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Logiebear42
Reviews
The Hangover Part II (2011)
More of the same but just as fresh
The Hangover (Part 1) was a great film - the pacing was excellent, it was a new and refreshing idea executed brilliantly. It stands up on repeat viewings and still surprises with how funny it is.
Now we have Part 2, the set up sounds the same; one of the guys is getting married, they (reluctantly) have a bachelor party end up getting wasted and wake up with no recollection of the night before and a member of the gang missing. Cue surprises as they unravel the mystery. Throughout the pre-hungover set up, I'll admit I was worried. There are many nudges and winks to the original that are genuinely funny but thankfully the writers stop making homage and the originality begins.
I won't ruin any of the surprises as the mysteries set up are excellent and caught the entire theater by surprise every time. Be warned that part 2 follows the formula of the first but never feels old.
Bradley Cooper largely takes a backseat as this is Ed Helms' show. Sure Zach Galafianakis has the bulk of the comedy and is on form as Alan throughout the entire film but Helms grounds the film with his descent into insanity with everything Bangkok throws at him, balancing Alan's childlike naivety and Cooper's straight(er) man perfectly.
The cinematography, soundtrack, writing and direction are all fantastic the whole way through, showing the squalor and seedy side of Bangkok in a classy and energetic way.
The verdict is go see this film. After watching it I honestly cannot decide whether Hangover 1 or 2 is better. surely that's the sign of a good sequel. Sure Part 1 is fresh and original but Part 2 takes the formula and ramps it up as far as it will go. Enjoy the surprises and go along for a crazy ride.
I'm Not Harry Jenson. (2009)
Refreshing
INHJ fascinates me. As a media student having studied the horror and thriller genres, the codes, conventions and clichés are expected, blatant and eradicate all suspense film-makers aim to achieve from their use. This film tip-toes around nearly every single one of them and creates something entirely fresh.
The main character, Stanley, is a writer who pens novels based on murderers; such as Harry Jensen who killed 37 people prior to his execution. Finding this particular murderer hard to write down, Stanley's agent Tom sends him on a trek deep in the New Zealand scrub, reachable only by helicopter. After the trek's first night in the bush, one of his fellow travellers is dead and anyone could be the killer.
Stand-out performances from Gareth Reeves, Renato Bartolomei and excellent editing and sound take the film from beginning to end with no hesitation. The climax is to be seen to be believed.
INHJ is an excellent first film from the directors, I certainly hope to see more films in this class from the NZ film industry.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
Pure Family Friendly Fun
The Ice Age series is famed for it's physical comedy and heartwarming moments, coupled with incredible animation. Ice Age 3 is certainly no disappointment in this respect and shines through every second.
The plot kicks off with Allie and Manny expecting a child, Sid feeling left out and needing to fulfill his parental potential and Diego growing tired of the domestic life and longing for adventure. Explaining any further would ruin some truly brilliant gags and story lines - I'll just say this, the story is strong throughout and enjoyable to the very end. A new character voiced expertly by Simon Pegg was always enjoyable and perhaps one of the brightest highlights of the film, some lines still making me chuckle as I think about them.
I have very few negative points on this film, probably the only thing that detracted from my enjoyment were the possums (Crash and Eddie I believe) who seemed quite forced at times and some pop culture references seemed nearly unnecessary compared to all the in-situ comedy.
I'd recommend going to the 3D edition as it is a lot more engrossing in the more energetic sequences, all of which are incredible pieces of cinema, animated or not.
All in all, a good film for kids of all ages with some good hearty laughs for the adults, an involving storyline and truly amusing characters. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Sporadically Good
Wolverine certainly starts strong with an incredible opening credits sequence to rival that of Watchmen and we learn the sordid past between Sabretooth and Wolverine in a very short space of time without it feeling rushed.
I must say, for the most part, the first half of the movie is pretty good, we see the morals Logan holds and Jackman portrays this very well, along with all the emotional angst in his life which is incredibly believable the whole way through. However lackluster performances from the other mutants that seem randomly thrown in detract from this in a major way. I do like how names and places aren't rubbed in the audience's face saying "Look how many mutants are in this movie!!" but they may as well have.
Until the halfway mark, things are very well done, it's more story- driven than effects driven which makes for a competent film. About the point where Gambit is introduced is where it all goes to pot. Story elements are thrown pointlessly in left, right and center, special effects are throw in for the sake of having them (with some very, very dodgy, obviously green screen moments), the climax is a complete flop and it all takes, dare I say, the believability away from the movie.
And I think that's my main point. The story was believable because Hugh Jackman does do an incredible job and you really feel for his character and his very sad past. But even his acting skills cannot save the sordid mess that was hastily pasted on top.
Bottom line: Wolverine is an okay film. Not amazing but not horrific. It's better than X-men 3, but it turns into a very similar film near the end which nearly ruined everything good it had going for it.
Astérix & Obélix contre César (1999)
Fans will enjoy this movie, warts and all
I was a Huge fan of the Asterix books when I was about 5-6 and as I re-read them throughout the ages, I learned more, Understood more and enjoyed it more. I've vowed to never read the newer books for fear of ruining such a good childhood experience. I've heard talk of aliens in the newer ones *shudders* And so, It was with much trepidation that I picked up a copy of Asterix and Obelix from my video store. With even more trepidation, I watched it.
As a Die-hard fan, I can tell you this: You will enjoy this movie, warts and all.
The books have been recreated to some of the minutest details imaginable, It really is incredible what a good job they have done.
That being said, There are warts. Quite a lot of them. The visual effects aren't on the great side, The CGI is far from flawless. Also a couple of moments felt like they departed too far from the original idea.
The storyline is a combination of several Asterix books, plus some new elements. so even though I mostly knew what was going to happen, there were a couple of surprises along the way. Some were good, some bad. It all depends on opinion really.
The humor is good, I highly recommend the English overdub as it doesn't just translate the movie, but makes it a hell of a lot funnier. There is a lot of slapstick comedy, well executed mostly.
To conclude: This movie isn't perfect. It's not a masterpiece and it won't win any awards. But this I can say; If you read the books, enjoyed them, understood the humor and can bear a little tackiness - Then you WILL enjoy this movie.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Brilliant and clever, some slight criticism
I thought this to be a quite faithful version of the spirit of hitchhiker's, considering a completely different plot line was added, some parts taken out, some added making it a new experience for those who know hitchhikers like the back of their hand. The only criticism i would have is cutting out the Ford Prefect non-ape-descendant joke and the babel fish being a dead giveaway that god exists, therefore he doesn't; QED. (this scene can be seen on the DVD as additional guide entry) All in all Hitchhiker's is a brilliantly clever and funny movie, and i think they should do the whole series as movies, no matter how many people oppose it.