Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds

 
      I remember seeing Madea for the very first time.  It’s not something that is easily forgotten.  It was in Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005). I loved that movie! That was also my introduction to Tyler Perry (Madea’s Family Reunion, Meet The Browns, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Madea Goes to Jail) After that, I saw him as himself in Why Did I Get Married? (2007) I have been a huge fan and admirer of Tyler Perry ever since. What an amazing man.
     
      In case you aren’t familiar with Madea or Tyler Perry here is a little background.  Tyler Perry starting writing plays at the age of 18. His plays are available on DVD. Most of the plays now have a film adaption. Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a good example of this.  It was a play he did that is available on DVD and then was made into a movie. Madea is a grandmother type of character he plays. He does a few other characters as well.  Tyler Perry is a writer, director, actor and producer.  He has his own studio now.  I was reading a letter he wrote to his fans recently.  I loved it and just had to share a little bit. 

      “A Short and Sweet Thank You From Me To You - On July 8th, I will be celebrating 20 years in this business. 20 YEARS! WOW! When I started I had one prayer: I asked God to just let me do well enough to take care of my mother. Well, from the time I prayed that prayer until the day she died I was able to do that because of people like you all around the world. I remember the day I told her that she could retire, she said, "baby, are you sure these little plays are going to be able to take care of you and me?" LOL. I said, "as long as my folks keep coming." Then, a few years later, she was at one of my plays looking around at all the people in the audience. After the show she said to me, “the people love my baby””
    
       Yes they do! I am one of those people! I love the message in his movies. They always have something to say. Good Deeds (2012) is a wonderful movie about living your own life, your own dreams.   Wesley Deeds is the main character played by Tyler Perry. He has been living for his parents.  He is the “good son”.  He does everything that is expected of him. He is the pride and joy of his mother.  He took over his fathers company after his father passed away.  He takes care of his brother, always trying to clean up his messes. He is engaged to the “perfect” girl that his parents have always wanted him to marry. He is right on track for his life.  Just the way it is “supposed” to be.  That is, until he meets Lindsey.
     
       I don’t want to spoil the movie by telling you to much about Lindsey. She ends up in a situation she never planned on and is trying her best to make it work. She is a single mother trying to take care of her daughter.  Lindsey makes Wesley start to question his “scripted life”, and who exactly he is living for. She makes him think about life and being happy. One of my favorite scenes is when he is starting to change the clothes he wears and the music he listens to.  He puts on his shades and struts out the front door. It is very cute.  At one point Wesley is told “you need to find out what makes you happy.” It was a pretty emotional scene.  He says “that is what I am trying to do”.  Wonderful, wonderful movie.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

      Ok ....... I have to ask ........ What were they thinking?!? What did they do to Ghost Rider?!?  I liked the first Ghost Rider which came out in 2007.  That one was Directed by Mark Steven Johnson ( Dardevil, Jack Frost, Grumpy Old Men, Elektra) He did a good job.  It had it's dark, evil moments. I mean, it is a story about a boy who sells his soul to the Devil, but it was still pretty family friendly and people liked it.  The Ghost Rider looked pretty cool too. Nicolas Cage, (Face/Off, National Treasure, Lord of War, City of Angels) was .... well .... Nicolas Cage.  I like him, he may be the same in every role but I usually enjoy his movies. 


     So, they decide to do a sequel. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011) For some reason that I do not understand they go with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank, Crank: High Voltage, Gamer, Jonah Hex) to direct.  Really? I am sure the Crank movies have their fans. I am just not sure they are the same fans that enjoy the comic book movies.  I could be mistaken. They have a very interesting style of directing.  I have never seen any of their other movies so this was a first.  It wasn't bad.  They have a cool style and it was very different.  Just not what I expect from Ghost Rider. 


