50 Years of Bond

So, I recently acquired (from Amazon) the Bond 50 Blu-ray Collection that compiles all 22 of the mainstream Bond films released between 1962 (Dr. No) and 2008 (Quantum of Solace).

While the set was released prior to the 11.09.12 release date of the latest Bond film, Skyfall, in theaters, the designers of this lovely boxed compilation obviously had hard core collectors in mind because they included a "reserved" slot for the Skyfall Blu-ray disc.

I plan on keeping the disc in its original case once I pick up my own Blu-ray copy of Skyfall, but, as a collector, I have a lot of appreciation for the thought that went into the design of this set.

Tangents aside, I've been watching my way through the Bond series (in order of release) and have made my way up to Thunderball (1965).

It can be difficult for me to choose favorites when it comes to films, especially older films, but of the four films I've seen so far, I probably enjoyed this one the most. And I use "enjoyed" somewhat liberally here. I'm sure I'm a little biased because I'm from a younger generation and am used to higher quality (on all fronts) in today's film industry, but it was difficult for me to take Thunderball very seriously because of the cheesy action and dialogue, gaping plot holes and Bond's tendency to just carelessly leave expensive clothing and equipment lying all over creation. And the underwater fight sequence at the end. I'm sure the underwater filming was a big deal back in the 60s, but when Bond and his allies had either killed or disabled over two dozen of the dozen men (wait, what?) that Largo had brought along on his nefarious mission, I was too busy scoffing at the lack of continuity to truly appreciate what was proably groundbreaking camera work. And I'm certain that true Bond fans (especially from the "Connery generation") would tear me a new one for dissing Thunderball, just as I'll probably light into punk kids 25 years from now when they scoff at the Daniel Craig era of Bond's film legacy. It would appear, however, that that legacy is making a return to its roots with Skyfall.

Prior to Skyfall's release in theaters, I read an article in Entertainment Weekly discussing how director Sam Mendes and Co. essentially wanted to create a Bond film that paid homage to the earlier films in the series. They wanted to bring back some of the elements that would be familiar to those from the Boomer generation who watched the original Bond on the big screen, perhaps trying to draw back in an older crowd that had begun to shy away from the darker, grittier tone of the more recent installments. A cameo for the classic, gray Aston Martin, the re-introduction of "Q Branch" and it's wacky technical gadgets, and the return of Bond's bantering office frenemy, Moneypenny, are all instantly recognizable nods that older fans will delight in.

When I finally went and saw Skyfall at the "cheap theater" (Cinemark 10 in Matthews), the film was still in its first week. I remember arriving early and sitting in the parking lot waiting for the rest of my party, agonizing that we weren't going to get good seats (that theater does get busy, believe it or not). As the showtime approached and I continued to wait, a slew of vehicles began pouring into the parking lot and I watched nervously as a crowd of folks began to emerge and make their way towards the theater. But they exited their vehicles slowly and carefully, and their progress towards the cinema doors was unhurried and shuffling. Nearly all of them sported heavy clothing, glasses and graying hair, and I realized that these were all Boomers come to see their favorite unstoppable British spy in action on the big screen once again.

Sure enough, when my ticket was purchased and I made my way into the darkened theater to find a seat, I counted nearly two dozen other viewers and not a head under 50. (Of course, they were all sitting quite a ways back, and so there still good seats to be had.) Throughout the movie, I couldn't help but grin at the cheering and clapping and hoots of laughter coming from the seats behind. Knowing how much those folks were enjoying the little flashes of familiarity streaming across the screen was almost as fun as the movie itself.

That being said, I truly appreciate that, in a series that has now spanned over a half a century, every generation will have their own memories of what they consider "their" Bond. My Bond will always be Daniel Craig, because Casino Royale (2006) was the first 007 film I had the pleasure of viewing in its entirety. I was aware of the previous installments and the various actors who had donned the 007 mantle over the years, but getting ahold of all of the installments of such an expansive series had always proved either too difficult or too expensive.

All in all, while the older Bond films may be a little cheesy and outdated at times, I am thrilled with the Bond 50 Collection and relish being able to finally watch the series in its entirety. While I'll always have my Bond, getting to know the 007s of generations past can only increase my appreciation for newer Bond installments, and for those yet to come.

