It’s strange to think that the Academy Awards were still being presented during the Second World War. The war demanded sacrifice from everyone and I would have thought that things like movie awards would be something that people would not focus on. However, even in the 1940’s, Hollywood knew how to get people in the seats. The 1942 film “Mrs. Miniver” was about actions taken during World War II. But it is smart about it by not focusing on the American involvement in the war. In fact there are no battle scenes or war meetings. This movie is about how the war would affect everyday people.
“Mrs. Miniver” focuses on a Brittish family that is depicted as splendid people who have money problems but truly enjoy life. Eventually World War II begins and they must begin taking cover from the air raids. During this time the oldest son enlists in the Royal Air Force and falls in love and is married. The family still stays strong and continues living their life while each evening taking precautions against the bombing. Near the end of the film tragedy does eventually strike the family, but they use it to strengthen their resolve to not give up. The film does an excellent job of making the British seem like a very noble, giving and caring people, and the character of Mrs. Miniver becomes a very inspirational leader. It’s a moving story and is one that would motivate people to support the war effort.
Acting wise this movie belongs to Greer Garson. The rest of the cast does a splendid job, but when she is on screen the movie is hers. One can’t help but be drawn to her. There is a point in the movie when someone comments about how the look on her face could inspire someone to do the right thing, and it is totally believable. Direction wise I found no faults in the movie, however looking at it now it is very obvious that this was a movie with a mission to have America want to support the British people. And I think that this movie succeeded in that mission extremely well.
I think the movie could still do well if released today. However, it would need some changes to account for today’s audience. People today would not stand for a movie that is so obviously trying to manipulate them, the last shot of the movie encourages people to buy government bonds when they get their next paycheck. People would be screaming about this, but a few tweaks to the movie could change this. Overall the film gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Hangover Part II - New Movie Review
When “The Hangover” came out 2 years ago, I thought it was a great little adult comedy. It had average guys getting themselves into trouble wrapped around a mystery plot. I laughed the entire time and to this day will still quote lines from the movie. So another adventure with these characters sounds like a great time. “The Hangover Part II” did give us another adventure, but it felt as if it was just the first one reshot with a couple of crazier elements.
In this installment the Wolf Pack heads to Thailand where Alan once again accidently drugs everyone and they end up waking up with one of their friends missing and no idea of what happened that night before. There are a few changes, instead of a tooth, Stu has a tattoo and instead of a baby there is a monkey. However, the changes don’t make up for a plot that is essentially the same as last time. We already know how the characters are going to react so with each incident that happens there is no freshness. We know Stu will freak out, we know Alan will become attached to things and we know Phil will just laugh it off and be the straight guy.
There isn’t an exact science to sequels, they are usually really difficult to make. But there are some general rules that some of the great ones have followed that this one completely ignored:
Number 1 – Add a new character. At least one regular should be added to a sequel. Don’t go over the top though and add multiple ones or you will lose the audience. The main plot focused only on the same 3 from the original movie and no one else.
Number 2 – Split your characters up. We know how they act together, but how do they act separated. Split the characters up and have them work to find each other.
Number 3 – Follow up on the first movie relationship. The only relationship from the first movie was Stu and the stripper. The entire plot of this movie focuses on abandoning that relationship and barely acknowledging it. That isn’t nice to the audience.
There isn’t much else to be said about this film. The laughs are there but would have been better with just a few changes to the plot. The movie gets 2.5 out of 5 stars.
In this installment the Wolf Pack heads to Thailand where Alan once again accidently drugs everyone and they end up waking up with one of their friends missing and no idea of what happened that night before. There are a few changes, instead of a tooth, Stu has a tattoo and instead of a baby there is a monkey. However, the changes don’t make up for a plot that is essentially the same as last time. We already know how the characters are going to react so with each incident that happens there is no freshness. We know Stu will freak out, we know Alan will become attached to things and we know Phil will just laugh it off and be the straight guy.
There isn’t an exact science to sequels, they are usually really difficult to make. But there are some general rules that some of the great ones have followed that this one completely ignored:
Number 1 – Add a new character. At least one regular should be added to a sequel. Don’t go over the top though and add multiple ones or you will lose the audience. The main plot focused only on the same 3 from the original movie and no one else.
