Clone Wars seemed to have received bad reviews almost unanimously. The critics seem really disappointed with this sequel. Todd McCarthy, from Variety mentioned, " This isn't the Star Wars we've always known and at least sometimes loved. " I disagree with Todd; I thought this sequel kept many of the proponents that the previous Star Wars films kept true to. This film had action, it was politically involved, it had military strategy, and a rich multifaceted story that included the plot of the duplicitous Count Dooku, and his alliance with Ziro the Hutt, who was awkward and pimp like admittedly. The action scenes were exciting, and the particular animation format attributed a video game quality to the film, in some scenes, which was refreshing. I do agree with Todd that the animation in its application to the human characters, did make the humans seem stiff.
Peter Hartlaub from the San Francisco Chronicle, seemed to have written an objective review, but he still thinks the movie has a sophomoric basis in saying, " Clone Wars doesn't try to be more than one thing - a movie for 10-year-old boys - and by that standard, it's a success." This proponent of his review is positive seemingly, but considering his review in its entirety, this seems to be a mixed review rather than a bad review, and because Hartlaub indicates the movie was made for the kids, does not equate that he opines the movie is bad. In retrospect, I do not see a major difference in the dialogue, and content in Clone Wars in contrast to the previous films, on that point, I disagree with Peter.
Again, to be fair to Peter he also mentioned, " But it's not as bad as it sounds." Metacritric.com categorized Peter's review as a bad one, but I think his review is mixed and rather objective. Almost unanimously, critics share the view that this film was designed for kids. However, this film could have received a PG-13 rating, because of the action scenes, specifically the scene where the heads of the bounty hunters were presented to Jabba the Hutt. In contrasting both reviews, apparently, Peter thinks the movie was O.K while Todd seems to think the movie was sub par. So were the critics too harsh in their critique of Clone Wars ? Maybe, but they were certainly not crazy about it, and apparently neither were the fans.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Star Wars: Clone Wars: Snips
Official Site: www.starwars.com/clonewars/
Director: Dave Filoni
Writer(s): Henry Gilroy, and George Lucas
Producer: George Lucas, and Catherine Winder
Starring: Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, James Arnold Taylor as Obi Wan-Kanobi, Tom Kane as Yoda, Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine, Corey Burton as Ziro The Hutt, Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala, Kevin Michael Richardson as Jabba The Hutt, Smauel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and Christopher Lee as Count Dooku.(IMDb) Rated PG, 98 min.
Jabba The Hut's son has been kidnapped, and he has sought the help of the Jedi so his beloved son can be returned to him. However the the dark side of the force has other plans, and led by Count Dooku, with the covert support of Chancellor Palpatine, the plan is to sabotage the recovery mission to gain a specific advantage over the Republic by gaining favor with Jabba the Hutt so he can provide safe passage through his territory which is key to obtaining a strategic advantage through the outer regions.
At first, admittedly I was scared. Well, scared is a strong term-cautious is a better term to describe my attitude toward the film upon hearing it was an animation rather than a live action film. However my cautious stance transformed to joy as I was very pleased with the film. This is classic star wars, with a strong emphasis on politics and military strategy. From the beginning of the film there was tons of action that was showcased through very good computer graphics animation with the mechanical characters being depicted better than the human characters. Their was no real buzz about this film, possibly because it was animated, but being a star wars fan I had to go see it.
The story was awesome. The plot was clear, and the story did not deviate from the plot. From its beginning the plot was introduced briefly and the story supported the plot well forwardly in the film. The content of the story and the plot was not watered down as my cautious stance was leading me to anticipate. In regards to one of the technical aspects of the film, the voices of the main characters were really good. For example, Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala, sounded similar to Natalie Portman. According to Metacritic.com the filmed received generally bad reviews, and according to Rottentomatoes.com the film received 21 fresh tomatoes to 92 rotten ones. I disagree with the bad reviews. This film fits between an A- and a B+. Stay tuned, movieporium.blogspot.com.
