Wall-E Review (My new best friend)

For those who don’t know me, I’m a huge Pixar fan. Pixar’s track record is relatively untarnished for me (Cars was the weakest, but still a good movie). The Incredibles is one of the finest cinematic experiences of my existence, and Monster’s Inc, Finding Nemo, and Ratatouille all have special places on my movie hall of fame. So I couldn’t have been more excited about seeing Wall-E at an advance screening earlier this week especially since my expectations I had for the film were through the roof.

I’m happy to report, not only were all my expectations for this movie met…. they were exceeded in every way. Wall-E is Pixar at its finest. The animation is superb, as we’ve all come to expect from Pixar, but the movie excels in other ways as well. I bought the soundtrack after watching the movie (my highest compliment) and the score is incredible. The story is beautiful. It really makes you think in a lot of ways, which I really liked. The voice cast was excellent. Everyone gave a fantastic performance, and spotting the John Ratzenberger cameo is always fun.

For all the Sci-Fi fans, there are great homages to classic sci-fi films that Ioved. 

I don’t want to spoil any of the story for those who haven’t seen it yet but I was captivated throughout. It starts out a bit “I Am Legend”-ish, which I found really interesting as I hadn’t seen this in an animated feature before. As a side note, being an Apple fanatic, I loved the Mac easter eggs they threw in.

As with most Pixar movies, after awhile I was completely engrossed in the film and forgot it was animated at all. I fully believed this world the animators had created from scratch was real. 

The comedy was well played, and another thing the film did which I absolutely love about Pixar films, it spoke to everyone. There are things in the film for adults and things that for children but at no time did I feel like I was being talked down to, or that there were things kids wouldn’t enjoy on an equal level. Kids will love this movie, teenagers will love this movie, grandparents will love this movie, YOU will love this movie. It’s the perfect date movie, but at the same time you can totally enjoy it Han-Solo.

The thing I enjoy most about Pixar films is their ability to tug at your heartstrings. There are few movies that bring tears to my eyes (both of joy and of sadness) and Wall-E did that multiple times. The best films are the those in which you fall in love with the characters and the fantasy/reality barrier is non-existent. Movies where you feel like the characters are alive, they are living, breathing entities that you can interact with. 

Wall-E is alive, and I love him.

A 5 out of 5

 

- Justincredible

Wanted Review (The Matrix Re-Reloaded)

Well let me first say that I had major pre-conceived notions going into this movie.

It’s based on a series of comic books by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones (two of my absolute favorite people working in comics today). I loved the book, it’s a 5 out of 5 for me in every sense of the word. The story is brilliant, in the book, yet when it got translated to film, the magic was lost for me. Everything I liked about the book, was changed for the film. Angelina Jolie’s character in the book looked exactly like Halle Berry from Catwoman (black, short hair, cat-like ears), Morgan Freeman’s character didn’t exist in the book.

And that’s where this movie went wrong for me. I wanted an adaptation of the book I loved so much and instead got The Matrixwith Angelina Jolie instead of Carrie-Anne Moss and Morgan Freeman in place of Laurence Fishburne. Exact same premise, a loser gets plucked out of his worthless existence to find he’s “The One”. I’m sorry but if I want to see a bad Matrix movie, I’ll watch The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

The action is unbelievable in a bad way (they don’t set up the rules for the universe, then seem to break the laws of physics at every turn). Angelina Jolie is getting too old for this type of action role (although there was a nice butt shot of her ) and needs to hang up her “Tomb Raider” mentality. The twist in the story left me unsatisfied on many levels, and I don’t know why they even bothered to call this movie “Wanted” since it has so little to do with the source material. I can understand making changes to a comic to film adaptation, I get it, what works in a comic book doesn’t always work in a film, but the amount of things they changed in this made it seem like it was based more off “The Matrix” than the source material.

The thing that saddens me even more is that the author, Mark Millar, has come out in numerous interviews online in defense of the movie. Everything I’ve read has sounded totally non-genuine and much more like he’s just trying to promote the movie and make more money. Very disappointed in you Mr. Millar. I would highly recommend you read the Wanted comic book (which is now collected in paperback and hardcover form).

It would be a much better way to spend 2 hours of your life.

 

A 2…..out of 5

- Justincredible

WALL-E Widget

My new best friend.

WALL-E Widget

First Listen: Coldplay “Viva La Vida”

In the past 24 hours, I have gotten a chance to listen to the new CD by Coldplay titled, “Viva La Vida“. On a first run-through the album, I actually like most of the tracks. The tempo of the album has changed from catchy, memorable songs to slower, more melodic songs. Does this change hinder someone from not giving the album a try? No, not really. If you’re a Coldplay fan, you will like this album. It’s a lot of the usual harmonies from Chris Martin but with a change of musical style and experiments from the other members of the band.