Autumn Cometh

So… after receiving ZERO comments on any of the posts I’ve made over the past month, I finally had the sense to go and check the blog and see what the heck was going on, and… BLOGGER HAS NOT EVEN BEEN DISPLAYING THE POSTS!!!

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Haha, yeah… no… I seriously just have not done any posts within the last month. o_o My bad. So, insert various half-hearted excuses about being busy, seemingly self-deprecating criticisms of inherent apathy, and earnest (but ultimately unrealized) promises of improvement here: ____________________, aaannndddd… moving on!

What have I been watching? Well, since late July when I went and saw Inception, I have viewed (in theaters): The Karate Kid, How to Train Your Dragon, Salt, and The A-Team.

Of those four films, only one of them was on my “top ten” list (The Karate Kid), and one was on the “runners up” list (Salt). How to Train Your Dragon would have been on my top ten list, but I created the list after the movie was released in theaters. I ended waiting to see “Dragon” at the cheap theater, which doesn’t get stuff in until waaaayyyy after the other theaters have stopped screening, but you only pay $1.00-$3.00, so… worth it.

I had debated going back and doing a review post on each film, but it’s really trippy trying to review a movie more than a few days after you’ve seen it, so the longer I kept trying to do that, the longer I ended up putting off posting, and I finally just said, screw it. I’ll post whatever the heck I want, and it’s not gonna be movie reviews. However, I will note that the above films were: Good (Salt), Good (The Karate Kid), Great (How to Train Your Dragon) and Good (The A-Team). Interestingly, I saw each one with a different person, and none of them were the people I usually go with. All good company, however.

If you’re an avid movie-viewer, and would recommend at least renting all of them. Salt and The A-Team had very summer-movie-type plots with either a very simple or “been there, seen that” feel, but were great on action. How much you enjoy them might depend on how you like your protagonists (testosterone-laden Army Ranger team, or femme fatale Russian spy), but both are good entertainment.

The Karate Kid was a little better story-wise, and seeing Jaden Smith in action will always be a treat. Definitely worth a viewing, even if you’re not into martial arts, but definitely if you’re into Jackie Chan. He really digs in with his acting spurs, drawing emotion out of his otherwise-quite-stoic character at the appropriate moments. Other than the mom getting kind of obnoxious at times, and the love story being a little awkward-tween-icky, I enjoyed this one (and was glad to cross the first “to watch” film off my top ten list, finally).

My favorite of the four was definitely How to Train Your Dragon. An excellent picture from Dreamworks that has received loads of positive reviews, I convinced my mom to take me to see this one for my birthday. She was iffy because of the title, and because if was from Dreamworks. I think she had more a of a Shrek-like film in mind, with the oft-inappropriate humor and spoofy story-line. However, she walked out voicing surprise and approval at how good the film was. Another winner from the ol’ Dream machine. They may not be quite on par with Pixar (yet), but they’re sure as heck giving it their best shot.

In completely unrelated news, my Mozy backup has passed the halfway mark like a herd of turtles. Also, I found out the upload speed was being severely throttled (my bad), so I adjusted that and it’s running a little faster now. I just hope these segmented sessions don’t results in a fuzzy backup. Only time will tell.

PS- My fellow bloggers whose posts I normally comment on… do not despair. I’m still reading, I just haven’t had time to comment. I’ll get right on that.

Reel Time Updates: Inception

On Friday, July 16th, I and my regular crew hit the cinema for a 12:35pm showing of Christopher Nolan’s box office hit: Inception.

I’d been looking forward to this one since I saw the first trailer, though I probably would have gone to see it based simply on the fact that it was directed by Nolan. Or because Ken Watanabe is in it. Take your pick.

It was a great drama/thriller/brain-bender, and while there were adequately-spaced action sequences throughout, if you don’t like movies of some complexity that require a little thought during playback, you might want to sit this one out and just pick it up from Netflix or Redbox later on down the road. That way, if you end up falling asleep, you can do so in the comfort (and privacy) of your own home. The film was obviously a little too much for the viewer sitting directly behind us, as he yawned and muttered sleepily to his companion throughout the showing. Maybe he should have read the prequel comic before attending.

