2012

Devastating tidal wave

So, we all expect the world to end. The apocalypse has long since bewildered, frightened and intrigued mankind ever since he gained self awareness of his fragile state. The end of the world has always made fairly interesting movies, regardless of how the world loses its most prominent species. But leave it up to ‘Day After Tomorrow’ maestro Roland Emmerich and a long-gone Mezo-American civilization to scare movie goers stiff. ‘2012’ bases its scare factor on the probability that the world will end on precisely December 21^st, 2012...but just way worse then even they expected. (Lucky them!). Super-volcanoes, tectonic quakes that scar the globe, waves miles high. Yeah...but, mankind proves that again, it’s better to be smart than lucky, although Lady Luck just became his favorite deity. 

So, we all expect the world to end. The apocalypse has long since bewildered, frightened and intrigued mankind ever since he gained self awareness of his fragile state. The end of the world has always made fairly interesting movies, regardless of how the world loses its most prominent species. But leave it up to ‘Day After Tomorrow’ maestro Roland Emmerich and a long-gone Mezo-American civilization to scare movie goers stiff. ‘2012’ bases its scare factor on the probability that the world will end on precisely December 21^st, 2012...but just way worse then even they expected. (Lucky them!). Super-volcanoes, tectonic quakes that scar the globe, waves miles high. Yeah...but, mankind proves that again, it’s better to be smart than lucky, although Lady Luck just became his favorite deity.

 When a global cataclysm thrusts the world into chaos, divorced writer and father Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) joins the race to ensure that humankind is not completely wiped out. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, and Oliver Platt round out the cast of this end-of-the-world thriller co-scripted by the director and his 10,000 B.C. writer/composer, Harald Kloser. 

 

Day After Tomorrow

Picture of New York city being consumed by a tidal wave

This movie featured stars such as Dennis Quaid, Ian Holm, Sela Ward and Emmy Rossum.  The movie highlights the potency of a growing phenomenon that is Global Warming.  The movie starts with workers collecting ice core samples in the Arctic region when the ice shelf begins to break away, eventually the ocean temperatures began dropping drastically, extreme weather conditions word wide for example, snow in New Delhi.  Amidst all that the signs, at an international Climate Convention the signs were ignored.

From space astronauts observe three extreme storm systems over the United States.  Devastating tornadoes obliterate Los Angeles and the cause due to the increase in the ocean temperatures due to the large amount of cold water entering the oceans and as a result not getting a chance to heat up therefore affecting the North Atlantic current.  With the drastic increase in the ocean levels and the drastic decrease in temperature in some instance in excess of 25 feet saw the development of tidal waves one of which destroyed New York city.  Scientists in the movie noted that all things in nature only when an equilibrium is achieved, then the climate will return to normal, however these temperatures threaten a new Ice Age.

Given the devastation that is apparent, the United States is forced into reverse migration into Mexico.  A lesson is learned and now more consideration is being placed on the effects of foot prints being left by man on the earth.         

The Impossible

Natural disasters come in different forms.  The latest disaster in recent times was the typhoon that ravaged the Philippines. These disasters can happen at any time and cause serious damage not only to a country but cause families their loved ones.

However, The Impossible, is centered around the experience of a family of five in the 2004 tsunami while on vacation in Khao Lak, Thailand. The movie stars Naomi Watts (Maria), Ewan McGregor (Henry), Tom Holland (Lucas), Samuel Joslin (Thomas) and Oaklee Pendergast (Simon). The movie follows their survival after the tsunami and the search for each other.

After the tsunami hits the family becomes separated with Maria together with Lucas and Henry with Simon and Thomas. Maria is gravely injured by debris caused by the wave as she and Lucas are being swept away by the wave.

Maria and Lucas are helped by some locals who then transport them to a hospital. Because of her injuries Maria is admitted to the hospital and has to undergo surgery. Because of a mix up Lucas believes that his mother is dead but is later reunited with her in another part of the hospital.

Henry sends Simon and Thomas ahead with the other tourists and stays behind to look for Maria and Lucas. However, he later learns that his sons have been sent elsewhere.

Lucas recognizes his father’s pants and shouts after him he is too far and unable to hear him. At the same time Simon and Thomas arrive at the hospital and Simon jumps from the van because he has to pee as Thomas follows him.

