Jumanji (1995) Fun Movie, the Re-Watch Was Not Bad

Jumanji (1995)

In light of recent events, many people have been re-watching Robin Williams content from over the years. Robin Williams was very talented, but most of the time I did not prefer his comedy style. I decided to watch this film last night because I wanted to see something light hearted. After a long day of work and the stress of life, seeing an easy to watch film helps the night wind down.

The movie itself features the story of a boy who is punished by the decisions he makes as a child. His actions lead to him getting beat up by bullies for his name sake, getting a man fired from the factory, and sent away to boarding school. Now I will agree that not all of these things are in his control and his actions are not different than expected for a child of his age. In fact, I enjoy the beginning of this film because it’s a way to teach people about the gravity of their actions even at a young age.

The premise of this film is very odd because you start out with some dramatic irony. You know that the game is bewitched, but you don’t know anything about the previous players that were determined to get rid of it. You know they lived in the 1860’s and besides the civil war going on, there was not much for a young man to get interested in… Now this is a harsh criticism for a film that was has a target audience of 10 years of age. The important part is that curiosity leads to adventure.

The adventure for the character of Robin Williams seems a bit unfair compared to the rest of the plagues in the game. Helen Hunt had to continue playing the game in order for him to return. My real question is how he survived the jungle for 26 years at such a young age with little to no skills to speak of. Either way Robin Williams portrays a great comedic character that still hasn’t reached manhood and only wants to see his family when he returns. He is able to connect with the children easily because of this fact and it allows them to create several layers to their relationship.

Analytic arguments aside, Jumanji is fun to watch even so long after the years when I saw this in theaters. I have to train myself to not over think these types of movies. I really spend a large amount of time wondering how Robin Williams never noticed that Van Pelt (the hunter) looked exactly like his father or if it was meant to be symbolic of his father slaying his dreams. That would be a hard reality to face for 26 years in the jungle, having the only other human connection being your father and he trying to kill you. 

Sometimes I also wonder about them just simultaneously releasing a movie about a board game in order to make money off of an actual board game. It wouldn't be the first time it has happened. When it first came out I remember it was like $20 and only my rich friends could afford that. Is it a movie about a man and his relationship with his father, or a promotional tool to test the waters with movie products. 

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) I Want A Dragon

How To Train Your Dragon (2010) Dreamworks

As soon as this movie became a box office hit, they green-lighted two other sequels practically the same day. I can’t say I blame them because the main character was basically an animal we can all appreciate, a half dog, part cat with the demeanor of a friendly beast for being a dragon. They actually used all sorts of animal noises like elephants, elephant seals, tigers, horses, and domesticated cats to create the sounds Toothless made. The side character was a small kid with the annoying voice of Jay Baruchel who is famous for being a loser in film, but it was fitting nonetheless.

Hiccup was the modern day tale of a kid with daddy issues. He wanted to live up to his father’s expectations and continually fell flat on his face. His dad was relatable because he seems like the everyman who has trouble expressing his feelings to his son. He was a big strong Viking and it was just not in his nature to be emotional or understand the reasoning behind why Hiccup did what he did. He had other stuff to worry about, like feeding the village.

Whenever they talked about Hiccup they told him that he should stop being himself because it wasn’t helping him become a productive member of society. Whenever he was around disaster happened and it was difficult for his father to lead the people with such a misfit son.

When Hiccup meets the dragon, he is put in an interesting conundrum. Slay the dragon and become famous? Or not kill the dragon and eventually find out more about them? If I were Hiccup I probably would’ve killed the dragon and the plot would have ended similarly. Since no one had ever caught a nightfury, it’s safe to assume he would be a big celebrity and that his invention would be used to fend off more dragon attacks. They would eventually force more and more of the dragons away and their village would be safe.

Instead he doesn’t kill the spotted catdog dragon because he sees that it is just another animal and that he was scared of people. Hiccup was being himself and it leads to him finding out all sorts of secrets about dragons. In reality Hiccup just needed to be more of himself and he was going to change everything.

I don’t have a problem with non-conformity to societal and social norms, but I can’t help but feel like Hiccup would’ve had a great run as an inventor. All he really needed was for people to believe in his inventions to prove that they worked and they did work.

The sad part of the movie was the ending when Hiccup loses his left leg, which is a parallel to Toothless losing his left tail fin. It was actually emotional to see Hiccup have to come to grips with losing a limb, which can be a difficult for anyone in the same situation. It was nice to see that Toothless was there to support him the whole time and it reminded me of my awesome dog that would probably do the same. I enjoyed the film and am ready for the other two sequels. A trailer just came out for the second film and it looks good. 

