Shazam!
Go see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, it needs your money! It’s also good. It had moments where I wished mightily Kerry Conran, the novice writer-director, had pushed his dialogue a little more-made it faster, wittier, more in the Hepburn/Grant style he seemed to want (judging from the nicely antagonistic relationship between Sky Captain and intrepid reporter Polly Perkins). But that is a minor complaint. Here is another one: It was a little repetitive (there are about ten shots of Gwyneth staring up at something in awe). But, the good stuff: This is a beautiful, fully entertaining movie that I kinda want to go see again even though there are tons of other new movies coming out.
Conran understands that the goal of special effects does not have to be realism and, actually, that’s one of the best things about then. If CGI is used to create new and impossible worlds or creatures that couldn’t realistically be made in live-action-as in the Star Wars prequels, the most recent Harry Potter film, and Sky Captain-I’m all for it.
I get why people aren’t embracing this movie on a mass level; it’s silly, super-stylized, and looks like nothing else out there; the teens would rather just see Resident Evil and forget about it the next morning and the adults would rather see something that tries to flatter them by not being any fun. All that’s left of the twenty-and-thirtysomethings; a quarter are too hip, a quarter will see it but nitpick it to death, a quarter aren’t hip enough.
So given all that, a $16 million first weekend is probably a triumph. Given that it’s an action movie with Angelina Jolie (prominent in the ads regardless of very-supporting screentime), Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law, maybe not so much (but then again, of those three only Jolie is really known for action-adventure of any kind). I don’t foresee much staying power, either, even with pretty weak competition next weekend. Too bad; it deserves to be seen in theaters, not on a DVD where the effects will still look sharp but the scale will be less enveloping. Viva art deco!
Other movies I’ve seen recently:
When Will I Be Loved, which you can read about elsewhere.
Criminal, which is worth seeing if you like John C. Reilly and/or Diego Luna. My favorite is Maggie Gyllenhaal, but she’s not in it as much as those two. As a con-artist movie, it’s pretty good. I liked the timeframe over which it took place; I liked the dialogue. I had a good time. Modestly entertaining.
Wimbledon, a disappointment. Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst are charming as all get out and the tennis stuff is pretty interesting, but everything else-swollen supporting cast, relationship development, most of the humor-is so feeble. Just one or two bold decisions made during the writing of this could’ve improved it so much. Rent Tin Cup, a far better movie about a semi-similar character playing an equally boring sport.
Cellular, very fun. It may be best seen by accident, on cable some afternoon, where it can really take you by surprise. It would actually make a good theatrical double-bill with Sky Captain; the lavish, beautifully designed, affectionately produced B-movie, and the quick, slick, half-Hitchcockian, half-cheesy B-movie. I really like thrillers where the characters have to think on their feet, and Cellular is full of that. It was an experience similar to the surprise of finding out Out of Time (starring Denzel, last fall) was actually a solid and exciting little movie.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse, did I mention this already? It’s marginally better than the first Resident Evil (despite 50% less dog-kicking). Milla Jovovich is pretty badass. The other badass girl in it is comically un-badass, and makes Milla Jovovich look like a pretty amazing actor.
Should I have held this post until after this evening, when I see The Brown Bunny? Perhaps. Why am I seeing The Brown Bunny? …. um… to make everyone jealous?
I also got a haircut and some new glasses. I broke my old ones, again (although Mar didn’t take a picture this time-and I *never* even said “take a picture, it’ll last longer.” I never say that), so I’m rocking the red glasses until the new ones are ready. Everyone in the eye doctor's office was chewing gum. I may not go back there.
Conran understands that the goal of special effects does not have to be realism and, actually, that’s one of the best things about then. If CGI is used to create new and impossible worlds or creatures that couldn’t realistically be made in live-action-as in the Star Wars prequels, the most recent Harry Potter film, and Sky Captain-I’m all for it.
I get why people aren’t embracing this movie on a mass level; it’s silly, super-stylized, and looks like nothing else out there; the teens would rather just see Resident Evil and forget about it the next morning and the adults would rather see something that tries to flatter them by not being any fun. All that’s left of the twenty-and-thirtysomethings; a quarter are too hip, a quarter will see it but nitpick it to death, a quarter aren’t hip enough.
So given all that, a $16 million first weekend is probably a triumph. Given that it’s an action movie with Angelina Jolie (prominent in the ads regardless of very-supporting screentime), Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law, maybe not so much (but then again, of those three only Jolie is really known for action-adventure of any kind). I don’t foresee much staying power, either, even with pretty weak competition next weekend. Too bad; it deserves to be seen in theaters, not on a DVD where the effects will still look sharp but the scale will be less enveloping. Viva art deco!
Other movies I’ve seen recently:
When Will I Be Loved, which you can read about elsewhere.
Criminal, which is worth seeing if you like John C. Reilly and/or Diego Luna. My favorite is Maggie Gyllenhaal, but she’s not in it as much as those two. As a con-artist movie, it’s pretty good. I liked the timeframe over which it took place; I liked the dialogue. I had a good time. Modestly entertaining.
Wimbledon, a disappointment. Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst are charming as all get out and the tennis stuff is pretty interesting, but everything else-swollen supporting cast, relationship development, most of the humor-is so feeble. Just one or two bold decisions made during the writing of this could’ve improved it so much. Rent Tin Cup, a far better movie about a semi-similar character playing an equally boring sport.
Cellular, very fun. It may be best seen by accident, on cable some afternoon, where it can really take you by surprise. It would actually make a good theatrical double-bill with Sky Captain; the lavish, beautifully designed, affectionately produced B-movie, and the quick, slick, half-Hitchcockian, half-cheesy B-movie. I really like thrillers where the characters have to think on their feet, and Cellular is full of that. It was an experience similar to the surprise of finding out Out of Time (starring Denzel, last fall) was actually a solid and exciting little movie.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse, did I mention this already? It’s marginally better than the first Resident Evil (despite 50% less dog-kicking). Milla Jovovich is pretty badass. The other badass girl in it is comically un-badass, and makes Milla Jovovich look like a pretty amazing actor.
Should I have held this post until after this evening, when I see The Brown Bunny? Perhaps. Why am I seeing The Brown Bunny? …. um… to make everyone jealous?
I also got a haircut and some new glasses. I broke my old ones, again (although Mar didn’t take a picture this time-and I *never* even said “take a picture, it’ll last longer.” I never say that), so I’m rocking the red glasses until the new ones are ready. Everyone in the eye doctor's office was chewing gum. I may not go back there.