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Surprised at the score you gave, The Box. I thought that movie was really bad.
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holy shit I remember this movie It came on like cartoon network or something, movie is epic, but weird as fuck.A Miyazaki Double Feature
Princess Mononoke
AKA Mononoke-hime
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
1999. Rated PG-13, 134 minutes.
Cast (English Version):
Clair Danes
Billy Crudup
Minnie Driver
Keith David
Gillian Anderson
Jada Pinkett-Smith
Billy Bob Thornton
After being infected by a demon and banished from his village, Ashitaka (Crudup) heads off, in search of a cure. Suddenly, he finds himself in the middle of a war between the creatures of a mystical forest and the people of a nearby mining village. Among the forest creatures is San (Danes), a human girl raised by wolves and hellbent on killing Lady Eboshi (Driver), the leader of the village. This is one of the most beloved movies to come out of the anime genre, ever. It’s easy to see why. Visually, it is a fantastic piece of work, showing off the potential of traditional flat 2D animation. It’s not the long, classic lines and regality of Disney. This is jagged, frenetic segments bouncing, darting, coiling, uncoiling and exploding all over the screen. Narratively, it flows smoothly, easily guiding us from one life-or-death moment to the next. Where it falls apart, for me, is the repeated blows to the head from its message. Nearly every line of dialogue drips with one anti-something sentiment or another, including anti-American. It has about a thousand small warnings about environmental protection, wrapped in one big one. I’m no staunch conservative, or liberal, for that matter. I don’t have an inherent problem with message movies, either. I just prefer them to practice subtlety, or have a sense of humor if they’re not. For example, I’m very much a fan of The Host, a Japanese monster movie from a few years ago. It also had a decidedly anti-American stance but it was sly enough that it wasn’t an obstacle and it displayed some wicked humor. With PM it felt like I was taking a sledgehammer to the back of the skull every few moments. Therefore, while I realize that “everyone else” just loves this movie and even I can recognize its dazzling veneer, it just wasn’t an enjoyable experience for me.
MY SCORE: 5.5/10
Miyazaki's
Spirited Away
AKA Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
2001. Rated PG, 125 minutes.
Cast (English Version):
Daveigh Chase
Jason Marsden
Suzanne Pleshette
Susan Egan
David Ogden Stiers
John Ratzenberger
Lauren Holly
Michael Chiklis
Bob Bergen
On the way to their new home, Chihiro (Chase) and her family stop and explore an abandoned amusement park. Suddenly, her parents undergo a strange transformation and she finds herself surrounded by dangerous spirits. Miyazaki draws us in with some amazing sights. Though not quite as visually ambitious as his Princess Mononoke he still does some spectacular things with the medium. To compliment what we see, what we feel is just as good. The story is fluidly told, moving easily from harrowing situation to another and conveying a real sense of danger with each. Along the way, we meet fascinating characters but are never sure who they really are due to all the shapeshifting and ulterior motives. This leads to lots of twists and creates a number of subplots. Amazingly, it never feels convoluted. In the end, it’s a movie far more about the journey than the destination. Where Chihiro is going is much less important that how she gets there. It is truly a movie enhanced by its visuals not engulfed by them.
MY SCORE: 9/10
"From the time he hits the court, he plays at a competitive level that you rarely see," Popovich says. "He does the exact same things that Kobe (Bryant) does, that Michael Jordan did.Comment
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Ya. All Miyazaki's movies go on CN.
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Might see IM2, now. You kind of gave it a recommendation because you rated it higher than 5. I heard it was very mediocre.
I'm still upset they took away Howard's part as Rhodes. He's at least the right skin-tone, no offense to Cheadle (just saw Devil in a Blue Dress three days ago... His variety blows my mind sometimes).
I mean, I love Donnie, but Terrence is part of my plan to bring light-skinned back, and this fucked it up. lol
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Do you believe that a cocky, average actor (whose claim to fame is playing the main role in one of the most overrated pieces of shit in film history?) who plays a minor role in a movie should also be the highest paid actor in the film?
Marvel knew what they were doing when they let him go. Iron Man 2 didn't suck because of Don Cheadle, it sucked because so much was going on that nothing happened and the plot was filled with holes bigger than your mother's vagina.Comment
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I happen to like Howard as an actor, a lot. Still, gotta side with Palooza on this one. He did it to himself.Comment
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Harold & Kumar
Escape From Guantanamo Bay
Directed by John Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.
