Saturday, January 02, 2010
Celebrity New Year's Resolutions
And, BTW, I am going to resolve to have a post a day. Usually a video (cause they're easy and fun to share), but at least one post each day.
We'll see how successful I'll be (I'm good up through 1/4 so far)...
2nd Half of 2009 Movie "Reviews", Part 3
Hamlet 2— Don’t believe the hype that surrounded this film; that it’s hilarious and the like. It’s not. It’s cute, had some funny moments/lines, had some decent performances—but it isn’t what I had heard it was.
I will admit, the song “Rock Me, Sexy Jesus” was pretty funny. C-
G-Force—film. This was a film directed solely at kids. My 5 year-old, who really doesn’t like sitting through movies, actually sat through this one and exclaimed it was the best one he ever saw when the lights came up. Of course, he couldn’t remember much other than the line “Poop on his head! Poop on his head!” an hour later, so I’m not sure how much stock should be put into his remarks. I found it kind of pointless, but not completely offensive to my sensibilities. C-
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs—film. Another attempt at padding a beloved children’s book enough to get a feature film’s worth of material out of it. I haven’t actually read the book, so I was coming into this blind. And it worked for me. It wasn’t the best “kids movie” I’ve seen, but it also was far from being the worst. Sorry to say I don’t have much more to say about it. B
A Shot at Glory— A pretty by-the-books sports film. A good-hearted but constantly-in-trouble soccer star gets traded to a small team coached by the father of his estranged wife. His brings plenty of expectations with him as the whole town rallies around their possible contending team, and he does his best—while trying to win back the love of his wife. Pretty non-remarkable. It wasn’t bad; it just followed the sports movie mold too closely. C+
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Director’s Cut— Being a Star Wars kid, I had a tough time with Star Trek when I was younger (loud, exciting SW just “did it for me” more than quiet, boring Star Trek). But now that I’m older, I can see the appeal for Trek. Thinking through a problem rather than blowing through it has advantages.
I tell you the above because it helps put what I’m going to write in perspective. I found this film boring as a kid. I wouldn’t admit it because I liked all types of science fiction. It’s been, probably, 15 years since I last saw it, and this version is supposed to be far superior to the original.
I did like this version. I’m not sure what is different (aside from updated effects, of course), so I’m not sure what made it a satisfying experience this time when it hadn’t been before. I know a few scenes were trimmed or entirely cut-out, but what I saw in the “deleted scenes” wasn’t that big (or maybe it was; I really wish I hadn’t sold my version of the original movie a while back). Sure, the pacing was still a little slow, but it was pretty much a reintroduction to the characters after almost a decade since the series ended. And, yeah, the costumes were a bit (okay, a lot) in the ‘70s-style of fashion, but I can live with it. And the lone tear on Spock’s face when he realized what V’Ger’s “deal” was is still silly to me.
My movie guru, Tom, told me this version made an okay movie a good one, and I have no reason to disagree because I did enjoy this film for the first time.
But I’m going to chalk it up to 50% because the Director’s Cut is better and 50% because I’m an older, more mature person than I was. B+
The Last Starfighter—25th Anniversary Edition— I loved this movie as a kid (I ate up almost everything sci fi related), and it still holds up pretty well now that I’m an adult. Sure, the computer effects are noticeably primitive, but the rest of the movie is pretty timeless (try saying that about most 80s movies…). It also retained its heart. I’d seen it before in theatre, then on videotape a few times, read the comic adaptations and novelization multiple times, and this viewing was still fresh to me.
I also liked that I could watch it with my kids without too many “problems”. It’d be nice if some of the current movies took the PG rating and made it easy to decide if my kids could watch instead of trying for PG-13 and then I have to keep mental notes in my head to determine if I can let my boys watch later. B
Green Lantern: First Flight— The latest in the line of “introductory” animated films based on a DC Comics character. In this case, we are treated to the origin story of the Hal Jordan Green Lantern. I thought the story was pretty good; it had all the elements one expects from seeing Jordan’s training as one of the premier heroes in the universe, and the character animations were particularly good when compared to previous DC direct-to-DVD animated stories. B-
Observe and Report— This film was exactly what you’d expect from a Danny McBride movie (without McBride) that instead starred Seth Rogan. Very raw, very dark humor, very anti-social. But it was funny at times. It could have had more to hold it together; some of the scenes seemed to exist only to have some stunt or joke as opposed to being an organic part of the story. B
Let the Right One In— A very interesting film from Sweden that was dubbed into English very well. It’s one of the most unique vampire stories I’ve ever encountered, where a young boy (approx 12 yrs old) named Oskar who is tormented at school meets a mysterious young girl named Eli who is roughly the same age, and they become friends—although at a distance Eli maintains.
It’s a dark, quiet movie that is paced very well. The few instances of violence are all the more powerful because of the quietness of the rest of the film. And the ending is both horrifying and calming, depending on your point of view.
