Let us start with Observe and Report. It's an uncomfortable movie to watch but it is nevertheless funny. When watching this movie, it's important to keep in mind that Ronnie Barnhardt is NOT supposed to be cheered for. He is a sociopath who also happens to be bi-polar. It's as much of a tragedy as anything else. If one goes into the movie with this in mind, the laughs are definitely there. I really have to give Jody Hill credit, it's edgier than most comedies nowadays. Will you like this movie? I'll answer this with another question: Do you find Eric Cartman funny?
Alright, next we have Crank: High Voltage. Image the original Crank to a factor of ten. More breasts, more violence, more absurdity, more editing, louder, the whole nine. You really have to see this movie to believe it. It's fast paced, doesn't take itself seriously and is generally a good time if you enjoy the action/comedy genre. Also, it probably helps if you're male. This movie is worth your money if for no other reason than the last 15 minutes. This is what self-awareness can do for a movie. Awesome stuff, probably not a yearly top 10 movie but it sure will keep you entertained for 80 or 85 minutes.
I also saw The Soloist. This movie was pushed back from the fall, presumably because it knew it didn't have awards potential and was gunning for box office instead. This movie is truly mediocre and can remember almost nothing about it which I suppose is as good of a review as any. It will offer almost nothing to your life.
Everybody remembers the stories surrounding Wolverine. Reshoots galore, a leaked work print, you name it. It didn't seem to affect the opening week box office as it managed something in the neighborhood of 85 million. A decent movie can expect a drop of 40 to 50%. What did Wolverine drop? An astonishing 70%. This means, quite simply, that word to mouth was pretty bad. Rightfully so, too. This movie was terrible. I'm also beginning to wonder if Hugh Jackman should be in anything other than broadway musicals. He's fantastic at that, but his performance as wolverine seemed awfully stagey. There was brutal character development, the dialog was generally pretty bad, and a massive Deus Ex Machina at the end. If you like Wolverine, rent the thing but other wise don't make believe they actually did something right.
Last weekend I saw Star Trek. I have to say this is the first good summer blockbuster of the season. It isn't particularly deep and you won't leave with the same awe that most had during The Dark Knight, but it was thoroughly entertaining, it wasn't insulting to the audience, there was great casting, and we move at a nice pace. Also, one doesn't have to be a Trekkie to enjoy it. In fact, I've heard it helps if you're not. The Acting was also pretty good and Chris Pine seems destined for stardom. Everyone was good, though. I was most worried about Zachary Quinto - mainly because his Heroes character isn't very deep, but he does a decent job here. Everything works for this movie, go see it.
Most recently, I saw Angels and Demons. This movie is miles and miles of stupid. It's entertaining on a - well it's better than cleaning house level, but really that's about it. The more and more I think of this movie, the more and more I really hate it. The main problem is that Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) solves crimes in such a way that the audience is just taken along for the ride. There is no way for us to play along at home. I felt stupid leaving this movie and also that I contributed nothing. Also, the timeline is absurd and hard to follow, the major plot is monumentally stupid and surely doomed to failure. If it wasn't on paper, the whole thing would fall in like a house of cards. I can almost hear the paper screaming at Dan Brown as it printed out. I don't know, I suppose this has a market. It isn't me, though.
So up to today, the one movie you should see if you have some spare cash is Star Trek. If I were to give it a grade, I'd say:
(remember now...the lower the better).
