I'm a sucker for free movie passes, even movies in 3-D and Imax.
That's why I decided to skip the second half of St. Mary's vs. Villanova and take in a preview of How To Train Your Dragon at the local Imax in Sacramento. All I knew about it is that it involves a bunch of Vikings who had their own version of the Olympics. At least, that's what they did during the Olympics coverage.
Actually, it's an adaptation of a kid's book, with some changes to make it more epic and prone to 3-D wonder. It's why the ads include one critic saying some of the 3-D imagery is just like Avatar.
The story is about Hiccup, a young boy who's also the disappointing son of a Viking chief. The tribe has been battling dragons for centuries because they steal livestock and burn their homes. They're very familiar with the types of dragons, but not about the mysterious Nightfury, who's fast and deadly.
Somehow Hiccup brings a Nightfury down, and looks for him the next day. He's supposed to kill the dragon to prove himself. He's also surprised to learn the Nightfuly can't fly because its tail has been injured. Hiccup decides making a friend out of this dragon is a better idea. This is what makes the movie something special. Also, Toothless, the Nightfury, is actually kind of cute.
Hiccup undergoes training in dragon killing with the local teens, including Astrid (who serves as the romantic interest). The tribe becomes interested in Hiccup after he finds ways to fight dragons without a weapon. Astrid is interested, too, but mostly out of jealousy. She soon learns the truth about Hiccup and Toothless...and even why the dragons have been attacking the village for so long. Let's just say they have a bigger problem than the Vikings do.
The voice talent is pretty good, especially Gerard Butler as Stoick, Huccup's dad, and Craig Ferguson as Gobber. Other notables include America Ferrera, Kristen Wiig, Johan Hill and McLovin himself, Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Animation is getting even more attention thanks to 3-D. While Up is still the gold standard in 3-D animation, we will get stiff competition from Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me this summer. How To Train Your Dragon is a good effort, especially with the Hiccup/Toothless angle. It's not enough to make podcast king Adam Carolla like dragon movies, which he never has, but I'd like to see what he thinks of this movie when he takes his kids to see it...and he's bound to do that.
Showing posts with label Imax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imax. Show all posts
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
This Weekend at the Movies
The weekend before the Super Bowl is a strange one for sports fans. After keeping tabs with a competitive NFL season, it's tough to switch to another sport. That's especially true if you've paid too much attention to football. If Stanford and Cal were battling for the Pac-10 title, that would be easier. Also, there are the Sharks. They're doing great. I should turn my attention to them, since it would help me forget how the Sacramento Kings always collapse at the end.
At least it's easy for fans of Indianapolis and New Orleans. They're busy stocking up for the Super Bowl party they'll have. Then again, I have a big frozen pizza and Red Stripe beer ready to go. At least it would be cheaper than going to a bar to watch the game with mainstream light beer.
I do have five hours of 24 to get to, and maybe the Grammys. If I time it right, I can see the 3-D section that honors Michael Jackson.
Still, let's get to the title of this blog. I spent the weekend checking out two movies that will make their mark at the Academy Awards in just five weeks. Yesterday, I saw Avatar for the second time, but it was in Imax, and it was for free. One thing you can say about Imax: it makes any movie, good or not, good enough to stick around. I saw Transformers in Imax, which made it more watchable. I forget if it made Megan Fox sexier, but it wouldn't have worked for the sequel.
With Avatar, Imax made Pandora much more incredible. You have to hand it to James Cameron for revolutionizing movie-making with incredible 3-D effects. The story's not 3-D, though, but maybe 1.723-D. Same with Titanic, but when it presents grand, epic moments, it delivers well.
Titanic had the love story and the big moment when the boat hits hits the iceberg. Avatar also has the cheesy love story, but a lot of viewers must have thought "whoa" in their minds when they see Pandora's center of civilization, Hometree, destroyed by a corporate army. I thought Pearl Harbor, 9-11, and Katrina all rolled into one. Balance that with the planet's deity unleashing the power of nature, or basically very angry animals, and you have a movie that shouldn't be Best Picture, but still something important in movie history.
