In the future, some weird disease has caused mass organ failure. GeneCo comes along and organ transplants become common place. They also legalize a very effective and addictive pain killer that can be stolen on the streets from the dead bodies that litter the future. GeneCo offers payment plans so you can save your life. However, if you do not keep up your payments, they can legally kill you by sending in The Repo Man to repossess your organs. Oh and it is all sung. Oh and it has Paris Hilton and Paul Sorvino in scenes together.
Mixing Sweeney Todd, violent comic books, Rock Horror Picture show, and Saw probably sounded like a good idea to some people at some point. it must have for this stage show to be turned into a movie. At some point someone finished doing a line of coke off of a midget's ass and said "Paul Sorvino as Paris Hilton's father. Make it HAPPEN!" There was a moment when someone thought casting Sarah Brightman as the blind Opera singer in this disaster would give the project a sense of gravitas. Some producer thought it would be funny for Paris Hilton to lose her face. I guess they forgot that in House of Wax Paris Hilton was impaled through the skull, which is much much cooler. Somewhere someone has incriminating photos of Anthony Stewart Head(Giles in Buffy, for God sake!) and forced him to lend his unbelievable talents to something that was destined to be a travesty against film, opera and surgery.
I have always maintained that when you try hard to look or be cool, you fail. Coolness is just something that happens. I believe the same can be said for movie of the "Cult Classic" genre. When you try too hard to give yourself cult classic status, you usually fall flat on your face. This is one of those times. Ed Wood never set out to make Plan 9 a cult classic, it just happened. That is how the world works. By putting Paul Sorvino as some warbling, talk singing maniac, you do not assure yourself cult classic status. Repo! is missing that key factor. It is missing that special something to be a classic in some sense. Repo! is the kind of movie I hope to forget very soon. I cannot even be coaxed into purchasing the soundtrack when the movie was over. There was farrrrr too much talk singing. I think if you have music going and you talk your dialog in a kind of rhythm, that does not make it an opera.
Final words: Robbie Blake, screw you for subjecting me to this nonsense.
Final grade: F
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Inkheart
The only reason I would ever see this movie is if I had to kill some time because something happened with plans. Well, it happened, so I was stuck to choose between Inkheart and the third Underworld movie. Seeing as how I turned off the first Underworld movie about 30 minutes in, the choice was simple. I would go watch Brenden Frasier play a variation of the same character he has played in most of his movies. He was so good in his role on Scrubs, you would think he could do more challenging work, but here he is in a young person movie full of CGI.
Mo(Frasier) is a "silver tongue," which is to say that when he reads books out loud, the things he reads show up in the real world. It sounds like it could be cool, but every time he does it, someone near him ends up being transferred into the world of the book. Nine years ago was the last time he did it because it sent his wife into a book called Inkheart. He has spent the last nine years searching for another copy of that rare book to try and read her back out. On his tail is Dustfinger(Paul bettany), a guy who can make fire with his hands. Dustfinger is a character from Inkheart that he read out and Dustfinger desperately wants to get back home. Also, Capricorn(Andy Serkis) is trying to catch Mo because Capricorn's silver tongue stutters and so things come out weird. Capricorn wants to bring the main villain from Inkheart, The Shadow, out into our world. Mo, Dustfinger, Mo's daughter, and Mo's mother in Law(Helen Mirren) must ban together to try and stop this travesty from happening.
I am not going to lie, this movie only had about 75% of my attention. The rest of the time my mind was wandering through the perils of student life. That is not necessarily a knock against the movie, I had pre-conceived notions going in that may have been a deciding factor. Brenden Frasier, who usually brings all kinds of energy to these types of movies, looked and played bored most of the time. He can usually at least make a funny face or goofily deliver a line to save a scene but here he cannot seem to be bothered to care, so why should we? Mirren is completely wasted in that typical eccentric old woman role and Andy Serkis is completely 1-note as the cardboard cut-out villain. The only actors who seem to be trying are Paul bettany, whose Dustfinger is perfectly tortured and self-serving and Jim Broadbent as the author of Inkheart. Both men actually give performances worthy of the big screen and Bettany's emotional quest is the only real connection an audience can find.
