I have only watched it once now, and I already now I am watching this a zillion times today. This post will also mark a change in this tumblr. My little project wasn’t succesfull so I am continuing with yet another regular movie blog of mines. More about this tomorrow and thoughts on ‘the Avengers’. Today…ENJOY this trailer!
DAY 31: 22-12-2011 - ‘Fish Tank’
Reaching the end of this semester at work (I am a teacher) some of my students wanted to watch a movie. Not to be forced to watch ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ I somewhat suggested what I watched with students the previous year: ‘Fish Tank’.
I’m a big fan of ‘Fish Tank’ and it was easy to watch again. Everything is topnotch here. From Fassbender’s asshole portrayal to the main character which goes through a very emotionally-satisfying arc and plays it very impressively as well.
It manages to not dwell on it’s hopelessness not all too much and give an incredible sense of realism towards Mia’s (the main character) coming of age. This movie is by far one of my favorite movies of 2009! Check it out if you can!
DAY 30: 21-12-2011 - ‘Red Riding Hood’
Then this piece of turd showed up. Once again, I love creature features, so that’s my disclaimer. And I fuckin’ love me some Amanda Seyfried, and she is not bad here, just everything else is. If you have seen ‘Twilight’ than you already know this movie. It’s exactly that.
Fuck this movie and the director!
I know this is supposed to be a movie for teenagers, well immature female teenagers, and especially those that enjoy the ‘Twilight’-saga, it is not an excuse however. The biggest problem with these movies, as ‘Twilight’, is that they take themselves very seriously, but there is nothing there to warrant seriousness. The plot is just too dumb here. A lot of stupid sound design, a lot of ridiculous guys falling in love with absolutely nothing, a lot of fuckin’ tools looking like idiots…
And what the hell was Gary Oldman doing here? Goddammit…
I hated my life watching this…
DAY 29: 20-12-2011 - ‘Shark Night 3D’
For some reason I was enamored by this movie’s marketing (I loved the posters) so I decided to give it a whirl. When the initial trailer was out I quickly dismissed it and I think I should have stuck with that dismissal. ‘Shark Night 3D’ was a horrible piece of shit, but for some reason you cannot blame it. For some reason the movie comes of trying to be dumb and silly as shit, at least I don’t think anyone would be serious trying to make this film.
I am a big fan of creature features, so I would watch almost anything with some kind of animal on a rampage or a monster. It plays with my imagination (and desires to actually see a monster) but this movie did nothing for me. You would expect the plot would be waterthin and you would expect the scares to be predictable and the acting to be atrocious, but at least give me a good monster to look at. At least some decent CG and creative kills!
But we get nothing, nothing but a pile of shit.
Back again
God, it has been a month since I have been writing here. I have been watching movies every day but it is increasingly more difficult to write up some of my thoughts. For this reason I have decided to not be so strict about the amount I am posting. The object about this personal excursion is to watch a shitload of movies and try to reflect on them. I should not be so much bogged down by writing long essay-like thoughts of mine regarding the particular movie. I’ll try when I can, but I won’t when I cannot. This tumblr should be updated regularly regardless of my busy schedule. So, let’s go! Lucky enough I kept a detailed list of what I watched this past month.
Thanks for having me again…
DAY 28: 19-12-2011 - ‘Let The Bullets Fly’
Last night I watched ‘Let The Bullets Fly’ an entertaining Chinese western that is essentially bat-shit crazy but enjoyed the hell out of me. Borrowing a lot from what you expect in a western, ‘Let The Bullets Fly’ tells the story of a conman, posing as the freshly-installed governor of a small town, dealing with the town’s self-proclaimed ruler and mobster played by none other than Chow Yun Fat!
This is a very funny movie, but some of you would find it difficult to follow. Or not, I don’t know, but I can imagine. I sure as hell had a wonderful time. You just have to pay a lot of attention. The script is very wordy and before you know it you can get lost, especially not speaking the language. I said in the opening paragraph that the movie borrows a lot from established Western, but never openly so. And the difference here is the humor used. It’s ridiculous and almost satirical in nature.
