What the Movie is About: See previous blog post, add crazy army guy/Abomination
Why I Bought it in the First Place: Well, it was way better than the 2003 HULK. That was a big selling point. It made a nice double feature with Kung Fu Panda. So I had good memories of seeing it.
What Do I Think of it Now: It was actually really enjoyable. Especially after watching the other Hulk movie. The acting in this one is really good. Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner really well. He brings a very nice subtlety to the role. Tim Roth did a really good job playing Emil Blonsky. Watching his change from soldier to super soldier to Abomination was very entertaining. The only issue in terms of acting was Liv Tyler. Her acting style is just too...light? I guess. I don't know, she plays a good elf, but not a very good scientist. There were a couple attempts at humor that kind of fell flat, I think it has to do with the lack of chemistry between Liv Tyler and Edward Norton.
The action in this movie was very good. It was nice to see action in the opening titles, and then again twenty minutes in. The pacing of the movie was nice. There was very little time where the movie felt like it was going slow.
The special effects in this movie are great, especially the Hulk himself. He seems to much better fit into the world of the movie than the 2003 Hulk. Abomination wasn't quite as believable, but he still looked good. I feel like there's not as much to say about this movie as there is about other ones. It's a fun movie, but it is a little light on the conversation topics.
Will I Be Keeping It: I think so. I went back and forth on this one, but I think it made the cut. It's a nice, mindless action movie where Hulk smashes. What's not to like?
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Why Did I Buy HULK Again?
What It's About: A man turns into a big green monster and just wants to be left alone.
Why I Bought it in the First Place: This one I believe was actually a Christmas present, but I did ask for it. I enjoyed this movie when I saw it in theaters. Most people hated it and I didn't so I kind of felt that I needed to stick up for it. So that's why I wanted it, I felt I needed to stand by my movie.
What I Think of it Now: Well, here's the thing. This is not a very good movie. I still stand by the fact that it is not a BAD movie, but it is definitely not a good movie. The main thing it has going against it is that it's just...boring. I was watching it and about 40 minutes in I realized I still had not seen the title character. In a movie about the Incredible Hulk, you kind of want to see The Incredible Hulk smash things.
Apart from the lack of action, another dividing point seemed to be the use of what I'll refer to as "panels". Basically what would happen every once in a while is that the screen would split and you would see different angles on screen at the same time. I personally really liked this. I thought it gave the movie more of a "comic book" feel. I think most people found it too distracting, but once again, I liked it.
Now, the rest of the movie was...not good. Except for Jennifer Connelly, all of the acting is pretty bad. Sam Elliott gives a pretty forgettable performance as General Ross, but he wasn't terrible. Nick Nolte as Bruce's Dad, Josh Lucas as Talbot, and Eric Bana as Bruce Banner/Hulk were all just bad. They were over the top and cartoony and just not very believable.
Finally, let's talk about the Hulk himself. I don't think the Hulk model was that bad, but for some reason he just never seemed to fit into the world. I don't know if the coloring was off or if the special effects were just not that good, but there was something just...off about him. However, despite him not quite fitting into the real world, the movement and even "acting" from the CG creature was actually quite good, especially considering he only had like two lines the whole movie.
So in conclusion, the movie was not "bad" necessarily , but it was very boring. Except for a few exceptions the acting was really bad, and the movie could have used either more fight scenes or less drama. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Hulk poodle. Yes it was in the movie, yes it was ridiculous, let's move on as comic book fans.
Will I Be Keeping It: Well it was bound to happen sooner or later...I will not be keeping this one. While I don't hate it, it was pretty boring, and the fact that I've watched it about twice in five years tells me it won't be missed very much. Let's see if I can get a couple bucks off of it.
Why I Bought it in the First Place: This one I believe was actually a Christmas present, but I did ask for it. I enjoyed this movie when I saw it in theaters. Most people hated it and I didn't so I kind of felt that I needed to stick up for it. So that's why I wanted it, I felt I needed to stand by my movie.
