A few more reviews, five sentences each. GO TIME.
UP
Great opening sequence, if a tad manipulative. That little kid is so fucking annoying. And the characters aren't as well-drawn as in previous Pixar movies (cry me a river, Russell; bitching ain't an arc). Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer (especially) do fantastic voice work, though. Lord, that first moment with the balloons is amazing.
LAND OF THE LOST
Not terrible. Some jokes fall flat, and this is mostly due to the filmmakers' desire to "appeal" to a more "adult" crowd with crass humor. But when it plays it straight, God is it fun. Out of the leads, Danny McBride is the most charismatic (which is whoa). Michael Giacchino's score is tops.
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
FREEKING AWESOME! Denzel Washington, James Gandolfini, John Travolta, John Turturro, etc., are all amazing! Edge of your seat excitement 100 percent! I got jumpy and nervous and sweaty, it was so immersive! Def buy it on DVD!
RUDO Y CURDSI
Nice little drama about soccer effecting the lives of the titular brothers. Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna are as engaging as always, but it is Guillermo Francella, as their manager, who really steals the show. Great use of Cheap Trick. Carlos Cuaron proves that talent runs in the family. And those costumes!
SUNSHINE CLEANING
It's interesting when a movie pulls punches and still tries too hard, but that's what this movie does. Alan Arkin is in full Little Miss Sunshine mode, while Emily Blunt tries her darndest with a sketchily-written character. Hollmann Award Winner Amy Adams is totally NOT Amy Adams, and also does her best with a role that doesn't give much. But she rocks it anyhow. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this ultimately dull attempt at dramedy.
Showing posts with label Michael Giacchino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Giacchino. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Monday, May 12, 2008
Go, Speed Racer, Go!
In looking at the box office tallies for this past Mother's Day weekend, I've noticed something unsettling: Speed Racer is only #2. And while I'm a big fan of the #1 Iron Man, I can't help but be shocked and appalled at the lack of Speed love. True, #2 is not a shabby place to be, but good Heavens. Speed Racer, people.
I was a huge fan of the television series growing up. I had a few issues of the comic book series from the late 80s/early 90s. I knew everyone's name and relationship to Speed before checking out IMDb, and that is no small feat --even for my favorite superhero, Batman, I had to research Lucius Fox.
Naturally, I was excited to finally see it come to life, and on the IMAX, no less! But I had been hearing pretty tepid things about it, so I was worried. Did it fail to capture the show? Was more time spent on the visuals than on the story or characterization? Were the performances or, even worse, the screenplay, insincere?
No suspense here, folks: a big fat NO to all of that.
The Wachowskis found the heart and soul of the original series, recreating it tenfold for the motion picture. Yes, racing and cars and fantastic chase scenes and the Mach 5 and all that. But they nailed the true essence of the series: family. The bond between family members, both blood-related and pseudo-adopted (Sparky), is the driving force behind the storyline. Hell, that's why the Racer X/Rex Racer plot was such an important part of the series.
Speaking of which, let's get it out of the way now: Matthew Fox rocks. There could not have been a better choice for the role of Racer X. Fox is bad-ass, rattling off lines in a clipped, bad-ass tone, driving bad-assedly in a bad-ass car. This is the Racer X I remember, if just a tad more sentimental. And it works. I found myself tearing up in one of his last big scenes.
I found myself tearing up a lot in this movie, actually. It's sincere, is the thing. Susan Sarandon is the mom you always wanted your friends to have (because if she was your actual Mother, you'd go to hell for those thoughts). John Goodman's Pops is the quintessential dad. He loves his wife, protects his kids, and destroys would-be assassins with his fists of glory. At one point, Speed recounts a bonding moment with his father, and it's fantastic. The father-son relationship is perfectly nailed.
Emile Hirsch was good, too. He was. In both the script and the performance, there's no trying to make Speed out to be more than he is. He's not smart and he's a little naive. But he's also a damn good racer and a great guy. I'll say this: he's awfully quiet. I believe he even has fewer lines than Korean pop star Rain (who's great in this). But it's fine, because Speed doesn't talk, he drives. Excellent, brilliant, here's your Oscar.