Wimbledon (2004) The Role of the Man

Wimbledon (2004) Universal

Maybe it’s just because I like sports, but I found Wimbledon to be a witty romantic comedy that highlights difficulties in life and in sports careers. Unlike other English based romantic comedies, this one provides a less than admirable male lead. Paul Bettany is usually not considered to be good looking or even in shape but manages to pull off an aging tennis player quite well. Kirsten Dunst is cute, but I don’t consider her to be a knockout by any measure. I know this is an odd metric for Rom-Coms but come on, most of them have the quirky girl type and if they aren’t quirky, they are sexy, or strong. Dunst is none of those and I kind of dig it.

Something must be said about the cast. They have a great lineup with Jaime Lannister, Captain Vasili Borodin, Mr. Tumnis, and Iron Mans Bodyguard which ignores the main casting completely.

Playing tennis is rough due to the fact that all the best players are ranked at the top and very few times in its history has an outlier ever won a major tournament. If you are not in the top 10 your chances for winning a major tournament are practically zero.

It has to be mentioned that I am usually not a fan of your typical Rom-Com and I was not excited to see this movie when it first came out. I was pleasantly surprised that the film was able to show the inner doubt of an aging tennis player and some of the inner dialogue was very humorous. I thought that his thoughts were probably accurate and his relationship with Dunst genuine. It’s a circumstance that had a large probability and did not seem far fetch unlike other films of the genre. You are rooting for their relationship but it’s obviously going to have problems because of her father and due to the fact that she starts to have feelings for him.

All this mushy stuff aside I think it is off-putting that this film could not be made if the roles were reversed. If Paul was the strong athlete that gained feelings for the girl and decided to focus on his game rather than get involved he would just come off like a jerk. If the woman does it, Paul’s character spends the rest of the day pining over her. It’s not a weak plot point, but it is something to mention. I don’t see why films have to be so gender oriented. Granted this movie avoids the stereotype with women, but it does convert the male lead into a very weak spirited love junkie. I do not construe this as a bad thing, but it’s one thing to be a man and play the character of the girl and it is completely different to be a man and play the role of a man who just happens to be in love. He doesn’t break out in song, but at some points he just seems so wussy that it makes him an unbelievable character. I guess if I were in his role I would just go for the grand romantic gesture and if it didn’t work then I would let it go. If talking to a sports analyst and pouring your heart out (in hopes that she would see) consist of this moment then it kind of fell short for me, but I am a man and I have been known to lack certain empathies. 

Hot Fuzz (2007) It May Be THE Funniest Movie of All Time

Hot Fuzz (2007) Universal

After reading the title you may be skeptical, but if you have seen the movie there may have been a few things you missed. To be honest, the first time I saw the film I thought it wasn’t that funny. I thought it was an average cop comedy that would easily be forgotten, but the more I thought about it the better it got.

A friend of mine (known as Graham) happens to know even more about movies then I do, which I have to say is pretty impressive. I feel like I don’t miss a lot, but whenever we talk about movies this guy drops mind bombs on me. To say the least he has better taste in movies. When I first saw this I told him that I didn’t think it was great and he told me to watch it again this time, but gave me the key to the movie. He said “Watch it this time, but know that every scene is a different genre.” I thought to myself that there was no way that I missed that, but after the second watch I realized how wrong I truly was.

Every scene is a different genre.

You go from buddy cop movie to murder mystery, from mystery to horror, from horror to slasher, and back to gay cop drama. HOW DID I MISS IT! I realized that throughout the film they talk about what seems like arbitrary things, but ends up being a main plot point. Every time someone talks it is foreshadowing something else. Big cop in a small town F-off to the model village à Last scene ends in the model village where he is seemingly larger. Ever shoot two guns whilst jumping through the air at the same time? à Pub scene.

To say the least the film is brilliantly written and directed. You don’t even realize its genius until the second and third watches. Every time you see the film it gets even better. After I watched it this last time I was on the floor even though I knew what was going to happen. I was ashamed of myself when Graham pointed out the best part because I had unknowingly be unaware of brilliance. I will never doubt Graham ever again.

Although many people may not understand British humor, you can’t help but see the irony is most of the things that happen in the film. The spaghetti western part at the end was the perfect way to end the film. There were so many other movies references that led to him making the decision to go back and arrest the whole village.

I can’t help but try to put this film in perspective when comparing it to other great comedies, but it really is in a league of its own. I challenge you to watch this film more than once and ignore how clever it really is.

Definitely on my list for top 5 comedies of all time. 

The Other Guys (2010) The Tuna and the Shark

The Other Guys (2010) Columbia

Cop dramas are a dime a dozen and if you don’t believe me then you should thinking about brushing up on your television. Every other show is about police in one branch of government or another. They are usually over dramatized and filled with bad one-liners. Police movies are also overdone, but the cop buddy comedies have risen in success and hilarity in recent years.

