TRUE GRIT - Written and directed by the Coen brothers, this is a remake of the classic 1969 western that starred John Wayne. In this modern version Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, a bounty hunter hired by 14 year old Mattie Ross who wants her father's murderer captured and killed. Matt Damon plays LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger along for the ride who is after the same man for another crime. From there the movie takes many dark (and sometimes comedic) turns thanks to an expected strong screenplay. The performances here are top notch, and the pacing of the film is very western (slowly building with tension and ending with a violent climax.) Often times this movie reminded me of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, with its tension and mood. And much like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN I would expect TRUE GRIT to receive a lot of Oscar buzz this week. Great movie.
THE EXPENDABLES - Written, directed, and starring Sylvester Stallone, this is a movie that celebrates the glory days of the 80's action movie. With an all-star cast of 80's action movie heroes, this is a throwback movie complete with lots of explosions, and plenty of bad one-liners. In the beginning this was like watching an inside joke, and I kind of appreciated it. Then after about an hour the joke got old and I found myself wanting it to end. I have to be honest, I wasn't that surprised I didn't like it, but I was hoping for a fun rental at least. Still though this is a goofy movie. Not really worth your time.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - Michael Cera plays Scott Pilgrim, a 20-something who plays in a rock band and dreams of dating the girl of his dreams. The twist is to win the heart of the girl he must first face her 7 ex-lovers...each of whom he must face in a battle to the death. This movie is based on the widely successful graphic novel series, so this movie has a strong cult base. The soundtrack is lively, and there's a vibe here that pays homage to 80's video games that I kind of dug. So there are definitely some entertaining elements here. What bothered me about this one is Michael Cera - has anyone else noticed he plays the same kind of role in every movie? I would have liked to see someone else in this role. Also, I would have liked to know what makes the girlfriend worth fighting 7 ex-lovers for. Anyway, this one was okay...but I didn't like it as much as some people.
ROBIN HOOD - Directed by Ridley Scott this is another interpretation of the classic tale of Robin Hood. This time Russell Crowe gets to play the outlaw of Sherwood Forest. The battle scenes are impressive, the performances are strong, and the direction is of course top-notch. Yet for some reason, I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to (and it's hard to figure out why.) I think it's because the movie seems so familiar. At times I felt like I was watching Ridley Scott's film GLADIATOR (thanks in part to Crowe playing the lead in both.) At other times I felt like I was watching Scott's KINGDOM OF HEAVEN movie. Either way...ROBIN HOOD felt very familiar. Also, the ending fails to live up to its "epicness" that it desperately tries to achieve. All in all the movie is okay, and makes for an okay rental, but it could have been better.
GENTLEMEN BRONCOS - Oh man...this is a movie I have no idea how to describe. Written and directed by Jared Hess (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) this movie is about home-schooled loner "Benjamin" who loves to write science fiction. When one of his unpublished novellas is plagiarized by a famous sci-fi author (played by Jemaine Clement), and then later gets adapted into a disastrous movie, Benjamin faces a tough road to get his life back on track. For anyone who has seen NAPOLEON DYNAMITE you will know this movie is quirky with a capital Q. But unlike NAPOLEON DYNAMITE this movie fails miserably at being funny. The only thing making this movie worth watching is the performance of Jemaine Clement as the goofy sci-fi author. He's absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately though he's hardly in the movie. Anyway, this movie was a big disappointment.
FOUR CHRISTMASES - Jenny and I saw this one over the Christmas holidays. Talk about an unfunny and depressing Christmas movie. Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play Kate and Brad, a couple who find themselves spending 4 Christmases with their extended families...all in one day. As Kate and Brad go from house to house they begin to discover they really don't know each other as much as they thought, and they begin to question the future of their relationship. With a cast list that includes Witherspoon and Vaughn you would expect a decent movie with a few laughs. Instead this is a movie that is mean spirited and unfunny. Definitely not what I want in a Christmas movie.
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