Hits and Misses

Some new reviews!  I can't believe I am already 25 movies in and am not even halfway through the Bs!  This may take forever!  Luckily, I am enjoying it.  Have another non-movie review post coming up as well so come back really soon!

Movie Review #25: Big Daddy

Having a kid is great... as long as his eyes are closed and he's not moving or speaking. 

Wait a second, I used to like this movie?  What the hell was I thinking?  Ok, it really isn't that bad, but having not seen it for years, this movie is not as cute as I used to remember.  Nor is it as funny as I used to remember.  It really is just an average movie.  I already reviewed one Sandler movie that ended up being not as good as I remember and now we have a second.  Is this going to be a trend?  Man, I hope not.  Maybe it is a backlash against the crap that he has been putting out lately, who knows.

Like I said though, it isn't a bad movie.  It's kind of cute, but I never did once laugh out loud.  And man, Sandler is pretty terrible as an actor in this film.  When he attempts to look sad and tear up, it's actually pretty painful. It looks like he is holding back a sneeze.  And the kid is pretty damn annoying.  I think the most memorable aspect of this movie is the fact that whenever I see a scuba diver, I still ask if his name is Scuba Steve.  Besides that, it is a pretty forgettable film.  2 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Movie Review #26: Big Trouble in Little China

Everybody relax, I'm here. 

Thankfully, this is one movie that has not lost any of its luster and still holds up as a classic.  Despite all the amazing things this movie has, there is one big reason why this movie succeeds: Kurt Russell.  Russell as Jack Burton is clearly at the top of his game.  He's as cool as an Indiana Jones or Han Solo character to the point that it surprises me that this film never got any kind of sequel on his character alone.  He really is one of the coolest characters in film because of his great lines and awesome charisma.

But as I mentioned, although he is the biggest reason why the movie succeeds, he is not the only one.  Great villains, a fun story, and great cast of supporting characters also contribute to making this movie such a fun ride.  It's almost like a really good comic book, afterall, the large majority of the characters are comical all on their own.  Throw in magic powers, one liners, and a setting that seems other worldly, and you have a fun, but totally unique film.  How they never capitalized on this great film and created a sequel, I will never know. However, it's probably a good thing that they never attempted to recreate this film's greatness by following it up with some rushed, subpar sequel.  A good, stand alone film is a concept that should be followed more often. 4.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Movie Review # 27: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Be excellent to each other

Not having seen this in years, I admit, I expected this movie to not be very good any more.  Thankfully, I was wrong.  This movie still is, well, excellent.  Now, let's not jump the gun and call this a cinematic masterpiece, but for what it is, it's perfect.

As much as we make fun of Keanu Reeves for his acting, especially early in his career, he is more believable in this role than Adam Sandler was in the film I reviewed up above.  He's perfect here as is Alex Winter.  And the amount of one liners that came out of this film were popular for many years after the release.  Hell, you could probably still yell, "Excellent!" in a group of people and most of them would know what you were talking about.  As for the film, well, we often complain that films lack imagination nowadays and that all films are too alike, but you have to give it up to this film for having a very unique plot.  And the people they got to play all of the historical characters are all so much fun and totally dive head first into their roles.  The film does still have some 80s cheese to it that doesn't quite transfer over to the modern era, but in the end, this is a fun 80s film that still holds up very well today.  3 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Movie Review #28: Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey

How's it hangin', Death? 

And this is why it is ok to just stop after one movie.  A description of the movie can be summed up simply by the movie titles.  While the first film was "excellent," the second film is definitely "bogus."  While not the worst film, or even the worst sequel I have ever seen, it isn't a very good film.  With the first film, they were able to capture a little bit of magic and put it on the screen.  You do have to hand it to the writers, they didn't just try to do the same movie by going back in time and picking up more characters.  They did try to be unique and go a new direction.  But based on the fact the the new direction ended up not being that good, perhaps they should have tried to just recreate the first film.

The new storyline is just silly.  The main villain is just comically bad.  Bill and Ted have lost some of their dumb charm of the first film and become almost annoying.  It has weird sequences with silly monsters.  It just reeks of an unimaginative, rushed film put out quickly to capitalize on the success of the first film.  The only redeeming quality of the film is William Sadler totally stealing the film as Death.  The guy simply owns every scene he is in and I would have watched a film just following his exploits.  But overall, man, this film just misses the mark.  Of course, if they ever make that rumored third film, I know I'll go see it.  1.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Bad Boys and Disney Magic

Movie Review #21: Bad Boys

Don't be alarmed, we're Negros. 

