Movie Review: "Getaway" Crashes In, Over and Over Again

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August 30, 2013

Getaway is wrecking in to theaters, but don’t write it off quite yet! While the trailer makes the film look like a jumble mess of your average forgettable summer action flick, director COURTNEY SOLOMON actually has created a pretty unique yet classic blood-pumping action thriller, yet this very thing may be its downfall. Does this mean you should race out to see this movie? Well, you be the judge.

Academy Award nominee ETHAN HAWKE (“Training Day”) aka washed up former star and musical sensation SELENA GOMEZ aka former teen Disney star breaking from the mold team together as basically the only two people in this film. Yes, JON VOIGHT (“National Treasure” films) is the protagonist in the film, but is really just the man on the other side of the phone calling all the shots. Really, it was an excellent voice acting job, and we do get to see his lips moving often, but don’t see this just for him.

In a series of what is believed to be unfortunate events, SELENA’S character who is known only as “the Kid” finds herself trapped in a Shelby GT500 Super Snake with former race car driver Brent Magna played by HAWKE. Due to a couple of unforeseen events that are quickly revealed, GOMEZ is found holding up HAWKE, but is forced into the car by the unseen voice coming from the stereo. The true adventure of this bizarre duo begins here.

The plot of Getaway is revealed within seriously only a couple of minutes of this non-stop action 85 minute flick. Brent Magna is found stealing this Shelby GT500 Super Snake thanks only to VOIGHT’S voice telling him he has to if he wants to see his wife again. In a series of back and forth clips of Brent’s wife being kidnapped and Brent stealing this car and speeding through the chaotic streets of Europe, it is quickly evident of the story we will be seeing.

This is a “chase” film with only one goal, receive the prize at the other end. GOMEZ and HAWKE are forced to work tirelessly together to complete the missions VOIGHT’S faceless character puts them through trusting Brent’s former racing skills will help him achieve what he wants and ultimately freeing Brent’s wife.

The trailer really explains all there is needed to know besides just maybe a couple of small twists. These are nothing that really make this plot any more special or creative. Getaway really seems to have been made for an excuse to have a film of nonstop car chasing, adrenaline pumping, mindless thrill-ride. Yup, they succeeded, but in doing so it may have cost them from what makes any film good.

The challenge of any action packed action blockbuster is giving the audience a reason to get emotionally invested and honestly care for the characters livelihood. Well, yes they are in a mission to get his beautiful wife back, however after countless car chasing scenes where the heroes just barely get away, unhurt, and the car hardly touched in this case, it becomes dull. A movie of all edge-of-your-seat action actually causes the audience to become desensitized to the drama on the screen.

After 45 minutes, there’s no longer any type of shake up from a status quo where everything is normal. In many films, books, and stories you have ups and downs and a momentum that leads to a climax. In films like Getaway, the climax starts from the inciting incident and continues till the end. While entertaining and suspenseful at moments, this type of storytelling leaves the viewer frankly just bored. The premise and all the bits of information were explained within minutes with only little keys given later to try to understand a motif.

I would have enjoyed seeing Brent and his wife in a loving scene before all this takes place to give me some type of connection to the two as well as perhaps some middle areas where we slow down to see some of Brent’s history that has lead up to this moment. Instead we get a short clip of him crashing his car in a professional race, which apparently is the reason that made him a nobody. After a quick explanation to GOMEZ we understand what happened, but then are quickly back in a chase. With a collective sigh, here we go again.

Luckily, GOMEZ and HAWKE isn’t as annoying as one may expect, except for the first few minutes of them together where GOMEZ is just a little know-it-all brat that won’t shut up. Her character however is somehow a brilliant hacker because simply explained… all teenage girls can hack into anything including the government because they have grown up with technology. You can end my suspension of disbelief there.

I was happy to see GOMEZ a little more natural though. It didn’t appear over the top that we may have come to expect from her. The two end up working well together. We even see some vulnerability from GOMEZ’S character, but it doesn’t last long.

There really isn’t much to discuss about the bulk of the movie except that the whole movie is taken place in a car. Not my choice of cars, but that’s another topic. The best part of this though is that almost nothing in the film was green screened or created with CGI. All the car chasing scenes are rather raw and believable, to a certain extent, creating a gritty more natural look to the film. There were definitely A LOT of use from GoPros. My favorite scene is a long shot that came out of nowhere of the view from the front bumper of his car as HAWKE is chasing an SUV through long stretches of European roads. It’s actually quite remarkable and very well organized. The logistics alone seem mind-numbing. This one moment I felt like I was a part of the action and was actually in this dangerous environment as if he crashed then I was doomed as well.

Getaway is a car version of Phone Booth with COLIN FARRELL except without as good of a rewarding end. In fact, if writers SEAN FINEGAN and GREGG MAXWELL PARKER went more this route by showing how HAWKE’s character has gone off the deep end and we actually saw a transformation, then maybe, just maybe, the film would have felt more rewarding and complete.

