Taking my kiddo to see it opening day. A tradition that started 5 years ago. I love comic book movies so hopefully this one does not disappoint!
0 Comments
So, after my daughter had a crummy couple of days with testing and boyfriend troubles I decided to take her out to the movies. We both wanted to see Kingsman and I am so glad we went to see it. It was not a movie my mom would have enjoyed, at all. Here's why...
If you like comedy mixed with your gratuitous violence and swearing then by all means hop to it. Because this movie delivers all three. Mom's not a fan of two of those things. Samuel L Jackson is fantastically funny, yet creepy just the same. His lisping tech Milpitas Valentine is not too dissimilar to his villain in Unbreakable but instead of comic books, Valentine likes spy movies. Not just any spy movies, classic James Bond style films and that is the basis for his plan to stop climate change. By the way that's the premise behind the film. The film has a great "I want My MTV" opening sequence where we are introduced to the Kingsmen. It's pretty badass. I won't lie, I was singing along under my breath to the Dire Straits song from my youth. Colin Firth and Michael Caine share the screen and great make up takes them back 17 years to 1997. We are also introduced to Eggsy (Exsi is how it's pronounced) as a young boy. His father was a Kingsman. Fast forward to the present. We get a great cameo from none other than Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. (Side note: My daughter didn't recognize him.) He plays Professor Arnold, a little known researcher of climate change. He is kidnapped and this is how we meet him , bound to a chair in Argentina. We also meet one of the Kingsmen from all those years before. The film then gets us back to Eggsy. We see that things have gone downhill for him as well as his mother. He's picked on and beat up. Eggsy gets into trouble and places a phone call to the number on the back of a medal that Harry Hart (Colin Firth) gave him 17 years ago. Harry recruits Eggsy and nominates him for the Kingsmen. Can you guess what the second act of the film is. (Basing this on a three act structure.) We also see Valentine recruiting for his scheme to help climate change and Professor Arnold goes BOOM! Without any more spoilers... go see this film in theatres while you still have the chance! It won't be the same when formatted for a smaller screen! Word of caution... It is rated R. Don't take young children to see it. (Another side note: The theatre in which we saw this movie made sure my under 17 daughter was with me before allowing her through the ticket stand! Way to go Regal Cinemas!) So, I was all over this when Sony said they weren't going to release it in the theatre. I said I would pay money to see it just on principle. However, I am now glad I didn't waste the cash! I caught this awful monstrosity on Netflix.
The premise I can live with because it's a good one. Poison strip on the hand was just a bit too easy so lets toss in some "honeypotting" or well, "honeyd'ing", which I don't know if it's really called that but hey whatever. James Franco's character Dave Skylark is an idiot where Seth Rogen's character, Aaron Rapaport, is not. He's, in fact, quite the opposite. He's the intelligent guy who did a friend a favor and is now stuck with Dave. There are gratuitous drug and drinking binges that make you question what the movie is really about. All though it does set up several scenes later in the movie. There was some unnecessary carnage and subtle gay jokes. Okay, so they weren't so subtle especially in the Eminem interview. The whole movie screams one big gay joke, right down to Margaritas and Katy Perry being a sign of "gayness." In the party scene near the beginning of the film, there was plenty of drug references as well as flashes of boobs. Wow. I thought I was watching Porky's for a few seconds. There was a juvenile quality in what could have been a great movie. I can say I was disappointed in the humor that Rogen brought to the film and some of the lines weren't that great, cringe worthy at best. Maybe I'm still a little miffed that Rogen didn't think his comment about American Sniper would be misinterpreted. No, it's not that. I was looking forward to this film and it was lacking. So what does that say a bout Rogen as he had a hand in the story line and the directing? I know a lot of people didn't like Green Hornet but I did. Before you waste your time ... if you are easily grossed out by blood or bodily functions, skip this flick. There wasn't much chatter coming out of the theatre all though I was a bit incensed by one quiet conversation as we all filed out. There was someone that didn't know the ending of the film. What?!? I wanted to turn around and ask if she paid attention to the news. The story of Chris Kyle was splashed everywhere upon his death. But, no offense to anyone, what should I have expected from a civilian?