That being said, the effects are pretty cool, especially the twister scene inspired from The Wizard of Oz. The storm is nice and chase scene it inspires is kind of cool. Also, the climax is pretty cool. The Shadow looks very cool and again, a nice storm looking thing happens. The story is semi interesting, I guess, but I am not sure what I am supposed to take away from it. Is reading out loud dangerous? Will it inspire someone to be an author because they can literally bring their characters to life? Are the consequences of such a thing worth it? During the whole movie, all I could think about was how Mo's daughter had never been read aloud to. That made me sad because for a child to be read to is important. It made me think "No wonder she is so screwed up." I could totally be missing the point, but those are the things I thought.
Final Grade: C-
Mo(Frasier) is a "silver tongue," which is to say that when he reads books out loud, the things he reads show up in the real world. It sounds like it could be cool, but every time he does it, someone near him ends up being transferred into the world of the book. Nine years ago was the last time he did it because it sent his wife into a book called Inkheart. He has spent the last nine years searching for another copy of that rare book to try and read her back out. On his tail is Dustfinger(Paul bettany), a guy who can make fire with his hands. Dustfinger is a character from Inkheart that he read out and Dustfinger desperately wants to get back home. Also, Capricorn(Andy Serkis) is trying to catch Mo because Capricorn's silver tongue stutters and so things come out weird. Capricorn wants to bring the main villain from Inkheart, The Shadow, out into our world. Mo, Dustfinger, Mo's daughter, and Mo's mother in Law(Helen Mirren) must ban together to try and stop this travesty from happening.
I am not going to lie, this movie only had about 75% of my attention. The rest of the time my mind was wandering through the perils of student life. That is not necessarily a knock against the movie, I had pre-conceived notions going in that may have been a deciding factor. Brenden Frasier, who usually brings all kinds of energy to these types of movies, looked and played bored most of the time. He can usually at least make a funny face or goofily deliver a line to save a scene but here he cannot seem to be bothered to care, so why should we? Mirren is completely wasted in that typical eccentric old woman role and Andy Serkis is completely 1-note as the cardboard cut-out villain. The only actors who seem to be trying are Paul bettany, whose Dustfinger is perfectly tortured and self-serving and Jim Broadbent as the author of Inkheart. Both men actually give performances worthy of the big screen and Bettany's emotional quest is the only real connection an audience can find.
That being said, the effects are pretty cool, especially the twister scene inspired from The Wizard of Oz. The storm is nice and chase scene it inspires is kind of cool. Also, the climax is pretty cool. The Shadow looks very cool and again, a nice storm looking thing happens. The story is semi interesting, I guess, but I am not sure what I am supposed to take away from it. Is reading out loud dangerous? Will it inspire someone to be an author because they can literally bring their characters to life? Are the consequences of such a thing worth it? During the whole movie, all I could think about was how Mo's daughter had never been read aloud to. That made me sad because for a child to be read to is important. It made me think "No wonder she is so screwed up." I could totally be missing the point, but those are the things I thought.
Final Grade: C-
Sunday, February 08, 2009
He's just not that into you
Romantic comedies rarely produce trailers good enough to make me interested in them. If I go to one, it is usually just because I like someone in it, or I have someone who wants to go and I am willing to see most movies. Rarely does a romantic comedy provide enough laughs in the trailer to warrant even semi-excitement for me. This one did, though. The cast certainly helps. Littering a movie with impossibly beautiful women is always a plus, but there were laughs in the trailer and often times that translates into laughs during the movie. However, when it comes to the rom-com genre I have two reactions- love or hate. The only time I can remember coming out in between was 27 Dresses. With a steep hill to climb, I went to my theater on opening night to take the movie in the way it was meant to be taken in: with a theater full of single women.
I am not going to bother with a detailed summary because, frankly, it would be too confusing. Instead I will list characters and their relation to each other.
Gigi(Jinnfer Goodwin)- Our narrator. Went on a date with Connor, works with Beth and Janine and meets Alex who tells her to stop pining after guys who do not want her.
Conor(Kevin Connely)- Stuck on Anna, friends with Alex and uses Mary to help him out with work.
Anna(Scarlett Johansson)- Using Conor to feel good about herself, friends with Mary, desires the married Ben.
Ben(Bradley Cooper)- Married to Janine, flirting with Anna and friends with Neil.
Neil(Ben Affleck)- In a relationship with Beth, but does not believe in marriage, friends with Ben.
