Quickie Movie Reviews...The Summer So Far....
Why the hell do I still have this thing? I never use it.
Anyhoo....it's summer, that time of year that bored film students with little to do flock to the matinees to watch the summer movies. Okay, so that's just me. I'm still getting paid to not work, which is fine by me, It's just going to mean busy, busy, busy later on in the summer. So far I've seen a number of craptacular films because the first run theaters have just started their matinees. So I've been going to my favorite cheap theater to see the movies. You can't beat 3 bucks. Instead of my usual in depth review/introspection about the movies, I will give a quick run down on each one......
Da Vinci Code I was really looking forward to this one to see what all the fuss was about. I hadn't read the book and I actually really liked it. I love a good mystery and found my myself getting pulled into the story and wondering about the places featured in the film.
United 93 I really liked this one. One person in the theater walked out about twenty minutes in. Not quite sure what they were expecting. But it was a real time look at what happened in the control rooms of the airports and military rooms as it went down, as well as on the plane. I knew what the outcome would be, but I cried all over again. There wasn't a lot of character development, but that didn't bother me. It wasn't meant to be a dramatic retelling of the story, but a look at how the events unfolded in the eyes of the passengers as well as air traffic control tower staff and military as it happened and their reaction to it. If that makes any sense. It seemed very authentic. I read that they used a lot of non-actors or unknown actors for this. It created a more genuine feel for the real time thing. I liked the film and I thought it handled the sensitive subject matter very well.
Eight Below Yes, I realize it's a Disney film, but the options were limited that day. I liked this one as well. Paul Walker did a great job and was easy on the eye, too. It was very well done story wise, the obstacles and characters worked well. It was an okay way to kill an afternoon. See it if you are a dog lover.
Date Movie Yes, I knew going in it was going to be stupid, but I thought there might be at least a few funny parts and I love skewering romantic comedies. All kidding aside, this was the only movie I have ever come close to walking out of. I thought, eh, it's only 3 bucks. But on second thought, I want my three bucks back. There wasn't even one funny part. It was all gross sophomoric humour. Definitely on my "worst" list. Actually, it's on the top of the list.
Benchwarmers I really like David Spade. I really do. I also really like Nick Swarsdon, who I was excited to see in this film(he really needs to work more). That's why I was so disappointed in this. Not very funny at all. Not as bad as Date Movie, but filled with gross humour that a seven year old boy would love and very few laughs for anybody older.
Take the Lead Not bad. I liked Antonio Banderas in this. I liked the point his character made about the need to bring back manners and respect for others. It was a little formulaic and predictable, though. Kind of like Dangerous Minds, but with ballroom dancing. It wasn't a very memorable movie, however, and I didn't find myself getting pulled into the story or feeling anything for the characters.
Just My Luck Again, I only went to see this because I had seen everything else and the options were very limited. It wasn't as shiteous as I thought it was going to be. I already knew the story from the trailers, it pretty much set the whole thing up, so I wasn't expecting to be surprised. Faizon Love, who cracks me up in every movie he's ever been in (Elf, Blue Crush, and his hilarious guest spot on That's So Raven), was one of the saving graces of this film. It was supposed to be a romantic comedy, but the funniest parts included his character. Chris Pine also gave a good performance. The film wasn't terrible, but not great either. I saw this when the high schools had gotten out of school. So the theater was half filled with teenagers and I happened to be sitting beside some who obviously went just to see bad things happen to Linsday Lohan's character. It was a little distracting when they would clap and cheer when her character would get punched in the face, etc. Or the laughing at some of the cheesier lines in the film, ("I can't not kiss him!"). Ya, I thought it was cheesy, too, but have some respect for the other people who paid their three loonies.
Over the Hedge Sometimes as a parent, you are forced to endure entertainment aimed at children and it's incredibly formulaic, predictable and not funny for anyone over the age of 7. This is not one of those films. I was pleasantly surprised and actually enjoyed it more than some of the movies mentioned above aimed at adult audiences. The characters were great. How can they not be when they are voiced by talent such as Bruce Willis, Wanda Sykes (who I absolutely LOVE), Steve Carrell (another comedian I LOVE), Garry Shandling, Eugene Levy, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Catherine O'Hara and...Avril Lavigne?? Actually Avril did a good job. Anyway, it was very humorous and the plot, story and character development was ace. It's on my recommend list.
Well the reviews were short and sweet, but some of those movies I saw a month or more ago, so it's not that fresh in my mind. I'll do my reviews/thoughts right after I see them from now on so it's fresh and stuff. Have a good summer and I'll try to write more often. Really, I will.