Having read the book in which the movies is based on, I will offer a comparison and opinion of both. The movie starts off brilliantly, in the middle of the first tour and just as he pulls the trigger for his first kill in country, bam! We cut to the Chris that would become "The Legend" and his first deer. Sheer genius on the part of the director and the editors. It introduces us to the innocence and shows us how he was brought up. His father so obviously influences his choices and his attitudes that he expressed in his adult years. He stands up for his brother and this is where we learn why Chris did what he did. As another American hero, albeit fictional, says (or to some effect) "I don't tolerate bullies." That's pretty much what this man was about. Now, this is where it gets Hollywood. The movie tracks the missions and the storyline is spotted with his life at home. Which is perfectly acceptable as this was about his time as a sniper with his SEAL team. But part of the driving force behind his motivation is the need to protect his family and his family included his brothers in uniform. I heard the comment going into the movie that an older gentleman had read the book and thought it was garbage. Well, I have news for that guy, both of them were fantastic. It took me two days to finish the book and the movie, well it's one I will own and it will probably make me cry every time. The book - I really enjoyed the inserts by Taya Kyle. They pulled in the reality of a military family. "... He's definitely not the person he was before the war, but there are a lot of the same qualities. His sense of humor, his kindness, his warmth, his courage, and a sense of responsibility. His quiet confidence inspires me..." - Taya Kyle The first line is the key. Those that leave for war are forever changed. Bradley Cooper does a fantastic job of portraying that change. It's hard to come home and listen to ordinary sounds like the lawnmower or traffic. Not because they're strange but because they sound like other things. It's a great scene when Cooper, as Kyle, is sitting at home and gets that far away look on his face as we hear a lawnmower in the background. You know that he's gone somewhere else, to another time and another situation. It's so hard to write about what you have experiences you've had and I think that Kyle did a stand up job conveying all that in the book. Jason Hall did a great job turning that book into a screenplay. I apologize that this doesn't give a more detailed vision of either but you need to read the book and watch the movie. The film has been nominated for several Oscars and in the following categories:
One scene that moved me was a scene where Kyle was having tires put on his truck, during some time home after his his daughter was born. Another veteran overheard the conversation and approached him. This vet gets down to the level of Kyle's son and tells him that his dad is a hero because he saved a lot of troops over in Iraq. Yes, I have no doubt that this happened and was not a "Hollywood" moment. Just go see the movie and read the book! You'll not be sorry. You will be sad that this SEAL lost his life way to soon. The Quest is a fantasy world in which 12 normal folks are chosen to defend Everealm. Each week they face challenges and are slowly whittled down to one remaining and that one is the one true hero. Okay, so normal isn't what most people would say. These are all folks who love the genre of fantasy. They loved it enough to say "Yes, I will go live in a castle in Austria and compete for no prize other than being the one true hero."
Sounds too good to be true right? Well it's what is called a scripted reality show. The main players that are controlling game play are actors with lines and the only ones without the script are the 12 contestants. This show comes to us from ABC and some power hitters in the film industry. Reality TV meets Lord of the Rings! It's a geek's dream come true. So, I can't decide which would be better writing for the show or competing on it. Arkansan Jim Curry, the youngest Paladin as well as the tallest, did well and was not first to meet his fate. If you haven't seen it I won't spoil it for you but the question for the pieces of the Sunspear to banish the darkness from Everealm has begun! Tune in Thursday's 8/7 central to cheer on your favorite Paladin. You better believe I'll be watching and rooting for Jim! This movie... where have I been that I have never seen this movie? It is outstanding! Hilarious from the moment Nicholas Angel is hauled into the office to receive transfer orders to small town Sandford to the very end!
I think Simon Pegg is awesome but this just shoved him higher on the awesome list. I suppose that I am the last person to watch this movie but my favorite scenes are the various shoot out locations! It was great to see Olivia Colman in something other than Doctor Who and Broadchurch. We can't forget Timothy Dalton (James Bond), Bill Nighy (Harry Potter 7, Total Recall (2012)), Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock), Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn Harry Potter 6, 7, 8) , and David Bradley (Argus Filch Harry Potter series)! The premise is entertaining, the dialogue believable and the comedy is well, okay it is Simon Pegg, brilliantly funny. And if that isn't enough, the twist at the very end is just that, a twist. I should have guessed that the underwater mine would play a greater role later. I mean honestly, if you have a gun on a gun rack in scene 5 you better use it later! Great use! If you haven't seen Hot Fuzz yet ... find it and watch! This movie is now on my need to own it list! So, what will you be watching on Harry Potter's birthday? Hopefully this show!
