Run, Lola, Run

Run, Lola, Run is a fast-paced and exciting German-made movie. It covers themes such as the cyclical nature of life, the never-dying power of love, and the randomness of coincidence and fate.

Manni and Lola, two intriguing characters, are set in a motion to near catastrophe because of one small event: Lola is late in meeting Manni. As a result, she must find 100,000 Deutschmarks in 20 minutes to save her love. The ensuing chase leads to several near misses and interactions that change the outcome of several people's lives.

This movie questions chaos: can one event completely change the outcome of a person's life? If a woman leaves 2 minutes late for work, will she meet the love of her life? But if she leaves 2 minutes earlier, will she die in a car crash? Along the way, if she nearly misses a car, will the other person win the lottery? If she hits the car, will the other person get divorced? It makes a person consider what effect they have on a mere stranger's life.

Because of the uniqueness of the film, the power of the story, and the interesting outcome(s), I give this movie 4 potatoes.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

I have to say that I was slightly disappointed by Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. After seeing a brief clip of one of their earlier short films, I had very high expectations. Unfortunately, the film didn't make me laugh as hard as the previously-seen bit had. That doesn't mean this movie isn't good, it just wasn't as funny as I was hoping.

On a positive note, Wallace & Gromit is an excellent movie for the whole family. There's plenty of original slapstick humor for the kids. How clever is a vacuum to collect rabbits from out of their holes? And there's also plenty of situational comedy for the adults. Warning: You will have to think about the situations for a minute before it registers. For example, a couple a dogs in an airplane dogfight... funny. The gun-happy Victor Quartermaine (most likely based on the rifle-toting Allan Quatermain)... great. And a character named PC Mackintosh... hilarious. Oh man, the more I research this movie, the funnier it gets! All the characters in the town have names associated with gardening. In addition, Peter Sallis (the voice of the Wallace) was in the movie "The Curse of the Werewolf." So clever!

Plus, the animation is fantastic. Considering that this movie took 3 years of dedication and hard work to create, it deserves applause. I give this movie 3 potatoes (but definitely close to 4).

Hitch

The older I get, the less I am impressed with romantic comedies. They're all the same: girl meets guy, a misunderstanding tears them apart, but they realize they're in love, so one (or both) chases after the other, and they end up kissing along the roadside.

Hitch fits this pattern to a tee. There are no surprises. Sara (Eva Mendes) meets Alex Hitchens (Will Smith), the two fall in love, but, of course, she discovers what his "true" day job is. So, she leaves him. Hitch won't have this, so he chases after her, and (dare I "ruin" the ending?) they make-up along the streets of New York city.

The movie has its moments. Unfortunately, most were already shown in the trailers for the movie, but they are still funny. Kevin James performs extremely well in one of his first film debuts (you might know him from King of Queens). And Will Smith carries his usual charm. Plus the whole premise of a male matchmaker has its own unique appeal.

I give this movie 2 potatoes.

The Longest Yard

Oh god. Is there anything good about The Longest Yard? Yes, the ending credits.

Having no say in the matter, I was forced against my will to watch this movie on a plane. Ok, maybe I didn't have to watch it, but movies make the flight go so much faster!

I was not surprised that this movie turned out to be absolutely pitiful. Its attempts to be funny never worked. Most of the humor was about men having sex with other men in prison. How is that funny?

In addition, the plot was idiotic at best. "Gee, I wonder what will happen when we have prisoners play football against the prison guards?" Could you imagine the outcome if this really happened? It's a blood bath waiting to happen! And, of course, the guards turn out to be mean to the prisoners. And, of course, the criminals turn out to be the underdogs. And, of course, Adam Sandler regains his love for football because of the whole ordeal. What a shocker.

Because of the stupidity and idiocrity of the entire movie, I give it NO potatoes.

House of Sand and Fog

Wow. House of Sand and Fog must be the most depressing movie ever. The last 10 minutes provide a startling glance into the lowest state a human could ever achieve.

