2008-09-05T20:34:07Z http://crunchonthis.com/atom.aspx Quick Blog tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-08-24:293f37ad-6105-451e-b7df-a521db784beb Danny Minton 2008-08-24T23:03:23Z 2008-08-24T22:45:00Z

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Collector's Edition

Rated PG for some scary images
Appropriate for all ages
Available August 26, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray disc
 
Believe it or not, this classic Disney film is now 15 years-old.  A couple of years ago, Disney decided to re-release it into theaters with a new 3-D print.  Gone here is the 3-D, but the movie looks and sounds better than ever with this new transfer (especially on Blu-ray).  In case you haven't seen, Nightmare tells the story of Pumpkin King Jack Skellington as he tries to hijack Christmas from Santa Clause.  The result of this cross between Halloween and Christmas is one of the greatest animated films of all time as well one of the best musicals ever put to film.  The features are largely the same as were on the special edition launched a few years back.  What makes this one worth buying is the new commentary with Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman, as well as the original poem and concept art the film was based on, read by Christopher Lee.  The Blu-ray and Collector's Edition DVD also include a digital copy for your Ipod or other movie device.  Movie: A+     Extras: A


]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-08-24:86bbbdd4-7b35-45c2-85e7-8704414342a5 Danny Minton 2008-08-24T22:48:36Z 2008-08-24T22:30:00Z

The Presidents Collection

Available August 26, 2008 on DVD

Now that the Olympics are officially over, it's time that the world puts it's eye on who will be the next American President.  Just in time for the race to heat up, PBS home video is releasing this huge box set containing bios of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Truman, The Kennedys, LBJ, Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.  15 discs in all, this set will provide the history buffs out there with about 35 hours worth of great documentaries.  I can't say I made it all the way through the collection, but I certainly plan to by the time November rolls around and I'm very thankful that the set has been made available like this.  A
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-08-24:6dd9470b-7b23-4df4-968a-ba4dc9fe28b9 Danny Minton 2008-08-28T13:54:36Z 2008-08-24T14:56:00Z

What Happens in Vegas

Starring Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, and Rob Cordry
Rated PG-13 for some sexual and crude content, and language, including a drug reference
Appropriate for ages 15+
Available August 26, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

Joy and Jack (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) are two lonely souls that get way to drunk one night in Las Vegas and end up married to each other.  The regretful couple decide on a divorce, until Jack wins $3 million dollars on a slot machine.  Without being able to end the marriage amicably, a judge orders the two to live together for six months and attend marriage counseling, or neither get any money.  In order to get the other to quit and walk away, they each set up strategies and traps.

With a plot like this, the movie can't help but be a predictable mess.  Anyone could read the above summary and be able to guess where the film ends up.  Since there is no way to make the film unpredictable, you would think that they would at least make the movie funny.  Unfortunately, Diaz is unconvincing in her role and almost seems incapable of adding humor to the mix here.  Instead, the filmmakers inject humor by relying on Kutcher, his loser friend and attorney Rob Cordry, and their hanger-on Zach Galifianakis.  This formula provides for a couple of laughs, but gets old quick and makes you wish the film would end sooner.  I will admit that there are a couple of good bits by Rob and Zach on the extra features, but not enough to make it worth the rental, purchase, or the time spent watching.  Movie: D     Extras: C
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-08-23:c420b33b-7044-4b82-b16b-ad7a5f2ab98c Danny Minton 2008-08-24T15:16:20Z 2008-08-23T12:21:00Z

South Park: The Complete Eleventh Season

Appropriate for ages 17+
Available August 12, 2008 on DVD
 
Ten years ago if you would have told me that South Park, the immature but funny cartoon about a group of delinquents living in South Park, Colorado would still be making clever, witty, social commentaries in 2007, I would have scoffed.  After all, how long can people watch a show about fart jokes and crude humor?  Now, over a decade later, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are still churning out thought-provoking yet hilarious episodes season after season.  This season touched on such social issues as homelessness, racism, homosexuality, the presidential race, and the destruction of our imaginations.  Of course, the silly stuff like the world's largest fecal output, guitar hero, and head lice are still making us laugh as well.  While the special features are scarce, I highly recommend you watch each episode with it's respective mini-commentary.  Instead of long, drawn-out ramblings from the creators, Trey and Matt give us great insight into the season through 5-minute-long discussions at each episode's beginning.  Episodes: A     Extras: A-

