Watching the Coen Brothers’ version of “True Grit,” it suddenly occurred to me that I read the book back in my sophomore year of high school. Can’t believe I forgot all about that. Usually I remember every book that was assigned to me whether it was good or positively sucked. From “To Kill A Mockingbird” to… Ok, enough of that. Watching this take on the Charles Portis book brought it all back, including the fact that Mattie didn’t cry over her father’s dead body. She was like,

“Put a lid on it.”

Damn! She seemed cold as ice, hell bent on pursuing her father’s killer no matter what. But she is also a human being endowed with an undying sense of purpose, determined to find fairness in a world that seems devoid of it. Now everyone remembers Rooster Cogburn more than any other character in “True Grit” because John “The Duke” Wayne portrayed him in the 1969 movie (which won him his only Oscar). But the novel is really all about Mattie Ross, not the easiest person to get along with, but hard not to admire. It’s her story more than it ever was Cogburn’s, and the Coen brothers understand this completely.

Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin may have top billing, but the weight of “True Grit” rests on the soft shoulders of 14-year old newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Her astonishing performance brings Mattie Ross right off the written pages of Portis’ book and to vivid life. That was not the case when Kim Darby portrayed her opposite The Duke in 1969. Our sophomore English class watched some but not all of the original, and once we saw her cry in a way Mattie Ross never would have, we knew that one liberty too many was taken with the source material. I guess having a character appear stronger willed than one played by John Wayne seemed unthinkable at the time. I don’t want to take away from Darby though as she later gave a truly unforgettable performance as John Cusack’s hopelessly bizarre mother in “Better Off Dead.”

But seriously, Hailee is a revelation here as Mattie, and the movie would have completely failed were she not as fantastic as she is here. Seeing her stroll into the town with her no-nonsense attitude and wise beyond her years, she sells the character perfectly and has us eager to follow her every step as she pursues Tom Chaney before he escapes the hand of justice for good. Her eyes show a willful determination that I never doubted from the start, and any sadness she shows is somehow restrained. Hailee takes a character that is not altogether likable and makes her one of the most compelling characters I have seen in any film this year. She doesn’t so much play the character as much as she inhabits the role. Now how many other 14-year old actors can pull off a performance like that?

As the story goes, Mattie ends up trying to procure the services of Rooster Cogburn because she believes that he possesses “true grit,” someone who has courage, fearlessness, and guts. As played by Jeff “The Dude” Bridges, making the 2010 holiday season his with this and “Tron: Legacy,” Rooster is a drunken lout who never appears to be fit for his line of work, but his sense of duty does manage to keep him sane in an increasingly violent world. The relationship he has with Mattie is not one based on kindness, and he as soon as leave her in the dust than bring her along. But something about Mattie’s dogged determination, illustrated by her riding her horse across a river while keeping her head above water, wins the whiskey loving Marshall over.

I’m not going to bother comparing The Duke and The Dude because frankly I don’t have the energy. John Wayne made his mark in one film after another, and Jeff Bridges’ performance works in that he never tries to outdo what Wayne did. Like any smart actor, he simply makes the character his own. His Rooster Cogburn threatens to be every bit as inebriated as Val Kilmer was when he played Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors.” From the start, I was almost afraid that Bridges might turn the character into a parody of sorts, perhaps rely too much on his “Big Lebowski” performance to get him through the day. But that never was the case nor should I ever have suspected it to be. Jeff remains as always one of the best actors we have, and his Rooster Cogburn is a wonderfully complex character who, despite his grungy appearance, still knows the Indian territory like the back of his hand.

Also along for the ride in “True Grit” is Matt Damon, and it’s beginning to feel like he is in every other movie being released today. As much as I like Damon, I was afraid he might stick out like a sore thumb as Texas Ranger LaBeouf. But he makes his character a wonderfully engaging one even as he keeps coming and going throughout the story. Seeing LaBeouf get his ass handed to him by Mattie Ross is a major highlight, only if to see the shocked expression on Damon’s face when he realizes he truly got suckered by a 14-year old.

Josh Brolin, who previously worked with the Coens in “No Country For Old Men,” has better luck here with the western genre than he did with “Jonah Hex.” He makes Tom Chaney not just a simple one-dimensional villain as his crime was motivated more out of jealousy and fear more than anything else. Even he can’t completely intimidate Mattie, and that’s not just because she has the law on her side. She has the strong resolve and moral fortitude he seriously lacks, and his life has lost its sense of purpose. Brolin manages to convey all this in the limited time he has onscreen.