The movie starts off with the crazy ass Tang, who lies, cheat and does everything else Action Hank would forbid! It’s hilarious how ridiculous he is and before you know it he meets the interesting conman Zhang who steals his wife and wants to pose as him, him being a governor! Tang avoids his death by then posing as the governor’s aide and then helps Zhang be the governor. I know…weird…and yes Tang’s wife will pose along Zhang as the governor’s wife, with her real husband watching them cuddle and make love…OUCH!
Zhang is awesome however and an unusual criminal. Well I guess if you think about these types of storytelling he is maybe not so unusual. But he is very interesting. Not only because the actor does a solid job acting him but also because the character’s arc is memorable. Zhang is smart and different and his battle with the rich in his town and the even more ridiculous Chow Yun Fat-gangster is awesome to watch. Zhang is a criminal but he is honorable in some sense, and I love me some friendly criminals! Especially some interesting Akira Kurosawa-inspired honorable criminal!
It’s the combination that this movie manages to uphold what is so nice here. It’s not a great movie, but it was fun to watch. The action was great and the humor had me laughing. The only thing I can think about that I didn’t like was some of the CG used in the action, at times it would get a little bit too ridiculous and sometimes even cartoony and the ending was difficult to follow and maybe a little bit rushed. The movie’s title refers to bullets and that has a reason. A lot of bullets go by! It’s like a John Woo videogame, it makes no sense. Go check out ‘Let The Bullets Fly’ if you like Asian Westerns. It sure as hell will be a fun ride!
DAY 27: 18-12-2011 - ‘Moneyball’
‘Moneyball’ is aptly so named because it reflects baseball’s true nature, or baseball’s alleged true nature! I don’t know much about baseball (because I am not American) and this is very much so a baseball movie. But even more so a Brad Pitt movie!
Even though baseball is the driving force of this movie, it is not being shown a whole lot. For this reason this is not your average particular sports drama. Instead we get a Brad Pitt movie where we see him deal with the events of his personal narrative. It’s a great departure to watch and I was with glee during the entire movie.
This whole side of baseball, of which we don’t see a lot of, should be very boring and uninteresting but Pitt’s acting and his character’s arc is very intimate and thus very rewarding. I don’t like sports, but I loved this and I almost like baseball now too!
The script is very intelligent and does not provide a lot of action, but said intimacy is played off brilliantly by Pitt and makes it funny as well! With some of the writings been done by Aaron Sorkin, it is no surprise the movie would remind you of ‘The Social Network’.
The movie is about the broke Oakland Athletics struggling rise to the playoffs as general manager Billy Beane took upon a different approach to managing baseball, a very different approach that made the team at the start of the season the butt of every joke.
Helping him is his new assistant Jonah Hill, who surely plays one of his best roles yet. Hill who is no stranger to socially-awkward-individuals plays a highly-intelligent assistant that is as awkward as he is brilliant. At times he made me laugh out loud and I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing this role. The real beauty in this movie however is the chemistry between Pitt and Hill. This unlikely couple should have their own serial or star in a bromantic road-movie.
As said, this is Pitt’s movie and even every moment the man was thinking and being quiet you couldn’t help to do the same. You wanted to know how he would react or what he would do and that’s the testament of Pitt’s charm. He made Beane so very much engrossing that this sports-movie, basically about figures, becomes fascinating and moving! I actually cannot wait to see this again!
DAY 26: 17-12-2011 - ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights’
‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights’ surely isn’t. Yesterday the wife and I watched one of my favorite DC Universe Animated Original Movies movie ‘Batman: Under The Red Hood’ and today we watched ‘Emerald Knights’. I generally get a copy of these movies as soon as they come out because overall they have been very entertaining.
My wife hasn’t been that interested in them and only recently started watching them. Gotten acquainted with the ridiculous live-action ‘Green Lantern’ she quickly dismissed the supercop, but was re-invigorated by the ‘Justice League: The New Frontier’ movie. So I we watched ‘Emerald Knights’ to get really familiar with the Green Lantern mythology. I myself haven’t read a lot of ‘Green Lantern’. I have read a shitload of comics in my lifetime, but Green Lantern never interested me. It actually still doesn’t. To this very day I have only read the epic ‘Sinestro Corps’ storyline (which I very much enjoyed) and part of the Blackest Night. Even though really good, I still am not interested in reading anymore, I am sorry, but I don’t care that much. If you want to tell me I am wrong and should read so and so, then please do so. I love new great shit.
