Movie reviews

300 - Excellent

6:59 PM, Tue-24-Apr-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

I slipped along to see 300 before the hols and a very nice piece of work it is too. I was curious to see how David Wenham stacked (?) up after adding several kilos of muscle and Diver Dan he aint. If you are into six packs then this should give you about a years supply.

A lot of the scenes in this flick look like epic art work out of the museum and the shading is just right. The poses too. Really it's the whole nine yards. The story is a beaut loosely based on the Spartans heroic battle against huge odds and the way it's handled is very satisfying.

The cast apparently went into basic training together and somehow it seems as if they are a close knit group. I was expecting something along the lines of the old Hercules movies that used to screen on Saddy arvos on Channel 9 but it's a much better written story than those, with perhaps a few unintentionally funny lines.

Really enjoyed this movie. Just wish I could grow a beard like King Leonidas....

Meet the Robinsons - not for me

6:46 PM, Tue-24-Apr-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

This is a short review due to the fact that I didn't go the distance on this flick. Some kiddies flicks are pitched across the gamat of age groups but this aint one of them. Granted the graphics are stunning but you need more than that to entertain properly.

In the same fashion as Madagascar, this movie seems to be a collection of sketches and it rambles about quite a bit. I heard from someone who sat through the whole thing that it gets cute with the Space Time continuim but that got a wee bit too complicated for the kiddies still sitting in the audience.

It sounds like this flick might benefit from a recut but it would be a big job. Wanna good kid flick that adults can enjoy? Rent out Charlots Web.

Freedom Writers - Excellent

7:34 PM, Mon-9-Apr-2007 .. 1 comments .. Link

Last Tuesday I had a solo visit to the flicks so I thought I would check out Freedom Writers. Now I knew just about nothing about this except for the fact that it stars Hilary Swank and going by one of her other flicks, Boys Don't Cry I thought this would probably best be reserved for an unaccompanied session.

As it turns out, this is not such a confronting film as BDC but it certainly has value. I was a bit worried that it might follow the format of "Idealist teacher makes good" but it's way better than that. The story is based on events after the Rodney King verdict riots which were so distressing on the TV news at that time and the opening credits mention the large number of murders that occured at that time. Quite a chilling opening to a movie.

No spoilers here but I must mention the tie in to the Diary of Anne Frank. I have been very critical of hardline Israelis of late so it was time for a reminder of just how horrible the treatment of Jews was during WW2.
The elegant linking of the plight of the Jews to current US treatment of their underclass was shocking but logical. In the final wash up, this movie offers hope that things will be dealt with intelligently in the future.

I had just about given up on the US waking up to the possible implosion of its society but this flick gives me hope that some Yanks are paying attention.

Thank goodness.

TMNT - Good fun

6:34 PM, Wed-28-Mar-2007 .. 1 comments .. Link

I had a tight-arse Tuesday session all to myself this week so I went along to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The animated flick that opened this week. I was delighted to see that it uses the same system that was used for the Incredibles but I think it even went beyond that system too. Early on there was a street scene that made me think they had some real life footage included in the movie. But as the scene zoomed up it turned out to be drawn. Very impressive.

My Daughter, Jenz, prefers the original "blokes in Suits" Turtles but I'm a fan of the art work. You can do so much more with graphics.

Don't go along thinking this is going to reveal the secrets of the Universe. It's a pretty simple story and its not a long flick. It doesn't need to be. And it does look a bit dirivitive of other movies like GhostBusters and maybe a little of one of the Blade series (without the blood). But just sit back and enjoy the acrobatics and the sometimes "dark side" look of the troubled turtles.

Notes on a Scandal - Wow

8:37 PM, Thu-22-Mar-2007 .. 1 comments .. Link

Another error in the reading of the movie email (this time by Liz) saw us a couple of minutes too late for Rocky so Notes on a Scandal got the gig. For me, this was a tense but excellent flick. For Liz, it was just a little too socially frightening and the threatened carpet munching had her a bit worried. As a card carrying bloke, this was actually a promising direction especially with the delightful and talented Cate Blanchett in the offing.

To me this flick seemed to ring true and it has excellent performances from Cate, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and whomever played the role of the head master. Judi Dench has absolutely captured my Mum. I was staggered. The manipulation, the holier than thou attitude, but also the sadness and underlying intelligence. (My Mum never had a neighbor she didn't feel superior to.)

