Robocop ~ Reboot, Remake and Rehash Official Trailer

To be honest, I am not sure what I think about this new remake/reboot/rehash of the Robocop franchise This new reboot did what many others have done in recent past and make the main character darker, more serious and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Replacing Peter Weller s Alex Murphy the Robocop in this new version is Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman. Americans will probably best know Kinnaman from AMC's "The Killing."  He plays Stephen Holder opposite of Mireille Enos's character Sarah Linden, based on the Danish series, "Forbrydelsen" ("The Crime"). 

Abbie Cornish ("Limitless") plays Clara Murphy, Alex's wife. I am assuming that the story revolves more around Alex's personal issues after he is car-bombed outside his house.

There are some changes to the basic infrastructure updates to the story. The story still takes place in Detroit, and the writers give the bankrupt city another 14 years. The name of the corporation that the city contracts out its police protection to is now called OmniCorp, rather than Omni Consumer Products (OCP) in the 1987 original. 

The head of OmniCorp is a man by the name of Raymond Sellars who is played by Michael Keaton. Ronnie Cox played Dick Jones the CEO, however, even he had Dan O'Herlihy's character known only as The Old Man to answer to. I am not sure of the corporate hierarchy in this new OmniCorp. I don't remember the doctor too much from the original, however, in the new version, Gary Oldman ("The Fifth Element") plays Dr. Dennett Norton, the guy who created Robocop. I like Gary Oldman. Somehow in this new version, OminCorp's  head of marketing (Jay Baruchel) plays an important part. Perhaps he takes on Miguel Ferrer's character Bob Morton. Who knows...

The Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) will not return, but Murphy does have a former partner by the name of Officer Jack Lewis played by Michael Kenneth Williams. Confusing, isn't it.

Samuel L. Jackson ("Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith") plays a charismatic media mogul, who I am sure is up to no-good.

Based on the trailer above, it seems like more of a "Bionic Man/Darth Vader" like character. This Alex Murphy seems to maintain some of his humanity, whereas, Peter Weller's original seemed more dead than alive, and throughout the film regained his personality and his humanity. I will take a wait and see attitude towards this new version of an 1980's classic.

Here is the official Sony Entertainment synopsis:

"In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years - and it's meant billions for OmniCorp's bottom line. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) - a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit - is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine pursuing justice."

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Year: 2014
Staring: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: José Padilha
Producer(s): Marc Abraham, Eric Newman
Writer: Michael Miner, Edward Neumeier, Nick Schenk, David Self, James Vanderbilt, Joshua Zetumer
Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 117 minutes

Release Date: 2/17/2014

Post Grad

You think that people would have had enough of silly chick flicks

Being a 22 year-old college graduate, with a dream job in publishing waiting for you, a guy who believes you are the center of his world, and with the whole world ahead of you, one might think that the future is bright, happy, and in your grasp. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. "Post Grad" is a straightforward, unpretentious comedy about the postgraduate life of Ryden Malby, (Alexis Bledel). A chick-flick, this fast-paced, light-hearted, funny story is a pleasant surprise.

Director Vicky Jenson builds a quirky cast that compliments each other's weirdness. Leading off the cast of kooky characters, is Alexis Bledel ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"), as Ryden, the girl whom, during her college years she puts aside the crazy party life to finish her education in hopes of getting started in the publishing world. Living at college, away from her, not-so-normal family, we meet Ryden, her best friend, Adam (Zach Gilford), and the rest of the slightly off Malby family. Walter Malby (Michael Keaton - "Beetlejuice"), Ryden's eccentric, happy go lucky attention deficit disordered father. Keaton steals the show and livens up the story, and saves the other wise hopeless situations that his unlucky family finds themselves. In addition, starring in "Post Grad" are veteran actors, Walter's mom, Grandma Maureen, played by the wonderful, yet cynical Carol Burnett. Ryden's mom is a bit more down to earth, but not by much, is the incredible TV actor Jane Lynch (Glee, 2 & 1/2 Men). The one to watch is Ryden's 13 year-old, short, weirdly creepy baby brother, Hunter ("The Martian Child") played by the kid character actor Bobby Coleman. In minor roles, yet worth mentioning are Catherine Reitman ("I Love You, Man"), as the pompous self-centered, bitchy, girl-who-gets what she wants, valedictorian Jessica Bard. Last, but not least is Rodrigo Santoro ("Che," "Lost"), as David Santiago, the Malby's hot Latin slightly older neighbor from across the street. Walter as issues with David's cat, whom Walter eventually accidentally kills and as a penance must bury the cat in the back yard.

"Post Grad" moves quickly with the imaginative opener, provided by Ryden on her laptop. Using multiple windows popping open and closing as Ryden introduces us to the people in her life -- who they are -- their context -- and how they fit. She introduces Adam, as her best friend, and Adam describes Ryden as the girl he loves but never gets anything in return but platonic friendship scene the third grade. The Malby family is a strange clan, indeed. When arriving at Ryden's graduation ceremony, during Jessica’s valedictorian speech, making noise, bumping into guests with their purses and Granma's air tank; we see immediately that this is a family film. With "promises" of a job with Los Angeles's leading publishing company, Ryden signs a lease on a gorgeous condominium a block away from her soon to be work place, based on the promise of work. When going to the interview of her life, reality sets in and Ryden finding out quickly, just how ordinary she is. Ryden quickly loses the job to her personal nemesis from the third grade through college, Jessica. Giving up her apartment, moving back into her parents life, having her car smashed, Ryden's life could be on the rocks. Fortunately, all her family members’ and her best platonic friend, Adam, support Ryden. Going to interviews, trying to show the prospective employers that she is, vivacious, excited, passionate, eager, and willing to do just about anything to get a job, Arden is still bombing out. Her best friend Adam has an envelope on his desk at home with his acceptance letter to Columbia University of Law in New York, waiting for him at his house, unopened. Adam too has decisions to make.

