Movie Review: My Sister's Keeper

Manipulative? Check. Melodramatic? Check. Emotionally suspect? Check. Characters you want to comfort? Check. Characters you want to strangle? Check. Surprisingly effective? Check and check.

My Sister's Keeper is one of those movies that should probably not have been on the big screen. The movie feels like something that should be on The Hallmark network or some other similar station. It is that sort of emotionally manipulative, tear jerker that under most circumstances should not be allowed on the big screen. So, the question is why was this one allowed to pass? It is a question I do not have an answer to. Although it may be humorous to note that had it appeared on a cable network there is a good chance (almost 100%) that I would have passed on it, so, in a way, it is probably a good thing that it appeared on the big screen.

I was initially attracted to the movie by the genetically engineered child part of the story. It brought to mind films like The Island and Clonus: The Parts Horror. It is an interesting topic, and one that is touched upon here, if not completely examined. Think about what it would be like if you could create a backup person from whom you could harvest needed parts, organs, blood, etc. It is a really creepy idea. Is this backup a real person? Do they have the same rights as natural born citizens? If you could genetically engineer a child, would the concept of a "mistake" pregnancy become a thing of the past? Would a market develop for designer children? Perhaps even laws determining certain traits. This brings up thoughts of the movie Gattaca.

These are the sorts of things that went through my mind as I watched My Sister's Keeper. I am fascinated by the increasingly subtle ways in which traditional "chick flicks" and traditionally male-centric genres are being brought together. Just look at The Lake House with its science fiction conceit, or the upcoming The Time Traveler's Wife with its time travel concept, add My Sister's Keeper to the mix and it becomes an interesting trend.

Now, as for this film. It is one that definitely puts a strain on the water works, no matter how strong your willpower is. This story gets under your skin and makes you care regardless of your convictions, it is terribly manipulative in that respect.

The center of the story is Kate Fitzgerald (Sofia Vassilieva). As a young child she developed a rare form of Leukemia. It, essentially, signed her death warrant. It is a disease that cannot be cured, cannot be beaten, and the young girl is destined to die. Her mother, Sara (Cameron Diaz) refuses to give up and fights incessantly to save her daughter. Sara and her husband, Brian (Jason Patric), decide to follow an ethically questionable path whereby they genetically engineer another child to be a match to Kate, who, they could use for needed transfusions and other medical procedures. That new child becomes Anna (Abigail Breslin) and the story picks up steam as Anna decides she is tired of being used for parts and wants a say in how her body is used.

The movie brings us in at this pivotal moment in the life cycle of this family. Kate is getting sicker, Anna no longer wishes to be used for her parts, Sara is becoming increasingly cut off from reality as she is blinded by the thought of saving her daughter, meanwhile Brian and forgotten son Jesse attempt to process the changes that are swirling around them.

This is a family in an active state of disarray. The Fitzgerald's are falling apart, eaten away from the inside just like Kate and her cancer. This movie gives us a ringside seat to a family's implosion. At first it is easy to site there and watch as they get mad at each and come together again in waves. You even find yourself siding with Anna as she takes on her family, while still being an important part of it. However, before very long, you begin to feel as if you are part of the family. It then becomes difficult, perhaps even impossible to divorce yourself from the deep feelings and emotions that bubble up to the surface.

The film was directed and co-written by Nick Cassavetes who does a fine job of keeping the story moving, never giving you a moment to catch your breathe, easily dragging you through the full range of emotions generated by the family. Cassavetes collaborated with Jeremy Leven to adapt Jodi Picoult's novel, and does a fine job of telling the story, although I would have liked a little more on the genetically engineered child/said child sues family for medical emancipation front. Fortunately, there is enough to tickle the mind with implications while focusing on the strong emotional quotient inherent to the subject.

Bottomline. Is it a great film? No, not by a long shot. However, it is the rare film whose success is based on its ability to manipulate the audience that succeeds and actually has a sense of realism, and that may be a reason to celebrate it just a little.

Recommended.

