Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[j.hen]

Hugo Weaving is the fucking shit.

 

[Houston]

*sigh


I guess I'll just have to settle with The Book of Eli being over The Kids Are All Right.

 

[dell71]

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
<strong>Directed by Rupert Wyatt.</strong>
<em>2011. Rated PG-13, 105 minutes.
Cast:
Andy Serkis
James Franco
John Lithgow
Freida Pinto
David Oyelowo
Brian Cox
Tom Felton
Tyler Labine
Jamie Harris
Ty Olsson
David Hewlett</em>​

Will (Franco) is a scientist for the cleverly named Gen-Sys (think genesis). He is hard at work on a cure for Alzheimer’s, which his father (Lithgow) suffers from. The drug he’s invented is being tested on chimpanzees. He’s had a breakthrough with the one named Bright Eyes. However, after she goes wild and is shot dead right in front of potential investors things seem to go kaput. It’s then discovered that the chimp was hiding a baby. Will takes the baby home to raise and names him Caesar (Serkis). Due to Will’s drug having been given to Bright Eyes during pregnancy, Caesar has heightened intelligence and awareness. Apparently unsure of his place in the world, the chimp becomes depressed and eventually attacks the next door neighbor while trying to protect Will’s dad. For this he’s sent to a not-so-well run shelter for apes, gets even more depressed and decides things are gonna change.

Making Caesar a character we really feel for is done through a perfect marriage of technology and acting. The fact we’re not looking at a real chimp 100% of the time is difficult to discern. He looks real enough. He’s certainly more realistic than recent kiddie flick stars Yogi Bear and Garfield. He also has much more depth and personality. It’s a remarkable performance by the man in the computerized monkey suit, Andy Serkis. If I had my druthers, which I don’t in this case, he’d receive Oscar consideration. However, since it’s hard to say how much is him and how much is animation I don’t think he will.

As a whole, the movie is well-written, drawing us in as it goes along. This is no small feat considering it’s a prequel to a movie in which the apes are the villains. It’s an about-face in viewpoint that is pulled off quite nicely. This is not only due to the empathy we’ve developed for Caesar. It also helps that although there are human villains, all humans aren’t evil. Likewise, Caesar does not go completely mad with rage and start killing people at will. Things seem to balance out and we understand his side of the equation.

When it’s all said and done, <em>Rise…</em> makes itself into a fun popcorn flick that somehow manages to be a little deeper. The visuals are often remarkable but the story gives us a bit more to hold on to. Normally, a prequel to a forty year old movie is a bad idea. Maybe this “was” a bad idea. However, it’s brilliantly executed. They’ve done the franchise proud.

<strong>MY SCORE: 8/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

The Kentucky Fried Movie
<strong>Directed by John Landis.</strong>
<em>1977. Rated R, 83 minutes.
Cast:
Bill Bixby
Donald Sutherland
George Lazenby
Evan C. Kim
Bong Soo Hun
Marilyn Joi
Uschi Digard
Marcy Goldman
Saul Kahan
Tara Strohmeier
Richard Gates
Jeff Maxwell
Jack Baker
Manny Perry</em>​

If the nineteen-sixties had thrown off the nation’s cloak of innocence, the seventies found the country disrobing completely. Grindhouse cinema was at its absolute peak. Even porn found mainstream acceptance as people openly flocked to theaters showing <em>Deep Throat</em> and <em>Behind the Green Door</em>. Raunchy comedy became our preferred style of humor. “Blue” comedians like Richard Pryor and George Carlin became superstars. Ushered in by the success of <em>Monty Python’s Flying Circus</em>,” the “not ready for primetime players” of the first season of <em>Saturday Night Live</em> becoming household names was only the next logical step. Despite our seemingly collective attitudes towards the depiction of sex and potty-mouthed comics, a few issues weighed heavy on our minds. The ever escalating Cold War made the threat of nuclear destruction feel imminent. Many of us felt like the leaders of both the Soviet Union and our own USA spent much of the day with their fingers on the proverbial button waiting for the other to give them an excuse to lauch their growing arsenals. We were also dealing with a national oil crises which saw gas prices practically multiply. Perhaps things weren’t so different, after all. This is the climate which created <em>The Kentucky Fried Movie.</em>

As you can probably tell by the title, this is not your typical movie. There is no plot, no conflict, no love story, heroes nor villains. <em>TKFM</em> is a collection of skits and faux-movie trailers. Some of it makes what was then very pointed social commentary, a surprising amount of which remains relevant. Some is raunchy and/or silly simply for the sake of being so. Finally, the trailers pay homage to the exploitation flicks that inspired them. Almost all of it will be funny to the right viewer. I fear that those under thirty-five just may not get it unless they have both knowledge of and appreciation for the era. No, being a fan of <em>That 70s Show</em> doesn’t count. So many things seem to be a product of that time they’ve become in-jokes for those of us old enough to remember and young enough not to have forgotten.

