Super 8

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Plot: I can't tell the story without a SPOILER, so you probably want to skip this section if you have not seen the movie. 


Back in 1979, 14 year olds Joe (Joel Courtney) and his friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) are making a zombie movie on Super 8 film. They recruit their friends, and invite their classmate Alice (Elle Fanning) to help too. As they are filming, there is a train crash, and something escapes from the train. The air force troops in to hide the incident, while the kids try to figure out what happened and also try to finish their movie. Joe's father hates Alice's father, and Romeo and Juliet style Joe falls for Alice.

Review: Super 8 is fun to watch, and that is why I liked this movie. The kids are crowd pleasers, and the suspenseful story kept me tuned in. The moving making premise keeps the characters running around, while the monster/air force story develops in the background, rather like the TV show Lost.

I liked all the kid's performances, but Joel Courtney is great and Elle Fanning deserves a supporting actress nomination. The rehearsal at the rail station should be required in acting school.

The directing is playful and suspenseful; the story is well-crafted to reveal plot changes gradually so they seem more to fit. At the end this is a monster movie, so it is going to be a little far fetched at the end. There is some humor and some good special effects. I can forgive the slightly sappy ending.


The movie is a lot like Lost meets ET.

Cast: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning

Written and directed by: J.J Abrams, who also made the TV series Lost. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg, and the film feels a lot like ET.

Rating: 3.5 stars;

More: Stay for the Super 8 movie shown during the credits.



Even More: This film could be a classic.


Yet More:  Super 8 needs better marketing, the trailer and poster just look dull. The film is better than its advertising. 

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Midnight in Paris

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Plot: Writer Gil (Owen Wilson) is visiting Paris with his finance Inez (Rachel McAdams); he loves Paris and she doesn't. He is romantic and dreams about the writers and artists of 1920's Paris, and then one midnight he magically goes there. Gil travels back and forth between the present and the past, meeting famous artists and writers as if he were Forrest Gump.

Review: This is an novelty movie about art and literature delivered in a time-traveling plot. I liked parts - especially the dialog, and I did not like parts -- especially the slow pacing and the awful, awful, awful soundtrack. 


I knew of most of these authors and artists, but did not know details about them. I think literature professors would like the movie more than me.

I really liked Ernest Hemingway -- he was pretty funny, and very well played by Corey Stoll. Owen Wilson was a great choice because he "reads" like a 21st century man even when he is in these old time scenes.

The movie gets credit for taking on big issues like what does nostalgia mean, and are the good old days really that good. On the other hand, it is not that fun to watch. The characters exist to play out the nostalgia theme, and aren't very interesting. The comedy is spotty, and overall the movie is not that fun. Good dialog can't get you that far. 


I am glad that I saw it -- partially to communicate to our local megaplex that they need to bring more art movies to our theater. I also have seen many Woody Allen movies -- I am an Allen fan. I don't think that makes this movie better; just  that no one else makes movies quite like this.

Cast: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams

Directed by: Woody Allen

Rating: 2.0 stars

More: Seriously the soundtrack is bad -- awful discordant horns.  The opening sequence, which is nearly endless tourist shots of Paris, nearly drove me to X-Men.

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The Hangover 2

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Plot: The plot is the same as Hangover I, but this time in Bangkok. One day before Stu's (Ed Helms) wedding, our heros get drunk, wake up in a strange hotel room, and can't find the bride's brother. They spend the next day retracing their steps and learning about their twisted adventures with crazy friend Mr. Chow (Ken Joeng.) 

Review:  If you liked the first movie, you'll like this movie. It is not so much a sequel as it is another two hours of the first movie. The whole gag of the first movie is re-run, this time in Bangkok.

I can't resist comparing the two movies. The second movie has the advantage of the foreignness of Thailand instead of Las Vegas schtick.  The Thai father-in-law was pretty funny too. And no one will ever forget one particular penis joke. 


The first movie had more looniness, especially visual nuttiness  -- I liked the tiger and the chicken a lot.

Hangover 2 has a clever formula for appealing to men and women. The guys are always trying to get back to their wives and girlfriends, and the female part of the audience like that. The guys like the bawdy humor and party jokes. I checked out the ratings on imdb, and strangely women like Hangover 2 more than men, 7.4 to 7.2. All the penises may help that too. 


Finally Hangover 2 is not boring for a second. It has likable characters, and its is a good night at the movies.

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Rating: 2.5 stars

More:  Ken Jeong, who played the cocaine-sniffing, boat-owning friend Mr Chow, is from Detroit. According to Wikipedia he was college professor and a physician before becoming a comedian. 


Even More:  According to the online buzz,  Zach Galifianakis's penis is in the closing photos -- I did not notice it . Zach said it was a rubber prop. 


Way too much more:  Supposedly, Ken Jeong's penis shot was actually his. You will remember that shot was pretty long and detailed. Physician Jeong talks openly about his distinctive physiology.  
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Water for Elephants

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Plot:  Vet student Jacob (Robert Pattinson) joins the circus after his parents die suddenly. He falls in with circus boss August (Christoph Waltz) and his performer-wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). August is under pressure to save the circus from bankruptcy, and he is also brutal and jealous. Water for Elephants becomes a romantic triangle with a depression era circus theme.

