Favorite characters + decent plot = fun Girls Night Out
Yes, I am one of those women who went in a group of more than three to see this movie, and I looked forward to doing so for weeks. It was a great experience.
The movie itself lived up to my expectations, and may have even edged into surpassing them. I think what most 'critics' didn't like about the movie is that it was more grown-up, which makes it "real", and therefore less entrancing than the fizzy antics of the TV show. But let's face it; did we really want to see The Girls toss aside more men? I didn't; they have to grow up some time (!). I was satisfied that the "happy-enough" endings for each of the characters on the show seemed probable while leaving more story to tell for the film. No one really explores what happens after "The End" but the movie braved that territory and conquered it thoroughly. A professor of mine recently pointed out that we (as a culture) are thrilled with weddings, but we don't get excited by marriages. She's right; watching that on a screen would be too much like "real life" (and I love my escapism as much as the next person). The reaction to the movie kind of proves that point. Miranda's plotline dealt directly with this, but she was always the most down-to-earth of all of them.
So no, the movie was not going to be as fabulously carefree as the show, but I think it required greater craft; it's really hard to make an outstanding small- to big-screen transition. Can you think of any? (Spin-offs & updates/remakes like Wayne's World and Mission Impossible are not to be considered, and I am thinking of adding "animated" to the list because that seems like cheating since one doesn't have to deal with aging of the characters.) I can't come up with any besides Firefly--> Serenity (I luv you, Joss Whedon!), but feel free to discuss. (RottenTomatoes.com has a really fun list compiled that does include the above types of shows/movies: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/best_tv_adaptations/) I look forward to one day adding Veronica Mars to that list, however.
Seeing the movie was like a reunion with girlfriends; joyful and comforting. Do men turn out for movies in groups? I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on that...(yep, I'm a nerd) Does it have something to do with expectations of machoism? How often does is phrase "lone wolf" applied to a woman? Points to ponder, or comment upon, if you wish.
Who doesn't dream of getting married at the NY Public Library? Oops, I think my "geek" is showing again...
June 26, 2008
June 17, 2008
The Happening
Dippy characters + ecological terror + true suspense = mixed bag of tricks better left until video
I like Shyamalan's movies; they are a good, clever thrill. I'm not one of those people who will claim to "see it coming"--he 'gets me' every time and I like him better for it. I'd also like to give the guy credit for being brave enough to make an ecological thriller--how many other people could pitch a plot like that successfully?
I'm glad that I was there to see the movie opening weekend, before someone ruined the plot twist for me. The problem was that the "twist" was more of a "swerve" and that we had all heard about it before we entered the theater. I'm not sure what I was expecting, other than to be thrilled by the suspense, but I didn't leave feeling satisfied. Yup, there were some very stressful moments in that movie that had me cringing in my seat (in a that delightfully tense way that has you worrying about the characters in peril), but I don't really feel like that was enough to satisfy even the vaguest of expectations.
Undoubtedly Lunanshee will expound on our shared opinion that there was too much gore in the movie. Part of what makes Shyamalan so good is that he leaves us to imagine the boogeyman; he doesn't show it (think The Village). Showing the horror is cheap, but leaving it up to our imaginations is the higher art (thank you, Hitchcock).
Zooey Deschanel is fabulously zany (think 2nd season of Weeds) and lovely in a remote and ethereal way (Almost Famous), but none of that really worked here. Her character didn't deserve that much sympathy, in my opinion. She did grow throughout the narrative, but the pitch of things was slightly off, particularly any time her character and John Leguizamo's interacted. I did expect a better performance than she gave.
Mark Wahlburg did a great job of being an Everyman who thinks through the problem to find a solution. Sometimes characters are just too smart to be believable (I love you Harry Potter, but you are guilty of this, even if you are emotionally stunted), but his science teacher was just right, I think.
My favorite character was Frank Collison's Nursury Owner; a little "out there", but a likable guy reacting as best he could to an unthinkable situation. I think his exit came too soon, but that I was more affected by it because I liked his character.
My prediction is that word-of-mouth will kill this movie, kind of like Lady in the Water. I expect that the box office for this movie in its second and subsequent weeks will taper off really quickly. Having said that, I will most likely be in the theater for Shyamalan's next outing, even though I didn't care for this one.
I like Shyamalan's movies; they are a good, clever thrill. I'm not one of those people who will claim to "see it coming"--he 'gets me' every time and I like him better for it. I'd also like to give the guy credit for being brave enough to make an ecological thriller--how many other people could pitch a plot like that successfully?
