Showing posts with label 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Instant Reaction: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)



I remember leaving the theatre after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and I turned to my  
girlfriend at the time to ask her what she thought of the movie. She shrugged, and we continued our walk in silence, secretly reflecting on what we had just witnessed. After another minute of walking, the tension inside her boiled over and she let her feelings fly: “That movie is so beautiful that it makes me mad", she said, with genuine passion in her voice. "It’s so bad, but I’m so moved by it that I have to love it." She looked seriously distressed, but not necessarily in a bad way.

Tears were almost in her eyes as she recalled some of the film’s greatest moments; like the opening scene that sees a pirate boy hanged, or an astonishing ship battle in a whirlpool that left her in a state of awe. I share her sentiment completely; there’s so much to dislike about this film in terms of story, plot, and Johnny Depp antics. But when you focus on the score, the photography, and the truly fantastic special effects, it’s difficult not to lose yourself in the spectacle.

Once I was hooked in by the overwhelming quality of the score and visuals, I couldn’t help but love the characters and the witty dialogue. Further, once I began to let loose my rational inhibitions and let the film wash over me, the crazy antics, such as a marriage conducted during a sword fight, began to reveal their uniquely cinematic charm.

At World’s End
strikes me on a purely visceral level and compels me to love it, even though the logical side of my brain can't stand it. And its successful in its mission, forcing me into its world despite my resistance. Even seven years after its release, I find myself still watching it and enjoying it. You could say it’s a guilty pleasure of mine, yet I feel no guilt nor shame for loving it. It’s a technical masterpiece, one that's truly awesome to be behold.


Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Movie Review: Iron Man 3 (2013)



Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is now a shadow of his former self. He’s overwhelmed by the reality of seeing aliens; he’s struggling with the fact that he nearly died during Marvel’s The Avengers; and he can no longer seem to to put himself in his Iron Man suit. He’s a manic, depressed man, suffering from crippling panic attacks and insomnia. Even his relationship with the woman he loves, Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), is on the rocks. This should have been the most interesting take on Iron Man ever: Tony Stark in denial that he’s a good person, obsessed with making sense of the inexplicable things he’s been through over the last few years, and coping by constantly trying to improve his Iron Man alter ego.

But this is not the most interesting Tony Stark we’ve seen – far from it. With one line of dialogue, Tony is reminded he is a “mechanic” who fixes things, and all of a sudden he goes from being in desperate need of therapy to a competent hero in seconds. And herein lies the problem with Iron Man 3 – none of its good ideas ever seem to pan out into anything substantial, making this outing feel hollow when compared to its predecessors. This is a bad way to start off the second round of Mavel films, which presumably will culminate in another Avengers' flick sometime in the future — and that future is looking bleak.


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Movie Review: Men in Black 3 (2012)


When I arrived at the theater to see Men in Black 3, memories of the first film were at the forefront of my mind. However, I can't remember much about the second film at all. Where the first movie was a clever mix of action and comedy, the second film was just a collection of silly moments, none of which are funny enough to be very memorable.

I'm sad to say that the third film is no different. Men in Black 3 seems like one outrageous moment after another, connected by a story that is less than interesting.

A space villain, Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), has broken out of prison and seeks vengeance against his arresting officer, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). Boris travels back in time and kills a younger Agent K (Josh Brolin), which dooms all of mankind to a destruction by alien warships.

If you're confused, I apologize. I'm doing my very best to describe the plot as accurately as possible.

Will Smith reprises his role as Agent J, who also travels back in time to thwart Boris' plan. This whole time travel gimmick seems like a decent way to write Tommy Lee Jones out of the movie, since most of the film will feature Will Smith partnered up with Josh Brolin. It's rather strange to see Jones receive top billing; his screen time is quite limited.