ripe tomatoes

And on with the show...

2007-05-08T01:03:00.000-07:00

I'll be taking further movie reviews (100 words or otherwise) to www.hyperwest.net. Or possibly www.jonyang.org. How many movies can I keep watching? I hope a lot. I'm still out to convert people on the beauty of watching movies by themselves in theatres. No distractions, more popcorn, more Slurpee. Dig it.

in the land of women (2007)

2007-05-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Usually romantic comedy movies like this have the problem of the actors being way too old for their roles. Adam Brody has the opposite problem; he looks like he blends in with the high schoolers around him and it's tough to picture him as a 26-year old (even if he actually is). The movie also compounds the problem by not giving us enough motivation behind anything Brody's character does. Despite that, the movie has a few "nice/interesting/cute" moments and even with the family of blondes to carry the show, the film just suffers from a lack of depth.

the host (2007)

2007-04-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

i watched this movie in the most beautiful movie theatre i've ever been in. they played opera before the showing, the popcorn was amazing, and the stage/theatre was just amazing. la paloma theatre in encinitas, san diego. check it out.

i thought the movie was pretty good too. a bit slow but every time the pace slacked, the monster would arrive. that's the best part about the movie; they didn't skimp on showing the (very obviously) cgi monster. i thought the movie was hilarious as a satire but my film companions just thought it was so-so. i liked it; although i'm not sure i'd watch it again. but i'd return to the theatre!

popular (1999) vs undeclared (2001)

2007-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

it kills me that judd apatow's most successful venture is "40 year old virgin." that was such a crappy movie; now judd's name has been sullied. his deserving of accolades masterpiece, freaks and geeks, came out in 1999 but was cancelled after one season because everything great must die young. his follow up, undeclared, is much sillier and generally not as well loved as freaks and geeks. still, it was a critically lauded show -- and also cancelled after one season.

popular came out the same year as freaks and geeks, and lasted two seasons. this last point is criminal because despite being a good show, popular is not a classic like freaks and geeks, yet it went on longer. popular probably lasted one season longer than freaks and geeks because it was on the wb, an up-and-coming network at the time who took a few more chances and had a bit more patience. not too much patience however, since popular ended up being cancelled after two seasons; in the middle of a cliff hanger no less, and with a third season originally promised to creator. too bad, so sad.

having just watched the first disk for both shows, i have to weigh in: which show is better? undeclared or popular?
continued on diorama...

the fountainhead (1949)

2007-04-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

i didn't realize the fountainhead movie was adapted to the screen by ayn rand herself. she only did it on the condition that "not one word be changed." typical, right? the movie isn't half bad actually. gary cooper and patricia neal are about what you'd expect as the main characters, and due to the style of the movie, all the dialogue (essentially ripped straight from the book) sounds somewhat natural. i don't think this movie could be made today because they'd dress it up for no reason; it's too idea/dialogue heavy; and current acting methods would make the movie overly campy.

apparently, nobody liked it when it was released (in 1949, six years after the book was published), but to be honest, as a huge fan of the book, i wasn't disappointed in the movie. sure, cooper's dramatic monologue had the most uneven delivery i've ever heard but i can look past it.

i'm curious what a non-randian would think of the movie. would any of the philosophies get passed on? or would it just put people to sleep? this also makes me even more curious about the upcoming movie version of atlas shrugged -- starring angelina jolie (and maybe brad pitt) of all people. not who i envisioned as dagny taggart but that's the least of my worries about how rand's seminal work will translate to the screen.

zodiac (2007)

2007-03-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

david fincher continues to churn out his unique style of movie. this one isn't quite as good as his other efforts (se7en, fight club, the game) but the reality of the situation is gripping. the movie seems like its over two-thirds of the way through but then there's another hour or so of jake gyllenhaal running around being scared by would-be serial killers. it's strange that "the zodiac" actually ends up fucking most of his kills, as many of the victims are left alive. after the movie, i had to head over to the crime library to check out the real story.

thank goodness the movie was good as we spent $40 on tickets and parking -- we forgot to stamp our parking ticket and we got out of the movie at 2:30am, well past the closing time. damn me.

300 (2007)

2007-03-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

i was psyched for this movie. ridiculously psyched. if you like spartans and violence, this highly stylized movie will set your neck hairs on tilt with its numerous "cool scenes." not much plot or exposition to speak of (in comparison to say, gladiator) and i would have wanted some trimming of the unnecssary "girl in wheatfields, i love you" scenes but hey, what can you do? some great moments, a few laugh out loud moments (not in a good way), but mostly, a cool movie i'd watch a few times over. go watch it in the theatre; what's the point otherwise?

i wish there was more insight and backstory into how the spartans lived. i'd recommend reading gates of fire, by steven pressfield -- which, sadly, probably has no chance of being made into a movie now.

pan's labyrinth (2006)

2007-02-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

indeed, a "fairy tale for adults." don't bring your kids to watch this; it's no labyrinth. this film has been touted as one of the best movies of the year and that's about right. i can't say i even had one complaint about it aside from maybe having more scenes in the fantasy realm. but it's hard to complain when everything works together so well. i made a special effort to make sure i saw this on the big screen and i'm delighted i caught it. watching it on a rinky dink television wouldn't have done it justice.

ghost rider (2007)

2007-02-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

there was a time nicolas cage was in good movies right? (his acting was always suspect, like an older keanu reeves) at least he tanked this superhero movie instead of starring as superman like he wanted. this is about the worst, most illogical, comic book movie i've ever seen. no thrills, spills, chills, or sense. eva mendes matched old nic for acting ineptitude but looked much better doing it.

this is what wes bentley has done to his promising career post-american beauty? he's the least menacing comic book villain ever. sheesh.

bridge to terabithia (2007)

