Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Rated: PG13 - Runtime: 124 min
tesg's Rating: Three stars (out of four)

An all-star British cast of old people get suckered into moving to India.  Between said cast, the exotic locale, and a charming script, this works really well, even though it plays like an Aaron Spelling serial.  It wouldn't take a lot of re-writing to turn this into a Fantasy Island reboot.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Dark Shadows (2012)

Rated: PG13 - Runtime: 113 min
tesg's Rating: Two and one half stars (out of four)

I know basically nothing of the television serial this was based off of, and I have a feeling Burton doesn't either.  But as vampire love stories go, you could do far worse than this.  Great sets and a nice soundtrack certainly don't hurt. 

It's no Bram Stoker's Dracula, but I'd watch this again before any "Twilight" movie.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Men in Black III (2012)

Rated: PG13 - Runtime: 104 min
tesg's Rating: Three stars (out of four)

Smiling Concession Girl: "Would you like butter on your popcorn?"

Me: "Yes."

Smiling Concession Girl: "Would you like to upgrade to a large for just a dollar more?"

Me: "No."

Smiling Concession Girl: "Are you a member of our rewards club?"

Me: "No."

Smiling Concession Girl (excitedly): "Can I start a membership for you?"

Me: "No."

Smiling Concession Girl: "Oh."

Me: "..."

Smiling Concession Girl: "Would you like butter on your popcorn?"

Pretty odd of Hollywood to release a second sequel a full ten years after the last sequel.  You'd think they'd go with a reboot, since that seems to be the hip thing to do these days.

The third MIB is far better than the second MIB, and has quite a different tone from either of the previous outings.  Kind of darker.  Less humor.  More personal.  It's a solid two and one half star effort until the end, when suddenly this becomes a three star movie.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

The Avengers (2012)

Rated: PG13 - Runtime: 143 min
tesg's Rating: Three stars (out of four)

The theatre had a 3D showing starting at 11:30, the big auditorium starting at noon, and an early show in a mid-sized auditorium at 11:15.  I figured 11:15 was the one to go to.  Nobody's going to that one.

I was wrong about that.

"The Avengers" is as good as any of the recent Marvel efforts that led up to this one,  but even with Joss Whedon's stamp, I didn't think it was really any better.  I'd probably watch "Thor" or "Captain America: The First Avenger" again over this.  But it WAS still good.

Marvel fans, of course, think this is the greatest movie ever made.