64 posts tagged “movies”
We saw this last weekend, opening weekend, and I forgot to blog about it!
I'll tell you right now, I'm a bit of a Disney fangirl when it comes to their classics. From Snow White to Cinderella to the big comeback in the late 80s with Little Mermaid and Aladdin - I know all the words to so many of the songs. I used to spend hours trying to draw the images from the shows. So, needless to say, I was really nervous about this movie because the last few Disney cartoons (Home on the Range, Atlantis) did not do it for me at all plus there was all kind of controversy because this would feature the first African-American "princess" for Disney. With so much pressure on one little movie, I wasn't sure if they could pull it off.
Well, they did. It's not the best Disney movie ever, but it is definitely a solid film and it is good enough to get Disney started again. It feels like a 'Little Mermaid' - you can see all the potential that this could be the start of a new era. I really hope it is!
The movie is set in New Orleans in the 1930s. Tiana is trying to save up her pennies, working hard to achieve her dream. While she's slaving away waiting tables, a prince rolls into town - a prince with no money but lots of style. Froggy-ness ensues because of some crazy VooDoo...and that's all I'm going to say!
The animation is gorgeous. The songs are really fun (my two favorites were "Friends on the Other Side" and "Evangeline") and the story has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, even though you know it will end happily ever after.
I haven't actually talked to any *kids* that have seen it, I'm wondering if the movie would have been scary for the little ones. I thought the villian's song was quite creepy, especially the animation with voodoo spirits and skulls floating around. And there was another part that AD said he noticed parents trying to distract their kids from the screen during.
I hope Disney keeps this tradition alive. I know it was Jon Lassiter at Pixar that produced the movie, saying that 2D animation was still a valid art form for the studio. So I hope enough people see the movie that the big wigs agree to make a few more.
It will make you fee like a kid again. Go see it. :)
Before I begin this "movie thoughts" post, I must say a few things:
1. I <3 the Raimi boys. I've been a fan of the Evil Dead films since I was in high school. My brother and I watched them a LOT. We loved that weird, twisted sense of humor mixed with wacky horror.
2. I'm a wuss. I don't really like scary movies. I don't like to watch people get murdered horribly. Not my thing. When I do attempt to watch movies like that, I end up up all night, listening to the "axe murderer" I hear sneaking around my apartment.
Okay, now that we got that out of the way:
"Drag Me To Hell" is the most hilarious horror movie I've seen since "Evil Dead 2". As my friend Damian described it, you spend most of the film going "AAAH! *blink blink* HAHAHAHA!". Sam & Ivan Raimi didn't set out to change the face of horror movies. Instead, they stuck with what they new - spooky mixed with silly - and "Drag Me To Hell" is a great 90 minute gasp/guffaw fest.
Christine Brown just wants to get some respect. She wants to get the promotion at her job. She wants to impress her long-term boyfriend (played by Justin "I'm a Mac!" Long) and his parents. She wants to leave behind her farm roots and be something more. So when an old woman comes into the bank begging for a third extension on her mortgage, Christine decides that she will show how tough she can be and denies the woman the loan. Unfortunately, this woman turns out to be a gypsy. She curses Christine - in 3 days, she will be DRAGGED INTO HELL!
There are just as many "gotcha" moments in this movie as there are Looney Tunes moments. If you have a friend (like me) who is a wuss and doesn't like realistic gore/realistic violence/slasher flicks but you want to watch something a little creepy, this is a good one to try.
It's actually really "clean" too. I mean, there is very little swearing, no big sex scene - it's just ridiculous scare gag after gag.
The great thing about this movie is how much it reminds me of the low-budget horror that was evil dead. Before studio started pumping money into this genre and realistic CGI effects took over, a bunch of rattling windows and eerie shadows were enough to give you goosebumps. When I finished the film, I felt entertained, but not so upset I couldn't go to bed.
Yeah it's cheesy. But I've decided that I like my horror with a helping of cheese. I'm sure the hardcore horror fans are laughing at me, but that's fine. Hardcore horror is not my thing. Give me a goofy Raimi Bros. flick any day!
