Winter Movie Review: Walter Mitty, Catching Fire, Frozen, The Desolation of Smaug and my Sanity, Thor 2.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: It's an introverted underdog story about a guy who has a midlife crisis which stirs him up to follow his dreams, and his subsequent adventures which finally become more exciting than his daydreams about life. Highlights: You can literally see the vigor and life be breathed back into Mitty, played by Ben Stiller, who emerges from the end of the movie, glowing and transformed from a zombie-like office prisoner. Sean Penn is also delightful as the elusive photographer Mitty must trek the globe to find. Based on a short story. Advice? Rent it for a date night.

Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2): Having read the books ages ago (thank you AATL student Kenny for recommending me to do so back in 2011!) I have to say that the film version of Catching Fire was spectacular. It's not what I imagined at all, but at least the lead characters are settling in to her their roles and are quite enjoyable to watch after an awkward beginning in the first movie. Jennifer Lawrence 'takes no prisoners' in her delightfully sardonic dialogue which seems aptly appropriate for the horrible circumstances she finds herself in. Compelling story, great effects, go see it! Highlights: Watching first timers react to all of the plot twists in the theaters. Woody Harrelson, need I say more. Advice? See it in theaters. 

Frozen: Disney has a bad habit of disappointing me on an existential level. Frozen was another let down. The music was lackluster, even with Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Jonathan Groff. Yes, I understand that you are systematically reinvigorating the outdated parts of your theme parks (The Muppets, Pirates of the Caribbean, Norway in Epcot) but this movie is still frustrating. I appreciated "the message" at the end of the story which saves the day, but it was a long, tired journey to get there. Also, the costumes were ridiculous. (See photo left.) Why can't our ice princesses be decked out in Patagonia or North Face for once? I'm tired of all of these harsh climate ridiculous outfits (Jasmine, Elsa & Anna, Ariel, etc…) can we be more practical, please? Disney purists are vetoing my future movie reviews as a result of this post; don't get me wrong, the movie was fun, and probably spectacular in 3-D, but I'm still looking for a bit more for my future daughters/nieces to appreciate. Highlights: Beautiful ice and snow animations recycled (as the originally canned 'ice' setting from Brave) great for the holiday season. Advice? See it in 3-D, or rent it.

The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug. If I could emit obscenities in public without being  a bad role model for the younger generation, I might waste them on this film, which was a complete mockery of the genre, and a desecration of the Tolkien text. Admitting that the original Tolkien text was more of a bedtime story than a 3-movie battle pic, is committing heresy in Middle Earth, but someone must do it. I laughed through the entire first scene, and enjoyed fellow moviegoers' bafflement at the strange and alien scene playing out, a back story, which would lead us in a new direction for this film, which literally needed to provide a plot reference point. Cue two hours of "the only path before us is the most treacherous one but we must take it anyways." I laughed again when Gandalf abandoned his comrades right before that path, as I would have done, before entering a forest of the worst gargantuan spider infestation you could imagine. Sorry, Ron, the path never "follows the butterflies." Fast forward two hours and the third hour takes you to meet Smaug, the most beautiful, terrifying and fun dragon we've met since Draco in Dragonheart. As Smaug, Benedict Cumberbatch emits dark baritone phrases reminiscent of his Khan (Star Trek: Into Darkness) character, and here we finally have something interesting to watch. (Since up to this point, I've only enjoyed the inserted scenes with the new *girl* character, Tauriel. For those of you who didn't know, she was added by filmmakers because Tolkien doesn't have any female characters in this book. Even so, Evangeline Lily's character (Tauriel) is the seventeenth billed cast member. Ouch. So much for the Bechdel test!) The movie ends with a cliffhanger which is annoying, because by this point I wanted to see everything burn. Also, this movie has an 8.3/10 rating on IMDB which just goes to show me that Hollywood can buy reviews by adding Michael Bay style effects. Great effects, horrible story. End rant. Highlights: A dragon. The Freeman-Cumberbatch reunion. Orlando Bloom as a young(er) Legolas who is apparently almost mute at this point in his immortality. Advice? Rent it, fast forward until you see a dragon, watch, cry into your pillow at the desecration of a much beloved story. 

Thor 2: The Dark World. I am thrilled that this movie was awesome, because, let's face it, the first movie was a little bit ridiculous...in a good way which I saluted Marvel for, even as my own friends laughed at me. I actually saw this slaphappy sequel twice, and it was fun and enjoyable both times; due mainly in part to witty dialogue, acting performances and and precise punchlines (Kat Dennings, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård) which entertained us through the ominous and certain terrifying onslaught of an alien fueled armageddon. The story was brilliant, concocted by the best science fiction writers, seamlessly mixing fake science (gravitational fields that can be messed up by planetary alignments sorry geophysicists, "soul forge" quantum field generators, and portal-type traveling worm holes) with movie magic, making science exciting again, even if we've finished our science courses for life. Highlights: Female scientist protagonist. Female "political science" assistant. Chris Hemsworth's costume. Tom Hiddleston's giddy delight at Asgard's imminent demise. Stellan's nude insanity.  Stan Lee's cameo. Chris Evans' cameo. (Geeks: Read the Scientific American's expose on the science behind Moljnir (Thor's hammer) here.) Advice: See it in theaters!

Summer 2013 Movie Reviews

Updated: July 12th, 2013. It's time for my Early to Mid-Summer 2013 Movie Reviews. Scroll through the following to hear my thoughts on the following blockbusters recently released in theaters. It has been an action-packed male audience geared summer so far. Unfortunately, there not too many great flicks, considering all of the hype that went into most of these titles. Of the entire list? I'd only recommend seeing Star Trek and Epic in theaters.