Box Office Update 7/3-7/5: Revenge of the Fallen Reigns Supreme

Last week Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen demolished the competition on its rise to the top of the chart. Now in its second week of release, it is nearing the $300 million mark and will likely finish at the top of the year's box office chart. Week number two also sees the special effects extravaganza retain its place at the top of the chart, albeit by a considerably slimmer margin than during its debut. The one thing to remember, box office success does not equal quality. While the effects and action are jaw dropping, the overall movie is a bomb as the story goes nowhere, the script is terrible, and the performances worse. There are much better choices scattered throughout the list. And yes, I realize I am part of the problem having offered my pennies to Michael Bay's coffer.

Coming a very close second is the latest family-centric animated feature. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs had a smaller than I expected take over the weekend. I thought for sure this would win the weekend, I guess I was wrong. You want to know why it didn't win? I haven't seen it yet. I kid, I kid. I liked the first one, but thought the sequel was pretty bad. I have to wonder if this is a step up or further proof that the franchise over stayed its welcome? I will find out for myself soon enough.

In third place is Michael Mann's latest, Public Enemies. I have been looking forward to this ever since I first saw the trailer. Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard, this is the story of John Dillinger, his high. lows, and everything in between. This film I have seen and it is quite marvelous. It is not exactly what I was expecting, but it is a sight to behold. It is a movie that tells its story on its own terms, not necessarily giving us what we want, but just what we need to know. It is the basis of the legend without the legend. You fill in the blanks.

The Proposal and The Hangover continue to show strong legs as they draw in the crowds and suffer only minimal percentage dips. The former does not really deserve it, but is still entertaining, while the latter is one of the funniest films of the year and is well deserving of the attention.

In the latter half of the list there is not much to comment on as the movies continue to slide down the list. The only thing of any real note is that Star Trek has finally descended and dropped off the top ten. It is still the most successful of the franchise and I am happy for its success, but it is also sad to see the inevitable happen.

Next week's freshman class will see the arrival of Sacha Baron Cohen's latest creation, Bruno. We will also get to see the Hayden Panettiere comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper.

Two movies dropped off the top ten this week: Star Trek (11) and Away We Go (12).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	1	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$42,320,877	$293,355,885	2
2	N	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	$41,690,382	$66,732,868	1
3	N	Public Enemies	$25,271,675	$40,141,080	1
4	2	The Proposal	$12,857,482	$94,335,111	3
5	3	The Hangover	$11,268,413	$205,038,233	5
6	4	Up	$6,521,389	$264,816,694	6
7	5	My Sister's Keeper	$5,788,327	$26,518,582	2
8	7	The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3	$2,534,228	$58,508,070	4
9	6	Year One	$2,323,843	$38,304,392	3
10	9	Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian	$2,043,288	$167,706,959	7

Box Office Predictions Recap
What a completely mediocre week for predictions by yours truly. My placings were decent, while my box office predictions were all over the map. I started with guesses that are way too high, while my numbers at the bottom were pretty darn close. Actually, this feels like a typical week for me. One day I will figure out some consistency for this. I can't believe how low the grosses were next to my predictions.

Here is how the field matched up:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
2	1	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	$41,690,382	$60 million
1	2	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$42,320,877	$51 million
3	3	Public Enemies	$25,271,675	$32 million
4	4	The Proposal	$12,857,482	$10 million
5	5	The Hangover	$11,268,413	$9 million
6	6	Up	$6,521,389	$7 million
7	7	My Sister's Keeper	$5,788,327	$6 million
9	8	Year One	$2,323,843	$3 million
8	9	The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3	$2,534,228	$2.5 million
11	10	Star Trek	$1,769,967	$1.75 million

DVD Pick of the Week: Knowing

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

Full disclosure: I have not seen many of these titles, and what follows are not necessarily reviews, but opinions based upon what I know of the titles I pluck from the new release lists I peruse. The opinions I give based on the new releases are my own, and my recommendations are based on my personal interest. In any case, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find something you like or a title to point me towards.

Knowing (also Blu-ray). As Knowing unfolded before me, I was drawn deeper and deeper into the tale. This is a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is a delicious slow burn quality permeating each frame. You are only given what you need to know, and even then it is barely enough. Knowing forces you to engage, to become involved, but it does so in such a way that you may not even be aware of it at first. The film centers on a series of numbers that seem to predict disasters, it is up to Nicolas Cage to figure out what the meaning behind them is. I know that sounds simple, but believe me, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Knowing.

