Currently Watching Over the Hedge see related

Over The Hedge

This is probably the best animated movie since The Incredibles.  Ok, fine, I think it's the only animated movie I've seen since The Incredibles, but still, this one's definitely worth seeing, trust me.  It seems that lately studios are just pumping out CG animated films like it's nothing just to get all the money that they can.  Quality isn't necessarily as important.  That's why Pixar films are still amazing (although I do have my doubts about Cars after seeing the trailer; still, I said the same thing about The Incredibles which I love).  For me, as far as CG animation goes, I've always pretty much ignored anything that's not from Pixar or that doesn't have Shrek in the title. 

Well, much to my delight, Dreamworks, the studio that brought us the Shrek films, has brought us another hilarious movie.  Over The Hedge is very funny, lighthearted, easy to watch yet not at all boring, and it's even got a valuable life lesson for the kids (about being part of a family).  It's also nice and quick (which is good in this case, not like X-Men: The Last Stand which should have been longer), meaning it's perfect if you want to go relax at the movies, but you don't want to spend a lot of time sitting on your butt (also see Poseidon).

It actually reminded me of Toy Story a bit, in that it's about these quirky talking characters who shouldn't be able to talk (in Toy Story it was toys; here it's woodland creatures) who get caught up in the world of humans, and humor and chaos ensue.

Hands down, this movie is worth the price of admission just to watch Hammy the squirrel (voiced by Steve Carell).  Carell has an awesomely funny voice, and his expressions never cease to amaze me or make me laugh (for more Carell goofiness, watch Bruce Almighty, or better yet, watch The Office on television.)  I won't begin to describe Hammy's antics, but I was pretty much laughing everytime he was talking, moving, eating, or burping.

This movie also had one of the funniest lines from any animated movie.  About halfway through the movie, the evil exterminator, who seeks to eliminate the protagonist creatures, jumps into a frontyard and "kills" a decorative pink flamingo.  Upon realizing his mistake he says, "Those always look so real.  Curse you plastic moldsman!" (You kind of had to be there, but this scene was brilliant).

Anyway, Over The Hedge is great.  Sure, it's not Mission: Impossible III or X-Men: The Last Stand, but it might just end up being one of my surprise favorites of the summer.  It certainly blows way The Da Vinci Code.

Currently Watching X-Men - The Last Stand see related

X-Men: The Last Stand

So I got back about an hour ago from the midnight showing of this, and I'm not tired, so I'll just write my review.

To sum it all up, it is a satisfactory closing to the X-Men trilogy.  It's better than #1, but not quite as brilliant as #2.  The problem is that a while back, Bryan Singer (the director of the first two), left to do Superman Returns, and Brett Ratner took over.  Brett Ratner does a good job, all things considered, he really does.  Here's the problem though.  This movie probably has the best story and groundwork laid out of all the X-Men films, but Ratner just breezes through it in about and hour and a half.  X2 was over 2 hours.  He really should have taken a page from the Peter Jackson School of Filmmaking, which states that, "when you have an amazing movie, draw it out and really bring on the goods (see Return of the King a serious contender for my most favorite movie ever)."  Everything that Ratner does is good, he could have just done more.  Some characters were hopelessly underdeveloped (see Angel).  Some plotlines were never really fleshed out (see the Iceman, Rogue, Kitty Pride love triangle), and it actually could have used a bit more action (although the huge action stuff towards the end rocked).  Ratner could have added half an hour to this movie, making it around the same length as X2, and instead of a really good closer for the X-Men series, we would probably have not only the best X-Men movie but also a great movie.

There's so much more Ratner could have done.  Angel was crimefully (if that's a word) underused.  I saw promo pictures of him decked out in an X-Men suit, but he never did become one of the team.  He had like three scenes.  He was awesome, but he seemed absolutely useless; almost as if they just threw him in there for the sake of having him there.

I will stop nitpicking though to say what was good about this movie.  As I said earlier, it probably has the best story out of the three.  Also, the acting is pretty top notch (although Juggernaut was annoyingly cheesy at points).  Ian McKellan continues to rock my face off as he does in all of his movies.  The action rocks.  Wolerine's still great (he's my favorite character).  Major characters die (which, while sad, always adds more impact to a story; see almost any season of 24.) 

Overall, I am satisfied.  It did what it was meant to do: tie up loose ends and end the story.  It rocked.  It just could have rocked so much harder.  However, I still remain an X-Men movie nerd (I never have read the comics), and will immediately purchase this movie when it comes to dvd, because I loved it, and it's still awesome.

P.S. Beast was awesome.  It's a good thing they added him, especially in the absence of Nightcrawler, who I really missed (stupid Alan Cumming for not returning).