My only complaint was the lack of Bruce Campbell cameo - but I guess he was shooting Burn Notice.
3.5 out of 5 stars
1. I <3 the Raimi boys. I've been a fan of the Evil Dead films since I was in high school. My brother and I watched them a LOT. We loved that weird, twisted sense of humor mixed with wacky horror.
2. I'm a wuss. I don't really like scary movies. I don't like to watch people get murdered horribly. Not my thing. When I do attempt to watch movies like that, I end up up all night, listening to the "axe murderer" I hear sneaking around my apartment.
Okay, now that we got that out of the way:
"Drag Me To Hell" is the most hilarious horror movie I've seen since "Evil Dead 2". As my friend Damian described it, you spend most of the film going "AAAH! *blink blink* HAHAHAHA!". Sam & Ivan Raimi didn't set out to change the face of horror movies. Instead, they stuck with what they new - spooky mixed with silly - and "Drag Me To Hell" is a great 90 minute gasp/guffaw fest.
Christine Brown just wants to get some respect. She wants to get the promotion at her job. She wants to impress her long-term boyfriend (played by Justin "I'm a Mac!" Long) and his parents. She wants to leave behind her farm roots and be something more. So when an old woman comes into the bank begging for a third extension on her mortgage, Christine decides that she will show how tough she can be and denies the woman the loan. Unfortunately, this woman turns out to be a gypsy. She curses Christine - in 3 days, she will be DRAGGED INTO HELL!
There are just as many "gotcha" moments in this movie as there are Looney Tunes moments. If you have a friend (like me) who is a wuss and doesn't like realistic gore/realistic violence/slasher flicks but you want to watch something a little creepy, this is a good one to try.
It's actually really "clean" too. I mean, there is very little swearing, no big sex scene - it's just ridiculous scare gag after gag.
The great thing about this movie is how much it reminds me of the low-budget horror that was evil dead. Before studio started pumping money into this genre and realistic CGI effects took over, a bunch of rattling windows and eerie shadows were enough to give you goosebumps. When I finished the film, I felt entertained, but not so upset I couldn't go to bed.
Yeah it's cheesy. But I've decided that I like my horror with a helping of cheese. I'm sure the hardcore horror fans are laughing at me, but that's fine. Hardcore horror is not my thing. Give me a goofy Raimi Bros. flick any day!
My only complaint was the lack of Bruce Campbell cameo - but I guess he was shooting Burn Notice.
3.5 out of 5 stars
A note to movie-makers: only go over 2 hours if your movie is based on a novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Otherwise, you're probably going to lose my interest.
Case in point - State of Play. What could have been an edge-of-your-seat, political thriller/murder mystery instead turned into a yes-I-figured-most-of-this-out-30 minutes ago.
The basic story: Ben Affleck plays Senator Collins who is the lead in an investigation into the private group hired by the government. Oddly enough, the head researcher from his group is killed. The media tries to smear Sen. Collins when he reacts to this news with tears, saying he must have been in love with her. Russell Crowe plays Sen. Collins old college roommate (really? Crowe and Affleck are supposed to be the same age??). Anyway, since they were BFFs, he tries to help Collins clear his name, but since he's a journalist, he goes around the police (headed by Echo's handler from Dollhouse). But who was really behind the murder and why??? oooh that's the twisted tale!
Okay, okay - nice things first. It appears they actually shot the movie in D.C.! And guess what - you can't see the Capitol/Washington Monument/Lincoln Memorial from every window (I'm looking at you, Die Hard 4). I was also VERY grateful that they did not force a romantic relationship between Rachael McAdams and Russell Crowe. I also liked the "making the newspaper" montage - but then again, I love montages.
The movie starts out strong, setting you up with 3 murders, slowly giving us the clues to put it all together...and then for some reason it decides to tread water. There is a intense sequence in a underground garage and then instead of using that momentum to take us to the end of the film, we get stuck with another 45 minutes of plodding.
