Paolo wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:19 pm
Wondering if Dave has seen "Karate Kid", or rather, "Kung Fu Kid" as it should have been called - Will Smith's latest vehicle, with his young son shoved into the part
Not yet...
I saw the original and skipped the sequels to the original. I had no great burning desire to see a remake.
I remember Jaden Smith getting bad reviews in the remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" ... That remake was not as good as it should have been.
And I remember him getting good reviews in "The Pursuit of Happyness" which I saw and like.
2010 has been a bad year for me and movies in theaters.
StefanIsMe (imported) wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:33 pm
About the comment above re. the movie "300"; yes, that was a bad choice to take your kid to, if you assumed it was going to be remotely educational...
Oh the pain, the agony.
Frank Millar created a "graphic novel" (think adult comic book) of 300. It became a cult hit in the book world. It wasn't meant to be a historical like Barbara Tuchman writes or Ken Burns creates. That's not to excuse it. It's a bit too psychedelic for my taste and all that heaving, sweaty (and genital-free) man-flesh is way overdone.
And the comic was translated into a film because the movie industry discovered comic book heroes beyond Batman and Superman over the past decade. These graphic novels have a built in audience of comic book geeks and nerds who create chatter and buzz in anticipation of the release.
They told the backstory, all of it, all of it in boring detail. Oh my starts is that backstory boring. Other than that, It's not a bad movie -- nice action and lots of silly fun action. However, the dialog ain't Shakespearean, more like a reading primer for kids. WHO talks like that? Could the writers have more background in literature than "See spot. See Spot Run. Dick and Jane go up a hill. Dick and Jane walk down the hill."
Like dudes, what do you do when your character actually foresees his death and acts like it is inevitable and brings down the movie? That's a bad director who can't motivate his actors.
It's got great effects. The monsters are really well done and impressive. Especially the Kraken which really does scare. The action sequences are good. But the dialog is awful.
PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF
Fun but aimless. I did enjoy this. It's cotton candy -- all fluff and no substance. It's got a Satyr in it and It's got Piece Brosnan as the worst horse's ass joke you could imagine. But that is only a minor consideration. He's not Jar Jar Binks (worthy of undying enmity), just wasted. To tell the truth, this is a better written story than CLASH OF THE TITANS. It's kids stuff -- think late night TV Saturday night sci-fi theater and that's OK.
So that's the two movies for this week. I had lots to read for a book discussion group and reading took all my time.
Dave (imported) wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2010 1:03 pm
Let's talk about last nights movie:
PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF
Fun but aimless. I did enjoy this. It's cotton candy -- all fluff and no substance. It's got a Satyr in it and It's got Piece Brosnan as the worst horse's ass joke you could imagine. But that is only a minor consideration. He's not Jar Jar Binks (worthy of undying enmity), just wasted. To tell the truth, this is a better written story than CLASH OF THE TITANS. It's kids stuff -- think late night TV Saturday night sci-fi theater and that's OK.
So that's the two movies for this week. I had lots to read for a book discussion group and reading took all my time.
I started the book but soon became bored with it and haven't finished it. The movie was fun, though.
Well actually, this is the first time I've seen the movie but you might say that it is the second time I've watched it. or may vice versa...
I first watched the 2007 British version and it is a scream and a wonderful farce. Very British and stiff-upper-lip. type humor.
They remade it in the USA with Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence (changed the race) and the American version is slightly more vulgar, definitely farce and so much funnier because the setups to the jokes are broader.
In case you don't know the plot:
A family assembles for the father's funeral and his oldest son (apparently not the favorite son) has all the responsibility. His brother is a successful author who should be rich but is broke. THe family is an odd assortment of nuts and mixed race. One boyfriend arrives not realizing he has been given hallucinogens. An elderly Uncle Russell has bathroom problems. One boyfriend gets naked on the roof... Peter Dinklage is at the funeral and wants his fair share because he was the gay lover of the deceased (with pictures to prove it). Betina, a family friend is no longer 12 but 18 and bootylicious. Someone has a rash. One wife is pregnant and another wants to be. The food has nuts in it. All the elements of a grand farce.
Both versions are very funny.
And one last thing -- I'm not crapping on this movie but Uncle Russell does crap on somebody. It's a laugh out loud screaming funny scene, too.
It's scary and it lives up to its name. A little bit screaming loud for late night viewing but truly a scary movie in its own right. Groovy, scary effects without buckets of blood and just enough of a story to hold it all together. It bucks the trend of bloodthirsty horror like Saw and Hostel.
Two tapes - one of opera (bootleg) and one from a whore revealing her Pimps international connections - are mixed up in a sophisticated, stylish and wonderful action story. Scary murderers, drooked cops, record pirates and a cute as a button hero all of whom want their particular tape and and and Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez singing "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" from Alfredo Catalani's opera La Wally, the Diva who fights pirated discography. She has a voice to die for and you just might. But beware, It's in French with English subtitles.
