Havoc

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: October 16, 2005 (Armenia)

DVD Release Date: November 29, 2005

Plot 411: Wiggers from Pacific Palisades check back into reality when they have an encounter with 16th Street gangsta.

Review: Rich kids Allison (Anne Hathaway) and Emily (Bijou Phillips), in an effort to be real and actually feel alive, venture into East L.A. and kick it with the 16th Street gangsters. Wary at first, they soon find themselves fitting in with these hardcore criminals, drug dealers and overall thugs. They meet Hector (Freddy Rodriguez) and think they're so cool to be with such dangerous people. Their lives cease to be boring because now they're living on the edge. However, they are naive and don't realize that in this case appearances are reality. They do not and cannot fit into this lifestyle. The film is an intense look at these kids' privileged lives as they appropriate hip hop and gangsta culture forming faux-gangsta crews. They walk the walk. They talk the talk. They listen to hardcore rap and even believe themselves to be hardcore. But none of it is real. It's all a game to them to fill the void that is their lives. With drugs and sex they become numb and are able to escape, if only for a little while, their lonely existences. Most of their parents are workaholics or have their own mental and emotional issues. Some even have their own substance abuse problems. This film makes a clear statement about the lives of the idle rich. Despite all their attempts, their lives are completely separate from the middle class and astronomically apart from the ghetto that inspires them. After watching this film, I wasn't sure who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. Are the gangs the truly evil part of this equation because they corrupt youth, advocate violence and make people dependent on chemical substances? Or are they victims just trying to make a living any way they can so they can support their family, even in the face of discrimination? Are the rich at fault for neglecting their children because they are blinded by ambition and wealth? Are their kids guilty of whatever happens to them because they go out asking for trouble in a powerplay that they hope draws their parents' attention? These are all legit questions and I guess no answers are ever easy. The film also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in an almost unrecognizable role that I think he plays well, and brief appearances by Channing Tatum, Laura San Giacomo and Alexis Dziena.

Watch It: For a harsh dose of the reality we live in. This movie reminded me of Alpha Dog.

Skip It: Because Hathaway didn't really put on a believable performance of good girl gone bad.

Dear John

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: February 5, 2010

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: A summer love gets real when he's shipped overseas and she returns to school.

Review: I had so much hope for this next installment of a Nicholas Sparks-based flick, but it let me down on pretty much every level. Dear John stars Channing Tatum as John, a special forces soldier who meets a girl during his two week leave. His love interest comes in the form of Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), a college student home on Spring Break. The couple spends two glorious weeks together before they must be separated for a year. During this time they write letters back and forth, keeping their love alive despite their physical distance. I'll just leave it at that for this plot synopsis as I don't want to get more into it. It'll only anger me. First off, there's absolutely no chemistry between Tatum and Seyfried. Even their two-week love affair wasn't entirely believable for some reason. I thought this would be a good role for Tatum to expand his acting capabilities and show that he could emote. However, he didn't do so until the end . . . when I think he had a great moment but went and spoiled it by getting overly dramatic. I did enjoy Seyfried's emotion though as it seemed to be more natural. Richard Jenkins played John's father and I think he did a great job with what he was given. The ending of the film was the most disappointing aspect of all. I don't even know what to say about it.

Watch It: If you want a long, drawn out storyline that wasn't really interesting. The best thing about the film is the shots of Tatum without his shirt (he was surfing), but even then he's not as ripped as he has been in previous films.

Skip It: For a more meaningful Sparks novel-come-movie like The Notebook.

Stop-Loss

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: March 28, 2008

DVD Release Date: July 8, 2008

Plot 411: After their final tour in Iraq, Brandon and Steve's long-time friendship is tested when one of them is ordered back to active duty.

Review: For some odd reason, this movie totally makes me think of Don Henley's Boys of Summer. I'm not exactly sure why because the themes are different. Maybe it has to do in part with the movie's theme of one's loss of innocence and the melancholy realization that it is gone forever? Brandon (Ryan Phillippe) and Steve (Channing Tatum) have completed their tours in Iraq during which time they've watched many men die. Brandon feels responsible for their deaths but looks forward to being discharged from the military. Unfortunately, because of a policy that allows the government to recall soldiers, Brandon must face his demons and return to war. He refuses to comply and becomes a deserter. Another soldier (played magnificently by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) under Brandon is guilt ridden and plagued with depression. The movie's political themes are evident, but I connected a lot more with the emotional and psychological nature of the film. The turmoil that these characters (and I assume real soldiers) face makes for an interesting, yet heart-wrenching, plot. The political implications are also intriguing and makes you reassess your viewpoints, especially when you see how politics, government, military and war affects real lives and real families.

