Movies update

My movies update! I actually haven't seen that many movies recently. Partially it's because of school (I haven't had a lot of time to think about going to the movies...) and also because not that many interesting movies (for me) have come out. However, now that my workload is lighter and all the winter movies I missed in theater are coming out on DVD, expect to see a more movie reviews. Also the more interesting movies are comin' out now.

So...catch up!

The Illusionist (French animation up for Oscars) - Other than the fact that there is no speaking (except the occasional mostly-French mumble), this movie was still interesting. My ears were almost bleeding by the end because they were straining to hear someone talk, but the film had some funny, cute, sad, and touching moments all in it. It's probably what silent films were back in the day! Odd...Hadn't thought of that till now. It's not a children's film, for sure. It's rather docile and lacks any real excitement that most animation films have these days. Some adults may even find it boring and children would probably be bored after the first 20 minutes. It's good for a one-time watch, unless it's your thing then maybe you'd want to buy it, but it's unlikely I'll watch it again. I still remember the strain of trying to hear words from the wordless movie... Grade: B

Unknown (Liam Neeson) - This film has flavors of Bourne in it, but it has a twist that Bourne does not have. It's a basic action film of a not-too-interesting script (other than the small twist). Chris and I are convinced that Taken Liam Neeson would kick Unknown Liam Neeson's butt also. So, though it's portrayed as an action film, it's less action-like than you'd think. Most action films get the heart going after about 30 minutes and Unknown takes you all the way to the end and in the last 40 minutes or so does your heart start to really pick up. Most of the first half of the film is him trying to determine whether he is insane or whether he knows who he is. So it's rather...slow. I suppose it's more unexpected than slow. Anyway, if you want to see Liam Neeson kick butt, see Taken. The story, action, and everything about it is infinitely better than this movie and actually induced me to want to rewatch Taken after watching Unknown (which I did). Grade: C

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - I didn't watch the first one, so I don't exactly know why what's-his-face was put into prison, but you get the general idea he did some financial robbery so it's not needed. The acting was good, the story was okay. I like Shia LeBouf and he did a decent job. Movie, as predicted, has the moral meaning that money corrupts and can destroy your life if you're not careful. Not sure if it's something to rush and see, but it was good to see when nothing else was more exciting. Grade: C+/B-

Resident Evil: Afterlife - I didn't watch the first ones, nor have I played the game so I was a little lost in this movie. It's okay if you like this type of sci-fi thing, but I think most people won't particularly like it since it's a little "out there" in the series even. It's based on one of the lesser characters and was okay. It had some good fighting and lots of "zombies", but that was about it. Grade: C-

R.E.D. - This was "cute." The acting was good and the stories were funny. It's based off of a comic so it has a slightly unrealistic flavor to it. I'm not sure if anyone will know what I mean, but you can tell the story is not one to make it realistic or even into a sci-fi category. It's good and Helen Mirren is amazing at her age. Malkovich plays a funny role too. It's good if you don't mind an action film (there is a lot of gun fire in this movie) with older people in it with a little humor thrown in. Grade: B/B-

Unstoppable (just watched today!) - Talk about stupidity all around. You can definitely tell it's beefed up to make it more exciting than the "inspired by true events" that is tagged on the front. Even I could tell when something was a stupid move to try with a train that heavy and going that fast, but oh well. I do enjoy Tony Scott movies (or Ridley Scott, his brother) because they're just your basic action films with 100% adrenaline. You definitely felt your heart pumping at the end even if you did know everything was going to be okay. It's got its stupid moments that make you want to rip your hair out because people are being stupid, but it's good for the pure adrenaline sake. I was joking by the end that all you have to do to repair your marriage and keep everyone liking you is to be a hero, but...you know. :) Grade: C+/B-

The Fighter (just finished!) - I enjoyed it! I can see why it was picked for Oscars. The acting was really good, but the supporting actors/actresses really made the film. Wahlberg's role was low key as, well, his personality was meant to portray since he was being dominated by his mother (Melissa Leo) and brother (Christian Bale). Leo and Bale were both excellent. Bale, if anything, showed some really good acting chops and Amy Adams was also good as the support/backbone for Mickey as he was trying to move away from his dominating mother and brother. It had some exciting fights, but the character development was good and the story was well paced. It had a good moment too about family. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who are considering watching it. It's a little long at 2 hours and it takes a little time to get into what is going on and the relationship dynamic and history, but it was good. Just note the f-bomb is dropped a LOT. It fits the characters, but fair warning. Some drugs and smoking too. Enough to say I suppose it got its R rating for the drugs and language more than anything else (Adams is seen in her underwear for a minute). Not a movie buy for me, but glad I saw it. Grade: A-

Soon to see DVDs (through April): Due Date, King's Speech, (maybe) Switch, The Tourist, and (maybe, maybe) Black Swan.

Soon to see in theaters (through April): Rango, Limitless (seeing it Friday), and The Adjustment Bureau (might be rental). Water for Elephants will likely be a rental.

May theaters: Thor, PotC 4 (!!), Hangover 2, and Kung Fu Panda 2
June theaters: X-Men: First Class, Super 8, Green Lantern (!!!), Cars 2
July theaters: Transformers 3 (!!), Harry Potter DH, Part 2 (!!!!!!!), Captain America, Cowboys & Aliens (depending on reviews -- I'm intrigued)
November theaters: Puss in Boots, ew...really don't want to see Breaking Dawn, Part 1, but I've managed to see the rest. Ugh.
December theaters: Sherlock Holmes 2 (!), Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (time for the American version!)

I look at that list and it just didn't feel as exciting as last summer. Hm. I think a lot of those films I could see on DVD just as well in theaters (in particular, Thor, Captain America, Hangover2, and X-Men).