The Trailers: Unfortunately, it’s been over a week since I saw this one, and I typically try to rely on my (hardly reliable) memory for what was previewed before the film. I do remember seeing a lot of trailers that I’d never seen before. I remember: Due Date (starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. Heard of, but never previewed); The Town (never seen or heard of); The Social Network (heard of, but thought it was just some kind of internet joke. It’s basically taking something mundane and trying to make it dramatic… either that, or trying to make people hate/distrust Facebook less. Or both); Tron Legacy (I’m a little iffy on this one. Still need to see the first one). And, yes, I’m going to try and start linking to the trailers I saw, because, otherwise, what’s the point?

My Take on Inception: Because of the nature of this film (it’s complex and makes you think), there are a whole lot of reviews out there discussing all the in and outs, the what-ifs and various aspects that Nolan touched on without going into further detail. One thing I will not discuss here is the controversial closing scene that everyone seems to be stuck on. At most, it was merely Nolan’s way of leaving an open window for a sequel. Beyond that, I don’t think viewers should let it change how they view the film as a whole.

Inception certainly lived up to my expectations, and they were relatively high (probably the highest I’ve had in a while), especially after seeing all the A and A+ reviews. Nolan presents the very unique concept of stealthing into and raiding people’s minds through dreams, and proceeds to strap that idea to a runaway freight train, taking it to its limits. Just when you think the film’s protagonists cannot delve any deeper into the minds of those they’re attempting to exploit, they do.

The score was superb. That “bass horn blast” I mentioned in my “Top 10” post? It was every bit as awesome as I expected it to be in theater surround-sound. I will almost definitely hunt down the soundtrack. It will be like giving my bass speakers crack.

Of course the casting was top-notch, and the visuals were excellent. I’m sure a lot of the film was green-screened, but the cast breezed through like pros, interacting well with the digital sets.

There was only one scene that I felt a bit let down by. (SPOILER ALERT) Throughout the film, DiCaprio’s character, Cobb, is haunted (both in and out of the dream worlds) by memories of his deceased wife, Mal, whose death he feels responsible for. She is painted as both villain and victim as she pleads with Cobb to remain with her in the dream world, and then tries to destroy him and his team when he refuses. Near the end of the film, when Cobb finally realizes that he must let go of his twisted, tainted memories of his wife, the tortured farewell scene was not quite as emotional as I thought it should have been. This is likely because we do not get to know Mal very well, or at least not beyond her status as Cobb’s unforgiving, relentless, and mostly memory-based personal issue. While the scene was very dramatic, and somewhat dragged-out, I just wasn’t feeling it when Cobb severed the crumbling, imaginary relationship he’d been failing to sustain with the person he loved and longed for the most. (END SPOILER ALERT)

If you haven’t seen this film, yet, you need to. Go see it on the big screen, and then pick it up when it’s released on Blu-ray (or DVD if you prefer inferior video/audio quality). It has great action, performances, dialogue, sound, visuals, and the story actually forces you to think. If this is Chris Nolan’s way of throwing us a bone between The Dark Knight and “Batman 3”, I, for one, am gnawing away with relish.

(Oh, and I snuck in a little reference to the reason it took me so long to get this post up. If you spotted it, congratulations! If not… you probably don’t need to know. *grin, wink*)

Reel Time Updates: The Last Airbender

Saturday night saw me and a gaggle of mis compañeros at our local cinema for a 9:50pm viewing of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender in 2D. (I’d heard reports that many theater-goers had been able to [clearly] view a good chunk of the 3D version sans glasses, so that was out.) Also, I didn’t want to pay an inflated ticket price for a film that was receiving such lousy reviews.

I did attempt to purchase a student admission, but was informed that, “We don’t do student admissions on weekends.” What, so if it’s not a normal school-day, I’m not a student? The only period of my academic career when I got weekends off were grades K-3 in private school. After that, between home-schooling and higher education online, any attempts to take weekends off resulted in projects getting turned in late. And what are students on the weekends if they’re not students? Delinquent dropouts? All that being said, I’m technically not attending school right now anyway, but it’s the principle of the matter.

