Hot Fuzz (2007)
Simon Pegg has done it again! Every movie I've watched starring this guy, I've loved. Pegg stars as officer Nicholas Angel, a big city cop in London who is unbeatable. Angel's arrest record is pristine, in fact he's so good at his job that he makes every other cop in London look bad. This culminates in him being redeployed in Sandford, a quiet village in the country where nothing ever happens. Or does it? Has officer Angel discovered a sinister plot, or is he just paranoid? This being a buddy cop parody comedy, there are of course gruesome murders, plots and car chase scenes. I found this an excellent movie to watch when you're in the mood for a bit of comedy with your action, but are tired of American style. A definite A+ to this movie. And if you like it, look up Shaun of the Dead, and The World's End.
City of Ember (2008)
One of these days I will read the book, then watch the movie. Based on the children's novel of the same name, this movie is a visual treat for the eyes. The action takes place in the city of Ember, deep underground many centuries after a cataclysm has supposedly destroyed mankind. The city has been experiencing blackouts, the generator sustaining it suffering from age strain and ready to give out. Lina and Doon are two young people just coming of age in the city, and have been assigned their new jobs to contribute to society. Amid the uncertainty of a failing generator, Lina finds a mysterious box containing instructions left by the city's Builders. Could it be the solution they're looking for?
The set designs in this movie were beautiful, very steampunk and different. Although the plot was a bit simplistic, it was well executed and held up pretty well to scrutiny.
Ghost Town (2008)
Ricky Gervais is not who I usually think of as the male lead for a rom com, yet he acquits himself well in this movie. Playing the role of an antisocial dentist, Bertram Pincus, who finds out after the fact that he had died for seven minutes during a routine surgery. How did he find out, you ask? Well, by starting to see ghosts! From the moment he wakes after surgery, Pincus is stalked by the deceased in search of a resolution to their unfinished business. Pincus wants none of it. Until he meets Frank's widow, that is. Frank is a hot air blowing, grandstanding jerk, and he's dead. He enlists Pincus's help in breaking up his widow's current romance, and things tumble on from there.
Gervais plays the misanthrope to a T. Every nuance of body language is fine tuned to perfection, and one can't help but feel put off by his actions. He only thaws out once he realizes that he is missing out on things in life. A good movie overall.
Rio 2 (2014)
The birds are back and they're going on a family vacation! Blue and his family go to the rainforest when they find out their human friends have found more blue macaws in the wild. Time to meet the in-laws! This was a good family movie, even script and of course beautiful music throughout. The character that stole the show this time is a small, poison dart frog; her operatic daydream is sublime. I highly recommend it.
The Simpsons movie (2007)
In true Simpsons fashion, the movie gives you ups and downs, but ultimately ends up with the family sticking together, with everyone having learned a lesson in why trying to get rid of the Simpsons never works... I give it a B overall, mainly because the movie didn't deviate much from the formula used in the show, so it didn't really feel like it deserved to be called a movie. It was more like three back to back episodes following one storyline. Alright for when you just want to veg in front of the tube.
My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
While I admire a movie starring a female hero, the effect is ruined by the double standards illustrated by the movie's main storyline. An everyday joe meets with and starts dating a woman, but finds her too clingy and decides to dump her. Unfortunately for him, she has superpowers and is not taking no for an answer! I found this movie only mildly funny, and the justifications used by the characters for their violent tendencies insufficient. If the superhero in this movie were a man, would his use of force to abuse and try to kill an ex be accepted as funny? no! Being bitter because a former crush became your enemy is not a good reason for it! If the genders of the characters were reversed, not only would the main character have been labeled a criminal abusive man, but the movie would have never been made. But because the hero is female, it's somehow seen as funny that she's beating up and trying to kill this poor man. Not only that, but she's not arrested or punished in any way for her actions at the end of the movie! In fact, she's even rewarded. Don't watch this movie if you have any respect for women, or abuse victims.
The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
I knew what was coming, I've read the book, and I still was shocked and moved when the deaths of certain characters happened in this movie. If you haven't been living under a rock you know who I mean. The landscapes were spectacular as usual, and the epic scale of the battle scenes were breathtaking, but it was the more intimate scenes, and the heartbreaking losses that makes the movie worth watching. That said, I have no clue how Bilbo wasn't still crying at the end of the movie. I will have to re-watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy just to cheer myself up; is that what you call irony?