The Other Guys was an instant classic as far as comedies go in this millennium because of its ridiculous dialogue and oddball references.  From the first scene which is basically just a cameo for The Rock and Sam Jackson you know this movie is going to be funny, but not to what extent. I mean they started off by driving a car into a bus and then using that bus to propel them into another building which explodes. They catch the bad guys who apparently only had a half pound of weed and caused 12 million dollars in damage to the city. Not only does no one care about this, but these two cops are beloved by the people in the city and the media for being reckless and charismatic. Of course they die a scene later jumping off a 20 story building to catch some thieves which only adds to their legacy.

I don’t think I have seen a better PG-13 film comedy wise. Sure there was violence, crude references, and some drug references, but most of it was easily forgotten because of how funny Will Ferrell and Mark Whalberg are. It’s interesting to see Ferrell seemingly make more out of every character he plays. In the other films directed by the same guy, Ferrell plays a very different type of character in each one albeit they are similar. In this film he is an explosive yet passive personality. He has some conflicting feelings since he was a pimp in college while openly denying it. I’d have some issues if that was my life too.

Both characters have an identity issue and the movie itself has one as well. The end credits make you feel as if you were watching some corporate espionage story when in fact it was a comedy that features a wooden gun, a guy who accidentally shot Derek Jeter, and a police captain that makes several TLC references. I feel like it was supposed to be a part of some bigger theme, but it gets derailed so many times for so many reasons. When it ends you are supposed to just remember that the cops did their job while everything goes back to normal. I felt like that was kind of disappointing.

The Other Guys was a good idea and it was a funny movie. I wish they made more films like this, but it didn’t do so well in the box office so I doubt they will. Years later the movie is still funny. 

Dhoom 2 (2006) Machale!

Dhoom 2 (2006)  Yash Raj Films

Before Dhoom 2 I had never seen a “Bollywood” film. Bollywood is India’s version of Hollywood and they make some interesting films. One thing I love about Indian films is that they are known for being quirky, ridiculous, and having amazing dance choreography. The music videos are real. Every time I go to a hip Indian restaurant I can usually listen for some Bollywood hits I remember from all sorts of films. They are very catchy tunes that are easily remembered. I even sing them to myself unknowingly sometimes.

Dhoom 2 was the first film Bollywood film I saw and it is still by far the best. I don’t really feel like this film is supposed to be serious. Every time I see it, I am reminded of how ridiculous it is and then I wonder if it is meant to be a satire of American films. I say that because American films are ridiculous. Our action films show a lack of thought, possibilities, and most importantly physics. They make no sense and Dhoom 2 is no different. The stunts are stupidly funny on top of ridiculous that they were made to be that way. There are countless shots of people jumping off cliffs and other stuff. It’s so good that something must be said about the slow motion cinematography. First of all the slow motion stuff is next level. From the basketball scene to the jumping off cliffs, it’s absolutely gorgeous to watch. Secondly anything with Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu is a great lesson in dancing and beauty. They may be two of the most beautiful women on the planet.

The 2 male leads are also dangerous and mysterious characters the way only celluloid can provide. Both of them are believable in their characters and are determined to outmaneuver the other. Bachchan is the dectective that has his own way of doing things even if it is outside the law. Hrithik is the mysterious criminal mastermind that never misses his target. They collide in this film and eventually… become friends? Yes that’s right, in Indian cinema the two settle their differences and allow one another to live free of their past. That would never happen in Hollywood. They must hate each other and value the others demise more than their own life. I was not expecting to see an officer of the law be so accommodating to the villains. After Rai’s character kills Hrithik, Bachchan just lets her go and lets her life be her punishment. I have also never witnessed a film where someone was absolved of murder so that they could live their life of shame. That’s kind of awesome. I wish people had more of a moral compass to the point that if you committed crime, but the only punishment was having the fortitude to press forward knowing what you have done. Heavy stuff from a mostly comical and action packed film.

The whole point of the movie is to prove that love is sacrifice and the film proves it on many occasions including a scene featuring Russian roulette. The scene isn’t great because it is over-dramatized, but the message is great. This film also features the first kiss on screen in Bollywood history. Although the women are dressed in somewhat more revealing clothing, they are very wholesome throughout the film. No raunchy sex scenes, just weird dance scenes that allows each character to prove their love… through song. I happen to appreciate that fact and it is highly refreshing. I am already excited for Dhoom 3, but I am unable to get a copy in America. 

Last Vegas (2013) Who Knew?

Last Vegas (2013) CBS

At first thought, you may wonder what this movie is actually about. I thought it was going to be the last hurrah for a few older gents that wanted to relive their glory days of chasing tail and giving each other a hard time. They do make fun of each other a lot, but it is never maliciously done. I honestly was not expecting a drama about guys who have been friends for over 60 years.

