2012: cinema visits

I didn't go to the cinema much at all this year, not really sure why. I guess when a ticket costs almost as much as the DVD/Bluray that comes out 6 months later, it's easier to skip a few. The death of my small local cinema plays a part in it as well I guess, although I think I only went there twice this year, and I stopped going to their alternative movie nights a few years ago. I'm part of the problem! I think it's an interesting debate: what is causing the death of small-scale cinemas? The big, expensive cinemas with their 3D and other crap, or how cheap DVDs are nowadays, and Blu-ray basically offering a better experience (with the proper TV) than in the cinema? Easy answer is that it's all little bit of everything of course. Anyway, I'm going to miss going to the cinema for €6 (nowadays it's around €10-12 in the big cinema), and especially their "movie day" in July where they showed recent movies for €2,5. Sadness :(

Anyway, moving on, the actual reviews!


The Hobbit
I enjoyed it. I didn't love it. Do you really want to know why? For me it had two main problems: the party hanging off things, falling down things, and just when things seem really really really bad... they get rescued!! Like, 10 times throughout the movie. Which leads me to major problem number 2: no tension at all. Two movies to go, and you've seen LOTR so you know Bilbo and Gandalf won't die. The dwarves, well, sure some of them might die, but it's not like that's the end of the world is it? There is danger in pretty much every step they take, but you know they're going to get out of it somehow. I suppose that's number 3: the second part has one action scene after another, but it's all pointless in the end.
I also feel like it's a movie with two souls, so to speak: in part Peter Jackson wants to recreate the simpleness of the book, but then he also wants to inject more epicness into it... and what you get is a mix of both that really felt weird to me. Personally I'm VERY interested in Middle-Earth and its history, and I would love a movie (or a mini-series) set in the first and second ages with guys like Glorfindel and Elrond kicking all sorts of ass - but all that just doesn't really add anything to this movie.
Anyway, let's talk about the good things: the scene with Gollum was awesome, I like Bilbo a lot more than Frodo (partly because of the acting, partly because we never really got to know Frodo's personality in LOTR did we?), and Gandalf...Ian McKellen is such a good actor. He doesn't even have to speak, you can really read things from his face.

Skyfall
Best Bond Ever!!!! Sort of. It's very much The Dark Bond Rises hehe, but really, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Good flow, good action scenes, loved the new Q, loved the Scotland scenes, loved the Shanghai and Macau scenes, loved Javier Bardem as the "is he gay or just crazy" villain...was very sad at the end - you should know that Goldeneye was the first Bond movie I've seen in the cinema (and I still love it, I consider it one of the best "classic" Bonds), so I have a certain attachment to certain...people. I am looking forward to the next Bond, whatever it will be like, but as far as I'm concerned they can now return to underground/under sea/inside of a vulcano lairs, and a bit more humour/sillyness in it.
Saw it again this week actually - I was surprised how much I still loved it. Love the underlying themes as well - not that they're very subtle, but still. I would say it's my favourite movie this year.

The Dark Knight Rises
It's my favourite one in the trilogy. Stop laughing!! First of all, it has the best villian. Rhas-al Gul's plan failed. The Joker just played around a bit - and he sort of won, but didn't live to see it. But Bane, he broke Batman, and he broke Gotham, something the other two tried but failed at.
Yes, there isn't much Batman in this, but The Dark Knight was really a Joker movie, so that complaint doesn't hold. I thought the general flow was the best in the three as well: TDK seemed very random at points, and Batman Begins was basically 2 movies in one. This had a proper beginning, middle and end.

Ted
I liked it, it had some good, or so bad-it's-good jokes, but the actual story was pretty boring and cliché. I mean, when it's on tv I'll watch it again and laugh, but as a movie it's really not that good. I generally don't like these relationship comedies, and despite being a lot "dirtier" than average, it still hasn't changed my mind.

Prometheus
Haters gonna hate. Apart from the last 10 minutes or so, I loved it. I mean, how frakking good is Michael Fassbender in this? Best creepy gay robot ever. Yes, the story and the way events play out is familiar, characters are pretty dumb, there's the awkward abortion scene, and a lot of other things I really didn't mind that much. I'm aware of its flaws, but it's greater than the sum of its parts. Or something like that. It reminded me of Sunshine mostly - great movie, apart from the last act. Oh, and probably also helps that I didn't get caught up in the hype.
It's also a beautiful movie, art-wise and sound-wise as well, I really love their jumpsuits and other little things you generally only notice on a second viewing. Bought it on blu-ray and don't regret it at all. I'd say my biggest gripe is that story wise, it's obviously the first part of a series, as there are far too many questions unanswered - and I honestly fear the answers will be stupid. It's like Lost all over again.

Snow-White and the Huntsmen
I was bored and wanted to go the cinema. This was the only thing they played that was vaguely interesting. I honestly don't remember much from it...um...oh, I enjoyed Charlize Theron's role and I wish she had more scenes. Sometimes it's more fun to root for the bad guy I think, and this was one of those movies.

The Avengers
Of course I loved this, how could anyone not like this? I can't even pick my favourite part... the bromance between Banner and Stark? The Iron Man/Thor fight? Everything Hulk? To be fair, it has some flaws as well, when I first saw it I felt like 90% of the movie is spent on the airship thing. I do hope the sequel has some more variety in the settings, or at least spend more time in an actually interesting setting. And as much as like Tom Hiddleston as a villain (that evil smirk!), we already had him in that role once didn't we? Still, very entertaining and the best of the Marvel movies.

This must be the place
Sean Penn is awesome as a retired Robert Smith. I loved both the down-to-earth-ness and the weirdness/randomness in this. It's hard to explain, but, yeah. Not that it's a must-see or anything, but I enjoyed it. The story and flow is a bit weird - it's a road movie of sorts, but then not really. It's a "special" one hehe.


Right, that's all I have to say.