Movies, Movies, Movies

It's been awhile since I have reviewed any movies and I don't want you to think that is because I haven't been out seeing movies. I do it for you really! So, without further ado here is a quick rundown of the last 5 movies I have seen.

• Alice in Wonderland- I saw this on in 3D and 2D and have to say I liked it much better in good ol' 2D. The colors seemed more vivid and the movie just seemed more real. As for the movie; I found it quite enjoyable. The story is a fresh take on the story that most of us know from the books or the animated movie. There are some fighting sequences that may be a little scary for the under 6 crowd but otherwise this one is a crowd pleaser.
• Clash of the Titans- After learning that this was was converted to 3D at the last minute, and because of enjoying Alice better in the second dimension, I saw this one in 2D. This is best described as an adult Percy Jackson prequel of sorts. I say that because I had just read the 1st Percy Jackson book (and seen the movie) and haven't seen the original Clash of the Titans. This movie was okay, nothing great with okay special effects. Worth a rental or dollar movie viewing if you have to see it on the big screen.
• She's Out of my League- I enjoyed this movie; sure it is crude and predictable but it has a new, relatively unknown cast that do a good job with the material they have been given. I should add a side note that me and my movie companion were the only ones laughing in the theater for the first half of the movie and this might have added to my overall enjoyment of the movie. It was almost like it was an inside joke that only we got.
• Kick-Ass- This one turned out to be more of a violent action movie then I was expecting and the fact that it has teens and a pre-teen doing, and receiving, most of the violence it is defiantly not for everyone. I liked the movie because it was different from most of the comic book/superhero movies that have come out but if you are turned of by large amounts of violence and language this movie isn't for you.
• Death at a Funeral- Another remake, this one of a British movie by the same name. Full of laughs and more enjoyable then I was expecting it to be. James Marsden steals this movie and really is the best reason to go see it. I would tell you more but that would ruin the fun. This one does have some low brow humor but overall a good laugh. It made me want to go out and watch the original just to see how close they are in nature.

Well there you have it. A quick take of five movies. Seen anything good lately? Let me know in the comments section.

Reviewed: Austrailia and Cupid

Another week another double review. Up this week Australia (now on DVD) and Cupid (Tuesdays on ABC).


I wanted to see Australia in theaters until I found out about its almost 3 hour running time. If movies are that long they should come with an intermission, so needless to say I did not see it in theaters. But thanks to the magic of DVD I finally caught up with the movie from down under a few weeks ago.

Australia comes from Baz Lurhman, who brought us Moulin Rouge and just like that movie stars Nicole Kidman. This trip to Oz also includes Hugh Jackman. The movie is really filmed well and is very enjoyable from a cinematic stand point. You are treated to views of Australia that are rarely seen in film as the movie does not take place in Sydney but rather in the rugged Northern Territory. The movie really felt like two distinct, separate movies. One about a wealthy English lady going to Australia to sell the cattle and land she and her husband own. There she meets a cattle hand and goes on the cattle drive with him and a few others in hope of restoring the farms prestige to make it easier to sell.

The second movie could have easily been the sequel to Pearl Harbor as it takes place in Darwin during the Japanese attacks of WWII. We have the same characters as before but the movie has a much different feel then it did before and takes on a much darker tone. Overall both parts of the movie are enjoyable and the cast makes it even more so, but I am glad I saw this one on DVD so that I could take a break between the two very different parts. The best part of this movie is the interaction between Kidman and Jackman and the aboriginal boy who links them. If you are looking for a good modern day epic-like movie then this is the way to go.

********************

Cupid is about a man who believes that he is the Greek god of the same name. Cupid, aka Trevor for the non-believers, has been thrown out of Mt. Olympus because he got a little to careless with his bow and arrow and can only return once he has united 100 couples that result in true love. Along for the ride is Cupid's therapist who takes responsibility for him so that he can leave the hospital. Claire, the therapist, believes that Trevor had is heart broken and this is what caused him to think that he was Cupid. We as the audience are left to make up our mind about which of these options is the true one. This lends a certain realistic feel to the show and it really has its funny moments. The supporting characters are great as well as the leads. If you don't have anything better to do on a Tuesday night, and I know I don't, then check out Cupid. You might just like it.

Race to Witch Mountain

I have to confess that I was excited to see Race to Witch Mountain as I was a fan of the original movies, Escape to Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain, from the late 70's and early 80's. What can I say I have a soft spot for those movies as I had watched them numerous times growing up, just don't ask me to explain them. I just remember that I liked them when I was little. Needless to say, I was excited when I heard they were doing a remake. It's the little things that bring me joy these days. Anyway on to the new movie...

