I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.
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| Tomorrowland - The World's Fair brought to life. |
Watch Tomorrowland
Written by: Damon Lindelof (screenplay), and Brad Bird (screenplay), Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird, Jeff Jensen (story)
Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie
Rated: PG
Plot:
A disillusioned genius inventor, a teen with a knack to figure out how things work, and an android are on a quest to find the world where the best and brightest reside.
Review:
The movie is a lot of fun, though I had my doubts initially. The beginning jumps around and ends up muddled. We see Clooney filming some kind of video log and being interrupted, it jumps to Clooney's childhood, back to the log, and THEN the movie finally starts. It should have started with Britt Robertson's character, my guess is that Clooney's childhood scene was shoehorned as a teaser for what we'd see later. And it is an amazing teaser, but that scene should have been inserted later to work logically for a streamlined story.
Logic is a problem for Tomorrowland. It's easily dismissed, but if someone pulled you out of a car and placed you on the ground. You would wake up. This movie expects me to believe the person would stay asleep until a car skids away. It's small, but there are a number of instances, where a little more thought wouldn't ruin my suspension of disbelief. The pin/advertisement (you'll get it if you watch) logic is fast and loose as well. This movie, any movie, shouldn't make me yell at the screen, "That's not how it works! That's not how it worked earlier in this movie!"
Clooney has created a booby trapped house which makes you wonder what has he been doing for twenty five years?
Nearing the end, the movie felt like it had only set the stage for the second half. Time to conclude to the movie was running out and I had concerns as the writer Lindelof is good at creating mystery, but doesn't always warp it up well (e.g. television series Lost).
The ending wasn't bad.
I still don't understand how the muddled beginning was left as is. I get wanting to provide the teaser but it was detrimental to the story, though I like Bird's directing. The art direction, set pieces, and CGI is really well done. This is where the movie really shines. The city of the future looks spectacular.
Verdict:
Tomorrowland is a fun movie, though not without problems. The design is fantastic and outshines the story. The conclusion is a bit weak, while trying to be inspiring it doesn't quite succeed. Evoking the feelings of World's Fairs, the idea that anything is possible is the mantra of the movie. It's entertaining and fun despite a few missteps.
Watch it.
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| Get the Gringo - Solid movie. |
Get the Gringo (2012)
Watch Get the Gringo
Written by: Mel Gibson & Stacy Perskie, & Adrian Grunberg
Directed by: Adrian Grunberg
Starring: Mel Gibson, Kevin Hernandez,
Rated: R
Plot:
Mel Gibson is a bank robber that gets incarcerated in a Mexican prison and has to figure how to get out.
Review:
In a prison where most people in his position would be dead, Gibson's character finds a way to get cash and leverage his position. That's the fun of this movie, the clever ways he finds to get out of prison.
The opening scene is a great hook that introduces a fun movie. Gibson does well in these roles as a deadpan snarker, a la Payback. Gibson has a lot of fun moments from getting revenge on an inmate, to setting up the person from which he stole, to getting his money back. It's a popcorn film, but it is entertaining.
Verdict:
It's a fun ride that mixes action, comedy, and subterfuge. If you like Mel Gibson in Payback or Lethal Weapon it's worth checking out.
It depends.
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| Y Tu Mama Tambien - Life captured and experienced in one road trip. |
Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)
WatchY Tu Mama Tambien
Written by: Alfonso Cuaron, Carlos Cuaron
Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron
Starring: Maribel Verdu, Gael Garcia Bernal, Daniel Gimenez
Rated: R
Plot:
Two teenagers convince an older woman to take a road trip to a beach that doesn't exist.
Review:
It captures the free spirited, irreverent nature teens. It feels a bit like a documentary, with the dialog sounding very natural and authentic. It's definitely a coming of age story.
The narration was jarring at first, because I've heard narration presented in such away. Everything else stops when the narration starts, which is an odd juxtaposition with the energy of the characters, but I began to like it. It begins to feel like a character looking back on the events, stopping to make sense of them. While movies typically add narration due to poor storytelling, this narration adds depth to the story efficiently.
Slight <SPOILERS> ahead.
The ending is strong. It's very well done and could have easily faltered. These two friends share a summer with enough stories to fill a lifetime, and then they drift apart. That's life, and it fits this movie that explores the powerful themes of life, love, and death.
Verdict:
It's a powerful movie that does a lot of things right while being an exploration of life. Things change, nothings certain, and the future constantly moves. What you know as absolute as a teenager, is not guaranteed as an adult.
Watch it.
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