I have finally cleared all the dramas off of my DVR, so that means I get to watch random movies I record off of HBO here at there, from recent stuff that I missed in cinemas or did not think was worth $10, to olden movies of renown, such as...
HBO was showing the first five of these in a row a few days ago and I don't know if I have actually seen any of them all the way through. Maybe the fourth one, which is so deeply quotable for being the epitome of 80's hokum. I knew the first two in the series are supposed to be actual really good movies, but this was even better than I expected and I am extremely impressed with everything Stallone did to put it together. A lot of the move is just a slice of life in a working class city neighborhood, with everyone and everything looking appropriately worn. The acting is great, although Paulie is a little over the top with his emoting. Having Apollo Creed not be a villain at all, just an overconfident showman, is a great decision, and it keeps the movie firmly in the realm of feeling actually real. Another nice touch is having the announcement of the winner of the fight go on completely in the background, because Rocky's mind is on Adrian (although it seemed like there was some sort of missing conflict there as I could not find a reason why they had to go find each other immediately). I also appreciated the presence of deeper themes as to the American dream and how to achieve it, and the goals and identity people set for themselves. And of course, the stirring music and the iconic scene on the steps.
Grade: A
So much of the bureaucratic nightmares reach a level of pure Kafkaesque genius, but the plot needed some work and Gilliam would probably have been better off having it be a complete farce. I hope that back in the day the downer ending didn't feel so gratuitous (downer ending = more arty!), although the studio making a happy ending out of it is equally ridiculous. Visually, the film is amazing, especially with the budgets and technology of the day, but I felt the recurring visits to knight-angel vs. evil samurai land, as impressive as they looked, were totally unnecessary. And Adrian for the first hour of Rocky thinks that the female lead had a terrible short-hair haircut, yet somehow the main guy falls in love with her seeing her on an early 1980's computer screen.
Also: That was Jonathan Pryce? And Bob Hoskins playing a plumber errrr electrical repairman? Ha! And there was De Niro, being funny before De Niro was funny.
Grade: B+ (with numerous A+ moments)
Another cult movie that is an astounding visual achievement, but this time little else. The big problem is that Scott is a jerk (who inexplicably attracts girls right and left by mumbling) and that Ramona is the exact least interesting female character in the entire movie. She has no personality, even for a hipster. Hipsters at least have irony; she only changes the color of her hair. The video game references and the way they play into the reality of the world are great and very imaginative, but the lack of rules to it adds to the overall hollowness I get from the movie. There are the vaguest of hints as to an actual topic regarding obsessive love, but none of it goes anywhere and thus the movie would have been better off without any of it. Also, Scott is the bass player. The bass player. Unless you also sing, or your name is Harris or Myung, you're just a bass player. Notice how easily he was replaced, even if the only memorable thing about his band is how awful its name is.
Grade: B-
The credits are rolling in front of me right now. This is one of those movies that are a great blend of comedy and drama, usually created when the comedy is realistic. The movie starts out more on the comedy end, as a parade of comedians and sitcom actors appear in supporting roles, somehow all managing to not Britta things up and pull a "I'm <CHARACTER> from <SITCOM>!" Also, coach's wife. And Gil Grissom. Gil Grissom! Kiera Knightley reminded me why I liked her way back when she first appeared, and Steve Carrell keeps showing up in random movies I pull of HBO and nailing it, even when the movie isn't very good (other ones, not this one). Anyways, the movie moves into deeper and more dramatic territory as it rolls on, exploring the topics of what it means to connect with someone and what anything means when there is a ticking clock on its end.
Grade: A
This is what happens when the family goes to the cinema for the Fourth Of July and one person hates zombie movies, another person won't watch animated movies, and there is only one thing left that no one has seen. I figured I was in for dumb fun and for about 2/3 of the movie, that I what I got. I appreciated the slow build, something deeply lacking these days, but it eventually resulted in a bloated running time. Channing Tatum felt a little young for his character, but not as much as Maggie Gyllenhall, who I could maybe buy as an aide. Nice to see Broyles, though. Anyways, after an hour and change of dumb fun with some entertaining action (minus the ridiculous driving sequence), the movie just blows past suspension of disbelief and gets terrible. And it terrible for 20 minutes or so, but then... then it obliterates suspension of disbelief and gets craptastic. The final 20 minutes of the movie are pure awfulness and possibly the finest comedy of the year. I am 99% convinced that this is intentional, and several of the actors were on it, especially the villain with his Scooby-Doo "No one will believe you / you can't take me away!" moment at the end. I am almost chuckling just thinking of it now. If you should see this, pay attention to the mention of the bratty daughter's talent and you will be rewarded in laughter later on. Ahh, Chekov, if you only could have seen this.
Grade: C+ (C- if you don't appreciate unintentional comedy)