"For 12 lucky souls, a fantastic world will come alive in a competition series unlike any other. #TheQuest premieres Thursday, July 31 at 8|7c on ABC." This is the description on the official Facebook page. But, if you've seen the 30 second promo during "Once Upon A Time", you'll know that this show is not like "Survivor" or "The Amazing Race." It is a fantasy competition. How is it different? It's for fans of fantasy! Wow! What? The preview showed sword fighting! That's my kind of show!! Okay it's also my kind of show because one of the contestants is not only from Little Rock but from my church congregation! His nickname on the show is "Paladin Jim", so when you watch, and you should because it looks awesome, root for him! And it's got sword fighting!! We know nothing of the outcome, obviously, due to requirements from the show but it's always great to support friends in their endeavors! Keep an eye out here when the show starts for updates and episode summaries! This is sometimes the bane of being a single mom, I don't always get to see movies right away. But off we go. Leslie Mann (George of the Jungle) and Cameron Diaz (Charlie's Angels) made a great pair in this hysterical buddy comedy. I have not laughed this hard at a movie in a very long time. Mann plays clueless "Stepford Wife" Kate King and I really do mean clueless. The open of the movie has Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Mark King with Cameron Diaz's Carly Whitten, the "other woman". Things seem to be going great. Then, the scene that changes everything. We see Mark in bed and the voice we were accustomed to hearing is not what we hear. It's Kate, his wife. Oops. We all know the guy (and to be fair) or girl that exactly like this. Kate isn't in sexy lingerie, she's in the granny cotton nightgown that let's face we have all worn at one point in our adult lives. They go through the normal married couple routine and this is when we discover Kate is clueless. It isn't until a few scenes later when Carly shows up thinking she'll surprise Mark at his Connecticut home that the mistress and the wife meet. You can feel the awkwardness from these two comedy mavens but you really feel for poor Carly. She truly had no idea her guy was married. Don't count out Kate's several breakdowns after confronting Carly because you get some of the funniest scenes! I think my mom and I were the only ones in the theatre laughing. (We went to the 4:05 show and were 2 of 6 people in the whole theatre!) 'How is this classified as a buddy movie' you may be asking yourself. The mistress and the wife end up becoming friends. I won't spoil any more of this lovely movie for you. If you haven't seen it yet do so before it leaves the theatres, just don't wait for Netflix or On Demand services! It's too hilarious to pass up! The Cherry Orchard was written by Anton Chekhov in 1904. It was a play much loved
by the Russian government because it was believed to be what the government, at the time, was preaching, the lower class replacing the ailing upper class. By ailing it is meant that the wealthy upper class was slowly losing out to the increasing lower class. This is seen here when Madame returns penniless to Russia to sell off the last thing she has to her name, the cherry orchard. However there is more to this play than what the government wanted the populace to take away. Chekhov meant for this to be a comedy and surely it could have been but the humor seems to be lost in translation. Upon reading The Cherry Orchard one may get the impression that it is a tragedy. Truly it is if it is looked at from the point of the rich. Madame has a series of tragedies that befall her in her poor choices in men. But where is the comedy as we know it? Could the comedy be in some of the characters like Trofimov, Epihodov, or Yasha? Perhaps in Charlotta, the governess? Sometimes comedy is obvious like the slapstick of Larry, Moe, and Curly or the Keystone Kops. Sometimes comedy is less obvious like the dark humor of Ophelia's psychological breakdown which is indirectly caused by Hamlet. Can we compare Chekhov's humor to that of Shakespeare? We can compare the humor to any humor we want to. Flannery O'Connor comes to mind in the category of dark humor. A lot can be said for “lost in translation” and this is not referring to the movie. The Cherry Orchard was originally written in Russian. GAEV: The train was two hours late. What do you think of that? Is that the way to do things? CHARLOTTA: [To PISHTCHIK.] My dog eats nuts, too. PISHTCHIK: [Wonderingly.] Fancy that! (2094) The lines uttered by Charlotta to Pishtchik as they arrive home to the estate seem nonsensical but maybe Chekhov meant for them to be comic relief in a tense situation. Without consulting another translation one cannot be certain if the translation by Constance Garnett is off. However, Ms. Garnett is one of the best translators of Chekhov's work. Perhaps the humor can be translated back into the play by seeing it rather than reading it. The comedy may also be interpreted by the reader. Each person has their own sense of humor. Finding no humor in this play even after discussion with other individuals and revealing Chekhov's intent with the dialogue, it still lacks the outright humor most audiences are used to. We need to see this comedy or this play remains a tragedy no matter how we examine the lines. Madame Ranevsky is a tragic character, if a little melodramatic. She comes into the nursery in tears. She gives money to a poor man and carries on after in guilt for her household starving yet she gives away money. But is she funny? Perhaps we can find humor in her over large motions and the unawareness of her situation. But wait, could the comedy be in Lopahin and his purchase of the cherry orchard? He does buy the one place that symbolizes repression and poverty to