| Title |
Weighted Average |
Mike |
Bill |
Talance |
|
| Iron Man | 9.3 |
9.0 |
9.0 |
10.0 |
|
| The Dark Knight | 8.8 |
9.0 |
8.5 |
9.0 |
|
| Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 6.7 |
4.0 |
7.5 |
8.5 |
|
| Wall-E | 6.3 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
||
| Jaws | 5.8 |
8.5 |
9.0 |
||
| Wanted | 5.5 |
8.5 |
8.0 |
||
| Quantum of Solace | 5.5 |
8.0 |
8.5 |
||
| Quarantine | 5.5 |
8.0 |
8.5 |
||
| Milk | 3.3 |
10.0 |
|||
| The Orphanage | 3.0 |
9.0 |
|||
| Bolt | 2.8 |
8.5 |
|||
| Cloverfield | 2.8 |
8.5 |
|||
| Speed Racer | 2.8 |
8.5 |
|||
| Punisher: War Zone | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| The Incredible Hulk | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| Blindness | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| The Day The Earth Stood Still | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| Tropic Thunder | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| Kung Fu Panda | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| High School Musical 3 | 2.7 |
8.0 |
|||
| The Ruins | 2.5 |
7.5 |
|||
| Death Race | 2.5 |
7.5 |
|||
| The Happening | 2.5 |
7.5 |
|||
| Four Christmases | 2.5 |
7.5 |
|||
| Beverly Hills Chihuahua | 2.5 |
7.5 |
|||
| 10,000 BC | 2.3 |
7.0 |
|||
| Superhero Movie | 2.3 |
7.0 |
|||
| Disaster Movie | 2.2 |
6.5 |
|||
| Saw V | 2.0 |
6.0 |
Mike |
Bill Popcorn Cinema 2008 |
Talance Back Seat Movie Critic |
|
|
|
Previous year's rankings: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996.
All movie ratings are on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
10,000 BC -
Weighted Average = 2.3
Talance: For all the hype that was made about this movie, it just
wasn't all that I expected. They tried to give a historical perspective that
was exagerated a little for the purposes of entertainment and that left you
feeling a little disappointed. Although I have seen much worse, this movie
was barely worth the matinee price.
Blindness
- Weighted Average = 2.7
Bill: Julianne Moore (always great) is on hand in this other apocalyptic thriller based on
a novel. This film has a very indie feel to it and reminds me most of 28 Days
Later (Thus, not a bad film!) Without spoiling too much here, the basic premise is that
due to some unknown cause, people begin to go blind. Instead of seeing blackness, they can only
see a blindly white light. This new type of blindness is all connected as
the original people who go blind "infect" all those they come in
contact with and before you can say "six degrees of Kevin Bacon,"
the whole country is affected. Moore plays one of the few folks who is immune
to the disease, but hides it to help her newly blind husband. Why hide? Because
at first, the government's reaction to the problem is to use the military
to throw all the blind people into abandoned prisons and warehouses through
the nation. Inside, they are cut off from the outside world--no phones, no
tv, no newspaper, no computers. They are rationed food and treated like criminals
as there's no cure or reason for what's causing the blindness. As more of
the public goes blind, there's less food coming in and we are treated to a
lesson in raw human nature. It's not a pretty sight, but sadly realistic.
Blindness is certainly not the feel-good movie of the year: it's
creepy, it's horrific, it's sad and it's depressing. But it's also a darn
good story with darn good actors and worth a trip to see it.
Cloverfield
- Weighted Average = 2.8
Bill: The concept of this film, documentary seen only through the
lens cap of a video recorder, has been done before (Really well in The
Blair Witch Project and really poorly in Halloween: Resurrection).
