This movie looked hilarious from the previews, and it certainly didn't dissapoint.
The story takes place at a funeral where the father of two boys (Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock) has passed. When the whole, dysfunctional family shows up, along with some uninvited guests, the whole thing ends up a mess.
This one is apparently a remake, although I haven't seen the original. The story was original and many of the situations were slight variations on old cliches, strung together in a very fresh way. The humor really held this one together, although there were moments of sincerity. Short moments, but moments nonetheless.
Fantastic acting from everyone, especially Chris Rock. He and Tracey Morgan play the same character every movie, but they always manage to make it feel slightly different. It works, as both of them are always funny. Martin Lawrence did a good job as well, although his character does tend to get irritating. James Marsden had a breakout performance here; he was hilarious. And of course, I have to mention Danny Glover. He plays the crabby, old uncle perfectly, better than any other
The humor was interesting. When this many black comediens come together, you know it has to be funny. And it was, but it didn't maintain hilarity throughout. Some side jokes fell flat, and a lot of silly antics when by with merely a chuckle. However, the dozen or so moments of hilarity were gut-busting and definitely made up for the rest.
Good movie overall, although the all-star cast should have been able to produce a feew more laughs. I recommend this one anyway. 3.5/5 stars
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
How to Train Your Dragon
I'll be honest, I had very low expectations on this one. But, I saw 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, so I decided I would see it anyway. Boy, was I surprised.
The movie is centered on a viking village with a gigantic pest problem: it is frequently raided by dragons. Everything in the village is in some way related to slaying dragons and its most respected citizens are expert dragon slayers. Hiccup, however, is not good at being a viking. He does discover though that he is quite good at taming the beasts, much to the dismay of the village.
This movie was pure genius. The story was excellently crafted with just enough tension in all the right places. It was careful to inject emotion-filled moments, but never crossed the line into tear-jerking territory. It was an inspiring tale that leaves the viewer feeling cheerful and fulfilled. It had such good writing that I cannot even put it into words. The dialogue was fantastic. It was never overly-corny and had just enough moments of gentle humor that it made the whole experience uplifting. Brilliant.
The production itself was just as masterful. The voice acting was very, very good and each one matched the on-screen persona. The visuals were simply stunning. The animation was flawless and I can only imagine how good it must have looked in 3D (I need to go see it before it's gone). It was a masterpiece of animation.
I can't say enough about How to Train Your Dragon. Go see this movie, you won't be disappointed. Truly superb movie. 5/5 stars
The movie is centered on a viking village with a gigantic pest problem: it is frequently raided by dragons. Everything in the village is in some way related to slaying dragons and its most respected citizens are expert dragon slayers. Hiccup, however, is not good at being a viking. He does discover though that he is quite good at taming the beasts, much to the dismay of the village.
This movie was pure genius. The story was excellently crafted with just enough tension in all the right places. It was careful to inject emotion-filled moments, but never crossed the line into tear-jerking territory. It was an inspiring tale that leaves the viewer feeling cheerful and fulfilled. It had such good writing that I cannot even put it into words. The dialogue was fantastic. It was never overly-corny and had just enough moments of gentle humor that it made the whole experience uplifting. Brilliant.
The production itself was just as masterful. The voice acting was very, very good and each one matched the on-screen persona. The visuals were simply stunning. The animation was flawless and I can only imagine how good it must have looked in 3D (I need to go see it before it's gone). It was a masterpiece of animation.
I can't say enough about How to Train Your Dragon. Go see this movie, you won't be disappointed. Truly superb movie. 5/5 stars
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
MMA promotions
For those of you who don't know, I'm a huge mixed martial arts fan. For around two years now, I've watched every major card from every major promotion religiously. Today, I want to talk about the recent mma events from various promotions, and how good they all are from a production standpoint.
Lets start with the UFC. As we all know, the UFC is top-notch when it comes to production. Rogan and Goldberg are iconic figures in the sport, and they do a fantastic job commentating. Rogan is knowledgeable and very articulate when it come to describing technical aspects of the game. He may be biased at times, but what commentator (who isn't a robot) isn't? I think that only adds to his personality and gives even more of a comedic factor to his words. Goldberg is, of course, a robot. His lines get repeated over and over again, but what fight would be complete without, "It's allllllll overrrrrrr!!"? Those two are the perfect team in my opinion.
Now, to get into the fighters themselves. The UFC unarguably has the best fighters on the planet (minus Fedor Emilianenko), and they know how to hype a fight. They consistently put on the matchups that people want to see, and they make sure that everyone wants to see it.
They are not, however, without their flaws. Sometimes they put on bad matchups (Silva-Maia, I'm looking at you). These things just shouldn't happen when Joe Silva is getting paid top dollar to put up good matchups. They also play with rankings, which is inevitable to some degree. But, it is often too much, as it was with Hardy's title shot or Dos Santos and Okami being held back. Yes, it is a business put on to entertain, but give the fighters the respect they deserve. One last thing: Dana White needs to clean up his language and stop bending the truth. His attitude is a perfect fit for the sport and he most certainly cares about the fans, but his language is just bad public image and his outright lies hurt his credibility. In general, though, I think he is great for mma as a whole.
Let's move on to Strikeforce, or should I say Strikefarce? For a company with very few elite fighters and even fewer viewers, they have bitten off far more than they can chew. With Strikeforce: Nashville this past weekend, they put most of their A-level fighters on one card with three titles on the line. That was a terrible idea. One, that makes timing issues extremely difficult. As it was, they ran over more than a half-hour, and they could've just as easily been an hour short. Two, the three long, drug out decisions that occurred are boring to the casual fan, which is who you are trying to attract by putting it on network tv. Also, they claim to have the sport's best interest in mind, but should an inferior product be on network tv? Some people re watching mma there for the first time, so shouldn't the UFC be what they see? introducing people on Strikeforce is only going to turn them away. I like free mma as much as the next guy, but Strikeforce has to go.
Last and certainly not least is Bellator FC. First off, the circular cage is genius and I have no idea why no one thought of it sooner (maybe someone did and I don't know?). The commentating is awesome; I've been a fan of Jimmy (not sure his last name, he's from Fight Quest) for some time and he really knows his stuff. He's a very like able guy and shows a real connection to the fighters. The promotion knows exactly how big it is and never overestimate themselves. They don't acquire and overplay UFC rejects (Huerta is different and he certainly isn't overhyped), but rather they build up and create their own stars. They put on fantastic fights with hungry up and comers and best of all, it's free! I love Bellator and I hope they last a long time.
That's it for now, I've already spent way too much time writing this. I'll write again soon.
-Joe
Lets start with the UFC. As we all know, the UFC is top-notch when it comes to production. Rogan and Goldberg are iconic figures in the sport, and they do a fantastic job commentating. Rogan is knowledgeable and very articulate when it come to describing technical aspects of the game. He may be biased at times, but what commentator (who isn't a robot) isn't? I think that only adds to his personality and gives even more of a comedic factor to his words. Goldberg is, of course, a robot. His lines get repeated over and over again, but what fight would be complete without, "It's allllllll overrrrrrr!!"? Those two are the perfect team in my opinion.
Now, to get into the fighters themselves. The UFC unarguably has the best fighters on the planet (minus Fedor Emilianenko), and they know how to hype a fight. They consistently put on the matchups that people want to see, and they make sure that everyone wants to see it.
They are not, however, without their flaws. Sometimes they put on bad matchups (Silva-Maia, I'm looking at you). These things just shouldn't happen when Joe Silva is getting paid top dollar to put up good matchups. They also play with rankings, which is inevitable to some degree. But, it is often too much, as it was with Hardy's title shot or Dos Santos and Okami being held back. Yes, it is a business put on to entertain, but give the fighters the respect they deserve. One last thing: Dana White needs to clean up his language and stop bending the truth. His attitude is a perfect fit for the sport and he most certainly cares about the fans, but his language is just bad public image and his outright lies hurt his credibility. In general, though, I think he is great for mma as a whole.
