Ben's Movie Reviews

[dogopoly]

I enjoyed the antics of Get Smart and felt that they did a very good job of modernizing it without losing the charm of the original show. And although they pulled a few gags from the TV series, they really didn't depend on it or over-do it. I give it a very strong A-, only losing a bit because it was still a bit goofy, yet quite enjoyable.

As for Kung Foo Panda, I went in with somewhat weak expectations because it looked so much like same-old-same-old. To some degree it was, but it was so well done that I really enjoyed it. But for the predictability factor, I'll give it a strong B+.

[sixpac shakur]

care to elaborate? =) is it mainly related to environmental issues?

There were little things in the movie that made the CEO of Buy N' Large (played brilliantly by Fred Willard) look like George W. Bush. Like when the CEO gave press conferences it looked just like the White House press conference room.

The idea that humans have ruined earth and have become so obese that their legs can't support them was hilarious but not so much political. But when the CEO yelled, "We must stay the course!" well if that's not a shot at our president then I don't know what is.

[dogopoly]

There were little things in the movie that made the CEO of Buy N' Large (played brilliantly by Fred Willard) look like George W. Bush. Like when the CEO gave press conferences it looked just like the White House press conference room.

The idea that humans have ruined earth and have become so obese that their legs can't support them was hilarious but not so much political. But when the CEO yelled, "We must stay the course!" well if that's not a shot at our president then I don't know what is.

I guess I didn't really see it, but now that you mention it, there was some digging at the political arena, but I wouldn't necessarily consider it an attack against the current administration but rather an attack at the system in general....sort of like Star Wars episode 1 and Jar-Jar in front of the assembly (but nowhere near that deep.)

[mcs328]

care to elaborate? =) is it mainly related to environmental issues?

I mentioned to my wife that it's environmental and consumerism. And if you think about it, WALL*E is one sick robot. He spends his life eating garbage and poops out metal cubes. Then he harvests and uses the organs of his fellow dead brethren to survive. Of course when it's animated and Disney-fied then it's all okay.

[The Happy Squirrel]

saw get smart as well, funny as hell, laughed so hard i was considering leaving the theater becuase was having trouble breathing and it hurt!!! excellent job on the movie

[Devhux]

Saw WALL-E twice over the the past two days, and I think this movie is a must-see. I'd give it a solid A+ (I think paying twice and still finding it enjoyable warrants this rating).

This movie had a well-written story that is driven by visuals and sound effects. In fact, there's no real dialog for the first part of the movie. Despite this, it's still very captivating. Character development again is well done, as we really get to know WALL-E & EVE. I will admit that there's an environmentalist theme overall (deserted Earth due to a ton of garbage and pollution everywhere), but it didn't cause a distraction for me. As for the visuals, this is easily Pixar's finest to date. There were many points (especially on Earth) where I completely forgot it was CGI.

For the tech/sci-fi fans though, there's quite a few surprises for you. I won't go ahead and ruin them, but let's just say you'll probably get a chuckle (or three) out of them.

[bendogg]

Not that we really need another Get Smart review, but my wife and I also give it an A-. I'll have a Hancock review for you all tomarrow.

[wung]

There were little things in the movie that made the CEO of Buy N' Large (played brilliantly by Fred Willard) look like George W. Bush. Like when the CEO gave press conferences it looked just like the White House press conference room.

The idea that humans have ruined earth and have become so obese that their legs can't support them was hilarious but not so much political. But when the CEO yelled, "We must stay the course!" well if that's not a shot at our president then I don't know what is.

i see, gonna go see it this weekend ... thanks!

[TofuNinja]

Just got back from Wanted. Awesome Film. Great action nice plot, great ending. AND!!!!! Jolie is HAWT!!!

A-

[The Happy Squirrel]

come on guys we need a review on Hancock, i will see it prob tomorrow!

[TofuNinja]

come on guys we need a review on Hancock, i will see it prob tomorrow!

Watch two movies today.

