The Invisible Man (1933) - 3 stars out of 10
I cannot even fathom how amazing it must have been to witness “The Invisible Man” in 1933. While we often take green screen and simple smoke-and-mirrors (or wires) special effects for granted, they were groundbreaking in this film. To the modern eye, this film is not very impressive but it is important because of its cinematic historical significance. It demonstrated the potential movie magic that was possible at the time and effectively drives home the helplessness of trying to catch a man who cannot be seen. Unfortunately, the acting is rather bad. With the exception of Claude Rains, the acting is either non-existent or too far over the top. I do give the film a low ranking because, despite its significance, it isn't very good. While I wouldn’t recommend this film for an acting clinic, it was one of the most successful Universal horror films of the 1930’s and is a must for any movie fan who wants to experience the history of cinema.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Footloose (2011) - 7 stars out of 10
Footloose (2011) - 7 stars out of 10
While the 2011 remake of “Footloose” is better than the original, it still pales in comparison to the 1999 stage musical. With so many great songs, it is a waste to have them playing on the radio instead of being sung by the characters. I know that dance movies are a “thing” but sometimes, dance sequences don’t smoothly fit into a dramatic storyline. The whole angry gymnastics/dancing scene was pretty awkward. If this was a musical (like it’s supposed to be), it would have been awesome but it just didn’t have a place in this version. That being said, the writers did a great way of adapting the 1980’s story to work in modern times. I like how they worked in the original recording of “Let’s Hear It For The Boy.” I don’t like how they massacred “Holding Out For A Hero.” Again, I would have loved it if they just brought the Broadway show to the big screen. The film is very well cast. Dennis Quaid was a great choice for Reverend Moore. While he didn’t quite capture the internal conflict that John Lithgow portrayed in the original film, I still really enjoyed his performance. Julianne Hough brought a great attitude to Ariel, Kenny Wormald had the right look and dance ability for Ren, Miles Teller made Willard loveable and a memorable small role, Ziah Colon was very cute as Rusty, and even Andie MacDowell (from “Groundhog Day”) lit up the screen in the small role of Ariel’s mother. And yes, I even liked the country version of “Footloose” during the final dance scene - it was very appropriate. While I will always feel that this remake could have been so much better as a musical, it is highly entertaining and worth watching, even though the dance montages aren’t always a good fit.
While the 2011 remake of “Footloose” is better than the original, it still pales in comparison to the 1999 stage musical. With so many great songs, it is a waste to have them playing on the radio instead of being sung by the characters. I know that dance movies are a “thing” but sometimes, dance sequences don’t smoothly fit into a dramatic storyline. The whole angry gymnastics/dancing scene was pretty awkward. If this was a musical (like it’s supposed to be), it would have been awesome but it just didn’t have a place in this version. That being said, the writers did a great way of adapting the 1980’s story to work in modern times. I like how they worked in the original recording of “Let’s Hear It For The Boy.” I don’t like how they massacred “Holding Out For A Hero.” Again, I would have loved it if they just brought the Broadway show to the big screen. The film is very well cast. Dennis Quaid was a great choice for Reverend Moore. While he didn’t quite capture the internal conflict that John Lithgow portrayed in the original film, I still really enjoyed his performance. Julianne Hough brought a great attitude to Ariel, Kenny Wormald had the right look and dance ability for Ren, Miles Teller made Willard loveable and a memorable small role, Ziah Colon was very cute as Rusty, and even Andie MacDowell (from “Groundhog Day”) lit up the screen in the small role of Ariel’s mother. And yes, I even liked the country version of “Footloose” during the final dance scene - it was very appropriate. While I will always feel that this remake could have been so much better as a musical, it is highly entertaining and worth watching, even though the dance montages aren’t always a good fit.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
The Invisible Woman (2013) - 1 star out of 10
The Invisible Woman (2013) - 1 star out of 10
“The Invisible Woman” is so painfully slow that it is difficult to even follow the story. With Ralph Fiennes and Kristen Scott Thomas, I expected a lot more. It was a nice performance for Felicity Jones but that is overshadowed by the dullness of this plot. I agree with the Oscar nomination for Best Costumes, but a part of me wishes that it hadn’t been nominated so that I would not have heard of it and spent two hours enduring it. It has been a long time since I cared less about a movie. After about 15 minutes, I could feel my eyes glaze over and my body lay comatose as my mind thought about anything but the film. The synopsis makes the story seem so interesting but even Dickens could not have made it successful. The only thing that film is good for is a nap.
“The Invisible Woman” is so painfully slow that it is difficult to even follow the story. With Ralph Fiennes and Kristen Scott Thomas, I expected a lot more. It was a nice performance for Felicity Jones but that is overshadowed by the dullness of this plot. I agree with the Oscar nomination for Best Costumes, but a part of me wishes that it hadn’t been nominated so that I would not have heard of it and spent two hours enduring it. It has been a long time since I cared less about a movie. After about 15 minutes, I could feel my eyes glaze over and my body lay comatose as my mind thought about anything but the film. The synopsis makes the story seem so interesting but even Dickens could not have made it successful. The only thing that film is good for is a nap.
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