Last movie you watched?

[jekylljuice]

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Not to be confused with the live action remake of the late 1990s (which was by and large terrible, even if it did have Mark Williams in the cast), this is easily one of Disney's most spirited and endearing animated classics, and it was a pleasure to catch up with it again after so many years thanks to a special Xmas on-campus screening. It's really too bad that contemporary Disney have been leaving this one to gather dust in their infamous vault for so long. To my knowledge, they haven't allowed it to properly see the light of day for well over a decade, and even then it was chiefly to pave way for that gratuitous remake. Clearly, there's no accounting for the Disney corporation's tastes.

[AerostarMonk]

I Am Legend

Well, this movie was better than I expected, much better in fact. Will Smith does a remarkable job as the last man on Earth. Smith is usually bashed, unfairly in my opinion, for playing the same character over and over again. The same can not be said for this performance. Here he plays Robert Neville, a military viralogist and last surviving human after a plague has wiped out mankind. There is a sense of hopelessness and a touch of madness that Neville displays that is almost heart-breaking. One starts to wonder if his experiments to find a cure for the plague are simply to keep his mind running so he doesn't take a long walk off a short pier, or bridge for that matter. There are plenty of those around for Neville has decided to secure himself in Manhattan, now a depopulated wilderness of ruins after a failed quarantine just 3 years earlier.

The first two acts of the film were incredible. The sense of impending doom and crippling isolation creeps into every frame of the film in these parts. If it weren't for the few lines that Neville speaks to his dog, Sam, and a few flashback scenes it would be almost dialogue free. But that doesn't impede the film at all, in fact it just helps the mood. But the third act seems a little tacky and just not up to scratch with the rest of the film. From then on it becomes an action film of sorts and adds elements that really didn't seem essential or even wanted by the audiences. It also seems that the entire FX budget was blown on the cityscapes because the infected people that show up every now and then look like extras from a Stephen Sommers movie that never was.

All that aside, I'm willing to give this movie my recommendation. It is indeed one of Monk's picks and you should go see it if you have the bread.

PS: The Dark Knight trailer was worth the admission itself. If you have no other reason to go see this movie go see it for The Dark Knight trailer on the big screen. Or if you're one of those lucky enough to be in the vincinty of an IMAX, for the 6 minute Dark Knight prologue.

[Mr. Marshmallow]

I am Legend

I also saw this movie and I also feel it was freaking amazing. I always expect Will Smith to revert back to his old, youthful jokester, one liner routine but every time I do, I get surprised and he pulls off another magnificent performance for each film. This one is no exception, its deep, its dark, and its very powerful.

You really get the sense of total isolation and being alone in this world, he really seems even more lost and sad then Tom Hanks did on "Cast away". I thought all the flashbacks, limited music use, and even the origins behind the virus were all excellent stuff. This is not an action fest or a gore and guts kind of movie.

It's a dark, intense, dramatic movie that looks and feels wonderful and those dark creatures in the film seem realistic and believable then drastically preposterous Apocalypse mutants of the past. You could really see such creatures existing. I even felt the ending came out better then I expected.

However, I have to disagree on the Dark Knight. I don't think its worth spending 8 dollars to see just one trailer, better to wait for it on the internet, especially after I saw Heath Ledger talking with the Joker make up and all my excitement fell out the window as I was reminded painfully of his appearance.

I really want to feel excited for this movie but.......after seeing him talk in it, I'm not so sure. His acting looks great, just...not...everything else.

[Ccook50]

Kevin and I saw I Am Legend last night. Smith was indeed a marvel to watch.

[Invader Bloo]

Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix
It's my 2nd favorite HP movie. Azkaban is still the best.

Back to the Future Part II
My personal favorite of the BTTF series.

[AerostarMonk]

Spoiler Below

My favorite part of I Am Legend was actually the audience reaction at the end. One guy shouted, "Who wants to pay to see Will Smith die?! Not me!" I however am glad they came the closest they could to keeping the books ending.

