Trailer Breakdown: DJANGO UNCHAINED

It's been three years since his last film, but Quentin Tarantino looks to come back with a vengeance with the Christmas 2012 release of Django Unchained. The first trailer for the film has finally been released, and I've taken the liberty of watching it a few times through to try to get a decent sense of what we may be getting once the film hits theaters. For starters, let's take a look at the trailer itself, shall we?

And now, let's talk about it a bit. I've come up with a few questions that came to mind while watching the trailer, and I'll do my best to answer them as accurately as I can. 

1. What is Django Unchained?

Although I'm sure many of you already know the basic plot outline, I'll recap what we're given from the trailer: 

A bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) enlists the help of a former slave (Jamie Foxx) to find a number of slave owners with bounties on their heads. In return, the bounty hunter will help the former slave free his wife (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of an evil plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio) who now holds her captive. 

Knowing Tarantino, there's definitely going to be a bit more to the plot than that, but there's a good starting point for those of you curious about the film's storyline. The film is inspired by the 1966 spaghetti western Django.

2. What's up with the music in the trailer?

The first thing I noticed is that the trailer holds quite a bit of more contemporary music than one would imagine for a film of this genre. Normally, I'd think nothing of it considering Tarantino's normally brilliant music selections, but after his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, which utilized a number of more rustic scores for the soundtrack, I had a feeling he might be going down that road again this time around. Still, this is only the trailer, and we'll have to wait and see just what Tarantino has in store for the film's soundtrack, but we can be sure it'll fit seamlessly into his storyline. 

3. Christoph Waltz is back. Is this the start of an ongoing Tarantino/Waltz collaboration?

Christoph Waltz has been acting for years and years, but most of his work prior to 2009 took place in either Germany or his native Austria. His supporting role in Inglourious Basterds, which landed him an Academy Award, revitalized his career and brought him into the international mainstream. Since then, he's appeared in sub-par films like The Green Hornet, The Three Musketeers and Water for Elephants as well as the stellar Carnage, but his role in Django Unchained looks like it might rival the one he crafted for his Oscar-winning turn. And we all know that Tarantino has a penchant for keeping some actors around his films. We can see Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi in both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. And I think everyone knows about the continued collaboration between Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson, who will also appear in Django Unchained. So, if Waltz wants to continue working with the director, I honestly have no problem with it.

4. Will this film revitalize Jamie Foxx's career?

I've generally liked what Jamie Foxx has managed to do as an actor, but since his Oscar-winning turn as Ray Charles in 2004's Ray, he's had much less success in garnering critical praise despite appearing in larger films like 2005's Jarhead and 2006's Dreamgirls. His last role was in 2011's Horrible Bosses where he portrayed a man named - and I kid you not - Dean 'Motherf---er' Jones. If anybody is in desperate need of a push, it's Foxx, and hopefully the role of Django can help push him back over the hill.

5. Is Leonardo DiCaprio playing a villain? 

All signs point to yes, although this isn't exactly a revelation. Tarantino hasn't been shy about letting the world know he's bringing the three-time Oscar nominee into the fray as the film's antagonist, and everything I've seen thus far makes it seem as though this could prove to be one of DiCaprio's best roles yet. It will also mark the first time in his acting career that he'll have portrayed a film's villain. Sure, he's played shady characters before, but to be the outright bad guy is something a little out of his area of expertise. But with his talents and with Tarantino's direction, this could be the surprise performance of the film.

6. What genre will Django Unchained fall under?

That's actually a pretty good question. It's currently being listed as a dramatic western, but if the trailer is any basis, then there should be an ample amount of comedy. Tarantino's screenplays often hold a legitimate level of humor, and that's part of what makes his films so entertaining and engaging. For example, the trailer shows two clips that offer the following two lines uttered by Foxx's Django: 

(when asked whether he enjoys bounty hunting)

"Kill white folks, and they pay you for it? What's not to like?

(when asked his name)

"Django. The 'D' is silent."