Another guy I was happy to see here, as he fits perfectly into any western he’s ever done, is Barry Pepper. As “Lucky” Ned Pepper (no relation I’m sure), he gives us a nasty outlaw that is far from the ones that were overly glamorized or exploited. “Lucky” Ned is a vicious guy who will not allow anyone to undo his authority anymore than he appears willing to brush his teeth; man they look hideous! Another sign I need to make a dentist appointment in this lifetime. Having survived “Saving Private Ryan” (in a matter of speaking) and “Battlefield Earth” (that’s saying a lot), Pepper is starting to look more and more like one of our most underrated actors. He always seems to be coming in just right under the radar.

The main difference between the 2010 and 1969 movies is in the wild, wild west is portrayed. The 1969 movie was more about watching John Wayne blow away the bad guy just as he did in every movie before and after it (even the one where he played Genghis Khan). But the 2010 version portrays the world it inhabits much more realistically, treating violence as a brutal and very vicious thing. This one is more akin to “Unforgiven” than to “Rio Bravo.” Violence is a way of life for all these characters, and it defines the way they see the world around them. We also see how it affects their souls as the specter of death hangs over their every move. There’s no attempt to sweeten up the narrative or make it the action shoot ‘em up western many of us grew up watching. Any attempt to make that kind of a film in recent years has ended up looking profoundly stupid (“Texas Rangers” anyone?).

Still, Joel & Ethan Coen have succeeded in making one of their most accessible movies to date for the mainstream audiences of today. They also managed to do it without compromising themselves as artists, as this film sees them getting the widest audience they ever had before. They continue to employ their regular collaborators who never fail them like cinematographer Roger Deakins, editor Roderick Jaynes, and their longtime film composer Carter Burwell who contributes another in a long line of great movie scores for these two.

If there was any problem I had with this “True Grit,” it was in the way it ended. We see one character many years later in their life, and the effect is disorienting. It was the same thing that happened at the start and the end of Frank Darabont’s “The Green Mile,” and it just took me out of the moment. The effect wasn’t too bad in this one, but I was hoping to see the actor who played said character get more of a proper send off.

Remaking a movie like “True Grit” seems like the last thing they would ever do, but I believe them when they say they never saw this as a remake. They stayed very true to the source material and even made the language Charles Portis scribbled down seem very much alive and sharp witted. Whether or not you value John Wayne’s take on Rooster more than this one, you have to give the Coens credit for staying true to a book written back in 1968.

Oscar will surely be bestowing nominations on this picture, but here’s hoping that Hailee Steinfeld gets one as well. She should be considered for Best Actress, but with all the stars being billed over her, the Academy will just relegate her to the Supporting Actress category.

That’ll be the day!

***½ out of ****

“There is no better moment than this moment, when we're anticipating the actual moment itself. All of the moments that lead up to the actual moment are truly the best moments. Those are the moments that are filled with good times. Those are the moments in which you are able to think that it is going to be perfect, when the moment actually happens. But, the moment is reality, and reality always kinda sucks!”

-Lewis Black

I put that quote up above because it more or less symbolizes what I feel about the over promotion Disney did for the long awaited sequel to “Tron”: The company overhyped it to an alarming degree, making several different movie trailers, spending a good three years promoting it to no end. With this kind of marketing, many will go in thinking that “Tron: Legacy” will be one of the greatest movies ever made.

As for myself, I weary of the hype and try to go into most movies (particularly ones like these) with no expectations whatsoever. In fact, I think it’s better to watch most films with the lowest expectations possible. With hype that has greeted movies like this one or the “Star Wars” prequels or even “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” it is oh so easy to be incredibly disappointed by the finished product. Nothing ever does come out as well as it does in our own minds.

Well, reality may suck, but I didn’t think “Tron: Legacy” did. I walked in expecting a fun time, tickled to death that Disney actually had the balls to make a sequel to a movie that was not a big box office success to begin with. At the very least, this sequel which has been in the making for 28 years is really more of a continuation of what came before it. What it may lack in a fully coherent storyline it more than makes up for with amazing visual effects, a fantastic score by Daft Punk, and a pair of great performances from the always reliable (and no longer underappreciated) Jeff Bridges.

