A Couple of Things

I know it seems like I've dropped off the face of the planet, but the fact of the matter is that I've been seduced by the Dark Side, and by the Dark Side I mean TV on DVD. It's this weird phenomena, I'm sitting at home, wondering what movie to watch and I can't decide. So what do I do? I decide I'll watch an episode of one of my TV shows on DVD, HUGE mistake. Why? Because the next thing I know, I get sucked in and I end up dedicating myself to a couple of days of watching a show! Ridiculous, I know. But, in my defense the shows I watch are pretty awesome: Doctor Who, Samurai Jack, Firefly, Undeclared, etc, etc. (or at least I think they're awesome, maybe I should review some of those...)
Anyway, that being said, I'm on my way back into the blogging world! I have a couple reviews on the way to help get you into the Christmas spirit, seeing that we're only 12 days away now; just a couple of my personal favourite 'holiday' flicks.
Also, and more excitingly (for me, and therefore you!) the Golden Globe nominations were just announced! I don't know about you, but I usually spend the months leading up to the Golden Globes and consequently the Oscars watching as many of the nominated films as I can. Sometimes that can be hard living in the movie black hole known as Prince George, where popular movies come and then proceed to use up a theatre for 2 months. Nonetheless! It's an exciting time for the Film major in me! And I'm proud to announce that I'm only one movie ('Happy-Go-Lucky') away from watching all the movies in the Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical! That rarely happens to me so early in the proceedings, except for the Best Animated Feature category; I never have problem seeing all of them. (P.S. this year's nominees are all pretty great.)
That's all for now, but I'll have a review out shortly! Until then, keep it reel.

Quantum of Solace

I can be kind of weird when it comes to movie reviews. I know this must shock you (or not ;D) Sometimes I can't wait to see what's going to be said by other reviewers about movies I intend (or not) to see and in the same way sometimes I'll avoid all reviews until I've seen the movie myself.  When it came to the new Bond flick it was a case of the latter. I love James Bond, and after 'Casino Royale' I was fairly certain there was no way I could be disappointed, and I wasn't I loved 'Quantum of Solace' (even the verbose title is growing on me). However, when I decided to hit up Rotten Tomatoes (for the uninitiated, it's a review aggregator and it's pretty awesome) I was shocked to discover that the reviews are all over the place, especially from critics that I usually agree with and respect. So if you'll allow me, (and you will if you keep reading) I'll tell you why I think this new Bond was pretty awesome.

First and foremost I will admit that the critics are right in that the plot in 'Quantum of Solace' is a slightly convoluted. It's a little bit all over the place: moles in MI6, Bond gone rogue(or has he?), Bolivian coup d'etat...etc. However, keeping in mind that there's another on deck to complete this 'trilogy' that's breathing new life into the franchise I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. If things don't get tied up in the next film, well then I might have some things to say. 

Despite the slight non-cohesion of the plot, 'Quantum of Solace' has lots going for it. I must say the introduction of the titular super secret QUANTUM was fantastic. They come off much creepier and far more powerful that SPECTRE ever did in the older Bonds. The meeting done at an avant garde opera was amazingly beautiful and served to demonstrate exactly the kind of power and influence this new orginisation wields. Also the action in this movie is ridiculous, and by ridiculous I mean awesome. The stereotypical chase at the beginning is fantastic. A cool and collected Bond weaves through traffic on a mountain road in his Aston Martin, wonderful and exactly what I've come to expect from James Bond. 

However, it's apparently this action that the critics (Roger Ebert, I'm talking to you!!!) have taken real offence to. Stating that Bond is not an action hero, which is something that I find baffling. How can you be a spy and NOT be an action hero. Go back watch the older Bond films, there are car chases, boat chases, gun fights, hand to hand combat on a train...does this sound like someone who isn't an action hero, yeah I didn't think so. They all seem to say that James Bond should stop trying to be Jason Bourne. There would be no Jason Bourne without James Bond, for heavens sake! Sorry, I must calm myself...The real complaint from these critics I suppose is that this Bond is nowhere near the suave and debonair spy we were introduced to in the sixties. And to that I say THANK GOD! While the smooth lines and endless flirting suited my favourite Bond, Sean Connery, and the era they were made in to a T, they became sillier and sillier as the franchise continued, turning the suave spy into a line-slinging fool. (Roger Moore nearly killed Bond for me...)  Why do you think they called this a reboot or reworking of the franchise?! Because Bond needed to be updated for the times. 

With his second turn in the role, Daniel Craig has truly cemented himself as my second favourite Bond. (no one can supplant Connery) He plays this Bond as cool and ruthless, but is also as suave as they come. He looks just as comfortable in a tuxedo as he does in his chinos and can kick ass in both. Having a killer physique and piercing blue eyes don't hurt either, especially while wooing your supposed MI6 handler (whose Bond girl name is Strawberry Fields! Love it!). While is certainly not the most verbose Bond there is, I'm finding him to be the most resourceful. This may be due in large part to the fact he doesn't rely on the gadgets of Q (who is absent from the new series so far) like so many of his predecessors did. 

There is a wonderful 'Goldfinger' homage in 'Quantum of Solace.' To those of us who are familiar with the older Bond it causes a little thrill of joy and just looks plain cool to any who aren't. And replacing the gold with oil is especially relevant to the current Bond era. 

My favourite little tidbit in this movie comes right near the end and is only really relevant to us Canadian viewers. When Bond finally tracks down the supposedly kidnapped boyfriend of his doomed lover, Vesper Lynd, from 'Casino Royale' he's already moved on to a new girl, a Canadian. Now I don't know about you, but seeing as how rarely anyone is Canadian in a movie, any time the country is even mentioned causes me pure joy. There are a few wonderful things in this scene. Bond has a great line "Go tell your people to check their seals, 'cause you've got a leak." Then there's the assumption that there is some kind of information that CSIS must have gathered that is actually worth something to QUANTUM(!). The final, and possibly best part, is when Bond lets the girl go before starting his 'interrogation' of the boyfriend, as she walks out the door, she turns back and says "Thank you." I kid you not, even in the dire circumstance when being released by a spy we're polite!  Fantastic.

On the whole, I find any deficiency in plot is wholly made up for by the action and the promise of more to come. Also, sorry that this turned into a little bit of a rant in some places, but I get a little upset when people refuse to accept that movies, ESPECIALLY, franchises need to move with times. Until next time keep it reel!

