Movie Reaction: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Formula: Transformers - robots

Why I Saw It: I'll always give a big budget action movie a chance in theaters and this one has the added intrigue of that last second release delay.

Cast: A lot of actors playing roles in this. I suppose Dwayne Johnson is the star and he plays The Rock in an action movie: a big, brutal force of nature. Adrianne Palicki switches between eye-candy and action star effortlessly and I hope to see her as a staple in movies where things go boom. I don't know who D.J. Cotrona is and, beyond being a cheaper Channing Tatum, I still don't. Speaking of Tatum, his presence in the beginning is basically the smallest nod at continuity they could possibly make. Jonathon Pryce and Bruce Willis are there for a paycheck, neither seeming to have much fun. There's a lot of other people (like RZA for some reason) in there for large and small roles. None of them make a big impression, so that's all I'll say about that.

Plot: Here's what I imagine when they were storyboarding this: All the producers spent a weekend coming up with 5 ideas of things they'd like to have  happen, then came back Monday, gave them to some writers to write the screenplay. Sometimes, this comes together fine. Other times, you get Wolverine. Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were outright in a different movie for the majority of the run. I still have no idea what Cobra Commander's master plan was supposed to be. I can safely say that the logistics of it don't follow.

Elephant in the Room: What if I was a fan of the old series? Honestly, I never watched the show and didn't even play with the toys. I can barely recall what happened in Rise of Cobra. It's strange though. Half the time it seems like they are treating this movie like a stealth reboot (think, The Incredible Hulk). The rest of the time it feels like this is part 8 in a long running series of movies. If I was going to guess, fans of the cartoon are going to follow a lot more of the movie but dislike it the most passionately of anyone.

To Sum Things Up: 
I didn't like this movie. The decision to take itself seriously didn't work for me. The action sequences weren't anything special. There's a distinct lack of awareness of how bad the one-liners are (of which there are many). I think the talents of the cast are wasted. It's nowhere near the worst movie I've seen this year (which says more about what has come out this year than it does this movie) and I can see some people enjoying this a lot more than I did. When watching it, I was bored and that's the kiss of death for an action movie in my book.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend

DVR Pruge 3/20-3/26

It's been a while since I've gotten a week behind. I guess that's what a lot of NCAA basketball and even more laziness does to you. Definitely the leader of the pack for this purge was How I Met Your Mother. Definitely one of the strongest episodes in as long as I can remember.

Suburgatory "Eat, Pray, Eat"
So...what happened to the Shays? The look of the show right now is so completely different from the first half of the season. I have to wonder if this was intentional due to having smaller episode commitments for different actors or if the writers are simply having a hard time juggling the large cast and world they've built.
-I find it a little funny that Tessa, the narrator of this show, has the same problem as Teb Mosby, the narrator of his show. Both have become a liability since their narrations require them to be more grounded which results in them being pretty boring in comparison to the rest of the cast. It's a natural result of the narration structure (Arrested Development avoided it by having an outsider's voice). I do like that Suburgatory is addressing it head on though and Jane Levy plays awkward moments well, so that can potentially carry her out of this problem.

The Americans "Mutually Assured Destruction"
Oh no, I waited too long to talk about this. This is not a show in which individual episodes stick out as much for me. Let's see...That's something I can comment on. I've pleased by the level of competency with which they are handling the more action-oriented elements of the show. Both the explosions and shootout in the hotel room were impressively staged.

Community "Economics of Marine Biology"
This is the closest in form to what I'd like to see out of Community right now. Small episode, mostly confined to the school, not super heavy on gimmicks. This is vintage season one (not as funny, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose), and I'm okay with that.

Archer "Un Chien Tangerine"
It would be fascinating just to see a episode that is entirely flashbacks from Archer's childhood.

Legit "Cuckoo's Nest"
This reminded me a lot of the movie The Ringer which was surprisingly good (not better than I expected good, just plain good). There's definitely a lot of poking fun at the handicapped people, sure, but it has most of them every bit Jim's match and finds a really interesting new slant on the standard "competing for a girl" story. By the way, props on Rachel Blanchard for not aging. She looks essentially the same as she did in her Clueless days.

The Walking Dead "This Sorrowful Life"
Personally, I don't know where I stand on Merle. He is one of the more interesting characters, and the prison group is sorely lacking of a real edge since Shane was killed off. Sure, Daryl can be a bit of a curmudgeon and Rick does some dubious things, but we never question their motivations. Merle was genuinely interesting in that way. Then again, he tended to dominate scenes he was in so, unless they could make every character as interesting as him, it was going to be pretty one-sided whenever he's in the room. So, farewell Merle. I will miss you.

