Well, this week we have half the releases of last week. Two of which I'll surely see, but whether I see them in theaters or not is up in the air (and looking doubtful).
To me, the obvious box office winner will be Blades of Glory, but this also looks to me like the most annoying film Will Ferrell has made at least since Kicking & Screaming. Oh and when, when, when will Jon Heder's 15 minutes be up? I still haven't seen a single film with him that I've enjoyed (and no, I did not like Napoleon Dynamite, the half-assed Wes Anderson ripoff).
The most interesting film of the weekend though has to be The Lookout. The feature debut of screenwriter Scott Frank and the continuation of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's career-revival since "3rd Rock" ended. Frank is most notable for adapting Elmore Leonard novels Out of Sight for Steven Soderbergh and Get Shorty for Barry Sonnenfeld. We'll see if he can create his own crime dialogue without relying on the master of the genre. Strong word of mouth thus far has me intrigued...
8 comments:
I gotta go with your two picks as well. Lookout looks to be easily the best of the three in terms of quality. Levitt looks even more impressive than ever. Frank has been working on this movie for ten years, so I doubt the script will be particularly bad seeing as how he cranked out Out of Sight and Get Shorty on a whim I believe. I really cant stand that last line in the trailer though "I have the money i have the power." I think it will work in the movie, but it makes me cringe a little during the trailer.
Blades of Glory definately looks to be one of Ferrells lesser efforts. I absolutely loved both Anchorman and Talladega though, and this looks to be at the very least another very silly movie that I will probably laugh at. The problem lies exactly with Heder. I liked Napoleon at first, but have since grown to actually dispise its popularity and your right, Jared Hess clearly is ripping off Wes Anderson (as also seen in Nacho Libre, which i found terribly disappointing). I think Heder lucked out with Napoleon and has yet to show he can do anything else. I have a small inkling of hope for him though, mostly cuz I thought he was decent in School for Scoundrels and Just Like Heaven. The biggest reason to see the movie for me though is Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. The real life couple gets a chance to show exactly why their child will be the funniest damn kid ever. I hope Arnett will finally be acknowledge as the comedic genius he is and get his. Plus jenna fischer from Office is in it. Love the show. Love her in it. plus she good looking to boot.
Meet the Robinsons has one decent line, and it involves a dinosaur. other than that, don't care. Looks boring, but we'll see. Next week is my most anticipated movie perhaps of the year though. You guys are well aware of my Tarantino obsession. Grindhouse in one week gentlemen. This weekend is merely prep time for me till April 6th.
All of 'em look like filler, really. That, "I had a perfect life until SOMETHING HAPPENED and now my life is far more interesting and significant..." jazz annoys the snot out of me. I hate, I hate, I hate Will Farrell in anything that wasn't Zoolander, Melinda Melinda or Elf.
Meet the Robinsons is the only thing I WANT to see and I don't really WANT to see it that much. I love the look of the villain but I remember the book as a kid and it was nothing special.
Oh yeah, is there anyone here that DOESN'T leak nuts in anticipation for Grindhouse?
Well I have to say I am really glad no one is rushing out see Blades of Glory. Personally, I hate both Ferrell and Heder so you can imagine the horror when I saw them both in this film. Just watching the preview hurts…a lot.
Lookout looks like something I would want to see. I've only seen one or two previews for it, but all looks good. Probably going to be dragging my group out to see it next weekend.
Meet the Robinson looks like every other animated movie put out in the last three years to me. I really am not a fan of the new animation style right now. I think it would be fine for a few movies, but does everything have to be done this way now? However, the big head, little arms scene cracks me up every time. Just for that line there I may rent it, but seeing it in the theater not gonna happen.
Just caught the two I wanted to see. Blades of Glory wasnt the best Ferrell flick, but it was far from the worst. It has some really damn funny moments, and whenever they are skating it is gold. Heder didnt annoy me and actually had some decent stuff, but he is always outshined by Ferrell. Arnett and Poehler were fantastic and only wish they got more screen time and fleshed out their villianous characters a bit more. The love story with Jenna Fischer was just stupid. She is hot in the movie, so I can't complain there, but it felt really forced, like they had to have a love story in the flick due to test screenings. The movie also has a lot of cameos from real life figure skaters that made me laugh. Scott Hamilton is tiny. Also, Craig T Nelson is the Coach. Ha! Loved the costume design and the hair was brilliant. Some stuff falls flat, but overall I highly recommend it for Ferrell fans.