I'm glad that I was there to see the movie opening weekend, before someone ruined the plot twist for me. The problem was that the "twist" was more of a "swerve" and that we had all heard about it before we entered the theater. I'm not sure what I was expecting, other than to be thrilled by the suspense, but I didn't leave feeling satisfied. Yup, there were some very stressful moments in that movie that had me cringing in my seat (in a that delightfully tense way that has you worrying about the characters in peril), but I don't really feel like that was enough to satisfy even the vaguest of expectations.
Undoubtedly Lunanshee will expound on our shared opinion that there was too much gore in the movie. Part of what makes Shyamalan so good is that he leaves us to imagine the boogeyman; he doesn't show it (think The Village). Showing the horror is cheap, but leaving it up to our imaginations is the higher art (thank you, Hitchcock).
Zooey Deschanel is fabulously zany (think 2nd season of Weeds) and lovely in a remote and ethereal way (Almost Famous), but none of that really worked here. Her character didn't deserve that much sympathy, in my opinion. She did grow throughout the narrative, but the pitch of things was slightly off, particularly any time her character and John Leguizamo's interacted. I did expect a better performance than she gave.
Mark Wahlburg did a great job of being an Everyman who thinks through the problem to find a solution. Sometimes characters are just too smart to be believable (I love you Harry Potter, but you are guilty of this, even if you are emotionally stunted), but his science teacher was just right, I think.
My favorite character was Frank Collison's Nursury Owner; a little "out there", but a likable guy reacting as best he could to an unthinkable situation. I think his exit came too soon, but that I was more affected by it because I liked his character.
My prediction is that word-of-mouth will kill this movie, kind of like Lady in the Water. I expect that the box office for this movie in its second and subsequent weeks will taper off really quickly. Having said that, I will most likely be in the theater for Shyamalan's next outing, even though I didn't care for this one.
The Hulk (2.0)
Better actors + better direction + less complex plot = successful series re-boot
Yup, I am one of those people who is going to bash Ang Lee's The Hulk (2003); I hated it. Lunanshee and I both hate Eric Bana in the first place, so that was one strike against the film already. Shame on Lee for trying to make the audience think too much (something I am accused of all the time). It was a summer popcorn flick--we weren't there to navel-gaze; we were there to watch the Hulk do his signature thing (smashing, of course). I haven't seen the movie since the theater, but the disgust that I felt still burns after 5 years.
The thing that is hardest for me to believe is that Leterrier's version (2008) is more believable than Lee's (2003). How could the guy who blew The Transporter 2 out of believability deliver when a 'serious director' like Lee could not? I was pretty shocked with the second movie--I really liked it.
So I was cautious when I went on opening weekend. Edward Norton is totally worthy, but the problem is that he is a little too worthy for this film; it's almost as if he is slumming it. All in all, I think he did just fine at being an unassuming scientist. He certainly comes across as smart enough and he is much more believable than that other (alleged) beefcake-looking guy. Even Live Tyler, who is barely worthy (according to me) surprised me with how much the two characters were able to convince me they cared for each other (a chemistry that even the talented Jennifer Connelly, who we adore, was not able to fake). I do wish, however, that she had cleared her throat of that unbearable whispery voice to speak up. Betty Ross should not be a sex-kitten--she is a scientist and is intelligent in her own right. I've never read the comics, however, so maybe my expectations are a little too 'modern'. Heck, I can barely even remember the TV show...
Perhaps the most credit should be laid at the feet of the supporting actors. I feel that William Hurt, Tim Roth, and Tim Blake Nelson (even though he was way too over-the-top) all played their parts perfectly; they were just 'big' enough to keep the scene afloat without stealing it. Ultimately, their excellence in the acting craft is what made the picture work and what sold the action. I hate to use the words "team players", but that is the best way to describe how each actor's contribution melded with the others' to the best effect.
--See 'Comments' for more review--
Yup, I am one of those people who is going to bash Ang Lee's The Hulk (2003); I hated it. Lunanshee and I both hate Eric Bana in the first place, so that was one strike against the film already. Shame on Lee for trying to make the audience think too much (something I am accused of all the time). It was a summer popcorn flick--we weren't there to navel-gaze; we were there to watch the Hulk do his signature thing (smashing, of course). I haven't seen the movie since the theater, but the disgust that I felt still burns after 5 years.
The thing that is hardest for me to believe is that Leterrier's version (2008) is more believable than Lee's (2003). How could the guy who blew The Transporter 2 out of believability deliver when a 'serious director' like Lee could not? I was pretty shocked with the second movie--I really liked it.
