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ottergirlida
Reviews
Cop Out (2010)
So-so plot, but funny "homage" to cop movies
I knew going in that Kevin Smith didn't write this movie, which probably would have improved it plot-wise. Still, the movie delivered some pretty good action and very funny moments. Bruce Willis plays the straight man to Tracy Morgan's over the top silliness in this buddy cop movie. They get sidelined after an attempted bust goes awry and hijinks ensue after Bruce Willis gets robbed of his most prized possession. The thief, a hyperactive Sean William Scott, is one of the funniest people in the movie.
There are a ton of pop culture and cop movie references. Happily, the few female characters are no wilting flowers but they unfortunately aren't a large part of the flick. The movie isn't overly predictable, either, and jokes you think might go one way end up going in a completely different direction.
For me, the only real let down were the bad guys. They provided some comic relief and a couple of cringe worthy moments, but they weren't a real challenge to the protagonists.
At any rate, it was worth the price of admission and I'll probably buy it on DVD for the director's cut.
Shrek the Third (2007)
Tries to cram a 2 hour movie into 90 minutes
I love Shrek. My daughter and I saw the first one in the theater 5 times. And it took me a while to come around, but I really like the second one. This installment had so much potential, but its biggest failure is the attempt to do way too much in too little time.
Is it funny? Mostly. Are there lovable characters, old and new? Yes. But the writers decided to split up Fiona and Shrek, devoting about 45 minutes to Shrek, 35 to Fiona, and 10 to the bad guys. The plot felt very rushed. I know kids have a short attention span and it's time consuming to animate a CGI movie, but the movie would have certainly benefited from more time - about 30 minutes more. And they could have cut the entire high school scene. It was stupid and pointless.
That being said, the babies - ogre and dragon/donkey - were adorable. Snow White - brilliant. The disclosure of where Fiona got her fighting skills was hilarious. Eric Idle and John Cleese were terrific, as were Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy. The movie is worth seeing, just not 5 times.
300 (2006)
You're being ridiculous.
I'm sure this has already been said, however, I will reiterate the point. THE MOVIE IS BASED ON A COMIC BOOK.
No one sane would believe that Persians were ACTUALLY the way they were depicted in the movie. It's like Cartman on South Park attempting to prove that the Jews were evil based upon the depiction in that horrible movie about Jesus. I personally believed it was wonderful that the movie depicted the diversity of the Persian empire, which included several races and continents. Frank Miller has a taste for the grotesque and the gory. Note the prevalence of misshapen and mutated characters (mentally and physically) in all of his comic books and movies.
Of course it's not historically accurate. If it was, the Spartans would be fighting nude or in loincloths.
The character of Leonidas is very sympathetic. He loves his wife and son and would do anything to protect his people. You can see the tenderness behind the granite that composes his character. David Wenham was brilliant. The cinematography was wonderful. The action sequences flowed like water. Gory, yes. But obviously fake gore.
The movie wasn't perfect - it was overly melodramatic at times. Some of the antagonists were a bit too evil. And of course, nudity and sex unnecessary to the plot. But I walked out of the theater with that "wow" feeling deep in my chest, wishing that Leonidas didn't have to die.