Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[Buzzman]

Dell have you ever seen Hanniball Rising? I saw it and couldnt decide if I wanted to rent it, so I passed it up.

 

[dell71]

i love rear window...one of the few classics that i loved.
ever see north by northwest? another Hitchcock classic

Once many years ago, I've already planned on seeing it again soon since I don't remember much about it.

Dell have you ever seen Hanniball Rising? I saw it and couldnt decide if I wanted to rent it, so I passed it up.

Unfortunately, yes. Here's the review I did on MM (sorry for some minor spoilers, it upset my nerves & I couldn't help myself but the main secret of the movie is kept):

Hannibal Rising
Rated R, 130 minutes (unrated DVD version).
Directed by Peter Webber. Starring Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Dominic West, Rhys Ifans.

Plot: A prequel to all the Hannibal Lecter movies, most notably Silence of the Lambs,. We get to see the serial killer grow up and develop his taste for human flesh.

The Good: It takes the not as often used approach of making a slasher movie from the slasher's point of view, transforming him into an anti-hero. Once it settles into a rhythm it does what horror movies often do & come up with creativel brutal killings, usually decapitations. Due to a big budget for the genre, its actually a glossy looking movie with some nice cinematography. Gong Li does well as Hannibal's Japanese aunt, Lady Murasaki, even though she's Chinese (sorry, a pet peeve of mine).

The Bad: This Hannibal Lecter shows no traces of becoming "THE" Hannibal Lecter who meets and manipulates Clarice in Lambs. The movie pretends it's showing the development of a serial killer, throws a bunch of nonsense together & says "See, it works" when it obviously doesn't. The Hannibal from Lambs is extremely intelligent, obviously well educated, a connoisseur of elegance, has a colorful vocabulary, is extraordinarily manipulative & able to charm even those who know he has a vile penchant for cannibalism. This Hannibal is a mono-syllabic brute (some of his "classmates" even believe him to be a mute), never really appears that smart, seemingly has no real training in matters of ettiquette, is sloppy in his work, misappropriates every lesson he's taught, isn't likeable in the least (his childhood does elicit pity, though), is bent on revenge & is in love with his aunt. Even if she is an aunt by marriage it still comes off as creepy. Oh, just in case viewers actually remember he's supposed to be a genius when he grows up they just all of a sudden drop him into medical school & make him the youngest person ever accepted to this school. The problem with this is nothing that leads up to this even suggests he'd ever be let near that school. Finally, the entire movie revolves around Hannibal finding out exactly what happened to his little sister, Mischa (Helena Lia Tachovska). It's so telegraphed that by the time Hannibal hears the big revelation, my four year old daughter would have already known for about an hour & a half (though, its too gruesome a movie for me to actually test that theory). How all this translates into him becoming an insatiable serial killer is shaky at best. The revenge tale works if there were no established history for this character. Since there is, everything here is just a betrayal of what we already know. Worse part of all for me, with the WWII background of the character it felt like a bad preview of the planned upcoming Magneto movie for the X-Men villain.

The Ugly: One of Hannibal's victims is tied to a tree so loosely I spent the whole scene wondering why he doesn't just get up & run (see the pic, but know that it looks even looser in live action).

Recommendation: See this if you just want to see a few heads lopped off. You might like this if you either have no prior knowledge of Hannibal Lecter or can ignore what you know. Also give it a look if revenge movies are your thing. Otherwise skip it, you're not missing anything special.

The Internet Says: 6.0 on imdb.com, 15% on the tomatometer

MY SCORE: 3.5/10

 

[dell71]

Black Dynamite
2009. Rated R, 90 minutes.
Director: Scott Sanders.
Starring Michael Jai White, Salli Richardson, Kevin Chapman, Tommy Davidson.

Plot: When he finds out that his brother's been murdered, Black Dynamite (White) set out to find the jive turkey responsible and make him pay. Can you dig it?

The Good: It painstakingly recreates the look and feel of a real blaxploitation flick. This includes lots of the flubs the genre is known for. The funniest of these being the editing "mistakes" is which something causes star Michael Jai White to seemingly come out of character for a moment, often talking or gesturing directly to the audience before an abrupt cut. It works everytime. Speaking of White, he gets double kudos here. I've never been a big fan of his actual acting but he gives what's easily the best performance of his career, he's simply note-perfect. He's also co-writer of the screenplay. I didn't know he had it in him. As a welcome addition, blaxploitation isn't the only targe. Seventies standard and one of my all time faves, Enter the Dragon also gets a healthy skewering. Overall, a large number of movies are referenced here but don't overwhelm the film like they do in the Scary Movie, Date Movie, etc franchise. Instead, they're nicely incorporated into the movie as part of its own narrative which even manages to get in some apt social commentary.

The Bad: A couple of gags are overused. In particular, the one where someone instantly starts crying when speaking about a loved one who's "in trouble" gets old fast. The first time or two Kym Whitley does it, its funny. The next thirty times when everyone else in the movie does it, its tedious. Also, there's too much Tommy Davidson for my taste. Somehow, in a movie purposely overdone to spoof genre full of movies known for being over the top, he still overdoes. I'd have much rather seen he and Arsenio Hall, who has a bit part, switch roles.

