Pompeii (2014)(Spoiler Review)

**This post contains spoilers**

During a vicious raid from a group of Roman horsemen, a young Milo (Dylan Schombing) witnesses the systematic execution of his entire tribe. Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) leads the slaughter, and Corvus murders Milo’s mother in front of him. For his last chance at survival, Milo makes a quick decision to play possum on top of a pile of corpses to escape as the sole survivor. One day, Milo stops for a quick nap in the woods, but a group of slave traders capture him.

As an adult, Milo (Kit Harington) fights as a skilled and deadly gladiator. After an impressive fight, Milo’s slave master, Graecus (Joe Pingue) and his trainer, Bellator (Currie Graham) plan a high profiled one on one fight to the death with Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a praised and merciless gladiator, filling the role of Milo’s opponent. With a victory and Milo’s death, Atticus earns his freedom from a promised deal, and the fight is scheduled for a great spectacle in Pompeii‘s gladiator arena.

Meanwhile, Cassia (Emily Browning) returns to Pompeii after a year long trip to Rome. Cassia receives a warm welcome from her father, Severus (Jared Harris), the ruler of Pompeii, her mother, Aurelia (Carrie-Anne Moss), and her servant, Ariadne (Jessica Lucas). But Cassia walks into an unpleasant surprise, when a demanding Corvus, and his top officer, Proculus (Sasha Rioz) visit Pompeii to discuss a lucrative deal and an endorsement from Rome with Severus.

Corvus is obsessed with Cassia and a tainted marriage proposal, and he won’t take no for answer. But a benevolent Milo catches Cassia’s attention after Milo’s tough choice for an injured horse’s mercy killing. Cassia will risk everything to save Milo from Corvus’ wrath, and Milo tries to fight his urges for a forbidden relationship with Cassia. Milo waits for his shot at vengeance for the deaths of his people and his mother, but a rumbling Mount Vesuvius’ catastrophic eruption threatens Pompeii’s existence……….

Familiar Clichés for Pompeii? Yep. You’ll see plenty of them. Cassia is the innocent and caring crown jewel, who falls in love with the savage brute (Milo). Everyone else? They see a ruffian with a bad temper, but Cassia notices Milo’s softer side and his kind heart. Corvus is the nasty and corrupt scoundrel, and he could care less about Cassia’s feelings, because he’s not looking for love, or a willing marriage. He wants to possess Cassia. And during a risky horse ride, Milo gives Cassia his “I love you, but we can’t be together” speech, because you know, royalty and commoners don’t mix.

Looking for any genuine surprises or shocking swerves? Well, you won’t find any jaw-dropping moments in Pompeii. You can see the teased showdown between Milo and Corvus coming from a mile away (the intro with Milo as a child gives it away), and here’s a short list for some predictable developments in Pompeii:

-Milo and Atticus burying the hatchet for their feud to join forces against the Romans.

-Milo risking his life to save Cassia after the eruption.

-A treacherous Corvus blackmailing Severus into a marriage proposal with Cassia.

Although, the final battle between Milo and Corvus is fun to watch. Milo chases (with the help of a horse) Corvus and his chariot with a kidnapped Cassia through the burning and crumbling city of Pompeii. Eventually, Milo catches Corvus to start a fight to the death. Corvus gains the upper hand towards the end, but Cassia steps in to save Milo. Cassia uses chains to restrain Corvus, and Milo contemplates a painful death, but he changes his mind at the last second. Milo walks away from a chained Corvus, because Milo wants Corvus to suffer a more excruciating death. As Milo and Cassia escape the city on a horse, a wave of lava engulfs Corvus.

Milo and Cassia? Well, they escaped to the outskirts of the city, but there’s one big problem: They’re still in the danger zone for Mount Vesuvius eruption. An oncoming wave of lava approaches Milo and Cassia. Milo pushes Cassia to ride the horse alone (the horse can’t outrun Vesuvius’ eruption with two people) for safety, but Cassia refuses. Instead, Cassia makes a willing choice to stay and die with Milo.

To end the movie, Cassia and Milo die together, as they share one last kiss in another wave of lava. Also, a mortally wounded Atticus murdered Proculus after a fight in the arena, and Atticus accepted his death as a “free man” after another wave of lava destroyed the arena.

Yeah, you’ll see a lot of  “too corny” complaints for Pompeii’s ending. Personally, I‘m indifferent to the ending. It’s not a horrible or unbearable ending, and I didn’t feel the need to pick up a barf bag after an overdose of sappiness. Come to think of it, the featured movie poster for Pompeii is one big spoiler. Remember the image of Cassia and Milo sharing a kiss, with Mount Vesuvius and a wave of lava in the background? The image on the movie poster is eerily similar to the final moments of Pompeii, and it’s almost impossible to ignore the similarities. 

Pompeii is a greedy film. They want it all. An epic historical disaster film, the fairy tale-esque love story between a peasant and the princess, the story of a slave, who fights the odds to overcome a series of obstacles from his captors and oppressors, and an action film loaded with stylish fight scenes.

