I can't quite figure out if Pixar did the animation for this movie. I don't think so since everything I can find out about it only indicates that John Lasseter helped produce Bolt. We waltzed into the movie past the previews but just in time to catch a Cars remake of Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, which was probably better than the actual Cars.

While Bolt is definitely geared toward younger audiences, it's got enough entertaining elements to keep adults engaged for most of its running time. It's not witty or clever like other Pixar films but even Pixar can't do Pixar anymore. Overall the film was a quality production, with good animation, engaging sidekicks, and a run of the mill "Homeward Bound" story. Disney's been here before but that's okay I guess. The best part of watching the movie was catching it in 3D, which added a lot to the experience, unlike my last 3D movie outing.

Labels: C, Movies

There's not one man to be found in the entire film. That's the first thing that stands out. I mean, when they titled this thing "The Women," they really meant it literally. Of course, there might have been a guy or two in the background but seriously, I can't recall one male anywhere. Apparently the original version of the movie did the same thing. I'm not sure what kind of statement that makes but it surely didn't add anything to the watching experience. The Women was just average all around.

Not that I couldn't relate to the issues presented (children, plastic surgery, sex, career versus family, betrayal) but the way everything was done was very sugary and lacking in energy, insight, or enduring humor. A few days after watching it I can't remember any standout scenes, any good lines, or any of the characters. The only fun thing I heard about the movie (from cruising reviews afterward) was to imagine that Meg Ryan was playing Sally twenty years later, in "When Harry Cheated on Sally..."

Labels: C, Movies

A small movie set in upstate New York with a no-name cast and a slow moving plot. Sounds like a winner right? Well, that's what all the critics led me to believe. Frozen River won a Grand Jury Prize winner from Sundance this year and started life there two years ago as a short film.

While I like movies about nothing, or movies that can take a while to build, I was mostly confused about the point of Frozen River. Sure, the acting was good, the cinematography excellent (everything was shot on DV), and there's sort of a point but overall it seemed like I had just wasted two hours of my life. And that's all I really have to say about that.

Labels: C, Movies

I've been hearing a little bit of hype for this movie and was expecting a pretty great time. Instead I left feeling like I'd been taken for a ride. There were plenty of good things, such as the cinematography, the acting, and the basic story line, but there were an equal number of ridiculous things. First off, where was the motivation? In films like Gladiator or Braveheart, we see the hero acquire skills, get motivated, and then kick some ass. In Mongol, a young Genghis Khan basically runs around, turns on his friends, and then somehow defeats his enemies with weather.

Don't be upset if I'm ruining the story for you. The Wikipedia entry for Genghis Khan was more interesting than the movie. Plus, it's never a good sign when you see horseshoes flashing during the opening scene when the Mongols reputedly didn't use horseshoes. So much for attention to detail.

The movie isn't historically accurate of course, and I didn't expect it to be, but even as a myth making piece, it was overly long and just confounding in how little of it makes sense. Having said that, I'd definitely watch the second one (of a proposed trilogy) because the set up here allows Genghis to kick ass and take no prisoners in the next film. Strangely enough, this was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar. Don't believe the hype.

The best thing I read post watching the film was one critic's hope that the second volume would be called "Mongol II: The Wrath of Khan." Genius!

Labels: C, Movies

Man it's been a pretty horrific summer for movies hasn't it? Quick, name a good movie you've seen in the last two months. I'd guess you'd have to date back to Iron Man to find something that was entertaining and well done. Everything else has been really hit or miss. I keep hearing good (and some bad) things about Wall-E so that may have to be the saving grace of the summer since I'm pretty sure Batman will underwhelm.

I really thought Hellboy would be a sleeper hit -- the trailer looked so awesome. Instead I was left trying to figure out if it was just average or way below average. Guillermo del Toro creates great visuals, the characters are all likable, the action is pretty good, and sure Selma Blair can't act but that's okay because she doesn't really need to in this movie. So why did I hope for Hellboy to pound me into submission about three fourths through the movie?

