Figured I haven't done one of these in awhile, so why not. Here are some of the new releases I've seen lately.
The Muppets -
(James Bobin, 2011)
It was extremely enjoyable as I was expecting. I didn't get to see it in theaters sadly like I had wanted, but I managed to finally get it from Redbox after looking for like a week. The story was just so bland though, it's really like Disney copied 3/4ths of the movie from The Country Bears, because all they really did was replace the bears with muppets. I know it wasn't exactly the same, but there were some huge similarities between the two. Still, it got it's purpose across and it entertained me. I loved how Bret Kenzie wrote some of the songs, I love his music.
The Hunger Games -
(Gary Ross, 2012)
It was alright, and I haven't read the book so I wasn't really expecting much. I think I'll just stick to Battle Royale which is a lot more entertaining. They took way to long to set up the actual games, then once fighting actually began, there wasn't much fighting at all. It was a really cool concept that was just toned down in order to achieve a PG-13 rating, because from what I've been told, the book is way more graphic than the movie was. I wish I would've waited until all the crowds died down though, because it wasn't worth waiting in line over.
Martha Marcy May Marlene -
(Sean Durkin, 2011)
I had been waiting to see this one and I finally got the chance, I really liked it. The thing is though, it just wasn't exceptional or anything. I've been noticing lately I've been seeing all these great movies, but theres nothing really in them that makes them standout or anything. It was an extremely interesting story that kept me engaged the entire time, but it's not really something I can see myself watching over and over again.
21 Jump Street -
(Phil Lord and Chris Miller, 2012)
I don't see how someone couldn't be entertained while watching this. This is hands down one of the funniest movies I've seen out of the past couple of years, which I wasn't expecting at all. It looked so dumb in the trailer, and I almost didn't see it, but I did and I couldn't stop laughing the entire time. I really want to see it again before it leaves theaters, but I don't know if I'll be able to.
Project X -
(Nima Nourizadeh, 2012)
This movie wasn't funny at all, but instead is probably some of the most fun I'll never have. Seeing this opening night was an experience because everyone in my theater was getting into it, but sadly, I don't think it'll ever happen again which makes it hard to believe I'll ever watch it again. Not to mention that it gets you excited for a party thats near impossible to throw, which leaves you disappointed.
Melancholia - N/A
(Lars von Trier, 2011)
I honestly don't know how to rate this because it didn't feel like a movie to me, it just felt real. People were just acting normal, well at least most of them, and it didn't even feel like there was any acting going on. The first part just flew by in the blink of an eye, but the second part seemed to drag to me. This is weird because most of the events happen in the second half of the film, but I was more dazed into the wedding part of the film. Kristen Dunst gave a stellar performance, with an incredible cast. The cinematography was just beautiful to stare at, I was in awe of the images.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - +
(Tomas Alfredson, 2011)
I was incredibly disappointed by this one, and I had high hopes for it. It just left me confused, by the end of the movie I couldn't tell who the good guys and bad guys were. I almost didn't rate it because I feel I need to give it another viewing before I accurately rate it. For now though, I guess I'll just stick with that rating until I get around to re-watching it.
Take Shelter - +
(Jeff Nichols, 2011)
The surprise hit of last year for me, and I think that's underselling it. Michael Shannon delivered the best performance of last year, and it's really sad that none of the big awards even seemed to give any recognition whatsoever. I don't even know if there's words to describe how great his performance was. The apocalyptic visions were handled so well too, especially for a low budget film. This for me ranks as one of the best of last year and something that's very memorable to me.