I know this complaint has probably been done to death, but then again, this tagline has been done to death, so I might as well put in my own two cents.
They are doing it again. Someone is planning on re-making Snow White. It will be co-produced by Brett Ratner, the director of X-Men 3 (which I actually did like) and Bernie Goldman. And incredibly, based on the article I read, it already contains three of the latest Hollywood trends that I can't stand. One, it's a remake. Two, it's supposed to be "edgy." And finally, it's going to be in 3-D, supposedly because they want to recreate the success of Alice and Wonderland.
First, I do not like the idea of remakes at all. I just don't like them. There are only certain properties that I don't mind seeing remade, like Shakespeare and Jane Austen, but that's only because they've been remade so many times that it's to be expected now. But hearing about plans to remake a classic movie always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It shows a lack of creativity. Now, with the recent Alice and Wonderland, I enjoyed it because it was more like a sequel than a remake, telling an original story in which Alice returns to "Underland" as an adult. It was not a retread of a story we've heard before. Maybe Snow White will attempt to do the same thing. If so, I might give it a chance. However...
Second, one of my biggest pet peeves about movies today is the desire to make everything "dark" and "edgy." Goldman reportedly told the media that "this is certainly not your mother's Snow White."
Because as we all know, nobody liked that version!
Today, it feels like the two biggest taglines for promoting a movie are: "this version is darker and edgier" and "this movie comes in 3-D!" I just don't understand why Hollywood execs don't understand that neither of these things guarantee a good movie. It's a shame, because I was very impressed by the 3-D technology that I saw while watching A Christmas Carol last year, and edgy material definitely has its place in the world of art and entertainment. But both concepts are being over-used, and I get tired of hearing them used over and over again, as though the ones behind the marketing expect me to say, "Oh, I have to see this now- because it's edgy!" If we had really wanted the original classics to be edgy, they never would have been classics in the first place.
Now, I realize that this movie is far from being completed. This isn't even the first time that a project like this has been announced for Snow White. Maybe, if it comes out, I'll end up really liking it. But so far, I have not been impressed with how the execs chose to announce this new production. They went and pushed all the wrong buttons with me.
Anyway, here's the link to the article itself: http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=503995 Make of it what you will.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
It's a Good Time to be a Disney Fan!
By now, I've seen Disney's newest live-action movie, Alice in Wonderland, twice, and so I decided that I should write a review for my movie blog. Unfortunately, I did not get to see this movie in 3-D, but it was a sight to behold nonetheless! WARNING: There are spoilers!!!!!
For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, the film is essentially a sequel to Lewis Caroll's stories about Alice. She is now nineteen-years-old, but she still has a wild imagination and doesn't appreciate the fact that she's about to be forced into marrying a rich duke. Luckily, at her engagement party, Alice notices a white rabbit running through the garden again, chases after it, and soon finds herself back in Wonderland. The only problem is, Wonderland isn't exactly as wonderful as she remembered. The Red Queen now rules over everyone, using the threat of the monstrous Jabberwocky to frighten her subjects into submission. Alice's old friends want her to come back because she is allegedly the only one who can slay the Jabberwocky and restore the White Queen to power.
The film's been receiving mixed reviews from critics, with the negative ones complaining that Tim Burton's movie isn't crazy or nonsensical enough. I would agree that it's not completely nonsensical the way it's supposed to be, but I didn't really mind the change because I prefer to have things make some level of sense. I think that Burton was trying to create a Wonderland that would be more accessible to people who couldn't fully grasp Carroll's, and on that note he succeeded very well. The acting, particularly Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Alan Rickman as Abasalom the Caterpillar, Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, and Mia Wasikowska as the title character herself, is very well-done. I especially liked how the characters in Alice's home were meant to represent characters that she meets in Wonderland. The set design was also vivid and beautiful in its own way, especially the White Queen's castle and the giant chessboard on which the two armies battle. But best of all is the musical score by Danny Elfman. I've already got "Alice's Theme" on my iPod because I love how beautiful and mysterious it sounds!
Overall, the film seems to be about growing up, making your own decisions, etc, but it relates this message in its own strange way. You could even argue that it's about accepting your destiny, because while Alice struggles to control her own fate and decides not to go through with the planned marriage, she still decides to accept Wonderland's desire for her to slay Jabberwocky. However you choose to interpret it, the movie is very enjoyable overall, and I would see it again if I could!
