Starring: Cameron Diaz, Lucy Punch, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, Phyllis Smith
Directed By: Jake Kasdan
Run Time: 1 hour 29 minutes
Bad Teacher is about a bad teacher Elizabeth Halsey (played by Diaz) who doesn't want to be a teacher. She wants to find a husband, a rich husband, and never work again. Enter substitute teacher Scott Delacorte who has family money. Elizabeth sets her sights on wooing him. When she thinks that Scott only likes big busted women, she starts saving up for a boob job. When she hears that the teacher whose class scores the highest on the state test, she puts her ambition into forcing the kids to learn.
This was actually my birthday day movie (Cars 2 was the day before my birthday but was part of the celebration). Turns out I've seen everything else so I had to see this one.
I thought this movie was going to be funnier. I didn't laugh very much and when I did laugh, it was a small haw. I mean, Jason Segel is in it. He's incredibly funny. But since he has very little screen time, the funny quotient went down as a result. He had a great character (the school gym teacher). I did find it interesting that his character seemed a lot like Elizabeth. They had the same view on things but where she was mean and bitchy, he was funny with a bit of heart. But since he wasn't in it much, the good part of the movie was minimal.
I'm not quite sure what to say about this movie. It didn't bore me. I guess that's a good thing. It wasn't bad. I can't say that it was good but it definitely wasn't bad. That much I can say. It held my attention. There were some things about it that were quite different. There were some lines and one scene in particular that made my jaw drop. But there were a lot of things about it that were incredibly predictable. The bad teacher idea was interesting and a bit funny. Most bad teachers (cue Summer School, starring Mark Harmon) have a lot of heart. They can't teach but they have heart. This one did not. She had brains and if she had any ambition to be a good teacher, she probably would have been an excellent teacher.
I will say that this movie had a lot of interesting characters. Elizabeth (aka bad teacher) was very interesting. How one person could be that crass was amazing. I saw a bit of her in me (the attitude part). Russell (played by Segal) had spunk. Too bad he wasn't in it very much. I would have liked to have learned more about Lynn (played by Smith from TV's The Office). I think Justin Timberlake had a lot of fun playing a dork. And what a dork! But interesting characters do not make for a good movie. A non bad one, perhaps. But not good.
Hmmm... so, it wasn't bad. It wasn't funny. It just was a bit memorable. I guess that's a good thing. It certainly wasn't the worst movie I've seen. That's also a good thing. I did like the ending. It worked. This would probably be a good movie to watch when trapped on a plane for eight hours. Or if you have nothing better to do.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
June Movie #6: Cars 2
Starring: Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer
Directed By: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis
Run Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
Cars 2 is about race car Lightening McQueen (voiced by Wilson) who signs up to compete in an international race and brings along his best friend rusty tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy). During the pre-race festivities, Mater gets mistaken for a spy. He becomes engulfed in espionage with two British spies Finn McMissile (voiced by Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (voiced by Mortimer).
This was my birthday movie! I was joined by Dawn, Joel, Benjamin, AND Jeff (his second movie of the year, if you can believe it; Benjamin has seen more with me!). I think everyone liked it. The reviews were not kind to this sequel but I thought it was better than the first. At first, I had issues with the plot, the plot that was divulged in the previews. I mean, I get that the cars go international for a race but why would they bring a rusty tow truck with them? Of course, after watching it, I do get the reasoning. It all came together. I rather enjoyed it! Benjamin stayed for a lot of it. That's saying something. We saw it in 2D. I could see how the race scenes would be enhanced by the extra dimension, with the cars whipping around the winding track and coming at you.
At first, I wasn't that into cars acting like people. I can suspend reality and believe that cars can talk but when the spy car (Axelrod, I believe, who was voiced by Eddie Izzard) clung to the side of a ship and then drove at a 90 degree angle up the side of the ship, I was annoyed. Cars can't do that! Either I relaxed a little or the annoying antics ceased because the rest of the movie was enjoyable. They did a wonderful job intertwining the spy tactics into this children's movie. It definitely rivaled James Bond! And the scene in Japan was wonderful. They put a lot of realism into it.
This movie is incredibly well done. It's very funny. We all laughed A LOT! Even Jeff laughed. I still absolutely love the two Italian cars Luigi and Guido. They steal the show every time. I detest Larry the Cable Guy so you have to realize how funny this movie is if I was able to overlook his annoying voice.
I was not a huge fan of the first installment of this movie. I do not own it, which must tell you how much I didn't like the first (because I think it's the only Pixar movie I don't own). I am happy to say that the sequel was much better. It moved well, so fast paced (ha!). It was funny. It was well done. Smart. Different. I loved how the plot lines merged together. The moral was sweet. It was just plain good. It will probably get added to my collection.
Oooh, one thing to watch for: There's an advertisement along the wall of one of the races that reads: Lasse Tyre (as in Lasseter, John Lasseter, the director). It made me cheer when I spotted it!
Directed By: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis
Run Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
Cars 2 is about race car Lightening McQueen (voiced by Wilson) who signs up to compete in an international race and brings along his best friend rusty tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy). During the pre-race festivities, Mater gets mistaken for a spy. He becomes engulfed in espionage with two British spies Finn McMissile (voiced by Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (voiced by Mortimer).
This was my birthday movie! I was joined by Dawn, Joel, Benjamin, AND Jeff (his second movie of the year, if you can believe it; Benjamin has seen more with me!). I think everyone liked it. The reviews were not kind to this sequel but I thought it was better than the first. At first, I had issues with the plot, the plot that was divulged in the previews. I mean, I get that the cars go international for a race but why would they bring a rusty tow truck with them? Of course, after watching it, I do get the reasoning. It all came together. I rather enjoyed it! Benjamin stayed for a lot of it. That's saying something. We saw it in 2D. I could see how the race scenes would be enhanced by the extra dimension, with the cars whipping around the winding track and coming at you.
At first, I wasn't that into cars acting like people. I can suspend reality and believe that cars can talk but when the spy car (Axelrod, I believe, who was voiced by Eddie Izzard) clung to the side of a ship and then drove at a 90 degree angle up the side of the ship, I was annoyed. Cars can't do that! Either I relaxed a little or the annoying antics ceased because the rest of the movie was enjoyable. They did a wonderful job intertwining the spy tactics into this children's movie. It definitely rivaled James Bond! And the scene in Japan was wonderful. They put a lot of realism into it.
This movie is incredibly well done. It's very funny. We all laughed A LOT! Even Jeff laughed. I still absolutely love the two Italian cars Luigi and Guido. They steal the show every time. I detest Larry the Cable Guy so you have to realize how funny this movie is if I was able to overlook his annoying voice.
I was not a huge fan of the first installment of this movie. I do not own it, which must tell you how much I didn't like the first (because I think it's the only Pixar movie I don't own). I am happy to say that the sequel was much better. It moved well, so fast paced (ha!). It was funny. It was well done. Smart. Different. I loved how the plot lines merged together. The moral was sweet. It was just plain good. It will probably get added to my collection.
Oooh, one thing to watch for: There's an advertisement along the wall of one of the races that reads: Lasse Tyre (as in Lasseter, John Lasseter, the director). It made me cheer when I spotted it!
June Movie #5: Mr. Popper's Penguins
Starring: Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury, Ophelia Lovibond, Madeline Carroll
Directed By: Mark Waters
Run Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Mr. Popper's Penguins is about a slick career driven divorced real estate agent named Tom Popper (played by Carrey) whose explorer father sends him a penguin as a memento from his last trip. Popper thinks he's sending the penguin back but instead orders five more. He calls every agency in New York to pick up the penguins but before one does, his children fall in love with the birds. Popper then realizes that the penguins are the key to getting his family to like him. Popper's life turns upside down.
Think of this movie as a kind of a toned-down Ace Ventura meets Liar, Liar (the family dynamics thing). If you liked one or both of these movies, you'll like this one.
There are a couple of different levels to this movie. First, there are the family dynamics. Popper has family issues because his father, the great explorer, was never home. Popper felt abandoned and the free spirit in him was erased. He tries extra hard to be cool and there for his children, who in turn pull away from him... until the penguins arrive. Next we have the penguins themselves, which lend themselves to seven year old boy humor (a farting penguin, for one). And then there's the magical whimsy that the Tavern on the Green experience created. There's a bit of a fairy tale to it.
I rather liked this movie. I absolutely loved seeing Angela Lansbury back on screen. I hadn't seen any previews with her in it so it was a nice surprise. She looked wonderful. I also loved the character Pippi... She talked only in Ps. Quite lovely tongue twisters. So which came first, the title of the movie (which is a tongue twister) or the character who talks in tongue twisters with Ps? I'd like to think the title came first and they built a character to poke fun at the title. And I loved the full circle when Quint was introduced. Pippi was fun.
This movie had some cute lines. "That's not my penguin" made me laugh many times. I was a little disappointed with the penguins. I thought they'd be cuter. For the most part, it was obvious that they were animatron penguins (because I don't think penguins fart on command and despite the fact that there now have been two movies that insinuate that penguins like to dance, I don't think they can learn intricate choreography) but there were times where I kept thinking, "Hey, wait. Now it looks real." They did use real penguins for some scenes.
There were some things that bothered me about the movie. How easy is it to clean up snow from an apartment? For that matter, how easy is it to keep an apartment cold enough to keep snow? And then there were the eggs. Don't penguin eggs need heat? Isn't that what March of the Penguins taught us? If the males don't keep the eggs under them and warm, they won't hatch? Of course, those few things bothered me. I totally bought that five penguins can fit and live in a crate shipped from Antarctica to New York City... and pass Customs (I mean, what could someone besides a penguin ship from Antarctica?). And that the penguins could live in an apartment. And navigate NYC streets.
This is a very sweet movie. I rather enjoyed it. It was predictable and a little campy but still quite entertaining. It could have been funnier. I didn't laugh as much as I wanted. I mean, penguins! Jim Carrey. Penguins! Perhaps the writers put too much into the tongue twisters and not enough thought about the penguins. I mean, even their names were mundane. But I liked it. A great movie for a little one. They'll love the farting penguin. Love it. Even I was slightly amused.
Directed By: Mark Waters
Run Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Mr. Popper's Penguins is about a slick career driven divorced real estate agent named Tom Popper (played by Carrey) whose explorer father sends him a penguin as a memento from his last trip. Popper thinks he's sending the penguin back but instead orders five more. He calls every agency in New York to pick up the penguins but before one does, his children fall in love with the birds. Popper then realizes that the penguins are the key to getting his family to like him. Popper's life turns upside down.
Think of this movie as a kind of a toned-down Ace Ventura meets Liar, Liar (the family dynamics thing). If you liked one or both of these movies, you'll like this one.
There are a couple of different levels to this movie. First, there are the family dynamics. Popper has family issues because his father, the great explorer, was never home. Popper felt abandoned and the free spirit in him was erased. He tries extra hard to be cool and there for his children, who in turn pull away from him... until the penguins arrive. Next we have the penguins themselves, which lend themselves to seven year old boy humor (a farting penguin, for one). And then there's the magical whimsy that the Tavern on the Green experience created. There's a bit of a fairy tale to it.
I rather liked this movie. I absolutely loved seeing Angela Lansbury back on screen. I hadn't seen any previews with her in it so it was a nice surprise. She looked wonderful. I also loved the character Pippi... She talked only in Ps. Quite lovely tongue twisters. So which came first, the title of the movie (which is a tongue twister) or the character who talks in tongue twisters with Ps? I'd like to think the title came first and they built a character to poke fun at the title. And I loved the full circle when Quint was introduced. Pippi was fun.
This movie had some cute lines. "That's not my penguin" made me laugh many times. I was a little disappointed with the penguins. I thought they'd be cuter. For the most part, it was obvious that they were animatron penguins (because I don't think penguins fart on command and despite the fact that there now have been two movies that insinuate that penguins like to dance, I don't think they can learn intricate choreography) but there were times where I kept thinking, "Hey, wait. Now it looks real." They did use real penguins for some scenes.