Due to the recent spike of the interest in exploitation flicks, the faux movie trailers hold up best. They are so much something either Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez could’ve dreamed up. You’ll likely howl, and possibly be titillated by the “ads” for “Catholic High School Girls in Trouble” and “Cleopatra Schwartz.” Ironically, it’s the movie within the movie that falls most flat. Instead of a trailer, we get a full-blown spoof of Bruce Lee’s most well-known movie, <em>Enter the Dragon</em>. It certainly has its moments. However, clocking in at over twenty minutes, it drags considerably in comparison with the reast of the film’s rapid-fire assault.

The passage of time has made <em>TKFM</em> feel like a love it or hate it affair. Oldheads like me are likely to lap up every minute of it and giggle throughout most of its runtime. Younger folks will likely think parts here and there are hilarious but find it lacking as a whole. They’ll wonder what the big deal is while we admonish them for not knowing.

<strong>MY SCORE: 8/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

The Help
Directed by Tate Taylor.
2011. Rated PG-13, 146 minutes.
Cast:
Emma Stone
Viola Davis
Bryce Dallas Howard
Octavia Spencer
Sissy Spacek
Jessica Chastain
Ahna O’Reilly
Allison Janney
Anna Camp
Cicely Tyson
Chris Lowell​

Skeeter (Stone) has returned home from college and aspires to be a serious writer. Home is Jackson, Mississippi and this is the 1960s. It is common for the affluent white families to have black maids who not only cook and clean but practically raise their children. Constantine (Tyson), the maid who raised Skeeter no longer works for the family, much to Skeeter’s dismay.

Also not to Skeeter’s liking is the way the town’s maids are treated in general. They are often mistreated and demeaned. Since this appears to be the only type of employment available to black women, they perform their duties and bite their tongues. Skeeter decides she wants to write a book telling the perspective of these women. As you might imagine, this is no easy task.

The chief characters on each side of the racial line assume the roles of hero and villain. For the maids Aibileen (Davis) becomes one of the heroes. She’s the first one to agree to talk to Skeeter. Given the climate of the times, she’s literally putting her life on the line. Our villain is Hilly (Howard). Hilly rules Jackson’s group of wealthy white housewives with an iron fist. She’s the one the others aspire to please and fear incurring her wrath.

​

I guess here is where I should mention that men are only on the periphery of this world. White men appear occasionally. Mostly, they’re off to work ruling the parts of Jackson outside of their own households. Black men are almost non-existent except for distant civil rights leaders (distant meaning only seen on television) and Minny’s (Spencer) abusive husband Leroy. Even he is only heard and never seen. If this movie has flaws they come from this setup. White men have nothing of consequence to say, showing no backbone despite either being responsible for or at least presumably supportive of society’s design. Black men are either far away martyrs or, as represented by our most tangible vessel, angry wife-beaters totally dependent on their women to support the family.

Luckily, this world full of women is deeply engrossing. There are demons to exorcise and obstacles to overcome on all sides. Not only is Skeeter having a difficult time putting together her book, but her mother is withering away due to cancer. That’s not to mention all the issues others have. However, they all come together in a manner that enhances the ending without overwhelming the movie.

​

It also helps that there are a bevy of wonderful performances. Fresh off her outstanding work in Easy A, Emma Stone is again very good. However, she’s outdone by the cast around her. As Aibileen, Viola Davis is perfectly restrained, exuding the quiet strength it takes to do her job and then to speak about it to Skeeter. Octavia Spencer is much the opposite as Minny. She’s loud and short-tempered. She plays it perfectly, stealing nearly all of her scenes. Some may complain Minny is a stereotypical character but she’s a perfect complement to the reserved Aibileen. The other scene-stealer is Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly. It’s a thankless role but she fully embraces it and runs with it. By the end she becomes one of 2011’s best villains.

