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| Winter Movie Season | | Date Created: Dec 11, 2005, 02:21 PM |
I can't believe that I've nearly been able to catch all of the Winter movies I wanted to see this year. Over the past week, I have seen nearly all of the ones I wanted to see. Here's a quick rundown of my thoughts on some of them:
RENT
The film adaptation of the hit stage show finally hits the screen, along with most of the original Broadway cast intact, a rarity amongst stage-to-film transfers. The performers are excellent, particularly newcomer Rosario Dawson, whose sultry performance as Mimi lights up the screen. Though the show has been "tweaked"-with somewhat, it is still presented in a fresh and engaging way that brought tears of joy and sorrow to the audiences I caught this with. I enjoyed the filmmaker's vision of New York City at the end of the Millenium, and was thrilled to see musical numbers staged with such energy and enthusiasm. It's hard to watch this film without thinking about the fact that most of these people have known each other for years and had been through a lot together on stage. While some plot holes and plot points exist (for example, in the opening number, the characters complain that it's freezing in their apartment, yet they find it perfectly suitable to go on the rooftop to sing a ballad minutes later!), I think RENT the movie is a great companion piece to RENT the musical, and am only critical of the fact that producers can never leave a good thing alone. The producers seemed so concerned with pleasing a general audience that would not stand for a total "rock-opera", that they turned a lot of songs into bland dialogue. In my opinion, it should have been left as is. Also, sadly, though the show is about the threat of homelessness, AIDS and relationships, the movie never quite gets the same emotional resonance from these issues that the stage production does. Still, a well done job by all. *** 1/2
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE- IN IMAX
I'm not a reader of the immensely popuar novels from which the exciting movies have sprung, but I have enjoyed looking forward to spending Holiday time at the movies with Harry and company. This latest chapter is even better than the previous ones, and the movie is so visually stimulating and captivating that it's easy to get swept away in the plight of the young Wizard-In-Training and his cohorts, as they escape dragons, drowning, and the trials and tribulations that can accompany harboring magical powers. The cast remains as engaging as ever, and the movie making harkens back to the exciting heyday of the Lucas and Speilberg epics of the 1980's. Great fun. ****
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
I used to joke that if a movie didn't include special effects, animated characters or musical numbers in it, I probably didn't see it, which seems to be true for this latest roundup of films. I'm sorry to say that these are the kinds of movies I enjoy. If I have to plunk down ten bucks to see a movie, I want it to take me somewhere, show me something, or entertain me in a way I like to be entertained. I don't want to see gratuitous killing, maiming or cursing.
I've always been curious about "Narnia", but was never exposed to the story, apart from catching glimpses of a Lion on a PBS TV show. The previews did little to stir up my interest in it, but enthusiasm of fans I knew made me curiouser still. Particularly when it was explained that the story is an allegory of the Christ tale.
With that in mind, I found myself totally enrapt in this sweet tale of a mythical land that can be accessed via a wardrobe closet. It brought back many sweet memories of childhood games and imaginations, and perhaps a game of hide and seek or two. The visuals were stunning, the digital characters astounding, and the story was great enough to sustain it's long viewing time. I thought the movie might be a bit scary for younger types, as I found some of the images a little rough (scary wolves, in particular), but I thought the child performers in the movie were outstanding. And the self-sacrificing sanctimonious Lion was a moving and inspired character. The evil queen sent shivers up the spine. And the land of Narnia seemed like a fascinating place to revisit through the power of the cinema. I'm surprised it took so long to transfer this book into a movie. *** 1/2
KING KONG (WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS)
As mentioned earlier I attended a preview screening of Peter Jackson's latest epic, and since the movie hasn't yet opened, I'm barring myself from saying too much about it. However, since the first reviews have been printed (ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, for example), I think it's safe to give you a few tidbits. First off, it's clearly a labor of love by the director. It's as if he was given millions of dollars to remake his favorite film, and he went out and did so. Second, it's three and a half hours long. Did we really need to be involved in a three hour movie about KONG? And since it's a family movie, can you really keep the toddlers quiet for that long? Maybe. There are a few really great exciting moments in this film that bring fresh new life to the 60 year old epic about a Monkey and his love. I enjoyed the film. But I also enjoyed the free popcorn and drink I got at the showing. Plan for the day on this one. It's a long one! ***
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