Still, I enjoyed Pompeii as a guilty pleasure. Pompeii falls short for the intended goal: A grandiose and memorable spectacle of action, devastation, and tragedy. But Pompeii offers a handful of redeeming qualities, IF you’re willing to overlook the misfires for a great film. Harington needs a lot of help to carry the load as the leading man. Browning and Akinnuoye-Agbaje pick up the slack with two solid performances, Jared Harris lends a helping hand, and Sutherland is a genuinely despicable villain.

Pompeii delivers consistent action, with a plethora of hard hitting battle scenes, and Pompeii’s post-eruption finale is a whirlwind of non-stop thrills. And I’ll give this one a bonus point for some eye-popping 3D effects. Also, I’m not a big fan of Paul W.S. Anderson ‘s work, and Pompeii is not a resurrection film for his career, because the facts are simple: Pompeii’s box office fun is/was a big disappointment, and the vast majority of critics trashed Pompeii with no mercy. But it’s a refreshing change to see an Anderson film without “Resident Evil” in the title.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Non-Stop (2014)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This post contains MINOR spoilers. No character deaths or major reveals.**

A troubled US  Federal Air Marshal named Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) fights a never ending battle with his demons. Marks lost his wife after a divorce, his job as a police officer, and Marks’ young daughter passed away after a fight with cancer, so Marks succumbed to alcoholism and cigarettes to ease the pain. A frustrated Marks argues with his supervisor before a scheduled flight, but Marks boards the plane with his partner, Jack Hammond (Anson Mount) to start his daily routine.

On the plane, Marks befriends another passenger named Jen Summers (Julianne Moore), but a distributing text message disrupts a peaceful and quiet flight. The anonymous texter delivers a deadly ultimatum: He or she demands a payment of $150,000,000 for ransom, or the anonymous texter will kill a passenger on the plane every twenty minutes.

Marks consults with Jack to devise a strategy, and Marks receives support from the flight crew. Two stewardesses named Nancy (Michelle Dockery) and Gwen (Lupita Nyong’o) monitor the passengers, and Marks works with Captain David McMillan (Linus Roache) and his co-pilot Kyle Rice (Jason Butler Harner) to come up with a Plan B and C for worst case scenarios. But Marks runs into some trouble with a few rowdy and suspicious passengers. After an awkward and random question at the airport, Tom Bowen (Scoot McNairy) raises a few red flags, and Zack White (Nate Parker) earns a spot on Marks’ list of suspects.

Bill communicates with a conflicted Agent Marenick (Shea Whigham) through a series of phone calls. But
Marks is running out of time, and the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst, when Marks shoots to the top of the list for suspects. The bank account for the wire transfer is in Marks’ name, and to make matters worse, a select group of passengers work together to plan a hostile takeover to stop Marks after a series of news reports.

A paranoid Marks targets trusted members of his team. Marks suspects Nancy, Jack, Kyle, and Jen for potential candidates, but Marks runs into another dilemma after a startling discovery in the bathroom……

Liam Neeson delivers another solid performance, as the resourceful and cunning hero with deadly combat skills, and Neeson is a believable “broken man” during Bill’s sentimental moments. Julianne Moore is the top pick for standout performances from the supporting cast, with Dockery taking the spot for second place. No real complaints from the overall supporting cast, but screen time rapidly shifts from one character to another during Bill’s search for the culprit, so with exception of Moore (she’s the only passenger, who supported Bill 100%  with no questions asked) and Kyle, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t receive a consistent amount of screen time. And you won’t actually see Shea Whigham’s face until the final moments of the movie, because Marenick’s screen time is limited to faceless phone calls with Bill, for the most part. 

Non-Stop’s crafty style of finger pointing during the “whodunit” mystery is something to admire. The idea is simple: EVERYONE on the plane is a suspect. Pilots, stewardesses, US marshals, passengers, no exceptions whatsoever. Everyone on the plane is a believable threat, and they’ll keep you guessing until the very end. And kudos to Liam Neeson for his “I’m not the hijacker speech!” at the end. Throughout the movie, Non-Stop does a good job of convincing the audience to believe in the possibility of Bill as the hijacker, and you can sense the hopelessness in Bill for one last chance during his desperate plea.

The big reveal is loaded with problems (i.e. massive plot holes), but Non-Stop is a satisfying  mystery/thriller. Yeah, the big twist at the end is a potential roadblock for enjoying Non-Stop, but the ride to the end is full of nail-biting tension, and the thrilling action packed finale is a real treat. I had to know the identity of the hijacker regardless of the outcome, because Non-Stop’s intriguing and thought-provoking mystery is too enticing to ignore.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Non-Stop (2014)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

A troubled US  Federal Air Marshal named Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) fights a never ending battle with his demons. Marks lost his wife after a divorce, his job as a police officer, and Marks’ young daughter passed away after a fight with cancer, so Marks succumbed to alcoholism and cigarettes to ease the pain. A frustrated Marks argues with his supervisor before a scheduled flight, but Marks boards the plane with his partner, Jack Hammond (Anson Mount) to start his daily routine.

On the plane, Marks befriends another passenger named Jen Summers (Julianne Moore), but a distributing text message disrupts a peaceful and quiet flight. The anonymous texter delivers a deadly ultimatum: He or she demands a payment of $150,000,000 for ransom, or the anonymous texter will kill a passenger on the plane every twenty minutes.

