Pixar Does It Again

Yes, there are a few spoilers below. If you don't care, read on. If you do, what are you doing online? Go see the movie already, then come on back. 

Brave is almost like a "Greatest Hits" movie for Pixar. Everything we've come to expect from some of the finest storytellers and animators in the business is here, along with some new elements to spice things up and raise the bar just a little higher for next time. 

It's the story of Merida (a Scottish princess) and her family. This is Pixar's first female heroine, and they do a fine job of spinning a new and exciting sort of story around her. Merida's father is a formidable warrior, the King of four allied Scottish clans, and her mother a loyal, loving, and very stubborn wife. She's intent on teaching Merida how to be a proper Scottish princess, and we quickly learn why. The time has come for the four clans to gather together in the service of finding a suitable husband for the princess, and the princess needs to be ready herself. Merida, a fiery redhead with a personality to match and the growing spirit of a warrior, is less than keen on the idea. That's where the real story begins. 

At its heart, Brave is the story of a girl and her mother. Through the magic of storytelling, it's also a story that's accessible to anyone and everyone. Being a 21-year old college guy, you might think this is the last movie I'd enjoy - but you'd be wrong. The relationship between Merida and her mother is one that anyone can identify with, because it's all about the nature of growing up, trying to form your own identity and making choices with consequences you can't always fully foresee. Granted, most stories of growing up don't see the parental figure in question turned into a bear, but still.

Brave's strength as a film stems from the fact that it's a personal movie. For all the action, adventure, and outlandish happenings, the true focus of the story is never forgotten or set aside for anything. Everything matters. For a discerning viewer, the message and direction of the film may be fairly obvious, but that doesn't make the ride any less enjoyable or touching. 

In the end, Merida doesn't find her prince and ride off with him into the sunset. She doesn't need to. And I think that's a wonderful thing. I'm not a young woman, so I'm not going to pretend I can fit in one's shoes (the heels would hurt my ankles, probably), but I can say this. Sending a message that you can be your own strength, that everyone is capable of being strong in their own way, and that perhaps one of the greatest strengths you can have is to understand and accept the strengths of others, is something to be truly admired.  It's a rare thing to find in this age of rom-coms and Twilight movies, but that doesn't make it any less true.  

Brave is a new sort of Pixar movie - in the best way possible. Sure, it may not objectively be the most brilliant, mind-blowingly wonderful movie they've ever produced. But somewhere (or maybe in a lot of different somewhere's) in the world is a person, or a family, or especially in this case, a mother and daughter, who watched this movie and felt things change for them. When you get down to it, isn't that what movies should be all about?

Bonus Prize: As a reward for reading all the way to the end of my review, here's a link to some of Pixar's "Story Rules" to live by. It's a great read! 

http://www.pixartouchbook.com/blog/2011/5/15/pixar-story-rules-one-version.html

DVD Review: 21 Jump Street

In recent years, Hollywood seems to have been running short on original ideas. The glut of cash-cow remakes and "re-imaginings" of old properties, more often than not, is an excuse to make a lazy movie with name recognition and nothing else going for it. I thought that 21 Jump Street would be one of those movies. I was wrong.

Most people today only know of the television show 21 Jump Street as the starting point for a young Johnny Depp's career. I'm one of them. I've never seen an episode of the original series, but honestly, the conceit is exceptionally simple. Jump Street was (and is) about cops who are relegated to a small division whose job it is to go undercover as high school students. In the film, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play two young, inexperienced cops who were anything but friends in high school - Tatum's character was a cool jock, while Hill was a nerd. 

The film plays well both as a spin on the traditional buddy-cop comedy and as a sly commentary on everything it portrays. The really great thing about Jump Street, besides the smart, tight script, is how self-aware and self-deprecating it can be. When the main characters are reassigned to Jump Street after bungling their first arrest, their captain describes the place as having been dreamt up by a bunch of people who have no original ideas and so have resorted to dusting off old programs from the 80's. Thinly veiled commentary? Sure. But it works. And it is funny. 

This movie stands on its own two legs in all respects. Is it perfect? No, but it sure is hilarious. I fully admit, I tend to shy away from a lot of contemporary Hollywood comedies, because I usually find them needlessly crass and painfully unfunny. That's just a personal feeling, and its one of the things that kept me from paying to see this movie in theaters. Jump Street subverted my expectations entirely in that regard. 

