Twilight: Eclipse

Let me just start off by declaring my allegiance: Team Jacob.

Having talked to some fans of the book I hear that is absolute heresy. The connection built between Bella and Edward appears much stronger in the book, but in the movie version the battle for Bella's heart seems much more balanced.

And here we are three movies later, more or less in the same place we were when this whole saga started. Bella still pure, slightly out of place in a normal society, and in grave danger as she tries to become a member of the undead. The story never seems to move forward from the original but this attempt at least finds a better balance to tell the same story.

The love triangle gets center stage, as both Jacob and Edward are in this movie evenly rather than one being two small to focus on or the other running away to Europe. The characters definitely have the high school act nailed down, whether that's the writing of the script being overly simplified or the actors showing their limited range. They get the heart-spewing and overly dramatic hormones down pact.

Maybe it's a combination of both as the acting has improved since the first movie. Granted there was a lot wrong with the movie in the beginning, and there is no way any of these actors will receive any acting award besides the golden popcorn. This franchise is steadily improving, which leaves me hopeful for the next two movies. Kristin Stewart still looks out of place, Taylor Lautner still seems to be overacting, and Robert Pattinson still conveys his message without a pulse. But, I mean that's what the characters call for, an outcast, a slave to emotion and a member of the undead. Maybe these young actors have become so ingrained in the character they are over delivering their character traits.

And it certainly can't be the writing that is all bad. Melissa Rosenberg is able to show off some comedy in that she lampoons the story itself. My favorite moment is when Edward questions if his counterpart Jacob even owns a shirt. A legitimate question as he appears to be without the top article of clothing through most of the movie. Not that any of the preteens and moms in the audience will mind. Rosenberg knows what the audience wants and finally gives it to them in the proper dosage. There aren't any layers beneath the surface of the story as every character seems to spout off the emotion they have when they have it, but was I any different in high school? I prefer not to think about it actually.

David Slade is to date the best fit for this project in the directors chair, having dealt with vampires and teenage angst in the past (30 Days of Night and Hard Candy respectively). The climax of the story is strong and the CGI wolves look great in the battle sequences. We even get some back story on some of the other members of the Cullen clan. It may have been a little out of place, but it didn't disrupt the flow of the story.

Once you get past all the fantasy elements this is a story about high school romance, and that story could probably stand on its own. It's definitely the best of the three movies out there, but that is still not saying a whole lot. C-

Toy Story 3

Pixar doesn't know how to make a bad movie, from the first ten minutes of Up to the academy oversight of Wall-E Pixar keeps getting better with age. This movie picks up where the studio started, in Andy's room. Toy Story 3 has a lot to live up to, not only through an outstanding series but it also lives in the shadows of the most successful movie studio in Hollywood. And once again Pixar knocks it out of the park.

Screenwriting 101 dictates that you have to captivate your audience in the first 10 minutes, and Toy Story does just that with plenty of nods to the original as we get to see the bank heist scene from the perspective of the players involved. Want to know how far technology in the industry has come? Look no further than the opening sequences of the first and third Toy Story.

Once again the cast of characters are being led by Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen). Andy's toys have been lost to old age and yard sales, including love interest Bo, but this helps to define the one true love in Woody's life, Andy. Andy however, no longer creates the imaginative worlds for his toys to be featured in. Woody and the gang spend their days in the wagon train toy box as Andy prepares for college. It seems the beloved toys have only the attic or the trash to look forward to.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT

Through some shifty negotiations the toys find themselves being donated to the Sunnyside Daycare. The daycare is run by a giant purple bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty), and an always questionable Ken doll, played by Michael Keaton, who no doubt had a lot of fun with the role. The toys soon find that the system is corrupt and the movie shifts to a Hasboro themed jail-break. Full of wonderful nods to the genre and an escape plan that would no doubt impress Andy Dufresne.

SPOILER OVER

The jokes seem kind of sporadic but it doesn't mean they aren't good. Many of them seemed rehashed nods to the two movies prior. The new gags they use are priceless and many in the capable hands of Tim Allen. Another bright spot in the comedy is Mr. Prickelypants who appears to be classically trained in the arts.

