A Huanting in Conneticut

Let me say this at the beginning; I saw the Discovery Channel show that told the true story with interviews (and cheesy reenactments) with the actual family. I liked the original story far better than the movie version. I encourage people to rent the Discovery Channel versions – just try not to laugh too hard when you realize that the Discovery Channel is shooting a shower scene.

This wasn’t a bad movie. It wasn’t particularly scary, but it wasn’t horrible. It also wasn’t new. It is the story of a family living in a haunted house (in Connecticut) with a sick teenager (who, because he is sick, can see the world between the living and the dead better). Not a particularly new topic to mine. There were scares here if you haven’t seen a horror movie before, but if you have, then there is very little that is unexpected. An excellent film for a novice, or a young teen, but for the rest of us, watch an old favorite haunted house movie instead.

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Watchmen

We went to see the afternoon showing of “Watchmen” and I have never been so happy to step out into a warm, sunny afternoon, then I was when we left that movie. It took a lot of sunlight tow wipe that dark apocalyptic, depressing vision out of my head. It was a long, dark movie with a dim view of humanity.

I found the plot to be a bit hard to follow, not because it was overly complex, but because of the number and length of the flashbacks. There were just so many back stories that had to be told. I typically feel that any movie that introduces more than 3 main characters tends to feel a bit bloated – and in this there were way more than three.

The music and costuming, were actually so good that I found it distracting. Let’s be honest, the mid 1980s were not great for fashion. Seeing those giant shoulder pads again just made me shudder. And the big blue guy, he really should have worn the cod piece way more often. The music was also authentic, but did I really need to hear 99 Luftballons”; (in the original German no less), again? Listening to Lenard Cohen’s Hallelujah, while still excellent, is definitely not upbeat or cheerful.

The special effects weren’t anything particularly new or exciting and the story just wasn’t that thrilling. If you aren’t a huge fan of the book, then there is no reason on this planet to go see this movie. Save yourself the 2 hours and 45 minutes and find a way to enjoy a spring day instead.

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The Dark Knight

 

Ah, the New Batman.  Like everyone else in the world (at least according to the box office numbers), I have seen this movie.  I actually was lucky enough to see it in IMAX.  I’m not sure it makes that much of a difference, but its nice to see a movie on a really, really, big screen.  And some of the scenes really are gorgeous.  There are some great action sequences in this movie, and a some are even done with a sense of humor. 

I admit, that I was not completely sure about this movie when it was first advertised.  I am usually wary of movies that have too many villains in them, and this was going to have to introduce one villian, deal with a previous villan, and create another one (just based on the trailers).  Sure it had 2.5 hours to do it in, but that usually is too much for most story tellers and often is not done well.  I was pleased to find out how very wrong I was.  First off, the movie doesn’t really feel like 2.5 hours.  It was a little draggy in places, but not for more than 10 minutes.  And they did manage to have plenty of story telling and do it well.  I was impressed. 

This is a dark movie, dark in tone, dark in color, yet oddly optimistic about people and how they function. 

 

I am actually looking forward to seeing what they do with the next one, the only shame is that the performance by Heath Ledger is so good, that no one will be able to play that role again for years. And that is a shame. 

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Jumper

People who are looking for a movie with an excellent plot and logic, should really go see something else. 

Try something nominated for an Oscar, but don’t watch this. 

If you don’t demand that the plot make any sense or that a movie have a strong internal logic, then sit back and enjoy the ride.  Its a silly little movie with no real surprises.  Except the way characters behave – those have some surprises.  Most normal people I know wouldn’t not run into a old friend they thought died in high school and suddenly decide that flying off to Rome with them was a good idea.  But the folks in this movie think its fine.   And then act sad and puzzled by the fact that it ends abruptly. 

Frankly, if a I guy I hadn’t seen in years whisked me off for an all expenses paid trip to Rome, dropped me off at the airport after a few days and gave me a first class ticket home, I’d be sorry that the trip ended, but not all that shocked. 

The fight scenes were fun – people appearing and disappearing all the time and bringing objects with them. A bus appears out of nowhere and no bystanders act like that this is weird at all.  Really, what is wrong with these people?  And some of the action sequences made me laugh out loud. 

So, to sum up – this movie makes No Sense.  None.  But it made me laugh. And I left the theater in a good mood. So, all in all, not hideous.  If you are really bored right now, or better yet, when it comes out of dvd, watch it.  And on dvd you can skip past most of the talking parts. 

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