so Finally i went to see iron man. and, as promised, although some of my screenings come a little Later than i'd desire, some come early. so here's a pre-release review as well.
iron man--
Do believe the hype: this film is really entertaining. And it Is all about robert downey, jr. that being said, you've gotta hand it to the tremendous teamwork of a Whole Lot of superstar artisans who made it shine. (i'll talk departments, You look up names, numbering too many to mention.) exceptionally good script, Outstanding music supervision And composition, good art direction, great f/x (apparently every f/x house in christendom pitched in), cool wardrobe, good cinematography, good gwyneth....
so for any shortcomings that jon favreau may have revealed during this monstrous undertaking (rumors of $30M in reshoots come to mind), he certainly did deliver a final product with flair. kudos to his knack for comic moments and one-liners, his passion for the material, and most importantly, for his Leadership. for a director, hiring a good team is Essential, because a film will ride on the strength of collective craftsmanship.
teamwork: 3 stars
kung fu panda--
kids will love it, sure; and as is true of every exceptional animated feature, this is a movie for everyone. youngsters will certainly respond to (maybe as much as the old guy behind me did) the countless panda pratfalls, while adults will also vibe with the lessons of eastern wisdom. all the classic martial arts film tropes are there, perfectly tweaked for maximum titters. superb voice casting and acting, tight script, and slick animation. the delightful requisite fight-training montage that ends act two is topped only by the "awesomeness" of the opening sequence.
delightful: 4 stars
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
on the road again
i admit it's been Tough, for so many reasons, to be away from l.a. for so long. having a lovely time on the island of bali; not exactly prime spot for taking in the latest flicks.
very excited to return home to see iron man and the new indy (see last blog for dates you can expect my review on each), among others.
i Did, however, catch some movies on the plane--one of which is recent enough release to warrant a review While i'm still away. if it's still playing in theaters, it's fair game. and it is. so it is.
my blueberry nights--
although the titular metaphor is indeed made relatively clear early on, it's not so well played out. norah jones, in her bigscreen debut, proves a passable protagonist. more to the point, she doesn't Detract from the curiously lightweight tale. jude law and natalie portman are dependably strong, yet they can't hold together the looseleaf bits of story director wong kar-wai attempts to fashion into something worth watching. part-time wannabe romance, part-time road movie, it simply meanders to its only reasonable (read: foregone) "conclusion".
meanders: 2 stars
very excited to return home to see iron man and the new indy (see last blog for dates you can expect my review on each), among others.
i Did, however, catch some movies on the plane--one of which is recent enough release to warrant a review While i'm still away. if it's still playing in theaters, it's fair game. and it is. so it is.
my blueberry nights--
although the titular metaphor is indeed made relatively clear early on, it's not so well played out. norah jones, in her bigscreen debut, proves a passable protagonist. more to the point, she doesn't Detract from the curiously lightweight tale. jude law and natalie portman are dependably strong, yet they can't hold together the looseleaf bits of story director wong kar-wai attempts to fashion into something worth watching. part-time wannabe romance, part-time road movie, it simply meanders to its only reasonable (read: foregone) "conclusion".
meanders: 2 stars
Monday, May 5, 2008
the value of free screenings
i was all set to go see iron man during this opening weekend madness when i got my first email of the season from the SAG film society.
every year i pay a nominal amount to receive access to dozens of private (screen actors' guild members only) screenings here in hollywood. season begins in may, so when i got the notice announcing showings of iron man at month's end i was torn.
should i pay to be among the first to see it--thus on pace with my usual reviews to match newer releases--or wait to see it "free" (in quotes cuz i've technically already paid) some four weeks later?
well you're reading This instead of a review, so clearly i'm waiting. you'll get your review of iron man by may 31. by then you'll already have seen it. maybe even more than once if you're a comic junkie.
the new indy film will be late for me too, as that screening is scheduled for june 6. so consider this a friendly heads up: most of my reviews will align with opening week of release, more still by second week, many even pre-release; but occasionally, especially here at the beginning of screener season, there will be a brief delay.
more reviews of new releases again next week. thanks for your patience and understanding. bless yer little heart.
every year i pay a nominal amount to receive access to dozens of private (screen actors' guild members only) screenings here in hollywood. season begins in may, so when i got the notice announcing showings of iron man at month's end i was torn.
should i pay to be among the first to see it--thus on pace with my usual reviews to match newer releases--or wait to see it "free" (in quotes cuz i've technically already paid) some four weeks later?
well you're reading This instead of a review, so clearly i'm waiting. you'll get your review of iron man by may 31. by then you'll already have seen it. maybe even more than once if you're a comic junkie.
the new indy film will be late for me too, as that screening is scheduled for june 6. so consider this a friendly heads up: most of my reviews will align with opening week of release, more still by second week, many even pre-release; but occasionally, especially here at the beginning of screener season, there will be a brief delay.
more reviews of new releases again next week. thanks for your patience and understanding. bless yer little heart.
