I've decided to switch up my review style again because I want to be lazy. Kind of a bad set to be lazy with, though; they're all good and 2 of them are superb. Oh well.
Director: James Gunn (Slither)
Starring: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon
On Bluray + DVD: August 9, 2011
Synopsis: Frank (Wilson) loses his wife (Tyler) to a drug dealer. This loss pushes him to create an alter ego, the Crimson Bolt, who goes around town beating up criminals with a wrench. Along the way he finds a sidekick, Boltie (Page), a young girl with an idealized concept of what a superhero is.
Comments: Super is what Kick-Ass should've been: a movie about a normal guy with questionable sanity who decides to be a superhero, and the shenanigans that ensue when he gets in over his head. Super is also very funny, mainly because of the weird chemistry between Wilson and Page. Kevin Bacon's role in the film is also entertaining, if somewhat one-dimensional. The opening credits of the film are noteworthy and helped prepare me for the low-budget silliness that would follow. The story drags on in a few places, and some of the jokes don't work, but Super is a thoroughly entertaining superhero movie, perhaps my favorite of the genre this year.
Comments: Super is what Kick-Ass should've been: a movie about a normal guy with questionable sanity who decides to be a superhero, and the shenanigans that ensue when he gets in over his head. Super is also very funny, mainly because of the weird chemistry between Wilson and Page. Kevin Bacon's role in the film is also entertaining, if somewhat one-dimensional. The opening credits of the film are noteworthy and helped prepare me for the low-budget silliness that would follow. The story drags on in a few places, and some of the jokes don't work, but Super is a thoroughly entertaining superhero movie, perhaps my favorite of the genre this year.
Director: Greg Mottola (Adventureland, Superbad)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig
On Bluray + DVD: August 9, 2011
Synopsis: Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost), two British guys touring the alien hotspots of the Western United States, get into a car accident with Paul (Rogen), an alien on the run from the US government. The Brits decide to help Paul out, and shenanigans ensue as the three try to outrun the government.
Comments: Well, Paul was pretty good. I'll admit that I laughed quite a bit throughout the movie. Frost and Pegg are always an entertaining duo, and I'm a big fan of Rogen. However, if you look into Paul past its comedy exterior, it starts to break down. The idea behind Paul, the alien, is just weird: he comes to Earth and is a captive of the government, so he turns into a pothead? Rogen's voice also doesn't really fit the character, in my opinion. And the overarching story is pretty disposable. Having said all of that, Paul is a very funny movie, and if that's all you're looking for, you won't be disappointed.
Comments: Well, Paul was pretty good. I'll admit that I laughed quite a bit throughout the movie. Frost and Pegg are always an entertaining duo, and I'm a big fan of Rogen. However, if you look into Paul past its comedy exterior, it starts to break down. The idea behind Paul, the alien, is just weird: he comes to Earth and is a captive of the government, so he turns into a pothead? Rogen's voice also doesn't really fit the character, in my opinion. And the overarching story is pretty disposable. Having said all of that, Paul is a very funny movie, and if that's all you're looking for, you won't be disappointed.
Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne
Currently In Theaters
Synopsis: Contagion tracks the development, spread, and containment of a pandemic illness. The film follows the total lifespan of the disease, from its origins, through the investigation by the CDC, to its demise.
Comments: Contagion is amazing. There's virtually no emotion in the entire film; instead, Soderbergh shapes the film more like a documentary, following multiple people as they contract and fight back against the disease. Usually emotionless films like this fall dead on me, but in Contagion, it works perfectly. It captures the exact emotion we would need to beat something like this: apathy. The movie also has great technical merit. This is Soderbergh's best directorial work ever, and he's been around a while. The music is also great. But the acting is what really holds Contagion together. Everyone involved excels in their roles, but it was Winslet who really pulled me in with her character. This is one of the best movies of the year and you need to see it.
Comments: Contagion is amazing. There's virtually no emotion in the entire film; instead, Soderbergh shapes the film more like a documentary, following multiple people as they contract and fight back against the disease. Usually emotionless films like this fall dead on me, but in Contagion, it works perfectly. It captures the exact emotion we would need to beat something like this: apathy. The movie also has great technical merit. This is Soderbergh's best directorial work ever, and he's been around a while. The music is also great. But the acting is what really holds Contagion together. Everyone involved excels in their roles, but it was Winslet who really pulled me in with her character. This is one of the best movies of the year and you need to see it.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Currently In Theaters
Synopsis: Drive follows Driver (Gosling), a stuntman by day and a getaway driver at night. He's also a mechanic and a race car driver. After becoming close with his neighbor (Mulligan), he gets in over his head on a job and has to find a way out before everyone he loves gets hurt.
Comments: Wow. I had high hopes for Drive before I went in the theater and it still managed to blow me away. From the opening scene to the end credits, I was glued to my seat. The plot is fairly basic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing: it allows the characters to breathe in the film without having to worry about explaining a bunch of unnecessary crap to us. And Drive has some pretty great characters. Cranston finally gave me a role outside of Breaking Bad that I can point to as an example of how wonderful an actor he is. As Driver's boss, Shannon, Cranston was able to infuse a deep connection with the viewer with very limited screentime. Mulligan also fills her role nicely, although I didn't altogether buy her as the loyal wife of a convicted thief. There's just something about her that says sophistication to me. The real star of Drive, though, is Gosling. Man, this is the third film I've seen him in this year where he really steals the show. He barely even speaks in the film, and yet through his expressions and presence alone he is able to create this rich backstory for his character. Honestly, had everything else in the movie sucked, I would still recommend seeing Drive just for Gosling alone. I don't want to say definitively, because there's more movies to come and I need to rewatch some others from earlier in the year, but Drive just may be my favorite movie of the year.
Comments: Wow. I had high hopes for Drive before I went in the theater and it still managed to blow me away. From the opening scene to the end credits, I was glued to my seat. The plot is fairly basic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing: it allows the characters to breathe in the film without having to worry about explaining a bunch of unnecessary crap to us. And Drive has some pretty great characters. Cranston finally gave me a role outside of Breaking Bad that I can point to as an example of how wonderful an actor he is. As Driver's boss, Shannon, Cranston was able to infuse a deep connection with the viewer with very limited screentime. Mulligan also fills her role nicely, although I didn't altogether buy her as the loyal wife of a convicted thief. There's just something about her that says sophistication to me. The real star of Drive, though, is Gosling. Man, this is the third film I've seen him in this year where he really steals the show. He barely even speaks in the film, and yet through his expressions and presence alone he is able to create this rich backstory for his character. Honestly, had everything else in the movie sucked, I would still recommend seeing Drive just for Gosling alone. I don't want to say definitively, because there's more movies to come and I need to rewatch some others from earlier in the year, but Drive just may be my favorite movie of the year.
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