Reviews

Pixar just can't miss. Even their worst movies are better than average compared to a lot of the slop that's put on the screen year after year, but Wall-E is really quite superb, even for Pixar.

It centers upon Wall-E, which is basically a moving garbage compactor left to clean up Earth after all the humans have left it a dusty, discarded mess for some 700 years.

The real beauty of the movie is in its elegant use of simplicity. The protagonists barely speak half a dozen words, using them over and over and over in believable ways which betray personality. Juxtaposed against these wonderfully human robots, the real humans of the movie can be taken as a stark warning of a possible future in which consumerism has destroyed the Earth and our entire species is left to wallow in paradise.

The message is a rather frank one, and I'm sure some will grumble about it, but I think they see the coal and not the diamond inside. Wall-E and EVE have become two of my favorite Pixar characters, bar-none. The movie has comedic moments, sappy moments, and simply stunning/beautiful moments. It's a well-done symphony set to screen, and if you are, or ever have been, a fan of Pixar's films, go see it.

You certainly won't be disappointed.

Preemptive warning: There is a lot of blood and a moderate amount of swearing in the film, so if you're opposed to seeing things like bullets going through heads and rats being blown up, veer away.

Now, having said this, my brother and I caught it today, and we both loved it. From the other reviews, we were expecting something more comedic, and were a bit confused on that point.

It is a bit more comedic than your average action flick, yes, but don't expect a comedy. It is an action flick with a slice of comedy thrown in to get its points across, and it employs it well.

The main protagonist, one Wesley, is one of my favorite actors (albeit not well known for whatever reason), and plays the part rather well. Jolie and Freeman are, pretty much as always, good, so the cast is at least spot on. There are a few underdeveloped areas and characters, lore-wise and a few of the other companions which Wesley meets I would liked to have known more about, but at 2 hours already, I doubt most would sit through a film double that length.

But the film itself is not terribly much about the character themselves. It's entertaining, with plenty of special effects and eyecandy, not to mention some great stunts, but the reason I found it so refreshing is that it actually had a punch-line to it. There was a message, and even though I was utterly confused because of my preconceptions for a little while, soon I was in the groove and lovin' it.

I won't spoil the ending message, because the entire film is a build-up to a single line at the end, and it's all good stuff.

Check it out if you're interested, you won't be disappointed.

Less direct and raunchy than Adam Sandler's 'Zohan', not quite as epic as Austin Powers, but still plenty entertaining. I'd put this movie at the right thing to see when you're in the mood for something to put a smile on your face and to feel a little fuzzy inside.

It's definitely Mike Meyers, which means plenty of allusions and innuendos, and while I wouldn't call it his greatest work, Meyers' brand of more subtle humor always tickles my fancy, with Love Guru being no exception.

When my brother and I arrived in the theater, there were only four other people (early Sunday), and two of them left about 15 minutes into the film, so it was my brother and I along with two others. That seemed to be the optimal setting, as I think this movie actually suffers the larger the audience there is. Mostly I believe this because it seems like a perfect stay-at-home during a rainy day movie to get in a few laughs with a loved one or family, but in an open theater with a few dozen other people, I can certainly see how some would feel pressured to react offended or apathetic toward many of the jokes the film has to offer.

While I did find that Meyers' accent could have used a little work, it was adequate most of the time, and was probably the largest detraction, but as with Mike Meyers, most of the jokes are physical and are on-screen to laugh at anyways.

My brother (19 years old) was laughing at the jokes all the way through, and I found myself along with him more often than not (along with a few off-spots because I have a few Canadian friends - Justin swearing in Quebecois is priceless!).

So, overall, I'd say it's a good movie to own on DVD, and catch it in Theaters if you're a fan of Mike Meyers, but I would recommend off-times so that you can get that more intimate feeling which I think the film requires.

I love Indy, and have loved Indy ever since I first saw the films when I was quite young (born in '85). Yes, I even love the much berated Temple of Doom, even though it took me a few years past the others to fully 'get' what was going on.

After seeing a new Indy appear, I was absolutely delighted, but after seeing the initial opinions, I held off just a tad, and finally saw it today.

Was it worth the money? Certainly. Would I see it again? Yes, I would. Is it the best Indy? No.

I, like many others, am sort of baffled at the quite Sci-Fi approach towards this film. At the beginning, I was completely hooked. I even bought the new Cold War Era Indy and was anxiously following the film almost the entirety of the film, laughing and smiling.

