by Ethan Johnson
July 6, 2001
Angela's visit has prompted more trips to the theatre as well as the video store:
Cats & Dogs: Here's the deal:
The grown-up in me said, in order, "ooooh, cool idea!" "Heh, funny." "Heh, lemme check my watch." "Ah, finally!"
The 6 year-old in me said, in order, "ooooh, cool idea!" "Wah hah hah, funny!" "Lemme check my watch cuz I'm afraid that this movie will end too soon." "Aw, man! When's part 2 coming out?"
So, continuing my policy of not taking specifics about the movie scene-wise, but rather the overall taste in my mouth as I left the theatre (it was that of extreme saltiness. Bad popcorn at the AMC Googolplex. Baaaad!), I'd have to say that if you're old enough to drive and/or vote, and your curfew is something later than say, 5pm, this will rate a couple laughs (especially if you're a dog owner), but otherwise you're going to wonder how an hour and 30 minutes can seem like an eternity and not involve higher maths.
But, if you're still trying to convince your parents or legal guardian that you really don't have all the Pokemon™ toys, and that yes, you really must have them, then you're going to wonder where the time went and come home totally convinced that your dog or cat really can speak fluent English and can't wait to tell you that it's time to go walkies.
Worth the trip? We're big believers in matinees, thank you very much. This isn't on the Christmas or Birthday lists however. It got its once.
Shrek: Well, we finally took the plunge and took Angela to the Movie Grill for a movie that I assumed (quite rightly) would fare well in a place that involves food and an ever-present wait staff. Light and fluffy, not requiring oodles of concentration, and certainly not rich with sub-plots.
As advertised, it's chock full of pop culture references, however the schtick can be quite clever and come out of left field. My only beef is Mike Myers' Scottish accent routine. It's tired, man! At least good old Eddie Murphy pretty much did his usual, which is all we ever ask for. I can see why this is the family favorite thus far this summer, and why Cats & Dogs didn't exactly steal any thunder.
Once Mar got all mushy-gushy at the end, I knew: We are sooo owning this. Rita was right in her assumption that Mar would enjoy it as much as she did.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Word to the Academy: Huh?
We continually threatened to turn off the DVD and put in something else. We sooo did not feel the love for this film whatsoever. If we were on the bandwagon in the slightest, we are now left with the sensation of being thrown from the moving vehicle after being roughed up by the mob.
What really killed it for us was the gratuitous stunt harness nonsense. A little goes a long way (like in, oh I dunno, The Matrix), but in this case, more is not just, well, more, but completely shot any sense of credulity that this movie hoped to convey. Plot-wise, the movie was a bomb. Hell, Armageddon was more plausible and it didn't remotely try to pass itself off as "high art" (it sucked too).
Yes, the cinematography was stunning. Next.
The Contender: Wow. Where was this movie hiding? We kept passing it over knowing very little, if anything, about it, and finally one day Mar decided to give it a go. Wow.
Joan Allen is amazing, Jeff Bridges is great, and I agree with Mar when she says that every woman needs to see this movie. Sure makes me tolerate Bush even less, knowing that he'll never be half the President that even a FAKE one is made out to be in this movie. Wow.
Marlena is writing an article about the movie so I'll be very scarce with details other than to say, go rent this!
We are sooo owning this.
Unbreakable: Shyamalan, doo doo, do doo doo (Muppet Show reference).
Good, not great, but good. Worth the time. M. Night Sha-Na-Na seems to have a running theme (besides the obvious, "let's set this in Philly" one), however I'm still trying to narrow down exactly what it is in 2 words or less. Cosmic justice? Redemption? Creepy stuff? Film with Bruce Willis and a kid with a salad-bowl haircut? You decide.
Slow yet interesting. Intriguing yet tinted blue. What, did M Night borrow the camera they used to film Traffic? Worth the rent, but I doubt we'll plunk down the cash for the DVD unless it's really compellingly priced (like one of those Columbia House deals). <EM>