Watching the main characters return to high school and be totally blindsided by how the definition of 'cool' has changed in just a few years (Hill's character becomes 'cool', while Tatum's jock is suddenly 'lame'), is fantastic. The role reversal makes for some genuinely interesting (if slightly shallow) character development. The rest of the movie is purely knock-down, drag-out fun. Realistic? Absolutely not. Most of the things these guys do in service of solving their case are so illegal it shouldn't even be funny. But it is. I kind of want to make my college roommate (who is majoring in Criminal Justice and wants to become a cop) watch this so I can see his head explode over just how out there it is. Still, it works on all kinds of levels. 

Johnny Depp does have a cameo in this movie, and let me say, it is fantastic. It fits perfectly with the story and doesn't feel shoehorned in. Plus, its the most badass (and funny) Depp has been in years. I would pay to see an entire movie featuring his character in this film if it was done right. 

If you haven't seen it yet, this movie is well-worth the price of a rental. Fun, engaging, and plain old enjoyable. Check it out. 

Happy Birthday Joss Whedon!

If you read this blog with any regularity (or just know me personally) you know it's no secret that I love the works of Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and Dollhouse, among others. Most recently, he's been recognized for his work on Cabin in the Woods and a self-described "little art-house film" called The Avengers. 


Whedon is a huge inspiration to me as a writer, creator, and director. There are others, of course, but he ranks at the top of my list for sheer dedication and creative energy. I mean, the guy tried to take a two-week vacation, and wound up making a movie version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing in his backyard. Dedication to his craft? For sure. But more importantly, I think that 'vacation story' sums up what makes Joss such an admired figure for people like me. He didn't shoot Much Ado because he was hoping to make money off it. He shot it because telling stories is what he loves to do. You can be dedicated to something without truly loving it, but that's not Joss. The man loves what he does as much as the fans of his work do - and that's truly admirable.

So in appreciation of Joss' 48th birthday, let us all do THE DANCE OF JOY AND HONOR.

Or, if you're not much of a dancer, show your support of Whedon by going out and purchasing one of his works - for example, the DVD of Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, featuring Neil Patrick Harris...

or the many works about him, the most recent of which is Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion, featuring an essay by yours truly. 

Happy Birthday, Joss. And thank you. 

Where's the Rock?

I wanted to love Rock of Ages. I really, genuinely did. I am an unabashed lover of rock'n'roll music, and for me, theater is a way of life. To see the two combined onscreen was a dream come true - at least in concept. In delivery, not so much. What really disappoints about Rock of Ages is that in the maelstrom of misfires, there are some genuine rock'n'roll moments, some flashes of what the whole film could and should have been all about.

There's a saying that'll be familiar to anyone who works in and/or enjoys musical theater: when you have something to say, you speak. When you can't speak, you sing. Musicals are all about that chance to express things that we can't find the words to otherwise. In Rock of Ages, the vast majority of the characters have little or nothing to say, which makes their singing, in a word...pointless. Because many of these characters are so shallowly drawn (and frankly, unlikable caricatures), their singing lacks the raw, explosive emotional power that sits at the center of any good musical. Musicals are built around just that - the music, as extension of character and story. When both of these elements are as flimsy as they are here, it undercuts the music. 

Like me, you may have heard or read that the real reason to see this movie is Tom Cruise's turn as the Axl Rose-inspired rocker Stacee Jaxx. That's genuinely true. Jaxx has an odd obsession with feeling other people's heartbeats (these people are almost exclusively women), but what's interesting is that he alone is the heartbeat of this film. Why? Simple. Stacee Jaxx is the only real piece of genuine rock'n'roll in the entire movie. Every time he's onscreen, a wild energy comes with him that invigorates an otherwise furiously dull film.

Other performers in the film can sing and dance perfectly well, for sure. One thing this movie isn't short on is talented, pretty people. Julianne Hough in particular gives a game performance and supplies great vocals. 

Unfortunately there's not all that much here for the performers to work with. The movie is set in 1987, and for some counter-intuitive reason, it seems more interested in chronicling the decline of rock'n'roll than celebrating the fact that it will never die. Watching Rock of Ages will just make you want to come home and blast your favorite vinyl record on the turntable. But that's really not so bad, is it? 

