I love a great fantasy movie like the next girl, but I'ma need Peter Jackson to learn how to get his point across in under 2 hours. He makes wonderful movies as we all know from watching the long arse Lord of the Rings triology, but I really need him to get it together. No one wants to sit at the movie theater for 3 hours for EACH of your films MAN (in my Smokey voice) like I did watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!
I'm not sure if it's the length of the movie, the amount of dialogue during some of the lengthy scenes, or the fact that I was up late on Facebook discussing Scandal (Still not watching? You're a fool!), but I dozed off several times. Don't get me wrong, when the action is going, it's great! There are dwarves fighting trolls, and dwarves fighting gigantic tiger-like creatures, and a hobbit fighting some monstrous humanoid brute; plus there was fighting with goblins, not to mention the fire-breathing dragon that's really the reason for this whole movie. BUT, it's still a little dry when all that isn't happening.
Now, some of our favorite characters from the Lord of the Rings make appearances to perk us up and keep our attention. Gandolf played by the great Ian McKellen of course is there putting this adventure together. Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) makes a brief showing. Gollum shows his creepy yet lovable face talking to his precious self. Our elvin friends are there too: Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, and Christopher Lee and Suraman, although I think he's a wizard.
To keep it short, under 3 minutes, Bilbo (Ian Holm) decides to write down and tell Frodo the story of one if his adventures and how he finds THE ring. The story begins when Gandolf recruits a younger Biblo (Martin Freeman) to help him and 13 dwarves take back their home which sits in a mountain that has been taken over by a dragon. On their journey, they encounter all those goblins, trolls, elves, and other creatures that I told you about earlier. Despite the length of the movie, you are left wanting more when it gets to the end and you (SPOILER ALERT) realize that the story isn't even close to being over and there is going to be another movie. Anyone who knows Peter Jackson would know that there'd be more than one.
I must say, I was glad when it was over, and although I enjoyed the action, I left thinking, maybe it'll get better. That's how I felt about the Lord of the Rings. I didn't really enjoy it until the 3rd movie and even then, it was better when I saw it again at home on the tv. Probably because I could pause and do other things when I needed to do so, and you can't do that at the theater. Let's hope The Hobbit picks up, or I'll need to make sure I get a good night's sleep next time.
SN: If Magneto and Gandolf (both played by Ian McKellen) got into a fight, who would win? Ok, I'm done.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Lincoln - No vampires died...
I'm going to keep this short and sweet, unlike this Lincoln movie. Lincoln tells the story of how President Lincoln and his cohorts got enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery and end the Civil War. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee Jones. Steven Spielberg directed it. The movie which already has Oscar buzz disappoints. No vampires die, nothing blows up, no aliens come to take over the world, and no one has magical powers. This might explain why I feel asleep a few times during the 2 1/2 hours.
There was a school group there watching for educational purposes, but they couldn't sit still long enough to learn anything because it was so boring! The most exciting and dramatic part was the counting of the votes, and even though I knew the outcome, I was still at the edge of my seat, holding my breath, waiting for a finally tally, but I had to wait 2 hours to get there. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. I almost walked out several times, but I was in the middle of the theater surrounded by a bunch of pre-teens. This movie will win someone an Oscar, but it wins nothing but thumbs down for me.
There was a school group there watching for educational purposes, but they couldn't sit still long enough to learn anything because it was so boring! The most exciting and dramatic part was the counting of the votes, and even though I knew the outcome, I was still at the edge of my seat, holding my breath, waiting for a finally tally, but I had to wait 2 hours to get there. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. I almost walked out several times, but I was in the middle of the theater surrounded by a bunch of pre-teens. This movie will win someone an Oscar, but it wins nothing but thumbs down for me.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Breaking Dawn Pt2: Book vs Movie
I haven't been this enthralled by a book series since reading my childhood favorite series The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis is my all-time favorite book. I've read the book more times than I can count and have seen the movie about 4 times. Too bad the Narnia movies aren't doing as well as the Twilight Saga. What's so great about this book series and movies? It's a love story involving vampires and werewolves. What more does a girl need? Being young adult, they're easy books to read which is good thing when the books reach the uppers of 700 pages, and having eye-candy on the screen in the form of Taylor Lautner, why wouldn't you want to watch these movies? I'm sure Stephenie Meyers had no idea what greatness was coming when Edward Cullen and Bella Swan came to her in that dream.