Beth(Jennifer Aniston)- Loves Neil but wants marriage. Works with Janine and Gigi
Janine(Jennifer Connelly)- Unhappily married to Ben and works with Beth and Gigi.
Mary(Drew Berrymore)- Friends with Anna and knows Conor, is trying to use technology to find a man.
Coming in at just over two hours, "He's Just" manages pretty successfully to weave all of these characters together in telling a whole bunch of complex stories. None of the people in the movie are treated very kindly by the script or filmmakers and at times, the awkward Gigi stuff is so awkward, you want to turn away from this poor girl. Gigi is our point of view character. She narrates our story and seems to be the emotional center of the story. As Gigi, Jinnfer Goodwin is about the most adorable a person has ever been, but she is also a mental case. She is desperate for love and affection, as is every character in the movie, to some extent. Her scenes with Alex are probably the most complete scenes in the movie because they most exactly get to the point of the story: Girls need to stop making excuses for guys and for each other. The fundamental theme of the story is that if a guy likes you he will let you know. This theme hinges on something guys have known all along- we are not complicated beings. We do not have subliminal thoughts. If we like you, you will know because we are not complicated enough for mind games. It is a semi-flawed premise but in the context of the film it mostly works.
The acting ranges from incredibly strong(Jennifer Connelly) to boring(Justin Long) to just downright off(Scarlett Johansson). However, story wise, Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck have the most interesting story. They both do a good job, with Affleck in more of a cameo role, but their story, I think, has the most emotional resonance. I have been waiting for Bradley Cooper to have his break out role, but I do not think this is it either. I think he is destined to play kind of slimy guys in movies, which is too bad because on television he has done some strong work. Kevin Connelly is serviceable as the love sick puppy dog following Johansson, but it cannot be too difficult to play that. Drew Berrymore has an interesting role because she is the most cliche of characters, but she is also the most culturally relevant. She is surrounded by the stereotypical "gaybestfriend" yet she is the one trying to change with the times by iChatting and getting dates off of Myspace(A little dated, I know).
The comedy comes in random bursts usually and most of the comedy is not found within the stories, but in the random "interviews" with people. As a kind of odd framing structure, after a scene depicting something from the book, the screen goes black and white text comes across the scene like "If he's not calling you." Then, they segue into some interviews with random people that tell stories that revolve around that text statement. Those moments offer some of the funnier moments because they feel real. In fact, the movie is trying to frame itself in some sort of reality. It wants to say that guys are not always the people from the movies, where they change or reveal a layer underneath that proves they are heartfelt and good. This presents a problem though, because, after all, it is a rom-com. Not only is it a fantasy, it uses a 1980s movie to push the movie forward, causing the movie to throw out this idea of reality. In the end, the good guys are all happy, except 1 and the two "villains" are alone, which is unlike real life.
In the end, I think I can put this rom-com in that rare 27 Dresses category. I liked it, but did not love it. I wanted to love it. I thought it was funny, but in the final 10 minutes take forever to get things wrapped up, which is a problem with ensemble stories like this. I thought the movie took the cheap way out in the end, which was disappointing because for 100 minutes it was actually kind of raw and funny. I understand things are supposed to be sweet and in the end, the girls want the sweet happy ending to provide comfort, but it seems to go against everything the title implies. Sometimes you don't find love where you hope to find it after all it is possible that "He's just not that into you."
Final Grade: B-
I am not going to bother with a detailed summary because, frankly, it would be too confusing. Instead I will list characters and their relation to each other.
Gigi(Jinnfer Goodwin)- Our narrator. Went on a date with Connor, works with Beth and Janine and meets Alex who tells her to stop pining after guys who do not want her.
Conor(Kevin Connely)- Stuck on Anna, friends with Alex and uses Mary to help him out with work.
Anna(Scarlett Johansson)- Using Conor to feel good about herself, friends with Mary, desires the married Ben.
Ben(Bradley Cooper)- Married to Janine, flirting with Anna and friends with Neil.
Neil(Ben Affleck)- In a relationship with Beth, but does not believe in marriage, friends with Ben.
Beth(Jennifer Aniston)- Loves Neil but wants marriage. Works with Janine and Gigi
Janine(Jennifer Connelly)- Unhappily married to Ben and works with Beth and Gigi.