Without question, the subject matter is touchy. Racism has not disappeared yet. This is a movie that will inspire strong feelings. As such, it’s a film that deserves to be seen. Even if you don’t like it, it gives us something to discuss and possibly learn from. It is flawed but poignant.

MY SCORE: 8/10​

 

[Houston]

What did you think about the running time?

 

[dell71]

What did you think about the running time?

Didn't have a problem with it. It was paced nicely so it seemed to go by pretty quickly.

 

[Buzzman]

Thats actually good to hear, its one of the main reasons I avoided it.

 

[Houston]

Yeah I didn't have a problem with it either. Even when the story isn't really moving along, the really good cast/characters are more then enough to make up for it.

 

[Rivers17ncsu]

I still need to watch The Help and Planet Of The Apes. I hope to do both this week sometime.

 

[Juggernaut]

Dell, have you seen Pulp Fiction? Thoughts on it if you have.

 

[Primetime]

I thought both The Help and ROTPOTA were great. I have more respect for Franco every new movie I see him in.

 

[dell71]

Dell, have you seen Pulp Fiction? Thoughts on it if you have.

One of my all time faves. Haven't watched it in a while though.

I thought both The Help and ROTPOTA were great. I have more respect for Franco every new movie I see him in.

To be honest I thoght how good "Rise..." was had very very little to do with Franco. He played the role, but didn't do anything to distinguish himself good or bad. For me, this was all about Andy Serkis & Caesar.

 

[dell71]

Hobo with a Shotgun
<strong>Directed by Jason Eisener.</strong>
<em>2011. Not Rated, 86 minutes.
Cast:
Rutger Hauer
Molly Dunsworth
Brian Downey
Gregory Smith
Nick Bateman
Pasha Ebrahimi
Robb Wells
Timothy Dunn</em>​

This is for gore-freaks. Yeah, I’ll start there. After all, that’s where the movie starts. Almost no time is wasted before we get the first decapitation and subsequent geyser of blood splattering the screen. A damp cloth clears it nicely. Keep it handy, along with a poncho to wear over your clothing. That stuff is tough to get out of cotton. Throughout <em>Hobo with a Shotgun</em> we’re treated to all sorts of messy deaths and dismemberments. All of it is rendered in glorious, but not seen in quite some time, Technicolor. At least that’s what the opening credits say.

Technicolor is an appropriate choice for this movie. Everything about it feels like it’s from a bygone era. This includes the film’s star, Rutger Hauer. True, this is a more weathered version but he seems to have pulled this from the same pile of scripts he regularly drew from back in the 1980s. I mean that in a literal sense. The movie appears to be set back then, but it’s not something we’re told. The one possible exception is the guy that films bum fights, an internet era thing. However, even that guy uses VHS tapes and an old school camcorder.

What we are told is the town where our hobo (Hauer) finds himself is a very bad place. If you saw <em>Sin City</em>, think that and multiply it a few times. Local gangster The Drake (Downey) runs thins along with the two goons he calls his sons. The Drake starts things off by cutting his own brother’s head off in broad daylight and in public where he makes dozens of bystanders watch. Why? Mostly just so you know what kind of movie you’re getting into. Soon enough, the hobo is at odds with the bad guys over Abby (Dunsworth), the prostitute he’s taken a shine to in a fatherly sort of way. With that, he acquires a shotgun from the town pawn shop while stopping a robbery attempt. He then sets out trying to clean up the streets “one shell at a time.”

From beginning to end “Hobo” is a smorgasbord of ridiculousness. The story itself is rather simple. To say the acting is over the top is a massive understatement. Aside from Hauer’s relative subtlety, everyone is in full-ham mode. It helps they’re spouting lines ranging from hilariously bad to cringe inducing. To their credit, they say them with all the gusto they could possibly muster. Most important to this production though is the human body. It is destroyed and/or mutilated repeatedly in extremely graphic fashion. This is where it will either grab you or lose you. I can see plenty of people giving up after ten or twenty minutes. If we’re being honest, it’s disgusting. For us twisted folks who eagerly devour <em>Saw</em> movies, it’s so bad it’s awesome!