 

 Favorite Tracks:

• Life In Technicolor: An instrumental prelude to the mood of this album. Very soothing instrumental.
• Lost!: A catchy tune that is easily the best song on this album.
• Viva La Vida: It’s the most commercial song on the album besides Violet Hill but another one of my favorites to re-listen to.

Now, what is my rating? Is Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” an album worth buying? I have to say yes. Especially if you’re a fan of Coldplay. Now, if you are a casual listener or even a new listener, this album may not be what you’re looking for. I would recommend my two favorite albums by Coldplay: “A Rush Of Blood To The Head” and “X and Y“, if you want more catchy albums.

Rating: 4/5

Bif Bam Pow Wow!

a great podcast look at the Hulk

The Incredible Happening

As I write this blog post, two movies have been released today (Friday the 13th): The Incredible Hulk and The Happening. I don’t know what most of you guys are thinking but I’m not too excited to see either of these movies. Ok, Give me a bit of slack if you’re Hulk fan or a M. Night Shyamalan fan. One of these two, I used to be a big fan of. If you guessed the Hulk, then you’re wrong. So let’s start with the Big Green Monster.

To start this rant off right, I’m not a big fan of the Hulk. I have never been.I have never seen the Ang Lee version of the Hulk. I know there are millions of people that love the Big Guy, but I’m just not one of them. I’m just not fascinated by a character that gets stronger as he gets angrier. A character that smashes things in his path. To get to my point, I will be seeing The Incredible Hulk. Will I go loving the character? Not so much. But as a complete Marvel film production, I’m interested to see what they will do with the character and his direction. I am a huge fan of Edward Norton and I wish they (Marvel) would have given him a chance to tell the Hulk story that he wanted to tell. I hear that Norton is a big fan of the Hulk. So in closing of this section, I will see the Incredible Hulk and I’m sure I might enjoy it as a movie fan, not as a comic fan.

Now onto that other movie, The Happening. I used to be a huge M. Night Shyamalan fan with movies like: The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. During the last few years, my love for M. Night’s movies have decreased. With disappointing features like The Village and Lady in The Water, I have kind of lost trust in his ability to make great movies. Now, I know that by saying that someone doesn’t make great movies anymore is wrong because every filmmaker goes into a slump. After being burned twice by The Village and Lady In The Water, I’m afraid to give The Happening a try. Although the premise looks great and it’s Shyamalan’s first rated R movie. I’m not sure I will be checking this movie out in the theatres. Maybe just a rental.

Iron Man

Iron Man accomplishes what I heretofore thought was impossible: it makes the first act of the hero’s origin story (before he attains his powers) the most enjoyable part of a comic book movie.

Tony Stark is a guiltless hedonist living the ultimate playboy lifestyle with narcissistic charm and dexterity. As a rich weapons manufacturer, he indulges in high technology, gleefully treats objects like women (a Big Lebowski reference for you Jeff Bridges fans) and flies in a private jet packed with strippers and booze.

As ‘Back In Black’ blares on a stereo system, he boasts of his company’s latest devastating firepower available for sale to the U.S. military. It is at this time that a group of Afghani terrorists obliterate his convoy and take the fatally wounded Stark hostage. It seems he is needed to build a missile for them; the twist being that it is a weapon he himself designed. 

The only way his heart can be kept beating is by keeping it connected to a crude battery unit. In a terrifically suspenseful sequence, Stark stalls for time so he can build an iron suit capable of protecting him from bullets and explosions while he wipes out his captors. 

Upon returning to L.A. (in an unlikely rescue), Stark decides to stop developing weapons and live a nobler lifestyle (which is no fun). However, Jeff Bridges (the requisite confidant-turned-archenemy) has other ideas and battles against Stark’s newfound idealism while secretly creating his own goliath suit; presumably because all bad guys in these movies crave Ultimate Power. 

Robert Downey Jr. is the producers’ ace-in-the-hole. Without him this would be just another mediocre entry in the long line of cookie-cutter Marvel films. His performance hits you like a shot of pure oxygen. He is the slick, supercool badass with snappy one-liners we all wish we could be. Even when the plot falls apart, Downey’s mere presence makes the onscreen nonsense bearable (and, at times, hardly noticeable).

The rest of the bland cast isn’t worth mentioning. After Stark constructs his true Iron Man suit and the obvious reveal of Jeff Bridges as the villain, there’s nowhere left to go except the inevitable showdown. Or so the screenwriters have surmised. The remainder of Iron Man’s running time is a tedious, disappointing affair. 

My personal preference would have been for Stark to simply fight terrorism across the globe without the stale conflict of Jeff Bridges’ character (especially because Bridges’ dialogue eventually becomes cartoonishly rotten, even for this type of movie). There’s a scene where this happens and it’s the last time Iron Man provides a refreshing antidote to the typical mundane style of storytelling prevalent in Marvel’s blockbuster features.  