Each character comes from a different circumstance of elderly life. Morgan Freeman comes from a situation where he is being babied by his family because they are worried about his health. De Niro is an old curmudgeon that lost his wife and his will to enjoy life. Michael Douglas is a rich man who never found real love. Kevin Kline was still with his wife, but felt trapped by his life with her.

Each character embodies a different style of a person in the later years of their life and the film has very little to do with trying to get women half their age in Vegas. During the film you can see how each character has lived over the years and De Niro is probably the most honest of the four about his life and the way the others live theirs. He criticizes them for running away from their lives and not being able to confront their problems although he hasn’t as well.

Although there are so gratuitous moments of the film, there is no nudity. Being a Las Vegas native I can testify to the authenticity of some of the situations they are caught up in like being the judges of a bikini contest. Stuff like that and meeting transsexuals is not out of the question.

The characters have some problems that haven’t been resolved since they were kids and they are understandable secrets to keep. Too many years have gone by since they happened and it would be difficult to talk about them now.

Last Vegas was much more diverse than I expected it to be and I ended up enjoying it to a point. I am not saying it’s a great film, but if you are interested in what I have already written then you might have a fun time watching it.

I was happy to see Jerry Ferrara back in a film because he was a great character in Entourage. The last time I saw him was in the movie Battleship (2012) which like this film was much better than it looked. I am hoping he has a good performance in Lone Survivor (2013) so that I can officially say he is back.

Last Vegas was fun, heartfelt, and provided interesting point of view. Maybe my expectations were supremely lowered due to the marketing of the film, but I thought it wasn’t a waste of time like I expected. I may never watch it again, but for a one time watch it was good. 

True Grit (2010) Pretty Well Figured

True Grit (2010) Paramount

A few days ago, I realized that I had not seen a western this month which is a fact I cannot live with. Whether it be a remake or the original a western is a western. I consider it a shame not to at least view a western a few times a year because it gives us a good perspective on how simple life used to be here in America. Before the big cities and the modern conveniences, Americans used to have true grit. It is hard to actually come across a person these days that has put their shoulder to the plow and not on some dude ranch vacation.  When you watch a western you gain a thankful heart that you do not have to spend your days worrying about how to feed your family or if they will die from some disease.

True Grit is the story of an old marshal that has out grown his time and a young girl who seeks justice fort the violent murder of her father. In those days there wasn’t much justice to be had without paying top dollar, so the young girl Maddie aims to find a real tough guy to hunt down the murderer and bring him some.

Whenever you watch these types of westerns you always think about how difficult it must be to find people out in the wilderness. If you are anything like me, I can get lost just hunting small game on foot. On horse, it would be somewhat easier to get around, but people could be making camp anywhere around you so it is not like walking to the front door of a house. Even lawmen through the fifties had a difficult time actually pinning criminals to the murders. The evidence was not much and witnesses were easily disposed of.

True Grit is a better remake than it is an original with John Wayne. Although “The Duke” is an American icon, this was towards the end of his career and not his best work. Jeff Bridges brings out an even better side of ‘Rooster’ and plays a great drunk. I will say that even Matt Damon has a good role in this film and surprisingly did much better than I expected even for a Texas Ranger. Bridges is an honest character and you could say that he was easily frustrated with the general public of the day. I would also consider this movie to be a comedy if you consider one-liners and arguments to be an art form. Rooster and LaBoeuf go back and forth with each other and it makes for a good time.

Although this film may have its quirks, it is an awesome tale about the man Rooster Cogburn and his last hurrah as a marshal and the gumption of a quick witted young woman. He is a drunk but he is loyal to the end. The ending was worth the watch and you are cheering for the hero Rooster and glad he is such an authentic American cowboy that speaks with authentic frontier gibberish accent.

For a movie with an estimated budget of 38 million and a worldwide gross of 245 million, you can bet it was as worth seeing it then and it still is now.   

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) I Wish It Was A Joke

You may notice that there are ads on my site. I decided to monetize it and I get paid per click on an ad, so you will now see those to the right and bottom of my posts.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) Universal

I decided that I wanted to see a comedy last night, but both my lady and I couldn’t decide on which one. She has never seen The Chronicles of Riddick, so I decided to watch this with her. It was just as funny as I remember it. The one-liners were cheesy and the graphics were mostly bad and visually outdated. When you compare this movie to the new one, it is hard to imagine that this could be better or worse, but it is both. It’s an odd compilation to have when the movies are the basis for each story and they are lacking in some things and good at others.    

If you ever stop to watch the Vin reaction shots you almost can’t help but laughing because many times they are out of place. It’s why I consider this movie a comedy. Some of the audio is not synced with the characters and you can tell it was just added in later without reshooting it. I can’t say that anyone would expect this film to be good, but it would’ve been easy for this to be transformed to be a well written screen play.

