I have to say right up front that I loved this movie. I’ll layout some rationale, some caveats, and such in this review, but all in all, it is simply a damn, fine flick. I do not believe it is going to change movies forever, but I think it has set a new standard for technical achievement in films that others will be striving to catch or break. It is a fun, entertaining adventure that happens to look STUNNING and that is exactly what I expect from James Cameron.

Note there will be some minor plot discussion below, so please stop reading if you want to see it unspoiled…

There has been much said regarding this flick basically being “Dances with Wolves” with Aliens and that is fairly well true. It follows a similar formula, but that isn’t a bad thing at all. In simplest terms, the Earth has been bled dry and humanity has taken to the stars to find resources that it needs. One such location is the moon Pandora which has an indiginous population known as the Na’vi. Jake (a human marine) is in the avatar program which allows a human to transfer conciousness into a hybrid human/Na’vi hybrid. Their sole goal is to convince/force the Na’vi to work with humanity/get out of the way of humanity so that a rare mineral can be mined. Things obviously grow from there and I’m leaving out a lot, but that is the beginning in a nutshell.

It is important to remember that the main draw of the movie is that it is a tour de force from a technological perspective. It is beautiful and engaging and awe-inspiring. Thankfully, Cameron knew to not overload the story/plot. There is just enough to feel compelling, but this is no weighty psychological drama. The story exists as part of the whole, but it is only a part. Make no mistake, you’re on a roller coaster for the entire 2hr 42min runtime. The story was interesting and kept my attention, but it has issues. If you are strongly opposed to films with strongly ecological/environmental messages/viewpoints, to the Gaia concept, or to presentations of military/corporate interests as antagonists or as evil, then likely you will be either bored or completely put off by these overarching concepts. I didn’t find this overwhelming, but obviously some will. I felt the acting was reasonably competent and the dialog felt appropriate to me, but I have read reviews that trashed both. None of it is mind blowing, but I personally thought that Sam Worthington did a terrific job as Jake Sully. Once again, everything is a supporting actor to the star of the show, the amazing visuals. At the end of the day, everything seemed to exist to create a fun, but extremely beautiful and expensive ride. I found myself enjoying the story, but truly enthralled with the visuals. YOU NEED TO SEE THIS IN 3D! The 3D is not overwhelming and the subtle added depth really does make the film even more compelling. This is like when CG effects were first used in a way that was more en-grained and less obtrusive. For the first time, I saw a movie in 3D and thought damn…that was totally worth the added cost and inconvenience of cheap glasses.

All in all, I’m thrilled to have seen it and I’m going to see it again in 2D because I want to see it again and I’d like to contrast the 2D vs. 3D experience. This is an extremely fun movie and a joy to watch. I think Cameron set a new standard for CG effects and I was in awe at what he accomplished…

Like many people, I grew up loving the book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I have heard for years that a movie was in development based on the book, but I assumed it would never come to pass. However, Spike Jonze came along and actually made the film. Once I saw the teaser and trailer, I was completely hooked and I’ve been waiting for it to come out since.

Well, now it is here and I finally got the chance to see it. First off, I definitely enjoyed it, but it wasn’t perfect by any means. Max is played wonderfully by Max Records who embodies the emotion and confusion of an inquisitive, sensitive young boy. There aren’t many other human characters of note in the film, but Catherine Keener is very believable as Max’s mother. From there, the majority of the actors are voicing the wild things, specifically James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker and Chris Cooper among others. The voice work is great and only surpassed by the amazing full body costumes Jonze chose to use. The choice was perfect and made the flick more engaging as opposed to if everything had been done in CG. Max’s wolf suit is perfect and looks exactly like it should based on the pictures from the book.

