Posts
'The A Team' (PG-13) (2 stars)
Writers: Joe Carnahan, Brian Bloom and Skip Woods
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Gerard McRaney, Brian Bloom
I hated the television series "The A Team" when I was younger. I couldn't sit through more than a half hour of any episode so two episodes were enough. I expected the new "A Team" movie to be dumb and this movie is dumb but not in a good way. When a goofy summer action movie tries to get too complicated for it's own good it goes from dumb to delusional. Did I like the action sequences and the comedy aspects of this movie? No. The action is confusing and full of MTV cuts and is so full of edits that I couldn't follow what was going on in those scenes. Also the movie is not funny because I didn't laugh once, I maybe smiled two times. It is not a boring movie because there are a plethora of beautiful Hollywood people in it that are really good to look at. The pace is fast but why was I bored and wanting to leave? But you say Vince, it is supposed to be a dumb, silly popcorn movie and that would be good because I love those kinds of movies. The problem is I couldn't figure out why the movie thinks it has a story that is so clever and intricate. I did not find this movie the least bit entertaining. The movie should actually be dumbed down and I would have had more fun. I can't even tell you anything that happened in this movie without someone getting confused.
Now let's get to the acting. Liam Neeson looks strange and phones in his performance. "Rampage" Jackson has presence but the acting is awkward, Sharlto Copley is wasted especially after his great "District 9" performance. The movie never stands still to make us really give a crap about anybody. The only reason I can recommend that you see this is to watch some really hot movie stars. Now there are four very attractive people to watch here. Bradley Cooper is going to be a star and a successful leading man very soon. He has charisma, a very impressive body and he is charming. Jessica Biel is someone who is growing on me because I thought she was very good here and she also has an incredible body and is very good to look at. The bad guys are way more interesting than the heroes and they also look pretty. Patrick Wilson and Brian Bloom as the villains share with Biel the best scene in the movie. It is set in a car and it is a car full of pretty people. This movie is full of pretty people but I am sure that is not the movie's primary goal. "The A Team" is sloppy, dull and I feel like I wasted my time. Did I mention all the pretty people in it? I guess what I am saying is that the "The A Team" reaaly provides nothing worthwhile.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
'Killers'
'Killers' (PG-13) (1 star)
Writers: Bob DeRosa and Ted Griffin
Director: Robert Luketic
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara
"Killers" doesn't even have the common decency to film it's story in a real suburban setting. It starts off in an exotic locale but then shifts to the suburbs which looks like a cheap set. "Killers" really doesn't have a plot, it is just a bunch of shootouts surrounded by Kutcher and Heigl screaming at each other. The movie is just Ashton Kutcher, putting on some muscle, meeting Heigl's character who is on vacation getting over a breakup. She is there with her father and mother who are a bored looking Tom Selleck and an alcoholic Catherine O'Hara. O'Hara could have the juiciest part if the jokes for her didn't consist of an old vaudeville act. We know by the previews that Kutcher is actually a C.I.A. assassin. The two get close to each other as Kutcher tries to tell her he is a spy. Then he tries to tell her before the end of the vacation until she falls asleep. Ha! Ha! Now we are dealing with a bad sitcom with an idiot plot. They get married, move to the suburbs and that is when this fake little villa is found to be teamed with assassins. Who is hiring these people to knock them off? When you find out who it is it doesn't make any sense why they would hire people to kill Kutcher when the culprit is close to Heigl's character. She would be in danger of being shot also.
