The Hobbit trailer and poster

2012 is shaping up to be an amazing year for film, and the final stroke just might be The Hobbit, which comes out in December. I love Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. I saw the originals in the theater, own the theatrical and extended editions of all three and have watched those films several times over. The Lord of the Rings trilogy represents a triumph of cinema; they certainly represent some of the best filmmaking of this generation. The Hobbit can only be directed by Peter Jackson as his is the only vision anyone can trust to revisit Tolkien’s world. I’m delighted that Jackson has dedicated himself to making The Hobbit films.  Now we’re getting our first look of the film.

 

It looks like another film set in the Tolkien-by-way-of-Jackson universe, which is perfectly fine by me. It reintroduces us to the beauty of the world and some of the beloved characters, lest we’ve forgotten, and shows us for the first time the dwarves who assist Bilbo in his quest. We’ll be seeing much more of this in the year ahead.

I’ve also included the one-sheet that shows the Shire in its glory. I can’t wait for An Unexpected Journey.

Prometheus Trailer

Another one of my most anticipated films of 2012 debuted its trailer over the past couple of weeks. Ridley Scott is coming back to the Alien franchise with Prometheus. What started as a prequel to the series morphed into a stand-alone story set in the same universe. I’m guessing that means we won’t be seeing Ripley or Xenomoprhs in this film, but I think that will be okay.

It’s great to see Scott coming back to this franchise. The trailer looks as atmospheric and menacing as you would expect from a film set in the Alien universe. Whatever it is those guys found out there in the depths of space, I'm betting that it won't play nice. 

Dark Knight Rises Trailer

During my little Christmas vacation, a boatload of trailers for some of my most anticipated films of 2012 debuted. If you happened to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in IMAX (And you should. It’s amazing), then you were treated to the first trailer for the The Dark Knight Rises. This is the final film in the Christopher Nolan-directed/Christian Bale-starring trilogy of batfilms.

Well, it certainly has the look of a Chris Nolan Batman film. Gotham City seems to be an even more dangerous place than it was in the second film. Gone is the insane, yet fairly small, clown posse of The Joker and in is a thug army led by the most menacing man around, Bane. We don't know much of the story yet, but we can surmise that the ending will not be pleasant for our hero. Does anyone think this won’t be good? 

The Expendables 2 Trailer

The Expendables was one of my favorite movies of 2010. As someone who grew up on 80s and 90s action films, I thought The Expendables rocked. It brought together almost all of the great action stars of that period and set them off on a silly/crazy adventure where bullets and bombs did all the negotiating.

A sequel is coming in 2012. Sylvester Stallone is back as writer, and he's bringing in the rest of the action stars of my childhood to join in on the fun. You've got Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Chuck Norris all appearing in one film. How can one movie contain such awesomeness? I'm hoping that everyone's dialog consists of incredible one-liners.

99¢ Review: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

I watch a lot of movies (Check out my list of movies seen in 2011), but I don’t always have the time to write up a full review. Instead, I thought I would start up a new column where I give you the discount version of the review. What’s good, what’s bad, if it’s worth your time.

The Movie: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The Good: kinematic action, beautifully shot, cool gadgets, Tom Cruise’s intestinal fortitude

The Bad: shallow or absent character arcs for the leads

Do we really need a fourth Mission Impossible film? The first was very good, the second was a little too zany and over-the-top, and the third nudged back into “good” territory. We’ve seen Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the Impossible Mission Force grow and develop into top-notch spies over the course of the first three films. Is there more action and adventure to mine from this franchise? Short answer: Hell yes!

Director Brad Bird, who cut his teeth directing The Incredibles and Ratatouille for Pixar, takes a crack at a live action filmmaking. Talk about diving into the deep end, he took over an established franchise with an honest-to-goodness Hollywood megastar, and he shot most of it in IMAX, the huge screen, ultra-high definition format that shows everything, including potential flaws, in meticulous detail. It’s a bold choice that pays off nicely. Bird knows action, and he keeps things flowing along at a steady, enjoyable pace. Even the most hectic scenes are presented in a clean way so that we can actually see what’s going on. And there’s a lot of cool stuff to see. Bird’s eye for visuals explodes to life on IMAX. Some of the scenes, particularly in Dubai will blow you away.

The story itself is not particularly novel. A madman wants to entice nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia and busies himself by stealing launch codes and hijacking tactical satellites. The IMF crew of Ethan Hunt, Benji (Simon Pegg), Brandt (Jeremy Renner), and Jane (Paula Patton) must find a way to stop him. Right from the start, the IMF gets blamed for a bombing at the Kremlin, and the crew find themselves disavowed by the U.S. government. They must complete their mission with no resources or backup available, only what they can beg, borrow, or steal. We’ve seen this sort of “must stop rogue warrior” plot before, but there is a great sense of urgency and isolation in this story. It really is up to four people to save the world. There is also a subplot about Ethan’s wife that tries to humanize Ethan and his gang of IMF agents, but that story arc feels tacked on and falls a little flat.

