This movie was a loser. I say that because it seemed like a rip-off of The Matrix— not the action scenes but the people for spare parts idea, like food for the machines in pods etc.
Anyway, Johanson and McGregor are hot actors but not very good actors in this film. McGregor is a clone who starts questioning the artificial world he lives in which he address to the almighty doctor that runs an underground shelter world where McGregor lives. McGregor and Johanson have an attraction to each other and when she learns that she is chosen to go to the Island by the weekly lottery, he stops her from going. He had learned earlier that day that there is no Island. It's an illusion and he fears for Johanson's life, so they leave the underground shelter community chased by a bounty hunter and his associates.
They get out into the real world assisted by a friend with the idea that they should find their real counterparts to tell them that they, as clones, are real people and that surely their extinction should be stopped. The pursuit ends by McGregor going back to the arificial world where her came from. There we find out whether or not the Doctor who created these clones really has a "God complex" and whether or not his money making insurance policies should be elimiated.
Guess who wins. Snore. There were a ton of action scenes and it was sort of entertaining but the bad storyline just made everything mediocre for me. So, if it's 1000 degrees out like it was the day I saw this, it's worth it going to the movies, even if it's a bad movie.
Worth the money rating: $$$
Friday, July 29, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
Wedding Crashers
Even if you're not a wedding lover, you'll find this movie fun and sort of unexpected.
I love Owen Wilson and he plays his loveable self in yet another "guy" movie. The charm he brought to Shanghai Noon shines through in his romantic scenes as he fumbles through finding love. Vince Vaugh plays the funny best friend to Wilson and the two crash weddings just to get laid but find that they may be in over their heads.
A high class wedding is the finale to their wedding crashing escapades. Vaugh finds a crazy young woman and Wilson finds a reserved but fun-loving girl. Through the course of spending time with the two women, who belong to the same well-to-do family, they get into one mishap after another. Some of the scenes were really funny and I don't want to ruin them for you, but it was silly and surprising and just the stuff real life is about- when you're a wedding crasher.
It's an entertaining, feel-good movie that you can watch with your buddies and just have a good time.
Worth the money rating: $$$$
I love Owen Wilson and he plays his loveable self in yet another "guy" movie. The charm he brought to Shanghai Noon shines through in his romantic scenes as he fumbles through finding love. Vince Vaugh plays the funny best friend to Wilson and the two crash weddings just to get laid but find that they may be in over their heads.
A high class wedding is the finale to their wedding crashing escapades. Vaugh finds a crazy young woman and Wilson finds a reserved but fun-loving girl. Through the course of spending time with the two women, who belong to the same well-to-do family, they get into one mishap after another. Some of the scenes were really funny and I don't want to ruin them for you, but it was silly and surprising and just the stuff real life is about- when you're a wedding crasher.
It's an entertaining, feel-good movie that you can watch with your buddies and just have a good time.
Worth the money rating: $$$$
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Tim Burton rocks! This movie was awesome- a total eye orgasm. It may not appeal to some though, since the characters are over the top and very odd—Wonka being the oddest. Depp does an awesome job of staying in character and being a driven businessman all-consumed by candy.
Burton brings the factory alive with magic and a cool update on the 70's film with Wilder. I have to admit I haven't seen the original in years but now I'll have to see it again just to compare. The original was great, this was very Tim Burton right down to the Oompa Loompas. Their songs were hilarious and I laughed through the whole movie. The original kind of spooked me a little and it seemed very serious. This one was actually funny, off-beat, and heart warming.
I'm not going into detail about what happens, the storyline is already known. But I'd recommened a blue rasberry slushie to go with it. I had the large, and it really set the mood.
It's a little intense in scenes for really really young kids but most of the kids in the theatre were giggling and seemed to enjoy the show. Get to the theatre early. I had to go to two different theatres in order to see it because it was sold out.
I loved it so much I'm going to go see it again. Just for fun or maybe it's for another slushie- well, maybe for a jawbreaker that'll last forever.
Worth the money rating: $$$$$
Burton brings the factory alive with magic and a cool update on the 70's film with Wilder. I have to admit I haven't seen the original in years but now I'll have to see it again just to compare. The original was great, this was very Tim Burton right down to the Oompa Loompas. Their songs were hilarious and I laughed through the whole movie. The original kind of spooked me a little and it seemed very serious. This one was actually funny, off-beat, and heart warming.