Well, the biggest problem was that the movie tried to be a bit too romantical and sentimental. Yeah, romantical. Think the worst parts of the Neo and Trinity love story, all those stupid cheesy scenes with them declaring their undying love, yada yada, and then times two. Hellboy swings back and forth between bad ass and cartoony and it just ruined the whole thing. Plus a few ridiculous plot holes that puncture believability all around and you're looking at another summer dud. Next!

Labels: C, Movies

I've been avoiding movies for about a month in an effort to concentrate on writing. Plus most of the films I wanted to watch were only hop worthy. Seven plus hours in a theater later and I'm basically caught up with everything the summer has presented so far. First we watched the Incredible Hulk, which was arguably better than Ang Lee's version although I much prefer his daring stylistic choices to this one. I'd actually rate this sub-par if not for the fact that I'm now a proud Marvel stockholder and need it to do well. But even with that in mind it's annoying to see Edward Norton whine and run his way around as Bruce Banner all day long. The whole thing just seemed uneven. And Liz Tyler is awful. Simply awful.

We caught the last thirty minutes of Kung Fu Panda, Indiana Jones, and Prince Caspian in-between the other full showings. Of them all, Kung Fu Panda was probably the best. Yeah, you heard me right. Indy seemed to be way too regurgitated and Caspian suffered from most of the same problems as the first one. Oh well. After discovering that Sex and the City was not playing after eight o'clock -- mind boggling for a rated R movie -- we watched Iron Man again.

By the time that was over it was midnight and Get Smart was premiering so we thought, "Why not?" Best decision of the day. If you had to port Michael from The Office into a big screen movie, this was pretty much it. Steve Carell has cornered the market on incompetent but lovable losers. Also, I've been watching Anne Hathaway's earlier work (Princes Diaries, Ella Enchanted) and I've decided I like her. The entire movie itself was silly but filled with some great lines and hilarious scenes. So after my semi-six pack of movies, I'm all caught up and now I'm ready for a summer of actually good movies to come out.

Bonus: If you're a fan of The Office, you have to watch SNL's Japanese version.

Labels: B, C, Movies

The funniest thing about this movie might be how the advertising campaign, which includes posters and billboards that read "You Suck, Sarah Marshall" and "My Mother Always Hated You, Sarah Marshall," has made life for the real Sarah Marshalls of the world difficult. Some of them have struck back with "You Suck, Judd Apatow" signs.

While I'm no Sarah Marshall, I concur with them: most of the Judd Apatow movies do suck. Check out the films he's produced and directed. Hilarious fare like 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Walk Hard, Superbad, Talladega Nights, etc. Ugh. Apatow has earned my ever lasting love for Freaks and Geeks but he (and his progeny) have clearly gone for raunch over nuance.

I'm really glad Jason Segel and Seth Rogen have been able to get ahead in life but really, they're not good enough to be leading men. If not for the adorable Mila Kunis -- and Russell Brand (as Aldous Snow) -- this movie would have been a total waste of time. The entire thing is uneven and swings wildly from sometimes amusing set piece to totally off the wall unfunny set piece.

James (Okapix) has this theory that anything over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes is worth watching. His thinking is that if a wide majority of critics and viewers like something it must be good. But I tell him repeatedly that anything the masses like is actually much more likely to be terrible. This film is a perfect example of that. 85% on RT and great reviews from most of the critics.

Skip it and forget it, seriously.

Labels: C, Movies

It looks so good doesn't it? A quirky sarcastic movie starring Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Thomas Hayden Church, and Sarah Jessica Parker? Well the important thing to take away from Smart People is that well... nothing actually. Along the same lines of the far superior The Squid and the Whale, Smart People is about self-absorbed academics and their dysfunctional families. That's where the similarities end though.

There's just not enough memorable lines or scenes in this movie and the emotional growth the characters undergo is contrived and hokey. Thank god for (a pre-Juno) Ellen Page, who's as caustic as ever, even if she's saddled with a strange semi-incestuous sort of love story. I read that this script was bouncing around Hollywood for awhile and now I know why.

