So, I know this came out earlier in the fall, and my reviews are generally reserved for movies in theaters, but I just watched it on Redbox, and it was awesome! I was really disappointed in this summer's movie selection, but the fall has definitely made up for it. The only problem? Law school, and no real job, get in the way of me going to see all the movies! Which is why I have to post delayed reviews of redboxed movies!
And, now that I have fully explained the seemingly late post, I just need to reiterate, this movie is great! You can hate on Shia LaBeouf all you want, but I think he has some talent. At least, he did in this movie. Now, some of his others, maybe not so great, and it might have been Tom Hardy and some others who truly carried the day, but you can't knock Shia's performance in Lawless. However, the accent did get a little annoying.
Speaking of the cast, let's just go through the big ones. Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, and Gary Oldman. Guy Pearce was super creepy, had a very strange accent, and thankfully died in the end. Gary Oldman was a badass gangster, with a limited role, but excellent as always. And then there was Tom Hardy. The unsung star of the movie. I love him. He can be suave (like in This Means War), super creepy and evil (like in The Dark Knight Rises), simply a badass (like in Inception) somewhat of a combination of all three (like in Lawless). Not to mention, no matter how gruff he gets, he's still pretty damn hot! His only problem in this movie? He made the girl make the move.
But, enough about the cast, that's not really all that important. The movie itself was stellar. This movie is about moonshining in the 1930s in Virginia. This included a great plot, that kept moving in different directions. There was violence, intrigue, sex, love, politic-ing, historical accuracy, a good v. evil dynamic, a legend, and an all-around decent flow. My only complaint was in the end. The story was chugging (ha!) along and then seemed to all of a sudden hit a mini-climax that led to the the big climax and then it was done. There was no slow descent, it was simply done. (Yes, that is what she said). While that may be appropriate in some situations (see the previous joke), it is not appropriate for good stories. English 101, you story slowly reaches the climax and then is at least somewhat slowly resolved. It is not supposed to almost simultaneously climax and end.
That being said, the movie pulled it off. I wanted a little more story, but it still ended well. There was resolution, there was a change, and there was ending. I don't want to completely spoil things by saying whether it was a happy or a sad ending. I will simply leave it at an ending. :) Needless to say, go watch this movie!
In the end, I give this movie a 9.5 out of 10 (there was a LITTLE bit more substance than Pitch Perfect :) ). I really did enjoy this.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Skyfall
I love the Bond movies. I love them all, Casino Royal, Quantum of Solace, Tomorrow Never Dies, Goldeneye, Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, etc. So, I love new Bond and classic Bond almost equally. With that in mind, I really liked this movie. It really highlighted the differences between Daniel Craig's Bond, the new Bond, said it was sticking with the new Bond, and seemed to assuage the haters doubts about the new Bond all at the same time. Not to mention, Javier Bardem is simply amazing. He was certifiably and terrifyingly crazy, but soooo good!
The new Bond is somewhat less glamorous, in that he is more human (yes, he gets seriously tortured and takes time to recover), has fewer toys, and has real feelings, but he is still just as much of a suave badass as Sean Connery. That badassness is affirmed, or for some finally shown, in this movie. I think one of the best examples is in the previews, and the first few moments of the movie, when Daniel Craig is running along the top of the train, that the bad guy tries to separate to get rid of him, and he jumps off of a crane, into the train car just as the crane rips away half of the the train car, and acts as if he was just simply walking from one car into another as he continues chasing the bad guy. Crazy. However, I think these movies are better than other Bond movies in that not only is Daniel Craig still a badass, but there is also depth to his character.Yes, James Bond is the ultimate spy, but I like the fact that he can still be human, and gets attached, and he is just as good/bad of a shot as the people who are trying to shoot him (it's pretty ridiculous to watch some of the other movies where James Bond is constantly being shot at, is always missed, but HE happens to hit everyone he tries to shoot).
So, not only does this movie keep what I like about the new Bond, it also pays its respects to the old Bonds. There is a funny little quip from the new Q that they don't need the fancy-schmancy, over-the-top toys because that is just ridiculous. Daniel Craig brings out his Bond car, guns in the headlights and all. The love connection with Money Penny begins. Etc. I think these things are what takes the movie from good, like the first two Daniel Craig movies, into great. They are no longer developing/explaining Bond. He has suffered his trials and tribulations, and is now firmly rooted in both the past and future in a way that ensures Daniel Craig's continued presence in the series. This is good news, because he is beautiful. :)
So, in the end, I give his movie a 8 out of 10. It was enjoyable, and I want to go see it again. I think I'll like it more the more I watch it.
The new Bond is somewhat less glamorous, in that he is more human (yes, he gets seriously tortured and takes time to recover), has fewer toys, and has real feelings, but he is still just as much of a suave badass as Sean Connery. That badassness is affirmed, or for some finally shown, in this movie. I think one of the best examples is in the previews, and the first few moments of the movie, when Daniel Craig is running along the top of the train, that the bad guy tries to separate to get rid of him, and he jumps off of a crane, into the train car just as the crane rips away half of the the train car, and acts as if he was just simply walking from one car into another as he continues chasing the bad guy. Crazy. However, I think these movies are better than other Bond movies in that not only is Daniel Craig still a badass, but there is also depth to his character.Yes, James Bond is the ultimate spy, but I like the fact that he can still be human, and gets attached, and he is just as good/bad of a shot as the people who are trying to shoot him (it's pretty ridiculous to watch some of the other movies where James Bond is constantly being shot at, is always missed, but HE happens to hit everyone he tries to shoot).
So, not only does this movie keep what I like about the new Bond, it also pays its respects to the old Bonds. There is a funny little quip from the new Q that they don't need the fancy-schmancy, over-the-top toys because that is just ridiculous. Daniel Craig brings out his Bond car, guns in the headlights and all. The love connection with Money Penny begins. Etc. I think these things are what takes the movie from good, like the first two Daniel Craig movies, into great. They are no longer developing/explaining Bond. He has suffered his trials and tribulations, and is now firmly rooted in both the past and future in a way that ensures Daniel Craig's continued presence in the series. This is good news, because he is beautiful. :)
So, in the end, I give his movie a 8 out of 10. It was enjoyable, and I want to go see it again. I think I'll like it more the more I watch it.
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