MOVIE REVIEW - X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Nice origin story, good action, good bad guys, and Wolverine. This is not one for the ages, but it's a decent addition to the X-Men mythology. The scene at the farmhouse was my favorite.

MOVIE REVIEW - Wall Street (1987)

Oliver Stone made this "the archetypal portrayal of 1980s excess", so says Wikipedia. In reality, Stone made a pretty good movie about a corrupt businessman in the '80's; but this movie in no way portrays the success of the '80s. It does portray what liberals think is the cause of '80s success - greed, corruption, and excess. But Business consists of hundreds of millions of decent people going to work every day to make ends meet and contribute to society. The fact that the '80s had good politics and successful business does not mean that most of them were corrupt - it means that business worked as it should. Obviously, there are plenty of Gordon Gekko's out there (Madoff, Fastow, Ebbers, and plenty in government), but these exceptions don't require socialist takeover of business. They just require good laws that seek out and punish corruption. Back to the movie, Charlie Sheen is too earnest; Michael Douglas doesn't have to act to play sleazy; and Oliver Stone could direct if only he weren't too often on a Marxist mission.

MOVIE REVIEW - Up (2009)

Thankfully, I saw Up in 3D, so that there was at least something a bit interesting to this dullest of all Pixar films. Pixar's 3D department went for a new concept - just do 3D, as opposed to doing "3D tricks" - nothing jumped out at the viewer. The 3D just added a mildly interesting depth to all of the animation. Nice, but it didn't make up for the dull story of Ed Asner's old widow, trying to get (via his house tied to balloons) to Paradise Falls. The montage of the man and his wife aging was nice, but also quite a downer for a kid's film, knowing where they were going so early in the film. The old man became quickly bitter and unpleasant; the fat deluded kid is a bad role model for multiple reasons; and the message of the movie (the mundane of life is the real adventure) encourages aiming low. The South American birds were pretty and cool, but they also came with a bombarding Save the Environment sermon. For Pixar, this is a real disappointment.

MOVIE REVIEW - Star Trek (2009)

Let's ignore for the moment that this film is a continuation of a long-revered franchise. JJ has made a very entertaining movie. The good guys are good; the bad guys are really bad; the explosions and space travel and crazy time travel plot are all fun. Yay, good for JJ (and good for the common moviegoer). Now, let's remember that this is Star Trek. I'm no fan of classic Trek - dislike it, actually. But as for depicting the origins of Kirk and Spock and their relationship, JJ did a great job. Early Kirk is seen as a renegade arrogant jerk. This is dumb, but perfectly fitting for what was to become Shatner's Kirk. The bond between Kirk and (old and new) Spock was accurate, as well. But then JJ leaps away from Trek altogether, in essence taking the whole of Trek history and dumping it in the garbage can. SPOILERS AHEAD! In the movie, JJ creates an alternate reality, whereby Spock's mom dies (she is still alive in the "historical/future" Trek); the entire Vulcan planet disintegrates; Uhura and Spock are potential lovers; and JJ has for himself a future franchise where he doesn't have to play by a single rule of the Star Trek universe. This is a cop-out and a mediocre plot device, and oddly self-serving for JJ's movie future.

MOVIE REVIEW - Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)

SPOILERS AHEAD! A theater in Louisville showed my favorite movie of all time at a midnight showing, so I was able to see this treasure on the big screen once again (I saw it during initial release). Every time I watch it, Shawshank becomes my all-time favorite movie once again. Morgan Freeman's narration sets the perfect tone of quiet contemplation - you know it'll all be ok, but it may be a rough ride along the way. And boy, is it rough. Early scenes include Fat Ass dying on his first night in prison; Andy Duphresne defending but failing against the queens; and the harshness of Captain Hadley's punishment. But then comes the buds of friendship between Morgan's Red and Andy. That first conversation was so understated, yet excellent - "I understand you're a man who gets things done." Morgan likes Andy from the beginning, but neither knew yet the hope their friendship would bring each other. Andy never said who beat him up - he was honorable and kept to himself. Until the spring of 1949 on the roof, when his tax knowledge changed everything. The look of Morgan's face after Andy saved Hadley's money was priceless. Why did Andy ask for the beer for his friends? "I think he did it just to feel normal again, if only for a short while." But prison still steals from a man. Red says, "These walls are funny. First you hate them, then you get used to them. Then, you can't live without them. They send you here for life, and that's exactly what they take from you." Which leads to the saddest part of the movie - Brooks. The sadness on James Whitmore's face as he's leaving the prison on the bus - wow, what a picture - so sad, so long. He should've been nominated for this powerful performance (RIP).

