Pacific Rim

 

Pacific Rim

 

Have you ever looked at your Netflix list and seen some selections that make you think, "well, I haven't seen that one yet.  I guess I'll give it a try." ?  That is what happened to me this past week.  I hope it never happens to me again.  Once bitten, twice shy.

One should always go into a movie-watching experience anticipating good things.  I happened to be looking on Netflix and was checking out "My List".  For those who are not aware, "My List" on Netflix is a list of movies that you, the user makes so that you can easily and readily choose the movies that you have been waiting to watch.  On my list I had Pacific Rim.  I am confident that I put Pacific Rim on my list due to the simple fact that I had never before watched it.  There was nothing else drawing me in to watch it.  I had never seen a film directed by Guillermo del Toro, nor had I seen any of the classic monster versus monster movies such as Godzilla, King Kong, or Cloverfield.   My closet encounter with a giant monster fight was the music video to "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys.

 

Needless to say, I had no reason to be watching this movie and it shows in my apathetic review.  This movie has its audience and nothing that I can say or point out will change that fact that some people with love this movie and others will simple not care, So I'll just highlight some moments that I enjoyed.

I loved Charlie Day as the monster-obsessed scientist.  He was a relief to watch and I do wish that he was in more of the film.

 

I enjoyed the Australian accents.  Everyone loves Australian accents!  (They could be New Zealand accents, but I am no expert.

 

Cool monster battles, but I wanted to see them.  Too bad sea monsters only attack at night.

 

Well, that's about it!  I won't able to sway you to like it or not.  You either do or you don't.

I categorize this film as:
 

Ridiculous

Fun

No my cup of tea, but it could be yours.

 

2/5 Stanley Cups - Technically impressive, but not much else.

Format: Netflix, on the big screen in the basement.

 

Viewing Period: One shot all the way through at 6-8am.

Inspired me to: Watch one Godzilla movie.  That's all I need.

Raiders of The Lost Ark

 Raiders of The Lost Ark

What do you do on a Sunday night with your sons?  Maybe you have dinner, play games, or read a book.  We decided to watch a classic movie and make a memory.

Don't worry, I know what you are thinking: "Tyler, have you never seen Raiders of The Lost Ark before today?"   The answer is: of course!  This is one of my favorite movies of all time.  It is timeless and fun, but it wasn't until today that I realized the real reason why it is a brilliant film.

I have mentioned before about my experience watching Casablanca.  If you forgot, don't worry, click here.  Casablanca is the most "classic" film I have yet to see.  It have lines that you remember, characters you love, and humor sprinkled throughout tense, dramatic scenes.  This is exactly what draws me in to the adventure when I watch any Indiana Jones film, but especially Raiders of the Lost Ark.  While I was watching Raiders today I realized how brilliantly this 1981 film was made in the style of 1940s adventure films.  What? You don't believe me? Please let me show some examples:

The entrance of the hero:

We don't even see Dr. Jones' face until he rips a pistol out of a traitor's hand with his whip, and at that point we get the hero shot:

 

Here is a video and blog entry that goes into how this shot was set up.  It really helps you to appreciate the vision that good directors have.  Video     Blog

The use of shadows and silhouettes:  This helps to keep characters mysterious and to avoid showing violence.  this style is used in Dick Tracy, a film based in a similar era.

There is simple, stylized, and obviously-staged fighting with gags.

 

These are just a few of the elements that make Raiders of the Lost Ark an absolute classic film.  Not only is it a classic for modern times, but it hearkens back and pays homage to the giants on whose backs it stands.

I love this movie for being fun and exciting while displaying elements of old serials that I am only now starting to notice.  Raiders warrants a watch if you are unfamiliar with it and it warrants another watched if you have seen it before, just to appreciate the brilliance of Steven Spielberg's direction.

I categorize this film as:
 

Classic

Fun

Adventurous

Worth a deeper look

5/5 Stanley Cups - only a true dynasty can measure up to this film!

Format: DVD (a birthday present from the Lopez family. One of the best gifts I've ever received!)

