One Movie A Day Remix [Archive] - Page 3

TheUsualSuspect

04-30-11, 03:29 AM

Day 230: December 16th, 2010

Hatchet II

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/hatchet2.jpg?t=1304144904

Ruined by Danielle Harris

Hatchet II picks up exactly where the first one left off, literally, to the very frame. Victor Crowley lives and Marybeth escapes. She decides to go back (great choice there) with a bunch of people to find and kill Crowley, once and for all.

Hatchet II felt like Aliens to me. A sequel that has a group of characters go into hell to find and kill any creatures. A bigger sequel with more guns and characters to kill. The comparing to Aliens stops there. Hatchet II is a typical horror sequel, it fails to capitalize on the success of the original and looses any fun the first one had. Hatchet II accomplishes all of this with one key annoying little factor, Danielle Harris.

I had about as much fun with this film as I possibly could. Danielle Harris for some reason tried to ruin all of that for me with her terrible acting and irritating voice that shrieks nonstop. The casting choice here is a failure and they should have waiting for the original actress to be available, or at the very least find someone tolerable. Just because she was in one of the Halloween flicks as a kid, doesn't mean she is right for this role. Adam Green was too excited at the fact that he has 'known' horror actors starring in his film that he forgot to remember, she can't act.

The first film had Freddy, Jason and the Candyman all in one flick. This one has the addition of Danielle Harris, step back in my books. Tony Todd is given a lot more to do here. His first role was a simple cameo, here he becomes a main character, one that kicks ass too. Todd does his best with the material, playing up the absurdity of his character Reverend Zombie. Parry Shen returns here, as the twin brother of Shawn (boat host). Just an excuse to get a fan favourite back for more laughs.

The kills are upped, as expected, and are gorier. If that was even possible. What Hatchet II does right is throw a lot of blood around on the scenes. I had a fun time watching Crowley slice and dice numerous people, but then Danielle Harris would show up again. I can't stress enough, how much she ruins this film.

Hatchet II ends just like the original did, on an abrupt note. Will there be a third one? Who knows, all I know is that if Danielle Harris is in it, I'll pass.

2

TheUsualSuspect

04-30-11, 03:43 AM

Day 231: December 17th, 2010

Exit Through The Gift Shop

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Exit Through The Gift Shop Scores

I didn't know what to expect from this film, it was a documentary about 'street art' which many people view as vandalism graffiti. Many people question the validity of the film, thinking it's more of a mockumentary. In either event, the film is entertaining as hell and worth a watch.

Documentaries have the hard task of being informative and entertaining at the same time. Too much info will bore your audience. Michael Moore is probably the most famous documentary filmmakers, scoring two big hits with Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11. This film centres on a man who decides to follow street artists. He films all of them doing what they do best, saying he is making a movie. He really wasn't. He was just filming because he loves to film.

He hears about this street artist who calls himself Banksy. He's creative and also a bit of a reclusive. No one knows who he is for sure. Somehow Banksy and Thierry become friends and we are now following Banksy. Banksy tells Thierry it's finally time to edit the film and the result of hundreds of hours of footage edited by this man is quite strange. The best way to describe it was to quote Banksy himself. "Uhmmm... You know... it was at that point that I realized that maybe Thierry wasn't actually a film maker, and he was maybe just someone with mental problems who happened to have a camera"

So Banksy took over filmmaking duties, editing a new film, one that followed Thierry and also showcased street art. What we have is the film Exit Through The Gift Shop. Again, a lot of people debate over what is real or not, I don't care. The film is good and should be seen. Check it out.

4

TheUsualSuspect

05-09-11, 03:04 AM

Day 232: December 18th, 2010

Barney's Version

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Another great performance from Giamatti.

Barney is and old and lonely man. A new book is coming out that highlights certain details he wishes to keep secret. He reflects on his life and falling in love on his wedding day...with another woman.

Barney's Version is a Canadian film that feels American. I can't really describe it any other way, it feels like an American film, mostly because it's not a documentary or directed by Paul Gross. That alone gets points in my book, are we as a country finally getting things right in the movie making business? A little late if you ask me.

Aside from the fact that it's Canadian, it's a really well made film. Paul Giamatti gives yet another terrific performance. One to add to an already impressive list. It's a shame the guy has never earned an Oscar. This role could have easily been nominated and I rank it among his best work. He has a lot of help from the supporting cast though. Dustin Hoffman plays his father, again a great role for such a character actor. Rosamund Pike and Minnie Driver are two ladies that Barney marries. Pike is given a bit more to do than Driver, but both are memorable. Scott Speedman, a guy more known for his looks than his acting plays Barney's best friend and has a key role in a bit of drama that circulates Barney's life.

The film is loaded with small cameos from famous Canadians, the aforementioned Paul Gross has a small bit, Atom Egoyan, Mark Camacho, and David Cronenberg. Film fanatics, or Canadians who know their movies will pick up on these things. They might also notice that while the film is Canadian, it never tries to force that fact on us. With most Canadian productions, you must have a certain amount of canadian content. One glance at the film One Week can testify to this. While there are bits and pieces that are definitely Canadian, it never feels forced. This is mostly why the film feels American at times.

Barney's Version is a great film that details the life of one troubled man who has everything and loses it. It's depressing at times and it hit home with a few topics that most people can relate to, alzheimer's. The film feels accomplished. It's well written and directed, as I mentioned earlier the acting is superb. I can easily recommend this to anyone looking for a film with a great story and great performances.

4

TheUsualSuspect

05-09-11, 03:07 AM

For those keeping track, I did it. I finished all my movie watching. Now it's time to do massive catch-up with the posting.

Sexy Celebrity

05-09-11, 03:12 AM

I love Paul Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman, so I will be seeing it.

Sexy Celebrity

05-09-11, 03:17 AM

Hatchet II

Ugh... I despised the first movie. There was all this talk about Hatchet being one of the best horror movies to have come out since the 1980's and that it would go down in history... I thought it was the dumbest piece of **** I had ever seen. I literally was torn up over spending $10 on the DVD to see it. Death to the Hatchet series! Danielle Harris -- I actually like her. But a shame that she did this movie.

TheUsualSuspect

05-09-11, 03:20 AM

Day 233: December 19th, 2010

Moon

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/moon-poster-2.jpg?t=1304921776

Well made Science Fiction film.

I've been trying to see this little film for awhile now. Now that I've actually seen it I can say that it did not disappoint. The one problem going into it though, I already knew the "surprise" that was in it. Although I can say that I was surprised it came at the end of act 1.

Moon has many themes playing around. Long distance relationship, big business corporations taking advantage of the little guy, discovery about one's self, etc. Moon was able to jam pack so many things in a little run time and it never felt like it dragged on. In fact I was surprised that it was near the end of the film, it feels incredibly short because of how involved I was with such a minimalist story.

Rockwell does a tremendous job in dual roles. He plays the one part in a cocky, self assurance way, while the second feels more characterized and on edge. Two varied performances from one person in one film. He carries the entire film on his back and he did a great job. It's hard not to compare GERTY to Hal, they share so many similar things, yet they effectively made it different enough to be slightly original. The machine is voiced by Kevin Spacey, it a warm, yet still cold and machine like calmness.

The use of both miniatures and CGI was a wise choice. You can notice that they are miniatures, but it works for this type of film because that it what they drew their inspiration from. Films in the sci/fi genre that used miniatures, and it works well here. The film bridges both old school and modern ways of filmmaking.

Duncan Jones is a filmmaker to look out for, I expect great things in his career and look forward to his third film.

4

Sexy Celebrity

05-09-11, 03:27 AM

Well, do see Source Code - if you haven't already - it's directed by Duncan Jones. I didn't like Moon. It might deserve a second viewing. I totally lost interest in it after awhile.

TheUsualSuspect

05-09-11, 03:28 AM

I did see Source Code, I thought we had a little discussion about it in your review thread?

Sexy Celebrity

05-09-11, 03:30 AM

Oh, sorry! I forgot. I remember it now.

TheUsualSuspect

05-09-11, 03:31 AM

........no you don't.
:p

Sexy Celebrity

05-09-11, 03:33 AM

I went back and looked. I did remember you not liking the ending. Actually, I believe we talked more about it in the actual Source Code thread.

Well, I guess we go for different sides of the Duncan Jones coin. You picked Moon, I picked Source Code.

blupunk

05-12-11, 10:19 PM

TSK tsk.. thanks I got some and added at my movie list.. :cool:

LuDiNaToR

05-13-11, 06:45 AM

still going well i see suspect good job. :D

TheUsualSuspect

05-25-11, 02:31 AM

One I get back from Saskatchewan (Sunday night) I will get back to this and finish off December, then go on a non-stop spree of reviews until it's finished.

TheUsualSuspect

06-07-11, 04:20 AM

Day 234: December 20th, 2010

Choke

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/choke.jpg?t=1307431199

Unfortunately there is no giant head that chokes on strippers in this movie.

Much like The Road, Choke got the unfair comparison to the writer's previous book turned film. The Road had to face comparison to No Country For Old Men and Choke had to sit in the shadows of Fight Club. It's not fair to judge the two so I won't.

Now, this film isn't as good as Fight Club...oops, I mean. This film is decent. It has a weird story to tell and it manages to do so in a creative and sexually deviant way. The film is full of problems that are distracting, but there is overall enjoyment to be had.

