Film Review - THE HOST ★☆☆☆☆

Yesterday I wrote my three star review for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a movie I thoroughly enjoyed but completely understood I was among its intended target audience. For me it delivered for what it was and earned its positive review. However I know not everyone would enjoy it as much as I did, and I have seen some scathing reviews from both mainstream reviewers and fan boy sites alike. But I can understand how moviegoers who fall way outside the G.I. Joe demographic would sooner run for the hills if given the choice of sitting through that movie or not.

A day later I find myself on the other side of the fence, writing a review for the silly, if not absurd at times tween sci-fi soap opera The Host. While I am good to go for any sci-fi film, I do not consider myself in any way of the mindset to appreciate the storytelling demographic author Stephanie Meyer brought forth to the big screen with her Twilight series.

So here comes The Host, the adaptation of Meyer's 2008 best selling novel that revisits the forbidden love themes that were the driving forces throughout The Twilight Saga. And much like my utter disconnection to Twilight, the same can be said for me in regards to The Host.

In the film's prologue we learn that in the near future, Earth at long last has found peace. All the evils brought forth by mankind have been excised and life has never been better for our little blue marble in the universe. But we learn soon enough that aliens have effectively taken control of the planet for the greater good via an Invasion of the Body Snatchers inspired scheme.

Alien symbiotes who happen to call themselves Souls have managed to crawl their way into human bodies and inhabit every living human being on the planet. They have made it a priority to not only right all the wrongs in our daily lives, but to live in our buildings, drive our cars and just freeload off our civilization's hard work.

Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) is one of the few remaining humans who has so far evaded possession, and is on the run with her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and beau Jared (Max Irons). Alas her time runs out and upon imminent capture, throws herself out of a window, choosing death over allowing alien acquisition of her body.

Melanie does not die from the fall, and when implanted with a Soul dubbed the Wanderer, she finds herself a prisoner in her own body. From this point on we are forced to endure an 'inner voice struggle' with Melanie nagging the Wanderer within her own head. For us this comes in the form of a constant irritating voice over as we effectively witness the film's main character argue with herself for nearly two hours.

The Wanderer is assigned to search through Melanie's memories so the other free humans can be tracked down for assimilation by a squad of alien bloodhounds led by the Seeker (Diane Kruger). Melanie somehow convinces the intrigued Wanderer to take her body to the super secret desert location where a human faction resides and reunite with her loved ones, including her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt), the grizzled leader of the rebel group.

What follows is really where all rhyme and reason are firmly tossed out the window. The Wanderer eventually wins over the desperate survivalists (because it's Melanie's body after all), is re-named Wanda by her new human buddies, and subsequently dabbles in a ridiculous forbidden love triangle with Melanie's grieving boyfriend Jared and his best friend Ian (who actually falls in love with the Wanderer/Wanda). Frankly I even had trouble distinguishing between Jared and Ian, as all the male characters are cast from the same chiseled CW model.

If there was any attempt made at making a movie out of a juvenile novel that wouldn't insult adults (the Harry Potter folks managed to pull it off throughout eight movies), maybe we would have have something worthwhile here to talk about. But the film is so chock full of the same sappy forbidden banter that poisoned the similarly themed Twilight Saga, and is plagued with a cast of characters who simply make so many inane decisions you find yourself perpetually shaking your head in disbelief over what's transpiring on screen.

When you get to the point when for no good reason whatsoever a human falls in love with what should be perceived as nothing less than a threatening alien invader in sheep's clothing, the film clearly enters the 'Why, God why?' zone. It's time to either throw up your hands or throw in the towel. But in Meyer's never edgy world of storytelling, there is a gaggle of interchangeable male cast members for the main audience, but worse only one clear cut villain in Kruger's Seeker. As it turns out in a cop out, the Souls truly aren't without yes, souls, and are not the one-dimensional malevolent invaders you should be rightfully rooting against, which renders nearly every aspect of conflict absolutely pointless.

The Host takes an intriguing sci-fi premise and executes it with unabashed tween fanfare that only an eleven year old could possibly find forgiveness for. Long stretches of sappy dialogue that rank up there with the greatest hits of Anakin and Padme force you to wonder how writer/director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) kept himself and his cast straight faced throughout production.

