Jacqueline Gets Her Geek On

Recommended: Wanted

Disclaimer: This movie requires A LOT LOT LOT of suspension of disbelief, and the premise is flat-out stupid.  It is also very bloody -- too bloody for me, I cringed and closed my eyes through several scenes.

That said, it's a lot of fun.  The special effects and action are great.  It reminded me a lot of the Matrix.  Just don't expect much depth or sense from it and you'll have a good time.

I've heard that Wall-E is awesome, so Hubby and I will see that soon.  Hancock is not getting very good reviews so far but I love Will Smith so we might see it anyway.

Recommended: The Incredible Hulk (COMMENTS CONTAIN SPOILERS)

It's not nearly as good as Iron Man, but it's still worth seeing.  Edward Norton is great as usual, the special effects were awesome, and there were some cute cameos.  But it wasn't funny, and while the special effects were great, they were the only special thing about it except... well, the next thing I want to say is kinda spoileriffic, so I'll put it in the comments. :)

Movie time!

Movie time!, originally uploaded by Jacqueline1776.

A straight man's perspective on the Sex and the City movie

My friend Jason went to see it.  Here is his review: Sex and the Four Most Selfish Bitches Ever in the City

It's part of his new abusive movie reviews series.  See also Indiana Jones and the George Lucas Raped my Childhood and Made of Horrible.  Even if you don't agree with his viewpoints they make for hilarious reading.

Why don't people in science fiction movies ever watch science fiction movies?

They could figure shit out so much faster if they did.  Hubby and I are watching Premonition and I am very disappointed with Sandra Bullock's character.  I would have figured out the time-jumping part (and would have been able to articulate it) no later than the third day.

Update: Also, I would have totally told Hubby what was going on immediately.  Stupid stupid Sandra Bullock.

Update II: Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid Sandra Bullock.

Recommended: Kung Fu Panda

Hubby and I really enjoyed Kung Fu Panda.  It has all the typical cliches of a kung fu movie, except way over the top, and done by talking cartoon animals.  It's both cute and hilariously funny.  There were numerous moments where the audience kept laughing for 30-60 seconds after the gag.

The other movie opening this weekend, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, was only rated 35% fresh so we're going to pass on that one.

Midnight movie outing

Midnight movie outing, originally uploaded by Jacqueline1776.

A bit blurry because I had trouble holding the pose :)

Recommended for fans of the TV show: Sex and the City: The Movie

I loved it!  It was like the series, but bigger, better, and longer.  And quite the emotional roller-coaster, too.  Every character got their moments to shine, and the girls all looked great for their ages.

The crowd was wild.  The showing we went to was sold out, and as I scanned the crowd I only spotted two men in the entire theater.  The vibe was very much like that of a bachelorette party -- groups of intoxicated rowdy women having a great time with their friends.  They clapped and cheered more than comic book geeks at a comic book movie.

If you enjoyed Sex and the City the TV show, then I think you'll enjoy Sex and the City: The Movie.  However, I don't think it would make much sense or be very rewarding to anyone not already familiar with the characters and their backgrounds.

The problem of picking movies

Hubby and I can usually agree on which movies to see in the theater (action/adventure/sci-fi -- anything with special effects best appreciated on the big screen), but we have a much tougher time agreeing on movies to watch at home.

We just went through all the movies in On Demand and Pay-per-View, from Aliens vs. Predator to Zombie Strippers, and couldn't find a single one that we both wanted to see (although Zombie Strippers gave us pause...).

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull : Original Indiana Jones trilogy :: Phantom Menace : Original Star Wars trilogy

My suspension of disbelief can only stretch so far.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a really uneven movie.  There are parts that are great (and moved the audience to spontaneous clapping/cheering) and there are parts that are so over-the-top that they cross the line into stupid.

Hubby's theory is that George Lucas is going batshit crazy as he ages.  My theory is that he just doesn't have anyone around him now to tell him which ideas are good and which ones go too far.

So, should you see it?  Well, if you're a big Indiana Jones fan, and you see a lot of movies so seeing this one won't preclude seeing a different, better movie, and you don't go in with high expectations, then sure, go see it.  It's an action/adventure/special effects movie so you should even see it in the theater.  But be warned that it's nowhere near as good as the original movies.

Recommended: Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

HOORAY TALKING ANIMALS AND EPIC FANTASY BATTLES!  (Yes, I am 5 years old.)

It was good!  If you liked the first one, you should like the second one.  So go see it so it makes lots of money and they make the other 5 before the kids get too old.