There were some things that bothered me about the movie. How easy is it to clean up snow from an apartment? For that matter, how easy is it to keep an apartment cold enough to keep snow? And then there were the eggs. Don't penguin eggs need heat? Isn't that what March of the Penguins taught us? If the males don't keep the eggs under them and warm, they won't hatch? Of course, those few things bothered me. I totally bought that five penguins can fit and live in a crate shipped from Antarctica to New York City... and pass Customs (I mean, what could someone besides a penguin ship from Antarctica?). And that the penguins could live in an apartment. And navigate NYC streets.
This is a very sweet movie. I rather enjoyed it. It was predictable and a little campy but still quite entertaining. It could have been funnier. I didn't laugh as much as I wanted. I mean, penguins! Jim Carrey. Penguins! Perhaps the writers put too much into the tongue twisters and not enough thought about the penguins. I mean, even their names were mundane. But I liked it. A great movie for a little one. They'll love the farting penguin. Love it. Even I was slightly amused.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
June Movie #4: Green Lantern
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Run Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Green Lantern is about an test pilot named Hal (played by Reynolds) who stumbles upon a dying alien who bequeaths him with super powers in the form of a green ring and a green lantern. When an autopsy performed on the dead alien infects Dr. Hector Hammond (played by Sarsgaard) with the evil yellow fear blood of Parallax, the evil force that killed the alien, the alien battle comes to Earth. Now Hal must learn how to use his new super powers to save Carol (played by Lively) by battling Hector - and ultimately Parallax - to save Earth.
I thought that this movie had a lot of aliens for the sake of aliens. Let's make them purple skinned with funny ears... and make others with big heads. And let's have an ultra tall and skinny one. Purple aliens with green uniforms? I didn't like it. I really don't think aliens with purple skin are going to put themselves in green uniforms. That just doesn't go well. They certainly wouldn't win any alien fashion contests. I thought the inter-alien tribunal was incredibly hokey (cue the big headed aliens). If those aliens were the smartest of the bunch, why couldn't they create a more comfortable conference area? I am, of course, joking... but only because those scenes made me realize that these were actors in costumes and not cool aliens in a big budget much anticipated movie.
Hokey aliens aside, I guess I had issues with the whole Green Lantern super power ability. First, if there were thousands of Green Lanterns, why did the dying Green Lantern have to pass along his ring? It made me think he was the last of his kind, that he had to seek out a successor in order to save the universe. Second, what was with having to create stuff to fight with? Hal only had to think of a weapon and his powers would create it so that he could fight with it. Um, how about just think your opponent dead then? Or think of placing a poison or explosive inside your opponent and have the fight be over in two seconds? Why go through all those different weapons when your power is your imagination? Jeff would say that if I wrote movies, they'd be over with in ten minutes... and would be boring. "Here's the hero. And now he saves the day. It's not that hard." I guess I had a hard time getting into the swing of the movie and the battle scenes because there was a very big part of me that knew Hal had to succeed. He couldn't die. When you know the star isn't going to die, you know the outcome of the movie.
Since the underlying basic plot of the movie didn't suck me in, my mind was free to think. That's never a good thing. So many questions! For starters, why was Hal a pilot but not in the military, particularly if his father was? Do non-military pilots really get to fly planes that expensive and regularly mock dog fight? I assumed he was in the military but when I found out he wasn't, it bothered me. The opening dog fight reminded me a lot of Top Gun. Speaking of Top Gun, is Tim Robbins (who had a small role in Top Gun, hence the "speaking of") really old enough to be Hector's father? Peter Sarsgaard looked to be 40-ish, a full 10 years at least older than Hal. While that was fine, it bothered me that part of the plot seemed to hint that Hector, Hal, and Carol grew up together. With the age difference, I couldn't see that.
This movie left me feeling disappointed. It just didn't gel together. Perhaps it was because most people who become superheroes don't go running to tell their friends. It's their secret. Granted, every superhero does tend to have one that knows his secret (Lois Lane, Alfred) but Green Lantern/Hal seemed to have a lot of inside people. Of course, I did like that a mask didn't really "mask" his identity. Finally a movie that addresses that! Perhaps I wasn't lured in because the plucky sidekick (the computer programmer, natch) wasn't plucky enough. The programmer did start off with some spunk (rooting for Hal during the test flight) but his much needed quirkiness and humor failed him during later scenes. Perhaps the quirky sidekick was outshone by the quirky superhero. No one can deadpan like Ryan Reynolds! Perhaps this movie disappointed me because there were so many other "green lanterns." It didn't seem like a big deal. I mean, why did Hal have to save Earth? There were hundreds of other Lanterns that could/should have! Maybe because Hal's super powers were a little hokey (see two paragraphs above). I liked the idea that he had to learn to fight, had to learn to his powers but although he didn't seem to do very well with his ten minutes of training, he still went to battle the biggest, scariest villain that even the other Green Lanterns wouldn't fight. He couldn't even take down scrawny little Hector who only had an ounce of the bad juice in him. Carol gave one helluva pep talk but I don't think it gave him the power - the will - to take on the baddest of bad.
Okay. So I've said a lot about what I didn't like about this movie. I should mention the things I liked. I liked Blake Lively. I don't watch Gossip Girl so I've seen little of her before this movie. She had a smart, strong, tough, and determined character. She wasn't a helpless damsel but she wasn't bitchy, either (which, sadly, a lot of the tougher female characters tend to be which always bothers me). I really liked her with brown hair. Very pretty. I loved Ryan Reynolds. Seriously, no one deadpans like he does. Such sarcasm... wrapped prettily up with charisma. I just wish he had an ounce of more oomph. It all just seemed too easy for him. He was supposed to be a flawed character but his charm made that hard to see. I did like the movie's message - that will is mightier than fear. Fear is an awesome weapon but will conquers all. I also liked that fear gets replaced with courage.
One tip: Stay to the middle of the credits for a "suggestion" that there will be a sequel.
So, in sum, disappointing movie. I was really thinking this movie was going to be fun and well, good. It's not horrible. It's just missing that extra zest that could have made it really good. Maybe the aliens weighed it down. Ah, purple aliens in green uniforms. So sucky. Like I said, it's not a horrible movie. But it's not great, either. It was fun. But nothing more.
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Run Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Green Lantern is about an test pilot named Hal (played by Reynolds) who stumbles upon a dying alien who bequeaths him with super powers in the form of a green ring and a green lantern. When an autopsy performed on the dead alien infects Dr. Hector Hammond (played by Sarsgaard) with the evil yellow fear blood of Parallax, the evil force that killed the alien, the alien battle comes to Earth. Now Hal must learn how to use his new super powers to save Carol (played by Lively) by battling Hector - and ultimately Parallax - to save Earth.
I thought that this movie had a lot of aliens for the sake of aliens. Let's make them purple skinned with funny ears... and make others with big heads. And let's have an ultra tall and skinny one. Purple aliens with green uniforms? I didn't like it. I really don't think aliens with purple skin are going to put themselves in green uniforms. That just doesn't go well. They certainly wouldn't win any alien fashion contests. I thought the inter-alien tribunal was incredibly hokey (cue the big headed aliens). If those aliens were the smartest of the bunch, why couldn't they create a more comfortable conference area? I am, of course, joking... but only because those scenes made me realize that these were actors in costumes and not cool aliens in a big budget much anticipated movie.
Hokey aliens aside, I guess I had issues with the whole Green Lantern super power ability. First, if there were thousands of Green Lanterns, why did the dying Green Lantern have to pass along his ring? It made me think he was the last of his kind, that he had to seek out a successor in order to save the universe. Second, what was with having to create stuff to fight with? Hal only had to think of a weapon and his powers would create it so that he could fight with it. Um, how about just think your opponent dead then? Or think of placing a poison or explosive inside your opponent and have the fight be over in two seconds? Why go through all those different weapons when your power is your imagination? Jeff would say that if I wrote movies, they'd be over with in ten minutes... and would be boring. "Here's the hero. And now he saves the day. It's not that hard." I guess I had a hard time getting into the swing of the movie and the battle scenes because there was a very big part of me that knew Hal had to succeed. He couldn't die. When you know the star isn't going to die, you know the outcome of the movie.
Since the underlying basic plot of the movie didn't suck me in, my mind was free to think. That's never a good thing. So many questions! For starters, why was Hal a pilot but not in the military, particularly if his father was? Do non-military pilots really get to fly planes that expensive and regularly mock dog fight? I assumed he was in the military but when I found out he wasn't, it bothered me. The opening dog fight reminded me a lot of Top Gun. Speaking of Top Gun, is Tim Robbins (who had a small role in Top Gun, hence the "speaking of") really old enough to be Hector's father? Peter Sarsgaard looked to be 40-ish, a full 10 years at least older than Hal. While that was fine, it bothered me that part of the plot seemed to hint that Hector, Hal, and Carol grew up together. With the age difference, I couldn't see that.
This movie left me feeling disappointed. It just didn't gel together. Perhaps it was because most people who become superheroes don't go running to tell their friends. It's their secret. Granted, every superhero does tend to have one that knows his secret (Lois Lane, Alfred) but Green Lantern/Hal seemed to have a lot of inside people. Of course, I did like that a mask didn't really "mask" his identity. Finally a movie that addresses that! Perhaps I wasn't lured in because the plucky sidekick (the computer programmer, natch) wasn't plucky enough. The programmer did start off with some spunk (rooting for Hal during the test flight) but his much needed quirkiness and humor failed him during later scenes. Perhaps the quirky sidekick was outshone by the quirky superhero. No one can deadpan like Ryan Reynolds! Perhaps this movie disappointed me because there were so many other "green lanterns." It didn't seem like a big deal. I mean, why did Hal have to save Earth? There were hundreds of other Lanterns that could/should have! Maybe because Hal's super powers were a little hokey (see two paragraphs above). I liked the idea that he had to learn to fight, had to learn to his powers but although he didn't seem to do very well with his ten minutes of training, he still went to battle the biggest, scariest villain that even the other Green Lanterns wouldn't fight. He couldn't even take down scrawny little Hector who only had an ounce of the bad juice in him. Carol gave one helluva pep talk but I don't think it gave him the power - the will - to take on the baddest of bad.
Okay. So I've said a lot about what I didn't like about this movie. I should mention the things I liked. I liked Blake Lively. I don't watch Gossip Girl so I've seen little of her before this movie. She had a smart, strong, tough, and determined character. She wasn't a helpless damsel but she wasn't bitchy, either (which, sadly, a lot of the tougher female characters tend to be which always bothers me). I really liked her with brown hair. Very pretty. I loved Ryan Reynolds. Seriously, no one deadpans like he does. Such sarcasm... wrapped prettily up with charisma. I just wish he had an ounce of more oomph. It all just seemed too easy for him. He was supposed to be a flawed character but his charm made that hard to see. I did like the movie's message - that will is mightier than fear. Fear is an awesome weapon but will conquers all. I also liked that fear gets replaced with courage.
One tip: Stay to the middle of the credits for a "suggestion" that there will be a sequel.
So, in sum, disappointing movie. I was really thinking this movie was going to be fun and well, good. It's not horrible. It's just missing that extra zest that could have made it really good. Maybe the aliens weighed it down. Ah, purple aliens in green uniforms. So sucky. Like I said, it's not a horrible movie. But it's not great, either. It was fun. But nothing more.
Friday, June 17, 2011
June Movie #3: X-Men: First Class
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Kevin Bacon
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
Run Time: 2 hours 11 minutes
X-Men: First Class takes a few steps back in time, back before the X-Men were the X-Men. It shows the "mutants" from the beginning, how they came together and why. It also shows how Professor X and Magneto were friends in the beginning and what caused them to become on opposite sides.