The Majesty of the Doctor

I don’t know why I keep watching this clip. It makes me cry like a baby every single time. The brilliance of Murray Gold’s score combined with the regeneration scenes of every Doctor are unbelievably powerful.

But what hits me the most about this clip is the roars that go up from the crowd as each Doctor’s face appears on the screen. You can tell how much people really love The Doctor and how important he’s been to them - in all 11 incarnations, to millions of people over nearly half a century, in so many different ways.

As a writer, as a creator, I find myself wishing that someday, I might be able to create even just one thing - one story, one character, one anything - that has an impact on even just one person the way that the Doctor has mattered to so many people. 

At first this idea seemed selfish to me…but then I realized, it isn’t. I don’t need the fame, the glory, the money that might come from it. I just need to create something that matters to someone else the way that the Doctor matters to me. He is a hero of mine and I look up to him, and I’ll never apologize for that. Maybe someday, if I’m lucky, someone will look, even just for a moment, to someone I’ve written the way I look to the Doctor now.  

Allonsy, everyone. 

Shameless Plugs (An Addendum)

In the spirit of my last post, and because I think they deserve it, I thought it would be a good idea to post links to some of the dedicated writers and artists I mentioned when writing about GraniteCon. If you have a chance, check out their sites and show them some love - metaphorically (or literally in the form of purchasing their work).

Juli Mayers (Wicked Little Studio): Not only is Juli a genuine, friendly person, she's also a great artist. I have a print of hers (the 9th Doctor and Rose) hanging in my room right now. You can find her at: http://www.wickedlittlestudio.com/

Charles Soule: Writer of 27 and Strongman, as well as the upcoming Strange Attractors, Charles is based in New York. I'm reading the first volume of Strongman right now, and it's very, very good. And I'm not saying that just because I met the guy. Give his work a read - you can find him at: http://charlessoule.wordpress.com/

Peter Vinton Jr. : This guy is an artist and illustrator, and his work ranges from covers to sequential art to portraits. Check him out at: http://petervintonjr.com/index.html

Joe Hill: Of all the folks on this list, he's probably the one least in need of what (little) help might come from a mention on this blog. The son of writer Stephen King, Mr. Hill is the author of the Locke and Key comic book series, which is ongoing, as well as the novels Horns and Heart Shaped Box. He is also the author of the superb short story collection 20th Century Ghosts. If you don't have a copy, do yourself a favor and get one as soon as you can. You'll be glad you did.
You can find him at: http://joehillfiction.com/

GraniteCon, Comics Writing, and the Creative Community

Yesterday, I went to GraniteCon in New Hampshire for the first time. It was the first major con I've been to, and I couldn't have asked for a better time. Not only did I go with my two best friends, I got to meet writers, artists, and plenty of other folks who love the same things I do. There's not much out there that's more inspiring (or just plain cool) than that.

I got to reconnect with a few new friends and fellow geeks, including the talented Juli Mayers of Wicked Little Studio, who I first met on Free Comic Book Day and who puts out some really great work. I collected some great new prints and a commissioned sketch as well.

In addition to that, I attended a comic book writers panel featuring several writers, including:

- Joe Hill, author of Locke and Key in the comicsverse, as well as the novel Heart Shaped Box and the phenomenal short story collection 20th Century Ghosts. 
- Jason Ciaramella, writer of Joe Hill's The Cape and the upcoming The Cape: 1969
- Charles Soule, writer of 27 and Strongman, among other titles.
- Mike Raicht, creator and writer, The Stuff of Legend

The panel itself was great and the guys gave some nice insights about the comics world, especially the oft-asked question of how to break in to the business. The simple answer (if you're curious): you don't. The Big 2 (Marvel and DC) don't take solicitations, resumes, or anything like that anymore. According to these guys, the only way to really get yourself out there is to do just that - get yourself out there, in any way you can. Comics companies often look for writers from other fields to pen stories for them, so don't limit yourself or dismiss an opportunity because its not the perfect job you were looking for. Also worth noting is their admonition to start small. As one of the writers put it, everyone has their big epic, their story they want to be the next Sandman or Walking Dead, but there's no way that script is going to get printed right off the bat. It takes years and years of hard work and success to even be in a position where that is a possibility. As always, the bottom line was, you have to love what you do. If you don't, you'll be surrounded by people who do, and not only will they "smell you out" incredibly quickly, they'll also be producing work that's better than yours - because they love doing it.

