Movies in the Year 2008 Part 2

This is a continuation of my previous list, this time including films seen between May and July 2008.

Iron Man 9

For the moment, this is my favourite movie of the year.  I didn't know that much about Iron Man going into the theatre, but I absolutely loved it.  It is on the same level as Batman Begins for me,  and is thus amongst the best Origin stories, as well as superhero movies in general for me.  Robert Downey Junior did a great job as Tony Stark, and although I don't always love her, I thought that Gwyneth was excellent as Pepper.  Extremely funny, thrilling and enjoyable!

Speed Racer 8

I cannot understand why this movie was so badly panned by critics!  I loved it!  The visuals were spectacular, and the story fun!  Yes, the dialogue was cheesy, which affected the acting a bit, but that was the way the source material portrayed the characters.  Fun, enjoyable and exciting.  One of my favourites of the year!

Chronicles of Narnia:  Prince Caspian 6

I was very much looking forward to this installment, as I enjoyed the first CoN very much.  Unfortunately I thought that Prince Caspian was a let-down, and didn't have that same  fantastical feeling as the first.  There were still some things to find enjoyable, but I felt it could have been a lot better with some minor changes.

Indiana Jones: Kingdom of Crystal Skull 5

This is probably the biggest dissapointment of the year for me.  I loved the thirst three Indy Jones' films (yes, all of them), but this movie lacked the spark and charisma that made the others such classics.  I really hope that this is the final film in the installment, and that Spielberg, Lucas and all those involved will not try to milk this franchise any more...

Kung Fu Panda 8

As much as I loved and enjoyed Wall-E, I must be completely honest and say, that overall, I enjoyed Kung Fu Panda more.  It was sharp, funny and just great fun.  The animation may not have been quite on par with Pixar, but the story itself was inspiring, and excellent!  Loved it!

The Incredible Hulk  7

I never saw Hulk (2003), and have never read the Hulk comics.  I did however love this movie.  Edward Norton was great as Bruce Banner, and all in all I felt that the entire movie was overall very much fun and entertaining.  That said, it is also extremely forgettable, as I didn't even remember seeing it, until I went through some lists of movies released this year...

The Happening 4

I am of the very unpopular opinion that Sixth Sense is one of the most overrated pieces of crap to ever grace the big screen.  I was not the biggest fan of Signs or The Village either, and didn't even bother with Lady in the Water.  However, my sister wanted to watch this, so we did.  Unfortunately this only solidified my opinion that M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most overrated and inconsitent directors that are working today.

Get Smart 6

A pretty good comedy, with good chemistry between Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell, both of whom I love.  It was a bit too stupid in parts, but overall very enjoyable, although also very forgettable.

Wall-E 8

I LOVE Pixar.  I feel that it is the most consitant Studio in existence, and Wall-E is up there with their best.  The Environmentalist message that some complain about, I felt just added to the film.  There were a few places that the movie dragged a bit, but overall, this is exactly the type of movie I love, as it is an excellent production, for the whole family to enjoy.

Wanted 6

I've never read the comic book series this was based on, but I have to say this was a bit of a dissapointment for me, after hearing stellar things from other corners.  Some of the editing and FX was extremely bad, and I felt that the last act could have been about ten minutes shorter.  Overall, not a bad movie, but very forgetabble.

Hancock 7

I don't quite understand the hate this movie experienced.  I agree with some of the complaints regarding the final act, but I felt that overall it was a fun filled escapist movie.  Personally, I enjoyed it a lot.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army 7

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first Hellboy movie, as it felt a bit too serious at times, but I really enjoyed this sequel.  The cast was great, as was the directing and the screenplay.  A blast!

Journey to the Center of the Earth 7

This movie was quite the surprise for me.  I loved it.  Adventure, intrigue and some family drama, what more could you ask for.  Definitely one of my favourite surprises of the year!

The Dark Knight 8

If you read through the blog, you would see that this was my most anticipated movie of the year.  So it may be a surprise that I rate it lower than Iron Man.  The thing is, I am in the minority that think Batman Begins was better than The Dark Knight.  There were a lot of aspects to love in the film, not least of which the acting, but I thought overall that Begins had the better Screenplay, and that in The Dark Knight, the focus seemed to shift a bit from the Dark Knight himself, which I wasn't all that pleased with.  All that said, this was still a very good and entertaining movie, and is thus far in my Top 5 of the year.

Mamma Mia 7

Much in the same vain as last year's Hairspray, this Musical, that is based on the stage production of the same name, filled with songs from ABBA, was a blast of fun.  Meryl Streep was elegant and lovely in her role, and I thought all the cast, with the exception of Pierce Brosnan, whose singing voice should have been left for the shower, did very well in this.  Fun, entertaining and lovely!

Movies in the Year 2008 Part 1

I've decided to start a bit early on my New Years Resolutions this year, one of which is to restart a movie blog, and actually continue running it during the new year.

I include all movies seen for the first time in Cinemas this year (thus you'll see a couple of 2007 films, that were only released in South Africa in 2008).

The best way to do that, I feel is to do a round-up of the year's movies, those that I loved, those that I hated and those that I feel could have been so much better than they were. Unfortunately I haven't been able to see any of the Oscar hopefuls (Except for Summer fare such as The Dark Knight and Wall-E), as most of them haven't yet shown here in South Africa, and my budget is very tight at present.

But on to the movies that I have seen this year, I'll try to keep it as chronological as possible:

This first list includes films seen between January and April 2008 - Thus my feelings on most of them will be very general, as I can't remember all that much about each, only my general feeling after I left the theatre...