Marks consults with Jack to devise a strategy, and Marks receives support from the flight crew. Two stewardesses named Nancy (Michelle Dockery) and Gwen (Lupita Nyong’o) monitor the passengers, and Marks works with Captain David McMillan (Linus Roache) and his co-pilot Kyle Rice (Jason Butler Harner) to come up with a Plan B and C for worst case scenarios. But Marks runs into some trouble with a few rowdy and suspicious passengers. After an awkward and random question at the airport, Tom Bowen (Scoot McNairy) raises a few red flags, and Zack White (Nate Parker) earns a spot on Marks’ list of suspects.

Bill communicates with a conflicted Agent Marenick (Shea Whigham) through a series of phone calls. But
Marks is running out of time, and the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst, when Marks shoots to the top of the list for suspects. The bank account for the wire transfer is in Marks’ name, and to make matters worse, a select group of passengers work together to plan a hostile takeover to stop Marks after a series of news reports.

A paranoid Marks targets trusted members of his team. Marks suspects Nancy, Jack, Kyle, and Jen for potential candidates, but Marks runs into another dilemma after a startling discovery in the bathroom……

Liam Neeson delivers another solid performance, as the resourceful and cunning hero with deadly combat skills, and Neeson is a believable “broken man” during Bill’s sentimental moments. Julianne Moore is the top pick for standout performances from the supporting cast, with Dockery taking the spot for second place. No real complaints from the overall supporting cast, but screen time rapidly shifts from one character to another during Bill’s search for the culprit, so with exception of Moore (she’s the only passenger, who supported Bill 100%  with no questions asked) and Kyle, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t receive a consistent amount of screen time. And you won’t actually see Shea Whigham’s face until the final moments of the movie, because Marenick’s screen time is limited to faceless phone calls with Bill, for the most part. 

Non-Stop’s crafty style of finger pointing during the “whodunit” mystery is something to admire. The idea is simple: EVERYONE on the plane is a suspect. Pilots, stewardesses, US marshals, passengers, no exceptions whatsoever. Everyone on the plane is a believable threat, and they’ll keep you guessing until the very end. And kudos to Liam Neeson for his “I’m not the hijacker speech!” at the end. Throughout the movie, Non-Stop does a good job of convincing the audience to believe in the possibility of Bill as the hijacker, and you can sense the hopelessness in Bill for one last chance during his desperate plea.

Bill’s first suspect? Jack. That’s right. Bill catches Jack in the act after a series of suspicious text messages. Jack offers Bill a share of the ransom money, but Bill refuses. Bill fights and kills a combative Jack in the bathroom. Bill searches Jack’s phone to find a series of suggestive texts, and Bill finds Jack’s briefcase with a large bag of cocaine inside.

But there’s one big problem: Jack is not the culprit. Bill murdered the wrong person, and the culprit murders Captain McMillan and another passenger after two twenty minute intervals. Bill survives the passenger revolt, and he convinces the passengers to work with him to capture the culprit.

Remember that briefcase full of cocaine? To add to Bill’s growing list of problems, the culprit hid a bomb in the bag of cocaine, and the bomb will explode in thirty minutes. Bill comes up with a plan to neutralize the detonation, if the bomb explodes, and Bill catches the culprit after a recorded video from one of the passengers.

Tom Bowen reveals himself as a hijacker, and Zack White is his partner. Tom and Zack were US soldiers, who joined the military after September 11, 2001. Tom and Zack used shoddy airport security as motivation to join the military, and they’re framing Bill as the hijacker for their master plan. The Plan? If Bill takes the fall for the hijacking, tighter airport security restrictions in the future will prevent another tragedy, because two US federal air marshals failed in their mission to contain a crisis on their plane.

Luckily, Bill turns the tables on Tom with a gunshot to the head, and Zack suffers a painful death in the explosion. Kyle puts an end to the nightmare with a rough emergency landing in Iceland, and the remaining passengers (including Jen) leave the battered plane. Agent Marenick apologizes for persecuting Bill, and Marenick offers his full support to clear Bill’s name.

That’s it? It’s the best way to describe my reaction to the big twist after it happened. The delusional and deranged patriots twist falls into an indifferent zone for me. I didn’t hate the twist, but when you consider all the teasing, and Bill’s crafty methods for sleuthing, the big twist doesn’t live up to the hype, and it’s a disappointing payoff.

How can you kill someone on a plane, and get away with it? It’s a reoccurring question/theme throughout Non-Stop, but it’s hard to feel any shock value (or lack there of), when Non-Stop finally drops the hammer during the finale with an answer for that question. Also,  Non-Stop’s obvious foreshadowing for Tom as one of the culprits kills any chances for a genuine surprise during the big reveal. Zack as the second hijacker? Yeah, that’s a surprise, but Non-Stop drops one too many hints for Tom as one of the bad guys.

