Peter's Film Screening

The Avengers

2012-05-14T13:21:00.000-05:00

The Avengers is a very ambitious movie. After all, it took 5 movies (Iron Man, Iron Man II, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America) to set up all these comic book characters. And that's not even counting the Ang Lee-directed Hulk movie. With a star-studded cast and an out-sized Hollywood special effects budget, this was a big roll of the dice for Marvel/Disney. Not to mention the fact that they filmed the whole thing in 3 months. Frankly, if I didn't know better, I would expect this movie to be a big, shiny piece of Hollywood schlock, à la Michael Bay.

Except this isn't a Michael Bay film. It's a Joss Whedon film, and not only did he direct it, he co-wrote the script. Once I found that out, I started getting pretty excited about the movie, and the early buzz was good. Very, very good. People I know who wouldn't ever consider reading a comic book came out of the theater gushing about much they liked The Avengers. And I can happily say that the buzz is true—The Avengers is almost everything you could want in a summer blockbuster. The dialogue was good, the action was very impressive, the special effects were shiny, the story was tight and well-paced, and the acting solid—not Shakespeare, but very appropriate for the genre. There isn't much emotional development for the characters, but then again, most of them have already had a movie or two dedicated to them individually, and the character development already took place. It probably helps if you have seen the movies that lead up to this one, but The Avengers brings you up to speed quickly and relatively gracefully. I haven't seen most of them, and I didn't feel lost. Most of all, it's a very exciting movie that is a lot of fun to watch.

To put it succinctly, this is a superhero movie that does everything right. Is it the best superhero movie of all time? Probably not—I would give that title to The Dark Knight or Spider-Man 2. But The Avengers is close, and it does it all at a pace and scale that defy the skill of most movie-makers. Given all the pitfalls and pressures of such a crazy big-budget superhero team-up movie, it should have been mediocre. But thanks to Joss Whedon, it's much more than that. If you're part of the half of the country that still hasn't seen the movie yet, I highly recommend it.

∗∗∗∗

Super 8

2011-11-26T21:37:00.001-06:00

If you grew up in the 1980's you remember movies like The Goonies or Stand By Me: coming of age stories that have now become cult classics. J.J.Abrams is channeling that same vibe in Super 8, and the result is a film that is part blockbuster, part homage to that decade and the films it created. And most importantly, it is really fun to watch.

The viral marketing advertisements for Super 8 were intentionally uninformative, so I didn't know much beyond the basic premise: a bunch of kids in 1981 are filming an amateur movie (on Super 8 film) when they unwittingly witness and film a massive train crash. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, because things get weird from there, and part of the joy of this movie is wondering along with the characters what is going on. The young actors are very good, and I actually liked the portrayal of teenage relationships, dysfunctional families, and young love.

J.J. Abrams has made a big name for himself with television series like Alias and Lost, and movies like the new Stark Trek. But he brings an even bigger name to the table in Steven Spielberg, the producer. At this point, Spielberg is practically a secular saint of film, and his influence on this movie is unmistakable. Super 8 is replete with references (some more subtle than others) to the classic Spielberg films of this era. That may be a distraction for some people, but for a movie about making a movie, I thought those nods seemed right a home. This is a story that has been told many times before— it's essentially a mash-up of Stand By Me, E.T., and Cloverfield—but it's a great story, told by some of the best people in the business. Super 8 is fun, moving, thrilling, and hilarious. In short, it's a must-see.

∗∗∗∗

Gnomeo & Juliet

2011-11-21T22:07:00.001-06:00

When I sat down with my kids to watch Gnomeo & Juliet, I wasn't expecting much. There are so many computer animated movies every year, I can't keep track of them all and I don't think most of them are much good. But this one had a couple things going for it that made me enjoy it more than most. First off, as the title suggests, this is a Romeo and Juliet story. With garden gnomes. Yeah, silly, I know, but the plot really does follow the play reasonably closely, and it's a very enduring story. And the movie makers had a fun time throwing in other Shakespeare references here and there. That alone would have probably kept my attention most of the time.

