Tropic Thunder is the kind of movie I usually hate. Jammed up with stars anywhere they can fit them, relying on costume for the movie's biggest gags, and Ben Stiller is prominently involved. Sounds like the latest crappy version of Austin Powers, no? Despite all of these things working decidedly against it, Tropic Thunder is a total blast.
It's a very "hollywood" film (something else I usually dislike), in that most of the characters are based on either specific hollywood giants or a particular category of hollywood sleezeballs. Some of these feel a little old-hat (particularly Stiller's character), but other characters (particularly Robert Downey Jr and Tom Cruise) are so ridiculously over the top-- and yet played with such commitment-- that they evolve past simple satire and move into the realm of really compelling comic characters.
And frankly, those two really carry the movie. Stiller has some surprisingly decent moments as well, but really, the reason to see this movie is for Downey and Cruise. They're just fucking hysterical, to put it simply. What's fun about these characters-- and to a certain extent, everyone else in the movie-- is that they are absolutely insane, and yet you can see how their internal logic works, or at least why that character thinks it works. It's a perfect marriage of absurdity and observation, and while I firmly believe that Downey and Cruise are the strongest performances and best examples of this, it's also definitely true for Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Matthew McConaughey (actually pretty good as Stiller's agent), and Nick Nolte (a pleasure to watch as the Vietnam vet with a secret. There are also nice performances from Steve Coogan, Bill Hader, Danny McBride and fun cameos from Lance Bass to Jon Voight. Clearly Stiller emptied his rolodex for this one.
Speaking of Stiller, the guy definitely deserves some props for this one. Personally, I've always felt like he was a one trick pony (his best movies are probably Something About Mary and Meet The Parents, which are basically identical comedically) but here he does a nice job of staying away from that stupid brand of "awkward humor". His character work is just ok-- although I love his portrayal of "Simple Jack", his character's attempt at a character piece about a retarded boy-- but I have to give the man some credit for his directing. He gets simply stunning performances out of most of the cast, particularly (not to sound like a broken record) Downey and Cruise. He does a nice job of mixing in some fun action scenes to keep the movie's pace up, and there are some fun Apocalypse Now nods in there too.
All in all, the movie is extremely sharp. It's just a little bit light on the laughs-- it's the kind of movie that tickles your brain more than your gut-- but it honestly didn't bother me at the time. The only other real complaint I could see making is that it's so hollywood-y, but I think that's simply a reflection of the genre, and far from being distracting, provided most of my favorite jokes. Clearly this movie is a labour of love for everyone involved, and that's always enjoyable to watch.
And dear god, Downey and Cruise alone are worth the price of admission. This one is way better than we expected.
Scores:
Downey: 9/10
Cruise: 10/10
Stiller: 7/10
Black: 7/10
Directing: 8/10
Writing: 7.5/10
Overall (not an average): 8.3/10
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters
Let me say this: I fancy myself a pretty good pac-man (or ms. pac-man) player. Missle Command, Centipede, Tetris. Nothing amazing, but I like to think I'm alright at those kind of early video games.
Wrong. Oh, so wrong.
King of Kong is a 2007 documentary about classic 80's video game players. While video games have continued to grow and develop and things like Madden Tournaments and Major League Gaming have introduced competitive gaming into our culture, these particular dorks have felt no reason to leave behind the earliest pizza parlor greats. And after watching this movie, I can see why.
The film is an exploration of these giants of gaming and the people who chronicle and officiate their games. There's bias, lies, sketchy videotape, tampered machines, and a 65+ year old buddhist running the whole thing.
The main story follows two men, Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe. Billy Mitchell was a child prodigy at these games; he was a teen in the late 80's, and excelled at the games even then. While Billy dominated all the games, his only standing world record was in Donkey Kong, which is considered the hardest of all of these games. Mitchell is a totally nuts egomaniac whose self confidence has propelled his successful hot sauce business and his gaming records and achievements (in 1999 he recorded the first perfect Pac-Man game, completing all 200 something levels and getting the maximum points on each one!) He is a revered, but reclusive, figure throughout the film. It's amazing to watch him politicize such a trivial occurrence.
Wiebe, by contrast, is a semi-OCD father and husband who bought a Donkey Kong machine for his garage. He kicks off the drama by breaking Mitchell's all-time record (870,000) and scoring over a million points for the first time ever. In the background of his million point game VHS tape, his kid is screaming about needing his butt wiped (yes, really) and then starts crying "STOP PLAYING DONKEY KONG! STOP PLAYING DONKEY KONG!" while his dad sets the record. I mean, you can't make this stuff up.