The difficulty, of course, is moving the plot and showing the drama while
having it done realistically by someone actually holding a camera the entire
time. It’s this constraint that ends up hurting Cloverfield
more than it helps. On the good side, it keeps the action tight and the horror
realistic (I won’t spoil the film’s surprise or ending so no spoiler alerts
necessary). It also helps keep the special effects to a minimum and relies
more on what could happen, what might happen type scares. That's not to say
that there's no action in this film. To the contrary, there's quite a lot
of it after a too-long opening set up. The problem with much of the film is
that you naturally want to look around you, see what's happening in your surroundings;
turn your head towards the sounds of screaming, etc., but you can only see
what the videographer shows you. At times, this can be quite frustrating.
It can also be quite implausible in a horror film as you have to believe that
the person holding the camera wouldn't ditch it and run for cover or that
they seem more Teflon than some of the other cast. All in all, however, the
film makers realize this and do have scenes that help this issue and did as
well as possible within the constraints of the lens. The best part of Cloverfield
is to imagine that it’s all real and go along for the ride and get past the
filming process. When you do this, you'll have a scary, roller coaster ride
and realize just how vulnerable you are…
The Dark
Knight - Weighted Average = 5.8
Mike: There really was nothing wrong with The Dark Knight
at all. It was an awesome movie with a great mix of action, characterization,
plot and was sufficiently dark. I hate to jump on the bandwagon but Heath
Ledger did an incredible job as the Joker. Oh. My. God! Just awesome! Way
better than Nicholson though a comparison probably isn't fair given The
Dark Knight is much darker in tone. So with all this praise, why
is Iron Man listed above it? For some reason, there seemed
to be something missing. I was kind of expecting more. I don't know what and
I don't know what I would change but something seemed slightly off. It probably
had more with me seeing it 4 weeks after release and it not living up to the
hype everyone was telling me.
The Day The
Earth Stood Still - Weighted Average = 2.7
Bill: Well, here we have Keanu Reeves acting stiffly like an alien
creature. So, what's different from any other Keanu performance? Not much.
Did he take this role just because he's been ridiculed as being wooden? Here's
the ultimate monotone role! Reeves plays the harbinger of a community of aliens
bent on keeping the human race from destroying the Earth by killing all the
humans on the planet - kinda like human Raid. Jennifer Connelly plays the
scientist who understands Reeves and knows that she can prove the human race
can change. Yeah, overnight. Any alien species with the intelligence to master
space travel and sound waves would have been able to witness the acts of kindness
and human emotion that Connelly's character demonstrates as "proof"
we are good inside. Of course as soon as the aliens land in New York, we shoot
at them. This is a popcorn movie as popcorn and somewhat silly as the original.
It's been blown up to be a "blockbuster" event, but we've seen all
these scenes before in Independence Day and The Day
After Tomorrow. Kathy Bates is slumming here as the Defense Secretary
in a movie that doesn't even bother casting the President or any other of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The movie's message is good, but pounded into your
face without grace. There are some good bits of humor scattered about and
these moments make the film watchable.
Death Race
- Weighted Average = 2.5
Mike: This movie obviously has its base from the original Death
Race 2000. But you need to mix in a healthy dose of Escape
from New York. Then throw in all the clichés and plot from most prison
escape movies. Sweeten the mix by having Jason Statham and Ian McShane star
in it. And finally add some eye candy in the form of Natalie Martinez. The
end result is a movie that is entertaining and fun to watch but able to be
forgotten shortly afterwards. But hey, you aren't really going to see a movie
called Death Race expecting strong character development and amazing acting.
You want racing and death and fist fights and car crashes. You get that in
abundance so you can rest happy.
Disaster Movie
- Weighted Average = 2.2
Bill: It's too easy. The movie is a disaster. Instead of making fun
of true disaster films, this is just a very timely and not very funny spoof
of every film of late 2007 through July 2008. No film is safe, no matter how
it did at the box office--10,000 B.C., Enchanted,
The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Hancock,
Juno, Superbad, etc.--they are all here.
Throw in some topical pop culture references like Amy Winehouse destroying
herself and her career and you have this patchwork of a movie. There are a
few truly funny moments, but not enough to forgive anyone for this mess. These
guys need a copy of Airplane to be reminded of what a good
spoof of a genre looks like. Ugh.
