Straight away let me just say I did not hate this movie. In fact I wouldn’t even say this movie sucked, now don’t be confused this movie was not good, not at all, but it was also not all bad there were definitely a couple of things here that made me go, o.k. that didn’t suck. But they were very few and very far in between.
It would not be a difficult task to fill this review with all things wrong with Jumper, because is a sizable list to choose from, instead I will describe the few elements of this movie I did enjoy and try to avoid the temptation of just giving this movie the kick in the pants it deserves.
First you can never go wrong with casting Mr. Sam Jackson. I love Sam because he is never bad even in bad movies and Sam has been in some bad movies. I can’t really tell if I am ok with blonde haired Sam, who am I kidding, I am ok with whatever Sam does. Outside of same none of the other actors do much. I don’t really need to say anything about Christiansen so I won’t. But even Rachel Bilson, as cute as she is, added zero to this movie.
I am also a fan of the action sequences in the film, visually the “jumping” came across very strong I think, particularly in the fight scenes between the jumpers and paladins, group of hunters dedicated to killing all jumpers. The visual effects were very slick and the quick cuts did not annoy has they usually do in movies.
Lastly I have to say I did not hate the story. The script itself fell way short, way short, but the idea of a genetic anomaly or mutation that has been around for centuries and it gives a very small percentage of humans the ability to teleport back to anyplace that have been already is very cool. However as I said the script fell on its face. In the end this movie got kicked out of the summer rotation, but the studio realized they didn’t there was not much of a movie here.
GRADE - D-
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
In Bruges
Finally 2008 has given me a movie that doesn’t make me throw-up in my mouth. Not only does In Bruges not suck, but it is actually a good movie. In Bruges is the story of a promising young hit man, Ray (Colin Ferrell), who makes a costly mistake during one of his jobs and has to hide out “in Bruges”, Belgium while things calm down back in London. While in Bruges Ray with the help of his partner Ken (Brenda Gleason), a veteran of the cleaning business, tries to come to grips with what he as done amongst the beautifully yet incredibly boring back drop of a town where not much happens. Doing his best to stave off insanity from the tremendous boredom Ray ends up falling for a young woman, Chloe (Clemence Posey) working for a film company that is making a movie in Bruges. In the midst of movies, midgets and monotony Ray grapples with life, death and the purpose of existence. You know - simple stuff.
I was not sure if Collin still had anything left in his “acting” tank. After a series of mediocre performances Ferrell has once again joined the ranks of the promising young actors who paint a very nice picture for the future of film making. Ferrell does a nice job of communicating the angst that Ray feels after having done what he did, albeit accidentally, yet it does not undo what has been done. At the same time Ray is a hit man and hit men don’t cry or grapple with life and death, they kill and that’s it. Ferrell is not alone in giving a strong performance, to his right and left stand Ralf Fiennes and Brendan Gleason, both are stand-out actors who continue to deliver. There is a scene at the end between the two veterans that is the stuff of great movie making.
Regarding the guts of the movies, script, filming, sets, etc. I found myself not totally impressed by Bruges, although it is not difficult to see why a film maker would be drawn to such a place, just not my cup of tea. Regarding script, the story is very strong, I love the idea of a young hit man just starting out being confronted with something so terrible his first time on the job that he questions everything.
GRADE – A-
I was not sure if Collin still had anything left in his “acting” tank. After a series of mediocre performances Ferrell has once again joined the ranks of the promising young actors who paint a very nice picture for the future of film making. Ferrell does a nice job of communicating the angst that Ray feels after having done what he did, albeit accidentally, yet it does not undo what has been done. At the same time Ray is a hit man and hit men don’t cry or grapple with life and death, they kill and that’s it. Ferrell is not alone in giving a strong performance, to his right and left stand Ralf Fiennes and Brendan Gleason, both are stand-out actors who continue to deliver. There is a scene at the end between the two veterans that is the stuff of great movie making.