At least it hasn't dominated pop culture, aside from a few new parents naming their kids Jake or Neytiri. Still, the success of Avatar will convince other studios to prove that 3-D movies can also have good stories. The first example may likely be the next Harry Potter movie.
The other movie was Crazy Heart, or why Jeff Bridges will be winning the Big Lebowski. His portrayal of hard-living country singer Bad Blake is just great. You see a man who can really entertain a crowd, an old-fashioned country singer who is starting to fall apart. Bridges does a lot with his role. A lot of things he does will make you wince, but he needs a reason to clean up his act. That reason is Maggie Gyllenhall, who plays a reporter who's attracted to Blake, mainly because she's dated guys like that before. What surprised me is Colin Farrell does a good job playing Tommy Sweet, a singer that got his first break thanks to Blake. The movie does a nice job showing the difference between old-school country and the little-bit-too-corporate version. It's no wonder why Bridges has dominated the Best Actor awards so far.
It also makes you wonder if Christoph Waltz could beat Bridges if both were up for Best Actor at the Oscars. Bad Blake vs. Badder Landa. I'd vote for Waltz because he can make being soulless so charming.
So, Tuesday morning, we'lll see who will be the front-runners at the Academy Awards. I hear some predict Inglorious Basterds may get as many as ten nominations. Not bad for a movie that premiered at Comic-Con. Avatar should get that many, mainly for technical awards.
At least it's easy for fans of Indianapolis and New Orleans. They're busy stocking up for the Super Bowl party they'll have. Then again, I have a big frozen pizza and Red Stripe beer ready to go. At least it would be cheaper than going to a bar to watch the game with mainstream light beer.
I do have five hours of 24 to get to, and maybe the Grammys. If I time it right, I can see the 3-D section that honors Michael Jackson.
Still, let's get to the title of this blog. I spent the weekend checking out two movies that will make their mark at the Academy Awards in just five weeks. Yesterday, I saw Avatar for the second time, but it was in Imax, and it was for free. One thing you can say about Imax: it makes any movie, good or not, good enough to stick around. I saw Transformers in Imax, which made it more watchable. I forget if it made Megan Fox sexier, but it wouldn't have worked for the sequel.
With Avatar, Imax made Pandora much more incredible. You have to hand it to James Cameron for revolutionizing movie-making with incredible 3-D effects. The story's not 3-D, though, but maybe 1.723-D. Same with Titanic, but when it presents grand, epic moments, it delivers well.
Titanic had the love story and the big moment when the boat hits hits the iceberg. Avatar also has the cheesy love story, but a lot of viewers must have thought "whoa" in their minds when they see Pandora's center of civilization, Hometree, destroyed by a corporate army. I thought Pearl Harbor, 9-11, and Katrina all rolled into one. Balance that with the planet's deity unleashing the power of nature, or basically very angry animals, and you have a movie that shouldn't be Best Picture, but still something important in movie history.
At least it hasn't dominated pop culture, aside from a few new parents naming their kids Jake or Neytiri. Still, the success of Avatar will convince other studios to prove that 3-D movies can also have good stories. The first example may likely be the next Harry Potter movie.
The other movie was Crazy Heart, or why Jeff Bridges will be winning the Big Lebowski. His portrayal of hard-living country singer Bad Blake is just great. You see a man who can really entertain a crowd, an old-fashioned country singer who is starting to fall apart. Bridges does a lot with his role. A lot of things he does will make you wince, but he needs a reason to clean up his act. That reason is Maggie Gyllenhall, who plays a reporter who's attracted to Blake, mainly because she's dated guys like that before. What surprised me is Colin Farrell does a good job playing Tommy Sweet, a singer that got his first break thanks to Blake. The movie does a nice job showing the difference between old-school country and the little-bit-too-corporate version. It's no wonder why Bridges has dominated the Best Actor awards so far.
It also makes you wonder if Christoph Waltz could beat Bridges if both were up for Best Actor at the Oscars. Bad Blake vs. Badder Landa. I'd vote for Waltz because he can make being soulless so charming.