It’s this type of film that reminds me just how great movies can be. Sadly, the most creative films seem to come from other countries as there is almost no way an American film would get by in this style. So get out of your comfort zone and try this one. A-
Spies like Us— I had two people in about a week mention how surprised they were that I hadn’t seen this before, and that it was a classic. That could be, but I think it’s one of those films that are classics just based on when they were released. I’m sure when it first was screened, it felt fresh. But now, I felt like I had seen it done before—and better. C
Watchmen— I’ll say this up front: I never was a big Watchmen (comic book/ “graphic novel”) fan. I thought it was too drawn-out, and that it fell apart at the end. I’ll also say this: I haven’t read it since I was a teenager, so half my life has passed since then (along with the fact that I’m more mature—and have a better feel for quality than I did).
This film was beautiful. The visuals were stupendous, the acting and the script were great, and the directing was done with love and respect.
But the film didn’t make me feel anything. It lacked “heart”. It felt like each scene was just a way of moving the plot along from (comic book) plot point to plot point. B
Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf & Death— I don’t have much to say about W&G other than their shorts (and the film) are brilliant. This newest short film was no exception. Check it out. This is great filmmaking. Soak it in. A-
Bill Maher: I’m Swiss— I feel terrible about this; but I don’t remember much about it. It’s a stand-up comedy film, so I guess it wasn’t memorable because there wasn’t anything to grab onto. Because it was Maher, I’m sure I laughed and agreed with about 70% of what he said. C
Fanboys— A cute road-trip movie based around a love of Star Wars. Nothing really spectacular here, but it was entertaining enough. B-
Planet 51—film. A cute enough movie. The animation was pretty good, and the story was basically ET in reverse, which was a nice switch. And I was also impressed by Dwayne Johnson’s voice work. That dude has really improved his work with every role he gets. B-
I will admit, the song “Rock Me, Sexy Jesus” was pretty funny. C-
G-Force—film. This was a film directed solely at kids. My 5 year-old, who really doesn’t like sitting through movies, actually sat through this one and exclaimed it was the best one he ever saw when the lights came up. Of course, he couldn’t remember much other than the line “Poop on his head! Poop on his head!” an hour later, so I’m not sure how much stock should be put into his remarks. I found it kind of pointless, but not completely offensive to my sensibilities. C-
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs—film. Another attempt at padding a beloved children’s book enough to get a feature film’s worth of material out of it. I haven’t actually read the book, so I was coming into this blind. And it worked for me. It wasn’t the best “kids movie” I’ve seen, but it also was far from being the worst. Sorry to say I don’t have much more to say about it. B
A Shot at Glory— A pretty by-the-books sports film. A good-hearted but constantly-in-trouble soccer star gets traded to a small team coached by the father of his estranged wife. His brings plenty of expectations with him as the whole town rallies around their possible contending team, and he does his best—while trying to win back the love of his wife. Pretty non-remarkable. It wasn’t bad; it just followed the sports movie mold too closely. C+
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Director’s Cut— Being a Star Wars kid, I had a tough time with Star Trek when I was younger (loud, exciting SW just “did it for me” more than quiet, boring Star Trek). But now that I’m older, I can see the appeal for Trek. Thinking through a problem rather than blowing through it has advantages.
I tell you the above because it helps put what I’m going to write in perspective. I found this film boring as a kid. I wouldn’t admit it because I liked all types of science fiction. It’s been, probably, 15 years since I last saw it, and this version is supposed to be far superior to the original.
I did like this version. I’m not sure what is different (aside from updated effects, of course), so I’m not sure what made it a satisfying experience this time when it hadn’t been before. I know a few scenes were trimmed or entirely cut-out, but what I saw in the “deleted scenes” wasn’t that big (or maybe it was; I really wish I hadn’t sold my version of the original movie a while back). Sure, the pacing was still a little slow, but it was pretty much a reintroduction to the characters after almost a decade since the series ended. And, yeah, the costumes were a bit (okay, a lot) in the ‘70s-style of fashion, but I can live with it. And the lone tear on Spock’s face when he realized what V’Ger’s “deal” was is still silly to me.
My movie guru, Tom, told me this version made an okay movie a good one, and I have no reason to disagree because I did enjoy this film for the first time.
But I’m going to chalk it up to 50% because the Director’s Cut is better and 50% because I’m an older, more mature person than I was. B+
The Last Starfighter—25th Anniversary Edition— I loved this movie as a kid (I ate up almost everything sci fi related), and it still holds up pretty well now that I’m an adult. Sure, the computer effects are noticeably primitive, but the rest of the movie is pretty timeless (try saying that about most 80s movies…). It also retained its heart. I’d seen it before in theatre, then on videotape a few times, read the comic adaptations and novelization multiple times, and this viewing was still fresh to me.
I also liked that I could watch it with my kids without too many “problems”. It’d be nice if some of the current movies took the PG rating and made it easy to decide if my kids could watch instead of trying for PG-13 and then I have to keep mental notes in my head to determine if I can let my boys watch later. B
Green Lantern: First Flight— The latest in the line of “introductory” animated films based on a DC Comics character. In this case, we are treated to the origin story of the Hal Jordan Green Lantern. I thought the story was pretty good; it had all the elements one expects from seeing Jordan’s training as one of the premier heroes in the universe, and the character animations were particularly good when compared to previous DC direct-to-DVD animated stories. B-
Observe and Report— This film was exactly what you’d expect from a Danny McBride movie (without McBride) that instead starred Seth Rogan. Very raw, very dark humor, very anti-social. But it was funny at times. It could have had more to hold it together; some of the scenes seemed to exist only to have some stunt or joke as opposed to being an organic part of the story. B
Let the Right One In— A very interesting film from Sweden that was dubbed into English very well. It’s one of the most unique vampire stories I’ve ever encountered, where a young boy (approx 12 yrs old) named Oskar who is tormented at school meets a mysterious young girl named Eli who is roughly the same age, and they become friends—although at a distance Eli maintains.
