baby's first disaster movie

The kid and I checked out San Andreas over the weekend. We are both big fans of the ever-charming Dwayne Johnson. There really was not much of a plot to speak of, but that's not what put most of us in the theater seats. It was the premise of pitting The Rock's impressive biceps vs. natural disaster. While Johnson may not have come out completely on top, as most of the California coast looked to be sinking into the sea, it could safely be said that the outcome was at least a draw.

Along with Johnson for the ride were Carla Gugino as his soon-to-be-ex wife, also soon to be ripping up those divorce papers; Paul Giamatti, as an adorable scientist who is trying to save his state while impressing a cute female reporter, and Alexandra Daddario as Johnson's and Gugino's gorgeous and MacGyver-like resourceful college-bound daughter. Oh, and and Ioan Gruffud in the thankless role of Gugino's impossibly rich, smooth, and slimy boyfriend who never really stood a real chance at stealing her away from Johnson, anyway.

Johnson and Gugino race to save their daughter

You've got to be kidding me — now what? Alexandra Daddario, with Hugo Johnstone-Burt (R) and Art Parkinson, watching the latest disaster of the hour

The real star of the movie, of course, are the special effects. For once, CGI of buildings and landmarks crumbling and collapsing make sense and have an impact. Much more than the ridiculous crashing into skyscrapers that weigh down all the comic superhero movies. While the superhuman strength of Johnson and some of the effects may have been on the highly unbelievable side, they were also quite entertaining. The whole experience reminded me of going to the drive-in, many years ago, and watching The Poseidon Adventure with my family. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that my daughter was as frightened and thrilled at the destruction on screen (sorry San Francisco!) as I had been during that film, and as invested in the characters. And isn't that what we go to movies in the first place?

favorite films this year

It's December, so it's a good time for some summing up and list-making, right? I watch a fair share of movies, but the very best that I've seen this year were not necessarily first-run in theaters. I also caught up with some titles on cable, streaming, or Blu-rays from the library.

Here is my list of the movies I liked the best, would love to see again (and again). There are links to longer reviews. The list is in the order that I saw them. Looking at it I see that there are a few trends. There are quite a few two-person movies. The fantasy films all feature a central, larger-than-life character, with a sense of humor. The comedies are all pretty quirky, and on the quiet side, as opposed to the current gross-out trend. Three of my favorite actors, who are no longer with us, all turn up on the list - Robin Williams, James Gandolfini, Philip Seymour Hoffman. They will be missed.


The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Ben Stiller takes a thoughtful, beautifully filmed journey to find himself.

Pirate Radio - Philip Seymour Hoffman is wonderful as a renegade DJ on a floating radio station in the '60s.

Philip Seymour Hoffman in Pirate Radio

James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in Enough Said

Enough Said - James Gandolfini and Julia-Louis Dreyfuss are a wonderful pair of would-be lovers in this clever, quiet film about second chances.

The Way Way Back - Sam Rockwell is an irreverent but kind boss and quasi spirit guide to young Duncan (Liam James) during a summer on the Cape.

The Lego Movie - Everything is awesome, really, in this wonderfully clever animated adventure.

Rear Window - Hitchcock's classic about love and what really happens behind our neighbors drawn curtains.

Annie Hall - Diane Keaton is the subject of this comic love story, both a tribute and a spoof, from Woody Allen.

Lovers Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) and Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) in The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Another stylish (and hilarious) film from Wes Anderson, starring Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton.

The Humphrey Bogart Film Festival - I was lucky enough to attend this annual festival, where I was treated to screenings of Bogie classics like Casablanca, To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep and Key Largo.

Maleficent - Angelina Jolie, her beauty chiseled and CGI-ed to perfection, has a blast with her role as Sleeping Beauty's nemesis.

The Birdcage - One of my all-time favorite films. Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are adorable and funny as hell, and just manage to stop Hank Azaria from stealing the picture from them.