So, Tuesday morning, we'lll see who will be the front-runners at the Academy Awards. I hear some predict Inglorious Basterds may get as many as ten nominations. Not bad for a movie that premiered at Comic-Con. Avatar should get that many, mainly for technical awards.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Of Nathan and Watchmen
I have a DVD-R of interviews of Nathan Fillion when he was promoting Waitress and Desperate Housewives. He looks so different back then, trying to get the non-Whedonistas to see how cool he is. He made progress, of course, and Dr. Horrible also helped.
Well, it looks like he finally has. Since he is now in an ABC mid-season show called Castle, he has the power of a network behind him. He's is actually touring, from Jimmy Kimmel Live to The View. I skipped his appearance on Good Morning America because I am usually asleep by then. His appearance on Kimmel on March 4 was the better one. I had some doubts about his haircut, and the velour jacket, but he was a hit otherwise. They talked about how he's become a big Comic-Con hit, and how people were dressing like him. He was also concerned when they look better than him, but I have never seen that happen. He was also surprised someone brought him a homemade Capt. Hammer doll. On The View, they totally ignored Firefly/Serenity, and talked about when he was on One Life To Life and that show about Housewives. They did have a clip from Dr. H, and actually gave copies of the DVD out to the crowd. That's fairly impressive, and I hope some are sent to Emmy voters who better give this DVD the honor it deserves....somehow.
Naturally, I will be doing recaps of Castle starting next week, but they won't be as detailed as my recaps for Dollhouse. I just wonder if Castle will really be any good, especially if they plan to keep the female cop he follows as bitter as possible. If we find out, however, that she's convinced he NYPD hates her because she doesn't play ball (despite the fact she gets results anyway), that is a good reason. It's like my concern on how Dollhouse makes Paul Ballard look even dumber than Barney Fife. It's only going to get worse for him after he meets Echo (trust me), and I would hope he eventually finds someone who does believe him...and who isn't an Active. Then again, that may happen well after Laurence Dominic tries to oust DeWitt as head of Dollhouse so he can get rid of Echo and kill Ballard for his peace of mind.
Meanwhile, I got some good news about seeing Watchmen in Imax. As you know, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to a midnight screening at Wondercon, then got turned away because I was part of the evil press. Well, the movie will be at my local Imax theater in downtown Sacramento in a month. Since I have 15 bucks in gift certificates lying around, I will be using them. So, it works out.
As far as reaction goes, the movie has narrowly earned "fresh" status at Rotten Tomatoes, which is the same as a passing grade. The fans seem to be split over whether the movie should be made at all. What's also interesting is that they have different reasons: the casting, Dr. Manhattan's anatomy, changing the ending, what's in and what's out, being too faithful to the series, and whether it has any significance to now. I just know about the first issue, and plot lines I have read from other articles. Now, we are not expecting this to be Dark Knight to the 5th power, or even more fun than Iron Man. Watchmen is what it is, and maybe it should have been split in half, as they plan to do with the movie version of the last Harry Potter book. The fact is, Hollywood wanted more comic book movies, and took on the ultimate comic book series. No matter what, and this also goes to the Twilight movie series, they will get our money. There is enough of an audience who want to see Watchmen on the screen, and they will be coming. If sales are consistent, or there is repeat business, then Watchmen is a success, whether people thought it was unfilmable or not. If it experiences a big fat drop in sales in its second week, like Twilight did, then we'll be getting some "told-ya-so" chanting. There will also be others who think the real version won't be available until the director's cut DVD...which is coming either in the fall or Comic-Con (guess which date makes more sense). No matter what, I will be seeing this in Imax next month.
Well, it looks like he finally has. Since he is now in an ABC mid-season show called Castle, he has the power of a network behind him. He's is actually touring, from Jimmy Kimmel Live to The View. I skipped his appearance on Good Morning America because I am usually asleep by then. His appearance on Kimmel on March 4 was the better one. I had some doubts about his haircut, and the velour jacket, but he was a hit otherwise. They talked about how he's become a big Comic-Con hit, and how people were dressing like him. He was also concerned when they look better than him, but I have never seen that happen. He was also surprised someone brought him a homemade Capt. Hammer doll. On The View, they totally ignored Firefly/Serenity, and talked about when he was on One Life To Life and that show about Housewives. They did have a clip from Dr. H, and actually gave copies of the DVD out to the crowd. That's fairly impressive, and I hope some are sent to Emmy voters who better give this DVD the honor it deserves....somehow.