So here’s the story behind “Tron: Legacy”; after saying goodnight to his son Sam, Kevin Flynn rides off to Encom to work on a new digital frontier that will revolutionize the world of technology the way we all see it. Instead, he is soon reported as to have disappeared without a trace. Shift to a good 20 or so years later, and Sam has become a rebellious young kid with strong technology skills he gleefully uses to thwart the executives at Encom who look to profit and exploit Flynn’s work, the same work that he wanted to make available to us all without putting a price tag on it.

Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner, also returning from the original) comes to Sam’s domicile one night informing him that he got a page from his dad the other night, and that it came from a line at Flynn’s Arcade which has been shut down for 20 years. Sam ends up going into the arcade to see what’s what, and we all know what happens from there. Sam gets sucked into “the grid” the same way his father was, and is forced to fight for his life by hurling discs and racing light cycles like no one else.

The premise behind “Tron: Legacy” is actually quite interesting when you think about it: Kevin Flynn ends up developing a more advanced version of his Clu program (who appeared in the first movie) that of course looks exactly like him. Together, they work to create the perfect system that could bring about a new kind of life form never before thought possible. But somewhere along the line, Clu grows resentful and comes to see a world of perfection far more differently than his creator, and he soon turns against Flynn, making himself the ruler of all programs. As a result, Flynn ends up being trapped in “the grid” with no way out.

Throughout, we watch as Clu coldly eliminates those programs that do not meet his ridiculously high standards. It’s an interesting Frankenstein motif in how a creation runs amuck despite the master’s best intentions (and we all know where that leads to). It also reminded me of a line from “Star Trek: First Contact” which the Borg Queen said to Data as she held him captive:

“You’re an imperfect being created by an imperfect being. Finding your weakness is only a matter of time.”

The visual effects are unsurprisingly amazing, and they clearly reflect just how far technology has come since 1983. This time, they are much more fluid to where not everything is shown going in a straight line, and this gives the action scenes far more friction than they had in the original (not that I want to take away from that one). The use of dark and neon like colors doesn’t feel at all dated, and the costumes have been given a much needed upgrade. There’s no more of those bulky suits those red guards of Sark and the MCP had, and those looked like something which barely survived the late 70’s. The digital world presented here is a dark one which is very un-Disney like, and it reminds me of the brief time the company got more serious and made more memorable movies like “Tron” and “Never Cry Wolf.”

You can also count on a bunch of easter eggs throughout that pay homage to “Tron” and the characters that inhabited it like Dumont played by the late Bernard Hughes. Some locations are revisited, and some infamous lines are repeated without being too showy. It can be fun revisiting the past even if it will never be quite the same.

By having the story focus on Flynn’s son, it seemed like Disney was desperately trying to court the youth demographics and would have been happy to put any teen or young adult heartthrob into the role. Garrett Hedlund, however, turns out to be quite good and holds his own with Jeff Bridges. It’s not a great performance, but he does do solid work here and keeps his character from becoming some annoyingly whiny brat whose daddy issues get the best of him. Garrett does however have the disadvantage of having to utter some of the movie’s cheesiest lines like:

“This isn’t happening.”

“This can’t be good.”

Now when people say stuff like that, I can’t help but roll my eyes. Garrett’s success here comes from the fact that he kept me from doing that.

Another actor I enjoyed watching in “Tron: Legacy” was Olivia Wilde who played the warrior program Quorra. She has a strong and engaging presence here, and her role as a Data-like figure eager to learn more about the real world leads to some of the movie’s more intimate moments as well as some of its funniest. And yes, she does kick major ass in the action scenes, easily derezzing those evil programs without breaking a sweat.

But one actor I truly got a kick out of watching was the great Michael Sheen who plays Castor, the owner of the End Of The Line Club in Tron City. Stealing every scene he is in, Michael holds nothing back as he gleefully hams it up as the life of the party, completely unbound by soulless machinery at his disposal. We never really did see a program like this in the original “Tron,” did we?

But of course, we have to acknowledge Jeff Bridges who will always remain one of my all time favorite movie actors. Jeff’s performance here reminded of just how good he was in the original in that he never let the special effects overwhelm his character of Kevin Flynn. Even though he was probably acting much of the time against a green screen, he makes himself feel like part of the reality, almost completely making us forget that he was acting with practically nothing to begin with during the making of this visual effects heavy film. Many other actors would probably be driven nuts by not having much to work with, but never Jeff.

