Nightcrawler - Take a Walk on the Creepy Side With Jake Gyllenhaal (Spoiler Free)

It was several months ago when I first heard something about Nightcrawler and about how good Jake Gyllenhaal was in it.  I’ve liked him in other movies, so that did get my attention even though I had no clue what the movie was about.  Even once I started to see previews, I wasn’t completely sure of the plot, but I wanted to see the movie. 

I am only going to briefly discuss the plot of Nightcrawler and I will not be sharing any major spoilers.

**Minor Plot Discussion**

Louis Bloom is doing somewhat questionable work in Los Angeles while being on the look out for something that could become a career.  By chance, he sees someone, Joe Loder, show up at the scene of an accident and start filming.  Lou learns that Joe goes to the scenes of accidents or crimes, films footage, and then sells the footage to whichever local news station will pay him the most.  Lou decides to try that type of work, gets an older video camera and scanner, and starts filming.  He gets footage his first night that Nina Romina, the night news director of a local television station likes and buys.  She says that Lou has a good eye, tells him to bring her anything else he gets, and suggests that he gets a better camera.

It isn’t long before Lou gets himself an assistant, Rick.  Lou continues to provide footage to Nina and he makes enough money to get better equipment and a new flashy, fast car.  Lou learns more about the news business in general and uses that knowledge to his advantage in his relationship with Nina.  Lou does have a talent for the work, but he starts to do questionable things to get footage at times, and that eventually lands him on the radar of the police.

**End of Minor Plot Discussion**

Nightcrawler is an entertaining, though somewhat disturbing, thriller that is well worth watching.  Things do start off a little slow as Lou is introduced and the situation is set up.   The slower pace at that point works for the story, showing how Lou begins his new career.  Things do pick up in certain scenes, like when Lou is driving like a maniac through Los Angeles to try to be the first at a scene while Rick freaks out in the passenger seat.  The plot is interesting and it is entertaining even though there are disturbing elements to it.  There are some graphic things shown at times, mostly connected to the stuff that Lou records and some swearing.  The movie does deserve the R rating and it is not a movie for children.

I have no idea how accurate the work that Lou got into is depicted in the movie.  I know large cities have more crime and more accidents.  I don’t live in a big city, though I do get local stations from one and there are stories about local crime and accidents.  I honestly don’t know if those stations send their own crews to those different locations or if they get footage from a freelance journalist like Lou.  It seems believable, and I know that the paparazzi sort of does the same thing, just by following celebrities instead of crimes.  Several scenes do take place at the station where Lou sells his videos.  Nina is a bit manipulative with the stories she edits and she is willing to use stories and footage that are questionable if she thinks it will get the station better ratings.  Later in the movie, she does talk to someone else at the station about what they can legally air, but even then, she talks about being willing to get fines for airing the footage.  Some of the news broadcasts are shown.  Early in the movie, Lou is captivated by seeing his footage on the news at home.  There are at least a few real broadcasters from Los Angeles in a few scenes here and there.  It does seem like Nina is willing to show stuff that is more graphic than what can actually air, though I know some stations keep trying to push that line. 

While I think that Nightcrawler is a thriller, there really isn’t any mystery to what is going on.  Lou’s background is a complete mystery since really nothing about his past is shared.  He does mention at one point that he didn’t go to college, but he took at least one class online.  Lou does several unexpected things throughout the movie which does keep things interesting.  The movie is definitely not predictable.  I don’t think the movie is action packed, though action does turn up in some scenes, usually when Lou is driving like a bat out of you know where to get somewhere in a hurry.  Later in the movie there is definitely building tension to what is going on.  At one point, Lou is chasing other vehicles involved in a high speed chase.  That sequence is very well done.  There is a little bit of humor here and there that briefly lightens the mood, but the movie is far from being a comedy.

Most of the movie takes place during the night when Lou is working.  He is shown filming several things, though he spends more time in his car, driving around while listening to the scanner.  That may sound boring, but it truly isn't.  Just about all the interactions between Lou and Rick happen in the car.  Even the scenes that take place at the television studio take place during the night, and there is dark lighting there as well, almost as if the station can’t afford to use lights at night.  That does cause some interesting lighting to be used throughout the movie.  At times the lighting does intensify Lou’s creepy look.  I did recognize some of the street names mentioned, though I have no idea if scenes were actually filmed in those places. 