]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-08-19:21812f97-88d5-434c-b0c9-bf63da08907c Danny Minton 2008-08-23T12:45:41Z 2008-08-19T17:39:00Z

CJ7

Directed by and starring Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle)
Rated PG for language, thematic material, some rude humor, and brief smoking
Appropriate for all ages
Available August 12, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray disc
 
In case the Olympic games in Beijing fail to give you your China fix, never fear - famed Chinese director/actor Stephen Chow is here to give us his version of ET.  With big adult hits like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer behind him, he decided to make a childrens film next.  But this is no ordinary kid flick.  CJ7 follows the life of a father and his son living in extreme poverty in China.  The father, played by Chow, works hard at a construction job so that his son can go to a private school and have great opportunities.  When he is unable to buy his son a popular toy that he wants, he stumbles across a strange alien pet in a junkyard.  Calling it CJ7, the alien befriends the boy, causes tons of mischief, and teaches everyone a lesson in life.  This is a truly weird little film that is worth watching not because of it's terrific filmmaking or storytelling (it has neither) but rather for it's creativity and uniqueness.  The pic is in Chinese with subtitles as well an English dub for those that either can't read yet, or don't want to.  Movie: B     Extras: C-





]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-08-04:c4b6c7d6-f348-4282-8001-e0ead5b0a41c Danny Minton 2008-08-04T13:19:07Z 2008-08-04T12:54:00Z

The Counterfeiters

Starring Karl Markovics, August Diehl, and David Streisow
Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky
Rated R for some strong violence, brief sexuality/nudity, and language
Appropriate for ages 17+
In German with English Subtitles
Available August 5th, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

Winner of the 2007 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, The Counterfeiters tells the true story of Salomon Sorowitsch (Markovics), a Jewish counterfeiter from Berlin sent to a concentration camp during World War 2.  Instead of being put into the main camp, though, the Nazis send him to a special area where he will lead a group of Jewish bankers and currency experts to develop a counterfeit British Pound and U.S. Dollar in the hopes flooding the market and destroying the Allied powers economically.  Here, Sorowitsch and his men must walk the thin line between giving the Nazis what they want, so they are not killed, and stalling them long enough to outlast the war.  The Counterfeiters is not the least bit a depressing film, but rather a thrilling tale of the struggle to survive and subvert.  The acting is top notch and the story-telling keeps you on your toes throughout.  The DVD and Blu-ray are loaded with special features and a very interesting commentary from director Stefan Ruzowitzky. 
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-08-02:a102fd66-58b8-4683-950a-b7bffd017034 Danny Minton 2008-08-02T08:51:11Z 2008-08-02T08:21:00Z

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor     D+

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, Luke Ford, and Jet Li
Directed by Rob Cohen (XXX)
Rated PG-13 for adventure action and violence
Appropriate for ages 13+

The Story: Many years have passed since the adventures of the second Mummy outing, and now college-age son Alex (Ford) joins his parents (Fraser and Bello) to stop a Chinese emperor mummy (Li) from destroying the world. 

The Good:  Were you to watch this film with the volume off, it might be a fairly good adventure film.  The special effects are top notch, the sets are impressive, and the overall production is strong.

The Bad: Turn the volume up and what you find here is a mix of terrible writing and acting.  Coming from the writing team of Miles Millar and Alfred Gough (Herbie Fully Loaded), the dialogue here is atrocious, filled with too much exposition, too many clichés, and not enough imagination.  The overall story isn't bad, but trodding through it with these words is just tedious.

As for the acting, while Rachel Weisz says she didn't reprise her role due to her pregnancy, I can just see her looking at this script and then making any excuse not to come back.  Replacing her is the typically good Maria Bello, but between the bad accent and the worse script, I wish they had dumped the character all together.  Fraser is very average (which is to be expected), but my problem with him lies more in the fact that he doesn't pass for the father of a twenty-something co-adventurer at all.  I'm sure that with a stronger script, the acting could have been better.  After all, there is some decent talent here, but with the material given the acting is bound to be pretty lame. 