The movie is just full of surprise neighbors popping out and trying to kill them. That is all the movie is, shocking violence even for a PG-13 rating and bad dialogue and screaming matches. There is not one funny moment, the action is clumsy and the movie has no ideal what it wants to be. Is this a comedy with abrupt killing and action scenes? Or is it an action, romantic comedy peppered with comedy? Because it is never funny for one second and it is never suspenseful. Director Robert Luketic can't do action scenes and the movie doesn't even try to be entertaining. It is lazy, insipid, boring, dull and needlessly violent. Then it does the the old saying the F word because you are allowed one for a PG-13 movie. The screenplay is one of the emptiest ones ever written for a feature length movie. I am getting sick of Katherine Heigl's screaming, daffy and annoying bad acting. She cuts down her only good movie, "Knocked Up" and then follows that up with three of the crappiest movies I have seen in ages. She is one note, over the top and should have saved her hysterics for her terrible television show "Grey's Anatomy". I have overcome my dislike over the years for Ben Affleck, Ryan O'Neal and Kiefer Sutherland so I am open to liking Heigl but she doesn't make it easy. Now I like Kutcher and I think he is under rated but his choice of movies is less than inspired. "Killers" is an empty, joyless and excruciating experience and I couldn't wait to leave the theatre!
Writers: Bob DeRosa and Ted Griffin
Director: Robert Luketic
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara
"Killers" doesn't even have the common decency to film it's story in a real suburban setting. It starts off in an exotic locale but then shifts to the suburbs which looks like a cheap set. "Killers" really doesn't have a plot, it is just a bunch of shootouts surrounded by Kutcher and Heigl screaming at each other. The movie is just Ashton Kutcher, putting on some muscle, meeting Heigl's character who is on vacation getting over a breakup. She is there with her father and mother who are a bored looking Tom Selleck and an alcoholic Catherine O'Hara. O'Hara could have the juiciest part if the jokes for her didn't consist of an old vaudeville act. We know by the previews that Kutcher is actually a C.I.A. assassin. The two get close to each other as Kutcher tries to tell her he is a spy. Then he tries to tell her before the end of the vacation until she falls asleep. Ha! Ha! Now we are dealing with a bad sitcom with an idiot plot. They get married, move to the suburbs and that is when this fake little villa is found to be teamed with assassins. Who is hiring these people to knock them off? When you find out who it is it doesn't make any sense why they would hire people to kill Kutcher when the culprit is close to Heigl's character. She would be in danger of being shot also.
The movie is just full of surprise neighbors popping out and trying to kill them. That is all the movie is, shocking violence even for a PG-13 rating and bad dialogue and screaming matches. There is not one funny moment, the action is clumsy and the movie has no ideal what it wants to be. Is this a comedy with abrupt killing and action scenes? Or is it an action, romantic comedy peppered with comedy? Because it is never funny for one second and it is never suspenseful. Director Robert Luketic can't do action scenes and the movie doesn't even try to be entertaining. It is lazy, insipid, boring, dull and needlessly violent. Then it does the the old saying the F word because you are allowed one for a PG-13 movie. The screenplay is one of the emptiest ones ever written for a feature length movie. I am getting sick of Katherine Heigl's screaming, daffy and annoying bad acting. She cuts down her only good movie, "Knocked Up" and then follows that up with three of the crappiest movies I have seen in ages. She is one note, over the top and should have saved her hysterics for her terrible television show "Grey's Anatomy". I have overcome my dislike over the years for Ben Affleck, Ryan O'Neal and Kiefer Sutherland so I am open to liking Heigl but she doesn't make it easy. Now I like Kutcher and I think he is under rated but his choice of movies is less than inspired. "Killers" is an empty, joyless and excruciating experience and I couldn't wait to leave the theatre!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
'Get Him To The Greek'
'Get Him To The Greek' (R) (3 stars)
Writers: Nicholas Stoller and Rodney Rothman
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Colm Meaney
In what has been a terrible summer movie season all I have ever asked for was a simply entertaining and very funny Hollywood commercial movie. "Get Him to the Greek" proves that with the right talent it is not hard to make a good movie. I am not asking for the sun and the moon here, just a good movie. "Get Him to the Greek" might not be a classic comedy but there are parts that are screamingly funny. It also turns out to be a movie with heart and one of the best movies about friendship since "Superbad". There are also two very funny and solid performances by two actors that have announced their arrival. They are Jonah Hill who gives an easy going and charming performance. The other actor is Russell Brand who takes what could have been a caricature and turned him into a deep, multi layered character. Both actors work well off each other and they are both wonderful. The movie is kind of a spin off to "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" dealing with that movie's rock star character Aldous Snow played this time with more depth by Russell Brand. The other character played by Hill is a record company employee named Aaron whose girlfriend wants him to move to Seattle. His boss played by Sean Combs, in a very funny performance, assigns him to go get rock star Aldous Snow in England and fly him back to perform a ten year anniversary concert at the Greek theatre. He first has to bring Snow to the "Today" show for an interview. The problem is Aldous Snow is a big drug addict and drunk and it is going to be very hard to get him to that concert. Russell Brand gives an outstanding and very funny performance and he plays drunk and stoned brilliantly. If the rumor is correct that Brand will star in a remake of "Arthur" I actually look forward to it.