Shameless "Civil Wrongs"
I could question what Frank's story has to do with anything, or I could be happy that his hijinks aren't ruining the lives of any other cast members. I'll go with the later.
I'm about to take what I assume is a slightly minority opinion. I'm with Steve, er, Jimmy in this. This isn't absolving him of blame in the situation. He basically gave up everything to be with Fiona and there seems to be little appreciation for that. Granted, he pursued her, is hiding his secret wife that he is still being watched. His biggest problem is that he can't break the law (which, to be fair, effectively neuters him when hanging with the Gallaghers). He is certainly more elitist than the rest of the bunch and can be whiny. That doesn't mean his problems are without merit. What I'm saying is, that as much as I like Fiona, she should've seen it coming that Jimmy would be looking for a way out. They have a pretty one-sided relationship which on her as much as it is on him.

House of Lies "Exit Strategy"
You know the drill. I stopped caring a while ago. Despite how much I like the cast, I find the show to be really uneven. For example, this week, I realize that I have no sense of tension from Marty starting up his own company. This isn't the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce conspiring in the night to create their startup. This is Marty being irritated, looking for office space, and assuming Jeannie will follow him. They've spent so little time focusing on his job or office politics that this move means little to nothing to me as a viewer.

Californication "Blind Faith"
You know, an episode like this would mean a lot more to me if I thought there was any chance that Faith would be sticking around. The episode was definitely not about Hank. The scene with him and Faith in the church was pretty vintage Californication shock value. I am wondering, are they setting up to get rid of Becca for a good while or is this just setup for the hiatus before the next season.

How I Met Your Mother "The Time Travelers"
Here I thought I was watching a forgettable bottle episode. Most of the way through, I though this was a pretty standard HIMYM episode. It was having a lot of fun with the future Ted and Barney gimmick and was clever enough. The stories were all pretty slight and I thought the show had moved past these kind of stories (much to my dismay). Then out of fucking nowhere it had my favorite sequence of the season (possibly several seasons). The realization that Ted was in the bar alone the whole time hit me in a way I doubted it could do anymore. In one fell swoop, I am excited about meeting the mother. Most encouraging of all is all the mentions of the mother's life, because it almost sounds like she'll be used as a character next year. I'm trying not to read into this episode too much, but that ending was really damn good.

New Girl "Chicago"
Jess doing Elvis, hilarious and awkward.
Nick's eulogy, well delivers.
Winston's breakdown, predictable yet enjoyable.
Schmidt's coat issue, over-the-top in the way only he can pull off.
Margo Martindale a Nick's mother, pretty perfectly done.
Bill Burr as a cousin, nice to see and even nicer to see that they didn't try to pass him off as being a Chicagoan.
Nick Kroll in character mode, not something I tend to enjoy and this was no exception.

Go On "Matchup Problems"
The only problem with cast reunions within a different show is that you want to see the old dynamic of the characters, not necessarily the new one they try with the actors. Sometimes the new spin works. Other times it leaves you wishing there was more winking at the camera and meta referencing. The Perry/Cox reunion definitely falls in the later category. Had it been anyone other than Courtney Cox playing the widow, I would've been bothered by the annoying friends competing for a girl story. I am glad the the show realizes that White and Perry are one of the shows best pairings.
Did anyone else notice that we were missing a lot of regulars this week (no Steven, no Danny, no Owen, still no Carrie) and the cast still felt full?


The Mindy Project "Danny's Friend"
Despite everything, this show consistently has my favorite one lines each week. I attempting to take notes on the show this week and all I wrote down was a bunch of lines I like such as "The statue of Liberty, she'd like legit hot" and "I will not move to St. Paul and become a Travel Agent. That is a dying business."
One thing I had trouble getting past: I have a really hard time believing Danny would give out prescriptions like that, even to an old friend. I get that it established the guy as a life-long friend and it was supposed to show his roots, but it hurt my respect for that character possibly more than it was meant to.

Cougar Town "The Old Town"
Ms. Partridge in the house! I can't quite break it down, but this episode had everything working. I find it funny that in the dynamics of the show, it isn't weird at all to have Travis' mom, dad, step-dad, dad's girlfriend, mom's best friend, and dad's best friend just show up to his college party.


The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
3/13-3/15         3/16-3/19        

2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3           3/4-3/7            3/8-3/12

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

Movie Reaction: Spring Breakers

Formula: Sugar & Spice + Project X
          Kids + Bikinis

Why I Saw This: Buzz + Bikinis. I'm not sure which was the greater motivation, but I won't pretend both were not a reason.

