Tag: review

District 9 was supposedly consolation for the director in the cancellation of The Halo movie. Maybe the last half of the movie was left over from the screen play. It started as a faux documentary on the political problems with immigration of aliens (from another planet). Then the script changes into the standard summer shoot ’em up: the Halo Movie. Should the movie had changed? I don’t know, but it happens every time in the summer. They need the action. Abandon the story.

And what did they abandon? Some logic. Why would aliens make alien technology weapons that are awesome, then just roll over when the po-po come to kick them out? Why would aliens need to horde human weapons? Why wouldn’t aliens just be taking over the planet? No sense.

Meh. It’s just another summer movie. Turn your brain off and go enjoy the aircon.

3 of 5 stars.

At the beginning of (500) Days of Summer, the film makers intentionally allude to the fact that what you are about to see is a work of fiction, and the story is not about anyone real. While they played it as a joke, sometimes you can imagine yourself in the story. You may feel that you resemble a Summer Finn or you may feel that you resemble a Tom Hanson. There’s a little of both of them in all of us. Unless you are dead to love inside.

The movie is about Tom and Summer and their days in and out of love. The movie wants to avoid any romantic comedy clichés, but does pack some in. The meet cute: “I love the Smiths.” Awww. The fatefulness of love: it works not as you expect, but it does. The quirky sidekicks: no its the guys this time not the girl. The cliché are there, but inverted. I watch a lot and know about romantic comedies and these just jump right out at me. The film makers wanted to hide it but it’s there.

They also hide the tale of the relationship. Yes, they meet and then they break up. The why is harder to grasp. “We fight a lot?” Really? Show me. “I didn’t feel like I wanted to.” Really? Show me where you didn’t. If you put the scenes in chronological order will it show why they broke up? I felt like I missed it. They could’ve made it more clearer.

The writers did a good job at capturing love as seen by a sappy boy. I could be that sappy boy. I too have notions of ideal love. Perhaps looking for too perfect love. I’ll never find it. I credit the writers for making such a realistic story. I’ll not credit myself for feeling so like a Tom Hanson.

What’s there not to like about the film? I didn’t like the happy ending. I didn’t like that love can conquer all at least that is what I got from how Tom broke out of his funk. Yes. Breakups shouldn’t always be good for you. They’re bad. Why does his sister have to be so smart? During the opening credits, I couldn’t believe that a soccer player that young could like The Smiths and the Jesus and Mary Chain. No kid listening to that music looked like that when I was growing up.

What’s good? “She likes Magritte and Hopper.” Hmm-hm. I wish they all could be.

3 of 5 stars.

I Love You, Beth Cooper begins with an inopportune love declaration. Dennis, the Coove, Cooverman, class valedictorian declares his love for the one, Beth Cooper. During his commencement speech. *Gasp* It takes nerves to declare love like that, and to believe that it would work, it is a fantasy. A fantasy, that the love of your life would respond to something that bold. A fantasy, because you’ve never been face-to-face. A fantasy, because you only know the back of her pretty blonde head. A fantasy will always conjures up dreams.

I’m just beginning to read the book, and so far, the movie script has matched the book. And so far, book and movie aren’t all that funny. I thought it (the book) was supposed to be hilarious. Written by a former Simpsons writer, Larry Doyle, it should be perfect, but he didn’t write any episodes during The Simpsons golden age, seasons 1-8, so he may not have been too funny. That’s why the gags in the book and the movie don’t seem to be working very well.

I expected another “Can’t Hardly Wait,” but got Joysticks. It was my own fantasy that this would be a decent movie. But I think I would rather spend my time behind the pretty blonde in class and leave those fantasies to my own mind.

2 of 5 stars.

The Proposal stars Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy neither romantic or comedic. He’s assistant to her hard charging NYC book editor. She’s a ballbuster. He’s doing it for the chance to break into the literary world. She’s doing it because she has no family. They need to marry, so that she isn’t deported. Ha. Ha. Ha.

That’s a tired cliche of a gag if I ever saw one.

And the movie is tired. I didn’t really laugh. The romance was a given and hard to believe. Ryan Reynolds is not given enough to do as a “Ryan Reynolds” roll. No smart mouthing or glib commenting. Just stand there and let Sandra Bullock be the movie’s driving force. She couldn’t be, or at least I couldn’t accept her as it. Come on, it’s Ryan Reynolds you want to see not Sandra Bullock. And I’m a guy. I wonder what the girls who’ve seen it think.

I’m all for tsundere goodness, but Sandra Bullock could not capture it. She’s mean, but you couldn’t have told me she had a caring side. Only the writers could do that, and they shoe horned it in to fit the happy ending.

Blech.

2 of 5 stars.

The Hangover is rather dark for a summer movie. It’s no light-hearted romp through a bunch of friends bachelor weekend in Vegas, but a delving in the disturbance in men’s souls as they are freed from the nagging and the loving of women. It was almost too dark to enjoy on a lazy Sunday, but with some easy jokes, it doesn’t bum your day out.

3 of 5 stars.