In order to help pay for the bills that keep his mother in a hospital, a sex addicted med school drop out fakes choking in restaurants to get the pity and help from rich people. The rich person feels better about themselves for saving a life and send some dough to Victor (Rockwell) who plays up the helpless victim.

The choking aspect of the film is second fiddle to the sex crazed antics that Rockwell does. I haven't tried anal beads, but apparently if you get one stuck you'll have some issues. I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the film, other than for it's sex scenes.

Flashbacks that detail his childhood with his strange and overbearing mother are hit and miss. Most of the time they are distracting and upset the flow of the film. We get hit over the head multiple times that she ruined his childhood. Rockwell gives a great performances, as usual.

It's no Fight Club.

3

TheUsualSuspect

06-07-11, 04:23 AM

Day 235: December 21st, 2010

Black Swan

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Black Swan is great to watch with the kids.

Aronofsky is a visceral director, most of his films are polarizing, Black Swan is no exception. Here, he takes the beautiful and artistic art of being a ballerina, which seems so innocent, and turns it into a sick and twisted mind melt of a film. Black Swan grabs you, shakes you and leaves you wanting more. The film is far from perfect, but it shows that Aronofsky is certainly a master of his craft.

After winning the role of the lead in a production of Swan Lake, Nina becomes obsessed with trying to be perfect for a demanding instructor, her overbearing mother and even herself. Her world is thrown upside down when she thinks that the new girl is vying for her spot, yet not everything is black and white.

Portman plays Nina, a girl who was thrust into his life by her mother, who gave it up to raise her. Her constant obsession with being perfect leads to her ultimate undoing. She tries so hard to please her mother, her instructor and herself that she starts to loose her mind. Her life begins to mirror the story in the production. I say the word mirror because Aronofsky uses this object in almost every scene he can. He shows the duality of the character, she plays both the white swan and the black swan. The creativity of the mirrors is quite something, I don't know if it's true, but it feels like there is a mirror in every scene of the film. As if it's another character, Nina's self reflection trying to break into this life.

Mila Kunis is the new girl who is both beautiful and talented. So of course she becomes Portman's alternate. Her eyes are hypnotic and she plays the role of the bad girl with an attitude. The polar opposite to the uptight and proper Portman. Yet the obsession and paranoia eats away at Portman enough to lead her to some dark places.

Nina becomes so entranced with the story and her performance that she can no longer tell the difference between her hallucinations and reality, even when she plucks a feather from her back and stares at it with her beady red eyes. That's a haunting image. Nina's obsession mirror's Aronofsky's own obsession to the art and the process of filmmaking. Every shot, every colour, every beat is mapped out in his mind and I believe he captured every moment on film. The cinematography in the film is fluid and beautiful, yet visceral when needed to be. There are moments that will get under your skin. I can watch a person being mutilated to no end in Saw, yet the little things that happen in Black Swan are enough to make you cringe. Remember, it's the little things that count.

I praise Aronofsky for taking a different approach to each film. The run and gun style of the Wrestler is far from the picturesque beauty of The Fountain. Black Swan lands somewhere in the middle. The film begins and ends with a beautiful dance number. The last performance in the film is quite beautiful to be honest. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next, she was possessed and I loved it.

Portman shines in a role that should earn her an Oscar nomination and the film manages to be one of the best of the year. The supporting cast was marvelous, Vincent Cassel is seductive and menacing. Mila Kunis, as stated before is a great counter weight to Portman and Barbara Hershey as Nina's mother feels like icing on the cake. Her relationship to her daughter rivals Carrie at times. I was engrossed with Nina and her deterioration from start to finish. When she told the story of Swan Lake to this guy in a bar, I knew how the film would end. The film takes some time to get to where it wants to go, so the pace is one concern I have with it, yet there is enough of a pay off in the end.

Black Swan is a film that stays with you, whether you enjoyed it or not. Aronofsky doesn't apologize for his films, he makes them the way he wants to and I applaud him for it.

4

Deadite

06-07-11, 05:19 AM

I've heard so much good about Portman in it. I've gotta check it out soon!

TheUsualSuspect

06-11-11, 04:12 PM

Day 236: December 22nd, 2010

An American Crime

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/an-american-crime.jpg?t=1307819507

I wouldn't have taken that.

I watched this based on the recommendation of a co-worker, who said it was difficult to watch and horrible to think about. An American Crime is about the first reported case of child abuse and still to this day remains as one of the most horribly cases about child abuse.

It's one thing to watch a movie about someone beating up a kid, it's another to have that movie be based on true facts. An American Crime is not only based on true facts, it doesn't even show you all the atrocities that happened. Take that as a pro or con, but An American Crime, as decides to play it a little safe and downplay a lot of what happened to this poor little girl. That's not to say that the film still isn't hard to watch, it is.

To give you a little bit more story here, Ellen Page plays the lead girl, Sylvia Likens and Catherine Keener plays the abusive adult, Gertrude Baniszewski. Likens and her sister are given to Gertrude to watch while their parents go on a carnival tour to make some money. The parents don't know Gertrude, they only met her through church. It seem that Gertrude takes a lot of her frustration with life (being poor, loser boyfriend, lots of kids, health/mental issues) out on Sylvia. There is one moment in the film where I thought that it took artistic liberties and played it up, but upon some research discovered that everything was true.

The neighbourhood kids and Gertrudes own children go to see Sylvia, who has been locked up in the basement by this time. They decide to put cigarettes out on her, hose her down in water, humiliate her and physically beat the crap out of her. Why? Because their mother said it was okay and the other kids I guess succumbed to peer pressure. Sylvia is at her all time low when Gertrude then decides to carve the words "I'm a prostitute and proud of it" in her stomach. Terrible indeed.

The performances are great, Keener gives a subtle performance for such a horrible character. I felt sorry for her at times, don't know if I should have. Maybe if the character was played by Beth Grant I would feel different, because she usually plays characters that get under my skin. Page literally starved herself to go through similar situations like Sylvia. Not her best performance, as most of the time she's just sitting there taking abuse, but worthy enough.

The film goes back and forth between the court case and testimonies of people, to the events that eventually lead to Sylvia's death. I did not know about the case beforehand and figured that she had died from the way they were presenting the film. Then we are given a scene in which she escapes and makes it home safe and sound, only to discover that it's some kind of out of body experience and her real lifeless body lies on the kitchen floor.

I'd recommend this film to those who want to learn about the case, as reading about it might be too difficult.

3.5

TheUsualSuspect

06-11-11, 04:29 PM

Day 237: December 23rd, 2010

Rabbit Hole

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And so this is just the sad version of us...

Rabbit Hole is a mature film. It's hard to describe what that means, but that's how I felt when I was watching it. Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman are a grieving couple. Their son was killed, hit by a car. What makes this film different is that we are introduced to these two after that has happened. Their son was killed several months ago and the film is about these two character trying their best to move on.

Kidman gives one of her best performances in years. The hardest thing I believe a parent has to do is outlive their child. Kidman gives a multi-layered performance that is both restrained and lavish in detail. She is trying her best to move on with her life, she wants to move away, start over. Her husband, Eckhart, doesn't want that. He watches a video of his son on his phone almost every night. He goes to support groups to deal with the pain. He gets angry when Kidman takes down their child's drawings from the fridge. He thinks she is trying to erase his memory.

The film is rich with great performances from the smaller supporting characters as well. Dianne Wiest is Kidman's mother who also lost a child. She tries to be a helping hand, but Kidman won't let her. Real family with real problems, nothing here is Hollywood coated. John Cameron Mitchell's third feature, his two previous efforts were independent films. The rock opera Hedwig and the Angry Inch and the sexual explorative Short Bus. Both I thought were good films. Mitchell seems like a focused director who wants to explore topics that no one wants to touch. I admire that.

There is a small subplot involving a teenager that some might not like that much. I found that it was just an outlet for one character while an obstacle for the other. Rabbit Hole is a tad slow, but the performances are enough to keep you engaged. Ebert said in his review that he knew what the move was going to be about, but he was impressed with how it was told. I feel the same way.

4

TheUsualSuspect

06-11-11, 04:31 PM

Day 238: December 24th, 2010

The Fighter

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/fighter.jpg?t=1293172707

I'll see you in Mickey's corner.

The story of Micky "Irish" Ward and his boxing career with his crack addicted brother at his side. Apparently Marky Mark was so hell bent on getting this film made that he stayed in "shape" for years and years just incase the film went into production. That's dedication and passion for you, yet the man still manages to be the weak link.

It's not really his fault, David O. Russell packed the film with a lot of talent. Christian Bale plays Dicky Ecklund, Micky's crack addicted brother who tells the same story over and over again, about him knocking out Sugar Ray Leonard. It's his claim to fame. There is a film crew following him around, he thinks it's going to be about his comeback, yet it's really about the harsh realities of crack addiction. Bale, again, submerses himself in the role. He is pure method. You can not like him as a person, or even an actor, but you can't deny his passion for the art. He is on the thin side again, with thin balding hair and brown teeth. He looks deathly ill in every scene. The man has one of his finest roles to date and will no doubt be nominated come award season. I hope he actually takes home the award. He is without a doubt, the most interesting character in the film.