When I saw it was based on a BBC Miniseries, I should have known that a movie based on a miniSERIES was going to be too long.
The actors all did a great job, the downfall of this movie was the editing. Too much downtime, and after what should have been the climactic scene, things do not movie quickly enough to wrap up the movie. By that point, the audience is over it.
2.5 out of 5 stars
Case in point - State of Play. What could have been an edge-of-your-seat, political thriller/murder mystery instead turned into a yes-I-figured-most-of-this-out-30 minutes ago.
The basic story: Ben Affleck plays Senator Collins who is the lead in an investigation into the private group hired by the government. Oddly enough, the head researcher from his group is killed. The media tries to smear Sen. Collins when he reacts to this news with tears, saying he must have been in love with her. Russell Crowe plays Sen. Collins old college roommate (really? Crowe and Affleck are supposed to be the same age??). Anyway, since they were BFFs, he tries to help Collins clear his name, but since he's a journalist, he goes around the police (headed by Echo's handler from Dollhouse). But who was really behind the murder and why??? oooh that's the twisted tale!
Okay, okay - nice things first. It appears they actually shot the movie in D.C.! And guess what - you can't see the Capitol/Washington Monument/Lincoln Memorial from every window (I'm looking at you, Die Hard 4). I was also VERY grateful that they did not force a romantic relationship between Rachael McAdams and Russell Crowe. I also liked the "making the newspaper" montage - but then again, I love montages.
The movie starts out strong, setting you up with 3 murders, slowly giving us the clues to put it all together...and then for some reason it decides to tread water. There is a intense sequence in a underground garage and then instead of using that momentum to take us to the end of the film, we get stuck with another 45 minutes of plodding.
When I saw it was based on a BBC Miniseries, I should have known that a movie based on a miniSERIES was going to be too long.
The actors all did a great job, the downfall of this movie was the editing. Too much downtime, and after what should have been the climactic scene, things do not movie quickly enough to wrap up the movie. By that point, the audience is over it.
2.5 out of 5 stars
So, if you're a fan of Battlestar Galactica, you know that the Cylons were created by man, they evolved, they rebelled, and then they came back and attempted to wipe out the human race. At the start of each episode of Season 1 and Season 2, viewers are reminded of this fact and are assured that the Cylcons have a plan.
Unfortunately, The Plan movie does little to shed light on the story you probably wanted to know more about - the final five and their origins. Instead, what we get is the story of the Brothers Cavill, intercut with a collection of clips from various episodes from those early seasons.
I felt like this was a big opportunity wasted. What could have been a chance to delve deeper into the final five and their characters before the attack on Earth, is just a clip show. First I was annoyed by the amount of clips in the show, then I quickly found myself LONGING for them because they were the only time anything actually happened. And for the last half the show, I kept thinking "wow, I'd rather be rewatching these episodes rather than this mess".
There were glimmers of other ideas, of little things that could have made for a more interesting story, but since they seem determined to only show us moments that could be tied into clips from other episodes, we never got to find out more about the Cylons. We were just stuck with Cavill.
And, like the Caprica straight-to-dvd episode, the "un-aired footage" from The Plan will mostly consist of naked people. Ellen Tigh drinks in a bar where the waitresses are topless, and we have a VERY random scene in the co-ed bathroom on board BSG with lots of man butt and side boob.
For me, what makes the early seasons of BSG so great is their metaphor to what was going on in our society at the time. The terrorist attacks, the fear, choosing sides etc.. This special takes the mystery out of so many of those moments and confuses things.
I'm so happy we rented this and did not pay for it. Like the Star Wars prequels or the 7th Harry Potter book, I had a better idea for what this special could have been, and seeing what they ended up creating leaves me very disappointed. I will not be buying this on DVD for our collection because it does nothing for the story or the mythos of BSG.
Unfortunately, The Plan movie does little to shed light on the story you probably wanted to know more about - the final five and their origins. Instead, what we get is the story of the Brothers Cavill, intercut with a collection of clips from various episodes from those early seasons.