Viewing Period: One shot all the way through while Miles played with toys and Gavin slept through half.  Gavin woke up in time for the truck pursuit sequence.  He thought it was hilarious when Indy knocks the Nazis off the side of the truck.

Inspired me to: Watch the rest of the Indiana Jones Trilogy. (and Crystal Skull to complete the set.)

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

 

Salmon Fishing in The Yemen

I remember the first time that I heard the title of this film.  I was confused.  It sounded as though some one wanted to write a story about things that don't match.  It could have been called "Mountain Climbing in the Netherlands" or "Igloo Building in Ecuador" and I would have the same reaction.  I thought that this film was a straight drama about a fisherman trying to achieve his goal and someone told him that fulfilling his goal was impossible, like going salmon fishing in the Yemen.

I had no interest in this film due to the unfortunate title.  My disinterest was tamed when I found out that Emily blunt was in it.  Now, you may ask: "is Emily Blunt your celebrity crush?"  The answer would be "no".  Since I reviewed Edge of Tomorrow I stated that I was looking for an Emily Blunt movie that was of any value.  I was lead to Wild Target by a friend of mine, but I was not taken by it.  One of the reasons for my dislike of the film was that the age difference between the leads is 23 years.  Also, I found Emily Blunt's character unlikable.  It was not my cup of tea.

Now let's get back to the film that I am reviewing.

The two leads in the film are 12 years apart in age.  I can deal with that.  Emily Blunt's character is likable and full of the British charm.  That is what I was looking for.  Ewan McGregor uses his actual Scottish accent and is a lovable loser.  That is perfect.  To top it all off, the character of the Sheikh is kind, philosophical and charming.  There are likable characters, an unorthodox story, and a number of fine actors in this film.  I am a little disappointed that it took me so long to find it.

Lesson learned:  don't judge a movie by its title.

I categorize this film as:

Very British
Charming

3.5/5 Stanley Cups - Take out the minor swearing and I'd give it a 4.

Format: Netflix

Viewing Period: The first 10 minutes I watch a month ago.  I watched the next hour one morning on the TV.  I finished the film on the iPad early in the morning.

Inspired me to: Go fishing and continue to fall in love with my wife.  (not at the same time.)

Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow

If you are not comfortable with guns, war action, death, violence and repetitiveness, please forget about this movie.   This film is full of action and death, over and over again.  It is the nature of the plot.  Tom Cruise's character is infected with alien blood that allows him to replay the previous day when he is killed.  You see him die a lot.  I cannot emphasize this enough.  IF YOU DON'T LIKE SEEING A GUY HAVE A GUN POINTED AT HIS HEAD, DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE!!

With that said, one can assume that I did not watch this film with my kids.  That assumption would be correct.  This is an intense movie that is a thrill-ride through one day that seems to never end.

I am not a Tom Cruise fan, but I find that I am enjoying the films that he has put out as of late. There should be no doubt that Tom Cruise is one of the few bonafide movie stars of our time.  Just take a look at his IMDB page.  You will not see any short-lived TV shows or Lifetime movies on his resume.  He is the real deal and he is fully aware of his status.  Just watch the latest interview he had with Jimmy Fallon.  Mr. Cruise is in the business of entertaining the masses and he no longer mentions his personal life.  This is the Tom Cruise that I enjoy.

Aside from the all power Cruise, this film also stars Emily Blunt and she is no slouch in the shadow of her co-star.  Blunt kicks butt with a huge, Final Fantasy-inspired sword and she gives movie-goers what we want: an attractive, strong woman with a British accent.  I couldn't complain.

While the film itself is not a game-changer like Avatar, or The Terminator; it showed me that Tom Cruise can still carry a fun action film and Emily Blunt is a force to be reckoned with.  I look forward to more of her work in the future.

I categorize this film as:

Ridiculous (because it involves time-travel and aliens) and Enjoyable

4/5 Stanley Cups - A fun movie that I wouldn't mind watching over and over again, ironically.

