Angry Psychos

I have 7 movies to review so I might as well split this into 2 posts.  It is hard enough to make you read half that amount, let alone write it.  Better get started!


Movie Review #11 - American Pie 2
Wait a second, you're starting at American Pie 2?  What happened to American Pie 1?  Truth is, I don't own it.  I mean, it is a funny enough movie, but I thought the second one was the best of the original trilogy; certainly better than the unnecessary third film.  But the second film is the one I enjoyed the most and not surprisingly, is the one I own (although I wouldn't mind owning the first one).

Watching it now, it still holds up fairly well.  I believe this series was the comeback of the raunchy comedy wiht heart that is now the norm.  And this film did it pretty well.  Certain parts of this film had me downright hysterical the first time I saw this and while I don't laugh as much now after seeing it so many times and knowing what to expect, it is still quite humorous to me.  And what made this film successful in my opinion, and one of the reasons why I like it so much, is that the characters are so relateable.  Why all know people like the characters in the film or maybe have dealt with situations like we see in the film.  And when you can relate, it makes it that much better.  This isn't award-winning filmmaking by any means, but it is good for what it is. 3 out of 5 burgers!   

Movie Review #12 - American Psycho
Admittingly, I have never read the book this movie was based on despite having a strong desire to and really enjoying this film.  This is the film that introduced me to the adult Christian Bale ( I saw him as a child actor in the awesome Empire of the Sun) and I have been a huge fan ever since.  I don't want to give too much away about this film for those who haven't seen it and are curious.  Basically, as this movie was to come out, I heard so many things about it because the book it was based on was so controversial for its sexuality and violence.  It sounded like a perfect opportunity for a good movie and I wasn't disappointed.  In fact, I was blown away.

Clearly a commentary on society and the excessiveness of the 80s, this film was disturbing, hilarious, and thought-provoking all in one.  But what makes this film about a serial killer who is just trying to find his place in society is the amazing performance by Bale.  Without his excellent work, this film could have come off as very cheesy or very B-rate.  But the way he dove into this role and is completely believable as a psycho with a knack for musical knowledge is what makes this the classic that it is.


4 out of 5 cheeseburgers!

Movie Review #13 - Angels and Demons
Like a LOT of people, I got caught up in the Da Vinci Code craze and had to read the book.  I mean, everyone was talking about it so I had to read it too, right?  I loved it so much that right after I read it, I went ahead and started reading Angels and Demons which had actually come out before Da Vinci Code.  Amazingly, as much as I liked Da Vinci Code, I liked Angels and Demons even more, something I wasn't expecting.  Then the Da Vinci Code film came out, and although I liked it, I was a little underwhelmed mainly because of the things they changed when they brought the book to film.  Because of this, I wasn't super excited to see the Angels and Demons film and waited until after the theaters to see it.  Because I already owned Da Vinci on DVD, I decided to just go ahead and take my chances by buying Angels and Demons without even seeing it. And thankfully, I wasn't disappointed.

I think the book was followed more closely in this film, or at least as much as I can remember.  What really drew me to the book was the scavenger hunt-like quality of the story.  To find the end goal, the characters had to go from clue to clue across town and this was portrayed awesomely in the film with quick cuts, fast editing, and intense music.  I loved it.  Tom Hanks was good as always and the supporting cast did a really good job of keeping the film going.  Sure, half of what they say in this film might be made up, but for pure entertainment value, it is as good as any adventure film.  3.5 out of 5 burgers. 

Movie Review #14 - Anger Management
I have to say, I remember this movie being a lot funnier.  Adam Sandler hasn't made anything I have wanted to see in a while now, but for some time, I wanted to see everything he made.  When I first saw the preview, I was completely sold, Adam Sandler AND a crazy Jack Nicholson?  Yup, I'm there.  And when I saw it in the theaters, I think I thought it to be pretty funny.  Now?  Yeah, it isn't too bad.  But you know what, when I rewatched it for this project, I never did once laugh out loud.  And crazy Jack?  Well, with more knowledge behind me, it seems like Jack is almost the same in every role lately, this one included.  Hell, all that was missing from this movie in comparison to his turn as the Joker was the face paint and smile.  Sandler was just ok in this film too.  He didn't do anything remarkably funny as he was supposed to be the straight man, but he wasn't exactly super likeable either.  Something I didn't remember was that John Turturro was in it and that he was actually the funniest character in the film.  I love how crazy he is and he played crazy really well in this film.  I'm not saying this film is bad.  It isn't.  But as a combination buddy film/love film, you can definitely do a lot better.  2 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Next movie review: The Aristocats, Armageddon, and Avatar.