The Trailers: For some reason, it seems that less trailers were played before this film than most of the others I’ve seen this year. I remember seeing: Gulliver’s Travels (good for some cheap laughs, but otherwise a waste of time); Rango (I think this film looks like it could be good/interesting. I’d seen the trailer, but, as always, bigger is better); Green Hornet (the action looks good, but I’m still not buying Seth Rogen as the Hornet); and Megamind (it’s about time for a new trailer. This film still has five months before release).

My Take on The Last Airbender: Okay, so several people are threatening to publicly disown me because I went and saw this, but… guys… it’s on my Top Ten list! (Yes, that means I had to go see it.) While I respect and value the reviews of my fellow cinephiles, I simply cannot base my opinions on their opinions. Especially if it’s a film I’ve been wanting to check out. The same for the vice versa: if it’s a film I don’t think looks all that great, I usually won’t go and see it just because everyone is raving about it (e.g., The Hangover, Paranormal Activity, Splice).

But in any case, while there was quite a bit of chatter going on during the film, I managed to take most of it in, and while it was lacking in quite a few areas, I still enjoyed it and may actually give it a second viewing when it hits the “cheap theater”. (Those folks who want to publicly disown me have just upgraded my status to “lynch in a back alley… it’s for your own good”.)

In order to appreciate Shyamalan’s films, I’ve found that it’s best to view them as works of modern art. You know, like those weird pieces you see in museums with blobs of paint on an enormous canvas, or an awkward, toddler-quality line drawn across a piece of plywood.

While some may look at this and say, “This is crap. Anyone can splash paint on a board,” others will find meaning in the work, or will appreciate what the artist was envisioning when they created it. When watching Shyamalan films, I try to do so from the standpoint of the latter group. This makes the film more enjoyable (or more bearable), and I find myself spotting some of the really neat perspectives and camera angles Shyamalan uses.

Now, that viewpoint does not apply as much to The Last Airbender as it has for Shyamalan’s other films because this is the first movie the oft-bashed filmmaker cannot claim to be an original work. It’s based on a very well-written, much-loved Nickelodeon cartoon series, so there was a built-in and very rabid possessive loyal fan base that the writer/director was having to cater to (yes, I have seen and am a fan of the series).

I have automatic sympathy for anyone associated with a reboot or adaptation, because the same fan base that will guarantee ticket sales will also guarantee outlandish expectations. It was silly for anyone to expect this film to be as great as the series. The series was epic, and you simply cannot condense 8+ hours and of epicness (the first season, aka “The Water Book”) into 2 hours and expect it to be just as good (or even comparable, apparently).

The best thing about the film was probably the visuals, and that includes CGI, sets, scenery and costumes. Most of the costumes were close, if not spot-on. While a lot of the hairstyles were off, it’s ridiculous to expect animé hair to translate perfectly into real-life ‘dos (see: Dragonball). While we often got only fleeting glances of a lot of locations included in the film, they were fairly accurate and aesthetic.

The worst thing about the film was the pronunciation of certain names, places and terms. I can’t believe the series’ creators (who purportedly worked with Shyamalan) allowed some of the changes he made in this area. Name pronunciation is a tabula rasa when translating from book to film, because readers have never actually heard how a particular name is pronounced. When they hear it differently than they had been pronouncing it in their mind, there’s the initial annoyance/shock, but then they think, “Okay, I had it wrong all this time,” and move on (see: Hermione). However, when viewers have already been audibly exposed to a particular pronunciation for three entire seasons of a TV series, trying to switch that up is a no-no. Sorry, Shyamalan, but… epic fail.

Probably the most oft-mocked of these was the name of the titular protagonist: Aang. In the series, the name was pronounced AING (rhymes with “slang”), but in the movie, characters pronounced it ONG (rhymes with “long”). Sometimes it even came out as UNG. By about halfway through the film, our entire row (as well as the row behind us) would, in unison (and correctly), chime, “Aang!” every time a character mispronounced the name (which was every single time it was mentioned). Needless to say, said occurrence would be great for a drinking game.