The second thing that is worth mentioning is that Elton John was the executive producer, and his music is used heavily throughout the movie. It could have been overkill, but for a campy sort of movie I thought it worked. The Romeo and Juliet story is full of drama, fights, and romance, and Elton John's vast music catalog can cover it all.

In general I thought Gnomeo & Juliet was reasonably well done. The voice acting (primarily by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, but also Maggie Smith and Michael Caine) was quite good. And there were some very notable voice cameos by the likes of Dolly Parton, Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne, and Sir Patrick Stewart. This was a fun little animated romp with a good balance of silly humor for the kids and cultural references for the adults.

***

Page Eight

2011-11-09T15:02:00.001-06:00

Page Eight is a slow-paced spy movie with brains, charm, and none of the usual pitfalls of that genre. There are no guns, no chase scenes, no explosions. Those customary elements are replaced by intelligence reports, political intrigue, and secret sources, the real tools of modern espionage. And while it is certainly more realistic, this approach could be dreadfully boring if it weren't for tight writing and an absolutely brilliant cast. Bill Nighy plays the protagonist, an aging intelligence analyst who has managed to stay out of departmental politics and survive government changes for thirty years. That all changes when his friend and boss (played by Michael Gambon) gives him a top secret file that indicates on page eight that the British Prime Minister (played artfully by Ralph Fiennes) knew about secret American torture prisons. His life is further complicated by a run-in with his neighbor, played by Rachel Weisz, who is pretty enough to be a Bond girl, but far too smart and understated to actually be one.

The plot has overt political elements, which could have been tedious in the hands of a lesser writer and director. (Oh, no, it's the evil Americans again.) But David Hare seems to know where his political leanings get in the way, and lets the stars do their job. And it's a fine job in indeed. Nighy's off-beat delivery works in a strange sort of way. I also enjoyed the lesser roles, such as Judy Davis as Nighy's conniving coworker, Ewen Bremner as a journalist-slash-informant, and Saskia Reeves as the love-to-hate-her Home Secretary.

The ending is left open enough for sequels, and the rumor is that a second and third movie may be in the works. I sincerely hope that's a case, because a smart spy movie is a surprisingly rare thing, and I would love to see more of them.

∗∗∗½

TRON: Legacy

2011-01-04T11:56:00.002-06:00

When they announced a sequel to the now-classic 1982 movie TRON, I inwardly cringed. Reviving fads from the 80's is a Hollywood pastime nowadays, but really? TRON? That movie really is only remembered for its pioneering computer generated graphics, which are now comically out of date. And did it even have a plot? I can't remember much of one. So I didn't expect much. And then I saw the trailer. This new world of TRON was dark, sleek, and beautiful, and yet somehow managed to keep the same look and feel. And I decided right then that I had to see it, if only for the visuals.

At its heart, this is nothing more than a fancy 3D eye candy movie, so I almost feel foolish admitting that I liked TRON: Legacy as much as I did. But sometimes it's fun to watch pretty things on the screen, and TRON: Legacy is undeniably pretty. I rather liked the updated design of the computer world, and new disc battles and light cycle matches are exciting and suitably three-dimensional. The 3D effects are particularly suited to the computer world environment, and they subtly enhanced the movie throughout. The acting is not Oscar material, but it wasn't meant to be. It certainly helps that Jeff Bridges has become something of an icon in the past 28 years. And thanks to the minimal storyline in the original, the sequel's plot is probably more complex. Perhaps my relatively low expectations enhanced the experience.