Labels: C, Movies

By the time this movie finally came out (I've been waiting months for it), I had shared the trailer with people as many times as I could and convinced them that it would be hilarious and brilliant. With a trailer so good, the movie sold itself. Since it took so long to finally release, there was just a hint of whiplash coming around too. Would the movie be as great as the trailer?

Let's talk about Michel Gondry first. Certain people love Michel Gondry's work (Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep) almost irrespective of what he actually puts on film. He's got a cult following, he can solve a Rubik's Cube with his feet (sort of), and he rose from being a visionary music video director to a director with amazing visuals.

The main criticism of his movies is that the stories are fantastic and intriguing but often lacks the cohesion and plot to tie everything together. Well, the mere fact that Gondry did one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen, as well as the best concert film I've ever experienced, would endear him to me forever. I'd watch anything he does.

Especially when he does stuff like "swede" his own Be Kind Rewind trailer. The guy is smart, artistic, funny, and versatile. Who cares where his ideas come from? It's just great that Gondry has the panache and clout to do whatever he wants.

With that said, Be Kind Rewind was a huge disappointment. I mean, it was set up to be a little bit of a disappointment just by all the hype but it's kind of true when people say "everything's in the trailer." I guess, with a one trick pony, it's hard to extend it past a few minutes into a feature length movie. This is one movie I wish I knew nothing about before viewing but that was impossible. I'd already seen everything prior to going to the theatre.

It bugged me that I was bored at some parts of the movie. It surprised me that things I expected to laugh at got no reaction from me. Sure, there were lots of little details that made the experience worthwhile (hand piano keys, pizza, fan), but in the end, this is easily "the best worst movie" I've seen in awhile -- and not in the so bad it's good genre.

Entire sub-plots were wholly useless and unexplained. The whole Fats Waller thing seemed extraneous for example, as did the subsequent father-son dynamic. There was hardly any rhyme or reason to devote any screen time to motivations and storylines, yet Gondry shoehorned in some "how's" and "why's." I guess all that I wanted to see were more fake movies and the "how they did it" type footage.

It also bothered me that I had to search for a higher meaning in Be Kind Rewind to enjoy most of it. Near the end, I had convinced myself that this was an allegory for the current state of the movie business and a nostalgic clarion call for independent movies. Which it could be I guess, but then again, I haven't read anything alluding to that higher purpose.

An aside about Mos Def. As an actor, he's starting to annoy the heck out of me. He's been promisingly decent in most of his smaller parts but as soon as he gets a title role, he starts talking incredibly weird. Like ultra-nasally and whiny.

I've heard Mos talk before and while his voice is a little nasal to begin with, I feel like he's affecting this high pitched whine thing on purpose. I wanted him to get shot in 16 Blocks just so he would shut up. Oh well, Mos is one of the greatest MCs of all time and (white) people like him so I'll let it go.

In the end, it hurts me to say this but I really can't recommend Be Kind Rewind to friends because you end up walking out disappointed. Maybe, just like Mike and Jerry's versions, the movie would have been better at twenty minutes.

Oh well, what's next Michel?

Labels: C, Movies

There's getting old -- as in quarter or mid-life crisis -- and then there's getting old -- as in sick and unable to take care of yourself. This movie's about the latter, sort of. In most people's views, sending a parent to a nursing home is a sign of defeat and/or selfishness. For Jon and Wendy Savage, it's both of those and oh so much more. I went into this movie thinking it was a "dark comedy" but buyer beware, it's no such thing. There's certainly humor in the film but it's more accurate to describe everything as "depressing but with lots of places to smile."

Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman are excellent as usual. I wonder if Linney is actually that neurotic in real life or if she gets typecast because she's so good at it. She's one of my few must-see actresses around. And isn't it a bit stunning to think that Hoffman played Chris O'Donnell's roommate in Scent of a Woman?