Their mother is played by Melissa Leo, another performance worthy of recognition come award season. Her desire to see her kids rise to fame blind her from the truth. She denies the drugs and the failures and believes she knows what's best for her kids. This means not letting them get a real chance because it would be with a real manager and she would be left behind. Family is important to her and she wants to keep everyone very close, even if it harms their chance at making a name for themselves. She of course, doesn't realize this. Amy Adams is the love interest, you know there had to be one. She manages to pull Micky away from the family that is dragging him down. They don't like her for it. She has her own inspirations too, yet the story isn't interested in them. The main focus of the film is with Micky's bumpy road to the championship fight. Since this is based on a true story, I can't really fault it for becoming a bit formulaic and predictable, yet it is.

David O. Russell is notorious for getting angry and violent with his crew/cast. He was in a physical fight with George Clooney on the set of Three Kings and anyone can go on youtube and check out the melt down he and Lily Tomlin had on the set of I Heart Huckabees. Both films coincidentally star Mark Walhberg, so it seems he doesn't have a problem working with the combative director. I can't deny that the man has talent. I really love Three Kings and found I Heart Huckabees to be an ambitious project for the sheer weirdness of it all. With The Fighter, he plays to a more conventional audience. In terms of boxing films, it works. It plays on the down and out character, the poverty of his life and the sheer determination he has to make a name for himself. It's no Rocky, or as others have mentioned Raging Bull, but it is good enough to be mentioned with them.

Russell always has an eye for a creative shot. Check out Three Kings colour scheme for what I mean. Here he uses tv cameras for the boxing matches. Interesting move, it feels like we are watching it at home and are not really in the ring with them. I admire directors who think outside of the box. Russell does this, no problem. He also decides to include real footage of the characters. The film has some home video segments throughout and during the credits we get to meet the real Micky Ward and Dicky Eckland, which is even more reason to appreciate Bale's performance.

The film trips a bit because of the lack of emotion from Walhberg. I dig the guy and enjoy his films, but his range isn't there yet. When given a role that he can play the absurdity of, he scores. Watch The Departed for that. For a film where the audience needs to get behind a character, to root and cheer for them to overcome their obstacles, he falls a little short. Thank goodness the film makes up for this with the performances from Bale and Leo.

The Fighter features great music, engaging performances and a predictable, yet true story. I felt attached to the characters and hoping they would make smart decisions. If a film can get me to care about the characters, I say bravo.

The Fighter is a winner in my books.

4

TheUsualSuspect

06-11-11, 04:43 PM

Day 239: December 25th, 2010

Home Alone

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/HomeAlone.jpg?t=1307821358

This is my house, I have to defend it.

A classic for me, I watched this a lot when I was a kid. Although, I never imagined myself as Kevin at any point I don't think. Kevin is left home alone when his parents go on vacation. At the same time two bandits try to break in and steal some goods. It's up to Kevin to protect his home from these intruders.

I never really liked the film because of Macaulay Culkin, for me it was always the hilarity of the two antagonists. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are hilarious in this movie and watching them get their ass handed to them by these elaborate traps is always a treat. Despite the fact that most of these traps would kill man, I still found them to be funny and entertaining. I always had a soft spot for Stern's Marv, he seemed like the one he was always picked on by the angry Harry.

Pesci kept forgetting that this was a family film and would use the f-word numerous times. Columbus finally got him to say 'fridge' instead of the f-word, which is why he says it so many damn times.

This is a classic holiday film that kids will enjoy. It will empower them. The film went on to have a few ill-advised sequels, but the first still remains to be an enjoyment today.

3.5

nebbit

06-13-11, 06:20 AM

Great reviews Sussy :yup: Thanks :)

Brodinski

06-13-11, 07:40 AM

JayDee

06-13-11, 03:51 PM

Oh I love Home Alone!!! My favourite ever Christmas film. I like the first sequel as well.

TheUsualSuspect

06-13-11, 08:34 PM

Day 240: December 26th, 2010

Whip It

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/Whip-It-Poster.jpg?t=1308008044

Whip it real good.

A good effort from Drew Barrymore in her first directorial job. Ellen Page is Bliss Cavendar, a rebel yell type of teen who is forced into the world of beauty pageants from her overbearing mother, played by Marcia Gay Harden. When she sees the roller derby rolls into town she decides to go see them and instantly falls in love with it.

The issue of following your dreams versus what you parents want for you is nothing new to the movie world, so the only thing you have to concern yourself with is the entertainment value of Whip It. Well, there is plenty of it. The film is definitely 'girl power', as Barrymore loves to empower women. The roller derby gals are played by Barrymore herself, Kristen Wig, Zoe Bell, rapper Eve and on the opposite team the recognizable face is Juliette Lewis.

Lewis is the poor excuse for an antagonist. She threatens to reveal to the league Page's real age. You have to be 18 in order to compete, she is younger. Yet the Lewis character still comes off as a friend to everyone. The love/hate relationship is extremely odd. Marcia Gay Harden plays like the villain more here, even though she is just misunderstood.

There is a subplot involving a boyfriend who plays in a band and must leave town on tour. The ramifications of what happens on tour is mentioned, but never really explored. Maybe left on the cutting room floor? The roller derby sequences are fun to watch, but you never get the intense feeling you should get when watching sport films. Maybe the game isn't fast enough, or the rules aren't well known but it comes off as slow and redundant.

Whip It is fun entertainment, everyone seems like they are having a good time, even the third Wilson brother. The whole time I thought he sounded like Owen Wilson, then the credits pop up and I find out it's the lesser known third brother. Had a chuckle.

3

TheUsualSuspect

06-13-11, 08:39 PM

Day 240: December 26th, 2010

Daydream Nation

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Too much going on for this type of movie.

A rebellious teenager is moved out of the big city to a small town, which she hates. The only person she seems to connect with and like is her teacher. She seduces him and they have a fling. Things get complicated when a young man at her school takes a liking to her and she doesn't realize that she also likes him.

That's the best way to describe this confused film. Daydream Nation has elements that work, but it seems that too much was thrown together for it to feel like a completed and strong narrative. I found that the big city to small town element wasn't raised enough here. It's the catalyst that makes her do the things she does, but it never fees as big an issue as it should. Daydream Nation has many of these things that should be more prominent.

There are a lot of subplots that try to bring more depth to the town and the story. There is something about a serial killer roaming the streets killing young girls as well as some chemical fire that has people wearing masks. These are odd little things that ultimately have no baring on the bigger picture. It would be nice if handled properly, but it feels more like a distraction.

Kat Dennings plays the confused slutty girl. She puts on a face that she is powerful and in control of things, but behind the scenes she is a scared little girl. When another classmate calls her a slut, she laughs it off and then goes on to belittle the other girl. Showing us that those words have no power over her, then once she is alone, she cries in the bathroom stall. She's human, confused and needs guidance, but she won't admit it.

Josh Lucas plays the teacher who is exactly like Denning's character. He gives a calm and intelligent manner on the surface, but underneath he is needy and a coward. The slow reveal of this character is great and Lucas really plays the oddity of this weirdo well. Reece Thompson plays Thurston, the young boy that likes Denning's character. He is a pothead who saw the death of one of his friends, so he's not all there. Another character that is scared and doesn't know where to go with his life. The difference is that he doesn't hide behind a confident demeanor.

One of the quotes for this movie compares it to Juno and Donnie Darko, as if David Lynch were to direct it. Well, it's not that weird. There are mentions of the end of the world, which did remind me of Donnie Darko, but that's about as far as it goes. I had a Dazed & Confused vibe from it, minus the decade/coolness/party vibe that Dazed and Confused has. Daydream Nation is a film that has too many things going on, it confuses itself as to what story it wants to tell.

2.5

Skepsis93

06-18-11, 08:04 PM

I'd recommend this film to those who want to learn about the case, as reading about it might be too difficult.

If anything, I think AAC's primary success is that it makes you want to find out more about the case. It affected me pretty deeply, that film, but I felt compelled to go read more about it, knowing that what was shown wasn't the complete story. It didn't need to be.

TheUsualSuspect

06-25-11, 01:45 AM

Day 241: December 27th, 2010

The Tourist

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/tourist.jpg?t=1308977133

Jolie looks pretty.

Lazy acting and an ending that tries to re-capture the same fire the writer had with something far better earlier in his career, The Tourist is something that everyone can skip.

The film isn't exactly thrilling, it has a few chase sequences that are very tepid. Jolie does nothing but wear extravagant dresses and Depp plays a bumbling fool that gets caught up in something bigger than him. The story apparently calls for some beautiful set pieces, we get to travel to Venice.

The film has been described as "Old Hollywood", in a way I can see that. It does have a very "actor" and "actress" feel to it, meaning the people involved aren't trying to tell a story, but simply make a movie. Jolie and Depp doesn't really ignite flames with their chemistry and one will always find plot holes when it involves a twist.

Give the Tourist a miss.

2

TheUsualSuspect

06-25-11, 01:55 AM

Day 242: December 28th, 2010

The Quality of Mercy

http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/images/newsletters/QUALITYOFMERCY.jpg

Have mercy on me please.

Stephen Marro’s The Quality Of Mercy is a short that relies heavily on the talent on the screen, rather than it’s screenplay or direction.

The short starts off with a man walking into a coffee shop who meets up with a young woman, they start talking and we find out that he is a critic and she is a young actress. They hit it off at first, but then things turn for the worse when the critic finds out that he panned her performance and the play she was in. His carelessness of words to her in his review has led up to this very event in which she has been waiting for, for over a year.

