Cinerant

Bad movies

The last two movies I’ve seen this week have ranged from disappointing to very disappointing.  All I’ve read is rapturous reviews of King Kong and the most enthusiastic response I had to it was thinking, “Go Billy!”  (Jamie Bell will always be Billy Elliot to me.)  

Sure, the visual FX components are amazing.  You truly believe Kong is alive, but why do I care?  While I did feel a little connection between he and Watts’ character (emphasis on little), I was never too concerned about his welfare.

The other problem the film suffers from is it’s just too much—over directed, overly long, over the top, and too much (if only the characters were just over-developed).  There are set pieces for the film that are phenomenal and will be remembered for years to come.  (The t-rex chase in particular.)  And I never thought I’d develop a fear of heights from watching a movie, but I did just that while watching the finale.  But why do I want for that to happen in a movie theater?

Kong was at least better than Memoirs of a Geisha.  Based on an incredibly popular book, the film just doesn’t go anywhere.  It sits there, supposedly telling the story of Sayuri, a geisha-in-training who has to learn the skills necessary to become a geisha, while at the same time keeping her archrival, Hatsumomo, at bay.  

The problem is the movie just doesn’t have a point.  It’s slow, pondering, and overall emotionally uninteresting.  Skip it.
Actually, skip both of them.  

posted by cinegod @ 6:14 PM