I felt like this was a big opportunity wasted. What could have been a chance to delve deeper into the final five and their characters before the attack on Earth, is just a clip show. First I was annoyed by the amount of clips in the show, then I quickly found myself LONGING for them because they were the only time anything actually happened. And for the last half the show, I kept thinking "wow, I'd rather be rewatching these episodes rather than this mess".
There were glimmers of other ideas, of little things that could have made for a more interesting story, but since they seem determined to only show us moments that could be tied into clips from other episodes, we never got to find out more about the Cylons. We were just stuck with Cavill.
And, like the Caprica straight-to-dvd episode, the "un-aired footage" from The Plan will mostly consist of naked people. Ellen Tigh drinks in a bar where the waitresses are topless, and we have a VERY random scene in the co-ed bathroom on board BSG with lots of man butt and side boob.
For me, what makes the early seasons of BSG so great is their metaphor to what was going on in our society at the time. The terrorist attacks, the fear, choosing sides etc.. This special takes the mystery out of so many of those moments and confuses things.
I'm so happy we rented this and did not pay for it. Like the Star Wars prequels or the 7th Harry Potter book, I had a better idea for what this special could have been, and seeing what they ended up creating leaves me very disappointed. I will not be buying this on DVD for our collection because it does nothing for the story or the mythos of BSG.
To survive in Zombieland, you've just got to follow a few simple rules:
1. Have a wacky sense of humor
2. Be up on pop culture references from 1980s-present day
3. Be ready to laugh out loud!
Honestly, if you had told me that was going to enjoy a movie with zombies and Woody Harrelson, and I would spend a good hour and a half laughing non-stop - I would not have believed you! Even with a solid score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, I had my doubts. I mean, a comedy with zombies?
It has to be seen to be believed!
Even though they shove Woody Harrelson in your face during the trailers, it is Jesse Eisenberg that is the star of this movie, his deadpan, matter-of-fact delivery of the real rules to surviving in the zombie infested world (#1 - CARDIO!) will make you giggle. He's that loner loser that so many of us can identify with, spending his free time cooped up in a dorm room, playing World of Warcraft. But all that changes after the zombies arrive! He meets up with Harrelson's character while trying to get back to his parents in Columbus, OH. Hilarity ensues.
The best thing about this movie is that it is ridiculous, and it never tries to be anything else. It's like "Hey, this movie is about ZOMBIES and it's gonna be FUNNY! Deal with it." It never tries to preach about society's values; it doesn't get sidetracked by a love story; it doesn't spend loads of time trying to explain why this has all happened. It stays true to it's mission - to make the audience laugh out loud for as much as possible while our heroes wise-crack their way through a world filled with disgusting, drooling zombies.
Yes, Zombieland is SMART and FUNNY and the kind of movie that you walk out of the theater quoting...and then find yourself quoting it days later. The jokes range from toilet humor to literary references.
I don't want to give too much away. There are so many jokes and little surprises that make this movie great. Go see it before you get spoiled. This movie makes my personal top ten list for 2009 - it was that good.
So do your cardio, remember the double tap, and always check the back seat.
1. Have a wacky sense of humor
2. Be up on pop culture references from 1980s-present day
3. Be ready to laugh out loud!
Honestly, if you had told me that was going to enjoy a movie with zombies and Woody Harrelson, and I would spend a good hour and a half laughing non-stop - I would not have believed you! Even with a solid score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, I had my doubts. I mean, a comedy with zombies?
It has to be seen to be believed!
Even though they shove Woody Harrelson in your face during the trailers, it is Jesse Eisenberg that is the star of this movie, his deadpan, matter-of-fact delivery of the real rules to surviving in the zombie infested world (#1 - CARDIO!) will make you giggle. He's that loner loser that so many of us can identify with, spending his free time cooped up in a dorm room, playing World of Warcraft. But all that changes after the zombies arrive! He meets up with Harrelson's character while trying to get back to his parents in Columbus, OH. Hilarity ensues.
