Avatar Smashes Box Office Records and Feelings Simultaneously

Titanic was the very first movie my husband and I saw together when we met. Does that seem hokey? It might but Titanic was a fantastic movie (I don't care what anybody says) and it holds a sentimental place in my heart. Naturally, we went to see Avatar opening weekend. (I know, I'm way behind in posting this review.) You can link to the trailer from my Twitter account.

James Cameron knows what movie making is all about. An experience. He's all about details that create a whole, living world within the movie and giving the audience a catharsis. His newest movie, Avatar is no different.

I'm fortunate enough to live in a city that has an IMAX so we got to see the movie in IMAX 3D. 3D!! It was phenomenal. If you live anywhere in the vicinity of an IMAX theater, go see this movie there.

What did I love about this movie? Just about everything! I love just about anything that has to do with fantasy and/or science fiction and Avatar fits the bill. Sigourney Weaver (always a treat) played one of the lead scientists and Michelle Rodriguez (aka Ana Lucia from Lost) popped up as military support.

I won't give Avatar any props for original plot, as I felt it drew on numerous classic themes (think Romeo and Juliet) and obtained ideas from other movies. There was kind of a watered down version of the Force from Star Wars and a native people who were similar in culture to what you saw in Dances with Wolves. Hey, I'm not dissing because I'm sure I couldn't come up with anything better, I'm just informing.

It was still a good story and the cinematography and graphics were beyond stunning. Cameron's imagination shines and the time and effort of the creators comes through in a vivid spectacle. I loved the rich colors and brilliant landscape of planet Pandora.

Avatar does have a prominent political message. Cameron shows zero love for profiteering corporations and promotes a nature-centric lifestyle. That's fine but maybe he should've issued a viewer warning. Why? Oh, don't you know that people have become depressed after watching this movie? I'm not a lawyer or a gambler but I bet that someone out there is working on a deal to sue Cameron for creating an on-screen utopia.  Check out this news video:



Fortunately, I did not suffer from depression after seeing Avatar. I'm one of those rare people able to distinguish between reality and fantasy and realize that life is what you make it. (It's a gift.) I would totally go see it again (IMAX 3D only) because I loved the special effects that much. Also, I love movie popcorn. Go see it if you're into exceptional special effects too! (Movie popcorn is optional.)

Movie Monday: Harry Potter and the Half-Bad Movie

The latest installment in the Harry Potter movie series will be available on DVD tomorrow and as such, I feel it's my duty to warn peeps about this movie. Now, if you heart Harry Potter with all your magical being, I'm sure you'll purchase the DVD and love it. However, if you held off from seeing it at the theater and convinced yourself it would be an early Christmas present, meditate on it for a moment.

I didn't get to see The Half-Blood Prince when it came out in July but from the trailer, I expected it to be spectacular. That's what I expect from Harry Potter movies, mystery, magic, adventure and awesome special effects.

Back in October, Half-Blood Prince came to the dollar movies here and my husband and I thought, "Why not?" If I could ask the cast of this movie for our $2 back, I probably would. Wow! It was a huge disappointment.

The movie staggers along like a drunk on the way home from a bar, and there's a huge lovey dovey scene with Ron and the moon and his pining over some chick that is just plain stupid. The best scenes were flashbacks or "memories" from Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort. Oh, and as for the magic world colliding with the real world like you see in the trailer? That most have lasted a whopping 2 minutes because we were maybe 5 minutes late for the show and didn't see any of the calamity that invaded the muggle world. Draco is initiated by Bellatrix and gang to perform a task for Lord Voldemort and then he spends the rest of the movie practicing a specific magic trick.  

Spoiler Alert!! He's supposed to kill Dumbledore but in the end he just can't do it and so Snape steps in and finishes the job. And you know what? I felt absolutely nothing when Dumbledore died. I felt nothing when the students were mourning him. Btw, Snape is the Half-Blood prince.

