Summer 2010: Movies We've Seen and Judged

Iron Man 2

By Sarah Holmes

I must say I do enjoy looking and listening to Robert Downey Jr. but I disliked the pompousness of Tony Stark too much in the second Iron Man to really appreciate his presence. Once or twice his quirkiness was fun, taking the remains of a relief map his dad had made and sticking it into the backseat of his convertible. Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) remained a character I could relate to, but the small flame of romance between her and Stark seemed pushed. Her feelings I felt were genuine (though ill-placed), but his were far too selfish when it came to personal relationships for me to trust that he would be nice to her.

Yes, these were my main thoughts after the credits rolled. The action was not quite enough to astound me so I had to pick apart the relationships and personalities of the main characters. Don Cheadle was good in his role as Lt. Cl. James “Rhodey” Rhodes; I liked that he was the one man in the movie that did not take any of Tony Stark’s crap. But I can’t say his performance in that suit was really anything to shake a metal finger at. Mickey Rourke’s performance I did like, his personality, his anger from a misunderstanding made sense. He seemed less of an ass than the main character who is supposed to be the hero. The trick he played on Stark’s rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) was clever. That guy deserved it, although the people harmed in the process did not, but it was still an interesting plot twist. Had Black Widow, not called such within the movie, had more time to be stealthy and beat the crap out of twenty guys more than once, I might have enjoyed Iron Man 2 more. Scarlet Johansson’s performance as an undercover agent of sorts was the most memorable part of this second installment of yet another superhero franchise.

This seemed to be a sequel reliant on special effects and the assumption that the audience will just fill in the gaps left by the lack of mutual affection between Stark and Pepper and the barely explained secret group consisting of Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlet Johansson clad all in black. It wasn’t necessarily a waste of money but it was fairly unmemorable for an action movie. I can only hope there is a more evil nemesis and a better explained secret forces group in the next film, should there be one. Otherwise Robert Downey Jr. can stick to Sherlock Holmes, he’s much funnier and much less annoying in that role.

Toy Story 3

By Sarah Holmes

I was excited and skeptical, as one should be after the decent but unworthy third installments of Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean, as I entered the theater with my family. These were both met well by the adventurous start of the third film which brought back the opening sequences of the first two with some high-tech imaginings added.

I was glad to hear the familiar voices; I dislike it when they change characters and voices equally from film to film (think the disappointment of Aladdin and the Return of Jafar). Even Slinky’s voice was an excellent match despite the death of its original master. Right away the comedy was present, the flow of character interactions, and the logical progression of a boy’s relationship with his toys were present. Emotions were felt right away with the acknowledgement of the loss of toys like Bo Peep and Etch. But plenty new characters were ready to make their debut.

The storyline of a daycare taking the toys, mistakenly, had all the feel of the first two with lost toys, actions taken out of context, and how toys would have to deal with such events. The personalities persisted of Woody (Tom Hanks), faithful to Andy until the end; Buzz (Tim Allen), who is in command of any situation except when it comes to the ladies or particularly Jessie; Jessie (Joan Cusack), always excited for life but still fearful of being abandoned; the sarcasm and fickleness of Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) and Hamm (John Ratzenberger); the loyalty of Slinky (Blake Clark); and the cowardliness but innocence of Rex (Wallace Shawn).

Of the new toys Lotso (Ned Beatty) was the most abominable, Big Baby, a naked generic baby doll, brought back the chill the toys beneath Sid’s bed in the first film evoked, and Ken (Michael Keaton) relieved the tensions of the new group’s hostility with his flamboyant personality. Little Bonnie (Emily Hahn), the daughter of one of the daycare workers, has her own group of toys that Woody encounters and these introduced characters that weren’t repeats of ones already found in the world of Toy Story with the thespian hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton), an easy-going unicorn named Buttercup (Jeff Garlin), a girly dinosaur Trixie (Kristen Schaal) that had the closest personality to another character, that of Rex, and the level-headed Dolly (Bonny Hunt). The Peas-in-a-Pod with names Peatey, Peanelope, and Peatrice were also a cute addition reminiscent of the still present alien toys from Pizza Planet, but not nearly as annoying. These additions could possibly make an eventual fourth film a do-able endeavor.

Not that I would hope the creators would jump onto that bandwagon. The film’s conclusion left us satisfied after the tear-jerking scenes in the junkyard with a feeling of hope as well as what is important: friendship and loyalty. This film, which could easily advocate materialism, shows instead what good people can do by donating, by giving up instead of throwing away or storing what they no longer use. It also shows how some material items connect us to our past, our childhood, and some great memories. But just as the last two films concluded-- without the necessity of another installment --it left us with the possibility and one that might not be so bad.

