Deep Blue Sea

Over the weekend, I revisited an older movie, which I have always liked, "Deep Blue Sea." The movie follows a group of aquatic scientists, who are using brain proteins from sharks to try to find a cure for Alzheimer's.

Apparently sharks never seem to “age,” in that their brain activity never slows. It seems like the perfect plan. The problem with the sharks is that at regular size, there isn’t enough brain mass to produce enough protein to do their studies…so they have genetically altered the sharks to make their brains bigger. Handy idea, sure…but one of the unforeseen side effects is that they are suddenly dealing with very smart…not to mention, ENORMOUS, sharks.

Of course, just as soon as everyone is celebrating because their experiments seem to work…everything goes wrong. The lab is out in the middle of the ocean, (literally…it’s both above and below sea level) and huge storm is raging outside the walls. The aforementioned genius sharks suddenly decide that maybe they don’t like to be prodded and poked and that maybe they’d prefer NOT to donate their brain proteins to the cause of Alzheimer’s research. So…being the smart little buggers they are…they bite off a couple of body parts, break down a couple of walls…and viola…you have a flooded lab full of people that the sharks can swim around and get.

I might be making this movie sound corny or something…but I have to say that it’s not. As I said, I’ve always liked it…and the special effects are pretty darn good! Those sharks…they look so real that I squirm in my seat every time that I see them. I know everything that they are going to do…(I’ve seen it several times)…and they still freak me out! Basically…they aren’t nice. No…they aren’t.

I don’t know where it came from…I grew up (and have lived my entire life) pretty much as far inland as one can get…(Wyoming, anyone?)…but I am simultaneously fascinated and terrified of sharks at the same time. Honestly…is there ANYTHING scarier than a 45 foot shark barreling toward you in confined space when all you have to fight it off is a frying pan? No…no there isn’t. Whether or not the frying pan wins remains to be seen…you’ll have to check it out if you want to know.

The Mist

So...the jury is still out on how I feel about "The Mist." I wanted to watch it because I do love a good scare...and well, it did deliver in that regard. I did get a little frustrated (or a LOT) with some of the characters, though...I just don't understand why people do the things that they do.

In "The Mist," based on a novella by Stephen King, a small New England town is enveloped in a thick fog...or Mist, if you will...after a violent thunderstorm. The storm has taken the power out in many homes, and destroyed a lot of property. Many people end up at the small local grocery store to get supplies to sustain them while they wait for the power to return. While they are there, it is determined that there is "something in The Mist" when a local man comes running into the store after watching his friend be "taken" by something.

The majority of the people in the store decide that it is unsafe to go outside of the store. A few venture out...either because they don't believe that anything dangerous is out there, or because they want to get home to protect loved ones. We learn of some of their outcomes throughout the movie. Eventually, the "something(s) in The Mist" are revealed...and I have to say...I'm not a huge fan of them.

The story...which I will not detail much more...creates some interesting studies on human behavior. It is amazing how quickly people can change when they are in intense situations. A quiet artist will become something of a leader...while those who seemed to be self-assured, and really...cocky...in the beginning, will buckle under the pressure and eventually do and believe anything that they are told...be it good, or bad. Some people turn on their friends...while others who never even met band together. The tagline for the movie is "Fear Changes Everything," and that really does say it all. When you really think about it, more scary than encounters with the "things" in the Mist, is what happens to the people inside the supermarket...through encounters with one another.

I have enjoyed other Stephen King movies that Frank Darabont has made...(he did "The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption;" he's the director of this one, too.) I think my reservations with this movie come from the story itself...which is really quite tragic in so many ways. I can't say that it's a "bad" movie...it's one of those movies that makes you think about what you would do...it's a "thinker" movie. Aside from the supernatural elements, the characters are real...and act like real people...which is disturbing...if you see it, I'm sure you'll know what I mean. While I don't regret seeing the movie...it's certainly not for everyone.

I Am Legend

From seeing the previews of I Am Legend, I guess I sort of missed what it was all about. I knew that Will Smith was alone in an abandoned New York City...and that, at some point, he was freaked out in a darkish warehouse when he heard a noise. I got the impression that while running amok in the City, he was trying to figure out what happened to everyone else, and see if there were any survivors. That's really about it. Little did I know that all along, Smith's character, Robert Neville, was totally aware of what had happened around him, and was actually trying to "fix it." That preview did NOT preview this movie well.

