Peaceful Warrior (2006)
MY CALL: Focusing on clearing one’s mind of all things tarnished in life, this is an inspiring sports-meets-philosophy story aimed at younger viewers (say, 12-25) but appropriate for all—all older than 12 anyway. IF YOU LIKE THIS WATCH: Rudy (1993) for drama, The Replacements (2000) for fun. SIDEBAR: Not a lot of gymnastics movies that weren’t made for TV or straight-to-DVD (or video back in the day). But if that’s what you’re looking for, here’s what I’ve got: Stick It (2006; best suited for girls who still do gymnastics and/or girls under 25), Gymkata (1985; an idiotic action movie that truly might have been written to inspire college drinking games), Final Destination 5 (2011; featuring the most horrifying gymnastics death ever imagined—that’s really all it has to do with gymnastics, though).
[Based on a true story.]
When you take for granted what you can do, you get sloppy in life. “Everyone tells you what to do and what’s good for you. They don’t want you to find your own answers. They want you to believe theirs…I want you to start gathering information from outside yourself and start gathering from the inside…People are afraid of what’s inside, and that’s the only place where they’re gonna’ find what they need.”
Dan Millman (Scott Mechlowicz; Eurotrip) is a cocky, straight-A, lady’s man gymnast on his way to the Olympic qualifiers. He trains 7 days a week, 50 weeks a year, but despite all this “hard work” it doesn’t seem so difficult for him. But he lacks the hubris to simply expect to qualify. He does everything that a champion does—practices devoutly, attempts that which has not yet been done, desires greatness—all things except for one: believing in himself.
When we meet “Socrates” (Nick Nolte; Warrior, Zookeeper), an otherwise nameless gas station attendant nicknamed by Dan, he is presented as something teasingly supernatural. Surrounded by scenes representing dream sequences, we are left to question whether ours are the eyes of a little birdy or those of Dan’s dreaming perspective.
Later Socrates seems to have powers of zen awareness, astral projection and telepathy that he can even confer to Dan. At this point, it becomes apparent that Socrates’ abilities are a figment of Dan’s imagination—if not Socrates in his entirety, perhaps representing Dan’s inner self rather than an inspiring life coach. Socrates challenges this haughty but fearfully sleep-deprived athlete with the question of what he’ll do if he doesn’t make the Olympic team, a mere notion that plagues Dan. While first met with resistance, Dan comes to accept some of Socrates’ challenges, the results of which are innocently amusing.
Why did he throw him in the water?
To clear his mind.
After attempting Socrates’ abstinent training regimen, he becomes impatient, even angry, and quits. Shortly thereafter he rushing to practice and gets into a bad motorcycle accident in which his femur shattered into 17 pieces, along with his dreams, and his greatest prognosis is that he “should” be able to walk again. The remainder of the movie illlustrates his limping struggle to chase his dream.
From this….to this.
Most of this film works, but certain elements do not. His romantic interest, Joy (Amy smart; Road Trip, Crank), is poorly written into the story and seems to appear and disappear conveniently with little synthesis. She represents his only female interest that isn’t based on lust—but while it is nice to see Dan maturing from one-night stands—this was neither necessary nor substantial given other events in the movie. Her deletion from the story would likely go unnoticed.
Not that I’d ever complain about seeing Amy Smart…
Director Victor Salva has done a lot of horror writing/directing (the Jeepers Creepers series, including the upcoming third installment). But he also wrote and directed Powder (1995), a mystical movie with some elements akin to horror. This likely influenced the mystic nature of Socrates. Such a shame though, in my opinion, that a story about giving up control in order to be “free” was presented by a rather formulaic storyline; another aspect that didn’t work for me, but likely passed unnoticed by those who don’t “over-analyze” movies like self-serving reviewers like me. 😉
A third thing—and please don’t mistake this for harping, just analyzing—is that the guardian angel nature of Socrates felt like it simply lacked the relative maturity and reality of like-minded tales aimed at adults. Rudy (1993) didn’t need a dream-like archangel to spell things out for him. He realized and chose his path himself…and he managed to get a lot of grown-ass men to cry in the locker room “Jersey Scene.” Mysticism can be utilized without some of the silliness of the devices of this film. That’s not to say that it wasn’t cute or followed by a snicker or two, but that it didn’t match the possible maturity I felt was appropriate for this particular story. Again, not hating, just deconstructing a bit. It gives me something to write about.