[Mayor Adam West]

Hitman, which I have to say, was one of the better film adaptions based on a game.

Heh, but then afterwards, decided to get out two DVDs, one was The Simpsons Movie, cause I wanted to see it again and the other I haven't watched yet, but am going to see it today.

[Ditchy McAbandonpants]

Well, despite my slight reservations about being a 21-year-old guy going to see a film that appeared to be marketed towards 8-year-old girls, I bit the bullet, went with my gut and went to see Enchanted. I did not regret it.

Maybe it was to do with the fact that my previous cinema trip was to see the turgid, ponderous The Golden Compass, but this movie seemed like such a breath of fresh, rose-perfumed air to my soul. Yes, it's played broad; yes, the tone is pitched at a primarily family- (and female-) friendly level; and yes, it's wholly predictable in all respects. Enchanted's triumph is that it's witty, lively and just knowing enough to take these old-fashioned values - innocence, earnestness, simple, safe fun - and deliver them in a way that makes them feel fresh even to a jaded modern audience. Key to this is the wonderful approach the film takes to its own "Disney-ness"; though it's billed as a outright satire in the vein of Shrek, I feel that Disney have accomplished something far more impressive here, playing things just tongue-in-cheek enough to keep it feeling modern, relevant and self-aware, yet at the same time giving us a movie that's reverent and earnestly loyal to the pure Disney spirit, with the ultimate effect being that that spirit is reinvigorated and revitalised, reminding us why we fell in love with it in the first place.

Thanks to the skill with which the foundations of this production have been constructed, those tasked with executing it simply have a ball (no fairy-tale pun intended ). Patrick Dempsey is a good straight man and an engaging lead; as one Ain't It Cool review pointed out, Timothy Spall seems to have found his true incarnation as a bumbling animated sidekick; Susan Sarandon is underused but good value as the showboating evil Queen; and in Rachel Covey's Morgan and director Kevin Lima's CG chipmunk Pip, the film delivers both an effective cute kid and an endearing animal sidekick, two of the most difficult things to get right in a family movie. Top marks amongst the supporting cast, though, go to James "Cyclops" Marsden as the dashing dimwit Prince Edward. Marsden has always struck me as being the kind of clean-cut, spotless matinee idol that would have been all the rage about 50 years ago, but just seems kind of bland now, hence his seemingly perpetual role as "Nice Guy Who Gets Blown Off In Favour Of The Real Hero" (see also: X-Men, Superman Returns); to his great credit, though, he seems to realise this inherently comical fact about himself, and sends it up to great effect here. The scene from the trailer in which he gets run over by the cyclists was the thing that persuaded me to see this, and the winsome way in which he delivers the line "Thank you for looking after my bride, peasants!" had me laughing for about half a minute.

For me, though, the fact that I enjoyed this movie as much as I did can be credited primarily to two people. The first, obviously is Amy Adams; I know it's been said by every critic in every review, but she simply IS a Disney princess made flesh, all doe-eyed innocence, (literally) over-animated twirls and beaming smiles. In less accomplished hands, the character of Giselle could have lapsed into irritating exaggeration or cloying sickliness, but Adams keeps her touchingly vulnerable, winsomely goofy and genuinely, earnestly and adorably sweet, selling her transition from two-dimensional caricature to three-dimensional human being without compromising the character's pure heart. What fully sold me on the film, though, was the musical contribution of Disney stalwart Alan Menken. I've been a huge fan of this man's work all the way back to Little Shop of Horrors, and the work he did with Disney in the late 80s and 90s - The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, amongst others - have produced some of Disney's most classic tunes. Simply hearing his name mentioned in regard to this project was enough to pique my interest, and then seeing the film...OK, so the more modern, poppy ballads "So Close" and "Ever Ever After" were more than a little bland, but when it comes to the film's three true Disney-style musical numbers, the ball went sailing clear out of the park. In "True Love's Kiss", we get a wonderful (and more than a little knowing) homage to the classic sound of Walt Disney's heyday, as well as a memorable thematic motif to anchor the peppy score; in "Happy Working Song", we get a hilarious, yet thoroughly accomplished, full-on parody that's as uplifting as it is amusing; and, in the majestic "That's How You Know", we get a full-on extravaganza of musical flavours that, to my mind, rivals anything Menken's ever done before, and one worthy of going down in history as a member of the classic Disney canon. Seriously.