The Ugly: The very brief appearance of Abraham Lincoln...yes Abraham Lincoln...is a symbolic stroke of satiric genius.

Recommendation: Here's the part where you question my judgment. If you know me, you might know that I count I'm Gonna Git You Sucka among the very best spoofs ever made. Made by the Wayans family way back when they were actually funny, its a brilliant send-up of the blaxploitation genre. I feel very comfortable saying BD is at least as good and far better than the other popular movie of its kind, Undercover Brother. I'm sure the fact that I've seen and enjoyed dozens of blaxploitation flicks and watched Enter the Dragon dozens of times has something to do with it. Enjoying spoofs requires knowledge of the source material to use as a reference point and the ability to see the ridiculousness in that material. For this movie I have a huge point of reference and there's no denying the genre's ridiculousness. Knowing this, if you watch it and tell me its the dumbest thing you ever laid eyes on I'll understand. I'll just be thinking the opposite.

The Opposite View: A.O. Scott, New York Times

What the Internet Says: 7.7/10 on imdb.com (11/20/09), 84% on rottentomatoes.com, 65/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 10/10

 

[DJ Rhude]

Yessir I knew you'd dig Black Dynamite.....review is on point!

 

[dell71]

Don't Answer the Phone
1980. Rated R, 85 minutes.
Director: Robert Hammer.
Starring Nicholas Worth, Flo Lawrence, James Westmoreland, Ben Frank.
A photographer (Worth) with some serious issues goes around raping and strangling women. In his spare time, he calls up psychiatrist Dr. Lindsay Gale (Lawrence) on her radio show. Worth gives a surprisingly good performance as our killer. However, he wasn't given much to work with in this no-budget thriller. Its effective in showing the villain unravel and become more frantic and even desperate as the film goes on. The rest of the script is so lame, and at times so stupid, you can't take any of it as seriously as its obviously meant to be. This just means there is a solid amount of unintentional humor. Sadly, the DVD version I got a hold of contains what appears to be a highly and oddly edited version. Some curse words are obviously cut from the audio while others aren't. Each kill scene abruptly ends just the killer starts to rip the victim's clothes off yet during a couple scenes in an adult bookstore you can plainly see pictures of naked women plastered on all the walls. There's also the setup of a love scene from which we skip to the aftermath when the couple is lying in bed. Though its dimly lit you can pretty clearly see her breasts. It's a bizarre viewing experience but in a frustrating, confusing manner moreso than the fun romps of 'so bad they're awesome' movies. Granted, I'll probably have to see the unedited version to really do a proper review. As it is, what I saw was painful.
MY SCORE: 2/10

 

[Palooza]

That poster makes it look like a snuff film.

 

[dell71]

That poster makes it look like a snuff film.

Ironic. The problem is all of the snuffin' is cut out.

 

[Palooza]

yeah, by reading you review it looks like you got the SyFy channel (lol @ that lame ass spelling) version.

 

[j.hen]

Did you see A Serious Man?

 

[Palooza]

Did you see A Serious Man?

have you, JHen? I was very interested in it, but I didn't feel like venturing into the city to go check it out. I've heard good things, though. I might check that out on my computer over the break.

 

[Buzzman]

yeah, by reading you review it looks like you got the SyFy channel (lol @ that lame ass spelling) version.

its crazy that the SyFY channel's ratings have gone up by quite a big margain since chaning the way they spelled it.

 

[Palooza]

its crazy that the SyFY channel's ratings have gone up by quite a big margain since chaning the way they spelled it.

is that serious?

 

[Buzzman]

is that serious?

yea since the chancge, nearly every shows ratings have been up and the avg population watching the channel in general has.

 

[Palooza]

yea since the chancge, nearly every shows ratings have been up and the avg population watching the channel in general has.

But it's the same retarded shit. LOL wow. impressive.

 

[dell71]

yeah, by reading you review it looks like you got the SyFy channel (lol @ that lame ass spelling) version.

I've since found out that apparently that's only version on DVD. I would have to track down a VHS copy to see it as it was meant to be.

Did you see A Serious Man?

Not yet.

 

[dell71]

Up
2009. Rated PG, 96 minutes.
Director: Pete Docter.
Starring Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson.

Plot: Carl Fredericksen (Asner) has lived a long and happy life with his beloved wife Ellie (Elie Docter). After she passes away he sets off to do the one thing they never got to: go to Paradise Falls in South America. He sets off on his adventure by inflating thousands of helium balloons and tying them to the top of his house, transforming it into a gigantic aircraft.

The Good: The brief scene and the lengthy montage that open the movie is a brilliant set up for the film that follows. More than understanding, it makes us feel there is a bond between Carl and Ellie even death cannot do part. By the time we get to the end of our adventure, we really identify with Carl's emotions. Between the beginning and end we get a wildly inventive movie that's not afraid to run with a ridiculous premise and silly notions. The key is in the execution of them and keeping you vested in both Carl and his initally unwanted sidekick Russell (Nagai), which it does beautifully.

