Now that classes are over, and grading/finals will preoccupy me for the next two weeks, I was hoping to take a break this weekend and go see a movie. Only to discover that there is absolutely nothing that I want to see. After PBW's review of Iron Man (not that I even considered it), I think I will pass.
You would think with all the trashy, gimmicky, thrills-loaded projects they throw at us, that they would at least take the "dry season" (usually the rainy spring season) to give us some substance. Instead, they give us a full serving of Meh. I guess that's all to whet our appetites for the junk food coming our way this summer?
Either way, since I don't have another film review to add to my sidebar, I will instead give a review of five movie trailers (because these are so much fun in building up our excitement or utter disgust):
In Order of Preference:
1. The Dark Knight (opening July 18), directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale (as Batman) and Heath Ledger (as the Joker).
Wow! That joker make-up is beyond disturbing, and this picture looks really dark. Because I'm a fan of the late Heath Ledger, you know I have to see his last film, an act that a good friend of mine is exasperated by since she knows that I and a legion of other Heath lovers will be flooding the multiplexes to "ruin the movie experiences" of all Batman/D.C. comic addicts. Sorry, all you Batman fanatics, but you've got to make room for us this summer. Besides, I liked Nolan's Memento, so I'm willing to see what he's got in store for us with this Batman sequel. Still, that joker make-up...whew! If this character really did drive Heath to prescription pills, I can almost see why since this joker looks decidedly more deranged than the one I saw on the TV series or the one Jack Nicholson channeled.
2. The Happening (opening June 13), directed by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Mark Wahlberg.
OK, by now Shyamalan's track record is pretty lame. I loved his Sixth Sense (even though he hated the trailer using the now famous "I see dead people" line, which he was sure gave the entire movie away) and appreciated Unbreakable (the trailer was even better, now that he got maniacally protective about revealing the storyline). The problem, of course, is that after those two movies, the trailers have been the best part of his movies: Signs, The Village, and The Lady in the Water. Craptastic movies, all three; I didn't see the last one (universally trashed) since I learned my lesson with Signs and the Village, which is that the best parts will only appear in the trailer! So, looking at this latest film, the trailer is very tempting, but until Shyamalan steps up his game, I will have to pass. The trailer looks great either way!
3. Wanted (opening June 27), directed by Timur Bekmambetov, starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman.
Not a fan of Jolie (especially after her "blackface" performance of a woman of color in A Mighty Heart), but the action looks tight, and McAvoy looks hot, and I still respect Morgan Freeman.
4. Hamlet 2 (opening August 22), directed by Andrew Fleming, starring Steve Coogan.
Rock me sexy, Jesus?! Seriously? Admittedly this looks really stupid, but it appears like the kind of trainwreck that could actually be entertaining. Will first have to see what the buzz is like before I see it opening weekend.
5. Hancock (opening July 2), directed by Peter Berg, starring Will Smith.
After watching this trailer, I now realize something I didn't before: I hate, hate, HATE Will Smith with the fire of a thousand suns! His relentless and tired performances of "cocky black man" is just so ridiculously stereotypical, and it amazes me how he can become a bonafide box-office smash when so many other charismatic, good-looking brothers are still struggling to prove their box-office potential (Terence Howard, Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ijiofor, even Denzel had to go through the struggle), and this fool brings in the summer profits effortlessly doing his shtick. I get there is this irony the movie is playing on with the whole "superhero" renaissance that has captured the summer movie box office, but I'm still waiting for the ironic parody of "Mr. Smith Goes to Hollywood," which exposes his lame adventure into the movies. This is the same fool who passed on the role of Neo in The Matrix to make Wild Wild West, in which he does a comical scene referencing the lynching of black men! (I won't even critique what the hell he and Martin Lawrence were thinking when they did that KKK scene in Bad Boys 2). How Jada Pinkett went from Tupac to this Republican-make-massa-smile "brotha" is beyond me. I guess living the high society lifestyle of a Hollywood wife has its trade-off.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
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It's making the rounds at art house and second run theaters so I don't know if it's come your way, but I saw Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day this weekend. It was pretty light, but that kind of silly fun that doesn't make you feel stupider for having watched it.