Number 2 – Split your characters up. We know how they act together, but how do they act separated. Split the characters up and have them work to find each other.
Number 3 – Follow up on the first movie relationship. The only relationship from the first movie was Stu and the stripper. The entire plot of this movie focuses on abandoning that relationship and barely acknowledging it. That isn’t nice to the audience.
There isn’t much else to be said about this film. The laughs are there but would have been better with just a few changes to the plot. The movie gets 2.5 out of 5 stars.
2010/2011 TV Season Review
Now that May is finished we can finally move past the 2010 to 2011 television season. Overall I found this to be a rather disappointing season for TV in general. Sure, there were a few standouts, but overall nothing felt fresh and exciting. Some of the pilot descriptions for shows that have been picked up for next year sound good, but we have to wait and see on those. For now I am going to take a look back on how the shows I watch faired this season.
Chuck – I can’t believe this show is still on the air. If NBC was not a struggling network this show would have only lasted two seasons. Instead we are going to end up with 5 seasons. Which I think is just enough. The show has run its course, and this season showed that. I am excited for the premise set up for next season and I am ready to wish it a fond farewell.
How I Met Your Mother – The show went to some dramatic places this season and did it well. However, I hate Zoey. That entire storyline needed to happen and end a lot sooner. The show is starting to show its age and I’m starting to worry about the next two years it has.
The Event – A new show that I tried this year, it’s been cancelled. It was okay, but they didn’t want to create interesting characters and with having multiple points of view, the audience was always 10 steps ahead.
Glee – Not a strong sophomore effort here. I’ve grown to absolutely hate some of the characters and hoping that they somehow die a horrible death. The only things that keep me coming back are some of the jokes and the musical number they do every once in a while that just knocks my socks off. They have some competition in the genre next year so they better step up their game.
Modern Family – Still funny. The show makes me laugh and makes me feel good. That’s all I want or need from it. One of the few shows I watch that doesn’t have any long term arcs and I don’t want one from it.
Community – This season had more hits than misses, particularly in the second half. The crew there is making some of the smartest television I have seen since “Arrested Development.” This is probably the show I look forward to the most every week.
Perfect Couples – Dead. The show had funny moments but I just found myself hating to many of the characters and wondering why the people I liked were friends with them.
The Office – The show is nowhere near as good as it used to be, but I am so attached to these characters I can’t help but watch it. The ending for Michael Scott was perfect. And the rest of the season was pretty good to, they really brought back there A game to send off Michael properly.
Parks and Recreation – Another great season for this show. I will miss Lil’ Sebastian, but I know he is happy now. The show is fantastic and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
30 Rock – Meh. This has been the shows weakest season so far. They had a few great episodes but I look forward to the guest appearances more than the actual episodes of the show.
Outsourced – Another failed show. There were a few laughs here, but they seemed to really focus on Gupta, who I hate with a passion. I am not sorry to see this show go as it really wasn’t that good.
Fringe – This season was fun, fresh and intriguing. It also left off in an interesting place and I can’t wait to see where they take it. They have really built three very strong characters for this show and as long as they can keep the connection strong this show will succeed.
Smallville – I have another post up dedicated to “Smallville” go check that out instead.
Saturday Night Live – Still remains the most hit or miss show on TV. I wish that Justin Timberlake and Jon Hamm could just host the show every week. Or just join the cast.
The Amazing Race – I think the race for me is coming to an end. They’ve taken us everywhere around the world and it all just feels the same now. They need to change something up next year or risk losing a viewer.
The Simpsons/Family Guy/American Dad/The Cleveland Show – These shows all feel the same now. I enjoy them but except for “The Simpsons” I wouldn’t be too upset if one of them were cancelled.
The Walking Dead – Had a good first season. But the shortness of that season has me worried that it can’t sustain a full season and that the novelty might wear off.
Mad Men – Brilliant. This season really explored Don Draper as a character. It tore him down completely and then built him back up. This is still the best show that I watch, unfortunately we have to wait until 2012 before we get to return.
Well that’s all for now, there are summer shows that I watch, but I’ll comment on those later. There looks to be a lot of exciting new shows starting this fall. Once I get a chance to see them, I’ll post my thoughts right here.
