Entry tags:
Movies.
Home sick, and bored.
Movie reviews of all of the films I've seen in theaters so far this year (unless I'm missing one. I'm not sure. In fact, I'm not entirely sure whether I saw one of these in January or last December. Either way.) In alphabetical order, with spoilers behind cuts.
Avatar
My boyfriend's dad took us to see this in 3D, and I'm glad that he footed the bill for it, frankly. (Although technically he's footed the bill for a lot of the films I've seen lately, considering that a lot of the ones we've seen since the beginning of the year were paid for by a gift card he gave my boyfriend for... was it his birthday? I think it was his birthday.) I try to do spoiler-free impressions for the others. Not bothering with this one, because if you're on the internet at all, odds are good that you know what the plot is.
When asked what I think about it by raving fans, I usually just smile and nod and say, "It was very impressive, visually - I can't believe the amount of work they must've put into designing and rendering it, and the 3D effects were actually immersive instead of just being a bunch of stuff flying at your face." I don't really have the guts to finish that statement with the finisher I want to add, which is something like, "...but the plot was hackneyed and predictable and has been done many times before, and the whole 'civilized guy jumps in and saves a bunch of savages from certain destruction by being more awesome at their lifestyle than they are' plot bugs me anyway, and it really felt like the filmmakers spent massive amounts of time making this fantastic canvas and then just drew stick figures on it."
I can't even really say that much about it. It was pretty. I wouldn't mind reading the worldbuilding notes that I've heard do exist; maybe I'd learn something about worldbuilding. The film itself, though... meh.
Daybreakers
Daybreakers plays with some interesting ideas, especially at first, but the filmmakers couldn't seem to decide what kind of film they wanted. You've got thoughtful bits about the situation that they're in, complete with social commentary, and then you have a cliche-packed thriller with gore and action and thrills. It would've been more satisfying to thriller fans if they'd just cut out the commentary, and if they'd wanted to make a commentary they picked the wrong vehicle to do it with, IMO. It's not a horrible film, but it's not a great one, either. (Also, while they are staying truer to the mainstream vampire legends than other "vampire" stories, some of the changes that they've made just made me boggle.)
( Spoilers )
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
It's a colorful, witty piece with lots of dry humor and plot twists. On the other hand, the plot is hard to follow, and I can definitely see why it was limited release in the US; it isn't likely to have widespread appeal to American audiences. Still, if you enjoy British dark comedy, it's definitely worth a look.
( Spoilers )
Legion
I'm having trouble being subjective about it. It hit one of my big philosophical squicks, if you can call it that, and I nearly walked out of the theater rather than keep watching it.
That said... it's another film that didn't seem to know what it wanted to be (action or introspection? Seriously, filmmakers, please choose one to focus on.) It didn't seem to know who it wanted to star, either. The action was okay, and Bettany does a good job playing characters like the one he was playing, but I still can't recommend it.
Sherlock Holmes
You really have to put your prejudices about Holmes aside when you watch this film; it's nothing like the popular portrayal of the character from other sources. But then, apparently a lot of popular portrayals were portrayed in such a way that Doyle himself never intended, and they did get a lot of the things from the books themselves right.
It's a fun movie, at any rate - I was a bit boggled by the direction that they approached the plot from at first, and by the direction that they took Adler and her relationship with Holmes, but it improved as I kept watching it. (Also, it's nice to see a movie that remembers that neither Holmes nor Watson were adverse to fighting when the situation called for it, and were in fact probably good at it, considering Watson's service and Holmes' obsessive training for all things that would make him a better solver of crime.) I enjoyed it, and I would totally see the sequel, if they end up making one.
Movie reviews of all of the films I've seen in theaters so far this year (unless I'm missing one. I'm not sure. In fact, I'm not entirely sure whether I saw one of these in January or last December. Either way.) In alphabetical order, with spoilers behind cuts.
Avatar
My boyfriend's dad took us to see this in 3D, and I'm glad that he footed the bill for it, frankly. (Although technically he's footed the bill for a lot of the films I've seen lately, considering that a lot of the ones we've seen since the beginning of the year were paid for by a gift card he gave my boyfriend for... was it his birthday? I think it was his birthday.) I try to do spoiler-free impressions for the others. Not bothering with this one, because if you're on the internet at all, odds are good that you know what the plot is.
When asked what I think about it by raving fans, I usually just smile and nod and say, "It was very impressive, visually - I can't believe the amount of work they must've put into designing and rendering it, and the 3D effects were actually immersive instead of just being a bunch of stuff flying at your face." I don't really have the guts to finish that statement with the finisher I want to add, which is something like, "...but the plot was hackneyed and predictable and has been done many times before, and the whole 'civilized guy jumps in and saves a bunch of savages from certain destruction by being more awesome at their lifestyle than they are' plot bugs me anyway, and it really felt like the filmmakers spent massive amounts of time making this fantastic canvas and then just drew stick figures on it."
I can't even really say that much about it. It was pretty. I wouldn't mind reading the worldbuilding notes that I've heard do exist; maybe I'd learn something about worldbuilding. The film itself, though... meh.
Daybreakers
Daybreakers plays with some interesting ideas, especially at first, but the filmmakers couldn't seem to decide what kind of film they wanted. You've got thoughtful bits about the situation that they're in, complete with social commentary, and then you have a cliche-packed thriller with gore and action and thrills. It would've been more satisfying to thriller fans if they'd just cut out the commentary, and if they'd wanted to make a commentary they picked the wrong vehicle to do it with, IMO. It's not a horrible film, but it's not a great one, either. (Also, while they are staying truer to the mainstream vampire legends than other "vampire" stories, some of the changes that they've made just made me boggle.)
( Spoilers )
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
It's a colorful, witty piece with lots of dry humor and plot twists. On the other hand, the plot is hard to follow, and I can definitely see why it was limited release in the US; it isn't likely to have widespread appeal to American audiences. Still, if you enjoy British dark comedy, it's definitely worth a look.
( Spoilers )
Legion
I'm having trouble being subjective about it. It hit one of my big philosophical squicks, if you can call it that, and I nearly walked out of the theater rather than keep watching it.
That said... it's another film that didn't seem to know what it wanted to be (action or introspection? Seriously, filmmakers, please choose one to focus on.) It didn't seem to know who it wanted to star, either. The action was okay, and Bettany does a good job playing characters like the one he was playing, but I still can't recommend it.
Sherlock Holmes
You really have to put your prejudices about Holmes aside when you watch this film; it's nothing like the popular portrayal of the character from other sources. But then, apparently a lot of popular portrayals were portrayed in such a way that Doyle himself never intended, and they did get a lot of the things from the books themselves right.
It's a fun movie, at any rate - I was a bit boggled by the direction that they approached the plot from at first, and by the direction that they took Adler and her relationship with Holmes, but it improved as I kept watching it. (Also, it's nice to see a movie that remembers that neither Holmes nor Watson were adverse to fighting when the situation called for it, and were in fact probably good at it, considering Watson's service and Holmes' obsessive training for all things that would make him a better solver of crime.) I enjoyed it, and I would totally see the sequel, if they end up making one.