Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Christian Bale – Bruce Wayne/Batman
Heath Ledger - Joker
Aaron Eckhart – Harvey Dent
Plot (contains spoilers): I will try to make this as short as possible. Virtually no time has passed since the end of Batman begins, 6 months maximum, and Batman has inspired the people of Gotham. While the police are “aggressively” looking for Batman they are very willing to include him on investigations. The Joker is committing more crimes but Batman chooses to focus on mob bosses that run the town. In a meeting attended by the mob bosses, the Joker, who has been stealing their money, crashes in to make a deal: join together to kill Batman. Harvey Dent is the fearless new District Attorney for Gotham and his is taking on crime in the city no matter how many enemies he makes. Dent, like Batman, is a hero to the city. He is a symbol of hope to the people that Gotham will get better. Batman views Harvey as his ticket out, Gotham no longer needs Batman because it has its hero, a hero that resides within the law and not above it. The grey area of where Batman stands gets darker when the Joker tells the city that he will begin to kill innocent people until Batman turns himself in. Harvey Dent calls a press conference to address the issue but upon hearing the calls of the people for Batman to turn himself in, Dent, knowing the necessity of Batman, turns himself in claiming to be Batman. This leads to a series of events and some sweet action scenes where the Joker is captured. While in jail, Harvey and Rachel Dawes, the love interest of Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent, are captured and Batman must make a choice on whom to save. He mistakenly rescues Harvey and one side of Harvey’s face is horribly disfigured in the process. Devastated by the loss of Rachel, Harvey is trying to make sense of it all and is paid a visit by the Joker, he got out via an exploding fat man. Fueled by rage, Harvey, now Two-Face, goes after those responsible for Rachel’s death, deciding their fate by a flip of a coin. Ultimately, Two-Face captures Commissioner Gordon and his family and while deciding the fate of each member Batman flies in and knocks Dent to his death. Faced with a difficult choice, Batman tells Gordon to blame the deaths that Harvey caused on him so that Dent will remain the hero he was. We end the movie with Batman fleeing from the police as a criminal. (I apologize for this crappy synopsis. I know I left a lot out but I didn’t want to write that much. I tried to focus on what I thought the movie was about. Besides is you are reading this you most likely saw the movie already.)
Reasons why I didn’t like it:
• The length worked for and against it. The movie is two and a half hours by the end I was squirming in my seat because I really had to go to the bathroom. Let this be a lesson, even if you don’t have to go, buy your ticket, food, and find your seat and go before the movie starts.
• The sonar eyes was dumb. However it was not a dumb as the microwave emitter in “Batman Begins”. What is dumb about a microwave emitter? A machine that emits microwaves to boil an enemy’s water but conveniently doesn’t boil the water that makes up 70% of humans. While the microwave emitter was impossible, the sonar eyes were somewhat believable though still dumb in my book.
• Batman seemed a little weak in this one. If he could own the League of Shadows in the first one, a few street thugs should be a walk in the park. However I remember some fights where Batman wasn’t in complete control. Maybe he just wanted them to feel like they had a chance.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal was not good for this part. Maybe this is offensive but see looks old. The fundraiser scene, she looked like she was 57. Not flattering at all.
Reasons why I liked it:
• Heath Ledger was amazing. A lot of people were saying that he could be nominated for an Oscar for his performance but I thought that people were saying that because he was dead. I stand corrected. If he were alive I would be there with everyone else saying he is Oscar worthy. He played better than I could have hoped. He was truly terrifying.
• The story was great. I hinted earlier in my synopsis what I thought the movie was about and I felt that it was about the line between good and evil/right and wrong. The Joker was obviously evil but we see two sides of good: one with in the law(Harvey Dent) and one above it(Batman). Since this was the main theme of the movie, I think this is why Harvey Dent was such a prominent character. We learn through the eyes of Batman that what is right and good is not always black and white and maybe more importantly that good men are corruptible.