I'll go ahead and start right out saying that I HATE vampires. I especially hate the vampires in this movie. Nobody ever comes right out and calls them vampires, but that is what I'm calling them. Sunlight kills them, so they only come out at night, but they make the most of those evening hours killing everything they can get their hands on...blah blah blah...you get the picture. They are freaking jerks.

Seriously...Dracula has nothing on these guys. No more are the days when a vampire would parade around as a semi-charming Count from Eastern Europe and say things like, "I vant to suck your blood," before dramatically descending upon his helpless victim. Instead, these "dark seekers," (as one character has named them) move with speed and grace that seriously freaks me out, and scream at the top of their lungs constantly. I can never understand what they are saying...but I'm pretty sure if I consulted a "Dark Seeker to English Dictionary" it would translate into something like, "I vant to jump out of the shadows and show you how vide I can open my mouth as I scream at you, and then if you don't die of a heart attack, I vill chase you down and rip your face off."

Long story short, Robert Neville is the only living survivor in a futuristic New York City. Every living person in the City, (and in the world, for all he knows) has been exposed to a virus that was originally developed to cure cancer, but turns out to pretty much be the worst scientific development in the history of the world. Three things can happen to someone who is exposed: 1. They can die...which the vast majority of people did. 2. They can turn into the previously referenced jerkface vampires...which is the second most popular thing to have happened. 3. They can find that they are immune to the virus...which turned out to be the result for something like 1 in a hundred million people.

Robert turns out to be immune to the stuff...hence his status as the only living survivor in NYC. He is a doctor, and is trying to find a cure for the virus, using the immunity that is in his blood. Setting an alarm on his watch so he always has warning of when sunset is coming, Robert goes out during the day, when the vampires have to hide...and gets food and picks out new DVDs at the movie store. For some reason there are wild deer and other animals roaming the streets of Manhattan, and sometimes he hunts them. He hasn't got anyone in his life to talk to, except his trusty dog, Sam...who accompanies him everywhere.

That's all I'll tell you...which is a heck of a lot more than any preview I ever saw told me...but still not enough to ruin the movie. The movie is definitely not for anyone who doesn't like to be scared...I was in panic mode about 90% of the time, I think. Some of this panic turned out to be unwarranted...but that freaking "scary movie music" really does a good job in this one...and the actual scary moments are SCARY.

I thought about how I would react if Robert's reality became my own. If you had to look at the options of how exposure to this vampire virus would affect you...you would most likely hope for the whole immunity thing...hey...at least you don't have to die or become a murderous creature of the night. After thinking about it though, I have to say...after watching Robert deal with it...I think I'd have wished for death. In all honesty, I wouldn't have lasted a day in his world...because even if I was immune to the virus...I would certainly not be immune to the whole heart attack from seeing the wide mouthed vampire screaming in my face for the first time.

Nancy Drew

I grew up reading and loving Nancy Drew books. I think the first one I read was at my Grampa’s house…it was on the shelf, next to some Hardy Boys mysteries…and I kind of became hooked after that. I loved how smart she was…how she could figure anything out, and was never fooled by the lesser minded criminals she nabbed.

The Nancy Drew featured in the 2007 movie (played by Julia Roberts’ niece, Emma Roberts…who does this weird thing with her mouth that I can’t even figure out…it just bugs me) is easily as “book smart” as my childhood hero…but she’s way more naïve, and is socially kind of clueless. The Nancy Drew books were introduced in the 50s…and our movie’s heroine would have felt more comfortable in that decade far better than she does in ours. In the movie, Nancy goes with her father to Los Angeles for a three month business endeavor of sorts. Nancy has to leave her friends (including dreamy Ned Nickerson...but don't worry...he comes to visit) and “fans” in River Heights, and is immersed in a world where she doesn’t fit in. Modern day Los Angeles just isn’t ready for teenage whiz kids in penny loafers.

