Tweet
I love dell.
-
-
Read your new moon review. Still haven't seen any of the movies or read any of the books. Quite proud of myself for that... And I read the spoiler. FUNNY.
Frankly though, I don't understand any of the TEAM JACOB, TEAM EDWARD shit. Do any of the fangirls read the books? EDWARD WINS. THEY GET MARRIED. (I'd spoiler this, but you're all 18-34 year old males, so this movie isn't targeted at you, and thereby you don't give one shit, let alone two.)
Comment
-
Watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, plzComment
-
Comment
-
Hot Tub Time Machine
Directed by Steve Pink.
2010. Rated R, 92 minutes.
Cast:
John Cusack
Clark Duke
Craig Robinson
Rob Corddry
Sebastian Stan
Lyndsy Fonseca
Crispin Glover
Chevy Chase
Lizzy Caplan
Collette Wolfe
Plot: Four down-on-their-luck friends decide to spend a weekend at the resort they used to hang out at during their glory days. After a wild night in their suite’s hot tub, they wake up in 1986.
The Good: It’s better than it has any right to be. Sure, it’s juvenile and crass but it does both so well. Watching our heroes try to replicate what happened the first time they lived through ’86 is fun. The running gag involving Crispin Glover is priceless. Most of the references to the 1980s work well. The dynamic between Lou (Corddry) and the rest of the group really carries the movie effectively.
The Bad: I did say it was juvenile and crass. However, its worse crimes are being predictable and rushing its ending. We know what’s going to happen, thanks in large part to one of the bigger storylines being a rip-off of Back to the Future, but it doesn’t work up to it. Instead, it meanders along with the various situations that have popped up and then suddenly and haphazardly sticks in, pardon the pun, a key component in shaping the outcome.
The Ugly: What’s the deal with the drunk guy in the bear suit?
Recommendation: It’s strictly a guy thing. ‘Nuff said.
The Opposite View: Mark Keizer, Boxoffice Magazine
What the Internet Says: 7.4/10 on imdb.com (4/29/10), 63% on rottentomatoes.com, 63/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 6.5/10Comment
-
2012
Directed by Roland Emmerich.
2009. Rated PG-13, 158 minutes.
Cast:
John Cusack
Amanda Peet
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Thandie Newton
Oliver Platt
Danny Glover
Woody Harrelson
Liam James
Morgan Lily
Zlatko Buric
Plot: A geologist discovers an increase in solar activity that will lead to the end of the world as we know it, socio-political Darwinism ensues. Oh, and dying – lots of dying.
The Good: Forget about Avatar, this might be the most beautiful movie of 2009. The end of the world is a truly spectacular sight. There are skyscrapers crashing into one another as they fall, multi-tier freeways collapsing, entire cities and their suburbs coming apart at the seams as the earth separates beneath them. Likewise for areas surrounding suddenly activated, fireball hurling volcanoes. And if you’re anywhere near any coast, or out to sea, you have to contend with super tsunamis. For the most part, it looks eerily realistic. Since another depiction of hell breaking loose is never more than a few minutes away, it’s lengthy runtime doesn’t feel so bad.
The Bad: This might also be the most disgusting, pointless and stupidest movie of the 2009. It’s disgusting in the sense that it is purely pornographic in regards to death. We literally watch people die by the thousands for two plus hours and are certain that the death toll is in the billions. The problem is we become so desensitized it’s hard to muster up any empathy for our main characters no matter what their situation. Of course, this is why there are kids in the movie. Filmmakers believe we automatically feel for the kids in tough situations. To a degree, they’re correct. However, here it’s not enough. Here, we feel like that one guy in other disaster movies that can only say to everyone “We’re all gonna die!” Besides that, none of the characters in this movie are worthy of our affection, anyway. It’s pointless because of three things. First, everything just kinda stops all of a sudden. Sorry, I don’t think that’s really a spoiler. Second, when the credits roll, we’re left with an overwhelming feeling of “Now what?” There’s no hopeful answer to that question even though the movie wants us to somehow remain optimistic. Third, much lip service, including the movie’s own advertising, is paid to the ancient Mayan prophecy of the world ending on December 21, 2012. However, the movie chucks that out the window and renders the Mayan notion coincidental, at best. Finally, it’s stupid for a variety of reasons. Most of them we’ve already seen play out in other disaster movies so I won’t go into it, here.
The Ugly: : How many government and military officials had to be left behind for Oliver Platt’s character to become acting President? He’s a head scientist of some department or another.
Recommendation: Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact, Independence Day, etc. If you liked these movies, this is for you. If you’re into big special fx, this is for you, too. As for the rest of you, move along nothing to see here.