Friday, April 25, 2008
back at it
smart people--
overall, a disappointment. very well could have been called miserable people. although the piece is heavy with top-notch talent doing good work, there's almost nothing to like about any of the principal characters. one must assume this is the very plan, yet may not one also expect to see more than a hint of redemption? thankfully, thomas haden church, who plays the only allegedly not-so-smart one of the bunch (also, not surprisingly, the lone rep for happiness), is delightful in a choice, funny role. other lowlights include: ellen page's horrid wardrobe, a cliched indy soundtrack, and a dubious...ending...?
a disappointment: 2 stars
forgetting sarah marshall--
what stood out most, as a surprising Positive, was the lack of traditional star power. i really enjoyed seeing some fresh faces deliver the goods. we recognize kristen bell, mila kunis, and writer/star jason segel from television; now they can be called movie stars. this is a fun flick, a witty breakup story, and nothing special. there's plenty to appreciate, i had some good hearty laughs, and i left feeling appropriately entertained. true blue popcorn pic worth the price of admission.
popcorn pic: 3 stars
overall, a disappointment. very well could have been called miserable people. although the piece is heavy with top-notch talent doing good work, there's almost nothing to like about any of the principal characters. one must assume this is the very plan, yet may not one also expect to see more than a hint of redemption? thankfully, thomas haden church, who plays the only allegedly not-so-smart one of the bunch (also, not surprisingly, the lone rep for happiness), is delightful in a choice, funny role. other lowlights include: ellen page's horrid wardrobe, a cliched indy soundtrack, and a dubious...ending...?
a disappointment: 2 stars
forgetting sarah marshall--
what stood out most, as a surprising Positive, was the lack of traditional star power. i really enjoyed seeing some fresh faces deliver the goods. we recognize kristen bell, mila kunis, and writer/star jason segel from television; now they can be called movie stars. this is a fun flick, a witty breakup story, and nothing special. there's plenty to appreciate, i had some good hearty laughs, and i left feeling appropriately entertained. true blue popcorn pic worth the price of admission.
popcorn pic: 3 stars
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
what i Haven't been seeing
the simple, succinct conclusion is, of course, Films at the cinema.
haven't been moved. just ain't.
o, there have been several-many days in the past two weeks when i've felt obligated to drag my ass down to the theater to take in one or two ... but i just couldn't do it. i just couldn't get excited, try as i might, about the ruins. or nim's island. or drillbit taylor. or street kings. or prom night. or superhero movie. or even leatherheads.
know what i'm sayin'? do you feel me, dog?
now, leatherheads, in particular, is (yes, remains) a tougher one to leave alone. last fall i was genuinely looking forward to seeing it. scheduled as an end-of-year release, it boasts stars of heft and with verve--george clooney & renee zellweger in a zany feelgood rom-com cary grant-style throwback. stars, hijinx, love, laughs, c'mon...! what's not to love? plus it's about football. early days, leatherhead football, sure, but i Love football. and john krasinski of tv series the office; he's cool too.
but then the release date was bumped, which (ahem) isn't Always bad.... then came whispers of weakness. of tweak-ness. i waited, optimistically.
so the new spring opening came, and i waited. i listened and felt and waited. i'm still listening (which maybe is the problem, if there is indeed a problem), and i still haven't heard anything really Good about it. i hear plenty of Fine's and Okay's and Almost's and such. and i'm curious. i'm certainly curious. you see, i want to like it. i want to. (don't You wanna like george clooney & renee zellweger and hijinx and laughs & love--don't you wanna like laughs & love?!)
i do.
i just can't bring myself to Go.
so the new spring opening came, and i waited. i listened and felt and waited. i'm still listening (which maybe is the problem, if there is indeed a problem), and i still haven't heard anything really Good about it. i hear plenty of Fine's and Okay's and Almost's and such. and i'm curious. i'm certainly curious. you see, i want to like it. i want to. (don't You wanna like george clooney & renee zellweger and hijinx and laughs & love--don't you wanna like laughs & love?!)
i do.
i just can't bring myself to Go.
