Date: Saturday January 30 2016
Time: 2:15pm
Place: Pocono Movieplex
Party: 3 (my mom, sister and I)
Directors: Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Cast:
Po- Jack Black
Li- Bryan Cranston
Mei-Mei- Kate Hudson
Shifu- Dustin Hoffman
Kai- JK Simmons
Tigress- Angelina Jolie
Mantis- Seth Rogen
Crane- David Cross
Viper- Lucy Liu
Monkey- Jackie Chan
Mr. Ping- James Hong
Oogway- Randall Duk Kim
Duration: 95 minutes (+3 trailers)
Opening Remarks and Coming Attractions:
Considering this was the first kid's movie of the year, I thought the theater would be fuller than it was. Maybe the cold weather kept everyone away or they all went to the earlier 3D showing. There were maybe half a dozen other people in the theater with us. The majority sat behind us, but in the front row was a grandma and granddaughter who was maybe three. My mom said she giggled at a lot of the same parts we did. I was a little too into the movie to notice.
Scrat appeared in the first trailer, so I thought he was maybe getting his own movie. [I mean, the Minions got their own movie and it did really well...] Instead, it was another "Ice Age" sequel... why do we need another "Ice Age" movie? Honestly?
The first one was great, but the ones that followed... not quite as much. In the last one, Diego got a love interest in Shira, so I hope there's a story about them having a litter of kittens or something :P That's just me.
The second was for "Finding Dory." The teaser has her "sleep-swimming," something Marlin dismisses as a one-time thing. Then in a later part of it, she's talking about remembering something or needing to find her family. Either way, we're probably going to see it.
We saw "Finding Nemo" when it came out- great movie.
Ellen had been clamoring for YEARS for a "Finding Nemo" sequel, so I'm really hoping it's worth the wait.
Then we had the teaser trailer- again- for "The Secret Life of Pets."
Please tell me that there's a legit storyline for this movie. As funny as the trailer is, the movie's only as good as the plot it tells.
Write-up:
The second movie in the franchise came out a couple years ago. My sister and I saw it in 3D and I thought it was even better than the original. Although it'd been ages since I'd seen it, but I remembered enjoying it.
I believe it came out in 2011, so with the years that went by, I was starting to worry that they weren't going to make another movie. Especially since the 2nd movie had a cliff-hanger ending that showed a village full of pandas, they couldn't have not explored that.
So the synopsis is something like this:
Po's teacher, ShiFu, has decided to retire and Po is to take over for him as teacher of Kung Fu. Something he doesn't believe he has a talent for. And around this time, it seems like Po's having an existential crisis-- doesn't really know who he is or what it really means to be the Dragon Warrior. Luckily, the plot comes in and helps snap him out of this temporary funk.
Kai, an old friend of ShiFu's teacher Oogway, is on a mission to take the Chi of all the Kung Fu masters and rule the world. (After JK Simmons did "Whiplash," it's no surprise he went on to play another great villain).
And Po's father, who received a "message from the universe," comes to the village looking for him. The two reunite and they go to the secret mountain village of pandas where Po must learn what it is to BE a Panda.
Visually, it was stunning and exhilarating. A couple minutes in, I was regretting that we didn't see it in 3D because it could have been even more amazing than it was.
Like much of this series, it's very straightforward. Unlike most Disney and Pixar movies, it relies more on adventure and comedy than emotion. There aren't many sad points or scary dramatic moments. Yet Po is able to grow as a character while not losing what made him lovable in the first place. So I guess you could say Kung Fu Panda is more kid-friendly.
Some people might want to get more out of movies... but every now and then, it's nice to have something like this where you come in knowing what to expect and there's this safety net in place that assures you everything will turn out all right in the end.
My advice: Don't come in expecting anything deep and just enjoy the ride.
And also bring your kids. They'll love it.
Other than the "kung fu" action and Kai being kind of intimidating (maybe not quite as much as the villainous peacock Gary Oldman played in the 2nd installment of the series), I don't get why this had to get a PG rating. It could have passed for G easily.