Push (also Blu-ray). This is a good movie. The action is well executed, and the film delivers, mostly, on its promise of a new world. It is not nearly as visionary as the advertising would want you to believe, but it has enough substance and verve to sustain it and probably a couple more films. Try it, you may be surprised. Push creates a world where people are born with all sorts of different abilities. All of these abilities appear to be the result of genetic experiments by the Nazis, with the goal of enhancing and weaponizing these abilities. When the war ended, the experiments continued, but were broken up into government run operations called Division. They would track and capture anyone found with an ability that that showed promise for further experiments. Sounds exciting, no? It has a little too much story for its own good, but it is certainly compelling.

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (Blu-ray). This DVD was released about a month ago, with Best Buy getting the Blu-ray exclusively during this time. This covers the first leg of the band's massive world tour that focused exclusively (almost) on the music of the 1980's. This is a documentary as well as a concert release, with the concert comprising footage from each of the stops. I got to see this tour once on each leg, first in New Jersey at the IZOD Center and then again at Madison Square Garden.

Peanuts: 1960's Collection. This looks like a good collection of classic cartoons. This set includes A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown's All-Stars, It's the Great Pumpkin, You're in Love, He's Your Dog, It Was a Short Summer.

Night Train: (also Blu-ray). This mystery/thriller is sort of like Hitchcock put through a modern filter. The finished film is a compelling one, but certainly not up to the Master's best. It stars Danny Glover, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski as a trio who come face to face with something that could change their lives forever, but at what cost?

The Unborn (also Blu-ray). I wanted to like this movie. The trailer suggests a film that would have genuine scares and a plot that offers actual menace. The final film looks fine, but the tale is not all that interesting, and borderline nonsensical. The Unborn is a ghost story that feels like a remake of a Japanese horror film with a little bit of The Exorcist thrown in. Like so many J-horror adaptations, it does not work. There are some fundamental differences between J-horror and American horror making translations a tricky proposition at best, but when you start aping the remake style in an original film you do nothing but add another layer of complexity that is not needed. In this one, a girl is haunted by a creepy little boy who wishes her harm. To tell more would needlessly confuse.

Kath & Kim: Season One. Hopefully this series is a one and done type of show. This sitcom is laughless, grating, and annoying. Why anyone thought this was funny, or a suitable replacement for Scrubs, I will never know. Now, here is is on DVD, complete with Molly Shannon and Selma Blair and their self-involved attitudes. If you like this drivel, I wish you the best.

Grave of the Fireflies. This is an anime film that could just as easily be made live-action. It is based on a true story of survival during WWII. It is a powerful moving story that will most undoubtedly move you to tears. It is one of the most affecting stories I have ever seen. It has been unavailable for some time, but is now back on shelves.

Evil Bong 2: King Bong. From the deadly serious, to the decidedly not so serious. This is the latest release from Full Moon Pictures, and how can you go wrong with a title like that? I have not seen the first, although I am not sure it is necessary. What else do you need to know? I think the title pretty much says it all.

Movie Review: The Proposal

Not to be confused with the 2005 Aussie western The Proposition (which I did for some reason, I know, silly me), this 2009 romantic comedy, The Proposal, is a completely different beast. For one thing, this movie stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds instead of Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone, for another you have the director of 27 Dresses instead of the director of the director of the oft-delayed The Road. So, it is safe to say the movies have no real connection, and I am glad, could you imagine Ray Winstone as a romantic lead? Me neither. Of course, I could also not imagine Reynolds and Bullock as the leads in a western, at least not a serious one.

The romantic comedy has been a staple of the cinema for as long as I can remember. Anyone who is anyone knows that any romantic situation worth its salt is also ripe for comedy. So, this genre has got to be considered one of the most familiar to anyone who enjoys the cinema. Because of this familiarity, pretty much every situation has been used over and over and over again, making anyone who works within the genre will either need to work very hard to make their take stand out, do a very good job of using the cliches to their advantage, or be prepared to be ignored. How does The Proposal fare? Not too bad.

The Proposal is not the sort of film that is going to push boundaries, so do not expect this movie to blow you away. That said, it does all the right things and proves itself worthy of your time by taking your standard romantic comedy formula and keeping your attention even though it is pretty easy to guess where the story is going.