I don't want to spoil the whole story, but it gets pretty intense between the two. Watching Mitchell try to be this Machiavellian figure over such a small, petty bit of trivia is enthralling, and watching Wiebe push his family to their limit is equalling compelling.
Plus, you get to see these guys really kick ass at Donkey Kong, which is pretty cool. All in all this movie was balls out awesome.
-- final thought-- I couldn't believe that there wasn't some Japanese dude that could crush these 45 year old nerds. Maybe that's racist, but I suspect they simply don't keep track of these things in Japan.
Scores:
How do you score a documentary? Overall, 8/10 in comparison to other documentaries.
Wrong. Oh, so wrong.
King of Kong is a 2007 documentary about classic 80's video game players. While video games have continued to grow and develop and things like Madden Tournaments and Major League Gaming have introduced competitive gaming into our culture, these particular dorks have felt no reason to leave behind the earliest pizza parlor greats. And after watching this movie, I can see why.
The film is an exploration of these giants of gaming and the people who chronicle and officiate their games. There's bias, lies, sketchy videotape, tampered machines, and a 65+ year old buddhist running the whole thing.
The main story follows two men, Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe. Billy Mitchell was a child prodigy at these games; he was a teen in the late 80's, and excelled at the games even then. While Billy dominated all the games, his only standing world record was in Donkey Kong, which is considered the hardest of all of these games. Mitchell is a totally nuts egomaniac whose self confidence has propelled his successful hot sauce business and his gaming records and achievements (in 1999 he recorded the first perfect Pac-Man game, completing all 200 something levels and getting the maximum points on each one!) He is a revered, but reclusive, figure throughout the film. It's amazing to watch him politicize such a trivial occurrence.
Wiebe, by contrast, is a semi-OCD father and husband who bought a Donkey Kong machine for his garage. He kicks off the drama by breaking Mitchell's all-time record (870,000) and scoring over a million points for the first time ever. In the background of his million point game VHS tape, his kid is screaming about needing his butt wiped (yes, really) and then starts crying "STOP PLAYING DONKEY KONG! STOP PLAYING DONKEY KONG!" while his dad sets the record. I mean, you can't make this stuff up.
I don't want to spoil the whole story, but it gets pretty intense between the two. Watching Mitchell try to be this Machiavellian figure over such a small, petty bit of trivia is enthralling, and watching Wiebe push his family to their limit is equalling compelling.
Plus, you get to see these guys really kick ass at Donkey Kong, which is pretty cool. All in all this movie was balls out awesome.
-- final thought-- I couldn't believe that there wasn't some Japanese dude that could crush these 45 year old nerds. Maybe that's racist, but I suspect they simply don't keep track of these things in Japan.
Scores:
How do you score a documentary? Overall, 8/10 in comparison to other documentaries.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express is aimed almost exactly at me.
An action comedy with blood and gore more like 48 Hours than The 40 Year Old Virgin, Pineapple Express is an unabashed love letter to marijuana. I mean, explosions, a sexy girl, and tons of weed? I'm there.
So why didn't I like it that much?
The film delivers what it promises. Rogan and Franco play very funny, but also honest, stoner characters, and their relationship with pot is more complicated and truthful then a movie like "half-baked" or "how high", where the relationship is much more black and white. They delve into all levels of "dealer awkwardness" and "friend vs smoking buddy awkwardness". Rogan acknowledges the effects pot has on his life, but doesn't feel the need to change. I enjoyed Franco's brief vignette selling pot to the guys he hates. It's nice to see a movie that accepts the reality of the world of stoners. And they get extra points because usually, in these movies, when they cough or blow out smoke, there's no actual smoke. These guys smoke pot like pros, which gives them more opportunity for insider pot jokes. And for the stoners amongst us, those are a lot of fun, and paint a fairly believable backdrop for the film.
This honesty serves the action element of the film well, because the seeming normality of their stoner exploits provides a contrast with the insane, over-the-top action sequences. It doesn't quite work-- it's still a little much to believe that these goof-offs can handle AK-47's like pros, but the acting in these sequences is goofy enough that it's not too much of a distraction. It was kind of refreshing to see some well-executed but not-complicated fight scenes, where the acting, not the choreography, is on display. And they don't shy away from blood and violence, which gives the second half of the movie in particular a flavor that other Apatow joints don't/can't match.
