 Have you ever gone to a movie and left feeling more confused than before? Sin City left me shaking my head. While I hadn't seen the previous Sin City movie, I had hoped to enjoy this movie. Frankly the new release choices this week stunk. So I flipped a coin. Based on the graphic novels, Sin City is gritty and violent. Not for the faint of heart. Guns, swords, death, nudity, blood spray--all in a campy story about a lack of family values. The director used black and white and colors to show the stark contrast between the background and the focus to draw the movie-goers gaze. The bright red of a dame's lips or the deep green of her eyes. The movie was reminiscent of the old Dick Tracy comics. I kept expecting to see a <POW> or <BAM> to show up. I give Sin City a D- because of the large number of famous cast members. When Lady Gaga looks normal in a movie compared to everyone else, run! Save your money for school supplies! 
 Tron, A Dancing Queen, Tom Cruise’s ex, and a vampire walk into a movie-Nope. Not a joke. They’re all in The Giver based on the award winning novel by Lois Lowry. Don’t waste the money. This post apocalyptic movie preaches about how wonderful feelings are and why they’re important- even ones like loss and fear. This movie will appeal to fans of the book or of Taylor Swift who has a short cameo. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.
Jeff Bridges plays the giver who shares his knowledge with his new protégé. I was worried about how many cigarettes he had to smoke in order to get that gravelly voice. The unkempt hair certainly identified him as someone who was a little outside the box. Katie Holmes does a great job playing a mean, emotionless woman. Too many times of “Precise Language” and I’d go bonkers. I’d be afraid if she was my maternal unit. With the guy from True Blood (Alexander Skarsgård) who plays Eric the vampire as the father unit. At least he was more caring, although pretty naïve. Meryl Streep rocked the character of the Chief Elder. She was so afraid of emotions that she knows what is going on in the releasing ceremonies yet, won’t stop them. It’s obvious her emotions are so shut off, just like the lack of colors in the world. Most teens will enjoy the leading guy who played Jonas, the receiver. He was cute and certainly strong in his convictions. Lois Lowry didn’t want it to be a teen romance and yet there was just enough angst for that to draw in the girls. My final thoughts- save your money and watch it on video. I'm giving it a C.... great visuals but if I want preaching, I'll go to church. :)  Godzilla is a fun trip down memory lane as they finally make a monster movie like the Godzilla stories of old. There are a lot of nods to the old movies from the boy in the baseball cap to the Japanese man who sees Godzilla as a hero.
The romance in this movie is between the two bug-like monsters who have been released from their dormant cocoons. They mate and make baby bug-eggs which Godzilla and the US Military must stop before the bugs hatch and kill everyone. The story is more about Godzilla-the hero- than about the humans although the humans certainly help Godzilla with his job. *I'm a nerd girl and LOVE old monster movies and superhero movies.* I'd recommend you see this movie just for the special effects and nostalgia. I loved seeing Godzilla come alive again. :) Grade: B+  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a fun romp through the sewers of NYC. The action is fast paced and keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The snarky comments and hidden humor entice the older viewers. For example, the Turtles are in an elevator and there are signs on the walls about no pets or weapons in the elevator.
But this version of the classic tale is predictable. I knew who the bad guy was from the first time he appeared on the screen and found too many plot holes in the story. For example, the turtles are in NY, not a drop of snow and then go to the bad guys's place (a short drive) to find the area completely covered in snow- Think last winter! Megan Fox does a nice job with this role (yep I know that sounds funny but at least she isn't saying I am Groot the whole movie). There are also costars like Whoopi Goldberg and Will Arnett who basically play themselves. The biggest gripe I have about this movie is how they twist the origins of the TMNT. In the movie, April's dad is working on gene mutation and injects the turtles and rat. She helps them escape during a fire at the lab and sends them to the sewers. The real story is that the rat and turtles are found walking thru green ooze and this mutation changes them. Still all in all a movie worth seeing and one that children will like! I saw even kids as young as 6 years old at the theater. Although, they won't get all the nuances. I'd give it a B. Worthwhile to see if only for the nostalgia! 
Welcome to my home for movie reviews. I'm hoping you love movies as much as I do. They like books, draw you into another world or make you scream... they pull at your heartstrings or make you laugh aloud.
We may not always agree about the movies but I enjoy the debates about the things that make us happy! |
Melissa KeirIt's all about the movies... Archives
January 2020
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