Summer and winter are my favorite times for movies. It seems like these times more than any other produce the most movies, and often some of the year's best movies. This summer I have seen a good deal of movies, so I thought I would do a quick review of all of them. I'm doing it in two parts so that these don't get too lengthy. I'll give each movie a ranking of bad, okay, good, or great.
The Avengers:
Rating: Great
What worked: Pretty much everything. This movies was so well planned, cast, written, and directed that I really can't find flaws with it. While I know Batman and Spiderman will probably get more recognition this summer, this is easily the best comic book movie franchise ever. Not to mention the way it blended action and comedy was great.
What didn't work: Like I said, I can't really find a flaw with this one.
The Dictator:
Rating: BAD
What worked: The only part of this movie that did anything was the mildly humorous ending speech that the main character gives making fun of American politics, and that wasn't even too impressive.
What didn't work: Pretty much any of it. The writing was mediocre, the premise was weak, and the acting was pretty awful. Not to mention, vulgarity isn't something I particularly like in a movie. I feel like most modern day comedy films are shoved full of vulgarity just for the shock value of it. The result, weak and unoriginal writing. In my defense, the only reason I saw this movie was because I went with someone else.
The Pirates: Band of Misfits:
Rating: Okay
What works: I have a hard time with this one. Based on reviews I expected it to be pretty great. It wasn't. There are some clever moments and jokes stuck in there so that's why I would say it's okay and not bad.
What doesn't work: For a movie about pirates, it's pretty boring. The plot just seemed to run around in circles. Like I said, I had pretty high expectations, and it didn't meet any of them. Yes some of the jokes in the movie were technically witty, but they didn't have any power behind them.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel:
Rating: Great
What works: The great cast and the great cinematography really do wonders for this movie. This movie has elements of comedy and drama that are perfectly blended. This is a British movie that knew how to employ comedy and also incorporate a well developed plot. Like I said, the cast is great as well. I really like movies where a group of strangers are taken on a journey, especially when they do it as well as this movie.
What doesn't work: Not much. I guess the age barrier could be a problem for some movie goers, but I feel like this film even covered that well with Dev Patel's character.
Brave:
Rating: Good
What works: It's Pixar. They just make good movies. The characters are always charming, and there is always a great message. This movie is no exception. Also, you have to commend Pixar for finally creating a heroine.
What doesn't work: It's Pixar. Unfortunately for Brave, that means that it is being scrutinized against the amazing legacy of Pixar. The main flaw with this film is that the plot kind of runs around in circles a little. That's really the only flaw though. The positive elements of this film easily outweigh the negative elements.
Safety Not Guaranteed:
Rating: Good
What works: Aubrey Plaza, and a pretty well written script. I'm a fan of Plaza on Parks and Recreation, but she's kind of a character actor on there. It was very refreshing to see her in this role. It opened her up to more emotional content, and while she's still her curmudgeony self, she really showed just how great of an actress she can be.
What doesn't work: The ending is a little abrupt. There is a lot of build up to it, and it's not necessarily bad, just a little sudden. Some of the actors seem a little misplaced, but not so much that it really damages the movie.
No comments:
Post a Comment