Cast: If you are looking for a way to wash off the Disney stink, this is a good one (See: Hathaway, Anne. Havoc). Selena Gomez is the biggest name, I'd say, but she isn't nearly as prominent as you'd think. Basically, she plays the good girl of the group, which fits her best. I think she is good in this. A little flat as a character, but I don't think anyone is all that complex by design. Vanessa Hudgens impressed me. She is crazy into her character. It is obvious she had fun doing it. Normally, she's the most disappointing person in a movie. This is the first time that wasn't the case. Since the characters are not all that deep, I'll outright admit, I could not tell the difference between Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine's characters for the first 3/4s of the movie. That's really not a complaint though. Other than Gomez, I really don't think I was supposed to see the girls as that different from one another. James Franco reminded me a lot of Matthew McConaughy in Magic Mike. By that, I mean that he is in a movie that on the surface is only about T&A and he looks to be the broadest of any character in it. Then, when you watch it, he ends up being both layered and well presented.

Plot: Imagine you are a parent of a college-aged girl who just gets a phone call from said daughter who tells you she went down to Florida for Spring Break. Now, go to sleep. That nightmare you have that night: That's the movie. There was nothing subtle about it. Scenes are repetitive and explicit to the point of being uncomfortable. The beginning, middle, and end are completely unbelievable and absurd, especially when James Franco's character is introduced. One thing I can say pretty safely is that Harmony Korine, the director and writer, does not view Spring Break favorably. Everything keeps escalating until it finally reaches an end that will only please you if you haven't given up on the movie at some point before that. For me, I thought the end framed everything really well, although I get the feeling that mine is a minority opinion.

Elephant in the Room: But really, it's about girls in bikinis, right? That element gets butts in the seats. I don't think anything involved in making it would deny that. Pretty quickly though, you realize - how can I put this - these aren't the good kind of boobs. Personally, I'd say that everything about them in Florida looks like hell on Earth. I was uncomfortable about nearly everything it shows about "Spring Break".

To Sum Things Up:
I was pleased by a lot of things that I didn't expect in this movie. It definitely left a lot for me to process. Before considering seeing this, I strongly recommend people seeing other movies by Korine (I've only seen Kids) or at least reading up on this movie first, because it is a bit of a shell-shock otherwise.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

DVR Purge 3/16-3/19

This is going to be brief this time and probably for the next week since I'm distracted by basketball. A really good Tuesday though.

Shameless "Frank the Plumber"
Holy shit. I jumped out of my seat when Karen got hit. Overall, I'm glad she's gone because she doesn't fit well with the rest of what the show is. I do wish she could've had maybe one more episode of torpedoing Lip's life. It'll be interesting seeing how this plays out. In other stories, that was tough to watch with Ian at the end.

The Walking Dead "Prey"
I like the third week in a row of sidequests. I'm ready now for some shit to go down now. Two episodes left in the season (I think). I'm ready to see how this plays out. This was the most I've liked Andrea in a while.

Californication "Mad Dogs and Englishmen"
Nothing like the return of Eddie Nero to give us a crazy episode. A good episode in an uneven season.

House of Lies "Liability"
Clyde with a conscience. Who knew? I also think I'm supposed to care more about Monica falling apart than I actually do.

How I Met Your Mother "The Fortress"
-I think the writers of this show have the same impression of Downton Abbey as I do.
-Most of the gags about Barney's apartment felt like they have all season: leftover gags from when Barney was single. I was tickled by the smoke detectors though.

Go On "Go for the Gold Watch"
So, how long in T.O. in the cast? He was funny enough, but I don't like that it's coming at the expense of Carrie. This was one of the best jugglings of the large cast they've done all season. I'm not convinced they can do it regularly, but this was certainly a successful case of it.

New Girl "Quick Hardening Caulk"
I've come to accept Jess and Nick's impending coupling since they've had so many good episodes since their kiss and haven't avoided the subject. This week had Jess getting increasingly attracted to Nick for showing the slightest amounts of maturity, which I found hilarious. Even funnier? Winston asking if a number 2 would work. I hope this isn't the last we see of Odette Annable.

The Mindy Project "Mindy's Birthday"
-The opening tag: loved it. I still hate the music in the opening credits though.
-So, they've cut down the main cast yet it was impressive how many familiar faces they put together for the party.

Cougar Town "Saving Grace"
All the talk of faith rubbed me the wrong way. The entire episode was saved by the dodgeball scene. I'm sorry, but Jules getting hit in the head with a dodgeball repeatedly was hilarious.



The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
3/13-3/15         

2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3           3/4-3/7            3/8-3/12

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

Movie Reaction: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Formula: (The Artist + narcissism) * magic

Why I Saw It: I keep wanting one of these comedies to be brilliant.

