Sunday, June 26, 2011
About time, Me: Green Lantern review!
Heeeeey! Sorry I haven't reviewed in a while. The past couple weeks' of movies haven't really struck me enough to review. I didn't want to review Super 8 because it would ruin a lot of the movie's suspense and wonder for those who haven't seen it yet.
Then there's Cars 2...but my theater didn't have an employee screening, so I have to wait till tomorrow (Sunday). Oh yes, there WILL be a review on that one. Probably two. One from a Pixar fangirl's POV, and one from a movie critic's POV. Why? Because this movie will require me to look at it both ways in order for me to *hopefully* like it.
ANYWAY! Green Lantern...
We didn't have an employee screening for this, and I wasn't too disappointed. Sure, I'm all for anything Ryan Reynolds does, but the trailers for Green Lantern made the movie look like pure cheese. Bad cheese.
The movie wasn't THAT bad, but it wasn't fantastic. I went in knowing it wouldn't be. Which can be a good and bad thing. Good: I didn't feel like I wasted my time. Bad: It didn't prove my suspicions wrong.
Ryan Reynolds is Hal/Earth's Green Lantern, and I don't know much about the comic, but I thought he played the part well. It was expected that the hero had to be unsure about his life, a smart ass, etc., so yeah. The movie starts off with the same-old coming of age, learn about your strengths, yadda yadda. Oh, and of course...get the girl. It seems crucial to Hollywood that there needs to be a love story to everything, and I'm mostly okay with that. I love me some romance (especially when it involves Mr. Reynolds), but dear Lord was this movie HEAVY on it.
Hal's love interest is Carol, the daughter of a major company that produces fighter planes or something like that. ---Side note: That's another Super Hero element, isn't it? The hero has to have some sort of connection to a big shot company. Yes it works for the story, but it's a *bit* too convenient for our local Lantern.
Anyway, I digress. Carol is in this movie much to much. Blake Lively is one-note. She finds Hal annoying and attractive, hates him but needs him around (she PROMOTES him when he tries to quit his job at the fighter plane company thingy! Come on...). Like I said, romance as a subplot is nice. It gives the film heart and makes you want to root for the hero so they can live happily ever after. But when there are scenes SOLELY for their relationship to develop, it's boring. Especially since Hal and Carol apparently had a thing in the past. "You forgot my birthday." "I'm sorry for how I was." Gag me, then shoot me. Turn green and fly to that awesome new planet of yours, dude.
Speaking of the planet...I can't even remember the name of it. Which should tell you something. We visit it TWICE and only meet 3 other Green Lanterns: Sinestro (Mark Strong), Kilowog (Michael Clark Duncan), and Tomar-Re (Geoffry Rush). I think my favorite scenes had to be when Hal was on this planet with these three. Upon writing this review, I didn't know Geoffry Rush was Tomar-Re, so Yay. Also, I love anything Mark Strong does. Sinestro, I knew from my little Green Lantern knowledge, was supposed to be Hal's major enemy, but I suppose this is his (Sinestro's) life as a Lantern before he got the Yellow Ring. This was probably my major problem with the movie: you don't learn anything about the Lanterns. You learn nothing about other Lanterns, their world, or what they do. Hal is just whisked away there, gets ONE combat lesson from Kilowog and he suddenly knows how to fight? Not only that, he quits? This story is way too jumbled and watered down in information.
For example...what they're fighting is made pretty clear: Fear. And it's disgusting. You couldn't go one scene without Hal saying he's "not scared" but he can't be a Lantern because they have to be "without fear". Contradicting yourself aren't ya, Hal? There's also A LOT of mumbo jumbo about Fear (aka Paralax, a giant blob of smoke that eats peoples souls by feeding off of their, you guessed it, fear), and that the only way to beat it is to have Will Power. Remember when I said the trailer was pure cheese? I may as well brought some chips into the theater with me, because the writing was ridiculous. I mean, there's even another bad guy in the movie, Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) that doesn't even do anything for the story about Paralax. It seems like the writers need more time slapped onto the movie while Paralax moves slowly through space until finally reaching Earth, so they plucked another arch nemesis from the comics for Hal to fight in the mean time.