It’s a dark, quiet movie that is paced very well. The few instances of violence are all the more powerful because of the quietness of the rest of the film. And the ending is both horrifying and calming, depending on your point of view.
It’s this type of film that reminds me just how great movies can be. Sadly, the most creative films seem to come from other countries as there is almost no way an American film would get by in this style. So get out of your comfort zone and try this one. A-
Spies like Us— I had two people in about a week mention how surprised they were that I hadn’t seen this before, and that it was a classic. That could be, but I think it’s one of those films that are classics just based on when they were released. I’m sure when it first was screened, it felt fresh. But now, I felt like I had seen it done before—and better. C
Watchmen— I’ll say this up front: I never was a big Watchmen (comic book/ “graphic novel”) fan. I thought it was too drawn-out, and that it fell apart at the end. I’ll also say this: I haven’t read it since I was a teenager, so half my life has passed since then (along with the fact that I’m more mature—and have a better feel for quality than I did).
This film was beautiful. The visuals were stupendous, the acting and the script were great, and the directing was done with love and respect.
But the film didn’t make me feel anything. It lacked “heart”. It felt like each scene was just a way of moving the plot along from (comic book) plot point to plot point. B
Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf & Death— I don’t have much to say about W&G other than their shorts (and the film) are brilliant. This newest short film was no exception. Check it out. This is great filmmaking. Soak it in. A-
Bill Maher: I’m Swiss— I feel terrible about this; but I don’t remember much about it. It’s a stand-up comedy film, so I guess it wasn’t memorable because there wasn’t anything to grab onto. Because it was Maher, I’m sure I laughed and agreed with about 70% of what he said. C
Fanboys— A cute road-trip movie based around a love of Star Wars. Nothing really spectacular here, but it was entertaining enough. B-
Planet 51—film. A cute enough movie. The animation was pretty good, and the story was basically ET in reverse, which was a nice switch. And I was also impressed by Dwayne Johnson’s voice work. That dude has really improved his work with every role he gets. B-
Friday, January 01, 2010
2nd Half of 2009 Movie "Reviews", Part 2
The Condemned— “Stone Cold” Steve Austin stars in a film tailor-made for him. He plays a bad-ass military-type who gets unjustly jailed and then finds himself stranded on an island with 11 hard-core killers in a reality competition show. The goal: kill the others within the time limit or die yourself. Now, the premise alone has the potential for an above-average TV movie, but the reality show aspect really brought something more to the table. It’s certainly not a novel idea (The Running Man did it a long time ago, and it’s been probably copied dozens of times since), but this film actually did deal with the production crew quite a bit and raised the question: at what point is human life/dignity more important than ratings? C+
Caprica— The pilot for the upcoming Battlestar Galactica “prequel” series was, hopefully, going to answer some questions I had about Galactica. But it didn’t. And I watched it again with the director/creator commentary, and got even less insight. I guess BSG/Caprica creators/revisionists Ronald D. Moore and David Eick really want to go out of their way to make Caprica separate from BSG, which is okay.
The plot itself is different enough from the first series that this one can stand on its own. A rich inventor found a way to keep his daughter (who died in an accident) alive by using the “brainwaves” (for lack of a better term I can use) she downloaded in a social networking site. He enlists the help of a man who has connections to his rival— who also lost his daughter in the same accident. The inventor also has to present an automated soldier to the government that can help his planet defend itself, but is having problems getting that robot to act independently. The hook of the movie—and the upcoming series—is that a combination of human brain patterns and the robot become what we know to be the Cylons of Battlestar Galactica.
The series (set to air next year) has potential—but if this movie is indicative of the tone the series will have, it may face a tough battle. BSG wasn’t a by the books science fiction series (in the sense that the sci-fi was more back-seated than in typical shows), and Caprica looks to be even less so. Moore and Eick have established themselves as creative-types to watch because of Galactica, but they’ll have to keep the science fiction fanboys happy because I don’t see this show playing all that much to people who aren’t open to sci fi (or Syfy, if you will). B
My Name is Bruce— Beloved, (self-described) b-list actor Bruce Campbell plays a beloved, b-list, drunk, washed up actor named Bruce Campbell in this horror movie parody. And, maybe not-so-amazingly, he was pretty capable at it.
The plot involves teenagers who unwittingly free a demon from his prison, and the demon proceeds to terrorize their town, killing anyone he comes across. The surviving teen tracks down Campbell and asks him to confront and defeat the demon. Campbell’s got nothing else to do—and he’s out of booze—so he agrees to make an appearance. Of course, his arrogance gets the better of him, and he ultimately hits the bar and tries to get into the pants of the first chick he sees. Then he goes to confront the demon, just as he agreed to… And soon realizes the kid wasn’t asking him to make a public appearance set around a “publicity stunt” demon—he really was brought into town to defeat a demon. So he does what any Hollywood B-Actor would do—he runs like Hell. I’ll leave the rest of the plot up to you to figure out (it’s not hard).