Monday, March 31, 2008
last of the first
apparently i saw a lot of films this month. i'm likely to take on less of a load in april. i say that because i'm not aware of much on the spring slate that sounds real promising. but then again, i was surprised by the first quarter returns. closed it out with another pair, in just under the wire.
stop-loss--
what stands out most is that this one's a mtv films production. so during opening credits i'm clued in to what style of movie i'm getting. no surprises in that department. ryan phillippe does respectable work here. abbie cornish is versatile, yet i'm repeatedly distracted by how her character favors model/actress estelle warren. i'm then repeatedly glad i'm seeing the better actor. serious protagonist moral quandary addresses serious political issue, fairly addressed and adequately handled.
respectable: 2 stars
21--
it's good. and for the first time i get jim sturgess. hooray - finally! a couple of the hollywood turns on these real events are a bit much, yet not enough to kill the pleasant buzz adroitly established (and maintained) by director robert luketic. kevin spacey does a spot-on kevin spacey, and kate bosworth is pretty. (and good golly, they work together a lot.) kudos to josh gad for some standout character moments in the nebbishy best friend role.
good: 3 stars
stop-loss--
what stands out most is that this one's a mtv films production. so during opening credits i'm clued in to what style of movie i'm getting. no surprises in that department. ryan phillippe does respectable work here. abbie cornish is versatile, yet i'm repeatedly distracted by how her character favors model/actress estelle warren. i'm then repeatedly glad i'm seeing the better actor. serious protagonist moral quandary addresses serious political issue, fairly addressed and adequately handled.
respectable: 2 stars
21--
it's good. and for the first time i get jim sturgess. hooray - finally! a couple of the hollywood turns on these real events are a bit much, yet not enough to kill the pleasant buzz adroitly established (and maintained) by director robert luketic. kevin spacey does a spot-on kevin spacey, and kate bosworth is pretty. (and good golly, they work together a lot.) kudos to josh gad for some standout character moments in the nebbishy best friend role.
good: 3 stars
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
a dash of art house
banged out a coupla quick art house flicks last week while the rest o' you kiddies were checking out the new seuss:
paranoid park--
latest from director gus van sant, who is steady keeping up his dreamy pretty people on the fringe trope. about halfway through i'm annoyed, figuring this one too is going nowhere...and slowly. (i need not list how many disappointments in a row he's churned out.) lead gabe nevins gives us tone-perfect naturalism as alex, drifting through his daydream teen day-to-day. the direction follows slyly, meandering, honing in for focus/story clarity only as it needs to, in bits, as authority figures and friends alike peck around for clues to alex's existence. what develops is an adroitly explored, simple portrait of a young man growing into discovery of his sense of self. it's appropriately arty, intimate, careful--classic van sant, his best in years--lead with heart, and ultimately full of hope.
arty: 3 stars
funny games--
remake of 1997 austrian film also by writer/director michael haneke. rarely does a helmer get the chance to pull a "do-over," essentially reframing the same story for english-speaking audiences (read: for hollywood). my question is Why do it line-for-line, shot-for-shot? does he feel that, even ten years later, there is no room for improvement?on anything? bummer, i say, cuz the time away could have served him better. it's torture porn with a wink, an audience-inclusive what-if, literally questioning our desire for a nicely-wrapped package of story. clever enough exploration, yet i'd like a little more challenge in this game. like what if the director did something more than simply turn convention on its ear? the idea shows such great potential, then coasts along feeling good about itself. this do-over feels too much like opportunity wasted.
bummer: 2 stars
paranoid park--
latest from director gus van sant, who is steady keeping up his dreamy pretty people on the fringe trope. about halfway through i'm annoyed, figuring this one too is going nowhere...and slowly. (i need not list how many disappointments in a row he's churned out.) lead gabe nevins gives us tone-perfect naturalism as alex, drifting through his daydream teen day-to-day. the direction follows slyly, meandering, honing in for focus/story clarity only as it needs to, in bits, as authority figures and friends alike peck around for clues to alex's existence. what develops is an adroitly explored, simple portrait of a young man growing into discovery of his sense of self. it's appropriately arty, intimate, careful--classic van sant, his best in years--lead with heart, and ultimately full of hope.
arty: 3 stars
funny games--
remake of 1997 austrian film also by writer/director michael haneke. rarely does a helmer get the chance to pull a "do-over," essentially reframing the same story for english-speaking audiences (read: for hollywood). my question is Why do it line-for-line, shot-for-shot? does he feel that, even ten years later, there is no room for improvement?on anything? bummer, i say, cuz the time away could have served him better. it's torture porn with a wink, an audience-inclusive what-if, literally questioning our desire for a nicely-wrapped package of story. clever enough exploration, yet i'd like a little more challenge in this game. like what if the director did something more than simply turn convention on its ear? the idea shows such great potential, then coasts along feeling good about itself. this do-over feels too much like opportunity wasted.
bummer: 2 stars
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