The Bad: Its rather inconsistent with regards to Carl's need for a walking stick and his physical capabilities, in general. Sometimes he needs the stick, sometimes not. Sometimes he can perform great feats of strength, other times he's feeble. For older viewers, this will occasionally take you out of the moment and you might find yourself thinking too much.

The Ugly: That cane when "Kevin" spits it back up.

Recommendation: The folks at Pixar have hit another homerun. Its a tale that combines big adventure with big emotion. It even ALMOST got me (but darn it, I'm a man! I choked them back like a big boy). However, it never feels manipulative. Instead, its an expert illustration of character development that never sacrifices fun. By pretty wide margin, its the best kiddie flick of 2009 and possibly the best movie of the year, period.

The Opposite View: Matthew Sorrento, Film Threat

What the Internet Says: 8.5/10 on imdb.com (#64 all time as of 11/23/09), 98% on rottentomatoes.com, 88/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 10/10


SIDENOTE: I must be getting old or soft or both. This makes the 3rd "10" I've given this year (Sugar and Black Dynamite the others)

 

[Palooza]

I liked Up a lot, but I felt it was veryyy depressing for a Pixar movie. Still great stuff, though.

 

[NAHSTE]

Sugar.

I caught this last week. I agree that the ending is awesome. It left me thinking about Sugar and his situation all day. This movie really draws you in and makes you feel for the main character. It's also a great tale about the American Dream on many levels.

 

[dell71]

American Violet
2009. Rated PG-13, 103 minutes
Director: Tim Disney.
Starring Nicole Beharie, Will Patton, Michael O'Keefe, Alfre Woodard.

Plot: Dee Roberts (Beharie) is falsely accused of dealing drugs in a school zone. With the help of the ACLU, she sues local DA Calvin Beckett (O'Keefe). Based on a true story.

The Good: The performance of our young female lead, Nicole Beharie, jumps off the screen. Even during the movie's most frantic moments, her work feels genuine, never feeling over the top which is hard to do in a movie constantly teetering on the edge of melodrama. To bolster her work, the cast around her in uniformly superb. Alfre Woodard has the flashiest supporting role as Dee's mom and is excellent as usual. However, its the quiet fortitude of Will Patton as a local lawyer asked to help on the case that grounds the movie and he's often the voice of reason among the other characters. The story it tells is poignant and deserves telling.

The Bad: Its definitely a one-sided affair that's resolved largely through a trite villainous confusion. This makes it feel like preaching to the choir for liberals and liberal propaganda to conservatives. Therefore, since the focus is so singularly on Dee, even though the cas has far-reaching effects, there's just not enough to bring hardened right-wingers over to the other side which seems to be its aim. Other characters with circumstances silmilar to hers aren't really brought in to the strengthen the cause, they're merely pieces of motivation to advance the plot.

The Ugly: How Dee loses her second job.

Recommendation: This is a polarizing movie. It pretty much depends on your politics whether you'll like it or not. Since I am who I am, I'm from where I'm from and I've seen what I've seen, it appeals to me. It rings true and feels like a case of justice prevailing. However, I understand that some will see it as further evidence of our society's decay.

The Opposite View: Kyle Smith, New York Post

What the Internet Says: 6.6/10 on imdb.com (11/25/09), 73% on rottentomatoes.com, 56/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 8/10

 

[dell71]

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
2009. Rated PG, 94 minutes.
Director: Carlos Saldanha.
Starring Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo.

Plot: The gang is back for a third adventure. This time they're awaiting the birth of Manny's (Romano) and Ellie's (Latifah) first child. However, they have to somehow put everything on hold in order to rescue Sid (Leguizamo) from a T-Rex.

The Good: The franchise has a formula that works and this one wisely sticks to it. Part of that formula is introducing a new character that obviously doesn't fit in anywhere else into our herd. In this case, its Buck (Simon Pegg), a swashbuckling something or other. He's adventurous and funny so he works well. His battles with Rudy (I won't spoil who/what he is) border on epic. As usual, our squirrel trying to get a nut, Scrat, provides the funniest moments. This one also adds in more adult humor clearly targeted to the parents in the audience.

The Bad: That formula is starting to wear a bit thin. Our main characters do the same thing they've been doing for three outings now and haven't really developed. The one character that shows some complexity and the potential for a riveting story is Diego (Leary) but the writers never really just go for it. They hint at it but give up on the idea. Instead, the movie continuously opts for action as its preferred method of advancing the plot. Perhaps that makes it more fun, but also makes it more forgettable.

The Ugly: Yes, squirrel sex is heavily implied.

Recommendation: If you're at all familiar with the franchise, you know whether you want to see this or not. If you have kids, its a solid play that's pretty much on par with its predecessors. Just be prepared to explain (or explain away) some of those jokes you were laughing at that they didn't get. If you skip it, you're not missing an earth-shattering event but a solid kiddie flick, nonetheless.

The Opposite View: Liam Lacey, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

What the Internet Says: 7.1/10 on imdb.com (11/25/09), 45% on rottentomatoes.com, 50/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6/10