Nightcrawler revolves around Lou and he is probably the most unique character I’ve seen in a movie in a long time.  He is ambitious and willing to do just about anything to reach his goals.  He is smart and he learns things quickly, which does help him in his new career.  It also helps him to do some of the more questionable things he does as well.  He can talk the talk, and while not everyone buys his line, he does convince several people to do what he wants.  This guy could probably sell igloos to Eskimos.  Lou does have a talent for getting the type of footage that Nina wants.  He wants to be the best at his work, and when something doesn’t go his way, he can get unpleasant.  Lou remains calm and seems to be polite with people he is upset with, but that doesn’t stop him from issuing threats while still talking in a calm tone with a pleasant - for him anyway - expression on his face.  He is twisted and creepy in a whole different way because of that.  He really isn’t a likable character at all, but he is fascinating.

Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely amazing as Lou and he makes the movie.  He has a somewhat different look for the character, with hair that is an odd length - too long to really be short, but not long enough to really be long - and a gaunt look to his face from losing twenty pounds.  The weight loss make his eyes look slightly sunken, which adds to the creepy look.  Even when he smiles, he still looks creepy.  In some ways, he is even creepier when smiling.  At times, as things happen, this sort of crazed look comes into his eyes, making him look borderline psychotic, extremely creepy, and borderline crazy.  I have no idea how he did that, but it is very effective.  I will be surprised if Gyllenhaal doesn’t get award nominations for this performance.

Nina is the news director that first buys Lou’s footage.  She likes his work, including that he gets graphic, bloody, images at times.  She seems willing to put just about anything on air if it will get ratings.  Nina does try to establish some boundaries with Lou, but that ultimately doesn’t work.  At times she seems just about as crazed as Lou.  Renee Russo is really good in the part, though I wasn’t fond of the dark eye makeup she always wears.  A few other people around the station turn up every so often, but none of them receive as much attention as Nina. 

Rick is desperate for a job when Lou hires him.  Rick is in charge of navigation to get them to the different scenes while Lou drives like a maniac.  Rick buys into what Lou tells him during the interview, though he starts to have concerns about certain things tied to the way Lou does things.  He seems nice enough, though he doesn’t get much development.  Riz Ahmed handles the part well.  Joe Loder is the freelance video journalist that ends up getting Lou interested in the work to begin with.  Joe has been doing the work for a long time.  At one point he shares plans for expanding his business.  Joe does seem to feel threatened as Lou gets better at the work.  Bill Paxton is only in a few scenes, but he handles the part well. 

Nightcrawler is a very well done, somewhat disturbing thriller.  It probably won’t appeal to everyone, but it is definitely worth checking out, especially for fans of Gyllenhaal.  I do think it is worth checking out in theaters.

Maleficent - Angelina Jolie is Magnificent (Spoiler Free)

Disney has created many wonderful animated movie, fully of memorable characters, some good some evil.  One of the most memorable characters from a Disney movie - Sleeping Beauty - is Maleficent, the villain of that story.  On May 30, 2014, the live action movie Maleficent was released.

I am only going to briefly discuss the plot of Maleficent.  I will probably mention some things that could be spoilers for people who haven’t seen Sleeping Beauty or who don’t know the story. 

** Minor Plot Discussion **
A young and powerful fairy, Maleficent, lives in the magical land of The Moors which is next to a human kingdom.  The two lands do not get along and the people of each have no contact with each other.  One day Maleficent meets a boy, Stefan and they develop a friendship that lasts for years.  Stefan eventually betrays her in order to be named the next king.  Maleficent turns darker which causes changes to The Moors.  When she learns that Stefan, now the king, has a daughter, Maleficent shows up uninvited and curses Aurora.  Maleficent and Stefan spend the next sixteen years dealing with the consequences of the curse.
** End of Minor Plot Discussion **

Maleficent is being shown in 3D and 2D.  I ended up seeing the movie in 3D because of when the show times were.  The 3D is more subtle, which could disappoint some viewers.  It mainly adds depth to the various scenes, especially the ones set outside.  There really aren’t any images coming out of the screen, something else that could be disappointing to some people.  Personally, I like when that is done in 3D and think it looks cool.  There are definitely points in the movie when that could have been done.

This movie is based on Disney’s animated Sleeping Beauty as well as a few fairytale versions of the story.  I have seen the animated movie several times - it is actually one of my favorites - but I have never read any of the fairytales.  The movie is definitely connected to the animated movie, telling the same main story focused on Maleficent instead of Aurora, but there are differences as well.  Some people may not like the differences or that certain things have been changed.  I really enjoyed the movie and like the different take on the character.  I guess I am able to look at this as a different version of the story, so I am able to appreciate the changes the story take.  Other people may not be able to do that.  I have had issues with that sort of thing in other movies, but I think it works well this time.

