Category: Movies and Television Shows

Movie Review: The Conspirator (2011)

The Conspirator (2011)

4 out of 5 stars

At one point in my life I probably knew that the first woman executed in the United States was a member of the ring of conspirators who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.  I’ve slept since then and forgotten all I might have known beyond remembering that John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln and that the term ‘Your name is Mudd’ has it’s origins from that event.

I did not know, however, that Mary Surrat was tried in a military court martial, where the presumption of guilt (not innocence) presides and the rules of evidence are less stringent than a civilian court of law.

The Civil War (and it’s aftermath) have never held my historical attention like 20th century wars seem to (especially World War II).  Even living in northeastern Kansas, near the legacy of John Brown and the Lawrence Massacre by Quantrill, I tend to turn a blind eye to that time period.

But I can see parallels to our own times, one hundred and fifty years later, in the aftermath of 9/11 and our treatment of the accused (presumption of innocence, imprisonment with benefit of habeas corpus and trial by a jury of your peers).  The Patriot Act is not so far removed from what Lincoln signed into law in 1863 or what Woodrow Wilson signed during World War I.  Sadly, we did this to ourselves (the Civil War and afterwards).

This film kept my interest as well as any court room drama does, regardless of what century you place it in.  Frederick Aiken’s closing statement in Mary Surrat’s defense enthralled me.

The BluRay also included a 67 minute documentary (as well as other extras) that provided further historical background about the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.

Movie Review: One for the Money (2012)

One for the Money (2012)

3 out of 5 stars

I can count on one hand (well, half a hand) the number of movies produced by Lionsgate that I enjoyed (most of them I couldn’t finish).  The most recent one I liked was Man on a Ledge and before that it was Conan, but only barely.  So I had a chip on my shoulder when I started watching One for the Money earlier this week.  I convinced myself I would not like the film but soon found myself laughing and forgetting the whole Lionsgate bad reputation stigma.

I only scratched my head once in confusion during the movie.  And it had nothing to do with the plot and everything to do with a t-shirt Katherine Heigl wore early in the movie.  Why would a girl from Jersey (where the movie was set) be wearing a University of Kansas t-shirt?  I even checked Heigl’s biography at IMDB.com but could find no trace of her being from Kansas, or attending KU, or having any ties to my home state whatsoever.  Perhaps the director is a fan?

Wardrobe malfunctions aside, the movie was funny and predictable, and I didn’t mind wasting my time watching it.  A little brevity goes a long way during the dog days of Summer.

Movie Review: Johnny English Reborn (2011)

Johnny English Reborn (2011)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Terry and I watched this movie on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon.  We got quite a few laughs from the antics of Rowan Atkinson as Johnny English, a reinstated (disgraced) secret agent for MI7.  The surprising appearance of Gillian Anderson as Pegasus, the head of MI7, supplied an interesting dramatic validity to an otherwise ‘normal’ British comedy.

Movie Review: Red Riding Hood (2011)

Red Riding Hood (2011)

2 out of 5 stars

One of a crop of edgier dark fairy tales retold in recent years, Red Riding Hood bears a passing resemblance to the French ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ by Perrault; more so than Grimm’s ‘Little Red Cap.’  But plain old wolves weren’t good enough or scarier enough for director Catherine Hardwicke (perhaps she should have consulted Joe Carnahan or watched the Grey?).  The villagers of Daggerhorn suffered a werewolf among them for years, or generations even.

The only acting performance of note not surprisingly came from veteran actress Julie Christie, whom I fondly remember as Lara.  Even Gary Oldman couldn’t inspire the uninspired plot.

Movie Review: Contagion (2011)

Contagion (2011)

3 out of 5 stars

I’ve actually seen better pandemic disaster movies, but I can’t recall the name(s) of them off the top of my head.  I agree with most critics that the science and especially the government bureaucracy and corruption depicted in Contagion reflected reality (or predicable reality).

I found fault with the sporadic evidence of the aftermath and consequences shown.  For example, we are shown empty sports clubs and malls, grocery stores being looted, trash left to pile up on the streets, nurses striking, police and fire departments woefully undermanned, yet the electricity, water and cell phones continue uninterrupted at the home of our ‘every man’ who is immune to the virus, but lost both his wife (the originating case) and his step son.  As far as I can tell, he never leaves the house, except to scrounge for food for himself and his remaining teenage daughter, although they hardly look like they are suffering from starvation or other modern amenities.

So I’ll give the film an above average rating for medical science and government portrayals, but a below average for disaster depiction.  Hence, my three out of five star rating.

And, no, I didn’t immediately rush out to my local pharmacy to purchase their entire stock of hand sanitizers.  Hot water and soap used frequently throughout the day to wash your hands works wonders as well, and is usually less expensive.