This film follows a basic b-movie hero plot, and it’s very-much done in the b-movie style, revolving around Campbell’s usual character attributes. He’s an arrogant coward who thinks just being a movie actor makes him better than others. I highly doubt the real Bruce Campbell is that way (he has a pretty healthy self-awareness of his place in the Hollywood hierarchy—and he’s a huge fan-favorite in a genre known for having massively passionate—and critical-- fans), but he knows the role well enough that he pulled it off wonderfully.
It’s a b-movie—with the usual low-budget sets and effects—so it would normally rate a low-C, but Campbell is so fun and engaging that I’m going to give it a B.
Fired Up— I didn’t have any hopes for this film, but the fact that it stars Eric Christian Olsen, who I’ve really liked since one of his first jobs (in the 1999-2001 series Get Real) made me give it a try. It’s nothing unusual with the basic plot of this type of movie (two horny teens decide to avoid football camp and join the cheerleading team in order to get laid—but, by the last reel, find they actually like cheerleading). But Olsen has a way of making mediocre lines much better than they should be (in much the way that Ryan Reynolds can), so it was enjoyable enough. C+
The Foot Fist Way— The film “discovered” by Will Farrell and Adam McKay (who claimed to have watched it every day over a period of weeks) that introduced Danny McBride to the world. Had I not already seen most of McBride’s other work (most especially his HBO show EastBound and Down), I may have thought this was better. But, right now, McBride is a one-trick pony who does his trick really well— and this was just more of the same. B-
Funny People—film. I don’t consider myself old-fashioned, and I don’t consider myself a prude, but I’m growing tired of the near-constant vulgarity in the Judd Apatow (and the other filmmakers who work in that “arena”) films. Sometimes the profanity works and can make a film really good, but the shock of the “mature humor” has worn off for me. This one wasn’t as gross as past films, but I really started to wonder what was up with all the dick jokes in this movie. I know comics (and this film was set around stand-up comics) try to out-do and out-gross each other, but it’s hard to relate to a guy who’s always talking about someone else’s penis. It’s almost to the point of making these characters seem homophobic (maybe they are—but nothing else in the movie suggests that).
And it’s a shame there was so much to be turned off by because this was a good film (not especially funny—although I don’t think Apatow was going for a strict “comedy”). It was well put-together, plot-wise, and it was a very mature film in the regards that it deals with adult life (instead of the usual childish themes “explored” in these types of films). Death is a major theme, as is regret and loneliness. I’m sure Apatow was using the crude humor to get people to relate more to “real life” issues (much as the best episodes of SOUTH PARK do), but it, obviously, didn’t translate well for fans (as the film wasn’t a big box office winner).
That’s too bad because Adam Sandler (when he wasn’t referring to what he imagines Seth Rogan’s dick is like) was very engaging. His character was not a nice person—who learns to try to be nice and more human. Seth Rogan was perfectly cast, as was Eric Bana. And, as always, Leslie Mann (whom I adore) owned her part. And Jason Schwartzman, who I’m not always keen on, was great in his role as well. C+
The Hangover—film. The funniest movie I’ve seen in many years. I don’t ever remember laughing so hard I physically hurt at a movie other than this one. The taser scene and the end credits had me laughing so hard, my ribs hurt. For real. It’s profane, bizarre, immature, etc-- but it’s also funny. Really, really funny. Great lead and supporting casts; really funny pacing and lines, and it was also beautifully shot. This wasn’t a cheap-looking throwaway comedy. Everything about it was great (and it used crude humor I said I didn’t like earlier very effectively here). Maybe I’m over-reaching by giving it an A-, but the theatre experience definitely elevates it beyond maybe what would be a B+ on DVD… A-
Prison Break: The Final Break— I wasn’t sure if this was necessary when I first heard about it. The series ended well on its own, so I wondered why we needed to start a new story that would wrap up in less than 90 minutes. Plus, this story wasn’t going to be aired by FOX (as of the present—who knows what’ll happen in the future). But as I watched it, I was pulled into the characters and their situation again. This direct-to-DVD story followed the plots of most of the seasons of the show: an event happens that results in some sort of capture, a plan is thought-up and executed, more than a few changes to the plan have to be made, we don’t know who can be trusted, and the climax. It was very effective then, and it’s still effective now (especially since the person who was captured is Sara—nice to shake to things up like that).
If you were a fan of the show and don’t watch this, you won’t necessarily miss anything. But if you were a big fan of the show, or even if you once were a big fan who drifted away as the series got more ridiculous, this is a good capper to the story. It’s got a full beginning, middle, and end—and it also briefly explained how the characters got to where they were at the very end of the series finale (which was especially nice as they floated apart from each other during the last season). It also had a great ending speech by a character that really wrapped up what the TV series was about. B
Caprica— The pilot for the upcoming Battlestar Galactica “prequel” series was, hopefully, going to answer some questions I had about Galactica. But it didn’t. And I watched it again with the director/creator commentary, and got even less insight. I guess BSG/Caprica creators/revisionists Ronald D. Moore and David Eick really want to go out of their way to make Caprica separate from BSG, which is okay.