Watch It: For a different kind of military drama that'll get you thinking and a great performance by Gordon-Levitt.

Skip It: If you're definitely pro-war/pro-military as the characters may just piss you off. You need to view this film with an open mind.

Coach Carter

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: January 13, 2005

DVD Release Date: June 21, 2005

Plot 411: When a new basketball coach comes to town, he emphasizes both academics and athletics and changes the way his players view their future.

Review: Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) returns to his high school alma mater and takes over the position of basketball coach. When he arrives, his players are undisciplined and barely attend classes. Some players have drama going on in their lives, such as teen pregnancy, that may jeopardize their future despite their abilities. He quickly establishes new rules that the boys must follow in order to remain on the team. Some boys like Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez) decide to leave the team and fall deeper into violence, gangs and drug dealing. When Carter discovers some of the boys aren't holding up their end of the deal, he cancels practices and forfeits games so that his players can study. This riles up the community, which believes that sports are the only way their kids will ever get out of poverty. Tension builds between Carter, the school, parents and the community as his atypical approach makes media headlines. This movie was produced by MTV Films and succeeds in its efforts to market toward a younger demographic in the same way it did with Save The Last Dance. It showcased a lot of young, new talent like Rob Brown, Robert Ri'chard, Channing Tatum and Ashanti. Of the bunch, Tatum has really seen his career skyrocket. The movie comes across as gritty, but somehow I don't find it very believable. It's very polished and seems like it's trying too hard to be ghetto. The cinematography is a lot different than movies such as City Of God, which I think captures the poverty and desperation of the people a lot more realistically.

Watch It: For the Hawaii connections - Denise Dowse plays the school principal and Rob Fukuzaki makes a cameo as a reporter.

Skip It: If you're looking for a realistic portrayal of the human experience. This depiction is dusted with Hollywood and MTV's glamor.

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: August 7, 2009

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: Duke and Ripcord get recruited into an elite military group when their convoy is ambushed by the enemy.

Review: Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) and their battalion are assigned to escort warheads to its destination when they are ambushed by Ana (Sienna Miller), Duke's former fiancee. A group of Joes, including Scarlett (Rachel Nicols), Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Breaker (Said Taghmaoui) come to their aid. The ensuing battles that follow are action-packed hand-to-hand and weapons combat. Multiple histories are also revealed - Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee); Duke, Ana and Cobra Commander. This was one action sequence after another with barely enough time to catch a breath between scenes. I loved it. I was hoping it'd be a lot funnier than it was though. But I suppose a movie can't have everything. Unlike most of his movies, Wayans didn't bring too many laughs to this movie. Tatum played the straight man again with just minor ribbing of his bud Ripcord. I noticed that no matter what role he plays, Tatum seems to exude a rebellious attitude, which he had in Step Up. Wonder if it's just part of his true nature? I'd definitely recommend this movie, especially to all you '80s kids. My fave character is still Snake Eyes.

Watch It: For a thrilling action adventure with all you favorite Joes on board.

Skip It: If you're in favor of practical effects rather than green screen.

She's The Man

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: March 17, 2006

DVD Release Date: July 18, 2006

Plot 411: A girl goes undercover as her twin brother and joins the boys soccer team to prove that girls can play.

Review: Yes, this is a teen movie, and yes, I did watch it . . . more than once if you'd like to know. But, I have an ulterior motive that isn't just to see Channing Tatum in all his glory. My real reason (or so I continue to tell myself) is that I used to play soccer and can never pass up a movie with soccer in it. I like to critique the actors since more often than not they don't know how to play. Fortunately, this movie hired a lot of extras who actually knew what they were doing and the main actors were athletic enough to pull it off. Unfortunately, Amanda Bynes didn't. Oh well, it'd be expecting too much for the entire cast to look good. Other than that, I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot (based on Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"). It's a typical teen movie with love triangles and social hierarchy coming into play. David Cross is hilarious in his role.

Watch It: If you enjoy other films like "She's All That," "Can't Hardly Wait," "Cinderella Story" or any of the other popular teen movies in recent decades. Another two good reasons are Channing Tatum and Robert Hoffman.

Skip It: If you're over the whole "love him, hate him, love him again" whirlwind of teenage crushes and first loves.

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