Movie Review: Cowboys & Aliens

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When I first saw the trailer for Cowboys & Aliens, I was excited. Combining the old west with science fiction seemed pretty cool. Director Jon Favreau had hit a home run while directing Iron Man. While not getting a home run on this go around he at least gets on base.

The movie starts out with some promise. A stranger (Daniel Craig) who is wearing a large metal shackle on his left wrist walks into a classic dry and dusty town. You meet the town preacher (Clancy Brown), bar keep (Sam Rockwell), cattle rancher (Harrison Ford), doe eyed town woman (Olivia Wilde), sheriff (David Caradine) and trouble maker (Paul Dano) which are all essential elements to your standard western. Shortly thereafter they are staring at lights in the sky and all heck breaks loose. Things blow up, people are killed and some are taken away. The townsfolk set off to try to rescue their loved ones.

This is where the story gets a bit contrived. It takes place in 1873 in the south west. For these people to see flying machines and electric lights and people being swept up into the sky, they really didn't freak out all that much. When they see the aliens, they pretty much seem cool, calm and collected. They did refer to them as demons which would make sense, but it didn't have the shock factor to the locals that you think would happen. Cliches and formulaic events continue leading up to the big climatic battle that takes on cowboys, aliens and indians as the players.

During the 118 minute running time there were moments of "Wow" and moments of "That's cool" for the most part of the movie. It's those moments of "Huh?' that held the movie to a base hit. Cowboys & Aliens was rated PG-13 for intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference.

The Movie Monkey

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Aulani Construction update for July 30

To see the full collection of update photos go here

Spoiler photos

I received another message last week informing me that the construction wall along beach side had been removed. When I went out, there were thirty days left before the resort is to open.

• Coming in the guard shack has a new Ko Olina resort sign.
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• There are now a couple of Ko Olina resort direction signs in the median.
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• Around the front and Diamond Head side of Aulani, there is new grass planted and the irrigation systems are in place.
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• The kiosk in the front is now gone. It has been replaced with one beach side once again!
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• The sign for the resort has the name, but not the title
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• Those items that I thought might be torches are. I was shown a picture of a unit and it looked cool! There were several units in the front of the resort that are now darkened and had their bases removed. Looks like they were working on them. I imagine they would contain an electric start.
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• There was additional plant work still being doing in the front. A couple of utility boxes are now being hidden by puakinikini plants and a tree was arriving at the resort.
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The main changes were the back with the removal of the construction wall. I got as we say in Hawaii, chicken skin....other places would say goose bumps! The area looks amazing!

• There is a place where cactus is growing. Yes Hawaii does have some dry zones!
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• There is new lighting. There is path lighting and what looked like atmosphere lighting. It looked a little modern for the area, but I'm sure once I see it at night, it will look good. For Atmosphere there were two types. The first is a large bubble sitting on the ground. The other is a unit with three small white globes about the size of a golf ball. I'm wondering if they have LED lighting and can change color!
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• The staff was doing rehearsals. One was for a pool party for the kids. There was a man in an outfit that was practicing his speech with a script. I don't know if he was going to be for the pool party.
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• The beach had what appeared to be a small version of a Hawaiian double hulled sailing canoe which has been used in their commercials and updates. There were also lime green stand up paddle boards that may be Disney's. There were a number of them out and the Marriott said they weren't theirs.
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Lastly, spoiler alert! As you walk along the beach path and if you look at the Disney property, you will see menehune and lava animals. These fun discoveries have been talked about for some time. For the regular update section, I have not included these pictures in case you want to see them when you come out for a visit. If you would like to see the ones that can be seen as you follow the beach walkway around the lagoon you can check out this special set over on my Flickr site.
Spoiler pics

To those people who have helped be my eyes and ears as to what's happening at the resort, a big mahalo for your continued help and support.

