Ted
(2012, Seth MacFarlane)
This is a solid movie. MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis are all great. A surprisingly tender and well thought out film about a teddy bear brought to life by a wish and some love. (5/7)
The Raven
(2012, James McTeigue)
John Cusack as Poe. Could have been cool. Sadly was not. Luke Evans is a standout. Wonky ideas, some wonky editing and horrible credits music. (3/7)
The Campaign
(2012, Jay Roach)
Sometimes really funny and sometimes really not funny. Ferrell and Galifinakis are good but this story rambles. Karen Maruyama as Mrs. Yao is worth watching the movie for. Also Southerner Katherine LaNasa is very appealing as Rose Brady. (4/7)
Ted
The Raven
The Campaign
Thursday, October 11, 2012
On DVD: The Clash ( Bẫy Rồng)
(2009, Le Thanh Son)
This movie was really fun. I was not sure what to expect from a Vietnamese action movie but I hoped it would be amazing. Southeast Asia is the hope for Neo-HK style action flicks and Johnny Tri Nguyen brought the sauce. Mr. Nguyen wrote, produced and starred along with his on-screen partner Ngo Thanh Van. Ngo Thanh Van (Veronica Ngo) is super tough and hot and the fight choreography is top drawer. The plot/ story is a bit tired with no really new ground covered but for a lower budget action movie this is really good. Tri Nguyen is very charismatic and his martial arts are solid. Nice MMA/ Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai and Vovinam derived moves-- adding a modern and believable feel to the fights. We don't get to hear Tri Nguyen sing but he does dance. . . (5/7) Also Tri Nguyen is my age-- YAY! Double Punch!
Trailer
This movie was really fun. I was not sure what to expect from a Vietnamese action movie but I hoped it would be amazing. Southeast Asia is the hope for Neo-HK style action flicks and Johnny Tri Nguyen brought the sauce. Mr. Nguyen wrote, produced and starred along with his on-screen partner Ngo Thanh Van. Ngo Thanh Van (Veronica Ngo) is super tough and hot and the fight choreography is top drawer. The plot/ story is a bit tired with no really new ground covered but for a lower budget action movie this is really good. Tri Nguyen is very charismatic and his martial arts are solid. Nice MMA/ Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai and Vovinam derived moves-- adding a modern and believable feel to the fights. We don't get to hear Tri Nguyen sing but he does dance. . . (5/7) Also Tri Nguyen is my age-- YAY! Double Punch!
Trailer
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Dark Knight Rises and Coming Soon: Cloud Atlas
(2012, Christopher Nolan)
A bit predictable but well done. Glad I was right about the identity of the character Marion Cotillard was to play when they first cast her. Good film. (6/7)
Trailer
Coming Soon to Theatres
Cloud Atlas by the Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski and Tom Twyker: I think it looks epic, awesome, and beautiful and I hope it is. Check it out here CLOUD ATLAS
A bit predictable but well done. Glad I was right about the identity of the character Marion Cotillard was to play when they first cast her. Good film. (6/7)
Trailer
Coming Soon to Theatres
Cloud Atlas by the Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski and Tom Twyker: I think it looks epic, awesome, and beautiful and I hope it is. Check it out here CLOUD ATLAS
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Moonrise Kingdom; Amazing Spiderman; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Moonrise Kingdom
(2012, Wes Anderson)
Bloody brilliant. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Great story-- great performances. Wes Anderson is still the hope for American movies. Writing by Roman Coppola and Wes Andersen. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward are wonderful. The score/ soundtrack is stellar. This film is Double Punchy goodness in the spirit of Judy Blume and other classic voices. (7/7)
Moonrise Kingdom
The Amazing Spiderman
(2012, Marc Webb)
Okay so I thought (500) Days of Summer was mostly bad but director Marc Webb pulls of The Amazing Spiderman. Very entertaining reboot. Worth watching for Spidey fans especially if you like Sara Pichelli's artwork. Far more true to the canonical ideas of Spiderman-- really dynamic and believable performance by Andrew Garfield. Great stunts and fight choreographic and decent FX. (6/7)
Amazing Spiderman
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
(2012, Timur Bekmambetov)
I liked Nightwatch and Daywatch and I thought aspects of Wanted were cool but this movie, while enjoyable, I felt lacked Bekmambetov's usual flair and verve. Felt under budgeted somehow. Some solid ideas and effects with a screenplay by the writer of the novel. If they blew the adaptation it he shares the blame. Rufus Sewell is always a great bad guy. (5/7)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
(2012, Wes Anderson)
Bloody brilliant. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Great story-- great performances. Wes Anderson is still the hope for American movies. Writing by Roman Coppola and Wes Andersen. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward are wonderful. The score/ soundtrack is stellar. This film is Double Punchy goodness in the spirit of Judy Blume and other classic voices. (7/7)
