The Smurfs

I felt like I was watching an art house film.



This was, however, probably because I saw it with Chinese subtitles.

 
 
(2-SMR is now on FACEBOOK!)
 
 
 
 
 
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Kung Fu Panda 2

While largely enjoyable, the sequel is less fun & more violent than the original, and the slight design changes leave some of the characters looking at times maquette-ish.

The movie's very final moment leaves things wide open for yet another sequel--a very unnecessary sequel.

Rio

It opens & closes like Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room.

Inbetween, there's a laugh here & there, but not much else of value.

Rango

Definitely not for kids, though of course people will be toting their babies in regardless.

Funny bits, and amazing textures--ILM seems more than capable of giving Pixar a run for its money at some point.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2011: Animated

All five nominated 'toons in one place--plus severable honorable mentions--and of course, the only one most of us have seen is the one from Pixar.

Each one is interesting in its own way; I found the mod-retro style of "Let's Pollute" to be very funny.

Megamind

Technically amazing; the exloding & shattering buildings are breathtaking.

Would that so much care had been given to crafting a funny, or even interesting, story.

Avatar

Screw the format.

Sure, I could write about this movie in two sentences; heck, I could review it in one: Avatar is underacted, over-directed, and completely lacking in subtlety.

But why stop there?

I’m certainly not saying I hated this movie. Lords know I was prepared to, but it was actually pretty entertaining, pretty good-looking—and I do enjoy the occasional popcorn movie chunk-o-cheez. And this IS a chunk-o-cheez: how about that OTT commanding officer? The Plucky, Undeveloped Latina Character Who We All Know is Going to Die a Hero? Stock stuff. And in keeping with the current blockbuster trend, just like the last over-hyped effects-laden pre-proclaimed megahit, Avatar ends in a Transformer battle (one-sided though this one is). Hey, at least Sigourney Weaver isn’t shooting the Aliens this time—heck, she IS one of the aliens! It’s not enough, and neither is even her performance; it’s obvious from Avatar’s first moments: the script and the acting need polishing.

What is polished—and all that anyone seems to really care about—are the visuals. “You’ve GOT to see Avatar on IMAX 3-D,” everyone drools. I’d prefer to have seen it in standard Real-D, where I don’t recall encountering the ghost images I saw with the huge blue-and-green IMAX glasses—which are perhaps why I was distracted enough to actually pay attention to the film as a whole.

Amazing CGI does not a good movie make—it’s but one component. Kudos to the tech team, because for most of the film, the CGI visuals are indeed just swell. They cannot, however, save Avatar from being the overwrought, over-hyped mess it is. Why does James Cameron spend so little time on the subtle, human moments, and then linger so voyeuristically long over the obvious, bombastic stuff (we get the point, already!)? The answer is simple: because he can. He’s distracted by the pricey, shiny computer graphics as well.

My challenge to Cameron is this: figure out the story you’re trying to tell (as near as I can tell, he’s going for a non-musical version of Disney’s Pocahontas), and do it with a tenth of the budget. Seriously. I think the challenge of focusing on bare-bones storytelling economics would force this filmmaker—as it has with countless others over the history of cinema—to hone in on his message, ease up on the excessiveness, and focus on art rather than pyrotechnics.

Of course, a tiny budget can also result in a sci-fi suckfest like “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” but I have more faith in Cameron than that.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

I think the most fascinating thing about this movie must be the backstory-- what events transpired to film this script that keeps Jason Lee's character hospitalized throughout the film, leaving the 'monks with a brand-new dweebie guardian?

That being said, naughty singing chipmunks are funny.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

It's raining Spam©--Hallelujah!

Amen for a non-Pixar, non-Dreamworks animated flick that kicks tail & then some--if this kind of beautiful animation & sharp writing is going to be typical of Sony Pictures Imageworks, I'll be eager to see what's next.

9

In a post-apocolyptic world, little burlap guys run from a nonstop series of crashes, booms and blasts.

That's the beginning, that's the end-- and the middle is not interesting, either.

G-Force

Before being dragged to this CGI rodent fest, I was convinced that a movie about guinea pig spies could be nothing but execrable.

I was most disappointed to be proven correct.