Okay, maybe not for acting. Though let me just say again, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman. Campaign, please. If anything has a chance, of course, it's going to be the Visual Effects Orgasm of the Future. Trying to make a live action, is it possible? From the looks of this movie, I'd say yes, yes, yes! It's beautiful and wonderful, like cotton candy or Skittles. What a wonder! And the costumes! My esteemed editor wanted Trixie's wardrobe; I wanted Racer X's, maybe Speed's, too. And sure, Sparky looks like a dancer at a gay club for most of the film, but what's wrong with that? It's awesome.
Michael Giacchino's score, by the way. He really is shaping up to be one of the greatest composers of this generation. As if Ratatouille, Lost, and the thirteen minutes at the end of Cloverfield weren't enough, he makes Speed Racer his own, while also remembering to pay tribute to the original. How many times did I get goosebumps as I heard the faint traces of "Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer..."? Incredible!
Don't let this happen again, people. Make Speed Racer you're next assignment. Go out to the nearest cineplex and buy a ticket. Regular theatre, IMAX, it matters not. Speed Racer is a grade-A class act.
I was a huge fan of the television series growing up. I had a few issues of the comic book series from the late 80s/early 90s. I knew everyone's name and relationship to Speed before checking out IMDb, and that is no small feat --even for my favorite superhero, Batman, I had to research Lucius Fox.
Naturally, I was excited to finally see it come to life, and on the IMAX, no less! But I had been hearing pretty tepid things about it, so I was worried. Did it fail to capture the show? Was more time spent on the visuals than on the story or characterization? Were the performances or, even worse, the screenplay, insincere?
No suspense here, folks: a big fat NO to all of that.
The Wachowskis found the heart and soul of the original series, recreating it tenfold for the motion picture. Yes, racing and cars and fantastic chase scenes and the Mach 5 and all that. But they nailed the true essence of the series: family. The bond between family members, both blood-related and pseudo-adopted (Sparky), is the driving force behind the storyline. Hell, that's why the Racer X/Rex Racer plot was such an important part of the series.
Speaking of which, let's get it out of the way now: Matthew Fox rocks. There could not have been a better choice for the role of Racer X. Fox is bad-ass, rattling off lines in a clipped, bad-ass tone, driving bad-assedly in a bad-ass car. This is the Racer X I remember, if just a tad more sentimental. And it works. I found myself tearing up in one of his last big scenes.
I found myself tearing up a lot in this movie, actually. It's sincere, is the thing. Susan Sarandon is the mom you always wanted your friends to have (because if she was your actual Mother, you'd go to hell for those thoughts). John Goodman's Pops is the quintessential dad. He loves his wife, protects his kids, and destroys would-be assassins with his fists of glory. At one point, Speed recounts a bonding moment with his father, and it's fantastic. The father-son relationship is perfectly nailed.
Emile Hirsch was good, too. He was. In both the script and the performance, there's no trying to make Speed out to be more than he is. He's not smart and he's a little naive. But he's also a damn good racer and a great guy. I'll say this: he's awfully quiet. I believe he even has fewer lines than Korean pop star Rain (who's great in this). But it's fine, because Speed doesn't talk, he drives. Excellent, brilliant, here's your Oscar.
Okay, maybe not for acting. Though let me just say again, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman. Campaign, please. If anything has a chance, of course, it's going to be the Visual Effects Orgasm of the Future. Trying to make a live action, is it possible? From the looks of this movie, I'd say yes, yes, yes! It's beautiful and wonderful, like cotton candy or Skittles. What a wonder! And the costumes! My esteemed editor wanted Trixie's wardrobe; I wanted Racer X's, maybe Speed's, too. And sure, Sparky looks like a dancer at a gay club for most of the film, but what's wrong with that? It's awesome.
Michael Giacchino's score, by the way. He really is shaping up to be one of the greatest composers of this generation. As if Ratatouille, Lost, and the thirteen minutes at the end of Cloverfield weren't enough, he makes Speed Racer his own, while also remembering to pay tribute to the original. How many times did I get goosebumps as I heard the faint traces of "Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer..."? Incredible!
Don't let this happen again, people. Make Speed Racer you're next assignment. Go out to the nearest cineplex and buy a ticket. Regular theatre, IMAX, it matters not. Speed Racer is a grade-A class act.
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