I’ve seen this film a dozen times and it still blows me away that a)It outdoes the original and b)unpretentiously, and without fanfare, manages to be one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. That’s right, you can quote me on that. The “Bloodiest Movie Ever” sequence still makes me laugh out loud. And “War–It’s Fantastic!” has wormed its way into our household repertoire.
August 24, 2011
Lost in Translation in 13 seconds
My thoughts, in no order: The plot is in deep second to the characters. It could be Bill Murray’s best performance. Contrary to my fellow commentators in the webisphere, it’s not a romantic comedy, in that it’s not very funny and it’s not a romance–it’s two people reaching out to each other in their loneliness. And it’s stayed with me for days. I liked it a lot…I think. Ask me again in six months.
Cowboys and Aliens in 13 seconds
It’s funny when the title alone sets up unreasonable expectations. Or are they unreasonable? What I wanted was the quirky delivery of a double-genre mashup, with a revealed understanding of, and a homage to, both. I got what felt like a standard action adventure, competent enough, but in the end that was all. In other words, an example of the average summer blockbuster.
Conan the Barbarian in 13 seconds
I feel the need to first point out–I got the ticket free with purchase of T2 on Blu-Ray–a movie I could probably talk a lot more about that Conan. Not that I hated it. There’s pretty much everything you’d expect. Some critics have rated it badly because of its nonstop violence. Their copy of “Conan the Thoughtful” is coming soon, straight to DVD.
August 18, 2011
Hot Shots! in 13 seconds
Wacky humor, borrowing the flavor (and some of the talent) of Airplane!-Naked Gun. Not quite as good as those, but much, much better than the current “Epic Movie”-brand of horror(ible films). I’d call it a minor success.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 13 seconds
To my utter surprise–a perfect summer movie. Great story. Great acting. Pretty incredible effects. Descent action. And none of that skeevy aftertaste like you’d get from The Hangover. I walked out wishing I’d felt like this with Captain America (which I feel compelled to again say I thoroughly enjoyed).
July 29, 2011
Captain America in 13 seconds
This was going to be THE one for me this summer. I love the character, and I had high hopes for Joe Johnston to pull off something…well, worthy comes to mind. Conclusion? First half–pretty much flawless. Second half–too many laser guns, and not enough of Cap doing what he does best–taking down guys by the dozens. A harried ending didn’t help either. All in all, a solid film. I wanted better but was probably hoping for too much.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 13 seconds
The Apollo moon landing was actually a secret mission to investigate an alien ship? How interesting! Now let’s forget it and get on with the lots and lots o’ bang, destruction, and humans hamming it up (it’s like they know it’s the only thing they have to compete). At the end, I didn’t care about any of it. My head-shaking, horror-induced realization? I LIKED THE SECOND ONE BETTER.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 13 seconds
As close to perfectly satisfying as I can expect from a summer movie (Iron Man is still my gold standard). Some elements got short shrift (I was pulling for Bellatrix Lestrange’s serious comeuppance) and I pity the non-Potter fan’s struggle to grasp all aspects, but the story was strong, and emotionally engaging. So I guess that makes it my top summer pick.
Thor 3D (redux?) in 13 seconds
That’s right, 3D. At the discount theater, with a $1.50 upgrade. Conclusion? The movie is still a lot of fun. The two leads are perfectly cast. But in 3D? Just one more reminder that Avatar, which needed it to be a better movie, didn’t do us any favors by convincing theater owners that already-good movies needed it too.
Tip o' My Brain 