Movie Reviews & More
Matrix Revolutions (2003)
When I saw Matrix Reloaded in Georgia on my honeymoon, I wasn’t overly thrilled. There had been a lot of time between the movies and a ton of anticipation. But the second time I saw it, those expectations were gone and I actually like the movie for it’s own reasons other than what I thought I would originally.
So, when Revolutions came out, I tried not to have high expectations for it. But somehow, I was still kind of like, what the heck.
I saw it last night again thinking I may have a similar reaction, that it would be better a second time around. Hardly.
This is what I will say for being good about the movie. How in the heck do you envision something like that, and make it come to life? The robotics, the intricate detail, the ships, the Sentinels, all of it was just phenomenal. When the sentinels pour into Zion like a plague, you have that feeling of “Oh Crap”. A feeling of empathy for these weak humans. A lot of the camera shots are low to the ground so you see from their perspective.
The characters were fallible. Neo gets his eyes burned out, who saw that coming? Plus Trinity dies and in the end, maybe Neo does too. It’s not like the heroes came out unscathed.
Plus there are those robot machines the humans use to shoot with, pretty intense. But that is what most of the movie is, intense. Intensely graphic actually which in my opinion is quite a divergence from the other movies. From the Neo vs. Bane fight, to the kid taking over for the face mangled captain, to Neo’s eyes getting burned out. After the first couple movies of perfectly choreographed fight scenes, this movie was becoming like all the others.
That is my final complaint. You don’t really get a sense of urgency when you watch this movie. It really is for popcorn, you sit back, watch the amazing effects and think “Now why are Agent Smith and Neo flying around like two Supermen around the city”. It is like that final fight scene between the mortal enemies even took a life of it’s own, spawning away from the Wachowski brothers in attempting to top the fights scenes of the previous to movies. It was presumptuous that and audience would swallow that and a little like a super athlete getting caught up in his own hype.
It became a special effects movie in the end where it should have encapsulated what in my opinion was the original idea, a new fresh concept about this world that didn’t even exist, was built around computer programs, and therefore a human in that world could bend the physical rules.
Not a half an hour of machines shooting machines and an overload of special effects.
Spiderman 2 (2004)
This blog just missed me singing the praises of this movie when it first came out, so on top of every other reason, it was one more excuse to go and see it again now that it was at the cheap theaters this past Tuesday.
Here’s my thing with this movie, and most people can empathize with this.
Most people read books, and some people have characters that they love, whether it be from old TV shows like Mission Impossible, or cartoons like Scooby Doo, and there is nothing more thrilling to see these characters come to life on the big screen.
Comic books are looked down on for whatever reason, but they are basically books with pictures, and the characters are very dense with back story.
So when a comic themed movie that comes out like this one, you have to stand up and take notice, and here is why.
1. Realistic translation of the characters – You go to a movie to suspend some belief, and this is grounded just enough in reality to possibly be real.
2. Groundbreaking special effects – Seriously, when will you ever see the context for a guy swinging around those breath taking cityscape scenes, or the fights between Spidey and Doc. Ock on the train and building facades?
3. Relatable characters – This is especially true to the comic as Spiderman is a kid, who is just trying to make it by, that has this incredible weight of life to balance with everything. This movie has desire, struggle, inner demons and really makes you feel for Peter Parker.
4. Respect to the books – My problem with the first movie was that it was dumbed down, even past the necessary introduction to the characters to have painfully forced “moments” between Peter and Mary Jane and kind of cheesy dialogue that you can only assume was there because they were trying to appeal to a tag younger teenie audience. (To the disagreement of Chip Cullen, Jerry Davidson, and Avi Shertok, sorry guys). This time round, the dialogue was natural, it was a good translation of the character of Doc. Ock, and the action / violence didn’t seem as watered down.
So, I loved it, you can tell. It is not just because it is a comic book movie. Actually, some of the movies I hate the most are comic book movies, because they are that kind of “supernatural” experience that can flop even worse in a big screen translation.
There have been only four really solid Comic book movies ever in my opinion. First there was Batman, then Batman Returns (Michael Keaton’s tortured Bruce Wayne was prefect, silent, violent, and efficient), X-Men 2 for many of the same reasons as Spiderman 2 but even more so, and now…
Spiderman 2.