James Franco merits complimenting here somewhere. He plays Rogan's super-stoner dealer, and walks a fine line between smoked-himself-retarded and dim-but-really-sweet-guy-who-just-wants-friends. It's a part that easily could have been way overdone, but Franco balances it nicely-- and is gut-bustingly funny.
So, I'm pretty much sold on the movies overall construction. But the real meat of this kind of movie-- the jokes-- is a little lean. Watching dudes get stoned and try to have conversations is admittedly pretty entertaining (note to movie-goers: get stoned before seeing this, or don't go), but it gets kind of old quick, and the rest of the movie isn't quite funny enough to keep you laughing throughout.
I've always given Apatow et al., a lot of leeway as far as the criticism that their movies all sound kind of similar. But, unfortunately, a lot of this territory has been covered in 40 Year Old Virgin (where Rogan plays a Stoner), Knocked Up (where Rogan plays a Stoner) and Superbad (where Rogan plays a dumb cop who drinks too much). I'm not getting down on Rogan-- I think he's extremely funny, and look forward to his next movie. But... this just feels like he took some of his favorite stoner elements that snuck into other movies, and brought them back. They're done bigger and better here, but you can't help feel that it's a little old hat.
There are some hilarious moments-- Rogan's last conversation with his girlfriend is a really great gag, especially in the way that it tosses aside some convention. The car chase scene is the first chase scene i've really enjoyed in a while. And Franco's gross hair is just perfect.
There's a lot of funny things that go right in this movie, but ultimately, it's just another notch in Apatow and Rogan's belts. Wait for the rental-- that way you can smoke WHILE you watch it, which is clearly how it was meant to be seen.
SCORES
Rogan 7/10 (not much new here, but it's still pretty funny)
Franco 8/10 (fun to see him play so against type)
Writing 6.5/10
Directing 7.5/10
Weed 4/20 (LOL GET IT?!?!!!)
Overall (not an average)- 6.5/10
An action comedy with blood and gore more like 48 Hours than The 40 Year Old Virgin, Pineapple Express is an unabashed love letter to marijuana. I mean, explosions, a sexy girl, and tons of weed? I'm there.
So why didn't I like it that much?
The film delivers what it promises. Rogan and Franco play very funny, but also honest, stoner characters, and their relationship with pot is more complicated and truthful then a movie like "half-baked" or "how high", where the relationship is much more black and white. They delve into all levels of "dealer awkwardness" and "friend vs smoking buddy awkwardness". Rogan acknowledges the effects pot has on his life, but doesn't feel the need to change. I enjoyed Franco's brief vignette selling pot to the guys he hates. It's nice to see a movie that accepts the reality of the world of stoners. And they get extra points because usually, in these movies, when they cough or blow out smoke, there's no actual smoke. These guys smoke pot like pros, which gives them more opportunity for insider pot jokes. And for the stoners amongst us, those are a lot of fun, and paint a fairly believable backdrop for the film.
This honesty serves the action element of the film well, because the seeming normality of their stoner exploits provides a contrast with the insane, over-the-top action sequences. It doesn't quite work-- it's still a little much to believe that these goof-offs can handle AK-47's like pros, but the acting in these sequences is goofy enough that it's not too much of a distraction. It was kind of refreshing to see some well-executed but not-complicated fight scenes, where the acting, not the choreography, is on display. And they don't shy away from blood and violence, which gives the second half of the movie in particular a flavor that other Apatow joints don't/can't match.
James Franco merits complimenting here somewhere. He plays Rogan's super-stoner dealer, and walks a fine line between smoked-himself-retarded and dim-but-really-sweet-guy-who-just-wants-friends. It's a part that easily could have been way overdone, but Franco balances it nicely-- and is gut-bustingly funny.
So, I'm pretty much sold on the movies overall construction. But the real meat of this kind of movie-- the jokes-- is a little lean. Watching dudes get stoned and try to have conversations is admittedly pretty entertaining (note to movie-goers: get stoned before seeing this, or don't go), but it gets kind of old quick, and the rest of the movie isn't quite funny enough to keep you laughing throughout.
I've always given Apatow et al., a lot of leeway as far as the criticism that their movies all sound kind of similar. But, unfortunately, a lot of this territory has been covered in 40 Year Old Virgin (where Rogan plays a Stoner), Knocked Up (where Rogan plays a Stoner) and Superbad (where Rogan plays a dumb cop who drinks too much). I'm not getting down on Rogan-- I think he's extremely funny, and look forward to his next movie. But... this just feels like he took some of his favorite stoner elements that snuck into other movies, and brought them back. They're done bigger and better here, but you can't help feel that it's a little old hat.