As movies go this one is partly action as it is mostly filled with ridiculous things that could never happen. The story has the semblance of being something greater but is never able to realize its potential. It also is never able to create its own distinction from other Sci-Fi endeavors and falls short constantly on acting, cohesion, and reasoning.

Throughout the entire story you continually ask yourself why Riddick is where he is. Earlier in the story instead of trying to escape a dying planet with his holy friend (and his family) he decides to go back to where the Lord Commander is in order to avenge his now dead friend. He does this easily and no one is afraid that he killed of the best Necromonger fighters. The Lord Commander basically allows Riddick to escape the armada with little to no effort to entrap him. Another instance of this is right after this scene. After deciding to not save Helion Prime he decides to get caught by the mercenaries that were trying to kill him earlier so he could find his old friend Jack in the most difficult prison to break out of in the system. Knowing that the Necromongers would surely be following him to this location, he plans are altered and he tries to get both himself and jack to safety while trying to help some others from the prison (even though he cares for no one). After just abandoning an entire planet to death and destruction, he goes to a prison and helps people escape with him. It makes no sense. After this ridiculous effort, he decides to go back to the armada to attempt to kill the Lord Commander for the genocide on Furya. Without any thought of getting out of there alive, he decides to go for the assassination attempt (which is not his usual MO).  He fails and is given another chance to join the Necromongers (again).

It’s hard to say that this is a well thought out film. In fact, I am not sure that there was any though given to some of it. I am not sure how movies like this get made, but it was funny to watch. I wish I could liken it to Starship Troopers (1997) which was only made as a joke.

All in all this movie is great for watching bad acting, poor plots, and stupidly fun one-liners. 

Wreck-It Ralph (2012) How Soon They Forget

Wreck-It Ralph (2012) Disney

Every time I hear about Frozen (2013) being the best movie that Disney’s made since The Lion King (1994), I can’t help but remembering a certain film they made last year. Wreck-It Ralph has been somewhat forgotten. Sure it isn’t the kid’s movies that Disney is famous for, but for the first time in years I have been interested in an animated film that didn’t say Pixar or Madagascar on it. Many of these animated creations can be forgotten (like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) and to be fair most of them fall short of a complete film.

For me it can be very difficult to hear opinions on films I haven’t seen yet because I always feel like they are overhyped. To be honest, I didn’t want to see Wreck-It Ralph in theatres. Everyone told me it was good and I was sure that it wasn’t. I was delightfully surprised to witness such a fun film. Even a year later I still think it’s hilarious. Wreck-It Ralph is the first Disney story I could relate to in years and that is saying something. Many people also forget how often Disney actually makes films. To be precise Disney made 13 movies in 2013 alone and 14 in 2012. It is astonishing how many films one company can make that suck. In recent times they basically average that amount of films and practically the majorities that don’t say Pixar on them are forgettable. In fact, I checked and there are 12 Air Bud movies. Is anyone tired of seeing this dog play sports and flying through space?

After all that ranting I guess I didn’t expect Disney to make a movie for my demographic. This arcade based tribute far outdates the majority of the Disney demographic. I thought it was nice to see Disney do more to include more of its fans from an earlier time.

Wreck-It Ralph was fun to watch a features unique dialogue between the two main characters. The plot of the story resonates with many people there are few that haven’t been underappreciated as a human. Bad guys are usually the ones that get forgotten in video games because they are always impeding you from victory.

The story itself was complete and although much of it was a homage to gamers, it could be understood by all. When I write this I hope to interject the feelings that express a joy to see a hate-able character become liked once again as this age old plot from Disney can be reiterated several times in various scenarios. Although the plot wasn’t anything new it did allow for them to create great characters that are sure to be ruined by less qualified actors and script writers in the sequel.

I don’t want to rush through this review because I did generally like the film and think it’s nice for the big guy to get credit once and a while. 

The Family (2013) Both Surprising and Wickedly Funny

The Family (2013) Relativity Media

Last night my lady and I wanted to see something light-hearted or action oriented so we decided to rent The Family from Redbox. When I first saw that there was another Robert De Niro film out, my first thought was “not again.” He has been in far too much stuff in his later years and it is getting hard to watch if you have ever seen his greatness in other films like The Godfather: Part II (1972), Goodfellas (1990), Raging Bull (1980), and Taxi Driver (1976). Any two of those films would’ve put him in the hall of fame of acting forever and he has all four. He is a legend and is deserving of the title, so I was hoping during the first 10 minutes of the film that this would not be like some of the bad films he’s been in recently (Machete, Stardust, All the Fockers movies). It did not disappoint. It was cheerfully dark, and disconcertingly funny.

The Family was an action-comedy directed by Luc Besson who is famous for making Leon: The Professional (1994) which is a solid film, but nothing like a comedy such as this. Leon was a great film, but the themes were much different.