The only X-Men movie I've seen is Wolverine and that was more for the actor than for the story. I had little interest in the other X-Men movies. I know little about them. Every time I saw the preview for this movie, I kept getting confused as to which actor (McAvoy or Fassbender) was portraying whom (Professor X and Magneto) and which one was the bad guy in the future. I think part of my confusion stems from the height difference between the old versions and the young versions. My confusion between who was who made the story I saw in the previews much different. Now that I've seen the movie, I am no longer confused about whom is who.
For never having seen any of the other X-Men movies, I was able to enjoy this movie, probably more than those who have seen the others because I have no idea what happens to any of them in the future. Who lives, who dies? I didn't know. I was able to just enjoy what happened. And I must say, I rather liked it.
This movie has fabulous character development. I was absolutely engrossed with Magneto (played by Fassbender). You completely understand with just the one scene they showed why he was bent on revenge, bent on killing Shaw (played by Bacon). And then to find out their relationship goes further... it's really a no wonder why he wanted him dead. And I also loved how honest Magneto was with Mystique (played by Lawrence) about her true identity, about being a mutant.
There were several lines dispersed throughout the movie that I found absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, I was the only one in the theater laughing. This movie had some wit to it and I found that refreshing. I liked that it had a lot of heart and wasn't just a comic book with action.
If this movie was lacking, it was lacking in full team development. Aside from the one scene where the mutants meet one another and reveal the things that make them unique to determine their superhero names, I really didn't see the gang doing things to make themselves a team. They did all have one on one time with Professor X (played by McAvoy) which helped solidify him as the leader or "teacher" but there weren't many moments with other mutants with other mutants.
One of the reasons I liked this movie (other than the character development, funny bits with charm, and general cohesive storyline) was the acting. Michael Fassbender was superb as Magneto. I truly saw him embracing his mutant abilities as well as fully understood his pain and his struggle. Kevin Bacon as evil Shaw was despicable. I truly rooted for Magneto to exact his revenge on Shaw. He was used car salesman swarmy... but with ruthless appetite for killing. The way he killed the first mutant was so sad. I kept thinking that the role must have been fun for him. I am on the fence about January Jones' Emma Frost. She was very robotic, so robotic that she was evil. That was good. But then there were too many moments where I wondered if I was mistaking her robotic performance for intended evilness or if she's just robotic and wooden in every performance (see my review of the Unknown). I absolutely loved Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone but I thought her take on Mystique was a bit stilted. I understand why she gravitated towards Magneto (because he helped her deal with being a mutant) but I just wasn't seeing her struggle.
Speaking of Mystique, there is one scene where she morphs into another image that made me howl. I loved the cameo (of whom she morphed into). Such a nice touch. And this is coming from someone who has never seen the other X-Men movies.
I was painfully aware of the use of CGI in several key dramatic moments in this movie. I'm pretty sure no submarine was ever harmed in the production of this movie. There was probably never even a submarine in this movie. So CGI. The blatant use of CGI kept pulling me out of the movie.
One small aside: I was so happy to see Michael Ironside! Watch for him towards the end.
I really liked this movie. I wasn't expecting to like it so much, particularly since I've never seen the other X-Men movies (have I mentioned I haven't seen the others?). It was very well done. The acting, the history, the characters, the story. I didn't even feel that the run time is over two hours. And after it was all done, I will never confuse which one is the bad guy. Ah, Michael Fassbender. I want to see him be full evil. I hope there's an X-Men: 202. And if I'm rooting for a sequel, you have to know that this movie was pretty darned good.
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
Run Time: 2 hours 11 minutes
X-Men: First Class takes a few steps back in time, back before the X-Men were the X-Men. It shows the "mutants" from the beginning, how they came together and why. It also shows how Professor X and Magneto were friends in the beginning and what caused them to become on opposite sides.
The only X-Men movie I've seen is Wolverine and that was more for the actor than for the story. I had little interest in the other X-Men movies. I know little about them. Every time I saw the preview for this movie, I kept getting confused as to which actor (McAvoy or Fassbender) was portraying whom (Professor X and Magneto) and which one was the bad guy in the future. I think part of my confusion stems from the height difference between the old versions and the young versions. My confusion between who was who made the story I saw in the previews much different. Now that I've seen the movie, I am no longer confused about whom is who.
For never having seen any of the other X-Men movies, I was able to enjoy this movie, probably more than those who have seen the others because I have no idea what happens to any of them in the future. Who lives, who dies? I didn't know. I was able to just enjoy what happened. And I must say, I rather liked it.
This movie has fabulous character development. I was absolutely engrossed with Magneto (played by Fassbender). You completely understand with just the one scene they showed why he was bent on revenge, bent on killing Shaw (played by Bacon). And then to find out their relationship goes further... it's really a no wonder why he wanted him dead. And I also loved how honest Magneto was with Mystique (played by Lawrence) about her true identity, about being a mutant.
There were several lines dispersed throughout the movie that I found absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, I was the only one in the theater laughing. This movie had some wit to it and I found that refreshing. I liked that it had a lot of heart and wasn't just a comic book with action.
If this movie was lacking, it was lacking in full team development. Aside from the one scene where the mutants meet one another and reveal the things that make them unique to determine their superhero names, I really didn't see the gang doing things to make themselves a team. They did all have one on one time with Professor X (played by McAvoy) which helped solidify him as the leader or "teacher" but there weren't many moments with other mutants with other mutants.
One of the reasons I liked this movie (other than the character development, funny bits with charm, and general cohesive storyline) was the acting. Michael Fassbender was superb as Magneto. I truly saw him embracing his mutant abilities as well as fully understood his pain and his struggle. Kevin Bacon as evil Shaw was despicable. I truly rooted for Magneto to exact his revenge on Shaw. He was used car salesman swarmy... but with ruthless appetite for killing. The way he killed the first mutant was so sad. I kept thinking that the role must have been fun for him. I am on the fence about January Jones' Emma Frost. She was very robotic, so robotic that she was evil. That was good. But then there were too many moments where I wondered if I was mistaking her robotic performance for intended evilness or if she's just robotic and wooden in every performance (see my review of the Unknown). I absolutely loved Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone but I thought her take on Mystique was a bit stilted. I understand why she gravitated towards Magneto (because he helped her deal with being a mutant) but I just wasn't seeing her struggle.
Speaking of Mystique, there is one scene where she morphs into another image that made me howl. I loved the cameo (of whom she morphed into). Such a nice touch. And this is coming from someone who has never seen the other X-Men movies.
I was painfully aware of the use of CGI in several key dramatic moments in this movie. I'm pretty sure no submarine was ever harmed in the production of this movie. There was probably never even a submarine in this movie. So CGI. The blatant use of CGI kept pulling me out of the movie.
One small aside: I was so happy to see Michael Ironside! Watch for him towards the end.
I really liked this movie. I wasn't expecting to like it so much, particularly since I've never seen the other X-Men movies (have I mentioned I haven't seen the others?). It was very well done. The acting, the history, the characters, the story. I didn't even feel that the run time is over two hours. And after it was all done, I will never confuse which one is the bad guy. Ah, Michael Fassbender. I want to see him be full evil. I hope there's an X-Men: 202. And if I'm rooting for a sequel, you have to know that this movie was pretty darned good.
June Movie #2: Kung Fu Panda 2
Starring the voices of: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh
Directed By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Run Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
Kung Fu Panda 2 is about Po the panda, who is now the Dragon Warrior, trying to protect the Valley of Peace with the Furious Five (Viper, Crane, Tigress, Mantis, and Monkey) from Lord Shen (voiced by Oldman) and his new weapon that could end kung fu.
I saw this movie with Dawn, Joel, and of course, Benjamin, who is shaping up to be my new movie watching buddy. He lasted the entire movie although he wasn't as engrossed as I hoped he'd be. I mean, it's about a panda... who does kung fu. What's not to love? Benjamin would have probably have liked it to be more panda. Wait. Maybe that was just me.
This movie starts off a bit slow. I gotta say that I wasn't as sucked in as I was the first one. And a lot of the funny bits that were great in the previews just didn't have that zing to the funny bone in the actual movie. They were edited faster in the previews, closer together. That quick cut made things sharper, funnier. But the movie is pleasant. There are some great funny moments. But the first one was funnier.
This movie has a sweetness to it. And a great sadness to it. There were parts that were too hard too watch, too emotionally frightening. Po's memory of his biological parents was sad... and even more sad was what happened to them. This movie is much darker than the first one. Actually, I don't think the first one had any darkness to it. And this one has a lot more violence in it. I was glad that they didn't show a lot of it, particularly when the weapon was discharged.
The best part of the movie was Tigress. If you remember from the first one, she was the last to approve of Po. She was tough. She was disciplined. She was a master. And she's all that in this movie, too. Po and the rest make a point of telling her that. But there's a small twist... and I loved it. It was incredibly sweet. Don't count Tigress out.
The visuals are gorgeous. The colors are amazing. Lord Shen is absolutely beautiful. I liked how the most gruesome backstory is told with "drawings" and the violence is alluded to, not shown. It was like a child's picture book. It was a nice way to tell the dark part of the story. The sweetest part of the story is about 30 seconds before the credits roll. It was quite touching. And a relief. It also leads it open for KuFuPa 3 (Kung Fu Panda 3)..
So, this movie is sweet and scary and sad and violent and touching. Who doesn't love a big, fat panda? Benjamin lasted through the whole thing, which has to say something. I liked it. I know Dawn and Joel did, too. Three thumbs and one baby thumbs up. One to see over and over again.
Directed By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Run Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
Kung Fu Panda 2 is about Po the panda, who is now the Dragon Warrior, trying to protect the Valley of Peace with the Furious Five (Viper, Crane, Tigress, Mantis, and Monkey) from Lord Shen (voiced by Oldman) and his new weapon that could end kung fu.
I saw this movie with Dawn, Joel, and of course, Benjamin, who is shaping up to be my new movie watching buddy. He lasted the entire movie although he wasn't as engrossed as I hoped he'd be. I mean, it's about a panda... who does kung fu. What's not to love? Benjamin would have probably have liked it to be more panda. Wait. Maybe that was just me.
This movie starts off a bit slow. I gotta say that I wasn't as sucked in as I was the first one. And a lot of the funny bits that were great in the previews just didn't have that zing to the funny bone in the actual movie. They were edited faster in the previews, closer together. That quick cut made things sharper, funnier. But the movie is pleasant. There are some great funny moments. But the first one was funnier.
This movie has a sweetness to it. And a great sadness to it. There were parts that were too hard too watch, too emotionally frightening. Po's memory of his biological parents was sad... and even more sad was what happened to them. This movie is much darker than the first one. Actually, I don't think the first one had any darkness to it. And this one has a lot more violence in it. I was glad that they didn't show a lot of it, particularly when the weapon was discharged.
The best part of the movie was Tigress. If you remember from the first one, she was the last to approve of Po. She was tough. She was disciplined. She was a master. And she's all that in this movie, too. Po and the rest make a point of telling her that. But there's a small twist... and I loved it. It was incredibly sweet. Don't count Tigress out.
The visuals are gorgeous. The colors are amazing. Lord Shen is absolutely beautiful. I liked how the most gruesome backstory is told with "drawings" and the violence is alluded to, not shown. It was like a child's picture book. It was a nice way to tell the dark part of the story. The sweetest part of the story is about 30 seconds before the credits roll. It was quite touching. And a relief. It also leads it open for KuFuPa 3 (Kung Fu Panda 3)..
So, this movie is sweet and scary and sad and violent and touching. Who doesn't love a big, fat panda? Benjamin lasted through the whole thing, which has to say something. I liked it. I know Dawn and Joel did, too. Three thumbs and one baby thumbs up. One to see over and over again.
