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DEATH RACE

Starring: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson and Natalie Martinez

Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson

R for strong violence and language

By John Delia

The DVD of Death Race has appeared on retailer’s store shelves, but this video shouldn’t be on the shelf for long. Packed with high-octane bonus features and an unrated version of the film, Death Race packs a wallop.
The film itself shows like a video game, it runs like a video game and it feels like a video game, but Death Race is a bone-crunching movie. Hard punching, heart throbbing action with a heated storyline, it slams into your television or computer screen with all the power of some of Paul W.S. Anderson’s previous big screen winners; Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator.
The film follows the story of Jensen Ames (Statham), a former champion racecar driver who gets framed for the murder of his wife and is sent to Terminal Island, a New York prison set in 2020. Only the most vicious of prisoners are housed on the Island and Warden Hennessey (Allen) uses her scheming creative juices to get a lot of cash from their notoriety. Creating a race where top drivers chosen from the inmate’s race to a finish creating death and mayhem along the way, and it’s computer televised. The brutal ‘sport’ has a favorite called Frankenstein and when the hideous driver gets pulverized one race day in a burst of fire, the warden must find a way to replace the icon without loosing the ratings. When Ames arrives at the prison, the warden cooks up a scheme that includes him and Frankenstein.
The special effects team deliver the gunfire and spectacular explosions. Bullets pelting the back of cars, missiles slamming into walls, spikes ripping tires and total chaos are the best ways to describe the action in the film.
As for the acting, there isn’t much need for any. Much like The Terminator and Die Hard, a few good phrases, some dialogue for plot and it’s a wrap. Statham does his best Transporter, Crank, and War impression and that’s all he really needs. But there’s one actor that needs to be mentioned and that’s Joan Allen. Her interpretation of the evil warden is right on the money. She totally does a convincing job showing that power can be truly diabolical.
Anderson continues to keep the flames burning with super powered characters doing his bidding. Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator have to be two of the most high-energy flicks ever made. With Death Race, it’s just another day at the office. Throwing anything explosive he can into the film, not overdoing the dialogue or bothering to present a complicated plot, Anderson gives the ultimate in mindless chaos. Just what the action lover needs to escape a day at the office or a week of pounding the books.
The bonuses on this disc include some extremely entertaining features. While I liked the making of called Start Your Engines: Making A Death Race with explanation by director Anderson, I enjoyed the second feature about the stunts even better. The feature is called Behind the Wheel: Dissecting the Stunts and it blew me away. The amazing thing about it is the number of cars they needed to make the film, with no CGI being used, stunt drivers driving the cars, the special ramps, wires, battering rams, and special rigs to throw cars through the air. When you see cars flipping through the air and slamming into a barrier, it is all for real. Even Statham and several other actors drive their cars and do some of stunts in the film.
Please note that the film is rated R for ultra violence, language and brutality, so please do not let the youngsters play the DVD.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Death Race is a high-octane film for explosive action lovers that plays excitingly well on the small screen. (4 of 5 Palm Trees)

BRIDE WARS

Starring: Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Kristen Johnson and Candice Bergan