Format: Netflix

Viewing Period: 80% of the movie in one sitting, the other 20% on my phone while I couldn't sleep at night.

Inspired me to: Find more Emily Blunt movies.  I looked.  There's not a lot I would watch.

The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer

Art Deco.

Fedoras.

The "Golden Age" of Hollywood.

All of these terms remind me of a time in the world when things were simple.  It was a time when we knew who the bad guys were, we ate our Wheaties and Ovaltine, and we didn't get distracted by reality shows because they didn't exist.

The 1930s and 1940s are a romantic time in my mind.  Show me a TV series or movie that is based in that era and I will most likely love it.  The Rocketeer is no exception to that rule.

I have seen this film a number of times, but it is still a thrill for me each time I watch it.  This last particular viewing I decided to watch it while I was watching my boys at home.  The biggest challenge in viewing this film was getting past the Walt Disney Productions castle which can sometimes upset my oldest son.  As luck would have it, The Rocketeer, though a Disney production, did not start with the traditional castle and shooting star.

I have not seen The Rocketeer in a number of years, but I was thrilled to watch it.  The Rocketeer character reminded me somewhat of Captain America (the 1940s setting helped that).  The German scientist was a near facsimile of Major Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The portrayal of Howard Hughes reminded me of Howard Stark of the Marvel universe.   These are all movies that I love to watch.  The Rocketeer reminds me of the reasons why I love them.

So, what are those reason?  Let me tell you:

1. This is a hero story, it's all about the good versus evil.  It seems like nowadays the enemy is invisible and can sometimes come from our own ranks.  While these films have an element of this deception, the bad guy is generally the universal evil:  Nazis.  No one argues in favor of the Nazis.

2. A classic beauty as the subplot.  There are few men who would give up their superhero status for the love of a young Jennifer Connelly. (or an older Jennifer Connelly for that matter!)  The hero has the classic weakness of compassion for his girl and this is something that I can relate to.  I love it!

3. A classic look.  High-waisted dress pants on the men, curvy cars on the street, and curvy haircuts on the women.  I love the classy look.  It is timeless!

My favorite part of my viewing experience was when the Rocketeer stared flying around.  Both of my sons stopped playing with their cars and were thrilled to watch the movie.  Making movie memories is what being a father is all about for me.  I remember when my parents would take us to the local video rental store and we would rent 6 VHS tapes for 6 days and it cost $6.  Those were good days that still resonate in my memory.

So now the big question comes:  Is the movie really any good?  I think it is.  It is fun and visually appealing.  Did it win any Oscars?  No, but I love it, regardless.

I categorize this film as:

Classic and Fun.

4/5 Stanley Cups - I know others will grade it lower.  Frankly, my dear, I don't... give a "you know what".

Format: DVD

Viewing Period: One shot with children playing around me.

Inspired me to: Watch similar movies.  Examples: The Aviator, Captain America: The First Avenger, Agent Carter miniseries, the first 3 of the Indiana Jones films, Dick Tracy.

Minions

 

Minions

Who can hate the Minions?  The stole the show in Despicable Me and  Despicable Me 2  and they continue with their antics in their own movie that chronicles how they came to be involved with the evil villain named Gru.

This was a difficult one to watch.  No, I don't mean it was horrible.  I mean that it was the first regularly screened movie that my wife and I attended with our two boys.   I say "regularly screened" because we have seen the movie Home with the boys, but it was at a special screening for kids with autism.  This meant that there were no previews, the lights were only slightly dimmed, and the sound was turned down to an acceptable level.  This is why Minions was difficult to watch.  We ended up leaving after the first 30 minutes.  It was too much for our boys.  Unfortunately the majority of the first 30 minutes was featured in trailers and previews that I have already seen be for stepping into the theater.

So how can I review this film?  Don't worry.  

I really don't like seeing half of a movie.  If I only see half of a movie, this means that I have no desire to see the rest and that the plot resolution and story are too insignificant to waste my time on.  For the reason you will never see a review of Mean Girls from me. After the first 30 minute preview that I had, I wanted to see where the Minion movie was going, but I was not very pleased to spend another $30 to watch it. 

