| Summer beginsI was talking to Lindsey about this just the other day... Even though we're way past the academic schedule of "summer vacation", there's still something about summer that makes things seems lighter, easier, more fun... I don't know. It's probably just a misperception, but one that I'm none too eager to correct. Um... My life, well, I've just moved on from playing a gentle, furry, bull in "Ferdinand," to playing a gentle, furry, bear in "Winnie the Pooh." I'm not sure if I like where this is going... Beyond that, some thoughts on the last three movies I have seen - all part of the blitz of "Summer Blockbusters."
Mission Impossible 3: OK. I have been a huge fan of Tom Cruise, and his way of channeling his smirky, egotisitcal attitude into some fun characters (Top Gun, Days of Thunder) and some great acting roles (Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July.) I have been a fan of Mission Impossible way back to the 1960s TV show, the ill-fated 1990s revival of the show, and the first two movies. I did not let my new opinion of Tom Cruise (self-important zealot) affect my opinion of this crappy movie. Alright... Not crappy, just disappointing. How do you underuse Phillip Seymour Hoffman like that? How do you neuter the hero with a terribly generic wife? Worst of all, how do you take what could be an intelligent, witty, well-crafted suspense-spy-heist type movie and turn it into a totally ordinary shoot 'em up action movie? More rubber masks, less guns next time please.
The Da Vinci Code: I had the pleasure of reading the novel only very recently at the same time Lindsey did. Then we both excitedly went to see the movie last Saturday. Whereas the book was easy to follow, and blended cool quasi-cliffhangers at the end of easily digested chapters with history lessons that waddled the fine line of fact and fiction, the movie just, um, sucked. Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou have about as much chemistry as Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts in "The Pelican Brief." The dialogue is atrocious, and the details of the plot/conspiracy are glossed over so much (or eliminated completely) that the power of the historical/religious claims lose their impact - if one catches them at all. Backstory for two of the minor characters is muddled to such a point that I wonder why it was even included. I thought as I was reading it that it would be a challenge to take the academic text and make a "summer movie" out of it, but I thought it would be done better than this in the hands of Akiva Goldsman(?), Ron Howard, and Tom Hanks.
X-Men: The Last Stand: Um. Awesome. Absolutely wonderful. I can't stop thinking about this movie. (Admittedly, I did see it just yesterday.) I have never read the comic book, or any comic book, but I love good movies with good characters and good stories. My favorite superhero movie is still Spider-Man, but this is probably number two, followed by Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2, and Batman Begins. For reference, Ang Lee's "The Hulk" appears nowhere on this list. The bold choices that the writers made are difficult to stomach, but make the movie resonate with heart and emotion. The climactic special effect involving the Golden Gate Bridge is astounding. Kelsey Grammer as The Beast is a terrific addition to the cast, and it was nice to see Iceman grow up a little bit. The stunts and effects and Hugh Jackman are all kickass, but this movie, this franchise would only be "good" without Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. Their mere presence elevates this movie to excellence. Their screen presence, their steel eyes, their... Britishness. I don't know, it's something almost intangible, but it's... awesome.
Looking forward to watching "The Break-Up," "Superman Returns," and "Pirates 2." |
