Mar 16 2013
After having separate movies for Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk, along with Black Widow and Hawkeye hanging out in other movies, all the superheros come together because Thor’s brother is throwing a tantrum on Earth. It is usually just Amy and I reviewing, but this time Sharon joined in on the fun.
Side note: We all saw this movie right when it came out, but I just didn’t post it until now.
Jan 04 2011
I’ve seen Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz that were different movies, but had the same theme of the same two leads and they parodied movies –zombie and action movies. I would not have guessed this one was by the same director. First, it didn’t star Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Second, it was just in a different vein. It is a mix of video game and comic book. When Scott Pilgrim has to make a decision, a decision wheel pops up in his head. When the phone rings, it actually says “Ring” on the screen. When there are fights, it is like watching the old Batman cartoons with the “Wham” and “Pow” popping up on the screen.
Scott Pilgrim is in a not very good rock band and he starts dating a high school girl that worships him and his band. Then he runs into another girl that he falls for immediately. The drawing that he shows a guy at a party to find out her name is excellent. I have no idea why he’s so infatuated with her because she isn’t given much time to actually talk in the movie. She isn’t much of a character, but it is easy enough to ignore since the movie is fun. She has seven evil exes that Scott has to fight in order to date her. That’s the only time that I wondered why he would fight people when he barely knows her, but I just went with it.
The seven exes are funny, the fight scenes are hilarious and the entire movie was highly entertaining. While Michael Cera plays himself in every movie he has ever been in, and he is the same way in this one, it does seem to be to a lesser degree. I didn’t find it to be a distraction like it could be in other movies. I also found his roommate to be very funny. He’s Macaulay Culkin’s brother. We decided he looked like his brother, but wasn’t as odd looking.That was a bonus. He could have been in it more than he was and I think it would have added to the movie.
Rating: A-
Aug 13 2010
I first saw a shortened trailer on tv for Scott Pilgrim and it made no sense. Then I saw a longer one and I think it looks pretty damn funny. I heard about Eat, Pray, Love and wasn’t thrilled about Julia Roberts. She can be annoying, but the scenery and food in the movie make me want to watch it. The Expendables just looks stupid.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Eat, Pray, Love
The Expendables
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Directed: Edgar Wright
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh
Trailer
Synopsis: Scott wants to date Ramona, but must first fight her seven evil exes.
My Take: It is a mix of superhero movie, video game, and the hilarity that comes from the guys who made Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.
RT Score: 79%
RT Consensus: Its script may not be as dazzling as its eye-popping visuals, but Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is fast, funny, and inventive.
Aug 06 2010
The director and writer of The Other Guys made the actors watch old cop movies like The French Connection and All the President’s Men instead of the comedy cop buddy movies so they wouldn’t copy what the comedies had already done. Maybe that’s why when I first watched the trailer, I had really low expectations, but laughed more than I thought I would.
The Other Guys
Step Up 3D
Middle Men
The Other Guys
Directed: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson
Trailer
Synopsis: Two cop partners wish they were like some superstar cops in their department, but they are an odd couple that don’t mesh together very well.
My Take: I love the last scene in the trailer that talks about explosions.
RT Score: 79%
RT Consensus: While not the best collaboration between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, The Other Guys delivers bursts of comedy during a summer largely devoid of laughs.
Apr 23 2010
At first glance, I thought Zoe Saldana in The Losers was Thandie Newton. Zoe seems to be playing the same kind of role Thandie has played in stylish action pictures, but without the British accent. As for the limited releases, isn’t Ryan Reynolds tired of playing superhero characters? He will be in both Deadpool and Green Lantern soon, but now he’s playing a grown man’s imaginary superhero friend.
The Back-Up Plan
The Losers
Oceans
The Back-up Plan
Directed: Alan Poul
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O’Loughlin, Danneel Harris, Eric Christian Olsen, Noureen DeWulf, Anthony Anderson, Melissa McCarthy
Trailer
Synopsis: A woman decides to get pregnant on her own when she can’t find the right guy. Of course, as soon as she gets pregnant, she meets the right guy, but he doesn’t know she’s pregnant.
