The Echo Chamber

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Film Review

bmnbuckeye — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:30:01 GMT

This is going to be a short review while I cool down from Hangover Pt II rant. So here come the magical bullet points!

Entertaining
Too long
Stop shoehorning in love stories. Especially 2/3rds into the film
Mermaids are hot and deadly but aren't most chicks?
Johnny Depp and Geoffery Rush are incredible here as was Ian McShane because well, Ian McShane is the man!
Penelope Cruz is purty
So was the mermaid chick
I fell asleep during bits of it

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

The Hangover Part II Film Review

bmnbuckeye — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:17:09 GMT

This review will be short because my hands will fall off if I get on a complete rant. I will state this: The Hangover Part II may not only be the worst film I've seen halfway into 2011 but the worst film I've seen in the last five to ten years. The sequel that had no setup from the first one proves throughout it is merely a cash grab. Not only does it constantly show you the finger for paying for it, it does so in such a cynical and cruel manner I was actually angry when I left the theater.

The Hangover somehow has a place in a lot of people's hearts. In truth, I've always fel the film was incredibly weak when compared to Todd Phillips' first major breakthrough film Old School. Was The Hangover funny? Certainly. Yet I cannot consistently laugh at the film like I can with Old School. The first film didn't do anything to warrant a sequel except earn income...

So here we are America, the movie apparently you all asked for. If you want to know exactly how the film plays out, watch the first film. There is nothing new here except the back drop of Thailand replete with obvious jokes about Bangkok and lady-boys. The film reduces Alan (Zach Galafanakis) to a mentally challenged man-child (the film goes so far as to show his "mind" as a fat child). It's cruel, it's stupid, and uninspired. For fuck's sake the film pretty much ends the exact same damned way as the first.

So congratulations to Todd Phillips and all involved for taking your first film, flipping it over, fucking it, then giving it a middle finger. Yet of course this piece of trash made money so guess what? We get to have The Hangover Part III in a couple years. Fuck Hollywood...

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

Thor Film Review

bmnbuckeye — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:08:50 GMT

Okay, I am truly failing to update this blog. Shameful, I know. Since 5 people in the world read it and 1000 people spam me, I'm okay with that.. Here we go with another lazy Friday bullet pointed review of Thor.

The film is largely a great success. I had deep reservations about how the sometimes goofy character of Thor could fit in with the way Marvel has been presenting their heroes. My concern was the "realism" of The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man would be lost once you introduced a Norse god. Envisioning Asgard as an alien planet was a good call and helped to suspend disbelief
Chris Hemsworth was well cast. He did a good job of playing up Thor's arrogance and lack of control and then his humility
Tom Hiddleston as Loki was a casting stroke of brilliance. The man plays the cunning and violent weasel really well. It's definitely encouraging to know he'll be a part of The Avengers.
The film has a great setup for next years The Avengers after the credits roll.
Some of the costuming was goofy but given the nature of Thor's characters it's to be expected. The film envisions Asgard well enough to make some of the shiny cheesiness dissipate
I wish Kat Dennings had more to do in the film then comment on her lost iPod. She is too beautiful and talented to waste like this...
The film had good call outs to the other Avengers

103 Days?!

bmnbuckeye — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:28:00 GMT

Holy moly have I fallen behind on the whole "blogging" thing. I'm being told that it has been 103 days since my last film review. I've seen several films in that time and now it is sadly too late to give them full and detailed reviews. So I am going to have to just throw very generic, unprofessional, and poorly written reactions to many films I've seen over the past four months. Here goes nothing.