Perhaps this is all acceptable fare to the Twi-Hard crowd that pushed Stephanie Meyer's big screen adaptations to the box office stratosphere. Truth be told I am guilty of enjoying my fair share of mindless action films and comedies that display a similar disrgard for the movie goer's intelligence. But if humans can find true love amongst vampires and werewolves  in one franchise, Meyer has successfully threatened  us with a new silly potential sci-fi series to play upon similar themes overcoming forbidden romance.  

The Host opens on March 29th.

REVIEW RATING: ★☆☆☆☆
Directed By: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Jake Abel, Max Irons, William Hurt, Chandler Canterbury
Studio: Open Road
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 125 minutes

Follow @NerdyRScoundrel

The Razzies Razz 'Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' With Seven Awards

Honoring the best of the worst in cinema, the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards made it known that the vampires the final installment in the Twilight Saga really did suck, scoring seven 'wins' in the ten categories. Sweeping of the event, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part Two notably took home the gold for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actress and Worst Supporting Actor. The film was easily the one to beat considering it went in with eleven nominations.

Well earned spray painted raspberry statues also went to Rhianna for Worst Supporting Actress for a truly cringe-worthy turn in Battleship, and Adam Sandler as Worst Actor for That's My Boy. Kristen Stewart's win was a double duty victory for both Breaking Dawn and Snow White and the Huntsman.

The annual event was held last night, and always on the eve of the slightly more prestigious Academy Awards. 

Here is the complete list of this year's award winners:

WORST PICTURE
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II

WORST DIRECTOR
Bill Condon – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II 

WORST ACTRESS
Kristen Stewart – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II / Snow White and the Huntsman 

WORST ACTOR
Adam Sandler – That’s My Boy

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rihanna – Battleship 

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Taylor Lautner – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II 

WORST SCREEN ENSEMBLE
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II 

WORST SCREENPLAY
That’s My Boy

WORST RE-MAKE, RIPP-OFF OR SEQUEL
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II 

WORST SCREEN COUPLE
Mackenzie Foy and Taylor Lautner in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II 

SOURCE: Razzies.com

Follow @NerdyRScoundrel

The 2013 Razzie Nominations Announced, 'Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' Leads The Pack

Sorry Twi-Hards, but your beloved Breaking Dawn, Part 2 led pack in today's nominations for the 33rd Annual Golden Raspberry Awards, which will once again honor the year's worst in cinema.

The tongue-in-cheek antithesis of the Academy Awards, the Razzies managed to honor the final chapter of the Twilight Saga with a comfortable clean sweep and a nod in all ten categories including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Acting nods for cast mates Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Ashley Greene and Taylor Launtner (respectively).

Other films honored with multiple mentions include the $200 million sea-dud Battleship, That's My Boy starring Razzie veteran Adam Sandler, and Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection. Individuals singled out for their body of thespian work throughout the year were Kristen Stewart for Twilight / Snow White and the Huntsman, Tyler Perry for Alex Cross / Good Deeds (plus two Worst Director nods), Brooklyn Decker for Battleship / What To Expect When Your Expecting,  Liam Neeson for Wrath of the Titans / Battleship and Jessica Biel for Total Recall / Playing For Keeps.

The 33rd Annual Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony will be held the day before the Academy Awards on Saturday, February 23rd.

Here is the complete list of honorees:

Worst Picture

• Battleship
• The Oogieloves in Big Balloon Adventure
• That’s My Boy
• A Thousand Words
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2

Worst Director

• Sean Anders – That’s My Boy
• Peter Berg – Battleship
• Bill Condon – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Tyler Perry – Good Deeds / Madea’s Witness Protection
• John Putch – Atlas Shrugged: Part I

Worst Actress

• Katherine Heigl – One for the Money
• Milla Jovovich – Resident Evil: Retribution
• Tyler Perry – Madea’s Witness Protection
• Kristen Stewart – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 / Snow White and the Huntsman
• Barbra Streisand – The Guilt Trip

Worst Actor

• Nicolas Cage – Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance / Seeking Justice
• Eddie Murphy – A Thousand Words
• Robert Pattinson – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Tyler Perry – Alex Cross / Good Deeds
• Adam Sandler – That’s My Boy

Worst Supporting Actress

• Jessica Biel – Playing For Keeps / Total Recall
• Brooklyn Decker – Battleship / What to Expect When You’re Expecting
• Ashley Greene – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Jennifer Lopez – What to Expect When You’re Expecting
• Rihanna – Battleship