There are some hilarious moments-- Rogan's last conversation with his girlfriend is a really great gag, especially in the way that it tosses aside some convention. The car chase scene is the first chase scene i've really enjoyed in a while. And Franco's gross hair is just perfect.
There's a lot of funny things that go right in this movie, but ultimately, it's just another notch in Apatow and Rogan's belts. Wait for the rental-- that way you can smoke WHILE you watch it, which is clearly how it was meant to be seen.
SCORES
Rogan 7/10 (not much new here, but it's still pretty funny)
Franco 8/10 (fun to see him play so against type)
Writing 6.5/10
Directing 7.5/10
Weed 4/20 (LOL GET IT?!?!!!)
Overall (not an average)- 6.5/10
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Wanted
The guy who sat next to me at my screening of "Wanted" (no, we didn't go together; apparently in the summer in new york, movies are always sold out, even a month after they come out) is the kind of moviegoer I usually hate-- every time there was an "oooh" or "ahhh" moment, he would literally ohh and ahh (peppered with the occasional "Oh, shit!"). Well, by the time James McAvoy is shooting other bullets out of the air, this guy was unable muster any more amazement. "Wanted" had beaten him.
That's what's fantastic about the movie-- it's a summer blockbuster in the turest sense of the genre; explosions, sex, glitz, glamour, and guns. In a summer where it's competition (Iron Man, Dark Knight) is keeping it clean enough to earn a PG-13, Wanted goes balls-to-the-walls the whole time, giving us a litany of curse words and a glorious shot of Angelina Jolie's supple, well, butt, on it's way to an unabashed R rating. Good. Let the blood flow, I'm not eight years old. Let's fuck some shit up.
It's ironic that the movie is the American Debut for Russian director Timur Bekmanbetov (say that three times fast), because the movie is the epitome of the loud expensive hollywood blackbuster, a truly American art form if there ever was one. The screenplay is clearly written by a couple of fellows familiar with their Syd Field, as it plays by all the rules for hollywood screenplays. It doesn't try to reinvent the genre, instead happy to work within it, hitting all of the required cliches with such a lack of shame that we in the audience are able to simply enjoy what is essentially a nothing-new-under-the-sun journey.
Simply put, it kicks fucking ass, doesn't apologize for it, and has just enough tounge-in-cheek that you feel like the movie was as much a guilty pleasure for the filmmakers as it certainly is in the audience.
James McAvoy is great at playing a nobody who gets to live out a fantasy that is decidedly delicious; the world's best assassins are going to train him to be an assassin. Awesome. It's like Harry Potter for alcoholics. McAvoy squeezes a ton out of this role, managing to pull off the neurotic "before" stage, the giddy "during" stage, and the serious "after" stage of his training. He speaks to the audience in voiceover that unabashadly shatters the fourth wall, but it's sucessfull because it cues the audience in, saying "yes, we know, it's all over the top. That's the point. Come on, it's fun!"
Angelina Jolie is, if possible, even sexier than usual. Maybe it's something about a woman with a gun, or maybe it's that big chase scene where McAvoy is clearly looking up her skirt as she leans out over the hood of the car, steering with her high heels and shooting with her antique pistols. Whatever it is, she carries an air of coy superiority that absolutely works here.
The story isn't as bad as you'd expect, either. There's a legitamite twist at the end of the second act that I didn't see coming (though that could be because I was drinking jack and coke the whole time-- definitely the kind of movie you want a few drinks for), and a couple of nice little vignettes right at the end that keep you on your toes enough that you can simply enjoy all the cool shit blowing up.
Speaking of the cool shit blowing up, I feel compelled to say that the action sequences in this movie are totally unparalleled. The Dark Knight should be taking notes, as every set piece (and oh, there are several) in this romp is perfectly executed-- you always know where everybody is, what they're shooting at, why shit is blowing up all over the place. Add to that some of the sharpest CGI effects I've ever seen, and you've got fight scenes that pop off the screen like a comic book. There's a stroke of scriptwriting genius that allows this. The number one problem with movies where people chase each other with guns is that either people have to be bad shots and miss each other a ton, or the scene will be over in a few shots. By giving the characters this supernatural control over their bullets, the fights take on a precision unparalleled in movie gunfights.
Basically, this movie is everything a summer blockbuster should be. Fun, funny, sexy, thrilling, loud and fast. Maybe the films "morals" leave something to be desired, and don't expect to see much character development, save a little from McAvoy, but hey, if you want to see some fucking badass shit, this movie is for you. Totally worth the $12 to see it on the big screen, too.
