Tin Man (2007)

Friday, December 11, 2009

Zooey Deschanel, Alan Cumming, Neal McDonough, Kathleen Robertson, Richard Dreyfuss
I'll be straight with you. The only reason that I'm talking about Tin Man is so that I can get this criticism out of the way and start on my new obsession, Alice - Syfy's other interesting twist on a fairy tale.
Unfortunately, Tin Man wasn't quite so lucky as Alice. Alice had a slightly less confusing plot line, better actors, and was shorter - always an advantage. Tin Man seemed to drag on forever - it was a 3 part miniseries that felt more like a 5 part one or longer. I can't remember how many times it's lead, DG (Deschanel) got captured, released, and escaped. I don't honestly remember what happened to her Tin Man, her Scarecrow, her Lion, and - well, I guess there was a Toto. I'm not actually sure about that either.
Her Scarecrow is a man named Glitch (Cumming) who can't remember anything...he has a Glitch. I remembered liking Glitch and the Tin Man, Wyatt Cain (McDonough; sorry if I have these wrong, it's been awhile since I watched this), and Azkadellia (Robertson), who is the evildoer. And she's an evil sorceress. And she wants power. And shew - spoiler alert! - is DG's sister. Glitch is likable because, if for no other reason, he's helpless and we feel sorry for him. Poor Cain has been forced to watch a hologram of his family being murdered. Azkadellia is a megalomaniac, and we all love watching those types of characters.
Who is DG? A girl from a small town who lives with relatives and is going nowhere and who is played pretty badly by Zooey Deschanel. While I think that Zooey may have a better voice than her sister Emily (of Bones), Emily definitely has more acting talent. And I'm sorry, but until I see it again, this is about all I have to offer on the subject of Tin Man. It's an odd twist on The Wizard of Oz. It contains the same characters or types of characters, a tornado, Oz, and... yeah. That's all I have to say.