An up and coming action star in Will Smith and a still funny Martin Lawrence made Bad Boys a great movie when it came out.  Looking back on it now, it is still a top shelf buddy cop movie.  Will Smith showed great signs of being the great action star he would later become  (his acting hadn't quite reached the level it is now).  And Martin Lawrence was really at the top of his game here, probably due to the fact that he wasn't resorting to dressing up in Grandma outfits in order to get cheap laughs.  Plus, Michael Bay directed it.  Say what you will about his films, but I love them.  They keep me entertained even as ridiculous as they can get.

Story-wise, the plot is fairly simple, but it really stays fresh because of the banter between Smith and Lawrence.  Simple discussions about a car and cup holders becomes a laugh riot because of the two of them.  I would love to know how much of the dialogue was actually written by the writers of the screenplay and how much was ad-libbed.  I don't want to discredit the job screen writers do, but so much of the dialogue seems so random, I feel like so much of it was thought up on the spot to hilarious results.  And not only is it funny, as an action movie, it DOES have some great action scenes.  I mean, that is what Bay is good at, right?  Overall, this movie has lost none of its appeal and it is still as entertaining now as it was back then while not seeming dated at all.  4 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Movie Review #22: Bad Boys 2

We ride together, we die together. Bad boys for life. 

I'm not sure what took so long, but after 8 years, it was cool that they released another Bad Boys film.  And truthfully, they never missed a beat.  Yeah, they took it to the next level in every way imaginable and it became semi ridiculous, but it was still entertaining as Hell, maybe even more so than the first film.

In between the first and second films, Will Smith had become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and his presence in the film definitely reflects that.  He just oozes so much more charisma in this film than the first one and he takes on more of a serious role than he did previously.  Martin Lawrence, while comical in the first one, is more of Will Smith's foil in this film, being the comedic sidekick to Will Smith's serious cop.  This is not to say that they don't have comedic moments together.  There are plenty!  But they definitely have more defined roles in this one than in the first one and it works just as well.  Martin Lawrence is absolutely hilarious in this one, but he was just probably happy to do a movie where he didn't have to dress in a fat suit. 

As for the action, it takes on a whole new level.  In fact, many reviews criticized the film for being so gratuitous with the violence.  While it may be over the top, it's just for the sake of fun and it is just what you would expect from a Michael Bay movie.  Again, we are not trying to throw this into consideration for an Oscar, but for pure entertainment and action with a great dose of humor, this movie totally gets it done and I would be there opening day if they decided to do a third film.  4 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Movie Review #23: Bambi

It is Man. He is here again. There are many this time. We must go deep into the forest.

After being fairly disappointed with the last two Disney films I have reviewed, I didn't have much hope for Bambi, a movie I haven't seen since I was a kid.  I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the film.  What is interesting is just how simple the film really is.  The plot is so basic and bare-bones, but somehow manages to make such a memorable impact on those who watch it and appreciate it.

I also really like how the "villains" of the film, humans, aren't even seen.  They aren't necessary.  The threat of them are enough to make the point that film is trying to make and enough to try to put the scare into the loveable characters of the forest.  And the characters are really adorable.  They really did a good job with giving them such great personalities in such a short amount of time.  It really is a special film that is full of Disney magic.  3.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Movie Review #24: Beauty and the Beast

He's no monster, Gaston, YOU are!

While Little Mermaid ushered in a new age for Disney movies (they had been struggling for a few years with underachieving films), it was Beauty and the Beast that took it to another level.  Upon watching it again, I really do see why it got nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.  Animated or not, there are so many amazing elements in this film: a wonderful story, great characters, and a fun soundtrack.  Like Little Mermaid right before it, the song features so many memorable songs that have been sung over and over throughout the years.  What is great about all the songs is how well they move the plot along.  The songs aren't placed in there for the simple task of filling time.  Each song is essential and make the movie what it is.

But besides the music, the characters themselves are perfect.  Belle is a classic Disney princess, albeit one that can definitely handle her own.  The Beast is perfect as the lovable grump, and Gaston is about as good as villains get in the Disney realm.  And that doesn't even hit on all of the great and memorable supporting characters.  Throw in a perfect, touching love story and you have the makings of a spectacular film that you forget is even an animated film near the end.  4.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers

Back to the Reviews

And we're on to the Bs!  And what better way to go back to doing movie reviews than to review the Back to the Future trilogy?!?

Movie Review #18 - Back the Future

 Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?


Everyone has seen this movie by now, right?  Well, I actually know one friend who hasn't seen this, but she has a valid reason.  But besides her, everyone has seen this multiple times, right?  I mean, it's a classic and it still holds up so well.  Whenever I think of Michael J. Fox, I think of Marty McFly.  Whenever I think of Christopher Lloyd, I think of Dr. Emmett Brown.  These are iconic roles in a classic movie and I can still watch this over and over. 

