Sixteen Candles (1984)

So I loved Breakfast Club. I loved Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This is certainly my least favorite of the three Hughes movies I've seen, although I can't quite put my finger on why. Characterization, probably. It always seems to come down to characters for me. I didn't really like any of the characters in here, nor did I sympathize with them, and everything was just a bit too over the top and weird for me. (While the same was true of Ferris Bueller, I actually liked the characters there.) It wasn't a horribly bad movie in the genre or anything, just... not at all the best. 3 stars.

Medium Cool (1969)

This was, no doubt, an important movie. This is, no doubt, a relevant movie. But this wasn't a movie I actually enjoyed until the very end. The last ten minutes made the first hour and fifty worth it all. Such a very powerful image to finish on. The rest of the movie, however, felt disjointed and vague, like it wasn't sure what it was talking about or where it was going. It had so many points to make that none of them seemed to stand out until the very end. 3 stars.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

I had interesting reactions to the first two X-Men movies that I'll briefly recap here. X-Men had a brilliant opening and closing scene, but everything in between was chaotic and confusing. X2 was much more coherent and easier to make sense of, but no really interesting moments (aside from having two musical theater people in it, but whatever).

This one falls somewhere in the middle. It's much cheesier and campier than the first two, falling into a few moments that made me giggle a little bit because even though they made sense in the movie, you can't really hear those lines and take them seriously. Overall, though, the action was kind of interesting (as much as I'm ever going to be interested in an action flick), and it definitely had that "let's work together as a team" effect that I always liked about the original comics. Overall, not a bad flick. Not sure I can compare it to the first two since I enjoyed it more than the first but less than the second, but in different ways. Ah, well. Too confusing to sort out now. 3.5 stars.

Also, some rants, briefly... *SPOILERS AHEAD* What the heck was with them killing off half of the X-Men? Did they just really, really want to finish the series? How many times is Jean going to come back and sacrifice herself (X2) or ask someone else to sacrifice her (this one)? *END OF SPOILERS*

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

This movie has been getting both rave reviews and disgusted thumbs down, and it deserves neither. It's certainly not the treasure of a movie that the first one was, but neither is it the tragesty that some are claiming. While the first had a delightful charisma to it that set it apart from the typical action flick, this had very little of that. A few of the jokes were beaten into our heads (the rum bit was funny in the first movie, ridiculous in this) and there was so much action going on that the characters were reduced to mere stereotypes. HOWEVER. Fans of the action genre will still enjoy it. It's got its good moments. Its main difficulty is that it will continue to be compared to its brilliant predecessor. 3.5 stars.

Over the Hedge (2006)

This is not a wonderful movie, but it's a fairly decent one, and at very few poitns during the movie did I go, "Oh, PLEASE," which is pretty high praise for a modern cartoon. It doesn't have the spark or charm of DreamWorks' best movie (Shrek) but nor is it as annoying as some of its others (*cough*Shark Tale*cough*). In fact, thinking back on it, it's tricky to think of anything that was truly wrong with it, except that I didn't actually connect. Let me also say that I really loved the fact that Verne was allowed to remain cautious and paranoid and tentative and still be a good, perhaps a better, leader, than his overconfident friend. That doesn't happen very often in movies. Definitely applause for that. 3.5 stars.

Match Point (2005)

Interesting flick. I've seen two other Woody Allen flicks and both made me interested in seeing another. About halfway through this one, I was very unsure about it. It moves incredibly, incredibly slowly, but it builds so carefully that by the end of the movie, the ending makes such perfect sense and fits in so nicely with everything else that's happened. The movie was definitely redeemed by that wonderful, wonderful ending that felt completely right because it *fit*. However, if you're not ready for a slow buildup... you may want to pass. 3.5 stars.

Lessons of Darkness (1992)

This movie was actually much more interesting than I thought it would be. It feels less like a documentary and more like just some sort of visual experiment. It's short and doesn't drag on at all. It's also a very powerful film, very beautifully done. The music in particular is really interesting, as it certainly lends a distinctive feel to the rest of the movie. Interesting premise dealt with in an interesting way. Certainly worth an hour of time just to sit down and watch. 3.5 stars.

A League of Their Own (1992)

Wow. Someone managed to make an interesting movie about baseball. This is not an easy feat, considering baseball is the most boring sport in the entire world. This movie managed to be a pretty interesting look at the game. Of course, 3/4 of it was about the players and not about the game (like most sports movies pretend to be - but, no, this REALLY was about the players). So this was quite a well-crafted movie. That being said, however, it never touched me emotionally. I think it's because sister relationship movies make me tense. A good movie, but I didn't actually connect to it. 3.5 stars.