I just felt like the characters were total shells in this movie. There was no intensity, even when Dumbledore finally bit it. At the end of the movie, Harry and Co. decide to skip the next year of school to go in search of the Horcruxes and thwart Voldemort's evil plan. Fade to black.

For me, I just hope the next adventures are worth the price of general admission and popcorn. I'm not giving up on Harry Potter yet. I'm just waiting for the magic to come back.

P.S. I should point out that the special effects in this film were great. That's your spoonful of sugar to go with this review.

Twilight Turns Into A New Moon

Yes, I went to see New Moon on its opening weekend. No, I did not stand in line for 5 hours waiting for tickets and I did not dress up like a vampire. I am not commenting on whether I'm on Team Jacob or Team Edward until I read the book.

For those of you who haven't been bitten by the Twilight series or vampire pandemonium in general, you probably don't care about the latest installment of the Twilight saga. Indeed, when I saw the first movie, I didn't think much of it. Of course every 13 year old girl around the world was in love with Edward and I'm sure I would've been at that age too. But other than the eye candy in Twilight, I didn't think it had much to offer except for a fringe teenage love story.

This fall my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to read Twilight. I give it a B-. I liked that it was a very simple read and didn't require much brain power to process. Sometimes effortless imagination can be nice. Even after reading the first book, I'm still not understanding what has made peeps go crazy over this series.

However, the movie New Moon is way better than Twilight. There was more drama, character development and action. I tad bit too much teenage angst for my taste; I got slightly bored watching Bella have nightmares because she couldn't be with Edward.  I was also disappointed that there was like one scene with the Volturi.  I thought the Volturi  members would at least get more than 2 lines a piece. I feel totally cheated!

Wait, I think I just figured out my problem with this series. I'm annoyed with the Cullen clan or coven, whatever. See they're goody-goodies and I think vampires should be ferocious and intense. I'm fine with them being gorgeous and all but the whole "our souls are damned and we've chosen to be vegetarian vampires" is seriously irritating. Can't they just find a blood bank somewhere? What's the big deal? Self-loathers are totally exasperating!!

Regardless, I do recommend this movie whethere you're a die hard fan of Twilight or not. It's pure entertainment and fantasy and that's what movies are all about. Enjoy!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Drag Me to Hell-Not a Drag at All

I'm officially a Sam Raimi fan after seeing this movie. I've seen Evil Dead and Army of Darkness years ago but had forgotten how wonderfully quirky and freakish they were. After tangling with the Spiderman films for years, Raimi is back directing horror in Drag Me to Hell, a cautionary tale about a sweet loan officer trying to impress her boss to get a promotion. Unfortunately, she makes a big mistake and pisses off a gypsy who then curses her with the Lamia.

This is probably the best scary movie I've seen since The Grudge came out. Raimi uses shadows, simple visuals and sounds such as the drumming of fingers and whispers of gypsy themed violin music to amp up the creep factor.

The protagonist, Christine Brown does everything in her power to escape the curse and save her soul from eternity in hell. Although she is clearly scared out of her mind, she puts up a fight and gives the polar opposite of the damsel in distress vibe. Best scene in the movie is the fight in the car between Christine and Mrs. Ganush. Brilliant!

Drag Me To Hell mixes horror and humor and creates a thoroughly entertaining movie. It will have you believing that sometimes even good people can go to hell.

Angels and Demons-Neither Angelic nor Demonic-Mostly Blah

Against my better judgment, I went to see Angels and Demons on its debut weekend. I read the book about 10 years ago (feels like 10 years anyway) and so I new from my experience with The DaVinci Code that this movie would probably be the same mess.

Strike one: Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon. I would like to go on record as saying that I don't know what the big deal is with Tom Hanks. He made two good movies; Forest Gump and The Money Pit. That's right. Those are the only good movies in which he plays lead that I find enjoyable. Mr. Hanks owes me the price of admission for his movie Cast Away, which I also saw in the theater. The best part of the movie was when he made it back from the island. The rest of the time I spent praying that a leathal coconut would fall on his head so that I wouldn't have to endure another conversation with Wilson the volleyball.

