There are some folks out there that seem to want to count Guy Ritchie out these days. It seems a bit unreasonable. A guy makes one bad flick, marries Madonna, and all of a sudden he’s got nothing else to offer. Well, for those of you that think he’s finished, please turn your attention over to REVOLVER and prepare to eat crow. The Writer/Director that essentially re-invented the Gangster Film with the High Adrenalin LOCK, STOCK, AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS and SNATCH, once again has created something completely fresh and original. Imagine a Gangster film with the same high octane action and dark humor that one would expect from a Guy Ritchie flick, but one that also delves into Existentialism, Numerology, Esotericism, Psychology, and the Philosophy/Formula of “The Game”. Sounds like a mess, but Ritchie somehow manages to meld all these elements together seamlessly and even pulls it off with his trademark style. While this is not the “laughfest” that his previous flicks can lay claim to, what we have here is a film that attempts to seriously explore the tangible and sometimes intangible natures of ego and greed.

Once again Jason Statham (TRANSPORTER, CRANK) joins Ritchie for the ride, playing the film’s protagonist Jake Green. Mr. Green’s apparent opponent, the reviled gangster Dorothy Macha, is played by the always-intense Ray Liotta (GOODFELLAS, NARC), who adds another great scene-chewing performance to his impressive repertoire. After crossing Macha, Mr. Green is targeting for elimination. When two mysterious strangers named Avi (Andre Benjamin, aka Andre 3000 of Outkast) and Zach (Vincent Pastore from THE SOPRANOS) offer him protection in exchange for all his money, he has no choice but to take it. What he hadn’t bargained for was the duo’s clandestine mission: to reveal Mr. Green’s true hidden enemy. There’s alot of metaphors and symbolism strewn about the picture, so much so that it would take way too much time to explore it here. I will tell you that all of it is deliberate and you better pay close attetion to every minute detail from start to finish if you hope to understand the film’s rather “cerebral” conclusion. At the same time, the flick remains ambiguous enough to allow for open interpretation, and that’s always a plus in my book. As is par for the course in any Ritchie flick, there are quite a few colorful characters that round out the story. By far the side-character that stole the show for me is the “nerdy killer” named Sorter and played by Mark Strong (SUNSHINE, STARDUST). This supporting player has more of a compelling character arc (and badass action sequence) in REVOLVER than most leads get in other mainstream action flicks.

So to sum it all up, the initial draw here is the tried-and-true Guy Ritchie Gangster Film formula, what will keep you watching is the intricate plot and facsinating psychological mindgame. This is definitely a must-see flick ladies and gents, so get out there and pick it up.
Bobert’s Rating: - MUST-SEE!

1 is the loneliest number. It takes 2 to tango, 2 heads are better than 1, and time and time again I’ve been told that, “It’s a 2 way street”. EA has tried to re-create the camaraderie and fun of a buddy flick in its new game Army of Two (AoT). However, after about 2 hours you may be 2 bored 2 continue. AoT is a third person shoot ‘em up that not only encourages co-operation, it outright demands it. The story features 2 ex-military men, Salem and Rios, that are now working as mercenaries when a mission goes horribly wrong (do missions ever go right anymore?). The plot features about as much intrigue and drama as 2 snails humping. Let’s face it…that’s not really the point of this game. The star of the game is the buddy system game play that is used throughout the missions. Taking a page from 3rd person tactical shooters, this game features a lot of the following formula. Run to cover, shoot at bad guys to distract them, a member of your team flanks the enemy and kills them, rinse and repeat. It sounds boring and simple, but when done well like in Gears of War, it is a riveting experience. AoT’s cover and shoot mechanic is not as polished as Gears, but it is effective. You can slide into cover, blind fire, and quickly pop up fairly easily. No matter how slick you are however, you can’t expect to win alone. You’ve got to use team work.

