So I wanted to kind of give some mini reviews of some movies I've seen that came out this summer. They are listed in order of how much money they have taken in, because that's the order I'm reading them.
Spiderman 3 - I really like how the Spiderman franchise has been done, maybe its because I'm a big Sam Raimi fan. When I initially saw Spiderman 3, I liked it, mostly because I think I'm drawn to the good guy in conflict with himself and the storyline of Venom. However, when I look back on it, I realize how campy and cheesy the series can be sometimes, and although there is a lot of villains in this particular installment, it probably would have run more smoothly if the villains were cut down to two instead, especially since Venom is such a popular character in the franchise, I think the storyline let them down in favor of appealing to a general audience.
Still, it can't have been that bad, seeing as it's the highest grossing movie this year. ***
Pirates of the Carribean: At Worlds End - I was so impressed with the first Priates movie that it was a given I would watch the two sequals. However, it seems like they didn't necessarily plan out the sequals as well as they did the original. Like they made the first one with the hopes that it would do well enough to make a series to it and when it turned into a major blockbuster they were all scrambling to come up with an idea on how to milk as much money out of this thing as possible. So in the end, though entertaining, Pirates 3 is a bit of a mess and at times a little hard to follow, like there isn't a real coherent plot. **1/2
Transformers - Being an animation major, I loved this movie. But it is not without it's pitfalls as well. There was a couple of scenes that could have been left out, and most people's biffs with the movie is it focuses more on the humans and less on the transformers. Other then Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, none of the Transformers are really developed in this movie to help you sympathize with them. And they could have left off the scene where Bumblebee 'pees' on the special agent and the masterbation discussion scenes were unnecessary and makes this a movie that you don't wish to take young children too. Great action though, but not enough character development in some parts. ***1/2
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - I have come to see the movies of Harry Potter a little seperate from the books. Some characters I picture in my head differently in appearance on screen vs their book counterparts. And Order of the Phoenix is a large book, so I was somewhat forgiving in how much they had to cut out, as long as they stayed true to the source. And they did, to a certain degree, though I would have loved to see more of some of the scenes, such as the Weasley twins, and its a shame they had to cut out the source of their funding from the previous movie, but all in all, this has been an enjoyable franchise that has been done well. Ironically enough, the longest book has become the shortest movie. ***1/2
Knocked Up - I wanted to see this movie the moment I saw the previews, it just looked so freakin' hilarious. That, and I'm a huge fan of the tv show Freaks and Geeks. However it is incredibly raunchy so not for the faint of heart. Well acted, great story, and lot's of fun. Despite its R rating, its a keeper and probably my favorite comedy of the summer. ****
Live Free or Die Hard - I didn't really expect to see this movie in theaters, but when you are stuck somewhere with nothing to do, going to see a movie seems like the logical choice, and this one was a great choice. This thing is action packed and it does not let up. Pure testosterone on the screen, even if some of the scenes are a wee bit unbelievable, but you just have to turn off your brain and enjoy the movie with a big tub of popcorn. ***1/2
The Invisible - This movie's previews are very misleading. It makes it out to be a thriller, instead its one big drama. Not bad, but not great when its completely different from what you expected. **
Next - This one completely bombed in the theater. I can see why. I wasn't impressed with it, and Nicholas Cage, for all his merits, doesn't come off as an attractive character in this film. In fact, he doesn't have a lot going for him other then his unexplainable ability to see into the future. So he comes off as a bit of an obsessive guy who just keeps reliving the same moment hoping to say just the right thing so he can get into Jessica Biel's pants. I was disappointed. *
There are a few other movies I've seen, but I've either seen them on DVD or before May, like Bridge to Terabithia, TMNT, Hot Fuzz, and 300.
There are a few movies that I do want to see however, whether it is in the theater or on DVD doesn't matter, but it will likely wait until DVD at this point.
- Rattatouille - looks insanely cute, but I haven't gotten around to seeing it in the theater. Will likely be a DVD venture for me. Besides, its got Janeane Gerofalo and I don't really like her at all, so I tend to boycott her movies these days by simply refusing to watch them.
- Shrek the Third - I like the Shrek series well enough, but not so much that I think it is deserving of the major blockbuster status it has recieved. That said, I tend to watch animated features on principal. This will likely be a DVD feature for me.
- 1408 - I just want to see it.
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - For a while I wanted to see this one in the theaters, it looked amusing. But I think I can wait for it to come out on DVD.
- HairSpray - Just looks hilarious.
- Stardust - Comes out this weekend. Might be the last movie I see before I head out.
- Superbad - Another 'knocked up' style humor type film.
- Bourne Ultimatum - Actually, I haven't seen Supremecy yet, even though it came for free on HDDVD with my Desk Top.
- Balls of Fury - I've been wanting to see this for some time. Looks like a riot.
Here are the movies I am avoiding simply because i have absolutely zero desire to see them. In no particular order, and most of them should be self explanatory.
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - I thought the first one sucked so much I never finished watching it all the way through.
- Evan Almighty - I love Steve Carrell, but this has never looked that appealing to me and I thought Bruce Almighty was way overhyped.
- Sicko - Well, its a Micheal Moore movie. I try not to watch propaganda to much, and despite the message of needing to fix US healthcare, I don't think following Micheal Moore's suggestion is the way to do it.
Er, that covers it for now. I think I'm going to call work and see if any Magazines came in.
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