Anyhoo, getting back to Angels and Demons. Strike two: Ron Howard changes stuff from the book too much. I'll give you an example. In the movie version, Vittoria's colleague from CERN is murdered. In the book it's her father (who also worked at CERN) that was murdered. Am I being picky? I think it's highly important to note that it was Vittoria's father that was killed as opposed to a colleague because it makes Vittoria's involvement more emotionally charged. Could the actress not express emotion well enough or does Ron Howard just say forget about it, we're taking a central part of this character's experience and making it minute? Also, Ron made everything way too easy for the Robert and Vittoria to find the clues and convince the Vatican to help them. I remember from the book they struggled every step of the way. Refer back to the title but it was almost as if there were demons working against them.

Strike three: The movie was just plain dull. Perhaps it was because I already knew what was going to happen or at least what was supposed to happen from the book but the only times I raised an eyebrow was when I noticed Ron deviating from the events of the book. I remember the book having me on the edge and that parts of it were quite graphic. I'm not one for gratuitous carnage but the point was that the "Illuminati" killing the clergy members were evil and those poor priests died in hideous ways. I think it could've been a bit scarier without being revolting. Ron's idea of scary is showing some slightly malevolent angel statues in half shadow with lightening flashing around.

If you haven't read the book, this movie is probably OK. Also if you heart Tom Hanks with every fiber in your being, you can see him play himself. Otherwise, I recommend waiting for the DVD. Even better, skip the DVD entirely and buy or borrow the book to read. Trust me peeps, your imagination is way better than what happens on the movie screen.

To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

I'm just gonna go ahead and say first off that JJ Abrams is an entertainment genius. I loved this movie and was totally pumped when we left the theater. Would I go see it again instead of holding out for the DVD? Yes! I've been waiting for this movie ever since I saw the first trailer.

Star Trek had everything a Trekkie could want. Excellent special effects, a gorgeous cast, adventure, throwbacks to the original series, dramatic music score, wit, danger, humor and so much more. I'll admit the emotional opening sequence actually made my eyes well up a bit. Abrams really knows how to tug at the heartstrings.

I think the casting was brilliant. Chris Pine gave an excellent performance as James T. Kirk. He was cocky and rough and imitated Shatner's version just enough without being campy. Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban were perfect at Spock and "Bones" McCoy respectively. Zoe Saldana turned out to be a great Uhura and I really warmed up to Simon Pegg as Scotty and John Cho as Sulu. Also noteworthy was Anton Yelchin and his killer accent as Checkov.

The movie had deep, timeless themes such as abiding friendship, defiance, consequences of the past and the future, honor and destiny, which I believe are a tribute to Gene Roddenberry's original creation and JJ Abrams' vision. This was all set on board a fantastic and beautiful Starship Enterprise with a magnificent score by Michael Giacchino.

I think this movie has totally reengerized a brilliant and imaginative series. The original show got started in the 1960's and has remained and enduring part of TV and sci-fi history. I'm sure a new generation of Trekkies will emerge following this movie and old Trekkies will hopefully feel revitalized by the fresh film.

I believe Roddenberry can rest in peace knowing his original characters will "live long and prosper."

X-Men Movie Hits the Spot

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was definitely a great way to start off the string of summer movie blockbusters. Superheroes and Hugh Jackman are always a winning combo. This movie had lots of delightful surprises for me, starting with the cast. Dominic Monaghan aka Merry (LOTR) aka Charlie Pace (Lost) was in the movie, as was Kevin Durand aka Martin Keamy (Lost). Also included were Will I Am, Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Kitsch.

