(2011, Michael Rapaport)
This is a solid documentary about the varied and interesting story that is a Tribe Called Quest. Interviews with tons of hip hop heavy hitters. If you like TCQ or the history of rap music-- watch this. I remember these days. . . ah the olden times. (6/7)
Trailer
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Cowboys and Aliens
(Jon Favreau, 2011)
This period action sci-fi movie does a lot of things right. It has a solid cast, decent music, good FX, and a pretty fun story. Olivia Wilde is hot. The alien design is cool. Weapons, explosions, Harrison Ford, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown, Adam Beach, Sam Rockwell, Toby Huss-- and a character named Jed! Yay! Enjoyable flick. (5/7)
Trailer
This period action sci-fi movie does a lot of things right. It has a solid cast, decent music, good FX, and a pretty fun story. Olivia Wilde is hot. The alien design is cool. Weapons, explosions, Harrison Ford, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown, Adam Beach, Sam Rockwell, Toby Huss-- and a character named Jed! Yay! Enjoyable flick. (5/7)
Trailer
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Captain America: The First Avenger
(Joe Johnston, 2011)
Early: I might as well tell you Marvel has a great thing going with the previews for their next film at the end of the end credits: so stay for the end if you want to see the Avengers "trailer."
Now: Captain America is a fun period hero story which embraces the idea that the little guy, and more importantly the little guy with a good heart, can do great things. Chris Evans is solid. Hugo Weaving is wonderful and captures the Nazi essence of the Red Skull perfectly. Joe Johnston does a good job with the design and visuals and there are some nice action set pieces and some good emotional story telling. The music by Alan Silvestri (and Mr. Johnston in some places) is appropriate and this WWII tale has some nice period moments. Tommy Lee Jones and the britishy cute Hayley Atwell play well against each other. The end credits are also very well done. This movie works well in 3D. This is a fun movie so get some popcorn and go enjoy yourself.
It finally (!) seems like Marvel is has worked out some of their issues and they are not going to butcher every single one of their comics. . . I hope they keep up the recent trend of decent films (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and even X-men First Class). (6/7)
Trailer
Early: I might as well tell you Marvel has a great thing going with the previews for their next film at the end of the end credits: so stay for the end if you want to see the Avengers "trailer."
Now: Captain America is a fun period hero story which embraces the idea that the little guy, and more importantly the little guy with a good heart, can do great things. Chris Evans is solid. Hugo Weaving is wonderful and captures the Nazi essence of the Red Skull perfectly. Joe Johnston does a good job with the design and visuals and there are some nice action set pieces and some good emotional story telling. The music by Alan Silvestri (and Mr. Johnston in some places) is appropriate and this WWII tale has some nice period moments. Tommy Lee Jones and the britishy cute Hayley Atwell play well against each other. The end credits are also very well done. This movie works well in 3D. This is a fun movie so get some popcorn and go enjoy yourself.
It finally (!) seems like Marvel is has worked out some of their issues and they are not going to butcher every single one of their comics. . . I hope they keep up the recent trend of decent films (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and even X-men First Class). (6/7)
Trailer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(David Yates, 2011)
Well Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and all the rest are back for the finale. If you read the book you may be a bit disappointed but David Yates tries to deliver emotion and darkness in this last entry in the Potter line. As always some great character work by some of the best character actors around. I liked the dragon. Have fun. (5/7)
Trailer
Well Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and all the rest are back for the finale. If you read the book you may be a bit disappointed but David Yates tries to deliver emotion and darkness in this last entry in the Potter line. As always some great character work by some of the best character actors around. I liked the dragon. Have fun. (5/7)
Trailer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
13 Assassins
(2011, Takashi Miike)
Takashi Miike hasn't so much "remade" Eiichi Kudo's 1963 original, as "reimagined" it. This is a solid samurai film and Miike proves continually that when given proper freedom and a budget he can make incredibly stirring and beautiful films. This is a violent film built on a solid political story of the Edo period immediately prior to the Meiji Restoration. As such the film has some great commentary on what has become of warriors that never fight real battles in a time of peace and what will become of the warrior tradition, bushido and the samurai in the future. The film has a 50-minute long battle sequence which is an important part of this film and is never boring. Kōji Yakusho is really great as Shimada Shinzaemon. Sparing use of CG but an honest portrayal of seppuku and battle adds to the visceral tone. (6/7)