It isn't until the third act where the movie sets itself apart. The emotions run the gamut from action packed tension to heartfelt. It seems the only purpose of the 3-D glasses (besides driving up ticket prices) if to hide the tears slowly dripping down your face. Not my face that is, I'm too tough, yours probably, alright I teared up, don't judge me till you see it. The 3-D feature offers truly nothing to the movie, it is unnecessary to use when all the best parts of the movie revolve around the writing.

Lee Unkrich takes the helm on this one after previously editing the other two movies and co-directing the last one. Most of the creative team from the original story are back in this one to create the newest chapter. They blocked out the major action points in the movie while Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) takes to the script and does a masterful job with it. It's another point of praise for the people at Pixar to take such care in its story that they go out and get an academy award winner writer.

The most heartfelt moments happen at the end and that is when the movie is truly able to send its message. Some of the moments may be too much for the real youngsters in the audience, either that or those moments will fly by their heads Either way the movie is not really for them anyway. Pixar knows that for every child that gets a ticket there will be an accompanying adult and they are the ones that will spread word of mouth to friends with children.

Had Pixar decided to make this a new movie with different characters instead of the ones we've grown attached to and seen facing peril before, I believe this movie becomes an instant classic. Instead you are forced to compare this one to the movies prior, and because of the legacy the movie loses out a little. However, the geniuses at Pixar know what it means to craft a movie and that is why Pixar is unequivocally the most important studio in Hollywood. A

The Karate Kid

There is no hiding my undying love for the original Karate Kid. Not because it was exceptionally good, but rather because it was kind of trashy. The hairdos were incredibly eighties. All of the actors that weren't named Pat Moritia overacted the crap out of the movie. And then there were the bad guys I love to hate, with gems like "sweep the leg" and "get him in a body bag Johnny." I tend to honor these cheesy villains by naming my trivia team the Kobra Kai Dojo and rocking out to the song i provided above (check out the link if you have a second). This movie had a lot to live up to.

The movie doesn't shift too far away from the original. All the major beats remain the same it is just the environment that changes. Jaden Smith stars as Dre, the young pupil from Detroit who has moved to Beijing, China with his mother played by Taraji Henson (much better than her 1984 counterpart). I suppose the east-coast west-coast culture shock was no longer enough so there is instead a shift is socieo-economic area (I imagine the sweet tax-cuts helped too). Smith has clearly inherited the best traits from his parents and blends the aggressive nature of his mother with the fun and charming style of his father. I usually hate children actors as they always seem like they are trying to be kids. Smith is asked to carry the film and he makes it appear effortless.

This interperation of the film is much grittier than the original movie. It is much easier to believe the fear of a 12 year old facing bullies than it was for a 22 year old (I had to double check that fact and verify that Macchio was indeed 22 when filming started, holy shit the kid doesn't age!).

Also gone is the actual karate. Instead the movie uses wushu kung fu which provides visually h harder hits. The styles big hits translates better on the big screen as audible 'ooohs' and 'aahhs' were shared aloud as the audience saw the young children take some big shots. Its sometimes tough to watch the kids take such big hits, but in the same breath it helps the audience understand the dangers our protagonist faces. This may be wushu but you can't call the movie kung fu kid or you risk losing out on potential revenue from the gen-x audience who are more than willing to share this story with their kids.

To protect young Jaden from his bullies is Jackie Chan playing the Mr. Miyagi character renamed Mr. Han. In so many of his previous roles Chan provides a film with a mixture of levity and fight sequences; surprisingly, he plays this version of the character straight. So much of what made Mr. Miyagi a memorable character and earned Pat Morita the Oscar nomination was the quirkiness he added to the character. Morita had a distinct sense of humor but delivered all of his lines straight laced, Chan's character doesn't show nearly as much humor which is how the character was originally intended. There is nothing wrong with the portayal, in fact it is some of the better acting Chan has done in his career. This rendering provides the same strong bond between sensei and student, it just gets there in a different way.