As luck would have it, my wife and I found ourselves available to go out and watch a movie without our kids.  We opted to watch the movie that we started and headed back to see Minions.  This is where my review really starts.  It took a while, but my back-story was necessary.

I won't be able to sugar-coat this one, I didn't like this movie.  My reasoning is much more psychological than you might think; but before I tear this one down, let me focus on the positive.

The Minions themselves are adorable and during the film you want them to succeed.  The smallest and most childlike of the Minions is Bob.  Bob is lovable because he is sweet, innocent and carries around a little teddy bear.  He is the one Minion that I was cheering for during the film.  I found the other Minions to be little more than comic relief.  Bob helped me through this movie.

What also helped me through this movie was the soundtrack and setting.  The year is 1968, and the place is England.   For those who know me, may know that I have an huge fan of rock and roll music from the 1960's.  My favourite bands of that era include The Beatle, The Who, and The Kinks.  All three of these bands have songs on the soundtrack to the movie.   I really, really liked the setting of Minions, but that was the only saving grace.

Minions was not what I thought it would be.  I thought the film would show the progression of the minions as they went from bad guy to bad guy throughout the decades.  This happened in the first 20 minutes of the film, but then the minions turned into the good guys.   THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THE GOOD GUYS!!  We were introduced to the minions as Gru's workers in Despicable Me.  They were not good guys at that point.  The change in direction for the minions came when (SPOILER ALERT) Gru adopts the three girls and becomes their father instead of an evil genius.   So I feel that this movie was marketed and created as a prequel to Despicable Me, but ended up being a re-hashed version of the same movie.  I was not amused.

Now, I know that this is a children's film.  I know that, but I have come to expect more from animated films than re-telling of the predeceasing film.

Not impressed.

I categorize this film as:

Frustrating and ridiculous in a bad way.

2/5 Stanley Cups - Mostly for the music and setting.

Format:Local Cineplex theater.

Viewing Period: Over a week in two viewings.

Inspired me to: Gouge my eyes out.


SPOILER!!!!

I wanted to point out one last thing that annoyed me.  The film was advertised as occurring 42 BG (before Gru).  This would mean that the minions met Gru in 2010.   This film depicts the minions meeting Gru in 1968, so the film doesn't even follow it's own rules.  I am so disappointed.  Give me a Pixar movie any day.

Jurassic World

Jurassic World

What do you get when you combine the heat and humidity of summer, a group of friends, and cheap movie night?  You get an awesome night out in Strathmore!  

So Tuesday night found us with a baby-sitter and a chance to hang out some friends.  The weather was hot and muggy, so it was perfect for sitting in a barely-ventilated small-town movie theater.  

Seriously, it was perfect.

Jurassic World takes place on a tropical island off of the coast of Costa Rica.  Every time I saw the characters sweating in the heat I felt the same heat.  It made me feel enveloped in the movie.  Add on top of that a full theater with half of the occupants being pre-teens and small children, and I was immersed.

I'll be honest, with the atmospheric factors giving me a bias towards the positive, there was no way that I could not like this movie.  I came out of the theater as happy as I would have been had I seen the original Jurassic Park as a 9-year-old when it first came out.

Speaking of the original, Jurassic World pays homage to its predecessor in a number of fun ways that makes the adults in the viewing audience smile and wax sentimental.  As a lover of nostalgia, these tributes buried the hook deeper in my cheek and reeled me in hook, line, and sinker.

I categorize this film as:

Nostalgic -for the homages to the first Jurassic trilogy.

Ridiculous - for being a perfect summer popcorn movie that didn't take itself seriously at all.

4.5/5 Stanley Cups  - I downgrade it 0.5 due to the casting of Judy Greer.

Format:Local theater (www.joylandtheatre.com)

Viewing Period: One shot, all the way through

Inspired me to:Watch Jurassic Park and watch more Chris Pratt