The Green Hornet

Entertaining
Seth Rogen didn't ruin the film like so many Internet haters thought he would
Cameron Diaz is starting to age. That is a great but inevitable tragedy of us all
There were some genuine laughs and decent action scenes
Chrisoph Waltz is a good actor if you want a villian

Battle: Los Angeles

Awful, cheap, and loud
Aaron Eckhart should fire his agent as should Michelle Rodriguez
The alien design looked as though someone threw up in a junkyard. Terrible
Just because you are filming from the "perspective" of soldiers doesn't mean your camera work has to be erratic and nausea-inducing. Show some damned restraint
I didn't even hear half of the character's names

Paul

Super funny. I will always love Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. They truly demonstrated a love of American Science Fiction films. There are so many geeky references in the film I will be watching it again on Blu Ray just to see what I missed
Seth Rogen did awesome voice work
The CGI wasn't horrible
Aliens cursing and smoking may be low-brow, but it's FUNNY
Sometimes, you just need a movie that isn't trying to be anything more than what it is

Source Code

Astonishing and nearly masterful follow up for Duncan Jone's after Moon.
Takes a silly premise but introduces and expands on it in an engaging way that eases the viewer towards suspension of disbelief
Strong human story driven by character action and not plot points
Excellent performances from the cast
So far has a place in the top ten films of 2011. Best film I've personally seen so far this year
When given the right director and script, Jake Gyllenhaal can indeed act.
Michelle Monghanan is pretty

Your Highness

I laughed, a lot
Film critics need to get their heads out of their asses. Sometimes, a stoner comedy is just a stoner comedy. It doesn't have to be an Oscar contender
You will be astonished at the mileage gotten out of a Minotaur's penis
Natalie Portman is so beautiful it's cruel to know she's pregnant
If you come into the movie without pretension, you too shall laugh heartily.

Scream 4 (or Scre4m if you want to use the stupid marketing)

Paid decent enough homage to the original
Don't think this is going to do well at the Box Office
Allison Brie is smoking hot and had incredible cleavage in the film. She is giving Scarlett Johanssen and Natalie Portman a run for their money in terms of most gorgeous Jewish actress in Hollywood.
Neve Campbell didn't look too beat up
Courtney Cox almost appeared plastic, like they used CGI to cover up her age
Some of the kills were lame
The movie takes a trip to Absurdville as it winds down

That's all I can say for now folks. I'll try to do better in the future about keeping this blog up to date.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

Ten Films I WISH I Saw in 2010

bmnbuckeye — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 04:03:00 GMT

2010 was a big let down in some ways. I missed a lot of great films for various reasons. Here is a list:

Winter's Bone
Restrepo
Dogtooth
127 Hours
Never Let Me Go
The Town
The Fighter
Tangled
Black Swan
Blue Valentine

Top Ten Films I Saw in 2010

bmnbuckeye — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:40:00 GMT

Holy schnieke, it's been 64 days since my last update! What a bloody slacker.I didn't get to see as many movies this year as I would have liked. Most of what I saw was a bit of a let down and some movies I think I saw I didn't review... Just a lot of things happened this past year to distract me from writing good and timely reviews...

I'll be formulating my review for the excellent True Grit shortly but for now, here is a list, in no particular order, of the best films I got to see this year:

The Social Network
Toy Story 3
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Up in the Air
Inception
Kick Ass
Fair Game
How to Train Your Dragon
Iron Man 2
Shutter Island

That was a a difficult list to compile but there ya go.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

The Social Network review

bmnbuckeye — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:24:00 GMT

Wow, I have gotten horrifically behind on my writing. It's time for another "I sort of remember enough of the movie to be fair about my opinions on it" bullet-point laden review. This time around, I will be giving a disservice to the great film The Social Network. This is the much-hyped, "Facebook Movie". It is a dialogue-driven character study of Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's 26-year old founder. In the movie, Zuckerberg is played by a self-absorbed Jesse Eisenberg in a great turn as a person too smart for those around him.