The Summary: Let's just pray that Mummy 4 stays buried.
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-07-28:bd4cf1ac-a900-49d4-98c1-92f786c91741 Danny Minton 2008-08-02T08:51:46Z 2008-07-28T13:36:00Z

Shine A Light

Starring The Rolling Stones
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, drug references, and smoking
Appropriate for ages 13+
Available July 29, 2008 on Blu-ray Disc and DVD

I would normally not tout a rock concert DVD, but this is not your normal rock concert DVD.  Legendary director Martin Scorsese took it upon himself to create this documentary/concert of the iconic rock band The Rolling Stones.  Set in the intimate Beacon Theater in New York City in 2006, this amazing concert included tons of Stones classics songs and a few newer tunes.  The guests on stage included Christina Aguilera, Buddy Guy and The White Stripe's Jack White.  Originally conceived for IMAX theaters, this disc plays fine at home (with a good sound system that is), and even if you are not a Stones fan, this is a movie that anyone would find both entertaining and thrilling.  The disc contains a short documentary and four songs not included in the original film, including their smash hit Paint It Black. 
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-07-25:d17f0379-c0db-4968-a866-7bf5c7733f5b Danny Minton 2008-07-25T10:36:34Z 2008-07-25T09:44:00Z

The X-Files: I Want To Believe     D

Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and Billy Connolly
Directed by Chris Carter (The X-Files)
Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing content and thematic material
Appropriate for ages 13+

The Story: Many years after the events of the first X-Files movie (I don't remember those events either), Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) are brought on by the FBI to try to solve another mysterious case.  An FBI agent has disappeared, and a former catholic priest and pedophile (Connolly) is able to telepathically lead the FBI to evidence surrounding her kidnapping and the kidnapping of other victims as well.

The Good: I used to be a big X-Files fan back in it's day.  I even named my Golden Retriever Scully.  One of the things that I loved most about the show was Duchovny's great line delivery.  He is such a talented actor and is almost always enjoyable to watch.  Even when the script goes south, when Fox opens his mouth, you can't help but snicker.  I also enjoyed Connelly's performance as well.  He has the guilt-ridden pedophile priest down cold.

The Bad: First off, was their a need for a new X-Files movie?  And if there was, shouldn't it surround something more grand than this?  While the overall premise here is as weird as the original show, the film itself should have been nothing more than made-for-TV movie.  There is nothing here that says "Wow - this is a great story - let's go spend 35 million dollars t make it!"  The script is just plain awful and aside from Duchovney and Connelly, the acting is atrocious.  Actor/rapper Xzibit is bad enough to take you out of the film every time his face graces the screen.  Maybe he needs to concentrate a bit more on his music, because I don't see any trace of talent here. 

And what about that title?  I Want To Believe?  It is hard for me to believe that this didn't make the suits at Fox cringe.  I know it made me automatically assume that this movie was not going to be a serious attempt at renewing the X-Files mythology. 

The Summary: While the weirdness of the story might make some super fans happy, the majority will dismiss this as a complete waste of theater space.
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-07-18:442712b1-fda6-41ae-8e0c-677d46db9702 Danny Minton 2008-07-18T13:24:44Z 2008-07-18T12:36:00Z

The Dark Knight    A-

Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Maggie Gyllenhaal
Directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins)
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace
Appropriate for ages 15+

The Story: The vigilante superhero Batman (Bale) has all but ended crime throughout Gotham City when a new villain who calls himself The Joker (Ledger) makes a move to bring anarchy and chaos to the peaceful city.  Batman's alter ego (Bruce Wayne) decides that it is time to end the career of the caped crusader and wishes to instill power into Gotham's district attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart).  Even though Dent has a romantic involvement with his true love Rachel Dawes (Gyllenhaal), Wayne knows that he truly holds the key to retiring Batman and bringing lasting peace.  Unfortunately for them all, The Joker has completely different plans.

The Good: It is hard to imagine a more anticipated movie this year than Dark Knight.  Not even Indiana Jones had the buzz felt worldwide for this superhero crime drama.  With Ledger's passing, and the stories told of the madness that this film might have driven him to, many people are more than just a little curious about what could go down as a legendary film.  What most people want to know is - is Ledger really as good as they are saying?  The answer here is an absolute yes.  Ledger's Joker is one of the most complex and disturbing characters to ever grace the silver screen, and I truly believe that this was talent driven and not just the result of good writing.  He was able make me scared, make me laugh, and even make me shed a tear when I realized that this was the last we'll ever see of him.  I'm not sure if he will win the Oscar posthumously, but I certainly hope that he does.