I'm not going into detail about what happens, the storyline is already known. But I'd recommened a blue rasberry slushie to go with it. I had the large, and it really set the mood.
It's a little intense in scenes for really really young kids but most of the kids in the theatre were giggling and seemed to enjoy the show. Get to the theatre early. I had to go to two different theatres in order to see it because it was sold out.
I loved it so much I'm going to go see it again. Just for fun or maybe it's for another slushie- well, maybe for a jawbreaker that'll last forever.
Worth the money rating: $$$$$
Bewitched
It was hot and rainy out today, the perfect day to see a magical film. This movie was cute, and very simple and cheesy. And Nicole Kidman was stiff and over played her character Isabelle.
Kidman wants to be human. She's tired of dating warlocks and people like herself. So she gets a house in the suburbs, a Volkswagen and gets discovered to play Samantha on a show tabooed by witches- Bewitched. Will Farell playes her opposite, Darren, but is a washed up movie star turned TV actor. He's a selfish, egotistical Hollywood type guy with Schwartzman (loved him in Rushmore) as his agent.
Kidman, Isabelle, wants to really fall in love and experience "real" things like friends and jobs and turning the sprinkler on in her front yard. She tries hard not to use her powers but after feeling as though, Farell is playing her, she turns real witch.
It's a cute premise and with or without the nose twitching, this movie was like cotton candy, and by the end you were gagging on its sweet goodness. If you like that sort of thing, then you'll like this movie.
There were some guys there, most likely because Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was sold out, probably dragged as well. Unless your man is a sap, do him a favor and send him to Wedding Crashers.
Worth the money rating: $$ 1/2
Kidman wants to be human. She's tired of dating warlocks and people like herself. So she gets a house in the suburbs, a Volkswagen and gets discovered to play Samantha on a show tabooed by witches- Bewitched. Will Farell playes her opposite, Darren, but is a washed up movie star turned TV actor. He's a selfish, egotistical Hollywood type guy with Schwartzman (loved him in Rushmore) as his agent.
Kidman, Isabelle, wants to really fall in love and experience "real" things like friends and jobs and turning the sprinkler on in her front yard. She tries hard not to use her powers but after feeling as though, Farell is playing her, she turns real witch.
It's a cute premise and with or without the nose twitching, this movie was like cotton candy, and by the end you were gagging on its sweet goodness. If you like that sort of thing, then you'll like this movie.
There were some guys there, most likely because Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was sold out, probably dragged as well. Unless your man is a sap, do him a favor and send him to Wedding Crashers.
Worth the money rating: $$ 1/2
Monday, July 11, 2005
The Fantastic 4
The only good thing about the Fantastic 4 was that it had three hot people in it. The rest of the movie sucked ass. It tried to be as entertaining as X-men but failed. Jessica Alba isn't much better in this movie than she was in Honey. But at least I liked the music in that movie.
The guy who was in Cellular last year is nice eye candy. He tries at some funny lines but he's like that annoying guy who thinks he's "all that" 24/7- he gets annoying. The guy from Nip/Tuck plays an okay bad guy but I liked him much better as Balthazar in Spelling's "Charmed" TV series.
The special effects weren't bad. The rock character was pretty interesting to watch. And some of the crash 'em up scenes were okay, although most of them were on the trailer.
The movie is about a scientist who is so engrossed in his work that he sells his idea to a colleague from MIT who has built a successful company and the only invention that can bring about reconstructing DNA or something scientific like that. They go out into space and an experiment gone awry changes their molecular structure. After they find out by accident what their powers are, they work around the clock trying to get rid of them.
Alba used to be in love with the scientist but is now with the successful suit, which causes a love triangle to form. I didn't care who ended up with whom because the movie was just too boring. I couldn't believe how bad it was. But even at that, it was better than War of the Worlds. But that's not saying much. No Oscars here folks.
See this movie if you're bored and want to get out of the heat! It's definitely a rental.
Worth the money rating: $$ ½
The guy who was in Cellular last year is nice eye candy. He tries at some funny lines but he's like that annoying guy who thinks he's "all that" 24/7- he gets annoying. The guy from Nip/Tuck plays an okay bad guy but I liked him much better as Balthazar in Spelling's "Charmed" TV series.