At least the audience can rightfully expect a better sequel from the brave, abrupt surprise ending.

No Country For Old Men

Joel & Ethan Coen’s latest is easily an improvement on their sorrier, more recent offerings (Intolerable Cruelty,Ladykillers). But it’s harder for me to tell you if it’s the brothers’ strongest since their magnum opus, The Big Lebowski(I at least half-liked O Brother, Where Art Thou? & The Man Who Wasn’t There).

No Country For Old Men comes up short for me in one crucial area: its third act. This is one of those movies that doesn’t really have a climax and yet putters along anyway for quite awhile before finally exiting stage right. The wind-up is unsatisfying and seems like it’s married to the source novel too close for comfort (though I haven’t read the book to be sure). 

The dialogue remains tight and clever throughout but I didn’t feel like the movie really delivered any kind of payoff. It’s fine for a film to gloss over what would normally be the logical endpoint of its story and search for a higher meaning, but I didn’t feel the Coens achieved this. A rewrite of the ending would have elevated the whole film to another level, because the rising momentum of its tension was strong and well-earned from the beginning. This is a composition that’s quiet (almost no background music whatsoever) and still. Characters talk only when they need to. The excellent Roger Deakins cinematography is draped in shadows, looking natural yet striking. There’s no special f/x sleight of hand or plot twist trickery to distract you from the meat and potatoes script. Like the Bourne spy yarns, you’re shown all the steps a character takes to pull off an escape, retrieve a briefcase under siege, or blow up a car without explosives. 

Until the last 20 minutes or so you’re not left with any lingering questions and there aren’t any plotholes to speak of. It’s not a weak, messy finale so much as it feels deflated and almost dull compared to what came before. Thrillers like this one are most memorable when they save the best for last. 

Tommy Lee Jones is actually the star of this, not Josh Brolin (who still gave a captivating performance despite getting shortchanged near the end). Tommy Lee is a towering actor as usual and Javier Bardem hits all the right creepy notes as the existentialist killer hunting down Brolin (he manages to be a real world version of Two-Face in his coin toss scenes). 

This is definitely one of the better movies of the last few years but not good enough to win my vote for 2007’s best. I’d recommend seeing it eventually but unless you can figure out a better explanation for the end than I could come up with, you also might think it falls short of greatness.

American Gangster

Although decent, this movie could’ve used some tighter editing (Pietro Scalia is usually very dependable – what went wrong?) and a stronger overall story arc. There are some scenes of individual power – almost all of them involving Denzel Washington as the villain. But Russell Crowe’s child custody subplot is unnecessary as they could’ve mentioned it in one scene or even a line and it would’ve had the same impact. 

Plus, it lacks the scope and visceral shock of movies like the first 2 Godfather films or Goodfellas. There’s nothing here you haven’t really seen before (unless you’re totally unfamiliar with the gangster genre) and no memorable/iconic sequences.

Ridley Scott should probably stick to directing sword & sandal epics or sci-fi thrillers because this doesn’t play to his strengths. I’m not unhappy with the final result but I have no desire to see it again. See it if you must in the theatre but you’d probably be better off renting it later on when you’ve got nothing else to do.

STANDOUT: Josh Brolin as the corrupt Special Investigations Unit detective. His performance was appropriately slimy, intimidating and fascinating. 

Enchanted

In Enchanted, Disney is content with shoveling us the same old shit and calling it sugar.

I was hoping this would be a biting satire of the Mouse House’s past fables but instead they played it safe and only increased their self-awareness: “Yes we know how silly the musical numbers were in those old cartoons, so let’s ratchet up the camp level a little for this film!” Except for a bizarrely crude cleaning-song parody involving NYC’s vermin (amusing in concept and maybe initially but like all the movie’s good parts, the fun factor was quick and fleeting), I can’t think of anything that makes this different from all the other cookie-cutter sludge the company churns out every year.

Disney really made it seem like they were going to town on all the soggy cliches clogging up their extensive family-friendly output but it’s not like I was expecting this to star Sarah Silverman (though that would have been genius). Instead we get James Marsden beginning to belt an over-the-top “I’ve been dreaming of…” and then getting hit by a group of bicyclists in Central Park. That’s about it.

All the scenes with McDreamy were snooze-worthy and highlighted the main problem of Enchanted: its tone. The real world scenes weren’t crazy enough… in fact, they tried to act like this was reality and not, you know… a fucking DISNEY production. No police or post-9/11 military personel patrolling the city at all? Not a single person thinks about sending Amy Adams to a psychiatric ward (though that might have been too darkly comedic)? It’s either a total fantasy or not. You can’t try to have it both ways.

In the end it’s another dumbed-down kid flick. There are much worse injustices in this world and if you’re satisfied with that then by all means, bring the whole Sunday School class.