Disclosure/Note of bias: I've been considering the theory of rating movies this year based on the "Bechdel Scale" in regards to female lead characters. Almost all of these movies would fail. Bechdel Scale: "1. has to have at least two [named] women in it, 2. who talk to each other, 3. About something besides a man." It's frightening how hard it is to name a movie that passes this test! Check out which ones pass below.

THE WOLVERINE: It was good, but not "great" and I'd advise you to rent it rather than to spend $25 on a ticket and food. The Pros: it's an X-Men movie. I love X-Men movies, especially X-Men: First Class, X2, and Wolverine: Origins and as fun as it was to step away from Marvel's Avengers series to get back to X-Men, this prequel (The Cons:) didn't come close to having the character development that the other films did, or the casting. I loved the character cameos of the hundreds of mutants in the other flicks. (Even Stan Lee was noticeably absent from his usual Marvel-flick cameo.) The Plot: I was surprised, but it was, in fact, believable enough to land us in Japan without question. (Thank you, exposition.) I enjoyed the Asian fight scenes, and yes, there is an incredible rooftop bullet train action fight scene that trumps even some of the best 007 stunts for coolest fight sequence I've ever seen. The romance though was awkward, and uncomfortable, (he's over a hundred years old, and she's barely out of her teens, remind you of Twilight too? Yuck!) and there was really no chemistry between the leads, not like in Wolverine: Origins, which had a much better romantic match, but oh well. It's an action film and it delivered when it needed to. It whetted the appetite for the next film: X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is a sequel to First Class, but a prequel to the X-Men trilogy. (I realize that sounds almost as ridiculous as the title to the new flick, sorry.) So Advice: Date night flick? Not really. Friend night flick? If you're bored and love X-Men. 

PACIFIC RIM: I love movies of all types. I don't discriminate when I go to see different genres of films in theaters, or when I watch them at home on our television, and computer. The HBO, Showtime, Movies on Demand, iTunes and Netflix services give me more titles than I need and often suggest films that I end up liking. However, my husband Tom picked this movie, and counted down the months, weeks and hours until we saw it last night in 3-D after seeing the trailer, and I have to admit: the demographic of viewers coming out of this movie was, not surprisingly, male dominated, aged 16-35 with their friends, out in droves of man packs. They loved this movie. It was basically Godzilla(s) vs. Transformers with the digital visual coloring of Tron vs. Jurassic Park, with stunning effects that tickled the inner child of every man in that audience. So, let me begin my review of Pacific Rim with the questions that every guy wants to know before they drag their friends/family out to see this movie: (1) Yes, the effects are spectacular/cool/new/unbelievably rendered in a way that we only see every few years, usually from Michael Bay. (2) Yes, the alien Godzilla-like creatures are believable enough to suspend disbelief and appreciate this Monster vs. Robot war in its entirety. (3) Yes, the movie is generally action-packed with good pacing. (4) Yes, it was one of the better films this summer if we're talking action and effects, especially in 3-D. Now that's about where my good reviewing of this film will end. So, if those aforementioned criteria are all that you are seeking, go enjoy a good mindless, fun action flick. (SPOILERS AHEAD.) Now here are my thoughts: boy, this film made me angry. It was terrible. Cliched dialogue that made the audience groan, a plot that was barely developed: aliens invading, robots are the only solution, (because apparently there are no Armed Forces in this film) so every hotshot robot "pilot" disobeys orders directly, (ego!) breaks his billion dollar robot, and puts humanity in jeopardy for a boy vs. boy intercontinental pissing contest. Yes it failed the Bechdel test because it only had ONE female character. REALLY? Only one? Amongst dozens of egocentric, testosterone filled, apparently uneducated gunslingers. Perhaps the producers simply FORGOT to put any other english speaking female characters in. J.R.R. Tolkien sure did. (The Hobbit). [Wait, I'm forgetting the female Russian robot pilot, but she doesn't really count because she never speaks, and dies after three minutes of battle.]  I just can't believe that a $200 MILLION dollar movie was so badly written. They couldn't hire anybody to fix that script? I would have done it for free. Also, after all of these movies this summer, I am becoming more and more horrified that generally, almost across the board, mainstream movies don't have TWO female characters, with names, that talk about something that is not the lead man. This absolutely disgusts me. So no, Pacific Rim bombs my expectations and I am further disappointed in humanity by the release of yet another, testosterone fueled violent advertisement for "acceptable" male behavior. Advice: Skip it unless, like my husband, you want to see the effects and just want to be entertained. 

DESPICABLE ME 2: After looking forward to this film for a year and half after seeing an adorable "Barbara Ann" (Banana) song trailer by the Minions months ago, I have to admit, painfully and sadly, that this movie was really disappointing. The storyline was mediocre if not predictable, and the humor relied too heavily on slapstick, rather than the funny banter of well developed humor in the last flick. There was even a horrifying "bimbo date scene" with Gru that was a bit inappropriate for kids which made me cringe. The scary purple minions? A bit too creepy and not at all funny. I will admit that I will be seeing the next film, The Minion Movie, because I continue to enjoy their hilarious shenanigans. This movie also failed the Bechdel test, because none of the female characters (of which there were six) had a conversation with each other about not Gru or a future with Gru. Sorry, Universal, clearly you tried hard, just not hard enough. Advice: Rent it. 