I thought the casting was brilliant although I wish we could've seen more from the other characters. Of course each one has unique powers and I really enjoy seeing how they're wielded. True to the title though, this movie was mainly about Wolverine and how he actually became such. There was just enough reference to the X-Men trilogy to allow followers to put some pieces together. I thought the writing was great too and the dialogue had plenty of witty banter.

This movie got me thinking about one of my all time favorite hypothetical questions, "If you could have one superpower, what would it be?" I'd totally go for teleportation! Think Jumper sans the consequences.

I really enjoyed Wolverine and recommend it to X-Men and Hugh Jackman fans alike. It's a win-win!

W.

I started this post way back in November but it fell by the wayside for some reason. But today, on the day of the inauguration, I feel that it is poignant. I read reviews and synopses of W. before I saw it because I absolutely did not want to sit for two hours and watch a Bush bashing movie. I prepared myself for a healthy dose of criticism (good and bad), got my popcorn and sat down to watch. Director Oliver Stone showed Bush as neither saint nor devil. I came away from the movie thinking that W was a relatively normal man who accomplished something extraordinary in becoming the elected leader of the free world for 8 years. If anything, I think the movie had a more personal and sympathetic quality to it. I was pleased with the portrayal and had a new respect for the Office of the President of the United States.

I think most people don't take into consideration the insurmountable and overwhelming task of the Presidency. My father always said you have to be a bit crazy to want to be President and I have to agree. The information the President receives everyday is I'm sure enough to scare the bejeezus out of even the toughest. But they have to make agonizing decisions that can ultimately affect millions of lives.

I commend President Bush for making those decisions and keeping America safe after 9/11. I don't know how history will reflect his Presidency in the end but I do hope that people will remember that America chooses its leaders and for 8 years, they chose George W. Bush. Now, we have chosen our new leader Barack Obama. I watched the inauguration today and felt truly proud to be an American. I love watching democracy in action and that's what I saw today. I wish President Obama well and hope that he will always keep America's best interests in mind and at heart.

Bush Farewell Address Part 1


Bush Farewell Address Part 2


Obama Inauguration Speech Part 1


Obama Inauguration Speech Part 2

Twi-what?

So apparently, Twilight is the next Harry Potter book and film distraction/fixation. That's what I gather anyway from the mounting mania over the premiere of Twilight this weekend. I perused pieces of flair on Facebook this weekend and as I'm sure many Facebookers know, there are approximately 8,000 pieces of flair from which to choose. Right now, 3,000 of those pieces are dedicated to Twilight stuff.

I'm all for displaying fandom but if I see one more piece of flair that says "I love Edward Cullen" or "Twilight is real" or "Edward and Bella are the new Romeo and Juliet" I may just suck my own blood out.

Peeps have really lost their minds over this Twilight stuff. Just ask the poor kids that got trampled.

Having said all this, I'll probably got to the movie cause it looks pretty cool but I'm not going to stick out my neck (so to speak) to see it.

P.S. Thanks for the post title J!

To Boldly Go Where No Trekkie Has Gone Before

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise...

Space is now J.J. Abrams' final frontier as he takes on Star Trek in the motion picture due out in May 2009. This trailer looks awesome and I believe that Abrams can do no wrong; he's one of the creators of Lost afterall. Check it out!!

ICYMI - STAR TREK TRAILER @ Yahoo! Video

Bond, James Bond

I checked out Quantum of Solace this weekend. Yes, it was worth the theater whiplash from 2nd row seating. The theater was packed! I'm not giving away details on this one. If you're a fan of James Bond, you'll want to see this for yourself. I'll give you one hint. The world's most precious resource is not what you think!

Daniel Craig was hot (as usual and expected) but he stayed dirty and bloody almost the entire movie. So he was hot in a dirty way. And I can't complain about having Daniel Craig up close and personal due to my theater seat.

I enjoyed Casino Royale more than Quantum of Solace but that's because I like my Bond to be in a tux with a shaken martini in hand at all times, Sean Connery style. But this latest James Bond flick is definately worth seeing on the big screen and I'm sure will have a future in my DVD collection.

