BoxOffice101 Movies

Stolen (2012) is directed by Simon West who also shot this year's The Expendables 2 which proves a film-maker should not concentrate on two action projects annually. Written by David Guggenheim who wrote the super-hit Safe House earlier this year shows that he only retained his dialogue delivery in the script. Nicolas Cage stars as an ex-thief who's just gotten out of jail to find his daughter kidnapped and shoved inside a taxi's trunk. 

  The plot is reminiscent of 2008's Taken without Liam Neeson's charisma or perfect plot-pacing. This was less than half of the film that Taken was. The only thing it succeeded in was with the similarly-themed title. Stolen does have its good points: Action cinematography is decent although I sincerely doubt that a robber who deals in bank theft has so much combat experience. Dialogues are hilarious and cynical, with fun exchanges between the main FBI officers. Josh Lucas acted top notch outshining all the other who couldn't shine anyhow:

  However, these are only distractions. Stolen has a mediocre plot. The follow-through after the kidnapping is weak. The opening scenes promise much but the later running time disappoints badly. West directed this feature well but the mediocre screenwriting flawed it all. Predictability is just another word for Stolen.

  Unless you have nothing else to die or are a die-hard fan of Cage, you can bare to watch this. The box office revenue was so bad it was shipped out of US theatres after just a couple of weeks. That's what happens when a film makes just a petty $304,318 off $35m. The film co-stars Malin Akerman and Danny Huston.

  Cage hasn't had great role since 2009's Knowing. This is 2nd worst film after The Wicker Man. And only the possible National Treasure 3 or the confirmed The Expendables 3 can save his career. Simon West created box office genius with 1997's Con Air comprising of Cage but did the complete opposite with this one.

  The Expendables 2 grossed $289.2m off a budget of $100m at the end of its theatrical run showing a better performance but with a larger production cost largely due to the actors' salaries. The Expendables had a $80m budget grossing $274m globally so the sequel was more successful although it would've grossed about $330m if not for the mass murder in Colorado this year. Also, if a regular cast was chosen I doubt the production cost would surpass the $50m mark. Directed by Simon West this time around who is well-known for action flicks like Con Air (1997) and badly-known for flops like Stolen (2012). The writing by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone with a plot following Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) offering the team a jail-free pass if they recover something for him but things get topsy-turvy after encountering the ruthless killer Jean Villain. 

  Willis and Schwarzenegger were both given more prominent roles this time and rightfully so. Chuck Norris was a waste and shows he doesn't have that movie flair any more. Luckily, he declined the 3rd's offer. Sylvester Stallone is known not only for starring in superb action flicks but also writing them. His 2006's Rocky Balboa was brilliant and this one was no less. The Expendables 2 boasts all one can expect: adrenaline-fueled sequences and impressive verbal exchanges between Stallone and Statham. The latter was the best performer from the heroes' side. More humour tones were added to the mix that really impressed the critics this time around. There was also an unannounced female addition this time around (Yu Nan). Dialogue delivery from other cast member is also worth-mentioning, especially from Dolph Lundgren, and it was better than the predecessor. 

  Though the cons of this film cannot be ruled out even with a blind eye. The plot is weak and the follow-through immensely predictable. The villains are played by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins being more charismatic than the last time around. Van Damme declined the previous film's offer due to the fact he was to lose a fight against Jet Li. The role was changed to meet Lungren's specifications and he carried out well, and did the same this time. The settings were quite similar to the previous one's and the monotonous pacing irritating.

  Also, the mega-brawl between Stallone and Van Damme was disappointing though Statham's no-holds-barred MMA battle with Adkins was the most superior in the franchise. Adkins is a great fighter if you've seen Undisputed 2 and 3.

  But nothing compresses the action-packed mania and the Call of Duty shooting. This film was made specifically for males and whoever has a soft spot for action must catch this one.

  The Expendables 2 is better than its predecessor still not showing any improvement over story. Mickey Rourke who played the tattooist in The Expendables was too busy to show up this time. Nicolas Cage confirmed for the next part (and he so needs a non-straight-to-DVD role). Liam Hemsworth was the only male addition to the heroes' squad.

BO101: 3/4.

Rotten Tomatoes: 66%.

IMDB: 7.2/10. 