<strong>MY SCORE: -10/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

Chinese Hercules
<strong>Directed by Ta Huang.</strong>
<em>1973. Rated R, 90 minutes.
Cast:
Michael Chan
Bolo Yeung
Liang Tin
Wang Chung Tsung
Yeh Fang
Yuan Feng
Fan Chiang</em>​

As a child of the seventies and eighties, I’ve learned some interesting things. One of them is if I ever see Bolo Yeung coming towards me I should run screaming in the another direction. If I somehow wind up in a position where I have no choice but to engage him I’ll simply scan the area for any sign of Bruce Lee or John Saxson before resigning myself to a bloody and painful fate. Not the machismo of my full-blown masculinity nor the passage of time has quelled my cowardice in regards to Mr. Yeung.

Such fear, rational or otherwise is what brought me to <em>Chinese Hercules</em>. The brief blurb on the back of the DVD doesn’t say much but seems to suggest something I’ve never seen: Bolo as the hero. That and the slum-friendly $1 price tag were too much to resist. Buying this movie wasn’t a choice, but the fulfilling of a destiny.

Alas, such a lofty buildup can only lead to disappointment. For starters, Bolo is not the hero. Once again, he plays the monosyllabic hulk of a henchman. Given that, I have no problem with anything he does. Do you hear that Mr. Yeung? If you’re reading this I want the record to show I think this and every other performance you’ve ever given is perfect. As for the rest of you, don’t judge me.

The movie’s problems really are elsewhere. As low-budget kung-fu flicks go the story is solid. Our hero Kang (Chan) is dedicated to studying kung-fu. He also subscribes to the action of living the disciplined, honorable life of a martial artist. However, when trouble finds him he makes the mistake of killing the man he’s fighting. So distraught is he over his failure as a person he leaves town without his girl, vows never to fight again and takes a job by a pier, loading and unloading ships. To make a long story short, Bolo’s boss takes over the pier, has all the workers fired and bada-boom, bada-bing Kang’s gotta do some fighting.

Sadly, this is that odd martial arts movie in which the action is the problem. This includes the way things are shot and/or were transformed from their previous format onto DVD. The fight choreography is often bland and poorly filmed. Too many missed blows are clearly visible and the camera is often too close and at bad angles. It becomes a chore to watch. Again, at least a portion of that is due to the shoddy manner in which it was transferred. It looks haphazardly done and subtracts from what may have been somewhat enjoyable. Was it worth my dollar? Well…if you’re reading this Mr. Yeung, it was indeed worth all 100 of those pennies. In fact, I tried to give the clerk two dollars but he wouldn’t hear of it. <em>Wink.</em>

<strong>MY SCORE: 2/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

Kung Fu Panda 2
<strong>Directed by Jennifer Yuh.</strong>
<em>2011. Rated PG, 91 minutes.
Cast:
Jack Black
Angelina Jolie
Dustin Hoffman
Gary Oldman
Jackie Chan
Seth Rogen
Lucy Liu
David Cross
James Hong
Michelle Yeoh
Danny McBride
Dennis Haybert
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Victor Garber</em>​

Since becoming the Dragon Warrior, Po (Black) is enjoying life and dispatching the occasional bad guy. Of course, we wouldn’t get a new movie without a newer, greater threat on the horizon. That threat comes in the form of shunned peacock Shen (Oldman). He was banished from the city he calls home long ago for being a very bad boy. Now he’s back with plans to take over all of China, starting with his hometown. Though he’s pretty darn good at martial arts, fighting isn’t his main tactic. Instead, he has created something that seems to symbolize the death of kung fu itself. Not only is it up to Po and the rest of the Furious Five to stop him, but Po is also dealing with an identity crisis. Having never met another panda, he wants to figure out where he came from and what happened to his parents.

Like he was in the original, our hero is still a goofball and very much like the most other characters played by Jack Black. By the way, his schtick works better here than in his live-action roles. There are also fun interactions between Po, Master Shifu (Hoffman) and the rest of the Furious Five. In particular, his moments with Tigress (Jolie) provides a huge chunk of the movie’s most tender moments. Another large chunk comes from Po’s time with the only dad he’s known. There is also plenty of action, even more than in the original since we don’t have to spend so much time on Po learning to fight.

Alas, more action does not necessarily make a good movie. This is a good movie because it maintains its predecessor’s most important trait. Aside from the fighting, the plot functions as much like a true martial arts film as it does a kiddie flick. Other than using human beings not many changes, if any, would be needed. It would be right at home amongst a group of Shaw Brothers productions.