Moonrise Kingdom
The Amazing Spiderman
(2012, Marc Webb)
Okay so I thought (500) Days of Summer was mostly bad but director Marc Webb pulls of The Amazing Spiderman. Very entertaining reboot. Worth watching for Spidey fans especially if you like Sara Pichelli's artwork. Far more true to the canonical ideas of Spiderman-- really dynamic and believable performance by Andrew Garfield. Great stunts and fight choreographic and decent FX. (6/7)
Amazing Spiderman
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
(2012, Timur Bekmambetov)
I liked Nightwatch and Daywatch and I thought aspects of Wanted were cool but this movie, while enjoyable, I felt lacked Bekmambetov's usual flair and verve. Felt under budgeted somehow. Some solid ideas and effects with a screenplay by the writer of the novel. If they blew the adaptation it he shares the blame. Rufus Sewell is always a great bad guy. (5/7)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Snow White and the Huntsman
(2012, Rupert Sanders)
Okay I like Kristen Stewart and I like Chris Hemsworth and this movie is filled with great character actors (Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, etc.) and has some solid effects, lensing, and costumes in places. Overall this was a fun tale if I was 12 I think I would have been crazy about this movie. I thought the ending was flat and then I realized. . . oh, a sequel cometh. Kristen Stewart double-punch action, dwarfs, faeries, the White Heart, Judeo-Christian-Celtic-y-mish-mash, a troll, and hallucinogenic fungi. The soundtrack was "meh" by James Newton Howard. Charlize Theron is solid as the evil queen Ravenna. 6/7
Okay I like Kristen Stewart and I like Chris Hemsworth and this movie is filled with great character actors (Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, etc.) and has some solid effects, lensing, and costumes in places. Overall this was a fun tale if I was 12 I think I would have been crazy about this movie. I thought the ending was flat and then I realized. . . oh, a sequel cometh. Kristen Stewart double-punch action, dwarfs, faeries, the White Heart, Judeo-Christian-Celtic-y-mish-mash, a troll, and hallucinogenic fungi. The soundtrack was "meh" by James Newton Howard. Charlize Theron is solid as the evil queen Ravenna. 6/7
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Prometheus
(Ridley Scott, 2012)
So I never thought it would happen. . . a Ridley Scott movie that I didn't really like. So basically this movie looks great(!) and has some fine actors in it but it is poorly developed, illogical drek on many levels. All the characters and subsequent interactions are wooden and at times laughable-- except for the android played by Michael Fassbender. Seriously-- a biologist who is hired by a multi-trillion dollar company and describes a totally alien organism as a "reptile-like" thing almost mad me laugh out loud. I imagine a real scientific expedition to an alien world would have the biologist on his hands and knees for hours just outside the space craft. Their containment/ contagion protocols felt hilarious too. I felt like the whole time I was watching some BS studio version of the film and not the Director's cut. Totally, utterly predictable for anyone who knows the Alien films. Some great FX and production design and some cruddy make-up too. Weird. Thanks Ridley Scott for disappointing me. Weak sci-fi, weak aliens/ monsters, just weak. . . . Oh yeah Noomi Rapace still rules and can do no wrong. (5/7)
Official site
So I never thought it would happen. . . a Ridley Scott movie that I didn't really like. So basically this movie looks great(!) and has some fine actors in it but it is poorly developed, illogical drek on many levels. All the characters and subsequent interactions are wooden and at times laughable-- except for the android played by Michael Fassbender. Seriously-- a biologist who is hired by a multi-trillion dollar company and describes a totally alien organism as a "reptile-like" thing almost mad me laugh out loud. I imagine a real scientific expedition to an alien world would have the biologist on his hands and knees for hours just outside the space craft. Their containment/ contagion protocols felt hilarious too. I felt like the whole time I was watching some BS studio version of the film and not the Director's cut. Totally, utterly predictable for anyone who knows the Alien films. Some great FX and production design and some cruddy make-up too. Weird. Thanks Ridley Scott for disappointing me. Weak sci-fi, weak aliens/ monsters, just weak. . . . Oh yeah Noomi Rapace still rules and can do no wrong. (5/7)
Official site
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The Dictator
(2012, Larry Charles)
It is the funny from England Jew Sacha Baron Cohen back again this time making fun of America, Jews, and Muslims and lots of other things. This movie is funny but incredibly predictable. Some nice humor with goats. I enjoyed myself. Ana Faris can do no wrong. (5/7)
Trailer
It is the funny from England Jew Sacha Baron Cohen back again this time making fun of America, Jews, and Muslims and lots of other things. This movie is funny but incredibly predictable. Some nice humor with goats. I enjoyed myself. Ana Faris can do no wrong. (5/7)
Trailer
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