The film feels much like raw emotion to me. Starting with the wild excitement and frustration of young boys and then eventually taking a dark turn as Max meets the wild things. This is the point at which I question whether this film would be suitable for young children. The wild things are well, wild. They are somewhat violent at times, brooding, and frightening. None of this is bad, but it means that the mood would be too dark at times for my son who is three. In the book, while the monsters can seem scary, it is nothing compared to how they would likely come across to the young in the movie. This isn’t bad, but it’s just the way it is. I really am not sure the film was aimed at children nor am I sure it should have been. This movie feels like it is designed for those of us who loved the book and have a few years into life. The translation of a book with only 10 sentences to the screen left way for quite a bit of embellishment, which I think was handled quite well. Nothing feels out of place, but you get little more than feeling with the movie. No grand arching story, no long narrative, just lots of beauty and the raw emotion I spoke of. This worked for me, but just be aware of what you’re going to be seeing.

In short, I loved it and will reevaluate when I think Ben is ready to see it. However, I’m sure I will pick up the eventual Blu-ray and watch it many more times over the years…

Movie poster found via Internet Movie Poster Awards.

For another review, I found a great family focused review at the GeekDad blog titled ‘10 Things Parents Should Know About Where The Wild Things Are‘.

I went to see ‘The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard‘ on Monday and while not a good movie by the conventional definition, it does have some truly hilarious interactions. It didn’t hurt at all that I’m quite fond of many of the actors; Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, David Koechner, Ed Helms, Rob Riggle, and Will Ferrell. The humor that was there is enough that I definitely want to see it again, if not own it.

** VERY MINOR SPOILERS **

The basic premise is that Piven and his team (Rhames, Koechner, & Kathryn Hahn) are hired guns who are brought in to sell cars and whip sales teams into shape. James Brolin calls them in to help his dealership. The sales staff is filled with some truly odd, but funny characters and Piven brings in some additional help of his own. The craziness that ensues is a thin plot with some truly bad dialog, but some great one-liners and exchanges. I don’t want to discuss any of the wonderful supporting cast as it could give away some of the fun, but there is fun to be had. Keep an eye out for Piven’s business card. I need something like that for myself, just not about cars

Oh, if you don’t mind seeing the funniest scene in the movie early, check out my previous post.

Oh and just remember…”when they shoot you, poop comes out the butt”.

As I tweeted earlier, I had to gather my thoughts after seeing District 9. The movie is intense. It’s violent and bloody/gory, but it is ABSOLUTELY fascinating. This is hard-edged sci-fi that is quite unlike anything I have seen before. I went into this film having seen the trailer, but it really doesn’t tell you much at all. Now, this isn’t for the squeamish as it is bloody, very bloody. Also, don’t expect to see any actors you’re familiar with as the movie has to my eye all fresh talent. This isn’t an issue at all as the characters all come to life quite well and you’re quickly engrossed in the story and their lives.

The action occurs entirely in Johannesburg, South Africa which is also where the filming was done. The setting was perfect as I think the use of a non-US city contributed to the appealing look of the film. The videography is a combination of clean footage along with grainy handicam or TV type footage, but it isn’t overly used or distracting. I’ll also say that is modeled after a documentary style film, but that works for it here. If you pay attention, the interviews foreshadow some of what is to come, but the journey and the final realization make the whole ~2 hours completely worthwhile…

I really don’t want to say much else as I think this is a flick that should be watched with little to no knowledge at all. I went back and watched the trailer again and it now seems very revealing to me having seen the film.

So, in short, get out there and go see this flick if the blood & gore won’t bother you and you’d like to see a VERY interesting sci-fi film.

I went to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen last night with Matt and Sean. I had been waiting to see this movie since walking out of the first Transformers flick. I loved the mythos and the style, but most importantly for this type of film, I loved the explosions It was a melding of Michael Bay‘s trademark action style with a story line that mirrored what I loved as a child. The first film had it’s own drawbacks, such as Bumblebee urinating on people and some poor CG where it was difficult to tell which robot was which in some of the more fast-paced scenes. On the whole, it was a good action flick. I hope not to disappoint, but this successor does not rate as highly.

I have to say the action sequences are even better. The CG is more carefully designed where motion is less blurring and the robots are more distinct in the fights. When there was action on the screen, I was loving it for the most part. When anything else was going on though, the prospects were a bit more dank. The scale is much more grand with regard to action, number of robots, etc., but this is also leads precisely this movie’s downfall. Outside of say 5 or so robots total, the rest are generic, poorly defined, and ultimately placeholders in the plot. For being a bigger, longer movie, the plot/story line is mostly non-existent and often is riddled with unexplained events. Now, this isn’t truly a deal-breaker given that Michael Bay brought the explosions, but it certainly didn’t help.