At first, admittedly I was scared. Well, scared is a strong term-cautious is a better term to describe my attitude toward the film upon hearing it was an animation rather than a live action film. However my cautious stance transformed to joy as I was very pleased with the film. This is classic star wars, with a strong emphasis on politics and military strategy. From the beginning of the film there was tons of action that was showcased through very good computer graphics animation with the mechanical characters being depicted better than the human characters. Their was no real buzz about this film, possibly because it was animated, but being a star wars fan I had to go see it.
The story was awesome. The plot was clear, and the story did not deviate from the plot. From its beginning the plot was introduced briefly and the story supported the plot well forwardly in the film. The content of the story and the plot was not watered down as my cautious stance was leading me to anticipate. In regards to one of the technical aspects of the film, the voices of the main characters were really good. For example, Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala, sounded similar to Natalie Portman. According to Metacritic.com the filmed received generally bad reviews, and according to Rottentomatoes.com the film received 21 fresh tomatoes to 92 rotten ones. I disagree with the bad reviews. This film fits between an A- and a B+. Stay tuned, movieporium.blogspot.com.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Pineapple Express: God's Vagina
Official Site:PineAppleExress
Director: David Gordon Green
Writer(s): Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg
Producer(S): Judd Apatow, and Shauna Robertson
Starring: Seth Rogen as Dale Denton, James Franco as Saul Silver, Danny R. Mcbride as Red, Kevin Corrigan as Budfolsky, Craig Robinson as Matheson, Gary Cole as Ted Jones, and Rosie Perez as Carol(IMDb). Rated-R, 111 minutes.
Before Dale decided to issue a subpoena to the drug dealer Ted Jones, he spent some time with his close friend Mary Jane while sitting in his car outside of Ted's house. As he was with Mary, he witnessed an Asian man being shot by the same person he was suppose to issue the subpoena to. Shocked out of his mind, Dale frantically tries to drive away but he is stuck between two cars, one of which is the police car of a crooked female cop,Carol, who was the accomplice in the murder. When Dale finally drove away, it was tool late, Ted picked up the the remainder of the joint he was smoking and began to track him down.
Where do I begin? I Thought this film was funny but more entertaining than anything. There were several scenes that stood out such as the hitchhiker scene, and the living room fight scene. The jokes were subtle, and they were truly an acquired taste, specifically for those who enjoy offbeat comedy. While the jokes were not tremendously funny, the way the actors delivered the jokes is what amplified the comedic value of the jokes, and the film overall. Seth Rogen has a talent for playing characters who are considered beatniks, and it seems James Franco has that talent too. He was great.
The acting was good. The pace of the film was just right, and the story was awesome. Although the story was about a couple of "weed heads", there was one moral in the story that is recognizable when Dale realizes that he does not function well when he is constantly high. According to Metacric.com, the film received generally good reviews, and Rottentomatoes indicates 97 fresh tomatoes to 43 rotten ones thus far. This movie fits somewhere between a B-, and a C+. Stay tuned movieporium.blogspot.com.
Director: David Gordon Green
Writer(s): Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg
Producer(S): Judd Apatow, and Shauna Robertson
Starring: Seth Rogen as Dale Denton, James Franco as Saul Silver, Danny R. Mcbride as Red, Kevin Corrigan as Budfolsky, Craig Robinson as Matheson, Gary Cole as Ted Jones, and Rosie Perez as Carol(IMDb). Rated-R, 111 minutes.
Before Dale decided to issue a subpoena to the drug dealer Ted Jones, he spent some time with his close friend Mary Jane while sitting in his car outside of Ted's house. As he was with Mary, he witnessed an Asian man being shot by the same person he was suppose to issue the subpoena to. Shocked out of his mind, Dale frantically tries to drive away but he is stuck between two cars, one of which is the police car of a crooked female cop,Carol, who was the accomplice in the murder. When Dale finally drove away, it was tool late, Ted picked up the the remainder of the joint he was smoking and began to track him down.