June Movie #1: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Astrid Berges-Frisbey
Directed By: Rob Marshall
Run Time: 2 hours 17 minutes
The fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean starts off with Jack Sparrow (played by Depp) busting out of jail only to find himself in another sticky situation. The King of England tries to convince Jack to go an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth (since it is rumored that he knows the way) before the Spanish find it. When he refuses (and escapes), the task falls upon Jack's rival Captain Barbosa (played by Rush). Jack wants to beat Barbosa and finds another ship to take him. This ship's first mate happens to be an old flame Angelica (played by Cruz). Now three ships (the Spaniards, Barbosa, and Jack/Angelica) are heading towards the same treasure. Someone has to get there first... with a mermaid's fresh tear.
I try to avoid reading too much about a movie before I go to it and I hate seeing too many previews for it. The first couple normally are great teasers but rest of them start to reveal too much about the movie and before you know it, you've seen the movie just from seeing the previews. I knew I was going to see this movie just because I've invested so much time watching the other three (and truly the first was the best). I didn't need to see or read anything about this movie as a result. I'm really glad I didn't know anything about this movie. There was a small plot point that had I known anything at all about this movie, it would have given away something that neither Jack nor I knew. I liked the surprise.
This movie is in 3D. I did not want to give the Pirates franchise any more of my money so I opted to see it in 2D. You do not need to see this movie in 3D. There are several annoying swords coming at you that are probably supposed to be thrilling in 3D but come across as just plain superfluous. I can't imagine any other part of the movie that would be enhanced with another dimension. Stick to the cheaper 2D.
Um, yeah. I was bored. That pretty much sums up how I felt about this movie. Bored. Jack is normally such a fun character - goofy, quirky, funny, unpredictable. Just plain fun. He's the reason I see these movies. That and the adventures. Jack was lacking. He didn't entertain me. I found him only mildly appealing. And the adventure - a voyage to the Fountain of Youth - was also boring. There were no unexpected obstacles, twists, turns, or battles. It certainly was not an adventure. All three ships knew exactly how to get to the Fountain. No one really seemed to have an issue capturing a mermaid, despite the fact that the mermaid legend would have you believe it to be impossible.
I don't understand the supernatural aspect of the Fountain, particularly the last few steps to actually get to it. What's wrong with the notion of drinking water that makes you young? The cup aspect - drinking from the proper cup with the mermaid tear - seemed to take too much from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It's been done before... and better.
I did like the mermaid Syrena (played by Berges-Frisbey). She was an interesting character. I did actually like something about this movie! And I did like Angelica. I wasn't sure when I saw the previews if I would like Penelope Cruz in this but she adapt well. She was tough but likable. She had the charm that Jack did not. I did like the two of them together, perhaps because she had the upper hand.
One final tip: Stay until after the credits finish rolling. That will give you first and only laugh of the movie.
Directed By: Rob Marshall
Run Time: 2 hours 17 minutes
The fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean starts off with Jack Sparrow (played by Depp) busting out of jail only to find himself in another sticky situation. The King of England tries to convince Jack to go an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth (since it is rumored that he knows the way) before the Spanish find it. When he refuses (and escapes), the task falls upon Jack's rival Captain Barbosa (played by Rush). Jack wants to beat Barbosa and finds another ship to take him. This ship's first mate happens to be an old flame Angelica (played by Cruz). Now three ships (the Spaniards, Barbosa, and Jack/Angelica) are heading towards the same treasure. Someone has to get there first... with a mermaid's fresh tear.
I try to avoid reading too much about a movie before I go to it and I hate seeing too many previews for it. The first couple normally are great teasers but rest of them start to reveal too much about the movie and before you know it, you've seen the movie just from seeing the previews. I knew I was going to see this movie just because I've invested so much time watching the other three (and truly the first was the best). I didn't need to see or read anything about this movie as a result. I'm really glad I didn't know anything about this movie. There was a small plot point that had I known anything at all about this movie, it would have given away something that neither Jack nor I knew. I liked the surprise.
This movie is in 3D. I did not want to give the Pirates franchise any more of my money so I opted to see it in 2D. You do not need to see this movie in 3D. There are several annoying swords coming at you that are probably supposed to be thrilling in 3D but come across as just plain superfluous. I can't imagine any other part of the movie that would be enhanced with another dimension. Stick to the cheaper 2D.
Um, yeah. I was bored. That pretty much sums up how I felt about this movie. Bored. Jack is normally such a fun character - goofy, quirky, funny, unpredictable. Just plain fun. He's the reason I see these movies. That and the adventures. Jack was lacking. He didn't entertain me. I found him only mildly appealing. And the adventure - a voyage to the Fountain of Youth - was also boring. There were no unexpected obstacles, twists, turns, or battles. It certainly was not an adventure. All three ships knew exactly how to get to the Fountain. No one really seemed to have an issue capturing a mermaid, despite the fact that the mermaid legend would have you believe it to be impossible.
I don't understand the supernatural aspect of the Fountain, particularly the last few steps to actually get to it. What's wrong with the notion of drinking water that makes you young? The cup aspect - drinking from the proper cup with the mermaid tear - seemed to take too much from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It's been done before... and better.
I did like the mermaid Syrena (played by Berges-Frisbey). She was an interesting character. I did actually like something about this movie! And I did like Angelica. I wasn't sure when I saw the previews if I would like Penelope Cruz in this but she adapt well. She was tough but likable. She had the charm that Jack did not. I did like the two of them together, perhaps because she had the upper hand.
One final tip: Stay until after the credits finish rolling. That will give you first and only laugh of the movie.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
May Movie #5: Bridesmaids
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Chris O'Dowd
Directed By: Paul Feig
Run Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Bridesmaids is about Lillian (played by Rudolph) who is getting married and asks her best friend Annie (played by Wiig) to be her Maid of Honor. Trouble ensues when Annie is introduced to Lillian's new friend Helen (played by Byrne) who is perfect - pretty, rich, and can plan a party like no one's business. Annie gets jealous because she's single, her bakery failed, she got fired from her temp job, and her roommate has kicked her out so she now lives with her mother.
I heard that this movie was fabulous, hilarious. Even Jeff really wanted to see it (but since he's on a business trip and he has a other movies he wants to see, I went without him). As I walked out of the theater (after it was over - don't think that it was so bad that I walked out before it was over because I certainly stayed to the end), I walked behind a group of elderly ladies who each thought this was the worst movie they had ever seen. So... was it the best or the worst? Eh. I thought it was okay. I did laugh... but not as much or as often or as hard as I hoped I would. I did find it entertaining but the underlying story - Annie putting herself and her own personal woes ahead of her friend's moment - put a sad jolt to the movie. Do friends really do that? I get that she was jealous of Helen. Helen was truly annoying and deserved to be punched (I am surprised that didn't happen at some point) but I would think most friends would put aside their petty squabbles, suck it up, plaster on a big smile, and trudge ahead. After all, it is your best friend's wedding. You can't screw that up.
Characters. This movie was filled with interesting characters, which was a really good part of the movie. I liked the side story with Officer Rhodes (played by O'Dowd) and how it connected back to Annie's bakery. It made Annie seem more human and not so vindictive and petty. Rhodes was a fun character. I giggled more when he was on screen than any other moment. He was probably the most real character in the movie. And although I didn't care for the character Megan (played by McCarthy), I did like how the actress played against her normal bubbly type cast. I liked how Megan's character was allowed to be more than just comic relief, where her real purpose finally came to light. I also liked how Helen's character gained another dimension as we get a glimpse into why she's the way she is - overly perfect. I think I probably connected with Annie, the failed baker who laments that her life isn't going the way she planned (and as a result doesn't get joy from baking any more).
Speaking of real characters: come on, ladies. Who among us doesn't know a Ted (played by Jon Hamm), particularly in the scene where he picks Annie up after her car breaks down (cue the steering wheel)? Um, yeah.
So... this movie is good. Not side-splitting hilarious but definitely not the worst movie I've seen. I giggled a lot. I think this movie crosses over the line of "chick flick" into just straight comedy. Guys should like it, too, particularly for the food poisoning scene and the post-credits "bear sandwich" scene. And possibly all scenes with Ted (and I'm sure many guys won't see anything wrong with Ted). There are a couple of risqué (without the nudity) scenes that are funny just because of the topics of conversation are not ones you normally hear in a movie. Funny. Different. Sweet. Fun.
Directed By: Paul Feig
Run Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Bridesmaids is about Lillian (played by Rudolph) who is getting married and asks her best friend Annie (played by Wiig) to be her Maid of Honor. Trouble ensues when Annie is introduced to Lillian's new friend Helen (played by Byrne) who is perfect - pretty, rich, and can plan a party like no one's business. Annie gets jealous because she's single, her bakery failed, she got fired from her temp job, and her roommate has kicked her out so she now lives with her mother.
I heard that this movie was fabulous, hilarious. Even Jeff really wanted to see it (but since he's on a business trip and he has a other movies he wants to see, I went without him). As I walked out of the theater (after it was over - don't think that it was so bad that I walked out before it was over because I certainly stayed to the end), I walked behind a group of elderly ladies who each thought this was the worst movie they had ever seen. So... was it the best or the worst? Eh. I thought it was okay. I did laugh... but not as much or as often or as hard as I hoped I would. I did find it entertaining but the underlying story - Annie putting herself and her own personal woes ahead of her friend's moment - put a sad jolt to the movie. Do friends really do that? I get that she was jealous of Helen. Helen was truly annoying and deserved to be punched (I am surprised that didn't happen at some point) but I would think most friends would put aside their petty squabbles, suck it up, plaster on a big smile, and trudge ahead. After all, it is your best friend's wedding. You can't screw that up.
Characters. This movie was filled with interesting characters, which was a really good part of the movie. I liked the side story with Officer Rhodes (played by O'Dowd) and how it connected back to Annie's bakery. It made Annie seem more human and not so vindictive and petty. Rhodes was a fun character. I giggled more when he was on screen than any other moment. He was probably the most real character in the movie. And although I didn't care for the character Megan (played by McCarthy), I did like how the actress played against her normal bubbly type cast. I liked how Megan's character was allowed to be more than just comic relief, where her real purpose finally came to light. I also liked how Helen's character gained another dimension as we get a glimpse into why she's the way she is - overly perfect. I think I probably connected with Annie, the failed baker who laments that her life isn't going the way she planned (and as a result doesn't get joy from baking any more).
Speaking of real characters: come on, ladies. Who among us doesn't know a Ted (played by Jon Hamm), particularly in the scene where he picks Annie up after her car breaks down (cue the steering wheel)? Um, yeah.
So... this movie is good. Not side-splitting hilarious but definitely not the worst movie I've seen. I giggled a lot. I think this movie crosses over the line of "chick flick" into just straight comedy. Guys should like it, too, particularly for the food poisoning scene and the post-credits "bear sandwich" scene. And possibly all scenes with Ted (and I'm sure many guys won't see anything wrong with Ted). There are a couple of risqué (without the nudity) scenes that are funny just because of the topics of conversation are not ones you normally hear in a movie. Funny. Different. Sweet. Fun.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
May Movie #5: Thor
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg
Directed By: Kenneth Branagh
Run Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior, is sent down to Earth as punishment for reigniting a reckless war. But after a dangerous villain from his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth, the hammer-wielding Thor will learn what it takes to be a true hero in order to save mankind.
I was actually quite bored with Thor. The opening didn't grab me the way I think it was intended to. I thought I'd also be more intrigued in the Norse mythology background (second opening scene) but that, too, bored me. I mean, it was well done and an interesting story, it just didn't suck me in. The middle also bored me. The ending, however, was excellent. The Earth ending was touching and the Asgard ending was poignant.
