This is Labor Day Weekend which, unofficially, is the end of the Summer Movie Season. Overall a weak movie season as the past couple ones pretty much had a new movie every week that was a "must see." Less so this year, possibly an effect of the WGA strike and economic collapse of 2008 finally catching up to us.
Anyway, thought now was a good time to sum up how we all felt about this Summer's movies. There's a couple other movies that've come out over the last couple of weeks I wanted to see and still might and may still see "Machete" but, for the most part, I'm drawling the line here.
Without further adieu!
Iron Man 2: B
After the impressiveness that was the first Iron Man movie this one was a bit of a disapointment. Downey seemed a bit of an "overactor" in some of the key scenes of Stark's character, the big bad and action pieces leaved much to be desired but if that was all that was wrong with the movie then it'd still be okay. The problem with the movie is that it gets weighed down with setting up and playing Exposition Monkey for the upcoming Avengers movie. There's really two or three movies worth of "plot" in this one and Tony dealing with his alcoholism shouldn't of been played for so many "laughs." The party/drunk scene was just an embarrassment. Oh, and pretty much overnight he just "invents" vibranium in his basement using some pipes and household current.
Splice: C+
Meh movie. The idea in it is good but there was just too much "weird" in it and in the last act the movie turns into typical horror/monster mother schlock coupled with the "nature over nuture" thing. A better final act could've improved this one, and also a better leading man than Adrian Brody.
The Karate Kid: A-
Probably the Summer's best movie and a very worthy addition to the "franchise"/remake. Jaden Smith is every bit of his father in his mannerisms and attitude and plays the Ralph Machio component of the movie very well. Jackie Chan also pulls off a very nice act in his role as our Pat Miota counterpart and, I'd dare say, may even surpass Pat. But not for any reason other than the material and story is played a bit "straighter" in this movie. The fight scenes are well handled, and the drama is very good. Chan's druken break down scene has a lot of heart and depth to it and is followed up by a nice scene where our two characters who "need each other" learn that very thing. This movie, no matter how you may feel about remakes, sequels, or actors buying their kids movies, is a must see.
The A-Team: B+
A good adapation of the classic TV series that manages to make the action just over the top enough to be fun and not ridiculous, all of the cast plays their versions of their TV counterparts very nice. (Though Hannibal needed to be a bit more... "unstable.") Decent, fun, action movie and it's a shame that -given its BO takes- it won't get a followup.
Toy Story 3: A+
Very good ending to Pixar's long-loved characters.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: C+
A movie I went to see just to get the "Twilight Experience" in the theater. Ugh. Probably the "best" of the movies up to this point as far as action is concerned but the series still suffers fromt wo portagonists I've no interest in. A love triangle that's as trite and cliched as anything you've ever seen and a handful of secondary characters who're vastly more interesting that the main ones. Seriously, the bride vampire avenging her death at the hands of her ex-finace and his buddies? Awesome movie. Edward and Jacob moping over who loves the perfectly average Bella the most? Not so much.
Predators: C+
Adrian Brody is not an action hero. Enough said.
Ok, maybe a bit more. Wasted use if Lawrence Fishburne, Topher Grace? Really?! And... ugh. Just... no. Nice SciFi elements and all but, overall, didn't impress me much.
Inception: A
The best movie of the Summer. Right up there with The Karate Kid. Mind-bending plot, gets you thinking, fun, and just all around a good time in the theater. For as much as it makes sense it's the "new Matrix" as long as it doesn't get messed up by lame sequels it'll remain this way.
Anyway, thought now was a good time to sum up how we all felt about this Summer's movies. There's a couple other movies that've come out over the last couple of weeks I wanted to see and still might and may still see "Machete" but, for the most part, I'm drawling the line here.
Without further adieu!
Iron Man 2: B
After the impressiveness that was the first Iron Man movie this one was a bit of a disapointment. Downey seemed a bit of an "overactor" in some of the key scenes of Stark's character, the big bad and action pieces leaved much to be desired but if that was all that was wrong with the movie then it'd still be okay. The problem with the movie is that it gets weighed down with setting up and playing Exposition Monkey for the upcoming Avengers movie. There's really two or three movies worth of "plot" in this one and Tony dealing with his alcoholism shouldn't of been played for so many "laughs." The party/drunk scene was just an embarrassment. Oh, and pretty much overnight he just "invents" vibranium in his basement using some pipes and household current.
Splice: C+
Meh movie. The idea in it is good but there was just too much "weird" in it and in the last act the movie turns into typical horror/monster mother schlock coupled with the "nature over nuture" thing. A better final act could've improved this one, and also a better leading man than Adrian Brody.
The Karate Kid: A-
Probably the Summer's best movie and a very worthy addition to the "franchise"/remake. Jaden Smith is every bit of his father in his mannerisms and attitude and plays the Ralph Machio component of the movie very well. Jackie Chan also pulls off a very nice act in his role as our Pat Miota counterpart and, I'd dare say, may even surpass Pat. But not for any reason other than the material and story is played a bit "straighter" in this movie. The fight scenes are well handled, and the drama is very good. Chan's druken break down scene has a lot of heart and depth to it and is followed up by a nice scene where our two characters who "need each other" learn that very thing. This movie, no matter how you may feel about remakes, sequels, or actors buying their kids movies, is a must see.
The A-Team: B+
A good adapation of the classic TV series that manages to make the action just over the top enough to be fun and not ridiculous, all of the cast plays their versions of their TV counterparts very nice. (Though Hannibal needed to be a bit more... "unstable.") Decent, fun, action movie and it's a shame that -given its BO takes- it won't get a followup.
Toy Story 3: A+
Very good ending to Pixar's long-loved characters.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: C+
A movie I went to see just to get the "Twilight Experience" in the theater. Ugh. Probably the "best" of the movies up to this point as far as action is concerned but the series still suffers fromt wo portagonists I've no interest in. A love triangle that's as trite and cliched as anything you've ever seen and a handful of secondary characters who're vastly more interesting that the main ones. Seriously, the bride vampire avenging her death at the hands of her ex-finace and his buddies? Awesome movie. Edward and Jacob moping over who loves the perfectly average Bella the most? Not so much.
Predators: C+
Adrian Brody is not an action hero. Enough said.
Ok, maybe a bit more. Wasted use if Lawrence Fishburne, Topher Grace? Really?! And... ugh. Just... no. Nice SciFi elements and all but, overall, didn't impress me much.
Inception: A
The best movie of the Summer. Right up there with The Karate Kid. Mind-bending plot, gets you thinking, fun, and just all around a good time in the theater. For as much as it makes sense it's the "new Matrix" as long as it doesn't get messed up by lame sequels it'll remain this way.
