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Archive for the ‘Review: Movies’ Category

Caprica: Movie Review

08 Aug

It has been a couple months since finishing Seasons 1-4 of Battlestar Galactica and I miss it. I miss starting up another episode excited for new plot and character developments. I miss seeing how pieces of the puzzle come together revealing a bigger picture. The drama, the connection to characters, the connection to the environment… was lost on the movie Caprica.

Set 50+ years before the Cylon attack, Caprica fails at creating a world I cared about. My expectations were not unattainably high either, however once the previews started to roll with that introduction music that preceded BSG episodes started to play, my heart sped up a little.

The idea of the virtual world was clever and delivered well. Honestly, I do not think human kind is that far from making that a reality! This consumed a fair amount of the movie and unfortunately is a rather stretch to connect with Battlestar Galactica.

Dialog was sub-par at best in the first 20 minutes but improved to mediocre after that. In my humble opinion, the plot had a couple holes in it that were distracting to me. One of which they could have certainly plugged with some cool material (involves the end, but I’ll not ruin it for anyone reading).

With adjusting maybe 5-10 minutes of the movie, this could have been a standalone Sci-Fi movie that had nothing to do with BSG and I would not have even noticed.

I still miss the ship. Galactica was every part a character in that series as the Admiral. From the series, this environment was home, and felt like so for the viewer. Caprica was not able to duplicate this feeling. Building relationships between characters is certainly harder in one movie vs 30-40 hour long episodes but again, this movie missed the mark.

For the average BSG fan, I’d say you could skip this spin off. The series starting in the Fall/Winter based on this time frame may strengthen the movie. However, I believe this movie is suppose to be the tool to get watchers excited and on board.

 
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Watchmen: Movie Review

09 Mar

Last year when I saw the preview for Iron Man had a release that was extremely entertaining. Watchmen, however was a step backward for comic book movies.

What did it do right?

The visual effects were fair. Wasn’t like prequel Star Wars movie where the special effects are replacing plot and dialog. However, I was more impressed by the special effects in the preview shown before the movie, Terminator Salvation.

Multiple characters were developed nicely.

Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach was awesome. Period. I have a strong feeling we will see a lot of stellar performances from that guy in the future.

What did it do wrong?

Too many characters that I didn’t care about. It certainly appears as a superhero movie, yet only one had ‘superhero’ ability, and MAYBE another had some super speed/intelligence. The other 36 heroes were guys/gals in ridiculous outfits.

These ‘superheroes’ just kicked the $h*% out of everyday people. Wow… seriously? That is like training 101 for my Monkey Butler Ninja Army.

Way too long. 2hr 43min. I really was disappointed with the editing in this movie. I think it could have easily been trimmed to 2hrs and a skilled editor could have maybe brought it to 1hr 45min.

Excessive pointless plots. Without going into spoilers there were a couple story lines that were filler space in a movie that was already 2 dog years long.

Too many penises. Seriously, having a big blue wang on the screen is a bit distracting when I’m listening to a sub plot that I don’t care about.

The overall plot was a bit weak. At first I liked the twist, but now that I have thought about it, there were a ton of other solutions that could have been thought of.

Summary:

While movies like Iron Man and The Dark Knight propel comic book movies up the production food chain, this “C” movie set comic book / graphic novel movies back a couple steps. Bad editing, bad choice of music for scenes and not the greatest directing from Zack Snyder crippled this movie. I feel bad for those who were fans of the graphic novel as I am 110% sure that it was better by far.

Don’t watch Watchmen.

Monkey Butler Ninja gives Watchmen 2 ninja stars (but one isn’t really that sharp)

 
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Helvetica : Movie Review

27 Feb

Ok, time to switch pace and retreat from Oscar nominated movies.

Today I review the documentary movie Helvetica. This film is literally about a single typeface, a specific font family, Helvetica. Sound boring? You bet it is! This is of course assuming you are not a graphic designer of any kind. Assuming you have never flipped through 100 fonts trying to figure out which one gets your message across.

On the flipside, if you deal with graphics in any way, if you ever did a layout for a poster, if you value the appearance of what you produce. Then this movie is worth 80 minutes of your time.

