So, obviously, I'm starting this blog almost half way through the year. Over the course of the past six months I've (occasionally) been posting my thoughts on films I've been seeing on Tumblr but, let's be honest, Tumblr isn't exactly the best place for film criticism and I barely updated it anyway. This website is a much better format for film reviews, news, editorials and long-winded rants anyway. But, just so everybody that's actually going to read this blog knows what films I've seen in theaters so far this year, and what I've thought of them, I made up this little list below:
Chronicle (dir.)
OVERALL GRADE: B
To me, Chronicle felt more like a great TV pilot than a great film. By the time the movie ended, it seemed like only the first chapter in a much more complex, interesting world that the writers and directors had just barely begun to examine. There are a lot of interesting ideas up on the screen, some incredibly innovative action scenes (watching the main characters play football in the sky remains one of the most exhilarating sequences of the year) and an intelligent script filled with surprises. The characters' progressions towards good and evil felt natural and well paced. But, then, the film ends suddenly, leaving me with many questions. I truly hope that a sequel will eventually see the light of day.
The Lorax (dir.)
OVERALL GRADE: D+
Honestly, was this film an animated comedy or propaganda? I'm all for animated films being used to teach lessons towards young children and, in fact, I agree with the environmental message at the heart of this movie. But I've never seen an animated film get this damn preachy. From the opening musical number until the very last shot, the film shoves it's agenda down the throat of it's audience, forgetting to incorporate character development, an interesting plot, or even funny jokes into the mix. While the animation may look beautiful, this movie left me feeling shallow and with enough rage to chop down an entire forest.
21 Jump Street (dir.)
OVERALL GRADE: B+
So...Channing Tatum can act. Or, at the very least, he can be a funny leading man. 21 Jump Street proved to be the first major surprise of the year. This was a fast paced, well written and completely enjoyable comedy. The writers and directors wisely chose to acknowledge the fact that the movie was a shameless rip-off of a classic TV series within the first ten minutes and continued to remain self aware throughout, thus making the film feel surprisingly original. The movie also has a great pace to it, keeping the audience excited from beginning to end. And, yes, Channing Tatum is hilarious. So, no matter what you think you know about 21 Jump Street, keep an open mind and check it out. You'll probably be surprised.
The Hunger Games (dir. Gary Ross)
OVERALL GRADE: A-
I never read the books, but I really enjoyed The Hunger Games. If you ask me, any sort of back lash against the film is (in most cases) stemming from a sort of wave of hatred that follows any sort of film that is, for some substantial amount of time, popular or embraced by the masses. The minority of negative opinions during opening weekend become considerably louder as the film's popularity continues to grow, until such a hatred (unfortunately) becomes the status quo. But, I'm not here to discuss whether or not people like The Hunger Games. Personally, I don't care. All I know is that I thought this film was very well made, featured terrific performances, and kept me excited throughout. It may not be entirely original, but I can forgive that due to the way the film got me emotionally invested in the characters and impressed me with it's smart commentary on reality TV. Come at me, haters.
American Reunion (dir.)
OVERALL GRADE: B-
As a huge fan of the American Pie series (not the crappy straight to DVD 'sequels', the original trilogy), the idea of all the characters returning for an epic reunion seemed to good to be true. Unfortunately, with my expectations set so high, I could only brace for disappointment. What made the original trilogy so great was that amidst all the extremely crude (but somewhat accurate) depictions of horny high school/college guys was genuine heart. The four main characters were genuinely nice guys that you could root for and even relate to. They weren't trying to use girls for sex, they were actually interested in relationships and not hurting anybody's feelings. And, at the end of the films, the message was about their terrific friendship, not who got laid (even though, rest assured, they all got laid). To see the original group deal with wives, children, and a distinct lack of a sex life should have been much funnier than the actual film ended up being. There were too many characters, none of whom were all that interesting, most of the crude gags ended up failing and the plot lines, which including Jim trying to reignite his sex life, Finch falling for a sexy bartender and Kevin (yet again) falling for Vicky, were all pretty boring. It wasn't until the final scene, where virtually the entire original cast is brought back for a terrific and touching finale, that we see what the film really could have been.