The best thing about this movie is that it is ridiculous, and it never tries to be anything else. It's like "Hey, this movie is about ZOMBIES and it's gonna be FUNNY! Deal with it." It never tries to preach about society's values; it doesn't get sidetracked by a love story; it doesn't spend loads of time trying to explain why this has all happened. It stays true to it's mission - to make the audience laugh out loud for as much as possible while our heroes wise-crack their way through a world filled with disgusting, drooling zombies.
Yes, Zombieland is SMART and FUNNY and the kind of movie that you walk out of the theater quoting...and then find yourself quoting it days later. The jokes range from toilet humor to literary references.
I don't want to give too much away. There are so many jokes and little surprises that make this movie great. Go see it before you get spoiled. This movie makes my personal top ten list for 2009 - it was that good.
So do your cardio, remember the double tap, and always check the back seat.
When you take a close look at the story at the very core of 'District 9', there is really nothing new there - xenophobia has been a part of our world since the dawn of time. 'District 9' does what any quality science fiction film would do; it takes issues in the real world, issues we have trouble dealing with face to face, and turning it into a story we can handle and process.
The aliens never landed. Their ship just hovered. When humans finally made contact, the creatures inside the ship were ill and trapped. In an effort to help them, the aliens were transported to the ground to give them a chance to recover. But what was supposed to be a short-term operation has now lasted 20 years, and the compound has transformed into a slum. Tensions between the aliens and the humans have reached an all time high, and the government has decided to move them. Wikus Van De Merwe is in charge of a taskforce to get the "signatures" of the aliens living in District 9, a legal technicality that Multi-National United (MNU) needs to get by to move the aliens to District 10. Like most humans, he likes to think he is treating the "Prawns" the way they deserved to be treated, but once he is inside the slums and sucked into their world, he slowly begins to rethink the way he has seen this creatures.
This is an intense movie. I know I spent the last half-hour, maybe even more, sitting on the edge of my seat, ready to cringe/hide/cry/scream/emote at the screen. The effects were seamless and you never doubt that the aliens are living among these people.
It's very smart storytelling too; there is very little handholding from the writer or director. Either you're able to keep up with their technique, or you'll have to watch it again on DVD - they have no time to wait for you. It's this great mix of "archival footage", documentary footage, surveillance footage, and then the movie stuff mixed in. But I never felt confused by it at all.
Very well done and worth seeing on the big screen.
The aliens never landed. Their ship just hovered. When humans finally made contact, the creatures inside the ship were ill and trapped. In an effort to help them, the aliens were transported to the ground to give them a chance to recover. But what was supposed to be a short-term operation has now lasted 20 years, and the compound has transformed into a slum. Tensions between the aliens and the humans have reached an all time high, and the government has decided to move them. Wikus Van De Merwe is in charge of a taskforce to get the "signatures" of the aliens living in District 9, a legal technicality that Multi-National United (MNU) needs to get by to move the aliens to District 10. Like most humans, he likes to think he is treating the "Prawns" the way they deserved to be treated, but once he is inside the slums and sucked into their world, he slowly begins to rethink the way he has seen this creatures.
This is an intense movie. I know I spent the last half-hour, maybe even more, sitting on the edge of my seat, ready to cringe/hide/cry/scream/emote at the screen. The effects were seamless and you never doubt that the aliens are living among these people.
It's very smart storytelling too; there is very little handholding from the writer or director. Either you're able to keep up with their technique, or you'll have to watch it again on DVD - they have no time to wait for you. It's this great mix of "archival footage", documentary footage, surveillance footage, and then the movie stuff mixed in. But I never felt confused by it at all.
Very well done and worth seeing on the big screen.
In a summer filled with intergalactic adventure, giant fighting robots, and boy wizards, 500 Days of Summer is a nice break. No, it's not the best movie evar but it does what it sets out to do well and at an hour and a half in length, it's perfect for a quiet summer evening.