      The directing wasn't the only thing I stuggled with during this movie.  I really think Nicolas Cage lost his mind.  I am not sure what he was doing with the character but he has gone a little crazy since we last saw Johnny Blaze. They also changed Ghost Rider himself. He was very oily, that may be the best way to say it. Spirit of Vengence was also much darker and had more of an evil feeling to it than the first.  Think of The Omen (1976). Just not the direction I expected the story to take.  Now, I do have to say I have never read the comics, maybe this is very true to the way the comic book went.  I don't know.  I just didn't care for it. I think I will stick to the original.

Snow White and the Huntsman

     Let me tell you, for a kid who grew up watching Willow (1988), Labyrinth (1986) and Legend (1985) this movie could not have been any better. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) fits right in with these classics from my childhood. I really enjoyed it. I have been anticipating this movie for over a year. I mean, the moment I heard mention of it I was excited. Then as casting began, more excitement and finally filming began and then wrapped. Like I said, following and waiting for a long time. When I finally got to sit in a theater and see the title on the big screen I wanted to applaud! I was so excited! Then that tiny moment of dread, what if ………?  What if it’s not as good as I have been hoping?  What if it totally flops?  What if I'm disappointed?  I have tried really hard to avoid any reviews so my view wouldn’t be tainted. It didn’t work to well for this one.  I was to slow getting to the theater and was bombarded with a lot of negative reviews. I was not sure at all what to expect.
     
      No need to worry. I was not disappointed at all!  I really liked this movie a lot.  The dialog was wonderful.  The story was great and I liked the old fashion feel of it as a whole.  In an odd way there was a Shakespearean quality to it. Which I liked. When Snow White gives her "let's go to war" speach .... very good. The movie as a whole flowed really well, from the costumes, to the music, to the overall look and feel. Charlize Theron (Hancock, Trial and Error, The Astronaut’s Wife, Trapped) is simply amazing as the evil queen Ravenna.  I haven’t seen her in Monster (2003) but have heard so much about it that I couldn’t help but think of that title as I watched her performance as this particular monster. She was pretty nasty and that makeup job was incredible.  The entire cast was wonderful.  I really liked Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, Thor, The Cabin in the Woods) as the Huntsman, he was great!

      James Newton Howard (Pretty Woman, Waterworld, Signs, Vertical Limit) wrote the score. He is one of my favorite composers. The music tied it all together so well, it was beautiful. We can’t forget about the cinematography.  It is just gorgeous. It was filmed on location in the U.K. The entire movie is gorgeous. I have to mention the costumes as well.  Colleen Atwood (Big Fish, The Silence of the Lambs, The Tourist, Memoirs of a Geisha) was the costume designer. The costumes are incredible! Her attention to detail is amazing! All in all I just loved this movie! Every little piece of it. Now comes
the long wait until I can buy it to add to my collection.

Footloose

      Alright, I finally gave in, I watched Footloose (2011).  I am still very undecided about how I feel about it though.  (Just for reference you might want to go back and read my post about the original Footloose) I wasn't to sure what to think when I first saw the previews for this remake of what I consider a classic.  I saw bits and pieces and heard some of it when my sister was watching it but I hadn't taken the time to sit down and watch it yet.  My first thoughts/impressions where, "why not just call it Step Up 10, or whatever we are up to with those now?" It seemed loud and annoying, to jumpy and flashy. 
  
        Well, I finally sat down and watched it and gave it a fair shot.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I am not going to say I loved it but it wasn't bad.  The actors did great. Kenny Wormald (Center Stage: Turn It Up, Clerks II, You Got Served) had the daunting task of filling Kevin Bacon's (Flatliners, JFK, A Few Good Men, Murder in the First) shoes. Yes, I say daunting.  I really felt for him.  I think that would be a little stressful.  Especially with the way they handled this remake. I have seen my fair share of remakes and I really don't have anything against them it is kind of fun and can be interesting to see how they "update" things.

