Date Night (2010)
Date Night is one of those movies that doesn't really look like it could be all that great. Even though the pairing of Steve Carell and Tina Fey is like a dream come true to me, I can't help but admit that the trailers made this one out to be a piece of crap. Imagine my surprise when I was hearing good things about it. Still, as I walked into the theater I thought that maybe I should've seen How to Train Your Dragon instead.I think I can easily say I was pleasantly surprised with Date Night. It turned out to be a very enjoyable movie. Action comedies are always pretty fun (Though action movies that are unintentional comedies are generally better) and Date Night is no exception. The script isn't all that great and it seems that some of the best jokes were ad-libbed, judging fromthe obligatory action comedy blooper reel. If they weren't improvised, then there are some lines in the script that are pure comedic gold. However, the script could be pretty lackluster with this amount of talent.The comedy dream team of Steve Carell and Tina Fey is what makes the movie strong enough to keep you entertained. Fey and Carell had such good chemistry and are consistently hilarious. I found it very easy to believe that they were a married couple. The two of them are great in physical comedy, which becomes obvious after seeing the strip club scene that had the entire theater in absolute stitches. Even better is the supporting cast. Mark Wahlberg is great as the hunky security guy who isn't big on wearing shirts. However, the best cameo comes from James Franco and Mila Kunis. These two are absolutely hilarious. I could easily say that the movie is worth seeing for them and I am now completely convinced that James Franco is one of the best actors around today.Date Night is rather light on pure action. There's a car chase that's very thrilling as well as extremely hilarious. There aren't any shootouts - but there are plenty of guns - or fistfights or anything like that. In fact, the only action I can really recall is that car chase. We never get to see Tina Fey or Steve Carell kick anyone's ass, but that's not such a big disappointment. Date Night was a very enjoyable action/romantic comedy. If you don't like Steve Carell and/or Tina Fey though, you might want to steer clear. There is a lot of there typical antics. Still, the supporting cast is phenomenal and overall, it's a very funny movie, which is what a comedy needs to be...right?
Reviews Coming Up: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Raising Arizona, The Ugly Truth, TRON, Up in the Air, Teeth, Little Big Man, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Knocked Up, Couples Retreat, Purple Rain, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Sounds interesting. The trailers did make this seem like it might not be funny, but I guess I'll take your word for this and rent it some time down the road.
Batman Begins (2005)
Everybody says that The Dark Knight is better than Batman Begins. I've finally seen both and I can weigh in on this. They both suffer from the same problems. First, Bale's Batman voice is ridiculous and not really needed. Honestly, every time I hear it I almost want to laugh. I mean, he can barely even replicate it scene-to-scene. Second, both movies feel a tad on the long side, however this is more The Dark Knight's problem. Seriously, that movie dragged and seemed like it would never end. The third, and probably most important problem, is that there are all these seemingly excellent fight scenes, but they're shot in a way that you can't tell what the hell is going on.But Batman Begins seems to overcome these problems and makes a film that in my eyes is the best Batman movie. I love the fact that it tells the origin story, because it's fun to see Batman become Batman. It also has a ton of fantastic action scenes, like the car chase over rooftops. And of course, Batman and Bruce Wayne are their usual badass selves. Seriously, I love watching Bruce Wayne do business.One of Batman Begins' strongest aspect is its cast. Seriously, this cast is awesome. Liam Neeson is great as Wayne's trainer and I love Morgan Freeman as Lucius. Gary Oldman is an amazing actor and while he doesn't do much as Gordon, he's entertaining the whole way through. Michael Caine is perfect as Bruce Wayne's voice of reason, Alfred. Cillian Murphy is good as Dr. Crane, better known as Scarecrow. Finally, there's Bale. I'm not sure how much I like Christian Bale as Batman, odd voice notwithstanding. Still, he's perfect as Bruce Wayne, almost more so than Michael Keaton, which says something. I also love how dedicated the guy is. He put on like 40 pounds after losing all this weight for The Machinist. Then, he had to lose half of the weight he just put on. That's pretty awesome.In terms of action, there are some great scenes. There's the aforementioned car chase, which kicks a lot of ass. However, the focus is more in regular hand-to-hand combat. In some instances, you can't tell what the hell's going on. At times this is a bother, but I might give Nolan some credit. Maybe it's like that because the people in the fight also have no clue what the hell's going on. That might be stretching it...The training scenes are really entertaining. There's some interesting fights, but those are hardly the highlight. I really like the scene where a bunch of ninjas surround Bruce, and he needs to find Liam Neeson's character. There's also a really interesting part where Wayne needs to execute this poor guy. The suspense there is quite awesome.The one thing The Dark Knight has over Batman Begins is the villain. There's no denying how excellent Heath Ledger was as the Joker. Batmam Begins has Scarecrow, who just isn't all that interesting as a villain. Sure, he makes people hallucinate. But how is that supposed to frighten us, the viewers? Because watching the Joker honestly creeped me out at parts, but the hallucinations just make you think, "Eh, whatever." But other than that, Batman Begins is a much more entertaining movie. Plus, it seems to know when to end, instead of throwing all these twists and stuff at you. Overall, I think I can easily say this is my favorite Batman movie.