Chuck – I can’t believe this show is still on the air. If NBC was not a struggling network this show would have only lasted two seasons. Instead we are going to end up with 5 seasons. Which I think is just enough. The show has run its course, and this season showed that. I am excited for the premise set up for next season and I am ready to wish it a fond farewell.
How I Met Your Mother – The show went to some dramatic places this season and did it well. However, I hate Zoey. That entire storyline needed to happen and end a lot sooner. The show is starting to show its age and I’m starting to worry about the next two years it has.
The Event – A new show that I tried this year, it’s been cancelled. It was okay, but they didn’t want to create interesting characters and with having multiple points of view, the audience was always 10 steps ahead.
Glee – Not a strong sophomore effort here. I’ve grown to absolutely hate some of the characters and hoping that they somehow die a horrible death. The only things that keep me coming back are some of the jokes and the musical number they do every once in a while that just knocks my socks off. They have some competition in the genre next year so they better step up their game.
Modern Family – Still funny. The show makes me laugh and makes me feel good. That’s all I want or need from it. One of the few shows I watch that doesn’t have any long term arcs and I don’t want one from it.
Community – This season had more hits than misses, particularly in the second half. The crew there is making some of the smartest television I have seen since “Arrested Development.” This is probably the show I look forward to the most every week.
Perfect Couples – Dead. The show had funny moments but I just found myself hating to many of the characters and wondering why the people I liked were friends with them.
The Office – The show is nowhere near as good as it used to be, but I am so attached to these characters I can’t help but watch it. The ending for Michael Scott was perfect. And the rest of the season was pretty good to, they really brought back there A game to send off Michael properly.
Parks and Recreation – Another great season for this show. I will miss Lil’ Sebastian, but I know he is happy now. The show is fantastic and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
30 Rock – Meh. This has been the shows weakest season so far. They had a few great episodes but I look forward to the guest appearances more than the actual episodes of the show.
Outsourced – Another failed show. There were a few laughs here, but they seemed to really focus on Gupta, who I hate with a passion. I am not sorry to see this show go as it really wasn’t that good.
Fringe – This season was fun, fresh and intriguing. It also left off in an interesting place and I can’t wait to see where they take it. They have really built three very strong characters for this show and as long as they can keep the connection strong this show will succeed.
Smallville – I have another post up dedicated to “Smallville” go check that out instead.
Saturday Night Live – Still remains the most hit or miss show on TV. I wish that Justin Timberlake and Jon Hamm could just host the show every week. Or just join the cast.
The Amazing Race – I think the race for me is coming to an end. They’ve taken us everywhere around the world and it all just feels the same now. They need to change something up next year or risk losing a viewer.
The Simpsons/Family Guy/American Dad/The Cleveland Show – These shows all feel the same now. I enjoy them but except for “The Simpsons” I wouldn’t be too upset if one of them were cancelled.
The Walking Dead – Had a good first season. But the shortness of that season has me worried that it can’t sustain a full season and that the novelty might wear off.
Mad Men – Brilliant. This season really explored Don Draper as a character. It tore him down completely and then built him back up. This is still the best show that I watch, unfortunately we have to wait until 2012 before we get to return.
Well that’s all for now, there are summer shows that I watch, but I’ll comment on those later. There looks to be a lot of exciting new shows starting this fall. Once I get a chance to see them, I’ll post my thoughts right here.
Smallville - TV Series Review
After 10 seasons and more than 200 episodes, “Smallville” finally went off the air this year. When it started in October 2001, I was still in college and I had just turned 20. Over the course of the past 10 years the world has changed a lot and so have I. It’s rare these days for a network show to last 10 years and it is amazing that the fans got so much. Today I want to take a look back at “Smallville.”
The show premiered to over 8 million viewers. This can be attributed to the very well done marketing campaign. Even if you never watched the show you can probably still remember the image of Clark hung up like a scarecrow in a cornfield with the “S” on his chest. It worked. During the second season it averaged over 6 million viewers a week and in its final season it averaged almost 3 million a week. Not that bad for a genre show on the CW. I remember seeing the first commercial for this and thinking that I wanted nothing to do with it. On the WB it would be too dramatic, and the thought of never getting to see him fly or put on the costume turned me off. But, I did end up watching the first episode and ending up loving the world and style that they had created.
