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Showing posts with label boat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boat. Show all posts

Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Adventures of Tintin

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Based on a combination of stories from the Belgian comic books, a young journalist named Tintin buys a model ship from a flea market, and suddenly people are trying to kill him and steal the ship, which leads him on a journalistic adventure to find out what is so special about this little ship.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Cary Elwes, Daniel Mays, Mackenzie Crook, Gad Elmaleh, Tony Curran, Kim Stengal, Enn Reitel, Joe Starr

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  PhotobucketProceed with Caution. I spent most of the movie wondering who the target audience was supposed to be.  If it's supposed to be for grown-ups, then making it live-action would've made the action-adventure parts more exciting.  And if it's supposed to be for little boys, then why is one of the main characters a drunk?

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  For once I can say, I preferred the book.  I remember reading these as a kid, and I remember them being funny-- especially those twin cops Thomson and Thompson. Even with one of my favorite comedy teams (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) in the roles, this is not.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  I felt like crying for poor little Tintin because the way they animated it, he looks about 14, so when he gets lost at sea and then lands in a foreign country without his mommy and daddy, I worry.  Turns out-- and I had to have this explained to me-- that he's in his low twenties.  I'm not a fan of the look they chose for him.  He doesn't look old enough to be a journalist, and more importantly, he doesn't look like Tintin.  It's animated!  You could've made him look exactly like he does in the books.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  The Award for 2011 goes to Belgium!  Between this and The Smurfs, Belgium is really positioning itself this year to look like more than just the European Canada.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Once again, my favorite actor is the dog.  But in comparison to the live-action dog in The Artist, who I've heard has people campaigning for his eligibility in the Best Supporting Actor category, this dog is nothing more than a drawing.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The choice to do this animated originally made sense to me, because the comic book lends itself to animation.  But the choice to do the animation using motion capture, so that the characters end up looking  semi-human, without  looking anything like their drawn counter-parts mind-boggles me.  Now that I've seen it, I think they should've gone with live-action  -- which was Spielberg's first instinct, once again proving the point that you should always listen to your gut.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  Tintin is such a goody-two-shoes, that his character is boring, and never gives you any sense that he might mess up, or not figure something out.  In other words, there's no suspense. 

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A:  Spielberg isn't the only master of his craft to deliver less than stellar results here, composer John Williams also creates a score that is beneath him.  The music itself is fun and light, and would probably make good listening if you were sitting around in your library smoking your pipe, but put up against this movie, it just feels wrong.  In the opening credits for example, twice as much action is in the music than in the images on the screen.  And in the rest, it would've served the movie to have music creating a greater sense of suspense in the parts when the story did not.  It's cheating, but it's exactly what makes renowned composers like John Williams so great at their jobs.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Adventures of Tintin Trailer

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pirate Radio

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Back in the 1960s, when British radio only allowed rock n' roll to be played for 1 hour a day, groups of DJ's formed rock stations off the coast of the UK, where they lived and partied together on boats, so they could rock out all day and night, without breaking the law. Over half the population enjoyed listening to these moderately legal radio stations on a regular basis.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tom Sturridge, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Darby, Nick Frost, Chris O'Dowd, Kenneth Branagh, Jack Davenport, Rhys Ifans, January Jones, Emma Thompson, Tom Wisdom, Sinead Matthews, Ralph Brown, Talulah Riley, Tom Brooke, Ike Hamilton, Will Adamsdale, Katherine Parkinson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. This is a high energy movie, based around the love of good rock n' roll music, with a lot of ambiance, and almost no st-argh-y.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Jokes there are a' plenty.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: When you watch a bunch of horny men together on a ship for months and years at a time, it quickly becomes clear why pirates obsess on wenches, ale, and walking the plank... They are bored out of their blasted minds!... But that doesn't mean their debauchery won't still make some more high falutin' moralists cry inside.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Soundtrack. This thing is wall to wall 60s music. And not the crappy stuff either. The kind that makes you think that for every $100 they spent, $99 of it when to ASCAP.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I love the Brits... And Philip Seymour Hoffman is good, too. But I feel sorry for Tom Sturridge, because with his pasty white skin, dark hair and cherry red lips, if he'd come along a few years earlier, he could have had Robert Pattinson's career. The good news for old Tom is that Vampire movies seem to be getting more, not less, popular, and it shouldn't be too long before someone puts him in one.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing injects electricity into a so-so script... But mostly, that's because the guy can pick some music. And speaking of electricity, am I the only one who wonders how a ship can sink with all sorts of electrical machinery on it, and no one gets electrocuted as they're wading through the flood waters? Or for that matter, speaking into a wet microphone?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The script contains little hints of story in it, most of which are gravely underdeveloped (especially the storyline about the government shutting them down, which comes and goes like a ship passing in the sea.) Some of the moderately developed, meatless storylines have set ups and pay offs, but mostly it's a fun character piece about wacky djs taking the piss out of each other. (Please tell me I used that expression right, because it would certainly be the first time I did.)