The bottom line is that TRON: Legacy is a great movie to see in 3D, and a fitting homage to the previous generation's TRON.
∗∗∗

Ponyo

2010-07-31T16:58:00.001-05:00

Ponyo is the most recent film by celebrated Japanese director/illustrator/writer Hayao Miyazaki. Like many people, I love Miyazaki films for their lavish imagery, attention to detail, and sense of wonderment. And Ponyo doesn't disappoint. Based roughly on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," Ponyo tells the story of a magical fish who is rescued by a little boy and turns into a girl so she can be with him. This is a great movie for people new to Miyazaki as well as long-time fans. It is both accessible and magical. I think Ponyo comes the closes to capturing the feel of My Neighbor Totoro, which is my favorite Miyazaki film. The love of Ponyo and the little boy is rare, innocent, and precious.

Miyazaki films have become more popular in the U.S., ever since Spirited Away won and Oscar. Disney/Pixar's John Lasseter is a huge fan, and thanks in part to him, the U.S. release doesn't suffer from bizarre marketing or sub-par voice-overs like some of the previous releases. I prefer subtitles to dubbing, but with a voice cast including Liam Neeson, Betty White, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, and Matt Damon, you can't go wrong either way. Ponyo is a movie I would recommend to young and old alike.

∗∗∗1/2

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2010-03-03T16:13:00.001-06:00

In 1922 F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote an unusual short story about Benjamin Button, who was born and old man and grew backwards, becoming younger every year. This unusual foray into science fantasy is whimsical and often humorous, but it has a melancholy aspect to it because Benjamen feels out of sync with the rest of the world. In this adaptation to the silver screen, the filmakers seized on that melancholy, and emphasized a line of romance that was almost nonexistent in the story.

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is born a full-grown man in the original story, which Fitzgerald never bothered to explain, but he is a miniature old man in the movie. His mother dies shortly after childbirth and his father abandons him outside an old folks home, leaving him to be raised by a young black woman who could not have children herself. The choice to set Benjamin's growing-up years in an old folks home works well for the movie, and we get to watch Benjamin learn about life from people about to depart it. While at the home he meets a little girl who will become the love of his life (Cate Blanchett). Their friendship and later romance are touching at times, but also turbulent as they struggle with the fact that he grows younger as she grows older.

The filmakers essentially gave the short story the Forrest Gump treatment, following Benjamin's life through two World Wars, multiple continents, and changing eras of American history. None of this is in the short story, of course, but it works well in the film. The make-up used on Brad Pit as an old man is quite good, and there are some very fine performances by Pitt, Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton.

My biggest complaint about the movie is that the story is largely told through the memories of his aged sweetheart as she dies of cancer in a New Orleans hospital during Hurricane Katrina. This attempt at connecting the story to a recent and sensational event is unnecessary and distracting.There is also an attempt to explain why Benjamin grows backwards (something about a magic clock) but that's distracting too. F. Scott Fitzgerald never bothered to try to explain why Benjamin Button was the way he was; Fitzgerald was satisfied with taking his audience along with Benjamin's backward life.

The film's best moments are ones that capture that fantastical melancholy of the story. The most bittersweet of these is when Benjamin dies as an infant in the arms of the old woman who once was his lover. I sat thinking about the movie for a long time after the credits started to roll.

∗∗∗

Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit)

2009-10-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

We started watching Seirei no Moribito on the recommendation from my cousin. I'm not a big anime person, but this series is simply a good story. Seirei no Moribito is an epic fantasy that takes place in a far-away land. The main character, Balsa, is a female body-guard who is entrusted to protect a prince. The animation is excellent, but it never takes precedent over the storytelling. Even the impressive action sequences are important to the plot and not just for show. The series is full of vivid, interesting characters that develop through the story line. Chief among these, however, is Balsa, the coolest female character I have seen in a long time.

This animated series is based on a the first book in the Moribito series, by Nahoko Uehashi. The anime version expands on the story somewhat, and I actually liked it a little better than the book, but they were both good. And since the book is just the first of ten novels, I need to read the other ones to properly judge them. I would recommend Seirei no Moribito to anyone, even if (like me) you don't speak Japanese and you don't really watch anime. The DVD's are really expensive, but it's also available online if you know where to look.
∗∗∗1/2

Wives and Daughters

2009-07-02T10:23:00.001-05:00

The BBC works its magic again with another excellent miniseries, this time brining Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Wives and Daughters to the screen. I admit I had never read any of Gaskell's work before seeing the movie, and her only books I knew of were Cranford and North and South. Having happily corrected my ignorance, I will soon be adding some Gaskell novels to my summer reading list.

