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Gotham Season One

May 23, 2015

I just finished season one of the Fox television series Gotham and as one of the world’s biggest Batman fans, I feel compelled to share my feelings on it. Spoilers below.

I can’t say I loved the idea of a Batman show without Batman, so although intrigued, I was mostly skeptical about how Gotham was going to turn out. I felt like the first season was very up and down. It started out a bit corny – Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney was borderline intolerable at first – but somewhere around midseason it picked up and became the show I was looking forward to watching the most… and then it got a little lackluster towards the end again.

One of the biggest problems with Gotham is that the creators don’t seem very prepared with the grand scope of the show. I get the feeling they are making it up as they go and really have no idea where it’s headed. Most of Batman’s rogues gallery exist because he exists – but on Gotham, most of his major villains are going to be fleshed out long before Bruce Wayne ever dons the cape and cowl. Bruce is maybe 12 years old in this show – a good seven to nine years before Batman might make his first appearance – but by the end of season one, the Penguin is already the crime boss of Gotham City, Carmine Falcone is retired, and Sal Moroni is dead. So the latter two characters – crucial to Batman’s world – are already out of the game; and Bruce is 12.

Obviously the show must take some liberties with the Batman mythos to function as something watchable, but that’s why it was a problematic concept in the first place. Bruce and Selina Kyle already have a strong friendship and some attraction towards each other. In Gotham, Catwoman won’t be a product of Batman’s existence, she’ll be a lifelong friend – and Bruce will never wonder about her true identity. Tommy Elliot, a childhood friend of Bruce’s that eventually becomes the supervillain Hush, is merely a school bully that inspires Bruce to ask Alfred to teach him how to fight. This is a pretty strange gloss over considering this is one of the relationships Gotham could have fleshed out without rubbing purists the wrong way. How about The Riddler working with the GCPD? Again, when The Riddler comes to fruition, the whole police department will know who he is.

And then there’s Jada Pinkett Smith’s Fish Mooney or as the the trailers for the show described her: “the mother of all villains.” But is she though? Somehow every Batman comic, movie and television episode had managed to be written up to this point without the existence of Fish Mooney. Something tells me Oswald Cobblepot could have become The Penguin without her. I have to say I hated the character at first. Jada was giving a really over-the-top performance for the first several episodes and it was unbearable. Now, I can’t say if I got used to her acting as the show progressed or she actually toned it down as the season went on, but Fish Mooney grew on me. Still, I can’t help but feel that this character exits because the showrunners felt compelled to include something original, but when Fish plummets to her presumed death at the end of season one, you have to wonder: what was the point?

Gotham did plenty of things well in its first season. I really like Ben McKenzie as Jim Gordon. He’s the focal point of the series at this point and the writers have done a great job of making him the hero even though we know who is waiting in the wings. Robin Lord Taylor crushes his role as The Penguin, who is by far the most interesting villain on the show. The Penguin is the perfect antagonist for a pre-Batman Gotham, as his rise to crime boss has very little to do with The Caped Crusader. Taylor does a great job of toeing the line with The Penguin – he can be helpful, cunning, feign weakness, cold-blooded, back-stabbing – and shows no limits as to what he’ll do be Gotham’s top boss. Sean Pertwee as Alfred and David Mazouz as a young Bruce are amongst the other cast highlights.

Season one of Gotham wastes little time introducing core Batman characters. Off the top of my head, season one included appearances from Batman, Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, The Joker, The Flying Graysons, Two Face, Scarecrow, Hush, The Red Hood, The Dollmaker, Victor Zsasz, Copperhead, The Electrocutioner, and possibly some others that I’m overlooking. Season two plans for even more introductions. It all seems like too much too soon and Bruce is simply too young. Most of Batman’s rogues gallery is going to be completely fleshed out by season 3 or season 4 and Bruce will probably be in his mid-teens at that point, pre-Batman.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Gotham but the show feels rushed and unorganized. I’m curious to see how everything is handled in the future because it seems like the writers haven’t thought it through entirely. I just have a hard time imagining all the Bat-villains roaming Gotham long before Batman ever shows up.