For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, the film is essentially a sequel to Lewis Caroll's stories about Alice. She is now nineteen-years-old, but she still has a wild imagination and doesn't appreciate the fact that she's about to be forced into marrying a rich duke. Luckily, at her engagement party, Alice notices a white rabbit running through the garden again, chases after it, and soon finds herself back in Wonderland. The only problem is, Wonderland isn't exactly as wonderful as she remembered. The Red Queen now rules over everyone, using the threat of the monstrous Jabberwocky to frighten her subjects into submission. Alice's old friends want her to come back because she is allegedly the only one who can slay the Jabberwocky and restore the White Queen to power.
The film's been receiving mixed reviews from critics, with the negative ones complaining that Tim Burton's movie isn't crazy or nonsensical enough. I would agree that it's not completely nonsensical the way it's supposed to be, but I didn't really mind the change because I prefer to have things make some level of sense. I think that Burton was trying to create a Wonderland that would be more accessible to people who couldn't fully grasp Carroll's, and on that note he succeeded very well. The acting, particularly Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Alan Rickman as Abasalom the Caterpillar, Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, and Mia Wasikowska as the title character herself, is very well-done. I especially liked how the characters in Alice's home were meant to represent characters that she meets in Wonderland. The set design was also vivid and beautiful in its own way, especially the White Queen's castle and the giant chessboard on which the two armies battle. But best of all is the musical score by Danny Elfman. I've already got "Alice's Theme" on my iPod because I love how beautiful and mysterious it sounds!
Overall, the film seems to be about growing up, making your own decisions, etc, but it relates this message in its own strange way. You could even argue that it's about accepting your destiny, because while Alice struggles to control her own fate and decides not to go through with the planned marriage, she still decides to accept Wonderland's desire for her to slay Jabberwocky. However you choose to interpret it, the movie is very enjoyable overall, and I would see it again if I could!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Reaction to Oscar Night!
Well, I stayed up and watched the entire show, and decided that because my blog is about movies, it'd only be appropriate to write some of my thoughts about it.
I was disappointed when Up lost the Best Picture award, but I expected as much when the rest of Hollywood could only talk about Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Hurt Locker for taking home so many awards! I'll definitely have to check out that film at some point.
This year, the audience was treated to two hosts: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I enjoyed their routine and I thought they played well off of each other, but unfortunately, I missed most of the beginning because the reception on my TV was acting up. Well, there's always YouTube, right? I also liked how they presented the awards for Best Animated Feature, and was very happy when Up won, though I wouldn't have minded if The Princess and the Frog had received the prize instead!
By far, my favorite part of the night was the video narrated by Morgan Freeman about the way sound editing and sound mixing works. I never really knew or cared about what those awards meant, but those guys sound like they have the most tedious jobs in the entertainment business! It was fascinating to listen to, and it gave me a whole new level of respect for the people who were nominated for those awards. I'd provide a link to it, but no one seems to have uploaded it on YouTube. I guess they really don't have everything on YouTube...oh well...
In my next post, I'll be writing a review for Tim Burton's new film: Alice in Wonderland!
I was disappointed when Up lost the Best Picture award, but I expected as much when the rest of Hollywood could only talk about Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Hurt Locker for taking home so many awards! I'll definitely have to check out that film at some point.
This year, the audience was treated to two hosts: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I enjoyed their routine and I thought they played well off of each other, but unfortunately, I missed most of the beginning because the reception on my TV was acting up. Well, there's always YouTube, right? I also liked how they presented the awards for Best Animated Feature, and was very happy when Up won, though I wouldn't have minded if The Princess and the Frog had received the prize instead!
By far, my favorite part of the night was the video narrated by Morgan Freeman about the way sound editing and sound mixing works. I never really knew or cared about what those awards meant, but those guys sound like they have the most tedious jobs in the entertainment business! It was fascinating to listen to, and it gave me a whole new level of respect for the people who were nominated for those awards. I'd provide a link to it, but no one seems to have uploaded it on YouTube. I guess they really don't have everything on YouTube...oh well...
In my next post, I'll be writing a review for Tim Burton's new film: Alice in Wonderland!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"The Wolfman" Review
Last Saturday, I got to see The Wolfman, starring Benico del Toro, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving! As I mentioned in a previous blog post, this film is a remake of the 1941 movie, which I haven't seen yet. So I went into the movie theater without knowing quite what to expect, aside from werewolves running amok and a Gothic horror setting.
