Category: Monday Update
The Grandmaster (US Version) – That popular criticism “style over substance” comes to mind when talking about The Grandmaster. Critics mostly fawned over it, while more than a few of us left the film scratching our heads at what just happened? I’m incredibly glad I did not watch this in the theater, because I cannot imagine my disappointment at this seemingly stellar product (and no, it’s got nothing to do with that arbitrary Martin Scorsese name-drop in the title). What happened to make this film pretty terrible comes down to a number of different factors.
Gravity – Gravity is a pretty standard action thriller that’s notable for a unique setting, wonderful special effects, and for failing to really connect with me on any real level. Perhaps I demand too much? I don’t think so; plenty of big budget blockbusters appeal to me on that level, but the level of critical acclaim Gravity received did not resolve my desire to see it. At the very least, I’d get a relatively enjoyable space adventure, right? SPOILERS AHEAD, so please watch the film first.
Pacific Rim – Pacific Rim is a giant bowl of monster madness, summer blockbuster style. Guillermo del Toro’s team take the fun parts of Godzilla movies – namely, that large creatures or robots fight each other in a huge metropolis – while injecting standard action hero tropes into a huge nostalgic hodge-podge. For me, at least.