Movie Review: Beowulf - Starring Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn & Angelina Jolie
Released: November 16th, 2007
Runtime: 1 hr. 53 min.
Ticket Price: $7.50 Matinee
Refreshments: Red Vines
Starring: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Angelina Jolie & Alison Lohman
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Rating: Check it Out When it Hits the Likes of HBO or Showtime
Synopsis: The Old English epic poem from the ninth century is brought to life. It shows the life and adventures of the Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, who saved the Danes from the monster Grendal and his mother that took revenge.
Review: Beowulf may be an epic poem, but it is a boring movie. Probably should’ve went to the 3D version, as maybe having arrows, axes and spears flying off the screen at you would have kept the mind from wondering.
The one quibble with a movie like 300 is that it’s visually appealing, but lacked any emotional depth. Well, Beowulf has some visual appeal, until the dead stares of the animated actors start to weird you out, which gives it even less gravitas than 300.
The motion capture animation is pretty amazing, but also rather strange, as all the characters look real, but not real too. In a movie like Shrek the Third, some of the characters favor the real actors that are voicing them, but the whole thing looks and feels animated. Beowulf is animated, but meant to look real. While the dragon was quite spectacular, everything else is kind of odd and creepy, but not in a good way. This is a case of, just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. The movie may have come off better with real actors surrounded by animation, much like 300
If the animation technique interests you or seeing something in 3D does, then watching it on the big screen might be worth it, otherwise you might as well wait until it hits the likes of HBO or Showtime, if at all. It is always a good sign when a movie leaves you feeling happy, as you exit the theater, but when the happiness comes because the movie is finally over, not so much.
What did you think of Beowulf?
What New Movies Start Friday, November 16th?
This week, at a theater near you, there are seven new movies being released. Three open nationwide and another four are in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, November 16th:
Movie: Beowulf (PG-13) (Read Review)
Starring: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Angelina Jolie & Alison Lohman
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: The Old English epic poem from the ninth century is brought to life. It shows the life and adventures of the Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, who saved the Danes from the monster Grendal and his mother that tried to take revenge.
First Thoughts: The movie plays in multiple formats. You can watch it just like any other movie, in Digital 3D, IMAX or IMAX 3D, well if you have a theater near you that plays any of those formats. There is only two theaters in the Seattle area that are playing the Digital 3D version, but I don’t know if I want to go that far to see it in that format.
Movie: Love in the Time of Cholera (R)
Starring: Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Hector Elizondo & Liev Schreiber
Genre: Romance Drama
Synopsis: A young man with romantic intentions loses the woman of his dreams to a richer man. He then spends the next 50 years trying to build his wealth and life so that he can one day win her affections. His devotion to this woman becomes wholly attractive to other women he meets, so he never is alone. Yet, his heart will always remain with the first woman he ever loved.
First Thoughts: Sounds like a snore of a chick flick.
Movie: Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (G)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman & Jason Bateman
Genre: Family Fantasy Comedy
Synopsis: The 243 year old unconventional and unusual owner of the strange and fantastic and wonderful toy store bequeaths it to his awkward manager and then dark changes start to over take the store and she must figure out how to fix it.
First Thoughts: Might be fun for the little ones and their parents.
Movie in Limited Release:
- Eleven Men Out – A foreign comedy about an Icelandic soccer star that admits to being gay in a magazine and the aftermath of him doing so.
- Margot at the Wedding – A comedy drama that stars Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black and John Turturro in a film about a family about to implode.
- Redacted – A war drama about U.S. soldiers committing atrocities in Iraq.
- Southland Tales – A black comedy drama thriller with Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott and Sarah Michelle Gellar about an amnesiac actor, a porn star and a cop that holds the key to a huge conspiracy.
Expanding to more theaters this week are Bella, No Country for Old Men and War Dance.
For New Movie Friday there are three new movies at a theater near me this week to choose from. They are Beowulf, in all its many forms, Love in the Time of Cholera, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and Southland Tales. What new movie will you be heading out to see this weekend?
Movie Review: Lions for Lambs - Starring Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Peña & Derek Luke
Released: November 9th, 2007
Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.
Ticket Price: $7.50 Matinee
Refreshments: Red Vines
Starring: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Peña & Derek Luke
Director: Robert Redford
Rating: Wait for the Rental, if Not Longer
Synopsis: A couple of college students follow the advice of one of their professors to do something of importance in their lives, which leads the two of them to enlist and become part of the battle in Afghanistan. The professor is both moved and dismayed by their decision. Their story on the battlefield becomes the link between two other stories. One being, the professor trying to reach a student that had a privileged upbringing and has become very disaffected and is completely opposite of the two soldiers mentioned above. The other story being about a presidential wannabe that is about to drop a huge story in the lap of a TV reporter and how this affects the fate of the two soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. The stories intermingle and try to show how each affects the others and the world around them.