The production and direction of the film was strong, as was expected.  The stunts, special effects, explosions, sound, and score all made for a thrilling adventure that will be the cause for many return visits.  The complex plot will also get many folks to see the film multiple times.  It's not that you can't appreciate it from one visit, but this is a convoluted story that I firmly believe demands at least a second viewing.

The Bad: While most of the cast turn in excellent performances, there were many supporting characters that flat-out shouldn't have been in the film.  Some of the mob bosses must have been friends of Nolan, because I don't think that a production this big would have allowed some of these small roles to make it through casting.  Almost as a rule, if Eric Roberts is in the film, it can't be good.  While that rule doesn't apply here, that doesn't mean his performance was up to snuff.  The biggest disappointment was Maggie Gyllenhaal as the replacement for Katie Holmes as the pseudo love interest.  While Maggie is normally very good, her performance here just didn't really seem right.

I must also give a warning to parents that this is not a good film for kids.  This feels very much like a R rated film, and I'm sure that they did just enough to get the rating down to PG-13.  It is not only very violent, but incredibly disturbing as well.  

The Summary: While it has it's small flaws, this new Batman installment is an impressive motion picture, largely made so by the performance of a greatly-missed talent. 


]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-07-14:df6a69c1-9411-4700-9653-3326bf1300d6 Danny Minton 2008-07-15T22:35:18Z 2008-07-14T23:45:00Z

Mamma Mia!    F

Starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Rated PG-13 for some sex-related comments
Appropriate for ages 15+

The Story: A young girl (Seyfried) is getting married in Greece, but before she does, she wants to discover who her real father is.  When going through the diary of her mother (Streep), she discovers that it could be any of three different men.  After she sends all three an invitation to her wedding, they all show up, not knowing why they are there.

The Good: It's hard to make an Island in the Mediterranean look ugly, so of course the cinematography is gorgeous.  I also thought that the story itself wasn't too bad.  If there weren't Abba songs sung every three minutes it might have been enjoyable. 

I will admit that there were a lot of people at the screening that enjoyed it.  If you are a rabid Abba fan, and you don't mind singing worse than a drunken karaoke bar, then you might actually have a good time.

The Bad: I was in physical pain from the first second to the last.  I have never been an Abba fan, and dislike their songs very much, so needless to say I loathed the songs coming from a bunch of named actors that should not be listing singing on their talent resumes.  Seyfried has a decent voice, and I might be able to take Streep in very small doses, but this much music, sung by so many bad vocalists, made me want to put myself on suicide watch.

Before you accuse me of someone who hates musicals, please remember, I thought that Sweeney Todd was the best film of 2007.  Even though Sweeney didn't have the best singers, their voices didn't remind me fingernails on a chalkboard (a preferable alternative here).  Also, Mamma Mia! isn't exactly Sondheim.

The Summary: The only way to make Abba songs sound worse than they already are is to have them spring forth from the mouths of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. 
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-07-10:83a34533-1c69-4639-9c89-2e78c23ec7d5 Danny Minton 2008-07-15T23:01:45Z 2008-07-10T22:40:00Z

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army     A

Starring Ron Pearlman, Selma Blair, and Jeffrey Tambor
Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth)
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence and some language
Appropriate for ages 15+

The Story: A cross between Hancock and Ghost Busters, Hellboy is hated by most men even though he is just a friendly demon that has feelings, loves cats, and kills paranormal enemies that threaten mankind.  In this new chapter, Hellboy must stop an evil elf from unleashing the deadly mechanical Golden Army that would destroy all humans.

The Good: While the first Hellboy pic was interesting and unusual, this new film comes across as vibrant and spectacular.  The world that director Guillermo del Toro brings us here is much more imaginative than the first film.  It is certainly more reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth than his previous works and all the little details should bring joy to those going for multiple viewings.

Storywise, this is also a superior film with a well-defined villain and fun new characters and creatures to enjoy. 

