Monsters University is significantly better than a lot of other movies out there

(This paragraph is random, skip down if you don't care about my musings.)

First off, I've got to give a little credit to the audience I found myself in. I went to see Monsters University at 7pm on a Tuesday night at a more independent theater that sometimes plays mainstream stuff. I'm not saying this to make some point that I only go to independent theaters because I'm a huge hipster ass-clown; I'm mentioning it to make the point that there were basically no children in the audience at this children's movie. But, this had to be the giddiest group of New Yorker adults ever assembled. They laughed at the trailers; someone even laughed at the Pixar intro where the light jumps on the P in Pixar. Basically, go see kid movies at 7pm on weeknights because you will have way more fun.

Anywho, onto the actual movie. There were some major positives to this movie that I have not seen in other movies recently. 

1) They actually bother to give you background on the characters AND make you like the characters. It seems simple, but it adds SO MUCH. Especially with the kind of secondary characters - I mean these monsters were hilarious. Loved them. LOVED THEM. A lot of movies now lack this essential step. I find myself simply not caring what happens to characters because the writers forget to make me like them. (*cough cough* Man of Steel)

2) Well-freakin-plotted. There's an arc. An actual arc! It doesn't feel like random things keep happening for no reason. There is a clear and logical course of events. HOORAY!

3) Meaningful stuff here. At one point Mike (the green, one-eyed guy) is having an identity crisis because he's figuring out that maybe he can't be scary. He says how he's done everything right, studied hard, tried more than everyone else, but it hasn't been enough. I don't know if this is a little too pointed at the Millenial generation or if it's genius. Basically they're saying, just getting good grades and going to the right school doesn't make you extraordinary. Kind of depressing, but seemingly very relevant. Also, if you see it, notice how the plot continues in the credits. There's DEFINITELY a message to Millenials there. 

Also, it's just funny. I mean, in a delightful kind of childish way, but still, very funny. Make sure to pay attention when Mike is walking around the campus for the first time for my favorite moment. Hint: Think hacky sack.

Thanks for Sharing Trailer

Sex Addict Romantic Comedy - a new genre for a new generation. At the very least, I'm really looking forward to seeing Pink in this. (Also starring Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow and Josh Gad).

Man of Steel, Man Oh Man

This movie had a lot going for. Henry Cavill's hot bod, flying, a third thing, Henry Cavill's hot bod... But, sadly, even all those stellar ingredients couldn't add up to a winner. Unless you're counting all women who got to look at Henry Cavill's hot bod. Some winners there.

To start out on a more positive note, I did like the beginning of this movie (not the actual beginning because that was a birth scene and was just gross). The story on Krypton was kind of interesting, and I was excited to deal with some complex democratic and interstellar issues. I'd always just thought that Superman's parents had pretty much shot him into space and then Krypton went boom, but the movie gave a little more back story. Also at the beginning, you see Clark Kent (that's Superman for all you nubes) being a general do-gooder. He's saving people left and right. Seems like the right thing to do considering he can't die. Unfortunately, from there, it seems that the screenwriters were fired and any semblance of logic or a story went out the window.

Here are some examples:

• At an extremely convenient and totally random moment, Clark find a Kryptonian ship that just happens to have a halogram version of his dad who can explain EVERYTHING to him. Just lays it out. All the info he might need. So, how nice for him.  
• Amy Adams. Oh Amy Adams. She is randomly brought into all sorts of situations she absolutely does not need to be a part of. Mostly involving evil aliens and advanced weaponry. She and Superman also appear to fall in love in approximately 2 minutes. You don't even know it's happened, and then they're kissing in a pit of mass destruction and death. Yeah, thousands of people are dead around them, and then bang, time for smooching. RUDE guys. 
• It's still pretty unclear what the evil Kryptonians wanted, and why they couldn't get along with Superman. Seems they both would like to restart the Kryptonian race, and that could probably work out if they used another planet. This is probably why all the fight scenes seemed so random. You'd be watching Superman get punched through a building and be like, "Wait, why are they mad? How did this escalate so much?"

There's tons more to mock and get confused by, and I found a HILARIOUS article that breaks down the whole movie and how weird it is. It has a lot of spoilers, but here's the delightful scene where Superman's Dad fills him in:

Jor-El: Hey! I shot you into space when you were a baby!