Oh, and if you listen close enough, there is a line designed to instantly remind you of his infamous role in “The Big Lebowski.” Seriously, you’ll know it when it comes!

Yes, the story does have plot holes and some wooden dialogue, but so did the original. Thankfully though, none of it is as puke inducing as any words George Lucas ever put to paper in recent years! “Tron: Legacy” does also get a bit too slowed down by exposition which could have been shortened some. All the same, I’m glad that the writers didn’t just get lazy and bring back the Master Control Program (MCP) as if it was never defeated back in 1983. Most sequels these days seem to regurgitate the original, but the filmmakers clearly had more in mind this time around.

As far as I know, this is Joseph Kosinski’s feature film directing debut. In the past, he has received much acclaim for the “Mad World” commercial for the video game Gears Of War, and IMDB has him slated to direct the remake of “The Black Hole” (oh please!). For my money, he does a much better job of blending actors with special effects than George Lucas did with those “Star Wars” prequels. While he may need to work in humanizing the characters a bit more in these visual effects spectacles, Joseph does well in keeping “Tron: Legacy” from becoming overly-cheesy or infinitely monotonous.

And of course, I do want to acknowledge the soundtrack by Daft Punk. Although my first choice for scoring this film would have been Hybrid, Daft Punk does seem like a perfect fit for this kind of material which serves as their first official film score. Many I know expressed disappointment over the CD of their soundtrack because they felt it sounded nothing like their albums, but that’s ridiculous when you think about it. Like the brilliant score Wendy Carlos did for the first film, their music is a strong mix of orchestral and electronic elements which does a great job of bringing more humanism and emotion to a wholly technological world. To simply create a score of back to back dance tunes that would bring out a sweat in all of us would not have worked.

I don’t know, maybe I am not being hard enough on “Tron: Legacy.” Could it have been a better film? Sure, but why can’t we just be happy that Disney took the big risk of making a sequel to it? For what it is, I enjoyed it a lot and admired the fact that it was made by people who respected what came before it. 28 years is a massively long time to wait for any sequel, and recapturing the magic of its predecessor is usually asking for far too much. “Tron: Legacy” however was worth the wait for me, and I would certainly be open to seeing it again while it is still in theaters.

Still, I have to wonder, can human beings really exist in a digital world even though they are users instead of programs. Can a program actually be brought into the real world? Oh who cares! I had fun!

End of line.

***½ out of ****

Incidentally, I did see the movie in 3D, and the effects are quite good. There is a note at the start of it saying that some scenes were shot intentionally in 2D, and the 3D really doesn’t kick in until Sam gets inside the world of the computer.

“More of this is true than you would believe.”

You know, it’s really nice to see a movie use a phrase other than “based on a true story” or “inspired by true events.” Those descriptions have all but lost their meaning ages ago because even if what we’re seeing actually did happen, it has all been watered down into a formulaic feel good movie that we have seen over and over again to where we want to gag. Even worse, we keep getting suckered into seeing those same movies even when we should know better. Either that, or there’s nothing better to watch (or your latest rental fro Netflix hasn’t arrived yet). But this year has been great in subverting those worthless phrases with movies like “The Informant.” That one made clear that it was based on actual events but that certain parts had been fictionalized, and it ended by saying:

“So there!”

Now we have “The Men Who Stare At Goats,” one of the many George Clooney movies that we will be seeing this holiday season. It opens with the sentence at the top of this review. The story behind this one is so bizarre to where it’s almost impossible to believe that any of what we’re seeing could ever have happened. But it appears that a good portion of these happenings did take place, and it makes for what is truly one of the more unique war movies I have seen in awhile. The film is based on a (you’ve heard it) non-fiction book by Jon Ronson which looked at how US military forces used psychic powers against their enemies. They look at New Age concepts as well as activities of the paranormal to achieve these goals, and of how they worked to use these methods to their advantage (assuming of course that this is all true). The movie takes place in the backdrop if the Iraq war, but not to worry, this movie is not trying to shove any politics down your throat (not consciously anyway).

