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I caught up on several movies while flying to and around Asia. Most of them were new releases that are out of theaters but not yet available on Blu-ray/DVD. There were some surprises for me, but for the most part I was happy that I didn’t pay money to see these movies in theaters. Here’s the rundown.
The Karate Kid: I had a huge problem with this movie conceptually. The martial art used in this film is kung-fu, not karate. In my head it just confuses kids into thinking that all Asian martial arts are the same…which is just a step away from saying all Asians look the same. Still, I heard that Jaden Smith was absolutely charming in this movie and I was curious to see if superior genetics spawned a great star. In my opinion, the genes cancelled each other out. Smith is just another crappy child actor. I’m convinced that everyone that praised his performance was really kissing his parents’ asses. Most importantly, the Karate Kid remake didn’t have the awesome music that powered the first two films. Joe Esposito’s “You’re the Best” is legendary.
The Cop Out: Kevin Smith gets tons of praise for his writing and loads of flack for his directing. I was surprised that a studio gave him a movie — with none of his fantastic writing — to direct. There are a handful of laughs in the film, which wasn’t a surprise because Tracy Morgan is hilarious, but for the most part it really sucked. Ironically, Smith’s did a capable job directing the film. The writing was just mediocre.
Shrek Forever After: I like the Shrek movies. They’re entertaining for children and adults. While this one is a step down from the previous films, I was entertained. It’s pretty much what I expected and wanted from Shrek. That said, I’m happy I didn’t pay $10 to see it in a theater.
The A-Team: This movie surprised me. My expectations were low and they were absolutely obliterated. It’s a fun, fast, and stupid flick with some sweet action. Liam Neeson wasn’t nearly as ridiculous as I thought he’d be and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has a nice future in action movies (if he wants it). Although Jessica Biel is completely unbelievable as a military women, she’s always nice to look at. Out of all the airplane movies I watched, this was my biggest surprise.
Iron Man 2: I love this movie (except for the 15 seconds with “Bolivia Bunn”). The dialog and action are fantastic. I watched it at least five times, with several partial viewings that were interrupted by sleep. I haven’t watched all the big movies of 2010, but out of the ones I’ve seen, this was my favorite.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on any or all of these movies. Fire away (please)!!!!
Oh no rpad! The anvil is in jail! I'll comment on your movie reviews later. Driving in a bit and we'll see if machete is good enough for $5 the second time around.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestl…
You haven't seen inception ray?
@redtailman I have not and have no desire to until it's on cable.
@ray really? Can I ask why?
@redtailman Several good friends that know my tastes have said that I wouldn't like it and that it's horribly overrated.
@Cop Out – I am a big Kevin Smith fan (SModcast and it's friends in cast are a weekly listen at work) and I thought the movie had it's moments too. Not normally a huge fan of Tracy Morgan, but I thought he really through it all out there, especially when Bruce Willis just chews on scenery by looking at it. It would really have benefited from Smith's writing and dialog, but then it probably would have been put down for being too wordy.
That being said, he did this movie so that the movie studios would produce his next too, Red State (supposed to be horror, which should be interesting), and Hit Somebody (hockey flick based off the Warren Zevon song).
I really liked Cop Out. I thought parts of the writing and story were weak, and I personally would have loved to see more of Sean William-Scott in that role (I have not liked some of his other more recent characters as much as the Tracy Morgan/Sean William-Scott duo). Although I did not particularly like the Tracy Morgan character too much by himself. Started great and ended decently.
Still want to see Iron Man 2.
The Shrek series used to be ok, but I don't really like any of them after the first one.
The A-Team also has very low expectations for me, so maybe I will like it someday.
The Karate Kid…Haven't seen it, but I'm still not sure on this one. It could be good I guess, but I don't always like to watch remakes of popular movies. The first one was good, don't fix something that isn't broke.
@Ray
I am still waiting to see Inception, but I keep getting the feeling by all the talk about it from certain people that I know that it will also be horribly overrated for me as well.
ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!?!?!?!?!?
