Time for a film

As the awards season starts to hot up, my December is already becoming jam packed with films. My last week or so of November has been a little quieter with a few 2012 films in The Trouble With the Curve, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Skyfall.

I finished two popular series off with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as well as Live Free or Die Hard. The best though was probably 1986 film Stand By Me. Finally, ahead of seeing This is 40 I watched Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up. Read on for full thoughts!
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) <<< Click here for my review. Out in Australian cinemas Thursday it was extremely powerful although I didn’t quite love it. B

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) – Not the worst film out and definitely not as bad as many have said, however the CGI and Special Effects are just so poor. Shia LaBeouf was fine in my opinion and while it’s not a classic by any stretch it finished off the series nicely. The worst of the four films however. B- 

Stand By Me (1986) – A solid classic, it has a bit of a strong life message which is ultimately a bit sad but still beautiful in itself. The kid actors are all fantastic including River Phoenix and Will Wheaton. I found the performance from Kiefer Sutherland to be one of my favourites though, probably because I love the TV series 24 and he plays a character that is quite the opposite. What also pleased me was it didn’t feel the need to go for longer then necessary, finishing in under an hour and a half. A definite must see. A-

Skyfall (2012) - The much praised latest release of Bond is one I have mixed feelings about, but definitely did not love. When Bond was on the move, Skyfall was gripping, When stationary, not so much. Javier Bardem was a unique villain but I don’t know how much of a positive thing this was. Craig was great, the humor solid and it was enjoyable enough. I haven’t seen many Bond films so perhaps I would have appreciated it more if I had. B

Live Free or Die Hard (2007) – As usual, some of the things that happen in Die Hard are beyond logic, I know that’s kind of the fun with it but there were still some ridiculous moments. That being said, I found the concept to be one of the best, especially as I like technology. The supporting cast of Long, Olyphant and Winstead accompany Willis well, and it’s entertaining. B

The Trouble With the Curve (2012) – Put simply, this movie is rather boring. Clint Eastwood’s character is rather unlikable, and while Amy Adams gives a great performance, her character isn’t likeable either. Interestingly, Justin Timberlake was pretty good in this and I now almost consider him more of an actor than a singer, which speaks volumes in itself. The 2nd half was improved but it was still a slog and not a movie I would recommend at all. C

Knocked Up (2007) – I thought I had seen this film before, but I only remembered bits. The humour is hilarious, especially the first half, where the laughs come from all directions. I’m a big fan of Jonah Hill, and together with Ben (Seth Rogen) and his friends Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel and Martin Starr they are highlights of the film. The other cast members are all awesome too, especially Katherine Heigl and Paul Rudd. The second half gets a bit too emotionally orientated, but it’s still a great comedy. B+

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I will be working on seeing 2012 films I have missed over the next week, including On The Road, The Bourne Legacy and Frankenweenie. Would love your thoughts on some of these, I might be the only one not to have loved Skyfall!