The plot holes for Non-Stop’s twist? Oy vey. The briefcase full of cocaine is the most obvious head-shaking blunder. So let me get this straight. I’m supposed to believe a skilled US Federal Marshal/former police officer is oblivious to a BOMB in a briefcase (remember, Bill found the briefcase during the early stages of the movie)? To make matters worse, Tom or Zack “hid” the bomb under a thin layer of cocaine. I’ll stop here, because I’ll go another six or seven paragraph rant, if I take the time to dissect the plot holes in this twist.

The big reveal is loaded with problems (i.e. massive plot holes), but Non-Stop is a satisfying  mystery/thriller. Yeah, the big twist at the end is a potential roadblock for enjoying Non-Stop, but the ride to the end is full of nail-biting tension, and the thrilling action packed finale is a real treat. I had to know the identity of the hijacker regardless of the outcome, because Non-Stop’s intriguing and thought-provoking mystery is too enticing to ignore.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Character Spotlight- Melissa "Mouse" Franklin- Merle Kennedy- Night Of The Demons 2 (1994)

**This post contains spoilers**

Angela Franklin's (Amelia Kinkade) sister is a real troublemaker, right? A real hell-raiser, someone, who's not afraid of trouble, or danger! Well, if that's what you're expecting from the younger sister of the demon villainess, then you're in for a big surprise.

Melissa Franklin (Merle Kennedy) is not a rebel, a free spirit, or a loose cannon. She's a geeky outcast at St. Rita's Academy (a Catholic school for troubled teenagers), and to make matters worse, Melissa is the primary target for Shirley Finnerty's (Zoe Trilling) wrath. Melissa trusts Bibi (Cristi Harris) as her best friend on campus, and Sister Gloria (Jennifer Rhodes) plays the role of a watchful protector for Melissa, but Shirley devises a plan with her boyfriend Rick (Rick Peters), and Rick's best friend, Z-boy (Darin Heames) to lure Melissa into a devious prank/trap.

Terri (Christine Taylor) is a proud member of the "Bullying Melissa brigade," but after a reassuring seal of approval from Bibi, Melissa accepts Shirley's invitation to a special Halloween party. Johnny (Johnny Moran) is looking for a romantic night with Bibi, so he joins the party, and Johnny's best friend, Kurt (Ladd York) follows the group for spooky fun. The big surprise for Melissa? The party is at Hull House, the home of Angela's disastrous Halloween party. The sight of her sister's final resting place sends Melissa into a panic, but Z-boy (wearing a Halloween a mask) forces Melissa into the house after a surprise scare.

Perry (Robert Jane, credited as Bobby Jacoby) uses his rich knowledge of demonology to lend a helping hand, but a suspicious Sister Gloria is running out of time, and an inept Father Bob's (Rob McCary) arrogance complicates any plans for an immediate rescue mission. Melissa is on a collision course for a deadly reunion with her demonic sister, and the situation takes a bizarre turn for the worst, when Angela uses a tube of lipstick as vessel to crash the Halloween part at St. Rita's Academy.

Mouse? It's a suitable nickname for Angela's little sister. She's tiny and soft spoken, but Melissa  has a "MY NAME IS!" moment during the big finale (more on that later). It's easy to feel sympathy for Melissa, because she's a lonely outcast. Melissa receives support from Bibi, Perry, and Sister Gloria, but Shirley and her minions launch an attack to make Melissa's life a living hell.

For me, the relationship between Angela and Melissa is the major highlight in Night Of The Demons 2. Why? Because Night Of The Demons 2 puts a noticeable amount of effort into Melissa's backstory. More often than not, low budget horror sequels take the lazy approach to capitalize off of the name value from a successful or praised original, and the end result is a cheap and forgettable knock-off, with a shabby story and a terrible cast.

Anyway, at St. Rita's Academy, the sight of Angela frightens Melissa (for obvious reasons), but Angela reassures Melissa with a hug (luckily, Angela's hug obstructed Melissa's view of Angela's demonized face). Melissa wants to believe in Angela's promise for a second chance at a happy relationship with her big sister. Technically, Angela is the only living family member in Melissa's life, because Angela and Melissa's parents committed suicide after the horrifying sight of a special Halloween card from Angela.

Angela uses her powers, and her demonized followers (Shirley, Z-boy, and Rick) to eliminate members of the rescue team (Father Bob and Perry). In the end, Sister Gloria, Johnny, and Bibi are the remaining survivors in the fight to save Melissa.

Sister Gloria goads Angela into trading places with Melissa on her death bed. Angela pushes Melissa to murder Sister Gloria with her sword (still one of my biggest pet peeves for 2, because they never explained the origins for the sword). If Melissa murders Sister Gloria, Angela will complete her mission to demonize Melissa with evil powers.  Melissa flashes a devilish smile, while an antsy Angela pushes Melissa to finish off Sister Gloria.

"NOW MOUSE!!!" That's one of Angela's final warnings to Melissa. Melissa's retaliation? "MY NAME IS MELISSA!!!" Melissa turns the tables on Angela with a hard stab to the gut, and Sister Gloria reduces Angela to a gooey puddle with some help from a super soaker (with holy water as the secret ingredient). Of course, Angela returns as a giant snake during sunrise.......and after her "demise," she returns as a snake inside a tube of lipstick to close out the movie.