There were a lot of problems that the show held onto for a while. And with a show that could never reach the ending that we all knew was going to happen eventually without ending the actual show, it was clear that the writers didn’t really know what to do. During the first two seasons, it wasn’t a problem. The show was new and they still had Clark discovering powers. But the problems were starting to show up. Episodes were constantly just a “Freak of the Week” (FOTW) with each adventure not really contributing to the overall narrative. And then the last 10 minutes of every episode was dedicated to Clark and Lana having some sort of star crossed lovers’ type moment. We also had Product Placement Pete, who seemed to only be there to pimp out Remy Zero or sell Stride gum.
But then we would get some great moments as well, Christopher Reeve returning to explain his origin, the John Williams music, and the symbol. We also had a great villain in Lionel Luthor and a great journey for an even better villain in Lex Luthor. Unfortunately the FOTW adventures continued and during the 4-6th seasons the show just didn’t seem to know what to do. They had teased Superman so much that it started getting a little ridiculous that he wasn’t Superman yet.
When Michael Rosenbaum, Kristen Kruek and John Glover all left the show, I thought it was done for. But that’s when the writers really stepped up. They brought in other characters from the DC universe. We got to see almost every big character from the DCU (except for Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern) get Smallvillized. By expanding the number of heroes that were around it made the fact that we didn’t have Superman there okay. The other superheroes quenched our thirst to see Superman by giving us people in costumes doing heroic things. What are the odds of us getting to ever see characters like Cyborg, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, and Stargirl on a TV show? Without something like “Smallville” it would have been impossible.
The show’s last season was full of ups and downs. Just like the series itself. But for the most part it was fun. It brought closure to the characters and setup the world that we wanted to see at the end. Loose ends were tied up and I was left with a smile on my face as Tom Welling finally unbuttoned his shirt and showed off that big red “S.” It was a fitting ending to the show and will keep me satisfied until the next Superman comes out in December 2012.
The show premiered to over 8 million viewers. This can be attributed to the very well done marketing campaign. Even if you never watched the show you can probably still remember the image of Clark hung up like a scarecrow in a cornfield with the “S” on his chest. It worked. During the second season it averaged over 6 million viewers a week and in its final season it averaged almost 3 million a week. Not that bad for a genre show on the CW. I remember seeing the first commercial for this and thinking that I wanted nothing to do with it. On the WB it would be too dramatic, and the thought of never getting to see him fly or put on the costume turned me off. But, I did end up watching the first episode and ending up loving the world and style that they had created.
There were a lot of problems that the show held onto for a while. And with a show that could never reach the ending that we all knew was going to happen eventually without ending the actual show, it was clear that the writers didn’t really know what to do. During the first two seasons, it wasn’t a problem. The show was new and they still had Clark discovering powers. But the problems were starting to show up. Episodes were constantly just a “Freak of the Week” (FOTW) with each adventure not really contributing to the overall narrative. And then the last 10 minutes of every episode was dedicated to Clark and Lana having some sort of star crossed lovers’ type moment. We also had Product Placement Pete, who seemed to only be there to pimp out Remy Zero or sell Stride gum.
But then we would get some great moments as well, Christopher Reeve returning to explain his origin, the John Williams music, and the symbol. We also had a great villain in Lionel Luthor and a great journey for an even better villain in Lex Luthor. Unfortunately the FOTW adventures continued and during the 4-6th seasons the show just didn’t seem to know what to do. They had teased Superman so much that it started getting a little ridiculous that he wasn’t Superman yet.
When Michael Rosenbaum, Kristen Kruek and John Glover all left the show, I thought it was done for. But that’s when the writers really stepped up. They brought in other characters from the DC universe. We got to see almost every big character from the DCU (except for Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern) get Smallvillized. By expanding the number of heroes that were around it made the fact that we didn’t have Superman there okay. The other superheroes quenched our thirst to see Superman by giving us people in costumes doing heroic things. What are the odds of us getting to ever see characters like Cyborg, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, and Stargirl on a TV show? Without something like “Smallville” it would have been impossible.