EPIC: Think Avatar meets Fern Gully meets A Bug's Life in yet another charmingly animated story that is compelling from start to finish. Yes, it passes the Bechdel test. (The first true pass of the summer!) It's not enough anymore to just have a compellingly animated story, to compete with Disney, Blue Sky (the makers of the Ice Age series) have really honed humor, from slapstick to device to comic relief, this movie had all the jokes it needed. Definitely a great PG movie for kids, and parents will really enjoy it as well. Advice: See it in theaters, rent or buy it. 

WORLD WAR Z. If you liked the thrilling moments of I am Legend, then you'll like this movie. There were some fun "shriek in your seat" moments, believably scary zombies both in dormant stage and in full bite mode, and believable plot events, where things just go wrong for the lead character as he travels to find the origin of the infection as they would for anyone else (Murphy's Law.) What was particularly terrifying about this movie, was the eerie accuracy in the portrayal of the doom of the human race when faced with the chaos of an apocalypse. Watching societies around the world be lost, and despair, have hope, then despair again raises questions of team work, diplomacy and preparedness for viewers that may seem comic when thinking about zombies, but also important when thinking about other contagions. I'd give this flick a B. (Oh, yes, it failed the Bechdel test, too.) Advice: Fun to see in theaters to see other reactions. Or rent it at night.

STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS. The best movie so far this summer by far...especially in 3-D as the action sequences are easier to follow with a third dimension (I saw it in both 2-D and in 3-D). Even seeing it the second time, I was equally engaged and excited as the first, knowing more of the information that created confusion in the first, and I could detach myself from the stressful experience of seeing it the first time to really enjoy it again, and even more. I really liked the villain played by Benedict Cumberbatch (also amazing as Sherlock on Sherlock). Here he was terrifying: his cold, calculating plans being revealed piece by piece as his game is played out- it's satisfying to have a criminally brilliant villain again, because it's more satisfying seeing him be defeated. Chris Pine animates Kirk in a loveably irritating way, and Zachary Quinto pushes his Spock into legend. I appreciated Zoe Saldana's Uhura, with her angry frustration and honesty with Spock, and brilliant Klingon dialogue. I was irritated by the boring blonde cookie-cutter "Carol," played almost unnoticeably (by everyone except Kirk) by Alice Eve. It seemed like a cop-out to have her character at all. With that one minor gripe, and my reluctance that, yes, this movie fails the Bechdel Movie Test, I can admit that it was very good. Advice? See it in 3-D/Buy it.

IRON MAN 3: Thank you Marvel and thank you writers for making a character who is renowned and respected worldwide have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on screen, for humanizing his panic attacks with the humor of the teenaged boy who helps him recover, and for letting Tony really deal with the emotional and psychological aftermath that followed The Avengers. (I also saw this movie in both 2-D and in 3-D and the difference was unremarkable. I'd definitely recommend the 2-D. Save the 3-D for Star Trek.) One of the best parts of this film was the role played by Ben Kingsley. I've always enjoyed his performances, but this was special: so funny and surprising! Great stunts, great recovery by Tony, great ending (if somewhat unbelievable, at least it was enjoyable!) and a great ending to the trilogy. Can't wait to see Avengers 2 and 3 now that Robert Downey Junior has signed on for them, news that came out today. In case you were wondering: This movie surprisingly just barely passes the Bechdel Movie Test, the two lead females discuss (besides Tony AND the main villain) just briefly scientific research, and how to save the world, briefly, before returning to interact about the male leads. Advice: See it in 2-D, rent it. 

SUPERMAN: This is a terribly long movie. At almost three hours, I found myself completely disengaged from the final scenes, just waiting for the movie to finish. Henry Cavill was a humble, believable, likable if somewhat boring lead; and Amy Adams was a meek, curious, starstruck Lois Lane, and the two seemed to have some chemistry together, but it was very staged. There were at least three minor scenes where I said to myself, "Wait. How did she get there?" for them to have an "experience" together. Also: the villain (Michael Shannon) was overacted and campy. Then I always spend a lot of time wondering about alien clothing and costumes. When it's hard to suspend disbelief with these "Power Rangers" bad guy outfits, it's hard for me to take in  and appreciate the alien scenes very easily. (Just like it was for Green Lantern, and some of Thor.) The fight scenes were boring. Really? A supernatural fist fight? Boring, and yes, it fails the Bechdel test. Advice: Rent it when you have three hours to waste.

NOW YOU SEE ME: This was actually a good movie, enough puzzles and tricks to keep me engaged nearly the whole time! Reminiscent of "Oceans 11, 12 & 13" or "The Italian Job" this magical thriller has you guessing until the very end, which I didn't like and was annoyed by, but could still appreciate. Note: Failed the Bechdel test. Advice: Rent it with friends.

FAST 6: I'm so mad at this movie. What a dud. It was really terrible. My husband is still quoting "Ride or Die" with a whispery tough guy sarcasm around the house. Granted, Fast 5 was probably the best movie in the series so far, so this one had a lot to live up to, but it was just a big joke all around. I can't even talk about how disappointing it was. The Stunts? They were so ridiculously unbelievable that the audience was laughing and groaning! The cars? Not impressed. I refuse to even put a picture up for it. It's not worth the space. It was just a campy, adrenaline fueled testosterone trip that by the way, also failed the Bechdel test. Advice? Let's just all pretend this movie never happened and rewatch Fast 1, 2, and 5. 