Mary(Drew Berrymore)- Friends with Anna and knows Conor, is trying to use technology to find a man.
Coming in at just over two hours, "He's Just" manages pretty successfully to weave all of these characters together in telling a whole bunch of complex stories. None of the people in the movie are treated very kindly by the script or filmmakers and at times, the awkward Gigi stuff is so awkward, you want to turn away from this poor girl. Gigi is our point of view character. She narrates our story and seems to be the emotional center of the story. As Gigi, Jinnfer Goodwin is about the most adorable a person has ever been, but she is also a mental case. She is desperate for love and affection, as is every character in the movie, to some extent. Her scenes with Alex are probably the most complete scenes in the movie because they most exactly get to the point of the story: Girls need to stop making excuses for guys and for each other. The fundamental theme of the story is that if a guy likes you he will let you know. This theme hinges on something guys have known all along- we are not complicated beings. We do not have subliminal thoughts. If we like you, you will know because we are not complicated enough for mind games. It is a semi-flawed premise but in the context of the film it mostly works.
The acting ranges from incredibly strong(Jennifer Connelly) to boring(Justin Long) to just downright off(Scarlett Johansson). However, story wise, Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck have the most interesting story. They both do a good job, with Affleck in more of a cameo role, but their story, I think, has the most emotional resonance. I have been waiting for Bradley Cooper to have his break out role, but I do not think this is it either. I think he is destined to play kind of slimy guys in movies, which is too bad because on television he has done some strong work. Kevin Connelly is serviceable as the love sick puppy dog following Johansson, but it cannot be too difficult to play that. Drew Berrymore has an interesting role because she is the most cliche of characters, but she is also the most culturally relevant. She is surrounded by the stereotypical "gaybestfriend" yet she is the one trying to change with the times by iChatting and getting dates off of Myspace(A little dated, I know).
The comedy comes in random bursts usually and most of the comedy is not found within the stories, but in the random "interviews" with people. As a kind of odd framing structure, after a scene depicting something from the book, the screen goes black and white text comes across the scene like "If he's not calling you." Then, they segue into some interviews with random people that tell stories that revolve around that text statement. Those moments offer some of the funnier moments because they feel real. In fact, the movie is trying to frame itself in some sort of reality. It wants to say that guys are not always the people from the movies, where they change or reveal a layer underneath that proves they are heartfelt and good. This presents a problem though, because, after all, it is a rom-com. Not only is it a fantasy, it uses a 1980s movie to push the movie forward, causing the movie to throw out this idea of reality. In the end, the good guys are all happy, except 1 and the two "villains" are alone, which is unlike real life.
In the end, I think I can put this rom-com in that rare 27 Dresses category. I liked it, but did not love it. I wanted to love it. I thought it was funny, but in the final 10 minutes take forever to get things wrapped up, which is a problem with ensemble stories like this. I thought the movie took the cheap way out in the end, which was disappointing because for 100 minutes it was actually kind of raw and funny. I understand things are supposed to be sweet and in the end, the girls want the sweet happy ending to provide comfort, but it seems to go against everything the title implies. Sometimes you don't find love where you hope to find it after all it is possible that "He's just not that into you."
Final Grade: B-
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Last Chance Harvey
I often daydream and in those daydreams I have a reoccurring dream. I dream I meet someone in a foreign land and we spend 24 hours doing everything there is to do in that location and all the while we are talking about everything that could possibly be discussed. We agree and we disagree and we learn everything we could possibly learn about each other because this will be our only time together, so why hold secrets or why pull punches. When the 24 hours are over, we share a good bye kiss and I fly away. I actually fly because these are my dreams after all. Who needs planes in dreams? I was reminded of this dream while watching Last Chance Harvey unfold.