If you are on Oahu on September 3, I'm want to get together with people out at Aulani to walk around the grounds and maybe go for some food. If you're interested, please contact me so I can get an idea of numbers!

To see the full collection of update photos go here

Spoiler photos

Movie Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

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Was I surprised when I arrived at the theater. I was there twenty minutes before the show began and it was pretty packed! I need an aisle seat and the upper section was filled so I ended up in the second row staring up at the screen. By the time that the main feature started, a quick glance around the theater showed there were only a handful of empty seats scattered here and there and they were all singles. That should bode well for the producers as they get ready for the 2012 release of The Avengers. On its own, Captain America: The First Avenger stood its ground.

It's 1942 and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wants to serve his country. Unfortunately, as demonstrated at a recruiting center at the World Expo being given by Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) (yes, that Howard Stark, engineering genius and the future father of Tony Stark, the future Iron Man) Steve can't even fill the shoes for a recruitment poster in either height or stature. A similar process that was used to reverse age Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button brought Evans down to a five foot four 98 pound weakling. But what he lacked in the physical department, his heart made up for. It was that trait which brought Rogers to the attention of Dr Erskine (Stanley Tucci).

Dr Erskine with the help of Stark produced a serum and a Vita-Ray that would amplify what a man already had. This time it worked to make Rogers taller and buff. In a previous attempt at the serum, Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) had far less impressive results but it did work. Schmidt heads up HYDRA as Nazi Germany's deep science division who set about to find the Cosmic Cube. An object that while others may say is legend, he believes to be real. And real is was. HYDRA was able to extract energy from the cube making super weapons. This is where the movie turned into a steam punkish movie.

The movie was a period piece with a twist. The look and feel of the forties but with the super energy fueling these incredibly powerful weapons. Guns and bullets and grenades going up against these futuristic cannons and blasters. I bought into it. The 125 minute running time passed quickly and was aptly rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action. The pacing with the action and expository mixed well. Intermingled at the right times to break the tension were some good chuckles.

The movie struck the right tone across the board. The love interest between Rogers and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) struck the right balance within adding to the story and not distracting from the mission which was defeating the bad guy. Weaving provided the necessary badness as Schmidt/The Red Skull for the bad guy with the master plan. Stanley Tucci, well....maybe a little over done with the German accent. And in case you needed a break from the action there is a song and dance segment of The Star Spangled Man written by Alan Menken of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast fame. What patriotic American hero wouldn't want to help sell war bonds to help hang the noose on the goose stepping goons from Berlin? A nice little addition usually not provide in a super hero movie.

Make sure you stay all the way through the credits. Like many of the other Marvel movies this one throws an extra nugget at you but it throws you a full blown wing and thigh piece that you can chew on as you wait for the Summer 2012 movie season to begin.

The Movie Monkey

To subscribe to the audio podcast of the reviews via iTunes click here. Audio versions are released the following Wednesday.

July Disney Aulani Construction Update v1.5

To see the complete collection of pictures, go here

Received a call from my friend who lives out in Ko Olina. She gave me some information and I made a special trip out to the resort on Saturday, July 23 to take some more pictures. I walked around the Aulani property, took some shots and in just ten days since my last visit there were noticeable changes. I tried to take pictures from Ihilani looking over where Laniwai will be. Unfortunately, most of those pictures didn't come out. I went out a couple hours earlier in the day from when I usually go. The windows were dirty and with lower angle of the sun, my camera kept focusing on the glass and not the view beyond.

Here is what I noticed:

• More road paving had been done leading into the Ko Olina property.
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• The water feature at the entrance to Ko Olina now has water!
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• Just after the security station, there is now a sign warning people of the property improvements happening.
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• New lagoon signage on both sides of Aulani.
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• Sprinkler/irrigation was being tested on the west side of the resort along Olani Street.
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• There was some stone laid in Laniwai.
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• The public parking lot before Aulani is now repoened.
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• Flag stone was done being installed at the base of the path from the west side public parking lot.
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• The planters by Ihilani were completed.
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• The embankment on the east side of the lagoon had grass planted/laid in.
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• The east side public parking is still closed.
  
