Here’s the next set of reviews from my Netflix queue.
Borat
Funny but not my style and therefore did not finish.
[Rating: 0/5]
Dan in Real Life
I really don’t like Dane Cook, but I loved this movie. Yay, another Romantic Comedy that I enjoyed.
[Rating: 4.5/5]
I.O.USA
It is time to “Wake Up America” and fix this national debt issue or someone’s kids will need to pay (and pay big).
[Rating: 4/5]
The Dirty Dozen
If I’m going to war, I’m bringing Lee Marvin and possibly Jim Brown, Donald Sutherland, Charles Bronson, and Telly Savalas.
[Rating: 3.5/5]
Tron
Quite cheesy even for me, but at least I’m ready for the sequel.
[Rating: 2/5]
Twilight
Not really a Netflix movie (someone lent it to me). As bad as I thought it was going to be, but “you shine like diamonds.”
[Rating: 2/5]
Zombies, Van Halen, Humor, Killing Zombies, Pop Culture. What else does one actually need?
The Earth has been overcome with a plague that turns all who receive the bite to become a zombie. You have now entered Zombieland. There are only a few humans left and those humans must fight to survive. Simple enough story.
Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenber, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin all bring something different to the film. Woody is your off his rocker man just wanting to kill zombies. Emma is your love interest. Abigail is the little sister to bring a “family” element. Jesse……well…..Jesse is your poor man’s Michael Cera. Michael probably turned down the role and Jesse was just enough to fool the average movie watcher.
Now I knew the movie would be funny based on the trailer, but I never expected how funny it could be. You’ll need a vast array of pop culture knowledge to truly enjoy this movie but you will still laugh until it hurts. The banter between Woody and Jesse will get you started. Enter the two female leads and your sides will hurt. Break out an ultra A list celebrity and you will be on the floor gasping for air. Bless you celebrity. Bless you. (FYI, don’t go looking at IMDB or other sites to see who it is. It’s worth it to be surprised.)
Great soundtrack that keeps the movie rocking. Filmed in Georgia (congrats Coweta). Instantly quotable (a must). I’m still laughing. If only Jesse wasn’t a wannabe Michael Cera, I’d be able to give this movie 5 out of 5. Oh well. close enough.
It’s about time that Quentin Tarantino’s war epic made its appearance. I remember reading about his possible script a few years ago. Nearly double the size of a normal script and filled with every ounce of talent he had. Well, I’m hear to say that he probably produced one of his best movies yet.
I’d love to state that this movie centers on the Inglorious Basterds (a group of no-holds bar Jewish soldiers), but I just can’t. Quentin weaves a story with many players (as always) but is able to easily make you remember and connect with each one. Maybe not all of the Nazis, but you get the idea.
Christoph Waltz, or as I term him the Merovingian’s older brother, was perfect. As the creepy Col. Hans Landa, Waltz is able to make you hate and laugh in sometimes the same scenes. If it wasn’t for his character, I’d have to say that Brad Pitt shined with his hard Tennessee accent.
Overall, I came into the film expecting more gore and basterds but was given less on both fronts.less gore than I thought. Normally this may leave me wanting more, but Quentin was able to satisfy everything I needed in this movie with one exception. I really wasn’t big on the ending even if it reminded me of the old war movies (Dirty Dozen, Kelly’s Heroes, etc.)
I’ll leave this review short since I’m so late to seeing this movie (over a month old).
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was probably one of my least favorite books so I was skeptical of how I would receive the movie. However, I think the Potter movies are continuing to get better. This could be due to the acting skills getting better for the kids that have grown up on screen for us or that the subject of each book/movie has allowed the presentation to age for the better.
David Yates is the man at the helm for the final chapters of the Potter saga and I believe he gets it. He allows a good collection of the elements that made the books so entertaining: humor, awkward situations as the kids grow, fear, action, etc. Here’s hoping that he can also make the final chapter (my true least favorite book) come alive on the big screen.
The one drawback to this movie for me was that I felt more emotional connection during the chase scene within the fields than I did at the final climax of the movie. This is odd for those that know what happened. It should have been the reverse but I just didn’t feel it like I should have.
[Rating: 4/5]
As a side note, I was able to see this movie at the Chinese Mann Theater in LA. Sure, it wasn’t the main screen where all of the premiers take place, but it was still cool to attend. It’s amazing how great a screen can look and sound with the right technology behind it. This theater also had the new D-BOX seats. I didn’t try them (not for $20 at least), but my seats were close enough to “feel” the experience. I’d say overall it seems more like a novelty than a great way to see a movie.