The most amazing and tear-jerking moment comes when Simon and Thomas recognize Lucas’s voice and they all embrace followed by them reuniting with their father moments later.

The whole family is reunited when Lucas takes them to Maria’s bed side. The movie ends when they finally leave Thailand.

This movie was really captivating not only did it show the realities of a natural disaster but it showed the strength of family. It demonstrated how the ones we least expect to be brave and as well as show compassion are the ones who do as Lucas was able to be that strength for his mother until they finally reunite with the rest of their family.

United 93

Image of bomber onboard United 93

The movie United 93 was based on a re-enactment of the terror that faced the passengers on Flight United 93 from New York to San Francisco, United States of America and by extension the world on September 11th 2001.  It detailed the events and the mind-set of those involved from the time the first plane - American Airline 11 bound from Boston to LAX, struck the World Trade Centre in New York, with its 92 persons on board.  At the time of realizing that AA11 was unresponsive to demands and requests from the Air Traffic Control tower, the thought of it being a high jacking was a passing joke as there has not been a high jacking for almost 20years. NORAD (Northern Air Defence) was contacted and still required further confirmation on the status of AA11.  After receiving confirmation NORAD becomes battle ready but throughout the movie they never received any ROE (Rules of Engagement) or as needed in this case a 'shoot down authority' which can only be received from the President. 

AA11 disappears from the radar, at 8:46 a.m. a plane crashes into the northern tower of the World Trade Centre, all on-board are killed.    

United 175, attempts to hail this aircraft proves futile as it has vied off its path and was in the path of Delta 2317.  United 175 is confirmed as another high jacking and is approaching New York, descending rapidly.  The plane is seen on monitors turning and crashing into tower two of the World Trade Centre, all on -board were killed.

Four Ottis jet fighters are positioned over Manhattan.

FAA closes air space of the United States

American Airlines 77 is confirmed missing out of Dallas

NORAD engages and as yet has not received the ROE or shoot down authority.

Delta 1989 is suspected to be high jacked.

Smoke emanates from the Pentegon as a plane crashed into it.

United 93. One of the bombers strap himself with explosives and the cockpit is taken over by the Islamic militants.  The passengers on -board United 93 learn of the other planes and the World Trade Centre when they call their loved ones and decide to retaliate. Although the passengers retaliate, and the plane not reaching its intended target, at 10:36 a.m United 93 crashed into Shanksville field Pennsylvania, all persons on board was confirmed dead.

NORAD jets were 100 miles off.  

September, 11th opened the eyes of the world on the missteps taken on national security and each country took steps to minimize the instant of this or any such attack occurring in their country.  Over 3,000 persons died that day.September 11th 2001September 11th 2001 statisticsSeptember 11, 2001 statistics.

Olympus has Fallen

Issues of national security are more than often shown on the big screen with the US being the victim of either an alien invasion or terrorist attack and you can almost always expect there to be a traitor. The epitome of a national security issue, Olympus has fallen. Olympus, in greek mythology is a place where the Gods called home. The irony that the White House is being called Olympus but that's a whole other discussion altogether.

Gerard Butler stars as Mike Banning, an agent who was once on the president’s security detail. However following a car accident on a bridge where he chose to save the president which resulted in the first lady being killed. More than a year later, Banning is no longer on the president’s service. The movie also stars Angela Basset, Aaron Eckhart, Dylan McDermott and Morgan Freeman.

As the president meets with the Korean prime minister, a heavily armed military plane attacks the capital shooting down military jets and killing civilians in the streets below prompting the meeting to be cut short and the president ushered to the bunker beneath the white house. There it is revealed that Kang who arrived with the Korean prime minister is the one responsible for the attacks and has another plan in mind which is to see America as a wasteland.

Banning finds his way into the white house and must first find the president’s son then rescue the president from his kidnappers before they are able to retrieve the nuclear missile codes.

Forbes played by Dylan McDermott has betrayed his country and has joined forces with the North Korean rebels to take down America. Forbes is sent by Kang to kill Banning but is no match for him; in an effort to help undo his betrayal he tells Kang that he has killed Banning then Banning finally kills him.

After a failed attempt by the SEALs to gain back the white house, Banning has to try to save the president alone. 