The story goes way beyond the boundaries of reality. It stretches sanity to the very edge, producing an array of mentally-disturbed characters that, at no times, follow logic. In fact, I didn't know who to hate more: the depressed, lazy, and irresponsible white woman who couldn't face the fact that she lost the home due to her own negligence, the unfaithful husband who denies all sense of duty and civil right to protect a woman he just met, or the stubborn, unwielding father that makes life-changing decisions without ever consulting his family.The only admirable character was the mother who selflessly follows her husband. She takes care of her family and offers aid to strangers. Her love is endless and respectable. She provides the only softness in the movie.

Note-worthy is the use of reocurring objects interspersed throughout the scenes. The table keeps falling, the trees keep coming down. Fog covers and hides only briefly. Birds land and fly free. Tea is always offered to calm and finally offer eternal peace.

Even though the story is extremely depressing, I give it 3 potatoes because it evokes strong feelings.

Mystic River

what a suspenseful movie! clint eastwood does an excellent job directing. the story is never dull, most of the actors and actresses perform extremely well. the plot twists keep the viewer watching, wondering who the killer could be. was it the friend from ages past? was it the father of the secret boyfriend? no one is completely sure until the very end. it makes one think about how the past can influence the present, how people never change, and how passion can affect clarity of mind.

my only gripe is tim robbins' acting. he isn't at the top of his game. his emotional scenes seem forced at times. but the rest of the movie more than makes up for this small deviance from perfection.

overall, i give the movie 3 potatoes.

Fever Pitch

Fever Pitch is a cute romantic comedy about an over-the-top Red Sox fan who falls in love with a workaholic executive. Both individuals in the couple have to make a choice between what they have always loved and the love they now find in each other.

Unfortunately, there is nothing super note-worthy about this movie. It's not extremely funny; it's not extremely touching. For that reason, I give this movie 2 potatoes.

Corpse Bride

Tim Burton has done it again with Corpse Bride. Like A Nightmare Before Christmas, he has created a unique and fantastical story. It is a charming tale of how a young man afraid of marriage and a dead bride waiting for true love marry through a twist of fate.

Plus, he pioneered computer claymation. This has never been done before (as far as I know) and should be commended. The details and flow of the movie trick the viewer into thinking it really is clay, but with the aid of the computer, the characters are not limited to the usual confines of such a medium.

Unfortunately, that is where all good points end. The music is mediocre and unmentionable. In addition, the comedy often falls flat. Many of the jokes were a stretch. Either they were too obvious or not obvious enough because no one in the audience was laughing!

However, for the ingenuity of the movie, I give it 3 potatoes.

magnolia

i know there must be something deep about the movie, magnolia. there must be some dark and depressing meaning. but i failed to capture what it must have been. instead, i ended up more depressed than ever, feeling like life was just filled with a bunch of regrets. and i suppose it is. we all make mistakes, we all fail. we all try our best to do what's right, but everyone comes up short. we all mistreat our youth, scarring everyone. life sucks, deal with it.

i was confused with the toad scene, i couldn't understand the gay genius, and i failed to connect with the young wife. overall, the movie was a poor attempt to show what life is really like because it failed to show the happiness and joy ever-present in this world. not everyone is screwed up. not everyone fails. maybe we come up short, but life doesn't suck. there is hope.

i give it 2 potatoes.

just like heaven

just like heaven is just like almost every other romantic comedy out there. that's not a bad thing, but don't go expecting any big surprises. mark ruffalo and reese witherspoon play convincing lovers who meet through chance(?) when ruffalo rents the apartment witherspoon is "haunting." at first, there is some confusion between the two over who isn't the crazy one, but as ruffalo helps witherspoon gain her memory, love blooms.

there is a very hilarious bar-scene, and a few very sweet moments. mark performs perfectly, talking to "air" half the time. and the music is quite appropriate (the cure's "just like heaven" is on the soundtrack, plus an interesting remake of this song by Katie Melua).

overall, i think this film was done as well as it could have been done. i give it 2 potatoes.

Movie Reviews

This will be a blog for all my movie reviews.