Movie Reviews

“No one in this family has any imagination!” -Judy Moody

I write film reviews for iRATEfilms.com. Here is an excerpt from my review for Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer:

The Berggren Bottom Line: Judy Moody seemed like a wannabe combination of Dr. Seuss, Superfudge, and Pippi Longstocking for modern audiences, but it lacked any of the originality of those tales. This movie was not worth its weight in a box office ticket and treat prices for the family. Save yourself and go for a bike ride.

First, let me make it clear that my dislike for this film is not because it is for kids. In my bio you will see several kids films listed as my favorites. Second, let me say I am not familiar with the Judy Moody book(s) that this movie is based upon. I know nothing of them. They seem to be very popular and are probably very good, but this movie wasn’t.

The movie begins very promising. It starts on the last day of school before the summer starts. Everyone knows that’s the best day of school. Unfortunately, Judy gets ‘bummed’ because she finds out her best friends aren’t going be home for the summer. So they won’t be there to adventure with her. She’s destined for a bummer summer and audiences are destined for a bummer movie–literally…

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“For those who fight for it, life has a flavor that those who don’t will never know.”

-from the movie Sucker Punch. I have started writing reviews for iRATEfilms.com. My first review is for the movie Sucker Punch releasing today. So here is my review:

Pretty girls scantily outfitted in leather with lots of big weapons fighting samurai, Nazi’s, zombies, ghouls, dragons, and robots. For some that is enough. But I’m no longer 15. I need a bit more.

In Sucker Punch, Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300, Dawn of the Dead) has created a film that vacillates between reality and fantasy, fantasy and reality, and fantasy and fantasy. But it isn’t as confusing as it sounds. It’s all about “girl power” sticking it to the man (literally) in the thick of fantastical battlegrounds.

Textured with impressive special effects and 80’s songs remade (which I really liked), it clearly strives to be trendy. My favorite background song was the remake of “Asleep” by The Smiths. There is hardly a more ethereal and moody song. It was the perfect selection for the main character, Babydoll, lamenting her new demise in an insane asylum waiting for an unnecessary lobotomy. It was also the perfect fit and set-up for the film overall—perhaps even the most powerful moment in the film. It was also great to hear Björk make an appearance on the soundtrack as well…

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I saw the gospel according to Terminator Salvation with Christian Bale this weekend. I really liked it. It was well worth the $8 I spent on the ticket. Some movies you just have to see on the big screen.

Once again, we enter a sci-fi story this summer based on the old time-vortex (like Star Trek). It will Swiss Cheese your mind if you try to figure out how this all started. In fact, I was driving home after the movie with my friends laughing as I said (and we tried to figure out), “Which came first: the Terminator or embrio?” It was a play on the age-old philosophical question on origins about the chicken and the egg. Where exactly did John Connor come from? That will bake your mind a little. Is the nerd alert going off?

Anyway, the story worked well-enough and carried the film just fine. As I always say, you have to accept a little ping-pong with the timeline if you are going to watch and enjoy sci-fi. However, there were dull moments. There seemed to be very little emotional buy-in created, as if it was all a little routine. Overall I enjoyed it.

Christian Bale is a great actor. I have always liked him ever since he carried Empire of the Sun for 3 hours at such a young age so many years ago.

The only bad thing, was the new Terminator and supporting actor role played by Sam Worthington. It’s not that he did a bad job. In fact, he was very good. But his accent kept creeping through, and it was a distraction. Not because it was bad or hard to understand. But because it didn’t seem to fit his character.

The good news is, this gives a new birth to create many more movies. I’ve been watching Terminator now for 25 years. Maybe I’ll be watching it for 25 more!

Terminator Salvation was a good revival of an old sci-fi story.

I saw the new Star Trek this weekend. What can I say? This movie was incredible. As soon as it began, the actions started. It was, by far, the best movie I’ve seen this year. JJ Abrams did a wonderful job retelling this story for a new generation of viewers while respecting the fans of old (yes, that’s me!).

The casting was great. They were young and relatively unknown. But they were all good actors. That was good for two reasons: 1) It made you focus on the character and 2) It makes it cheaper to keep the franchise going in the future. And I’m sure they will do sequels.

