Lincoln (2012)

In the waning days of the War of the States, President Lincoln fights to have the 13th amendment ratified.  Top shelf drama. This is what actors used to do before all the FX and gratuitous nudity (not that there is anything wrong with that). Daniel Day Lewis turns in yet another command performance as Lincoln, no surprise for me there. Sally Field as Mary Todd, I don't know much about the actual person but if she was half as tiresome as Sally Fields portrayed her its a wonder Abe didn't send her south to fight with the troops.  But its Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens who steals the spotlight every time he is in frame, outstanding!  There is a whole lot to like in this one for viewers who wish to enjoy the craft of players rather than the savvy of FX craftsmen. This one deserves the praise its going to get. Recommended.

The Giant Mechanical Man (2012)

This is a serendipitous tale of a couple people who feel they are powerless in their lives who find each other. This is a pleasant drama romance that finds a little humor along the way. There was no forcing with this one, it seemed to just unfold much like a day in your life would. A lot of smiling and a warm fuzzy as a treat for watching. Janice (Jenna Fischer) comes across as a very believable 'girl next door' who is just lost in her life that seems to be going nowhere "Why does it need to go somewhere? Why do I have to be 'somebody? Can't I just be me?".  I hope somebody notices her and forgets about Kristen Stewart but that's just me (and possibly 70% of the rest of the planet)..  Tim has something to say but nobody seems to be listening.  Things don't get too deep or philosophical however which lends to some nice easy viewing. A chick flick that you won't need a tissue for.

Dredd (2012)

In the future America is a vast radioactive wasteland. Civilization is limited to a walled mega-city that stretches from Boston to DC.  Law has been placed in the hands of 'judges' who apprehend, sentence, and execute criminals on the spot. I will admit I wasn't expecting much with this one and had never followed the comic, but was pleasantly surprised. This is a well made action adventure with plenty of bad ass. Despite small failings here and there this is a solid piece of film making and supports repeat viewings in a very satisfactory fashion. I especially liked the villain in this one.. cold blooded like a snake but not as pretty.. lol. Don't have to be a comic movie fan to enjoy this one. Thrill seekers should find plenty to enjoy. Recommended.

Cloud Atlas (2012)

A single thread of events connects six different lives spanning hundreds of years. Easily one of the best movies I have seen in some time and one that deserves the many viewings it will require to discover all the tidbits it has to offer. This is kind of a 'butterfly effect' on the time stream sort of movie but there is no time travelling involved (aside from the movie going back and forth between the different stories). In some places the connection is clear and others its fairly elusive, but don't give up!  Definitely aimed at the more cerebral movie goers, it nonetheless has some very cool action and FX.  Some liberties are taken with recent history (nuclear power in the 1970's was widely opposed by the 'socially conscience', something they decide to depict differently in the film) but some of the writing is nothing short of inspirational. Hugo Weaving as Nurse Noakes easily takes the title as scariest bitch from Nurse Ratchet. From a 1849 diary of a man who escapes death on an ocean voyage to the elderly storyteller sitting beside the fire on a distant planet hundreds of years in the future, all life is connected. The weak are meat, the strong shall eat. Simply an outstanding example of sci-fi. Excellent. Highly Recommended.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The precursor to LotR.  Okay boys and girls after endless teasing, speculation, rumors, and crappy pre-screening reviews Peter Jackson's The Hobbit is finally on the screen for the rest of us. If you are a fan of LotR (and there is no reason I can fathom that you wouldn't be), I imagine this is on your short list of movies to see.  So there is much in this offering that made the prior trilogy the epic it was.. awesome cinematography, cool FX, better than adequate CGI, character humor, and a respectful adherence to the original Tolkien. I will go ahead and jump to the end, this movie stops when the Misty Mountain becomes visible to the group on the horizon. So they have the barrel ride, Lake town, encounter with Smaug, and the naming of Sting to go. Hopefully 1 of 2.  I will say this one doesn't have the same 'epic' feel of the trilogy, it may be that the story is moving considerably slower but thats just me. So while The Hobbit isn't pulling the same level of panty soaking awesome from me that LotR did, its still a very respectable and highly entertaining offering. Recommended.