The story itself sounds interesting and if it had played out right it could have been really good, but the script falls short, mainly in the dialogue, which comes off as cheesy and forced. When the critic is crying for help in the final scene in which he is dying, I found it hard to believe that no one would help him, even if he was an ass to people. The way the script played out made it seems obvious that she was up to no good, which takes away from any surprise they were going for. The composition of some of the shots took me out of the short as well, one moment they are close and the next they are further apart. This is a continuity error that should have been corrected, with either another take or more in depth editing.

The lighting in some scenes, specifically on the lead actress wasn’t flattering at all and ended up being a distraction as was the opening scene with the sound effect off screen of the guy crashing into a car, none of this seemed to fit into this short. It was Mary-Louise Parker that got me into it and brought it up a level in terms of quality. Her performance was the best thing in this other wise lackluster short. I can’t say the same for Jon Avner, who played it slightly over the top and with a Sean Connery accent.

Even though her performance is good, it’s not enough to overcome the other obstacles in the way.

1.5

TheUsualSuspect

06-25-11, 02:03 AM

Day 243: December 29th, 2010

American Beauty

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/americanbeauty.png?t=1308977975

Did those who didn't like it not look close enough?

Sam Mendes’ American Beauty tells the story of Lester Burnham who is experiencing a mid life crisis until one day he decides to turn his life around, which turns everyone else’s life upside down.

Sam Mendes’ feature debut pays close attention to detail, mainly colour. Throughout the Lester’s house the main colour is gray. The gray represents the family and how they are detached from one another. Everything is washed out with one main strong colour being present throughout the entire film, that colour is red. At the dinner table, we see red flowers, at the gym; red flowers fly out of the young girl’s jacket and at the end the red blood from Lester.

Many shots of Lester are from above, he feels low about himself. It’s not until he makes a connection with his daughters friend does he begin to level himself off. He makes this connection through the eyes and the girl becomes the centre of his attention. It’s no longer his daughter he is there for, as indicated by the spotlight on the other young girl.

The scene that flies overhead the suburbs, white picket fences, green grasses, people don’t have much to fear about. This is only the surface. The film constantly tells us to “look closer”, as we do, we see that something is amiss. There are many ugly things hidden beneath all that is beautiful. American Beauty can be viewed as Death Of A Salesman for the nineties, both films deal with a family with darker undertones.

It's a shame that many people seem to hate it now, I still find it to be greatly entertaining and a solid effort from all involved.

3.5

TheUsualSuspect

06-25-11, 02:10 AM

Day 244: December 30th, 2010

Amelie

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/amelie.png?t=1308978371

Beautiful and charming.

Amelie is a foreign film from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and it revolves around a young woman, Amelie, and the lives she changes.

I chose to watch one of my favourite films on this day because it was my birthday. Why waste the day on a film I might not like. I made the wise choice and went with something I knew I would enjoy.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet chose to bring life to the film with colours, masterful camerawork and special effects. Special effects? Yup. There are three main colours in this film, and they also appear on the cover of the poster. They are green, red and yellow. The film uses these colours to its advantage and the results are beautiful. Jean-Pierre Jeunet also chose to insert little objects that contrast the three main colours in the film, for example in one scene the audience sees a blue lamp in the background. So it immediately catches your eye.

The camera movement in this film is wonderful. One scene in particular comes to mind, the waterfall when the main character skips a stone. The movement is fluid and engages the audience. Every shot in this film means something, nothing is “filler”. There are moments in the film that don’t even need movement, the actions on the screen speak for themselves and there is no need for movement.

The special effects are subtle and serve the beauty of the film. If it were overdone it would be too distracting. Everything about the film is beautifully done and shows how much preparation was put into the pre-production, for the smallest little details. If you have the change, watch some behind the scenes features, it shows you how meticulous of a director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is. A definite recommend on my end.

5

TheUsualSuspect

06-25-11, 02:16 AM

Day 245: December 31st, 2010

Bullet in the Brain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlrA-0t34p4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adogoaOncSw&feature=related

Another short film?

David Von Ancken’s short film Bullet In The Brain, plays out like a novel on the screen. An outspoken writing teacher lets his criticism extend from the classroom into the outside world, which eventually leads to his death in a bank robbery.

The film starts by giving us a negative view of the main character, who has an unkempt beard and is unpleasant to be around, yet by the end of the short we feel a connection to him through the narration of a moment in his life. The narration is written in a literary style, which fits exactly with the character and the story.

The bank robbery is set up as a cliché and the bank robbers follow suit. The actions and dialogue the characters say in this situation are predictable and Anders, the lead character, points this out. This action is what eventually leads to his death, in which we are taken on a ride through his history. We are told so much about this character in this small amount of time.

The film sets up the narration of his life as something that would be conventional, but then they turn it around and give the audience something unique to watch. Instead of showing the audience the character’s life flashing before his eyes, as so many other films do, it gives us one particular moment in his life and decides to emphasize it. This is a unique way to show more information about one character and it is done in one scene; many films can’t do this with multiple scenes.

I really enjoyed this short because it was well written and directed. The director knew exactly how to adapt the short story to the screen. The actors also fit their roles very nice and not once did I think I was watching a short film.

4

mark f

06-25-11, 02:30 AM

Amelie is excellent, but as Harry Lime knows, it's in a "foreign" language, so there's no way I can give it 5/5. :cool:

Sexy Celebrity

06-25-11, 03:02 AM

I saw Amelie once years ago. I remember liking it. But I did not see what was so great about it that people went crazy for her. I suspect it's because I'm gay and I just can't find that woman all that sweet and cute.

Godoggo

06-25-11, 03:47 AM

Agree with you on both Amelie and American Beauty. Both excellent films. :up:

nebbit

06-25-11, 06:56 AM

The Tourist
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/tourist.jpg?t=1308977133
Give the Tourist a miss.
2
Unfortunately I just finished watching it :( should have read this review first :yup:

Sexy Celebrity

06-25-11, 11:28 AM

Is it Johnny Depp's fault? Judging by his IMDB page, most of the stuff he's done in the past ten years are Tim Burton films and the Pirates of the Caribbean films. That cannot be good for a serious actor's brain, personality and talent.

honeykid

06-25-11, 03:42 PM

As I've said before, along with Drew, Johnny Depp was the only actor who's films I constantly kept an eye out for. However, for the last 7 or 8 years that's not been the case.

As for watching The Tourist, does no one listen when I tell them how bad a film looks? Don't answer that. :D

TheUsualSuspect

07-24-11, 02:52 AM

Day 246: January 1st, 2011

How Do You Know

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/how_do_you_know_poster-535x792.jpg?t=1311486744

How do you know this movie sucks?

Easy, it's not funny, it's not romantic and it cost a boat load of money just to get recognizable stars in show up, neglecting this little important thing called a script. How Do You Know manages to be dull, boring and unimportant all at once. Bravo team, not only did you make a box office bomb, but a failure of a film as well.

Jack Nicholson, looking for a pay check has a small role as Paul Rudd's father. He tries his best to get Rudd out of some legal problems that he may or may not of had a hand in. Reese Witherspoon is a softball player who gets cut from the team, she cries about it and hooks up with baseball player and all around rich guy, Owen Wilson. They aren't right for each other, but they don't know that. You know who's right for her? The down on his luck guy, Paul Rudd.

How Do You Know manages to go beat for beat what one would expect and never throws any curveballs. It not only tries to be formulaic, but it tries to be boringly formulaic. Witherspoon, as adorable as she is, does nothing for this thankless role and she has no chemistry with her on screen male partners. Either of them.

What makes the whole thing sting even more is that James L. Brooks is behind the lens. You can skip this so called rom com, because it's missing both of those key ingredients.

1

TheUsualSuspect

07-24-11, 03:00 AM

Day 247: January 2nd, 2011

Somewhere

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/somewhere_poster_sofia_coppola.jpg?t=1311487387

Lost in Translation Lite

Johnny Marco is a famous actor, has tons of cash to spend on parties and strippers and gets an unexpected visit from his daughter. The time he spends with her gives him the chance to re-evaluate his life.

I was really excited about Somewhere. I don't know what it was about the film that attracted me to it, but I had high hopes. The trailer really pulled him, it was well edited and had great musical choices. Sofia Coppola directed Lost In Translation, one of my favourite films from 2003. This time she has the vastly underrated Stephen Dorff as the lead and the little sister to Dakota, Elle Fanning.

Somewhere is slow, has long silent scenes and feels like it has no direction at times. The film has no plot, there is a story, but no plot. A lot of people will be put off, wondering what is the point of this film. Where does it all go? Why am I going to spend an hour and a half of my life watching a movie that doesn't seem to go anywhere. Coppola, who also wrote the film, wanted to depict a moment in a person's life, instead of a story with heavy plot points. I must stress that this film will bore a good chunk of people expecting to see something else. The film opens with a Ferrari driving around the some round track multiple times. We sit there and watch it, a static camera. This single shot sets up the rest of the film, both in terms of character and the pace of the film.

As mentioned before, the film has a lot of scenes where there are static shots, with no dialogue. These scenes might feel like they elongate the film. Those in favour of Coppola's directorial style will recognize this from the start. The film is very minimal, in everything it does. There is a segment of the film that feels straight out of Lost In Translation. Movie star in a foreign land only has one female companion he can connect to. Except this time it's Italy, instead of Tokyo.