Melissa Franklin is a memorable character in the Night Of The Demons franchise. Merle Kennedy provides a handful of laughs, and she's a front-runner for the best performance in the sequel. It's an impressive feat, when you consider a returning Amelia Kinkade in top form, as a darker and more confident version of Angela, and Jennifer Rhodes' hilarious parody performance as a strict nun.

Unfortunately, Melissa is a one and done deal for Night Of The Demons. It's a shame, because a storyline for a returning Melissa in Night Of The Demons 3 is loaded with potential. Imagine the possibilities. Melissa returns for a little sister vs big sister showdown at Hull House, and you can't rule out the possibility of Angela using her sword. But it's all in the past now, and we'll never know.....

If you're interested, you can follow this link to read my spoiler review for Night Of The Demons 2-

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2012/11/night-of-demons-1994.html

Character Spotlight- Sally Hurst & Sally Farnham- Kim Darby & Bailee Madison- Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (1973 & 2011)

  

**This post contains spoilers**

Trying something new for my Character Spotlight series with a double-dose. Today, it's all about Kim Darby's Sally Farnham (the first pic) from the original Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (1973), and Bailee Madison's Sally Hurst from the 2011 remake. They share the same first name, but Sally Farnham and Sally Hurst travel two different paths during their battles with the little creatures. Let's get to it!

I'll start with Kim Darby's Sally Farnham. Sally inherited an old house from her deceased grandmother. Sally, and her husband Alex (Jim Hutton) are trying to renovate the spooky old house with some help from Mr. Harris (William Demarest), but Sally ignores Harris' stern warning, when she removes a bolted cover on the old fireplace in the study. Sally unleashes a pack of miniature creatures, who live in the fireplace, and Sally is a target for the creature's sinister plans. 

Darby's Sally is the quiet stay-at-home wife, and Alex is the domineering and strict husband, but he refuses to believe Sally's stories of little creatures running around the house. Darby is the stand out star with a show stealing performance in the original. Darby slowly unravels, as the creatures wreak havoc in the house, and Darby's panicky and frightened outbursts ("ALEX!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE!!!!") are spot on. And you can feel Sally's frustration with the creatures towards the end during a risky tug-of-war contest.

Bailee Madison's Sally is not a housewife. She's a young and lonely girl, and she's forced into an unfavorable situation. Sally Hurst starts a new life with her father, Alex (Guy Pearce), and his new girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes). Oh, and another pack of miniature creatures are hiding/living in the fireplace at Sally's new home. At first, Bailee Madison's Sally is this disrespectful brat, but as the story develops, you realize she's a scared little kid, who's struggling to adjust to her new life and her new surroundings (the creatures don't help). 

So who's the better Sally? Bailee Madison. Why? Because the writers (Guillermo del Toro & Matthew Robbins) added more layers to Sally's character for the 2011 film, and Madison nailed every layer. The disruptive brat, the lonely outcast, the fragile, homesick child, who’s begging for someone to understand her, and Sally uses her amateur drawings (including drawings of the creatures) to express herself. You name it, and Madison conquerors every obstacle in her way for Sally 2011. Labeling Sally 2011 as an obstacle with more hurdles is not a stretch at all, and Madison tackled the challenge with ease.

I don't have any big problems with the switcheroo changes for the remake. Sally is a child, Alex is divorced with a new girlfriend girlfriend, and there's a more extensive and thorough backstory for Jack Thompson's Mr. Harris and his family's history with the house, but you won't see any major changes for the Mr. Harris character (i.e. he's still the paranoid codger, who tries to warn everyone about the creatures).

BUT  you'll notice a big gap for differences during the finales. The changes? Sally Farnham suffers, but Sally Hurst escapes. In the original, Alex ignored Sally's pleas for help. Mr. Harris' story convinced Alex towards the end, but Alex ran out of time, because the creatures captured Sally, and Sally was forced into an imprisonment in the fireplace as a creature.

In the remake, Kim pushed Alex to leave the house, because Kim believed Sally's stories. After Sally's breakdown at a party, Alex FINALLY listens to Sally and Kim, and they come to a decision to leave the house together. But Kim, Sally, and Alex run into a too little, too late problem. The creatures launch a systematic attack to eliminate Alex and Kim, and they capture Sally with some help from a rope. Kim fights the creatures to save Sally from a life in the fireplace, but Kim suffered for her sacrifice. With a strong group effort, the creatures pull Kim into the fireplace (in one of the most cringeworthy moments you'll ever see in any type of film) as their prisoner, but Sally and Alex escaped together.

Fans of Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark 1973 should experience an eerie feeling of deja vu during the finales. Remember, as one of the creatures (presumably, because they don't show any images for Sally in the fireplace) in the original, Sally reassured her new family with a simple message for more victims, and another poor, clueless soul opening the fireplace. They have "all the time in the world" to wait for another victim. In the remake, Kim repeats Sally Farnham's warning with the creatures.