Most of the kids at her new school don’t like her…but Nancy does find a friend in 12 year old Corky, who develops an immediate crush on her and seems to just want to be with her. I’m not sure what role he plays, other than comic relief…because he doesn’t seem to help her in many other ways, other than providing her company.

Of course, aside from her woes in trying to find friends and be a “normal teenager,” there is a mystery to be solved. Nancy had promised her father that she wouldn’t do any sleuthing while in Los Angeles…but breaks her word almost immediately upon arrival. Nancy and her father are renting the house of a former Hollywood starlet who died under mysterious circumstances. Nancy sets out to solve the mystery that nobody has been able to solve for the past 30 years…and pits herself against bad guys of all sorts along the way.

I can say, honestly, that I did like the movie…though I felt annoyed by some of Nancy’s naivety, and wanted her to smarten up a bit. Like, maybe in the sequel, Nancy could NOT walk right into the back seat of the car that has been menacingly chasing her for the entire movie. Maybe. I don’t know.

Overall…it’s a fun movie…not one I’d probably run out to buy right away…but not one I regret watching either.

Enchanted

I watched Enchanted over the weekend. I loved it! I’m a huge sucker for anything Disney…so I knew that I would love it even before I watched it…but you know, it’s good that it’s official. How can one go wrong with a movie that is 1 part cartoon, 1 part live action, 1 part musical, and 1 part McDreamy? One can NOT go wrong, I tell you…it’s not going to happen.

The movie, in case you’re not familiar, follows the story of a typical Disney Princess (to be), Giselle, who, just moments after meeting her “one true love,” is thrust from her beloved cartoon world into modern day New York City. Of course you can see where this is going…hilarity will ensue! Giselle is charming and innocent, and wins over almost everyone she comes across…including divorce lawyer, Robert, and his daughter, Morgan.

Giselle is followed through the portal to reality by various characters from her world, including her best friend, a talking squirrel who can’t talk anymore, a wicked witch and her bumbling henchman and then, of course, by Edward, who is determined to rescue her and take her back to their happily ever after.

Without ruining too much…I will just say that this is typical Disney…in that I love it…but I also like the fact that it also makes fun of itself a little bit, exploiting so many Disney cartoon stereotypes along the way to its happy ending.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

I remember reading a celebrity news/gossip blog last year sometime, and they were talking about this movie that Natalie Portman had done where she had done some steamy scene in which she was wearing nothing but a pair of socks for the majority of it. And I thought to myself…"who in the crap would want to see that?" You know…besides perverts. Hee hee. Well, I didn’t know the name of the movie, and then out came Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, which I knew nothing about…except that it starred Natalie Portman. So…putting two and two together and getting 7…I assumed that this Magic Emporium was some sort of dirty “adult” store, owned by some disgusting dirty old sicko named Mr. Magorium, in which Natalie paraded around nude all the time. I was disgusted with the kinds of movies that they make these days.

Turns out…I was wrong. Thankfully. Apparently…when she’s not doing cameo spots in the nude, Natalie Portman can make a really cute family movie. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is the story of the coolest toy store in the world. Why is it so cool? Because it’s magical. Things in the store are alive…which makes playing with them a LOT more fun…because you don’t just play with them…they play with you! Mr. Magorium, played by Dustin Hoffman, has been running the store for over a hundred years…and he’s finally thinking it might be time to leave the store to someone else.

Enter Natalie Portman…(who is fully clothed for the entire movie)…as Molly Mahoney. She has worked at the store for years and looks to Mr. Magorium with the utmost affection. She loves him and loves working for him…and is inspired by the magic that he shares with the world. Understandably, she’s not so excited to hear that he’s leaving, and entirely overwhelmed by the thought that he would leave the store to her. It is only through his guidance that she will see whether or not she has what it takes to direct the magic once Mr. Magorium is gone.

There are two other main characters in the movie. Eric, a little boy who hasn’t got any friends outside of Molly and Mr. Magorium, spends all of his time in the shop. He loves playing…but doesn’t have anyone to play with. There is also Henry, an accountant who is hired by Mr. Magorium to get his financial affairs in order before his departure. Henry is also friendless, because he works all of the time, and hasn’t got a mind to grasp the magic that surrounds him in the store. Eric, who has never been able to make a friend, steps out of his comfort zone to reach out to Henry…and they kind of complete each other…in a non-creepy way. Henry is someone that Eric can connect with...for the first time ever...and Eric is able to help Henry see the reality of the store around him. It seems like Eric doesn’t have a father…(we do see his mother, who is concerned about his lack of friends)...and maybe on some level, Henry fills that role for him.

