So let the fun begin.
#1 Killed by the Killers
Okay...well...my boyfriend and I wanted to see a movie, but we couldn't decide what to watch. We had narrowed it down to Killers and The Bounty Hunter. Because The Bounty Hunter was going to be on DVD first, we decided to watch Killers instead. So that's what we did.
The previews for this film made it look fairly comedic, however, most all of the funny points of the movie were ruined from being heavily exploited in both previews and TV spots. So, in that respect, there was nothing to really look forward too. Yes, it was funny, but you also knew what was coming, so it wasn't as funny.
Disregarding the previews, however, lets look at the movie. Well...
1) It has Ashton Kutcher, who is slowly becoming a passable actor in my books, and Katherine Heigl, who I love thanks to 27 Dresses and The Ugly Truth. The fact that I like these too performers greatly improved my movie-watching experience.
2) It is predictable in a way only Hot Fuzz could be. Obviously everyone is out to get them; it's just a matter of when. At least in Hot Fuzz, you were supposed to be laughing. With this movie, I'm not so sure. I think the goal may have been to create suspense, but, honestly, it just had the audience rolling their eyes while they thought, "Oohh, another person out to kill them -- yippee..." Honestly, the predictability was laughable and highly detrimental to the movie. The sad part is that even when someone was not out to kill them, the movie still followed a predictable plot. It was kind of pathetic.
3) Anyone see a copy-right law suit coming about? Anyone? Try Mr. and Mrs. Smith OR if you want to go a bit more modern, try Knight and Day. Second verse same as the first. All we do is change the names and slightly alter the circumstances and WAH-LAH, a new movie is born.
Despite these there issues I have with the movie, I loved it. It was corny and cheesy and predictable and I loved every second of it because it was the first movie date that my boyfriend and i had.
The previews for this film made it look fairly comedic, however, most all of the funny points of the movie were ruined from being heavily exploited in both previews and TV spots. So, in that respect, there was nothing to really look forward too. Yes, it was funny, but you also knew what was coming, so it wasn't as funny.Disregarding the previews, however, lets look at the movie. Well...
1) It has Ashton Kutcher, who is slowly becoming a passable actor in my books, and Katherine Heigl, who I love thanks to 27 Dresses and The Ugly Truth. The fact that I like these too performers greatly improved my movie-watching experience.
2) It is predictable in a way only Hot Fuzz could be. Obviously everyone is out to get them; it's just a matter of when. At least in Hot Fuzz, you were supposed to be laughing. With this movie, I'm not so sure. I think the goal may have been to create suspense, but, honestly, it just had the audience rolling their eyes while they thought, "Oohh, another person out to kill them -- yippee..." Honestly, the predictability was laughable and highly detrimental to the movie. The sad part is that even when someone was not out to kill them, the movie still followed a predictable plot. It was kind of pathetic.
3) Anyone see a copy-right law suit coming about? Anyone? Try Mr. and Mrs. Smith OR if you want to go a bit more modern, try Knight and Day. Second verse same as the first. All we do is change the names and slightly alter the circumstances and WAH-LAH, a new movie is born.
Despite these there issues I have with the movie, I loved it. It was corny and cheesy and predictable and I loved every second of it because it was the first movie date that my boyfriend and i had.
#2 The Toys are Back with a Third Story to Tell
This movie is hard for me for two reasons.
First of all, I LOVE the original Toy Story. In fact, it is one of my all time favorite movies. I can seriously quote 75% of the movie from memory. When the second one premiered, I was quite disappointed. It was alright, but it was missing the WOW factor created by the first one. So, needless to say, I was nervous: the movie was either going to suck or rock.
Secondly, about ten minutes into the movie, my mom got a call that my brother was being rushed into emergency surgery because his appendix had burst. Since he was three hours away, it was a bit hectic. After discovering this news, I was highly dismayed and distracted. I spent most of the movie worrying about my brother: apparently it was a life or death situation. (Thankfully the surgery happened and they cleansed his body of poison and he's safe at home now).
Regardless, however, we finished the movie.
I will admit that the movie is better than the second one, but nothing can surpass the first one. It was just too great to be surpassed.
I did like what they did with the plot of this one. It was relevant, unlike the second one. I mean, some people have to be thinking: great, Andy has his toys now, but what happens when he goes off to college? Will he take his toys with him? If not, what will happen to them?
As sad as I was to see Andy give the toys up, I'm glad he found some place better than the SunnySide Daycare. I cringed watching the children beat those toys up and I'm not even a toy; I'm a real live human being, but I would NEVER treat my toys like that.