The CGI was also, mediocre. It wasn't unpleasant to watch (Kilowog, for instance, is pretty cool lookin' for an ugly...Lantern thingy) but it seemed like it's been done before. I can't say much for the 3D aspect of the movie since I saw it in 2D. But I bet ya, it's not worth the extra money. The glasses probably just dim the color(s). Lets just say, green. Lots and lots of green.
So, in two words Green Lantern is: predictable and undeveloped.
Should you see it? If you're a fan of the comics, go for it. I'm sure your inner nerd/child will like the flashiness of the whole thing. Try going to a 2D version, though.
Should there be a sequel? Yes. Not because I thought the movie was fantastic, but because I want to know more about the Green Lantern Corps! Lets look at this like the director is saying Green Lantern is the "back story" for Hal Jordan. The real movie is on it's way. (kind of like Dark Knight being the "real" Batman movie.)
After Credits somethin-somethin? Yep. Thankfully not at the rear end of the credits, but after the animated curtain call for the actors/producers/director. Although, it's nothing big. It lets you know they're willing to make a sequel if this one grosses well. Hard to tell right now.
DC or Marvel? I am starting think that I'm more of a Marvel girl. Their movies just feel better, ya know? I mean, take a look at the Captain America trailers! Doesn't it feel/look like Iron Man?
In theaters NOW:
Cars 2 (seeing it on Sunday, hopefully.)
Bad Teacher (seeing it sometime this week, hopefully. Might not review.)
In theaters THIS WEEK:
Transformers 3: The Dark of the Moon (hopefully seeing it Monday. It comes out the 29th (Wednesday)
Larry Crowne (I want to see this, but something about Julia Roberts just...bugs me. So we'll see about this one...)
Monte Carlo (if this comes to Galaxy, I might see it. What can I say? I like Selena Gomez. She's a good kid.)
Thanks for reading :)
Then there's Cars 2...but my theater didn't have an employee screening, so I have to wait till tomorrow (Sunday). Oh yes, there WILL be a review on that one. Probably two. One from a Pixar fangirl's POV, and one from a movie critic's POV. Why? Because this movie will require me to look at it both ways in order for me to *hopefully* like it.
ANYWAY! Green Lantern...
We didn't have an employee screening for this, and I wasn't too disappointed. Sure, I'm all for anything Ryan Reynolds does, but the trailers for Green Lantern made the movie look like pure cheese. Bad cheese.
The movie wasn't THAT bad, but it wasn't fantastic. I went in knowing it wouldn't be. Which can be a good and bad thing. Good: I didn't feel like I wasted my time. Bad: It didn't prove my suspicions wrong.
Ryan Reynolds is Hal/Earth's Green Lantern, and I don't know much about the comic, but I thought he played the part well. It was expected that the hero had to be unsure about his life, a smart ass, etc., so yeah. The movie starts off with the same-old coming of age, learn about your strengths, yadda yadda. Oh, and of course...get the girl. It seems crucial to Hollywood that there needs to be a love story to everything, and I'm mostly okay with that. I love me some romance (especially when it involves Mr. Reynolds), but dear Lord was this movie HEAVY on it.
Hal's love interest is Carol, the daughter of a major company that produces fighter planes or something like that. ---Side note: That's another Super Hero element, isn't it? The hero has to have some sort of connection to a big shot company. Yes it works for the story, but it's a *bit* too convenient for our local Lantern.
Anyway, I digress. Carol is in this movie much to much. Blake Lively is one-note. She finds Hal annoying and attractive, hates him but needs him around (she PROMOTES him when he tries to quit his job at the fighter plane company thingy! Come on...). Like I said, romance as a subplot is nice. It gives the film heart and makes you want to root for the hero so they can live happily ever after. But when there are scenes SOLELY for their relationship to develop, it's boring. Especially since Hal and Carol apparently had a thing in the past. "You forgot my birthday." "I'm sorry for how I was." Gag me, then shoot me. Turn green and fly to that awesome new planet of yours, dude.