What makes MI4 so awesome are the incredible set pieces. From an opening-scene Moscow prison break to break-ins at the Kremlin and the Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, to a climax in a high-tech parking garage in Mumbai, there is never a lack of cool places to sneak, fight or drive. Every scene is packed with coolness and intensity.

Cruise is amazing here. The guy is known for doing his own stunts, and I think he shows that he’s a complete maniac here. The highlight of the film, and one of the most incredible action scenes ever shot, has Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa 130 stories up. 130 stories. Up. Off the ground. And he’s basically free-climbing the structure*. There are only a handful of people in the world who would risk doing that stunt, but Cruise attacks the role with such intensity and gusto that the audience is spellbound. There’s about ten minutes in the middle of the film where nobody in the audience dares to breathe. Great stuff, that.

Cruise isn’t the only member of the IMF engaged in this operation. Each of the other agents has their moment in the spotlight, and they all feel like real people. Real badass people, but real people nevertheless. It’s great that Cruise’s performance doesn’t overshadow the other members. It really does feel like a team of IMF agents out to save the world. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, and the combination of the four gives you hope that the team can pull off the intricate plans needed to save the world.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is an amazing action film. See it, but do yourself a favor and catch it in IMAX if you can. You will not be disappointed.

4 out of 5 stars

* I'm sure that a stuntman performed the stunts at the Burj Khalifa first, that the film crew had a cadre of safety people check every detail of the stunt 50 times, and that Cruise was harnessed in during the stunts. Still, it takes serious balls to run and jump out of a window 130 stories up, no matter how many safety precautions are in place. 

99¢ Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

I watch a lot of movies (Check out my list of movies seen in 2011), but I don’t always have the time to write up a full review. Instead, I thought I would start up a new column where I give you the discount version of the review. What’s good, what’s bad, if it’s worth your time.

The Movie: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

The Good: a few minor chuckles here and there

The Bad: overacting by everyone, overuse of slow-motion, too many twists and turns, overuse of silly costumes by Holmes

It's dumb.

2 out of 5 stars

99¢ Review: The Muppets

I watch a lot of movies (Check out my list of movies seen in 2011), but I don’t always have the time to write up a full review. Instead, I thought I would start up a new column where I give you the discount version of the review. What’s good, what’s bad, if it’s worth your time.

The Movie: The Muppets

The Good: The Muppets are back!, fun songs, cute characters, heartfelt story

The Bad: Those not familiar with The Muppet Show might not get all of the jokes

I love the Muppets. I literally grew up with the Muppets. The first theatrical film, The Muppet Movie, came out in 1979, the year in which I was born. When I was in elementary school, I would watch reruns of The Muppet Show on a little 13-inch tv at my grandparents house while waiting for my parents to get off work and pick me up. It was a quirky show with wild and crazy characters, each of them doing fun, often really smart things. It was just a lot of fun. I enjoyed the movies when they came, although I got a little disappointed when they stopped doing original films and started adapting classic literature. When The Muppets was announced and described as an original story, it instantly became my most anticipated film of 2011.

I’m glad to say that the movie surpassed my lofty expectations.

The basic premise of the film is that The Muppets must reunite for a benefit show to save their old studio from an evil oil tycoon who seeks to tear it down and drill for oil. The first 1/3 of the movie introduces us to Walter, the newest of the Muppets, his brother Gary (Jason Segel*), and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams). Gary and Mary are heading to Los Angeles to celebrate ten years of dating, and super-Muppet-fan Walter comes along so he can visit The Muppet Studios.  While at the studio, Walter uncovers the nefarious plot of Tex Richman, which sets the trio off on an adventure to save the studio. The middle 1/3 of the film is dedicated to reuniting The Muppets, who went off to do their own things when The Muppet Show ended. The final 1/3 of the film shows The Muppets efforts to put on one more great show to raise the funds to buy back the studio.

This is a real Muppets movie with all the fun songs, great jokes (yes, even the bad ones from Fozzie are great), adorable characters, and heartfelt and witty story that you expect from them. There’s plenty of humor for the kids, fun things for the adults, and just enough absurdity to make you smile and shake your head.

Anyone who is a fan of The Muppets Show will have a blast. Those who are not familiar with The Muppet Show, however, might not get the full experience out of it. There are so many winks and nods to the original show, that a lot of things might be missed. Don’t let a lack of prior knowledge of the original show dissuade you though. The Muppets is still a fun time, even if you don’t know any of the Muppets characters.

The Muppets represents what a fun time at the movie theater should be. There’s tons of laughter, tons of heart, lots of singing and dancing. It’s pure fun and is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.

4.5 out of 5 stars

* Segal not only stars as one of the human characters in the film, he also co-wrote and executive produced the film. Clearly, this was an important film for him. All that positive energy has paid off in a film that captures the tone of The Muppets characters and The Muppet Show perfectly. Good job Jason!

The Dark Knight Rises poster

Christopher Nolan has made it clear that the upcoming third film in the Dark Knight saga will be the last. The last for him as director/producer, the last for Christian Bale as the man in the suit, and, most importantly, the last of the story arc that has been building through the previous two movies.

There's a new poster up at IGN, and it makes it look like the end of Batman will be... painful.

