Okidoki, I've been to the cinema these last months and I can't say I'm much impressed.
Let's start with the good staff: Batman. This film is amazing and Nowlan is superb; he seems to be the only director that actually has read the comics before
shooting the film. There are these references to classics like Year One, Full Circle, Killing Joke ... And most characters, we are familiar with, even though I
don't know why they renamed Montoya as Ramirez. The cartoon shorts prior to the film were also a good idea to get into the story smoothly and, then, the Joker was
great. I was not much into Ledger -and, let's acknowledge, I always had a thing for Bale and I did not like all merit going to other guy- but he did a perfect, scary Joker and even gave the Clown the black humour twist that was needed at the hospital scene. The script was seamless and the story smooth. Loved it.
Wall-e was also (not surprisingly) pleasant. Along with the perfect technical quality Pixar has us used to, the story was sweet, it has some hilarious moments and characters were very solid. You progressively grow up to like them and care about them, which is something that can not be said for most of the films I watched this summer. All in all, I liked Nemo better, but I'm thinking about building a Wall-e for myself :)
And, now, everything else:
Hancock, for example. What was it all about? Was there really a script int that movie? Did not look like, I'd say. Despite the quite obvious revelation about the two main characters (I'm trying not to be spoily, but never mind, you'll guess it after five minutes), the rest was like "look how nice are my FX", something quite usual lately. Have all good writers gone to TV recently? Ok, Will Smith looks good, specially with the rowdy aspect, but that's basically it (and Theron for you, guys).
Kung Fu Panda was another dissappointment, mostly because I did not like any character. If not for Pixar, we would be back to the time when cartoons were only for kids and, hence, The film goes like most in this genre: you get the main character, who knows nothing at all about kung fu, has no training and no physique to fight, and, just for pure chance, turn him into a hero foreseen in an old prophecy, so he has to grow into his shoes. Sometimes, the way of telling the story makes it big. This is not one of those. After this film, I replayed Disney's Mulan in the DVD and, once more, loved every minute. I think I'll stick just to Pixar and DC cartoons until they remember how to shoot stories without real actors.
Mamma mia was marginally enjoyable. Meryl Streep was not much my idea of the main character, but the three guys were okay and music was fun. I rather preferred the theater version, though, but it was the only movie they played at the beach were I was not constantly checking my watch to go back home.
The biggest dissappointment was Hellboy and the Golden Army, though. As a fan of Hellboy from the beginning, one can only wonder how Mignola let them mess with continuity like that. Money, most likely, as sad as it sounds. Why on earth would he have the (disfunctional) family composed by Abe, Liz, Kate and the rest loose meaning just to have a (quite poor) romance on the screen? It was bad in the first movie, in this one is unacceptable. Plus Hellboy looks like a rebel (and rather spoiled) teenager rather than a grown-up. Responsability goes straight away to Liz, as Abe seems to be quite lost and Manning looks bipolar or something . Since when has Liz been the poster girl for stability?? As many friends told me, the film looks pretty, specially when there are fairies on screen, but it would have been better without the Bureau, as they all are out of character. This is a Del Toro movie where they stuffed Hellboy by sheer force, and that's the best I can say about it.
And finally, on DVD, there are these two flicks one can live without:
The seed of evil: a thai movie about a mythical monster created by ill employed dark arts. The monster is not that scary, but the first part of the film, on kid prostitution in Bangkok, is really creepy. And, sadly, quite realistic.
Tideland, by Terry Gilliam, is a totally different thingy. Author movies might work sometimes for me, but this one was disturbing and disgusting. It focus on the depressing live of a ten year kid, only daughter of a couple of junkies (Jeff Bridges in the rol of daddy). After the mom (Jenniffer Tilly) dies from overdose, Bridges and the kid move to a very isolated area in the country side, where his mother had an old farm house. There, of course, Bridges gets overdosed as well and the kid is left alone to her fantasies. As usual with Giliam, a descent into madness from an unusual point of view. Nothing I'd advise someone with my movie tastes to watch, I warn you.
On the other hand, Galactica Razor was quite cool. We get the whole cast shortly after the Pegasus goes under Adama control. If you have not seen season 2, I'd advise you not to read any further, mind you. When Cain is murdered by poor, tortured Number-6, her crew is adrift, now under command of young Lee, who has not a strong position after command has been granted by his dad. Lee makes a smart move and selects one of Cain's trusted officers as second in command. The problem is that the woman is mentally damaged after obeying the commands that led to a civil massacre in Scylla when Cain wanted the FTL motors stolen from the ships. After a small crew gets lost while scouting around and Adama recalls that Cylons were experimenting with vivisection back during the first war, rescue will put this woman and Starbuck into an uneasy alliance. Plus we get to learn why Cain was always so pissed during the two Pegasus episodes.
Next time, we go to TV series! Cheers from the Caribe!!
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