Harvey Shine never(Dustin Hoffman) made it as a Jazz pianist. He wasn't good enough. Instead he writes jingles and scores commercials. He is a sad man, who is going to lose his job, but he has to fly off to London for his daughter's wedding. Kate Walker(Emma Thompson)is a lonely woman with a meddling mother and a bad job. She tries dating but it never works for her. The two people meet briefly in the airport in London, but share only a few rude remarks back and forth. Harvey tells his daughter that he cannot stay for the reception, but will be there for the wedding and in turn his daughter tells him she wants her step-dad to give her away. It is not spoken in this moment, but Harvey and his daughter have issues. As Harvey struggles to get to his flight after the wedding, he is fired. He is out of chances. He is an old man in an industry that is getting younger. Depressed, Harvey goes to the airport bar and starts drinking. It is there he and Kate find each other and strike up a lovely meet-cute. From the airport, Harvey follows Kate to her writing class and then they just walk and talk. They have lovely conversations and serious conversations and in one of those serious ones, Kate convinces Harvey to go back to his daughter's reception, but he will only go if she will. The pair has a blast and promise to meet the next day at noon the next day. Will it happen? Will fate step in?
I am not sure why, but I loved this movie. I am not sure if it was just what I needed today, or something else, but I found myself totally immersed in this slow moving character study of two people finding each other in the most random of circumstances. The movie asks questions about mortality and fate and shows that happiness is possible no matter where you are in life. The performances from Hoffman and Thompson are perfectly whimsical but grounded in a light sense of reality. Hoffman gets a chance to break your heart and Thompson gets to do it as well, in the end. I enjoyed the simple story telling and the classy dialog that aided in moving the story along. The movie is not story driven, but the story is interesting. There is a nice flow to the scenes and to the relationships between everyone. I know Hoffman is at least 20 years older than Thompson, but they had a nice and easy chemistry and it was not hard believing they could find each other and strike up this sort of romantic friendship. I do believe it is friendship above all else. These are two people helping each other into new eras of life and it takes a friend to do such things.
I go back to my daydream and wonder, in this day and age of facebook, texting, twitter and everything else, if something like that is possible. Maybe Last Chance Harvey is there to show me that it doesn't have to end. We can have in depth conversations with almost strangers and still be able to continue on in our lives together. Maybe it is those in depth conversations that strengthen these new bonds. This kind of unknowing trust is the foundation to make big leaps of faith or lead to the winds of change in life. Either way, Last Chance Harvey is a wonderful movie I hope more people find on video.
Final Grade: B+
Harvey Shine never(Dustin Hoffman) made it as a Jazz pianist. He wasn't good enough. Instead he writes jingles and scores commercials. He is a sad man, who is going to lose his job, but he has to fly off to London for his daughter's wedding. Kate Walker(Emma Thompson)is a lonely woman with a meddling mother and a bad job. She tries dating but it never works for her. The two people meet briefly in the airport in London, but share only a few rude remarks back and forth. Harvey tells his daughter that he cannot stay for the reception, but will be there for the wedding and in turn his daughter tells him she wants her step-dad to give her away. It is not spoken in this moment, but Harvey and his daughter have issues. As Harvey struggles to get to his flight after the wedding, he is fired. He is out of chances. He is an old man in an industry that is getting younger. Depressed, Harvey goes to the airport bar and starts drinking. It is there he and Kate find each other and strike up a lovely meet-cute. From the airport, Harvey follows Kate to her writing class and then they just walk and talk. They have lovely conversations and serious conversations and in one of those serious ones, Kate convinces Harvey to go back to his daughter's reception, but he will only go if she will. The pair has a blast and promise to meet the next day at noon the next day. Will it happen? Will fate step in?
I am not sure why, but I loved this movie. I am not sure if it was just what I needed today, or something else, but I found myself totally immersed in this slow moving character study of two people finding each other in the most random of circumstances. The movie asks questions about mortality and fate and shows that happiness is possible no matter where you are in life. The performances from Hoffman and Thompson are perfectly whimsical but grounded in a light sense of reality. Hoffman gets a chance to break your heart and Thompson gets to do it as well, in the end. I enjoyed the simple story telling and the classy dialog that aided in moving the story along. The movie is not story driven, but the story is interesting. There is a nice flow to the scenes and to the relationships between everyone. I know Hoffman is at least 20 years older than Thompson, but they had a nice and easy chemistry and it was not hard believing they could find each other and strike up this sort of romantic friendship. I do believe it is friendship above all else. These are two people helping each other into new eras of life and it takes a friend to do such things.
I go back to my daydream and wonder, in this day and age of facebook, texting, twitter and everything else, if something like that is possible. Maybe Last Chance Harvey is there to show me that it doesn't have to end. We can have in depth conversations with almost strangers and still be able to continue on in our lives together. Maybe it is those in depth conversations that strengthen these new bonds. This kind of unknowing trust is the foundation to make big leaps of faith or lead to the winds of change in life. Either way, Last Chance Harvey is a wonderful movie I hope more people find on video.