Anyways, these stories in ‘Emerald Knights’ were all new to me. Yes stories, like the amazing ‘Batman: Gotham Knight’ before it ‘Emerald Knights’ is also an anthology and tells several small stories in the Green Lantern mythology. Hal Jordan, the most famous Lantern, tells these stories to a new recruit and we join her as she experience these stories.
The movie is also impressively cast, fan-favorites like Nathan Fillion, the amazing Jason Isaacs and even Henry Rollins are here, but the cast has no use here. This movie is basically all Michael Bay. And this is not horrible, since the action is extremely well choreographed at times and looks very cool to look at it. The problem is that every action moment has no weight because you don’t care what is happening to these characters.
The animation however is amazing. Keep up with the similar tone as the Bruce Timm shows, the colors are very vibrant and easily pop off the screen. The animation is so fluid and especially in an action beat, it is clearly anime inspired with over-the-top ring-constructs and explosions!
There is a central theme to this movie and Hal explains that to us from the beginning, but so little is infested in making us care. Do you know what it’s like to be a Green Lantern? Well, apparently it is a lot about looking really badass, and yes they do, and big ass explosions.
There is not much more to this movie. Excluding the better tale of Killawog, every story is basically a lot of fighting, a lot of beautiful well-choreographed fighting. But that is really it. If you like the Transformers movies and you like animated outings, then go check out ‘Emerald Knights’!
DAY 25: 16-12-2011 - ‘Batman: Under The Red Hood’
Next up! ‘Under The Red Hood’! Another one of my more favorite DC Animated movies!
“Ignoring what he’s done in the past. Blindly, stupid, disregarding the entire graveyards he’s filled, the thousands of who have suffered, the friends he’s crippled. You know, I thought… I thought I’d be the last person you’d ever let him hurt. If it had been you that he beat to a bloody pulp, if he had taken you from this world, I would’ve done nothing but search the planet for this pathetic pile of evil death-worshiping garbage and sent him off to hell.”
‘Batman: Under The Red Hood’s based on the classic comic ‘A Death In The Family’ and the more recent ‘Under The Hood’. This is another idea that got a lot of big sighs when initially released in comic-book form. I am not going to say much about the story since whatever I could say would be very spoilerish and it easily becomes spoilerish because it isn’t very smart. At least the central idea about what happens in this story. If I say one thing you would know what the movie is going to be about. So I will leave it at that!
The beauty of this movie is the fact that this simple design, a design we can predict, a design we would call lame as shit, is also its greatest strength. Sure, I have talked about a lot of movies now that are obvious and simple, but yet enjoyable, but this is different. ‘Under The Red Hood’ tells such an annoying trend in comics but it is emotionally so powerful that the movie becomes incredibly rewarding. A lot of the secret twists and turn become very interesting to watch to the surprisingly stellar cast. The Red Hood, the villain of this movie, brings an interesting take to justice, a take Batman will have to deal with and deal with his very personal emotions. It’s a Batman we haven’t seen a lot in animation! And I loved it!
The action is impeccable and the cast, wow! This would amaze you! No Conroy here or Mark Hamill (yes the Joker plays a big part here) but even after watching it after a few times I am still amazed at how good this is. John DiMaggio, of Futurama fame, voices the Joker with an incredible range. At times you could hear Bender and at other times is very inspired by Hamill, which is a good thing! At the end, I could still appreciate his voice.
Bruce Greenwood who voices Batman is particularly good too, but my favorite here is Jensen Ackles that voices the Red Hood. I loved the Red Hood and could easily sympathize with his twisted outlook on the world. His voice reflected well the darkness of Red Hood’s past and still manages to be very witty.
You know what, I am going to say it. The first time I watched this movie and heard the Hood during the final moments, I cried a little. I am serious, and I cried everytime I have seen the movie after that. Just a little though, about a quart each time, not enough to make me lose masculinity. That would be wrong…
‘Batman: Under The Red Hood’ is one of the best movies from DC Universe Animated Original Movies!