My Take: Not sure how someone that looks like Alex O’Loughlin would still be single by the time she runs into him.
RT Score: 20%
RT Consensus: Jennifer Lopez is as appealing as ever, but The Back-Up Plan smothers its star with unrelatable characters and a predictable plot.
Dec 30 2009
There are no wide releases this week. They are all limited releases.
The White Ribbon
The Chaser
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
The White Ribbon
Directed: Michael Haneke
Trailer
Synopsis: In a small German town, just before the start of World War I, a bunch of accidents keep happening that at first seem like coincidence, but after a while, appear they are not.
My Take: The mystery seems intriguing and the black and white works well with it.
RT Score: 88%
Feb 06 2009
Proof that Dakota Fanning works harder than the rest of us, there are two movies coming out this week with her in them. She is the voice of the little girl in Coraline and she also stars in the sci-fi thriller Push. As far as what the critics are saying for the movies coming out, Coraline, looks awesome but might be too scary for little kids. I thought the same thing when I read the book. I first thought it might be aimed at children, but thought it was more young adult territory while reading it. Talented casts are wasted in both romantic comedy He’s Just Not That Into You and juvenile comedy Pink Panther 2. Finally, there is just a ton of confusion in terms of the plot line in Push that has more style over substance.
Coraline
He’s Just Not That Into You
Push
Pink Panther 2
Coraline
Directed: Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Keith David
Trailer
Synopsis: Based on a Neil Gaiman story, a girl is ignored by her parents until she finds a secret doorway in her house that leads to an alternate reality with other parents that seem a little too good to be true.
My Take: Good book and the stop-motion animation looks awesome.
RT Score: 88%
RT Consensus: With its vivid stop-motion animation combined with Neil Gaiman’s imaginative story, Coraline is a film that’s both visually stunning and wondrously entertaining.
Apr 11 2008
Nationwide Releases
Smart People
Directed: Naom Murro
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes
Trailer
Synopsis: A self-absorbed, depressed professor is not much of a role model for his type-A high school daughter, but then he hooks up with his former student who is now a doctor and his slacker brother moves in to show him and his daughter you can have fun in life.
My Take: While it has the potential to be a charming movie, it comes across as thinking it is it is too clever and might end up being condescending to its audience.
RT Score: 48%
RT Consensus: Despite its sharp cast and a few laughs, Smart People is too thinly plotted to fully resonate.
Nov 13 2007
The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Directed: Tim Story
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon
The Fantastic Four must battle the Silver Surfer before Earth dies.
I have no idea why there was a need to make a sequel after the horrible first movie, but here we are with the silver surfer guy. What I complained about in the first movie is what I’ll complain about in this movie. Everyone is way too serious and I think the movie franchise would improve if they were campy. The human torch is the only one playing with the cheese of the entire thing, but everyone is completely serious cat the entire movie. I also complained about the lack of chemistry between Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba, and it is still not there. I rolled my eyes at their scenes. The Thing and his girlfriend had more chemistry. Once again there was a naked scene with Jessica Alba, but can you really expect these kind of improvements in this movie series? I guess not.
Continue reading “The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”
Dec 22 2005
Five scientists get caught in some ball of light thingy that changes their DNA. The good ones become the Fantastic 4 while the bad one becomes Dr. Doom.
Another comic book movie where I really know nothing about the comic books, so all the characters are new to me and I can’t compare if the movie did a good job with the translation or not. I can only judge it on its pure entertainment value.
I think the story had the potential to be good, but the acting teetered on unbearable, including actors that I know can act. Michael Chiklis has won acting awards for The Shield, but he just seemed uncomfortable in his Thing costume and when he did act tough, it came across as silly. At one point, he said “It’s clobbering time,” which is something that came from the comic book, and I don’t know if there was a way for it to not sound cheesy, but it did. Even though he has the body type, I think he was miscast.
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