Snap Judgments - A Quick Review of 10 Movies

Restrepo
Documentary filmmakers Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger spent a year in the Korengal valley in Afghanistan with a US platoon. You are literally put in the middle of battles which are frightening and invigorating at once. The soldier interviews are a terrific view of their mindset and experiences. These guys have more guts than me - and have my utmost respect. Currently, it's the definitive film about the Afghanistan War - needless to say - a difficult situation with zero organization on the ground and tribes of people unwilling to take greater responsibility and leadership roles. B+

The Kids Are All Right
Maybe, but the movie is not. As lawyer pointed out in his generous review, the first 30 minutes are difficult to watch (mostly the gay male porn, but everything else including the unrealistic relationships and the superfluous drug use). It's so detestable that the film never recovered for me, even as Julianne Moore and Annette Bening give believable, heartfelt performances. Mark Ruffalo is doing his naturalistic, relaxed awesome thing, but it's nothing new. The Joni Mitchell singalong was embarrassing and supporting cast was forgettable. I'm pretty sure Ruffalo wouldn't dump a super hot 20-something for a freckled worn out 50 year old albino. The film knows nothing about men (e.g. no heterosexual man really likes Joni Mitchell). Give Bening an Australian accent and some junk, and the film is the last third of Funny People - without the insight. I'm tempted to give it a C since it's been ridiculously overpraised but it's so well-acted by the veteran ladies that it deserves better than Grown Ups. B-

When You're Strange
It's about a straightforward documentary about The Doors as you'll ever see, narrated by a borderline comatose Johnny Depp. The archival footage is a treasure trove for fans and some (if not all) of the music is timeless. B

The Crazies
Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell are a married couple in a small town whose members start turning into zombies. There are several good action scenes (especially the car wash). The movie tries to become about something (commitment, loyalty) and is successful as far as it wants to go (or can, given the limitations of the genre). B

The Runaways
The formation of the all-female band (which included the great Joan Jett) in the mid-70s is well-told early on but loses steam toward the end when it can't decide if it wants to follow the band or lead singer Cherie Currie's relationship with her sister. When it tries to do both, it becomes muddled. Still, nice ending with Jett and Currie trying to connect over a phone call. Kristen Stewart (Jett) and Dakota Fanning (Currie) are great and will be with us as long as they want to. B

Predators
Adrien Brody playing a military bad-ass is obviously questionable casting but he does better than expected. The film is a semi-remake of the original Schwarzenegger version with a group of people getting killed off one at a time within the jungle. It's watchable and easily Nimrod Antal's best film - which says nothing. The action is solid and the last fight with the Japanese Yakuza almost got transcendental. B-

Clash of the Titans
An update of the 1981 cult classic, which goes from bad to worse. Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson re-team as Zeus and his son Hades, each competing for most embarrassing performance. Wooden Sam Worthington was expected to suck and he does. C

Prince of Persia
Jake Gyllenhaal cashes a paycheck and tries to start a franchise. The ability to briefly rewind time is interesting but the whole affair is so generic and humorless, that you'll feel cheated. C

Jonah Hex
You can't have a hero with half of his face scarred off. You can't see his wife and child burned alive. You can't set a film in the 1860s and pretend there's any tension when Washington DC is threatened with destruction. You can't expect Megan Fox to show any depth or chemistry with anyone. Except her bustier, of course. C-

Boogie Woogie
Stunt casting with Heather Graham will trick PTA fans into a looksy. The "gratuitous nudity" described by the MPAA is of the full frontal male variety. The "insider" look into the art world is just as boring, ridiculous, and detached as you'd expect. D+