So if you're placing a bet on the first one to escape, who would you choose? Sally Farnham or Kim? I'll put my money on Sally Farnham. Why? Think about it like this, Alex, Joan ( Barbara Anderson), and Mr. Harris never had the chance to actually see the creatures, and they didn't witness the chaos during Sally's disappearance, so they'll remember a freak freak accident WITHOUT any fears for the unknown in a fight against the creatures. And let's be honest, I'm not the only one, who's curious about a "first look" for creature Sally or creature Kim, right?

If you're interested, you can follow this link to read my spoiler review for Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (1973)-

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/09/dont-be-afraid-of-dark-1973_3.html

And you can follow this link for my Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (2011) spoiler review-

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/09/dont-be-afraid-of-dark-2011.html

RoboCop (2014)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major character deaths, or reveals.**

I'll do a more thorough compare and contrast review with the original and the remake in the future, because I'm planning on a review series for every RoboCop film. It's similar to my Night Of The Demons and Silent Night, Deadly night review series, if you're wondering. Let's get to it. 

It’s 2028, and OmniCorp is on a mission to change the world. As the world’s largest supplier for robot soldiers and drones in the US military, OmniCorp launches a plan to use robots for crime fighting in the US, but strict laws prevent crime fighting robots in America. Senator Hubert Dreyfuss (Zach Grenier) dedicates his life to fighting OmniCorp, and their plans to use robots in the US. Senator Dreyfuss believes emotionless machines are untrustworthy in the field of battle, and the risk of a malfunctioning product will endanger the lives of innocent US citizens.

At OmniCorp’s headquarters in Detroit, OmniCorp CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) devises a plan to fight Senator Dreyfuss, and erase the stigma for dangerous robots. Sellars is making money overseas in wars and occupied countries, but he’s missing out on a big payday with no crime fighting robots on US soil.

Sellars pushes his team to come up with a solution. Liz Kline (Jennifer Ehle) is the head of OmniCorp’s legal affairs, and Tom Pope (Jay Baruchel) controls marketing, but OminCorp’s top sceintist, Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) doesn’t like the idea of crossing moral boundaries. Sellars plans to exploit a loophole in America’s robot laws (or the “Dreyfuss Act”)? Sellars wants to put a man inside a machine, but OmniCorp needs the right candidate, someone wholesome, a victimized hero for the people to rally behind and idolize. But Sellars and his team run into a serious of problems for the right candidate after a thorough search on a list of wounded soldiers and police officers.

Meanwhile, two Detroit detectives named Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) and Jack Lewis (Michael K. Williams) form an undercover team to infiltrate Antoine Vallon‘s (Patrick Garrow), a ruthless crime boss, empire. But Jack is stuck in a hospital bed after a fierce shootout with Vallon’s thugs. Alex is motivated by revenge, but Chief Karen Dean (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) warns Alex about the consequences for pursuing Vallon without the proper evidence to convict Vallon.

One night, Alex leaves his house to shut off the alarm on his car, but Alex triggers an explosion from a bomb, when he opens the door. A disfigured Alex has one shot at survival: OmniCorp. During his coma, Alex’s wife, Clara (Abbie Cornish) signs an agreement for Alex’s once in a lifetime procedure with Dr. Dennett leading the way. Alex has trouble adjusting to his new as a half-man, half-machine crime fighter, but more money is the  top priority for Sellars, and using Alex to change American public’s perception for robots. And Alex needs to sharpen his skills as an elite crime fighter, so he receives training from Rick Mattox (Jackie Earle Haley), OmniCorp‘s combat expert.

Pat Novak (Samuel L. Jackson) uses his show (The Novak Element) to push pro robot propaganda, and Novak is an important supporter for Sellars and his never ending mission to use robots in the US. Alex’s new life as a living, breathing crime fighting machine is full of obstacles. Alex is trying to balance his crime fighting duties, and his responsibilities as a father and a husband, and Alex honors his promise to Jack. During Alex’s search for a location on Vallon, Alex exposes corruption at the police station with a few tips from Detective Andre Daniels (K.C. Collins) and Detective John Lake (Daniel Kash), and Alex uncovers the truth behind OmniCorp’s plans for the future…….

Joel Kinnaman is solid in the leading role, and he deserves credit for a strong effort. The new look for RoboCop? Kinnaman sports a sleek look as a modernized version of RoboCop. He’s faster, and Kinnaman’s movements are more fluid. That’s a big difference, when you compare Kinnaman’s RoboCop to the clunky Robocop (i.e. Peter Weller and Robert John Burke) from the originals, but you have to expect some big changes for a modernized version.

Using black as a new color didn’t bother me at all, and you’ll see the original color, but vintage (using that word loosely) RoboCop‘s screen time is very limited. Also, don’t worry about the exposed human hand for Kinnaman. I’m mentioning the hand, because I vividly remember a lot of complaints for the human hand in various places on the internet. Trust me, you’ll barely notice the hand after a while, and it’s not a big deal.

Abbie Cornish is believable as the supportive wife. Jackie Earle Haley delivers an entertaining performance, as the tough and uncompromising trainer, and you’ll see a few funny moments during the little feud with Alex and Rick.

