Tag: movies

Movie Review: Dream House (2011)

Dream House (2011)

3.5 out of 5 stars

I can’t relate much of the plot to this movie without giving away too much.  I will limit my review to the performances of the actors, all of whom did well in this strange story.

Daniel Craig had me completely fooled right up until the point of revelation to the audience.  Usually, I see these types of things coming from a mile away.  I really should watch this movie a second time to catch all the clues I must have missed from before this point in the plot.  Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts both also performed remarkably well, balancing out the dark and light halves of Daniel Craig’s character’s life.

I love watching a good thriller, but I vastly prefer those that are not gory (and come with a less than R rating).  I selected this DVD from Netflix because it had a PG13 rating and better than a three star rating from Netflix viewers.  This, I reassured myself that any scares and thrills I might experience would not overwhelm me with shock and gore.  Dream House did not disappoint.

Movie Review: Larry Crowne (2011)

Larry Crowne (2011)

3 out of 5 stars

Terry and I watched this early Saturday evening.  A pleasant if unexciting way to spend a couple of hours together.  We laughed out loud several times, so the comedy portion of this romantic comedy worked well.  The romance, however, never really sparkled.

Julia’s performance seemed a bit off, until near the end, and even then left me indifferent.  Tom does well no matter what character he plays.  George Takei just came across as creepy for the most part, but I believe that was the intent.

Movie Review: Hatari! (1962)


Hatari! (1962)

4 out of 5 stars

I did a double-take when I realized this movie is fifty years old this year.  I grew up with this movie.  I’ve seen it I don’t know how many times.  So when I had a chance to catch it again this week via HDNet movies, I snatched it.

No, there’s not much plot, but there’s plenty of comedy, ridiculous romance (it was the early 60s) and action.  Hatari! provides a  feast for the eyes, with gorgeous cinematography of north Tanzania (back then it was Tanganyika) and the dormant volcano Mount Meru as a backdrop plus great action sequences, including an astounding close-up of a charging rhinoceros.  For my ears, I relaxed to the soothing jazzy soundtrack composed by Henry Mancini, including Baby Elephant Walk … one of the first songs I learned to play on the piano.

Most of the actors have passed on (John Wayne in 1979, Bruce Cabot in 1975, Red Buttons in 2006), leaving only Elsa Martinelli, who portrayed Dallas, and Hardy Krüger, who portrayed Kurt, but who is probably more famous for his role as Heinrich Dorfmann, the model plane engineer from The Flight of the Phoenix(1965), still alive today.

Interesting tidbit or trivia from the Wikipedia article on Hatari!

According to director Howard Hawks, all the animal captures in the picture were performed by the actual actors; no stuntmen or animal handlers were substituted onscreen. The rhino really did escape, and the actors really did have to recapture it – and Hawks included the sequence for its realism. Much of the action sequence audio had to be re-dubbed due to John Wayne’s cursing while wrestling with the animals.

The title of the film is the word “hatari,” which means “danger” in Swahili.

If no stunt double were used, then it’s a miracle that Hardy and Gerard Blain were not killed or seriously injured when their Jeep went tumbling across the African plains.  Danger, or Hatari! for real!

Movie Review: Greystoke (1984)


Greystoke (1984)

3.5/4 out of 5 stars

I cannot remember now, nearly thirty years later, if I saw this film in a movie theater.  I don’t believe I did.  In fact, I think I saw it on a grainy VHS tape recorded from someone’s cable or satellite dish system (back when the dishes were six to eight feet in diameter).  After attending a recent library event on Edgar Rice Burroughs, I placed the DVD for Greystoke in my Netflix queue.  Terry and I watched most of it one evening, but didn’t get the last bit watched until the weekend. Even though not a BluRay, the wide-screen format on the HD plasma still provide stunning vistas out of Dark Africa.

Not having read any Tarzan novels, I can’t confirm (or deny) the authenticity of the adaptation.  Most critics consider this one of the closest to the author’s vision.  I liked it because of it’s believability, whether in the jungle or in late Victorian England.  Lambert’s debut acting role still impresses me.  This also happened to be Andi MacDowell’s first film.  Both of them played very well together.

