Review: The Prestige

Chick 1 says:

I saw this when it first came out in 2006, one of two dueling magician movies; the other one being The Illusionist. It stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as competing magicians themselves in Victorian London and is directed by Christopher Nolan, post-Batman Begins. Saw it again recently so it’s time for a review.

What I Liked:

Christopher Nolan is as Christopher Nolan does. (Sorry, Forrest) And this story has all the marks of this great director: non-chronological narrative, story within a story…within a story (wasn’t there a Simpsons episode like that?), and complex themes. Read more

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 1,212 Comments

Review: Kung Fu Panda

Chick 1 says:

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 January 29, 2011 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 1 Comment

Review: Avatar

Chick 1 says:

I have to admit that despite the fact that this was James Cameron’s first feature since the gargantuan Titanic, I really didn’t get what all the fuss was about. But imagine with me, if you will, a world where George Lucas still had all this amazing technology available to him but he hadn’t forgotten how to direct actors or how to tell a decent story.

The Basics: I won’t give more away than what’s in the trailers; a planet called Pandora with a native population, a crippled marine with the chance to live through another body, and some cool new technology (both in the movie & in the making of the movie). Read more

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 21 Comments

Review: Sherlock Holmes

Chick 1 says:

Merry Christmas to me! Sherlock Holmes is out & it stars 2 very attractive men. Hee, hee.

The Basics: I’m assuming you know Sherlock from all the books, movies, and slew of cultural references (my favorite being “No s**t, Sherlock.”). Here Guy Ritchie directs the latest update on the Victorian sleuth with Robert Downey Jr in the lead and Jude Law as Watson. Read more

Posted on December 28, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 93 Comments

Review: The September Issue

vogue Chick 1 says:

Apologies for the long silence. This fall I found myself searching for my first home in order to take advantage of the tax credit. I had no idea how much time that would take. Now we’ll see how much moving both my home & my office during the holidays will take!

Anyway, I have seen a few movies including this documentary on Vogue & its infamous editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. Read more

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 76 Comments

Review: Julie & Julia

Chick 1 says:

I actually came across the book that this movie is based on a couple of months ago in a thrift store. I bought it for $1 and read it pretty quickly. It’s a light, easy read. Was looking forward to this, especially seeing Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Yummo!

The Basics: Downtrodden & drifting Julie decides to write a blog, cooking her way through 524 recipes in Julia Childs’ Mastering the Art of French Cooking. We also see Julia Child’s time in Paris and her own journey from aimless housewife to one of the world’s most influential chefs.

What I Liked: Of course, Meryl Streep is magnificent. Read more

Posted on August 23, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 2 Comments

Review: (500) Days of Summer

Chick 1 says:

One of the smaller films on my I Can’t Wait! list, this Sundance entry took a while to come to a theater nearby. But I finally managed to see it and I was not disappointed.

The Basics: As the opening narration says, this is a story of boy meets girl but it is not a love story.

What I Liked: Pretty much everything. This is a fantastic lovely story, funny and touching. It showcases two of my favorite rising stars, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (that kid from Third Rock from the Sun) and Zooey Deschanel (the girl from Elf) and they both give wonderful performances. Read more

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 98 Comments

Review: G.I. Joe

Chick 1 says:

First off, apologies for the long silence.

Now on to G.I. Joe, which I can describe in one word, and I truly mean this as a compliment, …craptastic! OK, I totally stole that description of the movie from cinematical.com, but it’s completely accurate.

The Basics: Have no idea how to sum this up. Elite group of soldiers, bad guys, stolen weapons, secret training lairs, blah, blah blah. If you’ve watched the cartoon or read the comics, you know. If you haven’t, you’ll catch on quickly. Read more

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 246 Comments

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Chick 1 says:

Based on the sixth book in the series, Half-Blood Prince is my favorite. We get loads of info on Voldemort thanks to Dumbledore and his cabinet full of memories and Harry finally gets a clue about who his true love is.

The Basics: When Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year, Dumbledore begins to train him in earnest for a final showdown with Voldemort and gives him an important mission concerning the new Potions Master. Conveniently, Harry is acing Potions class with the help of a mysterious but ominous textbook. Read more

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 111 Comments

Review: Up

Chick 1 says:

The Basics: I don’t really want to give you the basics of this one. It’s such a delight to discover the plot as it unfolds. You can see the trailer here if you like.

What I Liked: I was completely captivated by the lead character from the very first moment. As I’ve ranted previously, Pixar really does know how to tell a story and this movie is a great example of “show, don’t tell”. It was exciting, funny, and made me cry more than once. The animation is gorgeous. Some of the landscapes look real. Really all the characters are wonderful. It’s strange because some of the plot points I could see coming from a mile away but I still found it exciting and gasped more than once. I think that is because along with some great action sequences, the themes of the movie are really grown up. Again, I won’t go into detail but, in many ways, this isn’t a kids movie. Yes, it’s safe for kids and definitely whimsical but who says whimsical is a kid’s thing?

What I Didn’t Like: (crickets chirping)

Bottom Line: A delightful, touching, beautiful story. Bring your funny bone & some tissue.