It Had To Be You (2000)

Aside from being a slightly schizophrenic movie (WHAT exactly is this movie trying to tell us about love?), this wasn't at all a bad romantic comedy. The first half hour or so was overwhelming as it threw new characters and some incredibly odd dialogue our way, but then it seemed to level out and be a pretty solid ride the rest of the time. Certainly cheesy, even for a romantic comedy, and several moments that were just slightly too over-the-top for me. And - I don't think this is spoiling anything, because nobody is going to be surprised in the least when this happens - I'm a little confused as to the point when she dumps her fiance. They're together, and then, very suddenly, they're not. No explanations, nothing. Odd. But not at all a bad little movie. Pretty darn decent for having a low budget and going straight-to-video. And watch out for musical theater people - Faith Prince as a cynical wedding registry person, and half-MTP Emmy Rossum as a young girl on the verge of jumping off a building. 3.5 stars.

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Wow. What a fascinating movie. Each character was definitely an individual, and a very realistic one. I especially loved the relationship between the father and the oldest son. Really interesting. My only complaint is with the ending. I know that there's no way this story could actually be truly resolved, but I was hoping for maybe a bit more emotional resolution. But the entire rest of the movie was really interesting, a marvelous study of characters. 4 stars.

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

This movie was never high on my list to see, but then I ended up actually watching it, and was delightfully surprised. It turned out to be a very dryly funny comedy (I found out later it was Billy Wilder - that would explain it!). The character of the hero made me laugh as he began soliloquizing to himself and imagining himself as some sort of great lover. Just the perfect length as a movie, too. Wound down just as I was ready for it to. 4 stars.

Chinatown (1974)

Noir was never *exactly* my favorite genre. They're all fun but they're all exactly the same. And this is most definitely noir. Touch of Evil can't have really ended the noir cycle, not when this came along only six years later. It's a very well done film, though, as far as noir goes. Jack Nicholson does a fantastic job with his role, and although everything that happens is fairly predictable (at least from my end) it's quite interesting about getting there. I would go ahead and recommend this - about five times as much if you already like noir flicks. 3 stars.

Zorba the Greek (1964)

Uh. Meh. The movie started off promisingly, but then it soon became one of those "let's show a few random significant moments" movies. My main problem with this movie is that it just feel too rambling to me, too unconnected. And even the character of Zorba himself never really solidified, for me. As soon as I had a general idea of who he was, he would do something in contradiction of what he had said or done earlier. Perhaps he was intended to be this baffling, but I just sat there scratching my head. A movie I far from enjoyed, although it could possibly be good. 2 stars.

Scrooged (1988)

Hmph. This should have been much better than it was. As it was, it felt like one joke that was then stretched out to cover an entire movie, and not very well. The funny moments that were there were few and far between, and the movie was almost ruined by that horrid ending speech. Puh-lease. It was nearly as bad as the ending to Elf, another Christmas movie that decided to suddenly tack on a superstupid Christmas message in a terribly cheesy way. Except Elf had a far more interesting story all the way through. I like Bill Murray, and I like retellings of old stories, but this just didn't work for me. 2 stars.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Just rewatched this after having read all the books. I'm still not sure what everyone's complaints were. It was still incredibly close to the book, despite having some of the events switched around. It still kept the tone of the book, and it only ended as happily as most of the books did - Baudelaires onto a new home, Count Olaf on the loose. Sure, the books were better, but this movie was quite a good adaptation of the series, even if there was a moment here or there that was a little off. 4 stars.

*Original Review*

This movie is NOT for everyone. I've never read any of the books, but now I'm inspired to. When I was describing it to my father, he said it sounded a lot like Roald Dahl. And that really *is* what it feels like, except where Roald Dahl always creeped me out a little bit, this has enough over-the-top zaniness that it doesn't feel that dark anymore. I thought the over-the-topness was great fun and not nearly as stupid as I thought it was going to be. Also, the main guy (what's his name? Klaus?) is the little kid from Stepmom. He was awfully cute as a little kid and looks vaguely familiar as a teen. Hmm. I'll have to think further about that.

Shall We Dance? (1996)

I saw the American remake of this movie and was greatly disappointed - what looked like it was going to be heartfelt drama turned mostly into bland sentimentality. Not so with this flick. It's not only a fascinating look into Japanese culture, but an enchanting story as well, beautifully acted by everyone involved. If you have a choice between seeing the two, definitely see this one. 4 stars.

Network (1976)

Ooh. I did like this movie. I was actually expecting one of those critics' favorites that I don't usually like (I'm not deep enough or enough of a movie snob yet to appreciate them or something, heh) but this was a fascinating movie from beginning to end. Even if you didn't buy into the point it was making about media, I think it would still be a really good movie, and one definitely worth watching. Faye Dunaway's character was fascinating as we watched her evolve, only to realize at the end, she's been that way all along. I just didn't notice it most of the way. Good movie. 4 stars.

The Stepford Wives (2004)

This movie was terribly, terribly panned, but it didn't deserve it. It didn't succeed as a new version of the original, but as its own movie it was mostly entertainment and definitely watchable. My main complaint is the ending. It got sillier and sillier with each passing moment and didn't really work. *SPOILERS* Fine, bring all the women back from Stepfordization, but as least give a semiplausible reason why you're doing it. *END SPOILERS* Aside from that, though, a much more enjoyable movie than I anticipated. 3 stars.