I liked the movie overall.  I think it has held up well and is probably my favorite Tarzan movie to date.

Movie Review: Hancock (2008)

Hancock (2008)

3 out of 5 stars

Terry and I surfed the St. Patrick’s Day line-up in despair of finding anything to watch.  ABC Family Channel had a Harry Potter marathon running opposite a Die Hard Day marathon on AMC.  We finally settled on doing a double-play (watching two channels simultaneously, sort of, from our DVR) of Hancock on FX and the original Die Hard on AMC.  We paused the movies long enough to grill up some Honey Garlic boneless chicken thighs and try some brown rice and quinoa.

This is probably the third or fourth time I’ve watched Hancock.  FX mutilated it for content and to fit the time allotted but I could easily fill-in-the-blanks from my previous viewings.  Not an earth-shattering story or performance, beyond Hancock’s abrupt take-off and landings, but a nice diversion for an otherwise lazy Saturday evening at home.

Movie Review: The Adventures of TinTin (2011)

The Adventures of TinTin (2011)

2.5/3 stars out of 5

I could definitely see the hand of Spielberg in the production and direction of this film.  I did not realize, however, that the story was based upon a comic strip.  John Williams composed the score, even though I could almost hear themes from many of his other more famous film scores, echoing and ricocheting throughout the film.

While I enjoyed watching the film, I just wasn’t wowed by it.  In fact, both Terry and I fell asleep the first time we attempted it.  We tried again on the following day, and I made it to the finish, but Terry nodded off a couple of times again.  All the action and adventure probably would have had more impact in a non-animated production for me.  If you’re going to use guns and other lethal weapons, I guess I prefer live-action (or CGI-enhanced live-action) to the purely animated medium.

Movie Review: Real Steel (2011)

Real Steel (2011)

3.5-4 out of 5 stars

I needed some brainless mind candy this week and the next thing in my Netflix queue just happened to serve up Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman (of Wolverine and Leopold fame).

When I saw the trailers last year, the first thing I thought of was a video game my kids used to play called One Must Fall.   Actually, the screenplay is based on a science fiction short story called ‘Steel’ published in 1956 by Richard Matheson (of I Am Legend fame).

For once, I admit I agree with Roger Ebert on this film, when he stated, “Real Steel is a real movie. It has characters, it matters who they are, it makes sense of its action, it has a compelling plot. Sometimes you go into a movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised.”  My sentiments exactly.  I came away very pleasantly surprised, giving my heart a much needed boost up from a devastating loss at home this week.

I did get a chuckle out of a couple of scenes as Atom began his climb up the robot boxing ranks.  A nod and a wink back to Every Which Way But Loose and at least one of the Rocky films.  I probably missed some other scenes that referenced other boxing films of the past, due to my limited experience in that film subcategory.

This movie kept me up way past my bedtime, but I didn’t mind at all.  Take a chance on Atom and enjoy Real Steel soon.

Movie Review: John Carter (2012)

JohnCarterMoviePosterJohn Carter (2012)

4-4.5 out of 5 stars

I loved this film.  I would even go so far to say I loved it better than the original book the screenplay was adapted from, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  As soon as the BluRay for John Carter is released, I am buying it.  That’s saying something, since I haven’t actually purchased a DVD or BluRay for myself in years (as a Netflix subscriber, why would I?).  The last film worthy of that feat (but only on the discount table because I’m so cheap) would have been Live Free or Die Hard, but I didn’t get the chance since my daughter gifted it to me for my birthday last year. I plan to add John Carter to my permanent collection, shelving it next to my special collector’s editions of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.

Go see John Carter.  Now.  Don’t wait.

You don’t need to be a fan of science fiction or epic fantasy to appreciate a good tale well told, one that leaves you shouting for more.

***

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I liked the musical score as well, which came as no surprise when the credits started rolling and listed Michael Giacchino as the composer.   His work on The Incredibles impressed me so much I bought the soundtrack CD (another thing I haven’t done since the days of Star Wars).