Review: Lions for Lambs is a full of rhetoric and talking points, signifying boredom. Liberals will say it is a balanced look at the place our country finds itself in at present. Conservatives will say it is just another in the line of anti-American movies to hit the big screen recently.
The movie is broken into three parts. A senator, played by Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible, Minority Report), telling a reporter, played by Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) about a new direction for the battle in Afghanistan, a professor, played by Robert Redford (The Clearing, Spy Game), talking to a slacker student he thinks has potential and the story of the two soldiers in Afghanistan, played by Michael Peña (Shooter, World Trade Center) and Derek Luke (Friday Night Lights, Antwone Fisher), who are former students of the professor. Their story is supposed to be the tie that binds. Unfortunately, that is where the movie falls apart. Watching Streep and Cruise or Redford and the slacker keeps your attention, even though nothing ultimately comes of it, but the Luke and Peña storyline, for the most part, lacks the gravity you should feel.
Redford, as actor, is good in his part. He should be, since he seems to be playing himself, as the lines he delivers probably don’t diverge much from his actual political outlook. Redford, as director, does a decent job, but when the story turns to the two soldiers, you just don’t care like you should.
Lions for Lambs moves at a snails. A movie that attempts to grapple with such subject matter needs to have a total story that draws the audience in, while also entertaining and gets its point across in the meantime. This movie doesn’t do that.
Overall, New Movie Friday will give Lions for Lambs a “B,” but you have to promise not to show up to any theater and watch this movie or rent it in the future. The other option is that you could decide you want to see it, but then we will have to give it the grade it deserves, a “C-/D+,” and tell you that you should wait for the rental, if not longer.
What did you think of Lions for Lambs?
What New Movies Start Friday, November 9th?
This week, at a theater near you, there are seven new movies being released. Three open nationwide and another four are in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, November 9th:
Movie: Fred Claus (PG)
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins, Miranda Richardson & Rachel Weisz
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: The older brother of Santa Claus has spent his life being overshadowed by his little brother. Shortly before Christmas he lands in jail and his brother bails him out on the condition that he come up to the North Pole and work off the debt by making toys for the upcoming holiday. He doesn’t take to the job and actually starts to mess things up, causing Christmas to be in jeopardy. Will Santa finally snap, or will everything work out in the end?
First Thoughts: Great cast and the promos seem kind of funny. Well, the very tall Vince Vaughn sleeping in a bed made for elves is really funny. Who knows about the rest.
Movie: Lions for Lambs (R) (Read Review)
Starring: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Peña & Derek Luke
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: A couple of college students follow the advice of one of their professors to do something of importance in their lives, which leads the two of them to enlist and become part of the battle in Afghanistan. The professor is both moved and dismayed by their decision. Their story of survival on the battlefield becomes the link between two other stories. One being, the professor trying to reach student that had a privileged upbringing and has become very disaffected and is completely opposite of the two soldiers mentioned above. The other story being about a presidential wannabe that is about to drop a huge story in the lap of a TV reporter and how this could affect the fate of the two soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. The stories intermingle and show how each affects the others and the world around them.
First Thoughts: Sounds interesting, yet convoluted.
Movie: P2 (R)
Starring: Wes Bentley & Rachel Nichols
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Synopsis: A woman gets trapped in a parking garage after leaving work late on Christmas Eve. She is offered help by the security guard when her car won’t start, but they can’t get it going. He extends an offer to her to stay there and share a small holiday meal with him, which she laughs off and says no. Unfortunately, this is not a request, as he has been watching her over the last many weeks and has set this all up. She must find away out if she wants to live.
First Thoughts: An underground parking garage at night is a creepy place, but how many places can their be to hide. I really like Rachel Nichols (TV’s Alias, The Inside), but don’t really see myself watching this flick anytime soon.
Movie in Limited Release:
- No Country for Old Men - Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Woody Harrelson in a crime thriller about missing drug money and those that want to keep it and the others that want to find it.
- Om Shanti Om – Romance story that takes place over many years about a fan of a mega star.
- Saawariya – Romance drama about a free spirited artist that thinks he has found a great place to paint and a beautiful woman that he falls madly in love with.
- War/Dance – Biography that tells the story of three children’s families and how the two decades of civil war in Northern Uganda has torn apart their families, homes and lives.
Expanding to more theaters this week are Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Darfur Now and Music Within.
For New Movie Friday there are three new movies at a theater near me this week to choose from. They are Fred Claus, Lions for Lambs and P2. What new movie will you be heading out to see this weekend?
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