I think a big reason the movie seemed fairly boring to me is that a lot of the main characters were boring. For as smart as Natalie Portman is in real life, you'd think she'd make acting like a scientist look natural. Somehow, I just didn't get her as a scientist. Perhaps there wasn't enough technical talk to make her seem like her character was really a dedicated scientist or perhaps she was a little too chipper considering her life's work had been locked away by the government. Or perhaps it was because Jane (her character) just kept getting into stupid situations. I loved Darcy (played by Dennings) but most of her best lines were shown in the previews. So while she was plucky and interesting, the interesting level dips down a bit because I'd heard all of her pluckiness before the movie even started. I did not understand Dr. Selvig's role (played by Skarsgard) in the whole movie. He did little to advance or enhance the story other than to show Jane a book of children's tales of Norse mythology. Thor (played by Hemsworth), on the other hand, was an interesting character. You clearly get a sense of his ego and you clearly see how he changes - and why.
I saw this movie in 2D, which is worth mentioning because I don't think Branagh (the director) anticipated people actually watching this in 2D. There are some shots obviously geared for 3D - and they're not the typical stuff-coming-at-you 3D worthy shots. They're aerial scenery shots of Asgard. I think the style is intended to make you feel as though you're in Asgard, surrounded by the buildings, with people walking and riding horses towards you, but in 2D they're just blurry, dizzying, and disorienting. In 2D you do not get a sense of the magical majestic world. It's the opposite of awe-inspiring; it's more of "huh?-what-was-that-supposed-to-be" inducing. I think that's poor planning on the director's part.
I heard some comic book buffs talking about this movie (well, perhaps the comic book) with great gusto and enthusiasm They mentioned how it ties into Iron Man and some other recently released comic book hero movies (I forget which). This movie, unlike most of those other comic book superhero movies, is not as easily transferable. I think non-comic book geeks can like those other ones without having to have spent years developing a rapport with the characters. You can jump right in and love it, too. Iron Man was particularly easy to like, easy to understand, easy to enjoy. Thor, on the other hand, did not adapt well for the masses. Perhaps it was the hokey Thor-cyclone or his cheesy and oddly coiffed compadres or the uninspired looking Frost warriors, but it just didn't pull me in (and I am very easy to be pulled in).
That being said, unless this was already a movie on your must see list or you're an avid comic book fan or Norse mythology buff, it might be best to wait for this one to come out on DVD. Perfect for a rainy day where you're stuck inside. Make yourself a grilled cheese, a bowl of chicken with stars soup, and tie a cape around your neck to help you channel the superhero dreams you had as a child. That environment might help to enjoy this movie more.
Directed By: Kenneth Branagh
Run Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior, is sent down to Earth as punishment for reigniting a reckless war. But after a dangerous villain from his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth, the hammer-wielding Thor will learn what it takes to be a true hero in order to save mankind.
I was actually quite bored with Thor. The opening didn't grab me the way I think it was intended to. I thought I'd also be more intrigued in the Norse mythology background (second opening scene) but that, too, bored me. I mean, it was well done and an interesting story, it just didn't suck me in. The middle also bored me. The ending, however, was excellent. The Earth ending was touching and the Asgard ending was poignant.
I think a big reason the movie seemed fairly boring to me is that a lot of the main characters were boring. For as smart as Natalie Portman is in real life, you'd think she'd make acting like a scientist look natural. Somehow, I just didn't get her as a scientist. Perhaps there wasn't enough technical talk to make her seem like her character was really a dedicated scientist or perhaps she was a little too chipper considering her life's work had been locked away by the government. Or perhaps it was because Jane (her character) just kept getting into stupid situations. I loved Darcy (played by Dennings) but most of her best lines were shown in the previews. So while she was plucky and interesting, the interesting level dips down a bit because I'd heard all of her pluckiness before the movie even started. I did not understand Dr. Selvig's role (played by Skarsgard) in the whole movie. He did little to advance or enhance the story other than to show Jane a book of children's tales of Norse mythology. Thor (played by Hemsworth), on the other hand, was an interesting character. You clearly get a sense of his ego and you clearly see how he changes - and why.
I saw this movie in 2D, which is worth mentioning because I don't think Branagh (the director) anticipated people actually watching this in 2D. There are some shots obviously geared for 3D - and they're not the typical stuff-coming-at-you 3D worthy shots. They're aerial scenery shots of Asgard. I think the style is intended to make you feel as though you're in Asgard, surrounded by the buildings, with people walking and riding horses towards you, but in 2D they're just blurry, dizzying, and disorienting. In 2D you do not get a sense of the magical majestic world. It's the opposite of awe-inspiring; it's more of "huh?-what-was-that-supposed-to-be" inducing. I think that's poor planning on the director's part.
I heard some comic book buffs talking about this movie (well, perhaps the comic book) with great gusto and enthusiasm They mentioned how it ties into Iron Man and some other recently released comic book hero movies (I forget which). This movie, unlike most of those other comic book superhero movies, is not as easily transferable. I think non-comic book geeks can like those other ones without having to have spent years developing a rapport with the characters. You can jump right in and love it, too. Iron Man was particularly easy to like, easy to understand, easy to enjoy. Thor, on the other hand, did not adapt well for the masses. Perhaps it was the hokey Thor-cyclone or his cheesy and oddly coiffed compadres or the uninspired looking Frost warriors, but it just didn't pull me in (and I am very easy to be pulled in).
That being said, unless this was already a movie on your must see list or you're an avid comic book fan or Norse mythology buff, it might be best to wait for this one to come out on DVD. Perfect for a rainy day where you're stuck inside. Make yourself a grilled cheese, a bowl of chicken with stars soup, and tie a cape around your neck to help you channel the superhero dreams you had as a child. That environment might help to enjoy this movie more.
May Movie #4: Rio
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, Jemaine Clement, Rodrigo Santoro, Will I Am, Leslie Mann
Directed By: Carlos Saldanha
Run Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Rio starts off magestically with a wonderful burst of color, song, and dance as the birds of the jungle celebrate their joy of living the good life in such a beautiful place. And then it very quickly turns scary, horrifying, and sad as the birds get captured, including the baby Blu (voiced by Eisenberg). Life for him gets even scarier and sadder when his cage falls out of a truck in the middle of snowy Minnesota. He's cold. He's alone. He's scared. He's sad. And he's just a baby. Enter Linda (voiced by Mann), who rescues Blu. The two become inseparable best friends. Cut to 15 years later, Tulio (voiced by Santoro) enters their life. Tulio is an avian specialist from Brazil. He instantly recognizes Blu as a blue Macaw, one of the last few of his kind. He convinces Linda that she needs to fly with Blu to Rio so that Blu can meet Jewel (voiced by Hathaway), a female blue Macaw with hopes that the two can keep the line going. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are bird napped. They must find a way to escape and return to their comfy lives, with Blu at home in Minnesota and Jewel enjoying the freedom of the jungle in Brazil.
As you might have guessed, the opening scene scared and saddened me (ala Finding Nemo when his mother dies). I was actually shocked at how frightening and depressing it was. It was even more shocking to think that the subtle references to illegal animal trade (and capture) would go unnoticed by most and having that idea in my head made me more somber. There's also an interesting commentary on how wild animals shouldn't be domesticated (because birds who should fly never learn... which then means they're not being themselves... which also means they're not free). While one can argue that Blu, a highly domesticated animal, seems happy (albeit ignorant) in his pampered environment, one can't help but ignore what that same environment did to Nigel (voiced by Clement). Perhaps if he wasn't so domesticated, he wouldn't have been so evil.
Politics aside, this is a very cute movie... once you get passed the scenes depicting illegal animal trade (and there are a ton of them). The characters are fun.
This is the second movie I've watched this month that takes place in Rio. I point this out because, as a traveler, locale is of an interest to me. There seems to be a force trying to get me to Brazil.
On one hand, I liked the colors, and singing and dancing, and the quirky friends (and enemies). Who doesn't love a monkey wearing a gold watch as a belt? The colorful depiction of Carnivale was mesmerizing. On the other hand, it just didn't draw me in. It wasn't as cute and funny and quirky as it could have been. And that is really saying something because there was a bird versus monkey fight. I loved that. The imagery is hilarious. Bird on monkey fight. And there's also something side-splitting about a bulldog in gold Daisy Dukes. Don't get me wrong. Those scenes and lines gave me great delight. But the middle portion of the movie (once I got over being horrified and depressed) was a bit flat. And lest you think I'm just being a grumpy adult, perhaps the rightfully intended audience's (a child) assessment can sway you: Benjamin was so bored by this movie that he had to be escorted from the theater. If bright, dazzling colors and zinging songs with vibrant dances couldn't keep him from screaming, it can't be that enticing.
The ending was incredibly sweet. It had action. It had humor. It was quirky. It was inspirational. And it was redeeming. I really enjoyed the ending.
It's not a horrible movie. It's cute. It has its charm. It's fun. It is a little scary (illegal animal trade aside, Nigel the cockatiel is downright nightmare inducing). The colors are bold and beautiful. But it's just missing that extra oomph. Even Benjamin agrees with a very frustrated Hulk-style grunt.
Directed By: Carlos Saldanha
Run Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Rio starts off magestically with a wonderful burst of color, song, and dance as the birds of the jungle celebrate their joy of living the good life in such a beautiful place. And then it very quickly turns scary, horrifying, and sad as the birds get captured, including the baby Blu (voiced by Eisenberg). Life for him gets even scarier and sadder when his cage falls out of a truck in the middle of snowy Minnesota. He's cold. He's alone. He's scared. He's sad. And he's just a baby. Enter Linda (voiced by Mann), who rescues Blu. The two become inseparable best friends. Cut to 15 years later, Tulio (voiced by Santoro) enters their life. Tulio is an avian specialist from Brazil. He instantly recognizes Blu as a blue Macaw, one of the last few of his kind. He convinces Linda that she needs to fly with Blu to Rio so that Blu can meet Jewel (voiced by Hathaway), a female blue Macaw with hopes that the two can keep the line going. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are bird napped. They must find a way to escape and return to their comfy lives, with Blu at home in Minnesota and Jewel enjoying the freedom of the jungle in Brazil.
As you might have guessed, the opening scene scared and saddened me (ala Finding Nemo when his mother dies). I was actually shocked at how frightening and depressing it was. It was even more shocking to think that the subtle references to illegal animal trade (and capture) would go unnoticed by most and having that idea in my head made me more somber. There's also an interesting commentary on how wild animals shouldn't be domesticated (because birds who should fly never learn... which then means they're not being themselves... which also means they're not free). While one can argue that Blu, a highly domesticated animal, seems happy (albeit ignorant) in his pampered environment, one can't help but ignore what that same environment did to Nigel (voiced by Clement). Perhaps if he wasn't so domesticated, he wouldn't have been so evil.
Politics aside, this is a very cute movie... once you get passed the scenes depicting illegal animal trade (and there are a ton of them). The characters are fun.
This is the second movie I've watched this month that takes place in Rio. I point this out because, as a traveler, locale is of an interest to me. There seems to be a force trying to get me to Brazil.
On one hand, I liked the colors, and singing and dancing, and the quirky friends (and enemies). Who doesn't love a monkey wearing a gold watch as a belt? The colorful depiction of Carnivale was mesmerizing. On the other hand, it just didn't draw me in. It wasn't as cute and funny and quirky as it could have been. And that is really saying something because there was a bird versus monkey fight. I loved that. The imagery is hilarious. Bird on monkey fight. And there's also something side-splitting about a bulldog in gold Daisy Dukes. Don't get me wrong. Those scenes and lines gave me great delight. But the middle portion of the movie (once I got over being horrified and depressed) was a bit flat. And lest you think I'm just being a grumpy adult, perhaps the rightfully intended audience's (a child) assessment can sway you: Benjamin was so bored by this movie that he had to be escorted from the theater. If bright, dazzling colors and zinging songs with vibrant dances couldn't keep him from screaming, it can't be that enticing.