Directed by: Gary Winick

Rated PG for suggestive content, language and some rude behavior

By John Delia

I did not care very much for Bride Wars, but since it was targeted to women, that may be one of the reasons. Much like Sex and the City, Muriel’s Wedding or The Devil Wears Prada just to name a few, Bride Wars was too girly for me. I did like some of the humor, but for most men, even those on a date, there isn’t enough laughs to hold off the 90-minute wave of exploding female hormones. But you know what, your date will probably find the film funny and be able to relate, so hang in there for the after fun if you play your cards right.
WARNING: Do not see the advance trailer to this movie; there are way too many spoilers that take a lot of fun out of it.
The film finds long time friends Liv (Hudson) and Emma (Hathaway) getting engaged after some creative coaxing. The men in their life are just pawns to their fantasies of being married in the month of June at The Plaza Hotel in New York. Being well endowed with the cash factor, the two go to the most well known wedding planners in the city (Bergan) so their day will be the envy of all their mutual friends. The two are in luck as there are three dates in June available at The Plaza, two on the 6th and one on the 27th. Liv chooses the 6th because that was her deceased parent’s anniversary, while Emma is very comfortable with the later date in June. When the booking secretary makes a mistake and locks in both on the same day, the bride wars begin.
While it is inconceivable that this could happen with any wedding planner, and especially the best in the city, we must realize that this is a movie and it’s all in fun so get over that point early. However, there are other problems that taint the otherwise intriguing premise that include the chemistry between the two main actors, Hudson’s weak performance, and a repetitious confined predictable plot that just doesn’t seem to please. I blame it on two factors; there were too many fingers in the wedding cake and the direction of the film should have been much tighter and controlled.
The screenplay was written by Greg Depaul (originator of the theme plot), June Diane Raphael (wrote mainly for theatre) and Casey Wilson (known more as an actress). Therein is a recipe for disaster with stage like sets, curtain closing scenes and insignificant support characters that never seem to mean anything to the storyline. As far as direction goes, Hudson’s character was not very strong in the face of the war between the two as Hathaway’s character was totally domineering from start to finish. It wasn’t a war at all, just a squabble that never seem to end.
As for any good the film has; the bride costuming magnificent, the make-up significant (especially the tanning scene and the blue hair) and the choreography of the banter between the two, well done.
The film is rated PG due to some suggestive content, language and rude behavior so other than letting your kids watch two bratty rich kids go at it, there’s not much to keep anyone away.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Bride Wars is just a skirmish between two bratty friends. (2 Palm Trees of 5)

NOT EASILY BROKEN

Starring: Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lewis, Maeve Quinlan and Eddie Cibrian

Directed by: Bill Duke

Rated PG-13 for sexual references and thematic elements

By John Delia

Although Not Easily Broken is a little preachy and somewhat predictable, I liked the film for the delivery of the challenging storyline with it’s myriad of everyday problems. Well acted out by Chestnut, Henson and Lewis it made me feel like one should not marry until you lived with in the person’s shoes for a long while. The uplifting film plays best to adults that are in relationships or about to be. But, be cautioned that this is a feature film from a novel and not a documentary on life’s marital trials and tribulations.
The film centers on Dave (Chestnut) and Clarice (Henson) a young couple that get married after believing that they have made the best choice. At their wedding ceremony, the bishop drapes a cord made of three strands over the happy couple stating that two of the strands represent the man and woman, while the third represents God. He tells them that if they keep God strong in their life their bond of marriage will not easily be broken.
So starts their new life, but some baggage comes with their newfound happiness. Dave’s dream of being a major league baseball player ended when he busted up his leg in a game and now ten years later he has a small construction firm with his closest friends while his wife has become one of the top real estate salespersons in the area. Clarice’s head has become inflated with her success and has lost site of what Dave feels is their dream, bringing a child into their lives. At odds over this, Dave fills his afternoons with being a little league coach while Clarice starts questioning his absence in her life due to his commitment. When a shattering event happens, it throws the couple into a downward spin. That’s when Clarice’s meddling mother Mary (Lewis) enters the picture determined to solve their marriage problems.
There is a lot going on in this film with the many side stories involving Dave’s co-workers and buddies, Clarice’s inflated ego taking over her rational judgment, a wacky mother interfering in the marriage, a too close relationship with a physical therapist, team problems involving one of the fathers and more. But, director Duke handles all these elements with a strong hand resolving the issues with satisfying result. His movie, although somewhat predictable, flows well providing very good entertainment and some comic relief within the heavy storyline.
The movie Not Easily Broken is based on a book by Bishop T.D. Jakes, writer of the best selling inspirational books Maximize the Moment, The Lady, Her Lover and Her Lord, The Great Investment: Faith, Family and Finance, God’s Leading Lady, Cover Girls, Follow the Star, He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle, The Ten Commandments of Working in a Hostile Environment, Mama Made the Difference: Life Lessons My Mother Taught Me, Woman Thou Art Loosed.
If I had to give a best performance for this film it would go to Jennifer Lewis as the meddling mother who puts her nose into everything. Her delivery of the dialogue as the overly protective mother-in-law is so over-the-top at times that is made me wonder if one should probably live with their intended spouse’s mother for a good period of time before getting married.
The film contains sexual references and thematic elements so be cautioned when deciding to bring the very young.