The movie is really three separate stories about the creation of Facebook. None of which seem to be the "true" story. Do NOT enter this film thinking the portrayal of the people involved is true or accurate. These are stories and hearsay merged with dramatic storytelling
The beauty of The Social Network is in its look at friendship. Zuckerberg is a person with a core group of friends but wanting something, "significant" to happen in his life. When he creates Facebook (or is accused of stealing the idea), movie Zuckerberg begins to burn the bridges of those closet to him. The irony of the film is that Zuckerberg creates a refined way to be involved in the lives of friends while simultaneously isolating his own.
Another interesting portion of the film is how the film tackles the challenges of entrepreneurship. It shows how the Facebook team financed and tried to reach out to get seed money necessary to keep things active.
Justin Timberlake can act. I know... I was shocked too
Brenda Song is gorgeous and plays a pyscho girlfriend really well
Trent Reznor did the soundtrack with Atticus Finch and it's great
The Social Network will win Academy Awards and Oscars
Forget your expectations. This is a story about friendship, wealth, youth, and betrayal all rolled into one. The dialogue is snappy if sometimes verbose. The acting is convincing. There is even some dark humor to be found
The film is not a completely fair portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg. Also, the film depicts college women as one of two things: sex objects or so cruel they force the invention of a world-changing idea. The writer of The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin has tried to defend this but his defense rings hollow to me. I don't think the movie is inherently sexist as some attest but it definitely lacked any multi-dimensional female characters. However, feminists need to take a chill-pill because the founding of Facebook was started by nerds who probably had a lot of trouble with girls until they found one that was special (which Mark Zuckerberg has as he has a long-time girlfriend in real life)

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

bmnbuckeye — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:29:00 GMT

I've been meaning to write about this film for a long time. I apologize that this will be a very lazy review. Going to go to bullet points for this one:

The movie is AWESOME
Michael Cera does just fine
Everyone who grew up on video games owes themselves to see this film
Kiran Culkin stole the damn show.
Seriously, the movie is great
Only flaw is that Scott Pilgrim (the character) is a dick and his infatuation with the "girl of his dreams" isn't that believable.
Whatever, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a great film. Probably one of the strongest of the summer

Inception Movie Review

bmnbuckeye — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:35:00 GMT

My other most anticipated film of the summer finally came out this weekend. Christopher Nolan's Inception, like Toy Story 3, salvages a very disappointing summer movie season. To see a major studio tentpole film like this is the reason why I love movies. Kudos to Warner Bros. for rewarding Nolan's The Dark Knight success with a cart blanche ticket to craft this amazing film. Whilst many films have delved into the nature of dreams, no film has done what Inception has. Inception takes concepts of time, physics, and sleep and takes them to places I've personally not seen.

The rules of the dreamworld that the characters create in Inception are spelled out early and often. Perhaps the biggest flaw of the film is that it continues to tell us the rules rather than show us the rules. There is a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio's character (the protagonist Cobb) explicitly explains to Ariadne (the lovely Ellen Page) not to mess with the dream's architecture she built nor build with her memories as she runs the risk of making the mind aware it's dreaming. All the while Cobb explains this the projections of his dreams (the extras) begin to get violent. I felt this scene could have used less dialogue. It would have been much more jarring to see the dream turn violent and have Ariadne awaken in shock, learning her lessons the hard way.

No film can ever be perfect. The incredible ambition of Inception could never really be perfected. In spite of my minor quibble illustrated above, I absolutely adored this film. There was not one moment in its runtime I was not engaged or intrigued. When Ariadne begins to experiment with the physics of the dreamworld she's training in with Cobb, the inverting and twisting city-scape is an incredible visual feast. Nolan has masterfully played with the notion of physics within this film.

The central conceit and titular idea of the film is astounding. The concept of instilling an idea into someone so that they feel the idea was naturally their own rather than a suggestion is an amazingly powerful thing to ponder. I wish Inception would have done more to examine the morality of such an endeavor but the action set-pieces were so thoughtful and engaging that I was rooting for the cast of characters anyway.

As far as the action set pieces go, they are some of the most engaging and original I've seen in a sci-fi film since The Matrix. The scenes where Joseph Gordon-Levitt is battling projections in a dream that has lost gravity were incredibly well done. Seriously some of the most visually interesting fight scenes Nolan has ever directed. The cinematography of Inception was also top-notch.

