I often complain about movies that promise me one thing and deliver another. Like I order pizza and instead receive a casserole. However, this time I was given what I was promised. Not some pseudo visionary bull, but an action filled tale from Steven Spielberg that puts on the Indian Jones clothes and takes off running in them. Now, again, I have complained about other movies that blatantly rip of other movies. Tin Tin does it without trying to be more than it is. Tin Tin is a reporter who gets caught up in an adventure involving a feud going back hundreds of years, and embarks on a trek to find a long lost treasure.
After seeing this, in IMAX might I add, I never want to have to gripe about special effects ever again. Tin Tin looks good. Really good. At many parts the CGI is so good that I forget I am watching an animated feature. The only one that throws me off is Tin Tin himself. He often looks cartoony, but seeing how that is the origin of this tale I cannot complain that much. I just really appreciate this quality when just a few weeks ago I saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol where the CGI was garbage and even the stable scenes were blurry. So such attention to detail goes a long way and helps me buy in to this reality I am being sold.
The voice acting is nothing to be scoffed at either. Jamie Bell a young cat, who I know basically nothing about, has actually done quite a bit of voice acting. He is the voice of Tin Tin and brings good youth and feeling to the character. Andy Serkis, who I do know, is a very good voice actor. He is Tin Tin's companion Captain Haddock. Haddock is a drunk old sailor who joins up with Tin Tin because of his love of adventure... and booze. Daniel Craig does such a good job as the villain Sakharine that I had no idea that it was him. Nick Frost and Simon Pegg also deserve a mention, if for nothing more than I enjoy the crap out of these guys.
There are plenty of action sequences and gun play to satisfy. It follows the Indy path again. It gives you a bit of research, then explosions/chases/fighting, then more story.
One thing that was super obvious to me was the John Williams score. You may know him from a few of the tiny films he has done like: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, E.T. His distinct and every epic sound is evident throughout the film.
The one gripe I have is in the very cartoony moments of the movie. They are few, but with this movie being so realistic and Jones like when they do happen they stick out like a sore thumb. One such scene is When Haddock get caught in a plain propeller and spun around it several times, then thrown out of it. There are a couple of those moments that kill me.
Over all Tin Tin in IMAX 3D was really enjoyable. It good looking, funny, and action filled. It is wonderful as an homage to the Indiana Jones film that we know and love so much. Nothing new just a formula that in my opinion works for my entertainment.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)
As a fan of the Disney animated version and the Prince Of Thieves versions, but not the Russell Crowe "Robin Hood" fiasco, I was told I might enjoy this version. And enjoy it I did. This is the film from which the other Robin Hoods take their material. The acting power that is in this movie makes it worth the watch. Errol Flynn is Robin Hood. The playful and dashing hero set on keeping the government in check until the rightful king, King Richard, returns. His very cool and suave nature brings the confidence this cocky hero should have. The lovely Maid Marian is played by Olivia de Havilland. She is just as lovely as the character should be. and a huge kudos to her wardrobe designer. They really went all out to dress her in extravagance. Claude Rains is the terrible Prince John. He is as arrogant, demeaningly sophisticated, and vile a villain as you can want. His disregard for his country and self absorbance makes you hate him all the more. Last on my list, but certainly not least is Basil Rathbone. Besides being a fabulous actor he has one of my favorite names of all time. He is the violent anti-Robin Sir Guy of Gisbourne who would love nothing more than to hang our hero for his crimes.
The action in this epic tale is also very well done. The choreography of the fights is tight and doesn't feel forced. Which is an often difficult task in many older films. These action sequences take place in settings that are just as vivid as the actions that take place there. It is a very attractive movie, on a purely aesthetic point of view.
Instead of new "Robin Hood Begins" (What is should have been titled), They should have just remade this classic. That way we could have all of our favorite scenes from the others in a nice little package.
The action in this epic tale is also very well done. The choreography of the fights is tight and doesn't feel forced. Which is an often difficult task in many older films. These action sequences take place in settings that are just as vivid as the actions that take place there. It is a very attractive movie, on a purely aesthetic point of view.
Instead of new "Robin Hood Begins" (What is should have been titled), They should have just remade this classic. That way we could have all of our favorite scenes from the others in a nice little package.
