Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Manuel on Movies #21

Getting close to finishing up these reviews...

Sunshine - This is a sci-fi movie where an expedition is sent from the Earth to try and reignite the sun as its power has gone out (or maybe is about to go out? I forget).  The acting was pretty good, led by Cilian Murphy and Chris Evans.  The ship and the way it was filmed really gave me a vibe similar to the first Alien movie even though it has nothing to do with aliens at all.  Of course, if they just flew to the sun and got the job done, it wouldn't be that interesting so the movie centers around some of the dangers and obstacles they face in their task.  The ending is slightly odd and takes a little away from the movie as a whole, but it isn't a BAD ending, just odd.  Overall, it was pretty enjoyable with some good acting and some great special effects.  7.5 out of 10

Sorority Row - A sorority prank goes wrong, killing one of the sorority sisters and then a few months later, someone starts killing off the sorority sisters.  Yup, that is all you need to know other than a Carrie Fisher is in it which is always kind of cool.  The deaths were kind of cool and the head sorority sister, who is made to be the head bitch, is actually kind of amusing in her put down of other people and her one-liners.  6.5 out of 10

Kick Ass - Awesome, awesome, awesome.  Kick Ass is based on the comic of the same name, something that both Jess and I read.  The movie centers around a nerdy high school kid who decides that he wants to be a super hero even though he lives in a world where people don't have powers.  He becomes an internet sensation and catches the eye of another hero pair, a father and daughter team called Big Daddy and Hit Girl.  Hit Girl, just like in the comics, steals the show.  They fight crime, but I can't give out too much of the plot without ruining key aspects.  Just know, this movie rocks (I could have said the movie kicked ass, but that seemed below me)!  It looks like a movie for all ages, but it is a hard R for sure.  It is super violent and the language is pretty crude.  But it is an awesome movie that really reinvents the super hero genre.  So fun!  9 out of 10

Iron Man 2 - I LOVED Iron Man 1, but tried to go into Iron Man 2 with slightly lower expectations so as to not be disappointed.  I didn't want this to be another Transformers 2.  And I wasn't disappointed.  Now, there is a fairly large contingent that did not like Iron Man 2 as much and I can clearly understand why.  Iron Man was just a fun movie for all ages.  It was non stop fun.  The second goes into his story a little more so it slows down the pace a little.  But personally, I thought the whole story aspect was great and it also helps pave the way for the upcoming Avengers movie, but I understand why some people might not have liked it as much.  Of course, I also think it had to do with people's short attention span, but that is just my opinion.  Was it just as good as the first one?  Maybe not RIGHT there with the first, but only because the novelty of just how good Downey was in the role of Stark wasn't as much as a novelty as it was in the first.  We knew what to expect going in.  But it was damn close.  9 out of 10

Twilight: New Moon - I read the Twilight series to see what the fuss was a while back and I actually enjoyed them for the most part, well, at least the first three.  The first movie, however, was a travesty in film making.  Out of curiosity, and because I could just borrow it from someone, we decided to see the second one.  Well, it wasn't much better.  I mean, it was slighty better.......like, how getting a pinkie cut off is probably better than getting a thumb cut off.  But it was still just a bad film.  And it isn't all the fault of the actors or the directing.  You can only do so much with the material you are given.  Despite liking the books, they are full of cheese and it just didn't translate well on the screen.  5.5 out of 10.

7 comments:

Miss Sassy Pants said...

I liked Sunshine but the ending was just SO out there... I felt like it just took me out of the movie. Until the end though, it was awesome.

Kick Ass the movie definitely did justice to Kick Ass the comic.

I too was happy with Iron Man 2. Robert Downey Jr is just way too cute!

Drew said...

Sunshine just sounds like my kind of movie. Queued.

Sorority Row sounds like a chick flick. I like chick flicks but usually wait until they come out on cable unless Debbi wants to get the DVD. "The deaths," and Carrie Fisher make it seem that I will want to move this movie a little further up on my queue even if it turns out to be corny.

Iron Man 2 is still sitting on my saved list.

Anne Rice is as far as I can go with the romantic vampire idea. I do like her books. I am staying away from the Twilight movies and the True Blood series and kind of proud of that. Actually, I prefer Brian Lumley's take on the Wamphyri in his Necroscope and other series.

laura b. said...

LOVED Kick Ass, loved Iron Man 2 (yeah, not as much as 1). I hadn't heard much about Sunshine and it sounds like something I might like...so thanks once again, MrManuel!

Mom said...

I'm not sure if I put Kick Ass on my Netflix list but will definitely go look right now. Still haven't seen Iron Man 2 so I have it Netflixed as well - guess I'll go check on that as well. Twilight - well I do like the movies - oh well. Call me weird.

Drew said...

Ah, forgot to add Kick Ass to my queue. I have never been a comic book reader but I have enjoyed every one of the movies I have seen that are based on a comic book or comic book series.

Tara said...

I did enjoy "Ironman 2", great to see many of the same characters who were in the first one. For me, though, "Ironman" will be my favorite of the two. I liked the whole invention of his suit and his escape, etc. of the first.

With the Twilight movie, I wish they had put in other scenes from the book. It would be a much longer movie, though.

Drew said...

Kick Ass did.

Taking into account Manuel's review and what I saw of the previews on TV I still thought this would be a stupid-funny action movie along and possibly below the lines of the first Batman series. I was very wrong. Yes, "Kick Ass" is a little corny and kind of "cute" but at the appropriate moments. This comic book extract is more dark than stupid-funny if you do not laugh at fictional misfortune like I do. By that I mean there are a lot more serious moments that drew me into the story rather than just being entertained.

It does take a short time to develop, but not too long, and I was never bored. Note that my girlfriend would disagree - she went to the bedroom to watch Law & Order or NCIS reruns eleven minutes into the movie.

I do agree with Manuel in that "Kick Ass" is a hard R. If you firmly believe that you cannot get past violence and adult language from what looks to be a girl not yet an adolescent, this movie is not for you.