Where do I begin? I Thought this film was funny but more entertaining than anything. There were several scenes that stood out such as the hitchhiker scene, and the living room fight scene. The jokes were subtle, and they were truly an acquired taste, specifically for those who enjoy offbeat comedy. While the jokes were not tremendously funny, the way the actors delivered the jokes is what amplified the comedic value of the jokes, and the film overall. Seth Rogen has a talent for playing characters who are considered beatniks, and it seems James Franco has that talent too. He was great.
The acting was good. The pace of the film was just right, and the story was awesome. Although the story was about a couple of "weed heads", there was one moral in the story that is recognizable when Dale realizes that he does not function well when he is constantly high. According to Metacric.com, the film received generally good reviews, and Rottentomatoes indicates 97 fresh tomatoes to 43 rotten ones thus far. This movie fits somewhere between a B-, and a C+. Stay tuned movieporium.blogspot.com.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Swing Vote: Court The Voters
Official Site: swingvote.movies.go.com
Director: Joshua Michael Stern
Writer: Joshua Michael Stern, and Jason Richman
Producer(s): Kevin Costner and Jim Wilson
Starring: Kevin Costner as Bud Johnson, Madeline Carroll as Molly Johnson, Paula Patton as Kate Madison, Kelsey Grammer as President Andrew Boone, Dennis Hopper as Donald Greenleaf, Nathan Lane as Art Crumb, Stanley Tucci as Martin Fox, and George Lopez as John Sweeney(IMDb). PG-13, 100 min.
Madison is waiting for her dad at the voting hall, and when she realizes that he forgot to pick her up so he could cast his vote, she became angry and decided to covertly vote on her dad's behalf. As she was about to vote, one of the attendants at the voting hall accidentally unplugged the machine, being frighten Madison ripped the stub off the voting ballot, and left. Later, Bud received a visit from the state officials to recast his vote, and from that point he was on his way to the spotlight.
I was not excited about seeing this film, but it was not so bad. I actually enjoyed it. Seeing Costner in that type of role was strange for me because he usually plays men who are relatively erudite. Bud was a simple man defined by unpleasant wage labor, and a bottle of beer, and Costner played Bud pretty well, although witnessing him in that role was an adjustment for me. Bud as the basis for social commentary could be described or expressed as the idea that politics is the science of understanding the simple man, and designing a campaign to capture the vote of that man, and, or, that, in an election everyone's vote matters.
The story was good, and I thought the ending of the film was just right. The pace of the film was such, that it kept one's attention, and the humor in the film also aided in keeping the movie watchers engaged. One of the main features of the movie was the depiction of manipulation on both sides of partisan politics. Oh! Madeline Carroll was amazing! According to Metacritic.com the film received mixed reviews, and Rottentomatoes.com gave the film 36 fresh tomatoes to 58 rotten ones thus far. I liked this film. I'll grade it a B. Stay tuned, movieporium.blogspot.com.
Director: Joshua Michael Stern
Writer: Joshua Michael Stern, and Jason Richman
Producer(s): Kevin Costner and Jim Wilson
Starring: Kevin Costner as Bud Johnson, Madeline Carroll as Molly Johnson, Paula Patton as Kate Madison, Kelsey Grammer as President Andrew Boone, Dennis Hopper as Donald Greenleaf, Nathan Lane as Art Crumb, Stanley Tucci as Martin Fox, and George Lopez as John Sweeney(IMDb). PG-13, 100 min.
Madison is waiting for her dad at the voting hall, and when she realizes that he forgot to pick her up so he could cast his vote, she became angry and decided to covertly vote on her dad's behalf. As she was about to vote, one of the attendants at the voting hall accidentally unplugged the machine, being frighten Madison ripped the stub off the voting ballot, and left. Later, Bud received a visit from the state officials to recast his vote, and from that point he was on his way to the spotlight.