Regarding the guts of the movies, script, filming, sets, etc. I found myself not totally impressed by Bruges, although it is not difficult to see why a film maker would be drawn to such a place, just not my cup of tea. Regarding script, the story is very strong, I love the idea of a young hit man just starting out being confronted with something so terrible his first time on the job that he questions everything.
GRADE – A-
Rambo
Yeah that's right Sly made another one. He has to be done now though, right. I am he can't possibly do another one of these can he. Just when you thought a franchise was dead and buried it comes back 20 years later to remind you somethings should stay dead. Rambo, the fourth installment of the franchise stars Sly Stallone reprising his role as title character who shares the movie title’s name. After surviving Rocky’s return to the big screen Sly felt that there was a place for a little Rambo love as well. Let me tell you there really isn’t. I mean I like bodies hitting the floor as much as the next guy and I am certainly not squeamish about blood and guts, but there comes a point where it doesn’t matter how many explosions and action sequences there are if at the center of them is a guy that can’t even go shirtless anymore because he just doesn’t have the goods the way he used to.
Sly you look great bro, you really do, if I am blessed with your body at 50 I would be psyched, but know thyself my friend, you are no longer an action movie star. And Sly is not the only thing wrong with this movie, I am talk about an empty script, this is classic reluctant hero is drawn into conflict because would be love interest is in danger. A group of mercenaries need an escort into the deepest most dangerous parts of the jungle and Rambo is the only one around. It is not long before our hero is obliterating an entire battalion of Burmese soldiers.
Aside from some spectacular death sequences and a lot of shooting and stuff going boom, there is nothing else here. It didn’t suck, no it didn’t, but this has got to be it, no more reprising roles that made you famous, nostalgia is overrated.
GRADE - D
Sly you look great bro, you really do, if I am blessed with your body at 50 I would be psyched, but know thyself my friend, you are no longer an action movie star. And Sly is not the only thing wrong with this movie, I am talk about an empty script, this is classic reluctant hero is drawn into conflict because would be love interest is in danger. A group of mercenaries need an escort into the deepest most dangerous parts of the jungle and Rambo is the only one around. It is not long before our hero is obliterating an entire battalion of Burmese soldiers.
Aside from some spectacular death sequences and a lot of shooting and stuff going boom, there is nothing else here. It didn’t suck, no it didn’t, but this has got to be it, no more reprising roles that made you famous, nostalgia is overrated.
GRADE - D
Now is as a good a time as any
It has been 2008 for more than four months and yes I have seen a number of movies so far this year, but with the writer's strike and the arrival of my new 360 I have not been movtivated to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and start working on my reviews for this year. Well my buddy C Barone, http://www.baroneatthecinema.blogspot.com/, got cracking on his reviews and has inspired me to get going on mine. Needless to say I have to get moving becuase the summer movie season is nearly upon us and if I waited any longer I could creat a serious back-log of reviews and nobody wants that.
With a year of reviews in the bag I am excited about my second year as a "blogger". This year you can look forward to the same great entertaining writing that you got last year. I will make more of an effort to edit before posting, but no promises. I also will try to wrap up my Van Damme project and move on to Steve Segal this year. Look for some newer enhancements to the reviews and always expect the unexpected. Thanks for checking me dear reader as we embark on one more year of Botts at the Cinema.
With a year of reviews in the bag I am excited about my second year as a "blogger". This year you can look forward to the same great entertaining writing that you got last year. I will make more of an effort to edit before posting, but no promises. I also will try to wrap up my Van Damme project and move on to Steve Segal this year. Look for some newer enhancements to the reviews and always expect the unexpected. Thanks for checking me dear reader as we embark on one more year of Botts at the Cinema.
Cloverfield
JJ Abrams, producer of two of T.V.'s biggest hits, Lost and Alias, jumps onto the big screen with a horror/sci-fi thriller, that was marketed to be 2008's first big hit. Well JJ let's be grateful that you are really good at putting the pieces together to make really good TV, because if Cloverfield is any indication of what is to come from you in the movie industry - I'll pass.
