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Reviews32
thefilmguru-3's rating
The Simpson's Movie has had movie critics dribbling at the prospect of it being the new movie to bash. It's perfect bait. With this much of a fan base and this much hype surrounding its release, even the public were waiting to hate it. But alas. Not even the critics are pretending to hate this film.
In a summer of hyped movies that have been major disappointments, (Pirates 3, Spiderman 3) The Simpson's Movie is a welcome injection of solid fulfilment and humour into this years solid blockbusting rubbish.
The creators have strived to adapt a fast paced television show into something audiences need to stay with for an hour and a half. With all the writers being used to making a passable, easy storyline for the TV show, it seems they thought the only way they can keep people interested is to see the relatable town in extraordinary situations. It sort-of works, but a lot of people may be disappointed by the change in pace and style from the TV show.
Scenes are able to stretch their legs in a longer running time, this aiming to make it not feel just like a long episode, but as you are still watching a 2D cartoon, it seems odd that it's subjected to such a mature structure. This does test the concentration as your brain instinctively expects a flicky, snappy, choppy, quick-scened riot.
But, the creators have been very wise, because while they have upped the running time and therefore the scene length, they have also upped the gag count. All the above criticism is all forgotten in the array of chuckle-worthy jokes flying at you every 30 seconds. Unlike the structure and pacing, they manage to keep the style of jokes loyal to the TV show. Homer repeatedly hurting himself and Homer strangling Bart are just some of the old favourites that have made it to the big screen. And these well known ones are mingled in with some genuinely strong and funny new material. This silencing some that say that The Simpson's has run out of steam. But, people who are new to The Simpson's (who aren't many), will not get the inside jokes which clog up quite a lot of the scenes. This is because the film sets off expecting everyone to know the characters already, therefore the people who don't, may not get some gags which are related to certain character traits.
But it never overstays its welcome. After all I've said about The Simpson's relishing the chance at breathable scenes, they still never forget that at its core, it's a TV show, and usually we only intend to stay with these characters for half an hour. Therefore they clearly and nicely round it off at one and a half hours.
All in all I believe that The Simpson's hasn't disappointed, but while its humour isn't an acquired taste, I still believe this is mostly only going to entertain the lovers of the TV show, due to the many nudge-nudge-wink-wink styled inside jokes. However, in a cinematic age of action movies and things blowing up, The Simpson's Movie is welcome as the only real intelligent thing around with a few things blowing up to top it off.
In a summer of hyped movies that have been major disappointments, (Pirates 3, Spiderman 3) The Simpson's Movie is a welcome injection of solid fulfilment and humour into this years solid blockbusting rubbish.
The creators have strived to adapt a fast paced television show into something audiences need to stay with for an hour and a half. With all the writers being used to making a passable, easy storyline for the TV show, it seems they thought the only way they can keep people interested is to see the relatable town in extraordinary situations. It sort-of works, but a lot of people may be disappointed by the change in pace and style from the TV show.
Scenes are able to stretch their legs in a longer running time, this aiming to make it not feel just like a long episode, but as you are still watching a 2D cartoon, it seems odd that it's subjected to such a mature structure. This does test the concentration as your brain instinctively expects a flicky, snappy, choppy, quick-scened riot.
But, the creators have been very wise, because while they have upped the running time and therefore the scene length, they have also upped the gag count. All the above criticism is all forgotten in the array of chuckle-worthy jokes flying at you every 30 seconds. Unlike the structure and pacing, they manage to keep the style of jokes loyal to the TV show. Homer repeatedly hurting himself and Homer strangling Bart are just some of the old favourites that have made it to the big screen. And these well known ones are mingled in with some genuinely strong and funny new material. This silencing some that say that The Simpson's has run out of steam. But, people who are new to The Simpson's (who aren't many), will not get the inside jokes which clog up quite a lot of the scenes. This is because the film sets off expecting everyone to know the characters already, therefore the people who don't, may not get some gags which are related to certain character traits.
But it never overstays its welcome. After all I've said about The Simpson's relishing the chance at breathable scenes, they still never forget that at its core, it's a TV show, and usually we only intend to stay with these characters for half an hour. Therefore they clearly and nicely round it off at one and a half hours.