There are tons of layers to this film, both literal and figurative. I didn't want to spoil too much in this film. I've left a lot of detail out of this review. The cast turns out excellent performances all around. The film generally strays away from holding the audiences hands which is a rare feat these days. The film is a brave cry to Hollywood that thought-provoking films can also be major summer tentpoles. Inception is another feather in Christopher Nolan's well stocked cap. Now if the man can complete his Batman trilogy unscathed by studio meddling the world will be a better place. I'll be seeing Inception again in the future for sure. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to see something unique and engaging this summer.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

Toy Story 3 film review

bmnbuckeye — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:57:00 GMT

Image taken from Cinecon.com. If you wish me to remove it please let me know

In a summer that has let me down immensely with regards to films, Toy Story 3 lifted me up. It is going to be very difficult to distill how incredible this film is into meaningful or insightful words and criticism. Pixar has absolutely unequivocally proven they are the masters of their craft. Not only has Pixar created a phenomenal end to a franchise that showed the world the power of computer animation to audiences worldwide, Pixar has crafted the first astonishing second sequel I've ever seen.

While I'm gushing about the film, I don't want to spoil the experience. I also don't want this to be a cheap little review like the other films I've recently gave half-assed reviews to. No, this film deserves not only my whole ass but everyone's whole ass. This is a complex, beautiful piece of work rich with texture and adult themes.

Toy Story 3 is a continuation of a grand story arc. Toy Story showed us that our child's play things come alive. They feel, they fight, they stick together. The movie introduces us the rules toys live by: be true to your owner and to each other. Understand that others may be better than you but always be better to yourself. (Woody's jealousy regarding the arrival of one Buzz Lightyear comes to mind).

Toy Story 2 reminded us that while toys are ageless, children are not. Children grow up, lose interest, find out about the world less through their imaginations. Toy Story 2 is partially about coming to grips with aging and irrelevance and then embracing that eventuality by living each moment in the moment (Jessie's fear of being forgotten and thrown away and then her acceptance that she can always start anew.)

Toy Story 3 brings the above films together. Now the reality is there. Andy, the imaginative little boy who so dearly loved all his toys has indeed grown up. While he has no interest in toys a part of him still is drawn to his two favorite toys (Buzz and Woody). College is calling him away and now the toys must accept fate: the attic or the trash heap. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen provide the poles by which the film is measured. Fantastic voice work from both of them. Woody still believes that he and his fellow toys can be of use to Andy at some point. Buzz isn't so sure.

The toys wind up, through misunderstanding and the vagaries of the world, at Sunnyside Day Care. They are met with promises of a toy-heaven. They will never be forgotten and will never not be played with. New children will always come to play with them and they will not rot in attic or be lost to a garbage dump. The center of this promise is one Lotso, an old bear (voiced by Ned Beatty) who is later revealed to be a false prophet.

I won't say any more about the plot. I promise you the reader it unfolds in logical and meaningful ways. I will say this, Toy Story 3 is the most adult and dark of all the films. It is truly a wonder how Pixar balances comedy, drama, and genuine emotion. You will be choked up. If you fail to get choked up in this film I advise you to look in a mirror and wonder at how you can be a human being.

Near the end of the film, Pixar brings you to the emotional edge and proves to the world they are masters of visual storytelling. The character reactions and emotions, with no dialogue, are beautifully rendered and displayed. If you have ever lost someone close, or fear losing someone close, you will be choked up. Just a master-stroke. My father told me that at 58 he never expected to tear up watching a computer-animated film about toys that live when no one watches them.

Toy Story 3 is about many things. On one track, it is about how Andy represents the march of time. How, as we grow up, we lose a piece of ourselves. We allow the world to beat us down, destroy our imaginations. At the end of the film, Andy has one final hoorah as a child and it's beautiful. Toy Story 3 can also be viewed as a treatise on the importance of family and friends. The intrepid toys bicker, fight, and even at times seem to truly hate each other. Yet, when all the chips are down they realize that all of that is petty and small. They unite and overcome in the face of all odds. Your immediate family is what you were born into. Love those people, for they do not last forever. I know this well and this is why the film affected me so much.

