Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews comedy, I Love You Man, Jason Segel, JK Simmons, movie, Paul Rudd, review
8/10 (+1)
So, Jenn and I were probably in the right frame of mind to watch this which is what made it so funny, but dude, it was seriously funny. Don’t watch this if you don’t like awkward, buddy, romance humour. But if you do like that kind of humour (and can tolerate a bit of the blue language) then watch this movie.
Technically there’s nothing to set this movie apart except for the very good acting. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel play off each other perfectly and have this awkward, weird and natural chemistry that adds something to this movie that you can’t really “direct”. The supporting actors do their job so well. I think the supporting actor is one of the most overlooked parts (aside from the fact that they do get an Oscar) in movies; and a bad supporting actor can totally break a movie. Not in this one! None of them are weak and all of them add something to the overall hilarity of this gem.
Sydney Fife: You get home safe, Pistol.
Peter Klaven: You got it, Joben.
Sydney Fife: I’m sorry, what?
Peter Klaven: Er… nothing.
Sydney Fife: No, what did you say?
Peter Klaven: Nah, I don’t know… You nicknamed me Pistol, and I just called you… “Joben”… It means nothing… I don’t… I’m drunk… I’m gonna call a cab.
Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews inglorious basterds, movie, quentin tarantino, review
7/10 (-1)
This was an odd movie for me. Odd because after I saw the trailers I was disgusted by the amount of apparent violence. Then I read reviews from people saying they were either disappointed by the lack of violence or impressed with Tarantino’s ability to tell a story without “excessive” violence. I definitely fall in the later group.
Tarantino is a great storyteller who sometimes relies a little too much on violence. For me this movie is the best of both worlds for him. The violence was violent for sure, but the story was fascinating with very good dialogue and great characters. Tarantino is a director who’s style is subtle and I feel serves the story (more than some other directors that’s for sure).
For most people, this movie will not be anything special. To Tarantino fans and fans of solid movie making, this is simply a solid movie. I can’t really recommend it or not. Hmmm, yeah, I can’t say one way or another whether or not to see this movie. So, take that for what it’s worth.
Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews darwin awards, movie, review
6/10 (+1)
This movie surprised me. I rented this because I love to read the books of the same name because I know that I could have the potential, if I wasn’t a Haemophiliac, to be a Darwin Award winner.
I was surprised first of all by the cast – Winona Ryder (minor surprise) & Joseph Fiennes (HUGE surprise), along with a host of others from Chris Penn to Tim Blake Nelson to Nora Dunn. The next thing that surprised me was the plot – it had one, and it wasn’t bad (it wasn’t really great either, but hey, you gotta be a little lax in your expectations of movies like this). I enjoyed the massive quirkiness of Fiennes and the who-gives-a-rip attitude of Ryder; together they actually had decent chemistry.
It’s not a run-out-there-right-now-and-get-it movie, but definitely one to consider if nothing else grabs your attention.
Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews action, bill nighy, fantasy, movie, review, underworld, vampires, werewolves
5/10 (-2)
Well, here’s another one. The first one was loads and loads of fun. The second one looked like it was done by Uwe Boll and this one was better than 2 but not as good as one. Kinda standard action fare actually.
The best part of number 3 is the werewolves themselves. I thought they were very well done – dark, some able to transform some not but all very well conceived.
While the storyline is further fleshed out from the hints we got in #1, it lacks. The plot is predictable (for obvious reasons), the characters are marginally 2 dimensional and the direction is nothing to applaud.
If you liked the first 2, then by all means go and rent this. If you liked 1 but not 2, then see this when you have the chance. If you think werewolves and vampires are for geeks and english majors, then don’t watch these…ever!
Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews movie, review, street fighter
3/10 (-3)
Oh my G*d. This was awful.
Don’t watch this. It was worse than the original, how’s that eh?! As far as video game fighting movies go, this was bad. The first was awful, but this was worse. If you want to watch something that has good fighting, is loosely based on the fighting games genre, then watch –> THIS MOVIE <-- (it’s short but far better than any to date).
Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews avatar, james cameron, movie, review
9/10 (=)
Awesome, simply awesome.
This is not just a movie, this is an experience! You get so immersed in the world James Cameron has created that you forget about the recycled storyline. And really, who cares about the story when everything else is so mind-blowingly crazy! I even hear that he’s planning sequels – I hope so! I would love to visit this world again in the theatre.
So, in terms of the movie, just go see it. Don’t wait, see it now, in IMAX if you have the chance, it’s worth it!