Jon himself serves as the inspiration for the character of Bob Wilton, an investigative journalist played by Ewan McGregor. Bob’s wife has just left him for his editor, and of course he is depressed and decides that he needs to do something more important with his life (in hopes he can get her back). As a result, he travels to Kuwait to do first hand reporting of the war in Iraq, with hopes of finding someone who can get him across the border. Bob ends up having a chance meeting with a Special Forces operator named Lyn Cassady who was in the military, but who now runs a dance studio. Lyn ends up revealing to Bob that he was part of an American unit that was trained to be psychic spies, or as he eventually calls them, “Jedi warriors.” From there, Bob will learn all about this special unit that you’d think could only have existed in a science fiction novel.

I love the irony of all the talk about “Jedi warriors” here, especially since Ewan McGregor played one in the “Star Wars” prequels.

Anyway, “The Men Who Stare At Goats” is really a cross between a war movie and a road movie as Lyn and Bob traverse the sandy dunes of the Middle East to where not everything is as it appears. It’s also a mix of comedy and drama the same way “Three Kings,” another movie which starred George Clooney, was. While the tone of the movie is largely uneven, especially towards the end, this was definitely an inspired film that kept me entertained throughout, and which was also quite unpredictable for the most part.

Ewan McGregor is playing the main character here, but let’s face it, George Clooney steals the show right out from under his feet. His performance as Lyn Cassady is truly one of his most surprising in his creation of it. Despite how ridiculous he may seem Clooney plays him straight and never appears to be self-conscious. Seeing him trying to burst clouds with his mind, and trying to reach into his enemy’s mind by staring right at them has Clooney going through emotions ranging from serious to funny and to downright tragic. Having gone from playing roles in more dramatic movies like “Syriana” to “Michael Clayton” among others, George Clooney once again shows that he is also really good at comedy and never has to strive too hard for a laugh.

I don’t want to take away from Ewan McGregor though, who does manage to pull off a convincing American accent. In many ways, his role is more of a reactionary one as he is subjected to conditions he could never have fully prepared for. As Bob Wilton, he is bewildered at what Lyn is telling him, and yet he still wants to journey further and further into this guy’s head. I also have to give Ewan a lot of credit because he could have made it look like he was consciously aware of all those “Star Wars” references, but he never did. Had he, it would have taken us out of this film completely. May the force be with him!

But one of the great delights of “The Men Who Stare At Goats” is watching Jeff Bridges channel that inner-dudeness that made him so popular after “The Big Lebowski.” Jeff plays Bill Django, a military leader who after being wounded in Vietnam has a New Age vision of a kind of combat he wants to develop. This leads him to study concepts which he incorporates into a special unit called the New Earth Army. Bill becomes a teacher of using non-lethal techniques to gain advantage over the enemy, and his training techniques are unorthodox to say the least. Bridges plays the character broadly, but not too broadly. As funny as the character is, Bridges infuses Django with a disappointment that threatens to render him useless to those around him, and with a deep sense of fear and tragedy as his techniques are misused or taken advantage of by those who seek to profit from them. Once again, Jeff Bridges remains one of the most underrated actors ever.

Having been in London doing tons of theater, it seemed like it would require a herculean effort to bring Kevin Spacey back to the big screen. Granted, he has been in a few films recently, but none that has drawn the attention of the masses like he did in “The Usual Suspects” or “American Beauty.” So seeing Spacey here is a kick as he plays the real antagonist of the film, Larry Hooper. Larry is basically the Darth Vader to Bridge’s Obi Wan Kenobi and Clooney’s Luke Skywalker as he takes the non-lethal methods of the New Earth Army and ends up using them for more lethal purposes. Hooper ends up doing this not so much out of greed as he does resentment since Django does not consider him in the same light as he does Lyn. His actions bring about the downfall of the New Earth Army, and he turns all these abilities they developed into something far more insidious. From there, you will see why the movie and the book it is based on has the title it does.

Kevin has great fun as he channels the inner smugness that has enveloped his character over time, and which some say he has become well known for off screen as well as on (I don’t hang out with him, so I can’t say for sure). While his role is a little more serious than the others, he still has great moments of comedy that remind us of what a talented actor he is (as if that could ever have been in doubt). Spacey does a great work of balancing out the serious and comedic aspects of his character without tilting too much in one direction.

The movie was directed by Grant Heslov, George Clooney’s business partner on many films including the brilliant “Good Night and Good Luck” which he co-wrote. Heslov has his work cut out for him here as he must find a balance between the humorous and dramatic aspects of the story. Granted, he doesn’t always succeed but he creates a most unusual war movie, and it is all the more entertaining because of that. Even more telling is the way he shows off the Iraqi people in certain scenes. They are not all portrayed as gun toting terrorists, and he captures the look of their helplessness in having to deal with a military occupation they did not ask for.