Hancock, not bad. I liked Wanted better, but not bad. There were some twists that I did not like and did not move the plot too much and for me caused some plot holes..... but overall a VERY good movie. Decent plot, funny moments, good action, but the plot holes caused by said twists hurt it a little. B+

WALL E - I liked it. Um it was a great movie. I need more time to think about it as it seemed deeper than it was. I did laugh out loud many times and that it was good. A-

Wow I watched three movies in two days..... My summer movie list includes:

Iron Man (Twice)
Speed Racer
Indiana Jones
Kung Fu Panda
Incredible Hulk
Wanted
WALL E
Hancock
Get Smart
You Don't Mess with the Zohan

This is the must movies I have watched in ages and I think I watched more movies this summer in the theatre than I did the past three years....... All thanks to my new GF

[The Happy Squirrel]

hancock was pretty good i give it a B+ as well, pretty funny, mostly light hearted but a bit serious. all in all for sure to go see

[dogopoly]

hancock was pretty good i give it a B+ as well, pretty funny, mostly light hearted but a bit serious. all in all for sure to go see

Make that 3...stuck between a B+ and an A-.

[bendogg]

I'll give Hancock an A. Sarah and I both enjoyed it a lot. The plot was not predictable and well written. Charlize Theron is incredibly hot in this movie, as always (with the exception of Monster... but that was intentional). A must see!

[thresher]

I thought Hancock was pretty amazing. At face value it's a pretty entertaining film and on a high level (which most folks will view it) I think it holds up fairly well. Deeper still in the subtext of the film the characters are fairly complex and I think multiple viewings are necessary to truly understand what the director was trying to convey. I give the film a high B+ to start.

Edit - coming back a week or so later, I am surprised how much I have thought about this movie. A lot of films leave my thoughts the moment the credits role but this movie has really stuck with me. I would have to upgrade my initial grade to an A. The characters, effects and storyline are truly A grade stuff. Go see it in the biggest screen you can find. This ain't rental grade cinema.

[thresher]

I saw "Meet Dave" tonight. Actually the first Eddie Murphy film in years that I looked forward to seeing. It was. in a word. hilarious. I couldn't believe how much I actually enjoyed it. They aimed fairly low on the intellect scale and I came in ready to laugh on the cheap but I was actually pretty darn pleased. I would give it a strong B. I saw HellBoy II last night (been a busy movie week) and I really enjoyed it. The visuals are spectacular and the story moves along nicely. Sorry to see David Hyde Pierce not voicing Abe Sapien this time, that was a little distracting this time. Anytime big Red was on the screen the movie flowed - anytime he was off the screen it slowed to a crawl. B.

[DarkFury]

Saw "The Dark Knight" today...

All I can say is... "WOW... OMG!!!!"

Probably the best Batman film EVAR!!!!! A++ in my book

This makes me sad that Heath Ledger is gone... it would be nice to see him reprise the role in a later film.

Not gonna give any spoilers... JUST GO SEE IT!!! NOW!!!!

[cheapie]

really? i liked it but thought the movie was pretty cluttered with extra stuff. they could have streamlined it and made it better.

but it was great. very dark and ledger does an amazing job.

[KBrooks22]

really? i liked it but thought the movie was pretty cluttered with extra stuff. they could have streamlined it and made it better.

but it was great. very dark and ledger does an amazing job.

I thought the same exact thing after I walked out of the theater. I saw it again on Sunday and got A LOT more out of it. It didn't seem as cluttered the second time around beacuse I knew what to expect. Ledger was unreal. The "why so serious?" scene gave me the chills. So badass/creepy.

[TofuNinja]

Having NOT seen the First of this series of Batman movies, I really liked this one. I thought the Joker brought so much to the movie and made it what it is. He did such a great job. I personally think that Batman and Iron Man are the two best movies thus far. But if Iron Man gets a 9.5 out of 10, then Batman gets a 9.6 solely on the basis of there being a Super Villain. That adds so much more to the plot and action. Iron Man didn't have a villain, it had a bad guy. There is a difference. I did not find it cluttered. I was WOW! OMG!

Also saw Mama Mia, having also seen the play they did a good job with it. if you like Abba music see this one. Also see the play. Hey did move songs around and took a few out and added one. But over all good

Dark Knight - A leaning towards a plus
Mama Mia - B+ to A-

[eSDee]

Dark Knight - A. I need to see it again to determine if it deserves an A+. There is a lot going on it the movie and I think I missed a couple of things. However, it was awesome and as Dark Fury said, it makes me sad that Ledger is gone even more now. He owned this role.