The movie starts by showing Maleficent as a child before showing the betrayal that ultimately causes her to curse Aurora.  I have always thought that Maleficent was intriguing, so I have been interested in seeing this movie since I first heard about it.  A few younger versions of her are briefly shown early in the movie.  She is an adult for the majority of the movie.  I had thought that her horns were just part of a headdress when watching the animated movie.  This movie shows that the horns are part of her.  Younger versions of Aurora are in a few scenes, with the older version seen the most for her too.  Slightly different versions of other characters from Sleeping Beauty turn up as well, including King Stefan, who is shown at different ages.  Versions of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather appear as well, though they have different names - Knotgrass, Thistletwit, and  Flittle - and they are pixies.  I remember them being called fairies in the animated movie.  I think the story is straightforward and makes sense, though others may not agree.  It is interesting and entertaining.  The story is somewhat dark, so parents should keep that in mind when making a choice for this movie.  It is possible that some people won’t think that the movie is dark enough.

Special effects are used throughout Maleficent to show magic different characters use as well as to show fairies, pixies, and other magical creatures of The Moors flying.  Certain parts of the movie wouldn’t have worked without the special effects.  They were done well overall, though one thing seemed a little off or odd.  The pixies start off small and then later in the movie they make themselves human size to blend in.  When they are small, something with their heads look a little off.  Action turns up in some scenes as well without making the movie action packed. 

The characters are interesting overall, though some of them, like the Queen, are barely shown and have no development.  The pixies seem to mean well, but they are far from the best caretakers for a child.  Stefan seems to be nice at first, but his ambition takes over, twisting him into someone different.  Aurora is shown to be sweet, loving, curious, kind, and gentle even though she doesn’t receive as much development.  In this version of the story, she is more of a supporting character.  Elle Fanning is good in the part.  Diaval is a crow who becomes Maleficent’s servant when she saves him.  She uses magic to transform him into a man or any other creature that would be helpful in a situation.

This version of Maleficent is much more complex than the version from the animated movie.  While that version is one of the great Disney villains, she really is kind of flat.  That is not the case here.  She starts off kind and trusting before she is betrayed.  She is justifiably angry while also showing a softer side every so often.  Angelina Jolie is absolutely stunning and magnificent as Maleficent.  She is perfect in the part and makes the movie.  I honestly don’t think anyone else could have portrayed this character.  I know that some people don’t care for Jolie, so those people may want to avoid this movie.

Maleficent is a very entertaining movie that gives a different take on a classic Disney movie.  Some may not like that difference, but I think it is well worth checking out.  Angelina Jolie is absolutely magnificent as Maleficent.

X-Men: Days of Future Past - Time Travel and a Naked Hugh Jackman

The X-Men have been popular Marvel characters for years.  I use to watch a cartoon, which is where I first learned about the characters.  I have read a few of the comics over the years and I eventually picked up a book that has a lot of information about the various characters and storylines.  I have seen all the movies and enjoyed them to varying degrees.  I have been interested in seeing X-Men: Days of Future Past since I found out it was being made.

There have been three X-Men movies that were sequels to each other, a prequel, X-Men: First Class which is set back in the 1960s, and two movies focused on Wolverine.  X- Men: Days of Future Past is sort of a sequel to all the movies and also a prequel for the original three X-Men movies, depending on what is happening, because of the time travel aspect of the plot.  It can be a little confusing, especially how certain things and events were already changed in X-Men: First Class.  Some of what I mention while discussing X-Men: Days of Future Past will be spoilers for people who haven’t seen the previous movies.  Read at your own risk.

In the future, mutants are being hunted by large robots called Sentinels.  A group of seven, including Kitty Pryde find a way to deal with the situation by constantly sending the consciousness of  Bishop back in time to himself.  The group meets up with Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto, Storm, Iceman, and Wolverine to discuss a plan.  The consciousness of Wolverine will be sent back to 1973 while the others stand guard in case of a Sentinel attack.  He is then to find Charles and Erik so they can stop Mystique from doing something that leads to the creation of the Sentinels. 

There is a short scene after the end of the credits.  It is definitely a big hint at what is to come in another X-Men movie. 

I saw X-Men: Days of Future Past in 3D because of the start time.  There is one scene early in the movie that has falling snow.  It very briefly looks like the snow is falling out over the audience.  That is really the only 3D effect that I noticed, so there really isn’t any reason to see that version of the movie.  