       So much of Footloose remained the same as the original, 1984, which just made me laugh at times.  The yellow bug is the same, which I saw in the previews, but it is so much more than that.  Some of the dialog is the same, word for word.  Some of the wardrobe is the same. You don't see as much of Ariel's red boots as you did in the original but they still make an appearance.  A lot of Ren's wardrobe is the same. At the end when he's picking Ariel up, I saw her dress and just laughed, it is so similar. But then when Ren gets out of the car and heads up to the door I really laughed.  I think he is wearing "the" suit from the first one.  It is the exact same suit! There was so much that was the same and then all of a sudden different that sometimes my brain couldn't keep up.  I am quoting along with them as they are saying the lines and then they say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing.  That was funny too.  Some of the scenes were even shot the same way as the original.  The actors would have the same stance or be framed in the same way.  I found that comical.

      I do have to ask though, what has happened to emotion and character development?  I feel like the first one let you get to know characters more and dealt more with emotion and family dynamics.  Is that something we are foregoing for more action and to speed up the movie? I have felt that way about a few movies lately. I miss the emotion. I really shouldn't complain though.  This new revised Footloose was good.  They really paid homage to the original and showed respect for it.  They used a lot of the same music but updated that as well.  And didn't always put the music in the same scenes.  The warehouse scene? Hmmm? I do have to say there is only one Kevin Bacon and as good as Kenny Wormald did in the role Kevin's warehouse scene is still the best.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

      We have all heard of trilogies and that word is used quite a bit.  I recently learned a new word. The quadrilogy! I was searching the Internet trying to find a box set of all the Mission: Impossible movies.  While googling I came across a X-Men Quadrilogy box set.  (Just an FYI there is also a Pirates of the Caribbean Quadrilogy box set) How cool is that?! What a fun new word! By the way, I never did find a Mission: Impossible Quadrilogy box set.  There is a trilogy set but that is all. I guess I will wait and see if they come out with one. 

      In case you haven't guessed already I just watched Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011).  What a good movie! I really like all of the Mission: Impossible movies. They are very fun espionage movies.  M:i-2 was always my favorite.  (It is also the only one I currently own.)  Ghost Protocol would really have to be right up there with 2 though.  And, if I buy Ghost Protocol I might as well complete the set.

      The CGI in this movie was amazing! I loved every minute of it.  My oldest daughter watched it with me.  She commented on how high-tech the Mission: Impossible movies always are.  They really are, and that is just one of the things I like about them.  Well, not to long after she said that we saw the coolest technology scene ever in a movie.  I can't even describe it.  They are in a long hallway with a guard at one end and they need to break into a room in that hall.  The way they get down the hall without being seen is awesome! Some of the film takes place in Dubai. It was just incredible!  Tom Cruise (Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky, Cocktail, Rain Man) is wonderful as Ethan Hunt.  I really like him in this role. Another thing I like about these movies is the story line, or should I say the fact that they actually have one.  I like that you get to know the characters a little bit deeper than just as spies. I like that they actually have lives and personality.

      One of the best surprises in Ghost Protocol was Jeremy Renner (Thor, The Town, The Hurt Locker, The Avengers) I was like "Hey! It's Hawkeye!" He did a great job and I really liked his character and the story arch between him and Ethan.  This is just one of my favorite genres, the espionage movies. This is a wonderful movie, with great CGI, wonderful action and just the right amount of intensity to keep me on the edge of my seat. There is even a bit of humor. It is just a really good movie.  To quote David Edelstein, “Pixar animator Brad Birds first non animated movie. The heroes quaver on ledges or above whirling blades like they know they are in the hands of someone used to indestructible cartoon characters.”

The Avengers

      How much did I love this movie?! Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly) is amazing! I am not much of an Iron Man fan, but he was so funny in The Avengers (2012).  He had some great one liners! The humor in The Avengers is wonderful! At one point, I was thinking to myself, "I have never enjoyed Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes, The Soloist, Wonder Boys) so much, he is so funny". That is when it hit me! It's Joss Whedon humor! He had to have written the screenplay! Sure enough, the end credits rolled and, story Zak Penn (X2, Elektra, Last Action Hero) and Joss Whedon, screenplay Joss Whedon. I knew it! His style is wonderful! I knew he directed The Avengers but somehow I missed that he wrote the screenplay as well. 


