Up!

One of the headlines I saw for this movie read "Pixar does it again". If it weren't for the first twenty minutes of this movie, I'd say that headline sums it up pretty well. I like Pixar. I think they make terrific movies and most of this movie was as good as anything Pixar had ever done, but the first twenty minutes are downright spectacular. The opening sequence for this film is so good! We're talking "It's a Wonderful Life" good. I was absolutely enchanted. The rest of the movie was a ton of fun with some bits that choked me up because they referred back to the first twenty minutes. I would absolutely recommend that any and everybody rush out and see this movie right away.

I thought I'd add The Onion's review of Star Trek just to go along with Angie's.


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Star Trek: Beginnings

WARNING: SPOILERS
So I guess this really was a pretty good flick. I think I probably should have liked it more than I did. I think my biggest problem is just not being able to get over this problem I have with all of the spin-offs paling in comparison to my first love when it comes to Star Trek: the original series. I had a hard time with said original series kinda being obliterated in this movie. Perhaps if I'd known what I was getting into, I would have liked it better too. I thought I was going to get the "beginnings" for the Star Trek I adore. I didn't realize this movie was a springboard for a whole new Star Trek with an altered reality created so that these characters can be reused some more. I'll grant you, they're good characters; it makes sense that someone wants to squeeze everything out of them. It rubbed me wrong though. I will say, I thought the actors did a very good job of creating younger versions of the beloved characters. I really liked the portrayal of my favorite character, Leonard McCoy. I did have difficulty buying the romance between Spock and Uhura. If they could really be in love in another reality, it seems strange that in the reality with which we have thus far been familiar, we didn't ever even see a spark. I can't say it wasn't a pretty decent flick, but I can't say I wasn't disappointed.

Taken: Past Participle

Really a fantastic word. Of course, it allows us to create sentences such as, "My dear Wolfgang, have you taken it into your head to devour the neighbors' kittens again?" (Sorry, when writing sentences for the illustration of points of grammar, I still haven't gotten over writing them for the entertainment of seventh graders, who were generally quite fond of Wolfgang and his many foibles.) Also, "taken" can create a truly visceral feel when used properly. For example, as a movie title on a poster with Liam Neeson and a gun, Taken becomes a powerful word. I give the past participle, taken, two thumbs way up.

Taken

I'm not much of an action movie kind of a girl in a general sense, though I certainly have a soft spot in my heart for Big Trouble in Little China (who doesn't?). Car chases and buildings blowing up are not generally what I'm looking for in a movie. This was a good action movie. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Not too much time spent blowing up stuff and car chasing (just enough). Good story. Good acting. And, hey, isn't that movie poster excellent?

Hellboy II

How can you not love Hellboy? The quirky characters and the dialogue are excellent. This one may not have quite lived up to the level of Hellboy I, but it came close. As always, the good guys are fabulous, and I thought the villain in this one was wonderful too. Here's my favorite line---Hellboy's comment on marriage, "I'd give my life for her, but she wants me to do the dishes." For those of you out there who are thinking Hellboy is beneath you, I point out that Rotten Tomatoes listed the film as Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy in their 10th Annual Golden Tomato Awards. It has also been nominated for an Oscar for Best Makeup.

Hancock---Movie, not Founding Father

I loved the first 45 minutes or so of this movie. The bum superhero getting a PR agent (Smith and Bateman are excellent in their roles)---good stuff. Then the plot takes a dive. (I know they had to bring on a bigger conflict to take the movie to a climax, but man, I wish they'd found another way.) To make a long story short, after what I would call an egregiously bad plot twist, the film pretty much loses most of its appeal. Still, I highly recommend the beginning. I think this movie was almost a classic.