Ref: Mulhern
#53: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Salmon, sheikhs, surprise twists - this was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
#52: Where Do We Go Now?
While I've enjoyed previous MSPIFF closing films better than this one (see Stuck Between Stations, which Mulhern purchased recently for our re-viewing pleasure), I found Where Do We Go Now? thought-provoking.
#51: Think Like a Man
Diverting if far-fetched, this one may have been my fault...
#50: The Bourne Legacy
Jason Bourne approves of Mulhern's strategy of elevating his saga in the rankings each time a new blog post is released; that's what's happening, right?
#49: The Campaign
While entertaining overall, the film went a little too far in some places.
#48: Haywire
The action was packed in and the acting was lacking, but my sister and I were most amazed by the fact that Gina Carano wears way more makeup in real life (per the making-of featurette) than she did in the movie.
#47: That's My Boy
I did not view this, although it certainly sounds like a cinematic gem.
Showing posts with label fault. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fault. Show all posts
23 February 2013
07 February 2011
2010 Movies: #44 & 43
Ref: Mulhern
#44 The Karate Kid
Boy leaves friends behind and moves to China. Boy is bored and doesn't fit in. Boy runs from bullies and meets mysterious karate guru. Boy begins to learn karate. Boy meets karate bully's pseudo-girlfriend. Boy charms girl and distracts her from violin. Boy *spoiler alert* overcomes adversity and restores the honor of girl, himself and both their families. Sequel soon to follow, one can only hope.
The Karate Kid provided an evening of enjoyable by-the-book entertainment. Jaden Smith was cute and Jackie Chan was as solid as ever. A thought on the culmination - I always find it ridiculous that movies in which youth participate in a big game, tournament or competition make sure that said event is the biggest event in the history of the world. Seriously - elementary school karate tournament? Of course the world is watching. All in all, the only thing missing from The Karate Kid was the crane! (Well, that and the legendary hair.)
On the Jaden Smith career watch front, while watching Gossip Girl this evening I saw a preview for the Justin Bieber documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (an upcoming feature of which I was thankfully unaware until today, less than a week before its release), which apparently features some slow motion dancing by the young Smith lad. I think it's safe to say he's well on his way.
#43 Salt
First of all, re: bath salts: true story. Moving on, re: Salt: my descriptor for this film would be "overseasoned" - too much Salt trying to cover up too little substance.
I think the viewing of Salt - in the theatre, no less - was my fault as well. The preview made the movie look like a Fugitive-style action thriller, but I was underwhelmed by the end product. The concept, albeit confusing, was worthwhile - the "is she or isn't she" dynamic kept me guessing until the end - but I was shocked about how much violence the film's execution (no pun intended) involved. It felt way too gratuitous. Cribs from your standard action touchstones, like Mission: Impossible and the aforementioned Fugitive franchise, were employed to uneven effect.
Although a clear sequel setup rounded out the production, I think it's safe to say that if I deign to view Salt II: Open Season(ing), it will be from the comfort of my basement with a beverage in hand.
#44 The Karate Kid
Boy leaves friends behind and moves to China. Boy is bored and doesn't fit in. Boy runs from bullies and meets mysterious karate guru. Boy begins to learn karate. Boy meets karate bully's pseudo-girlfriend. Boy charms girl and distracts her from violin. Boy *spoiler alert* overcomes adversity and restores the honor of girl, himself and both their families. Sequel soon to follow, one can only hope.
The Karate Kid provided an evening of enjoyable by-the-book entertainment. Jaden Smith was cute and Jackie Chan was as solid as ever. A thought on the culmination - I always find it ridiculous that movies in which youth participate in a big game, tournament or competition make sure that said event is the biggest event in the history of the world. Seriously - elementary school karate tournament? Of course the world is watching. All in all, the only thing missing from The Karate Kid was the crane! (Well, that and the legendary hair.)
On the Jaden Smith career watch front, while watching Gossip Girl this evening I saw a preview for the Justin Bieber documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (an upcoming feature of which I was thankfully unaware until today, less than a week before its release), which apparently features some slow motion dancing by the young Smith lad. I think it's safe to say he's well on his way.
