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by Mary K. Morgan - member of the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association.
Traitor (PG-13)
A Yemeni prison for terrorists is an unlikely place for a lasting friendship to begin, but the mysterious Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) and Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui), both devout Muslims, manage to form strong bonds while serving hard time there. An exciting escape orchestrated by Omar’s political associates results in unexpected freedom for Horn. Impressed by Horn’s talents and intellect, Omar recruits him as an international terrorist, convincing him to commit jihadist acts of terror. Their international conspiracy is not completely off the radar and soon an F.B.I. contingent under the leadership of Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) is hot on the trail of the active terrorist cell and its prominent new member who happens to be former U.S. Special Operations Officer, Samir Horn.
The tenacious Agent Clayton tracks Horn from Yemen to Nice and on to London, piecing together bits of evidence against him but never quite sure of his enemy’s agenda. As the plot twists and turns, the intrigue deepens and Clayton begins to realize that in the world of international terrorism, things are seldom as they appear.
Writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff (The Day After Tomorrow) uses his talented cast to delve into the psyche of the terrorists’ motivations. Much time is devoted to the mind set of the jihadists as they willingly accept their suicidal calls to arms. The plot is sophisticated and packed with suspense as Samir Horn travels between worlds, but remains true to his unwavering faith.
Pineapple Express (R)
Two buddies, Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) and Saul Silver (James Franco), get way over their heads in danger when Dale stumbles on to a crime scene and witnesses a murder. The perps are a high profile, notorious drug kingpin and a crooked law enforcement officer. Dale had only dropped by to see about acquiring more of a particularly potent strain of cannabis known as Pineapple Express, and now he is in the mix for the long hall. It seems that in his rush to leave the area, Dale dropped a major clue to his identity, a joint of the rare weed itself, Pineapple Express. Since very few dealers have access to the product, tracking the witness should be a cinch for the killers. Catching him is a whole other problem as the two buddies take off on a very stoned run for their lives.
Master of comedy Seth Rogen is aptly paired with the low-key James Franco, who is very convincing as Saul, the laid-back pot dealer with a heart of gold. Director David Gordon Green leads his audience down the path gently, and we soon realize that this is not a Cheech and Chong-type stoner film at all, but a tale of two friends who stick together through thick and thin. In summary, Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg produce another outrageous comedy in the same vein as Superbad and Knocked Up and it’s another box office hit for the team.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (PG)
George Lucas is about to launch a new, animated version of his Star Wars saga on the Cartoon Network, and there is no better way to do it than to produce a feature-length animated film directed at his potential audience to perk their interest. That’s what he did. In the new feature, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Jedi knights are trying to maintain equilibrium in the universe as the Clone Wars rage. Anakin Skywalker is still in there, pitching for peace, and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda are in charge of the ever-growing clone army that is playing havoc with the Dark Side. Whether or not “good” will be able to triumph over “evil” is a question to be carried over to the pending television series.
The voiceover talent is very good, and will be the television voice cast as well. Matt Lanter is compelling as the new voice of Anakin Skywalker. Ashley Eckstein is convincing as Ahsoka Tano, and James Arnold Taylor speaks well for the wise Obi-Wan Kenobi. The cartoon action style is very choppy and reminiscent of Japanese anime productions. The drawings are angular and very stylized representations of the original film characters.
The bottom line is that the youngsters in the audience appeared captured by the animated action, story and presentation of the film. The transition from live actors to cartoon characters did not seem to create the same problem for them as it did for the adults in tow. George Lucas knows the audience for his new endeavor and already has them targeted and asking for more.
| September Featured Stories |
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Coffee Break with the Barista
Creating Mind, Body & Spirit Health — One Peace at a Time, by Milan Galan, Ph.D.
Waking Up to the Truth About Sleep, by Jessica Wilson
The Power of Sound, by Marian Rein
Health Myths & Facts, by Pamela Kramer Childress
Mind, Body & Spirit Health at Midlife and Menopause by Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D.
Age – It’s Simply A Number, by Milan Galan, Ph.D.
Physical and Mental Well-Being Combining Body, Mind & Spirit, by Jill Barrett
Getting Better With Age: A Healthy Perspective, by Phylis Clay Sparks
A Piece of Kitchen Nostalgia Returns — Retro Appliance Comes to the Aid of Busy Families, by Mary K. Morgan
The Healthy Side of Your Morning Brew, by Marian Rein
Todd Lewis If you make a list, it will come by Pamela Kramer Childress
Toby’s Tale — More About Toby by Jessica Wilson
Live Large Spend Small by Mary K. Morgan - September 2008
Java Journal Movie Morsels by Mary Morgan - September 2008
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