(Final Note: If you have ever lived in or are familiar with Chicago, you're in for a treat. This movie makes use of the cityscape in a way that the Dark Knight simply didn't even try too. The scenes on top of the L train are awesome.)
SCORES:
James McAvoy: 8/10
Angelina Jolie: WillYouMarryMe?/10
Writing: 7/10
Directing: 8/10
Effects: 11/10
OVERALL (not an average): 9/10. (I can't give it a 10, I'd reserve that for something a little more 'important', but I'd say that's just a limitation of the genre. There's very little to quibble about here.)
That's what's fantastic about the movie-- it's a summer blockbuster in the turest sense of the genre; explosions, sex, glitz, glamour, and guns. In a summer where it's competition (Iron Man, Dark Knight) is keeping it clean enough to earn a PG-13, Wanted goes balls-to-the-walls the whole time, giving us a litany of curse words and a glorious shot of Angelina Jolie's supple, well, butt, on it's way to an unabashed R rating. Good. Let the blood flow, I'm not eight years old. Let's fuck some shit up.
It's ironic that the movie is the American Debut for Russian director Timur Bekmanbetov (say that three times fast), because the movie is the epitome of the loud expensive hollywood blackbuster, a truly American art form if there ever was one. The screenplay is clearly written by a couple of fellows familiar with their Syd Field, as it plays by all the rules for hollywood screenplays. It doesn't try to reinvent the genre, instead happy to work within it, hitting all of the required cliches with such a lack of shame that we in the audience are able to simply enjoy what is essentially a nothing-new-under-the-sun journey.
Simply put, it kicks fucking ass, doesn't apologize for it, and has just enough tounge-in-cheek that you feel like the movie was as much a guilty pleasure for the filmmakers as it certainly is in the audience.
James McAvoy is great at playing a nobody who gets to live out a fantasy that is decidedly delicious; the world's best assassins are going to train him to be an assassin. Awesome. It's like Harry Potter for alcoholics. McAvoy squeezes a ton out of this role, managing to pull off the neurotic "before" stage, the giddy "during" stage, and the serious "after" stage of his training. He speaks to the audience in voiceover that unabashadly shatters the fourth wall, but it's sucessfull because it cues the audience in, saying "yes, we know, it's all over the top. That's the point. Come on, it's fun!"
Angelina Jolie is, if possible, even sexier than usual. Maybe it's something about a woman with a gun, or maybe it's that big chase scene where McAvoy is clearly looking up her skirt as she leans out over the hood of the car, steering with her high heels and shooting with her antique pistols. Whatever it is, she carries an air of coy superiority that absolutely works here.
The story isn't as bad as you'd expect, either. There's a legitamite twist at the end of the second act that I didn't see coming (though that could be because I was drinking jack and coke the whole time-- definitely the kind of movie you want a few drinks for), and a couple of nice little vignettes right at the end that keep you on your toes enough that you can simply enjoy all the cool shit blowing up.
Speaking of the cool shit blowing up, I feel compelled to say that the action sequences in this movie are totally unparalleled. The Dark Knight should be taking notes, as every set piece (and oh, there are several) in this romp is perfectly executed-- you always know where everybody is, what they're shooting at, why shit is blowing up all over the place. Add to that some of the sharpest CGI effects I've ever seen, and you've got fight scenes that pop off the screen like a comic book. There's a stroke of scriptwriting genius that allows this. The number one problem with movies where people chase each other with guns is that either people have to be bad shots and miss each other a ton, or the scene will be over in a few shots. By giving the characters this supernatural control over their bullets, the fights take on a precision unparalleled in movie gunfights.
Basically, this movie is everything a summer blockbuster should be. Fun, funny, sexy, thrilling, loud and fast. Maybe the films "morals" leave something to be desired, and don't expect to see much character development, save a little from McAvoy, but hey, if you want to see some fucking badass shit, this movie is for you. Totally worth the $12 to see it on the big screen, too.
(Final Note: If you have ever lived in or are familiar with Chicago, you're in for a treat. This movie makes use of the cityscape in a way that the Dark Knight simply didn't even try too. The scenes on top of the L train are awesome.)
SCORES:
James McAvoy: 8/10
Angelina Jolie: WillYouMarryMe?/10
Writing: 7/10
Directing: 8/10
Effects: 11/10
OVERALL (not an average): 9/10. (I can't give it a 10, I'd reserve that for something a little more 'important', but I'd say that's just a limitation of the genre. There's very little to quibble about here.)
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