Note: Parents of small children should be warned that the second movie is darker and more explicitly violent than the first.

I realized this afternoon that I really don't remember what happens in any of the books beyond the first (I read them over 20 years ago).  I think I'll order the boxed set and re-read them all and wallow in childhood nostalgia.

I want to take archery lessons.  And visit New Zealand.

No movie this weekend :(

Speed Racer got 35% (it still sounds pretty, though) and What Happens in Vegas (which didn't interest me to begin with) got 28%. :(

Which is too bad, because we totally could have gone and seen either of those at 3 AM.

Summer movie schedule

Upcoming movies I want to see, if the reviews don't suck (I expect that sucky reviews will probably eliminate at least half of this list):

• May 9: Speed Racer
• May 16: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
• May 22: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• May 23: War, Inc.
• May 30: Sex and the City: The Movie
• June 6: Kung Fu Panda
• June 6: You Don't Mess with the Zohan
• June 13: The Incredible Hulk
• June 13: The Happening
• June 20: Get Smart
• June 27: Wanted
• June 27: Wall·E
• July 2: Hancock
• July 11: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• July 11: Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
• July 11: Meet Dave
• July 18: The Dark Knight
• July 18: Space Chimps
• July 25: X-Files 2
• August 1: The Mummy 3
• August 1: Swing Vote
• August 8: Pineapple Express
• August 15: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• August 15: The International
• August 15: Tropic Thunder
• August 22: Fly Me to the Moon
• August 22: Bangkok Dangerous
• August 29: Babylon A.D.
• August 29: Traitor

Time to sober up

Time to sober up, originally uploaded by Jacqueline1776.

Update: Forgetting Sarah Marshall was funny, but not as funny as 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up.  Worth seeing (although perhaps not until it's out on DVD).

Deal: I have never seen a movie rated at 0% before!

Now I have. 

Hubby and I are researching which movie to sober up in this evening after the wine walk, and I noticed that the new poker movie, Deal, is playing at the theater we'll be at.  I hadn't heard anything about it so I looked it up on Rotten Tomatoes and found that NOT ONE CRITIC liked it.  One reviewer even wrote, "Deal has to take the title of the worst film ever about the game and that includes the how-to videos with Joan Rivers impersonators you see in your Vegas hotel room."

Now I kinda want to see it just to see HOW bad it is and why.  But not for $20.  We'll wait for the DVD.

So we'll either go to 21 (which I already saw, a month ago, with Fich -- and, holy crap, Fich, it's been a month?  I am a terrible friend.  We should do something soon) or Forgetting Sarah Marshall (by the same people who made Forty Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, both movies we enjoyed quite a bit).

Recommended: Iron Man is full of AWESOME and WIN!

Hubby and I enjoyed Iron Man tremendously!  In fact, we've been racking our brains trying to remember the last time we enjoyed a movie so much.

Iron Man was exciting, funny, fast-paced, smart, and held our interest to the very end.  If you like comic book/action movies at all, Iron Man is one of the top movies in the genre.  GO GO GO GO GO GO GO.

Comic book geeks, please advise: are the Iron Man comic books as enjoyable as the movie?  I am tempted to start reading them.

Update: Dangit!  Apparently we missed something by leaving at the beginning of the credits.  I guess we'll just have to go back and see it again sometime.

Iron Man rated 95% fresh!

By RottenTomatoes.com.  I was already excited about this movie after seeing the preview, and would have still gone to see it unless it was rated below 50%. 

Well, I know what we're doing tonight.

Update: Hubby points out that Hollywood movies almost never get rated in the 90's on Rotten Tomatoes -- most of the highly rated movies on that site are indie art films that only movie snobs like.  So the fact that Iron Man got 95% is a pretty impressive feat and should tell you something.

NOT recommended: The Forbidden Kingdom

Hubby and I went to go see it last night and it was so dumb that we walked out in the middle.  I was very disappointed.  I usually really enjoy Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies, so the thought of the two of them together sounded awesome.  Unfortunately, they were together in a movie with a stupid plot (very obviously ripped off from several other popular movies) and worse dialog.  The only thing the movie had going for it was that it was visually very pretty.

We hadn't been the movies in a while (there's been nothing out we wanted to see for months) so seeing all the previews and in-store ads for upcoming movies was very exciting.  I am looking forward to Ironman, Narnia: Prince Caspian, X-Files, Indiana Jones, and Sex and the City.  Yay, the summer movie season is here!!!