Heck of a Weekend!

For those of you that know me, you know that my love for the Doctor runs deep. I think it's a genetic thing. My dad watched Doctor Who back in its first incarnation and I distinctly remember him trying to sing the theme song to me and my brother. Now that the show has successfully rebooted I am a full-blown addict.Saturday night was the 5th season premiere on BBC America. (and yes I know that it's been on for three weeks in the UK so watching future episodes online is a possibility, but I've chosen to watch it with the rest of the country...well most of the country...the honest part) In addition to being the start of a season, which means new adventures every week instead of sporadic "specials" for a year - blech!, the big excitement is that there's a new Doctor. And as much as I loved David Tennant's space man, Matt Smith has quickly showed he's got the right stuff for the job.
I am really pumped about this upcoming season and I will fly my freak flag and admit that I have watched Saturday's episode three times now. It's that fun.

In addition to the Doctor Who high, I also went and saw How to Train Your Dragon (in 3D of course). What fun! The characters were these great stereotypes, which is exactly what you would expect, but they did it so well. There were plenty of laughs that weren't in the previews and the 3D really did make a difference. I would love to see a sequel if they made one. I would freely go back to that world for another adventure. (and random tid-bit: according to the end credits, David Tennant does a minor voice in the movie - I'm tellin' ya, small world)

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I was very reluctant to see this movie. I have fond memories of (and pieces of) playing with the Joe guys when I was a kid. There were a couple girl characters so I was allowed to participate when the boys were playing. The cartoon was classic 80s as well, but for some reason the trailers and commercials for the movie looked uninspiring. I was fine with waiting until it came out on DVD. But this weekend I had some free time so I decided to hit a matinee. I'm really glad I did. It was a great adventure. It had all the action and fun techy toys that you would expect and the actors did superb jobs of being the "Joe" characters without being cheesy or unbelievable. The story wasn't too hard to follow and actually made sense.
My guess is the Marketing and PR guys for this movie were Marvel fans and were unexcited with the task of promoting the Joes. If so...shame on them. I hope other people go see it despite the so-so PR. I would definitely recommend it and I hope it does well enough to warrant that sequel that they set up oh so well.

Get Smart

This movie was intensely funny. Unexpectedly intensely funny. And no one else could have played Maxwell Smart but Steve Carell. He did an amazing job. There were moments when I was giggling uncontrollably and I could hear my mom and brother laughing next to me too. Yes, it’s true that sometimes we were the only three laughing that heartily, but it didn’t lessen the enjoyment.
While the original TV show relied more on campy stunts and pratfalls, the movie has a bit more sophisticated stunts and fun gadgets. But the feel of it is the same. You still watch to see how Max will screw up and then how he will inadvertently save the day. Most of the supporting characters are fun to watch as well, especially the two lab geeks.

The Incredible Hulk

I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to see this movie, but I decided to go and I’m so glad I did. You know…I did the same thing with Iron Man. I wasn't sure, but I went and ended up loving it. So I’ve decide to invoke a Linnea Movie Rule: see everything Marvel makes.
For those of you that don’t read Entertainment Weekly religiously, you may have missed the fact that Marvel, the makers of intensely popular comic books, decided they were sick of selling their characters to other movie companies so they created their own movie division. Risky, but so far it’s really paying off. Iron Man was their first outing and The Incredible Hulk was their second. Both are excellent movies and raked it in at the box office.
I really loved the fact that The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man are both full of intelligent and mature actors. They aren’t teeny-bopper media darlings, they’re veterans who have proved themselves as good, quality actors and I really believe it makes a difference. They make the stories that much better. Of course there are awesome fight scenes and lots of stuff blowing up, but still...quality.
I also love the tiny little scenes in both movies hinting at the making of an Avengers movie. Something more to look forward to in 2011.

