Trailer: Jack Reacher

Right after the international trailer debuted (in Russian) we get the US official release of Tom Cruise’s next film, Jack Reacher.

Once called One Shot, Tom Cruise stars in the now titled Jack Reacher, an ex-military investigator who uses his imposing physical size (6’5”, 250lbs) and service experience to track down a sniper.

Jack Reacher also stars Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, Richard Jenkins, with Werner Herzog as the villain.

The film hits theaters of December 21st, 2012.

Lee Child’s Synopsis of novel One Shot:

Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me.

And sure enough, ex—military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter–a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right–and soon the slam-dunk case explodes.

Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning–and then beat him shot for shot

Trailer: Jack Reacher

Once called One Shot, Tom Cruise stars in the now titled Jack Reacher, an ex-military investigator who uses his imposing physical size (6’5”, 250lbs) and service experience to track down a sniper.

This first trailer is just over 90 seconds, and is the international version, in Russian. Fear not, I happen to be fluent in the language, so this is one of the times where being bi-lingual will help.

Here is [my] full translation of the trailer:

“This guy…he’s different, he’s one of the few remaining, he doesn’t have discipline. He spits on the rules. He needs to be taught a lesson. He knows what I did…you will not be able to protect me from him. No one can. [After we see Tom Cruise close up in the car] You think I’m brave? I’m not brave. And if you have any brains…then THAT is why you should be scared, because I have nothing to lose. Remember, this is what you wanted. Final scene of the trailer, Cruise says – Believe me now?”

Jack Reacher also stars Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, Richard Jenkins, with Werner Herzog as the villain.

The film hits theaters of December 21st, 2012.

Lee Child’s Synopsis of novel One Shot:

Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me.

And sure enough, ex—military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter–a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right–and soon the slam-dunk case explodes.

Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning–and then beat him shot for shot

Review: Rock of Ages

Maybe the most fun I’ve had at a movie theater, ever.

If you’re of a certain age, the music alone should have been enticing enough to catch this flick. Add in the massive cast, all dressed in their best 80’s garb, and ACTUALLY singing the songs, and you can’t give me a reason not to see this.

Based on the hit Broadway play, Rock of Ages, set in 1987, is about a small town girl who runs to Hollywood to chase her singing dreams. There she meets a guy with similar dreams, all while being enthralled in the 80’s rock era, headlined by the one and only Stacee Jaxx.

I get it, once the word musical is given as a label to a film, play or what-have-you instantly (mostly males) will tune out and pay it no mind. But I’m telling you the story, the jokes, and most of all the music will have you in a state of euphoria for all 123 minutes.

Julianne Hough stars as Sherrie, a girl from Oklahoma who hops on a bus and heads to Tinseltown to try and make it as a singer. She gets a job as a waitress at the “it” spot for rockers The Bourbon Room where she encounters Dennis Dupree, the owner of the bar played by Alec Baldwin and Lonny, on of the managers of the bar, played by Russel Brand.

As Sherrie is getting comfortable at her job, she strikes up a relationship with aspiring rocker Drew Boley, played by Diego Boneta.

The Bourbon Room plays a major part in the film and is essentially a character in and of itself. It’s the place for all major acts to go and perform at. With rock God Stacee Jaxx set to perform his last show with his band Arsenal, The Bourbon Room is the place to be. Girls are ready to fall all over themselves in order to get a glimpse of Jaxx, and as he tells Dennis, he is going to metaphorically burn the place [The Bourbon Room] to the ground.

There are several [musically fueled] side stories like a protesting group led by Patricia Whitmore, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. trying to do whatever she can to end Rock music for good as it is poisoning the world in her opinion. We have the interesting relationship between Dennis and Lonny, Stacee Jaxx’s crazy manager Paul Gill, played by Paul Giamatti being a hilarious sleaze ball, strippers, and more.

I have to give big time props to Tom Cruise who absolutely sold the part of legendary rocker, 100% believable. From the demeanor, to the hat/bandana/glasses/mink coat ensemble, to the drinking, and most importantly the singing. This guy can ROCK. He has great stage presence, and has the pipes, belting out classic song after classic song. Sure it’s a movie and they are acting, and this is what they are suppose to be doing, but it’s whole other ball game to add singing, while acting. And it’s him actually singing, I can’t stress that enough, this isn’t dubbed, and it makes this movie THAT much better.

