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Keeping Mum

Mostly, I watched this for Rowan Atkinson. In that regard, I was only partially satisfied, as this is certainly the most serious role I've seen him in, despite this being a black comedy. However, his not being his usual silly self doesn't mean that his performance wasn't any good; it was, in fact, great. Maggie Smith was fairly decent, and Patrick Swayze was surprisingly perfect for the role of the slimy and profiteering american.

Still, this is a british black comedy, which to me generally automatically equals a great film. In this case, not so much. While it has its moments and while the concept is interesting, the movie sort of jumbles the comedy and dramatic aspects together, which makes it seem like it has a bit of an identity crisis. I didn't get bored, I couldn't predict exactly what was going to happen, but I just didn't get as entertained or hooked as I expected. Guess that's just what happens when you start generalizing movie quality based on what country it's from.

In a sentence:

Good performances from Atkinson and Swayze, but a bit of a toss-up in every other department and not all that engaging. Still, it has its moments.

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Love Actually

This is basically Valentine's Day, but british and done right. It's formulaic, cheesy and family-frendly, but it has a soul. It's basically a great, light movie to watch to get your spirits up around christmastime, with some funny moments, very fitting acting and the right morals. I guess it's a testament to how empty this movie is that I can't really figure out what else to say about it, though.

In a sentence:

Very formulaic, cheesy and shallow, but having its heart in the right place and a great cast makes this worth watching for some simple fun.

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Red Dead Redemption

I've always loved GTA, but I've only ever actually managed to finish one game (GTA4), and that took me a year and a half. Read Dead Redemption must clearly have done something right, then, to get me to attain 100% completion within a month.

I guess the main thing that made this so fun to me was the setting. To me, the Old West is a much better fit for the Rockstar open world design philosophy, though I can't quite explain why. It just felt perfect, exactly like the ideal western game should feel, with side quests in the right places with the right mechanics and a main quest that spanned across exactly the right environments, themes and story elements. So on a more abstract level, this is a really addicting and atmospheric game.

But there's also the more concrete stuff that made this so fun. Ambient challenges, random world events, jobs and main story missions combine perfectly to cover pretty much everything you'd want to do in this type of game, while also giving you the feeling that the world you're roaming around in is a real one. The story itself, which is much more serious than Grand Theft Auto while still retaining a hint of humour and irony, is also much more interesting and deeper than any of Rockstar's previous games. And of course, the world design is fantastic, with truly memorable scenic views, amazing animations and wonderful graphics.

Really though, I think what made this so much more fun than GTA4 to me was the freshness of a new setting and style. So bring on L.A. Noire!

In a sentence:

Western game perfection, thanks to an excellent balance between main and side quests supported by a fantastic story and legendary world design.

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The Karate Kid (2010)

You know, I don't really see how they could have done a better job of remaking this particular movie. It's got the perfect balance between updated and identical elements (identical: plot structure, updated: location and races), with what is easily Chan's best performance, as well as a surprisingly good one from newcomer Jaden Smith. The film is also beautifully shot, almost perfectly paced (it may be a bit too long before we see Chan) and excellently cast. So while the story might be as predictable as they come, and while remakes might be starting to get too plentiful, this one has plenty of new things to offer that the original did not, and is well-made in every other aspect. Definitely recommended.

In a sentence:
Fantastic performances from Chan and Smith, beautiful cinematography, great pacing, and a surprisingly fresh new take on the original story.

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Knight and Day

This is exactly what the trailer leads you to believe it is: fun, well-acted and completely formulaic. Basically, while this rehashes a ton of overused ideas, and while you can predict basically everything that happens, and while the film relies on the girl's stupidity to carry the first half of the movie, I don't feel ashamed in recommending it. The thing is, despite its Hollywood shortcomings, this movie is just fun to watch thanks in most part to Cruise's hilarious performance. The movie won't really ever get you laughing that hard, since the best jokes are in the trailer, but you'll have a smile on your face nonetheless.

In a sentence:

Despite a completely predictable plot and some rehashed concepts, Cruise's acting makes this not only watchable, but fun.

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Observe and Report

You know, even now, I don't think I know what this movie was about. The whole time I was watching the insanity within unfold, I was jumping from hating to liking Seth Rogen's character, always wondering where the heck all of this was going. The answer is never really given, and we are instead shown a cheesy happy Hollywood ending. I was kind of thrown off, since I had come to expect something totally random, much like the rest of the movie. I guess, then, that this is simply the portrayal of a totally delusional, self-obsessed and hand-to-hand combat expert mall cop.

If I had to pick a theory, it would be that the movie parodies films where the loser underdog main character manages to save everybody through a series of coincidences and blunders, by showing what would actually happen to such an overconfident character in real life. With that mindset, this film is actually quite brilliant, with the exception of the ending. The skill and style that is clearly apparent in the cinematography, editing and acting leads me to believe this might actually be what the filmmakers intended. Either way, seeing the movie this way makes it somewhat brilliant, and definitely worth watching as long as you expect insanity.

