Chick 1

Review: Super 8

Chick 1 says:super_8

Is JJ Abrams the new Steven Spielberg?  Possibly.  He is certainly an outstanding storyteller.  He can come up with fantastic concepts (Lost, Alias).  He can take us on heart-pounding adventures (Mission Impossible 3) that still resonate emotionally (Star Trek).  And in the tradition of Spielberg, all his great characters have daddy issues.  (He even used that as an episode title.)  So Super 8 is poised to be this generations E.T.  Did it succeed?  The jury’s still out.

The Basics:  In 1979, a group of young teens accidentally capture the crash of a U.S. Air Force train on film while shooting a zombie flick.  In the aftermath of the crash, bizarre events and missing person cases spread like a plague around the small town while the military takes over without offering any answers or help. Read more

Posted on by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 77 Comments

Randomness: How Thor Should Have Ended

Chick 1 say:

This made me laugh.  That is all.

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Review: Doctor Who – NS1: E9/E10

Silence in the Library/ The Forest of the Deaddw-silence_forest

Chick 1 says:

As Doctor Who is my new obsession, I’ve been wanting to start reviewing episodes.  I’ve seen the whole 1st season (of the New Series) and all of seasons 5 & 6 (so far) but although the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) is my favorite (“You never forget your first Doctor.”), I’ve only seen a smattering of seasons 2-4.  This 2 parter was one of the first Doctor Who episodes I watched.  Having seen it again recently while introducing my friends to the series, I decided to start my reviews here.  (Enough parenthesis for ya?)

The Basics: The Doctor and current companion, Donna, answer a call for help in a massive library that is actually a man-made planet.  There they find a team on expedition led by Professor River Song (Alex Kingston), a computer that has “saved” 4022 people, a child who may or may not be in charge of the library, and swarms of flesh-eating aliens in the shadows.  Ya know, typical Doctor Who fare. Read more

Posted on by Chick 1 in TV 231 Comments

Quote of the Week

Why?  Why would he do that?  Well, because he’s s lummox, isn’t he?  Well, we shall have a magnificent garden party and he’s not invited.

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

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Review: The Illusionist

Chick 1 says:the-illusionist

No, this isn’t the Edward Norton/Jessica Biel period romance.  (Liked that one, though.)  This is an animated film fromSylvain Chomet, the director of The Triplets of Belleville.  (Another one I liked.)

The Basics:  This French (though largely without dialogue) animation follows the relationship of a lonely travelling magician and a young girl.

What I Liked:  The movie is really beautiful.  The animation and landscapes are enchanting.  There are some fun and quirky characters, my fav being the tipsy Scotsman.  And there was a sad, sweet quality to the story.

What I Didn’t Like: I really wanted to like this movie, and while there were many nuances that were fascinating,  I found it difficult to really follow what was happening.  The Triplets of Belleville had a similar problem of communicating without words but there was much more action (and comedy) to that movie.  The Illusionist has a decidely more meloncholy feel.   And that feel made it difficult to understand what was happening without dialogue.

Bottom Line: This is a really gorgeous movie in look and feel but I had a hard time following the central relationship.  Add to that the downer ending (rarely to my liking) and it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Posted on by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s Leave a comment

Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Chick 1 says:on_stranger_tides1

The fourth installment of the Pirates franchise has Johnny Depp & a few minor characters returning while picking up a lot of new players.  Have they been able to capture the magic again?

The Basics: Let’s start with a rundown of the previous Pirates movies.  I really enjoyed the original, The Curse of the Black Pearl.  Sure, it had some script/pacing problems in the third act.  But at its heart it was a pretty good mindless action movie.  Then adding Johnny Depp’s serendipitous turn as Jack Sparrow (that’s Captain Jack Sparrow) turned it into a blockbuster and a blast!  Read more

Posted on by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 3 Comments

Quote of the Week

Yes, OK, OK, OK, OK. Dalek fleet. Three of us.  Minimum twelve thousand battleships armed to the teeth. Aaaah! But we’ve got surprise on our side. They’ll never expect three people to attack twelve thousand Dalek battleships. Cause we’d be killed instantly, so it would be a very short surprise.

The Doctor (Matt Smith)

Doctor Who (2005)

Posted on by Chick 1 in Movie Quotes 4 Comments

Quote of the Week

“He’s too young and he’s too immature.  She’s a golddigger.”

“There’s little or no gold to be dug.  He’s plenty old and people don’t mature anymore.  They stay the same jackasses their whole lives.”

Grandmother & Grandfather (Reba McKinney & Bill Erwin)

She’s Having A Baby (1988)

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Review: Kung Fu Panda

Chick 1 says:kung_fu_panda

I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed this movie. I adore it!

What I Liked: Obviously, most everything. This movie has what most great movies have going; it’s strengths are spread evenly across several areas. First, a fantastic script. It’s funny, well-paced, irreverent, and at its heart, wise & sweet-spirited. Read more

Posted on by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 1 Comment

Trailer Trash

Chick 1 says:

New Trailers for The Tourist and (Squee!!!) Harry Potter

The Tourist: Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in a thriller?  I’m in.  This trailer is actually the second to be released.  Looks like a good story and Depp and Jolie can certainly handle themselves.  Directed by Oscar-winning director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.  (there’s a name for ya)  I’m not a fan of the look that Depp is sporting but he’s still Johnny Depp…sigh.  Opens December 10th. Read more

Posted on by Chick 1 in Trailer Trash 1 Comment