kari_d Reviews

Body of Lies (2008)

Good movie, but a bit forgettable

[7/10 · 20 November 2008]

I have really liked Leonardo DiCaprio's films since he came back from his hiatus (esp Blood Diamond). However, this one was quite forgettable. I enjoyed the movie when I was in the theater and left thinking "Huh. That was pretty good". But the week after someone asked what movie I saw and I couldn't remember. It reminded me a lot of "The Kingdom" actually (the feel, not the details). It was a very well made film, dialog and script were good, just nothing really stood out and grabbed me. Leo was the shine, he is such a talented actor and I was happy to see him in a great role. I just wish the plot had something fantastic in it to make it into a great film.

Eragon (2006)

Was looking forward to it (even with the bad reviews) - too bad

[6/10 · 20 November 2008]

I was disappointed. I read the books, which were fine (not terribly great, but pretty good for a young author). I knew from reading previous reviews that the movie deviated from the book a lot. I was prepared to keep an open mind and view the film as it is, and not what the book is. I was looking forward to it! The sets were beautiful, had a good cast, CGI was fantastic (great Saphira!), and a prepared storyline – what went wrong? The two biggest problems were: the terrible dialog and the overly dramatic music (made you roll your eyes). Both could have been remedied with a longer movie. They crammed it all in to an hour and a half. They didn't have time to flesh out the characters, develop the plot – so the dialog was sparse, often cheesy, and just didn't make you like the characters. It felt forced. Jeremy Irons is a great Brom!! Too bad his lines were so lame. What was that scene with Angela? The scene with the Urgals working – you could tell they were just trying to look busy. You could see through the "acting" because the time was so short, they had nothing to do. I also felt they tried to make the Urgals into too much like the Uruks of the LoTR. The overly dramatic music worked in Lord of the Rings because it was a longer movie and so were able to really hook you into the world. You weren't "in" this world. You weren't part of the problems. The music felt corny. I felt like they tried to make it like Lord of the Rings, but failed because you just can't do it in 1hr 42 min. That's why the LoTR movies were up near the 3hr mark. Granted, I'm not saying make this a 3hr movie. But a good 2 or 2.5 hours, better dialog, more attention to detail (Arya's ears), more character development (mention Hrothgar, Naduada) sure would have helped. Too bad. My husband, who didn't read the books, gave it a 6.8.

The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

Very nice, pleasant movie

[7/10 · 6 November 2008]

I surprisingly enjoyed the movie more than I thought and would give it a solid 7. It was well scripted, the filming was fantastic, and the acting was good - it was a very pleasant movie. I read the book, so I knew what the plot was about, so no surprises there (although I wish it included one detail that was in the book about the shooting). There was nothing truly spectacular or exciting to give it an 8 (but nothing truly spectacular happens in the book either, so the movie couldn't really change that), but nothing terrible/poor script/poor acting, which you usually find a bit of in a 6 or 6.5 stars. I saw it in the theater and it was the perfect "girls night out" movie. Also good for mother/daughter. Otherwise, wouldn't pay $10 to see it. It would be a great rental - see once and return.

Atonement (2007)

Enjoyed it more than the book!

[8/10 · 6 November 2008]

I was actually very surprised I liked this movie so much. I didn't think the book was that fantastic (not very memorable). I thought the acting was great and the filming superb. The whole time my husband and I were thinking "That stupid girl" (and I kind of hate that feeling). I enjoyed it more than he did. I agree with another poster that this is Keira's best performance. I'm not a huge fan, but she did great and didn't annoy me (thrown back shoulders and turned out arms aside). This was her best role. I really liked McAvoy. He is simply a fantastic actor in just about everything I've seen him in. It was a little long, but I'm glad it went into the depth it did in the beginning to give a sense of history and background. A great film.

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Kevin and William carry this film!

[7/10 · 12 November 2007]

I wasn't sure if this movie would be that good before I saw it. I'm not a huge Kevin Costner fan. However, I was surprised. Kevin Costner is perfect in this role and William Hurt was awesome. I love their characters and development. I am still thinking about it. The two of them carried this movie and really made it worth seeing.

