Little Quickies: 'Nine' & 'The Wolfman'

I have not written anything for a while; it feels really nice to be writing again.

Three days ago, I watched two newer films. One was tolerable, the other I don't ever want to watch again.

Let's begin with 2010's 'The Wolfman.'

'The Wolfman' centers on exactly what the title says: a wolfman. Mindblown yet?

'Wolfman' stars Benecio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving.

Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, an actor returning to England from America.

He returns when he hears, from his brother's fiance', Gwen (Emily Blunt), that his brother has been brutally killed.

Despite being estranged from his father, (Anthony Hopkins) Lawrence goes back and vows to find his brother's killer.

He eventually comes to realize that whatever killed his brother is literally inhuman.

'Wolfman' is not exactly the best movie. It's pretty "cookie-cutter" in the typical monster movie. There's the monster. There's the skepticism. There's the woman who always ends up being loved by that monster who hopes she's into beastiality, etc.

It was still tolerable to watch and the violence makes up for some of the dryness. I have to admit, there were some really gross ways some of those extras died.

The design of the werewolf's face made me snicker a little bit as it reminded me of the 1950's werewolf movies, but I think they did that on purpose, as a "nod of the head" to the classic films.

The action is cool, the story is predictable, but it's not the worst movie in the world.

3/5

Rent worthy? Yeah, on a slow day and there's nothing else to watch.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I wouldn't get it. I need space for better deserving movies. Although, if you like it, getting it on Blu-ray would be a plus for the nice effects that have from time to time.

Random Tidbit Anthony Hopkins also starred in 1992's 'Dracula' as Van Helsing. First non-glittering vampires and now werewolves. I'm wondering if he's going to do a film about Frankenstein next.

Say "Nein" to 'Nine'

'Nine' is a musical about a famous Italian director, Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis), and his struggle to make his next film. He attempts to have the audience have faith in him once more after a string of flops that followed his more successful first films. (Like M. Night Shaymalan)

His new film is titled, 'Italia' and production has already started.

There's no script, however. Not one page.

Contini knows it will be about Italy...but, what about Italy?

Frustrated, he tries to find inspiration through his dying relationship with his wife ('Inception's Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz) and his muse (Nicole Kidman).

I can see the film trying to inspire sympathy from viewers for Guido, but I just could not feel sorry for his character. At all. But I have my very personal reasons as to why.

The music was only okay, but I want to applaude Fergie (YES, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas) for her song "Be Italian" and short role. She gained about 20 lbs for her role and she's one of those women who looks amazing with extra meat on her bones. Seriously, she should just stay that way.

Two other songs I liked was "Cinema Italiano" sung by Kate Hudson and "Take It All" sung by Marion Cotillard. Fergie's was definitely the best overall.

So 3 songs out of about 11 I enjoyed. It's not enough for me to like 'Nine' completely.

I like the director's adaptation of' 'Chicago' MUCH better. If you haven't seen 'Chicago' and you love musicals, that is a MUST-SEE.

2/5

Rent worthy? If you're just curious at how everyone plays their roles or you love musicals, then yes rent it.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I don't want it. I will download those 3 songs I liked though.

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'- A Film For The Senses

'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer' is a 2006 film and is based on a novel of the same name. It is actually a German film, but the spoken language is English.

It is Rated R for disturbing imagery, violence, sexuality, and nudity so it's not for the kiddies. I state this in case you didn't catch the obvious "MURDERER" part of the title.

'Perfume' follows the sad, yet disturbing life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw).

He is orphaned from birth and looks like any other pitiful soul living in the foul stench of eighteenth-century Paris.

What is inhuman about Grenouille is his ability to smell. He can smell anything and everything in the world, living or inanimate.


Eventually, he becomes interested in the art of perfumery and learns that he can preserve scents.

His passion for the art of scent becomes malicious as he sets out to make himself known for the world's perfect perfume.

I have never read the book, but I want to now. The way the movie is set up is like you are reading a book. There's a narrator to describe Grenouille's feelings or thoughts since that particular character does not speak much.

I know this is a movie not everyone will like though, but I thought the concept and originality of the story was intriguing and different.

This movie is highly sensual and if you have any young siblings, I give a warning so you don't pop in the DVD while you're babysitting a bunch of innocent-minded children.

I can't say it's SEXUAL though, except for like two parts. Majority of the nudity comes at the worst possible moments. It's like that dream people have when they're naked and out in public...only in the movie, they DIE instead of becoming embarassed.
Each adorable kitten represents a moment of nudity and violence in 'Perfume'

The actors did a good job. Dustin Hoffman ('Meet The Fockers,' 'The Graduate') and Alan Rickman (Snape in the 'Harry Potter' films) are the most notable ones in the film. Rachel Hurd-Wood, who played Wendy in 2003's 'Peter Pan' is also here.

Ben Whishaw plays a convincing freak; I mean that in a good way.

Too bad there is no "Smell-O-Vision" technology yet because this is one of those movies that could have featured that and put it to good, disgusting use.

I liked the movie personally, but the story may or may not be too weird for some people. I thought it was original and I want to read the book now since I have heard the novel is better.


4.5/5


Rent worthy? Yeah, if you like thrillers/horror films. This is hardly a horror film, but a movie about a murderer should be horrific, no?

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? Yeah, I own it already. It's no 'Silence of the Lambs,' but it's good enough.

Random Tidbit:

You know the song "Scentless Apprentice" by Nirvana? It was inspired bythe novel that 'Perfume' is based on. So even Kurt Cobain liked this story, I guess.

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

Little Quickies: Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli- 'Spirited Away,' 'Howl's Moving Castle,' 'Princess Mononoke,' and 'Ponyo'

Some of the most internationally known anime films come from the genius mind of Hayao Miyazaki. Even those who are not die-hard anime fanatics may have at least come across one or two of his films in some way.