2008. Rated R, 107 minutes (unrated DVD version).
Cast:
John Cho
Kal Penn
Rob Corddry
Neil Patrick Harris
Jack Conley
Roger Bart
Danneel Harris
Eric Winter
Our two favorite potheads are back for another stoner’s adventure. We pick things up the morning after Harold and Kumar get home from their harrowing trip to White Castle. After a quick shower, the pair rush off to the airport for their trip to Amsterdam. Of course, they don’t make it there because the bong Kumar sneaks onto the plane is mistaken for a bomb and he for a terrorist. They’re shipped to Guantanamo Bay where they manage to escape, hence the title. Hijinks and shenanigans, all involving marijuana, ensue. Much like the first, it’s stupid, disgusting and occasionally offensive. There is nothing here to make it a “good” movie. If you’re looking for a challenge to your intellect, you’re puffing off the wrong bong, here. That said, I still found myself laughing most of the way through. I think I’ve lost all respect for myself. Therefore, this can only get my “so bad it’s awesome” seal of approval.
MY SCORE: -10/10Comment
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Amelia
Directed by Mira Nair.
2009. Rated PG, 111 minutes.
Cast:
Hilary Swank
Richard Gere
Ewan McGregor
Christopher Eccleston
Joe Anderson
Mia Wasikowska
Cherry Jones
Aaron Abrams
Plot: The life and times of Amelia Earhart (Swank), the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Good: As usual, Hilary Swank turns in excellent work. Hers is an uncanny impersonation of the iconic Earhart. Even more than that, she embodies Earhart’s adventurous and just a shade less than completely carefree spirit. Because of her chosen vocation of flying, we get treated to some beautiful shots from above.
The Bad: It feels more like a colorized newsreel than a biopic. One third of the movie consists of her waving to the media as she climbs into a plane, then taking off and experiencing some trouble due to weather and landing in one foreign land or another. Another third is of her taking off from said foreign land in still severe weather after shouting down objections from whoever is flying with her then almost running out of fuel and barely making it to her destination. The other third is her playing cute with one of the two men in her life while newspaper headlines periodically tell us of all the great stuff she’s doing. As for those two men, hubby George Putnam (Gere) and boyfriend Gene Vidal (McGregor), they make up two-thirds of one of the dullest love triangles ever filmed. In short, it takes a woman with tremendous heart and lust for life and makes a heartless, lustless movie about her.
The Ugly: I’m still waiting for these two dudes to have it out.
Recommendation: This is one of those movies that doesn’t necessarily do anything wrong. The problem is it doesn’t do anything right, either. It never really engages us. We also don’t feel like we get to know Amelia Earhart as a person any better since the movie tells us almost nothing we didn’t already know or couldn’t have learned from the first two paragraphs of her Wikipedia page.
The Opposite View: Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter
What the Internet Says: 5.7/10 on imdb.com (5/23/10), 20% on rottentomatoes.com, 37/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 5/10Comment
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The Damned United
Directed by Tom Hooper.
2009. Rated R, 98 minutes.
Cast:
Michael Sheen
Timothy Spall
Colm Meaney
Henry Goodman
David Roper
Jimmy Reddington
Maurice Roëves
Stephen Graham
Peter McDonald
Plot: After years of feuding with their manager Don Revie (Meaney), Brian Clough (Sheen) is named to succeed Revie as the manager of Leeds United; "inspired" by a true story.
The Good: Brian Clough is a unique character for a sports movie underdog. He’s not your run-of-the-mill humble and downtrodden guy facing seemingly insurmountable odds. When we meet him, he’s already overcome the odds, twice, one of which we witness in flashback. He’s arrogant and treats success at the next level like a forgone conclusion. On top of that, most of the difficulties he encounters are of his own creation. Michael Sheen plays the role excellently. He manages to get us on his side, even though he’s a jerk. As Clough’s sidekick talent scout Peter Taylor, Spall is even better. He gives a perfectly restrained performance that seems to mirror our feelings on what’s going on. The movie as a whole also displays a sly sense of humor.
The Bad: Though we get a good sense of what’s going on between Clough and his new team, we’re shown surprisingly little. All but one of the players are simply part of a faceless mob. It would’ve elevated the movie further to witness more of the dynamic between them. Likewise, we don’t see much actual soccer…er…football. We don’t get the rush of exhilaration or disappointment we would normally get from watching it play out before us. It seems to be a case of overdone restraint.