wetwillies: Finally, there's Bale. I'm not sure how much I like Christian Bale as Batman, odd voice notwithstanding. Still, he's perfect as Bruce Wayne, almost more so than Michael Keaton, which says something.
Finally, there's Bale. I'm not sure how much I like Christian Bale as Batman, odd voice notwithstanding. Still, he's perfect as Bruce Wayne, almost more so than Michael Keaton, which says something.
MY TACO IS BIGGER THAN YOURS!!!!!
igorponweed: wetwillies: Finally, there's Bale. I'm not sure how much I like Christian Bale as Batman, odd voice notwithstanding. Still, he's perfect as Bruce Wayne, almost more so than Michael Keaton, which says something.
Almost...
but not quite. Michael Keaton is still king.
The Prestige (2006)
Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that you didn't understand right away - or maybe not at all - but still loved it? That explains my feelings exactly for The Prestige. To put it quite simply, this movie makes absolutely no sense while watching it. Christopher Nolan, the sick bastard that he is, decided to tell the story out of order. It took me a while to get it, but eventually I did and the movie started to make a lot more sense. Then there's the last 15 minutes or so, where all these different events take place and most of the time your mouth will probably be hanging right open. But this isn't The Usual Suspects, where the movie is only really worth the watch for The Big Payoff. The Prestige is a hell of a good movie with or without the ending that reveals so much. This is for a few reasons. Maybe the most important is the plot. The story is so exciting and full of turns that it can easily keep you glued to your seat. But what is a story without someone to tell it? That's where Christopher Nolan comes in. Lately, I've started to really like the guy as a director and, once again, he does an excellent job.Like the last Nolan movie I watched, the performances seem quite important to the movie's success. The two leads are Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Basically, in the movie, these two magicians hate each other. Over the course of the whole film, they are basically attacking one another. And with each little "attack" comes some great acting. Bale is especially great here, because he's absolutely awesome at being angry. The screaming matches with his wife are pure gold.Michael Caine plays the experienced magician who comes up with the tricks. He is perfect for the role. The beautiful Scarlet Johannson is a magician's assistant who plays a very interesting role in the film. Bale's character's wife is played by Rebecca Hall, who is great in the arguments with Christian. But the best casting choice is David Bowie as the famous Nikolai Tesla. This isn't simply because of the fact that David Bowie is one of the most awesome people to walk this earth. I think he perfectly fits the role and he really isn't a bad actor.Visually, the movie is absolutely stunning. The sets are large, realistic and in some cases breath-taking. I loved seeing all the different locations, especially those of the theaters. The electricity that makes up Tesla's machine is far too realistic-looking and of course, there's the magic. In my eyes, the magic is what makes this such a good movie. Without all these tricks, it'd be just another typical revenge flick. With the magic, The Prestige is given a life of its own.The best thing about the Prestige is the fact that it is a Fight Club and not a Usual Suspects. What I mean is, it is a twist movie that is a good movie whether or not the ending is a big shocker. Also, it is very rare that a movie ends and I immediately want to see it again. Seriously, The Prestige is a movie that can best be described in three words: Confusing yet mesmerizing.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
There's a shot right in the beginning of A Clockwork Orange of Malcolm McDowell's face as Alex, dressed in the heighth of nadsat fashion. The shot probably doesn't last all that long, but the face is sinister and your eyes are drawn to it. No matter how creeped out you might be, you just can't seem to look away. And this is just of the guy's face. A Clockwork Orange also has senseless violence, disturbing torture using the music of Ludwig van and a bit of the ol' ultraviolence. And even though it is all so horrible, you just can't stop watching.I seriously questioned my mental health while watching it. That's because, while our narrator Alex is a such a horrible, horrible person, you can't help but like him. And even worse, as the movie goes on, you sympathize with this sick individual. Also, maybe it's just me, but I find Alex calling us his "only friends" a little off-putting. You see what I'm getting at here? What are we supposed to think about what we are watching? Is it wrong that I feel a bit like laughing when an old woman is being murdered with a gigantic penis sculpture? Alex is the