[thresher]

Dark Knight - two words: Dude...Whoa! This film deserves two viewings before you can pass judgment. I was surprised how much I caught the second time around. This film moves very fast for a 2 hour flick. The joker's lines are sometimes slurred and as I had to watch in a packed house on both viewings I missed some great lines on one occasion to catch them on the other. This isn't Christian Bale's movie, it's Ledger's. Enjoy this dark, fast paced, ripping great tale. It's one heck of a (expletive) ride.

[nate el bueno]

A little late on the first, but I personally had trouble with Get Smart simply because it was a Johnny English with different characters, a movie I couldn't stand. There were some really funny parts though, my favorite definitely being when he thinks he's in the sound bubble and yells, "THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!!"

I won't give it a rating since my opinion is bias, but a lot of my friends liked it.

aaaaannnd

Definitely saw The Dark Knight on Saturday. I really didn't know what to expect. I wasn't exactly wearing a costume. The cool thing is, I got off work at 11pm and my friends were already waiting in line. I arrived 5 minutes before the theater opened and was the 5th one in. Great seats! The movie gave me a feeling I haven't felt in a long time after the credits rolled. I thought, "WOW...." It was really good! It was also really long! Never got me bored though. I loved the intensity of the scenes were people had to make a decision, and without giving away too much information, it is riveting when you suspect what someone will do. That was definitely an "A" or "5"...whatever...it was good! So worth the 9.75 (or 7.75 for all you old timers)

I had to edit that and add in the end parenthasis. ha

[dogopoly]

nate,

all of our opinions are biased

--

Saw Step-Brother.
It was pretty bad, but a typical Will Ferrell slap-stick-type movie with some funny scenes. It's basically the story of two 40-year old sons living at home and their parents get married. They act like 10-year olds and fight with each other then eventually bond over the arrogance of the successful brother of one of them. There's a lot of cursing and sexual content, story line was a bit weak, but the step-brothers played the roles very well.

It's certainly not one of the best movies of the year and will never quite make it as a TV movie (with all the adult content) but might make a good rental if you really like Ferrell. I'm glad I saw it for free.
My Rating: C

[The Happy Squirrel]

Batman

there is only one word that can accurately discribe this movie


WOW!

[nate el bueno]

nate,

all of our opinions are biased

=

ha, true.
I already had my mind made up before I went into it though. I'm with you on that free movie thing though. It pays (well... doesn't cost) to know people who work at the theaters!

[sixpac shakur]

I saw Pineapple Express last night. It's an R rated movie and not for tween kids or younger. The story follows two potheads who are running from a drug kingpin. The movie is by Judd Apatow who is responsible for Superbad and Knocked Up.

The movie was funny especially the first 30 minutes. James Franco is not the main character but IMO he was the star of the movie. He was frickin' hilarious!! The film has a lot of stupid humor which you would expect from a pot flick. It also has a lot of gun violence and duh...pot smoking.

I give it a solid B. I also thought the movie...uh, what was I talking about again?

[dogopoly]

Hey, sixpac...were you sitting in front of me again?

Also there. The movie was not quite what I expected. There was really no love story and it wasn't at all raunchy. Instead, it was really about friendship through all of what sixpac said.

There seemed to be a lot of teens in the theater, cracking up over many slapstick scenes that I found only mildly humorous.

I give it a B-, meaning barely worthy of a matinee, but funny and interesting enough for a rental. It kinda reminded me of a scaled down version of the original Harold & Kumar.

[sixpac shakur]

That was me, dogo! lol

The movie is definitely a rental or a matinee. I wouldn't pay full price for it. Just rent it at home with some herbal refreshment and a bag of Cheetos.

[thresher]

I saw Pineapple Express too and I gotta tell ya, I was not impressed. I was hoping for something like SuperBad (is that unfair?) and the film just wasn't that funny. Sixpac was right that the first 30 minutes were pretty funny especially the process server moments. But the film had some pretty flat moments too. The whole Asian/Ninja thing was just too friggin weird and was that the guy from Madtv? The worst part was every time you decided "ok, this movie sucks" something would be hilarious. There is also a pretty first rate car chase scene too. Why? So, if you're in the mood for a pothead, car chase, violent gun play, fairly flat movie with some hilarious moments and basically no plot beyond "stoner witnesses murder, stoner runs from killers" then this is your flick! C+