Review: Draft Day

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★

“Draft Day” is a film that helps provide a little bit of insight into how a front office works on the first night of the National Football League’s draft. It’s a film football fans should be able to embrace. But for those who don’t care for the sport one way or another, it’s still going to be something you can like. It’s a simple premise – only taking place over the course of one day – and works very well thanks to a very concise story told very well.

Sonny Weaver, Jr. (Kevin Costner) is going to have a heck of a day. It’s the day of the NFL draft and it’s his second year as the general manager of the Cleveland Brown. The team’s owner Anthony Molina (Frank Langella) really wants him to make a splash. Sonny figures this means trading away his first round draft picks for the next three years to Seattle in exchange for this year’s number one pick. The top pick in the draft is thought to be Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Wisconsin Bo Callahan (Josh Pence), a once in a lifetime type of quarterback. This, of course, doesn’t sit well with Cleveland’s new head coach, Coach Penn (Denis Leary) who had his heart set on a top running back from Florida State Ray Jennings (Arian Foster – yes, that Arian Foster).

While most of us are probably very familiar with the whole NFL Draft process thanks to ESPN’s unflinching coverage of the event each year, the behind the scenes action is probably a little less known. I’m sure it’s unfamiliar territory for screenwriters Scott Rothman and Rajiv Joseph as well. A lot of work goes into designing the perfect draft board for all 32 NFL teams every year. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that each team has a small group of people already ranking the prospects for next year’s draft before this year’s draft even starts. “Draft Day” makes it look like Weaver is the only person in charge of all the decision making processes. But then again, it’s a movie. We’re always asked to suspend our disbelief to an extent.

This is all done for dramatic purposes and I understand that. This is a film where your expectations will determine how much you like it. If you’re looking for a film that’s going to give you a detailed overview of all the inner workings of NFL franchise’s draft day procedures, “Draft Day” isn’t it. However, “Draft Day” is still a very enjoyable movie. It takes the best dramatic moments of what probably happens in a draft room, and blends them into what ultimately amounts to very solid story.

Not only is Sonny the GM, but we’re also are treated to see much of his personal life as well. There’s his private relationship with the Browns’ salary cap manager Ali (Jennifer Garner). He’s also just lost his father Sonny Weaver, Sr. who is a Cleveland legend, coaching the Browns for years. Living in a father’s shadow isn’t easy, especially when the father is beloved by an entire city. The ongoing feud between Penn and Weaver occupies a good chunk of the story. Leary plays the roll well, one that I imagine is very consistent with many NFL head coaches and general managers. The only thing not believable about Penn is that he used to coach the Cowboys where, according to Penn, “they win.” He flaunts his Super Bowl ring every chance he gets. Except for the Cowboys have been the definition of mediocrity for the better part of a decade now, but I digress. There’s Weaver’s mother (Ellen Burstyn) who’s there to help add to the stress of Sonny’s day. She succeeds, part because of the character, but mostly because it’s Burstyn in the role.

There are too few scenes involving Costner and one of the potential draft picks, Ohio State linebacker Vontae Mack (Chadwick Boseman). The few we are treated too are some of the best scenes in the film. Boseman is a budding star and we should all be on the lookout for him to take Hollywood by storm. Many will remember his fiery performance as Jackie Robinson in last year’s “42” and we have his role as funk legend James Brown to look forward to this summer in “Get on Up.”  For a supporting role, his character is really well developed even in so few scenes. All the draft prospects are, for that matter. Once again showcasing the great writing by Rothman and Joseph.

However, there are many clichéd filled moments that clutter the script, particularly in characterization.  Weaver’s intern (Griffin Newman) is a walking cliché placed here only for the purposes of breaking up the dramatic moments with some humor. But there’s already enough genuine humor written into the script. Credit that to director Ivan Reitman (“Ghostbusters”) for being able to bring out the humor in the script and delicately balancing it against all the dramatic moments. This is one of his best films in years but let’s be honest, he hasn’t exactly been turning in gems for close to 20 years.

Still, “Draft Day” is surprisingly well done for a film that could have easily have fallen flat on its face. Most of this is thanks to the very well developed screenplay from Rothman and Joseph. For first time film writers, they really nailed it. There’s enough football in this film for football fans to like it, but there’s also a lot of personal drama and conflict for the non-fans. There’s nothing else really to it than that. Sometimes the simplest stories can have a lot of complex elements to it and be enormously satisfying in the end. 

Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★½

“Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” is a reboot of the famous Tom Clancy character who has already appeared on the silver screen four other times. While I generally balk at the idea of reboots because they demonstrate a complete lack of originality or willingness to take a risk from the Hollywood studios, this is one I was actually kind of interested in seeing. The result? It’s quite enjoyable despite it’s boring script.

Since this is an origin story, “Shadow Recruit” opens with Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) back in college working on his PhD in England in 2001. He watches the horror of the 9/11 terror attacks unfold and decides to abandon his studies and join the Marines. Sometime later, Lieutenant Ryan is serving in Afghanistan when a helicopter he’s in is hit with a missile. He survives, but spends a great deal of time learning to walk again at Walter Reed. He’s being helped by a medical student, Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley). Ryan likes her, but she won’t date a patient; famous last words during a typical meet-cute like this.

Keeping a close eye on Ryan’s recovery is CIA operative Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner). He’s read Ryan’s college essays and thinks he’s smart enough to assist the CIA in counter terrorist measures. He asks Ryan to return to school and complete his PhD, after which time they’ll covertly place him into a Wall Street firm where he will monitor foreign accounts to see who is funding terrorist cells.  This brings us to the present, ten years later. Ryan works for a firm in New York. He lives with Cathy, who is now a doctor. They’re engaged to be married but she’s not ready to commit (since when is it the woman who isn’t ready to commit in movies?). And since they’re not married, Ryan can’t tell her he secretly works for the CIA.

One day, Ryan notices an abnormality with some holdings from a Russian firm they oversee. The firm is run by Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh). His suspicions are correct because it turns out Viktor hates America and wants to destroy it by selling off trillions of dollars in holdings which would plunge the United States into a second Great Depression. This would be timed perfectly to follow a massive terror strike on the US by a Russian sleeper cell. Ryan raises his concern with the CIA who tells him to go to Moscow himself for an audit. Once he gets there, things get ugly. Cherevin’s company suspects his reason for coming to Moscow rather than doing this over the phone and takes all the necessary measures to eliminate the threat they think Ryan poses.

The Jack Ryan character is certainly an interesting one and Tom Clancy left behind a wealth of material for Hollywood to draw on, but “Shadow Recruit” comes from none of those stories. Instead, writers Adam Cozad and David Koepp take the characteristics Clancy gave Ryan in the novels, updated it for 2014 and created a brand new story line. They’ve also given Ryan a little bit of the Jason Bourne DNA by making him more of an action hero instead of a pencil pusher.

We’ve seen the character already in four other movies, all based on Clancy novels: “The Hunt for Red October” in 1990 with Alec Baldwin as Ryan, “Patriot Games” in 1992 and “Clear and Present Danger” in 1994 with Harrison Ford, and “The Sum of All Fears” in 2002 with Ben Affleck taking over the role. I personally think Baldwin played it best and “Red October” is the best of all the Ryan films, including “Shadow Recruit”. In each of these films, Ryan isn’t an action hero. He’s just an analyst dropped into difficult situations. That all changes here.

And it’s not necessarily a bad thing either. The story is a bit thick and a maybe a little too complex. Focusing the primary conflict on economics isn’t exactly the easiest way to win over your audience. The story tries to make the stakes incredibly high for Ryan and the CIA, but half the audience might be lost in the processes. It’s not until about halfway through the second act when things start to pick up. Once they do, the whole economic destruction premise is tossed out the window in favor of high octane action sequences and other suspenseful moments.

Director Branagh is a competent action director, already evident from his work on “Thor”. He doesn’t really improve on anything with “Shadow Recruit” but he does maintain his consistency as a big budget studio director. These types of films are obviously slightly more involved than the Shakespeare adaptations we’re used to seeing from him. Even the best directors out there show their inexperience with filming big action sequences for the first time (see Christopher Nolan’s hand-to-hand combat scenes in “Batman Begins” and compare them to “The Dark Knight” – vast improvements). Branagh shows no learning curve.

He’s also solid on the other side of the camera too. Again, this is no surprise. The man is a natural talent. I had no concerns about him as an actor in this film. I did have reservations about Chris Pine though. I was worried he might play this role similar to that of James Tiberius Kirk, but he does not. He’s an acceptable action star, although I would have never guessed that a few years ago when he was doing things like “Just My Luck” and “Blind Dating”. He’s comfortable here, but he’s not given much to work with in the way of actual dramatic acting. If sequels follow, I wonder if they’ll continue to make Ryan a Bourne-like action hero, or if they’ll play into his back story and relationships more the way the early films and (presumably) the novels show.