Wow. I went into this moving thinking it would be pretty good, but I walked out thinking it was simply amazing.
For those that somehow don’t know anything about this movie, it is produced by Peter Jackson and could be well on its way to being one of the best Sci-Fi movies. I pulled the following synopsis from Imdb:
Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa’s District 9 as the world’s nations argued over what to do with them. Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens’ welfare – they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens’ awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA. The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable – he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9.
For a relatively newcomer in terms of directing, Neill Blomkamp delivers a great movie that mixes action, comedy, and drama. With a documentary style (interviews, non-steadycam), Neill makes the audience feel as if the events are unfolding before them or have already happened in the current world. Along with newbie Blomkamp, we are also introduced to another somewhat first timer in our “hero” Sharlto Copley who plays Wikus Van De Merwe. Copley’s character easily morphs from the laughable failure to the man fighting to do the right thing. Apparently Copley had no previous acting experience and was only given the role after Blomkamp tossed him into the mix while filming Alive in Joburg, which is the short film that inspired District 9.
Just as a warning to those who are squeamish, this movie is filled with gore. I don’t believe it is gore for the sake of gore (i.e. what you mind find in most modern horror movies). It’s more of a gore that you might see if you combined Saving Private Ryan’s opening season, Aliens, and some really cool futuristic weapons. It is interesting to see an audience flinch when a man pulls his fingernails off but a soldier’s body exploding is normal.
With the great detail Blomkamp offered in terms of action and technology, I say give the man Halo. Give him Iron Man. Give him anything he wants. With Halo he could actually end the curse of bad movies based on video games. Those weapons. That mech warrior. The aliens. All of it looked amazing.
Most of you know how I hate to over hype a movie, but this is probably the best movie I have seen since The Dark Knight.
Based on the reaction I’ve heard from people when I told them I wanted to see this movie, it doesn’t seem to be one that is on many people’s radar even though it is heralded as a “near perfect war film“. The Hurt Locker follows 3 soldiers in Iraq as they perform their duties as a bomb disposal unit. The trailer has a wonderful visualization that is seen in the poster above.
The Hurt Locker is a very good film but it is slow which will bother many people. The two hour plus timespan does feel like it but you find yourself wanting to finish to see how these characters turn out, particularly Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner). Of course, it’s also fun to see who might pop up next in the movie if you want a few name droppers: Lord Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Leonard from Memento (Guy Pearce), or Cmdr Adam Beck from The Negotiator (David Morse).
As the movie begins, the presented quote that “war is a drug” really sets the statge for wanting to discover what makes Staff Sergeant James, pardon the pun, tick. Renner doesn’t have long dramatic dialogue but he does have everything he needs to make you understand what is possibly going on in his head. Why does he face his life ending job with such disregard? Why does he seem a half a step away from really losing it and making his unit hating the fact that they ever were assigned to each other? So far this has been the best character I’ve seen this year (that’s not saying much) but here’s hoping at least a nomination is in his future.
For quite some time I’ve wanted to write about something dealing with Green Lantern. He (or they) is (are) a superhero within the DC universe and is easily my favorite of all the superheroes. Well, it now seems that I can post some interesting news thanks to a wonderful week of many new notes concerning the Emerald Knight(s).
Movies
We all know that superhero movies are in high demand thanks to the wonderful successes over the years of X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman, and many more that are in development. The movie industry has been trying for a number of years to put together a Green Lantern movie. Originally slated as a comedy with Jack Black (worst idea ever), the execs finally decided to take a serious approach. A director was quickly named (Martin Campbell of Casino Royale and Goldeneye fame) and the search for the lead began. Several names were thrown out (Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, and Justin Timberlake (on second thought, this is the worst idea ever)), but in the end, the role went to………..Ryan Reynolds.
I can’t say I’m completely thrilled over the casting, but Ryan Reynolds brings a name to the screen and that might bring in the money to finance the movie and make a big sci-fi blockbuster. Ryan’s also a comic book fan and usually makes it known that he wants to stay real to the literature that is already out there. Hopefully this will be more evidence of that. Now that we have our hero, we need our future villain in Sinestro. My possible choices (if they have the money) are Alan Cumming, Hugo Weaving, or James Marsters.
Based on this fan made trailer, I’m hoping for something along the lines of the new Star Trek movie for sci-fi action.
Music
I know you are already questioning this section because you are scared of what a green lantern can offer in terms of music. Well, thanks to a Green Lantern Message board (yes, I am that much of a dork) I stumbled across a band (Kirby Krackle) that centers around video games, pop culture, and comic books. It’s indie/rock/comedy but the lyrics are well thought out in my eyes. Basically it’s Weird Al but with a band.
