I wasn't even going to bother... but I wanted another topic for discussion.
Easily Next strikes me as the only real 'watcher' - and that's definitely a rental. For some reason I'm a total Nic Cage apologist (even in Ghost Rider at least he was being ludicrous) so I'll catch up with that at some point.
Meanwhile, Jamie Kennedy is one of the least funny human beings currently posing as a comedian (I place Carrot Top below him... and Pauly Shore above him), so obviously Kickin' it Old Skool isn't for me.
The Invisible I know, well, absolutely nothing about. I wouldn't even have known it was coming out were it not for Rotten Tomatoes.
And really, The Condemned is kind of shockingly appealing to me as a campy, incredibly dumb action-er. But I would never waste time heading to a theater to see it. And I might not even waste the time to rent it...
Bring on Spider-Man 3.
11 comments:
Jamie Kennedy is pretty unfunny, I must say, but Kickin' It Old School was actually pretty funny. If you're a fan of Spongebob-esque humor, then you should be all in. It wasn't a GREAT comedy but it was something fun to just sit down and watch. I watched it in a theater full of high schoolers pissed that they couldn't sneak into Hot Fuzz and they talked and bitched the whole time and I still enjoyed the movie.
If you're chachi and you're a biased DOUCHEBAG then you probably won't like it, but if you've got nothing else to do then give it a try.
Oddly enough the only one I was mildly interested in was the Condemned. Ill try to see Invisible only because a few people I know insist it looks amazing, and I just want to disagree with them.
Next looks dumb, and Nic Cage sporting a McVinci, god he looks terrible. Ive given up on him. He has done amazing work in far too few films. Give up on action, Ive never liked him in any of them except for Face Off and Rock.
Kicking it Old Skool looks to be Gods 11th Plague on Earth. And how does my dislike for Jamie Kennedy make me biased. I liked him in Scream and though Jamie Experiment was okay. You hate so many actors ie Ryan Gosling, Marlon Brando, Julianne Moore, etc all who have done exceptional work, yet Im the biased douchebag because I have no interest in seeing this film. I saw Malibus Most Wanted, and If this film is like that one at all, I can be pretty sure that I wont like it.
Anyways back to Condemned, which I just saw. Im very perplexed by this film. I wanted dumb people blowing up and tortured, and I got what I wanted, but it tried to make a social commentary on violence in media. I respected in trying to induce a thought or two into its flick, but it makes it the most hypocritical film ever. They say all these things about how we love violence and that we create the demand for more of it, yet here I was sitting in the theater hoping someone was going to gut the villian from ear to ear with a fish hook. The movie made me feel somewhat mad about what I was expecting from a movie, particularly this one, yet it goes an delivers on what I was expecting anyways. Overall I enjoyed myself enough, though one scene becomes so masochistic it made me sick, but the fact that it made me think was something I wasnt expecting and perhaps for once in a theater going experience, I wish it didnt. But really no one should take what they say too seriously cause obviously they gave into it as well. Maybe it was intentional, maybe not. At least I can count on Michael Bay to deliver on leave-your-brain-at-the-door experiences.
PS Vinnie Jones has to be clinically insane. I love the guy, but I wouldnt get within ten feet of him.
Alright...haven't caught anything yet, so here's my initial reaction.
Next: I hate Nic Cage. Hate him. He sucks. Aside from a handful of roles where I think he actually attempted acting, he always just plays himself. Con Air= Nic Cage with a bad Southern accent. And don't even mention National Treasure. This looks like shit. A big steaming pile of it. So I doubt I'll waste my time. Unless a fritter is involved.
Jamie Kennedy...dear god. How does he have a career again? I'd take Carrot Top and Pauly Shore over this idiot any day. But....I'm a sucker for break dancing (Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, you shall have your day), and this features the always fantastic David Hasselhoff. I'll watch it if I get the chance.
The Invisible...if I have to watch this damn trailer one more time...I'm gonna kick someone...right in the nuts. However, I liked Justin Chatwin in The Chumscrubber and his episode of Lost. And it has Chris Marquette, whom I like quite a bit. I'll watch it...but have low expectations.
