rate the last movie you saw

[jkholm]

I wish I could take part in the Skyfall discussions, but I haven’t seen it yet.

I did get to see…

WRECK-IT RALPH 7.5/10

I was pleasantly surprised by this homage to video games. While I never played Nintendo games, I did spend a lot of time (and quarters) playing arcade games in the early 1980s so I got many of the references. The bulk of the plot is dependent on characters, not places so even if you’ve never played the type of games that are included here, you’ll still enjoy the movie.

The voice cast is outstanding. Jane Lynch steals every scene she’s in as a gruff military commando from a first-person shooter game and Alan Tudyk is terrific as the villainous King Candy. (I kept thinking he was deliberately channeling a voice from one of those 60s stop-motion holiday specials but I couldn’t figure out who.) The weak link is Sarah Silverman. When she is first introduced, Ralph calls her “freakishly annoying..” That’s not entirely unfair and Silverman walks a fine line between annoying and endearing. She ultimately won me over but that may not be true for everyone.

The animation is superb with loads of detail and visual gags. At first I thought the film spent too much time in the candy filled car racing game “Sugar Rush,” but upon reflection I decided it worked. Instead of a chaotic finale in which the characters jumped from one video-game to the next, the plot stayed on track. Plus, there is the added benefit of all the candy jokes. There are almost as many candy puns and gags as there are video game ones.

-John

[Monterey Jack]

Alan Tudyk is terrific as the villainous King Candy. (I kept thinking he was deliberately channeling a voice from one of those 60s stop-motion holiday specials but I couldn’t figure out who.)

I found his channeling of the Mad Hatter from the 1951 Disney version of Alice In Wonderland to be pretty obvious...sounded exactly like him (and even the character design was similar).

[jkholm]

Alan Tudyk is terrific as the villainous King Candy. (I kept thinking he was deliberately channeling a voice from one of those 60s stop-motion holiday specials but I couldn’t figure out who.)

I found his channeling of the Mad Hatter from the 1951 Disney version of Alice In Wonderland to be pretty obvious...sounded exactly like him (and even the character design was similar).

That's it. Ed Wynn from Alice in Wonderland. I knew that voice style sounded familiar. Thanks, Monterey Jack.

[Monterey Jack]

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982): 10/10

Steven Spielberg's wonderful fantasy gets the lavish Blu-Ray treatment it richly deserves...no typical Universal DNR disatser here. I even un-retired my laserdisc player for the first time in a while to watch the marvellous 1996 documentary that still bafflingly AWOL from every subsequescent DVD/Blu release. The film itself holds up beautifully...it's not even especially dated, unlike a lot of 80's genre fare (even the haircuts don't have that insane poofiness that became common in films later in the decade). It truly is timeless, which is not what I can say for the lousy CGI E.T. thankfully relegated to the two deleted scenes from the 2002 theatrical reissue included here for curiosity's sake. I'd certainly like to see the bathroom scene between Eliott and E.T. with the original puppet, but that'll probably never happen, just like we'll never see that Harrison Ford cameo in full ever again.

[mkaroly]

LINCOLN - 9/10. Just saw the film and am still digesting it. Lincoln is my favorite president and I have had a fascination with him since I was a kid. Very well acted, esepcailly by DDL, whose performance is so incredible that I can't do it justice with words. Williams' score is pretty sparse, but comes in on the dramatic moments one would expect it should. I didn't care for Sally Fields though - I am guessing many will praise her work on the film but she comes across as ACTING rather than performing (if that makes sense)...in other words, she reminded me of those actresses who "give it all they got" in what could be an obvious Academy Award nomination and win. It's just...fake. Aside from her, everyone else did a great job. For those who don't like Kaminski's work, I think you'll find a lot to complain about in this film...lots of the Spielbergian "religious lighting", some graniness, etc.

I am unfamiliar with the later years of Lincoln's life (though I am currently reading Donald's biography), so I can't comment on the film's authenticity (though I am assuming it's pretty authentic). It focuses on the last four months of Lincoln's presidency and centers on his attempt to get the 13th amendment passed abolishing slavery. The film is dialogue heavy, and there are some moments of cliched melodramatics (such as the "big fight" between Mary Todd and Abe with a thunderstorm and lighting visible outside the window), but overall I felt that the film wasn't as pretentious as I thought it could have been. It was a very entertaining 2.5 hour film with some humor and a wonderful ending. Williams delivered the goods with his score, and it is at times a very moving picture. Kudos as well to Tommy Lee Jones' performance (now that I think about it).

