tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366546762024-03-05T22:21:33.560-08:00the movieGOOMBAUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-72964007393918101072009-09-23T20:48:00.000-07:002009-09-23T22:58:13.313-07:00Love Happens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJE_dg70bDliRxMECT0lYlwlhRzpDqX6YlKhncbbynWlxnmYgW7WSuid_lephsFX9UrExTvHoqPTwUK1hIS8HGpNcDuE6W_xxBM8UsjrX8hREbT_MbF9ygffT3cpZUTHkV5tV-g/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJE_dg70bDliRxMECT0lYlwlhRzpDqX6YlKhncbbynWlxnmYgW7WSuid_lephsFX9UrExTvHoqPTwUK1hIS8HGpNcDuE6W_xxBM8UsjrX8hREbT_MbF9ygffT3cpZUTHkV5tV-g/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384906800062239874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GOOMBA</span></span><br /><br />In the mood for something funny? In the mood for some romance? Something cute and tingly? Well, this is not the movie for you. <span style="font-style: italic;">Love Happens</span>, is when love does not happen. Love is not nearby. It is far . . . far far away.<br /><br />Hypocritical self help celebrity, Burke, works through his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">dysfunctional</span> issues while trying to kindle a relationship with florist, Eloise.<br /><br />Jennifer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Aniston</span> stars in another flop alongside failed other half, Aaron <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Eckhart</span>. The plot lagged, the couple had no chemistry, and the story was a complete downer. But above all, Burke was an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">undesirable</span> man and Eloise was not a good muse. None of Burke's actions seem inspired by anything, especially her. One could argue that Walter, the stoic man's man, who was able to open up after the death of his son, might have stirred a change in Burke, but this is suppose to be a romance, not a "I Love You, Man" flick.<br /><br />But I'll let you guess, do you think Burke and Eloise end up together in the end? Oh the suspense! And you'll just never know because I've just convinced you to never see it.<br /><br />I would like to comment on how cute I thought <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Aniston's</span> wardrobe was, but that aside, this movie gets no love from me.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-84175156437094198772009-08-10T20:55:00.000-07:002009-08-18T21:48:36.611-07:00Julie & Julia<span style="font-weight: bold;">3 GOOMBAS</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sQM3vlF7kKMFrrRCKsePgErH864e2gap5k0O8UxoGHWvznwbNWkRqmRb7g_O6ccXRM1IhBo0SAcUzFa1OSRDUAPNSwpGHIswr7UdpJJn_uGGHmjbu0q7lEWBw2tko54csND5Ow/s1600-h/blogphoto.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sQM3vlF7kKMFrrRCKsePgErH864e2gap5k0O8UxoGHWvznwbNWkRqmRb7g_O6ccXRM1IhBo0SAcUzFa1OSRDUAPNSwpGHIswr7UdpJJn_uGGHmjbu0q7lEWBw2tko54csND5Ow/s320/blogphoto.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371532145018592978" border="0" /></a><div><br />One of my favorite pastimes is eating, not so much the cooking part, but the eating. Cooking takes too much time and effort, and I'm too impatient to do things the right way; like pulling the chicken out of the freezer the night before to defrost, pre-heating the oven, or going to the store once a week so you always have fresh food. It's all too much planning and prep. I just want to eat. </div><br /><div><span style="font-style: italic;">Julie & Julia</span> reunites two of my favorite actresses, Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, in this lighthearted comedy about the life of Julia Child and dedicated fan, Julie Powell. Julie, is a restless cubicle worker who decides that she needs to make a change in her life, so she sets a goal to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook and write a blog about her experiences. In a separate lifetime, but featured in parallel, Julia Child is at the beginning of a burgeoning career, and her struggles to make it as a chef are given buoyancy with her pleasantly eccentric mannerisms.<br /><br />I loved this movie's characters. Julie Powell is someone I could definitely relate to, as I found myself in her same position 2 years ago when I started this blog. Though not as successful as her, I still feel accomplishment every time I post. :) Then there is Julia Child, who is a perfect concoction of spunk and effervescent optimism. Meryl Streep, as always, embraces her role, and as this popular chef, she made Julia's extreme personality charming and adorable.<br /><br />But as cute as this movie was, something bothered me. Toward the end of Julie's storyline, there was a reference to a possible hint of animosity from Julia toward Julie. And even that hint seemed totally out of character from the person Meryl portrayed. Also, there was no major climax to the plot. <span style="font-style: italic;">Julie &Julia</span> is what I categorize as a steady flick; movies like <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Must Love Dogs</span>; movies that have one tone. It's a cute movie, but not necessarily a good one.<br /><br />So if you choose to watch this movie, watch it while you're full or you'll be as hungry as a bear before the film is through, go with girlfriends, and remember, Bon Appetit!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-45289826850869000492009-08-03T22:16:00.000-07:002009-08-09T00:35:25.577-07:00Funny People<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfA-u4HMQcA44rW7edOnF-lMJipNO9b6G3WUd-oSKhoF8g8mMakHwr6kOKKwP4g6hkYHuhwATPwKcho0losifytDoL8nbUmm3gGfseip9W_hX-jLQ7haul0P1-Kors_lHSStUhQ/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfA-u4HMQcA44rW7edOnF-lMJipNO9b6G3WUd-oSKhoF8g8mMakHwr6kOKKwP4g6hkYHuhwATPwKcho0losifytDoL8nbUmm3gGfseip9W_hX-jLQ7haul0P1-Kors_lHSStUhQ/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367862246938890082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 GOOMBAS</span><br /><br />Finding humor in a tragic situation can be a gift. It can defy four out of the five stages of dying - denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. Laughter is the best medicine, after all. But in the case of George Simmons, these stages manifest themselves in humor.<br /><br />George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is a professional comedian who started in stand up but has a made a career that includes major motion pictures, big-name magazine covers, multi-million dollar houses, hot girls, and no friends. When he finds out that he has a deadly disease, he goes back to his roots in stand up comedy, gains a dark edge, and befriends a young, aspiring comedian, Ira (Seth Rogen), who is grounded, loyal, and star-struck.<br /><br />Through the course of this dramedy, it becomes evident that George is a selfish ass, but Sandler's depiction is subtle and surprisingly likable. Ira is George's opposite - occasionally selfish but does the right thing when it counts. The development of their relationship was fun to watch at first, but then the movie just dragged; dragged during George's attempts to win his married ex-girlfriend back; dragged when hunky Eric Bana beats the crap out of frumpy Sandler. The film lost my interest, and by the end, I didn't care so much about Ira or George. Where's the humor in watching a train wreck?<br /><br />It was cool to see into the life of the comedian lifestyle; a lifestyle that isn't portrayed that often in movies - the hard work, the creativity behind a good joke, the need for a lucky break, and the glamorous poverty of an unsuccessful career in the entertainment industry. However, I couldn't help but feel this watch was a waste of my time. The flick may star funny people, but it wasn't that funny. I'd skip it for something else. <span style="font-style: italic;">Funny People</span> includes cameos from Marshall Mathers, Ray Ramano, and James Tayler.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-79250110006745014882009-07-27T12:15:00.000-07:002009-07-27T12:15:54.029-07:00Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0j8DOCFtqsG3qXEZCUSPP7aFROOP5mSRTRq7EVkwqZMOoC3QO1IE_-DeL41m6UBsTA46C-aBQ2EoNiXo3M3nvN3fS3E4guiz_uTiNpei2YDJyKDZgWwwH6HTsGz6k7QixoHYYA/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0j8DOCFtqsG3qXEZCUSPP7aFROOP5mSRTRq7EVkwqZMOoC3QO1IE_-DeL41m6UBsTA46C-aBQ2EoNiXo3M3nvN3fS3E4guiz_uTiNpei2YDJyKDZgWwwH6HTsGz6k7QixoHYYA/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363220106557347762" border="0" /></a><strong>2 GOOMBAS</strong><br /><div><br />I love summer flicks. The first blockbuster I remember watching was <span style="font-style: italic;">Independence Day</span>. I was twelve-years-old, and I remember sitting in the cold theater, grateful that I was out of the heat, and laughing at Will Smith's comic relief line of "Welcome to Earth" as he punched out the alien. That's good stuff right there. Yes, the flick might be lame, but Bill Pullmen still had the best inspirational president speech I've ever seen. But one of this summer's most anticipated blockbusters, <span style="font-style: italic;">Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> lame.<br /><br />The Decepticons breached the security of the U.S. governemnt to find the location of Megatron, who was previously dumped at the bottom of the ocean, and brought him back to life using a splinter from the Allspark left on Sam Witwicky's sweater. Megatron is then reunited with his leader, The Fallen, who wants to kill Earth by destroying the Sun, so the Autobots join forces with Sam Witwicky once more to stop them.