2001's 'Spirited Away' won Best Animated Film in the Academy Awards. It is also the highest-grossing film in Japanese history (it even beat out 'Titanic' for the Japanese box-office).

Still don't know? How about in 'Toy Story 3?' We see Totoro of Miyazaki's 'My Neighbor Totoro' as a cameo appearance in the little girl, Bonnie's, room.Totoro is the big, gray hamster-like toy on the left.

These films are anything but obscure for those in the movie business and they are definately worth mentioning. I have not seen all of Miyazaki's films (yet), but I would love to. The movies I'm talking about are the ones I have seen.

Note: If you want to rent these, they are all on Netflix, so if you have an account with them, there you go.

'Spirited Away' Really Did Take My Breath Away

I was about 11 years old when I first saw it. I thought it was kind of weird at that age as the animation of the old woman, Yubaba, freaked me out. Keep in mind this is the first Miyazaki film I've ever viewed.

I watched it once more about 1 or 2 years later and became more intrigued by it. Now it is one of my absolute favorites and I do not exaggerate one bit. I have seen 'Spirited Away' countless times and I'm still not tired of it.

A 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, is moving to a new place along with her parents. A "shortcut" takes the family van by a mysterious tunnel, which Chihiro's parents want to investigate.

On the other side of this tunnel, a beautiful, open field awaits them and even further is a small, seemingly abandoned theme park.

However, the theme park has delicious smells enticing Chihiro's parents, who eventually find a stall filled with food. They decide to gorge themselves and wait until someone comes by so they can pay. Chihiro is reluctant to eat and decides to explore. There is not much else other than a towering bath house.

Night falls and the abandoned theme park is suddenly filled with spirits. Chihiro runs to get her parents, only to find out they've turned into pigs. Chihiro tries to run away from the theme park, but sees that the large field that was once there has turned into a large body of water.

We find out that she is stuck in the Spirit's world and must find a way out and return her parents back to normal before they become dinner.

'Spirited Away' has many Japanese cultural aspects in the film, so some people may find it "weird." In actuality, if you let go of your misconceptions and prejudices, you may find yourself captivated by Chihiro's journey. The music is beautiful and fits well with the film, thanks to Joe Hisaishi's amazing talent.

5/5

Rent worthy? Mochiron! Of course!

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I only have it on a DVD-R actually. I need to buy an actual copy because I love this movie so much.

'Princess Mononoke' Is A Royal Treasure On Its Own

A young warrior, Ashitaka, is stricken with a horrible curse when he successfully defends his village from a wrathful boar-god.

To save his own life, he must journey across to find a cure. In his journey, Ashitaka finds that a woman, Lady Eboshi, and her followers are waging battles against the forest and its gods, for the good of her mining colony.

There is also a young woman, Princess Mononoke, who is giving Lady Eboshi trouble.

Ashitaka sees good in both sides of the battle and has to find a way to bring a sense of peace between man's industry and the god's nature, all while battling his own curse.

'Princess Mononoke' is darker-toned than 'Spirited Away' and children may or may not understand the environmental message of the film. It is also more violent, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about letting the kiddies watch this.

I thought it was good, but I still like 'Spirited Away' better. What I find interesting is how Miyazaki always has such a compelling story and while the main subject of the film (man vs. nature; environment) is common (see 'Avatar,' 'Pocahontas,' 'Dances With Wolves,' 'Hoot,' and 'Happy Feet'), Miyazaki can make it interesting.

4/5

Rent worthy? Yes, it's worth seeing at least once.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I liked it, but I'm still not sure if I want to own it. I'll watch it one more time and see if I change my mind though. I can watch it again, at least. It's certainly not a terrible movie.

'Howl's Moving Castle' Had Me Howling With Laughter and Moved Me

When I say, "howling with laughter" I mean it in the good sense, plus I couldn't think of another corny title as I like to do for my reviews.

I really liked this one. I'd say it's second to 'Spirited Away' for me. I thought the story was lovely. 'Howl's Moving Castle' is based on a British book of the same name.

A young woman, Sophie Hatter, is cursed by the Witch of the Waste to be stuck in an old woman's body. One would naturally ask for help, but the witch has made it so Sophie can tell no one of her dreadful dilemma.

Ashamed of her looks, she runs away from her mother's shop and into the hills surrounding the town. It is there that she comes across a moving castle, belonging to a handsome wizard named Howl (Hauru in Japanese).

Sophie enters the castle and meets a fire demon, Calcifer. She realizes that he can see past her curse and see who she really is. Calcifer promises her that she will become young again if she can free him from Howl, but Calcifer cannot tell Sophie how because of the contract he is under.

Sophie eventually meets Howl and finds that she must help him confront his former teacher and the Witch of the Waste.

Like I said, I enjoyed this movie a lot. I found Howl's narcissim hilarious ("I give up. What's the point of living if I can't be beautiful?") and how he puts image and looks on a high pedestal.

And, once again, the music is very pretty. I love the theme of the movie and the way it carries along the film with it.

5/5

Rent worthy? To be blunt: yes.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? Oh, yeah. I definately need to get this movie. Howl's character is so funny (voiced by Christian Bale in the Eng. dub, but don't worry, he doesn't yell obscenities at you in the film)

'Ponyo (On the Cliff By the Sea)' Made Me Ponder

And wow, did I ponder about this movie. I watched it alone the first time and with my little sisters the second time...

And I still didn't like it. I wanted to like it, but I just could not grasp the love story surrounding the two main characters.

'Ponyo' is loosely based on 'The Little Mermaid.'

A young goldfish is the daughter of a wizard and the sea goddess. She lives with her sisters and longs to explore the world.

She escapes and through a series of events, she become stuck in a bottle. A boy named Sosuke rescues her and names her Ponyo. He takes a liking to Ponyo and she takes a stronger liking for him.