The main character, Molly Gibson, lives with her widowed father. He remarries a woman with a daughter close to Molly's age, introducing a new mother and a new daughter to the family. It's interesting to see a film explore how two families settle together as one family, with plenty of conflicts and struggles along the way. Mrs. Gibson is at once sly and naive, but always in pursuit of her own selfish interests. Her daughter from her first marriage, Cynthia, has some of the same selfishness, but Molly becomes a good influence on her and she often works against her mother's will. Along the way the Gibsons become involved in the drama of their wealthy neighbors, the Hamleys, who have two handsome sons. It is inevitable in such a story that romance would blossom, but it doesn't happen quite like you would expect it, and that's what makes it so much fun.

If you like period pieces or human-driven stories, I highly recommend Wives and Daughters. It has some very funny dialogue, quite a few excellent performances, and very well-developed characters. Even if you can't stand the better-known Jane Austen film adaptations, Wives and Daughters is worth a try because it doesn't delve into the sappy as much, and it has some great mysteries and plot twists.
∗∗∗1/2

Made of Honor

2009-02-23T11:27:00.000-06:00

The basic plot of this movie is pretty clear from the trailers: Tom (Patrick Dempsey) never commits in any relationship because his best friend, Hannah, is always there for him. She goes to Scotland for several weeks and he realizes he's been in love with her all along. But Hannah comes back with a handsome fiance and a wedding date in two weeks. Since they are such good friends, she asks him to be her "maid of honor" and he goes along with it so he can try to win her back, with plenty of jokes and awkward situations to go around.

I didn't expect Oscar material when we rented this flick, but Made of Honor is even more formulaic and painful than I anticipated. Halfway through the movie I was utterly disgusted, so by the time Tom comes flying through the chapel doors on horseback at the end of the movie I was beyond caring. Romantic comedies aren't my favorite genre, but this one gives all the rest a bad name.

∗

Mamma Mia!

2009-01-13T09:33:00.000-06:00

Mamma Mia! is the film adaptation of the popular West End jukebox musical based on the music of the Swedish group ABBA. Like other productions of its genre, the play and the movie have a loose plot cobbled together in a way to include as many songs as possible from the source artist. This sort of thing works better on stage than on screen, so the movie Mamma Mia! was a little strange. But it was undeniably fun. The cast looked like they had a marvelous time, even if virtually nothing made sense. It was strange to see serious actors like Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth sing and dance, but I think that was part of the attraction. It's funny to watch James Bond, Mr. Darcy, and a multiple-Oscar winner prance about like silly children. I give major credit to Meryl Streep, who has no dance groove but didn't hold back and made it look fun anyway. Worse was Pierce Brosnan, who really and truly can't sing to save his life. He belted it out anyway, though, in a raspy sort of way, so he gets points for effort at least. Fortunately, many of the other cast members sang pretty well, like Colin Firth and Amanda Seyfried.

I think the movie itself was pretty forgettable, but it was still incredibly fun because of the music. This is really a compliment to ABBA, for having created such a trove of memorable songs. I am by no means a hardcore ABBA fan, but I recognized every song in the movie and (surprisingly) knew the lyrics to more than half of them. This exhuberant, sing-along aspect helped distract from the thin plot and ridiculous scenes. Mamma Mia! is empty and saccharine-sweet, but still probably worth a rental.
∗∗

Prince Caspian

2009-01-01T07:51:00.002-06:00

Never let it be said that Disney didn't know how to capitalize ona trend. In the wake of highly successful fantasy films such as The Lord of the Rings, Disney weighed in with another classic fantasy series, The Chornicles of Narnia. The second installment of this series, Prince Caspian, is probably one of the best-suited books of the series for movie adaptation. Which is why I was puzzled when the screenwriters took some fairly significant liberties with the plot, mostly in order to include more epic battle sequences and special effects. The Narnia books have their share of fighting, but here it somewhat subordinates the plot. The first Narnia movie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was pretty decent. Prince Caspian is a weaker movie in general, but it is still okay. The title character is certainly good-looking enough to have plenty of young fans anxiously wait for his appearance in the next movie in the series.

