The Mission Matters
3 weeks ago
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Coming Soon: Reviews for The Happening (D+) and The Incredible Hulk (C+)
Posted a couple reviews, but have two more coming. Check back as they should be up within a day or so.
Semi-Pro Review
Overall Grade: C
Watching Semi-Pro was a litle bit of an odd experiece for me, mostly because Semi-Pro is pretty much the same as every other Will Ferrell film, except in this one he plays basketball. Are there really many differences between his characters Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, and Kicking and Screaming (albeit he plays the straight man for a good portion of the film). Its an odd career choice, but the movie really isn't about his career choices, and neither should this review, really the main question to be asked is, "Was it funny?"
The answer is, "a little bit". Unfortunately, Semi-Pro is very hit and miss, and most of the jokes are miss. The biggest laughs of the film really come from two scenes, an odd game of russian roulette and a scene in a bear cage, that is widely seen in the trailer. One difference found in this film, outside of Ferrell's typical schtick, is that it's been infected with the Judd Apatow, vulgarness for vulgarness sake mentality. A well placed cuss word for a joke, I don't mind, but the repeated and gratuitous use of profanity can really be off-putting.
I cannot reccomend this film to anyone but a big fan of Will Ferrell, as it really doesn't have anything going for it, except for some funny adlibbing by Ferrell and his friends. If a couple funny lines is what your looking for, then go for it, but its just average to me.
The answer is, "a little bit". Unfortunately, Semi-Pro is very hit and miss, and most of the jokes are miss. The biggest laughs of the film really come from two scenes, an odd game of russian roulette and a scene in a bear cage, that is widely seen in the trailer. One difference found in this film, outside of Ferrell's typical schtick, is that it's been infected with the Judd Apatow, vulgarness for vulgarness sake mentality. A well placed cuss word for a joke, I don't mind, but the repeated and gratuitous use of profanity can really be off-putting.
I cannot reccomend this film to anyone but a big fan of Will Ferrell, as it really doesn't have anything going for it, except for some funny adlibbing by Ferrell and his friends. If a couple funny lines is what your looking for, then go for it, but its just average to me.
Clueless (1995) Review
Overall Grade: B+
Caught a recent showing of Clueless on Bravo! the other night and I thought I would at least include a little mini-review here on the website. I remember watching this film way back when it came out (with a sister, it was impossible not to have watched this film), and I liked it then, but man o man did I miss 75% of the jokes or what? It may be slightly forgotten now, but this is actually quite a breezy and fun film.
Its two strongest features are the script and the acting. The script is whip-crack smart, and the one-liners, ironic quotes, and witty catchphrases just come fast and furious. The humor here suprisingly works on several levels, and its very refreshing that a movie like this can include such rewarding and layered jokes. Top that with a fun to follow story, and it really is a great watch.
Alicia Silverstone was absolutely made for this role. Although not really the best actress (see nearly all of her film catalogue), fitted with this character, Silverstone absolutely shines. Who would've guessed just two years later she would be already irrelevant in Batman & Robin (although to be fair, Batman & Robin made Batman irrelevant as well). Great supporting characters surround Silverstone to round out a standout cast.
Much like Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (although this is more layered and intelligent), Clueless does a really good job of capturing a moment in history, and not only sending up the fashion obsessed beverly hills culture, but also humanizing the characters.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Kung Fu Panda Review
Overall Grade: A-
Can we say surprise of the season? The early trailers and TV spots for this film did absolutely nothing for me, and actually served to turn me off to it. I watch about 100 films a year and the trailer for this one actually forced me to write this film off the list...that was until the early reviews began to roll in for this film. So what was it about this film that surprised me so much?
This is a film that hits every note its supposed to, and really delivers the goods. To start, Jack Black is perfectly cast as the panda, and his usual schtick here is kept to a minimum. In fact, I found much of his lines in the trailer to be poorly written and most likely just comedic riffing, but within the context of the movie and the story, the lines are absolutely perfect.