Cloverfield was an attempt to combine the hand-held camera recording style introduced in Blair Witch Project and digital recording to make the film feel more intense and authentic. From strickly a film making point of view the movie did have some success in that regard. There were at least three scenes in the movie that really worked because of the hand held affect; the train tunnel scene and the two apartment scenes (the first one at party and the second to find his girl friend). However outside of those two scenes I felt like it was limiting and prevented the audience from getting a full picture of what was happening. I am sure that was the intent and thereby add to the authencity, but I found it annoying.
Regarding the story, it was shallow and full of holes. Perhaps we have reached a place in our civilization where so many movies have been made about government conspiracies and cover ups and experiments gone wrong, etc. but I would appreciate at least some lips service being paid to try explain why a random huge monster is ravaging Manhattan. We got no explanation of where the monster came from nor did we get any clue as to who knew what about it. Again I understand that the story being told was about this group of friends and how they are simply trying to survive this encounter. So we only know what they know, which would go to my early point that is shallow story telling.
In the end the movie had a couple of moments here and there, but for the most part did not deliver and ultimately was a dissapointment.
GRADE - D
Cloverfield was an attempt to combine the hand-held camera recording style introduced in Blair Witch Project and digital recording to make the film feel more intense and authentic. From strickly a film making point of view the movie did have some success in that regard. There were at least three scenes in the movie that really worked because of the hand held affect; the train tunnel scene and the two apartment scenes (the first one at party and the second to find his girl friend). However outside of those two scenes I felt like it was limiting and prevented the audience from getting a full picture of what was happening. I am sure that was the intent and thereby add to the authencity, but I found it annoying.
Regarding the story, it was shallow and full of holes. Perhaps we have reached a place in our civilization where so many movies have been made about government conspiracies and cover ups and experiments gone wrong, etc. but I would appreciate at least some lips service being paid to try explain why a random huge monster is ravaging Manhattan. We got no explanation of where the monster came from nor did we get any clue as to who knew what about it. Again I understand that the story being told was about this group of friends and how they are simply trying to survive this encounter. So we only know what they know, which would go to my early point that is shallow story telling.
In the end the movie had a couple of moments here and there, but for the most part did not deliver and ultimately was a dissapointment.
GRADE - D
Monday, February 18, 2008
Movies from the year not seen in the theater
Alright so the goal is to see as many movies as possible during the year in the theater. Well things don't always go as planned, I have got a heck of a lot of tables and not enought hours in the day so NetFlix has become my new best friend. Below you will find a list of the movies I have seen from the year not in the theater. Each entry will be accompanied by a brief review. Perhaps with more time I will provide longer reviews, especially for the movies I really like.
Gone Baby Gone (GRADE A)
This was great, top to bottom, inside and out, great. Cudo to Ben Affleck for making a great movie and Casey Affleck for making it great. Story, script, sets, filming, acting, no weakness here. Even the ending left the audience with something to talk about days later. Aces all around.
Talk To Me (GRADE B+)
Very good movie, not great, but very good. Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejior are excellent, no surprises there, Cedric The Entertainer throws in some timely comedic relief, good story, strong script, very enjoyable.
Hitman (GRADE B+)
As I said earlier I am not a hard man to please. What's more I feel even better about this movie, because initially I thought Timothy Olyphant was a mistake, but he made me eat my words. Very good video game adaption, which rarely happens, but this script was helped by the fact that the game has some very cinematic elements to it. Even Desmond from Lost makes a cameo appearence.
Pride (GRADE B)
Terrance Howard is moving into that rarified air of give me a half-way decent script and I can make it my own. This movie was not Coach Carter or Lean on Me or any of its predecessors. It was its own style of movie and that is becuase Terrance has learned to be assertive without being loud or abrassive. He and Jamie Foxx are very similar in that regard, they just have presence and take up space without crowding everyone else out of the scene.
