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kobayashi-kelly
Reviews
Now You See Me (2013)
Catch Me If You Can... no, wait, The Prestige... no, wait...
The plot is so contrived, and yet preposterously predictable. This is what happens when too many genres are stuffed into one story. Now You See Me attempts to be Catch Me If You Can, The Illusionist, The Prestige, an ensemble-cast vehicle, an FBI-chase thriller, and a tacked-on romance all at once.
Unfortunately it is not clever enough to carry so much dead weight. I had already solved the tricks, guessed the back-stories, and knew who was behind everything by the halfway point of the film... which is remarkable considering how absurd and inconsistent much of the writing and editing were.
I spent the latter half of the film simultaneously rolling my eyes and cracking my knuckles... so badly did I want to punch each of the smug characters in the face.
How can a film ABOUT MAGIC feel so tight and restrained? Offer so little wonder or even fun? By failing to handle any element with wit, imagination, or slight-of-hand.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980)
Jeff Goldblum IS Icabod Crane
Yes, I realize that this is a made-for-TV film with a less- than-stellar budget. And yes, I realize that it deviates a bit from Washington Irving's original short story.
HOWEVER, this remains my single favorite version of Sleepy Hollow committed to film! Who better to play Icabod Crane than lean, lanky, bumbling Jeff Goldblum at his early and most Goldblum- y? I love the development of all the characters, the setting, the costuming, and the banter. I love the superstitious, but well-meaning, townspeople. You can truly feel the connection of a community that knows one another perhaps a bit too well. Even the music score has a haunting, albeit distinctly 80s, atmosphere.
This is the version I grew up on. It is a point of nostalgia and personal taste for me, and I REALLY, REALLY wish it was available on DVD!
Cloud Atlas (2012)
The Latest Ensemble Cast Disappointment
Cloud Atlas was like an unsurprising and unnecessary sequel to both Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve... that spans 1,000 years. Special shout-out to Halle Berry.
Being patronized for 3 hours by relatively simple plot points was not my idea of a Friday night well spent.
Top Three Complaints: the Cloud Atlas Sextet was not memorable-even directly following the scenes in which it was played. I knew what was in the nourishment boxes. And even Dr. Suess never wrote dialogue that included such Jar Jar Binks embarrassment as "You want the true- true? I cog you ain't found the true-true."
Urg. Here's the true-true. I had to re-watch V for Vendetta just to forgive the directors.