  Directed by Adam Shankman, who is best-known for directing the 2007 remake of Hairspray famously starring John Travolta as a plump female dancer, so he has film-making experience of this type. Written by a total of 3 screenwriters containing the original musical writer Chris D'Arienzo, the film focuses on two main characters: Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough), a small-town girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma with a lot of dreams to make it big in LA. The second is Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) a super-famous rockstar dealing with typical rocker's depression and lyrics writer's block. Though the movie fails to interpret the characters' backgrounds well. They also do not succeed in balancing their roles.

  Secondly, being a rock musical with something distinct to offer, it actually becomes predictable after the first half-hour. Taylor Swift was considered before Hough for her the main role but even though she has a better voice, she doesn't have the beauty or dance moves to shine on-screen. Although, their acting might be identical as Hough definitely needs training. She can't even cry right (in the rain!). Her boyfriend, played by newbie Diego Boneta acted exceptionally with lesser experience. The conclusion was there for the forecasting from the start. The trailer was solid but the material did not give as showcased:

  However, the music playlist was brilliantly selected. All singers performed in top-notch form, also worth mentioning that they're actors by profession. Popular 80s themes are featured such as Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison, Paradise City by Guns N' Roses, and the best performance being Wanted Dead or Alive by Cruise, originally by the internationally renown band Bon Jovi.

  Also, Cruise outshines everybody else in his drinking and singing persona. This was the highest fitting feat of a rockstar I have seen. No actor could've mentally dug into his role like Cruise. And his dialogues were the best of the entire script. That being impressive as he had quite a few lines. His singing was also number one having practiced just above three months.

  In conclusion, based in the American Dream go-getter destination Los Angeles with dirty and leather-wearing crowds, church protesters against Satanic Rock, and over-lit streets, Rock of Ages is an above-average musical. Having grossed just $50m worldwide off a budget of $75m it still had one of the highest openings for a musical ever. Surprised it did not make at least $100m featuring the likes of pop singer Mary J. Blige, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti and English comedian and ex-husband of Katy Perry, Russell Brand.

Rotten Tomatoes: 41%.

IMDB: 6.1/10.

BO101: 2.5/4.

  Sanders landed a biggie with this one, the film grossing just a bit farther off from $400m worldwide off a production cost of $170m, and landing on the top of the US box office. The debutante film-maker has also gone famous owing to the scandal of his romantic involvement with Kristen Stewart that led to her engagement break-up to Robert Pattinson. But I'm not here to analyse behind-the-scenes footage.

  SW and the Huntsman is a good example of decent direction. It follows a Huntsman ordered to kill Snow White yet ending up trying to end the reign of the Evil Queen. Although the plot sounds cliched it is cleverly delivered and acted upon. The dialogues are not too shabby for a fantasy flick and not be compared with the brilliant literacy of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

  The first half shows the ruined world during the Queen's power. Being based on Snow White, the film is very dark and gloomy in most of its duration. This is no fairytale having a PG-13 rating. There is a lot of violence and gore which was necessary for its standing out from other adaptions such as Mirror Mirror which was released in the same year.

  Action choreography is top-notch and Sanders should be given more action-oriented films later on. Most the characterisation is worth mentioning and development occurs at a noted pace. Sets also owe justice to the atmosphere and its budget. Charlize Theron stole the show with her bad-ass seductress persona. No wonder she won an Oscar and was nominated for another (North Country).

  However, there are flaws. Firstly, Stewart getting the titular role is preposterous. Maybe she can pull it off as super insecure Bella in the Twilight movies but as Snow White - please! She has no beauty or onscreen presence. Julianne Hough should've gotten the role after transforming into a brunette. So I guess Stewart was   cast well, because she is white as snow.

  Also, the ending is predictable and so is the plot development. Introduction to new characters happens at the wrong times and this shows novice scrip-writing coming into play. More creativity should've been used in the depiction of magic.

  In conclusion, Snow White & the Huntsman is the fantasy movie of the year (so far), noting that a Lord of the Rings prequel (An Unexpected Journey) will be released in December. There is also a second-best act by Thor thespian Chris Hemsworth. But I'm glad I watched Prometheus over this in the theatre.

IMDB: 6.4/10.

Rotten Tomatoes: 49%.

BO101: 2.5/4.