The A-Team (2010)

From the Pompous Thomas 2010 Review Backlog!

Oh boy does this movie suck. It really wants to be a fun, irreverent action movie like Shoot 'Em Up with an ensemble cast like Ocean's 11, but it lacks the inventiveness of the one and the chemistry of the other. Bradley Cooper in particular is a black hole of charisma that sucks any bit of goodness and light that drifts by. Liam Neeson is ok and so is the other white guy but the Mr. T impersonator sucks too. The group lacks the cohesiveness you need for this kind of movie to succeed and in the end it just feels like 4 actors playing different parts. AND YES, I know that most movies have actors playing parts, but you don't usually notice as much as you do here.

Cost benefit analysis: I paid $5 for a mid-week show and I want my money back. I don't even recommend it to fans of the show. Just watch your DVDs of the show, you weirdos.

Inception (2010)

From the Pompous Thomas 2010 Review Backlog!

Inception. Everyone saw this movie and mostly it was awesome. I was super-hyped on it for about two weeks right after it came out. I don't think much about it now. I guess it now seems really empty, especially compared to something like Winter's Bone, or even The American, now that it's been 3 months or whatever since I saw it.

Yeah, the effects were mostly pretty cool and I enjoyed the ride immensely. It was fun to talk about with people and read about on the internet and I even spent an hour at work drawing up a little dream level map. Tommy from Third Rock from the Sun was a baller (per usual), the guy from Titanic squinted a lot and it was fun to see the actors that Nolan brought in from his previous movies (this is my favorite thing, especially when the Coen Bros. do it). Ellen Page may or may not be a 12 year old boy, especially compared to Marion Cotillard.

The notes I wrote immediately after seeing Inception are as follows: "So awesome. Broke Kurt's mind. A movieto talk about, but still fun (sorry Blade Runner) Amazing cast. Amazing imagination." I don't know why I've cooled off on it so much. Maybe it's an Avatar-style hype burnout factor? Maybe writing a completely fawning review this far after the fact would seem completely redundant?

Cost/Benefit Analysis: Definitely benefits from big-screen viewing so if you can find it and are interested, go see it. To prevent this from being a completely negative/apathetic review I'll say that Cotillard was great and so was Tom Hardy. This'll probably be seen as a break-out role for him. The snow fortress/On Her Majesty's Secret Service dream level was great and if Nolan wants to do the next Bond movie, he'll have my permission. It is a good movie, but

Winter's Bone (2010)

From the Pompous Thomas 2010 Review Backlog!

Winter's Bone is one of those movies that deserves a lot more attention than it received when it was first in theaters. It was without a doubt the best movie I saw this summer (including that flashy one about all the dreams and everything) and I'm sure that come Oscar season it will be nominated for (but ultimately ignored for) a number of awards that it totally deserves.

I'm not sure why, but this one reminds me of last year's An Education. They certainly have nothing in common in terms of setting or plot, but they both rock some hardcore awesome acting, especially from a young unknown female lead. Set amidst hillbilly gangsters of the Ozarks, this is a detective thriller that would be far too much for the likes of Nancy Drew. These hillbillies are a suspicious and cowardly lot, and as our young heroine traverses the Ozarks searching for her missing father, she meets a fantastic collection of scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells. These are portrayed in an ambiguous way such that you never can tell if they're going to help or harm the poor girl. Oftentimes they do both.

Cost/Benefit Analysis: Worth full price. It's a beautiful, brutal movie that deserves every dollar and minute it asks of you.

Nerdy post script: Two actors from Deadwood! Always a good thing.

Obvious porn parody titles: Wiener Bone, Win Her Bone Her and Winner's Bone.