Business travel + working from home = lots of time to see movies. Quick thoughts on what I’ve seen recently, with this subjective grading scale: Must See, I Enjoyed (but you might not), Meh, Pass.
- 2012: Meh. Modern-day apocalypse with man fighting against man and nature to preserve the human species. If you must see large, special effects blockbusters, I suppose you’ll see this. But the dialog was distractingly bad, and the special effects weren’t at all convincing. I wouldn’t even rent this.
- Avatar: Must see. I saw the 3D version twice and would like to see the IMAX version. Truly, the plot is familiar and predictable — Dances with Wolves in a futuristic setting. But the plot is still epic and the special effects groundbreaking. Everyone should see the highest grossing movie of all time. Can Sigourney Weaver really be 51 years old? And it’s fascinating to me how actors and actresses on the rise shot the films making them popular years in the past. I’d never heard of Zoe Saldana before Star Trek, and now she’s everywhere.
- Book of Eli: I Enjoyed. Post-apocalyptic future, with a moralistic man on a mission, ending with a surprise. Denzel Washington is almost always good for a solid performance. And I think I’m in love with Mila Kunis.
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Pass. Animated. Inventor creates a machine to create food from weather. Saw this on a flight and might have been distracted. Is this a children’s movie? I think so. It just didn’t hold my attention.
- District 9: Meh. I managed to avoid any knowledge of this other than that it was in the broader science fiction genre. I was surprised, but not necessarily pleasantly so. I watched the whole movie in a state of puzzlement. I still don’t know what to think. I’ll give it this: It was memorable.
- Fantastic Mr. Fox: Meh. Didn’t know anything about this movie either, although my brother has been wanting to see it for months. I didn’t know George Clooney was the lead voice actor and didn’t fully appreciate how immediately distinctive and recognizable his wry voice is. Clever, witty film, requiring attention for appreciation. I think I need to see this again and will appreciate it the next time.
- Gamer: Meh. Medicore action flick.
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: Pass. Bad action flick.
- Hurt Locker: Must See. I tend to eschew contemporary portrayals of events. Hurt Locker was great and deserving of the critical acclaim. Set in Iraq, all about a bomb squad finishing up a tour of duty.
- Invention of Lying: I Enjoyed. Diverting comedy, pretty much represented well by any preview you’ve seen. I’m always grateful to Ricky Gervais for bringing us “The Office.”
- Sherlock Holmes: Meh. My brother loved this, but, for reasons I can’t quite explain, I found the pacing of the movie disjointed. Robert Downey Jr. in a very typically clever role for him. And Jude Law was a more capable, rugged Watson.
- Twilight Saga: New Moon: I Enjoyed. Not great books, not great movies, yet candy for the mind. I’ve read all the books and expect I will see all the films. Taylor Lautner provides motivation to work out. Ashley Greene as Alice is adorable. Robert Pattinson, I just don’t get any attraction to him by women.
- Whip It: Must See. Ellen Page of Juno fame was again fantastic. 17-year-old girl whose mom wants her to be a beauty queen goes for the Austin roller derby instead. I didn’t realize this was a Drew Barrymore-directed movie and loved her over-the-top character as usual. Similarly, Julette Lewis seems always to play surreal characters. I seriously wonder what she’s like in real life — just as nutty? This is a great feel-good movie, and I recommend it more than any other reviewed here.
- Whiteout: Pass. I’ll see any movie with Kate Beckinsale, but this was pretty bad. I enjoyed seeing Tom Skerritt, only because his son attended my high school while I was there and I therefore feel some personal connection to him.
Q.E.D.
