Winter Movie Marathon
As I stare down the final 24 hours of what has been a glorious 11-day vacation, I thought a quick recap of my movie watch list would definitely be in order. Here it is, the good/bad/ugly…
- Be Kind Rewind –What a turd. I didn’t even get halfway through this before deciding that there were a million better things I could be doing, like vacuuming the house or licking a dirty diaper. Jack Black flicks are usually hit-or-miss with me and this one was a miss…by a mile.
- Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – No one should go into this expecting cinematic splendor but as a fan of most film adaptations of comic books/graphic novels that come along, this one didn’t disappoint. I’m a fan of director Guillermo del Toro and his unique brand of eye candy. While I wouldn’t call this high art by a long shot, it was an entertaining way to spend a late night.
- Slumdog Millionaire – Beautifully shot along with some hauntingly memorable acting performances make this one the best of the bunch that I caught over break. Though a bit predictable in places, I was willing to give in to the flow of the plot. The last time I saw a Danny Boyle-directed flick was Trainspotting when I was living in London back in 1996. While I’ve only seen that movie once (the baby crawling on the ceiling cold-turkey scene is enough to keep me from wanting to watch that again), it’s stuck with me over twelve years later. I have a feeling this one will as well.
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor – I don’t know what Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh were thinking to sign on for this, but I hope it involved a shit ton of cash. While the special effects were fun, the movie was a dud. Yet in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t any better or worse than the last Indiana Jones installment.
- The Bank Job – I’m a sucker for a good heist movie and this one definitely was one of the better ones I’ve seen. Knowing that it’s loosely based on a true story made it that much more intriguing and ultimately enjoyable as well. Call it marketing if you must but it worked for me.
Up tonight is Gran Torino. Based on the buzz to date, I have high expectations on this one and can’t wait to see what Eastwood has cooking here.
I enjoyed Hellboy 2, also. Last night, we took the kids to Bedtime Stories. The kids enjoyed it a lot. You might consider it.
I have been wanting to see Hellboy 2. I liked the first one and am a big comic fan. I really liked Pan’s Labyrinth and figured it could have tied together well. I need to see The Bank Job also as I am a huge Jason Statham fan.
I am with you on Gran Torino. I really want to see it as Eastwood seems to have a hard time delivering a bad movie. I look forward to hearing what you think.
If you get a chance… see Doubt with Meryl Streep. I consider this the BEST movie that I have seen in years and Streep’s performance is maginificent! It worked on so many levels. But don’t expect it to tie up any loose ends, resolve any issues, or even leave a consistent comment on some very sticky points. Just sit back and let it flow over you.