Movie Reviews: Lazy Sage Edition
Okay, it's time for Mallard to get off his lazy butt and actually write about some of the movies I've seen lately. (yes, I know that sentence shifted from third person to first, Mallard isn't an idiot). Anyway, this summer has been pretty good for movies. I've enjoyed it, I've enjoyed the heck out of it, and unlike last summer, Summer 2011 didn't make me want to kill myself thinking about the future of cinema (although that probably has more to do with me avoiding "Zookeeper" and "Transformers 3"). I'm going to do my lazy "barrage"-style reviews, in part because I'm lazy, and in part because..... well, that's it, actually. And here..... we..... go!
Troll Hunter- This Norwegian "documentary" about hunting trolls is one of the most organically funny movies I've seen this year. Yes, it's stupid, and yes, the trolls look really fake, but it is indescribably funny. The opening of the film claims that everything in the movie is 100% true, that absolutely none of the images have been doctored, and that is has been verified by an investigative reporter. The movie is about a documentary crew that follows around this guy (a troll hunter) who hates his job and doesn't care any more about who in Norway finds out that trolls exist (the government has been hiding it from the people). The fact that the trolls can smell Christian blood leads to some funny moments as well. "Troll Hunter" is not a comedy though; the CG is actually really good considering their budget limitations, the acting is really good, and it has its legitimate moments of suspense.
The Tree of Life- "The Tree of Life" is an interesting, frustrating, but always captivating cinematic experience. The acting is phenomenal, the characters are well drawn out, the cinematography is some of the best you'll ever see, and the score (Alexandre Desplat) is incredibly moving. Some of it does feel a little self-indulgent, and there were times where I felt like I didn't "get" it. But overall, I can unequivocally say that this is a movie worth seeing, and a movie worth experiencing at least once.
Cars 2- I really wanted to like this movie. A lot of people talk smack about the first "Cars" movie, but I always appreciated it for it's simple story and endearing characters. "Cars 2" showed a LOT of promise in its opening sequence. Michael Caine voices a "007" type spy car, and all the car gadgets and the exciting getaway got me really excited. However, the filmmakers made the gargantuan mistake of having Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) be the main character. Mater was pretty funny in the first one, and I suppose he has his moments in this, but he really works better in a supporting role. By the end of "Cars 2", I felt like I might as well be watching the animated "Blue Collar Comedy Tour".
Horrible Bosses- An all-around funny movie. Which is what you want in a comedy, right? A ridiculous premise of three guys who decide to kill their bosses leads to some ridiculous scenarios and hilarious moments. It's nothing revolutionary, but it is significantly funnier (and smarter) than your average comedy these days. The casting of the main three guys and their bosses is what really made this movie work, and the chemistry between all of them is wonderful. Charlie Day is a comedic genius.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II- What can I say about it that hasn't already been said? Yes, I loved it; it was magical. Anything that I could nitpick about this movie wouldn't be worth it, because they got all of the important stuff right. The "Snape's memory" sequence is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching moments of the entire series. And there are incredible moments like it throughout. Daniel Radcliffe gave a top-notch performance, along with the rest of the cast, and David Yates sent the series off on a high note. The epilogue was going to be corny regardless of how they did it, and I feel like they did the best they could given the source material. Bravo to everyone involved!
Captain America: The First Avenger- Significantly better than I thought it would be, and probably the best superhero movie of this underwhelming superhero summer. It's actually an engaging story with characters that you can get behind, something that shouldn't be so hard to get right, but seems to be the main stumbling block for other superhero movies of late. It's an all-around "good" movie, but is never anything more than that. It never achieves greatness, which is fine. I mean, it's Captain America, they made it probably as cool as it could be, and gave it a modern-day plot device that surprisingly, doesn't feel contrived. See the movie and you'll know what I'm talking about, it's worth seeing.
Troll Hunter- This Norwegian "documentary" about hunting trolls is one of the most organically funny movies I've seen this year. Yes, it's stupid, and yes, the trolls look really fake, but it is indescribably funny. The opening of the film claims that everything in the movie is 100% true, that absolutely none of the images have been doctored, and that is has been verified by an investigative reporter. The movie is about a documentary crew that follows around this guy (a troll hunter) who hates his job and doesn't care any more about who in Norway finds out that trolls exist (the government has been hiding it from the people). The fact that the trolls can smell Christian blood leads to some funny moments as well. "Troll Hunter" is not a comedy though; the CG is actually really good considering their budget limitations, the acting is really good, and it has its legitimate moments of suspense.
The Tree of Life- "The Tree of Life" is an interesting, frustrating, but always captivating cinematic experience. The acting is phenomenal, the characters are well drawn out, the cinematography is some of the best you'll ever see, and the score (Alexandre Desplat) is incredibly moving. Some of it does feel a little self-indulgent, and there were times where I felt like I didn't "get" it. But overall, I can unequivocally say that this is a movie worth seeing, and a movie worth experiencing at least once.
Cars 2- I really wanted to like this movie. A lot of people talk smack about the first "Cars" movie, but I always appreciated it for it's simple story and endearing characters. "Cars 2" showed a LOT of promise in its opening sequence. Michael Caine voices a "007" type spy car, and all the car gadgets and the exciting getaway got me really excited. However, the filmmakers made the gargantuan mistake of having Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) be the main character. Mater was pretty funny in the first one, and I suppose he has his moments in this, but he really works better in a supporting role. By the end of "Cars 2", I felt like I might as well be watching the animated "Blue Collar Comedy Tour".
Horrible Bosses- An all-around funny movie. Which is what you want in a comedy, right? A ridiculous premise of three guys who decide to kill their bosses leads to some ridiculous scenarios and hilarious moments. It's nothing revolutionary, but it is significantly funnier (and smarter) than your average comedy these days. The casting of the main three guys and their bosses is what really made this movie work, and the chemistry between all of them is wonderful. Charlie Day is a comedic genius.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II- What can I say about it that hasn't already been said? Yes, I loved it; it was magical. Anything that I could nitpick about this movie wouldn't be worth it, because they got all of the important stuff right. The "Snape's memory" sequence is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching moments of the entire series. And there are incredible moments like it throughout. Daniel Radcliffe gave a top-notch performance, along with the rest of the cast, and David Yates sent the series off on a high note. The epilogue was going to be corny regardless of how they did it, and I feel like they did the best they could given the source material. Bravo to everyone involved!
Captain America: The First Avenger- Significantly better than I thought it would be, and probably the best superhero movie of this underwhelming superhero summer. It's actually an engaging story with characters that you can get behind, something that shouldn't be so hard to get right, but seems to be the main stumbling block for other superhero movies of late. It's an all-around "good" movie, but is never anything more than that. It never achieves greatness, which is fine. I mean, it's Captain America, they made it probably as cool as it could be, and gave it a modern-day plot device that surprisingly, doesn't feel contrived. See the movie and you'll know what I'm talking about, it's worth seeing.
MALLARD! Have you seen NO movies since August? Some of us out here still care to hear from ya! :)
ReplyDeleteHahaha- Thank you Paula! As a matter of fact, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to write more for "Mallard at the Movies". It kind of took a backseat last semester, but I'm currently working on my 2011 year in review.
ReplyDelete