RKB Writes Ramblin' about Comics, Movies, Televison, Screenplays, Macs and X-Box

[Movie Review] Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Having not read the book or seen the BBC Mini Series, both of which are now on my list of things to do since both are in hand, the movie version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy featuring an all star list of actors is one of the better movies to see during the doldrums of January.

[Movie Review] The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

So, which is better? The book? The original movie? Or, the remake by David Fincher?

The quick answer is all three.

[Movie Review Quickie] Mission Impossible 4 and The Dark Knight Rises Prologue

Enjoyed Mission Impossible 4 and The Dark Knight Rises Prologue.

Someone on the interwebs recommended Brad Bird for James Bond and after seeing how he pulled off the action and the locales, I have to agree. After the Incredibles it was either Bond or Mission Impossible.

MI:4 is not M:II. There aren't stunts for stunts sake and after seeing it in IMAX, I'm waiting to see someone push the envelope and film the entire movie in IMAX.

One must wonder if Cruise's life did not implode/explode several years culminating on Oprah's couch if MI:4 would have beaten out Sherlock Holmes, instead, MI:4 got beat by CGI Squirrels, CGI Squirrels I might add that have more screen per movie theater. My normal stomping grounds of Lincoln Mall had no MI:4 but a crap load of squirrels.

Everyone performed fine in MI:4, Paula Patton probably the stand out since she got the meatier of the roles while Simon Pegg from MI:III is now a full fledge agent and new comer Jeremy Renner pulled off his analyst role well. If Cruise does step away from the role, I think Renner could pull it off when he's not Avenging some costumed villain. I enjoyed the nods to previous MI movies, it's nice to see they're not completely forgetting what happened last time.

The only downside of the movie was the villain. I think previous MI movies (including M:II) had better villains or at least they were given more screen time instead of just getting beat up by Cruise in a car park.

As for The Dark Knight Rises Prologue: I enjoyed it. Bane's voice has been making the rounds on the interwebs as of late with the big question: Will Nolan alter it if no one can understand it. I have to say I managed to understand 3/4ths of what Bane said in the prologue. The voice is great idea to an extent but there are lines in there that are lost.

Overall, MI:4 is worth seeing IMAX, as far as I could tell every single set piece scene was filmed in IMAX.

[Movie Review] Real Steel

"This ain't no video game!"

Richard Matheson short story entitled "Steel", first made into a Twilight Zone Television Episode and now gets a movie adaptation featuring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lily and Dakota Goyo.

Real Steel's advertising is interesting because half the trailers showed Jackman alone and the other half show him and his forgotten moppet of a son trying to do the Rocky with Robots schtick.

And, for the most part it works when the plot pits the father and son against the robot and their operators.

The rest of the plot is paint by numbers and will bore you to tears.

[Movie Review] Drive

Everyone over on AICN is raving about this movie and for once I whole heartedly agree with them.

Drive is has several styles running through it, I can best describe it as a european, 80's, noir, violent tale about a Driver who works at a garage/ Hollywood Stunt Man by day and if the money is right will be your wheel man for 5 minutes.

Thankfully, Michael Bay is nowhere in sight.

[Movie Review] Triangle

"Let's go sailing!"

Triangle is a fun, small, horror movie about a group of people who go out sailing only to get caught in a storm then board a ship only to find they are not a alone. And, no, it's not Gilligan or the Skipper...

[Movie Review] Super

"Shut up crime!"

[Movie Review] Cowboys and Aliens

"I've seen good men do bad things and bad men do good things."

I look at Cowboys and Aliens and look at the John Carter from Mars and wonder: Are we going to do this same dance in March 2012?