The plot itself is different enough from the first series that this one can stand on its own. A rich inventor found a way to keep his daughter (who died in an accident) alive by using the “brainwaves” (for lack of a better term I can use) she downloaded in a social networking site. He enlists the help of a man who has connections to his rival— who also lost his daughter in the same accident. The inventor also has to present an automated soldier to the government that can help his planet defend itself, but is having problems getting that robot to act independently. The hook of the movie—and the upcoming series—is that a combination of human brain patterns and the robot become what we know to be the Cylons of Battlestar Galactica.
The series (set to air next year) has potential—but if this movie is indicative of the tone the series will have, it may face a tough battle. BSG wasn’t a by the books science fiction series (in the sense that the sci-fi was more back-seated than in typical shows), and Caprica looks to be even less so. Moore and Eick have established themselves as creative-types to watch because of Galactica, but they’ll have to keep the science fiction fanboys happy because I don’t see this show playing all that much to people who aren’t open to sci fi (or Syfy, if you will). B
My Name is Bruce— Beloved, (self-described) b-list actor Bruce Campbell plays a beloved, b-list, drunk, washed up actor named Bruce Campbell in this horror movie parody. And, maybe not-so-amazingly, he was pretty capable at it.
The plot involves teenagers who unwittingly free a demon from his prison, and the demon proceeds to terrorize their town, killing anyone he comes across. The surviving teen tracks down Campbell and asks him to confront and defeat the demon. Campbell’s got nothing else to do—and he’s out of booze—so he agrees to make an appearance. Of course, his arrogance gets the better of him, and he ultimately hits the bar and tries to get into the pants of the first chick he sees. Then he goes to confront the demon, just as he agreed to… And soon realizes the kid wasn’t asking him to make a public appearance set around a “publicity stunt” demon—he really was brought into town to defeat a demon. So he does what any Hollywood B-Actor would do—he runs like Hell. I’ll leave the rest of the plot up to you to figure out (it’s not hard).
This film follows a basic b-movie hero plot, and it’s very-much done in the b-movie style, revolving around Campbell’s usual character attributes. He’s an arrogant coward who thinks just being a movie actor makes him better than others. I highly doubt the real Bruce Campbell is that way (he has a pretty healthy self-awareness of his place in the Hollywood hierarchy—and he’s a huge fan-favorite in a genre known for having massively passionate—and critical-- fans), but he knows the role well enough that he pulled it off wonderfully.
It’s a b-movie—with the usual low-budget sets and effects—so it would normally rate a low-C, but Campbell is so fun and engaging that I’m going to give it a B.
Fired Up— I didn’t have any hopes for this film, but the fact that it stars Eric Christian Olsen, who I’ve really liked since one of his first jobs (in the 1999-2001 series Get Real) made me give it a try. It’s nothing unusual with the basic plot of this type of movie (two horny teens decide to avoid football camp and join the cheerleading team in order to get laid—but, by the last reel, find they actually like cheerleading). But Olsen has a way of making mediocre lines much better than they should be (in much the way that Ryan Reynolds can), so it was enjoyable enough. C+
The Foot Fist Way— The film “discovered” by Will Farrell and Adam McKay (who claimed to have watched it every day over a period of weeks) that introduced Danny McBride to the world. Had I not already seen most of McBride’s other work (most especially his HBO show EastBound and Down), I may have thought this was better. But, right now, McBride is a one-trick pony who does his trick really well— and this was just more of the same. B-
Funny People—film. I don’t consider myself old-fashioned, and I don’t consider myself a prude, but I’m growing tired of the near-constant vulgarity in the Judd Apatow (and the other filmmakers who work in that “arena”) films. Sometimes the profanity works and can make a film really good, but the shock of the “mature humor” has worn off for me. This one wasn’t as gross as past films, but I really started to wonder what was up with all the dick jokes in this movie. I know comics (and this film was set around stand-up comics) try to out-do and out-gross each other, but it’s hard to relate to a guy who’s always talking about someone else’s penis. It’s almost to the point of making these characters seem homophobic (maybe they are—but nothing else in the movie suggests that).
And it’s a shame there was so much to be turned off by because this was a good film (not especially funny—although I don’t think Apatow was going for a strict “comedy”). It was well put-together, plot-wise, and it was a very mature film in the regards that it deals with adult life (instead of the usual childish themes “explored” in these types of films). Death is a major theme, as is regret and loneliness. I’m sure Apatow was using the crude humor to get people to relate more to “real life” issues (much as the best episodes of SOUTH PARK do), but it, obviously, didn’t translate well for fans (as the film wasn’t a big box office winner).