Worst Supporting Actor

• David Hasselhoff – Piranha 3-DD
• Taylor Lautner – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Liam Neeson – Battleship / Wrath of the Titans
• Nick Swardson – That’s My Boy
• Vanilla Ice – That’s My Boy

Worst Screen Ensemble

• Battleship
• The Oogieloves in Big Balloon Adventure
• That’s My Boy
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Madea’s Witness Protection

Worst Screenplay

• Atlas Shrugged Part II
• Battleship
• That’s My Boy
• A Thousand Words
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2

Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel

• Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance
• Piranha 3-DD
• Red Dawn
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Madea’s Witness Protection

Worst Screen Couple

• Any two cast members from Jersey Shore in The Three Stooges
• Mackenzie Foy and Taylor Lautner in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Tyler Perry and his drag in Madea’s Witness Protection
• Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, or Susan Sarandon in That’s My Boy

Follow @NerdyRScoundrel

Film Review - SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN ★★★☆☆

I admit to immediately falling under the gloomy spell cast by Snow White & The Huntsman. There is no denying there are many pages borrowed from other sources (so let's just acknowledge and move past the easy Lord of the Rings and Game Of Thrones comparisons), but this dark, gritty fairy tale laced with evil powerful women possessing magical powers, flawed heroes and heroines, knights in not-so-shining armor, mythical creatures, and lavish tangible settings took me right back to 1981's Excalibur. Allow me to get Medieval for a moment to say I am a big fan of the sword and sorcery genre and that pre-CGI era John Boorman epic remains the gold standard that King Arthur interpretations should be held to.

But back to Snow White, this version is hands down more Game of  Thrones than Mirror Mirror or ABC's Once Upon A Time, but that should surprise nobody since the trailers make no bones about that. If colorful family friendly fairy tales are your thing, you best stick to the more traditional takes. But fret not, there are plenty of familiar Snow White plot points present: the poison apple, seven dwarfs, a prince charming figure, and an evil Queen talking to her mirror mirror on the wall.

The film moves quickly along from the get-go with an intro to the updated familiar Snow White legend. Here we find our heroine an imprisoned Princess after her widowed father King Magnus is seduced by the mysterious scheming stranger Ravenna (Charlize Theron), and is promptly murdered on their wedding night. The new Queen assumes absolute rule over the land, and the eternal youth obsessed sorceress sees to the withering of the kingdom as it sinks into a dark age. Ravenna can only maintain her beauty by feeding on the life force of young girls, and must ultimately consume Snow's heart for true immortality. Not really Disney kids fare here.

Years later, Snow has grown up into Kristen Stewart and escapes the tower and into the treacherous Dark Forest. Ravenna enlists Chris Hemsworth's Huntsman to fetch her back before the Princess sees fit to end her reign and reclaim the fallen kingdom.

Hemsworth effortlessly wins you over as the true flawed hero of the film. He is a depressed widowed warrior who drowns his sorrows with drink and reluctantly agrees to find Snow White through the false promise that he will be reunited with her by Ravenna's dark powers. Don’t get me wrong, the role is a stone’s throw from his breakout turn as Thor, but Hemsworth brings charm and charisma to this shattered tough guy role who eventually trains Snow for her showdown with the Queen.

What may be the first stand out issue is the whole 'fairest of them all" business. Snow White or Queen Ravenna? It's a daunting task for any actress in Hollywood to go head to head with Theron in the raw beauty department. However, Stewart is not groomed at any point to appear physically more beautiful than this Queen. Her Snow White is a down trodden warrior Princess who has been hardened by years of unjust imprisonment. She only wishes to flee from the Queen until her ultimate destiny to reclaim her kingdom becomes clear.

Stewart plays it straight and cold, as she should. As written, she has little reason to have bluebirds perched upon her finger or break into song while sweeping the dirt floors of the house. This film will allow moviegoers to see her in a major non Bella Swan turn, and since I counted a whole two and a half smiles from her in the entire movie, Stewart still holds the crown for wearing the pained scowl of pain and agony like no other working actress in Hollywood. You could argue for a more expression in a lead, but where exactly would your happy face be after years locked in a tower prison? This is a Snow for suited for Stewart.

By the time the Seven Dwarfs show up (sans those Disney nicknames), you feel a welcome lighthearted rescue from it all. The Dwarfs are played as tough witty warriors, and thankfully not silly sidekicks with cringe worthy comic relief banter. You may recognize Ian McShane, Nick Frost, Bob Hoskins, and Toby Jones among the pint size group who add a breather from overall the tense trek. And when the journey leads to Sanctuary, a forest inhabited by colorful animals and wingless fairies who must travel in the belly pockets of birds, you have forgotten that you are entitled to some enchanted wonderment, even in a non-Narnia sort of way. 