So I would say be prepared to laugh. At the same time, however, there should also be quite a bit of action. Django, the film that inspired this particular venture, was once billed as the most violent film of all time, and we all know just how much bloodshed Tarantino is willing to spill. Is it going to be the most violent film of all time? Certainly not; however, I would be prepared for a rootin', shootin' romp through the Southern countryside. 

*****

Ultimately, none of us will know just how good or bad the film might be until it hits theaters this Christmas. That being said, I personally have to say that I'm ecstatic to see this film. Having only in recent years come to the see the brilliance of Quentin Tarantino's filmmaking, I'm sure that Django Unchained will fit right into the canon of his filmography. I simply cannot wait.

Movie Review: HORRIBLE BOSSES

HORRIBLE BOSSES

2011
R

Horrible Bosses is a 2011 comedy directed by Seth Gordon that centers around three friends' hatred with their superiors at work. Nick (Jason Bateman) works for a large company where he hopes to receive a promotion from his cruel boss Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey). Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) works for a small chemical engineering company that's thrown into disarray when the former owner's son Bobby (Colin Farrell) is put in charge. Dale (Charlie Day) is a newly-engaged man who works for a sexual deviant dentist named Julia (Jennifer Aniston). One night, while the three friends talk over drinks, they run across the idea that their lives would be infinitely better if their bosses were no longer in them. Through that, they stumble upon the plan to murder one another's bosses so as to eliminate their frustration. With the help of a murder consultant named Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx), the three men set into motion a plan that will release them from any motive as they try to kill Dave, Bobby and Julia. As one can imagine, however, things don't necessarily go according to plan.

When I first heard about Horrible Bosses, I can honestly say that I was a tad bit worried about its concept and its overall potential for success. I know that there's been a bit of an upwelling against Jason Bateman in the past couple years, considering that a number of his films haven't necessarily performed exceptionally well. Add to the fact that I wasn't very fond of Jason Sudeikis's performance in Hall Pass, and you can see the reasons behind my doubt. Still, being a fan of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - and especially of Charlie Day's character on that show - gave me some reason to think that Horrible Bosses could get off the ground. Then I started to see the laundry list of actors who would be featured in the film. It would have been enough to have Kevin Spacey even making a cameo in this one, but when you add the likes of Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Foxx, there's sure to be some fantastic performances placed before us on-screen.

I can honestly say that the actors do not disappoint. Charlie Day steals the show - although I had no doubt in my mind that he would - from Bateman and Sudeikis, but even they do enough to make their characters likable and engaging. However, the real meat of the performances has to come from the supporting characters. Spacey is a revelation, as always, and it's great to see him dabbling in a little bit of comedy. His character is downright nasty, and it works perfectly within the film. Farrell had a little less screen-time than I would've liked, but he plays the part of "tool" to perfection. And I honestly can't say enough about Miss Aniston, who brings a performance to the screen unlike any I've ever seen her bring. If you're looking for shock factor, you need not look past her. Add to the fact that we've got some cameos from other recognizable stars, including Donald Sutherland, Lindsay Sloane, John Francis Daley, Ioan Gruffudd, Julie Bowen and Ron White, and you've got quite an impressive cast list. (Oh, and for those of you paying extremely close attention, you'll notice a very brief cameo from Isaiah Mustafa, better known as the "Old Spice guy").

Now, the screenplay also works relatively well, even if it's a little far-fetched at times. The plot gets a little goofy here and there, but when you've got three bumbling fools as your leads, then you're sure to have some wild antics ready and waiting. There are a few twists and turns here and there, but it's nothing wildly out of the ordinary. However, the dialogue - which constitutes a strong portion of a screenplay's effectiveness - is witty and feels rather fresh. Yes, the actors definitely delivered it well, but someone had to write it, right? The dialogue boosts the screenplay all the more.