Meanwhile, her wizard father, Fujimoto, finds her and takes Ponyo back home. Once there, they argue and Ponyo tells him that she loves Sosuke. Fujimoto is not happy and does not want another word about it.

Ponyo manages to escape and uses her father's magic to turn her human, which creates an imbalance in the world.

She eventually finds Sosuke and his mother, Lisa, and stays with them and enjoys human comforts while her father worries around looking for her.

I don't know what it was about this movie. It is cute and I like the characters, but I just did not enjoy it as much as I wanted.

I think it was the "love" aspect of 'Ponyo.' It was not genuine enough for me.

It might be the age factor of the characters (Sosuke says that he truely loves Ponyo at age 5) but I don't think that's it. In 'Spirited Away' there is a love story for Chihiro, who is 10. At least with her story, there is more character development and a foundation for her relationship to be built upon.

With Ponyo, she just sees Sosuke, loves him, and selfishly uses her father's magic to turn her human, regardless of the consequences. So I guess, I hate the story of 'The Little Mermaid' as a whole then since it is basically the same thing.

I wanted to like it, but I just could not get myself into it. I was really bummed that I didn't like it since I liked all the other Miyazaki films.

2.5/5

Rent worthy? It's not his best, but if you like Miyazaki, maybe you will like it and maybe you won't.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I'm not getting it. Ponyo, you're a cute fish, but you're like a real fish: Nice to look at, but you get bored of it quickly.

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

'Willard' Makes You Wonder If You Were Nice Enough To That Weird Co-Worker of Yours

'Willard' is a 2003 remake of the 1971 film of the same name about a social misfit who lives with his mother in a worn out mansion. Willard (Crispin Glover) works as a clerk for a man named Mr. Martin (R. Lee Ermey) who constantly picks on Willard. Due to Willard's reluctant nature, he holds his tongue and takes the abuse.

Willard eventually befriends hundreds of rats in his house, including his favorite named Socrates. Willard realizes that the rats understand him and will do his own psychotic will if he commands. He takes this to his advantage and plots revenge against all those who have emotionally abused him.

His friendship with Socrates the rat is very strong and slightly disturbing. However, a toy-dog-sized rat named Ben wants the attention that Willard gives to Socrates. Willard simply ignores Ben.

Socrates is not the only quick-witted rat of the pack though. Ben also cooks up a devilish scheme of his own...

I watched this movie about 6 months ago and first heard of it when I went to a friend's house back in Germany 2 years ago. I knew about the original 1971 film, but did not know, at the time, about the remake.

So, 6 months ago, I remembered it and decided to watch it. I liked the movie, I thought Crispin Glover did a great job in 'Willard' and it was worth watching for his performance alone.

It's not exactly my top 10 favorite, but it was not terrible to me. I've seen worse...'Garfield'...

You may know Crispin Glover from the first 'Back to the Future' film as George McFly, the father of the main protagonist, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox).

If you're familar with 'Back to the Future' (and I pray to God that you DO cause it's awesome) I think you would agree that if Marty failed at getting his parents together in the past, George McFly would eventually become just like Willard.All because Lorraine didn't go to the dance with him

So, in short, I liked the movie, but I think what made it good was Crispin Glover. He's known for playing the weird guy in movies and this is obviously no exception. 'Willard' was MADE for Glover. I'm so happy Joaquin Phoenix turned down the role. Can you imagine 'Willard' with Joaquin Phoenix?

Although I'm sure the rats will love the face-nest he provides

3/5

Rent worthy? If you love Crispin Glover, like rats to the point of obsession, or just love those weird horror movies, yeah, then it's rent worthy. If you're simply curious about it now, it is still rent worthy. You may hate it, you may love it. It's a hit or miss movie.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I like the movie, but not enough to watch it over and over again and own it. If I catch it on TV, I'll leave 'Willard' on in the background. I do like Crispin Glover's work as an actor though. He's one of those people you know would say something interesting/strange every 6 seconds.

Random Tidbit: How are Crispin Glover and the late Michael Jackson connected?

1971's 'Willard' had a horror sequel titled 'Ben' after the giant rat in the first film. Michael Jackson sang the song titled 'Ben' for that movie. Obviously, Crispin Glover stars in 2003's 'Willard' and as an extra to the DVD, Glover sings his own rendition of 'Ben.'

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

'Inception' Initiated Excitement, Thrills, and Mindbending Moments

'Inception' is a newly released 2010 movie directed by Christopher Nolan ('Batman Begins,' 'The Dark Knight,' 'Memento')

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is highly skilled at the art and process of stealing another person's valuable secrets and ideas from their subconscious while in the dream state, or "extraction."

Cobb's talent is highly valuable (and illegal) and his 'dream team' includes a man named Arthur ('500 Days of Summer's Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Eames, an 'imitator' (Tom Hardy), and Yusef, a chemist (Dileep Rao).

Cobb is later paid by powerful billionaire, Saito (Ken Watanabe) to do something different. Taking secrets and ideas from a person is not the only thing one can do in another's subconscious. A more dangerous act is called 'inception' or planting an idea into a person's mind. Saito wants this done on another young billionaire, his corporation rival's son, Robert Fisher, Jr. (Cillian Murphy). Saito wants ideas brought into Fisher's mind that would lead to the surrender of the family business, thus making Saito number one.

Saito promises that Cobb will be exempt of all charges brought against him and he will be able to see his children again. Despite the complications of inception, Cobb agrees out of desperation to be able to hold his kids and to see their faces once more.

Cobb sets out to look for a skilled architect and finds Ariadne ('Juno's Ellen Page). Her job as an architect is essential to the dream team as she is the one to create a maze-space layout of the dream's world.

Going into a person's subconsious is not as simple as entering and exiting a door. There are real, harmful dangers if one stays in that dream-state for too long. A person can lose sight of what is reality and what is a dream.