I must admit that this film was not De Niro’s usual gig when he plays an Italian guy. His character Giovanni Manzoni which is one of the first mob informants that was willing to testify against their own family and live. Of course he is a tough guy that doesn’t like to be disrespected, but if you didn’t expect that then you’ve never seen his other films. He plays the perfect Italian mobster in a transitional time in his life. The FBI (should’ve been the marshals if it were being factual) has been taking care of him in a version of the WITSEC program in hopes to save the life of him and his family from mob assassins. The family members are all just as devious and mob-like as Giovanni is.

One the best touches of this film is the relationship the kids have with each other and the world. Both are extremely intelligent when it comes to social aspects and seem to have a grasp on people’s pressure points. They run the school like a prison yard in under a day of living there. They make friends with the right people and they are able to take control of the bullies and the black markets of the school.

Coming from a large school in a major city I can attest to something like this being a major concern. Moving to another school can be difficult because fitting into the right group can be everything. If you are ever in need of certain supplies or certain people, it may be important to be in contact with the people ‘who can get things’ at school as our young characters prove it to be useful.

The family has a large set of amazing scenes that are never in need of CGI or Hollywood dialogue. The movie itself was based off a book called “Malavita” which translates to “Bad Life” in Italian. The name also happens to be the name of the dog.

One of my favorite scenes of the movie is when De Niro is invited to a communal movie review. They lose the movie they were going to review and end up watching Goodfellas instead. De Niro stars in the film they are watching and ends up giving commentary about the film and the life of a gangster in America.

Overall, I would recommend this movie. 

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) Google vs. The Hippies

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) Sony Pictures Animation

I apologize for not writing this past weekend, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to post about this one because of its possible political nature. I decided to not worry about it and post it anyway.

During the course of watching this movie I noticed that the themes of the film had a great deal of social commentary, which is odd for a children’s movie. You can tell that this sequel was even made for a younger audience than its predecessor.

Unlike Pixar movies that usually have great themes this movie really falls short when it comes to the plot line. I know it’s just a kid’s movie, but it asks questions that many adults have not been able to answer for themselves.

Here is the problem:

If you created a machine that made food out of water, wouldn’t you use it to solve the problem of world hunger? Well at the end of the first film they had to destroy the FLDSMDFR machine because it was making sentient food. In this film the machine miraculously stays on and continues its work of creating sentient food with no power source and uses vines for cables.

Later on you find out that there is a company known for its scientific achievements (Google) that comes to the aid of the town. It offers to relocate everyone to San Fran Jose (might as well be google headquarters) in order to clean up the town for free so that people can rebuild their homes (evil right?). They also were able to create a zero emission car that runs on “cute.”

(The reason I call the company Google is because they are based in the same area as google, they have a similar looking facility, they give out free beverages just like google does, and they bring in the best talent all over the world.)

The people willingly leave their home on the island, but the cache is that the leader of the company (looks like Steve Jobs and steals inventions too) just wants to use the machine to make a better food bar product they sale. The food bar contains all the nutrition you would need for one meal and could potentially feed the world if they could bring the cost down. Now that they can make food out of water, that would be a real possibility.

The hippies are the only ones that can see the food as wildlife and is a group made up of a fisherman, police officer, Spanish camera man, meteorologist, chicken salesmen/bully, and a scientist. The main inventor decides to turn off the machine to make sure that it doesn’t create any harmful food that would be dangerous to humans. The meteorologist points out that the machine has created life and that we shouldn’t use its creations as food because they have feelings and conscience. The underlying theme becomes a vegetarian argument for not eating animals even if they are in a farm system.

I don’t mind vegetarians or their arguments about animal cruelty, but I disagree with the notion that animals are more important than people. If it comes down to it I would rather feed people than keep an overpopulated amount of sentient fruit and taco monsters. Just like real wildlife they can be dangerous depending on the situation, but can also be docile as well.

It’s important to note that these creatures can be dangerous for humans and that there is not much known about the creatures. Their ecosystem is not really explained either. Their population also grows at a rate that would render humans extinct if they reached mainland. The hippies want to ignore all the dangers of these unknown species and have no vision to the future about what their existence could mean.  

The evil company wants to use the new food source to feed the world with better tasting food bars that are also more nutritional. I don’t think they should’ve killed the sentient food. I wish they would’ve just reprogrammed the machine to make regular food and keep it more under control. This way they would eventually be able to harness a new food source for the entire planet.

Obviously the point of this film is not about the issues I have mentioned, but it is fun to think about the logistics of this new race of food. 

Enough Said (2013) It Barely Said Anything New

Enough Said (2013) Fox Searchlight

I felt like I have been watching too many action films and that a drama would be better for last night’s selection.We decided to watch Enough Said which is a movie featuring Julia Louis Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini. The story is about a masseuse named Eva that becomes friends with a woman she meets at a party. Subsequently she meets a man at this same party who later asks her on a date. During the course of the story she finds out that the woman she is massaging is the ex-wife of the man she is now dating. Although she is caught in an awkward situation, she tries to learn all she can from the woman she is now friends with in order to find out about problems with her ex-husband.