<br /><br />A terrible follow up to the first film, <span style="font-style: italic;">Revenge of the Fallen</span> is almost, but not quite, trashy. The all encompassing, goodness incarnate, Optimus Prime of the first film has been degraded to shooting enemies execution-style and saying wannabe bad-ass remarks that I would only expect from an Arnold; the quick-witted, dorky Sam is no longer lovable and boyish - he's just a selfish teenager; and the film took a turn for the worse when it decided to show Agent Simmon's behind in a Sector Seven thong. Riddled with crude humor, it was aweful to see how the sequel of a good family film was spun into this monstraisity. Those scenes with Mrs. Witwicky were espcially hard to watch. It's only saving factor was the intense action scenes aided by the amazing CG.<br /><br />So in closing, <span style="font-style: italic;">Independence Day</span> is an example of a good summer movie - fun, filled with action, entertaining, and no need for brainpower. <span style="font-style: italic;">Revenge of the Fallen</span> exemplifies a bad summer movie - cheap humor, bad plot, expensive explosions.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-32562901621105755882009-07-17T23:31:00.000-07:002009-07-20T21:54:27.153-07:00Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilr6bsVhrTNJqgJONVlllLCitNSFwCgPUxQMdj0xMINrtbvuzWAa_OXt22iCY54yJfMvLP0fl0Tb4wSMKqrw_YoAW2KogY57gYV0N7H3OXzC5FuiB9J9VeFjZi7af_bqcabjiyTQ/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilr6bsVhrTNJqgJONVlllLCitNSFwCgPUxQMdj0xMINrtbvuzWAa_OXt22iCY54yJfMvLP0fl0Tb4wSMKqrw_YoAW2KogY57gYV0N7H3OXzC5FuiB9J9VeFjZi7af_bqcabjiyTQ/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360769124830158978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">4 GOOMBAS</span><br /><br />I read Harry Potter almost every night. Sometimes, I'll only read parts; other times, I'll start reading a whole book all the way through. And each time is always just as good as the first. I do this because I need to remind myself that, though fantasy, there exists a world where good always triumphs over evil. I do this because when I start to feel the insignificance in a world so large, I'm reminded that love and friendship is what gives my life meaning.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</span> opened at midnight, setting the new record for midnight sales at $22.2 million. In his sixth year, Harry returns to Hogwarts and faces the wizarding world as "The Chosen One." During private lessons, Dumbledore shows Harry memories that he has collected, in the hopes that they find something that will help them destroy Lord Voldemort.<br /><br />Though not as intense as its predecessors, <span style="font-style: italic;">Prince </span>is basically just a set-up for the the last installments of the Potter series. I don't think this film is able to stand on its own, but its very good just the same. When the movie stopped to look into the calmer moments of the trio, Hermione, Ron and Harry, it had a number of funny, light-hearted scenes, but almost equal were scenes of heartache and grief. Also, I thought this film did an excellent job of making Harry a likeable character (at this point in the novels, Harry is quite stubborn and obsessive), and the filmmakers did a fairly good job of abbreviating the plot. However, as an avid book fan, I did think they left a lot of important details out. I'm not sure how they'll manage to explain some things in the next film, but if they do, I won't complain.<br /><br />Coming of age is a bittersweet ordeal, and what struck me the most about this movie was the general tone of maturity. There are certain things in life that you have to go at alone; the first day of kindergarten, moving away from home - anything that involves growing up and making your way through this world, anything involving a defining decision. And that is where Harry is; on the verge of a defining decision. So, just a few hours ago, when I finished watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</span>, I was left with loneliness. Though Harry is supported and in the company of truly loyal friends, I'm reminded that Harry is still alone with his burden.<br /><br />And I feel alone with him.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-70746455627764880742009-02-20T20:36:00.000-08:002009-02-24T09:01:24.147-08:00Blindness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_D5nmcetVt4TInenDFn7r80yCrDWYz_e5ATtr0BVx4VS3zIL4P9qSg7sRvsr8nnPzuWzErg20b7QvjFxEMdlepKbfIFawCe3zih5H06jnA8TwuG_IdAzq6KRgfr_m5Nh_8fspmQ/s1600-h/blog.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306410084805066946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 211px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_D5nmcetVt4TInenDFn7r80yCrDWYz_e5ATtr0BVx4VS3zIL4P9qSg7sRvsr8nnPzuWzErg20b7QvjFxEMdlepKbfIFawCe3zih5H06jnA8TwuG_IdAzq6KRgfr_m5Nh_8fspmQ/s320/blog.png" border="0" /></a> <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">2.5 GOOMBAS</span><br /><br />Whenever I play the "would you rather" game, very rarely do I hear someone prefer to go blind when faced with the vision verses hearing question. The fact is, if you lose your sense of sight, it seems harder to function "normally." You can't drive, you can't read, you can't watch TV, (Lord, I couldn't watch movies!) and you'd have a hard time just walking. And so, the movie <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Blindness</span> takes these real dilemmas to the next level. What if the whole world went blind?<br /><br />Based on the novel by Jose Saramago, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Blindness</span> portrays a world suffering from a blindness epidemic. Though curious about the how the disease came to be, like most adequate science fiction films, the cause isn't the point - it's what ensues. Mark Ruffalo stars as doctor fallen victim to the infection and Julienne Moore is his disease immune wife who follows him to quarantine, AKA internment camp. From there, let your pessimistic imagination run wild.<br /><br />What I found very fascinating was how intense and realistic some of these scenes were. These internment camps became toxic waste dumps. Unable to see, these people couldn't manage to do what we take for granted - knowing how to find the bathroom, how to bath, how to live. And those uninfected are unwilling to care for them. Though under military governance, inside the ward walls is complete and total anarchy; ::shudders:: horrors I don't even want to think about but was forced to watch.<br /><br />The lighting, in general, is ethereal, unique, and thoroughly thought out. There were also times of complete darkness; symbolic of their utter desperation and civilization's decent into savagery. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Blindness</span> also becomes a commentary on society's failure to see how and who people can become when faced with such hardship.<br /><br />However, somewhere in the middle of this world <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Blindness</span> created, there were character developments that didn't quite make sense, and relationship that weren't fully construed. Though the world was mesmerizing, its characters were too flawed for me to find empathy. Plus the hope was lost in the ending, a feeling I'm assuming I was suppose to feel at the end. Maybe I just didn't get it, but I'm fairly certain I'm not blind.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-89439545013454994942009-02-16T15:42:00.000-08:002009-02-17T21:16:06.521-08:00Priceless<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXs_ytMbROprK-8KeG4VAQGT-Uh7ifvftTNPuXwZ1ero__bKoHdHQ2x9EH132wSt4oNiNjtr_7W2J2jZfXJmPO6lHCvspzWxIVUnNJIAVSvKNn_mc1d8B7LJvj64gjuNRnPkN-TQ/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXs_ytMbROprK-8KeG4VAQGT-Uh7ifvftTNPuXwZ1ero__bKoHdHQ2x9EH132wSt4oNiNjtr_7W2J2jZfXJmPO6lHCvspzWxIVUnNJIAVSvKNn_mc1d8B7LJvj64gjuNRnPkN-TQ/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304001759279303362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">4 GOOMBAS</span><br /><br />Filmed in France and originally released there in 2006, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hors de prix</span>, or its American title, <span style="font-style: italic;">Priceless</span>, took quite some time to reach the United States. Apparently, its a French adaption of the American classic, <span style="font-style: italic;">Breakfast at Tiffany's</span>. Good thing I didn't know about that fact when I first watched it, or it might have biased my opinion - though I did keep saying to myself how the movie seemed strangely familiar.<br /><br />This sweet, not so French, film stars Audrey Tautou as Irene, a glamorous, young con artist who manipulates wealthy men into spoiling her. Jean is a shy butler with humble means, and after a classic case of mistaken identities, Jean is smitten by her. When she realizes that he's poor, she still, coldly lets Jean spends every cent of his savings for one evening with his expensive date. After he's stuck with the luxury hotel bill, unable to pay it, and ditched by Irene, a wealthy, older woman happily assumes the cost as long as he becomes her playmate. Now, both at the same level, Irene accepts Jean's friendship and begins teaching him the ways of the wile.