I have come to the realization that there just isn't enough time in the week to write a full review of every movie I see. However, that's no reason for you to miss out on the fun. Enter Screen Shots!, a quick dose of what's new to DVD and if you should be watching it.
RATED: R (for violence and adult situations)
GENRE: Drama/Romance/Foreign
LANGUAGES: English/Hindi
STARS: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal
NOTABLE CREW: Director - Danny Boyle (Millions, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting), Screenwriter - Simon Beaufoy, Based on a novel by - Vikas Swarup, Cinematographer - Anthony Dod Mantle, Editor - Chris Dickens
SUMMARY: Jamal, a young man from the slums of India, goes farther than anyone has before on the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" in the hopes of reuniting with his true love, Latika. How does he do it? Scenes from his life illustrate his profound destiny.
WHAT I REALLY THINK: Go. Rent it. Now.
COOL FACTOIDS: Academy Award Winner for Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ("Jai Ho"), Best Sound, Best Picture, Best Screenplay. Academy Award Nominated for Best Sound Editing, Best Song ("O Saya")
THE GOD FACTOR: Though the dominate religion of the characters is Muslim, the themes are universal. Hope, forgiveness, and love are stronger than violence.
WHO SHOULD WATCH IT: You should. (If you're an adult, that is. Not for the kiddies.) Harrowing drama combines beautifully with uplifting fantasy.
NICELY DONE AWARD: Composer A.R. Rahman! The soundtrack... amazing! Totally deserved the academy awards it got. Nicely done, A.R.!
TITLE: James Bond in Quantum of Solace
RATED: PG-13
GENRE: Action/Adventure/Espionage
STARS: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric
NOTABLE CREW: Director - Marc Foster, Cinematographer - Roberto Schaefer, Editors - Matt Chesse & Richard Pearson
SUMMARY: Picking up directly where Casino Royale left off, Quantum follows spy extraordinaire James Bond as he woos women and uncovers the existence of a corrupt and powerful organization.
WHAT I REALLY THINK: Twice the action, but not nearly as clever as its franchise reinventing predecessor. Oh yeah, and worst... title... ever.
COOL FACTOIDS: Look for many homages to previous Bond flicks. (Hint: The Goldfinger homage is REALLY obvious.)
THE GOD FACTOR: um.... a lot of people are sent to meet their maker...
WHO SHOULD WATCH IT: Action junkies and Bond enthusiasts.
NICELY DONE AWARD: Stunt coordinator, Gary Powell! It's not a Bond flick without being packed full of ridiculous stunts. This one doesn't disappoint. Nicely done, Gary!
TITLE: Bolt
RATED: PG (for, I'm not kidding, "mild action and peril")
GENRE: Family/Animation/Comedy/Adventure
STARS: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell
NOTABLE CREW: Directors - Byron Howard, Chris Williams Screenwriters - Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams
SUMMARY: Bolt, a Hollywood dog who thinks he has superpowers, gets separated from his 'person' Penny. He treks across the country with new friends, a cynical cat and an over-enthusiastic hamster, to win her back.
WHAT I REALLY THINK: Cute but unimpressive. It gets lost in the back log of all the cute, computer-animated family films that have come out recently.
COOL FACTOIDS: This is the first Disney film produced under the new chief creative officer John Lasseter.
THE GOD FACTOR: Unconditional love comes in all shapes and sizes. What's truly important in life is not fame or power, but it's being with those you love.
WHO SHOULD WATCH IT: Kids. Families. Anyone with time to kill on a Saturday afternoon.
NICELY DONE AWARD: Rhino the hamster! (and the crew and cast that created him) Sorry Bolt, that funny little hamster completely steals the show. All good things come from life, and Rhino was based on John Lasseter's pet chinchilla and his plastic ball. Nicely done, Rhino!
TITLE: Bedtime Stories
RATED: PG
GENRE: Family/Comedy/Fantasy
STARS: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Courtney Cox, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Laura Ann Kesling
NOTABLE CREW: Director - Adam Shankman, Screenwriters - Matt Lopez & Tim Herlihy
SUMMARY: As the bedtime stories Skeeter tells to his niece and nephew start to come true, his life turns into magical comic mayhem. Can he get the girl, keep his job, and save the day? I think so.
WHAT I REALLY THINK: It's like eating too much cotton candy. Sweet at first, but after a while your teeth hurt, and you crave more grown-up food.
COOL FACTOIDS: The bulldog in the movie is Adam Sandler's actual pooch: Meatball.
THE GOD FACTOR: It just takes a little faith and determination to accomplish your dreams.
WHO SHOULD WATCH IT: Safe for anyone. Kids and young teens will like it the most. Some adults might start tuning out upon the entrance of the Nickelodeon-worthy animated booger monster.
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I like the "shot glass" approach. Of course I like the full reviews also. How will you decide which ones to give the full review to?
ReplyDeleteI will pick the one I think I can say the most about. Next full review: The Day the Earth Stood Still. Why? Because I'm a fan of the original and the new one is just asking for a beat down.
ReplyDeleteThis week, I also plan to start an "Oldies But Goodies" section. The first will be a commentary on cult animation legend Don Bluth and his works.
ReplyDelete