Movies I’ve seen recently…
Fantastic Mr.Fox (2009) A-
In the age where animated features are done completely using computer graphics, stop-motion animation has become a rare thing to see in movies. In comes director Wes Anderson‘s “Fantastic Mr.Fox,” which is based on the novel by Roald Dahl. This is a surprisingly well made stop-motion animated movie, that incorporates every advantage the medium can bring. I actually especially like it when the perspective of a scene is sometimes done in a side-view 2D-like plane, that gives the movie a cartoony, comic-book feel to what we are watching. Keep things in mind that this is a fantasy world where it seems that animals can live in it’s own civilized society, and still be neighbors to a normal human town. Ofcourse these particular animals that can talk, buy homes, go to school, learn yoga, are brought to life by being voiced acted by people such as George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Michael Gambon, etc… With an engaging story, a very memorable cast of characters, great production value, a keen visual style, and an excellent smart sense of humor, “Fantastic Mr.Fox” was simply a… fantastic movie to experience. Enjoyed seeing this a lot, and by the end of the movie I couldn’t help but mimic Mr.Fox’s signature *whistles, click, click*.
Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009) B+
Sometimes Nicolas Cage makes people wonder how he won an Academy Award, because his acting can be so inconsistent throughout the years. Once in awhile though, he takes on a role that proves that he is a talented actor, and his take on the character of Terence McDonagh as a drug and gambling addict of a police lieutenant in “Bad Lieutenant : Port Of Call New Orleans” is one of those roles. Along with Cage’s electrifying role, this movie is directed by the great Werner Herzog, who successfully takes us on this wild journey into Terence’s downward spiral of insanity, complete with shots of imaginary iguanas and dancing souls (you’ll just have to see it). I did like the fact that although Terence’s character is very flawed as a human being, this movie still shows how he is still really good at his job as a police officer in New Orleans, if he isn’t looking for ways to steal drugs from the evidence room that is, or hooking up with his prostitute girlfriend played by Eva Mendes. This film is definitely more a character study than a police drama or procedural, although it has elements of those as well. “Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans” has moments that made my jaw drop at some of the things Terence did, but that ultimately made this film so entertaining to see. Bad lieutenant indeed.
Ninja Assassin (2009) C
There used to be a time when Ninja movies were really popular, despite the fact that the majority of them were really low budget “B-movies.” So what happens when you combine a B-Movie ninja film with today’s high budget production values, and also include the Japanese shock/gore sensibilities? You get “Ninja Assassin.” From the opening scene alone, that includes visually gory depictions of gangsters getting beheaded, decapitated, mutilated by an unknown enemy, you can tell that this is a ninja movie that’s trying to set new standards to what a modern ninja movie should be. Unfortunately, while the action sequences are entertaining enough to watch; what with the slick ninja techniques, hiding in the shadows, flying shurikens, and all that, the simplistic plot doesn’t make this movie stand out at all. Having Korean singing superstar Rain as the main ninja protagonist also seems more like a casting stunt, than an attempt to look for somebody who might be able to make the character of Raizo actually be memorable. I admit that I did have a lot of fun watching “Ninja Assassin,” but I recognize it to be no more than just simple stupid entertainment, even though it may seem that Director James McTeigue had more ambitious preconceptions.
Turtles Forever (2009) B
If you were ever at one point in your life a huge fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, then you really need to watch “Turtles Forever.” This is a made for TV animated movie, that actually follows the most recent TMNT cartoon, so while the movie can stand on it’s own, it does expect the audience to already know the basic concept of the franchise. The twist in the plot here is that for reasons the movie explains, the Ninja Turtles from the late ’80s to mid ’90s cartoon actually shows up. This premise is ultimately what makes Turtles Forever so fun to watch, because the ’80s ninja turtles are far more cartoony and slapstick in nature than the more pseudo-realistic, more serious recent ninja turtles. There were hilarious moments like when one of the ’80s-’90s era Turtles would literally turn to talk to camera (us, the audience), which is what they used to do back then, while the current 2000 Turtles would ask “WHO are you talking to?!” This contrast between the two eras also applies to the villains, which only makes this movie even more entertaining. Tons of action, good fight scenes, corny one-liners, and tons of humorous moments, “Turtles Forever” really is sort of a tribute to all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in existence, and the final act cements that. This movie was simply awesome.
