Friday Evening Movie Review

WARNING: Please do not read further if you do not want to know more about the specifics of the movie. As some would say: Spoilers ahead! * * * * * I gotta say, I just came from seeing this movie, and I don't think it's as bad as has been portrayed. I'm not 63 years old, and I wasn't around when the first version was introduced, so I'm in the target audience for the 2008 release. First off, the movie was pretty much as I envisioned it: a decent sci-fi movie about the impending destruction of the human race by intergalactic beings who view us as a threat. I mean, if you were looking for more than that, some sort of message, then I guess you came away disappointed, but I for one was not looking to be preached at about how we're slowly poisoning the Earth through global warming, on the brink of worldwide nuclear war, or consuming the resources of the planet faster than we should be. I get enough of that stuff on the evening news. It was intended as entertainment, not as a 1950's parable, and it succeeded in entertaining me for 110 minutes. Regarding the acting, well, it's Keanu Reeves.... If you were expecting brilliant oratory, maybe you should have gone and seen "Frost/Nixon" or some sort of Shakespearian drama. What I didn't find was overly cheesy acting, which was what I expected. It was dry in some parts, sure, but not laughable like has been suggested. I liked the interplay between the kid, Helen and Klaatu; it made the movie's premise about Klaatu changing his mind about the human condition much more believable. One of the previous commenters [on MSNBC.com] suggested that all Helen did was plead that "We can change...!" the whole time, but I say that the actions of the characters in the movie speak louder than their words. Finally, regarding the science: I liked how they protrayed the "nanotechnology" as little bugs that pretty much ate everything in their paths; kind of a cool twist on an old theme. I first read about nanites in Crichton's novels, and I've been interested in the subject ever since. Making the nanites akin to bugs reinforced the "cleansing the Earth of all but the basest lifeforms" theme. One problem I had, though, was this: how did the nanites distinguish between human flesh and animal/plant cells? Can they actually be programmed to recognize and consume artificial materials and the specific human DNA pattern while leaving everything else? All-in-all, it was a movie I would watch again for the sheer entertainment value. Happy moviegoing to the rest of you!

Bolt: The Super Dog

(Photo comes from www.allmoviephoto.com, Bolt is copywrited to Walt Disney Pictures.)

Another movie review for you, and this time it is Walt Disney Pictures' Bolt, the story of a dog raised to believe he is a superhero but is in reality an actor for a hit television series. After many years as "Bolt the Superdog," Bolt really thinks he has superspeed, a Super Bark, can leap over tall objects in a single bound, and can crash through walls!

After the studio decides to up the ante on its program, Bolt's owner Penny is "captured" on set by "the Green-Eyed Man" and taken away. Bolt, believing he must rescue Penny, escapes his ruse of a life and winds up in New York, struggling to understand why his powers have vanished (maybe the styrofoam?). He, his captured cat guide Mittens, and a pudgy Uber-fan of the TV show Rhino the hamster set off to return to Hollywood in search of the truth.

I must say, I really enjoyed the movie, and my sister did too. It was funny, well-animated, and had a nice story with multi-dimensional characters. The moral of the story, though not overbearing, was well executed: loyalty to your friends brings happiness for yourself. If you have enjoyed other Disney movies (Disney/Pixar movies like The Incredibles or Finding Nemo) then I would recommend that you check this one out too. Good for kids (and kids-at-heart) of all ages!

A Bond Bombshell

And not the good kind, either. Last week I went to see the opening of the newest Bond movie, "Quantum of Solace." What a disappointment, let me tell you. While I do like Daniel Craig as Bond, this movie was nothing like the Bond of old - a singular bad guy working for "the other side" whether that be Commies, terrorists, or mad scientists hell bent on world domination. Instead, Bond was just another guy with a gun, pissed off because of Vesper's death and betrayal, who decides to go on a killing rampage. The plot of the movie involves something about the lead Bond girl's (Olga Kurylenko as Camille) desire for her own brand of revenge and the plot to take over a country's water supply in the middle of the desert. Thus, obviously giving tons of money and power to the South American thugs who will sell Aquafina at ridiculously obscene prices to the starving (and dehydrated) Bolivian natives. Along the way, a new criminal terrorist organization is introduced, Quantum, whose sole purpose is to meet at the opera in plain sight and communicate through throat microphones. Not really, but that's what you get from the film. I guess they're the H2O-deprived masterminds who thought up the take-all-the-water plot, but it's not really completely clear. I don't think I even heard the line "The name is Bond. James Bond." anywhere in the entire movie. Recap: No plot. No desirable Bond women. No "bad guy." Bond's character is monodimensional and dull. No memorable chase scenes, explosions, or special effects to speak of. I give it a major thumbs down, and I would not recommend it to my friends unless it happens to be on Spike TV sometime in the future and you've got 2 hours to kill. Hopefully the next Bond will bring the character back to the martini-drinking, shaken-not-stirred, tuxedo-wearing, Goldfinger-thrashing badass we all love!