Hercules - Dwayne Johnson leads a merry crew in this fun, raucous take on the Hercules legend. Ian McShane steals every scene he's in and then some.

Guardians of the Galaxy - I am Groot. We all are Groot. And Guardians of the Galaxy is the best comic book movie of them all.

Our Idiot Brother - The movie is as laid back as its main character, played by Paul Rudd, and that is a good, and very funny, thing.

Gone Girl - Rosamund Pike is picture-perfect as Amy, in this cold-as-ice chiller-thriller.

Big Hero 6 - A very sweet animated film, with a layer of sadness that never quite goes away. Beautifully animated, too.

Philippe (François Cluzet) and Driss (Omar Sy) go to the opera

The Intouchables - A twist on the buddy picture, this French hit features the beautiful friendship of odd couple Philippe (François Cluzet) and Driss (Omar Sy).

Only Lovers Left Alive - A mesmerizing, beautiful love story from director Jim Jarmusch. About vampires. With Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. And John Hurt. I could just watch this over and over and over ...

hercules and dwayne johnson have fun with a classic

The kid and I checked out Hercules this weekend and were very presently surprised. I guess I should say that I was presently surprised, the kid just loved it. In fact, she loved seeing it on Friday so much that we went back the next day and took in the IMAX 3D version. I'm not usually very fond of 3D, but love the sheer scale of IMAX. I actually preferred the film in 2D, however. Hercules is a good-looking film, and the 3D, while it may have made some of the battle scenes more visceral, ended up distracting me from the overall action and and cinematographer's composition.

Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) in search of the Hydra

Hercules was directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand, Tower Heist, Horrible Bosses), who has a penchant for overblown actioners, and based on a comic book Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore. While some critics have complained that the famous labors of Hercules which spin by quickly in the film's trailer appear just as quickly in the film, that is not quite a fair criticism. It is true that this version of Hercules's story tends to spin the Greek hero's legend on its head, portraying Hercules as just one member of a team of elite mercenaries. The band of brothers (and one sister), with the aid of some skillful publicity, has spun the story of his godly parentage and fantastic exploits to their great (monetary) reward. But fans of Greek mythology will notice some sly nods to both Herc's adventures as well as some other famous Greek heroes — and the movies made about them — especially in a powerful scene where warriors rise from the ground a la the classic Jason and the Argonauts. And what is mythology anyway, but a constant reinterpretation of a classic story?

The Nemean Lion hat and club are just too cool

This film's Hercules, played by Dwayne Johnson, may be quite human, but his physique is certainly larger-than-life. Johnson has said he trained harder for this role than any other, and the results are truly impressive, as his Hercules is, without question, the film's most special effect.

"I trained and worked harder than ever for 8 months for this role. Lived alone and locked myself away (like a moody 260-lb. monk) in Budapest for 6 months while filming. Goal was to completely transform into this character. Disappear in the role. Press journalist asked me today, with the mental & physical toll the role had on me, would I do it again? Not only would I do it again ... I'd do it f*cking twice."

As fun as it is to watch Johnson take on the role of Greek's strongest hero, what really makes the film are all the wonderful actors that surround him. Hercules's traveling companions include Ian McShane as the seer Amphiaraus (who also knows how to wield a long spear); Rufus Sewell as the smart-talking Autolycus, who is very handy with a blade; Norwegian actors Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as the huntress Atalanta, whose bow can be used to take down enemies as much as her arrows, and Aksel Hennie as Tydeus, who suffers from an ancient form of PTSD; and Reece Ritchie as Iolaus, his young nephew, whose tales of his uncle's exploits serve as his calling card. The group forms a tight unit, and their humor and camaraderie helps make them a more convincing and engaging group of super-heroes than the Avengers.