Speaking of the planet...I can't even remember the name of it. Which should tell you something. We visit it TWICE and only meet 3 other Green Lanterns: Sinestro (Mark Strong), Kilowog (Michael Clark Duncan), and Tomar-Re (Geoffry Rush). I think my favorite scenes had to be when Hal was on this planet with these three. Upon writing this review, I didn't know Geoffry Rush was Tomar-Re, so Yay. Also, I love anything Mark Strong does. Sinestro, I knew from my little Green Lantern knowledge, was supposed to be Hal's major enemy, but I suppose this is his (Sinestro's) life as a Lantern before he got the Yellow Ring. This was probably my major problem with the movie: you don't learn anything about the Lanterns. You learn nothing about other Lanterns, their world, or what they do. Hal is just whisked away there, gets ONE combat lesson from Kilowog and he suddenly knows how to fight? Not only that, he quits? This story is way too jumbled and watered down in information.
For example...what they're fighting is made pretty clear: Fear. And it's disgusting. You couldn't go one scene without Hal saying he's "not scared" but he can't be a Lantern because they have to be "without fear". Contradicting yourself aren't ya, Hal? There's also A LOT of mumbo jumbo about Fear (aka Paralax, a giant blob of smoke that eats peoples souls by feeding off of their, you guessed it, fear), and that the only way to beat it is to have Will Power. Remember when I said the trailer was pure cheese? I may as well brought some chips into the theater with me, because the writing was ridiculous. I mean, there's even another bad guy in the movie, Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) that doesn't even do anything for the story about Paralax. It seems like the writers need more time slapped onto the movie while Paralax moves slowly through space until finally reaching Earth, so they plucked another arch nemesis from the comics for Hal to fight in the mean time.
The CGI was also, mediocre. It wasn't unpleasant to watch (Kilowog, for instance, is pretty cool lookin' for an ugly...Lantern thingy) but it seemed like it's been done before. I can't say much for the 3D aspect of the movie since I saw it in 2D. But I bet ya, it's not worth the extra money. The glasses probably just dim the color(s). Lets just say, green. Lots and lots of green.
So, in two words Green Lantern is: predictable and undeveloped.
Should you see it? If you're a fan of the comics, go for it. I'm sure your inner nerd/child will like the flashiness of the whole thing. Try going to a 2D version, though.
Should there be a sequel? Yes. Not because I thought the movie was fantastic, but because I want to know more about the Green Lantern Corps! Lets look at this like the director is saying Green Lantern is the "back story" for Hal Jordan. The real movie is on it's way. (kind of like Dark Knight being the "real" Batman movie.)
After Credits somethin-somethin? Yep. Thankfully not at the rear end of the credits, but after the animated curtain call for the actors/producers/director. Although, it's nothing big. It lets you know they're willing to make a sequel if this one grosses well. Hard to tell right now.
DC or Marvel? I am starting think that I'm more of a Marvel girl. Their movies just feel better, ya know? I mean, take a look at the Captain America trailers! Doesn't it feel/look like Iron Man?
In theaters NOW:
Cars 2 (seeing it on Sunday, hopefully.)
Bad Teacher (seeing it sometime this week, hopefully. Might not review.)
In theaters THIS WEEK:
Transformers 3: The Dark of the Moon (hopefully seeing it Monday. It comes out the 29th (Wednesday)
Larry Crowne (I want to see this, but something about Julia Roberts just...bugs me. So we'll see about this one...)
Monte Carlo (if this comes to Galaxy, I might see it. What can I say? I like Selena Gomez. She's a good kid.)
Thanks for reading :)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Hangover: Part II (spoilers. Sorry, couldn't be helped.)
The Hangover: Part II
Well, last night I screened Hangover: Part II and I wasn't impressed. Sure it was funny and worth a watch, but it's the same funny as the first film but poorly executed.
When I say the "same funny", I mean the same funny. It is almost exactly like original movie, only in a different city and Doug (Justin Bartha) is sitting on the beach safe and sound, but they lose someone else in their unknown adventures the night before. Someone you don't even get to know enough beforehand to even CARE that he's missing.
That's another thing, Stu (Ed Helms) is marrying a girl we have never seen/met before. I, like the rest of my friends, was expecting an actual marriage to happen between Stu and the stripper. But, this is apparently a few years in the future and Stu has found a pretty Asian girl, Lauren (Jamie Chung), whose brother, Teddy (Mason Lee) is the one The Wolfpack loses the night before.