#43 Salt
First of all, re: bath salts: true story. Moving on, re: Salt: my descriptor for this film would be "overseasoned" - too much Salt trying to cover up too little substance.
I think the viewing of Salt - in the theatre, no less - was my fault as well. The preview made the movie look like a Fugitive-style action thriller, but I was underwhelmed by the end product. The concept, albeit confusing, was worthwhile - the "is she or isn't she" dynamic kept me guessing until the end - but I was shocked about how much violence the film's execution (no pun intended) involved. It felt way too gratuitous. Cribs from your standard action touchstones, like Mission: Impossible and the aforementioned Fugitive franchise, were employed to uneven effect.
Although a clear sequel setup rounded out the production, I think it's safe to say that if I deign to view Salt II: Open Season(ing), it will be from the comfort of my basement with a beverage in hand.
03 February 2011
2010 Movies: #46 & 45
Ref: Mulhern
# 46 Just Wright
Point of clarification on the Rapper/Actor phenomenon: if I recall correctly, Vanilla Ice actually rapped during TMNT II in a club fight scene. One must give him full credit for his hour of glory. Also, any discussion of Rapper/Actors that does not include LL Cool J (Deep Blue Sea, NCIS: LA, need I say more?) is sorely lacking. With that out of the way...
The viewing of this film again resulted from one of my requests. I recall seeing its preview (perhaps during Valentine's Day?) and prodding B: "I want to see that!" Fast forward a few months and Redbox brought Queen Latifah and Common in all their glory to the comfort of home.
I enjoyed Just Wright and would probably see it again. I liked the fact that Leslie was a strong, independent career woman with realistic qualities and personality attributes. From her clunky car and fixer-upper home to the girl-next-door attitude she was challenged to shed, I felt like Queen Latifah was playing a real woman (albeit in a somewhat contrived situation). Her cousin, on the other hand, completely annoyed me. And Common was a bit of a moron when it came to recognizing the motives of said jersey-chaser - but I suppose that was necessary to get the movie going.
Above all, I was pleased that *spoiler alert* the (w)right one won out in the end.
#45 Iron Man 2
I put this in the "shame" category. Shame on you, creators of Iron Man 2, for so desecrating the sophomore effort of what could have been a solid superhero franchise. Overall, I would rank Valentine's Day and Just Wright above Iron Man 2 - which is probably the result of the high expectations to which B alluded.
Watching this movie with Mulhern, I found myself distracted by his disgust at the annoying Stark-competitor character bent on taking over the world or whatever. When he says he was cringing he isn't kidding. A drinking game for every cringe would have left all of us with heads spinning.
In the original Iron Man, I appreciated the dynamic between Gwyneth's Pepper Potts and RDJ's Tony Stark, splendid in the glory of hinted-at-yet-unacknowledged love. This time around, it fell kind of flat, from what I recall.
I appreciated the flashbacks to Roger Sterling, whiskey in hand, as Papa Stark laying out a puzzle for his son to solve. I also liked the bird.
# 46 Just Wright
Point of clarification on the Rapper/Actor phenomenon: if I recall correctly, Vanilla Ice actually rapped during TMNT II in a club fight scene. One must give him full credit for his hour of glory. Also, any discussion of Rapper/Actors that does not include LL Cool J (Deep Blue Sea, NCIS: LA, need I say more?) is sorely lacking. With that out of the way...
The viewing of this film again resulted from one of my requests. I recall seeing its preview (perhaps during Valentine's Day?) and prodding B: "I want to see that!" Fast forward a few months and Redbox brought Queen Latifah and Common in all their glory to the comfort of home.
I enjoyed Just Wright and would probably see it again. I liked the fact that Leslie was a strong, independent career woman with realistic qualities and personality attributes. From her clunky car and fixer-upper home to the girl-next-door attitude she was challenged to shed, I felt like Queen Latifah was playing a real woman (albeit in a somewhat contrived situation). Her cousin, on the other hand, completely annoyed me. And Common was a bit of a moron when it came to recognizing the motives of said jersey-chaser - but I suppose that was necessary to get the movie going.
