Transformers

I was duped into believing that this was an adult movie. I went to see it with a friend who is also swimming comfortably in her thirties and she enjoyed it so maybe it is just borderline.

The special effects are great although could not always see what machine was doing what to who, it was interesting to watch. It was also funny but I have to put it in context around the other movie I watched this weekend.

Hot Fuzz. British comedy which makes fun of buddy cop movies, special focus on Michael Bay and his Bad Boys. They used the shots from the Bad Boys scenes where they jump through the air shouting and shooting at the bad guys. The line, ‘this shit just got real’ was thrown around like a cheap prostitute. It was funny and replicated some of the Michael Bay typical stunts and dialogue very funnily!

Now, having watched this movie on Friday night, it had some effect on my enjoyment of the Transformers, which I did enjoy but could pick up those typical Michael shots, the slow motion shot when Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are running along the street and fall and get up and looking all sweaty and manly etc. I saw those in Transformers and laughed out loud.

I suppose I had a problem with the clear cut good guys vs bad guys, or good robot vs bad robot of it all. Like War of the Worlds (and I mention this because Spielberg produced this movie as well, the whole reason why I wanted to see it), it seemed like the aliens were just too strong and could not be beaten. But somehow they are and you do not totally understand how.

Another problem I had with this movie was that it came across as a huge multi million dollar adverting campaign for American cars and global companies. You could not sit through a scene without some company being given a hands-up, (Deloittes, City Group, and like General Motors etc).

All in all, your children will love this movie, maybe you will love watching them watch it.

Two spoons

Smokin’ Aces

Watched this one three times in one go. Watched twice normally and once with director and editor’s commentary. I suppose comparing movies to other movies is the lowest form of deciding whether you like a movie or not. And I do that quite often. Before spoiling this by comparing it to some other great movie I will tell you what I thought.

First, the cast. This dude that use to do that inane sitcom, Two Guys a Girl and a pizza place, and went on to do some other movies that I have not and do not care to watch, was just surprisingly brilliant. It is true that comedians also have a great understanding and capacity to do drama (Robin Williams is a case in point). Anyway, this dude whose name, I think is Ryan somebody, plays an FBI agent opposite Ray Liotta (his laugh freaks me out) who are going after a Vegas type performer (Jeremy Piven) who is in the process of becoming a state witness against a big mob boss. There is a contract out on his life and a few contract killers are dispatched (including Alicia Keys if you can believe that!). There is a bail bonds man whose also been dispatched to find him and a few other very interesting characters are thrown to keep the whole thing interesting.

I have to mention Jason Bateman. I do not remember what 80’s sitcom he was on but his recent resurgence is just wonderful. He has a small part (characters in this movie) but he is just hilarious.

The soundtrack was also something to write home about. The last scene of the movie plays to that song, I do not know what it’s called or who composed it or which original movie it was made for but do you remember the trailers to Lord of the Rings (I think it was the Return of the King or all three) and the song that went with that. Epic! Epic! Epic! If somebody know and can tell me please please please do. It is difficult to describe a piece of music, especially if you do not have the vocabulary but I’ll try. There were violins, and it goes somin like, do do do do doo, do do do do doo, do do do do do do do do do doo. No? Oh well I tried. Anyway, the last scene plays to that and it just elevates that scene to a whole ‘nother level. Amazing.

The whole sequence of the movie is just clever and interesting, I had to watch it three times to actually understand. And I wanted to understand. On the third try you kind of figure out that this is not the greatest movie ever made just very clever film making. Things like the transitions from one scene to another (very purposeful), the restraint of the big name actors (one gets tired of seeing Andy Garcia in every second movie that comes out) to allow others to shine, and the comic bloodiness of it all make this a fun escape.

I’ve now decided on not mentioning other movies that it reminded me of. I will leave that to the comments.

This is a good movie, actually worth owning as part of a dvd collection in case you can’t watch it three times at one go. The bonus features, on their own, will take another hour to watch.

Three and half spoons.

Without Anthony Hopkins there is no Hannibal.

Pictured above is a younger Hannibal Lecter, played by Gaspard Ulliel (courtesy of IMDB), in the prequel to Red Dragon Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal - Hannibal Rising.
I'd grown to love the man eating Lecter after the three movies that are based on Thomas Harris' novels.
I suppose it is unfair to compare Anthony Hopkins, who plays Hannibal in the other three movies, to Ulliel's performance in this last movie.
Hopkins is a brilliant performer and portrayed this cannibalistic doctor as a classy man eater. Whereas I felt Ulliel's portrayal of a younger Lecter was just too raw for my liking.
But it is understandable, after all he does player a younger Lecter.

The story tells of how Lecter grew in to this cannibalistic character and I found it rather predictable really. War, parents killed, left to look after himself and his sisters, enter looters and when there's nothing to eat...

The story of Hannibal Lecter got better and more gripping with each movie. Until this movie. would have rather been a great starting point. Release this movie first and then the rest...

Three spoons.

My woman's day

I was keen to watch Mr Bean goes on holiday, mainly because three weeks have passed without me seeing any DVD’s or movies. So when I went to the video store I was excited at the number of titles that had come in and had not seen.

So my woman’s day was spent on the couch with bacon and eggs for brunch and pasta for dinner and a lot of bits and goodies in between. This is my ultimate way to recharge my batteries and it works wonders!

Of all the titles I had not seen, that were released during my involuntary movie fast, Mr Bean was one and I saw, Ghost Rider, Stranger than Fiction and just for good measure I threw in Grimm Love.

Mr Bean works in 30 minute bits. That’s it that’s all. I adore Mr Bean but if you have seen all the seasons on TV, then you have seen this movie. Nothing new. I think actually one of the episodes was entitled Mr Bean goes on holiday where he goes through the trouble of changing from his pants to his swimming trunks (trying not to expose himself) only to find out that the only other person on the beach is blind and would not have seen his private bits if he exposed them. Mr Bean was made for short bits on TV and if he is going to make movies then he must stick to short roles like 4 weddings and a funeral.

On to Stranger than Fiction. Loved the cast and love the fact that Will Ferrell is going a little more into cerebral humour. I like Will, falls into my Jim Carrey and even the Farrelly Brothers category. They make me laugh out loud and I will take that any day! Stranger than Fiction itself was not fresh enough I think, it was entertaining and you have to sit back and just enjoy Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman. It reminded me of Adaptation, this is not a bad thing, it reminded me of the Truman Show which is also not a bad thing. But I suppose one does not want to be reminded and be comparing movies to other movies. I say again, there is finite number of original ideas in the world and all we can do is shift the perspective a little.

Ghost rider. Nicolaas Cage looks anorexic in this one. Besides that little fact, do not see it, it is just bad.

Then came Grimm Love. You will find this title in the dark corner of the new releases, where it should stay. I am sure you remember the recent story of the guy that ate his lover? Do we really want to know why? I thought I did. After seeing the movie I don’t know why and actually, now I know that I do not want to know.

So Beenz, if you have not seen any of the above yet, go with Stranger than Fiction. Everything else is crap!