Thursday Movie Picks is hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. For entires of other participants and themes for the year, head over to her site. This week's theme is about origin movies. I usually associate this with superhero movies, but I did go with one choice that isn't. Here are my picks this week.
Iron Man - This movie started the whole Marvel Universe and relaunched Robert Downey Jr as the metallic superhero. Despite the numerous movies that Marvel has churned out, Iron Man holds its place as one of the great Marvel movies.
Hellboy - I've seen the sequel before watching the first movie, and didn't understand where Hellboy came from and what he really is. I'm glad to have finally gotten to the first movie, and am now disappointed that there won't be a third one helmed by Guillermo del Toro.
Oz: The Great and Powerful - The non-superhero pick, I was hoping this would serve as the opening for a Wizard of Oz reboot. Either this cancelled all the plans, or there wasn't a reboot plan to begin with. The Wizard of Oz is a classic, but I wouldn't mind watching a well-made reboot.
Iron Man is great. That film has aged so we'll. I actually liked Hellboy 2 better than the original. Oz was decent, I loved the costumes!
ReplyDeleteI loved Iron Man but Oz was a disappointment. I did love the costumes though.
ReplyDeleteI have seen all 3 films! Ironman is a fun movie and Robert Downey is great. Hellboy is fun and freaky. I finally saw Oz and, once again, like Maleficent, a woman becomes evil because a man was a dick but I lhave bed the costumes and the look of the film. I do wish they would have picked another Glenda though...hard to beat Billie Burke even if she was in her 50s and had a small part.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen, and probably never will see, Hellboy but Iron Man was a decent flick despite my indifference to modern day Robert Downey, Jr. Oz: The Great and Powerful is an interesting pick. I thought the film was rather scattershot with some really excellent parts and other sloppy unfocused bits. Franco was a pretty good choice for the Wizard and Rachel Weisz wonderful but Mila Kunis who I usually like quite a bit was all over the place with her interpretation.
ReplyDeleteI avoided going the superhero route though my first acts like a super powered guy at times.
The Bourne Identity (2002)-A young man (Matt Damon) is found floating in the ocean by fisherman, bullet riddled and with no memory of who he is or how he came to be in his situation. As he recovers he discovers he knows many languages, is versed in complex defensive skills and for some reason has a computer chip implanted in his hip. Sensing danger he assumes the identity Jason Bourne, the name on his passport and sets off to discover the facts of his life. He is actually a pursued agent with the bulk of the film following efforts to eliminate him during which he uses his skills to defend himself helped by a young woman (Franka Potente) he enlists along the way. Kinetic, exciting opener to the series followed by several excellent (and a few not so hot) sequels.
Dirty Harry (1971)-With San Francisco in the grip of a maniac known as Scorpio police inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is put on the case since others have been ineffective. Harry, untroubled by things like procedure and rules, opens a can of whoop-ass on a variety of lowlifes and criminals in his pursuit of the lunatic. Responsible for the catch phrase "You've got to ask yourself a question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" this massively successful film lead to four sequels.
A Family Affair (1937)-First film of the enormously successful Andy Hardy series follows the everyday adventures of small town California Judge Hardy (Lionel Barrymore in the first/Lewis Stone in the series), his wife (Spring Byington in the original/Fay Holden series), two children Marion (always Cecilia Parker) and Andy (Mickey Rooney) and their live in Aunt Millie (Sara Haden). This time out the judge is up for reelection but crooked politicians and a hack at the local paper try to throw the vote. Meanwhile oldest daughter Joan (who more or less vanished later on) returns home because of troubles in her marriage but after Andy jumps into action and has a man to man talk with his dad all turns out A-Okay! Sprightly piece of Americana was so successful (earning over 2 ½ million on a budget of less than 200 thousand) it begat a series of 15 follow-ups that proved such a money mill MGM used them to introduce their most promising up and comers including Lana Turner, Kathryn Grayson, Esther Williams and Judy Garland who became a semi-regular as next door neighbor Betsy Booth who pined for Andy though he was going steady with the short tempered Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford). These helped turn Rooney into a top 10 box office attraction for many years including twice at number one.
Great calls, here. Iron Man is still excellent, and so is Hellboy. I actually thought Oz was decent, but I'm one of the few.
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