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Man Of Steel (2013)

June 21, 2013

Starring: Henry Cavill, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams
Director: Zack Snyder (Watchmen trilogy, 300, Sucker Punchy)

Quick Thoughts: What a spectacle. That was my first thought leaving the theater after watching Man Of Steel, which was probably my most anticipated film this summer. Director Zack Snyder can handle action. We know that much and those looking for a Superman that finally kicks some real ass, you’ll get it here. There’s plenty of super fights, massive property destruction, and a finale that is almost overwhelmingly heavy on action. It was enough to make me want to go back and see it in IMAX 3D.

Man Of Steel almost feels like you’re watching two films. The first half of the movie feels much like producer Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins while the second half plays out, well, like a Zack Snyder film. Much like Begins the first half of Man Of Steel switches between scenes of Clark Kent dealing with his unnatural abilities as a child and discovering himself as an adult. Unlike Begins, where you become quite invested in Bruce Wayne’s story, Man Of Steel seems a bit slow and I was pretty eager to move along to the Superman stuff. Also, the sequence on Krypton, in particular, is overly long and a bit confusing. The second half of the film feels a lot like an alien invasion movie. I kept thinking of Independence Day during the second act.

It’s interesting that DC took such a realistic approach with Superman right after The Dark Knight trilogy finished. Certainly, Snyder’s Superman would fit comfortably into Nolan’s Batman universe. Nolan has stated that he is finished with Batman, however, and Man Of Steel is supposed to be the first step towards an eventual Justice League movie; one that will likely feature a rebooted Batman. It’s all quite a mess and as a massive fan of DC Comics, I have to say I’m concerned.

Regardless, even with my ridiculous expectations for Man Of Steel, I’m pretty satisfied with the finished product. Henry Cavill is perfect as Superman, General Zod and crew are formidable first opponents, the action is amazing, and Russell Crowe is great as Jor-El. David Goyer took some liberties with the Superman mythos–notably on how Lois Lane and Superman first meet and Superman’s morality–but I thought these were handled delicately and actually made sense for modern (and more realistic) versions of the characters. Lois Lane is an investigative journalist, after all, and it’s always been pretty unbelievable that no one can figure out that Superman and Clark Kent are one in the same. With all the pressure from the crazy success of The Avengers and Marvel’s ridiculously smart blueprint for creating their cinematic universe, I’m nervous about DC trying to match it by rushing into a Justice League movie, but even so, I’m looking forward to Man Of Steel 2

Replay Value: I’m anxious to see it again in IMAX 3D.
Sequel Potential: Release date already announced and this character will eventually show up in a Justice League movie.
Oscar Potential: Maybe some visual effects and sound recognition.
Nudity: None.
Grade: 7/10 (Must See)
RottenTomatoes Scores: Critics: 56% Audience: 82%
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10

Recommendation: The critics are way off on this one. 2006’s Superman Returns is a 75% and sucks. Man Of Steel blows it away and I think even the critics would agree with that. I’ll admit it didn’t meet my expectations, but this is still an above average superhero film and a great reintroduction of the Superman character.

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The Dark Knight Rises: An Epic Month Of Gambling

February 2, 2012

“Allow me to reintroduce myself: my name is…”

When filmmaker Christopher Nolan revealed the final installment in his Batman trilogy was going to be called The Dark Knight Rises I wasn’t an instant fan of the name. Several months later, I can’t imagine a better one now that I’ve adopted his film’s title as my own personal mantra for 2012. For whatever reason–the girl I was recently dating would say ego–I felt like I needed a poker nickname. I mean, all the top notch card pros have one, right? What if I blow up someday? Make a TV final table? Are people going to know me as Mike Coombs? My friends in real life don’t even call me that. Maccent? Retired. Mac? Not good enough! So I made it a goal in December to figure out a proper nickname, even going as far as asking for help on Facebook. Bat-Mac? Cute, Mom, but this is grown man business. Birdcage? LOOOOOOOOOL. Nice needle, Ethan. The Serial Killer? Kinda dark, bro. How about Mac The Ripper then? Why yes…excellent. I actually ran with that for a couple weeks and even had a few people referring to me by it. Looking back, I can’t help but think what a tragic mistake that would have been. Then my buddy Vince started calling me The Dark Knight and after some initial resistance on my part, it all started to make perfect sense. My obsession with all things Batman is well-known, as is my complete inability to sleep at night, mostly due to a tireless work ethic when it comes to playing cards; much like Bruce Wayne constantly sacrifices his own personal well-being for the sake of Gotham City, I put my poker career before anything else, even my own health. No, seriously, I played over 220 hours of poker last month. Holy mackarel, Batman, I AM THE DARK KNIGHT.