Michael Keaton steals his scenes with his infectious optimism that keeps his family moving along in life. He takes on fixing Ryden's car after a hit and run accident leaves the front end messed up and un-driveable. He takes on and a shady independent belt buckle sales business, and builds his son Hunter, after constant badgering (with strange costumes, strange puppets, and in strange demon possessed voices - creepy) a go-cart to enter in the Boy Scout races. Walter is imaginative in the construction, of the go-cart and worth staying with the film for at least that scene, near the end. Ryden gets herself into and out of trouble with the support of her family right beside her. Carol Burnett has some funny lines and Jane Lynch gets her funny lines in as well, sharing the fun all around. The pacing of this movie starts out fast paced during the opening scenes, however, after Ryden's job doesn't pan out, the film slows the pace down a notch to develop Ryden's character some, showing her as a frustrated, grad, without any experience, hoping to get noticed. Picking up the pace a bit after Adam, decides to move on with his life, director Jenson picks up the pace and drives the film to its predictable but highly expected and hoped for end.

A good movie in any way, however, "Post Grad" is not a film that belongs anywhere near the Academy of Film Arts and Sciences. "Post Grad" is the movie for a quiet Sunday after noon with your family. A film that will provide quite a few laughs, some sentimental moments, until you look up at your clock after the film is over and the titles rolling and you say, "is it over, already?"

Movie Data

Genre:  Comedy
Year:  2009
Staring: Alexis Bledel, Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch, Carol Burnett
Director:  Vicky Jenson
Producer(s) Jeffrey Clifford, Joe Medjuck, Ivan Reitman
Writer: Kelly Fremon
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 88 minutes
Release Date: 8/21/2009

The Other Guys: Review

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of Will Ferrell.  I do like a couple of his films, such as "Elf" and "Old School."  Other than those two, I haven't really cared for much of his other work.  I watched about the first 10 minutes of "Anchorman," but couldn't handle any more; I turned it off and never looked back.  Will Ferrell is an acquired taste.  Teaming up with Ferrell is Mark Wahlberg ("Shooter," "The Departed ") as the has been cop now stuck with Ferrell who refuses to take no risks. "The Other Guys" is a cop buddy movie where two opposite personalities are teamed together and mayhem and laughter are expected to follow.  "The Other Guys" is funny, but not that funny and Wahlberg doesn't help much with the comedy.

What would it be like to for Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne The Rock Johnson teamed together in an action picture, to see them taking out bad guys in "Lethal Weapon" action style of filmmaking?  Well...  "The Other Guys" provides us with that glimpse for the first 10 minutes.  We see high-powered action, clichéd buddy dialog, and one hell of a romp that these two Rock Star Police Officers lead the charge.  What we are left with is Will Ferrell, and Markey Mark reciting ridiculous dialog and nonsensical situations that in themselves have a tendency to provide a steady pace of chuckles that flows throughout the film.  I have to admit that although the plot is ridiculous and predictable, Will Farrell is funny as he plays the straight-man in this film, leaving Owen Wilson-esque lines for Wahlberg to utter and thus the joke is on Mark not on Will.  Michael Keaton plays Glen, their police squad captain seems like he is ad-libbing lines left and right trying to up with the scene.  I don't know if this was intentional but Keaton's portrayal was hilarious.

The flaw for "The Other Guys" is in the thin storyline that screenwriters Adam McKay and Chris Henchy try to flesh out Ferrell's natural comedic pacing.  In this case, it seems that Will isn't given enough material to keep the laughs coming with out, instead he is running constantly into awkward pauses that take the actors a beat to recover  I get what McKay is trying to do a "Lethal Weapon" reverse parody, but it doesn't quite work.  I sense that the pacing of the jokes and the editing of the scenes don't seem to be in harmony.  What is funny, but not played on enough, was that they had Michael Keaton working an extra job to pay for his gay son to go to college.  Rob Riggle ("Knight and Day") and Damon Wayans Jr. performances were pedestrian at best and predictable.  Steve Coogan was in fact an asset as the weasel stockbroker out of a Charles Dickens’s story.  Eva Mendes was just pure eye candy to distract us from the obvious lack of story, but that's okay.

As usual, Adam McKay treats this movie like a TV segment, and it feels this way to the audience.  Mark Wahlberg’s character sliding down a table, arms spread wide taking out the bad guys is extremely unlikely and takes the viewer is just to ridiculous for a viewer to suspend their belief any longer.  In contrast, When Ferrell is given a wooden gun and Wahlberg says "but that’s just a wooden gun," inviting a smack in the face with said wooden gun by Ferrell is funny.  Explosions and stunt effects for the film seem to be on par on what we expect in films today.  As a parody of "Lethal Weapon," I don't think it measures up.  As a typical buddy film, "The Other Guys" also falls short.  Should you watch this film at the theater?  I say no.  Wait for the DVD or Blu-ray and give it a shot there.  You are not missing much.

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Year:  2010

Staring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Damon Wayans Jr.

Director: Adam McKay

Producer(s): Patrick Crowley, Will Ferrell,  Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller

Writer: Adam McKay, Chris Henchy

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 116 minutes

Release Date: 8/6/2010