Movies on Review
Or the post about the multitude of movies I watched over the festive period that I was either too lazy, too busy or too hot to write individual reviews about :)
In no particular order:
Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol
Tom Cruise and I don't see eye - not since Top Gun. However, there are movies I hate him in, and others that I love. But before I dive into my rhetoric on worn out spy films, let me tell you about the journey to 'see' the movie. I was sick at the time. And the only thing worse than being sick in the middle of summer - is being sick during a summer heat wave. I nonetheless braved the christmas crowds and went to the movies with friends. Disinclined to stand in the long popcorn line, Pumz and I delegated her younger sisters as popcorn buyers and decided to head into the theatre and snag our seats.
This we duly did so, as directed by the usher to the cinema in question. We sat through some ads, a few trailers we mocked and then the movie began. No younger sisters. And strangely enough, Mi4 starts in a 18th century mansion with a creepy old man stalking his young maid and then killing her. The phone call from the sisters wanting to know where in the world we were, was the last clue we needed. Wrong movie = *facepalm*
So we find the right cinema, annoy an entire row of people getting to our seats and miss the beginning of the film. Sisters find us, and the row is annoyed again :)
And now back to the movie review: Tom, Tom, Tom. I did not need to see you in a skin tight climbing suit with gecko technology hands. I would have paid good money to watch Simon Pegg do that sequence.
The supporting cast was great - especially Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner. Paula was good too, but her character felt under developed and very one sided - 'I will avenge my lover, Josh Holloway, who only recently returned from an island!'
Tom. I don't mind that he's looking old, in fact I like it. But the whole movie felt tired and the characters seemed to be playing catch up the whole time. The villian was vague, the sub plot about the wife felt shoe horned in and well... I missed the ending :)
why? more RL drama. As sick as I was, I should not have been in a theatre. I started coughing, couldn't stop and had to leave. So I missed the end and only caught the last five minutes with more stoic hoody stalking.
the sad thing is - I still liked the movie because of the spy geekery, supporting cast and well, its Mission Impossible. So, I'll probably rewatch to know the ending.
(yeah, I know, I don't make sense)
Tintin
Perhaps I can forgive Stephan Moffat for the travesty of that Dr Who Christmas Special because he was working on Tintin and BBC Sherlock. (maybe, 'cos that special.... ).
Tintin and I are old friends. I grew up reading those books, and the two parter story of the Secret of the Unicorn is one of my favourites and is one of the best stories to bring to film (IMHO). Fortunately I knew to expect the large deviations in the story. On the whole I liked them all. I especially enjoyed the weaving the Tintin universe into the story, the use of other characters from the books, the 'gentle tipping of the hat' to Herge in many instances. I also really enjoyed the CG effects. The true power of CG is creating worlds that no longer exist, or never existed but rather than going Lucas-OTT, it was a pleasure to watch the beauty of the scenery and landscape - and impossible stunt sequences :)
The voice actors were spot on and the revised plot very entertaining and I hope the remainder of the story is made into a sequel.
There was a downside for me though - the hair in the ointment. The Haddock curse and flim flam story about only a 'true' Haddock finding the treasure. What? I say, what? And Redrakham's (the spelling seems wrong) ancestor (who made a good villian) but how on Earth did he know about the curse and the whole event anyway!!? It felt unnecessary and too much shoved into an already very busy story.
But I did like, very much.
Sherlock Holmes - Game of Shadows
Robert, my love. I continue to be utterly proud of you :) I loved the first one, but had some reseverations about the plot and Mark Strong, who seemed to be the villian in everything at the time. Its not often a sequel outstrips the original. I think Game of Shadows did that.
why? Well, the plot was fantastic and it had Moriaty in it and well, he just gives Sherlock a run for his money. And Watson got married *squee about the bachelor's party* and Holmes pushes his wife off a train. I could have been happy with the film right there, after the train sequence :)
But then there were world war foreshadows (and don't think I didn't appreciate that foreshadowy pun/play). A meat hook. Watson with a ruddy great 'cheating' gun. Travellers, long awesome fight sequences, that fantastic sequence in the forest and well.. meat hook!
The moment I saw the waterfall, I suspected the ending, and I was right. And in true Conan Doyle fashion, the end is not the end :) I don't know Holmes canon well enough to identify all the faces and references at the funeral, but it was fun trying. and well... urban camoflague. What else does one need?
A trilogy :)
Puss in Boots
Suprisingly slow and disappointing. I liked Kitty Softpaws and the Jack in the Beanstalk references (scenery). But that was about all.
X-Men First Class
Delayed viewing and watched on DVD. I can see why this did not do as well as the other X-Men movies. It felt - ponderous. And too busy at the same time. Perhaps the writers and director tried to do too much, because well... I found myself fidgeting and thinking, get on with it!
I also am not convinced by James McAvoy's performance. Everyone else felt spot on, especially the delightful Kevin Bacon, but McAvoy felt... off. Perhaps too big a character or too larger than life. I wanted to smack his condescending face.