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/pirate-radio/36833/trailers

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Proposal

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a powerhouse publisher (Sandra Bullock) finds out she's getting deported back to Canada, she blackmails her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) into marrying her for the Green Card. Because she's a beeatch!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Malin Akerman, Oscar Nunez, Denis O'Hare, Aasif Mandvi

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo! This movie makes you wanna kiss somebody.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's funny how, in romantic comedies, relationships are so much cooler than in real life. I guess real life relationships would be cool, too, if you never had to find out what happens to you after the first three days.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It makes me cry to know that no matter how many sweet movies I go see, in my real life, the a-holes I encounter never turn out to have a heart. You know who you are... Oh, no wait, you're too full of yourself to know that you don't have a heart. Well, rest assured, we know who you are.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best night scenes to take place in full daylight. Thank you, Alaska. You are a very confusing place. But at least now I understand why you pick such strange leadership. You haven't had a good night's sleep since last winter.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Cliche alert!!! Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry... But they actually do. And Oscar Nunez gets laughs just for showing up. (You'll know what I mean when you see it.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I love that Anne Fletcher's career is thriving! What would I love more? To see more than one woman director thriving at a time. One scene I was particularly impressed by was the naked collision scene. Spoiler alert!!! (Not really-- it's in the trailer) She manages to show all the movement and action of naked people accidentally walking into each other, without showing any of the nudity. I sat for several moments wondering how she pulled it off so well. When I see it on DVD, I'll make a point to pay closer attention.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Peter Chiarelli does a nice job setting up a story that seems impossible to justify. Sure you have to ignore a couple of realities, like the sexual harrassment lawsuit Reynolds could have filed and won, but the one thing I had a hard time overlooking-- and I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm stereotyping-- was Sandra Bullock's personality. Because I have never met a Canadian that wasn't nice.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-proposal/30250/trailers

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Monday, June 8, 2009

Whatever Works

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A self proclaimed genius (Larry David), who hates everything about other human beings, meets a young, naive, God-fearing, Southern girl (Evan Rachel Wood), who for some unexplainable reason wants to spend all her time with him

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Henry Cavill, Conleth Hill, Michael McKean, Olek Krupa, Jessica Hecht, Christopher Evan Welch, John Gallagher Jr., Samantha Bee

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. I always enjoy a good cynical comedy about how life sucks and God is hooey. But at least 80% of you inchworms will be offended by the film's abrasiveness.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It takes Larry David saying his lines to truly see how much more angry and offensive Woody Allen is than Larry David.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you have strong religious beliefs, this one will probably send you crying to Lord Jesus for the simple sin of having exposed your delicate mind to the heresy in this movie.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The French will think of something to give it. They'll do anything to get Woody Allen to visit their country.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Larry David constantly looks like he's thinking, "I can't believe somebody cast me in a movie!" And Evan Rachel Wood can not do comedy. In fact, she reminded me so much of a girl in a bad acting class, that I spent the first 15 minutes of the movie wondering if it was actually her.  