Above all, I was pleased that *spoiler alert* the (w)right one won out in the end.
#45 Iron Man 2
I put this in the "shame" category. Shame on you, creators of Iron Man 2, for so desecrating the sophomore effort of what could have been a solid superhero franchise. Overall, I would rank Valentine's Day and Just Wright above Iron Man 2 - which is probably the result of the high expectations to which B alluded.
Watching this movie with Mulhern, I found myself distracted by his disgust at the annoying Stark-competitor character bent on taking over the world or whatever. When he says he was cringing he isn't kidding. A drinking game for every cringe would have left all of us with heads spinning.
In the original Iron Man, I appreciated the dynamic between Gwyneth's Pepper Potts and RDJ's Tony Stark, splendid in the glory of hinted-at-yet-unacknowledged love. This time around, it fell kind of flat, from what I recall.
I appreciated the flashbacks to Roger Sterling, whiskey in hand, as Papa Stark laying out a puzzle for his son to solve. I also liked the bird.
01 February 2011
2010 Movies: #48 & 47
Ref: Mulhern
#48 Valentine's Day
Garry Marshall, I feel for you. You're known for highlighting your favorite actors repeatedly in your films (see: Julia Roberts, Hector Elizondo, Anne Hathaway, Kathleen Marshall [your daughter]) - and I like seeing my favorite actors repeatedly in films, so we have that in common.
I'll admit, I've seen this movie twice, once on its eponymous day and once as a fairly recent rental. I've had a soft spot for Bradley Cooper since Alias and it was great to see him redeem himself from the *spoiler alert* two-timing cad (blast you Jennifer Connelly for being just so crazy in that film and ScarJo for being hideously costumed, although I do like your recent bob) he played in another ensemble film that B simply loved, He's Just Not That Into You (nice character name, btw). And I rather enjoyed the characters played by Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Hector, Emma Roberts (way too mature for a high schooler), Kristin Schaal (now officially in everything) and, of course, Ashton. All in all, I'm not saying it's fine cinema, but I found it to be an enjoyable 125 minutes of my life that I don't regret devoting (twice) to some by-the-book rom-com escapism. G, if you could back slightly away from the tropes for New Year's Eve, I might actually be tempted to watch - though, to be fair, not at the midnight showing on December 31. With both Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Biel playing different characters this time around, I think that might be more than I could handle with a champagne cocktail or two under my belt.
#47 The Losers
This one was my fault - or, rather, the fault of the Redbox description:
#48 Valentine's Day
Garry Marshall, I feel for you. You're known for highlighting your favorite actors repeatedly in your films (see: Julia Roberts, Hector Elizondo, Anne Hathaway, Kathleen Marshall [your daughter]) - and I like seeing my favorite actors repeatedly in films, so we have that in common.
I'll admit, I've seen this movie twice, once on its eponymous day and once as a fairly recent rental. I've had a soft spot for Bradley Cooper since Alias and it was great to see him redeem himself from the *spoiler alert* two-timing cad (blast you Jennifer Connelly for being just so crazy in that film and ScarJo for being hideously costumed, although I do like your recent bob) he played in another ensemble film that B simply loved, He's Just Not That Into You (nice character name, btw). And I rather enjoyed the characters played by Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Hector, Emma Roberts (way too mature for a high schooler), Kristin Schaal (now officially in everything) and, of course, Ashton. All in all, I'm not saying it's fine cinema, but I found it to be an enjoyable 125 minutes of my life that I don't regret devoting (twice) to some by-the-book rom-com escapism. G, if you could back slightly away from the tropes for New Year's Eve, I might actually be tempted to watch - though, to be fair, not at the midnight showing on December 31. With both Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Biel playing different characters this time around, I think that might be more than I could handle with a champagne cocktail or two under my belt.
#47 The Losers
This one was my fault - or, rather, the fault of the Redbox description:
An explosive action tale of betrayal and revenge, The Losers centers around an elite Special Forces unit sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search-and-destroy mission. But the team – Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar – soon find that they have become the target of a deadly double cross instigated by a powerful enemy known only as Max.