Of course, if you'd rather, you could ignore all that and just go with Joe Hill's idea, which was: get a giant Deadpool tattoo on your chest, then go to a con where you can meet Jim Lee, then rip your shirt open and demand a job from him. Of course, as Ciaramella said, Lee and the other folks over at DC would probably not take kindly to that - for more than one reason.

Because Deadpool, as we all know,
is a flagship DC Comics character.
Along with Spiderman and The Avengers.

What stuck with me most about the day, though, was a conversation I had with Charles Soule at his table after the panel. I stopped by to talk to him and get a look at some of his work, but decided to take a last spin around the other tables before I bought one of his books.
When I came back, he said, "Hey, you made it back. You're a man of your word." All I could think to say was, well, the truth: I hope that someone would do the same thing if I was in his position. That hope was only strengthened by what he told me next. He said, at every con, there were people who did that -said they were coming back and then never did. He said it was "heartbreaking", every time. You might not think it would be, but it is.

Thinking about that exchange today, I've come to a better understanding than ever before of how important it is for us creative types to support each other. I mean, living the creative life is hard enough anyway, so why not try to make it a little easier on each other? That's part of what events like GraniteCon are for, to take the opportunity, as writers and artists of all stripes, to come together and buoy each other up a bit. Money might not be the easiest thing in the world to come by, but where can it be better spent than in helping another artist out?

Now I know I'm no authority on the subject of money being tight, and I don't have the metaphorical soapbox of a starving artist to be writing this post from. I'm still a college student, lucky enough to be comfortable and have the support of his parents. But someday, all that comfort might not be there. Successful or not, well-known or not, I still think that the thing I as a writer will value the most is the appreciation and honesty of an audience, large or small. So to the writers and artists and everyone else reading this, take that chance. Buy a book by an up-and-coming writer. Pay the $10 for a commission sketch at a con. Instead of a mass-produced poster for your wall, buy a large print from an artist you know. And when someone asks you where it came from, tell them. Spread the word, and help each other out. Who knows, maybe someone will do the same for you.

ASSEMBLE: Thoughts on the Avengers

DISCLAIMER: LEVEL 7 SPOILERS ABOUND BELOW. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE AVENGERS, DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT 200 DOLLARS, DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW...JUST GO SEE THE MOVIE ALREADY. THEN COME BACK HERE. 

Finally. This movie is one I've been waiting for for over two years. Finally, it is here. And it was well worth every second of the wait. 

 I'll admit, I was intrigued, but not enthralled, by the concept of The Avengers back when it was nothing more than that - a concept in the far-flung future of Marvel's moviemaking arm. Then came Comic-Con 2010, and the announcement of Joss Whedon as the Avengers director. Color me ecstatic. I am a die-hard Whedonite, and I  won't pretend otherwise. But that by no means translates to me loving anything Whedon does unconditionally (much as I might like to be able to). 

Fortunately, The Avengers is not a film that requires blind, unconditional anything. All the positive buzz, the rave reviews and the sky-high box office numbers and roars of fanboy (and girl) approval? This film earns every single one of them. Is it perfect? No, it is not. But it comes damn close. 

I've seen Avengers three times now - once in 2D at the midnight premiere, and twice in IMAX 3D. The film works in both mediums, but if you have the opportunity to choose, choose IMAX 3D. The format exists for movies like this one, and it is well worth the jacked-up ticket price to experience it. I don't typically throw my money at any movie in theaters more than once, especially not one in IMAX 3D - but this is the exception. 

Avengers is Marvel's most ambitious movie to date. Its also fair to say that it is the most ambitious superhero movie ever made.This film had the potential for disaster to appear at every turn, and with a few small exceptions it avoids all the potential pitfalls of such a big-budget blockbuster film - something that, in the end, turns out to be a double-edged sword. 98% of this movie works like a charm, and that makes the few issues it has a little more noticeable.

One of Avenger's greatest strengths is also one of its greatest challenges: it is a superhero team-up movie.  This means that anyone who saw and enjoyed Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, or (by some bizarre happenstance) one of the Hulk films, would have at least a passing motivation to see Avengers. Not to mention all the Marvel comics fans who grew up reading Avengers comics and have been salivating over the potential / fearing the ruination of a big-screen adaptation.

 Moral of the story is, this movie needed to please an awful lot of people in an awful lot of different ways. That's exactly what it strives to do, and believe it or not, this movie succeeds. 