The Opposite View: Dan Kois, Washington Post
What the Internet Says: 6.0/10 on imdb.com (4/30/10), 39% on rottentomatoes.com, 49/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 3.5/10Comment
-
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Directed by Wes Anderson.
2009. Rated PG, 87 minutes.
Cast:
George Clooney
Meryl Streep
Jason Schwartzman
Bill Murray
Wallace Wolodarksy
Eric Chase Anderson
Michael Gambon
Willem Dafoe
Robin Hurlstone
Plot: After years of keeping his promise to his wife to go straight, Mr. Fox (Clooney) scratches his itch to steal chickens again, along with whatever else he can get his paws on.
The Good: It’s a horse…er…fox of a different color. Director Wes Anderson brings the same dry sense of humor he does to his live-action movies. This includes not necessarily spelling everything out for the audience. It just feels more sophisticated than most American animated fare. The dynamic between Mr. Fox, his Ash (Schwartzman) and his nephew Kristofferson (Eric Chase Anderson) is brilliant. Watching them, and the rest of their companions trying to outfox the humans is also very fun. With his trademarked and somehow lovable smugness, George Clooney handles it all perfectly. With all the heists going on, and with him in charge of the shenanigans, it’s almost like an animated version of his character in the Ocean’s movies. And yes, I chuckled nearly every time I heard the word “cuss.” It is used to replace actual profanity and comes off as quite clever.
The Bad: It might be a little too cool for the room. The early parts of the movie might be a tad slow for some and its humor may go over the heads of kids watching. Don’t worry, it never does anything most of would find objectionable but it’s not the sort of comedy kids are accustomed to. The same goes for the stop-motion animation. Though it does have a certain charm, it's just not as smooth and fluid as what they're used to. Meryl Streep was also a bit of a disappointment. For such a brilliant actress, she seems to be a rather bland voice talent.
The Ugly: What happens to Mr. Fox’s tail.
Recommendation: I definitely say see this movie, particularly if you’re looking for something you wouldn’t mind sitting through with the kids. Since there’s no bathroom humor, they may not be rolling on the floor laughing but you’ll all be engaged. It’s possibly the most unique animated American feature since Wall-E.
The Opposite View: Matthew Sorrento, Film Threat
What the Internet Says: 8.0/10 on imdb.com (4/30/10), 93% on rottentomatoes.com, 83/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 8/10Comment
-
bruno
Directed by Larry Charles.
2009. Rated R, 82 minutes.
Cast:
Sacha Baron Cohen
Gustaf Hammarsten
Clifford Bonaglale
Josh Meyers
Richard Bey
Paula Abdul
Ron Paul
Plot: Sacha Baron Cohen poses as a brüno, an Austrian TV host trying to make it big in America.
The Good: There is certainly no shortage of courage, here. Any and everything goes. At its best, it exposes prejudices, most often in the form of institutionalized homophobia. To this end, some of the best and most intriguing scenes in the movie involve our hero visiting “gay converters.” These are members of the clergy who try to convert gays into being straight, thus, saving their souls. These scenes give us the opportunity for comedy and debate. There is also one brilliant scene which shows how far some parents are willing to go to get their children into showbiz.
The Bad: Any and everything goes. At its worse, it cheapens its own cause by going out of its way to be offensive and force the issue. Borat, also starring Cohen, did similar things but it was usually a gentler prodding. Here, Cohen is too often in full-on attack mode. For instance, when you suddenly show up naked outside a straight man’s tent in the middle of the night, it’s not exposing some grand hatred when he rebuffs your advances and happens to visibly upset about you badgering him. The same goes for his show pilot that was ran for a test audience. No one’s a bad person because they don’t want to watch a show that mainly features your penis flopping about in various stages of undress with the camera at point-blank range. These type of stunts render large portions of the movie pointless.
The Ugly: When he refers to Tom Cruise as “The Führer.”
Recommendation: Fans of Borat should definitely have a look. This uses similar tactics to entrap unsuspecting celebs and regular folks, alike. Though “regular” is clearly relative as it includes members of the clergy, swingers and stage-moms. There are some really funny moments. They’re just spaced further apart than in Borat. This just means that it’s too often, too clever by half.
The Opposite View: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
What the Internet Says: 6.4/10 on imdb.com (5/3/10), 67% on rottentomatoes.com, 54/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 5.5/10Comment
-
Flash of Genius
Directed by Marc Abraham.
2008. Rated PG, 120 minutes.
Cast:
Greg Kinnear
Lauren Graham
Dermot Mulroney
Jake Abel
Tim Kellcher
Bill Smitrovich
Alan Alda
Plot: Dr. Robert Kearns (Kinnear) invents intermittent windshield wipers then spends much of life trying to get Ford into court for ripping him off. Based on a true story.