There’s nothing groundbreaking being done in “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit”. It’s just a relatively enjoyable action film with a mediocre screenplay. That’s pretty typical of just about every action film we’re given each year. The screening I saw for this film was on an IMAX screen which added very little to movie. Knowing that, this is probably very doable on your own TV; you won’t miss much seeing it on a smaller screen. Furthermore, I’m not sure audiences are going to leave this film clamoring for any kind of follow up. If they give us one, I’m sure it’ll be enjoyable, but I’m not going to be hoping for one. And I’m sure I’m not going to be alone with that thought either. 

Review: Man of Steel

by Trevor Kirkendall
★★★½

Superman has always proven to be one of the trickier superheroes to put on the big screen. We’ve seen a few good shows on television that have helped keep the character alive in the public’s eye for many years. But when it comes to film, Richard Donner’s 1978 version with Christopher Reeve is still the favorite among fans. The subsequent sequels, followed by Bryan Singer’s 2006 abomination “Superman Returns” ran the franchise into the ground. Today, with Marvel’s Cinematic Universe ruling the box office every year, and with the conclusion of their most recent Batman franchise, DC Comics was in need of something big that would bolster their standing. With the new Superman reboot, “Man of Steel,” they may have just struck gold.

“Man of Steel” serves as another origin story for the famous character. The planet Krypton is in disarray, and the world will soon come to an end. Fearing this, Krypton’s biggest scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sends his only son, Kal-El, away from the dying planet and straight to Earth. In the spacecraft, Jor-El includes information that could one day help to repopulate the people of Krypton on another world. A sinister military commander of Krypton, General Zod (Michael Shannon) knows what Jor-El has done and vows to find Kal-El.

Thirty-three years later, we find Kal-El (Henry Cavill) living amongst the humans attempting the keep a low profile. He works odd jobs here and there but his special abilities keep showing up under different circumstances, causing him to move on to a new place. Flashback sequences also describe his troubled up bringing in Smallville, raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) who found baby Kal-El in the crashed spacecraft.

Elsewhere, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams) has discovered this mysterious man and begins to track him down. Once she finds him in his hometown, she discovers his apprehension about going public with his abilities. After all, he was raised to keep his abilities a secret.

This is also about the time General Zod shows up to Earth looking for Kal-El and demands that Earth cooperate with him or he’ll destroy the planet. Kal-El must now choose between helping to save the planet and the humans, or staying in seclusion.

Most origin stories can be plenty boring because the audience is already aware of the backstory, such as the case with a character as popular as Superman. But “Man of Steel” works on many different levels without boring the audience to tears. The nonstop action and breathtaking synergy between live action and CGI keeps the film on a very quick pace. Before you know it, sixty minutes have gone by. Then ninety. Then two hours. Then its done. “Man of Steel” is the fastest moving two-and-a-half hour film since “The Dark Knight.”

Director Zack Snyder (“Dawn of the Dead” and “Watchmen”) has once again proven himself to be a highly skilled filmmaker when it comes to constructing high-octane action sequences. The seamless interweaving of CGI on top of the live action is also a high point. Sure, you know what’s being done on screen isn’t possible and that its got to be computers making this come to life, but the realism on display here is exceptional. I’m not sure if Snyder will ever direct something that’s not action packed or heavy on the effects, and that’s okay. If he wants to direct every other action movie that came out, I’d be more than okay with that.

Christopher Nolan’s presence here is a welcomed asset that really helps elevate this film beyond that of other superhero films. Along with David S. Goyer, who is also credited with developing the story that made up all three films in Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, Nolan was able to craft a story that doesn’t seem like something that is utterly fantastical. Sure there are space aliens, rocket ships and a man who can fly, but the world where all this occurs is utterly real.

“The Dark Knight” trilogy worked in the same way. Gotham City is a fictitious place, and there aren’t any egomaniacal billionaires running around fighting crime (although Sergey Brin running around in his stupid Google Glass glasses could be a possible contender – but I digress). But everything felt real and genuine. “Man of Steel” as that same feel of authenticity.