2007-02-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

to be fair, i was movie hopping and only saw half the movie. i walked out before all the fun stuff really started but i'm not sure i missed much. the weird voice used by the female lead, annasophia robb (who looks just like a young keira knightley), bothered me too much. and i felt i was a bit too old for the story. but i've heard good things about the film; which is nothing like chronicles of narnia -- in a good way.

here's an interesting article from slate about the movie: what bridge to terabithia still teaches us.

life of david gale (2003)

2007-02-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

kevin spacey is still best as a smarmy type of guy right? his attempts at other roles have usually failed but it's easy to forget how effective his face and voice were in se7en, the usual suspects, and american beauty. underrated voiceover prescence. the whole movie is underrated actually. maybe it's the subject matter but the movie is a must see that nobody's seen. superb acting all-around (laura linney and kate winslet both shine) and great plot to boot.

saved! (2004)

2007-02-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

ten minutes into the movie, i thought we were heading into "classic" territory as saved! skewed the lifestyle of teen jesus lovers accurately and with great humor. any film that hinges on a virgin sleeping with her gay boyfriend in order to cure him sounds good to me. mandy moore is great, macaulay culkin is great, jena malone is pretty good. classic territory. then when the "message" starts to get in way of the satire, the movie goes downhill pretty quickly. but still worth viewing for the first hour or so.

because i said so (2007)

2007-02-05T14:25:00.001-08:00

diane keaton must of had a field day "acting" in this movie. she's trying to be one of those over-bearing slightly loopy moms that have become almost commonplace. trouble is, we like diane better in more serious roles (see, family stone or something's gotta give). here she's thrust in situational/physical gags that don't quite work. oh right, and the movie sucks too. if not for the late hour and the lack of other options, i would have walked out around the 45 minute mark.

i swear i read a good review of this from my favorite movie critic, don't believe it.

the sound of music (1965)

2007-02-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

i've been waiting to re-watch this guy forever. fabulous. great movie. nothing really to say about it. except "five things i now know about the sound of music." the 40th anniversay edition comes with all these extras i still need to watch. a must see and must buy.

brick (2005)

2007-01-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

take all the conventions of a traditional film noir detective story but set it in a modern day (dingy) high school. clever right? it might be overly clever. the styling of this film is excellent, the acting isn't too bad, and everyone takes their roles -- and the stylized dialogue -- very seriously. you still kind of wish more happened though. it's an interesting idea but not exactly a great movie.

children of men

2007-01-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

i'd seen this movie touted as one of the best films of the year so i was psyched. originally, the preview didn't capture me but i was willing to take a chance on some gritty sci-fi. instead, what i got was an intriguing set-up of a premise that moved along at a good clip, but then about halfway through, i realized that this wasn't going anywhere. the ending scenes are completely laughable and there's no real lesson (or warning) to be learned here. waste of time.

the good shepard

2007-01-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

matt damon seems too young to be playing a father; especially a middle-aged one. robert de niro did a good job directing, but some of the movie was a bit confusing and most of it was just okay. it's topically about the beginnings of the c.i.a. but devolves into how being an agent can ruin your personal life. no duh.

i'm not sure if this "human element in movies" is worth it anymore. for movies like this, i'd rather spend time with how the c.i.a. was actually formed, get some interesting stories, and learn some lurid details; instead they always insert some crappy story about an unloved wife (honestly, who would ignore angelina jolie for 30+ years) and a creepy kid.

one of the actresses in the film, tammy blanchard, looks JUST like judy garland. blanchard played the young garland in a 2001 tv movie. the resemblance is astonishing.

i.m. pei

2007-01-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

this is how architecture docs should be done; heavy on the insight, heavy on the architecture, light on the personal fawning motivation. the gehry movie may be more widely known but i enjoyed pei's fascinating explanations far more.

this dvd is actually two documentaries, "first person singular" and "the museum on the mountain."

dungeons & dragons

2006-12-26T10:57:00.000-08:00

i watched volume 1 of this series to see if it jogged my memory. it did. i've seen some of the episodes before. despite efforts to make the d&d world come to life, the entire thing suffers from the same thing every 80s cartoon suffers from: it's out-dated. long on nostalgia but coming up short on current enjoyment. it's cheesy, it's hokey, it's simple. it's like watching thundercats for a few episodes and realizing "hey, this sucks!"

rocky balboa

2006-12-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

what'd you expect? it's rocky. i don't recall rocky talking so much, or that he was so prone to making speeches, but it's enjoyable as any of the classic rocky films. the only big problem here was that the fight scenes sucked. half way through the final match, the editing gets weird and they start to interlace the boxing with flashbacks, scenes from earlier in the movie, and it's all just very distracting.

curse of the golden flower

2006-12-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

apparently i watched this with a whole theater full of my countrymen. seriously, 99% of the people walking out afterwards was chinese. we chinese sure got an eyeful -- of breast. the costume "design" consisted of a lot of busty chinese women (oxymoron, i know) in tight corsets. the day-glo set design was a bit over the top and the ending a bit non-sensical, but it's another melodramatic chinese movie in the same vein as hero, house of flying daggers, etc. lots less fighting though, which didn't really detract from anything however.

charlotte's web

2006-12-24T10:44:00.001-08:00

who didn't deeply love charlotte's web as a kid? i guess it's odd that all these children would end up in love with a spider but the power of fiction is strong. so, how hard was it to make a spider -- an icky scary creature -- lovable on-screen? well, it's easy if you rely on using julia roberts' familiar voice. roberts' was able to make charlotte more comforting than scary. not big surprises here, but no huge triumphs either. just a direct live action adaptation of a children's classic.

night at the museum

2006-12-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

another half hopper of a movie. we probably left at just the right time, after all the animated museum bits had come to life. it was probably all downhill from there. not that it was exactly uphill before we left, but anything involving a natural history museum is slightly entertaining for me.

