Tuesday, May 29, 2007

3 is the Magic Number


It seems like it's been an eternity since I've had a three day weekend. It also seems to have been an eternity since I've had a weekend that wasn't completely booked up with kids activities. So, we at the House decided to take it easy, spend some of the movie gift cards we received from soccer, and catch up on some movie watching. I'll talk about what we saw, give my review, and try to go light on spoilers.

The first movie we saw was Pirates of the Carribean: At Worlds End aka Pirates 3. This movie was really long and a lot darker than the original. Darker in feel and darker in texture and visuals. There was also a tremendous body count. I would be curious to see how this movie matches up to the death tolls of other movies that carried R ratings for violence like Commando and the Terminator movies. Visually, it was fun watch and the constant double crossing became an amusing game within the movie. As in the second movie, I don't think they made good use of Keira Knightley's hotness so I can only give this movie an A-.

The second movie we saw was Shrek the Third aka Shrek 3. This was our first time to watch a movie at the Studio Movie Grill. For those that are unfamiliar with the concept, it is a movie theater fitted with tables and is extra roomy so that waiters can take you order and bring you food during while you watch your show. They give you a menu and a light up buzzer so that you can alert the waitstaff that you want something. They also have a bar and serve alcohol. By the late night show, which is the one we went to for Shrek, the smell of drunks is pretty potent. This movie wasn't as funny as the first two and my quesadilla tasted dry. My son enjoyed all you can eat pizza and really got the money's worth out of it. This all comes together to make the movie an A-.

The last movie of the weekend for us was Spiderman 3 aka Spiderman 3. I didn't find this movie as painful as Gyuss did. There was only one scene that made me cringe. The rest of it I thought was pretty decent. Thomas Hayden Church stole the movie for me as the Sandman. Really spot on. Sure, the story had some holes, but I don't believe you should overthink a comic book movie. I'm also used to comic book lore being reinvented. The Spidey lore has been redone so many times in comics, movies, cartoons, etc. that I don't feel an attachment that takes offense to seeing it redone differently yet again. The fudge brownie sundae that I ate during this movie was really tastey. The brownie was a little tough, but the ice cream was yummy. A recap: visual effects - good and bad, the story - decent with holes, dancing - bad, fudge brownie - tough, ice cream - good. That's an A- if there ever was one.

21 comments:

Q said...

Dude I have seen Pirates 3 and I don't think "At Worlds End" was its tag line. Maybe we saw different movies 'cause Kira Knightly wasn't in the one that I watched.

I give my version one thumb folded over my index finger.

Churlita said...

It sounds like all the movies ending in 3 earned A minuses.

It must have been the perfect escapism weekend.

fringes said...

Where have I seen this A- rating before?

And when you started talking about the magic number 3, I was waiting for something about the quad now being the trio.

Nate said...

That is a whole lotta 3's

I hated the 2's of shrek and pirates, so their not stealing my money again, but if all-you-could-eat pizza was available, I might get snookered into going.

Dagromm said...

Q - We're talking about different movies. Mine was Pirates of the Caribbean 3, and was a family movie.

Churlita - It was a nice weekend that didn't involve much of anything. Reality has a way of crashing back down on you though. So, I am waiting with baited breath.

Fringes - I'm glad you mentioned that. We are currently a trio now that we have cut loose some of the dead weight, but that is just temporary. Even now our inboxes are overflowing with applications of prospective individual who would like to take the open spot within the Quad. We are a selective group though and it is a demanding process to find the best of the best.

Dagromm said...

Gyuss - I thought that Shrek 2 was really funny. Pirates 2 was better than ok, but not as good as great. Admittedly Pirates 1 was a tough act to follow, still the full story needed to be told. Now I'm just looking forward to the prequels where we learn what led Barbossa to piracy, and find that he had a high medichlorian count.

heather said...

you guys are ~still~ going on about this?? you all need a few beers and some video games to chill out with. :-)

LIT said...

You've proved a point . . . going back for thirds is gluttony.

Dagromm said...

Heather - Holding grudges is a test of wills and manhood. The Quad will win out!!!!

Lit - I never understand any of your comments.

Id said...

Roger Ebert - you are not!

Dagromm said...

id - I agree. I specialize in hard hitting, pull no punches, biting commentary. I don't dance around the issues. I give tell-it-like-it-is reviews. Thanks for noticing.

EsLocura said...

I am going to see all 3 this weekend. I was going to see just one of them but now that I understand 3 is the magic number, I feel like seeing just 1 or 2 would be wrong.

Dagromm said...

Eslocura - You pretty much summed up how we felt. You just don't mess with cosmic forces, you just submit to them.

Kofi said...

Am I the only one who doesn't care about the movie as much as the restaurant? We need places like Studio Movie Grill in New England. At least I do... It would definitely lighten up our (my?) attitudes.

heather said...

i'm with you kofi. just put this restraunt/theater in a giant hotel and i'll move in. :-)

Akash said...

http://www.sukip.com/Movies/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_At_Worlds_End

This page has everything about the pirates 3 movie

Dagromm said...

Kofi - The restaraunt was ok, once I got used to it. The service was decent and they really were just about as expensive as normal theater food. I'd give them between an A and a B+. Whatever that is.

Heather - Just put in a kids area so adults could go watch the movies they want to see and I'm there.

Akash - Thanks, but I've seen the movie.

Susan said...

I haven't seen Spidey3. I thought Pirates ran a little long but it was good for me. If I'm going to eat at a movie I just hit the drive in movies where we can bring pizza and such in with us. Nothing like sittin' on a carhood watching cars rockin'..I mean..uhh..watching the movies and enjoyin' the outdoors.

Dagromm said...

Susan - I've never been to the drive-in. They're hard to find around here. We used to live near one when I was growing up and I remember gazing longingly out of the window as we would travel home and getting glimpses of great movies like C.H.U.D.

Tera said...

Well I have seen 2 of the 3 3's...I think I'll wait for Shrek on DVD.

Loved Spiderman, except for the end (sorry)!

Pirates was pretty cool...a bit morbid at the beginning, but how can you not like something with Johnny Depp in it???

Dagromm said...

Tera - You're doing the right thing by waiting. I was disappointed. I think this was just a chance to make some McDonald's glasses.