The special effects weren't bad. The rock character was pretty interesting to watch. And some of the crash 'em up scenes were okay, although most of them were on the trailer.
The movie is about a scientist who is so engrossed in his work that he sells his idea to a colleague from MIT who has built a successful company and the only invention that can bring about reconstructing DNA or something scientific like that. They go out into space and an experiment gone awry changes their molecular structure. After they find out by accident what their powers are, they work around the clock trying to get rid of them.
Alba used to be in love with the scientist but is now with the successful suit, which causes a love triangle to form. I didn't care who ended up with whom because the movie was just too boring. I couldn't believe how bad it was. But even at that, it was better than War of the Worlds. But that's not saying much. No Oscars here folks.
See this movie if you're bored and want to get out of the heat! It's definitely a rental.
Worth the money rating: $$ ½
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
An oldie but goodie---Spellbound
Alfred Hitchcock is still one of my favorite story tellers. Spellbound was on the other day and I had to watch it. It stars Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck and takes place in an asylum- well as crazy as in-patient care was in the 40's.
Bergman plays a psychiatrist who has a cold demeanor but who is very dedicated to her psychoanalysis of her patients. A new famous shrink who comes into town, played by Peck. Bergman. She suddenly thaws in his presence and a romance ensues. The twist is that Peck could be a murder masquerading as a psychiatrist and Bergman uses her expertise to help him snap out of his convenient amnesia. But will it reveal an innocent patient or a murderer?
Even though I'm used to past-paced action scenes with things blowing up and super witty dialogue in order to create suspense, this movie still holds my attention and I didn't feel as though I missed a thing. There were no elaborate screams or special effects, just some good old entertainment.
Some of my favorite Hitchcock works are: Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest and Notorious. And if you've never seen ROPE, see it. It takes place in one apartment for the whole movie but the suspense is not lost. This goes to show you that a good story can hold up against today's blockbusters. And sometimes it's just nice to bring the sex, violence and bad language down a few notches.
Worth the money rating: $$$$
Bergman plays a psychiatrist who has a cold demeanor but who is very dedicated to her psychoanalysis of her patients. A new famous shrink who comes into town, played by Peck. Bergman. She suddenly thaws in his presence and a romance ensues. The twist is that Peck could be a murder masquerading as a psychiatrist and Bergman uses her expertise to help him snap out of his convenient amnesia. But will it reveal an innocent patient or a murderer?
Even though I'm used to past-paced action scenes with things blowing up and super witty dialogue in order to create suspense, this movie still holds my attention and I didn't feel as though I missed a thing. There were no elaborate screams or special effects, just some good old entertainment.
Some of my favorite Hitchcock works are: Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest and Notorious. And if you've never seen ROPE, see it. It takes place in one apartment for the whole movie but the suspense is not lost. This goes to show you that a good story can hold up against today's blockbusters. And sometimes it's just nice to bring the sex, violence and bad language down a few notches.
Worth the money rating: $$$$
Monday, July 04, 2005
On video--A Taxing Woman
This movie is a Japanese film by director Juzo Itami from 1987. It won 9 Japanese Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor & Best Actress.
A Taxing Woman is exactly what the title says. Ryoko is a female tax inspector. She lives for her work. Many big business owners in Japan try to hide their tax earings since the tax rate is so high. Ryoko finds Gondo, a tax cheat, who owns "love hotels" all over and is on the hunt to bring him down. She is promoted to be an inspector and chases Gondo to uncover his shady dealing and money hiding stunts. The two form a friendship as only adversaries can. Who will win? You'll have to watch to find out.
This movie was funny in that it had interesting cat and mouse music, bad outfits and nudity for no reason. It was fun to watch but a little slow in parts where you could definitely go get a slice a pizza but you'd miss the subtitles and then where would you be? I rewound a few times but after awhile you kind of know what's going on without them.
Worth the money rating: $$$$
A Taxing Woman is exactly what the title says. Ryoko is a female tax inspector. She lives for her work. Many big business owners in Japan try to hide their tax earings since the tax rate is so high. Ryoko finds Gondo, a tax cheat, who owns "love hotels" all over and is on the hunt to bring him down. She is promoted to be an inspector and chases Gondo to uncover his shady dealing and money hiding stunts. The two form a friendship as only adversaries can. Who will win? You'll have to watch to find out.