I was not excited about seeing this film, but it was not so bad. I actually enjoyed it. Seeing Costner in that type of role was strange for me because he usually plays men who are relatively erudite. Bud was a simple man defined by unpleasant wage labor, and a bottle of beer, and Costner played Bud pretty well, although witnessing him in that role was an adjustment for me. Bud as the basis for social commentary could be described or expressed as the idea that politics is the science of understanding the simple man, and designing a campaign to capture the vote of that man, and, or, that, in an election everyone's vote matters.
The story was good, and I thought the ending of the film was just right. The pace of the film was such, that it kept one's attention, and the humor in the film also aided in keeping the movie watchers engaged. One of the main features of the movie was the depiction of manipulation on both sides of partisan politics. Oh! Madeline Carroll was amazing! According to Metacritic.com the film received mixed reviews, and Rottentomatoes.com gave the film 36 fresh tomatoes to 58 rotten ones thus far. I liked this film. I'll grade it a B. Stay tuned, movieporium.blogspot.com.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor
Official Site:www.themummy.com
Director: Rob Cohen
Producer(s): Sean Daniel, Bob Ducsay, James Jacks, and Stephen Sommers.
Writing: Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar
Starring: Brendan Fraser as Rick O'Connell, Jet Li as Emperor Han, Maria Bello as Evelyn O'Connell, John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan, Michelle Yaoh as Zi Yuan, and Luke Ford as Alex O'Connell(IMDb). Rated PG-13, 112 min.
Rick and Evelyn O'Connell have retired, but their son Alex has discovered perhaps the greatest archaeological artifact of the 20th century. Although family ties aren't great, the O'Connells find themselves in an adventure which requires mother, father and son to reconcile in order to prevent the resurrected Emperor Han from gaining control of the world.
The essence of The Mummy franchise has not changed. Adventure still serves as the driving basis for the film. There was ample running and sword play to keep the fans of this franchise happy. The special effects were great, especially in the case of the abominable snowmen, and the three headed dragon. Definitely the film lived up to what it advertised, and I was not disappointed because there was plenty of action. Although this movie was fun to watch, I felt there was something missing, it was Rachel, my beautiful Rachel. O.k, Bello was good, but I missed Rachel. This was a good popcorn movie. According to Metacritic.com the film received generally bad reviews, and according to Rottentomatoes.com the film received 11 fresh tomatoes to 102 rotten ones thus far. This movie was fun I'll grade it a B. Stay tuned to movieporium.blogspot.com
Director: Rob Cohen
Producer(s): Sean Daniel, Bob Ducsay, James Jacks, and Stephen Sommers.
Writing: Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar
Starring: Brendan Fraser as Rick O'Connell, Jet Li as Emperor Han, Maria Bello as Evelyn O'Connell, John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan, Michelle Yaoh as Zi Yuan, and Luke Ford as Alex O'Connell(IMDb). Rated PG-13, 112 min.
Rick and Evelyn O'Connell have retired, but their son Alex has discovered perhaps the greatest archaeological artifact of the 20th century. Although family ties aren't great, the O'Connells find themselves in an adventure which requires mother, father and son to reconcile in order to prevent the resurrected Emperor Han from gaining control of the world.
The essence of The Mummy franchise has not changed. Adventure still serves as the driving basis for the film. There was ample running and sword play to keep the fans of this franchise happy. The special effects were great, especially in the case of the abominable snowmen, and the three headed dragon. Definitely the film lived up to what it advertised, and I was not disappointed because there was plenty of action. Although this movie was fun to watch, I felt there was something missing, it was Rachel, my beautiful Rachel. O.k, Bello was good, but I missed Rachel. This was a good popcorn movie. According to Metacritic.com the film received generally bad reviews, and according to Rottentomatoes.com the film received 11 fresh tomatoes to 102 rotten ones thus far. This movie was fun I'll grade it a B. Stay tuned to movieporium.blogspot.com
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