Movie Review: 30 MINUTES OR LESS

30 MINUTES OR LESS

2011
R


"Guess what? You just brought a gun to a bomb fight, officer!"
-- Nick

30 Minutes or Less is a 2011 action comedy directed by Ruben Fleischer that centers around a young man's attempt to rob a bank in order to save his own life. One night, down-on-his-luck pizza delivery boy Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) makes a delivery to a seemingly abandoned junkyard where he is ambushed and attacked. When he awakes the next morning, he finds a bomb strapped to his chest. His attackers tell him that they need him to rob a bank and bring them $100,000, and if he doesn't comply, they'll set off the bomb. Nick quickly runs to his best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) for help with the plan. At the same time, we learn that Nick's attackers are two low-level low-lifes named Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson), who need the money in order to hire a hitman (Michael Peña) to murder Dwayne's dad (Fred Ward) so that he can collect on his massive inheritance. These conflicting storylines add to the drama and the misadventure of both parties, making the simple plan go awry time and time again.

I'll start by saying that 30 Minutes or Less is definitely an acquired taste. It's one of those films that you'll only enjoy if you like this particular brand of humor. When you have four main leads who essentially play the same character in every one of their films, it's a little difficult for this one to branch off and become its own entity. Eisenberg plays the fast-talking nerdy guy who's a little down on his luck but still thinks he's smarter than everyone else. Aziz Ansari is over-the-top and loud, yelling half his lines for comedic effect. Danny McBride is... Danny McBride - there's not much more explanation needed there. Swardson breaks a little bit from his standard, but it's not much. So our big four in the film aren't bringing anything new and different to this one, so I couldn't help but picture them in their other movies. That doesn't bode well for 30 Minutes or Less. Still, we get a couple of good moments from Michael Peña, who proves to be the funniest character in the film.

Now the screenplay works relatively well considering the the storyline. I liked how they intersected the conflicts that both Nick/Chet and Dwayne/Travis face throughout the film, and some of the situational comedy works the best. Normally, I would blame the dialogue for some of the acting atrocities here, but considering who's in the film, the blame might belong to the actors themselves this time around. That being said, the film does move forward quickly and proves to be well-paced, so that should be commended. Some of the laughs are a little bit stale, but the action sequences, although few and far between, are some of the film's highlights.

30 Minutes or Less is Ruben Fleischer's second directorial effort - his first was 2009's Zombieland - and it's definitely a step down from that first film. Still, it's difficult to compare the two films considering the genres are slightly different, but as an overall entertaining experience, 30 Minutes doesn't even come close. It generated a few laughs here and there, and it kept my attention throughout, but there's nothing lasting or memorable about what occurs on-screen. I wouldn't recommend seeing this one in theaters, but it might be good for a late-night viewing once you're able to rent it.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: C
Thumbs Sideways

Movie Review: THE LINCOLN LAWYER

THE LINCOLN LAWYER

2011
R

The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2011 dramatic thriller directed by Brad Furman. It follows defense attorney Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) as he takes on the case of a young man named Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) who has been accused of the assault and battery of a young prostitute. As Mick delves into the case, he starts to question whether Louis is actually telling the truth when he tries to explain his innocence. With the help of his private investigator Frank (William H. Macy), Mick starts to see parallels between this case and a previous case that landed his client in prison for life. The deeper that he gets into the plot, the more he feels like he and his family are not entirely safe. Still, he attempts to take matters into his own hands, using the best and the worst facets of an admittedly flawed justice system.

Of the three major releases that opened today, The Lincoln Lawyer was probably the one of which you were least likely to hear. However, it quickly garnered the most positive reviews on the online review aggregate RottenTomatoes.com, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I also tend to like McConaughey in all of his ridiculousness, so it seemed like this might actually be the best bet of the weekend. Ladies and gents, The Lincoln Lawyer does not disappoint.

Let's start screenplay. We have a tightly-written storyline that slams the pedal to the metal and never once lets up off the gas. As soon as this engine gets rolling, it doesn't stop until the screen finally cuts to black. The screenplay offers quite a few twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering just what's going to happen next. I'll admit that there are a few predictable moments, but there were just as many twists that completely blindsided me, including one towards the end. Where the screenplay truly succeeds, however, is in its aforementioned pacing. The fast pace never lets you fall out of the story, almost daring you to try to keep up with everything that's going on. There isn't a ton of information being thrown at you, but it's enough to keep you engaged throughout the entire film.

I would also like to take the time to applaud the level of acting. While there's not going to be any Oscar winners coming from this movie, there were some fine performances. McConaughey proves that he still has what it takes to be a leading man in a film other than a terrible comedy (see: 2008's Fool's Gold, for example). I think I read that this was his first leading role in a dramatic film since 2006's We Are Marshall (also a good McConaughey role, for those wondering), and he definitely delivers this time around, bringing his usual reserved charisma that proves to create a very likable character. Phillippe also does extremely well - and may deliver the best performance in the film - as a man on trial for such massive charges. But it doesn't stop there. This movie has a ton - and I mean, a TON - of recognizable actors floating around here and there. Along with the aforementioned Macy, you might recognize Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Peña (in another fantastic performance), Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston (for you "Malcolm in the Middle" or "Breaking Bad" fans), Trace Adkins (for you country music fans), Shea Whigham (in a hilarious, scene-stealing role) and Michaela Conlin (for you "Bones" fans).

