Short Takes

TAKEN
Love the Neeson, forgot the movie. Like, distinct memories of him rocking it, but otherwise the film is hazy, like a dream. Glad to see an action movie where I can see what's going on.

THE PROPOSAL
Good chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Un(der)developed subplots include father-son tension and daffy Betty White, who should never be the worst part of a movie. Cute at times, other times face-slappingly awful. That Bullock and director Anne Fletcher allowed the line "Show her who's boss" at the end is cringe-inducing. Can we let filmmakers know that seeing old ladies shaking it to a "recent" hip-hop song is no longer funny?

ANTICHRIST
Intriguing look at the nature of evil (and by nature, I mean gender, which is female). Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg give fine performances in a beautifully shot horror film. But what I have seen can never be unseen, and that upsets me. I'm glad I saw it, but I can't exactly say I liked it.

STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI
A different breed of awful. Hilarious, but not midnight-worthy. I'm glad they went with this to inspire everyone: "Sometimes you have to stand, even when it isn't easy to stand." Chris Klein wishes he was as cool as Christian Slater was in Alone in the Dark. More a series of scenes than a movie, but goddamn the scene where Chun-Li uses her mad dance skillz to seduce the villain's female assistant is rockin' the LOLZ.