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Summer Movie Reviews: Fantasy
Aug. 19th, 2014 10:20 pmMaleficent - Alternately titled, “Everyone Makes Terrible Plans.” The plot is predictable wannabe-Wicked; some exceptionally stupid decisions are made (though Maleficent’s seem downright brilliant next to everyone else’s); if the king’s men had remembered that longbows were a thing the movie would have ended ten minutes in; and she really should be called “Napping Beauty,” as she slept for 30 minutes, maybe an hour tops. On the other hand, this movie features the best use and delivery of a flat “What.” that I think I’ve ever seen on film.
Oz: The Great and Powerful - James Franco does play an excellent douchbag. (Fears that the character is “redeemed” are mostly unfounded—he’s a jerk who gets lured/shamed into playing hero to get fame, money and sex.) It’s not terrible; there are some clever bits and the CGI is pretty; but Wicked is a much better prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and two of my favorite actresses are wasted here on a script that doesn’t deserve them. (Mila Kunis can chew scenery, don’t get me wrong, but she deserves more meaningful motivation than “Franco was a dick and then my sister cursed me with evil.”) I was also disappointed that the ending didn’t lead into the “all just a dream” return home OR a snippet of Dorothy arriving years later—given the obvious setup, it was just too pat.
Hook - I’d been meaning to re-watch this for years, having remembered it as one of my favorite Robin Williams movies. Don’t get me wrong, it screams “The 80s!”, it’s thoroughly overacted, there isn’t a single surprise to the plot, and it’s rife with plot holes and somewhat problematic elements. But it’s heartwarming anyway. That, and most of the actors can actually keep up with each other and no one gets left behind in the great ham-a-thon, which really works, given the premise.
Oz: The Great and Powerful - James Franco does play an excellent douchbag. (Fears that the character is “redeemed” are mostly unfounded—he’s a jerk who gets lured/shamed into playing hero to get fame, money and sex.) It’s not terrible; there are some clever bits and the CGI is pretty; but Wicked is a much better prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and two of my favorite actresses are wasted here on a script that doesn’t deserve them. (Mila Kunis can chew scenery, don’t get me wrong, but she deserves more meaningful motivation than “Franco was a dick and then my sister cursed me with evil.”) I was also disappointed that the ending didn’t lead into the “all just a dream” return home OR a snippet of Dorothy arriving years later—given the obvious setup, it was just too pat.
Hook - I’d been meaning to re-watch this for years, having remembered it as one of my favorite Robin Williams movies. Don’t get me wrong, it screams “The 80s!”, it’s thoroughly overacted, there isn’t a single surprise to the plot, and it’s rife with plot holes and somewhat problematic elements. But it’s heartwarming anyway. That, and most of the actors can actually keep up with each other and no one gets left behind in the great ham-a-thon, which really works, given the premise.
