Academy Awards Review

INCEPTION BUTTON

This will keep you entertained throughout my blog. Click the link above that says INCEPTION BUTTON and press it. It will keep you entertained for hours. Now I’ll actually write my post.

I watched the Academy Awards at my sister’s house this year and I’ve never had more fun watching the Oscars in my life. That was also the first time I ever watched the Oscars from start to finish. When an ITunes gift card is at stake the Oscars become much more exciting. My sister featured ten main categories on the ballot and handed them out to everybody at the party. We filled out who we thought would win so it became quite exciting. It ended in a tie between my sister’s boyfriend and me so we each received a $10 ITunes guft card. I’d call that a successful evening!!! Anyway, I could get into the food, drinks and entertainment but I’m sure you’re either getting bored or have already stopped reading. I’ll probably only talk about the categories featured on my sister’s ballot in my post but I will start with the hosts.

“True Grit” shows, well…True Grit

Originally, in 1969 “True Grit” was an ordinary John Wayne western. Throw in Jeff Bridges (“Iron Man”), Matt Damon (“The Bourne Trilogy”), Josh Brolin (“No Country for Old Men”)and the Coen brothers (“No Country for Old Men”) and we have a modern day version of “True Grit.” Not modern day in the sense that times in the movie changed. It was still western. But it was modern day in a sense that it related to the audience of today. The story was much darker than the original version and I think that’s what resonates with the audience in 2010. This is not the generation of a light-hearted John Wayne movie. Despite deviating from the style of the 1969 John Wayne movie “True Grit” stayed true to the original’s plot.

Going into this movie I had high expectations for the cast of “True Grit.” Bridges, Damon, Brolin and Barry Pepper (“61,” “Saving Private Ryan”) are all fantastic actors. They all came through with solid performances. However,  Hailee Steinfeld surprised me. Steinfeld stood out among an all-star cast. I thought she would just be this annoying girl but she had cool moments. The delivery of her lines was beautiful and she went toe-to-toe with some of the best actors in the business.

BOTTOM LINE: The spectular acting and darker adaptation helped “True Grit” thrive. I give the Coen brothers a lot of credit.

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

“True Grit” has a 94% rating at Rotten Tomatoes and 8.5 stars out of 10 at The Internet Movie Database.

“True Grit” has made approximately $36 million at the box office against a production budget of $38 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

The Art of the Trailer #1

This may turn into a series of posts that has a different trailer on each post and I talk about it. However, this may turn into nothing but I feel that this should at least be mentioned because it’s a big part of the film industry. A lot of trailers are so much better than the movies themselves and I think that’s why I like them. I love to get to the movies early just to make sure I don’t miss the previews. Even if I’ve seen the trailer a million times I still want to see it again. However, there are some trailers that make the movie look stupid. This can all be summed up in Dane Cook’s skit below. This is part of the reason we love trailers:

The reason I have a picture of the “9” poster is because this trailer was incredible. The movie couldn’t live up to it because the trailer was so good. Sometimes the song is what drives a trailer and that’s exactly what happened in the “9” trailer. Sometimes I’ll like a trailer because I’m fan of the band but with this trailer the song “Welcome Home” by Coheed and Cambria fits so well with the events of the movie portrayed in the trailer. Here’s a look at one the “9” trailers:

Had this not been the trailer, I don’t think I would have wanted to see this movie. The movie itself was kind of eehh… I never really leaned either way on whether is was good or bad. It had some good parts to it but “9” didn’t really live up to its trailer. That’s the issue with a lot of movies. However, that’s what the trailer is supposed to do.

That is the art of the trailer. I’m going to keep writing these so visit this website again for “The Art of the Trailer #2!”

“Tron Legacy:” A Quick Fix of Cool

“Tron: Legacy” didn’t disappoint visually and that’s what made the movie. However, the movie lacked a solid plot. Some parts of the film were unnecessary and dull. I expected a lot more action scenes but instead we received plenty of scenes with Jeff Bridges meditating. Also, I felt Michael Sheen’s role was unnecessary and threw off the movie for a little while. I also felt the world and origins of “The Grid”needed to be explained a little further but maybe I’m just a nube to Tron. Despite these mishaps I feel “Tron: Legacy” is still worth the watch because of its visual.

As far as the acting goes, Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn/Clu) put together a nice performance considering he played two different people with conflicting interests. Garrett Hedlund (Sam Flynn) did a decent job as the main character but I think some of his lines were cheesy and written poorly. Olivia Wilde (Quorra) is gorgeous. Some of her lines were also a little awkward but she played this role as the bad-ass woman pretty well. It’s difficult to go from such a well acted movie, “The Fighter,” to “Tron Legacy.” They have two completely different strengths.

