Riding with the window down…

There are a few things that put a guy instantly on guard when it comes to choosing a film to watch. First and foremost - is Sandra Bullock playing the lead? This is usually a sure sign that you are in for a romantic comedy complete with sappy love story and comic pratfalls. From the opening sequence of The Blind Side, I knew I was going to like this movie. It not only started off a “guy” film, but despite turning into a very touching story AND including Sandra Bullock - it kept the guys interested throughout.

Along we way, it delivered lots of fun football action, some great comedy, and good performances by Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron. This has to be the perfect “date night” film. It had just enough Sandra Bullock and heartfelt emotion to keep the womenfolk happy and just enough football and smart @ss remarks to keep the guys entertained.

This is easily one of the top movies I have seen in 2009. When I discovered that it was based on a true story, it made The Blind Side all that much better. See it with a date and you will both walk away feeling better - or see it by yourself. Whatever you decide, just see this movie.

RATING 9 out of 10

Netflix, combined with a weird sleep schedule, has been useful in allowing me to watch more movies recently. The selections I have watched recently are a bit eclectic - that is what happens when you have a queue with nearly 500 films.

Being a longtime fan of Daniel Craig, I was interested when I saw the one trailer for Defiance. You would think that with him, Liev Schreiber, and a WWII setting, I would love this film. It’s weird that while I enjoyed all of it - I just never got into it. I have to place the blame on the story and/or direction. I just felt disconnected from the entire movie.

It’s a decent little film, but it brings nothing new to the table and doesn’t even deliver very high marks in doing the same old thing.

RATING 6 out of 10

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In keeping with the WWII Nazi theme, I watched Valkyrie recently as well. Although it didn’t seem to do very good in theaters, I actually liked this movie. I wonder if Tom Cruise is still suffering from the “Tom’s a crazy guy” backlash or if it was just a bad economy for downer films? Who knows?

I thought Cruise did a fine job as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and was surrounded a solid cast - Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, and Terence Stamp are just a few of the excellent actors. This films tells the little-known story of Nazi insiders plotting to kill Hitler.

Bryan Singer does a great job of telling a very suspenseful tragedy and while it may not end the way you would like - it was a fine job of bringing you along for the ride.

RATING 7 out of 10

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You would think that somewhere I would have found something a little more manly to review, but when in Rome…

I’ve fallen woefully behind in my movie reviews, so I’m not gonna waste any time - let’s jump right in.

Since this is going to be a very long post, I thought I would list the ones that I reviewed up front so you can decide which ones you want to read. They range from extremely recent, to quite old - with some oddball ones tossed in for good measure.

Up
Year One
Terminator Salvation
Taken
The Hangover
Stranger than Fiction
The Wrestler
Jeremiah Johnson
Eagle Eye

Up was a fun film. I have to admit, it wasn’t as good as I was expecting, and that’s just because so many people mentioned how much they loved it. Sure, it was a lot of fun. Sure, the humor was good enough to appeal to people of all ages. Sure, the animation was good. Sure, it had some great dog-related scenes/content. But you know what? It was just not that amazing.

As you can see from my rating, I liked it alot - I was just disappointed that it wasn’t as great as I had heard. The characters were a lot of fun and aside from the very sad story about the old man and his love, I dug almost every part of the film. Expect it to be a really good film - just not one of your all-time favs.

RATING 7 out of 10

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Terminator Salvation is so bad, I am not going to even invest the time required to find a picture to post with this review. This film is bad beyond description.

Christian Bale phone it in, McG (director) should go back to shooting lame music videos - he is a no-talent hack. The story and dialogue read like they were penned by 2nd grader - and I’m talking about the 2nd graders that ride the short bus and lick the windows on the way to school. This is quite possibly the worst movie I have seen in decades. Heck, I have already wasted too much time writing about it…. ugh!

RATING 2 out of 10

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The film Taken scores better marks with me than it should for a couple reasons. 1) I have always been a very big fan of Liam Neeson (with the exception of the Star Wars garbage.) 2) It featured a lot of great action scenes - hand-to-hand combat in particular, and 3) even though she doesn’t get much screen time - Maggie Grace is nice to look at.

Sure, it comes across as way over-the-top, but when done with a believable setting and backed up by a superb actor capable of selling it, it works. Not only will the action and intensity keep you interested, but the emotional tugs provided by a father trying desperately to save his daughter will win over anyone with a heart.

RATING 7 out of 10

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The Hangover was a funny little Vegas romp that I expected to be mildly amusing. Anyone who has been to a good bachelor party knows that these are stories you will tell the rest of your life. (Manny)

The interesting twist in The Hangover is that the narrative is about trying to remember what happened rather than just being a fly on the wall as the hi jinx ensued. Told in this way, the film is probably funnier than it would have been with the traditional formula.