Now, come the real problems in my opinion; obvious, yet COMPLETELY unnecessary trash added to the film:

• Dogs humping peoples’ legs
• Robot humping peoples’ legs
• “Rascist” robots – 2 robots based on what appears to be African-American stereotypes. I doubt they were intended to be offensive and many seem fine with them, but I found their inclusion to be at the very least jarring and unfortunate.
• Robot “balls” – Ugh, enough said
• Cursing robots

Much of this seems to be intended to drive towards the younger demographics, but I’d be curious to know why they did what they did. I’m sure I may be missing somethings, but the above could have been cut without ANY LOSS and it would have been heading in the right direction of shaving 30-45 minutes of the runtime. You see given all of the above, the main pain point for me is that the movie is just TOO LONG. I think if it had been properly edited and moved along a more brisk pace, much of the issues could have been avoided.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It is an enjoyable movie. I’m glad I saw it and will likely watch it on Blu-ray many times in the future when I can fast forward when needed. Bay brought the explosions, the babes, and Optimus Prime. This alone made the movie worth watching, but all of the rest drags its overall value down.

Well, I went to preview Up today to determine whether I could take my son Ben to it. The answer was no as he’s too young for the story elements that are used, but it was an amazing piece of filmmaking in my opinion.

I hate to go into detail on the plot too much as I feel it is best to experience the story as it unfolds, but I will tell you that this film will make you love an animated crotchety old man, Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Edward Asner) and a lovable dog named Dug (voiced by Bob Peterson). These two characters were the hit of the movie for me and I imagine they will be for almost everyone else. The story brings it all; romance, action, adventure, and comedy. This is a less cynical/preachy movie than WALL-E, but it is SAD. The films are pretty much on par quality-wise, but this I think this one is a bit more uplifting in the end. However, if you don’t tear up at least once or twice during this film, then you are a robot – plain and simple. It’s a wonderful story of love and loss, keeping old commitments, finding new friends, and accepting that you must let go of the past and embrace the future. It absolutely tore at my heartstrings on multiple occassions, but not in a crude way, but rather the story is so well crafted that events in the movie cause you to dwell on the life you have and what the future may hold. They had to build on the sadness from some of the themes to make you appreciate the direction the characters take over the course of the film. It was wonderful.

All of that being said, it is somewhat sad and scary in places and I don’t think it is suitable for a toddler/preschooler as young as my son. I’ll list the actual reasons below. I think I will show him the movie when it hits home video and fast forward through the more questionable scenes. When he gets a little older and I feel he could handle the themes we’ll watch it in full. For information, I’ve done the same thing with Finding Nemo. This is a movie he should see.

I hope I haven’t pushed anyone away from this movie as it is GREAT and you should forget any bias you might have against animation and check this out. It is simply great filmmaking at it’s best. I do encourage those with small children to preview it and decide if it is right for them at their age. Remember, Pixar has stated that they do not make kids’ movies. They simply make good movies that they enjoy. Kids are simply more intuitive than we give them credit for and most kids’ movies try to water down what is fully absorbable already.

<POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS, Click through to read>

• Death (death of one character is implied/referred to and another character is seen falling a LARGE distance)
• Main hero strikes somewhat in the heat of the moment and a small amount of blood is seen
• Scary dogs (Many “evil” dogs in scary chase scenes biting at the heroes and one character is bitten/harmed by a dog, some small amount of blood seen)

• Dogs shooting darts at Russell
• The lead villain shooting a rifle at the heroes

So, I checked out Star Trek on Friday with a bunch of friends from Microsoft (my employer for a short while longer…more on that later). I’m not much of a Trekkie, but I have enjoyed many of the series & movies, but I haven’t seen everything nor am I terribly well versed in ALL of the mythology. However, or because of that, this flick really captured my attention. It wasn’t my most anticipated film of the summer, but it was damn good.