Twilight: The book grabs you the minute you decide if you are Team Edward or Team Jacob. Bella Swan is a nice heroine for young girls because she awkward and out of place. She's enduring to her father and has two men in love with her. Every girl's dream. The movie is my least favorite of them all. It was incredibly drab and boring. Kristen Stewart is a horrible actress and Robert Pattinson wasn't handsome enough for me to be Edward. I only suffered through it once. It tried again, but couldn't get through 10 minutes of it.
New Moon: This is my favorite book and movie. Bella's sadness is very real and jumps off the pages at you. I love how Stephenie expresses her longing in those pages that just has the months on them and nothing else. I thought that was brilliant and I loved how they portrayed it in the movie as well. We also get to see a lot of a shirtless Taylor Lautner in New Moon which is why I've seen this one more than all the rest. I'm definitely Team Edward in the books, but Team Jacob when watching the movies. Kristen Stewarts acting doesn't get any better and neither does her facial expressions. It's like her face is stuck on sullen. Dakota Fanning shows up in the movie as Jane and when she does, you think to yourself, she's perfect!
Eclipse: This one involves a lot more drama and excitement. The movie intertwines Eclipse with a short story by Stephenie Meyer, "The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner". This movie has to be my second favorite one, but the book was just ok to me. I enjoyed the short story more than Eclipse. The book started to feel like, oh I need to write another one because the first two were just so popular. Was it needed? Well, yes to get to an ending in Breaking Dawn, but did I really learn anything or did my opinions change about anyone in this book? Nope. This movie I felt was the closest to the books which is hard to do these days.
Breaking Dawn: I got this book at midnight when it came out. I've never been so eager to read a book ever in my life. Four years and 700+ pages later, I still ask myself was it worth it? I didn't love the book the first time I read it. Probably because I read it so fast and probably missed so much. It also left me feeling a little longing for a battle that never came. Some of us felt it should have ended differently. Maybe the Cullens become the new power coven or something like that. But, there was no fight, and the big bad guys, just turned around a went home. It was extremely disappointing. We didn't really get to see what all those super powers could do except Bella's. A huge let down. And let's not forget the horrible name of the half child/half vampire. Trying to get through the book having to read Renesmee over and over was like listening to sBut maybe the movie would give us what we were missing.
I enjoyed Part 1. I thought they did a good job with it even though I didn't get Bella's thoughts which is part of what makes these books so great. I really wanted to know what she was thinking during the movie; her thoughts on getting married, during the honeymoon, and while pregnant, but I didn't get that. I was satisfied after seeing it and was eager to see how part 2 would end. I left the theater today bewildered. I really didn't know how to express my feelings. As purist, I was upset that they added a huge part to the movie that wasn't in the book. As a fan, it felt like we got what we were missing from the book. I always want them to stay as close to the book as possible and this addition kind of upset me. They fixed it and put a band-aid on, but was it necessary? If you've never read the book then maybe it was. It needed the excitement, but the whole time it was happening I kept thinking this is not how it happened in the book. The audience was happy. Clearly they hadn't read Breaking Dawn. Even with that addition, it was a great ending to great run of movies even though Kristen Stewarts acting or facial expressions never improved.
Stephenie Meyer wrote another book which has a movie coming out called The Host. Of course I've read that too and hope for the movie next year. Then I have the Hunger Games Series to keep me busy, but I don't think I will love another series as much as I do Twilight. I was so invested in Bella, Jacob, and Edward, and now that it's ended the way that it did, I feel satisfied and ready for something new. There always is, but will it be as good? If only I had what Bella and Edward had to figure that out...FOREVER.
Twilight: The book grabs you the minute you decide if you are Team Edward or Team Jacob. Bella Swan is a nice heroine for young girls because she awkward and out of place. She's enduring to her father and has two men in love with her. Every girl's dream. The movie is my least favorite of them all. It was incredibly drab and boring. Kristen Stewart is a horrible actress and Robert Pattinson wasn't handsome enough for me to be Edward. I only suffered through it once. It tried again, but couldn't get through 10 minutes of it.