There were, however, a few parts which made even me, who had previously steeled himself with the reviews, sit and ask why they would put that in.

The first is a thankfully short sequence where LaBouf (who's really better as Mutt than I thought he would be) pulled a Tarzan act and, I wish I was joking, lead a group of monkeys through jungle treetops while swinging from vine to vine only defeat the villainess at a critical moment. It was simply not Indiana Jones-esquire... There was no lovable clumsiness, no hilarity, not even a dramatic moment, just Mutt swinging from vine to vine with his small gang of monkeys only to appear at a convenient moment.

The second could be neatly summed up as the last 5 minutes of the movie. I'll consider this one 'part', even though it's multiple sequences, because it's all so self-contained that it could almost be a completely separate movie. This is the infamous, "What the heck did they do to the film?" sequence that everyone else is rightfully bereft of praise for. If I thought LaBouf as Tarzan was a bit baffling, though still somewhat within my realm of suspension of disbelief, what happens at the end completely threw that line of suspension out the window.

It involves an alien, with a very heavily CG cut-scene of the "fully materialized" alien that was more confusing than anything else in the movie. I know what they were trying to do. They were trying to bring back the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" moment... But it came off as something that would fit better in a Babylon 5 episode.

Like everyone else, I have to say I am still baffled at why they thought that was a good avenue. It very handily strode across the lines of "plausible" to "fiction" to "I haven't seen this since Star Trek", and while Indy may have the touch of fiction/pseudo-fiction running through his veins, I agree with many that the ending was just a little too much.

However, with all this said, if you take out that utterly brow-raising scene, you have a solid and enjoyable action-comedy. A surprise re-appearance by another character certainly had me smiling, and while the one-liners could have been delivered better (or maybe the scenes could have been shot better to go with them), they were still very much Indiana Jones.

The rest of the story leading up to the ending is still within the realm of "fiction", and was quite enjoyable. Quite a few of the scenes had me focusing on the screen actively, and the brawls were still top-notch.

I did not find myself quibbling about the overly-Russian accent for the antagonist, I lapped it up, actually. LaBouf was surprisingly good, and made a wonderful Lil' Indy. Harrison Ford still had the quirky smile, the looks, and it was great to see him back in action.

All the rest of the elements were there, and everything felt appropriate for an Indy film set a few decades into the future from the previous. It was just that bum ending that had me scratching my head.

So, since it held my attention for the majority of it, I'm more than happy to give it an 8/10. If they had thought up an ending that didn't involve Quantum Theory and wasn't so rightfully absurd, I would be more than willing to give it a 9/10... But this is still a very solid film, and I'll certainly be getting it when it comes out on DVD.

If you like Indy, you'll love the film. Just go in knowing that the last 5 minutes require you to shut off the left half of your brain!

The summer has been so full of Blockbusters and comebacks of films, and not to mention some of the disappointments of those comebacks, that I was woe to find a film I could just sit down and enjoy.

In case you don't want to read further down the page (there aren't any spoilers), I'll sum it up here: It's more mature than Ella Enchanted (there are some questionably violent parts, plenty of death, and a handful of scenes with a little blood, not for small children), but doesn't try to be overly corny or overstep its bounds. Think of it as a bit more serious, bit more magical Princess Bride, and you'll be close.

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I am, perhaps, not as prodigious a movie goer as others... Maybe once or twice a month, if I feel active. I'm also a huge Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan. I get bored of remade repetitive story lines and films with more flash than filling faster than you can count to 10, and this film is the diamond in the rough.

By the end here (August), I was tired enough of fractured expectations from the big hits that I averted seeing Bourne Ultimatum in favor of Stardust. Having had my hopes thoroughly muddied by Transformers for my Fiction addiction, the previews of Stardust seemed appealing, but I was certainly wary.

As many others here, I was utterly surprised. I had gone in thinking to see another generic fantasy movie clichéd from here to breakfast. Don't be fooled, it is most definitely a fairy-tale, and it does indeed have witches, magic, and utterly requires suspension of disbelief... But the most refreshing thing I found, is that it's NOT based on anything I've seen or read in the past 15 years, and it's actually a really good movie.

((Unlike 90% of the other movies which seem to persistently re-appear like thorns in a side, perhaps a sign that Hollywood is running out of ideas? I could read a book this year, and in two years the movie would be out as another "Epic fantasy tale, the likes of LotR and the rest" so says the NYT and such and such no doubt.))