Overall, I enjoyed the film very much, and this is coming from a person who generally doesn't like horror movies! The Wolfman is definitely the type of movie that I would want to watch around Halloween. It was creepy, but not to the point where I had to constantly cover my eyes. I really loved the set pieces, with the old Victorian mansion, the nearby village and Gypsy camp, the surrounding moors; it was all beautiful in its own way and contributed to the overall mood of the film. The story was pretty good too, and kept me interested all the way through to the finale, though I thought that the twist involving Lawerence's father was rather predictable and didn't shock me at all.
The special effects and the action scenes were well-done too, particularly the roof-top chase through London. Although, while I realize that the Wolfman's look was created to match the original costume, and that it's what the werewolves are supposed to look like, I have to admit that I prefer the Twilight design, where they merge into actual wolves. As far as being an actual monster goes, the Wolfman surpasses them in all other aspects, yet still, I've always thought that werewolves should be more...wolfish. But that's just my opinion.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, I'd give this film a 7. It was definitely worth the price of admission, and I'll probably rent it when it comes out on DVD, hopefully before October!
Overall, I enjoyed the film very much, and this is coming from a person who generally doesn't like horror movies! The Wolfman is definitely the type of movie that I would want to watch around Halloween. It was creepy, but not to the point where I had to constantly cover my eyes. I really loved the set pieces, with the old Victorian mansion, the nearby village and Gypsy camp, the surrounding moors; it was all beautiful in its own way and contributed to the overall mood of the film. The story was pretty good too, and kept me interested all the way through to the finale, though I thought that the twist involving Lawerence's father was rather predictable and didn't shock me at all.
The special effects and the action scenes were well-done too, particularly the roof-top chase through London. Although, while I realize that the Wolfman's look was created to match the original costume, and that it's what the werewolves are supposed to look like, I have to admit that I prefer the Twilight design, where they merge into actual wolves. As far as being an actual monster goes, the Wolfman surpasses them in all other aspects, yet still, I've always thought that werewolves should be more...wolfish. But that's just my opinion.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, I'd give this film a 7. It was definitely worth the price of admission, and I'll probably rent it when it comes out on DVD, hopefully before October!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Most Anticipated Movies of 2010
Even though 2010 has already started, I haven't had a chance to check out any new films since viewing Avatar. So I figured I might as well make a list of the films I'm looking forward to seeing the most in 2010!
1. The Wolfman (Feb. 12)- It's really my friend Alison who's enthusiastic about this movie, but after seeing the newest trailers, I'm starting to get pretty excited too. The Wolfman is a remake of the classic horror film made in 1941, now starring Benico del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt. It's about a man named Lawerence Talbot who returns to his family's manor to find his missing brother, and obviously becomes a werewolf in the process. I'm planning on seeing it this weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to post a review for the movie on this blog!
2. Alice in Wonderland (March 5)- The last time I saw a film that involved Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter, it was called Sweeney Todd and it was both amazing and terrifying! I like their individual projects, their collaborations, and Disney-related films, so I'm pretty psyched to see what Burton decides to do with Wonderland. Plus, while I'm not very familiar with Lewis Carrol's book, Tim Burton sounds like just the type of director who would be perfect for Wonderland: he specializes in visually stunning films that can be dark and whimsical at the same time. I'll be checking this one out for sure!
3. Iron Man 2 (May 7)- This should be a nice kick-off to the summer season, just like the first movie was. While I'm not a huge fan of Iron Man, I enjoy watching comic-book movies, especially fun "popcorn" blockbusters like this one!
4. Toy Story (June 18)- I saw the first Toy Story movie when I was about 5 years old...and I hated it. It's not that it's a bad movie, it just scared me so badly as a kid that I didn't want to watch it ever again. Then, my friends convinced me to see Toy Story 2, but because I was older, I loved it! So now I'm excited to see how Pixar chooses to end the trilogy, and whether it will be able to live up to the hype.
5. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30)- Yes, I like Twilight. It's become a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. If nothing else, I want to see this movie because of the showdown between the vampires and werewolves. (And for anyone who's interested, I'm on Team Jacob!) It should be a fun night at the movies with my friends!
6. Rapunzel (Nov. 26)- Disney's 50th animated feature is, once again, featuring a princess, only this time it's rumored to be more of a swashbuckling adventure with magic. Luckily for Disney, I love princesses, swashbucklers, and magic, so this should be right up my alley! I just hope it's able to compete with the other holiday films this season, like the next movie on my list...
