Review Stuff (2007 Round Up)

{Scott}

Okay, so I intended, a few days ago, to write reviews of the last few films we've seen, but as usual, mountains of excuses...mounted...and here we are, the 28th (practically the 29th), so the year's essentially over. What does the end of the year call for? Best ofs! Awards! A way, essentially of getting the best parts of reviews out without writing the whole thing.

If there's something you think is missing, please keep in mind that I'm restricting this to the 26 films we saw in the theater (including 300, which I saw on deployment without Nicky...that's the movie 300, not 300 movies), and a few 2007 films I saw on DVD.

Biggest Good Surprise: Enchanted. I first heard about this film a couple of years ago, in the midst of Disney Animation's implosion, and, to be honest, I wasn't impressed. Hand-drawn animation from the studio whose last project was Home on the Range, an animation-reality crossover and yet another Disney Princess. When Nicky and I saw it back in November, though, we were both bowled over. The animation (incidentally outsourced to James Baxter Animation, led by an ex-Disney animator) was on par with the best of Disney's recent work...Beauty and the Beast's post-medieval world with a splash of Lilo and Stitch's watercolors. The cast was engaging, especially Amy Adams' wide-eyed optimistic Giselle and iron-jawed traditional Disney-prince James Marsden. Disney's return to the musical, a form they'd strayed from with their Pixar projects, is done exceptionally well with three great (and humorously self-referential) numbers. The story isn't tremendously original, but since to a large degree, Enchanted is a love letter to the Disney musical, the story weaknesses don't hurt the film. Channeling the spirit of Disney's successes of the early 90's, Enchanted is a strong return to form.
Lesser Good Surprises:
Stardust: Another example of an unengaging trailer concealing an exceptional film. Stardust is the heir apparent to legacy of films such as The Princess Bride.

Biggest Bad Supri -- Disappointment: Spider-Man 3. If you remember my License to Wed review back in July, I said that that film was a huge disappointment. My expectations, though, were based on one trailer and Robin Williams' career. Spider-Man 3, though, had expectations based on two of the best super-hero films of the last...well...ever. Spider-Man was a pitch-perfect adaptation of the comic, and Spider-Man 2 corrected the few things that the first film didn't get right, and Spider-Man 3 promised to continue that trend. Sandman! The black costume! Gwen Stacy! Too many storylines, though, spoiled this film. Sandman, drawn as a Greek-tragedy, is shunted aside half-way through the film for a love triangle and revenge plot resolved by a ridiculous deus ex machina. Venom, the cinematic dream of every comic fanboy, appears with ten minutes left in the film as a sneering henchman; the story isn't mined for anything. Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church are welcome additions to the cast, but neither is given enough interesting things to do. Overall, Spider-Man 3 tries to accomplish too much, and ends up stringing together several weak storylines.
Lesser Disappointments:
Shrek the Third. Another film coming off the success of a Part 2 that tried to do too much and ended up accomplishing little.
Hitman: A visually compelling film that compromised too much on the source material.

Best Scene that Didn't Really Belong in Its Film: Jack Sparrow in Davy Jones' Locker, Pirates of the Caribbean 3. A quarter of the way or so into At World's End, we learn the fate of Han So--um, Jack Sparrow, through a two minute scene that feels like it's out of an experimental/student/less mainstream film. In Jack Sparrow's own personal hell, he's forced to confront dozens of himselves as he (they) crew the Black Pearl in a dry desert. Johnny Depp speaks in half-sentences, shoulders a different personality for each version of himself, and the whole thing has an eerie feel. In almost three hours of bloat, overdrawn performances, and scenes tied together entirely by visual effects, those two minutes are the dramatic peak of the film.

Nostalgia I Never Expected: Superbad. I was not a party person in high school. I never fake ID'd my way to a bottle of liquor, or ran from the cops, so I certainly couldn't be nostalgic for that kind of stuff. Seth Rogen, who gained serious recognition earlier this year in Knocked Up, and Even Goldberg wrote Superbad when they were 13. 13! A film that takes place in one day featuring two high school seniors' quest to get liquor featuring subplots about fake IDs, menstrual blood, and uncontrollable urges to draw penises, written by two 13 year olds, should not have worked. And yet, like Knocked Up before it, Superbad captured genuine male relationships and male humor so well. It was a high school life I never experienced, but I nostalgized? for it anyway.