...I have to say that I was not disappointed by Race to Witch Mountain. It was a fun family movie in the same vein has National Treasure, the first one not the second, that had something for everyone in the family. Action, Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, you name it this movie has it. Did that make it feel like there was a lot going on at some points during the movie? Yes, but the overall plot moves along at a brisk pace and there is enough car chases and explosions to keep you from thinking about all the side stories to much. They are there for comic value and so on and do serve their roles well.

The cast here is led by Dwayne "No longer the Rock" Johnson, who seems to really be enjoying his time here. You really feel that he develops a connection to the two alien teens who hitch a ride in his cab at the start of the movie. This really is a movie for the whole family and there doesn't seem to be many of those out there these days that the whole family will actually all enjoy. It is rated PG and there are some frighting scenes that may scare the under 4 crowd, but come on it is a movie about aliens so I think you know what you are in for. It is no worse then E.T. so if they can handle that movie they should be okay here.

LOST

Lost is my favorite show! Season 5 starts on Jan. 21 and here is a little sneak peek to get you in the mood...

Quantum of Solace

As most of you know Quantum of Solace it the new Bond movie and even after seeing it I have no idea what the title means. In doing some research I learned that it is mentioned in one of Ian Flemming's Bond novels, so there is that.


On to the movie. This is the first Bond movie that is a direct squeal picking up right where Casino Royale left off. James is after revenge for everything, and against everyone, that happened in Casino Royale. I would highly recommend watching that movie before going to see Quantum. I re-watched it after and it made the new movie a little clearer.


This movie is much more action packed then Casino, it grabs you from the first scene, a car chase in Italy, and doesn't stop until the last scene in Bolivia. That's right you get a world tour with this movie, if only you could keep the frequent flier miles. As in Casino Daniel Craig makes us wonder why anyone else would play Bond. He brings a human element that has been missing in previous Bonds. Then there are the Bond girls, oh yes the Bond girls. Here we get two very intriguing girls who are anything but helpless.


Quantum gives us more information on why Bond is who he is. It just does it in between all the action sequences. Make sure you are not sitting too close to the front as the action can be a lot to take in. That being said this is defiantly a must see on the big screen.

-Eric

The Count of Monte Cristo

I am sure this may come as a surprise to some of you but this review is for the book and not the movie. This may be shocking because given the amount of TV shows and movies I have reviewed some of you probably didn't think I knew how to read or what a book was. Well I do and when I worked downtown and took the train each day I used to read a lot more then I do now. But that is off topic, today I want to talk about The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I am sure many of you have already read this book as it is a classic but it is for that very reason that I was hesitant to read the book to begin with. It was tenth grade and I had one of those great English teachers that thought you could learn a lot more about English by submersing yourself in it (i.e. reading books) then by studying a textbook. Before this time I had never ventured out much from Michael Crichton land and was not very very interested in doing so, especially for some boring old stuffy novel like The Count of Monte Cristo. Did I know anything about the book? No, but I was judging it by its cover. Now I know why you are not supposed to do that and I glad I did because the Count quickly became my favorite book and I have read at least 4 different abridgements at least 6 times.


The last abridgement (the unabridged version) I read was by far the most expansive, checking in at 1,000+ pages and a reference and history guide at the back of the book, complete version I have come across yet. This book has just about everything you can imagine in it. From wrongful imprisonment, murder, betrayal, revenge, redemption, romance, friendship, you just can't want anything more from a book. Each time I read it I discover something that I didn't realize, or pick up, the previous time. I think that is why I keep going back and reading it again and again. Edmond Dantes leads the kind of adventures most of us only dream of but at the same time his life is not easy and is consumed with vengeance. So it is a trade off: adventure with all consuming revenge. Ah who am I kidding I would still take it but that might be because I know how the story ends and no the movie does not end the same way, so don't base your assumptions on that.


I would go into more detail about the plot and characters but I think for you to truly enjoy this you need to go in blind, like I did, and discover it all for yourself. Maybe I should have started with that. Forget everything you just read and go and get yourself a copy of the book and find out for yourself. That is if you already haven't read the book and if you have, try the big unabridged version it is worth the effort. There are so many story lines that where taken out or shorted in the version most of us read in high school. I think I may just start reading it again.

-Eric

Harry Potter Movie News

I got home from work today and found this little bit of information: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince release date has been changed from this November to July 17, 2009!! I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS!!