The show’s last season was full of ups and downs. Just like the series itself. But for the most part it was fun. It brought closure to the characters and setup the world that we wanted to see at the end. Loose ends were tied up and I was left with a smile on my face as Tom Welling finally unbuttoned his shirt and showed off that big red “S.” It was a fitting ending to the show and will keep me satisfied until the next Superman comes out in December 2012.
How Green Was My Valley - The Oscar Project Part XIV
“How Green Was My Valley” was released in 1941. Having been released and then nominated during the beginning of America’s involvement in World War II, this small film about hard family life would have been very appealing to people. It is told from the prospective of a man who is living his small coal mining village and as he goes he remembers the important things that have happened in his life.
The direction by John Ford, is excellent. With such a large cast that is constantly aging, a viewer could be easily lost. But Ford is able to use excellent transitions and constants to allow the audience to keep up with the story. It also features some of the most beautiful cinematography that I have seen to date while watching these Oscar winning films. The acting is decent, but there isn’t much to write home about. No one really stands out and gives a memorable performance, but no one really gives a bad performance either.
The story itself was just not intriguing. By the end of the movie I didn’t feel a connection to anyone. I didn’t care about the relationship between the Priest and the sister, the death of the Father didn’t surprise me or make me sad. The disjointed narrative used didn’t work. This was a character piece and the movie tried to be bigger than that. Looking back, this is definitely one of those films that won despite there being a clearly better film that year. In this case it was “Citizen Kane.”
This film could be successful today, but not without a lot of changes. A better narrative and some acting power would be a must. It gets 2 and a half out of 5 stars.
The direction by John Ford, is excellent. With such a large cast that is constantly aging, a viewer could be easily lost. But Ford is able to use excellent transitions and constants to allow the audience to keep up with the story. It also features some of the most beautiful cinematography that I have seen to date while watching these Oscar winning films. The acting is decent, but there isn’t much to write home about. No one really stands out and gives a memorable performance, but no one really gives a bad performance either.
The story itself was just not intriguing. By the end of the movie I didn’t feel a connection to anyone. I didn’t care about the relationship between the Priest and the sister, the death of the Father didn’t surprise me or make me sad. The disjointed narrative used didn’t work. This was a character piece and the movie tried to be bigger than that. Looking back, this is definitely one of those films that won despite there being a clearly better film that year. In this case it was “Citizen Kane.”
This film could be successful today, but not without a lot of changes. A better narrative and some acting power would be a must. It gets 2 and a half out of 5 stars.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - New Movie Review
When the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” film came out, I thought it was a breath of fresh air. It felt new and surprising. The second film, while not as good as the first, I thought was brilliant because of how the plot for the sequel was taken from the first film without the first film actually setting it up. The third film was still fun, but it was too dramatic, long and complicated. When I learned of a fourth movie that would wipe clean the slate and just focus on Captain Jack, I was excited. Unfortunately, my excitement was rewarded with a movie that was just okay.
The story focuses on Captain Jack being forced to help search for the Fountain of Youth. Along the way he runs into his old nemesis Barbosa, played again to perfection by Geoffry Rush. In this film he has become an intriguing character and if Disney and Depp should decide to return to this franchise again, having Barbosa become the main villain would be a wise decision. Penolope Cruz and Ian McShane team up as Blackbeard and his daughter. The Cruz character was slightly interesting and was a good romantic foil for Jack, but her devotion to her father was annoying. I felt as though the movie wasted the character of Blackbeard though. Here is the most fearsome pirate ever, a real person, and they just made him be angry and surly all the time. He is easily the lamest villain that they have come up with yet.
The plot itself was okay, it felt a little jumbled with a ritual that once revealed, anyone could figure out how it was going to end. It was filled with unnecessary moments. The Spanish were part of the movie that made them seem like a dangerous threat, but they basically just did one thing and then left. The extra mermaid/missionary subplot was useless and didn’t really have proper closure. I felt nothing for any of these new characters.
The movie was still a success during its first weekend and I don’t think that Disney will let go of this golden goose any time soon. Hopefully the next one will return us to the land of pirate fun where that first movie lived. It gets 2 out of 5 stars.