∗∗1/2

Iron Man

2008-11-14T21:23:00.000-06:00

I missed this one in the theater, so we put it in our Blockbuster-by-Mail queue. Perhaps waiting to see it was a mistake, however, because I was a little disappointed. It was a fun summer movie, but it wasn't amazing. The special effects were fine, but those things just don't impress me like they used to. And I saw all the good parts on the commercials anyway. In fact, all but two or three of the good lines of dialogue were in the trailers. I will gladly admit one thing, however -- casting Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark was the best casting decision since Johnny Depp was picked for Pirates of the Caribbean. He was absolutely perfect for the part. I thought Gwenyth Paltrow was an odd choice for Pepper Potts, but not too bad. Jeff Bridges was a fine villain, although I scarcely recognized him with the beard and the shaved head. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the movie a little more if I could have ignored Newton's Three Laws and the basic principles of thermodynamics, but I thought a lot of the action was fairly unbelievable. Still, it was a fun flick, and I would gladly see the inevitable sequel.
∗∗1/2

Dan in Real Life

2008-05-22T13:39:00.005-05:00

Dan in Real Life, starring Steve Carell, is one of those movies that you want to like. Carell plays a widower with three daughters who writes a parental advice column for the local newspaper. At home, however, his relationship with his kids is constantly strained. While at a family reunion, Dan hits it off with a nice woman in a bookstore, only to later find that she is his brother's girlfriend, and she is coming to staying with the family for the week.

With that set-up, you can expect plenty of awkward hilarity. Certainly, there was ample fodder for some good jokes and situational irony. But what follows is mostly just awkward. As is so often the case with Steve Carell, most of the movie's "humorous" moments made me cringe more than laugh. Carell's character has some really poignent moments, but they never last long. The writers and director don't let anything remain understated. As the sequence of events becomes more and more outrageous, I lost any emotional attachment to the characters. There were still a few good lines, but they were far and few between. Dan in Real Life doesn't actual represent many real life situations, which is a shame, because it has its funniest moments when the characters are allowed to act like normal people.
∗∗

I am Legend

2008-05-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

I Am Legend is like a cross between Castaway and a cheap zombie movie. Will Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, the last man alive, living in New York City. Most of the earth's population was wiped out by a genetically engineered virus that was supposed to cure cancer. Only a small percent of humans survived, but most who did were transformed into rabid creatures who couldn't come out into the sunlight. So Will Smith roams the empty streets of New York, searching for food and performing experiments, trying to discover why he was immune to the virus.

Some elements of this film are basically your run-of-the-mill special effects movie material. The silent shots of NYC are stark and well-done, although most of the zombie shots are sloppy. I Am Legend has its best moments when Will Smith is actually acting. With nothing but a dog to keep him company, he is a profoundly lonely man, and you actually feel some of that emotion during some parts of the movie. There is a small sub-plot dealing with faith and trust, but it wasn't very well developed so it wasn't very effective. I won't spoil the end, but it does leave room for hope. I Am Legend is a fairly good movie, but I with they spent more time on the human, emotional side than on the special effect zombies.
∗∗1/2

The Prestige

2008-04-09T21:51:00.002-05:00

The Prestige boasts an impressive cast with an ambitious story of magicians, magic, and mystery. Like a real magic act, you can see how they do a few of the tricks before hand, but the overall performance is still very good.