The Happening
- Weighted Average = 2.5
Bill: Oh, M. Night Shyamalan why haven't you listened? Please try
directing someone else's material for a change so you can get your obvious
directing talents focused and they can overcome your recent dip in writing.
With high hopes after the bomb of Lady in the Water, there
was hope that a "R" rating would allow M. Night to bust loose and
really frighten us. The premise of the film is strong: nature fighting back--and
timely, but the execution and final script make this feel like a tv movie
of the week. The Happening begins strong with a silent virus
affecting people's natural ability to avoid danger. But Shyamalan never takes
advantage of his "R" rating (the film EASILY could have been cut
to become PG-13 without affecting any story material) and he runs his cast
and his story into the ground. The actors all seemed concerned, but never
scared enough and thus the audience is intrigued but never fully vested in
anything on the screen. But the time we meet a crazy old mountain woman, we've
traveled so far off the beaten trail both literally and plot-wise, we've given
up on the movie.
The Incredible
Hulk - Weighted Average = 2.7
Bill: After Ang Lee's cerebral and poorly paced Hulk,
there didn't seem to be any reason to resurrect the green goliath on the movie
screen. Perhaps he was best left to the comics or television. Enter a new
star, new producer, new director along with the original story of Bruce Banner.
The film wisely assumes that we all know what happens to Banner when he's
angry and smartly takes the film on the run in a good nod to the underrated
television series. Yes, there's the summer blockbuster necessity of a huge
cgi monster fight at the end of the movie, but the really good stuff is what
leads up to that climax. For certain, the film doesn't have the plot polish,
fun or depth of Iron Man, but it does make you forget the
earlier film and is a generally good time at the movies. Don't wait for dvd--the
Hulk is too big for a puny tv set!
Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Weighted Average = 6.7
Bill: We waited 19 years for this sequel--certainly a Hollywood record.
Along with The Dark Knight, it was one of the summer's most
anticipated films and surely destined to be a huge moneymaker. (Note, it's
the highest grossing Indiana Jones film including the original Raiders,
and is currently only second to the surprise hit Iron Man
for highest grossing film of the year--cue the Bat Signal...) So, first the
good. It's great to hear that theme song again and despite his age, Harrison
Ford does a solid job in his sixties as an action hero. At least the film
acknowledges his age. The sets are as well done as we've come to expect in
these films and the location shots are terrific. It's also fun to see Marion
back again and the film tips its hat to Marcus Brody and Henry Jones Sr. Unfortunately,
this is Phantom Menace all over again where the nostalgia
of the character and the franchise cannot overcome the film's many weaknesses.
It's mind-boggling that after hearing that Ford refused many versions of the
script over the years, that this is the one that got made. The film begins
with an acceptable chase scene with Communists of the 50's replacing Nazis.
Unfortunately, we have a "nuke the fridge" moment (see the film)
that's ridiculous and then a jungle car chase that must have been filmed in
the longest cleared stretch of jungle in the world. The worst, however, is
yet to come with an ending so amazing bad, it defies comment. If anything,
despite it's moneymaking power, it puts the franchise so over the top (re:
Batman and Robin), it should be the last of Indiana Jones
we see.
Mike: This what the perfect script that they waited years for?!?! Blech!
Atrocious! In the battle between people either loving this movie or hating
it, I fall firmly on the hating it side. Poor special effects. Items that
not only defy physics but also do so only when they want to. Over the top
and unbelievable action. And I'm not even talking about the last 15 minutes
where everything falls apart even further. I can not believe that I even spent
my money on this crap of a film. I skipped out of work to see it and I would
much rather have been back in the office doing my job instead.
Talance: I checked my brain at the door as I had come to
expect little to no plot and a lot of over the top action. With that expectation
in mind this movie still left a little something to be desired. However, it
was nice to see Harrison Ford and the popular theme song back again. The humor
and action were a little off base, and the ending didn't live up to the hype.
However, I took this movie as what it is...fun and entertainment. I have to
come to realize that entertainment doesn't have to make any logical sense
to be somewhat satisfying.