Perusing the movie news sites, I've noticed that Enchanted is being met with critical plaudits (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), audience adulation ($87 million and counting at the box office) and even early awards recognition (two Golden Globe nominations is pretty good for a Disney comedy!). I think that's a testament to the sheer feelgood lovability of this film; it's not high art, but it is the sort of film you'll watch, adore and treasure. I've heard talk of sequels, but frankly I'd rather not see them materialise; Pirates of the Caribbean was a textbook case of how to diminish a beloved property with superfluous additions, and trying to embellish or stretch out this perfectly-formed, self-contained little gem seems like a misguided and vaguely repellent idea. For the time being, though, if you've ever had any sort of fondness for Disney and fairy tales (I'd guess that's most people here), and you think you can put cynicism on hold for 107 minutes and simply enjoy this for the unassuming confection it is, then Enchanted comes with my highest recommendation.

[Mr. Marshmallow]

YES! I am SO glad to hear you liked it Ditchy. I said it before in the best movies of 2007. "Enchanted" was Disney's smartest and most creative live film yet. They took something that could have been so silly and child minded and made it interesting, creative, and well cast into a movie that appeals to all ages.

I think the actors really sold it for me, they all played like REAL living breathing cartoons from the facial expressions to their exaggerated personality quirks. I've heard about sequels and they mentioned it before, I personally would love to see more from this film especially if this film is any indication of what's to come.

I movie I just watched is one I also wanted to mention as I strongly disagree with your comments on the "Pirates" movies. That being said, I just got finished watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and I feel loads better after seeing this movie again because I originally thought I disliked it.

Truth be told, I don't think anyone who has seen the Pirates movies in their entirety can honestly say these sequels were crappy or unnecessary. I'm currently watching all 3 in order and after seeing number 2 again, I've never loved the series more then ever. In truth, you got to bow down to Gore Verbinski.

Imagine the sheer brilliance he has to turn a Disney ride into a multi million dollar franchise, put Johnny Depp back on the map, and create a new classic Hollywood character like Indiana Jones or The Terminator with Jack Sparrow. The Pirates movies are incredible to me in every aspect the music, the characters, the costumes, the stories, and of course: the amazing actors.

Each one brings these new characters a step further from each movie, changing them drastically with new quirks but the same traits. Sparrow and Elizabeth have the absolute best chemistry this time around, their conversations and exchanges about being good/bad I think are the most interesting developmental points. Their conversations were great to watch.

Speaking of great things to watch, I forgot how many awesome sequences this movie packed. The monstrous Kraken destroying the second ship, the excellent 3 way fight between Norrington, Will and Jack on the spinning wheel, and the crazy cannibal island run with the bone cages. But my absolute FAVORITE aspect of this film comes from its greatest new character, Davy Jones.

I didn't think I'd find a better Pirate villain to love after the kick ass Captain Barbossa from part 1, but Bill Nighy signed, sealed, and delivered an incredib;e new character with an unforgettable appearance and cruel personality. I love hearing him say the most basic of lines because Nighy sells it with such flare. I love everything about these movies and if anymore do decide to emerge, they continue to shock and awe me.

Disney has created a whole new movie trilogy universe just like The Matrix, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings has.

[Ccook50]

^ Of particular note: KNX radio says that among celebrities who like giving autographs, Johnny Depp is at the top of the list. At the top of celebrities who don't like doing autographs: Will Ferrell.