12-24-2012, 05:13 AM
Iron Sky on Blu-ray: This film is impressive for the production value the crew was able to wring out of their micro-budget. There are also some amusing bits and characters but throughout one has the feeling that there is more potential here than is actually realized on screen. The produces are now set to release a "Director's Cut" with an additional 20 minutes of material, however I doubt this will make a critical difference to the film over all.
Argo at the cinema: This is certainly one of the better films I've seen this year. A lean script tightly directed with excellent performances from the entire cast. Not only does the film keep tension as a fever pitch throughout (even though we know how the story ends) it also evokes quite well the late 70's early 80's era and perfectly skewers Hollywood (as only Hollywood can). In this last regard both Alan Arkin and John Goodman give standout performances that are by turns funny and droll. Director Ben Affleck had done a good job here and more than makes up for Gigli, Well, mostly.
The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey at the cinema: 3D -- Bah! We saw this in old fashioned 2D and liked it. I did not find it difficult to follow, and it was fun to see familiar characters from the LOTR films, including the Witch King. I enjoyed once again Andy Serkis as Gollum. For us, the film did not drag, and indeed as we departed the theatre my grandson asked if that was really 3 hours because it felt like only and hour and a half. However ... I do have to wonder what the next 6 hours of film will cover.
Skyfall at the cinema: Although I do think Daniel Craig does an excellent job as James Bond, the plot here does not work quite as well as the previous two films which are actually one story in two parts. Here we have past history and past sins, both Bond's and M's returning to haunt them. That's all fine and good, and while Bond films have always been way over the top, the Craig films have, generally speaking, had a harder edge and a relatively more realistic story line. That edge is still here, but this film ups the 'over the top' quotient by quite a bit. Still, it's James Bond and Craig & Cast make it an entertaining ride.
Cloud Atlas at the cinema: A lot of people have complained about this film -- too many plot lines, too many characters, too much bad make-up, too few actors playing too many characters, too many directors, too much confusion and not enough resolution. I disagree. There are six stories here all inter-related but the transitions from one to the other are distinct and I found it easy to follow. That is not to say that I caught every point or nuance. There are layers here that argue for a second viewing. For me the story is about the progression of a soul through time. It is very much a tale of karma & samsara, and for that reason it is important that the same actors play multiple parts in multiple stores. All in all I enjoyed Cloud Atlas.
:wink:
Narukami
Argo at the cinema: This is certainly one of the better films I've seen this year. A lean script tightly directed with excellent performances from the entire cast. Not only does the film keep tension as a fever pitch throughout (even though we know how the story ends) it also evokes quite well the late 70's early 80's era and perfectly skewers Hollywood (as only Hollywood can). In this last regard both Alan Arkin and John Goodman give standout performances that are by turns funny and droll. Director Ben Affleck had done a good job here and more than makes up for Gigli, Well, mostly.
The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey at the cinema: 3D -- Bah! We saw this in old fashioned 2D and liked it. I did not find it difficult to follow, and it was fun to see familiar characters from the LOTR films, including the Witch King. I enjoyed once again Andy Serkis as Gollum. For us, the film did not drag, and indeed as we departed the theatre my grandson asked if that was really 3 hours because it felt like only and hour and a half. However ... I do have to wonder what the next 6 hours of film will cover.
Skyfall at the cinema: Although I do think Daniel Craig does an excellent job as James Bond, the plot here does not work quite as well as the previous two films which are actually one story in two parts. Here we have past history and past sins, both Bond's and M's returning to haunt them. That's all fine and good, and while Bond films have always been way over the top, the Craig films have, generally speaking, had a harder edge and a relatively more realistic story line. That edge is still here, but this film ups the 'over the top' quotient by quite a bit. Still, it's James Bond and Craig & Cast make it an entertaining ride.
Cloud Atlas at the cinema: A lot of people have complained about this film -- too many plot lines, too many characters, too much bad make-up, too few actors playing too many characters, too many directors, too much confusion and not enough resolution. I disagree. There are six stories here all inter-related but the transitions from one to the other are distinct and I found it easy to follow. That is not to say that I caught every point or nuance. There are layers here that argue for a second viewing. For me the story is about the progression of a soul through time. It is very much a tale of karma & samsara, and for that reason it is important that the same actors play multiple parts in multiple stores. All in all I enjoyed Cloud Atlas.
:wink:
Narukami
David Reinke
Burbank CA
Burbank CA