Cast: I'll say this much. Everyone committed to his/her role. Steve Carell is a complete asshole for 3/4 of the movie to the point that I couldn't root for him by the end. Despite the previews, no one else is all that prominent. Jim Carrey was extremely underused. He basically showed up to be a jerk for a few minutes, use some of his Ace Ventura faces, and serve as contrast to Burt. Olivia Wilde is the Marilyn of this world but gets a couple chances to be the world's hottest magician, which she's fine at, but I always have trouble buying her as a regular Joe or someone ignored by the world. Steve Buscemi and Alan Arkin play pretty familiar roles for them, specifically Arkin reprising his Dodgeball demeanor. I was pretty surprised how prominent and funny James Gandolfini was although I wouldn't call the character a big departure for him. I'm also giving prop to Jay Mohr who has a very small, but (in my opinion) very effective role.

Plot: This is a textbook redemption story and, as a comedy of this ilk, I can't fault it for not trying anything new. I'm still trying to figure out if I think this movie went too far or not far enough. This is meant to be a batshit insane story. The decadence and ridiculous nature of the world of famous magicians seems to be as ripe with material as anything that Will Ferrell has been in. Like, I could see some Anchorman fight level chaos going on, but it never did. Simply put, everything looked funny or seemed like it would be funny, but very little of it was.

Elephant in the Room: What about the magic? Here's the thing. I don't believe any magicians supervised the development of this script. What little I know is that magicians tend to call trick illusions instead of magic, which is never acknowledged in the film. There's also the fact that everyone in the movie keeps saying that what Carrey's character is doing isn't magic, or at least not good magic. The problem is that most of it is pretty good magic. In fact, it's better than most of Burt's tricks. The message the movie is trying to get at is that magic shouldn't scare people: It should fill them with wonder. But, that is not how they approach it most of the time. What I'm getting at is that, as satire, this is sorely lacking.

To Sum Things Up:
I didn't like this at all. Am I allowed to be that blunt? I don't like being defamatory, but that's the only thing I can say about this. There was potential and little else. The characters were not well rounded or cleverly established. The jokes were either humorlessly broad or not very clever. The acting was fine but not enough to save this. The mistake of this entire sub-genre of comedies seems to forget sometimes that a funny character like Burt Wonderstone is only funny if he is put into a funny movie.
...I should've seen The Call instead.

Verdict (?): Strongly Don't Recommend

DVR Purge 3/13-3/15

Thursdays was certainly more packed than I realized. Thank you NBC for not giving a fuck since no one watches anyways.

The Americans "Duty and Honor"
I'm torn about this episode and I can pretty easily break it down by lead character.
-Elizabeth: I loved just about everything about what she did this week. It's amazing how well they've established her as the cold one in the relationship so that it had all the more impact seeing her missing Phillip.
-Phillip: It's great to see a glimpse of his life before he became an "American" and I though he played it well. I flat out didn't like Irina though. What was even the point of her telling him they had a son. Unless that plays out later (which I doubt) that seemed really pointless.
-Henry: Him hooking up with Nina is so boring and came out of nowhere. I get that he and his wife have problems. I never got an infidelity vibe from it, and they kind of forced it to happen with Chris not even coyly telling him to hit on another woman. It's like they thought, "Stan should have sex with Nina. What's the quickest, sloppiest way we can cause that to happen?".
I guess you'd say I found this overall uneven.

Big Bang Theory "The Closet Reconfiguration"
Simply put, the end of this episode packed one of the biggest emotional punches of this television season. The topic of the episode kind of came out of nowhere (they never really mention Wolowitz's dad), but it was pretty easy to feel for him and the way they all come together for him is a great reminder of why they are all friends. A surprisingly wonderful episode. They can't all be like that, but I'm glad this one was.

Community "Advanced Documentary Filmmaking"
NOT EVERY EPISODE HAS TO BE A THING! The documentary angle was half-assed and too familiar. Chang is a character that I've been hesitant to hate (I liked him basically until he took over the school) and I could've even dealt with Changnesia had it been used a an overt way to clean up the mess that Harmon left them, but I'm not looking forward to this double agent angle that surely has to do with City College.

Parks & Recreation "Bailout"
I am so happy they let Ron win this one. I've been worried since Leslie joined the City Council because it would inevitably turn things to politics on occasion and frankly, when there is an agenda, I get irritated, so I like that they spread the wealth by having Leslie be wrong in this occasion, but still allowing her a small victory.

The Office "The Farm"
Oh, now I get why they didn't pick up the spin-off. That looked horrible. I'm giving this episode a pass because they had to change it considerably when they realized the backdoor pilot wasn't getting picked up, so all the stuff with Packer was off and sloppy. The part about the farm was too weird to be engaging. I think Rainn Wilson could be the lead in an ensemble. Why not? But, it would have to happen like Frasier, where there was a clean break from The Office. That's my opinion at least.

Archer "The Honeymooners"
I mean, this episode doesn't stand out in the Archer pantheon or anything, but it was a good, solid episode. I wish I had more to say, but I don't.

