So I finally moved off Blogger onto my own site. Check it out at: johnsmoviemusings.com
Things are pretty similar to what they were here, but that'll change over time. The newest feature is a Review Index. I've been wanting one of those for a long time and finally have something that works.
The theme isn't perfect yet, so I may be playing with that until I settle on something I like. As always, if you have any suggestions/comments, please drop me a line.
See ya over there!
Children's movies are a lot like Asian movies. The bulk of them are morality tales. So what happens when you have an Asian Kid's movie? Well, picture Aesop with a big, toothy grin in his grave. You're welcome for that image. More on that later.
I threw CJ7 into my queue because it's a Stephen Chow film. If that name sounds familiar, he's the guy who did Kung Fu Hustle a few years ago. And if you saw that movie, you would be just as interested in CJ7 as I was. However, the two have nothing in common. One's a hilarious kung fu movie and the other is Chinese E.T. - cuter and with better special effects. That's not a bad thing.
Normally in my reviews, I try and avoid spoilers. In fact, I try to avoid talking about the movie as much as possible. Things just seem better that way. But this time I gotta give a little spoiler. You see, CJ7 deals with death. Lots of children's movies have some sort of death scene, but that's my point. Why?
I'm thinking about the movies I grew up with...Bambi, Old Yeller, that stupid dinosaur movie with Littlefoot that still gets me choked up. Even the few modern kids movies I've seen have a major death scene. Do Hollywood Directors have a vail that collects children's tears? Right next to the button that releases the hounds?
Maybe it's just 'cause I'm not a father, but it all seems backwards. You can't tell kids Santa is fake, but any animated mother won't make it ten minutes into the movie.
Oh well, go rent CJ7. If subtitles don't scare you, it's a cute morality tale. With death.
Grade: B+
I missed most of the Oscars this year, but from what I did see, things seemed pretty classy. Hugh Jackman looked like he made a great host and I kind of enjoyed the "Let's Bring Out Famous People to Say Nice Things About the Nominees" sections.
However, I thought mixing in old movie clips into the Best Picture nominees was terribly lame. If these are the best pictures of the year, why do they need the help of past winners? Maybe they were hoping for conversations like: "Milk? What the f- ooh! Braveheart. That was a great movie."
Anyway, here are the winners:
However, I thought mixing in old movie clips into the Best Picture nominees was terribly lame. If these are the best pictures of the year, why do they need the help of past winners? Maybe they were hoping for conversations like: "Milk? What the f- ooh! Braveheart. That was a great movie."
Anyway, here are the winners:
BEST PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Sean Penn ("Milk")
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Kate Winslet ("The Reader")
DIRECTING
Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire)
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight")
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Departures
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Wall-E"
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
''Man on Wire"
Heath Ledger, Wall-E, and Man on Wire all won, so all three of my expectations were met. Now I just gotta go see Slumdog Millionaire.
I watch a lot of crappy movies. It's not intentional, but just by sheer numbers, the odds are stacked against me. However, I do try and make it a point to finish all movies I start. Sometimes I'll postpone a movie for another day if I'm not in the mood for that genre, but I will eventually finish it. For The Rocker I made it about thirty minutes before shutting it off. It's that bad.The only reason I threw this movie into my queue is because Dwight Schrute plays the lead. Like most of America, The Office happily takes a half hour tithe every week. I was hoping that indulgence reaped a small blessing on the big screen. That hope was obviously misplaced.
Fact: Dwight Schrute is not Jack Black. Neither is Rainn Wilson. That casting choice just makes the bad idea of making a School of Rock ripoff even worse.
Also, watching someone vomit in their hand and keep it in their pocket for good luck is not funny - not even for shock value. It's gross and, as a bonus, a disturbing look into the mental state of the writers.
I'm done talking about this. The Rocker is truly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. So that's something, I guess.
Grade: F--
When was the last time you saw Mark Wahlberg crack a joke? The Happening? OK, I'll give you that one, but for the most part, Marky Mark always stars in serious movies. Perhaps a smile ruins one's chiseledness?With this in mind, it's obvious that Max Payne was going to take itself seriously. The last time we tried a serious movie based on a video game, we got and In the Name of the KingHitman. Can you sense the anticipation?
The movie follows your basic "Policeman's wife and child get murdered and he's spent his life trying to find the killer." Sort of like OJ's story, if he was innocent. That's a fine tale, but they screwed it up.
The movie takes place several years after the case has gone cold. Predictably, a break happens and our man Mr. Serious is on it. Clues are discovered but they're the kind that should have been found years ago. For instance, when he meets someone with a peculiar tatoo at the beginning of the movie, it's not until almost the end when he finds out that tatoo is the same as one of the murderers. Seems like something a man would never forget. And always cause him to glower.