Kung Fu Panda

I laughed so hard I just about fell out of my seat. This movie is Jack Black at his best because he’s controlled and G-rated which makes it easy to appreciate his comedic timing and unusual voice without wondering if he’s going to venture into “shocking gross out land”. I also loved the story because there’s no deception. Everyone is honest about who they are and the story deals with coming to terms with being different and accepting people that sometimes seem to “intrude” in your life. Great story, top-notch creative animation. And Po the Panda is just so cute.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

When I was a kid, my dad read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series to me and my brother. Each night, once we were ready for bed, we would sit in our p.j.s and my dad would read a chapter (or so) from the books. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories. I’ve re-read the series a couple times since then, and the stories all have a very special place in my heart. When it was announced a couple of years ago that they were going to make the books into movies, I was really excited, but also kind of wary because I remember the cheesy cartoon version and the really cheesy BBC version from the 80s. But these new movies didn’t disappoint. The first one was amazing. The actors that they chose to play the Pevensie siblings were great and the level of cg animation and special effects now a days is stellar and much more believable than the BBC puppets.
As much as I liked the first movie, I loved this second installment. It was so much fun to already know the land of Narnia. To not have to watch them spend time explaining everything, but just jump back in and start fighting the bad guys. The actors have all grown up a bit and improved a bit too. I’ve read some reviews that have marked it down saying that it is too slow and just bounces from fight to fight with no real substance, but I disagree. I think the movie does a superb job of showing more than just the fighting and plotting of both sides. It really pays attention to the kids, Prince Caspian included, and what they are going through emotionally as they try to defeat the Telmarines. This is a Disney movie so there aren’t any “intense emotional Oscar-worthy scenes”, but they definitely show both the physical and emotional sides to this journey. The Pevensies have been in England for a year (their time, 1300 years Narnian time) and Narnia has changed while they were gone. They have to grapple with what their place is in their beloved land. They were called back into Narnia, but Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the throne so where does that leave everyone?
I also genuinely appreciate the soundtrack. Both the score and the songs written and sung specifically for the film are amazing. I bought the CD and when I listen to it I can easily imagine the world of Narnia and feel the tense battle scenes or the noble emotional moments. The song sung by Regina Spektor is inspired. It’s a great blend of simple melody, intense lyrics and breathy vocals, that when played over the last scenes of the film give it a satisfying and hope-filled ending.I’m extremely excited to see the next installment, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is my favorite book in the series. And actually…I may have to go see Prince Caspian again before it leaves the big screen.

Iron Man

I saw Iron Man last night and it was a night well spent. It was one of the best comic book movie adaptations that I've seen (and come to think of it, I think I've seen them all). Robert Downey, Jr. was such a fun surprise. He was quick and witty and really natural and funny. I loved watching the scenes when he was working in his lab, or in the cave, tinkering and creating. I actually believed that he was that smart, and his "lab assistants" were great comedy relief.

I did wish that there were more scenes of him "saving the day", but hopefully there will be a sequel with more of that.

The only part that was hard to take was the whole "glowing piece of metal in the chest" part. I was really squeamish during those scenes and actually still shiver a little when I think about them. But it was easy to know when to look away.

It was also great to see a cast of one of these movies that was older and more mature. There were no teeny-bopper types which I think gave the story more gravitas.

Two thumbs up!

Sense and Sensibility

Directed by John Alexander

2008 - mini on PBS Masterpiece Classic

I've enjoyed watching The Complete Jane Austen on PBS Masterpiece Classic. Some of the movies are new and some are the oldie but goodie versions and they've all been great. Sense and Sensibility is such a great story, and this adaptation is worthy of the book. I didn't think I would like this version when I started watching it because I really like the Emma Thompson version, but 10 minutes in I was already changing my mind. The acting is great and the settings are beautiful. I really liked that they seemed to keep more true to the book than previous versions.

I wasn't really impressed with the actor playing Willoughby, not because he wasn't a good actor, more because I couldn't see him as a "catch" that all the girls would lust after, and Marianne would lose her heart to. (Maybe it's because the actor is kinda short - I'm such a snob). The other actors were so perfect in their roles it was fun to watch. I already bought the DVD and watched it again, it's that good.

Twilight: the movie

One of my newest obsession is the Twilight movie. I did a review of the book already, but the movie looks like it's going to be awesome. The books are great (there are three with a fourth coming out it August), but I really think the first one is the best. It's an introduction to the story of Edward and Bella. Everything is new, and you're learning more and more about what it means to be a vampire and live the life they do and how that affects Bella. I know it sounds hokey whenever I describe it as a love story between a 17-year old and a vampire who looks like a 17-year old, but it's a testament to Stephenie Meyer's talent that the story is never hokey. It's got enough suspense to make it a page turner, but it's also an incredible tale full of people you wish were real so you could meet them and hang out and hear more about where their life is heading. I think that's why I'm so excited about the movie. It's a chance to meet these people and watch on screen what I really liked on the page. MTV has been doing some really great behind the scenes stuff and they just posted another one today. You have to check it out. I know where I'm going to be on December 12th!