MandyBomb's Bond Ranking:


Sean Connery: Classic, ultra sexy and suave

Daniel Craig: Hot!! Intense and debonair.


Pierce Brosnan: Pretty boy turned bad boy

Timothy Dalton: Snooze

Roger Moore: I was always too distracted by the mole on his cheek and atrocious 70's outfits to notice anything except that I did not believe he was the true James Bond.


George Lazenby: Who?


What they should bring back to the new Bond Films:

More gadgets.

Bond receiving the gadgets for his new mission from the inventors in the super secret lab.

Women with sexually suggestive names. (just for kicks)

Miss Moneypenny

The Duchess (not the Fergie version)

Spoiler Alert!

This movie was a beautifully executed period piece. All the actors did a great job; there was a very natural feel to their performances. Each actor seemed to perfectly fit into 18th Century Britain. Ralph Fiennes was great as a cold controlling duke and Keira Knightly played an innocent turned scorned and broken hearted wife. The movie score was excellent and the detail in the costumes, sets and scenery was spectacular.

The movie details the early adult life of Georgiana Spencer and is based on Amanda Foreman's book Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire. This movie has gotten lots of press, partly because Georgiana is the direct ancestor of Princess Diana and people have proclaimed Duchess Georgiana the original "it girl." She had fabulous style, liked to party and a varying degree of political influence as well.

The Duchess focused mainly on her unhappy marriage to the Duke of Devonshire. In case you didn't pay attention in history class, back in the 1700's, women were more like property and in high society marriages were arranged for the procurement of land, wealth and heirs.

It breaks down like this, at the age of 17, Georgiana is married away to the Duke of Devonshire in the promise that she will give him a son. Soon she learns that he seems incapable of compassion and passion toward her but his wondering eyes and hands contribute to numerous affairs. One of those affairs results in an illegitimate daughter, whom he allows to come live with him and the Duchess after her mother dies. Georgiana raises the child as her own and in the meantime, produces two daughters of her own with the Duke.

She becomes friends with Lady Elizabeth Foster, who is the victim of an abusive husband. The estranged husband is also keeping her three sons away from her. Georgiana invites Elizabeth to stay with her and the Duke until she can get back on her feet. Unfortunately, the Duke decides to take Elizabeth on as his mistress. Georgiana feels betrayed pleads with her husband to banish Elizabeth from the house but he refuses. Things go from bad to worse in the marriage and the Duke rapes Georgiana during one altercation, which results in the conception and ultimate birth of their son.

Things settle down a bit after their son is born but Elizabeth stays on as mistress and Georgiana begins to wish for a lover of her own. She turns to Charles Grey, a childhood friend and leader in the Whig political party, with aspirations of becoming Prime Minister. She begins a secret affair with him but is quickly discovered by her husband and her mother. She is forced to cut off the relationship with Charles and doomed to a life with her husband and his mistress. But then she reveals that she's pregnant with Charles' child and the Duke decides to send her away to the country until after the child is born to prevent any scandal. She has to give up the baby girl to Charles Grey's family. She then reenters society and she and the Duke and Elizabeth come to an agreement to live happily/unhappily ever after.

I haven't read the book so I don't know if the movie is an accurate portrayal but it seems that they got the cultural part spot on. I'm always intrigued by the way people lived in times past. There are so many fascinating aspects. Chivalry, fashion, socially accepted practices like keeping a mistress, politics, etc.

I'm disappointed that the movie didn't focus more on Georgiana's leadership role in the Whig party and stuck to the romantic and angst themes. I think it would have made for a stronger movie. What I could not stand about this movie is that her friends and family called Georgiana "G." Was that nickname historically documented? I'd like to know. I ground my teeth every time they called her that. It just didn't sound right for 1700's.

Despite my dissatisfaction with those couple of things, I really enjoyed the movie and it could very well end up in my DVD collection. If you like historical biography and period pieces, you'll enjoy the Duchess.