One more thing, did you guys see that 6'9" woman who's in the all women NXT season debuting tonight?
@RRODisHere She has been booted, though I'm not sure if it's a work or a shoot.
Not surprisingly since I have a 3 year old, I've only seen one of those summer movies. Surprisingly, it wasn't Shrek. I actually saw the A-Team, and my expectations were also obliterated. I really liked that movie. While it'll never be mistaken for "Oscar Worthy," it was a lot of fun.
I haven't seen any of those movies you saw on the plane except for Iron Man 2, which I agree with your take on it… except I don't recall seeing "Bolivia Bunn" in it. Maybe I missed it since I only saw the movie once. I'm also interested in seeing The A-Team, but you've talked me out of my mildly curious interest in Karate Kid. Thanks!
Side note to Bsukenyan;
You need to go see Iron Man 2, like right now. Seriously.
@ All:
Go see Machete. I wrote a bit about it on the last Coffee Talk, but I don't want to spoil so many of the movie's great surprises. So F'n Awesome. You'll get a bigger kick out of the movie if you're Mexican or know Spanish, since there are some cultural inside jokes, but it's not a deal-breaker.
-M
@Iceman She plays the newscaster doing the TV spot after the Stark Expo opening.
@iceman
I've watched machete and i'm about to watch it again. To test replayability. I love the gratitous (sp?) nude scenes though
@Iceman
I plan on doing that sometime soon, but probably not until it is out on dvd and my fiance is with me. She would be a little mad if I didn't wait to see it with her.
Also, not being Mexican or knowing Spanish (3 years of it in high school didn't help me at all) I would think that this would be the type of thing that Robert Rodriguez does in his movies. Especially since he uses Mexico as a setting for his most well known movies, the Mariachi trilogy (El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico). Regardless, I have been mildly interested in this movie since I saw Grindhouse and the possibility of this actually becoming a movie was suggested.
@rrod
im disappointed that you arent in our fantasy league
damn…my french does me no good.
@Bsukenyan;
I wouldn't recommend seeing this movie with your significant other. If you do, I hope you can control your body language/facial expressions. You should watch it with some guy friends (like roommates) if you can.
@Tokz;
Yes! There were so many levels of awesome. Even the scenes that the movie failed in were ridiculously hilarious (by design or coincidence; I don’t' know, but it doesn't matter). I, too, am planning to see it again, only this time, without the wife and pants.
-M
@Iceman
Oh I don't plan to. Although I did watch The Devil's Rejects with her and she walked out halfway through. lol. Of course one of my guy roommates and another girl roommate (who ironically says she wants to see Machete, in reality she just wants to keep her boyfriend from seeing it with his friends…she is a bitch like that) at the time walked out as well. Fortunately my fiance has no interest in seeing this.
"I, too, am planning to see it again, only this time, without the wife and pants." Almost made me lol in class.
@ Iceman
My wife wants to see Machete as badly if not worse than me. She's awesome like that.
@Thundercracker
Yeah, I apparently missed that. I've had a different work schedule the last couple of months that didn't allow me to post here. But if I did you know I would have been all over that.
@iceman
Besides the nude scenes i think i like the inconsistencies and exagerrations (sp?) in this movie. I wonder if people who dont get or have watched a B style movie think i'm annoying because i laugh when it's not a staged joke in the movie. Lastly i think i love machete because he talks like the hulk at times. Go see it but with a group of guys especially.
@ tokz
If you like B-movies, there's this flick called "Gone The Way Of Flesh" I'm sure you'll love.
@ tv shows streaming on Netflix
Red Dwarf is on Netflix. I highly recommend this show to everyone.
Warning: It goes completely over some people's heads… don't be embarrassed if you are one of them.
@n8r
Thanks for reminding me. I think i'll finish watch it tonight. I finished at the 25 min mark, which is about halfway i think. I was liking so far and it's 50s and 60s inspired rock soundtrack.
