It’s rare for two superb comic-book movies to arrive in the same decade, much less the same summer, but The Dark Knight followed the well-received Iron Man with even better reviews and went on to shatter box-office records. Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne, alias the Batman, still fighting crime in Gotham City but suffering from the increasing physical and emotional toll on his personal life—including the loss of his sweetheart Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) to crusading district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart)—at a time when a vicious new crime wave masterminded by the dangerously sociopathic Joker (Heath Ledger) is being unleashed. Director and co-writer Christopher Nolan fleshes out the two-dimensional characters, which are perfectly played by returning cast members Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Michael Caine, while Ledger’s final performance is quite literally blood-chilling and may well prove to be the definitive interpretation of a comic-book villain. Exciting, suspenseful, and dramatically engaging, The Dark Knight is highly recommended. (E. Hulse) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2009.
Video Librarian Reviews
Website: http://www.videolibrarian.com/
Director Andrew Stanton’s animated Pixar entry WALL-E begins in the far distant future when robots have become responsible for most of the work once performed by human beings. After hundreds of lonely years on Earth fulfilling the mission for which he was programmed, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class) finds new purpose in life when a robot from outer space named EVE (short for Extra-Terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives and discovers that WALL-E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to Earth’s future. EVE races back to a galaxy far, far away to report her findings to self-exiled humans eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home. When WALL-E realizes that EVE is gone, he follows her and naturally gets into more trouble than you can shake a tractor beam at. Oscar-winning sound designer Ben Burtt (who recorded many of the film’s sound effects in a junkyard) supplies the “voice” of WALL-E, with Elissa Knight as EVE. Other voice work supporting players include Sigourney Weaver, Fred Willard, Kathy Najimy, and John Ratzenberger. Boasting Pixar’s trademark excellent animation and “characters” who seem more human than some of their three-dimensional counterparts in live-action movies, WALL-E is highly recommended. (E. Hulse) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2009.
Video Librarian Reviews
Website: http://www.videolibrarian.com/ Anxiety-prone office drone Wesley Allan Gibson’s (James McAvoy) chances of dramatically changing his life are nigh on nil—until he’s recruited by a secret society of assassins headed by the sinister Sloan (Morgan Freeman) to exploit a skill Wesley doesn’t even know he has: the ability to fire a gun in such a way as to make the bullet curve. Under the tutelage of seductive, aptly named Fox (Angelina Jolie), Wesley becomes a somewhat reluctant but effective killing machine. Sound ridiculous? Well, of course it does, but just like similar modern-day movies that turn comic books into marginally plausible movies, Wanted tries to bring a patina of believability to the proceedings, with Russian director Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) backed by an impressive array of talented craftspeople: from cinematography to set design to stunt work to special effects, the film boasts a level of fastidiousness that extends to the tiniest detail. Unfortunately, no such care has been taken to correct the plot’s silliness, flesh out the two-dimensional characters, or explain the plethora of physical feats that defy the laws of physics. Overall, however, this is still a tolerable complement to a bowl of popcorn. A strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2009.
Website: http://www.videolibrarian.com/
Director Andrew Stanton’s animated Pixar entry WALL-E begins in the far distant future when robots have become responsible for most of the work once performed by human beings. After hundreds of lonely years on Earth fulfilling the mission for which he was programmed, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class) finds new purpose in life when a robot from outer space named EVE (short for Extra-Terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives and discovers that WALL-E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to Earth’s future. EVE races back to a galaxy far, far away to report her findings to self-exiled humans eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home. When WALL-E realizes that EVE is gone, he follows her and naturally gets into more trouble than you can shake a tractor beam at. Oscar-winning sound designer Ben Burtt (who recorded many of the film’s sound effects in a junkyard) supplies the “voice” of WALL-E, with Elissa Knight as EVE. Other voice work supporting players include Sigourney Weaver, Fred Willard, Kathy Najimy, and John Ratzenberger. Boasting Pixar’s trademark excellent animation and “characters” who seem more human than some of their three-dimensional counterparts in live-action movies, WALL-E is highly recommended. (E. Hulse) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2009.