When the helicopter requested by Kang is blown up with the remaining hostages on board it is assumed that he has taken his own life along with the president’s. However, Banning isn’t convinced and goes in search of Kang and the president. Banning is able to kill Kang and save the president but the countdown for the nuclear detonation has already begun. With 3 seconds to spare the nuclear bombs’ detonation is stopped and all is well for the United States.

What’s a good movie without a group of people in a room cheering about being alive and the safety of the Republic?

All in all what can be said about this movie and the realities are that a bunch of men play chess as it relates to the lives of the people of their countries. Their motivations based solely on greed, power or revenge and fueled by egos. 

“Olympus” did fall but only for 24 hours, Banning was quite efficient.

White House Down

"America will not be destroyed

From the outside.

If we falter

And lose our freedom,

It will be because

We destroy ourselves"

- Abraham Lincoln

So who would have thought that those words, uttered by the 16th president of the United States, would be prominent in a movie shot in 2013. America's war on terrorism is as surreal as it is gripping, but when the war occurs on American soil, both America and the rest of the world surely sits up and takes notice.

White House Down is just that, the war on terror brought home in stunning detail and riveting action, by Award winning director Roland Emmerich. And he's no stranger to chaos on a national level: who could forget his jaw-dropping work on Independence Day? Only this time he's ditched the aliens for a group of home-spun dissidents, the nation owes its survival to a single dad, who happens to be a street cop and the President reflects current trends, so to speak. Add in some mind-blowing visual effects (pardon the pun; a lot of minds are gonna be blown), a fairly solid storyline, dialogue that can be better and a thrill ride that at times forgets the 'thrill' part.

Channing Tatum plays John Cale, average working-class dad and Capitol officer who so desperately wants to join the exclusive Secret Service. He's inspired, brave and determined...but he also scores poorly in the tests and draws the wrath of recruiting officer Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhall), who thinks that he should just enjoy his job and his daughter Emily, played by a sprightly Joey King. But, he doesn't want his daughter to think less of him, so he endures the insults and the scorn by Finnerty. And since his daughter shares his patriotic passion for the single-most important symbol of American freedom, he decides to take his daughter to the White House for a tour and gets more than he bargained if he really gets the job.

Just as Cale begins to enjoy the day with his daughter, the Whie House security is suddenly and woefully overwhelmed by heavily armed men, lead by 'Walker', who thinks he can run the nation better than the current Head of State. Played in fine style by James Wood, Walker plan is fairly simple: remove the President, declare himself leader of the free world and reshape the global politics of the day. Only factor he didn't incorporate was a fairly determined Cale and a less than agreeable President Sawyer, done quite nicely by Jamie Foxx. Between Cale and Sawyer, they endure everything from slugfests in the Oval Office to dodging attack helicopters; racing the Presidential limo across the front lawn to staring down tanks along the Reflective Pool. But hey, it’s Emmerich, so all this feels quite like home.

Now this being an action movie, the action rolls out in spades. The drawback: sometimes the action 'stops' for no major reason to incorporate the dialogue. It comes across as forced or simply a 'filler' between the fight sceens and the humor between the two main protagonists doesn't always flow as naturally as it should. Then the scale of conviction is about as believable as Bush's reasons for war: the White House goes down really easily to thugs who barely shoot straight and for God's sake, where are the video cameras and security checkpoints? Yeah, feel free to just waltz in, the doors basically unlocked....

All in all, WHD isn't the WMD that producers thought it could have been, in light of the other survival successes that hit the big screen earlier this year. But, it isn't as bad as the Syrian crisis either. Depends on what your reason for seeing this blockbuster, you're sure to leave with two things, some degree of fulfillment and the burning question of "Can that REALLY happen?"  

   

This is the end

There are so many things that can be said about this movie and hilarious is definitely one of

those things.Who doesn't like a movie with their favorite stars playing the role themselves of course with the addition of an apocalypse? This is not your average  squeaky clean comedy, it doesn't lack explicitness, drugs and sexual imagery and references. The film centers around actors Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride. 

Jay Baruchel arrives in LA for a fun weekend with his friend Seth Rogen which literally turns into hell on earth. They go to a house party hosted by James Franco where there are many other celebrities in attendance including Mindy Kayling, Rihanna, Kevin Hart, Emma Watson, Michael Cera to name a few.