<br /><br />Nothing seemed French about this film, other than the fact that I watched this film with English subtitles. A great story, both characters become equally lovable - though at the beginning, that didn't seem likely. Jean is sensitive and intensely devoted, while Irene is enchanting and ardent past her shallow and materialistic exterior. Their friendship and his devotion were very real and engaging. <span style="font-style: italic;">Priceless</span> was bright and cute, with just that hint of extra class found very rarely in romantic comedies.<br /><br />I definitely recommend <span style="font-style: italic;">Priceless</span> to anyone who wants to watch a cute movie. Be ready for English subtitles and a gorgeous Audrey Tautou in high fashion clothing. Advice from the movieGOOMBA - this is not a movie to watch when you feel bloated.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-43373783883141104872009-02-11T23:48:00.000-08:002009-02-13T13:36:54.471-08:00The movieGOOMBA Catch UpI appologize for my hiatus, but I should be back with more frequent posts in these next upcoming weeks. In the meantime, sink your teeth into some of these ratings. <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><br />Hamlet 2</span> - 2 GOOMBAS<br />"Raped in the face" and in my brain. "Rock me, rock me, rock me sexy Jesus!"<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Forgetting Sarah Marshall</span> - 3 GOOMBAS<br />Surprisingly, a not crass romantic comedy, but with a thrown in, male full frontal.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Be Kind Rewind</span> - 2 GOOMBAS<br />A weird mix of pathos and comedy. I give it props for a creative idea for a plot.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">You Don't Mess With the Zohan</span> - 1 GOOMBA<br />So stupid, so dumb, so gross. I'm surprised I made it through the entire movie.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Wanted</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> </span>- 2 GOOMBAS<br />I've never seen two hotter people on screen together. I would turn lesbian for Angelina. TERRIBLE movie, good action.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">The Chronicals of Narnia: Prince Caspian</span> - 3.5 GOOMBAS<br />Magically engaging and action scenes to challenge any epic film<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Get Smart</span> - 2 GOOMBAS<br />The Rock and Micheal Scott do not cook so well. I thought this movie was way too silly.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day</span> - 2 GOOMBAS<br />Boring, boring, boring - but Amy Adams is as good as always.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Made of Honor</span> - 3 GOOMBAS<br />So cute. I think about this movie a lot as the date for my own wedding draws near.<br /><strong>Mama Mia!</strong> - 2 GOOMBAS<br />I could not stand this movie. All the women were so annoying!<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">The Spiderwick Chronicles</span> - 2.5 GOOMBAS<br />This flick has strong child leads, and I'm sure the story is solid; yet Spiderwick didn't translate its world so well on film.<br /><br />Look forward to the movieGOOMBA's next post on <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Priceless</span> in the next few days.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-60029189848080961752009-01-17T09:45:00.000-08:002009-01-19T23:23:47.937-08:00Yes Man<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3IHgdDnjrGQG7SGB6LsnOiQxUNBbKzMvsZKDWLv8nNtK9mURcCMADJNSWb7l7CjOCF3fUSwKsscc6ZpYuxAKLqD8BRONgBqHxOmwl6lw_jvASsLVjWCA8aZHNOLTyWN5mv3poA/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3IHgdDnjrGQG7SGB6LsnOiQxUNBbKzMvsZKDWLv8nNtK9mURcCMADJNSWb7l7CjOCF3fUSwKsscc6ZpYuxAKLqD8BRONgBqHxOmwl6lw_jvASsLVjWCA8aZHNOLTyWN5mv3poA/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293272595093782178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 GOOMBAS</span><br /><br />Many people find it hard to use the word "no." Me included. So this concept of having to say "yes" to everything didn't seem like it was too far off from the everyday lives of those yessers. So the <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes Man</span> actually looked pretty lame, especially with the dementedly crazy Jim Carrey as the lead.<br /><br />Playing a seemingly similar character from a previous role in <span style="font-style: italic;">Liar Liar</span> (a movie the movieGOOMBA does not recommend), Jim Carrey is Carl Allen, a low paid loan officer who possess the gift of saying no. To his own detriment, however, he feels the need to say no to everything, which has turned him into a no-saying recluse. Then, after visiting a seminar on "Yes!" Carl is cast under some type of spell, a la <span style="font-style: italic;">Shallow Hal</span>, and he winds up saying yes to everything, which includes, flying lessons, learning Korean, letting a 70-year-old-neighbor lady have her way with him, and approving any and all loans that make its way onto his desk.<br /><br />Quite watchable, and vastly better than I could have ever expected, <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes Man</span> was actually a chick flick. Go figure. Zooey Deschanel plays his love interest, and though wide eyed and quite monotone, she has a quality that balances a comedian's zany disposition. She's cute and charming, yet not typical. She makes an excellent foil to Carey's strange mannerisms.<br /><br />This movie was also quite empowering. It illustrates how <span style="font-style: italic;">carpe diem</span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span> can change or define a life. Carl became a new man, made new friends, and found happiness.<br /><br />I thought this was quite a nice, but occasionally disturbing, flick. It is Jim Carrey comedy after all. This ain't no <span style="font-style: italic;">Majestic</span>, but it sure beat my expectations. Say "yes" to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes Man</span>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-48155061295845400162008-12-22T22:59:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:45:06.560-08:00Slumdog Millionaire<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PP40kFKUuqEmJflXSo6vmwv9UkRzLmGS-S7jZQZFGRZing4yCEHDr786eAK6mv_QSAeMwNkq8mPbueHbmXSL91pf1H2SIBsAnue_dnaDUeLL0pSOY7aZRj105i2NHff6LTVL8A/s1600-h/blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285093452706671634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PP40kFKUuqEmJflXSo6vmwv9UkRzLmGS-S7jZQZFGRZing4yCEHDr786eAK6mv_QSAeMwNkq8mPbueHbmXSL91pf1H2SIBsAnue_dnaDUeLL0pSOY7aZRj105i2NHff6LTVL8A/s320/blog.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>4 GOOMBAS<br /></strong><br /><div>"Slumism is the pent-up anger of people living on the outside of affluence. Slumism is decay of structure and deterioration of the human spirit. Slumism is a virus which spreads through the body politic. As other “isms,” it breeds disorder and demagoguery and hate. " The words of Hubert Humphrey could be right under most circumstances, but <em>Slumdog Millionaire</em> is about overcoming poverty driven obstacles and the curious and light-hearted energy that can exist in this harsh environment. </div><br /><div>Jamal Malik has been arrested for suspicion of cheating on India's version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' because he's about to win. But how can a slumdog, seventeen years old to boot, know enough to win the million? And thus, we're taken through the course of his life by way of intericate flashbacks, and we see for oursleves how life experience can singificantly alter one's present. It's been a long time since I've seen a movie of this caliber. </div><br /><p>Shot on the streets of India, <em>Slumdog</em> is full of hope and great story-telling. I was surprised to know that much of this intercrately weaved film was in English, but most of Jamal's youth was told in Hindi. I think that many viewers may find this movie to be eye opening. It isn't everyday that American's sitting in their cushy stadium seating see children living in landfills and fearing organized begging rings. But aside from international awareness, <em>Slumdog</em> is touching and its hero posseses an ironic innocense and unyielding spirit that makes this film unique and touching.</p><p>Don't be fooled by the seemingly cheesy premise. I'm guessing that the decision to base it around a game show has something to do with Indian culture in general. India loves light-hearted, sometimes (mostly) corny media (e.g. the Bollywood musical), and I appreciated the thought to add the authentic cultural influence. However, in no way is <em>Slumdog</em> corny.</p><p><em>Slumdog</em> has cinematic style and class - hip but not trendy. Ocassionally, some scenes were shot in documentary style while his happy childhood memories look like nostaligic home movies. It definitely had cinéma vérité influences. The lighting marks each scene's tone, and then, there was the awesome soundtrack filled wth pop music from around the world. And I cannot forget to mention the subtle details in the subtitles, which is telling of the filmmaker's devotion to every component of this film</p><p>However, <em>Slumdog</em>'s ending isn't as powerful as I hoped it would be, but my only compliant may have little to do with the movie and more to do with how jaded I am. There is remarkable quality found in this film, and it is worth watching - both for its story and for its message.</p><p><em><strong>Sidenote:</strong></em> I thought the young Jamal was absolutely adorable.