Jonah Hill does a great job playing the straight man but is also very funny by the way he reacts to Snow. I see Hill becoming as good as John Belushi and Chris Farley here because he can play all levels of funny and he shows heart also. There are many classic scenes including a priceless moment where Aaron keeps Snow from drinking liquor and smoking heroin. When they wind up on the "Today" show there is a very funny scene with Brand, Hill and Meredith Veira. As they both travel to the Greek there are a lot of vulgar situations and outrageous laughs that build. Some of the moments are very funny and others miss a little but the movie turns out to be more deep as it touches on issues of friendship and commitment. The movie doesn't become sappy or corny but the screenplay is more than just stupid jokes, there is a story here. Part of the depth is supplied by Aaron's and Snow's girlfriends. They are well written characters and not annoying like the "Sex and the City" women. An unrecognizable Rose Byrne (Damages) plays Snow's girlfriend and her performance is hilarious and brilliant. Aaron's girlfriend is played by promising actress Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men) and she is very good here as a straighter character and I see a good career ahead of her in movies. There is also a surprisingly flawless and perfect comic performance by Sean Combs. He almost runs off with the movie with his precise and hilarious deadpan delivery. Also any movie with my favorite character actor Colm Meaney in it is good just for him being in it. He plays Snow's father and there is some deep pain in their relationship. It also leads to a very funny fight and hotel trashing scene. So while this movie is not the greatest comedy you will see, the performances are great, the music is very good and there are some hilarious material here with a dash of heart. You also have star making performances by Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, two great female performances and a very impressive Sean Combs. See, it isn't so hard to make a good commercial Hollywood movie after all.
Writers: Nicholas Stoller and Rodney Rothman
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Colm Meaney
In what has been a terrible summer movie season all I have ever asked for was a simply entertaining and very funny Hollywood commercial movie. "Get Him to the Greek" proves that with the right talent it is not hard to make a good movie. I am not asking for the sun and the moon here, just a good movie. "Get Him to the Greek" might not be a classic comedy but there are parts that are screamingly funny. It also turns out to be a movie with heart and one of the best movies about friendship since "Superbad". There are also two very funny and solid performances by two actors that have announced their arrival. They are Jonah Hill who gives an easy going and charming performance. The other actor is Russell Brand who takes what could have been a caricature and turned him into a deep, multi layered character. Both actors work well off each other and they are both wonderful. The movie is kind of a spin off to "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" dealing with that movie's rock star character Aldous Snow played this time with more depth by Russell Brand. The other character played by Hill is a record company employee named Aaron whose girlfriend wants him to move to Seattle. His boss played by Sean Combs, in a very funny performance, assigns him to go get rock star Aldous Snow in England and fly him back to perform a ten year anniversary concert at the Greek theatre. He first has to bring Snow to the "Today" show for an interview. The problem is Aldous Snow is a big drug addict and drunk and it is going to be very hard to get him to that concert. Russell Brand gives an outstanding and very funny performance and he plays drunk and stoned brilliantly. If the rumor is correct that Brand will star in a remake of "Arthur" I actually look forward to it.
