It’s A Wonderful Life, Shrek Style
That tag line pretty much sums up the premise of the movie, except that it isn’t Christmas, there is no angel named Charlie and Jimmy Stewart is not in it. However, the idea is the same.Like the late Mr Stewart’s character in It’s a Wonderful Life, our hero Shrek finds himself lamenting his life and wishing for the “old days” obviously taking all the good things for granted. As if mirroring that famous Christmas tale Shrek finds himself in an alternate universe in which he was never born. After that, the similarities cease.
As a matter of fact, Shrek doesn’t end up in the alternate version of Far, Far Away by some angelic magic, oh no. (Spoiler) Instead he gets tricked by Rumpelstiltskin into trading a day from his past in order to have a single day of nostalgia. Sure enough, Shrek gets his wish, but soon finds out exactly which day he gave up and to make matters worse, he only has one day to reverse it all. I’ll say no more of the plot as I don’t want to ruin the movie for those who have not seen it yet.
The film itself was as fun as I expected a Shrek movie to be. It had sight gags and the usual “punny” jokes, such as Donkey calling Puss a “Cat-tastrophe” and Puss retorting, ” And you? You are re-donk-ulous!” Honestly, it works in all its…um…cuteness. The 3D was done well and it added to the feel of the movie quite nicely. Overall, it is an excellent movie and a great addition to the quadrology-or is that Shrekology. Anyway, it is a lot of fun and great for a family night out.
My only critique of the entire film is that the ending is slightly anticlimactic. Everything ends as expected, happy ending and all. Not that I didn’t want it to end the way that it did, but it really would have been nice if there had been a bit more tension build up throughout the story so that it could end spectacularly. Maybe its just me and I prefer more drama in my films. Were I the director of Shrek Forever After I would have caused the audience to have a little more doubt in Shrek’s ability to succeed in his task.
In the end, Shrek Forever After does its thing and does it with true Shrek style and ultimately, the message is clear: It truly is a wonderful life, whether you’re Shrek, James Stewart, or just the average kid on the block.
This Isn’t Your Mother’s Robin Hood
Nor is it the Robin Hood we have all grown to know and love as a matter of fact. It isn’t the complete opposite either since director Ridley Scott chose to tell the story from a historically accurate point of view. Were you to compare this installment of Robin Hood with any of the versions from previous decades, it appears to be a completely different film.
There is no dashing handsome swashbuckler like Errol Flynn, a fox a la Disney’s Robin Hood(which, by the way is the most recognizable version around the world), or even Keira Knightly as a female offshoot of the legendary Robin Hood (Disney’s Princess of Thieves). Most especially it is not a certain Kevin Costner movie-what was the name? Oh Yes.-Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The latter being the only one I know of to attempt a historical version of the story although the only historical aspect was that Robin Hood returned to England following his time fighting for King Richard in the Crusades.
In Ridley Scott’s take on the famous legend we learn much the same thing and that Robin Hood is known as Robin Longstride. An archer in the King’s army.
Perhaps the most notable and confounding thing in this version of Robin Hood is that Robin and his merry men are only seen stealing from the kingdom of England once in order to save the village of Nottingham. This action alone does not even make him an outlaw. As a matter of fact, Robin and his friends end up helping to save England from an invasion. At some point in the middle of the film I realized that I was not watching the story of Robin Hood the outlaw hero of Nottingham, but rather the story of how he became that outlaw.
In short, Robin Hood, starring Russel Crowe and Kate Blanchette is not a film about a man outwitting a corrupt English government, but rather the story of a common Englishman discovering his own history and rising up to protect his country and the people he loves ultimately becoming a hero of the people.
The film is entertaining and informative film at best yet not as emotionally riveting as I would have liked, but if by chance Ridley Scott gets his sequel we will see the hero Robin Hood we are expecting to see.
