michael clayton

i saw this movie on a whim. i remember it coming out this past fall, but not really knowing anything about it. i had some time to kill, so i figured id give it a shot.

the movie itself is about a guy who works for a law firm whos life isnt exactly in order. there is a class action lawsuit going on against a company where they are being sued for putting bad chemicals in the ground. the huge law firm that is handling the case has been working 12 years on it, trying to wear down those suing the company. one day the head lawyer just cracks. he realizes that this is a terrible thing and doesnt want anything to do with it anymore. he goes crazy in front of court officials. the company fears that this will hurt their case, so they send in someone to fix it for them. in comes george clooneys character. hes kind of the janitor who comes in to clean up any messes that arise. hes very good at what he does, but he is having a hard time cleaning up the messes in his own life.

the story is quite interesting, and the character arcs are very compelling. we really see the struggle that both men go through with who they are and what they do. there is a little bit of time jumping as well (we see events happen, then jump back a few days to see what lead up to it). it was at times confusing, but it seems like that was a bit intentional. the character doesnt know the whole story, so we are left out a little bit as well. it is a twisty tale that is told, but the ending is incredibly satisfying.

alien vs predator: requiem

i know, i know, i should have known better. but i went anyway. i have a bit of a soft spot for those 'alien' movies, and i dig predator too. i saw the last avp and was disappointed. i wasnt sure what i was expecting, but it wasnt as good as i was hoping. but i must admit, in light of avp:r, that first one sure is looking a lot better...

the story, if you can really call it that, is about an alieny predatory thing who accidentally crashes on earth, and the predators have to get rid of him for some reason. many people die, many stomachs burst open. many predator weapons are used. big showdown. the end.
heres the biggest problem: its generic. the first avp didnt have enough action, but at least they brought up some interesting mythology about the creatures. we learned a bit more about the aliens and why the predators are after them. but this movie? it could have just as easily been made without either of the franchises being involved. it could have just been monster vs monster and it would not have suffered at all for it. actually, now that i think about it, it might have helped- there wouldnt be as much expected, so the fact that it is just a run-of-the-mill monster movie would not have been such a letdown.

i would say 'oh well, maybe next time', but i think if they tried again it might make this one look good...

i am legend

when we finally got to see this movie, i was quite excited for it. i wasnt sure what to expect, the advertising champagne focused on will smiths character being alone in this desolate future. but i also knew a little bit about the story, so i knew it has its roots in a much more horror style genre.

the story begins with a plague wiping out almost everyone, and smith is the last man in new york. hes been on his own, with his dog, for almost three years when we meet up with him. we follow him around as he looks for food and his typically uneventful search for any survivors. this, by far, is the best part of the film. we see him trying to live a normal life, setting up mannequins in stores he frequents and talking to them as if they were real. we get a sense of what it must be like for him, trying to stave off insanity. the mood is slow and introspective. like the island part of castaway, it begins to become a thoughtful portrait of loneliness, and how one tries to adapt. there are even some good scares with what is out there. but about three Fourths of the way through the movie, it takes an unfortunate turn. the story falls off the rails and falls into all the cliches it had been so successful in avoiding up until that point.

over all, it was worth seeing for the first half. the quite moments and the story reveals along the way are pitch perfect, but when the plot turns, it turns hard.

sweeney todd

ive been looking forward to this film for quite some time. im not at all familiar with the musical its based on (yes, this movie is a musical), but the prospect of any film by tim burton with jonny depp in it is always something to get excited about.

i went to go see it wednesday, and my general reaction was this: meh. im not sure why, but i was all together unimpressed. the story is dark and interesting, but i think it fell flat because of the fact that its a musical. it may have been great as a musical, but i felt the the songs themselves were quite bland as well. nothing really stands out as a memorable tune. the songs werent catchy, and there were many times where i just plain couldnt understand what they were singing. oh, and none of them could really sing that well, so that has a way of lowering the quality of the film. the story line has a lot of promise, but even that didnt pan out as being that interesting. the bit with the daughter and sailor boy was disjointed and disconnected from the major plot and never really played any important role in what was going on with the main characters, the bit about the poor woman was weak and very obvious, and the meat pie thing wasnt very well executed.

it saddens me to say this, but i think burton and depp missed the mark on this one.

the assassination of jesse james

now, that not exactly the full title of the film, but i figured i wouldn't be able to fit the whole thing on there. the full title is 'the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford'. a bit of a mouth full, huh?