Jay and Seth leave to go get cigarettes because Jay feels uncomfortable at the party among the celebrities as he feels out of place. Suddenly while in the store there is an earthquake then a beam of blue light comes down and sucks people up. The two panic and return to Franco’s house, which to their surprise the party seems to be in full swing and no one believes their story. Another tremor rocks the house and everyone runs outside and sees the chaos that is happening.  A crater opens up and many of the party guests fall into the hole and plummet to

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

So once again I am going with a movie that was based on a book.

 

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was made in 2005, and it was based on the novel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Delia Ephron. The film introduces its protagonists as general types, but quickly grants them space to become interesting and complicated. The movie is about learning to appreciate what's in front of you as well as new experiences. But their most important lesson has to do with their mutual support and affection, which lasts over time. A quintessential coming of age movie for girls

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants follows four high school girlfriends who are spending their summer apart they vow to keep in touch by way of a pair of blue jeans that magically fits all their different body sizes perfectly. They mail the jeans to one another, along with letters to keep up with what's happening in each other's lives.

Lena (Alexis Bledel) is shy and quiet, on her way to visit relatives in Greece; Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) is an aspiring documentary-maker resents being stuck working at a local Wal-Mart-type store; resident golden girl Bridget (Blake Lively) is dealing with her mom's suicide and a distant father as she heads to soccer camp in Mexico; and young writer Carmen (America Ferrera) goes to North Carolina to visit with her long-absent father, Al (Bradley Whitford), who announces he's about to marry Lydia (Nancy Travis), whose two blond teens seem complete opposites of Carmen.

 During their vacations, they explore their emerging sense of independence, while figuring out how to maintain relationships with their families and with each other, and each girl learns a valuable life lesson.

 The film's depiction of loyalty and loss, especially as each of the girls loses something precious, is wonderfully done and it shows that the girls also each gains experience and faith in herself and her best friends. How do you support your friends when they feel sad or angry? How can you be mad at someone but also, at the same time, still love him or her? How can loss also be an occasion for learning, sharing, and emotional maturation?

 

 

Kids at Heart- Grown Ups 2

Imagine going back to your home town and reuniting with your school friends or childhood buddies and reliving your teenage years. However do not expect part 2 to be good as the 1^st movie. Middle aged men were partying with college frat students, diving off a cliff naked, acting inappropriately in public like Kevin James character burping, sneezing and farting instantaneously, vomiting, crotch sniffing, tongue kissing a Great Dane with a Mohawk etc. Actresses Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph and Maria Bello are the wives and mothers gawking at the fitness instructor. One point in time, Maya Rudolph asks the instructor if she "stick my tongue all the way down your throat." That's what you will expect in Grown Up 2. While some may get a good laugh with embarrassing scenes, almost none of the jokes were hilarious. The scene Lenny Feder played by Adam Sandler wakes up to see a deer straggled in his bedroom and hets urinated in hid face, as well  as his son Greg Feder (Jake Goldberg) was masturbating in the shower and completely mortified when his mother Roxanne played by Selma Hayek caught him in the act. This was continued by a spiral of shenanigans and buffoonery. 

With the help of his friends, Adam Sandler played Lenny plans to throws a party. The main cast consists of Chris Rock, Kevin James and David Spade. His buddies all middle aged men have eccentric family lives. Chris Rock is agitated that his daughter wants to be dating, David Spade is intimidated by thirteen year old son who he recently meets and Kevin James has a son and daughter who are my not too bright. In the end Lenny successfully throws an 80’s last day of school party with his buddies. In the scene Lenny confronts his childhood bull (Steve Austin) and had a massive fight on the lawn where the deer makes another guest appearance gnaws at college frat boy Taylor Lautner’s testicles. Based on the trailer and the reaction from audiences’ reviews from the first movie, I was enthusiastic to watch the show. Grown Ups 2 lacks innovation and it’s unoriginal. The script and characters was poorly written and the actors could have done better. 

Review of Beautiful Creatures

Movies being made from books has been an essential component of cinema from time immemorial. Many movie classics were based on books, and in some cases, the movie ends up being better than the book, or at least better well-known: For instance ‘The Godfather’, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’.