Dorff is great here, the part doesn't really ask for much, but he can convey many different things with his face alone. Watching his daughter ice skate brings him joy, he asks her how did she learn to ice skate, her response is that she's been doing it for years. He is easily defeated, his relationship with his daughter isn't the best. He hasn't always been there for her, could this have been what lead to his failed marriage? Who are never told, again, this is only a glimpse in a moment in this character's life.

This film will divide the viewers. Some will like it, others will hate it. I, ironically am in the middle. Only because I really wanted to love it and I walked away only content with the film. I loved the relaxed and restrained performances and thought some of the camera work was great, but the film is really slow. If it were a different actor in the role, I doubt I would have enjoyed it. Somewhere is a character driven piece that falls a bit short in some places, it felt like Lost In Translatin Lite.

3

TheUsualSuspect

07-24-11, 03:22 AM

Day 248: January 3rd, 2011

Burning Palms

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/burning_palms_poster-535x792.jpg?t=1311488538

5 stories that will mess you up for life...

...was the tagline for this flick, so it caught my interest. Burning Palms is a film that tries to push boundaries and would only upset tight conservative folks. It seems to try too hard and comes off a bit juvenile. There are 5 stories, they act as their own stories and do not interconnect with one another as some ads might say. They are told from a comic book, a tales from the crypt style thing in which they are sick stories being told, minus the creepy crypt keeper.

The first deals with a couple who are getting married. The husband to be is seeing his daughter for a week, she is flying down from wherever she was. Innocent enough, until you find out that the relationship between the two is a little too close for comfort. They openly talk about sex, sunbath nude and dance erotically. The soon to be wife is taken back and tries to get the the bottom of the "relationship".

The second deals with a couple in college or university. He loves big boobs, she has small ones/ During sex, the man asks the girlfriend to stick her finger in his anus. She does so because she doesn't want to lose him to a bigger chested woman. After the act, she gets it stuck in her mind that her finger smells like poo, so she scrubs and scrubs until she finally decides to cut the finger off.

The third story has two gay men adopting a black child from the black market. She seems to be straight out of Africa because she doesn't say a single word to anyone, yet grabs a spear and throws it at an animal and growls. Thinking they are over their heads with a child, they leave her alone in the woods and get a dog instead.

The fourth story is the least exciting one. Three young and spoiled boys hold a "Court TV" bit in their house when a valuable item from the housemaid goes missing. We discover a dark secret from the housemaids past that turns things upside down in the house. Their stoner babysitter laughs at the sticky situation.

The final and last segment actually happens to be my favourite, and the one redeeming factor in this film. The story opens with the Rape of Sarah. After the rapist flees, she finds his wallet under her couch and decides to track him down. When she does, he soon finds out she has some sick and disturbing plans of her own.

The final segment with have one thinking of a rape revenge bit, but that's where the story wants you to go and the direction it takes itself is something I applaud. I was surprisingly taken back at the last one and it had the best performance. It helps that the two leads were Zoe Saldana and Nick Stahl.

Overall, a lackluster film that wants to be more 'dirty' than it actually is. Who knows, maybe I'm one demoralized sicko and this film actually is twisted. But if you've seen half the films I have, you'll find this pretty tame and immature.

2

nebbit

07-24-11, 03:30 AM

Day 246: January 1st, 2011

How Do You Know
You can skip this so called rom com, because it's missing both of those key ingredients.

1
Thanks will give it a miss :yup:

Nice review of Somwhere :yup: I am also in the middle :)

honeykid

07-24-11, 04:24 AM

How do you know this movie sucks?

I dunno. The cast? More than enough to let me know.

Somewhere sounded like a pretentious mess, full of 'life messages' that (surely) no one needs to be told. Another film I passed on the moment I heard about it.

TheUsualSuspect

07-25-11, 02:07 AM

Day 249: January 4th, 2011

Eclipse

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/eclipse-poster_293x435.jpg?t=1311570406

The best Twilight in the series.

That's not saying much though, cause the film still lacks a lot of qualities that would deem a film enjoyable. They are pumping these films out like it's nobodies business and unfortunately they are making boatloads of cash. New Moon, the worst of the three, was misguided and had no interesting conflict, other than who Bella should date. Finally the series gives the viewers a showdown of violence as the "vampires" and shape-shifters take on a new army of "vampires".

There is a quote on the internet that best describes my feelings towards the series and it compares it to the other mega cash cow Harry Potter. "Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend." Now, despite what you may think, I don't hate the series. If I did I wouldn't watch them and flame Twilight messageboards.

I sit here wondering though, what could possibly happen in the next two films. I get the fact that they get married and have a kid, but it seems like a epilogue that is going to be stretched out way too long. The immediate conflict with Victoria is solved. So unless some kind of Volturi stuff happens, are two more films really necessary?

Eclipse happens to have the best fight sequences and dialogue that doesn't suck. The characters finally seem comfortable in their roles, despite still not reaching quality acting. Kristen Bell herself, for whatever reason, looks totally different in this film than the previous one. Not a complaint, just something I noticed.

The most interesting scene in the whole film is when Jacob and Edward finally sit down to talk one on one without Bella interrupting. Could this be a sign of maturity?

2.5

TheUsualSuspect

07-26-11, 02:12 AM

Day 250: January 5th, 2011

Barry Munday

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/barry-munday-poster-500x750.jpg?t=1311657146

Surprisingly Delightful.

After a horrible incident at a movie theatre, Barry Munday wakes up in a hospital without his testicles. To make matters worse, a lawyer informs him that a woman claims he is the father of her unborn child.

The concept of the film makes it seem like it's going to be a lot more cruder than it actually is. Barry Munday turns out to be a rather mature film that has immature bits of comedy, which makes it come of as a sweet film with real issues it wants to discuss. Munday looses what many think is a man's manhood, but in reality, it took him losing his testicles to truly become a man. Based on the book Life is a Strange Place, Barry Munday is surprisingly delightful.

Patrick Wilson is perfectly cast as Munday, he nails the character in a role that demands him to be a womanizer, dumb, sweet, innocent and likable. Wilson gives us these little moments where the character will do something, when he isn't the main focus of the scene and it adds more depth to an already well written character. Judy Greer plays Ginger as the family outsider who is difficult to deal with. She comes off a a mature 12 year old. Her parents are played by seasoned actors Cybill Shepherd and Malcolm McDowell, both small roles but they do leave an impression. Jean Smart is the more memorable parent, she plays Carol Munday, Barry's mother. Do I even need to mention Lando Calrissian and the fact that he drives a DeLorean?

There are moments are pure hilarity, like when Munday accidentally calls out his child's name during sex, but there are moments of charm and delight, like the expression on his face when the child is born. His eagerness to be a part of the child's life is admirable, he's lost the one thing that will give him a child and now he discovers that he is possibly the father of one? That's enough of a sign for him to want to be a father that he accepts it without having a paternity test. But then the question arises, is he really the father?

Barry Munday is not a flat out comedy, it's more character driven. Munday, played excellently by Wilson, is a character that sells the film. If you can't connect to him, the movie might fall apart for you. I thought Wilson did an excellent job in this role and it's my favourite performance from him thus far.

3

TheUsualSuspect

07-26-11, 02:21 AM

Day 251: January 6th, 2011

Gulliver's Travels

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/Gullivers_Travels_11-1.jpg?t=1311657690

An assault on the eyes....and the ears.

Gulliver thinks this woman in his office is hot and lies about being a writer so he can go talk to her. She gives him a task to write something and he copies off the internet. Impressed with his "writing" she immediately gives him an assignment that takes him into the open sea. Long story short, he ends up in a land with a bunch of really tiny people and he becomes their giant leader.

This movie ranks as one of the worst films of the year 2010. The movie is an insult to the original film and the original book. Jack Black took a concept and re-worked it for a 12 year old with a crappy sense of humour. That's the biggest problem here, it relies too much on juvenile humour and special effects.

Jack Black does his usual performance here. An overweight slacker who loves to rock out. For all I know this could have been his character from School of Rock stuck on this island and no one would know the difference. Black needs to try something new. I thought he was on a new track with King Kong back in 2005, looks like he retreated back to the nice and easy. He is no longer challenging himself as an actor, or even a comedian.

The film has zero aspirations. It's laziness is apparent in every frame. The only reason it got the cast it did (Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt, Billy Connolly , Jason Segel) was more than likely because they had a big paycheck waved in front of them. I doubt anyone bothered to read the script (if there was one) because if they had, then anyone with a sense mind would have ran for the hills. This film truly is awful, defined.

The special effects are decent in some areas, as they should be considering this movie is about a 'normal sized giant' in a tiny world, but incredibly shoddy in others. Black's interaction with any of the tiny guys is laughable when you see the obvious lighting differences on the actors. Both cinematography and post guys were asleep on their jobs here.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Jack Black saves the day at the end by breaking into song, singing War What Is It Good For? If I had kids, I wouldn't subject them to this madness.

0.5

TheUsualSuspect

07-26-11, 02:24 AM

Day 252: January 7th, 2011

Season of the Witch

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/season_of_the_witch_ver2.jpg?t=1311657889

Clichéd, badly written and ummm...entertaining?

Knights are given the task of transporting a woman suspected of being a witch to a sacred place where she will be given a trail.