tuesday i was sitting around my parents place and getting bored, so i figured i'd catch a movie. i saw that woodland theaters (the cheap second run and art house theater) was showing this movie and i had read a bit about it and wanted to check it out. so i did.

the film itself is a bit unusual as far as films go. its not so much a story as it is a character study. all the scenes don't necessarily tie in with each other so much as they all show different aspects of who these guys are. brad pitt plays jesse james as a tired, sad, and angry man who distrusts everyone (with good reason), and casey affleck plays robert ford as an insecure boy with a misplaced ego. the film itself is quite slow. it really creates the feeling of being there. the pace of the film helps us to understand the pace of life at that time, as well as the reality of the actions and events portrayed. it plainly shows the emotions of jesse james, a spent man accepting what evils have finally caught up with him, and robert ford, a desperate man blind to the truth that he will never amount to anything. its quite sad, really, but that's what makes it even more powerful.

oh, and the guy who plays dick liddil, paul schneider, is amazing. its difficult to admit, but i think he stole the show away from brad pitt. truly someone who will be making it big, and soon. keep an eye on this guy.

national treasure 2

monday i met up with jeffry lee at the mall and we figured we would catch a movie. there were a couple that we wanted to see, but werent particularly passionate about which one we should see. we ended up deciding to go see 'national treasure 2: book of secrets'.

now, its no big secret that i am not a nicolas cage fan, but for some reason i really enjoyed the first one. i think it was because i had just finished reading 'the da vinci code' and wanted to see a fun puzzle-based adventure movie. i saw it and really enjoyed it- it was certainly better than the really crappy da vinci movie that was eventually made. the first one was filled with a fun mix of history, conspiracy theories, puzzles, action, and adventure. it was completely over-the-top and left any sense of logic in its wake.

the second one is just more of the same (well, except less of the logic). the plot is loosely based on something or other to do with the lincoln assassination. the journey to find some sort of golden city takes them to paris, england, washington dc, and finally south dakoda (as all good adventures should...?) at many points you must actively fight your brain from working because the jumps in logic are so ludicrous that any sort of thinking would ruin the fun. but there are actually a few times where the characters themselves begin to question its absurdity, so they are obviously in on the joke. one of the funnies things in the movie is the fact that the only way a character is able to add emphasis to what they are saying is to repeat it ('is it? is it?'), which happens about ten to fifteen times throughout the movie. jeff and i got a great many laughs out of that, but it seems that the rest of the audience didnt quite pick up on it. the rest of the audience didnt quite pick up on it.

over all, im sure i will quickly forget the movie, but in a couple years when its on tv i will probably stop and watch it again for the laughs and the ridiculous ride it takes you on.

transformers

ive seen this one a few times now, and i figure i should say a few words about it. the first time i saw it was opening weekend in theaters, and i loved it! i had always intended to head back and see it again on the big screen, but the summer passed by faster than i thought it would. oh well.

a few weeks ago it came out on dvd. i, always a sucker for special movie packaging, had to get the two disc version from target. the case is so ridiculous that its actually quite impressive. they made the dvd case into a transforming robot. it looks really stupid as the case, and it doesnt really look much better as the robot. but thats not the point, the point is that its really outrageous and lame- which automatically means awesome!

i watched it when i first got it and is fun factor was still intact, even on a smaller screen. the film itself does a great job of bringing a back story to the robots. they did a really great job on optimus prime and the effect of all the robots changing. the human characters are passable for the most part (i still can not stand the girl with the australian accent, i know its real but it sounds totally fake!) the 'all spark' cube is a bit lame, but they needed a macguffin, and it did enough to serve its purpose. would have loved a few more fight scenes, but thats when a sequel is for, i guess... on top of a good movie was the second disc. the bonus second disc is worth the purchase alone, it goes very in depth about the production and everything that went into making it. some of the shots of how they filmed and then added in the robots was more interesting then i expected.

i just watched it a third time this week, this time with the director commentary on. and once again, i am impressed. having listened to many, many director commentaries, i was quite impressed with michael bays candor. usually the people doing the commentary end up kissing each others butt the whole time 'oh, you were so great in that scene', 'oooh, i loved the camera angle you used there' (im looking at you, kevin costner), or they become very technical or just plain nonsense (that you be you, tim burton). but on this commentary, bay is completely honest about what went right, what went wrong, how the transformer fans helped or were wrong about different stuff. it was refreshing, to hear someone tell it like it is and actually give some insight into the movie making process.

all in all, it was one of those rare things: a great movie, with even better dvd extras!

