Well, pretty much every website is covering this story today, so I figure, "Why not us?". For anyone into flicks, GO TO RIGHT NOW. It's the online video archive of Siskel, Ebert , & Roeper, and it's awesome. I started my day by watching reviews of ROADHOUSE and POINT BREAK, two of my all-time favorite pictures, and I foresee myself jumping through more reviews throughout the day. In fact, I imagine I will interrupt my real job every 5-10 minutes searching for new insights on tons of pictures. It's gonna be a fantastic Thursday. Have a film you love and want to know what the big guns (MUCH bigger than us)think? Check it out.
Showing posts with label Movie Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie Reviews. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The Simpsons Movie. (8.25 out of 10) Based on 2 reviews
The Simpsons movie has been getting a lot of varied reviews. Most say the movie was a hit as a giant sized episode and was worth the wait. Some say that it was mediocre, but were glad to see it finally arrive.
From the first intro where the film immediately breaks the 4th wall and pokes fun at the movie saying "We can get this at home for free" to Maggie's first words at the end (I won't spoil it, just stay through the credits.) This movie is a non-stop laugh fest. Homer causes havoc on Springfield, leading it to be ultimately destroyed by the government. The Simpson family must help prevent Springfield from being blown off the map, and save their friends. Many sub-plots are involved, and almost all characters are featured. Homer and Bart steal the show with this one, as their classic back and forth antics remind those who started with the series from the very beginning, why we thought it was funny in the first place. Poking fun at social issues such as organized religion, politics, FOX, and even the series itself, it is a great entry for Simpsons cinema, allowing some of the more crude humor to be present that the writers could not get away with on FOX.
The soundtrack stays true to Danny Elfman's original theme, with a catch score throughout the film. The only downside I would say that I found, was that some of the mainstream characters like Mr. Smitthers and Apu only had one or two lines of dialogue the whole movie. However, since I would say at least one joke per character was made, it evens out itself. The animation quality has obviously been updated, to give you a new outlook on Springfield, the characters, and the overall layout of the town.
I give this movie a solid 9 out of 10 for a movie that has been 15 years in the making, and is the funniest comedy of 2007. It was definitely worth the $9.75, and I recommend it to all who even remotely like the series.
The Simpsons Movie was good and I think the comparison to a good episode is quite fitting. I laughed well and often during the movie and it was a fine evening at the movies. BUT I do have a few issues with the movie which will cause me to water down Chris' 9 rating.
I felt the movie as Chris said was lacking in peripheral characters and instead of a little of all of them I might have enjoyed more with some of them, but I concede this would be harder for them to accomplish within a 90 minute movie. I felt that for the first time I wanted some of the characters to evolve and that after spending an hour and a half with them I wanted something more and new from them, and this movie did try but did not fully succeed especially from Lisa who was barely worth having in the movie. And the story was one I felt they had done before but with a greater set of stakes to hang that story on.
On the plus side, they got a lot of good quick jokes in throughout which keeps you laughing. Spider-pig was great and is now my ringtone. And it was refreshing to see the cinematics amped up with new angles and textures and camera tricks to enhance the now legendary Springfield and its characters. This movie gets a solid recommendation, just not as glowing as Chris'.
I give this a 7.5 out of 10 for being great fun, but short lived.
From the first intro where the film immediately breaks the 4th wall and pokes fun at the movie saying "We can get this at home for free" to Maggie's first words at the end (I won't spoil it, just stay through the credits.) This movie is a non-stop laugh fest. Homer causes havoc on Springfield, leading it to be ultimately destroyed by the government. The Simpson family must help prevent Springfield from being blown off the map, and save their friends. Many sub-plots are involved, and almost all characters are featured. Homer and Bart steal the show with this one, as their classic back and forth antics remind those who started with the series from the very beginning, why we thought it was funny in the first place. Poking fun at social issues such as organized religion, politics, FOX, and even the series itself, it is a great entry for Simpsons cinema, allowing some of the more crude humor to be present that the writers could not get away with on FOX.