Like I said, there’s no serious politicizing of the Iraq war or any other war in this movie, so don’t feel like you are walking into some sort of trap. Like “The Hurt Locker,” it merely focuses on what those Americans in Iraq are doing in the midst of all this chaos, albeit this one probes it in a slightly more comical way. “The Men Who Stare At Goats” seems almost far too bizarre to be real, but a part of you just might want it to be (to a certain extent anyway). One thing’s for sure, you will never look at “Barney and Friends” in the same way ever again, assuming you ever watched it in the first place (c’mon! Don’t deny it!).

***½ out of ****

Anchor Bay Entertainment recently released the list of cities in which "The Open Road" will open up on August 28th

Bella Vista,AR
Bradenton,FL
Johnston,IA
Fort Wayne,IN
Saint Paul,MN
Greensboro,NC
Raleigh,NC
Franklin,TN
Madison,TN
Edinburg,TX
El Paso,TX
Houston,TX
Los Angeles,CA
Corpus Christi/Portland,TX

For more information of this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.theopenroadmovie.com/

Also, check out the latest Tv Spot that Anchor Bay Entertainment has provided us with.

Film arcade.net recently recived news that Anchor Bay Entertainment will be releasing "The Open Road" starring Jeff Bridges and Justin Timberlake in limited release on August 28th.

In this heartwarming comedy, minor leaguer Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake) takes an unexpected road trip to track down his estranged father, legendary baseball player Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges) when Carlton’s mother (Mary Steenburgen) becomes sick. Knowing his charming yet painfully immature dad’s likelihood to disappoint, Carlton enlists his on-again-off-again girlfriend Lucy (Kate Mara) for emotional support. Once reunited, Carlton struggles to deal with the series of misadventures caused by his father’s antics, including missed flights, car trouble and bathroom brawls. Years of miscommunication, frustration and comically awkward attempts at bonding come to a head as the mismatched trio make their way from Ohio back home to Houston to reunite the family. The film also co-stars Kate Mara, Harry Dean Stanton, Lyle Lovett and Mary Steenburgen.

"The Open Road" opens in limited release on August 28th. For information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.theopenroadmovie.com/

"The Open Road" Trailer:

Directed by: Robert B. Weide

Written by: Peter Straughan & Toby Young

Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Jeff Bridges

Having recently been experiencing the joys of “Spaced,” I was feeling a bit of the love for Simon Pegg before I even entered the theatre. As my favorite thing about “Run, Fatboy, Run” was the charm of Pegg himself, I fully expected “How to Lose” to be more of the same. The truth is I could watch Simon Pegg dance for two hours and be happy. With this movie, that is almost what you get.

We did a double feature at the theatre and wisely chose to view this little flick after sitting through “Blindness.” I do not know if you could pick two more varied movies than those two. Regardless, we were eager to laugh and excited to see Pegg making an ass of himself. We managed both, but that might be due more to circumstance than an evaluation of the movie on its own merits.

Based on a book, Pegg portrays an awkward writer named Sidney Young who always says and does the most inappropriate things at any given moment. Through a bit of odd luck, Young manages to get himself hired by a magazine in New York City. Young immediately puts himself at odds with everyone in the office, and with pretty co-worker Alison Olsen in particular. Young stumbles his way through assignments, attempting to stay true to himself but learning quickly how the publishing world really works. Though there is nothing special about the plot (or where it heads at any given moment), Pegg manages to make the ride more enjoyable than it probably should be. As previously mentioned, we are treated to about five scenes where Pegg dances, and I think the price of admission was well spent for the nightclub dance scene alone.

Dunst is likable in the role of Alison and has good chemistry with Pegg. Unfortunately, all of the chemistry is of the chummy, friend kind. I did not and can not buy anything romantic between the two actors, and that kind of makes the story a bit awkward. Still, I liked Pegg and Dunst in the roles even if they did have the wrong kind of chemistry.