What makes this film work so well?  For one, Fox and Lloyd are absolutely perfect.  But it is not just them who make this movie.  The supporting cast is outstanding as well and totally complete the film.  The story in itself is hilarious and just so much fun.  I am sure it also has a ton of nostalgia for people born in the 50s, but I appreciate it no less by being born in '78.  Plus, it has the Sci-Fi elements that give an added element to the plot.  Overall, it just seems to have a little bit for everyone.  4.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers!

Movie Review #19 - Back to the Future II

You're not gonna believe this, we gotta go back to 1955. 

When I was a kid, the time between Back the Future and its sequel seemed like decades.  I liked the first movie so much and with the first movie ending on a partial cliffhanger, I eagerly awaited the release of the second film.  Now that I think of it, the 4 years in between wasn't THAT long for a sequel to come out, but it seemed like the longest wait over.  Was the wait worth it?  Well, as a kid, it totally was.  In fact, there was a time where the sequel was my favorite of the series.

So why did I enjoy this film so much?  Well, as a kid, all of the futuristic stuff really appealed to me: the flying cars, hover boards, multiple TV shows on one screen, holograms, etc.  This was awesome, imaginative stuff and I totally ate it all up.  Add all that to the already well established awesome characters and this movie had great replay value.  Now that I am older, I actually find the futuristic aspects of the film to be the weaker points and really feel like it doesn't reach its high point until they go back to 1955 in the final third of the film.  The future parts, while still fun, are a little over the top and cheesy.  They aren't bad by any means, but it lacks some of the magic of the first film.  But once they go back to 1955, all the greatness of the first one instantly return.  It's almost like revisiting an old friend for the first time in years and finding nothing has changed at all.  As a kid, it was the weaker part of the film, but not that I have grown up, the roles have changed.  These scenes turn a pretty good film to a really good film.  3.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers  

Movie Review #20 - Back to the Future III

 I wish I'd never invented that infernal time machine. It's caused nothing but disaster.

If the wait for the second film in the series was agonizing, the break between the second and third films, only months apart, was a welcome relief.  Filmed back to back with the second film, the third film in the Back to the Future trilogy was a good way to end the series.  Yes, the quality went down even further, but the film was anything but a disaster or a complete letdown.

As the first film went a few decades in the past and the second film went in to the future, the writers had to come up with another time frame for which to base the third film.  The old west seemed like a pretty logical choice because of the nostalgia factor.  And overall, it did pretty well at achieving this.  But by the third film, things were starting to get a little goofy, both in story and in character.  Yeah, it was  Back to the Future film, but the charm of the first two films had pretty much warn off.  Still, it does a good job of giving closure to the series and the characters.  3 out of 5 cheeseburgers

 
  

The Break, Explained

I haven't given up on my goal of watching every movie in my collection in alphabetical order.  In fact, I am on to the Bs and have three movies to put a review up for in a few days.  But as I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks, why I haven't I been watching more movies?  Well...




 


That kind of explains it all, right? Truth be told, I am a HUGE Olympics fan and watch as much of it as I possibly can.  Of course, soccer is more of a priority for me than ever now and I have watched a TON of soccer, I am still trying to watch as many sports as I possibly can.  And I am enjoying every single minute of it.  But I'll be back to watching movies sometime next week, I'm sure.

 So what else have I been up to the last couple of weeks?  Well, again, a picture should explain it:

Yeah, I broke my ankle.  Years of playing soccer on a terribly weak and unsteady ankle finally caught up to me while playing soccer a couple of weeks ago.  I never imagined I would do something like this, but I guess I was just testing fate by continuing to play on it.  I initially thought it was just a bad sprain as I practically sprain my ankle every time I play outdoor soccer.  So, like any dumb individual, I continued to play on it for another hour.  It actually started to feel slighter better by the end of the hour, but maybe that was me going into shock.  A couple of days later, it was was actually feeling worse so I decided to get it checked out.  Sure enough, it was broken.  It was pretty devastating, actually.  The first thing I thought of was that Jess and I were two thirds of the way through P90x and I would have to abandon that goal of completing the workout routine.  To come so far in a program that many people quit and have to quit myself was just not acceptable.  Then I also started thinking of my weight loss and how hard it would be while living a sedentary lifestyle for a month, at the minimum.

The first few hours were actually pretty depressing, but I figured I could sit and be depressed over it while accomplishing nothing or I could continue to exercise as best as I could and just know that I was doing all that I possibly could.  A couple of weeks later, I am actually doing pretty well.  I am still getting a decent sweat while I exercise while doing many exercises from a chair.  The pain in my ankle is still there so hopefully that will going away soon.  My only hope now is that when I see the doc in a little over two weeks, we can take this cast off.  I do NOT want to have this thing on any more.  The next step is a walking boot, but that is nothing like a cast.  Fingers crossed!