I think the part everyone is looking forward to in this movie is the writing. Hangover was HILARIOUS mostly because of the writing. I cannot tell you how long it took for my classmates to stop quoting it constantly* (keyword. my friends and I still do quote it.)
Anyway, my point is...the writing in Hangover 2 isn't as great. The only line I can sorta remember that was a good laugh was "You see this napkin over my orange juice? I put it there so no one would ROOFIE ME!" Want to know why it's funny? Because its a callback to the original movie!
I might make a list in a different post later about all the parallels between the two movies (because it's painfully obvious). I should have expected it, but I honestly thought they would think of a different storyline. Yes, keep some of the same elements to "callback" to the original again, but the whole thing? It's boring. My point will make more sense after I make the list...
Should you see it? Yes. Like I said, it IS funny, but please, don't go in thinking it's better than the first Hangover.
3D? ITS NOT 3D, STOP ASKING ME! <---what I was yelling in my head to customers ALL day today)
Other comments? The monkey smoking a cigarette. Oh my lord, PETA had a cow...I will tell you now, that cigarette was animated. At least the lit end and smoke were. CHILL OUT.
Releasing next week:
X-Men: First Class
and a few other movies that probably won't make it to my theater...so, not listing those. Yes I'm screening X-Men, no, I'm not reviewing it. Main reason: it'll be the first X-Men film I would have seen. Don't know what I'm expecting :/
I'm going to see Kung Fu Panda 2 tonight! STOKED :D
Definitely going to review it. I'll put it up tomorrow. Unless I love it enough to want to tell everyone tonight. Haha :)
Toodles.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (3Dbox!)
Hey everyone!
Well, the Summer blockbusters have officially begun! And Pirates 4 is an excellent way to start it off!
I have to admit that I was tiny bit skeptical about the movie. I wasn't a big fan of the 3rd Pirates installment. But after seeing how different Pirates 4 is compared to the other 3...I was entertained the entire time. It seems like they have started the series over without the intent to do so.
This is a good thing! There's no need to "catch up" on the story of Jack Sparrow for people who are new to the Pirates franchise (that rock you live under must be pretty cozy if you haven't seen at least one of them yet.)
It's also a good thing because the storyline centering around Will Turner got old fast with the 2nd and 3rd movies. This time around it's all about Jack & Blackbeard. True pirates that love what they do.
So, the story is simple. Capt. Jack is searching for the Fountain of Youth, although it's not really specified as to why he wants to find it. To be younger longer, sure, but it just seems like he's in it for the adventure in just locating it.
The acting overall was a bit...exaggerated. At times (especially the scene with King George, played by Richard Griffiths) it was to the point of uncomfortable silliness. It was all good fun, nonetheless. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow was, of course, spot on and definitely consistent with the other movies. I was surprised by Penelope Cruz! I might need to see more Penelope Cruz movies because I liked her acting. It was like she had a switch to turn something serious into something funny, and vise versa. She played Angelica, a woman scorned by Jack years ago and claims that he betrayed her and left her brokenhearted for personal gain. One word for you, Angelica: "Pirate!"
Geoffrey Rush reprized his role as Barbossa, who even though has turned from pirate to Nobleman, is still as creepy and big-headed as ever.
Ian McShane as Blackbeard was perfect. He was ruthless and evil, just like you'd imagine Blackbeard to be. He also has magic powers, which kinda threw me off. I know the other Pirates movies had magic in them, but it seemed to be centered all around Blackbeard. I don't know if that makes sense.
This installment certainly doesn't feel like you're sitting in the theater forever. Which is a sign of a good movie what with it clocking in at about 2 1/2 hours.
Oh yeah! The 3D...probably wasn't needed. There were moments when it was used pretty well. At one point there's a skeleton hand (not sayin WHO'S skeleton!) reaches out towards you. Oh, and Blackbeard thrusts his sword all the time (thats what she said?) But overall, you forget you're wearing glasses.
DBox wasn't bad either! I was worried, but since you're mostly in a boat and people are constantly sword fighting or flying through the air, it was all good fun and worth your extra $8.
Should you see it? Definitely. If you've seen the other Pirates and enjoyed them, you'll like this one. If you haven't (can I stay the night under that rock?) it's a great starter into the franchise!