Days of Future Past is one of the more well known stories from the X-Men comics.  I haven’t read the original comics featuring that story, but I do know the basics of it so I am aware of some of the changes made for the movie.  Logan/Wolverine is the one who does the time travel thing back to his younger self instead of Kitty.  It is said that Logan is the only one who would be able to survive traveling back as far as is required for their plan because of his ability to heal.  He has to go back to 1973, an earlier time than from the original story as well.  I think those changes work for the movie overall. 

While I really enjoyed X-Men: Days of Future Past, I did have issues with a few things.  Those things were mostly connected to things changed by X-Men: First Class that resulted in changing backstories for Charles and Mystique in kind of a big way by making them meet as children and then basically grow up together.  It seems to have been done just to find a reason to have Mystique running around in her naked blue form.  That didn’t come up too much in this movie, though in a few scenes, it seems like a love triangle including Charles, Mystique, and Erik is hinted at.  I just don’t care for that change so I was happy when it didn’t play too much of a part in the plot. 

Certain parts of the plot for the movie can get a little confusing because of the part that time travel plays.  When the movie begins, it is in the future - I’m not sure what year it is, but it is made clear that it is the future.  That part of the movie, when Kitty is helping Logan do the mind time travel thing, takes place after the previous X-Men movies.  The events in 1973 are set after X-Men: First Class, but before all the other X-Men movies, including the two Wolverine movies.  In that part, Logan is back to just having bone claws.  What happens in 1973 may or may not change future events for the different characters, including things that happened in the other movies.  It is entirely possible that a certain mess from one of the previous movies has now never happened because of what is done in 1973.  I’m being deliberately vague about this in an attempt to avoid saying too much.  Some may not like that or the fact that time travel plays such a big role in what is going on.

There is a decent amount of action throughout the movie which helps to keep the pace moving.  Within the first few minutes, there is a fight between a few mutants and the Sentinels in the future.  When Logan wakes up in the past, naked, he barely gets his pants on before he is in a fight.  The water bed is the first casualty, but he quickly deals with the guys who show up right after.  Different mutant characters are involved in different fights throughout the movie.  Those scenes do require a lot of special effects, mostly tied to the use of the different mutant powers.  I do think the effects were done well.  

There are a lot of characters in X-Men: Days of Future Past, something that has happened in the other X-Men movies as well.  Unfortunately, because of that, some characters end up with very little to do.  While that is disappointing, I would rather see that and have the story handled well than have too many subplots crammed in as an attempt to give more characters more to do.  That has not worked well in the past. 

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen return to play the older versions of Professor Charles Xavier and Erik/Magneto.  I love them in those parts, so it was really nice to see them again even though the younger versions of the characters had more to do.  James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are fine as the younger Charles and Erik, but they are no Stewart or McKellen.  The young Erik is a massive jerk, which is sort of expected for the character.  The younger Charles has turned into a massive jerk in his own right, which is a big contrast from how the character has been portrayed before.  I don’t really like jerk Charles, though I can see how he becomes the older Charles that is more familiar. 

Logan/Wolverine may end up with the most to do and he more fully connects the future and past portions of the movie.  Logan is the one who travels mentally back in time and it is up to him to find the younger Charles and Xavier and convince them he is from the future and what they need to do.  Logan is back to having his bone claws in the past, and that is a little different since I’m more use to seeing him with the adamantium claws.    Hugh Jackman has played the character several times now, and I think he is very good in the part.  Once again he is in crazy good shape, which is put on display when he emerges from bed naked.  He is seen fully from behind and a lot of his front is shown then as well.  Mystique spends a lot of time in her naked blue form.  Something about the look of her in that blue form looks slightly off to me this time.  It could be because they came up with a new method for the makeup involving a body suit.  Mystique does have a useful ability that helps her in several situations.  In this movie, she is able to take on the appearance of anyone she sees.  I thought that she had to touch them to do that, but I could be wrong about that.  Jennifer Lawrence is fine in the part. 

Hank McCoy/Beast is back as well, mostly in 1973.  Evidently, in this version of the story, Hank came up with some kind of serum or something that allowed him to revert back to looking fully human instead of being furry and blue.  That just doesn’t seem right to me since Hank/Beast has always stayed furry and blue once he took on that appearance.  Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver is a new young mutant that is recruited to help get to Erik.  Peter can run really, really fast.  So fast, that he seems to just disappear at one place and reappear in the next.  He doesn’t get much to do, though there is a really cool sequence done with him moving at his super speed. 