Tom Cruise is and was Stacee Jaxx, you want to party with him, you want to see him perform live, and it’s already one of my top three favorite individual performances of the year.

Aside from Sherrie and Drew trying to make it the other major story line is Stacee Jaxx’s final performance with his band, and starting a solo career. With this drastic career change, people are hungry for information. Jaxx does an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Malin Akerman plays reporter Constance Sack, who has to resist temptation, and calls Jaxx on his BS and asks him to let everyone know what it’s REALLY like to be the infamous Stacee Jaxx.

This is simply a fun film.

I don’t understand how people can hate this movie, what were they expecting? How can you not be smiling throughout the film and singing along to every song?

Rock of Ages is a powerful, emotional, fun-filled roller coaster ride accompanied by some of the most iconic songs of all time.  If you’re not taping your feet, and or rushed with the urge to start air guitaring or play the air drums in your seat, you have no pulse and should get that checked.

Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, and Diego Boneta steal the show on a very memorable note, while Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, and Paul Giamatti provide tons of comedic relief while adding to the tunes as well.

I can’t imagine having a better time from start to finish inside of a movie theater for the rest of the year.

Rating: 9/10

Trailer: Rock of Ages (2)

The star studded musical Rock of Ages will have everyone singing. With music from the most popular bands in the world, rock music is about to be brought to life.

This is the second theatrical trailer and it certainly makes the film look a lot more fun than the first one. And while I’m not a fan of musicals, this looks like it’s going to be a good time. Based of the broadway play with the same name, the film will be centering on a small town girl played by Julianne Hough who falls in love with an all-star rocker Stacee Jaxx played by Tom Cruise, Rock of Ages will feature 1980s hits by such classic bands as Journey, Foreigner, Styx, and REO Speedwagon.

Rock of Ages, also stars Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, and Paul Giamatti. 

You can catch Rock of Ages in theaters on  June 15th, 2012.

Review: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

I don’t know how many more mission’s Tom Cruise will go on, but if they will be shown in IMAX, and have great casts they may never stop.

The fourth installment of the impossible is up there with the original, a thrill ride, full of non stop entertainment.

Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt with a few new faces and some old ones as well. The mission this time takes them from Moscow to India to Dubai with explosions galore.

Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg round up the crew surrounding Cruise that this time are in the hunt for codes to stop a nuclear launch missile.

Brad Bird gets major credit here for creating such an aesthetically pleasing film, while at the same time keeping such a “guy-film” attitude throughout. Bird was mostly known for animated films before this, so the fact that he was able to churn this out, is a major success.

Cruise did most of his own stunts in the film, along with the stunning building climb, and swing on the massive Dubai Burj Khalifa tower, when you see this in IMAX it is simply a  sight to behold.

Between the sand storm, shots from above in Dubai, car chases and a 90 degree drop in a BMW with Cruise in the driver seat, or an incredible escape from a prison, the films cinematography could have been the greatest catalyst in the film.

You can argue that this was the spark Cruise needed to rejuvenate his career as his last few film choices haven’t been too impressive. Not since Vanilla Sky have I been “wow’ed” by Cruise, his stunts and overall performance here was incredibly entertaining.

In a year where the “big blockbuster” films were major let downs, most of which were action-based, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol did a great job in saving the action film genre in 2011.

The film is exhilarating, scenes that will push you to the edge of your seat, literally.

The final thing that made the film so great was the chemistry between all four leads, Pegg, Cruise, Patton and Renner all fed off each other well, and it really showed.

A fifth mission is reportedly on the way, hopefully this entire core chooses to accept a return.

Rating: 8/10

Trailer: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

We waited for the new Transformers: Dark of the Moon to see this trailer, and here it is.

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt in another installment and another impossible mission.

It’s been five years since the MI3, but it looks like the wait was worth it.

Alongside Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg also stars here.

The trailer looks like this is going to be a nice way to wrap up the year.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol hits theaters December 16th, 2011.

Tom Cruise Fades into Oblivion

Tom Cruise has a knack for sci-fi roles, and he is about to add another big one to his resume.

“Oblivion,” with a $100 million budget, about an apocalyptic future where mankind has moved into the clouds over an uninhabitable surface.

Cruise plays a soldier who works alone on the surface, where he meets a beautiful woman and begins questioning everything he knows.

Who should play the “beautiful woman” alongside Cruise?

Production is set to start in October.