Bottom Line: “Tron: Legacy” is a fun escape from reality but it lacks the qualities of a good movie to match its visual experience.

3 out of 5 STARS

“Tron: Legacy” received a 48% rating at Rotten Tomatoes and 7.9 out of 10 stars at The Internet Movie Database.

For the “Tron: Legacy” trailer click here.

Great Performances make “The Fighter” a champion

Sorry to the two loyal readers of this blog. I’ve been away for a few weeks but I’m back and excited about a few December movies. “The Fighter” was released nationwide this weekend along with “Tron Legacy” and “Black Swan.” The first movie I went to see was “The Fighter” mostly because of its cast but also because its a boxing movie. The cast lived up to my high expectations especially Christian Bale. Bale (“The Dark Knight,” “The Prestige,” “The Machinist”) plays the part of Dick Eklund, a washed-up boxer and brother of Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) who “knocked down” Sugar Ray Leonard. During the credits, real-life footage of Ward and Eklund rolled. Bale played Eklund’s part so well. Seeing Eklund converse with Ward during the credits was like seeing Bale converse with Wahlberg. Had I closed my eyes during the credits, I would have thought it was still Bale. That’s how perfect Bale’s portrayal of Eklund was in the film. This role also says a lot about Bale’s work ethic. He loses and gains weight for so many different roles it’s unhealthy. He goes from “The Machinist” where he’s withering away to “Batman Begins” where he’s jacked. In “The Fighter” Bale was skinny and for his role as Batman in “The Dark Knight Rises” he’ll have to bulk up. Bale is an excellent actor who embraces his roles.

Wahlberg did a nice job as Ward. He was a believable boxer. His role in this movie reminded me a lot of his role in “Invincible.” Amy Adams also put together a solid performance. This was the first movie I had seen her in and I was impressed. She’s obviously gorgeous but the woman can act. I liked her character as well. I like to see strong-willed women portrayed in movies. Adams’ character helped Ward get off his feet. It was cool to see a women act stronger than a professional boxer. Finally, Melissa Leo played the role of Ward’s mother, Alice. Leo made me hate her character and sometimes I think that’s when an actor or actress has accomplished his or her role in a movie. Leo did just that with excellent acting.

“The Fighter” was a story that had been done many times before but it wasn’t all about the boxing itself. It was more about character building. The most compeling part of the story was Ward’s relationships with his family members.

The Bottom Line: “The Fighter” was an excellent film driven by great performances.

4 out of 5 STARS

“The Fighter” received an 89% rating at Rotten Tomatoes and 8.2 out of 10 stars at the Internet Movie Database.

For “The Fighter” trailer, click here.

Downey Jr., Galifianakis drive “Due Date”

Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis made "Due Date" a decent comedy. Otherwise the movie might have fallen short.

Both Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis are on top of their games after acting in box office hits. Downey Jr. is the star of the “Iron Man” series while Galifianakis broke out with his role in “The Hangover.” According to The Internet Movie Database, “The Hangover Part II” is in its filming stage.

Galifianakis plays the same character in “Due Date” that he plays in “The Hangover” while Downey Jr.’s character wasn’t that far off from his arrogant role as Tony Stark in “Iron Man.”

The characters’ different personalities created hilarious moments. Galifianakis and Downey Jr. are forced to travel across the country together in an attempt to get to Los Angeles before the birth of Downey Jr.’s child.  As expected, everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. A simple drive across the country turned into a battle to survive. The leading actors did a nice job portraying roles it seemed like they were born to play. Galifianakis’ character might have been a little too close to his character in “The Hangover.” He didn’t even curse.

“Due Date” had its comedic moments but it became emotional at times. It dwelt on the sad plot a little too much for a comedy.

The movie had high expectations because of director Todd Phillips‘  involvement. It seemed as though every trailer for “Due Date” mentioned that it had the same director as “The Hangover.” “Due Date” didn’t provide the same laughs as “The Hangover” but Galifianakis and Downey Jr.’s conflicting personalities may the movie worth it.

3 out of 5 STARS

“Due Date” has a 39% at Rotten Tomatoes and 7.1 out of 10 stars at The Internet Movie Database.

“Hereafter” lacks compelling drama

Bryce Dallas Howard and Matt Damon star in "Hereafter."