In summer 2012, we will see Batman face off against Bane, played by Tom Hardy, who looked like a maniac in this year's mixed martial arts film Warrior. The guy is a solid block of muscle and can pull off a menacing swagger like nobody's business. He looks completely unhinged, which Bane should definitely be. If anyone can take down Batman, wildman Bane seems like a good candidate.

The Woman in Black Trailer

I'm a fan of Daniel Radcliffe. I've enjoyed watching him grow as an actor through the Harry Potter franchise, and I'm keen to see what he'll do next. He's one of the core Harry Potter kids who appears genuinely determined to develop his acting skills (Emma Watson also seems destined to be a great actress). He's shown a willingness to take on risky roles in productions like Equus, a stage show that included a nude scene, which is not something you would expect from the boy wizard.

His first major film after Harry Potter is almost upon us. He is staring in a horror film, which seems like a cool choice.

Well, that looks good and scary. I think it's a good choice for Radcliffe to change genres like this. A horror film is very different from Harry Potter, so he gets to develop his acting skills. Plus, this film will rely more on atmosphere and creepiness than his acting chops, so he doesn't have to shoulder the load by himself. Hopefully, he's up to the task and this turns out to be a great horror flick. This movie will go a long way to determining if Radcliffe can take this acting thing seriously and move on from Harry Potter.  Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Battleship Trailer

A few days ago, I posted a trailer for John Carter a Disney film that, for some reason, is giving a 70-year-old story that nobody remembers the blockbuster, big-budget treatment. Here's another slightly odd property that's receiving a major picture treatment: Battleship. You know, the game you played with your sibling where you called out coordinates to take out their little plastic ships. The one where you tried to peek over the top of the board just enough to see a little glimpse of their layout without making it obvious you were trying to cheat.

Hasbro, not content with all the money they've made off the Transformers franchise (there will be a fourth film, they're just trying to figure out how many zeroes to put on Michael Bay's director's check), has decided to bring the popular ship-sinking game to theaters too. And, it's going to be just as loud and boisterous as it's big brother.

See for yourself.

It looks like loud, dumb fun to me. Why not? It looks like an excuse to blow stuff up real nice with maybe a dose of melodrama thrown in for good measure. Who wants to bet the kid who takes over as captain of the ship is a bad boy who redeems himself by taking on the mean old aliens and saving humanity? Anyone?

John Carter Trailer

Here is the trailer for John Carter, one of Disney's big tentpole films readying for release in summer 2012. The film is based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels of a Civil War soldier who finds himself leading a rebellion on Mars. I'm not familiar with the source material, but I will say that the story premise sounds... odd. The character persisted across almost a dozen science fiction novels and a bunch of serialized stories from 1912 to 1964, so there must have been something about him and the martian world of Barsoom that kept people excited.

This looks... familiar. I'm pretty sure I've seen some of this visual styling in Star Wars, Prince of Persia, and Avatar. Nothing in that trailer got my juices flowing. I'd like to know a bit more about the story so I can start getting excited. There's no indication of John's Civil War background, how he got to Mars, how he became the leader of the martians, or what sort of rebellion/war he's leading.

Disney sunk $200+ million into this film, so they obviously think the property could be big. Judging from this trailer though, it's all stuff we've seen before. Something tells me Disney will be marketing this movie like mad in the coming months.

Movies of the Month: December 2011

The holidays are when families gather to spend time together and celebrate the conclusion of another year. Often this involves a family outing to the movie theater. Or, if you’re like me, it involves sneaking away from relatives for a few hours of entertainment. December has several very good movies coming out at the end of the month to take advantage of this cheer and merriment. December also is the month when smaller films with eyes on Oscar are released. All this means that this will be a great month at the movie theater.

Week of December 2, 2011

Shame (limited release)

The plot: Brandon (Michael Fassbender) has created the perfect life for himself that allows him to indulge in his sex addiction. His sister, Cissy (Carey Mulligan) shows up one day and disrupts Brandon’s carefully orchestrated lifestyle. How will he deal with facing his all-consuming desire for carnal pleasure?

Who’s in it? Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan

Ultimate fate: Shame reteams Fassbender with director Steve McQueen who gave us the remarkable film Hunger, which told the tale of the hunger strike of Northern Ireland political prisoner Bobby Sands and was one of the best films of 2010. Shame has been very well reviewed with McQueen receiving attention for his directing chops and Fassbender receiving attention for his brilliant, all-out performance. We have a visionary director and a top class actor tackling a taboo topic. What’s not to like? It’s rated NC-17 for its graphic (some might say honest and direct) depiction of the life of a sex addict, so it’s only getting a limited release.

Where I’ll be this weekend: It’s an incredibly light week with no major movie releases. It will give you the chance to catch up on some of the films from last week. Go see The Muppets already! If you want to see a potentially brilliant film, track down Shame. That’s what I’ll be doing.

Week of December 9, 2011

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The plot: A story of Cold War espionage, a veteran MI6 agent must uncover a possible Soviet spy. Expect lots of double-crosses and awesome 1970s fashion in this one.