It sounds like the poor man's The A Team (again with the Bradley Cooper!), with Zoe Saldana standing in for Jessica Biel - and who doesn't like Zoe Saldana? But, alas, there were no action-packed *spoiler alert* plummeting tank scenes in The Losers. There was only darkness, and despair, and a shot of ZS in some undies reflected slow-motion style in a shard of broken mirror, which I believe was a highlight for B, though it didn't do enough to counteract the general gratuitous violence (which, for an action comedy, is saying a lot).
Mulhern's review reminded me that there were some lighthearted moments and laugh-out-loud lines in this film - after all, it boasted the classic word-combine "BlaGyver!" - but my overall impression was that I should have opted for a second viewing of The A Team.
2010 Movies: #50 & 49
Ref: Mulhern
First of all, regarding the whole, "I'm not a movie critic," line: I call shenanigans. BMWM is nothing if not a film buff, rendered thusly by some combination of in-utero theatre experience, youthful jaunts to the local multiplex (live-action TMNT, anyone?) and diligent post-secondary school days in the realm of radio-TV-film. That said, onwards...
#50: Death at a Funeral
A somewhat inauspicious start to my enterprise, as I was not privy to the viewing of this film. However, I have received word from the Mulhern himself that he found it preferable to Janky Promoters, a prime rental from last Oscar season, so D at a F does have that in its corner.
#49: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
As the force behind the viewing of the above films (and its predecessors), I must agree with Mulhern on this one: saga it is not. In fact, this "loyal" fan (read all the books, watched the first three movies [two in theatres on late run, one in my basement... twice...]) does not plan on shelling out for the hot and heavy six-hours-over-two-years-of-my-life that Breaking Dawn Parts I and II will offer. I'm just not that into the whole *spoiler alert* clawing vampire birth scene, among other choice moments.
I must inform you that I didn't have to twist B's arm to have him accompany me to this movie. At a viewing of one preview, where a vampire did a parallel leap over a werewolf, I distinctly recall him saying, "That looks pretty cool." Eclipse, however, made the classic mistake of sharing all the highlights in its preview.
To be fair, B - the feud in The Twilight Saga is not between tweens alone (besides, I think they're at least in late high school - and Edward is undead, so there's that). Nay, it is an epic battle, pitting good vs. evil, humanity vs. true love, pride vs. prejudice, werewolves vs. vampires, vampires vs. vampires, vampires vs. humans, humans vs. vampires and my desire of watching full series in order vs. my lack of desire to see this series' finale.
First of all, regarding the whole, "I'm not a movie critic," line: I call shenanigans. BMWM is nothing if not a film buff, rendered thusly by some combination of in-utero theatre experience, youthful jaunts to the local multiplex (live-action TMNT, anyone?) and diligent post-secondary school days in the realm of radio-TV-film. That said, onwards...
#50: Death at a Funeral
A somewhat inauspicious start to my enterprise, as I was not privy to the viewing of this film. However, I have received word from the Mulhern himself that he found it preferable to Janky Promoters, a prime rental from last Oscar season, so D at a F does have that in its corner.
#49: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
As the force behind the viewing of the above films (and its predecessors), I must agree with Mulhern on this one: saga it is not. In fact, this "loyal" fan (read all the books, watched the first three movies [two in theatres on late run, one in my basement... twice...]) does not plan on shelling out for the hot and heavy six-hours-over-two-years-of-my-life that Breaking Dawn Parts I and II will offer. I'm just not that into the whole *spoiler alert* clawing vampire birth scene, among other choice moments.
I must inform you that I didn't have to twist B's arm to have him accompany me to this movie. At a viewing of one preview, where a vampire did a parallel leap over a werewolf, I distinctly recall him saying, "That looks pretty cool." Eclipse, however, made the classic mistake of sharing all the highlights in its preview.
To be fair, B - the feud in The Twilight Saga is not between tweens alone (besides, I think they're at least in late high school - and Edward is undead, so there's that). Nay, it is an epic battle, pitting good vs. evil, humanity vs. true love, pride vs. prejudice, werewolves vs. vampires, vampires vs. vampires, vampires vs. humans, humans vs. vampires and my desire of watching full series in order vs. my lack of desire to see this series' finale.
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