Final Grade: B+
Taken
It all started with the trailer. There was this moment I had to see. I saw it in the trailer, but I needed to see it how it was meant to be seen. I needed to witness Liam Neeson calmly but intensely saying "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you." That was all I needed.
Bryan Mills(Neeson) spent a long time as a "prevention agent" for The American government. He retired to finally get close to his daughter, Kim, something he could not do while preventing things. His daughter(Maggie Grace), though, wants to go to Paris with a friend for the summer. Bryan does not like it but relents, under conditions. The first condition being she must call him the second she lands. She forgets. He gets nervous. He keeps calling her. Kim and her friend met a cute guy at the airport. Her friend told the boy too much information. Next thing you know, Kim calls daddy just in time to be kidnapped. With just a voice to go on, Bryan calls a friend from his old job and he finds out a whole lot. He is on a plane and soon people are dying. We are given a 96 hour timeline, because, well, deadlines are important in action movies. They make the movies feel more intense and just a bit crazier.
Taken is another entry into the new style of action movie where all the fighting is minimal and there is not a whole lot of emotion in the fighting. It takes a seemingly unlikely male, Liam Neeson and turns him into a total bad ass and Neeson wears it well. Decked out in long black coats and rarely letting his voice rise above a Jack Bauer inspired whisper yell. In fact, the Jack Bauer, or 24 similarities do not end there. The plot unfolds very much like 24, where who we think is the main villain dies because there is someone else who is the main villain and so on like that. Eventually the movie lands itself on a boat, where Neeson is really quite impressive in his actioning.
The movie is very frenetically paced and you are not going to get lost in it and perhaps the pacing moves so quickly to keep you from questioning things, but I enjoyed the ride. I like that Neeson straight up shoots people without warning and I like that electricity is used int he most brutal ways. I was totally into the car chase in the sand dunes and was willing to believe 1 man can take down an entire sex trade ring, especially if that man is Liam Neeson. If nothing else I learned that a real bad ass knows the difference of an unloaded and a loaded gun just by the weight.
Final Grade: B-
Bryan Mills(Neeson) spent a long time as a "prevention agent" for The American government. He retired to finally get close to his daughter, Kim, something he could not do while preventing things. His daughter(Maggie Grace), though, wants to go to Paris with a friend for the summer. Bryan does not like it but relents, under conditions. The first condition being she must call him the second she lands. She forgets. He gets nervous. He keeps calling her. Kim and her friend met a cute guy at the airport. Her friend told the boy too much information. Next thing you know, Kim calls daddy just in time to be kidnapped. With just a voice to go on, Bryan calls a friend from his old job and he finds out a whole lot. He is on a plane and soon people are dying. We are given a 96 hour timeline, because, well, deadlines are important in action movies. They make the movies feel more intense and just a bit crazier.
Taken is another entry into the new style of action movie where all the fighting is minimal and there is not a whole lot of emotion in the fighting. It takes a seemingly unlikely male, Liam Neeson and turns him into a total bad ass and Neeson wears it well. Decked out in long black coats and rarely letting his voice rise above a Jack Bauer inspired whisper yell. In fact, the Jack Bauer, or 24 similarities do not end there. The plot unfolds very much like 24, where who we think is the main villain dies because there is someone else who is the main villain and so on like that. Eventually the movie lands itself on a boat, where Neeson is really quite impressive in his actioning.
The movie is very frenetically paced and you are not going to get lost in it and perhaps the pacing moves so quickly to keep you from questioning things, but I enjoyed the ride. I like that Neeson straight up shoots people without warning and I like that electricity is used int he most brutal ways. I was totally into the car chase in the sand dunes and was willing to believe 1 man can take down an entire sex trade ring, especially if that man is Liam Neeson. If nothing else I learned that a real bad ass knows the difference of an unloaded and a loaded gun just by the weight.