So here's all the stuff they left out :D

My ongoing rant about that dang Steve Kloves. Can't he get anything right? :D

1. Hermione has big, buck teeth in the books, but not in the movies. Harry is also supposed to have green eyes. According to the movie's 'Trivia' section on IMDB.com (*link below), both of these were attempted, but Daniel Radcliffe's eyes had a 'strong reaction' to the contacts, and Emma Watson couldn't speak clearly with the fake teeth in.
2. Before going on to Voldemort, Harry and Hermione go through the door with Wizard's Chess and into a room filled with potions. The exits are closed off by flames. One potion will get you through the next door, one will get you through the one you came from, and one will kill you.
3. Dudley's friend, Piers, comes with Harry and Dudley to the zoo, and tries to explain to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia that Harry was talking to the snake.
4. Harry goes to the zoo with them in the first place because Ms. Figg, who usually babysits him, has broken her leg.
5. Ms. Figg is not even brought into the movies until the the 5th one.
6. Aunt Marge is mentioned here; when they are trying to find a substitute babysitter for Harry, Aunt Petunia suggests Aunt Marge, but Uncle Vernon says that no, "she hates the boy".
7. Harry is Dudley's favourite punching bag, and Dudley's favourite pastime is "Harry Hunting".
8. Harry remembers odd instances which turn out to be magic; one is where he accompanies Aunt Petunia to a grocery store and an odd little man shakes his hand; one is where she practically shaves his unruly hair, and it grows back to normal by the next morning; one is where he tries to jump around the dumpster in order to get away from Dudley's gang, and winds up on the roof.
9. Dudley's Second Bedroom, which Uncle Vernon relocates Harry to when the letters he is sent are adressed to the Cupboard Under the Stairs, is left out of this movie. However, in Chamber of Secrets, he is clearly living in the said bedroom.
10. There is a scene in the book in which Harry tries to sneak downstairs to get a letter, and winds up stepping on Uncle Vernon, who had a similar idea.
11. Uncle Veron gives Harry a ride to the train station, because they need to have Dudley's tail removed anyway. When they get there, there is (obviously) no sign for Platform 9 3/4. Uncle Vernon merely smiles nastily and tells him to have a nice term, and leaves.
12. Although in the movie Hagrid immediately takes Harry to Diagon Alley after the confrontation with the Dursleys, he actually has some food, some tea, and waits until the next morning; they then take a boat and then a train to get there. There is, however, a deleted scene depicting them on a train.
13. Harry tries to tell Uncle Vernon about a dream he had, about flying motorbikes. Uncle Vernon shoots this down by telling him that motorbikes can't fly.
14. Most of the first chapter is left out; the part where Dumbledore leaves Harry on the Dursley's doorstep is there, but the part following Uncle Vernon's day at work is not.
15. Harry actually meets Draco Malfoy for the first time in Diagon Alley. They are both getting fitted for robes. Malfoy makes a snide remark about Hagrid and tries to talk to Harry about houses and Quidditch, but Harry does not understand what he's talking about.
16. After this, Hagrid tries to explain the houses, Quidditch, and Voldemort to Harry.
17. Harry and Ron are supposed to go duel with Malfoy. Hermione follows them out of the dormitory, telling them they shouldn't be going, and gets locked out because the Fat Lady has left her picture. Neville also winds up following them because he gets locked out as well. This is when they all meet Fluffy.
18. Peeves the Poltergeist is completely left out. Most of the ghosts are as well; the Fat Friar and the Bloody Barron are seen in the beginning, after the sorting; Nearly Headless Nick is not incorporated into the movies after the Chamber of Secrets.
19. Harry and Ron meet Neville before they meet Hermione; he comes looking for Trevor as well.
20. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle also go to Ron and Harry's compartment. They are intending to steal sweets, but are attacked by Ron's rat, Scabbers. Hermione comes in afterward, hoping that they weren't fighting.
21. Harry, Ron and Hermione do not get detention for visiting Hagrid after hours, and the staff does not know about Norbert.
22. Harry and Hermione get in trouble when they are caught coming out of the Astronomy tower after hours. They were there delivering Norbert to Ron's brother, Charlie, and left the Invisibility Cloak up in the tower. Neville gets detention along with them; he was out of bed trying to warn them about Malfoy.
23. Neville and Malfoy are originally paired in detention, but are separated after Malfoy scares Neville, who sends sparks flying.
24. More than one centaur is present in the forest scene; they both speak cryptically about the stars.
25. In the movie, Dumbledore never explains that the reason Snape hated Harry's dad so much was because he saved his life, and Snape couldn't bear to be in James's debt. Later on, it is explained that Sirius had tipped Snape off about Lupin being a werewolf. Snape, going to catch him in the act, was on his way, when James stopped him and saved his life.
26. Harry actually sees Snape's dog bite when he goes back to the library to get the book Quidditch through the Ages - given to him by Hermione and taken away because library books are not allowed out of the library.
27. Another one of the things guarding the Stone is a troll, but it has already been knocked out.
28. They aren't able to sink through the Devil's Snare; Hermione climbs through it and sets fire to it.

My First Impression of the Dark Knight. Don't read this one!

Monday, November 30, 2009


The Dark Knight (2008)
PG-13
Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllanhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Leadger
Warner Brothers
2/4

What, exactly, made this movie so dang exciting? Do people just like watching things explode or something? Because I honestly don’t understand what made The Dark Knightany better than any other super hero movie that has ever come out.
For example, in what way is The Dark Knight better then Iron Man, which had a better cast, or Spider-man 2, which had a much more interesting story? The Dark Knight failed to impress me at all. Batman (Bale) and his ex, Rachel (Gyllanhaal), were completely boring. Actually, to tell the truth, I don’t even remember Batman in the movie. I just remembered Bruce Wayne, who had no personality. The Joker (Leadger), who we’re supposed to be so afraid of, doesn’t even have a reputation. No one knows who he is. No one really seemed to be trying anything to stop him. The only quasi-interesting character was Harvey Dent (Eckhart), a lawyer running for election.
I understand that Gotham is undergoing dark times or something, but you would figure that would be metaphorical, not literal. Was it ever day time in this movie? The cinematography was lacking completely. And where was the musical score? Was the composer asleep? I found the lack of sound completely distracting. I don’t recall there being any plot whatsoever. If there was one, then it must not have been very good. There are also three great actors – Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman – standing on the sidelines with nothing very interesting to do. The only purpose Gary Oldman serves is to die.
After having seen Slumdog Millionaire this year, I wasn’t exactly expecting to fall head over heels for this film, but I also was expecting something more than this. But then again, this was just my first impression of the movie. In the future, when I will inevitably see it on HBO, I hope that my thoughts will improve. Otherwise…what a waste of talent.


Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton
Also starring Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, and Jessie Cave
Rated PG
Warner Brothers
3/4
Welcome back, Mr. Steve Kloves. I have missed you greatly. For those who are not like me and do not spend numerous amounts of time reading up on movies, Mr. Steve Kloves has been the screenwriter for all of the Harry Potter movies except one: the Order of the Phoenix. The difference, I think, is obvious.
Order of the Phoenix was too dark and left out too many important things. It was the shortest movie for the longest book. See the problem here?
While Half-Blood Prince is also dark, it has additions of humour and has breaks in the darkness. At least, as far as cinematography is concerned.
This Harry Potter film follows Harry (Radcliffe)'s sixth year at Hogwarts, where he deals with a crush on Ron's sister (Bonnie Wright), Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson)'s busted friendship due to Ron's obsessive girlfriend, Lavender (Cave), trying to coax a memory out of the stubborn Proffessor Slughorn (Broadbent), learning some interesting spells from the Half-Blood Prince, and trying to figure out what the sneaky Draco Malfoy (Felton) is up to.
There are some very cool things here that go on. While the opening of the movie does not follow the opening of the book explicitly, it shows us, very well, the destruction going on in both the magical and Muggle world. There are a few despeartly heartbreaking looks from Hermione that make her crush on Ron all the more obvious.
There is a scene around Christmas which was not there in the book. And here, I am afraid, I must forewarn you of a spoiler:
They burn the Weasley's house down. And at first, I wondered why. A friend of mine
suggested that it was a metaphor for the fact that the Weasley's have nothing but each other. If so, it could also be forshadowing of what they still have to lose for this fight.
I have two last things I'd like to point out. One is Tom Felton. He is quite - no, very - good as Draco Malfoy. Is Malfoy sneaky? Yes, but he is also afraid, very afraid. And for a good reason.
The second is the sneak peek into the next movie. No, there is not a trailor at the end of the movie. However, readers who have finished Deathly Hallows should be able to point out a prop that will mean something in the next two movies.

See, Bella. Real friends save you from killing yourself, not ditch so that you will do just that.

Starring Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashely Greene, Robert Pattinson
Also starring Michael Sheen, Billy Burke, Anna Kendrick
2/4
PG-13

Although New Moon is a major improvement on Twilight, the quality of it's lead actress still leaves it as little more than a joke. Because of Twilight, most people went into this movie with the intent to laugh at it. The constant Team Edward vs. Team Jacob fight is just an annoyance. Personally, I think that the Jacob (Lautner) in the movies is much too good for the Bella (Stewart) in the movies, but yet I see his and Laurant's (Edi Gathegi) point: If Edward cares for you so much, then why did he leave you? Even before Edward (Pattinson) leaves, he and Bella aren't acting too couple-y. They don't hug, they don't rush towards each other, they don't hold hands, and their kisses are few and far between. It's not because of romantic tension, nor should it be. They are together - aren't they? Not for long. Bella get's a paper cut that produces a strange amount of blood and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), Edward's newest family member, goes crazy and 1/10 of the way to making Bella his meal. Despite this, Edward flips out and breaks up with Bella in the middle of the woods and ditches her. And he told her not to do anything rash!
Bella does nothing for 3 months straight except stair out of the window and sit in a chair. Oh, and she apparently sends e-mails to Alice (Greene) that bounce back. Her dad (Burke) becomes so frustrated with her that he threatens to send her back to Jacksonville with her mom. Bella lies and says she's going shopping with her friend Jessica (Kendrick), although she hates shopping. She ditches her friend for riding on a motorcycle with a stranger and hallucinating about Edward.
Instead of moving on with her life and, I don't know, developing a hobby or making friends, Bella decides that she wants to see more Edward-hallucinations. She picks up a couple of motorcycles for her buddy Jacob to fix. Jacob, of course, is in love with her. Unfortunately, he's also a werewolf, and decides they can't be friends anymore. This bothers Bella who announces "You can't break up with me!", which is funny, because they weren't going out. Despite the fact that Jacob has put up with her morbidness and her using him, she still ditches him for the vamps after a she tries some high-flying adventures and Edward goes suicidal.
No one ever said Kristen Stewart was a good actress, which is a good thing, because she's really not. Bella does have a few more human moments in this one, but New Moon is not worth seeing for her. The two who really stand out here are Jacob, the one with the personality, and the eternally cheerful and delightful Aro, played by Michael Sheen. Sheen is perfect for this role, the optimistic leader of the Volturi. Does anyone else find it funny that he also played Tony Blair?

Hi :)

To anyone who found their way to this page, thanks for looking at it. I review movies. I won't bore you by telling you about my life, I just want to share my opinions on movies. I hope you enjoy, or not.