Mikeflix...

(Reviews are will generally be relating to flicks that are out already on DVD/Netflix with a smattering of Cinema visits. Hey. Movies at the local theater are 'spensive! Also, I'll try to get these out as I see them so you don't have to sift through 4 reviews at a pop...)

The weekly round-up: The Fighter, Pirahna 3-D, Easy A, and Tron: Legacy

The Fighter
aka "Boogie Fights". Why did I watch it? It was on the queue and we have been trying to get through a lot of the Academy Award nominated films even if they were from last year. Did I like it? Sure. A lot, even. Most of you know the story- B squad Boxer trained by his drug addict brother and blue-collar family gets a shot at the title. Hijinks ensue. The performances are compelling, Christian Bale shoulders the movie with his performance and while I'm dubious Amy Adams should have been nominated, Amy Ryan is dangerous as hell. What was wrong w/it? Should I own it? Meh. Marky-Mark gets a lot of press for the story of how he got the movie made but I'm not sure if that's a compelling selling point. It's a role he's good at, which is to say it's the kind of role we've seen him do before- which isn't a bad thing, but it's limiting when the movie is all about him. Rent it, but you should own "Boogie Nights" if it's comedy you want. (And really, it is a comedy, isn't it?) 4/5 stars

Pirahna 3D
What the hell did you expect from a movie about mutant pirahna, shot in 3D, and starring "Adventures in Babysitting" lady and the fat kid from "Stand By Me" Pirahna can't "growl", can they. WHY DO THEY GROWL AND ROAR UNDERWATER? As my friend said to me before we hit "play"- "You know this movie is going to suck, but I'm proud of you for seeing it". Think of it as a palate cleanser. You need deliberately shitty movies once in a while to remind you of how good movies can be. Okay why...what...why again? I have a soft spot for these kind of movies after being raised on edited channel 9 eco-horror films of the late 70's. "Pirahna" was one that scared me when I was 7 or 8 years old, especially that weird "bubbling chirping" noise they made before they attacked. Yeah, this was trashy and cheesy, but it doesn't set out to win an award and the practical special effects are ridiculous to the point of being enjoyable. For me. Do not buy this, don't expect a life-changing film, but rent it if you don't mind cheese. And who doesn't like cheese? 2/5 stars.

Easy A
Loosely based (and by "loosely" meaning "not at all") on "The Scarlet Letter", high school senior rides the wave of gossip about her promiscuity for fun and profit. For real? Yup. This was a recommendation by a couple of friends of ours and it wasn't too bad. An okay movie to watch on a night off if the weather is terrible. It's funny enough, the writing is sharp, the characters are fun, but if you want a smarter film along the same lines, rent "Saved". Should I own it? Not. At. All. Just rent it. And if you're a IMDB trivia nerd, you already know the biggest problems- Stop casting 37 year-olds as high school students. And I knew the smart kids in high school. They were my buddies. And I have a pretty clear memory of how we sounded. Annnnd no one sounded that witty. Hard to "just go with" characters that were almost all uniformly descended from Dorothy Parker. 2.5/5 stars.

Tron: Legacy
I suppose I could dedicate an entire post to this movie as a card-carrying nerd with fond memories of the original movie. (Seeing it at the drive-in with my parents back-to-back with "Raiders of the Lost Ark", or how the local ice arena had the "Tron" video game next to the concessions. Owning the toys. etc.) Since the hullaballo has died now that it's on video I'll try to keep this simple. Was the fuss worth it? Yes and No. The Dude's kid gets sucked into the "Tron" world, needs to find and save his dad, cool things happen, and Daft Punk writes/composes a sick soundtrack. You're oversimplifying, I take it. Sure. This is definitely a film that was made to watch on a big digital TV. (And for the first time, really for the first time since I set it up- it made watching it a nearly 2 hour "eye-gasm".) It was a treat to see light-cycles, the ships from the first film, the original cast, Olivia Wilde is damn pleasing on the eyes, and the de-aged Flynn character was a neat antagonist.

Neat, huh? Well yeah. With the clarity, even I admit he looked...a little fake. And I guess that was kind of the point, but it wound up looking like something from the recent "Beowulf" or "Polar Express" films. Also? Once again we see how the sticky gravy of "The Matrix" gets into the rest of the dish. We don't NEED every digital movie to have a kung-fu fight, okay? Right Should we own it? I'd say "yes" if you have the ability to watch it on a big screen. (Otherwise, I honestly am not sure if it will have the same impact) And a definite "yes" to the soundtrack. I haven't dug on techno since 1998 or so, but the soundtrack made me go "HOOOOO!". 4/5 stars