• It was just a sweet-A movie. Good action, good characters, and good story.
Final Notes: Best movie of the summer if not the year. This movie confirmed its place as the best superhero series ever. Also, in my opinion, it confirmed that Christian Bale is the best Batman ever and Heath Ledger was better than Nicholson. I know it was two different ideas about who the Joker should be but Heath’s was more scary, more interesting, and a better villain.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Hancock
Young's Review
When one hears the term superhero, a specific picture comes to mind. A protagonist is called in to save the day and usually does. He or she is a bastion of virtue that has an All-American image.
And then there's 'Hancock'.
John Hancock (Will Smith) always catches the bad guy, but leaves in his wake a trail of property damage and resentment. This tale of a superhero with an image problem certainly does not follow any formula and, while it does not entirely live up to its enormous potential, is a funny and entertaining movie. I am giving it a 'thumbs up'.
The movie opens with a hungover Hancock sleeping on a city bench. A little boy alerts him to the fact that some bad guys are leading the cops on a high speed chase on a Los Angeles freeway. After alienating the kid with a caustic comment, Hancock flies off to remedy the situation. The problem is he also leaves nine million dollars in damage to the city. The police chief publicly denounces Hancock, who doesn't seem to mind.
Shortly thereafter, Hancock saves Ray (Jason Bateman), a public relations specialist whose car is stuck on the train tracks as a train barrels down. Hancock rushes in to save Ray's life, but again causes massive destruction. The crowd that gathers hurls insults rather than praises at Hancock, but Ray comes to his defense. Thus begins Ray's attempt to restore Hancock's public persona. After introducing Hancock to his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and son, Ray tries to convince the surly superhero to turn himself in and go to jail. Ray's logic is that if Hancock goes away for a while, the crime rate will rise and everyone will see just how important he is to the city. While there, the plan is to work on improving Hancock's personality.
The plan seems to work at first, until a twist is thrown into the story regarding the origin of Hancock's superpowers and Mary's true identity. And that is where the recap portion of this review ends (sorry, no spoilers here!).
The three main actors are perfectly cast. Smith again confirms why he is one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. He gives a pitch perfect performance in the lead role, bringing an edge to Hancock the movie going public rarely sees from the normally squeaky clean Smith (the movie is rated PG-13 for language). Smith makes you care about the character even though Hancock is a grade A jerk.
Bateman, who has enjoyed a career renaissance since starring in the woefully underappreciated TV comedy 'Arrested Development', is hilarious. Rarely has an actor been able to draw so many laughs based solely on the manner in which he delivers his lines. Theron is also good as the mysterious Mary. She conitnues to prove that she should be known more for her acting ability than her pretty face.
While the movie bogs down a bit towards the end, director Peter Berg does a nice job of pacing the story overall. It would have been easy for the cast to just mail in its performances because this movie is a guaranteed blockbuster. Much to his credit, Berg refuses to let that happen. All three stars bring their A-game in the movie's more dramatic moments.
The special effects are stunning, as well. Watching the train get derailed and seeing the street get blown apart each time Hancock lands after flying are both awe inspiring tricks.
'Hancock' does have some strange turns and threatens to come apart in the final third, but I still recommend it to anyone looking for some worthwhile summer entertainment. It is funny, action packed and an all-around good time.
Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Will Smith – John Hancock
Jason Bateman – Ray Embrey
Charlize Theron – Mary Embrey
Plot (contains spoilers):
See above review.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• The twist was a little lame and somewhat predictable to me. I mean why would they cast Charlize Theron for the role of wife?
Reasons why I liked it:
• I have said before that my biggest pet peeve concerning movies is when a character goes from one end of the spectrum to the other overnight. I hate that. However when a movie does it right, it is one of my favorite things. This would be an example of that. This is regarded as a superhero movie but to me it was about a man dealing with pain. Outwardly Hancock is rude, careless, and drunk but inwardly he is trying to deal with the fact that people hate him. We see later, in one of the best scenes in the movie, that he has no idea who he is. The story of man seeming all alone trying his best deal with what he is feeling while keeping up the persona of an indestructible man is why this movie was so great.