Other than that, the bending was pretty awesome (all though there wasn’t enough of it, and the pre-bending warm-ups were way too long), Sokka (pronounced SOCK-UH, not SOAK-UH!) was not very funny, there wasn’t enough meaningful dialogue, the plot was a poorly-sewn patchwork of the series’ first season, and pretty much the entire Fire Nation (except Dev Patel’s Zuko, why’d they decide to pronounce this one right?) was miscast.

As usual, I understand why this film is taking such a beating. For all intents and purposes, it royally sucked, but I like to try and look at the glass as half full, and there are films that I’ve walked away from feeling much, much worse. Shyamalan, I’m still a fan and it may not be your destiny to remain involved with this project, but I really hope the other two films get made. It would suck if The Last Airbender turned out to be another Eragon or The Golden Compass. C’mon, Paramount/Nickelodeon: yip-yip!

Reel Time Updates: Toy Story 3

Friday the 18th was opening night for the third and final chapter in Pixar’s Toy Story saga. My fellow cinefreak and I were shooting for a 9:40pm 2D showing of the film, but I did not get away from work until almost 9:30pm, and so we ended up snagging tickets for a 10:05 showing in 3D. This turned out to be a really good thing.

I’d purchased both Toy Story and Toy Story 2 on Blu-ray when they were released on March 23rd, both of which included “movie money”, good towards tickets for Toy Story 3. While the movie money certificate was only good for up to $8.50 of the ticket price, the ticket clerk was either clueless or very generous, and I didn’t pay a thing for my late/opening-night $13.25 adult 3D admission.

The Trailers: Most of the previews featured were for family friendly films, I suppose because we were at a “kids’” movie. I remember seeing: Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (gah, so awful); Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (they didn’t even show the newer trailer!); The Smurfs (please end the lame reboots/adaptations); The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (saw it online earlier that day, but the theater trailer was in 3D!); Tangled (a.k.a. “Rapunzel”: already seen, but, again… 3D); The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (I could really hear Baruchel’s “Hiccup” voice coming out); and, of the course, the obligatory Despicable Me trailer (Universal is just promoting the crap outta that thing).

My Take on Toy Story 3: As various trailers emerged for this film in late 2009/early 2010, the Pixar magic was evident, but I’ll admit I had some doubts. Sneak peeks included a lot of explosions and mayhem that seemed a little unrealistic in the Toy Story world I’d come to know and love. These doubts were dispelled in a brilliant opening sequence that basically combined those of the first and second films in story and style, respectively.

If you’ve seen the trailers, you know the film’s basic storyline: the toys’ owner, Andy, is leaving for college, and so the Toy Story gang ends up getting donated to a local daycare center. While initially excited about their new circumstances (getting played with all day, everyday), the toys soon discover that Sunnyside Daycare is not all it was cracked up to be. Throughout various trials and tribulations, the toys must once again figure out how to extricate themselves from the mess they’ve landed in, and find their way back to Andy (before he leaves for college).

We are introduced to many new toy characters throughout the film, and while some felt that there were too many new faces to keep up with, each one added to the story in their own way. The humor was on-par with most of Pixar’s films, with a lot of kid-friendly goofiness, and a little “over their heads” humor for older viewers. The action was neither dull nor over-the-top, and the elements of the pint-sized protagonists’ world were used realistically, and to their full advantage. I never found myself thinking, “Wow, that was kinda dumb,” like I so often do with sequels trying to live up to their predecessors.

A lot of reviews I’ve seen for this movie put a lot of focus on the end of the film, and rightfully so. In the (supposedly) last film of a trilogy, there must be a definitive conclusion that leaves viewers satisfied. If the writers can throw in a little respectful reminiscing or jerk a few tears, all the better (oh, yes… I got choked up). The film’s closing sequence was very well done, and I think most viewers will be happy with it.

I only had a couple of very minor complaints (not even really complaints) about Toy Story 3. The absence of Jim Varney (succumbed to lung cancer in 2000) as the voice of Slinky Dog was very apparent, though newcomer Blake Clark obviously did his best to embody the stretchy canine with a southern drawl. The other thing I noted was that the main antagonist in the third film had a very similar story, personality and demise as Stinky Pete from Toy Story 2. There was a great likeness between the two characters, and while this was not necessarily a bad thing (maybe it was intentional), I did wonder if anyone else noticed.