Nochnoi Dozor

Next up, as promised, is 'Nochnoi Dozor,' or for you non-Russian speakers, 'Night Watch.' This is one of the coolest movies I've ever seen. And I wouldn't have seen it if it weren't for my friend Chris. He's a huge horror fan and I have, as previously mentioned, a strong aversion to horror. When he told me he was going to watch a Russian horror movie all I could see in my brain was Eisenstein's 'Battleship Potemkin' with more blood and gore. NO THANK YOU. We were both working at a video store at the time and when it came out on DVD, after much cojoling he convinced me to give it a go. Thankfully Chris is fairly convincing or else I would've missed out on Timur Bekmambetov's lovely distopian creation.

Timur Bekmambetov has brought a dark and grimy Moscow to the screen and I must admit, it's fairly beautiful in its grittiness. Unlike so many other movies of this kind ('Underworld' and the like ) where the world in which the supernatural beings exist is dark but slick and glamourous, 'Night Watch' is decidedly the opposite. Bekmambetov makes no attempt to gloss up his city for the movie, all the dirt and grime are left on the surface and add to the overall atmosphere of the movie. 

Within these grimy circumstances the movie revolves around Anton Gorodetsky, a member of the titular Night Watch. Anton is an Other, someone with a supernatural gift of some kind. The Night Watch keeps tabs on any rogue Dark others and they have counterparts in the Day Watch who look out for any bad moves on the Light side. Anton (Konstantin Khabensky) has chosen to use his talents as a Seer for the Light Others. He can tell who is an Other just by looking at them, and drinking blood enhances this talent, despite the fact that he clearly despises drinking it. Khabensky is wonderful as the scruffy hero. Through him it becomes painfully apparent that while Anton believes in what he's doing with the Night Watch, the job really takes a lot out of him. 

While the archetype of the plot, good vs evil, is one of the simplest that exist in film, there's a lot going on in the movie. So much so that I feel that even trying to go any more into the plot would extend this post exponentially and who wants that? Not me, that's for sure. Also, while mentioning plot I should mention that this movie is based on a Russian trilogy of sci-fi books, which I haven't read. I know, a movie based on a book and I haven't read it, I'm shocked too...but in my defense, it is a Russian book. (although I'm pretty sure it's been translated)

One last indulgence from me I have to mention are the visuals in this movie. The action is amazing, Bekmambetov mentions that the Wachowskis (maybe you've heard of them) are inspirations of his and it shows, especially in the cuts and in the innovations that Bekmambetov has made is this movie. However, there are no crazy wire stunts in this movie, but the fights that are in it retain the realism that Bekmambetov established in the setting of the movie. Another great touch are the subtitles, they are wonderful. Unlike boring old subtitles that sit on the bottom of the screen these ones scroll across and then fade away, lurk in the corner and turn red. Foreign filmmakers take note! All subtitles should be like this! 

Alrighty, that's enough I think, enough to hopefully tease you into going to try some awesome Russian cinema! Here's the trailer and until next time keep it reel! 

(a little post script here, if you want to watch the whole movie in two minutes, it's been condensed on the official website here...it's awesome both ways.)

Stardust

Here it is at last, the long delayed (and for no good reason - seriously I can't think of one at all) review for 'Stardust.' I honestly don't know what's taken me so long to get this out, 'Stardust' was one of my favourite movies of 2007, and I really only have good things to say about it! It had everything that I enjoy in a flick all in one convenient place! Action, adventure, romance, humour, plus a dash of magic just for fun, and a great cast to round it all out. It was one of those movies that I went to and when the credits started to run, I thought to myself "It's over already?!" (Although by the third time I saw it theatres that had worn off...a little.)

Before the movie came out, 'Stardust' was already one of my favourite books. Neil Gaiman is a wonderful author, who writes fantastic, magical stories that have always captivated me, like 'American Gods' and 'Neverwhere'. He has a great descriptive writing style that is very visual, the kind of thing where you can easily see in your mind's eye exactly what he means. Along with writing great novels, he also has written quite a few graphic novels, my personal favourite being 'Marvel 1602,' it's so good! Marvel characters set in Elizabethan England...aw man they should make that into a movie...but I digress (I know huge nerd right here). Anyway, 'Stardust' is one of those graphic novels, after it was published (to much acclaim) as a "story with pictures," as the author puts it, it was then published without illustrations. Now taking another step and being made to into a film just goes to show that the story itself is very fluid, taking on the various styles with ease.

Now enough about books! This blog is about movies! This movie uses the combination of magic and realism from the source material to great avail. So much so that you almost believe that you could go to England, find Wall and cross over into Stormhold. The wonderful thing about fantasy movies is that the special effects always feel more natural. Which may sound odd, but think, since witches are supposed to be able to do magic, it only seems natural that they do! One of the other great things about 'Stardust' is that it's deceptively funny. I've recommended it to more than one person who's been convinced that it's a romcom, but have been happily surprised to find that it's actually a comedic fantasy adventure.

The movie is also filled with wonderful characters and great acting that brings them to life. First of all I think the people behind the making of 'Stardust' made an excellent choice in choosing a relative unknown for the role of our hero, Tristan. The beauty of choosing an unknown is that we, the audience, have no expectations from the actor and as such Charlie Cox is free to be as charming and bumbling as need be to bring the hopeless dreamer, Tristan, to life. The transformation from shop boy to hero seems completely credible in his capable hands.

Next up is Robert DeNiro. For those of us who are more accustomed to his 'Raging Bull' or 'Taxi Driver' personas, his take on Captain Shakespeare is an wonderful surprise. He is absolutely hilarious as the secretly flambouyant Shakespeare. Nothing like a captain who's so loved by his crew that they pretend they don't know that he's about as hard as pudding and also I never thought I'd see the day where I'd see DeNiro in a dress!

I hadn't seen Claire Danes in anything for a quite a while when 'Stardust' came out, as a matter of fact, it looks like she had taken a couple of years off. I think she was a great choice for Yvaine, while it's true that they added a lot of the literal glowing with special effects, she certainly has the right kind of aura about her to pull off playing a fallen star. I am also very happy to report that her English accent was quite well done.

Last, but most certainly not least is Michelle Pfeiffer. I don't know what's come over her in 2007 with taking villainous roles, Lamia in 'Stardust' and Velma Von Tussel in 'Hairspray,' but the result was pure gold. I can only imagine that most actors must enjoy playing a villain every once and a while and it certainly showed in Pfeiffer's case. While Lamia certainly is evil, there is a good deal of humour in her character, especially as her body deteriorates as she uses her magic.

There are a couple other lovely little things about this movie I wanted to mention. Number one: the ghostly brothers. I LOVE them. HI-LA-RI-OUS. When I heard they were making the movie this was the one thing I wondered about. It's an interesting part of the book and I'd hoped they'd manage to make it work. Did they ever!! Especially having the characters in the shape they were in when they died, a great little comedic touch. And tying in with the brothers a bit is, number 2: the costuming. On the whole is was beautifully done, but one especially great thing comes from the outfits of the seven brothers. If you look closely at their clothes you discover they are covered in embroidery of the roman numeral that corresponds with their name. Wonderful!