Clint Eastwood directed “Invictus,” which came out in 2009. It starred Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. Both were nominated for Oscars but didn’t win the award. After the success of “Invictus” Eastwood paired up with Damon again for “Hereafter.” It had an interesting premise but the trailer made “Hereafter” look much more intense. The thought-provoking mystique behind “Hereafter” turned out dull. Damon’s connections to the “hereafter” left questions that were never answers. The most intriguing story ended abruptly midway through the movie. Also the visuals of the “hereafter” and opening scene lacked beauty.

The actors did a nice job portraying their characters but they didn’t have to do much. The characters weren’t intriguing.

The movie had an interesting premise but lacked the intrigue the trailer promised.

2 out of 5 Stars

“Hereafter” has grossed about $25 million so far against a production budget of $50 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

It also has a 49% at Rotten Tomatoes and 7.6 out of 10 stars at The Internet Movie Database.

“Paranormal Activity 2:” More Story, Less Fright

"Paranormal Activity 2" provides more of a back story to "Paranormal Activity."

“Paranormal Activity 2” had the highest grossing opening weekend ever for a supernatural horror movie, according to Box Office Mojo when it pulled in nearly $41 million. With the weekend total, “Paranormal Activity 2” became an instant success because of its $3 million budget but did it live up to expectations?

The first movie was scarier because it had already been so it lost the shock factor. The writers realized this so they built a decent plot to explain why the events of the first film happened. Instead of moving forward they took a step back to show the audience Katie’s sister’s family and how the demon haunted them. The storyline is the only aspect in which the sequel beats its predecessor.

The movie wasn’t as frightening because it followed the same pattern as the first film but in “Paranormal Activity” the acts of the demon kept getting worse and peaked at the end. “Paranormal Actvity 2” followed a similar pattern but demon’s acts were similar in the beginning and didn’t get progressively worse. Then eventually the demon caught the audience off guard midway through the movie. Everyone in the theatre jumped because of the extreme increase in the severity of the demon’s acts. It was a clever way of throwing the movie-goers off guard.

Other than that, the movie continued just like the last movie. The scariest scene wasn’t at the end like the first film but the end was still horrifying. The movie ended too quickly. It felt as if the camera ran out of film and it needed to end.

Overall, “Paranormal Activity 2” wasn’t as frightening but it had a solid plot. Despite its stronger script it lost the shock factor it had in the first film. I still didn’t sleep much that evening because it’s not difficult to watch the movie. It’s difficult the go to sleep when your mind plays tricks on you.

3 OUT OF 5 STARS

“Paranormal Activity 2” has a 62% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

“Jackass 3-D” Review

Fans still get a sick satisfaction out of "Jackass."

How do you review a “Jackass” movie? It’s not a movie in a sense of a beginning, middle and end. It has no plot. It’s just a group of guys putting together a series of stunts. Despite its lack of quality, “Jackass” entertains fans and doesn’t disappoint at the box office because its production budget is low.

“Jackass: The Movie” made about $64 million against a production budget of $5 million. “Jackass: Number Two” compiled about $73 million against a production budget of $11 million. “Jackass 3-D” pulled in about $50 million in its opening weekend. Its six-day total is  about $62 million against a production budget of $20 million.  At this rate “Jackass 3-D” will easily pass “Jackass: Number Two.”All figures in the paragraph above are taken from Box Office Mojo.

Going into the movie I thought “Jackass 3-D” would be over the top. I thought the grotesque stunts would increase while the funny stunts would decrease. “Jackass 3-D” took a different approach to top its predecessors. It added 3-D and slow motion while keeping the stunts funny and not over the top.

The stunts had the audience laughing throughout the film and that includes me. The 3-D was well done but unnecessary. The slow motion on the other hand added to the film because it allowed the effect of the stunt to be seen clearly. It was especially useful in the first and last scene of the movie. Seeing Weeman fly through the air after an explosion in slow motion was hilarious.

Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and others managed to keep “Jackass” fresh even after a third movie but that doesn’t mean it’s a quality movie.

3 out of 5 Stars

For the “Jackass 3-D” trailer, click here.

“Jackass 3-D” has a rating of 67% at Rotten Tomatoes.

Favorite Movies of 2010

 

Iron Man 2 made my top 10 favorite movies of the year but was it good enough to take the top spot?

 

I’ve seen 25 movies so far this year and plan on seeing many more. I usually see about 35 to 40 movies a year. Despite seeing a movie almost every weekend of the year, I miss some movies. Below, I will discuss some movies I want to see, didn’t enjoy and enjoyed. I will also give my top 10 favorite movies this year so far. Let’s get to it.