Yes, the plot is simple and predictable and cheesy, but I loved every minute of it. The moments I paid attention to anyway; I mean, I had my brother to worry about.
#3 The LAST Airbender Movie I Ever Hope to See
Before I start to review this movie, you should know that I am a HUGE fan of the Nickelodeon series it was based off of. Seriously, I've seen the series completely through at least three times. I love it. It is arguably the best non-anime cartoon series in my life time. So, needless to say, I had some high expectations for this movie. My heart nearly exploded with joy when I heard they were turning it into a live action film.
...And then I saw it.
First of all, the name pronunciations ticked me off. I understand that Shyamalan was trying to make the pronunciations sound more ethnically authentic, however, the name pronunciations were already established in the show. If the names are previously established, use them. Don't go from Aang to Ong; Sokka to Soaka; Iroh to Earoh; and Avatar to Aw-vah-tah.
Second, what's up with Prince Zuko? Seriously. I am exceedingly grateful that Dev Patil got the job over Jesse McCartney, who was the original pick, but still. Where is his scar?! If you squint your eyes, you can kind of see what may just have been a make-up mishap. That scar is supposed to be huge and horrendous. It's supposed to be so big that you can't stop looking at it. That scar defines him. Way to go Shyamalan. You screwed up one of the series' best characters.
Third, along the same lines, what's up with Iroh and Aang? Iroh is supposed to be this fat, lazy old man with fantastic humor and wisdom. Instead, we get the dread lock warrior. And Aang is supposed to be this goofy kid who has no understanding of responsibility, at least in book one, which the movie was based on. Instead, we have the all-too-serious Ong, the kid who wants to kill everyone to avenge the Air Nomads.
Fourth, I have an issue with Katara's narration. In my English classes, one of my professor would constantly tell us to show him what we're talking about with detail and examples instead of telling him about it. Shyamalan used Katara to tell the story, rather then visually putting it on the screen. The worst example of this is the relationship between Sokka and Yue. In the cartoon, there are two or three episodes showing that relationship grow. In the movie, we have Katara, the worst narrator ever, saying that "Sokka and Yue became friends really quickly." FAIL.
Fifth, the epic Avatar State moment at the end of the movie is so lame. You build up to this epic moment where Aang is supposed to go crazy and obliterate the Fire Nation. In the movie, you see Aang build up this huge tidal wave and then...absolutely nothing. He drops the stupid wave and the Fire Nation flees in terror.
Sixth, Shyamalan did a terrible job in choosing what areas to highlight. The earth benders being prosecuted by the Fire Nation is not that important. Yes, Haku is there, but he appears only one more time in the series. Characters he did leave out, however, such as King Boomy, Jon Jon, and Suki are all highly relevant throughout the entire series.
The thing that bothers me the most about this movie is that there was SO MUCH potential. It could have been great, but M. Night Shyamalan screwed it up so bad.
I've got one thing to say to you M. Night: you stand alone, just like Commander Zhao, because you wrote, directed, and produced the film. And THAT is your greatest weakness. If you had let someone help you, they could have told you that the movie was crap before you made it. Or maybe you did have help and you fired them when they said what you were doing was awful. Either way, the critics are right. Your career may be over thanks to this movie.
One final piece of fail: thank you, McDonalds. One of the toys happens to be a Kyoshi warrior fan; the kind that Suki would use to battle. And who is on the fan? Katara. FAIL! You can't put out a toy for a character that didn't exist in the movie. And, even if you were going to, you should have at least been ironic about it and put Sokka on it because he at least had some Kyoshi warrior training.
I guess the visual effects were nice, but that's not enough for me to forgive you, M. Night. I need more than pretty pictures. If you wanted to just base the movie off the series, you should have made it different, taking different details from the series and making it work for your movie. You did it once with the water bending scroll. You found a way to incorporate it without the pirates. You should have done that the entire movie, rather than trying to cram twenty twenty-five minute long episodes into a two hour movie.
I say we just Hulk this movie and start fresh, forgetting that this movie ever happened. Because the only way I'm seeing another Airbender movie is if it's directed by M. NOT Shyamalan.
#4 Avatard
I will be completely frank with you. I DID NOT WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE! At all. Not even a little bit. It has nothing to do with whether or not I like science fiction movies; it's more of a "the previews looked stupid" issue. Also, the creator stole the name and font from Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
For reals, I saw the previews and nearly died laughing. I'm not sure what it was, but I just found the whole concept of the movie to be silly. It became funnier when a person I know got excited because the humans were the bad guys for once. I stifled a laugh because me, being the cynic I am, wanted to point out that humans are always the bad guys. People suck, end of story.
