Watched a couple of flicks recently - here are some thoughts.
Paycheck - decent enough flick, even though if you really think about it it doesn't really make much sense. Usual simplistic Big Corporation = Evil mentality. Think about it, if a Corporation's prime motive is to make money, how are they going to continue to make money if their project starts a nuclear war which wipes out civilisation? Where's the profit motive there? As well, why go to the extent of setting things up to escape from aforementioned Evil Corporation to then break back in to destroy your invention. Wouldn't it be easier to destroy it while you're still inside? Oh well... You know, for a guy who is suppose to dislike Science Fiction, John Woo seems to make an awful lot of them since he moved to Hollywood (and for the Woo fanatics - yes he does manage to fit in the obligatory slow motion dove in the film - even if it does appear out of nowhere in the middle of a heavily guarded underground research facility...).
Dickie Roberts - Former Child Star - watched it for half an hour. Didn't laugh once. Turned it off. 'nuff said.
Hellboy - a heck of a lot better than the last Hollywood action film which had the hero fighting Magic Nazi's back from the dead. Ron Perlman is awesome - not to mention freaking huge. It's the role he was born to play. Selma Blair needs to eat a sandwich. The dark twisted humour is kept intact from the comics. An all-round excellent flick. And what is it with Ancient Evil and Tentacles??? Always with the tentacles...
The Punisher - 2004 version. Decent film. Thomas Jane plays the role well. Unfortunately Hollywood being Hollywood - he didn't get to shoot anywhere near enough people. And Marvel's got to find another female other than Rebecca Romijn to cast in these films. Not that I mind looking at her.. but let's face it - supermodels don't generally live in run-down hovels. Other than that - pretty enjoyable.
Shrek 2 - My thought's from the first film still hold true - a film that purports to take the piss out of the Disney Animated movies effectively turns into one...again. Maybe it's just because I'm tired of the Mike Meyers/bad Scottish accent schtick, but this really wasn't as good as the film. It took far too many easy steps and took too long getting to the actual plot. It's all well and good to throw in your various re-imaginings of classic characters and obligatory revisits to those in the first movie, but slow story = boring. The best bit was the new Antonio Banderas character - who really was entertaining and hammed it up well.
King Arthur - Sadly, a pretty pedestrian middle of the road Bruckheimer flick. A pity really, considering the director & cast. Clive Owen seems to be asleep through most of the film. Keira Knightley spends most of the time either arching her eyebrows quizzically (she'd fit right into a WOT movie) or demonstrating just how good a job those corsets from Pirates of the Caribbean did. Ioan Gruffudd and Ray Winstone were both excellent, as was Stellan Skarsgård. If Arthur was suppose to be such a military genius, then why on earth did he decide to abandon the one tactical fortification he had and fight what should have been overwhelming odds (if they weren't conveniently served up to him piece-meal) effectively in the middle of a plain. That and the Wall had a magic opening/closing door - what for it yourself, it can't remember whether it's suppose to be open or closed.
Paycheck - decent enough flick, even though if you really think about it it doesn't really make much sense. Usual simplistic Big Corporation = Evil mentality. Think about it, if a Corporation's prime motive is to make money, how are they going to continue to make money if their project starts a nuclear war which wipes out civilisation? Where's the profit motive there? As well, why go to the extent of setting things up to escape from aforementioned Evil Corporation to then break back in to destroy your invention. Wouldn't it be easier to destroy it while you're still inside? Oh well... You know, for a guy who is suppose to dislike Science Fiction, John Woo seems to make an awful lot of them since he moved to Hollywood (and for the Woo fanatics - yes he does manage to fit in the obligatory slow motion dove in the film - even if it does appear out of nowhere in the middle of a heavily guarded underground research facility...).
Dickie Roberts - Former Child Star - watched it for half an hour. Didn't laugh once. Turned it off. 'nuff said.
Hellboy - a heck of a lot better than the last Hollywood action film which had the hero fighting Magic Nazi's back from the dead. Ron Perlman is awesome - not to mention freaking huge. It's the role he was born to play. Selma Blair needs to eat a sandwich. The dark twisted humour is kept intact from the comics. An all-round excellent flick. And what is it with Ancient Evil and Tentacles??? Always with the tentacles...
The Punisher - 2004 version. Decent film. Thomas Jane plays the role well. Unfortunately Hollywood being Hollywood - he didn't get to shoot anywhere near enough people. And Marvel's got to find another female other than Rebecca Romijn to cast in these films. Not that I mind looking at her.. but let's face it - supermodels don't generally live in run-down hovels. Other than that - pretty enjoyable.
Shrek 2 - My thought's from the first film still hold true - a film that purports to take the piss out of the Disney Animated movies effectively turns into one...again. Maybe it's just because I'm tired of the Mike Meyers/bad Scottish accent schtick, but this really wasn't as good as the film. It took far too many easy steps and took too long getting to the actual plot. It's all well and good to throw in your various re-imaginings of classic characters and obligatory revisits to those in the first movie, but slow story = boring. The best bit was the new Antonio Banderas character - who really was entertaining and hammed it up well.
King Arthur - Sadly, a pretty pedestrian middle of the road Bruckheimer flick. A pity really, considering the director & cast. Clive Owen seems to be asleep through most of the film. Keira Knightley spends most of the time either arching her eyebrows quizzically (she'd fit right into a WOT movie) or demonstrating just how good a job those corsets from Pirates of the Caribbean did. Ioan Gruffudd and Ray Winstone were both excellent, as was Stellan Skarsgård. If Arthur was suppose to be such a military genius, then why on earth did he decide to abandon the one tactical fortification he had and fight what should have been overwhelming odds (if they weren't conveniently served up to him piece-meal) effectively in the middle of a plain. That and the Wall had a magic opening/closing door - what for it yourself, it can't remember whether it's suppose to be open or closed.
[Listening to: All We Want - Blur - Tender [Single] (4:33)]
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