The Good: Star Greg Kinnear has a way of easily fitting into roles. His work here exemplifies this. He doesn’t use big operatic moments to convey power. He’s subtle, yet still elicits empathy. It’s a performance that really carries the movie. He, and the script really drive home his passion and infects us with it. Our hero is more of a man scorned, hell-bent on giving “big auto” its comeuppance and we shamelessly root for him.
The Bad: This is what some would call a “professional” movie. It doesn’t do anything wrong while obstacles and disappointments pop up at appropriate times to advance the plot. However, since it never really dives into the other issues surrounding his pursuit of justice and recognition it doesn’t really engage us. This becomes most apparent about halfway through when it treads similar waters to A Beautiful Mind. Where that movie was ambitious about trying to get us to understand a man, this one is merely content to give us the facts, as factual as a movie can be.
The Ugly: Bob’s impromptu bus trip to D.C.
Recommendation: While it’s not among the great biopics, its certainly a solid effort. It’s especially interesting given that all the controversy surrounds something everyone who drives uses, but few give a second thought to. See it for Kinnear and maybe for a bit of a history lesson, as well.
The Opposite View: Rex Reed, New York Observer
What the Internet Says: 6.9/10 on imdb.com (5/7/10), 58% on rottentomatoes.com, 57/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7/10Comment
-
The Mother
Directed by Roger Michell.
2003. Rated R, 112 minutes.
Cast:
Anne Reid
Daniel Craig
Cathryn Bradshaw
Steven Mackintosh
Peter Vaughan
Ann Wilson-Jones
Danira Govich
After her husband passes away, May (Reid) has an affair her daughter’s lover Darren, played by a pre-007 Daniel Craig. By the way, Darren is actually married to another woman altogether. It’s an interesting drama that wisely uses an older woman that’s not extremely, rich, powerful or glamorous giving it an air of realness. She’s also not a trailer-park caricature which keeps it from becoming a Jerry Springer inspired comedy. If you’re looking for a drama that’s a little bit but not overly melodramatic, and can handle James Bond getting it on with grandma, give it a shot. Warning: the ending is a bit of a downer. Warning #2: This is absolutely, positively a chick flick. Finally, the biggest warning of all, don't watch it with your mother or grandmother. The queasiness factor will likely be amped to the max, if you did. Still, it’s nothing like most of the American movies aimed at the fairer sex.
MY SCORE: 7/10Comment
-
Good Hair
Directed by Jeff Stilson.
2009. Rated PG-13, 96 minutes.
Cast:
Chris Rock
Nia Long
Sarah Jones
Rev. Al Sharpton
Tracie Thoms
Raven Symone
Ice-T
Lauren London
Andre Harrell
Maya Angelou
Melyssa Ford
Plot: A documentary in which comedian Chris Rock explores the world of Black hair, particularly of Black women.
The Good: It takes an in-depth look at a subculture of Black society and shows its effect on Black culture as a whole, as well as its far reaching economic impact. Though it obviously favors one side over the other, it does manage to give us a fair amount of the opposing view and benefits of what’s going on to achieve a solid balance. It’s also funny. Chris Rock does generate a solid amount of laughter but most of it actually comes from the people he talks to in the barbershops, beauty salons and at the hair shows. This keeps things light even as the subject becomes heavy. The coverage of one particular hair show, the Bonner Brothers show really adds little to the movie but it’s over the top fun in a reality TV train wreck sort of way.
The Bad: The movie flinches twice. First, it rightfully makes a big deal about how toxic hair relaxer is, yet it never presses the issue with the execs at a Black-owned hair care manufacture that Rock spends a lot of time with. Nor does it present the information to mothers of the really young girls we’re shown having it put in their daughters’ hair. Second, the issue of employability of Black women who choose to wear their hair natural as opposed to straightened is also raised. Again, it’s a subject that needs to be explored but we never find out how any employers feel about this. Even if they only would’ve said “the right things” or hit us with a “no comment” we’re robbed of the opportunity to gauge their body language.
The Ugly: What happens to a soda can when it’s left in a vat of relaxer.
Recommendation: Since its subject matter is so relevant to its target audience, I feel comfortable saying this is among the most important documentaries the Black community has ever seen. If you think I’m overstating things, drive through a predominantly Black neighborhood anywhere in the United States. Pay attention, not only to the craftsmanship of the hairstyles you see but to the amount of salons and what’s on the advertising posters. Ultimately, it probably won’t change anything but it is vital information that is made entertaining and easily accessible. If you’re not Black, it’s a look into a world you may not have known anything about. That said, if you just can’t understand the relevance of a documentary about hair, knock my score down at least two points.