Kitty, Bobby/Iceman, Colossus, Blink, Sunspot, Warpath, and Bishop take part in the future part of the movie.  I had not heard of Blink, Sunspot, or Warpath before.  I have no idea if they are characters from the comics or created specifically for the movie.  Havok and Toad turn up briefly, but they end up with not much to do.  A few other more well known characters also briefly appear.  I’m not going to say who because I don’t want to spoil anything for people who haven’t seen the movie yet.

Bolivar Trask is the scientist who designs the Sentinels.  He is trying to get the government to use the Sentinels to protect people from mutants.  Trask has experimented on mutants as part of the development of the Sentinels and he has military contacts.  Trask fully believes in what he is doing, believing that what he is doing is a good thing.  He is rather arrogant.  He will try to manipulate different situations to help his cause if possible.  Peter Dinklage is very good in the part.  A younger William Stryker turns up, helping to hunt down mutants and send them off to Trask to experiment on. 

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a very entertaining movie.  I do think it is one of the better comic book movies that I have seen.  People that are more familiar with the comic books may not like some of the changes.  People who have enjoyed the previous X-Men movies should give this one a chance.  I plan to add the movie to my collection once it is available no Blu-ray.

This review is part of Elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write Off.  Elvisdo is another former Epinions member, and he hosted this write off there for six years.  It was something that several members - myself included - looked forward to each year.  I am very happy that he has decided to do it again.

The End of My Movie Drought

I love movies and I enjoy going to the theater to see new movies, even when I get annoyed by rude people sitting near me.  For the first several months of this year, I wasn’t able to make it to the theater.  Work was crazy for a while but the extremely bad winter here also played a part.  There were a few times when I had a day off that I wanted to go see a movie.  Then the winter weather struck again, dumping more snow, ice, freezing rain, or a combination of all three.  When the weather was better, I either didn’t have days off or there were no movies that I wanted to see.

At the end of March, I was finally able to end my movie drought when I went to see Muppets Most Wanted.  I have loved the Muppets since I was a child and there was no way I was going to miss seeing that movie in the theater.  Since then I have managed to see a few more.  I have been meaning to write about them, but that hasn’t happened so far.  Hopefully I will get motivated to write again and fix that.  I have a fairly large movie collection as well as a lot of tv shows on DVD.  In the past, I would at least take the time to watch some of those even when I wasn’t able to get to the theater.  I didn’t watch many of those in the last several months either, but I have started to fix that as well.

Green Hornet

Since I have at least somewhat liked most of the movies I’ve seen about superheroes, I wanted to see Green Hornet even though I didn’t know much about the character and I don’t care that much for Seth Rogen.

There was a Green Hornet television show and the characters has been featured in comic books as well.  I sort of remember seeing some of the television show, but I don’t remember much of anything about it.  Even without remembering much, I’m sure that the movie is a lot sillier.  I also don’t think that the main character, Britt, was such an obnoxious jerk, in the television show.

Green Hornet manages to be an entertaining movie overall.  It has a decent origin story for how Britt decides to fight crime as the Green Hornet.  The plot isn’t overly complicated, and some of the developments are rather weak.  The subplot that I didn’t care for the most deals with Lenore, the attractive woman that Britt hires as his assistant.  Britt and Kato are both interested in her and sort of chase after her, with Britt acting like a big idiot about it.  That aspect of the movie just didn’t work well for me.  I also felt like Cameron Diaz didn’t really fit the part either.

There is a decent amount of action in Green Hornet and a few scenes get rather violent.  The action scenes are done well, though there is some slow motion and other odd effects in a few of the scenes.  I think the odd effects were somehow tied to the movie being released in 3D as well.

Britt and Kato are interesting, though Britt is such a jerk, it is hard to like him or be interested in him at times.  He’s rude and obnoxious much of the time.  I think a big reason for that is that Seth Rogen played the part.  He is also one of the writers of the movie.  Rogen’s characters have seemed like jerks to me in some of his other movies as well.  In interviews that I’ve seen of Rogen, he comes across the same way.  He acts like a self absorbed jerk with a very high opinion of himself and his acting abilities.  Britt just seems to be a thinly veiled version of Rogen.

While I have issues with how Britt acts and certain plot elements, I did enjoy Green Hornet overall.  It manages to work as an entertaining superhero type movie.

I did get a review posted on Epinions after seeing the movie in the theater.