 Sometimes what makes for a good movies is a departure from some of the details that made the book. The conversion to the screen sometimes does not translate well for many offerings. For ‘Beautiful Creatures’ the formula works.

Coming on the heels of the rash of supernatural teen romances ‘Beautiful Creatures’ entered cinemas. Yes it tells the story of two star-crossed lovers: Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich), a young man wishing to escape his small town, and Lena (Alice Englert), a mysterious new girl. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and inevitably their town.

The twist comes from the other issues that are addressed in the plot. The story that illustrate the real-world scenario; you can’t choose your family. Lena, one of the lead characters, is being taken care of by her uncle Macon. Her mother, having gone off to the dark side, is unable to ‘feel’ for her daughter. The other family members come together it seems at holidays, but are very dis-connected from what is

Theme 2 - Friends

 The second theme that our group is going to look at is that of ‘Friendship’.  According to sociologists, one of the most important stages in an individual's emotional development is that of forming friendship bonds.

Friendship comes after parental bonding and before peer bonding. In the intervening period between the end of early childhood and the onset of full adulthood, friendships are often the most important relationships in the emotional life of the adolescent, and are often more intense than relationships later in life.

It is for this reason that we found this to be an adequate second theme. A friend is defined as a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

The following movies are a review of different types of friends and friendship bonds.

Enjoy!

Sources

·         Heyking, John von; Avramenko, Richard (2008). Friendship and Politics: Essays in Political Thought. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.

·         Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Review of Diary of a Mad Black Woman

Diary of a Mad Black Woman is based on a story of a woman finding herself and regaining her

independence after suffering emotionally at the hands of her husband.  The story was written and directed by Tyler Perry.  The movie featured persons such as Kimberly Elsie, Shamar Moore, Tamara Taylor, Tiffany Evans, Cicley Tyson and of course Tyler Perry who plays the infamous Madea.  The Major cast members were Charles Mc Carter (prominent lawyer), his wife Helen Mc Carter, Helen's mother - Norma Jean, Helen's aunt Madea, Helen's cousin Brian (lawyer), Brian's wife Deborah and Orlando, Brian's friend.

Charles - a prominent lawyer ill treats his wife, Helen of 18 years and puts her out of their sprawling matrimonial home on their anniversary.  Helen moves into her aunt Madea's home and encounters Deborah who is battling a drug abuse problem.  At a family gathering, Helen meets Orlando who coincidentally is the person that helped her move out of her home.  Helen is obviously

After Earth

Review of ‘The Incredibles’

Being a superhero may not always the easiest job in the world. Sure being able to bench-press a mountain may be a breeze, but trying doing so when you’re raising a family of superheroes, bringing home the bacon with a job you care less for and maintaining a government sanctioned secret identity, while craving the ‘glory days’….

In this brawny animated movie, the plot is fairly simple…super humans or ‘supers’ are they are affectionately called, are forced into civilian retirement when Robert Parr aka ‘Mr Incredible’ injures a civilian who was trying to commit suicide. Add to the list are numerous complaints about structural damage and reckless endangerment, and you can clearly understand why supers aren’t needed. All this couldn’t have happened at a worse time for him either, as he’s about to be married to the ever-flexible ‘Elastigirl’, in front of a few family and super-powered friends. Life just couldn’t get any better.

Because it doesn’t…

Fast forward 15 years and Mr Incredible is now a working man with three kids, caught up in the cogs of commerce. But, being a superhero is all that he knows and every fibre of him radiates with that spirit. So it’s quite understandable, at least to him that his short and highly annoying boss ends up in the Intensive Care after going

Theme 1 - Family

The first theme that we looked at for this project is that of “The Family”. To this one may ask; what is ‘family’, well according to the Online Dictionary; a Family is

1.         a. A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents    and their children.

            b. Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments

           to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place.

2. All the members of a household under one roof.

3. A group of persons sharing common ancestry.

 Another view, a more modern one at that is where the family is seen as a group of two or more people that are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who usually live together in the same household. This includes newlyweds without children, gay partners, couples with dependants, single mothers or fathers with children, siblings living together, and many other variations. At least one person in the family has to have crossed the age of majority. That is, having crossed into adulthood.