The soundtrack stays true to Danny Elfman's original theme, with a catch score throughout the film. The only downside I would say that I found, was that some of the mainstream characters like Mr. Smitthers and Apu only had one or two lines of dialogue the whole movie. However, since I would say at least one joke per character was made, it evens out itself. The animation quality has obviously been updated, to give you a new outlook on Springfield, the characters, and the overall layout of the town.
I give this movie a solid 9 out of 10 for a movie that has been 15 years in the making, and is the funniest comedy of 2007. It was definitely worth the $9.75, and I recommend it to all who even remotely like the series.
The Simpsons Movie was good and I think the comparison to a good episode is quite fitting. I laughed well and often during the movie and it was a fine evening at the movies. BUT I do have a few issues with the movie which will cause me to water down Chris' 9 rating.
I felt the movie as Chris said was lacking in peripheral characters and instead of a little of all of them I might have enjoyed more with some of them, but I concede this would be harder for them to accomplish within a 90 minute movie. I felt that for the first time I wanted some of the characters to evolve and that after spending an hour and a half with them I wanted something more and new from them, and this movie did try but did not fully succeed especially from Lisa who was barely worth having in the movie. And the story was one I felt they had done before but with a greater set of stakes to hang that story on.
On the plus side, they got a lot of good quick jokes in throughout which keeps you laughing. Spider-pig was great and is now my ringtone. And it was refreshing to see the cinematics amped up with new angles and textures and camera tricks to enhance the now legendary Springfield and its characters. This movie gets a solid recommendation, just not as glowing as Chris'.
I give this a 7.5 out of 10 for being great fun, but short lived.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Live Free or Die Hard (7.5 out of 10)
My first reacion to Live Free or Die hard was, "That was an interesting film to watch in a Post-True Lies era of action movies." True Lies, a James Cameron picture of the late 1990s essentially paid homage to the unbelievability of action films while also offering commentary on them and, in so doing, showed the lovably absurd films for what they are--good, adrenaline pumping fun. After watching True Lies, one tends to watch action films through a filtered lens of acceptable silliness, wherein the film gets a pass for whatever explosive incidents occur, so long as it is fun. Live Free or Die Hard is the first film to test this acceptability of the ridiculous to the extent of True Lies but differs from True Lies in that attempts to take itself somewhat seriously. This is a major problem for a great action picture, for it forces itself to include exposition and "character development" which slow the film when it should be gaining more momentum.
The film follows divorced Lt. Detective John McClain during a "Firesale", a hacker-term used to describe the complete and total shutdown of the U.S. by overtaking and ruining its technological infrastructure. While Willis plays the cetnral character with humor and great athleticism, Timothy Olyphant portrays his nemesis with calculated calm, only emoting when he's pushed to the edge. Thy dynamic between these two is interesting, but it's also a bit uneven given the lunacy of the film's action sequences, which included Willis hitting a woman with a car, launching a Sedan at a helicopter, and diving from a plane onto a fallen highway.
Overall, however, this lack of balance between the serious and the silly doesn't kill the film or screech it to a halt. That is left to the scenes of exposition and "character development", wherein we are asked to spend time with the movie's many players. Of these players, there are snivelling NSA agents, a hacker named Warlock (played expertly by Kevin Smith), the henchman of Olpyhant, and the head of the Tech Security. While none of these characters nor scenes of exposition are bad in and of themselves, the movie has too many of them spread out over too much time, making the movie start and stop and start and stop and start and...you get the picture. A saavy re-write or edit offering less travel time, closer locations, and fewer scenes of "and now we know this about this person" would have made this picture the best action extravaganza of the last 5 years, easily. Director Les Wiseman has an eye for filming action that is understandable; rather than the chaotic shaky-camera nonsense to which modern audiences are so often forced to succumb.
That being said, Live Free or Die Hard gets a solid 7.5 out of 10 Cinemabuns. The action and banter for which the series is known are fantastic, with Willis turning in a performance as charismatic as McCalin's debut 20-some years ago. The movie fails however by putting too much filler between the sequences of action, leaving the picture feel uneven and jolting from time to time. Overall, some in the audience may find the action unbelievable and silly, but those ready to leave their brain at the door and take the ride should have a good time, even if the ride halts from time to time.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Transformers Review (8.25 out of 10) [Averaged from 2 reviews]
Transformers was awesome.
