Is it possible for one of my favorite movies of the year to also be the most frustrating? If so, J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 may have pulled off this not-inconsiderable feat. For a good 85 percent of its running time, I was head-over-heels in love with this movie. If you were to remove much of the third act, it’s incredibly likely it would have wound up near the top of my “Best of 2011” list at year’s end. Then the ending happened, and… yeah, it’s weak. Ending a movie is never an easy task, but in the case of Super 8 Abrams never really comes close to making it satisfactory. Certain moments work—it’s not a complete failure—but man oh man what this movie could have been if it found some way to stick the landing. I still prefer to remember Super 8 for the all the great moments that came before, but here’s an example of how little it takes for a movie to go from all-timer to just plain “good.” It will still hold a special place in my heart, even if I wish it was just a little bit better.
Besides Abrams’ film, the rest of this week’s home media releases is just a bunch of stuff I haven’t seen. For instance, there is the critically-panned remake of Conan the Barbarian. Oh, there is also the critically-panned Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, though there’s no word on whether you can take advantage of the smell-o-vision in the comfort of your own home. If you’re looking for an option that got slightly more positive reviews, you could always check out Sarah’s Key or The Devil’s Double. The latter features Dominic Cooper in a double role as both an evil prince and the innocent man chosen to be his “double.” It’s like Jack & Jill, only this one’s about oppression in the Saddam Hussein regime. Though, all in all, this movie might turn out to be funnier.
No comments:
Post a Comment