Snyder's visually stunning film pulls no 'Punches'

In 2007, 300 demonstrated that a film version of a graphic novel can be visually dynamic and really badass. In 2009, Watchmen showed the visionary genius in Snyder’s accurate portrayal of the greatest comic book story of all time. Now, in 2011, he has outdone himself with the visually explosive and surprisingly original story in Sucker Punch.

Released on March 25, Sucker Punch tells the story of a young girl nicknamed Babydoll (Emily Browning), who is institutionalized by her abusive stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy under the direction of Dr. Gorski (Carla Gugino), she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the mental facility. With the help of the other patients, Rocket (Jena Malone), Sweetpea (Abbie Cornish), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung), they must work together within their alternate reality, which is a 1920’s burlesque club, to plot against the club’s gangster owner, Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac). Also, they must escape before the high roller (Jon Hamm) arrives for Babydoll (the high roller is a lobotomy doctor in the asylum, and Blue is an orderly).  While dancing in the club, Babydoll retreats into a second alternate reality in which she and the other girls must fight highly intense and stylized battles under the direction of the Wise Man (Scott Glenn), and complete missions that parallel their tasks in the “real” world.

First and foremost, the most incredible thing about this film is the visually dynamic action scenes that play throughout. From fighting 30 foot samurai in a temple to battling mechanical German soldiers in the trenches of bombed-out France in World War I, and from defeating a gigantic dragon in a castle to destroying robot gunmen on a futuristic air train, Snyder captures each punch, gunshot, and slice with meticulous attention to detail. Like in 300, the action would often slow down to emphasize an action, and then speed back up to normal to jolt the audience back to reality. Also, the blending of technologies in each battle sequence, such as a B-52 bomber against a castle of orcs or modern assault rifles in World War I, added to the awesomeness of the scenes.

Another thing that was amazing about the film was the epic soundtrack that accompanied each scene. Each song fit perfectly into the action of the film, and demonstrated the care that Snyder takes in choosing the music for his films. What made the music cool was that in the story, music is the thing that launches these girls into these fantasy worlds. Music becomes the backbone of the film, and they used actual songs for Sucker Punch that would create suitable moods. Also, the songs used in the film are not original, but are new arrangements of existing music. The soundtrack album contains nine tracks, all covers, remixes and mash-ups (which are wildly re-imagined versions of classic songs) of tracks by Alison Mosshart, Björk, Queen and performances from stars Emily Browning, Carla Gugino, and Oscar Isaac. Most notable in the film included "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," "White Rabbit,"  "Where Is My Mind?", and "I Want It All / We Will Rock You Mash-Up."

Lastly, the most impressive thing about the film is the original story that Snyder came up with and wrote himself, along with the help of Steve Shibuya. Unlike his previous films, which were mostly based off of graphic novels and books, Snyder produces a unique and mind-blowing story that has the same feel as a graphic novel story. In fact, at several points during the film, Snyder slips in subtle references to his previous films, much to the delight of his fans.

Overall, Sucker Punch delivers a knockout blow to all film buffs, and presents a revolutionary and artistic style of filmmaking the likes of which have never been seen before. Unfortunately, most critics out there have given negative reviews of the film, a notion not shared by the many movie-goers who loved it. This may lead to the film becoming a pop culture phenomenon, and eventually develop a cult following the way films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Office Space have. A word of advice: if anyone decides to see this film in theaters, go see it in the IMAX Theater, for you will be unprepared for the breath-taking and visually intense spectacle in store.

"Spartacus" unexpectedly entertaining and risque

         Over the past decade, quite a few television shows have entertained audiences in so many different ways. The Sopranos brought the rough and tough Mafia genre back; Band of Brothers touched on the emotional side of war; Dexter offered an unusual look into the mind of a serial killer living a normal life; Sex and the City looked into the lives of classy, independent women; and True Blood brought the sexy and dangerous imaginations of a vampire book series to the TV screen. However, very few of those TV shows have captured the interest and attentions of its audiences more than the brand new and incredibly risqué Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which airs on Starz.

         The first season, which has 13 episodes, tells the beginning story of the most famous gladiator in history, Spartacus. The season starts by showing how Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) is captured by Romans, sentenced to die in the arena, and then kills his opponents. His reward is his purchase and entrance into the most prestigious gladiator school in the city of Capua, run by the cunning and conniving Quintus Batiatus (John Hannah, The Mummy), and his wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless). From there, he trains as a gladiator under the direction of the Doctore (Peter Mensah, 300) in order to win in the arena, and thus have his captured wife returned to him. Along the way, he battles against his rival, Crixus (Manu Bennett), befriends a man fighting by his own will, and suffers under the secret and consistently traitorous dealings of Batiatus. By the end of the season, he realizes his true destiny when he decides that no man should ever suffer as a slave under the control of Rome.

