First off, I didn't mention last week that "The Dark Knight" was my 100th posting, which I thought was pretty cool, but enough about that, here's my 101st posting:
Rob, Justin and I would rent VHS tapes of early X-Files episodes down at the only video store in Buena Vista. We'd get some snacks, some Mountain Dew, and turn off the lights and watch Mulder and Scully delve into the mysteries of the unexplained. It was fun, and it got better as the seasons progressed. When we moved to Colorado Springs, it quickly became a tradition to gather together Sunday night and watch the new episodes. Soon enough Jess got roped in and all of a sudden we had good food to go along with the conspiracies, aliens, the Cancer Man, tongue-in-cheek humor and people with stretchy fingers. Since then I haven't commited myself to a television program, and my life is better for it (as far as I know). Watching "I Want To Believe" brought back all those good memories for me. The actors have aged about ten years or so, and so have their characters. The plot of the film was independent from the soap operaish storyline of the final episodes of the tv show. This is good, because instead of being a continuation of the show it was more of a revisiting. Scully and Mulder had a good chemistry, and it remains here in the film. Chris Carter, the director of this film as well as the creator of the series, has done a great job of capturing what was great about X-Files and telling a thoughtful sotry at the same time. Unlike what has become vogue in recent psychological thrillers, this film actually searches for answers. Now in typical X-Files tradition it asks more questions than it provides answers, but still it more interesting to ask than to ignore the obvious. If any of you see the film, the most thought-provoking question for me was the discussion that Scully and Mulder have about God's purpose in creating certain people. I know I'm being vague, but I'd hate to give away too much. It's just interesting that two dynamic characters in a secular film can struggle so realistically with a subject that we Christians avoid like the plague. Anyways, if you liked the X-Files, this is for you. If not, then go see "Wall-E" again.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Dark Knight
Where to begin? There is so much that could be written and discussed about this film, and this will just be the start for me. Of course I am only in the early stages of contemplating the overwhelming scope of the film, so don't be surprised if I miss entire points or contradict myself later on. "The Dark Knight" is a great sequel. In that, I mean that it depends so deeply on the first film, that you must have seen "Batman Begins" to fully appreciate and understand this film. For me that is a strength, I don't like treading over old ground just for the sake of newbies, and I respect that the director Christopher Nolan didn't dumb it down. At the same time, this film was not as introspective as the first. There was less Bruce Wayne struggling with Batman and more Bruce Wayne being Batman. I understand how for most people that would be a good selling point, but as I get older I prefer to know why people do things than to just watch them doing things. Perhaps that is too harsh a criticism, because the doing, the action was incredible, and there was plenty of the internal struggling, the hard choices and the twisting plot to make anyone happy. And there is the point of the the movie; 'choices'. Here is where I would start to give away too much by saying any more, but I was pleasantly surprised with how the film was obvious and subtle in how the central thread revealed itself. At first it seemed as thought the film was on one track, then after a gradual shift, bam! it hit me that I had been taken someplace completed unexpected. I will say that the cast of characters this time around was even bigger and stronger than the first film. There are six main characters, each of whom is essential to the plot, which in and of itself lends complexity and depth to the story. I especially like the relationship that Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and Alfred (Michael Caine) have in the film. In the other Batman films Alfred was a Johnny-on-the-spot butler, here as in "Batman Begins" he is so much more, and Batman would be lost without him. And Finally for now, the best part of this new Batman is far and away Heath Ledger's Joker. I find it difficult to separate my continued sadness over his passing, from a great appreciation of his work in this film. He does become immersed in the role, yet he is still there himself, that same kid from "A Knights Tale" and "10 Things I Hate About You". As Joker, he is everything I could want in a villain; evil, intelligent, ruthless, creepy, funny, unpredictable, and violent. Batman needed a worthy opponent, and in Heath Ledger's Joker he got more than he bargained for. "Do you want to see a magic trick?"