Movie Review: Conan the Barbarian (2011)

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

3 out of 5 stars

I looked forward to this movie last summer, especially since I’d been watching Jason Momoa for years in Stargate: Atlantis and I’d recently read many of the original Conan stories penned by Robert E. Howard (see my reviews of The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, The Best of Robert E. Howard: Crimson Shadows, and The Best of Robert E. Howard: Grim Lands).  Howard wrote primal, visceral characters, but also had a deft hand with humor.

I grew disappointed with the critical reviews after the release of the movie last summer, so rather than take a chance on wasting my money at the movie theater, I opted to wait for the BluRay release.  After returning The Adjustment Bureau to Netflix on Monday, Conan the Barbarian came next, arriving on Wednesday.  Due to a prior engagement Wednesday evening, my first opportunity to watch the BluRay came Thursday evening.

I can’t help but compare this to the previous Conan film from my teenage years in the 80s.  Even though I know, intellectually, that the other film did NOT adhere closely to Howard’s original creation, it still holds a special place in my memory and my heart.  The most obvious short falling for me, oddly, was the musical score.  I can still hear, in my head, many of the motifs written by Basil Poledouris (who I just learned was born in Kansas City).  Also, Sandahl Bergman as Valeria, remains one of my all-time favorite female warrior/barbarian film characters, and she also happens to be another Kansas City native.

So I had quite a bit of baggage to carry with me while watching the new Conan the Barbarian last night.  I had avoided this gauntlet long enough and now I was determined to forge ahead and damn the consequences.

Terry and I started the film early, because I didn’t know exactly how long it was and I needed to do a couple of after-hours tasks for my employer before falling asleep.  While I frequently checked the progress meter on the BluRay player’s display menu, the movie really didn’t drag or bog down too much.  I was disappointed in most of Momoa’s performance (I’ve seen him give better performances on the small screen in Stargate: Atlantis).  In fact most of the acting seemed ‘off’ for the actors I recognized.  I heard and saw many references to people and places mentioned in Howard’s many Conan stories, but I just don’t believe they quite captured the heart of Conan or the world of his Hyborian Age.

While it wasn’t great, Conan the Barbarian wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared it would be.

My next movie adventure happens on the really big screen at my local theater this weekend.  John Carter opens today.  And I already regret reading one review this morning that reminds me of my feelings and observations on watching Conan the Barbarian.  I will keep my fingers crossed.  Edgar Rice Burroughs, a contemporary of Robert E. Howard, deserves the best adaptation of his iconic character John Carter as we’ve given Conan.

More March Mars Madness

I can’t wait until this weekend to see John Carter at the theater.  I would have bought my tickets over lunch except my favorite theater has not yet listed showtimes for this weekend.  I convinced my uncle to venture forth as well this weekend.  But the real icing on the cake came with the short note he sent me this morning proclaiming his success in finding A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs at Project Gutenberg  and getting it downloaded to his Nook Color.

My local favorite library posted a cool YouTube video via their Facebook and Twitter feeds that I’d like to share here, prefaced by their blurb:

Do you know who created Tarzan and John Carter of Mars 100 years ago this spring? Check out this video preview of an upcoming event featuring author, critic & broadcaster John Tibbetts celebrating the legacy of an American cult icon…

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCmfD5vDYaY]

If you live in the Kansas City metropolitan area, you can click this link to register for the event on March 18, 2012 at 2:00 pm (Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library).  I have already RSVP’d and received my confirmation.

And thanks to an update from Sky & Telescope‘s Facebook feed, I learned that “Mars is at its closest to Earth for this apparition: 100.8 million km (62.6 million miles). Mars appears 13.9 arcseconds wide, compared to the 24″ or 25″ it reaches during its closet swing-bys. The last time that happened was in 2003; the next will be in 2018.”  I saw Mars shining brightly this morning in the west before the sun arose, when I let the dogs out after they ate their breakfast.