Monday, December 31, 2007

Eastern Promises

Eastern Promises. I've wanted to see this for a while, but not really enough to do anything about it.
It finally came from Netflix last week.

I came in with some expectations. Viggo: who doesn't like him? Naomi: One of my faves. Russian Mafia? You have my attention. Lets roll.

Slow moving, but well acted. Viggo(as Nikolai) is a rock. I like one of his lines :
"They called me the Stump. Because they could not shift me" I don't think I got that quite right, but it sums up his character well. Tattooed, chiseled, unflappable, Nikolai is a force in this film. That's enough reason to watch it by itself.

The plot itself didn't grab me, but Vincent Cassel and Viggo(an American and a Frenchman) make a great Russian Duo. Besides some gratuitous gore(two overdone throat slittings) the action is manageable. There's also a naked fight to the death in which you get to see Viggo's junk. Not my bag(no pun intended) but I'm sure that'll excite some. I hear Walk Hard opens with some male full frontal so this is a good primer.

Overall, get a good glass of wine, and make sure you're in the mood for a slow movie, then enjoy.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force colon movie film for theaters

Finally, finally I saw ATHF.
I love the show, and I've been wanting to see the movie for a long time.

Let me start with this : If you like the show, you'll love the movie. If you don't watch or don't like the show, I'm not sure how it will seem. Definitely over the top, probably nonsensical. Maybe not funny. I really can't say. My fiancee seemed to like it tho, and she didn't follow the show, so what do I know? (what a rhyme)

ahyhoo...

Zany, crazy-go-nuts humor, ridiculous plot, and all the characters from the show. There was a character voiced by Chris Kattan, a CIA agent played by H. Jon Benjamin (who is probably my favorite voice actor besides Steven Jay Blum), a burrito Tina Fey, a cameo by Space Ghost, and even a return of MC Pee Pants. What more can I ask for? Nothing. Nothing and nothing.

I was very happy with the film, and tomorrow I'll watch it over with the commentary turned on. I highly recommend the movie, with the reservations expressed earlier.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Lions for Lambs

Lions for Lambs. Well, I was excited to see this movie, for a couple of reasons. I love Tom Cruise, and the previews made it look exciting. After a flurry of commercials when it came out, it kind of dropped off the map. Now I know why.

The movie is three parallel stories, that take place at the same time as each other. A 7am student/teacher meeting in California. A 10am senator/reporter meeting in Washington DC and an 8pm military strike in Afghanistan.

Lets look at each of these seperately. We'll move west to east.

Student/teacher meeting at 'A California university' ... Phew, I was afraid it would be at THE California University. This is the worst of the three segments IMO. Robert Redford and some terribly annoying, precocious kid. Lines delivered poorly, spitting out quips, as if the exchange were scripted. What? It is scripted? Oh, then it makes sense. They might as well have been talking straight into the cameras for all the authenticity they portrayed. The Professor(not teacher as previously misreported) is Robert Redford. Poly Sci professor/Director/producer Robert Redford. He seems to be using this movie as a soapbox, and honestly it's annoying. This is what a Kevin Costner written/directed politically charged movie would be like. This is my least favorite of the three segments.

In DC we are shown a meeting between past her prime(in the movie, not my take) Meryl Streep, and the always intense, jaw clenching Tom Cruise. I love Tom cruise for two reasons, I thnk he's a good actor, and he was born in Syracuse, where I was born and raised.
Great town. Cruise is his usual intense self, presenting with the Scientology-enhanced power we know and love him for. Meryl Streep is whimpery and kind of annoying. Republican politician politiking to a liberal reporter. Not much to this one really.

The military strike is an attempt to establish a 'point' for the US military on an elevated position inside of Afghanistan. This is to help us win the war on terror, with fewer numbers than are involved in a normal military movement. There's some intense bang bang, he's dead, and HE's dead. **spoiler alert** two of the US soldiers get stuck in on the ground, by themselves, surrounded by enemy soldiers. These are two former students of Redford, and we see some of their past. They seem an awful lot like as a couple as they unite to be shot together in a last stand against an insurmountable enemy. Moments before an air strike comes in to wipe out the enemy position. Blah blah.

Overall it was billed as exciting. Not exciting. IMO, a BAD movie. Not bad like Kickin it old Skool. Which was low budget, low star power, not taking itself seriously. This movie was supposed to be good. And it just wasn't.

A lot of people will use this movie to US bash, which annoys the crap out of me. Another reason I didn't love it. Oh well.

Juno

Last night I saw Juno. A comedy-drama starring my favorite under-20 actor, Michael Cera. I think it's becoming cliche to be a Cera fanboy/girl but whatever, he's popular for a reason.

This movie was very well acted. Ellen Page is terrific in the lead. Young, spunky, with a very pretty face. I imagine her following a Natalie Portman path, tho more comedy heavy. We'll see I guess. I wish there was more Michael Cera, but he was great in the scenes he got. JK Simmons(great Caesars ghost!) was a great father, gruff but a heart of gold. I liked Allison Janney as a step-mom, and there's a natural chemistry between Page and Olivia Thirlby, as they're friends in real life. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner are a convincing, quirky suburban couple who ilicit their share of laughs. The movie even opens with a great Rainn Wilson(of Dwight K Schrute fame) sighting, he totally steals the scene. I like to see him not just riding on Dwight to keep in our consciousness.

The soundtrack became an instant iTunes favorite, even if I wasn't crazy about it.

Overall, funny, entertaining, even touching.
See it, I say!

Friday, December 28, 2007

Kickin it Old Skool

Last night I watched Kickin It Old SkooL, a terrible Jamie Kennedy Vehicle I wanted to see for a few reasons. Most of them rhyme with "Knobby Knee"

Anyhoo, the movie opens on the childhood of a Break Dancer named Justin, his parents (mother from 70's show and shooter McGavin), and his friends/band of misfits.
They are the Funky Fresh Boys and they are going to perform in their middle school talent show, following Justin's love interest fresh off a disturbing-for-a-young-girl flashdance rendition.

Justin has a dancing mishap, and hilarity ensues. I wish.
Jamie Kennedy goes into a Coma for 20 years, yes 20 years. Now we're in the present time and we can all laugh about the differences between the 80's and the aughts(calling TiVo R2D2 etc). Har Har.

The band of misfits is now Justin, Juwanna Man, a fat latino (eating jokes? tired from exercising jokes? how refreshing), and the absolutely hilarious Bobby Lee !!

The love interest is now the gorgeous Maria Menounos and young breakdancing rival is now a big shot in the business with his own TV show.

There's one scene that I laughed hard at. A moment I'll call a SILBOW,
Scene I Laughed at But Others Wouldn't
Other than that, Bobby Lee is funny and um ... There's a dirty homeless guy who farts and pees himself(repeatedly).

Overall a pretty bad movie.
This is my first movie review on this blog. Deal with it.