Let's move on to Strikeforce, or should I say Strikefarce? For a company with very few elite fighters and even fewer viewers, they have bitten off far more than they can chew. With Strikeforce: Nashville this past weekend, they put most of their A-level fighters on one card with three titles on the line. That was a terrible idea. One, that makes timing issues extremely difficult. As it was, they ran over more than a half-hour, and they could've just as easily been an hour short. Two, the three long, drug out decisions that occurred are boring to the casual fan, which is who you are trying to attract by putting it on network tv. Also, they claim to have the sport's best interest in mind, but should an inferior product be on network tv? Some people re watching mma there for the first time, so shouldn't the UFC be what they see? introducing people on Strikeforce is only going to turn them away. I like free mma as much as the next guy, but Strikeforce has to go.
Last and certainly not least is Bellator FC. First off, the circular cage is genius and I have no idea why no one thought of it sooner (maybe someone did and I don't know?). The commentating is awesome; I've been a fan of Jimmy (not sure his last name, he's from Fight Quest) for some time and he really knows his stuff. He's a very like able guy and shows a real connection to the fighters. The promotion knows exactly how big it is and never overestimate themselves. They don't acquire and overplay UFC rejects (Huerta is different and he certainly isn't overhyped), but rather they build up and create their own stars. They put on fantastic fights with hungry up and comers and best of all, it's free! I love Bellator and I hope they last a long time.
That's it for now, I've already spent way too much time writing this. I'll write again soon.
-Joe
Friday, April 16, 2010
TV week of the 17th
I watched a bunch of cool stuff this week that I want to share with you guys.
First thing was on Sunday, usually a terrible day for TV. Minute to Win It, a new game show centered around minute-long challenges, pleasently surprised me. The premiss is sound and the games are actually quite complelling (and difficult!). Guy Fierri (maybe spelled wrong there?) is actually a real good host. He is much better at game shows than he is at showcasing food. I also watched a fair amount of Sasuke this week (ninja warrior for you american types), and I am as happy to watch it as ever. I think I'll make a post later this week relating the two shows. I have a few things to say about it.
I watched V again this week, and I am still very pleased with the show. The production is top notch, and the story is still compelling week after week. I find myself becoming more and more annoyed at the female lead, but I'm sure I'm in the minority. She's a good actor, but her constant angry expression just grates on me. Anyway, watch this show. It's that good.
I was a bit dissapointed with American Idol this week. They got rid of my boy Andrew Garcia, but I guess he really was in the bottom two of that group. I feel like he never quite lived up to his potential and I'm curious to know why. My pick to win at this point is Lee Dwyze (spelling again?). Oh and Adam Lambert was really good. I'm glad he toned done the performance a bit and let his insane talent shine rather than some flashy act.
Well, I think that's all for now. I'll probably have two posts in the next few days. One on all the mma productions that have been occuring recently and one on the two game shows I mentioned. And I want to see Kick Ass and Death at a Funeral. Later all.
-Joe
First thing was on Sunday, usually a terrible day for TV. Minute to Win It, a new game show centered around minute-long challenges, pleasently surprised me. The premiss is sound and the games are actually quite complelling (and difficult!). Guy Fierri (maybe spelled wrong there?) is actually a real good host. He is much better at game shows than he is at showcasing food. I also watched a fair amount of Sasuke this week (ninja warrior for you american types), and I am as happy to watch it as ever. I think I'll make a post later this week relating the two shows. I have a few things to say about it.
I watched V again this week, and I am still very pleased with the show. The production is top notch, and the story is still compelling week after week. I find myself becoming more and more annoyed at the female lead, but I'm sure I'm in the minority. She's a good actor, but her constant angry expression just grates on me. Anyway, watch this show. It's that good.
I was a bit dissapointed with American Idol this week. They got rid of my boy Andrew Garcia, but I guess he really was in the bottom two of that group. I feel like he never quite lived up to his potential and I'm curious to know why. My pick to win at this point is Lee Dwyze (spelling again?). Oh and Adam Lambert was really good. I'm glad he toned done the performance a bit and let his insane talent shine rather than some flashy act.
Well, I think that's all for now. I'll probably have two posts in the next few days. One on all the mma productions that have been occuring recently and one on the two game shows I mentioned. And I want to see Kick Ass and Death at a Funeral. Later all.