Final Grade: B-
Mall Cop, Notorious, The Unborn, The Reader, My Bloody Valentine
So, I kind of lost my interest in this for a little bit, but I think I am ready to go back to it, but I am not really going to go back and review everything I have seen since I last wrote a review, so I am going to do a few shorter reviews here.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
I enjoy Kevin James as a stand up comedian and this movie is was a shot for him to become a big screen comedian. He mostly pulls it off in regards to being a safe contrast to the R-rated comedies so prevalent these days. The movie takes a little while to get going, but it has enough laughs and even a nice explosion to keep it interesting. I enjoyed the two plot twists as I did not see them coming and James shows he can carry a movie with his nice guy gimmick.
Notorious
There was always something about The Notorious B.I.G that did it for me. The man was so smooth on stage and his verbal gymnastics were spectacular. I am surprised a movie about him got made, but I am glad it did. It will not change anyone's mind about rap music or even on the man himself, but for fans it was a nice tribute to man I grew to really admire in some way. He was so sure of himself in his songs, but he always had a hint of sadness and his stories were at times hilarious and then violent and sometimes even both. The movie does him justice, even if they missed some key moments.
The Unborn
I walked out an hour in, which says a lot because I even sat through every Saw movie. This is another addition to the PG-13 ghost story genre, but this movie weaves Nazi mythology, pagan mythology and an incredibly sexy girl. What I did love about the movie was that it would have a scene that made no sense and before you could realize it, they would give you a scene with the sexy girl in the shower. Note to all makers of movies that make no sense: More hot girl in shower scenes will cure your problems.
The Reader
I should have done a full review of this because I am still thinking about the movie, but it requires a dialogue not a review. The performances are very strong and I love movies full of moral ambiguities. The story spans decades and the framing device SUCKS, but other than that, it is a very good movie. Plus, there is a section full of naked Kate Winslett which is never a bad thing.
My Bloody Valentine
It is hard to fault a movie that marketed itself as this kind of throw back campy slasher flick. Well, it would be hard to fault it if it followed its own marketing. Sadly, the movie took itself entirely too seriously minus a scene that follows a fully nude girl running and hiding from the killer. That was meant to be funny, but the rest was too serious. The 3D aspects offered a killer jump and a few smaller jumps, but I think I was hoping it would just be more fun. I enjoyed the twist at the end, but mostly because the people around me could not figure out what was going on and that amused me.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
I enjoy Kevin James as a stand up comedian and this movie is was a shot for him to become a big screen comedian. He mostly pulls it off in regards to being a safe contrast to the R-rated comedies so prevalent these days. The movie takes a little while to get going, but it has enough laughs and even a nice explosion to keep it interesting. I enjoyed the two plot twists as I did not see them coming and James shows he can carry a movie with his nice guy gimmick.
Notorious
There was always something about The Notorious B.I.G that did it for me. The man was so smooth on stage and his verbal gymnastics were spectacular. I am surprised a movie about him got made, but I am glad it did. It will not change anyone's mind about rap music or even on the man himself, but for fans it was a nice tribute to man I grew to really admire in some way. He was so sure of himself in his songs, but he always had a hint of sadness and his stories were at times hilarious and then violent and sometimes even both. The movie does him justice, even if they missed some key moments.
The Unborn
I walked out an hour in, which says a lot because I even sat through every Saw movie. This is another addition to the PG-13 ghost story genre, but this movie weaves Nazi mythology, pagan mythology and an incredibly sexy girl. What I did love about the movie was that it would have a scene that made no sense and before you could realize it, they would give you a scene with the sexy girl in the shower. Note to all makers of movies that make no sense: More hot girl in shower scenes will cure your problems.
The Reader
I should have done a full review of this because I am still thinking about the movie, but it requires a dialogue not a review. The performances are very strong and I love movies full of moral ambiguities. The story spans decades and the framing device SUCKS, but other than that, it is a very good movie. Plus, there is a section full of naked Kate Winslett which is never a bad thing.
My Bloody Valentine
It is hard to fault a movie that marketed itself as this kind of throw back campy slasher flick. Well, it would be hard to fault it if it followed its own marketing. Sadly, the movie took itself entirely too seriously minus a scene that follows a fully nude girl running and hiding from the killer. That was meant to be funny, but the rest was too serious. The 3D aspects offered a killer jump and a few smaller jumps, but I think I was hoping it would just be more fun. I enjoyed the twist at the end, but mostly because the people around me could not figure out what was going on and that amused me.
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