Holiday Movie Recap

Alien Versus Predator 2

Okay, I know what you're thinking. But this movie delivers exactly what it promises, it could be considered, in fact a "well-made movie" in a Scribe-ian sense. It lacks any unnecessary explanations or exposition, something I'd been longing for frankly. Also, the lighting was really, really well done, cheers to what hopefully is an up-and-coming DP.

Sweeney Todd

This grade is based on the chemistry between Helena Bonham Cater, who is phenomenal as Mrs. Lovett and Johnny Depp. This movie makes an attempt to strengthen their story line and is the better for it. Overall the cast is wonderful. The strong visual of the film with its steel blues punctuated with accents of red is highly successful. Unfortunately, when the visual needs to be varied-- for instance in a beach-scene fantasy sequence-- there was no sense of transition or juxtaposition, merely difference. The film also suffers from some weak CGI and for its-own-sake gratuitous gore at the very end, which is saying a lot for Sweeny Todd. But all said, this film should satisfy both one's Tim Burton, and one's Stephen Sondheim fix.

I Am Legend

Will Smith got in trouble for spilling the beans on the surprise ending. My only question... what surprise ending? Some interesting moments and visual were just enough to sustain this movie to the threshold of entertaining, but far too many opportunities for interesting complication were missed. My immediate, impulsive reaction when the credits rolled at the end of this film was to exclaim to my friends that "It was like an M. Night Shyamalan movie in reverse!" a comment I continue to stand behind without knowing entirely what I mean. Save this one for DVD-- or better yet, read a couple Jorge Borges short stories instead.