If you saw or read Cold Comfort Farm, this was one of the novels that author was parodying. Same setting, less intentional irony.
"How Jada Pinkett went from Tupac to this Republican-make-massa-smile "brotha" is beyond me. I guess living the high society lifestyle of a Hollywood wife has its trade-off."
Ha, Ha!
Ok, dating myself, but I would never step into a theater to see a DC film based on a DC comics character. Yeah, that's right, I'm from the Marvel VS. DC era, circa '75. I was claiming Marvel like they were a set. I swear I was throwing the letter, "M" like a fucking gang sign from my mama's front porch (the other baby afro-geeks didn't like me).
The portrayal of women and comics suck and you can best believe that in the comics-to-film women weren't going to fair any better. Despite being a Marvel fan, I hated Iron Man. He was the misogynist geek-boy's alter ego; cool, handsome girls existing to be in his stable or waiting to be saved while he plays with his toys. He was Marvel's answer to Batman as far as being a gadget-hero, IM was just a little more cheerful.
I was into the X-men from the start, and at that age I didn't know why until much later in life; but it all clicked for me; assimilationism vs. self-determinationism, families made up from marginalization and growing strong by fighting for their liberation. The women faired way better in that series; especially with Storm later becoming the leader of the X-Men.
Anyway, I've rambled enough.
Jolie's character in Wanted is also supposed to be a black woman. :P
Plus they've changed the story so much that it's kind of pointless - in the original comic they're supervillains, not assassins, and the whole point of the story is that the supervillains finally all teamed up and killed all the heroes and WON, and now they run the world.
Mouse, I missed Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day because it was at the theater for a really brief time. I guess I will check it out when it gets to Netflix.
Brotherkomrade, I never paid attention to the D.C. vs. Marvel comics and how women fared in either. I guess I will take your word for it, but I'm still planning to see TDK in July.
Maral, thanks for enlightening me that Jolie is once again reprising her "blackface" role. This is becoming a pattern. And, is there really no black actress who could star along McAvoy in this movie?
I guess once they went with a mainstream actress, they couldn't very well keep with a subversive script in which "supervillains" face off with "heroes" and WIN.
LOL, Okay ABW, I know Will Smith have made some stinkers, but I don't think Will is a Republican. Now Denzel said that he was a Republican (after he and Meryl Streep had a tizzy on the TODAY show when they were promoting "The Manchurian Candidate").
And as for Tupac (R.I.P), he's not exactly Sidney Poitier either. But that's another story.
Granted, Will needs to find another genre.
To be honest, I'm surprised that Martin Lawrence is STILL making movies. Now HE makes Will Smith look like Tupac, no...more like Richard Roundtree. OMG, how many Big Momma's House films can a brotha make?
Uh, I don't know about you all, but I may have to miss "Hamlet 2." Aside from the fact that the Christian right will be waiting to protest it, just from the moonwalking Jesus scenes alone, that film will stink to be damned. Leave a stench in every multiplex in America. Can you say "Grease 2" everybody?
It's gonna make "Superbad" look like "The English Patient."
Don't bother apologizing to the Batman fans. The more people that show up the more movies they make so come on and join us!
Female characters in the Marvel Universe were a little scarce but I think it is worth pointing out that those few females are often among the most powerful.
Will Smith has been typecast as the cocky hero. What's the motivation to move to another character type when you're typecast as a leading actor?
Blackface? Is it really that hard to find an actual black person for the role? Unless blackface is a part of story it shouldn't be in the movie.
Huey, I figure that one to be a hit or miss.
Danny, I will be happy to join all you Batman fans this summer. :)
Is it just me, or that the Hollywood underlying storyline of "Hancock" is basically saying that black men make terrible superheroes? "That Hancock is no Peter Parker. He doesn't put his heart into it like Superman or Batman." I just read a similar black message board and the gist of it that I've gotten from the comments is that although Will Smith's Hancock is about a slacker superhero, it's basically saying that black men don't have the "discipline" or intelligence to possess or even use superpowers, especially using them for good.
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