There you have it. I have no other words to say. This is one 26 year old man's opinion and interpretation. See the film and judge it yourself. Toy Story 3 is Pixar's strongest film to date in my opinion. I have no higher praise than that considering how much I have loved all of their films over the years even with the slight missteps of Cars and A Bug's Life. Pixar knows their craft.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

The A Team (2010) film review

bmnbuckeye — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:10:00 GMT

This summer has been rather lackluster for the usual tentpole blockbuster season. Joining the chorus of mediocrity is the updated A-Team. I was a kid when the show was originally aired. I think I saw re-runs. My father was an actual A-Team fan though and was surprisingly excited for the film. I was vacationing in San Diego, CA when this premiered. A 5.7 earthquake struck the theater moments into the movie, creating an intense viewing experience. Thoughts are below:

It was absolutely mindless entertainment but had a very strange plot structure. I felt like much of the movie went in circles...
Jessica Biel's beauty was wasted
Women may swoon for Bradley Cooper and I don't blame them. I wish I had that muscle definition and didn't like food and beer and working 9 hours a day at a sedentary job.
Rampage Jackson was an adequately satisfactory Mr-T. I mean, B.A. Baracas
Liam Neeson's American accents really are pretty uneven. Thanks Family Guy for tuning me to that...
Things go boom and a tank flies!
I wasn't bored
It was a fairly violent PG-13 film
My dad wasn't thrilled by it but was also entertained. He had low expectations and they were met

Get Him to the Greek Film Review

bmnbuckeye — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:58:00 GMT

One of several films I failed to write about was Get Him to the Greek. This is an unofficial follow-up to 2008's (I think) Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It brings back the breakout character of Aldous Snow (played with aplomb by Russell Brand), the sex and drug fueled rocker behind such international sensations as "The Clap". The film, directed and primarily written by Nicholas Stoller (a writer for Forgetting Sarah Marshall), tells the story of Aaron Green (Jonah Hill, who while hilarious is looking more and more obese with every film). Green is charged by his psychotic record industry boss Sergio (a scene stealing P. Diddy) to bring Aldous Snow to the Greek Theater in LA in like 72 hours or some shit.

Thoughts:

Get Him to the Greek is a very funny comedy. It won't be timeless but damn is a good piece of pop culture
The "African Child" music video introduction was... edgy
P. Diddy is fucking funny
Jonah Hill has got to lose some weight, he looked bloated an unhappy. You're a talented dude, take care of yourself
Aldous Snow's shtick is hit and miss
The soundtrack is often funnier than the film
You may never look at Lars Ulrich the same
Favorite quote, "It's like I'm a 50's housewife. Like my dreams don't matter"

Apolgies

bmnbuckeye — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:56:00 GMT

It's apparently been nearly 60 days since my last review. Things have just been incredibly hectic for myself. Work is beating me up a bit and I've both had my heartbroken and have found new romantic endeavors. Also, I just failed to sit down and write. I'm going to be adding several very short reviews today.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

Iron Man 2 review

bmnbuckeye — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:01:00 GMT

And here we are, the official kick-off of the summer blockbuster movie season. What better way to start the summer then with a popcorn flick starring the imminently talented Robert Downey Jr.? Iron Man 2 was a blast to watch. Though not as even as it could have been. It's clear that John Favreau shoots from the hip in his film-making. Clearly that is is a double edged sword here as too much is thrown on the able on some of the story of the film gets a little mumbled.

Robert Downey Jr. continues to prove that he was a stroke of casting genius. His Tony Stark is pitch-perfect. Not only do we see Stark at his most egotistical, we get to see him at nearly his most vulnerable. However, the film doesn't seem to risk too much in Stark's life. Nothing is truly taken away from Stark in this film. Some people are clamoring for the next film in the franchise to go the way of The Dark Knight and bring to the screen the dark story Demon in A Bottle . I really don't think this is necessary.

