Reviews

I didn't expect a lot from this movie. Now, I am a big Marvel fan but I'm also picky about the films and there have been a few that disappointed me, but Ant-Man was the opposite. The previews were not well done and I was worried it would be a little too silly, but couldn't resist going anyway. Am I ever glad that I did!

Paul Rudd really pulled off his role well. The arc of his character was so well written, you couldn't help but root for him. He showed me a bit more as an actor than I'd ever seen from him.

In fact, the entire cast did well. If there was a glitch at all, it was in the failed attempt to make Michael Douglas look younger in the opening scenes (there's only so much you can do there) but the acting overall was excellent.

The film was a little more family-oriented than most of the Marvel fare, and it was light in comparison to most, but there was enough of the Marvel storyline to keep the fans engaged and also bring in a younger or less hard-core Marvel audience.

The effects of course, were great. There's always a question of scale consistency when it comes to movies relating to altering the size of objects, but they did a good job of making it work so that you could suspend disbelief and just go with the idea.

Also, if you do see this movie (and it's worth seeing it on the big screen, especially in IMAX) stay till the end of the credits. In true Marvel style there are two epilogues...one at the end of the feature credits, and one at the very end, both of which are great foreshadowing scenes of what's to come in the future.

Boychoir as a movie was nothing earth-shattering or surprising in it's material. It's the typical 'kid who got a rough deal in life finally gets someone who believes in him' story and has all those things that normally show up in that kind of story. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't see it...quite the opposite in fact.

First off, the script is pretty good, but fairly predictable. There are some great moments in terms of how the script is filmed though, and obviously the director is the one who deserves the most credit. The performances he pulls from the actors are fantastic, and because of this there were dozens of times when you laughed, or felt a tear well up, or just wanted to shout at the screen to support the players. That's why we go to the movies; to become emotionally involved in a story, and Boychoir accomplishes this very nicely.

Hoffman is Hoffman...there's not much else to say about him. He gives the exact right performance as you would expect. Garrett Wareing manages his role as the boy Stet very nicely, and it's a big task, a little too big for him at times, but there's potential in this young actor and it definitely surfaces. Josh Lucas and Debra Winger in their small roles add nicely to the cast, and Eddie Izzard and Kevin McHale are great in their supporting roles. The scene stealer in this film though, as is usually the case with her, is Kathy Bates. Every moment she is on screen she pulls the audience deeper into the story and injects just a touch more life into the film.

Finally, it would be remiss not to mention the music, which really is the cornerstone of the film. Watching the choir process and listening to the building sounds as the film progresses adds so much to the experience, and really helps build on the emotional lines of the story.

Boychoir is an emotional journey, and it was a nice experience to be at the premiere and be able to stand up and applaud the cast that were present, and who completely deserved the ovation.