The designation couldn’t have come at a better time. I was fresh off my first Royal Flush Jackpot and had completely turned my life around, a story you can read in this post. Since officially donning the cape and the cowl, I’ve been on the most ridiculous heater of my life. January 2012 was easily the best month of gambling I’ve had since summer of 2005 and quite possibly my most lucrative month of all-time. To put things in perspective, I had a solid 2011; for someone that had a good day job most of the year and only played small stakes poker, I turned a pretty serious gambling profit for the year. I made $348 less in January alone than I did all of last year combined. If you include the wages I get paid for propping the poker game at All-Star Lanes (and I don’t), then I’ve already made more money gambling in 2012 than I did in 2011. Sick.

I previously noted my life-changing turning point in the post I linked in that last paragraph. The run I’ve been on since that day has been completely absurd. I don’t know if the day’s events lit a fire under my ass or if karma has been rewarding me for having to put up with a bunch of nonsense, but I’ve been CRUSHING ever since. I hit that Royal Flush Jackpot on the 7th, then between January 13th and January 21st, I finished 2nd or better in 5 of 8 tournaments for a $1043 profit, including a 6-way chop @ Freddie’s $110 buy-in tournament that I had to share with a backer (45%) and my running partner (10%). I started propping for All-Star Lanes on January 13th and demolished the game all month long. In 100 hours, I profited $2,476 and that doesn’t include my hourly wage. I decided not to clock on one night so that I could earn hours for their freeroll and hit the All-Star Strike for $375, a jackpot I would not have been eligible for if I was working. I finished the month with seven straight winning sessions. I won $812 in match play bets on the black jack table. I randomly decided to play a day session on the last day of the month (I always play at night) and crushed the game for +$500. I hit every draw I had and I made it hurt. Everything just seemed to be going my way in January.

Well… almost everything. I’m sure some people were getting pretty sick of my run good and I can’t say it hasn’t been getting to my head. I mean, I’ve felt like I could walk on water and do no wrong at times, but I can assure you, I did not have a perfect month. I played my first $8-$16 session of the year at Parkers this past month and had my worst losing day in well over a year (-$636). To make matters worse, I usually sell half my action in that game, but that night I decided to take a shot and I felted over three racks without ever winning a hand. BRUTAL. This past week, I got shutout in Clearwater’s Poker Series. I lost almost $960 in buy-ins, despite having respectable finishes of 9th in the $250 NLHE event and 12th in the $250 H.O.R.S.E. event. A decent showing, but with such a pathetic turnout for the series I didn’t make any money for my performance. In the one event that was worth going deep in, the $460 NLHE Main Event, I busted out just shy of making it to Day 2. Fortunately (for myself), I had solid backing for all those events and only lost about $400 of my own money. But the series left me still waiting for that first big event cash. I have now whiffed the six events total at the Pendleton Round-Up and the Clearwater Series in the past few months and it has me feeling like I have something serious to prove. I haven’t been to Clearwater in years and it’s kind of weird for me to go into a local card room and not have everyone know who I am. While anonymity can be to one’s advantage when it comes to poker, fuck it, I like the recognition. I don’t want to fly under the radar; fear and respect me or figure it out the hard way.