To ensure this, AoT features a simple “Aggro” system. Shooting at or killing the enemy gives you aggro, they are more focused on you. The longer this goes on, the more your teammate can move around unnoticed. In fact, if you attract enough attention, and your teammate stays quiet, they will turn invisible and can move around the battlefield undetected. This lets them flank the enemy and compromise the enemy’s position. The system works in a simple manner, and will have you trying to balance out who your opponents are going after in an effort to flank them. There are other buddy mechanics as well. At certain times you can go back to back, which will let you stand in the center of a huge amount of foes an kill them all. You have unlimited ammo in this mode. You can also traverse normally impossible terrain by lowering/raising your teammate, or pull them out of danger if they become incapacitated.

The weapons you use vary greatly. Each character carries a main gun, a secondary gun, grenades and a sniper rifle. Each mission has objectives and secondary objectives that earn you money. This cash is spent on new guns, or upgrading the current guns you have. You can add things like shields, extra ammo clips, and “bling”. Yes, you can pimp your gun. Besides making it bright and shiny this actually has some use; it can get you more agro, making it easier to get your enemies attention. The guns do play differently; however don’t expect Rainbow 6/Call of Duty type realism. You can also upgrade your armor, and buy new masks. While the armor helps protect you, a new mask does little expect strike fear into the heart of your foes.

The sound/music in the game is nothing to write home about (can we please update this saying? Nobody writes a letter anymore; we would just email or text home about things!). The battlefield does convey the frenetic sounds of gunfire, and the music provides a dependable if not ordinary rock soundtrack during the most intense moments. The dialogue is well acted, but there is not much the actors could really do with this script. Even if you put Liam Neeson in a starring role on Baywatch…it’s still Baywatch. Something that sort of annoyed me though was a feature that was clearly ripped from Gears of War. After killing all the enemies in a certain area, the game would let you know you’re done by playing a quick, grungy, rock and roll riff. AoT does the same thing. Actually I take that back. They TRIED to do the same thing. The riff will play, but sometimes there are more foes waiting to be killed. Other times you are indeed done with the area. It’s not a major glitch, but it shows that the game is quite as polished as it should be.

Overall, the controls of the game are mediocre. It is natural and intuitive to dispatch foes when they are at least 10 feet away or so. However, once they enter your personal space, killing them becomes annoyingly difficult. As you try to track them it feels like the camera is moving in molasses and it becomes difficult to dispatch them. I also didn’t like the AI in the game. This game was clearly meant to be played with another person, either on the same machine, or via Xbox live. Having to use the AI controls during a firefight can be very frustrating. Your teammate does not die easily, but you obviously can’t always convey EXACTLY what you need them to do with a d-pad. Sometimes your teammate taking cover behind the box on the left instead of the box on the right can mean life or death for you.

This game is a great rental. If you can get it used, you may want to do that as well. I have to advise against getting it full price. Even though there are plenty of weapons options, and the team aspect can make for engaging gaming, the game is too short, contrived, and ordinary to make it a must have. This is a great game to blow through over the weekend, but I suspect the majority of gamer duos will finish it fairly quickly. The online modes aren’t even worth mentioning. And while there are side quests and unlockable weapons, there isn’t enough to make you want to come back a 3rd time or more. Like Tango and Cash, or the 3rd Lethal Weapon movie, this buddy game is a mindless fun romp, but tends to get a little repetitive.

Score: 7/10

Hey folks, I’ve got some more quick takes to share with ya. It’s a pretty diverse bunch this time, starting off with a Dramedy about a couple of dysfunctional sisters from a filmmaker that seems to have laid claim to the Dysfunctional Family Comedy genre. Then we move onto an unusual Action flick from the Land Down Under about warring Angels. And finally a Coin-Op Documentary about one player’s obsessive quest to be the best. Read on and enjoy!

MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
I didn’t really know what to expect from this little flick. Snobby critics from San Francisco to New York praised it, even placing it in their Top Ten films of 2007. But as we all know, critics usually don’t know diddly squat about what makes a watchable flick. Writer/Director Noah Baumbach has been involved with two of my favorite flicks in the last five years, he co-wrote LIFE AQAUTIC and was the creative force behind THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. But after seeing so many movies about dysfunctional upper-middle classs families lately, I really wasn’t raring to see another. That’s probably why I waited until DVD to see MARGOT AT THE WEDDING, but still hoping Baumbach would bring something new and interesting to the table. His latest certainly gives us something new, focusing primarily on two sisters rather than on the patriarchal or male aspect as he’s done before. Is it interesting though? Not really. Family members being completely horrible to one another was pretty fun to watch in THE SQUID AND THE WHALE, but this film reaches uncomfortable heights that just isn’t cool. Not even with Jack Black’s help. Maybe its cause I don’t like Nicole Kidman as much as I thought I did (I Had an aversion to her character in THE INVASION too), or maybe the film is far more dryer than any of Baumbach’s previous efforts. Whatever the reason, MARGOT didn’t connect with me. The film does approach “entertaining” a number of times throughout its runtime, but always manages to pull away and inject some misplaced gravitas. My favorite stuff in the film is Jack Black’s occasionally absurd moments, but its the chemistry between him and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character that really keeps this thing afloat. I’d suggest this as a rental for all those folks that loved Baumback’s previous flicks, or those of you that just love to watch dysfunctional families tear each other apart emotionally. And who among us doesn’t enjoy that?
Bobert’s Rating: - Rent It

GABRIEL
For those of you that really dug those PROPHECY movies from 90′s (ya know, the ones with Christopher Walken as an angry fallen angel?), you’re in for a treat. For everyone else….meh. In a realm best described as Purgatory, a War has been raging between the forces of light and dark. The Fallen sent from Hell and the Arc Angels from Heaven. They fight for the souls trapped in this place, and the balance has tipped to the darkness. Gabriel is their last hope – blah blah blah. As you might have already noticed, GABRIEL is very derivative and not very original. At times its downright stupid (What the hell are Angels doing boinking anyway? I thought they lacked sexual organs? Pfft.) But the film does have a couple of clever action sequences (some “arty” attempts fail badly though), a few interesting ideas (“Now…Close your eyes”), and one or two worthwhile characters (I liked the perverted and narcissistic Asmodeus the best). Another comparison I’ve heard made are the NIGHTWATCH/DAYWATCH movies, which I personally don’t see. Those Russian films were totally off-the-wall and at times incomprehensible. This movie is painfully linear and straightforward, despite the inclusion of what some may claim is a “twist ending”. It’s kinda sad when a film’s production history is more interesting than the film itself, and unfortunately that seems to be the case here. I was far more fascinated by the supplemental material found on the DVD documenting the arduous task of making a low-budget Action “blockbuster” in Australia with unknowns than about the battle between the Fallen and the Arc. Oh and the flick looks absolutely terrible. I haven’t seen this much compression artifacts and blotching since the early days of DVD. And apparently the transfer ain’t to blame, GABRIEL was just filmed that way. Yuck. Anyways, I suppose if you’re looking for a Supernatural Action film without the headiness (or budget) of THE MATRIX, you could do worse. But if I were you, I’d just give this flick a rental.
Bobert’s Rating: - Rent It

THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS
Who says all documentaries have to be socio-political examinations of kids playing basketball, or pseudo-propaganda made by some rotund super socialist that has a hate-on for George Dubya? Luckily the folks that decided to make THE KING OF KONG figured we all needed a break from all the heavy stuff and we got this fluffy but fun look at one man’s mission to conquer—an arcade game. An Arcade game from the early 80′s. Ok, so while this geeky Documentary may not be everyone’s cup of tea (actual quote: “This is just stupid, they’re all uber nerds! I can’t watch this anymore, It’s just a video game!”), those that have an affinity for Video Games (classic arcade ones in particular) will definitely appreciate the blood, sweat, and significant amount of tears this documentary’s “protagonist” sheds before his quest is complete. Some might say that the actual facts have been manipulated in order to create the magnificently quintessential Good Vs. Bad scenario that develops here, but I suppose you gotta save something for the sequel: THE KING OF KONG 2: A FEW QUARTERS MORE! Just kidding. In the end, what we have here is an entertaining documentary that has laughs, heart, and an ending straight out of a Disney Sports flick. And sometimes, thats ok. So put down that Xbox controller for a sec and give this flick a look. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Bobert’s Rating: - Recommended

Well that’s all for now folks. Until next time, keep those discs spinning!