Andy's overtaking of the opera music was the beginning of hope in the movie, and it gives such a warm emotion to watch the entire prison yard hush. This is the most unrealistic scene in the movie, but ignoring that, it's also very poignant. And it's the beginning of us seeing Andy's hope. "Hope is a dangerous thing. It can drive a man insane." When Andy gives Red the harmonica, it is the most beautiful expression of friendship. What a lovely scene.

The most shocking scene is the warden's treatment of Tommy. On the verge of hope in so many directions, shot down. Wow, the gasps in the theater (including mine, when I've seen the movie 20 times before) were palpable. But it leads to Andy's breaking point in 1966. What a beautiful 20 minute climax - emotions soar, cleverness abounds, the warden doesn't quite make it home that day, and we see that "some birds aren't meant to be caged." What a fantastic tree in the field in Buxton, where we hear Red say the name of the town, Zihuatanejo, just before saying those most wonderful closing lines: "I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."

MOVIE REVIEW - Judgment at Nuremburg (1961)

I'd seen this before, but forgotten that I'd seen it. Spencer Tracy plays judge of the Nazi judges. It's a pretty good movie, with lots of moral questions and difficult choices and realizations. A bit heavy-handed, but to realize that these judges were released within 5 years is shocking, and does deserve the notice given to it by the movie.

MOVIE REVIEW - Hangover, The (2009)

Four guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, only to get mistakenly roofied; lose the groom; mistakenly marry a stripper; get stalked by an Asian gay mafia dude; and kidnap Mike Tyson's tiger. It is very funny and very crude; but as a departure from Judd Apatow's movies, the crudeness is not celebrated - their warped weekend adventures are seen as a near-embarrassment. For a buddy adventure comedy, it is somewhat slow-moving, but I mean that in a good way. The movie doesn't feel forced to laugh in every moment. There are some hilarious moments, including with Ed Helms tooth; the naked Asian jumping out of the trunk; loser Alan's constant hugs; the masturbating baby (yes, it's that crude - and funny); and the Rain Man spoof. The end credits are one of the best end-game reveals in some time.

MOVIE REVIEW - Earth (2007)

Beautifully filmed snippets of our planet, with special emphasis on a few species of cute animals. Horrific preaching against global warming and bad science.

MOVIE REVIEW - Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Is it horror? Is it comedy? Not sure, but it is certainly lame. How did this get a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes???

MOVIE REVIEW - Brothers Bloom, The (2009)

Rachel Weisz is gorgeous, delightful, and here, she channels Joan Cusack (which is the highest of compliments). She costars as the wealthy target of the Brothers Bloom's con game. Bloom (played by the always morose Adrian Brody - please, get a better and better looking actor for this role!) and his older brother Stephen (played by the excellent Mark Ruffalo) have been conning since they were kids and only go after the big targets nowadays. Bloom wants out, so Stephen comes up with one last con, hoping to hook Bloom up with the target. Throughout, this movie feels like a playful version of The Sting, where you never know if you're watching the con or if you're being conned. It's not rocket science plotting here, but with Rachel Weisz bubbling over in every scene, and mixed with a pretty cool story and pedigree, it easily rises to the occasion.

MOVIE REVIEW - Blindness (2008)

I love Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, so even though critics panned this psychological thriller, I expected to like it. The critics were right. An entire society all goes blind at once, except Julianne (who keeps her sight a secret). It's like Lord of the Flies due to Blindness; which sounds ok, except the direction was horrible - the suspense was killed, the cinematography was flooded with way too much white light, and the story was a drag.