Let's set the stage. Ryan Reynolds is Andrew Paxton, an aspiring book editor currently working as executive assistant to one of the most demanding and fear-inducing editors in the business. Sandra Bullock is Margaret Tate, the hard nosed chief editor whose mere approach is enough to send the entire office into a frenzy of activity to ensure they are not noticed. She also happens to be editor for whom Andrew works for. Trouble begins when Margaret is called to her boss's office, where she learns she is to be deported for an expired work visa to her Canadian home. This cannot be, how will she be able to keep her nose to the grindstone if she isn't in the office and doesn't have her job? The solution looks to be a simple one, a sham marriage to her assistant, followed by a quickie divorce.

Caught off guard, Andrew is not quite sure how to respond, but decides to go along with the plan. Their troubles are further complicated by an INS officer intent on uncovering their deception. On top of that, the upcoming weekend brings with it a trip to visit Andrew's family and celebrate his Grammy's 90th birthday. This leads to all sorts of wacky fun as they attempt to deceive the family and avoid getting caught while also coming face to face with a new world of feelings they never saw before.

In the wrong hands, this story could definitely turned into a slog in the wrong hands. Fortunately, the team behind The Proposal now how to turn a line, and make a flat tale into something worth your while. Still, it is not a great movie, so keep your hopes in check.

What is it that makes it work at all? In the case of this movie, it is all about the cast. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock both bring charismatic, likable presences to the screen. They have a way of drawing your attention, and they have a way of bringing just the right tone to a performance, especially in this particular genre.

The screenplay, the first from Peter Chiarelli, has some pretty snappy dialogue, particularly for Ryan Reynolds whose sarcastic approach works wonders for the picture. Likewise, Bullock does a fine job of appearing imposing at work only to have her shell cracked when faced with the family she never had.

While the centerpiece of the story is the faux-engagement, there are moments that lurk around the edges that help round the film out and actually make the movie better than it probably deserves to be. There are the big, broad moments that make everyone laugh, such as the wet and naked encounter, the strip show, and the goofy dance in the woods, and they work just fine. These are the scenes that get people in the door and ensure they have not yet fallen asleep.

There are two threads which threaten the lighthearted base, one for each of the leads. With Reynolds' Andrew we learn of tensions between father and son. The disagreement is never right out in the open and is dealt with a nice subtlety that plays well of of the comedic segments. The interaction between Ryan Reynolds and Craig T. Nelson as his father works very well and comes off as genuine. As for Bullock, we watch her interact with Betty White's Grammy and Mary Steenburgen as Andrew's mother. This brings feelings of her past to light, having lost her family at an early age she never had a family. Sandra Bullock plays this well as we see Margaret begin to show some cracks in her tough exterior.

Bottomline. Overall, this is a delightful trifle of a movie that will quickly be forgotten a short way down the road. It will provide momentary escape with stars that we like and scenes that will make you laugh. It has a few moments that threaten deep thoughts, but they are fleeting. I find the movie hard not to like, while also recognizing how easily forgettable it is.

Mildly Entertaining.

CD Review: Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen the Score - Composed by Steve Jablonsky

In 2007 Michael Bay brought the 1980's series Transformers to the big screen in vivid, metal crunching fashion. The story was somewhat lacking, there was stupid comedy, and some bad acting, but it was still an exciting film. One of the positive things I took away from the film was the score by Steve Jablonsky. It was big, bombastic, and sounded very good. I remember checking store shelves for it and did not find it, I checked online and did not find it. What's the deal? It is a big release, it should have a score album, right? It turns out there were no initial plans and it took an online position to show the powers-that-be that a market did exist. It came out in the Fall of that year, and it turned out to be a great album. Fortunately, with the release of the second film, they chose not to wait four months to release it. The question is now whether or not it is any good.

The score, was composed by Steve Jablonsky and marks the third direct collaboration between Jablonsky and Michael Bay, beginning with The Island. He has also developed a relationship with Bay's production company, Platinum Dunes, having scored the remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (and its prequel), Amityville Horror, The Hitcher, and Friday the 13th. I have not heard those separately, but do not recall the scores as standing out that much, unlike his Transformers work, not to mention The Island. Jablonsky definitely knows how to step up for the big effects films and deliver the goods in the form of eminently listenable scores that work well even apart from their films.