seeing robin williams as teddy roosevelt gave me a kick though, for some illogical reason.

happy feet

2006-12-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

why aren't all movie theatres hoppable? they should have a one price sees all type of deal. instead i'm forced to hide and lurk and wait for attendants to stop paying attention. it's part of the fun i suppose, but then you can get stuck watching half a film (or all of it) that absolutely blows -- like this one! it's like karaoke -- and tap-araoke -- with animated penguins. terrible.

donnie brasco

2006-12-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

did you know that this movie was slated to be made much earlier but due to the success of goodfellas in 1990 and how thematically similar the two movies were, had to be pushed back (released in 1997)? pacino and depp are on top of their game and this movie is an enjoyable dip into the mafia world.

is anne heche annoying or what? what has she done that has been good? she's like the older, more famous version of gretchen mol.

fog of war

2006-12-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

interesting and well made, but a bit dull. i mean, it's interesting in historical context and as a film -- basically just an interview with robert mcnamara -- but you really have to know the period and the crises to really get everything out of the film. i'm not that well versed in mcnamara's legacy so it was educational to be sure, but also tepid at times.

enron: the smartest guys in the room

2006-12-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

while superb documentaries are being made these days, (some) people are trying to do too much with them. stop the ironic music, titles, and random shots of random things. it doesn't make sense. keep the "art" out of it and just gimme the information; especially when dealing with something complex like the enron scandal. after getting the gist of what happened, the documentary quickly devolved into a bad television biography.

stranger than fiction

2006-12-06T23:26:00.001-08:00

to be fair, i hate will ferrell; also, i only watched the back half of the movie. tragically, i watched the second half. even then, i did enjoy some of the little fight club type of screen tricks, some of the individual shots were very nice, and maggie gyllenhaal was less annoying than usual. the central conceit of the film is a great idea but executed to make people feel warm and fuzzy; which i hate.

casino royale

2006-12-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

if this is the best of the "new" bond movies then just kill me now. the opening credits were the best part about this film and it was steadily downhill from there. okay, we get it, the daniel craig bond is muscular and manly. the poker scenes are horrific. everyone knows what texas hold'em is all about by now, do we really need some terrible dialogue about it? speaking of terrible dialogue, the whole movie is packed with it.

i was under the impression that this was a prequel of sorts. but apparently it's more of a "reset" and the previous 20 bond movies are not part of its continuity. oh, okay, now it makes sense. not.

Top Five Movies

2006-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

deja vu

2006-11-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

denzel washington is the man. unchanging, unwavering, unlimited. well, actually, he's only unlimited within his limits, thus limited; but you know what i mean. regardless of the movie, denzel is always denzel. stick him in a tight, convoluted (sort of) thriller that moves at a good pace and you get deja vu. it's nothing you haven't seen before -- poetic considering the title -- but it's still decently enjoyable. plus, i can't resist a movie involving time travel or attempted explanations of einstein-rosenberg bridges -- from adam goldberg no less.

for your consideration

2006-11-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

hey, i'm in love with christopher guest as much as the next guy -- more probably -- but even i can admit that this effort was weak. perhaps the characters are becoming too familiar, the laughs less uproarious, the concepts thin; something was missing. this is still better than 80% of the crap out there, but many of the laughs fade quickly. fred willard is, as always, the star.

does anyone else think parker posey is on the verge of wasting her career? her turn in superman certainly didn't help her any, and posey is suddenly, incredibly, middle aged (on and off-screen).

the prestige

2006-10-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

one of the few movies i've been able to look forward to during this crappy fall movie season, the prestige turned out to be finely acted and, for the most part, well constructed. some say that "the illusionist" was better, but i enjoyed this particular magician movie much more than that one. i thought the way christopher nolan did the (to many critics, superfluous) time jumping from scene to scene was seamless. a bit of suspension of disbelief is required but then again, it's about magic: believe or don't believe, enjoy or don't enjoy.

the book version that sounds pretty intriguing. and reading up on the real life nikola tesla is very educational.

man of the year

2006-10-22T22:18:00.000-07:00

(we walked in half an hour after the movie had started)
no "wag the dog" or even a "dave," this movie wasn't terrible but there's hardly anything meaningful to say about it. it was semi-funny, semi-skewering, but mostly just floated along with no real impact. it does makes you think about our current political state ("red state, blue state, why can't we just be the united states?") but the provocative moments quickly cut to another one-liner or another scene.

robin williams is likeable though, and i usually find him super annoying.

the departed

2006-10-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

inviting inevitable comparisons to the original (infernal affairs), i initially decided that i liked the re-make much better. more exposition, more guns (not necessarily a good thing), more overt moments. however, upon further contemplation, i think the two movies are incomparable. the hong kong version is quieter and more about what you don't see. the departed is brawny, loud, and slams you in the face. both are worthy of viewing but some of scorsese's choices didn't jive with me -- too obvious perhaps. then again, i didn't exactly love infernal affairs at the time either, so maybe i just need to re-watch both films.

moving the setting to boston was great, as it's really the most logical american city to set up this type of tale.

fearless

2006-10-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

we anticipate jet li's retirement from kung-fu movies to last about as long as jay-z's "time out" from hip hop. having said that, jet li is pretty decent in this movie. of course, the movie itself is just a hodge podge of kung fu cliches (despite being based on a true story) with some not unexpected plot holes and a general lack of exposition. the fight scenes are above average but nothing breath taking. in the mood for chinese? then watch this movie.

elizabeth

2006-10-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

i've been trying to watch elizabeth for years. the oscar hype and awards this film received, plus the many nice things people have said about cate blanchett, seemed to make this movie a winner. once again, the oscars have led me astray. the movie is almost over-dramatic, with too few explanations for what is happening on-screen. without some historical knowledge on the viewer's end, it's very easy to lose the point of the movie. who are all these characters and exactly why is elizabeth surrounded by deception and turmoil? the movie won't tell you, wikipedia will.