Iron Man -
Weighted Average = 9.3
Bill: Billed as the "adult superhero movie," Iron
Man wholly succeeds. Robert Downey Jr. is a wonderful Tony Stark
and the Academy Award nominated cast elevates the genre material to great
heights, making Iron Man accessible even to the non-comic
fan. Iron Man never insults the intelligence and although
still obviously a fantasy film (it's about a man in a super iron suit for
heaven's sake), it really has a strong foothold in reality. Ironically, I
was going to skip Iron Man as I thought this could only be
silly or overdone. Happily, this is one of the best superhero films ever done.
Talance: This was literally the best action/superhero flick to come
along in a while. This film featured the perfect villian...(someone you would
have never seen coming unless you would have read the comics)...and this was
the perfect role for Robert Downey Jr. as he gives an excellent performance
as Tony Stark. This film featured an A+ cast with: Jeff Bridges, Gwenyth Paltrow
and Terance Howard, just to name a few. This is one of the few films I would
have paid to see twice to see this summer.
Jaws - Weighted
Average = 5.8
Mike: Yes, this movie has been out for ages and is a surprise entry
on the list. But a local theater played Jaws on the big screen and since this
list is all movies seen on a big screen during the year, ipso facto, it's
on the list. Not sure if I really need to say much other than seeing one of
Spielberg's best films on a large screen again instead of simply a TV was
awesome!
Kung Fu
Panda - Weighted Average = 2.7
Talance: This was a good film with a good message. The animation
was pretty good; I didn't expect much, but it delivered on most of my expectations.
Jack Black does an excellent job with what he has to do work with and this
movie has jokes and subplots that parents can relate to. All in all this was
a very good movie that was worth the price of admission.
Milk - Weighted
Average = 3.3
Bill: Sure, the subject matter resonates and the film is quite timely,
but this is much more than a "gay" film or a simple biography. This
is possibly Gus Van Sant's best work to date. It's a beautiful film that mixes
newly shot film with current stars with old film footage of the times; very
often you cannot tell the difference. Everyone here is on the best game. Sean
Penn, an actor I normally feel is just "Sean Penn" in his roles,
becomes Harvey Milk. It's great to see Penn really embody a character - especially
hard this time since the focal point character was a real person. James Franco
(Spider-Man, Pineapple Express) shows he
can also do dramatic roles that have meaning. Emile Hirsch (Speed
Racer) also shines as the activist who will eventfully create the
AIDS quilt. And Josh Brolin (Goonies, W.)
has the second most difficult part - taking a real life killer and giving
him pathos and an underlying menace. Unlike the previous Oscar-winning documentary
on Harvey Milk, this film focuses on the 1970's and Milk's move to San Francisco
from New York. At a time when gay men were being beaten by cops, bars raided
and people jailed, Milk became a surprising activist against the discrimination.
Dubbed the "Mayor of Castro Street," he proved that one man could
make a difference and began the modern movement that continues today. The
parallels between Milk's fight against Proposition 6 (which would have fired
all gay/lesbian teachers and those who supported them) and Proposition 8 are
scary. Despite knowing the ending, you'll still be inspired by this film.
The Mummy: Tomb of
the Dragon Emperor - Weighted Average = 2.7
Bill: Okay, so switching the mummy curse to China does provide a
much-needed change of venue for the series. However I still missed the good
old Egyptian tomb angle and subsequent Egyptian cliches. But that aside, we're
off to resurrect Asian mummies of long dead dynasties and Jet Li makes a good
foe. Brandon Fraiser always does a good job in these "Indiana Jones"
lite films. They, at best, are remnant of the old school adventure films with
heroes, villains, action and not a lot of time to focus on plot. Like the
first two films, once the action starts it keeps roller coastering through
to the climax, the obligatory dead rising from the sand to fight one another
scene. Unfortunately, it's all been done before and this is just The
Mummy Returns hiding in Asian clothing and sets. The film has nothing
new to say or show which drags it down and makes it ultimately just a summer
popcorn movie that's fun, but not very filling. Normally this would be enough,
but in a summer of Iron Man, The Dark Knight,
and Wall-e, we want more than just eye candy.