First off, I felt the new characters were quite entertaining for the most part. Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), and Zoe Saldana (Uhuru) all were quite good and a nice fusion of the new/modern & the historical character. John Cho and Anton Yelchin as Sulu & Chekov respectively were passable, but nothing special. Simon Pegg was not in the film enough to form a definitive opinion. He seemed almost like a caricature of Scotty, but I think I would like him if he were a bit more involved in the story.

Kirk looks out onto a federation ship yard

McCoy & Kirk get their first look at the Enterprise

Spock - Mid-transport

There are also some wonderful second tier characters who round out the story and there is one great inclusion that I don’t want to speak of as I think it could give away too much.

Nero is the main villain in this film, played by Eric Bana. He is Romulan and really pissed off. However, He’s not the most devious or menacing Trek villain, but he fits the mood well and he helps drive the plot points which kick start this new edition. His motivations are too tightly coupled to the plot devices used to reboot the series, so I won’t speak of them in order to avoid spoilers, but I’d say it was a decent way to drive this new story.

Nero - The villain

I thoroughly enjoyed the special effects and ship battles that occur in this eleventh outing. Some of the bridge designs are definitely overblown, but it’s bright, flashy, and the explosions are nicely arranged.

Nero's ship emerges

The Enterprise battling Nero

I would say it is safe to say that this film isn’t all that it could be as it spends so much time setting up the plot & re-establishing the characters. J.J. Abrams and the writing staff do an excellent job of playing to the fans while keeping a fun space opera (to quote Roger Ebert who was less enamored with the film) moving along for the non-Trek fan. There are some re-imagining of classic plot points and some brand new takes on the mythology, but nothing insulting to fans in my opinion. I thought this film delivered on all levels and was quite pleasing. I can’t wait to see where they take this new cast of the Trek franchise next.

Well, based on the above experience, this next item from Asus’s Eee product line looks like an amazing choice for a kitchen/living room family computer. The ASUS Eee Top 15.6-Inch Touch-Screen PC seems like it would take everything I’m enjoying in my Eee PC (save the mobility) and put it in a larger touch screen configuration. I could totally see this on my kitchen counter. The best part is that Amazon is showing for pre-order at $599.99. That makes it much more of an option than the current HP touch desktops at > $1000.

The general idea is that Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan play strangers who through thoroughly unbelievable circumstances are forced into running from the law & military by a unknown individual that seems to control all technology around them. I won’t spoil the plot that truly stretched my willingness to suspend disbelief, but suffice it to say, not all is at appears and more is uncovered by supporting actors such as Rosario Dawson and Billy Bob Thornton.

The movie is a heavy handed attempt to prey on the fear of surveillance, the Patriot Act, and the current climate of guilty until proven innocent. However, it isn’t terribly intelligent in handling these issues. I think many theatergoers, probably missed some of the point.

On the positive side, I think Shia LeBeouf’s acting is improving. Now don’t misunderstand me, he’s not likely to be winning any awards for the performance, but I thought it was somewhat more believable than I have seen from him previously…

All in all, not a great movie, but somewhat entertaining…maybe worth a watch on a quiet night?

Movie poster courtesy of the Internet Movie Poster Awards.

Because we have to chase him.  Because he’s the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we’ll hunt him because he can take it; because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight.

I just finished watching my new Blu-ray of The Dark Knight. I do love this movie and as I twittered earlier, between this, Iron Man, and WALL-E, we’ve had an amazing year for fun, interesting movies. I love the above lines from Commissioner Gordon in the last minutes of the movie. I think they could’ve come off as really cheesy, but Gary Oldman delivers the lines wonderfully.

The Blu-ray is beautiful. Some had commented that the flipping of aspect ratios between the typical film scenes and the IMAX scenes was distracting, but I didn’t notice the transition. When I was looking for it, I could obviously see it occur, but it wasn’t problematic at all. I haven’t dug into the special features or BD Live content yet, but I’m sure I will in the coming days/weeks.

All in all, I’m thrilled to be able to watch this again and in such amazing video quality is a treat.