Movies

[KoPP]

Watched Avatar yesterday with rcohen - excellent effects but pretty lame plot (ya gotta see it in 3D). Since my friends were sick today, I wound up hitting Sherlock Holmes. A pretty good yarn, and very entertaining if you aren't the type to expect the book on the screen. For the life of me, I can't understand why there was a huge line waiting to get into Alvin and the Chipmunks...oh yeah. Kids. Oy.

[rwcohen]

I thought that while the movie was stunning in 3d, it could have been about 45 minutes shorter. Enough was enough with the effects and the comic book characters. Plot, old and outdated, but surpassed by the effects. I was sitting there waiting for thE Terminator to come out and finish the movie.  Well worth it for the effects, gawd I could only imagine it in imax!

[MoT]

I went to get gas as Costco yesterday, and was wanting to go TO Costco. Oh my was it PACKED. So hit the Flixster App on my iPhone, and went over to see It's Complicated at Parkway Pointe. None of these actors are my favorites but they did a good job in the movie. I would say if you are over 50 to go see it, but apparently I hear younger folks are liking it too. There is a scene with Steve Martin that made me laugh so loud.

First time I have been to a movie with that funky fill-it-yourself Coke thing and wasn't able to get a refill. It was not that easy to climb the stairs so once I was up there, I was stuck until the theater was almost empty, in fear of falling down the steps. 

[totm]

and went over to see It's Complicated at Parkway Pointe. None of these actors are my favorites but they did a good job in the movie. I would say if you are over 50 to go see it, but apparently I hear younger folks are liking it too. There is a scene with Steve Martin that made me laugh so loud.

I thought it pretty dry and slow until the Harley character got going and then Steve Martin was Steve Martin.  People were laughing around us and I just didn't get it.

[Melomom]

Saw Fantastic Mr. Fox with Beer Beginner this evening.  It is really quite wonderful, very clever and so well done.  Not a children's movie, though children might enjoy it.  Lots of good lines that you catch only a step behind.  And the attention to detail is incredible.  it is at the Plaza so probably in theaters only a little while longer.

[freakerdude]

Sherlock Holmes was very good, but I am a fan of Guy Ritchie a la Snatch. The entire movie kept you interested along with having to concentrate on the English dialect. There wasn't as much injected humor as Snatch, but you can definitely pick up on his signatures in the movie. The amount of advertising they spent on TV alone was phenominal.

I might IMAX Avatar since I keep hearing good things.

[geonuc]

Saw Fantastic Mr. Fox with Beer Beginner this evening.  It is really quite wonderful, very clever and so well done.  Not a children's movie, though children might enjoy it.  Lots of good lines that you catch only a step behind.  And the attention to detail is incredible.  it is at the Plaza so probably in theaters only a little while longer.

Agreed - one of the better movies I've seen recently.

I thought about going to see Avatar on Christmas day, but when I arrived at the Chamblee Regal 24-plex, the very large parking lot was jammed and I thought better of it. I don't do well with crowds. Maybe this weekend.

[AndyBoy]

We went to see It's Complicated this afternoon and it got very average reviews but we enjoyed it very much. But then I enjoy anything Meryl Streep is in, she has great talent. Didn't end the way I thought it would but all in all a well done movie.

Previews of Robin Hood looked really serious, maybe more violent than Gladiator was. I will have to see that one by myself, no way my wife will watch a movie like that.

[loveATL]

I've seen 'The Blind Side' twice - once when friend was in town and again while Lt. Col loveATL was briefly in town.  Highly recommend it.  On the waiting list with AFPL for the book - it was highly recommended by an Ole Miss alum friend.

[Roxro]

Saw "It's Complicated" and I think I will have nightmares for years just thinking about sleeping with the "ex."  Thought it was pretty good, although I must admit that my favorite parts were the food (meals and pastry) as well as a "too die for" garden.  Would love some of the recipes.

[Beerbitch]

Saw "It's Complicated" and I think I will have nightmares for years just thinking about sleeping with the "ex."  Thought it was pretty good, although I must admit that my favorite parts were the food (meals and pastry) as well as a "too die for" garden.  Would love some of the recipes.

Not sure if these are "official" but here are some:

http://www.bakespace.com/members/profile/itsComplicated/36302/

[GabrielsDad]

Just finished watching "Up in the Air" which was really well acted and directed, but left me feeling a little depressed.  All the performances, from George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Bateman were top notch, and there was a not too surprising "twist" towards the end.  Overall I was impressed, just left me feeling a bit blue.  Maybe I'm getting too sentimental in my old age.  Time for some football or Spike TV!   

[Barnum]

Just finished watching "Up in the Air" which was really well acted and directed, but left me feeling a little depressed.  All the performances, from George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Bateman were top notch, and there was a not too surprising "twist" towards the end.  Overall I was impressed, just left me feeling a bit blue.  Maybe I'm getting too sentimental in my old age.  Time for some football or Spike TV!   

I agree, not a feel good movie.  We saw it this rainy Sunday afternoon which might have magnified the effect.  I also agree that everyone did a good job but I think about half way through we had both guessed what a couple of the twists were.  Worth seeing, but certainly a little sobering and not something to see if you've been recently down-sized (personally or professionally) and are looking to get away from life for a couple minutes.

[Barnum]

Did try the coke freestyle machine at the movie the other day.  Touch screen interface with seemingly unlimited combinations... I ended up with a cherry vault that tasted like cough syrup   

[The_Scientist]

FG and I saw Alice in Wonderland last weekend at the AMC in Kennesaw.  It was shown in 2-D, 3-D and IMAX versions there. We opted for the IMAX, although it was actually faux IMAX, not the three-story tall screen and complete visual field of the real thing, but just an extra large movie theater screen hanging in front of the regular one.  We still had to wear the dorky 3-D glasses as well.

As for the movie, I'll call it hit and miss.  Tim Burton is probably incapable of making a bad looking movie, and this concept is right up his alley, allowing him to indulge his whimsy and taste for the weird.  The Wonderland he conceived is pretty dark and dreary, not the stuff of childhood fantasy.  Some of the CGI effects are rather mechanical looking, while others like Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen with an oversized head are very well done.  The performances are all good, with Johnny Depp doing his usual unexpected turn as the Mad Hatter. 

Burton also chose to do Alice as a grown-up chafing at her arranged marriage to an upper class twit, something we've seen far too often as a premise.  When he has a good script like Sweeney Todd, he can make magic, but here it's not as strong, though not as bad as his misbegotten Planet of the Apes remake.