       There have been some doubts about cramming this many big names into one movie.  How can each superhero possibly be highlighted properly and each star get there time to shine? Well somehow Joss pulls it off! The combination really worked and it was wonderful. Thor and Iron Man are great.  They have this wonderful fight scene. Scarlett Johansson (The Island, The Prestige, Lost in Translation, The Perfect Score) was wonderful as Black Widow. I really liked her and her character. Jeremy Renner (The Town, The Hurt Locker, Thor) as Hawkeye was superb. His bow was so cool. He had a very small part in Thor (2011) but it was one of my favorite parts. "Do you want me to take him down or would you rather send in more guys for him to beat up?"

      The Incredible Hulk was so cool in this one.  I have seen the previous Hulk movies. I watched Hulk (2003). It was .... OK? I guess? I really liked The Incredible Hulk (2008) with Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Illusionist, The Score). That was just a great movie and Edward Norton is simply amazing so.... well you know. Mark Ruffalo (Rumor Has It...., Just Like Heaven, Shutter Island) plays Bruce Banner in The Avengers. I don't want to down play his performance at all. He does a great job. However, that being said this movie has the best Hulk ever! He has such character and the best facial expressions.  The Hulk has some of the best scenes in the movie.  He is actually very funny and has great comedic timing.  If I had to pick my favorite Hulk scene it would be a tie. It is hilarious when he punches Thor for absolutely no reason at all and his "fight" with Loki. Hulk is just cool.

       I really can't say enough about how much fun this movie is.  It is a great action flick with very cool fight scenes. The end battle was amazing! It is also full of Whedonisms, his style and sense of humor come through so clearly.  It is just brilliant.  By the way did I mention how much I enjoyed the director and his style? Beautifully shot.

The Matrix

      Can writers be one-hit wonders the way musicians can be?  If so the Wachowski brothers (V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, Bound) would be one-hit wonders.  I don't mean that in a negative way or anything.  After all I still haven't seen V for Vendetta (2005).  Maybe that one is pretty awesome as well.  I do know that The Matrix (1999) is quite possibly one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. Whether you like the movie or not you have to admit the impact it has had on movies and on pop culture.  Can it be called, revolutionary? I even make reference to The Matrix in my post about In Time (2011)

      I will never forget going to see The Matrix is the theaters for the very first time.  Five minutes into it you knew you were watching something new.  When you see Trinity, portrayed by Carrie-Anne Moss (Memento, Chocolat, Distrubia) hovering, right before she kicks the guy.........WOW! I was blown away.  How many times have we seen that scene repeated or mimicked in other media now? And, we can't forget Keanu Reeves (The Lake House, A Walk in the Clouds, Much Ado About Nothing, Constantine) famous dodging bullets scene.  That was just beautiful and has also been redone over and over.  And we can't forget when Neo learns what Morpheus meant by, "when you are ready, you won't need to." Morpheus is just an amazing character portrayed by Laurence Fishburne (Contagion, 21, Akeelah and the Bee, Mystic River), who himself is pretty amazing.  Because of Morpheus we will forever be asking, would you have taken the red pill or the blue pill? After all if "you take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes".

       The Wachowski brothers truly created a wonderful thing with The Matrix. The story line is so good.  I have seen the entire trilogy.  I have this thing about trilogies though.  The middle one is always my least favorite.  It just is.  The last one was pretty good, but all I need is the original.  I am perfectly happy just watching that one and don't really worry about the other two.  They are good and they do continue the story it's just that I like the first one the best.  After all it is the one that taught me this very important life lesson. "Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead....only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon."