Hey, numb-nuts, I thought you’d be excited to know that we’re watching "Frosty The
Snowman" tonight!
// You lie!
// Haha, okay, you got me.
We’re actually watching one of the lowest-rated superhero films ever.
// If I must suffer... humanity will suffer with me!
I will blanket the city in endless winter!
First...
Gotham... and then the world!
// Woah...easy there killer, I thought maybe we could just start off with a harmless movie
review.
// Yes.
// Because after all, this is Movie Night!
Hello and welcome to Movie Night, nipple-suit free for four years.
We’re gonna break that record tonight.
I'm your host, Jonathan Paula in what will be an improvised episode.
I’m going to be going off script, so instead of being well-spoken and well-produced, this
episode might be a little more conversational and friendly.
I would love to hear feedback of what you think of this new approach in the comments
below, provided you can navigate your way through that Google+ maze.
In any event, tonight will be our fourth superhero-themed episode as we take a look at the two newest
entries in that sub-genre, as well as the biggest failure, "Batman and Robin".
Released on June 20, 1997, this $140 million sci-fi action comedy mess still managed to
make a hundred million dollars in profit.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, the fourth live-action Batman film stars George Clooney in the title
role in what is perhaps the most miscast role in the history of cinema.
He does is his hammiest job taking over as the Caped Crusader, who delicately tries to
battle evil without ever killing anyone.
Alongside is Chris O’Donnell, Alicia Silverstone, and Uma Thurman, who do a half-decent job
with the terrible material but honestly there's no saving this poor scriptwriting.
This time around its top bill to Arnold Schwarzenegger features as perhaps the most cringe-worthy,
no, absolutely the most cringe-worthy and ridiculous movie villain ever portrayed.
But there's an undeniable amount of earnesty and fun behind it, which is why you’re able
to snicker and go along with it like when he introduces himself by saying: “Allow
me to break the ice.
My name is Freeze.
Learn it well for it’s the chilling sound of your doom.”
As for the convoluted plot, you have the bad guys that want to take over the city, kill
everybody, and save their dead wife.
And then you have Batman and Robin and Batgirl, who step in and try to save the day because
that's what they do.
The decently paced 125 minute picture was filled with overt homosexual innuendo.
Now I get that Joel Schumacher is gay and everything but we need so many crotch shots
and nipple suits and logos humping each other in the opening credits?
It was excessive to say the very least and disturbing to say the very most.
The film never takes itself seriously.
Bright and vibrant colors fill every scene with an almost nauseating appearance.
The visuals here resembled a Nickelodeon advert that vomited everywhere.
And almost every line of dialogue in this film ends on a pun or a joke or some sort
of eye roll.
The actors fly through the air after getting punched like they're tied to invisible string
probably because they were.
And the entire thing is campier than a Boy Scout Jamboree.
Like all Batman films though, this one suffers from having too many villains.
The film doesn't know what to do with them, instead they just hang around talk to each
other and try to come up with an evil plan to thwart Batman.
When at the end of the day, it's just kill him.
Really?
That's what you came up with?
Just kill ‘em?
I get the DC source mythos is extensive but maybe next time go easy and focus on one villain
and really develop him because Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Freeze really wasn't that great.
From the cartoon sound effects that feel totally out of place to a romantic subplot that is
entirely abandoned, this movie feels half finished and completely inconsistent with
what it’s trying to accomplish.
And aside from the nippily points, the costumes are great, the special effects are really
sharp, and the model work and music is all pretty good.
Schumacher was reportedly pressured by the studio to make this entire movie more toy
friendly and it shows.
None of the bad guys actually get killed.
There's no real consequences for anyone involved.
The entire pg-13 rated film looks like was filmed under a black light.
Cheesy as all hell and not likely something I’d likely watch again, this film has its
detractors for a reason.
But here’s a certain amount of innocents and fun to it that makes it interesting to
watch if you ignore the fact that its crapped all over the Batman franchise.
I don't hate this movie but I can understand why other people do.
Now I'm not saying this a good film by any measure but perhaps it’s not the worst ever
made.
I, for one, thought Batman and Robin was poorly directed camp, but amusing.
Now let’s see what you had to say about this picture in the YouTube comments.
Batman and Robin on the Rate-O-Matic: a 2 and a 3.
Every single one of you hated the cheese factor and the puns and generally everything Schumacher
brought to the movie as a director.
You thought this movie was bad.
I was a little less harsh than you but I can understand your criticisms.
But at the end of the day, I was passably entertained by it all so I can't give it the
lowest scores.
I thought it was lame.
Now for tonight's poll question: what is your favorite movie villain?
If it's Mr. Freeze, I'll be surprised.
If it’s anything else, leave a response in the comments below.
Next up tonight, let's talk about Man of Steel.
The latest live-action adaptation of Superman released on the 75th anniversary of that comic,
managed to gross three times its $250-million budget.
Zack Snyder directs the 143 minute epic, which by all accounts is a sloppy convoluted and
complicated mess that still manages to entertain every step of the way.