I was also very impressed with how at-home Pearlman and company have become with their roles.  I can only imagine that wearing that much makeup would be incredibly difficult for an actor, but Pearlman never shows it and brings Hellboy to life in the way that few actors in Hollywood could. 

Production wise, the film is just plain brilliant.  Beautiful sights, bold colors, and a rich musical score by Danny Elfman provide for a really great movie experience. 

The Bad: For me, the film itself is hard to criticize.  I really loved it.  I will say that the theater you see it in can make quite the difference.  We screened it in a normally well-run theater (Edwards Marq*E in Houston), but the manager decided to knowingly show the movie with a burnt out bulb, making the film much too dark to be fully appreciated.  The good news is - that gives me a chance to go see the film again, hopefully the way it was meant to be seen. 

The Summary: As much arthouse as it is action, Hellboy is a terrific summer superhero flick that won't dumb down the audience watching it. 
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-07-10:146fbeac-73ab-4b85-b06e-51f60e8d54e3 Danny Minton 2008-07-15T23:03:53Z 2008-07-10T22:16:00Z

The Bank Job

Starring Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows
Directed by Roger Donaldson (The Recruit)
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, violence and language
Appropriate for ages 17+
Available July 15, 2008 on One-Disc, Two-Disc, and Blu-ray disc editions

This early 70's period crime piece is very loosely based on a true story about a group of hooligans in London that devise a sophisticated way to rob a bank.  When MI:5, the London police, and various criminals get involved, the robbers end up with much more than they thought they were in for.  Fortunately for us, so does the audience.  Lionsgate sold this as a thriller, instead of what it is: a gripping crime drama.  I found myself intrigued at every level and my nails were once again chewed to the stub (I gotta get something for that).  The disc comes with your standard making-of documentary as well as a featurette on the actual robbery.  Also included here on the two-disc and Blu-ray editions is a digital copy of the film that you can put on your Ipod or computer. 
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-07-01:eab55541-0679-4882-84f7-0e30443ee513 Danny Minton 2008-07-01T22:56:53Z 2008-07-01T16:30:00Z

Hancock     B

Starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron
Directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights)
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language Appropriate for ages 15+

The Story: Most people consider Hancock (Smith) to be a reckless and careless drunken superhero that causes more trouble than he's worth.  In order to fix this image problem, Hancock requests the assistance of public relations specialist Ray Embrey (Bateman), and turns both of their lives upside down.

The Good: The first half of this film is a blast.  The premise of a down-on-his luck, unwanted superhero that accidentally does more damage than good makes for a very creative story line.  Smith is his normal charismatic self and you can't go wrong with Jason Bateman as the image repairman. 

The production values are top notch here with eye-popping visuals and non-stop action/comedy.  There were many moments where I was going from nail-biting to knee-slapping. 

The Bad: While the first half of the film was terrific, the second half left much to be desired.  It was great getting to know Hancock, but discovering his back story was a big let down. 

I was also disappointed in the lack of a decent villain.  The bad guy here would be weak against a normal human, so you can imagine how lame he is compared to the likes of Hancock. 

Finally, I must give a warning to parents: there is a lot of bad language throughout the movie.  I don't normally care, but with kids being a main target of the film, I think that most parents might want to know that they threw in as much bad language as they could get away with in a PG-13 film.

The Summary: Hancock starts out super but finishes weak.

]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-06-26:1c6feff8-3d36-462e-b7bd-c228b17b0e6d Danny Minton 2008-06-26T19:12:48Z 2008-06-26T18:33:00Z

Failure is the Key

An Interview with WALL-E Director Andrew Stanton

    Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with legendary film maker Andrew Stanton from Pixar Animation Studios.  In addition to being one Pixar's founders, Andrew has directed three of their films including WALL-E, Finding Nemo, and A Bug's Life, and written six of their feature films including all of the above plus Toy Story 1 and 2 and Monsters, Inc.  While I was fascinated with the making of WALL-E, the question I wanted answered the most was "what is the secret of Pixar's success?"