sketches of frank gehry

2006-10-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

i like to say that gehry is one of my favorite "architects." it's a self-aggrandizing statement. i know, maybe, five architects in total. still, i've always admired gehry's work and would love to see the guggenheim bilbao. i thought this movie would explain gehry's inspiration and methods. instead it made me like gehry less, as it seemed like he did more "found" architecture than anything with a particular vision. magical buildings, not so magical inspirations; the wizard had his curtain pulled.

murderball

2006-10-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

i'd avoided this film for a long time because i figured you see one inspirational sports story you'd seen them all. and for the most part, i'm right. however, the characters here are pretty captivating and the stories and circumstances behind their current situation is very interesting. this is not a sports story, as the action scenes obscure the fact that quad rugby seems to be a game with very little defense. however, the film was able to make the players "cool." which is exactly what the participants wanted.

in one of the extras, the jackass crew hang out with some of the murderball stars -- and showing them a hell of a time. as steve-o says (paraphrased), "i'm always one stunt away from being paralyzed myself."

kicking and screaming

2006-09-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

NOT to be confused with will ferrell's soccer comedy of the same name, kicking and screaming is about a group of 20-somethings trying to figure out life after college. noah baumbach's (the squid and the whale) first film is (overly) clever and has some nice moments but it didn't capture my attention for some reason. the characters are witty, but in a sort of annoying witty way. which is, i guess, part of the point. the structure of the story isn't engaging either.

the only reason i know about this movie is because espn's bill simmons said that it captured the zeitgeist better than singles or reality bites. so i had to see it for a comparison point. it's no reality bites, put it that way.

clue

2006-09-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

a true classic. while some may be turned off by its somewhat slapsticky humor (of a kind i usually hate), the movie goes through everything so quickly that there's hardly time to dwell on the "bad" scenes. to think that they made a successful movie out of a popular board game, how great is that? just a fun movie all around.

i guess, maybe, if you don't know or enjoy clue, the movie could be a bust since it seems a bit "pointless." but if you don't know or enjoy clue, we probably shouldn't be friends anyway.

the black dahlia

2006-09-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

the black dahlia has been getting reamed in reviews, and rightly so. it's nowhere near as good as la confidential and the quick resolution scenes are incredibly confusing. i had to see this movie because i've always been intrigued by the actual black dahlia case (and like james ellroy) but it's really not very well done at all. hollywoodland might have been a better choice. as for me, i'll just read the book of this movie and satisfy my curiousity that way.

scarlett johannson's career is not ever going to achieve the heights of "lost in translation" again is it? her work in most of her recent movies is just terrible. i can't figure out if she's a bad actress, or if she's just taking bad roles that don't suit her. at least she still looks good right?

the last kiss

2006-09-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

if zach braff were any less interesting as a lead actor he'd be...i dunno, there's no comparison really. he's just so limp. this about sums it up. i did find "the last kiss" to be more enjoyable than garden state because, for the most part, it captured my attention throughout. of course, it captured it because it made me deathly afraid of marriage and committment but hey, a good horror story is still a good horror story. if only i could re-enact my face for you while i watched this movie. sheer abject horror.

and yes, the main problem i have with zach braff movies is how these bubbly brunettes just throw themselves at him. inconceivable in every way.

amelie

2006-09-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

what's the world for a mischievious, but kindly, sprite? apparently it's "amelie." i've seen this movie before and absolutely loved it. upon watching it again, i loved it some more. just a beautiful piece of work. audrey tatou (pre-da vinci code) is amazing. the direction and style of the movie is amazing. the story is cute without being cloying. how is it possible to watch normal romantic drivel after watching something as cool and as well done as this?

pride & prejudice (bbc)

2006-09-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

i've already expressed how much i enjoyed the keira knightley version of this movie. now i had to see the full 5-hour epic. the first shocking thing is how "common" all the actresses look. the great beauty is jane; who, as you can see here, is not exactly breath taking. that aside, the spunky elisabeth grows on you and this version of mr darcy (played by the inimitable colin firth, the object of many an english woman's lust) is perfect.

the hollywood version glossed over some of the finer plot details and this version fleshes out some of the dialogue and missing plot points. i couldn't turn the movie off and watched the entire thing all at once.

malcolm x

2006-09-04T01:45:00.000-07:00

the physical resemblance of denzel to malcolm is pretty remarkable isn't it? many people call this the movie that spike lee was born to make and it's hard to disagree. for most of the movie, spike stays right on task informing and entertaining the audience. the movie definitely makes you think, if nothing else; which is good right?

the documentary included along with the movie was very interesting as a post-movie snack. it showcases the real malcolm x and many of his speeches from the movie; which were apparently taken verbatim. both spike's movie and this documentary were based on "the autobiography of malcolm x."

gi jane

2006-08-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

having never watched the whole thing, i found gi jane to be inspirational, touching, and it left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. think about demi's career trajectory, from teen queen to striptease to gi jane, how astounding. and to watch viggo before he became strider, fascinating. while gi jane isn't amazing by any stretch of the imagination, it sure caught my uninterrupted attention on cable.

jfk

2006-08-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

my love for jfk made me sit very attentively through all 3 hours of this movie. i agree with the conspiracy theory so watching the movie was fascinating and cinematically pleasing. sure, kevin costner can't keep an accent to save his life but who cares? "jfk, blown away, what else do i have to say?"

miracle

2006-08-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

somehow i was duped into thinking that miracle was a great movie. it's decent and interesting because the events depicted are routinely described as "the best moment in american sports," but the movie isn't cheery enough to be inspiring or gritty enough to be deep. oh well, just another sports movie -- albeit slightly better than most.

the making of documentary was interesting because it shows how the producers went to such great lengths to capture the accuracy of the hockey scenes.

