The Pirates of the Caribbean Film Trilogy: An Apprecitation: Part 1

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Although it may seem like heresy to say it, I have to admit that I like the Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy more than The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Don’t get me wrong, I love both.  I also wouldn’t argue for a second that POTC is better than LOTR, it’s just that I like and enjoy one more than the other.  Sure, some of this comes down to personal preference.  It’s no secret that pirates (in a classical sense) and the open sea appeal to me, and that I’m a huge Disney fan, but there’s more to it than that.  I’ve read the Lord of the Rings books many times, including all of the appendices.  I’m a big fan.  But given the choice of what to watch, nine times out of ten I’ll pick Pirates.  My hope is that, in addition to proving that I’m crazy, this essay will encourage you to give Pirates of the Caribbean another chance, with an open mind, and will help you appreciate some things you might have missed before. Continue reading →

The Pirates of the Caribbean Film Trilogy: An Apprecitation: Part 2

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(click here to read part 1 of this analysis)

“A lost bird that never learned to fly.”

When discussing the characters of Pirates of the Caribbean, one must begin with Captain Jack Sparrow.  He is undoubtedly the main character of the story, even if it is not, in fact, his story being told.  I’ve always viewed Jack as the one doing the story telling.  He may be the one who is on screen the most, and he certainly is the catalyst for much of the story’s progression, but the movies aren’t really about him.  Jack Sparrow is certainly not your standard movie hero.  He’s not brave or courageous, he’s often selfishly motivated and while he’s not afraid of a fight, he’d much rather find another solution.  Perhaps the best word to describe him is witty.  Jack gives you the sense that he’s always the smartest person in the room, but is happiest when no one knows it. Continue reading →

Top 12 of 2010

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Overall, I found 2010 to be a pretty disappointing year at the movies.  I skipped many of the summer blockbusters, and those I did see, like Iron Man 2, were underwhelming.  I also skipped several of the major critical darlings for various reasons.  I wasn’t particularly interested in The Social Network; it just wasn’t a story that appealed to me.  I passed on Black Swan basically on principle, since I hated Darren Aronofsky’s last movie, The Wrestler, so much.  So in lieu of a “Top 10 movies of 2010” list, I’ve decided to do something slightly different.  I’ve compiled a list of my 12 favorite things from the movies this year.  They’re mostly what I would call “Movie Moments”, either particular scenes or sequences that stood out to me, and that I really enjoyed.  Sometimes it’s nothing more than a few seconds of film, sometimes it’s an entire scene or sequence of scenes, and in one case it’s an entire film.  Some movies have multiple spots on the list.  So here’s what I liked the most at the movies last year: Continue reading →

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards

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Once again, it’s time for Oscar predictions. Last year I aced Best Picture, Director and the Acting categories, but was 14/24 overall.

Best Short Film, Live Action:
Prediction: Wish 143
My Pick: N/A

Best Short Film, Animated:
Prediction: Day & Night
My Pick: Day & Night
I thought Pixar’s latest short was absolutely brilliant and it deserves the win, though I would give the Oscar to the “Tale of the Three Brothers” sequence from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 if it were eligible. Continue reading →

Tangled

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Since the debut of Toy Story there has been a debate about whether a computer animated musical could ever be a success. The argument was that computer animated characters are too realistic to believably break into song. As a result, musicals remained in the realm of hand-drawn animation, which had become troubling given the slow death of traditional animation. But leave it to Disney to reinvent the animated musical once again. Continue reading →

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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I’ve read The Chronicles of Narnia a couple times, and I absolutely love the first two films of the series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. So when Lucy and Edmond Pevensie arrive in the middle of a Narnian ocean with their annoying cousin Eustace, I know how they feel. Narnia is home to them, its their favorite place. The way they breathe deeply and smile widely once they realize where they are mirrors my feelings about returning to Narnia in story. Continue reading →

Glee Recap: “The Substitute”

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The mark of whether a TV guest star was a success or a failure is whether you would want to see them return. I guess we have to assume Gwyneth Paltrow was a success, because I hope we haven’t seen the last of Holly Holliday. Paltrow was a breath of fresh air in what has shaped up to be a somewhat intense season (bullies, religion, heart attacks… and that’s just Kurt’s storyline). She was charming and fun, and most importantly she seemed like she really wanted to be there. From jokes about hoarders and Lindsay Lohan to her blunt way of handling her students to some dynamite show-stoppers, she really upped the energy level of Glee (and the New Directions kids). Continue reading →

Alice in Wonderland

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When I heard that Disney was producing a live-action version of Alice in Wonderland I was both nervous and excited. I was never a fan of the animated “classic” and I felt it missed the point of the books entirely. So the new version offered a chance to either fix the mistakes of the earlier version (a la 2003’s Peter Pan), or a chance to fail again. Then when I heard it would be a Tim Burton/ Johnny Depp collaboration, my heart sank. The last time they did a remake/adaptation we were left with the absolutely horrible Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But I still had faith in the duo, with their many previous successes and their tremendous pool of talent to draw from. As the cast filled out better than I had hoped, and the images and trailers began emerging I allowed myself to hope that this time I wouldn’t be disappointed. When I found out that it was based on an original take of Alice’s story, rather than a direct translation, my excitement reached its peak. But I never, ever would have guessed what we were in store for. Continue reading →

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards

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Once again, it’s time for Oscar predictions. Last year I didn’t do as well as I’d like, so hopefully this turns out better. This year it’s all about Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker.

Best Short Film, Live Action:
Prediction: The Door
My Pick: N/A

Best Short Film, Animated:
Prediction: A Matter of Loaf and Death
My Pick: A Matter of Loaf and Death
You can’t ever go wrong with Wallace and Gromit. At least the Academy doesn’t think so. (Plus, best Aliens joke ever in this one.) Continue reading →

The Worst Movies of the 2000s: #5-1

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5) The Departed
That’s right, an Oscar winner for Best Picture is on my list of worst movies of the decade. This one is mostly a case of being enormously over hyped. A Martin Scorsese film with a cast that includes DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson, Wahlberg, Sheen and Baldwin should never be this bad. A horrible script of uninteresting characters and a cliché mix of good cop undercover with the mob and a bad cop playing traitor to his department make for a waste of film. Worst of all is Jack Nicholson’s mob boss, a character so over the top that he becomes annoying whenever he’s on screen. The plot is full of twists and turns but is always predictable, with the only surprise coming in a manner designed to elicit the loudest screams from the audience. And then ending, so obvious and insulting, is totally pointless. It’s such a shame that such talent was wasted, and even more of a shame that most people don’t even realize it’s a waste. Continue reading →