The Three Musketeers - Apparently this is quite bad. I mean, come on, some classic novels are not meant to be made into 3D blockbusters. Yes, that includes you, The Great Gatsby. I feel kinda sorry for Christoph Waltz, though, as he hasn't been giving the proper Hollywood welcome that he deserves. Water for Elephants was okay, but this and The Green Hornet? Hmmmm. At least Carnage is out later this year. Now that looks like a proper film that he deserves.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams - I'm pretty sure this was playing like, every day at the NZ Film Festival. Okay, I exaggerate - but it seemed to pop up in the program and awful lot. The whole cave painting thing looks pretty interesting, but I don't think I'd run out to see it. One day, someone might come across our old stable and see all of my drawings on the walls in there and make a documentary about it. Now wouldn't that just be fascinating?
Monte Carlo - Okay. I know I shouldn't be judging movies before I have seen them, but I have so many problems with Monte Carlo. First of all, what market is this movie aimed at? It certainly doesn't look like an adult-orientated movie, but it sure doesn't look like a tween movie. The tweens look like they may be a little too young to understand some of the stuff in it, the teenagers a little too old to enjoy it (unless they're fans of Selena Gomez) and adults definitely too old to go through the movie without rolling their eyes. Second...how could these three women possibly be friends? Their ages are so weird. It's like Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy are babysitting Selena Gomez, but she's the standout star of the movie. Plus, both Meester and Cassidy have done their fair share of adult-orientated movies, which doesn't quite mix with Selena's clean cut image. Last, Selena Gomez just had to record a song so it would play in the background of all the TV spots. Only Disney stars do that.
There are plenty more problems I have with this movie...but I won't go on with them, because I don't want any die-hard Selena fans coming to throw lip-gloss at me while I sleep.
DVD Releases
Agora - I actually remember this movie being featured on the trailer loop disc at work back in March. A mere seven months later, the movie has actually arrived on DVD. I gave it a go, and I quite liked it, even though I found plenty of things that could have been better about it. Rachel Weisz was simply luminous, though. One thing I'd like, though, is for Max Minghella to get another role like this one. He's such a good actor!
Scream 4 - Since this came out on DVD, I've been kinda wishing that I was up with all of the Scream movies so I could watch this one. I mean, it has quite a good cast. And it looks kinda fun. Anyway, we only happen to have the first one and 14 copies of this one at Blockbuster, so I don't think I'll ever get to catch up with the series. I could put it on my bucket list, though!
The Lion King - After several years of looking like complete idiots without The Lion King, Blockbuster has finally got this classic Disney movie in their grasp. Yay for that, now we just have to get Forrest Gump. But seriously, why do Disney insist on putting their movies into the vault for such a long time and only bring them out every so often? And why did they wait so fucking long to bring this one out again? This was the movie of my childhood!
Water for Elephants - This movie was way better than I expected it to be. But maybe that's because I'm a sucker for period romance/dramas. Seriously, anything set in the 1930s just looks better. It's always a good thing when Robert Pattinson appears in a movie and he doesn't annoy the living daylights out of you, too. Oh, and Christoph Waltz...how I love thee when he gets angry (that rhymed, I'm now a lyrical genius). I might actually review this one.
So, what do you think of these movies? Are you a fan of Christoph Waltz? Got any problems with Monte Carlo? Have any wall drawings that could possibly make a good documentary?
No to all of them.
ReplyDeleteI came close to having a complete freak out when the TV spot for MONTE CARLO called it "the adventure of a lifetime." Yeah, maybe cos you die after you see it. Seriously, movies like that make me so fucking mad, not just because they're shitty, but because they're manipulating teenagers by feeding them tiresome cliches and false truths. Despicable.
I have trouble believing WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is actually good, but I won't rule it out of the equation completely.
The Three Musketeers isn't that bad! I saw it today. It does folow the novel in some ways but makes bullshit of it in so many other ways. I can't believe a faithful adaptation has never been made.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Gatsby isn't blockbuster material either. The 1973 Robert Redford version is the best in my opinion and is a very faithful adaptation that I though better than many consider it to be.
I don't mind classic novels being made into films. I just wish they were faithful adaptations and not hybrid mash ups that take the name of the novel and have nothing else in common with it. This has been a real bug bear of mine for many, many years!
Also saw The Lion King on the big screen last week!! First time I've ever seen it.
I found Water for Elephants a bit drab. Not terrible, but terribly uneventful and lacking in innovation and Witherspoon just seemed a bit off. Pattinson did a fair job of grounding the film, though.
ReplyDeleteI personally felt Agora was really uneven. it felt like it was trying to tackle on too many things in one movie, and just kind of dragged for me. Sorry
ReplyDeleteTyler - Even The Lion King? Please say you've already seen it...
ReplyDeleteI hear ya with Monte Carlo. God, teen movies are SO BAD.
Water for Elephants is pretty alright, but I don't think it's the kind of movie that you'd enjoy.
Brent - Yeah, I have trouble with adaptions, too. Especially the ones who make complete muck ups of books, by changing just about everything.
I haven't seen any film versions of The Great Gatsby, but I've read the book. I just don't see how it could be converted into 3D!
Wow! I hope you liked The Lion King!
Andrew - I quite liked it, but I thought Witherspoon was a bit off, too.
Julian - No worries, I totally felt the same way, too. But I found a few things that I liked.