Cavill and Adams worked well on screen together. Cavill’s portrayal of the man confused and ashamed of his abilities is performed with great empathy. Adams recognizes that she’s the first person he’s trusted and doesn’t hesitate to step up and make this journey with him.

Then there’s Shannon’s Zod, who not surprisingly steals the show as the films villain. Anyone familiar with this brilliant actor already knows about his intense portrayals from other works such as “Take Shelter,” “Revolutionary Road” or HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.” He’s evil as Zod, and you can see it in his eyes. He’s the perfect villain for the origin story, rather than starting with someone who might be better known to casual fans (Mr. Luthor, perhaps?).

“Man of Steel” is an exhilarating and unrelenting action film. Its a film that fits nicely into the typical “summer movie” mold, but I don’t think we should limit it as such. This is truly one of the more exceptional films of this style to come out in recent memory. I remember feeling the same way after seeing Nolan’s “Batman Begins” in 2005. We all knew we were in for a much different story of the Batman saga after that movie came out, and I think the same thing will apply here.

With a sequel already in the works (summer 2015), its safe to say that the Superman franchise finally has the film it deserves. Both Snyder and Goyer will return in their roles and Nolan will most certainly be around to lend his brainpower to the creative process. As much as I enjoyed “Man of Steel,” I’m more excited about all the possibilities this franchise has. DC Comics needed a winner, and they got it. They couldn’t sit idly by and watch Marvel have all the fun. 

Review: Man of Steel

by. Joe Moss
★★★1/2

“Welcome to the Planet” as said by Lois Lane (Amy Adams)

at the close of Zack Snyder’s (300, Sucker Punch, Watchmen) epic “Man of Steel” is a playful ending to a prolific film—yet provides the perfect cliffhanger for the [already announced] sequel. The movie DEFINITELY lives up to its nearly two years of advertising hype by delivering a larger than life, yet believable, DC Comic super hero as portrayed by Henry Cavill (Immortals).

Thankfully, Zack Snyder’s film, as developed by the creative duo behind the Dark Knight Trilogy (Dayid S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan), does not attempt to harness the cult following of the 80’s classics starring Christopher Reeve; rather they have taken a solid base of information from the Superman Universe of comics and developed a more modern version of the storyline. This film plays to the more science-fiction orientation of Superman’s existence rather than the fantastical.  Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is the lead science advisor on Krypton and he senses the urgency of the planet’s death due to non-sustainable uses of the planet’s resources. With eminent doom quickly approaching, he and his wife Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) have the first child of natural birth in centuries in the HOPE that he will lead their race into a brighter future.

Kal-El/Clark Kent is then sent to earth as a newborn with the entire civilization of Krypton resting firmly on his shoulders. He is loved and cared for by his earthly parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane), where he is educated with the solid morals and ethics we expect Superman to have. He learns at an early age that he is different and that people are scared by these differences—so he needs to hide them. Hide them he does. He moves around…a drifter…a loner…yet strangely appearing in places around North America that need his unique talents.

This drifting leads to the inevitable chance encounter with the Pulitzer Prize winning field journalist, Lois Lane (Amy Adams). She quickly ingratiates herself to Kent and becomes only the third person he finds he is able to trust. As the movie progresses, so does the evolution of their relationship (as expected) but there is a much better foundation provided in this script than any of the other versions—true character development…not simply pure visual lust.

Michael Shannon’s portrayal of the antihero, General Zod, provided the perfect counterpoint to Cavill’s Superman. I found myself really believing the characters in this film as it played out—the story was just that solid. I really enjoyed how Snyder wove the backstory intermittently into the main plot of the film. Everything seemed so effortless…seamless…that I cannot find a single element to nit-pick over.

The original music score by Hans Zimmer (Lion King, Dark Knight, Inception) was equally incredible and hauntingly mesmerizing. It was subtle yet hypnotic at the same time. I am still humming a few of the melodies even as I type this review.

The technical cinematography of Amir Mokri (Transformers 3, Lord of War, Fast & Furious) coupled with the editing genius of David Brenner (ID4, The Patriot, Born on the 4^th of July) allowed the film's CGI elements to flow seamlessly into the storyline—breathtaking…almost. There were only a few places early in the film that I caught a few glitches…but I will overlook them as I 100% enjoyed this film for what it is. Welcome to the next Summer Blockbuster of the 2013 season!!