I didn't think the other actors did anything for this movie - maybe it was the poor dialog for everyone else in the film except KC and WH. I was surprised that I didn't even like Demi Moore. She just wasn't very believable at all - but again, it could have been the poor script dialog. Marg was good though, and I think it would have been better had she been cast as the cop instead of the wife - but perhaps that would have been too much like CSI.

If my rating was based solely on the performances of Kevin Costner and William Hurt, dialog, acting, plot - I'd give it an 8 or 8.5. They were really fantastic. If my rating was based on the acting/dialog of the others in the film, I'd give it a 6 or 6.5. Truly, the scenes without Kevin Costner and William Hurt just weren't worth anything. Therefore, it gets a 7 as a whole.

Serenity (2005)

Watch "Firefly" first to really appreciate it!

[8/10 · 21 July 2006]

My husband and I first saw this movie after just reading these excellent reviews and not knowing anything else about the movie or characters. We are both sci-fi fans.

I must say, we were a little puzzled about the great reviews. We thought the one-liners were kind of cheesy, the acting a bit poor, and we weren't at all impressed (except for maybe the fight scenes with River). The cowboy theme music didn't sit well with us either.

However, I have heard only excellent things about the series Firefly and the following movie Serenity. Were we missing something? We even watched Serenity again giving it a second chance. It still didn't click with us. I was very confused.

We were going to give up when a friend loaned us the Firefly DVDs. OK, I'll give it another shot since clearly we *must* be missing something! And that did it.

After just a couple episodes I was really enjoying myself. When I re-watched Serenity again after seeing the TV series, I thought it was excellent. I really appreciated it. The characters were more 3D, the one-liners were amusing, the music didn't bother me a bit (I was starting to like it), and I really liked all the nuances from the actors (I changed my mind - not bad acting). I felt like I knew the characters and story so much better and I really loved how they tied some loose ends together. It was also nice to see the characters again after the series ended (even on DVD).

So bottom line - if you didn't watch Firefly, you probably won't get it, may not like it very much, and you might be confused why there are such great reviews. If you did watch Firefly first (and liked it), you'll love Serenity and you'll have a great ride!

Bad Santa (2003)

Absolutely fantastic

[9/10 · 23 July 2005]

I loved this movie. I didn't know what to expect - I heard it was funny and thought I'd give it a go. I did not anticipate finding it so hilarious. Billy Bob Thorton's performance was fantastic. His dry sense of humor and just basic "who give a f***" attitude was superb. The casting was great - and the actor that played Therman Merman was perfect. I love his genuine and innocent yet absurd remarks that make you go "huh?". The whole thing cracked me up and I can watch it again and again. Although some of my friends don't find it as funny - I guess you have to appreciate that kind of humor. But it is the subtle dry humor that just makes you crack up deep inside.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Excellent adaptation

[8/10 · 16 June 2005]

I was very impressed with this movie! I thought it did an amazing job adapting musical to movie. I was actually pleasantly surprised that it used so much of the original score. I thought the singing was excellent, and Minnie Driver was great. It definitely captured my interest and had beautiful visuals. I thought they cast the characters perfectly - I really liked Emily Rossum, Gerard Butler, and Patrick Wilson. Gerard really stood out in my mind as the Phantom. Excellent performance. I'm bummed I waited until DVD to see it and missed it on the big screen.

You don't have to be a Phantom of the Opera fan before you see this movie to love it - but you do have to like musicals!

Just a couple quirks: The phantom's disfigurement did tend to change depending on which mask he wore (or didn't wear)- but that's OK. You get the idea. I didn't pick up that the lip syncing was off. I'll have to watch for that next time I watch it. And in the 1870 shots, I would estimate the age difference between Raoul and Madame Giry to be at least 15 years, if not more. But in the 1917 shots, they look to be about the same age. These are so minor though in reflection of the entire Phantom experience.

Now if only they'd do an adaptation of "Les Miserables" just as well...