-Joe
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Hancock
I just saw Hancock over the weekend on some movie channel and I had never seen it before, so I thought I would review it.
The plot centers around John Hancock (Will Smith), an alcohollic superhero with no desire to please his critics. When he meets an HR rep named Ray (Jason Bateman) who wants to change his image, Hancock goes on a mission to become the upstanding citizen everyone wants him to be.
The acting was pathetic in this one, other than Bateman and to a lesser extent, Smith. Will Smith fit the early, dirty Hancock part pretty well. After the cleanup, however, it felt pretty odd and forced. Late in the movie, Smith lost all traces of the old character and was far too much himself, rather than the part. He seemed to have been perfect for it on paper, but something just didn't click. Bateman was very good, although maybe it just seems that way in comparison.
I was a big fan of the plot in general, as I always am with innovative sci-fi/superhero scripts. However, I felt like the early plt could have standed on its own and that the plot twist and subsequent occurences were rushed and unnecessary. Sure, it had surprise factor, but afterwards it quickly became predictable. I would've liked to have seen the whol "becoming a real superhero" plot drawn out into the whole movie. Maybe a vilain could have been used as well.
Not a bad movie, but certainly not what it could have been. 2/5 stars
The plot centers around John Hancock (Will Smith), an alcohollic superhero with no desire to please his critics. When he meets an HR rep named Ray (Jason Bateman) who wants to change his image, Hancock goes on a mission to become the upstanding citizen everyone wants him to be.
The acting was pathetic in this one, other than Bateman and to a lesser extent, Smith. Will Smith fit the early, dirty Hancock part pretty well. After the cleanup, however, it felt pretty odd and forced. Late in the movie, Smith lost all traces of the old character and was far too much himself, rather than the part. He seemed to have been perfect for it on paper, but something just didn't click. Bateman was very good, although maybe it just seems that way in comparison.
I was a big fan of the plot in general, as I always am with innovative sci-fi/superhero scripts. However, I felt like the early plt could have standed on its own and that the plot twist and subsequent occurences were rushed and unnecessary. Sure, it had surprise factor, but afterwards it quickly became predictable. I would've liked to have seen the whol "becoming a real superhero" plot drawn out into the whole movie. Maybe a vilain could have been used as well.
Not a bad movie, but certainly not what it could have been. 2/5 stars
Friday, April 2, 2010
TV Week of 1/2
So this week was pretty poor tv-wise. Most of my favorite shows were reruns. Some really good things kept it from being absolutely horrible though.
The biggest thing this week was the premiere of "V". I watched the pilot and three other episodes from last year in preparation for the season premiere, and I was immediately hooked. While it is a remake, it is 100% better than the original. The cast is fantastic and the special effects that the present day provides is superb. The story is still a scifi masterpiece, centering on the arrival of an alien race who call themselves "the visitors" or "the V's" for short. Humankind is largely in love with the technology and hope that the V's bring, but the select few who know the truth must fight to stop them. It's an absolute masterpiece in my opinion.
American Idol is still pretty bad, although I'm glad Andrew Garcia was decent this week. Big Mike is still really good too and I hope one of those two win. I'll probably just stop watching it for a bit and come back in for the top three.
The marriage ref was very funny this week. Kirstie Alley was hilarious. She said whatever she was thinking and it was always on point (and funny of course). Jimmy Fallon was funny too, although he didn't really make many points. He just said funny one-liners. Sheryl Crow was completely pointless; she really didn't say anything. Didn't ruin the show or anything, but she just didn't say anything of substance. Good episode overall though.
Last but definitely not least was UFC fight night/TUF. Fight night was fantastic, full of dynamic fighters as always. I like how the UFC puts their dynamic strikers on fight nights to try and attract new fans and I think it's an effective strategy. TUF (the ultimate fighter) was great as well; best season opener in a long while. The focus was on the fights and only highlights were shows, and boy were they ever good highlights. Loads of talent this season.
Enjoy the weekend!