Superbad (GRADE B)
A lot of the really funny scenes were in the previews, but there were still a couple of gems. Too profane for my tastes which will keep me from ever owning this movie, but there were definately some funny scenes here. Talented group of writers and actors here.
Shooter (GRADE B-)
It doesn't take much for me to be happy. A decent story, with some good acting and a bunch of cool action sequences and consider me pig in slop. I am officially a Mark Wahlberg fan (notice how avoided calling him Marky Mark).
Next (GRADE B-)
Jessica Beil again, still hot. Nick Cage is Nick Cage, I mean you know whaat you are getting with a Nick Cage movie, but the premise was interesting enough. I have to knock the movie somewhat becuase the ending is about as weak as they come.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (GRADE C)
Whatever Jessica Biel is hot and "the scene" was definately worth the netflix rental. This movies also had some pretty good physical comedy. I mean it wasn't great, but I could see Sandler and James teaming up again, they have good chemistry.
Vacancy (GRADE D)
No matter how hot Katie Beckinsale is or how much I like Luke Wilson, I can't stand horror movies, I just don't like any parts of them. This one is no exception, there were moments of intensity where it felt more like a thiller and less like a horror flick, but even in that it was weak.
Still have to see -
Disturbia
Sicko
Rescue Dawn
Rush Hour 3
War
The Assisnation of Jesse James...
Resident Evil Extinction
Charlie Wilson's War
Gone Baby Gone (GRADE A)
This was great, top to bottom, inside and out, great. Cudo to Ben Affleck for making a great movie and Casey Affleck for making it great. Story, script, sets, filming, acting, no weakness here. Even the ending left the audience with something to talk about days later. Aces all around.
Talk To Me (GRADE B+)
Very good movie, not great, but very good. Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejior are excellent, no surprises there, Cedric The Entertainer throws in some timely comedic relief, good story, strong script, very enjoyable.
We own the Night (GRADE B+)
I had high hopes for this movie and it is not as if they were dashed or anything, dissappointed is not the right word, I guess I just didn't agree with some of the choices the director made. Joaquin is money, I don't think I need to say anything about Robert Duvall. I did not get enough Walberg, which kind of bothered me becuase the movie was billed as a co-star cast, but it was really Joaquin's movie. Which I don't have beef with, I guess that is my point is that I kept waiting for the movie to shift into 6th gear, but it never got our of 5th. Good, but not great.
Hitman (GRADE B+)
As I said earlier I am not a hard man to please. What's more I feel even better about this movie, because initially I thought Timothy Olyphant was a mistake, but he made me eat my words. Very good video game adaption, which rarely happens, but this script was helped by the fact that the game has some very cinematic elements to it. Even Desmond from Lost makes a cameo appearence.
Pride (GRADE B)
Terrance Howard is moving into that rarified air of give me a half-way decent script and I can make it my own. This movie was not Coach Carter or Lean on Me or any of its predecessors. It was its own style of movie and that is becuase Terrance has learned to be assertive without being loud or abrassive. He and Jamie Foxx are very similar in that regard, they just have presence and take up space without crowding everyone else out of the scene.
Superbad (GRADE B)
A lot of the really funny scenes were in the previews, but there were still a couple of gems. Too profane for my tastes which will keep me from ever owning this movie, but there were definately some funny scenes here. Talented group of writers and actors here.
Shooter (GRADE B-)
It doesn't take much for me to be happy. A decent story, with some good acting and a bunch of cool action sequences and consider me pig in slop. I am officially a Mark Wahlberg fan (notice how avoided calling him Marky Mark).
Next (GRADE B-)
Jessica Beil again, still hot. Nick Cage is Nick Cage, I mean you know whaat you are getting with a Nick Cage movie, but the premise was interesting enough. I have to knock the movie somewhat becuase the ending is about as weak as they come.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (GRADE C)
Whatever Jessica Biel is hot and "the scene" was definately worth the netflix rental. This movies also had some pretty good physical comedy. I mean it wasn't great, but I could see Sandler and James teaming up again, they have good chemistry.
