Review: The Campaign

Chick 1 says:

I’m not a huge fan of R-rated comedies or R-rated movies in general. Mostly because I’m a bit sensitive to violence and vulgarity. I don’t mind that others enjoy it, it just makes it harder for me to enjoy those movies. There are plenty of exceptions. I thought Tropic Thunder was hysterical! But after arriving at the theater too late to see The Odd Life of Timothy Green and not really up for the intensity of The Bourne Legacy, I decided to check out The Campaign.

While there were some laughs in the trailer and Zach Galifinackis seemed endearing, I had mediorce expectations for this movie. And that turned out to be pretty accurate. There are some laughs and they are peppered throughout the story, some bigger than others. But there are also some missed opportunities for laughs, like the baby punch (which is quite funny). There are a series of clips afterwards with all the news shows discussing the scandal and they fall flat. So much untapped fodder there. Read more

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 245 Comments

Review: Iron Man 2

Chick 1 says:

Yay!!!! It’s time for Iron Man 2. Can they repeat their success with even more moving parts? Let’s see!

The Basics: After outing himself as Iron Man, Tony Stark now has to deal with the added pressure & publicity, the US Government, and a new development with the arc reactor in his chest, and naturally a new round of villains.

What I Liked: The original cast return with extras and are still having a blast. Of course, Downey Jr is a hoot whenever he’s onscreen and excels at playing the arrogant ass that is also vulnerable and likeable. And while I liked Paltrow in the 1st movie I thought she was the weakest part of the original. But here she is hysterical, even stealing a couple of moments from Downey, not an easy feat. Cheadle does just fine as the replacement Rhodey and has great chemistry with his co-stars. Our villains are on fine form too; Sam Rockwell as the cheesy Justin Hammer & Mickey Rourke as the brooding Whiplash. And even Jon Favreau gets a piece of the action. The first & third acts move along nicely and the movie never takes itself too seriously.

What I Didn’t Like: The second act, which was the best part of the original, is actually a little slow in places, even when RDJ is onscreen (which seems impossible). Scarlett Johanson is stiff and cold and that works for her character sometimes but also feels one dimensional. There was also one scene in particular that I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be serious but came off as funny.

Bottom Line: There’s action, comedy, drama, and a bit of romance; the perfect blend for a summer flick. (Did I mention how cute RDJ looks?)

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Chick 1 in The 2010s 1,574 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: (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: 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: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chick 1 says:

The fifth and my favorite in the series so far, I watched this last night with a friend who hadn’t seen it yet. We were preping for the upcoming July release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth movie and number one on my I Can’t Wait List for summer.

The Basics: Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts is a bleak one indeed but he also begins to grow into the leader he’s destined to be. Read more

Posted on May 30, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 148 Comments

Review: Inkheart

Chick 1 says:

I was excited about this fantasy story, but worried by the January release date & the presence of Brendan Fraser. I really like Fraser , especially in The Mummy & Scrubs, but he has been in some really stupid movies. So I wasn’t sure what to expect. Read more

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 102 Comments

Review: Wimbledon

Chick 1 says:

This rom-com about an aging tennis pro and an up & coming tennis star trying to prove that love doesn’t mean anything has become one of my favorites.

What I Liked: There are several things this movie has going for it, at least for me, right off the bat. 1. Paul Bettany as “Peter, Peter Colt” - yum & charasmatic as well. 2. British accents (see 1.). 3. London/Brighton scenery. So I’m pretty happy from the start. Read more

Posted on January 19, 2009 by wj11 in Reviews, The 2000s 1 Comment

Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Chick 1 says:

All I knew about this movie from director Danny Boyle was that it was about a boy from the slums in India who gets to go on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and that it was getting a lot of Oscar buzz. The words life affirming had also been thrown around so that made me inclined to see it. Read more

Posted on December 28, 2008 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 497 Comments

Review: Sunshine

Chick 2 says:

Director Danny Boyle definitely has a style about his movies (Trainspotting, Millions, the Beach), and I always enjoy the way he likes to push barriers. Sunshine is a film that brings up philosophical questions about creation, natural selection, and preservation of life in a sci-fi setting. Eight astronauts are on their way to a dying sun carrying a nuclear bomb with which they hope to restart it, the second mission following a mysteriously failed first attempt. The closer we get to the end the further off the deep end this film steps, not quite to the extreme of 2001: A Space Odyssey. (As far as landmark films go, I get Citizen Kane; I don’t get 2001.) Perhaps some needed exposition was cut from the beginning of the story in order to quicken a still slow start, but the hand-held close-ups of the actors during the climax only adds to the confusion. “Is he trying to get away or running to his death?” It was hard to tell. In the end you realize that this movie is actually “pro global-warming” – apparently death by solar fire is beautiful and pleasurable. The cinematography is very stylistic, gorgeous, and just plain cool, as were the CGI effects. There are also good performances by the cast and it’s nice to see Cillian Murphy, who I think is a decent actor, in a good guy role.

IF you like stylish, weird, philosophical, and not entirely lucid, THEN GO (rent it).

Posted on October 31, 2008 by wj11 in Reviews, The 2000s 146 Comments

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