I’ve been a lot more pleased with the latest Hollywood has rolled out for its adoring public this last couple of weeks. None of these three films were perfect, but they were dang good.
Transformers had the biggest opening for a non-sequel in movie history. Not bad Michael Bay. Did I mention I met him once at the Nike Outlet in PC? He seemed kind of too-cool-for-school to be completely honest. And that’s how his movies are: over-the-top extravaganzas that wreak of coolness. (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Michael Bay film that didn’t have an explosion in it.) You know who Michael Bay is; he’s the director that makes you feel like you’re watching a music video with all the panning cameras (see Pearl Harbor) and Aerosmith overdubs (see Armageddon). It might be because of this cool factor that he becomes the perfect director for such a vehicle like Transformers. This means that the plot is thin, yet understandable; the robot fight scenes are increìble; and the possibility of a headache from sound effects are high to they hand out hearing aids at the end of the movie. Also, it really felt like you’re actually watching robots fight, which has always been a dream of mine. So I guess I liked it.
Ratatouille was the perfect blend of cartoon slapstick and animation prowess. I didn’t think I’d like the story that much, but it actually coalesces seamlessly by the end into a tale of social tolerance and acceptance of the old with the new—a Pixar staple. Of course, having a coworker tell me that I reminded her of the goofy, yet lovable protagonist didn’t hurt my perception of the film either. I think what really got me though was the utter savoir faire (that’s French) of the animators who really were able to catch the subtle nuances of character humor. This is something that Pixar has always excelled at, and this movie should be held as a standard for future animator rats in training. ;)
Finally, Harry Potter and the Order to the Phoenix answers the age-old question of whether the fifth movie in a series can keep up the momentum of the last four. Of course, there haven’t been a lot of examples of fifth movies, but let's reminisce shall we? Superman Returns was actually the fifth movie as was Batman Begins. But these franchises have completely reinvented themselves over a longer period of time, so I don’t know if they count. My answer will be yes; it keeps up the momentum. There are very few movie franchises that have been able to capture the magic from the originals, while still putting out a good yarn—except for maybe Police Acadmy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (what a hoot).
I would go as far to say, in fact, that HP5 might be the best in the series, and here’s why: character development. The other movies are clearly a kiddie affair with bumbly special effects and cartoonish humor. Phoenix, on the other hand, like the books, goes deeper and darker into the inner-reaches of Harry’s mind—this is the epic adventure. True we don’t get all the action of the last four, but we get to understand what it’s like to be Harry and we begin to feel his pain and the burden that he bares. This ultimately culminates into the best wizardry battle that we’ve yet to see on screen—and trust me, it’s worth the wait. My only real complaint about the movie is the fact that from the longest book they made the shortest movie. There weren’t major plot points that they left out, but I would’ve liked a little more exposition and more Sirius Black.
Also, there’s only a couple of movies that I’m really anticipating before the summer doldrums start. Rescue Dawn looks to be good. I think it’s the John McCain story or something (that might be a lie). Maybe he could use the positive reviews from the movie to help to bolster his flagging presidential run. And of course: The Bourne Ultimatum. If you want to figure out our favorite amnesiatic hero’s past you might want to try playing this game.
Transformers had the biggest opening for a non-sequel in movie history. Not bad Michael Bay. Did I mention I met him once at the Nike Outlet in PC? He seemed kind of too-cool-for-school to be completely honest. And that’s how his movies are: over-the-top extravaganzas that wreak of coolness. (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Michael Bay film that didn’t have an explosion in it.) You know who Michael Bay is; he’s the director that makes you feel like you’re watching a music video with all the panning cameras (see Pearl Harbor) and Aerosmith overdubs (see Armageddon). It might be because of this cool factor that he becomes the perfect director for such a vehicle like Transformers. This means that the plot is thin, yet understandable; the robot fight scenes are increìble; and the possibility of a headache from sound effects are high to they hand out hearing aids at the end of the movie. Also, it really felt like you’re actually watching robots fight, which has always been a dream of mine. So I guess I liked it.
Ratatouille was the perfect blend of cartoon slapstick and animation prowess. I didn’t think I’d like the story that much, but it actually coalesces seamlessly by the end into a tale of social tolerance and acceptance of the old with the new—a Pixar staple. Of course, having a coworker tell me that I reminded her of the goofy, yet lovable protagonist didn’t hurt my perception of the film either. I think what really got me though was the utter savoir faire (that’s French) of the animators who really were able to catch the subtle nuances of character humor. This is something that Pixar has always excelled at, and this movie should be held as a standard for future animator rats in training. ;)
Finally, Harry Potter and the Order to the Phoenix answers the age-old question of whether the fifth movie in a series can keep up the momentum of the last four. Of course, there haven’t been a lot of examples of fifth movies, but let's reminisce shall we? Superman Returns was actually the fifth movie as was Batman Begins. But these franchises have completely reinvented themselves over a longer period of time, so I don’t know if they count. My answer will be yes; it keeps up the momentum. There are very few movie franchises that have been able to capture the magic from the originals, while still putting out a good yarn—except for maybe Police Acadmy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (what a hoot).
I would go as far to say, in fact, that HP5 might be the best in the series, and here’s why: character development. The other movies are clearly a kiddie affair with bumbly special effects and cartoonish humor. Phoenix, on the other hand, like the books, goes deeper and darker into the inner-reaches of Harry’s mind—this is the epic adventure. True we don’t get all the action of the last four, but we get to understand what it’s like to be Harry and we begin to feel his pain and the burden that he bares. This ultimately culminates into the best wizardry battle that we’ve yet to see on screen—and trust me, it’s worth the wait. My only real complaint about the movie is the fact that from the longest book they made the shortest movie. There weren’t major plot points that they left out, but I would’ve liked a little more exposition and more Sirius Black.
Also, there’s only a couple of movies that I’m really anticipating before the summer doldrums start. Rescue Dawn looks to be good. I think it’s the John McCain story or something (that might be a lie). Maybe he could use the positive reviews from the movie to help to bolster his flagging presidential run. And of course: The Bourne Ultimatum. If you want to figure out our favorite amnesiatic hero’s past you might want to try playing this game.
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