Vacancy (GRADE D)
No matter how hot Katie Beckinsale is or how much I like Luke Wilson, I can't stand horror movies, I just don't like any parts of them. This one is no exception, there were moments of intensity where it felt more like a thiller and less like a horror flick, but even in that it was weak.
Still have to see -
Disturbia
Sicko
Rescue Dawn
Rush Hour 3
War
The Assisnation of Jesse James...
Resident Evil Extinction
Charlie Wilson's War
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Final List for 2007
So I realize I am a little late in getting this list out, but better late than ever right. So here it is all the movies I saw in theater during 2007. All in all it was a pretty good year, I would not say banner, but the movies did cover the spectrum, brilliantly crafted dramas, intense action, cutting edge special effects movies, and of course comic book flicks. This year featured some of the greatest performances I had seen in a while and some I would rather forget, some all time huge dissappointments and some really nice surprises, a few standouts, but a lot of very blah movies. In the end I can't complain too much, so without any futher delay here you go...
1. American Gangster (A)
2. The Bourne Ultimatum (A)
3. No Country For Old Men (A)
4. Michael Clayton (A)
5. 300 (A)
6. Black Snake Moan (A)
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (A-)
8. There Will Be Blood (A-)
9. Breach (A-)
10. The Kingdom (A-)
11. I Am Legend (B+)
12. 3-10 To Yuma (B+)
13. Reign Over Me (B+)
14. The Great Debaters (B+)
15. Live Free or Die Hard (B+)
16. Zodiac (B+)
17. Mr. Brooks (B+)
18. The Grindhouse (B+)
19. Ocean’s Thirteen (B)
20. The Simpson's Movie (B)
21. The Transformers (B)
22. Hot Fuzz (B)
23. Shoot'Em Up (B)
24. The Brave One (C+)
25. Eastern Promises (C+)
26. DOA: Dead or Alive (C+)
27. Daddy’s Little Girls (C+)
28. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (C)
29. Spiderman 3 (C)
30. Smokin’ Aces (C)
31. The Condemned (C)
32. Ghost Rider (D)
33. Shrek the Third (D)
34. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (D)
35. Pathfinder (F)
1. American Gangster (A)
2. The Bourne Ultimatum (A)
3. No Country For Old Men (A)
4. Michael Clayton (A)
5. 300 (A)
6. Black Snake Moan (A)
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (A-)
8. There Will Be Blood (A-)
9. Breach (A-)
10. The Kingdom (A-)
11. I Am Legend (B+)
12. 3-10 To Yuma (B+)
13. Reign Over Me (B+)
14. The Great Debaters (B+)
15. Live Free or Die Hard (B+)
16. Zodiac (B+)
17. Mr. Brooks (B+)
18. The Grindhouse (B+)
19. Ocean’s Thirteen (B)
20. The Simpson's Movie (B)
21. The Transformers (B)
22. Hot Fuzz (B)
23. Shoot'Em Up (B)
24. The Brave One (C+)
25. Eastern Promises (C+)
26. DOA: Dead or Alive (C+)
27. Daddy’s Little Girls (C+)
28. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (C)
29. Spiderman 3 (C)
30. Smokin’ Aces (C)
31. The Condemned (C)
32. Ghost Rider (D)
33. Shrek the Third (D)
34. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (D)
35. Pathfinder (F)
No Country For Old Men
Wow, that is all I can say, wow. The Coen brothers make good movies. My boy Chris described this movie as the companion piece to Fargo, which is pretty much right on the money. In the way that Fargo gave us a sneak peak into life of North Dakota police woman trying to solve a series of violent crimes while she is six months pregnant, No Country For Old Men takes into the life of an aging sherrif, Tommy Lee Jones, trying to cope with how Texas has changed over the years and if he is still the man to do this job.