once

the music. oh, the music! i was lucky enough to see this film in the theater (twice) and be swept away by the melody it brings. its a simple story of a man who loves to sing and play his beaten up guitar. his path crosses with a foreign woman who talks with him. they form a friendship and play music together for a while. their stories, music, and hearts intertwine for a short time, but it is magic to behold. the film is, in essence, a musical. the great thing though, is that it is not a traditional musical where the characters are talking and then break out in song and dance, rather the characters in it sit down and sing. they make music together as musicians, which leads them to a recording studio and briefly into each other's souls. its a love story, but more a love story about the love of music than any romantic type of love. soon their paths take them in different directions, but the music they shared and created continue to exist even after their time together. i must admit that immediately after walking out of the theater the first time i saw it i went straight to the store to buy the soundtrack- that song 'falling slowly' is one of the most beautiful and melancholy songs i have heard in years! the whole movie is inspired and moving.

rocky balboa

ive never been into the whole 'rocky' thing. in fact, i dont think ive ever actually seen any of them the whole way through. still, for some reason, i wanted to see this latest sequel. maybe out of morbid curiosity, just to see how badly stallone has aged, maybe because of the many good reviews it got when it came out, or maybe because it was free at the library. im not sure which was the reason for picking it up, but i watched it a couple days ago, and was somewhat impressed.

though unfamiliar with the previous 5, i could tell that most of the movie was filled with references to what had come before. it didnt seem excessive, just the opposite in fact, the movie is all about finishing strong and moving on, so it was altogether fitting that there would be frequent referencing of the past. the idea of one last fight was played out pretty well, and the final fight was actually quite exciting. it almost made me want to go back and check out the originals. or not.

quick hits

ive been watching a ton of movies lately, so i figured id do a quick fire review of some of them:


'bourne ultimatum': really good! this was a satisfying end to a consistently good trilogy. the action was insane, and the twists and turns along the way were very satisfying. its always an amazing thing when a series can start strong, and end even stronger. the questions raised in the first two are neatly tied up in this one, and done in such a manic style that it kept the immediacy and tension the whole way through. my only complaint is that by the end it seems that borne has turned into an invulnerable superman. does this man never get hurt?!?


'say anything...': though it pains me to say this, being a john cusack fan, this movie is rather lame. the pacing is poor, and the characters do not follow any sort of clear motivation. i had never seen this one before, so i cant rely on a nostalgia factor like most people. the characters were not real, and they acted more like they were in some strange stilted theater production than actual high school kids. disappointing.


'pathfinder': a unique tale about a viking boy left for dead in the new world. it mostly deals with finding a place with those that are different than you and coming to terms with where you came from. actually, it mostly deals with swords and axes. a bloody action movie that actually has some pretty cool action in it. when it was released it got a bum rap because it came out a week or two after '300', and tried to do similar things with its action scenes. not as successfully, but still a story i havent seen before.


'hot fuzz': this one was a treat. its a buddy cop movie from the guys that did 'sean of the dead'. needless to say, its quite funny (i do love british humor) and never falls into the cheesy spoof category. there are some really great homages to other american movies, but it certainly stands on its own. my one qualm- there are about 3 or 4 endings that make the film feel longer than it is.

'contract': sorry to be dogging john cusack again, but this one stunk. jeffry lee and i have a habit of renting straight-to-video movies based on cover art or who is in them. we figured 'cusack and morgan freeman? what could possibly go wrong?' well, turns out, a lot. the movie was generic and uninspired. i always wonder what caught the attention of such good actors to such a mediocre film?



'daniel tosh: completely serious': i dont know what exactly it is i like so much about this off-color comedian, but i love it! this is the full length stand-up concert video of what was shown on comedy central a couple months ago that first got me into him. his routine is hilarious in its blatant offensiveness. oh, but it hurts so good...

tmnt

dont let its categorization fool you- this is much more than a childrens movie. i saw this one in the theater in the spring, and recently got the dvd and watched it again. and boy, am i impressed! this movie is a lot better than it needed to be- it could have been just a basic retread of the old cartoons, but instead it is a well-crafted thoughtful examination of what it means to be a family and a friend.

the story picks up a few years after where the first live action movie left us. the turtles have, in a way, all gone their own separate directions and have lost touch with their dreams of being heroes. due to the recent appearance of strange monsters and ancient statues, they are required to step back into action. they arent quite ready for it, and must relearn how to work together as a team. there are some really great moments of character development which are surprisingly touching and honest. the animation is very stylized, and the camera shots and framing are creative and impressive. one scene in particular, a rooftop battle between leonardo and the night watcher is both strikingly beautiful, and emotionally powerful. by the end of the film the turtles, casey jones and april, as well as the 'bad' guy, have all taken an important personal journey.

