July 20, 2011

At the Movies...

Let's do this one backwards:

Predators
This is what Hollywood calls a 'reboot' - not a remake or a sequel, but a reimagining of the franchise. I have other words for what this is, but none of them are particularly complimentary, so let's just move on...

Adrien Brody is not my idea of a leading man in an action movie. Granted, there is very little action on show here, but that is beside the point. He just doesn't look the part. Maybe that is my narrow-minded view, but he just didn't seem to have anything to offer.

That is to say nothing of the ropey special effects, the forgettable supporting players, or the postage stamp sized plot.

Paranormal Activity
It is easy to make the viewer feel uneasy with a handheld camera, lots of black and white footage, and the absence of sound, but somehow, for the most part, this fails to really be all that frightening.

It's a fairly straightforward idea, executed in a fairly straightforward manner. It is watchable enough, but it just lacks a little... oomph.

Sure, I watched it when the sun was out, ran up the stairs to bed that night, left all the lights on, and made sure my baseball bat was within easy reach, but that is just normal... right?

The Ring
I know, for a guy who writes horror, I certainly came to this one a little late, but try to keep in mind that The Wife won't watch anything more frightening than the Hallowe'en episode of Saved By the Bell, so I have to find time without her, in which to watch these dark gems.

As it turned out, I was quite impressed - especially with the build up during the first half, which was excellent. Sure, there was a slight degeneration into typical horror cliche territory towards the final act, but overall it was a good effort. It's always refreshing to watch a horror that does not rely on blood 'n' guts for shocks.

I should really check out the Japanese original now. Or perhaps I should have done that first...

Horrible Bosses
All right, first things first: it really is a terrible title. Sure, it is exactly what it says on the tin - it is a film about horrible bosses... but come on guys, put some more effort into it.

Anyway, it is a cracking comedy. Slightly mysogynistic, and a little racist, but nobody would ever claim this was a paragon of political correctness. It's another one of that sub-genre of off-the-wall buddy movies that has popped up in recent years, ala The Hangover, but with more originality and funnier set-pieces.

And if that doesn't do it for you, perhaps Jennifer Aniston bra-less and talking dirty will.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the condensed version!
Complaint Letters

Unknown said...

I saw the Japanese version first and I really think that the US version was done well. But as a puritan you MUST see the Japanese version... of the Ring... I have been talking about the Ring... just to be clear