Friday, March 30, 2012

Chronicle


Found footage is an interesting genre of film. It lets you get away with lower production values. But it can also become a lazy man tool. It is mostly used in conjunction with the horror genre. But now we have a merger of the superhero and found footage. An origin tale in the first degree.

I would compare this film mostly to Unbreakable. In this case, three high school kids find a weird glowing rock in the forest. After coming in contact with it, they start to develop mental powers (telepathy and flight, etc). Of course you can't have a movie with a protagonist and an antagonist. One uses their powers for good, one uses their powers for evil.

For what it is, the movie is surprisingly good. The special effects are cool and look realistic. But more than that, the kids who are in the movie portray their predicament in a way that's believable. You feel for these guys. Like Magneto and Professor X, who were once friends but are now enemies.

Did you enjoy it?
Sure.

Would you see it in theaters again?
No.

Would you buy it?
No.

Would you rent it?
Unlikely.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
Maybe.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Ghost Rider 2


The first Ghost Rider movie was pretty bad. The sequel had promise (in theory) because the gonzo minds behind the Crank movies were going to be making it. Nope. Ghost Rider is 0 for 2. It is just terrible. And to add on top of it, it doesn't even have good 'crazy' Nic Cage.

On the minuscule bright side, Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from Buffy) is in the movie for a split second.

Did you enjoy it?
Nope.

Would you see it in theaters again?
Heck No.

Would you buy it?
Pass.

Would you rent it?
Negative.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
No.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Adventures of Tin Tin


With so many great people involved in bringing this Belgian Comic to the big screen, you would think it would be a lock. Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright. But the result is somewhat hollow experience. Plus I took my 3D glasses off for a while during the movie and a lot of it technically wasn't in 3D. So, that's a bummer.

I would love to talk to someone who liked the comic and see what they thought. But supposedly most of the fans are European. I'm not Continental enough. My main problem with the story is that Tin Tin really has no business being involved in all the mystery. At any single point during the movie, he could just walk away. He has no real invested interest.

The story starts with Tin Tin buying a model ship at an open market. Just by chance there are two other people who show up really wanting to buy it. Good ole happenstance. Then he keeps getting attacked because our "villain" wants the boat. He discovers a map, goes on a wild cross country adventure, and finds out the treasure was in his heart the whole time. Or something like that. After the first few gunfights, I'd probably bow out.

It is an assault on the senses and more than anything, a letdown. Plus it lives in the uncanny valley.

Did you enjoy it?
Eh.

Would you see it in theaters again?
No.

Would you buy it?
No.

Would you rent it?
No.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
Probably not.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (USA)


I do not understand people. Now, I enjoyed the story told in movie (and I would guess more graphically in the book that I haven't read). But how this can become a nation's best seller, I have no idea. The things that happen here are the type of things that supposedly appall middle America (which, you know, I'm from, so forget stereotypes).

The plot for those of you living under a rock involves a disgraced journalist and a psychotic / autistic heroine solving a years old mystery. Spoiler alert, it turns out the woman who disappeared isn't dead. And one of the cousins is a Nazi murderer.

This is book one of a three book trilogy. They were all made in Sweden (the origin of the novels) a few years ago. They were released in America by Music Box Films (the distribution wing of the Music Box Theatre on Southport Ave in Chicago).

I do love what David Fincher does with these movies. I still have to go back and watch the foreign versions on Netflix Instant, but I doubt I will enjoy them anymore than what he did. It's just a dark movie with weird characters and another great Reznor / Finch soundtrack.

Did you enjoy it?
Yes.

Would you see it in theaters again?
Yes.

Would you buy it?
No.

Would you rent it?
Yes.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
Yes.