FINAL ANALYSIS: If you like films that involve a lot of challenging life situations, then Not Easily Broken should be high on your list. (3.5 of 5 Palm Trees)

TOP MOVIE PICKS FOR 2008
By John Delia

In choosing my top 10 films of 2008 I took the following into consideration; most of the Best Film nominations for the Oscars come from movies that are drama related. I am not a huge fan for the way the Academy of Arts and Sciences chooses their best films, best actors, etc., in fact with some 300 plus films a year, I don’t know how the voters see them all. So I am choosing 10 films of a dramatic nature and 10 that are action adventure or comedy related. I put animated film in a separate selection and name my top 5.
My number ten choice in the category of drama related films is Hounddog starring Dakota Fanning as a young girl who finds herself confronted by a rapist when she is lured to a woodshed by boys who have promised her tickets to see Elvis Presley. The dark film had me cringing with trepidation of a dastardly outcome. Why 10? Because the film was pulled from theatres in September before many could see the amazing acting performance by Fanning and the rest of her cast. Number 9. Coming in at number 8 is Seven Pounds which provides a platform for a remarkable performance by Will Smith as a man who has to face up to a tragedy he could have prevented. At number 7 I chose Frozen River for the content and acting. The taught drama follows the plight of a down and out single mother who turns smuggler to get the money to buy a doublewide for her kids.
I decided on Defiance for my 6th choice. The high-energy drama takes place in Russia during WWII where a Jewish man and his brothers join with a resistance group to save Jews being sought out by local police for money. At number 5 Mickey Rourke returns to the screen as a wrestler trying a comeback. The Wrestler has a gutsy Rocky type storyline with amazing performances by Rourke and Marisa Tomei. My 4th pick is Slumdog Millionaire, an uplifting film with a memorable rags to riches tale. In 3rd finds The Reader with an amazing performance by Kate Winslet as a woman tormented by her past. Coming in 2nd is a compelling film starring Angelina Jolie called Changeling. The film features a great storyline, stellar acting and fine directing by Clint Eastwood.
My top pick for 2008 is probably no surprise to those who have seen it; it’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with an amazing cast that gives outstanding performances throughout the nearly three-hour film. The storyline is so bizarre that it kept me enthralled to its very touching ending. Brad Pitt gives his best performance ever as the old man who grows young with age. In support Cate Blanchette, Tilda Swinton, Taraji P. Henson and Elle Fanning make their roles unforgettable and plot wise perfect. Direction by David Fincher is flawless with a smooth progression of time making the characters plausible and fascinating.
Not to let down any segment of my readers, here are my top 10 picks for Action Adventure and Comedy. 1 The Dark Knight, 2 Iron Man, 3 Tropic Thunder, 4 Eagle Eye, 5 Traitor, 6 Hancock, 7 Quantum of Solace, 8 Burn After Reading, 9 Mongol and 10 Pineapple Express. For best in animation for 2008 I chose 1 Wall-E, which visualizes our planet as a dump. The extremely well made CGI animated film gives a what-if message that can hardly be ignored, 2 Bolt (especially the 3D version), 3 Kung Fu Panda (the IMAX version) 4 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and 5 Horton Hears a Who.

FINAL ALALYSIS: 2008 was a pretty good year with studios providing at least 50 blue chip films from the 300 plus that were released.