Ride Like Hell and Run Like You Stole Something

On my last day off from work, I had so much extra time that I decided to pull a two-fer at the movies. Sometimes I'll do this, especially when my schedule has no overly-burdensome tasks laid out for me and I've got nobody else with whom to share my time. And so today I'm going to talk about two VERY different movies, the bike messenger thriller (yes, you read that right) Premium Rush and the sci-fi drama Robot & Frank.

In Premium Rush, rising star Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Wilee, a thrill junkie of a NYC bicycle messenger, one of the many riding through the streets of the city (my own recent jaunt to the United States' most populous city did not witness any cyclists, but maybe it was an off week). Among his peers, Wilee is considered one of the best, and it's his reputation that gets him a premium rush job, transporting one envelope from a friend from one side of the city to the other quickly. But the package turns out to be a hot commodity, as Wilee finds himself dodging Chinese mafia, dirty cops, legit cops, and even rival bike messengers in a bid to get the package delivered on time.

"Why yes, I WAS that kid from 3'rd Rock!"

This is a huge year for Gordon-Levitt. After finally gaining mainstream acceptance with his role in 2010's Inception, he has been steadily raising his status as a Hollywood star, and 2012 looks to be his biggest year yet. He was a huge reason Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises was as good as it was, and he'll be following up Premium Rush with the sci-fi thriller Looper, which is one of my more anticipated sci-fi flicks this year. He also has a role (how large, I'm not sure) in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which is as big as a deal as it sounds. While his Wilee does come off as kind of a jackass at times, it's Gordon-Levitt's charm that ensures that we never get tired of his schtick. He's front and center most of the time, and his casual, take-no-shit attitude and his interactions with others are what makes him such an effective protagonist.

"What do you mean he's 'not Batman'?"

Surprisingly, for a film centering around such an obscure job this movie never feels out of place or far from your comfort zone. Replace the bike chases with car chases, and you've got your standard high-level action film ready for distribution. That might make it seem like Premium Rush is no different than anything else out there (and you'd be right), but that doesn't mean that it's a bad thing; the film packs all the excitement of your standard thrill-ride, simply replacing four wheels with two. The supporting cast seems to have been set up with this action pastiche in mind; with Dania Ramirez and Aasif Mandvi doing the best they can with limited character. Michael Shannon especially steps up, as his cliche dirty cop with a gambling problem would be a disaster in anybody else's hands. Director David Koepp's biggest coup was casting the former Academy Award nominee in the role, which benefits from his experience and ability to command a scene effortlessly.

Out-riding all his newfound glory.

Anyone expecting Premium Rush to have more brains than it does is bound to be disappointed. The biggest surprise is that for an action piece with no emotional commitment, it's a lot more fun than it really has any right to be. You might want to overlook this movie (and as it made very little opening weekend, a lot of people did just that), but for a mindless action flick this one is actually clever enough to make the cut. It might not be Top 10 material, but it's still a lot of fun.

The next title required me to head to the oft-cited Coolidge Corner Theater. The story of Robot & Frank definitely struck me as a peculiarly odd, but somehow ingenious concept. Set in the near future, it stars Frank Langella as Frank, a mentally-afflicted father and former cat burglar who has strained relationships with his children. When his son (James Marsden) brings him a robot butler (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) to help keep his life in order and remain healthy, Frank is at first distrustful of having the thing around the house, but slowly begins to accept Robot's help. This comes to a head when he discovers that his new companion has no protocol that says that stealing is wrong, prompting Frank to plan a major heist to strike at the rich folk who he believes don't deserve their vast wealth.

On the surface, Robot & Frank has a lot going for it; a great cast (which also includes Susan Sarandon, Liv Tyler and Jeremy Sisto), an interesting hook, and some clever societal statements made it one of the smarter-looking movies this year. And for the most part, that is the correct assumption. Clever in a completely different way than Premium Rush could ever have hoped, this movie is more of an actor's film, with the characters guiding film in a way you don't see much anymore. The acting is all excellent, especially Langella, who might be Oscar baiting if the film can gather any traction beyond the science fiction crowd. If Sam Rockwell's under-loved role in Moon is any indication however, the Academy won't be giving this sci-fi movie any credit anytime soon. That's a shame for both Langella and Sarsgaard, who once again provides the kind of excellent performance we now expect from him. Together, they create a nice one-two punch and are one of the better pairs I've seen in 2012.

Two of the best performances you'll see this year.

Unfortunately, the film's slow and inconsistent pacing make many a scene less interesting than the film as a whole. While we get to experience the budding friendship between our two leads, director Jake Schreier does so at the expense of many of the other characters, most notably Sarandon's librarian who befriends Frank only to be cut from most of the main story. While the story as a whole is solid, and at times a ton of fun, there is a lot of evidence that Schreier is - for good or bad -  the first-time director that he is.

Guess who wishes Liv Tyler was elsewhere right now?

Still, Robot & Frank has a lot of charisma in its bones, and the story and characters combine for a fun if not perfect time at the movies. If it comes to a theater near you, it's a solid option as a smart, funny, and clever film. Langella and Sarsgaard are well worth the effort, and even if you somehow miss this small gem, definitely take the time to see it on DVD when it's available.

