Media Mayhem

Based on true events, Zero Dark Thirty is one film you won't want to miss. Directed by Katheryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Zero Dark Thirty chronicles the decade long manhunt for the world's most dangerous man, Osama bin Ladin.

Zero Dark Thirty has received many accolades and has been nominated for a few Golden Globes. It has also been met with criticism as it features a couple torture scenes that the CIA say are an inaccurate portrail of how information related to the whereabouts of Osama bin Ladin were obtained. Some critics say the film takes a pro torture stance on the war against terror. On a side note, some politicians have claimed the producers of the film obtained improper access to classified materials during the making of the movie.

Taking place after the September 11th attacks, Zero Dark Thirty takes the viewer through many sub plots and side stories on its way to the utlimate end result we all know is coming if you've read the news (no spoilers here). If you've seen Bigelow's previous film, The Hurt Locker, this movie will come as no surprise. The pacing and feel of the movie is very similar; however, Zero Dark Thirty is a more intense thriller of the two. The fierceness of the action and dialogue give a realism to the film that very few directors know how to deliver.

That realism does come with some caution. There are a few torture scenes that are difficult to watch. Whether these events actually happened is debatable, but regardless they will make you squirm in your seat. The CIA claims those events didn't take place exactly as depicted in the film and the producers insist their research supports the accuracy of the torture scenes.

Zero Dark Thirty is not entertainment but a history lesson about the dark and dangerous world of America's military and intelligence agency. For the most part Zero Dark Thirty is a realistic, accurate depiction of the hunt for Osama bin Ladin; although, there are few times the Hollywood factor leaks out. Some scenes and dialogue feel a bit over dramatic, as if the producers were just trying to make the film as intense as possible. Fluffing up the facts so to speak. Moviegoers should not treat Zero Dark Thirty solely as their source of information but as a visualization to the information they've read or heard about the search for Osama bin Ladin.

Grade: B+

Based on the novel by J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on December 14, 2012. The film tells the story of Bilbo Baggins as he is swept into an unexpected journey across Middle Earth. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf, Bilbo joins the company of 13 dwarves. As the group escapes into the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo discovers an underground lake and its sole resident, a creature named Gollum. His encounter with Gollum will change his life forever and set the course for the story of The Hobbit as well as the Lord of the Rings to which the The Hobbit is a prequel to.

The dwarves Bilbo will travel with

While in the presence of Gollum, Bilbo learns about the existence of a powerful golden ring that not only makes one invisible while wearing it but possess a darker, more powerful secret.

Directed by Peter Jackson, the film can be seen in theaters in a variety of formats. You can view the film in the traditional 24fps (frames per second) that most movies are shown in or the 3D version boasts a whopping 48fps. This supposedly helps with the clarity of the images you are seeing and allows for more realistic colors and depth. Many critics of the new frame rate say that the high frame rate along with the 3D can causes seizures or dizziness with some people. If you go see the 3D version, close your eyes for a period of a time if you start to feel faint or dizzy.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a positive revisit to Middle Earth. The beginning of the film is slow since they spend a large amount of time setting up the story. There is action later in the movie but it just didn't seem to quite satisfy the way the fighting in the Lord of the Rings did. Unfortunately, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey falls short of achieving the greatness of the Lord of the Rings films. Portions of the film feel drawn out and some scenes would be more at home in the Special Features on the DVD. Part of this problem is because the studio wanted Jackson to make The Hobbit into a trilogy rather than one movie; therefore, there is a lot of content that normally would be excluded but was left in to generate more films and thus more revenue.

Grade: A-

The newest Bond film to hit theaters, Skyfall, puts James Bond (Daniel Craig) in harms way once again. This time M (Judi Dench) is the target as MI6 comes under attack. His loyalty to M is tested as a shady character resurfaces from her past. Bond must stay focused on protecting the agency and his friend no matter how personal things become.

From the opening scene, Skyfall gives you non-stop action. The sequences are raw and gritty. That's just how I like my Bond; rough, tough and with a kick of style on the side. The villain in this film, Silva (Javier Bardem), holds MI6 responsible for the pain and misfortune in his life. Silva is a more believable villain than Bond villains of the past because he has a personal vendetta, rather than being evil just for the sake of being evil. He possesses a creepy, psychotic evil that sends chills down your spine.

Bond has many moments in the film where his skills put to the test. While chasing a suspect, Bond is being shot at while operating an excavator on a moving train. As chaos ensues, Bond leaps from the excavator into an open train car in front of him, calmly adjusts his suit cuffs, and proceeds. This cool, collected style adds a huge element to the film. Rather than using fancy, unrealistic gadgets like in the Pierce Brosnan Bond films, Daniel Craig's Bond relies more on his 007 skills and training to complete the job. Many moments simply don't need dialogue or music because the acting says it all.