Legit "Bag Lady"
I'm calling this episode a caper. I assume I missed some plot in the episodes I missed or did they introduce the girlfriend he cheats on in the same episode they break up? While I didn't hate it, if this is the structure of future episodes, I'm not sure I'll be staying on board for the long run (assuming there is one).


The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3           3/4-3/7            3/8-3/12

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

DVR Purge 3/8-3/12

Well look-e-here. I actually watched an SNL on time. Luckily, it was a great week to do it. Things are still a little slow in this post-sweeps lull, which isn't a total complaint. There's basketball to watch and I'm about to start struggling to keep up.
 

 Saturday Night Live "Justin Timberlake"
I tend to get pretty backed up with episodes of SNL and I'll even let a few slide past me that I catch in reruns over the summer. That has more to do with the nature of the show that any issue I have with it. It's non-essential viewing. J.T.'s fifth time around seemed like a good one to watch immediately since he tends to be game for just about anything and I think everyone ends up bringing their A-game. This was no exception. First Stephon sighting of the year already makes this one of the best of the season. I was a little irritated by all the guest-stars taking up screen time. A necessary evil of the show in some ways, but it makes me feel bad that, say, Jay Pharoah had nothing to do but Andy Samberg gets Maine Justice. Overall, I quite like the current cast and the season has been addition by subtraction in a lot of ways with some of the more dominating cast members (Wigg foremost) no longer there.

Shameless "Where There's a Will"
I'm a bad person, right? I found the two funniest moments to be Carl with the rat poison and Debbie creating her molestation story. I'm talking howling laughter. That can't speak well of me.
-While Lip is a complete idiot, I find Karen kind of fascinating. It's like they don't want anyone liking her, but they do it in a way that I like having her around. She like Lip's personal Monica.
-I don't know what to make of Kevin and V's warped love triangle. This isn't the most interesting story for them so far, just the oddest.

The Walking Dead "Arrow on the Doorpost"
Um, I liked this episode even if what they were doing was super transparent by drawing the parallels between the characters. It was a little heavy on the parallels though. Some sublty've been nice. I'm curious how long the Governor is able to be like this without a mutiny from within. They are painting him as the outright bad guy rather than a darker shade of grey. I think the show has been doing a remarkable job these past couple episodes of maintaining the tension without forcing something big to happen. For example, when Glenn and Maggie were having their adult time, I was on the edge of my seat expecting something awful to happen. I don't know how this whole story is going to play out, but the build-up has been handle much better than I'd've thought they could do at this time a year ago.

House of Lies "Wonders of the World"
I'm torn. It's nice that the show is trying to go after something with a little substance and they aren't doing a bad job with it. The topic though, doesn't fit at all. This show just doesn't fit for discussing social issues. I'm sorry. It doesn't at all. There's something to be said for shows being able to change, so I'm trying to be mindful of my resistance to change clouding my opinion, but honestly, I'm not that big a fan of the show, so I'm not too concerned with it staying the same. This whole angle strikes me as a bizarre mid-season redirect into a commentary about race that it seems ill equipped for.

California "Everybody's a Fuckin' Critic"
Oh my god! Is someone finally going to breakthrough to Hank about not resisting commercial endeavors? I mean, he's been willing to, but he's never taken it seriously. The backlash over his first draft has him actually thinking about his style and content.
-I'm a little confused. What is it that we are pulling for with Hank and Karen. Are we at a will-they-won't-they stage? Is this a hold-pattern until the inevitable reunion? Are they outright done?
-So happy that Ofelia is gone (at least, I hope she is). I haven't appreciated anything about her.

Cougar Town "You Tell Me"
I liked the Seinfeld gag to an extent. It would make more sense to me if the same character was making all the references that Jules didn't understand. Having it suddenly ubiquitous is one of those sit-com world gags that come off a little forced. If that specifically become a seldom used recurring gag, I will look back on this kindly. If it is forgotten after this week, I will be mildly irritated.
It's good to see the show getting money and sponsorship any way it can, although the Target plot was Subway/Chuck-level blatant. I was a little disappointed to see those commercials from Target were using clips from the show. Whatever. It was a harmless episode.



The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3           3/4-3/7            

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

Movie Reaction: Oz the Great and Powerful

Formula: The Wizard of Oz ÷ Alice in Wonderland 

Why I Saw It: Guaranteed blockbuster, superb cast, excellent pick for director. Is there a reason for me not to see this?

Cast: As I already mentioned, I love this cast. James Franco isn't completely right for the role of Oz, but I think he is the best available actor for the role, if that makes any sense. He looks like he is trying, which always seems to be the concern since his Oscar hosting gig. Mila Kunis does everything she can with her role as Theodora, but is a little limited because of the camp demanded by the original movie. Specifically, when she turns into the Wicked Witch we know, it is a little forced. Rachel Weisz doesn't have to do a lot in this, and she doesn't, which is a good thing, because it isn't supposed to be a flashy role. Michelle Williams, well, she is flawless. I challenge you to find issue with her as Glenda (Hint: If you find one, I don't want to know). Zach Braff is in there too forces me to wonder why this guy doesn't do more voice acting.