Jonah Hill does a great job playing the straight man but is also very funny by the way he reacts to Snow. I see Hill becoming as good as John Belushi and Chris Farley here because he can play all levels of funny and he shows heart also. There are many classic scenes including a priceless moment where Aaron keeps Snow from drinking liquor and smoking heroin. When they wind up on the "Today" show there is a very funny scene with Brand, Hill and Meredith Veira. As they both travel to the Greek there are a lot of vulgar situations and outrageous laughs that build. Some of the moments are very funny and others miss a little but the movie turns out to be more deep as it touches on issues of friendship and commitment. The movie doesn't become sappy or corny but the screenplay is more than just stupid jokes, there is a story here. Part of the depth is supplied by Aaron's and Snow's girlfriends. They are well written characters and not annoying like the "Sex and the City" women. An unrecognizable Rose Byrne (Damages) plays Snow's girlfriend and her performance is hilarious and brilliant. Aaron's girlfriend is played by promising actress Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men) and she is very good here as a straighter character and I see a good career ahead of her in movies. There is also a surprisingly flawless and perfect comic performance by Sean Combs. He almost runs off with the movie with his precise and hilarious deadpan delivery. Also any movie with my favorite character actor Colm Meaney in it is good just for him being in it. He plays Snow's father and there is some deep pain in their relationship. It also leads to a very funny fight and hotel trashing scene. So while this movie is not the greatest comedy you will see, the performances are great, the music is very good and there are some hilarious material here with a dash of heart. You also have star making performances by Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, two great female performances and a very impressive Sean Combs. See, it isn't so hard to make a good commercial Hollywood movie after all.
'Splice'
'Splice' (R) (Rental)
Writers: Antoinette Terry Bryant, Doug Taylor and Vincenzo Natali
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Caneac, Abigail Chu
"Splice comes oh so close to being a cult type classic horror movie. The movie is on it's way to being pure gold until an ending that lets the movie down. It has two of the smartest actors in movies today and a talented new director but in the end the movie just can't seal the deal. The movie stars two actors who are very smart and always pick worthy projects. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play two scientists who create a project for animal gene splicing of several species. To speed things up they add human DNA to the experiment and finally create a strange hybrid creature of animal and human. The creature grows from a lump to a strangely beautiful child with alien type eyes and a tail like an animal. The scientists have to take the creature that they name Dren and hide her in a cabin and raise her as she grows up. The movie is very intriguing in the first half and there is some humor as the scientists deal with the creature who exhibits growing pains and rebellion. She pretty much becomes a teenager and that's when the creature becomes restless and all hell breaks loose.
The acting by Brody and Polley is very impressive and solid as they do a good job playing this material straight. It is a risky plot that could come off as silly but director Vincenzo Natali does a good job creating suspense and thrills. The actors never go over the top and the material doesn't either at first. There are some priceless reaction shots from Brody during some intentionally funny moments as the scientists become parents so to speak. Now they are parents of a half animal, half human but parents the same. The last half hour though starts to lose it's footing as some unintentional laughs pop up. The movie loses it's suspenseful momentum and ends in a cheesy way that I predicted beforehand. There is no impact at the end or nothing to haunt you or make you think. The movie ends in silly chases and ridiculous near kills and battles. What could have been a solid and delightfully crazy monster movie ends with a whimper and an ordinary ending. It is half a good movie in search of a hard hitting ending.
P.S. I have gotten rid of my 2 1/2 star review that usually means that I found the movie a near miss. I have realized that it is a lame star rating and I have now replaced it with a (rental) suggestion. That means that it might be a good bet on DVD to rent and watch at home but not good enough to rush out and see it.