Trailer
Takashi Miike hasn't so much "remade" Eiichi Kudo's 1963 original, as "reimagined" it. This is a solid samurai film and Miike proves continually that when given proper freedom and a budget he can make incredibly stirring and beautiful films. This is a violent film built on a solid political story of the Edo period immediately prior to the Meiji Restoration. As such the film has some great commentary on what has become of warriors that never fight real battles in a time of peace and what will become of the warrior tradition, bushido and the samurai in the future. The film has a 50-minute long battle sequence which is an important part of this film and is never boring. Kōji Yakusho is really great as Shimada Shinzaemon. Sparing use of CG but an honest portrayal of seppuku and battle adds to the visceral tone. (6/7)
Trailer
X-men: First Class
(2011, Matthew Vaughn)
Okay so if you actually like comics and the X-men then breathe a sigh of relief: director Matthew Vaughn attempts to render the origin story of the X-men intelligible in film form. He has, in large measure, achieved this. He has treated the basic story of Magneto and Professor X's initial partnership as more of a spy movie rather then a superhero film and he has tried to keep the essentially human and moral story of the comics intact. Quality performances by Kevin Bacon, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender. Decent effects and finally (!) some good costuming. I enjoyed this thoroughly watchable film. For purists it is still totally non-canonical but what do you expect?! (6/7)
Trailer
Okay so if you actually like comics and the X-men then breathe a sigh of relief: director Matthew Vaughn attempts to render the origin story of the X-men intelligible in film form. He has, in large measure, achieved this. He has treated the basic story of Magneto and Professor X's initial partnership as more of a spy movie rather then a superhero film and he has tried to keep the essentially human and moral story of the comics intact. Quality performances by Kevin Bacon, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender. Decent effects and finally (!) some good costuming. I enjoyed this thoroughly watchable film. For purists it is still totally non-canonical but what do you expect?! (6/7)
Trailer
Super 8
(2011, J.J. Abrams)
Super 8 is a good old school kids and aliens movie that is solid family fare in the great American tradition. The story is not too gooey, not too "double-punchy" and yet it is filled with some great notes that evoke youthful adventure stories like Stand by Me and E.T. . The alien looks cool too. Watch it. (6/7)
Trailer
Super 8 is a good old school kids and aliens movie that is solid family fare in the great American tradition. The story is not too gooey, not too "double-punchy" and yet it is filled with some great notes that evoke youthful adventure stories like Stand by Me and E.T. . The alien looks cool too. Watch it. (6/7)
Trailer
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(2011, Michael Bay)
While clearly ripping off Richard C. Hoagland's Dark Mission book, the latest Transformers has it's moments of smartness. Director Michael Bay is still an incredibly gifted realizer of shots. The guy makes everything look amazing and incredible all the time. Frances McDormand, John Malkovitch, and Patrick Dempsey all do a good job (adding some good humor). The best thing about this movie is it is, at times, genuinely funny and exciting. Don't get me wrong it is still dumb as hell but it is fun! Perhaps the least weak of the three and there is also almost no substantial dialogue. The writers still love the stupid mascot characters and the Transformers themselves don't get to say much. Leonard Nimoy has a perfect voice for Sentinel Prime. Alan Tudyk is funny as Dutch and look for a wonderfully comic performance by Ken Jeong has Jerry Wang. Thank god that Michael Bay got Frank Welker to do Shockwave/ Soundwave voices--who else can do it? Throw in Buzz Aldrin to add even more credence to Hoagland's NASA alien conspiracy idea and you got something that almost works. (5/7)
Trailer
For some perhaps not so nutty "conspiracy" stuff:
Enterprise Mission
While clearly ripping off Richard C. Hoagland's Dark Mission book, the latest Transformers has it's moments of smartness. Director Michael Bay is still an incredibly gifted realizer of shots. The guy makes everything look amazing and incredible all the time. Frances McDormand, John Malkovitch, and Patrick Dempsey all do a good job (adding some good humor). The best thing about this movie is it is, at times, genuinely funny and exciting. Don't get me wrong it is still dumb as hell but it is fun! Perhaps the least weak of the three and there is also almost no substantial dialogue. The writers still love the stupid mascot characters and the Transformers themselves don't get to say much. Leonard Nimoy has a perfect voice for Sentinel Prime. Alan Tudyk is funny as Dutch and look for a wonderfully comic performance by Ken Jeong has Jerry Wang. Thank god that Michael Bay got Frank Welker to do Shockwave/ Soundwave voices--who else can do it? Throw in Buzz Aldrin to add even more credence to Hoagland's NASA alien conspiracy idea and you got something that almost works. (5/7)
Trailer
For some perhaps not so nutty "conspiracy" stuff:
Enterprise Mission
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