I agree. That film is a classic. I found the ending weird, but amusing.
This is my first post on this thread, by the way.
The Triplets of Belleville: A- Really excellent art direction, though I was left a tad confused by the ending (I watched it in French without subtitles).
Matilda (1996): A- Always wanted to read the book, being a big Roald Dahl fan. It was most excellent. 
I gotta say, one must feel at least a little bad for Ms. Trunchbull at the end, though… 
Yes, in a good way, but it is one of the most violent movies of the year. I’d recommend it to horror fans only.
The Secret of Kells: Really, really good, but way too short. Plus, Aisling (the supposed star of the movie) is in it for about 15 mintues. 
Still, I give it a B+ .
Chuckles: I wouldn’t say she’s the star, but for some reason they push her a lot. I believe the WIP/international title (don’t know which) was actually Brendan and the Secret of Kells.
I definitely want to get The Secret of Kells DVD when I can. I’m crazy about celtic mythology and art, and it was one of the movies of last year that I really wanted to see.
Yeah, my dad once recommended The Secret of Kells. 
Anyone familiar with a film that Weird Al Yankovic STARRED in, as opposed to just a cameo?
I saw Saw 3D today. WOW! What a great finale to the series! I think it was the second best in the series! I loved the huge twist with [spoil]Dr. Gordon helping Jigsaw and then killing Hoffman[/spoil]. 8/10
Windstruck (9/10): Forget Up … I don’t think any film has made me cry as much as this bittersweet romantic comedy/crime drama hybrid.
Not quite what I expected, considering there is quite a large portion of My Sassy Girl in there, down to having even the same lead actress (talk about typecasting…).
As is already hinted at during the opening credits, the third act does get quite serious and extremely emotional.
Still, highly recommended.
I went with a couple of mates on a last-minute decision to watch The Town at a late showing yesterday night. I have been meaning to see this film, but I was not sure if it warranted a theatrical visit. As a cinematic movie, it’s okay. Like, the car chases, shootouts, and helicopter shots are amazing to see on the big screen and surround-sound. My more attention-deficit chums got a little restless during the talky bits, but if you enjoy drama and ‘wiseguy-speak’, you might find the ‘F-bomb’-laden Boston-brogue appealing.
Based on the novel Prince of Thieves, the story is about a gang of seasoned criminals who rob banks and hold-up armoured vans in Charlestown, which the poster tagline describes as “the bank robbery capital of America” (and according to the preamble, the world). These guys are meticulous in their planning and execution; they shave and bathe before every gig, destroy security tapes in microwave ovens, and ‘bomb-bleach’ the scene to remove DNA evidence. But for their most recent heist, one of their gang makes the mistake of revealing a unique tattoo to one of their hostages (Rebecca Hall). Affleck’s character is tasked to find out how much the witness knows, but in the process of getting to know her, he inevitably begins to fall for the very person who can put them all behind bars.
Ben Affleck’s character doesn’t come off as a particularly convincing crook, mainly cos’ he’s a little soft-hearted (but I guess that makes him the good bad-guy). Jeremy Renner’s violent psychopath is much more interesting, but the script keeps having him stuffing up the crew’s plans and antagonising Affleck’s character, which gets quite annoying. Jon Hamm’s FBI agent may be on the right side of the law, but he’s manipulative and will do anything to see Affleck and his crew “die in federal prison”. It’s the ambiguous morality and loyalties of the characters that is one of this film’s strongest suits.
The stunning car chase halfway through the film is one of the best I’ve seen in recent memory, with the robbers’ van hurtling down the narrow Boston streets with the police in hot pursuit. The gunfights are also the most realistic since Heat, and it’s enthralling to see how each sides’ strategies and tactics unfold, like a game of chess - but with guns and wheels.
This is quite possibly the best live-action this year next to Inception I’ve seen so far. Heck, I even enjoyed the action sequences here more. If you’re a fan of crime dramas like The Departed or Miami Vice, I highly recommend this. Even if you’re not, Affleck and Hall’s tragic love story should get the weepies going. Just bring a strong stomach, cos’ these guys really cuss and kill each other a lot, so it ain’t no Saturday morning cartoon.
Rating: 8/10
Well, I’ve seen the movie several times before - of course, but I just got done watching The Nightmare Before Christmas with my sis on her computer. Still as heartwarming and excellent as ever. A
I also saw Labyrinth (yes, the 80’s movie with David Bowie) at a friend’s house during a sleepover… one heck of a head trip. Not half bad, though, and the puppetry is pretty good. B
The Dark Knight: 9/10 - Not perfect, but very good.
Batman and Robin: 2/10 - 
Just. Horrible!
Yay, Leirin! TNBC for the win.
I don’t know why, but I really want to see Megamind. 
[size=75]Pop Quiz, Hotshot…[/size]
I’ve been meaning to watch 12 Rounds for a while, and I finally got down to it today. I enjoyed John Cena in his debut feature The Marine, and his second outing is much more complex and with deeper characterisation (although his character still has to save his lady against insurmountable odds).
