by dinky on Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:01 am
Thor (2011)
Good. Not great. plot was good. the guy who played thor was fine (imo - apparently getting a lot of poor feedback). I wasn't wild about his armor. despite my general agreement with the way the movie navigated the mythology of THOR and the plot/conflict of the movie, I found myself rather unmoved. I wasn't bored. I didn't dislike anything. I just...what can I say? I wasn't very drawn to anything either. it's a decent, even a good movie, nothing more. I loathe to give grades, but I think this kinda merits it to convey my feelings: B/B-.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Liked this one a lot. the plot/conflict was good. I enjoyed it a lot. it's a sequel, for sure. but as far as sequels go, this one hit the mark. giving grades for everything in this post for comparison's sake: A-/B+.
Hangover 2 (2011)
I'm assuming most people who frequent this post don't much go for american comedy, and if you've seen the first one, then let me just say this one isn't much different. I laughed...a lot. It was also raunchier than the first one. Not that the first one is on my list (although WEDDING CRASHERS is, and they're of the same ilk), but I think both the original and sequel do their jobs admirably: B/B+.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
It's not up to snuff with the first PotC. PotC 2 was pretty dreadful. I enjoyed PotC 3, except it was too long and meandering. PotC 4 goes a long way in fixing said issues. It's an enjoyable movie, but it doesn't come close to the whimsical, swashbuckling adventure/comedy of the first one. worth watching? yes. must see? not by a long shot. B-/B.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
This will easily be the best superhero/comicbook adaptation of the summer. easily. I don't like to make these kind of declarative statements, but if you watch the movie and disagree, then I have to wonder what color the sky is in your world. It's an origin story ala BATMAN BEGINS, and it's pretty close to BB in terms of quality and effectiveness. To be honest, CAPTAIN AMERICA and GREEN LANTERN look terrible, so I don't think I'm taking much of a gamble with my prediction. Back to X-MEN: there were some winks and "in jokes" about the future (especially xavier's hair), but that stuff doesn't impede upon the narrative, which remains focused despite the numerous "origins" it's working with. Let me put it like this: prequels are particularly difficult to pull off. everyone knows how they're going to end. I enjoyed watching this movie and wasn't the least bit disinterested because I knew where it was going. I think a large part of this is, unlike the vader origin story, the actual conflict of this film is compelling in its own right. but who knows? A/A-.
Other stuff I've watched recently:
SOMETHING BORROWED (2011): C+/B-
BRIDESMADS (2011): B+/A-
FAST FIVE (2011): entertaining. fine for the genre: solid B.
GAME OF THRONES (HBO series 2011)
I wish they didn't move so fast from ep to ep. I understand why they would. It would be otherwise impossible to fund such an ambitious series. it tells the story well. I just miss some of the minutiae that was obviously omitted for time concerns. A-
CAMELOT (Starz series 2011)
Good, possibly very good. I prefer GAME OF THRONES of the two, but perhaps it's an unfair comparison. this one has more boobies, which is a plus. good series. B+
Life ducks, and you sigh.