The Orphanage
- Weighted Average = 3.0
Bill: This subtitled film from Spain is old-school creepy and relies
much more on what your mind is thinking is happening that showing you. Thus,
it’s the anti-Saw and it’s more concerned about plot and
drama than about grossing you out. On paper, the film sounds like pretty standard
scary movie stuff — an orphan, all grown up with a child of her own, buys
her former orphanage with her husband in an effort to restart it for a place
for orphans with special needs. Thus, family with great intentions moves into
a huge, squeaky house with a lot of history. And the film begins with some
usual scares and plot devices. But soon, the plot goes off the typical course
as the young son (with a special problem all his own I won’t spoil here) goes
missing and a strange woman shows up on the property (Ghost? Killer? Psycho?
Watch and find out). It’s when the story spirals down and down into the despair
of the mother trying to find her missing son that we tumble down with her.
Her actions, although again on paper stretch logic, appear to be the most
logical choices given the circumstances. The performances are all terrific
and the setting is great. Theresa some blood when absolutely necessary by
the plot, but this is a chiller, not blood and guts horror. The sight of orphans
wearing vintage school clothes is used to a tense effect. Comparable to The
Sixth Sense or The Others, The Orphanage
is scarier and uses its setting and back-story better than those earlier films.
Although the ending has an additional scene that seems to scream, "Did
you get what happened?", it’s unnecessary as we all have witnessed the
shock and surprise of the turn of events. The unique climax really caps a
film with some great scares and a fast-moving story. You'll never look at
hide and seek or think of things that go bump in the night the same way again.
Quantum of Solace
- Weighted Average = 5.5
Mike: It seems like controversy is going to follow all Daniel Craig's
James Bond movies. This time we're past the blonde Bond thing and on to the
intensity of the violence, a.k.a. Jason Bourne vs. James Bond. Personally
I could care less since Bond films have always followed the movie making styles
of their era. Connery's films had the '60s feel. Moore had the '70s/'80s.
Brosnan definitely had a '90s style of ridiculous over the top that can't
be blamed on Pierce. So our current style is the ultra fast/brutal violence.
Considering that this is supposed to be early in Bond's career, think of it
as he's still more brawn than brain; the sleek, debonair Bond will be as he
matures. The only problem that I have with the action scenes is how they are
edited into incoherence. It's next to impossible to figure out what is happening.
The sad part of this is that all the effort and work in the action scene ends
up being lost in a dazzling array of cuts, switches and differing angle shots.
Anyway, on to the story itself. The plot is on the slightly better scale than
most Bond movies. There are parts that you wonder if it was well-planned by
MI6 and the other intelligence agencies or if it was luck. I do like how at
least four different intelligence agencies were included as part of the movie;
each one having their own part in the movie. That and an underlying level
of mistrust make the movie seem much more relevant in today's world.
Quarantine
- Weighted Average = 2.8
Bill: This movie was not screened for critics which is usually a
bad signal as studios with dogs on their hands want at least a strong opening
weekend before the media pans the film. In Quarantine's case,
this fear is not a strong one as (a) the film opened well and (b) (more importantly)
it's not a bad horror film at all. Based on a Spanish film, Quarantine
has a simple, but scary plot device--What if you were quarantined in a building
anywhere in the USA by your own government because a new virus had broken
out? And what if this new disease (well, without spoiling anything it's actually
an old disease reborn which is even scarier) made people want to eat flesh?
The star of the film also plays the sister on Showtime's Dexter (check it
out--great show) and here she's a local tv reporter following a local fire
station on a call. What seems routine and almost a non-story quickly turns
into terror. Yes, here again is the "hand held camera documentary-style
filming" a la Cloverfield or Blair Witch Project.
And yes, again it has its limitations--mainly when would a normal human being
forgo the camera to protect themselves? But, for the most part, it works.