Overall, I urge those who haven’t already indulged to go and catch this three-quel on the big screen. Also, the 3D version is highly recommend. One of the things I dislike about 3D films is when you become so quickly accustomed to that third dimension, you’d forget that you were even at a 3D screening except for the clunky glasses sitting on your face. In these cases, the added dimension has no life, and was not worth the higher admission price. Toy Story 3 is not one of those films. There are enough “wow!” moments where the 3D really pops to justify the higher price, and it definitely adds to the experience.

Oh, and make sure you hit the theater early enough to catch this film’s short: Day & Night. It’s brilliant, and portrays a heartfelt, crystal-clear lesson about understanding those who are different from us.

Reel Time Updates: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Tuesday night, beginning at approximately 21:55 hours, another helpless action flick fell prey to the expectant, critical eyes of myself and the other members of my usual movie-crashing crew.

I’m a fan of the Ubisoft game series, which is what fueled my initial interest in this film. (Okay, I’ve only played the first two games of what’s come to be known as the “The Sands of Time Saga” all the way through. I’m still working on "The Two Thrones”, and actually kind of hated "Warrior Within”.) Granted, I probably would have seen this movie regardless, because it’s an action flick, and it stars Jake Gyllenhaal, and looked like overall good summer entertainment. Playing the games (or even having heard of them) is definitely not a prerequisite. There are multiple instances of homage paid to the games throughout the film, but this film can definitely stand alone as a Disney action/adventure movie. Lots of sword-fighting, flashy CGI and bad dialogue ensues.

The Trailers: Okay… seriously? I think I have viewed the trailer for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (a.k.a., “that stupid owl movie”) before every single film I’ve gone to see this year. This will probably continue to be the case throughout the summer, because the film is apparently not going to be released until September. Fans of the book series, I’m sure you’re excited, and—yes—I’m sure you’re very deserving of a film based on your favorite, feathery fiction fables (ha!), but I don’t think it’s fair that I have to watch your trailer (and hear all of its bad pop music) over and over and over again at full volume on an enormous screen. I’m just saying…

I also remember seeing trailers for: The Karate Kid (still excited about this one), The A-Team (first time seen on the big-screen), Inception (July 16th can’t come soon enough), and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Nic Cage, meh). I’m actually a little POed at that last film, because one of my fellow “Prince of Persia” attendees theorized that the release of Disney’s two “Fantasia” films (Fantasia / Fantasia 2000) on Blu-Ray had been delayed to coincide with the DVD/Blu-Ray release of the live-action “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. (The 1940 Fantasia animated feature debuted the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” short film starring Mickey Mouse that the new live-action movie is based on.) The timing is about right, with a mid-July release in theaters for the new flick, and the animated “Fantasia” films coming out in December. Thanks a lot, Nic Cage and guy from “She’s Out of My League”.

My Take on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: Going into the theater, I’d forgotten that “Prince of Persia” was helmed by Disney. However, my memory was jogged only a few minutes into the film as the very cheesy dialogue began to flow. I don’t know about the rest of my fellow cinephiles, but dialogue can be a deal-breaker for me. When the characters are speaking in a way that in unrealistic and/or cliché, it totally kills the effect. It bothers me, which makes it more difficult to really get absorbed into the film. The petty, overdone bickering between the titular hero, Prince Dastan, and the way-too-independent-and-outspoken-for-that-culture princess, Tamina, showcased some of more poorly-written exchanges. In Pirates of the Caribbean, similar techniques were used, but it was all very tongue-in-cheek, and so it worked. Prince of Persia tries to pull off the same thing while consequently attempting to take itself seriously, and… just… no. It didn’t work for me. The only character who even came close was the comic relief, Alfred Molina’s Sheik Amar.