The Cabin in the Woods (dir. Drew Goddard)
OVERALL GRADE: A+
As a huge fan of Joss Whedon, the wait to see Cabin in the Woods was particularly excruciating. Having heard about the film three years ago when it was originally set to be released, only to have to wait through tons of delays for it to finally arrive in theaters, was one of the words pains a movie nerd could ever encounter. Well, Cabin in the Woods was well worth the wait. This insanely original, balls to the walls hybrid of horror, sci-fi, action, comedy, and sheer nerdiness is virtually everything you could ask for in a horror film. It's quite simple; this film is incredible. The more horror films you've seen the more you will appreciate it. And, do not get anything spoiled for you. But, most importantly, go see it.
The Five Year Engagement (dir. Nicholas Stoller)
OVERALL GRADE: C-
Hands down the biggest disappointment of the year so far, The Five Year Engagement should have been the perfect date movie. After all, the last time Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel teamed up they graced us with one of my all time favorite comedies, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a film that only improves in quality each time I watch it. But, The Five Year Engagement, while still funny and with a terrific cast, is filled with flaws that come close to ruining the film. For one thing, the film never ends. It may only be 127 minutes, but it feels like 157, maybe more. At least twenty minutes could be cut, maybe more. Secondly, the film forces conflict unto the two main characters. None of the setbacks in their relationship feel like they actually had to happen, making it hard to sympathize or, really, even care. And, finally, I think this film is quite misogynistic. (Spoiler Warning Until the End of this Paragraph) At the end of the film, we are supposed to believe that it was all Violet's fault that their wedding was delayed so much because she tried to have her dream job. While her boyfriend's faults are depicted, the movie makes it quite clear that she should have compromised and not do what she wanted because her husband had insecurities and his own issues. It just annoyed me, especially since their last collaboration (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) had really well written, well developed female characters.
The Avengers (dir. Joss Whedon)
OVERALL GRADE: A+
I've talked about this film too much, so I'm going to make it quick. This is my favorite super hero film of all time, by far. It was as if somebody interviewed my ten year old self and asked him what he wanted to see in an action film (lots of explosions, cool characters, funny jokes, epic action, and a hot girl) and then somebody incorporated all of that into a well written, intelligent screenplay. It's my favorite film of the year so far and if it's not on my Top 10 list by the end of the year, I'd be surprised.
Men in Black III (dir.)
OVERALL GRADE: B-
OK, so the first third of this film is pretty awful. But, once the movie traveled back into the 1960s, I had a lot of fun. Josh Brolin really gave a great performance as Young Agent K, I liked the whole 'alternate dimension' idea, the action scenes were pretty entertaining, the ending was surprising, and I've had that Pitbull song stuck in my head since I first saw it. I don't love the movie nearly enough to talk about it anymore, and, to be honest, I've forgotten a lot about it anyway, but I had fun. That counts for something, right?
Snow White and the Huntsman (dir. Rupert Sanders)
OVERALL GRADE: C-
Charlize Theron is incredible. This film is not. I will say this; for a first time director, Rupert Sanders really knows how to direct exciting, lively, and well staged battle scenes. All the action sequences were fun. But, he still has much to learn about scenes of dialogue and story progression. Maybe it was the fact that we've (literally) seen this story countless times before, or maybe it was just that the characters in the film weren't all that interesting. But, regardless, when swords weren't clashing and armies weren't fighting, I had trouble to stay awake. That being said, Charlize Theron is simply incredible. She personifies evil in this movie, and chews the scenery without ever being distracting or too over the top. She deserved a better movie. Oh, and, just gonna say it, Kristen Stewart wasn't half bad in this movie.
Take This Waltz (dir. Sarah Polley)
OVERALL GRADE: B
This film is currently available on Video on Demand. I paid ten dollars to see it via iTunes, which is pretty good considering it's only going to be playing in around 100 theaters, if that, when it arrives in theaters later this month. So, for me to see it from the comfort of my bedroom, I'm pretty happy. Anyway, I recommend this to anybody who's interested in a mumble-core romance film that's bound to cause discussion about gender roles and modern relationships. I do have issues with this film, primarily that the film feels almost too 'indie movie' at times. Also, there's a completely obnoxious sex montage that feels way too over the top, and a scene of full frontal female nudity from like six different girls of varying ages and weights which feels incredibly pretentious and like it's in the film just because it can be. That being said, Michelle Williams is terrific (as always), while Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman are surprisingly good while not playing their go-to character archetype. Plus, I do love when films leave you contemplating the subject matter.
There you have it. I still have a number of films from this year I've yet to check out (off the top of my head: Haywire, The Grey, Goon, The Raid: Redemption and Prometheus) and you can expect reviews for those films and more later this month!
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