Clark: Dad?

Jor-El: That’s me! Okay, let me give you the lowdown. Your name is Kal-El, you’re a Kryptonian, our planet Krypton blew up, and all the Kryptonians are dead except you and our most dangerous criminal, Zod.

Clark: That’s unfortunate.

Jor-El: Also I kind of hid all of Krypton’s genetic code inside you so that you are the key to restarting the Kryptonian race and Zod’s kinda going to be looking for that.

Clark: Um, do you want me to restart the Kryptonian race?

Jor-El: I'm honestly not sure.

Clark: Then why did you stick the Codex in me?

Jor-El: In retrospect, it may have been a poor idea. On the other hand, if you do decide to start the Kryptonian race, this scout ship has a bunch of empty babies in our underwater tree pod room. All you have to do is stick the DNA right in them. There's a little hole. It's unfortunately placed, though.

Anyway, if you're basically just looking for random action sequences, this'll do the trick. Or if you're looking for something to mock mercilessly while fanboys sitting near you *shush* you, I'd recommend it as well. Otherwise... cross your fingers that Thor 2 sucks less.

Jobs Trailer (AKA me squinting trying to see if Ashton Kutcher could possibly look like Steve Jobs)

I like it when actors take on new and challenging roles. Try different genres. Get haircuts. But, I'm just not sure I'm going to believe Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs. ALSO, that song in the trailer never gets to the chorus and you just keep waiting for it, and it never happens. It's REALLY upsetting.

Drinking Buddies Trailer

Starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, and Anna Kendrick and with the title Drinking Buddies, I was pretty concerned this was going to be LAME. BUT, it actually looks like a fresh romantic comedy. Now excited.

LAMEBUT haha

The Spectacular Now Trailer

While I'm not Shailene Woodley's biggest fan (I'm fairly concerned she's going to ruin Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and Spiderman 2 (again) next year, like pretty concerned), I have heard good things about this movie. It looks decent, other than it looks exactly the same as A Walk To Remember sans cancer.

UPDATE: Praise Thor (or Chris Hemsworth)! Looks like Shailene will not be in Spiderman 2! See here.

UPDATE UPDATE: No Woodley in any of the new Spidermans! Mary Jane will be recast - see here.

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Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

The Bling Ring

Man does Sofia Coppola (director of The Bling Ring) know how to cut a trailer. There's hip and upbeat songs, celebrities, Emma Watson talking in an American accent, night club dancing, and lots of glittery fashion. But, you get about the same enjoyment just from watching the trailer as you do from watching the whole movie.

Honestly, that pretty much covers it. Bored kids in California decide to rob celebrities' homes while they're out of town, and *SPOILER* they get caught. That's not really a spoiler though as this was a real news story, and there's even been a reality show starring one of the real The Bling Ring's members (Emma Watson's character, of course). The characters are mostly (unsurprisingly) shallow, so there's not much to sink your teeth into here. The main idea (it's even said in the trailer) is that this is a film about America's obsession with a celebrity lifestyle and how far people will go to emulate that lifestyle. Which is great all, but do you really think the teenagers (who ARE being marketed to) going to see this movie because of the super fun trailer and going to give a Chihuahua's rear-end about that? Nope. So... what was the point? But, hey, I saw it, so no shame if you feel like going to see Emma's latest movie and pretending to live the lifestyle along with these characters for a couple hours. Don't worry, I won't tell. If anyone asks, you saw it because of the severe and frightening implications about our youth and our society. 

The Wolf of Wall Street Trailer

Is it just me or does Leo not seem to be pushing himself as much acting-wise with this one? Models, money and Jonah Hill on a boat... Yep, that's actually just his life.

Indie Movie Round Up! (Kings of Summer, Before Midnight, The East, and Frances Ha)

You know those movies that you hear about in passing like twice, and then forget about? Well, I've seen them all! Check out which ones I LOVED and which ones you can continue ignoring. I'll even put a playlist of the trailers up top here, so you can check out which ones you're interested in (open in YouTube for the easiest viewing).

The Kings of Summer

The Kings of Summer was a summer movie I was definitely pumped to see. It's a coming-of-age story, but not one done by the same old people in Hollywood. It's from a fresh voice, and that really shows in the film. There's an excitement and a freedom to the characters and to the filmmaking that makes this a really enjoyable film.

