Recently Viewed Movies Episode 2: The Vampire Bites Back

[Dice]

Frozen

Loved it!!  Definitely one of the better Disney flicks of the last 25 years.  There were a lot of songs (more than Tangled had) but they definitely had much better and catchier melodies.  The plot was definitely a great play on the "classic Disney tropes", and while certain parts may leave some wanting, I believe what the film does do different is very important to what makes it a very memorable experience (I won't go into it at risk of spoilerz n' such).

Anna was lovely (and a darling goofball), Elsa was taciturn and complicated, Hans plays the Prince Charming role brilliantly, and Kristoff...well, I'd argue he was a weaker link, but played his part well too (ie; he's no Flynn Rider, but we can't have the same type of character twice now can we?).  Olaf the snowman was probably my favourite; he's the epitome of how simple humor can work perfectly thanks to stellar comedic timing and, literally, just a "great personality" that makes any moment with him well-spent.  How can you hate a clueless magical Snowman who just wants to see the Summer sun?

If I could say: Get rid of the song with the trolls; it would have been better to just flesh them out (because they were interesting if not terribly underdeveloped) or flesh out how Kristoff knows about them than have them sing what was the film's worst tune (it's also countered by the most abrupt mood whip-lash that happens immediately after their song ends).  If you're gonna make a song about "love", then the peeps at Disney should have remembered that they've done waaaay better!!!

Like I said though, the rest of the tracks and the plot stand out and compare to even Disney's best efforts.  The emotional moments will tug at your heart, and Disney had managed to hit Pixar-levels of drama (at least back when Pixar was good because, IMO, they have reeeallly taken a dip in recent years).  Totally recommended if you're still a kid at heart and can stomach a few show tunes.  It's also probably one of the most visually impressive CGI films I've ever seen.

[Aeolus]

Gravity. This would make for a hell of a roller-coaster ride.

That said, it's just Sandra Bullock (sporting the worst helmet hair ever) trying to keep the Space Buses from going slower that 55000 miles an hour. Too bad she has George Clooney as her partner instead of Keanu Reeves, so instead she spends the almost the entire movie trying to commit suicide and failing miserably (her character development arc was way too steep and cookie-cutter for my tastes). Also, I spent the movie trying to find other scientific inconsistencies since everything in the movie was foreshadowed in one way or another. And I mean everything.

[Dincrest]

The Man With the Iron Fists: if it were better, it'd be a kind of steampunk Kung-Fu Hustle or a more martial-arts oriented (haha) Kill Bill.  It's not awful, but it's not great.  It's just kind of stupid.  A pale imitation of better movies.

Dude, we were watching that at band practice not too long ago.  We were all like "WTF?" throughout the movie.  It was amusing (more so to them because they haven't seen many films like this), but I was like "bleh, I've seen better" because I like good chop-socky wire-fu "Hong Kong action" type films. 

[Tooker]

Have you shown them Kung Fu Hustle?  That one's great and amusing.

In TMWTIF, I think RZA should have simply realized that it wasn't a good idea for him to direct and write and star, since he's inexperienced.  But the guy apparently has always loved him some martial arts movies, really wanted to make one, and had the cash.  It wouldn't be a bad thing if he learned from this one and tried again.

[Yoda]

I watched Gandhi. Powerful stuff.

And I ordered some delicious Indian food during.

[Jotacon]

Despite how much I love the movie, I've always found the way Gandhi says "Oh, God!" as he dies to be profoundly hilarious.

[Yoda]

In the beginning scene I didn't know how to feel about that... but at the end I thought it was brilliant.

[GrimReality]

Gandhi = Great movie.

Robot and Frank -
I found this to be kind an odd movie, tone-wise. It pretty much fell down the middle in all categories. Netflix had it under comedy, but I think I may have chuckled one time.The story is ok, but I knew where it was heading pretty quick. I didn't see the ending revelation, though, which probably makes me a dolt. The robot is just odd, because I just kept thinking "man in suit! man in suit!". I DID like the movie well enough, but I can't say it was extraordinary in any single way. Just a decent little story about a man with family and health issues, who is given a robot caretaker.

I also watched My Summer of Love, but purely because Emily Blunt is in it. And she gets naked. Yeah, I can be shallow sometimes. It was ok. A simple movie about a couple girls who fall for each other over Summer, and the trouble that ensues. And Emily Blunt gets naked. With another chick. Obviously, not in a porn sense, but still. Yup.

[Yoda]

I've been wanting to see Robot and Frank! I saw a preview a while back and it had me intrigued.

