Quickies 1-5-2015

47 Ronin ~ The tale of the forty-seven Ronin that has been fictionalized in dozens of versions in various media was actually based on real events in the 18th century. This American version, with a half-breed swordsman played by Keanu Reeves at its center, is more fiction than fact, with its demons, witches, and strange creatures. It moves very slowly with little special effects or fight sequences to balance the quieter parts. See the 1962 Toshiro Mifune version, it's vastly superior.

Divergent ~ I know this isn't The Hunger Games, but I kept being reminded of that film franchise as I watched, and not just because it was based on a YA book series, or stars Shailene Woodley, the poor man's Jennifer Lawrence. I was excited by the premise, the concept, and especially the class struggle set-up, but once Tris begins her training as one of the Dauntless, it became boring to me. Any further plot complication was predictable and I couldn't wait for it to end. I doubt I'll be reading the books or seeing the sequels.

Queen of Outer Space ~ There's not much about this 1958 scifi B-movie that isn't recycled. The wardrobe is from Forbidden Planet, the sets and some special effects sequences from World Without End, the impressive blast off footage is from a newsreel, and the script that floated around Hollywood for several years is lifted from Abbott and Costello Go to Mars. Add in some cheesy dialogue, campy acting, good old 1950s sexism, and the indestructible Zsa Zsa Gabor, and you've got yourself a movie. So bad, it's good.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb ~ This one starts strong, with almost a Stargate-like opening, then falls apart quickly thereafter. Do we ever really get to find out what the actual 'secret of the tomb' is? Obviously intended as a farewell to the franchise, I think it works much better as a hand off from Ben Stiller to Rebel Wilson. Hell, I would much rather watch these flicks with Rebel as the star than Stiller, and Ricky Gervais is always genius, even when he's not trying. Most poignant are the Robin Williams scenes, possibly his last film appearances, because he's saying goodbye in character. It's hard not to shed a tear. Worth seeing if only for Robin, Rebel, and Ricky.

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook ~ You might have noticed its been quite a while since I posted about any movies currently in theaters. Well, it's been a while since I've been out to a movie. Tonight, after dinner with good friends we haven't seen in a while, we decided to hit a flick last minute. I wanted Die Hard or The Hobbit, but the ladies settled on multiple Oscar nom rom com drama Silver Linings Playbook.

What a pleasant surprise. I didn't know all that much about it beyond the noms for best picture, best actor Bradley Cooper, best actress Jennifer Lawrence, best supportings Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver, and best director David O. Russell. Surprisingly all of the noms are well deserved, some might not win, but all well deserved.

Based on the book "The Silver Linings Playbook" by local teacher turned novelist Matthew Quick. That alone lends credibility to the locale of the flick - Philadelphia, as well as the passion for Eagles football so important to the story. That story has bi-polar Patrick (Cooper) trying to repair his life and get his wife back, even though she's moved on while he was in a mental hospital. Enter Tiffany (Lawrence) widowed and equally flawed, trying to get him back on his feet.

Cooper and Lawrence are no strangers to Oscar, and recently she has gained serious genre cred as Catniss and young Mystique. I think Jennifer Lawrence's best years are ahead of her, and right now she's better than most other actresses her age. I loved her here. DeNiro and Weaver are just as good as Cooper's parents. The whole film is full of terrific performances, including Julia Stiles, Shea Whigham of "Boardwalk Empire," Anupam Kher, and believe it or not, a completely non-annoying Chris Tucker.

This was a great flick, I definitely see a couple (at least) Oscars coming its way this weekend, but let's face it. It's no Die Hard. ;-)