Re: Rate the last movie you saw.
12/09/13 10:03 am | #4769
12/2 - 12/8
Legend of the Guardians (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – As far as kid’s animated movies go, this is a pretty decent one. I mostly wanted to see it because Snyder was the director, and I’m almost always impressed with the visuals in his films. Come to think of it, he’s one of my favorite directors, even if some of his movies are a little mindless. This works with a darker tone than most animated films. The single biggest complaint I have is the bloated story and characters for a ~90 minute movie. This is based on a series of novels, and should have been treated as such in film format. There’s just a little too much crammed in for its own good. However, if you want to see an entertaining animated film that feels a little like LotR, this isn’t a bad choice at all. They did pool together a very wide range of talented actors to provide the voice work, so that definitely helps their case.
6.5/10
Only God Forgives (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – This is from the director of Drive, which I enjoyed a good deal (probably a 7.5 or 8 in my book). This is a similarly styled movie, so if you found Drive to be a slow, plodding fest then you’re going to want to avoid this, as everything you hated about Drive is only going to be exacerbated here. I’ve always considered myself someone who loves to watch movies, not necessarily a fan of film; there’s a distinct difference there, and it hurts my viewing when I watch movies like this. There’s a lot of depth to this particular movie, and to be quite frank, I think most of it is wasted on me; goes right over my head. Even still, Gosling turns in a solid performance, and the supporting cast is good, too. Julian’s mom (Julian is Gosling’s character) is played well, as is the Angel of Vengeance, who is the pro/antagonist, depending on your interpretation. In summation, fans of Drive will probably be slightly more inclined to enjoy it, but everyone should be prepared for an odd one.
6.5/10
Phantom (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – is the latest movie to be released that fits neatly into that well-defined sub-genre, the submarine movie. For such an obscure concept, the movies usually work well, and while this isn’t on par with some of the better ones, it’s still worth a watch. It’s a low-budget movie, but has some big names in it, and all of them turn in steady, typical performances. I didn’t find myself as engaged as I was in say Crimson Tide, but it has a unique story about The Cold War. I will also say that you should prepare yourself to hear pure American speech; the actors in no way attempt to sound vaguely Russian (they’re playing Russian characters). I guess they felt they’d rather have recognizable actors than native speakers, which doesn’t bother me personally.
6/10
My Best Friend’s Girl (Blu-ray, 2nd viewing) – I’ve been rewatching some of my favorite comedies lately, and this definitely fits in with that trend. I normally find him to be over the top in most everything he’s in, but Dane Cook is really good here, and the rest of the cast does a good job; it seems like they’re all having fun. It has some legitimate laugh out loud moments, in particular the eyebrow scene and Cook’s antics at the wedding. It received horrendous scores on movie sites, but I find it to be an effective comedy.
7/10
We’re the Millers (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – It’s got a talented cast and the idea is pretty original, but it’s not on par with my favorite comedies. There are a few laughs mixed in, but it mostly just slides into average territory. It doesn’t truly waste the talent, but they need a better script to go along with the above-average concept. As an aside, I will forever be envious of Kenny, as he gets to kiss Jennifer Aniston and Emma Roberts back-to-back multiple times. Yes, I’m very jelly.
6/10
Taking Lives (Blu-ray, 1st viewing) – I’ve always had a soft spot for the serial killer thriller sub-genre, and had never seen this, so I decided to give it a go. The killer is pretty obvious from the onset, but they manage to throw enough curveballs in there to at least keep you guessing somewhat. It’s obvious that Caruso was in love with Seven, as he tries really hard to emulate what worked with it. The chill factor of Seven isn’t present in this, though, and Hawke doesn’t match Spacey, not even close. This is a dime a dozen sort of movie in its respective genre, but you do at least get to see Angelina Jolie topless.
5/10
The Expendables (Blu-ray, 4th viewing) – One of my favorite pure action movies. The story is pretty basic, and it mostly just relies on action and the chemistry between the leads to stay afloat, but I think it was successful in that regard. Some of the dialogue is pretty cheesy (“I’m going to put a bullet in her eye” will forever stand out), but it harkens back to the action movies from the 80s when several of the stars in this were hitting it big. Some people may knock Stallone for trying so hard to recapture his younger years, but he’s putting out some solid old-school action flicks.
7/10