The basic concept is that a couple of teenagers get really sick of their parents and decide to build a house in the woods to live in. While the kids-not-getting-along-with-their parents bit is a little tired, the idea of actually doing something about it is new. Normally, I think complaining is about all teenagers can summon the effort to do, but these guys actually head out into the semi-wilderness and build a semi-house. The cast is exceptional and the story is heart-felt. You may recognize that funny-looking kid, but I'm not going to tell you from where because you'll judge him, and his performance is worth a judgement-free viewing (check this clip for proof). Although there were perhaps a couple too many slo-mo beautiful summer nature shots for me; overall, I would highly recommend you check this little indie flick out!

Before Midnight

First off, go watch Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, then we can talk (or you could not do that and just keep reading). Those two films are the precursors to Before Midnight; although, this is unlike any other series you've seen before. Before Sunrise introduces you to two young people (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) who fall in love over one night. Sounds like something you've seen before? Well it's nothing like anything you've seen before. This series is all about real conversations - saying the things people actually say to each other, talking about what's actually important to you. When these two characters discuss a topic, you, as an audience-member, think about how you feel about that topic as well; you don't just sit and watch them talk, you engage. Now, this all sounds a little unbelievable and ridiculous when you write it down, but it's a truly great film-watching experience. So, like I said, seeing the first two films really enhances Before Midnight, but you can also enjoy the film without having seen them. I don't want to give too much away in case you do decide to go back and watch the first two films (which I SERIOUSLY highly recommend because they're GREAT). But, Before Midnight beautifully carries on the tradition and magic of the first two films, and I could not stop smiling the entire time.

The East

Brit Marling (After Earth, Arbitrage, the one on the poster who is not Ellen Page or Alexander Skarsgard) stars an an agent who is sent in undercover to debunk an environmental terrorism group. What is an environmental terrorism group you may ask? A group that does terroristy-type things (official term) against people or companies who harm the environment. Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard are members of this group. 

What it comes down to is that Marling begins to understand and appreciate this group and starts to question he loyalties towards her employer. While not an earth-shattering idea, all the performances are so excellent, this film really delivers a punch. You connect with Marling and the group members. In fact, there's basically no hint of doubt that what they're doing is right in the context of the film. Their acts only border on violent and work for the betterment of the lives of many. The age-old question of who determines what is right comes up of course, but for the movie's sake, you side pretty easily with this tree-hugging, revenge-seeking bunch. My one problem with films like these are that they stir outrage within me about the tyranny of corporations that harm others thoughtlessly, but I never find any way to use that outrage productively. My own fault, I know, but I don't think I'm alone in it. BASICALLY, if you're looking for a well-acted thriller, I'd check it out. 

Frances Ha

Frances Ha goes at the bottom because I liked it the least. I liked the rest of these quite a bit though, so that's not as negative as it seems. I think a lot of the romance of this film doesn't quite get through to me because I live in New York, and it is set in New York. Maybe that means I should love it all the more, but I think the very fact that I do understand many of these situations makes it less easy to revel in. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to revel in this movie.

It definitely has charm at certain points and is realistically and well-written. But, I felt a little too much like I was watching an extended episode of Girls with a main character only slightly more likable than Lena Dunham. At the same time, watching other people make the same mistakes you make is both painful and a bit of a relief. It's absolutely an original film that's different from anything else out there, but the voice and circumstances somehow feel familiar. I'd give it one hipster thumbs up.

This is the End, and it's pretty good

I posted the trailer for This is the End awhile ago, and it got a big response. Probably because you feel like you get to spy on the lives of these semi-famous to medium-famous comedians, and it is exactly how you thought it would be. Oh, and because it's raunchy and hilarious. 

Well, I'm happy to report that the movie is just as funny as the trailer (another way of saying, if you don't like the trailer, don't see the movie). All of these actors do a great job of being the exact people we expect them to be. Who knows if James Franco is actually a fairly gay-leaning, pretentious, insane person? But, that's who we all assume he is, and it's nice to have those assumptions somewhat confirmed in this movie. (Except for Jonah Hill. He's super nice in this movie, and that CANNOT be right. Pretty sure I'm positive about that one.) So, you're getting to pretend that you're taking a peek into these guys' lives, which makes you feel super cool, AND it's just a funny movie in general. Double win I would say. While not all of the bits work, a lot of them do. It feels fresh and different because of how self-mocking (perhaps I'll self-mock myself later for using a word like self-mocking) it is, but the extreme plot is also enough to keep it moving along. Not to mention there are some GREAT cameos by other actors you'd like to stalk. And, the end IS AWESOME. It seems appropriate that a movie titled This is the End has an awesome ending. 