This new score is not quite as strong as the original, but I think that would have been a tall order under any set of circumstances. That is not to say it doesn't deliver, it does, I just get the feeling that the original themes could have been used to stronger effect, as I only really noticed the Autobots theme used. That is not to say the new material is bad, just not quite as I had hoped.

We open in similar fashion to the first score, in heroic fashion. The first cue is called "Prime" and it is a slow burn sort of track that brings us back into the Autobot fold and prepares us for the return of the transforming heroes. It is followed by a weaker cue in "Einstein Was Wrong," which brings Sam Witiwicky into the story as he has his mental meltdown brought on by a shard from the All Spark left over from the first movie.

Track three features the collaboration of Jablonsky and Linkin Park on an instrumental version of "New Divide" (featured on the soundtrack album). This version is called "Nest" and it is a strong techno/rock/industrial cue that is big and heroic and fits the film nicely, and plays better than the original version. This is a cue I would have liked to have heard a little bit more of throughout.

Next up is "The Shard," this piece brings in a little darkness and, dare I say, tension to the mix. It then moves from darkness and tension straight into evil with "The Fallen," which is used to introduce us to this franchises version of Star Wars' Emperor. It is a slow cue that will definitely give you pause.

The flow continues as we move from tension, to evil, and now onto the epic. "Infinite White" with it' synth, strings, and soaring female vocals it is simultaneously soothing and foreboding. We need not wait long to discover what the bad guys have in store as we slip from the soothing into another cue dripping with dread in "Heed Our Warning" and leads into a very dark mid-section that runs through "The Fallen's Arrival" and "Tomb of the Primes."

The action ratchets up as we hit "Forest Battle." This plays with one of the bigger action pieces of the film and leads into a more upbeat and hopeful tone, with its use of the Autobots theme from the first film. It also brings us closer to the cue of hope that is "Matrix of Leadership."

Everything builds up the action packed finale "I Rise, You Fall." this plays with the Egypt battle and plays off the earlier evil as we get the heroic Autobot theme reigning triumphant.

Overall, this is a very good score that fans will want to have in their collection. Granted, I am still more likely to reach for the original (same goes for the movies), but there is no denying that the score is one of the high points of the movie and Steve Jablonsky continues to impress with his big movie scores.

As good as it is, it does seem to run short. We get 44-minutes of score from a movie that is nearly 2.5-hours long. There have to be missing cues here. It is the reverse situation of the soundtrack release, which had songs that were not in the film, in this case I suspect we are missing chunks of music that may have helped smooth this out, as it does jump around a bit.

Bottomline. You will not be disappointed. Of the two music releases for this film, this is definitely the one to get. This is a big score that bears no pretense of subtlety, it is exactly what you want from a score for a film whose stars are giant alien roots.

Highly Recommended.

CD Review: Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen the Album

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the first sequel to the box office juggernaut Transformers has just been released. In its first five days of release, it has taken in a massive $200 million. Hard to believe, isn't it? Well, the suits-that-be knew they had a behemoth on their hands and decided that they needed a collection of tunes from hot bands to bundle together and sell to the teens who have just been stunned into an awestruck state. They won't know what they're buying until it is too late, by then the money will be out of the kids' hands and into the suits' pockets, leaving the teens with a mediocre collection of mid-tempo tunes. It is a shame to, it sometimes feels like the art of the soundtrack is dying and is treated properly by very few.

That's right, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen the Album is very middling in content with very little variety. All of the songs have a similar sound and a similar pace, right down the middle. The focus seems to be on trying to learn towards some sort of faux emotional impact with the likes of Theory of a Deadman, Green Day, and Cavo. I wonder if they thought the inclusion of these tunes would make up for the soulless script? You know, step in and create an emotional center where none is to be found. Too bad this collection's center does not have much of a center either.

Another odd thing about this soundtrack is that five of the songs are not even in the movie. Why have them at all? The only thing I can guess is they did not have enough songs in the album to fill out the release, so they went and got a few more like-sounding cuts. This is far from the first time I have seen this, and it never fails to puzzle me. A few will get artists to contribute new tunes and use the "Inspired by" tag, but that is not the case here.

As I listen to the album, it becomes abundantly clear that I am not the target audience for the release (you could probably tell that already). It is not that I have anything against any of these bands, it is more the bland way the soundtrack is put together, the lack of any real variation in the sound, and the way it is constructed around a couple hot bands.