Acting - I felt that Shia Lebeof was very good, and I enjoyed his parents. Everyone else was serviceable or perhaps unneccesary. Megan Fox was a bit weak and other than eye candy she offered very little. Also the robots are great most notably Bumblebee (who speaks only in radio songs or blurbs) and Optimus Prime.
Directing - Michael Bay is an action master so I was happy to have him do this film, but he threw in a few of the things that he annoys me with. Most notable a completely wasteful rotating shot which he loves and only pulled off well in Bad Boys 2.
Special Effects - They are unbelievable. And worth all the ticket cost to enjoy on their own. Actually the first action sequence is worth your ticket. Any doubt about ILM's powers will be silenced quickly.
Story - I expected very little and it was good enough for me. All that was necessary was a skeleton story to attach Robot Action to and it was actually much better than that. I was even surprised at how funny it was throughout.
Overall - A solid viewing experience heightened by the Big Screen. I was not a big fan of the show or toys when I was a kid and now I want an Optimus Prime on my shelf. My only wish is that a few more moments were had between the robots themselves especially the Decepticons who are barely established other than that they are evil. One argument between Megatron and Starscream would have been sufficient. I give this film an 7.5 out of 10 and I strongly recommend viewing this in the theatre and then buying on DVD.
Transformers is the latest action extravaganza from Michael Bay, the supposed master of the action genre. It's a summer blockbuster to the fullest, with cheap gags, silly jokes, and over-the-top, expensive action. Despite having the depth of your local swim club's kiddy pool, it still manages to deliver on every level a movie should, and for that, it's a great time at the movies.
For the unitiated, Transformers is essentially a reworking of E.T., except there's several "E.T.'s", and they are biomechinal machines that can disguise themselves as human vehicles. Oh, and the government is aware of the interplanetary visitors from the very beginning, which gives the film a stronger sense of urgency and the treat caused by the visitors much larger in scale. There are subplots involving soldiers in Iraq and hackers in D.C.; but the heart of the story is the archtypical "boy and his dog" tale, only louder and faster than it's ever been told until now.
And, frankly, this is primarily why Transformers works. Like the boy, (named Sam and played perfectly by Shia Lebouf), we are introduced to the characters, their world, and their war; and we form the same attachment to the good visitors as he does. In some ways, we get to know them better; for there is plenty happening with them when he's not around. Which brings me to the second reason for the film's success--it's the time spent with the robots in disguise, allowing us to actually care about not only as their "plight" but also their "personhood" (if Biomechanical mahcines form Cybertron have such a thing). They are endearing characters from the fast-talking Jazz to the wise Optimus Prime, from the surly vertaran Ironhide, to the young-and-fun Bumblebee. The Transformers themselves are worth caring about--and not just because being a robot that becomes a car is neat--but because they are cool fun characters to know. This is not to say that their ability to transform, the primary novelty for the "Transformers", is not fantastic. It's another major reason the film works. The Robots themselves are arguably the most interesting machinery effects in cinema history, which if nothing else, is well worth the price of admission. It's one thing to see a car chase; it's another to see a car chase become a brawl between 16-foot robots. Transformers offers plenty of these types of new takes on familiar action scenarios, resulting in some great, unique sequences of mechanized mayhem. I'd be remiss to not mention one final reason the film works, and that is the totally unpretentious-and-ever-necessary sense of sillyness that a film like this must carry. The movie is loaded with the gags, verbal cues, and jabs that remind the audience that the filmmakers know this is not Shawshank Redemption--it's Back ot the Future--just fun pseudo-scientific fun at the movies, and that's all it tries to be.
I know there will be detractors who will dislike the movie, and that's fine. Personally I think it blended the absurd with the adorable just enough to create a cohesive, fun, and engaging summer fantasy movie, and that's all I was expecting. Transformers receives a solid 9 from me. It's not a perfect movie, but it's about as much fun as a sci-fi blockbuster can offer.