One area of the film many movie goers tend to overlook is the soundtrack. Thomas Newman (Road to Perdition) wrote the score for this film, replacing David Arnold who tracked the first two Daniel Craig Bond films. The Adele theme song is one of my favorite Bond themes in the last 50 years.

Casino Royale was a good first step for Daniel Craig. Although it had its dull moments, it ultimately helped revitalize the franchise; however, with Quantum of Solace, many fans were left disappointed and saw it as a step backwards. Skyfall firmly places Bond back on top as the king of action, style, glitz and glamour. Easily one of the best action/thrillers of the year, Skyfall will surely not disappoint.

Grade: A

Grade: B

Grade: B

Six months after the end of the first movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) has used his Iron Man armor to bring about a negotiated peace treaty between the major super powers of the world, and his immense popularity with the general public is only furthered when he fulfills his father's dream by opening the "Stark Expo", to showcase all the latest inventions that will benefit the world.  All is not well in Stark's life, however: he has discovered that the palladium in the arc reactor keeping his heart beating has begun to poison his body, slowly killing him, and all attempts to find a substitute element have failed. Slowly going off the rails as a consequence of what he believes to be his impending death, he appoints his former personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) CEO of Stark Industries.

While racing in Monaco, Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has constructed a miniaturized arc reactor of his own, including whip-like attachments harnessing the electrical energy. Defeating Vanko with the aid of his Mark V armor (a transforming briefcase), Stark discovers that Vanko is the son of disgraced Russian physicist Anton Vanko, who collaborated on the first arc reactor with Stark's father Howard (John Slattery). Vanko is promptly broken out of jail by a revenge-seeking Justin Hammer, who puts him to work fashioning a line of "Iron Drones" that he will use to upstage Stark at his own Expo.



The action sequences are pretty similar to the first movie with lots of explosions and righteous butt-kicking. My favorite part of the sequel was the witty banter constantly occurring between characters. Tony Stark's sarcastic and cocky attitude keeps the film entertaining even when he isn't flying around and saving the world. One of the best movies to hit theaters in the month of May.

Grade: A-

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans stars Nicholas Cage and Eva Mendes. The story takes place in the ravaged city of New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. As you can probably tell from the title of the movie, Terence McDonagh (Nicholas Cage) is a crooked cop who does everything and anything in his power for personal gain. A drug user, gambler, and womanizer are just a few adjectives that describe Detective McDonagh.

Married to a prostitute girlfriend (Eva Mendes), McDonagh even uses her to shake down customers for drugs after they have completed their transaction. As the movie progresses, McDonagh gets more into gambling debt and more in trouble with the New Orleans police department for various incidents with civilians. There's nothing that surprises you about this character by the time this movie is over. Even things like cutting off a old woman's air supply to get some information are common occurrences.

The majority of this movie was slow and dull with a few scattered moments of action and excitement. Since McDonagh is high on drugs, random vodooish incidents will occur that make you feel like you're on crack (not that I know). If I wanted to watch a Cage stumble around on the verge of a drug induced coma mumbling random things, I would have just rented his biography from the video store.

Grade: C-

Matt Damon (Bourne Trilogy) and director Paul Greengrass return to the screen for another exciting action/thriller. The pair starts right where they left off in their new film entitled "Green Zone". Although parts of the movie may remind you of the Bourne trilogy, don't let that keep you from seeing this movie. Greengrass intricately weaves fact and fiction together to tell a story that quite possibly could have happened overseas.

Following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) and his men are charged with finding the so-called weapons of mass destruction, whose existence justified American involvement. Each mission becomes more and more dangerous. And continuous raids of believed weapon store houses turn up nothing. According to the Pentagon and their man in Baghdad, veteran CIA operative Marty tells Miller that there are no weapons and that it is deceiving to allow the Americans to take over the country and install a puppet leader. Miller takes matters into his own hands and attempts to find out the real reason for America's presence in the region.

At times the plot becomes quite predictable and feels to much like a repackaged Bourne film, but the inclusion of factual events and information keeps its head above water. It's hard to find a character you can empathize with in this film as Damon's character is far too arrogant and all the other characters talk the big talk but never really amount to much. Bottom line, if you enjoyed the Bourne films, "Green Zone" is worth a watch or two. Lets just hope Greengrass doesn't make a trilogy out of this film.

Grade: B-