Writers: Antoinette Terry Bryant, Doug Taylor and Vincenzo Natali
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Caneac, Abigail Chu
"Splice comes oh so close to being a cult type classic horror movie. The movie is on it's way to being pure gold until an ending that lets the movie down. It has two of the smartest actors in movies today and a talented new director but in the end the movie just can't seal the deal. The movie stars two actors who are very smart and always pick worthy projects. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play two scientists who create a project for animal gene splicing of several species. To speed things up they add human DNA to the experiment and finally create a strange hybrid creature of animal and human. The creature grows from a lump to a strangely beautiful child with alien type eyes and a tail like an animal. The scientists have to take the creature that they name Dren and hide her in a cabin and raise her as she grows up. The movie is very intriguing in the first half and there is some humor as the scientists deal with the creature who exhibits growing pains and rebellion. She pretty much becomes a teenager and that's when the creature becomes restless and all hell breaks loose.
The acting by Brody and Polley is very impressive and solid as they do a good job playing this material straight. It is a risky plot that could come off as silly but director Vincenzo Natali does a good job creating suspense and thrills. The actors never go over the top and the material doesn't either at first. There are some priceless reaction shots from Brody during some intentionally funny moments as the scientists become parents so to speak. Now they are parents of a half animal, half human but parents the same. The last half hour though starts to lose it's footing as some unintentional laughs pop up. The movie loses it's suspenseful momentum and ends in a cheesy way that I predicted beforehand. There is no impact at the end or nothing to haunt you or make you think. The movie ends in silly chases and ridiculous near kills and battles. What could have been a solid and delightfully crazy monster movie ends with a whimper and an ordinary ending. It is half a good movie in search of a hard hitting ending.
P.S. I have gotten rid of my 2 1/2 star review that usually means that I found the movie a near miss. I have realized that it is a lame star rating and I have now replaced it with a (rental) suggestion. That means that it might be a good bet on DVD to rent and watch at home but not good enough to rush out and see it.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
'Snavely Classic: Slapshot'
'Slapshot' (77) (R) (4 stars) (Highest Rating)
Writer: Nancy Dowd
Director: George Roy Hill
Starring: Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Strother Martin, Lindsay Crouse, Melinda Dillon, Brad Sullivan, Jennifer Warren
"Slaphot" is in my top five of the best sports movies ever made and also in my top 25funniest movies I have seen. Every sport has their signature movie that is the top of the heap. Golf has "Caddyshack", football has Robert Aldrich's "The Longest Yard", basketball has "White Men Can't Jump" and baseball has a lot of great movies to choose from. Hockey has "Slapshot" and I do apologize to all those "Youngblood" fans who love Swayze and Lowe in that hockey classic. "Slapshot is gloriously vulgar, hilarious and very shocking when I first sat down at 12 years old and watched it. My parents had taken me to "Animal House" before but this movie was so vulgar and nasty and so great I watched it over and over. The fact that a woman wrote something this vulgar is wonderful and nowadays I admire that immensely! Nancy Dowd was an ex wife of a Hockey player so I can see where she got her material. This is a wonderfully funny and very smart screenplay. Everyone knows the plot and everyone knows that the man who stars in it is the legendary Paul Newman. He plays player/coach Reggie Dunlap of the Charlestown Chiefs and it is one of his best characters. The supporting cast is wonderful and actually Lindsay Crouse to me gives an Oscar caliber performance as the wife of Ned Braden. Strother Martin is also a delight as the owner of the team but everyone knows The Hanson Brothers steal this movie. The introduction to them playing their first game is priceless and full of genius slapstick moments. There is also the capturing of what athletes really say on the ice, the crazy fights that happen and the movie just feels right. There is a classic scene where the Hansons have a fight before the game and they listen to the National Anthem. What they say to the referee as he yells at them is pure classic. The dialogue is so nasty that it just becomes funny for being so over the top. There are also classic lines that I have been quoting with friends for decades. They include one of my favorites as Player Dave Carlson gets into a huge fight and has to get his lip sewed up. That leads to the classic line readings of "But Dave was there, Dave's a killer" and finally someone has to say "Dave's a mess". I thought back to this dialogue as I saw the Blackhawk's Duncan Keith get his teeth shattered during a playoff game. The movie's ending is very unpredictable and it doesn't seem right at first but makes sense after all. I could never stop watching this movie over and over because it is hilarious every time I watch it. It is a classic comedy and sports movie that is one of the best written screenplays in both genres.
