01.21.12
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 10:41 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
It’s taken me a month to get the theater to check out the first of two movies Mr. Spielberg has out right now. Despite the credits reading like a who’s who of my favorite storytellers (Peter Jackson, Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright), I was only somewhat interested in the story but very interested in the animation.
The Basics: Based on a Belgian comic book series popular during the 1930’s, the story follows the many adventures of its title character, Tintin (that’s pretty much what it says) an intrepid young reporter. Read the rest of this entry »
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12.15.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 8:45 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
I really didn’t know what to expect from this adaptation of a children’s book by Martin Scorsese. It looked beautiful and it was, after all, Scorsese. It had the fantasy appeal I love. But the first ads didn’t capture me. It looked void of real heart. But after some good reviews, I decided to give it a try. And boy was I wrong.
The Basics: Hugo is a boy living in a Paris train station in the 1930s and keeping the clocks on time. When a notebook that is precious to him is stolen, he enlists a young girl to help him. Read the rest of this entry »
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12.11.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 10:15 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
The Muppets are back and I’m happy to say, they are still the Muppets.
The Basics: Does it really matter? They’re the Muppets. Let the shenanigans begin!
OK, maybe the basics do matter. The writers (star Jason Segel and frequent collaborator Nick Stoller) wisely chose to keep the original spirit of the Muppets by creating a world (our world in fact) where cynicism has left the Muppets behind. They’ve broken up and Kermit now lives alone in a run down mansion in Hollywood. Naturally, events unfold that force the gang to get back together (by Montage!). Read the rest of this entry »
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10.28.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 9:48 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says: 
I saw this when it first came out in 2006, one of two dueling magician movies; the other one being The Illusionist. It stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as competing magicians themselves in Victorian London and is directed by Christopher Nolan, post-Batman Begins. Saw it again recently so it’s time for a review.
What I Liked:
Christopher Nolan is as Christopher Nolan does. (Sorry, Forrest) And this story has all the marks of this great director: non-chronological narrative, story within a story…within a story (wasn’t there a Simpsons episode like that?), and complex themes. Read the rest of this entry »
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06.22.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 10:17 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
I’m not a huge X-Men fan. I’ve seen all the movies and they’re alright. (Except X-Men 3. That Famke Janssen scared the crap out of me!) Other than that, never read the comics or watched the cartoons. So I came to this movie with few expectations. That usually helps me enjoy a movie more and this was no exception.
The Basics: It’s really back to the beginning with this origin story. Charles Xavier (Professor X) is a young Oxford grad student studying mutations. After being contacted by the CIA, he begins to track down other mutants including Erik Lensherr (Magneto). Of course, nothing’s that easy and pretty soon prejudice, fear, and manical baddies complicate things. Read the rest of this entry »
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06.12.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 5:29 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
Is JJ Abrams the new Steven Spielberg? Possibly. He is certainly an outstanding storyteller. He can come up with fantastic concepts (Lost, Alias). He can take us on heart-pounding adventures (Mission Impossible 3) that still resonate emotionally (Star Trek). And in the tradition of Spielberg, all his great characters have daddy issues. (He even used that as an episode title.) So Super 8 is poised to be this generations E.T. Did it succeed? The jury’s still out.
The Basics: In 1979, a group of young teens accidentally capture the crash of a U.S. Air Force train on film while shooting a zombie flick. In the aftermath of the crash, bizarre events and missing person cases spread like a plague around the small town while the military takes over without offering any answers or help. Read the rest of this entry »
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06.05.11
Posted in TV at 7:41 pm by Chick 1
Silence in the Library/ The Forest of the Dead
Chick 1 says:
As Doctor Who is my new obsession, I’ve been wanting to start reviewing episodes. I’ve seen the whole 1st season (of the New Series) and all of seasons 5 & 6 (so far) but although the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) is my favorite (”You never forget your first Doctor.”), I’ve only seen a smattering of seasons 2-4. This 2 parter was one of the first Doctor Who episodes I watched. Having seen it again recently while introducing my friends to the series, I decided to start my reviews here. (Enough parenthesis for ya?)
The Basics: The Doctor and current companion, Donna, answer a call for help in a massive library that is actually a man-made planet. There they find a team on expedition led by Professor River Song (Alex Kingston), a computer that has “saved” 4022 people, a child who may or may not be in charge of the library, and swarms of flesh-eating aliens in the shadows. Ya know, typical Doctor Who fare. Read the rest of this entry »
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05.30.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 3:29 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
No, this isn’t the Edward Norton/Jessica Biel period romance. (Liked that one, though.) This is an animated film fromSylvain Chomet, the director of The Triplets of Belleville. (Another one I liked.)
The Basics: This French (though largely without dialogue) animation follows the relationship of a lonely travelling magician and a young girl.
What I Liked: The movie is really beautiful. The animation and landscapes are enchanting. There are some fun and quirky characters, my fav being the tipsy Scotsman. And there was a sad, sweet quality to the story.
What I Didn’t Like: I really wanted to like this movie, and while there were many nuances that were fascinating, I found it difficult to really follow what was happening. The Triplets of Belleville had a similar problem of communicating without words but there was much more action (and comedy) to that movie. The Illusionist has a decidely more meloncholy feel. And that feel made it difficult to understand what was happening without dialogue.
Bottom Line: This is a really gorgeous movie in look and feel but I had a hard time following the central relationship. Add to that the downer ending (rarely to my liking) and it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
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05.22.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 6:13 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
The fourth installment of the Pirates franchise has Johnny Depp & a few minor characters returning while picking up a lot of new players. Have they been able to capture the magic again?
The Basics: Let’s start with a rundown of the previous Pirates movies. I really enjoyed the original, The Curse of the Black Pearl. Sure, it had some script/pacing problems in the third act. But at its heart it was a pretty good mindless action movie. Then adding Johnny Depp’s serendipitous turn as Jack Sparrow (that’s Captain Jack Sparrow) turned it into a blockbuster and a blast! Read the rest of this entry »
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01.29.11
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 6:54 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed this movie. I adore it!
What I Liked: Obviously, most everything. This movie has what most great movies have going; it’s strengths are spread evenly across several areas. First, a fantastic script. It’s funny, well-paced, irreverent, and at its heart, wise & sweet-spirited. Read the rest of this entry »
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