I was so looking forward to this movie
, I have missed for the last decade or so , the yearly
King Kong , mighty joe young etc; movies that used
to play on Thanksgiving.
I was looking forward to seeing a new
rendition of KING KONG based on the original but with
the todays technology and move making magic.
Well the visuals and action did not
disappoint but the writing and corniness was atrocious.
Jack Black and his "shocked stare" scenes
that were repeated a dozen times throughout the movie
became annoying. The interaction between beauty and
the beast at times were wonderful but at times so
Hokey (sp?) and ridiculous that it just made me angry.
The movie was unnecessarily long , developing characters
that meant nothing to the film yet glossing over main
characters. Crazy !
BUT....If you love King Kong and Love
action it is still worth seeing. The first 30 minutes
are useless so don`t worry about getting there late
..Once arriving at King Kongs Island , thats when
the movie starts and kicks ass. It was even truly
creepy at times and well done but the inevitable cheesiness
and outlandishness crept in. Suspension of disbelief
only goes so far.
Anyway thats my opinion , I went with
Brando who was in from Cali , and he loved it , he
who knows more about Hollywood than I. I must say
it is still worth seeing.
KB
.KasualKB
and sidekick Dork Dangerous go to the movies to see: The
Hulk! (Rated: PG-13, approx. length: 2hrs, 30 min)
Its OK to show up to this movie late. In fact, 30-45
minutes late might
make the story a little better. You walk into the
theater wanting to see
The Hulk smashing and pounding things around. However,
you don't even get
to see the big bad beast until about an hour into
the movie. For those Hulk
buffs, they definitely took creative liberty in adapting
the storyline to a
screenplay. Its way off! Be prepared to be disappointed
if you're
expecting it to follow the comics too much.
When the Hulk does come, however, we are awarded
with good and proper destruction and mayhem. Its not
entirely senseless. You get a sense that
the Bruce inside the Hulk tries try to suggest a course
in a certain
direction - like trying to sail upwind but you can
make some minor
adjustments. You still get a good deal of collateral,
senseless damage - a
good thing for all Hulk fans!
Here's a fun game: can you spot Lou Ferrigno? He's
the actor who played
the green behemoth on the TV series<
>
Top 10 Comic Book Movies
Though immensely popular through decades, the comic
book/strip has not been adaptive fodder for cinema's
finest films. In the world of movies, there's been
a less-than-serious look at the pulpy art form. But
as comic geeks age into our new century, there's a
heightened respect for the artistry and layered themes
in the characters of Marvel, DC, Manga (Japanese comic
books which deserve their own list of best films)
and more independent graphic novelists.
Watch an interview with Marvel Comics' legend Stan
Lee
With that, the comic book has been crawling out of
geekdom with the full acceptance of critics and audiences
alike. Hence, the big star treatment of Ben Affleck
in the red suit as Daredevil, the dark Marvel comic
created by Stan Lee and later made even darker by
Frank Miller. Also coming up is The Hulk, from critics'
darling Ang Lee, and Bryan Singer's X-Men 2, while
director Brett Ratner searches for his Clark Kent.
And with the nonstop talk of new projects, there are
even more comics in the pipeline.
So, as we wait for more superheroes slugging out
bad guys, we re-visit some of the best comic book/strip
movies ever made. It's a tough task, but someone's
got to do it:
10. Flash Gordon (1980)
The ultra-campy Flash Gordon remains terrible fun.
Sure, it's partially the reason comic-book films weren't
taken very seriously, but then what other film has
a fantastic score by Queen? Made with an insane amount
of color and detail, the film is a bizarre delight
(disco planets, freaky trees and a green egg are just
some high points). The plot? Flash Gordon must fight
the evil of Ming the Merciless (yep, that's Max von
Sydow) while getting the girl (a gorgeous Melody Anderson)
and saving the universe. Check your brain and enjoy
the show.
9. Dick Tracy (1990)
Warren Beatty (as producer, director and star) adapted
Chester Gould's popular comic strip into this beautiful
film with a primary palette shot in only seven colors.
The cast is as impressively eye-popping, including
Dustin Hoffman as Mumbles and Al Pacino as an inspired
Big Boy Caprice. Remarkably, Madonna was also decent
as Breathless Mahoney singing the lovely Stephen Sondheim
Oscar-winning tune, "Sooner or Later."
8. Popeye (1980)
You have to be a special kind of person to love Robert
Altman's Popeye. Maligned by too many as silly, this
cartoonish musical looks exactly like E.C. Segar's
comic strip, with Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall
perfectly embodying Popeye and Olive Oyl, respectively
(Duvall was born to play the string bean). And kudos
to Paul Thomas Anderson who, 22 years later, honored
Popeye by using the Harry Nilsson-penned ode "He
Needs Me" (sung by Duvall) to punctuate the eccentricity
of his romantic Punch-Drunk Love.
7. Superman: The Movie (1978)
Though many argue the second version of the DC Comic
legend is better, Richard Donner's first Superman
-- despite some dorky moments -- is a solid piece
of Americana. Christopher Reeve remains the perfect
Superman, Margot Kidder is Lois Lane, the always glorious
Gene Hackman has a blast as Lex Luthor, and, in a
short scene that suggests Superman may not be as clean-cut
as he appears, Marlon Brando shows up as his father.