3Dbox? It's worth it if you're willing to pay the extra money. :)
Anything else? "He's even more annoying in miniature."
Releasing next week:
Hangover: Part II (screening.)
Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom (I'm SO EXCITED)
Tree of Life (we're not getting this one. It's a limited release and I'm sad. It looks amazing...maybe it'll catch on like King's Speech and we'll get it later on next month..)
As always, thanks for reading! :)
I'm going to try and see Bridesmaids this week. I keep hearing good things.
Next week might have 2 reviews (Hangover & Panda) as well.
Well, the Summer blockbusters have officially begun! And Pirates 4 is an excellent way to start it off!
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
(It was tough, but this is spoiler free!)
I have to admit that I was tiny bit skeptical about the movie. I wasn't a big fan of the 3rd Pirates installment. But after seeing how different Pirates 4 is compared to the other 3...I was entertained the entire time. It seems like they have started the series over without the intent to do so.
This is a good thing! There's no need to "catch up" on the story of Jack Sparrow for people who are new to the Pirates franchise (that rock you live under must be pretty cozy if you haven't seen at least one of them yet.)
It's also a good thing because the storyline centering around Will Turner got old fast with the 2nd and 3rd movies. This time around it's all about Jack & Blackbeard. True pirates that love what they do.
So, the story is simple. Capt. Jack is searching for the Fountain of Youth, although it's not really specified as to why he wants to find it. To be younger longer, sure, but it just seems like he's in it for the adventure in just locating it.
The acting overall was a bit...exaggerated. At times (especially the scene with King George, played by Richard Griffiths) it was to the point of uncomfortable silliness. It was all good fun, nonetheless. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow was, of course, spot on and definitely consistent with the other movies. I was surprised by Penelope Cruz! I might need to see more Penelope Cruz movies because I liked her acting. It was like she had a switch to turn something serious into something funny, and vise versa. She played Angelica, a woman scorned by Jack years ago and claims that he betrayed her and left her brokenhearted for personal gain. One word for you, Angelica: "Pirate!"
Geoffrey Rush reprized his role as Barbossa, who even though has turned from pirate to Nobleman, is still as creepy and big-headed as ever.
Ian McShane as Blackbeard was perfect. He was ruthless and evil, just like you'd imagine Blackbeard to be. He also has magic powers, which kinda threw me off. I know the other Pirates movies had magic in them, but it seemed to be centered all around Blackbeard. I don't know if that makes sense.
This installment certainly doesn't feel like you're sitting in the theater forever. Which is a sign of a good movie what with it clocking in at about 2 1/2 hours.
Oh yeah! The 3D...probably wasn't needed. There were moments when it was used pretty well. At one point there's a skeleton hand (not sayin WHO'S skeleton!) reaches out towards you. Oh, and Blackbeard thrusts his sword all the time (thats what she said?) But overall, you forget you're wearing glasses.
DBox wasn't bad either! I was worried, but since you're mostly in a boat and people are constantly sword fighting or flying through the air, it was all good fun and worth your extra $8.
Should you see it? Definitely. If you've seen the other Pirates and enjoyed them, you'll like this one. If you haven't (can I stay the night under that rock?) it's a great starter into the franchise!
3Dbox? It's worth it if you're willing to pay the extra money. :)
Anything else? "He's even more annoying in miniature."
Releasing next week:
Hangover: Part II (screening.)
Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom (I'm SO EXCITED)
Tree of Life (we're not getting this one. It's a limited release and I'm sad. It looks amazing...maybe it'll catch on like King's Speech and we'll get it later on next month..)
As always, thanks for reading! :)
I'm going to try and see Bridesmaids this week. I keep hearing good things.
Next week might have 2 reviews (Hangover & Panda) as well.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thor, the God of Ka-chega
NO that's not the actual movie name. It's just me trying to be funny. Hopefully you understand the reference.
Before I start reviewin Thor for ya, I want to let ya know that Fast Five was actually pretty good. If your theater has Dbox DEFINITELY go for it. It was a ton of fun. I didn't review it because I didn't really feel like it, to be honest. Mostly because I haven't seen the other Fast & Furious movies. So...not much to base it off of.
Anyway...