-Joe
The biggest thing this week was the premiere of "V". I watched the pilot and three other episodes from last year in preparation for the season premiere, and I was immediately hooked. While it is a remake, it is 100% better than the original. The cast is fantastic and the special effects that the present day provides is superb. The story is still a scifi masterpiece, centering on the arrival of an alien race who call themselves "the visitors" or "the V's" for short. Humankind is largely in love with the technology and hope that the V's bring, but the select few who know the truth must fight to stop them. It's an absolute masterpiece in my opinion.
American Idol is still pretty bad, although I'm glad Andrew Garcia was decent this week. Big Mike is still really good too and I hope one of those two win. I'll probably just stop watching it for a bit and come back in for the top three.
The marriage ref was very funny this week. Kirstie Alley was hilarious. She said whatever she was thinking and it was always on point (and funny of course). Jimmy Fallon was funny too, although he didn't really make many points. He just said funny one-liners. Sheryl Crow was completely pointless; she really didn't say anything. Didn't ruin the show or anything, but she just didn't say anything of substance. Good episode overall though.
Last but definitely not least was UFC fight night/TUF. Fight night was fantastic, full of dynamic fighters as always. I like how the UFC puts their dynamic strikers on fight nights to try and attract new fans and I think it's an effective strategy. TUF (the ultimate fighter) was great as well; best season opener in a long while. The focus was on the fights and only highlights were shows, and boy were they ever good highlights. Loads of talent this season.
Enjoy the weekend!
-Joe
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Hot Tub Time Machine
This one looked really stupid from the previews, didn't it? Well, never being one to turn down an R-rated comedy, I saw it anyway. I was pleasantly surprised by the result.
The story follows three middle-aged men (John Cusack, Craig Robinson, and Rob Corddry) and their young companion (Clark Duke) as they attempt to relive their youth after drifting apart over the years. When they take a trip to the old ski lodge they used to frequent, they discover things aren't the way they remember them. After a crazy night spent in a hot tub, they get sent back in time where they are faced with a difficult decision: change their lives for the better or go back to 2010.
Physics (and metaphysics) issues aside, the story is obviously fairly nonsensical. It was that silliness that made it the perfect fit for this movie. It was structured just enough, while just being silly enough to enhance the comedy. Like I said, there were obvious logical issues, but what more can you expect from a comedy?
The humor was fantastic. Just enough silliness to please the potty-humor crowd, while having some pop culture jokes and references as well. Well written and funny throughout. The cast was perfect for this too, providing the diversity needed for the jokes to be pulled off. The group had such conflicting personalities that it just made everything that much funnier. The only issue here is that it wasn't as quotable as many recent blockbuster comedies have been. While it was certainly funny throughout, there weren't many laugh-out-loud moments of hilarity.
This movie was well dont done and definitely surpassed my expectations. Minor issues keep it from being spectacular, but it is definitely worth a watch. 4/5 stars.
-Joe
The story follows three middle-aged men (John Cusack, Craig Robinson, and Rob Corddry) and their young companion (Clark Duke) as they attempt to relive their youth after drifting apart over the years. When they take a trip to the old ski lodge they used to frequent, they discover things aren't the way they remember them. After a crazy night spent in a hot tub, they get sent back in time where they are faced with a difficult decision: change their lives for the better or go back to 2010.
Physics (and metaphysics) issues aside, the story is obviously fairly nonsensical. It was that silliness that made it the perfect fit for this movie. It was structured just enough, while just being silly enough to enhance the comedy. Like I said, there were obvious logical issues, but what more can you expect from a comedy?
The humor was fantastic. Just enough silliness to please the potty-humor crowd, while having some pop culture jokes and references as well. Well written and funny throughout. The cast was perfect for this too, providing the diversity needed for the jokes to be pulled off. The group had such conflicting personalities that it just made everything that much funnier. The only issue here is that it wasn't as quotable as many recent blockbuster comedies have been. While it was certainly funny throughout, there weren't many laugh-out-loud moments of hilarity.
This movie was well dont done and definitely surpassed my expectations. Minor issues keep it from being spectacular, but it is definitely worth a watch. 4/5 stars.
-Joe
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