And then for the one little nitpicky thing. Really the only thing that annoys me every time is in regards to the black glass knife that Lamia intends to use to cut out Yvaines' heart. She plans to cut through someone's body with this, but it shatters when it hits a wall? I mean, I get that it's glass, but if she wants to get all the way to someone's heart, shouldn't be a wee bit sturdier? Or am I just overly picky?

There you have it! 'Stardust' a great movie for everybody! And while I'm two and half months getting this sucker out, I hope you've enjoyed my thoughts! Now moving on to something completely different: 'Nochnoy Dozor"! Until then, keep it reel!

GO SEE DARK KNIGHT

I don't have time wax poetic, if you haven't already seen it, go see 'Dark Knight.' It's one of those movies where at the end you just go 'Wow.' It's that good. You'll get a full review from me after I've seen it a second and/or third time, but let's just say that everything you've heard, especially about Heath Ledger's performance, is all true. Now why are still reading this!?! Get to the theatre now! And if you happen to live in PG, invite me to come with you! GO!

Wimbledon

I know I promised 'Stardust,' but since I spent almost seven, that's right SEVEN, hours watching the Championship match at this year's Wimbledon I felt inspired to review the movie of the same name. Wimbledon - the sporting event - is a unique event. Sure, there are tons of tennis tournaments through out the year, but there isn't anything quite like the fortnight of tennis at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. (PS I love tennis...tennis and hockey, my two favourite, and completely disparate, sports) Much like it's namesake 'Wimbledon' (that's the movie this time) is also quite unique, I mean have you ever heard of a tennis movie before, let alone a tennis-romantic comedy?! 

The thing that first drew me to this film was not that it was a romantic comedy from the same people who brought us 'Notting Hill', (although the trailer tries to entice you with this information, I find Hugh Grant a little insufferable...but I digress) it was the sports movie aspect, and Paul Bettany, I'd watch anything with him in it. 

I've always been drawn to sports movies, although not for the sport, but the story. The stories these films bring us are ones of an indomitable human spirit: they've got that hunger that leads them to conquer not only an opponent but also any personal misgivings of failure. 

Interestingly, in this film, Peter Colt (our hero) has never really hungered for anything. He comes from an upper-middle class (albeit quirky) family and at 31 is an aging tennis pro who's looking at getting a cushy job at a country club for his retirement. He's going to Wimbledon one final time for his last hurrah and isn't expecting to get past the second round. This is a man who tries to announce his retirement at a press conference only to be overshadowed by the latest American phenom. Paul Bettany is perfect as Colt. He plays the almost-past-his-prime tennis player to a tee. He's still in good shape and still has his looks, but he's lost all ambition and every stroke tires him out. Even as the movie progresses and he gets further on in the tournament every time he makes a ridiculous shot the look on his face is priceless, completely shocked and exhausted. He's also perfectly English, this may sound odd, but it's true. An Englishman hasn't won Wimbledon since 1936 and Peter Colt becomes their last great hope. With every round he advances he gets more and more support; this makes him uncomfortable as hell and he demonstrates a great amount of humility only the English can pull off and still come off as sincere. 

Where Peter Colt is a character that would've never worked as an American, Lizzie Bradbury is the perfect brash Yankee player. She plays hard, fearless and and has John McEnroe's manners. Despite their places at the opposite ends of the tennis spectrum they become a great pair. Lizzie makes Peter take chances he wouldn't usually dream of and he makes her realise there's more to life than winning. The filmmaker's take great care with this love story. It could've been incredibly corny and melodramatic but they manage to perfectly undermine almost every romantic moment to give it a laugh. However, there are those rare moments when you can see that these two, that make an unlikely couple, are falling head over heels for each other.

Yet another great touch in this movie is Peter's internal monologue. The audience not only gets to see the agony that almost every shot brings him, but also getting to hear his voice tell us how exhausted he is. While this may seem superfluous you have to remember that, where in other sports movies there are teammates and coaches reminding us how difficult a shot is, or how insurmountable the situation may be, this is tennis. This is a sport where two people play solo against each other for hours. There are no periods, no quarters, no halfs, no time limits. The match just keeps going until someone has won. (Remember when I mentioned this year's match? Yeah 4hrs48min!) So it's nice to get an idea of what might be going on inside one of these player's heads.

While the film focuses on Bettany there are some fantastic supporting performances in this film. Sam Neill is the perfect overbearing tennis father and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is wonderful as Peter's charming German tennis practice partner, Deiter. However, the supporting roles that really stood out for me were James McAvoy and Jon Favreau. McAvoy plays Peter's younger brother Carl. He constantly bets against his brother and is a general annoyance, but in a sweet brotherly way. Then you have the always funny Jon Favreau. Favreau plays Peter's weaselly agent; an agent who's magically reappeared now that Peter's doing well again. While he doesn't have a lot of screen time he steals almost every scene he's in.

On top of the great story and performances that are going on this movie also has great camerawork and effects. In a time where opening sequences are often minimalised, these are fantastic. They put the audience right into the feel of the game. Along with the great opening sequence, there are wonderful special effects in this movie, so good in fact, they are practically invisible. While you can teach an actor to play tennis you can't make him an expert. The actors served the ball, but every match was perfectly choreographed so that that fuzzy yellow ball could be digitally inserted into the rally.

Needless to say this is one of those rare movies that manages to accomplish everything it sets out to do. You believe in the love story, but more than that you end up believing in Peter and want him desperately to win. Leading me put out that from this point on all other tennis-romantic-comedies I see will have to be judged against 'Wimbledon.' Although, I may have to wait a while...oh well, I'll always have next year's Championships. And if you think you're not a tennis fan see if you can find a match or two to watch this summer (Roger's Cup, US Open, I recommend watching Federer, Nadal or Djokovich), and you might just get sucked in. 

Next up 'Stardust,' until then keep it reel!

Short Note from The Reel Girl

Hello my stalwart readers (Nicole, I'm talking mainly to you...)