So I was cautious when I went on opening weekend. Edward Norton is totally worthy, but the problem is that he is a little too worthy for this film; it's almost as if he is slumming it. All in all, I think he did just fine at being an unassuming scientist. He certainly comes across as smart enough and he is much more believable than that other (alleged) beefcake-looking guy. Even Live Tyler, who is barely worthy (according to me) surprised me with how much the two characters were able to convince me they cared for each other (a chemistry that even the talented Jennifer Connelly, who we adore, was not able to fake). I do wish, however, that she had cleared her throat of that unbearable whispery voice to speak up. Betty Ross should not be a sex-kitten--she is a scientist and is intelligent in her own right. I've never read the comics, however, so maybe my expectations are a little too 'modern'. Heck, I can barely even remember the TV show...
Perhaps the most credit should be laid at the feet of the supporting actors. I feel that William Hurt, Tim Roth, and Tim Blake Nelson (even though he was way too over-the-top) all played their parts perfectly; they were just 'big' enough to keep the scene afloat without stealing it. Ultimately, their excellence in the acting craft is what made the picture work and what sold the action. I hate to use the words "team players", but that is the best way to describe how each actor's contribution melded with the others' to the best effect.
--See 'Comments' for more review--
May 28, 2008
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
LOVED IT!!!!!
Darker and more complex than LWW, Prince Caspian will likely appeal to a wider audience range. Relative newcomer Ben Barnes gives a wonderful performance as the orphaned and betrayed Prince. William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley reprise their roles as the Pevensie siblings. The acting is solid and I personally enjoyed that the script writers made Susan's character stronger than I remember her being in the book. While parts of the film diverge from action in the novel, I feel that the movie remained true to the spirit of the novel.
Definitely recommend - a must see adventure!
Darker and more complex than LWW, Prince Caspian will likely appeal to a wider audience range. Relative newcomer Ben Barnes gives a wonderful performance as the orphaned and betrayed Prince. William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley reprise their roles as the Pevensie siblings. The acting is solid and I personally enjoyed that the script writers made Susan's character stronger than I remember her being in the book. While parts of the film diverge from action in the novel, I feel that the movie remained true to the spirit of the novel.
Definitely recommend - a must see adventure!
Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indi + Cate Blanchett + Fast Action + Humor = A Satisfying Conclusion to the IJ Series
In the newest IJ film, Dr. Jones and his cohorts head to South America searching for the El Dorado and a crystal skull of mythical power. Cate Blanchett shines as the evil Dr. Spalko, while Harrison Ford and Karen Allen wonderfully reprise roles that made them famous. Shia LaBeof's character, Jones's son, could easily have become the annoying new sidekick, but instead provides entertainment and a touch of youth.
The film starts at a fast pace and roars onward until the unbelievable but very "jonesian" ending. Recommended for fans of the IJ series and those who enjoy a well-constructed action film.
In the newest IJ film, Dr. Jones and his cohorts head to South America searching for the El Dorado and a crystal skull of mythical power. Cate Blanchett shines as the evil Dr. Spalko, while Harrison Ford and Karen Allen wonderfully reprise roles that made them famous. Shia LaBeof's character, Jones's son, could easily have become the annoying new sidekick, but instead provides entertainment and a touch of youth.
The film starts at a fast pace and roars onward until the unbelievable but very "jonesian" ending. Recommended for fans of the IJ series and those who enjoy a well-constructed action film.
March 26, 2008
Thundercats 2010!
Well, I've found enough rumors that I actually believe that Thundercats if FINALLY going to make it to the big screen. YAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAY!
Can you tell that I am a Thundercats fan?
Anyway, rumor has it that Warner has scrapped the idea of a live action version and is planning a CGI (which in many ways is actually a good thing). Anyway, I'll post more as I find out more.
Can you tell that I am a Thundercats fan?
Anyway, rumor has it that Warner has scrapped the idea of a live action version and is planning a CGI (which in many ways is actually a good thing). Anyway, I'll post more as I find out more.
March 17, 2008
Penelope
Fairytale story + great casting = warm-hearted, fulfilling movie
First off, I don't understand why Penelope has gotten such rotten reviews! The movie set out a plan to make a movie whose plot is a twist of the Beauty and the Beast tale and it is wonderfully executed! (Okay, enough exclamation points now...)
Truly, in this Beauty is the Beast film, I was entertained the entire time. Sure, it is not wholly original (what legend, myth or fairytale is?) but that didn't matter since the film is character, not plot driven. Christina Ricci plays the title character with a wonderful mix of charm, etheral appeal, naivity and cynisism. I highly enjoyed this movie and think it achieved exactly what it set out to do. Also, loved Christina Ricci's wardrobe!
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