P.S. "Slapshot" is dedicated to the Blackhawks and their deep and wonderful team where everyone contributes to a win. The camaraderie and teamwork that is shown by the Charlestown Chiefs is the same unselfish play the Blackhawks use. That is why they are winners and the true example of team work over individual play.
Writer: Nancy Dowd
Director: George Roy Hill
Starring: Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Strother Martin, Lindsay Crouse, Melinda Dillon, Brad Sullivan, Jennifer Warren
"Slaphot" is in my top five of the best sports movies ever made and also in my top 25funniest movies I have seen. Every sport has their signature movie that is the top of the heap. Golf has "Caddyshack", football has Robert Aldrich's "The Longest Yard", basketball has "White Men Can't Jump" and baseball has a lot of great movies to choose from. Hockey has "Slapshot" and I do apologize to all those "Youngblood" fans who love Swayze and Lowe in that hockey classic. "Slapshot is gloriously vulgar, hilarious and very shocking when I first sat down at 12 years old and watched it. My parents had taken me to "Animal House" before but this movie was so vulgar and nasty and so great I watched it over and over. The fact that a woman wrote something this vulgar is wonderful and nowadays I admire that immensely! Nancy Dowd was an ex wife of a Hockey player so I can see where she got her material. This is a wonderfully funny and very smart screenplay. Everyone knows the plot and everyone knows that the man who stars in it is the legendary Paul Newman. He plays player/coach Reggie Dunlap of the Charlestown Chiefs and it is one of his best characters. The supporting cast is wonderful and actually Lindsay Crouse to me gives an Oscar caliber performance as the wife of Ned Braden. Strother Martin is also a delight as the owner of the team but everyone knows The Hanson Brothers steal this movie. The introduction to them playing their first game is priceless and full of genius slapstick moments. There is also the capturing of what athletes really say on the ice, the crazy fights that happen and the movie just feels right. There is a classic scene where the Hansons have a fight before the game and they listen to the National Anthem. What they say to the referee as he yells at them is pure classic. The dialogue is so nasty that it just becomes funny for being so over the top. There are also classic lines that I have been quoting with friends for decades. They include one of my favorites as Player Dave Carlson gets into a huge fight and has to get his lip sewed up. That leads to the classic line readings of "But Dave was there, Dave's a killer" and finally someone has to say "Dave's a mess". I thought back to this dialogue as I saw the Blackhawk's Duncan Keith get his teeth shattered during a playoff game. The movie's ending is very unpredictable and it doesn't seem right at first but makes sense after all. I could never stop watching this movie over and over because it is hilarious every time I watch it. It is a classic comedy and sports movie that is one of the best written screenplays in both genres.
P.S. "Slapshot" is dedicated to the Blackhawks and their deep and wonderful team where everyone contributes to a win. The camaraderie and teamwork that is shown by the Charlestown Chiefs is the same unselfish play the Blackhawks use. That is why they are winners and the true example of team work over individual play.