I am still chewing on where this film falls in Spielberg's thematic cannon...an argument could possibly be made along his typical family themes, but I don't know if that's really what the film is after. At any rate, it was very enjoyable and well worth viewing.

[mkaroly]

TAKE SHELTER - 9/10. I was genuinely surprised by this movie as I thought it would be kind of boring and pretentious. It is the exact opposite...it built a lot of tension, kept me involved in the story, and was pretty powerful. The story is about a man who has mysterious apocalyptic visions which begin to affect all his relationships. Convinced that something horrible is going to happen to his wife and deaf child, he becomes obsessed with building a storm shelter in his back yard. To complicate things, his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age, and he himself begins to fear that he too may be suffering from the disease. Although I do wish the ending was a bit different (I won't give it away), I think it works. Solid acting from all involved and good storytelling make this a surprise movie for me. Well done.

IMMORTALS - 4/10. Better than CLASH OF THE TITANS sequel (whose name escapes me). It has a better story than that film (and better than COTT, for that matter), but I got really tired of all the hushed speaking in the film. It is a better story than 300, but it brought nothing new to the table. Special effects were cool at times, but music obnoxiously dull and derivative. Entertaining, but bottom of the basement movie.

THE DARKEST HOUR - 2/10. I didn't really like this one at all. The script is bad, the acting is bad, the story has potential but it's at best a C-movie trying to be a B-movie. Couldn't get into it at all.

[Paul MacLean]

Kidnapped (1971)



I was totally unfamiliar with this film, until it almost accidentally fell into my hands when I purchased a 4-disc "Michael Caine Collection" (which I only bought because it contained The Ipcress File, and was actually cheaper than the standalone Ipcress File DVD!).

On the whole a fine, solid adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson book. The screenplay is first-rate (no surprise as it was written by Jack Pullman, who later adapted the BBC's I, Claudius). TV director Delbert Mann extracts excellent performances from a stellar cast, headed by Caine, with Donald Pleasance, Trevor Howard, Jack Hawkins, Freddie Jones and Gordon Jackson in supporting roles. Newcomer Lawrence Douglas is also excellent as the protagonist David Balfour (though he apparently didn't go on to much else after this film).

Although ostensibly an "adventure story", in a broader sense it is a poignant glimpse into a dark chapter of Scottish history -- the genocidal extermination of the highlanders by the Duke of Cumberland after their defeat at Culloden.

Shooting in the actual Scottish highlands (including the Isle of Mull -- stronghold of the Clan MacLean ) makes for a gorgeous backdrop, and every exterior is uncharacteristically sunny (I suspect a lot of time on this film was spent waiting out rain delays). Director Mann's visual style is not especially exciting, he being a television director (the film overall has the look and feel of a TV movie -- albeit one shot in 2.35:1).

Roy Budd's score is decent but not spectacular (too bad John Barry or Georges Delerue were unavailable for this one). But overall this is a very good (and overlooked) adventure movie, well worth a look.

[mkaroly]

Some quick hits:

EXPENDABLES 2 - 9/10. It is well done for what it is (hence the high grade). Props to Stallone for the way he and the filmmakers took this idea to the next level to include Ah-nuld, Willis, and Norris fighting alongside each other. I loved van Damme (who could kick Segal's arse any day of the week), but I wish he would have given me a few more moves. I love how Stallone has infused genuine emotion into his films as of late (RAMBO still kills me), and this is no exception. Well done - epic action sequences, lots of killin', lots of one-liners, and lots of humor.

YOUNG MR. LINCOLN - 9/10. Being in a Lincoln mood as of late, I decided to check this film out. I was very impressed...Henry Fonda is so charismatic as Lincoln, and the story effectively builds tension. It turns out to me more of a courtroom drama instead of any story of Lincoln moving up as a lawyer and into the political sphere of things, but I think it's still well acted and thought out. John Ford manages to capture the flavor and richness of the historical period, just like other efforts such as THE GRAPES OF WRATH, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, and THE SEARCHERS. Glad I finally got to see it.