Who’s in it? Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy

Ultimate fate: This film has received a lot of good buzz, though I know very little about the story. It’s been thrown out as a potential Best Picture nominee, so it must have something going for it. It has a good cast, and a good spy flick is always welcome in the theaters.

New Years Eve

The plot: This movie follows the lives of several people over the course of New Years Eve in New York City. I’m guessing romance or some other junk happens.

Who’s in it? Lots of stars. Ashton Kutcher, Robert De Niro, Sofia Vergara, Katherine Heigl, Jessica Biel, and so on…

Ultimate fate: I guess it never hurts to have a good date movie in theaters. This will probably be a cute, funny little film that slides by on the strength of a talented cast. It’s directed by the guy responsible for Pretty Woman and a bunch of other chick flicks, so he knows what he’s doing. Your girlfriend will love this movie.

The Sitter

The plot: A slacker finds himself babysitting the kids next door. It’s an R-rated version of Adventures in Babysitting.

Who’s in it? Jonah Hill

Ultimate fate: It’s at the opposite end of the comedy spectrum from New Years Eve. This one will be filled with raunchy jokes and kids saying terribly inappropriate things for comedic effect. It might find an audience, but I doubt it. Why this would come out now in a crowded December rather than, say, early March 2012 when not much else is going on is beyond me.

Where I’ll be this weekend: Still waiting for the big guns of December, but Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy might be worth a look. The buzz for the film has been really good so far.

Week of December 16, 2011

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

The plot: Sherlock and Watson tackle their greatest foe yet, the evil Professor Moriarty.

Who’s in it? Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace

Ultimate fate: The first Sherlock film was a nice little adventure through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s London. I enjoyed Guy Ritchie’s action oriented direction, and thought Downey made a fantastic Holmes. Ritchie has promised more of everything in this sequel. More action, more suspense, more sidekick comedy, more mysteries. Should be a fun time.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

The plot: Alvin and the gang are swept overboard from a cruise ship and find themselves in a tropical island. I personally can’t imagine how tiny little chipmunks could survive a four story fall from the deck of a cruise ship or avoid being eaten while swimming in the ocean, tasty morsels as they are, but I guess killing off your characters during the first action sequence makes for a short movie and doesn’t really help the longevity of your franchise.

Who’s in it? Some people provide the voices of the chipmunks, but I don’t care enough to look up who they are.

Ultimate fate: This is the third of these live action/animated hybrid films about the exploits of the furry ‘munks. The first two made fat stacks of cash, and this one will too, I suppose. These films are cheap to make, and apparently somebody’s kids must enjoy seeing them. I liked the chipmunks when I was growing up, and part of me is happy to see them still relevant today (kindof like The Smurfs). I just wish these types of films weren’t directed so basely at children and had some appeal to an adult audience.

Where I’ll be this weekend: Since I’m not seven years old, there’s really only one option here. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows gets my dime this weekend. I’m excited to see what Ritchie and the gang have in store for the next installment of the Sherlock Holmes story.

Week of December 23, 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The plot: Based on the novel by Steig Larsson, this film follows the investigation of journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) and computer hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) as they investigate the disappearance of a wealthy businessman’s sister who went missing 40 years ago.

Who’s in it? Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara

Ultimate fate: Larsson’s first book in The Millennium Trilogy was decent enough (the latter two were much better), and all three books have been adapted to films in Sweden. But David Fincher directs this adaptation, and his last film was the brilliant The Social Network. This is going to be great, not good. It may be worth it for the Trent Reznor score alone.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The plot: The boys of the IMF, a super secretive spy group, are framed for the destruction of the Kremlin and find themselves cut out of their spy network. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the gang must go rogue, find out whose really responsible for the bombing, and clear their names once and for all.

Who’s in it? Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg

Ultimate fate: A badass action film. That’s what this will be. Brad Bird, who wrote and directed the brilliant The Incredibles for Pixar, tries his hand at live action film for the first time. Not only is he tackling one of the craziest action franchises ever with one of the biggest movie stars of all time, he’s also filming much of it in IMAX, the huge format film that captures every detail of gigantic scenes. Talk about diving into the deep end with both feet. I’m betting that he gets it right though. He knows how to make a great movie, and Tom Cruise won’t let this movie fail. Color me excited for this one.

The Adventures of Tintin

The plot: Tintin and Captain Haddock take off on an adventure to find the cargo of a mysterious ship that was lost 300 years ago.

Who’s in it? Andy Serkis in mo-cap glory. The voices of Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig and others

Ultimate fate: Tintin is a very popular character in Europe, though less so here in the states. I have vague recollections of Tintin stories from my childhood, but I was more engrossed in Hardy Boy’s mysteries and, um, Edgar Allen Poe. Steven Spielberg dives into the motion capture business (with Peter Jackson as producer) with this tale of the young Belgian adventurer. The freedom of the animated format seems like it might suit Spielberg’s style pretty well, so it should be a fun adventure. Spielberg and Jackson have a lot invested in this with Jackson planning a sequel after he finishes with the two Hobbit movies. This is a passion project for two of the most brilliant minds in cinema today, so I’m betting it’s going to be good. Who knows, maybe it will introduce American audiences to a new hero.

