 New on DVD & Blu-ray
Great disaster film... plot eh... too much repetition in film  –Scott Horowitz • November 30 2009, 3:31pm EST 
We all had crappy summer jobs in college (my movie would be called Taco Bell), but Greg Mottola weaves enough fiction and period realism into his tale to make it a treasure. It's funny, and sweet, and sexy, but it should have skipped the epilogue. –Scott Hardie • November 14 2009, 2:06pm EST
It's not remotely plausible, and its plot makes no sense after you think about it, but this adventure has wit and class that the National Treasure movies don't even realize they're missing. What gorgeous locations, and what intriguing mysteries. –Scott Hardie • July 31 2009, 11:17pm EST
I think there is an inherent risk of misinterpreting a film from a foreign culture. This film is bizarrely hilarious, except the ending, which is just bizarre! Maybe you had to be there?! A mockumentary about a third rate superhero's trials. See it! –Aaron Shurtleff • November 19 2009, 3:26pm EST
First, the 3-D animation was terrific. Second, everything else sucked. Poor story and plot development, non-sensical conflict, suspension of physical laws, incredible misunderstanding of basic human nature, cliché-driven character dreck - it's all in there. –Steve West • September 19 2009, 6:44pm EST • 2 replies
This dark and unsettling fairy tale explores all kinds of childhood fears starting with separation anxiety, but the real achievement here is the visual panache. This is another stop-motion cartoon treat for fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas. –Scott Hardie • April 7 2009, 1:18am EST
Vince Vaughn stars in, co-produced and co-wrote this film. A definite vehicle to highlight his talents. Lots of jokes about the sometime absurdity of relationships and all four couples have relationship reunions of sorts. The island resort hosts were just plain creepy and Jean Reno was miscast as the French love guru. –Steve West • November 7 2009, 10:20pm EST
The odd Potter films excite me while the evens bore, this one included. It feels like it's just positioning the pieces for the big ending. It's for fans only, requiring familiarity to understand anything. Good music and photography, I guess. –Scott Hardie • December 13 2009, 5:47pm EST
Tarantino's WWII flick from the forgotten "macaroni war" genre is ambitious, intentionally preposterous, superbly acted, and endlessly entertaining, once you accept his limited interest in moral consequences. I could watch this movie go on for hours. –Scott Hardie • January 23 2010, 7:36am EST
This is a pretty dumb movie about pretty smart ideas. Too many rewrites left it crammed with inconsistencies and clichés, and the dialogue is laughably bad. But it has a great hook at the start, and stunning disaster scenes that belong in a better film. –Scott Hardie • August 30 2009, 1:27pm EST
I would rate this higher but it scared my daughter. She still enjoyed it but animated films lately are geared more toward adults and not kids. I thought it was hilarious. Hugh Laurie shines as Dr. Cockroach and Bob the Ooze is predictable but funny. –Steve West • April 11 2009, 1:28pm EST
When Charlyne Yi interviews people about love, she gets some great tales and some cute kids. But when the fake documentary forces material about boyfriend Michael Cera or the film crew, it drags to a halt. The entire second half feels pointless. –Scott Hardie • December 6 2009, 12:22am EST
Miyazaki once again puts most animators to shame with his joie de vivre and attention to detail. His take on The Little Mermaid is for young kids, but it's as gorgeous as any other film he's made, especially the breathtaking first few minutes. –Scott Hardie • November 5 2009, 10:20pm EST • 1 reply
premise: A biography of the pre-FBI lawman who chased John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. Starring Christian Bale and Johnny Depp. Because this is about the mutual understanding and sympathy that develops between a bank robber and the lawman pursuing him, who have only a few scenes together, and because it is written and directed by Michael Mann, it is impossible not to think of Heat while watching this movie. But a key part of Heat's success was the way it alternated between cold scenes with Robert De Niro's rigid, disciplined thief and hot scenes with Al Pacino's wild-eyed firecracker of a cop. Christopher Nolan based the Batman-Joker dynamic in The Dark Knight on Heat, reversing the sides of the law. This time, perhaps because it was more historically accurate, perhaps because he cast the wrong lead actors, perhaps because he's getting mellow in his senior years, who knows why, Mann decided to make both men cold, stiff, and robotic. The result is a lifeless movie that fails to stir the audience or make much impression. Even the prolonged shootouts, and there are several, seem rote. The movie intends to be deep, but neglects to reveal enough of its subtext, at least to me. Watching interviews with Mann and the cast on the DVD afterwards, I had several epiphanies like "oh, that's what his expression meant" or "that's why he did that." If your movie needs footnotes to be understood, it's in trouble. Christian Bale is a very internal actor who can summon complex emotions, but can't always project them, and his performance here is muddled. Johnny Depp is more than charismatic enough to play the celebrity outlaw John Dillinger, but he's also too smart for the role. We can't buy that this sophisticated man with intelligence in his eyes has spent only a few weeks of his adult life outside of prison, and that he doesn't have a plan beyond the next morning. Marion Cotillard is much better as Dillinger's sweetheart, who's smarter and tougher than he is. A movie about her would have been a lot more interesting. –Scott Hardie • February 21 2010, 9:34pm EST