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Journey to the Center of the Earth, College Road Trip and Hellboy 2
Ashley, Aravis and I got to see a movie, Jude and I got to see a movie and I got to see my own movie too. All in all it was a good weekend for movies, especially considering I worked Saturday and got a late movie-going start. The girls and I got to see "College Road Trip". Martin Lawrence is an aquired taste, I think he's funny, but he's funny in his own way if you know what I mean. The premise of the movie is that the Martin Lawrence character takes his daughter (played by Raven Symone) to visit a couple prospect colleges. She wants to go to Georgetown, which is 700 miles away, he wants her to attend Northwestern which is 23 minutes away. The little brother and genius pig tag along to make the trip more exciting, and poof! you've got the makings of a great movie. It was fun, maybe not the stand in line for four hours, see it in IMAX, stay awake at night thinking about it kind of fun. But it is fun to see with your 4 and 6 year old daughters. So if you have some, then this movie is for you.
Jude and I saw "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" and it was 3D. I've seen a couple other films that utilized this new 3D technology, and this by far did it the best. As expected the movie was mostly an attempt to recreate the fun of a Disneyland ride. There were incredible sights, thrilling speed, and startling surprises. Brendan Fraser is a entertaining actor, and his presence alone at least keeps a smile on my face. The other two characters played by Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem were well cast, and although the movie was on the rails in every way, it was still fun. Jude loved it, so what else really matters?
I like "Hellboy 2" for the same reasons I liked "Hellboy". Unique comic book heros, fighing crazy bad guys in cool places. The humor and chemistry worked for me in both films, and this time around I really liked the artistic vision created onscreen. I didn't like Guillermo del Toro's last film "Pan's Labyrinth", but it was a good try. I did like his "Blade 2" and the first "Hellboy", so he's on a pretty good track since he's about to be directing "The Hobbit". Anyways, back to the movie at hand. "Hellboy 2" is goofy, the premise and look of the characters are all goofy and far fetched. But it's a comic book, so that's alright. Sometimes it's good to go over the top, and if you go over the top you might as well go all the way over. I like that Hellboy smoke cigars, I like that he gets pissed when the bad guy causes him to drop it, and I like that when the fight's over he picks it back up and continues to smoke it. What I like most of all is the disclaimer at the end of the movie where the filmmakers try to distance themselves from tabacco use depicted in the film. Maybe in "Hellboy 3" they can have him trying to quit, getting really grumpy and they can use this as a tagline: "There'll be Cold Turkey in Hell Tonight!" or maybe: "Cold Turkey is a Dish Best Served Hot!"
Jude and I saw "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" and it was 3D. I've seen a couple other films that utilized this new 3D technology, and this by far did it the best. As expected the movie was mostly an attempt to recreate the fun of a Disneyland ride. There were incredible sights, thrilling speed, and startling surprises. Brendan Fraser is a entertaining actor, and his presence alone at least keeps a smile on my face. The other two characters played by Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem were well cast, and although the movie was on the rails in every way, it was still fun. Jude loved it, so what else really matters?
I like "Hellboy 2" for the same reasons I liked "Hellboy". Unique comic book heros, fighing crazy bad guys in cool places. The humor and chemistry worked for me in both films, and this time around I really liked the artistic vision created onscreen. I didn't like Guillermo del Toro's last film "Pan's Labyrinth", but it was a good try. I did like his "Blade 2" and the first "Hellboy", so he's on a pretty good track since he's about to be directing "The Hobbit". Anyways, back to the movie at hand. "Hellboy 2" is goofy, the premise and look of the characters are all goofy and far fetched. But it's a comic book, so that's alright. Sometimes it's good to go over the top, and if you go over the top you might as well go all the way over. I like that Hellboy smoke cigars, I like that he gets pissed when the bad guy causes him to drop it, and I like that when the fight's over he picks it back up and continues to smoke it. What I like most of all is the disclaimer at the end of the movie where the filmmakers try to distance themselves from tabacco use depicted in the film. Maybe in "Hellboy 3" they can have him trying to quit, getting really grumpy and they can use this as a tagline: "There'll be Cold Turkey in Hell Tonight!" or maybe: "Cold Turkey is a Dish Best Served Hot!"
