Julie & Julia (9/10)

I don't know much about cooking, but I do know a thing or two about movies and acting, and Julie & Julia is a feast! The casting is just perfect. Meryl Streep as Julia Child is an inspired choice. And there are few people who could pull off an "impression" of a famous person and still make it authentic and deep. Look for Streep to get another Oscar nod here. Of course, Amy Adams is also a delight, and this part is perfect for her. Though the two never share a scene, you really feel the connection between them. This is done through the masterful blending of the two stories, so that even though you know what happens at the end of Julie's story (you are watching her film after all), you can't help but be thrilled by her real-life emotional journey.


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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (8.5/10)

Yeah, I used to watch G.I. Joe cartoons when I was a kid, but I don't remember anything about them. It's probably a good thing, too, because I couldn't have enjoyed G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra if I was spending the whole time nit-picking about the differences. And I did thoroughly enjoy it!

Of course it is important to manage your expectations when walking into an action movie based on a long-dead franchise. Like the Transformers movies, you're not going to see any Oscar nominations for G.I. Joe. But if that's what you are looking for when you walk into the theater, you have serious issues. What you should be looking for is a series of escalating action sequences, some cool gadgets and special effects, and some good looking actors who can deliver their lines without stumbling too much. And for this, G.I. Joe delivers. And it does it in a way that is slick, creative, and a lot of fun to watch.

One thing I do remember about the original cartoon: nobody ever died. There was lots of gunfire and explosions, but heroes and villains alike always got up to regroup and start the fight again in the next episode. They even had people parachuting out of exploding helicopters! That is not how the movie works, and thank goodness! High tech weaponry has deadly consequences, and the movie doesn't flinch from the many brutal ways those cartoonish weapons will tear a person apart. Take note kids, guns really do kill people. Don't try this at home.


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G-Force in 3-D (8/10)

I went off on a rant a few weeks back about how horrible 3-D films are, and how I am sickened by their recent resurgence. A friend argued the other side, and since I value his opinion, I decided to try re-evaluating my opinion. I used Disney's recent live-action/CGI-animation film G-Force as a test. First I watched it in 3-D. The glasses still felt horrible and awkward, and hurt my nose and eyes. But I have to admit, the 3-D effects weren't that bad. I didn't feel ejected from the "suspension of disbelief" like previous 3-D films. The film was quite a bit of fun, with a few real standout spectacular scenes!

Then a few days later I slipped into a 2-D screening that was midway through the film. It seemed quite bland by comparison, and one of my favorite scenes from the 3-D version (the fireworks) didn't seem all that spectacular anymore. And the complex moving set in the climactic scene was hard to follow and visually interpret, whereas the 3-D version helped to distinguish the multiple levels of action.

So I have to admit, 3-D movies have begun to evolve. Even though I think they missed a few obvious camera angles that would have really benefited from the 3-D treatment, this film was obviously much more creative than the cheap gimmicky films of the past.

Now if they can just make those stupid glasses comfortable, I might be able to give 3-D the thumbs up.


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