Movie Night: Fury.

Review #694: Fury.

Cast
Brad Pitt (Don Collier), Logan Lerman (Norman Ellison), Shia LaBeouf (Boyd Swan), Michael Peña (Trini Garcia), Jon Bernthal (Grady Travis), Jason Isaacs (Cpt. Waggoner), and Scott Eastwood (Sgt. Miles) Directed by David Ayer.

Review
When it comes to World War II movies, we watch regardless of the era. Whether it is Patton, or Sands of Iwo Jima, or The Dirty Dozen, or various others, it's a subject that is endless. And this just happens to be another one, though this one is influenced by evens, which I guess makes the movie less susceptible to criticism of inaccuracy. And what we have here is a movie well fit for war. Watching war movies takes a little endurance because the subject matter has to hold itself to a standard while taking the brunt of horror. In that case, this movie works just fine for it. The performances are well done, and I like Pitt's tone. I was a bit surprised that LeBeouf does a pretty fine job, mostly because he really seems into this role. The action and effects are well done, which is good because had the effects not been up to par, it would've made for a distracting mess. The movie has just enough edge to make for a brutal, but ultimately functional movie. If you're not a fan of war movies or a fan of happier times, I'd suggest anything else. But for the rest of the audience at home, this is up their alley.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

Review #693: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

Cast
Will Ferrell (Ron Burgundy), Steve Carell (Brick Tamland), Paul Rudd (Brian Fantana), David Koechner (Champ Kind), Christina Applegate (Veronica Corningstone), Dylan Baker (Freddie Shapp), Meagan Good (Linda Jackson), James Marsden (Jack Lime), Kristen Wiig (Chani Lastnamé), and Judah Nelson (Walter Burgundy) Directed by Adam McKay (#526 - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy)

Review
Admittedly, nine years is a weird gap between films, especially for a comedy. But hey, nobody's perfect. But was is it worth it? I guess so. It's not a disappointment but in terms of fun, the first wins out. It is a likable movie, and it does flow well with itself, which are all nice little strengths, though again it nearly suffers from comparisons to the first. The movie doesn't really have much of a flaw to it, though the cameos at the end of the movie, while somewhat entertaining, almost seem too indulgent. The movie seems to be a little more injected with drama and while it is admirable to have, it's not really helping the movie all that much. It is fun to see the cast once again, and I guess it wouldn't be awful if a third movie was made. So all in all, take the movie for what it is and consider the fact this isn't a bad way to spend your time, so that's that.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Seems Like Old Times.

Review #692: Seems Like Old Times.

Cast
Goldie Hawn (Glenda Parks), Chevy Chase (Nick J. Gardenia), Charles Grodin (Ira J. Parks), Robert Guillaume (Fred), Yvonne Wilder (Aurora), Harold Gould (Judge John Channing), George Grizzard (Stanley), and T. K. Carter (Chester) Directed by Jay Sandrich.

Review
I admit, it's been a while. But hey, nobody's perfect. What movie do I have in store this time? A good old fashioned comedy that manages to juggle its gags and story on the weight of its main three actors. Hawn and Chase manage to be so fun together, and they both are enjoyable to watch, especially Hawn, who is really good at timing. I don't know why, but my favorite scene with Grodin is him trying to get into a cab with a bunch of dogs already in it, amusing because I love his frustration, especially when I think back to Beethoven (#577), and how he can just have the right expression. It had been a while since I had seen a film written by Neil Simon (#244 - The Sunshine Boys), and he does a good job with the interactions of the characters along with the situations, complimented well by Sandrich, a television director who directed this, his first and so far only film. The movie keeps itself in check just long enough to make for a good time along with being a charming film.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).

Review #691: The Thomas Crown Affair.

Cast
Steve McQueen (Thomas Crown), Faye Dunaway (Vicki Anderson), Paul Burke (Detective Eddie Malone), Jack Weston (Erwin Weaver), Gordon Pinsent (Jamie McDonald), Biff McGuire (Sandy), and Yaphet Kotto (Carl) Directed by Norman Jewison (#127 - Rollerball, #273 - The Cincinnati Kid, and #544 - In the Heat of the Night)

Review
In a way, this is a movie made for technical buffs. The movie's use of split screen to show multiple images at the same time was inspire by the Multi-dynamic image technique, originally used for the short film A Place to Stand at the Expo 67 in Montreal. Jewison uses this technique throughout the movie, starting with the opening credits and ending with the ending credits. My favorite use is during the robbery sequence, showing the different points of view which helps tell the story for different points, which is neat. The movie is well photographed, and is pretty to look at. The movie, however tires to be a thriller and a romance movie. Whether it succeeds at both is up to you. For me, it's a marginally successful attempt, that starts to feel slow around the middle, though the ending of the movie is a good twist. "The Windmills of Your Mind" is a song used to great effect, it's a really strange but somehow perfect song for a movie such as this. McQueen and Dunaway have good chemistry together, and the chess scene between them is nice to watch. This is a passable movie that looks nice, has a rough interior, but manages to have a cult following of its own. Judge for yourself.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Life Itself.

Review #690: Life Itself.

Cast
Roger Ebert & Chaz Ebert, with Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, Ramin Bahrani, Gregory Nava, A.O. Scott, Marlene Siskel. Directed by Steve James.