Concert? Film? Concert? Film? Head trip? In a year containing one of the top performances ever (more on that below), and a number of strong stories, strong direction and strong camera work, two films, Across The Universe and August Rush, were held together primarily by the strength of the music, and little else (and this doesn't include an actual musical, Enchanted). . August Rush's tepid story and underwhelming performances (including a confusing and uncomfortable turn by Mr. 2007, Robin Williams) were compensated for only by several inspired guitar sessions. Across the Universe bore a slightly, but only slightly, more compelling story and several interesting visuals, but the real glue holding the film together was three dozen covers of songs from the 60's and 70's. By the Beatles. So I guess that's not so bad.

**SPOILERS**

Best Deaths:
Josh Brolin, No Country For Old Men. Although it happens off-screen, his death is, after the terror he's experienced, truly sad.
Gerard Butler, 300. In a film really noted mostly for its unique effects, Gerard's Butler defiant death as King Leonidas typifies the warrior spirit of the film.
Abby, I Am Legend. For over an hour, Will Smith's only companion in post-apocalyptic New York is his German Shepherd, Samantha. When she is infected by a deadly virus and begins to transform into a flesh-eating zombie dog, her mercy death at his hands is moving. Nicky wept openly.

Worst Deaths:
Topher Grace and James Franco, Spider-Man 3. As complained above, Topher Grace as Venom is totally misused, rendering his death meaningless, and James Franco's Harry Osborne "noble" sacrifice comes at the end of a long string of ridiculous steps, including the aforementioned deus ex machina. It's supposed to be emotional, but it's just not earned.

**SPOILERS END**

Notable Performances:
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men. Playing the murderous force of nature Anton Chigurh, Javier Bardem's turn is among the most unnerving of movie villians, ever. His gravel voice and dead eyes bely no emotion, and his unpredictability is totally believable. This is a performance for the ages.
Ellen Page, Juno. As the eponymous Juno, Ellen Page is vulnerable and strong, cooly smart and warmly emotional, and totally compelling to watch.
Amy Adams, Enchanted. Bringing a Disney princess to life could not have been easy, but in her role as Giselle, Amy Adams' bright-eyed optimism is completely engaging, and holds the entire film together.
Kurt Russell, Death Proof. In their (somewhat successful) attempt to channel the spirit of quick-and-dirty 60's and 70's filmmaking, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez generated a few bright spots in their Grindhouse pair of films. The strongest performance was Kurt Russell as the sociopathic Stuntman Mike in Death Proof. Stuntman Mike is uncomfortably charming as he cruises roadside bars, and then dangerously self-assured as he attacks. When the tables are finally turned, it is fascinating to watch this man's world fall apart around him.
Ben Foster, 3:10 to Yuma. As Russell Crowe's right-hand-man Charlie Prince, Ben Foster turns what could have been a run-of-the-mill western tough-guy role into a tragic figure by imbuing him with a sense of need. He's not just riding across the west to free his boss, he's freeing the person who gives his life meaning.


The Top Five, or the nominees, if I was the Academy:
Ratatouille
Enchanted
No Country for Old Men
3:10 to Yuma
Juno

So far, next year looks like a good year for the fanboy: Iron Man and The Dark Knight have knockout previews, Will Smith's Hancock looks hilarious (check out the trailer), and J.J. Abrams' Star Trek comes out in December.

Question

{Scott}

Jackson was asking me about the cats a few days ago. He had no idea what they were. I told him this:

"Hmm. They're not outwardly excited, like you are, they're usually observing rather than playing, and they have pointed ears. They're Vulcans."

New December Traditions

{Nicky}

This December has been full of new experiences for Scott and I. Instead of getting up early to scrape snow and ice off of our car, we have had to actually use the air conditioning this past week. We don't keep the heat on low...we keep it off. What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that winter this year has been a whole new ball game, and we're learning to make the most of it.

So today-- a crisp, blue-sky 50 degree day --Scott and I decided to load up the puppies and drive down to the state park on the beach. They had a bunch of great trails, so we found one that ran along the water, and spent the afternoon walking. Jackson hasn't had much leash-time, so this was good practice for him. He did pretty well--the leash doesn't bother him so much as long as he is able to keep up with his big sister!

Here are a few snapshots from the day. We hope you enjoy them!

And We're Back...

{Nicky}

Yikes! I know it's been a few weeks since we last posted, and to be honest, today's will be short, too. I promise, though, that we'll soon again regale you with long, meaningless glimpses into our day to day lives!

Meanwhile, in a nutshell: Leslie flew down to visit, and returned to MN today. Scott is back from his last underway (hurray!) and prepares for Christmas leave and the shipyards. Dixie and Jackson are, I daresay, solidly best of friends, and Jacky's growing like a WEED! He last weighed in (this past Saturday) at 12.4 pounds! I'll attach a couple pics. It's been fun, watching those two together.


We hope this finds the rest of you well, in this busy season!