The Opposite View: Melissa Anderson, Village Voice
What the Internet Says: 6.9/10 on imdb.com (5/9/10), 94% on rottentomatoes.com, 72/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 9/10Comment
-
Angels & Demons
Directed by Ron Howard.
2009. Rated PG-13, 138 minutes.
Cast:
Tom Hanks
Ewan McGregor
Ayalet Zurer
Stellan Skarsgard
Pierfrancesco Favino
Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Armin Mueller-Stahl
Plot: Mere days after the Pope has died, someone claiming to be from the secret society of the Illuminati kidnaps the four cardinals who are candidates to take over the papacy.
The Good: Like its predecessor, The Da Vinci Code, it gives us lots of twists and turns as Professor Langdon (Hanks) chases ominously cryptic clues. The chase highlights Vatican City and briskly moves us through it and the movie. By the end, we get a solid, but not completely unexpected twist that works pretty well. And yes, Tom Hanks’ hair is much less heinous this time around. There is also some wonderfully disturbing imagery.
The Bad: Much like the first movie, and the National Treasure movies, the clues simply fall like dominoes. As one is decoded, the next falls dutifully into place. The question becomes not “can our hero save the day”, but does he really have enough time to? Time is another issue. It hardly seems possible, much less plausible for Langdon and his crew to accomplish all that they do in the brief time allotted. From the time he arrives in the Vatican, he has quite a bit less than a full day to figure out the what, where, why and when.
The Ugly: The guy down the hole.
Recommendation: It’s pretty much on par with the original. In fact, I like this one slightly better. It’s free of the overwhelming hype, both good and bad, that surrounded the release of The Da Vinci Code, even though Catholicism is still its main target. Yes, I'm one of the six people that actually liked TDVC. In any event, use how you feel about that movie to determine if you want to see this one.
The Opposite View: Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
What the Internet Says: 6.7/10 on imdb.com (5/11/10), 36% on rottentomatoes.com, 48/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 6.5/10Comment
-
The Blind Side
Directed by John Lee Hancock.
2009. Rated PG-13, 128 minutes.
Cast:
Sandra Bullock
Quinton Aaron
Tim McGraw
Jae Head
Lily Collins
Kathy Bates
Ray McKinnon
Tom Nowicki
Melody Weintraub
Sharon Morris
Plot: The Tuohy family, at the urging of fiery matriarch Leigh Ann (Bullock), take in Michael Oher (Aaron), a homeless and academically challenged boy who attends the same school as their children. Michael turns out to be a highly sought after football prospect. Based on a true story.
The Good: It bends the sports underdog genre on its ear by making the person who helps the underdog the protagonist. In this case, that person is Leigh Ann Tuohy, played brazenly by Sandra Bullock. It’s perhaps the best performance of her career. Accordingly, it earned her an Oscar for Best Actress. As a whole, the movie knows when to utilize its sense of humor and when to press our emotional buttons. That timely alternating keeps us locked in, fully vested in the Tuohy family mission.
The Bad: Alas, genre clichés still abound. We think we know every obstacle before it approaches. Moments later, our suspicions are confirmed. This combines with the fact that the story it’s based on is of extremely recent vintage to sap the film of any real sense of mystery. The questions of race and budding sexuality are too neatly wrapped up within one scene. As far as race is concerned, it's content to be another film in which near-perfect white people save a damaged black kid from the ghetto. Both race and sexuality are quickly swept under the rug by a short speech in which Leigh Ann shouts down her naysayers. Perhaps more importantly, because we knew the racial dynamics going in, the question of just how Michael’s grades rose so quickly is never really addressed. They need to be because of a scene in which Leigh Ann confronts one of Michael’s teachers and says “All the other teachers are on board. What’s your problem?” Hmmm, is there something else we need to know? The movie as a whole just seems too afraid to veer from the path to “happily ever after” to tackle the tough issues.
The Ugly: Now, that’s how you finish a block.
Recommendation: This is probably the best “feel-good” movie of 2009. Like a good football team, is has a game plan and executes it well. It never surprises us one bit, but that’s okay because it entertains us and engages us. If you’re prone to crying over movies, keep some tissue nearby.
The Opposite View: Melissa Anderson, Village Voice
What the Internet Says: 7.7/10 on imdb.com (5/14/10), 67% on rottentomatoes.com, 53/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 7/10Comment
-
I was actually pleasantly surprised by Angels and Demons. Muuuuch better than the Da Vinci Code, IMO.Comment
-
Comment