All in all I believe that The Simpson's hasn't disappointed, but while its humour isn't an acquired taste, I still believe this is mostly only going to entertain the lovers of the TV show, due to the many nudge-nudge-wink-wink styled inside jokes. However, in a cinematic age of action movies and things blowing up, The Simpson's Movie is welcome as the only real intelligent thing around with a few things blowing up to top it off.
The Painted Veil has it all going for itself. Naomi Watts and Edward Norton leading, two great actors. An interesting theme and issue, Cholera in China in 1920 and a great location to tease beauty from, but none of this is taken to its advantage.
Director John Curran shoots this self-named political romance in a way where it's so trying to be unique, that it turns out to be not so. Curran seems to refuse to even attempt at pulling away from the dreary, wooden lifestyle of the early 1900's that is so majorly presented in other films, and therefore throughout the film seems to sort of descend into not even trying to be unique anymore.
Having not much earlier experience or success, Curran seems to have jumped at the opportunity of a movie about a politically buckling country, after seeing the Oscar success those types of films have had recently. Namely, The Last King of Scotland and Blood Diamond. In all the excitement however, Curran seems to have forgotten that to have winning political films like them, the films have to be good.
But, I shouldn't rant on about John Curran when the obvious major culprit is the screenwriter. Ron Nyswaner tries but fails at creating thought provoking and understated dialogue and story. It's heartbreaking when you can tell he has obviously tried at making it these things when it just turns out to look flimsy and thin under the influence of such a promising cast. Edward Norton strives to get something out of his sketchy and single-mooded character but again, fails, just like the rest of the crew on this film.
However, there are moments of genuine flair, but this only occurs in obvious exciting bits, which makes you think the Director only chose to do the film for these sequences. Long half hour dull patches are injected with 1 minute scored sequences of someone dying of cholera and the disgust on Edward Norton's face, and despite these only being the good bits because, finally, there's something interesting to watch, you do feel that there may be a tiny bit of promise for the rest of the film, but guess what the score stops, Norton stops looking disgusted, and we cut to Naomi Watts, sitting in a chair sighing again.
The writer seems to have run out of ink only when he had established 2 plot lines, a novelty guard, and the idea that making the characters British makes them deep in itself.
Somehow, however, this film drags these 2 plot lines, the guard and the British accents along with it for the whole 2 and a bit hours, to solidify the fact that Naomi Watts isn't as good as everyone says, that just because movies are about redemption and political issues with foreigners, it doesn't make them good, and that The Painted Veil, overall, is a thin, and boring movie.
Director John Curran shoots this self-named political romance in a way where it's so trying to be unique, that it turns out to be not so. Curran seems to refuse to even attempt at pulling away from the dreary, wooden lifestyle of the early 1900's that is so majorly presented in other films, and therefore throughout the film seems to sort of descend into not even trying to be unique anymore.
Having not much earlier experience or success, Curran seems to have jumped at the opportunity of a movie about a politically buckling country, after seeing the Oscar success those types of films have had recently. Namely, The Last King of Scotland and Blood Diamond. In all the excitement however, Curran seems to have forgotten that to have winning political films like them, the films have to be good.
But, I shouldn't rant on about John Curran when the obvious major culprit is the screenwriter. Ron Nyswaner tries but fails at creating thought provoking and understated dialogue and story. It's heartbreaking when you can tell he has obviously tried at making it these things when it just turns out to look flimsy and thin under the influence of such a promising cast. Edward Norton strives to get something out of his sketchy and single-mooded character but again, fails, just like the rest of the crew on this film.
However, there are moments of genuine flair, but this only occurs in obvious exciting bits, which makes you think the Director only chose to do the film for these sequences. Long half hour dull patches are injected with 1 minute scored sequences of someone dying of cholera and the disgust on Edward Norton's face, and despite these only being the good bits because, finally, there's something interesting to watch, you do feel that there may be a tiny bit of promise for the rest of the film, but guess what the score stops, Norton stops looking disgusted, and we cut to Naomi Watts, sitting in a chair sighing again.
The writer seems to have run out of ink only when he had established 2 plot lines, a novelty guard, and the idea that making the characters British makes them deep in itself.
Somehow, however, this film drags these 2 plot lines, the guard and the British accents along with it for the whole 2 and a bit hours, to solidify the fact that Naomi Watts isn't as good as everyone says, that just because movies are about redemption and political issues with foreigners, it doesn't make them good, and that The Painted Veil, overall, is a thin, and boring movie.