center of the movie and he is a very bad person. But yet, I feel so bad for him as the one good thing he enjoys - classical music - is destroyed for him because of some sick form of torture. It is Alex, or, rather, Malcolm McDowell, that holds this movie together. His performance is truly stunning. He truly becomes the character and easily sways from the cool nadsat to the tired man. It's quite incredible to watch. Kubrick wouldn't make the movie without him, which I think really says something.At the helm is Kubrick, the man that took on putting this story to film. Unsurprisingly, his cold, lifeless style perfectly compliments the movie. The thing is that, while I don't love Kubrick like a lot of other people, I think he's probably the only one that could've pulled this off so extremely well. The imagery in the movie is splendid. The sets are out of this world, like the Korova Milkbar. I also loved the record shop, which was wonderful to look at.Then there's what's done with music, which might just be my favorite aspect of the entire movie. There's classical music playing in all the wrong places, like when someone's getting beat savagely. There's music synched perfectly to the action, like a sped-up sex scene, or a Reservoir Dogs-like walking scene that quickly turns violent. Then there's Alex giving a girl the old in-out, in-out whilst singing "Singin' In The Rain" in what is easily the most memorable sequence in the entire movie.Finally, there's the writing. A Clockwork Orange, the book, is one of my all-time favorites. The way Anthony Burgess uses words is absolutely incredible. Alex and his droogs speak a made-up language, mixing some Russian and slang with a Shakespeare-like way of speaking. The result is a hell of a lot of fun to read, but it's even better up on the screen. A Clockwork Orange is truly a masterpiece. It's excellent in every aspect. It's mesmerizing, you can't take your eyes away, even when you realize how horrible it all is, just like that very first shot. Movies like this are rare and they should not be missed.
Reviews Coming Up: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Raising Arizona, The Ugly Truth, TRON, Up in the Air, Teeth, Little Big Man, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Knocked Up, Couples Retreat, Purple Rain, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Machinist, A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Maltese Falcon is generally considered one of the greatest books and film noirs of all-time. To be quite honest, I completely agree with both. I really like film noir and The Maltese Falcon is probably the best of the traditional, black-and-white noirs (LA Confidential is still my favorite, though). It's quite simply because, like The Big Sleep, another film noir based on a classic book, everyone is on the top of their respective games.First, there's the writing. Like I said, the book is one of the best, so if the story sucked there would be no excuse. However, it doesn't. The Maltese Falcon is a haunting story with many twists and turns. Dialogue-wise, it's amazing. My favorite part of a good film noir is almost always the dialogue. Here, there is no exception. The snappy comebacks courtesy of Sam Spade are excellent.The cast is incredible. Humphrey Bogart is perfect, as usual. The guy was pretty much born to play roles like Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Rick Blaine, etc. In the novel, Brigid O'Shaughnessey is a very interesting character and Mary Astor pulls her off perfectly. Sydney Greenstreet is great as Gutman. Same goes for Elisha Cook Jr, who plays the sleazy Wilmer. My favorite casting, though, is Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo. I can't imagine a better actor in that role.This was John Huston's directorial debut. Before that, he just wrote a few films but nothing of note. However, with his beginning feature he does some excellent things. There's a revolutionary 7 minute take in there. Before the days of Tarantino and Scorsese, these were unheard of. Besides that, he does some very cool things. Like, for example, I love how he ends the first scene in Spade's office. He also often films things from behind Bogart's shoulder, to give the impression that it's from Sam Spade's point of view, which is a nice touch.As an adaption, The Maltese Falcon does the novel some justice. It effortlessly puts the book to film and follows it almost exactly. In fact, I can only think of one little detail that was left out and considering it's only 100 minutes long, that's pretty impressive.The Maltese Falcon is a masterful and very impressive movie. My one complaint is that some of the dialogue heavy scenes dragged a bit, but that's because those are the sort of scenes that do all of the explaining and, having read the book, it didn't matter all that much to me. Still, this is a fantastic film noir and deserves to be considered one of the best.