04.02.08
Posted in family, reviews at 6:24 pm by FilmFemme
There are remakes that are done for the right reason - that truly bring something new and different - a new perspective or a new twist - to the table that is cinema. Nim’s Island does none of these things. But the real tragedy is that it’s not even a remake.
Nim Rusoe (Abigail Breslin) is an 11 year old girl who lives on a remote island with her scientist/widower father, Jack (Gerard Butler). One suspiciously sunny day, Jack is scheduled to go on a sea expedition and Nim refuses to go along, insisting she stay alone on the island and help hatch the sea turtle’s eggs. With an ominous “See you in two days,” Jack sets out to sea. The first night Jack is gone, a storm hits! Deceptively plucky Nim survives it just fine, but Jack is not so lucky and gets stranded at sea. Nim’s only hope for survival (not to mention to save her island from rowdy, drunken, uncouth and overweight Americ…I mean, Australian tourists) is Nim’s favorite adventurer on paper, one Alex Rover. But Nim doesn’t know that the rugged and courageous Alex is actually a creation of obsessive compulsive San Fransican Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster) who has been emailing Jack for help with her latest book. Despite her fears, neuroses and tightly wound urbanity, Alexandra decides to track down Nim and help her. What follows (and, to be fair, what precedes) is a jumbled, predictable, uneven, hypersentimental mess that leaves a smudge across Jodie Foster’s Oscars more noticeable than her impossibly toned legs.
Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
03.01.08
Posted in misogyny, family, comedy, animated, reviews at 8:09 pm by FilmFemme
Ratatouille just beat out Persepolis for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars (boo) and then it showed up from Netflix yesterday! Since it beat such an awesome (if subtitled) movie and has been advertised as The Best Reviewed Movie Of The Year, I was hoping it would be pretty great. But it was pretty mediocre.
The oh-so-complicated plot involves a rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who wants to be a chef so he teams up with this kid named Alfredo Linguini (oh, great name.) who has a job in a kitchen but is completely inept at cooking. Together, they have to save the restaurant without letting people know that a rat is actually doing the cooking. I know, you’re totally in suspense right now, but I’m not going to spoil it for you!
Ok, I will.
The restaurant gets shut down by the health inspector but it’s OK because they open a new restaurant that magically doesn’t have to adhere to health codes and everyone lives H.E.A. Also, they convince a critic to stop being a jerk and Alfredo falls in love with Jeanine Garafalo who has a French accent. (The movie takes place in Paris, but most of the people & rats aren’t French for some reason).
So, it’s no Toy Story - in terms of story or voice talents - but it’s OK, not bad, great for kids probably.
Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
12.19.07
Posted in family, double feature, comedy, animated, reviews at 11:35 am by FilmFemme
Enchanted
I like princesses, big song productions and McDreamy as much as the next girl. If not more. But 2 hours? Come on.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
What is the deal with Jason Lee? I always think I like him. But I’m pretty sure that he can’t act. Like at all. I’m sure it’s hard to act with like fake chipmunks and stuff - but it can’t be harder than it is to act like you like Shannen Doherty.
But David Cross was awesome. Per usual.
Permalink