In a sentence:

If you see it as a portrayal of what would happen if a cliché overoptimistic underdog loser character tried to save everyone in real life, this is pretty brilliant and well-crafted film... until the lame ending.

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Toy Story 3

This was a great end to the series, making really pertinent parallels with the lives of the generation that grew up with Toy Story and ending on just the right, methodically crafted note. It is not, however, particularly funny or engaging for an adult audience.

Don't get me wrong, some of the jokes are great, and the story certainly makes sense, and doesn't resort to cheap tricks or overused elements. It's just that this is clearly still aimed at a really young audience, and there is a lot less of the smart adult humour that I've become accustomed to in recent Pixar flicks. Basically, the jokes I laughed at were things like "Death by Monkeys", and the film only lightly touched upon the more mature themes of the storyline (loss of innocence, moving on, growing old, etc.). In essence, I think this movie found itself in a kind of limbo: on the one hand, the younger audience members couldn't really connect with Andy, who was now leaving for college, whereas on the other hand, I couldn't connect with the maturity of the writing.

Regardless, as a whole this movie is definitely a worthy conclusion to such a popular series. I guess I just expected it to follow its original audience's maturity level a bit more closely.

In a sentence:

A fantastic closure to the trilogy, with some amazing production values, tons of cool details and some really original concepts, but marred by its failure to keep up with its original audience in terms of writing and humour.

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The Book of Eli

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this. I expected yet another post-apocalyptic romp through familiar storylines and seen-it-before cinematography. Instead, I got a visually striking, surprisingly deep and original take on both end-of-the-world scenarios and theology. I really have to give a special mention about the cinematography: it's god damn gorgeous. Nearly every shot is meticulously crafted to display both the loneliness and the danger of the empty wasteland the movie takes place in. The visuals are reason enough to watch the movie, really.

Then, you've got Denzel and Goldman, who are both fantastic in their roles, and who were certainly helped by the really fresh and original story. The writing is a bit uneven, and some sections are a bit overlong, but as a whole it works great.

Basically, while it won't revolutionize anything, this is a gorgeous and really original take on the post-apocalypse genre.

In a sentence:

Amazing cinematography, great acting, a great concept, but a bit uneven with the pacing and writing.

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Rat Race

Another movie I remember laughing hysterically at when I was much younger, and another movie that's much less funny almost 10 years later. Don't get me wrong, this movie has some really genuinely hilarious moments, but it's also got its fair share of lengthy bits and jokes that fall flat. It's just one of those movies that appeals very much to younger audiences because of how light it is, and because of how the cheesiness in the humour will be less apparent to them.

However, the acting is up to par (despite drastic overacting from Rowan Atkinson), the movie as a whole is a lot of fun, and its good moments will stay with you for a while. Like Johnny English, this is a fun movie to watch if you just want to relax your brain for two hours.

In a sentence:

Brilliant moments are balanced by lame ones and held aloft by very fitting acting and a good dose of insanity. Fun and light.

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Johnny English

The first time I watched this, I remember laughing almost continually and thinking it was comedic genius. All these years later, my opinion's changed fairly drastically. While the jokes are indeed quite funny and Atkinson's slapstick humour is certainly up to par, the same type of joke is used for almost every joke for the entire movie. Basically, Johnny English says something overconfident and suave (ex. "I'm always careful.") and then messes up in a way that's related to what he just said (ex. hitting his head on something). It's funny, but it gets a bit old, and it's really predictable. In terms of plot, this is really simple and totally exaggerated, which is fun but doesn't allow the viewer to properly invest in the story, and we are forced to just kind of observe from a distance.

I'd still recommend this to fans of Mr. Bean or Atkinson; you'll certainly have fun. It's just not anything more than that.

In a sentence:

Well-executed but repetitive humour and a really basic and over-the-top story make this a fun but unremarkable movie.

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The A-Team (2010)

When a movie trailer features a tank shooting at airplanes as it is falling from the sky, you know you're going to be in for some serious carnage when you watch the full film. As in turns out, this is one of those kinds of movies that goes over the top in every way possible, while staying fully aware of it and never feeling exceedingly cheesy or cliché. Basically, it's a fantastic movie to see with guy friends, as it'll have you laughing and whooping all the way through its badass and entirely unrealistic action scenes. As far as casting and acting goes, this was basically perfect, with the actors portraying their respective roles as if they'd been doing this for years.

A hell of a guy movie.

In a sentence:

Ridiculous over-the-top antics coupled with great casting and wonderful writing make this one of those rare action movies that rise above Hollywood norms and have real personality.