Attention, Class of 1999

If anything, American Pie was everyone's coming of age story, no pun intended. Released back in 1999, the grandaddy of today's R-rated comedies took an honest, if perhaps exaggerated, look at what it meant to be an American teenager in an epic quest to lose his virginity. A modern-day Porky's, American Pie succeeded in recapturing that ideal, and while it spawned two sequels in short order, there was really nothing that could be done in American Pie 2 or American Wedding that could reenact the sense of perfection of the first. Still, not knowing how to leave well enough alone, Hollywood has turned out yet another sequel to the franchise. At least this time they managed to make it a natural progression of the story we have so far; American Reunion takes brings us an update twelve years after those teenagers graduated high school, and like our own high school reunions we get to see what these characters have done with their lives, for good or ill. Despite the film series having not been seen heard of since 2003 (I'm not counting the straight-to-video spin-offs), this film looked to hopefully be something special, as it would feature every major character from the franchise, from Jim's Dad to Stifler's Mom and back again.

A decade later, and they're all grown up!

It's been nine years since the wedding of Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and the perpetual man-child now has a two year-old son of his own. However, Jim and Michelle are in a sexual rut, and they hope the upcoming reunion will allow them some alone time to rekindle their relationship. Everyone looks to be returning home for the reunion, and everyone has gained in years and responsibility. Oz (Chris Klein) is a sportscaster and former celebrity dance competitor living with supermodel girlfriend Mia (Katrina Bowden). Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is married and works as an architect out of his home. Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) has apparently disappeared off the face of the Earth. And foul-mouthed Stifler (Sean William Scott) is working as a temp at an investment agency. As the five men reunite, they embark on an adventure that involves a high school beach party, alcohol, threats of infidelity, the police, and of course, sex.

Jim's Dad gives this film one thumb up.

They really did pull everyone in to make this film. Returning are many people you haven't seen on a big screen for years, and a few that are known to most people for their television exploits. That the only primary members of the extra large-sized cast who get regular work nowadays are Hannigan and Scott is telling, as most of these actors either lack the talent or looks (or in some cases, self control) to make it as serious performers. Of course, those two are also the film's biggest talents, besides perhaps the affably reliable Eugene Levy as Jim's wise-yet-goofy father. Biggs himself hasn't been in anything you've seen since American Wedding, and looks exactly the same as he did when he was playing an eighteen-year-old. His talent hasn't grown either, and it definitely appears that he plateaued with American Pie. Chris Klein retains that "Oh Gawrsh" appeal that made his early roles like that in Election so appealing. It's too bad most of the rest of his work makes him look like a cross between David Caruso and Nicolas Cage. This movie puts him comfortably back in the spot of "genuine nice guy" which, considering that's probably what he's like in real life, isn't much of a stretch. Thomas and Nicholas are fine, but just that: fine. Nothing more to go on, there. The ladies aren't much better (again, with the exception of Hannigan), and it's the newcomers who manage to outshine the returning Mena Suvari and Tara Reid (who keeps her clothes on more effectively in the movies than she does on the red carpet). Katrina Bowden goes a good job in her appearance as Oz's promiscuous model girlfriend, while Dania Ramirez wows as a formerly ugly duckling who certainly has gotten better with age. Ali Cobrin might not be the best of the bunch but puts it all out there in what amounts to this film's interpretation of Shannon Elizabeth (who proves she's still desirable in a small cameo). Still, the extensive cast, complete with your favorite bit players, are all back, and as that's probably your main reason for seeing this movie, it just might be enough.

Over a decade later... still a dork...

Unfortunately, there's not much that's sexy when it comes to yet another American Pie sequel. Maybe I'm just getting old, but seeing these supposedly matured characters acting pretty much exactly as they did a dozen years ago feels more than a little unrealistic. Jim gets overly nervous in just about every situation, resulting in insanely awkward situations. Stifler's still an asshole whose only redeeming value is that he has no redeeming value. Finch is still an elitist snob. There's barely any sense that ANYTHING of monumental importance has happened to these people in the past twelve years, despite external evidence to the contrary. That's what makes the whole thing less-than-fulfilling, that it teases you with change while leaving everything exactly as you last left it.

Guess which one's married? Go on, guess!

Another thing lacking in this comedy is the... comedy! Rarely did the film do anything in nearly two hours that was remotely funny, and while the movie's antics did occasionally make you cringe, there is hardly any payoff in serious laughs. While most of American Reunion tries to limit its humor to relatively believable situations, it's only when the film veers into insane territory that I found myself laughing at the jokes. Whatever connection the franchise had to me in its earlier iterations was gone; instead or revisiting a shade of my own life, I was treated to the newest Bad Teacher, and you know how highly I thought of THAT particular title. American Reunion tries make it up by actually (GASP!) developing its characters, but this is far too little, and doesn't make up for the fact that there's never a moment where you find yourself laughing without the ability to stop, a la Cabin in the Woods. Considering that this film is from Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, the guys who brought us the rip-roaring Harold & Kumar flicks, it is a big and disappointing surprise indeed (again, pun not intended).

They're not QUITE creepy old men yet, but getting there.

But in the end, the real crime of American Reunion is its inability to accept change while attempting to force it upon the characters we loved twelve years ago. Note the past tense. The truth is that most people were quite happy to see the franchise end with American Wedding in 2003, and thankfully Reunion carries a real feeling of final closure, rather than the beginning of a new trilogy, which is what Scream 4 was going for at this same time last year. It's a good thing American Reunion looks to be The End, because I'm quite certain I've had my fill of goofy Jim, honest Oz and asshole Stifler to last a lifetime. Some things deserve to be left in the past, and the American Pie franchise, despite its heart and honest attempt at telling our tale, is one of those.