I wonder if naming the characters "Jo(h)n" and "Wendy" was a reference to Peter Pan...

Labels: C, Movies

This was a book club selection from some years back. Neither Lilly or I could get through it. We thought it would be appropriate to view the film version in case we missed something. Even with people in our row getting out of their seats two or three times to fetch popcorn, etc. I don't think we missed much. Talk about a sad story that just keeps getting sadder.

It's a shame such a beautiful movie has to make you wonder what you just spent two hours in the theatre for and how you'll find a nearby happy pool to jump into. I'm all for tragic endings but c'mon, a few rainbows can't hurt can it? I will say that the movie is engrossing for its full running length though, which is praise enough.

I kinda feel like Keira Knightley and James McAvoy would make good leads for a remake of The Great Gatsby in a few years. I wonder if Keira only does English period dramas...

Labels: C, Movies

There's certain films that critics adore that I really can't get into. A History of Violence was one. Most David Lynch stuff is another. Apparently my one Art of Film class wasn't enough to shed any light on what it all means. What I can say about No Country for Old Men is that it's finely acted and everything seemed to be really dramatic and important, but in the end, I just felt like I'd missed something. And not just because of the abrupt ending. If you see it, you'll know what I mean.

Bigger film brains than I are hailing No Country as a powerful film that says something meaningful about the nature of violence and evil (in men). I didn't catch any of that; maybe we're desensitized nowadays. Javier Bardem was cool though. It's not easy to rock black slacks, a denim jacket, and that so retro it's now-tro hair.

Labels: C, Movies

Full of excellent dialogue and characters that immediately catch your attention, Starting Out in the Evening begins quite well but then drifts toward an ending that is altogether unsatisfying. Frank Langella is a literary lion working on his last book when a young graduate student invades his space and proceeds to turn his life upside down, sort of. Sadly, the expected epiphany or denouement never arrives and it bugs because the movie as a whole is so finely acted and constructed.

The best thing I got out of the whole experience was newfound respect for Lauren Ambrose of Six Feet Under fame. She shows another side of her acting ability and really glows in her role as the beautiful graduate student. Hopefully this will springboard her into bigger (but not necessarily better) roles.

Labels: C, Movies

Into the Wild
Christopher McCandless graduated from college, gave away his savings, and set off to traipse around the United States in an attempt to escape consumerism and become one with nature. Inspired by Henry David Thoreau and Jack London, he also subsequently joined them as RIP two years after he disappeared.

You could look at the whole thing as a touching tale of a young man finding himself or as a spoiled kid who died because of his arrogance. I lean toward the latter despite the movie heavily promoting the inspiring version. While the film has been getting all sorts of great reviews, I felt it was a bit dry and hardly revelationary -- or insightful. Good cinematography though.

The Golden Compass
Fine, I only watched the back half of the movie (the better half so I'm told) but if the entire thing is anything like what I experienced, it's no great adventure flick. In fact, the entire film seems stilted and aside from the very cool snow bears, there wasn't much we hadn't seen before in either Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia -- neither of which I was in love with in the first place. While this first movie will undoubtedly extend into a franchise, I can't see it measuring up as a classic.

I'm halfway through the book too (and have been for months) but I can't seem to commit to that magic either, although the series is always touted as a classic. I guess I'll give the book another go when I can. The movie? I'll pass.

Enchanted
Would you believe that out of all these movies, Enchanted was the best one? I mocked somebody at work for printing out preview passes to watch this; turns out he was just ahead of the curve. Walking out after the magic of "The End," I just felt happy inside. Happily ever after as it were. The film mocks Disney's classic stories but in a really funny way. The mix of animation and live action is done really well and it's refreshing to see the Disney princess tale given a new spin. Seriously, it's good.

Check out this NY Times story, "The Line Between Homage and Parody," for an interesting behind the scenes.

