Trailer: The Dark Knight Rises (Video)

Fan-made poster of Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight Rises

After The Dark Knight smashed box office records, it’s no surprise that Christopher Nolan’s ending to his Batman trilogy has become one of the most anticipated films in recent memory. In The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale returns to star in his dual as Batman/Bruce Wayne and we see many familiar faces around him, as well as a few new ones.

What’s known about the film? Not much, Nolan’s done a good job keeping the details on his newest film under wraps.

It can be determined from the trailers that the trilogy’s newest villain, Bane, played by Tom Hardy, makes quite the escape (check out the airplane in the trailer) and continues on to turn Gotham into utter chaos. Wayne, meanwhile, also has to deal with Catwoman, as to her role in the story? Well… she steals things from Batman, who knows what else.

Check out the trailer…

As a filmmaker, Nolan (at least in my opinion) has done no wrong. His ability to not only craft a story but then to bring it to life on the big screen is incredible, he’s easily become one of Hollywood’s best over the last few years.

And these films have more than enough onscreen talent as well. The brilliant Michael Caine returns as Alfred and I’m sure Nolan’s going to give him some more big moments to chew on as an actor in this film. To go with Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman return in their roles and we’ll see some new faces in Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

There’s so much talent and there’s so many questions it’s hard not to be excited about this film.

What’s Bane’s beef with Batman? How does Hathaway’s Catwoman fit into the story? And what on earth is Gordon-Levitt’s role in the story? Will this be the end of Batman?

On July 20^th I plan to find out, how bout you?

Movie Review: Red

Red stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich as retired agents, picture from blckfilm.com

Bruce Willis stars as the lead in the new movie “Red” as retired CIA operative Frank Moses. Moses is a former black operative who’s been deemed “R.E.D.” which, of course, means Retired: Extremely Dangerous. He lives a life of routine, which includes growing an avocado, falling in love with the voice on the other end of the phone at the CIA pension office, and eating dinners on his own. This life is interrupted when someone tries to take Willis out and now he must reassemble his old team while finding that voice on phone because know she must be in danger too.

What follows is gunfights and uncovering the conspiracy that leads past the top of the CIA to the Vice-President himself. After having his suburban home blown to pieces by a team hired to kill him Willis first travels to Kansas City to find Sarah Ross, the woman he’s fallen in love with over a series of phone calls to the CIA pension office, Willis figures their conversations have been monitored and they must know he cares for her. With her life in danger he must find her and protect her.

Sarah is played by Mary-Louis Parker, known best for her role on TV’s “Weeds,” and of course her reaction to Moses being unexpectedly in her house after a date is probably the most realistic part of the movie, she freaks out. He explains the situation and she refuses to go with him, so he kidnaps her. From there he assembles the rest of his team. First, is Joe Matheson, played by Morgan Freeman, an old friend of Moses with stage four liver cancer and an untold list of skills. Then Willis finds Marvin Boggs, played by John Malkovich, a gun happy information expert who was given a daily dose of LSD for 11 years. Last two pieces of his puzzle is Victoria, played by Helen Mirren, a killing expert and Ivan, played by Brian Cox, the Russian who used to be the enemy but is now the ally.

John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, and Bruce Willis are all retired agents on one last adventure, picture from filmofilia.com

“Red” is based on a DC graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, and as such is given a little leeway in its complete over the top nature. I accept Bruce Willis being able to calmly step out of a spinning police car and accurately fire at the man who’s after him, I don’t question a team of bad guys literally shooting a giant whole into the side of a suburban home without drawing attention from the neighborhood. However with that acceptance comes the expectation of quality entertainment. Here, director Robert Schwentke and the brother screen writers Jon and Erich Hoeber fell just a bit short.

The Hoeber brothers are still new to the game, “Red” is only their third movie, and they have three other movies in production. They did not craft a brilliant script, a few good moments here and there, but it’s not hard to believe this is a movie written by a duo still green behind the ears. Schwentke does a slightly better job, keeping the movie moving along at a decent pace and occasionally capturing a real comic book feel with his shots.

I expect a little more creativity and originality from a movie based on a graphic novel and this one fell just a little short. The cast of “Red” also inspires confidence in the film, and although Parker was cute in her role and Malkovich was enjoyably crazy, they weren’t given many moments to shine. “Red” provides some entertainment, but with the cost of movies today it doesn’t quite hit the price of admission when movies like “The Town”, “Easy A”, and “The Social Network” are still in theater.