The film is claustrophobic in the best sense and it contains some really good
shocks and crazy reactions--one scene involves the cameraman using the camera
to defend himself with grisly results (and the audience watches through the
lens). The acting is pretty strong for the genre and it amazingly tells its
tale with tension and gore and without cgi effects. Sure, there's some plot
holes here, some unrealistic actions involving the CDC and an ending that
tips the otherwise very real feeling throughout the film, but overall this
is a really scary movie that stays with you after the lights come back on.
And for Halloween, that's surely enough.
The Ruins
- Weighted Average = 2.8
Bill: An easy review of this film could be "the book is much
better than the movie." Of course, this can be said of too many bestsellers
turned into films. The problem with the movie is that what seems scary both
in the novel and in your imagination doesn't come across that way; instead
it comes off kinda silly on the big screen. The acting is above par for your
typical horror film and the location shots are done well, but the inherent
problem with The Ruins is that it has no where to go and
nothing to say. Bad situations and gore replace dread and deep meaning. This
would be okay if the ride was worth it, but it's time much better spent reading
the book.
Saw V - Weighted
Average = 2.0
Bill: Wow, this feels like one giant epilogue to the last Saw. The
film opens well with a pretty horrific game and then half of the film is a
flashback to scenes that were never in any of the first films, but now --
to make the weak plot turn into a twist ending -- have been recreated. It
really dilutes the impact of the first three films which were pretty clever
-- although none can top the original of course. You know you're in trouble
when the main protagonist says lots of plotlines out loud to himself! "I
now remember that someone else was at that crime scene when Jigsaw first appeared!"
Too convenient, it destroys the challenge of the twist ending (you can figure
out what was never there to begin with) and just an insult. Some of the games
are still pretty scary, but we've run out of people to care about by now.
There are two scary footnotes--(1) Saw V opened great (as
these films have owned the weekend before Halloween for years now) and more
than recooped its original cost and (2) the film leaves a wide opening for
Saw VI, Saw VII and ISawItAlready...
Speed Racer
- Weighted Average = 2.8
Bill: Okay, first two statements right off the bat. One, I was a
big Speed Racer fan as a boy, wanting very much to own and
drive a Mach 5 of my own. I envied Speed's bravery and the fact he had the
coolest car around. Two, this film got panned so hard I almost skipped it.
Supposedly too confusing and violent for children and too lame and skimpy
for adults, Speed Racer is officially a bomb. Here's a vote,
however, against the grain. The directors tried something new, trying to make
a live-action anime film. Just for trying something different and being bold
enough to stay true to their vision in a Hollywood that embraces copycats
and sameness should give Speed Racer points alone. True,
the race scenes are often hard to follow and the world in which the characters
live in purely fictional and looks like a cartoon. And also true that the
plot is oddly both simplistic (basic evil company trying to take over the
mom and pop operation) is also arguably over-involved. That's the bad stuff,
now here's why I gave Speed Racer a B+. It looks like very
little that comes before it. It has a great cast (John Goodman, Susan Sarandon,
Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci) that makes sometimes lightweight material rise.
The producers wisely kept the famous theme song (which many movie remakes
of tv shows don't do...). It feels like a Speed Racer cartoon and there's
some great special effects. Okay, Speed Racer isn't fine
art, but it IS fun and you'll either love it or hate it.
Superhero
Movie - Weighted Average = 2.3
Bill: They're back! The folks that brought you Scary Movie,
Date Movie, and Epic Movie, have returned
to spoof another film genre. Unfortunately they've arrived at the party about
three to four years too late. Sorry guys, but jokes about the first Spider-Man
film (we've now seen three) and the first X-Men film (also have three) are
boring. Although the make-up and production values often hit the spoofed films
dead-on, it's all a bunch of yawn inspiring stuff. How about we spoof something
that's hot and ripe for the ribbing, keep the plot focused without trying
to add in every pop culture reference possible and try again?