Eagle Eye

I checked out Eagle Eye on its opening weekend and it was decent. Lots of action sequences and chase scenes. If you like action, government conspiracy and technology, you'll like this movie. It reminded me a bit of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Think HAL with a smooth female computer voice and your cell phone on speed dial. There was definitely an underlying political theme to the movie or maybe it wasn't so underlying if you paid attention.

Shia LaBeouf was relatively convincing as a social slacker thrust into chaos and corruption. The end was very predictable once you understood the twist but the plot was interesting. This post is long overdue so you peeps have probably already seen the movie or are waiting for it to come out on DVD. I rate it as a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. This movie goes well with popcorn and government omnipotence.

Revolutionary Road

I've known about Kate and Leo's reunion for this film for a couple of months but I just saw the trailer today. This film looks supremely depressing and unfortunately identifiable. Judging by the trailer it looks like Kate and Leo lose their dreams and spirit to the monotony of settling down, which is forced upon by society. As dismal as this movie seems, I still want to see it. I'll make sure I bring some tissue to the theater.

I Want To Believe This Movie Was Worth It

Warning: Spoiler Alert!

Peeps, this is a toughy. Let me spare you the one hour and 44 minutes X-Files episode made for the big screen. This movie was not that bad but not that good either. Maybe my Dark Knight experience was so fantastic that this movie couldn't compare. Maybe I thought there would be a bit more mystery, government conspiracy and general intrigue. Instead, I watched Mulder and Scully uncover a modern day Frankenstein procedure by Russian scientists/physicians coerced by their desire to be on the cutting edge of head transplants and the prompting of another Russian whose lover is dying of cancer and needs a new healthy body. The FBI was taking its direction from a psychic former priest who was banished from the church due to pedophilia. Mulder believes the guy is actually psychic and can lead them to the missing FBI agent in time to save her life. Scully has her doubts and lashes out at the priest for his multitude of sins.

Granted, the plot was interesting, but I'm not convinced it was movie worthy. On top of that, Scully and Mulder are in a relationship and apparently they had a son!? My confusion got the better of me during that part so I can't elaborate much further. It's been so long since the X-Files was on TV that I've really forgotten a lot of things about the series. My husband was really upset that the movie did not contain aliens but I reminded him that aliens were not always a factor in the X-Files world.

Ah well, I think this movie could've probably gone straight to video but I don't hate it. At least with the X-Files there's always a twist and it doesn't follow the generic plots of most movies and/or TV shows. That's what helped build its fan base in the beginning. That, and there's just a lot of nerds out there! Including me. :)

The Watchmen Trailer

Who Watches the Watchmen?

Apparently all of America saw the trailer for the spring 2009 release of The Watchmen prior to The Dark Knight this weekend, except for me. I got to the theater after it was already shown but fortunately, I'd already seen it online. Some of you may not know what The Watchmen is so allow me to enlighten you.

The Watchmen is an award winning graphic novel from the late 1980's depicting dilapidated superheroes living in the shadows of the Cold War. In this alternate history, superheroes are commonplace but the public is weary of their perceived vigilante tactics. The Doomsday Clock is set at 5 minutes to midnight and this group is about to come out of retirement to solve the murder mystery of one of their own. These are not the goody-two shoes heroes who always take the high ground. They're more like a posse of misfits with various neuroses, plagued by ethical and moral dilemmas. Are you impressed yet? I read this novel for my Media Criticism class in college and wrote a paper about its underlying theme depicting the American Monomyth. Who says you never use what you learned in school? ;)

Now director Zach Snyder is turning The Watchmen into a full blown movie and from the trailer, it's breathtaking. I'm not familiar with any of the actors but I think that's a positive. The special effects look amazing and the characters appear spot-on from their depictions in the comic. If the movie keeps to the plot of the novel and allows the themes of authority, social opposition, and moral relativism to develop, it should be a winner. I hope this will be a thinking person's movie; just like the novel encouraged the reader to question certain ideals and notions, so should the movie encourage the viewer to leave with a greater perspective of human nature and the forces both heroic and villainous in us all.

