Dec 17 2010

Tron: Legacy

Twenty years after the mysterious disappearance of digital guru Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is still haunted by what exactly happened to his father all those years ago.  Now a grown adult Sam is drawn to investigate further only to accidentally be pulled into the same digital world his father worked to create.  Now in a wicked landscape of digital programs and games Sam must find his way back to the real world. But first he’ll meet his father, his father’s evil clone known as Clu, and of course a gorgeous sidekick named Quorra (Olivia Wilde).  Now the question becomes how to rescue his father and set things right in the digital world — before the digital world attempts to destroy the terrestrial world in search of perfection. Expected to be the big front-runner for the weekend; unfortunately, audiences are about to experience the same reaction they had practically 30 years ago with the Original Tron, which I distinctly recall was “meh, what’s the big deal?” As much as I want to like this film and as much as I had my hopes up, I’m sorry to report it misses the mark on too many levels. For the zillions of dollars Disney poured into this to make a 3D visual experience that would blow our eyes away, I can’t help but feel a bit cheated, again another film that doesn’t take full advantage of the 3D experience. More to the point, the visuals we are given feel anemic and about on par for the majority of video games on the market today. From the script perspective, we’re left with a bottom line that just isn’t very interesting or compelling– to the point we don’t really care if the characters ever make it out of the digital world or not. Acting side, there aren’t really any major faults, and I will add that Michael Sheen’s character as Zuse is a definite scene-stealer, but it’s just not enough to wow me into loving the film.  In conclusion, while the film merits a watch on the big screen….sort of, I’m just hard pressed to say it’s worth it. More of a rental. Tron: Legacy is rated PG.


Dec 17 2010

How Do You Know

In a time of emotional turmoil for both, George (Paul Rudd) and Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) meet for an innocent blind date, things do not go well and the two part ways. Meanwhile, Lisa is also in the process of starting up a new relationship with a professional Baseball pitcher named Matty (Owen Wilson), and George is being investigated for illegal business practices– something his father (Jack Nicholson) is actually responsible for. As the hand of fate moves, George and Lisa keep meeting, checking in with each other as their life journeys keep sailing in similar circles. In the end two questions remain, will Lisa actually fall for George instead of Matty, and will George take the fall for his father to keep him from a life in prison? So, it’s a romantic comedy, and, given that romantic comedies generally have low demands by any standards I was doubtful but hopeful the cast would be able to make this one shine. As a result, it’s with mixed emotions I offer this write-up. While there were a handful of genuine chuckles written here, and the subject material seems based in some sense of reality…sort of, I can’t say this was a laugh riot; rather, the driving comedic nature of the film instead seems to be a dry schadenfreude. From an acting level or production perspective the film seems decent enough to make a pass, but ultimately the lack of a really fresh and compelling script sinks this one before the ship ever really sails, writer/director James L. Brooks has done better.  Worth a matinee for fans of the genre but better off as a rental. How Do You Know is rated PG-13.