Before I start reviewin Thor for ya, I want to let ya know that Fast Five was actually pretty good. If your theater has Dbox DEFINITELY go for it. It was a ton of fun. I didn't review it because I didn't really feel like it, to be honest. Mostly because I haven't seen the other Fast & Furious movies. So...not much to base it off of.
Anyway...
Thor
Marvel is keepin pretty dang busy this Summer. First there's this movie, Thor, then there's X-men: First Class, and finally Captain America. You can be sure that if you go to the theater and pick a movie at random, you will be entertained (Marvel or not.)
Thor is actually much much better than I thought it would be. I was expecting something cheesy, over the top, and cliche. Yes, there were moments that were cheesy, over the top (very), and cliche, but I thought it was integrated well into the storyline overall. I was entertained the entire time.
If you're not familiar with Norse mythology, you are given a bit of a back story for who Thor and his brother, Loki, are as characters. Thor wants power, lots of it, and wants to show it off constantly. Loki, though seemingly quiet, wants power to prove that he's worthy of having it. So yes, there's sibling rivalry and betrayal and its painfully obvious to the plot. You know what's going on before the characters do, which is a little disappointing. Like I said, though: it's still entertaining. Not to mention BEAUTIFUL to look at.
The CG and special effects were, to put it simply: very cool. Therefore, the action is 'very cool' as well. It's in 3D, and I can see why they wanted that effect. There are moments when the 3D's worth it, but I think it could have done without and still be pretty successful visually.
The acting was ok. The only real stand-out performance would be from Anthony Hopkins as Odin. But, ya know...it's Anthony Hopkins. He doesn't do a bad job. Ever.
Chris Hemsworth was refreshing. You don't see him around that often (I knew him from Star Trek for what? 5 minutes?) so it's nice to see an actor that's "new". He played Thor as a whiny wanna-be man boy. Once he's exiled to Earth by Odin, his character drastically changes into a compassionate man, but it doesn't seem like we even see the transition.
Natalie Portman's performance as Jane, the woman that found Thor in the middle of the desert by hitting him with her car, was forgettable. Which is disappointing because I've been LOVING everything Natalie Portman has been doing lately (a la, Black Swan.) But it might be the writing's fault. Her character seemed to just...be there. Both as someone to bum a ride off of and a love interest to Thor.
I suppose I should talk about Loki, Thor's younger brother played by Tom Hiddleston too. He was also a new face, but I don't want to explain too much about his character in fear of spoiling a key plot point for you. So, I suppose I'll leave him alone. I hope he picks up some other movie roles other than The Avengers (again, as Loki) because I'd like to see him again.
Should you see it? Yes yes. It's good fun for a night out :)
3D or 2D? If your theater has an option to see it in 2D, I'd go for the 2D. You won't be missing out on too much.
Better than Iron Man? Um. No superhero movie will ever be better than Iron Man. At least, that's until The Avengers comes out.
Movies releasing next week:
Bridesmaids (I'm probably screening this one. It looks hilarious!)
Priest
Everything Must Go
Priest
Everything Must Go
Monday, April 25, 2011
Pixar Round-up!
Hey-lo everyone!
OK! This isn't a review, but I'm bored, and I feel like posting something. How about the latest Disney/Pixar movie news? Mmmmmk!
Cars 2
As everyone's probably aware, Cars 2 is releasing on June 24th. Personally, I'm a little nervous.
My concerns:
You can bet I'll be reviewing it here once it's out. I won't hold back if I didn't like it either. I'll be taking it as a personal insult from Pixar if it's just them making a sequel for the sake of making a sequel.
OK! This isn't a review, but I'm bored, and I feel like posting something. How about the latest Disney/Pixar movie news? Mmmmmk!
Cars 2
As everyone's probably aware, Cars 2 is releasing on June 24th. Personally, I'm a little nervous.
My concerns:
A spy movie? Really?
Where the HELL is Sally??
Is it Maters movie?
Ok. Pixar has yet to fail in making a fantastic movie. And the evidence this one will also be fantastic is pretty hefty. I mean, they managed making the Toy Story franchise work with sequels (I no longer consider them separate movies.) so hopefully the same can be said with Cars. John Lasseter (the reincarnation of Walt Disney?) took the directing reins just as he did with the first Cars. He KNOWS how to tell a good story, obviously.