Monster House (2006)

I read a review claiming this is the best animated movie in a long time. NOT so. Although the flick has a nice premise and the protagonists are likeable, the explanation of how this all came to be had me scratching my head and going, "Wait... what?" The movie got completely goofed up by an overly complicated plot. (If I didn't understand it, then little kids *probably* won't. Heh.) This is unfortunate because the rest of the movie is fairly entertaining. 3 stars.

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

If this movie hadn't inexplicably depressed me for the next two hours after I finished the flick, I'd probably be able to rate it more highly. :-) As it is, still a very interesting movie. It was especially interesting seeing it right after Match Point, which shares a lot of the same themes and even a similar plotline. Has a lot of interesting thoughts about morality and God, which I always love hearing people talk about. Also, a really nice end sequence. I've had to work hard not to overuse the word "interesting" in my review here, but that pretty much sums up my reaction to it in a nutshell: Interesting. Didn't captivate me in any way, but it was wonderful watching it play out. So I'm going to give it what appears to be my average movie rating these days: 3.5 stars.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Silly summer action flicks. That being said, this wasn't too bad. I barely remember MI1 and never saw MI2, so I had nothing to really base it on. Lots of explosions that I ended up kind of tuning out, but overall a fairly solid flick, and definitely of more interest to those who enjoy explosions and funky gadgets. 3 stars.

High Society (1956)

Although of course this could never measure up to the brilliance that was Philadelphia Story, it's not at all bad as a remake. It takes a lot of the depth of the original and condenses it, making it less interesting but easier for an evening of mild entertainment. The three leads all do a very good job. Cole Porter's never been my favorite musical theater composer, but the songs here are fun (if entirely forgettable). Overall, not a bad flick, although nothing terribly memorable. 3.5 stars.

House of Games (1987)

Once you get used to Mamet's slightly odd, deliberately wooden dialogue, there's a wonderful movie here. Fascinating characters played beautifully by the lead actors, with a very satisfying, if not exactly uplifting, ending. This was one of those movies that just keeps me interested all the way through, even though it's certainly not nonstop action. Interesting character flick. 4 stars.

Boys Town (1938)

Wow. Okay, this was revered and got Spencer Tracy an Oscar... *he* certainly deserved it, but the rest of the movie was over-the-top, entirely unbelievable, and actually had me giggling during some parts that were clearly supposed to be serious. I was impressed Tracy did as well as he did with it, given the fact that he had lines such as, "It was a sad, bad day when you came to us. Yes, indeed." The first half of the movie was fairly interesting, but then it just became silly and sentimental without feeling at all like the characters were someone I could care about. It wasn't actually PAINFUL to watch, but it certainly wasn't worth it. Too bad, because with a cast like this and a possible good plotline, it should've been much better. 1 star.

The Stepford Wives (1975)

A fairly interesting movie here. I intend to see the new one at some point so I can compare them. The story is actually fairly creepy, with a few moments in particular that sent shivers up my spine. (This is a subject that is especially frightening for me - I seriously fear any sort of loss of self and/or control.) Aside from a few moments that were a bit cheesy, it was played intelligently, as well. The main character isn't stupid - she knows something's wrong, she just can't figure out how, and although we as an audience know that something's CLEARLY wrong, it takes her awhile to come to the conclusion that she's not just being paranoid. Nice pacing on that end. And I'm fairly partial to the ending. 3.5 stars.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

I was slightly disappointed with Shaun of the Dead, but this one was just exactly right. Lots of wit all the way through. A very cleverly constructed comedy that hit all the right notes. I look forward to seeing what these guys do in the future! 4 stars.

Network (1976)

Ooh. I did like this movie. I was actually expecting one of those critics' favorites that I don't usually like (I'm not deep enough or enough of a movie snob yet to appreciate them or something, heh) but this was a fascinating movie from beginning to end. Even if you didn't buy into the point it was making about media, I think it would still be a really good movie, and one definitely worth watching. Faye Dunaway's character was fascinating as we watched her evolve, only to realize at the end, she's been that way all along. I just didn't notice it most of the way. Good movie. 4 stars.

A League of Their Own (1992)

Plot: Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry.

Wow. Someone managed to make an interesting movie about baseball. This is not an easy feat, considering baseball is the most boring sport in the entire world. This movie managed to be a pretty interesting look at the game. Of course, 3/4 of it was about the players and not about the game (like most sports movies pretend to be - but, no, this REALLY was about the players). So this was quite a well-crafted movie. That being said, however, it never touched me emotionally. I think it's because sister relationship movies make me tense. Heh. So it gets the rating that a lot of movies I've seen lately have gotten - 3.5 stars. A good movie, but I didn't actually connect to it.

Band of Outsiders (1964)

Hmm. Quite interesting. It was a very lovely film visually, with a very stark contrast between black and white all the way through. The story itself felt like it should be more than it was, but also felt like a story I might have to grow to like. (Er. Not grow UP, just grow.) The characters confused me, and that tends to cloud my enjoyment of movies quite a bit. I will have to watch this again sometime and see if it works better for me knowing what to expect. 3 stars.