The weakest part of the movie was the story. It was still very good, but it’s always a little tricky doing the whole time-vortex thing–not to mention a major sci-fi cliché. But, as a die hard sci-fi fan, I have learned to accept the time-vortex as an unavoidable element of the genre. What can you do? Even better, the story did a good job of laying the groundwork for many sequels to come.

Anyway, go see it. You won’t regret it.

Star Trek boldly went to new places.

So last weekend was my wedding anniversary. Of the many things we did, we managed to get out and see I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.

The basic premise is that the main character, played by Paul Rudd, is getting married. The problem is, he doesn’t have any guy friends to be his best men. So he sets on on a quest for a best friend–a strange tension for a guy.

It was quite funny. I have to admit, there was a lot of cussing and sexual
innuendo. So be aware if you go see it. But I also have to admit, I laughed a lot. And it was a good date movie because it had some yuks for guys too. It wasn’t a straight up chick flick, which I always have to pretend to like more than I really do so the date does well…

I Love You, Man was a good time, man.

Friday is for fun, so let’s have some.

This weekend I stole away and saw Taken with Liam Neeson. I really like it. It was very good and full of action, which is always good.

I have to warn you. It deals with the very heavy subject matter of trafficking woman. In the movie, the main character’s daughter get’s kidnapped while on vacation in Europe. Let’s just say, he takes matters into his own hands.

I like Neeson. I always have. In this movie he is extraordinarily skinny. I know it fits the character, but it looks painful. He is a very tall guy (6’3″ I think). But he was so skinny in this film, he didn’t look tall at all.

Taken took me for a ride for 90 minutes.

I saw the new Bond film Quantum of Solace yesterday. It was very good.

Action, action, action. That’s what Daniel Craig brings to the character of James Bond. I see it take form in two ways in the way he plays the role.

He makes Bond somewhat emo. That is to say, there is some pain and unresolved internal pain that helps form his approach to finding truth. Craig’s face even seems to communicate pain very well. It is love lost, in this case (and possibly an isolated upbringing contributes too). It helps to explain why he is so devoted to his craft. In many ways, he is very much a Bond that grew up in Generation X. So bond has feelings. It helps form the basis of his sense of honor and loyalty and explains why he can kill and pursue a goal so singularly and without conscience (if it is a threat to the object of his love).

He is brutal. This probably build on his whole emo thing. Craig plays such physical and savage rendition of Bond. I really like this take on the character (kind of like the recent take on Batman too). He is a licensed killer, after all. Someone who can kill so efficiently has to be off-center a little.

Quantum of Solace is a huge success.

This weekend I took my kids to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Of course you know I love all things Star Wars. And I loved this movie. More importantly, my kids loved it. I have had Jedis and Sith Lords running around all week chopping off my hands and stabbing me in the gut with their light sabers. And that’s what it’s all about.

The story is set somewhere between episode 2 & 3. Annakin hasn’t become Vader yet. He’s still good. And it was great to hear that some of the actors that were in the other movies did the voice-overs for their characters in this one. It was fun and action-packed. And they did a great job of telling another part of the mythology in a way that was new and original even though we all know what is eventually going to happen.

I want Star Wars to be part of my kids like it became part of me at a very young age. It’s a magical story. One about the power of the individual and also the strength of teamwork. It tells us that the odds might be totally stacked against us and there might be no hope at all, but there is always a way-if you believe.

The funny things is, I haven’t pushed Star Wars on my kids at all. But they have just naturally gravitated to the characters and story without ever even seeing any of the movies before this past Sunday. I think that’s because there is something very special about it. In a way, it combines all the best elements of Greek mythology, tales of knights and wizards, and cowboy westerns, with a dash of romance to keep the attention of the ladies.

Can you tell I am thrilled to be able to share this experience with my kids?

The Clone Wars was an amazing new side of a told story that never gets old!

I remember when I saw the first Hellboy. It looked kind of ‘B’-rate and I didn’t expect much. I was pleasantly surprised.

I saw Hellboy II this weekend. It was so good. I loved it.

The effects were great. The guy who did Pan’s Labyrinth (which I hated but the effects were amazing) directed it. The story was good. And it was filled with that hilarious Hellboy humor.

Ron Perlman plays the role well. Even though he is technically a B-actor, I always liked him.

So go to Hell[boy] and see it!