Reviews

Eragon was a very enjoyable movie. I laughed the whole time, in a very Mystery Science Theater 3000 way. I made a specific point of *not* reading the book before seeing the movie knowing I'd only get angry, and I was very satisfied with that decision. I felt the only strong performances came from Jeremy Irons and Rachel Weisz (the dragon's voice). The young gentleman playing Eragon was ridiculous and pitiable--not at all heroic. His line-delivery showed much to be desired. And my absolute favorite casting job in this charming little film was John Malcovich as the evil king. I mean... come on. Who casts *John Malcovich* as a warmongering king. Have you heard his voice? It is not menacing in that way. If want to cast him as an evil politician or sneaky villain, that's perfect. But his thin almost whiny voice is not believable for a straightforwardly evil villain. (By the way, I'm actually a big John Malcovich fan. If you want to see him well cast, go see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or a classic like Of Mice and Men or Death of a Salesman.) As to the screen writing, even having not read the book, I could tell the screenplay clearly did it's predecessor little justice. Too many lines were comical that were clearly not intended to be so. If you want a good laugh, watch this with someone who's good at making fun of movies. It was almost enchantingly corny.

For those who don't mind reading subtitles, I highly recommend Kung Fu Hustle. As Entertainment Weekly said, "Think Kill Bill meets Loony Tunes." It contains spectacular martial arts fight sequences while being refreshingly absurd about it all. And though the comedy factor is very high, the parody aspect doesn't keep you from attaching to the characters and caring about their plight and the resolution of the plot. The script has a peculiar habit of shifting the focus so that, the first time watching it, you really wonder who the main character is. (I'd recommend not studying the movie cover too closely beforehand. Discovering who's really important is half the fun.) All the characters are fleshed out with adorable little quirks that make every single one of them lovable, even the villains. The soundtrack and cinematography were quite enjoyable as well. Overall, Kung Fu Hustle is a delightful piece of art. You'll want to watch it again as soon as you've finished!

Yes, I judged this one harshly. And, may I say, Tim Burton, I'm disappointed in you. Then again, perhaps it's my own fault for walking into what could be considered a kids' movie and expecting the plot not to be transparent. I had everything except for the finest details pegged within about 15 or 20 minutes. Yes, the resolution to the love triangle was nice, but I wish there'd been a little more mystery on who it would be. Some of the death puns were a little overbearing, but the spoof sequences were quite enjoyable. (I'll admit, the Gone with the Wind one got applause from this fan.) The music was quite good, but the songs were a little lacking. Overall though, I majorly *heart* Danny Elfman.

In sum, my suggestion is don't walk into Corpse Bride expecting to see glory and creativity that is Nightmare Before Christmas...or even anything very close to it. While charming, The Corpse Bride is not the fine work of art it could have been. Nice try, Tim, but I expect better next time.

My friend bought this movie out of the $5 bin at Walmart for a laugh. I was just expecting a stupid, mindless romantic comedy. What I found was a brilliant piece of work. The script is quite impressive. The story actually focuses on the "Best Men" like it says, not on the bride and groom. The whole film is chock full of lovable (and not so lovable) vibrant characters from nerdy little Teddy to Billy, the classical romantic hero, to Buzz the top-notch soldier with a heart of gold to Sol the lawyer you don't want to trust. Why had I never heard of this movie before?!? This definitely deserves a place on the shelf for anyone who loves comedy and good writing.