Movie Review--Times Two

Okay, so I'm a bit behind in my movie reviews. So, I have two for you. I shall begin with the most recent, the one I left not ten minutes ago.

Transporter 2

I liked the original Transporter. It was good, but not overdone. I can't say the same for the sequel. Oh, it was good. Very entertaining. If you want action, action, and more action, this is your flick. If you want cheesy dialouge (hey, it's an action flick, what do you expect) this movie is for you. If you want fight scenes that would make Jackie Chan envious, look no further. But overdone? I'm afraid so.

Namely, the special effects. Hollywood has gotten SO good at realistic special effects, that the studios have slipped deep into One-Up manship. Transporter 2's stunts get bigger and bigger, and it isn't long until they slip into the realm of "Oh, come ON!" It's also too easy to spot where the computer generation begins. Not exactly seamless. Still, a heckuva ride, and a few really good laughs (although I'm not sure that is what the producers were looking for in the fight scenes). Lots of ooohs and aaahs and a few rounds of "Jiminy Christmas!" to be had. All in all, thumbs up on the fights and half a thumb on effects.

One of the BEST things about this movie...equal opportunity bad guys. The casting agents went out of their way to ensure that every race and ethnic group was included (yes, including Caucasians). I guess the theory is: If we offend everyone, we offend no one.

The good guy? One sexy Brit, Jason Statham as Frank Martin. I have had a thing for this guy for some time now, so of course I'm not going to say anthing bad about him...except that the shot where he took his shirt off was way too close up. 'Nuff said.

The Bond Chick. A newcomer, Kate Nauta. Model/Actress no doubt. (This was a Luc Besson project, and his penchant for using models (whether they can act or not) is well known ((see: The Fifth Element)). Ms. Nauta did a much better job than the trailer led me to believe she would. Still it was not all that great. She was there for the guys, of course, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

So, my final advice? See it. Theater or rental makes no difference, totally up to you. But turn your brain off and just enjoy.


Review #2 The Brothers Grimm

Sigh. I can't truly decide whether I liked this movie or not. I wanted to. Really, I did. But it just didn't grab me. Directed by Terry Gilliam (the biggest reason I wanted to like this movie), Brothers Grimm is a romp through the dark forests of eighteenth century Europe. I SO wanted supporting cast lines like: "Dennis, there's some lovely filth down 'ere." But, as oddball and charming as they were, the supporting cast just didn't have the "oomph" to do it for me.

Cheesy accents abound in this flick. German, French, Italian, English. Whatever. The settings are suitably dark, gloomy and downright creepy. Nice effects here, especially with the Enchanted Forest. But there was one thing that really, REALLY bugged me. Matt Damon's teeth. Mr. Damon has a wonderful set of large, perfect, white choppers. Totally out of place in this setting. They should have at least dulled them down somewhat. Heath Ledger's teeth are far less noticeable. Johnathon Price (cheesy French accent) was a nice suprise as well, no problem with his teeth, either.

It's a nice romp, really. The story line is okay, and worth spending the price of a rental fee, definately. But, trust me on this: think twice before paying theater prices. Sorry, Terry.