Despite those setbacks, January was an incredible month. That kind of success is unsustainable, but if I can maintain even half that win rate in the All-Star Lanes game, I’m going to have a monster 2012. It didn’t take long into February for me to be humbled. I was worried that as soon as the calendar flipped so might my doom switch and today was a spectacularly bad day. Not only did I run bad, but I admittedly played like shit and lost more than was necessary. Oh well, challenge accepted: I now have a decent-sized hole to dig myself out of for the month, but The Dark Knight always seems to find his way out of sticky situations. Will he turn this rough start into another profitable month or is this the start of the end? Stay tuned next month. Same Bat-Time, same Bat-channel.

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2010 Movie Reviews

December 27, 2010

Black Swan (2010)

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
Director: Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain)
Quick Thoughts: This movie plays like the sister film of Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. Much like that film, we get a tour-de-force performance from the film’s star and an intense look at what it’s like to be insanely passionate about something. In this case, Natalie Portman’s Nina Sayers is a technically perfect ballet dancer that lacks the free spirit and dark side required to play the dual role of The Swan Queen in Swan Lake. Mila Kunis plays a rival ballet dancer and acts as the catalyst that slowly unravels Nina’s dark side. Or does she? It’s hard to tell what’s real and imagined in this film, but the transformation of Portman’s character is clear. What were left with is a ridiculously dark and horrifying film about how far some people will go to achieve their dreams.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Hard to say… it’s a tough watch, but it’s something you’ll need to see more than once. I think it has potential to grow on me over time.
Sequel Potential: None.
Oscar Potential: Portman is a front-runner for the Best Actress Oscar and gave the best performance I’ve seen this year. The film is a shoo-in for a Best Picture nomination as well… and Aronofsky could get an overdo directing nomination.
Nudity: Some masturbation, some girl-on-girl action, but no nudity that I remember.
Grade: 7.5/10 (Must See/Excellent)
Recommendation: Film snobs are going to love this movie, but casual moviegoers are likely to hate it. It’s unlikely anyone watches this and says “it was okay.” I’d say it’s a must see for Natalie Portman’s performance alone, but it’s definitely not an easy film. I’d say go see it, but it’s super dark and features an unreliable narration, so be warned.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

Starring: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong
Director: Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun Of The Dead)
Quick Thoughts: No movie has surprised me more this year than Scott Pilgrim. What an amazingly innovative film. While the plot about a boy (man?) that must battle his girlfriend’s evil exes to the death may sound trivial, the execution is outstanding. Edgar Wright’s team brings this story to life in such a way that boredom is out of the question. The filmmaker combines comic book flair with video game stylization and a hilarious script to create one of the year’s most fun theatrical experiences. Michael Cera has been typecast ever since Superbad and this was the first performance since then where I felt he brought something new to the table. The script is sharp and funny, and the cast does a stellar job bringing that humor to life. I was using the rewind button on my remote extensively. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is one of the best films of the year and one of the most unique movies I’ve seen in quite some time.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: A must own. I could watch this repeatedly.
Sequel Potential: Unsure… it’s based on a comic or a graphic novel, but I’m not sure if there’s a series.
Oscar Potential: I’d nominate this for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and a ton of technical categories, but early buzz has it getting mostly snubbed by the Academy. Sad.
Nudity: None.
Grade: 8.5/10 (Excellent/Potential Classic)
Recommendation: One of my favorite movies of the year, but it’s kind of “out there,” so I can see some people not liking it. Personally, I’d consider those people uptight… or stupid. Sorry.

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo
Director: Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon)
Quick Thoughts: An interesting story about a sperm donor who comes into contact with his teenage children and their lesbian mothers combines with great acting from Bening and Moore to make a quick-paced, intriguing movie that focuses on its characters. I was slightly unsatisfied with the ending, but definitely enjoyed the movie as a whole.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: I’d watch it again, but probably won’t add it to my DVD collection.
Sequel Potential: None.
Oscar Potential: Bening and Moore are locks for acting nominations. The film should get a Best Picture nom; it easily cracks my top ten of the year. Outside shots at directing and writing nominations.
Nudity: Is Julianne Moore in it? Is it rated R? Then she probably gets naked.
Grade: 7/10 (Must See)
Recommendation: One of the better movies of 2010, but it focuses more on characters and acting than anything else. I don’t think the story is universally appealing, but it’s worth telling. Action junkies shouldn’t bother, but fans of good dramas will like this movie.

