The season for summer movies is upon us! While I no longer live in a place where I need to retreat to movie theaters to escape the blistering summer heat and hair curling humidity, I still think there's nothing better than ducking into a cold and dark theater when you need to unwind for a bit.
The first big blockbuster to check out on my list was "42," the biopic of Jackie Robinson. Now, I'm not of fan of sappy, inspirational things and I don't really like sports but I have a huge, unexplainable love of inspiration sports movies. I went in with high hopes and was unfortunately a little let down. Robinson was played the relatively unknown Chadwick Boseman (right? who?). I'm not sure if they just picked him because he looked like Robinson but he lacked the charisma and intensity you need for a lead role like that. He was easily eclipsed by Harrison Ford, looking old but still amazing as raspy owner Branch Rickey. Outside of Ford, the cast was B-list and below. For a movie willing to spend so much on advertising, they should have shelled out a little more for casting. The story of Robinson's success in the game of baseball, which was hailed as the white man's sport in the late 1940s after WWII, is of course a great tale. But the movie lacked an exciting climax and left me wanting some kind of emotion when the credits started rolling. You know these rights are going to be gobbled up by some cable network, so I would just wait until then to see it.
The next big blockbuster on my queue was "Iron Man 3." I loved the first two movies and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man brought some comic relief to "The Avengers." If you're expecting anything different than the first two, don't. Blur the details and it's the exact same story line (or same story line as any comic book turned action movie). But if you enjoy the genre, then you'll like it. My one warning is to make sure you not only see the first two Iron Man movies, but also "The Avengers." Stark is haunted by the giant wormhole and aliens from that movie, so if you haven't seen it you'll just think he's cracking up all together. Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau get more screen time in this one as Stark's unintentional sidekicks. The amazing Ben Kingsley brings intensity and steals any scene he's in. Spoiler alert: Guy Pearce plays the bad guy role perfectly. Even since "The Count of Monte Cristo," I think he's destined to join the bad guys hall of fame with the like of Javier Bordem in "No Country for Old Men" or "Skyfall" or Joaquin Phoenix in "Gladiator." It's hard to forget a bad guy that act gives you chills. And since it's Marvel, there is a clip at the end of the credits if you want to stick around. It's nothing pivotal just a humorous moment with another favorite character from "The Avengers." If you enjoy comic book movies, I say go see this one but if you have to wait until rental it's not the end of the world.
A couple weeks ago I went to see Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of "The Great Gatsby." It seems to be getting bad reviews across the board but I really liked it. First off, it's a Luhrmann movie so you have to expect the ridiculous, the flair, the sparkle. Of course the movie is going to be raucous and absurd, but isn't that why we love Baz Luhrmann? It's a gorgeous and flashy spectacle. I also read several complaints that the soundtrack was too modern and that it changed the feel. Personally, I think a highway cruise in a couple 1920s cars set to Jay-Z is awesome juxtaposition of the times, but some people don't. As a side note for all you music lovers out there, check out the soundtrack. It features Florence + the Machine, Jay Z, the xx, Lana del Rey, Jack White, Sia, Nero and many more. Definitely an eclectic mix but a lot of fun for any music lover. The one negative in the reviews that I do agree with (and I wish I didn't) was that Carey Mulligan's performance as Daisy Buchanan feel flat. She was too wispy for a Daisy and lacked chemistry with Leo. And how does one lack chemistry with Leo? His blue eyes were piercing in every scene as the intense, elusive Gatsby. I didn't think I'd like Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway but he had a certain naiveness that fit with the role. And no, the movie doesn't hit all the plot points of the book but it gets damn close so give them some credit for adapting a novel that has been tried time and time again. I would definitely recommend going to see this in theaters, although maybe avoid the 3D headache that should only be meant for movies like "Avatar."
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