It seems somewhat convoluted to read about it, which probably points to the fact that I did not explain it all that well. It’s not a convoluted watch and is what I would call an interesting film, but not worth a date night with your significant other. Both Dreyfus and Gandolfini are funny characters, but the movie turns into a romantic comedy that follows the same cycle (I wrote about this in my review About Time) except the girl makes the mistake instead of the guy and instead of getting back together with a grand romantic gesture, it’s a very odd situation. It’s a tale as old as time and its getting difficult to watch.

Am I the only person out there that is tired of romantic comedies? They all seem to be following the same path and they aren’t really bringing anything new to the table of art. I titled my blog as “If Movies Were Only Like Great Art” and I titled it like that because most movies really fall short of anything that could be construed as art. I liken it unto a line used in the Pixar film Ratatouille where they explain the definition of the phrase “anyone can cook.” It doesn’t mean that everyone can become a great chef; it just means a great chef can come from anywhere. This is how movies are for me. Some of them are good, some of them are bad, many of both those categories are entertaining, but the great ones transcend film and become art.  

Obviously I don’t feel like this film was great. It was amusing but never borders on being anything exceptional. I felt like I was always waiting for it to change into something better, but it just let me down. Maybe that is what the director wanted to portray. There are just two characters that go through an awkward situation and come back together through small means. I know it was not the cheesy ending you may have expected, but at least it was real. For that, the critics of the film were more than willing to score this film very high for a played out plot line. I guess it is interesting to see some 50 yr old divorcees try to find love after having kids and a life, but I didn’t necessarily feel like I could connect or relate to the main character on a personal level.

It may be too much for me to ask that a romantic comedy be something that connects people and real-life situations. I understand that it is difficult because the stories may be too boring to put on camera for a thrill seeking audience, but I feel like even if the situation is extrodinary that you can still connect to the characters in many ways.

Enough Said was a fun film that had some laughs, but at the end of the day I will probably never watch it again.  

A Knights Tale (2001) Straight Forward and Entertaining

I am starting to hit a wall and its only 10 days in. Sometimes I feel like my heart is not really into watching all these movies, but I must trudge on. I decided to watch something light hearted in hopes to re-energize me to write more, so I decided to watch A Knights Tale.

Most people have very fond memories of the film A Knights Tale. It’s obviously nothing historically accurate. It wasn’t meant to be. It is mostly just a movie where you are supposed to hate the bad guy and enjoy the ridiculous journey of the peasant-made knight William Thatcher.

It’s funny to me that again this was another poorly received film critically and why wouldn't it be. It was an epic tale. It wasn't even mildly accurate, and it’s a romantic comedy. In a critics mind these are three ingredients for disaster. The funny part is that this is a genuinely loved fan film. This just goes to prove that again there is a large disconnect from critics and moviegoers.

The characters do a credible job of making audiences laugh and although the modern music in the film is somewhat distracting, it is fun for most people. The director wanted younger audiences to see that older cultures feel the same way about their music as we do. Music in time pieces are usually very boring and repetitious, so I can see why modern music would be a valid option. 

Heath Ledger is a fun hero typecast that was knightly even though he did not grow up as one. I thought it was fun to see a peasant with such high and upstanding moral correctness. He didn't give up on his dreams and wouldn't run away because of how much work he put into it. His traits were admirable, which was the entire reason he wasn't beheaded in the film.

Now of course, you may be thinking that the entire movie is hokey. Well... So what! I don't mind that Count Adhemar was technically French even though the French and English hated each other during this supposed time period. I also don't mind all the women with professions throughout the film even though that would be a fantasy during this time period as well. 

I am a little obsessive compulsive and my mind puts up red flags anytime I see anything historically accurate. In many other films, my belief is suspended to the point that I would miss these things or just let them slide, but that is hard to do in such an inaccurate movie. The best part of this movie is that it doesn't care at all about its time period and followed its own road. It didn't want to be accurate to appease crowds, it just wanted to be fun, which it was. 

The film didn’t make any money in the box office which is why there are not a lot of fun films similar to this one. No one wants to pay a lot of money to only to have in underappreciated in the box office.To be hones the theme was a little too generalized to be marketed to a specific audience. The truth is that A Knights Tale was better suited for families to watch in the confines of their homes. Of course, it wouldn’t have made any money as a straight-to-dvd-release.