We Bought A Zoo

The plot: Based on a true story, this is the story of a man (Matt Damon) who moves to an estate with his family. The catch is that there is also a zoo on the grounds of the estate, and the family has to take care of the animals. The family makes it their mission to restore the zoo to its former glory.

Who’s in it? Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson

Ultimate fate: I’m sure this will be a sweet little movie with a lot of cute animal moments. Every little girl who ever wanted a pony should be drawn to this movie. Ultimately, this film is playing as counterprogramming for the other, more popular films being released this week. If it draws the crowd that Dolphin Tale had, then everyone walks away happy.

The Darkest Hour

The plot: Aliens invade and feed off our energy. This film follows five young kids in Moscow during the invasion.

Who’s in it? Emile Hirsch and a bunch of names I don’t recognize

Ultimate fate: It’s an action/thriller film premiering on Christmas Day, just days after Mission Impossible IV, which is a legitimate action/thriller. It’s got a cast of unknowns and is directed by a guy who has spent most of his career as an art director. Plus the concept is dumb. Aliens use our power grids to take over the Earth? Don’t the makers of this film realize that power grids per se have only existed for the past 150 years or so? I’d say the aliens got pretty lucky to land on our planet when we have so recently built the infrastructure they need to dominate us. I have low expectations for this movie.

War Horse

The plot: Steven Spielberg brings us the tale of a young man and his horse who are separated by the outbreak of World War One. The horse is placed in the cavalry, and the young man risks his life by heading to France to keep him safe.

Who’s in it? Jeremy Irvine, Hermione Granger Emma Watson

Ultimate fate: I consider Spielberg’s World War Two film, Saving Private Ryan, to be my favorite film of all time. That was the first movie that made me realize that movies could be more than just entertainment, that films could really delve into the human condition and show us what it’s like to experience other people’s lives. I knew about war before Saving Private Ryan, but I felt I understood war better after watching the movie. War Horse is Spielberg’s take on World War One, which, in my opinion, was a far worse experience for those who fought than World War Two was (at least in the European theater, the Pacific theater was no doubt brutal). World War One history is a hobby of mine, and I’m excited to see what Spielberg does with this horrific conflict.

Where I’ll be this weekend: There are four legitimate choices this week, but I have to go with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. I like the franchise and Tom Cruise, and I’m excited to see what director Brad Bird does in his first live action movie. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Adventures of Tintin, and War Horse, will all be watched at some point. Fortunately, some of these will have a staggered rollout with War Horse releasing on Christmas Day.

Pick of the Month: There are so many great options this month, particularly in the last week, but I’m going to go with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol as my pick of the month. My excitement meter is pegged at ten for this one. I want to see what Cruise and Bird come up with. And it's in IMAX. It's going to rock!

Chicago 2011

I am officially jealous of the citizens of Chicago, IL. I just spent the better part of a week making my first trip to the Windy City, and I enjoyed every second of my stay. The weather conditions were unseasonable warm for November, mid-50s and low-60s, which made it perfect to walk around the city for hours each day checking out the sights. I was able to get out and cover lots of ground downtown and through some of the outskirt areas. I’m not sure how many miles I logged, but it was quite a few. I might not be so excited to walk everywhere had I gone to Chicago in January with several feet of snow on the ground, but for this trip, walking was the cheap and effective way to go.

My reasons for the trip to Chicago are two-fold. Most importantly, there’s this:

I am a big Gun’s N Roses fan and like to travel to new and exciting places to see them in concert. The second reason is because Chicago is home to the Field Museum of Natural History, which has one of the largest fish collections in the U.S. including several genera of Stichaeidae, the family of fishes I am studying for my dissertation (Xiphister, the namesake of this blog is a genus of Stichaeidae and a major contributor to my research).

I’ve been looking for funding or an excuse to visit Chicago since the beginning of my dissertation to visit the Field Museum collection. All the stars aligned perfectly when Guns N Roses announced North American tour dates and included Chicago. I view it as killing two birds with one stone: attend a concert by my favorite band and make progress towards my Ph.D.

I stayed in a hostel on the North side of Chicago, the first time I’ve gone the hostel route during my travels. I had always envisioned hostels as being populated by dope smoking hippies, but this place was a little different. It was populated by dope smoking hipsters. Ah well, it was a cheap place to stay, and it wasn’t like I stuck around the place very long to interact with any of them. It was a lot like living in a dorm room, which I’ve done plenty of in my day and doesn’t bother me. I will entertain the thought of staying at another hostel next time I travel.

I spent the first day and night orienting myself with the L, the light rail system in Chicago. It’s a very effective and intuitive way to get around. Using it and my iPhone I found a Giordano’s Pizza and ate most of this:

I don’t know what they did to make this pizza so good, but I guarantee you will find nothing of the sort back in Virginia. Amazing pizza. Definitely worth tracking that place down. I wish I weighed about 600 pounds and could manhandle two or three of these, but I’m not so bovine yet, and could only handle so much.

