"Black Swan" Movie Trailer

The newest film by by Darren Aronovsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) promises to be an engagingly interesting thriller. But that's not why I'm posting this trailer for you that was released today. It's the piece of cinematic greatness when Natalie Portman (Star Wars Episode I, Episode II, Episode III, The Professional) and Mila Kunis (Family Guy, That 70s Show) kiss, starting at 1:26. This is one movie that I hope is the exception to the rule; all the good parts are in the trailer. I don't really know what this movie is about, but I've already pre-ordered tickets and the Blu-Ray.  The force is strong with this one.

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DVD Review: Boot Camp

Boot Camp
Written by: Agatha Dominik and John Cox
Directed by: Christian Duguay
Starring: Mila Kunis, Gregory Smith and Peter Stormare

Boot Camp is a rather misleading film, indicated to be based on actual events, about kids sent to a rehabilitation camp in Fiji who are brainwashed and abused. The misleading part, at least from the marketing and the DVD art, is the fact that this film looks like a horror film. It's not at all. In fact, had this been shot as a horror film, or even done as a documentary, it would have been far more successful. Instead, it's a drama that focuses on a horrific situation that comes off a bit full of itself.

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Boot Camp is not a terrible film by any means but it's not that great either. It certainly isn't worth it's current $25.99 price tag.

It plays more like a Movie-Of-The-Week with all the melodrama that comes with it. The story revolves around a young woman played by Mila Kunis who is acting out since her Father's death. One night, while she attempts to convince her boyfriend, played by Gregory Smith, to marry her and take her away from all of this, she is abducted by men from the rehabilitation program Advanced Serenity Achievement Program (ASAP) located in Fiji.

The film focuses on her for most of it while intermittently checking in with her boyfriend who is hatching a scheme to get himself committed to the same camp. This might be a minor spoiler but he does get sent to the same camp and later it's said that his parents sent him there because HE said it was the only thing that would help him. This kid had been nothing but a model kid his entire life, at least that's what it seems like, and suddenly he gets into a fight with a drug dealer, tells his parents to ship him off to a prison camp, and they do it. That seems more than a little far fetched.

For a camp on a tropical island, things look a bit washed out and dreary. I'm guessing this was a creative choice to signify how bad the camp is, as if we couldn't tell from the mass beatings, and rape. There is a point when our protagonists think they've achieved freedom where the sky is bright and clear and the ocean is crystal blue. The bright beauty of Fiji is muted whenever we're seeing things happening around the camp.

The performances are decent throughout. I wouldn't say anyone is bad but no one is particularly great either. There are no stand out performances or anything that really elevates this film beyond the mediocre.

The directing is decent but again noting to special here. The script is a little weak. Like I said before, this movie would have been much better if it were taken to the extreme and turned into a horror movie. Alternatively, it would have made for a brilliant documentary. We know these camps exist and that some truly heinous things take place so dramatizing them into a low-rent drama doesn't really do the subject any justice.

Boot Camp is just middle of the road. It's neither good nor bad enough to be memorable and barely peaks at mediocre. It sat on the shelves for quite awhile before being quietly released on DVD mainly because I don't think anyone know quite what to do with it.

As for the specific aspects of the DVD, well there isn't a special feature to speak of besides a trailer for another movie I can't even recall right now.

If you are interested you can check it out. Boot Camp is on DVD now.

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BluRay Review: Max Payne

Max Payne
Written by: Beau Thorne
Directed by: John Moore
Starring: Mark Wahlburg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Donal Logue, Chris O'Donnell, and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges

Mark Wahlberg stars as Max Payne in the story of a cop who's lost his family on a quest to discover the truth behind their murders. He teams up with the, I assume, killer for hire sister (Mila Kunis) of a recently murdered woman, to track down those responsible for the deaths.

Max Payne is an adaptation of a rather popular video game series. I played the original game briefly so I am coming to this film pretty much fresh and with no preconceptions or loyalties to the game.

That said, I was woefully underwhelmed by the film. My first issue is that it is extremely predictable. I knew where this movie was heading as soon as a certain character stepped on screen and that ruined any kind of suspense or tension I could have expected. Not that there is any.

The film feels disjointed, almost as if they just took scenes and stuck them together to try and make a cohesive story. It is also stylistic to a fault. It never feels natural. I will say that there are some gorgeous scenes that are wasted here. The snow fall looks incredible at times but over all Max Payne feels like its aiming to be more stylized that it has any right to be.

There are numerous unnecessary Norse mythology references that do absolutely nothing for the movie. The whole Constantinish trailer points to an underlying supernatural vibe to the story that absolutely isn't there. Any reference to angels and demons in the trailer is the result of hallucinations by drug addicts.

The acting is for the most part serviceable or downright bad. Mila Kunis, who I actually did not recognize until she spoke in English for the first time, was okay. Wahlberg and Beau Bridges were decent. I have to say that SNL has probably ruined Mark Wahlberg for me because every time he spoke I was waiting for him to say "Say hi to your mother for me," and was disappointed when it never happened. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges was terrible. I had actually pegged him as a decent actor after Crash but he was lousy in this. I didn't buy a single word out of his mouth.

On the upside, the film looks beautiful on Bluray. The disc comes with the theatrical version as well as the unrated directors cut. Special features include a never-before-seen animated graphic novel, audio commentary from Director John Moore, Production Designer Daniel Dorrance, and Visual Effects Supervisor Everett Burrell. The BonusView features takes you behind the scenes with walkthroughs and cheats with Picture in Picture footage with John Moore. It also has a second disc featuring an digital copy of the unrated version of the film.

I was a staunch HDDVD supporter and have been turned to the side of bluray, not only because it won the format war but because it looks incredible. Even a lousy movie like Max Payne can be made better simply because of how stunning the picture and sound are.

Bottom line: Max Payne is a lousy film. It might be worth a watch to fans of Mark Wahlberg but fans of the video game will most likely be disappointed (as the makers of the game reportedly were). Action fans might enjoy the minimal action scenes but the convoluted story will turn off anyone with half a brain.

Max Payne is available on DVD and Bluray now.

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