A Knights Tale is humorous, not to the point you are busting your guts, but you are very amused. You have a great cast with Alan Tudyk (King Candy, The Dread Pirate Steve), Mark Addy (King Robert Baratheon), and Paul Bettany (Jarvis). These 3 actors have all gone on to do better things in their careers and this was one of the films that helped them all get there. They had a great dynamic in the film and had some good 

The film does not have much of a plot but does have OK dialogue and is a great movie to watch when you have a movie night with family or friends.

I don’t have much else to say because this movie is mostly just straight forward and entertaining. 

About Time (2013) It's Simply About Time

About Time (2013) Working Title

A pre-reading alert! Last night I was surprised by this film on an emotional level. I wasnt ready for it because it is marketed as a romantic comedy and I didn't expect much from it. That being written, if you are like me and you want to be shocked by the greatness of a movie for yourself. Please feel free to stop reading and know that I completely understand. 

Now if you don't mind, I would like to start out by mentioning that I love British films. They are usually quick, witty, and humorous throughout. You will always find more jokes and quirks throughout these films which makes them extremely re-watchable. I must've seen Hot Fuzz at least 30 times to give you an idea of how much I enjoy these films. 

Do you ever sit down before a movie and have no idea what you are about to watch? Last night I was thinking that I would do my girlfriend a favor by watching a ROM COM. I am a 26 year old male and I like many men abhor most of these films because they are all based on the same plot lines (I know that is a tad hypocritical because action movies have been the same for 4 decades now). For years, I have watched these films and hated myself for it because they always leave a bad taste in your mouth. The characters are usually boring stereotypes that are only enhanced by their critical analysis of the human condition. If I could write the movie industry about it I would tell them. "I GET IT! THE GUY MEETS THE GIRL IN X SITUATION AND THEN SCREWS IT ALL UP, ONLY TO GET HER BACK BY A GRAND ROMANTIC GESTURE!" I would say that, but I am pretty sure they wouldn't read a letter in all caps.

I don't mean to offend my lady viewers or anyone else for that matter. I just wish that Hollywood came up with better plot lines that didn't portray men as all being meatheads that only care about sex while having major issues with their masculinity just as I am sure woman wish that they would stop using actresses that can't act and are only put into roles for the way they look as well. I understand that the quirky woman stereotypes are fun for women to watch, but if I see another freak out 'woman' moment in front of a mirror ( I don't think emotional freak-outs are a woman specific feeling) I may just end it all.

All I can say is that About Time was marketed poorly and with my degree in advertising I feel like I have some legitimacy to say that. This movie was everything but a romantic comedy. It really was just a drama with a comedic draw. There were so many jokes, but they weren't overt like you are used to in the genre. They were well thought out and cleverly delivered.

About Time starts about as awkwardly as most British films, but picks up quickly and I have no problem saying that it may be the best written movie of the year (which is saying a lot because 2013 was a good year for film). Shortly into the film after watching our ginger main character awkwardly fumble about for a few minutes, the bomb is dropped by Tim's father when he explains to Tim that all the men in the family can time travel. It may be hard to picture Bill Weasley as the main protagonist of the film, but he does a fantastic job interpreting what most of us would do in a situation where you could time travel whenever you wanted without any Butterfly Effect. 

Emotionally it's hard for me to react to this film because it's such a rare feeling when watching each character.At first you see the immediate hilarious benefits of the time travel and later on you are begging Tim to go back for a re-do. Everything about this film is perfect. The plot is just the right amount of a shocking, but believable. No 'sciency' explanation for why or how, just that it works. It doesn't take out scenes to explain some poorly thought up mathematical explanation that is riddled with jargon to try to extrapolate information about the time space continuum. It just works. There are however some rules that engage the viewer even more and thicken the plot line, but I really think you should watch the movie for yourself to see it first hand. I really am trying to not ruin this film. 

About 10 minutes in you are already telling yourself how much you love the quirkiness of the characters and situation they are faced with and at that moment you realize how much you are going to love the rest of this film. 

You absolutely fall in love with the main character Tim and are in pain from his actions and in suspense to see what he will do or re-do. Tim is clever throughout, but only because it seems like what a real person would be like with his same ability. At times you are finding yourself begging him to go back in time, but most of the time you love and respect that he stays to see it through. One of the best parts of the film is following the mind set of Tim because many of his ideas you would probably  have yourself.

The characters in this film are written exceptionally well. You immediately love each one and always for different reasons. It was impossible for me to hate anyone in the film (and let's be honest, it is easy for me to find fault in anything).

Tim's father (Bill Nighy) is the best written father character I have seen in years. The perfect time traveling father. 

Even the soundtrack is fantastic, which is a compliment I don't often give. The music never interferes with the story and seems to perfectly cascade with each scene. 

Its safe to presume that I cannot wait to watch this again. Hopefully it is soon and I can pick up on more. I hope that this is a movie you watch soon and you find it to be as extraordinary as I do. From all indications this movie should come out on Netflix and Redbox by Feb 28th.