This movie took a very risky storyline and is orchestrated very well under Christopher Nolan's directing. I like this much better than his film, 'Memento' which is a good movie, but is completely shadowed by 'Inception' in my opinion.

It also messes and plays with your mind while you stupidly munch on your popcorn and/or nachos. It challenges you to think about the idea of a dream...within a dream...and having a dream in that dream that you are dreaming.....all while dreaming.

"WUT?"

Actually, it makes sense while you are watching the movie, but reading about it doesn't do the film justice.

The actors did WONDERFUL. They are a great cast and I had my doubts about Ellen Page at first. When she said her first line, I thought of one thing: 'JUNO.' I was worried that I would think of Juno McGuff throughout the whole movie, but Page actually did a good job and I applaude her for that.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is becoming a very successful actor and I hope that Christopher Nolan will use him as the next Joker, a role previously played by the late Heath Ledger. Gordon-Levitt and Ledger have similarities in the face and Gordon-Levitt seems to be a competent actor. I think it would work out. Hopefully Nolan thinks so too.

The graphics are not disappointing and neither are the action scenes. There were times when I felt genuinely worried for the team.

I also like this better than the other film DiCaprio starred in recently: 'Shutter Island' which was good, but I found it predictable. I came up with 2 different predictions throughout 'Inception' and was wrong.

I want to add a little tidbit to the people who have seen the film already because I thought it was weird. The music that was used to wake up/warn those in the dream-state is "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" (I regret nothing) by famous old French singer, Edith Piaf. There was a film called 'La Vie En Rose' that centered around the singer's sad lifestyle and it starred Marion Cotillard as Piaf. Cotillard plays Mal, Cobb's wife in 'Inception.'

'Inception' is awesome to watch in theaters and be prepared to open your mind. This movie is not for people who do not like to think during movies. It really does, as someone I know put it, mind-rapes you. But in the best way possible, I think.

5/5

Rent worthy? I rather you watch it in theaters to get the awesome surround sound that 'Inception' carries, but if you have surround sound at home, go ahead and wait to rent it.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I think I'll get it on Blu-ray when it comes out. It has some really cool graphics and I like the concept of the story a lot. I would love to watch it again to see what I missed. Plus, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is SMOKING. Eye candy never hurts. Grrrrr.

Trailers that came with 'Inception': One really stuck with me because when I saw the trailer, I thought "Whoa, that looks cool." ...until I saw "From M. Night Shaymalan" which made me instinctively scoff really loud. It's like my body knows to shun him now. That movie is called 'Devil.' Other previews included a remake of 'Tron' which looks decent, 'The Town' with Ben Affleck, and 'The Social Network' which is about the making of Facebook or something, I don't know.

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

Coming Soon: Kevin Spacey Special

Kevin Spacey= Amazing

Coming soon.

I thought it'd be cool to do featured actors/actresses movie reviews from time to time and show some of their movies that are well-known along with at least one unknown one.

Kevin friggen awesome Spacey will be the first. 'Moon,' 'The Usual Suspects,' and 'Se7en' will be the three.

'Penelope' Is Definately Not Hogwash

'Penelope' is a 2006 modern fairy tale film set in London. Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) is just like any other aristocratic young woman.

Her mother, Jessica Wilhern (Catherine O'Hara) is just like any other aristocratic mother who wants to see their daughter get married to the perfect aristocratic man and have aristocratic kids together and be aristocrats forever.

Rich or not, it seems Penelope cannot seem to snag a man who is willing to stay with her (Honey, we all have that problem). However, the cause of that problem is extremely different for most women.

Penelope's positively petrifying pig nose scares away any suitor who sees her.

You see, one of her aristocratic Wilhern ancestors could not keep his pig in its blanket and made a servant girl, pregnant. When he told of his plans to marry the servant girl, his parents scoffed at him and told him that he cannot do that for she did not come from the same class.

Ancestor Wilhern listened to his parents and married a more suitable girl. The servant girl, in turn, killed herself.

The servant's mother, a witch, decided to put a curse on the Wilhern clan and vowed that the first daughter to be born in their family will live with the nose of a pig and stay that way until a person with a rich background comes to accept her for how she is.

Men: Wear condoms, just in case some chick's mom happens to be a vengeful witch

The Wilhern family was lucky for a few generations because every pregnancy resulted in a boy, until poor Penelope came along.

Penelope has always longed to interact with the rest of society, but her mother refuses and has kept her daughter in the house for most of Penelope's life.

Like any forced shut-in, Penelope sheer determination eventually finds a way to open society's doors and experience it on her own. Want to know how? Go watch the movie.

This movie is not well-known as it did not get enough publicity and advertisements. It SHOULD'VE though.

'Penelope' is so cute and funny. Catherine O'Hara is HILARIOUS and so is Simon Woods, who plays selfish, spoiled Edward Vanderman, another aristocrat.

Everyone did great and the casting was perfect. The story is a mix between 'The Ugly Duckling' and 'Beauty and the Beast' but the film can still be called its own story.

One of my favorites already. This is not a movie to watch only when pigs fly. Watch it now.

4.5/5

Rent worthy? I loved it a lot and I hope there is some consideration on renting this. It is available on Netflix and Blockbuster probably carries it.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I have it and if you liked it as much as I did, you will probably buy it too.

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

'Julie & Julia' Jolted My Life In The Most Unexpected Way

This is a review, but honestly, it is more about how I came to write this blog than anything.

'Julie & Julia' is a 2009 film centering around two women's stories. The most notable of the two is the cooking legend, Julia Child and the other, a formerly unpublished, aspiring author, Julie Powell.

Two different time frames and yet their lives are now entwined when Julie Powell decides to create a blog focusing on Julia Child's cookbook, 'Mastering The Art of French Cooking' and Julie's quest to do all 524 recipes in one year.