It also helps that Gary Oldman gives us a wonderful heel in Shen. He’s more menacing than Tai Lung from the first movie because instead of wanting to be more than he is, Shen embraces his villainy. His one true care is about vengeance. What he has to do to achieve it is not important to him, only that it is done. Oldman conveys this in that just over the top, maniacal bad guy. Even as just a voice actor, he continues to show he is one of the most versatile performers in Hollywood.

When speaking of sequels, I don’t like saying that if you liked the first, you’ll like the second. In this case, that’s a true statement. The follow-up maintains the original’s magic and expands enough to still feel fresh. It pulls the trick of making us feel like we know these characters and that their adventure is bigger because they’ve grown – not just because. I’d be naïve to say it definitely isn’t, but it doesn’t feel like a cash-grab. It feels like the continuation of a saga.

<strong>MY SCORE: 8/10</strong>​

 

[dell71]

Crazy, Stupid, Love
<strong>Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.</strong>
<em>2011. Rated PG-13, 118 minutes.
Cast:
Steve Carell
Julianne Moore
Ryan Gosling
Emma Stone
Analeigh Tipton
Jonah Bobo
Marisa Tomei
John Carroll Lynch
Kevin Bacon
Liza Lapira
Josh Groban</em>​

Cal’s (Carell) life is sent spiraling out of control practically the moment we met him. Emily (Moore), his wife of 25 years abruptly informs him over dinner that she wants a divorce. With that, he packs up, moves into an apartment and tries to get on with his life. By get on, I mean spend nights at the local bar griping about his failed marriage. While there, he meets Jacob (Gosling), the local ladies man. Jacob takes pity on our hero and wants to help out by imparting his carnal knowledge upon Cal. Meanwhile, Cal’s 13 year old son Robbie (Bobo) is having his own love problems. Robbie is in love with Jessica (Tipton), his 17 year old baby-sitter. Aside from the obvious age difference there is another issue. Unbeknownst to either guy, Jessica has a crush on Cal. Finally, there’s Hannah (Stone) who’s studying for the bar exam. She’s in a serious relationship with Richard (Groban), but appears to be settling, much to the chagrin of her pal Liz (Lapira). A bunch of people pursuing love, or sex, while simultaneously wondering if it’s even worth the effort ensues.

Our plot moves along nicely, but in a fairly straight forward manner, for most of its runtime. However, things pick up towards the end with a fabulous twist. It’s the type of thing you don’t see coming, at least I didn’t, but once it happens you’ll wonder how you didn’t. Best of all, it absolutely works. It’s not some M. Night Shamalamadingdong idiotic turn of events flying in from very deep left field. The movie doesn’t end with this occurrence, either. Instead, it crystallizes things for the people involved.

The common theme running through <em>Crazy, Stupid, Love</em> is people romanticizing the person they desire so much as to deify them. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why it’s so painful for the jilted parties. However, this is no mopey affair. Like most of us, these people do ridiculous things while dealing with their emotions. It’s a ridiculousness we can relate to. We’ve been there. Maybe, we’re there now. At the very least, we’ve known a few people who are, or have been there. We laugh because we see our own silliness in the people on the screen.

At the end of the day, <em>CSL</em> is a romantic comedy. It actually does go through many of the machinations of other rom-coms. However, the numbers aren’t quite as visible here as they are in many of it’s kind. It’s well crafted, all the way around. We get wonderful performances across the board. The scene-stealers here are Bobo as Robbie and Marisa Tomei in a very interesting and hilarious role. It also helps that the ending is a bit ambiguous. When the credits roll nothing has definitively happened to say for sure whether it’s a happy ending or not. We can guess either way we like. Still, we cannot say for certain how things will turn out, much like our own lives.

<strong>MY SCORE: 8/10</strong>​

 

[SethMode]

Man Dell, I love your reviews (despite not being a huge fan of 10 scales).

One question that I'm sure you answered before but: why did you ditch the actual good, bad and ugly sections?

 

[dell71]

Man Dell, I love your reviews (despite not being a huge fan of 10 scales).

One question that I'm sure you answered before but: why did you ditch the actual good, bad and ugly sections?

Gives a little more freedom to pontificate and it doesn't have to be in a certain order.

 

[wingsfan77]

I didn't see the twist in 'Crazy,Stupid,Love' coming either but I think that's because when I'm enjoying a movie as much as I was watching it I don't really try to predict what happens.