And to end on a happy note, here are a couple of pics I have taken lately.  Enjoy...

The End of the As

Three more movie reviews and we complete the first letter of the alphabet!  Thank you so much to those of you keeping up!  I especially love when I hear your thoughts on the movies or whether you have seen them or not!  Love it!

Movie Review #15: The Aristocats
I'll be honest, even though I own this movie and it is considered a Disney classic, I think this was the first time I had seen this movie.  Some parts seemed vaguely familiar, but I am not sure if it is because I have seen it MANY years ago or have just seen clips.  Overall, it was kind of cute.  Talking animals are usually pretty fun.   A couple things struck me though:

First, I expected this movie to be more about the cat, Marie.  Why?  Well, as most of you know, I collect Vinylmations and there has been an abundance of figures made of that particular character.  Not remembering anything about the movie, I expected going in that the movie would be about her based on how popular she seems to be.  This wasn't the case though and I would hardly even call her the main character, certainly not one worthy of having so many figures made of her.

Secondly, although the movie was decent, there is really only ONE thing I am taking from this movie.  Ladies and Gentleman, Disney's racist cat:

Siamese Cat? Of course it has to have some stereotypical Asian accent! I actually had to rewind it to make sure that I saw it right.  This could have been the best movie ever, and THIS is what would have stuck!  Racial issues aside, this was just a decent movie - Two out of Five Cheeseburgers

Movie Review #16 - Armageddon

Miss Stamper? Colonel Willie Sharp, United States Airforce, ma'am. Requesting permission to shake the hand of the daughter of the bravest man I've ever met.

It has been my experience that you either love this film or hate it.  I rarely see any in-betweens. I am in that category of people who love it.  Yeah, it is a little cheesy.  Yeah, it has your typical Michael Bay-isms.  But for pure entertainment value, there are very few movies that do more for me. First off, the cast and the fun characters they play are outstanding.  They're hilarious!  I mean, Bruce is always a cool guy, but from top to bottom, I love all these characters.  The story is about as believable as Unicorns on Mars, but if you put believability aside, you can really get into this movie.  And they don't take the easy way out by having everyone safe and make it until the end.  No, they actually kill off characters, people we actually like.

And I haven't even touched on the emotions that are evoked on some people when they watch this film.  I recently talked about this film on Facebook and I got a ton of responses from people about how much it makes them cry.  I don't think I have shed a tear, but I definitely get pretty emotional.  If the film didn't work, it wouldn't get this kind of emotion out of so many people.

I just can't express how much I like this movie.  Is it the type of film that is going to win a ton of awards come Oscar time?  Of course not!  But a movie doesn't need to be THAT type of film to be considered a classic.  Four and a half out of five cheeseburgers!

Movie Review #17 - Avatar


Up ahead was Pandora. You grew up hearing about it, but I never figured I'd be goin' there.

I really have a love/hate relationship with Avatar.  Well, let me rephrase that.  I don't hate this film.  I don't hate anything about it, actually.  What I hated was the amount of praise that followed this film after it came out.  Hell, it almost won friggin' Best Picture!  Is it in that category?  No!  It is still a good, enjoyable film?  Of course.

I was spoiled in that the first time I saw this film, it was on an Imax screen.  Visually, the movie is about as beautiful as you can get, despite most of it simply being special effects and not real scenery.  But you take that beauty and put it on a screen the size of Imax?  Well, it really feels like you are part of the movie. Take this movie home, and it does lose some of the appeal.  Sure, I have it on Blu Ray and I have the kick ass TV, but it still doesn't quite reach the level of what you see in the theaters and that takes away some of the appeal.

Storywise, it is pretty good despite its recycled plot that has been seen in so many movies from Dances with Wolves to Pocahontas.  But that is also one of the main reasons why I just can't put this film into the upper echelon of movies.  It's been done before.  And with something similar like Dances with Wolves, I felt a lot more emotion.  Not anytime in this film do I feel an ounce of compassion for any of the characters.  Not once do I have any emotions stirred up other than, "Wow, that looks cool!"  That is not necessarily a bad thing if I just want to be entertained, but the amount of praise that the film got, despite what I felt were these shortcomings, was sickening to me.  I mean, I guess people are free to like what they want, but it just boggled my mind.  THIS is the film that everyone had to go out and see over and over so that it became the highest grossing film of all time?  THIS movie?

But it's really not all that bad.  I like it. It entertained me. It is still beautiful to look at even if it has lost some of its luster.  Just don't call it one of the best films of all time.  Three and a half out of 5 cheeseburgers. 

Next up: The Back to the Future trilogy!