Instead Getaway remains a simple and raw action thriller without a lot of substance. It’s a fantastic film to see if you want just a ride and nothing else. There are a few great action sequences you may love if you don’t get too tired of them beforehand. Be aware of a lot of screeching and a plethora of metal against metal scraping. It will definitely keep your mind off the rest of the world for an hour and a half and it was refreshing to see all real action. Getaway will definitely get your adrenaline pumping, but for how long is the question.

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Disney Reveals Limited Edition DuckTales Posters from Mondo

By

Robbie Bulus

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August 27, 2013

To celebrate the newly released DuckTales: Remastered video game, Disney has teamed up with pop-culture art gallery Mondo to create a limited edition DuckTales poster series!

The posters won’t be available for purchase until Wednesday August 28th, but you can get a sneak peak of Scrooge and the gang right here. Enjoy.

Blu-Ray Review: The Great Gatsby

By

Shaun Beckerman

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August 27, 2013

If ever there was a story tailor made for a Baz Luhrman adaption, The Great Gatsby would be it. As a tale of decadent extravagance and forbidden love, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary masterpiece is perfect fodder for his over-the-top style. And while Luhrman nails the chaos and grandeur of Gatsby’s life, he continues the tradition of not-entirely successful film adaptations by glossing over the thematic heft that has made the story a bona-fide classic.

This film seems to further cement the notion that no filmmaker will ever craft a worthy depiction of Fitzgerald’s novel. The plot points are all there, but that’s all there is. In one of the Blu-Ray features, Luhrman recounts how he came up with a way to depict the internal monologues that drive the novel. Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carroway, the narrator of the story, and Luhrman has framed the film with an entirely unsuccessful bookending device wherein Carroway begins writing the novel upon which the story is based. During these sequences, we see the classic text of the novel appearing on screen, interacting with the surroundings, and it’s a remarkably poor decision that represents all the flaws of the film. It reinforces the fact that the film is all text, with nothing truly happening under the surface.

But boy, does it look pretty. The parties are perfectly over-the-top, the world perfectly realized in a hauntingly beautiful way. With ambitiously stylized special effects that never look real, but seem perfectly suited to the world being created, this is a film of enormous scope. Their is a cartoon like quality to everything that sucks the viewer in, but never allows one to fully engage. I believe this is partially the point.

The cast is uniformly excellent throughout, with Leonardo DiCaprio standing out in a flawless portrayal of the titular character. This is a haunted man, living a false life while putting on the airs of perfection. There is a mystery to Gatsby’s past, and DiCaprio plays the character with that mystery behind his eyes. It’s a subtle performance, providing some of the only subtext to make it into the film. Cary Mulligan is just fine in the role of Daisy Buchanan, perfectly adequate but not entirely elevating the material in any significant way. Other standouts include Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, and even Isla Fisher in a small but pivotal role.

Keeping with the theme of excess, Warner Bros has released a fantastically packed Blu-Ray with an excess of extras. Not only that, but this is as near a perfect visual experience as I’ve seen on my home entertainment system. Presented in 1080P High Definition, the film just pops off the screen, brilliantly depicting an artist’s palette at work in it’s extremes of light and color. Warner Bros. has put together a disc that will be used to showcase my entertainment system for a very long time. It’s a perfect demonstration piece.

One of the more controversial elements of the film is the soundtrack. Featuring modern music from the likes of Jay Z, Florence and the Machine, etc., the soundtrack is frequently incorporated into the story in extremely clever ways. The film takes place during the Jazz Age, but the modern music somehow fits right in, timeless in it’s modernity. This feels like the music that New York would be made of, regardless of when you are there, and it’s a fascinating aural experience. The Dolby Digital soundtrack perfectly captures a very complicated sound mix, and is another showcase for the home entertainment system.

As for the extras, there are several features that cover a great deal of material in relation to the film, the novel, and the place the story has in society. There are features about Luhrman and his inspiration that led to the film, about the jazz age, about the modernity of the soundtrack, the special effects, and on and on. It’s a loaded set, and worthy viewing for anybody with even a passing interest in the film.

Overall, I was very torn on this film. I wish there was a way to depict the depth of Fitzgerald’s novel, but by it’s very nature, that just doesn’t seem possible. As a standalone film however, Luhramn has created an immersive experience, unique and unforgettable.

Own “The Great Gatsby” on Blu-ray Combo Pack and HD Digital Download NOW!

“The Great Gatsby” Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and 2-Disc Standard Definition DVD Special Edition contain the following special features:[unordered_list style=”bullet”]

The Greatness of Gatsby
“Within and Without” With Tobey Maguire
The Swinging Sounds of Gatsby
The Jazz Age
Razzle Dazzle: The Fashion of the ’20s
Fitzgerald’s Visual Poetry
Gatsby Revealed
Deleted Scenes
Trailers

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Universal Studios Hollywood Announces ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ Event Tickets NOW on Sale!