That’s too bad because Adam Sandler (when he wasn’t referring to what he imagines Seth Rogan’s dick is like) was very engaging. His character was not a nice person—who learns to try to be nice and more human. Seth Rogan was perfectly cast, as was Eric Bana. And, as always, Leslie Mann (whom I adore) owned her part. And Jason Schwartzman, who I’m not always keen on, was great in his role as well. C+
The Hangover—film. The funniest movie I’ve seen in many years. I don’t ever remember laughing so hard I physically hurt at a movie other than this one. The taser scene and the end credits had me laughing so hard, my ribs hurt. For real. It’s profane, bizarre, immature, etc-- but it’s also funny. Really, really funny. Great lead and supporting casts; really funny pacing and lines, and it was also beautifully shot. This wasn’t a cheap-looking throwaway comedy. Everything about it was great (and it used crude humor I said I didn’t like earlier very effectively here). Maybe I’m over-reaching by giving it an A-, but the theatre experience definitely elevates it beyond maybe what would be a B+ on DVD… A-
Prison Break: The Final Break— I wasn’t sure if this was necessary when I first heard about it. The series ended well on its own, so I wondered why we needed to start a new story that would wrap up in less than 90 minutes. Plus, this story wasn’t going to be aired by FOX (as of the present—who knows what’ll happen in the future). But as I watched it, I was pulled into the characters and their situation again. This direct-to-DVD story followed the plots of most of the seasons of the show: an event happens that results in some sort of capture, a plan is thought-up and executed, more than a few changes to the plan have to be made, we don’t know who can be trusted, and the climax. It was very effective then, and it’s still effective now (especially since the person who was captured is Sara—nice to shake to things up like that).
If you were a fan of the show and don’t watch this, you won’t necessarily miss anything. But if you were a big fan of the show, or even if you once were a big fan who drifted away as the series got more ridiculous, this is a good capper to the story. It’s got a full beginning, middle, and end—and it also briefly explained how the characters got to where they were at the very end of the series finale (which was especially nice as they floated apart from each other during the last season). It also had a great ending speech by a character that really wrapped up what the TV series was about. B
Dude Perfect Long Shot Seat View
I'm sure by now these Dude Perfect shots are "old"/exposed as fakes, but I think they're entertaining enough.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2nd Half of 2009 Movie "Reviews", Part 1
Sorry I missed last quarter. I had the reviews all written, but I never got as far as cutting, pasting, and posting.
So I'll be doing the back half of the year over the next few days.
As always, "A"s are must see. Either they're extremely well put togerher, or they move me in a way that few films do.
"B"s are good films.
"C"s are average, "D"s are nearly unwatchable, and "F" is toxic.
And, yes, I do skew to the Bs more often than not. That's simply because I usually can pick good movies out. If something stinks like crap, I usually know enough to stay away from it. Sadly, I didn't hit many great movies this year, so the grades are a little lower than usual-- and the reviews are frequently shorter as well.
And, finally, all are films I saw on DVD unless otherwise noted. This is important because I believe an experience in a theatre can elevate a lesser movie (or seeing a DVD at home may not get the full effect).
These aren't in much order other than usually the order in which I saw them, beginning in July.
Taken— A thinking man’s revenge story. Liam Neeson was great as always, but the whole movie seemed to wrap up too nicely. Yeah, liberties need to be taken in a 2 hour movie, but it just seemed like the plot was just thinly used to fill in action sequences. That’s not the worst thing (or not the least bit uncommon), but I think the film got too much credit for what it was ultimately worth. B-
The Spirit— As a comic book fan, I wanted this to succeed. The question of “did it” I guess will have to be left up to the viewer. Frank Miller’s first solo directing job was pretty to look at, but that was pretty much it: pretty to look at. Did it make sense? Not really. Did it have good performances? Sure. But is doing a good acting job with bad lines mean the film is better than it should be? Not in this case. The tone of the film was also disorienting. It was ultra dark, yet there were countless silly moments that may work on the page, but didn’t work on the screen.
I’m happy the greatest accomplishment (of countless great accomplishments) the “grandfather of comic books” (Will Eisner) had finally made it to the screen, but there really is nothing beyond above-average visuals that would lead anyone to seek out the source material. I know that’s not even a thought for most movies made from comics, but, c’mon, Frank Miller isn’t your average filmmaker either. B-
He’s Just Not That Into You— This film pissed me off. Every woman in this movie was every cliché you could find in a 20-30 year old female character in any other movie. They act as if they are independent yet cannot bear the thought of not having “a man” in their lives. So then they get stupid and forget everything they know about men. It’s not tough—men don’t want to cause a scene or hurt a nice girl’s feelings by saying he’s not interested, so he’ll lie and say he’ll call her. And, let’s face it, guys also want to leave open the possibility of a one-night stand (liking someone enough to go on multiple dates is different than liking someone enough to jump in the sack; that’s how it is), so why hurt someone’s feelings if that can happen?
And add to the stupid women in the film (and most other films), their stupid friends who are always dangling the extremely rare exception in front of them (“Maybe he really did have a grandmother die and was out of town”).
Anyway, Justin Long (a favorite of mine) played a character who schooled the so pretty yet so dim Ginnifer Goodwin on when a guy “just isn’t that into you”. And it made sense. So I let up on my feelings and was happy that while these characters were clichéd and horribly naïve, at least people watching this movie can learn from these dimbulbs’ mistakes.
And, here’s where the spoiler alert is going to happen because I can’t really explain my feelings unless I tell you how it works out.
SPOILER ALERT: everything was “working out” in the reality front. Some women just learned tough lessons, and the guys who insisted they weren’t interested stayed not interested. Until the end of the film when the two men who stayed honest and truthful in their disinterest completely flipped and ended up with their respective women. I was livid. Nearly the entire movie, we were told “sometimes he’s just not that into you”—and then they f-ing went against their nature and ended up with the girl. All for a stupid damn happy ending. So, essentially, the entire message of the film was thrown out—as if those two women just happen to be the exceptions who proved the rule. Give me a break.