New Moon: This is my favorite book and movie. Bella's sadness is very real and jumps off the pages at you. I love how Stephenie expresses her longing in those pages that just has the months on them and nothing else. I thought that was brilliant and I loved how they portrayed it in the movie as well. We also get to see a lot of a shirtless Taylor Lautner in New Moon which is why I've seen this one more than all the rest. I'm definitely Team Edward in the books, but Team Jacob when watching the movies. Kristen Stewarts acting doesn't get any better and neither does her facial expressions. It's like her face is stuck on sullen. Dakota Fanning shows up in the movie as Jane and when she does, you think to yourself, she's perfect!
Eclipse: This one involves a lot more drama and excitement. The movie intertwines Eclipse with a short story by Stephenie Meyer, "The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner". This movie has to be my second favorite one, but the book was just ok to me. I enjoyed the short story more than Eclipse. The book started to feel like, oh I need to write another one because the first two were just so popular. Was it needed? Well, yes to get to an ending in Breaking Dawn, but did I really learn anything or did my opinions change about anyone in this book? Nope. This movie I felt was the closest to the books which is hard to do these days.
Breaking Dawn: I got this book at midnight when it came out. I've never been so eager to read a book ever in my life. Four years and 700+ pages later, I still ask myself was it worth it? I didn't love the book the first time I read it. Probably because I read it so fast and probably missed so much. It also left me feeling a little longing for a battle that never came. Some of us felt it should have ended differently. Maybe the Cullens become the new power coven or something like that. But, there was no fight, and the big bad guys, just turned around a went home. It was extremely disappointing. We didn't really get to see what all those super powers could do except Bella's. A huge let down. And let's not forget the horrible name of the half child/half vampire. Trying to get through the book having to read Renesmee over and over was like listening to sBut maybe the movie would give us what we were missing.
I enjoyed Part 1. I thought they did a good job with it even though I didn't get Bella's thoughts which is part of what makes these books so great. I really wanted to know what she was thinking during the movie; her thoughts on getting married, during the honeymoon, and while pregnant, but I didn't get that. I was satisfied after seeing it and was eager to see how part 2 would end. I left the theater today bewildered. I really didn't know how to express my feelings. As purist, I was upset that they added a huge part to the movie that wasn't in the book. As a fan, it felt like we got what we were missing from the book. I always want them to stay as close to the book as possible and this addition kind of upset me. They fixed it and put a band-aid on, but was it necessary? If you've never read the book then maybe it was. It needed the excitement, but the whole time it was happening I kept thinking this is not how it happened in the book. The audience was happy. Clearly they hadn't read Breaking Dawn. Even with that addition, it was a great ending to great run of movies even though Kristen Stewarts acting or facial expressions never improved.
Stephenie Meyer wrote another book which has a movie coming out called The Host. Of course I've read that too and hope for the movie next year. Then I have the Hunger Games Series to keep me busy, but I don't think I will love another series as much as I do Twilight. I was so invested in Bella, Jacob, and Edward, and now that it's ended the way that it did, I feel satisfied and ready for something new. There always is, but will it be as good? If only I had what Bella and Edward had to figure that out...FOREVER.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Skyfall - Something old, new, borrowed, and blue!
Something old: After 50 years of James Bond, you would think they would have run out of ideas for the 23rd film. They kind of have, but they keep going anyway. In Skyfall, James Bond is still a smooth talking, gun toting, martini drinking, ladies man of a spy, but his age and being shot in the shoulder is slowing him down a bit. On top of that, bureaucrats want M (Dame Judith Dench) to retire after she looses very important MI6 information. They believe she too is getting too old to do her job. They both, inevitably, will prove these haters wrong one way or another. You can definitely see the age in the pair, but they prove that while age may slow you down, it also brings wisdom and intelligence that all the computers and youth in the world can't do.
Something blue: A very handsome blue-eyed Daniel Craig is my second favorite Bond, only second to The Great Sean Connery. (I'm very biased due to my extreme love/infatuation for the silver-haired Scotsman. He is 2nd to the top of my "can get" list. He had the #1 spot until I recently fell in love with Idris Elba, but I digress.) Craig has now played 007 three times. I think he gets better with each movie. Someone once said to me that he's too rough as James Bond and that Pierce Brosnan was smoother, but I disagree, sort of. I do agree that he's rougher, but there is still something very smooth about his roughness that works for me. Or, maybe I'm just mesmerized by those lovely blue eyes.