All three of us had a lot of fun with this one. Lots of funny moments, great visuals, and of course, we overdosed on the cuteness of the pandas :P All of them had their unique personalities.
Then with the introduction of Po's biological father, there's obviously a little jealousy being felt by Po's adoptive father, Mr. Ping. That's kind of funny to watch.
And Dustin Hoffman as Shifu, he has his moments ;) it's been a while since I've seen the previous movies in the series, but I don't remember him having as funny a moment than he had giving his final lesson- the art of the "dramatic exit."
Grade: A
Showing posts with label Dustin Hoffman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dustin Hoffman. Show all posts
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
# 72. Rain Man (1988)
Code-name: Qantas
("Qantas never crashed")
Director: Barry Levinson
Type: Drama, Road Movie
Awards & Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Picture
OSCAR- Best Lead Actor- Dustin Hoffman
OSCAR- Best Director- Barry Levinson
OSCAR- Best Original Screenplay
nomination-OSCAR- Best Art Direction
nomination- OSCAR- Best Cinematography
nomination- OSCAR- Best Film Editing
nomination- OSCAR- Best Original Score- Hans Zimmer
Golden Globe- Best Picture (Drama)
Golden Globe- Best Actor (Drama)- Dustin Hoffman
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Director- Barry Levinson
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Original Screenplay
Cast:
Raymond- Dustin Hoffman
Charlie Babbitt- Tom Cruise
Susanna- Valeria Golino
Dr. Bruner- Gerald R. Molen
[We stand corrected!]
After seeing this, if ever the situation calls for it, I quote "Qantas never crashed"... at the airport scene, Ray refuses to fly because all of the airlines have had history of crashes except Qantas...
but that's not entirely true... the Australian airline has suffered 8 fatal crashes... the last being in 1951... on propeller-driven planes, not jets... and supposedly the director made up that up for the script without doing his research.
[Pop Cultural Contributions]
When I started getting into movies in a big way, if I wasn't frequenting the local theaters, I was watching some random movie either because it featured one of my favorite characters or I wanted to understand references people have made, either in other movies or in everyday conversation.
"Rain-Man" appeared on my radar for the following reasons:
1) one of my favorite movies referenced the autistic title character ("counted toothpicks")
2) on a random YouTube video featuring one of my favorites actors, he not recommended it but further said Tom Cruise deserved an Oscar for it
...oddly enough, several people have considered his lack of recognition for his work on this film one of the biggest snubs in the history of awards season...
[Write-Up]
spoilers ahead
With the exception of "Top Gun," I'm not a fan of Tom Cruise's work in the 80's. As I've said before, his work has gotten much better with ages. Recently I saw him in "The Color of Money," and his role reminded a bit of Charlie Babbitt.
The big difference is that, however unlikeable and selfish Charlie is at the start of the movie, he redeems himself over time. It's that progress and the growing relationship between Charlie and Ray is what drives this picture and makes it as amazing as it is.
I'd seen Dustin Hoffman on a few occasions, but after seeing him in this Oscar-winning role, he's one of my new favorite actors and one I have the utmost respect for. "The Graduate" would have made this list as well if not for the fact I didn't see it until after I started putting this blog together.
Amazingly, the two movies are 20 years apart and it's like Dustin Hoffman hadn't aged at all between them.
The basic premise is that Charlie finds out that his estranged father died and left all of his inheritance to someone else. Charlie does his research and makes the trip from LA to the Walbrook Institute to meet Ray, who he discovers to be the older brother he never knew he had.
Ray is described as an autistic savant. When he first meets him, Charlie learns that he keeps to a schedule as if his very life depends on it and when he's upset, Ray's coping mechanism is running through the "Who's on first?" Abbott and Costello sketch.
Essentially, Charlie kidnaps Ray from the Institute, hoping to use him to reclaim his inheritance. No matter how much Ray drives Charlie crazy with his various quirks and regiments, he eventually grows close to him.
Honestly, I didn't get into the movie until the toothpicks scene, where Ray's brilliance truly becomes apparent. Ray requests toothpicks to eat with and after they spill on the floor, he says there are 246 on the floor, and it's revealed that 4 are still in the box...
