Sunday, July 8, 2012

Quick Reviews – Recent Movies


I have been to the movies quite a bit since May and thought I would give some quick reviews of what I’ve seen. Here they are (most recent to oldest):




My daughter and I just got back from seeing Katy Perry’s documentary/concert film depicting her California Dreams tour in 2011. The film is comprised of fan videos talking about what Katy Perry and her music mean to them, backstage footage, details of how Katy reached pop stardom and concert footage. The mixture works well to give you a sense of how great Katy is with her fans, how much she gives of herself and that behind the massive fame and popularity is a dedicated and hardworking professional.

The film is touching and sad at times as you see the toll her tour and relationship take on her, but in the end Katy doesn’t disappoint fans. It is hard to know exactly what it is like to live that kind of life, but Part of Me seems to give you a pretty open look into Katy Perry’s. I enjoyed the use of fan videos, which further helped to illustrate the link between the star and her fans. Definitely worth seeing even if you are only a casual fan of her music, which is well represented in the film (of course).  A four and a half Mick Happy film... see (hear) it soon.






Enjoying Eugene Levy, we went to see Witness Protection. This was the first of Tyler Perry’s Madea movies we have seen, so it was a new experience for us. The movie is about a CFO of a hedge fund who is going to be indicted for running a Ponzi scheme. He is placed in witness protection until he can help the FBI take down the mob; who had laundered money through the fund.

Witness Protection is a fish out of water comedy about a white family staying with Madea and her dad in Atlanta. There are some laughs and the cast seems to have fun with their parts. The movie felt a lot like Martin Lawrence’s Big Momma’s House. I can give this on 3 Mick Happies.






Men in Black 3 reunites Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as secret agents tasked with protecting earth from alien threats. This particular installment of the series centers on a villain named Boris who is out to kill K (Jones) in the past. J (Smith) goes back in time to stop Boris. In the past J teams up with a younger K played well by Josh Brolin.

Men in Black 3 is a romp through 1969 with twists and turns interplayed with historical events. If you like your science fiction a bit tongue in cheek, this is movie is for you. Men in Black 3 is a return to the fun of the first Men in Black movie and I give it 3 and a half Mick Happies.






Having seen all of the recent Marvel superhero movies (except the Hulk movies), I was looking forward to The Avengers and it didn’t disappoint. The story for The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, centers on a team of superheroes assembled to stop Loki from taking over the earth. The Avengers team consists of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye who work for Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson).

The Avengers (or Avengers Assemble in the UK) does a great job of giving each character screen time and doesn’t feel rushed. The interactions between the independent heroes as they assemble to fight Loki are great. This is the best of the Marvel movies to date and a must see if you are a fan (though if you are a fan you have probably already seen it). The only thing keeping it from getting 5 Mick Happies is the over-the-top action in the some of the later battle scenes – they really weren’t necessary. In any case, a nearly perfect superhero movie, 4 and a half Mick Happies…the next one can’t get here soon enough.




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