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-43483778890409878682008-12-16T22:25:00.000-08:002008-12-22T22:59:06.752-08:00Speed Racer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWK1QNBeYveOf2FvUs-mlrRNcDqs19UjmwQXs_M9W-LTaQhz_lZXgy3Kk_ToIH4RsahKbQ0AyGuWDo4SVjGai5nlpCtRvBkIdC0b8vbDb6EkurnT5V9fuIAfHucVEPQsrUUq_Qw/s1600-h/blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282874745888558066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWK1QNBeYveOf2FvUs-mlrRNcDqs19UjmwQXs_M9W-LTaQhz_lZXgy3Kk_ToIH4RsahKbQ0AyGuWDo4SVjGai5nlpCtRvBkIdC0b8vbDb6EkurnT5V9fuIAfHucVEPQsrUUq_Qw/s320/blog.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>3 GOOMBAS</strong> <div></div><div>Drug addicts of the world, you no longer have a need to take acid. I have found you an alternative. What you need is a DVD player and a copy of <em>Speed Racer</em>, the latest concoction presented by the Wachowski Brothers!<br /><br />Based on the 1960's Japanese anime series of the same title, <em>Speed Racer</em> stars Emile Hirsch stars as Speed, the world's leading rookie race car driver. Walking in his brother's footsteps, Speed strives to be the best, but when an evil conglomerat, Royalton Industries, tries to recruit him as their new fresh face, Speed finds that refusing their offer doesn't make for such a smooth ride.<br /><br /><em>Speed Racer</em> is a total visual mind trip. Overwhelming color, anti-gravitational effects, and a motif that's trapped between a cartoon and reality are all trademarks of this latest family flick. It will take about 30 minutes for you to get use to the sheer absurdity of what mostly looks like streaks across the screen, but once you've crossed the overwhelmingness of it all, it's good, fast fun from then on out. Completly jubullant and entertaining, <em>Speed Racer</em> is crazy and surreal. Tim Burton, eat your heart out. I throughly enjoyed the ridiculous, 360 degree, sideway flips the cars would do, and I thought the kiddy action out-weighed any unrealistic tendencies that this film seemed to focus on. There were chase scenes, fight scenes, explosions, and weapons that gave this film a intersting edge, and I think it was something that only the Wachoski Brothers could make cool.<br /><br />My only two complaints are as follows: first, there is the story of Speed's dead brother. The closure to this piece of the puzzle was lame, and though this film in its entirety can be argued as lame, this part was exhaustively lame. Second, as much as I adore Matthew Fox, he sucks as a baddass, let alone as a supposedly intimidating 'Racer X.' </div><br /><div><em>Speed Racer</em> takes stamina and a little bit of courage. However, in the end, it was quite enjoyable. Sometimes people need a little speed. </div><br /><div>Christina Ricci, Susan Surandon, and John Goodman also star. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-26950623591156534822008-12-15T22:51:00.001-08:002008-12-16T22:13:28.839-08:00Step Up 2: The Streets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQ_4k_BEvvcCEM96qYGXsjKfnOa0_IMItpfcBoqHEvI9VbMEzu865jA-uVHO4OSNT4uW4YAgz-XSZz_vPODdrPmmg11X8b_Cwv1WoLgIcdKYoPdfACNXubR717RnXkLCTlaMzGQ/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQ_4k_BEvvcCEM96qYGXsjKfnOa0_IMItpfcBoqHEvI9VbMEzu865jA-uVHO4OSNT4uW4YAgz-XSZz_vPODdrPmmg11X8b_Cwv1WoLgIcdKYoPdfACNXubR717RnXkLCTlaMzGQ/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280638170753305954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 GOOMBA</span><br /><br />Dance is such a great form of expression, and it's such a great skill to have. People are always impressed if you know how to do any kind of dance, but there are some kinds that I can't find the appreciation for. For instance, I go to a religous conference every few years, and every time I go, they always have these expressionist dancers that I find distracting. I dare say that its kind of corny (God is going to shoot lightning at me now). But ribbon twirler's aside, I also didn't enjoy watching the "street" dancing that <span style="font-style: italic;">Step Up 2 the Streets</span> exposèd.<br /><br />Back at Maryland School of the Art (MSA), Andie West finds herself in a whole new world. A part of a local gang of street dancers, 4-1-0, Andie has become a common hooligan. So Andie's aunt sends her to MSA school in hopes that she can get her act together and go to college. Of course, her first few months at the art school are rough. She doesn't fit in, and her style of dance is considered beneath the schools standards. With the help of another student (who also happens to be the brother of MSA's school director) Andie finds herself expanding the school's idea of art and finding the confidence to battle at The Streets.<br /><br />I don't normally care about how bad a dance movie's plot is or how cheesy the love story is - as long as the dancing is good. However, I must say that this was probably one of the worst movies I've seen in a very long time. It's "step up" from <span style="font-style: italic;">Fool's Gold</span>, but still some kind of awful. First, its a sequel - but a <span style="font-style: italic;">Bring it On</span> kind of sequel. Nothing new. Just a regurgitated plot and a new 'villian' to beat. Second, the dancing was so jerky. You know that dude the Britney Spears cheated on Justin with; Wade Robson? I'm sure he's suppose to be an excellent dancer, but something just seems so stiff about the way he dances. Same with the moves in this movie. If that's what street dancing is suppose to be, I'm not a fan. Third, yes the end 'battle' was insanely (in a good way) choreographed, but seriously, the rain and the conspicuous stage lighting? If this movie was suppose mimic street culture, the street is a glamorous place.<br /><br />There's an energy that draws audiences to see attractive youth and sex with clothes, but I warn you not to succumb to what you may think is a guilty pleasure. So I digress into song: Skip this movie. Skip it, skip it, skippin' and a screamin' and a bop-d-bop. Skip it, skip it, this jingle is a better than the flick hop hop.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sidenote:</span></span> Channing Tatum makes a brief appearance as his original character Tyler Gage.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sidenote: </span>We have a whole lot to look forward to. They're making a thrid movie, <span style="font-style: italic;">Step Up 3: The Pace</span>. Whopp-de-doo.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-64195342262751655592008-12-03T13:40:00.000-08:002008-12-15T20:42:18.075-08:00The Visitor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlht15OGCcaW90Dt8UBkMCouK3HoB-zc5TmZsR9sFmlHyjrwBxsU0DFsQ7uVbtRWLqtaCp6bIyT7uOScCAPhF9mebPi8cGkH0H4u_BDcSfS-ypkkCG6e-KtQPp2qfKaprA2w0WQ/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlht15OGCcaW90Dt8UBkMCouK3HoB-zc5TmZsR9sFmlHyjrwBxsU0DFsQ7uVbtRWLqtaCp6bIyT7uOScCAPhF9mebPi8cGkH0H4u_BDcSfS-ypkkCG6e-KtQPp2qfKaprA2w0WQ/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280243624228079650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.5 GOOMBAS<br /><br /></span><div>When I was a kid, I always wondered what my teachers were like outside the classroom. Though I now realize that teachers are just normal people, like you and me, I still wonder about those older teachers; the ones with strange classroom ticks; the ones who dress frumpy, but are always in a coat and tie; the ones who don't ever seem to really enjoy spreading knowledge to the next generation. What do they go home to everyday?</div><br /><div></div><div>Walter Vale is a white, east coast, university professor with no personality. He's silently pompous, quiet, and introverted. Sent to New York for a conference, he finds that two immigrants have been living in his New York apartment, his second home. Due to his loneliness, or his curiosity, he asks the couple to stay even though they insist on leaving, and from that moment, he forms a connection with these perfect strangers.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;">The Visitor</span> is whole-heartedly the saddest movie I have ever seen in my entire life. There is a subtle, quiet but unbearable hopelessness in this film that is not obvious or apparent. Its not emotional or somber. But it's so real, and that's what makes <span style="font-style: italic;">The Visitor </span>so tragic. Despite his conservative, white collared background, Walter becomes enthralled with the African drum that Tarek, one of his visitors, plays professionally. Through percussion music and new friendships, he acutally begins living. But then we are struck with how quickly life can be taken away, and Walter, once again, must go at it alone.<br /><br />This film examines the conventional definition of 'visitor' and prompts the question, "am I a visitor in my own life?" This movie, is so much and so simple. I highly recommend this independent film, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it nominated for an Oscar.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-45590234530723804352008-12-01T12:59:00.000-08:002008-12-03T13:39:53.923-08:00Hancock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf8lhv4T1YZmkVVUFIbdM9Al-QdVM7qKOya7a1hRY71sdYbDBYahy5Zgwe3ftu3N9N_Tz0fqVzxp_tUvlFc0PUliIXlieGV5YZ_KDtIuoDpl6MGNAHkx4MLLM48kdBusJ4SqOSA/s1600-h/blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275678067037191442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 186px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf8lhv4T1YZmkVVUFIbdM9Al-QdVM7qKOya7a1hRY71sdYbDBYahy5Zgwe3ftu3N9N_Tz0fqVzxp_tUvlFc0PUliIXlieGV5YZ_KDtIuoDpl6MGNAHkx4MLLM48kdBusJ4SqOSA/s320/blog.