By the end, this movie makes us recognize a little of ourselves (even if a younger self) in our semi-hero and, naturally, we feel good about it, the movie and ourselves. While I think this was intended to inspire younger viewers (say, 12-25), there is no reason that adults wouldn’t enjoy it as well. I’d order a pizza, pop some kettlecorn and make a family night out of it.
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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Two good looking/charming people bond over salmon fishing in the Yemen. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a quirky yet reserved film that features two of my favorite actors Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. Watching them surrounded by beautiful vistas and large fish makes for a breezy experience.
The movie was adapted from the popular UK satirical book and features Ewan McGregor as a mousy fisheries expert who is as knowledgable about fish as he is cantankerous. He is in a glacially cold marriage to a woman who lords over him and treats him like an underling. He works with Emily Blunt’s friendly and intelligent consultant to a wealthy sheikh. She is recently in love with a kind solider who has just been called up to Afghanistan. They are brought together to bring fishing to the Yemen. The plan is quickly dismissed but when the prime ministers press secretary Kristen Scott Thomas latches onto the good will story the plan is set into motion. Soon enough the Sheikh transfers 50 million for the project and McGregor/Blunt have to make the improbable possible.
Very rarely does a nice little film like this come around. It features a unique plot and likable characters who are working to achieve a strange goal. The main problem with the film is that they use a solider being MIA as a plot device. Is he dead? Is he alive? It seems like forced drama in a movie that should just flow like the rivers the salmon travel in. This film has a lot in common with The Big Year. The films have a warmth to them that is lacking in most studio movies. You like all of the characters and enjoy the time you spend with them. They bring us to new worlds unbeknownst to many. For instance, when Scott Thomas finds out that there are two million fishing enthusiats in the UK she tells the Prime Minister he needs to learn how to fish. These two things are beloved by many but understand by very few.
Salmon moves at a leisurely pace and breezes by. It is a perfect film to watch on a Sunday night after a busy weekend.
Watch Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Enjoy the chemistry. Soak in the scenary.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/salmon_fishing_in_the_yemen/
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MY CALL: Pretty much a waste of time to any well-seasoned horror-goer. Kiddie horror, really. If you have a 7th grade neice who wants to watch a scary movie, start her on this. WHAT TO WATCH INSTEAD: Just watch Final Destination 5 (2011). It accomplishes everything that this movie meant to, but did it exceedingly better. LOOKING FOR GOOD KOREAN HORROR? Thirst (2009), or the more sci-fi-ish The Host (2006). You can find many K-horror “top 10” lists online as well. LANGUAGE: Korean; subtitled in English on Netflix.
After moving into a new recording studio (which was cheap after a fire incident that killed someone), one of the “Pink Dolls” (a 20-something girl group) finds a music video called “White” that has never been released. It’s sort of catchy so they decide to pawn it off as their own.
The group has a catty relationship in which Eun-Ju, the oldest member and an ex-back-up dancer, gets most of the blame for their lack of success. But after just one performance of “White” they’re famous again. Working on refining the new hit, the lead vocalist (Jenny) starts having some strange heat strokes and dehydration issues. This results in an unexciting hospitalization.
This one’s eyelids get infected. Truly the work of a horrific and malevalent force.
As the group shrinks to uneventful casualties, each subsequent lead vocalist suffers from hot flashes until their eventual not-quite-deaths, which seem to go uninvestigated for some reason. However, Eun-Ju—the only one who never sought the lead spot in the group—connects the injuries to the fire that killed the original lead singer.