THE GREAT GATSBY: Groan. Another dud. It was very overhyped and the delayed opening also contributed to my overwhelming disappointment in the Baz Luhermann adaptation. As a film, it was fine, it told the story, it was flashy, it had the glitz and glamor...as a work of art, it left something to be desired with its over-the-top sequences, costumes and sets. The artistic crew just tried way too hard. Surprisingly, one of the only redeeming acting performances was Carey Mulligan's Daisy, who I have always loathed as a character: she played Daisy with a deep pain that created a pity for her early on in the film, before the tumultuous events of the climax where again, I loathed her. DiCaprio was "too" romantic, the music was "too" trendy. It reminded me of Les Miserables, the movie everyone was talking about and loved that I just couldn't appreciate. Oh well. I'm still glad I reread the book (and liked it) in advance of the movie this past year. Another point for the "book being better than the movie" category. Also, it failed the Bechdel test. Advice? Skip it, unless you liked the book. 


JURASSIC PARK 3-D: I really enjoyed when the audience laughed at Lex when she said, "Wow! A touch screen with an interactive CD-Rom!" in the Jeep during the Dino-Tour this time around, twenty years later. The dinosaurs are still as scary, especially in the darkened theater, especially in 3-D, and I even appreciated a few "new" moments, even after having seen this movie a dozen times, now viewing it as an adult. Definitely worth the ticket. Sadly, it too fails the Bechdel test, although it's a toss-up with the Ellie Satler line here: [After Ian states: "God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs."] Ellie: "Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the earth." Advice? See it in 3-D for nostalgic purposes. 

OBLIVION: A decent sci-fi/fantasy psychological thriller, starring Tom Cruise, after the apocalypse of Earth. While I do not necessarily agree with Cruise's angst-ridden political rants in real life, he has always played a believable agent in an action flick, and here is no exception. Also: it fails the Bechdel test unless you count a female robot talking to lead female. No more giveaways, I don't want to spoil it! Advice: Rent it. 

10 of the Best Movies that you might have missed!

As I made my dinner tonight, I heard a small fragment of a musical theme, and guessed from the kitchen, "Stardust?" to my husband who was watching this movie in the living room beyond. (I was correct.) Then I got to thinking that probably not many people have seen this awesome flick, hence, today's topic: TEN of the Best Movies that you might have missed!

1. STARDUST. (2007) This movie is delightful. Spectacular musical accompaniment reminiscent of a Spielberg or Lucas film, and it was directed/co-written by Matthew Vaughn. (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, X-Men First Class, and Kick-Ass. He's even married to Claudia Schiffer!) Besides the incredible cast: Danes, Pfeiffer, DeNiro, Ian McKellen, Henry Cavill (the new Superman!), Sienna Miller; they all deliver solid performances with witty/hilarious dialogue and engaging plot. It's not often that there is an unpredictable, enjoyable plot, with believable action and magic, and not to mention powerful female characters that delivers in a way that my husband always watches it every time it's on t.v. Rent it/Stream it. Tonight.

2. Coco Avant Chanel ("Coco before Chanel."- 2009) The ultimate French chic-flic about Coco Chanel. Starring the lovely miss Audrey Tautou as a believable Coco long before she became the famous clothing designer. It satisfies the "foreign romance" category as well as the "haute couture" category and is all together endearing and romantic.

3. The Fifth Element. (1997) Believe me, I hope you've already seen this one. Surprisingly, I have non-Sci-Fi geek students (and adult friends) who have never watched Star Trek: Next Generation, or even seen Star Wars: any of them. It's equal parts horrifying and unbelievable to me. However, if you're going to see ONE sci-fi/fantasy movie this year, make it The Fifth Element. It's a cult classic for a reason. Bruce Willis is on fire with his expressions and sarcasm, Milla Jovovitch is a formidable supernatural being that saves the Earth, and the dialogue/script is one of the best in memory. Finally: Gary Oldman is one of the best villains of all time. Also, you'll understand why my entire family has adopted the word "chee-kon" to mean chicken.

4. Overboard. (1987) Another film I have to attribute to my husband's choice. A grip-your-gut comedy with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, where she is a rich socialite who stiffs him out of pay for a subcontracting job and gets amnesia, and he takes advantage of her by pretending she's his wife and mother to wild, country kids. Eventually everything works out to the couple's advantage, but it's always fun to watch the privileged clean. A quirky and hilarious comedy.


5. The Holiday. (2006) Every time the ditzy Los Angeles based Cameron Diaz drives in the snow, backwards in England, screaming her lungs out passing cars, I remember how good this film is. It's become a Holiday-time staple in my house, but it's still too new to often be on t.v. The budding romance between Cameron Diaz and Jude Law is heartwarming and hilarious, and Kate Winslet's heartbreak conquering is so admirable. It's "just right" in all the ways that count.

6. Excess Baggage. (1997) I own this film because I got tired of wanting to watch it at least once per year. A comedy of errors where a young socialite fakes her own kidnapping only to be really kidnapped by a car thief by accident. He tries to remedy the situation only to get them into further and further mischief...a true 90's gem.

7. Empire Records. (1995) Speaking of 90's gems, this movie, (like 5th Element) makes my top ten list of movies of all time. Move aside, Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, this is the 90's staple: it's about a record store that is bleeding cash and about to close, and the charming characters that work there who try to save it. Cue the amazing soundtrack (which of course I own on actual vinyl), the great acting talents of young stars like Renee Zellweger, Ethan Embry and Liv Tyler, and the ensuing hilarity that is the store, EMPIRE RECORDS and you're in for a happy and  nostalgic two-hour trip back to the 90's.