The gang's all here: L-R: (Tydeus) Aksel Hennie, (Atalanta) Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Hercules, Iolaus (Reece Ritchie), Autolycus (Rufus Sewell), and Amphiaraus (Ian McShane)

Herc and Co. are just about to hang up their weapons and head for a well-earned retirement when Lady Ergenia (Rebecca Ferguson) approaches them to take on one last (and very lucrative) job — to aid her father, Lord Cotys (John Hurt), whose land has been besieged by a mysterious enemy named Rhesus (Tobias Santelmann). It's a pretty basic adventure movie set-up, but things move swiftly and entertainingly, with some humor and even a few surprises. Joseph Fiennes turns up as one of Herc's previous employers, King Eurystheus of Athens. It's great to see him and especially great to watch John Hurt once again don the robes of a classical-era character. Johnson's Hercules is haunted by his past — he woke one evening to find his wife Megara and their children murdered. He has been trying to atone for his alleged crimes ever since.

So lovely to see you: John Hurt as Lord Cotys

Although everyone adds to the proceedings, Ian McShane almost steals the show with his wry Amphiaraus, who has prophesied his own death, but so far hasn't seemed to time it precisely:

[A flaming javelin comes flying towards Amphiaraus, who spreads his arms wide, ready to receive the blow]
Amphiaraus, "My time ..."
[Hercules runs past him, grabs the javelin, and throws it back]
Amphiaraus, "Do you mind? I was having a moment!"
Hercules, "You're welcome."

The rugged locations (filming was done in Hungary and Croatia) add a lot to the atmosphere, but it is the non-stop action, Johnson's huge musculature, and clever twists on a well-known story that really make Hercules so much fun.

a big smile can go a long way

The new, ridiculous, preposterous, but still entertaining Journey 2 the Mysterious Island takes its characters on an adventure where volcanoes spew pure gold and the lost city of Atlantis is once again discovered, but its greatest special effect is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's 1000 watt smile. As absurd as things get on that island, Johnson pulls out his Hollywood grin and the audience just relaxes and surrenders to the silliness. Why not?

Matt Sayles, AP Photo

Journey 2 is a pseudo-sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth, which starred Brendan Fraser, whose character has disappeared from this story and doesn't even get a mention. Johnson takes over the Fraser role here, a hunky but also clever guy who is ripe for an adventure. Johnson has eased into the same sort of family/adventure movies favored by Fraser and looks to continue making many more in the future.

Josh Hutcherson, who played a slightly callow youth and the nephew of Fraser in the first film, is in Journey 2 a callous youth. For the majority of the movie his character is more than a little annoying. While the film purports to be about the bonding of Hutcherson with his new stepfather (Johnson) it's really a series of silly and sometimes scary set pieces designed to amuse the kiddies. Tiny elephants, giant bees and other wonders are glossed over rather quickly as the cast races to get off the magical island, almost as soon as they get there. More nonsense incorporating Captain Nemo, Atlantis, and the kitchen sink are thrown in. The whole effect is similar to games my brother and I used to play in the back yard with our friends, where we would mash up favorite shows like Star Trek and The Avengers and make up adventures and perils as we went along.

L-R: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Luiz Guzman, Vanessa Hudgens, and Josh Hutcherson in Atlantis

Michael Caine enjoys himself to the hilt playing the wacky scientist grandfather of Hutcherson. Luis Guzman is a comic relief pilot who happens to have a gorgeous daughter (Vanessa Hudgens) who hates Hutcherson at first sight. We know it will all work out and kids in the theater loved it, even applauding at times. I suspect (fear) that this will be on heavy rotation when it comes to television in our house. But who am I to quibble? It's hard to resist Johnson's good-natured grin.

Note: Right before the movie begins audiences are treated to a new Looney Tunes animated short, Daffy’s Rhapsody, featuring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. Not only is it great to see such classic Warner Brothers characters in a new cartoon, but Daffy is magically voiced by the late Mel Blanc. Animators discovered a children’s record album from the 1950s which included a song by Daffy voiced by Blanc and were able to use that to create the soundtrack for this cartoon. I hope they continue to search their vaults for similar gems.