The tension of worrying about how the main players are going to react or who is going to break is very nerve racking. It's not a film that has you predicting what is coming next but when you look back on it, it all makes sense.

A wonderful flick if you like some real drama and congrats to the Dame for the bath scene. And No! I never saw my Mum in the bath.

Hot Fuzz - funny but bloody

1:32 PM, Sat-17-Mar-2007 .. 2 comments .. Link

In keeping with recent flicks out of the UK, Hot Fuzz is an interesting movie but it’s not a genteel story of senior cits as a few have been lately. This one gets along at a cracking pace. Plenty of humor, and in the second half, plenty of gun gymnastics.

What I did find surprising though, is lots of splatter. There is a tiny hint of this in the trailer but only a hint. I was still surprised at how graphic it was. In contrast to the US approach to gun play, I can’t remember any fatalities from police action but there are plenty from the other side. I think it’s because of this that it doesn’t fit comfortably into the usual categorizing of movies.

I am going to describe it as “The Vicar of Dibley” meets Jean Claude Van Damme. The second third is the Dibley component and the rest is supercop material. It’s an interesting combination that works well. As events unfold, you can’t tell which way the Director is going to play it.

Simon Pegg does a great job as Sgt Angel and so does Nick Frost as PC Butterman. I was amazed to see both these chaps wrote the story. Excellent work. An honourable mention to Timothy Dalton as Simon Skinner. The role suits him well.

A beaut little flick if you can stand the splatter. If, like me, you worry about who joins Neighbourhood watch, then you should enjoy this offering.

Bobby - Excellent

11:18 AM, Sat-17-Mar-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Every once in a while I go to the flicks to see a movie that I have not seen any information about. No trailers or reviews just the couple of words. All I knew about Bobby was that it covered the assassination of Robert Kennedy. A shocking event in its time.

This flick had me guessing a bit. It covers a lot of underlying themes of its day. Black Civil Rights gets a big run but also the plight of Mexicans and there is a scene between Laurence Fishburne and one of the “angry young man” Hispanics that gives a few clues on how to win your Rights in America. I’m still thinking about the insight. It also shows the tension between the two groups.

The movie also covers a bit of how US campaigning works, US kids trying to avoid the draft, fidelity, unwanted retirement and even loss of memory in the elderly. It sounds like a trashy novel but it doesn’t view like that. It turns out the movie was written and directed by Emilio Estevez who has done an excellent job. He also has a role in the flick as well.

When the 2 potential Draft Dodgers take their first ever acid trip, we get treated to a couple of scenes that are quite bizarre but probably in keeping with what happens when you drop acid. This bit worried me a bit because I thought it might head into Apocalypse Now territory. (Apologies to those of you who loved that flick.) Happily, things came back into territory that I could follow.

One of the great benefits of this story is that all through the movie you know what the ending is going to bring and this really wound up the tension. The tears were flowing well before the fatal shooting occurs. The Kennedy footage was nearly all the original film so the Senator lying on the floor after the tragedy was the real deal. Quite heart breaking.

The cast in this flick is huge and quite a lot of big names are tucked away in here. Helen Hunt, Harry Belafonte, Sharon Stone and Demi Moore all do a sterling job. In fact it’s hard to pick the stand outs. I must say that Demi Moore had me worried for what her off screen life is like these days. Her role as a drunken fading cabaret singer is quite distressing.

I guess you can tell that I liked this flick. It’s not a feel good but it feels accurate and well worth a visit.

Wild hogs - good fun

10:06 AM, Sat-17-Mar-2007 .. 2 comments .. Link

A 3 movie week due to special offers from the Village movie club so I get to chuck in reviews for this one, then I’ll follow up with a review for Bobby and Hot Fuzz later today.

Wild Hogs delivers exactly what I expected of it. A fun flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously and hangs it nicely on those weekend bikers you see hanging around bike shops of a Saturday morning. Being of that age and having recently looked at bike prices, I know exactly where this one is coming from. After a couple of heavy movies of late, it was a nice change to sit back and have a laugh.

One of the nice things about this flick is that it doesn’t get totally locked in to particular events having to use all the main characters. What I mean by this is, there is an incident involving slapping a bull. Happily we didn’t have to wait for all 4 characters to go through the process. Things were allowed to explode earlier on in that particular scene.

I liked the work of all the principals. Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy . Don’t know that Peter Fonda was required for another cameo although his advice was good. “Fellas. Lose the watches.”