The GL factor is from their summer release titled, “Ring Capacity.” I’m in love with this song. It’s my new favorite even if that tells too much about me. However, “Up Down Up Down” and “Back to the Beginning (Mark Kart Song)” are growing on me quickly as well. For those that play Mario Kart, you just can’t beat lyrics such as:
There’s nothing better than a Blue Shell,
Send it off yeah and send the leader straight to hell
Somebody help me, I’m trying to get back to the beginning!
or
I’ve got a princess in my rear view mirror,
I’ve got Italians on either side,
I’ve got a feeling things aren’t gonna get better,
so I ride!
Comics
Now I can’t get out of here without mentioning the art of comic books. I’m not going to get into storylines or anything like that. I want to stick to the art itself. I’m a sucker for good cover art, evident by my recent purchase of the Green Lantern #43 variant by Rodolfo Migliari below (click for a larger version).
The week prior I was also given a great cover for Captain America Reborn 1 by Alex Ross. Ross is one of my favorites thanks to his realistic depictions of the superheroes. While I’m here, I figure I can share some of my other favorite covers. Most of them are quite recent and are based on what covers I can remember that stood out or I could find.
For all that know me, I am not a fan of any and all “chick flicks.” I can probably count on one hand the number of romantic comedies that I have actually enjoyed. Therefore, it should come as quite a surprise that I actually chose to go see this movie over The Hangover. The main reason was the feeling that The Hangover was starting to get the over-hype treatment with me.
Overall, I’d say I was quite pleased with The Proposal. It’s nothing more than your simple “can love find its way” moving picture. You throw in the lovable Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, add some crazy Betty White, and the laughs will begin to appear.
The story is simple. Crazy, work first boss Margaret is being deported back to Canada until she forces her assistant to admit that they are getting married. The threat of hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and years in prison cannot qwell Andrew’s commitment to his boss and the possibility of a huge promotion. Man you have to love the American business world. First step in committing this fraud is to tell Andrew’s parents and of course his father who wants him to just take over the family business. Oh no…conflict….
Betty White steals the show as the crazy grandmother but Ryan and Sandra are entertaining in their own right. There are times when the movie gets too serious for how it starts, but it passes in time. Make certain you stay after with the credits for the funny post interviews with the Immigrations officer.
Here’s the next set of reviews from my Netflix queue.
Revolution OS
A geek’s movie about Linux. Too bad it doesn’t go far enough to make it interesting to non-geek’s.
[Rating: 2.5/5]
The Italian Job
I didn’t enjoy it as much as the new version, but it still had its moments and it was cool for its time period. That and everyone loves Michael Caine.
[Rating: 3/5]
Inside Man
Another great thriller but the ending went farther than it really needed to go.
[Rating: 4.5/5]
Memoirs of a Geisha
It just jumped around too much for my taste. Others seem to like it.
[Rating: 3/5]
Who Killed The Electric Car?
Whoever did should have also tried to kill this movie. Must see.
[Rating: 5/5]
Charlie Bartlett
Anton Yelchin is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors to see on the big screen. This kid’s got talent and so did this movie.
[Rating: 4.5/5]
I’m not going to hide from the fact that I was never really a fan of the other films. Sure, T2 was a marvel of modern technology at the time, but that was about it for me. Something about this film seemed interesting to me and that was just enough to get me to shell out the money to see Batman beat up some machines.
Salvation is set in the year 2018 where the war against the machines has begun (but not in a Matrix sort of way). John Connor (Christian Bale) is not the leader of the resistance, but he certainly leads his own team. Over the course of the war, the Resistance has found a signal that will act as an off switch for the machines and allow the humans to win the war. However, things change when a new man is saved and is discovered to be one of the machines. Marcus Wright believes he is human but slowly learns that he is nothing more than a project for a woman after he was put to death for past crimes.
Salvation is simply another post apocalyptic movie of the future where both Sony and Seven 11 are still around. Remind me to invest in both soon rather than later. The graphics are simply amazing throughout. The Terminator movies always excelled in this category and this movie doesn’t disappoint. I’d say the highlight of the film is known to some and others of us are kept in the dark about a special appearance. Take a shot in the dark and you will get it. Let’s just say what they can do with graphics today is shocking. It’s just too bad that X-Men and Wolverine just made it look weird.
Overall I was pleased with this movie more than the others (minus T2), but it’s not great. McG plus some horrible out of nowhere love story makes the movie fall short. That and a post apocalyptic world that has a gas station sign set at 1.89 just doesn’t make me believe it is going to end like that. Someone call Mad Max and maybe John Connor can fight it out for the new world.