Iron Man 2 Shoot’s to Thrill
When I first saw the trailers for Iron Man 2 I was pretty thrilled to see that Mickey Rourke would be the villain and was slightly disappointed that Terence Stamp would not be reprising his role as Lt Col Rhodes. Before you correct me, a Lt Col is called “colonel” because it’s just easier to say. Every soldier knows that the silver maple leaf indicates the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. At least, in the Air Force and Army it does. I say slightly disappointed, because I think that Don Cheadle is a great actor.
What really does get to me about Iron Man 2 is the mixed reviews. I personally feel that the sequel is better than the first, while some weren’t so impressed. I won’t name names because they are entitled to their opinion and own personal experience.
So, without further delay I’ll tell you why I think it is so great.
First and foremost, the effects are spectacular. I am still in awe with the holographic computer interface that Tony Stark uses in his lab/
garage. Really, I hope that’s what computers are like in the near future. Imagine telling your Grandchildren; “We used to have these things called a mouse and a keyboard.” and they look at you completely clueless for a reference. Another thing about the effects that impressed me is showing Tony and Dusty with their face plates up while in the armor if I hadn’t already known about the effect I would not have been able to tell. Trust me, I have an eye for visual effects though I’m no expert at making them. That’s ILM’s job.
Secondly, the chemistry between Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr was fantastic. I was really expecting to see Pepper and Tony to have an all out fight. I’m glad they didn’t though because that would have added a bit more drama than was necessary. More precisely, the whole cast worked extremely well together. A testament to Jon Favreau’s directing ability.
Third, the characters themselves. From returning characters Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Happy the chauffeur, and James “Rhodey” Rhodes who in and of themselves bring a plethora of entertainment; to Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), Natasha Romanoff/Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johannsen),Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and Senator Stern (Gary Shandling) we get a very well-rounded cast who only help in creating the world of Iron Man. Let’s not forget Jarvis, Tony Stark’s well-mannered computer AI voiced by Paul Betanny who really adds to the awe I have with Tony Stark’s computer. In this installment, there are so many characters; including Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) that we can choose to either love or hate. Who else wanted to slap Senator Stern upside the head? I did. Sorry Gary, but you did your job and made a unlikeable character unlikable. Likewise, everyone else played their parts with equal skill and dedication. I want to see the movie a third time just so I can once again watch Scarlett Johannsen beat the tar out of…I think its seven security guards in the time it takes Happy to defeat one.
Other than the fact that the film is very entertaining with a splendid mix of humor, action and drama, Iron Man 2 gives us a better idea of who Tony Stark is; how he deals with his own mortality, the responsibilities of being a lover, a hero and heir to a legacy. The story also provides an almost teasing amount of information about S.H.E.I.L.D. Just enough to get wondering about this organization.
After all is said and done, Iron Man 2 does what it should. It entertains and wets our appetites for another sequel and does it superbly with style. To borrow from AC/DC whose music is in the movie, Iron Man 2 does unapologetic-ally “Shoot to Thrill”.
Kick Ass Rocked, Hit Girl “Killed”
Yes. I said it. Kick Ass did rock, and yes I did say that Hit Girl “killed”. There really is no pun intended, not really because the character Hit Girl did her fair share of killing bad guys. In fact, I think she killed the most. I’ll have to see it again to be sure. However, there is a reason I put the word in quotations.
Ever hear a comedian say that they “killed ’em” after a set? What they are meaning is that they did so good that the audie
nce couldn’t stop laughing.
So, when I say that Hit Girl killed it i mean it as a little bit of a pun, because her the character does literally kill; with great efficiency. However, she is also a satirical effigy of Batman’s famous sidekick, Robin who, in the late nineties comic book series Robin II and Robin III, was a twelve-year-old boy. It was obvious to me what the intent was. Why else have her be the sidekick of Batmanesque Big Daddy played by Nicholas Cage; who by the way, paid excellent homage to Adam West’s nineteen sixties Batman with his… Certain. Way. Of speaking.
Truly, Hit Girl(Chloe Moretz) has struck a nerve. Some reviews have been less than accepting of the character, perhaps because the idea of a twelve-year-old girl having to be more violent and foul-mouthed than the adults trying to kill her is hard to fathom. Yet, I can’t help but think that if children were able to protect themselves as effectively, without killing or course, would be kidnappers and child molesters would think twice least they get their sensitive area served to them or at the minimum, a brutal thrashing.