Acting - I felt that Shia Lebeof was very good, and I enjoyed his parents. Everyone else was serviceable or perhaps unneccesary. Megan Fox was a bit weak and other than eye candy she offered very little. Also the robots are great most notably Bumblebee (who speaks only in radio songs or blurbs) and Optimus Prime.
Directing - Michael Bay is an action master so I was happy to have him do this film, but he threw in a few of the things that he annoys me with. Most notable a completely wasteful rotating shot which he loves and only pulled off well in Bad Boys 2.
Special Effects - They are unbelievable. And worth all the ticket cost to enjoy on their own. Actually the first action sequence is worth your ticket. Any doubt about ILM's powers will be silenced quickly.
Story - I expected very little and it was good enough for me. All that was necessary was a skeleton story to attach Robot Action to and it was actually much better than that. I was even surprised at how funny it was throughout.
Overall - A solid viewing experience heightened by the Big Screen. I was not a big fan of the show or toys when I was a kid and now I want an Optimus Prime on my shelf. My only wish is that a few more moments were had between the robots themselves especially the Decepticons who are barely established other than that they are evil. One argument between Megatron and Starscream would have been sufficient. I give this film an 7.5 out of 10 and I strongly recommend viewing this in the theatre and then buying on DVD.
Transformers is the latest action extravaganza from Michael Bay, the supposed master of the action genre. It's a summer blockbuster to the fullest, with cheap gags, silly jokes, and over-the-top, expensive action. Despite having the depth of your local swim club's kiddy pool, it still manages to deliver on every level a movie should, and for that, it's a great time at the movies.
For the unitiated, Transformers is essentially a reworking of E.T., except there's several "E.T.'s", and they are biomechinal machines that can disguise themselves as human vehicles. Oh, and the government is aware of the interplanetary visitors from the very beginning, which gives the film a stronger sense of urgency and the treat caused by the visitors much larger in scale. There are subplots involving soldiers in Iraq and hackers in D.C.; but the heart of the story is the archtypical "boy and his dog" tale, only louder and faster than it's ever been told until now.
And, frankly, this is primarily why Transformers works. Like the boy, (named Sam and played perfectly by Shia Lebouf), we are introduced to the characters, their world, and their war; and we form the same attachment to the good visitors as he does. In some ways, we get to know them better; for there is plenty happening with them when he's not around. Which brings me to the second reason for the film's success--it's the time spent with the robots in disguise, allowing us to actually care about not only as their "plight" but also their "personhood" (if Biomechanical mahcines form Cybertron have such a thing). They are endearing characters from the fast-talking Jazz to the wise Optimus Prime, from the surly vertaran Ironhide, to the young-and-fun Bumblebee. The Transformers themselves are worth caring about--and not just because being a robot that becomes a car is neat--but because they are cool fun characters to know. This is not to say that their ability to transform, the primary novelty for the "Transformers", is not fantastic. It's another major reason the film works. The Robots themselves are arguably the most interesting machinery effects in cinema history, which if nothing else, is well worth the price of admission. It's one thing to see a car chase; it's another to see a car chase become a brawl between 16-foot robots. Transformers offers plenty of these types of new takes on familiar action scenarios, resulting in some great, unique sequences of mechanized mayhem. I'd be remiss to not mention one final reason the film works, and that is the totally unpretentious-and-ever-necessary sense of sillyness that a film like this must carry. The movie is loaded with the gags, verbal cues, and jabs that remind the audience that the filmmakers know this is not Shawshank Redemption--it's Back ot the Future--just fun pseudo-scientific fun at the movies, and that's all it tries to be.
I know there will be detractors who will dislike the movie, and that's fine. Personally I think it blended the absurd with the adorable just enough to create a cohesive, fun, and engaging summer fantasy movie, and that's all I was expecting. Transformers receives a solid 9 from me. It's not a perfect movie, but it's about as much fun as a sci-fi blockbuster can offer.
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