Eun-Ju embraces the role as the lead singer when, well, she’s the only one left.
White hair in an Asian horror flick…far from original.
The music and dancing has a trendy TRL appeal; almost like Lady Ga-Ga with some zombie moves. But, overall, this was very “vanilla.” The “scary” scenes are unsensational and the effects were unshocking—mostly just a bunch of bleeding from the eyes and spewing blood from the mouth; simple stuff. I often favor foreign horror for innovative story ideas and strange horror “flavors” produced by different writing/directing pedigrees. While nothing was really wrong with White, it showcased neither such attribute. With no cool deaths to speak of and mediocre scares that pale to the likes of The Grudge (which does get a nod in the end), but good production value and an untwisty followable plot (contrary to the often cerebral Japanese horror), I’d recommend this to younger, unseasoned viewers who are just starting to get their feet wet and aren’t yet looking for nightmare-inducing scares or meal-spilling gore.
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Actor Spotlight: Felicity Jones
Anton Yelchin & Felicity Jones in Like Crazy // via
Felicity Jones- a tiny British dynamo of natural acting talent. And by natural I mean that she makes all of her roles like like an extension of herself- convincing, casual and just plain adorable.
I had never heard about Felicity Jones before early 2011 when Like Crazy premiered. Mark carried on for weeks about how much he anticipated the arrival of Like Crazy in our local independent theater. The movie did not disappoint expectations and that was, in large part, due to Jones’ performance. She plays out a story of first love in all of its complicated, messy, intoxicating, impulsive and selfish facets. It is simultaneously painful and captivating to watch her and Anton Yelchin (Fright Night, Star Trek) ride the highs and lows of an intercontinental relationship.
I was fascinated, which naturally led me to curiosity…which OF COURSE led me to Netflix. What better place to explore an actor’s career than in the library of cinema that is instantly accessible from my couch?
I then entered the world of British cinema and Felicity Jones…what I found- Cemetery Junction, Chalet Girl, and Albatross.
Cemetery Junction– In this 1970’s British set drama-dy, Jones is the daughter of a successful insurance executive who is ashamed of his humble beginnings. She is a young woman on the verge of marriage who still hasn’t figured out who she is or what she wants to do with her life.
Jones in Cemetery Junction // via
Chalet Girl– While this is in no way an example of film excellence, it is a fun little British romantic comedy. Felicity is an ex-skateboard pro who becomes a chalet girl to help her dad with the bills. In this new job she is exposed to a world of money, snowboarding and Bill Nighy’s wonderful (but all to infrequent) moments of humor.
Ed Westwick & Jones in Chalet Girl //via
Albatross– I was deceived by this movie…I thought that it carried some weight to be marketed by the IFC. I was wrong. Jones plays the sheltered good-girl to Jessica Brown Findlay’s (Downton Abbey) misguided, rebellious girl who is searching for her place in a small coastal community.
Jessica Brown-Findlay & Felicity Jones in Albatross // via
The most grounded and believable aspect in each of these four movies is the character played by Felicity Jones. In every situation–impulsive and in love, growing up and trying to break societal/parental ideals, a spirited girl with a sad past, or a sheltered kid trying to find a world outside of her dysfunctional family– Jones knows how to be what the story needs.
I have high hopes for her career. Mark and I like to play a game with movies. When we are unsatisfied with a choice of actor for a movie or an actor’s performance, we do not just sit and gripe about it. We try to come up with who we believe would be the perfect replacement. After watching Snow White and the Huntsman (and being underwhelmed by Kristen Stewart’s ‘Snow White’), we decided that jones would make the perfect Snow White for that film. She’s got it goin’ on: equal parts tough, innocent and ‘fairest girl in the whole kingdom.’
images via
Watch all four films, enjoy this spunky little British actress, let me know what you think!
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Brave
Brave is inventive, joyous and beautiful looking. However, it is going to suffer from the Up/Wall-E conundrum. The critical consensus for this film is 76% and the majority of the comments are “it is good but not Up/Wall-E.” Recreating Up/Wall-E will be nearly impossible and it is a shame that every Pixar movie will have to live up to that hype.