• The irrigation/sprinkler system on the west side was installed.
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• There was a crew working to take up the top soil along the front of the property.
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AND....what caused me to head out in the first place - The large green construction wall along Aliinui Drive was removed for the most part and replaced with orange safety netting. This allowed direct unobstructed view into the property along the front of the property.

Before

After

The opening is getting close. When I entered the Marriott, there was a sign for a rehearsal room. They are gone now, but there were posts that I saw talking about Kealii Reichel and I think it was the Tau dance company who were practicing for the opening of Aulani. For those that don't know, Kealii is a singer, song writer and a kumu hula. Over the years he has also won a number of Na Hoku Hanohano Awards which is Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy award in different categories including Favorite Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year.

When you look at the collection over on Flickr, I have some different detail shots and some fun ones of people and activities happening over there. If you are interested in making a kamaaina or military discount booking contact Lindsey and let her know that Joel sent you!

To see the complete collection of pictures, go here

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

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The date has finally arrived for the Harry Potter saga to come to a close. Millions of fans from around the globe has been patiently waiting the eight months to view the final epic battle that takes place at Hogwarts after watching our heroes Harry, Ron and Hermione (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson) searching and destroying the horcruxes from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. The road movie that was Part 1 shifts focus in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 to become a war movie that for its fans gives a very satisfying pay off for the long interlude between the two sections.

Undoubtedly, this was the biggest event of the summer and I was ready for it! I used a M&M's discount code to cut my out of pocket cost for the ticket. At the snack bar I used my loyalty coupons for a free small popcorn and soda which I upgraded to large and then went even further and splurged on some white cheese powder for the popcorn. I had been waiting a long time to see how the movie would draw to a conclusion as compared to the book and wanted to make the most of it!

The story pics up right where Part 1 left off. Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennese) has claimed the Elder Wand and Harry has just finished burying Dobby the elf. No extra exposition to recap and bring people up to date if they didn't see Part 1. The trio make a stop at Gringotts Bank and then head back to Hogwarts where most of the 130 minute running time takes place. Chances are you'll see one of your favorite members of the Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts professor or student that you might not have seen in a while making you realize how immense of a world J K Rowling had in her mind and the characters that were created to fill it.

Credit needs to be given to screen writer Steven Kloves and director David Yates and the various producers on the decision to split the film and give the climatic battle its due. One of the criticisms of the series as a whole is how much detail, sub plots and little extras have been left out as the books have been translated. The battle of Hogwarts as shown on the big screen was more than I had envisioned in my own head. The sequences of intense action violence and frightening images during the fighting scenes earned the movie a PG-13 rating. One little part that brought some laughs was Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) calling suits of armor to life to protect the castle. This seemed be be a throw back nod to Disney's 1971 feature Bedknobs and Broomsticks where Angela Landsbury's Eglantine Price casts a spell giving life to war regalia, uniforms and weapons to battle off the Nazis. The Death Eaters have been compared to Nazis so the similarities between the two seems appropriate.

Throughout the whole series the question lingers in the back ground, is Severus Snape good or bad? Alan Rickman has had to play the part balancing on an edge not knowing the true nature of his character until the seventh and final book was released. As you watch Professor Snape's back story fill in you'll garner a fuller appreciation for the wonderful portrayal of such a complex character that has done by Rickman.

One of my criticisms in the last movie was that at certain points where there should have been critical emotional high points, they fell flat. That wasn't the case in this film. At key moments when there was silence or low volume in the sound track you could hear the sniffling of people in the theater. I do believe that it was because the direction of the film pulled the tears out of the audience rather than this just being the end of the series. Speaking of the end, after the actors faces fade from the screen, you can leave the theater. Unlike the credits for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which had the interesting marauder's map as the background, there was nothing special done for this final film.

