Movies
« Previous Entries‘Strange Wilderness’ Reviewed
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008I didn’t particularly want to see Strange Wilderness, but I have to admit I did go see it this weekend. And, while it had its funny moments it was a bad, pointless movie that gets you from start to finish with dirty jokes in various forms.
The plot was absurd and pointless, and so much of the story seemed gratuitous. Yes, I laughed, but I laughed more at ‘Superbad’ and ‘Knocked Up’ (both of which are significantly better movies) but just because I laughed doesn’t mean it was a good movie.
‘The Bucket List’ Reviewed
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008Last weekend I saw The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Reviews for the movie haven’t been stellar, but after seeing it, I have to say that it should be on your list of movies of see this year.
The movie’s strength comes not only from the performances of Nicholson and Freeman, but from a script that addresses the issue of terminal illness with appropriate amounts of humor and drama.
‘Cloverfield’ Reviewed
Sunday, January 20th, 2008I heard mixed reviews about Cloverfield, including complaints that the handheld camerawork caused nausea, or that it was unconvincing that the character operating the camera would have the presence of mind to keep videotaping throughout the whole saga.
Well, I never got nauseous, and I thought they did a good job explaining the cameraman’s drive to keep videotaping in order “to document” what was happening because “people will want to know.”
Even if you’re not convinced, once look passed the issue of the handheld camera perspective, it’s exciting to watch, and I left the theatre wanting more. You can’t help wanting to know more. The movie is presented as videotape evidence recovered by the Department of Defense from Central Park following an attack on the city by some creature. It starts from the planning of a going away party Rob Hawkins, who is about to leave New York City for a job in Japan. The attack happens during the party and you follow him, his brother and his girlfriend, his best friend and another party attendee throughout the attack.
The virtual realtime experience of the attack is extraordinarily effective, as it was for The Blair Witch Project (which I haven’t seen but I’ve heard enough about). The interesting thing about Cloverfield is that it has been described as Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project. Probably a very fair description, only, had Cloverfield been done more like a tradition action movie, it may not have done so well… Considering remakes of Godzilla and King Kong didn’t seem to do as well as hoped. They certainly weren’t memorable movies, and I can’t say I had a strong desire to see either of them. Cloverfield’s appeal had a lot to do with the presentation as a continuous story from the point of view of a character’s handheld camera.
All you are given in the movie is the “evidence” of the recovered videotape. So, while I was absolutely satisfied by the movie, I found myself wanting to know more about the aftermath: What was the creature that attacked New York? I’d like to believe that once Cloverfield is released on DVD there will some great bonus features explaining all the things we want to know about “what happened” that we weren’t going to find out in the movie, as it was presented.
Cloverfield is definitely worth seeing.
‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ Reviewed
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008I originally had no intention of seeing ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks‘ when I first saw a poster advertisement for it in the movie theater. However, I was won over by the previews, and found it to be a movie I had to see, if only to satisfy my curiosity. As a kid, I can remember watching the Alvin and the Chipmunks cartoon, and while I can’t say I had high hopes for the movie, I knew it would have a few laughs and be at the least, mildly entertaining. Reintroducing The Chipmunks to the kids of today was probably risky. However, since the Chipmunks were created in 1958, I can imagine that a lot of parents who took their kids to see the movie had seen and heard the Chipmunks in their youth.
I didn’t think the story would be that great, but the movie definitely was good for laughs. Jason Lee, who I would not have expected to pull off the role of Dave Seville, actually played the part quite well — as good, if not better than anyone else could have.
The CGI effects are less convincing, but that’s hardly a reason to dismiss the movie. Alvin, Simon, Theodore are actually appear and move like chipmunks (which was not so in the cartoons)… but that hardly prevents you from feeling sympathy for the chipmunks as they initially try in vain to make Dave see them as a family, or getting a warm fuzzy feeling when a nervous Theodore asks to sleep with Dave because he’s scared after having a nightmare (that scene had me going “Awww…”
All in all, it was a fun movie to watch.
‘Juno’ Reviewed
Thursday, December 27th, 2007So, I saw the movie Juno yesterday. I honestly didn’t expect much of the movie. The only thing that really got me thinking that it might have potential was the fact that Michael Cera, who had a starring role in Superbad, which I thought was hilarious, was in it and I figured Juno would be equally funny. It had plenty of good jokes, I’ll give it that.