• Will Smith is a great actor. Played the character beautifully.
• Some people, including myself, thought the twist was lame. However I also thought that it added to the depth of the story and its main character. From my perspective the movie had two parts. The first was about Hancock dealing with feelings and coping with his past. With the help of Ray, Hancock addressed his hurt, turned himself around, and become the loved superhero he wanted to be. At this point the movie could end, Hancock has come full circle and a bad guy was beaten. However, with the aid of the twist, Hancock’s true past is brought to light and now it is one more thing for him to deal with to become at peace. In the end Hancock must make a decision and it is his sacrificial choice that shows the end of his journey.
• Jason Bateman is awesome in this movie. His style of comedy is perfect for this story.
Final Notes: I think I am the only one by saying this but this is, so far, the best movie of the summer. When you look specifically at the story of the character, Will Smith has never done something like this before. Great movie, if you don’t mind coarse language, you need to see it.
When one hears the term superhero, a specific picture comes to mind. A protagonist is called in to save the day and usually does. He or she is a bastion of virtue that has an All-American image.
And then there's 'Hancock'.
John Hancock (Will Smith) always catches the bad guy, but leaves in his wake a trail of property damage and resentment. This tale of a superhero with an image problem certainly does not follow any formula and, while it does not entirely live up to its enormous potential, is a funny and entertaining movie. I am giving it a 'thumbs up'.
The movie opens with a hungover Hancock sleeping on a city bench. A little boy alerts him to the fact that some bad guys are leading the cops on a high speed chase on a Los Angeles freeway. After alienating the kid with a caustic comment, Hancock flies off to remedy the situation. The problem is he also leaves nine million dollars in damage to the city. The police chief publicly denounces Hancock, who doesn't seem to mind.
Shortly thereafter, Hancock saves Ray (Jason Bateman), a public relations specialist whose car is stuck on the train tracks as a train barrels down. Hancock rushes in to save Ray's life, but again causes massive destruction. The crowd that gathers hurls insults rather than praises at Hancock, but Ray comes to his defense. Thus begins Ray's attempt to restore Hancock's public persona. After introducing Hancock to his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and son, Ray tries to convince the surly superhero to turn himself in and go to jail. Ray's logic is that if Hancock goes away for a while, the crime rate will rise and everyone will see just how important he is to the city. While there, the plan is to work on improving Hancock's personality.
The plan seems to work at first, until a twist is thrown into the story regarding the origin of Hancock's superpowers and Mary's true identity. And that is where the recap portion of this review ends (sorry, no spoilers here!).
The three main actors are perfectly cast. Smith again confirms why he is one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. He gives a pitch perfect performance in the lead role, bringing an edge to Hancock the movie going public rarely sees from the normally squeaky clean Smith (the movie is rated PG-13 for language). Smith makes you care about the character even though Hancock is a grade A jerk.
Bateman, who has enjoyed a career renaissance since starring in the woefully underappreciated TV comedy 'Arrested Development', is hilarious. Rarely has an actor been able to draw so many laughs based solely on the manner in which he delivers his lines. Theron is also good as the mysterious Mary. She conitnues to prove that she should be known more for her acting ability than her pretty face.
While the movie bogs down a bit towards the end, director Peter Berg does a nice job of pacing the story overall. It would have been easy for the cast to just mail in its performances because this movie is a guaranteed blockbuster. Much to his credit, Berg refuses to let that happen. All three stars bring their A-game in the movie's more dramatic moments.
The special effects are stunning, as well. Watching the train get derailed and seeing the street get blown apart each time Hancock lands after flying are both awe inspiring tricks.
'Hancock' does have some strange turns and threatens to come apart in the final third, but I still recommend it to anyone looking for some worthwhile summer entertainment. It is funny, action packed and an all-around good time.
Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Will Smith – John Hancock
Jason Bateman – Ray Embrey
Charlize Theron – Mary Embrey
Plot (contains spoilers):
See above review.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• The twist was a little lame and somewhat predictable to me. I mean why would they cast Charlize Theron for the role of wife?
Reasons why I liked it:
• I have said before that my biggest pet peeve concerning movies is when a character goes from one end of the spectrum to the other overnight. I hate that. However when a movie does it right, it is one of my favorite things. This would be an example of that. This is regarded as a superhero movie but to me it was about a man dealing with pain. Outwardly Hancock is rude, careless, and drunk but inwardly he is trying to deal with the fact that people hate him. We see later, in one of the best scenes in the movie, that he has no idea who he is. The story of man seeming all alone trying his best deal with what he is feeling while keeping up the persona of an indestructible man is why this movie was so great.
• Will Smith is a great actor. Played the character beautifully.
• Some people, including myself, thought the twist was lame. However I also thought that it added to the depth of the story and its main character. From my perspective the movie had two parts. The first was about Hancock dealing with feelings and coping with his past. With the help of Ray, Hancock addressed his hurt, turned himself around, and become the loved superhero he wanted to be. At this point the movie could end, Hancock has come full circle and a bad guy was beaten. However, with the aid of the twist, Hancock’s true past is brought to light and now it is one more thing for him to deal with to become at peace. In the end Hancock must make a decision and it is his sacrificial choice that shows the end of his journey.
• Jason Bateman is awesome in this movie. His style of comedy is perfect for this story.
Final Notes: I think I am the only one by saying this but this is, so far, the best movie of the summer. When you look specifically at the story of the character, Will Smith has never done something like this before. Great movie, if you don’t mind coarse language, you need to see it.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
WALL-E
Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Ben Burtt – WALL-E
Elissa Knight – Eve
Jeff Garlin - Captain
Plot (contains spoilers):
When human consumption has left behind too much garbage that Earth becomes uninhabitable, Big N’ Large, the company that provides us with everything, offers to send the entire Earth’s population on a five year space cruise while the clean up the mess. The Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class robot or WALL-E is there to do the job. Unfortunately he has been doing it for 700 years. Working all alone amidst skyscrapers of garbage, WALL-E roams around not only cubing garbage but also collecting interesting items, watching musicals, and interacting with his only friend a cockroach. A spacecraft lands in an opening and leaves behind Eve. Immediately WALL-E is drawn to her and after some explosive encounters, they become friends. However Eve is there for a purpose and that purpose is to find vegetation. Once she finds a plant she takes it and goes into lockdown mode. Not knowing what happened to his friend, WALL-E does everything he can to care for her while she is out. The spacecraft returns for Eve and not wanting his friend to leave, WALL-E grabs holds and is taken on the journey through space to the human “cruise” ship. Big N’ Large has taken care of all of our needs. They have provided many activities, hover chairs to ease getting around, and robots to bring us all the food we want. When we arrive at the ship we find that after 700 years in space, humans have gotten lazy and grossly obese. The arrival of the plant causes some great drama, as an Eve robot, Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, has never brought back a plant. The captain therefore must start operation re-colonize however the ship’s main computer is operating under different orders: stay in space. Skip over about 20 minutes of conflict, WALL-E, Eve, and humans overcome the computer and come back to Earth.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• Not as funny as what I was expecting. I did laugh a lot however there wasn’t a constant flow of laughter because it was a serious movie at parts.
Reasons why I liked it:
• The animation was fantastic. The detail of the animation was superb. For earlier animated movies, the animation of the focus of the scene was great, however the background and surfaces are simple, smooth, and monochromatic. This movie had great detail for everything and it, animation wise, is on its own level.
• The story was really good. It was funny and the love story was unique to Pixar. I had read that some thought that the story was a little too mature for Pixar’s target audience. I thought that kids enjoyed it. One of the perks for seeing a movie on its release is that you can see it with its target audience. While at times it was annoying to be in a theater of children, it allowed me to witness that little people got really attached to the story.