Chicago is known for a good blues music, and I assumed that the House of Blues would be a good spot to hear some live music. Fortunately, the music was good, and it was a pleasant way to cap off the night.

Day 2 was centered around the Shedd Aquarium and the GnR show.

The Shedd Aquarium is one of the most highly regarded in the world, and it’s easy to see why from the moment you walk up the marble steps to the front entrance. It’s a beautiful building with a beautiful view of Chicago. Inside, there are exhibits for Amazonian fishes, Gulf of Mexico fishes, fishes of the northwest Pacific, coral reef fishes, and many, many more fishes from all over the world. Practically every major group of fishes and habitats are represented. If you’ve ever wanted to see a fish from someplace on the planet, then there’s a good chance the Shedd Aquarium has something for you. There are even beluga whales, dolphins, and sharks swimming around for your charismatic megafauna fix. My favorite, of course, were these guys:

A little stichaeid action for you with Chirolophis japonicus. I was able to get pictures of a few species that should be useful for presentations of my research.

After spending the better part of the morning at the aquarium, it was time to make my way to the Allstate Arena to see the Guns N Roses show. It should be noted here that I’m a cheapskate and, in an effort to save cab fare, I decided to walk everywhere in Chicago, including from the blue line stop in Rosemont to the GnR show. It turns out that the train stop is 2.5 miles from the Allstate Arena. Not so bad walking in at 6:00PM, but the trek back at 2:30AM had me a bit more nervous.

The venue doors didn’t open until 8:00PM, but I was there by 6:30. Fortunately, there was a shopping center with a sushi restaurant next to the arena, so I was able to grab a pretty sweet pre-concert dinner. I spent the hour before the opening act performance walking around, checking out the merch ($40 for a shirt, geez), and people watching. The opening act came on at 9:30 and played a terrible yet spirited set. It’s pretty bad when the backup singer sounds 10X better than the lead and the lead forgets to sing into the microphone. They had energy though. They only lasted three shows as an opening act and will probably never be heard from again.

I have a confession to make. I had been feeling guilty about blowing off my school and research obligations to fly out to Chicago for a concert. Honestly, my priorities should probably be more geared towards graduation. As all Ph.D. students, I have a ton of projects going on that each need attention. I’m behind on the timeline I’ve set for myself. I hear the tick-tock in my head to get things done. All that went away as soon as the lights dimmed at 11:30 and the opening chords of Chinese Democracy came blasting out from the overhead speakers.

Guns N Roses are Rock Stars. Axl Rose might be the only one of the current lineup that anyone can name, but I can gladly report that the other members of the band are professionals and can rock with the best of them. They all have charisma, swagger, and tons of talent. The band sounded amazing. Axl himself is getting up there in years, and there have been rumblings and concerns about the strength of his voice. Can he still scream out Welcome to the Jungle like he could when he was 20? He sounded pretty great to me. He sang the hell out of those songs.  The whole set from Chinese Democracy to Paradise City sounded phenomenal. I’ve seen them three times now, Las Vegas 2001, Jacksonville 2006, and Chicago 2011, and this is the best performance yet. Vegas is still my favorite show (first time, small venue, in Vegas baby!), but this will definitely fall in as number two. I got to see Estranged performed live or crying out loud! They basically played non-stop until 2:15AM at which point I had an hour walk to the train and an hour train ride back to the hostel. In bed at 4:30 with ringing ears and a happy heart. Awesome!

At 7:00AM, my alarm went off. No rest for the weary I suppose. Wednesday was my day at the Field Museum, and I needed to spend all day there to get through the stichaeids in their collection. I was there a little before 10, and headed straight for the basement where the fish collection is housed. I didn’t see anything at the museum except rows of jars containing fish. They had some cool-sounding exhibits, but it seems I will have to go back to actually see them. I measured and photographed several rare stichaeid specimens though, so that was a productive trip.

I was run out at 5 and took a leisurely stroll down to the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). Yeah, that’s one tall building. Next was Michigan Avenue and Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse and Lounge. I didn’t want to pay $50 for a steak, but the crispy chicken and waffles rocked. Finally, I capped the night off with a movie (Melancholia) at a boutique theater near my hostel.

I left Chicago Thursday morning very impressed by the city. I only scratched the surface of things, but what I was saw fantastic. I tried my best to pack a lot in my short visit, and I did get to see and do some cool things. Maybe one day I can go back and see more of what I missed. I wonder where the next Guns N Roses concert will take me?

99¢ Review: Puss in Boots

I watch a lot of movies (Check out my list of movies seen in 2011), but I don’t always have the time to write up a full review. Instead, I thought I would start up a new column where I give you the discount version of the review. What’s good, what’s bad, if it’s worth your time.

The Movie: Puss in Boots

The Good: Puss in Boots, lack of pop culture jokes, fun cat humor

The Bad: Overcooked story, Humpty Dumpty

I think we can all agree that the best thing about the Shrek movies was the character Puss in Boots. The rascally orange cat, voiced by Antonio Banderas, had more personality than Shrek or Donkey combined. I was really excited when I heard that Puss in Boots would be getting a spin-off movie. It was a brilliant move by DreamWorks Animation Studio to pick this character with so much personality, a flair for the dramatic, and a taste for action to star in his own film.