No Country For Old Men is more about Sherrif Ed Tom Bell and his struggle to make sense of a world gone crazy than it is about satchel full of money and all the parties going after it. Though the story mostly is centered around the $2 million that Llewlyn Moss, James Brolin, finds and tries to get away with while Anton Chigurh, Javier Bardem, and bunch of Mexican bad guys try to track him down. Most of the action may be about this cat and mouse game, the sotry of Sherrif Bell is always apparent, his is the first and last voice we hear in the movie and his wit and demenour carries the film.
In stead of talking about all the things that are great in this movie, which are a plenty I will instead offer my one slight crytique. I would have perferred some back story on Brolin and Bardem's characters. These two did a majority of the running and gunning in this movie, asisde from Bardem being described a pschyopath and Brolin as a vietnam vet we don't get much about how they know how to do what they do. But again that is my one slight annoyance, other than that this movie was great, an excellent must see and definately top five this year.
GRADE - A
No Country For Old Men is more about Sherrif Ed Tom Bell and his struggle to make sense of a world gone crazy than it is about satchel full of money and all the parties going after it. Though the story mostly is centered around the $2 million that Llewlyn Moss, James Brolin, finds and tries to get away with while Anton Chigurh, Javier Bardem, and bunch of Mexican bad guys try to track him down. Most of the action may be about this cat and mouse game, the sotry of Sherrif Bell is always apparent, his is the first and last voice we hear in the movie and his wit and demenour carries the film.
In stead of talking about all the things that are great in this movie, which are a plenty I will instead offer my one slight crytique. I would have perferred some back story on Brolin and Bardem's characters. These two did a majority of the running and gunning in this movie, asisde from Bardem being described a pschyopath and Brolin as a vietnam vet we don't get much about how they know how to do what they do. But again that is my one slight annoyance, other than that this movie was great, an excellent must see and definately top five this year.
GRADE - A
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is the story of oil-man Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York, who is so utterly consumed by being a self made success that he cannot see anything else and cares little for the collateral damage that results from his ambition. Plainview starts out as a man operation prospecting for precious metals as he begins to make money he adds to his staff and moves from silver and gold to the black gold this country has come to rely on. Plainview describes himself as a straigh talking oil-man who cares about family, he has unofficially adopted the son of one of his deceased employees, and faith. Plainview is an experts at exploiting the emmotions of small towns that are eager to reap the benefits that come with have an oil mill on their land. Plainview would not be able to do what he does if it were not some a least a small amount of greed on behalf of the towns folk, but his unapologetic tenacity steam rolls anyone that would try to stand against him or next to him for that matter.
My feelings for the story and movie at large aside, enough cannot be said for Day-Lewis' performance. It is not difficult to see why he takes so much time between movies, there is no Daniel Day-Lewis on screen there is only Daniel Plainview. There are few if any actors that are more committed to their craft. Day-Lewis becomes his roles, he eats sleeps and breaths his characters and this performance is another knotch on his belt, another example of what the highest level of acting looks and feels like.
As a movie There Will Be Blood got a little too full of itself for me. It like Anderson, writer and director, was so proud of this story he did not feel the need to explain much of anything. Like for example were the Sunday boys twins, we assume so, how did Plainview deduce his brother was a fake, did Plainview care more about oil than his son. I understand that many of these questions were probably answered and I am just too slow to pick up the sublety of the story, but did everyhing have to be cryptic and understood. However as pretencious as the movie felt at times it was not enough for me to be too harsh. This was sophisticated story telling and it is important to have this kind of varitey in the type of product Hollywood produces.
GRADE - A-
My feelings for the story and movie at large aside, enough cannot be said for Day-Lewis' performance. It is not difficult to see why he takes so much time between movies, there is no Daniel Day-Lewis on screen there is only Daniel Plainview. There are few if any actors that are more committed to their craft. Day-Lewis becomes his roles, he eats sleeps and breaths his characters and this performance is another knotch on his belt, another example of what the highest level of acting looks and feels like.