The ending was incredibly sweet. It had action. It had humor. It was quirky. It was inspirational. And it was redeeming. I really enjoyed the ending.
It's not a horrible movie. It's cute. It has its charm. It's fun. It is a little scary (illegal animal trade aside, Nigel the cockatiel is downright nightmare inducing). The colors are bold and beautiful. But it's just missing that extra oomph. Even Benjamin agrees with a very frustrated Hulk-style grunt.
May Movie #3: Hanna
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, and Eric Banna
Directed By: Joe Wright
Run Time: 1 hour 51 minutes
Hanna (played by Ronan) has spent her whole life being raised in the snowy wilderness - and remoteness - of Finland by her father (played by Banna). Her sole purpose in life is to assassinate Marissa Weigler (played by Blanchett). Her father has given her the skills to hunt and kill, a trained little warrior. When Hanna feels she is ready to perform her quest, she and her father part ways, with the instructions to meet up in Berlin. She leaves a trail of dead bodies in an attempt to fulfill her quest.
So many movies take place in Berlin! I'm glad I've toured Berlin. It makes me feel like I'm connected to the movie somehow. Of course, I'm pretty sure Hanna's Berlin and my Berlin were not one in the same. I went to touristy places that indulged my comfort level; the street vagrants in her Berlin probably reflected her comfort level - able to defend herself from anything.
The opening of this movie did not grab me, mainly because most of it was shown in the previews. I knew she was alone in the arctic; I knew she was a skilled hunter; I knew her father would sneak up on her and they would battle. I knew she had a well rounded arsenal of survival skills. But the question of why was she had been brought up in this world was very intriguing. It was interesting to see just how much of a machine she was - filled with book knowledge as well as combat knowledge. And it was also very interesting to see just how much of a teenager she was. She could bring down an elk with a bow and arrow and then gut it and clean its carcass like a grizzly seasoned hunter but then she was also prone to emotion (furious with
her father for forcing her to drag the elk back by herself as punishment for her failure to best him in their battle).
For all her warrior training, her father failed to teach her how to blend in naturally, how to assimilate. That extra training would have helped her accomplish her quest more easily. Perhaps the severity of living off the grid in the harshness of the remoteness was her downfall. If she grew up near civilization, she may have able to adapt to it better. Having never seen another person other than her father, never seen a computer, never seen a road or a car, never seen a TV were tremendous obstacles for her.
Mark my words: one day Saoirse Ronan will win an Oscar. She is an amazing actress. She gives an amazing performance as a little assassin. Cate Blanchett, who is an Oscar winning actress, was not as wonderful in this. First, her Southern accent was annoying. Second, she had an essence of diabolicalness but it wasn't fully materialized.
I was intrigued by this little girl. Who was she? Why was she there? And what was her quest? I was in awe of her, too. Such amazing agility and skill she possessed to navigate through the containment facility. I knew she was a trained assassin and those skills were also enticing. She was an amazing specimen. But again, who was
she? What was her backstory? What is her obession with Marissa Weigler? For that matter, what is her father's obsession with Marissa Weigler? He obviously wants her killed, but why?
I was captivated by the questions, the mystery, the unknown for most of the movie. But when the backstory was revealed, I was more than disappointed. I was disgusted. Anything would have been better than that! I'm tempted to reveal the reason why Marissa Weigler is trying to find Erik Heller and Hanna (and because she's trying to find them, they're trying to kill her) so that you will not waste your time seeing this movie. It is a great action movie up until then. I was riveted up until then. I was fascinated with the intrigue up until then. And then I didn't care to be watching the movie anymore. I didn't even care to see the ending.
Oh, the ending. Sigh. The implausbility is a let down. Hanna is such a skilled warrior that the implausibility is a slap in the face. The writer took the easy way out the way the scene was set up. This was a chance to redeem itself with a killer, high-octaned final chase scene and it fell flat.
I liked this movie up until a half hour before it ended. It was an intense ride with many turns and jolts. And then the ride ended abruptly, not because we were having so much fun that we failed to noticed we had actually come to the end but because the ride operator just decided to take a break... which made us walk down the tracks to the ride's end instead of coming to a screeching halt of scary fun. More than a let down. So you can certainly watch this movie to see such an amazing actress (Saoirse Ronan) but you should probably turn it off and walk away once her father enters her mother's old apartment in Berlin. Don't be tempted to find out who she is. Your imagination can keep the mystery alive.
Directed By: Joe Wright
Run Time: 1 hour 51 minutes
Hanna (played by Ronan) has spent her whole life being raised in the snowy wilderness - and remoteness - of Finland by her father (played by Banna). Her sole purpose in life is to assassinate Marissa Weigler (played by Blanchett). Her father has given her the skills to hunt and kill, a trained little warrior. When Hanna feels she is ready to perform her quest, she and her father part ways, with the instructions to meet up in Berlin. She leaves a trail of dead bodies in an attempt to fulfill her quest.
So many movies take place in Berlin! I'm glad I've toured Berlin. It makes me feel like I'm connected to the movie somehow. Of course, I'm pretty sure Hanna's Berlin and my Berlin were not one in the same. I went to touristy places that indulged my comfort level; the street vagrants in her Berlin probably reflected her comfort level - able to defend herself from anything.
The opening of this movie did not grab me, mainly because most of it was shown in the previews. I knew she was alone in the arctic; I knew she was a skilled hunter; I knew her father would sneak up on her and they would battle. I knew she had a well rounded arsenal of survival skills. But the question of why was she had been brought up in this world was very intriguing. It was interesting to see just how much of a machine she was - filled with book knowledge as well as combat knowledge. And it was also very interesting to see just how much of a teenager she was. She could bring down an elk with a bow and arrow and then gut it and clean its carcass like a grizzly seasoned hunter but then she was also prone to emotion (furious with
her father for forcing her to drag the elk back by herself as punishment for her failure to best him in their battle).
For all her warrior training, her father failed to teach her how to blend in naturally, how to assimilate. That extra training would have helped her accomplish her quest more easily. Perhaps the severity of living off the grid in the harshness of the remoteness was her downfall. If she grew up near civilization, she may have able to adapt to it better. Having never seen another person other than her father, never seen a computer, never seen a road or a car, never seen a TV were tremendous obstacles for her.
Mark my words: one day Saoirse Ronan will win an Oscar. She is an amazing actress. She gives an amazing performance as a little assassin. Cate Blanchett, who is an Oscar winning actress, was not as wonderful in this. First, her Southern accent was annoying. Second, she had an essence of diabolicalness but it wasn't fully materialized.
I was intrigued by this little girl. Who was she? Why was she there? And what was her quest? I was in awe of her, too. Such amazing agility and skill she possessed to navigate through the containment facility. I knew she was a trained assassin and those skills were also enticing. She was an amazing specimen. But again, who was
she? What was her backstory? What is her obession with Marissa Weigler? For that matter, what is her father's obsession with Marissa Weigler? He obviously wants her killed, but why?
I was captivated by the questions, the mystery, the unknown for most of the movie. But when the backstory was revealed, I was more than disappointed. I was disgusted. Anything would have been better than that! I'm tempted to reveal the reason why Marissa Weigler is trying to find Erik Heller and Hanna (and because she's trying to find them, they're trying to kill her) so that you will not waste your time seeing this movie. It is a great action movie up until then. I was riveted up until then. I was fascinated with the intrigue up until then. And then I didn't care to be watching the movie anymore. I didn't even care to see the ending.
Oh, the ending. Sigh. The implausbility is a let down. Hanna is such a skilled warrior that the implausibility is a slap in the face. The writer took the easy way out the way the scene was set up. This was a chance to redeem itself with a killer, high-octaned final chase scene and it fell flat.
I liked this movie up until a half hour before it ended. It was an intense ride with many turns and jolts. And then the ride ended abruptly, not because we were having so much fun that we failed to noticed we had actually come to the end but because the ride operator just decided to take a break... which made us walk down the tracks to the ride's end instead of coming to a screeching halt of scary fun. More than a let down. So you can certainly watch this movie to see such an amazing actress (Saoirse Ronan) but you should probably turn it off and walk away once her father enters her mother's old apartment in Berlin. Don't be tempted to find out who she is. Your imagination can keep the mystery alive.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
May Movie #2: Source Code
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Directed By: Duncan Jones
Run Time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Source Code is about a government experiment that enables a solider to relive the last eight minutes of one man's life over and over again, trying to find clues to the identity of the person who bombed the train in order to prevent a second, larger scale attack perpetuated by the same bomber.
I will give this movie credit for being original... if you consider that its predecessor Groundhog Day wasn't sci-fi/thriller/action slanted. This movie was a good mystery. I was incredibly engrossed with why Colter, the solider who leaps into the identity of a man on the doomed train (played by Gyllenhaal), doesn't remember how he got roped into this mission in the first place. But I quickly became highly annoyed that a trained soldier would seek to make the mission about finding himself, his own identity, what had happened to him and why he was on this mission, instead of the true task of the mission - stopping the bomber. He's supposed to be disciplined, trained to follow orders. He certainly wasn't following orders. And the fact that he was being selfish and caring about only himself was very unsoldier-like. It didn't make me like him as a character. I did feel bad for Michelle Monaghan, who had to keep repeating the same lines over and over again as Gyllenhaal's character was being forced to leap back into the same scenario over and over again because he wasn't getting the job done.
The opening scene floating through the skyline of downtown Chicago was absolutely beautiful. It definitely gives you a sense of serenity and naivety, that the people of Chicago have no idea that in a few short minutes their town will be ravaged by a maniac with a bomb. For the first ten minutes of this movie, as I tried to figure out what's going on, I liked it. But then Colter's actions and the fact that he had to keep reliving the same moment over and over and over again without learning anything put me off. I kept thinking in my head that someone would shout, "Groundhog Day!" It didn't happen.
The true nature of the Source Code (the government program) was upsetting and cruel. I didn't like that part. And I didn't understand why it had to be so. And I really didn't like the ending. Strike that. I liked what I thought was the ending - the freeze-frame glimpse at all the people on the train, happy in their final second, thinking that was how they were going to spend eternity. And I kinda liked what I thought was the ending again a few minutes later - [perhaps a glimpse of the characters in their version of heaven. But the final ending, how things changed, bothered the holy heck out of me. Talk about violating the space-time-continuum! So highly unlikely. Why, oh why, did they have to go that route? To teach the Dr. Rutledge (played by Wright) a lesson that you can't mess with the unconscious world? That you can't violate time travel by playing God with people's lives (or deaths)? That ending landed this movie squarely in my "do not like and will never watch again" category. Had me until then. Had me by a string until then. You seriously can't do that ending. Ugh.
Oooh, ooh! Just a bonus note: As Colter was speaking with his father on the phone, I kept thinking to myself, "That voice sounds familiar. I should know that voice!" It belongs to Scott Bakula. I find it very amusing since he played a character who leaped into the identities of others, setting right things which once went wrong. Hee hee hee. That I liked.
Directed By: Duncan Jones
Run Time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Source Code is about a government experiment that enables a solider to relive the last eight minutes of one man's life over and over again, trying to find clues to the identity of the person who bombed the train in order to prevent a second, larger scale attack perpetuated by the same bomber.
I will give this movie credit for being original... if you consider that its predecessor Groundhog Day wasn't sci-fi/thriller/action slanted. This movie was a good mystery. I was incredibly engrossed with why Colter, the solider who leaps into the identity of a man on the doomed train (played by Gyllenhaal), doesn't remember how he got roped into this mission in the first place. But I quickly became highly annoyed that a trained soldier would seek to make the mission about finding himself, his own identity, what had happened to him and why he was on this mission, instead of the true task of the mission - stopping the bomber. He's supposed to be disciplined, trained to follow orders. He certainly wasn't following orders. And the fact that he was being selfish and caring about only himself was very unsoldier-like. It didn't make me like him as a character. I did feel bad for Michelle Monaghan, who had to keep repeating the same lines over and over again as Gyllenhaal's character was being forced to leap back into the same scenario over and over again because he wasn't getting the job done.