Plot: It's the origin story of the original movie, so it is definitely being watched for the how, not the what happens. I'll say, there are a couple places where they had to reverse engineer the story and it worked better in some places than in others. How the wizard became the man we see in the original movie is quite clever. On the other hand, Theodora's transformation was not as comfortable. Overall, I thought the story was pretty clever and way more worked with the origins story than didn't.

Elephant in the Room: How does Sam Rami do? Personally, I think Sam Rami is an excellent choice to direct a movie like this. From The Evil Dead to Spider-Man, he's made his career on infusing camp into stories while still taking them seriously. For something like Oz, that is perfect.

To Sum Things Up: 
This movie was exactly what I expected: fun. It's light-hearted family fare, but not exclusively so. It follows a pretty standard big-budget movie formula, but it's one that works. I somewhat regret not seeing this in 3-D because it probably would've looked pretty good. Even in 2-D it it is a colorful, beautiful movie. The only good reason not to see this that I can find is "I don't want to pay $10 dollars on a ticket". Anything else and you are trying to hard to not like things.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

DVR Purge: 3/4-3/7

It's been a pretty slow week. That's not a complaint. Some of the usual suspects and a couple unexpected ones produced some really strong episodes.

Go On "Double Down"
So many characters. I never know where to start. How about here. The fact that sweeps just ended and no one is doing new episodes of things and this episode was obviously meant for two weeks from now for the NCAA tournament along with stagnant rating and huge cast has me thinking there will be no season 2. Which, in all honesty, is fine with me. The show has never figured out its footing and I'd like to see this cast disperse to other projects where they could get more focus.
More specific to this episode, can someone please find a new way to attack the addictive gambler trope? I think the same beats have been used for the last 50 years.

Cougar Town "Make It Better"
Based on other reactions I've read about this episode, I think other people appreciated it more than I did. I didn't dislike it, but this is a show that I like without loving. I like that Courgar Town is still on the air, but it is a show that exists as a joke machine for me though. This episode went really strong for the heart and I didn't feel it as much. Travis going on dates  fell really flat for me. Wade dumping Laurie left me indifferent, because it isn't like I ever liked having him around as a transparent foil for this show's will they/won't they couple. I really liked the touches like the Inception and Grease talk (albeit a little dated) and Dr. Tom's happy medicine, but I just plain didn't care about Jules and Chick's talk. That's on me. I get that. Cougar Town has never been able to nail down the heart the way that (for comparison's sake) Scrubs did. I don't mean for that to sound like I disliked the episode. Rather, by Cougar Town standards, it was middle-rate.

Suburgatory "How to be a Baby"
George and Tessa never get to hang out anymore. It was nice to see them hang out a little. I'm not sure how much other people like Noah. I generally do enjoy him, but I really wish this whole Carmen storyline would go away. Oh, and remember when I mentioned that the Shays were Ukerl-ing the show? Well, based on the past few episodes, nevermind.

The Americans "Trust Me"
1) I don't care about the kids at all, so I don't care that much about them...not, yet.
2) I assumed almost immediately that it was the Russians who took them (it's too early in the series for it to be otherwise).
3) Despite 1 and 2, I still found this episode intense and gripping. The stuff about the Jennings' marriage is always good and Stan and Nina's setup of the rezident was great spy caper entertainment.

Community "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations"
I still like Community even when it's trying to tell a simple story. Season 1 wasn't all spoofs and homages and I liked that. The Shawshank Redemption angle was not bad as much as it was unnecessary. I'm also very confused by the decision not to show Shirley's extended family (and why Jeff only had two family members at dinner to a lesser extent). I assume it was for budgetary reasons, but it was distracting. This did have a stronger smattering of throwaway jokes than any episodes so far, so I liked that looseness.

Big Bang Theory "The Contractual Obligation Implementation"
All around, I was quite pleased with the episode this week. Bernadette and Amy doing the phone interview while literally being dressed up as princesses was really funny, as was the closing tag with all the men's reactions to the outfits. The presentation before that was delightfully squirm-inducing and Raj's date was pretty clever, considering the limitations they've set in place for him.

Archer "Coyote Lovely"
I'm going to have to go back to previous season, but I've really noticed how clever the writing on this show is this season. I like that they also haven't dropped little touches like Archer's tattoos. All the jokes about Archer being autistic were hilarious.

Legit "?"  (Didn't catch the title)
I can't decide whether this episode was tragic or funny, and I think that is a great place for this show to be. John Ratzenberger was great in this, especially considering the Cheers connection of it all. The interplay between Steve and Billy's whole family excellent. So much sweeping under the rug and rationalizing the craziness.