8. How to Steal a Million. (1966) I'm often irritated that many Audrey Hepburn fans haven't seen this flick. It's clearly one of her best. It's a great way to meet Peter O'Toole, and incredible actor as well. Audrey's dad is an art-imitator, until a museum hosts one of his fakes. Audrey is determined to get the small statue back before the museum finds out and hires O'Toole to
help get it back. Another delightful comedy of errors- this one is perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Put it in your queue. NOW.

9. The Boondock Saints. (2000) The ultimate Boston mafia revenge movie where the lead characters, Irish brothers, target mobsters and killers for judgment. Completely satisfying in an overly violent revenge plot on other bad guys kind of way. Not for kids, or my mom.

10. Secondhand Lions. Saving the best for last! I show this film during my "character development" unit in seventh grade because I love the good values, ethics and fabulous storytelling in this movie. It's absolutely magical. I made everyone in my family watch it: parents, brother, grandparents: everyone loved it. It's beloved by all generations, proving it to be a classic. Once you watch this movie, and realize that these choices are legitimate, please go back and watch the rest on this list.

Aimee's Film Awards: 2013.

...because sometimes the "Academy" doesn't acknowledge some of the best* projects and performers... (*BOLD indicates the winner of the nominees according to me in the category.)

Film:
Skyfall
The Avengers
The Hunger Games
Battleship

Television Series:
Downton Abbey
Revenge
Covert Affairs
Game of Thrones

Cinematography:
The Hobbit
Prometheus
Skyfall
Snow White and the Huntsman

Actress:
Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman
Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games
Judi Dench in Skyfall
Lena Headey in Dredd
Reese Witherspoon in This Means War

Supporting Actress:
Rebel Wilson in Pitch Perfect
Emmy Rossum in Beautiful Creatures
Olivia Thirlby in Dredd
Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables

Actor:
Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables
Jamie Foxx in Django
Nicholas Hoult in Warm Bodies
Martin Freeman in The Hobbit

Supporting Actor:
Sam Rockwell in Seven Psychopaths
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Dark Knight Rises
Michael Fassbender in Prometheus
Mark Ruffalo in Avengers
Tom Cruise in Rock of Ages

Special Effects:
Men in Black 3
Battleship
Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hunger Games
Prometheus

Early 2013: Film Reviews: Warm Bodies & Beautiful Creatures.

1. BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. Book Review: My best friend Bill just wrote a fabulous book/movie review of Beautiful Creatures over at his blog The Nerdly Ginger, and generally I agree with him about the movie and film. As I said on our Book Club page: "Honestly, the book had a bit too much in common with the Twilight series for me to take it very seriously. The first draft was written in three months by two authors and it is very obvious that quality for what could have been a charming story was sacrificed in the rush. (Although there are several lovely passages worth reading (maybe 6 pages in total) in the 500+ page book.) It was refreshing in that it was written in the perspective of a male protagonist, however, but just as the disappointing lead males in I Am Number Four, The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson, so this "Ethan" also seems to fall flat. I do feel that the current tendency for authors to create "2-levels of depth" in cookie cutter leading men is lazy and inaccurate. Men have just as many layers as women: histories, traumas, lost loves and jobs and fortunes...does every motive for a character need to be either self serving or sacrificial? I have been disappointed and bored with these new lead "characters" lately. For Beautiful Creatures: give me Ridley's back story- hers was actually worth telling. Advice? Skip it, unless you're missing the novelty of a series like Twilight. See the movie instead. Emmy Rossum looks delightful in the trailer." 

Film Review: Surprisingly, the movie did all of the things the book didn't do: it had believable character portrayal in a perfect casting mix in all of the leads, it added Ridley's back story, it immersed us in gorgeous southern nature shots, there were fun interior sets, and believable "magic" effects (instead of campy/overdone effects). It was even funnier than the book! I attribute that to the unfaltering passion of the male lead, newcomer Alden Ehrenreich, who you can't help but root for in all of his jock-nerdiness, because he gives such a raw performance of a real struggling young couple. (No lifeless Edward Cullen here!) Main question: Can someone who hasn't read the book enjoy and understand the movie? Yes, but you should read the book afterwards, because there are some slight changes to the ending. Can we expect a sequel? Probably not considering it only brought in $11.4M on a budget of $60M. Although, it was in a tough "teenage girl" category, competing with Safe Haven and Warm Bodies. (So perhaps as word picks up about how good it was, so will the box office returns.) Advice? See it in theaters and enjoy a magical southern escape :)

2. WARM BODIES. Another enjoyable book-to-movie adaptation, I was worried that the snarky-adorable inner monologues of the male lead 'R' wouldn't translate well to the big screen. I was wrong. Not only did they include most of the hilarious inner-sequences of 'R's mind as he struggles to communicate at first with Julie, a zombie slaying human, but it was a seamless effort of screenplay writing brilliance come to be expected in other witty modern teenage flicks; Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Scott Pilgrim, Superbad, Garden State, Adventureland. In a similarly silly style, the audience gets to watch the leads fall in love in an apocalyptic, zombie filled battle worn America. There's a happy ending. What's not to like? I can imagine my parents watching this on DVD one night in the future and my dad laughing the whole time, and my mom smiling and wincing through the two or three moments of campy gore/zombie fighting. Advice? Rent it for a date night on DVD.

Winter Film Review.

