Six Days Seven Nights

 

Six Days Seven Nights

Does anyone else remember when this film came out?  I distinctly recall hearing a lot of hype about it.  There was a big deal made about the age gap between Harrison Ford and Anne Heche, but now, it seems a moot point considering that Harrison Ford is ageless.

When I was watching this film, I had to remember when it was made.  1998 was the peak of popularity for pop music like Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys.  It was the year when we forgot about steroids in sports and celebrated Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa.  Cinematically, it was a year removed from Titanic and Spice World.  Needless to say, it was a different world.

As I remember it, 1998 was a year when Star Wars was back in the zeitgeist. It was a year after the "special edition" versions of the original trilogy were released and it was a year away from the highly anticipated new film (The Phantom Menace).  Harrison Ford was what people were talking about.  I think he had a bit of a renaissance of his early-80s hero-type roles, which I have no problem with.  For much of my childhood, Harrison for was my favorite actor even though I had only seen him in the Star Wars films and Raider of the Lost Ark.  I am very much a Ford fan.

I attempted to cut this film a lot of slack due to the aforementioned reasons, but I can still come to the conclusion that it is a silly film that could have been better. Here's how I would have made it better.

First of all, David Schwimmer is in this film.  There is no need to have David Schwimmer in a film unless he is lending his voice to an animated giraffe.

Second of all, without the discovery of the pirates, this could have been a cute little chick-flick with the lovers finding common ground while they work to get off of the island.  It would be like Hell in the Pacific, but without the racial tension.

Thirdly, This film could have become and adventure film with some romantic undertones.  This would be in the same genres of some classics like: The Star Wars Trilogy or The Indiana Jones Trilogy both trilogies just so happen to feature a charismatic actor named Harrison Ford.

When the pirates show up in this film I was excited for an adventurous romp with my childhood Cinematic hero, but this film only holds on to the action sequence a method of keeping you awake while the middle section of the film drags on.

It could have been great.  It could have been be good.  It could have been, but wasn't.

Final thought: the final dialogue seems to have been dubbed in afterward as a method to end the film in a comedic manner.  Lame.

By the way, why is it called Six Day, Seven Nights?  Vacations are usually six nights, seven days.  It doesn't make sense.

I categorize this film as:

A missed opportunity.

Full of potential.

2/5 Stanley Cups

Format: On my iPhone.  You can download it off of Youtube.com! 

Viewing Period: Many different time while I was in the gym at work on the bike or eliptical.

Inspired me to: Hate David Schwimmer.

Life of Pi

Life of Pi

Ready for a journey to an exotic locale? Maybe you are looking for an exciting adventure that also brings with it an existentially thought-provoking story?  If this is what you seek, Life of Pi is your film tonight.

I had heard about this film a lot since it came out in 2012.  I had heard that the book was excellent, I heard that it was a beautiful film, and I had heard about the Oscar-winning digital effects company that had gone bankrupt because of this film.

All of what I heard was true.  The film is stunning.  It goes from the colorful country of India to the sandy beaches of Mexico, and it covers the Pacific Ocean in between.  This film really takes you into a wonderful world full of open-ended questions.  Pi, the main character, talks about his life journey and how he lost his family, but never lost hope.

I can't say much else about the film other than it was a pleasure to watch.  It made me think, but not so much that I am going to change my life entirely.  It did make me cry, and it made me laugh.  It helped me have a greater respect for animals and for engineers.  Why engineers?  Pi's journey forces him to built some impressive contraptions with limited resources.  It makes you appreciate the genius that is contained within an engineer.

I categorize this film as:

Beautiful

Thoughtful

An adventure

4/5 Stanley Cups

Format: DVD 

Viewing Period:3-4 parts during nap times and early mornings

Inspired me to: Read the book.

Reason? Who said anything about reason?

An Organized Randomization

I was asked last night if the films that I review are simply random viewings done by a roll of a die.  I informed my inquisitive friend that my choices are random, but there is somewhat of an organization to it all.

My wife and I have accumulated a large number of DVDs over the years and we keep them in one of three large binders in an attempt to organize them all.  At times I will take a smaller DVD carrying case and pick 10 films that I would like to watch in the near future.  They are a mix of films that I love, ones that I have forgotten about and others that I have simply never seen.

Aside from my DVD collection I have also done a lot of searching on Netflix for films that intrigue me, but I do not want to go out and buy them.  Netflix is smart enough to have "My List" where I can add and organize the films that I want to see.  Using these two methods I have a huge selection of films that I am interested in and I can watch at any time.

As many may have noticed, I do go to the cinema quite a bit too.  I enjoy the experience of going to the theater and spending an evening with a crowd of people watching a big movie screen.  I always attend with my wife, so the movies I watch on the big screen are usually animated or produced by Disney in one way or another.  The theater experience is by far my preferred method of consuming film.

That is a brief explanation of my method and madness.  I hope that helps.

Next

Next

Everyone is aware that Nicolas Cage is insane, right?  If you are not aware, please refer to this video or this video, or even this video.  In fact, watch episode 2 of season 5 of Community.  It is based upon a class that debates if Nicolas Cage is good or bad.  Hilarity and insanity ensue.

Nicolas Cage.  He is a cultural phenomenon, but he is more like a car wreck than a work of art.  It is inexplicable why he makes the high number of films that he does, but it gives us the opportunity to turn off our minds and watch a movie for the simple reason of entertainment.  Nic Cage films are the universe's answer to dance mixes: they ruin a good thing, but we keep wanting them and buying them.