Pixar has created a wonderful name for itself with the movie going audience. The word Pixar means success and quality. When one of the movies is not up to the expected excellence it gets bashed loud and often by the critics. Cars 2 for example took a critical beating but I guarantee it was better than the majority of animated films out there.
I think people forget that Pixar movies are meant for kids. The theater my girlfriend I saw Brave in was packed full of children who were laughing, cheering and laughing more at the nice film unfolding in front of their eyes. They were watching a smart little film about redemption and family. When walking out of the theater the little buggers were loudly proclaiming the funniness of the film. The majority of the laughs come from the three clans and their suitors that are visiting in hopes of gaining Merida’s hand. My favorite actor/Scotsman/host Craig Ferguson voices Lord Macintosh, he is the hairy fella on the far left.
The film centers around Merida. She is a ball of red hair which must have cost the animators 15 million because every wisp of hair has its own personality. She is an ace with an arrow, rides a Clydesdale and does not want to marry one of the three nerdy suitors looking for her attention. Merida runs away and meets a witch who does not want to cast any spells because they always go wrong. What follows is a cast spell and a daughter looking to repair the damage she has inflicted upon the family. The movie never loses its whimsy and is a marvel to look at. I’m not kidding when I say that each strand of Merida’s hair flies gracefully in the wind.
This ia Pixar’s first lead heroine and they got her right. I am a big fan of Kelly Macdonald (Trainspotting, Boardwalk Empire, No Country for Old Men) She uses her Scottish accent to full extent and took over when Reese Witherspoon had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. MacDonald gives Merida loads of exuberance and nails the toughness of the character.
Brave is Pixars message to Dreamworks and How to Train Your Dragon. The film doesn’t reach the wonder of Dragon but it adds another outstanding addition to the medieval animated lore. As long as Pixar is making films I will continue to enjoy them and appreciate the wonder they incorporate. It still isn’t as good as Wall-E though.
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Bad Movie Tuesday: Friends With Kids
If you read the weekly Bad Movie Tuesday you’ve noticed that I always find positives to bad movies. I like to know why the movies went wrong or why the dialogue is so bad. When watching Friends With Kids I found myself increasingly annoyed at the black and white creation by people who thought they were making a worldly film. The singular vision and the simplicity parading as depth prevented the film from becoming a stand out chapter in the romantic comedy world. So, the best thing you can take from this film is that singular visions can often elevate or hinder the material.
Two people who don’t want to deal with the responsibilities of marriage decide to have a kid without the hang ups of a relationship. Of course, this plan will not work and eventually one of them will make a quick u-turn and speed towards the other’s house while Shattered (turn the car around) by OAR plays on the soundtrack. Friends With Kids boasts progressive thought but is no different from every other romantic comedy. The achilles heal for this film is that it is too simple. Everything is black and white. There is very little grey. You can tell that it is the sole idea produced, directed and written by Jennifer Westfeldt who also stars.
Westfeldt is the long time partner of Jon Hamm and is known for Kissing Jessica Stein and Ira and Abby. Both of those films feature plots about people who are tired with their current situation so they try something new and it doesn’t work out. Friends With Kids is more of the same and centers around two wealthy good-looking people who have not settled down and have no plans because marriage and babies kills relationships. However, both want children so they decide to make a baby and share the responsibilities while they date other people. At this point of the film I was saying “oh, geesh.” I knew exactly what would follow. The three things include two best friends, two baxters (romantic foils) and a loving reunion.
Friends With Kids is a movie that alienates the audience with its characters and plot. From the beginning you know the plan will not work because it is not thought out at all due to absolute arrogance. The movie also takes likable characters and turns them into selfish people with little social tact. Adam Scott hates organized religion and broke up with a woman because she voted for Bush in 2004. He doesn’t want marriage because he is a Lothario who can woo anyone and pulls down Megan Fox after several sentences. He insults parents who bring their kids out to dinner and makes fun of his friends for only having sex once a month. Also, when he and Jennifer go to a ski lodge for a weekend they argue because each will be having loud sex and they don’t want the baby in the room.