Currently Watching The Da Vinci Code see related

The Da Vinci Code

Holy cow.  Vatican, please stop protesting.  And that goes for everyone else too.  Stop protesting and fighting this movie.  Right now, I mean it.  Your only making yourself look ridiculous.  Why's that?  Let me see if I can conjure up a good analogy.  The Christian culture worrying that this film can upset the very foundations of our faith is as silly as a homeowner worrying that a small mouse will single-handedly (or is it single-pawedly) tear down his house.  This movie is not a threat.  To even be remotely threatening, this movie would have to first make some shred of sense, which it doesn't.  I couldn't even begin to understand the plot.  Sure, the directing is cool, and the actors perform adequately, but the screenplay just keeps throwing out random exposition right and left until trying to understand the danged movie is just impossible.  I'm sure it sounded like a brilliant idea on paper.  Take one of the world's best directors (Ron Howard), one of the world's best actors (Tom Hanks), have them make a movie of one of the top bestselling books in the world, and PRESTO!  A great movie will be born!  I wish. 

Seriously, I almost wish it had been a good movie.  I was perfectly ready to go see the film, disagree with all of the theology, but walk away saying, "Golly!  Ron Howard and Tom Hanks!   I have to hand it to those guys.  I don't agree with the film, but they sure made it entertaining."  But this spectacle we call The Da Vinci Code doesn't even stand up as a movie.  Too dang confusing.  I think Tom Hanks and Ron Howard make great movies, and I'm sure they will continue to do so, but bottom line:  the movie's very boring.  

I don't think it ever ends either.  I thought it was about to end 45 minutes before it did.  At least when you're reading a book you can see how many pages you have left.  You can't seen how many minutes are left in a movie.  I prepared myself to walk out of the theater about five times because I thought it was almost over.  Unfortunately, it was like the Energizer Bunny.  It kept going, and going, and going, and going, and going, and going.........you get the idea.  

Even so, let's pretend that this movie is an instant classic.  We can make believe that the plot makes sense and that this film is the easiest one to understand since Curious George.  Do Christians still need to worry?  NO!  And I'll tell you why.  The entire story is presented as fiction.  There is nothing to suggest that this stuff is real.  If I was to compare it to another movie, I'd say it's a much darker, much less entertaining National Treasure.  That's how the story is presented, like a fictional conspiracy.  Believing the theories about Jesus set forth in this movie and novel would be like watching National Treasure  and believing that the Founding Fathers really buried a valuable treasure and left clues all over the place.  Sure, it's a cool idea and makes for a good story, but no one believes it. 

And to take things even further, this movie doesn't even attack Christianity as much as you'd think.  In case you've been living under a rock and haven't heard, the uncovered conspiracy in the story is that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had a child together.  You'd expect such a story to attack Jesus too, and say that he wasn't the Son of God or a Saviour.  Questions of Jesus's divinity are definitely brought up, but never answered.  In fact, at the end of the movie (forgive me, what should be the end of the movie.  There's still like fifteen frickin' minutes after this scene), Tom Hanks's character basically says, "Why wouldn't Jesus have been able to have done all the things people said he did and have a family? (not the exact words, but that's the main idea)"  The movie doesn't even deny that Jesus was the Son of God.  Sure, the idea that He married is completely blasphemous, but if anything, the filmmakers aren't trying to change and disprove Christianity as much as their trying to add on to it.  Yes, I know that the Bible says not to change the Gospels or the stories in the Bible, but my point is that at the end of the film, our entire system of beliefs actually comes out unscathed.

To be fair, I must point out a couple bright spots.  The acting worked pretty well.  Ian McKellen turned in a very good performance as Sir Leigh Teabing.  I actually enjoyed his character and he added some good, intentional comic relief.  There's also Paul Bettany, who, fresh off of terrorizing Harrison Ford in Firewall, continues to prove that he's just awesome as villain.  Then there's Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou in the leads, who, while not amazing, performed satisfactorily.  Finally, Ron Howard sets up plenty of cool shots and sets some good atmosphere as the film's director. 

Honestly, with a much shorter and much less confusing script, this movie could have been amazingly entertaining.  Even if it had been great though, Christians would still have no need to worry.  It's fiction people!  Stop freaking out!  Protesting only draws more people to the movie anyway.  I'll bet you ten dollars that Satan is down in Hell right now laughing his head off, because the American church is so focused on a pointless, incomprehensible, and just plain boring work of fictional cinema that almost nobody, Christian or heathen alike, will enjoy.  Honestly, we're God's people, and He's given us more important things to concern ourselves with.  Above all, last time I checked, my God is bigger and more powerful than any movie.  So everybody calm down and take some legal pills.  The Da Vinci Code is not the end of Christianity or the world.  Not even close. 

Next week: X-Men:  The Last Stand.  Oh boy I can't wait!