I would like to take this moment to say that I really think James Cameron is one of the best directors in Hollywood right now. Not because he has told any revolutionary stories, but because he advances technology in his telling of stories – Terminator 2, Abyss, Titanic and now Avatar. Also, Cameron has no “style”. You can’t say, in my opinion, that you can watch a James Cameron film and say, “oh, he always does this shot,” or, “he always uses this technique when filming this kind of scene.” Michael Bay, John Woo, Guy Ritchie (and many others) have Styles; some good and some getting very to be very annoying (BAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!! Grow a creative pair why don’t you?!). I really enjoy that about Cameron films, they focus on the story and let the technology enhance the story [ most of the time 
]
…oh I could write so much more about this, but I should stop now…
GO SEE AVATAR!
Feb 4
LyfBooks, Movies, Reviews coraline, movie, Neil Gaiman, review
Before I give any ratings, know that there are two reviews contained in this post, one for the movie and one for the book/audiobook. The movie one is first, and the book/audiobook is second. Enjoy this double bill review!
The Movie
8/10 (-1)
What a wonderful movie. So many good things to say about this movie. The first good thing to say is the choice of medium in which they chose to do this film – stop-motion is a hard process that, when done well, is so rewarding and mesmerizing and Henry Sellick does such a superb job of it. The direction, story, art direction, acting, effects, cinematography are all complete and jive so well together. There’s an adage that the success of any kind of theatrical or dramatic undertaking lies 80% in the casting (or something along that lines anyway). Well, Mr Selick did a fantastic job of casting! Everyone delivered, in my opinion, delicious performances that resonated almost perfectly with the way I had imagined the characters.
Why the -1 you may ask? Well, I had listened to the audiobook first and so the story, while essentially the same, has some significant differences that I wasn’t expecting and so took away from the overall experience of the film for me. How do they differ? Well, I don’t want to ruin anything for you so just watch the movie AND read/listen to the book. Both are extremely worth it!
The Book
9/10 (+1)
I always expect a lot from Neil Gaiman. Ever since I read Neverwhere and then American Gods, I have come to expect a lot from his writing – rightly or wrongly. Well, I expect a lot and I GET a lot. He is a wonderful writer; humble, provocative, unassuming and oh so weird. I haven’t read anything from him that I haven’t liked.
Coraline is a wonderful story about a girl who
steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), [where] things seem marvelous.
But there’s another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Coraline will have to fight with all her wits and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life. [from NeilGaiman.com]
I couldn’t really do this review justice in light of some of the other wonderful reviews that are out there. So, if you like fantasy, childhood and a really good story, then please, do yourself a favor and pick up this wonderful story. The author himself reads the audiobook version and does a superb job of it – well worth the time investment.
Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews baby mama, movie, review, tina fey
7/10 (+2)
So, I was recommended this movie by a friend of mine saying that it’s no masterpiece of comedy but is enjoyable. Man, was he right! This movie is about as formulaic as Titanic, and so has no surprises in store. However, if you’ve ever been pregnant or the “partner” of someone who was, then you should watch this movie – it’s priceless.
My favorite moment has to be by far the bit with the prenatal multivitamin, just about in stitches – I actually had to replay that scene a couple of times just to really get everything out of it (a huge marker for me of a fun movie).
So, take a chance and rent this movie. I know there are plenty of detractors out there, but hey, it’s all subjective, and chances are if you’re reading this post, you can appreciate what I’m saying and you know me and my tastes and you know if our tastes jive. If they don’t, then don’t see this movie, if they do, then see it!
Memorable Quote:
Angie Ostrowiski: Can I just spray a little PAM down there right before the baby comes out?
Feb 4
LyfMovies, Reviews Cornelia Funke, InkHeart, movie, review
4/10 (-3)
What is it with potentially good movies being made into crap these days??? Huh?! I mean this is the second one I’ve reviewed lately that has been a big disappointment.
I wanted to watch this movie the first time I saw the trailer. Then I read the book, saw the trailer again and groaned in agony. There was no way this movie could live up to the book. I should have waited. It felt like a made-for-tv movie as opposed to a Hollywood film. I must first tell you something I liked about it though. I enjoyed Capricorn – which I wasn’t expecting at all. Andy Serkis was a deliciously evil villain. Ok, now that that’s out of the way…
The bad, well I could go on ad nauseum about what it lacks. Instead of doing that, I will simply point out what I believe to be the single biggest failure of this movie – the casting. Brendan Fraser should not have been Mortimer and Paul Bettany should not have been Dustfinger. The casting was perfectly reversed. Paul should have been Mo, and Fraser should have been Dustfinger – it would immediately have been at least 2 points better on my scale if that had been the case. I understand when big name stars want to do a certain character, but for that to succeed, the rest of the movie has to be cast well, and this one wasn’t – not in any way shape or form.
Don’t bother with this movie, read the book instead!
Older Entries
Delicious
Facebook
Flickr
DeviantArt
YouTube
Google
RSS
Subscribe to Stolteclan by Email
Subscribe to Stolteclan by RSS