Green Hornet

Blades of Glory

I first saw Blades of Glory in the theater when it originally came out.  I picked up the DVD when it was released and I’ve watched the movie a few more times since then and still enjoy it.  I recently watched the movie again for the first time in a while. 

Ice skating is about the only sport that I do like, so the fact that ice skating plays a huge part in the plot of Blades of Glory is a big reason why I wanted to see the movie to begin with.  I also like Will Ferrell and tend to watch his new movies at least once.

The plot for Blades of Glory is pretty simple and rather silly.  I do think it is an interesting idea for two men to skate as a pair.  Things would have to be done differently with two men skating together instead of a man and a woman.  Different things related to ice skating are shown during the movie.  Some of it seems realistic and other things are exaggerated.  Some of the exaggeration does add humor.  Much of the humor is silly in some way.  A few things done to add humor are more gross and may turn some people off.  I could have done without seeing a few things.  The humor isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but I do think the movie is funny and entertaining.

The characters in Blades of Glory are interesting.  The development could have been stronger for most of them, but they are still interesting characters.  Chaz is very unique and a bit wild.  That does make him entertaining, but some people may not care for him.  Jimmy is a calmer character and more likable in some ways.  He has his own issues.  I do like how Chaz and Jimmy interact for the most part.  The other characters are also interesting, though exaggerated.

The DVD for Blades of Glory has deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a behind the scenes featurette that are entertaining.  The movie is available on Blu-ray, though I don't know what kind of extras are on it.

I do enjoy Blades of Glory, though I know it isn’t a movie for everyone.  Fans of the cast should definitely check it out.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions after I first saw the movie in the theater.

Blades of Glory

Down Periscope

I first saw Down Periscope in the theater years ago.  I’ve seen it several more times over the years and I still enjoy it.

The plot for Down Periscope is rather simple and definitely silly.  This isn’t a movie to take seriously in any way.  A few complications do pop up over the course of the movie, but that still doesn’t make the movie complicated.  The plot probably isn’t that realistic, but it does end up being entertaining overall. 

I find Down Periscope funny, but the humor may not appeal to some viewers.  Most of what is done for humor, along with the plot in general, is more silly than anything.  I enjoy the movie when I’m in the mood for a silly movie.  Things are probably too silly for some people.  I can understand some people not liking the movie, but I don’t think it is as bad as some people have thought it was over the years.  I think it works as an entertaining comedy and is worth seeing for people in the mood for a funny movie.

There is a somewhat large group of different or even odd characters in Down Periscope.  Just about all of the characters have some sort of quirk that makes them different in some way.  Those quirks help to make the movie more entertaining.  The cast all does well with their parts.  I’m fairly sure that this movie was intended to help Kelsey Grammer start a movie career, but things didn’t work out that way.  He hasn’t had much luck with most of the projects he’s tried that haven’t involved Frasier. 

Down Periscope is available on DVD.  I picked it up for about $5 and I’m glad I did.  There aren’t any extras on the DVD. 

Down Periscope is an entertaining comedy that I think is worth watching.  It may be too silly for some viewers.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Down Periscope

Yogi Bear

For many people, Yogi Bear is a character they fondly remember from cartoons.  I have seen the cartoons over the years, though it has been a while since I last saw one of them.  I wasn’t sure what to think when I learned that a big screen movie was being made, but I ultimately decided to go see it.

Instead of being just an animated movie, Yogi Bear uses a combination of live action characters and animated characters, like has been done with some other cartoons turned into movies.  Yogi and Boo Boo look fine and interact with real items fine overall, though somehow I think the movie would have worked better if it was animated instead of the blend. 

The plot for Yogi Bear is fairly simple and very straightforward.  Yogi is obsessed with stealing picnic baskets in Jellystone Park with the help of his friend Boo Boo and Ranger Smith keeps trying to keep him under control.  A nature film maker, Rachel, shows up, wanting to film in the park.  Things get more complicated when Ranger Smith learns that Mayor Brown plans to shut down the park for financial reasons.  Most of what happens is focused on attempts to save the park. 

Most of what happens in Yogi Bear is rather silly.  I’m sure that the movie is too silly for some viewers.  I fully expected the movie to be silly before seeing it, so I wasn’t bothered by the silliness.  The movie could have been better, but it isn’t horrible.  It is just a cute, silly family friendly movie.  Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake do fine with the voices.  Children will probably like the movie more than adults.  If expectations aren’t too high, I think the movie can be enjoyed. 

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Yogi Bear