‘Parker’ has ethics; ‘Quartet’ has heart; and ‘Memphis’ is insightful – Stan Robinson
‘Gretel’ glitches; ‘Quartet’ crumbles; and ‘Memphis’ moves – Joseph J. Airdo
The following are reactions from each of AZ Weekly Entertainment Magazine's film columnists, Stan Robinson, Randy Montgomery, and Joseph J. Airdo, in an effort to generate a well-rounded overview of this weekend's new releases.
The movies for Friday 25 January 2013 include ‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’ ‘Parker’, ‘Quartet’, and ‘West of Memphis’
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‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’
Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton play vigilantes who, after getting a taste for blood as children, must face an evil far greater than witches - their past. (R - 88 minutes)
Joseph: "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" starts off in a fast and furious fashion with practical special effects reminiscent of 80’s disasters such as “The Garbage Pail Kids Movie” and “Howard the Duck,” one-liners that are more likely to make you roll your eyes than laugh and unadulterated violence that forever defiles the basis behind children’s fairy tales. In other words, writer/director Tommy Wirkola’s action-packed fantasy flick begins as a very good bad movie. But, before long, the good goes away as the flick evolves into a strangely sober “Saturday Night Live” skit that overstays its welcome and exhausts its cheesy charm. (Grade: D)
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‘Parker’
Jason Statham plays a thief with a unique code of professional ethics who is double-crossed by his crew and left for dead. Assuming a new disguise and forming an unlikely alliance with a woman (Jennifer Lopez) on the inside, he looks to hijack the score of the crew's latest heist. (R - 118 minutes)
Stan: Admittedly an admirer of Jason Statham’s understated action actor films since the ‘Transporter’ movies, this latest offering doesn’t disappoint. His character staunchly follows and reinforces his code of ethics, commonly called ‘honor among thieves’, for a predictable story of vengeance and retribution while giving the viewer a 2-hour action packed ride with earnest performances by a well rounded cast for an afternoon matinee break from the reality of the woes facing our world today. (Grade: C+)
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‘Quartet’
Maggie Smith plays an eternal diva whose arrival disrupts a home for retired opera singers' annual concert. (PG-13 – 95 minutes)
Stan: In what I call ‘niche films’, those themes for a specific age/life group and in this case seniors as Maggie Smith, who star’s in ‘Downton Abbey’ and one of my favorite television series, provides the story glue that holds together the lightly stitched presentation of senior life. Dustin Hoffman, in his directorial debut, provides an eclectic group of characters, many of whom remind me of the various personality types who live in my downtown senior high-rise complex for an enjoyable 90 minute reflective view of the seniors in my orbit, and life in my complex. (Grade: C+)
Randy: It seems as if 2012 was the year for movies about the youthfulness of our older generations. All of these films were charming in their own right. The British seem to value their seniors a bit more than we do, as evidenced by the numerous releases last year featuring many of the same cast members. While not nearly as moving or heartfelt as its competitors, “Quartet” is an extremely likeable little film that should put a smile on the faces of audience members of all ages. Make sure to watch the end credits! (Grade: B+)
Joseph: “Quartet” - the latest movie that appears to be riding the newly formed wave of entertainment aiming to appeal exclusively to aging audiences - is so sweet and conflict free that it makes “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” look like an extremely complicated and complex motion picture. Granted, one does not want to upset the apple cart of viewers who venture out of their retirement homes on field trips to the picture show too much, but the new drama from director Dustin Hoffman - yes, that Dustin Hoffman in his inaugural effort behind the camera - is in desperate need of more weight. (Grade: F)
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‘West of Memphis’
Filmmaker Amy Berg examines a catastrophic failure of justice in Arkansas, telling the story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. (R - 147 minutes)
Stan: This next installment on the high profile West Memphis, Arkansas murder case of the early 1990s by director Amy Berg provides an overview of the controversial handling of the investigation of the event as well as a view of the various court systems of the state of Arkansas. The slow and deliberate pacing of the two and a half hour film, provides the viewer with many ‘pregnant pause’ moments as the facts unfold, and the extent that the Arkansas ‘powers-that-be’ will go to save face in a system gone wrong. (Grade: B+)
Randy: "Having followed the story of the West Memphis Three for years now having viewed all of the 'Paradise Lost' documentaries, I was extremely interested in seeing the latest documentary with the most up to date information. 'West of Memphis' is by far the most well made of them all. The filmmakers take a complicated story and tell it with ease. With a running time nearing two and a half hours, there's not a dull moment to be had. The story and film is so fascinating, you will be hard pressed not to spend hours afterwards doing even more research." (Grade: A)
Joseph: One would think that Amy Berg, the director of “West of Memphis” - a remarkably well-researched documentary that essentially condemns the criminal system for taking too long to grant justice to the wrongly convicted - would have found a way to tell the story of the West Memphis Three in less than two-and-a-half hours. All irony aside, this motion picture packs a powerful punch - both intellectually and emotionally. Prepare to be disturbed. Prepare to be angry. Prepare to be inspired. The movie is as compelling as it comprehensive, drawing those who are familiar with the case as well as newcomers deep into the difficult ordeal. (Grade: B)
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