• The story telling was good. I didn’t realize it during the movie but my friend Nate pointed out that there was virtually no dialogue. Other than the robots saying “Eve” and “WALL-E” for the first hour they communicated everything through sounds and gestures and that is impressive both for this point and my animation point.
Final Notes: I liked this movie although not as much as “The Incredibles”. However this movie will be a real hit with your kids. If you don’t have kids and have a heart, you will enjoy it as well. Do see this in a theater because I do think you will miss some of the fantastic animation.
Young's Review
'WALL-E', the latest film from Pixar Studios, is a portrait of irony.
Never has a character displayed so poignantly what it means to be human. The irony, of course, is that WALL-E is a robot.
This film is a perfect blend of eye popping visuals, humor and poignancy. At it's core, 'WALL-E' is simply a wonderful story and it is worthy of a 'thumbs up'.
WALL-E is the last of several hundred robots designed to rid earth of a catastrophic waste problem. He is designed to gather trash and compact it into easily stored squares. All of humanity is off in space living in massive ships awaiting the day when it can return home.
WALL-E is just going through the motions of a typical day when a spaceship lands and throws his world for a loop. A machine, named EVE, begins searching for some form of life. After initially being terrified of EVE, WALL-E becomes smitten and grows attached to her. Problems arise, however, when EVE sees a plant that WALL-E has been keeping alive in an old shoe. Upon seeing it, she takes the plant and shuts down. The ship comes back and takes EVE away, but WALL-E is so bound to protect his new love that he hops onboard. The adventure continues among the humans in space as WALL-E tries to save EVE, and EVE tries to do the same for WALL-E.
This movie is a remarkable achievement in several ways. First, and most impressively, is the fact that so much is communicated with such a small amount of dialogue. There are hardly any words spoken in the first half of the movie, and the two main characters barely say anything beyond each other's names. Non verbal communication has never been so prevalent in an animated picture. Ben Burtt, who perfected the audio for the character R2-D2 in the 'Star Wars' franchise, works his magic again here. His sound editing work should earn him an Oscar nomination.
Visually, this film may be the finest work yet by the creative geniuses at Pixar. The initial spaceship landing is so vivid that it makes you feel like you are there. All of the colors and moving parts create a wonderland for the eyes. WALL-E's fascination with the old musical 'Hello Dolly' is also a visual treat.
The two main characters in this film have so much heart and are very easy to root for. WALL-E develops a winning personality after being isolated for so many years. His relationship with EVE is sweet without crossing over into being sappy. This is a story that will connect with both adults and children.
The short film 'Presto', about a rabbit who just wants a carrot and the magician that keeps it from him, precedes 'WALL-E' and continues in the Pixar tradition of entertaining lead-ins.
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Ben Burtt – WALL-E
Elissa Knight – Eve
Jeff Garlin - Captain
Plot (contains spoilers):
When human consumption has left behind too much garbage that Earth becomes uninhabitable, Big N’ Large, the company that provides us with everything, offers to send the entire Earth’s population on a five year space cruise while the clean up the mess. The Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class robot or WALL-E is there to do the job. Unfortunately he has been doing it for 700 years. Working all alone amidst skyscrapers of garbage, WALL-E roams around not only cubing garbage but also collecting interesting items, watching musicals, and interacting with his only friend a cockroach. A spacecraft lands in an opening and leaves behind Eve. Immediately WALL-E is drawn to her and after some explosive encounters, they become friends. However Eve is there for a purpose and that purpose is to find vegetation. Once she finds a plant she takes it and goes into lockdown mode. Not knowing what happened to his friend, WALL-E does everything he can to care for her while she is out. The spacecraft returns for Eve and not wanting his friend to leave, WALL-E grabs holds and is taken on the journey through space to the human “cruise” ship. Big N’ Large has taken care of all of our needs. They have provided many activities, hover chairs to ease getting around, and robots to bring us all the food we want. When we arrive at the ship we find that after 700 years in space, humans have gotten lazy and grossly obese. The arrival of the plant causes some great drama, as an Eve robot, Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, has never brought back a plant. The captain therefore must start operation re-colonize however the ship’s main computer is operating under different orders: stay in space. Skip over about 20 minutes of conflict, WALL-E, Eve, and humans overcome the computer and come back to Earth.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• Not as funny as what I was expecting. I did laugh a lot however there wasn’t a constant flow of laughter because it was a serious movie at parts.