The Prestige follows the careers of two rival magicians. When one of them (Christian Bale) develops the impossible magic trick, the other (Hugh Jackman) becomes obsessed with discovering the feat. Eventually, with the aid of science, he develops an even greater trick, but ultimately at great cost. Bale and Jackman are quite good, but the rest of the cast is also impressive. Scarlett Johansen is the lovely but conflicted assistant working for both men; Michael Caine plays the stage manager and trick engineer; David Bowie plays the true magician of them all, the famous inventor Nicola Tesla. The film has something of a surprise ending, although many viewers will have already figured it out. But that doesn't diminish the thrill or enjoyment. As the movie immediately explains, the title refers to the third part of all magic tricks, in which the illusion is presented. Indeed, The Prestige creates an intense, fascinating illusion.
∗∗∗1/2

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

2008-03-28T13:43:00.000-05:00

I can't quite imagine who thought this movie was a good idea. Logically, some movie executive must have okayed the project, and presumably someone actually looked at the script. I just don't know what they were thinking when they gave it the green light. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is nominally connected with the extremely successful Final Fantasy role-playing video game franchise. However, despite the video games' reputation for complex characters and intricate plots, we have none of that here.

The movie follows the quest of Dr. Aki Ross, the attractive young female scientist (you know the plot is going to be bad just from that phrase) who is searching for the seven "spirits" that will rid the earth of an alien infestation. The usual compliment of stock characters is along for the ride, including the wise old mentor, the attractive male lead, the arrogant and foolish military leader, and a few wise-cracking sidekicks.

The Spirits Within really only has one thing going for it: special effects. At the time it was released, the movie represented an advancement in realistic computer animated characters. For the most part, the people are fairly realistic. You know they aren't real people, but they look and act enough like real people so that it isn't distracting. As is always the case, the effects don't look as good now as they did when the movie came out, but it's still not too bad. However, a little eye candy was never enough to sell a movie with a plot this bad.
∗1/2

Spider-Man 3

2008-03-02T08:12:00.004-06:00

I knew that the third installment of this big-budget comic adaptation was weaker than the first two movies. I intentionally didn't see it in the theater, and I only now got around to seeing the DVD. My problem with the Spider-Man movies is that I'm actually a Spider-Man fan. I had a subscription to the comic for several years when I was young, and I read the comics in the local public library for years before that. So my reluctance to watch the movie wasn't because I didn't like Spider-Man; it was because I was afraid of what the movie makers were going to do with the franchise.

Spider-Man 3 was exactly what I expected it to be. It isn't terrible, but there's a lot that I didn't like about the movie. The major problem with this movie is what I might call the Batman-ization of the Spider-Man franchise. This movie is goofier than the previous two, with more soap-opera like plot elements. It also suffers from villain fatigue -- with Spider-Man fighting an alien symbiote, Venom, the Sandman, and the New Goblin. Frankly, there is just too much going on in this movie for there to be sufficient development of any single plot.

The storyline with the alien symbiote is the most compelling part of the movie. Eddie Brock, Peter Parker's competitor at The Daily Bugle, comes into contact with the symbiote after Spider-Man rejects it. Brock becomes Venom, a bigger and nastier version of Spider-Man who is always more dangerous than Spider-Man's other enemies because he knows his true identity. The Venom character was animated quite well in the movie, but it suffered from poor casting. Topher Grace wasn't physically threatening, and he seemed more goofy than angry or vindictive. The casting of the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), on the other hand, was quite good, and he had a few good scenes, but not enough to make the movie.

If Spider-Man 3 had just had two villains, it might have had time to develop the characters a little more. Instead, Sam and Ivan Raimi decided to also include the story of Harry Osborn becoming the New Goblin. Combine this with the soap-opera drama of Mary Jane Watson and the newly-introduced Gwen Stacy, there was just too much going on in this movie to do any one storyline justice. The movie makers may have wanted to squeeze as much into the movie as possible, in case they didn't get to make another one. But in doing so, they may have guaranteed that the franchise stays at only three movies.