So why am I so nervous about this movie? The trailer plays in the lobby at work several times a day, and I can't stand watching it. It's just so, so awful. It looks like we're going to be following Mater the whole time while Lightning is in the background turning left. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Mater...but when I think of "Cars" I see Lightning McQueen. Not a rusty truck. Also, the writing sounds pathetic.
"Instead of sayin 'Ka-chow' he's gonna go 'Ka-boom!' "
"Lightning needs your help, Mater! Are you ready?" ... "Is the Pope-mobile Catholic?"
*rolls eyes*
As for the Where's Sally? question...she had BETTER be in the movie, so help me...they better not pull a stunt like they did in An Extremely Goofy Movie and not even mention Roxanne!
All I have to say is, she'd better not be traveling with the gang because she has to stay home with her and Lightning's kids. >_>
Newt- Cancelled!
Yep...it was cancelled mid-preproduction. Didn't know about it? Yeah, no one did. Sooo...
Brave- June 2012
I am SO excited for this movie for multiple reasons.
Um, it's Pixar.
It's Pixar's first female lead.
Pixar's first "fairy tale"
First female director ---> well...co-director.
She dropped out and supposedly left the studio indefinitely. No one knows why...
It was originally going to be named The Bear and the Bow, which I think is more interesting, but Pixar has a thing for short, metaphorical titles. Brave was a nice change.
What is this movie about? I couldn't really tell ya. There's not much given on the plot. Princess Merida is an archer and wants to make a career of it, but when she goes off in pursuit of that dream, it puts her kingdom and mother in danger. And there's a bear somewhere in the mix.
I LOVE concept art. Here's some of the most recent pieces leaked on the interwebs for Brave :)
There's a bear in the one above! Do ya see it? Huh? Huh?! </nerdyexcitement>
Isn't it beautiful? If you couldn't tell, it's set in Scotland. That's a first for Pixar too. We've been in America, Australia, France, Radiator Springs (which, I guess is America too? Route 66 and such...)
Well, one of the few reasons why I can't wait for Cars 2 is that there will most likely be a teaser trailer for Brave in front of it. Right now they're in "crunch time" to make that teaser though...
Monsters Inc. 2----> Now named Monsters University: November/December 2012
YEP! We're getting TWO Pixar movies in one year, folks! Two movies, that I am beyond stoked for. One being a completely new story, characters, etc, and one that continues the story of characters I absolutely love.
Monsters University is going to be a prequel to Monsters Inc. At first, I didn't like the idea. Mainly because I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO BOO! I was SO convinced that one of the little girls in Toy Story 3 was a slightly older Boo. :(
But, after thinking about it...it's another Pixar first. And I have to say, I am curious as to how Mike and Sully became best buds.
So, naturally, we can assume that the movie will start off with them hating each other, but by the end of the movie realize they make an awesome scaring team and nail one of the biggest jobs a monster can get. Scarers at Monsters Inc.
It would also be interesting to see if they use some of the concepts they originally had for the original Monsters Inc. Sully wasn't a Scarer (not at first, anyway). He worked in the tunnels as a lowly maintenance man/monster/guy.
Toy Story 4. Not likely. But there are going to be Toy Story short films airing in the very very near future. (ie. another reason why we should look forward to Cars 2.)
Well, that's all I can think of. Hope I told you something you didn't already know!
By the way, you guys are awesome. I am SO excited with how many people read this...I just have one request?
Let me know who you are! Comment here, on my facebook, something! I like seeing how many views I get, but I'm curious as to who it is doing the viewing. Haha <3
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants
It's good to be back reviewing! :D
This week, I screened Water for Elephants at work, and I was definitely not disappointed! Which is good because I had an opening shift the next day.
The storyline is pretty simple. Boy is about to graduate from college, drops out when his family is killed, runs away and joins the circus and meets the girl of his dreams. It's simplicity at it's best! It's refreshing to follow a storyline you've seen before without all the confusing plot twists and action-packedness. Just sit, and enjoy.
This movie was cast well. The lead, Jacob, is played by Robert Pattinson, and I JUST made a funny connection...Edward is playing Jacob. Ha.