The movie is an origin story recalling the childhood relationship between Puss in Boots and Humpty Dumpty. They are best friends who dream of finding the magic beans that will sprout the giant beanstalk and lead them to the giant’s castle. The castle for them represents an escape from dull village life and untold riches from the golden eggs of the giant’s goose. After long years searching, and an unfortunate fallout, the magic beans are finally found. With the help of the mysterious and seductive Kitty Softpaws, Humpty Dumpty and Puss in Boots reunite and set out to steal the magic beans from the evil Jack and Jill so they can finally realize their dream of making it to the giant’s castle. The story has quite a lot of action and general fun, but you'll see the crosses and double-crosses and triple-crosses coming from a mile away. 

The characters and humor is mostly great. Puss in Boots shines as the hero, and he gets into the kind of fun mischief that you’d expect. Antonio Banderas clearly is having fun voicing him. Kitty Softpaws is fun too, and the banter between her and Puss is playful, funny, and sweet. Humpty Dumpty, however, is terrible. He’s shallow, petty, spiteful, and generally a crappy character. Fortunately, Puss and Kitty are so great that the sour taste left by of Humpty doesn’t stick around for long.

This is a fun little flick that establishes Puss in Boots as a great character. It’s exciting and fun and will leave a big smile on your face. It will also give you a lot of fun names to call your own cat at home. I call this one Diablo Gato now.

3.5 out of 5

Movies of the Month: November 2011

Each month, I will discuss the major movie releases, and maybe a few smaller ones, if I find them noteworthy, to give you guys an idea about what to expect at your local Cineplex. I’ll also tell you which movies I’ll check out and which ones I’ll be avoiding at all costs.

Week of November 4, 2011

Tower Heist

The plot: A billionaire owner of a luxury condominium unit loses the life savings of his workers in a Ponzi scheme. A rag-tag group of employees decides to turn the tables and steal the billionaire’s stash of $20 million he keeps hidden in his penthouse.

Who’s in it: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Precious

Ultimate fate: Tower Heist is directed by Brett Ratner, the guy who brought you Rush Hour, and stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy so you know that this one’s going to be a light affair. Expect silliness and action in a shallow but moderately entertaining movie.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas

The plot: The stoner comedy boys return for their third adventure, this time reuniting for some Christmastime hijinks to replace a torched Christmas tree and, I’m guessing here, smoke lots of weed.

Who’s in it? Harold, Kumar, Neil Patrick Harris

Ultimate fate: The Harold and Kumar brand of comedy has never been my thing, but apparently these guys are good at what they do. The 3D is a big seller for this installment, as the trailers have made abundantly clear. I am curious to hear from the people who smoke a bowl and then go see this aggressive IN YOUR FACE 3D movie. I’m hoping for some epic freak-outs in the theater.

Where I’ll be this weekend: It’s a light week for new releases, and neither of these really does much for me. I’ll probably stay home and catch up on my backlog of DVDs.

Week of November 11, 2011

Immortals

The plot: King Hyperion and his minions set out to release the Titans and overthrow the Gods of Olympus. A young man, Theseus, vows to avenge his parents murder at the hands of Hyperion’s horde.

Who’s in it? Mickey Rourke and a bunch of muscle-bound dudes

Ultimate Fate: It has a strong 300 vibe with the visual style, emphasis on muscles and action, and epic battle of mythical personas. It should be fun to watch a whole swarm of fighters squaring off in giant battles in fantastical locations and Mickey Rourke chew scenery as the evil king.

J. Edgar

The plot: This is a biopic of J. Edgar Hoover portraying his rise to one of the most powerful men in U.S. history, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Who’s in it? Leonardo DiCaprio

Ultimate fate: This is a Clint Eastwood directed film and Leonardo really wanted to see this film made, so it should be a solid drama piece. They are going to put out a good product. Hoover was a fascinating guy, a power-hungry egomaniac who had dirt on everybody who was anybody while also going to great lengths to cover up his own secrets. This could be a really good film.

Jack and Jill

The plot: Adam Sandler’s annoying twin sister (played by Adam Sandler, sigh) comes to visit for Thanksgiving and stays longer than anticipated. Somehow Al Pacino is involved as a love interest to the sister. I’m sure Al can do better than Adam Sandler in drag, but who am I to judge?

Who’s in it? Adam Sandler and Adam Sandler

Ultimate fate: It’s an Adam Sandler film in which he plays the fairly normal brother and also the borderline insane twin sister. He doesn’t play Al Pacino though. Al handles that himself. Expect a lot of zaniness and ridiculous humor. It will probably be filled to the brim with dumb moments, but that’s what Adam Sandler fans expect, so that’s what Adam Sandler fans get.

Melancholia

The plot: Justine and Michael celebrate their wedding against the backdrop of family tension. Meanwhile, a planet named Melancholia is on a collision course with Earth. Yeah, it’s an odd premise, but I’m really excited. Why, you ask?