trust the man

2006-08-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

the romantic comedy genre keeps on cranking out the same shit over and over again. all you can really expect is a few funny lines that can be used during your own romantic comedy moments. judging by that standard, "trust the man" isn't that bad. there's nothing particularly new or revelationary (and not nearly as purely enjoyable as "the break-up") but it's a solid effort with enough funny moments to make it up for the cheesy romance parts.

world trade center

2006-08-18T01:57:00.000-07:00

much more gripping than "flight 93," oliver stone's take on 9/11 was excellent in the first hour. of course, i left just as people were getting crushed by the towers collapsing so maybe the movie took a slightly different tone after the set-up -- i guess i'll never know. it's interesting to watch the movie and think about what the thought process behind "dramatizing" this movie for maximum emotional impact would be like and how fucked up that kind of is. "do we show people jumping off the building? should we zoom in?...."

the illusionist

2006-08-18T01:48:00.000-07:00

what the hell has happened to edward norton? what was his last great (or even good) movie? maybe "25th hour?" but that was in 2002. sure he took a few years off but since his amazing high of primal fear, rounders, american history x, and fight club, what has he done? he's gone from must-see to slightly overrated. his latest movie is somewhat clever and entertaining but ultimately, not quite entrancing enough. will the real ed norton please stand up?

while we're at it, paul giamatti's being overused. he's great but now that he's everywhere, he's no longer fun to watch. he's this decade's version of kevin spacey.

step up

2006-08-17T01:39:00.000-07:00

want every (dance) cliche in the book? here we go. combine some plot points from all the dancing/cheering/gymnastics movies of the past few years and toss in some almost acceptable leads and you get "step up." the dancing isn't bad but it's not "you got served." the plot is so generic (and devoid of wit) that its only function is to get you to the climatic dance scene ending.

the only reason to watch here is to get an eyeful of jenna dewan's (who? exactly.) toned bod and quite interesting dance outfits. but really, she's a poor man's denise richards / yasmine bleeth, so is it worth it?

rushmore

2006-08-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

i knew there was a reason i liked wes anderson; and here's why. i'd never watched royal tenenbaums or bottle rocket but really enjoyed the life aquatic (despite other people hating it). rushmore was a treat and i couldn't stop laughing even as i was trying to fall asleep. the whole inane-ness and concept of the main character is just hilarious. i finally understand why jason schwartz has a career.

miami vice

2006-08-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

already hugely wary of michael mann (last of the mohicans, heat, the insider) due to "collateral," i was willing to give this (once-)gifted director another chance. we walked out of miami vice within the first hour. just terrible. all the faults exhibited in collateral plus horrific dialogue, pacing, acting, and pretty much everything you'd look for in a movie. it's laugh out loud bad.

talladega nights

2006-08-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

two terrible movies in a row? why not? we followed up miami vice with talladega nights. i only watched it because i had no other choice. i should have chosen suicide. while talladega nights is entertaining in the crudest sense of the word (and rather well acted), it's senseless drivel for the easily amused masses. "if you're not first, you're last." i'd rather have been dead.

little miss sunshine

2006-07-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

what starts off as a fun, off-kilter story about a dysfunctional family devolves into too many wacky adventures that serve to slowly push you away with its absurdity. you'll laugh but you'll also leave feeling "what was the point of this movie?" for a nuanced look at a dysfunctional family, i'd recommend "the squid and the whale," which is just as funny and far superior. don't believe the little miss sunshine hype.

pirates of the caribbean 2

2006-07-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

swashbuckling adventure or silly romp? driven by the antics of johnny depp, pirates is now a huge blockbuster trilogy. orlando and keira are simply window dressing, taking a backseat to johnny and the cgi folk. still, pirates 2 was hardly terrible. advance reviews tried to blow it out of the water but i found it to be generally amusing and entertaining.

then again, i re-watched the first one recently afterwards and was stunned by how much better that one was. maybe the third one can reach such heights again.

the devil wears prada

2006-07-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

aside from the constant snipes at anne hathaway's weight (she's hardly fat, even in the hollywood sense of the word), the devil wears prada doeesn't exactly go for the jugular. still, the movie is amusing enough due to meryl streep's performance; anne hathaway ably pulls off what is essentially a "princess diaries" for grown up girls.

the outfits should have been better in the movie. nothing grabbed my attention and none of the clothing on-screen was even as fashion "forward" as anything you might see on carrie in sex and the city.

cars

2006-07-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

it's hard to make movies as inventive and entertaining as monsters inc, a bug's life, toy story, and finding nemo isn't it? the hits can't keep on coming forever right? with cars, pixar shows off their technical skills but the story (and humor) were just run of the mill. this might have been great four years ago but when the best parts of this film refer to past pixar hits, that's not exactly a good thing. mildly entertaining overall.

superman returns

2006-06-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

more like "he's back but what for?" brandon routh does a better clark kent than he makes a superman. when he talks it's like a little boy impersonating a super hero. kevin spacey as a villain is nice, but really, the two foes hardly interacted. why did you make a chick flick disguised in spandex and a cape bryan singer? too many superman inconsistencies (he's lifting a mountain of what is essentially kryptonite?!) and no climatic payoff dulled the experience for me. ok, we get it, superman is strong, he can lift things, let's keep moving along.

nacho libre

2006-06-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

if there were oscars were given out for facial contortions that aren't annoying (ala jim carrey), jack black would surely be the favorite. while nacho libre isn't quite as quote worthy as napolean dynamite, it does have more energy simply because black is a better (but not more iconic) protagonist. both nacho and dynamite suffer from stretching out a few quirky ideas but at the end of the day, both will become pop culture references for years.