Ratatouille

2008-01-05T09:24:00.000-06:00

Ratatouille is the most recent of the computer-animated movies created by Pixar and Disney, and in that impressive tradition, it doesn't disappoint. Ratatoille (named after a Mediterranian stew) tells the tale of Remy the rat, who spurns the garbage-eating lifestyle of his family and instead pursues fine cuisine, mixing flavors and learning to cook by secretly watching a cooking show by the famed French chef, Auguste Gusteau. But when Gusteau unexpectedly dies and Remy is separated from his family, he winds up at Gusteau's struggling restaurant with an awkward young washboy named Linguini. Remy's big dreams of making great food come true when he discovers that he can control Linguini's movements by pulling on his hair under his chef's hat. The two team up to create amazing dishes, while trying to escape discovery by a suspicious sous chef. Ratatouille isn't the best movie Pixar has ever made, but it is both charming and entertaining for all ages.
∗∗∗

Stardust

2008-01-05T09:23:00.000-06:00

Stardust is a novel by noted fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, whose witty and off-beat books and stories have developed quite a following. Although many of Gaiman's works have been picked up as options for movies, Stardust is the first movie to actually attempt to translate Gaiman's tales to the silver screen. It tells the tale of a young man named Tristan who ventures into a magical kingdom in order to bring back a fallen star to the girl he thinks he loves. Of course, it's not as simple as it seems -- the fallen star isn't just a lump of rock, it's a girl (Claire Daines) who is being hunted by several malevolent princes and an evil witch (Michelle Pfeiffer). There are plenty of adventures that would normally be tired clichés, were it not for Gaiman's habit of fracturing fairytales and doing the unexpected. I don't mean to say that there isn't a happy ending (there is), but how they get there is often unexpected and convoluted. Stardust isn't a perfect film; sometimes it is a little too weird or moves too slowly. But it definitely has its moments, including a hilarious performance by Robert DeNiro as the cross-dressing captain of a flying ship. Fans of Gaiman's work and the fantasy genre will enjoy Stardust, but it has plenty of appeal for people who thought they would never like a fantasy movie.
∗∗1/2

Bewitched

2008-01-05T09:21:00.001-06:00

Hollywood's utter lack of imagination can occasionally give rise to some humorous moments. In this quasi-remake of Bewitched, an over-the-hill actor (Will Farrell) signs on to do a remake of the classic series, but he wants a nobody in the role of the witch Samantha so she doesn't steal his thunder. He chooses a woman he meets in the bookstore (Nicole Kidman) on the exclusive criterion that she can wiggle her nose properly, never suspecting that she is, in fact, a real witch. Hilarity, as you may imagine, is sure to ensue.

Fans of the original Bewitched series may chuckle at all the references to show. It isn't necessary to have seen the original series in order to enjoy the movie, but you may miss a lot of the jokes. The movie has plenty of fun with situational comedy, and takes quite a few jabs at movie remakes as well. Appearances by Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Colbert, and Steve Carell liven up an otherwise bland movie. The end is cute, although not terribly surprising or eventful. Bewitched is somewhat amusing, even if it isn't exactly fine cinema.
∗∗

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2008-01-05T09:19:00.000-06:00

The fifth installment of the Harry Potter movie series is the best one yet in many respects. The screenwriting for Order of the Phoenix is very good, carrying over all the important elements from 870-page book while leaving out all the excess. As a consequence, this film deviates from the storyline more than previous films by combining scenes and expediting the story, but it maintains the important dialogue. The result is a film that doesn't feel rushed but still manages to cover a whirlwind of events and character development. My major complaints about Order of the Phoenix are stylistic (I thought the art direction, especially for the Department of Mysteries, left much to be desired.) This movie has perhaps the best climax of the entire series, with an actual confrontation of good and evil and a duel between the wizards Dumbledore and Voldemort. Frankly, I wanted to be wowed by this scene, but it was pretty mediocre. Still, the movie in general is quite good, continuing in the tradition set by the previous two Harry Potter films.
∗∗∗

