Director Ang Lee delivers a twisted, yet creative film that is incredibly artsy, but worth a viewing. It is “The Ice Storm.” Many twisted parents and kids of all sorts that make awful judgment and there are withdrawals by them. It stars Kevin Kline (as Ben Hood), Joan Allen (as Elena Hood), Tobey Maguire (as Paul Hood), Christina Ricci (as Wendy Hood), Sigourney Weaver (as Janey Carver), Jamey Sheridan (as Jim Carver), Elijah Wood (as Mikey Carver), and Adam Hann-Byrd (as Sandy Carver).

 

The plot: the year is 1973 in suburban Connecticut. There are two middle class families and that is the Hood family and the Carver family. Both families are fairly wealthy and luxurious. Both of the families are also extremely sneaky. The parents and their children participate in casual sex. Ben has a hidden relationship with Janey; Elena has a hidden relationship with Jim; and the teen Wendy has got a hidden relationship wit both Mikey and Sandy. The behavior of everyone does not only impair the judgment of everyone, but it spirals out everyone’s life to be out of control.

 

This film is an art-house film that is a must-see. I have watched and actually own a ton of art-house films that are spectacle, but “The Ice Storm” definitely takes the cake for being one of the most spectacular ones around. The chemistry between everyone in this drama is powerful and triumphant. You cannot help but wonder why it is titled “The Ice Storm.”

 

“The only big fight we’ve had in years is about whether to go back into couples therapy,” Ben says at some point in the film. Which may be one of the reasons for the obscene behavior. His wife Elena knows he is a liar and sees it as she says, “That sounds vaguely like an insult.”

 

The film moves forward. Both families still make harsh judgment. Then something tragic happens at a certain moment in the movie. Their judgment is like a routine, set to happen rarely between the parents, where it seems the children have tendencies to be a bit more horrid with the choices they make.

 

Lee is capable of enhancing the experience through the scenery with “The Ice Storm.” The color in the film is faded to have a hint of melancholy to the film. There is abundance of greenery in multiple exterior shots that makes viewers have the idea that the subject matter of “The Ice Storm” is not pleasant. Even though that may be the case, this is not a film to make people feel down. “It was 1973, and the climate was changing” (main tagline and noted on imdb.com).

 

Does the climate cause more issues? Is their any reconciliation? Or does the weather keep getting worse and does everything collide to sadness. Find out with “The Ice Storm”

 

Note: There is a Criterion Edition (For those of you who do not know what criterion is, it is an American video-distribution company that sells “important classic and contemporary films” to film aficionados”). Therefore if any of you are into art-house films or collect films, I would say give the Criterion edition of it a chance and go more beyond the film with its bonus features and interviews that are worth while to help us experience these art-house films as an art form. Thank you for reading.

“Let’s be Cops” Review:

 

“Let’s be Cops” is mannered to the point of absurdity. The film has some laughing moments, but it is not that funny. To describe its absurdity is that it is way to similar to other cop comedies. The movie is all preposterous—fake cops, and a lacking storyline. The film’s climax is the fake cops in a massive shoot-out; from how the film was advertised, the climax did not add up to me.

 

The movie was written and directed by Luke Greenfield, whose “The Animal” and “Something Borrowed” showed a similar taste in ridiculousness. Only thing though, the plots were quirky, and the stars in them were decent. “Let’s Be Cops” is a quirky idea and not worth it.

 

Two pals Ryan and Justin (Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr.) decide to go to a costume party dressed up as police officers. Surprisingly, everyone assumes they are real police officers. This makes them decide to run with being fake police officers. When they do this, these two idiots get tangled in a real life web of mobsters; they must put their fake badges on the line.

 

The fact that “Let’s be Cops” actually is a disaster explains how lame the film is. Audiences that enjoy cop-comedies and watch “Let’s be Cops” will expect themselves to be laughing non-stop, and I was not laughing that much.

 

Is there any evidence why this movie is not worth it? No. Does the characters have much chemistry? No. Is it worth it? If you are ok with wasting your money on a crappy comedy than go for it.

 

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Review

 

While “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is somewhat better than “Wrath of the Titans” (2012), it still lacks in many areas. While “Wrath of the Titans” had great graphic effects and an unexplained storyline, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is the opposite—decent (but rushed) storyline, and graphic effects that seem cartoonish. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is all of the classic turtle characters, but with a spice of excitement since it stars Megan Fox (as April O’Neil). “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is a typical made-for-Hollywood film like many superhero movies are. The one where its over-advertised to be amazing, has the biggest names in Hollywood you can imagine, then once it is experienced, there are tons of mixed opinions.

 

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” takes place in New York City. The four turtles that roam the streets for justice are Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Leonardo (Peter Ploszek and Johnny Knoxville), and Donatello (Jeremy Howard). Their master and trainer is a rat named Splinter (Danny Woodburn and Tony Shalhoub). April O’Neil is a journalist and becomes friends with the turtle gang and has relation to them (I will not say how she does, you need to watch it and find out yourself). The enemy Shredder (Tohoru Masare), and his evil clan have a plan to take over New York City. The four outcast turtle heroes must do what they do best to save the city from Shredder’s diabolical plan.

 

This is repetitive of Liebesman, making a movie that is rushed. He could have made the film more realistic, and less childish, including the quirky dialogue that is spoken throughout the movie. But I guess its target audience being teenagers is why it’s a clean and non-offensive flick. The only thrilling moment is the climax of buildings falling down. You know New York is a big city, you probably know the superhero “Spiderman” well, and what happens with buildings in New York in a superhero movie? They chatter.

 

This is one of the worst films of the year, and a poor choice on Liebesman’s behalf. If he cranked it up with much more story development and more attention-grabbing effects, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” may not be that foolish. It is as bad as “Battle LA” and as wacky as “Wrath of the Titans” but Liebesman is not patient with his directing. Let us hope he will make a fantastic flick in the near future.