The people: Directed by Lars von Trier, Kirsten Dunst

Ultimate fate: Lars on Trier films are visceral experiences. You can feel a von Trier film gripping you as you watch, and then it sticks around in the dark corners of your brain long after the credits roll. His most recent film, Antichrist, was a primal deconstruction of love, lust, and loss, and is one of the most incredible films I’ve seen. The guy is an artist, so expect a compelling story married with stunning visuals in a true cinematic experience. He is working with his largest budget to date, and the trailer showcases the film’s beautiful setting and style. Plus, he has a knack for getting his leads to undress, so Kirsten Dunst fans should be happy. It opens in limited release this weekend, and I just hope that it makes it to my area someday. 

Where I’ll be this weekend: For the second weekend in a row, I might not make it to the theater. Melancholia is a possibility, but with its slow rollout, it probably won’t play near me. J. Edgar has enough quality people behind it that it should be worth a look. However, the real reason I’ll stay inside all weekend is because The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim releases Friday. I’ll lock myself away Friday afternoon, fire up the Xbox, and won’t come out until Monday morning.

The week of November 18, 2011

Happy Feet Two

The plot: The loveable penguins get trapped in the ice and it’s up to Mumble to find an escape route.

Who’s in it? The voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hugo Weaving, Pink, Sophia Vergera

Ultimate fate: It’s the penguins we know and love back for another adventure. It will be filled with ultra cute characters, singing and dancing to slightly dated pop songs, and, most likely, thinly veiled commentary on the effects of global warming, ocean pollution, or overfishing.

Twighlight: Breaking Dawn Part 1

The plot: Yeah, I have no idea what’s going on in these films, and don’t really care to find out. From what I can gather from the trailers for this movie I saw playing in front of good movies I saw, some chick gets married and then her werewolf husband knocks her up with some sort of weird mutant fetus hybrid that tries to tear her apart from the inside out. Whatever. All of these films look dumb to me.

Who’s in it? I don’t care.

Ultimate fate: It’ll be a huge hit, but not because it’s quality cinema. All the down-on-their-luck, single, thirty-something-year-old girls everywhere who are still holding out hope to find real love with the man of their dreams will generate truckloads of money for the midnight shows of this film. You couldn’t drag me to see this dreck if you tried. Clearly, I’m not the target audience for this movie.

Where I’ll be this weekend: Probably still playing Skyrim.

Week of November 25, 2011

The Muppets

The plot: The Muppet Theater is going under, but all the Muppets are too busy with their solo careers to know or care. One of their biggest fans decides to get the gang back together to put on a fundraiser so that they might save their legacy.

Who’s in it? Jason Segel, Amy Adams, The Muppets, lots of stars in cameos.

Ultimate fate: It’s a freaking Muppets movie! I hope this one rocks it out, proves the Muppets can still be a viable franchise, and spawns a half dozen more Muppet movies. Unfortunately, this week is packed with two other movies targeted to younger audiences. All these films will likely split the pot such that none of them are likely to make killer profits. Still, it’s been a long time, and I’m excited to see the crew back in action. It’s going to be funny, silly, a little tongue-in-cheek, and will have more than a few musical numbers. 

Hugo

The plot: Based on the story “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”, this film follows young Hugo as he uses a key left to him by his father to unlock adventure in a Paris train station.

Who’s in it? All the advertisements are too busy letting everyone know that this is the first motion-capture and 3D film by Martin Scorsese to mention who the actors are.

Ultimate fate: Scorsese has apparently embraced the tech for this film and has produced a very detailed, imaginative world. It’s also his first attempt at making a children’s film. I know nothing about the book on which it’s based, but I know an excited and motivated Scorsese can shoot a good film.  

Arthur Christmas

The plot: Santa’s son, Arthur, discovers a present that gets left behind on Christmas Eve. He takes it upon himself to deliver the package and save someone’s Christmas.

Who’s in it? The voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and others

Ultimate fate: It looks like it could be a cute, family-friendly, animated adventure movie. Unfortunately, it’s going against two other kid-centric films that could blow it out of the water.

A Dangerous Method

The plot: A story of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung in the early days of psychiatry. The film focuses on a series of unorthodox experiments Jung conducted on a young woman he treated for hysteria and the relationship between the two renowned psychiatrists.

Who’s in it? Directed by David Cronenberg, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Kiera Knightley

Ultimate fate: Cronenberg is known for making some of the best horror films ever (The Fly, Scanners) but he also makes some very compelling, non-horror films as well (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises). You can still expect some intense moments in this story of dueling psychiatrists who are trying to not only identify the best ways to treat patients, but who also are attempting to legitimize the entire field. There are some talented people involved in this movie, and the early buzz has been good. It should make for a nice drama.

Where I’ll be this weekend: I’ll be rounding up anyone and everyone I can find and taking a big group to see The Muppets. I’m excited to see them back on the big screen and am confident that it will be a great time.

Pick of the Month: The Muppets, clearly. It’s about time we had these guys back on the big screen again.

I hope this helps you plan your weekends for the next month!