Haywire (2012)

Starring: Gina Carano, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Michael Angarano

Director: Steven Soderberg

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rating: C+

I was a bit disappointed with this movie.  I didn’t expect it to be some stellar film with amazing acting that really wowed me or anything… but based on the trailers I was expecting it to be a highly intense action flick.  You know, lots of fighting scenes and a plot that didn’t really matter.  Watching Haywire, however, provided a rather different movie.  It was intense, but slow.  There was a lot of plot and it was all very important… but I didn’t really care about it.  I didn’t care about the characters.  The film didn’t really give me any reason to care about them and whether they live or die.  It seems almost like the film is counting on the viewers having a pre-existing emotional attachment to the characters because of any attachment to the actors.   It’s rather a juvenile approach to filmmaking: it’s like not developing the Robert Pattinson character, because hey it’s Edward Cullen and therefore you have to love him (note, I’ve only actually seen two non-Twilight R-Pattz movies, neither of which did this, so it’s not the best comparison. But, really, given the attitude of some Twihards, I could see this happening).

Haywire follows Mallory Kane (Carano), who is some sort of secret operative who… kills people? Sometimes for the government? I’m not really sure.  The film is told partially in flashbacks and we learn that a week ago Mallory was assigned to rescue Jiang (Anthony Brandon Wong) in Barcelona, requiring her to pose as the wife of British MI6 agent Paul (Fassbender).  Nothing is really what it seems, however, and after Paul kills Jiang things all go to shit for Mallory.  She ends up on the run from the company, which is headed by her ex-boyfriend Kenneth (McGregor), who are all hell bent on killing her.

Once again, I didn’t care about the characters.  I didn’t care for Mallory, who I didn’t know from anything else.  I also didn’t care about Paul, Kenneth, John Kane (Paxton), Aaron (Tatum), Rodrigo (Banderas), Coblenz (Douglas), or even Scott (Angarano), who I’ve seen in many movies and for the most part really enjoy the actors.  Yet, while I care about (most of) these actors, I didn’t care about their characters.  I didn’t wonder what their greater motives were or why they were trying to kill Mallory (those of them that were), although the reasons that I did find were kind of stupid.  The film found this way of being both overly simplistic and overly complicated at the same time, and not in a good way.  Some really simple movies are great, likewise with some really complicated movies.  In fact, despite my frequent criticism of overly complicated movies, I tend to love things that are hugely complex.  It’s just when it doesn’t work out or things become lost in the confusion that I grow unhappy.  This is what happened in Haywire – things were lost in the confusion, most notably the character development.

Moving on is the fact that this movie presented itself as being this highly packed action flick.  It isn’t a highly packed action flick.  Sure there are a few action sequences, but a lot of the time it’s this slow, dramatic thing.  It’s a really quiet movie, equating long periods of characters moving and saying nothing, accompanied by tension building music in order to create suspense.  For me it didn’t create suspense, it was just annoying.  Having read other reviews of the movie, I find it kind of funny that one of the compliments Haywire has received is the lack of action sequences and special effects.  I guess, to each their own.  I do enjoy a good thriller, but I don’t think this was that.  I also enjoy a good action film, filled with action sequences and special effects, which I felt is what this presented itself as.  Haywire ended up being neither, and in the end I was just disappointed.

Magic Mike (2012)

Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Cody Horn, Matt Bomer, Olivia Munn, Kevin Nash, Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Rodríguez, Gabriel Iglesias

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rating: B-

I like to try to give credit where credit is due.  With Magic Mike credit has to be given to the trailer, which I think did a really good job of presenting the movie without telling you everything that happened. So often these days movies are ruined by trailers; you find out the entire story by watching them, and all the best parts are included in them (in their entirety) so by the time you actually see the movie you already know how it ends.  The trailer for Magic Mike really isn’t like this.  All it really tells you is that Magic Mike is a movie about male strippers and one of them makes coffee tables and has a thing going on with this girl.  While the film is about that, there’s also a lot more to it – although, in many ways that is actually one of the biggest problems of Magic Mike.