Personally, I don’t condone vigilantism. But, Kick Ass is not necessarily a movie about vigilantes. It is a story about that last straw, the one that makes a person stand up and say, “I’ve had enough and you’re not pushing me around anymore.” It is for that reason I like this movie and if you don’t have any qualms about seeing Hit Girl do her thing go see Kick Ass. If not, don’t.
Hello world!
Welcome to Cinema Peek, a blog where I talk about movies and others can share their own opinions about those same films. I realize there are many other film bloggers out there on the internets, however I hope that my own perspective is unique enough that all who read my future posts will enjoy them as much as I enjoy writing them.
Stay tuned for my first official review which I will post tomorrow and stay tuned for future posts which I will try to place on here once a week. If I had the time, I’d post something once a day, but alas, I have a life outside of blogging and this is only something I do on the side. Who knows, eventually it could turn into something bigger, like an official website.
In addition to my own reviews I will have links to my twitter page and an archive of past writings and I plan to add pages about video games and music to the blog also.
I look forward to seeing how well Cinema Peek does and reading everyone’s responses. Let’s have fun and enjoy our favorite medium.
Avatar, 2012, Alice In Wonderland
>Recently, I realized that it has been quite a few months since my last post or even my last review of any movies. Perhaps the culprit is the fact that going back to school and working full time has a unique way of sucking a person’s free time away. Fortunately, I have the ability to take a little time away from the rigor of online college courses and with some of that time decided to finally post a few thoughts about at three highly anticipated films released over the last four months.
Avatar had to be the most anticipated movie of 2009 and I was no different in my own excitement to see it. In my mind, the film instantly became a classic and will now be listed among director James Cameron‘s best films. Even by the third time viewing the film I could not help but be pulled into the world that Cameron created with its lush and awe inspiring visuals and storyline that parallels so many of the issues that exist out here in the real world. For this film enthusiast, there was no surprise in Avatar’s win at the Golden Globes. This is one title that I will certainly be adding to my home collection.
2012 was another film that was slated to be a huge hit at the box office, which it was and rightfully so, the special effects were nothing short of breathtaking as we watched Los Angeles literally fall to pieces and Yellowstone explode and yet, as I watched an epically gargantuan wave crest over the Alps and overwhelm a Buddhist monastery, I couldn’t help but wonder if this film was really about the disaster being depicted, or if it was more about survival of the human race. Without a doubt, the effects drew in the audience and may have been part of why we all remained glued to our seats, but it was the story of a family already struggling to survive having to overcome their differences and come together in order to escape what appeared to be certain death, that makes the film worth seeing.
The third film I’d like to mention is Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. The film itself has earned a few mixed reviews; mostly from critics and that is perhaps due to the fact that the film is not a direct interpretation of the famous Lewis Carroll stories Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Instead, we are given a story about a much older Alice who is now on the cusp of becoming a woman in society at the age of nineteen whom, when presented with the prospects of her expected future, takes a “moment” which turns into an adventure in Wonderland. Despite the mixed reviews, Alice in Wonderland is a spectacular film and Tim Burton as always, creates a unique vision of a world and invites us all for a ride and the 3D effects only help to immerse the audience in the experience that is Wonderland. If you have not seen this yet, go. It is well worth it.
With spring upon us and summer just a month or two away, I look forward to what the cinema has in store for us with such films as Prince of Persia, Avatar: The Last Air Bender and Robert Rodriguez’ Predators as well as the re-envisioned Nightmare on Elm Street. Hopefully, there will be much fun to be had at the movies this year.
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>The Michael Jackson I never knew.
>
Image by #LUC!EN via Flickr
Tonight was a night that I have been waiting over a month for. With tickets in hand I joined my parents as we entered the theater to see Michael Jackson‘s This Is It. To say that the movie was awesome would somehow be selling it short because This Is It is more than just a film or even a documentary.
