The Summer So Far...Version 2005

It seems like summer comes earlier every year, so I thought I'd be a slave to trends and start it really, really early this year.

Kung Fu Hustle- Have you ever tried to imagine a Warner Bros. 'toon shot live-action? The makers of this incredibly silly flick did, and came up with one of the funniest films you'll ever see. There's kung fu finghting, dancing, a guy leaping around like a toad, symbolis use of a lollipop, and even a Road-runner style chase. The action would be exhilerating, if you aren't so busy laughing. A-

It's gonna be a busy summer, so I'll see you back here soon...

 

I am fully expecting to see you, Erik and Heber give us all a Kung Fu demonstration this Friday.

 

Honey, you so totally DON'T want me to bust out my Buddist Palm on you...

 

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: B+
A very funny, fatst-paced and entertaining ride of a flick. The film did a pretty good job of putting you in the same boat the Arthur Dent was in. Also some wonderous images (like the planet-building factory). I don't know how it compares to the book, but as a movie-goer, I was very satisfied.

 

Kingdom of Heaven: C+

Not bad. Ridley Scott has proven he can handle the epic action stuff, and Orlando Bloom is urprisingly effective as the main character. But it's a story you've seen a thousand times before, and often times it feels way too much like Gladiator.

 

I also saw "Hitchhiker's Guide," but I didn't like it very much. When I read the book, way back in high school, I don't think I really got into it back then, either. The movie had some pretty good visual images, and the morose robot (android?) was pretty funny, but I thought it was trying way too hard to be funny, when it wasn't. Maybe it's all an inside joke that I don't get. In a way this confuses me, since I think Monty Python is hilarious. (Sorry, guys - I tried!!)

On the other hand, I liked "Kingdom" much better. It's not an A+ movie, but it was entertaining. Of course, I like "period" or "costume" pieces, so that's why I liked it. Any chance to see someone's interpretation of another time and place is always interesting to me. Maybe that's the anthropologist in me.

Just my 2 cents worth!!

 

Excellent!!! Feedback from someone other than myself!!!

 

I haven't seen Kingdom of Heaven yet, but my take on Hitchhiker's Guide is a B- or B. I was thinking maybe having read the book recently put me at a disadvantage. I didn't really like that the added more romance between Arthur and Trillian. In the book it seemed like she was a woman he would have liked to have had a chance with but figured he never would. At least that's how I remember it. There was also an element at the end which seemed kind of a cop out to me.
There were lotsof positives though. I laughed at alot of parts and there were some things thrown out there so fast that it probably helped in some respects to have read the book. I would really like them to make the sequel.

 

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: A++++++++++++++++++++++!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'Nuff Said.

 

In much agreement there! I just got home from seeing it the second time... the kids were SO quiet, lol. I still have questions though... I'll save them for this weekend.

 

Batman Begins: B+

I was pleasantly surprised with this flick. I wasn't expecting a whole lot. But Christopher Nolan did a really good job visualising internal stuff going on in Bruce Wayne's head and Christian Bale was execellent. I was also really impressed with Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, and Cillian Murphy (Dr. Krane/Scarecrow) was outstanding. And Gary Oldman's always good. To be honest, I found the big end with the fear gas a little underwhelming and thought the script needed a little work. But that's why they do sequels, right?

This weekend looks like I'll have nothing to do but go to movies, so I hope to do some catching up on flicks I missed 'cuz I was obessed with Star Wars.

 

saw batman begins over the weekend. i was impressed. i wasn't expecting a whole lot but i was curious to see it to compare the tim burton films. i didn't bother with the spring time color sequels after those first two. i really like how 'begins' was put together and i'd like to see it again. we're making theater owners rich b@#$es. i'm rich b@#ch!

 

War of the Worlds: C+

Spielberg and Cruise team up to remake the cheesey sci-fi classic about a intergalactic skirmish. But there are too many close-ups on Tommy-boy, too many scenes of people sitting around and too much sentimentality. The action scenes are pretty cool, but "War of the Worlds" could have used a lot more war.

 

Land of the Dead: B+

The acting ain't great and there ain't much story, but who cares?! Wall-to-wall chesey zombie gore and explosions... that's good enough for me.

 

All right, a few new ones:

Fantastic Four: A-
So, it's it's not some dark, gritty psychodrama... it's not supposed to be. The FF comics were set apart by how silly they were. Silly, but way cool. That's a good way to describe this flick... Silly, but way cool.

Wedding Crashers: B
Had some dead spots, but for the most part this is a very funny movie. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson work well together. And there are a ton of gorgeous women to drool over, if that sort of thing floats your boat.

 

The Island: C+

Hey, I think I saw this one before. It was called "THX-1138". This is the type of movie you've seen a hundred times before. The plot is full of implausiblities. There's not enough Steve Buscemi. On the plus side, there is a little bit of Steve Buscemi. Ewan McGregor is fun to watch. Scarlett Johanson is frickin' hot!! And few directors know how to blow stuff up like Michael Bay. Worth seeing once.