Not a whole lot more to talk about since it's kind of like a two hour SNL skit (in a good way, like when SNL was good). I could talk about how Jay Baruchel should be in more movies, like every movie, and how he's one of my top three favorite actors (the others being Aaron Johnson and Oscar Isaac), but that would just be a crude way to make this review a little longer. I wouldn't do something like that. 

Stuck in Love Trailer - Why has no one heard of this?

Great cast, seems charming enough - why had I not heard of this until today? It comes out on July 5th for goodness sake! Their marketing team needs to STEP IT UP.

Salinger Documentary Trailer

I've always loved Nine Stories and Franny and Zooey more than Catcher in the Rye (Oh no, have I shocked you?) It may be that I'm a big, pretentious jerk or it may be that I read Catcher in high school and never reread it (You read Nine Stories and I'll reread Catcher and neither of us will ever check up on the other, so it'll never happen. Deal.) Anyway, even if you're not someone who's normally into documentaries, you're probably someone who's read some Salinger (So this movie is not too indie or obscure to post about. I checked with my roommate, and she said it's not too indie. So IT'S NOT.) Anyone else feel like this post is a little aggressive. WELL IT'S NOT. 

In a World... Trailer just Released!

I'm jazzed enough for this movie that I'm using the last 10% of my laptop's battery life to share it with you. Lake Bell stars as well as writes and directs In a World... Will now proceed to talk in accents and epic Darth Vader voices all day.

 

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer

During The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, I was desperate for Legolas to just show up on a green hilltop at some point. And now it appears he will! Here's hoping there's less singing and more plot this time.

After Earth AKA Will Smith's Version of an Independent Film

I feel kind of luke warm about this one, so I'll break it down for myself and for you.

Points in the movie's favor:

• The effects are pretty cool. The new, more dangerous Earth features some great scenery and awesome animals, and there are cool futuristic gadgets etc. 
• Jaden Smith (the mini Smith) does a good job as the emotional crux of the film. And it's totally believable to have his character as a son living in his father's shadow. 
• A couple minor twists that make the film more interesting. One having to do with alien monsters, one having to do with Zoe Kravitz. 

Points against the movie:

• It's basically a cast of two people for the whole movie. True, one of those people is Will Smith, but he's wounded and depressed for most of it. It was like an indie character film, but with lots of special effects. 
• There was only one cut of the trailer! If that one wasn't working with the audience, why not make a new one?
• Nothing (much) unexpected happens. It's like a Disney movie, through and through.
• The accents. What are the accents that are happening in this movie?

I wouldn't call it a comeback for Will or a career-maker for Jaden, but it's alright. Yep, that's the best I can summon for this one. 

You can watch the trailer here.

New Trailer Update 6/9/13

Here's a whole bunch of new trailers! Woo hoo! In addition to finding posts about new trailers here (like they usually are), you can also click on the New Trailers! tab at the top to see them all together like a happy little trailer family. Yay!

Thor: The Dark World

Chris Hemsworth is back as a god. Literally, not hyperbole; he's a god. Oh, and Natalie Portman's in it too.

Inside Llweyn Davis

The Coen Brothers' new movie starring Oscar Isaac (you'll know who he is soon), Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, and Garrett Hedlund. Just trust me on this one.

Runner Runner

Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck. There's gambling. There's bad guys (well, Ben tries to be a bad guy). I think they even try and get you to believe that JT is a genius. Sounds like a winner.

Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut that he stars in with Scarlett Johansson. He's a sex addict; she's addicted to romantic comedies. I'm excited.

Paranoia

Liam Hemsworth takes on Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman in this Wall Street drama. Let's see if he can take a lesson from the masters.

Getaway

Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez in a car. Seriously, that's the concept.

