CECtheRonin

The LEGO Movie took me completely by surprise and blew my socks off. By all rights, it had no right to be good, as it seemed like a complete complete cosh cow movie. But somehow, it turned out to be the one of the most imaginative and fun movies for the whole family that takes a twist into straight up meta commentary by the end. The big thing that makes the movie run so well, apart from the really fast comedy coming at you most of the time, comes from the fact that it is, in fact, a LEGO movie, thus everything is based around LEGO physics, motion, and logic. This leads to a lot of jokes and clever use of the set pieces, which I mean quite literally. Honestly, I don’t think the movie would have worked if it took itself completely seriously, but since the plot runs on complete irony, that’s not a problem. Oh, and the acting is superb too, including Charlie Day, who I never would have recognized were it not for the credits. I’m not sure if anyone who hasn’t played with LEGOs or had a kid who did so would enjoy this movie as much apart from the subtle adult jokes that would slip past the kids, but maybe they could. It’s one of the most upbeat, charming, grin-inducing movies that I’ve seen in a while and I think it deserves a watch. Go out and feel like a kid again.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was a huge disappointment, at least until the third act where it became halfway decent. The first two acts were a constant parade of exposition and action scenes with almost no time for character development. On top of that, the pacing, acting (save for the main actress), and script are fairly poor. Plot threads are set up and left dangling, possibly for the sequel or possibly because of the cut source material. Some reviews label it as the next Twilight, but to me it feels like the next Eragon. Twilight at least set time aside for characterization, though admittedly the romantic chemistry is just as bad. There are some redeeming moments, but those can't be discussed for spoiler reasons and they raise even more questions. The least that can be said about it is that it's entertaining, but the truth is that you've seen this movie before and better under many different titles. No need to waste your money on this one. Still better than Man of Steel, though.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty should have been heartwarming whimsical movie that I fell in love with, but instead frustrated me to no end. The biggest problem is that none of the characters act in a way that any relatable human being would, which culminates in a near end twist that really took me out of the movie. The parts that are clever or heartwarming come at the expense of being a paint-by-numbers cliche. The dialogue comes off as very awkward, which is intentional, but not the awkward that lends itself to good writing that someone like Joss Whedon can produce. I am sure that I will appreciate the message and the intent behind it, but I was too frustrated and bored to enjoy watching it.

This Is The End is a movie that really shouldn't have worked, yet had me doubled over laughing for the entire film. The idea of a bunch of Hollywood actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves as a band of survivors in the Biblical Apocalypse sounds like something that should fall flat on its face, but it surprisingly carries the whole way through, in part because the actors look like they're having a ball making it. To say more would risk spoiling some hilarious scenes, so I'll give you some brief non-spoiler comedic highlights: Jonah Hill's shtick as the nicest guy in the world, Jason Siegel lampooning his own role on How I Met Your Mother, Michael Cera as an unapologetic sex and cocaine addict, anything that Craig Robinson does, the fake trailer for Pineapple Express 2, and EVERYTHING involving Emma Watson. So if you're into getting some unapologetically raunchy and ridiculous comedy with a surprising amount of heart, catch it in theaters while you can. That said, approach with caution if you're allergic to the Backstreet Boys because you'll have that stuck in your head after you're done.

August: Osage County is a film about an extremely dysfunctional family that is not afraid to go to some very uncomfortable places. Every person in the family has some secrets or vices and in lesser hands, it might feel like a soap opera. Some instances do feel like a soap opera, but a very watchable one. I actually think that this is a movie designed to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, right down to the laughs and the implication by the end that Julia Roberts' character may have become as bad as her mother played by Meryl Street. The big weak point that I see, as loathe I am to admit it because I like him, is Benedict Cumberbatch; I found his character a little too melodramatic, he disappears for almost the entire third act, and it's hard to tell if his southern accent is convincing or not. I'm hesitant to recommend this movie because I feel like it's an acquired taste and you won't walk away from it feeling joyful, but at the very least, I enjoyed it, so take that for what it's worth.

Just saw The Adventures of Tintin for the first time with my friend Robert. I've got to say, I did not expect to like it as much as I did. I don't know how faithful it is to the original comic, but it was a really fun and insanely creative adventure film. All the characters were memorable and likable in some way and the CG animation was stunningly detailed while keeping the cartoonish quality on the animation. All the actors are good (I actually thought that the lead actor was Elijah Wood, but it turns out that it's the guy who played Billy Elliot), but special attention should go to Andy Serkis (who you may know as Gollum) on his performance of the drunken ship captain. It shows that he's got a great comedic delivery and can hold his own as a secondary lead. Hopefully he gets more diverse work because of this rather than just voicing monsters. Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright penned the script with one other person and they give the film a very offbeat quality that I think puts this above a lot of animated adventure films. All in all, a really good experience that I wish I'd caught in theaters. Also, gotta give special props to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who play two very amusing dry comic relief characters. I always love when those two are in a movie together and this is no exception. Go see it.