the break-up

2006-06-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

summer chick flick or "how to be an asshole boyfriend but yet still be charmingly hilarious." i went in thinking the first option, i left believing the latter. vince vaughn is my hero. if anyone knows how to piss off a live in girlfriend turned ex-girlfriend, it's vince. i wonder if he ad-libs his own dialogue or has a team of disgruntled ex-boyfriends behind him. resembling a "swingers, now we're 30" movie with vaughn and favreau stealing the show, the break-up was charming, witty, and perfect for highlighting the absolute ridiculousness of two people (fighting) in a relationship.

the game also co-stars "grand theft auto: san andreas." i think cj (the main character in the game) got more screen time than 90%of the actors in the movie.

an inconvenient truth

2006-06-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

more al gore biopic than state of the planet conference, this optimistic documentary provides a sound overview of the causes and consequences of global warming for the undecided mind. scholars, however, some will be disapppointed by watered down information and oversimplified solutions for a pg audience. sadly, gore seems more occupied with breaking the cardboard image of the man who was america's next president than staging an environmental coup. luckily, positive press reviews may still bring about the intended goal: awareness in the general public. don't want to pay $10 to watch a badly aging gore try to be funny? read the time magazine issue on global warming instead.
-reviewed by xtina-

old boy

2006-06-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

many friends have told me to watch old boy. i'd always resisted because the description of the movie always turned me off. well now i've seen it and i have this to say: interesting and kind of crazy, but well done and superbly acted. still, not a movie i really loved. and it's not because i'm anti-violence or the themes of the movie, it just didn't seem to have the appropriate payoff.

x-men 3

2006-06-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

really, go watch it. i've been trying to stay neutral about it. not saying whether or not i liked it. for a (very) full review, go here.

poseidon

2006-05-21T02:38:00.000-07:00

this is what titanic would have been like if you took out all the mushy love story crap. and despite not having "an emotional center," poseidon was easier to stomach since it was only half as long as that epic. then again, poseidon isn't going to win any oscars for anything except maybe "best cgi wave." then again, oscar winners suck...so...

i've heard that josh lucas is getting all these prime time roles because they are desperately trying to make up-and-coming young hollywood lead men. verdict on mr lucas? a matthew mcconaughey-lite without the charm.

the da vinci code

2006-05-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

i realized while watching da vinci code how hard of a job it would have been to make this movie. forget the expectations, those were huge indeed. but all the exposition of the book and the way it flows is not really conducive to a fine film. so, given that degree of difficulty, i thought the movie was not too bad. we got what we expected, but nothing more.

it's hard to say how it would have been watching it without having read the book. i would presume that the movie would have been better then since some of the suspense could have remained intact.

art school confidential

2006-05-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

a swing and a miss. despite being highly anticipated, art school confidential ended up being pretty disappointing on all fronts. director terry zwigoff has achieved cult status for crumb and ghost world but with this film he really makes you wonder if he was the one responsible for those previous achievments. max minghella, son of director anthony minghella (cold mountain, talented mr ripley, english patient), might have looked the part, but he certainly couldn't act it.

stick it

2006-05-05T02:52:00.000-07:00

"from the writer of 'bring it on'" may mean nothing to you but it sure speaks volumes to me. with true sleeper potential, "stick it" was shaping up to be the next great gymnastics movie -- or the first, whatever. alas, it wasn't as "good" as bring it on. however, some of the lines (jessica bendinger included as many sarcastic quips as she could) were pop culture worthy and that's all you need from a movie like this: movie quote moments.

it was hard to get over the fact that missy peregrym didn't have the classic gymnastics body, like at all. she made a more convincing boy than a gymnast. all the other girls are short and squat and missy is long and lithe. svetlana khorkina anyone?

akeelah and the bee

2006-05-05T02:49:00.000-07:00

when was the last time you walked out of a movie? well for me it was last friday, within 20 minutes of watching akeelah and the bee. and i was movie hopping too, meaning i was virtually watching it for free. despite an interesting marketing strategy with starbucks and good reviews, this movie was about as bad as it gets. terrible dialogue (i mean, really bad), incredibly stereotypical characters, and a premise that has already been done countless number of times. i don't even have a word (or a country of origin) for how bad this movie was shaping up to be.

american dreamz

2006-05-05T02:44:00.000-07:00

as many critics have noted, it's easy to take pot shots at american idol, simon cowell, and president bush. so really, why watch an entire movie about it? because i was movie hopping that's why. there were few truly hilarious moments in this satirical piece and any of the laugh out loud moments were provided by the stereotypical gay middle-eastern male who longs to be the new madonna. you know, that old stereotype. not really a must see in any sense of the word.

mission impossible 3

2006-05-05T02:36:00.000-07:00

the big hype for this movie (well, in my movie watching circles) was to see keri russell as a gun toting heroine. instead we got about ten minutes of screen time, most of it spent with her looking like felicity had suffered from a terrible domestic violence situation. all in all, a huge disappointment. however, the movie itself wasn't too bad. nothing terrible or particularly great, but entertainment nonetheless. tom cruise is still the man, i don't care what anyone says.

united 93

2006-05-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

about what one would expect from a movie about 9/11. it shows some of the chaos behind the scenes while also drumming up anxiety for the heroic cockpit rush and resulting plane crash. i wouldn't really call this movie a must see but it's definitely going to be talked about. but quite honestly, i didn't find it that impactful either way, negative or positive. so really, so so all around and nothing that you wouldn't expect out of this vanilla treatment.

lucky number slevin

2006-04-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

a poor man's "usual suspects" that is gripping in the end but a little bit too disjointed overall to really coalesce into a great movie. the mood is light and sarcastic-y, sort of like the opposite of a film noir. it's a real shame that the film is a bit too clever for its own good and rarely makes you actually laugh or enjoy the moment. much of the viewing time is spent wondering "okay, what next?" all in all, not a terrible film by any means, but also a totally forgettable one.

friends with money

2006-04-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

a "sex and the city" for the women with husbands, children, and financial obligations, this movie was much better than i had expected it to be walking in. while it may preview like a chick flick, it most certainly is not as the humor is both dry, realistict, and usually perfectly on point. everyone understands money troubles, and even though jennifer aniston is slightly miscast, the movie centers around her low income job (and singledom) in contrast with her more financially stable (and married) gaggle of girl friends.

intrigued by director nicole holofcener's critical acclaim, i rented "lovely & amazing" before watching her most recent work. i say skip her previous movies and go straight to "friends with money." it's less gimmicky and a better realization of holofcener's observational talents.

amores perros

2006-04-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

"love's a bitch," advance billed as a great spanish movie, is a bit unsettling. the first act was wonderful (if somewhat disturbing due to some graphic dog fighting) but at the halfway point of the movie, my mind started to wander and the impact of the movie slipped by me. still, it is an interesting portrait of life in mexico city, even if it's heavily stylized. but really, what's the difference between showing the grit and grime of mexico versus say, indianapolis?

walk the line

2006-04-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

fiercely acted and incredibly well sung, walk the line should not have been nomiated for best picture. it's crazy disjointed and you really find out nothing about johnny cash. you just see him go from one stage of his life to another, with no explanations or backstories. i had to go read some wikipedia to have any idea of what was going on. joaquin and reese are wonderful but the movie is just a love story masquerading as a biopic.

game over

2006-04-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

"game over: kasparov and the machine" was critically lauded as "one of the best chess movies ever," it's hard to take that positive review without a grain of salt. the greatest chess movie ever is "searching for bobby fischer." this is the best chess documentary only because so few exist. even for a die-hard chess fan like me, it was hard to sit through the amateurish "style" that the director chose to use. still, it's a chance to watch kasparov (a man i've read about for years) and bask in the glory of when chess mattered -- sort of. recommended only for chess fanatics.

failure to launch

2006-03-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

since when did sarah jessica parker become the go-to girl for romantic comedies? and since when was she semi-enjoyable? i still remember when she was nothing more than some big breasted eye candy in a bruce willis flick. i can't even remember which one. and matthew mcconaughey basically does his normal mcconaughey thing. and former "it girl" zooey deschanel channels weird. overall, a totally forgettable, "i watched it on an airplane," time killer of a romantic comedy. par for the course.

inside man

2006-03-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

what do you get when all the feature actors do their normal thing? denzel is quippy and intense, clive is mysterious, jodie is smart, christopher plummer is old, spike is racial. you get "inside man." not a bad movie, but the payoffs just weren't there. the film takes so much time building you up to this point, but then when the big reveal occurs, it's not that great. so yeah, kind of a let down. and the title is sort of misleading a little bit. not to give it away but you'll understand what i mean after you see it.

the jerk

2006-03-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

worst movie ever. not literally, but really, for a film regularly hailed as a classic, it most certainly wasn't. juvenile and ridiculous. i compared it to early ashton kutcher. well, ashton kutcher period actually. skip it. i don't even have 100 words to describe this movie so i'll stop here.

v for vendetta

2006-03-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

oh those tricky wachowski brothers. after two disappointing matrix sequels, they return to form with "v for vendetta," based on the graphic novel of the same name. i tried to dim my expectations for this movie but i had to see it due to the source material and the presence of natalie portman. the movie turned out much better than i had ever dared to hope for and was engaging and smart throughout.

hugo weaving, providing the voice of "v," is a stud. if you think about how hard it is to act from behind a mask, you truly appreciate the hypnotizing voice of "agent smith."

two tracks from the movie: "cry me a river" and "i found a reason" located here.

me and you and everyone we know

2006-03-18T04:30:00.000-08:00

a film that came to me with the highest of recommendations, the movie is sure to get you talking -- through the movie. many parts of the movie were brilliant and hilarious, however, due to my prudish nature, some of it made me squirm in my seat. i don't like seeing underaged children engage in sexual situations okay? even if the setup is somewhat funny. absurd, touching, and delightful at its best, this film is not for everyone, although if pressed for an opinion, i'm glad i watched it.

16 blocks

2006-03-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

has mos def ever been annoying? not until now. with an affected whiny high pitched nasally voice (and his voice is already nasally to begin with), mos def tries to impart his character with some personality. thankfully, mos def is charismatic as hell and you almost forget about his voice -- almost. 16 blocks is better than you think it'll be, but also not nearly as good as it possibly could be. film fluff useful as a movie hop movie and that's about it.

chappelle's block party

2006-03-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

best concert movie ever. great movie overall. 'nuff said. if you like chappelle or real hip hop, you must go watch this movie. then watch it again. roots, mos def, fugees, erykah, common, it's all ridiculous. chappelle is a crazy genius.

2046

2006-03-03T00:54:00.000-08:00

the semi-sequel to "in the mood for love," i actually enjoyed 2046 more than the original -- which is quite a statement to make since mood was really quite excellent. i liked 2046's infinitely more convoluted (and confusing) plot. once all the disparate parts come together, the film provokes an idea of love and longing that is hard to shake, long after the credits roll. "entranced" is the word i'm looking for here. highly recommended.

thank you for smoking

2006-02-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

no side is safe in this satire of america's neo-puritanical culture. denis leary/bill pullman lookalike aaron eckhart plays spin doctor nick naylor, representative of big tobacco, against william h. macy as a birkenstock-wearing vermont senator. a smart comedy with consistent laughs marred only by katie holmes' scrunched up face.

the best part of the movie-going experience is watching everyone light up afterwards.
-guest reviewed by xtina-

memoirs of a geisha

2006-02-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

most everyone i know has panned the movie. is it deserving of such a bad word of mouth? yes and no. i went into it with the lowest of low expectations and emerged entertained, if slightly confused. there were really no truly exciting or enthralling aspects of the movie, but it did make me want to re-read the book again, or read the true account by the geisha who inspired/informed the novel. if the object of movies is to get the mind churning, than this film succeeded.