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>3 GOOMBAS<br /></strong><br /><div>There are benefits and costs for everything in life. In exchange for privacy, celebrities get to be rich and famous. In exchange for more free time and a social life, high ranking executives have power. In exchange for normalcy, super heros have super power. And us normal people wonder why they complain when they've been given a gift, but we fail to realize we have the gift.<br /></div><br /><div>John Hancock is a down-and-out, alcoholic bum, who also happens to have super powers. He is the only one of his kind, and because of this, he squanders his powers but often saves lives in unconventional, sometimes humiliating, and inconsiderate ways. His low-life personality and actions make him unfavorable with the public. Yet he somehow manages to garner the pity of the city's Public Relations Representative, Ray Embrey. With his help, Hancock is helped back on his feet, but it becomes apparent that there is more to Hancock's past than even Hancock thought. </div><div></div><br /><div>A super-powered cast including Will Smith and Academy Award winning actress, Charlize Theron, <em>Hancock</em> had some high points. It had great special effects, exciting action scenes, a good leading actor, and it's just kind of an out-of-the-box concept. </div><div><br /></div><div>But <em>Hancock</em> was a strange mixture of pathos and comedy. Thankfully, it was more serious than comedic, but this particular combination made aspects of this film feel seem childish and out of place; almost like a <em>Spy Kids</em> movie gone wrong. Yes, it is funny when Hancock throws the whale out into the ocean, and hits the sailboat by mistake. Yes, its funny that Hancock drunk flies. However, poking fun at his difficienceies but to try and simulteanously show that Hancock is a deeply tragic, lonely, and pathetic man gave me an 'off' kind of feeling - almost like I was being chastised for laughing at him in the first place. Plus, it jumped the shark when we found out the real foundations of Hancock's power. It was that point that I officially changed the label for this movie from "action comedy" to "low ranking family flick." </div><br /><div>So, in summary, I had some problems with the overall plot strategy; however, everything else was okay. <em>Hancock </em>was great to watch over the Thanksgiving weekend, and it's perfect for a multi-generalition audience, so its both Grandparent and kid friendly. But I still like my super heros tragic and bad-ass. If they're going to be comedians, they need to been in a cartoon.<br /><br /></div><div>SPOILER ALERT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><br /><div>I must digress here to rant a little bit about the whole Will Smith and Charlize Theron relationship. </div><div>1.) They have no on-screen chemistry.</div><div>2.) If they were suppose to be together since the beginning of time, how were they able to overcome the time of slavery and racist oppresion?</div><div>3.) What gives Mary (Theron) the right to give Hancock crap for the way he handles his super hero role, when she hides her powers and leaves the world to rot? </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-75569551513138102692008-11-25T21:28:00.000-08:002008-11-26T12:40:30.378-08:00Penelope<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdPU-gwSfSvrcmuv6RIboGWAXT9Mg7GeH5gbNe5Cp5o-s9y_O8HM8_F_rsxh85FlgCe8AXZvJ-YoLw-DgVTG_UhlZpOR0yc0PMvf929cbILrhPSWsLDKC4VRrHfWAqklMK7KOZA/s1600-h/blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273068827529616018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdPU-gwSfSvrcmuv6RIboGWAXT9Mg7GeH5gbNe5Cp5o-s9y_O8HM8_F_rsxh85FlgCe8AXZvJ-YoLw-DgVTG_UhlZpOR0yc0PMvf929cbILrhPSWsLDKC4VRrHfWAqklMK7KOZA/s320/blog.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>3 GOOMBAS</strong><br /><br /><div>Every day, I am shocked by the cynicism and negative energy that surrounds my every day life. College friends and church youth groups didn't prepare me for the lasting anger and sarcasm that I face at work, in the car, or when surrounded by crazed holiday shoppers. Often, optimism, cheeriness and an overall positive attitude is labled "naive" or "gullible." Isn't that sad? Pollyanna and her 'glad game' would have freakin' roasted in this kind of environment. And with that, I belive that excitement for the modern day fairy tale is dead. Happy, feel good movies about love are labled "chick flicks." Romance films, cheesy. So what luck does a movie like <em>Penelope</em> have against a skeptic majority? </div><div> </div><div>Magical and lovely, Penelope (Christina Ricci) is a girl born with a cursed nose. The only way to break the spell is if "one of her own," a blue blood like herself, accepts her as she is. So, when she turned 18, her family began the search for a suitor to fall in love and marry her. When man after man is appalled by her appearance, she loses all hope on love. Penelope becomes an unbeliever, yet she is unaware that her insight and charm inspire, especially the scruffy, yet handsome, Max Campion (James McAvoy).</div><br /><div>Produced by Reese Witherspoon, <em>Penelope</em> is vividly colored, sweet, and bold. Though I'm often turned off by Christina Ricci's whiny voice and distracting forehead, she blossoms in this role as a snout-nosed, yet charming, socialite. Her chemistry with on screen hotty, James McAvoy, is swoon worthy, though I'm almost positive that McAvoy could have on-screen chemistry with even a cold potatoe. I also must say that The Nose grew on me. As the film wore on, I became quite fond of The Nose. The make up artists did a good job keeping Ricci's pleasant features and making The Nose cute but ugly all the same. </div><br /><div><em>Penelope</em> is magical, optomistic and delicate, and it crosses genre boundaries that enable it to reach larger audiences; however these larger audiences aren't watching. </div><br /><div>Lacking anything distinguishing except for maybe its whimsical cinematography and, of course, The Nose, <em>Penelope</em> doesn't have an audience. So, it attempts to entertain the female watchers and no one else. The curse idea is too weird for general viewers to accept, and it's main theme of social acceptance is overshadowed by the romance (purposely, I'm sure), which marks this movie eternally as a chick flick. Character-titled, <em>Penelope</em> is about the girl, not the love story, but the filmmakers worked the love angle a little too much and unique Penelope lost to the stability of a romance plot line; all because the modern day fairy tale is dead. It could have been so good.</div><br /><div>I like <em>Penelope,</em> but it lacks the cinematic openess to become something more than a TBS "Movies and a Make-Over" flick. Look for it there in 2010.</div><br /><div>Similar movies that I would also recommend: <em>Edward Sissorhands</em> and <em>Princess Bride</em>.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-73950942064211532492008-11-21T12:17:00.000-08:002008-11-26T12:43:00.767-08:00Fools Gold<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZi_4DlBdHadiJqripGcwRtD9tBz494Zilr71b62-Oy8h9XUXng7CoQ52dZ-KCs8jZMP2_ITN4QUPEgyw2hE0qNJuKi2MufxnHqOGqZCFDjOzJ54uWlNtQGtBkVWeTCdlAMBIQnA/s1600-h/blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273069437860074226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZi_4DlBdHadiJqripGcwRtD9tBz494Zilr71b62-Oy8h9XUXng7CoQ52dZ-KCs8jZMP2_ITN4QUPEgyw2hE0qNJuKi2MufxnHqOGqZCFDjOzJ54uWlNtQGtBkVWeTCdlAMBIQnA/s320/blog.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>1 GOOMBA</strong><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>No!</strong></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-64164908522655627452008-11-14T22:29:00.000-08:002008-11-19T21:32:52.926-08:00Rambo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYrfCpUybcR6ixBX-wp7ZnKUeUlI5xtr8ar9aYq9gKmcGe6ngVP0ZOH4VCR6hzhYbZgd3yetc8oGW8WhTkw9K67S6tV328rPyNGcSMim2TIDAkrzEgVxUo3-wC2JVhgnRjVKsmA/s1600-h/blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270607525775706546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYrfCpUybcR6ixBX-wp7ZnKUeUlI5xtr8ar9aYq9gKmcGe6ngVP0ZOH4VCR6hzhYbZgd3yetc8oGW8WhTkw9K67S6tV328rPyNGcSMim2TIDAkrzEgVxUo3-wC2JVhgnRjVKsmA/s320/blog.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>3 GOOMBAS</strong><br /><br />By the age of 10, Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson, Steven Siegal, and Arnold frequented my living room television set on a regular basis. The MPAA film rating system didn't really mean much to my parents. I'm not sure why, but I turned ok - I think. But for my parents, when it comes to big knives, big guns, big explosions, and testosterone packed, big muscled action, Rambo is usually the only answer. With my parents, I've watched Rambo hung by his arms and dipped into a murky pool filled with leeches; I've watched him struggle with a civilian lifestyle, and now, after the character's self-titled return, I've watched how plastic surgery can turn even Rambo, into a transvestite.<br /><br /><div>Still haunted by his own deamons, Rambo lives in the rural, polically unstable region of Thailand where he makes a living by driving a boat up and down river. A self-imposed social outcast, Rambo is asked by a group of humanitarians to be ferried through dangerous Burma territory so they can help a terrorized villiage who needs their medical attention. On their mission, they are, of course, captured by corrupt, militant agressors, and a squad of paid militia are sent to rescue them. Then, the militia get their butts kicked. So who comes to save them? You go it - Rambo.