Current Movies: Thumbs UP or DOWN?

[frogboy4]

I decided to start another one of these threads purely for new releases that are in theaters or just about to hit. I see one or two movies a week. In the past two months I've seen "X-Men: First Class", "Beginners", "Super-8", "Troll Hunter", "Green Lantern", "Bad Teacher", "Cars 2", "Transformers: Dark of the Moon", "Larry Crowne", "Horrible Bosses", "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II" and "Friends With Benefits". I'll spare you some of the independent films because they were terrible and had no redeeming qualities. You're welcome.

I'm rating on an academic percentage like Rotten Tomatoes does because it allows for nuance:
A = 100-90
B = 89-80
C = 79-70
D = 69-60
F = 59-0
(anything 60 or above is passing)

All swim and include your reviews and/or reactions!

The return of X-Men in "First Class" is impressive, but it hangs onto too much of the incorrect legacy presented in the previous films. This is a prequel dressed as a reboot. It is gorgeous and I enjoyed it. There were some missed opportunities that could have been prevented if they'd just started the slate clean. 79%

"Beginners" features Ewan McGregor coming to terms with his father coming out of the closet and dying of cancer. It's a remarkably enjoyable sleeper of a film. I highly recommend this sweet, funny drama for viewers with refined tastes. 89%

"Super 8" is a nostalgic take on the late 70's-early 80's Spielberg genre film. It's alright. Nothing to rave about and maybe that's the point. I couldn't help but feel that they didn't really resolve all the havoc and carnage at the end. Worth seeing. 79%

Foreign film "Troll Hunter" is basically "Blair Witch" without the snot shots and if you actually did see quite a bit of the witch! It's needlessly long yet entertaining. Some Muppet fans will appreciate the trolls. 75%

I enjoyed Ryan Reynolds as "Green Lantern"; it's the rest of the film that kind of blows. They effects are wonderful. They spent enough on them so that's expected! The script just wasn't there. I felt bored and disconnected. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate this film. Kids will love it! I expected more considering that they reportedly spent upwards of $300 million (well over 2M to make it and the rest to fix post production and promotional issues). That's the same budget of the entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy! 70%

"Bad Teacher" is a good idea on paper and it does star Jason Segel so I gave it a shot. Meh. The best bits are in the trailer. The rest of the film is spent tediously connecting those outrageously funny bits through luke-warm comedy filler. It's worth a NetFlix. 65%

I've already expressed my views on "Cars 2" or "Mater's Movie". I love Pixar, yet I'm not one of those fans that believed they hung the moon. They have some pictures out there I haven't raved about. "Cars", "Bug's Life", the last 2/3 of "Wall-E" and "UP" were fine films that didn't really do much for me. We all have our faves. The Cars franchise is on my personal bottom rung. This film was bright, quick, colorful and mostly made for the Hot Wheelz buying youngsters. In that it succeeds. There are some very funny moments. It's just not up to Pixar's usual quality storytelling. 80%

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is probably the best of the three films. That's not saying much. I enjoyed the first half of the picture with its minor "fraggle-bot" sort of characters and the humorous moments with the human cast. It's when the robots show up in poorly paced, never ending metal-on-metal action sequences that it loses me. The last hour had me checking my watch every 5 minutes. I don't understand what people see in these pictures. The character design doesn't even retain any of the clean, elegant lines of the animated series. It's not terrible. I just could have lived my life never seeing this movie and being perfectly okay with it. No real human connection or heartbeat to this franchise. No wonder its lead star is hopping off. 69%

I'm no Roberts or Hanks fan. Saying that, "Larry Crowne" surprised me. There's not much to say about the film that you don't know from the trailers except to mention that it's witty and remarkably well written. Maybe not worth the price of admission. Definitely worth a NetFlix. 80%

"Horrible Bosses" received rave reviews. Not by me! It's okay. Once again the best bits are in the previews and there isn't anything in this movie that can't be seen watching a comedy on FX. That's not an insult. It's worth a NetFlix or dollar showing. 70%

