June 2007

Ratatouille (2007)

This one is AN ABSOLUTE MUST!

I went to the opening night show (midnight on a weekday, mind you), and never regretted the two hours of the show, nor the grogginess in the morning. And even the closing titles were beautiful.

Unlike many Disney films, the Ratatouille is touching without crossing it to the big pink candy bubbles. The morale bits are short enough to not to annoy. The sprinklings of tiny details is like a good dose of spice that makes the result even more tasty. Surprisingly, despite being set in a food-rich environment, it did not induce any appetite.

Animation techniques have went one more step forward. An electrified rat and a wet rat both look very convincing. The almost-rat-eye perspectives are refreshing and also 100% convincing. Lighting and transparency have always been good with Pixar.

Someone also went out of his or her way to do the Russian translation. It is surprisingly on the money.

I wonder, why there wasn’t a single cat in the whole film? Will have to go see again to try to figure it out.

10/10 and no-nonsense!

Bruce Almighty (2003)

This is one of very few movies with Jim Carrey (another, and probably even the only other, example is The Mask) that I was able to watch without flinching every time Jim appeared on the screen. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t goofing too much, maybe I became more tolerant, maybe he’s getting better. Who knows.

Anyway, this was a funny and not overly moralizing way to show one’s way to G-d. Maybe just a bit scoutish. A family movie for sure, and not without some points.

Watch it once, and then go and read the Gospels at least — or whichever other Holy Book you fancy. While someone can show you the benefits of thinking, in the end it’s up to you to do the thinking for yourself. Nobody else can, even if they tell you otherwise.

Blades of Glory (2007)

Now this one was unexpectedly good, and I disagree with those who say this movie is similar to the Ancorman. The latter is not even remotely funny, you know.

The Blades of Glory touch (and sometimes kick hard) all the painful spots of modern sports and especially the figure skating (duh). One wonders why there are so few Russians in the background, but then the Blades were shot in 2007, when Russia’s already lost all positions.

The actors are decent. I’d give them a solid B. They make this winners-turned-losers-returned-winners routine worth its popcorn all right. Mostly the characters resemble the Ken dolls in the hands of a psycho, but they do it nicely. After all, they are SUPPOSED to be cardboard. Giving these cardboard characters a bit of soul is a difficult feat, but some (not all) of them manage. This is an extra, of course.

By the way, don’t miss the bonus in the titles.

Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)

Ocean’s Eleven had an improbable plot. Ocean’s Twelve brought that to impossible. Now Ocean’s Thirteen have it in the Sci-Fi area. Does anybody care? Hardly.

A perfectly balanced system akin to all-time favorite The Incredible Machines unfolds into a light but very well presented extravaganza. They didn’t get Julia Roberts into this one, but that’s probably for the better.

Don’t pay too much attention to some of the more recognizeable bits of cliche plot items (some dating to de Funes times or even earlier), yield to the roller coaster, and enjoy the ride, because it’s really good.

Is there anything specific and noteworthy? Not really.

Bourne Identity, The (2002)
Bourne Supremacy, The (2004)

I’d never expected that I’ll enjoy a not very thought-provoking action movie. However, I must confess, the so far available Bourne movies have been quite an entertainment.

There isn’t much to think about (and even a few episodes where sweet pink bubbles overflow the screen), but the action is engaging, and Matt Damon’s still an eye candy for those who care.

The incredible coincidences make one think that Bourne is probably a genious of timing – or gets it intuitively. Otherwise the story is fairly credible (unlike Mindhunters, for example), and doesn’t induce nausea.

Seems like the movies have little to do with the books (maybe I should read them first and say this only afterwards), but Bourne Ultimatum, I am certainly going to see, and in the theatre too.

7/10 for each