Watched just one movie last week, so since I didn't feel like writing about just the one, I delayed it until this week. And I got my refund check yesterday. Good times!
The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009): Seems to have a pretty mixed response, but I enjoyed it. Very weird, funny movie, although ultimately it is not much more than that. Also, apparently a mustache is all that is needed for me to not recognize Kevin Spacey for a half hour.
Ponyo (2008): Definitely enjoyed it, and it's as gorgeous (if not more so) as anything Miyazaki has directed, but the ending is a bit abrupt for me. Yes, it's a fairy tale; however, while the ending makes sense, it's not exactly exciting. The movie is pretty good up to that point, though -- I've got a soft spot for seaside settings, and I love how gorgeously rendered the town is. The time Ponyo and Sousuke spend together is a ton of fun, too. Not sure how Sousuke hasn't been traumatized by his mother's driving yet, though. She's scary!
Eden of the East: The King of Eden (2009): Despite my mixed feelings regarding the TV series, I really enjoyed this movie. The pace works just fine for me -- there's enough action for the story to be exciting, but it also pays attention to the characters and allows them to breathe without grinding everything to a halt. (There are a ton of great Saki x Akira moments for the shippers among us, too.) Best part is Juiz's total personality overhaul, which I think gives further credence to the theory of Juiz being an actual person (perhaps the woman seen at the end of Eden of the East) who uses a supercomputer and deep connections to execute the wishes of the Selecao agents. Juiz shows clear bias toward the agents she admires (mainly Akira), and she's not afraid to bitch out agents she dislikes (mainly the new agent, No. 6). Not many questions are answered in this movie, and it's a clear setup to the finale, Paradise Lost, but hell, I enjoyed it anyway.
Porco Rosso (1992): Wow, I loved this. Probably tied with Nausicaa as my favorite Miyazaki movie. The story is a ton of fun, and since Porco Rosso is essentially Humphrey Bogart as an Italian fighter pilot turned bounty hunter (if, you know, Bogie were a pig), he is of course awesome. The movie is hilarious, too, helped by a typically good Disney English dub (although I wish they would hire more voice actors outside of name Hollywood types). Ironically enough, it is Cary Elwes who is hamming it up as Porco's American rival, Donald Curtis. Michael Keaton plays Porco, and he actually underplays him, keeping in line with the terse, hardboiled archetype. Kind of awkward during the scenes when Porco is angry (since he doesn't sound that angry lol), but otherwise good. And the flying scenes! I am a sucker for great scenes of flight, and Porco Rosso has them in spades. I could watch those all day.
Something, Something, Something, Dark Side (2009): Yes, I am counting it as a movie. :p I'm not much of a Family Guy fan, and this is as typically hit-and-miss as that series is, but the hits are pretty fun. And as big a fan of Star Wars as I am, there are so many goofy things about the movies that I doubt anyone will ever run out of new material for them. But that's part of their charm, of course.
On the queue for this week: Castle in the Sky, maybe Whisper of the Heart
Look on the next page for the updated top 25 list!
Total Movies: 44 (The Taking of Pelham 123, The Station Agent, The Final Destination, Silent Movie, The African Queen, Departures, Moon, Bound, Solaris, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rifftrax), Wristcutters: A Love Story, In the Loop, Public Enemies, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Rifftrax), Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-Hen, District 9, The Magnificent Seven, Night Moves, My Name is Bruce, Big Fan, Almost Famous, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Drag Me to Hell, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Kara no Kyoukai 1-7, 9, Zombieland, Ninja Scroll, Primer, Re-Animator, Summer Wars, The Changeling, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Ponyo, Eden of the East: The King of Eden, Porco Rosso, Something Something Something Dark Side)