If you haven’t seen it yet, then be aware that the commercials — at least the commercials I had seen prior to going to the movie — gave a much different impression about what the story of the movie was going to be. The movie is about two uncool best friends in high school, a guy and a girl, who have a one night stand, and the girl gets pregnant. The commercials I remember seeing made me think the movie was about their relationship, and how they handle the pregnancy. But that’s not really what the movie is about. The movie is much more about the girl Juno MacGuff (played by Ellen Page) and how she deals with being pregnant and her decision to give the baby up for adoption. Michael Cera’s character, Paulie Bleeker, really has nothing to do with the whole process, as Juno herself finds a couple eager to adopt her unborn baby. That, to me, was rather disappointing.
That doesn’t mean the movie itself was bad… it just wasn’t the movie I was expecting. It certainly had its funny moments. I’ve told a couple people that the movie is like cross between Knocked Up and Napoleon Dynamite. That may not be the best description, but that was the first impression I got.
Since the story focuses primarily on the character Juno MacGuff, Ellen Page truly makes the movie. Her delivery of sarcastic quips and rebellious teen demeanor was one of the best aspects of the movie. J.K. Simmons performance as Juno’s father was also really good.
Juno was not my favorite movie, and I don’t believe I’d buy the DVD when it comes out. But, who knows, it took a while for Little Miss Sunshine to grow on me too.
‘I Am Legend’ Reviewed
Sunday, December 16th, 2007Yesterday, I saw I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. My recently renewed interest in science fiction was apparently enough to cause me to see the movie on opening weekend. I had read a negative review a few days earlier that largely focused on what the reviewer said was unconvincing special effects. However, my co-author Mark Noonan spoke very highly of the movie, saying it was the best movie he’d seen in 10 years, and that it was an Oscar-worthy performance by Will Smith. I would say, at the least, he deserves to be nominated.
I can say I don’t think it was the best movie I’d seen in 10 years, but it certainly was a good performance by Will Smith, who has come a long way since his days as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
I have not read the original story by Richard Matheson, though I suspect I will get it soon. (I’ve put it on my wish list if any of my readers wants to get it for me) I’m actually really interested in the book now, as well the previous film adaptation, The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston.
Anyway, I wasn’t totally put off by the special effects and I also thought the movie didn’t simply degenerate into a typical action movie. Will Smith largely has to carry the movie by himself and the action that does take place fits the story, and doesn’t seem arbitrary like in the latter two installments of The Matrix Trilogy, (where there was hardly a scene that didn’t have a special effects-infused fight sequence) or even in Live Free or Die Hard (with some ridiculously unrealistic scenes, including one involving a fighter jet) so I would say there was a good balance of true acting and action.
I Am Legend definitely won me over. You can’t help wondering what that kind of isolation must feel like, and I think if anything, the movie should have spent more time on that, and less on the zombies. I imagine the DVD release will have plenty of bonus features, including deleted scenes, that will be worth seeing.
Prince Caspian
Sunday, December 16th, 2007Of all the movies I’m looking forward to seeing next year, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the one I’m looking forward to seeing the most.
Posted below is the official trailer for the movie:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqzYukVDqy4 350 350]
“I am Beowulf!”
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007“I am Ripper… Tearer… Slasher… Gouger. I am the Teeth in the Darkness, the Talons in the Night. Mine is Strength… and Lust… and Power! I AM BEOWULF!” - from Beowulf
This weekend I went to see Beowulf at my local IMAX theatre.
‘m sure I was supposed to read the story Beowulf in high school, but probably managed to avoid reading it, or completely forgot. Anyway, it looked like it was going to be a good movie when I first saw a preview for it. When I found out it would be playing in 3D at the IMAX theatre, I knew I had to see it there.
It was really exciting to experience the the movie in 3D. Some scenes were fantastic in 3D, others were harder to appreciate because the speed of the action made it hard to appreciate the 3D, and sometimes it even got a bit blurry.
Still, if you can see the movie at an IMAX theatre, go see it there.
If you can’t, don’t worry, the movie certainly can stand on its own without the 3D. The computer animation is incredible. The plot and drama are captivating throughout the movie. I wish I could compare it to the story, but I don’t remember it even if I did read it in high school.
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