I first saw the film when it arrived in the mail through Netflix (I swear by it, if you're a movie-buff like me, Netflix is amazing) I watched it because I love Meryl Streep, who portrays Julia Child in the film. Before this film, I was not 'Child-ucated' and familiar with her.

However, it was around that time that I started gaining minimal interest in cooking. So there is perfect timing there.

The first time I watched it, I liked it, but did not give it another thought. This past month, I have been catching 'Julie & Julia' on Starz and found myself watching it again and loving it the more times I caught it on TV. A few days later, I found myself in an emotional fix and needing comfort. That same day, I see Julia Child's old show, 'The French Chef,' on the Cooking Channel.

My face lit up as I have never seen her show. In that moment, I found a sense of comfort as I watched her create a simple lentil soup. No, I did not cook lentil soup, but I did cook something else that day: A delicious lemon and herb chicken dish that was so good, I cooked it again the next day. It was amazing and the sauce of it just melted in my mouth.

There is something intriguing about Julia Child. Her voice is very unique and can throw you off at first. Yet, it's like a song that grows on you. The more you hear it, the more you like it and there's just something comforting about her.

I did not only connect with Julia, but also Julie Powell, portrayed by 'Enchanted's Amy Adams.

Her character is a writer, like me. An unpublished writer, like me. And like me, Julie never seems to finish what she starts. She later, however, gets the idea to write a blog. No publishing required and the work is still out there for all to read.

That really jolted me. I've had this idea to do a movie review blog for MONTHS and I just never did it. I honestly don't know why, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Then I realized, I have finished a lot of things in my life. I wrote a full play, I went to the finals of the National History Day contest and got to go to D.C. Why in the world did I give myself limitations?

I think I have been seeing Julia Child everywhere in my life lately because it is sign that I have to keep this up. Not for others, but for myself.

Maybe it is not a sign from God or Julia Child herself, but that is how I'm taking it.

Julia Child was passionate about cooking. Her passion for it was...refreshing to me. While I love cooking now, I'm more passionate about movies. Somehow, Julia's passion for cooking has passed through me and is, instead, a stronger passion for movies.

Just like Julia shared her passion of culinary arts to millions of others, I will share my passion for films to my few readers. It's not about popularity. I just want to share it and actually use my writing skills.

I think I've talked enough about myself now. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a narcissist.

As you can tell, I really like this movie because of my personal connection to it. I recommend it to anyone, but I'm pretty sure only women and people who like to cook will watch this.

But never know unless you give it a try, right?

5/5

Rent worthy? Yeah, if you're curious about Julia Child, like Meryl Streep, or love cooking, go watch it.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I don't own this movie actually. I think I will soon though, along with a copy of 'Mastering The Art of French Cooking.' If I ever get the time to even buy the book.

Thank you, Julia, for inspiring passion in me. I will enjoy writing, cooking, and gobble life up like a delicious boeuf bourguignon and shall forever say, "Bon appetit!" because of you.Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

Little Quickies: 'The Karate Kid,' 'Sherlock Holmes,' 'Predators'

In case you guys are wondering, no, I don't watch movies every hour of my life. Other than 'Predators,' I watched these movies a long time ago and have reviewed just now.

So some of these movie reviews that I post don't necessarily mean that I just watched them a few hours ago. Just a heads up.

This is the first of my 'Little Quickies' reviews. I don't have time to review every single movie I watch and I don't have the patience to give each of them its own page, but I would still like to mention some of them. Thus, The Little Quickies have been born.

So, my first official Little Quickie is...

'The Karate Kid' starring our favorite Chinese man who doesn't own a Chinese restaurant, Jackie Chan, (actually, out of sheer curiousity, I just looked it up and learned that he actually DID have one, oops) and Jaden Smith, actor Will Smith's son.
The 2010 remake is the same basic story as the 1984 original of the same name. Major obvious differences are the fact that the protaganist moves to China instead of L.A. and that he is actually being taught kung fu, not karate. Kung fu is Chinese, while Karate is Japanese. There is a difference. In fact, in Japan, this remake is known as 'Best Kid' and in China it is called 'The Kung Fu Kid.'

I've seen the original and liked it and when I heard about the remake, I thought "How dumb." When I watched the remake, it kicked me in the face and made me eat my words. I really enjoyed it immensely.

4/5

Rent worthy? Yes, RENT IT.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I'm gonna add this to my collection and lovingly place it next to the original 'Karate Kid.'

Next contender is...2009/2010's 'Sherlock Holmes.'

I watched this in theaters with an old friend when it first came out and had to watch it again because my sister would not stop bothering me about how I didn't see it with her.

Great film that will obviously have a sequel. 'Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. is perfect as Sherlock Holmes and I'm happy to see that he has been very successful lately after a life revolving around drugs. Jude Law made a very convincing Watson ("Relax, I'm a doctor.") and everyone else did a great job too.

It has been out on Blu-ray/DVD for a while now, so just check it out for yourselves if you haven't yet.

4/5

Rent worthy? If haven't seen it, get it from Netflix or Blockbuster.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? I already have it. I love Robert Downey Jr.

The most recent film out of these three is 'Predators.'
To be quick to the point, a bunch of rag-tag humans, each with a malicious past, find themselves in a mysterious jungle that smells of death. They later learn that they are being hunted by alien beings, just for sport.

'Predators' stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, and a bunch of other people.

The action scenes are pretty cool to watch and ever since the original 'Predator' in 1987, I've always liked the design of the Predator alien, with its dreadlocks and all. So yeah, 20 something years later, those aliens still look awesome and badass as ever.

I thought seeing Adrien Brody as an action star was kind of weird, especially since M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Village,' where he plays the mentally handicapped Noah Percy. When I look at him, he doesn't seem like an action-star kind of actor, like Jason Statham. But he was decent, so after a while, I got used to Brody.

We see the humans walking around in the jungle trying to escape and trying to figure out how to get rid of the dreaded Predators.