'Sex and the City 2'
'Sex and the City 2' (R) (1 1/2 stars)
Writer and Director: Michael Patrick King
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, John Corbett
What a smug, arrogant, phony and terrible movie "Sex and the City 2" is! I am not a huge fan of the show. I liked the first year of the HBO series but grew tired after that and now I know why. There is only so much time you can spend with four selfish women before you can't take it anymore. The first "Sex and the City" was well written and actually fun and sane. I gave up on them on television but I enjoyed the movie for what it was and though overlong it was simply fun. I don't know what happened but this second film is so sluggish, annoying and ridiculous. I even think fans of the show and first movie will be a little disappointed. The movie and show are called "Sex and the City" so why would you spend a lot of time in this movie out of the city and in the desert for a stupid story. I knew after the opening where the ladies go to a gay marriage and see Liza Minelli butcher the Beyonce song "Single Ladies" we were in trouble. The four women are in some ways not happy in their lives. So when Samantha wants the group to go to the Middle East for a movie premiere she invites all of them. Carrie is not happy because since they bought a couch her husband just wants to sit home and watch television. In one of the stupidest scenes in the whole movie husband buys Carrie a big flat screen TV as a gift for them to watch movies together. She is mad because, get this, he could have bought her jewelry instead because the television is too impersonal. So she actually has the nerve to criticize his gift and substitute it for another material item like jewelry. This is the start of why these characters now seem to be selfish bitches. The television would be for both of them but jewelry is better for her even though she refuses to wear a wedding ring? If there is a third movie I hope he divorces her because everything she says to her husband revolves around her. None of the four women should ever be allowed to be married especially when the movie treats the husbands as background fodder. They never have an intelligent thing to say and they are treated like they don't exist. I couldn't take anymore of these smug characters after a while.
The movie gets worse when they travel to the Middle East. The movie gets very stupid, the women get more arrogant and obnoxious and the movie gets very sloppy. It is horribly written, the direction is some of the worst I have seen and the movie ends with a half hour of stupidity piled on top of stupidity. Kim Catrall is the only very good thing here and she is funny and I like her delivery of her lines. Kristin Davis does not give a good performance and like I said before the men don't register. Chris Noth is giving nothing to work with and John Corbett gives a smug performance. Also the Middle Eastern characters are shallowly written and embarrassing cliches and stereotypes. What "Sex and the City 2" has done is ruined what was a decent show and first movie and turned it into schlock. I couldn't stand one more minute with these arrogant, smug and obnoxious women. I think it is time to say goodbye to "Sex and the City" for good now.
Writer and Director: Michael Patrick King
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, John Corbett
What a smug, arrogant, phony and terrible movie "Sex and the City 2" is! I am not a huge fan of the show. I liked the first year of the HBO series but grew tired after that and now I know why. There is only so much time you can spend with four selfish women before you can't take it anymore. The first "Sex and the City" was well written and actually fun and sane. I gave up on them on television but I enjoyed the movie for what it was and though overlong it was simply fun. I don't know what happened but this second film is so sluggish, annoying and ridiculous. I even think fans of the show and first movie will be a little disappointed. The movie and show are called "Sex and the City" so why would you spend a lot of time in this movie out of the city and in the desert for a stupid story. I knew after the opening where the ladies go to a gay marriage and see Liza Minelli butcher the Beyonce song "Single Ladies" we were in trouble. The four women are in some ways not happy in their lives. So when Samantha wants the group to go to the Middle East for a movie premiere she invites all of them. Carrie is not happy because since they bought a couch her husband just wants to sit home and watch television. In one of the stupidest scenes in the whole movie husband buys Carrie a big flat screen TV as a gift for them to watch movies together. She is mad because, get this, he could have bought her jewelry instead because the television is too impersonal. So she actually has the nerve to criticize his gift and substitute it for another material item like jewelry. This is the start of why these characters now seem to be selfish bitches. The television would be for both of them but jewelry is better for her even though she refuses to wear a wedding ring? If there is a third movie I hope he divorces her because everything she says to her husband revolves around her. None of the four women should ever be allowed to be married especially when the movie treats the husbands as background fodder. They never have an intelligent thing to say and they are treated like they don't exist. I couldn't take anymore of these smug characters after a while.