None of the songs really stand out from the crowd. It is similar to listening to Top 40 radio, everything plays towards the middle, nothing jumping out and grabbing your attention (no wonder I avoid the radio).

It may seem like I am being overly harsh on the album, and that may be a little bit true as some of my distaste for the film is spilling over onto a new target. I do not mean to be. When it comes right down to it, this is a soundtrack where the sum is considerably less than the sum of its parts. There are a couple of decent songs on here, nothing mind blowing, but still songs that are worth a listen.

The disk opens with the movie's signature song, "New Divide" by Linkin Park. I am not the biggest fan of them, but this song strikes the right chord for the movie with its heroic sounding flow. This song also appears on the score album, integrated into one of Steve Jablonsky's cues. It is followed by Green Day's "21 Guns," a tune that just grates on me. It sounds like they are trying to be Weezer and failing. Cavo provides track three, and it is not a terribly good song, but the vocals are pretty good and strike me as one of the more genuine performances on the album.

Surprisingly, Nickelback delivers one of the more satisfying songs here. I say surprising because I do not think they are a particularly good band. The song is "Burn it to the Ground" and it is the only one that really attempts to inject some fire into the soundtrack. It has a surprisingly heavy (relatively speaking, of course) rhythm that is easy to groove to. It is followed by one of my favorite moments, The Used's take on The Talking Heads "Burning Down the House." Of course, I think it helps that I have always liked that song. This version gives it an industrialized spin that fits it nicely.

The latter portion does not provide much excitement as we move into the "*Not in Film" tracks, with the highlight being a song that is already two years old in Avenged Sevenfold's "Almost Easy."

Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the most Transformers -centric song here, Cheap Trick's new theme song. It is corny, silly, and fully in line with the 80's cartoon. I have to give it to these guys for putting it all out there with this one.

Bottomline. This isn't anything you should feel the need to run out for, but it could have been worse. If you are a fan of any of these bands and don't have these songs anywhere else, go ahead and give it a shot, otherwise feel free to take a pass. Not terrible, just a little to the lackluster side of the coin.

Not Recommended.


Track list: (*Not in Film)
1. Linkin Park- New Divide
2. Green Day- 21 Guns
3. Cavo- Let It Go
4. Taking Back Sunday- Capital M-E
5. The Fray- Never Say Never
6. Nickelback- Burn it to the Ground
7. The Used- Burning Down The House
8. Theory of a Deadman- Not Meant To Be*
9. The All-American Rejects- Real World*
10. Hoobastank- I don't think I Love You*
11. Staind- This Is It
12. Avenged Sevenfold- Almost Easy*
13. Cheap Trick- Transformers Theme*

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

New Movies and Box Office Predictions: Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Public Enemies

Week ten of blockbuster season takes us into the Fourth of July holiday, where there is much money to be made as families gather and head out to the darkened cinemas before firing up the grills, cracking open the beer, and getting burned with firecrackers. The weekend features two new movies in wide release, a family animated comedy/adventure and a period gangster film. Two films and two vastly different audiences. I have intentions of catching both at some point in the near future. And yes, I know the films already opened, I completely forgot about the Wednesday openings!

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. (2009, 94 minutes, PG, animated) The latest animated feature to take advantage of the new 3D process. I must admit to being very impressed with the quality of the 3D, as well as the positive signal to noise ratio in film makers using it effectively and not just as a gimmick. The gimmick is there, but it is still in the background. I wonder how this one will be? Perhaps it will be enough to distract me from a potentially bad movie. I liked the first movie, but the second, well, not so much. This outing sees Manny trapped in an underground world where they meet dinosaurs, Sid steals dino-eggs, Scrat meets Scratte, and is Diego too laid back? I cannot say any of the descriptions sound all that exciting. So long as the Scrat segments are good I am sure to find something to like. The voice cast have all returned from the last movie, including Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, and Queen Latifah. Joining the stars in the supporting cast are Bill Hader, Simon Pegg, Jane Lynch, Seann William Scott, and Kristen Wiig.