The SFX and CGI were great, the Parkour was great, and the story worked, for the most part. I would have preferred to see Prince Dastan battling his way through hordes of mindless sand armies throughout the film, but I guess Disney did not want to make a zombie movie. Instead, we are introduced the the “Hassansins”, a group of silent, deadly, and decommissioned warriors that are sicced on our hero later in the film. Their use of various mystical/ancient killing methods makes for some decent fight sequences, and really push Prince Dastan to his limits.

One thing I wanted to see more of was the dagger’s special ability. The writers did not seem to utilize it very much at all. Heck, I used it every couple of minutes during my bouts of Prince of Persia gameplay. Granted, the games offer a quick and easy way to recharge the dagger’s powers whereas they were very limited in the film. (Also, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a much better Prince than I do.)

Overall, a fun action flick with little complexity. If you’ve played (and enjoyed) the games at all, I would recommend at least renting this film. At just under two hours, it’s worth a viewing. If you enjoy Disney’s family friendly action flicks, give it a watch. If you’ve realized and are annoyed by the fact that Gemma Arterton is prone to playing obnoxious characters that waffle back and forth between damsel-in-distress and warrior-chick-wannabe, don’t see this film. (She’s still obnoxious.) If you can’t stand cheesy, family friendly action films, and/or Disney, then go pick up the Sands of Time game for your favorite platform, and play it (or dig it out of your closet and replay it). While I do recommend the film, I highly recommend the game it’s based on. Not as kid-friendly, and Jake Gyllenhaal is not included, but lots of fun, and it may lead to a greater appreciation of the film.

Reel Time Updates: Shrek Forever After

On Friday the weather started out gloomy and eventually disgorged a looping torrent of warm rain that took the already uncomfortable humidity to intolerable levels. However I was completely unaware of this onslaught, as I was seated in an upscale, air-conditioned theater taking in the latest (fourth) installment of Dreamworks’ Shrek series: Shrek Forever After.

Now, I’ll admit up front that I never saw Shrek the Third, and while the Shrek series has never been one of my favorites, I can see the appeal of the original movie, and perhaps even Shrek 2. However, bad reviews and my general apathy prevented me from ever viewing the third one. It didn’t really matter, though, as each film is able to stand alone for the most part.

The Trailers: I and my regular movie-going associate arrived at the theater quite early, and so were not only able to catch all of the trailers, but also all of the pre-trailer advertisements (which are glossed over and pawned off as “sneak peeks”). I recall seeing previews for: Marmaduke, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Prince of Persia (kind of a featurette), The Last Airbender, Despicable Me, The Karate Kid, and Megamind.

I hadn’t seen trailers for either of the first two films, but… as my friend repeatedly remarked, “Who asked for these?” I mean… adapting a movie from a single-panel comic strip originating in the 50s? Marmaduke is basically a remix of Scooby-Doo, Beethoven, Marley & Me and Homeward Bound. The plot, and probably the majority of the gags, have been done: suburban family copes with destructive, inconvenient animal.

As for Cats & Dogs 2… what? The first one was atrocious. I can usually find a few redeeming qualities in just about any film, no matter how poor the plot, acting, directing or dialog (I thought The Happening was a good watch), but Cats & Dogs had none. Zero. Zip. It was crap, and I cannot fathom why Warner Bros. felt compelled to create a sequel.

I’d seen all the rest of the trailers online at some point in time, but it was great to catch some of the newer stuff on the big screen, especially the Megamind preview. And… correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the title (and the title character) originally Oobermind? It seems like the first snippets of news regarding this film used that name, which I guess ended up being a working title. I personally prefer Oobermind because it’s quirky and different. Megamind sounds like the name of a bad 40s comic book villain. But I guess that’s the whole point.

My Take on Shrek Forever After: I enjoyed it, though many have correctly compared it to “It’s a Wonderful Life”, ogre style. Like some critics have remarked, the spark has mostly gone from a franchise that has seen better days, but the irreverent humor remains. The story seemed to progress as an amusing drunk, careening to and fro, but mostly in the same general direction, occasionally stumbling into a trash can or a bush and drawing a laugh.