The Last Airbender

By Sarah Holmes

I must admit that I am a huge fan of this cartoon series and believe it to be one of the best shows that Nickelodeon has aired since the likes of Hey Arnold and even non-cartoons like Are You Afraid of the Dark? I believe it’s probably better because it combines drama, humor, and adventure better than most television series do these days. With such high regard for the cartoon it is hard to say how utterly disappointed I was with the film. Even had I known nothing of the series I can say for certain I would have left feeling like $10 and that hour and forty-three minutes of my life could have been better spent seeing Eclipse (and I detest the Twilight series).

The biggest flaw was the complete lack of characterization. There was no personality to any character and very little in the way of good acting. Two clips in the trailer that appeared to show Sokka’s (Jackson Rathbone) personality were mysteriously absent in the theater cut of the movie. Not that these could have saved it, for Katara (Nicola Peltz) and Aang (Noah Ringer), the main female and male protagonists, were devoid of anything but sadness and remorse with the same corresponding facial expression throughout. Their rival Zucko (Dev Patel) was one of the biggest disappointments with a less-than-noticeable facial deformity (which is prominent in the series) as well as the wrong hairstyle; and I have to mention the complete lack of the bad-ass-hottie factor. And his Uncle Iroh (Shaun Toub) who in the series was a fat, old, tea-loving man was turned into a lean, dread-locked 40-something who lacked the charm of the hand-drawn cartoon.

The second greatest defect, which goes hand-in-hand with the inability to draw out an ounce of characterization, was the need of the characters to narrate the entire film instead of showing it to the audience. It would make anyone in double-digits feel like a moron how much they repeated the plot. M. Night Shyamalan needs to go back to school and take some writing classes, especially since he didn’t have enough sense to look at the series he was given and take what was important and use it, and what was fluff, and throw it out.

Even the pronunciation of the characters’ names was changed to the “correct” way of saying them. Well, if you are going to adapt a beloved 3-year cartoon series, it’s probably best to stick with what fan’s ears are used to hearing. Nickelodeon showed clips of these changes that were apparently condoned by the original writers. I can only assume that the creators of the cartoon were coerced with money and by Shyamalan’s giant self-worth. A major Hollywood writer/director/producer against two guys that created a simple yet deep cartoon series that kids and adults alike enjoy but otherwise have nothing like The Sixth Sense to their name, well, this movie is apparently what happens when ego trumps talent.

Eat, Pray, Love

By Ariel Puccio

Just as eating far too many mounds of Italian pasta in one day, the more I absorb Eat Pray Love into my system, the less I like it. Its bountifully scenic landscapes and the prospect of epiphanies and romance are not enough to stop my mind’s nagging thoughts: “This is an Under the Tuscan Sun wannabe.”

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) gets a divorce, and to cope goes to live in Italy…and India, and Bali. It’s like Under the Tuscan Sun on steroids, but let’s be honest, people on steroids are not very appealing.

The trouble is the story consistently felt like a flat line chopped up into pieces. We saw a little divorce, a little new relationship, a little Italy, a little India, and a little Bali. I wanted more time to see a true bond with each character, yet I by no means wanted the movie to go on longer—there’s something wrong with that formula. Maybe I’m greedy, but I doubt anyone will walk away from this movie saying, “That was amazing (wonderful/adorable/fill in the positive adjective).”

The arduous journey of getting into the movie starts when Liz Gilbert divorces her husband of 8 years (Billy Crudup) and he begs for her to come back and on and on and I’m bored already. Then a fleeting romance begins with a much younger man (James Franco). The relationship doesn’t seem necessary to the plot; if anything, it awkwardly eats up the time to add yet another character the audience forgets about.

The only solution for this wealthy New York writer is to stop facing her problems and abandon responsibility for a year to “find herself” in exotic locations. Isn’t that nice? I might be less irritated if I saw Liz completely lose herself and break during the movie, but instead, she ends up seeming selfish.

On her trip to Italy, Liz’s Italian friendships appear superficial. Any potential for strong emotional ties are left unbound, other than the preachy bonding speech of gaining 20 pounds in Italy and “muffin-tops.”

However, the movie gets into a better groove in India (finally), when two characters Tulsi (Rushita Singh), an Indian girl about to face arranged marriage, and Richard (Richard Jenkins), a man with his own daemons from Texas, give the movie some emotional grounding. I must admit I shed a tear during Richard’s heartfelt breakdown. Still, I think, why am I invited into Richard’s soul and never Liz’s?

In Bali Liz meets an exotic, not afraid to cry, loving, devoted, yet still manly man (Javier Bardem). Romance is in the air as the kissing commences, but Liz (being the often greedy character she is) creates an extremely awkward conflict scene that we know is only there because every movie needs some conflict (perhaps we should blame this on the writer).

Maybe this movie needed a shot of garlic in its sinews, to bulge the eyes and make the heart flutter faster. Unfortunately, it tasted a little bland. I advise seeing Eat Pray Love once, on television, in your pajamas on the couch. Just don’t attempt to indulge yourself and pay $10 for it.