Avengers has the unenviable task of juggling six main characters, and in true Whedon style, that's exactly what it does. Say what you will about Joss Whedon, but his talents at balancing ensemble casts in a spectacular and realistic manner is virtually unmatched - and The Avengers proves it time and time again. I think you would be hard-pressed to find any other writer/director working today who is better at understanding and portraying the multi-tiered challenges of a group of people who aren't quite normal. In one way or another, every character in this film, large or small, gets their chance to shine and by proxy prove their worth to the film. Put simply, the characters are not given chances to shine just because they are contractually obligated to appear - they each shine by virtue of their proper place in the story. 

Whedon has been quoted many times as saying that what makes the Avengers so remarkable is the fact that by rights, they shouldn't work at all. Tony Stark isn't the only one among them who doesn't play well with others. Much of the film spends its time focusing on this truth. None of the core members of the Avengers Initiative are remotely comfortable or friendly with any of the others, and more often than not, that discontent is displayed through their violence towards one another. 

I could go into rambling detail about all the things that work about this film and those that don't. After seeing it three times, I've pretty well solidified my thoughts on just about every aspect of the movie. But here's the thing: I've come to the realization that none of that 'critical' stuff really matters to me. Not when it comes to this movie. Sure, Avengers has its imperfections, some bigger than others. Sure, I can be nit-picky and play the neurotic geek about all sorts of things. But I don't need to. See, the thing is, this movie, as far as I'm concerned, is the greatest superhero movie ever, and one of the best movies to hit screens in a very, very long time. I get that this is a more-than- lofty claim, and it probably seems pretty silly to some of you reading this - just the gushings of a fanboy who doesn't know any better. I don't care. Even if a 'better' one comes along someday, The Avengers will always hold that top spot in my heart. Here's why: 

I grew up loving things that were out of this world. I loved superheroes, the supernatural, and all the things that are just a little (and sometimes a lot) out of the ordinary. I still do. The heroes who are onscreen in The Avengers are some of the characters that I wanted to be when I grew up. Those heroes are the ones I looked to in high school while I was trying to figure myself out (which is still an ongoing process). They are the ones I look to now for inspiration for both myself and the creative work that I do. Superheroes are the ones who help me, to this day, to believe in something more. As Nick Fury puts it, they are the "extraordinary people" who come together to become something more, and by doing so, make people like me believe in the extraordinary. 

There's one particular shot in Avengers that is ingrained in my memory even more so than the others, and I think it will help show why I feel the way I do about this movie. 

It comes during the kickoff of the climactic battle in New York. Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow are in the midst of a firefight while panicked citizens flood the streets. Cap asks Hawkeye, "You think you can hold them here?", and Hawkeye responds "Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure." 

With that, Cap is off, racing down into danger because that's what he does, because it's what we need him to do - because he's a hero. Each time I saw this movie, this was the moment that (I'll admit without shame) brought tears of joy to my eyes. Cap runs down the street, brandishing his shield and dodging explosions, totally fearless, and every time, I thought to myself, this, right here, is just how I imagined it. That's the sort of mental picture I had of myself when I was a kid, running around the house in my superhero pajamas, saving the world. It's the way my minds eye brought the scenes in comic books to life for me. It's the sort of moment that makes me believe in heroes. 

The Avengers reminded me what it means and what it feels like to be totally invested in what's happening on the screen in front of you. Every time Cap, Iron Man, Thor, Bruce Banner, or any of the others took a hit in battle, I felt it in my own bones. Every time Loki threatened the team or the Earth...I believed him. Each time I saw the film, I caught myself with my jaw hanging open in awe and wonder for minutes at a time. More than that, I wound up smiling so hard it hurt. This movie reminded me why I write, why I want to tell stories. It rekindled a sense of wonder in me, and that did more to cement my feelings on it than just about anything else. 

I'll say it again, and I make no apologies: The Avengers will make you believe in heroes. If you already do, it'll renew that belief and bring it to new heights. If you don't...well, get ready to have your eyes opened. The world we live in can get nasty, cynical, and seem pretty hopeless. Sometimes, it's impossible to believe that good...no, that great, people still exist out there. The Avengers spends two and a half hours insisting that what we all want to believe is true. Great people - heroes - do exist. 