Labels: B, C, D, Movies

Denzel and Russell should make for a classic right? There's really nothing wrong with the movie but there's definitely a lack of energy about the whole thing. Scenes taken individually are well constructed but nothing held together and at times it was almost boring. The best thing about the film is that it's based on a true story and you can research the real Frank Lucas afterwards. here's "The Return of Superfly," the article that got the ball rolling on the movie.

Compared to something like Heat, American Gangster had nothing to recommend it.

Labels: C, Movies

Not as intelligent or as dramatic of a movie as I was led to believe. While the acting and the direction was nice all around, there just wasn't much going on the whole time and in the end, there was nothing that made you go "Oh, nice!" George Clooney is excellent as a lawyer who is brought in to fix sticky situations but to be honest, we don't get the sense that he's "The Wolf" at all. He's almost kind of a loser actually. There's a message and a brain to this movie but it's all muddled.

I should have checked out one of these flicks: Lars and the Real Girl, We Own the Night, 3:10 to Yuma, Across the Universe, Outsourced, Darjeeling Limited, Assassination of Jesse James, This Is England, or any number of movies I've been so far unable to watch.

Labels: C, Movies

It's a tale as old as time: Assassin can't recall why they kill or who they are. They slowly start to figure it out and aim to take out their creators. Long Kiss Goodnight, etc.

The kicker here is that it's taken three movies for Jason Bourne's tale to spin out. Having missed the first two films but willing to watch the third due to rave reviews, the basic jist is this: I can't wait for Wolverine to come out soon; which will be like this movie but with more fur and claws. Snikt.

Labels: C, Movies

"Wong Kar-Wai" directly translated from Chinese means "pretty good movie." Well, unless you don't really get what happened -- like my initial watching of Fallen Angels. I kept fearing the dreaded "it's about to end with no resolution" moment. I think you'd have to be a real film buff to enjoy this guy. Well, maybe not a real film buff but a viewer who goes in with an understanding of what Wong is doing.

The acting, mood, and scenery are all excellent but it's hard to wrap American film ideals around this movie. I can't honestly say I liked it or got it, but I'm going to watch it again. Who knew it's a semi-sequel (part of a semi-trilogy) to Chungking Express? I didn't.

"The best thing about my profession is that there's no need to make any decision. Who's to die... when... where... it's all been planned by others. I'm a lazy person. I like people to arrange things for me. That's why I need a partner."

Labels: C, Movies

FF4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
I'm a sucker for comic book movies and it's rare to find one that's even halfway worth recommending. Well, if you thought FF4 was bad, this one's better! I liked the original FF4 to be honest. It was breezy, entertaining, and compared relatively, quite excellent. It keeps the melodrama low, the action somewhat believeable, and has likable characters (and actors). The Spiderman franchise pales in comparison. The Fantastic Four are twice as fun. Squared. This sequel is actually really good and the epitome of breezy summer flick. Not that this needs saying, but Jessica Alba is ridiculous and actually pulls her weight in this film, more or less.

Ocean's 13
Will this series ever die? Sticking to the same formula as the first one, Ocean's ends (once again) with open endedness and the possibility for a sequel. Does anyone even want to watch Ocean's 14 -- or god forbid, 15? While 13 is better than 12, it's too similar to 11 to warrant any true excitement. We know they're going to win, we know there's going to be some twists, even Pitt and Clooney are getting boring. And this time out there's no Julia or Catherine (although Ellen Barkin works as a nice substitute). I know people love this series but honestly, should we really be supporting it anymore? They're robbing a bank all right, by taking ten dollars out of every movie watcher's pocket.

Pirates 3
I watched this movie in bits and pieces as I movie hopped. From what I could tell, it's long, convoluted, and better than the second. The first one is the only one in the series that's actually stellar but the second and third one will do. It's hard to say why this franchise is so fun but it is and it's not even worth commenting on. You either like it or you don't. It's silly, it's melodramatic, Johnny Depp is getting overrated (as Captain Jack) but they throw enough characters at you that you just kind of follow along for three plus hours. I like it. Ahoy matey?

Labels: B, C, Movies