Post by Walker, Texas Ranger on Jun 11, 2009 10:03:08 GMT -5
Written by Damien Power
Pulse film reviewer Phillip Johnston and I don’t always see eye-to-eye on which movies to see each week (and if the site comments are to believed, neither do a lot of our readers), but I’ll gladly keep pretending I have a huge fanbase of readers that are too shy to comment on ChattanoogaPulse.com.
Therefore, these are the picks for you, my adoring fans, although I will say that Phillip’s picks last week looked pretty good to me.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Or, as I usually refer to it, Transformers: The Continued Pillaging of My Childhood. I felt that I needed to pick something in the month of June, so we’ll have to make do with Michael Bay. Let’s be honest: This is not going to be a good movie, but it’s going to be thoroughly fun to watch. There’s a little bit of something for everyone. For example, the fellas in the audience get the tasty Megan Fox, while the ladies get…um, Shia LaBeouf. OK, so, maybe not something for everyone. But hey, talking robots! Opens June 24.
Public Enemies
This is my real first pick of the summer. We finally get the return of the Christian Bale we all know and love. You know, the one that doesn’t grumble every line through clenched teeth. Additionally, we get Johnny Depp trying his hand as pirate-of-the-land John Dillinger, one of America’s most notorious bank robbers. Much like The Untouchables before it, this is a story that has been begging for a decent screenplay. Directed by Michael Mann of Heat and Collateral, we have a great screenplay in the hands of a skilled director acted by a powerhouse cast. Public Enemies is my dark-horse pick for best movie of 2009. Opens July 1.
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra
Hey look—it’s another pillaging of my childhood! At least this one has some decent actors in it: Dr. Who’s Christopher Eccleston, Enemy Mine’s Dennis Quaid, and The Mummy’s Arnold Vosloo are all on hand to counterbalance the horrible acting we’ll get from Scary Movie’s Marlon Wayans and Step Up’s Channing Tatum. The real ace-in-the-hole for this movie will be Ray Park, playing the silent ninja Snake Eyes. You might remember him as the only reason to see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: Darth Maul. The funny part is that this movie’s villains are going to steal the show. We’re going to sit through some heavy-handed patriotism on behalf of our Joes, but the villains are going to be deliciously over-the-top. Opens August 7.
Ponyo
Ha! I can pick an indie flick too! Ponyo is the latest by legendary anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and his phenomenal Studio Ghibli. The sad fact is that Disney dropped the ball years ago with their hand-drawn animated features, and the world was blessed that Miyazaki-san picked it up and ran with it. Now distributed by Disney, Studio Ghibli’s works are coming stateside and are voiced by fantastic talents. Listen up for Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson and even Betty White, who all provide spirited performances thanks to an astonishing script. I say astonishing, because Miyazaki-san is the master of imagination, and Ponyo will be no exception. Centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to be human, Ponyo will be much more than a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Opens August 14.
Inglorious Basterds
Ah, Quentin. His first stab at a World War II film, and he’s going to make sure he gets everything just right. It received a lukewarm reception at Cannes, and immediately went back to the cutting board. After Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna, I imagine that Mr. Tarantino started itching to get his movie out. Centered around a team of Jewish-American soldiers who are hand-picked to conduct a guerilla war behind enemy lines, Inglorious Basterds stars Brad Pitt in his element (snarky and brutal), along with a compliment of unknown but well-cast actors (the Tarantino Method of casting). Oh, and don’t worry, Samuel L. Jackson is in the credits. Yay Chattanooga. Opens August 21.
All right, so maybe only three of these were really “summer picks” (the other two were more like “summer suggestions”), and that’s because for whatever reason, 2009 stacked a lot of great movies in the spring. Still, 2009 has been a great year for movies, and the fall is really shaping up to be stellar (Where the Wild Things Are! Mark your calendars for October 16!)
chattanoogapulse.com/film/film-feature/film-feature-revenge-of-the-mainstream/
Pulse film reviewer Phillip Johnston and I don’t always see eye-to-eye on which movies to see each week (and if the site comments are to believed, neither do a lot of our readers), but I’ll gladly keep pretending I have a huge fanbase of readers that are too shy to comment on ChattanoogaPulse.com.
Therefore, these are the picks for you, my adoring fans, although I will say that Phillip’s picks last week looked pretty good to me.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Or, as I usually refer to it, Transformers: The Continued Pillaging of My Childhood. I felt that I needed to pick something in the month of June, so we’ll have to make do with Michael Bay. Let’s be honest: This is not going to be a good movie, but it’s going to be thoroughly fun to watch. There’s a little bit of something for everyone. For example, the fellas in the audience get the tasty Megan Fox, while the ladies get…um, Shia LaBeouf. OK, so, maybe not something for everyone. But hey, talking robots! Opens June 24.
Public Enemies
This is my real first pick of the summer. We finally get the return of the Christian Bale we all know and love. You know, the one that doesn’t grumble every line through clenched teeth. Additionally, we get Johnny Depp trying his hand as pirate-of-the-land John Dillinger, one of America’s most notorious bank robbers. Much like The Untouchables before it, this is a story that has been begging for a decent screenplay. Directed by Michael Mann of Heat and Collateral, we have a great screenplay in the hands of a skilled director acted by a powerhouse cast. Public Enemies is my dark-horse pick for best movie of 2009. Opens July 1.
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra
Hey look—it’s another pillaging of my childhood! At least this one has some decent actors in it: Dr. Who’s Christopher Eccleston, Enemy Mine’s Dennis Quaid, and The Mummy’s Arnold Vosloo are all on hand to counterbalance the horrible acting we’ll get from Scary Movie’s Marlon Wayans and Step Up’s Channing Tatum. The real ace-in-the-hole for this movie will be Ray Park, playing the silent ninja Snake Eyes. You might remember him as the only reason to see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: Darth Maul. The funny part is that this movie’s villains are going to steal the show. We’re going to sit through some heavy-handed patriotism on behalf of our Joes, but the villains are going to be deliciously over-the-top. Opens August 7.
Ponyo
Ha! I can pick an indie flick too! Ponyo is the latest by legendary anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and his phenomenal Studio Ghibli. The sad fact is that Disney dropped the ball years ago with their hand-drawn animated features, and the world was blessed that Miyazaki-san picked it up and ran with it. Now distributed by Disney, Studio Ghibli’s works are coming stateside and are voiced by fantastic talents. Listen up for Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson and even Betty White, who all provide spirited performances thanks to an astonishing script. I say astonishing, because Miyazaki-san is the master of imagination, and Ponyo will be no exception. Centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to be human, Ponyo will be much more than a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Opens August 14.
Inglorious Basterds
Ah, Quentin. His first stab at a World War II film, and he’s going to make sure he gets everything just right. It received a lukewarm reception at Cannes, and immediately went back to the cutting board. After Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna, I imagine that Mr. Tarantino started itching to get his movie out. Centered around a team of Jewish-American soldiers who are hand-picked to conduct a guerilla war behind enemy lines, Inglorious Basterds stars Brad Pitt in his element (snarky and brutal), along with a compliment of unknown but well-cast actors (the Tarantino Method of casting). Oh, and don’t worry, Samuel L. Jackson is in the credits. Yay Chattanooga. Opens August 21.
All right, so maybe only three of these were really “summer picks” (the other two were more like “summer suggestions”), and that’s because for whatever reason, 2009 stacked a lot of great movies in the spring. Still, 2009 has been a great year for movies, and the fall is really shaping up to be stellar (Where the Wild Things Are! Mark your calendars for October 16!)
chattanoogapulse.com/film/film-feature/film-feature-revenge-of-the-mainstream/