him. However, there could be a bit of humor here: LOPAHIN: Then you’re going to Moscow now? TROFIMOV: Yes. I shall see them as far as the town, and to-morrow I shall go on to Moscow. LOPAHIN: Yes, I daresay, the professors aren’t giving any lectures, they’re waiting for your arrival. TROFIMOV: That’s none of your business. (2122.) But, it seems more of a snide exchange than humor. The humor that Chekhov may have intended is that of Madame Ranevsky upon learning of the identity of the purchaser. She sinks “into a chair and is weeping bitterly” (2120.) No, this still isn’t the humor that the masses look for. Most read this play as a tragedy because of the lack of obvious comedy. Chekhov is, in popular opinion, one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. He was good at dark characters and odd and quarky behaviors. He may have had humor somewhere but in The Cherry Orchard, his brand of humor is lost. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 132-150, An Inside-Out Paper
Because another sound, a new sound, suddenly drew near, which might signal the king to sample his supper, for barely had the horns finished blowing their breath and with starters just spooned to the seated guests, a fearful form appeared, framed in the door: a mountain of a man, immeasurably high, a hulk of human from head to hips, so long and thick in his loins and his limbs I should genuinely judge him to be a half giant, or a most massive man, the mightiest of mortals. But handsome, too, like any horseman worth his horse, for despite the bulk and brawn of his body his stomach and waist were slender and sleek. In fact in all features he was finely formed it seemed. Amazement seized their minds, no soul had ever seen a knight of such a kind- entirely emerald green. There was a new sound approaching, usually it would have been the start of the meal, the buglers having just finished their call, with the appetizers just being served. In the door appeared a frightening man. He seemed as tall as a mountain, a hulk from his head to his hips and his limbs were long and thick, I thought he surely must be half giant or the most massive of men and mightiest of all mortals but handsome, too, like any horseman worth his horse. Despite the bulk of his upper body, his stomach and waist were slender and sleek. In fact, he was nicely formed it seemed. Shock was evident as none had seen a knight of this kind, he was emerald green! The first appearance of the Green Knight! Woohoo! I feel like I should be watching for the "batarang", or some other delivery device, to come whipping the challenge in, gently nicking Arthur's ear as it "thawacks" into the back of the chair he's sitting in. The Green Knight's description is more of a super villain from Marvel or DC but perhaps this is where we get the modern idea of super villains. His bulky upper body and his thin waist conjure that image of Bane or the Hulk, not necessarily a villain but the comic book body image of the Green Knight, green from head to toe. His narrow waist suggesting that of a body builder, a la Arnold Schwarzenegger. There is a suggestion of power, more power than Arthur's knights seemed to hold. There seems to be a symbolism here with the Green Knight. His color suggests a link to nature as well as his build suggesting power. It could be that the description alone is meant to instill a sense of awe, even fear, at the power of nature and to scoff at the power is to scoff at nature herself. We have to take in the whole story to decide if the line "...or a most massive man, the mightiest of mortals..." (141) speaks truth. We clearly see that the man is not typical in appearance, he is emerald green and more closely resembles Bruce Banner's gamma irradiated alter ego, the Hulk, than a mortal medieval man. In this passage we don't see his equipment but it is all green as well as his horse. This pushes me to believe that there is a connection to the Green Knight and nature. Arthur's time was a time of turbulence in the transition from the old ways of worshipping the earth and nature to Christianity. The Druids and the Celts were losing ground at an amazing rate. I feel that the Green Knight is representative of the old ways coming back. No mortal man is all green so he must be supernatural. Supernatural. How else do we explain the bulky shoulders and the tapered waist as mentioned in the poem? He was also “a mountain of a man, immeasurably high…" (137). Back when this was written anyone over 5'8" would likely have been considered "immeasurably high" since poor nutrition stunts growth. But to be considered a “mountain of a man”? Supernatural! The fact that this text calls the Green Knight a "fearful form" insinuates that the reader should be somewhat afraid of the Green Knight. If he were a mere mortal then why would the reader need to be afraid? “I should genuinely judge him to be a half giant.” (140) The author even says that the Green Knight is half giant, another mythical, supernatural being. The Green Knight, is he a mere mortal or is he a supernatural being? It is my belief that he was in fact a mortal man imbued with mythical height and strength by the Old Ways. He is the mortal embodiment of the Green Man. There is no real description of the Green Man but I imagine him to be a huge hulking man much like the Green Knight, perhaps with more tree bark and leaves. The idea that the author considers the Green Knight fearful lends support to this belief. Why would he consider the Green Knight in any fashion a threat? He’s all green just like the Hulk. I’ll concede that the Hulk is a genetic mutation but the author had no concept genetics, radiation or mutations. So, what do we classify things we don’t understand? Supernatural! |
AuthorCollege graduate, Army vet, single mom, Husky mom, Movie lover, writer Archives
August 2022
Categories
All
|