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Nov. 19)- This is, by far, the movie that I am anticipating the most! If I get the chance to see it at midnight, I will! I grew up reading the Harry Potter series and I have loved every minute of it, so seeing Part 1 of the conclusion is a no-brainer! In case you didn't know, the seventh book has been split into two movies in order to cram in every single important detail from the plot. I'm curious to see where they split it (rumors suggest that it'll be sometime before or after the Malfoy Manor sequence), but more importantly, I hope they do the book justice!
Well, that's it. Actually, there are plenty of other films that I'm looking forward to seeing this year, but this blog post is getting too long, so I'll stop here! Have a great time at the movies in 2010!
1. The Wolfman (Feb. 12)- It's really my friend Alison who's enthusiastic about this movie, but after seeing the newest trailers, I'm starting to get pretty excited too. The Wolfman is a remake of the classic horror film made in 1941, now starring Benico del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt. It's about a man named Lawerence Talbot who returns to his family's manor to find his missing brother, and obviously becomes a werewolf in the process. I'm planning on seeing it this weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to post a review for the movie on this blog!
2. Alice in Wonderland (March 5)- The last time I saw a film that involved Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter, it was called Sweeney Todd and it was both amazing and terrifying! I like their individual projects, their collaborations, and Disney-related films, so I'm pretty psyched to see what Burton decides to do with Wonderland. Plus, while I'm not very familiar with Lewis Carrol's book, Tim Burton sounds like just the type of director who would be perfect for Wonderland: he specializes in visually stunning films that can be dark and whimsical at the same time. I'll be checking this one out for sure!
3. Iron Man 2 (May 7)- This should be a nice kick-off to the summer season, just like the first movie was. While I'm not a huge fan of Iron Man, I enjoy watching comic-book movies, especially fun "popcorn" blockbusters like this one!
4. Toy Story (June 18)- I saw the first Toy Story movie when I was about 5 years old...and I hated it. It's not that it's a bad movie, it just scared me so badly as a kid that I didn't want to watch it ever again. Then, my friends convinced me to see Toy Story 2, but because I was older, I loved it! So now I'm excited to see how Pixar chooses to end the trilogy, and whether it will be able to live up to the hype.
5. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30)- Yes, I like Twilight. It's become a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. If nothing else, I want to see this movie because of the showdown between the vampires and werewolves. (And for anyone who's interested, I'm on Team Jacob!) It should be a fun night at the movies with my friends!
6. Rapunzel (Nov. 26)- Disney's 50th animated feature is, once again, featuring a princess, only this time it's rumored to be more of a swashbuckling adventure with magic. Luckily for Disney, I love princesses, swashbucklers, and magic, so this should be right up my alley! I just hope it's able to compete with the other holiday films this season, like the next movie on my list...
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Nov. 19)- This is, by far, the movie that I am anticipating the most! If I get the chance to see it at midnight, I will! I grew up reading the Harry Potter series and I have loved every minute of it, so seeing Part 1 of the conclusion is a no-brainer! In case you didn't know, the seventh book has been split into two movies in order to cram in every single important detail from the plot. I'm curious to see where they split it (rumors suggest that it'll be sometime before or after the Malfoy Manor sequence), but more importantly, I hope they do the book justice!
Well, that's it. Actually, there are plenty of other films that I'm looking forward to seeing this year, but this blog post is getting too long, so I'll stop here! Have a great time at the movies in 2010!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thoughts on the Oscar Nominations
I'm embarassed to admit that I've only seen two of the movies nominated for "Best Picture." They would be Avatar and Up, and of the two, I'm rooting for Up! Both movies were very well-made, both experimented with 3D technology, and both knew how to tell an emotional story. However, as I sat at home last night and rewatched Up, I felt that it deserved the Best Picture award more.
In all fairness, I should point out that I've been what one would call a "die-hard fan" of Disney-Pixar for years. If I'd been in charge of the Academy Awards, Pixar would've at least won Best Picture for Ratatouille already. Plus, I'm a fan of animation in general, and I think it's about time that an animated film won a Best Picture award. While animated movies are being recognized as a respectable art form in cinema through the "Best Animated Feature" award, it also makes it harder for them to be nominated for other big prizes because they merely get pushed aside into the "Best Animated Feature" section.