The opening scene floating through the skyline of downtown Chicago was absolutely beautiful. It definitely gives you a sense of serenity and naivety, that the people of Chicago have no idea that in a few short minutes their town will be ravaged by a maniac with a bomb. For the first ten minutes of this movie, as I tried to figure out what's going on, I liked it. But then Colter's actions and the fact that he had to keep reliving the same moment over and over and over again without learning anything put me off. I kept thinking in my head that someone would shout, "Groundhog Day!" It didn't happen.
The true nature of the Source Code (the government program) was upsetting and cruel. I didn't like that part. And I didn't understand why it had to be so. And I really didn't like the ending. Strike that. I liked what I thought was the ending - the freeze-frame glimpse at all the people on the train, happy in their final second, thinking that was how they were going to spend eternity. And I kinda liked what I thought was the ending again a few minutes later - [perhaps a glimpse of the characters in their version of heaven. But the final ending, how things changed, bothered the holy heck out of me. Talk about violating the space-time-continuum! So highly unlikely. Why, oh why, did they have to go that route? To teach the Dr. Rutledge (played by Wright) a lesson that you can't mess with the unconscious world? That you can't violate time travel by playing God with people's lives (or deaths)? That ending landed this movie squarely in my "do not like and will never watch again" category. Had me until then. Had me by a string until then. You seriously can't do that ending. Ugh.
Oooh, ooh! Just a bonus note: As Colter was speaking with his father on the phone, I kept thinking to myself, "That voice sounds familiar. I should know that voice!" It belongs to Scott Bakula. I find it very amusing since he played a character who leaped into the identities of others, setting right things which once went wrong. Hee hee hee. That I liked.
May Movie #1: Fast Five
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, Elsa Pataky
Directed By: Justin Lin
Run Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
The Fast Five picks up where part four left off - with Dom (played by Diesel) being sentenced to jail. The crew busts Dom out of jail and then they all hide out in Rio. They meet up with former crew member Vince (played by Schulze) who has a heist for them - steal some cars. The deal goes south when a part of the Rio crew kills some federal agents who try to stop them. Now Brian (played by Walker), Dom, and Mia (played by Brewster) are now numero uno on the FBI's most wanted list. In comes agent Hobbs (played by Johnson) who always gets his man.
The opening two minutes are probably the weakest minutes ever in film history. Dom gets sentenced. I know this movie is picking up exactly where part four left off but that was over two years ago and most of us just don't remember or care. It probably would have been more dramatic to see Dom in orange and shackles sitting on the prison transport bus with a voice over detailing the sentencing. But the movie quickly redeemed itself as Brian and Mia stop the bus and bust Dom out. I'm not sure how anyone survived the bus crash. And I'm really not certain I want a bus to rear-end the car I'm driving at highway speed. Seems to me there should have been a lot more damage to everyone involved. But then again, I am the girl who really believes a city bus can jump a hundred yards so I guess I can try to believe that a prison bus can rear-end a car and everyone - including the car - can walk away without a scratch.
That being said, this movie was fun. Not nearly as fun as the first one and the fourth one, but it was decent. Not good or great but decent. I loved seeing ALL the players (even the guy from Tokyo Drift) together in the same movie. Now that was fun. The disappointing part of the movie was that there were very few car chases/races. Very few. I'm ticking them off in my head and there were four. Probably should have been at least five.
I know that Dwayne Johnson bulked up thirty pounds of muscle to look a little more foreboding against Vin Diesel. That being said, their fight scene was a bit of a let down. Dwayne is several inches taller than Vin and a ton more muscle. Plus, he's a former wrestler. Vin is just a former bouncer. One tried to break up fights; the other was in fake fights. Still, I'd put my money on Dwayne any day. I think he just has more skills. So their fight scene was a bit of a disappointment to me. It was a little unrealistic. Kind of like a scene in Heat where Al Pacino beats up Henry Rollins. Um, yeah. Like that could happen. Oh, and watching two muscular bald guys roll around in the shadows makes it difficult to follow along. At one point I internally cheered and then realized it wasn't my guy that was winning. Oops. Some bald guy had a great punch.
I just recently watched The Rundown (starring Dwayne Johnson). It's a fairly decent flick. Really. And Dwayne does a really decent job in it. Really. And Vin Diesel was really good in Find Me Guilty. I know these two can act. Weird how it didn't come through in this movie. Perhaps it was the unbelievably corny lines they were given. "Above all else, we never let them get in the cars." I understand what point he was trying to make but there's just something flat about that line. And that's not even the hokiest line. I think it would have been funnier if he had said, "What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." Hee hee hee.
The plot. Fairly straight forward for this type of a movie - revenge and stick it to the guy who stuck it to you. But what I wasn't okay with was the end cross-over. Don't buy that either character would do that, no matter how betrayed they felt. There are consequences for that type of action, no matter how corrupt Rio is.
Which brings us back to the final chase scene. Um, if a two ton safe is whipping around smashing into things like buildings, wouldn't the momentum flip the cars that are dragging it?
Hmm... I liked this movie (and will definitely go see Fast Six for a chance to see another Dwayne and Vin punching match) but I didn't love it. I was so hoping it would pull it out in the end but it didn't. Sure, the twist was fun (and I'll have to re-watch the 10 second advantage they had just to see if I can see the twist in action) but the whole tone of the movie was flat. It just needed an inch of an extra boost to really be fun. It missed it. Darnit. But I did like the Dwayne/Vin fight. The car chases/races were lacking the extra adrenalin boost, particularly since at least three of them were implausible (bus rear-ending Brian's dead-stopped car; the wrecker crashing into the train but not derailing it; and the safe being dragged through the streets without flipping the car dragging it). But I liked it. Didn't love it but liked it. Enough to make me see the next installment.
Directed By: Justin Lin
Run Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
The Fast Five picks up where part four left off - with Dom (played by Diesel) being sentenced to jail. The crew busts Dom out of jail and then they all hide out in Rio. They meet up with former crew member Vince (played by Schulze) who has a heist for them - steal some cars. The deal goes south when a part of the Rio crew kills some federal agents who try to stop them. Now Brian (played by Walker), Dom, and Mia (played by Brewster) are now numero uno on the FBI's most wanted list. In comes agent Hobbs (played by Johnson) who always gets his man.
The opening two minutes are probably the weakest minutes ever in film history. Dom gets sentenced. I know this movie is picking up exactly where part four left off but that was over two years ago and most of us just don't remember or care. It probably would have been more dramatic to see Dom in orange and shackles sitting on the prison transport bus with a voice over detailing the sentencing. But the movie quickly redeemed itself as Brian and Mia stop the bus and bust Dom out. I'm not sure how anyone survived the bus crash. And I'm really not certain I want a bus to rear-end the car I'm driving at highway speed. Seems to me there should have been a lot more damage to everyone involved. But then again, I am the girl who really believes a city bus can jump a hundred yards so I guess I can try to believe that a prison bus can rear-end a car and everyone - including the car - can walk away without a scratch.
That being said, this movie was fun. Not nearly as fun as the first one and the fourth one, but it was decent. Not good or great but decent. I loved seeing ALL the players (even the guy from Tokyo Drift) together in the same movie. Now that was fun. The disappointing part of the movie was that there were very few car chases/races. Very few. I'm ticking them off in my head and there were four. Probably should have been at least five.
I know that Dwayne Johnson bulked up thirty pounds of muscle to look a little more foreboding against Vin Diesel. That being said, their fight scene was a bit of a let down. Dwayne is several inches taller than Vin and a ton more muscle. Plus, he's a former wrestler. Vin is just a former bouncer. One tried to break up fights; the other was in fake fights. Still, I'd put my money on Dwayne any day. I think he just has more skills. So their fight scene was a bit of a disappointment to me. It was a little unrealistic. Kind of like a scene in Heat where Al Pacino beats up Henry Rollins. Um, yeah. Like that could happen. Oh, and watching two muscular bald guys roll around in the shadows makes it difficult to follow along. At one point I internally cheered and then realized it wasn't my guy that was winning. Oops. Some bald guy had a great punch.
I just recently watched The Rundown (starring Dwayne Johnson). It's a fairly decent flick. Really. And Dwayne does a really decent job in it. Really. And Vin Diesel was really good in Find Me Guilty. I know these two can act. Weird how it didn't come through in this movie. Perhaps it was the unbelievably corny lines they were given. "Above all else, we never let them get in the cars." I understand what point he was trying to make but there's just something flat about that line. And that's not even the hokiest line. I think it would have been funnier if he had said, "What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." Hee hee hee.
The plot. Fairly straight forward for this type of a movie - revenge and stick it to the guy who stuck it to you. But what I wasn't okay with was the end cross-over. Don't buy that either character would do that, no matter how betrayed they felt. There are consequences for that type of action, no matter how corrupt Rio is.
Which brings us back to the final chase scene. Um, if a two ton safe is whipping around smashing into things like buildings, wouldn't the momentum flip the cars that are dragging it?
Hmm... I liked this movie (and will definitely go see Fast Six for a chance to see another Dwayne and Vin punching match) but I didn't love it. I was so hoping it would pull it out in the end but it didn't. Sure, the twist was fun (and I'll have to re-watch the 10 second advantage they had just to see if I can see the twist in action) but the whole tone of the movie was flat. It just needed an inch of an extra boost to really be fun. It missed it. Darnit. But I did like the Dwayne/Vin fight. The car chases/races were lacking the extra adrenalin boost, particularly since at least three of them were implausible (bus rear-ending Brian's dead-stopped car; the wrecker crashing into the train but not derailing it; and the safe being dragged through the streets without flipping the car dragging it). But I liked it. Didn't love it but liked it. Enough to make me see the next installment.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
April Movie #2: Hop
Starring: James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco, Gary Cole, Russell Brand (voice), Hank Azaria (voice), and Hugh Laurie (voice)
Directed By: Tim Hill
Run Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Hop is about the Easter Bunny's (voiced by Laurie) son E.B (voiced by Brand) who runs away from his responsibilities as the next Easter bunny. He heads to Hollywood to make it big as a drummer. There he runs into Fred (played by Marsden)... or rather, Fred runs to E.B... with his car. E.B. convinces Fred to take care of him and soon their lives intertwine.
I saw this movie with Dawn, Joel, and Benjamin! This was my first movie with Benjamin and I must say I did quite well. No poking, no talking, and no hogging the popcorn. Benjamin did quite well, too, although he slept through the first half (no commentary on the movie there). He managed to figure out the plot and keep up with the movie. Such a bright little 15 month old.
Ya know, if my rabbit Rufus could poop candy, I think Baloo the fat cat would be his best friend. I'm just saying... Sorry. Strayed from the review. There are some fun little scenes like that (where the Easter Bunny poops jellybeans) that add whimsy to this movie.
When I first saw the previews for this movie, I thought it was a joke. It was being released on April 1st afterall. I really did think it wasn't a real movie. And then I saw it as a trailer on the DVD for Despicable Me and I realized it was a real movie. And then I thought to myself, "Wow. They'll make anything into a movie, won't they?" I did not think I would see it. It seemed too laughable. But when a 15 month old baby calls you up and tells you that you're taking him to this movie, you see it. When we walked out of the theater (after dancing to all the credit music), I actually said out loud - "I rather liked it. It was much better than I ever thought it would be." Hop is funny (although it could stand to be funnier more often), sweet, and has a rather fun plot. It's well acted. I'm not a huge Russell Brand fan but I found his E.B. to be quite endearing and rather likable.
