Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[dell71]

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Directed by Betty Thomas.
2009. Rated PG, 88 minutes.
Cast:
Justin Long
Matthew Gray Gubler
Jesse McCartney
Zachary Levi
David Cross
Jason Lee
Amy Poehler
Anna Farris
Christina Applegate
Wendie Malick​

Plot: The Chipmunks go to high school and have to deal with cliques, changing attitudes and the Chipettes

The Good: Much like the original, it's a great looking movie. The Chipmunks are excellently rendered. Our talking chipmunks look like real, live, talking...um...chipmunks. Young fans will likely get a kick out of both sets of lovable furries performing already popular tunes. And of course, the morality it tries to convey is easy to grasp.

The Bad: The never-ending stream of pratfalls and jock verses nerd jokes are painfully unfunny. By the way, this includes Alvin making the school football team. It's all lame filler between songs. The again, those songs are all sang in those sped-up record chipmunk voices so you can either take that or leave it (wow, records - remember those?). Where the first was whimsical, cute and above all else nostalgic, this one suffers from the same problems as the Transformers sequel. It's louder and faster but much emptier. More importantly, the novelty of seeing our heroes on the big screen has worn off.

The Ugly: Simon gets a swirlie.

Recommendation: If you have kids who like the original, or you yourself are a Chipmunks fan, have at it and tell me I'm wrong. If not, steer clear, it's exactly what you think it is.

The Opposite View: Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

What the Internet Says: 3.2/10 on imdb.com (1/26/10), 21% on rottentomatoes.com, 41/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 2.5/10​

 

[dell71]

28 Weeks Later is worth seeing. Not a great movie but something worth watching.

As for the American Pie movies I the theatrical versions were great except for the third. All the DVD movies were fun not good movies. I tended to like Beta House the most.

Maybe one day, I'll break down & watch 28 Weeks...can't promise it, though.

Of the DVD American Pie flicks I saw Band Camp & I believe Beta House. Like you said fun but dumb.

 

[Leftwich]

Maybe one day, I'll break down & watch 28 Weeks...can't promise it, though.

Of the DVD American Pie flicks I saw Band Camp & I believe Beta House. Like you said fun but dumb.

After that you should review The Lost Boys. :shifty:

 

[dell71]

I read this thread a lot, though I haven't posted in it until now. I agree with most of your reviews, you have a great taste in film (though how can you like zombie films but not enjoy 28 Days later - have you seen 30 Days of Night?).

I've heard Un Prophete is amazing. I plan on watching it sometime in the next few days. Have you heard of it?

You misread it a little bit...I'm not a big zombie movie fan, actually don't like them all that much. I just named a few that I do like.

And 30 Days of Night is a vampire flick...but you already knew that. Yes, I've seen it. More on that in another post.

After that you should review The Lost Boys. :shifty:

One of my fave vampire flicks. More on that in another thread all together. Later.

 

[Buzzman]

I forsee a top 10 vampire flick list

 

[dell71]

I forsee a top 10 vampire flick list

Ssssssshhhhhhh...

 

[strahanfan92]

Number 1 Vampire flick? Right here:

 

[dell71]

I've heard Un Prophete is amazing. I plan on watching it sometime in the next few days. Have you heard of it?

Forgot to address this. No, haven't heard of Un Prophete. Sounds like something to look into.

 

[dell71]

The Unborn
Directed by David S. Goyer.
2009. Rated PG-13, 89 minutes.
Cast:
Odette Yustman
Meagan Good
Jane Alexander
Gary Oldman
Carla Gugino
Idris Elba
James Remar
Ethan Cutkosky​

Plot: After a succession of nightmares, ghastly visions and strange occurrences, Casey (Yustman) tries to find out what's after her, before it's too late.

The Good: As with a few other of 2009's scare flicks, Drag Me to Hell and The Uninvited, in particular, we get some excellently horrific visuals. These, along with the overall dark mood keeps us interested. The story efficiently moves us along until we get to a nice twist and a solid ending.

The Bad: Cliches abound, making it fairly predictable. It doesn't help that it's essentially a mish-mash of at least a dozen other horror movies, The Exorcist and The Grudge, most recognizably. Also, the closer we get to the end, the more silliness it indulges in. Finally, it's got a pretty good cast, but forgets to use them relegating players like Gary Oldman, Carla Gugino and Idris Elba to parts not necessarily requiring great talent.

The Ugly: I spent too much time amazed how much our star, Odette Yustman, resembles Megan Fox.

Recommendation: If you're into horror flicks, this isn't a bad choice. It's not great, but not terrible, either. In fact, it's pretty much average in every way. Sadly, even that is better than most movies in the genre. If you're not into horror movies, skip it.

The Opposite View: David Stratton, The Australian

What the Internet Says: 4.5/10 on imdb.com (1/27/10), 12% on rottentomatoes.com, 30/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 5.5/10​

Hmmm...am I overstating Yustman's resemblance to Fox?

I dunno...watch the movie, or at least a clip from it to get a better idea.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Hey Dell, check out Pandorum (just came out on DVD/bluray) sometime if you get the chance. I'm a huge sci-fi fan so I'm interested to see what someone else thinks since I'm biased. There was stuff I wish would have been different or left out, but overall I thought it was a pretty damn good movie.

I'm starcrossed with it, I want to like it, but its very convoluted, despite what I think it a good grand scheme concept.