The most enjoyable performance (and also the highlight of the film) was courtesy of Walt Dohrn (Rumpelstiltskin). While the rest of the voice-actors seemed to slog half-heartedly through their lines, newcomer Dohrn lent his character a sly, greasy quality that made you feel you would have despised him even sans villain status. I can’t help but feel that it was Dohrn’s inexperience as a professional voice-actor that enabled him to really go the extra mile in bringing his character to life.

Dohrn had previously only graced the crew list of features such as Madagascar, Shrek the Third, and several kids’ cartoons, contributing to writing and animation. However, while filling in as a script “reader” during recording sessions, Dohrn received compliments on his portrayal of the villainous “Rumpel” (who had not yet been cast), and a star was born.

All-in-all, Shrek 4 was good entertainment, especially for fans of the franchise. I’ve seen a lot better from Dreamworks, but then everyone says Shrek the Third was worse. I’m just glad they were able to acknowledge that the Shrek premise has grown old and tired, and put it to pasture. Apparently, they do still want to play the spin-off game, though, and give the Bambi-eyed Puss in Boots his own film. (Can’t let go of the franchise completely if there’s still the slightest chance they can make money off of it.)

Recommended if you like mindless entertainment, are a fan of the Shrek series, or just want to shut the kids up for an hour and a half. Be sure to show up early enough to catch the Megamind trailer, a brief glimpse of what will hopefully be somewhat better fare from Dreamworks (or at least something to tide us over until Kung Fu Panda 2).

Reel Time Updates: Iron Man 2

So, yes… I did go see Iron Man 2 this past Saturday night with a couple of my movie buddies. The theater was buzzing, but not packed like I thought it would be. The showing was at 10pm, so I guess the heavier crowds had come and gone a little earlier. We did have a little trouble finding three seats that were: a) adjacent to one another, b) not near any kids, and c) not directly in front of anyone using our seats for Ottomans.

The Trailers: There was a decent spread of trailers prior to the film: Inception, Despicable Me, The Last Airbender, Grown Ups, Shrek Forever After, Super8, and Eclipse, to name a few. I’m really looking forward to the first three. Shrek I can take or leave. Grown Ups is a comedy (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, etc.), and I can take or leave that entire genre. The Super8 trailer was yawn-worthy and had a real “been there, done that” feeling to it. It was basically just a big name-dropper (Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams), and while that combo may stir up geeky squeals from some people, I was not impressed.

The trailer that seemed to elicit the biggest reaction from any part of the audience was the Eclipse preview, which sent several front rows of adolescent girls into shrieking fits, particularly when Taylor Lautner appeared on-screen (I think Team Edward is starting to fizzle out after two films). As we watched hordes of unhealthy-looking vampires stepping out of murky lakes and knocking over trees, one of my friends wryly remarked that the film would actually be a little scary if it weren’t “Twilight”.

My Take on Iron Man 2: I’ve read several reviews that have accused Iron Man 2 of being too choppy plot-wise, with a story that jumped around too quickly. I did not really sense this during my viewing, but then I was too busy enjoying the film, and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m not a very objective movie reviewer.

There were quite a few little sub-plots, yes, but not enough to distract from the overall story. It definitely seemed to give a lot more focus to Tony Stark than to Iron Man, but that made sense because of the situations Stark’s character was going through/being placed in. The off-the-cuff humor seemed to have doubled in the second film, and the snappy dialog elicited plenty of laughs from the audience.

Samuel L. Jackson’s character (Nick Fury) was upgraded from appearing as part of Marvel’s end-credits teasers to an actual film participant. One disappointment was that Scarlett Johansson’s character (Black Widow / Natalie Rushman) spent a lot more time as Natalie, and not nearly enough time as the bone-crunching, leather-clad Black Widow. When she did finally start breaking out the arse-kicking moves, though (towards the end of the film), they were pretty awesome. As was the finale showdown fight between a bunch of evil military drones (they can salute!) and Team Iron Man/War Machine. (Oh, and I’m sorry Terrence Howard fans, but Don Cheadle kicked his butt as Col. Rhodes.)

I could probably give a more comprehensive take after a second viewing, but for now Iron Man 2 freakin’ rocked. Good story, good dialog, good acting, good special effects, and lots of action. Perfect film to start off what looks to be a great summer at the movies.