This movie was funny in that it had interesting cat and mouse music, bad outfits and nudity for no reason. It was fun to watch but a little slow in parts where you could definitely go get a slice a pizza but you'd miss the subtitles and then where would you be? I rewound a few times but after awhile you kind of know what's going on without them.
Worth the money rating: $$$$
On Video-- Raise the Red Lantern
I decided to watch a few foreign films that a friend gave me on video. This one was nominated for Best Foreign Language film in 1991. It's a film by Zhang Yimou- I have no idea who this person is. But the film was excellent.
The movie is set in 1920's China. A 19 year old girl, who was at the University, is now the Fourth Wife to a wealthy man who has to share her husband with 3 other wives that live in the same household. Each wife has a differerent house and when the husband spends the night with one of them lanterns are lit at their house. This is one of the many traditions that are followed. The more the husband spends with the wife, the more priviledges she gets. Each wife does her best to get the husband to spend all his time in their beds. The Fourth Wife learns of the other wives and servants manipulation and plots against her for her husbands affections. And soon she decides to join in the game to win the household for herself.
Even though it was in another language, the subtitles were easy to read and the story was well acted. It flowed naturally and kept you hooked. The cinematography was beautiful and I believed I really was a part of this screwed up household.
Worth the money rating: $$$$$
The movie is set in 1920's China. A 19 year old girl, who was at the University, is now the Fourth Wife to a wealthy man who has to share her husband with 3 other wives that live in the same household. Each wife has a differerent house and when the husband spends the night with one of them lanterns are lit at their house. This is one of the many traditions that are followed. The more the husband spends with the wife, the more priviledges she gets. Each wife does her best to get the husband to spend all his time in their beds. The Fourth Wife learns of the other wives and servants manipulation and plots against her for her husbands affections. And soon she decides to join in the game to win the household for herself.
Even though it was in another language, the subtitles were easy to read and the story was well acted. It flowed naturally and kept you hooked. The cinematography was beautiful and I believed I really was a part of this screwed up household.
Worth the money rating: $$$$$
War of the Worlds
I have mixed feelings about this film. I saw this at an old theatre that had the sound coming from behind the screen and all the sharp sounds made my ears hurt. The blood and guts and the aliens made my eyes hurt. The aliens in this film looked stupid even though they tried to follow the original War of the Worlds.
Tom Cruise plays a Dad that isn't a very good Dad. His son and daughter rely on their mother and this particular weekend they're staying with their Dad to spend some quality time together- all parties reluctant. In the back yard a strange storm is brewing– at first cool then creepy. Cruise goes to the center of town to see what's going on and realizes that they're being attacked.
Cruise flees with his son and daughter in the only working vehicle just a few minutes ahead of the aliens. But they catch up. The whole movie is about survival. How is Cruise going to survive and bring his kids through this, if there is, in fact, a way to escape being eliminated.
This film has the destruction of 9/11 and what we'd imagine the end of the world looking like. The only acting I found to be compelling was Dakota Fanning, Cruise's daughter. She's a good screamer. And we see mostly how this attack affects her.
The ending to this film was major cheese after the intense hours of special effects and destruction. You really didn't care whether or not anyone died. There was no routing for the common guy to win- not even when the world was ending.
So, if you're in the mood for an alien film, watch E.T. or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Better aliens. Better stories. Better movies.
Worth the money rating: $$
Tom Cruise plays a Dad that isn't a very good Dad. His son and daughter rely on their mother and this particular weekend they're staying with their Dad to spend some quality time together- all parties reluctant. In the back yard a strange storm is brewing– at first cool then creepy. Cruise goes to the center of town to see what's going on and realizes that they're being attacked.
Cruise flees with his son and daughter in the only working vehicle just a few minutes ahead of the aliens. But they catch up. The whole movie is about survival. How is Cruise going to survive and bring his kids through this, if there is, in fact, a way to escape being eliminated.
This film has the destruction of 9/11 and what we'd imagine the end of the world looking like. The only acting I found to be compelling was Dakota Fanning, Cruise's daughter. She's a good screamer. And we see mostly how this attack affects her.
The ending to this film was major cheese after the intense hours of special effects and destruction. You really didn't care whether or not anyone died. There was no routing for the common guy to win- not even when the world was ending.
So, if you're in the mood for an alien film, watch E.T. or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Better aliens. Better stories. Better movies.
Worth the money rating: $$
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