Another Nic cage film that I think gets unfairly bashed by critics and moviegoers alike. Just like Drive Angry, Season of the Witch is a bad film that is entertaining enough to warrant a viewing. There are many aspects of the film that are not good and would normally scare people away. Shoddy CGI near around the climax, a weak story that is basically go from point A to point B, lazy acting and bad writing. With all these aspects working against the film, it still finishes with its shameful head held high.

The characters are more wooden than a puppet. You never get the sense of friendship that is suppose to be between Cage and Perlman. They both don't even seem like they want to be a part of the film. Yet Nic Cage does what Nic Cage does best and elevates the film to a Nic Cage level. Clichéd elements enter the film left, right and centre. Cage kills a woman and it haunts him, so he throws down his sword, as does his Perlman. What they fought and killed for wasn't what they thought. Enter his guilt, a nightmare here and there and nothing more and tangible for him as a character.

It definitely feels like a Nic Cage vehicle as no one else in the film really has the chance to do anything. Not even the girl who plays the "is she/isn't she" a witch. She sits in the cage the whole time. I would have liked the film to play up the whole mystery around her. It spells out what she is capable of way too early in the film for my liking.

I have a soft spot in my heart for films like this, I was one of the few people who really liked The 13th Warrior. A film about a small group of people who must defend or go on some kind of journey always seems enjoyable to me. Season of the Witch is just that, an enjoyable movie. Maybe if you go in expecting trash, based on the numerous reviews, you'll leave thinking it wasn't all that bad. I know I did.

2.5

nebbit

07-26-11, 08:41 AM

TheUsualSuspect

08-07-11, 03:26 AM

Day 253: January 8th, 2011

Little Fockers

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/LittleFockersMoviePoster-1.jpg?t=1312698373

Ca-Ching, that was the sound going through everyone's mind.

The third instalment in the much deflated Focker series, finally sees Ben Stiller have kids and DeNiro continues to mistrust him.

There honestly isn't much going on here, hence the lack of trying to explain what the film is about. It's the third time around and we see the same stuff we've seen in the first two films. DeNiro is mistrusting of Stiller, Stiller does something stupid and has to make up for it. This time around the monkey in the wrench is that Stiller has kids.

Owen Wilson comes back this time, which is playing up the same joke from the first film. He should be the one with her, we get it. Harvey Keitel has a small role here as well. Keitel and DeNiro should indeed team up together again, but not in the comedy cliché, get back to the streets and violence where you two belong. Finally it was widely reported that Hoffman wasn't happy with the script, which is why he is absent from most of the film. I say most because he finally agreed to do it, I guess they waved enough money in his face for him to stop hating himself. His scenes a few and far between.

The least funny in the three films and one of that not needed at all. There is no story to tell here. Honestly there only should have been one film. It was funny and original at the time. Now the well is dry and Stiller needs to find another cash boat. Hopefully he doesn't make a third Night of the Museum because the second one was a big stinker.

I can't tell you enough, how unfunny Little Fockers is. The film is lazy, and another low for the once talented Robert DeNiro. The man hasn't made a good film in years. The last decade has been referred to as "DeNiro's Sellout" years. It's hard to argue that when he turns in an effort like this.

My favourite review of this movie is from Anders Wotzke, who claimed Schindler's List was funnier than this. Funny thing is, he's right.

1.5

nebbit

08-07-11, 07:45 AM

Will give this a miss :yup:

honeykid

08-07-11, 10:06 PM

You're giving a comedy starring Robert De Niro a miss?!?! I'm stunned. :D

I would've said the same about Ben Stiller, but for some reason people actually do think he's funny. :confused: Ditto the Focker series.

nebbit

08-08-11, 04:08 AM

You're giving a comedy starring Robert De Niro a miss?!?! I'm stunned. :D
:yup:

LuDiNaToR

08-10-11, 01:47 PM

little fockers sucked.

TheUsualSuspect

08-29-11, 02:05 AM

Day 254: January 9th, 2011

The Next Three Days

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/next_three_days.jpg?t=1314594326

Entertaining enough for an afternoon.

It took me forever to get to watch this one, out of pure laziness. Much to my surprise the film was good. Russell Crowe delivers a decent performance about a man who is willing to do anything to get his wife out of prison. He never makes it emotional, he is too focused and has pure determination on his side.

Banks spends most of the time doing nothing until the last act when she makes that mad dash for the exit. The supporting roles really do nothing to elevate the film. No one manages to stand out, instead they play their parts as they are needed to be. Believable, not memorable.

There is one piece of the film that I do have qualms with, mainly because Myth Busters busted the hell out of it. Unlocking a locked door with a tennis ball. I had my doubts as the legitimacy of this in the film and of course with a little bit of research it's discovered to be false. Did Haggis just see a video on youtube and think it was real off the bat?

The Next Three Days is 2/3 planning, with the final act being suspenseful enough that you'll enjoy yourself. I won't give away the ending, whether they make it out or get caught. See the flick.

3

honeykid

08-29-11, 02:11 AM

There is one piece of the film that I do have qualms with, mainly because Myth Busters busted the hell out of it. Unlocking a locked door with a tennis ball. I had my doubts as the legitimacy of this in the film and of course with a little bit of research it's discovered to be false. Did Haggis just see a video on youtube and think it was real off the bat?
Do you really expect things in films to be real, though? I've seen a few movie editions of Mythbusters (my g/f loves it) and I'm only really surprised when things turn out to be viable.

TheUsualSuspect

08-29-11, 02:13 AM

Day 255: January 10th, 2011

Boys Don't Cry

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/boydont.png

Great performances drive the film.

Kimberly Perice’s film Boys Don’t Cry is a moving piece that deals with such themes as identity, things not being what they seem, freedom, integrity and acceptance.

Brandon Teena is a young woman who portrays herself as a man. After some locals find this out they chase after her, which leads Brandon to another city, where she finds love that leads to hate.

The opening scene showing the main character driving down a road is mostly done with close-ups. The road, the eyes in the rear view mirror, we don’t know who this person is or where they are going. This character’s intentions are not clear. We don’t even know if it is a man or a woman, which is what the rest of the film deals with, the sexual identity of this character. We get a glimpse in the life of this character, and know that they desire to be someone they aren’t.

The theme of integrity and Brandon’s lack of integrity as a male and of other characters plays a key role in the plot. Brandon just wanted freedom to wander the world without fear, without judgment from others. The film takes the viewer on a journey of discovery, we ourselves try to figure out who we are and why we do the things we do. Hilary Swank is remarkable as the lead, playing two characters in one. Chole Sevigny holds her own against Swank, she knows Brandon’s secret, but tries to hide it, which leads to horrible things.

3.5

TheUsualSuspect

08-29-11, 02:15 AM

Do you really expect things in films to be real, though? I've seen a few movie editions of Mythbusters (my g/f loves it) and I'm only really surprised when things turn out to be viable.

I usually don't, but something about that was way off for me. When you sit there and say that would never happen, it docks the film down a few for me.

Maybe it depends on the movie? I would never expect anything that happened in SPEED to be reality, but I forgive it for that.

TheUsualSuspect

08-29-11, 02:24 AM

Day 256: January 11th, 2011

Stone

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/stone.jpg?t=1314595394

Slow and utterly boring.

A convicted arsonist looks to con a parole officer into getting him out early, with the help of his sexy wife.

The premise of this film is pretty lame if you ask me, but it seemed to draw some talent so I gave it a chance. The talent this film got must have been because of the dollar signs because Stone is a boring, tepid film that goes nowhere and entertains no one. The film tries to be more important and self righteous than it actually is and this is where it falls flat.

DeNiro hasn't been in a good film in years, to me his last decent one was with his co-star of this one, ironically. The Score, even then he seemed on auto-pilot. Here he shows no signs of caring for the material as he goes through the motions of spewing out the dialogue and hitting his marks. Edward Norton, upon first glance, makes you giggle. His character has cornrows and speaks like a thuggish kid. Norton somewhat pulls it off and he has the more interesting role of the two. His character goes through some kind of epiphany, or doesn't. It's not really clear, neither is how the con actually worked or why.

The con was to get his wife, Milla Jovovich to 'convince' DeNiro in helping him get out early. After one chat with him he becomes a horn dog and sleeps with her. The con was lame and uninteresting, nor does it explain how it works. My interest level faded fast with this one. The story was as dull as the characters. Even the subplot involving DeNiro and his unhappy wife was a bore. I wanted the film to end sooner than it did.

Most of the film is simply the two characters talking. So Stone is a character driven piece and not some kind of thriller as the trailer would have you believe. Character driven movies have to be careful, because in order for you to want to finish the movie you need to have some sort of emotional investment in these guys. Stone gives you no reason to care or to even finish the film.

Everyone involved, even Jovovich, can do better. The writing here is below par and the performances, while decent, do nothing to draw you in. The film is confused as to what genre it wants to be in. Stone leaves loose ends everywhere and the final act seems out of place. It ends on a weird absurd note that finally manages to ignite some kind of emotional response from the viewer....it's anger.

1.5

Sexy Celebrity

08-29-11, 02:39 AM

Hmm. I was tempted to buy this when it first came out but I didn't. Maybe I made the right choice... I'd still like to see it sometime, though, I think.

