Monsters vs Aliens (2009)

Dreamworks is stepping up its game. (Is that the right metaphor?) As opposed to derivative, sloppy movies like Antz, Shark Tale, or Chicken Little, their last few have been relatively original and well-written. Monsters and Aliens is no masterpiece, but it does hold some genuine laughs and very few cringe-worthy moments. Plus it brings together some of my favorite voice actors as well as people who I've always said should do more voice work - listen to hear Will Arnett, Hugh Laurie, & Rainn Wilson's work - they're all fabulous! 3.5 stars.

The Proposal (2009I)

I couldn't suspend my disbelief NEARLY enough to buy all the contrived storylines in this movie. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock try the best with what they've got and manage to make their characters likable... Unfortunately, they're just saddled with a ridiculous script that goes out of its way to think of the most unbelievably awkward moments possible for this already unlikely situation. None of it progresses as it should, and they're stuck going from plot point to plot point and attempting to make sense of it all in between. The in-between moments ring true, actually... Small conversations between the two of them are sincere and genuine. But all the "funny" moments of the film are overplotted... which definitely detracts. 2.5 stars.

The Cheap Detective (1978)

It doesn't speak well for this movie that an hour after I saw it, I can barely remember what happened in it. Neil Simon's dialogue is best suited to real characters with real personalities... in spoof, it becomes oddly larger-than-life. This movie seems so determined to be funny that it forgets to actually BE funny. It attempts too many take-offs on specific movies, rather than overall cliches and stereotypes, and just leads to silliness. And not the good kind. More looks of disdain than laughs here. Very disappointing. 2 stars.

Coraline (2009)

This is an extremely original, extremely well-crafted movie... But I didn't enjoy it. It's simply too eerie. The button-eyed parents gave me an extremely squicky feeling right from the very start, and the ghost children absolutely terrified me. I do like scary movies, but I like ones where at the end I feel like I've come back to safety, or at least stability. Coraline left me feeling unstable and nervous long after the film ended. 3 stars.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

This movie is such complete nonsense. It makes pretty good viewing if you're making fun of it with a friend, but as far as actual quality of movie goes... well, there isn't any. Also, be forewarned: At no point does any conquering actually happen during this movie. I know I, for one, was quite disappointed by that. 0.5 stars.

Stand by Me (1986)

This is a superbly crafted movie. The boys in this movie seem so familiar. They think and act and react like young boys. The dialogue is natural and familiar and instantly relatable, as are the characters. All these young actors do an excellent job in their roles. I found myself caring deeply for these children... As the credits rolled, I took a moment to just lie back and enjoy what I'd just seen. An excellent coming-of-age movie that's truly heartwarming and charming. 4 stars.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)

This is far from Sondheim's best musical. His lyrics hadn't really settled into themselves yet, and musically here he suffers from Cole Porter Syndrome, where each of his songs has exactly 1 tune that is repeated 15,000 times, with cleverly-rhymed verses for each one... but it just goes on far too long without any substance. The visual choices for the songs were also very unpleasant - rapid montage sequences that are just very distracting.

The story itself occasionally goes overboard on the slapstick, but I would still infinitely rather watch something like this than any of the period comedies written today which feature pop culture jokes that will be outdated in 2 years. It's not perfect, by any means, but I mostly enjoyed it. Zero Mostel was occasionally over-the-top but always entertaining. 3.5 stars.