</div><br /><div>Even though this movie has everything against it (aging hero, lack of creativity, corny plot), I couldn't help but enjoy sitting through it. There are some ridculously over-the-top dismemberment scenes with equally over-the-top computer generated blood; there is a strange protective energy that seems to draw Rambo to a young blonde woman, and it doesn't quite make too much sense (Is it sexual tension? Is it paternal?); And there is the strange ending where he's seen walking toward his parent's ranch home in Arizona. Somehow, I don't think a 60-year-old man going to get the same homecoming as a 20-year-old boy. Yet, despite all that, it was fun as hell to watch. </div><br /><div>Totally entertaining with shooting scenes galore, <em>Rambo</em> survives the battle between the film industry's greed verses the film's creative intention. As a character, Rambo is kept true to his original form, at least so far - apparently there's going to be a <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206885/">Rambo V</a></em>. We'll see if Rambo can survive the war too. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-57798569766215846102008-10-29T12:49:00.000-07:002008-11-04T21:30:23.352-08:00La Misma Luna Under the Same Moon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YPlGYr5tYMG5nDLAPQae2u4hFpn_Bthp3_Vqyac4olPZjcJjFfLq7A9ICTT4pFhecDK3TpPbinP8qbhA6akNuS1ZxcYgO4yH-sMVotX35-L76cZuoJpgT2VYZrBcdnNHMUrPWw/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YPlGYr5tYMG5nDLAPQae2u4hFpn_Bthp3_Vqyac4olPZjcJjFfLq7A9ICTT4pFhecDK3TpPbinP8qbhA6akNuS1ZxcYgO4yH-sMVotX35-L76cZuoJpgT2VYZrBcdnNHMUrPWw/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265041309801208018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 GOOMBAS</span><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>I have a strong opinion on illegal immigration. I do not support illegal activity, but I do recognize the bravery of human beings who leave their family, friends, community, and culture behind to gain just a chance at making their lives something better than poverty. </div><div> </div><br /><div>One of many movies featuring this political topic, <span style="font-style: italic;">La Misma Luna</span> is a family film about a mother and son seperated by a border. Rosario immigrated to the United States illegally so she could earn money to support her family in Mexico. She left behind her son, Carlitos, at the age of four, but every Sunday for four years, she calls him from a pay phone in the middle of East LA to let him know that she loves him. Back in Mexico, Carlitos, is under the care and watchful eye of his grandmother, but when she passes unexpectedly, his desperation leads him to cross the boarder alone. Along the way, he finds help from those running in the same direction and hopes that he can find his mother before Sunday so she won't worry about him.<br /><br />Everything a family film should be, <span style="font-style: italic;">La Misma Luna</span> explorers the notions of community, family, and the swaying balance between the American dream and the costs to obtain it. A heartstrings puller, this film does everything possible to enable the viewer to empathize with its main characters. As the young protagonist, Carlitos is an absolutely adorable, round-faced charmer whose innocence and trust in humanity get him through the journey. The movie also does a good job portraying the emotional hardship of a family divided by a border. The addition of some East LA, first-born Mexican American, and immigrant culture adds to the perspective and the wider message.<br /><br />However, <span style="font-style: italic;">La Misma Luna</span> was, at times, dull and the plot was extremely predictable. Usually, in the family film genre, predictability is good, but in this case I almost felt insulted. It was like the filmmakers tried to hide what the ending would hold. The film wasn't anything new or groundbreaking, and though it makes a great Saturday afternoon watch, I wouldn't think much more of it. Cute but average, <span style="font-style: italic;">Under the Same Moon</span> is just another movie.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-16281373827102589902008-10-16T22:15:00.000-07:002008-10-28T21:09:51.402-07:00Inside Darkness<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31TFx6F66nAvpUUKMzNiQCGeuLUFS5-huzZ7Hk_1zAmY89miFdNpUKJ_HUH9KJi0TylL338342IjD_TuqNpzuLywiKAHYrNMtpjuSlONDnJ0cBJfvsAsiV74dLPaAvgGN1bKvxg/s1600-h/cover3.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262050157413728114" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 215px; cursor: pointer; height: 306px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31TFx6F66nAvpUUKMzNiQCGeuLUFS5-huzZ7Hk_1zAmY89miFdNpUKJ_HUH9KJi0TylL338342IjD_TuqNpzuLywiKAHYrNMtpjuSlONDnJ0cBJfvsAsiV74dLPaAvgGN1bKvxg/s320/cover3.jpeg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The BIAS GOOMBA</span><br /></div><br /><div>The Pope, tradition, rosary beads, Purgatory – all prominent images of Catholic culture. In particular, the priesthood has been the subject of documentaries, comedies, and the occasional drama. But have you heard of a priest <span style="font-style: italic;">making</span> the movie? Meet Father Dominic De Lay, writer/director extraordinaire. Aside from celebrating mass every Sunday, he makes movies as his ministry. A part of the Dominican Friar order, De Lay preaches through art, and so he does in his 36 minute short film entitled <em>Inside Darkness</em>.<br /><br />Just in time for the 2008 Presidential Election, <em>Inside Darkness</em> features three presidential candidates trapped inside a dark room. The three hostages:<br />1.) Presidential incumbent, Yvette Anderson- Protestant, female, Republican<br />2.) Senator John Bowman - Catholic, black,[ former Colonel, Democrat<br />3.) Patrick Weller - atheist, intellectual, Independent<br />The last thing they remember is being at the presidential debate, and though they share the same last memory, they do not share the same ideas about leading a nation.<br /></div><div><br />Intense and symbolic, <span style="font-style: italic;">Inside Darkness</span> is thrilling and politically charged. The dissonant music adds to the tension, and it churns the paranoia that progressively creeps into the slow shrinking room. The use of lighting is creative and spurs discussion. Why, for example, are some characters cloaked in red light at some points in the film? Why are there single points of light in a room full of darkness? There are other concepts to examine in this short film - Why do the captors keep looking to the sky? Why did the filmmaker choose such diverse demographical representations for his characters? How does religion affect their decision making, both in the room and out? And then, there's that ear. What the heck does that ear mean? The death of listening? One-sided hearing? Who knows? That's for you to discuss.<br /><br />The analysis of <span style="font-style: italic;">Inside Darkness</span> can go on for hours and hours, and you'll notice that I've listed more questions than anything else. Completely abstract, <span style="font-style: italic;">Inside Darkness </span>is not meant to provide answers, which can be frustrating. This film is not for the artistically narrow-minded. It is, at times, hard to follow. There is no obvious plot, and no obvious message. It is meant to stimulate the exchange of ideas and promote thought, so it is important to keep this mentality in mind prior to watching the film. The episodic format makes this goal easy to obtain, so again, be prepared to watch a movie that is crafted as a visual art piece and generates conversation, not a flick to sit and eat a bowl of popcorn to (however, I'm sure Father Dominic would love for you to eat popcorn with this film).<br /><br />To watch free, online episodes or buy the DVD, visit <a href="http://www.insidedarkness.com/">www.insidedarkness.com</a>.<br />For more information on the filmmaker, Father Dominic De Lay, visit <a href="http://www.mudpuddlefilms.com/index.htm">www.mudpuddlefilms.com</a>.<br />For more information on the Dominican Friars visit <a href="http://www.opwest.org/">www.opwest.org</a>. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-50867693017984030242008-10-16T21:50:00.000-07:002008-10-18T23:43:54.498-07:00Jumper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimR03K1hwh9N0AYaLwrST7f55sDAkJ6Op3aTF-GdNZetYtlH18VefSwwhb6UqDUALbMD2xNlKtYErpMHoVX9nEwczP791yPJoqkYaALcQ9Fn48w6f7qgOMRe59RFGLSOzAIld_Q/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimR03K1hwh9N0AYaLwrST7f55sDAkJ6Op3aTF-GdNZetYtlH18VefSwwhb6UqDUALbMD2xNlKtYErpMHoVX9nEwczP791yPJoqkYaALcQ9Fn48w6f7qgOMRe59RFGLSOzAIld_Q/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258751617194108770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 GOOMBA</span><br /><br />. . . and then he could jump through space and time - now we're in London, now we're in France, I can see Rachel Bilson's underpants.