It's A Wonderful Life
A bit late, but it has been a very festive Christmas season. And I had to right a review on on of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. It isn't just a movie for the holidays. It's a movie for all seasons. James Stewart is George Baily who in my opinion is the protagonist and antagonist of this film. George has what he considers a lackluster life until he is shown how things would turn out had he never been born. He really shows the virtuous nature George who, despite his own dreams, puts the needs and welfare of others above his own. He is surrounded by a cast that is as convincing as he is. From his wife Mary (Donna Reed) to the town's crooked financial baron Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymoore). Catchy tunes and one liners are riddled throughout the entire movie. This is a very simple setting but the heart warming message gets me every single time. One man's seeming meaningless gestures can make all the difference, if he could only see it. The message of kindness and selflessness can never be overstated. I like this movie to much to be objective about anything that may be wrong with it. I just wanted to say how awesome I think it is.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
This weekend I went to see The Dark Knight Rises. It was followed by a small independent film you might have heard of called Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. To be completely honest the reason i went to see this was for the 6 minute preview for TDKR. And it was DOPE! The only complaint I have about it is that I could not understand one word Bane says. I went to IMAX where the sound is as big as the picture, and still couldn't catch an entire phrase. Sounded important, but oh well.
The feature, I suppose, was MI:4. And it was good. Good and LONG. There are a few things I liked, and a few more that I didn't.
Like: Cast. Tom Cruise is back again as Ethan Hunt. And is really good. I have been turned off by Cruise for a while because of the big old bag of crazy he has been waving around, but here I can let it slide because he kicks all kinds of butt. Simon Pegg, somebody that I personally enjoy, makes a really good showing as the plucky comedic relief. Jeremy Renner is a fine, if not TOTALLY unnecessary, addition to the story. Last but definitely not least is Paula Patton. Now she is a very attractive woman, but they make her SO HOT in this. She also does plenty of butt kicking herself.
Dislike: Plot. This has the most boring typical action plots of all time. Somebody has nuclear launch codes, and is trying to incite world nuclear war... snore. No twists, no turns. I was really hoping that Renner's character was going to be bad, but nope his twist is much more lame. It is just really boring there are no surprises. It serves to move the action and story, but that is about all.
Like: Action. There is plenty of action to go around. From Prison riots, to hotel brawls, to climbing on the side of a building, to car chases. It has plenty. And they are very enjoyable. And everyone gets in on the action including Pegg. What I feel like was the peak of the film was the part at Burj Kalifa. It has plenty of tension and action though out.
Dislike: CG Effects. These are some of the worst CG effects that I have seen in a while. The bombing of the Kremlin, the samdstorm, and missiles are all just blatently fake. It takes away from the action that is goig on in these sequences. Just a fail on the effects side.
Dislike: Length. This movies feels long, and it is. Too long. It peaks in the middle and then ends really lack luster. With no real story to keep you interested you get tired of the action because it peaks to soon. It just gets to be a real drag.
Like/dislike: IMAX. As far as I am concerned they should scrap 3D til they can be sure it won't almoist always suck, and do everything in IMAX. The picture is larger than life and the sound moves you to the core. Having said that this movie gets a 75% good in IMAX rating. 50% for the excellent sound. I caught myself looking around me when I would hear the noises because they were so big and vivid. And 25% for half of the movie looking great. There were scenes like the one on Burj Kalifa that looked so real I got a little dizzy, and then others like many of the just plain simple sequences that looked fuzzy and out of focus. And when it is the picture you only notice it when its wrong, because it shold be clear period.
So I went into this wanting to see Batman, and kinda enjoyed myself for at least half the time. This is a pure action movie. So if that is what you want go for it.
The feature, I suppose, was MI:4. And it was good. Good and LONG. There are a few things I liked, and a few more that I didn't.
Like: Cast. Tom Cruise is back again as Ethan Hunt. And is really good. I have been turned off by Cruise for a while because of the big old bag of crazy he has been waving around, but here I can let it slide because he kicks all kinds of butt. Simon Pegg, somebody that I personally enjoy, makes a really good showing as the plucky comedic relief. Jeremy Renner is a fine, if not TOTALLY unnecessary, addition to the story. Last but definitely not least is Paula Patton. Now she is a very attractive woman, but they make her SO HOT in this. She also does plenty of butt kicking herself.
Dislike: Plot. This has the most boring typical action plots of all time. Somebody has nuclear launch codes, and is trying to incite world nuclear war... snore. No twists, no turns. I was really hoping that Renner's character was going to be bad, but nope his twist is much more lame. It is just really boring there are no surprises. It serves to move the action and story, but that is about all.
Like: Action. There is plenty of action to go around. From Prison riots, to hotel brawls, to climbing on the side of a building, to car chases. It has plenty. And they are very enjoyable. And everyone gets in on the action including Pegg. What I feel like was the peak of the film was the part at Burj Kalifa. It has plenty of tension and action though out.
Dislike: CG Effects. These are some of the worst CG effects that I have seen in a while. The bombing of the Kremlin, the samdstorm, and missiles are all just blatently fake. It takes away from the action that is goig on in these sequences. Just a fail on the effects side.
Dislike: Length. This movies feels long, and it is. Too long. It peaks in the middle and then ends really lack luster. With no real story to keep you interested you get tired of the action because it peaks to soon. It just gets to be a real drag.
