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Articles: movies

Page 1

Movies: The Dark Knight Rises
Thursday, 2012 July 19 - 10:49 pm
I was fortunate enough to get to see an early screening of "The Dark Knight Rises", so I figure this is a perfect time to bring back movie reviews to this blog. Chris Nolan's final (well, presumed final, I guess) interpretation of "Batman" has been heavily hyped and anticipated. Hopefully this review will actually be helpful to people thinking of seeing the movie.

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Posted by Ken in: movies

Avatar: something for everyone
Monday, 2010 January 11 - 11:12 pm
Yes, James Cameron's "Avatar" is chock full of 3-dimensional in-your-face creamy goodness for everyone!

For the 18-year-olds: lots of explosions and whooshy flying scenes.

For the 14-year-olds: lots of loincloths and alien side-boob.

For the 10-year-olds: a valuable lesson about white male imperialism.

For the 6-year-olds: a plot you can easily understand and an ending you can predict.

For adults: ...

Well, almost everyone, I guess.

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Posted by Ken in: movies

Star Trek
Tuesday, 2009 May 12 - 8:57 am
Star Trek 11? Star Trek Zero? Whatever it's called, this movie is clearly the start of a new franchise, with a hot young cast and a clean slate for future story lines.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

The Dark Knight
Sunday, 2009 March 29 - 4:57 pm
I really don't see what all the fuss about "The Dark Knight" was. I finally got around to seeing it and I thought it was predictable and dull... and definitely too long. (Javi had dubbed this movie "The Long Dark Knight", and I can see why.) I found Christian Bale's acting to be wooden. Maggie Gyllenhall was utterly wasted in her role. Heath Ledger was passable as the Joker, but let's be honest: Jack Nicholson was the one who re-invented that character, not Heath. And while there was plenty of action, it was never all that gripping.

To be sure, this generation of Batman movies is a vast improvement over the previous Kilmer/Clooney/Keaton generation, but that's not saying a whole lot.

Rating: 2.5 / 5.0
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Posted by Ken in: movies

Movies: Waitress; Atonement
Tuesday, 2008 December 30 - 4:27 pm
In our household, I'm the one that ends up putting "chick flicks" in our rental queue, simply because I try to see movies that have received good reviews or award nominations. Amy doesn't particularly care for these sorts of movies; she's more of a fan of horror or action movies.

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Posted by Ken in: movies

Overheard
Tuesday, 2008 December 30 - 2:04 pm
Overheard (by Amy) in the women's restroom after seeing The Day the Earth Stood Still at the IMAX theater: "That was just too far-fetched to be believable."

Oh really? You mean, you didn't believe that the earth was invaded and nearly destroyed by super-powerful aliens, or you didn't believe that Keanu Reeves was really an actor? ("Whoa.")

My criticism of this movie wasn't its lack of believability. My criticism is that it feels like the movie just ended when the producers ran out of money. (I kinda had the same feeling about The War of the Worlds.) The ending was unsatisfying and devoid of tension, and the intended environmentalist message was drowned out by special-effects self-indulgence.

And speaking of invasion-disaster movies, we recently watched Cloverfield on DVD. My feeling is that it could have been a far better movie if not for the handheld-camera gimmick. Half the time I was questioning, "why would someone film this part?" And of course the answer was, "A character in a story wouldn't film this, but a film producer would," and that ruined the suspension of disbelief for me.

Ratings:
The Day the Earth Stood Still: 2.0 / 5.0
Cloverfield: 2.5 / 5.0

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Posted by Ken in: movies

Movie Reviews In Brief
Monday, 2007 December 17 - 8:57 pm
"I Am Legend". Um, I saw this movie before; it was called "28 Days Later". If not for Will Smith, this might have gone directly to DVD. There are as many plot holes as there are "scare you with loud noises" moments. 2.0 / 5

"Pan's Labyrinth". A beautiful, complex fairy tale woven into a story about the Spanish civil war. It's downright poetic. Ivana Baquero is brilliant. Only downside: I was turned off by some gratuitously gory scenes. 4.0 / 5

"Apocalypto". Interesting premise, but also gratuitously gory. At its core, the plot was fairly simple; I expected a bigger story, something more epic. A lot of action; not much character development. 2.5 / 5

"Wild Hogs". A cute middle-age-crisis movie; kind of a teen movie for the 40-something set. Worth seeing once; not worth seeing again. 2.5 / 5
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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

The Golden Compass?
Wednesday, 2007 December 12 - 9:16 am
You know, I really didn't have any desire to see "The Golden Compass" until church leaders started warning people not to see it.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh has issued a letter warning parish pastors about the subversive, atheistic themes in the new movie "The Golden Compass" and the book by the same name.

I'm all about subversion.

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Posted by Ken in: commentarymovies

Movies: Reviews in Brief
Sunday, 2007 October 14 - 9:08 pm
"Syriana"; "The Station Agent"; "Munich"; "300".

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

The Simpsons Movie; Superbad; Balls of Fury
Tuesday, 2007 September 4 - 10:18 pm
Quick reviews of the goofy fun movies of the summer.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Ocean's Thirteen
Thursday, 2007 June 21 - 11:00 pm
The whole gang is back for another caper.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Pirates of the Caribbean 3
Thursday, 2007 May 31 - 9:49 pm
Just enjoy the ride.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

All Your Movie Are Belong to Us
Tuesday, 2007 May 15 - 9:20 pm
A web site of free movies. How can this possibly be legal?

