March 7, 2009

  • movies I've seen recently...


    Watchmen (2009)  A

    If you think that "Watchmen" looks like a typical super hero movie, then you'll be wrong. Just like the graphic novel of the same name that it was adapted from, this movie attempts to make people reconsider what a super hero movie can be. A noticeable point is the fact that for an almost three hours movie, there are surprisingly only a handful of action / adventure sequences, which people usually expect to see a lot of in a super hero flick. There's a lot more scenes involving people just talking, having philosophical discussions about morality and politics, which might just turn some people off. When there is violence however, it is graphic and in your face. Also one thing lacking in most super hero movies, is sex, which this film does not shy away from. "Watchmen" deserves it's R rating, and just because it has costumed characters, parents need to reconsider bringing their kids to see it

    To explain "Watchmen" can be hard to do, but it starts off simply enough like a murder mystery, with the masked vigilante Rorschach (wonderfully performed by Jackie Earle Haley) trying to figure out who killed The Comedian; who is another costumed character (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan). That's just the basic story of the movie though, and what the film really becomes is a character study on who these costumed heroes are, and what makes them tick. This is done through a lot of flashback sequences, which along with the dense dialog, forces the viewer to really pay attention to what is being shown and said on screen, unless they want to feel lost. Considering how intricate the material is, the pacing to explain all these stories goes at a pretty nice speed, but the length of the film will take it's toll and it'll feel like you are watching a mini-series in one sitting. At least the visuals are easy on the eyes (except for President Nixon's makeup), especially the great work done on bringing Dr.Manhattan to life (well played by Billy Crudup). Speaking of easy on the eyes... Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre II... *ahem*

    What director Zack Snyder and screenplay writers David Hayter and Alex Tse have successfully done, is make "Watchmen" feel like a believable take of what the world could be like if Super Heroes do exist. Not only that, but the content of the story should also elicit some thoughts and discussions about some of the things said and done in the movie. "Watchmen" goes to show that just because a movie has characters wearing costumes to fight injustice, does not mean it has to only cater to a young audience. I'm hoping other movie makers takes note of this example.


    Wonder Woman (2009)  B

    While this "Wonder Woman" animated movie simply feels like a by the numbers origin story, there's a lot to be entertained by it. Primarily it's got to be the dialog by the characters on screen, backed by a strong voice cast from Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Virginia Madsen, to Alfred Molina. In particular I loved the banter between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, and the whole "man versus woman" conversations. The use of the golden lasso of truth has also proven to be a good device for some comedic moments. I also liked how the "tough guy" lines are being said by women in this one, which I found very humorous. The animation was also decently good, even though it's not "theatrical quality" great, but it definitely kept my attention. Sure there were moments that required me to suspend my disbelief, but they did not break the movie. "Wonder Woman" was simply a fun movie to watch, and I'm actually hoping for a sequel.


    Street Fighter : the Legend of Chun-Li (2009)  D+

    I shouldn't have been surprised, but "Street Fighter : The Legend of Chun-Li" was simply bad. Hilariously bad. The biggest mistake that director Andrzej Bartkowiak could have done, was to try and make this movie adaptation of a popular video game character seem realistic. The problem there is that the movie is overall unbelievable, filled with stupid plot points, and characters that do not work. Kristin Kreuk is pretty but is miscast as Chun-Li, and mention has to be made of Chris Klein who has got to have the worst case of over-acting that I've seen in a long time. I wished they would have just gone the campy way of things, because then it could have at least been fun to watch. If you are a fan of the Street Fighter games, only watch this for the curiosity factor and nothing else.