The story focuses on Captain Jack being forced to help search for the Fountain of Youth. Along the way he runs into his old nemesis Barbosa, played again to perfection by Geoffry Rush. In this film he has become an intriguing character and if Disney and Depp should decide to return to this franchise again, having Barbosa become the main villain would be a wise decision. Penolope Cruz and Ian McShane team up as Blackbeard and his daughter. The Cruz character was slightly interesting and was a good romantic foil for Jack, but her devotion to her father was annoying. I felt as though the movie wasted the character of Blackbeard though. Here is the most fearsome pirate ever, a real person, and they just made him be angry and surly all the time. He is easily the lamest villain that they have come up with yet.
The plot itself was okay, it felt a little jumbled with a ritual that once revealed, anyone could figure out how it was going to end. It was filled with unnecessary moments. The Spanish were part of the movie that made them seem like a dangerous threat, but they basically just did one thing and then left. The extra mermaid/missionary subplot was useless and didn’t really have proper closure. I felt nothing for any of these new characters.
The movie was still a success during its first weekend and I don’t think that Disney will let go of this golden goose any time soon. Hopefully the next one will return us to the land of pirate fun where that first movie lived. It gets 2 out of 5 stars.
Rebecca - The Oscar Project Part XIII
For all the movies that are made there are only a handful of directors that can be considered household names. Near the top of that list is Alfred Hitchcock. Over the course of his long career he made quite a few movies that are considered classics. The only one of those to actually win the Academy Award for Best Picture was the 1940 film “Rebecca.”
Knowing that this was a Hitchcock film going in, and being familiar enough with his work to know what to expect, I feel that I added extra suspense to the film that wasn’t supposed to be there. I feel as this took away something from the movie as I kept expecting the worse to happen. Whereas many of the people watching the film when it first came out may not have been expecting what was going to happen.
The film centers on a young girl who marries a very prominent and wealthy older man. During the course of the movie, the girl believes that her husband wants her to be more like his first wife and the maid pushes her into it. The movie later jumps through a few twists and turns that I don’t want to spoil here. If your familiar with how Hitchcock works and you like his style of movies, this one will not disappoint you. As always he is a master at giving direction and setting a scene.
The acting in the film is top notch with Laurence Olivier giving a great lead performance. The rest of the cast is also more than up to the task of really delivering on these characters. By the end of the film a real connection has been made with the two leads and I found myself very satisfied in how the villain met their end. The only problem with the film was that it felt as if there were too many twists. In the last half an hour we learn one thing, only to learn that it wasn’t true 5 minutes later at least 3 times. But where most directors would have failed, Hitchcock pulls it off masterfully.
If released today the film would do decent. I don’t think it would be an Oscar winning film, but it might have been nominated. I can only say that I really enjoyed it. 5 out of 5 stars.
Knowing that this was a Hitchcock film going in, and being familiar enough with his work to know what to expect, I feel that I added extra suspense to the film that wasn’t supposed to be there. I feel as this took away something from the movie as I kept expecting the worse to happen. Whereas many of the people watching the film when it first came out may not have been expecting what was going to happen.
The film centers on a young girl who marries a very prominent and wealthy older man. During the course of the movie, the girl believes that her husband wants her to be more like his first wife and the maid pushes her into it. The movie later jumps through a few twists and turns that I don’t want to spoil here. If your familiar with how Hitchcock works and you like his style of movies, this one will not disappoint you. As always he is a master at giving direction and setting a scene.
The acting in the film is top notch with Laurence Olivier giving a great lead performance. The rest of the cast is also more than up to the task of really delivering on these characters. By the end of the film a real connection has been made with the two leads and I found myself very satisfied in how the villain met their end. The only problem with the film was that it felt as if there were too many twists. In the last half an hour we learn one thing, only to learn that it wasn’t true 5 minutes later at least 3 times. But where most directors would have failed, Hitchcock pulls it off masterfully.
If released today the film would do decent. I don’t think it would be an Oscar winning film, but it might have been nominated. I can only say that I really enjoyed it. 5 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thor
My first comic book hero was Superman. When I was 11, I got hooked on comics and it was because of Superman. Since then I have waited years for that character to be properly portrayed on the big screen. I’ve never been a big fan of the Donner movies. Looking for Superman during the 90’s those felt old. The most recent film focused so heavily on those movies that I just couldn’t like it. But finally I have a movie that feels like what I want from a Superman movie, but that movie isn’t Superman. It’s Thor.