<br /><br />Completely abrupt, haphazard, and crazy, <span style="font-style: italic;">Jumper</span> is a story about David Rice (Hayden Christiansen) and his ability to jump through space - I'm not sure if he can jump through time though. They may not have covered that in the user manual. One day, after being throughly humiliated on the school yard in front of the girl he's crushing on, he falls through a frozen river and is about to drown. Suddenly, he finds himself sopping wet in the middle of the school library. He then realizes that he can go anywhere in the world, which includes a stop over in the middle of a bank vault. As the years pass and he's worked his way up to a luxury apartment, Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), a Jumper Hunter, finds him, and the whirlwind of jumping, running, and electrocuting begins. Somewhere in the mix, David manages to pick up his former childhood sweetheart (Bilson) and meet another Jumper.<br /><br />Great CG and beautiful destination shots, <span style="font-style: italic;">Jumper</span> is still just a hop, skip, and a jump away from being a zero GOOMBA, a rating I hadn't thought existed before this movie. Poorly acted, cheesy, and continuously dumb, I purposely gave you a thorough synopsis because I know you'll be curious, but don't do it! My synopsis is better! Samuel L. Jackson, a Jumper Hunter - I shouldn't have to say any more.<br /><br />Aside from plot retardation (like Millie naively following along with no questions asked, or Jackson electrocuting Jumpers just because, or Hayden Christiansen pretending to be a bad ass), the interesting concept for a story was drowned, maimed, and cindered in the span of an agonizing 90 minutes. The movie started out well. I was engaging, and I was curious to see how it would all work out. Then, that great 20 minutes were followed by the introduction of the grown-up David (AKA Christiansen). Throw in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Snakes on a Plane </span>actor, and you've got yourself a flop.<br /><br />So <span style="font-style: italic;">Jumper</span> is not good. Don't jump!<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-206738721881229652008-10-01T22:32:00.000-07:002008-10-10T19:41:50.232-07:00The Other Boleyn Girl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlJa4L-6zfnCZs08zqPS7kpH2QfWOYdzypk4oqQ2HrLCg1B1LAdvd2BtgAnq_augWobpFoX0gxLqwrr5sSwh0aDrpZn4MBH_8sb8kKTzpHiU1crcy8rNAkcfGKvgNHCGNHyfZHA/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlJa4L-6zfnCZs08zqPS7kpH2QfWOYdzypk4oqQ2HrLCg1B1LAdvd2BtgAnq_augWobpFoX0gxLqwrr5sSwh0aDrpZn4MBH_8sb8kKTzpHiU1crcy8rNAkcfGKvgNHCGNHyfZHA/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255719852174950482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 GOOMBAS</span><br /><br />One of my favorite teachers, Mr. Armstrong, taught AP European History. During the first week of class, I had been listening diligently to one of his lectures, and for one moment I focused on my notes when suddenly, he calls my name. He's waiting for my answer. The last thing he was talking about before I zoned out was Germany. The question was, "Where does he live?" So I answered, "Berlin . . ?" In actuality, the question was "Where does the pope live." And that, of course, was the wrong answer. So from then on, every once in a while, if Mr. Armstrong thought I was drifting off . . . he'd yell "Jennifer! Where's the pope!?!" And I'd answer, "The Vatican, Mr. Armstrong." But aside from learning where the pope lived, I learned about Anne Boleyn and her integral part to the Church of England.<br /><br />The Other Boleyn Girl focuses on Henry VIII's affair with Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) and the struggle between two sisters over the same man. Mary is shy and beautiful while Anne (Natalie Portman) is witty and daring. In an attempt to raise their family standings, the Boleyn parents sought to make Anne King Henry's mistress. However, when her first attempt fails to get his attention, he notices the quiet, but stunning Mary instead. Mary becomes his mistress while Anne is sent off to France for some feminine refinement. Anne returns some years later, after the King has grown tired of Mary, and King Henry becomes infatuated with her. And when sisters fight over the same man, things get pretty ugly.<br /><br />With two strong female leads, its a wonder that this period piece became such a revolting film. Now, I realize that this was just how it was in the olden days, setting your kids up to become royal sex toys for the betterment of the family, but I was absolutely disgusted. But that isn't so much the film's fault as it is history's fault. What was terrible was the indecisive portrayal of Henry VIII. I have no way of knowing how close the role is to the real person, but as a character, he had no depth or complexities. He was basically a sex fiend who got what he wanted or someone died if he didn't. Completely uninteresting. Same with the plot. Same with Anne and Mary. Although, I must recognize Natalie Portman's dazzling performance as the loving, yet dually selfish sister.<br /><br />I must say that this article is particularly dull. I blame that on the subject. Don't watch this movie unless you want to catch a glimpse of the cute Jim Sturgess, the Boleyn Brother. Unfortunately, he gets beheaded and he doesn't sing a line. If I spoiled it for you - good. Anything to keep you from watching this film.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-60342072151223446932008-09-29T21:25:00.000-07:002008-09-29T22:44:59.079-07:00Eagle Eye<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mMEoCbvVDwjJAoA6RJWTOYC2Hdkl8LEZyXbeif2H62KRjNK76SnKo-f4jjaMt3R3pUC9zGbDZ9Y13W9wARa3MX5Wm9CLw6b9VQ3lpwEPg1LsVFxvNChpsZIdATsqBmi54hITvg/s1600-h/blog.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mMEoCbvVDwjJAoA6RJWTOYC2Hdkl8LEZyXbeif2H62KRjNK76SnKo-f4jjaMt3R3pUC9zGbDZ9Y13W9wARa3MX5Wm9CLw6b9VQ3lpwEPg1LsVFxvNChpsZIdATsqBmi54hITvg/s320/blog.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251681754720269362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 GOOMBAS<br /><br /></span>When people fall in love with Shia LaBeouf, they just can’t get enough of him. Spielberg cast him in <span style="font-style: italic;">Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull</span><em></em> and he executively produced LaBeouf’s summer blockbuster, <em>Transformers</em>. Now <em> Disturbia </em>director, D.J. Caruso, and star, LaBeouf, team up again for DreamWorks’ new thriller <em>Eagle Eye. </em>Once you go Shia, you can’t go back, but unfortunately for the both of them, <span style="font-style: italic;">Eagle Eye</span> kind of sucked.<br /><br />LaBeouf stars as a typical, unmotivated young slacker along side the beautiful Michelle Monaghan, who plays an average, over-worked single mother. Both characters are framed as terrorists, and in an attempt to run from a Big Brother-like villian, they cross paths and form an unlikely alliance as they also run from the government and those who framed them. Rosario Dawson and Billy Bob Thornton join the cast as a government agent and FBI Detective trailing the pair.<br /><br />Shia is Hollywood's current, favorite juvenile delinquent, and I could care less. On screen, he's got a certain dorky, underdog charm that makes my heart melt with sympathetic adoration, and though this is a mediocre action packed, suspense thriller at best, he still exudes distinction and quality acting. But his comedic timing and good acting can't save this flick from a lame story and a thoroughly retarded ending. For a very long while, the movie was cheesy, but absolutely fun - as actions movies should be. The multiple chase scenes were intense and absolutely ridiculous, the mammoth explosions were completely blown out of proportion (a plus sign in this genre), and those great one-liners kept the tone upbeat and amusing. And then, they revealed who the terrorists were. But, no worries. It still made it to the 3 GOOMBA level. And then, Big Brother vaporized a guy by chasing him with a broken power line. Still okay. And then, Bill Bob gave Shia his FBI badge and gun just before [highlight to see]<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">exploding himself (which involved a car and an airplane in a Washington DC tunnel) for the greater good</span>. And </span>so <span style="font-style: italic;">Eagle Eye</span>'s fate was sealed. A shaming moment in Hollywood history.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Eagle Eyes</span> was a bad cocktail of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Terminator</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Enemy of the State</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Die Hard</span>, all of which are far better movies than the one in question. However, I do recommend this movie for the excellent chase scenes or for a Saturday night movie at home with friends.<br /><br />LaBeouf is currently filming <span style="font-style: italic;">Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-35660183390871603582008-09-20T22:45:00.000-07:002008-09-21T23:56:55.181-07:00Vantage Point<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfRjUaP68SWUJVs1_7WP9hgGf3tbQemu5K135UJQWvHCwRCgZcNMXcx5sqz62VGDnQXFEx2MWhnIC-7CR-9S_vrb75dpZrO68AYHLkzIbwcCC0Dcwr2vSaWZHQOmPL4tvHxIaow/s1600-h/blog.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfRjUaP68SWUJVs1_7WP9hgGf3tbQemu5K135UJQWvHCwRCgZcNMXcx5sqz62VGDnQXFEx2MWhnIC-7CR-9S_vrb75dpZrO68AYHLkzIbwcCC0Dcwr2vSaWZHQOmPL4tvHxIaow/s320/blog.