Public Enemies. (2009, 143 minutes, R, drama) I have high hopes for this movie. Michael Mann knows how to craft a living breathing film (even Miami Vice). Take Mann's skills with the camera and bring in the talent of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and it looks like a recipe for success. Of course, he last time I saw Bale, he was shouting at everything, all the time, and not very well. I suspect that was a fluke and he will be on point for this outing. The movie takes us back to the days when gangsters were national heroes and no one could stop them. Depp is John Dillinger, perhaps the greatest of them all. On his trail is Bale as Melvin Purvis, an agent of the FBI. Who will win? My knowledge of the reality of these men is pretty much non-existent. I do not expect this to be true to the hard reality, but I expect it to be honest with itself and entertaining in execution. I love the trailer and the music used, hopefully it will pay off.



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• I Hate Valentine's Day - do we really need another Nia Vardalos movie already

Box Office Predictions
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen won last weekend, will it have the legs to take a second? I am not sure. I do expect to see a steep percentage drop, it is impossible to open that big and not suffer a precipitous drop, how many people of the originals will be rushing out to see it again so soon? Probably not many, so the pool will be made up by those who chose to avoid opening weekend crowds, but then those numbers could be tempered by those celebrating Independence Day with their families, although holidays generally make good times to go see a movie as a family. The possibilities make my head hurt. I suspect the battle will be between the juggernaut sequel and the upstart animated sequel. Ultimately, it will be Scrat and the Ice Age gang taking the crown. Dillinger will have to settle for third.

Here is how I think it could play out.

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	$60 million
2	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$51 million
3	Public Enemies	$32 million
4	The Proposal	$10 million
5	The Hangover	$9 million
6	Up	$7 million
7	My Sister's Keeper	$6 million
8	Year One	$3 million
9	The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3	$2.5 million
10	Star Trek	$1.75 million

CD Review: Clawfinger - Life Will Kill You

When Clawfinger's 2007 release, Life Will Kill You, arrived on my doorstep some time ago I was intrigued by its simplistic, yet clever, cover. Designed to look like a parental advisory label, only instead of a warning, you get the band name and album title. It isn't a warning at all! Well, perhaps it is. In any case, the album is a bizarre one that caught me off guard, but in a good way. I think. I am so confused.

First off, I am a little embarrassed to admit I had not heard of these guys before, but feel I should have. I mean, the band did form back in the late 1980's and released their debut way back in 1993. Where was I? In any case, I popped this in expecting something hard, heavy, and in my face. There I go basing expectations on a band name. Needless to say, what greeted my ears was nothing like what i expected. Instead of something like The Haunting (which is what I think I was expecting), I got something that comes across as a mildly lackluster crossing of Faith No More, Fear Factory, Rammstein, and Bloodhound Gang. I know, that sounds like it should kick some ass, but doesn't. Well, maybe a little. Not really.

Hailing from Sweden, Clawfinger has been at this game a long time, and that being the case, they have a nice crisp sound that reeks of experience, almost to a fault. I admit to expecting a younger and rougher act, but this is not a complete disappointment. The flawlessly produced record shows the band gleefully, mostly, crossing industrial and rapcore into an easily accessible mix.

As solid and entertaining as this record is, I have to wonder if it is terribly relevant? I am sure the longtime fans will definitely feel it is relevant, if I were one of them, I would be right there with you. With that out of the way, and attempting to be objective, I do not see this band as being all that meaningful to the current scene. The sound seems to be something that went out of fashion in the 1990's, early this decade at the latest. The rap-metal thing has slipped out of fashion after the big labels milked the sound to death, having flooded the market with sound-alike carbon copies that never lived up to the originators.

Life Will Kill You does have a selection of god tunes, although the replayability seems to be a bit limited. As I listen to them, there is that feeling of the old school that permeates everything and sees to rob it of the edge I believe they were going for.

In the end, I am having a difficulty time justifying the desire/need to rip these guys or this album. In the end it would be a pointless battle, as the fans will get on me, the masses will ignore me, and in the end I would be doing everyone a disservice.

Let me put it this way, Life Will Kill You is not a necessary album. In the big picture it is not going to make a mark or be remembered. Still, the album is a very easy listen, has some definite grooves, and will likely get into your head so that you rock right along with it. I like it and find it hard not to recommend.

Bottomline. In your face grooves, catchy rap-style vocals, and it doesn't make you think all that hard. Put it in, press play, groove.

Recommended.