Too bad 'To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen wasn't part of their team, but then the movie would be too short.

It's good to watch in the theater with a bunch of friends. It's not the best film, but it's fun to watch. Not all movies are meant to be taken seriously. It's just good, alien/human-killing fun. I did like the tie-in's to the first 'Predator' though.

2.5/5 for story

3.5/5 for it still being fun

Rent worthy? Sure, why not?

DVD/Blu-ray? I won't buy it. It's one of those movies that if I see on TV on a slow day, I'll watch it again, but I don't want it. I like Arnold Schwartznegger's 'Predator' better.

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

Although Tolerable, 'Eclipse' Cannot Shadow My Hate For The Twilight Craze

Despite my title, I will still point out the positives of the film, but that will not take long.

When watching it, I had to have some help from my sister, who loves the books (not obsessively, please don't think badly of her haha) to fill out the blanks for my un-Twilighted head. I only have very little knowledge of the first book, which I actually did read when I was given the bookset as a gift.

So yes, I do own the books, but they are simply just gathering dust at the moment.

In 'Eclipse' we find that Bella (Kristen Stewart) is, once again, in another pickle. A scorned, female vampire, Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard), has sworn to kill Bella after Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) ripped apart James, her mate, in the previous installments. Victoria wants Edward to feel the depth of her pain of a lost lover.

However, getting to Bella is not an easy task for Victoria. Bella is protected by not only the Cullen clan, but also by Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and the rest of the werewolves. To get to Bella, Victoria creates a "Newborn Vampire Army" by going around Seattle and turning innocent victims into vampires against their will with the help of her first Newborn Vampire, Riley (Xavier Samuel)

You'd think an "I Want You" poster would be enough

Despite this terrible dilemma, we also see the relationship of Edward and Bella unfolding, getting stronger, while Mr. Puppy Eyes, Jacob, watches in heartbreak.

So Edward wants to marry Bella and Jacob doesn't want that to happen because he "can give Bella the life she needs and deserves."

Pretty much the whole movie now, so I will tell you what I think.

'Eclipse' was not that bad...in the action scenes. I thought they were well-paced and actually kind of cool to watch. Near the end, I was actually genuinely interested in what was going on and I was amazed by feeling that way. I also liked the backstories for vampires, Rosalie Hale and Jasper Hale.

I would like to point out that everytime I saw Jasper Hale (Jackson Rathbone) I kept being reminded of the horror that is 'The Last Airbender' (Rathbone plays Sokka) and because of that, I had the strongest urge to punch him in the face.

Jasper and film-Sokka: both punchable

Don't get me wrong, Rathbone did a good job in 'Eclipse' because it fit the seriousness of the movie. Yet, Rathbone brought in that same seriousness, mixed it with M. Night Shyamalan's directing and writing, and put it in the character of Sokka, who is supposed to be funny, sarcastic, and only serious when he needs to be. And for that, Rathbone must be punched.

Now back to the film: I honestly could care less to see Edward and Bella or Jacob and Bella together. I have no teams or preference...I am what Bella says, "I'm Switzerland." And if you didn't get that, she means, "I'm neutral."

I just don't care for the romance part, but I think to be fair, I don't care for the FILM'S romance. When I read the first 'Twilight' book about a year ago, I didn't mind it that much. The writing is simple, yes, but it's easy, if you have a va-jay-jay, to get into the story.

So, in defense of the books, it's not that bad. The movies and the craze, however, not my thing.

'Eclipse' was still a good watch to me and I tried VERY hard not to be bothered and biased, other than 'The Last Airbender' thing.

I still HATE the craze about these films and honestly, Robert Pattinson? You were so much cuter in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.' What the heck happened to you? Yuck.

Because of that hate, I refuse to give a rating and will just say:

The film's action scenes are good, but not enough for me to embrace the 'Twilight Saga' just yet.

Rent worthy? If you're absolutely bored and you have a little curiosity about it, the film is somewhat interesting on those days you have nothing better to do.

DVD/Blu-ray worthy? If you love the films/books, you don't need me to tell you to go out and buy them. For me, I'm not getting it. I'm satisfied enough for giving it a chance.

Are you a Twi-hard? Are you a Twi-hater? If you love the Twilight Saga, did I summarize the movie right?

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

Imagine Me Utterly Confused About "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'

Terry Gilliam. Gilliam, Gilliam, Gilliam....wow, where do I start with his film?

Some of you may not be familiar with his name. He was one of the famous men from the British comic group known as 'Monty Python.' No doubt you've heard of them? Come on...'Monty Python and the Holy Grail?' Perhaps 'Life of Brian?'

Well, anyways, Gilliam has since directed several films after the disinegration of the Python pack and 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' is the latest of them. His other movies include 'The Brothers Grimm,' 'The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen,' 'Brazil,' and 'The Fisher King.'

Personally, I've enjoyed his past films and never disliked them. I watched this film about two weeks ago (thanks Netflix) So imagine me after watching 'Imaginarium' ...with half a smile and a frown upon my face.
I expected a lot from this film and I think that was my mistake...you never expect ANYTHING from Gilliam films...I should've known that by now since I'm familiar with his work: you always get the unexpected. He is known for his imaginative, fantastical, and sometimes bizarre stories. Now, let me tell you a little bit about the film itself.

'Imaginarium' opens up in modern-day London to a grizzly, antique of a theater-troupe conducted by an old (VERY OLD) slightly alcoholic man, Doctor Parnassus (Canadian Christopher Plummer). Joining him is his 15-going-on-16 year-old daughter, Valentina (Distractingly doe-eyed Lily Cole), a wise-cracking midget, Percy (Verne Troyer AKA Mini-Me), and his young assistant, Anton (Andrew Garfield, the new Spider-Man).

We are given the chance to observe their unusual travelling lifestyle, including a mysterious mirror that leads to a person's own imagination, and to know why Valentina's upcoming 16th birthday is actually a very, very bad thing for her father.

A deal made with the Devil, Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), requires Parnassus to hand over Valentina over at that doomed age, a deal that she knows nothing about. Totally not a sweet sixteen.

Actually...maybe it's not a bad idea to hand them over after all.

We also learn that Parnassus isn't like any other old, drunk man who hands his daughter to the Devil; Parnassus (and apparently Percy the Midget) is more than one thousand years old, caused by another bargain with Mr. Nick.

When Mr. Nick comes to collect Valentina, Parnassus decides, so he can keep his daughter, to make another bargain with the Devil: Whoever seduces 5 souls first is the one to keep Valentina. Mr. Nick, a happy gambler, is keen to make the bet. The board is now set and the game begins.

Parnassus, Mr. Nick, Percy the Midget, and eventually Anton (sort of) are the only ones who know of the deal. Valentina, not so much.

"Wait, where does Heath Ledger come in amid all this chaos?" At the right time, actually.

The troupe come across a mysterious stranger, Tony (Heath Ledger, there you go) and find him..."hanging out" on a bridge.

...That is all I want to disclose about the film...this was the HARDEST thing I've ever had to summarize. This is how confused I am by this film, but I think I got it.

Now, my thoughts: I thought the film was interesting, imaginative, but a little too long. It's a great story and I recommend that you rent it if you want to, but you REALLY MUST pay attention to know what the heck is going on. Give yourself time and an attention span.

The ending may or may not satisfy you, but there have been many rewrites to the original script due to Heath Ledger's passing, time, money, and so much more.

To me, I can see how the stress of everything on the film affected the writing of the story's later scenes. I don't know, maybe I'm just attuned or responsive to that kind of stuff, but I felt like that is what happened when I watched it.

One thing I did love is the fact that Tony's (Heath's) appearance changes whenever he enters the mystical mirror. It was a good idea for the type of genre and it worked for the film since Heath died and obviously could not be used anymore. So using Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law was a great addition. It shows me that Terry Gilliam doesn't let anything stop his movies and he can work around big potholes in his career.

So, I liked the film, but I don't know if I liked it as much as Gilliam's other movies. I was confused about a lot of things, but followed it as best as I could.

3/5

'Imaginarium' was very long and I made the mistake of watching it late at night so.

Rent worthy? By all means, if you really want to see it, rent it. It really is interesting. You will need the time though.

DVD/Blu-Ray worthy? Not to me. I think I will watch it one more time, just to see if my mind changes, but if not, that's it. I more than likely won't buy it though.

Have you seen the film yet? Did you like it or hate it? Did you watch it just cause it's Heath Ledger's last film?

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

'Toy Story 3' and My Lack of A Witty Title

This little critic is reviewing a little known movie titled 'Toy Story 3.' Perhaps you've heard of it?
I know, I know. This came out almost a month ago. Why make a review now? Honestly, I hate crowds and avoid going to the theater the first few weeks when a movie comes out and I just started this blog the day before yesterday.

Right now, I'm trying to forget about the World Cup right now (sheer disappointment) to come and bring you what I thought of 'Toy Story 3.'

I don't feel the need to give a summary of the film as many of you have probably seen it or read about it by now.

Obviously, the third installment of the most famous Pixar franchise revolves around trustworthy Sheriff Woody and the rest of the old gang we all know and have come to love.

Since the first film came out in 1995, the generation of the 90's kids thought that it was "all that and a bag of chips," "the bomb," and we literally went "postal" just to see it. Okay, maybe we didn't go crazy, but I'm sure you can all agree it was one of the things that defined the mid-90's and our childhood.

What I loved about the film is that it finishes the journey of Andy's toys...in a sense, and leaves you feeling happy and bittersweet at the same time.

I watched this in 3D and while it was totally not worth it, I was happy I had the glasses to shield my tears from others. I knew no one would turn around to see my pitiful tears streaming down my face and call me "wuss!" but I was still happy those glasses were on my face.

My face behind the 3D glasses

All right, I didn't cry THAT much, but I couldn't help but tear up.

It's a great family film, but I think this really was geared more to the older audiences who watched the first 2 movies as children. By all means, if you have little children/siblings, bring them, but if they're under the age of 6, they may or may not get bored at some parts of the movie as they may not be able to understand the more serious parts of the film.

That was more of a precaution than a suggestion. I rather you would bring the kids to the theater to share the experience with you cause Toy Story is friggen awesome. :)

5/5

I'm not biased about my rating since I'm a Toy Story/90's kid.....ahhh, PSYCHE!

Totally biased, I don't care. Just watch it if you haven't. It's fun, sweet, and just plain great.

DVD/Blu-Ray worthy? Yes, to me. I could watch it again and I need to complete the Toy Story set, right?

Next review, 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' otherwise known as Heath Ledger's last movie before he died.

Keep on watchin'

The Little Critic

'Departures' Left Me Feeling Bittersweet

'Departures' is a 2008 Japanese movie that follows the story of a now out-of-work cello player, Daigo Kobayashi.
After the disintegration of his orchestra, Daigo decides to leave Tokyo with his wife, Mika Kobayashi, and live in the childhood home his deceased mother left him in Yamagata.

Once there, Daigo looks for a job and sees an ad from the NK Agency with high pay, no expertise needed, and "dealing with departures." Daigo sets up an interview, thinking the job is a travel agency.

After meeting the secretary and the boss, Ikuei Sasaki, Daigo learns that he is dead wrong. A misprint in the ad caused the word 'departed' to become 'departures' instead. Daigo is hesitant at first to learn that he may be literally working with the dead, but takes it when Sasaki insists and gives him 500,000 yen ($5646) upfront.

The film comically, dramatically, and beautifully follows Daigo through his controversial job of cleaning and preparing the deceased for the family. It also becomes clear of his personal struggles of his lost father, who left him and his mother when he was only 6 years old.