Sure, it is sophomoric. It is absolutely juvenile and appeals the lowest common denominator. But lets face it - sometimes that is fun! The Three Stooges made careers out of going for the cheap laugh. Director Todd Phillips has made a career out of this kind of movie - Old School, Road Trip, etc. and he scored again with this one.

Don’t take your girlfriend’s parents to it, if you are trying to be seen as an intellectual. Don’t take your mom to it, unless she enjoys some good fart jokes. Don’t take your kids to it - period. But, if you want to go see a funny film with some friends that won’t bat an eye at crude jokes, crude language, and generally illegal treatment of a baby - this is your film.

RATING 8 out of 10

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Sorry, I got tired of blogging - I promise to write up reviews of the other four I listed when I get some time.

It’s been a while since I did a film review and I figure its high time I went ahead and knocked a few out.

I have no choice but to start with the film that surprised me the most. Sure, I knew it would be all that and more when it came to everything that makes science fiction so much fun, but Star Trek blew me away in several other areas. First and foremost, was the casting.

Spock was a no-brainer, one look at Zachary Quinto with pointy ears and everyone was sold. I was skeptical of Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, but the little touches he added to the character made you believe he was a younger version of Shatner’s Kirk. Watch him take his saunter/skip down the steps of the Enterprise bridge and you’ll see it. The most shocking however, was Karl Urban as “Bones.” If there was ever a person cast to portray a character already well-known as a previous actor, I haven’t seen it. Urban was spot-on and left even the most casual Trek fan giggling every time he spoke, bitched or frowned.

Overall, it was a lot of fun and while I think most of it is due to the homage paid to the original actors, the storyline itself wasn’t bad. The action sequences were top-notch. Who doesn’t love a free fall dive to a drilling platform and then fighting for your life while it tilted, swayed, and pitched… all while a bunch of bad guys try to take off your head? Good times.

RATING 8 out of 10

I rarely see a film based on a comic book that can’t stand and for that reason, I probably rated this one a lot higher than I should. The story was lame, the CGI was subpar, and the dialogue sounded like it was written by a 13 year old. That said, I enjoyed X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Hey, I told you I was a sucker for a comic book hero.

Wolverine has never been one of my favorite characters and I have read nothing of the Project X storyline, so I had no skin in the game. For me, it was just a story about a reluctant hero, suckered in by his heart, betrayed, and pissed off enough to turn in some pretty fun action sequences. I was upset that Gambit character (played by an actor I really like, Taylor Kitsch) wasn’t developed more. I would have liked to see Kitsch act more.

Hey, it wasn’t great… but if you want a fun little diversion that requires you to turn off your brain for 107 minutes, you could do much worse.

RATING 6 out of 10

Don’t get me wrong. I do love me some old Tarantino - not trash like Death Proof, but good stuff like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. He will be the first to admit though that all of his inspiration for those films comes from great directors like John Woo and films like Ying hung boon sik II (A Better Tomorrow II.) I watched aBTII last night and it was great.

Yeah, the storyline is shlocky. Yeah, the script is riddled with goofiness. Yeah, the violence is over-the-top. But seriously - this is good stuff!

The biggest surprise for me in watching this film was the depth of acting. I have always been a big fan of Chow Yun-Fat, and the myriad of Chinese actors that appear throughout this film genre, but once you look past the comical looks and shlock, there are some scenes that took serious skill. The scene in which Yun-Fat’s character, Ken is trying to get his Uncle Lung to snap out of his psychosis and eat was in-freakin-tense.

The genre is fun stuff and I have to thank Hap for loaning me the DVD.

RATING 8 out of 10

I watched Quantum of Solace tonight and have to say that Daniel Craig still remains one of my favorite Bonds - if not THE favorite.

One of the few beefs I had with the film is minor when laid side-by-side with the entire 007 movie archive. Bond has always been over-the-top on impossible jumps, explosions, death-defying-last-second-saves, and the like. The house in the finale had to be the most explosive building ever constructed. But, if that’s my biggest issue - this is a solid installment of the series.

I do like that they continued the tradition established with Craig’s first Bond - extensive use of the art of Parkour. The frenetic energy and grace displayed throughout any scene involving running was stunning.

Of course, the Bond girls just keep getting better - in that they are getting hotter, smarter, and just better characters for the stories. QoS is DOUBLE-O-COOL!