Max Payne also has some interesting casting choices. Our Rap Genius Hero gets involved in a very uncomfortable conversation with Nelly Furtado. In the immediate next scene, we're introduced to Internal Affairs officer Ludacris. We were just one Justin Timberlake away from an MTV Movie Awards skit.
I'll skip the whole Norse element only because I have no idea what it had to do with the story. If you know, or can think of a good reason it exists in the story, I may up the grade a letter. Until then...
Grade: D
I enjoy the Mummy movies. They're decent enough stories that exist only to have fun. Branden Fraser plays his part great and conveys a sense of fun and adventure that's normally reserved for keg stands.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is the third movie in the series. Now quick, when was the last time you saw a great third movie? I'll give you Return of the King, but just barely. The Lord of the Rings should really be considered a single movie. But think of all the other franchises out there: Spider-Man 3, X-Men 3, Superman 3, The Godfather: Part III, Jaws 3D... It's like those games you played as a kid where you try and say something more disgusting than the guy before you.
The biggest problem with The Mummy 3 is that they changed or removed everything that made the first two so much fun. Remember all the funny Brendan Fraser scenes (How often do you hear that question?)? Well, there are so many new characters that he doesn't get much screen time. He's just there to yell about how ironic it is to fight yet another mummy.
Remember Rachel Weisz? She played Brendan Fraser's very English significant other. I have to point out she's English, because she has an accent. Ms. Weisz decided to sit out The Mummy 3, so she got replaced with Maria Bello, a fine American actress...with a bad English accent.
Now I understand that sometimes you have to replace actors in movies. But these guys didn't even try. It's like replacing 007's M with Mrs. Doubtfire. People are gonna notice.
Finally, there's just too much non-mummy action taking place. When the undead skeleton army gets raised, I started quoting Army of Darkness in the hopes that it would get better. It did, but not enough to recapture my joy of the series.
Here's hoping the next Mummy stays dead.
Grade: D+
Back when I saw the trailer for Wanted I thought, "Well that looks just awful" with as much pretentiousness as Philip Seymour Hoffman with a venti half-caf double-shot latte. I mean come on, curving bullets by whipping the gun around really, really fast? No. Just no.I also wondered why James McAvoy was in it. In the happy place my mind exists, Mr. Tumnus does not fraternize with Angelina Jolie. I look at that pairing like I do chocolate-filled bratwurst.
Turns out, the story's not too bad. This is assuming your expectations are appropriately aligned with a typical summer action flick. There's lots of gunplay - both with and without curving bullets, a few good car chases, and a high body count. But the actual story is a few notches above average. It's based off a comic and if they can make a two hour movie intriguing, I'm interested in what they did in print.
The biggest problem is that instead of being all fun and games, Wanted takes itself a bit too seriously. Think of the Garden of Eden. Action movies need to stay in the Garden where it's all fun and happy. But some decide they want to leave the Garden and explore Drama Fields. But Drama Fields leads to Gnashing Forrest, then into the Cliffs of Despair. This is not necessary, Mr. Action Movie. Stay fun and happy in the Garden. It's what's best.
Grade: B-
In your average story, is it important to like the hero? I'd say a good story requires you to root for the hero, but must they be likable?Gran Torino is Clint Eastwood's latest about an extremely racist vet living with Korean neighbors. Now grumpy old men have long held a high place in cinema. When on the side of the hero, they are usually very popular characters. After The Fellowship of the Ring, Peter Jackson was going to tone down Gandalf's grumpiness until their screen tests showed audiences loved him. He got grumpier in the sequels.
Eastwood pushes his grumpy old man character to the edge of acceptability. His character has no relationship with his family, generally hates people, and is racist to the core.
Yet despite all those flaws, I (and everyone else in the theater) still saw him as a good man. It made me wonder how many character flaws a hero can have and still be "good."
The movie is not perfect, though. The acting is a little uneven at points when it needs to be strong. Most of the performances are great, so those weak scenes don't affect the impact of the story. The ending is also very satisfying.
I've heard some pretty strong reactions from friends who have seen this. If you have, please let me know what you thought of it.
Grade: B+
The official Oscar nominations were announced early this morning.
Here we go...
Best Picture:
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Frost/Nixon
- Milk
- The Reader
- Slumdog Millionaire
I haven't seen a single one of these. The Dark Knight and Wall-E were my favs of 08. So yeah, we're off to a pretty typical start.
Best Actor:
- Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor")
- Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon")
- Sean Penn ("Milk")
- Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
- Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler")
Best Actress:
- Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married")
- Angelina Jolie ("Changeling")
- Melissa Leo ("Frozen River")
- Meryl Streep ("Doubt")
- Kate Winslet ("The Reader")
Any guesses?
Director:
- David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
- Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon")
- Gus Van Sant ("Milk")
- Stephen Daldry ("The Reader")
- Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire)
I guess I should check out some of these movies.
