All titles link to trailers, and there are a few other surprises here (see if you can find the link with Carol Burnett and Roddy McDowell in his ape makeup singing a duet!)
In my last post, I revealed my picks for favorite movies and stinkers from all the movies I saw in August 2013, which were Les Misérables and Now You See Me as the best, and Law Abiding Citizen and Kick-Ass as the worst (see the post linked here.)
Here are a few of my thoughts about all the other movies:
In my last post, I revealed my picks for favorite movies and stinkers from all the movies I saw in August 2013, which were Les Misérables and Now You See Me as the best, and Law Abiding Citizen and Kick-Ass as the worst (see the post linked here.)
Here are a few of my thoughts about all the other movies:
Just say
“No!” This first of all the James Bond
movies is now quite dated. You should
see these old cars, phones, and huge reel-to-reel computers. Back in the day, it was probably the height
of modern technology, but now, it all looks practically stone-age! Still, Sean Connery filled out the role quite
well, and Ursula Andress filled out that bathing suit quite well, to set the
tone for all the various Bonds and Bond women to come!
Hailed as one of
the best modern James Bond movies, I liked it because it was easier to follow
than most convoluted Bond plots and with some great twists and developments. This is Judi Dench's best appearance as M, and Adele's opening theme song is brilliant, deservedly winning the Oscar for best song!
I have an
admission: This Tina Fey/Paul Rudd
comedy was actually pretty good. Of
course, critics and audiences won’t like it because the characters are more
normal and it’s not filthy, but when people complain they don’t make movies
like they used to, or everything is too immoral, remind them about movies like Admission!
Based on a true story about about teacher Erin Gruwell and the real "Freedom Writers", this film joins a long
list of illustrious movies about teachers reaching hopeless inner city kids. I like the way this movie deals with race, and how Hilary Swank tries to help these kids rise about their situations, even at the cost of her own marriage but on the other hand, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the made-for-TV movies The Ron Clark Story or Frontof the Class.
Other than the
original, the Planet of the Apes movies have actually had a troubled existence,
including half the sequels, the all-but-forgotten TV series, and Tim Burton’s
unfortunate remake. What a treat, then,
that this very loose retelling of Conquestof the Planet of the Apes is such a welcome edition to the legacy! This is arguably the best one to come along
since the original, and Andy Serkis was brilliant as Caesar, utilizing the latest motion capture technology.
And this is the
obvious exception to the above argument!
This is hands down the best of all the sequels even more so than Conquest (Beneath and Battle were
definitely the worst). This one finds
the ape couple Cornelius and Zira from the first movie traveling back into the
past and becoming celebrities in 1973 America.
Yet when Zira reveals they are from Earth’s future, where apes are smart
and humans are dumb, and an ape war will destroy the earth, and then reveals
she is pregnant, the two apes become fugitives, hunted by the government! At times corny and dated, charming, funny, or
downright tragic, it’s still an enjoyable time travel/fish out of water romp from beginning to end.
A cute movie
with some great visuals and a good story, about an ordinary but likable boy who
discovers the ancient Roman gods are real, and he is the son of Poseidon, god
of the sea. Discovering his powers over the
waters of the earth, he must elude all manner of gods and beasts, who think he
has stolen Zeus’ lighting bolt.
I gave one of
these Hallmark movies a chance, mostly because I hadn’t seen AndrewMcCarthy since his heyday with the Brat Pack in movies like St. Elmo’s Fire and Pretty in Pink. This was a
cute but ultimately forgettable little charmer about a city woman finding love
with a grieving, emotionally distant rancher.
A good, but not great, romance.
The third time
is not a charm for this tired old concept, and this is missing some of the
inspired scares and astute social commentary about pop culture, especially
horror films, of its two predecessors. Dealing specifically with trilogies, it’s not even in the same league as the first two.
From the pre-title murder of Cotton Weary to the big, final reveal, this
is the first time this formula feels like the inferior movies it comments on.
A surprise,
especially after the disappointing third act, and taking place so many years
later, this is still not as good as the first two, but a much improved, valiant
effort over the last one. Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox join an all new cast.
Silly fun in the
same vein as the High School Musicals, this Disney channel movie is reminiscent
of many other films, but was still enjoyable in its own right. The whole thing was nothing but fun.
My mom and sister just
loved this, and Mom couldn’t wait to share it with us. I liked it, but perhaps not quite so much as
she did, and it’s not quite as good as Chocolat, another movie they saw first and highly recommended. Still, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence
are both quite captivating as two psychologically disturbed and outspoken
people finding each other, on and off the dance floor.
You watch a lot of movies. And a lot I wouldn't watch for free at 3am when I can't sleep and there's nothing else on.
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