By

Robbie Bulus

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August 27, 2013

Tickets are now on sale for “Halloween Horror Nights,” Southern California’s premier Halloween event, taking place at Universal Studios Hollywood on 21 select nights from September 20 through November 2, 2013.

Tickets to this year’s event are available for purchase at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/hollywood, including a Front of Line ticket option that enables guests to enjoy priority access at each maze and theme park attraction, as well as a premium VIP Experience ticket offering guests an enhanced guided tour of “Halloween Horror Nights.”

Advance purchase is recommended as event nights will sell out.

This year, the contemporary urban city streets, towering skyscraper, brick-faced facades and industrial exteriors that make up Universal Studios’ world-famous production facilities will serve as a backdrop location for “Halloween Horror Nights” as Universal Studios Hollywood creates elaborate maze settings from iconic movie sets and soundstages never before used in this popular, award-winning event.
“We’re thrilled to be working with today’s leading horror movie, television and music properties to bring another bone-chilling ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ to life at Universal Studios Hollywood,” said John Murdy, Creative Director, Universal Studios Hollywood. “Our collaboration with renowned filmmakers, producers and artists contributes immensely to the event’s authenticity. The limited amount of Front of Line and VIP Experiences tickets available to our guests provides great options to enhance this special experience.”

“Halloween Horror Nights” 2013 brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in the living, breathing, three-dimensional world of the most notorious and terrifying creatures. Featuring a slate of unparalleled film production quality mazes, fright-filled scare zones, compelling new backdrop maze locations and a new “Terror Tram” experience, uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” will taunt, terrorize and torment guests with incomparable spellbinding and horrifying haunted attractions.

AMC’s Golden Globe-nominated and Emmy Award-winning TV series returns to “Halloween Horror Nights” and will feature an all-new disturbingly real maze, inspired by Season 3 of the cult favorite television blockbuster. “The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven” maze will place guests at the core of the show’s once impenetrable prison, the West Georgia Correctional Facility, now overrun by decaying walkers. The disturbingly real haunted attraction will send them cowering through the walker-infested wilderness that surrounds the prison and into the seemingly utopian town of Woodbury where gruesome secrets are concealed.
Other haunted attractions will include “Evil Dead: Book of the Dead,” based on Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s chilling remake of the cult classic; “Black Sabbath: 13 3D,” inspired by the darkest lyrics from the legendary rock band’s 43-year history of Heavy Metal music, and “Insidious: Into The Further” based on the disturbing “Insidious” film franchise that explores the darkest corners of the paranormal experience.

“El Cucuy: The Boogeyman,” a startling, terror-filled maze based on the Latin American legend of the mythical, shape-shifting monster, will feature chilling narration by prolific actor and producer, Danny Trejo, and “Universal Monster Remix: Resurrection,” will complete the lineup with new sounds from acclaimed artist/DJ Figure, and all-original monsters inspired by fan-generated character competitions along with a legion of Universal’s legendary monsters re-defined for the 21st century.

A new reign of terror in new scare zones based on Universal Pictures’ blockbuster movie “The Purge” and Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s upcoming Blu-ray release of “Curse of Chucky,” will also come to life to terrify “Halloween Horror Nights” guests.

The highly-entertaining and edgy “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure” returns in an all-new production, adding to the already dynamic “Halloween Horror Nights” event, while such theme park’s favorites remain open throughout the event: “Transformers: The Ride -3D,” “Jurassic Park® In the Dark,” “The Simpsons RideTM” and “Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride.”

“Halloween Horror Nights” kicks off on Friday, September 20, 2013 and continues on 21 select nights through Saturday, November 2, 2013. Event dates are: September 20, 21, 27 and 28, October 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 31 and November 1 and 2.

SEGA Releases All New Video and Images for Sonic Lost World!

By

Robbie Bulus

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August 25, 2013

Dr. Eggman has harnessed the power of six menacing creatures collectively known as the Deadly Six, but when the Deadly Six rise up against their master, Sonic has to unite with his arch nemesis in order to take on the new enemies head-on. Using his dynamic new parkour moves and improved Color Powers, Sonic must run, jump and race through a variety of ever-changing terrains in order to defeat the Deadly Six.

Alongside a single player adventure, the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of Sonic Lost World will feature a range of competitive multiplayer modes. In addition, each platform will also contain distinctive features that take advantage of the consoles’ unique capabilities. Exclusive Wii U Color Powers can be controlled with the Wii U™ GamePad by tilting, touching, aiming and more. The full game can also be played using only the GamePad screen and will feature a two player support mode. Sonic Lost World for the Nintendo 3DS is the first handheld Sonic game ever to feature fully realized 3D levels which include exclusive Special Stages and Color Powers unique to Nintendo 3DS.

Here are some screen shots from the game. Enjoy!
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