    I was surprised to hear Andrew's response.  "We learned really early on that part of making movies is making a million mistakes, and is falling on your face, and is taking risk, and that is not something you should be trying to get out of the equation.  That is something you should embrace and plan for.  I don't think that we are any smarter, or any more talented, or even better than anyone else, but I think that we've gotten very good at how do you repair your mistakes.  We are very good at figuring out how to pick up the pieces after we have fallen off our bike fifteen times, and how to improve and encourage each other to make the picture better.  It might seem counter-intuitive to encourage people to fail, but once you are right in the middle of it, it makes complete sense to work that way."

    Where as most Hollywood studios panic, fire people, pull plugs, or simply ignore, Pixar seems to nurture their projects until they come out as the polished works of art that we, as an audience, are privileged to get to see. 

    Wouldn't it be an interesting world if we practiced this philosophy with our children, our students, or even our workers?  Encouraging failure with a dream of perfection might just make all of our lives a little better. 

]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-06-26:6f3f8daf-16bd-4d92-a970-91b0602ccd81 Danny Minton 2008-06-26T18:26:51Z 2008-06-26T17:36:00Z

WALL-E     A+

Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo)
Rated G
Appropriate for all ages

The Story: The year is 2700 and mankind has left Earth for many centuries, leaving tons of trash as a sign of their presence.  A little robot named WALL-E is also left behind in order to clean up all the mountains of garbage, piece by piece.  One day WALL-E comes across a new female robot named Eve, that is dropped off by a mysterious space ship.  The two establish a close relationship until Eve's mission is complete and she must leave the planet.  WALL-E decides he can't be without her and grabs onto the departing ship, thus beginning his galactic adventure.

The Good: From the very beginning, WALL-E establishes himself as an incredibly lovable character.  While he doesn't exactly talk in a language we can understand, that doesn't prevent us from being able to interpret his actions and expressions. 

What you will find when you go back through the Pixar library is that story is what drives their movies, not the voice talent or the look (unlike most other studios' animated projects).  WALL-E would be no exception.  Pixar does such a phenomenal job here of taking such a simple story and making it into an epic.

In addition to terrific writing and directing, the score by Thomas Newman not only provides an amazing backdrop, but serves as the primary mode of communication throughout the film. 

The Bad: The animation technique used here can is quite beautiful, but can make it difficult for theater projectionists to get in focus.  In a particular scene, only one or maybe two things will be in focus, and everything else out.  If the projectionist doesn't fix this in the opening credits, then you might get eye strain from watching it.  Needless to say, the headache that came my way didn't prevent me from appreciating this remarkable film. 

The Summary: WALL-E is yet another perfect Pixar masterpiece.
]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-06-21:86ce219d-2c9a-4fcc-9663-bde631d355dd Danny Minton 2008-06-21T12:02:02Z 2008-06-21T11:40:00Z


Persepolis

Featuring the voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Sean Penn, and Gena Rowlands
Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi
Rated PG-13 for thematic material including violent images, sexual references, language and brief drug content
Appropriate for ages 13+
Available June 24, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray disc

In this Oscar-nominated animated film from France, writer/director Marjane Satrapi tells her story of growing up as a rebellious Iranian girl during Iran's Islamic Revolution.  The story shows not only the dangers of her childhood, but also the similarities of children regardless of culture.  Young Marjane wants so badly to live her own life, listen to rock and roll, wear makeup and western clothing (not to be confused with country and western clothing), but due to the powerful restrictions of her country, she can only do this in private.

There are so many things to love about this film including it's history, culture, and spirit and the reminder that the world is full of human beings and not just others that are different from us. 

The special features are many, but the documentary 'The Hidden Side of Persepolis' stands out as a fascinating look at the animation and film-making process that you should check out after you have seen the movie.  Also, you can watch the film with an English dub, but I highly recommend you see the original French version with subtitles instead.  The French version has far better voice acting and inflection while the English dub feels a little flat. 

]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-06-21:446a107b-012e-4a1c-bb0c-55315a708295 Danny Minton 2008-06-21T11:40:00Z 2008-06-21T11:16:00Z

In Bruges

Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes
Directed by Martin McDonagh
Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use
Appropriate for ages 17+
Available June 24, 2008 on DVD

After two hitmen (Farrell and Gleason) botch an assassination, they are sent to the medieval town of Bruges, Belgium to hang out until their boss (Fiennes) comes to call on them.  While they try to stay out of trouble, the attempt is in vain and trouble comes looking for them.  To make matters worse, the botched hit has left an emotional scar on the younger hitman, which causes irreparable damage.