This film reminds me of the strange film Larry Crowne. Crowne was so nice that you forgot that he has no real world problems, committed adultery with Julia Roberts and owned a beautiful house despite working at a Costco knock off. Friends With Kids features a hot ensemble cast and sweeping monologues that sound intelligent. However, when the facade wears away you are stuck with a preposterous plot, selfish rich characters and all the clichés you can dream of.
The strangest aspect of this film is that the children are treated as bratty, loud and life wrecking. They cry, they scream at restaurants and drive marriages apart. The parents have zero control and are driven mad. Kids are plot points and you feel bad for a kid that was produced out of convenience and not love. Roger Ebert wrote a wonderful review for this film and sums it up by saying:
“It feels like an artificial screenplay concoction that’s perhaps pitched at moviegoers 15 or 20 years younger than the stars — audiences who don’t have the experience to understand the whole child-sharing scheme is cockamamie.”
Watch Friends With Kids, Feel bad for the kids and realize the cockamamie.
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The Hunter
Watching Willem Dafoe hunt a Tasmanian Devil while bonding with a family is well worth the four dollar rental. The movie feels familiar but works as a hybrid. Watching a man hunt an extinct creature is a neat concept. I guess it is the ultimate journey looking for an animal that may or may not exist. The lone hunter against the lone beast. Man vs. nature. Viewer vs. not thinking about Dafoe’s character from Life Aquatic while watching The Hunter.
The vistas of Tasmania are why I watched this film. It is a world unknown to me aside from a few pcitures and clips. I wanted to see a man immersed in it while hunting its most treasured creature. The movie moves slowly towards the inevitable showdown. Along the way the lone mercenary befriends a family, shoots several creatures and gets multiple dirty looks from Sam Neil.
The movie is a hybrid between a quiet hunting film and a man starting to belong in a community. It never reaches the blending of poetry and suspense it chases but it delivers us to a new world with a familiar plot. The Hunter is a showcase for Willem Dafoe and allows him to flex his acting muscles and beard growing skills.
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Ted
Joel McHale calls Mark Wahlberg “squirt,” Flash Gordon punches through a wall then wrestles a man named Ming and Giovanni Ribisi dances creepily to I Think We’re Alone Now. Ted is a funny blast of fresh air that shows evidence of a first time director yet still manages to provide big laughs.
The main takeaway from this film is that Seth MacFarlane loves crane/jib shots. The sweeping shots seem out-of-place in a world where Mark Wahlberg smokes pot with a magical teddy bear.
Ted begins with a lonely young boy making a wish that his stuffed bear will come to life so they can be best friends forever. The next morning the wish comes true and they become instant best friends. The sweet little bear becomes a worldwide celebrity and eventually falls into the pitfalls that come with being a child star. fifteen years later the bear is unemployed, smokes copious amounts of weed and solicits prostitutes. His pal played by Mark Wahlberg is stuck in arrested development much to the annoyance of his understanding girlfriend played by MacFarlane regular Mila Kunis.
Ted is being praised for the humor that never lets up or diminishes. However, I’m amazed at how realistic Ted looks. The bear is a marvel of motion capture that raises the bar for CGI. MacFarlane was on set doing double duty as director and character. His lines were recorded on set and not in a studio. Thus, the voice work comes across naturally because he was there to guide the actors and riff during the moment. This movie is more accessible than Family Guy too. After twenty minutes of that show my brain is scrambled and I feel dumb. Ted is a dirty freight train of comedy that keeps chugging along.