Something borrowed: Because Skyfall is a James Bond movie, I guess the director and writers felt they had to stick to some of the rhetoric that comes with 007. We still get the classic horn-heavy theme music, the cool gadgets, and enticing action that comes with James Bond. They even pulled out one of his old cars with the ejector seat from past Bond movies. I mean, it just wouldn't be the same without those old nuances with the modern day twists.
Something new: Modern day twist is definitely what the movie tried to add, I just don't think it added enough of it. We got a new Q played by a young Ben Wishaw and a new gay or possibly bi-sexual villan played by a wonderful actor, Javier Bardem. There was only one real new gadget which I've seen done better in other films so it wasn't new to me. Bond got a gun that could sense his hand and would only work for him. We also get a new opening song for Skyfall song by Adele with the same name. I actually really like it which is why have included it below. It's the best of all the newness.
I can't say that I loved this movie, but I'd watch it again. I will say that everyone in the theater including me seemed to enjoy it except for the man snoring in the back. And, it's hard for me to compare it to the others since I've only seen about 8 or so of the 23, but if you are a James Bond fan or a Daniel Craig fan, then you should see it, and I think you'll enjoy it too.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Flight - Flying High with Denzel
We've all seen a dark and troubled Denzel Washington a few times. He was so dark and ruthless in Training Day that he received an Oscar for Best Actor, although Glory (Best Supporting Actor Academy Award) and Malcolm X (Nomination for Best Actor Academy Award) are tied for my favorite Denzel movies which both feature him in various forms of darkness. In the movie Flight, drugs and alcohol are his demons.
This is a tragic tale about an alcoholic pilot, Captain Whip Whitaker, (Denzel) who saves 96 out of 102 souls in a plane crash. There was clearly a problem with the plane, but Captain Whip is on the hook due to his blood alcohol level. He meets another troubled soul while in the hospital; a heroin addict named Nicole played by Kelly Reilly. They become co-dependant lovers through this trying time. She however gets help, while he hasn't quite seen the error of his ways yet.
The cast includes three of my favorite actors, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, and of course, DW. Don Cheadle plays the lawyer who has been hired by the Pilots Union to keep Whip out of jail. He's supposed to be a bad-arse lawyer, and although he has great lines, he doesn't deliver them the way I needed him to a la Olivia Pope (Not watching Scandal? Then you need to start ASAP). John Goodman is the captain's bud and drug dealer. His character is hilarious and probably my favorite in the movie.
I was extremely invested in Captain Whip Whitaker's recovery, and whether he was going to go to jail for his crimes or not. I also felt sorry for him, and small part of me was hoping he got away with it. At one point in the movie, I was silently rooting for him to put down the boos and walk away. I won't tell you how it ends, but I did leave feeling satisfied with the outcome. I also was very satisfied to see Denzel looking very yummy in his aviators and captain's uniform, not to mention the bare butt shot of his we get to ogle. Flight isn't going down (no pun intended) as a great DW movie, but it is a must watch if you are a fan. And, if you're not...do those people even exist?
This is a tragic tale about an alcoholic pilot, Captain Whip Whitaker, (Denzel) who saves 96 out of 102 souls in a plane crash. There was clearly a problem with the plane, but Captain Whip is on the hook due to his blood alcohol level. He meets another troubled soul while in the hospital; a heroin addict named Nicole played by Kelly Reilly. They become co-dependant lovers through this trying time. She however gets help, while he hasn't quite seen the error of his ways yet.
The cast includes three of my favorite actors, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, and of course, DW. Don Cheadle plays the lawyer who has been hired by the Pilots Union to keep Whip out of jail. He's supposed to be a bad-arse lawyer, and although he has great lines, he doesn't deliver them the way I needed him to a la Olivia Pope (Not watching Scandal? Then you need to start ASAP). John Goodman is the captain's bud and drug dealer. His character is hilarious and probably my favorite in the movie.