Tom is a hopeless romantic, waiting for his perfect girl, and he knows it will be love at first sight. Summer is the opposite - a free spirit who tries to avoid getting into serious relationships as she finds them too messy. And so the story begins...or middles...see, 500 Days of Summer is told in a non-linear style, taking the audience to random days in the 500 days of this relationship (starting from the day Tom first sees Summer until the day he officially moves on).
It's a really sweet movie and it's heart is in the right place. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt work really well together as this on screen couple. Clearly, this movie is targeted toward my generation, or more like the one right before it, with references to Star Wars, Knight Rider, The Smiths, and many more random pop culture jokes.
Oddly enough, it reminded me of 'How I Met Your Mother'. Tom reminded me a lot of Ted - and not just because of the random narrator that follows them both around (a part of the movie I was never 100% comfortable with, but I guess it worked to get some of the gags out). Their mission for their soul mate is about the same. So if you're a fan of that show, you'll probably really enjoy this movie.
500 Days of Summer is a nice way to relax - there's are no villians or evil doers. It's just a sweet store. I think the humor and writing will appeal to both men and women. If you can find a theater close by playing it, I totally recommend grabbing some friends and heading over. (Comedies are always better when you have someone to laugh along with). If not, def. put it on your Netflix list. It doesn't have any big budget special effects, so seeing it on the big screen isn't crucial.
And yes, like every good summer indie flick should - it has an awesome soundtrack.
Tom is a hopeless romantic, waiting for his perfect girl, and he knows it will be love at first sight. Summer is the opposite - a free spirit who tries to avoid getting into serious relationships as she finds them too messy. And so the story begins...or middles...see, 500 Days of Summer is told in a non-linear style, taking the audience to random days in the 500 days of this relationship (starting from the day Tom first sees Summer until the day he officially moves on).
It's a really sweet movie and it's heart is in the right place. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt work really well together as this on screen couple. Clearly, this movie is targeted toward my generation, or more like the one right before it, with references to Star Wars, Knight Rider, The Smiths, and many more random pop culture jokes.
Oddly enough, it reminded me of 'How I Met Your Mother'. Tom reminded me a lot of Ted - and not just because of the random narrator that follows them both around (a part of the movie I was never 100% comfortable with, but I guess it worked to get some of the gags out). Their mission for their soul mate is about the same. So if you're a fan of that show, you'll probably really enjoy this movie.
500 Days of Summer is a nice way to relax - there's are no villians or evil doers. It's just a sweet store. I think the humor and writing will appeal to both men and women. If you can find a theater close by playing it, I totally recommend grabbing some friends and heading over. (Comedies are always better when you have someone to laugh along with). If not, def. put it on your Netflix list. It doesn't have any big budget special effects, so seeing it on the big screen isn't crucial.
And yes, like every good summer indie flick should - it has an awesome soundtrack.
Full Disclosure: Gangster movies are like Roller Coasters for me. I'm not a fan of roller coasters, but every time I go to a theme park and see people having fun, I think I should maybe try one again. So, once a year I hop on a roller coaster, remember all the reasons I don't enjoy riding them, and go back to waiting at the exit to each ride, holding everyone's bags and eating ice cream.
Gangster movies tend to work the same way - I just can't get into them. But so many people were raving about this movie on their blogs, I felt I should give it a try. Heck, it has Johnny Depp AND Christian Bale.
Public Enemies covers the end of John Dillinger's career, the middle of Agent Melvin Purvis', and the start of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. Yeah, that's a lot to cover in a single movie, isn't it?
To me, the movie felt like it was written backwards - like the screenwriter read about Dillinger's demise and was like "OMG that would be an awesome end to a movie!" and then worked from there. So the start of the film is really slow and plodding, and you never really get to know the characters. By the end of the movie, I was still more connected to the actors than the characters, but the action had picked up and the last bit was a lot more interesting (though it too could have moved faster).
The best thing about the movie for me was Marion Cotillard who played Billie, Dillinger's "true love" (or, as gangsters tend to do, the woman he decided to obsess over after seeing her from across the room). She has one of those amazing faces, like Depp, that make the character seem deeper than the writing ever did. I was happy any time she was on screen.