Like/dislike: IMAX. As far as I am concerned they should scrap 3D til they can be sure it won't almoist always suck, and do everything in IMAX. The picture is larger than life and the sound moves you to the core. Having said that this movie gets a 75% good in IMAX rating. 50% for the excellent sound. I caught myself looking around me when I would hear the noises because they were so big and vivid. And 25% for half of the movie looking great. There were scenes like the one on Burj Kalifa that looked so real I got a little dizzy, and then others like many of the just plain simple sequences that looked fuzzy and out of focus. And when it is the picture you only notice it when its wrong, because it shold be clear period.
So I went into this wanting to see Batman, and kinda enjoyed myself for at least half the time. This is a pure action movie. So if that is what you want go for it.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Elf
The Christmas season kicks off with what is widely considered a Will Ferrell classic. He plays Buddy, a human raised by elves on a journey to find his human father. There are lots of things to love about this movie. One of which is the supporting cast. James Caan is Buddy's cold hearted father who finds the true meaning of Christmas. A class act as always is Bob Newhart. Who plays the elf that raises Buddy. Ed Asner and Mary Steenburgen are also welcome additions. But my favorite is Zooey Deschanel. She always has the awesomeness about her that makes her inviting and unattainable at the same time. Mix that with her quirky sense of humor and you have a win everything. But the star is of coarse Ferrell. He does one thing in every role that I have seen him in, and that is commit. He IS Buddy. He always does such a good job at making you forget who he really is and make you believe what he is doing. So I am not thinking Will is Great as Buddy. I think BUDDY is hilarious. Christmas music and spirit make you all warm a fuzzy inside like it should. With Buddy's childish ways, sight gags, and unflappable spirit adults and children will enjoy this ridiculous Christmas story. Even though it just isn't my cup of tea.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Sitter
This is the Jonah Hill I like. Heavier than the Moneyball Hill that I am still having to get used to, and kinda creeps me out. But this is movie just doesn't live up to the old school Hill comedies. Jonah is a college screw up who gets roped in to babysitting so his mom can go out on a date, but he has to drag the children on a wild quest to to get his object of lust in bed. It feels like a re-imagining of "Adventures in Babysitting" with more swearing. You get plenty of those funny quips and one liners that you want and need, but for some reason they fell flat with me. I did laugh , even laugh out loud. But when it was all said and done I didn't laugh as hard or as much as I had wanted to. The supporting cast are a welcome addition. Max Records is the kid with "issues". Landry Bender is the foul mouthed party girl. And Kevin Hernandez is the misunderstood kid. Jonah's character has a meaningful even with each of them where they connect. Blah! Get rid of that. This is a raunchy comedy where the children drop the F bomb. I don't need that family crap! But as characters they worked and are quite talented. The most pleasant surprise for me was one of my favorite people Sam Rockwell who is the drug dealer after Jonah for the better part of the movie. He deems Hill's character as his 8th best friend. He shoots his 3rd best friend in the feet, so what would he do to his 8th? lol. It'll make sense if you see it. Long-short Sam is awesome as always. The sound track is pretty good. Feels like a crazy random group of songs that made me chuckle when I heard them. There is this portion where he has this terrible relationship with his dad that is totally not funny and drags down the tone right when you are really getting in to everything. They also throw in another love interest who is cool rather than the terrible chick at the start, but again you are just taking up time where you could have jokes. At least make her like Emma Stone in "Superbad". It just kind of feels poorly constructed and short on laughs where I wanted them. But I did laugh, and didn't hate it. I just don't love it. Because with a crazy comedy with a bunch of swearing kids and cocaine, you can push the comedy limits more than what they did.
The Muppets
The Muppets are a nice change of pace in family film. A solid piece of nostalgia that anyone can enjoy. Now it's not gonna blow your socks off. It's not the funniest thing ever, but I sure enjoyed the quirky puppet sense of humor. The one big worry I had going in to this thing was that it was going to be the Jason Segel show. Don't get me wrong, I like Segel. But this movie should be about bringing the Muppets back to glory. And it is. A MUSICAL romp to restore Muppet glory! Amy Adams is Segel's love interest, and she is ADORABLE! She brings the fun innocents that should go along with a film like this. One thing I got a huge kick out of was 80s Robot with his Tab, New Coke, and dial up modem. Hilarious. The celebrity cameos are wonderful and non-invasive: Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jim Parsons, Sarah Silverman, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, The NPH, John Krasinski, Rico Rodriguez, Chris Cooper, and my favorite Mickey Rooney. It does drag at points. Mostly when they are trying to advance the story and not singing me a song or pulling and old school gag. But it doesn't do that for terribly long. This is a solid piece of family friendly film that satisfies what I want out of my Muppets. Goofy ridiculous and obvious jokes. Well I'm off to YouTube Bob Hope on the Muppet Show.
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