the whole chinese as japanese thing is a non-issue. hardly anyone speaks well enough english to understand some lines anyway. it's like watching my mom talk through an english movie.

match point

2006-01-26T03:33:00.000-08:00

woody allen's "best film in a decade" was anything but. despite the presence of the always spectacular (looking) scarlett johansson, this movie felt overly long by about an hour and a half. i was expecting much better in every aspect of the movie. better dialogue, better plot twist, better scenes, better everything. really just a huge disappointment. it's hard for me to even point to a highlight here. i guess the popcorn slurpee combination i always get never fails to brighten my day.

hoodwinked

2006-01-21T03:15:00.000-08:00

a nowever near as clever "usual suspects" for the underage crowd -- it was billed to me as a "roshomon-esque" tale. i was a little worried beforehand because the theatre was filling up with parents and kids, but the movie turned out to be quite alright; barring some weird moments. i mean, any time you have a granny who's an undercover extreme sports enthusiast, you have to worry a bit. the saving grace of this movie was definitely the squirrel, which is probably worth the price of admission all by himself.

the cgi in this movie is truly horrendous. you really have to appreciate the work that pixar does after watching hoodwinked. if this had better cgi, it would have been a contender. instead it's merely amusing.

munich

2006-01-17T03:11:00.000-08:00

you know what's wrong with almost all of the so-called "oscar contenders" this year? there's no emotional impact from any of these movies. we're watching movies that are supposed to be impactful but the directors never let us in. two hours of watching eric bana and his band of misfits take vengeance would have been plenty -- stretch it to three and you're left wondering "when's this gonna end?" this movie wasn't exactly what i thought it would be, lacking both action and emotional impact. it seemed like it was a can't-miss but instead turned out into a "way too long."

black hawk down

2006-01-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

a testosterone fueled bullet fest of a movie. you really have to read the book first to fully enjoy the experience i think. then you know who characters are, what's happening on-screen, what parts they left out, the entire backstory, the military training. i've read the book twice and seen the movie twice. entirely different experiences and very complementary. and what a cast: josh hartnett, ewan mcgregor, tom sizemore, william fichtner, eric bana, ron eldard, and the pre-rings orlando bloom. not a movie for everyone but certainly great for some.

the producers

2006-01-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

understanding that films rarely do musical versions justice, i still saw this movie. the one thing that stood out was how old nathan lane and even matthew broderick looked. the film itself dragged and was extremely hammy overall. it was just barely entertaining throughout. there really aren't any memorable songs, segments, or scenes. i’d rather have seen a full on production of "springtime for hitler.”

now i understand why. this was one of mel brook's earlier works, before he really hit his comedic stride. no wonder.

rumor has it

2006-01-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

a one trick movie with a one trick actress headlining it. jennifer aniston still hasn't found a way to escape from her rachel character. maybe i should have watched "derailed" to see the other side of rachel. i can't really take mark ruffalo seriously as an object of affection. he's like that perfectly "ok" guy all across the board. he's ok nice, he's ok looking, he's ok funny, he's not spectacular in any way. he looks and sounds sad all the time. no wonder jennifer aniston was seduced away by kevin costner in the movie. this will be a perfect in flight movie.

rob reiner has really fallen off hasn't he? from stand by me, princess bride, when harry met sally, misery, a few good men, and the american president to just a boatload of crap recently.

brokeback mountain

2005-12-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

even if you haven’t loved ang lee’s movies, you have to respect him for the quality and variety of films that he’s been able to make. his movies always have great direction, great acting, and are generally quality productions. brokeback mountain will probably drive him to multiple awards but i was expecting a bit more. you would think a film about semi-gay cowboys would a shoo-in for emotional impact, but i thought there wasn’t enough in the film to make you see exactly why these two men loved each other. despite that fact, the movie captures your attention all the way through.

the family stone

2005-12-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

as far as i’m concerned, this was the best movie i’d seen in about a month. who knew? the family stone was in contention for well on its way to "great xmas movie" until some slight hiccups near the end. but no feel-good holiday movie can make it without an ending that ties up neatly -- so it’s hardly a sin. filled with witty dialogue and hilarious moments, the family stone turned out to be an unexpected gem.

oh, some unsuspecting members of the audience felt ambushed by the not quite uplifting ending, so criers and people with real human feelings and emotions beware.

king kong

2005-12-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

peter jackon, overrated? i believe so. i didn’t like rings and i don’t like kong. jackson may be a wizard at organizing huge extravaganza movies, but his films contain so many over the top cheesy moments that i couldn’t help but almost gag. maybe he was trying to mimic the style of the older films, but this new version is only acceptable as a brainless adventure that forces you to disconnect from reality to enjoy it. not my piece of pie. it’s probably not a good thing when the giant insects are more exciting and scary than the eponymous featured animal.

chronicles of narnia: l, w, w

2005-12-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

sorry kids, this one's not worth it. the book is too slim to support a two hour film. compared to potter and rings (i'm no great fan of either), this one's a distant third. the pacing is just too poor and nothing happens that is jaw dropping, remotely exciting, or even "wow, that was cool." the only reason to watch this movie is if you've read, and loved, the book enough times that you have to see it. a huge disappointment. don't be fooled by the critics, this film sucks.

rent

2005-11-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

a highly anticipated release in some circles, rent the movie sorely disappoints. i'm not sure if it's because chris columbus did such a bad job directing or if this is just one of those things that can't be translated to the big screen. the singing is fine, the sets are fine, but the whole energy of the musical is missing. if you've seen the musical, avoid this movie (the only reason that i watched this was to see the original cast). if you haven't seen the musical, feel free to watch the movie if you must, but know that this is no substitute for the real thing.

the scene with roger in new mexico is laughably bad. laughably.