Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Snakes on a Plane

I'm not going to see this movie. I saw this skit on Saturday Night Live where they had snakes on a plane and it was hilarious for 15 minutes with Wil Farrell like years ago. So look for it on re-runs of the show.

I do like Samuel L., so I know this movie is entertaining but shouldn't be dragged on for an hour and 1/2 with this premis. But probably some good action scenes and CGI snakes. Without seeing the movie I'd like to say, hey he should re-do his Pulp Fiction speech: The path of the righteous man... and blow some snakes away.

Anyway, I'll see it on the movie channel in about 6 months.

Worth the money rating: $$$ (for almost novelty but a great title)

Million Dollar Baby

Yes, I know I should have seen this movie a few years ago but I just saw it on one of the movie channels the other night.

Hillary Swank isn't my favorite actress based on the types of roles she chooses (I tend to like more fun or edgier stuff not just plain drama and struggle) but I met her once at a US Open Tennis match and she was very kind and gave me an autograph. Chad was a little more reluctant but she had a very big smile and a very pleasant, down-to-earth dimeanor.

I'm not sure why she always plays these gut-wrenching characters with major issues but she does. I didn't see Boys Don't Cry either and doubt I will.

But I do like Morgan Freeman, so I decided to watch this. I remember my roommate a few years ago said this was a real tear-jerker so I grabbed the kleenex and sat down in my big chair to watch the show. All prepared for what was to come.

Hillary wants to be a boxer and she bugs Clint until he says yes to training her. Clint has an estranged relationship with his very own daughter and so he treats Hillary as his daughter and takes care of her through thick and thin. Hillary under his tutiledge does well as a female boxer and is faced with a tough match that changes her life. This is where the kleenex would come in. Hillary was trying to prove herself to her mother and her family and to herself and through it all finds a lasting bond and friendship with her trainer, Clint. And the two become a family- father/daughter relationship.

I won't ruin the story for you, but I didn't cry. I just wanted the movie to be over but I did want to see how it ended. It wasn't horrible but you knew what was coming pretty much- all the drama.

But I think it was well acted on Eastwood, Swank and Freeman's part. And well shot. So if you're in the mood for a drama-filled movie, this is for you. Or perhaps you could do back to back Hillary movies and then watch an old episode of Melrose Place for a pick-me-up.

Worth the money: $$$

Superman Returns

Four friends tried to decide on a movie to see and through the process of elimination we picked this movie, since 3 out of the 4 hadn't seen it yet. They like me waited to see the movie because we couldn't imaging how this Superman movie could be any better than the original with Chrisopher Reeve or better than Smallville on the WB? Did it have a new story to tell?

Well, this movie wasn't better but it was entertaining. Kate Bozeworth was too young to be playing Lois Lane and the whole cast was too young compared to the villian, Lex Luthor. So that irritated me. Kevin Spacey didn't have enough good lines and I think his acting abilities were wasted in this movie. But I do love Parker Posey and she was right on funny somewhat like her character in Scream III.

However, I did like the special effects and the retelling of the same storyline was interesting with the new villianous plot to hold new land up to the highest bidder. But superman looked flawless on screen and even for a superhero his face looked too perfect like he was a 3D creation and not a person- well not an actor playing a hero anyway.

So basically, Lois has moved on from her love of Superman into the arms of the newphew of her boss at the Daily Planet. He's a good guy. One of my friends said, he was too nice, it was irritating. Yeah, I guess men being irritatingly nice would be a turn off compared to a superhero who saves you from a sinking ship or from being squashed from a building- where's the excitement? Hmmm. Well, anyway Lois has a normal life and with superman in her life again (thus the superman returns) she asks, where were you? Have we all been wondering where Superman has been? With everything going on in the world? It's nice to know Superman hasn't forgotten about all us little people and has returned because we all need our own heros to believe in to get through the bad stuff. But Lois struggles with her feelings and whether or not she needs Superman in her life again.

There's drama and action and if you're emotional, some sentiment and tears. But in the end, we were all surprised this was a good movie for it's gendre. My friend who really wasn't into seeing the movie at all said with enthusiasm and awe, "THAT was a GOOD movie." My other friend said, "I really enjoyed it!" And the third, who saw it for the second time said, "Still okay this time around." And I say, "Everytime is like the first time- when it comes to Superman."

Worth the money: $$$

Thursday, August 10, 2006

The Devil Wears Prada

How cute was this movie?! Ann Hathaway is charming and fun in this adaptation of the book, that I didn't read. Meryll Streep is a convincing Editor at a voguesque mag and the cast is entertaining- though I would have liked to see more of Stanley Tucci.

Basically the story is about a girl who graduated from Northwestern with a degree in journalism who goes through the assistant pool and ends up in an interview with the devil herself, Amanda Priestly. Hathaway shows some pinache and ends up with the job as second assistant. She struggles to meet Amanda Priestly's expectations and loses herself in the world of fashion and experiences the heartlessness of the industry. In the end she has to choose between her career goals and her current job and her sanity.

The fashion is fun in the movie but not outrageous enough for this Voguesque lover- well conceptually I mean. I wanted it to be more off the pages of Vogue and it's cutting edge style but there wasn't a lot of that. I guess I wanted it to be more out of the box as a backdrop for the storyline. There were some cameos from models such as Giselle that were fun. But for the most part, it's Hathaway in a role somewhat like her character in the Princess Diaries, only here, she has a boyfriend ,and yes, she does have implied sex with him in the movie.

As far as the movie goes, I'm glad there weren't a ton of sex scenes or naked women, etc. But then again, it's about a fashion magazine so why weren't there naked models around?

It was entertaining but I felt it lacked something which made it come off a bit cliche and it so could have been fabulous. Oh well.

For a fun time passer this movie is cute. Oh and it has Entourage's Adrian in it. So it has some eye candy for everyone.

Worth the money: $$$ 1/2