The Superman Fighter

Alright, here are two very different movies: an Oscar nominated movie based on a true story, and an animated Superman movie. I enjoyed both, but there's really no comparison between the two. I've also been tweaking my list of favorite movies for last year. The hard part is that any movie released later in the year (November or December) doesn't get released on DVD for a couple months into the next year. So, once I finally see all of the Best Picture nominees I will create my list. Until then...

The Fighter - (4 Stars)*

Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts who has always lived in the shadow of his older brother Dicky's professional boxing career. Managed by his mother (Melissa Leo) and coached by Dicky (Christian Bale), Micky's time spent practicing is more about reminiscing on Dicky's accomplishments rather than actual training. However, things begin to change after Micky meets Charlene (Amy Adams), who pushes Micky to go after the things he wants.

"The Fighter" is a good inspirational story, with just enough boxing to appease fans of the sport, but with more of a focus on the family of characters and story around the boxing. Wahlberg shines as the lead Micky who is torn between his new girlfriend, his family and boxing and Christian Bale earns his Oscar with every bit of screen time he has. The cast as a whole is very strong which helps make the movie, focused on characters, such an enjoyable treat. The fact that it's based on the true story of boxer Micky Ward's early years boxing makes all the more entertaining.

(115 minutes - Rated R for language throughout, drug content, some violence and sexuality- 2010) (Netflix)

All-Star Superman - (3 1/2 Stars)

What if Superman was dying? That's the premise in the latest of DC's animated feature "All-Star Superman," adapted from the very good Grant Morrison story. After taking a super-sized dose of solar radiation by flying too close to the sun (all set up by Lex Luthor, of course), Superman discovers that his cells have begun to break down. So he sets about making everything right in his world, including his relationship with Lois Lane. But just because he's dying, doesn't mean he has it easy.

The story and art is adapted well and really captures the essence of the original comic story while jettisoning some of the story bits that felt out of place or extra. As a whole, the story is full of action,  classic villain encounters and as much poignancy as you're likely to get out of a comic book. I'd recommend this highly to anyone who has read the story, is a fan of the character or comic books in general.
(76 minutes - Rated PG for sequences of action and violence, language including brief innuendo, and some sensuality - 2011) (Netflix)

Secretariat: A Horse (and movie) of a different color

Secretariat - (3 1/2 Stars)
Whenever I watch an "inspirational sports film" I always go into the movie skeptical. It can't be helped. How many movies like Secretariat out there recycle a similar sports story and, despite the fact that they are based on true stories, still utilize the same tired plot points? There are many. So, going into Secretariat, I had my concerns.

For one thing, this movie is about a horse and not a person. Horse racing isn't exactly at the top of my list of "Must Watch" sporting events. Secondly, perhaps the biggest concern, I knew how the movie was going to end, or rather, how the story ends. My concerns weren't allayed at first. The movie starts as you would expect, with a dramatic voice-over quoting something or sharing an anecdote complete with your typical dramatic sports story music (compare soundtracks to sports movies sometime, they are quite similar). But where Secretariat goes from there is much better than I expected. In fact, it delivers a very entertaining story that, while following the exploits of a horse, also has a very human aspect to it in the story of the people who owned and trained and rode Secretariat.

The cast is top notch. Diane Lane does a pretty good turn as the tough, not-going-to-back-down Penny Tweedy nee Chenery and John Malkovich is always entertaining, and does a great job bringing his charisma to the cast. As for knowing how the movie ends, "Secretariat" still does an excellent job of building and maintaining suspense throughout the movie. I found myself several times questioning what I knew to be true. In the end, "Secretariat" delivers a well-acted, solidly entertaining inspirational sports movie. While it's not groundbreaking or anything particularly new, it's definitely worth a watch.
(123 minutes - Rated PG for brief mild language. - 2010) (Netflix)

Everybody’s Four Blind Goats

Finally caught up on missed reviews. All of these movies were watched this past week. I didn't have time to finish watching "Lawrence of Arabia," so I will review it this week. Next week's movies are a bit of a cheat (and also a slow week in terms of DVDs in from the library). I'm almost positive I will thoroughly enjoy "Sherlock Holmes" (I've seen clips of it) and I have already watched "Zodiac" and 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" before. However, for the sake of people who haven't seen them, I am officially reviewing them. Enough about next week, here is this week:

The Men Who Stare At Goats – (2 ½ Stars) - Based on a true story of a very strange division of the military focused on harnessing the “hidden” talents of soldiers. Ewan McGregor plays the straight-man journalist to George Clooney’s “Jedi.” While the movie was funny in parts, by its drug-induced conclusion it is more ridiculous than anything else. (Netflix) (93 minutes - Rated R for Language, some drug content and brief nudity - 2009)

Everybody's Fine – (3 ½  Stars) – After his wife passes, Frank Goode (Robert De Niro) tries to reconnect with his grown children by traveling cross-country to visit each one. De Niro does a fantastic job as the distant father being kept in the dark by his kids regarding how they are doing. The supporting cast is also top notch (Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore). Has the feel of an “indie journey” movie. (Side Note: I couldn’t resist thinking that besides being “fine,” they were also all “Goode.”) (Netflix) (99 minutes - Rated PG-13 for Thematic elements and brief strong language - 2009)

Four Christmases – (1 ½ Stars) – If you have seen any comedy that revolves around a dysfunctional family, you have in essence seen “Four Christmases.” The movie is predictable and chock full of almost every comedy cliché known to man. That’s not to say that there aren’t parts that were amusing. Even at just under an hour and a half, I felt like my time could have been better spent. (Netflix) (88 minutes - Rated PG-13 for Some sexual humor and language - 2008)

*The Blind Side – (4 Stars) –

I have a love-hate relationship with inspirational sports movies. Being a sports fan, I enjoy watching great (usually true) stories that include the sport(s) I love. I am also partial to great stories of redemption or struggle. The problem I usually have is how these stories can be handled. Usually they are opportunistic, sappy, or downright cheesy. However, “The Blind Side” manages to take an inspiring story and tell it in a way that isn’t any of these things.

Another thing to note about the movie is Sandra Bullock’s performance. I haven’t seen all of the other movies that included the “Best Actress” nominees, but Bullock does a fantastic job. Her character is different than any of her previous roles, and I think this is why she does so well with it.


“The Blind Side,” while it gets close to falling into the same traps as most sports movies, manages to stay “in-bounds” enough to make it stand out. One word of caution is that this movie is PG-13 due mainly in part to the background of Michael Oher, the player the movie is based on. (Netflix) (126 minutes - Rated PG-13 for One scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references - 2009)

Movies For This Week:

Sherlock Holmes

Lawrence of Arabia

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Zodiac