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Green Day: Rock Band

What a failure of a game. After a game as superb as The Beatles: Rock Band, everyone reacted pretty much the same way when GD:RB was announced: "Whuh?!". Of all the amazing bands that were willing to work with Harmonix and that would've made for fantastic games, Harmonix (or possibly MTV or one of the higher-ups) ended up choosing the one band that inspires absolutely nobody. Most people just think Green Day is "Ok.", and certainly nobody, save for a bunch of young tweens, sees them as a particularly important part of musical history or even music as a whole. They're just there. And although I wanted to believe that Harmonix would find a way to make this game enjoyable, it turns out that my optimism was unfounded.

Whereas TB:RB had amazing dreamscapes, a historical romp through the Beatles' career, unlockable photos and videos that were really interesting to watch, and a redesigned interface, GD:RB has only three venues, and feels exactly like Rock Band 2 save for the custom band avatars. Career mode is a joke, with the player able to choose which venue to play, and then having to complete one tier (5 songs) to unlock another one in that venue. As expected, the songs get ridiculously repetitive to play, as the band has basically been making the same music since the 90s, and even then these songs are mostly repeating chords and similar vocal work.

There is one saving grace: the menu design. Menus and gorgeous, with lots of graffiti style artwork and TB:RB-style animations. But when the game is this dull, that's not much of a compliment. Rock Band 3 seems like it will be unbelievable, and the addition of a Keyboard certainly opens up the horizons for future Band-centric Rock Band titles, but as far as I'm concerned this whole game was just a mistake that I'd rather forget about.

In a sentence:

This could've been made by Activision. I don't think I could insult it more than that.

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Get Him To The Greek

This is a really unique movie. Looking back on it, it feels like it was sloppy and disjointed, but somehow I think that might have been on purpose; this is the story of a rock star, after all, and despite its flaws this movie will have you laughing and having a great time all the way through.

The film takes a surprisingly fresh look at the sex, drugs and rock and roll theme, avoiding the common clichés and misconceptions and replacing them with actual human thoughts and emotions. Of course, all of this hinges on the acting, and thankfully Hill and Brand both deliver amazing performances, with P. Diddy delivering a surprising and memorable one as well. The movie undoubtedly delivers humour-wise as well, with some borderline genius moments.

In a sentence:

While the movie never really settles on any particular message, and never really knows where it's going, the acting and humour manage to transform that into a quality, which leaves us with one of the craziest and most enjoyable comedies thus far this summer.

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She's Out Of My League

I'll say one thing: this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I expected to hate this movie for pretending that a hot girl could fall for some completely unlikeable nerd for no reason whatsoever like the awful "I Love You, Beth Cooper". In actuality, the movie does a decent job at explaining that she initially only goes for him for superficial reasons (he's safer than her last, cheating boyfriend), and never properly explains what it is she finds in him afterwards, though they do make the guy pretty funny and witty. Instead, the moral is not "have hope, nerds!", but rather that if, in some unlikely scenario, a girl you find too good for you decides that she likes you, go with it and believe that you're worth it. And that's something I can get behind.

However, while the main moral is better than expected, and while some jokes are pretty funny, this is still a subpar movie. It's predictable, poorly acted by everyone but the main character, formulaic, cheesy, and somewhat jumbled. Not that that's a surprise.

In a sentence:

Enjoyable to watch and featuring a pretty good if oversimplified moral grounding, but cheesy and predictable teen movie fare as a whole.

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Prince of Persia - The Forgotten Sands

As a big fan of the latest Prince of Persia reboot as well as the original Sands of Time game, I wasn't quite sure what to think when this was announced. On one hand, Ubisoft was basically saying it had made a mistake with 2008-PoP, but on the other they were going back to 2003-PoP, so it would all come down to how fun the game was. Considering its movie tie-in status, I think it's fair to say that I didn't expect much. Turns out, it's actually the best PoP game so far in terms of gameplay, and beautiful to look at. Platforming is ridiculously fun and original, you can now upgrade the Prince and his new magic abilities, and though the fighting suffers from a slow start, it becomes a lot of fun later on with a ridiculous amount of enemies. As for the graphics and design, it's generally a very beautiful game, if a little over-reliant on concepts from the previous PoP games. It's not at all as unique and beautiful as 2008-PoP, but it's certainly the best looking game from the Sands of Time quadrilogy.

The game is far from perfect, though. The other integral part of the PoP experience - story - is basically ignored. Only three simplistic characters are ever seen in the entire game, and the story is basically just you touring the palace on your way to the big boss, intercut with short conversations with a random woman in dreamland. There is no character development, and barely any references to the Sands of Time game. Plus, the most important character (Malik, the Prince's brother) is never really introduced and so basically comes out of nowhere. There's also the small matter of me finishing the game in under 6 hours. This is definitely not a game you buy.

Still, despite its flaws, this game was a ton of fun, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. Unless they go back to 2008-Pop, that is... or maybe another reboot? Bah.

In a sentence:

The best PoP game ever in terms of gameplay, featuring some great graphics and good design. However, the story and length are terrible, which makes this more of a little treat for PoP fans than a proper entry into the Prince of Persia saga.

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