I did like the cameos, but on the whole, the film felt too disjointed and uncertain of itself. I fear for the X-men franchise (and keep rooting for Avengers to be a kick ass movie)
And that is that. I did rewatch Limitless and a few other goodies, but for first time views, I am done.
if you made it this far, thanks for reading my long winded waffle :) Especially considering my longest review on the movie I had the most issues with *go figure*
In no particular order:
Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol
Tom Cruise and I don't see eye - not since Top Gun. However, there are movies I hate him in, and others that I love. But before I dive into my rhetoric on worn out spy films, let me tell you about the journey to 'see' the movie. I was sick at the time. And the only thing worse than being sick in the middle of summer - is being sick during a summer heat wave. I nonetheless braved the christmas crowds and went to the movies with friends. Disinclined to stand in the long popcorn line, Pumz and I delegated her younger sisters as popcorn buyers and decided to head into the theatre and snag our seats.
This we duly did so, as directed by the usher to the cinema in question. We sat through some ads, a few trailers we mocked and then the movie began. No younger sisters. And strangely enough, Mi4 starts in a 18th century mansion with a creepy old man stalking his young maid and then killing her. The phone call from the sisters wanting to know where in the world we were, was the last clue we needed. Wrong movie = *facepalm*
So we find the right cinema, annoy an entire row of people getting to our seats and miss the beginning of the film. Sisters find us, and the row is annoyed again :)
And now back to the movie review: Tom, Tom, Tom. I did not need to see you in a skin tight climbing suit with gecko technology hands. I would have paid good money to watch Simon Pegg do that sequence.
The supporting cast was great - especially Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner. Paula was good too, but her character felt under developed and very one sided - 'I will avenge my lover, Josh Holloway, who only recently returned from an island!'
Tom. I don't mind that he's looking old, in fact I like it. But the whole movie felt tired and the characters seemed to be playing catch up the whole time. The villian was vague, the sub plot about the wife felt shoe horned in and well... I missed the ending :)
why? more RL drama. As sick as I was, I should not have been in a theatre. I started coughing, couldn't stop and had to leave. So I missed the end and only caught the last five minutes with more stoic hoody stalking.
the sad thing is - I still liked the movie because of the spy geekery, supporting cast and well, its Mission Impossible. So, I'll probably rewatch to know the ending.
(yeah, I know, I don't make sense)
Tintin
Perhaps I can forgive Stephan Moffat for the travesty of that Dr Who Christmas Special because he was working on Tintin and BBC Sherlock. (maybe, 'cos that special.... ).
Tintin and I are old friends. I grew up reading those books, and the two parter story of the Secret of the Unicorn is one of my favourites and is one of the best stories to bring to film (IMHO). Fortunately I knew to expect the large deviations in the story. On the whole I liked them all. I especially enjoyed the weaving the Tintin universe into the story, the use of other characters from the books, the 'gentle tipping of the hat' to Herge in many instances. I also really enjoyed the CG effects. The true power of CG is creating worlds that no longer exist, or never existed but rather than going Lucas-OTT, it was a pleasure to watch the beauty of the scenery and landscape - and impossible stunt sequences :)
The voice actors were spot on and the revised plot very entertaining and I hope the remainder of the story is made into a sequel.
There was a downside for me though - the hair in the ointment. The Haddock curse and flim flam story about only a 'true' Haddock finding the treasure. What? I say, what? And Redrakham's (the spelling seems wrong) ancestor (who made a good villian) but how on Earth did he know about the curse and the whole event anyway!!? It felt unnecessary and too much shoved into an already very busy story.
But I did like, very much.
Sherlock Holmes - Game of Shadows
Robert, my love. I continue to be utterly proud of you :) I loved the first one, but had some reseverations about the plot and Mark Strong, who seemed to be the villian in everything at the time. Its not often a sequel outstrips the original. I think Game of Shadows did that.
why? Well, the plot was fantastic and it had Moriaty in it and well, he just gives Sherlock a run for his money. And Watson got married *squee about the bachelor's party* and Holmes pushes his wife off a train. I could have been happy with the film right there, after the train sequence :)
But then there were world war foreshadows (and don't think I didn't appreciate that foreshadowy pun/play). A meat hook. Watson with a ruddy great 'cheating' gun. Travellers, long awesome fight sequences, that fantastic sequence in the forest and well.. meat hook!
The moment I saw the waterfall, I suspected the ending, and I was right. And in true Conan Doyle fashion, the end is not the end :) I don't know Holmes canon well enough to identify all the faces and references at the funeral, but it was fun trying. and well... urban camoflague. What else does one need?
A trilogy :)
Puss in Boots
Suprisingly slow and disappointing. I liked Kitty Softpaws and the Jack in the Beanstalk references (scenery). But that was about all.
X-Men First Class
Delayed viewing and watched on DVD. I can see why this did not do as well as the other X-Men movies. It felt - ponderous. And too busy at the same time. Perhaps the writers and director tried to do too much, because well... I found myself fidgeting and thinking, get on with it!
I also am not convinced by James McAvoy's performance. Everyone else felt spot on, especially the delightful Kevin Bacon, but McAvoy felt... off. Perhaps too big a character or too larger than life. I wanted to smack his condescending face.
I did like the cameos, but on the whole, the film felt too disjointed and uncertain of itself. I fear for the X-men franchise (and keep rooting for Avengers to be a kick ass movie)
And that is that. I did rewatch Limitless and a few other goodies, but for first time views, I am done.
if you made it this far, thanks for reading my long winded waffle :) Especially considering my longest review on the movie I had the most issues with *go figure*