Favreau has balanced the darker aspects of the Stark character with great subtly and humor. Not every comic film needs to be gritty, dark, or raw to be meaningful. We are treated to a scene of Stark's reckless behavior and alcoholism at his birthday party where he embarrassed himself while in his Iron Man suit. His "lone wolf" act is clearly too much of a burden but Stark is too proud to admit it.

Though the story may be weighted down by a ton of characters and references that only Internet nerds like myself or comic book nerds will appreciate, the film is entertaining enough to engage wide audiences. While it helps to know that Marvel plans to bring this character into the Avengers team along with it's other tentpole films it's not critical to understanding Iron Man 2.

Another slight disappointment was the unceremonious defeat of the film's actual threat, Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash (drastically changed from the comics it seems). Here we have a true threat in both power and intellect to Stark/Iron Man and all it takes to defeat him is a sudden realization after a few moments of getting your ass beat.

Another weird villain was Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer (whose name no one would take seriously in real life). Rockwell clearly had a lot of fun with the role of jealous competitor to Tony Stark. I love how he demeans Stark by calling him Anthony.

There is a lot to review about the movie. Scarlett Johannson is a beautiful woman and it's great to see her kick ass but the character of Natasha Romanov was a little shallow. Again, the shoot from the hip film-making and uneven story are a bit to blame for this. John Favreau pats himself on the back a lot by placing the chauffeur role of Happy Hogan more into the forefront. Not that I blame him, the character does have some importance in the Marvel universe. That's that. Iron Man 2 was a good time at the movies.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

Kick-Ass film review

bmnbuckeye — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:42:00 GMT

Yet another late review. I really do apologize. Life just keeps getting in the way of me keeping up with this non-money generating blog. Funny how that goes. So I'm going to do another one of my lazy man reviews because today I want to talk more about Iron Man 2.

So a couple weeks ago the friends and I caught this indie-comic film. Here are my bulleted thoughts:

Kick-Ass does a lot to entertain the viewer. It has some decent themes about how much shit we let our fellow man get away with. It also has some very dark humor. I mean, this movie is kind of bitter in a way. When the titular hero does go out to finally step up to some street thugs he nearly gets gutted like a pig. It's a brutal way to bring the audience down to earth and state this is not your typical hero film
Nicholas Cage proves he can still bring it if he restrains the crazy. His Big Daddy character is awesome and he provides very dark humor in that character. He also plays a strange father to newcomer Chloe Moritz (Hit-Girl) but you can tell he has the depth to show love a father should have for his daughter
The movie is incredibly brutal in its violence. If you don't like the idea of seeing an eleven year old girl get the snot beat out of her you may want to avoid the film.
Vigilante justice is a tough road
Comics are an escape mechanism for nerds. Movies are escape mechanism for people who are secret nerds
McLovin will never live that role down
Mark Strong loves playing some evil people.

Clash of the Titans (2010) film review

bmnbuckeye — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:39:00 GMT

Where do I even begin with this one? The remade Clash of the Titans was so brash, loud, and empty that all I can remember is my friends and I trying to behave like the characters on Mystery Science Theater 3000. I almost thought to see a SyFy channel logo pop up at some point because the production quality and thought put into this movie was about on par with Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

Sam Worthington has me scratching my head at this point as to why he's been given so much work recently. I cannot tell the difference between his Terminator character, his Avatar character, or his Perseus in this film. It's not that Mr. Worthington is necessarily a bad actor... he's just not... he's just missing something. Once again poor Sam goes through the motions of being torn between two worlds. Blah blah he fights some CGI and the day is won and he realizes his "true place" (In Terminator; sacrifice in Avatar; with blue Native Americans/African tribespeople, in Clash; mortals).

The great Liam Neeson shows up to blind the audience as Zeus. He is just there. I've read a lot of his stuff was cut due to focus testing. Did the studio show this movie to a bunch of drunken and/or stoned apes? There is no drama from his presence, no threat that he poses to Perseus (however his actions cause the demise of the unnamed crew Perseus travels with). It's bland and boring but at least his armor is obscenely shiny.

I have nothing else to say on this....