No real complaints about the veterans. Michael Keaton is a decent antagonist, as the greedy and two-faced corporate tycoon. Gary Oldman maintains a streak of reliable consistency  with another quality performance, and Samuel L. Jackson is a nice fit for the Pat Novak character. Novak is this obnoxious loudmouth (“Why is America so Robo-phobic?!?!”), who will do and say anything to push the robot movement, and Jackson delivers another one of his classic tirades during the finale.

Of course, the remake tries to explore the “Man VS Machine” dilemma, and the dangers of trusting an emotionless machine over a rational human being with feelings and reasoning. But the quandary never reaches thought-provoking levels, because the remake favors action and CGI, so the Man VS Machine stuff takes a backseat.

RoboCop is a harmless remake, but they stay in a safe zone here. You won’t see an effort to take any real risks, because RoboCop 2014 never reaches an embarrassingly awful low point. On the flip side of that, there’s no real attempt to create a different film with a bold vision. RoboCop 2014 is a safe and modernized version of the 1987 original, and the remake avoids a nomination for a spot in the Hall Of Shame for terrible remakes (i.e. A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010).

Die hard fans of the ‘87 original will nitpick and tear this one apart, but RoboCop 2014 is a decent action/sci-fi film. Director Jose Padilha deserves credit for a handful of slick and hard hitting action sequences, and the cast is rock solid, featuring a few noteworthy performances from the veterans (Jackson, Haley, and Oldman).

Is RoboCop 2014 perfect? No. Ten years from now, will RoboCop 2014 join a lengthy list of forgettable and harmless remakes? Yeah, there’s a good chance that’s going to happen. Still, RoboCop 2014 could’ve been a lot worse. I set the bar low for this one, but RoboCop 2014 earned a spot on my list of pleasant surprises for 2014, so I‘ll go with a positive score.

Rating: 5/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

RoboCop (2014)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

I'll do a more thorough compare and contrast review with the original and the remake in the future, because I'm planning on a review series for every RoboCop film. It's similar to my Night Of The Demons and Silent Night, Deadly night review series, if you're wondering. Let's get to it. 

It’s 2028, and OmniCorp is on a mission to change the world. As the world’s largest supplier for robot soldiers and drones in the US military, OmniCorp launches a plan to use robots for crime fighting in the US, but strict laws prevent crime fighting robots in America. Senator Hubert Dreyfuss (Zach Grenier) dedicates his life to fighting OmniCorp, and their plans to use robots in the US. Senator Dreyfuss believes emotionless machines are untrustworthy in the field of battle, and the risk of a malfunctioning product will endanger the lives of innocent US citizens.

At OmniCorp’s headquarters in Detroit, OmniCorp CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) devises a plan to fight Senator Dreyfuss, and erase the stigma for dangerous robots. Sellars is making money overseas in wars and occupied countries, but he’s missing out on a big payday with no crime fighting robots on US soil.

Sellars pushes his team to come up with a solution. Liz Kline (Jennifer Ehle) is the head of OmniCorp’s legal affairs, and Tom Pope (Jay Baruchel) controls marketing, but OminCorp’s top sceintist, Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) doesn’t like the idea of crossing moral boundaries. Sellars plans to exploit a loophole in America’s robot laws (or the “Dreyfuss Act”)? Sellars wants to put a man inside a machine, but OmniCorp needs the right candidate, someone wholesome, a victimized hero for the people to rally behind and idolize. But Sellars and his team run into a serious of problems for the right candidate after a thorough search on a list of wounded soldiers and police officers.

Meanwhile, two Detroit detectives named Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) and Jack Lewis (Michael K. Williams) form an undercover team to infiltrate Antoine Vallon‘s (Patrick Garrow), a ruthless crime boss, empire. But Jack is stuck in a hospital bed after a fierce shootout with Vallon’s thugs. Alex is motivated by revenge, but Chief Karen Dean (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) warns Alex about the consequences for pursuing Vallon without the proper evidence to convict Vallon.

One night, Alex leaves his house to shut off the alarm on his car, but Alex triggers an explosion from a bomb, when he opens the door. A disfigured Alex has one shot at survival: OmniCorp. During his coma, Alex’s wife, Clara (Abbie Cornish) signs an agreement for Alex’s once in a lifetime procedure with Dr. Dennett leading the way. Alex has trouble adjusting to his new as a half-man, half-machine crime fighter, but more money is the  top priority for Sellars, and using Alex to change American public’s perception for robots. And Alex needs to sharpen his skills as an elite crime fighter, so he receives training from Rick Mattox (Jackie Earle Haley), OmniCorp‘s combat expert.

Pat Novak (Samuel L. Jackson) uses his show (The Novak Element) to push pro robot propaganda, and Novak is an important supporter for Sellars and his never ending mission to use robots in the US. Alex’s new life as a living, breathing crime fighting machine is full of obstacles. Alex is trying to balance his crime fighting duties, and his responsibilities as a father and a husband, and Alex honors his promise to Jack. During Alex’s search for a location on Vallon, Alex exposes corruption at the police station with a few tips from Detective Andre Daniels (K.C. Collins) and Detective John Lake (Daniel Kash), and Alex uncovers the truth behind OmniCorp’s plans for the future…….