Naturally, I will be doing recaps of Castle starting next week, but they won't be as detailed as my recaps for Dollhouse. I just wonder if Castle will really be any good, especially if they plan to keep the female cop he follows as bitter as possible. If we find out, however, that she's convinced he NYPD hates her because she doesn't play ball (despite the fact she gets results anyway), that is a good reason. It's like my concern on how Dollhouse makes Paul Ballard look even dumber than Barney Fife. It's only going to get worse for him after he meets Echo (trust me), and I would hope he eventually finds someone who does believe him...and who isn't an Active. Then again, that may happen well after Laurence Dominic tries to oust DeWitt as head of Dollhouse so he can get rid of Echo and kill Ballard for his peace of mind.
Meanwhile, I got some good news about seeing Watchmen in Imax. As you know, I was lucky enough to get a ticket to a midnight screening at Wondercon, then got turned away because I was part of the evil press. Well, the movie will be at my local Imax theater in downtown Sacramento in a month. Since I have 15 bucks in gift certificates lying around, I will be using them. So, it works out.
As far as reaction goes, the movie has narrowly earned "fresh" status at Rotten Tomatoes, which is the same as a passing grade. The fans seem to be split over whether the movie should be made at all. What's also interesting is that they have different reasons: the casting, Dr. Manhattan's anatomy, changing the ending, what's in and what's out, being too faithful to the series, and whether it has any significance to now. I just know about the first issue, and plot lines I have read from other articles. Now, we are not expecting this to be Dark Knight to the 5th power, or even more fun than Iron Man. Watchmen is what it is, and maybe it should have been split in half, as they plan to do with the movie version of the last Harry Potter book. The fact is, Hollywood wanted more comic book movies, and took on the ultimate comic book series. No matter what, and this also goes to the Twilight movie series, they will get our money. There is enough of an audience who want to see Watchmen on the screen, and they will be coming. If sales are consistent, or there is repeat business, then Watchmen is a success, whether people thought it was unfilmable or not. If it experiences a big fat drop in sales in its second week, like Twilight did, then we'll be getting some "told-ya-so" chanting. There will also be others who think the real version won't be available until the director's cut DVD...which is coming either in the fall or Comic-Con (guess which date makes more sense). No matter what, I will be seeing this in Imax next month.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Riffmax Experience, and looking at Eli again
In about 350 screens, including Imax theaters, people are getting another chance to see the movie who has made the most money without getting respect from the Oscars. I mean, nearly a billion dollars, and you don't get even a Best Picture nomination?
Well, that's what Oscar thinks about comic book movies, even if they're just as good as Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon or Slumdog Millionaire. Spider-Man 2 learned that the hard way, too.
However, it gives Rifftrax fans a very rare opportunity. For the first time ever, they can sneak their iPod into the theater, and listen to the Rifftrax crew's opinions about the movie they're watching. Not just any theater, but an Imax theater. They didn't get the chance with Eagle Eye, Transformers or any Harry Potter movie. They got the chance for the return of Batman: The Dark Knight. They got the chance to experience...
THE RIFFMAX EXPERIENCE: BIG MOVIE! BIG SCREEN!! BIG SMART-ALECKY REMARKS!!!
The best part, of course, is that only the viewer hears the jokes through his iPod. That's why it is best to see the movie on DVD at home with the Rifftrax commentary before going to see it at a local theater, Imax or not. If people see you laughing at the wrong time, the usher or the guy next to you may get upset...or even want to hear the commentary, too. Of course, this may lead to a trend, where people bring their iPods to hear the Rifftrax remarks of whatever bad movie they paid to see.
OK, so how is The Dark Knight in Riffmax?
Well, Christopher Nolan was smart to enhance the movie with Imax sequences. Bigger is better with the car chases or incredible scenes from above. He gets praise for that, but God forbid the Academy would actually say comic book movies are written or directed well. I mean, what's next....Iron Man 2 wins Best Picture or...even....(gasp!) Watchmen????
OK, not too likely, but let's hope somebody does succeed on that.