What I Think of it Now: Well, here's the thing. This is not a very good movie. I still stand by the fact that it is not a BAD movie, but it is definitely not a good movie. The main thing it has going against it is that it's just...boring. I was watching it and about 40 minutes in I realized I still had not seen the title character. In a movie about the Incredible Hulk, you kind of want to see The Incredible Hulk smash things.
Apart from the lack of action, another dividing point seemed to be the use of what I'll refer to as "panels". Basically what would happen every once in a while is that the screen would split and you would see different angles on screen at the same time. I personally really liked this. I thought it gave the movie more of a "comic book" feel. I think most people found it too distracting, but once again, I liked it.
Now, the rest of the movie was...not good. Except for Jennifer Connelly, all of the acting is pretty bad. Sam Elliott gives a pretty forgettable performance as General Ross, but he wasn't terrible. Nick Nolte as Bruce's Dad, Josh Lucas as Talbot, and Eric Bana as Bruce Banner/Hulk were all just bad. They were over the top and cartoony and just not very believable.
Finally, let's talk about the Hulk himself. I don't think the Hulk model was that bad, but for some reason he just never seemed to fit into the world. I don't know if the coloring was off or if the special effects were just not that good, but there was something just...off about him. However, despite him not quite fitting into the real world, the movement and even "acting" from the CG creature was actually quite good, especially considering he only had like two lines the whole movie.
So in conclusion, the movie was not "bad" necessarily , but it was very boring. Except for a few exceptions the acting was really bad, and the movie could have used either more fight scenes or less drama. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Hulk poodle. Yes it was in the movie, yes it was ridiculous, let's move on as comic book fans.
Will I Be Keeping It: Well it was bound to happen sooner or later...I will not be keeping this one. While I don't hate it, it was pretty boring, and the fact that I've watched it about twice in five years tells me it won't be missed very much. Let's see if I can get a couple bucks off of it.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Why Did I Buy COMMUNITY Season 1 Again?
Why I bought it in the first place: Another easy one. It was the funniest show on television during the 2009-2010 season. I love this show. Also there was a commentary on every episode.
What I think of it now: Well this one is still pretty fresh, and season 2 is actually on the air at the time of me writing this. I still love this show. Almost every episode has something awesome or quotable. After finishing the whole season in about two days, I immediately wanted to watch it again. I think what makes it so lovable is the characters. At first there's not much to them, but as the season progresses they each come into their own as unique characters that you can relate to on some level. The relationship each of the main characters build with the others is also unique and wonderful. Abed and Troy have a completely different dynamic than Troy and Pierce. The plots tend to get a little over the top sometimes, but never so much that it strains credulity. One of the best of the season is the episode "Modern Warfare" which places the characters in a parody of every action movie ever made. The beauty of it, though, is that you completely believe that the characters and the school would react the way they do. Out of everything this show has going for it, my favorite thing about Community is the way it sends up different genres and tropes without being cynical towards them. This is most spectacularly seen when Troy and Abed sing "Somewhere Out There". It could have been done completely sarcastically, but instead they play it with a straight face which makes it even more hilarious.
Will I be Keeping It: Absolutely I will. As I said, it absolutely wouldn't bother me to start watching it again immediately. This show was my favorite one from last season and the more I watch it, the more it is climbing higher and higher on my list of all time favorites. It is at least top 5. So, yeah, I'll be keeping it.
