Spring Break
Continuing discussion on this summers films
By: Dave Goncalves
Issue date: 7/13/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Originally published: 7/13/07 at 12:00 AM EST
Last update: 7/12/07 at 11:59 PM EST
Originally published: 7/13/07 at 12:00 AM EST
Last update: 7/12/07 at 11:59 PM EST
Since I last wrote this column, I've seen both Die Hard and Transformers. There are no sentiments that need to be altered or further discussed about Transformers, only that I was not disappointed. What else has occurred since then has been a strangely bland trip to Florida, the release of the films Ratatouille and Surfs Up, and the iPhone.
I start with a short insert about Florida: it's beaches and shore life is bland, boring and altogether far too calm. Stick to the boardwalks of the Jersey shore, the beauty of Ocean City or Delaware's Rehoboth Beach (where you can go to the Dogfish Head Brew Pub mentioned in this week's Brews Clues).
With that out of the way, I bring forward Ratatouille, this years Disney/Pixar masterpiece. Looking back, Disney and Pixar have never done anything wrong as a team: Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Cars. Mind you, Cars was a little strange for my tastes, but otherwise just an entertainment TKO by unanimous decision from my close friends and myself. Ratatouille is no different; some are already hailing it as the best work of Disney and Pixar. The film follows Remy, a rat, and Linguini, a bumbling failure of a young chef. When Linguini catches Remy adding spices to some of the dishes served at the restaurant he works at, the two form an amicable duo to try and become the best in the restaurant. Simple, straightforward and will pretty much guarantee that kids will watch. Now here's the part that hooks the older kids, i.e. you and me: Remy is voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt. If you don't know who Patton is, he's Spence Olwin from the show King of Queens, and a stand-up comedian. Just look him up on Comedy Central or YouTube, and I guarantee you'll realize you've seen or heard him somewhere. A comedy movie that's for the kids with a few chuckles in there for the big boys and girls; you know how it goes.
Live Free or Die Hard, however, is definitely just for the big boys and girls. This film has already been in theatres for a couple of weeks, so if you want to see it, now is the time. Quite simply, it's just a straightforward blow-everything-up-kill-everyone-kick-ass-fuck-names movie. Basically, a crazed hacker attempts something called a fire sale where he crashes all the government's computers and kills off other hackers he's tricked into creating the different parts to the fire sale program. Unfortunately for said crazed hacker, John McClane, bald Bruce Willis (who makes this role seem more intimidating) was on the way to pick up one of the smaller hackers, Matt played by Justin Long (the Mac kid). When the attempt on Matt's life involves McClane, well, from there it's just one attempt after another at killing Matt and making McClane angrier and angrier. Really, I have no idea who would win, John McClane or the Hulk because I've become convinced, with this film as proof, that John McClane's strength is drawn from anger as well. Having cars thrown into him, slammed through countless windows, into walls, explosions, rubble, you name it, McClane manages to just angrier and angrier and determined to just kill his attackers in the most accidental and unimaginable manner. I say accidental, because Bruce Willis' reaction to each explosion and death is just that of absolute surprise, as if Willis was told to read the script and not what was going to happen to the other guy. So each victory is accompanied with this chuckle that crescendos into a victorious laugh from his success at once again cheating death. For example, the scene in the commercials with the helicopter is actually the result of the enemy sending a car flying into John McClane, sending him hurtling across the back of the car and painfully into pavement. Filled with anger, rightfully, McClane assumes the driver's position of said vehicle, weaves through a system of wrecked cars, and finally sends it spiraling off of a tollbooth and into the flying helicopter. Why? Rage. It's this that the viewer will see, no more no less, just more and more of that. Its plot is mediocre, the acting is solid, the dialogue is comical but as a movie, not a film, it is fantastically entertaining.
I start with a short insert about Florida: it's beaches and shore life is bland, boring and altogether far too calm. Stick to the boardwalks of the Jersey shore, the beauty of Ocean City or Delaware's Rehoboth Beach (where you can go to the Dogfish Head Brew Pub mentioned in this week's Brews Clues).
With that out of the way, I bring forward Ratatouille, this years Disney/Pixar masterpiece. Looking back, Disney and Pixar have never done anything wrong as a team: Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Cars. Mind you, Cars was a little strange for my tastes, but otherwise just an entertainment TKO by unanimous decision from my close friends and myself. Ratatouille is no different; some are already hailing it as the best work of Disney and Pixar. The film follows Remy, a rat, and Linguini, a bumbling failure of a young chef. When Linguini catches Remy adding spices to some of the dishes served at the restaurant he works at, the two form an amicable duo to try and become the best in the restaurant. Simple, straightforward and will pretty much guarantee that kids will watch. Now here's the part that hooks the older kids, i.e. you and me: Remy is voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt. If you don't know who Patton is, he's Spence Olwin from the show King of Queens, and a stand-up comedian. Just look him up on Comedy Central or YouTube, and I guarantee you'll realize you've seen or heard him somewhere. A comedy movie that's for the kids with a few chuckles in there for the big boys and girls; you know how it goes.
Live Free or Die Hard, however, is definitely just for the big boys and girls. This film has already been in theatres for a couple of weeks, so if you want to see it, now is the time. Quite simply, it's just a straightforward blow-everything-up-kill-everyone-kick-ass-fuck-names movie. Basically, a crazed hacker attempts something called a fire sale where he crashes all the government's computers and kills off other hackers he's tricked into creating the different parts to the fire sale program. Unfortunately for said crazed hacker, John McClane, bald Bruce Willis (who makes this role seem more intimidating) was on the way to pick up one of the smaller hackers, Matt played by Justin Long (the Mac kid). When the attempt on Matt's life involves McClane, well, from there it's just one attempt after another at killing Matt and making McClane angrier and angrier. Really, I have no idea who would win, John McClane or the Hulk because I've become convinced, with this film as proof, that John McClane's strength is drawn from anger as well. Having cars thrown into him, slammed through countless windows, into walls, explosions, rubble, you name it, McClane manages to just angrier and angrier and determined to just kill his attackers in the most accidental and unimaginable manner. I say accidental, because Bruce Willis' reaction to each explosion and death is just that of absolute surprise, as if Willis was told to read the script and not what was going to happen to the other guy. So each victory is accompanied with this chuckle that crescendos into a victorious laugh from his success at once again cheating death. For example, the scene in the commercials with the helicopter is actually the result of the enemy sending a car flying into John McClane, sending him hurtling across the back of the car and painfully into pavement. Filled with anger, rightfully, McClane assumes the driver's position of said vehicle, weaves through a system of wrecked cars, and finally sends it spiraling off of a tollbooth and into the flying helicopter. Why? Rage. It's this that the viewer will see, no more no less, just more and more of that. Its plot is mediocre, the acting is solid, the dialogue is comical but as a movie, not a film, it is fantastically entertaining.