RATING 8 out of 10

I finally saw the 1989 documentary Roger & Me by Michael Moore. I have stated that I am not a big fan of Moore’s. I often agree with his point of view, but find his documentaries a bit over-the-top and hyperbolic. All the extra theatrics and political slanting take away from his credibility and thus have the effect of doing more harm than good for a cause.

It seems that this film was before he got too insane and too fond of his own voice and image. It was more like a real documentary and thus was easier to watch. You could see the beginnings of his celluloid soapbox being created here, but he had not yet become “Michael Moore.”

I probably rated it lower than I would have had I seen it back in ‘89, but I did like the film, just saw too much of what was to come. As a documentary about the fall of the city of Flint, Michigan as a result of the actions by General Motors, it was good. The thing that really turned me off was Moore’s habit of berating people who had nothing to do with the issue. Flint native, Bob Eubanks made it out of the area and made a good life for himself - just as Michael Moore did… why give him a hard time?

Those moments of yellow journalism took what could have been a decent documentary and made it subpar - which IS par for Michael Moore.

RATING 4 out of 10

Most films are easy to peg.  Sometimes the title, maybe the poster, and certainly a trailer, provides clues as to what you have in store. Every once in awhile however, you come across a film that is nothing at all like you imagined.  Lars and the Real Girl is just such a film.

The story revolves around this dude, Lars, that gets a Real Doll (CAUTION: link contains nudity) - a lifelike love doll. At first blush, it would seems a good setup for a raunchy (or at least bawdy) comical romp. It was NOTHING like that.

It is hard to say anything about the movie without spoiling what makes it so unique. Let me just say that Ryan Gosling turns in another great performance as the super-shy, Lars Lindstrom. More than just another great Gosling showcase, this film is touching on many levels. It is a warm look at what good people do for each other.

It is a completely charming film that is very well constructed throughout as it flows easily from laughter to tear-welling empathy.  As you travel with the story, you become a part of this amazing community of characters - each of which is more endearing than the last.

If you have a taste for good story, good acting, and non-Hollywood film fare - Lars and the Real Girl is a good find.

RATING 8 out of 10

I have so many films to review that I am sure to not do them justice. That said, here goes anyway.

The film I saw most recently was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I really enjoyed the movie on a couple levels. The fact that it was entirely story and character driven made it a welcome change from typical Hollywood fare. The other aspect that delighted me throughout was the use of special effects and makeup, without which this film would have been impossible. Benjamin as an “old” toddler and tween were some of the most amazing effects.

Watch this movie for the special effects. Watch this movie for the rich tapestry of sets and cinematography. Watch it for the great acting throughout the cast. Watch it for the emotional highs and lows. But most of all, watch it for the message.

RATING 8 out of 10

I also saw a documentary about jumpers at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge called The Bridge. Apparently, more people choose to end their life from this span than another other single location each year. The filmmakers setup their cameras to film jumpers for an entire calendar year. They then went back and investigated the deaths to talk with friends and families of the jumper.

What seems like a macabre, voyeuristic attempt to exploit people in their lowest (and often last) point, really turned into a look at suicide itself.

I am sure that some people will still find the entire subject matter too disturbing to watch, but as a student of humanity (hence the Psychology minor) I find the subject too important to ignore.

The film tastefully handles a very complex issue, but in the end, stops short of offering any real insight

RATING 6 out of 10

A film I have been meaning to watch for some time is the documentary, Bigger Stronger Faster. The approach that the filmmakers take in BSF is that “sure, everyone is using steriods, HGH, blood doping - you name it.  But our society drives them to do it, and thus, they should not be the ones to blame.

Examples that make their case perfectly are too numerous to mention - from the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger admits to his steroid use to win Mr. Olympia and doesn’t test for any illegal drugs in his annual Arnold Classic, to the hypocrisy of Floyd Landis’ Tour de France disqualification based on having too much oxygen in his blood, despite the fact that there are two legal methods of increasing oxygen count and two illegal methods.

I have always been completely against cheating and more importantly, against a sports environment that props up the substance abusers and makes heroes out of people obviously “juiced.”  The victim here is not the fans that wanted a pure competition between athletes on even footing, but the children that are bombarded with the subliminal message that to win means to cheat, and to cheat is okay.  Its not even their world view or moral compass I fear being corrupted, but their bodies themselves as they take these substances without regard to the health consequences.

“Bigger Stronger Faster” may take the case for using these drugs too far in an effort to make the point but, it is a good film, and it does a good job of taking the argument out of the minutia of things like steroids in baseball and onto the bigger picture of the American culture of “Bigger Stronger Faster.”

RATING 7 out of 10