The Long Goodbye

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Yates, 2011)

Click here to read my reviews of the previous Harry Potter films.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is good enough as an action adventure, but it’s elevated by pathos created through a decade of storytelling. It hardly matters if the action seems to stall a predictable ending or if there are too many sentimental monologues: the filmmakers have been earning these last moments for eight films. In many ways, we measure “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” along with all that has come before. The whole of the series has succeeded beyond the individual parts, and this chapter benefits from grand summation.

Boom

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Bay, 2011) Format: 3D

Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” represents all that can go wrong with the Hollywood blockbuster — idiotic plotting, paper-thin characters, inadequate tension — but still is one of Bay’s better attempts at destroying the world and frying our synapses. It’s certainly better than the first two “Transformers” films, which featured gratuitously unfunny comedic gags and dispensable subplots that distracted from the robot melee. This entry dials down the unwelcome humor and makes way in the second half for some terrific robot beat-downs. Those who liked the first two “Transformers” movies will love this one. The rest of us at least do not have to be ashamed to say we saw it.

Unidentifiable Flying Hero

Green Lantern (dir. Campbell, 2011)

“Green Lantern” is the worst kind of superhero movie — the kind that values the superpower over the person granted with it. Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan is a concept instead of a character. A cocky, dashing fighter pilot emotionally handicapped by childhood trauma, Jordan spends his days bedding women he has no interest in and flying recklessly with a general middle-finger attitude toward his superiors. He fluctuates between smart-ass and doe-eyed, and apparently does all of his sit-ups offscreen so viewers have ample time to notice the shift. But they won’t buy it for a second.

Putting Things in Perspective

The Tree of Life (dir. Malick, 2011)

Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” plays like a nature documentary that observes all types of life with the same curiosity. It follows a family living in Waco, Texas, in the 1950s, as well as the first organisms that crawled out of the sea at the dawn of our planet. It considers an animal taking a drink from a riverbed with the same specificity as a father instructing his son on pulling weeds from the yard. The camera dances like a will-o-wisp, tracking rising oceans, laughing children sprinting across a yard and maybe the utter breaking of the universe before the movie is over. It’s an ambitious film that is probably better approached as an expanded version of “Planet Earth” instead of a family drama with existential footnotes. Viewers will not find easily identifiable character arcs here or a satisfying resolution. As an impassioned assessment of nature, the film rightly falls short of answers.

Make Believe

Super 8 (Abrams, 2011)

J.J. Abrams’ “Super 8″ is a meticulously crafted entertainer that unfolds predictably but charms just the same. Its mystery may ultimately prove underwhelming — with trappings recycled from early Spielberg wonder flicks and old “Twilight Zone” episodes — but the film is memorable for its emotional payoff, helped to fruition by Abrams’ skill as a storyteller and a radiant young cast.

X-Men Begin

X-Men: First Class (dir. Vaughn, 2011)

Strangely, “X-Men: First Class” gets in the way of itself by being an X-Men movie. The central plot involves two men: one who uses uncanny abilities to seek revenge, and another uses his powers to promote harmony. The men become unlikely friends when their interests temporarily align, but they chose their paths years prior and must eventually part as enemies. The story carries ample weight and gravitas, and is surprisingly devastating in its resolution. However, because “First Class” has a target audience to please, it clutters the proceedings with too many mutants and subplots — none of which are as engaging as the central relationship between Professor Xavier and Magneto, played terrifically by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

You Know What They Say About Guys With Big Hammers

Thor (dir. Branagh, 2011)

“Thor” looks like a film that would implode if it took itself too seriously, but it manages to keep a straight face through the celestial guffaw and still get away with it. Director Kenneth Branagh effectively juxtaposes the reality we know on Earth and one we can scarcely comprehend in the realm of Asgard, where gods Odin and Thor stride over floating mezzanines and ride across rainbow bridges. Branagh can take Asgard seriously because he has Earth to make light of it. Still, the emotion and action hit just as hard in our world; after all, when Thor is cast out of the heavens and marooned in New Mexico, his giant hammer comes with him.

A Fifth-Speed Movie Stuck in Fourth Gear

Fast Five (dir. Lin, 2011)

“Fast Five” is perfect for about 30 minutes of its running time. These minutes contain spectacular action scenes with some ballsy stunts, convincing effects and, most importantly, very little talking. However, the movie is over two hours long, and the rest is a dirge of lame dialogue and rote character interactions.

Welcome Back, Potter

Reviews of all of the Harry Potter films. Some good, some bad, and don’t forget the mediocre.

Meta4

Scre4m (Craven, 2011)

The first evidence that the fourth ‘Scream’ film — entitled ‘Scre4m’ on the title card — is a barking mad commentary is the numeral. Numbered titles in the horror genre typically designate uninspired sequels that cash in on the success of an idea that was once fresh and innovative. ‘Scre4m’ embraces this mantle like a badge of honor because, well, at least it’s not a damn remake. The film satirizes the recent slew of horror remakes and pokes fun at Japanese horror movies, torture-porn flicks like ‘Saw’ and non-movie conventions such as Facebook, video blogging and smartphones. It might sound gimmicky, but ‘Scre4m’ is aware that audiences assume it’s a sterile money-grab checking off topical jokes. However, by the end, the sequel reveals itself to be the first ‘Scream’ since the original that goes beyond the trendy humor and meta-fictional amusements. There’s a lot about society that director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson find scary, and this film is their bloody exegesis.