The Lookout was just as I expected. A breath of fresh air. A heist thriller with great characters and motivations. I was so thrilled with Joseph Gordon Levitt. I dont think he has ever been better, except for perhaps 10 Things I Hate About You. Just Kidding. Jeff Daniels is really funny and Matt Goode is charismatic and creepy. The story of Chris Pratt is fascinating in of itself and I could almost do without the heist part. Infact it doesn't even begin to unfold til probably half way through the film. I was just so interested in what Levitt and Frank were doing with the character. It was just so refreshing to see that a clever script and great acting can create something so unique from something that could easily devolve into cliche. I hope it doesnt get lost amongst the other big films of March, and soon to be April. It really is a gem.
I saw Lookout, MUCH better than I thought it was going to be but it has one of the most unsatisfying endings...perhaps....ever.
The execution of the big HEIST or whatever you want to call it just happens spontaneously and without development.
"I'm gonna rob your bank, I've got a bunch of layouts and blue prints and photos."
"Well you'll probably take your time seeing as you just kinda spilled your plan to someone you barely know and you're gonna wanna know if you can trust me or not."
"Nope, doing it like....tomorrow."
"Oh. Well, damn."
There's a shootout during the heist that was surprisingly one of the better shootouts I've seen in a while. The grittiness of it reminded me of Running Scared and how they wanted to portray the characters as realisitically as possible and real people get killed in shootouts. Just because they've got a reason to live doesn't necessarily mean that it's gonna happen.
There IS this subplot involving him and a stripper that the bad guy recruits, I guess, to be his girlfriend that just disappears shortly after it is introduced. No development, nothing, just a couple extra minutes with this random stripper character so that the writer had a reason to have Jeff Daniels's characters explain why he is blind.
Levitt is really cool to watch (even if his character is a douche) and I'm glad that I don't see Brick when I watch him.
Great characters, I loved the acting (especially from the bad guy), but it definately has holes and I think a lengthy director's cut is in order to fill in what seems to be alot left out.
Good. That's all.
I cant believe you mentioned Running Scared in your review Myth. I hate you.
Anyways I do agree that the stripper plot kinda just dies and doesnt get developed enough. That was my only really problem with the flick. I don't find the ending unsatisfying, though it is certainly not the best part of the movie.
Levitt character of Chris Pratt might be my favorite character so far this year in terms of depth. Leonidas still has it for best, but as for realism Pratt definately wins. The movie just made me feel exhilarated. Not because it is such a roller coaster, or such a happy corny flick, it just made me feel good knowing that people can still take your standard plot and develop something remarkably clever, witty, and unique from it.
I know I said it before, but it really was a breath of freash air to see the movie unfold.
Saw Robinsons. That was quite a weird little movie. The Robinsons themselves arent all that great, but the evil bowler hat villain is pretty funny. You can tell that it was written by seven different people, but it ends rather strong with a great little end quote that really sums up Disney movies in general. Also the visuals are pretty good, and occasionally great. Starts off very slow and weird and I was ready to write it off entirely, but once the "story" kicks in it becomes much better. definately a rental, but one I would recommend checking out just for some of the absurdism in the flick.
OK...haven't posted in a few days....so I'll basically add my version of what everyone else has said. "Blades of Glory"...fun. Stupid. But fun. Not Ferrell's best work by any means, but far from his worst. The biggest problem for me was that his character is such a douchebag. More importantly, he's not even a likable douchebag...like Ron Burgundy was. Once Chazz Michael Michaels steps onto the ice though, the movie is fantastic. Jon Heder...man...he looks like a woman. Unfortunately for him, what little good will I had for him post-Napoleon, has rather quickly dissolved. The highlights of the film though...Will Arnett and Amy Poehler. Just fantastic. Not enough screentime however. And seeing Jenna Fischer in that outfit wasn't bad either. My biggest single complaint....no David Koechner!!! When will the world realize that he may be the funniest man of all time....albeit only for 1-2 scenes. That's all the man needs...a couple of scenes...and I guarantee you that he will steal the movie.
Onto "The Lookout". Damn. Just great. Really happy that Gordon-Levitt has been getting some steady good serious roles. Saw Mysterious Skin a couple days before this...and he's just great in that as well. Not much to say about this one...it's just very well done. Nothing necessarily ground-breaking...but damn good nonetheless. My biggest fear (that it would be "Memento" crossed with a heist flick) was never realized. My only problems were that there is not ending to the stripper (named Luvlee Lemons and played by the ever-hot mama to Borat's hairy baby, Isla Fischer) isn't there. I also have a problem with the ending monologue...it's super-cheesy, in a very bad Grey's Anatomy way. The ending itself could've used some tightening...something doesn't feel quite right about it...as myth said, I think this will benefit from a director's cut on DVD....and speaking of myth...if you mention that shit-tastic film again...I will get the harpoon gun out.
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