Movies: Mass Post... Part I

I've watched a heap of movies lately so this will probably be a multi-post as well but I thought we'd start with some of the more kid friendly ones and then I can have fun berating the not to so awesome ones in a second post... how's that sound?

The theme song for The Lego Movie has been stuck in my head ever since I saw this movie. It just randomly explodes out of me sometimes... "Everything is awesome!" I loved this movie, especially Batman (Will Arnett) and Superman (Channing Tatum) and Green Lantern (Jonah Hill). Starring Elizabeth Banks (Hunger Games), Alison Brie (Community), Will Ferrell (Anchorman), Liam Neeson (Taken), Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption), Chris Pratt (Guardians of The Galaxy) and a whole range of others. Made entirely in Australia, even though we were the last country to have a release date. Worth watching more than once to catch all the Easter Eggs. Everything is awesome!

I can't remember who recommended me Space Pirate Captain Harlock but it had been a while since I'd watched any anime and when I saw the preview for this one I was immediately captivated by the awesome space pirate ship, Arcadia. I watched it English dubbed, which I don't normally do because they just can't seem get the same inflections as the Japanese do, but this was dubbed really well! I loved the animation style though the husband complained that it felt like he was in a video game... that was what I liked about it! The story is a bit long winded, I had to watch it twice to follow the whole thing and even then I'm still confused by the very end... But totally worth it. Apparently there is a manga too but the animation on it is not quite as awesome as the movie, which I would watch a third time.

Mr Peabody & Sherman is a brand new, digitally animated film based on the characters from the old Rocky and Bullwinkle Show! I was pretty excited when I saw the title because of course I recognised the name and I'm a sucker for these reminiscent type films. Mr Peabody (Ty Burrell) has built a time machine in order to teach his adoptive son Sherman (Max Charles) history. Of course they hit a few snags on the way, the least of which is Penny (Ariel Winter), a girl from Sherman's school who teases him about being a dog and then gets lost in ancient Egypt. There's a rollcall of important people throughout history and Mr Peabody comes out with some of the most hilarious puns. The kids will love this one.

(Not exactly kid friendly but I couldn't resist...) After the fastest earning Kickstarter program ever, the Veronica Mars Movie was funded by fans worldwide nine years after the show ended... and it was totally worth it! If you're a marshmallow like me, you would have been just as excited that all of our tweeting to stars Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring, as well as writer and director Rob Thomas, finally paid off in a Kickstarter campaign that clicked over faster than the seconds. It's $2million goal was fully funded in under 10 hours! That is some crazy fans right there. So Veronica (Bell)  is now a lawyer and of course Logan (Dohring) find himself caught in a bit of a bind and in need of her help... So she dusts off the detective gear and gets to work. Classic Veronica Mars, exactly what the fans asked for! Will watch again for sure.

That's all for now but don't worry, I have a massive list of movies lined up for you.

Love Gee
xoxo

Movie: Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained (2012)
Action, Drama, Western

I was so excited when I saw this movie coming, I was even more excited to find out it came out a month earlier in America than it does here at home in Australia. I'm a massive fan of Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill) and so this was just an automatic must see for me. I showed my husband a preview (I have to say they don't really show you much or give you a good idea of what the movie is actually like) and read him an article and suddenly he wanted to see it as much as I did. Hurrah!

So New Years Day when we were severely hungover in New York, we walked to one of the theatres in Times Square and lined up to see Tarantino's latest blood 'n' guts film... and wow! I can't remember the last time a film made me think so much, made me laugh out loud and cringe at the same time. I've also never been to the movies with such an expressive audience; there were gasps, cheers and uncomfortably tense moments from the crowd and a round of applause at the end.

As always in a Tarantino flick the cast is amazing! Jamie Foxx (Ray, Law Abiding Citizen) is the lead as Django, a black slave freed from his captives by the German bounty hunter / dentist Dr. King Shultz played by Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Water For Elephants) who was absolutely amazing and just won a Golden Globe for this performance. Django and Shultz make a deal, Django helps Shultz to find his latest bounty and in return they go together to rescue Django's wife Broomhilda - played by Kerry Washington (Ray, Fantastic Four) - who has been sold to the powerful plantation owner, Calvin Candie, amazingly portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, Blood Diamond).