Make no mistake about it; there are people who care passionately about typography. The interviewees are uber geeks that are certainly the offspring of mutant nerds and influential graphic designers. Throughout the film approximately a dozen typographers and designers speak on camera. This is not a job to these people; it literally is their life’s fascination.

Helvetica takes you on an interesting path. In the first act, the history is presented and quickly followed with huge praises. Helvetica was viewed, and still is by many, as the perfect font. To these experts Helvetica cannot be improved. The film takes a sharp turn in what would be act two and presents the opposing sides view. This group of elite designers has an intense hatred the font family Helvetica. Describing it as dull, boring and most of all, overused. Personally, I wish other documentaries were as decent in presenting two sides of an argument, albeit font is a little less sensitive than the war in Iraq (which the war is blamed on Helvetica in this movie, seriously).

The editing and production of Helvetica is pretty darn good. Use of B-roll, pacing, and overall presentation held my interest. I am a graphic artist and know one of my weaknesses is typography, after watching this film… I feel much more informed.

Monkey Butler Ninja gives Helvetica three ninja stars and if you are a graphic artist, put in couple chocolate covered bananas!

 
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Slumdog Millionaire : Movie Review

20 Feb

My wife and I are on our Valentine’s Day date, and we decide to go see a movie. It’s nearing Oscar time and honestly, a lot of films are nominated that we have not seen. Originally targeting The Wrestler (reviewed here) we had to make an adjustment as we were not willing to wait for the next screening.

An alternative choice was Slumdog Millionaire. I do not recall seeing a single preview for this movie but had heard TONS of buzz circulating around it in the Golden Globes (won: Best Director / Best Motion Picture / Best Original Score / Best Screenplay) and the Screen Actors Guild awards (Outstanding Peformance by a Cast in a Motion Picture).

Roll the dice, and every now and again, they come up 7.

What a pleasant surprise! Besides the entire buzz, my perception of this film’s storyline was about a boy that goes on a TV show to get a girl to fall in love with him, or a heavy documentary style/political movie. WRONG.

The story takes us on a three part journey in the protagonist’s life; childhood, adolescence, and the early stages of adulthood. Our protagonist is Jamal Malik, played by Dev Patel is a person who has had everything constantly stripped away from him in life. During this film, I found myself constantly thinking, how a human could endure such an impossible life. Passion push Jamal and his brother through life… fame, money, power, and love.

What would happen if you let some of those things control your life?

Through wonderful editing, this story keeps an excellent pace and gives you information as you need it. I would not be surprised in the least if this film took the Oscar.

For cinematography, this film absolutely deserves the nominations. Instantly, I was teleported into the slums of India. This feeling was maintained throughout the film, through the character’s aging and changes in location, I never left. However, my prediction is The Dark Knight taking best Cinematography

Congratulations to Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan for putting together a stellar film. The performances were able to extract from the entire cast is worth the nomination alone. It will give the other films a run for their money!

I highly recommend this film. I rate Slumdog Millionaire 4.5 out of 5 ninja stars!

 
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The Wrestler : Movie Review

19 Feb

The Wrestler, staring Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke

This movie is a drama based on Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a wrestler that is well past his prime and having to face that fact.

The Wrestler creates a world that I had not imagined. What happens to a ‘pro’ wrestler after the lights have cooled, after the crowds have gone home… after the adrenalin fades? When you chose a profession or a passion that abandons your family, destroys your body, and engulfs you with pain… your life will be hard… and short.

Looking back at the movie… it is about a retired wrestler that is in love with a stripper, wants to reconnect with his abandoned daughter, and struggling to find life outside of the ring. Boring. Cliché in the strongest definition of the word.

Marisa Tomei plays the stripper and does a decent job… Oscar nomination worthy? No. Dynamite body? YES! Congrats on keeping in such great shape Mrs. Tomei!

Mickey Rourke playing Randy “the Ram” does derive an Oscar nomination however. I’ve never been a huge fan but respect his work in this film. Honestly, his performance is the only reason to RENT this movie.

Character’s relationships to each other were sub par at best. The development with his daughter seemed choppy and extremely unrealistic. Mickey made me believe his character was in love with Marisa’s character, but other than that, nothing worth mentioning.