Secondly, the story is a spot-on parody and homage to kung fu stories. If you've ever seen any of the old chinese kung fu films, a Jackie Chan film (who is also in this one), any of the recent Zhang Yimou films, or even the Matrix films (as there is some Matrix thrown in as well), then you'll recognize some of the same story elements here as well. Its not exactly an epic and sweeping story, but its very light, good-natured, and most importantly, its consistent with its reality and characters. In fact, the world this story inhabits is beautifully drawn out and inhabited by its residents. Refreshingly gone from this world is the self consciousness of most animated fare these days, and suprisingly few scatalogical jokes.
Lastly, the action is expertly crafted and animated, and really beats most of the great action scenes I have seen this year. Several people have compared the action scenes in this film to those found in The Incredibles, but I actually think that they are much superior. I would put two scenes (a fight over a dumpling and a breakout from prison) in Kung Fu Panda against any action scene in any animated film I've ever seen. It was wonderful to walk into this film not expecting engaging and exciting action.
This is a film for all ages, and its really just a great film to enjoy. It fails to be an (A) film for me because its themes are well drawn, but not neccesarily true. Just thinking that something is special doesn't necessarily make it special, and it really flies in the face of the theme that The Incredibles pushe which is that there truly are some people who are special, and that should be celebrated and not brought down. Aside from that, this film is a great time. If you liked The Incredibles and you also liked Over the Hedge orThe Emperor's New Groove then I think that this film is for you!
For your viewing pleasure I've included the movie trailer below as well as a scene from the film. If you don't want any spoilers, don't watch the scene. If you want an idea of the action, here's a clip from that prison break scene I reference above. Skidoosh!
Can we say surprise of the season? The early trailers and TV spots for this film did absolutely nothing for me, and actually served to turn me off to it. I watch about 100 films a year and the trailer for this one actually forced me to write this film off the list...that was until the early reviews began to roll in for this film. So what was it about this film that surprised me so much?
This is a film that hits every note its supposed to, and really delivers the goods. To start, Jack Black is perfectly cast as the panda, and his usual schtick here is kept to a minimum. In fact, I found much of his lines in the trailer to be poorly written and most likely just comedic riffing, but within the context of the movie and the story, the lines are absolutely perfect.
Secondly, the story is a spot-on parody and homage to kung fu stories. If you've ever seen any of the old chinese kung fu films, a Jackie Chan film (who is also in this one), any of the recent Zhang Yimou films, or even the Matrix films (as there is some Matrix thrown in as well), then you'll recognize some of the same story elements here as well. Its not exactly an epic and sweeping story, but its very light, good-natured, and most importantly, its consistent with its reality and characters. In fact, the world this story inhabits is beautifully drawn out and inhabited by its residents. Refreshingly gone from this world is the self consciousness of most animated fare these days, and suprisingly few scatalogical jokes.
Lastly, the action is expertly crafted and animated, and really beats most of the great action scenes I have seen this year. Several people have compared the action scenes in this film to those found in The Incredibles, but I actually think that they are much superior. I would put two scenes (a fight over a dumpling and a breakout from prison) in Kung Fu Panda against any action scene in any animated film I've ever seen. It was wonderful to walk into this film not expecting engaging and exciting action.
This is a film for all ages, and its really just a great film to enjoy. It fails to be an (A) film for me because its themes are well drawn, but not neccesarily true. Just thinking that something is special doesn't necessarily make it special, and it really flies in the face of the theme that The Incredibles pushe which is that there truly are some people who are special, and that should be celebrated and not brought down. Aside from that, this film is a great time. If you liked The Incredibles and you also liked Over the Hedge orThe Emperor's New Groove then I think that this film is for you!
For your viewing pleasure I've included the movie trailer below as well as a scene from the film. If you don't want any spoilers, don't watch the scene. If you want an idea of the action, here's a clip from that prison break scene I reference above. Skidoosh!
Kung Fu Panda Trailer
Prison Break Clip
