Tag: Thomas Haden Church

JOHN CARTER movie review (2012)

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Dedicated to Steve Jobs, this high budget, high concept film essentially offers another cowboy meets aliens film with far less gimmick but a lot more Disney. It feels a bit like Return of the Jedi meets Prince if Persia meets Avatar. Watch for legitimate Jedi allusions. It was a blast. Decent writing – its far cleverer than I presumed, funny and pretty classy.

Riggins returns as a warrior with nothing left but self interest and gold lust until one day…the inciting incident of this film transports you from High Noon to Tatooine.

This title role was originally created one hundred years ago as a sci-fi novel series. John Carter, as a character, is truly likable.

His strong female counterpart, though beautiful with a sultry dark voice, would be better cast as antagonist, or sister, or queen of hearts, or the one-scene seductress. The character feels monotone at best, but I think I’d fire her costume designer first. Another odd choice was the robed Mark Strong – classic bad guy since he dawned the cloak and angry eyes in the first Sherlock. He’s back, bald, still bitter, and holding all of the cards. Otherwise, casting was lovely from Cranston to Church, (as in Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame who plays Powell, a Civil War scoundrel, and Thomas Haden Church who voices one of the inhabitants of Mars).

Fortunately, the title role does for this film what he did for Friday Night Lights. He looks good, adds heart, and fights until he wins the day.

WE BOUGHT A ZOO (2011) movie review

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Matt Damon proves the best sort of family man dealing with grief in this feel-good film, We Bought a Zoo.  Despite the inane title and its cutsie repeat as mantra, this movie rolls along sweetly in so many ways. Relationships float into each other. Conflict is not the name of the game.

Jonsi’s music transports us. It’s euphoric. His long-building melodious tones feel like triumph, like a hug, like forgiveness in action.  It almost feels like they tried to make this movie around the music. Sadly, the spoken words could not compare to the soundtrack. Two parallel trains…two separate destinations. The story felt conceptual rather than event-driven. Like a cooking show if we actually took the time to watch the chef chop and measure it all then wait calmly for the goodness to bake. This film takes time to bake, and Damon’s character is certainly full of goodness.

Handsome, gentle, sentimental, patient, consistent: the perfect man. Surreal? The daughter is precocious and perfect. The only miscast was perhaps the angsty artist son who was likeable but dull in the mix.  Thomas Haden Church was a favorite. If only all of these sweet characters had been given believable lines and a memorable story plot.

Fortunately, Cameron Crowe is a master at filming awe and knowing glances. This is a comfort film with animals, but we know in the end…it is all about the people.