The Condemned...I've been talking about wanting to remake the awesome 80's flick, The Running Man, for a few years now...and the fucking WWE beat me to it. Kinda. This is more an updating than a remaking. A "re-imagining" I guess. Still. Anywho. I like Stone Cold. I love Vinnie Jones. And it has Smarmy Douche in it. Blood, violence, and well that's about it. But you can count me there. It's so sad when the only film I'm excited for was made by the WWE. What are we coming to?
The reason you're a biased douchebag is: I've SEEN all of Ryan Gosling's films, I've SEEN almost all of Marlon Brando's films, I've SEEN most of Julianne Moore's movies...how many time have you seen Kickin' It Old School?
And I believe there is a major connection to someone's hatred towards an actor and their probable dislike of the movie upon seeing it.
Did you insinuate that I was perhaps biased? I love all (except for Notebook) of Ryan Gosling's movies. I enjoyed (except for Street Car Named Desire) the Marlon Brando movies I've watched and I love the Julianne Moore movies that should be loved and I hate the ones that should be hated. My hatred for an actor holds absolutely no merit when it comes to the movie itself.
See the movie, if you hate it, that's fine. It won't stop me from believing for the most part that your pre-movie Jamie Kennedy hate bias had something to do with it though. I do know that out of the two people that saw it with me, one really enjoyed it and one thought it was okay. And right before the movie the person that thought it was okay said, "Oh my god that looks so fucking stupid. I'm going to hate it, I assure you."
Hate Nic Cage? Completely? C'mon. What about Leaving Las Vegas, Matchstick Men, Adaptation, Lord of War, Moonstruck, Face/Off, Red Rock West, Bringing Out the Dead, and of course Raising Arizona.
That's a pretty impressive and full filmography by itself, and I still haven't seen Wild at Heart or Rumble Fish.
Sure, he does the paycheck performance probably more than any other actor in Hollywood, but even his throwaways I find more interesting than most actors. He might occasionally be bad, but he's rarely boring.
Man, myth, you are getting hostile. How often did we even talk about this film even coming out? I dont think we did at all. So I dont know why you are attacking me on a topic I written two things on. Ive seen all of Jamie Kennedys movies inc. Son of the Mask. I admitted to liking him in the first Scream and I liked his show well enough. Still why can I not state that I think this movie looks awful. I make this opinion on many things, not simply the fact it has Jamie Kennedy in it.
-The title is stupid
-the premise is tired and predictable (notice now instead of Jamie playing a white rapper ala Malibus Most Wanted, he is now playing a white break dancer, lets see if he can complete the trilogy)
- the supporting cast doesnt look promising, though their are some standouts namely Alan Ruck and Hasselhoff (But lets not forget his last movie was Click which sucked too) , but it features Miguel Nunez, he who of the classic Juwanna Man, and Bobby Lee, who always annoyed me on MadTV.
-first time director, also acts in flick as character named Chimichanga. Im fairly certain that no decent director would ever cast themselves as such a character, though i bet Spielberg wanted to play the shark in Jaws, after all he has the nose for it.
-I didnt see a single trailer for it. Only first saw a TV ad the week it was coming out.
-Wasnt screened for critics. Always a good sign it sucks.
-It hate the movies it spoofs
-It looks obnoxious, annoying, and offensive beyond reason
I would like to say every movie looks good to me, but lets face it, that simply is not always the case. This movie looks abismal, but notice I dont say it is abismal. Because you are right, I havent seen it, so I cant say it is or isnt. There are plenty of movies that I avoid simply because of how they appear to me. Im not going to waste my time and see it, when it doesnt looks good to begin with. My time is precious and Id rather not waste it watching the newest Jamie Kennedy movie simply because you thought it was okay, when I can go home and catch up on the numerous Kurosawa flicks Ive yet to see that I know more than likely are brilliant.
Dont you think even Jamie Kennedy himself would agree with me?
If you liked the movie, that is your perogative. But judging me simply because I have a brain and would rather have it stimulated than not, is down right ignorrant of you. Are you so high and mighty(myth) that you dont judge a book by its cover? That is the whole point of advertising; to entice you to buy the product. In this case, Im not going to buy it.
I gotta agree wholeheartedly with chachi. There are certain actors (such as Jamie Kennedy) that make such bad career choices that they lose all credibility or get under your skin to the point that you don't really care what they're in, you don't want to see it.
Thing is, Jamie Kennedy has never proved himself worth the effort required to seek out his work (similarly David Arquette - with the exception of The Grey Zone - has done the same thing after the Scream franchise).