As a movie There Will Be Blood got a little too full of itself for me. It like Anderson, writer and director, was so proud of this story he did not feel the need to explain much of anything. Like for example were the Sunday boys twins, we assume so, how did Plainview deduce his brother was a fake, did Plainview care more about oil than his son. I understand that many of these questions were probably answered and I am just too slow to pick up the sublety of the story, but did everyhing have to be cryptic and understood. However as pretencious as the movie felt at times it was not enough for me to be too harsh. This was sophisticated story telling and it is important to have this kind of varitey in the type of product Hollywood produces.
GRADE - A-
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
So yeah I saw this movie, I saw the first one as well. I can't be mad at the movie, becuase shame on me for wanting anything from this movie or franchise. I guess I am a little frustrated that I saw this instead of Charlie Wilson's War, but at the time I had no idea that was movies was going to get some much love and I didn't think I would be as dissappointed in this movie as I was.
I really don't want to give a synopsis of what this movies was about becuase honestly I don't really want to expend the effort and in truth it doesn't really matter. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is less about the story and more about the outrageous escapes and puzzles throughout the movie, same as the original. I guess I was a little more lenient with the first movie becuase it was sort of new, but this movie made no effort to do anything different. Nick Cage and Justin Bartha are an amusing duo, but no terribly funny. There were a bunch of heavy weight actors, Voight, Harris, Keitel, even Helen Mirren shows up, but in the end it just wasn't enogh to save this movie from itself.
I wish I could suggest this movie as a fun pop corn flic that you can watch and turn your brain off, but honestly you will be bored 40mins in and your brain will actually fight you back. I guess if you catch in on capable you can put it in on in the background.
GRADE - D
I really don't want to give a synopsis of what this movies was about becuase honestly I don't really want to expend the effort and in truth it doesn't really matter. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is less about the story and more about the outrageous escapes and puzzles throughout the movie, same as the original. I guess I was a little more lenient with the first movie becuase it was sort of new, but this movie made no effort to do anything different. Nick Cage and Justin Bartha are an amusing duo, but no terribly funny. There were a bunch of heavy weight actors, Voight, Harris, Keitel, even Helen Mirren shows up, but in the end it just wasn't enogh to save this movie from itself.
I wish I could suggest this movie as a fun pop corn flic that you can watch and turn your brain off, but honestly you will be bored 40mins in and your brain will actually fight you back. I guess if you catch in on capable you can put it in on in the background.
GRADE - D
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Great Debaters
It seems like a couple of movies get made ever year with the specific purpose of being melodramtic enough to warrant award recognigtion. I often resent these movies and avoid them or watch them just so I can bash them. Last year I thought Pursuit of Happiness was going to be that kind of movie and this year I was certain The Great Debaters would also fit into that category. Well I was wrong about Pursuit of Happiness last year, it turned out to be a really good movie that was held together, by the strength of a great performance by Will Smith who kept the movie from being too melodramatic. I am happy to say that The Great Debaters also avoided being too melodramtic and in fact turned out to be a really good movie, not based solely on the acting, which actually did get a little melodramatic, but rather, on strength of Denzel Washington's directing, I know I am kind of surprised too.
This is Denzel's first movie, Antwain Fisher get that honor, but this movies does help to pad his resume and move him in the direction of being a really good director. Set in the Jim Crow south, The Great Debaters is the story of the Wiley College's debates team's history journey to wining a match against Harvard University. Denzel Washington is Professor Melving Tolson, professor and debate coach by day and union organizer by night. Professor Tolson tries to instill in his students and team members that power of words and a disciple over one's emmotions. The Wiley College debate team's journey to Harvard is by no means a smooth journey. There are many obstacles that hinder their progess, but in the end Wiley College proves to the nation there is much more to the American Negro than the rage associated with living in a country that considers you sub-human.
In the end Denzel crafts a vivid work full of emmotion and gripping speeches, it teeters on melodramatic at times and for this most part pulls back at just the right time, although there were occassion where the movie slipped. All in all this was a passionate film, with a lot heart and the brains to match.
GRADE - B+
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