Charlize as Ravenna steals the show with a terrifying performance as a psychologically damaged creature. She has been raised to use her youth and beauty as her sole ultimate weapon of seduction, and can snap into over the top insanity when pushed. When a character is out to literally consume the heart from Snow White, such terrifying outbursts are in line with the character.

The look of the film is extraordinary. The treats here lie in director Rupert Sander's penchant for dazzling design in every shot of the film. In making the film a showcase for Ravenna, he projects her insanity from grand set pieces in her castle, as she bathes in milk-like life pools, emerges from a vat of black ooze after transforming into a flock of ravens, or conversing with the man in the mirror about the fairest in the land. Additional visual treats are her minions made of glass that shatter into countless black shards and the flawless shrinking of the cast members into the Seven Dwarfs. Sanders sees fit to provide a constant visual assault of Gothic FX eye candy.

Overall Snow White & The Huntsman is best described a dark cold fairy tale looking to find its lost soul. Its not a tour de force revelation in re-defining the classic story or without bumps in its journey, but the stunning medieval Gothic visuals and art direction, a solid cast led by a show stopping chilling performance by Charlize Theron, and throwback homages to some of my favorite films like Excalibur, Legend, and even Time Bandits, make it for me a summer spectacle worthy of recommending.

Snow White & The Huntsman opens Friday, June 1st.

REVIEW RATING: ★★★☆☆
Directed By: Rupert Sanders

Starring: Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Ian MacShane, Sam Clafin

Studio: Universal Pictures

Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 127 minutes

Follow @NerdyRScoundrel

FAIRY TALE SHOWDOWN: 'Snow White & The Huntsman' Vs. 'Mirror Mirror'

In one corner: Universal Pictures' Snow White & The Huntsman, weighing in with Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron as The Queen, and Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman. In the other corner stands Relativity Media's Mirror Mirror, with Lily Collins as Snow White, Academy Award Winner Julia Roberts at The Queen, and Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott.

Both films will also feature the Seven Dwarfs in their storylines and have a magical backdrop. But that may be where the similarities end. Huntsman promises a dark medieval journey, featuring a Snow White with a warrior's edge wrapped up in a suit of armor. It is likely to also carry a PG-13 rating with its heightened level of violence and scares. In contrast, Mirror Mirror will present a whimsical colorful kid friendly tale with an easy earned PG rating.

Lily Collins and the Seven Dwarfs from Mirror Mirror

The star power of the casts provides an interesting angle for selling each film. Mirror Mirror is banking predominantly on Julia Roberts' appeal with her lighthearted portrayal of the evil Queen. Leading man Armie Hammer is not yet a household name (though that may change after starring in The Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp), and Lily Collins doesn't really have any proven box office clout. In contrast, Huntsman has a scary dark magic empowered evil Queen in Charlize Theron, an international star with Twilight's Kristen Stewart, and a fast growing familiar face with Chris Hemsworth from Thor and The Avengers.

Theron as The Queen in Snow White & The Huntsman

As far as the Dwarfs are concerned: Huntsman has cast Ian McShane, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Ray Winstone, and Bob Hoskins as Snow White's allies. The actors will be digitally shortened in stature and not bear the familiar names made famous by the Disney classic. Mirror Mirror has kept it closer to the fairy tale and cast little people who are mainstream unknowns.
 
In addition, it's always interesting to observe when dueling movies emerge at nearly the same time to battle it out at the box office. Independence Day fought off Mars Attacks! in 1996. Dante's Peak took on Volcano in 1997. Armageddon had to fend off Deep Impact in 1998. Even on the small screen this year, NBC's Grimm has a fairy tale theme that competes with ABC's Once Upon A Time (which coincidentally also has a version of Snow White as one of its main characters). And in the fall you could see two competing shows based on Beauty and the Beast, with green lit pilots set for ABC and The CW.

That said, here are the trailers to each film and their official synopses:

"In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron) who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) who was dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power."

"Snow White is a princess in exile, and the evil Queen rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince."

How this will all play out remains to be seen. Mirror Mirror hits theaters on March 30th, while Snow White & The Huntsman is set for a June 1st release.

Follow @NerdyRScoundrel