Robert Blake passed away at 90 years old. He was charged with murdering his wife, but was eventually acquitted. He knew you don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
We probably watched every episode of Barreta. I don’t imagine it holds up, but Electra Glide in Blue was an emotionally charged movie.
The Critical Drinker does reliable movie reviews. He actually understands plot structure and character arcs. When he is enthusiastic about a movie, it’s worth watching.
The Critical Drinker was very surprised by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, considering it one of the best movies he’s seen this year. That’s not a movie suitable for Movie Night and not a movie I’d normally watch. Based on the review, I tried it.
When I watch movies at home, I usually get distracted. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was engaging and witty enough that I actually focused on it. Many modern animated movies that are supposed to work for adults and children, are too sentimental or obvious. This movie had snappy dialogue and humor that is subtle and quick, even adults can miss it. The pacing is brisk, with the story moving along at a good clip. The plot and themes are pretty advanced.
Sparky doesn’t pay much attention to TV. He will watch some World War II documentaries, but that’s about it. Animal documentaries don’t intrigue him. He watched this movie for a little while, and barked at this scene. I don’t know what bugged him or inspired him to comment. This is the first time he ever barked in the house. He’s a quiet dog, and had been with me for a month before he howled at the neighbor dog.
For Movie Night, we watched Troll. It’s Norwegian, dubbed in English. It was your standard Godzilla movie. Something happens to awaken a creature that was thought to by mythical. People in the government are skeptical until the evidence can’t be ignored.
Troll was a serviceable movie. Decent plot, the dialogue was natural, with a little humor to accompany the tension. I enjoyed the Norwegian version of a few stereotypes, like their version of a computer nerd, that were thrown in to fill out the characters.
I’d give the movie about a 6/10.
Troll Hunter was a much better Norwegian Kaiju movie. It’s shot in a documentary style, and has more of the dry Norwegian wit.
Ant-Man 3 earns worst reviews since The Eternals.
Ant-Man wasn’t a super super hero, but usually fun, if not memorable. Sounds like the MCU is about as dead as Star Wars. Both franchises may produce a decent TV show, but a great movie is too much to ask.
This is what female scientists looked like in 1966. Raquel Welch in the Fantastic Voyage. Credible, smart and courageous, while looking fantastic.
Raquel Welch passed away today, and we’ll miss her. Smokin’ ass hot, but never slutty.
Note: I wrote this two months ago.
When it first came out in 2005, I didn’t much like Mr. & Mrs. Smith. There was too much bickering. A decade later, I liked it much better, and having just rewatched, found it to be about as good as a movie gets.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith work for competing spy organizations, but neither one knows it. They are both very capable assassins. Six years into their marriage, they come into conflict on a job, and their cover is blown.
Brad Pitt is an amiable, charismatic and competent executive who is just coasting along in the marriage. Angelina Jolie is an ice princess doing something in commercial real estate who acts like a good wife, but with no real warmth. They are bored in their conventional suburban cover identities. Both do a great job with their characters. Vince Vaughn works with Pitt, and is his usual, irreverent self.
As their covers are blown, they remember why they were drawn together as they try to assassinate each other. The entire time, they are doing the conventional “yes dear” bickering of a young couple.
The casting is perfect and the dialogue is funny and poignant. The action scenes are plausible. Jolie fights smart, but without the physical strength of Pitt.
If this movie were made today, Pitt would be bumbling, and Jolie would be smarter, quicker and stronger than the man. I guess we will find out. In February, a Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV series will be coming out on Amazon Prime. It is supposed to be a TV adaptation of the Pitt-Jolie film, and I am not optimistic.
Donald Glover was fine in Community, but he doesn’t have much charisma. Perhaps he has improved as an actor. Brad Pitt was four years younger than Donald Glover is now, when he did Fight Club. I don’t see Glover bringing that intensity to the series.
Maya Erskine has done a lot of voice work, but no action TV or movies. She was in a strange series called Man Seeking Woman in 2015. She showed some charisma and may be able to help the show. Initially, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was going to play the part. She is the weak tea from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. She would have ruined the series.
I will try the series when it comes out, but without much optimism. Since they did the race swap for diversity, even if it isn’t good, the actors will get a few seasons worth of work.
On this watch, I’d give the movie, Mr. & Mrs. Smith a 9/10 because there isn’t much that could be changed to improve it.
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