The Karate Kid (2010)

Starring: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson
Director: Harald Zwart (The Pink Panther 2, Agent Cody Banks)
Quick Thoughts: A surprisingly solid remake of the 1984 cult classic. I never would have watched this if the word-of-mouth wasn’t so good. Jaden Smith is solid as the title character and Jackie Chan makes for a decent Mr. Miyagi substitute. I can’t say I was a huge fan of the original… I can barely remember it, so I was able to enjoy this update without any bias based on the source material. An enjoyable family movie that had me rooting for the underdog.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: I’d be happy to watch it again… and maybe even buy it when it hits the bargain bins.
Sequel Potential: The first film spawned three sequels and this remake grossed over $175 million in the U.S., so a sequel seems likely, but the story was completely resolved and nothing has been announced so far.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: None.
Grade: 6/10 (Recommended)
Recommendation: A solid family film and surprisingly good remake. Great for kids and more than watchable for adults.

Jackass 3D (2010)

Starring: The Jackass Crew
Director: Jeff Tremaine (Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two)
Quick Thoughts: You pretty much know what you’re getting from a Jackass movie: crazy stunts and some serious gross-out bits. It’s more of the same here… but in 3D! With the exception of Avatar this was actually the best 3D experience I’ve had, so the novelty actually makes the movie more enjoyable. This entry is just as funny as the previous films and a couple of the scenes literally made me gag; consider that fair warning on The Sweat Suit.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: I’ve never watched a Jackass movie more than once, but I could understand the appeal.
Sequel Potential: These guys are all getting older, but they all still seem pretty willing to take a beating.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: Lots of penis.
Grade: 5.5/10 (Worth Watching/Recommended)
Recommendation: Fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed and anyone that hasn’t already been initiated into the Jackass world should probably continue to stay away.

Machete (2010)

Starring: Danny Trejo, Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan
Director: Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Planet Terror, Desperado, From Dusk Til Dawn)
Quick Thoughts: A rugged revenge film with the feel of a B-movie. Danny Trejo plays a bad ass ex-federale on a mission to kill those that betrayed him and anyone stepping in his way. This is a pure action film and doesn’t have much of a plot, but it’s still impressive that Robert Rodriguez was able to piece together a decent feature film from what originated as a two-minute trailer for the Grindhouse movies (I’d rather see Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving myself). The acting is mediocre, but no one is trying too hard and there is something hilarious about Steven Seagal playing Mexicano. I liked it, but at 105 minutes, it does run a little long for something that lacks any substance.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: I’ll definitely watch it again.
Sequel Potential: $27 million U.S. gross? I’d say no.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: Tons of nudity. Lindsay Lohan’s character gets very naked, but the use of a body double is debatable. Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez look sexy as fuck. Great movie for exploiting gorgeous women!
Grade: 5.5/10 (Worth Watching/Recommended)
Recommendation: A great movie for action junkies, but there’s little else to be seen here.

The Expendables (2010)

Starring: Every action star ever
Director: Sylvester Stallone (Rambo, Rocky Balboa)
Quick Thoughts: This movie would have been a lot cooler if it was made about 15 years ago. Basically, what’s happening here is you have every iconic action star from the 80s teaming up with a few of the past decade’s top action stars and forming a top secret tactical unit set out to take on someone somewhere for whatever reason. Honestly, who cares about a plot when you have this kind of cast? Apparently Sylvester Stallone does and that’s where this movie fails. Unlike Machete, this movie takes itself way too seriously. There’s too much down time and “plot development” in a movie that should be 98% kicking ass. The Expendables had some good scenes, but I spent a lot of time thinking about other things when I was watching this movie.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: If I could edit this down to about 30 minutes of pure action, I’d watch it again.
Sequel Potential: The Expendables 2 has already been announced and has a tentative 2012 release date.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: I can’t remember.
Grade: 4/10 (Netflix It)
Recommendation: Another action movie that lacks substance. I’d recommend it for nostalgia purposes, but even with low expectations, I was disappointed.

Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)

Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, John Di Maggio, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Isaacs
Director: Brandon Vietti (Batman: The Brave & The Bold, The Batman)
Quick Thoughts: A great take on the Batman/Red Hood story line that finds Batman pitted against a formidable and resourceful Red Hood, an enemy that seems to know more about Batman than he should. While Batman stalwarts Kevin Conroy (as Batman) and Mark Hammil (as The Joker) are both absent, the new voice cast does a respectable job… but it’s the story that makes this a great Batman movie. Considering it was a straight-to-DVD release, it’s still one of the better movies I’ve seen this year and probably the best Batman animated film since Mask Of The Phantasm all the way back in 1993.
Viewings: 3
Replay Value: I rented it and watched it three times before I sent it back. I’ll buy it soon enough and it’s a must have for any Batman fan.
Sequel Potential: There will always be more animated Batman movies, but this story had a pretty solid conclusion.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: N/A.
Grade: 7.5/10 (Must See/Excellent)
Recommendation: A clear must own for fans of Batman and comic book films, but I’d also recommend this to just about anyone. Very good.

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2010 Movie Reviews: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Toy Story 3, more

December 7, 2010

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)

”I’m a what?”
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Quick Thoughts: The short from Fantasia is adapted into a full length live action feature film. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the trailers for this movie actually made it seem like it might be okay. I was expecting this to be some sort of sleeper hit for 2010, but I wound up feeling disappointed. Jay Baruchel has a certain level of charm to his naivety, but this movie was more over-the-top ridiculous than I was expecting it to be. This is no Harry Potter and if you’re looking for your magic fix, keep it in the J.K. Rowling world.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: This is more kiddie fare than Harry Potter is… as an adult, I’ll pass.
Sequel Potential: It performed well at the box office which usually a recipe for a franchise.
Oscar Potential: Maybe some visual effects nominations.
Nudity: None.
Grade: 4.5/10 (Netflix It/Worth Watching)

Batman/Superman: Apocalypse (2010)

”Your cousin just torched $50,000 worth of custom hardware.”
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Andre Braugher, Summer Glau
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Quick Thoughts: A solid adaptation from the Superman/Batman series of graphic novels. This entry introduces Supergirl into the mythos and highlights our two main heroes’ personalities: Superman welcomes her with open arms, excited and optimistic about his fellow Kryptonian, while Batman is forever suspicious and always prepared for the worst. Appearances from Darkseid and Wonder Woman add to the fun. Nothing spectacular here, but worth watching for fans of DC Comics.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: Worth buying for die hard DC fans like myself.
Sequel Potential: I’ve read the whole Superman/Batman series, so there’s more where this came from.
Oscar Potential: None.
Nudity: None.
Grade: 6/10 (Worth Watching)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
”Remember me?”
Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara
Director: Samuel Bayer
Quick Thoughts: Who is this Freddy Krueger? He looks more like Lord Voldemort dressed up in a Krueger Halloween costume. Jackie Earle Haley does an okay job, but he’s no Robert Englund. The movie itself tries to bring the franchise back to its scary roots, but forgets to bring a plot or characters we care about along with it. The script bounces around focusing on victim to victim before finally revealing its heroes in the closing act. Yawn. Yeah, I’m getting a little sleepy and this movie isn’t going to keep me awake at night.
Viewings: 2
Replay Value: Thought it was solid the first time I saw it… all its flaws became unforgivable the second time through.
Sequel Potential: I would imagine there will be more sequels and I’d be happy about it, but there’s a ton of room for improvement.
Oscar Potential: None
Nudity: I can’t remember any… not a good look for a Freddy movie.
Grade: 4/10 (Netflix It)

Toy Story 3 (2010)