END SPOILER ALERT.
So, here I am. I liked the movie (mostly). It had some good scenes. It featured a great cast. Yet, there were a few things that really ruined the experience for me. C+ for the cast making the best of it and a D- for the let-down in the plot. C-
Dead Like Me: Life After Death— It’s been a few years since I last watched this underrated series (catch it on Showtime DVD or repeats—the Sci Fi Channel aired it for a while), so it was a bit tough at times to get reacquainted with the concept. But it was a good one-shot movie to tie up the series—as well as a good jumping-off point for future stories. I missed Mandy Patinkin’s character, but I guess they were lucky to get most of the rest of the cast together again after a period of a few years. It still mostly felt like the series—although I would have liked it to be more whimsical like the show was (there was a time or two in this DVD where they came close). This was mostly Fred’s story, though, and they only had 90 minutes to tell it, so the supporting characters (who tended to get into trouble more) were left a little in the back. If you liked the series, then check it out. If you missed the series, then watch those two seasons before you watch this movie. B-
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People— Pretty much completely forgettable. I saw this movie about two months ago, and all I can remember now is that Simon Pegg was in it. He played a cad who gained fame as a Perez Hilton-type on the internet who eventually got a job as a magazine writer. I’m sure there was a girl he was after; one who he had to change his ways for—and that he probably did change and get her. I don’t remember the details. D+
Wolverine— film. Wolverine has been one of my least-favorite super-hero characters. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, he was the shit, and I just got tired of seeing him everywhere. And I had heard how poor this film was, so, had I not had my life to itself (my family was away), and had I not had a coupon that covered the entire cost of the ticket, I wouldn’t have gone.
But, you know what? It wasn’t as bad as I feared. It wasn’t terribly memorable (and Ryan Reynolds was not utilized enough), but I also remember thinking “This isn’t that bad,” as I was sitting in my seat. But it also wasn’t memorable. Past successes with Iron Man and The Dark Knight were great for the comic-to-movie “industry”, but it also hurt it because a movie like this has the bar set so high against it, it can never really succeed. This film wasn’t made with a huge budget (and if it was, then what they paid for didn’t end up on the screen), so it didn’t have the wide-spanning potential that great comic-book movies have had. B-
So I'll be doing the back half of the year over the next few days.
As always, "A"s are must see. Either they're extremely well put togerher, or they move me in a way that few films do.
"B"s are good films.
"C"s are average, "D"s are nearly unwatchable, and "F" is toxic.
And, yes, I do skew to the Bs more often than not. That's simply because I usually can pick good movies out. If something stinks like crap, I usually know enough to stay away from it. Sadly, I didn't hit many great movies this year, so the grades are a little lower than usual-- and the reviews are frequently shorter as well.
And, finally, all are films I saw on DVD unless otherwise noted. This is important because I believe an experience in a theatre can elevate a lesser movie (or seeing a DVD at home may not get the full effect).
These aren't in much order other than usually the order in which I saw them, beginning in July.
Taken— A thinking man’s revenge story. Liam Neeson was great as always, but the whole movie seemed to wrap up too nicely. Yeah, liberties need to be taken in a 2 hour movie, but it just seemed like the plot was just thinly used to fill in action sequences. That’s not the worst thing (or not the least bit uncommon), but I think the film got too much credit for what it was ultimately worth. B-
The Spirit— As a comic book fan, I wanted this to succeed. The question of “did it” I guess will have to be left up to the viewer. Frank Miller’s first solo directing job was pretty to look at, but that was pretty much it: pretty to look at. Did it make sense? Not really. Did it have good performances? Sure. But is doing a good acting job with bad lines mean the film is better than it should be? Not in this case. The tone of the film was also disorienting. It was ultra dark, yet there were countless silly moments that may work on the page, but didn’t work on the screen.
I’m happy the greatest accomplishment (of countless great accomplishments) the “grandfather of comic books” (Will Eisner) had finally made it to the screen, but there really is nothing beyond above-average visuals that would lead anyone to seek out the source material. I know that’s not even a thought for most movies made from comics, but, c’mon, Frank Miller isn’t your average filmmaker either. B-
He’s Just Not That Into You— This film pissed me off. Every woman in this movie was every cliché you could find in a 20-30 year old female character in any other movie. They act as if they are independent yet cannot bear the thought of not having “a man” in their lives. So then they get stupid and forget everything they know about men. It’s not tough—men don’t want to cause a scene or hurt a nice girl’s feelings by saying he’s not interested, so he’ll lie and say he’ll call her. And, let’s face it, guys also want to leave open the possibility of a one-night stand (liking someone enough to go on multiple dates is different than liking someone enough to jump in the sack; that’s how it is), so why hurt someone’s feelings if that can happen?
And add to the stupid women in the film (and most other films), their stupid friends who are always dangling the extremely rare exception in front of them (“Maybe he really did have a grandmother die and was out of town”).