This film is about two guys, Adam “the Kid” (Pettyfer) and Mike “Magic Mike” Lane (Tatum). Mike is a self described entrepreneur; he works a number of jobs, often in managerial type positions and is trying to save so that he can put a down payment on a loan that will enable him to open his own custom furniture business.  The Kid is somewhat of his opposite; he’s a slacker, immature, rash young man who seems to have no real aims in life.  At the start of the film he’s jobless and living on his sister’s couch, in need of a job but not really trying to find (and keep) one.  After meeting Mike a series of events unfold that results in the Kid getting a job at Xquisite, a popular nightclub that features male strippers.  From there the Kid’s life takes an interesting turn, especially after once he becomes involved in a drug selling scheme.  Mike, meanwhile is trying to straddle two worlds, pardon the pun, stripper by night and entrepreneur by day; he’s also growing closer with Adam’s sister, Brooke (Horn), while partaking in what was meant to be an on-again off-again relationship, but came across as a series of booty calls with Joanna (Munn). Overshadowing the whole thing is the attempt to move the club from Tampa to Miami (because Miami is where all good male strippers go in order to become famous? I have no clue).

A few criticisms of the movie that I’ve heard revolve around it not having a story – I disagree, and counter that the problem with Magic Mike is that it has too much story.  The film doesn’t seem to really know what kind of movie it wants to be.  A lot of it is presented as a mockumentary, which I actually really enjoyed, but at other points it seems to drop this in order for… well, for flashier strip scenes.  I think in the long run, the movie would have been far better served by picking one style (preferably the mockumentary) and sticking with it.  There are points when it is trying to be a funny stripper movie, points when it’s trying to be a serious stripper movie, and points when it’s trying to be a guy meets girl type of movie.  At some points it weaves these different genres together rather nicely, at other points it doesn’t seem to work as well.  I think the film would have gained a lot by simplifying some of these plots, removing some of the characters, and sticking to just one format. Where it does succeed, however is in the humour - especially among secondary characters, who are often doing things in the background - and the actual dancing.  I'm not talking about the stripping per say, but the dancing itself.  Say what you want about Channing Tatum's acting skills, he is a really good dancer.  I would love to see him do more expanding on that talent than along other lines that he's pursued in his acting career.

The next little bit is going to be somewhat spoilerish, and for that I apologize.  The film’s conclusion is rather open ended, having addressed some of the plots but not all of them.  There is a lot that is left undetermined, and even what is determined is rather vague in terms of ‘what could be’.  When I left the film I was actually rather unsatisfied by the ending because of just how abrupt it worked out.  Having read a few other reviews and a few threads on the ending on the IMDb boards, I think my opinion of the movie is a bit changed.  It was pointed out that the way that Magic Mike ends is a lot like real life; things don’t always get wrapped up with a nice little bow in real life, and people do come in and out of your life without any real conclusion to things.  Often times, a descent into a life of drugs doesn’t end with a happy resolution, and Magic Mike does rather subtly address this.  I’m not sure that I would say I’m happy with the ending as the film was, but with that in mind I think had some of the other problems of the movie been addressed, especially in terms of overall format, I would have been a lot less disappointed.  Really, in a lot of ways I think the ending for Magic Mike was a lot like the ending for Take This Waltz – neither were intended to resolve things, but rather make you think and leave you wanting more.  That having been said, however, Tatum has reported that they’re planning on doing a sequel, hopefully in which a lot of this stuff is going to resolve.

Recommendations: June 29

Magic Mike - I'm going to quote the Cineplex Magazine's description of this movie: "Based on Channing Tatum's real-life experience working as a stripper".  This is a movie about male strippers.  I'm going to say that again: it's a movie about male strippers.  Based on Channing Tatum's real life.  This could be absolutely horrible, and it'd still be worth seeing.

Ted - Seth MacFarlane's transition into the big screen, Ted is about a kid who wishes for his teddy bear to be real, then grows up.  I'm not really sure what to expect from this movie; I think it could be really good or really bad.  We'll definitely have to wait and see.