All right, so I'm a little biased towards Pixar, and I haven't seen the rest of the nominated films yet, so who am I to say what I thought was the best picture of 2009? Still, out of the two that I did see, I do think that Up deserves to win because it has a stronger, more enjoyable story. Avatar is an impressive film, and it did have me close to tears at certain points, but between the drama, the romance, and the amazing special-effects, there was hardly any time for me to breathe. Up has a more gentle pace. It has plenty of action and drama, but it also has moments of humor (particularly any scene involving Dug the talking dog) and it has an important message that doesn't come across as preachy (something that Avatar was often criticized for). That's something I've always liked about Pixar movies: when it comes to delivering a message to the audience, they know where to tow the line. Rather then openly criticize our flaws and put us through a guilt-trip, they encourage and inspire us to be better people. I think this is a more effective mode of story-telling in the long run.
Plus, I always like to root for the underdog, and with Hollywood so convinced that either Avatar or The Hurt Locker is going to sweep the competition, wouldn't it be nice to see a shocking twist or two with Up?
In all fairness, I should point out that I've been what one would call a "die-hard fan" of Disney-Pixar for years. If I'd been in charge of the Academy Awards, Pixar would've at least won Best Picture for Ratatouille already. Plus, I'm a fan of animation in general, and I think it's about time that an animated film won a Best Picture award. While animated movies are being recognized as a respectable art form in cinema through the "Best Animated Feature" award, it also makes it harder for them to be nominated for other big prizes because they merely get pushed aside into the "Best Animated Feature" section.
All right, so I'm a little biased towards Pixar, and I haven't seen the rest of the nominated films yet, so who am I to say what I thought was the best picture of 2009? Still, out of the two that I did see, I do think that Up deserves to win because it has a stronger, more enjoyable story. Avatar is an impressive film, and it did have me close to tears at certain points, but between the drama, the romance, and the amazing special-effects, there was hardly any time for me to breathe. Up has a more gentle pace. It has plenty of action and drama, but it also has moments of humor (particularly any scene involving Dug the talking dog) and it has an important message that doesn't come across as preachy (something that Avatar was often criticized for). That's something I've always liked about Pixar movies: when it comes to delivering a message to the audience, they know where to tow the line. Rather then openly criticize our flaws and put us through a guilt-trip, they encourage and inspire us to be better people. I think this is a more effective mode of story-telling in the long run.
Plus, I always like to root for the underdog, and with Hollywood so convinced that either Avatar or The Hurt Locker is going to sweep the competition, wouldn't it be nice to see a shocking twist or two with Up?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Introduction
Hello! Welcome to The Great Movie Blog!
For the record, I didn't title this, "The Great Movie Blog" because I think it's the best blog on movies out there! I don't see how that's even possible when I have no connections to big Hollywood studios or the inside scoop anywhere. No, I gave it this title as a play-on-words of my favorite ride at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios: the Great Movie Ride! Every time I visit the park I make sure to get in line at the replica of the Chinese Theater and gaze in awe at all the classic films being brought to life right before my eyes (and I've got a personal goal to try and see all of the movies featured on the ride!). It's the attraction that sparked my interest in film history, among other things, so I thought it was only fitting to pay homage to it via my blog title.
Anyway, I'm just a fan who likes to keep track of what's going on in the cinematic industry (mostly when it's Disney-Pixar-related!) and then writing my reaction/opinion on it. That's pretty much what this blog's going to be about, along with reviews, recommendations, and upcoming movies/DVD's that I'm looking forward to.
For the record, I didn't title this, "The Great Movie Blog" because I think it's the best blog on movies out there! I don't see how that's even possible when I have no connections to big Hollywood studios or the inside scoop anywhere. No, I gave it this title as a play-on-words of my favorite ride at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios: the Great Movie Ride! Every time I visit the park I make sure to get in line at the replica of the Chinese Theater and gaze in awe at all the classic films being brought to life right before my eyes (and I've got a personal goal to try and see all of the movies featured on the ride!). It's the attraction that sparked my interest in film history, among other things, so I thought it was only fitting to pay homage to it via my blog title.
Anyway, I'm just a fan who likes to keep track of what's going on in the cinematic industry (mostly when it's Disney-Pixar-related!) and then writing my reaction/opinion on it. That's pretty much what this blog's going to be about, along with reviews, recommendations, and upcoming movies/DVD's that I'm looking forward to.
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