With the exception of the occasional freak-out scene, the rest of it was smooth sailing and you can't help but be charmed by Ray when he has those moments of genius.
A lot of his lines became one-liners that people can't help but quote when the situation calls for it.
"I'm an excellent driver" is probably the most popular followed by "Qantas never crashed" and "K-Mart sucks"... that last one gets more true all the time :-P
We eventually learn that Charlie knew Ray as "the Rain Man" who he spent time with as a kid. There's a scene when Charlie runs hot water in a bath tub and Ray freaks out... what he says in this freak-out reminds Charlie of an incident where Ray accidentally scalded Charlie with hot water and that was the day he was set away to the Institute.
The most infamous happens in Vegas where Charlie uses Ray's ability to count cards to win at black jack.
I wasn't aware at the time, but "The Hangover" played homage to the scene with Zach Galifianakis as the high-rolling card counter... with the new suits, coming down the escalator, with the same song playing ("Iko Iko" by The Belle Stars)...
on the set of another film, one of his co-stars said Zach is "a little bit like Rain-Man where at some point during the day... he will come alive and will do something that only he can do."
Eventually, they get told to take their winnings elsewhere when they're found out. Charlie pleads his case with the lawyers when he eventually gets to LA with Ray, but the case becomes more about who maintains custody of Ray rather than what it was about originally... the inheritence money.
Although Ray shows his brilliance, his inability to differentiate between being with Charlie and being in the Institute leads to Ray going back to Walbrook. But in the final scene, it becomes apparent that Charlie wants to remain a part of his life.
[Last Bits of Trivia]
gotta love IMDB and its many contributions...
apparently, Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman believed in this movie so little while making it that they dubbed it "two schmucks in a car"
a couple of times, Dustin Hoffman tried to pull out, feeling like it wasn't going well or he was the wrong guy for the job... and the ending was his idea because it made more sense in the grand scheme of things, staying with Charlie would have gone against his character
and for anyone who's interested, here's the link for a discussion on the site:
500 things you learn from "Rain-Man"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/board/nest/131563318?ref_=tt_bd_5
another good one to keep in mind: maple syrup better be on the table before the pancakes because if it comes after the pancakes, it's too late
also this movie turns 25 this year... so there you go 8-) Enjoy.
("Qantas never crashed")
Director: Barry Levinson
Type: Drama, Road Movie
Awards & Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Picture
OSCAR- Best Lead Actor- Dustin Hoffman
OSCAR- Best Director- Barry Levinson
OSCAR- Best Original Screenplay
nomination-OSCAR- Best Art Direction
nomination- OSCAR- Best Cinematography
nomination- OSCAR- Best Film Editing
nomination- OSCAR- Best Original Score- Hans Zimmer
Golden Globe- Best Picture (Drama)
Golden Globe- Best Actor (Drama)- Dustin Hoffman
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Director- Barry Levinson
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Original Screenplay
Cast:
Raymond- Dustin Hoffman
Charlie Babbitt- Tom Cruise
Susanna- Valeria Golino
Dr. Bruner- Gerald R. Molen
[We stand corrected!]
After seeing this, if ever the situation calls for it, I quote "Qantas never crashed"... at the airport scene, Ray refuses to fly because all of the airlines have had history of crashes except Qantas...
but that's not entirely true... the Australian airline has suffered 8 fatal crashes... the last being in 1951... on propeller-driven planes, not jets... and supposedly the director made up that up for the script without doing his research.
[Pop Cultural Contributions]
When I started getting into movies in a big way, if I wasn't frequenting the local theaters, I was watching some random movie either because it featured one of my favorite characters or I wanted to understand references people have made, either in other movies or in everyday conversation.
"Rain-Man" appeared on my radar for the following reasons:
1) one of my favorite movies referenced the autistic title character ("counted toothpicks")
2) on a random YouTube video featuring one of my favorites actors, he not recommended it but further said Tom Cruise deserved an Oscar for it
...oddly enough, several people have considered his lack of recognition for his work on this film one of the biggest snubs in the history of awards season...