@Machete
I personally think this movie will be better to watch for anyone that went to see Grindhouse when it came out and actually got to see all of the trailers for the fake C movies (they were bad enough they don't deserve to be called B movies, lol) and then see Machete get turned into a real feature film. I kind of hope that there are some inside jokes from Grindhouse that carry over to Machete, but we will see. Also concerning inconsistencies, if they are really big ones or seem like it's just a poorly done part of the movie then I would say (tentatively, having not seen it yet) that it is probably just carrying on what they did in Grindhouse.
@bsu
It is better than deathproof or planet terror. Those movies couldnt keep my attention. I tried watching them many times but i couldnt stay awake.
@ BSU
Grindhouse???
Dude, I was watching the movies that inspired those movies for years before they came out. I'm talking wonderful masterpieces like I Spit On Your Grave, The Wizard of Gore, Bloodfeast, 2000 Maniacs, etc. etc. and so on.
I'm gonna love Machete, I already know.
@ tokz
You also might wanna check out a flick called Ichi The Killer. It's seriously one of the most f**ked up pieces of fiction I've ever enjoyed (and that really is saying alot).
@n8r
Is ichi the killer related to itchy the mouse??
Got done watching gone the way of the flesh. Its pretty good! So is there going to be a sequel or is this B movie's flaw that we'll never know who the killer is!
@ Tokz
A. No, Ichi the Killer is about Yakuza and an absolutely insane dude that slaughters them all.
B. The sequel is probably just about done being shot… but I had nothing to do with it. From my intel tough, it will be a trilogy… and since SO many people complained about not finding out who the killer was, I believe they decided to never reveal it since it doesn't really matter when you consider the fact that it's a commercial for a band.
On the down low though… I was indeed the guy in the killer outfit portraying the killer. But my character (myself, in the band) is certainly not the killer. However, I was in the movie more than anyone else.
Ichi The Killer is an insane movie.
then i look forward to seeing Ichi later on. I added to my instant queue.
@n8r
Way to ruin it for me. What's the point of watching it now, if they never reveal the killer.
@N8R
Yeah there are some great movies that inspired Grindhouse. What I was more referring to is that Machete was originally only a fake movie trailer in between Planet Terror and Death Proof in the Grindhouse viewing in theaters only. That trailer and the other ones that were shown are probably still available on youtube. Most people that I have talked to locally don't realize that that is where Machete comes from.
@Tokz
I liked them both well enough, of course I am also a huge Tarantino fan. Not either of their best work, but they are still good enough for me to actually want to own (I don't buy many movies, I will rent or…ahem…download…but if I buy it I will watch it many times).
The Karate Kid re-make didnt do it for me. i'm surprised it did well, especially since it should be the Kung Fu kid instead of Karate. So does this mean they'll re-make the Karate Kid II but just change Okinawa to the U.S. because isn't he already like in China in this re-make?
Cop-Out, this movie didn't interest me. It looks like it's funny but i'll have to give it a go.
Shrek Forever After, I haven't gotten the urge to watch a Shrek movie in the theater. Some of them are good but i can't warrant spending money on an animated film not made by Pixar.
The A-Team was good too. I got a hold of a copy and watched it. it made me wish i would've spent 5 bucks to watch it on the big screen. I agree with your assessment of Jessica Biel, there really wasn't a point to her in this movie but to be eye candy and so Face can have someone to flirt with.
Iron Man 2, HOW CAN BSU still NOT watch this movie. I'm so glad Bolivia didn't bog down this movie with her 15 secs in this movie. This movie is good but it does have it's moments that slow down the film. It's a good watch but i feel doesn't last after mulitple viewings. I love the Capt America shield making an appearance though. BSU WATCH THIS MOVIE ASAP.
@bsu
i'm a tarantino fan too but i didn't like these two. i thought Machete was better than those two movies in Grindhouse.
@Tokz
Never got to it when it was in theaters. With my fiance living closer to you, which is about 3 hours from me. It makes it hard to find time to watch a movie together in theaters. So now we must wait until it is out on dvd and find time to rent it after getting through some of the backlog of movies and games we have to watch/play.