6. X-Men (2000)
A movie led by a group of mutants (OK, highly evolved
mutants) had fans of the comic worried: What's Wolverine
going to look like, for example? As it turned out,
like a well suited though hairier Hugh Jackman. Less
tongue-in-cheek than many comic films, X-Men was introspective
and serious, even tackling the Holocaust as back-story
for Ian McKellen's deeply pessimistic mutant Magneto.
A stirring cast and intriguing story showed that with
action and amusement, the comic could be taken seriously.
5. Blade II (2002)
The lesser-known Marvel comic hero -- who is half
man, half vampire -- Blade (Wesley Snipes) became
something of a cult movie, with legions of fans arguing
over which Blade (I or II) is superior. Mexican director
and comic-book freak Guillermo del Toro offers a more
inspired, gorier and horrifying vision (check out
the disgusting "Reaper" vampires that drink
both human and vampire blood insatiably). Splendidly
made and somehow more personal, del Toro got things
right ... and threw a lot of blood around in the process.
More directors should follow his R-rated lead in making
some of these films for adults.
4. Barbarella (1968)
Unless you're talking to a die-hard feminist, it's
hard to find someone who doesn't enjoy Barbarella.
Roger Vadim directed his then-wife Jane Fonda as French
comic-strip artist Jean-Claude Forest's sci-fi nymphet
who wears skimpy, '60s space-age get-ups and, in the
most memorable sequence, insatiably breaks the Orgasmatron.
Psychedelic, campy and just plain sexy, this is required
viewing for every horny nerd out there ... and it's
a lot more fun than Austin Powers.
3. Batman Returns (1992)
Director Tim Burton surpasses his original Batman;
this one had Michael Keaton reprising his role as
the caped crusader, working against Danny De Vito
as the demented yet touching Penguin and a torn Michelle
Pfeiffer smoldering as Catwoman. Gorgeously shot,
with creative sets and an even darker conception,
this brooding, atmospheric work captured the true
spirit of the Batman graphic novels.
2. Spider-Man (2002)
Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe carrying a super-hero
movie? For Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, it worked. Sticking
to creator Stan Lee's roots, Raimi kept Spidey a nerd
by actually casting a believable young man and gave
his arch-nemisis the Green Goblin a tortured sympathy.
Terrific action sequences, romantic, poignant and
fun -- Spider-Man was a blockbuster with a soul.
1. Ghost World (2001)
Terry Zwigoff (who also directed Crumb, the genius
documentary about controversial comic-book artist
Robert Crumb) filmed Daniel Clowes' graphic novel
as comic-book panels coming to life. With Thora Birch
and Scarlett Johansson as oddly likable, cantankerous
teenagers and Steve Buscemi at his most touching,
this is acerbic hilarity along with pain. It is a
film that actually gets the humor, sadness, gross
pop culture and drudgery that life slings at us ...
and at their best, comics too.
Red
Dragon
Its a sunday afternoon oct 12th 2002, NO Jet game today
, good deal can`t lose the game on a bye week :-) Decided
to see Red Dragon . Anthony Hopkins is amazing as usual.
If you read the book or seen the original movie Manhunter
you would like the new movie, despite a few discrepancies
from the book, i felt the movie complemented the book very
well. I felt Dolarhyde should have been bigger and the tattler
reporter skinnier and Will Graham older , otherwise the
movie captured the imagined look and feel of the book. The
initial bloody bedroom scene when Will Graham scopes the
victims home looked exactly as I imagined. Pretty eery ,
the movie itself had more tension and was even a bit creepy
at times , which was a cool effect. Anyway I thought the
movie was excellent and definitely reccomend it , as well
as the books if you haven`t read.
An un-official sequel to the "Mummy" films (or prequel to
"The Mummy Returns" but isn't "The Mummy" the prequel to "TMR"
making this the prequel to the prequel...???), director Sommers
writes but hands the reigns over to genre vet. Russell in
a competent, high voltage sword and bicepts flick! The Rock
bulges and flexs, Hu is luscious and Duncan towers. Great
action and a nominal story-line makes for potent and low brain-cell
entertainment.
I am not a fan of real scary
movies especially when I watch them with my fiance , who
gets so worked up that she actually scares me. This was
not one of those scary movies. I was told it could be compared
to SEVEN with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. I wouldn`t put
this movie in that league but it was a good movie. I was
amazed at the end to find out that the kid in the room was
one of the writers and the director looked to be just a
kid himself. That was pretty impressive. By the way the
actor that plays the dotor Gary
Elwes was the same actor in Princess of the bride and
Men in tights. I didn`t know , Lori picked him out, I was
skeptical coz he looks so different but its him. Overall
this was a cool movie , definitely worth seeing. I wouldn`t
reccomend eating dinner while you watch it ; I cooked some
funky but good indian food and watched this movie , with
blood , guts and entrails which looked similar to the goat
and curry and biryani vegatables and rice I made. Anyway
, see the movie , just don`t eat anything other than popcorn
or NACHOS!!!