This Is It represents something more akin to viewing the most recent pictures or home movies of a family member or friend who has recently passed away. My feelings while experiencing this event-because that is what it really is-were not unlike the feelings I have when I see pictures of my grandfather that were taken months before his passing. The difference being that some of the footage used to make This Is It was taken weeks,days;perhaps even hours before Michael’s death.
Here was a side of Michael Jackson I never knew. I watched in amazement as an undeniably healthy Michael rehearsed and perfected a show that would have been beyond anything I would have expected. He danced and sang with so much energy that much of the time I forgot he was fifty years old. Michael knew his music so well that it seemed to emanate from him. Like the music was an extension of the man.
Nothing could impress me more than to see the man whose music and influence have worked into my very soul, do what he did best and do it effortlessly. I swear that the dancers he chose worked harder to keep up with Michael than he did to glide across the stage.
This Is It brings to our attention the truth of Michael Jackson’s last days on Earth. He was at the top of his game, ready for the comeback of a lifetime. That chance was taken away the moment he was killed.
My heart hurts once again as I grieve once more for the passing of a mentor who never knew how special he was to me. At least now I know from seeing This Is It how much it meant to Michael to heal the world through music and how special all those who love him were to him.
>In Flight
>I fly through the night on winged engine.
The clouds are an ocean,
this vessel my ship.
I peer through the dimness.
The moon,
rising above the horizon;
Smiles at me
in its dainty way.
This gladdens my heart
assuring me
That good has come of this day.
So now I depart
In airborne flight
To a new but familiar place.
Where I will find
The moon unchanged
>The Wonderful World of Social Networks
>Let me tell you what my experience has been so far with Social Networks.
It really all started years ago when I discovered Instant Messaging and texting. How wonderful it was that I could type a few sentences-or sentence-press or click send and Viola! Someone either instantly sees it in their chat window or on their phone. Beautiful!
In 2000 I was introduced to something called MyFamily.com which is a website that hosts a family web page to which family members and invited friends can post family news, pictures and personal views within the confines of that group. To me, this was an even more convenient way for families to communicate. Yes there was and is still email, but this was something else. It was like having the entire family in one room having a conversation with family members popping in and out having their say or just observing within a few hours,days or even weeks. I never thought it could be done on a global scale. That is, until I discovered MySpace.
I joined the ranks of MySpacers in 2006 when the group I was hanging out with and co workers all mentioned that they had MySpace accounts.I quickly discovered that it was nothing like MyFamily.com. There were similarities in that a person could post pictures and information, but that is where it ended.
MySpace allowed me my own personal page with a background and even a song that I was into at the moment. It also allowed me to post a brief message on how I was feeling or what I was on my mind and I could decide who to share it all with, on a global scale! I was enjoying MySpace and all its intricacies when my sister began telling me about Facebook so, I joined that too.
Facebook has a lot in common with MySpace except that you can’t choose your own background. A major difference at first were the applications. With Facebook one can take a quiz about their personality traits, then share and compare the results with all of their friends. This was eventually picked up by MySpace.
Earlier this Summer I decided to open this blog in order to post film reviews I had written. After doing so, I felt that I needed to get more exposure for my blog.
I began by simply copying the URL and pasting it in my Facebook update. A few days later, I saw that a friend who has a blog had re-posted all of her blog entries to Facebook. Upon inquiry she told me how to link my blog to Facebook. Still curious for other avenues, I researched online and managed to find Triond, a website that lets writers publish and share their writing while gaining a small profit.
It was the sharing part that intrigued me the most and I added myself to Triond. It was through that website that I discovered Twitter and Newsvine, but there was noway to add my articles to this blog or to my Facebook easily. This caused me to quit using Triond and stick with Twitter and Newsvine which have both already gotten me more exposure than either Triond or this blog by itself has.
In truth, all of the social networks have made the world seem smaller and the business of networking yourself easier not to mention your favorite celebrities more accessible.
Social Networking is the wave of the future and hopefully we all learn to ride it soon.
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