  Just a quick note to apologise for the extremely slow progress from me. Once I began reviewing movies in the theatres I discovered that I needed to see the movie at least twice to be able to do it any justice. Unfortunately in PG that's easier said than done, with our one theatre and matinees at said theatre only on the weekends. That being said, I'm going to start alternating between theatre flicks and DVDs, that way there will be a guaranteed post every week. I'm also going to put up a poll, to help determine which DVDs you, o trusted reader(s) would like see me review! Look interactive blog!! That's all for now! Until next time, keep it reel! 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Dun da dun daaah Can you hear that? Dun da daah Where is that coming from? Dun da da daah, dun da dun da DAHHH!!! It's coming from your local theatre, and do you know what it means?! Indy's back! And while I'm not going to say that he's better than ever, he's still back. This might not be the most exciting news for you, but I spent my weekends as a kid being 'educated' in the ways of George Lucas by my father. I can still remember vague memories of watching 'Last Crusade' at the drive-in, especially when Walter Donovan turns into dust after drinking from the wrong grail. Since then the Indiana Jones has always been near the top of my 'favourite' movie list. The mix of humour and adventure along with the gruff but lovable performance by Harrison Ford as my favourite achaeologist is perfection. To say that 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' had a lot to live up to for me is an understatement, although I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that boat. There were a lot of us expecting a lot out of this movie. And while it took me seeing it two times, it's passed the test for me. (although it only had to be better then 'Temple of Doom' to do that for me.) While the new subject matter is a little...well, weird Ford, Lucas and Spielberg pull it off by reminding the audience of why they love Indy in the first place. (Like the red line while travelling, I LOVE the red line while travelling!)

The movie puts us right back into the world of 'Indiana Jones' by using the old Paramount logo that's a little faded and not as a glossy as the new one, just like Indy himself. They also manage to jump us in time from the thirties to the fifties with Elvis' "Hound Dog" blaring through the speakers of an old jalopy. When Indy finally comes on the scene, from the trunk of a car, it's the first little gasp of excitement for me, putting on his hat (which is also looking like it should retire) in shadow, just like in 'Raiders.' While he's looking older, if possible, gruffer, and a little worse for wear I finally can relax; because I know that I'm in good hands, with this old-man Indiana Jones, especially when he says "Russians" the same way he always used to say "Nazis." Now that Hitler has gone the way of the dodo, he and his search for the occult is replaced by the Russians and their search for psychic weapons. Not only this, but Dr. Jones has to contend with the McCarthy era anti-communist witch hunts going on in his own country. I guess it's nice to know that history has plenty of villains in the wings, at home and abroad, for Dr. Jones to butt heads with.

While the audience is thrust in to oddity by realising that Indy's been brought to Area 51, Lucas and Spielberg remind us that it's still Indy by revealing that Area 51 is the giant warehouse from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' The whole movie goes on like this, anytime things seems a little too odd, it's balanced out with a little reminder from the previous films. For example, the Russians have just found the alien corpse they were looking for in Area 51 and while Indy tries to escape their clutches he knocks over a crate which is revealed to hold the infamous Ark of the Covenant. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the movie is a series of homages to the older films, it's not, far from it in fact. I would never use the phrase "non-stop thrill-ride," ever, but here it actually applies, the movie was over before I even realised that two hours had gone by. it's just nice to know that fans with high expectations and people seeing their first Indiana Jones movie would both be entertained.

Harrison Ford was wonderful, and I have to say I was extremely skeptical when I heard he was doing another Indiana Jones movie. The man looks older every time I see him in a movie, and I wasn't sure he was going to be able to pull it off. Don't get me wrong, the smart mouth is still there, which has always been a huge part of the character. But there was no way this guy was going to be running for his life from a giant, runaway boulder and getting out alive. However when Indy tries to swing from the ceiling into a moving car on a rope and ends up crashing into a completely different vehicle, my worries were put to rest. 

I was also really impressed with the supporting cast in this incarnation of Indiana Jones. Cate Blanchett is absolutely fantastic as Col Dr. Irina Spelko. Her accent is fantastic and I don't think anyone has ever pulled off a blue jumpsuit like that before. While she's more sinister than Dr. Elsa Schneider from 'Last Crusade,' that who she reminds me of. She is searching for something that she deems supremely important, not only for the organisation to which she belongs but also for herself. And she would do absolutely anything to gain the knowledge that she so desires. Cate pulls this off so well that you almost want to cheer for her, almost.

Then we come to Shia LaBeouf. He has a great entrance, riding on his motorcycle through the steam/fog at the train station and from that point on he doesn't disappoint. It's easy to see why he was cast in this role, they needed someone who could match wits with Harrison Ford. Both of these men have quick wits and it was fun watching them go at it, especially with Ford being the cool tempered one for a change. One of the best things about his character, Mutt Williams, is that he's a conduit for the audience. Every time he doubts that Indy can do something, you, in the audience get to smile to yourself and think 'just wait' and when the intrepid Dr. Jones pulls it off you get a smug 'told you so' until he finally gets it; Indiana Jones can do pretty much anything. 

Last but not least, there's Karen Allen. I can not tell you how excited I was when I saw that Marion Ravenwood was back. She was always my favourite of Indy's ladies, his best match, in my opinion. And while, just like Jones, she's a little older and a little wiser she still has that twinkle that I always loved in 'Raiders.' While she might have been better at getting herself into trouble in the first movie, she seems to have learned from Indy and now is just as, if not more, adept as him in getting out of dangerous predicaments. It's also nice to see that while they've been apart for so long that the passion is still there. They still bicker constantly and are still crazy about each other. 

A couple little extra things. When Indy stumbles in to a replica 50s home in an atomic bomb testing site it's funny how out of place he looks in such a suburban environment. It's as if to remind us that he belongs out in the field, getting into trouble. However, this also served to give me the first and only real 'yeah right' moment of the movie. You know the kind of thing that no one, not even everyone's favourite achaeologist, could survive. The bomb drops and Indy hides in a lead lined fridge which then proceeds to fly who know how far, and crash land. Only to have our hero fall out unscathed and concious...yeah right. Oh well, I guess it's one of those moments you have to really suspend reality. There are also some lovely homages to Marcus Brody and Dr. Henry Jones Sr. While neither man could be in the film it was nice to know that they weren't just forgotten. There is also a great Greaser/Soc fight in the diner, where Steven Speilberg's daughter Sasha pulls a great punch on Shia LaBeouf. Also the complete and utter irony of a car full of Russian communists crashing their way through an Anti-Red Rally. It's just one of those little moments to make you chuckle. 

Finally, remember the snakes from 'Raiders'? the bugs in 'Temple of Doom'? the rats in 'Last Crusade'? What was in store for us in 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'? I thought it was scorpions when a bunch fell on Mutt early on, but that was just like the tarantulas from 'Raiders,' something short and sweet to freak us out a little. No, what we get instead are giant, people eating ants. It gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.

All in all 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' does not disappoint, Indy is still Indy and the ride is still just as exhilirating, even if it is aliens. While that may be hard to come to grips with, I dare you not to laugh while Mutt tries to save Indy from a dry sand pit by throwing a giant snake to him like a rope. Because, still after all this time, he still "hates snakes"! Now enough of me babbling, get to the theatre! 