        What makes this show stand out from every other show is the extreme portrayal of Roman society in every episode. The beginning of each episode warns its viewers that the show is intended to represent an accurate portrayal of society during this time period. During the first few episodes alone, your ears will fall off when you hear characters spewing out the most vulgar and offensive profanity ever heard on TV. The nudity and sex will also shock and amaze viewers, as it's much like watching a show that's one step away from being too explicit for TV. This, in effect, can be viewed negatively by audiences who are not used to seeing that sort of thing on premium TV channels.

        But what entertains most audiences (which are mostly male) are the over-dramatic but incredibly realistic and vivid fight scenes, going from normal speed to slow motion and splashing blood everywhere. While much of this sounds like it wouldn't be enjoyable for others, one should find comfort that the show can also appeal to them as well. One example of this is the interactions between the women of the show, and the extent of their independence, as well as their beautiful fashions. During the show, there are several instances of very interesting drama and verbal maneuvering that even people today could relate to. Because of this, the greatest theme of the show is the ambition of each character, and what each person is willing to do to gain favor and/or glory.

        If you haven't seen this show yet, it is highly recommended that you give it a chance, because even though the racy parts are unconventional, the story is compelling enough to watch the first season all the way through. In the end, it's worth the time to watch because the finale will blow your mind. Once you've finished watching the show, then go check out the brand new season, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which is a prequel season to the first season. This season chronicles the rise of characters like Batiatus, Crixus, and the Doctore, which shows an interesting view of the other side of the story. Once that's over, the sequel season will be airing next year, and all Spartacus fans can get their "gladiator" on once again.

"The Eagle" has surprisingly landed successfully

What was thought to be just the same old action film modeled after films like Gladiator and King Arthur was actually more than expected, for The Eagle not only surprises but entertains as well.

            Set in 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Jamie Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.

            When first viewing the trailer for this film, it is interesting how it tells very little about what the movie is about. One gets the impression that it's an action flick that's set during Roman times, and it's stars big-time action guy and object of girls' crushes, Channing Tatum. However, this film is the most surprising and unexpectedly entertaining to be released this year. The story is interesting, the plot is suspenseful, the acting by the principal characters is actually very good, and the action is not overdone.

            Out of everything that was good about this film, the best part of it was the mysterious and inspiring storyline. Throughout the film, the plot seems pretty easy to figure out: entire legion disappears in unexplored lands, son goes to solve the mystery and restore his family's honor, and then finds his father has survived within the natives' community with the Eagle safe and sound. However, anyone who thinks this is what happens would be very wrong. Every moment of the film is so suspenseful that it's hard to really know what will happen. One minute, something's happening and you think that you can see what direction the scene will go, and then the next minute, something totally unpredicted happens. This is not a bad thing, because the whole film is made better by the great storytelling.

            For anyone who didn't really have any intention to go see this movie, don't be deterred, because it's actually better than you think. This film is a truly entertaining thing to behold, with a great balance of good acting, skillful storytelling, and not too many fight scenes.

Anthony Hopkins is all "Rite"

         While "The Rite" presents itself as an entertaining and well-acted film, it fails to show the audience anything new or original.

          The film tells the story of an American seminary student named Michael (Colin O'Donoghue) who, after a loss of faith, attends an exorcism course with the Vatican. He is referred to a seasoned exorcist, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who helps him see the light by having him assist in the exorcism of a young Italian girl. When things turn for the worst, Michael must accept his faith with the help of a journalist named Angelina (Alice Braga) in order to save Father Lucas.

         As inspiring as the film's message is, most of the film doesn't offer anything original to the exorcist horror film genre. As with films like "The Exorcist" and "The Last Exorcism," the story follows the same plot line of a priest going through a crisis of faith, and through an encounter with a possessing demon, finds his belief in God by believing in the Devil. While some people might enjoy that kind of story, the truth is that it is hard for anyone to take it seriously anymore. In a world where people find it harder and harder to keep their faith in God, this film does little to serve as a reminder as to why it is important to believe in a higher power.

        What makes the film powerful, however, is the brilliant and incredible acting of veteran Sir Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas. Playing a priest who's been around the block and performed over two thousand exorcisms certainly doesn't diminish this man's heartfelt performance. In fact, his character was the most believable in the entire film simply because it was him. At some points, you forget that it's even acting. The greatest example is the point in the film where Lucas goes through a crisis of faith himself when his possessed patient dies, and it takes the faith of the young skeptical Michael to bring him back to the light. The polarization of the character is awesome to watch, and reminds the audience that Hopkins isn't going anywhere any time soon.

       For people who enjoy these kinds of films, head out to the cinemas this weekend and check out the former number one film at the box office.

Rascal Flatts still cool

         The country-pop band Rascal Flatts released their brand new album, Nothing Like This, on November 16. As per their usual success, the album continues to reflect the band's versatility and ability to adapt to current popular music, while also holding on to their country roots. 