I’ve never been too interested in Thor. I’ve read a little, I particularly think the recent run by JMS was brilliant, but he's never been a go to hero for me. I have trouble getting past the whole “god” thing. But I found this movie highly entertaining. In it we get to see the tale of a reckless prince being banished, and then redeeming himself to again take his rightful place. The movie has science, magic, kings, deception, action and fun. It’s exactly what I would have wanted from a Thor movie. Kenneth Branagh made a lot of smart choices in making this movie. From the costuming to the look of Asgard itself, a lot could have gone wrong and made this movie feel really bad, but he pulled it off. While there wasn’t really a lot to chew on, the acting from everyone was also spot on.
I have a few issues with the movie though. Thor’s redemption was a little weak. He was in town for about a weekend, beat up some people, had a beer and made some eggs and suddenly he was worthy. I’ve made eggs for people before, does that make me worthy. Then there was the cameo by Hawkeye in the middle of the movie. This felt pretty forced since he didn’t do a single thing, he just came off as some guy that likes a bow instead of using a gun. Finally there was the post credit sequence, a tradition in Marvel movies. So far I haven’t had to explain them to anyone after it happened, regular non-comic people understood it. Not this time. I mean honestly how many people know what a cosmic cube is. I don’t think it’s even been in the comics for 10 years. It got me excited, but it’s wasn’t a good choice for to get people excited for the next movie.
Other than what I just wrote, “Thor” was a great fun movie and a welcome addition to the Marvel series. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I’ve never been too interested in Thor. I’ve read a little, I particularly think the recent run by JMS was brilliant, but he's never been a go to hero for me. I have trouble getting past the whole “god” thing. But I found this movie highly entertaining. In it we get to see the tale of a reckless prince being banished, and then redeeming himself to again take his rightful place. The movie has science, magic, kings, deception, action and fun. It’s exactly what I would have wanted from a Thor movie. Kenneth Branagh made a lot of smart choices in making this movie. From the costuming to the look of Asgard itself, a lot could have gone wrong and made this movie feel really bad, but he pulled it off. While there wasn’t really a lot to chew on, the acting from everyone was also spot on.
I have a few issues with the movie though. Thor’s redemption was a little weak. He was in town for about a weekend, beat up some people, had a beer and made some eggs and suddenly he was worthy. I’ve made eggs for people before, does that make me worthy. Then there was the cameo by Hawkeye in the middle of the movie. This felt pretty forced since he didn’t do a single thing, he just came off as some guy that likes a bow instead of using a gun. Finally there was the post credit sequence, a tradition in Marvel movies. So far I haven’t had to explain them to anyone after it happened, regular non-comic people understood it. Not this time. I mean honestly how many people know what a cosmic cube is. I don’t think it’s even been in the comics for 10 years. It got me excited, but it’s wasn’t a good choice for to get people excited for the next movie.
Other than what I just wrote, “Thor” was a great fun movie and a welcome addition to the Marvel series. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Gone With the Wind: The Oscar Project Part XII
In 1939, a movie was released that to this day, when adjusted for inflation, still holds the record for the biggest box office. That movie of course is “Gone With the Wind.” The movie would end up winning 10 academy awards, a record at the time, including Best Picture. It was also the longest running film with sound at the time of its release. It was a big movie. One of the biggest from that era and it is still looked upon fondly by critics and audiences alike.
I remember when I was younger that “Gone With the Wind” being on television was an event. It seemed like it was on for days and I wanted no part of it. To a boy, that movie was like a punishment. It was long, had girls talking about dresses, romantic and just plain boring. With that attitude I had never sat down and watched the entire thing. Sure I knew about the burning of Atlanta and Rhett Butler’s famous line, but the thought of watching the movie had no appeal to me. There are more movies like this that I will come across as I make my way through this list (I’m looking at you “Sound of Music”), and hopefully with each of them I will have an enjoyable experience as I had with this movie.