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia are back and gone is the innocence of the wild-eyed babes lost in the woods that we met in 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.' 'Prince Caspian' is a much more melancholy film than it's predecessor. Where the first film had the clear cut themes of good vs evil and absolute faith, 'Caspian' is filled with doubt, mistrust and a lack of faith. When looking at movies in a series it's hard not to compare the two, however in 'Narnia' it's nice to see that things are not the same, that would make it a little boring. That being said, despite the vast differences between the movies plot wise there are still similarities; the battle sequences are still massively impressive, the soundtrack still makes you want to stand up and cheer and those Pevensie kids are still just as charming! 

The greatest strength I found in 'Prince Caspian' is that once the Pevensie children arrive back in Narnia it feels like coming home for the audience as well. Director Andrew Adamson has done a wonderful job of bringing Narnia back to life, in a changed way, instantly the audience remembers and needs very little convincing that it is indeed Narnia that the kids have returned to. Even if there was convincing that needed to be done as soon as you hear Harry-Gregson Williams score with its familiar themes you are instantly reminded of the magic and wonder that await for us in Narnia. 

One of the two main differences between 'Caspian' and 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' is that where the former remained quite faithful to the source material the latter takes huge liberties with the book. I must admit that I will always be the first to defend a movie based on a book and the concessions that must be made to bring a novel to the big screen. Listen up all you "purists," (Harry Potter fans, I'm talking to you!!) the beauty of books is that you get to use you imagination to make the action, or lack thereof, to life in your head. But it's nearly impossible to bring every little detail of a book to the big screen. Think about it, 'Prince Caspian' the novel is 233 pages long and C.S. Lewis devotes three chapters of this 15 chapter book to a flashback about Caspian's life growing up in Narnia, his escape and mustering of the Narnian forces. Any audience, even the most patient, would find this tedious. Speaking of which, I have to applaud the movie for the fact that I didn't look at my watch once while watching, always a bad sign, that the movie's too long or too boring or a combination of both. 'Prince Caspian,' however launches us right into the action of Caspian fleeing certain death after the birth of his cousin to the usurper Miraz. That being said, Andrew Adamson, the director, and the producers took some interesting liberties, in my opinion, most notably in the uniting of the good and bad in Narnia to fight Miraz as well as resurrecting the character of the White Witch to tempt Caspian and Peter. We were lead to believe that the White Witch was destroyed after 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' and while it's hinted at bringing her back to help fight for Caspian in the novel she never actually appears as she does in the film. As with the evil forces, minotaurs and the other less than savoury characters aren't even mentioned in the book, nonetheless Adamson makes it clear that it is about all of Narnia uniting against the Telmarine forces. It takes a lot of guts to take any novel and bring it to the screen and doubly so with such a beloved classic as this, but because of the overall quality of the film the changes that needed to be made to make an engaging movie can be forgiven...or at least I think so.

The other major difference (that goes along with the liberties taken from the book) are the themes. In 'Prince Caspian' the themes are much darker and more mature, 'Prince  Caspian' is a film full of doubt. Actually for that matter the movie could have probably be called 'High King Peter' for, while the plot concerns itself with bringing Caspian to the throne stolen by his uncle, Miraz; the over-arching theme really centres on the Pevensies, and Peter specifically, and their return to Narnia. The most interesting thing concerning this is that in the book, the Pevensies are welcomed back to Narnia warmly and are eager and happy to put Caspian on the throne...not so much in the movie. After returning to England from their first trip to Narnia the four children are having a difficult time adjusting to life there, especially Peter. In England, Peter's been getting into fights and doubting whether or not Aslan will ever call for them to return, this doubt and recklessness are things he holds on to, even after the joy of returning to the place where he was the High King. The Narnian's blame the children for abandoning them and test their faith in Aslan as he has also allowed the tyranical Telmarines to take over Narnia. With this shame and doubt hanging over them and Peter in particular they set about demonstrating that they can still be relevant in the battle against Miraz. However, Aslan's lack of invovlement starts to press in on Peter and causes his to make the rash and dangerous decision to attack Miraz's castle directly. As things are falling to pieces and they are forced to retreat the look of complete and utter shame on his face shows Peter's knowledge that all of the Narnians that died, died because of his foolishness. However he quickly tries to shuffle the blame to Caspian for not following his plan. Here, when doubt and mistrust are at their highest the White Witch reappears on the scene trying persuade Caspian that her power can destroy Miraz and put him on the throne. Even Peter almost succumbs to her because of his lack of faith in Aslan. Luckily Edmund is no fool and sees right through her and when he shatters her image I cheered inside a little, he makes up for being such an idiot in the first film. The shame of almost falling to the power of the White Witch unites Caspian and Peter and the real plans to stop Miraz can finally begin. I have to say that I was extremely pleased that the one on one battle of Peter vs. Miraz was kept from the novel as it truly demonstrates that Peter is willing to put his life on the line so that things can be put right in Narnia. This heroic act of selflessness is a complete turn around from his earlier selfishness in trying to prove himself by attacking Miraz's castle and really resolves the doubt that both Caspian and the Narnians had in their 'old' kings and queens. 

A few little extra things, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Peter Dinklage and Warwick Davis. These two actors once again demonstrate that you can be a great actor even if your size doesn't allow you the same oppourtunities as regular sized actors. Both of these gentlemen put forth wonderful performances in this movie. 

Also, I know New Zealand is becoming a more and more popular place to film however, being the huge geek that I am I couldn't help but notice how much Narnia looks exactly like Middle Earth. Perhaps it's not something to boast about, but I've watched the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy many, many a time. (I know, I'm a huge geek, I'm alright with it) As such, I'm fairly familiar with the sweeping landscapes in those films and there were a couple of times where I had to chuckle to myself as I could almost imagine one of the characters from LOTR popping out of the trees and into Narnia. I'm sure I'm not the only to notice the similarities between the landscapes of the two franchises and if Walden Media and Disney plan on continuing on with the Narnia they may want to try to make Narnia a little more Narnian and a little less Middle Earth-ish...or I could turn down the nerdiness, one or the other.

Overall I really liked 'Prince Caspian'. The battle scenes were fantastic and the CGI was exceptionally well done, there's only one thing that really stopped me from loving this movie: unnecessary love story. As I have mentioned before (in the 'Iron Man' review) I despise a love story that serves no purpose, and the one between Susan and Prince Caspian annoyed me to no end. It didn't advance the plot, it was just there. That was the only thing that brought the movie down for me, overall a really enjoyable movie and I have to say that I'm looking forward to 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.' And if you don't know what I'm talking about maybe you should hit up your local bookstore. Until next time, keep it reel!

