Friday, January 13, 2012

holiday movie roundup

A simple title, one that basically says what I'm going to talk about (for once). With my cousins and siblings, people who I love very very much, I got to see a fair amount of movies this winter break during my time off. It was pretty fun, I must say...and, before you judge me and tell me I'm a horrible person for letting my 13-year old brother see some of these movies, he only came to see two of them with us. ANYWAY, here we go!

The movies I saw this break were:

New Year's Eve
The Muppets
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas in 3D
The Adventures of Tintin
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol

Yup, a fair amount. I will now proceed to rank them from the worst to the best (as if you reeeeally care. But still, let's do it up!):

6) A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas in 3D

Honestly, the only reason this movie is in the last place spot over the #5 spot is definitely the 3D. I have said many times before, but my god, 3D sucks. Even in this movie, the ONLY thing they used it for was blowing weed smoke in the audience's face when Harold and Kumar get super high. I mean, alright, like most guys, I enjoyed the gratuitous nudity (by only women, I might add), but....eh. It was just boring, although the crazy stuff Harold and Kumar get into are occasionally entertaining.

Final rating: 4/10

5) New Year's Eve

That shit does not happen in real life. I'm sorry, but, as someone who is perhaps jaded by the fact that I haven't met someone in FAR too long, meeting someone as magically as EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER did in that movie simply does not happen. It was a fun time at the theatre because I went with two of my favourite people, but still, the movie itself was awful.

Final rating: 4.5/10 (I can't bring myself to give this a 50% or more, I just can't, but at least it didn't have 3D)

4) Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol

Well, now that we have the CRAP movies out of the way, I really enjoyed all four of the remaining movies. Putting one over the other was actually somewhat hard, because they were THAT entertaining. MI4 was actually awesome, and perhaps the best in the entire series (yes, even over the first one). Some awesome shots, AND I got to see it in IMAX. They really had a good plot (even though the villain was a little dumb), and the action sequences were brilliant. Even the gadgets were sweet. It was directed by the dude who directed 'The Incredibles', and honestly, it showed. Things happened like they would in animated movies; there was a sweet chase through a sandstorm that Cruise partook in, and it was awesome. Honestly, a fantastic action movie, and they even set it up just in case Cruise doesn't want to return to the franchise in the future!

Final rating: 7/10

3) The Muppets

SO GOOD. I loved this movie, especially 'Life's a Happy Song'. I honestly am not one to enjoy such silly movies, but perhaps the nostalgia factor of the Muppets was too much for me to handle. Chris Cooper as the villain with his 'maniacal laugh', that was too awesome. Heck, all the guest stars in their cameo roles were awesome too; Jim Parsons was particularly well used, I think. It was a fun, light movie, and even the jokes that broke the 4th wall were great. Jack Black, who I'm not the BIGGEST fan of, even HE was awesome. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys silly things like that, and of course, it has some good music along the way too (also, Amy Adams is super hot).

Final rating: 8/10

2) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Man, I really love Robert Downey Jr., and this movie made me love him even more. Jude Law was great as Watson again, and it was an amazing performance by Jared Harris. He really stole the scenes he was in, IMO. Anyway, I also found it hilarious that there was no real female character in this movie, as Irene Adler (played by the crazy attractive Rachel McAdams) was in the previous installment; it was literally a bro-fest between Holmes and Watson the whole time. I'm down with this, really, and apart from that, the movie was more super sleuthing/detecting from the first one. Stephen Fry also made a great turn as Holmes's older and smarter (but infinitely lazier) bro, Mycroft. Another good action movie, and a little sillier...but still entertaining.

Final rating: 8.5/10

1) The Adventures of Tintin

Yes, this is the best movie I saw over the break. Yes, this movie IS that good. The 3D (yes, it WAS in 3D, and yes, I DID go see it in 3D) was absolutely fantastic; it was animated, so it was a little less jarring, but the only movie I've ever seen with better 3D was Avatar. Everything was super cool, the voice acting was great, and the action sequences were absolutely ridiculous. There's one action sequence involving a motorcycle and a chase through a Middle Eastern-themed city, and it was probably one of the best action sequences I've ever seen. Granted, it was largely made possible by the fact that it was not real, because some unreal stuff happens during it, but...well, yeah, it was awesome. Go see it. Captain Haddock, one of the main characters, is played and motion captured by Andy Serkis, he of Gollum/Smeagol and Caesar (from 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes') fame, and again, he does not disappoint, in his body language and in his voice. Quite frankly, this is one of the best animated movies I've seen, ever (even when compared to some Pixar movies...SOME, though, not ALL), and definitely the best one I saw over the break.

Final rating: 9/10

Well, those are the movies I've seen this break. I didn't get to see 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo', or 'The Darkest Hour', but I will see them eventually. I hope they're good!

P.S. I saw the trailer for 'Prometheus', the prequel to 'Alien'. Um...what? This movie looks AWESOME. I can't wait...2012 promises to be a good year for movies, outside of the anticipated comic book ones. woo!