The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
2/22-2/26         2/27                 2/28-3/3          

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

DVR Purge: 2/28-3/3

Surprisingly strong Sunday to follow a forgettable Tuesday.

Community "Alternative History of the German Invasion"
I'm done beginning these with "I want to like it" or "it's not the same" after this.  I will look at the episodes on their own merit. So, with that said...
I didn't like it. The Germans rubbed me the wrong way last season. To take away Nick Kroll and increase their prominence is not going to improve matters. I've always enjoyed when the show references the obvious favoritism of the study group, but the handling of this was sloppy at best. I'd have to go back and rewatch the D&D episode, but I don't recall the doors ever being locked. Also, both the chair-breaking scene and the screaming were bad, bad, bad. Especially with Chang, I'm pretty sure he'd be met with Changravation, I mean, aggravation, note this broad screaming. I hope next week shows improvement or maybe doesn't try to go too big.

Archer "Live and Let Dine"
I really liked this episode structure.  I find it somehow even funnier that they are using the reality show backdrop on an animated series. Funny stuff.

Legit "Health"
Ok. I've watched a second new episode and also saw Jeffries' stand-up special on Netflix streaming. Last week was not a fluke. I'm on board for this show.

Shameless "A Long Way from Home"
A lot of moving pieces this week as they managed to escalate a lot of stories and still landed a big high from Fi's guardianship hearing. Apparently the house isn't theirs. Karen's back. Jody is...in need of help. Everyone is fighting over Hymie. Debbie got her revenge on Mama Kamala (Oddly enough, last night's episode convinced me to get White Castle for lunch today). Frank stayed cleaned up for a whole episode which did wonders for letting cunning Frank come out (although I'm a little confused why he is so concerned about keeping custody. It's makes him covertly endearing). Oh, and I almost forgot about all the Estefana stuff. Wow, the more I think about it, this episode was pretty seamless. The only thing we are missing for things to hit fever-pitch is a Monica visit.

The Walking Dead "Clear"
I knew it! I knew the writers could write some character moments that didn't feel like wheel spinning. This was not the most exciting episode, which I have no problem with because that was starting to get over-saturated with all that. Basically, they took three problem characters and fixed that. Michonne had a chance to connect with someone on a human level, not just be a badass. Carl got to show how, as hardened as he's become, he is still just a kid. Most welcome of all, Rick got to come out of crazy mode and level out some. I thought the scenes at the beginning and end with the desperate traveller and the writings on the wall were as well done as anything I've seen the show do. This week's little detour, to me, is the writers letting us know that the show is a marathon, not a sprint.

House of Lies "The Runner Stumbles"
I'm saying it again. I think I'm done with the show. The comedy is only somewhat my taste. When they aim for drama, I'm completely checked out. I won't go as far as saying this is a bad show. I will say that despite all my efforts, it is not my taste. Odds are, I'm finishing out the season because I'm too far in, but I will not be seeking it out after that.

Californication "The Dope Show"
Required Becca-centered episode, complete with lazy celebrity and Runkle sexual escapade. Only, I was pleased to see the possible beginning of a Charlie/Marcy reconciliation. This she hasn't been all together right since they did the time jump.


The Point of the Purge
Past Purges:
2/22-2/26         2/27   

2/5-2/8             2/9-2/11            2/12-2/18        2/19-2/20          2/21

1/17-1/18         1/19-1/21          1/22-1/23         1/24-1/29         1/30-2/4

12/16               12/17-12/21      ...12/22-1/7      1/8-1/9             1/10-1/16

11/25-11/28     11/29-11/30      12/1-12/5         12/6-12/8          12/9-12/15

10/28-11/3       11/4-11/10        11/11-11/16     11/17-11/20      11/21-11/24

9/22-9/28         9/29-10/4          10/6-10/12       10/13-10/19     10/20-10/27

Movie Reaction: Jack the Giant Slayer

Formula: Snow White and the Huntsman - Witches + Giants

Why I Saw It: I have a morbid curiosity for big-budget disappointments.

Cast: Nicholas Hoult is always a delight. He can definitely pull off the unlikely hero thing. He and Eleanor Tomlinson have a good rapport. Ewan McGregor is the seasoned veteran hero and can sleepwalk through this role and still make it look good. Stanley Tucci has a character that is well built for him, although I question the role of the character itself. They even dusted off Ian McShane to play the king. All of them play as well as the script will let them. As you can tell, I've got some issues to cover in this next part.

