Cybertoad's Blog

Miss Potter (Angelika, free preview): I forgot to review this one way back when but Christine reminded me. She joined me at the free preview at The Angelika (the perks of joining the mailing list). The movie was well done and who would have known that Miss Potter led some a fascinating life! I was able to get beyond Ms. Zellweger’s squinty eyes because Ewan MacGregor did such a fine job with his part. Renee’s accent was a bit off but it wasn’t too annoying. Overall, a good movie with a creative use of animation. I do wish they had given us more on her years at the farm though, where it seems she did some wonderful work preserving the English countryside from urban development.

A Scanner Darkly (NetFlix): This movie had so much potential but it didn’t reach it. I loved the animation once I got past the fact that it reminded me of those Charles Schwab commercials and the actors did a good job. Characters were relatively well developed but the plot line was rather silly. I watch a lot of sci-fi and have seen better developed plots in a one-hour show. The premise was lame (there goes that adjective again) and I the ending left me feeling jilted. Marginally recommended if you like sci-fi genre but with the knowledge that it won’t meet expectations.

Ice Age 2, The Meltdown (NetFlix): One word: Scrat! Adorable as always, he got the biggest laughs. Rest of the film was well done and a nice sequel to the first. the kids will love it!

Corpse Bride (NetFlix): Classic Tim Burton… amazing animation!! It’s a short film, cute story and is kid-friendly (really, despite the dead rotting bride). Worth watching to see the painstakingly-detailed clay animation. Watch the DVD extras on how the movie was made to gain a further appreciation.

Lady in the Water (NetFlix): Average movie – a good renter but nothing to write home about. Nothing really stands out to me so I am having a hard time writing a review. Decent acting, interesting story. It does help if you know that the story was originally written as a bedtime story by M. Night Shyamalan for his kids and it explains some of the disconnected things that occur

Syriana (NetFlix): You need to pay attention to keep the various stories straight. Based in the tumultuous Middle East, it follows several characters in separate stories that do eventually converge. Not too complicated but again, you can’t drift off. Good performances all around, intriguing but subtle political commentary throughout. Not a family movie but it can spark a good discussion on current events with your friends.