Joel Kinnaman is solid in the leading role, and he deserves credit for a strong effort. The new look for RoboCop? Kinnaman sports a sleek look as a modernized version of RoboCop. He’s faster, and Kinnaman’s movements are more fluid. That’s a big difference, when you compare Kinnaman’s RoboCop to the clunky Robocop (i.e. Peter Weller and Robert John Burke) from the originals, but you have to expect some big changes for a modernized version.

Using black as a new color didn’t bother me at all, and you’ll see the original color, but vintage (using that word loosely) RoboCop‘s screen time is very limited. Also, don’t worry about the exposed human hand for Kinnaman. I’m mentioning the hand, because I vividly remember a lot of complaints for the human hand in various places on the internet. Trust me, you’ll barely notice the hand after a while, and it’s not a big deal.

Abbie Cornish is believable as the supportive wife. Jackie Earle Haley delivers an entertaining performance, as the tough and uncompromising trainer, and you’ll see a few funny moments during the little feud with Alex and Rick.

No real complaints about the veterans. Michael Keaton is a decent antagonist, as the greedy and two-faced corporate tycoon. Gary Oldman maintains a streak of reliable consistency  with another quality performance, and Samuel L. Jackson is a nice fit for the Pat Novak character. Novak is this obnoxious loudmouth (“Why is America so Robo-phobic?!?!”), who will do and say anything to push the robot movement, and Jackson delivers another one of his classic tirades during the finale.

After a flashback from his bombing accident, Alex uses his new equipment to track down and kill Vallon and his men at Vallon’s secret hideout. But there’s something fishy about Vallon’s last stand. Vallon was ready and waiting for Alex, because someone warned him, so Alex returns to the police station for more answers.

Eventually, Andre and John reveal their secrets as dirty cops. They’re on Vallon’s payroll, and both men sabotaged Alex’s attempted murder case and Jack’s shooting to erase any suspicions for Vallon as the prime suspect. And Chief Dean joins the growing list of informants for Vallon, because she’s the one, who warned Vallon about Alex’s raid. Alex forced a confession out of Dean at gunpoint, but Rick pulled the plug at the last second with the shutdown (whenever Alex crosses any lines, OmniCorp uses a shutdown button to stop him) button for Alex to prevent Chief Dean’s certain death.

But it’s not ever yet. Alex fights OminCorp’s mind control, and Sellars jumps into damage control mode. Sellars orders Alex’s death, because Sellars fears the repercussions for the American public knowing the truth about OmniCorp. Sellars wants to kill Alex, and Sellars will use the legacy of a “dead hero” to push his propaganda for robot soldiers on US soil. But Alex escapes his execution with some help from Dr. Norton.

Sellars is holding Clara and David hostage on the roof at OmniCorp. Alex is a broken mess after taking one too many bullets from Sellars’ drones. To make matters worse, Alex struggles to fight Sellars and his mind control device. Long story short, Alex’s programming influences his decisions, and Sellars is wearing a bracelet that prevents any harm. Sellars is about to pull the trigger to kill Clara and David, but Alex’s love for his family overcomes the odds. Alex’s fights Sellars and the mind control device, and Alex shoots and kills Sellars on the roof.

The corrupt dirty cops stuff feels so clichéd and redundant, and there’s no shock value for Andre and John as employees for Vallon, because RoboCop reveals the alliance in the early stages of the movie. But I’ll give RoboCop credit for the Chief Dean twist, because that’s a surprise I didn’t see coming.

The standoff on the roof? The sequence with Murphy fighting off the drones at OmnicCorp to save Clara and David features its fair share of thrills, but the standoff is predictable. You can see the happy ending with Alex fighting Sellars, and Alex’s reunion with his family coming from a mile away, but it’s a passable feel good moment.

Of course, the remake tries to explore the “Man VS Machine” dilemma, and the dangers of trusting an emotionless machine over a rational human being with feelings and reasoning. But the quandary never reaches thought-provoking levels, because the remake favors action and CGI, so the Man VS Machine stuff takes a backseat.

RoboCop is a harmless remake, but they stay in a safe zone here. You won’t see an effort to take any real risks, because RoboCop 2014 never reaches an embarrassingly awful low point. On the flip side of that, there’s no real attempt to create a different film with a bold vision. RoboCop 2014 is a safe and modernized version of the 1987 original, and the remake avoids a nomination for a spot in the Hall Of Shame for terrible remakes (i.e. A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010).

Die hard fans of the ‘87 original will nitpick and tear this one apart, but RoboCop 2014 is a decent action/sci-fi film. Director Jose Padilha deserves credit for a handful of slick and hard hitting action sequences, and the cast is rock solid, featuring a few noteworthy performances from the veterans (Jackson, Haley, and Oldman).

Is RoboCop 2014 perfect? No. Ten years from now, will RoboCop 2014 join a lengthy list of forgettable and harmless remakes? Yeah, there’s a good chance that’s going to happen. Still, RoboCop 2014 could’ve been a lot worse. I set the bar low for this one, but RoboCop 2014 earned a spot on my list of pleasant surprises for 2014, so I‘ll go with a positive score.

Rating: 5/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1