Short Review: Hamlet 2.

Premise: In an effort to save his department from being removed from the system, drama teacher Dana Marschz hopes to inspire his new 'ethnic' class and everybody else by putting on a controversial sequel to Hamlet.

Starring: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, David Arquette, and Elizabeth Shue.

My Reaction: I liked how it tried to parody inspirational teacher movies, as I love those. However, it often tried way too hard. I laughed maybe two or three times in the whole movie. The rest was just way too silly or over-the-top. The best acting (and character) was from Joseph Julian Soria, the main "troublemaker" kid. The movie wasn't bad. I just wasn't blown away by it. The best part, of course, was "Rock Me Sexy Jesus," but that scene had been advertised and played up so much that its comedic effect had worn off by the time I actually saw the film. Alas, the issues of using your best jokes to sell a comedy.


Stop Saying Okay! Okay.

P.E.S.T.

It's the end of August! You know what that means? Generally bad movies. But you know what? I'm excited! How bout you? PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE THURSDAY!

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Title: Disaster Movie.

Pre-Thoughts: Ha....hahahahaha.... hahahahahaha..... No. (And I can see all the 'clever puns' already. I won't associate myself with them. I refuse!).

Pre-Score:

She's Gone From Suck to Blow!



Title: Babylon A.D.

Pre-Thoughts: Oh man, I don't care if it's Vin Diesel. The man's acting doesn't bug me. I'm totally psyched for this movie. I'm probably gonna see it tomorrow, maybe (if I don't go to this other thing I was thinking about going to). It looks so awesome. Though I have read some early reviews that made the movie sound less than average... but they were from awhile back when it was still in the editing process (like... test screenings), so it could have been fixed by now. So who knows.

Pre-Score:

A Keanu 'Whoa'



Title: Hamlet 2.

Pre-Thoughts: Reviews for this are all over the place... and I don't mean in where you can find them (because it had only been released in like... 100 theaters last week). A lot of reviews are pretty negative, and a handful argue otherwise. I'm not sure. I just know that as a literary kinda guy (and a guy who loves quirky comedies and theology), I think anything that mixes Hamlet and Jesus (with a musical number of 'Rock Me Sexy Jesus') has to be awesome. And it IS coming here, so that's cool. I might check it out some time.

Pre-Score:

I Am McLovin!



Title: Traitor.

Pre-Thoughts: Again, a movie with mixed reviews. Some say it's a boggle of good and bad. Some say it's an epic in a hollywood shell. Some say one part is good and the other not-so-much (kinda in the same way Hancock was described). But I thought the trailers made it look pretty good. And I'm not usually into political thrillers, either, so that's saying something. I might give this a look at some point, too. If not in theater, then definitely a rental. I do wanna see it eventually.

Pre-Score:

I Am McLovin!



Title: College.

Pre-Thoughts: Drake Bell and... a couple other guys... who are still in high school end up going to check out college campuses and getting mixed up in some crazy stuff... huh. At most, it'd be interesting to see Drake Bell in a lead role in something other than a Nickelodeon show or a TV commercial. And there are parts of the trailer that look kinda funny. But I don't know if I'll check this one out in theater. I'll probably see it eventually. I just don't think I'd wanna use my precious time and money (and they are precious) on it in theater.

Pre-Score:

Stop Saying Okay! Okay.