More ramblings to come......
Anyhoo....it's summer, that time of year that bored film students with little to do flock to the matinees to watch the summer movies. Okay, so that's just me. I'm still getting paid to not work, which is fine by me, It's just going to mean busy, busy, busy later on in the summer. So far I've seen a number of craptacular films because the first run theaters have just started their matinees. So I've been going to my favorite cheap theater to see the movies. You can't beat 3 bucks. Instead of my usual in depth review/introspection about the movies, I will give a quick run down on each one......
Da Vinci Code I was really looking forward to this one to see what all the fuss was about. I hadn't read the book and I actually really liked it. I love a good mystery and found my myself getting pulled into the story and wondering about the places featured in the film.
United 93 I really liked this one. One person in the theater walked out about twenty minutes in. Not quite sure what they were expecting. But it was a real time look at what happened in the control rooms of the airports and military rooms as it went down, as well as on the plane. I knew what the outcome would be, but I cried all over again. There wasn't a lot of character development, but that didn't bother me. It wasn't meant to be a dramatic retelling of the story, but a look at how the events unfolded in the eyes of the passengers as well as air traffic control tower staff and military as it happened and their reaction to it. If that makes any sense. It seemed very authentic. I read that they used a lot of non-actors or unknown actors for this. It created a more genuine feel for the real time thing. I liked the film and I thought it handled the sensitive subject matter very well.
Eight Below Yes, I realize it's a Disney film, but the options were limited that day. I liked this one as well. Paul Walker did a great job and was easy on the eye, too. It was very well done story wise, the obstacles and characters worked well. It was an okay way to kill an afternoon. See it if you are a dog lover.
Date Movie Yes, I knew going in it was going to be stupid, but I thought there might be at least a few funny parts and I love skewering romantic comedies. All kidding aside, this was the only movie I have ever come close to walking out of. I thought, eh, it's only 3 bucks. But on second thought, I want my three bucks back. There wasn't even one funny part. It was all gross sophomoric humour. Definitely on my "worst" list. Actually, it's on the top of the list.
Benchwarmers I really like David Spade. I really do. I also really like Nick Swarsdon, who I was excited to see in this film(he really needs to work more). That's why I was so disappointed in this. Not very funny at all. Not as bad as Date Movie, but filled with gross humour that a seven year old boy would love and very few laughs for anybody older.
Take the Lead Not bad. I liked Antonio Banderas in this. I liked the point his character made about the need to bring back manners and respect for others. It was a little formulaic and predictable, though. Kind of like Dangerous Minds, but with ballroom dancing. It wasn't a very memorable movie, however, and I didn't find myself getting pulled into the story or feeling anything for the characters.
Just My Luck Again, I only went to see this because I had seen everything else and the options were very limited. It wasn't as shiteous as I thought it was going to be. I already knew the story from the trailers, it pretty much set the whole thing up, so I wasn't expecting to be surprised. Faizon Love, who cracks me up in every movie he's ever been in (Elf, Blue Crush, and his hilarious guest spot on That's So Raven), was one of the saving graces of this film. It was supposed to be a romantic comedy, but the funniest parts included his character. Chris Pine also gave a good performance. The film wasn't terrible, but not great either. I saw this when the high schools had gotten out of school. So the theater was half filled with teenagers and I happened to be sitting beside some who obviously went just to see bad things happen to Linsday Lohan's character. It was a little distracting when they would clap and cheer when her character would get punched in the face, etc. Or the laughing at some of the cheesier lines in the film, ("I can't not kiss him!"). Ya, I thought it was cheesy, too, but have some respect for the other people who paid their three loonies.
Over the Hedge Sometimes as a parent, you are forced to endure entertainment aimed at children and it's incredibly formulaic, predictable and not funny for anyone over the age of 7. This is not one of those films. I was pleasantly surprised and actually enjoyed it more than some of the movies mentioned above aimed at adult audiences. The characters were great. How can they not be when they are voiced by talent such as Bruce Willis, Wanda Sykes (who I absolutely LOVE), Steve Carrell (another comedian I LOVE), Garry Shandling, Eugene Levy, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Catherine O'Hara and...Avril Lavigne?? Actually Avril did a good job. Anyway, it was very humorous and the plot, story and character development was ace. It's on my recommend list.
Well the reviews were short and sweet, but some of those movies I saw a month or more ago, so it's not that fresh in my mind. I'll do my reviews/thoughts right after I see them from now on so it's fresh and stuff. Have a good summer and I'll try to write more often. Really, I will.
More ramblings to come......
posted by trudyrox at 2:17 PM
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