Reasons why I liked it:
• The animation was fantastic. The detail of the animation was superb. For earlier animated movies, the animation of the focus of the scene was great, however the background and surfaces are simple, smooth, and monochromatic. This movie had great detail for everything and it, animation wise, is on its own level.
• The story was really good. It was funny and the love story was unique to Pixar. I had read that some thought that the story was a little too mature for Pixar’s target audience. I thought that kids enjoyed it. One of the perks for seeing a movie on its release is that you can see it with its target audience. While at times it was annoying to be in a theater of children, it allowed me to witness that little people got really attached to the story.
• The story telling was good. I didn’t realize it during the movie but my friend Nate pointed out that there was virtually no dialogue. Other than the robots saying “Eve” and “WALL-E” for the first hour they communicated everything through sounds and gestures and that is impressive both for this point and my animation point.
Final Notes: I liked this movie although not as much as “The Incredibles”. However this movie will be a real hit with your kids. If you don’t have kids and have a heart, you will enjoy it as well. Do see this in a theater because I do think you will miss some of the fantastic animation.
Young's Review
'WALL-E', the latest film from Pixar Studios, is a portrait of irony.
Never has a character displayed so poignantly what it means to be human. The irony, of course, is that WALL-E is a robot.
This film is a perfect blend of eye popping visuals, humor and poignancy. At it's core, 'WALL-E' is simply a wonderful story and it is worthy of a 'thumbs up'.
WALL-E is the last of several hundred robots designed to rid earth of a catastrophic waste problem. He is designed to gather trash and compact it into easily stored squares. All of humanity is off in space living in massive ships awaiting the day when it can return home.
WALL-E is just going through the motions of a typical day when a spaceship lands and throws his world for a loop. A machine, named EVE, begins searching for some form of life. After initially being terrified of EVE, WALL-E becomes smitten and grows attached to her. Problems arise, however, when EVE sees a plant that WALL-E has been keeping alive in an old shoe. Upon seeing it, she takes the plant and shuts down. The ship comes back and takes EVE away, but WALL-E is so bound to protect his new love that he hops onboard. The adventure continues among the humans in space as WALL-E tries to save EVE, and EVE tries to do the same for WALL-E.
This movie is a remarkable achievement in several ways. First, and most impressively, is the fact that so much is communicated with such a small amount of dialogue. There are hardly any words spoken in the first half of the movie, and the two main characters barely say anything beyond each other's names. Non verbal communication has never been so prevalent in an animated picture. Ben Burtt, who perfected the audio for the character R2-D2 in the 'Star Wars' franchise, works his magic again here. His sound editing work should earn him an Oscar nomination.
Visually, this film may be the finest work yet by the creative geniuses at Pixar. The initial spaceship landing is so vivid that it makes you feel like you are there. All of the colors and moving parts create a wonderland for the eyes. WALL-E's fascination with the old musical 'Hello Dolly' is also a visual treat.
The two main characters in this film have so much heart and are very easy to root for. WALL-E develops a winning personality after being isolated for so many years. His relationship with EVE is sweet without crossing over into being sappy. This is a story that will connect with both adults and children.
The short film 'Presto', about a rabbit who just wants a carrot and the magician that keeps it from him, precedes 'WALL-E' and continues in the Pixar tradition of entertaining lead-ins.
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