Now You See Me (the not-so-subtle marketing trick of a title)

Magicians robbing banks. Magicians using their super dorky non-existent powers to rob banks. Plus, Jesse Eisenberg. I mean, I was sold on this from the time I read a similar summary of the movie months ago. Then came the trailer (which I posted about here), where Mr. Eisenberg got to be a wise-ass and somehow find a way to be incredibly arrogant about his mad skills with magic. It seemed like the most enjoyable two hours I would spend in the theater this summer.

But, apparently, those marketers were playing me as only the most talented of illusionists can. They said, "Look! It's Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson! It's going to be just like Zombieland! You can practically take a bath in all the snark and sarcasm that will happen in this movie." They waved that all in my face in the trailer, and then *POOF*, as if by some sick trick, the movie was all about whiny Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo plays the cop, FBI agent (whatever, don't even care), who is trying to figure out how the merry band of magicians have pulled off a bank robbery. And it's SO DIFFICULT for him. He's just REALLY struggling. And that's boring. (Do you even see Mark Ruffalo on the poster? I don't! Unless he's magically invisible!)

While there are some scenes of fun between Eisenberg, Harrelson, Fisher, and Franco (Dave Franco that is. The smallest of the famous Francos). I needed more. Like a lot more. Like a scene where they all try and figure out what Chinese food to order kind of more. I wanted bromance and romance and wit, and they gave me MARK RUFFALO.

To be fair, it's still a fun movie. There's an interesting structure (there are three heists this gang has to pull off), entertaining tricks of the trade to learn, and tons of characters (including Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine) to enjoy watching. So, if you're super pumped for this movie, you'll probably be disappointed. But, if you're just a normal person with normal person expectations (someone told me you exist), then you'll probably have a pretty good time.

Another fun thing the movie did was The Diamond Heist Challenge. You get to look for hidden playing cards on posters and website etc. in order to get extra content like the stars teaching you how to do magic tricks. I had some issues with the app, Blippar, but overall still fun.

Summer Movies - Which Ones Don't Suck!

It's that time of year again. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the movie studios are counting on you spending big bucks to go sit in an air-conditioned movie theater. This is when they hit you with all their big budget, heavy on the special effects, soon-to-have-sequels hopefuls and already-are-sequels money makers. As always, I'm here to see all the movies you don't feel like seeing, so you can pretend to all your friends that you're an all-knowing cinema god.  (But remember, with the power to turn stale popcorn to fresh and make that gum disappear from your cup-holder, comes great responsibility). To start off on a good note, I'll be telling you about a winner this summer: Fast and Furious 6.

I just want to give you fair warning that I probably like this franchise a little too much. I know it's had its ups and down (although I refuse to acknowledge that Toyko Drift was a down). But, since last summer's Fast 5, I've had more love than ever for this car smashing delight of a series. 

Let's just start off with the fact that this series now has its own mythology. Like Lost or Star Wars - it has become so apparently intricate and confusing, that people spend time trying to figure out how it all fits together (hint: Toyko Drift is after EVERYTHING). But, at the same time, it pretty much doesn't matter if you know any of the background; you will still have loads of fun seeing this one. (If you are interested in the tangled web that is the F&F series, check this article and the short film directed by Vin Diesel that explains a bit). 

True, it still probably fits in the "it's so bad it's good" category, but I would say it is tiptoeing towards actually legitimately being good. These films, much like their main character, have a code. There must be cars, there must be cars racing, there must be cars blowing up, and family always comes first. And it is this unbreakable law that makes them so easy to enjoy. You get good laughs, you hold your breath during the action sequences, and despite yourself, you become fond of the characters and begin to care about their relationships (especially if you watch the other movies, or at least Fast 5). The confusingly attractive and yet shiny Vin Diesel still holds a dear place in my heart, so he's a plus for me (but he's also a social media god if you believe this article). But there are plenty of other both guy and girl candy if Vin is not for you. It's hard to delve in too deep for a review of this film because there aren't really plot twists or acting to critique. So, basically, just go see it if you like fun movies. 

SPOILER (sort of): The end scene will raise all your hopes and then crush them like a lovable character from A Bug's Life. But only if you've seen Toyko Drift. Yes, I know I know too much about this.

Also, if you actually thought I was serious about posting all those Oscars movie reviews, you have far too much confidence in my abilities. Sure, I'll just write an 8 part series when I'm working on my thesis, sure. HA HA

Soon to come: After Earth, Now You See Me, and Place Beyond the Pines!