The Life Zone (2011)

Three pregnant women are kidnapped from abortion clinics and forced to carry to term. I'm going to date myself here but this reminded me of an extended episode of Night Gallery. This is a low intensity film that thoughtful viewers will enjoy more than one looking for simple entertainment (this has nothing to do with IQ, its more what mood you are in or type of viewer you are). If abortion is an issue that you can't stand to listen to people argue about, this is not a film for you. The 7 months the movie is supposed to span is very compressed and the 3 women take their captivity surprisingly well... nothing overtly stupid and no hysterics... something that will come as a relief for many movie fans. Nice little biting twist at the end to tie things up into a neat package.

Zombie 108 (2012)

Zombies Chinese style! This sets up like a fairly typical B movie, small budget and friends of friends filling in as oatmeal slathered zombies. But those sneaky Asians just couldn't leave it at zombies, they throw in a couple American yahoos looking to get high, a drug lord/police raid on top of that and just in case you still weren't lost, a serial killer using the zombies as cover to practice his hobby. So you have 3 different converging story lines that lead to an epic battle with a Asian zombie Fat Bastard!  Lots of twisty in this one. It has some of the failings you would expect from a B production, but instead of running from it they embrace and incorporate it into the larfs. Much better and fresher than what you may think. Fans of the genre may enjoy this tasty take out, I did.

Branded (2012)

In a world we no longer control one man will rise up and shout 'I see you!' into the darkness.  This is what I would call a Russian version of  Brazil (1985) but with nowhere near the fanfare (to be fair Brazil was a much better movie). I hear people complain all the time how there is no 'original' ideas making it to the screen but then when it happens people avoid it like the plague. This is one of those original ideas. Now if you decide to see this understand a significant amount of it is in Russian, but there is enough English that the story is easy(ish) to follow. Set in the turmoil after the fall of the Soviet Union when a busload of western corporations shows up to take advantage of the new market, Misha (the main character) gets swept into advertising by recognizing a couple truths and soon he is one of the rich guys.  Then you throw in Leelee Sobieski (shown above just rocking the hell out of that little black dress) an American with ideas for a reality show who has a crush on Misha.  So they get the show up and running and that's when everything goes sideways. Taking actual social issues about fast food, advertising, and PR manipulation this movie turns it into a David and Goliath battle for our souls with some CGI critters thrown in to illustrate Misha's scary new powers. While not your average fare (isn't that kind of the point?) I found this to be a clever and thought provoking look at the things our society views as normal but from a foreign perspective, as well as just being an enjoyable viewing experience. I think another 20 minutes would have been useful though as they make you jump to keep up in a couple places. I'm not ready to give this one a Happy Monkey, but its knocking on the door. Recommended.

The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

When a clan betrays its master over a shipment of gold Kung Fu Theater honor demands a reckoning!  Okay right out of the box if Russell Crowe gets your thighs warm DO NOT see this film or that image will be gone forever. This is a pretty standard Kung Fu theater style movie with a couple very cool character FX (like Bronze Body shown in picture), and a handful of fairly well known names to stick on the poster. (I have no idea what QT did.. maybe he stopped by the shoot and had a cup of java) and some Afrocentric back story with an urban beat.  Anyway the 'hero' is some rap figure I'm not familiar with who just wants to live the quiet life but gets boned for being a nice guy, and if that's not bad enough they go kill his girl too! Lucy Lui revives her Kill Bill role a bit, but this time as a madam of the hottest whore house in China that doubles as a guild of assassins. With gold on the line everyone but our golden hearted hero wants a taste!  Lots of Kung Fu action, some cool gadgets, some cool characters, and an unlikely underdog. The rap soundtrack worked to limit my enjoyment however, as the majority of the time it just didn't fit well with the action on the screen (sort of like Heavy Metal 2000).  I was hoping to come out of this one a lot more excited than I did but it didn't suck.

Grabbers (2012)

Strange Alien squid critters invade an Irish Island.  Not a bad watch, pretty funny, FX are respectable throughout. Sort of a Tremors meets Sean of the Dead or Black Sheep style movie. Very respectable.