In the end, the movie was too long. I think if the editing had been a bit tighter and if the writer/director could have just picked ONE theme or ONE story, it could have been a stronger film. As it is, it's a mediocre movie that you can watch once but won't really stick with you beyond the initial viewing.
I'm gonna go get some ice cream.
Gangster movies tend to work the same way - I just can't get into them. But so many people were raving about this movie on their blogs, I felt I should give it a try. Heck, it has Johnny Depp AND Christian Bale.
Public Enemies covers the end of John Dillinger's career, the middle of Agent Melvin Purvis', and the start of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. Yeah, that's a lot to cover in a single movie, isn't it?
To me, the movie felt like it was written backwards - like the screenwriter read about Dillinger's demise and was like "OMG that would be an awesome end to a movie!" and then worked from there. So the start of the film is really slow and plodding, and you never really get to know the characters. By the end of the movie, I was still more connected to the actors than the characters, but the action had picked up and the last bit was a lot more interesting (though it too could have moved faster).
The best thing about the movie for me was Marion Cotillard who played Billie, Dillinger's "true love" (or, as gangsters tend to do, the woman he decided to obsess over after seeing her from across the room). She has one of those amazing faces, like Depp, that make the character seem deeper than the writing ever did. I was happy any time she was on screen.
In the end, the movie was too long. I think if the editing had been a bit tighter and if the writer/director could have just picked ONE theme or ONE story, it could have been a stronger film. As it is, it's a mediocre movie that you can watch once but won't really stick with you beyond the initial viewing.
I'm gonna go get some ice cream.
Wow.
I mean, I knew it had received poor reviews, but nothing could have prepared me for how bad this movie was. It wasn't any of the actors' fault - they were trying their best - but the script and the editing was just all over the place.
The only reason I knew what was going on was because I had played the video game which, oddly enough, made a heck of a lot more sense and had a lot better pacing than the movie.
After Bryan Singer's X-Men and X2, the bar was set pretty high for this franchise. When the studio ditched Singer for X3, most of us were disappointed in the film we were given. I'm not sure who or what was behind the mess that is Wolverine, but as much as I didn't enjoy X3, at least it had a plot that I could follow, as stupid as it was.
What frustrates me the most when movies like this fail, is the knowledge that there are comic books out there, books with coherent plots that treat the characters with respect (and the continuity) that were completely ignored in the name of BLOW UP STUFF GUD! I wasn't feeling any love for the studio, all I saw was their equations of comic books + movie = easy money for studio. They always seem to forget that quality plays a part. *sigh*
And they should be ashamed for wasting Gambit, a character popular with so many fans. A story about Gambit and Wolverine would have made a lot of sense because they are very similar characters - walking the line between the good and the bad. But no, this movie brings Gambit in just long enough to feature him in the trailer, and that is it. WASTE!!!
On top of that, the other mutants they introduce as part of Stryker's team, they never properly explain their powers. You can almost hear the director chuckling about how cool it will be just to start the story in this random spot. Yeah, maybe it hits the ground running, but your audience wasn't ready yet, and they are still standing at the starting line.
The movie lacks any of the humor from the original films. And Wolverine is supposed to be a snarky badass, but he spends most of this film moping, an Angel wanna-be (seriously, I thought he was going to give a speech about atoning for the things he had done...he should have, he said every other cliche line in the book).
Yeah, I know this review is late...but if you haven't seen the movie yet...just don't bother.
I mean, I knew it had received poor reviews, but nothing could have prepared me for how bad this movie was. It wasn't any of the actors' fault - they were trying their best - but the script and the editing was just all over the place.
The only reason I knew what was going on was because I had played the video game which, oddly enough, made a heck of a lot more sense and had a lot better pacing than the movie.