Now that the story of The Boy Who Lived has completed we'll need to keep an eye on next year's Oscars. The Potter series to date has drawn little acclaim from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with a few nominations for categories like art direction, score and costumes. With the completion of eight films comprising almost 20 hours of screen time and grossing over $6 billion in sales which makes it the highest grossing series and that's not including Part 2 will the Academy show any love to the saga either to the last two films or to the series as a whole? We'll just have to wait and see. Regardless of what the Academy does, the fans will continue to shower the series with love and hope the J K Rowling has a lot more from the wizarding world via her Pottermore web site which releases in October.

The Movie Monkey

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Movie Review: Zookeeper

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To listen, press the play button on the player below


Adam Sandler's company Happy Madison Productions is at it again with another slightly off beat romantic comedy. Sandler doesn't appear on screen, but makes his voice heard as Donald, the Capuchin monkey. Sylvester Stallone, Cher, Maya Rudolph, Nick Nolte and Don Rickles are other high powered stars that lending their vocal talents to bring a lion, a lioness, giraffe, gorilla and frog to life. Just as toys come to life when people aren't around, animals can speak in English when left alone, it's their code that keeps the secret. Although, they break their code when they find out that the person who has taken the best care of them is thinking of leaving Boston's Franklin Park Zoo. It's Sandler's buddy Kevin James playing Griffin Keyes who is the Zookeeper.

As I sat there munching down my free small popcorn courtesy of Regal Theaters and Yahoo!, the movie immediately starts off with Griffin's elaborately set up and staged proposal to his girlfriend Stephanie (Leslie Bibb). She not only rejects him but then rebuffs him as well. Apparently Griffin never thought to test the waters before the expensive proposal and was ambushed with her answer. One of the reasons for the snub? His job as a zookeeper wasn't good enough for her.

Flash forward five years. Griffin has remained away from any romantic relationships but throws himself into his zoo work. He's good at it and his fellow zookeepers know it. His relationship with bird specialist Kate (Rosario Dawson) is very cordial and friendly as they save a lioness who stopped breathing. It's established right away that these two should be together but neither see it. Stephanie re-enters the picture at a zoo event. When the animals hear that Griffin may leave his position, they jump into action to try to assist him thereby breaking the code by speaking to him to help him win back the girl.

The animals attempt to teach Griffin on how to gather a mate. One by one each gives Griffin a lesson, most times on zoo grounds, which ends up in an embarrassing situation while being taught and again each time he tries to put the lesson into practical application. Double embarrassment, double the laughs, right? They even go so far as to try to suggest making Stephanie jealous. Griffin asks Kate to go with him to the same event where Stephanie and her current boyfriend Gale (Joe Rogan) will be. Griffin's up front by telling Kate she'll be a pawn in an attempt to win back the women who dumped him five years ago. You know where it goes from there, it's pretty formula.

The humor set out is pretty broad. It goes back and forth between the animal relationships and the human ones. It doesn't get mean spirited and at times provides some good giggles as a man attempts to follow the practices suggested by the various species. With the talk of animal attraction methods, the movie was rated PG for some rude and suggestive humor, and language. There were moments for chuckles, guffaws and a belly laugh or two during the one hour and forty-four minute movie.

Co-stars Ken Jeong and Boston hometown actor Donnie Wahlberg add in a few moments of levity and seriousness as the zoo's resident reptile wrangler and jerk. Just the joke of the lizard man nicknamed Venom wasn't enough they had to add in some other cold blooded animal humor. In the end it's a strong long hard look in the mirror that makes Griffin have a Dorothy moment realizing that which he thought he wanted elsewhere is nothing like what he already had at home. For a few extra smiles during the credits, hang around for a bit. They give some outtakes and some funny singing!

The Movie Monkey

To subscribe to the audio podcast of the reviews via iTunes click here. Audio versions are released the following Wednesday.