Overall…I really liked the movie. It’s definitely fun for kids and the young at heart, and is one that I would totally want to see again. I’m a sucker for toys, and magic, and last but not least, fully dressed lead characters.

Bee Movie

Tonight I watched Bee Movie. I'm pretty much easy to please when it comes to animation...I guess it's just the kid in me that refuses to grow up. I really liked this movie, though, because it not only appealed to the kid in me...but also had humor that I think grown ups can appreciate. I've always been a fan of Jerry Seinfeld's hilarious "observation" humor. Almost everything he does in his stand up is just based on things he's observed about human nature...it's funny because it's true. Seinfeld's unique humor is laced throughout the movie, and I found myself laughing even when the 5 year old I was watching it wasn't. We both laughed, however, at the rest of the movie...which I thought was good fun from the beginning to the end.

It's something of a "feel-good" movie...(as most cartoons are supposed to be, I think)...and it did its job. Another worthy release from Dreamworks...(the Shrek people)...=)

August Rush

Wow...what a good movie. I really loved so much about it!! I have liked Freddie Highmore in other movies he has been in, but I still worry that, like many child actors, he'll get more and more annoying as he gets older. I feel like he's pretty close to said annoying state...but he hasn't reached it yet.

Freddie plays Evan, a boy who has grown up an orphan, but who is sure his parents are "out there" and that they want to be with him. He is sure that he can "hear" them in the music that he hears all around him, in the everyday happenings of his life. He lives at an orphanage, but eventually leaves, in search of his parents, following his love for music. He finds himself in New York, where he meets "Wizard," played by Robin Williams, who seems impressed with him, and says he wants to help him develop his musical talent. Eventually, Wizard gives Evan the stage name of "August Rush." August meets several people in his life, all of whom are amazed at his musical genius, and help mold his talents.

We also see the stories of Evan's parents, who met by chance, but were separated by circumstance, and have lived to regret that they were not able to stay together. They are also musicians; music is the common thread that binds them all.

The stories of all three main characters show that they are each incomplete without the other two, though initially only August is actually searching for the others. He see his music as a vehicle to find the parents that he's always loved, and believes it will bring them to him.

This movie was good in so many ways. I loved the characters and the music. I was drawn into the lives of the characters, and totally adopted thier emotions. I found myself wanting to know more and keep watching, even as the credits rolled. Excellent!!

Dan In Real Life

So I just watched Dan In Real Life. I am a fan of Steve Carell, but this is a little different from most of the movies he's been in. Less "Over the top Will Ferrell-y," and more, "This is actually someone that could exist and could be related to." Some of Carell's awkwardness that I've grown to love in The Office is there...but not so much that I was embarrassed for him...but just enough to make him seem like a real person with real feelings. We've all felt the way he feels...about one thing or another.

In the movie, Steve plays a man named Dan, whose wife has died, and who has been raising their three daughters on his own. The two older daughters drove me crazy almost the entire movie. Like, I get that teenagers are obnoxious sometimes...but I don't buy how jerky these girls were. Their dad is a nice guy and he loves them...I don't get how rude they are to him. So you didn't get what you wanted...move on, brats. His youngest daughter is more bearable...and has the most tender relationship with him. Basically she is willing to cut him a break moreso than the others...and I appreciate that. He deserves a break.

Dan's family is central in the movie...they spend a week (or something) at a sort of reunion, where Dan's brother, played by the always annoying Dane Cook, introduces them all to his new girlfriend, Marie...ten minutes after Dan met her in a book store and fell for her. Of course this makes for some awkwardness. As painful as it might be, stuff like this has to happen to give movies a plot...I get it.

Anyway...I won't share the whole plot here...but I did like the movie, annoying daughters and Dane Cook aside. Dan's family was likeable and warm, as was the whole movie, in my opinion. Probably one I will buy at some point...:)