the FANTASTIC MR. FOX rekalled...

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is the new stop motion animated film from Wes Anderson. Based on a children's book by Roald Dahl, one which I have never read so I can't opine on the validity of the adaptation but I can vouch for the quality of the film. A unique piece of animation in this day and age of the pixar and dreamwork computer generated film, the Fantastic Mr. Fox does a great job of crafting a children's film into something an adult can enjoy. Odd, quirky and completely everything a Wes Anderson fan would want in one of his films, he seemed to have recaptured what I feel he had lost in his last couple of films. I came into this thinking I wouldn't like it after seeing a preview of it and it not quite clicking but I was won over by the charm with laughs of the film and the wonderful aesthetic and universe crafted in this story. I highly recommend it for any early Wes Anderson fan and anyone who enjoys children's films that remember the adult audience.

A Serious Man Rekalled...

A SERIOUS MAN, the new Coen Brothers film about a Jewish professor and a glimpse into his world an his reaction to it as it comes crashing down around him. I am a longtime Coen brothers fan since I first saw Raising Arizona and I feel well versed in their offbeat style of humor and also count the Big Lebowski among my favorite films. This film is not their finest work, far from it. The film has quite a bit of oscar buzz around it for picture of the year and for me it isn't even the best film I have seen this week. There are some interesting characters that you wish had more time to flesh out their stories and the film is left with an unfinished feeling. I was more interested in the son's story and he is left hanging at the end of the film. A few scenes work and there is a bit of humor here and there but an underwhelming film as a whole.

On a side note, I was in a theater that was almost full an the audience was terrible. They seemed to easy to laugh at anything that happened and their laughs sounded fake or forced. It was like being in an audience of bad actors. I would be afraid to see a true comedy with these people, I am sure they would have an heart attack if that happened. And there was a lady who would question everything that happened in the film without giving it a chance to answer what just happened. I don't think she was too bright. These factors didn't help my opinion of the film I bet.

2012 rekalled...

2012 is the new Roland Emmerick epic disaster film. Staring John Cusack as the everyman trying to save his family from the terrifying forces of nature this film is ever bit the "disaster porn" moniker that some have given it. Harkening back to the 70's disaster film heydays, this film shows not only the rampant destruction on a scale not seem before but the tried and true formula of mankind coming together to survive and at other times to make sacrifices. The scenes of people making their peace with one another and doing what ever it takes to help others is all part of the fun of the disaster film genre. The first action sequence in the film is a destructive chase scene through LA where the earth is the pursuer is well worth the price of admission. While not capturing the fun of Independence Day, it does surpass the destruction on an entertainment level and was more rewarding than the Day After Tomorrow both of which are Roland Emmerick films I enjoyed. I did enjoy this film and was thoroughly entertained, it had a couple laugh out loud moments for me which is a good thing. This movie is a long one clocking in at 158 minute, I heard complaints of the length but it didn't bother me, the movie flew by. The movie does have a President played by Danny Glover named THOMAS WILSON which is also awesome.

the BOX rekalled...

The Box is the new Richard Kelly film with James Marsden and Cameron Diaz. Trying to be a sci-fi story with moral implications this movie comes up way short on entertainment. A really boring film. A lot of slow zooms really drew out each scene unnecessarily, the film felt like a lot could have been trimmed from it. Except at the end the film seemed to be missing some scenes that might have been interesting, that might have just been my imagination trying to make this better. The score almost seemed to be mocking the story, like an added punchline to things that I don't think were supposed to be funny. The set design and the art direction were rather interesting, we are far enough removed from the 70's(of which the movie takes place) to enjoy revisiting the style without reliving it. Even though I loathed the movie I wouldn't mind have a replica of the button, it is a cool looking piece. Overall this seemed like a movie that could could have been told in a much shorter amount of time and was just an unsatisfying experience.