[Write-Up]
spoilers ahead
With the exception of "Top Gun," I'm not a fan of Tom Cruise's work in the 80's. As I've said before, his work has gotten much better with ages. Recently I saw him in "The Color of Money," and his role reminded a bit of Charlie Babbitt.
The big difference is that, however unlikeable and selfish Charlie is at the start of the movie, he redeems himself over time. It's that progress and the growing relationship between Charlie and Ray is what drives this picture and makes it as amazing as it is.
I'd seen Dustin Hoffman on a few occasions, but after seeing him in this Oscar-winning role, he's one of my new favorite actors and one I have the utmost respect for. "The Graduate" would have made this list as well if not for the fact I didn't see it until after I started putting this blog together.
Amazingly, the two movies are 20 years apart and it's like Dustin Hoffman hadn't aged at all between them.
The basic premise is that Charlie finds out that his estranged father died and left all of his inheritance to someone else. Charlie does his research and makes the trip from LA to the Walbrook Institute to meet Ray, who he discovers to be the older brother he never knew he had.
Ray is described as an autistic savant. When he first meets him, Charlie learns that he keeps to a schedule as if his very life depends on it and when he's upset, Ray's coping mechanism is running through the "Who's on first?" Abbott and Costello sketch.
Essentially, Charlie kidnaps Ray from the Institute, hoping to use him to reclaim his inheritance. No matter how much Ray drives Charlie crazy with his various quirks and regiments, he eventually grows close to him.
Honestly, I didn't get into the movie until the toothpicks scene, where Ray's brilliance truly becomes apparent. Ray requests toothpicks to eat with and after they spill on the floor, he says there are 246 on the floor, and it's revealed that 4 are still in the box...
With the exception of the occasional freak-out scene, the rest of it was smooth sailing and you can't help but be charmed by Ray when he has those moments of genius.
A lot of his lines became one-liners that people can't help but quote when the situation calls for it.
"I'm an excellent driver" is probably the most popular followed by "Qantas never crashed" and "K-Mart sucks"... that last one gets more true all the time :-P
We eventually learn that Charlie knew Ray as "the Rain Man" who he spent time with as a kid. There's a scene when Charlie runs hot water in a bath tub and Ray freaks out... what he says in this freak-out reminds Charlie of an incident where Ray accidentally scalded Charlie with hot water and that was the day he was set away to the Institute.
The most infamous happens in Vegas where Charlie uses Ray's ability to count cards to win at black jack.
I wasn't aware at the time, but "The Hangover" played homage to the scene with Zach Galifianakis as the high-rolling card counter... with the new suits, coming down the escalator, with the same song playing ("Iko Iko" by The Belle Stars)...
on the set of another film, one of his co-stars said Zach is "a little bit like Rain-Man where at some point during the day... he will come alive and will do something that only he can do."
Eventually, they get told to take their winnings elsewhere when they're found out. Charlie pleads his case with the lawyers when he eventually gets to LA with Ray, but the case becomes more about who maintains custody of Ray rather than what it was about originally... the inheritence money.
Although Ray shows his brilliance, his inability to differentiate between being with Charlie and being in the Institute leads to Ray going back to Walbrook. But in the final scene, it becomes apparent that Charlie wants to remain a part of his life.
[Last Bits of Trivia]
gotta love IMDB and its many contributions...
apparently, Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman believed in this movie so little while making it that they dubbed it "two schmucks in a car"
a couple of times, Dustin Hoffman tried to pull out, feeling like it wasn't going well or he was the wrong guy for the job... and the ending was his idea because it made more sense in the grand scheme of things, staying with Charlie would have gone against his character
and for anyone who's interested, here's the link for a discussion on the site:
500 things you learn from "Rain-Man"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/board/nest/131563318?ref_=tt_bd_5
another good one to keep in mind: maple syrup better be on the table before the pancakes because if it comes after the pancakes, it's too late
also this movie turns 25 this year... so there you go 8-) Enjoy.
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