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II" is a fitting end to the series. A lot of action. I won't give anything away. It's bloody, but not really that frightening or suspenseful. Nothing haunted me about the movie after departing the theater like the last films. Maybe it's supposed to do that. It was evidently shot on digital film and that pulled me out of the story a bit. I liked this movie a lot. I didn't love it as expected. Definitely theater worthy. Out of respect for the entire series, I give it a 90%

Who'd have thought "Friends With Benefits" would actually be funny? It is! Yes, we've seen this movie before. Just not with such charming leads that actually have chemistry together. Woody Harrelson steals every scene that he's in. I would show up to a film featuring just that character! The movie introduces a recent trend of casual relationships and spends the rest of the time disproving the premise in a non-judgmental way. The way they walked that tightrope was rather inspired. Not the best movie, not the worst. Worth a matinee for those into funny romantic comedies that aren't trying too hard. 75%

Next up is "Captain America".

Post your reviews, reactions and conversations here for what's in the theaters now!

 

[D'Snowth]

The only movie I've seen so far this year is Rango, to which I give a thumbs up - it turned out to be a lot better than I anticipated, it was a really clever modern-day send-up of old western movies and tales of corporate greed.

Other than that, I still boycott Friends With Benefits for promoting unlawful sexual acts, something the media needs to stop doing, as it contributes to the ongoing moral decay of today's modern contemporary society.

 

[frogboy4]

The only movie I've seen so far this year is Rango, to which I give a thumbs up - it turned out to be a lot better than I anticipated, it was a really clever modern-day send-up of old western movies and tales of corporate greed.

Other than that, I still boycott Friends With Benefits for promoting unlawful sexual acts, something the media needs to stop doing, as it contributes to the ongoing moral decay of today's modern contemporary society.

I agree with "Rango". Not everybody seemed to understand that it was a beautifully animated spaghetti western. It wasn't supposed to have pop music and plush marketability.

I understand why someone wouldn't approve the activities portrayed in modern film. "Friends With Benefits", except for the title, promotes casual sex no more or less than any other average movie on the market. I won't really support of defend it except to say that it ultimately supports traditional values far more than most pictures and does so in a refreshingly sweet, non-preachy way. I haven't seen that in a long time. If one objects to this film on the grounds of promoting casual sex, then there are countless other, greater offenders dating back to the invention of talkies that need to be added to to the list.

I don't know what "unlawful sexual acts" you mean. I'm not sure if your intent is completely serious because your terminology evokes an image of SNL's Church Lady in my head. Casual sex is religiously immoral in many theologies, but that's not legally binding in this country - thank God! I don't need anyone arbitrarily assessing the legitimacy of my social calendar. The media is not really all one entity. Such blanket blame for the shortcomings of humanity is an oversimplification of a complex issue. I don't really know what else to say other than that.

 

[Oscarfan]

"Cars 2" wasn't their best film, but no one really expected it to be. Before I saw it, I knew that it's Pixar; I wouldn't hate it. And I didn't. But, I didn't love it like I love their other films. I'd give it what you have and an 80%.

 

[Drtooth]

I enjoyed Ryan Reynolds as "Green Lantern"; it's the rest of the film that kind of blows. They effects are wonderful. They spent enough on them so that's expected! The script just wasn't there. I felt bored and disconnected. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate this film. Kids will love it! I expected more considering that they reportedly spent upwards of $300 million (well over 2M to make it and the rest to fix post production and promotional issues). That's the same budget of the entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy!

Green Lantern is a movie that demands a sequel if only because they spent so much time establishing the origin of the Green Lanterns and what they were and how a human became the Green Lantern and how this and how that and who this is and who that is... There's so much back story that... spoiler alert... Sinestro doesn't even become a villain yet. A minute long segment near the end of the credits hints at it, but it doesn't happen in the movie. We had some weird alien cloud that turns some guy into Rocky Dennis being the main villain.