[Jedbu]

SKYFALL 9/10:

What do you get when you bring a top-notch director, an astounding cast with Javier Bardem giving an Oscar worthy performance as the villain (the best one in a Bond film, IMHO), a really good script by some stellar writers (including John Logan of HUGO), Daniel Craig in many ways superseding Sean Connery in the title role and making it his own for years to come and the best Bond song since DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER? The best in the series since GOLDFINGER if not the best one-period. I was just blown away with this film, and while I think the last two were quite good (although QUANTUM OF SOLACE was a bit lumpy), this is the first one that I think even people who have never seen a Bond film or have not seen one in years will enjoy, even if you just look at as a one-shot spy thriller. They even allowed us to get a good bit of Bond's backstory and even let the man get as close to emotional as he has been since ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. I really hope that Mendes does another one of these, and since Craig recruited him for this one (and is contracted for two more, at least), that looks really possible. This pretty much washes the horrible taste of the weaker Brosnans and Moores out of my head-finally.

[AndyDursin]

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

9.5/10

Right up there with the best movies I've seen this year, this is a terrific, romantic character-drama that represents the most satisfying work of David O. Russell, who channels his eccentricities into a fully formed, passionate film with great performances. Bradley Cooper is terrific here as the troubled youngest son of a Philadelphia family trying to get his life together, but -- I'm going to sound like a broken record again -- Jennifer Lawrence is unquestionably the best thing to show up on screen in major movies in FOREVER. She's funny, attractive, smart, emotive and just great here in a role that blows the doors off most "young Hollywood" starlets. As I've said from the first time I saw her in "Winter's Bone," she has "IT," and I could just watch this movie for her alone. (The scene where she "proves" herself to Robert DeNiro, playing Cooper's father, is the best moment in anything I've seen this year, too).

Fortunately everything else in this film works, and speaking of DeNiro, he's also tremendous. This has to be the first time I've seen him give a damn about a performance in years -- and what a terrific actor he still can be, when he isn't just cashing the check.

The movie is a bit rough around the edges in terms of its supporting cast -- who aren't quite given as much to do as you'd anticipate (and probably the film was cut down to size) -- but the movie really had me going by the end, hitting all the right notes in a totally satisfying ending.

As I pointed out to my wife, 20 years ago we used to see movies like this being released EVERY WEEK in the fall. Now we're lucky to get a half-dozen of them for a whole season...what a shame. At least this one is out there and really worth seeing for any adult viewer sick of 3-D blockbusters, sequels/remakes and CGI animated kiddie films -- a film with MEANING, a good message, and characters who you really grow to care about.

[Jedbu]

Agree with you, Andy, about Ms Lawrence...am becoming convinced that we have the next Meryl Streep with her (minus the overthinking that marred a lot of her performances, IMHO)-she even made HUNGER GAMES watchable due to the ferocity of her work as well and making what she did look easy.

[AndyDursin]

Agree with you, Andy, about Ms Lawrence...am becoming convinced that we have the next Meryl Streep with her (minus the overthinking that marred a lot of her performances, IMHO)-she even made HUNGER GAMES watchable due to the ferocity of her work as well and making what she did look easy.

I laughed last night when I read some quote from Rex Reed who said she's the most "overrated" actress he's seen. Umm, yeah, Rex, whatever. lol.

[Jedbu]

I always take whatever Rex Reed says with a LARGE grain of salt...called MYRA BRECKENRIDGE...after that shanda, he has absolutely no credibility whatsoever to me...

[Eric Paddon]

Plymouth Adventure (1952) 7 of 10

-Not a great work of historical accuracy but its old-school positivism about the story of the Pilgrims and their role in the founding of America is what elevates it above the melodramatic trappings. I can't help but wonder though if Gene Tierney had more scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor because despite her billing, she really ends up with little screen time that weakens the impact of her role in the overall story. Rozsa's score is glorious, although in listening to the CD as many times as I have, I wish they had used the alternate version for the end cast credits with a reprise of the choral version "Confess Jehovah" rather than the instrumental that was used.

This is entrenching itself as a Thanksgiving Day tradition for me and I think its a good enough film to earn that status.

[mkaroly]

ABE LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER - 1/10. I can see where this movie would be a better viewing experience in 3D. It had a moment or two that were okay, but overall it is a horrid film. I think it would have been better served (and been more entertaining) if it had more of a tongue-in-cheek EVIL DEAD/ARMY OF DARKNESS flair to it. The problem was the story took itself too seriously. If you're going to mess with history and such then take some artistic liberties with Abe, make him a bit more smarmy, and have some fun with it.