Sweeney Todd:
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Weighted Average = 2.7
Bill: Actually this is a 2007 release that was done in limited theaters
just so the film could be nominated for Academy Awards. In any event, we saw
this film in January 2008. Sweeny Todd has a great pedigree:
Tim Burton directing old time favorites Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter
(Burton’s real life wife) and based upon a grisly stage production about love
and murder. Sounds like Burton territory all the way. Add in scene chewer
Alan Rickman (Snape in the Harry Potter films and deliciously bad in everything
else) and some great sets and we’re all ready for diabolical dark humor. But
wait! As a stage production, this is a dark comedy musical. No, Depp does
an adequate job of singing and Bonham Carter really steals this movie (both
in voice and in acting) away from Mr. Jack Sparrow. This isn't what the movie
is lacking. It’s certainly not the wonderful art design or costumes, all superb.
Unfortunately, the stage songs don't lend themselves well to moving the plot
forward fast enough. What was good onstage seems to bog down the plot here
and the film seems to take a longer than necessary time to tell a pretty small
story.
Wall-E
- Weighted Average = 6.3
Bill: It's amazing that each time Pixar/Disney comes up to bat, everyone
wonders, "Will this be the one to break their winning streak?" With
Wall-E, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Not only
is Wall-E a great animated feature that both parents and
children will like, it's a great film period, animated or otherwise. It's
already started the Hollywood mill wondering if this could be the first animated
film since Beauty and the Beast in 1991 to be nominated for
"Best Picture." Because of B&B's nomination, the Academy quickly
created the new category of "Best Animated Feature" (which Wall-E
is a shoe-in) to keep live action and animation apart. Perhaps the little
robot who could can break the mold. As to the film, it begins with very little
dialogue throughout most of the first action. The animation is so rich and
detailed, you'll swear Wall-e the robot is the real deal and the Earth he
scatters around on is layered with real dust. Wall-e is the last of the robots
left to clean up the Earth after its human inhabitants have literally trashed
the place. Over the years, Wall-e has developed his own personality--oddly
in love with romance thanks to a used vhs tape of Hello, Dolly!
The first action's quietly, but skillfully engulfs you and then launches you
into the politically charged and quite funny second half (no spoilers here).
Needless to say, it's pretty heady stuff for kids, making Wall-E
the most adult Pixar film, matching the adult themes in Disney's own adult
cartoon The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But political satire
and social commentary aside, there's still plenty of fun and humor for everyone
and the kids in the audience adored Wall-e and his girlfriend Eve. Look for
some great inside jokes and enjoy!
Talance: This was one of those animated movies that touched you on
all levels. It had an interesting message that was wrapped in a beautifully
animated film. Even though the human interaction wasn't all that much, the
images plot, and message of this movie left you feeling good at the end. This
movie was definitely worth the price of admission and another one that I wouldn't
mind seeing again.
Wanted
- Weighted Average = 2.8
Mike: There is a lot to like about Wanted. And I'm
not just talking about the naked scene with Angelina Jolie. That scene was
actually really brief and not much longer than what you saw in the trailers.
Yes, there are tons of action scenes that make you think of The Matrix.
And similarily, the laws of physics are defied in order for things to look
cool and be fun. There are even some action scenes that include more realism
and violence than what I was expecting. I'm thinking here of the big gun fight
at the end amongst the looms. No, the real thing that I enjoyed was the theme
to the movie. It reminded me a lot of Fight Club, and not
just because of the voice over. The two movies have the same idea at the core
of the film: don't let your life control you, be the one in charge. Fight
Club got the idea across better, but Wanted was way more than just another
action, fight, cool stunts movie.
Talance: This one of those action films that have you thinking, "what
did he just do," and, "how is that possible." However, it was
definitely entertaining. The plot was a little unbelievable and the end leaves
you with a little something to be desired, but the action and special effects
more than make up for it. James McAvoy gives an excellent performance seeing
the last time I saw him he was being bandied about by Forest Whitaker in the
Last King of Scotland. Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and
Common all give admirable performances in this one. This was definitely worth
the price of admission.