50 Movie Reviews - Part Three (37-50)

... and we finally finish with the old business...

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Slumdog Millionaire

One of the best movies I've ever seen. Probably my second favorite of this bunch. Danny Boyle is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors because of his versatility and courage. I've heard of this film for a while while it was making the rounds at the "foo-foo" theaters, and it wasn't until Rick told me about it and how much he liked it that I thought it had a chance in the mainstream market. I finally got the opportunity to see it at home and I was floored by how complete and unpredictable of a story it was. Anyone who considers themselves half-way human, will really enjoy this film. And for the record, I LOVED the dance sequence and song at the end. It was a powerful and joyous exclamation point to a powerful and joyous movie.



Smokey and The Bandit

Who doesn't like Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields? Let me know, those of you out there, who feel this way. I'm curious. This movie was very good. It was simple, but that was kind of the point. Some of the best fun you'll have in front of a screen with your clothes on (or off... what do I care what you freaks do at home). Jackie Gleason sent this story over the top with his character. I think Burt described it the best in one of the behind-the-scene interviews: This movie is like Chinese food... really good while you're taking it all in, but then two hours after you're done you're hungry and forgotten about it. I still think it's a classic and worth the price of rental.



Somebody Up There Likes Me

I was flipping through channels one day, back when I had TV, and I came across a young Paul Newman. His character had a real strong Brooklyn-style accent and what he was saying at the moment was pretty intense, so I was hooked. I couldn't stop watching the movie 'till the very end. If you like boxing, you'll love this film, and even if you don't like the sport, you'll still love it. I'd never even heard of this movie before. A wonderful example of Newman's range as an actor: I'm a little familiar with his work but I've never seen him take on a role like this. Very impressive.



Star Trek

The crown jewel. If you like rankings, you'll like this: this is the best movie out of the 50. That's right, #1. It fulfills you in every way. Action, suspense, love, tension, sadness, special effects, acting, story, music, sounds, photography, humor, pacing, and the best opening scene and sequence I've EVER seen. I was about to cry after the first few minutes. Unbelievable film. Trekkie or not, this is a film that will not disappoint. Of course, as a lifelong trekkie, I was eating the whole thing up like a batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies (I don't know what's up with all the food references). The Star Trek franchise is not only alive and well, it is thriving and has all the momentum it needs now to steamroll anything coming it's way (yes, even Batman, Potter, and vampires). Note: Still not as good as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn.




The Story of Us

Eh. Okay flick. Nothing special. Bruce Willis does something against his typecast of action hero. Michelle Pfifer does a great scene at the end. A couple of cute gimmicks in the middle of the film, and the story can relate to a lot of couples, but overall a largely forgettable film. Go see it if you have absolutely nothing else you'd like to watch.



Superman Returns

Very, VERY disappointed with this one. WTF? Such a build-up, even in the opening title sequence to the movie, and then... nothing. Stupid story. Uninteresting characters. A movie that relied on the audience having seen the older Superman films and being familiar with a lot of his comic book background, which the audience was, but STILL squandered that advantage because of laziness. Even if everyone likes your character and your setting (like Metropolis), you still have to present a strong film. Take a lesson from Star Trek, a franchise that also has decades of material and fandom to rely on, that still managed to reinvent itself while maintaining it's connection the its past. Shame on you, Bryan Singer. Stick to X-Men.



Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Great film. Overloaded with action and effects, but pulls a strong story through. Good acting and the classic Optimus Prime voice, you really can't go wrong. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, Megan Fox is really, REALLY good looking. I would like to see this one again because so much was going on, I want to make sure I didn't miss anything. The two "jive talkin" autobots were very cool, despite the cries of racism against those characters from some. I liked this one a little better than the first Transformers movie.



Tropic Thunder

Very funny, and impressive overall production. Robert Downey Jr was robbed when he didn't win an Oscar for his performance. Ben Stiller's "Simple Jack" character is one for the ages. Matthew McCounaghay (sp??) steals the show with his talent agent/manager portrayal. Tom Cruise then steals it from Matthew was his character. Got this DVD as a gift from my brother. Thanks Dennis.



Twilight

I liked it, but I am nowhere in the same stratosphere as everyone else who loved it and has become a part of the whole Twilight movement. I can appreciate it for what it is, which is a vampire tale for teenagers, and that's it. I hear it's supposed to get better as the series goes on, and that's fine, but I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon yet. I thought the acting was excellent and the world they create very believable. It seems like a pretty cool idea, but then vampire lore is so flexible nowadays. It was cool seeing Sharkboy in this movie, now a little older.



Underworld

More vampires! I liked this one much more than Twilight, but I'm still not ranking this as a great movie. The story was VERY good, and the film got better as it went along, but I just didn't buy some of the main characters. Kate Beckingsale, the guy that played the head Lychan (Lucien, I think), and the human/vampire/warewolf at the end, were all just "blah" to me. In others words, I didn't believe it. The old guy from Love Actually (who plays the aging rocker in that film) was OUTSTANDING as Viktor, the head vampire. He made the movie enjoyable for me. I'm looking forward to seeing the sequels, since I hear they are as good or better.



National Lampoon's Van Wilder

What a great, great film. I've been a fan of Ryan Reynolds for other work he's done, but to see him have the screen presence from this early on is impressive. The material is great and Reynold's delivery is unique. The other members of the cast really round out a strong film and make the whole thing not only funny, but memorable. I could see this a bunch of times and still have a lot of fun and draw something substantial out of the film. My bad for not giving this film a chance when it came out. At the time I thought it would just be another let's-shock-the-audience kind of flick. I was wrong.



The War of the Roses

I'd actually seen this before, but I forgot most of it. I love the style of this film more than anything else. The back and forth that it eventually comes two between the two divorcees is as intense as any you'll see. Danny Devito's narration is perfect for it, and to find he directed it was a pleasant surprise. A quality movie. I consider this a much, MUCH better version of The Story of Us, but with a completely different ending. Realistic and fanciful at the same time. Go see it if you haven't already.




Watchmen

Awesome movie! Really good and really underrated. How good? Maybe #3 on this list, that's how good. I can't stand to hear that it's too slow for most people... damn it, it's SUPPOSED to be that way. Maybe the expectations were off because when you think of a superhero movie you think of non-stop "wow me" action. This film would be spoiled by that. Oh, and Rorshack (sp) is one of my favorite characters of all time now. He's kind of a mix of Batman and The Question. And bravo for not shying away from the male frontal nudity. About time some film-makers had some balls.



Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

You can hate me now because of what I'm about to write. This was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I'd say this occupies the second worst film on this list, for sure. I finally saw it, after all these years, and I'm wondering what the big deal is. Seriously, someone please explain it to me. I really wanted to like it, but that would be dishonest. Phew, it stunk. Gene Wilder, now he was good. Everything else in front of me sucked ass.





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And we're done.