Review: Water for Elephants is uneven with a painfully slow introduction. So slow that I was thinking I'd sneak out and watching Ringo.    


After Christoph Waltz got in the story it got better. He has such great intensity. Reese did a nice job. I was not thrilled by Robert Pattinson. The sound track was forgettable.

Director Francis Lawrence needs to get prodded with the bull hook to keep the story movie moving.  He had a couple good moments: he made raising the circus tent at the beginning  seem epic, and he could make Jacob and Marlena kisses and near-kisses so dramatic and evocative. 


Cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz

Directed by: Francis Lawrence, based on the novel by Sara Gruen

Rating: 2.0 stars - a very slow start and a smattering of good performances

More: Animal lovers will like this movie. There are great horse and elephant scenes. Although the animals have hard times, the characters are always trying to help them.

Even more: Who knew that circuses were so violent? How many guys got killed?

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Top Movies of 2010

Now that Oscar season is over and Spring is here; it is time to archive my reviews for 2010.

It was a good movie year. I really liked my top picks Black Swan and The Town. Scott Pilgrim vs the World is one I'd like to buy on Blu-Ray though -- very innovative and fun-to-watch. I need to get Inception too, because it is visually so great -- the beginning is slow.

I also liked Kick-Ass a lot in reflection about it -- I should have given it another half star.

Over rated movies that I don't want to see again are The Social Network and True Grit -- sometimes I get carried away by critical praise. Yeah the acting was good, but sometimes unremarkable movies need to be taken down.

4.0 Black Swan
4.0 The Town
3.5 The Social Network
3.5 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3.5 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
3.5 Toy Story 3
3.5 The Ghost Writer
3.5- The Kids Are All Right
3.0+ Inception
3.0 True Grit
3.0 Iron Man 2
3.0 Kick-Ass
3.0 Despicable Me
3.0 Alice in Wonderland
3.0 Edge of Darkness
3.0 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Bridesmaids

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Plot: Lillian (Maya Rudolph) is getting married and best-friend Anne (Kristen Wiig) is the maid-of-honor. Annie is jealous of rich, pretty, new friend Helen (Rose Byrne.) Their rivalry starts with toasts, continues enroute to the bachelorette party, and at the shower. Anne gets crazier and crazier, but she makes some new friends, fellow bridesmaid Megan and a cute cop.

Review: Bridesmaids is a very funny movie. The funniest movie so far this year. It is like Mean Girls -- most of the humor is about catty relationships. Kristen Wiig does a great job exaggerating her emotions in these scenes that happen all the time, but not bigger than life as they do in this movie.  Unlike Mean Girls, it is not all sitcom humor, Mean Girls has regular jokes and visual gags too.

The writing is clever, especially since this movie is bridging different genres.  Maya Rudolph does a great job - very engaging and likable; and I usually did not like her on SNL, but she was great here. 


The best two scenes were when Annie, at her jewelry store job, talks customers out of buying engagement rings and friendship necklaces because of her own issues. The second scene with the high school girl is a reason to buy the Blu-Ray.

There is a scene at the engagement party which is cringe-worthy as Annie and Helen embarrass each other giving tributes. Funny and memorable; although embarrassingly hard-to-watch. 


A special note is needed for Melissa McCarthy who plays the heavy butch bridesmaid. She steals every scene she is in, and she has great intensity.

Cast: Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph

Directed by: Paul Feig; Written by Kristin Wiig and Anne Mumolo

Rating: 3.5 stars. The rating revolves around two things, first it was fun to watch throughout, and second it had a serious side concerning how friends get along with each other. This movie is not going to get any Oscar nominations, although Kristen Wiig may deserve one.


More: The best thing I want to say about Bridesmaids is that I want to buy the Blu-Ray when it comes out.

Even more: Great shots of Milwaukee


Yet more: Bridesmaids is my highest rated comedy in two years.

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Thor (2D)

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Plot: Oden (Anthony Hopkins) gets mad at Thor (Chris Hemsworth) because of disobedience, and banishes him to Earth, where he crash lands. Cute scientist Jane (Natalie Portman) finds him, and gives him jeans and a T-shirt to wear, but soon they go off in search of his magic hammer. Meanwhile Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) claims the throne and sends a Destroyer to kill Thor. Action movie action follows.

Review: The Thor scenes on earth with Natalie Portman and especially wise-cracking Darcy (Kat Dennings) are entertaining -- the movie has fun with the comicbook stereotypes by having Darcy befuddle Thor with 2011 tech. The god comes to earth and is pretty clueless. Chris Hemsworth did a nice job with the part, and Natalie Portman was back to top form. 


I was less entertained by the in-fighting of the gods on Asgard, and the fighting with the ice-people was  dull. I did not like the blue animated ice King Laufey or evil brother Loki. Guardian Heimdall (Idris Elba) was pretty cool, and I'd like to see some sub-plots with him.

So the good parts were the low tech talking scenes, and the bad parts were the expensive fighting scenes and palace scenes.

The Destroyer battle in the earthtown was pretty scary -- it was the scariest monster scene I have seen in a while. I liked that part, and I was pretty into it.

The music was dull, and the art direction was spotty.

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh, based on the comic book by Stan Lee, et al.

Rating: 2.5 stars; pretty fun to watch, but un-even.

More: It looks like Jane/Natalie Portman is coming to Asgard in the sequel.

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