I decided to take in the film entitled Next.  This film stars Jessica Biel and Julianne Moore alongside Mr. Cage.  I can understand Jessica Biel taking the chance to be in an action film to boost her career, but I don't understand why Julianne Moore is in this movie.  The money must have been really good.

We are lucky that Moore was in the film because she is the most enjoyable part of this train-wreck that made $18 million at the domestic box office, but it was made for $70 million.  In fact we are the luckiest that the foreign market enjoys the films of Nic Cage, because although this film was a flop domestically, it made $58 million overseas.  Someone wanted to watch it.

I may rag on Nic Cage and this movie, but you might be surprised that I really enjoyed this movie.  I really enjoy PG-13 action movies.  As it so happens, Mr. Cage stars in a number of films in this niche genre.

Next is fun and entertaining.  It is shot in an interesting way that shows how Nic Cage's character can change his circumstances because he can see 2 minutes into the future.  The film will go into alternate timelines (which also reminded me of Community) to show what might have happened if one choice is made in lieu of another.  I thought this was a really fun and that is about it.  It is a film that I can enjoy while my kids are in the same room and I don't need to worry about damage to their brains. Since I watched the film with my kids in the same room, I must give the film a decent rating. Of course this is despite a lack of chemistry between the leads, an outrageous premise and a lack of consequence at the end (spoiler!!).

Sometimes I just need to be entertained.

P.S.  Next also features Peter Faulk second-to-last film appearance.

I categorize this film as:

Ridiculous

Cage-riffic

Nic-tastic

 

3.5/5 Stanley Cups

Format: Netflix 

Viewing Period: One shot all the way through.  The boys played cars and I watched a movie.

Inspired me to: Watch more Nic Cage movies in small doses as instructed by my doctor.

Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

 

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

There are movies that cause reviews to be polarizing; either you love it, or you hate it.  Usually this occurs in separate individuals where one person will have the opposite opinion of the other. I find this polarization happening within my own brain.  Alexander's Day (as I will refer to the film from now on) has me conflicted.

As someone who likes to get past conflict, I will voice both of my opinions of this film.  I can't justify keeping one of them silent.

The first review is positive, the second is not.

Review #1

Are you looking for a fun family film that you can laugh at and enjoy with all the family?  Do you want to feel like your life is not as bad as the life of someone else?  I suggest you turn you movie-viewing eyes over to the Disney release Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  I really enjoyed this film.  It is full of one-liners, likable characters and of course, oddball individuals that make you want to rewind the film and watch it again.

The movie is based on the book of the same title that I enjoyed reading in my elementary school days.   Whenever a movie is made based on a children's book, I am always curious to see how the film will expand from a 15 minute book to a 90 minute film. (full disclosure, this film is 81 mins long)

I really enjoyed the characters of Alexander's family.  His father (Steve Carell) is funny while falling apart and struggling as a stay-at-home dad.  I feel for him and I appreciate his methods to survival with children.  I found him to be charming, as always. (except in The Way Way Back)

Jennifer Garner's character is likable and believable as a well-to-do mom that is breaking into the corporate world of children's literature.  The kids, other than Alexander are a mixture of stereotypes that are used in almost every family movie, but that is because they are accurate.  The siblings in this film are like regular siblings.  They fight, they yell, they tattle, and then they hug at the end of it all.  No so far from the real thing.

All in all I enjoyed this wholesome film and it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon with my family.  Our oldest son has referenced it a number of times in his daily conversations, so it must have made a great impression.

Review #2

How long will it take for the world to just stop making movies where everything goes wrong?  We all saw Meet The Parents, and some people brave the viewing of the sequels.  Now you might say, "come on, Tyler.  That is one movie.  You can't say that this is an over-used plot device over one other movie!"  On the contrary, please consider this list:

RV

Fun with Dick & Jane

Any any of the Vacation movies

Any Steve Martin comedy

Any Judd Apatow "comedy"

Any family movie starring Ice Cube, Martin Lawrence, or Eddie Murphy

In fact there are so many of this type of movie that I found a part of a web site listing them off.  Find it here.

I understand that there were few options for a different plot when the film's title contains adjectives describing the type of day that will be had, but it could have been something different.  I am starting to get tired of it.

I found this film exhausting due to the predictable story, one-dimensional characters, and lame....

Wait a minute.

I can't do this anymore.

***

Re-do

Let's face it.  I enjoyed this film.  It has a lot of predictable plot holes and some unrealistic situations, but there were some moments that charmed this movie into my brain.

Some moments that brought the charm:

• I enjoyed the older brother's response to missing his junior prom, ("it's only the junior prom.").  He left his jerk of a girlfriend.  Awesome!!
• The sister's drunken rendition of Peter Pan.  Hilarious!
• Donald Glover's appearance as part of a group developing a video game.  I know a number of people like him and the scenes turned out just as they would in real life.
• The condition of the van after the driving test.  It just made me smile.
• Jennifer Coolidge being a partially normal character.  A rare treat! 

I have a soft spot for silly family films.  They are what we watch as a family because I don't have to worry about my sons being scarred for life due to violence or explicit material. I'll have a couple other reviews like this because I have a number of films that are truly awful, but I will watch them over and over again against my good judgment.  Stay tuned for those beauties!

I categorize this film as:

Ridiculous

Fun

Family friendly.
 

2.5/5 Stanley Cups

Format: Netflix 

Viewing Period:  2 separate periods.  The periods were a couple weeks apart.  Our older son didn't want to finish the movie.  He eventually warmed up to it. 

Inspired me to: Appreciate the simplicity of my life.  Watch more Steve Carell on The Office.