Author's Note: I don't know how many people are reading this, but should I add a brief summary of what each show/movie is about? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook
What I think of it now: Well this one is still pretty fresh, and season 2 is actually on the air at the time of me writing this. I still love this show. Almost every episode has something awesome or quotable. After finishing the whole season in about two days, I immediately wanted to watch it again. I think what makes it so lovable is the characters. At first there's not much to them, but as the season progresses they each come into their own as unique characters that you can relate to on some level. The relationship each of the main characters build with the others is also unique and wonderful. Abed and Troy have a completely different dynamic than Troy and Pierce. The plots tend to get a little over the top sometimes, but never so much that it strains credulity. One of the best of the season is the episode "Modern Warfare" which places the characters in a parody of every action movie ever made. The beauty of it, though, is that you completely believe that the characters and the school would react the way they do. Out of everything this show has going for it, my favorite thing about Community is the way it sends up different genres and tropes without being cynical towards them. This is most spectacularly seen when Troy and Abed sing "Somewhere Out There". It could have been done completely sarcastically, but instead they play it with a straight face which makes it even more hilarious.
Will I be Keeping It: Absolutely I will. As I said, it absolutely wouldn't bother me to start watching it again immediately. This show was my favorite one from last season and the more I watch it, the more it is climbing higher and higher on my list of all time favorites. It is at least top 5. So, yeah, I'll be keeping it.
Author's Note: I don't know how many people are reading this, but should I add a brief summary of what each show/movie is about? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Why Did I Buy (500) DAYS OF SUMMER again?
Why I bought it in the first place: This is an easy one. Two words: Zooey Deschanel. I kid, but she WAS the main reason I checked it out in the first place. I had seen the trailers and it looked interesting so I rented it from Netflix and really liked it. I think it came at a point in my life last year when I was really looking for this kind of movie, so I bought it.
What I think of it now: Overall, I still like it. Though not nearly as much as when I watched it the first time. One of the things that drew me to the movie in the first place was that I really relate to the character of Tom. He's a bit of a hopeless romantic, and when the movie starts, he is not where he wants to be. Which was very much me when I saw this movie. The performances in it are all really great. Joesph Gordon-Levitt as Tom and Zooey Deschanel as Summer are obviously front and center here and their performances are very subtle, showing a couple falling into and out of love. In surprisingly good side roles are Matthew Gray Gubler as Tom's best friend and Chloe Grace Moretz as his sister. Neither are in the movie for very long, but both give very memorable performances. The scene transitions are one of the most memorable parts about this movie, showing a tree progressing through the seasons as a metaphor for the relationship. Going back and watching it again though. there are problems with it. As good as JGL and Zooey Deschanel acting is, the characters are not particularly likable for much of the movie and the story really grinds to a halt about 2/3 of the way through. It does pick back up in the last 20 minutes, but the slow down really is noticeable.
Will I be keeping it? I think I will. While the movie does have it's problems and it doesn't speak to me quite like it did the first time, I feel like there's still a lot to get out of it. I won't watch it all the time, but I like knowing it's there for when I do.
What I think of it now: Overall, I still like it. Though not nearly as much as when I watched it the first time. One of the things that drew me to the movie in the first place was that I really relate to the character of Tom. He's a bit of a hopeless romantic, and when the movie starts, he is not where he wants to be. Which was very much me when I saw this movie. The performances in it are all really great. Joesph Gordon-Levitt as Tom and Zooey Deschanel as Summer are obviously front and center here and their performances are very subtle, showing a couple falling into and out of love. In surprisingly good side roles are Matthew Gray Gubler as Tom's best friend and Chloe Grace Moretz as his sister. Neither are in the movie for very long, but both give very memorable performances. The scene transitions are one of the most memorable parts about this movie, showing a tree progressing through the seasons as a metaphor for the relationship. Going back and watching it again though. there are problems with it. As good as JGL and Zooey Deschanel acting is, the characters are not particularly likable for much of the movie and the story really grinds to a halt about 2/3 of the way through. It does pick back up in the last 20 minutes, but the slow down really is noticeable.
Will I be keeping it? I think I will. While the movie does have it's problems and it doesn't speak to me quite like it did the first time, I feel like there's still a lot to get out of it. I won't watch it all the time, but I like knowing it's there for when I do.
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