TheUsualSuspect

08-29-11, 02:45 AM

It's bad man.....bad.....:(

honeykid

08-29-11, 03:51 PM

Hmm. I was tempted to buy this when it first came out but I didn't. Maybe I made the right choice... I'd still like to see it sometime, though, I think.
You bought Grown Ups, you thought of buying this. I'm starting to think that you need to run future purchases by me before wasting your money. :D

Good review of Boys Don't Cry, TUS. I saw that a couple of times when it came out, but I've not seen it since. Great film. Incredibly powerful, but I don't know if I could watch it again.

TheUsualSuspect

10-04-11, 10:23 PM

Day 257: January 12th, 2011

Alien

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/alien.jpg?t=1317777758

In Space No One Can Hear You Scream.

If there is one movie I wish I can see in the theatre when it was first released, it's Alien. Not Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia or some other big blockbuster. A nail biting, hold your breath scare-fest that demands to be seen by those who love science fiction and horror.

After investigating an SOS distress signal, a mining ship encounters a strange species that attaches itself to one of the crew members. The creature impregnates the crew member and the alien is unleashed on the ship to wreck havoc and hell.

The claustrophobic atmosphere adds multiple layers of tension to an already tense situation. Scott only shows us glimpses of the alien here and there, much like the film Jaws. We only see parts of it before it attacks.

I remember watching this when I was younger, my dad said it was the 'next restricted film I can see". I watched it in my uncles room and was completely enthralled by it. I even thought the 'final act' was sexy because Weaver was in her underwear. The most unattractive underwear ever, but it was hot to me.

The scenes of suspense and terror still hold up to this day and the film is a toss up with the Cameron held sequel as the best in the series. The two are totally different though, one is about sheer terror and isolation, the other decides to go bigger.

4.5

Sexy Celebrity

10-04-11, 10:48 PM

I even thought the 'final act' was sexy because Weaver was in her underwear. The most unattractive underwear ever, but it was hot to me.

It's always sexier when it's uglier. Anyway, I think Alien is one of the best movies ever.

mark f

10-04-11, 10:51 PM

Sure it is.

TheUsualSuspect

10-04-11, 10:58 PM

Day 258: January 13th, 2011

Aliens

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/aliens-poster-2.jpg?t=1317778777

This time it's war.

After 57 years in hibernation sleep, Ripley is found and awoken. She discovers that the planet where they originally found the alien is now colonized and of course they have lost contact with them. She decides to go back, only to exterminate the creatures once and for all.

Where do you go after the success of such a film like Alien. Cameron knew what to do and he manages to pull it off effortlessly. This time Ripley is meaner, leaner and more determined. Most sequels are bloated, lifeless poor imitations of the original film, look at Transformers. Cameron on the other hand is a keen storyteller, despite his writing being a shortcoming.

The initial alien attack is where you know this film means to aim higher and it's often looked to when people talk about films surpassing the original. As I mentioned before it's either or for me. Both are great additions to the sci/fi genre. Aliens seems to be a bit more ambitious in my opinion and Cameron is always one to tackle ambitious projects.

Packed with great action sequences, memorable characters and special effects that don't seem dated. Aliens works on multiple levels, we get a deeper sense of who Ripley is and her determination to look after a young child as her own, we get action extravaganza and terror. The film is long and the last 30 some odd minutes is just as intense as the original.

Get away from her you, BITCH!!!!

4.5

mark f

10-04-11, 11:11 PM

I believe that both flicks are one of the best ever. I realize that it's a cliche to try to break them down. The first one is a 2001-esque masterpiece of horror and the second one is an attempt to remake The Terminator in Alien's universe. I know that honey doesn't like the sequel, but he has a way of not liking all kinds of coolio movies.

honeykid

10-04-11, 11:16 PM

It's good to see this continuing, TUS. I know it's a long way off yet, but I'll miss this thread when it's done.

Alien now gets a rating of around 2. It's on the rise, but I can't ever see it being a film I really like. Aliens, on the other hand, is a 1 on a good day. I just can't stand it.

Sexy Celebrity

10-04-11, 11:17 PM

The first movie feels more cerebral or something. I felt like it was deeper and said something significant about life. The second movie, especially at the very end, when she's in that hole trying to throw the alien queen out into space and the wind is rushing all around her -- that gave me goosebumps. That moment was so emotionally charged for me -- with the music and everything. I watched it earlier this year on Blu-ray and it was one of the best moments I can remember having while watching a movie... in a long time, at least. But I think Alien is the better movie -- and I used to not care for that movie much, but now I do.

Alien 3, however -- I could almost give away my copy of the movie and I wouldn't miss it that much. I think that movie totally stinks compared to the first two. I wish I had Alien: Resurrection in my collection instead of that one -- I remember liking Alien: Resurrection at least, even if it's not all that great, either.

TheUsualSuspect

10-05-11, 12:27 AM

TheUsualSuspect

10-05-11, 01:43 AM

Day 259: January 14th, 2011

Alien 3

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/alien_three_ver3.jpg?t=1317789792

The Bitch Is Back

After the terror of the original, the explosiveness of the second, where else is there to go? Well, the filmmakers of Alien 3 wanted to take the series in a new direction. The behind the scenes fiasco with the film is well documented. Script changes at the last minute, sets being destroyed because of said script changes, studio interference, the director (David Fincher) publicly disowning the film. To this day he will take no part in anything Alien 3 related, which is a bummer for those dvd extras.

Ripley crash lands on a prison planet, Hicks and Newt have died and to everyone's surprise there was one last egg, which was left on the ship she was on. The facehugger attached itself to a dog, a now we have a new breed of alien to face. With CGI enhancements of course.

This third film doesn't ante up the action, it doesn't expand on the characters and it doesn't frighten the viewer. So what does the third film in this series do? Apparently it kills it. While I do not hate the film as much as most people do, I don't love it either. I give it credit for having the balls to end it the way they did. But that's about as much praise as I can give it. Aside from Weaver's portrayal of Ripley on borrowed time.

This is the least appealing, visually, of all three films. Which is a surprise because Fincher has beautiful films on his resume. The film comes off a poorly edited and constructed. The Assembly Cut is a bit cleaner, but still a mess. There are entertaining moments in the film, but they are few and ar between.

The biggest flaw in this film? Killing off two characters from the first film before the opening credits finished. Thus making all her heroic efforts from the first film all for nothing. It leaves the viewer with a bad taste in their mouths and since it's right at the beginning, you set them in a bad mood for the remainder of the film. Bad move? I think it was.

2

honeykid

10-05-11, 02:07 AM

Ripley crash lands on a prison planet, Hicks and Newt have died
Which instantly makes it better than Aliens. :p

I've not seen it for a very long time now, but this is/was my favourite of the 4 Alien films. I know I'm in a minority of one here, but I don't care. That's the way I see it. Obviously I disagree with the last paragraph of your review as well. :)

Iroquois

10-05-11, 03:45 AM

I know I'm in a minority of one here, but I don't care.

Honeykid in a nutshell.

honeykid

10-05-11, 04:55 AM

Most of the time, yes.... Then the rest of you finally catch up and I'm labeled a bandwagon jumper. :D

Sexy Celebrity

10-05-11, 06:00 AM

I don't understand how Ripley can turn into such a floozy in Alien 3 after losing everything she fought for in Aliens. I understand she likes men -- this was obvious in Aliens with the Hicks character -- but she begins Alien 3 learning that Hicks and Newt are dead and what does she do? She sleeps with that guy played by Charles Dance. To me, this was very odd and really took away from what I thought was an extremely serious demeanor that Ripley had in the other films. I don't know if this is normal behavior or not -- she certainly deserves the sex -- but I just thought it was weird to see her jump into bed with some new guy after all the hell she's been through. She loses that guy quickly, anyway.

And don't the prisoners try to rape Ripley at one point, too? Alien 3 feels like it's all about trying to get Ripley to have sex. Maybe that's supposed to be symbolic or something since she is impregnated with an alien. To me, this all just doesn't flow together after the events of Alien and Alien 3. The tone of Alien 3 tries to be too different. It might have worked with some other character, but not Ripley. I don't think Ripley is that great of a sensual, motherly figure. It's a good thing that James Cameron deleted the scene in Aliens where it's revealed that Ripley had a daughter. I think that when Ripley is running around that planet in Aliens, trying to protect Newt, it may supposed to look like Ripley is being all motherly and protective, but I actually think Ripley is being more fatherly. She's a very tough woman and it makes her masculine. I mean, all the other women die except her. Ripley is really a man, symbolically. And Alien 3 bogs her down too much in femininity. It's a huge stretch and it feels wrong. She gets over Newt and Hicks' death real easily - tough and strong, like a man. But then she's letting a man take care of her and have sex with her and then she risks getting raped by the prisoners and then she discovers she's got an alien baby inside of her. It's just a mess. Her character is all wrong in Alien 3. It's like the whole point of the movie is just to give the message to Ripley: Hey, you're a woman, so stop acting like a man. I'm gonna make you have sex and give birth to a baby - and then I'm gonna kill you.

It's a harsh treatment to Ripley and I think that's why this movie fails: Nobody wants to see Ripley be a woman.

The crazy thing is, Ripley looks more like a man than ever in Alien 3. It's like she hits the most extreme point she can go at being a man and then the series totally dismantles her, turning her back into a woman, turning her into a baby making machine. And then she dies and it's over. She kills herself because she can't give birth -- that would be the ultimate act of womanhood.

