Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunter had an interesting and different premise but from the beginning it never quite found its footing. For one thing, I didn’t buy Renner and Arterton in their roles although the script didn’t help matters so their performances are somewhat forgivable. All told, sadly this is a downright forgettable movie with nothing to offer except for Famke Janssen’s hammy, yet fun, performance.
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While the “Tin Man” miniseries isn’t bad, this budget release however isn’t very good. Although it is nice all of the features were ported over, placing a 4+ hour show on one disc really dilutes the video and audio presentation to average levels compared with the original RHI release which was far better and still available for purchase on Amazon.com for (at the time of this writing) only a couple bucks more.
The 8-part documentary is fascinating and should be viewed by anyone interested in the historical elements of John F. Kennedy from childhood, his run in politics to become President and ultimately, his assassination. It’s a well produced series. This Blu-ray/DVD set also includes some great archival footage so it’s well worth checking out.
Vegas Vacation is the weakest in the series but still somewhat fun thanks in large part to the energy and chemistry between Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. Given it is rated PG, it is a safe movie yet there are some scenes that will get a chuckle so it’s not a complete loss.
Bedazzled is one, wait for it, Devil of a good time… Actually, it’s a showcase for both Brendan Fraser’s physical comedy with “SNL”-bits strewn together with a fun, if not thin, premise.
Simply Irresistible is an average romantic comedy headlined by then starlet Sarah Michelle Gellar who was at the height of her fame from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and to some extent, I Know What You Did Last Summer; but even though Gellar is charming, the rest of the movie falls flat.
My Super Ex-Girlfriend never quite fulfills the potential of the storyline but the movie still is fun propelled by entertaining performances by Uma Thurman, Anna Faris and, to a certain extent, Luke Wilson.
Best Laid Plans isn’t a great film but I suppose one could call it a gem of a crime-thriller. The movie is held up thanks in large part due to the performances from Alessandro Nivola and Reese Witherspoon as well as some slick writing by Ted Griffin.
Howl’s Moving Castle may not be considered one of Miyazaki’s greatest works but I enjoyed the movie for its splendid visuals, interesting storyline and well cast voice actors for both the Japanese and English-dubbed versions.
Lego Batman: The Movie – Super Heroes Unite has some good laughs and the stop-motion animation is well done, however if you’ve played the game, you’ve already seen the vast majority of the movie with only bits newly created to bridge the scenes together to make a coherent story.
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Beautiful Creatures is hardly a perfect fantasy movie but it did at least surpass my expectations thanks to the fact it’s a competently film that is way above anything the Twilight movies have done. The two leads are amazing and some of the visual effects are well done even if the story grows a tad thin for its two-hour running time.
National Lampoon’s Vacation is as funny as ever with a great cast, hilarious jokes and an all around fun storyline filled with a mix of low-brow and even, for the time, risqué humor.
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Safe Haven is an overwrought romance-drama that hits similar chords from the other Nicholas Sparks’ movie adaptations with a bit of a suspense wrinkle thrown in. Even taking the romantic angle aside, the movie is very predictable.
there’s plenty to dislike about Parker from the one-dimensional characters, lame plot and a star that doesn’t seem able to branch out more. Sure, the main character is interesting given he is not the wholesome hero audiences are used to but even then it’s been done before.
Iron Man 3 is hardly the perfect comic book movie and while it certainly was better than its predecessor, which was more of a prequel to The Avengers, it didn’t quite meet the standards of the first movie. Even so, Downey Jr. once again hits it out of the park and the plot itself, albeit simple, was engaging enough. I wasn’t overly thrilled with the villains although Kingsley and Pearce give it their all. Iron Man 3 is a fun, entertaining film perfect to kick off the theatrical summer season.