Iron Man

I don't like Tony Stark. I thought I'd get that out of the way before I get too far into this review. I read Marvel comics and I think he's kind of a jerk, especially recently and anyone else who may have read 'Civil War' can probably feel where I'm coming from. However, that being said, I loved 'Iron Man.' Now I think it has to be said that with the wealth of comic book movies that have come out in recent years that they aren't always winners. However, every once and a while everything seems to come together, director, actors, story, to make a great movie, such is the case with 'Iron Man.'

Jon Favreau was chosen to helm 'Iron Man' and after watching the movie I can see why. Now, "Who is that?" You might be asking yourself, well he's no Spielberg or Scorsese but he's certainly no stranger to Hollywood. Favreau had been acting for a while and then segued into directing in 2001 by directing and starring in the indie flick 'Made.' He has since then moved into more mainstream fare with 'Elf' and my favourite, yet much underrated, kids sci-fi movie, 'Zathura.' (if you haven't seen it, get on that...in fact a review may be found here for it sometime in the future.) Favreau seems to have a true gift when it comes to making an audience care for a character and this can be seen in his previous films as well. His talents are put to good use in 'Iron Man' as Tony Stark isn't an overly likable character. He's a billionaire wunderkind, who's charming to boot, the kind of guy you just love to hate. However like any good origin movie 'Iron Man' takes the audience deeper into the man behind the red and gold suit. What Favreau is really able to highlight is, not only Stark's journey from boozy billionaire to super hero, but the relationships with those around him and how they influence his transformation.

What I found most fascinating about Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is that I ended up not hating him. Even from the beginning he's not completely unappealing, and I found him myself endeared by him especially when it came to his relationship with his right-hand gal Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). They banter easily back and forth that demonstrates a level of trust and care that maybe shouldn't be so evident in a employer-employee relationship, nonetheless it makes you start to see Tony through Pepper's eyes. She believes that he really is a good person and you start to feel that maybe she's right. The other thing that I found surprising was Stark's naivete. We see him toast to peace after demonstrating the destructive power of his Jericho missile, completely blase about it. However he is completely and utterly shocked to discover that the men that have kidnapped him are using his weapons. He believes strongly in his technology and that the weapons that he has created are being used to help protect not only the American people but also the people under military control in the Middle East. Seeing them in the hands of his captors brings this belief crashing down and starts his shift to becoming Iron Man. The other thing that pushes Stark onto his path is the doctor, Yinsen, who saves Tony's life and helps him build the first suit. It might be one of the most important relationships he forms, however brief it may have been. And when Yinsen sacrifices himself so Tony can escape, he tells him to not waste this second chance at life and you can see in Tony's eyes that he means not to. One last thing about Stark is that I can't help but be impressed by a guy who can build a tiny reactor in a cave, out of scraps, while towing around a car battery that's keeping shrapnel out his heart, pretty damn determined. A determination that serves him well in his escape and future life-saving missions.

While saying all this about the character of Tony Stark I would feel remiss leaving out the absolute perfect casting of Robert Downey Jr. for this part. Just like with the casting of Tobey Maguire in the 'Spider-Man' movies people may have been surprised, however yet again Marvel demonstrates the importance of casting the man, not the super hero. Downey Jr. plays Stark with a perfect amount of humour and arrogance. It truly is his performance that allows the audience to see in past the facade of billionaire playboy to the lonely man who just wants to do what's right. Thanks to Downey Jr. we can always see Tony, even when he's in his Iron Man suit.

The supporting cast was also fantastic in this film. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts with a perfect mix care and professionalism. "Where has she been?" I thought, as I watched the movies, she really hasn't done anything big since 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' back in 2004. This doesn't diminish the fact that she is still excellent in 'Iron Man.' (and that I want to steal every pair of shoes she wears...) As I mentioned before Pepper truly believes that Tony has it within himself to do good, "He's a complicated person" she explains. However, once she discovers his plans to go out and stop injustices in person she wants nothing to do with it, not because she doesn't believe in what he's doing but because she's afraid for his safety. She cares for Tony like family, which leads to the perfect reaction to a dance she shares with him. She's awkward and flustered, she loves him, but not sure if she's in love with him, and that's really the extent of it. No extraneous love story, which I like, if it's not necessary to the plot, leave the love story out!

Then you have Obidiah Stane. From the first time you see him, you know he's evil, I mean he looks like Lex Luthor with a beard, how much more evil can you get?! However, Jeff Bridges plays Stane so cool and smooth that you almost believe he isn't the bad guy, almost. However when it's revealed that he is the villain of the piece, all the way down to Tony's kidnapping, you don't feel surprised, only a little disappointed. Especially when he does the stereotypical villain thing to stay and gloat after he's incapacitated and essentially killed the good guy.

There are a few a little extra things that I feel I should mention, although not essential to the review, but essential to my enjoyment of it, just a couple little funny things. Tony's robots. If you've seen the film you know what I'm talking about. You have to love a man that has the ability to build a fully functioning interactive computer program, Jarvis, (voiced perfectly by Paul Bettany) but gives it an attitude. He also keeps his "dummy" robots despite their need to douse him with fire extinguishers. He threatens to send one to a community college, but he never would, because who would he have to gripe at then? Also, watch for the wave Tony gives to the helicopter that saves him in the desert. It's a little odd, the man has been trapped for three months and has just spent who knows how long wandering in the desert and that is the wave he gives his rescuers?

Last but not least is the inclusion of Agent Coulson from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. The second he started to say the name the fangirl inside me had a little freak out. Marvel has introduced the omnipresent S.H.I.E.L.D. into this movie, which leads to all kinds of opportunities for any of the future films they release. And if you stay until after the credits be prepared to be as psyched as I am for the 'Avengers' movie that is slated to come out in 2011.

I suppose it might be superfluous to say, but clearly Marvel has swayed me. I like Tony Stark a lot more than I thought I would, he is the "complicated" guy that Pepper knows and I can't wait to see what Marvel has in store for us. This was their first self-financed and produced feature film ('The Hulk' coming out this summer being the second) and if 'Iron Man' is any indication of the quality of film that they will be releasing then the movie going public is in for a real treat.

                                          

Lars and the Real Girl

Here we are again. Now, when I tell you that I just saw a movie about a man and his lifelike love doll I'm sure your mind will go straight to the gutter. However, you better get it out of there because 'Lars and the Real Girl' is about as far away from the gutter as you can get. While the premise may sound a little risque, the movie is really a sweet story about a painully shy man and the community that loves him.