21 Jump Street and Ted have made 2012 a very good year for comedies. There are moments in Ted that had me laughing out loud. Ted’s interviews with his grocery store boss are highlights of foul language and unexpected pay offs. Also, the wrestling match between Ted and a duck is fantastic. Mark Wahlberg proves he is up for anything and Mila Kunis holds her own as a character who could have been like every other annoyed girlfriend. She still is stuck with all the familiar notes but you appreciate how hard she works while her boyfriend does nothing. There are plot inconsistencies all over the place. For instance, Ted can beat up Wahlberg yet is no match for fat kids and angry ducks. However, all of these inconsistencies don’t matter because without them the laughs wouldn’t be so big.
What follows is a genuinely funny film that hits comedic highs but falters when it comes to the relationship business. This movie reminds me of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s first film Cemetary Junction. These men all made a name for themselves on television and slowly jumped into movies. The similarities are the heavy-handed messages that are hammered home with all the subtly of a hammer crashing on a tin roof. It hurts when talented directors who have created memorable comedic characters stick to the tropes of the genre.
I laughed loud and often during Ted. The jokes come so fast that you barely have time to absorb the hilarity of the situation. Whether it be the Tom Skerritt references, Patrick Warburton’s odd habits or Lance Armstrong’s bronzed nut sitting in Joel McHale’s museum you will constantly be entertained.
So, sit back, relax and watch Wahlberg and Ted sit back and relax.
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Movies, Films & Flix Roundtable: Alex Cross
Hello all, Mark here.
This weeks trailer talk is Alex Cross. I have a strange fascination for this film because Tyler Perry speaks entirely in a monotone voice while talking about following Mathew Fox to the gates of hell. Following somebody that far sounds like a lot of work. Another activity that is labor intensive is knowing every scenario that cops can think of. Fox has done just that and it all leads to him scuba diving in skyscraper pipes…..
Watch, read and enjoy!
Mark: Tyler Perry takes over Morgan Freeman’s role as Alex Cross. He has to battle a diabolical killer played by Mathew Fox who has done someting worse than Ben Stiller in Simple Jack. Fox has gone full “Christian Bale.” You will see. I love that this movie can be summed up as Madea, Dr. Cox and a Brothers McMullen chase down Dr. jack.
Sweet Sugar: If you tell a serial killer that he’s sick and twisted, wouldn’t that be a compliment? You might as well have said, “man, I love your shoes.”
Mark: What would be the best way to insult an insane killer?
Sweet Sugar: I would say “sorry, no time for tense banter right now, Keeping up with the Kardashians is about to come on”
John: Imagine saying to Kevin Spacey from Seven: “You know, dude, I’m impressed. You’ve just really got yourself together.”
Mark: Hey Hannibal Lector. Didn’t you know Chianti is a terrible choice for human body parts? Wouldn’t a chilled merlot be better with brains and fava beans? Or, Hey Buffalo Bill. You’re using the wrong lotion!
Chuck Finley: Hey Jason…uhh…nice mask. dammit I’m bad at this. shut up.
John: Who’s actually crazier? Matthew Fox the serial killer or Matthew Fox “Lost” on his magical island–or wasn’t he on an island, or is he in the afterlife, or was there ever really an island at all? Oh, I’ve got it. That’s why he wants to kill. That’s his motivation. He’s still mad that after 10 seasons and that cursed babbling finale that he still doesn’t know what the damned deal was with that island!
Mark: I think his character from Party of Five went crazy because Neve Campbell, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Lacey Chabret all starred in serial killer movies and he didn’t. So, on the island he trained medical, gun and beard growing skills in preparation for his battle with Madea.
Mark: “There is not one scenario that you have thought of that he hasn’t figured out.” That sounds like a lot of work….
O’Lasavath: That’s probably how he plays chess. He figures out all possible scenarios of his opponent’s moves, and then he kills them. It’s no wonder why he’s not invited to chess tournaments.
John: Well Gerard Butler evidently turned his pecs and eight-pack into extra brains so that he could do exactly that in Law Abiding Citizen.
Mark: Do these bad guys go to Starbucks with their Ipad and write down every scenario? They order a grande latte, listen to Mozart and check off sky diving, scuba in pipes and bad acting.