The Terminal(2004)
Another Steven Spielberg / Tom Hanks Triumph. Tom Hanks yet again carried this movie, making it interesting from the start to the end.
Tom plays Victor Navorski, a mild manner, genuinely nice guy whose country is in shambles after he makes the trip to America and is “forced” to live out of an airport in New York. A funny and touching movie, you laugh when Tom is having dinner with Catherine Zeta Jones and his Indian friend is juggling plates in the background, and you cry when he finally reveals what is in his Planters peanut jar and the “promise” that drove this trip to America and kept him going during nine months of life in an airport.
Only turned into Hollywood mush for a brief scene that doesn’t interrupt the main plot line, you have quirky relatable characters that you can empathize with, and you have a great original story, which really isn’t too common anymore.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t like this movie just a little, and the fact was that I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end.
It’s a movie with the classic “movie picture” kind of feel with old 50’s clothing, architecture and automobiles. Then you put that against a landscape of modern technology, robots, planes with gadgetry that would make Batman jealous, and dinosaur type animals and you have this great blend of the two.
Now, the naysayers of this film think it is stupid, probably for it’s plot. But I say this. It feels like what most people have for a stereotype of a 50’s movie. Things are a little “golly gee” and even the violence is hinted at but rarely shown, but you know that up front, so you shouldn’t expect some great in depth plot other than a mad scientist bent on cleansing the world and
starting anew in outer space.
It has this filtered look, glowing lights, rich slick colors that are never bright but are textured, and it has vision for design and pushing what a modern movie of real life actors and completely created scenery can be. There may be times where you say, gosh that looks a little unreal, but then for every “American Pie” and “Mean Girls” teenie movies that rely completely on the same concepts of sex and discovering, you have a movie that never existed.
You had some individuals that had to think of such a grand movie and then have the perseverance to give it life. You have got to respect that, and you have to expand you mind. See this movie and see what a different idea of a totally CG movie can be apart from the Matrix and the Star Wars movies.
Only turned into Hollywood mush for a brief scene that doesn’t interrupt the main plot line, you have quirky relatable characters that you can empathize with, and you have a great original story, which really isn’t too common anymore.
Christopher Reeve (1952-2004)
They say that death comes in three. But it seems to usually skip the entertainment history, depending on your opinion of a star.
I didn’t really know Christopher Reeve, at least not beyond his accident in 1995 when he fell off a horse and was permanently paralyzed. I have seen parts of the Superman movies he did, and I think that if I had seen them at the time I would have more of an appreciation for
them.
But like Michael Keaton’s Batman, Reeve seemed too small to play Superman, but at least Keaton brought the correct intensity and understanding into Batman’s psyche, where Reeve just seemed to play the stupid Clark Kent very well.
Gracious with his unlucky hand, he never seemed to complain whenever I saw him on TV, and I give him credit. He was probably tired and he finally gets a much deserved rest.
Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004)
Rodney Dangerfield (Jacob Cohen) passed away this week after complications in yet another heart surgery, he was 82.
I don’t really remember too much of Rodney except for his role as the wealthy eccentric in a certifiable classic, Caddyshack with Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. With those bug eyes, and the twitch of his collar, he was hardly a comic that you could forget.
Reign of Fire (2002)
I had wanted to see this movie when it came out, but it is hardly a chick flick and we always seemed to pass it over for a fear
of being really stupid. Dragons. Gruff tough guys. Killing and Slaying. But right away, I was pleasantly surprised.
The dialogue didn’t seem cheesy and forced, and even though some of the shouting and tense scenes were a little overacted and hard to empathize with some guys stressed out about dragons, Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale are two actors that don’t bring big actor egos with them. Christian Bale was a good choice, and McConaughey discarded his down home lawyer type image for a very convincing mercenary.
If you want good special effects, you see exploding beasts and fire galore. If you like Dragons this is probably the best movie with Dragons ever released with recent technology since Jurassic Park. So much fire, it’s intense, turn off you brain and enjoy. The end will blow you away.