Review
It is hard to express my feelings on this movie. I could simply say it is a great documentary, but to say that feels like an injustice to writing these reviews. Watching this documentary gave me an newer appreciation of films and the opinions that people have on them. We all have an opinion on a film, some just do it for a living. This movie made me wonder why I do these reviews. Do I do them because I love movies? How seriously should I take Movie Night? The answers to these questions do not change my opinion on the movie, but it is nice to have a documentary film that inspires a bit of thinking. Seeing Ebert and his family interact is my favorite part because seeing their interactions along with their emotions makes the movie more emotional, though the focus on Ebert's working relationship with Gene Siskel is a close second. The documentary offers a look into Ebert's life and when it ends we feel sad for the death of our focus, of our source (for some, anyway) of film criticism. I do remember watching Ebert interact with Roeper (the replacement after Siskel died) and I remember stumbling upon his review of North, and after he died it inspired me to make my own review. I highly recommend this documentary not just because it does a tremendous job at highlighting Ebert's life, but because it also manages to be a great look into what makes a person from their emotions to their personality.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Garfield: The Movie.

Review #689: Garfield: The Movie.

Cast
Bill Murray (Garfield), Breckin Meyer (Jon Arbuckle), Jennifer Love Hewitt (Dr. Liz Wilson), Stephen Tobolowsky (Happy Chapman), Nick Cannon (Louis), and Alan Cumming (Persnikitty) Directed by Peter Hewitt (#022 - Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and #287 - The Borrowers)

Review
A movie based off a long running comic strip? What could go wrong? And...nothing really goes wrong, but nothing goes right either.  Garfield the comic strip is a best a mild read better suited for a Sunday read when nothing good is on but you're out of books (someone who is out of books to read? What is this, 1995?) Turning it into a movie may not be the best use of resources, and the movie proves just that. The main reason that the movie falls short is that it doesn't have much to offer and manages to be just as breeze worthy like the comic. Murray is not a bad Garfield, but when your main voice actor is only in this because he thought the movie was written by a Coen brother and confused them with Joel Cohen, that's saying something beneath the surface. The rest of the characters are more or less forgettable, with Meyer and Hewitt's characters being more standard "lovey-dovy" cliche than actual full fledged people. Actually, their characterization is more 2-D than 3-D, so props for making them comic-like? And our villain? The only notable thing he does is that he intends to use a shock collar on Odie. I realize that sounds weird to list that, but other than that, he is standard stuff, though at least Tobolowsky tries his best to make him sound interesting. The movie could be better for younger audiences, though it wears itself out after a while. Overall, the movie isn't inherently terrible, it's just not anything special. It can't even qualify as a terrible movie, it just reigns as a middle of the road movie. I'd stick to the comic...or reading the parody web comic Garfield Minus Garfield.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Horse Feathers.

Review #688: Horse Feathers.

Cast
Groucho Marx (Professor Quincy Wagstaff), Harpo Marx (Pinky), Chico Marx (Baravelli), Zeppo Marx (Frank Wagstaff), Thelma Todd (Connie Bailey), and David Landau (Jennings) Directed by Norman Z. McLeod.

Review
In a way, it's been way too long since I touched upon the Marx Brothers (#085 - Duck Soup), but hey, new year, new things, I suppose. As for the movie itself, it's pretty enjoyable. It moves quickly with its gags and pace, which make for a balanced attack of fun. The plot itself could still work today, especially in our competitive world such as this; it's nice to see a plot line that doesn't out date itself. I think the highlight of the movie is probably near the end of the movie, with the football game. My favorite of the Marxes is Groucho, most because his insults just ring more with me. I like the gags used, especially at the end of the movie involving a chariot. Even watching the scenes before it to give that sentence context wouldn't really help, just watch the movie, which is a really fun flick to watch. And, to ring in the new year and because I like this movie especially and recommend it especially, the first perfect rating of the year.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Tommy.

Review #687: Tommy.

Cast
Roger Daltrey (Tommy Walker), Oliver Reed (Frank Hobbs), Ann-Margret (Nora Walker), Elton John (The Pinball Wizard), Eric Clapton (The Preacher), Tina Turner (Acid Queen), Keith Moon (Uncle Ernie), Jack Nicholson (The Specialist), Paul Nicholas (Cousin Kevin), and Robert Powell (Captain Walker) Directed by Ken Russell.

Review
After I saw the movie, I didn't know if I liked it, and if I did, how much. So I decided to listen to the rock opera of the same name the movie was based off of. I had already listened to Pinball Wizard beforehand, and I liked it. As for the rock opera itself...it's pretty awesome. The Overture is one of my favorite parts, right next to Pinball Wizard. Now then, the movie. It does take a few liberties with the opera (such as the period it is set in and the shuffling a few songs), and it has the actors sing the songs instead of album dubbing over them. Not only that, it's directed by Ken Russell, in his first time being reviewed on this show. So now you're wondering if I actually do like the movie, for all of its quirks. Yes, pretty much. It's about weird as is gets, but it is also really cool to watch along with being a weird and enjoyable movie. The movie is good looking to watch in all of its quirks and uniqueness, such as Elton John as the Pinball Wizard...in big boots. It may be odd to see Oliver Reed (or Jack Nicholson, for that matter) sing, but I find his way of singing the words out oddly effective. It just feels perfectly awkward enough in a role perfectly awkward. The songs are enjoyable, Margret and Daltrey are the most enjoyable and the most fun to watch. While it may take a while to get into this movie, once you're interested, it never lets go and it makes for good entertainment. There really isn't much of a supporting cast, more like cameos in one scene only, making it seem like a bunch of scenes compiled to make a movie. But I do enjoy Jack Nicholson and his strange stare, and I also enjoy Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, and his rendition of the song being just fine (both versions are good, so take your pick). The movie is what is: a weird, rambunctious, strange, occasionally thought-provoking, hypnotic, and rebellious movie. Both the opera and the movie are well made, so I would recommend both and keeping the opera in mind when watching this.  Welcome to 2015, everyone, now go play some pinball.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.