Just one more point I’d like to make about this flick. It’s probably not for teens. I heard a young reviewer comment that he didn’t get some of the gags but he was surrounded by oldies who did. That just about nails it.

Take Grandpa to see this one. He’ll love it.

Pan’s Labyrinth - Hard. Very hard.

9:27 PM, Thu-8-Mar-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Realism is the feature of the Award winning, Pan’s Labyrinth. Because it is set in Facist Spain in the early 40’s it comes with the “take no prisoners” attitude that was a “feature” of that war. Battlefield executions, post battle, abound and it has a frightening undercurrent throughout the entire film. A lot of torture and threatened torture make it a hard watch.

The fact that the young girl, Ophelia, is always a hairs breath away from danger makes it very tiring too. There simply was no let up where you can relax. An outstanding performance by Sergi López as the horrid Captain. What a tortured individual he was. And a great job by Ivana Baquero as Ophelia.

The trick of this film for me was that some of it resembled other movies aimed at kids but this was far more serious.

Not the flick to see if you are distressed by violence against kids or indeed, watching a mouth cut half way to the ear lobe then sewn back in glorious Technicolor. Yuck.

There is no denying the quality of this movie but it’s definitely not uplifting. Much too realistic.

Man of the Year - Excellent

8:54 PM, Thu-8-Mar-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Robin Williams has always been a good stand up comic and he gets a chance to display his talents in Man of the Year. This could have been a sickly sweet piece of American candy but it’s far better than that. It’s got a real edge and poses a few questions as to why people put up with those crappy TV debates.

The lobbyists cop a big hiding in here so it’s essential viewing for any West Aussies pondering the Brian Burke fiasco currently playing out in local politics. At one stage of this flick a dramatic moment scared the bejeezes out of a chick up the back which in turn, scared the hell outta the guy sitting beside her. An extra laugh in a very funny flick.

A good supporting cast including the multi-talented Christopher Walken as the Manager and Laura Linney who turns in a nice job as the neurotic programmer. Jeff Goldblum plays an excellent bastard too. Probably my favourite scene is when the President Elect goes paint balling complete with the Secret Service team. How could you resist putting a couple of red paint shells into the Men in Black?

Excellent work. I hope the next TV debate features someone like the Robin Williams character but that would be asking too much. I’ll probably just stick to blogging when it comes around.

A guide to recognizing your Saints - good but hard

8:33 PM, Thu-8-Mar-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Robert Downey Jr.is one of those actors who tend to take on movies that are a little quirky and A guide to recognizing your Saints is definitely one of those. This flick is almost an Art film. It’s the reflections of a writer looking back over his life. It’s a violent look at life in the overcrowded and stinking hot slum area of Astoria New York and seems to be realistic. RDJ fits right in there.

Violent actions generally lead to violent reactions but surprisingly, Law and Order does provide some cover for the locals. The Father / Son stress is realistic and frustrating. I just wanted the main characters to wake up.

A strong team of actors working a hard story and telling it effectively. Ultimately it’s a bit depressing as most slum area movies are. See it on the big screen to maximize the depression then scoot out and go hug a puppy.

Music and Lyrics – Bewdy

6:23 PM, Wed-28-Feb-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Yep. I know it’s a chick flick but I really enjoyed Music and Lyrics. Up till now I have not been a Hugh Grant fan and considering he plays the same character each movie, I must have seen some very early work to put me off. In any case he plays quite a likeable character. I am a fan of Drew Barrymore who appears to have had quite a ball in this movie. This is one effort where the trailer does not set you up for a disappointment though I’m always worried about that.

I must make mention of the role of Rhonda Fisher who is played by Kristen Johnston. This is a great role well suited to the star of 3^rd Rock from a few years ago. She has the best lines and delivers them beautifully. I wondered why the face was familiar and Liz remembered it was from a Sit Com. That was enough to make the connection. I double checked IMDB and I see she also appeared in Sex in the City in 2003. I might have to track that one down. (I like Rubenesque women).

Also appearing is Brad Garrett (Robert from Everybody loves Raymond) but he doesn’t get much of a chance to show much beyond his “Raymond” stuff. Pity really. I’d like to see what else he can do.

A good movie that captures the music and dance moves of the day. Dare I say I was humming one of the tunes today? But I forgive them for that. Doesn’t need the big screen except for the Madison Square Garden finale. Enjoy.