TheUsualSuspect

10-06-11, 04:20 AM

Day 260: January 15th, 2011

Case 39

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/case39poster.jpg?t=1317885037

Tame, uneventful and tiresome.

A social worker is working on 38 cases right now and she is given one more. She goes to visit the little girl and immediately bonds with her, despite her creepy parents. She fights to get the little girl free from her parents who tried to kill her by burning her alive in their oven. Yet things aren't really as they seem.

I wanted Case 39 to be creepy, but what I got was a boring flick with a miscast Zellweger. The best thing about this snoozefest was the little girl who played creepy and nice all in one menacing performance. If it weren't for her I think this film would be rated lower. She was the saving grace and did a better job than Zellweger.

I don't know if it was the lazy and uninspired directing or the fact that Zellweger seems totally lost in the role, but Case 39 doesn't stick with you. There was no creep factor. Their big guns is this little girl and they don't use her enough. When she is used though, she is effective and I hope for big things to come her way with her career, but every moment she is not on the screen you start to fall asleep. Where are the thrills? Where are the scares? Case 39 has none of this.

The story isn't even that interesting and the ending is abrupt and too safe. Reading up on the film, I would have preferred their original ending, which I won't indulge you fine folk with. I'm surprised that people are giving this film good reviews, maybe they went in thinking it was going to be one of the worst things ever and were pleasantly surprised it wasn't. This isn't one of the worst movies ever, no. So it has that going for it.

I think it all boils down to the fact that I did not care about anything or anyone in this movie. When the best scene in the entire horror film is Bradley Cooper sitting down and talking to the little girl, then you know you have a stinker on your hands.

Case 39 stinks.

1.5

TheUsualSuspect

10-18-11, 07:10 PM

Day 261: January 16th, 2011

Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/DearZachary.jpg?t=1318974754

A haunting and devastating documentary that will stay with you for days.

There are many documentaries that are better than this one, specifically from a technical stand point. The biggest shortcoming on this film is the poor editing. It was never meant to be released theatrically, it was meant for the family it focuses on, so there are forgivable aspects, but it is indeed distracting to watch the film with distracting editing choices. Parts of the film do feel really messy and quickly put together.

The subject matter on the other hand is one of the most heart wrenching things I've had to watch. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion and you sit there, helpless with nothing to do. The film is about Andrew, a 30 year old male who was shot to death, 5 times, from his ex-girlfriend. The filmmaker, one of his best friends, decided to make a film dedicated to the memory of his friend. Along the way they discover that the ex-girlfriend was 4 months pregnant with Andrew's child. Now the film switches focus and becomes a "letter" of sorts to Zachary (the child) about the father he will never get the chance to meet.

That's only a fraction of the emotional core of the film. I have nothing but utter respect and disbelief in the strengths of Andrew's parents, for what they chose to go through in order to be apart of Zachary's life. The director manages to showcase Andrew enough to make it seem like the viewer knew him by the end of the film. I have to hand it to Kurt (the director) as well, he goes to great lengths to speak to and film every person that had some sort of involvement in Andrew's life. His family, his friends, his co-workers, etc. He goes on a cross country trip to track down these people and talk to them.

There was undoubtably hours upon hours of footage to splice together and as I mentioned before this film was never meant for theatrical release. So the entire production was done by Kurt. Every aspect he had control over and it's a heavy task. His relationship with the subject matter makes the doc extremely subjective. Yet with all the evidence presented, is there another way to look at it?

An abundance of emotion overcame me while watching this documentary. The two that stood out to me was sadness and anger. The filmmakers shortcomings from his technical aspects isn't a deterrent to the overall film. I say that everyone should go out and seek the film. If you have Netflix, it's available. It's a must see film. :bawling::bawling::bawling:

4

TheUsualSuspect

10-25-11, 01:57 AM

Day 262: January 17th, 2011

The 'Burbs

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/burbs.jpg?t=1319516944

Do you live in this type of neighbourhood?

In my last attempt at this thread, Destiny was so kind to recommend a few films for me. Well, I managed to watch a few, Raising Arizona, Clue, Near Dark and The Changeling. The last film there I had some fun with, leaving it till the second to last day in October for Halloween. Long story short (too late) I've knocked off another flick that was recommended to me and that is The 'Burbs.

The first thing I noticed is how much I miss THIS Tom Hanks. He was great in the lead role of the overstressed and ultra curious neighbour. With the patriotic Bruce Dern and the bumbling Rick Ducommun, The 'Burbs has a great ensemble cast. It's nice to see Carrie Fischer in a role other than Star Wars or a parody of Star Wars. The neighbourhood is really brought to life with the quirky characters that inhabit it.

It's interesting to note that we never see the family 'move in'. In scriptwriting it's always key to come in late and leave early. We come in late to this story, the weird neighbours have already moved in. This was an interesting aspect of the film because usually you'll have it start normal and have the weird come in later. This film starts off weird right from the get go.

This is a funny film that I can see myself watching more than once. The paranoia of the neighbours is a highlight and the "are they, or aren't they" theme works right up until the climax of the film. I got a strange Rear Window vibe from this. In that film, we are stuck to one room, but we get to see the lives of the people who live in this one area. The same can be said for The 'Burbs. We get to see the lives of these people who live in the same community and some sort of occurrence disrupts the peace. Odd connection, but I got that vibe.

3.5

klacc

10-31-11, 04:36 PM

Great job, thanks for posting all of this. As I was going through the thread I noticed that no one commented on the movie Antitrust. While I agree that it wasn't a great movie, I really enjoyed it. I would recommend seeing it.

TheUsualSuspect

12-06-11, 02:59 AM

Day 263: January 18th, 2011

The Dilemma

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/The-Dilemma-movie-poster.jpg?t=1323154782

A stupid premise for an unfunny film.

Vaughn discovers that his best friend's wife, played by Winona Ryder, is having an affair. He tries to tell him, but the stress from a recent job is too much to handle. So instead, he decides tries to catch them in the act. Hijinks ensue and so on....zzzzzzzzz

Simple premise, although stupid in my opinion, to follow, could be a funny comedy. It had the right people involved. Ron Howard back to doing comedies and both Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are funny guys, if given the right material. Yet the end result is an unfunny mess that feels like another paycheck for Vaughn, who seems to be on the decline in recent years.

Kevin James had a successful career in television, his transition to films have been rocky. The success of Paul Blart was largely because of him. He took the place of Chris Farley in Grown Ups, which was a disappointment and his other Sandler flick, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry was hit and miss with a lot of the redundant jokes about being gay. The Dilemma is not the film he was hoping for, he takes a huge backseat in terms of screen time and comedy to Vince Vaughn.

Vince Vaughn plays Ronny, the guy who sees the affair. He has an inner struggle to deal with, should he tell his friend? You can expect the usual fast ball comedy with frequent temper tantrums from him here. Queen Latifah has too small a role here, she was good in what little screen time she had. The wives, Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly, do nothing. Connelly looks great and she has a few scenes in which she brings some depth to an otherwise cardboard character. Winona has more of a central role, it's her fault this problem has come up. Neither look like they are having fun and they know they have been giving the thankless wife role.

The surprise here is Channing Tatum, a guy who has yet to prove he can act. He was the funniest part of this entire movie. I knew the film was in trouble when the least likable guy in the cast is the funniest. He again, has too few scenes and should have been featured a bit more.

The Dilemma is more focused on the story than the comedy. Sometimes this is a good thing, but in this case we are watching a story unfold that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place. Tell your best friend, that's it. I found myself less and less interested in the problems the characters had because it was his (Vaughns) own stupidity the made it all happen. The comedy should have been stronger and more central with the film. It feels so bland, uninspired and lazy.

1

TheUsualSuspect

12-06-11, 03:15 AM

Day 264: January 19th, 2011

MegaMind

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/megamind_poster_a2.jpg?t=1323155715

Plain, average, will entertain enough.

Megamind is a MEGAMIND, meaning he's super smart and has turned to a life of crime because of of Metro Man, a superman like being that protects the city. When Megamind actually manages to kill Metro Man, he finds no purpose to his life anymore, so he creates another superhero. But this new superhero isn't like the hero that was before him and it's up to Megamind to stop his own creation.

Looking at the voice actors involved, Megamind has a lot of comedic talent behind it. Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, Ben Stiller, J.K. Simmons. It has the uber celeb Brad Pitt playing the uber hero, Metro Man. Yet if anything has told me in the past, is that even thought there is a talented cast behind the film, it doesn't necessarily make the film that funny. With this being a kids animated film, a lot of the comedians restrain themselves and resort to over the top performances to get the laughs. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Megamind does what a lot of animated films do, the bare minimum. The's colourful, to grab the attention of the young ones. It's got the stars that the parents know and like and it has enough jokes and action bits to make you feel like you've not wasted your time and money. So , yes, Megamind is a decent flick. But that's it. It's only decent. It's not memorable, it's not hilarious, it's not jaw dropping with its animation. It gets in, makes you enjoy your time and leaves. What more can you ask for from a film?

Megamind is a Dreamworks effort, they seem to make their films with what's hot today, cram jokes that are funny today and have no heart in it. It's sad that I'm comparing it to Pixar's output, but they really have raised the bar to the point that anything else never really compares. Sometimes there will be a film that surprises me, How To Train Your Dragon and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs are two entries that I really dug. Megamind has to settle with "enjoyable".

3