While the messaging is on the heavy-handed side, those who agree with Blomkamp’s statements are going to eat up his commentary on class warfare and our collective descent into a dehumanized society by the bucket loads, the filmmaker constructing arguably the most anti one-percent motion picture financed by a major Hollywood studio in recent memory.
In a World… isn’t just born out of LaFontaine’s iconic trailer catchphrase, it lives up to it, and imagining a world that this particular motion picture doesn’t exist within one I personally do not want to ponder.
Little kids, however, won’t care. They’ll fall in love with Planes. They will adore the talking planes and motorized vehicles, which is more than likely the point and the real reason Disney decided to bypass the DVD release for a theatrical one. After all, dollars are dollars, and having children convince their parents to spend them can sometimes be as easy as showcasing a little orange plane with great big puppy dog eyes talking with a giant pink aircraft as they fly through puffy white clouds in a clear blue sky.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is instantly forgettable, and while the worlds of gods and demigods is relatively different than that of wizards, warlocks, talking lions, wardrobes to different dimensions, dwarves, hobbits and dragons, it’s not so much so to make all that great a difference.
The script has issues, way too many of them, and it isn’t like the great stuff is so good as to make up for the bits and baubles that fall short (way, way short). We’re the Millers just isn’t a disaster, and considering how badly it treats two of its main characters and the ways that it seems to be making itself up as it goes along this in and of itself is a trait almost worth celebrating. Almost.
Would I watch 2 Guns again? Maybe, when it shows up on Cable and I’m folding laundry, this thin piece of comic book inspired hokum might fit the bill perfectly.
“I’m happy with the movie and I’m just glad people are going to get the chance to see it and enjoy it for themselves. Hopefully that’s just what they’ll do.”
The reason to see Blue Jasmine, however, and why it will be garnering Oscar talk come next February (and while it’s certain a Best Actress nomination is guaranteed), has everything to do with Blanchett and Blanchett alone.
Fruitvale Station will undoubtedly be seen in context of current events, and in many ways that’s both to be expected as well as perfectly fine. But on its own, as a stand-alone release depicting a tragic true story with candor, grace and realism, Coogler’s movie makes as indelible an impact as anything I’m likely to see in all of 2013.