I was extremely invested in Captain Whip Whitaker's recovery, and whether he was going to go to jail for his crimes or not. I also felt sorry for him, and small part of me was hoping he got away with it. At one point in the movie, I was silently rooting for him to put down the boos and walk away. I won't tell you how it ends, but I did leave feeling satisfied with the outcome. I also was very satisfied to see Denzel looking very yummy in his aviators and captain's uniform, not to mention the bare butt shot of his we get to ogle. Flight isn't going down (no pun intended) as a great DW movie, but it is a must watch if you are a fan. And, if you're not...do those people even exist?
Friday, October 26, 2012
Cloud Atlas - A crafty cosmic confusion
Ever watched a movie that 1. you had to get through the entire thing to decide if you liked it... 2. had so many story lines that you need to see it several times to get it all... 3. had you completely confused in the first 10 minutes? Cloud Atlas is that movie for me. This movie has some of the biggest stars of our time, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant. I still haven't decided yet if these stars made the movie or was it just a plain old good movie. I suspect this movie will be nominated for many Academy Awards especially for costumes, make-up, set design, and maybe Best Picture and Best Direction. I wouldn't be too disappointed if Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Doona Bae, and Jim Broadbent weren't nominated for their acting in this movie.
It's really hard to give you a brief synopsis of this movie as there are 6 different stories intertwined in one. The best way to put it is throughout these six stories we see how past, present, and future affects all humankind. Some stories are more intriguing than others even though they all are great. The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish is probably my favorite. It stars Jim Broadbent as a book publisher named Timothy Cavendish who get's into money trouble. He seeks out help from his brother who sends him away unknowingly to a retirement home. Timothy spends the rest of the movie trying to escape with the help of some of his elderly friends in the home who don't want to be there either. This story brings the comedy to such a dramatic movie. But old people, usually are the comic relief in movies.
The most powerful story to me is An Orison of Sonmi-451 staring Doona Bae, a Korean Actress. This story is set in the future in Neo-Seoul, Korea. A new city since old Seoul is underwater due to a flood. Sonmi-451 is a genetically engineered woman who spends her life enslaved by the government to be a waitress and to do whatever the patron ask of her. She escapes slavery with the help of a rogue group who feel she can be a revolutionary. She falls in love with the man who helps her escape, Hae-Joo Chang played by Jim Sturgess, and helps start a revolution after she learns what really happens to the waitresses who earn their "freedom". Again, there are 4 more stories, and they all connect to teach this powerful message that life isn't just about you, but that we all work together in the bigger picture.
I definitely will see this movie again at some point. There was just so much going on that I have to watch it again to see what I missed. There was one story, Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After, that you really have to pay attention because the language is slightly different, so I'm sure I missed some dialogue there. This movie will either move you to joy or you will hate it because of the confusion. I say go see it expecting a lot, but allow yourself to take in the message and you just may enjoy it.
It's really hard to give you a brief synopsis of this movie as there are 6 different stories intertwined in one. The best way to put it is throughout these six stories we see how past, present, and future affects all humankind. Some stories are more intriguing than others even though they all are great. The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish is probably my favorite. It stars Jim Broadbent as a book publisher named Timothy Cavendish who get's into money trouble. He seeks out help from his brother who sends him away unknowingly to a retirement home. Timothy spends the rest of the movie trying to escape with the help of some of his elderly friends in the home who don't want to be there either. This story brings the comedy to such a dramatic movie. But old people, usually are the comic relief in movies.
The most powerful story to me is An Orison of Sonmi-451 staring Doona Bae, a Korean Actress. This story is set in the future in Neo-Seoul, Korea. A new city since old Seoul is underwater due to a flood. Sonmi-451 is a genetically engineered woman who spends her life enslaved by the government to be a waitress and to do whatever the patron ask of her. She escapes slavery with the help of a rogue group who feel she can be a revolutionary. She falls in love with the man who helps her escape, Hae-Joo Chang played by Jim Sturgess, and helps start a revolution after she learns what really happens to the waitresses who earn their "freedom". Again, there are 4 more stories, and they all connect to teach this powerful message that life isn't just about you, but that we all work together in the bigger picture.
I definitely will see this movie again at some point. There was just so much going on that I have to watch it again to see what I missed. There was one story, Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After, that you really have to pay attention because the language is slightly different, so I'm sure I missed some dialogue there. This movie will either move you to joy or you will hate it because of the confusion. I say go see it expecting a lot, but allow yourself to take in the message and you just may enjoy it.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
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