Moview Review (Reblog): The Grey (2012)

I watched The Grey last night, and it left me thinking and dreaming all night long in the realm of nihilism. I cringed at writing an adequate review, as my understanding of the nihilistic worldview is hampered by my own Christian worldview. But I found this excellent review and decided to share it as a reblog. As far as a rating for the movie, I’ll give it three out of five stars.

Movie Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Perhaps I should have read the book first.  Or at least read a plot synopsis.  As much as I love hacker themes, I have a hard time swallowing and digesting violence, especially that perpetrated against women.  That being said, I still feel a bit disappointed in Lisbeth’s response to her assailant.  I thought she went too easy on him.

The ‘locked room mystery’ portion of the film held most of my interest, causing me to pause and rewind the BluRay several times, and play sections of it in slow motion.  I love a great mystery and I adore female characters who don’t slow down for inferior intellects.  Keep up, or shut up and get out of the way.

The ending convinced me to stick to non-contemporary literature for my fiction reading.  What has that got to do with this movie?  Well, as we all know, real life sucks.  As far as I can tell, contemporary literature, especially crime novels, which this movie was based upon, exists to expose us to the absolute worst aspects of humanity and society, leaving us with little resolution and a scarcity of hope.

Give me a good fantasy film like The Prince Bride (the debut film for Robin Wright who also appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) any day.  At least then I won’t yell at my husband how much I hate men while watching it.  (Yeah, I paid for that comment for  hours after the movie ended).

Movie Review: Man on a Ledge (2012)

Man on a Ledge (2012)

3.5 out of 5 stars

A better than average thriller starring a couple of my favorite actors: Sam Worthington and Ed Harris (although the latter looked like he had recently been ill and lost some weight).  I enjoyed seeing Anthony Mackie again, whom I loved in The Adjustment Bureau, but can’t say I liked his character in this movie.

I can’t disclose too much about the plot without spoiling most of it (which is true for most thrillers).  Worthington is a police officer, who lost his appeal and faces twenty-five years in prison.  He knows he’s innocent (but haven’t we heard that from just about any convict?) and he’s got nothing to lose.  He escapes while attending his father’s funeral and then places himself on a ledge high above New York City streets, but not for the obvious reason.

You’ll be on the edge of your seat trying to keep up with the twists, turns and surprises.

Movie Review: Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus (2012)

2.5-3 out of 5 stars

Visually stunning, yet pathetically deficient in plot and character development.  I’ve experienced better thrills from old school Hitchcock films.  I found myself completely unconcerned if any of the characters survived, except perhaps Shaw.  For the crew of a scientific expedition, I cringed at their crudeness and lack of anything resembling common sense or the scientific method.  I also found it hard to swallow that we could achieve near FTL speeds in just eighty years (the time of launch the Prometheus being in the early 2090s).

The question I most want answered, dealt with the first scene in the movie.  Here’s a brief description of that scene from the Wikipedia article referenced by the link above and the photo at right:

A humanoid alien stands above a waterfall as a hovering spacecraft departs. The alien drinks a dark liquid, then starts to disintegrate. As its bodily remains cascade into the waterfall, the alien’s DNA triggers a biogenetic reaction.

If we take the Prometheus analogy literally, then this alien created man on Earth in our distant past.  This jives with the myth of the Titan Prometheus, who “is credited with the creation of man from clay and the theft of fire for human use, an act that enabled progress and civilization. He is known for his intelligence, and as a champion of mankind.”

But did he destroy himself voluntarily?  Was he our champion, bringing not only fire, but life to our planet?

Or, as most of the movie implied, did he create us only because he could?

If this lone alien was a rebel among his kind, this would explain the behavior of the alien we meet towards the end of the film.  His quest appeared to be the extermination of mankind, but his motivations remain unclear.  Were we a failed experiment? an embarrassment?  Or a possible threat in the eons to come?

Such rich clay to work with, yet the director muddied the plot with cliched ineffective unoriginal thrills, leaving the larger questions ineptly explored.

Mesmerizing cinematography fades quickly through the mind-sucking black holes in the plot.  I should have waited for the DVD.  Don’t repeat my mistake.

Movie Review: Battleship (2012)

Battleship (2012)

3.5 out of 4 stars

Terry and I caught this movie at the theater over Memorial Day weekend.  Fitting, since it resurrected the USS Missouri from a mothballed battleship museum to our last stand against an imminent alien invasion.  You’ve got to see it to believe it, and hang on for the ride.

The tie-in to the classic Hasbro board game came late in the movie, and was refreshingly subtle and well thought out.

Great early summer fun on a Sunday afternoon.  Next week, Prometheus (and I saw an even more enticing trailer for that Ridley Scot film yesterday as well).