Overall, The Lincoln Lawyer is a taut thriller that's going to keep you entertained throughout its entire run-time. It's not really bringing anything drastically new to the table, but a great screenplay and great acting bring this one together to create one of the better films I've seen thus far this year.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B+
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

2011
PG-13

Battle: Los Angeles, which will henceforth be called Battle: LA for simplicity's sake, is a 2011 sci-fi action flick directed by Jonathan Liebesman. It follows a platoon of Marines as they engage in an all-out war against an extra-terrestrial enemy. When meteors begin to fall near major cities all over the planet - including Los Angeles - millions of people begin to be evacuated. However, these falling objects are soon identified as alien creations that soon begin to attack and destroy everything in their path. Enter Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), a well-known and often-awarded Marine on the verge of retirement, who is placed into a platoon of younger soldiers as they enter into battle. Their mission is to reach an abandoned police station where civilians may or may not be hiding; they are then to extract the civilians and bring them to safety. As they enter the city, they immediately encounter this alien presence, and the fight for their lives - as well as the lives of the civilians they find - begins.

I'd like to start by talking about my personal hype going into this film. When I first saw the above trailer, I had a reaction similar to the one I had with 2010's Skyline. Well, slightly. The above trailer actually scared the hell out of me. Living in L.A. County gives me a little bit of a different viewing of Battle: LA than someone who would be watching it in, say, New York. As I watched the events unfold onscreen, I recognized a number of areas, and it made it all hit home a little bit more than the aforementioned New Yorker might take it. Such are the benefits of living in a major media market, I suppose. However, I only got those feelings of fear and dread from the trailer, not from the movie itself. The resonating tones of the electronic song provided with the trailer helped to enhance its eeriness, setting the stage for a potentially haunting flick about an alien invasion. Sadly, that didn't carry over into the actual film.

The above synopsis is about as good as I could possibly give without getting into grand specifics. The movie is essentially a story of heroism, patriotism and survival. We watch as the soldiers go from one battle to the next, losing some friends here and there (sorry if that gives anything away, but if you really go into the movie thinking they're all gonna make it, you might be a tad too naïve). There's really just not much a story here, but it's not like I was expecting there to be one. It's not the type of movie that's going to be forwarded by the plot - it's more character and special effects-driven, and in that, it's moderately successful.

That being said, I did have a couple of issues with the "screenplay." As I've said in past blogs, a screenplay is composed of story plus dialogue. As there's little to no real story, a lot of the screenplay's effectiveness comes down to the believability of the dialogue. While most of the dialogue fits relatively well, we do have a couple of lines that will leave you with your eyes rolling. And as much as I hate to say it, most of those particular lines come from Aaron Eckhart, one of my favorite actors in recent years. He's usually quite good, but he just can't quite deliver this time around. Yeah, he doesn't have much to work with, but his delivery was downright laughable at times. There's also a very strange progression of time. One minute, it's the middle of the night, and the next, it'll be broad daylight. I was never quite sure how much time had passed from scene to scene, and it threw me off a little bit. I also thought that Battle: LA borrowed a little too readily from past films. I could easily pick out a number of lines and scenes that almost perfectly mimicked the likes of 1996's Independence Day and 2001's Black Hawk Down, just to name a couple. Had I paid a little closer attention, I'd probably have more to list.

Most of the rest of the cast does well with what they're given. Nobody's absolutely awful, so that's always a plus. There are a few easily recognizable faces hidden within Battle: LA. Be on the lookout for Ne-Yo, Noel Fisher, Bridget Moynahan (in a cameo), Michelle Rodriguez and Michael Peña. Can I just take one minute and say something about Michael Peña? I don't know what it is about him, but I kinda love the guy. He's never really had a megastar role, but every time I see him pop up in a film, it always brings a smile to my face. It's not even that he's that great of an actor, but something about him just makes a movie a little bit better. Maybe it's his real-ness. He just seems like he fits. And he's definitely the best part of Battle: LA, so if there's any reason to see it, it's for him.

I know I'm kinda berating this movie a little bit, and I'd just like to say that my opinion happens to be the opinion of only one person. There's absolutely no reason to think that you might not like the movie based off my personal taste. For example, there was a woman sitting a few seats away from me who was more into Battle: LA than I've ever seen anyone into any other movie. She was clapping and cheering and on the edge of her seat. She threw her hands in the air and over her mouth. It was like she was actually in the movie, she was so into what was going on onscreen. So people have enjoyed this movie. And it was the top-grossing film last weekend, so people are actually seeing it. I personally don't know how I feel about it - it has its pros and its cons - but there's no reason to think you won't love it just because I didn't.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: C-
Thumbs Sideways