X-Men Origins: Wolverine

This is going to be a very easy and quick read as far as my reviews go.

Save your money. Skip this movie. It was probably the biggest let down in a long time. Too many characters with nothing to do. No story to speak of. There are times when things get good or somewhat cool and the next scene kills it. The effects are sooo bad, you'd think you were watching a movie on the SCI-fi channel. The whole movie was cheap on story and really cheats the audience that it needs. I'm glad its over and I've seen it. I can not wait for Star Trek next week. Wolverine will soon be a memory. I know some will nit-pick this mini review but let me tell you EVERYONE in the audience just groaned when it ended. Yes it was that bad. I seriously considered an F grade but there were some parts that were cool and fun and Liev Schriber was very good.. but the majority of the movie was a waste. This is the nail in the coffin for the X-men franchise. My Grade:D

Slumdog Millionaire

I know I know.. everyone has seen Slumdog. Well guess what? not me. I wanted to see it when it was still in its indie release. As the momentum grew, it started to push me off the movie rather than entice me. After the Oscar win for Best Picture, I said okay, I'll queue it on Netflix. Everyone I knew was shocked that I hadn't seen the movie and then the backlash began. Many folks who saw the movie during its hype started expressing their lack luster reviews to me. I said, ok, now I have a balance of opinion to judge the movie on its own merit. So what did I think?

Danny Boyle is one of my favorite directors. Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Sunshine are amazing films within their genres. They all contain this energy that only Danny could truly create. Slumdog is no exception.

The cinematography and directing are beautiful. The frantic camera work and thumping score delivers the reality of the slums. The highlight of the entire movie is really the young actors who portray their older counterparts. These are talented children who sadly have been caught in a real life mess due to their global fame. Dev Patel and Frida Pinto are wonderful actors. They have a genuine chemistry that shines through.

Although the film seems to be grounded in reality, there are some moments of melodrama that didn't quite work for me. In fact, one scene ruined some of what I was feeling for the characters. I know it was done deliberately to get the story moving but it felt abrupt. I can see why it won best picture. It was a story of love and overcoming the odds set against an environment most have never seen or experienced. It has an originality that set it apart from the other nominees.
My Grade: B+