Video Librarian Reviews
Website: http://www.videolibrarian.com/ Anxiety-prone office drone Wesley Allan Gibson’s (James McAvoy) chances of dramatically changing his life are nigh on nil—until he’s recruited by a secret society of assassins headed by the sinister Sloan (Morgan Freeman) to exploit a skill Wesley doesn’t even know he has: the ability to fire a gun in such a way as to make the bullet curve. Under the tutelage of seductive, aptly named Fox (Angelina Jolie), Wesley becomes a somewhat reluctant but effective killing machine. Sound ridiculous? Well, of course it does, but just like similar modern-day movies that turn comic books into marginally plausible movies, Wanted tries to bring a patina of believability to the proceedings, with Russian director Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) backed by an impressive array of talented craftspeople: from cinematography to set design to stunt work to special effects, the film boasts a level of fastidiousness that extends to the tiniest detail. Unfortunately, no such care has been taken to correct the plot’s silliness, flesh out the two-dimensional characters, or explain the plethora of physical feats that defy the laws of physics. Overall, however, this is still a tolerable complement to a bowl of popcorn. A strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2009.
Synopsis:
After PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and ATONEMENT, Keira Knightley continues her reign as the queen of the period film with this 18th-century costume drama. The corset-clad actress stars as Georgiana Spenser, the Duchess of Devonshire. With her marriage to the duke (Ralph Fiennes), Georgiana achieves an impressive level of fame as Britons follow both her clothing style and her political advice. But even celebrity and wealth can't act as a salve in her marriage to the boring, boorish duke. When he begins to flaunt his affairs, Georgiana is tempted to return to a teenage crush, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper of THE HISTORY BOYS), to the anger of her husband and her mother (Charlotte Rampling, SWIMMING POOL). Fiennes's portrayal of the duke ranks roughly with his Lord Voldemort on a scale of beastly behavior, but the acclaimed actor manages to give him a level of humanity that far surpasses what he deserves. THE DUCHESS focuses on the lack of power possessed by Georgiana and, in fact, all women of her time, and the duke is the primary agent of her suppression. As she has done with other period films from the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN series to KING ARTHUR, Knightley brings spirit to the role, as well as a regal carriage that perfectly fits the detailed costumes by Michael O'Connor. Fans of history-based drama--Georgiana was real-life royalty who is found in the genealogy of Princess Diana--will find much to like in this film, which boasts impressive locations, lush costumes, and forbidden love.
After PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and ATONEMENT, Keira Knightley continues her reign as the queen of the period film with this 18th-century costume drama. The corset-clad actress stars as Georgiana Spenser, the Duchess of Devonshire. With her marriage to the duke (Ralph Fiennes), Georgiana achieves an impressive level of fame as Britons follow both her clothing style and her political advice. But even celebrity and wealth can't act as a salve in her marriage to the boring, boorish duke. When he begins to flaunt his affairs, Georgiana is tempted to return to a teenage crush, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper of THE HISTORY BOYS), to the anger of her husband and her mother (Charlotte Rampling, SWIMMING POOL). Fiennes's portrayal of the duke ranks roughly with his Lord Voldemort on a scale of beastly behavior, but the acclaimed actor manages to give him a level of humanity that far surpasses what he deserves. THE DUCHESS focuses on the lack of power possessed by Georgiana and, in fact, all women of her time, and the duke is the primary agent of her suppression. As she has done with other period films from the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN series to KING ARTHUR, Knightley brings spirit to the role, as well as a regal carriage that perfectly fits the detailed costumes by Michael O'Connor. Fans of history-based drama--Georgiana was real-life royalty who is found in the genealogy of Princess Diana--will find much to like in this film, which boasts impressive locations, lush costumes, and forbidden love.
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