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248733790238355650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 GOOMBAS</span><br /><br />I always wonder what it would be like to see through someone else's eyes. When I'm out driving, I sometimes look out my window at another driver and often ask myself, "What is he thinking about?" "Where is she going?" "Who are they?" The idea of seeing through a different perspective is fascinating, but trespassing on someone else's personal thoughts is only something that happens in books, and sometimes in movies.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Vantage Point</span> takes this concept and films it in a <span style="font-style: italic;">Momento</span>-inspired style. Looping through the same 23 minute period, the viewer is taken into the different perspectives of six characters who witness the same attempted presidential assassination. With each loop, more information on the plot unfolds, and the mystery behind the assault is revealed. The ensemble cast includes screen regulars, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, Dennis Quaid, and Sigourney Weaver.<br /><br />When the filmmakers pitched this idea to the executive producers, I'm sure it sounded innovative and amazingly creative. However, it yields complete frustration to the viewer. I found myself commenting on how "cool" and "cutting edge" it all seemed during the first 46 minutes - and then, it began to drag on, and on, and on, and on. It was exhausting living through the same 23 minutes six times, and then, only moving, what seemed like half a frame, toward the ending was brutally irritating. It's okay to leave a person in suspense, but not to the point where they'd rather turn the TV off than find out how it ends. This editing gimmick completely backfires.<br /><br />Then, there are the characters. With the impossible stunt scenarios aside, Howard Lewis (Whitaker) and Tom Barnes' (Quaid) characters were thoroughly lame and unconvincing. An American tourist is not going to run after a terrorist in the middle of a Spanish city after he's just been blown up by a bomb - unless he happened to be Rambo. In that same respect, Barnes, a secret service agent, would not have acted as a vigilante, running through the streets all by his lonesome to find the terrorist regime who bombed the President of the United States. His chase scenes and professional demeanor were so far from reality that I can't even use the "movie magic" plea for him.<br /><br />The positive things I have to say about this film (which are few) are: 1) it actually has a message, 2) it attempts creativity, and 3) it does produces some interest. However, even with these things said, I still suggest you watch this film from a different vantage point; with your back facing the TV.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-58983111188028536572008-09-12T22:48:00.000-07:002008-09-14T00:33:55.252-07:00Definitely, Maybe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALh25Xjdgqo69j20R1kXUmsFDZUWHxCqjkMuxavfuGwNPWP-aE78Ot3Qx5Q12JF-gZhWIyGOg9zg7C9aaLMjwcxar2D81K-2hKo242QD3c1D0JPhShaoSAH3MASO9Lwbpd04l2A/s1600-h/blogphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALh25Xjdgqo69j20R1kXUmsFDZUWHxCqjkMuxavfuGwNPWP-aE78Ot3Qx5Q12JF-gZhWIyGOg9zg7C9aaLMjwcxar2D81K-2hKo242QD3c1D0JPhShaoSAH3MASO9Lwbpd04l2A/s320/blogphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245776909279388866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 GOOMBAS</span><div> </div><br /><div>SYNOPSIS: Maya Hayes (Abigail Breslin) is in the middle of her parent's divorce. Her attempts to adjust aren't working, so after bargaining with her father, Will (Ryan Reynolds) agrees to tell the story of his past relationships to help cheer her up. To make it interesting, he changes their names and keeps mum on which woman is her mother. Rachel Weiss, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, and Kevin Kline also star.<br /></div><div> </div><br /><div>The GOOM: Told as a story/stories within a story, <em>Definitely, Maybe</em> is bubblegum cute and filled with hopeful, comedic romance. Breslin is as adorable as ever, and each relationship gives us a better glimpse into Will's character. Though this movie isn't rocket science, I enjoyed watching Will stumble through each relationship and seeing him grow into relationship maturity.<br /></div><br /><div> </div>The BA: What's sad is, you really don't want any of those three women to be Maya's mother. However, I pretty much called how it would all play out. <span style="font-style: italic;">Definitely, Maybe</span> is predictable. Its also kind of shallow, but shallow in how <span style="font-style: italic;">High Fidelity</span> is shallow (which may or may not be a bad thing. <span style="font-style: italic;">High Fidelity </span>is a good movie). I found this made Will quite annoying. The only real thing going for him was his cheeky yet sweet daughter and the growth he achieves in the end.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36654676.post-16447897478047068122008-09-01T22:18:00.000-07:002008-09-09T01:03:37.033-07:00The Dark Knight<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">4 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GOOMBAS</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32yHfHGMeWDa0-MNCq1XxckhCGfv77UfI_nrMJroo3KqF99tHrUiNmDXUnEjnaYy2Gx7mbZ7f4BmGWA_PXeESVNzWqMMLuDx_7PRu_AB-pBFYC5sfJw8cRHCnO1Pg_dnidj-3jA/s1600-h/joker.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243927780075058242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 342px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" height="149" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32yHfHGMeWDa0-MNCq1XxckhCGfv77UfI_nrMJroo3KqF99tHrUiNmDXUnEjnaYy2Gx7mbZ7f4BmGWA_PXeESVNzWqMMLuDx_7PRu_AB-pBFYC5sfJw8cRHCnO1Pg_dnidj-3jA/s320/joker.png" width="322" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br />Pow! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bam</span>! Wham! The sequel to the most recent Batman redo, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Dark Knight </span>revisits our Caped Crusader as he gears up to fight Gotham's current villain, The Joker. In the same winning, realistic style as <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Begins, Knight <span style="font-size:0;"></span></span>manages to hold the audiences attention and wow the crowd with bad-ass flair.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div>Christian Bale reprises his roll as Bruce Wayne, Maggie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gyllenhaal</span> fills in for the, then <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">preggers</span>, Katie Holmes, as Rachel Dawes, and the late Heath Ledger <em>is</em> The Joker. Two of Aaron <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Eckhart's</span> faces also makes an appearance.</div><br /><div>Here's the bad news - Christian Bale has a stupid Batman voice. More seriously, though, the story flow is quite misleading, which made for an anxious audience, and an anxious Jenn. I was watching what I thought was the final action scene in the film, only to find that it was only about half way through the flick. Then I had to go through the psychological toils of a whole <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">nother</span> action scene. </div><br /><div>Here's the good news though - those toils are totally worth it. What an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">extravagant</span> and fully loaded ending. And not only is the last scene emotionally charged and perfectly narrated, but Heath Ledger's performance was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">magnificent</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">comparable</span> to Anthony Hopkins' performance in <em>The</em> <em>Silence of the Lambs</em>. Ledger was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">completely</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">unrecognizable</span>, and he put the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">socio </span>in front of path. His subtle mannerism and creepy, sticky-dry voice transformed him into something mind-blowing on screen. </div><br /><div>I also have to mention the CG feat on Two-Face's face. The impact of the reveal made me gasp out loud. I was expecting some burns and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">disfiguration</span>; not what those animators shocked me with. That's some gruesome creativity right there.</div><br /><div>Overall, what a fun and perfect end to the summer movie line up. We need more movies like this to stir up the box office numbers. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Kapow</span>!<br /><br /></div><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsj7vIxbqcFNp5E7Q1jgeRozAIg070BgJ3uowKM8Pb0ZrbtqQ9teYxjhaIq4ZkjXFaHNALrY9hVDWa3eTj13rP3CfAvU2sBcR_LuPWbeN1yOrhLIWY8L442Qi4m4y0zoslGQpdg/s1600-h/lamborghini.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243928528331615762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsj7vIxbqcFNp5E7Q1jgeRozAIg070BgJ3uowKM8Pb0ZrbtqQ9teYxjhaIq4ZkjXFaHNALrY9hVDWa3eTj13rP3CfAvU2sBcR_LuPWbeN1yOrhLIWY8L442Qi4m4y0zoslGQpdg/s200/lamborghini.png" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Side note</span>:</strong> I want Bruce Wayne's Lamborghini. I'd be so hot. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8L5qcf4OAi_fu7rPDvpHBIriUq9ogOu3JtnVacT7oi7OAfQm2rctlbEJQ3WG3DRVWtJBWg0ClXAhfN9DVvcMQJ9We-0Ai3DFJWs_uc8r60REstrkGcyRrSSb5GpaqoEz5rl-3DQ/s1600-h/lamborghini.png"></a></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://moviegoomba.blogspot.com/atom.xml</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0