Yangon Thu's (I can't sleep so I'll review movies) Movie Reviews
Arthur et les Minimoys / Arthur and the invisibles
I already knew I was going to like this movie before I saw it. Why? The reason is simple. The movie is about a boy who goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, a tiny people living in harmony with nature. (Source IMDB)
And much like him, when I was a little girl, I used to imagine that within our worlds, there used to live another species of creatures who were so tiny that they were only a little bigger than ants. I used to imagine them having dinner with their family right below the dining table in our house when we used to have dinner as well. So finding out Luc Besson made a movie about these tiny people and called then "Les Minimoys" or "the Invisibles", I felt as thought I was in a special "I imagined the same things as you did when I was little" club.
Anyway, back to the movie review - I expected it to be a little dumbed down as it was a kid movie - but it was rather clever and with good CGI. The story flows well with many lessons for kids to learn about good, evil, strength, etc. Besides, the movie has great voiceovers by celebrities such as Madonna, David Bowie, Robert De Niro, Jimmy Fallon and more. It was entertaining at all times and worth a shot if you have a rich imagination and wanted to see how Madonna would look like as an avatar. hahaha.
Spiderman 3 is: The highly anticipated third chapter of the popular Spider-Man series sees Peter and Mary Jane finally together, but three new enemies, the Sandman, Venom and Spidey's old enemy, the New Goblin, his best friend, Harry Osborn, threatens the lives of people close to Peter. (Source IMDB)
Spiderman 3 was a Box Office hit. I think it was number 1 movie for about 3 weeks or something. Maybe it still is number 1. But can I tell you something? I hated it! When I was watching it, I felt like I was eating a giant cheese ball which is being deep fried in cheese oil and then sprinkled with more cheese. It was such a cheesy movie!!! How did it get such good reviews? Is it because people realised that Tobey Maguire can dance to the tune of some 70's Disco anthem? And Tobey only has 3 faces - "hurt" - "confused" and "is this happening to me?" face. Even when he was being a "bad", "evil" version of Spiderman, they made him look like some Emo teenager who had too much time and decided to buy an eyeliner and use it severely to outline his eyes. And because he swept his hair down over his eyes, I'm supposed to believe he is bad ass? Oh! My! God! lol.
I just couldn't wait for the movie to be over. I loved the last fight scene because I knew the story was coming to an end and also the Harry Osborn became a good guy. Most of all, I was just so happy it would end. And how much did Kirsten Dunst get paid to scream and pout throught he whole movie? Too much, if you ask me. People are starving in (insert poor country here), people!
I'm sorry but when it comes to comic book heroes, I'll stick with X-Men and Batman, thank you. Unless of course they decide to make the TV series Heroes into a movie than you know I'm there. Big thumbs down on Spiderman 3.
Shooter
I was hoping Shooter might be a great action movie. What with Mark Walhberg playing a really ripped Marine and all. And I bet that the first script of the movie was really well written too. I mean it had a great premise: Government trains man to shoot well, fight well, detect well. Government tries to leave man and his best friend in Africa after making them kill innocent civilians (all for the sake of an oil pipeline - sound familiar?) and then government retires him. Government then asks the man back to help stop the assassination of the President. Government agents double cross the man and set him up, shoots him chase him across the United States (and I do mean all across).
But the finished product is misguided even though the political message tries to hold the movie together. However, the script is slipshod as it suffers many cuts. Viewers are transported into different scenes and happenings with no thread to weave them together. The movie is overambitious at time, transporting the hero from Philadelphia to Kentucky one day and to Virginia and Montana in a span of hours. Perhaps if they had explained that the hero is able to go around invisible or is able to teleport, the movie might have made sense, but alas, no. Then they throw in a pretty girl in the picture. I mean, the macho, misguided guy needs a pretty girl to save him right? What gets me is that the man destroys the evidence he has of bringing the government down. So in the end, everyone goes scot-free, so he chases them once more. What is the point of the movie? That if you are a former Marine sniper, you will always have a large supply of guns, rifles and be able to walk through walls and travel really quickly all across the US? Whatever! C for overall and B for effort.
Music and Lyrics
Have you ever noticed that some actors are only able to play 1 role? Perhaps it comes with the studio execs type casting them, so they are only stuck in the same kind of roles in different movies, or perhaps, it's because the actors and actresses themselves go back to acting the way they do best because that's how/where they feel most comfortable in front of a camera. Or it could simply be because they can't act. LOL. but I digress. Examples of those who tend to play similar characters are: Jude Law, Matthew Perry, Hugh Grant, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Aniston, etc. Some of these actors I can't stand because I am sick of seeing just one facet of them but the one I love amongst those is Hugh Grant. He always play the charming, not the best looking guy but I make up for it by being your good looking bloke with self-decrepiting humour, who falls for a girl, breaks up with a girl, does something endearing to win her back, etc.
Hugh Grant plays that guy in Music and Lyrics with Drew Barrymore. He plays Alex Fletcher, an aging pop star from an 80's band called "POP!" (pun intended, I'm sure) After his band mate goes off on his own and becomes famous, Alex is resorted to doing gigs at reunion parties and amusement parks. He gets his one big break when the biggest pop sensation Cora (17, young, Britney spears like) asks him to write a song to record with her. He can't write the lyrics, only the melody, so he enlists Drew Barrymore for help. Hilarity ensues.
Or, I think hilarity ensues anyway, not many people that it was very funny but I love the sarcastic, self-decrepiting humour that Hugh Grant gets to use all the time in his movies. And who doesn't love bumbling "I know-I'm-a-has-been-and-love-it" characters? lol. The movie has not much plot - it is just cotton candy fluff - full of sugary pleasures that melts in your mouth and just goes off a bit too soon and you are not willing to admit that you want more.
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On the other hand, I miss watching a good Burmese Movie. Will someone tell me where I can watch a good one? I only remember being about 18 and going to the cinema in Burma and the movie I saw was completely crap. Un-baring-ably slow at times and then the humour was too crude for me. I'm sorry but maybe because I was only a kid when I left Burma I can't handle the sexual innuendos that are found in Burmese cinema and comedies these days. I mean, it just sounds wrong in Burmese man. Yeah so any suggestions on what good Burmese movies I could see?