The Golden Compass

2008-01-05T09:17:00.001-06:00

Ever since Hollywood started to make money on fantasy films like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, there has been a glut of such films based on young adult fantasy series. The Golden Compass is the most recent offering, with some big-name stars (Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, and Sir Ian McKellan) bolster its appeal. The movie got a lot of last year for supposedly being anti-religious. Indeed, the author of the trilogy is fairly hostile to religion, and the books (especially the third) reflect that sentiment. However, it mostly comes off as anti-establishment in the movie. The Golden Compass paints a picture of a world in which all people have animal companions (quixotically named "demons") and where animals talk and magic is commonplace. Like most movies of its genre, there are plenty of adventures, perils, and quests. There are also, however, some mild themes of corruption, pain, and masochism. The ending of the movie is particularly weak because the book ended with the sacrifice of a child, so the movie just ends before that happens. If the film series is successful, the movie makers will face increasingly challenging themes to portray in a children's movie. I doubt that it will make it to a full trilogy, but The Golden Compass is fairly decent by itself.
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The Bourne Ultimatim

2008-01-05T09:14:00.000-06:00

The third and probably final installment of the Bourne Trilogy was actually better than I expected. I've been a big fan of the series ever since I saw the first one in the theater, but I had heard that the third one wasn't as strong as the first two. I think this is probably true, but The Bourne Ultimatum is still pretty good. It ties off the storyline nicely, although there is still room for more in the Bourne storyline. But I hear that Matt Damon refuses to do another movie, which is probably wise, and without Matt Damon the movies wouldn't be half as cool. In addition to Damon, I loved the greater role given to Julia Styles. The film picks up right where the second one left off, and it does a good job of reminding forgetful viewers what happened in the first two films before it takes off on another adventure across three continents. A couple scenes, one in London's Waterloo Station and the other on the rooftops of Tangier, are absolutely thrilling. Joan Allen and David Strathairn play competing CIA officials trying to track Bourne down. Both are fine actors, although their conflicts give rise to some of the worst lines in the movie. (The screenwriters clearly have a very low opinion of the intelligence community.) All in all, this is an exciting, fun movie to watch. And if you're like me, your pulse will race a little bit as soon as the theme music starts.
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My Neighbor Totoro

2007-12-06T10:20:00.000-06:00

My Neighbor Totoro, in my opinion, is Hayao Miyazaki's greatest film. Considering his enormous and amazing body of work, that's saying something. My Neighbor Totoro isn't as well-known in the U.S. as some of Miyazaki's other works, such as Spirited Away, for which he won an Oscar. The movie was made almost twenty years ago and it is set in rural Japan, with few of the plot elements that American audiences are used to. But from the very beginning, this film is absolutely magic.

The movie begins with two little girls moving into an old house with their father. Their mother has been in the hospital for some time, and they are hoping she will be released soon. In the meantime, the girls meet their new neighbors, who are friendly people. Then one day the youngest girl discovers a furry little creatures and follows him home to his den. These forest animals are called "totoros," and they have magical powers and can't be seen by adults. The girls have several adventures with the totoros, and the big Totoro helps save the day at the end.

Part of the reason I loved this film is how it shows a different lifestyle. Despite the fantastical title characters, most of the movie takes place in a normal, real-life setting. To an American viewer it was interesting to see the differences in housing, schooling, transportation, and culture. I also love how realistic the characters are. The little sister is just as uninhibited, childish, stubborn, and temperamental as a real four year old. The girls' father is gentle and supportive, and believes them when they tell him of their adventures with Totoro. Of course, as always, the animation is gorgeous and articulate, capturing the natural movements of real children.

At its heart, My Neighbor Totoro is about human relationships and struggles, and about being happy. I heartily recommend this film to all ages.
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