Based on the novel of the same name and directed by Victor Flemming, “Gone With the Wind” tackles the Civil War from the view point of the South. A direction that is not explored too often. The story takes us from the beginning of the Civil War and straight through to the reconstruction period. With a tale spanning so many years, it is impressive that the director was able to capture all of the different feelings that were present before, during and after the Civil War in what I felt to be an accurate representation of the time period. And he managed to do that while not detracting from the main storyline, which is very impressive. The movie may be a little long, but I certainly didn’t feel as if I had just watched a 4 hour movie by the time I was done with it.
Of course the acting was great as well. Vivian Leigh did a good job playing Scarlett, but I just can’t help but find that character completely annoying. I wanted to slap her every time she came on screen. And of course Clark Gable was fantastic. That guy was truly amazing and it would be interesting to see what he would do with some of the roles available to men today.
I thought most of the movie was great, but then the ending came along and it didn’t end. I felt like Scarlett was still in the middle of her journey and that I was still in the middle of a movie. If this was shown today, we would be waiting for a sequel (a made for TV one was made, but most people hate it). That said, out of all the movies I have watched so far this movie felt closest to the movies of today. With a few little tweaks and edits, this movie could be successful at the box office. It wouldn’t break any records but it would be a success. A success that I give 4 out of 5 stars.
I remember when I was younger that “Gone With the Wind” being on television was an event. It seemed like it was on for days and I wanted no part of it. To a boy, that movie was like a punishment. It was long, had girls talking about dresses, romantic and just plain boring. With that attitude I had never sat down and watched the entire thing. Sure I knew about the burning of Atlanta and Rhett Butler’s famous line, but the thought of watching the movie had no appeal to me. There are more movies like this that I will come across as I make my way through this list (I’m looking at you “Sound of Music”), and hopefully with each of them I will have an enjoyable experience as I had with this movie.
Based on the novel of the same name and directed by Victor Flemming, “Gone With the Wind” tackles the Civil War from the view point of the South. A direction that is not explored too often. The story takes us from the beginning of the Civil War and straight through to the reconstruction period. With a tale spanning so many years, it is impressive that the director was able to capture all of the different feelings that were present before, during and after the Civil War in what I felt to be an accurate representation of the time period. And he managed to do that while not detracting from the main storyline, which is very impressive. The movie may be a little long, but I certainly didn’t feel as if I had just watched a 4 hour movie by the time I was done with it.
Of course the acting was great as well. Vivian Leigh did a good job playing Scarlett, but I just can’t help but find that character completely annoying. I wanted to slap her every time she came on screen. And of course Clark Gable was fantastic. That guy was truly amazing and it would be interesting to see what he would do with some of the roles available to men today.
I thought most of the movie was great, but then the ending came along and it didn’t end. I felt like Scarlett was still in the middle of her journey and that I was still in the middle of a movie. If this was shown today, we would be waiting for a sequel (a made for TV one was made, but most people hate it). That said, out of all the movies I have watched so far this movie felt closest to the movies of today. With a few little tweaks and edits, this movie could be successful at the box office. It wouldn’t break any records but it would be a success. A success that I give 4 out of 5 stars.
Monday, May 23, 2011
One Year Later - The End of Lost
On May 23rd, 2010, the story told by the television series Lost came to an end. With no new episodes in the past year it is clear that Lost was really two shows and not one. One of those shows was about a group of characters finding redemption, the other was about a crazy island. If you favored the first show, the ending was probably very satisfying. If you were in it for the second show, you are probably still upset.
The answer as to which you liked comes down to one question. Are you okay with cork? That's what the island is, it's a cork used to hold back a darkness. It's not a perfect cork, most corks aren't, and darkness will still leak through. And as with any strange occurrence, the closer you get to its source the more strange things start happening. If your okay with this, then you cared about a character driven show. If you don't like cork, then you probably weren't very happy with the ending.
There was the extra bit given on the DVD. For those that wanted answers it offered them. But watching it made me feel like something was wrong, like I didn't need it. Why? Because the character story, the thing that really set Lost apart from the other genre crap out there, was over. Ever since Lost started, many genre shows have tried to duplicate it and most have failed. The only genre show left on the air (on network television at least) is Fringe, another show started by J.J. Abbrams that focuses heavily on character.
I still enjoy talking about Lost and I still listen to a weekly podcast that talks about it. I also have the giant and awesome boxed set. But after one year, I'm not hungry for more. That more than anything else shows, that for me, Lost had a great and satisfying ending.
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