”If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you would have invented Facebook.”
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Ned Beatty
Director: Lee Unkrich
Quick Thoughts: This is probably my second favorite film of 2010 (after Inception). As usual, the Pixar team comes through with a genius and hilarious script that finds our beloved toys from a decade ago dealing with the emotional trauma of Andy moving on to college without them. After Andy’s mom nearly sends the garbage bag full of toys to the dump, they find themselves hostage at a local daycare center run by a plush, purple teddy bear named Lotso. What ensues is one of the best escape movies of recent memory and a film that brought tears to my eyes on a couple different occasions. Definitely a movie that tugs at your heart strings and reminds you what it was like to be a kid and how much it sucks to grow up.
Viewings: 2
Replay Value: Definitely the kind of movie I could watch several times a year and probably the best Pixar movie ever.
Sequel Potential: Even though this is a great close to a fantastic trilogy of films, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Woody and Buzz facing new adventures in the future.
Oscar Potential: I’d be shocked if it doesn’t get a Best Picture nomination. It’d be highway robbery for it to lose in the Best Animated Feature category. Toy Story movies are always good for some of the sound categories too, especially Best Original Song.
Nudity: None.
Grade: 10/10 (Instant Classic)

Greenberg (2010)

”You like me so much more than you think you do.”
Starring: Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans
Director: Noah Baumbach
Quick Thoughts: Ben Stiller does something a little different in this movie. Instead of his usually high energy comic self, we get a somewhat reserved and introverted version. The movie is about a 40-something loner that kind of lives life to his own beat. He befriends his brother’s housesitter and develops an awkward, maybe harmful sexual relationship with each other. It’s cool to see Ben Stiller switching things up in this movie, and it does provide for some laughs we’re not used to getting from him, but the movie as a whole, is just a step above forgettable.
Viewings: 1
Replay Value: I’d probably watch this movie two times, maximum.
Sequel Potential: None
Oscar Potential: Ben Stiller probably thinks he has a shot an acting nomination, but it’s not going to happen.
Nudity: Greta Gerwig has a lot of sex in this movie.
Grade: 5/10 (Worth Watching)

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Batman Was Robbed!

January 31, 2009

With the Oscars coming up in February, I’ve been trying to see as many movies contending as possible. While award shows are generally popularity contests, I find the Oscars to be a rather accurate representation of the year’s best films and performances. However, I do have one big gripe with this year’s nominations: no Best Picture or Best Director nods for The Dark Knight and Chris Nolan’s amazing work on that film. The films picking up Best Picture noms are:

Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
The Reader

I’m yet to see The Reader and Milk, but of the other three films only Slumdog Millionaire is arguably better than The Dark Knight, in my opinion. In support of my argument, it’s worth noting that only Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire received more total nominations than the latest Batman flick.

The academy seems to agree that The Dark Knight is a more technically impressive film than Frost/Nixon and The Reader; it picked up nominations for visual effects, cinematography, make-up, etc. So how is it that those films are better all around pictures? If the argument is direction, Chris Nolan did an amazing job and the IMAX cinematography was groundbreaking. If the argument is acting, the entire cast of The Dark Knight was at least above average and Heath Ledger gave one of the best performances I’ve ever seen as The Joker. Yes, Frank Langella gave a staggering performance as former President Nixon, but I think if people look back on 2008 (and maybe even the entire decade), the performance everyone is going to remember is Heath Ledger’s Joker portrayal.

So it must come down to the writing. That’s the only aspect where The Dark Knight might be coming up short against the competition. Personally, I found the writing in TDK to be extremely well done. For such a long film, it was quickly paced; I was on the edge of my seat the whole time during my first viewing and one can’t help but be excited for The Joker’s next appearance. Heath’s performance was phenomenal, but the writer’s helped steer the character in the right direction. We don’t have The Joker dancing to Prince songs and we have the screenwriting team to thank for that. While some may prefer Tim Burton and Jack Nicholson’s cartoony rendition, I believe it’s unarguable that Heath Ledger’s dark and demented turn is a more accurate portrayal of the character and a much more intriguing fit for the big screen, especially in Nolan’s reality-based Gotham.

So while I can’t consider picking The Dark Knight for Best Picture, I do believe it should at least be in contention. Either way, my vote goes to Slumdog Millionaire, which is far and away the best made 2008 film I’ve seen.

I’ll be back with mini-review for Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, and maybe some others shortly.

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