Smokin' Aces - Not half bad

11:26 AM, Mon-26-Feb-2007 .. 2 comments .. Link

Friday I finally caught up with Smokin' Aces. I have had a couple of attempts to get to this flick. First time it was a NFT flick at Readings and I wanted to use my discount voucher. I elected not to go in just on principal. The next time was at Village when I neglected to check the new email to confirm the start time. Bummer. I was 25 minutes late so I headed off home and returned the next day to finally catch the flick.

Worth the effort too. Firstly, I must say it has a well deserved R rating for the violence. Anything involving lunatics and chain saws has to be a bit confronting. Mind you it's less confronting than the Japanese stuff so I guess you can count me desensitised.

There is a big cast in this movie and about the first half hour is spent introducing the different teams intent on fullfilling the contract. From then on they are "into it" with the cast members dwindling on a very regular basis.

A rather complicated story due mainly to so many teams chasing the target. I would probably pick up more story on a second viewing which I will do when it hits the DVD store. Excellent performances from Joel Edgerton (last seen by me in Kinky Boots. Wow. What a difference.) and also by Ryan Reynolds who I last saw in the excellent Blade III.

Nice little flick and ya gotta love the 50 cal rifle for Hotel work.

Ghostrider - interesting but patchy

6:32 PM, Fri-23-Feb-2007 .. 2 comments .. Link

This week we zipped off to see Ghostrider, the flick filmed in Melbourne and out our neck of the woods, and an interesting movie it is too. I used to be a Nick Cage fan but it's fading these days. Somehow he just isn't quite believable which I guess is a pretty funny comment for a film adapted from a comic book.

The movie started ok but dived very badly with a scene between Nick and Eva Mendes out on the freeway. I don't know if the Director was out taking a leak when this scene was shot but it should not have passed the editors. 30 seconds spent on a retake should have been simple enough to do. Never mind it's still there in all its glory and happily its the lowest point of the film.

The bike stuff is very nice and the flaming skull is beautiful. The flaming trail behind the bike is lovely too. The story has a lot of cliches but not all the way. It's a nice surprise when they break from standard lines and story path.

Some varied performances here. Donal Logue does a great job in a supporting role. So too does Sam Elliott (the Sgt Major from We Were Soldiers). Peter Fonda's bike from Easy Rider does an outstanding morph too. Fonda himself just didn't seem evil enough. Certainly nowhere near the levels of Ian Paisley. Actually Paisley is old enough to have pulled this one off.

I tried to keep an eye open for the various sites around Melbourne but the story had quite a few exciting bits that drew my attention away from the scenery. That has to be a pretty good recommendation of itself.

Worth a look if you can live with the cliches (I can) but best on the BIG screen. May as well soak up the glossiness and the excellent stunts.

Blood Diamond - Excellent

11:13 AM, Mon-29-Jan-2007 .. 2 comments .. Link

Interested in seeing a movie where Leonardo DiCaprio seems like a normal person? Like your female actors (Jennifer Connelly) to be action chicks in a realistic way? Then Blood Diamond is worth checking out.

First a warning. The violence is very indiscriminate and vision of 10 year old kids shooting, and worse, bragging about their attitude is very emotional. It's easy to see how Leonardo's character has become so jaded. But on the rewarding side it's very encouraging to see the persistence of the Reporter. All this is backdropped by fantastic scenery that is quite stunning when you get a break from the full on action.

The preview clip gives a good feel for this movie. If you are thinking about checking it out then check the trailer. If anything, the trailer is a bit softer than the movie but that might just seem that way because the movie is a bit relentless. A couple of interesting cameos in this one. Arnold Vosloo who I most remember from the Mummy movies. And Michael Sheen who last popped up as Tony Blair in The Queen.

Super flick that should be viewed on a cinema screen. I wont be buying diamonds ever again.

Happy Feet - Nice but...

8:38 PM, Tue-9-Jan-2007 .. 1 comments .. Link

I have just been along to see Happy Feet and it's a pretty cool flick but I'm wondering just who it is aimed at.

The music is great and the animation work is just plain brilliant but the kiddies in the audience (it was a 4.20 session) were lost in the long reflective pauses that turn up past the half way mark. It is also pretty blunt on the environmental message and I think it lost it's way a bit here. Luckily the voice role of Robyn Williams is excellent and the side comments are good too.

At 107 minutes it is a trifle long but still pretty nice. This flick should be caught at the cinema. I don't think the subtle wind animation effects will show uo on DVD.