This is a difficult film to categorize.  It's kind of a European gangster film but with tons of laughs.  And while the comedy here is huge, the drama gives an even larger amount of gravity to the film.  I consider this to be the best live-action film to have been released this year so far. 

The special features are definitely worth the extra hour of watching.  The deleted scenes should have been in the film and each of the featurrettes, including the Bruges travel vignette and the bad language montage add a special dimension to the DVD.


]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-06-19:4bdf47cb-20c0-4024-967b-317c8620b857 Danny Minton 2008-06-19T21:32:30Z 2008-06-19T20:38:00Z

Get Smart     B

Starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, and Dwayne Johnson
Directed by Peter Segal (Tommy Boy)
Rated PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language
Appropriate for ages 13+

The Story: Maxwell Smart is a highly regarded analyst for the secret government agency CONTROL, but he dreams of one day becoming a secret agent.  When he finally gets his chance, he competently bumbles through his assignments and finds that he must personally take on the evil terrorist organization KAOS in order to save the president and possibly the world. 

The Good: What I enjoyed most about this remake of the classic television show is how much it surprised me.  I fully expected that I had already seen most of the good scenes in the trailers and that I would be bored.  I must admit that most of the great scenes were in the trailers, but there was still a lot of good humor and action that was fresh and fun to watch. 

Carell fills the shoes of Don Adams with great talent, and proves himself to be much less the clumsy idiot than I remember from the old show.  This new Maxwell Smart is truly good at his job, he just makes a few more mistakes than would James Bond. 

The rest of the cast here is pretty remarkable as well.  Most of the actors involved are very talented and get the opportunity to justly steal their scenes. 

The Bad: I get the sense that the film makers weren't sure if they wanted to make this a slap-stick comedy or a comedic action flick.  It has elements of both, but doesn't go all the way with either.  Just when you think Maxwell is going to screw things up, he does just the opposite and reacts with a hero's strength and a natural action.  But at many instances the characters go completely over-the-top and do very abnormal things. 

The Summary: Overall, this is a humorous and entertaining summer diversion that should please most audiences. 

]]> tag:crunchonthis.com,2008-06-15:038f0fd2-85b2-48d3-8aa6-c0c6d5aa0e57 Danny Minton 2008-06-15T14:54:56Z 2008-06-15T14:09:00Z

The Happening     D

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense)
Rated R for violent and disturbing images
Appropriate for ages 17+

The Story: In the Northeastern United States, a chemical has been released into the air that is causing people to stop what they are doing and kill themselves.  A school teacher and his wife escape from the city and head into the country where they think they might be safe from whatever is happening. 

The Good: There is an interesting premise here.  Having the plants of the Earth tell us that they won't take it anymore and remind us that they have the power to give life and steal it - well that could be the makings of a good story. 

Other than the premise, the only other redeeming quality is the beautifully haunting score by composer James Newton Howard.  As he did for Shyamalan's last two films, The Lady in the Water and The Village, Howard gives us music that elevates far above the movie he is scoring.

The Bad: Where do you start?  I guess that the most responsible for this mess of a film is writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan.  At least with his other films one could say that the directing itself was solid and there were just a few script problems.  Many of the scenes here look completely amateurish, like a B movie made by a below-average film student.  And there aren't just a few script mistakes here - this script absolutely stinks.  Every page of it. 

The actors could probably blame the script for their lousy performances, but in actuality, the entire film was miscast and the performances were laughable.  I'm not sure what people would be acting like if something like this were to occur, but I can assure you it wouldn't be anything like this.

Just like The Village, the film has been misrepresented by it's advertising.  If you recall, The Village was sold as a horror film when in fact it was a drama.  Now they are billing The Happening as M. Night's first rated R film.  That might be true, but the only reason it is rated R is to stir up interest.  The violence is lame and looks straight out of a Monty Python movie.  There was no need for the extra violence and only exists to manipulate uninformed movie goers into going.  Now you are informed. 

The Summary: Someday someone will stop bankrolling Shyamalan's dumb dreams and keep this kind of tripe from happening.
]]>