The Day the Earth Stood Still

On a lark, last night, we decided it was time to head out to the movies.

Our local theater chain, Kerasotes, offers a five dollar admission price on most movies when they are in their third week of release or beyond. Operating under the theory that the special-effects in The Day the Earth Stood Still would be much more impressive and interesting on the big screen, we decided to spend the $10 and head to the movies.

While I am not as critical of Keanu Reeves as many people are, I do tend to find him rather wooden as an actor. However, this is one of those times that the choice of actor was appropriate to the role. The movie, which is a remake of an old black-and-white movie, is based on the principle that an alien sphere lands in Central Park.

The plot then revolves around the American government reaction, the reaction to similar landings around the world, and a group of scientists who are brought together to study the event. Jennifer Connelly plays Helen, the microbiologist and main proponent of peaceable coexistence with the alien.

Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, plays Helen's stepson Jacob. Jacob has lost both of his parents, including losing his soldier father presumably in the war in Afghanistan or Iraq. Jacob is convinced that if his father were still alive, his father would repel the alien invasion.

Unfortunately, perhaps because it was the intent of the producers or perhaps because it's the way the movie was originally written, the movie beats you over the head with its message that the human race is violent and must change its ways.

The acting in the movie is solid, if unremarkable, and the special effects are certainly worth seeing. The movie left me with neither the desire to run right out and own it, nor the feeling that I had wasted my time in watching it. It's simply okay.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Sometimes when you buy random movies because they're on sale for four dollars apiece, you are pleasantly surprised. That's exactly what happened last night when we chose to watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and old Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. movie that is about three years old.

The basic premise of the movie, which is narrated by Robert Downey Jr., is that Harry, an East Coast thug, has been brought to California for a screen test but one of the hottest producers in Hollywood. Harry arrived at at the tryouts when the burglary he was a part of when bad and he was running from the police.
In the introduction to the movie, we discover that Kilmer is playing a gay private detective who also acts as a consultant on the film. After Hollywood party where we meet all the main characters, Kilmer's character informs Harry that they will be working together in the next day so that Harry can learn what the real life of a private eye is like.
At the party we also meet Harmony, to whom Harry is instantly attracted to and protective of. Shortly thereafter, we discover that Harmony is the girl from high school that Harry could never forget.
What follows is a comedy of murder and mystery with romance and hilarity thrown in. We picked up this movie for about 4 dollars during the holiday sales at the local big box store. Mostly we picked it up because of the actors as we are fans of both Kilmer and Downey. Most of the time, these random choices lead to very bad movies. This time we were pleasantly surprised otherwise.

Resident Evil: Degeneration

Okay, so I admit it. I generally have found that most of the videogame movies made are tolerable. Recently though with the improving animation style, I have found that I am enjoying these movies more and more.

Case in point, Resident Evil: Degeneration. Unlike the three live action resident evil movies, this movie relies on spectacular Japanese animation to make the movie, not Milla Jovovich. The story begins with heroine Claire Redfield arriving to visit friends in the same airport that an important senator who supports research on a vaccine for the T. virus.

When a plane full of the walking dead crashes into the airport terminal, Claire and the senator are among the survivors that take refuge in a VIP lounge while waiting for rescue. Leon, the hero of Resident Evil 4, is the leader of the rescue party that comes to save Claire and the senator.
Claire has been a part of an activist group fighting against additional research into the T. virus while Leon has been employed by the government to fight outbreaks theoretically caused by international terrorism.
The story in this movie is somewhat lackluster. The scripts needed work. The dialogue is choppy and unbelievable and the story is completely predictable. However, none of those things are unexpected when dealing with the videogame movie.
What makes this movie worth seeing is the animation. While the story is a fun romp, and somewhat entertaining, the animation steals the show. There were several points within the movie when the animation is so well detailed that until a close-up of a person is shown it is difficult to believe it is animation and not live-action.
After the tragedy that was Resident Evil: Extinction, this movie was both a joy to watch and hope for the future of the franchise.