'Departures' not only describes what death is perfectly, but also how those who are still living deal with death.

We all deal with death in different ways. No matter what the religion, belief, or outlook is, some of us become angry and bitter, sad and bittersweet, etc. 'Departures' actually shows that death doesn't care how rich we are, how poor, how loved, how hated...death takes us all.

This movie made me cry at the end, but not in the "THERE IS NO GOD! WHY?!?!" way. I cried because it showed that death should not be a bad aspect of anything. It is supposed to bring those who are living a sense of closure and all we have to do to deal with death is accept it. 'Departures' also shows that through death, there is still life.

There were parts that made me like this, only less creepy: and like this:

But in the end, it gave me a sense of closure that everything is fine, despite the bittersweetness of it all.

This film is Japanese, so for us English speakers, it means subtitles. I know some people pretty much rip me apart when I say "I don't mind subtitles and I sometimes need it for English films." Sometimes actors whisper in films and I can't hear what they're saying. Some actors don't ENUNCIATE enough (I'm watching you, Robert Pattinson) When I'm at home, I always opt for subtitles so I can understand what is going on with the story. So naturally, I'm a person who doesn't mind foreign films.

Me, defending my rights to use subtitles and my love for foreign films

For those who have recently lost a loved one or are just afraid of death...just watch this and I hope it may bring you a sense of closure or there is some relation to the movie. It is very sweet, and winning an Academy Award isn't too bad either.

If you love dramas, (although to be fair, 'Departures' is actually funny in some scenes) and you don't mind foreign films or subtitles, just check this out. This little critic says so.

4/5

One point for amazing music by Joe Hisashi, the same man for the Miyazaki films (Look up: 'Departures Memory Okuribito' on Youtube)

One point for the story and direction

One point for a great ending

One point cause it made me cry in the best way possible

Rent it on Netflix or at Blockbuster or if you're really daring, just buy it without even seeing it first.

What are your thoughts about foreign films? Do you hate them or love them? Have you seen this movie? Would you want to see it? Do you hate subtitles? Am I being to nosy?

Next review will be 'Toy Story 3', later today.

'The Last Airbender' Did Not Blow Me Away

This little critic watched the movie. This little critic was not happy.

'The Last Airbender' follows the story of a young 12-year old monk known as Aang who is found frozen in an iceberg by two Southern Water Tribe siblings named Katara and her brother, Sokka.

We learn that he is not only the last Airbender in the world (hence the title, duh), but we also learn that he is the Avatar, the only person who can connect with the Spirit World and master bending all four elements. (Water, Earth, Fire, Air) It is up to him to restore peace to a world at war for 100 years, but to do that, he must master the other elements and the Avatar State (the time when his eyes and tattoo glow blue) and try not to get captured by banished Fire-Nation Prince Zuko and his uncle, Iroh. All this at age 12.

All I had to worry about when I was 12 was what I was having for lunch at school and filling up my Pokedex in the Pokemon Crystal game.

This movie is based on the hit Nickelodeon series 'Avatar: The Last Airbender.' Due to friggen James Cameron and the blue people, they had to remove 'Avatar' from the movie title.

Damn you, blue people. Look at his smug face.

But I can't stay mad at James Cameron cause there's another director that throughly pissed me off: M. Night Shyamalan.

"Could this be my directorial comeback? Let's raise the hopes a little bit and..NO, IT'S CRAP AGAIN! And I made you pay for it, mwhahaha!! Aight, I'm gonna write the next script on the money ya'll gave me."

I had faith in Shyamalan. I really did. I recently got into the cartoon series a few months ago and loved it. I avoided it many times in the past and ridiculed my little sisters. If I knew a crazy scientist with a time machine DeLorean, I would go back in time and slap myself in the back of the head and just make myself watch it. This is a series where I thought, "This would make such a great film. They need to make it!"

I got my wish, along with millions of other fans. When I heard it was Shyamalan doing it, I felt skeptical, but I thought, "This cartoon is so good. There is no way that even SHYAMALAN can screw this up and I liked 'The Sixth Sense'...'Signs' was all right...I actually liked 'The Village.'"

So, from a perspective of someone who is familar with the show, what's the big deal and problem about this movie?

This was supposed to be a movie to get those who avoided the cartoon to be familiar with the series' well-developed and surprisingly mature story through live-action.

I followed the movie well. I knew what was going on because in my mind, I filled in the gaps with the events from the cartoon that the movie had missed.

Yet, despite that, I felt robbed. Why? Cause those who didn't know the story, did not get the big picture of Aang's journey. This is a child. He doesn't want these responsibilties at first. He just wants to be a regular kid and everyone expects so much of him. The movie and actors failed to portray that emotion and I think that is what makes the cartoon seem more human.






















"Oh, I see, the column on the left is the cartoon and the column on the right are the actors cause there's a lot more depth and emotion to their faces."

I'm not asking Shyamalan to put in every single detail from the cartoon into the film. I know how hard it is to condense stories. I had to do it once for an adaptation of 'Peter Pan.' It's a pain in the Avatar. You have to pick and choose which parts and characters are more relevant and more important to the story. Yet, he changes things and removes things that matter...except for the name-pronounciations...that didn't matter at all and he still changed it.

It's like remaking 'Star Wars' and giving the Jedis guns instead of lightsabers. Why do that? It'd just piss people off and do absolutely nothing to the story.

What I am saying is, this movie deserved better and it just didn't get it from M. Night. Nice try, but I'm honestly hoping for a reboot. The Hulk got it, The Punisher got one, Spider-Man is (unnecessarily) getting one, why can't Aang?

2/5

One point for trying, one point just cause I'm nice. That's right, Shyamalan, you have my pity.

What are your thoughts about this? Anything that grinds your gears about the film/director/actors/script?