Removing Pegg from the equation, the script does have some truly funny lines, but without Pegg, the movie would not be nearly as funny. As much as I like Pegg, one can not help but wonder what the movie would have been like without him. If it had been more of a romantic comedy with a younger lead, perhaps this movie would have been all together different. As it is, you laugh, but the movie does not really stay with you. Pegg is fabulous, but probably miscast for the role. On the other hand, without Pegg, this could have been truly dreadful. The direction is pretty bland and the supporting cast never really seems to shine (although I’m sure the guys out there disagree over including Megan Fox in that statement). Even Jeff Bridges who is supposed to be an imposing character just kind of sits there on the screen. Gillian Anderson’s agent character seemed far more imposing, and she did not do much more than smile blankly.

Funnier than most things I have seen lately, this movie is still only all right. The dance sequences will certainly make you smile, but they can do that on DVD just as easily as they can in a movie theatre.

DIRECTED BY
Jon Favreau

STARRING
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tony Stark/Iron Man
Terrence Howard - Jim Rhodes
Gwyneth Paltrow - Pepper Potts
Jeff Bridges - Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
Leslie Bibb - Christine Everhart
Paul Bettany - Jarvis (voice)
Shaun Toub - Yinsen

Year - 2008

Score - 4 Howls Outta 4


Let me make something perfectly clear: I'm a huge Marvel comics geek. It's been almost 10 years since I bought a comic, but I still catch up on my favorite characters through graphic novels every time I go to a Barnes and Nobles and take the time to read it through. One of my favorite heroes has always been Shell-Head himself, The Invincible Iron Man. Not only is the armor suit cool and can do really awesome things, but the man underneath that suit [Tony Stark] is very human with his faults and addictions. Though sometimes you would shake your head at the choices Iron Man tended to make, you never stopped rooting for him, hoping he'd find the way to make things right for himself and the world around him.

So upon hearing that an IRON MAN film was being made, I was kind of apprehensive. Can you blame me? Ever since SPIDER-MAN 2, Marvel films have been going down the hill. Remember ELEKTRA? GHOST RIDER? Those silly FANTASTIC FOUR films? What about the disappointing X-MEN: THE LAST STAND and SPIDER-MAN 3? Yeah, it hasn't been a great few years for Marvel comic fans. But hearing that Jon Favreau, a devoted comic book fan, was directing and bringing along Robert Downey, Jr. to play Tony Stark sold me on the get-go. And watching those trailers got me pumped up more, hoping those weren't the best scenes in the film. And to my relief, they aren't and the film is probably the first one to start off the summer movie blockbuster scene right. Make Mine Marvel!

PLOT
Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), alcoholic and ladies man, is a billionaire from making weapons for other industries and countries. He goes to Afghanistan to showcase his newest weapon that happens to be some massive missile deployment system that he deems Jericho. His travel is cut off by an attack on his convoy, which happens to cause him to be injured by one of his own missiles. He's taken prisoner by an organization called the Ten Rings, who want him to build their own Jericho along with another prisoner named Yinsen (Shaun Toub). Almost fatally wounded and now having to live with a pacemaker for his heart that Yinsen constructed, Stark reflects on his last hours before the trip. We see where his priorities had lied, as he would rather have sex with women and drink than maintain friendly contact with his best friend Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), his mentor and business partner Obidiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), and long-time assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

This flashback gives him the motivation to do something right for a change. Instead of making Jericho II, Stark and Yinsen get parts together to create a metal suit. Stark manages to escape captivity and return home, where he sees the error of his ways and decides that his true purpose in life is to protect those he cares about. While trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his friends and the public, Stark decides to improve on the suit to destroy the weapons he's made that have fallen in the wrong hands. However, Stane is totally against that, stealing the original Iron Man prototype to create a Iron Monger of his own...

REVIEW
Summer 2008 at the movies has officially started and IRON MAN was the perfect choice to start the season. This film was so heavily buzzed that I was feeling that I was gonna be disappointed at how Tony Stark and company would be translated onto the big screen. I've never been so glad to be wrong. IRON MAN is an awesome AWESOME film with a terrific cast, excellent direction and CGI, and a fantastic story that will not only please comic book fans, but bring in new fans who have never took an interest in Iron Man before.