A sequel could be nothing short of an improvement, because all the clumsy origin stuff is out of the way, and we can get into some real fun. Still, I think everyone's a bit too hard on this film because of the origin paradox. Basically, you have to recap everything for people who don't read comics, all the while ticking off comic geeks that HATE seeing the same rehash of the same origin, especially when they change it to fit the plot.

And Killowagg was only in there for 5 minutes. He's like the Darth Maul of Green Lantern... the BEST character in the movie that gets virtually no screentime.

I agree with "Rango". Not everybody seemed to understand that it was a beautifully animated spaghetti western. It wasn't supposed to have pop music and plush marketability.

I'm pretty annoyed with the fact the movie was under marketed. I mean, I still am assaulted with unsellable Planet 52 and Terminator Salvation crap that will never disappear from the shelves when I walk into TRU or any clearance store... would it have killed them to make a couple Rango figures that I wouldn't have to get out of a BK kid's Meal? (still couldn't get Rango... got the Rattlesnake and Beans, and the rest of the "toys" were pure garbage... I mean, a fake necklace, crappy playing cards and a light up badge?) I want to see Neca make at the very least a single Rango figure in some assortment. I mean, that would be a potentially beautiful sculpt.

It was a brilliant film, and I liked the parallel/reference to Fear and Loathing... of all the animated movies I saw this year, Kung Fu Panda, Hoodwinked, Pooh, Cars... it was the clear and present best of the bunch... and I gotta say, Panda, Cars and Pooh were fine films. And the best part, Rango actually FELT like a PG movie. They mildly cussed for crying out loud!

 

[frogboy4]

I'd like a Rango figure too! Poor Killowagg. They couldn't afford his screentime!

Ah, and yes I'm gonna see the Smurfs. I'll wear a big floppy hat to conceal my face. I know it's going to be bad, but my curiosity won't allow me to miss it. Incidentally, the DVD will have a much buzzed about new Christmas Special featuring CG and traditional animation of the Smurfs set within their village. That's something. You know, maybe they should have done the whole movie that way?

 

[Drtooth]

Ah, and yes I'm gonna see the Smurfs. I'll wear a big floppy hat to conceal my face. I know it's going to be bad, but my curiosity won't allow me to miss it. Incidentally, the DVD will have a much buzzed about new Christmas Special featuring CG and traditional animation of the Smurfs set within their village. That's something. You know, maybe they should have done the whole movie that way?

I'm too disgusted by multiple things in the film.

I can honestly take the celebrity voice recasts (somehow I think Abby Cadabby herself, Leslie Carrera-Rudolph should play Smurfette in smaller projects... listen to Abby and Lucille Bliss's Smurfette, and they have the same scratchy quality). I've been annoyed by the premise of them going out into the real world, especially since everyone knows time traveling Smurfs was something NBC cooked up to keep people watching 9 years later (and a bad plan it was... ever SEE those episodes? The annoying Chapanese-ness of Karate Clumsy haunts my dreams)... but I was willing to give that a shot if I saw a good preview. Even the fact that they made Smurfette a Kick@## Princess character wouldn't have bugged me. heck, at one point, I was saying, I'll see this for Neil and Hank. Even the ugly character designs...

The whole... Chipmunks wanna be butt jokes and treating the characters with that same lame Brady Bunch mocking pop culture characters bit just rubs me the wrong way. As a fan of Franco-Belgian comics, I'm willing to accept the fact that the US will never see them as anything but some stupid 80's fad (they treat TMNT the same way... they NEVER uttered Cowabunga in the comics which are superior)... but the fact they made a poo and fart kiddy flick just.... it really seems like they knew they made a terrible film and stuffed it near the end of the Summer movie period when cheap romantic comedies and odd documentaries come out.