this is one of the rare animated movies that actually left me pondering some of its ideas for quite a while after the credits rolled.

ultraviolet

i just rewatched this movie on demand. i was one of the 12 people who actually saw this when it first came out in theaters. i must admit, i was not very impressed with it then. the style of the movie is mostly cg effects, kind of like 'sky captain and the world of tomorrow', its very fuzzy and out of focus.
the story itself is fairly bland. its a sci fi futuristic fanasy story about a bad girl with a gun who must get a package and keep it safe as everyone around her is trying to take it from her.
i could see what it was trying to do, but it was obvious that it needed a ton more money to pull it off. but then i watched 'eaon flux'. at which point i realized that even with a lot of money, this genre kinda sucks.
one think i must admit though- after watching it again it got a lot better. the action was better than i remembered it being, and there were some really cool scenes that gave it a very unique feel.
i guess i would change its rating from 'uggh', to 'not bad'. take that for what its worth.

legend

a couple nights ago the guys and i, at rexs request, rented the movie 'legend'. its a ridley scott film starring tom cruise, tim curry, and that one girl from ferris beuller. i remember seeing small bits and pieces of the movie on cable in the past, but rex was adamant that we needed to watch it. i wasnt very excited for it, i figured it was going to be another clunker like ive been suckered into before.

jeffry lee and i went to go get it anyway and we watched it when rex arrived. and to be totally honest with you, i was quite impressed! its very fantasy-like, kind of along the lines of labyrinth, except with out the muppets. the premise is that there are two unicorns alive and they are the most magical beings in the world. if they die then the evil will defeat the good. tim curry as the bad guy with ridiculously large horns, intends to do just that. as he does that he also kidnaps the princess and forces her to marry him. cruise, the love interest, doesnt like that idea, so he goes off to save her and the unicorns. cheesy, i know, but the visuals are just amazing.

if you are even a little bit familiar with any of ridley scotts work, then you know that he has a penchant for having stuff falling in the air around his characters, often in slow motion. in gladiator it was sand and ash, black hawk down it was debris, kingdom of heaven it was sand and fire. well, it would seem that this is the movie where he was able to hown that skill. about 90% of the movie has stuff falling around in the air! he even gets creative- he uses snow, leaves, dandelion seed, flower pedals, and even bubbles! i wasnt even annoyed, i was impressed! though he has these signature flourishes, i must admit it looked amazing! the costumes and makeup looked perfectly believable.

the problem was the story. it flowed well, each step was a (kind of) logical one, but the editing and cutting were choppy and hard to follow. it was hard at times to understand what was going on. we watched 'the directors cut', but rex had seen another version and told us some of the stuff that was in it, and it sounded like some of the things this one would have benefited from. over all, a decent story thats lovely to look at.

gleaming the cube

have you ever heard of this movie? its a classic (ie terrible) 80s movie about skateboarding that stars christian slater. in junior high i had a friend, david carrol, who was obsessed with this movie. he was kind of a skater-wannabe, so it made sense. i just never got around to watching it and attempting to shair in his love for this movie.

well, this morning i had nothing to do, so i was surfing around on my dads 'on demand' cable thingy. i happened to notice this movie in the free section, and figured out of respect of david, and a never fulfilled curiosity, i should watch it.
surprise! turns out, its pretty lame. slater plays a kid whose brother is killed but the guys responsible for it make it look like a suicide. slater takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of it. there are many moments along the way where he must spend some time in self reflection, which of course is shown though 'cool' skateboarding tricks and campy electric guitar riffs. in a ridiculous turn of events it turns out that it is a group of vietnamese arms dealers who are responsible, and slater ends up saving the day single handedly. oh, and he gets the girl. and skates a lot. i hoping it was a lot cooler at the time, otherwise david had a really bad taste in movies...

thank you, come again

as movie tie-ins, there are some seven-11s around the country that have changed their sign and decor to mirror that of the simpsons 'kwik-e-mart'. along with that, they are selling funny product tie-ins as well- you can get a box of krusty-Os cereal, a six pack of buzz cola, and a squishee!

there arent any around stores with the sign change around here, but rex and i found one with the novelty simpsons products! so today we went there and some up. and we both had an orange squishee- resulting in an orange tongue. got to love that!