We did not see it in 3D (Benjamin didn't think the glasses would make him look "cool") and I really didn't notice anything that should be better in 3D until almost the end (the Pink Beret rabbits getting doused in chocolate; the Easter airplane crashing; perhaps travelling through the Rabbit Hole). The regular version is just fine.
I think Benjamin enjoyed the animated animal scenes better than the strictly human scenes. I was surprised at how many strictly human scenes there were. The animal scenes were funnier, brighter, and definitely more enjoyable. Who doesn't like to see a jellybean waterfall? The candy factory was visually captivating, almost Willy Wonka-ish but less mesmerizing and more merry. The human scenes made the movie more real. It brought the plot closer to home. I liked how the saga hanging over the two species (rabbit and human) mirrored the other's plight. The human scenes worked well. The animal scenes worked well. Once Fred dealt with the notion of a talking bunny, the animal/human scenes worked well. The movie gelled.
So... I liked this movie. I didn't love it but it did surprise me at how well done it was. It was actually quite good. Perhaps my assessment of the movie improved because I saw it with the right people. Who knows? I just know that I was pleasantly surprised with how non-hokey the movie was. I might even own it when it gets released on DVD. I'll say it serves as a memento of the first movie I saw with Benjamin but I might actually secretly watch it from time to time without him.
Oh, and a great tip we received from a member of the movie theater's cleaning crew: Stay through the credits for a little extra laugh. The credits are long (but filled with great music to dance to) but that little snippet was funny. It really brought the movie full circle. Two thumbs up from me and Benjamin adds his "En goo!" of endorsement.
Directed By: Tim Hill
Run Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Hop is about the Easter Bunny's (voiced by Laurie) son E.B (voiced by Brand) who runs away from his responsibilities as the next Easter bunny. He heads to Hollywood to make it big as a drummer. There he runs into Fred (played by Marsden)... or rather, Fred runs to E.B... with his car. E.B. convinces Fred to take care of him and soon their lives intertwine.
I saw this movie with Dawn, Joel, and Benjamin! This was my first movie with Benjamin and I must say I did quite well. No poking, no talking, and no hogging the popcorn. Benjamin did quite well, too, although he slept through the first half (no commentary on the movie there). He managed to figure out the plot and keep up with the movie. Such a bright little 15 month old.
Ya know, if my rabbit Rufus could poop candy, I think Baloo the fat cat would be his best friend. I'm just saying... Sorry. Strayed from the review. There are some fun little scenes like that (where the Easter Bunny poops jellybeans) that add whimsy to this movie.
When I first saw the previews for this movie, I thought it was a joke. It was being released on April 1st afterall. I really did think it wasn't a real movie. And then I saw it as a trailer on the DVD for Despicable Me and I realized it was a real movie. And then I thought to myself, "Wow. They'll make anything into a movie, won't they?" I did not think I would see it. It seemed too laughable. But when a 15 month old baby calls you up and tells you that you're taking him to this movie, you see it. When we walked out of the theater (after dancing to all the credit music), I actually said out loud - "I rather liked it. It was much better than I ever thought it would be." Hop is funny (although it could stand to be funnier more often), sweet, and has a rather fun plot. It's well acted. I'm not a huge Russell Brand fan but I found his E.B. to be quite endearing and rather likable.
We did not see it in 3D (Benjamin didn't think the glasses would make him look "cool") and I really didn't notice anything that should be better in 3D until almost the end (the Pink Beret rabbits getting doused in chocolate; the Easter airplane crashing; perhaps travelling through the Rabbit Hole). The regular version is just fine.
I think Benjamin enjoyed the animated animal scenes better than the strictly human scenes. I was surprised at how many strictly human scenes there were. The animal scenes were funnier, brighter, and definitely more enjoyable. Who doesn't like to see a jellybean waterfall? The candy factory was visually captivating, almost Willy Wonka-ish but less mesmerizing and more merry. The human scenes made the movie more real. It brought the plot closer to home. I liked how the saga hanging over the two species (rabbit and human) mirrored the other's plight. The human scenes worked well. The animal scenes worked well. Once Fred dealt with the notion of a talking bunny, the animal/human scenes worked well. The movie gelled.
So... I liked this movie. I didn't love it but it did surprise me at how well done it was. It was actually quite good. Perhaps my assessment of the movie improved because I saw it with the right people. Who knows? I just know that I was pleasantly surprised with how non-hokey the movie was. I might even own it when it gets released on DVD. I'll say it serves as a memento of the first movie I saw with Benjamin but I might actually secretly watch it from time to time without him.
Oh, and a great tip we received from a member of the movie theater's cleaning crew: Stay through the credits for a little extra laugh. The credits are long (but filled with great music to dance to) but that little snippet was funny. It really brought the movie full circle. Two thumbs up from me and Benjamin adds his "En goo!" of endorsement.
Monday, April 4, 2011
April Movie #1: The Adjustment Bureau
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly, Terence Stamp
Directed By: George J. Nolfi
Run Time: 1 hour 46 minutes
After David Norris (played by Damon) loses his first congressional race, he meets the woman of his dreams (played by Blunt). A few months later, he runs into her again quite by accident... and not at all according to plan. He wasn't supposed to run into her again and that mistake leads him to discover that there are mysterious people shaping our lives, people who are apart of the Adjustment Bureau. The agents apply pressure and tell him that if he tells anyone about the Adjustment Bureau or tries to contact Elise again (who isn't part of his future according the Bureau), they will erase his memory. David just can't stop thinking about this woman and three years later, quite by chance again, he runs into her. The Bureau isn't happy. They explain to David that he either gives up Elise to let them both live wonderful lives or staying with her will change their fate for the worse. He must choose between a life of greatness without Elise or a life of misery but with the woman he loves.
I thought this movie would be more subtle about pre-destined paths/God/angels than it really is. It upsets me to think that someone has written the story of our lives and that we can't alter the plan. Deviating from the already defined agenda causes unseen forces to revise external factors so that we fall in line with the written plan. Traffic jams that cause you to be late, a long line at the coffee shop, spilling something on yourself so you have to change clothes - all things designed to make you miss something that would have changed how you would live your life. And when those things don't work, the Bureau just performs a mind sweep and physically changes your mind about something. Of course, the next time there's an unusually long line at McDonald's or my alarm didn't go off in the morning, I'll know that the Bureau is just messing with my course. I will have to wonder at those times - who was I supposed to run into that now I'll never get to meet?
I'm not sure I like how this movie ends. Should everyone do what David did then if you don't like how your life has been scripted to turn out? And why doesn't everyone get that chance?
I thought the ending would be more powerful. I did wonder how it would get resolved and I envisioned a rather weak explanation of how things work in the Bureau. The ending did indeed work but I expected to have more of an impact, feel a bit more moved by the ending. I had definitely picked how I thought David should resolve the issue when the two fates were proposed to him. He didn't go that route, and that troubled me a bit.
This is definitely a unique storyline, one that raises a lot of debates between divine right and free will. On one hand, I do find the explanation of why there has to be traffic to be a bit comforting. On the other hand, I simply do not understand the notion of a supreme being controlling what people do. If there's someone writing all of our scripts for us, why are there murders? Why is there child abuse? Why is there famine? I understand that the bad things in life help shape who we are, make us stronger, but the really bad things don't seem to be right (particularly if someone wrote that into our plan) or fair, particularly if you can do nothing to avoid those bad things. So troubling.
It's a decent movie. It's well acted. David is definitely a charismatic character. I wish there was more to the Elise character, that we had more time to see what made her truly worth the risk for David. She was exhilarating and so different from the suit wearing David but I think we needed one more scene with her to truly understand the connection, what made her special. The agent Harry (played by Mackie) - was he tired or did he actually let his emotions interfere with his watch over David? I wish he hadn't fallen asleep on the bench. I wish he had watched Elise board the bus and actually decided to let David run into her. I think Thompson (played by Stamp) needed to be more ruthless, actually live up to his "Hammer" moniker. He seemed like he had a heart, too.
I wish there were more a little more to this movie. I think exposing the Bureau so quickly on in the movie left it flat. I also am not a fan of the message. I'm not sure how to rate this movie or if I should tell you to see it. I liked it... but I didn't. It was missing that something extra. If you do see it, we'll have to talk about how you think David should have proceeded after he was told about the two different fate lines that were dependent on his actions.
Directed By: George J. Nolfi
Run Time: 1 hour 46 minutes
After David Norris (played by Damon) loses his first congressional race, he meets the woman of his dreams (played by Blunt). A few months later, he runs into her again quite by accident... and not at all according to plan. He wasn't supposed to run into her again and that mistake leads him to discover that there are mysterious people shaping our lives, people who are apart of the Adjustment Bureau. The agents apply pressure and tell him that if he tells anyone about the Adjustment Bureau or tries to contact Elise again (who isn't part of his future according the Bureau), they will erase his memory. David just can't stop thinking about this woman and three years later, quite by chance again, he runs into her. The Bureau isn't happy. They explain to David that he either gives up Elise to let them both live wonderful lives or staying with her will change their fate for the worse. He must choose between a life of greatness without Elise or a life of misery but with the woman he loves.
I thought this movie would be more subtle about pre-destined paths/God/angels than it really is. It upsets me to think that someone has written the story of our lives and that we can't alter the plan. Deviating from the already defined agenda causes unseen forces to revise external factors so that we fall in line with the written plan. Traffic jams that cause you to be late, a long line at the coffee shop, spilling something on yourself so you have to change clothes - all things designed to make you miss something that would have changed how you would live your life. And when those things don't work, the Bureau just performs a mind sweep and physically changes your mind about something. Of course, the next time there's an unusually long line at McDonald's or my alarm didn't go off in the morning, I'll know that the Bureau is just messing with my course. I will have to wonder at those times - who was I supposed to run into that now I'll never get to meet?
I'm not sure I like how this movie ends. Should everyone do what David did then if you don't like how your life has been scripted to turn out? And why doesn't everyone get that chance?
I thought the ending would be more powerful. I did wonder how it would get resolved and I envisioned a rather weak explanation of how things work in the Bureau. The ending did indeed work but I expected to have more of an impact, feel a bit more moved by the ending. I had definitely picked how I thought David should resolve the issue when the two fates were proposed to him. He didn't go that route, and that troubled me a bit.
This is definitely a unique storyline, one that raises a lot of debates between divine right and free will. On one hand, I do find the explanation of why there has to be traffic to be a bit comforting. On the other hand, I simply do not understand the notion of a supreme being controlling what people do. If there's someone writing all of our scripts for us, why are there murders? Why is there child abuse? Why is there famine? I understand that the bad things in life help shape who we are, make us stronger, but the really bad things don't seem to be right (particularly if someone wrote that into our plan) or fair, particularly if you can do nothing to avoid those bad things. So troubling.
It's a decent movie. It's well acted. David is definitely a charismatic character. I wish there was more to the Elise character, that we had more time to see what made her truly worth the risk for David. She was exhilarating and so different from the suit wearing David but I think we needed one more scene with her to truly understand the connection, what made her special. The agent Harry (played by Mackie) - was he tired or did he actually let his emotions interfere with his watch over David? I wish he hadn't fallen asleep on the bench. I wish he had watched Elise board the bus and actually decided to let David run into her. I think Thompson (played by Stamp) needed to be more ruthless, actually live up to his "Hammer" moniker. He seemed like he had a heart, too.
I wish there were more a little more to this movie. I think exposing the Bureau so quickly on in the movie left it flat. I also am not a fan of the message. I'm not sure how to rate this movie or if I should tell you to see it. I liked it... but I didn't. It was missing that something extra. If you do see it, we'll have to talk about how you think David should have proceeded after he was told about the two different fate lines that were dependent on his actions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)