Then, when the movie came out, EVERYBODY was excited and talking about how great it was. Generally, if that many people think something is great, I won't like it. Also, the more people like something, the more likely it is to become overrated. My already negative perception of Avatar grew immensely due to this. I managed to avoid seeing the movie for almost a year, but I knew I would have to watch it sometime because my family loved it.
I was not exactly thrilled to be watching it, but I thought "what the heck?" I mean, my boyfriend was over and my dad was actually going to watch a movie with us. Even if the movie was going to suck (like I thought it would), the company I was watching it with would kind of make up for it.
So, the movie:
I liked that it had Jake Sully narrating. I always love it when I get to see exactly what is going on in a character's head. Sam Worthington, however, could have put a bit more emotion into the character. Everything he was was so monotone and flat; it was almost like he was bored with the character, so he didn't want to try. That, or he's actually a robot. I'm not sure which is true...
The plot was very blah. It wasn't terrible, but very much overdone. You have one group of people who are "primitive" and living off the land, showing it respect and understanding the life within nature. You have another group of people who are technologically obsessed and think they know better than everyone else. They're goal is to enlighten the natives and take the land from them. Wow. How original. How many more cowboys versus Indians movies do we need before we realize that this symbolism and analogy is too overdone?
I will admit that visually, the movie had a lot going for it. It was very pretty to watch. The problem with that is that I want something more substantial than a bunch of pretty pictures on a screen.
In the end, I watched it, but I was mostly bored. I can see why some people liked this movie, but I just found it very blah. It was MUCH better than I thought it would be, but, when it was over, all I could think was, "Wow, this is a forever long movie." That reaction may have been because I was tired, but I think it was also because I got bored with the movie and was just dying for it to end. I think it would have been better if it were two separate movies. My boyfriend suggested that they ended it when he jumps on the dangerous flying thing (the one that only five had ridden before) and let the second movie be the big battle between the humans and the giant blue cat people.
Well...it wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be. I mean it was amusing as some points, but at others, my general feelings were "meh." And the little yellow things were just kind of there. I think the general goal was for them to function as oompa loompas, a la Willy Wonka, but it just didn't work for me.
Well...the plot was fairly predictable, but it had it's own moments of fun originality. There were just moments where the viewer was like "Okay, I know what happens next" and then something unexpected happens...usually involving someone getting hurt. For example, you see the love interest, Nick, jump over a horse drawn carriage successfully (one person already attempted this and failed), only to be hit by car. Comedic moments like these are what set this movie apart from other romantic comedies.
#4 Avatard
I will be completely frank with you. I DID NOT WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE! At all. Not even a little bit. It has nothing to do with whether or not I like science fiction movies; it's more of a "the previews looked stupid" issue. Also, the creator stole the name and font from Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
For reals, I saw the previews and nearly died laughing. I'm not sure what it was, but I just found the whole concept of the movie to be silly. It became funnier when a person I know got excited because the humans were the bad guys for once. I stifled a laugh because me, being the cynic I am, wanted to point out that humans are always the bad guys. People suck, end of story.
Then, when the movie came out, EVERYBODY was excited and talking about how great it was. Generally, if that many people think something is great, I won't like it. Also, the more people like something, the more likely it is to become overrated. My already negative perception of Avatar grew immensely due to this. I managed to avoid seeing the movie for almost a year, but I knew I would have to watch it sometime because my family loved it.
I was not exactly thrilled to be watching it, but I thought "what the heck?" I mean, my boyfriend was over and my dad was actually going to watch a movie with us. Even if the movie was going to suck (like I thought it would), the company I was watching it with would kind of make up for it.
So, the movie:
I liked that it had Jake Sully narrating. I always love it when I get to see exactly what is going on in a character's head. Sam Worthington, however, could have put a bit more emotion into the character. Everything he was was so monotone and flat; it was almost like he was bored with the character, so he didn't want to try. That, or he's actually a robot. I'm not sure which is true...
The plot was very blah. It wasn't terrible, but very much overdone. You have one group of people who are "primitive" and living off the land, showing it respect and understanding the life within nature. You have another group of people who are technologically obsessed and think they know better than everyone else. They're goal is to enlighten the natives and take the land from them. Wow. How original. How many more cowboys versus Indians movies do we need before we realize that this symbolism and analogy is too overdone?
I will admit that visually, the movie had a lot going for it. It was very pretty to watch. The problem with that is that I want something more substantial than a bunch of pretty pictures on a screen.
