Review: The Hunger Games

Chick 1 says:

Have you read the books? I haven’t but I’m surrounded by friends who have. The ads for this movie were exciting and powerful. I was really looking forward to it. Here’s what I thought:

The Basics:

In a dystopian future, North America is divided into 12 districts oppressed by The Capital and forced to offer up two teenagers each year for a televised fight to the death.

What I Liked:

Quite a bit. It’s obvious the source material is rich. This is a great and disturbing look at oppression, fear, and entertainment. The cast is solid, especially Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. Girl can kick ass! Read more

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 14 Comments

Review: John Carter

Chick 1 says:

Adaptations of this nearly 100-yr-old novel have been attempted over the years but none by a studio with the heavy lifting capabilities of Disney. The original novel, written by Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs, is generally considered sci-fi but defies categorization and has influenced storytellers through the century from H.P. Lovecraft to Ray Bradbury to George Lucas and James Cameron.

The Basics:

Shortly after the US Civil War, John Carter has run afoul of both the Calvary and the Apaches but in the ensuing chaos, he suddenly finds himself in a strange land, discovers he is unbelievably fast and strong, and is soon surronded by green, 4-armed creatures. Yep, he’s on Mars. Read more

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 311 Comments

Review: The Artist

Chick 1 says:

From its premiere at Cannes, The Artist has been getting rave reviews and whispers (now shouts) of Oscars have been following it around. Time to check out this modern day silent movie.

The Basics: Filmed in color and converted to black and white, the story follows a movie star on the top of his game in the silent era when the talkies threaten his career.

What I Liked: The word to describe this film; charming. From start to finish, it’s a delightful little story. The two leads are likable and the story calls out to many classic or silent era movies. The most obvious of these is Singing in the Rain, one of my all time favorites. That alone is enough to win me over. Read more

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 409 Comments

Review: This Means War

Chick 1 says:

The Basics: Friends and fellow spies Tuck (Tom Hardy – yum) and FDR (Chris Pine), accidently fall in love with the same woman. Let the games begin! How will poor Reese Witherspoon ever decide between two gorgeous guys who are crazy about her?

What I Liked: This is a fun movie. Honestly, the main reason I went to see it was the two leads, very easy on the eyes. And I gotta say, Ms Witherspoon isn’t looking too bad either. The movie, directed by McG, has his typical bright saturated colors and “Miami CSI” lighting. In other words, the movie’s pretty too. It’s never boring, all the leads are likable, and there are just the right amount of twists and turns. Read more

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 94 Comments

Review: The Adventures of Tintin

Chick 1 says:

It’s taken me a month to get the theater to check out the first of two movies Mr. Spielberg has out right now. Despite the credits reading like a who’s who of my favorite storytellers (Peter Jackson, Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright), I was only somewhat interested in the story but very interested in the animation.

The Basics: Based on a Belgian comic book series popular during the 1930′s, the story follows the many adventures of its title character, Tintin (that’s pretty much what it says) an intrepid young reporter. Read more

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 428 Comments

Review: Hugo

Chick 1 says:

I really didn’t know what to expect from this adaptation of a children’s book by Martin Scorsese. It looked beautiful and it was, after all, Scorsese. It had the fantasy appeal I love. But the first ads didn’t capture me. It looked void of real heart. But after some good reviews, I decided to give it a try. And boy was I wrong.

The Basics: Hugo is a boy living in a Paris train station in the 1930s and keeping the clocks on time. When a notebook that is precious to him is stolen, he enlists a young girl to help him. Read more

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 8 Comments

Review: The Muppets

Chick 1 says:

The Muppets are back and I’m happy to say, they are still the Muppets.

The Basics: Does it really matter? They’re the Muppets. Let the shenanigans begin!

OK, maybe the basics do matter. The writers (star Jason Segel and frequent collaborator Nick Stoller) wisely chose to keep the original spirit of the Muppets by creating a world (our world in fact) where cynicism has left the Muppets behind. They’ve broken up and Kermit now lives alone in a run down mansion in Hollywood. Naturally, events unfold that force the gang to get back together (by Montage!). Read more

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 68 Comments

Review: X-Men – First Class

Chick 1 says:

I’m not a huge X-Men fan. I’ve seen all the movies and they’re alright. (Except X-Men 3. That Famke Janssen scared the crap out of me!) Other than that, never read the comics or watched the cartoons. So I came to this movie with few expectations. That usually helps me enjoy a movie more and this was no exception.

The Basics: It’s really back to the beginning with this origin story. Charles Xavier (Professor X) is a young Oxford grad student studying mutations. After being contacted by the CIA, he begins to track down other mutants including Erik Lensherr (Magneto). Of course, nothing’s that easy and pretty soon prejudice, fear, and manical baddies complicate things. Read more

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 46 Comments

Review: Super 8

Chick 1 says:

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 June 12, 2011 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 77 Comments

Review: The Illusionist

Chick 1 says:

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 May 30, 2011 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s Leave a comment

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