speed racer

forget what the critics say, this movie is a lot of fun! if you like to see crazy car races or strange visual styles, then you will fall in love with this.

i'm not at all familiar with the old tv show, so i went into this not really knowing anything about it. the commercials and all the advertising has been pretty terrible, and almost kept me away. but i knew it was directed by the wachowski brothers, the same guys behind the martrix and that's enough for me to check it out.

the story is very basic: a boy loves to race, a big corporation wants to make sure he looses because he wont make them money. that it. all the rest is just details.  the best part of this film, by far, would be the candy colored special effects. they are so over the top that its in a whole other stratosphere. the best way to describe the movie is that its a live action cartoon. the actors are real, but everything else is a beautiful pastel dream. there is definitely a crazy madcap feel to all the racing and action. every scene just has an amazing kinetic sense to it that just makes everything pop!

my major complaint with it would be the pacing. the film is super fast- the racing and car battles get the heart rate pumping, but over all its actually slow. even the times when the excitement should be palpable, it feels like its just poking along. the story is so basic, yet they find a way to fill it up with so many unnecessary subplots, and they get a little bit confusing due to lack of explanation they become a jumbled mess. also, all the random asides with the little brother and his monkey were funny, but really annoying.

now, don't get me wrong, i'm not saying this is a great movie, i'm just saying that its fun.

iron man

wow. thats really all i can say: wow. i have seen it twice now, and im still in love with it! the first time i saw it was opening night with diana and two friends, and it was a sold out show filled with nerds about to erupt with excitement. i must admit, i was one of them! the advertising and news has had me giddy for quite a while now, so i was very excited to finally be able to see it.

this is a comic book movie done right! the story follows a rich playboy who lives it up until he is captured and seriously injured by terrorists. he has to build them a weapon, instead he builds himself a way out: an iron suit covered in guns and flame throwers! when he returns home he has a change of heart and realizes he needs to dedicate himself to doing good. he makes a better suit and the superheroing begins!

the film is fantastic, now the reason for this can be placed on two things: robert downey jr, and the suit. downey has always been a great actor with a personality that leaps off the screen, and this time he has found a character who does the same- its perfect casting! every scene in the film is made better with downey's charm and wit. oh, then there is the suit. and what a suit it is! we get to see him making it and testing it (some of the biggest laughs come from failed tests...), we get to see it evolve from the archaic first version to the sexy sleek suit he wears by the end. the story is unbelievable, but really, a superhero movie should be unbelievable, right? the film hits all the right notes, from his boozing to his desperation it conveys a powerful arc that the tony stark character goes through to find his ultimate goal of helping others. even the slight romance between him and the gwyneth paltrow character is perfectly handled.

oh, and dont even get me started about the scene after the credits...