In the end, I watched it, but I was mostly bored. I can see why some people liked this movie, but I just found it very blah. It was MUCH better than I thought it would be, but, when it was over, all I could think was, "Wow, this is a forever long movie." That reaction may have been because I was tired, but I think it was also because I got bored with the movie and was just dying for it to end. I think it would have been better if it were two separate movies. My boyfriend suggested that they ended it when he jumps on the dangerous flying thing (the one that only five had ridden before) and let the second movie be the big battle between the humans and the giant blue cat people.
#5 I Found This Movie Less Than Despicable
Disclaimer: I felt like crap when I saw this movie, so that may effect my enjoyment and critique ability.
I heard many good things about this movie. As my brother put it, "It's funnier than Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." Given that, I wanted to be absolutely dazzled by this movie because I found Cloudy original, quirky, and odd. In other words, I loved it. So, when I entered the theater with my baby brother (so my dad and brother could go see Predators), I had fairly high expectations.
Well...it wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be. I mean it was amusing as some points, but at others, my general feelings were "meh." And the little yellow things were just kind of there. I think the general goal was for them to function as oompa loompas, a la Willy Wonka, but it just didn't work for me.
On the other hand, I enjoyed the fact that the protagonist in the movie was an evil person. Not only that, but it was a villain battling a rival villain. It was a nice break from the standard good versus evil. It was more evil versus more evil.
Also, the movie got extremely complicated and touching on an ethical level: Despicable has a choice to make: he can give up the dream job of a life time and change his entire reputation for three children he hardly knows OR he can take the job. There are numerous examples I can think of where a parent sacrifices their own desires and needs in the interest of their children. It was sweet in that expect.
Overall, I will grant that the movie is cute and original with the premise of "may the best villain win;" however, it has an entirely too cheesy, heart-warming ending. The movie wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything special; it was merely okay.
#6 When In Rome, Stay Away from the Fountain...
Can I just say that Kristin Bell is the cutest actress in the world. I love her to death. She can be sweet and unassuming (When in Rome, Couples Retreat) or she can kick some major butt (Fanboys and Elle in Heroes). Watching this movie, it was hard for me to remember that she ever played Elle Bishop, but she did. And her wardrobe was awesome. I wish I had one like it. Also, her acting was awesome. She's just so adorable.
Anyhow...onto the movie!!
Well...the plot was fairly predictable, but it had it's own moments of fun originality. There were just moments where the viewer was like "Okay, I know what happens next" and then something unexpected happens...usually involving someone getting hurt. For example, you see the love interest, Nick, jump over a horse drawn carriage successfully (one person already attempted this and failed), only to be hit by car. Comedic moments like these are what set this movie apart from other romantic comedies.
Despite it's predictability, I still loved it. Yes, it's cheesy and cute, but I'm a girl. I'm allowed to like movies like that on occasion.
#7 Brownwood Lyric Theatre's Production of Annie
Yes, I am aware that this is a play and technically not a movie, but, in my mind, they are close enough. So, let's start this review with a song.
#7 Brownwood Lyric Theatre's Production of Annie
"The sun will come out, too-maw-woah. Bet your bottom dollar that too-maw-woah, I'll still have a frown. Too-maw-woah! Too-maw-woah! I'll still frown too-maw-woah! It's only a day away!"
Yes, I know it's probably mean to make fun of a little kid who probably hasn't acted before, but still. If you were an orphan, brought into a family and about to be adopted, you would at the very least smile. Even if it's the world's tiniest smile, it would still be there. For this Annie, everything deserved a frown. The frown worked while she was in the orphanage, but when she's told she's going to be adopted, she makes the world's biggest frown. FAIL! Also, for the character of Annie, they should have picked a girl who could be loud. Again, I know she's a little kid, but I was sitting in the second row and I couldn't hear her half the time. Plus, she seriously needed a better wig for the curly hair. It was terrible.
Even if Annie couldn't smile, however, the other orphans could. During "Hard Knock Life," I don't think there was a single child frowning. They all had big grins on their faces. I'm guessing that they REALLY liked scrubbing the floors. They were adorable though. Especially the girl who played Molly; even if I can't stand her mother, she was pretty cute.
Despite the children from the "we can't act" school, everyone else was, in a word, brilliant. Hannigan was wonderful. DWB was hilarious. Grace and Drake were perfectly orderly and precise. And Rooster...well...he definitely was my favorite. He was just too fantastic. I am glad, however, that I do not go to school in Brownwood anymore because the man playing Rooster was one of my history professors. Seriously, I defended my Baccalaureate Thesis to this guy. But there he is on stage, having the time of his life being goofy. I will say that it made my viewing experience much funnier.
In the end, I enjoyed it; especially since it was my first exposure to Annie and I knew a few of the cast members. Fiddler on the Roof (last year's production), however, was so much better.
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