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Hancock
Some movies seem to exist merely to pass the time. These are the movies that I don't regret seeing, but in retrospect I feel as though I could have been doing something better with my time, like watching a better movie. "Hancock" could have been such a better movie. So much potential, so many strenghts, but alas, as DeNiro says in "Copland" this movie blew it. What Hollywood needs to realize is that you can not be everything to everone in the same movie. If you want to aim for the lowest common denominator, just hire Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and Jack Black and have a camera crew follow them around for a week. You're sure to have enough funny stuff to fill a two hour movie slot. On the other hand, if you want to put a twist on the super hero genre, making a introspective action film, then go ahead, hire Will Smith and make him a brooding, alcoholic, despised, has-been. Just don't try to throw in the Adam Sandler humor too. Then to make things worse, instead of trusting the instincts of the original concept, they felt as though we needed a dumbed-down, paint-by-the-numbers, typical Hollywood ending. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for some dark, shocking twist. I'm OK with a happy ending and all, but give me a break. Can't they be just a little more creative than this? Will Smith is a good actor, and has been in some of the most entertaining Hollywood blockbusters. He did good, but this movie could have been a whole lot better.
No Direction Home and I'm Not There
First off, let me say that I can hardly believe that "No Direction Home" originally was broadcast almost 3 years ago! It's one of those films that sticks with me, and now whenever I hear Dylan music, I see footage from this film. I know I've talked to quite a few of you about how much I liked the film when I saw it, and now that I've seen "I'm Not There", I have an even greater appreciation for the first film. Let me start again by reviewing the weaker film, even though it's chronologically the most recently viewed.
"I'm Not There" tries to present itself in the style of a Bob Dylan song. You're never supposed to be sure about the order of context of the images and characters that you're seeing. Everything is meant to seem random and far out, yet be deep and meaningful at the same time. Somehow Dylan is able to convey strong emotion with lyrics that otherwise make no sense at all. This movie fails utterly in its attempt to do the same. Its only success is in one performance that captures Dylan as he was and an other performance that doesn't seem to fit in a Dylan movie, yet works on its own somehow. First, Cate Blanchett does meet all the expectations of the buzz surrounding her portrayal of Dylan. At first it is distracting, especially considering some of the gender specific issues dealt with, but then she gets rolling, and delivers some dialogue that seems so perfectly Dylan, that I was blown away. She is for sure one of the best actresses (or actors) of all time. The other positive note was Heath Ledger's performance. He was convincing and filled out the role that was written for him. Unfortunately like so much of the film, the part which he played didn't really fit into place at all. As a stand alone character, it definitely was good, and really that's all you can expect from an actor, the rest is up to the director, and in this case the director let down the whole cast.
"No Direction Home" is Martin Scorsese's documentary about Bob Dylan. Recently I wrote about "Shine A Light", which was a concert film, a brief glimpse at a day in the life of the Rolling Stones. "No Direction Home" is a true documentary, investigating the life of a man from not only his own perspective, but also from those who were there, his friends, co-workers and followers. Just the old footage and interviews would have made for an interesting film, but throw in Scorsese's direction and you've got greatness. Scorsese tells Dylan's life not as a biography, but as dramatic piece of history. Here's a man who was the leader of a movement, yet refuses to acknowledge his role, and even went to the extreme of turning his back on the movement, quite literally. The film shows Dylan as a selfish, introverted genius. My guess is that Scorsese is one of the only directors who can so directly portray a mans dark side, yet in the end he is unequivocally the hero. If you want to learn more about one of the most influential men in American culture, and you want some great music too, this film is for you. My favorite parts take place when Dylan stared playing an electric guitar. Just listen to the music, and watch how the crowd reacts, it's amazing. This film ends so early in Dylan's career that I can only hope that Scorsese would make two or three more films continuing the story.