It's clear from the very beginning that there's something a little 'different' about Lars. He has spent most of his life living with his widower father. However, now that his dad has died and his brother, Gus and his pregnant wife, Karin, have moved back home, Lars has moved into the garage and has become more introverted.

Karin is concerned and makes all kinds of efforts to get Lars to come and join them for meals, but Lars always has an excuse ready. It takes her literally tackling him to the ground to get him to come in and join them for dinner. Karin is worried, but Gus thinks that maybe it's just his pregnant wife's 'maternal instincts' kicking in. While Lars may be a little odd, he has a job and goes to church, although his socially awkward ways get in the way of him interacting with people around him. That is, until one day at work his cubicle mate tells him about the 'real dolls' he's found online. Six weeks later Lars' "internet girlfriend" arrives and everything gets turned on it's head.

This time it's an excited Lars knocking on the door and asking if he and his 'visitor' can come for dinner. At first his family is ecstatic that Lars has finally met someone, maybe that new girl, Margo, from work who seems to have a crush on Lars?! But once he introduces his family to Bianca, a deeply religious, shy, wheelchair bound, missionary who's half Brazilian, half Danish, Gus begins to think that maybe Karin's concern wasn't so misplaced after all. Not only has Lars concocted this elaborate background for Bianca, he has an answer for every question that may come his way about his new friend, even asking if she can stay in the house with them because of her deeply religious beliefs.

After Karin and Gus are informed by local doctor, Dagmar, that Lars is suffering from a delusion and the best thing for him is for them to go along with it; they, along with the rest of the town, begin to unite around him. It takes a little time for everyone to get used to Bianca. However because they care so deeply for Lars, and once they understand, as we do, what she's allowing Lars to do; be a part of the community and live his life. Bianca begins to have a more fulfilling life than even I do! Elected to school board, out to get her hair cut with the girls, trips to lake, reading to schoolkids, even volunteering at the hospital. When Lars starts to become jealous of Bianca and how busy she is he lashes out at Karin saying that they don't care about him. She comes right back at him screaming that the only reason Bianca has such a full life is because of how much everyone in the town loves and cares about him.

The movie has it's share of funny moments, although not as many as you may think considering the premise. My favourite is the scene in the waiting room of the doctor's office: Gus and Karin come out to find a slightly uncomfortable looking child sitting on Bianca's knee with a beaming Lars saying "She loves kids." Another of my favourite moments comes near the end when Lars has just finished bowling, sans Bianca, and it begins to snow. He complains "I thought the winter was over!" this gets a laugh out of me only because that's how I've been feeling all 'spring' here in PG and I'm sure I'm not alone in this sentiment!

One of the things that really blew me away about this movie was Ryan Gosling. Anyone, like me, who remembers him as the goofy, loveable and girl-crazy Sean from 'Breaker High' has to be impressed with the metamorphosis that he has taken since starting to take on roles on the big screen. He plays socially awkward Lars so well, with a quiet self-conciousness that is perfection. Perhaps he is most impressive in 'Lars' when he starts 'waiting' with Dagmar for the 'treatments' she's prescribed to Bianca for the mystery ailment she seems to have developed to take effect. During these sessions he demonstrates Lars' vulnerability just right; watching him describe how he can't bear to be touched by another person is especially heartbreaking.

This charming, sweet and slightly quirky movie makes me wish that I lived in such a loving community as Lars does. It's one of those little gems of filmmaking that really shouldn't be missed.

The Totally Awesome 80s Fantasy Movie Marathon

As promised here's my review for my trip down nostalgia lane in my "Totally Awesome 80s Fantasy Movie Marathon." Are you excited!?! You should be! Now before I get started I'm going to advise you to perhaps get a snack, maybe some popcorn, Milkduds, your choice really, because this is going to be a long one, you've been warned! The reason for the length of this post is that I really need to give all five movies I watched the props (that's right, I said 'props'!) they rightly deserve.

My marathon consisted of five of my favourite 80s fantasy movies: 'Ladyhawke', 'Willow', 'The Dark Crystal', 'The Labyrinth' and 'The Princess Bride.' Now, while spending an entire afternoon (and well into the evening) watching movies back-to-back may not be everyone's cup of tea, it sure is this girls! While these are all great movies on their own and could probably (maybe?) get by on plot alone, which is saying a lot when you think of a lot of the movies that come to theatres nowadays; what is a really impressive part of all of these movies, except maybe 'The Princess Bride,' is the great use of special effects (SFX). I'm a SFX nerd, I love them, I really do, and with all of the special effects and CGI (Computer Generated Images) driven movies out there it may be hard to remember a time without them, but I promise you this time did exist! Because of my love for SFX and CGI I went back to the 80s for my marathon where they were really started to be used en masse. The real change in the use of special effects came in 1977 when a little movie called 'Star Wars' came out, you may have heard of it. Now granted 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' also from 1977 and '2001: A Space Odyssey' from 1968 also had great impacts on the development of special effects, but with 'Star Wars' also came the creation of Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and even if you haven't heard of ILM (which I doubt) I'm sure you've seen their work if you've seen any major blockbusters in the last 30 years. Now enough educating and on to the reviewing!!

I began my marathon with probably the most obscure of these five movies; 'Ladyhawke.' This 1985 romantic fantasy was directed by Richard Donner and stars a pre-'Ferris Bueller' Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Peiffer. It's hard to say if this movie could even be considered a cult classic since the most common responses to the question "Have you seen Ladyhawke?" are "Huh?" and "I love that movie!" The former being the much more common of the two. In fact if you haven't seen it you're probably thinking to yourself "Matthew Broderick was in a movie before 'Ferris Bueller'?!" Yes, he sure was! His wit and boyish charm is used just as well in this film as it was in 'Bueller.'
What I love most about this movie is actually what I love about most movies from this decade. Opening credits done with the soundtrack of synthesizer and electric guitar (classic 80s!) with images of a hawk and the sun and moon, nothing fancy here! The movie follows the cursed couple Etienne Navarre (Hauer) and Lady Isabeau (Pfeiffer) as they try to break the curse that has been placed upon them by the evil Bishop of Aquila; causing Navarre to transform into a wolf at night and Isabeau a hawk by day. The movie doesn't have a lot of the SFX that are in the other movies I watched, but when the effects are there, they are used perfectly. The best example of this is about three quarters of the way through the movie, when Navarre has just about given up on trying to break the curse the clever Mouse comes up with a plan to convince him to carry on. The slow metamorphoses of both characters done with a golden camera flare in sunrise lets both glimpse the other in human form before Isabeau is yet again transformed into a hawk. One other thing that draws me in to this movie is the flipping of the classic archetypes of good and evil. Here the bishop, always clothed in white, is the evil one and Navarre, clothed in black, is the good and honourable one. If for some reason you are one of those people who has yet to see this movie it's time for you to start trying to track down a copy and enjoy this 80s classic!


