Author: crunchonthis

    Original film making is so hard to find and this is truly one of the most original films in years.  The movie looks like an incredibly expensive studio film, but in reality, it is a $30 million pseudo-independent pic, produced by none other than Peter Jackson.  Regardless, the effects are truly eye-popping, with a world that actually looks like humans and insect-like aliens co-exist together.  So just for the aesthetics alone, this is a stunning picture.

    But the film is so much more than effects.  The script toys with social issues like apartheid and morality, and then switches into full action modes seamlessly.  What could have been a preachy sci-fi film only hits days after you’ve had time to reflect.  After all, it’s hard to dwell on racism and social injustices too long when you are being so thoroughly entertained.

    As for the acting, I find it hard to believe that this is Copley’s first feature film as he is remarkable throughout.  I can’t imagine a A-lister that could have turned in a better performance in this role. 

    Likewise, this is writer/director Neil Blomkamp’s first feature as well, and he performs like a seasoned veteran.  Hollywood could have butchered a movie like this had they gotten their hands on it, and we are truly fortunate as an audience to see his vision come to life here, untainted by outside hands.

    As you can tell from the description, this film is made up of two very different stories, told at the same time.  This makes for an interesting approach to the script for a couple of reasons.  First, it shows the modern day obsession with cooking and then the person responsible for making cooking popular on television.  Secondly, the story of Julie alone would not have been enough to tell a compelling story, especially for a feature length film.  The addition of the Julia Child storyline was much needed in order to make the film interesting enough to sit through. 

    A mutualistic relationship is not seen here though.  It probably goes without saying that while Julie needs the Julia tale, the story of Julia would have been just fine without Julie.  In fact it would have probably been better.  It’s not that the modern tale is bad – it’s just that it pales in comparison.  The performance by Adams is good enough, and while the strain in the relationship with her husband was a little forced, and some of her stresses were overly dramatic, it’s still bearable.  The memorable part of the movie, however, is the world of Julia Child in 1950s France.  The performance by Streep could very well earn her another Oscar nom and I have to admit that I ran right out to buy the book, and well, let’s just say I devoured it.  Every part of the French story was entertaining and enthralling.

    Upon hearing that Judd Apatow was going to make a film about comedy, I couldn’t wait to see what he was going to do with it.  Then I heard that he was bringing lymphoma into it and I had to do a double take.  How can you make that funny?  The answer is you can’t.  Even when visiting the doctor, and Sandler and Rogen are trying to joke with the European physician, there is such an air of discomfort that it is hard to laugh without a tear trying to make its way out.  The fact is, this film is very funny, but because of the gravity of both the illness and Simmons trying to deal with his wasted life, the laughs aren’t big, but rather more heartfelt and emotional. 

    Each of the performances here is really terrific, especially Sandler’s.  I didn’t think he could top Punch Drunk Love, and I’m still not certain he did, but he really knocks this one out of the park and Rogen comes in right behind him.  It was also great to see Leslie Mann get a chance to be in a less light-hearted role as well.

    As it happened with 40-Year-Old-Virgin and Knocked Up, as well as countless other hits he has produced over the last few years, the real star here is Apatow who seems to have put together an almost perfect combination of drama and comedy with a huge dose of reality.  It also helps that not only is his writing as strong as ever, but his directing and storytelling skills are maturing.    I’m sure we’ll see a lot more silliness coming from him in the future, but surprises like this are always welcome.

    While this is one of the most successful films to have ever come from Taiwan, I feel that the cultural rift might be a little too much for some.  I’m not saying the film is bad, but I can’t say I would recommend it highly either.  I can blame much of the confusion of the film on the bad subtitles for which I’m certain that much is lost in translation.  After all, I don’t think a love song about Skywalker would whip the crowd into a frenzy of excitement, but if it would have, then I probably just have a clear lack of cultural understanding. 

    What is most impressive about the film was the beautiful cinematography and production.  I’ve never seen Taiwan look like such a lovely tourist destination in my life.  The beaches, the people, and the street life all look incredibly enticing.  B-

    I am going to preface this entire review by saying that this film is obviously not for me, but it seemed that the audience, chalked full of young children, really enjoyed it.  The kids couldn’t get enough of the talking animals and their antics.  They were standing up, dancing, excited, and in need of less sugar and stronger ADD drugs (in my humble opinion).  But nevertheless – they seemed to really be engaged and enjoying their time in the theater immensely.

    So what was wrong with the film?  First off, the script was pretty darn dumb and poorly executed.  First off, the jokes seemed very stale.  For example, Penelope Cruz’s pig Juarez makes a complaining comment about not being able to get anything off the rack due to her body shape, but then makes threats to the human girl for putting a dress on her.  These sorts of jokes just weren’t well thought out.  They weren’t very funny to begin with and then the inconsistencies set in.  The only dialogue that worked for me was that of Tracy Morgan’s creature Blaster.  He was just as funny as he is on 30 Rock, but in this case, no one around him could keep up. 

    The biggest disappointment, performance wise, was Galifianakis who is normally a really funny comedian.  All of the human interactions with the rodents looked awkward and poorly directed, but his talents especially were underutilized and he came across dry and boring.  Not a good turn considering the waves he made in The Hangover. 

    And while the animals all looked good on screen and the 3D (for those theaters that offer it) is of course eye-popping, I just couldn’t get excited about what I saw.  

    Still, if what you need is a 90-minute baby sitter, or something that will put a smile on your kid’s face, you could do worse than G-Force, but don’t expect to be blown away yourself.  C