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There are certain things about Woody Allen that never seem to change. One is his simplistic, underachiever directing style, and the other is his not-so-subtle belief that every beautiful girl who's almost reached drinking age wants to date a guy as old as her grandpa.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The first 30 to 40 minutes require a lot of suspension of disbelief. The way the characters meet is ridiculous, but not in a good way, and that's only one of the problems with the set up. But if you can make it until Patricia Clarkson shows up, you'll be rewarded with a film that's intelligent, daring and ridiculous-- but this time in a good way. And you're not gonna believe this but the ending to this piece about how humans are selfish, greedy, cretins who can't help themselves is actually uplifting.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/whatever%20works/trailers

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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Taken

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a retired spy's daughter gets kidnapped, he (Liam Neeson) will stop at nothing to get her back before she is sold into prostitution.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley, Katie Cassidy, Nicholas Giraud, Olivier Rabourdin,

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. Though it's billed as a thriller, this film fits more cleanly into the superhero genre. Despite the fact that Liam Neeson doesn't wear a cape or a mask, or have any notable superpowers, his skills at tracking and apprehending bad guys are definitely superhuman. And while the film is entertaining throughout, it is missing the one thing that makes and breaks a good superhero movie: a worthy adversary.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Human trafficking, now there's a funny topic!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Some saps I know might've gotten teary-eyed during the epilogue. But I can't vouch for them.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's been doing awesome at the box office (on track to cross $100 million), and I think that's more than the studio behind this small January release ever expected.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Liam Neeson is intense and makes you feel his urgency from the beginning to the end. Maggie Grace does a great job of portraying that youthful high school energy, and I probably shouldn't be impressed by this, but she's a very good screamer.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There are a lot of artful shots, but I'm a firm believer that action needs to be shown in wider shots so you can follow what's going on.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Action packed and intense because the stakes are high and the clock is ticking, but this movie could have gotten that elusive green light from me, if only Neeson had been put into a few more impossible-to-get-out-of situations. As it is now, you feel like he's always two steps ahead of everyone, and no one could possibly stop him.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/taken/28725/trailers

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Friday, February 6, 2009

He's Just Not That Into You

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Dating sucks, and the long term relationships that it leads to are even worse.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Kevin Connolly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly, Busy Philipps, Drew Barrymore, Sasha Alexander, Brooke Bloom, Hedy Burress, Wilson Cruz, Kris Kristofferson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. This movie is cute in exactly the way you'd expect it to be, but it's not particularly romantic. Probably because it attempts to uncover the realities of dating, rather than rehash the usual romantic movie fantasies that we all know and love, which ultimately, are the culprits in creating our misguided dreams of fairy-tale romance. You know, the ones that lead us to being constantly disappointed in real life.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's got enough laughs to not be a disgrace to its genre, like some of the movies that call themselves romantic-"Comedies."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It could be a bit of an embarrassment to its genre, after all. It is supposed to be a "Romantic"-comedy.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Film based on a book that's based on an episode of a TV show. The competition was nobody.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Of the entire ensemble, nobody really stands out or stretches outside of their comfort zone. But Ginnifer Goodwin, the least famous of the bunch, is actually the star of the film both in screen time and in her ability to be complex, quirky, and interesting.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Interchangeable, inoffensive and unremarkable. The simple shots and standard coverage will play very well on the small screen. Which is a very good thing, since this film will likely do most of its business on DVD.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Ensemble movies are tough, but the writers do succeed at keeping all the stories compelling and interconnected-- in some cases a little too conveniently. The tone is consistently light-hearted, even when certain people's words (the men's) are harsh. And even some of the saddest moments get laughs. But when you're trying to expose the realities of dating, happy endings are both hard to come by and hard to buy.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: If they were going to have an all white cast, why did they place the movie in Baltimore, Maryland, which is 80% Black? They really could have told this story anywhere... Or cast a few Black people. Take your pick.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/hes-just-not-that-into-you/29704/trailers

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Thursday, August 7, 2008

Traitor

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is definitely a traitor. But is he a traitor to the United States or to the terrorists?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Jeff Daniels, Neal McDonough, Said Taghmaoui, Archie Panjabi, Aly Khan, Alexandra Castillo, Raad Rawi, Lorena Gale