After Bryan Singer's X-Men and X2, the bar was set pretty high for this franchise. When the studio ditched Singer for X3, most of us were disappointed in the film we were given. I'm not sure who or what was behind the mess that is Wolverine, but as much as I didn't enjoy X3, at least it had a plot that I could follow, as stupid as it was.
What frustrates me the most when movies like this fail, is the knowledge that there are comic books out there, books with coherent plots that treat the characters with respect (and the continuity) that were completely ignored in the name of BLOW UP STUFF GUD! I wasn't feeling any love for the studio, all I saw was their equations of comic books + movie = easy money for studio. They always seem to forget that quality plays a part. *sigh*
And they should be ashamed for wasting Gambit, a character popular with so many fans. A story about Gambit and Wolverine would have made a lot of sense because they are very similar characters - walking the line between the good and the bad. But no, this movie brings Gambit in just long enough to feature him in the trailer, and that is it. WASTE!!!
On top of that, the other mutants they introduce as part of Stryker's team, they never properly explain their powers. You can almost hear the director chuckling about how cool it will be just to start the story in this random spot. Yeah, maybe it hits the ground running, but your audience wasn't ready yet, and they are still standing at the starting line.
The movie lacks any of the humor from the original films. And Wolverine is supposed to be a snarky badass, but he spends most of this film moping, an Angel wanna-be (seriously, I thought he was going to give a speech about atoning for the things he had done...he should have, he said every other cliche line in the book).
Yeah, I know this review is late...but if you haven't seen the movie yet...just don't bother.
I really had no idea what this movie would be about. I only knew the basic facts - Woody Allen wrote & directed, Scarlet Johanssen was invovled, and I have no problem with Javier Bardem or Penelope Cruz.
There's probably a reason I knew nothing about it; attempting to describe it without telling someone the whole movie is pretty difficult!
Vicky and Cristina are friends who decide to spend a summer in Barcelona, both of them for different reasons: Vicky is working on her Masters degree while Cristina is bouncing back from the end of a relationship. While there, they happen to meet Juan Anotonio, a local painter. He invites them to come away with him for a weekend. Cristina is very excited about the idea, so Vicky tags along to watch out for her...and things just get more complicated from there.
It was an interesting movie to watch once. My biggest gripe was the narrator. I felt like this role was superfluous. I am not sure why Allen decided to do this. Was it to make the story seem like a fairy tale? Did he not think he was getting the information across fast enough? I think ever thing the narrator said was portrayed well enough on screen. I found it really distracting.
It's a visually stunning film - and the city isn't too bad either. *ba-ding* Thanks folks, I'm here all week.
The core of the film is about what love means and what love is for every person, and how it differs yet at the same time we all want the same thing (even if we don't know it).
It's worth watching (though I feel like Rebecca Hall got the shaft - she plays Vicky yet she's not even featured on the cover! Her role is pretty important. Oh well). A solid movie but not something I could sit through multiple times.
There's probably a reason I knew nothing about it; attempting to describe it without telling someone the whole movie is pretty difficult!
Vicky and Cristina are friends who decide to spend a summer in Barcelona, both of them for different reasons: Vicky is working on her Masters degree while Cristina is bouncing back from the end of a relationship. While there, they happen to meet Juan Anotonio, a local painter. He invites them to come away with him for a weekend. Cristina is very excited about the idea, so Vicky tags along to watch out for her...and things just get more complicated from there.
It was an interesting movie to watch once. My biggest gripe was the narrator. I felt like this role was superfluous. I am not sure why Allen decided to do this. Was it to make the story seem like a fairy tale? Did he not think he was getting the information across fast enough? I think ever thing the narrator said was portrayed well enough on screen. I found it really distracting.
It's a visually stunning film - and the city isn't too bad either. *ba-ding* Thanks folks, I'm here all week.
The core of the film is about what love means and what love is for every person, and how it differs yet at the same time we all want the same thing (even if we don't know it).
It's worth watching (though I feel like Rebecca Hall got the shaft - she plays Vicky yet she's not even featured on the cover! Her role is pretty important. Oh well). A solid movie but not something I could sit through multiple times.