You would think all those names would be enough but no, there's more! Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Avengers) brilliantly plays Candie's head of house Stephen. Cameos by James Remar (Dexter), Walton Goggins (The Shield), Jonah Hill (Superbad) and of course, Tarantino himself always makes an appearance, this time as an Aussie...with a terrible accent...

Being a Tarantino of course it's rife with violent blood splatter, shocking scenes of murder and disfigurement and foul language. It focuses a lot on the issue of black slavery but it does it so... normally. It felt like of course that's the way they should be treated and according to this article written on SmithsonianMag.com by African American History and Culture Director, Lonnie Bunch, it's pretty damn close to reality. Shame on us!

Absolutely brilliant movie! Everything I have come to expect and love about Tarantino. Will have to go buy this on DVD when it's out, am recommending it to everyone I know with the warning that some parts may just turn your stomach. Out in Australia on the 24th of this month, go see it!

5 out of 5 'N' Words...

[Bonus] 

Samuel L Jackson insists the reporter say the N word before he will answer the question. 

*snickers*

Movie: The Invention of Lying (2009)

The Invention of Lying (2009)
Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

This is a comedy set in a world where no one lies... everyone tells the truth, all the time... the ugly, ugly truth, which of course makes this bloody hilarious. Check out the trailer above and you'll see what I mean.

It's written, directed and stars hilarious funny man Ricky Gervais (What hasn't he been in? If you don't know who he is, we can't be friends), as well as Jonah Hill (Superbad, Moneyball) and Jennifer Garner (Alias, married to Ben Affleck duh). Appearances are also made by Rob Lowe (Wayne's World, Austin Powers), Tina Fey (30 Rock & writer of Saturday Night Live for like, ever), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) and Jimmi Simpson (Date Night). One itty bitty role by Stephanie March (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) made me giggle.

How's that for a funny man's cast, eh?

Except this movie was more drama than comedy. Normally with Gervais it's holding-my-guts laughter, this is not like that at all. I really do need to give Gervais a huge round of applause for the sober and heart wrenching scene of his mother dying. It was lovely and he did a beautiful job, you don't normally see that kind of a scene from him.

There were a few funny bits; all the truth was confronting and at times hilarious, reading the commandments from the back of two Pizza Hut boxes, referring to God as The Man In The Sky and that he was constantly whispering in Gervais ear, Rob Lowe.

3 out of 5 Golden Globes....

If you have no idea what I'm referring to here, you must watch Gervais hosting the Golden Globes here. Hilarious!

Favourite Bit - Gervais answering the front door in a sheet looking very much like The Man in The Sky.

Movie: Moneyball (2011)

Moneyball (2011)
Biography, Drama, Sport

I'm not a major fan of Brad Pitt (Fight Club, Se7en), at least not recently anyway. It's not that I don't like him, I just don't see what the big deal is about... I'm not a fan of baseball either, it's not a big sport here in Australia. I don't think I've even ever watched a game, but I do understand it.

Still, I thought I'd give this one a go and by now you must have figured out that I will watch pretty much anything!

Everything I needed to know about this film is in the preview and I probably don't need to go through the torture of the long monologues and bartering conversations swapping baseball players I didn't know. But, it seems to be True Story Sunday and I thought I'd stick with the theme.

Billy Beane, coach of a failing baseball team wants more money to get better players to get more money, I get that. There's lots of arguing, lots of talking and I got a bit bored. Then in comes Jonah Hill? Was I the only one a bit confused to see the Jonah who usually stars in comedy dramas like Superbad and 21 Jump Street? Then I realized he plays a nerd. Riiight.

This is a feel-good true story, I probably wouldnt watch it again though... too long and too much talking for my liking.

2 out of 5 Sandlot Kids...

Movie Quote:"Talking, la la la la" - Pitt.

Secret: I wrote this review before I finished watching the movie.... hahaha