'Willow' was next in my marathon. It was produced by Lucasfilm in 1988 and directed by Ron Howard with the story by George Lucas and screenplay by Bob Dolman. This journey of discovery and bravery starring Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood and Val Kilmer as Madmartigan plays out prefectly with humour, action and the magic of SFX. While this movie was one of the first to really demonstrate what could be done in fantasy movies with special effects; having glowing fairies, joking brownies and an army transformed into pigs, what is really most appealing to me is the character of Willow himself. Davis shines as Willow, a Nelwyn (a hobbit-like people) farmer who has dreams of becoming a sorcerer who doesn't really believe in himself and ends up something of a laughing stock. When he takes on the responsibility of bringing an abandoned Daikini (a human race) baby to it's people it takes all his resolve to do so. As Willow journies and joins up with brownies and Kilmer's unruly Madmartigan he becomes more and more confident so that by the time they make it to the castle of the evil Queen Bavmorda, who's bent on killing the baby, he actually confronts her himself. This movie has wonderful, beautifully shot scenery, great performances all around, good use of special effects and a story that makes everyone who watches it hope that maybe there's a little Willow inside all of us.


Third on the list of great 80s fantasy movies was 'The Dark Crystal.' This may well be Jim Henson's greatest non-'Muppet Show' creation. Released in 1982 and directed by Henson and fellow puppeteer Frank Oz, 'The Dark Crystal' is Henson's look at the harmony between good and evil as well as nature and industry. This movie also has one of the all-time scariest villains of any movie in the characters of the Skeksis. I honestly think I didn't watched this entire movie from beginning to end until I was well into my teens because the Skeskis freaked me out so much! Their hard, skeletal bodies, vulture-like faces and harsh scratching voices embody the evil that they represent. Whereas their opposites, the Mystics are four-armed gentle giants who live simply out in the wilderness. While this movie may have scared me when I was kid I now come to appreciate the odd beauty that Henson created in the two opposing environments of this world; the lovely natural environment of the Mystics and the hard, industrial environment of the Skeskis. When the movie begins, the narrator explains that there was a split in the crystal that caused both races to come into existence. As the movie progresses, however, we learn that the two races balance each other out. Like 'Willow,' another small and unassuming character, a Gelfling named Jen, must set out on a journey. This time it's to bring harmony to the world by placing a missing shard back into the dark crystal. If for nothing else 'The Dark Crystal' should be watched to truly appreciate the genius of Jim Henson.

The next movie in my marathon was also directed by Jim Henson, 'The Labyrinth' from 1986. I could expound on the all of the things I love about this movie, but that would take far too long, as this is one of my all-time favourite movies! Jennifer Connelly is great as Sarah, who is searching the labyrinth for her baby brother who has been kidnapped by the Goblin King Jareth, perfectly played by David Bowie. With his huge hair and ridiculously tight pants Jareth is both appealing and apalling, and it would be easy to see why someone not quite as determined as Sarah might be tempted to stay in the labyrinth with him. As for Sarah, although she gripes through the beginning of the movie, constantly saying that "It's not fair" which is quite annoying, she grows on you throughout the film. I don't know any girl who saw this movie as a kid and didn't want to copy Sarah's peasant shirt and vest outfit, I know I sure did! The improvement in the puppeteering in the four years since 'The Dark Crystal' is impressive, especially in the faces, which is best seen in the duplicitous, yet mostly helpful Hoggle. While all of these things make the movie wonderful what really takes it above and beyond are the original songs composed by Bowie for the film. I honestly defy anyone to watch this movie and not end up having "The Power of the Babe" stuck in their head for the next week!

Now while 'The Princess Bride' was the last movie in my 80s fantasy marathon, it doesn't have the same kind of attention to special effects that the previous four did. I actually tacked it on to the end just because it's one of those movies I could watch over and over and it happens to be from the same decade. Released in 1987 and directed by Rob Reiner with a screenplay written by William Goldman who is also the author of the novel the movie is based on. This movie is filled with action, adventure and romance, as the poster says this is "not just your basic, average, everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum fairy tale." This movie is full of rich and interesting characters, and the actors playing the characters are all perfectly cast in my opinion especially the trio of heroes. Cary Elwes steals all the ladies' hearts as the dashing and clever Westley, Mandy Patinkin is perfect as the vengeance driven Inigo Montoya and while it may be difficult to understand him every once and a while, Andre the Giant embodies the lovable brute Fezzik. Now while the cast shines, you can't go too far without mentioning the wonderful dialogue in this movie. It has it's fair share of memorable quotes; my favourite by far being, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." This movie is a perfect mix of fantasy and action, wit and romance and for those who like lists I thought I might mention that it occupies spot 88 on AFI's (American Film Institute) "100 Years, 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories" list.

Whew! Exhausted? I sure am! Now to give yourself a reward for getting through the reviews head out to your local video store, or possibly your own collection, grab one of these flicks and let your mind escape to the 80s, where fantasy (and SFX) really got it's start! Until next time, keep it reel!!

The Premiere!

Welcome to my blog!
I'm going to be using this space to talk about movies I love, well maybe not love, but ones that nonetheless have moved me enough for me to put my thoughts into writing for all to see. Now you might not always agree with my views and that's fine, because I really do believe that we're all entitled to our own personal views when it comes to movies. I, for example, am not fond of horror movies in the least, but every now and again I'll find one that I really enjoy, but that's because I've taken a chance and watched something outside of my comfort zone. This is something that I really encourage. If I happen to review a movie that sounds like it might not really be up your alley, but I have wowed you so much with my desciption of it, give it chance! If you still don't like it, let me know!
Now you may be wondering, "What gives you any authority to review about movies? Do you really know what you're talking about?" To that I can answer that I do (most of the time) know what I'm talking about. I actually have degree in film studies and while not really useful in everyday life, other than being the person that makes movie allusions (that no one gets) in daily conversation, it actually also means that I went to school for four years to learn to write about movies! I know a lot of you out there have your own opinions about movies and I'd love to hear them! I'm sincerely interested in hearing other people's thoughts and opinions on the movies that I'll be talking about here; if you agree or disagree, even if you have a suggestion for the next movie I should review, or a movie you might think I'd like, please either make a comment on the blog or drop me a line at thereelgirl@gmail.com.
Now with all that being said, I'm leaving today's post free of a review; blasphemy! you say, not so say I! All posts from here on out will be reviews and the next one is a gooder, the review of my "Totally Awesome 80s Movie Marathon!" Intrigued?! I sure hope so! Be prepared, it's going to be a long one! Until then keep it reel!