Best Supporting Actor:
- Josh Brolin ("Milk")
- Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder")
- Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt")
- Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight")
- Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road")
Best Supporting Actress:
- Amy Adams ("Doubt")
- Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
- Viola Davis ("Doubt")
- Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
- Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler")
Well I didn't see any of the women, but happy to see both Heath Ledger and Robert Downy Jr. for the men. But if these awards mean anything, it's gotta go to Heath.
Best Animated Film:
- "Bolt"
- "Kung Fu Panda"
- "Wall-E"
Hey, I saw all those. Gotta be Wall-E.
Documentary:
- "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
- ''Encounters at the End of the World"
- ''The Garden"
- ''Man on Wire"
- ''Trouble the Water"
Hey look, Man on Wire made it.
Of all the nominations, Benjamin Button got 13, Slumdog Millionaire got 10, The Dark Knight and Milk each had 8, while Wall-E got 6.
So any predictions? They are predicting a huge audience this year because The Dark Knight (a movie people actually watched) is up for so many awards. I guess we'll find out on Feb 22.
The French catch a lot of flack for a number of things. Traditionally, they're not known for their cajones. See? I had to use Spanish because there is no French equivalent. n'est-ce pas? But there's one man in all of France who defied that stereotype: Philippe Petit. Back in the 70s, he made a habit of stringing trapeze wires across tall buildings. And then walking across it. Multiple times. Backwards. As you can see from the poster, his tour de force was the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. France should hang these posters all over the country with a caption, "He's from France, bitches."
Monsieur Petit is such an interesting character that I could have easily listened to him for several more documentaries. He has this charisma that really only a Frenchman could possess. His hands are very animated and every beat of his story is presented in a truly dramatic fashion.
As fascinating as I found his story, it turned out to be a very sad tale. He survives the walks in the sky(sorry, spoiler), but gives up so much in the process. I had wished they talked about 9/11 since the Towers were such a huge focus, the tragedy of them could mirror the personal tragedies in his life.
Man on Wire has so much going for it, the recommendation is easy. It's expected to be up for an Oscar this year, so we'll find out this week if it gets the nomination.
Grade: A
What is it within a man's psyche that causes him - no, forces him on a Quest of self discovery? Every man reaches a point in his life where he finally asks, "What am I made of?" When that question comes and there's not a good answer to be found, every other aspect of life becomes second priority. Wife, kids, job, money...everything. And it seems that answer can be found alone in the most remote parts of this planet.Several years ago I remember a 20/20 special about Robert Bogucki, an Alaskan firefighter who wandered the Australian Outback for 43 days before being discovered. His reason was a simple, "I just wanted to spend a while on my own. Just nobody else around. Just make peace with God, I guess." When describing his experience on TV, I remember him breaking down at several moments. This question resides deep in a man's heart.
Death isn't even a deterrent for a man on this Quest. In fact, death and danger help find the answer. In the bonus commentaries of Into the Wild, the author makes a comment about his Quest. He says, while sitting up a little higher, "I almost died...twice." Death's presence helps legitimize the Quest.
I say all of this to establish the foundation required for Into the Wild. Without it, the movie would still be good, but you would miss so much. Specifically, you'd still ask "why?" after the credits rolled. With the foundation, you know why.
Into the Wild should be required viewing for any man, or anyone who considers himself one. For those of you who have been on your Quest, it'll stir up things that may have gone unresolved. For those still yet to embark, the movie may touch that dark, secluded part of your heart that's been dead for far too long.
Grade: A
CES is finally over and I'm slowly getting back into normal life. Reviews coming soon.
3D movies are slowly evolving out of the Gimmick Goo in Hollywood (It's next to the La Brea Tar Pits, for those taking a vacation). The last effort, Journey to the Center of the Earth, took the "Hey! It's 3D! Do it" approach. In these initial stages, that's ok 'cause it's new. Brendan Fraser can spit on people all day but if any other movies do it, people will realize that it's gross and 3D will go the way of the Dodo.Bolt treats 3D like a good referee. The ones that aren't a distraction and blend themselves seemlessly into the main event. We watch movies for the story, not so we can wear glasses that make us look totally awesome. Well, I look totally awesome in 3D glasses. You don't?
Is this the perfect use of 3D in cinema? Hard to say. Bolt is a animated, talking dog movie. Not exactly high drama, here. Should 3D be used differently in animated features than say, a Western? That makes sense in theory, but we don't have a 3D drama to test. We may have to wait until Avatar next Christmas to get the answer.
So what about Bolt's story? This question can be phrased, "Is Bolt worth watching in 2D?" I say...sure. It's not the funniest movie ever, but the hamster has so many scene steals that it's probably worth watching just for him. There's some good action scenes worth checking out, too. Oh and it's got funny cats. Gotta love funny cats.
It's still in theaters, so see it for the 3D. When it's out on DVD, it's still worth a rental.
Grade: B-
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