 

[Buzzman]

When i saw the trailers to The Unborn, I thought that was Megan Fox until someone told me otherwise. Whats funny is Odette(sp?) is in Transformers 1 for liek 4 seconds (her steeling wheel transforms and grabs her face) and I thoguht that was Megan Fox as well.

 

[dell71]

The Princess and the Frog
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.
2009. Rated G, 97 minutes.
Cast:
Anika Noni Rose
Bruno Campos
Keith David
Jennifer Cody
John Goodman
Terrence Howard
Oprah Winfrey
Michael-Leon Wooley​

Plot: Tiana (Rose) and Prince Naveen (Campos) have both been turned into frogs and try to find a way to become human again.

The Good: With all the cgi floating around these days, this is a nice visual change, or change back to a more organic form of animation. The colors are vibrant, it's rich in detail and is just fun to look at. Story-wise, it's a real charmer. We really come to love Tiana and root for her without reservation. There is also plenty of humor for both kids and adults. Most commendable, is the way it handles the issue of race. The movie is set in the early 20th century, in the South. It notes that there is a class separation between whites and blacks and shows discrimination without harping on it, or letting that become the story.

The Bad: There is no chance, or reason, to flex thos brain muscles. Keeping with perhaps the oldest Disney tradition, there are only good characters and evil ones with nothing in between. Some of the other old criticisms of Disney might also apply. Therefore, some will simply see it as anti-feminists. You know that old argument, the one about fairy tales promoting the idea that women absolutely need a man and couldn't possibly be happy, or even function without one.

The Ugly: Poor, poor "Lotte" (Cody) is such a sad case.

Recommendation: This is not Disney competing with Pixar. This is a much welcome throwback to classic Disney. It fits snugly in with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, etc. Take however you feel about those standards to justify whether or not you'll like this. I will say this to those who subscribe to the theory outlined in "The Bad" section: Tiana takes a much more active role in her fate so she's not quite the helpless damsel in distress some of the others are. Oh, it should probably go without saying, if you have pre-teen girls who are at all into the princess thing this is an absolute must-see.

The Opposite View: Manohla Dargis, New York Times

What the Internet Says: 7.8/10 on imdb.com (1/28/10), 84% on rottentomatoes.com, 73/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 8/10​

 

[Tailback U]

Dell - Do you jot down notes when you watch films?

 

[dell71]

Dell - Do you jot down notes when you watch films?

Actually, no. Thought about starting, though.

 

[NAHSTE]

You plan on watching Big Fan anytime soon Dell? Still not sure what to think about it, but it was pretty well made. As a Giants fan I'm sure you'll enjoy it on some level though.

 

[dell71]

You plan on watching Big Fan anytime soon Dell? Still not sure what to think about it, but it was pretty well made. As a Giants fan I'm sure you'll enjoy it on some level though.

Thanx, I had forgotten about that one. Yeah, I'll fit it in sometime soon.

 

[NAHSTE]

Man that movie was pretty depressing.... I thought it was very well done though

Yeah depressing indeed. Made me think that posting on vsn was almost as bad as calling into that radio show with a prepared statement.

 

[dell71]

World's Greatest Dad
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.
2009. Rated R, 99 minutes.
Cast:
Robin Williams
Alexie Gilmore
Daryl Sabara
Henry Simmons
Geoff Pierson
Evan Martin
Lorraine Nicholson
Zach Sanchez​

Plot: Aspiring but unsuccessful writer and high school poetry teacher Lance Clayton (Williams) lives alone with his unapologetic jerk of a teenaged son Kyle (Sabara) and carries on a relationship with fellow teacher Claire (Gilmore) even though she doesn't want to be seen in public with him.

The Good: Robin Williams is usually only seen in two modes. He's either zany, verging on being totally out of control but fighting for some grand cause or morose and perhaps more than a little perverted. Here, he's much more a regular guy who seems to have life living him, instead of the other way around. He pulls it off, perfectly. Like so many of us in real life, his emotions are conveyed not by his words but by his facial expressions and body language. It's a wonderful performance. To aid this, we get a story that's excellently written. It's subtle, even when it seems to be over the top. It also puts us in position to seriously ponder what we might've done in the same situation. This brings us to the writer and director, Bobcat Goldthwait, who also shows up in a tiny role. Those of us who can actually remember the 1980s might be mildly surprised he hasn't already died of an overdose. Given that you might be completely blown away that he's still capable of coherent thought, much less writing a cerebral character examination. Kudos to him. Oh, I haven't even mentioned the fact that it's funny.

The Bad: Where is Kyle's mother? Unless I missed it, she's never mentioned. Doing so would've added another layer to both Kyle and the movie as a whole. We would be better able to psychoanalyze him, as we're already doing without quite enough information. I would have also love for us to meet Andrew's (Martin) mom, the alcoholic. She could've added tons, as well.

The Ugly: How and why the tragedy occurred.

Recommendation: We have another excellent effort in dark comedy, making 2009 a very strong year for the genre. As with most of them, there's just not enough hijinks and shenanigans to hold some people's attention. If you don't go in expecting another gross-out bromance or get too pissed off in the first few minutes that Lance hasn't beat the crap out of his son, you'll be in for a fun ride. Those of you into character studies, this one's for you.

The Opposite View: Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle

What the Internet Says: 7.2/10 on imdb.com (1/30/10), 86% on rottentomatoes.com, 69/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 8/10​

 

[Fox1994]

^Cool. I like movies that make you think.

 

[Tailback U]

Dell, have you seen The Proposition (2005)?

Are you a fan of westerns?

Really interested in seeing what you think about this film.