Also, you may want to turn up the volume on your iPod because those Imax speakers are loud as the picture is big.
Overall, the Riffmax experience is like a normal Rifftrax experience, but much bigger. You'll still have to work a little to make sure the Rifftrax commentary links up to the movie. Itt's not as if you can stop the DVD to back up if you hear a good riff again. Otherwise, it's an interesting experiment. If there's another opportunity to Riffmax a movie, go for it. It is too bad they won't show Beowulf in 3-D again. Imagine seeing that and with the Rifftrax remarks.
One more thing...
I was thinking a little more about Let The Right One In, with a Swedish boy falling for the vampire next door. I learned more about how it compares to the book, especially about Eli (pronounced el-ee).
Now, I suggest you see the movie first, but a couple of times in the movie, Eli says "I'm not a girl". Now that could be true if it's "I'm not a girl. I'm a vampire" or another reason which would make it a very different vampire tale. The book reveals the truth about Eli.
Now, once they get the planned U-S remake, which may be called Let Me In, ready to go next year, I think it will be certain the American Eli is a girl, although androgynous to give respect to the book on which the original and remake are both based.
You'll also get into an interesting debate on the final fates of Oskar and Eli, and what it really means. You just have to see Let the Right One In for yourself, and do it before they disguise it as the Twilight story Stephenie Meyer didn't write.
Well, that's what Oscar thinks about comic book movies, even if they're just as good as Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon or Slumdog Millionaire. Spider-Man 2 learned that the hard way, too.
However, it gives Rifftrax fans a very rare opportunity. For the first time ever, they can sneak their iPod into the theater, and listen to the Rifftrax crew's opinions about the movie they're watching. Not just any theater, but an Imax theater. They didn't get the chance with Eagle Eye, Transformers or any Harry Potter movie. They got the chance for the return of Batman: The Dark Knight. They got the chance to experience...
THE RIFFMAX EXPERIENCE: BIG MOVIE! BIG SCREEN!! BIG SMART-ALECKY REMARKS!!!
The best part, of course, is that only the viewer hears the jokes through his iPod. That's why it is best to see the movie on DVD at home with the Rifftrax commentary before going to see it at a local theater, Imax or not. If people see you laughing at the wrong time, the usher or the guy next to you may get upset...or even want to hear the commentary, too. Of course, this may lead to a trend, where people bring their iPods to hear the Rifftrax remarks of whatever bad movie they paid to see.
OK, so how is The Dark Knight in Riffmax?
Well, Christopher Nolan was smart to enhance the movie with Imax sequences. Bigger is better with the car chases or incredible scenes from above. He gets praise for that, but God forbid the Academy would actually say comic book movies are written or directed well. I mean, what's next....Iron Man 2 wins Best Picture or...even....(gasp!) Watchmen????
OK, not too likely, but let's hope somebody does succeed on that.
Also, you may want to turn up the volume on your iPod because those Imax speakers are loud as the picture is big.
Overall, the Riffmax experience is like a normal Rifftrax experience, but much bigger. You'll still have to work a little to make sure the Rifftrax commentary links up to the movie. Itt's not as if you can stop the DVD to back up if you hear a good riff again. Otherwise, it's an interesting experiment. If there's another opportunity to Riffmax a movie, go for it. It is too bad they won't show Beowulf in 3-D again. Imagine seeing that and with the Rifftrax remarks.
One more thing...
I was thinking a little more about Let The Right One In, with a Swedish boy falling for the vampire next door. I learned more about how it compares to the book, especially about Eli (pronounced el-ee).
Now, I suggest you see the movie first, but a couple of times in the movie, Eli says "I'm not a girl". Now that could be true if it's "I'm not a girl. I'm a vampire" or another reason which would make it a very different vampire tale. The book reveals the truth about Eli.
Now, once they get the planned U-S remake, which may be called Let Me In, ready to go next year, I think it will be certain the American Eli is a girl, although androgynous to give respect to the book on which the original and remake are both based.
You'll also get into an interesting debate on the final fates of Oskar and Eli, and what it really means. You just have to see Let the Right One In for yourself, and do it before they disguise it as the Twilight story Stephenie Meyer didn't write.
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