Even though I’ve moved to the Great White North, my video reviews shall continue. There being only one movie theater up here, my selections are limited. Plus, this theater is only open week day nights and all day weekends. Ten screens, ten to twelve movies at a time. Let’s add on to that Family Video is the only video store up here and I, as of yet, do not own a video card. I am now in the process of rewatching the Sopranos. So in that spirit, Let’s Review!
The Departed
Starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen
Directed by Martin Scorsese
First, the reason I went to see this was Martin Scorsese. I really haven’t seen anything great from him since Casino. The Aviator was alright but it kind of dragged a little. Gangs of New York was muddled and didn’t carry me through the movie. I had a completely different experience with The Departed. The story moved in a way, that I never sat waiting for the next scene. It kept me in the moment, which forced me not to think about how it was going to end. A good director, doing what he does best, will accomplish this. The second thing that drew me to this movie was the actors. Jack Nicholson alone will get me to look at a movie. One of the most versatile actors out there. He can do drama, comedy, horror, hell he could do sci-fi if he wanted to. Leonardo DiCaprio is so hyped that I don’t think he gets enough credit for being a great actor. When I first saw him in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? I knew he was a great actor. Then that big, bloated boat movie came along and stunk up the screen for 3 hours. We get it, the boat sinks, big surprise. Anyway, to get back on track, Leo does an awesome job here getting pushed into being a mob informant on Nicholson’s insane portrayal of a crime boss gone crazy. Matt Damon plays the opposite of Leo’s character as a spy in the house of Hoover. Not the vacuum guy. Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg round out the cast as FBI agents pushing Leo’s character deeper into the pile he’s already got himself into. Oscar nominations should abound for this movie. If you want a moving plot, excellent acting and a few twist at the end then this is the movie.
Rocky Balboa
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Geraldine Hughes
Directed by Sylvester Stallone
YO, ADRIAN!!!!!! I couldn’t resist. I love the Rocky movies. I think we could all have done without Rocky V but every series of movies has a rotten egg, Rocky V sucked the egg dry. Thank God, Rocky Balboa does not follow this trend. This Rocky goes back to his roots. Rocky lives in the same neighborhood, sees the same spots of his youth. Adrian died, he doesn’t see his son much, and he is stuck telling stories of his past triumphs. A computer reacts what would happen if Rocky took on the new champ. Rocky would win. Has Rocky still got it? If you liked the first Rocky movie, you will like Rocky Balboa. Once again another actor overshadowed by hype. Stallone can give so many emotions just by looks. Everyone is so concerned with dialogue these days; no one watches the subtle things that make a character. Burt Young, Paulie, plays the hell out of his role. It’s not expected but he puts a spin on Paulie that we never saw in the other movies. The rest of the cast is enough to support these great actors. Geraldine Hughes, who plays Marie, surprised me; she brought a different feel to the movie. A sense of time passing. The fight scenes are awesome, though not as good as the original. I liked how they show the fight like you were watching it on pay-per-view, then cut to in the ring fight. Just a very satisfying movie experience.
Cars
Voices by Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, John Ratzenberger
Directed by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft
Pixar makes great movie period. Toy Story 1&2, Monster’s Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles. All of these are fun, enjoyable movies. You don’t have to invest a lot into these movies, but they have such a big payoff. They work on both a child’s level and an adult level that makes them rewatchable. A moral story, hummable songs, and a few laughs keeps you entertained. Pixar has the formula Disney had in the late eighties; the only difference is Pixar’s ideas have originality. I can’t recommend this movie enough.
The Da Vinci Code
Starring Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Ian McKellan, Audrey Tautou
Directed by Ron Howard
Read the book. I first saw this at the theaters and didn’t like it. I didn’t like Tom Hanks as Langdon. The plot was really slow and it held your hand throughout the movie. After watching it again on DVD, I still don’t like Tom Hanks as Langdon but the plot and pacing has worked out for me. If you haven’t read the book, this movie is probably better than if you had. Too many great scenes that don’t translate in this film. Angels & Demons should make a much better movie than Da Vinci Code. Also, the controversy over this movie is outrageous. Once again this is fiction. Believe what you will, just enjoy the ride. Try this movie, I’m not really hooked.
The Karate Kid Part 3
Starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita
Directed by John G. Avildsen
Danielson’s back again for another battle against the Cobra Kai. Mr. Miyagi, with help from Danielson, opens a Bonsai store. The Cobra Kai sensei, John Krease, gets help from an old Vietnam friend to rid himself of meddlesome Daniel and his teacher. Ultimately, fighting once again in the All Valley Karate Championship, Daniel triumphs once again. Other than that it’s a pretty good movie and has more focus than the first two movies. Surprisingly, I liked this movie. Remember only seeing it once before, not sure if I liked it then.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Really wanted to like this movie. Went out and bought it the day it came out. Didn’t see it at the movies. Just by how much I liked the first one, I thought I’d like this one. It’s just more of the same. Which done by these actors isn’t all that bad, but I was expecting the bar to be raised. Maybe after multiple viewings I’ll like this movie better. Johnny Depp does the same joke through the whole movie, Orlando Bloom has the same goal, the only one who has changed a little is Keira Knightley who is, if you’ve seen Domino, smokin’ HOT. Then, I kept hearing about the surprise at the end. So I thought it was going to be something cool. Most disappointed I’ve been at the end of a movie in a long time. This is not a bad movie; just my expectations for this movie hindered it from being enjoyable. That’s all I’ve got for now maybe I’ll have more in a couple of weeks. Miami Vice, Talladega Nights are under the tree just waiting for my reviews. My nephew got Superman Returns too, so I’ll probably watch that one again. Really didn’t like it in the theaters. Until then Demonic Weber signing off.