If you are a fan of wrestling, maybe it’s for you… if you are thinking about becoming one… this movie is for you. However if you don’t fit either of those descriptions you can skip this movie.

I rate The Wrestler 1.5 out of 5 ninja stars!

 
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Director David Fincher and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

06 Jan

To all who don’t know me, THIS MONKEY LOVE MOVIES. So on occasion I will use this blog to share my thoughts about some films… so here we go!

This review is on two different subjects, David Fincher (film Director) and on his latest movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which is what I will start off with.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Block off a big chunk of time folks, but DO IT and go to your local theater and see this film! If all great stories are meant to be told, then this is exactly how to tell it. This film is based off a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (author of the Great Gatsby). You can gather what the movie is about by watching a single preview; a man whose body ages in reverse. The character development of Benjamin (played by Brad Pitt) and nearly every character in this film is fantastic. I found myself caring about these people on screen and curious about what was going to happen next. This is such a personal movie that I constantly found myself recalling on my own life experiences and relating them to the story. It reminded me heartbreaks, falling in love, the good that is in the human spirit, along with the bad. I laughed and cried. And leaving this theater something in the movie made me realize how deeply in love with my wife I am. Our relationship is as strong as any bond can get, but seeing things on the big screen that recalls shared experiences it amplifies the emotion. Best Picture of the year.

Now, if you aren’t blessed with an amazing spouse I will tell you this… you will leave the theater with that strong of a feeling about someone in your life that had a similar type character portrayed in this film.

If this does not win a handful of Oscars I will be thoroughly disappointed. I’m writing this before the official list is announced but here are my predictions:

Best Film – Drama, It’s up against a couple REALLY good looking movies thought, Frost/Nixon, Milk, and The Wrestler all look to be big time contenders.

Best Director – So yeah, it should be obvious I’m rooting for this one.

Best Actor – Brad Pitt, You know, I said this after seeing the film that he impressed me. My wife made the point that his role of a child wasn’t a huge call for talent, and while I am glad he got the nomination, I agree with her. The winner should be Heath Ledger (Hollywood do NOT put Heath in ‘supporting’ role).

Best Original Score – The score set a fantastic mood, but blended with the outstanding cinematography and storytelling, it didn’t really pop out at me. It’s like the perfect amount of flavor in a complex dish not just one overbearing taste but a wonderful blend of quality parts that make the taste.

Best Screenplay – This is a tough one for me… it’s based on a short story so I knock the nomination a little there however from what I gather, it changes a lot in the film version so good on you Eric Roth.

Best Cinematography – The emotion that this film creates in you is amazing. The overall look, sound, and feel are outstanding. That all being said… I have to say I would lean towards Batman The Dark Knight taking home this Oscar.

Best Supporting Actriss Taraji P. Henson While her performance was probably not strong enough to win the category not nominating her was disappointment. I am certain she will earn a golden globe in the future.

The special effects are getting rave reviews but honestly, they are not ‘ground breaking’ I’m more impressed with the makeup artist. The length of the film is VERY long and I do think maybe, MAYBE 10-15 minutes could be trimmed out (which would in turn make it just a ‘long movie’).

In the end I do think the length of this movie will hurt it, but just a little. Personally I will watch a great movie over and over, but if it is over the 2hr mark I find I’ll watch it once.

And now, David Fincher

Here is a list of his features: Alien 3, Se7en, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I have not seen Zodiac so have no comment. Panic Room even he admits wasn’t anything more than a ‘good B movie.’ But let’s just say Fight Club and Se7en are in my top movies of all time! If Alien 3 was your first attempt a feature (with a budget) then congratulations Fincher, you are doing what you were born to do! Now, also looking at this list I see something pretty common… GOOD TALENT. Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Kevin Spacey, Michal Douglas and the up and coming Taraji P. Henson (mark my words; she will shine brighter than MANY Hollywood legends). So Fincher, you are in my top directors of all time list but be careful. From your list, it is apparent that you must surround yourself with talent! Keep up the good work.

I rate The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 5 out of 5 ninja stars and a field of banana trees!

 
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