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo! Even when you think you know whose side he's on, you don't. This double-agent, spy thriller will keep you constantly second guessing yourself.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one good laugh, well into the third act, and it's really a strange thing to laugh at.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Maybe if you're a religious extremist.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's certainly that kind of a film.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Don Cheadle hits all the right levels as he carefully navigates the line between innocent and guilty, never quite giving away which category he falls into.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jeffrey Nachmanoff's camera constantly moves in exciting ways, often showcasing original angles, all without distracting you from the story line.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It starts out like a run of the mill terrorist movie, but it steadily ramps up with every frame, becoming constantly more suspenseful as it draws to an end that actually has a point.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Even as the movie jumps from location to location, the editing is seamless. And the second-unit aerial shots of Chicago make you want to go there more than any other Chicago-based movie I've seen.

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Step Brothers

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of 40-year-olds (Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly), who act like they're 12-year-olds, and still live at home, are forced to endure each other when their respective single parents get married.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Katheryn Hahn, Andrea Savage, Rob Riggle

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo! Just suspend your disbelief and let the stupidity and ridiculousness of this broad comedy carry you to those rolling hills of laughter.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you like jokes that are dirty.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but there is a close up of Will Ferrell's nut sack. A long one. Yes, both.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Is there a Best Hug category?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The actors put deep commitment into every implausible moment in this absurd scenario. We've seen Ferrell and Reilly do this a million times, but it's Richard Jenkins and Mary Steenburgen, playing the parents, whose interesting character choices bring an element of originality to the screen.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The relational perspective of the juxtaposition of the characters is disorienting in a few scenes-- much like this sentence. In other words, the director sometimes cuts from wide shots, where the characters are standing extremely far away from each other, to close-ups and over the shoulder shots, that make them appear to be in each other's faces. I can't imagine this was done on purpose.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Not in any way genius, but it's a vast improvement on the last several Will Ferrell-Adam McKay collaborations. For one thing, this time it seems like they may have used an actual screenplay as the basis for the film. Yeah, the kind someone writes down and hands out to the cast and crew before filming begins. I know, it's a crazy concept.

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

Mamma Mia!

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?


A: A young bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) hatches a plan behind her mother’s back (Meryl Streep) to find her real father before she walks down the aisle... And of course she does it all using the hit songs of ABBA.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo! ! If you loved the Broadway show this movie is based on, you’ll love this movie. If you didn’t love the Broadway show, you’ll love this movie. If you didn't see the Broadway show, you’ll love this movie. Basically, if your heart is beating and you can sit upright in a movie theater for 100 minutes, you’ll love this movie. Just to be clear, there’s no one who won’t love this movie.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: You will laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, but you're supposed to.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Yes, when Meryl sings, “The Winner Takes It All.” Don’t feel bad, just let it out. There, now, don’t you feel better?

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Thanks to the Academy’s arcane rules, Abba’s pristine pop gems will not be eligible for Oscar nominations. But you can pretty much bank on Streep being nominated for an astounding 15th time. And newcomer Amanda Seyfried might get some serious attention, too.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It's the reason the movie works better than the play. The cast wrings true emotion out of each scenes. Streep brings a weirdly poignant manic energy to her part that is at first disconcerting, but quickly settles into brilliance. She elevates a movie based on Abba songs like only Meryl Streep can. And newcomer Amanda Seyfried is so perfectly cast as her daughter, it’s eerie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: A bit haphazard and manic, yet it doesn’t undercut the pure joy derived from the songs, the comedy, and the beautiful Greek setting. Phyllida Lloyd is a British theater and opera director, but she opens up the play effectively and nails all the big moments. It doesn’t feel like a play turned into a movie. It just feels like a movie.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Like a patchwork of thin plot points strung together to make the songs make sense... But credit is due for accomplishing that so well! Also, since the film is set in Greece, it's an especially nice touch to add a ‘Greek Chorus’ to the proceedings. Hey, it’s a musical! It’s in Greece! Let’s add a chorus!... So obvious, but sometimes the most brilliant ideas are.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Even after all these years, there’s no denying how brilliant and fun Abba’s songs are. You may also acquire a new appreciation for how deceptively smart and effective the lyrics are.

Hot tip: Be sure to stick around for the end credits. You will not be disappointed.

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