I'm happy to learn it's on netflix because it is not cheap on DVD

[Frostillicus]

Treasure Planet - This film has always had a bad reputation. It was a box office flop, and some cite it as the start of the decline of Disney hand-drawn animated movies.
Well, I finally got around to watching it one night while browsing Netflix. Ultimately, I think it's a good film, and is underrated. I really don't get all of the negative attention it received. Don't get me wrong, it's not a "Disney masterpiece", but I enjoyed it. It's definitely better than a lot of the crap Disney has churned out before, and after.
The premise is an interesting, sci-fi twist on the whole treasure island/pirate dealie. It has likeable characters, a few of which can be related to. Being a (new-ish) father to a son, the relationship Jim has with Silver hit home for me. The combination of computer and hand-drawn animation is fun to watch, and produces some pretty cool effects. It does follow the Disney formula a bit, but the characters and story keep it from feeling stale. Good film. I do recommend it.

As Good As It Gets - I remember being intrigued by Nicholson's character back when previews for this film were on TV. Hilarious asshole!? Cool!! Never got around to seeing it until a few nights ago...
Having done so, I can now say it's one the best romantic comedies I've ever seen. I'm usually not into that genre (chick flicks), but this particular film is like an anti-romantic comedy, of sorts. It doesn't follow the conventional chick flick formula. There are lots of twists and turns before the credits roll.
The characters are all unique, and are very well acted by the cast. The dialogue is smart, and Nicholson's character is a joy to watch. He definitely deserved the Oscar he got for the role. Being a bit of a misanthrope myself, I can sort of identify with how Nicholson's character views and handles various people.
It's a really good movie. It transcends the chick flick shell it was born from, and is a refreshingly unique film. Definitely worth watching.

[GrimReality]

Iron Man 3 -
I totally forgot to review this!
Probably because I found it to be a rather forgettable film. Sure, it was still entertaining, but it just didn't click with me on many levels.
The main thing that didn't work for me was Tony's supposed PTSD. Sure, it's a realistic thing that I imagine would happen to some after a big war or whatever, but it feels so tacked on with him. Especially since these movies aren't all that serious. maybe it would work in the dark, depressing world of the dark Knight, but not here.
Why did they stick a kid in there? Actually, the real question is why did he get so much screen time? Annoying kids are annoying.
The whole Mandarin thing was one hell of a letdown. You know from the beginning who's behind it all, although Ben Kingsley was still amusing in the role.
The true villain turned out to be pretty lame. Maybe he's just weak compared to everything else we've seen throughout this while chained series? Perhaps if he showed up earlier, I would have bought it.
Of course, it's still not a bad movie, despite the negatives. RDjr. is always great, and will always be worth watching in this role.
I kind of wonder what Avengers 2 is going to bring us. I can't help but think it might follow along the same lines as this, as it will be pretty tough to even reach the same heights as the original.

[Esper_Crusader]

The Wolverine.  Good but not great. I wanted a more interesting villain but everything else was great. Side note: The newly announced followup the X-men: DOFS ( Apocalypse), has me incredibly excited for the mutant movies.

[GrimReality]

Sleeping Beauty -

What a strange movie. I get the feeling the director(writers? producers?) thought they were making something artistic. Too bad what we got was exploitative and just plain bad.
I'm still unsure as to the point. Was it supposed to be sensual or seductive? Because it wasn't, even with seeing a naked Emily Browning(Who certainly looks great naked) strutting around.
If they we're going for really creepy and disturbing, and not in any kind of good way, I guess they hit the mark.
There is no real story here, as we are given very few details. The characters are all just there, with no reason for us to care about them.
This is simply poor film making all around. Not that I was expecting something great, but I was at least hoping for something provocative and maybe thought provoking.

[Klutz64]

Cloud Atlas

So glad I finally got around to watching this. What an amazing ride this film was, and I feel like stories like this one are why motion pictures were invented in the first place. Sure, it was based on a book, but I can't imagine the book conveying the themes quite the same way the magic of Hollywood did. I also agree with the critics that say it's criminal that the makeup artists were not given the recognition they deserved. The little montage during the casting part of the credits was almost breathtaking. I loved all the little details, like how in the beginning the movie basically flat out TOLD the audience, "This is going to be a bit confusing, but please stick with us because the payoff is worth it." It's so hard to talk about the movie with people who haven't seen it, but I will say that if you haven't, you're really missing out on one of last year's greats.

[Tooker]

Read the book, if you liked the movie.  It's worth it.