This is not going to be a cheerful, rousing or exciting film review. In fact, I'm so disgusted at the movie industry right now I will say in no uncertain terms that the movies this past fall and early winter were abysmal. Let's begin with:

1. Breaking Dawn, pt. 2: This was possibly the worst movie I have ever seen. True Twi-hards who have stuck with the extremely overstretched series and are currently suffering through the detoxification of Edwardian Romance withdrawal have stubbornly insisted that it was a good ending. Let me be clear: it was not. I have never been so disappointed in Melissa Rosenberg (screenwriter of Dexter.) At least with Stephenie Meyer, we KNOW that she writes barely digestible, highly old fashioned quixotic idealistic bullcrap. Rosenberg, Meyer and their team sanctioned a completely original "twist" at the end of the movie which was so over the top it was laughable. I actually enjoyed purist's screeches of horror in the theater and appreciated that the director, (who was hopefully truly messing with us for kicks and a paycheck) had probably spent weeks filming this "twist." The end result? Pathetic. The actors showed up, put on their clothes and make up, repeated lines blandly, smirked, and trained for this epic fight which never really happened. Advice: Don't waste your money or your time.


2. Skyfall: I was so depressed by the BD2 review that I had to move on to the best film of the year. (Sorry, Avengers.) Skyfall was absolutely the best film of the year and I hope you were able to see it in theaters. (I did, twice.) I love good action movies and amazing stunts. This film had both. I appreciate strong female leads: this movie had three. I appreciate witty and believable banter: no one does that better than 'M' and 007. Add Ralph Fiennes into that caustic mix? Brilliant dialogue. Now, here's the level that most action films never touch: the emotional history and trauma of a world renowned hardened character, and the most important living relationship he might have with a mother figure. Skyfall does both again. Besides the fact that the locations were beautiful; especially the locations like the casino in Macao, Shanghai and the actual Skyfall property Scotland. Advice: See it in theaters, buy the DVD in the highest definition possible. 

3. Jack Reacher: Honestly? I was not impressed with this film. I'd seen all the stunts before, seen Tom Cruise play this part before (this time without the charm, humor and romance of Night and Day.) The story is from a long line of serial books with the same drifting character in his exploits at helping uncover the truth about military crimes. Was it entertaining? Yes, but the actual "case" evidence and unravelling was mediocre at best. Tom is also not at his best, I felt like he was just "cashing a paycheck." Is it worth seeing in theaters? Not really. Advice: Rent it. 

4. Les Miserables: (SPOILERS AHEAD). Okay, this is going to be a controversial post, because everyone else loved this movie, and there's a lot of "Oscar Nod" chitchat for the leads. Honestly? Most of the leads were sub par. Anne Hathaway (who looked nothing like the descriptions of Fantine in the book or Broadway show) did a heart wrenchingly good job singing "I Dreamed a Dream." Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean was...acceptable. The singing was good enough ("Who am I?") not to cringe (which I truly did for Russell Crowe's Javert on "Stars"- what were they thinking?) and there were some truly emotional moments where I empathized so deeply for his misfortune that I tossed aside any disbelief that he might carry a small child fifty feet in the air with a small rope. Another major miscasting was with Amanda Seyfried. She was terrible. The entirety of Cosette's songs were completely out of her range. She ended up squeaking in falsetto in a painfully unromantic way at poor Marius. Also disappointing was Samantha Barks, who had the easiest job ever: to play Eponine, the role women everywhere had coveted at some point in their lives, and she totally botched it. I didn't care when she whined about loving Marius, or gave up her safety to help him out, or when she died in his arms. She DIED IN HIS ARMS and I still didn't care. The death song duet was beautiful though. Thank you Marius. So Eddie Redmayne played Marius, another hard-to-accept casting, but when he sang it was understandable why he was cast. He was tolerable. His "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" was another of the three good song adaptations in the film. Also irritatingly over-typecasted were Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen: they were simply boring, pathetic and not humorous at all. However, this entire review aside, I am completely biased. I saw the 25th Anniversary National Broadway Tour of Les Miserables last February with performances so spectacular that I (as well as most of the crowd) literally sobbed THREE times during the course of the well known depressing show. It was a life changing experience. I'd seen over fifty such broadway show tours in my life time, thanks in kind to a decade of season tickets with mom at the Providence Performing Arts center, but this was clearly the best show I'd ever seen. (You can read my review of the Broadway Tour here.) Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Eponine, Enjolras (rebel leader) and Cosette were perfectly cast based on talent. This movie? Not so much. Leave the singing to the real stars and you'll attain Rent levels of appreciation. Advice: See it in theaters for the spectacular cinematography, not the singing, but take a Dramamine before you go because the close up shots are often out of focus and blurry.

5. The Hobbit: What the hell was Peter Jackson thinking when he decided to make this lone book into a trilogy to rival Lord of the Rings? (Insert "Old Toby" joke here.) First of all, I actually saw this movie twice, both in 3-D (unremarkable) and in 2-D. The first time I saw it, it was entertaining enough and quick-paced enough to be three hours long and I hardly noticed (even at 12-3am) the second time, the movie was so long and irritatingly overfilled with action that I wanted to die. There are only a few scenes that are worth watching more than once, such as the haunting "Misty Mountain" song that the dwarves sing in deep bass voices: something not commonly heard in mainstream movies. (Spoilers ahead.) Another enjoyable scene was Gollum's cave, and the final scene with the "flying bird" who travels from the group to the mountain and wakes the dragon by pecking on the cliff. Will I see the next two installments? Yes. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes. Was it pure to the original text of the book? Yes, with some additional wild imaginings. Advice: See it in theaters once. 

6. Django Unchained: If you like Inglorious Basterds, you will love this movie. I for one,  enjoyed Inglorious Basterds and all of its gory, history-changing, satisfying rewriting of Hitler's demise. In true Tarentino style, Django had a few moments of flinchingly brutal assault violence, not unlike 300 or Spartacus or any of Tarentino's other films. (Are we too desensitized to violence now?) Also like Inglorious Basterds, it stars Christoph Waltz as a humorous, morally questionable bounty hunter/murderer. More notable is Jamie Foxx's Django however, (spoiler alert) who triumphs over almost impossible odds. Dark, violent, disturbing and not for young adults under the age of 18. Advice: Rent it. 