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

Alice in Wonderland Review

bmnbuckeye — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Another review I've been meaning to write for a while. I saw Alice in Wonderland when it premiered earlier this month. As I'm pretty busy and under the weather I again will be forgoing any real depth to my reactions. Here is a bullet list run down of my feelings on this new Tim Burton vehicle:

Entertained me throughout. Johnny Depp makes a great Mad Hatter. I don't understand the hate he's gotten due to the varying accents he uses in the film. In my opinion, it creates a better view of the Hatter as a truly fractured personality.
So Wonderland is really Underland? Don't know if Lewis Caroll would approve of that
The effects work was generally solid with some inconsistent colors here and there. If I had seen this in 3D I think the effects work would have not been as impressive. The Jabberwocky is really pretty frightening for children. The film pushed the boundaries of its seemingly innocent PG rating.
Newcomer Mia Wasikowska is cute but doesn't really bring too much aside from looks to the proceedings. Anne Hathaway is beautiful at the White Queen but is an afterthought. And I was seriously annoyed by her having to have her arms in a weird "dainty pose" in every scene she was in
Chesire Cat is always incredible
Tim Burton is still a good director but should branch out to work with actors other than Depp and his sort of wife Bonham-Carter.

The Wolfman film review

bmnbuckeye — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:31:00 GMT

The Wolfman is one of Universal Studios' most celebrated horror franchises. After an embattled production, release delays, and script rewrites we now have Joe Johnston's remake of the 1941 classic. In nearly all human cultures there are stories of men turned into beasts via a curse. All cultures have ideas of what is means to be human and the threat of losing that identity to malevolence or violence. This is an idea that no longer is original so how does one even hope to make it engaging? If you're living in 2010, you take out most of this identity crisis and sprinkle it with insane amounts of violence and generalizations about lycanthropy.

Benecio del Toro turns in an admirable performance as the titular Wolfman. He is apparently an American actor born of British parents who has essentially self-exiled himself after a traumatic experience. His character, Lawerence Talbot, returns to Victorian England after the death of his estranged brother at the claws of some "creature". After some investigation he finds that the creature is the mythical werewolf. He is of course attacked and the fun ensues.

Anthony Hopkins stars as the distant father, who spouts line of dialogue so obtuse even my head was scratched. There is a twist involved which I won't spoil but you will see coming a mile away.

Emily Blunt is the beautiful widow of Lawerence's brother. She of course falls in love with Lawerence too somehow. Perhaps because he is one of three males we ever see her interact with? Her acting is actually better than most of her peers.

The movie is pretty forgettable. If you don't like violent films you'll want to steer away. One thing the film really got right was the atmosphere. When the wolfman tears shit up, he tears shit up and people are absolutely affected and Victorian England definitely says, "my word". All in all I was entertained but not floored. Yeah, my reviews are getting lazy and I don't really care.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.

Youth in Revolt film review

bmnbuckeye — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:18:00 GMT

This is going to be a short and not very well-written review of a movie I've meant to review a long time ago. Youth in Revolt left no truly lasting impression on me so I'll just review it in bullet points:

The film is entertaining and I did let out a few guffaws
Michael Cera stretched himself just ever so slightly to play a "bad boy". Really I felt like like it was another way for him to use curse words and sport a ridiculous mustache. Note to Cera, you will always look 13. Lift some weights some time.
Jean Smart has aged terribly
The movie had some really funny and vulgar lines
Nothing was special about the story or direction
Other people in the theater laughed
Here is a poster from IMDB. The lack of real thought on the tagline kind of sums up my opinion on the movie. A forgettable comedy that at least entertains but doesn't really stick with you.

Busy Busy

bmnbuckeye — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:16:00 GMT

I've been neglecting the blog recently. I've had a shift change at work and some life events that have taken my focus away from reviewing the movies I've seen recently. I'm going to have some reviews up later today.

I hold this work to be original thought. If I have used copyrighted material please email me. I will bring it down immediately. I merely mean for this blog to be a means to discuss and dissect my favorite things.