Friday, January 20, 2006

The Overrated

Garden State - Zach Braff is a super-talent, and I think he's got a great movie inside of him. This is not it. I liked this a lot when I first saw it, but I've seen it since and I cringe at a lot of the "moments." Love the details about the suburbs and all that, and Peter Saarsgard is awesome as usual. Natalie Portman is great, really showing her talents, but she's one of those movie roles that simply don't exist in real life but in the eager, hopeful minds of us screenwriters. Overall, the movie now ranks as pretty good with moments (still a good soundtrack). Zach's character needs to get a grip.

I Heart Huckabees - This movie thinks it's so damn smart. Ugh. I feel like choking every character here. Wahlberg is a stand-out, I liked him a lot in this (he and Schwartzman had the best scenes). Anyway, it's not really as smart as it thinks. Pretentious bullshit. David Russell is another super-talented guy, like he was with Three Kings.

Shakespeare in Love - Good movie. Fun, cute. It beat Saving Private Ryan. HUH?

Gangs Of New York & The Aviator - Scorcese is amazing, no doubt. Here, he's pretty good. So glad these didn't win Best Picture Oscars. But I have to say Scorcese certainly should already have like 3-4 Oscars. But not for these. Both movies have great moments, but for me, don't hold together. Blanchett winning for this? C'mon. Anyway, I'm hoping The Departed kicks major ass.

The Hours - Somebody slap these characters. Actually, slap Julianne Moore's character twice. I understand her internal struggles, but you don't just leave your kid SCREAMING for you on the street. Internal struggle? Get the fuck over it, you're a bad mother. SLAP! SLAP!

A Beautiful Mind - Man, the schizo was hot! Oh, it's just Russell Crowe. I love Ron Howard, but again, he's been much better elsewhere.

Chicago - I don't mind musicals. But I despise this one. Didn't do a thing for me. While I'm on the topic, the Phantom Of the Opera sucked, too, although I wouldn't count it as "overrated" since the critics weren't too kind anyway. But it sucked.

Sin City - Cool visuals, wonderful cast. But it's really a SNOOZE as in ZZzzzzzzzzzz. What a bore. (Taz reminded me of this one, thanks Taz.)

Revenge Of The Sith - God I love Star Wars. Wonderful Trilogy....Before Greedo started shooting first and then the prequels happened. I've already posted thoughts on this mess of a trilogy in recent months' posts, but had to revisit my hatred for it again. Now, each movie has moments: the Darth Maul character & the lightsaber duel of the 1st; pretty neat although very videogame-esque climax in the arena of the 2nd movie, and pieces of the 3rd. Actually, also a stand-out of Clones was the Jango/Obi-Wan brawl in the rain. That was nice. But the rest? Not so much. Mostly boring, uneventful, disappointing, and wretchingly-bad writing. "Bang me like you did by the lake on Naboo." Give me a break.

Oh, and Padme didn't die of being choked by Anakin, no that would have actually made sense. She died of a broken heart. That damn robot actually said that basically she's doing great but she's going to die of a broken heart. She's lost the will to live. Oh, and those 2 beautiful babies you just gave birth to aren't worth it you dramatic, selfish beeyotch? Slap!

Additional thought about A New Hope - Why didn't the Death Star blow through that planet that was "blocking" the moon that the rebel base was on????? It's laser death ray was good enough to smoke Alderaan, not that one?

Thoughts? Reflections? More overrated movies?

6 comments:

taZ said...

I actually agree with EVERY single movie on your list - excepr A Beautiful Mind.

Byt the way, SLAP Sin City too. (Please don't hate me.)

Anonymous said...

Garden State was well on it's way to becoming a little gem of a movie until the ending-blec! I dig Braff(he is a Jersey boy), but I can't believe that he would actually want that ending, it had to be forced upon him after a screening, right?

Patrick J. Rodio said...

You're 100% correct about that, CW. the ending did blow and with a better one, may have saved it for me.

ScriptWeaver said...

Tarkin's grandmother lives on Yavin. That's why he couldn't blow it up. Read the "Expanded Universe" man. Sheesh.

And blasphemy on Garden State! The ending was perfect. Would you rather have him leave the poor little girl with epilepsy crying on the steps?

Don't answer that.

Patrick J. Rodio said...

Look, I like Zach, and Garden State has many fine moments. But it has some so-so ones, too. and the ending could have been better. A perfect ending would have been with taht slow song they used (Such Great Heights).

screamwriter said...

"War of the Worlds" - I was rooting for the Martians to get Tom's annoying kids.