The movie gets worse when they travel to the Middle East. The movie gets very stupid, the women get more arrogant and obnoxious and the movie gets very sloppy. It is horribly written, the direction is some of the worst I have seen and the movie ends with a half hour of stupidity piled on top of stupidity. Kim Catrall is the only very good thing here and she is funny and I like her delivery of her lines. Kristin Davis does not give a good performance and like I said before the men don't register. Chris Noth is giving nothing to work with and John Corbett gives a smug performance. Also the Middle Eastern characters are shallowly written and embarrassing cliches and stereotypes. What "Sex and the City 2" has done is ruined what was a decent show and first movie and turned it into schlock. I couldn't stand one more minute with these arrogant, smug and obnoxious women. I think it is time to say goodbye to "Sex and the City" for good now.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
'Prince of Persia: Sands of Time'
'Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (PG-13) (2 stars)
Writers: Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard
Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley
"Prince of Persia", to me, is better than it should be for I am not a very big fan of the later adventure films like the terrible "Mummy" movies. Nowadays there has not been much that has impressed me with these modern day fantasy adventures. I had more of a response to the awesome "Tron Legacy" trailer than I did to this whole movie. Once you seen "Raiders of the Lost Ark" it is going to take more than just a goofy swashbuckler to impress me. Let's go with more recent movies and you can see that the bar has been raised. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, though over rated, have set the bar high. "Prince of Persia" is not a bad movie and it actually was better than I expected. Even with a miscast Gyllenhaal, a beautiful but empty Gemma Arterton and a time travel subplot that doesn't make sense this has it's moments. The movie is based on a video game series and that is why this movie may be too complicated for it's own good. I think it takes a few days to play the video game and this movie is too over stuffed for two hours. The plot is even too screwy to explain except that there is a prince, a princess and maybe two or three bad guys. I am impressed that Jake Gyllenhaal has put on some muscle but he doesn't belong in this movie. He is supposed to be of Arab descent but just looks like an American with a tan. He is more suited to dramas and maybe a cop movie or romantic comedy but a swashbuckler? The movie is owned by the beautiful scenery and locations and Alfred Molina's performance. The action is sometimes impressive but why do action adventures these days place the action in close ups? I can't follow the action when the camera is tight on the combatants. The director Mike Newell is not equipped for this movie. Even though he directed a Harry Potter movie, the director of "Four Weddings and a Funeral seems to be a smaller movie scale director. "Prince of Persia" is an agreeable time waster but totally forgettable.
Writers: Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard
Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley
"Prince of Persia", to me, is better than it should be for I am not a very big fan of the later adventure films like the terrible "Mummy" movies. Nowadays there has not been much that has impressed me with these modern day fantasy adventures. I had more of a response to the awesome "Tron Legacy" trailer than I did to this whole movie. Once you seen "Raiders of the Lost Ark" it is going to take more than just a goofy swashbuckler to impress me. Let's go with more recent movies and you can see that the bar has been raised. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, though over rated, have set the bar high. "Prince of Persia" is not a bad movie and it actually was better than I expected. Even with a miscast Gyllenhaal, a beautiful but empty Gemma Arterton and a time travel subplot that doesn't make sense this has it's moments. The movie is based on a video game series and that is why this movie may be too complicated for it's own good. I think it takes a few days to play the video game and this movie is too over stuffed for two hours. The plot is even too screwy to explain except that there is a prince, a princess and maybe two or three bad guys. I am impressed that Jake Gyllenhaal has put on some muscle but he doesn't belong in this movie. He is supposed to be of Arab descent but just looks like an American with a tan. He is more suited to dramas and maybe a cop movie or romantic comedy but a swashbuckler? The movie is owned by the beautiful scenery and locations and Alfred Molina's performance. The action is sometimes impressive but why do action adventures these days place the action in close ups? I can't follow the action when the camera is tight on the combatants. The director Mike Newell is not equipped for this movie. Even though he directed a Harry Potter movie, the director of "Four Weddings and a Funeral seems to be a smaller movie scale director. "Prince of Persia" is an agreeable time waster but totally forgettable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
