July 9, 2010, - 5:04 pm
Weekend Box Office: “Despicable Me,” “Predators,” “Girl Who Played w/ Fire”
This week features one of the best movies of the summer . . . and the year (but remember, this is a terrible year (and summer) for movies, so all things are relative.
* “Despicable Me“: Brilliant. And outstanding. I cannot say enough good things about this funny, clever, fun-to-watch piece of entertainment and on-screen eye candy. So cute. It pains me to say that about a movie in which the execrable Russell Brand has a small role as one of the voices in this animated film. The movie is available in 3D and 2D. I saw it in 2D, and it was just fine. I liked it even better than “Toy Story 3” (read my review).
Steve Carell voices “Gru,” the world’s greatest villain, who has a long pointy nose, drives around in a scary giant contraption, and freezes people waiting ahead of him in line at Starbucks, so he can go to the front of the line. (He uses a Russian accent, but yet has a mother with a French accent, voiced by Julie Andrews.) At the beginning of the movie, American tourists discover that the Egyptian pyramids have been stolen and replaced by giant rubber sculptures. Since it’s not Gru who did it, he must top that feat or lose funding from the Bank of Evil (“formerly known as Lehman Brothers”–hey, my cousin, Cookie, was a Lehman).
Gru plots to steal a shrink ray gun, so he can shrink the moon and steal it from the sky. But the ray is stolen from him by his rival villain (the one who stole the pyramids). So, Gru adopts three orphan girls so that he can use them to infiltrate his rival’s headquarters and steal the ray gun back. Soon the heartless villain falls for the girls. Also, Gru has these very cute one- and two-eyed miniature yellow creatures (the “minions”) who help him in his exploits, and an English assistant/mentor (Brand).
I loved everything about this movie (other than the one dumb fart joke). I loved the soundtrack. I loved the story. I loved the bright colors, jokes, and animation. This was so entertaining and enjoyable to watch. It’s rated PG, only because of some “rude humor,” but don’t worry about it. It’s great for kids, great for a family, and great for just adults or teens. The last two groups made up the audience when I saw it, and they loved it. So did I.
FOUR REAGANS
Watch the trailer . . .
* “Predators“: This is the latest incarnation in the Predator movies about aliens from outer space. In this sci-fi flick, however, the humans wake up to find themselves plucked from their lives on earth and parachuting onto an alien planet and habitat. Soon, they realize that all of them are skilled fighters/soldiers–predators themselves–who’ve been chosen to be hunted game by the aliens. Adrien Brody is the main character in the film and one of the few semi-big names in it.
For about the first half of this movie, it was an interesting thriller, and I liked it. But then it degraded into a messy Predators kill-fest. Throughout there are graphic depictions of devoured and dismembered human bodies. It’s somewhat violent and the language is rough. Definitely not for kids.
Who needs “Predators,” when you have the Palestinians?
ONE-HALF REAGAN
Watch the trailer . . .
* “The Girl Who Played With Fire“: This is the latest installment of novelist Stieg Larsson’s mystery novels–about a Swedish female bisexual ex-con with tattoos, who is a researcher and investigator–made into movies. It wasn’t as good as the first one, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (read my review), and that one was disturbing because of the vile, graphic rape scenes, which were completely gratuitous. Both are in Swedish with English subtitles.
This one has a gross, over the top lesbian sex scene. And in this one, the girl with the tattoo is on the run after she is framed for murder. Her former lover/reporter is on the trail, trying to save her from her dysfunctional, rapist former Soviet Spy father. And both are trying to find out who killed two reporters investigating government officials who commit rape and child molestation.
Reminded me of a 1980’s detective show on TV with the addition of four-letter words. Yawn.
ONE-HALF MARX
Watch the trailer . . .
Tags: Adrien Brody, Despicable Me, Gru, Julie Andrews, Movie Reviews, Predators, Russell Brand, Steve Carell, Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Played with Fire
Does anyone else feel that this summers movie offerings are a bit on the thin side?
Oscar on July 9, 2010 at 5:40 pm