Early Summer Movie Review

I kept telling myself I should do a blog entry this week, but I’m coming up dry on ideas. Lately it seems everything I’ve been doing writing-wise is more of the same: revisions. Thankfully there is a bright light shining at the end of that tunnel, but if I have to blog about my revisions one more time, I ran the risk of boring myself to death.

So instead, let’s branch out a bit. I’ve been doing a lot of movie-going of late. Naturally, I’m still waiting on pins and needles for The Dark Knight to open, but in the meantime I’ve kept busy with the following:

Kung Fu Panda: Seriously, any movie that can come up with the word “Ski-DUSH!” I’m going to go see. Plus I really like Jack Black. So this one was an easy sell and yet still managed to keep me thoroughly entertained. I loved it. Great for kids and adults alike.

The Happening: It ain't happening. The thing about this movie is, it had potential. It really did. But the acting was so horrendously bad, and the dialogue simply atrocious, that there was no saving it. Even Mark Wahlberg who is normally a good actor was bad. And not just bad, but BAD. BAAAAAAD. And don’t even get me started on the Zooey whoever that played his wife. She spent the entire movie with this stunned/surprised expression on her face that you kept hoping would get wiped off by some foreign object. Like a flame thrower or something like that.

Wanted: Again, being a big Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy fan, this one was an easy sell. Throw in Morgan Freeman and it’s a done deal. But, when I went into the theatre I expected to sit down and be entertained. What I didn’t expect was to have my socks knocked off. No easy feat considering I wasn’t actually wearing any. This movie not only had a great premise matched with over the top action that never felt over the top because it fit seamlessly with what was going on, but the character arc of James McAvoy’s character was worth the price of admission alone. Afterwards, I reviewed the movie in my head on the way home clicking off all the part’s of the hero’s journey. This movie had twists, turns and kept you on the edge of your seat while making you cheer on the main characters. I’d go see this movie again in a heartbeat.

Indiana Jones & The Mystery of the Crystal Skull: I’ve been waiting 20 years for this movie and it didn’t disappoint. While some people didn’t like the ending, I thought it fit perfectly with what the story was about, and with the true mystery around the crystal skulls. Plus it was nice to see the franchise branch out a bit and try something new rather than just re-hash the same old thing. They didn’t fudge on the time passing either. Both Indy and Marion had aged and there was a brief homage to the passing of Indy’s father and friend, Marcus. I think this was a fitting end to a beloved character who will likely go down in the annals of moviedom as one of the best.

So there you have it. My recent movie-going review. Next up: The Dark Knight, Mamma Mia, Traitor, and more.

Now if I could only put the same kind of dent in my TBR pile and my knitting projects I’d be really happy.