That, above all, is what makes The Avengers truly amazing. 

Review: Dark Shadows

The latest Johnny Depp/ Tim Burton collaboration is, more or less, exactly what you'd expect it to be. This movie is a very shiny thing on the outside, but when you get down to it, there's not much in the way of substance under the fancy exterior.

Johnny Depp (above) stars in Hollywood's re-imagining of the popular supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows. I've never seen an episode of the show, and I really don't know all that much about it, so this is one time that you don't have to worry about the source material affecting how I feel about the flick. 

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are famous for the interesting and outlandish results of their nearly continuous collaborations over the years. More recently, the end products of those collaborations have started to appear less and less spectacular  (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, anyone?) The hope in some quarters was that this would be the film to put the magic spark back in Burton's work. Sadly, that is not the case. Dark Shadows has all the bells and whistles you'd expect, and none of the heart you'd hope for. 

The story is only mildly convoluted: Barnabas Collins, the son of a successful Colonial father, runs about in the 1700's, doing whatever and whomever he pleases. It's the latter that gets him into trouble. He spurns the affections of a serving girl for those of a higher-born girl - trouble is, that servant girl also happens to be a witch. Her desire for Barnabas leads her to compel his new squeeze to jump off a cliff. Barnabas is so grief-stricken that he follows suit, only to discover when he hits the ground that he's been made into an immortal vampire by the witch, who then locks him in a coffin for a few hundred years as punishment. 

When Barnabas is set free again, it turns out to be 1972. Barnabas returns to his home, Collinwood Manor, and sets about trying to wrangle his descendants, acclimate himself to the new century, and combat his old flame, the witch (who is still very much alive and kicking). 

The best things about Dark Shadows are all on the surface. It has Burton's usual style and flair, incorporating borderline garish set pieces, costumes, and characters - all of which look pretty fantastic. Visually, the movie is a real treat. It's easy to see that the movie was shot with Imax and 3D formats in mind, and the great thing is that even in standard 2D, it still looks great. 

The real problem is, Dark Shadows is a movie that can't decide what it wants to be, and most of that fault lies with the script. There are elements of comedy, drama, and the dark and supernatural here - and not one of them hits the right note with any regularity. The storytelling beats here are all off, and their misplacement makes the movie hobble along (and occasionally spin in circles). The movie feels overstuffed with characters who flit in and out according to story demands rather than common sense (for example, we see Barnabas' 1970's love interest just long enough for him to decide he's in love with her, then she virtually disappears from the story until the last 2 minutes of the movie). Misplaced jokes ruin what could be strong dramatic moments, and when actual dramatic moments come along, they're so overwrought that they can't be taken seriously.

There's a pretty great cast assembled here. Most of them, like Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter, are Burton standbys - and they certainly don't lack talent. Trouble is, even the greatest actors can only do so much with subpar, shallow material like they have here. 

Cabin in the Woods [Some Non-Spoilery Thoughts]

You don't want me to tell you all about Cabin In the Woods, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's long-awaited (and long-delayed) big screen project. If I did, that would just ruin it. See, one of the absolute joys of this movie is that it takes you away with the power of a story whose ending you can't see coming from a mile away - and you don't need to.

Above all else, Cabin is a smart movie that treats its audience as being intelligent as well. As a fan of horror (and of movies in general), this is incredibly refreshing. I was constantly engaged with the film on multiple levels. The structure of the film presents questions on top of questions - and the answers are thoroughly satisfying.

You've probably heard that Cabin  is a movie with a "twist". This is true. But this "twist" is no Shayamalan-style attention grab. In other words, the movie is not all about trying to blow your mind with insane twists for the sake of twists. The twists and turns are natural to the story, and so only serve to make it better.

To say much more than that Cabin In the Woods is about 5 college kids who go to an isolated cabin in the woods (who woulda thunk it, right?) and get much more than they bargained for out of the trip would be letting myself become a spoiler monkey. And I hate spoiler monkeys. What I can tell you is this: calling Cabin nothing more than a 'horror' movie or a film with a 'twist' is selling it far, far short. This is a movie with a strong, intelligent script; a wide-ranging and talented cast; and a wildly inventive and self-aware premise. In short, its a rarity in Hollywood these days, and well worth the price of a ticket. Don't read spoilery reviews. Don't watch clips online - don't even watch trailers. Just go see it, and bring your friends.