"Why So Serious?"

We just got back from seeing The Dark Knight and this movie was phenomenal! So good, I want to see it again. When I can’t stop thinking about a movie, that’s when I know it’s awesome. The Dark Knight takes the other Batman movies (sans Batman Begins) and makes them completely laughable. Besides Sex and the City, which I can’t place in the same category, this was the best movie I’ve seen all year! Very dark and disturbing; there was lots of psychological terror but not much gore, which is exactly what scares me most. I don’t need to see a bunch of gruesome acts to get the point that a person died hideously or was tortured, etc. The apprehension is what freaks me out and this movie had plenty of it. I was curling up in my seat at a few points for fear of what the Joker might do.

Tension and angst, savage humor and depravity, the inner struggle of nobleness versus hedonism; this is definitely a movie that gets your pulse going. There were some plot twists to keep viewers guessing and deep themes which allow it to maintain significance and relevance. There was a point where they were referring to the joker and his cronies as terrorists and Gotham was mad at Batman for letting civilians and policeman die all while he was trying to protect them from evil. I couldn't help but think this was a comment on President Bush and the War on Terror, which I found purely fascinating. I’ll let you see the movie and then draw your own conclusions as to the writers' perspective.

Heath Ledger’s performance was truly immaculate. He really melted into the role of the Joker. You forget that you’re watching lovable Heath and truly believe that this sadistic psycho is out to get you. Jack Nicholson’s Joker cannot touch Ledger’s. Tim Burton’s Batman came out when I was 11 and Nicholson’s Joker didn’t scare me at all. Ledger’s on the other hand had me cringing. While Nicholson’s Joker was evil and twisted in a silly way, Ledger’s was a completely diabolical maniac, relishing in creating chaos and fear. Of course the writers and director get total props for their contributing parts in the movie; Ledger wouldn’t have been able to play such an awesome role without the excellent writing and direction. But he really dug deep to bring out the sheer demented nature of the Joker.

The Joker’s background in The Dark Knight is much more of a mystery than in Batman (1989). Instead of falling into a vat of chemicals, he has scars from knife wounds in his cheeks, for which he offers multiple explanations. I think this brings an element of sympathy to his character and offers a much more abysmal side to his past than previously portrayed.

I like the Nolan Batman movies much better than Burton’s or Schumacher’s because they’re simply more realistic. Real cities, not just sets and paintings and the themes are dark but not gothic. Burton’s movies in comparison seem very cartoonish. I think if you’re taking comic book characters onto the big screen, they should be made real, because that’s what they are in the comic book; they are supposed to be real people, they’re just drawn. The movie should not look like a comic book or a cartoon but should still retain the elements of the characters. Nolan’s movies do that. No redonkulous antics or attention detracting CGI. Everything in his movies makes sense from how and where Bruce Wayne gets his “toys” and training to the villains’ motivations.

I also don’t care much for the other Batmans. Christian Bale is definitely the best in my book. George Clooney plays himself in every movie so I feel like he never got into the Batman role at all. Michael Keaton is a decent actor but his pursed lips always really bothered me. Val Kilmer wasn’t bad, but I really just thought his main draw was his attractiveness. Bale definitely makes Batman/Bruce Wayne his own. The casting of Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine was also excellent and I heart them (esp. Freeman) in every movie I’ve ever seen them in. Aaron Eckhart makes a much better Harvey Dent/Two Face than Tommy Lee Jones could every dream of and his face is truly horrific after the accident. (Kudos special effects peeps!)

The soundtrack to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are both fantastic. Gripping, brooding, sweeping and with a perpetual motion sound that seems to tick toward doom with brief moments of redemption. The scores by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard highlight the action sequences brilliantly. Well worth the purchase on iTunes!