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Posted by Ken in: moviestechwatch

Movies: Babel
Tuesday, 2007 April 10 - 10:22 pm
Art film? Social commentary? It's a stunning film, but what's it all about?

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: The Departed
Tuesday, 2007 April 10 - 10:02 pm
Martin Scorsese's first Oscar-winning film is gritty and interesting.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Little Miss Sunshine
Wednesday, 2007 March 28 - 8:18 am
So have I mentioned that we got the Blockbuster Total Access thing? The thing that everyone calls Blockbuster's NetFlix (much to Blockbuster's chagrin, no doubt)? Well, we got that, and now I'm starting to catch up on several years' worth of missed movies.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Summer Blockbusters
Wednesday, 2006 June 7 - 11:56 pm
"The Da Vinci Code" and "X-Men: The Last Stand".

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: On Cable This Month
Wednesday, 2006 June 7 - 11:55 pm
"National Treasure" and "Batman Begins".

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Monday, 2005 December 19 - 8:38 am
No, it's not another Lord of the Rings movie.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

While I Pondered Weak and Weary
Sunday, 2005 June 19 - 11:59 pm
So tired... must blog...

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Posted by Ken in: lifemoviessports

Today's Dogginess
Monday, 2005 May 30 - 11:20 pm
If Paris isn't the most self-obsessed person EVER, I'll eat my hat.

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Posted by Ken in: commentarylifemovies

Movies: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Thursday, 2005 May 19 - 4:05 am
Yeah, I saw it. You probably should see it too.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: The House of Yes
Sunday, 2005 April 24 - 1:18 am
This is an OLD movie, but I'm just getting around to seeing it.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Sin City
Friday, 2005 April 22 - 11:42 pm
So, I finally saw this movie. No doubt you've all seen it already, or at least heard about it, but I'm going to offer my thoughts anyway.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
Wednesday, 2005 April 13 - 11:42 pm
You'd think this was just another "American Pie" clone, but there's some surprising depth to this movie.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Finding Neverland
Wednesday, 2004 December 29 - 3:49 pm
Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet give thoughtful and nuanced performances in this sleeper gem.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: The Incredibles
Monday, 2004 November 29 - 11:56 pm
Just goes to show, animated films really can have interesting stories and characters.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: The League of Extraordinary [Bad Movies]
Friday, 2004 November 19 - 11:07 pm
This week I spent a lot of time lying on the couch watching movies on cable. There was a lot of nausea and coughed-up mucus, and not all of that was attributable to the flu.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Garden State
Monday, 2004 November 8 - 9:52 pm
Zach Braff, known mainly for his role on the NBC show "Scrubs", wrote and directed this heartfelt film.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: American Splendor
Sunday, 2004 September 26 - 12:10 pm
"American Splendor", based on the life of comic book icon Harvey Pekar, is both grim and uplifting.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Hero
Wednesday, 2004 September 1 - 1:28 am
Jet Li leads an all-star Chinese cast in a theatrical and intense action movie.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Sex and Lucia; Swimming Pool
Sunday, 2004 July 11 - 11:31 am
I bought both of these movies on DVD, only partly due to prurient interest. The overt sexuality aside, the movies have some similarities, but they make their points in different ways.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Saved!
Monday, 2004 July 5 - 12:20 am
This movie is a spot-on indictment of pseudo-Christian hypocrisy, and it's quite funny to boot.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Fahrenheit 9/11
Saturday, 2004 July 3 - 4:48 pm
Michael Moore's latest movie has shattered previous box-office records for documentary movies. It's also garnered heaps of both criticism and praise.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Analysis: Deconstruction of a "Chick Flick"
Sunday, 2004 April 25 - 5:40 pm
There are many movies which have been tagged with the not-so-flattering label "chick flick". Sometimes people think a movie is a chick flick because it features women in strong leading roles. But I'm not sure that's really what it is.

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Posted by Ken in: movies

Movies: Lost In Translation
Monday, 2004 April 5 - 1:12 am
This Oscar-winning movie from rookie writer/director Sophia Coppola is warm, subtle, and touching.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Monday, 2004 April 5 - 12:44 am
Jim Carrey again shows that he's better as a dramatic actor than a comic actor, and Kate Winslet is breathtaking in this remarkable movie.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Welcome to Mooseport
Wednesday, 2004 March 10 - 10:56 pm
Although clearly made to be a vehicle for Ray Romano, "Welcome to Mooseport" succeeds as charming romantic comedy.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Big Fish
Friday, 2004 January 23 - 12:15 am
This is a charming movie, kind of a "Forrest Gump" meets "O Brother Where Art Thou". It has no great revelations or statements to make, but it's a feel-good experience. Sometimes, that's all you need.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Love Actually
Monday, 2004 January 5 - 1:01 pm
Charming and fluffy, "Love Actually" is a romantic comedy about a series of interconnected relationships. There's definitely an "awwww" factor in this movie; that will appeal to some people, but make other people roll their eyes.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Return of the King
Monday, 2004 January 5 - 12:44 pm
The final installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is true to the book in most respects. Is that really such a good thing?

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Mystic River
Thursday, 2003 November 27 - 12:30 pm
Gritty and intense; this movie is a sure-fire Oscar candidate, but not one for the kids.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews

Movies: Matrix Revolutions
Thursday, 2003 November 13 - 12:39 am
For "Matrix" fans, most will find something to like in the final chapter of the trilogy. But don't expect to leave feeling satisfied.

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Posted by Ken in: moviesreviews


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