Slumdog Millionaire

I wasn't going to review Slumdog Millionaire, some movies are just so highly publicized that it's a waste of time. But keeping quiet has never been my style.

The Oscar winner for Best Picture, I can't imagine that there is a soul on the planet who hasn't heard of this movie. But for those of you soulless creatures, take a gander...




In a nutshell, the movie follows Jamal and Salim Malik, two brothers that grew up in the slums of Bombay/Mumbai. Jamal is a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and while breezing through the show he is accused of cheating. It's a concoction of fabulous story telling, gritty slum life, violence, and love. Director Danny Boyle knocked it out of the park with this one.

As I eluded to previously, the Oscar win for Best Picture, combined with 7 other Academy Awards tells the story of the success. And a success it was, however I found it to be a bit overrated. It is a really good film, but I didn't find it to be a GREAT film.

It hit all of the emotional elements, but it just didn't wow me with any particular one of them. I haven't seen a few of the other Best Picture nominees yet, but I can only assume that either none of them were great, or this one just tugged at the right heart strings of the committee members.

The blu-ray transfer is actually quite good. There were a few moments of significant grain, however most of the 1080p was impressive. The blu-ray really stood out with the DTS-HD Master Audio mix. A good soundtrack and more sound effects than I anticipated made it a really nice listen, much more so than I expected from this type of movie.

Oh, and Freida Pinto is a rising star. Incredibly attractive with "the look" that will take her a long way. I expect to see a lot more of her, and I expect her skills to keep increasing.















This is a very good film that is well worth the watch. 4 stars, but I don't think it's a repeater.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy II is an interesting evolution in the franchise. The first installment was special because it had true darkness, humor, and a good feeling of human emotion tied with super hero strength. It drew me in and intrigued me. This one takes it to new levels. Take a look.

Guillermo del Toro is a genius, in my humble opinion. He has put out some true masterpieces. Pan's Labyrinth comes to mind. Pick that one up if you want to be wowed. It doesn't get much better.

Back to the lecture at hand. This one isn't fabulous. It gives into the big Hollywood schmaltz. It feels like it drifts along not knowing what it truly wants to be. A comedy? A super hero flick? A dark look into the underbelly? I really don't know and it troubles me.

Ron Perlman carried the first movie but his talent goes under utilized here. He lost his charm and comedic value. Selma Blair, as Liz Sherman, became too mainstream as well. I don't think tilting towards romance was the right way to go. It lost it's machismo.

Beyond that, this movie is a true visual feast. The Blu-Ray copy is out of this world. Nearly flawless with scenes to die for. The DTS-HD Master Audio is top notch as well. Folks, I tell you time and again that you need to adopt this format. You won't be dissapointed.

If you feel intimidated shoot me a question. I will gladly help you weed through the confusion and put you on the fast track to satisfaction.

As for the movie, it's worth a watch, especially if you liked the first one. It's a 3 star flick, and it's setup for a third installment. Go grab a copy and pop the corn.

Burn After Reading

I am not sure what I just watched. I take it back, I just watched a movie by Joel and Ethan Coen. Burn After Reading is a bit much, even for them.





These two nut jobs have had some real winners. No Country for Old Men being the biggest winner of them all. Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, they all have their place. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I haven't found too many people who truly HATE their movies.

I don't hate this one, but it just felt a little bit too much like they were trying to stick it in our faces. It felt like they were saying, hey..we won our Oscar, now take this!

The movie certainly had an A list cast, and they look like they had fun and thus put their hearts into it. It was well acted all around. George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, and Richard Jenkins each outdid each other. McDormand played the lost, aloof character flawlessly. Swinton was fabulous as the bitch. No other way to put it.

This is certainly worth the watch, but I think it will be polarizing. Perhaps you dig the style, or perhaps you find it a bit too much. I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Blu-Ray format shined here. I felt like I was in the room with these folks. In fact, perhaps it was too good. I could see every pore on their face. That's not hot.

The DTS-HD Master Audio was just an average showing. Since it's mostly dialogue driven I wouldn't expect much more.

3 stars.

Wanted

Wanted left me wanting. Wanting more, and wanting less. A movie such as this should be about the action, the sex appeal, and the action.




I think that this movie tried to hard with the character development of James McAvoy's character, Wesley Gibson. He was a really bad whiner, but did a decent job as an angry bad ass. The movie also spent entirely too much time on the development of his "bad ass". It became boorish at times. And I also did not buy into many members of The Fraternity.

Angelina Jolie once again delivers as the sexy bad girl. She does it oh so well and this is no exception. Let it be known that I am not her biggest fan but as far as the bad ass woman goes, she can't be topped.



You know what I'm talking about.

Blu-Ray is the only way to go here as it is the perfect movie to showcase the technology. The action sequences are fabulous. The DTS-HD Master Audio shines. It spins your head with every bullet, every piece of shattered glass makes you look at the floor. Very well done.

This movie is worth a watch. 3 out of 5 stars.