"I'm Not There" tries to present itself in the style of a Bob Dylan song. You're never supposed to be sure about the order of context of the images and characters that you're seeing. Everything is meant to seem random and far out, yet be deep and meaningful at the same time. Somehow Dylan is able to convey strong emotion with lyrics that otherwise make no sense at all. This movie fails utterly in its attempt to do the same. Its only success is in one performance that captures Dylan as he was and an other performance that doesn't seem to fit in a Dylan movie, yet works on its own somehow. First, Cate Blanchett does meet all the expectations of the buzz surrounding her portrayal of Dylan. At first it is distracting, especially considering some of the gender specific issues dealt with, but then she gets rolling, and delivers some dialogue that seems so perfectly Dylan, that I was blown away. She is for sure one of the best actresses (or actors) of all time. The other positive note was Heath Ledger's performance. He was convincing and filled out the role that was written for him. Unfortunately like so much of the film, the part which he played didn't really fit into place at all. As a stand alone character, it definitely was good, and really that's all you can expect from an actor, the rest is up to the director, and in this case the director let down the whole cast.
"No Direction Home" is Martin Scorsese's documentary about Bob Dylan. Recently I wrote about "Shine A Light", which was a concert film, a brief glimpse at a day in the life of the Rolling Stones. "No Direction Home" is a true documentary, investigating the life of a man from not only his own perspective, but also from those who were there, his friends, co-workers and followers. Just the old footage and interviews would have made for an interesting film, but throw in Scorsese's direction and you've got greatness. Scorsese tells Dylan's life not as a biography, but as dramatic piece of history. Here's a man who was the leader of a movement, yet refuses to acknowledge his role, and even went to the extreme of turning his back on the movement, quite literally. The film shows Dylan as a selfish, introverted genius. My guess is that Scorsese is one of the only directors who can so directly portray a mans dark side, yet in the end he is unequivocally the hero. If you want to learn more about one of the most influential men in American culture, and you want some great music too, this film is for you. My favorite parts take place when Dylan stared playing an electric guitar. Just listen to the music, and watch how the crowd reacts, it's amazing. This film ends so early in Dylan's career that I can only hope that Scorsese would make two or three more films continuing the story.
Wall-E
Jess, Jude, Ashley, Aravis and I all went to see "Wall-E" last night. About half-way through the previews Aravis asked me when the movie was going to start? Aravis doesn't like previews. Then the previews ended and they played the short film "Presto", which was itself worth the price of admission. I was laughing so hard, it was a good thing it was only a short film or I may have hurt myself. Then finally the movie began. It's going to become more and more difficult to review Pixar movies, since they are so consistently great. They have all been in a class all their own, and really can only be compared to themselves and great live-action films. "Wall-E" is no different. A character who cannot speak and was drawn in a computer gives a great performance. The visuals are rich and beautiful, even though they consist primarily of a desolate, trash strewn landscape. The screenplay is intelligent and thoughtful without being preachy or demeaning (see "Happy Feet" if you want to be demeaned). The use of music and cultural references throughout the film was genius, it really added a layer of context for me. In that regard I felt as though Pixar somehow moved even closer to making an important movie, not just an entertaining one. What I mean by that is that up till now they have been imaginative stroytellers, perhaps they are moving in the direction of using that talent for a higher purpose. Of course that is both exciting and scary at the same time. Spielberg made "Schindler's List", Mel Gibson made "The Passion of the Christ" and Oliver Stone is making "W". My point is that truly great films have more than just great stories, and I think Pixar is on the path to a truly great film. "Wall-E" is funny, heart-warming, exciting, stunning and memorable. Now I know what you're thinking; "tell us something we didn't already know!"... Since I don't have anything new to tell you, I'm just going to show you my list of the order of Pixar films from 'most best' to 'less best'... Here it is:
1. "Finding Nemo"
2. "Monsters Inc."
3. "Ratatouille"
4. "Toy Story 2"
5. "Wall-E"
6 "The Incredibles"
7. "A Bug's Life"
8. "Toy Story"
9. "Cars"
Hopefully "Toy Story 3" will be at the top of the list next year, at the very least it'll bump "Toy Story 2" down to #5. Batman's almost here! Aren't you excited yet?!
1. "Finding Nemo"
2. "Monsters Inc."
3. "Ratatouille"
4. "Toy Story 2"
5. "Wall-E"
6 "The Incredibles"
7. "A Bug's Life"
8. "Toy Story"
9. "Cars"
Hopefully "Toy Story 3" will be at the top of the list next year, at the very least it'll bump "Toy Story 2" down to #5. Batman's almost here! Aren't you excited yet?!
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