          This album has already produced a hit single, and strives to continue the band's popularity. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, keyboards/piano, vocals), and JoeDon Rooney (lead guitar, vocals).  Rascal Flatts has released seven studio albums (all of which have been certified Platinum and/or Multi-Platinum) and a greatest hits album. In that time they've released 27 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including ten number ones. Their number one singles include: "Bless the Broken Road", "What Hurts the Most", "My Wish", "Stand", "Take Me There", and "Here Comes Goodbye". The group has an uncommon youth demographic (18-25) for country music, where the average listener is 44 years old.  

         This album makes use of the band's talents with several different instruments as well as the regular country set. The title track of the album, Nothing Like This, is a slow, orchestral-sounding ballad that is loving and heartfelt. The band's ability to deliver powerful, emotional songs has always been one of their trademarks, and it is made apparent by several songs on the album. Another song that holds true to this style is "Easy", a sad song that features Natasha Bedingfield. The song comes from the perspectives of a man and woman, both recovering from their break-up, claiming that seeing each other out and about and having fun is easy to do, but how they don't know hard it really is for both of them. The hit single on the album is the already popular "Why Wait", which remains much more upbeat and fun-sounding than the aforementioned songs. The song chronicles a man that convinces his sweetheart to get married immediately because there's no point in waiting. The song has a hopeful and confident note to it, and while it does admit that doing something like that is crazy, anyone who's been really in love knows what that's like.

         The album is definitely not one of Rascal Flatts' best, but it does show a lot of promise. At this rate, the band will continue to be successful, and may someday enter the country music hall of fame.

"Megamind" kills brain cells

          With the release of the latest addition to the 3D animated film genre, Megamind opened on November 5, making an impressive jump to number one at the box office in the two weeks since its release. Its success has also spawned several statements that the film may be a contender for the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. The film's success and praise is undeserved, however, for it was nothing special, and was especially dry and emotionless for a children's film. With the voice talents of comedic actors Will Ferrell and Tina Fey, and A-list actor Brad Pitt, the forced humor and exaggerated dialogue is lost upon older audience members while children may be left confused by the strange storyline.
           After super-villain Megamind (Ferrell) kills his good-guy nemesis Metro Man (Pitt), he becomes bored since there is no one left to fight. After the accidental inspiration from reporter Roxanne Ritchie, he creates a new foe, Titan (Jonah Hill), who, instead of using his powers for good, sets out to destroy the world, positioning Megamind to save the day for the first time in his life.
           While the animation (enhanced by 3D technology) is good, the acting, mostly through dialogue, comes up short. Ferrell not only proves that he has no place in being a voice talent for an animated film, but also shows that his humor isn't relatable to audiences under the age of 13. Fey also shows audiences that she only belongs in teenage and/or adult comedies, and has no place in animated films. While these two talents fall short when expected to carry the weight of the film, Pitt and Hill both steal the show to some degree. Pitt does splendidly in over exaggerating his role as a big-headed superhero, while Hill employs his awkward but street smart teenage/adult humor in his character of a cameraman-turned-super-villain.
          The film itself is disappointing for teenagers and adults thinking that it may be good, while children may enjoy it simply because it is an animated film with cool 3D effects. It is recommended that if one chooses to go see this film, grab a matinee ticket for the 2D version of it.

Jason Aldean throws "My Kinda Party"

Country music singer/songwriter Jason Aldean released his newest album, My Kinda Party, on November 2. Aldean is one of the latest of a new kind of country artist that infuses the driving rock sound with a pure country voice. This album is a testament to that style of country music, and it solidifies Aldean's position as one of the big-time artists in contemporary country.
He has recorded four albums on the independent Broken Bow Records label: Jason Aldean (2005), Relentless (2007), Wide Open (2009), and My Kinda Party (2010).
These albums have accounted for eleven singles on the Billboard country singles charts, including number one hits "Why," "She's Country," "Big Green Tractor," and "The Truth." "Crazy Town" is the most recent and fourth single from the album, which peaked at #2.
With songs like "Tattoos on this Town," "Just Passing Through," "Texas Was You," and the title track "My Kinda Party," Aldean does more than enough to ensure his place in the hearts of his fans as a great country artist. However, he also shows his versatility by doing something different in his rendition of Colt Ford's "Dirt Road Anthem." In this song, Aldean continues his slow and steady but energetic country rock while also rapping several lyrics of the song. This deviation from his usual style offers a new kind of voice to his country mode of performance, and further enhances his talent as a musician and performer.
With the release of this album, Aldean rises to the upper echelon of recent country stars taking the increasingly popular country music industry by storm such as Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, and Luke Bryan. With Aldean's recent performance at the New England Country Music Festival in August, it is clear that a large majority of people in the northeast have proclaimed country to be the number one genre of this region. If anymore artists come about and continue to entertain just like Jason Aldean, country is sure to take down any competition.