That's not to rule out anything the man does in the future. But if an actor routinely subjects you to films that you have little-to-no respect for and find yourself leaning forward in your seat, praying for the credits... well, until he proves you wrong, you have the right to ignore his 'work' for the forseeable future.
Truthfully, I can't believe we're even debating a movie that received a whopping 4% positive rating on RottenTomatoes... the movie is probably a new addition to their "100 Worst Reviewed Films of All-Time" List.
I think I've fallen into some sort of alternate reality....one where Jamie Kennedy actually matters enough to fight about. Seriously. The guy did Malibu's Most Wanted. Not saying this new thing he's got going doesn't have a funny moment or two...I'm sure it might...but seriously...Jamie Fucking Kennedy. The rest of the world fights over food, religious lands, matters of honor and principle, oil, non-religious lands, and more oil....and we fight over.....Jamie Fucking Kennedy. No wonder the rest of the world hates us.
Moving on. I saw The Invisible today. Weird. I wanted to hate it (that bias mighty myth...as is loving the Fantastic Four based solely on love of the comics....cuz that movie was bollocks), but I found myself oddly involved in it. I;m not going to say it's great. I might not even say it was good. What I will say is that the awful trailer I saw about 8 trillion times has very little to so with the finished film. Which is good....very good.
Problems: Justin Chatwin. If he isn't acting like he just took an entire bottle of vicodin and washed it down with a box of wine and then ate an entire turkey...then he's probably yelling. And that's about all he does. When he finds out that he's "dead"...he doesn't seem too bummed out. Vaguely bothered would be the best description. And he has one of those stupid "yelling at the sky while waving your hands violently scenes". Those should have been outlawed a long time ago. I like Chatwin quit a bit in Lost and Chumscrubber...but this part just has nothing to it...considering he's the main character.
The other actors were good enough for me to get into it. Except for Marcia-Gay Harden. The best part of her performance....she didn't have that awful accent from The Hoax. She felt fake when she was not interested in her son. And she felt really fake when she finally breaks down after his disappearance.
More bad stuff. Really cliche at points. That part in the trailer where he throws the book at the shelf and then the camera turns and its like he never did anything....yeah....that happens way too much. I got it the first time. He can't really effect the real world. And the ending. They did a ballsy ending. I was happy. Then there's a scene that feels tacked on. Should have left it at the ballsy part....cuz balls are good.
Good stuff: The chick was pretty good. Totally cliche. But I think she was what got me kinda into the movie. And Chris Marquette. I really liked him in Alpha Dog. A strange performance that really comes together in the end. The role he has here is similar. He plays a very good victim of circumstance and his own weakness. A spineless buddy who could prevent horrible things from happening if he just stood up for himself...or grew some balls to go to the cops. That said...I think he plays guilt very well. I like this kid...I hope he works more (and he is...has 4 flicks coming out this year...including the long-awaited Fanboys).
Best thing: the soundtrack. Kind of. It's one of those mish-mash soundtracks that has no flow whatsoever and more or less picks a bunch of popular alt-rock groups that are currently popular. But it gets mega-huge love from me for including 4 tracks...1 by And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie, "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, and (most importantly) "Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio. TV ON THE RADIO!!!!!! Awesome.
Overall, I'm not sure what to say about suggesting this. I expected nothing, and it certainly exceeded that. I found myself into the story, and ever-so-slightly caring about this characters. It's not great...but it might be worth a rental. I'll leave it up to you.
I swear to god I didnt read your review, pengin, before I saw this film, but I agree 100%. Invisible was quite the surprise. The trailer wasnt bad, but it was played into the ground, and the movie didnt even open well.
Anyways everything you said pengin is exactly what I liked and disliked in the film. Chatwin, for being the lead, is the least interesting character. The girl was terrific though. She really got me involved in his story, but I was much more interested in her emotions and experiences. At first I hated the all black outfit with the beanie, but once she took it off in the club, it became almost transcendent, but that was because it was to Trail of Dead's Caterwaul.
Plus kudos to the soundtrack. I is your typical
pick-melodic-song-to-evoke-the-
characters-emotions kinda thing, but they were all great choices. I immediateley recognized TV on the Radio, Death Cab for Cutie (best song on that album), and of course Trail of Dead. But you forgot Snow Patrol. They played two of theres I believe, one of which I loved for its use in the Black Donnellys premiere.