Now I can understand moving a movies release date if the film isn't ready but that is not the case here. No Warner Bros., fresh off making truckloads of money from The Dark Knight, thought the movie would do better in the summer! To which I reply; It's Harry Potter, it is going to make money whenever you release it!

This really bugs me. Why you ask? Well because this was one of the few movies I was looking forward to this fall. Actually it was one of two movies, the other being the new Bond movie. Like I said before, if it was because the movie wasn't ready then by all means delay it. But when an exec at WB says that is not the case and he has seen the movie and it is great, then that just makes it worse. I want to see it too! Don't make me wait. I will pay five extra bucks, as I am sure a lot of people would, to see the thing in November. I guess I am just ranting because there is not much I can do about it and yes, I will still see the movie when it comes out in July. To help tide you over til then, you can watch the preview here. That concludes my geek freakout session for today.


-Eric

The Core

Okay, I have another confession; I love disaster movies! Armageddon, Deep Impact, Dante's Peak, Volcano, The Day After Tomorrow, well you get the point. So I am sure that it comes as no surprise that I saw The Core when it came out a few years back. It may surprise you that I didn't really like it then. Well a few nights ago it was on TV and since it is summer and my Tivo is oh so lonely I thought I would give The Core another shot.

Was it any better the second time around? Well no. But I did enjoy it much more this time. Why you may ask? Well the plot is just so crazy and cheesy that you can't help but laugh at what it is. I mean come on, the core of the planet is dying causing the electromagnetic field that surrounds the earth, and protects it from cosmic rays, to fail. This also leads to one of the funniest moments in the movie. Since the EM field has failed, birds internal navigation is all askew and this causes said birds to dive bomb people, buses, cars, buildings! Who knew that pigeons would be so destructive! Oh and don't forget the killer lightning, cosmic rays that can melt the Golden Gate bridge but not a Chevy and so on and so forth. Now this all happens relatively early in the movie. Yes it all happens very quickly, because we have to take our next journey into The Core.

The movie tries to make you believe that the technology exists that can allow a ship and its crew to travel safely to the center of the Earth. This is a little bit harder for me to believe then say blowing up an asteroid with a missile, that at least sounds plausible. But since this is a disaster movie, oh and is it a disaster, I will forgive the movie for its lapses here. So onto the center of the earth. Things happen along the way that delay our trusty crew (Hello giant crystal block thingy!) and of course the crew members have to turn on each other, then make up shortly before the bombs that they have placed in the core to restart it go off. We are then left with two crew members that have to out run the bomb blast, after converting the ship to run on thermal power, and make it back to the surface.

Will they make it? Will their story ever be told? Duh! Of course they do and of course it is. Should you watch said story? Only if you are bored or want to watch a really lame movie. Now to be fair if you go in knowing that is going to be bad it is much funnier then any disaster movie should be. Just don't tell the movie that you are laughing at it! Because those pigeons are still out there just waiting...

-Eric

Ironman

Okay, I know this movie came out awhile ago, but looking at movie listings this past weekend I found that it was still playing in some theaters. So if you haven't seen Ironman yet, you really need to see it on the big screen.

Ironman is one of my favorite movies this summer, or year even, right up there with Wall-E. I think the reason that I liked this movie as much as I did is because I went into it not really thinking I would like it and was very pleasantly surprised that I liked it as much as I did.



The cast here, led by Robert Downey, Jr., is the perfect cast for this movie. After seeing the movie, Robert Downey is the only actor I could imagine playing millionaire turned superhero Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Tony's assistant Pepper Potts and I must say that I enjoyed her character here quite a bit and she added a little comedy to the otherwise action packed movie. That is not to say that hers were the only comic moments in the movie, but I just enjoyed them.

The whole movie just comes together so well that I have to give credit to director Jon Favreau, who as a fan of the comic book series makes sure that the movie did not spiral into a giant mess, which it easily could have given its comic book past. In my opinion Ironman solidifies Favreau as a great director (see Elf, Zathura), and was pleased to read this weekend that Favreau and Downey have signed onto Ironman 2.

I strongly recommend that you see this movie on the big screen while you still can. It really is one of the best movies this year. Overall Grade: A-

The only thing different I would say, was it was very much a "boy movie". I liked it a lot and I have a lot of friends who are females who loved it. I just felt like sometimes it was sort of intense. That being said. I really liked it. Definitely one worth seeing on the big screen.

Caitlin