Wednesday, December 10, 2008

My 2008 Movie Odyssey - Part XV

Moonstruck (1987)
I like my romantic comedies to be fast and furious, so the ones that take their time, like Moonstruck, start out at a disadvantage. When the movie started I didn't care for the characters, but as the story progressed they started to grow on me. What resulted was an amusing little film about finding love in unlooked for places (though I would still rather watch Bringing Up Baby).

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Bigger, flashier, and now with 50% more creatures than the first one! Unfortunately, I liked the smaller-scale aspects of the first one better. The film provides a visually sumptuous feast, and as far as the look of things go, Guillermo del Toro does not disappoint. However, the added effects come at the expense of a more character-driven story. The questions of fate versus free will are almost nonexistent here, and the question of "Can a demon find salvation?" - the most compelling question of the Hellboy universe - is completely ignored. The film is still highly entertaining (especially playing "spot Doug Jones") and worth the price of admission.

Double Wedding (1937)
Here is another romantic comedy featuring William Powell and Myrna Loy. In what feels like a departure for their regular pairings, they are not married at the start of the film, but fight with each other until they finally realize how much they are in love. I think I am ready to declare Powell and Loy to be the greatest romantic comedy duo of all time.

Away from Her (2006)
A well-acted, melancholy tale of how Alzheimer's can destroy the lives of not only those with the disease, but their loved ones as well.

Explorers (1985)
I'm sure I would have liked this movie as a kid (I always liked stories with smart kids in them) but the story is a little too far fetched for me to take seriously.

Coming up next: Dark Fountain of Dark Royale.

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