Charlotte's Web - Excellent

11:32 AM, Wed-3-Jan-2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

After last week's disappointing Night at the Museum, I'm pleased to say that this week's flick, Charlotte's Web, was a great improvement. It has a couple of things going for it including Dakota Fanning who is a delight to watch and the CG is so tightly integrated I couldn't pick where reality ended and Computer Graphics started. The external scenery shows the US countryside at it's best especially the autumn colours.

I was amazed to find that a lot of it was filmed in Ballan (Victoria) which was chosen because of the classic style of house and valley they found there and Mrs Mc reckons at least one of the folk in the crowd is an Aussie actress. The credits show a lot of folk on the CG side were in the Aussie unit. The CG animals seem to be dealt with by different companies which is a pretty neat idea that results in different techniques. I'm wondering if that led to some fierce competition between the groups because the quality is excellent.

Well worth a look and take a tissue. Mrs Mc used one but there was potential for a couple more along the way.

Night at the Museum - Nope

11:57 AM, Thu-28-Dec-2006 .. 1 comments .. Link

I guess you can't always expect to love a movie but it's always a big disappointment when it happens.

I went to see Night at the Museum yesterday and I must admit the expectations were high. This isn't automatic death for a flick, but when it bombs, it bombs worse. I'm trying to think why I was expecting so much. I think it should be advertised as Adults at kids prices coz it only really works on very young kiddies.

The story is very thin and whoever did the casting for the Museum Director should hang their head in shame. Just about anyone could have pulled it off but not Ricky Gervais. I'm not familiar with his work but this falls flat.

I have seen plenty of kids flicks that work for adults but this isn't one of them. The animatronics are very nice but that's about all I can get enthusiastic about. I did stay till the end but only coz Mrs Mc was with me. Otherwise I would have hit the pavement about an hour in.

Eragon - hmmmmm okay I guess

5:15 PM, Thu-14-Dec-2006 .. 0 comments .. Link

I may have commited the classic error before viewing this movie by reading about half the novel first. I'm blaming Lord of the Rings for so accurately following JRR's work and setting my expectations too high.

I have a couple of problems with the screenplay. Some of the shortcuts miss important elements of the character development and seeing as the thing only runs for 104 minutes compared to say 145 for Casino Royale, they could have run it out a bit longer. The character of Brom (Jeremy Irons) doesn't work that well for me but it may be the result of so much story being dropped out. It probably didn't help that the sound quality took a dive just over half an hour in. I don't know who to blame for that. It may have been Village or their copy or the actual movie.

Things that do work are Sienna Guillory and the baby dragon animatronics (or whatever they used). Things that didn't are some of the terrain special effects look wrong and the flight mechanics for the dragon on takeoff look wrong too. Overall this is not a bad flick but it could have been fantastic. It's treatment pulls it back into the pack of other dragon movies. It's a shame that we have been so spoiled but if you make movies these days, you have to cover the special effects basics. If it catches the eye wrong then you should dump the effect.

I will go to see the sequels and I'll be more circumspect so it won't be such a disappointment. With any luck they will tighten up the production and I'll be suitably impressed.

Casino Royale - Excellent

6:29 PM, Wed-13-Dec-2006 .. 2 comments .. Link

I have never been a Bond fan. I have no problem with the different actors who filled the role, enjoy action movies, can suspend belief at the drop of a hat, but the Bond flicks just never worked for me. But there is a new Bond in town and an excellent story line to boot. Not to mention a huge amount of stunts. Now I understand why the character was popular. Getting back to the Author's original concept was a great idea.

There are still Bond chicks in the movie but seriously toned down and I think that was one reason why I didn't like the older movies. All that girl stuff detracted from the storyline and I'd rather be testing the brain than the eye balls.

By far the best thing about this flick is the flawed character of Bond himself. Not quite as dark as Edward Woodwood's Callan but certainly in the same suburb.

One area where this movie really surprised me was the smart dialogue between Bond and Vesper. Normally this stuff is pretty lame but the battle of their brains over dinner was quite a delight. Wish there was more like it in other offerings.

This is a smart flick that got me every time there was a story twist. I just didn't see them coming at all. I must have been caught up in the drama. The only warning I have is that this is a long flick at 145 minutes. Not that it drags, but that taking in a big drink is probably going to cost you some storyline. It's worth catching this one right from the start. The Titles are done with a lovely mix of Mandlebrot's and the card suits. Works for me.

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