Directed by Renny Harlin, the guy who brought you Die Hard 2, this film is surprisingly more in the vein of Die Hard with a Vengeance; a brilliant criminal with a personal vendetta sends the hero on a quest to complete twelve challenges (hence the name of the title) with the lives of many at stake. Except it’s in New Orleans instead of New York. Actually, it’s more like Speed, which coincidentally has one of its producers, Mark Gordon, on board. There’s an elevator with its emergency brakes rigged to blow, a bomb on a bus, and a runaway train, I mean trolley cart. Oh, and [spoil]the hero’s police partner gets killed.[/spoil]
Aidan Gillen’s character gets to taunt John every step of the way, though some of his rounds are stretching his manpower (he’s a lone operator) and timing skills a bit. At least Jeremy Iron’s baddie had an army of henchmen, and Dennis Hopper’s psychopath bomber’s plans are capable of being pulled off alone. Interestingly though, the two FBI agents tasked to assist John in his odyssey are actual helpful instead of playing the ‘hindering the hero’s efforts’ cliche.
So lots of things explode, countless vehicles are destroyed (thankfully with no one inside) and John still emerges out of the wreckage with his plaid shirt intact. Looks like he did a better job than Keanu and Bruce at remaining remarkably uninjured throughout the ordeal, despite being shot multiple times, falling from great heights, and being involved in several head-on collisions. The thing about this movie is that it’s pure action escapism, so you gotta take your disbelief, set fire to it, and throw it out the window, otherwise you’re not gonna buy the unbelievable set pieces here.
Trevor Rabin does a serviceable job scoring the action, but he pales in comparison to Mark Mancina’s distinctive themes. Overall, it’s a great throwback to the straightforward high concept action movies of the 90s, but unfortunately there is not much time for ruminating or making a social commentary. By the end of the movie, you’d feel like John too, exhausted, numb, and mentally battered.
5.5 out of 10 WWE Wrestlers
I also just saw Saw 3D, and I very much enjoyed it. It’s probably my favorite of the Saw sequels (the first is still the best). I do wish the ending included a shot of the iconic Billy doll (as this is the final installment), but what was in the movie worked, too. I agree that the twist was awesome; I never expeted it, yet it made perfect sense. My only complaints are that the movie’s too short, Jigsaw’s hardly in it, and the opening trap is kind of pointless. Still, I give Saw 3D three and a half pig masks out of five. ***1/2
[spoil]Also, we might have had to wait through six other movies, but the reverse bear-trap is finally performed on a live test subject, and, man, is it worth it![/spoil]
My Name is Khan (Director’s Cut) (9/10): You could try to describe it as a mixture of classic Bollywood cinema, Forrest Gump and Rain Man, but that would not do it justice.
I have never seen the theatrical cut, so I have no idea what was added to this version, but while the director’s cut certainly feels long, it never feels too long.
For me, this is clearly one of this year’s “must see” films.
And speaking of “must see” … I finally saw Beauty and the Beast.
I can’t believe it took me 19 years to finally catch up with that masterpiece.
9.5/10 (half a point off because it does show its age a bit in the introduction, but the rest is pretty much pure genius).
I watched Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride both over the weekend, and I have to say that I really loved and enjoyed both of them, even though I do slightly prefer Nightmare a little bit over Corpse Bride. But they were both extremely well done and I was thoroughly entertained. Not to mention both endings were extremely satisfying and emotional to me; the end of Nightmare was just so utterly adorable and romantic that I couldn’t help but squee like a helpless fangirl, and the end of Corpse Bride was just so bittersweet and tragic that it left me with misty eyes and tears. I really enjoyed both of them so much. <3
So I watched The Social Network after a few of my friends invited me impromptu for a cheap Tuesday matinee. It met my expectations, I enjoyed it to an extent, but some character aspects and the whole pedestrian-ness of it left a sour aftertaste like a flame comment on the Profile Wall. Does it deserve the accolades and prospective nods it’ll get in the Oscar race? You can read my opinion here.
But a trailer I had never seen before played before the movie. And needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by it (the use of a sweet Muse number was a brownie point). Just imagine… a spy movie, starring Angelina Jolie and Timothy Dalton, both who have played secret agent roles before. Only this time, they’re not the heroes. No, this time, the debonair covert operative is an unlikely bystander who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Johnny Depp is… The Tourist. 
Horray! I do like Nightmare a bit over Corpse Bride, but for a newer Tim Burton effort, I gotta say Corpse Bride deserves props. 
Not to impose my opinion on anyone, but I haven’t liked anything by him since that movie.
Il Mare (10/10): Rivals Whisper of the Heart as the sweetest love-story in cinema history.
The score is awesome, too.
A word of warning: there is a remake of this story called The Lake House with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
Avoid that one like the plague and see the original film instead.
I’m afraid I watched The Lake House, totoro, cos’ I was a fan of Keanu and Sandy back then (still am now, I think they’d make a great couple!). I can’t really remember the movie, though, which probably meant it’s utterly forgettable. Should give this Il Mare a go.
Remakes are rarely as good as the originals, anyway, and it’s usually done by Hollywood. 
The only exception I can think of where an American film is remade overseas is A Simple Noodle Story, which is a remake of the Coen brothers’ Blood Simple. Both were critically acclaimed, and I have half a mind to view both.