Anyway, Justin Long (a favorite of mine) played a character who schooled the so pretty yet so dim Ginnifer Goodwin on when a guy “just isn’t that into you”. And it made sense. So I let up on my feelings and was happy that while these characters were clichéd and horribly naïve, at least people watching this movie can learn from these dimbulbs’ mistakes.
And, here’s where the spoiler alert is going to happen because I can’t really explain my feelings unless I tell you how it works out.
SPOILER ALERT: everything was “working out” in the reality front. Some women just learned tough lessons, and the guys who insisted they weren’t interested stayed not interested. Until the end of the film when the two men who stayed honest and truthful in their disinterest completely flipped and ended up with their respective women. I was livid. Nearly the entire movie, we were told “sometimes he’s just not that into you”—and then they f-ing went against their nature and ended up with the girl. All for a stupid damn happy ending. So, essentially, the entire message of the film was thrown out—as if those two women just happen to be the exceptions who proved the rule. Give me a break.
END SPOILER ALERT.
So, here I am. I liked the movie (mostly). It had some good scenes. It featured a great cast. Yet, there were a few things that really ruined the experience for me. C+ for the cast making the best of it and a D- for the let-down in the plot. C-
Dead Like Me: Life After Death— It’s been a few years since I last watched this underrated series (catch it on Showtime DVD or repeats—the Sci Fi Channel aired it for a while), so it was a bit tough at times to get reacquainted with the concept. But it was a good one-shot movie to tie up the series—as well as a good jumping-off point for future stories. I missed Mandy Patinkin’s character, but I guess they were lucky to get most of the rest of the cast together again after a period of a few years. It still mostly felt like the series—although I would have liked it to be more whimsical like the show was (there was a time or two in this DVD where they came close). This was mostly Fred’s story, though, and they only had 90 minutes to tell it, so the supporting characters (who tended to get into trouble more) were left a little in the back. If you liked the series, then check it out. If you missed the series, then watch those two seasons before you watch this movie. B-
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People— Pretty much completely forgettable. I saw this movie about two months ago, and all I can remember now is that Simon Pegg was in it. He played a cad who gained fame as a Perez Hilton-type on the internet who eventually got a job as a magazine writer. I’m sure there was a girl he was after; one who he had to change his ways for—and that he probably did change and get her. I don’t remember the details. D+
Wolverine— film. Wolverine has been one of my least-favorite super-hero characters. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, he was the shit, and I just got tired of seeing him everywhere. And I had heard how poor this film was, so, had I not had my life to itself (my family was away), and had I not had a coupon that covered the entire cost of the ticket, I wouldn’t have gone.
But, you know what? It wasn’t as bad as I feared. It wasn’t terribly memorable (and Ryan Reynolds was not utilized enough), but I also remember thinking “This isn’t that bad,” as I was sitting in my seat. But it also wasn’t memorable. Past successes with Iron Man and The Dark Knight were great for the comic-to-movie “industry”, but it also hurt it because a movie like this has the bar set so high against it, it can never really succeed. This film wasn’t made with a huge budget (and if it was, then what they paid for didn’t end up on the screen), so it didn’t have the wide-spanning potential that great comic-book movies have had. B-
Monday, December 28, 2009
Premieres and Notables: December 28, 2009- January 3, 2010
Monday-Thursday
HBO reairs the second season of True Blood; 3 eps a night, from 7-10 pm CST.
Tuesday, 12/29
Daycare Divas; TLC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
The trials the workers in a daycare go through with twelve kids.
Sounds exciting.
Friday, 1/1
DogTown; National Geographic. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.
The Outdoor Room With Jamie Durie; HGTV. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Durie gives landscaping a makeover.
Saturday, 1/2
It's Me or the Dog; Animal Planet. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
What I Hate About Me; Style. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Women complain about themselves, and then get makeovers to "fix" them.
Demons; BBC America. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A descendant of Abraham Van Helsing becomes a vampire fighter.
Sunday, 1/3
Platinum Weddings; WE. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Desperate Housewives (ABC; 8 pm) has a "What If" episode, where the 'wives imagine what life could have been like had some things gone differently. I mention this because I'm a sucker for these types of stories.
Durham County; ION. 8 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Worst Cooks in America; Food Network. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Terrible cooks compete in a food competition.
Because that's what was missing in the world...
HBO reairs the second season of True Blood; 3 eps a night, from 7-10 pm CST.
Tuesday, 12/29
Daycare Divas; TLC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
The trials the workers in a daycare go through with twelve kids.
Sounds exciting.
Friday, 1/1
DogTown; National Geographic. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.
The Outdoor Room With Jamie Durie; HGTV. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Durie gives landscaping a makeover.
Saturday, 1/2
It's Me or the Dog; Animal Planet. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
What I Hate About Me; Style. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Women complain about themselves, and then get makeovers to "fix" them.
Demons; BBC America. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A descendant of Abraham Van Helsing becomes a vampire fighter.
Sunday, 1/3
Platinum Weddings; WE. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Desperate Housewives (ABC; 8 pm) has a "What If" episode, where the 'wives imagine what life could have been like had some things gone differently. I mention this because I'm a sucker for these types of stories.
Durham County; ION. 8 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Worst Cooks in America; Food Network. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Terrible cooks compete in a food competition.
Because that's what was missing in the world...
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