Merged and moved on...

For those of you who stumble upon this blog, I've moved my stuff on to a merged blog over here. And so far it's been a lot more TV than movies or other stuff, so you're welcome to check out my fresher takes on shows there. In time I guess there will be a lot more movies along with TV, comics and books, but I doubt I'll ever keep up movie by movie reviews. Anyway hopefully worth checking out.

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The Next Three Days (2010)

The Next Three Days

A remake of Pour elle from France, and a slightly weaker one. The story is pretty much the same, but they've made it slightly longer and changed some minor details. Sadly some of those changes didn't help at all, while the movie overall also lacks the gritty feel of the French one staring Vincent Lindon and Diane Kruger.

Banks and Crowe isn't to blame. They both work well in this one, but both also feels like copies of the originals. Still. They have a weaker script to work with, and the Hollywood makeover usually leaves something to be desired for the actors as well.

Still decent enough entertainment value here as well, but I hope most choose to watch Pour elle anyway.

Megamind (2010)

Megamind

For once we follow the super-villain rather than the hero, just like we did in Despicable Me. This one is funnier, have more style and some degree of cool.

The animations isn't stunning or anything, but it survives well on some creativity and inspired moments.

Chasing Liberty (2004)

Chasing Liberty

One of my guilty pleasure favorites. I adore Mandy Moore here, the story is quite charming and we got to see a few nice locations along the road.

It's light entertainment, pure feelgood and I'll probably watch it again and again. Here is what I wrote last time around.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Murder on the Orient Express

I'm not a huge fan of Lumet and Albert Finney's Poirot. I've read a lot of Christie novels and seen a lot of Poirot, and this one didn't fell like the real deal.

The rest of the cast is great; both talented and with the right feel for the story. The story itself is classic, and Lumet doesn't exactly do it injustice despite I hate the beginning's focus on the kidnapped baby.

Wild Child (2008)

Wild Child

This movie fails when it takes itself too seriously too often, as it could have become the new satirical teen movie like so many have been successful as before.

Emma Roberts has talent, and some of her friends are well cast as well. It's still a textbook repetition of movies we've seen before, with soft humor and unbearable predictability.

The Proposal (2009)

The Proposal

I've got a soft spot for both the leads, despite their many bad choices. This movie is exactly what you'd expect it to be; a flawed Rom-Com that doesn't hit every note.

It still got moments of both heart and humor, a reasonable enough rough idea and chemistry between the leading characters. Solid support cast helps a lot, and the leads doesn't take them self too seriously.

It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Have you ever noticed how people starts their story with the line "It's Kind of a Funny Story", and then it's usually not funny at all. Well. That's sadly also the case with the movie titled that way. This movie falls between all the stereotypical mines it aims to make fun of itself not getting trapped in.

It's not funny enough, it's nowhere near good drama and it's predictable enough all the way. Keir Gilchrist lacks the energy and charisma to carry the story, and Roberts and Galifianakis joins a lot of other more or less seriously stereotypical characters without hopes of keeping it afloat around the lead.

Punisher: War Zone (2008)

Punisher: War Zone

Ray Stevenson takes on the roles as The Punisher, but I really didn't like him nearly as much as Thomas Jane in that role. With a couple of decent exception, also the support cast is a lot weaker.

The Punisher faces more Gotham-esque villains this time, but without the style and charisma Batman have to face. As the first time around bullets fly, blood is shed with light heart and it lacks the style and flavor to pull it off with success.

Scores points on brutality, but lacks the emotional luggage to make us care either way.

The Punisher (2004)

The Punisher

The Punisher blends a Hong Kong action idea of flying bullets with the superhero role. It lacks the stylish execution Hong Kong often managed, but it also manages to hold a steady course for its plotline like so many Hong Kong movies failed at.

Thomas Jane is decent enough as the protagonist, and there's actually several well cast support roles. The neighbors add some flavor to the movie, but this is a revenge flick and little else. At some points it just gets to sappy around the so-called drama at side.

Wishful Thinking (1999)

Wishful Thinking

A three part movie without charm, meaning or anything close to a story worth telling. It's almost physically painful to get through it, even being a standard 91 minutes runtime only.

Keith (2008)

Keith

The sum of all parts, doesn't always add up the way you'd imagine. Keith is a classic example. I'm not sure there's a single original thought put into the movie. So much of it feels like something I've seen elsewhere, but it honestly doesn't matter. Keith has what so few others got.