The Ugly: What one of the players does during the singing of the National Anthem.
Recommendation: TDU is a different sort of sports movie and it’s better for it. It’s much more a character study than anything else. Therefore, don’t go into this looking for the next Rocky or Remember the Titans. However, do check it out if you want a more mature sports film.
The Opposite View: Rick Groen, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
What the Internet Says: 7.6/10 on imdb.com (5/26/10), 94% on rottentomatoes.com, 81/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7.5/10Comment
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Ice Castles
Directed by Donald Wrye.
2010. Rated PG, 95 minutes.
Cast:
Taylor Firth
Rob Mayes
Henry Czerny
Eve Crawford
Gillian Ferrier
Tattiawna Jones
Morgan Kelly
Andrea Joyce
Michelle Kwan
Small-town girl Alexis (Firth) suddenly becomes a superstar figure skater, problems in her love life and tragedy ensues. Remake of the 1978 film of the same name. Director Donald Wrye knows that his target audience is there for the ice skating and the love story. Therefore, he packs his movie tight with both. There is no meandering. Every scene is directly related to one or the other and often both. This helps the pace, making the 95 minutes feel even shorter. This also means there are lots of highs and lows that work well. On the other hand, it puts to use nearly every cliché in two genres: sports movies and chick-flicks. Even if you haven’t seen the original, and I haven’t, nothing surprising happens. The only exception being the severity of a certain event, but even that’s ruined if you read the back of the DVD cover (or saw the original). Don’t worry, I won’t spill the beans other than to say yes, the consequences of said event are way beyond excessive. Hey, the rest of the movie is built around that moment, so I'll leave it at that. Obviously, this is a full-blown chick-flick. It also has a Disney channel feel to it, so it’s also kind of cheesy. However, that’s precisely what it wants to be. This makes it the type of movie pre-teen girls will just eat up (at least, my daughters did). Fellas, this isn’t for you, but if you find yourself stuck watching it you just remember, it could be worse.
MY SCORE: 5/10Comment
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What Doesn't Kill You
Directed by Brian Goodman.
2008. Rated R, 100 minutes.
Cast:
Mark Ruffalo
Ethan Hawke
Amanda Peet
Will Lyman
Brian Goodman
Donnie Wahlberg
Angela Featherstone
Edward Lynch
Plot: Two lifelong best friends, Brian (Ruffalo) and Paulie (Hawke), and career criminals deal with the trials and tribulations of the life they’ve chosen.
The Good: Though neither is a likeable guy, their frustration with where they’ve found themselves draws us in. To facilitate this we get excellent performances from both Ruffal and Hawke. Ruffalo, in particular, is outstanding. It’s an unfortunately overlooked portrayal of a man with many demons. The city of Boston is also a menacing character. Refreshingly, it’s subtly so. Unlike a lot of other movies set there, this one never puts it in your face. There are no extended scenes scored by blaring Irish music, no ridiculously bad New England accents, no shamrocks and no references to the Celtics or Red Sox. Instead, the city either mirrors the bleakness or hope of our heroes, depending on what’s going on, or enforces its own will upon them. It not only helps set the mood, but to change it, as well.
The Bad: Our two (anti) heroes work for Sully (Lyman). We know they’re frustrated with their position in his organization and have an idea of the type of relationship he has with them, but it could’ve been much more fleshed out. How what transpires affect him might’ve added even more depth. I would also like to have seen more Detective Moran (Wahlberg). The subplot involving his character and Brian could’ve developed into an intriguing cat-and-mouse but instead, it’s a wasted opportunity.
The Ugly: What happens the first time Brian meets Moran.
Recommendation: This is definitely for those of us into gritty, urban drama. It gives us great acting and a story that keeps us locked in throughout. Interesting tidbit: apparently, this is inspired by the director’s real life.
The Opposite View: Nicolas Rapold, Village Voice
What the Internet Says: 6.7/10 on imdb.com (5/27/10), 66% on rottentomatoes.com, 71/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7.5/10Comment
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I wasn't that serious. Jeez. Nah, you've made some good points.
Hey, hey, hey!Marvel knew what they were doing when they let him go. Iron Man 2 didn't suck because of Don Cheadle, it sucked because so much was going on that nothing happened and the plot was filled with holes bigger than your mother's vagina.
You've got to leave my mother's vagina out of this. :P
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