Stardust didn't have me bolted to my seat because of jam-packed action at every turn, nor was I sweating bullets because of plot-hook after plot-hook threatening to tear the dramatic tension apart and echo throughout the theater in a loud boom. It didn't even use enormous blasts of sound to grab my attention to what's happening on screen (Transformers, I'm looking at you). It's not trying to show off the latest CGI techniques, nor did it offend my intelligence with dimwitted dialogs and story lines that are simple enough I could've figured them out in 3rd grade (boy I hate those).

I just... watched. Watched, and enjoyed a refreshingly CREATIVE storyline unfold before my eyes. Sure, I may have known what was going to happen throughout most of the film, but it makes you forget that. It even made my heart twinge at some parts, but the most important aspect I noticed is that I left the theater feeling better than when I'd gone in.

It truly is a gem. After so much slush this summer with so many remakes and films that fell short of my expectations, this was like a cold sweet cup of tea to cap off all the hard work I'd done sitting through the others trying to come out of them with my money's worth.

It's probably not for everyone, but do yourself a favor; If you enjoy fantasy films that stand the test of time alone (Princess Bride, Black Cauldron, The Dark Crystal, etc.) then you should really see this movie. This little diamond is finding its way into my DVD collection the moment it hits stores, you can trust me on this.

Simply wonderful.

I came into the film from a background that involved viewing the wonderful seasons of Beast Wars and some of the original seasons shown on TV. The original animated movie I had seen before and liked it (enough to get it on DVD). So, from this, when I heard of a Transformers non-animated film, I was a bit excited. There is so much lore to work with in the Transformers universe (even if there wasn't 20 years ago) that it's an incredibly viable Sci-Fi world filled with excellent possibilities.

I saw it the day it came out, a while back, but enough time to digest what was truly offered. Instead of going to length in paragraph form, I'll just try to break it down right-quick.

Tantalizing:

-The visual effects are stunning. The CG is incredibly well done (this coming form a discerning eye) and I considered going to see it again just to gaze.

-Basic storyline. The initial premise of the story holds up, if not always done to perfection.

-Some good comedy. There are some bright spots (the cell-phone creature at the lab made me giggle), but most of it is drawn right from Nickelodeon TV shows it seems.

-A decent story and film without exceeding amounts of violence, swearing, or over-the-top sexual intonations (aside from our Heroinness).

-Built for the beginner Transformer fan.

-Action scenes were well done.

Terrible:

-All the humans. This was probably the most disappointing. As much as there needs to be a background story involved, the majority of the movie centers around the cliché romance story between the awkward High-school goof getting the girl. For the Sci-Fi fan like myself who's already vested in the series, I was hoping for the main characters to actually be the Transformers themselves, instead of them acting as side-characters. Some of them were just means to an ends it seems, and some (like Jazz) were so incredibly short lived that I stood in disbelief.

-Too much comedy. At least for my tastes. Granted, I am probably biased from the previous relationship with the series, but when they were pulling bland jokes near the very end I found myself more annoyed than chuckling. There's merit in introducing some to break the tension, but when it's happening every 5 minutes the Sci-Fi punch loses its power.

-The lore. Nothing was done with it. I can honestly say I felt like the Allspark premise has merit, but at the same time it was never developed into anything. It's there, they want it, and in the end it's gone. This is the thing that started their entire civilization, something that offers ultimate power, and we see all of 30 seconds of Cybertron with a brief explanation of the war. It just wasn't enough for me.

-The ending of Megatron was hollow. It was Prime's duel, and making the leader of the Decepticons (which was almost omitted, it seems) fall to such an cheesy tactic made me feel cheated.

I'm not saying it's a poor movie. It has comedy, some action, and fulfills its purpose: to bring the next generation into the franchise.

But for those like myself, who wanted more substance out of the film, I left the theatre feeling a bit empty. I was always waiting for the part where the humans disappear and the Transformers to finally take control of their own movie. I wanted to see fights in space, Cybertron, and I wanted to see depth added to the characters I've come to enjoy along with an engaging storyline for the reasons behind so many unanswered questions left by the movie. What I got was an action film centered around an episode of Even Stevens or Boy Meets World that featured the Transformers.

A good film for the younger kids in the audience, but I only hope that any sequel made will actually be about the Transformers, and not some class clown from the suburbs and his dream-date.