boss. The job is simple to bring him a bag without opening it. But everyone on this town wants that bag. So Jack has to protect the bag and try to carry out his mission. In this city he will meet a lot of people and he will seduced by mysterious woman.

Genre : Crime/Thriller
Country : USA

Cast :
John Cusack : Jack
Rebecca Da Costa : Rivka
Robert De Niro : Dragna

Director : David Grovic

My opinion 

"In all due respect,why don’t you just hire the FedEx?
Because I'm hiring you, Jack."

Do you like the sarcastic and ironic twist of "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir dogs" ? Looking forward to some bloody scenes filled with senseless violence? Or are you addicted to the absurd touch of a David Lynch creation full of confusing plot lines and bizarre characters like in "Twin Peaks" ? Then "The Bag Man" could be a movie you fancy. Not that this creation can match the work of Tarantino or Lynch. But despite the thin story with a simplistic content, it was somewhat entertaining for me in various ways.

In terms of content, director David Grovic kept it real simple. We see Jack (John Cusack) in a meeting with Dragna (Robert De Niro) while travelling with his private jet, where they discuss a new assignment for Jack. A dead simple task for Jack who, as we find out later, already did odd jobs for Dragna for many years. He needs to pick up a bag somewhere and bring it back to Dragna without glancing at the content. Jack assumes that'll be a piece of cake, until he notices that he's being attacked by strangers who all know something about the bag and who try their utter best to get it in their possession.

What comes next is the appearance of a series of crazy, obscure characters and weird persons. A receptionist who sounds as if he's under influence all the time. He looks completely innocent and a bit fogey, until you touch his wheelchair. Then there's a duo looking like secret agents. A tall prostitute with a pair of legs that every woman would be jealous of and dressed in an absurd-looking Superwoman outfit. She's accompanied by a dwarf and a pimp with an eye patch. Then we are introduced to some police officers who are way too curious and use some rather perverse methods of interrogation. And it doesn't take long before bodies start piling up. Eventually the film degenerates into a complicated cat and mouse game, full of strange incomprehensible twists in the storyline and a reasonably disappointing denouement. I thought of "Seven" immediately.

For me it's a complete mystery how they could persuade the two well-known actors De Niro and Cusack to play in such a surreal and lugubrious film. Admittedly, the two men haven't played in a memorable film for a long time. The last movies I've seen with De Niro ("The Big Wedding", "Killing Season", "The Family","Freelancers","American hustle" and "Last Vegas") aren't comparable with great movies he played in before. Although he has some experience in playing a gangster, don't expect him to look like Al Capone as in "The Untouchables". The only memorable thing and real eye-catcher there is to remember when it comes to Dragna, is the absurd and wrong hairstyle he got. Also Cusack's contributions to recent films were minimal and insignificant ("2012", "The Numbers Station", "Grand Piano" and "The Prince"). The only striking thing is his disinterested and sleepy look he demonstrates in each of these movies (or might it be an attempt to look impassive ?). In retrospect, this might just be the link between both actors and the reason why they were summoned.

Next to the two main actors whose performances were still acceptable (especially Cusack who remained stoically calm despite the ongoing chaos) although it was substandard, there was also Crispin Glover (yes George McFly from "Back to the Future"), who played a memorable part as the slightly deranged desk clerk Ned. Conversely there was the failure of Rebecca Da Costa as the sensual Rivka whose amount of shown naked skin, curves and fleshy lips impress more than her acting skills. Expect some tight stretch clothing, filled with quivering flesh which looks like popping out any moment. And there's also a scene at the sheriff's that appeals to one's imagination. I like to watch such a surreal, dark film full of sarcastic humor and violence. But to be honest, I think that there's only one person who can mix these ingredients into an explosive, entertaining cocktail : Tarantino of course. "The Bag Man" isn't a bad thriller but sadly enough the tension and suspense are absent.

My rating 5/10 
Links : IMDB