Archive for May, 2008
Finally a chance for Burt Reynolds to prove he is the great actor we all knew he could be!
Just star in a movie next to Ray Liotta and Jason Statham (who were amazing in Revolver), and make it a “knights of old” fantasy thriller, good versus evil sort of deal – NOTHING can go wrong.
Wow. WRONG!
This movie had every cliche of the “knights of the roundtable” genre. Honestly, I was waiting for juggling midgets to appear (almost surprisingly, they did not).
In case you care, here’s the gist of it: evil sorceror (Liotta) creates army out of mud people using magic, makes pact with evil nephew of King; orphan farmer’s kid gets killed and wife gets kidnapped by said army; farm boy (Statham, named “Farmer”, no less) wants to rescue his wife and runs into others in a similar pursuit, including the King’s army. [Breath] King (Reynolds) gets killed, but trusty and loyal advisor lets everyone know that Farmer was long lost son (don’t blame me for spoiling – you saw this coming); evil nephew gets his due; Liotta defeated; mud army goes home. Farmer becomes the new King and the world returns to good.
The hot forest women (think Poison Ivy from Batman times 10) made for an amazing and original plot element!
Not!
This movie was truly awful. Don’t waste your time or money.
And Jason and Ray – I’m very disappointed! Please don’t do this to me again!
The Mist (DVD
Don’t plan on going to sleep right after watching this one. It is not conducive to sweet dreams.
The problem with Stephen King’s tales of horror is that they are too plausible, if you can allow yourself to sretch your boundaries on what might be reality. The situation is not totally impossible, what with man screwing around with genetics, physics and anything else. And the reactions of the people involved in the situation is entirely realistic. But the story is not an accepted reality, so the horror is still “out there”.
The painter/dad, played by Thomas Jane of The Punisher fame, reacts and acts just as a man of his nature would be expected to. His son, played by Andre Braugher Toby Jones, is a normal boy thrust into a bizarre world. The acting is superb, and the story lacks nothing in character development, fast paced action, special effects, and shear terror.
The religious fanatic is entirely believable as well. And the rest of the characters, hoping to remain safe in the supermarket, each add believable detail.
It has left me wondering – did I miss something in the news, was Maine perhaps visited by strange creatures from an alternate reality, and I missed it?
Iron Man (DVD
Everyone is surprised that this movie opened as the second-highest grossing non-sequel movie in history. Everyone except me (with crystal-clear advantage of 20-20 hindsight). The fact is that most “blockbuster” movies in the last quarter have been awful and inspired people to stay home, or just go out somewhere else (how about dinner and a half-marathon). I’m not sure if it’s because of the writer’s strike or what, but it appears this dry spell is finally over.
You heard it here first: there were many pent up “movie nights” waiting to happen, and this was the first movie to take advantage of that. The next few “summer” blockbuster releases will not beat records. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat this web page!
The movie itself? Pretty good CGI action hero flick. Acting was good. Story was good. Tying the comic book into current events worked OK. A few interesting twists (who was that kidnap video directed at?) And, best of all, we can finally forgive Gwyneth Paltrow for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Sequel Warning: Do not leave the theatre during the credits. Wait until the very end, after the credits. You get a very distinct Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Enjoy the show! It’s the best we’ve seen in awhile, but don’t read too much into that.
Revolver (DVD
In case you thought Jason Statham was a one-trick pony typecast (as a con man with a heart), you are in for a big surprise. Yes, he’s a con man. And, yes, he has a heart. But his character is far deeper than this – he’s pretty much a psychology doctorate thesis-in-waiting. But, more importantly, Statham proved himself as a very capable actor that will transcend the type-casting that he has been boxed in by.
This is definitely an edgy film, even for Guy Ritchie (thank god Madonna was Swept Away from casting considerations). The style and execution here are simply brilliant. Unfortunately, the story didn’t make a lick of sense. Spoiler alert – skip to next paragraph if you haven’t seen this movie: What’s with the 12s? Who is Mr. Gold, and what does he control exactly? How did Mr. Green make his money, and lose it and make it again? We know who the prison-mates are, but how exactly do they fit in? What is the history of the central conflict? What the heck does Deepak Chopra have to do with any of this? I’m only getting started here. I feel like if I watched it again several times, I would simply end up with a sore brain, versus solving any of these nagging questions. If you have any insight, please post a comment.
Ray Liotta’s character was a disappointment. He was just an angry guy lashing out. If that was the point, well, fine. But other than that, it completely lacked depth. I don’t blame Liotta for this; I think this too may have been a result of story weakness.
Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000 for “awful music” fans) was a delight. I’d go so far as saying that this is the best example of “singer/rapper turned actor” EVER. His character, and specifically his interaction with Statham was simply fantastic. It was a pleasant surprise, too, since I had seen Four Brothers a few years ago, and did not find him particularly memorable. Of course, neither was “Four Brothers”.
Overall, 5 stars for acting, 5 stars for directing, 5 stars for style, and 1/2 star for storyline/plot. But definitely worth watching for the good stuff – but only once!
Warning: Do not watch this movie over and over, as your head may explode.
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