Is Horrible Bosses one of the best comedies I've ever seen? Well, I wouldn't quite go that far. That being said, however, I'm not quite sure I've laughed this hard during a movie since the original Hangover back in 2009. It's a goofy bit of funny, but there's definitely some genuine laughs to be had throughout the film. I can honestly give this film my recommendation, and I don't think you'll be disappointed by going to see it. Charlie Day alone makes this film worth watching, but the fact that we're given a number of great performances to enjoy makes it all the more hilarious.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: A-
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: RIO

RIO

2011
G

Rio is a 2011 animated film directed by Carlos Saldanha that focuses on the last two blue macaws left on the planet. After Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) is taken from his jungle home, he finds himself in the ownership of a young Minnesota woman named Linda (voiced by Leslie Mann). The two live a carefree existence as companions until a Brazilian ornithologist named Tulio (voiced by Rodrigo Santoro) finds them and tells them that Blu is the last male of his species. After some convincing, Linda agrees to take Blu to Rio de Janeiro where Tulio's office is located. Once there, he attempts to get Blu to mate with his female blue macaw, Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway). Before they can do so, however, the two macaws are stolen by smugglers. While the humans desperately try to find them, Blu and Jewel attempt to escape from their captors, including a cockatoo named Nigel (voiced by Jemaine Clement). Once they're free, they must continue to elude re-capture and do so with the help of a toucan named Rafael (voiced by George Lopez) and two smaller birds named Pedro (voiced by Will i Am) and Nico (voiced by Jamie Foxx).

For the most part, we're given a pretty standard and predictable story. As soon as everything is set into motion, it's hard not to guess how the film will ultimately end. I mean, it's a kid's movie - it's not like the birds are going to get offed halfway through, leaving room for a political statement about how we should all respect the environment and the creatures living within it (although the "respect the environment" bit worked extremely well in a little movie called WALL-E). No, there's no over-arching and heavy-handed work here. We just have your basic story of "boy meets girl, girl hates boy, girl learns to love boy," etc., etc., etc. So there's really not much there to surprise you.

As a certain Captain Jack Sparrow said only a few days ago in his newest film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, "it's not the destination so much as the journey." With a lot of kid's movies nowadays, it's very easy to figure out where we're going to end - the reason the good ones stand apart is because they offer something new and fresh in the time it takes us to reach that logical conclusion. While the storyline is pretty standard, the "freshness" of Rio comes from some of the film's aspects - namely, the voice acting and the musical composition.

Let's start with the actors. Eisenberg and Hathaway are decent as our leads, although I personally had a little bit of trouble listening to Eisenberg without thinking of any of his live-action performances. All I could see was Mark Zuckerberg trapped inside a bird's body, and it was a tad bit off-putting for the first half hour or so. However, the great vocal performances come from the supporting crew. Will i Am and Jamie Foxx steal the show with their mix of spoken word and singing pieces. Their comedy exceeds anything else in the film, going from the dorky to the socially relevant. They appeal to the broadest range, offering some scenes for the kids and some for the teens and adults who may be watching the film as well. I know that on-screen "chemistry" is a term usually left for romantic interludes, but there's a definite chemistry between these two in the film, and it works to their advantage. George Lopez is George Lopez, but it's still nice to hear his familiar voice now and again. I also thought that Clement did a fantastic job as the film's semi-principal villain, providing a maniacal and crazed bird to contrast the rest of the animals on the screen.

The music also works exceptionally well, truly adding a sense of realism to the film as a whole. Brazil is a country known for its music and its celebrations, so for any film set there had to convey as such. In this regard, Rio does not disappoint. The orchestral score from John Powell - who has also scored such animated films as Shrek, Happy Feet and Kung Fu Panda - does well conveying his part of the soundtrack. However, the real credit has to go to the original songs written for the film. My personal favorite songs in the film include the ensemble piece "Real In Rio," Will i Am and Jamie Foxx's "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)," and Foxx's solo, "Fly Love." The rest of the songs are just as good, but those are easily the ones I enjoyed the most. Clement even gets a song of his own. All in all, I found the film's soundtrack to be superb.

Overall, Rio is a step ahead of being a good but forgettable film. There are a few pieces - namely the presence of Will i Am and Jamie Foxx - that make this movie a little more lasting than it probably deserves to be. Don't expect to be blown away by the storyline because you'll know exactly where it's going. Just take it for what it is, sit back and enjoy the ride, and I'm sure you'll have a blast.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B
1.5 Thumbs Up