Finally the fifth Harry Potter movie is here. The franchise has been through too many ups and downs to count in the public eye. Disagreements galore over which movies are good, which adapts most faithfully and so on. We've had the magical but hollow first two, the darker, stylish and faithful third, the larger, bolder, more adult fourth, and now the fifth.
The fifth is a mixture of them all really, director David Yates has obviously learnt, and learnt well, from the mistakes of his predecessors, taking the previous potter criticism to his advantage, but this sudden change in filming a Potter movie disconcerts you for a margin of the film, preventing it from having a more rounded, fulfilling pay-off, which instalments three and four did so well (and which the first two failed miserably at, both fading out to an awkward, beaming Daniel Radcliffe in the great hall. Director for both, Christopher Columbus, not seeming to know how to end the movies but with that shot).
Yates was given a tougher job than the rest though, having to adapt the fifth, bloated and one of the worst Harry Potter books, but he excels. He creates this slow book a sense of pace and intrigue, but with this being the adaption of the longest Harry Potter book, into the shortest running time of a Harry Potter film, some of the best bits are shortened or montaged to save time and you do feel slightly rushed in places. However, Yates redeems himself by doing all this without making you feel at loss from a lot of the book like movie four did.
Not underestimating his audience, Yates really does wash out a lot of the pizazz of Harry Potter, darkening the tone another level. However there's always a well delivered quip coming up soon to relax the brain.
Yates faithfully falls back on Rowling's' teachings when creating a vital character or set, not wanting to rile up Potter nuts, and he does this rightly so.
The script is business as usual, no Potter movie yet, including this one, has even tried to meddle on the already immaculate story and dialogue created by J.K Rowling, and there's no need to, despite the odd feeling of déjà vu or the generic style still being carried on from movie number one. The only reason these feelings are cast aside is because of the unbelievable line up of actors gracing the screen every 5 minutes. Helena Bonham Carter, although only portraying the small role of Bellatrix Lestrange in book five, stands out and brings her character alive. The teenage cast also has greatly improved, especially the main three, who have proved they can finally act, and new young additions are fantastic.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a great addition to the movie franchise, and is up there with films three and four as the best yet. Parents my finally fully look forward taking their kids to a Harry Potter movie.
The fifth is a mixture of them all really, director David Yates has obviously learnt, and learnt well, from the mistakes of his predecessors, taking the previous potter criticism to his advantage, but this sudden change in filming a Potter movie disconcerts you for a margin of the film, preventing it from having a more rounded, fulfilling pay-off, which instalments three and four did so well (and which the first two failed miserably at, both fading out to an awkward, beaming Daniel Radcliffe in the great hall. Director for both, Christopher Columbus, not seeming to know how to end the movies but with that shot).
Yates was given a tougher job than the rest though, having to adapt the fifth, bloated and one of the worst Harry Potter books, but he excels. He creates this slow book a sense of pace and intrigue, but with this being the adaption of the longest Harry Potter book, into the shortest running time of a Harry Potter film, some of the best bits are shortened or montaged to save time and you do feel slightly rushed in places. However, Yates redeems himself by doing all this without making you feel at loss from a lot of the book like movie four did.
Not underestimating his audience, Yates really does wash out a lot of the pizazz of Harry Potter, darkening the tone another level. However there's always a well delivered quip coming up soon to relax the brain.
Yates faithfully falls back on Rowling's' teachings when creating a vital character or set, not wanting to rile up Potter nuts, and he does this rightly so.
The script is business as usual, no Potter movie yet, including this one, has even tried to meddle on the already immaculate story and dialogue created by J.K Rowling, and there's no need to, despite the odd feeling of déjà vu or the generic style still being carried on from movie number one. The only reason these feelings are cast aside is because of the unbelievable line up of actors gracing the screen every 5 minutes. Helena Bonham Carter, although only portraying the small role of Bellatrix Lestrange in book five, stands out and brings her character alive. The teenage cast also has greatly improved, especially the main three, who have proved they can finally act, and new young additions are fantastic.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a great addition to the movie franchise, and is up there with films three and four as the best yet. Parents my finally fully look forward taking their kids to a Harry Potter movie.