June Movie Survey!

It's that time of year again: when I got see almost every movie in the theaters just because it's summer. Mainly this means that I'll write up quick reviews for anyone that may be interested in knowing what's a dud or a gem. In a nutshell?

The Big Screen Winners: Battleship, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Avengers.
The Small Screen Renters: MIB-3, Rock of Ages, The Hunger Games, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

#1. The Surprising Favorite (that critics hated): BATTLESHIP. I was as surprised as the next person at how much fun Battleship was. Viewers can quickly suspend belief at the ridiculous plot of alien invaders setting up a base in the ocean because the effects are SO GOOD. The aliens have a very STAR TREK (2009) feel and the acting is funny and reminiscent of INDEPENDENCE DAY. I was proud to be an American after this film. It was also a great view of the capabilities of the U.S. Navy, the veterans who have served previously, and had a feel-good ending. It's on its last week in theaters, go catch it! It's better than A.Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

 #2. The Surprising Dud (that critics loved): M.I.B. III. I had very high expectations for M.I.B-3. Especially since it's been TEN YEARS since the last installment, and has been promoted since early 2011. Honestly? It was depressing. While the "Time-warp" gimmick from Tommy Lee to Josh Brolin in the 1960's was UNCANNY and spot on- the film just maintained a level of seriousness that didn't deliver. Yes, there is one "feel good" moment towards the end that explains Will's past, but all-in-all, not what I was looking for from the franchise that used to be slimy, spunk and fresh.

 #3. Just along for the Ride: ROCK of AGES is a going to be a great house-party movie. Eventually, when it comes out on DVD. Worth the $10 ticket price? Eh. The 80's band songs/mashups are the best part of the movie (along with Tom Cruise as the hilarious "Stacee Jaxx") but you can get those on iTunes already. Check out the songs, and rent the DVD. 

#4. AS GOOD AS IT GETS: I fully expect Charlize Theron to be nominated for an Oscar for her role as the Evil Queen in SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN. She was absolutely thrilling and terrifying (in a good way). It almost made me believe Kristen Stewart's hysteria...almost. Even though Kristen may have only used a half dozen facial expressions, the movie was still worth seeing in theaters due to the beautiful costumes (expect another oscar nod), the other general well acted characters and theatrically epic plot (think The Two Towers even with dwarves! running across mountain range panoramic shots) and scary-good special effects. I fully expect to buy this one when it comes out on DVD. 

 #5. Now everyone knows how much I love the author (Seth Grahame-Smith of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) but I actually hadn't read this one before seeing it. However, the lead Benjamin Walker, played such a believable Abraham Walker, that I enjoyed much of this mind-warping revamp satire. Unlike Battleship and Snow White, though, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter had campy special effects that were ridiculously unbelievable at times. (Reminiscent of the original Hell Boy or Sin City.) Advice: Rent it for your plasma at home.

 #6. I have always loved Joss Whedon. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) but honestly: this film would have been a hit no matter WHO directed it. Waiting out the set up of THE AVENGERS literally for five or six years as: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Captain America, Thor and The Incredible Hulk all came out first was painful. However, the wait was worth it, as we all knew it would be. The team was hilarious together in their dysfunctional relationship and I can't wait for the next installment. SEE IT IN THEATERS.

 #7. Another surprising dud for me was The Hunger Games. While it did have decent semblance to the book, it was shot and pieced together too quickly to do the character development or relationship arcs any justice. I felt disconnected from all of the characters, except for Gale, who I identified with "watching this all go down badly." I admit I will still see the sequels in theaters, and probably think the same of them, just like I have for all of those irritating Twilight films, but honestly, if you liked The Hunger Games, read the books: they're better.

#8. PROMETHEUS: I loved it. I think a lot of adults (my husband and best friends) were turned off of this "Aliens Origin" film because the trailers made it look like a horror film, but honestly there was only one or two moments of surprising terror and many more thrilling moments of Sci-Fi fun. Unlike the other Aliens movies, where you expect the characters to be stalked by dinosaur like devils, the movie was more like an Indiana Jones film with that 'What's down there?' sort of explorative feel with some of the best special effects space and technology sequences ever seen. Go see it in theaters!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick.

"...I want you to picture yourself in the darkness, like the beginning of a movie. On screen, the sun will soon rise, and you will find yourself zooming toward a trainstation in the middle of the city. You will rush through the doors of a crowded lobby.You will eventually spot a boy amid the crowd, and he will start to move through the train station. Follow him, because this is Hugo Cabret. 

His head is full of secrets, and he's waiting for his story to begin."

Recently, I saw a movie trailer for Martin Scorsese's new film Hugo which looked really magical: an adventure, with kids, secrets, and hiding places, and a robot machine with a story to tell. This movie had all the similar makings of The Polar Express, another successful holiday classic magic story that I watch annually to remember watching a story with the glint of a child's eye. I stored it as a film to see over Thanksgiving Break, probably by myself, as it did look as if it were geared to children. Sometimes, I can sell a kid movie to Tom (my husband) like I did successfully with Despicable Me, Toy Story 3, Fly me to the Moon, but sometimes I am unsuccessful and he becomes wary of my choices: Enchanted (Tom: "There's singing in this movie?!") So I figured I'd be seeing this one on my own...but after reading the book, (which even at its colossal 520 pages reads in less than an hour or two, due to the fact that it's mainly a "graphic novel" interspersed with a story only 26,000 words long-only 128 pages of text,) I think I may even be able to convince Tom to see it!