Plot: I don't fully understand the process for getting a movie made. I know the scripts go through numerous drafts and most fall victim to an executive saying "you know what this movie needs? A <something stupid>." Watching this movie, I got a sense that there was potential for a good script. A few scenes or random lines give me a sense or what the original script was or that someone went through and did some good touch-ups at some point. Mostly though, this falls flat. It doesn't make any sense. One odd choice was to set it in England, not a fairy tale world that doesn't exist. the beanstalk, magically grows to the only entrance. Somehow, the bean stock grows downward in the giants' world. There's a magic crown that somehow controls the giants, but no other signs of magic. There's absolutely no sense of gravity or terminal velocity. What bothered me the most is that there was no consistent tone to it. I know the title was changed from Giant Killer to Giant Slayer to appeal more to families but then it also has some really violent moments. At times, it seems to change its mind as to whether it is going to be like Mirror, Mirror or Snow White and the Huntsman. I feel bad for movie like this, because I'm certain it started off looking fine, but it turned sour at some point and it was too late to fix it by then, so they put out as many fires as they could but there were too many.

Elephant in the Room: What about the giants? They didn't fit the movie. They were very cartoonish-looking when they are treated like they are menacing. The best example of this is the lead giant is the big villain in the movie. For some reason, they decided to give him a second head  (no other giants have two heads, mind you) and that second head was completely there to make funny faces and crude noises. I lost track of the number of fart sounds coming from the giants. They are just wrong for the movie.

To Sum Things Up:
On paper, the movie was a tough feat: giants in the clouds fight humans. This is hardcore fantasy yet it wasn't treated like that. The action itself, the final act in particular, is really entertaining. I'd even say I was enthralled at a couple points. Overall, the movie doesn't work. I don't know what else to say. I think the greatest potential strength of the movie is the wit, but the attempts at that are mutes or don't work. If you want to see an epic, big-budget, 3-D fantasy movie, wait a week and see Oz the Great and Powerful.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend 

March Movie List

I generally know which movies I'm going to see a month in advanced (at least). Sometimes, I do have trouble pulling the trigger or have some trouble deciding on the order and priority. I tend to stick to the one-a-week rule, but it's a soft rule and I think my stub count from last year (62) shows that I'm willing to double-up when needed (or I'm bored, or a limited release takes longer than expected to expand).
 So, this will be my monthly rundown of all the movies being released that I'm interested in seeing.

 3/1

The Lock: Jack The Giant Slayer

 Whoops. They changed the title

Why: My rule is generally to see the movies that have the most to gain by seeing in theaters. This definitely fits the bill. I've heard mixed things about it and it has the makings of a Jack Carter type box office bust, but I like Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, and Brian Singer (Director) and I'll be avoiding the 3-D showings. Who knows? It could be...good enough.
Odds I'll See It: 90%

In Consideration:
21 & Over - I think I learned my lesson with Project X last year, but my eternal search for the next Superbad could convince me to see this a week or two late if I hear really good things about it.
Odds I'll see it: 10%

Stoker - I like Mia Wasikowska, but the subject matter doesn't interest me a great deal and it's taking it's time to expand, which makes it hard to predict if I can see it.
Odds I'll see it: 5%

3/8

The Lock: Oz the Great and Powerful

I wonder if she is a good guy or bad guy?

Why: The first movie with honest blockbuster appeal. Reimaginations of known stories are fun. Mostly though, it's the names attached to this. Sam Rami directed. Starring James Franco (meh), Mila Kunis (woo), Michelle Williams (woo), and Rachel Weisz (woo).
Odds I'll see it: 100%

In Consideration:
None

3/15

The Lock: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

 I hope the costumes aren't the funniest part.

Why: Behind action movies, comedies are what I'm most likely to see in theaters. This looks to be of the ilk of a lot of Will Ferrell movies. While I fear it will be more similar to Semi-Pro, I'm keeping up hope that it'll be an Anchorman. We'll see.
Odd I'll see it: 70%

In Consideration:
The Call - It could be a fun thriller, but I think the preview takes away a lot of the fun of seeing this one.
Odds I'll see it: 5%

3/22

The Lock: Admission

 But by March 8, they mean March 22

Why: Tina Fey and Paul Rudd in a romantic comedy. Yes, please.
Odds I'll see it: 100%

In Consideration:
Spring Breakers - I'm not even going to try explaining why I'll be looking for this one to expand to me. Hint: It's not James Franco.
Odds I'll see it: 50%

3/29

The Lock: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

 I opted for an older, sans-Channing Tatum poster.

Why: I'll admit, I've been on board for this one since I saw the first preview. It looks like it could be a good recalibration of the series (the first movie was not bad as much as forgettable, which is kind of worse). I will not be seeing the 3-D if I can help it though.
Odds I'll see it: 90%

In Consideration:
The Host - If it looks like this is going to be a mega-hit like Twilight, I may opt to see this now instead of catching up years later. Likelihood of either is low.
Odds I'll see it: 1%