People Like Us - Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Elizabeth Banks, People Like Us is about a man who finds out that his father had another family and that he has to give his previously unknown, half-sister $150,000.  I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie and have been since I saw the first trailers for it.  I'm interested in seeing the journey that these characters go on, from Pine's struggling businessman, to Banks' alcoholic, to Pfeiffer's grieving widow.

Take This Waltz - The second film from Canadian Sarah Polley, Take this Waltz is about a woman, Margot (Michelle Williams), who is in love with her husband (Seth Rogen), while attracted to her neighbour (Luke Kirby).  As Michelle Williams appears to be on a kick as of late, I'm certain this'll be a great movie, although I am a bit nervous about Rogen's part in it.  I usually enjoy his movies, but I don't think I've ever actually seen him in a drama.

21 Jump Street - An amazing combination between comedy and action, 21 Jump Street is about two rather failed cops who are sent to a high school to pose as students and uncover a drug ring.  I really enjoyed this movie, and recommend it to others.

The Artist - The 21st century's take on a silent film, The Artist is about a silent movie star who bemoans the coming era of talkies.  While I haven't actually seen this movie yet it was a huge success last year, winning 107 awards during the award season, making it the most awarded French film in history.  Definitely an artsy movie, this film is a must-see.

Mirror Mirror - The year's first Snow White movie, Mirror Mirror was ridiculously overly sugary, but in a good way.  Something to check out when you're in the mood for some easy entertainment.

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle tells the story of Walls' childhood and family, both which could be described only as unconventional.  There's something about this book that just kept me reading, while also gave me the firm desire to yell at Walls' parents.

Let's Pretend this Never Happened - I haven't actually read this book yet, but Let's Pretend this Never Happened is getting a good reception and debuted at number two on the New York best seller list.  This is a memoir by blogger Jenny Lawson about the things that people like to pretend never happened.

Water for Elephants - This is one of the best books I've ever read.  By Sara Gruen Water for Elephants tells the story of Jacob Jankowski though two periods in his life; one as an old man, in a nursing home, reflecting on how his life has turned out, and one where he's a young man beginning to live said life.  At the start of the Depression, Jacob jumped onto a train that would change his life and, inadvertently, joined the circus.  If you have the time, check out this book.

21 Jump Street (2012)

Stars: Jonah Hill, ChanningTatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle

Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: B

21 Jump Street is an action comedy about two cops, Morton Schmidt (Hill) and Greg Jenko (Tatum), who are assigned to specialty division, 21 Jump Street, after blundering their first arrest, because the only thing they know about policing is based on what they’ve seen in the movies.  On the surface, it appears to be little more than yet another 21^st century movie remake of an 80s TV show.

Except it isn’t just another remake – it isn’t a remake at all.  Instead it’s a sequel of sorts, more a continuation of the story set out in the TV show than an attempt to recreate it. It pokes fun of the fact that it is a remake, with Ice Cube’s character even saying “The people behind this lack creativity and they've run out of ideas, so what they do now is just recycle shit from the past and hope that nobody will notice.”  One of my favourite elements of this movie is the references that it makes to the TV show, from having some of the original cast appear in cameos to making Tatum’s character the son of Captain Richard Jenko, from the first season of the show.  A lot of it is done very subtly, but it gives the viewer a sense that the film is not trying to replace the original series.

There is more to the movie than just the fact that it doesn’t attempt to usurp the series.  The acting is good – which is a bit of a surprise given as Tatum isn’t exactly known for his acting skills.  I enjoyed watching Tatum play the somewhat dimwitted cop who spends much of the movie in over his head as he tries to negotiate his way through high school among the nerds.  Watching him in an AP Chemistry class was, in my opinion, comic gold.  Normally I’m not a big fan of Hill, bit in this his painful awkwardness seemed to work, at least for the most part.  There were moments when the jokes appeared to go on a bit too long, especially when it came to Schmidt being socially awkward.  I also liked how it is an action movie, but it makes fun of action movies.  In many ways it’s an action movie equivalent of Scream.  Both the movie itself and the characters specifically acknowledge the things that you expect from an action movie.  Overall, this was a pretty good movie, and I’m looking forward to the sequel.