When billionaire Edward Cole finds out he has cancer, he is rushed into his own hospital where he has to share a room. Initially he is annoyed by his sick roommate, but they soon start to bond trough their sickness. And when the doctor tells them about their ending lives, they decide to do the things they always wanted to.
'The Bucket List' is a nice casual movie. After Shannon and I saw it, I wasn't too sure I was going to use it for our Cinema Saturday. It got a little too preachy for my taste -- that's what Jack Nicholson had to avoid I guess. But then Shannon said: "Nice movie, right? You are going to use it for your post, right?" This is when I got the idea of doing a little Q&A with Shannon, like Monique does at 'Movie Reviews By FAQ'. So here it goes.
What was the main reason this movie was worth your popcorn?
I liked the story about friendship. The old men, two totally different people, built up this great friendship. Which might be more important than the rest of their life. Besides that, it was just a well done feel good movie. And since I do the Pink Popcorn Friday, I like happy endings. I also liked all the little things that make life fun.
It wasn't too preachy?
No, not for my taste at least. Sometimes it might have been a little, but it was fitting for this type of movie. If you go with the flow of the movie, you won't mind at all.
What kind of people will like this movie?
Probably the kind of people who like the Pink Popcorn movies as well. But it is actually right for everyone who likes to see a movie that makes you feel good and appreciate life a bit more. You never know when it will end, so just make the best of it.
So why should people go and see this movie?
It will make you laugh and maybe even let you shed a little tear, but mostly it's just a fun movie with a small message.
There’s sound coming from a speck. Horton is sure of it. Meanwhile, the people in Whoville are experiencing mayor earthquakes. And this is when the Mayor of Whoville finds out they are living on that tiny speck in a different world. No one believes him, except Horton, who told it himself of course. Together they have to find a quiet place for the speck, so Whoville won’t be crushed to dust.
Dr. Seuss? I must confess I didn't know him. It must be because I didn't grew up in the US, he is mighty popular over there after all. But the first time I was introduced to his charming world, was with the 2001 movie 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. A pretty good Christmas movie, but 'Horton Hears a Who!' easily surpasses it by another mile.
Although I don't know the original material, it is very noticeable the creators didn't take it too literally. Full of popular culture references, but staying in the mind and spirit of Dr. Seuss it certainly is not just for the kids, but entertaining for the whole family. Between the lines you can read quite a few social remarks. Like the little kangaroo, who only gets home pouch teaching. There are a couple of jokes in there for everyone.
The other reason for it being better than The Grinch is the animation. There's only so much you can do with real actors. And the world of the Whos can be brought to life just so much better with animation. Since the world partly takes place in the forest, the choice for animation must have been quite a natural one. And what better people to choose than the animation studio that did Ice Age, right? They've grown into a serious competitor of studios like Pixar. The intro of the movie features a leaf with water so stunning, it might be able to beat the real thing!
Well, this is turning into a full fletched review. And that's not what we're trying to do here at 'Worth the Popcorn'. We just try to give an impression on some of the best movies around. And since we are currently a bit light on quality movies, I'm glad 'Horton Hears a Who!' came around. It is the perfect movie for a decent and fun night out with your family, girlfriend or whoever your loved ones are. Shannon just told me she would love to see it again, right away. And I think that might be one of the best compliments a movie can get a day after viewing.
Marjane is a proud little girl, trying to understand what’s going on in the 1970’s Iran. Screaming “Down with the Shah!”, she stamps trough the room trying to make a statement. But as a teenager she finds out the Islamic fundamentalists, which have taken over her country, aren’t doing any better. Ridiculing all their new laws, she ultimately has to move to Austria for her own safety. However, this open country doesn’t bring her the peace and love she expected either.
I had the feeling this coming-of-age story might go a little too deep for my taste. But thank God for Marjane! This charming little girl even makes the lessons in history entertaining. The creators of this movie, Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, found the perfect balance between the autobiography of a young girl and a country.
I'm not sure why the authors chose to make this movie in black-and-white, but it somehow causes the movies look to be more authentic. The drawing itself is very minimalistic and stylized, but keeps every important expression alive in every way. All this, with the story itself, really makes you feel like you are watching an adult animation. It's like they wanted us to forget the cartoons these movies are usually associated with.
In the end, this movie is probably one of the most impressive Western animated movies I've seen. It tells these sometimes difficult subjects with such charm, it's really hard to forget.
The Kite Runner is about two boys growing up together in Afghanistan. The boys are best friends and always hang out together. Hassan, son of a servant, is very loyal to his friend Amir, son of a wealthy man. One day, an incident occurs which will change their friendship drastically. Then, when war breaks out, the boys are being separated. Hassan stays with his father in Afghanistan, while Amir escapes with his dad to the USA. Will they ever meet again, or is Amir too caught up with his new life in America?
Before seeing this movie, I didn’t read the book. Some say the book is better than the movie, but most people agree on the fact that you should definitely watch this movie. The movie is really touching, because of the themes of friendship, family, human values and courage, which are subjects we can all relate to.
The actors of the young Amir and Hassan have played their roles very realistically, which made the entire movie even more touching. I couldn’t forget what Amir had done to Hassan and therefore I loved the ending in which Amir will have a second chance. Maybe we should give each other a second chance more often.
When Sweeney Todd was a young barber, he had a beautiful wife. But somebody else had an eye on her too. And he invented a scheme to get her. He sentenced Todd for a crime he did not commit and shipped him away. Several years later, grown into a different man, Todd comes back for vengeance. Unstoppable and more than just crazy.
Let me first tell you, I'm not the musical movie type. And you shouldn't be put off by this either. On the other hand, if you are a fan of those movies, I wouldn't be sure this is your cup of tea either. It's a very gritty alternative to the Moulin Rouges and Fames. It is as if they made it this way purposely, not to fall in this category.
The story is one about the blindness of vengeance. And the tempo is very good, unlike some musicals that go into the same main chores over and over. Johnny Depp and Helena Carter give an especially great performance, combined with the always original Tim Burton.
The funny thing is, I'm not a Burton fan either. I liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but that's about it. Somehow, this movie seems less naive than the others, probably due to the unique script. Anyway, movies are for watching. And now I'm getting to the point that I'm wasting your time and you could be watching already. So go!
"wonderful ......marv....the first half was so well woven, the book shld be really good cause the movie is fab.......wonder why it didn't get any oscar [....]"