premise: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou, and other members of an eclectic cast star in this stylish deconstruction of superheroes. Into an increasingly crowded off-brand superhero marketplace comes Push, another Heroes-inspired production without the silly costumes or notions of saving the world. This movie is the anti-Jumper: Both movies are completely preposterous, with a lot of pointless action, antagonists with barely-explained motives, parental abandonment issues, and interchangeable bad guys Samuel L. Jackson and Djimon Hounsou. But Jumper lacked imagination; it had the ingredients but not the recipe. Push is a triumph of stylish direction, committed acting, believable special effects, a brooding soul, and best of all, actual thought given to what these characters might do with their abilities and how they might feel about the ridiculous conflict they're caught up in. This flick is loads of fun for fans who like their superhero movies brainy and stylish. –Scott Hardie • February 7 2009, 11:22am EST
Aside from the special effects, the only part that was relatively interesting to the group over here (4 kids, 3 adults) were the glimpses of the Sci-fi con and Storm Troopers. Nostalgia for the campy 70's flixs is the only thing it has going for it. –Lori Lancaster • April 7 2009, 9:16am EST
The sense of fun that this reboot brings is just what the series needed. It's vital again, though I'm not sure its abandoning of any deeper meaning is the plus everyone thinks. Hooray for a solid, thrilling adventure that dusts off an old favorite. –Scott Hardie • May 7 2009, 10:45pm EST • 3 replies
This by-the-numbers indie comedy travels familiar roads, but it's charming and warm, and inspires welcome feelings. Amy Adams and Emily Blunt play siblings like they've lived lifetimes of mutual frustration. Watching them work is a simple pleasure. –Scott Hardie • October 8 2009, 10:43pm EST • 1 reply
This movie isn't bad, but it misses so many chances to go somewhere with its premise, like commenting on our culture or getting more creative in the action scenes. Half an hour of subplots was trimmed in editing, so maybe it was intended to go deeper? –Scott Hardie • October 18 2009, 8:54am EST
OMG! Do NOT see this piece of crap! I love mindless comedy as much as anyone, but this is truly the worst movie I have ever watched. A bunch of guys go out for a bachelor party in Vegas, and nothing hilarious ensues. –Aaron Shurtleff • February 2 2010, 12:26pm EST • 9 replies
Drawn-out killing scenes and a rape scene that lasted entirely too long. As the credits rolled, I was sick to my stomach. How did Mari's brother die? Why was Krug in jail? There's something to be said for character development, even in a horror film. –Erik Bates • October 4 2009, 11:53am EST
All of the pieces are here for a really good drama, with two actors at the top of their game. But the movie, presenting a bad case of "Hollywood crazy," never really takes off beyond bland ruminations about friendship. There's some great music, though. –Scott Hardie • October 1 2009, 8:29pm EST
Audrey NIffenegger wrote this as a novel because it was such a big story. The filmmakers lacked that wisdom and raced through his (not her?) lifetime in under two hours. It's a good romance, with a few moving scenes, but it goes by too much like a blur. –Scott Hardie • November 7 2009, 7:55pm EST
Action director Chan-wook Park returns with a dark drama about a priest horrified to have become a vampire. Like his best work, it probes deeply into human nature and features some thrilling photography, but it's sometimes hampered by shrill overacting. –Scott Hardie • November 29 2009, 6:38pm EST
Like WALL-E, this feels made for fans of smart, offbeat animation first and kids second. It's full of lively visual design and packs a powerful emotional prologue. Who expects the talking animals to be the best part of a great Disney movie? –Scott Hardie • May 30 2009, 6:12pm EST
Zach Snider's ultra-faithful adaptation of the legendary graphic novel is nearly perfect, fascinating for scene after scene until the overlong final confrontation. It keeps the rich character development and complex themes of Alan Moore's masterwork. –Scott Hardie • April 7 2009, 1:20am EST • 3 replies
Hands-down, the best horror comedy, and quite possibly regular comedy film of the year (all time?). Clever, sarcastic, and original humor combine to make this film gut-bustingly hilarious. –Erik Bates • October 4 2009, 12:02pm EST |
|
goo.tc • Celebrity Goo Game • Thorough Movie Reviews • Tragic Comedy • Exquisite Corpse • Rock Block • Gothic Earth |
Welcome to goo.tc! Please login or register. ©2010 Scott Hardie | RSS |