I have to give a cliché of two very enthusiastic thumbs up for this movie I enjoyed every aspect of it from beginning to end. It will certainly be on my list of DVD purchases and a movie I can watch again and again.

Rest in Peace, Heath. Your magic lives on!

Mandybomb Goes to Hell...Boy That Is

This past weekend, my husband and I went to see Hellboy II The Golden Army at the new theater in our neighborhood, Cinebarre. Some of you peeps may remember that I blogged about the opening of Cinebarre a few months ago. It was definitely a unique experience. The place had a retro theme going and posters everywhere of old movies and cult classic films. The actual movie theaters were set up pretty much the same as usual but they had bar style tables in front of the seats. Menus were placed at each "place setting" and appropriate condiments and rolls of paper towels were at intermittent sections all within reach.

We both had the "Fight Club" which is just a fancy/movie reference way of saying a grilled chix sandwich with bacon, cheese and all the fixins. It was pretty good, basically neighborhood bar ala Applebee's style food. My husband did say the wings were less than delicious, so if you visit, be advised. Other than that, rather tasty. It combined our lunch and a movie so I feel like we actually gained an hour by not having to go to two places. My only complaint is that Cinebarre is not prepared for "normal" movie-goers. They do offer popcorn and sodas but there is no candy. That's practically a sin in my book. Nothing brings a smile to my face like Sourpatch Kids or Reece's Pieces to go along with my popcorn at the movies. Ah well, I guess you can't have it all!

In any case, we did actually see a movie so let me give you my thoughts. Hellboy II expanded on the first movie (duh) but I thought it was even more imaginative. Apparently, elves (which by the way are not the pretty LOTR elves I'm used to) make an ancient pact with humans to keep to the forests while the humans manage the cities. The elf king thought this was a good deal but his son was not pleased. The prince went into exile for, oh I don't know, let's say two millenia. Anyway, he comes back and is ticked! Sooo, he decides to collect all the pieces of this magic crown that will allow him to command the golden army, wage war on the humans and live take back their land. Hellboy is there to save the day of course but he is a bit tormented by his need to be acceptance and the rejection offered by the humans. His enemy gives him some insight with his dilemma and offers him kinship as they are both unique in the world. Drama alert! Also, there's romantic troubles between Hellboy and his girl, Liz.

I realize that the Hellboy movies are based on the comics but this genre is what I'd call fringe comics. Average Jane and Joe peeps like me are not familiar with anything beyond Batman and Spiderman. Thus, I'm certainly not equipped to judge the movie on its accuracy to the comics. What I did enjoy was the stunning visionary scope and imagination of director Guillermo Del Toro. I saw Pan's Labyrinth when it came out and was amazed. This was just as much a feast for the eyes. A picture is worth a million words if Del Toro is directing the film. Each character in this movie was fantastical, I don't know how else to describe it. The cinematography was amazing as well, definitely worth seeing on the big screen. I highly recommend!

Incredible Bangs

I saw The Incredible Hulk this weekend and it was pretty good. I vaguely remember the TV series but the actors that portrayed Bruce Banner and the Hulk both made cameo appearances in the movie, which I thought was a nice touch. There was lots of action, angst, special effects, blah, blah, blah but the most important thing I took away from the film was that I want Liv Tyler's bangs. They were perfect and the next time I get my hair cut, I'm bringing my stylist a picture so she can give me the same look.

I go through phases where I have bangs for a while then get tired of them and they grow out just about the time I'm ready for bangs again. It's my bangs cycle/circle of life. But I can never seem to get them quite right. Now thanks to Liv Tyler and the Incredible Hulk I have a bangs role model. Of course having my bangs cut like Liv Tyler's will in no way make me look like her, but at least I can have good hair, right? It's a start anyway. Here's to my future bangs, I couldn't do it without you, Liv!

Photo Credit: 2008 Universal Pictures Source