Sweet Sugar: This movie makes being a FBI profiler look really easy. I’d just drink coffee, smoke cigars, and say random things like “This guy is checking off the list” or “He’s focused” or “He’s got a clear path.” In the trailer, I think I also heard “We’ve got to get in his head – where will he be next?”
Chuck Finley: *four women dead* “he targeting women dammit!”
Mark: The killer has been targeting blond women with blue eyes who stand approximately 5’2…. What does it all mean? We’ve got to get in his head and wonder who he will kill next!”
John: Oh, not Kristen Bell. I like her.
Mark: Chief: “Manetti, get a patrol car on Kristen Bells house ASAP. I’m still hoping for a Veronica Mars movie.
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John’s Horror Corner: Final Destination 5 (2011)
MY CALL: Can I get an amen? Wow! Horror fans, if you felt jaded after part 4 of this series, please give the franchise another chance. This time they not only got it right, but got it at least as well as they ever have. Check out the trailer from our August Preview post. I give this a B-horror “A+”. IF YOU LIKE THIS, WATCH: Parts 1-3 of the franchise (2000-2006). But avoid part 4, The Final Destination (2009), like the plague. For methodical kills, I’d also suggest all three movies from the Cube franchise (1997-2004), of course, the Saw and Hostel series, and the very campy and hilarious Piranha 3D and Jennifer’s Body.
I really loved the first three movies in this franchise. Even though they recycled the same plot with different actors and kills scenarios, I always found them to be very fun. The fourth, however, really dropped the ball. I may have enjoyed a few scenes, but there was a noticeable drop in quality and I was left bitterly distrustful of the series. That said, I had high hopes for this fifth installment which was directed by new blood director Steven Quale, who has never been at the helm of a movie, but assisted Cameron on Avatar. I purchased my ticket willingly and with optimism.
These kids don’t stand a chance…
Not only did this movie make up for the Shakespearian tragedy of its immediate predecessor, but I enjoyed completely unexpected levels of quality. For one thing, they got some funny actors (David Koechner of Anchorman, Waiting; P. J. Byrne of BET’s The Game, Horrible Bosses) who delivered a degree of inter-kill-scene comedy which the other movies lacked. This comedy did not make the exciting anticipation of the next kill any less intense. In fact, these deaths mixed gasp-inducing red herrings, “oh shit” shocking moments, and comedic 80’s-esque execution with excellent CGI effects.
Acupuncture and Lasik surgery. What could possibly go wrong…?
P. J. Byrne really stole the show. To look at him, he’s clearly no womanizer. But the things he says to woman after woman over the phone remind us of our jackass frat buddies who couldn’t be more rude to the opposite sex. Then there’s Koechner, whose lines are as great as his death scene in the opening act.
Here’s an out-of-left-fielder. I actually enjoyed the 3D. This is the first time EVER that I have seen a movie in 3D without disfavoring it to the standard 2D. My Bloody Valentine was carefully made for 3D enjoyment, but it really seemed second to this. The writing, CGI, kill creativity, tactful cast, humor and production value made for a grippingly funny and overall well-made horror flick.
Very poor dismount. One of the out-takes from the 2008 Olympic trials. Little Suzy from Nebraska wanted it so bad.
For its high-budget-B-horror genre, the greatness of this movie was almost unwarranted. It reminded me of another movie which truly shocked me with overall quality: Jennifer’s Body. Both movies may have been deliberately campy, but both also had the actors, writers, direction and effects reserved for films of much greater magnitude and far displaced from the realm of modern horror. Also, the ending, following suit with the rest of the movie, was delivered with a twist so clever that I’ll bet no one sees it coming!
If you love horror see this movie. See it in theaters. Even pay extra to see it in 3-D.
Tony Todd will have a job as long as they keep making these movies. He’s basically a horror union rep. He does the same job day in and day out, he keeps getting paid more, and you can’t fire him without a lawsuit.
Movies, Films & Flix 