Before today, I had no idea the book was even connected to the new movie Hugo, until one of my students pointed it out to me this morning in class. (Thank you!) Knowing it was a graphic novel I could get through in a day, I took it home and read it. I found it as magical, endearing and inspiring as I had hoped for! 

Especially in learning that the mechanical "automaton" in the story was based off of a real machine created by the Swiss inventor Maillardet! David Selznick, the author, shares the website where you can see two different automatons from the 19th century operate: the process and end result are stunning and worth a look! You can view the YouTube video's of the automatons working here.

You can also view the trailer for Scorcese's latest film here. Check the movie and the book out: I hope you enjoy the magic as much as I did!

Movie Survey: July 2011!

Ahhhhh...it must be summer. Finally I have a chance to see ALL of the movies playing in theaters! Reviews as follows:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: PT. 2 My husband insisted that we see it at midnight- especially after a decade of his having appreciated the films. Having seen all the movies, and read all of the books however (and the seventh one most of all) I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the lack of the Dumbledore plot-line. The effects won me over in the end, (as well as Neville's valiant Last Stand) and the epilogue as well (even though I spent most of my time staring at the aged make up.) See it in theaters and buy it on DVD. 




2. Horrible Bosses: The funniest movie of the summer. Go see it this weekend. Spacey, Aniston and Farrell all created the perfect villains and the comedy of the three male leads (especially Jason Bateman) is so tummy-crunchingly painfully amusing you might need to take a friend along. Watch for Jamie Foxx: scene stealer! (Rated R) See it in theaters.


3. Monte Carlo: I was hoping Monte Carlo would have a little substance (a far stretch-I know) but in the end it was a carbon-copy of every teenage "Princess" story, normal girl, princess for a day (or a week), gets the cute guy in the end because she is "deeper" than other girls. It grew tedious by the halfway point. Skip it (unless you are babysitting your young niece).




4. Midnight in Paris: Surprisingly charming! ...Maybe not 'charming' for it's couple-goes-sour plot-line, but for the imagery of the 1920's Paris Owen finds himself magically in, and then later the 1900's. Meeting famous painters and writers (most notably Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso) Owen copes with his own novel getting advice from history's Greats. Rent it for a date night.




5. T3: Dark Side of the Moon. The Transformers are back! Surprisingly the best of the series, T3 starts off with our lead Sam Witwicky going on job interviews as even his secret "American Hero" status can't get him a job in this Recession. Poignant to the times, and heartfelt by most of the audience, Sam has to put himself in the line of fire to be heard by the government again, and to have a place fighting by the sides of Bumblebee, Jazz, and Optimus Prime, and more transformers again against the greatest invasion of our time. Michael Bay's effects in this film beat out any other contender in history for Best Special Effects of all time, sorry Jurassic Park, Independence Day and L.O.T. R. Advice: See it in theaters and buy it on DVD.


6. Bad Teacher. I wanted to like this movie...and it was funny, but also grossly irritating and superficial, playing off of the classic stereotypes of a 'bad teacher' and Diaz's Halsey only gets rewarded for slacking off, cheating, and committing fraud. The only redeeming quality of the movie was the much under-viewed Jason Segel (the comedic foil to Justin Timberlake's awkward and uncomfortable character). Jason stole every scene he was in. Advice: Netflix it as a view instantly when there's absolutely nothing else to see. 


7. X-Men: First Class: This movie was perfectly cast with James McAvoy as a young Xavier & Michael Fassbender as a young Erik-Magneto. (With the exception of the awkward blond, and Academy Award Winning Jennifer Lawrence, who made absolutely no sense as and bore no resemblance to Rebecca Romijn's older version of Mystique.) With the interesting Cuban Missile Crisis as the background of the plot events, viewers get wrapped up in the beginnings of the X-Men and of Xavier's school. We are treated to seeing new (and old) mutants and to a movie that was exceptional. Advice: Catch it in theaters before it leaves! 




8. Green Lantern. Ryan Reynolds is mostly known as a comedic actor, so it wasn't without some hesitance that I saw him as the Green Lantern in DC's latest revamp. Clearly DC is trying to catch the Marvel train with their reboots (a new Spiderman comes out later next year) but Marvel has hit fast forward with Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, X-Men First Class, Wolverine Origins, The Wolverine (2012), Captain America, The Avengers and it seems DC dropped the ball this time. The movie is enjoyable, especially with the sassy-smart jet fighter pilot and J.R. CEO Blake Lively plays, and it definitely worth renting. Advice: Rent it. 

9. Captain America! I've been itching to see this flick for a while now (although I do feel like this is another extremely long trailer for The Avengers) but basically here's the run down: (1) I felt proud to be an American for an hour and a half watching us in our best hour defeat the monsters of the Holocaust-era 1940's. (2) I appreciated the glamour, costumes and basic etiquette skills now lacking in a constantly mindless download of social media. How often do I see cell phones at tables in restaurants? Look around. It's frightening. (3) I was really glad "a good guy" deep down was able to reach the level of hero that Captain America reached. I'm tired of all of these barbaric arrogant action heroes. (That was a lie: I loved Robert Downey Jr, Shayne West, Jason Momoa, and Chris Hemsworth.) So let me try to rephrase that: it's nice to see a scrawny kid from Brooklyn become such a nice guy hero. Advice: See it in theaters with the kids and the grandparents.