Monday Morning Quarterback Part III

By BOP Staff

June 27, 2013

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Oblivion was a movie that was kind of just there. I always like watching Tom Cruise (and he's magnetic here as always), but it felt like this movie could have done much more with the story. Iron Man 3 was a blast. It might be the first action movie I've ever seen that integrates a kid actor successfully and not in an annoying way. I would watch Robert Downey Jr. in everything. I also enjoyed Star Trek Into Darkness even as I recognize that it doesn't bring much that is new to the table. There wasn't nearly enough Karl Urban for my liking.

I think I might still be processing Before Midnight. I'm a big fan of the first two films, and the tone in the third movie takes a decidedly different direction. I have to believe that it's good that I've been that thoughtful about the film since seeing it, but I will say that if I do have a problem with it, it's in the way Celine is written.

This Is the End is just ridiculous, over-the-top, immature humor and I pretty much enjoyed every moment of it. It might be a bit too insider for a lot of viewers, as some jokes go way, way, way back (at least in regards to the careers of these young performers). It's a total mess, I admit, but I can't complain about a movie that makes me laugh that hard.

Finally, I saw Monsters University over the weekend and I just thoroughly enjoyed it. It's light and fluffy and very family-friendly, but what I think I really like best about it is that in Monsters, Inc., we saw Mike Wazowski as the character who was kind of the jerk while Sully was super fuzzy and lovable. Monsters University flips that on its head, and I liked that Mike got his chance to be the hopeful, determined character.




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David Mumpower: After a long period of intending to watch Hanna, I finally found the opportunity to do so. For me, the movie is a great example of the whole being less than its parts. I felt that the performances of Cate Blanchett, Olivia Williams and Saoirse Ronan were impeccable and I was even impressed by Eric Bana, someone I rarely like as an actor. Still, when the movie ended, I found myself thinking "That was it?" For all the hype, buzz and glowing reviews, I found Hanna to be a soulless endeavor. I've been told that the titular protagonist found her soul along the way yet I saw nothing that would cause me to believe that is what transpired. Part of the explanation is heightened expectations, my own fault, but I was disappointed by Hanna.

I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I loved everything about the concept of The Purge. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the story defied my expectations at several points. Off my head, I can think of three different moments in The Purge that I had not expected, a rarity for me after a dozen years as a movie critic. The ending was also a total shock and an implementation that fit perfectly with the overall concept. I realize that a certain portion of our readers are never going to watch The Purge due to its concept. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who are on the fence about it.

I enjoyed Man of Steel more than I had expected, which is to say that it is not a train wreck. As someone who has never appreciated the concept of Superman, a lazy riff on the Achilles myth, the primary selling point for me was director Zack Snyder. I have always enjoyed the visuals and conceptualizations in his movies, even when he has a misstep such as Sucker Punch. I also believe that Watchmen is a best case scenario result given the subject matter. Man of Steel is nowhere near that successful an adaptation but I would generally recommend it.


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