Ugh. I'm sorry. I didn't want to make a Twilight reference. Especially since the first 15 minutes of the movie, my coworkers wouldn't stop making Twilight jokes.
I'm off topic.
Jacob's parents die in a car crash, and he loses everything they own to the bank. He dropped out of Cornell where he was studying veterinary sciences, and walks. He doesn't know where he's going. Just...away. He jumps onto a passing train, to discover that it's a circus train.
Pattinson does actually do a very good job. Yes, at first all I could think of is Twilight (not only because of my coworkers.) but he really does prove to me that he's not a one-note wonder. I also didn't really mind whenever he spoke Polish. That was nice. :D
Jacob plays off that he graduated Cornell and weasels his way into being the traveling circus's vet.
Reese Witherspoon plays Marlena. She is both the Ringmaster's wife, and one of the acts. She works with the horses, and basically enchants Jacob.
The Ringmaster, August....is one messed up dude. So, naturally, you need an amazing actor that can play "messed up" pretty well. Christoph Waltz was perfectly charming and evil. He is territorial about his "things" aka Marlena, and will do anything (and I mean...ANYTHING) to keep his show alive while the world is in a depression (oh yeah, that's when the movie's set....by the way...)
Now, at the beginning of the movie when Jacob joins the circus, they make a joke about how they don't have any elephants. I was shocked...I wanted to see elephants! Not some silly movie title metaphor! But, eventually...there is an elephant. No worries. Her name is Rosie, and she was magnificent. I applaud the animal trainers for this movie!
The movie itself is filmed very well. Each shot is beautiful and were fluid. I suppose you can say that my "4th wall" wasn't broken at all, well...not that much, anyway.
I want to warn you...You will definitely want to go to a circus after this movie. And/or ride/want an elephant.
Should you see it in theaters? Yes, definitely. The film is beautiful, and seeing it on the big screen will only make it even more so.
Oscar nods? I hope there are a few! Christoph Waltz should definitely get one. A few movie related nods as well.
Other comments? I still don't think Pattinson is that handsome. He's not bad looking, sure, but...eh. :/
Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it. I didn't see one until the movie was close to release.
Water for Elephants Trailer
Releasing next week:
Fast Five (I'm screening this one! It's in D-box as well. Woo hoo)
Prom (Ugh. Disney...why?)
Hoodwinked Too!: Hood VS Evil (*rolls eyes* the first one wasn't that good...)
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (what's this?)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
No longer absent!
Hello! This is just a quick update for those who keep up with my movie rants...
I FINALLY have internet again. Which means...I'm shootin for at least 1 review a week!
Water For Elephants comes out this weekend, and I'm pretty excited for it! I keep hearing the book is amazing, so I'm going to need to read that eventually...
Plus, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. Can't go wrong with those two. (...well...usually in Witherspoon's case)
It's also going to be a movie for Robert Pattinson to prove to me he's not just a pretty boy. Let's see you actually work with GOOD actors Rob! :)
I'm also thinkin about another idea for this blog. I think, on the days I'm bored, or don't really want to bother reviewing/screening whatever comes out one weekend...I review movies that have been out for a while, but I have yet to see. Maybe even ones I think you, my dear readers, should see.
NO it won't just be animated/Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks stuff...I watch other movies too, ya know :P
I just got my Netflix subscription resurrected, sooo yeah. I am alive in the movie world again, officially!
See you soon!
I FINALLY have internet again. Which means...I'm shootin for at least 1 review a week!
Water For Elephants comes out this weekend, and I'm pretty excited for it! I keep hearing the book is amazing, so I'm going to need to read that eventually...
Plus, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. Can't go wrong with those two. (...well...usually in Witherspoon's case)
It's also going to be a movie for Robert Pattinson to prove to me he's not just a pretty boy. Let's see you actually work with GOOD actors Rob! :)
I'm also thinkin about another idea for this blog. I think, on the days I'm bored, or don't really want to bother reviewing/screening whatever comes out one weekend...I review movies that have been out for a while, but I have yet to see. Maybe even ones I think you, my dear readers, should see.
NO it won't just be animated/Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks stuff...I watch other movies too, ya know :P
I just got my Netflix subscription resurrected, sooo yeah. I am alive in the movie world again, officially!
See you soon!
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