Your problems were my problems. Goyer overdid it with the whole move object, camera pan away and return, object back in place bit. I got it. He cant alter the environment. Why do people who know they cant be heard, always insist on yelling over and over again as if suddenly they will hear you? Marcia Gay Harden must be filming another movie on the lot, because she wasnt focused at all, except when she breaks down in her sons room. But I did like the little bit at the end with the kid. Cheesy sure, but this movie was dark, and I think it was nice to add a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. You wouldnt say Children of Men coped out on the ending would you? I would say the same for this film. I will say perhaps my biggest problem with the film if the logic behind the conclusion. I dont understand how and why it all happened. I was able to suspend my disbelief for nearly everything else except for that scene, which is too bad because it was a really touching scene.
Overall, I was thoroughly surprised by this film. Would I buy it. Probably not. But I definatly want to see it again.
PS this film couldve been titled "Stockholm Syndrome" to a certain degree
Not a huge fan of Snow Patrol, so I didn't really pick up on their stuff.....but I pointed out the four songs I was uber-happy to hear.
As for the ending...it's not so much that I disliked it I guess....but that I think the end of the scene before it would have been such a better place to end it. Call me a cynic. I am one. I know. But that just felt like the natural stopping point.
And for the Children of Men reference...I disagree dude. Not a bit of hope in that entire film. Not even the ending. Sure...the baby was born. And survives to make it to the Human Project ship. But, as Theo had pointed out earlier in the film, it was too late. The world had gone to shit. One baby wasn't enough to stop the fighting at Beck's Hill for more than a couple of minutes. How the hell is it going to fix what's wrong with the rest of the world?
Seeing Kee and her child live is certainly hopeful, and the possiblity of Dylan somehow healing the world is hope-inducing. But that's what kills me about the ending...the illusion of hope. The first time I saw the film, I walked away thinking that it had ended on an up note, and I liked that. Then I watched it again. And the ending devastated me. And I liked that more. It's more fitting for that film. Theo dies, Britain joins the rest of the world in chaos and decay, and the world's only hope...is really just an illusion. Fucking brutal.
Alright Mr. Mighty Myth. I just sat through this thing they're trying to tell me is a film....better yet...they're even trying to pass it off as a comedy, when it is actually a Sudanese torture device. Now, to address your expected charges of being a BIASED DOUCHEBAG...I really did try to like this. I love break-dancing. And I love Spongebob. This had neither good Spongebob humor nor good breakdancing. This just sucked. It was painful. I thought I could feel a tumor growing in my brain while watching. It isn't fun. Not even just as something just to sit down and watch. This is crap. Jamie Kennedy is crap.
Onto Next....which is bad too. Not awful. But not good. Which makes it bad. Cage's hair=bad. Cage's "acting"=bad. Julianne Moore (stick with the good movies...for the love of god)=bad. Writing=bad. Jessica Biel=hot, and not much else.
This isn't terrible. It's just pointless. The script sucks. It's all so convenient. Cage's powers are rather weak for basically his whole life...then...whenever the story needs him to be able to have better powers...he does. And its amazing. And he saves the day. And you sit there saying to yourself, "Wow. That was amazingly convenient. So convenient that its bothersome."
This wasn't the steamer I was expecting....but it was bad. No doubt about that. Best part: Peter Falk. He's only in it for a minute or so. But god he's awesome. and if you say he isn't, he'll show up at your house, beat you up, do the old-man shuffle all over your face, then blow cigar smoke at you. It's true. There are over 15 Peter Falk related deaths every year. Cops won't touch him though...that old-man shuffle is brutal.
Finally, the Condemned. I agree with Chachi. It's fun. It's violent. Surprisingly not a bloody as I expected. But big stupid fun anyway. Until they add "the message". Which I wouldn't have minded. I love social commentary. What I was hoping for (and it's a lofty expectation), was that the film would rather subtley condemn the audience for wanting the violence. For wanting the blood. Instead, we get that message slammed down our throats, when a news reporter says that thought almost word for word. It was groan-inducingly bad.
Other than that though, it was fun. And I have to second the Vinnie Jones thought. He has to eat babies in his spare time or something. The man is flipping crazy.
PS: The other problem I had was that everyone died the exact same way...or at least a majority of them did. I like some variety in my violence.
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