What makes IRON MAN work so damn well is how the story is presented. Most superhero films try to force the whole "I got superpowers so now I have to fight crime and be this good guy for society [even though I'm an asshole] while making sure evil people don't succeed in their manical schemes". IRON MAN doesn't work that way. Tony Stark is believably transformed from a man who revels in screwing as many women as he can and drinking as much alcohol as possible to a man who really believes in his heart that what he does is the right thing, no matter the consequences. This level of touch and class that allows our hero to become more responsble for his actions and attempt to make up for his past sins while still being an alcoholic and a prick is extremely realistic. He doesn't change personalities at the snap of a finger and become Dudley Do Right. He's always flawed, and that's not a superhero story. That's a human story of a man who wants to be good but is never really sure what that "good" is. Whether he gets there is up to him, but it's great watching him.

I also appreciated the humor in the story, especially by Downey's Stark. As with most comic book films, humor is planted inside the script for fans who know inside jokes and for the children and teenagers need to be entertained when things aren't blowing up. Sometimes this works, like in SPIDER-MAN. But recently, in films like GHOST RIDER and the FANTASTIC FOUR films, the humor has done more harm than good by not adding much to the plot. While the film has large amounts of humor, due to Downey's improvized ad-libs, it never feels forced or cheesy. It's totally natural and we can buy this billionaire to be such a smartass. I thought it gave the character a ton of personality, which makes me care alot about him and increases my want for him to succeed in his goal.

The CGI was also incredible, to the point where sometimes I would question whether certain effects were natural or not. The suit was made to perfection, as the right kind of light and shadow dawned on it and the way it moved was fantastic. The Iron Monger also looked great for the same reasons. The explosions and the array of weapons from the Iron Man suit were right on. I have no complaints about the CGI. That's a first because I usually have something to complain about these comic book films. But this one pleased me like no other.

I personally hope Jon Favreau directs every other Marvel Studios film from now on. Better known as an actor, Favreau took what he did right with ELF years ago and exceeded everybody's expectations. For a two hour film, the origin story never feels rushed or forced. The pacing is very strong and full of energy from beginning to end. The action was well shot and focused [loved that last scene, though it could have been a bit longer but I'm okay with that]. The film is also very balanced and is visually stunning in its telling. Favreau did a phenomenal job bringing this baby to the big screen. Perfectly directed in my opinion, and since he's doing the sequels, it should only get better.

The acting was great here. Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Tony Stark. They're pretty much one and the same. He looks like the character. He shares the same demons with the character. He brought humor to the character that was refreshing and real. Even in the suit, Downey gave Iron Man a lot of personality. The man has been through hell and back due to his addictions, but with every fall, he's always stood back up bigger and better each time. He's a fantastic actor and I'm glad he's finally gotten the recognition that he deserves because of this film. The best superhero in a long time, in my opinion. He owns Iron Man from the start and I can't wait to see what else he'll bring to the table in the sequels and spinoff.

The other actors did well with what they were given. Jeff Bridges was delightfully evil as Obidiah Stane a.k.a. the original Iron Monger. With a bald head and that evil goatee, he definitely looked villainous. He could have been more fleshed out, but it didn't really bother me or take away from the film. You knew the moment you saw him that he was bad news and that's enough for me. Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow were very good as Jim Rhodes and Pepper Potts respectively. I'm sure Howard will get a juicier role in the sequels when the War Machine arc pops up. And Paltrow, who I never found hot in my life, changed my mind as she looked F-I-N-E wearing a red wig and walking in those tight business suits and high heels. Plus she was a feisty little thing and I like that in my women. Growl.

There are also cameos by Favreau himself as Happy Hogan, Stark's driver. We also get another one after the end credits by Samuel L. Jackson. If you went home during the end credits, you really didn't miss much. Just something about the Avenger Initiative and...well, I'll S.H.I.E.L.D. you from the rest. Nothing to see here. Just move along and assemble.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE WATCHING IRON MAN

- Nothing to write here. I was too busy getting my geek on to be thinking of a list to write here. But I will say this: Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" is still a kick ass song after all these years. Ozzy is one rich bastard.

THE FINAL HOWL
IRON MAN is the best film I've seen all year. And it's definitely the best Marvel Comics film since SPIDER-MAN 2 in 2004. It exceeded my expectations and can not wait for the sequel in 2010 and the proposed THE AVENGERS flick that's being worked out with Downey protraying Iron Man in that film as well. Favreau is also attached to that project as well, giving me a lot of hope for Marvel Studios. Rank IRON MAN as one of the greatest comic book films ever made. Who knew? The summer has started with a bang and if you're not one of the $200 million worldwide who hasn't seen this film yet, please do so. Now.