Biggest clue? NO MOVIE MERCHANDISE, except for a McD's Kid's Meal and a Build a Bear line. Why, this whole thing is turning me into a black purple Smurf... GNAP! GNAP! GNAP!!

 

[beakerboy12]

For me, I've seen a lot of new movies lately. I'll do a few ratings/reviews here!

Super 8 - I really liked this movie! It was very cool, the story was written well (kudos to J.J. Abrams). It was a little reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's movie, but I liked that. The acting was fantastic, I loved the real relationships between the characters (i.e. Joe and his dad, Joe and Alice). I think it's really worth seeing! I give the movie a 90%

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - This movie is absolutely positively fantastic! A perfect ending to the series! Now, while I have not read the book (nor any of the other ones in the series), I love this movie! I felt like there could've been more closure for the characters, but this was a great movie. Another little critisism I might give is that they could've had a little less fight scenes, those scenes took up some of the time. But overall, I love this movie and I give this movie a 95%

Winnie the Pooh - Classic Disney! Great animation, great story, great voice actor portrayal! Very nostalgic! Fans of Disney, Pooh, A.A. Milne, or hand-drawn animation go see this! I give it a 94%

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - This was a great movie (this coming from someone who's only seen this movie and none of the others). Anyway, the production was great, the acting was fantastic! Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz did awesome! I give this 86%

Those are a few of the ones I've seen! I might do more later, but these are them for now, I guess.

 

[BoomerangFish]

I was disappointed with Harry Potter pt. 2 for varying reasons. I expected to see certain things... and didn't. So it was a bit of a let down. I'd still give it a 85%, though.

 

[Drtooth]

Addendum...

Apparently there's a Rango cake Topper.... saw it in a bakery window...

Still, that and Despicable Me needed more toys. DM only got impossible to win crane game plush of the minions. And hand soap

I might as well give a rundown of everything I saw this year so far...

Yogi Bear: Yogi and Booboo good... Marty Stu and Mary Sue relationship BAD, use of I like Big Butts Ultra Bad D-- (It just skirts getting an F, but unlike certain movie they manage to at least get the main 2 characters and setting right. And Justin Timberlake does an amazing BooBoo... which is frightening)

Rango:What more can me say? A+

Hoodwinked 2: Considering that the film was ripped out of capable hands, shoved into the hands of script doctors, had obvious ADR jokes, and studio chicanery, it DID make me laugh in parts. Plus, I love Patrick Warburton in like 90% of everything he's in (HATE Rules of Engagement, though). And I do love how the original creators and writers of the first film were ticked off at how the studio screwed them... C-- (skirting a D for the Train sequence. The movie was good for at least that)

Kung Fu Panda 2: I loved the first one, but there was something about this one that popped. Maybe it was the darker concepts, maybe I actually felt too bad for Po in the beginning of the first one, maybe the Tigress was more personable and likable in this one. Actually, it was probably the fact they gave Jackie Chan's character more lines and made him comical (if you're a fan of the Chan, you know that's important). I still find the first one a complete turning point for Dreamworks that lead them to better stuff, but this one seemed even more like a genuine Kung Fu comedy film than a movie about a talking animal doing something that's popular at the moment... A

Green Lantern: said it before... needs a sequel. The sequel is bound to be better, but I liked this film just fine. That is, I looked past the obvious "we need to establish EVERYTHING" info dump and accepted it. B-

Cars 2: So help me... why on Earth I enjoyed this more than the first one I'll never be able to calculate. I panned the idea of them being spies at first, ditto Mater being the star of the film... but there was just something about this movie. The conspiracy theory about oil, the fact they got out of a dusty, grimy Podunk town and showed us some choice scenery... I'm amazed at how much fun I felt this film was. I want a Pope Pinion die cast! I give Pixar A's outright so... A-

Winnie the Pooh: The only negative I can think of with this film was the shockingly short running time. Beautiful 2-D animation with hardly any CGI assistance, wonderful music, felt like an old time Pooh short. I hope to see Backson merchandise one of these days! A+