I am Legend 7

Pretty damn good movie. The suspense was good throughout (although the end felt a bit flat). Will Smith did great in his role (one of his bests) and all the other acting was pretty much top notch as well. I’m glad I haven’t yet read the book it’s based on (I am planning to do that as soon as possible), as these types of adaptations never seem to live up to the source material. Only really negative thing I have to say about this movie is the fact that the “monsters” looked very weird and not as scary as I think they were meant to look.

National Treasure 2 7

This movie was quite a bit better than the first for me. The cast really gelled, and it had a real Indiana Jones feel to it (don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t nearly as good as IJ, but it had that feeling). It really was fun entertainment all round. Solid acting (with special kudo’s going to Hellen Mirren and Ed Harris, loved these cast additions), and the story line, although far-fetched was handled well, with some very funny moments in-between

August Rush 6.

Highly enjoyable, but flawed movie (some of the shots they gave of Freddie Highmore’s playing didn’t sync with the music played at all. Freddie Highmore impressed me with beautiful acting, he’s impressed me since his role of Charlie in Charlie in the Chocolate Factory and the little we saw of Terrence Howard was brilliant. Keri Russell was quite lovely in her role, although we saw less of her than I’d have hoped for, especially since a lot of the story does revolve around her. Jonathan Rhys Myers was pretty average, and Robin Williams grated terribly (hated his character).

As for the storyline, it was very predictable, but still struck some chords with me, and the musical number at the end was magnificent!

We own the night 6

I thought this film was pretty decent, but I had expected more with the names involved. First thought – Eva Mendez should never act… ever… again… I just cannot stand this woman’s “acting”, it’s as phony and false as can be. Second thought – PRONOUNCE your words! What was with all the mumbling in this movie? You shouldn’t have to think about getting the dvd (whilst in the theatre), so that you’d actually be able to understand everything said by switching on subtitles.

All that aside, I was impressed by Mark Wahlberg in this, somebody that I usually don’t particularly care for, but he was very good for this role. Joaquin was as good as always, as was Robert Duvall. The story itself was quite gripping, if a bit predictable. It dragged a bit in the middle, but had a very good start and end, so that didn’t grate as much as it would have otherwise. Overall thoughts, good but could have been better with some cast changes and if it had been about 10 minutes shorter.

The Bucket List 8

I truly enjoyed this movie. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman rocked, the Screenplay was refreshingly honest and the soundtrack added loads. A charming, touching, refreshing tale of growing old and of preparing for death.

Juno 6

I didn't love this movie nearly as much as some others did. It had good acting, and a fresh outlook on Teen Pregnancy, but as somebody that isn't all that older than the characters in this movie, I can truly attest that the way that these kids spoke was not representative of the society in general. I also felt that the Jason Bateman character was a let-down in the end. I guess I just didn't see the absolute brilliance that others hyped it to be...

The Game Plan 6

I can admit it, I enjoy these types of movies. You know, the type where the acting is just above average, or even a bit below, and where the story-line is something that has been done a thousand times... As long as a movie such as this can still make me smile or laugh, or at least invoke some emotion in me, I tend to enjoy them. So yeah, The Game Plan wasn't the best movie ever made, with the most intellegent script or anything, but it was enjoyable for what it was - A fun family movie that kids and parents can watch together.

Into the Wild 7

Just as with Juno, I was a bit dissapointed in this movie, after all the hype. I can see why some touted it to be the best of 2007, but I felt there were some aspects lacking, especially in the script. There were some amazing parts, I especially loved the last quarter of the film, but overall, it was a bit disappointing after all the hype.

Untraceable 7

Yes, the storyline was about as far-fetched as can come, but I enjoyed this movie a lot. It had the right amount of suspense, gore and fun to keep it just a level above others of it's type.

Jumper 5

There is very little that I remember of this film. I only know that I left the theatre dissapointed, and that I felt it could be quite a bit better than it turned out to be, especially with the calaber of some of the people involved in the project.

The Spiderwick Chronicles 7

I feel much the same about this movie as I do The Game Plan. The acting in general was at least above Par, and the storyline kept me captivated till the end, so it did what it set out to do. It may not be in the same caliber as Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter, but with the budget it had, I felt it did a very adequate job. It was enjoyable for old and young.

Step Up 2 The Streets 5

I have a confession to make, I very much enjoyed the first Step Up. I liked the dancing, the storyline at least kept my attention, and in general I thought it was entertaining as heck - If I remember correctly I rated it 7. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the sequel. The acting was a bit sub-par, the dance moves not nearly as entertaining as in the first, and the storyline felt like a rehash of many plots, previously done better. Dissapointing...

Drillbit Taylor 6

I enjoyed this little movie. I had no idea what it was about going in, but it had a charm to it, that I liked. Sure it was a bit juvenile and I've basically forgotten everything that had happened in it, but I do know that I left the theatre with a smile on my face.

Prom Night 4

I've never seen the original Prom Night, but I doubt it could be worse than this remake/re-imagining. The acting was, for the most part, at most average, the story-line was cliched, and the villian not scary in the least. With plot holes the size of mountains, and "jump-scares" that failed even in it's most basic of tasks, this movie was most definitely one of the worst of the year.

The Forbidden Kingdom 4

I had high hopes going into this movie, which may have affected my rating of it, and was extremely dissapointed. The entire storyline was boring, and a rehash of so many adventure films that have preceded it. I felt absolutely no chemistry between the characters and even Jet Li and Jackie Chan dissapointed. It just felt like a mish-mash of scenes that never worked individually or as a whole.