There is nothing I shall want: July 2008

"Why So Serious?" was the tagline of this blockbuster movie of the Summer of 2008. And indeed, serious it was. Too serious.

Before I go into the movie review proper, here's the standings for the Box Office.

Dark Knight Sets New Opening Day Record!

Source: Box Office Mojo

July 19, 2008

Box Office Mojo is reporting that Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight has set a new opening day record with $66.4 million in a record 4,366 theaters (including 94 IMAX theaters) nationwide.

The Dark Knight's Final Tally? $158.4 Million!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety

July 21, 2008

On Sunday, Warner Bros. Pictures estimated that The Dark Knight had earned $155.3 million its opening weekend. Turns out, that was low! The final figures show that Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins follow-up took in a record-breaking $158.4 million over the Friday-to-Sunday frame, easily beating the $151.1 million opening of Spider-Man 3 in May 2007.

Special Thanks and Source: www.superherohype.com

"Batman Begins" created a clear-cut origin for the comic book character based within the real world, and "The Dark Knight" takes that one step further, venturing further into the world of true crime dramas. The most fascinating new ingredient to "The Dark Knight" is the reintroduction of The Joker, a disarmingly different take by the late Heath Ledger. This Joker doesn't boogie to a Prince soundtrack and crack jokes about toys; this is an evil and horrifying villain, clearly insane and unpredictable as he wantonly maims and kills anyone who crosses his path. Unlike the 1989 counterpart, Jack Nicholson, who actually brings a smile to the audience and is actually funny. The new Joker is more scary than funny in more ways than one.

Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is another unforgettable offering from the visionary that defies all expectations by creating a serious "superhero" movie for grown-ups, one so grounded in a brutal reality you're left in a cold sweat by its stalwart refusal to cater to escapist fantasies. While one might hesitate to throw around overused words like "masterpiece," it's refreshing that "The Dark Knight" is not a movie that can be viewed and easily discarded like so much other summer fare.

Finally, there's one scene where the Joker makes the citizens of Gotham make a dramatic choice in order to save their lives. I don't want to spoil it here, but there were some good aspects of the scene and some very cheesy aspects of the scene. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.

Rating: 8.5/10 - A Cut Above The Rest. Why So Serious?

Hancock
The Plot: An apathetic, hard-living superhero (Smith) who has fallen out of favor with the public is approached by a public relations professional (Bateman) who has ideas as to how he can repair his client's image.
The Review: Hancock isn't that action packed. It doesn't have a Superhero vs. Supervillan plot. I would probably describe it as a character study of the superhero. I think this movie does a better job of addressing some of the issues (and vices) a superhero probably would have if they existed today. The biggest conflict in the movie is within Will Smith's character's attitude, not necessarily good vs. evil.
This is an action movie, so it should come as no surprise to see well done and original action in the movie. However, I felt the effects could have used a few more weeks of polishing in the editing room. The camera is also quite crampy. I also have problems with the film's score, as it does not add an epic feeling to the film like it should have. I felt like something was missing in the climax of the film (which is not the end). The action scenes, while entertaining and original, were not long enough to engage the audience like say, The Incredible Hulk, nor were they as jaw dropping as those in Wanted.
Hancock is the classic case of great idea, and mediocre execution. I can see this idea being remade years from now, and pulled off even better. It's not a fault of Peter Berg, the film's director, as the real weakness is in the screenplay, which falters after an excellent and wonderful opening act. It's not a bad film by any means, nor is it great. It's in between "okay" and "good".
8/10 - You will relate with Hancock.

Wanted
The Plot: Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) is rescued from his miserable existence by the gun-toting Fox (Jolie), a member of the Fraternity, a group of assassins to which Wesley's recently murdered father belonged. As their new recruit, Wesley learns he's truly a chip off the old block as he is trained by Fox and the Fraternity's leader, Sloan (Freeman) -- but what secrets are they hiding?
The Review: Wanted is by far one of the best action movies of this summer. It was a very fun, wild ride from start to finish. It had many twists, turns, gore, blood, and action. Just strap in and get ready for one hell of a rollercoaster ride.
Wanted has pushed the limits of what an action movie should be (just as the Matrix did). They could not have picked better actors to be in this movie. James McAvoy (Wesley) brings a dorky, dark humor to the movie, Angelina Jolie brings a cocky, bad ass tone, and Morgan Freeman, well, what movie isn't he perfect in.
The theme of Wanted is all about taking charge of your life and making your own choices, something that the very premise of the first hour of the film both adheres to and contradicts. Rather than analyze it here (and waste time arguing the pleasantly mad logic of a movie where bullets bend stylishly), I'll leave that to the people who inevitably will, assuming the bullet-fu and gore don't completely captivate them (and they should). Wanted IS violent, truly, and yet it doesn't strive to turn every frame into a gory, action-packed orgasm. The film handles it with grace and a style I sorely wish more action movies took into consideration.
This really isn't a superhero comic adaptation...it's The Matrix with a great sense of humor.
Enjoy it. I did.
8/10 - Angelina is back!