A story told with heart and soul, a convincing look at teenage choices and tons of simple charm. Its parts might be recycled, but it's put together with such care it runs like Swiss clockwork. It charms you in despite quite classic themes, but it's so balanced in where its story takes on new turns, where new revelations occur and how the emotions follow actions and actions results in emotions.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I began watching, but I sure wasn't expected to be blown away by such simplicity. Elisabeth Harnois and Jesse McCartney are both doing great portraying some tough teen balancing of life's checkbook, and the director Todd Kessler and the screenwriter David Zabel have taken Ron Carlson's story to the screen in perfect fashion.

P.S. I Love You (2007)

P.S. I Love You

There's a lot to be said about things that doesn't work well in this one, but it floats on its emotional wave. A young widow takes on the healing process, and we tag along.

I'm not a huge fan of Hilary Swank and I can't usually stand Gerard Butler, but I bear with them this time around. I can only imagine how I'd felt if the leads were substituted for someone else. Anyway.

Quite a few cute moments, quite a few emotional ones and a lot of downtime between. The Irish helps, but overall I kept imagining how they could have taken others turns to make it a better movie overall. Wasted potential surviving on emotional depth.

If Only (2004)

If Only

This is one of those few movies I'd no idea how to rank when I was done viewing. It's got its heart in the right place, but somehow it still feels kind of moralistic and strangely sappy feelgood.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Love Hewitt in this one. She's one of those actresses that never seems to get her career going like it might have been with a couple of different choices. Here she shows range and capacity. I'm not as impressed by her co-star.

The story is simple enough, but floats on charm, realistic portrait of relationship and heart. Heart goes a long way, but there's still several pieces of the puzzle that doesn't quite make it work in the end.

The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)(TV)

The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines

Sonya Walger is gone from the original, and substituted by Gabrielle Anwar in this movie. It doesn't work at all. Anwar and Wyle have no chemistry whatsoever, and it's not even unintentionally funny to watch them together.

Add the lack of charisma and personality in the bad guys, and it's incredibly enough a step down from the original.

The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)(TV)

The Librarian: Quest for the Spear

A low-budget Indiana Jones made for TV, and that's exactly what you get. Sadly it's not only low budget, but it's in every way a poor man's Indiana. The cliches are all over the place, the credibility about non-existing and The Librarian annoying enough I'd probably volunteer for the bad guys.

Kelly Hu and Sonya Walger the only interesting parts, and both will sadly be gone for the sequel.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

After three quite successful movies in the franchise, Lucas drops the ball. It's getting way out of hand, the CGI is more often than not annoying and the story is another step down the ladder. What in earlier editions were somewhat funny odd side characters, are now degraded to laughable choices in the wrong way.

The enjoyable part is Natalie Portman. Whoever decided to cast her made sure I stick around to the end.

It Could Happen to You (1994)

It Could Happen to You

Too goody two shoes cop in Nicholas Cage form, is unable to tip his waitress and offers up half the take in his lottery ticket instead. The ticket strikes gold, and we follow him and the Bridget Fonda waitress' changed lives.

It's heartwarming, moralistic and quite sweet, but it's also too sweet, too good to be true and way too one dimensional.

Total Recall (1990)

Total Recall

I'm usually not a huge fan of Arnold whenever he's not a cyborg, and that's one of the major problems with this movie. Arnold's acting, or lack there of, can't possibly sell the story. Because there sure is some interesting ideas behind this movie. They are just not executed to the full extend of their potential.

Another problem is the awful fight scenes, that even back then wasn't very impressive. They look as fake as they are. That's not on Arnold, but rather director Verhoeven who should have made sure they were better.

Still looking past those problems and a few wrong turns as the dance goes along, there's enough interesting things mixed together to make it worth a look.

Eye of God (1997)

Eye of God

Tim Blake Nelson's debut in the chair is subtle and quiet in its ways, but none the less a remarkable character study from a small town. Despite narrated in a twisted way, this movie isn't about surprises, suspense or whodunnit. It's all about the characters we follow, their choices and life, or lack there of.

Martha Plimton does an amazing job in one of the leads as Ainsley, and she's no doubt the shining star making the way for Stahl, Holbrook and the rest to deliver a glimpse of life in this small piece of Oklahoma.