Movie Review Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy 

Directed by Mark Water 

Written by Daniel Waters 

Starring Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Joely Richardson, Gabriel Byrne 

Release Date February 7th, 2014 

Budget $30 million dollars 

Box Office $15 million dollars 

Rotten Tomatoes 17% 

Vampire Academy exists simply as a marketing concern. Sure, the film is based on a series of successful young adult novels, but the reality is much crasser in nature. The makers of Vampire Academy have no real interest in the books; they're inherent appeal or doing justice to why the books became successful. No, Vampire Academy exists because somewhere in Hollywood someone saw the books, heard they were set in a school for Vampires, and got the idea for the awful tagline "They 'Suck' at School." Hey-o!

Vampire Academy supposedly tells the story of two best friends who attend a school where one is trained to protect the Vampire high class, and the other is part of the Vampire high class. Zoey Deutch stars as Rose, a Dhampir, and a protector of the Vampire high class known as the Moroi. Rose's best friend is the future Moroi Queen, Lissa (Lucy Fry). Together the two have formed a psychic bond that allows Rose to read Lissa's thoughts and even see through her eyes as narratively convenient a talent as I've ever heard one.

There is a third class of Vampire called the Strigoi, a race of killers who briefly give the film a dangerous life. Unfortunately, the Strigoi don't really matter unless there is a sequel. Yes, Vampire Academy is so wildly, cluelessly, market-driven that the most interesting narrative complication is one built solely to create the chance of another cluelessly market driven idiot movie.

There isn't a single genuine moment in Vampire Academy. Every empty scene evokes an attempt to appeal to a fictional youth market devoid of the conscience needed to know they are being marketed to without consideration of taste or intelligence. And in case you don't believe me, just check out the brooding Robert Pattinson look-alike, Dominic Sherwood, the filmmaker, cast in the role of one of the girls' love interests and tell me that wasn't a calculated decision.

Vampire Academy isn't a movie; it's a 90 plus minute commercial for itself. Each scene is trailer ready; every line of dialogue intended to explain things you should be able to understand out of sheer scene construction. Maybe the filmmakers are assuming you're not very bright simply because you decided to see this movie. Maybe they're right.

Movie Review The Last Mimzy

The Last Mimzy (2007) 

Directed by Robert Shaye 

Written by Bruce Joel Rubin, Toby Emmerich, James V Hart 

Starring Joely Richardson, Timothy Hutton, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rainn Wilson 

Release Date March 23rd, 2007 

Published March 22nd, 2007 

Robert Shaye is a behind the scenes legend in Hollywood. As President of New Line Cinema Shaye turned the boutique label into a major Hollywood player. Shaye shepherded such projects as Nightmare on Elm Street, the live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. With so much success it would be very easy for Shaye to rest and count his cash.

Resting may be on the agenda some time in the future for Robert Shaye; but for now he is ready for a new challenge. After years as the money man, Shaye went and got his hands dirty on the set of his very own movie. Shaye is behind the camera, for the second time in his long Hollywood career, on the kiddie sci fi flick The Last Mimzy.

In The Last Mimzy a brother and sister, 10 year old Noah (Chris O'Neil) and 5 year old Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn), vacationing at their beach house on the Washington state coast, uncover a unique box. Inside is a magical stuffed animal named Mimzy who Emma adopts as her favorite new toy. Also inside are some strange looking rocks that seem to have some kind of mystical power but only in Noah's hands.

Soon the rocks and the toy bunny begin to help the kids make some unique discoveries. Both kids have amazing brain power and together with their new toys they may be able to create a bridge through time. Naturally, the changes in the kids behavior do not go unnoticed by mom (Joely Richardson) and dad (Timothy Hutton). And at school; Noah's science teacher also notices a change when he goes from apathetic C student to science fair champion.

Eventually, the power of their new toys gets beyond the walls of their own home and when it does it causes an incident with homeland security. Can the kids help Mimzy build his time travel bridge before the federal government steps in? Or is the future doomed by government scientists who can't wait to dissect the little child's toy.

The Last Mimzy is loosely based on a 60's sci fi short story called Mimsy Were The Borogoves. Director Robert Shaye read and fell in love with the story years ago but only now found the opportunity to bring it to the big screen. Shaye's direction conveys how much he loves this story. The Last Mimzy is energetic and fun with a terrifically childlike imagination.

The secret weapon of The Last Mimzy was the casting of two terrific young leads. Chris O'Neill and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn capture perfectly the innocence and childish wonder of The Last Mimzy. This is a whimsical, sweet natured little movie that could have crumbled under the weight over overly precocious child actors. O'Neill and Wryn deliver performances of great sweetness and lightheartedness that  perfectly match the tone of this story.

The supporting cast of The Last Mimzy is as strong as the two young leads. I especially enjoyed Rainn Wilson as Noah's science teacher who has psychic dreams and Katherine Hahn as his girlfriend who can't get over the time he dreamed of winning lottery numbers but neglected to play them. These two quirky funny actors really play well together and like their co-stars, match the good natured whimsy of the story being told.

The Last Mimzy has nothing deep to say. It's not a movie that is going to stick with you long after you leave the theater. But, for a kiddie flick; it has a big heart, a few laughs and is just too darn fun not to be enjoyed by anyone willing to give it some time. See The Last Mimzy with your kids. They will love it and maybe you will too.