DAY 24: 15-12-2011 - ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’
‘Ghost Protocol’ is the best action movie of 2011 and probably the best ‘Mission Impossible’ yet! Even though it suffers from the same action movie tropes of simplicity, it is still ridiculously enjoyable and outclasses almost every other action movie this year with its scope and execution.
I am not going to talk much about the story here because it is as simple as hell. Different this time around is the central theme of the movie. It is not the Ethan show anymore, it’s the squad-based-saving-the-world-movie this time around. Even though fresh for the MI-movie-franchise (not so much for the team-centric tv-show) it is still easy to guess what is going to happen.
The difference why this particular action movie works so well is that every action beat has a purpose. It is ridiculous and defies so much laws in our earthly existence, but it makes sense. It is not being shown to show us some pretty eye-candy. They serve to advance the narrative and even though almost every scene leads to another elaborate action scene, you cannot get enough of it. A minor complaint could be made about Ethan’s team always managing to succeed in everything they do. Whatever situation they come into, they manage to get the upper hand, survive or win. You might get the feeling these guys are superheroes and are not afraid anymore what they can do. Hunt himself does some amazing things and even though I was in awe, you figured, “it’s Hunt, he’ll survive”. Minor complaint, because the action still manages to blow up in your face.
The action works so well because of the movie’s director Brad Bird. This is the Brad Bird show by far and without him the movie wouldn’t be as good. Michael Bay for example is another director very good in action, but in a very different way. The Transformers movies were all hampered by the same thing, the action wasn’t legible. It all looked great and that’s because of it’s scope. It was framed like shit however. His earlier movies, like ‘The Rock’ for example because the scope was narrower and he could spend more times figuring out how to compose the action. At least that’s what I think happened. This movie’s director is Brad Bird and was the director on some of my all time favorite animate movies: ‘The Iron Giant’ and ‘The Incredibles’. This is his first live-action movie as he only has done animation. Judging from the structure of ‘Ghost Protocol’ it looks like his animation, sorry, his incredibly impressive animation background helps him deal with action far better than anything else this year. Every action scene in ‘Ghost Protocol’ works, it’s ridiculous but beautiful at the same time. We can watch it and instantly know what is going on. We don’t have to guess, we don’t have to fuckin squint our eyes to see what is happening, we can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Before I said that this a squad-based Mission Impossible, but Tom is still the star here. This is all routine for him now, at certain points I would wonder how long could this aging dude keep this up, but he pulls it off with a lot of spectacle. Like it’s a walk in the park. The problem with this is, because his role, besides the physicality of it, seems very easy. There is a little side-plot going on with Ethan Hunt, but besides that I didn’t get the feeling the character was evolved at all. Sure shit happens to advance the story, but not overall for Ethan. He is still the same guy.
These characters are the biggest and maybe only problem I could think of in ‘Ghost Protocol’. I hate the fact that everything is so simple and so fuckin’ standard. I mean the bumbling fuck up that Simon Pegg plays is enjoyable but also frustrating. How could this idiot be an IMF-agent? Everybody is cool as shit, climbing buildings and clearing out rooms of assassins, but this can’t even watch a tied-up assassin at gunpoint. I understand humor is good but you don’t need this type of humor. On the other hand, Paula Patton plays the fuckin typical female-spy here that uses her sexuality, loses fights with men and becomes “bad-ass” when fighting another woman. These representations really annoy me.
Another problem is the sleight issue here that these guys truly are superheroes! How incredibly dangerous or scary situations may be they always manage to make it. This brings an expectancy to these action points because after some time you are not afraid anymore. This is a small criticism because the action remains exhilarating until the very end of the movie!
Annoying as some parts might be, this movie is awesome and besides those small issues the movie explodes in your face. Speaking of such, ‘Ghost Protocol’ is a prime example of good use of IMAX-technology. That scene, we all have seen, on top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, looks ridiculous and you could almost feel what Ethan is going through. This is the testament of shooting with IMAX-cameras. It’s huge and you are sure to miss out one of the most amazing scenes of the movie if you watch this at home or at a regular screening.
All in all, I love this movie and am ready for the next one. Or rather I am ready for whatever Brad Bird has lined up next! Count me in!