Get Smart
The Plot: Maxwell Smart (Carrell), Agent 86 for CONTROL, battles the forces of KAOS with the more-competent Agent 99 (Hathaway) at his side.
The Review: Steve Carell is at his best. He is incredible as Maxwell Smart. He does channel Don Adams when appropriate, but really makes the character his own. His chemistry on-screen with Anne Hathaway, who plays Agent 99, is great. There's been some complaints about the age difference, but they clear that up in the film.
The story line is solid and helps introduce this great spy comedy to a new generation. The cast is absolutely stacked, Alan Arkin, the Rock, Dave Koechner all kick ass and help make 'Get Smart' an instant classic.
If you were a fan of the original 'Get Smart' series, there's no question you'll love this movie. Check it out. Really.
8/10

Love Guru
The Plot: Pitka (Meyers) an American raised outside of his country by gurus, returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business. His first challenge: To settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player (Malco) whose wife left him for a rival lover (Timberlake) before the NHL Stanley Cup.
The Review: Seriously, it should be called, "Love Gundu". People may think I am exaggerating how jaw droppingly awful this movie is, but I'm really not. This movie has earned it's place in the Bottom 100.
It's extremely stupid and the screenwriter clearly has no wit whatsoever. I noticed a lot of recylced jokes from early Mike Myers movies, but no one will notice because they too busy staring at Justin Timberlake's fake bulge. To add on, Jessica Alba being there didn't help much either. She still looks the same in every movie she's acted in. King Kong, Fantastic 4, The Eye, Awake, Into the Blue, Good Luck Chuck. Please, at least get a haircut or straighten the hair or something!
Expect a ton of jokes about poop that aren't remotely funny. You'd have to force yourself to laugh. Do not waste your money on this offensive piece of crap. (Offensive being the jokes, crap being the person who told them.)
1/10 - one point for Jessica Alba
2/10

The Incredible Hulk
The Plot: Geneticist Bruce Banner (Norton) takes flight in order to understand -- and hopefully cure -- that the condition that turns him into a monster. Complicating his situation is the military initiative that wants him captured and controlled, as well as the arrival of a more-deadly nemesis: The Abomination.
The Review: For those that know only of the original comic book Hulk, the TV series Hulk, or the regrettable Ang Lee Hulk, you should know that this new version is a mixture of origins.
Story - intricate and intelligent, fast-paced, yet deeply explanatory, complex, yet easily taken in by non-geeks. Enough references to the true comic, alternate comic, and TV show. I surely was pleased.
CGI was great. Don't know why some have to nit-pick, but you can't please everyone, I guess. Action was wonderful with plenty of it! Highly recommended over the Ang Lee version.
7/10

The Happening
The Plot: A family is on the run after natural disaster threatens the entire planet.
The Review: Shyamalan has proved to us earlier that he can be as good as the best with masterpieces of cinema with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Yet, since then, he has declined steadily. Signs and Village were good movies, but with Lady in the Water and now The Happening, he has touched a level of incompetence that could never have been expected of him.
It starts with a stunning sequence of events that show people succumb to an unspecified threat – the brilliance of this opening repeated only once more for a five-minute sequence towards the end of the movie.
And to add woe, the actors do not do much to better the experience – Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel are grossly miscast. The camera scrutinizes the performance to a degree that requires an actor with strength in emotions – Wahlberg instead brings a physical presence that the role does not need. Zooey, on the other hand, struts around like in a Disney movie, not for once threatened by the pandemonium.
For now it is only the memory of the opening sequence, which can be proclaimed as mind-numbing greatness, which is really worth taking away from this movie. So much for a "happening" movie.
2/10 - one point for Mark Wahlberg
3/10

You Don't Mess With The Zohan
The Plot: A Mossad agent (Sandler) orchestrates a scenario that will allow him to move to New York City and reinvent himself as a hairstylist.
The Review: The critics are out in full force and tearing this movie up. I can relate with their criticism, this is a brainless comedy filled with cliche jokes, stereotypes, crude toilet humour, and so it's to be expected to receive a lot of negativity.
Having said that, I pretty much enjoyed this movie, the jokes never stopped coming. Adam Sandler is the type of actor you would look for if you were having a bad day and want to watch a brainless, popcorn flick that will most likely have you cracking up virtually the entire movie. If you are, I strongly recommend this movie. I admit that I liked Zohan, and I crap you not, you should not mess with him.
6/10

Kung Fu Panda
The Plot: Po (Black), a reluctant panda bear, is recruited by a team of Kung Fu masters and trained in the ways of the ancient martial art in order to protect the Valley of Peace from an evil snow leopard.
The Review: Expect nothing less from Jack Black, the story is simple but the execution was awesome. The animation was very rich and the colours were crisp and bright. The action sequences were breath-taking. There was a good mix of emotions and laughs. I don't really recommend this movie though, certainly it is marketed towards the kids/family entertainment.
7/10