Henry Cavill stars as the title character as we see his origin story on Krypton has
a baby and blasted off to small-town Kansas where he becomes the most powerful humanoid
on the planet.
While I’m not a fan of all American superheroes being played by English actors, Cavill does
a great job in the title role, perfectly balancing that seriousness and sly likability.
Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Christopher Maloney,
Richard Schiff, and Laurence Fishbone, round out the gigantic supporting cast.
Most of which turn in fine performances except for Amy Adams who felt out of place in most
scenes and appears later is a convenient love interest just because the plot requires it.
The action-packed cold open gives us explosive glimpses at Krypton, Superman's home world,
as it’s ravaged by disastrous earthquakes from within.
And it's in these scenes that we get to see Shannon’s intense determination to save
the planet and later, his motivation on becoming the villain, in a role he absolutely nails.
The pg-13 rated film keeps itself emotionally grounded as it balances between flashbacks
of a young Clark Kent dealing with childhood struggles, and Cavill, dealing with superhero
powers in modern day society.
While Costner warns his adopted space baby: “People are afraid of what they don't understand”;
Crow is meanwhile encouraging his son to use his force for good and represent an ideal.
If this interplay between the two father figures that gives audiences a better understanding
of the Superman character than ever before.
So when the evil Michael Shannon arrives on Earth to capture Supermen dead or alive, or
destroy Earth in the process, you appreciate the stakes that much more.
While I have nothing against Hans Zimmer’s score, John Williams’s is iconic theme is
sorely missing from this picture.
When the ignorant US military foolishly captures the title character, he coyly says in a powerful
interrogation scene: “Let's put our cards on the table” to clearly indicate that he
is cooperating, not by force but because he's just polite.
And apparently that’s why we all love the Man of Steel—he’s the ideal embodiment
of heroism.
But is it necessary that every single fistfight he gets into has to destroy a building in
the process?
The biggest issue I had with this movie is the fact that during the climax Superman and
Zod destroy every building and structure in Metropolis.
It is neglectful actions likely result in the death of hundreds of thousands of people.
It is something that is never addressed in the film and not anything audiences can ignore.
Although he could have eased up a bit on the annoying product placement, director Zack
Snyder does a good job of intensifying these ridiculous fights with quick camera moves
and loud sound effects.
The slowly paced action film crescendos into a loud and visual orgy.
The special effects here are incredible but the action sequences are so far removed from
reality, they are devoid of tension or dramatic elements.
They become nothing more than meaningless cartoon fights—you have two super mortals
battling each other between a rock and a hard place, neither of them can defeat each other
so what is the point?
And when the flying spandex-wearing aliens aren’t killing each other, the movie is
far too serious for its own good.
It could definitely use the Marvel treatment and just wrote a few jokes here and there.
I definitely enjoyed any sequence where the military was trying to cooperate with Superman.
The dialogue there was really interesting and fun to watch unfold.
But a secondary plot running parallel to climax involving Daily Planet workers trying to outrun
falling buildings, did absolutely nothing for me.
I don't know who they were or why should care about them.
I'd be totally fine watching them get crushed by concrete.
Assembled like a delicate house of cards, this movie collapses under intense scrutiny.
Dozens of plot holes and contrived conveniences ruin this movie if you actually look close
enough.
But if you just lay back and let the empty Hollywood fluff wash over you, this is a supremely
entertaining and totally enjoyable movie for all fans a superhero films and action movies.
A commendable and interesting reboot but this is easily the grittiest and most somber picture
in the franchise.
I won’t have issue watching it again but there was a lot of untapped potential here
and I hope they go in a lighter direction for follow-up installments.
Man of Steel: excessively violent, but emotionally compelling.
Those are my thoughts on this blockbuster now let’s see what you had to say in the
YouTube comments.
Let's take a look at Man of Steel the rate-o-matic: a double seven.
Somewhat controversial opinions on this one with people rating it everything from a 10
to a 2.
You thought the movie was all over the place, but still had a good time.
Your scores averaged to a cool.
And I completely agree.
There were parts of this movie I liked and parts I hated.
At the end of the day though, I left the theater with a smile on my face and that's all you
can really ask for.
I thought it was cool as well.
Quickly now, I’d like to promote The Movie Night Archive.
So, please subscribe if you’d like to see exclusive trailer commentaries, like this
week I did one on Divergent.
And an organized library all our past reviews.
Finally tonight, let's review Thor: The Dark World.
Released on November 8, 2013, this is the latest in the long line of Marvel superhero
live-action films and does a tremendous job at entertaining like all the rest.
At 112 minutes long, director Alan Taylor has produced a decently paced and fun film
with plenty of laughs and great action set-pieces.
The big brawny and handsome Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor in a movie that doubled its
$175 million budget inside of a week.
The Australian actor does a great job throwing punches, delivering jokes, and being romantic
with his extremely attractive co-star Natalie Portman, who also returns in a co-starring
role.
Alongside them, is Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Christopher
Eccleston, and Kat Dennings, all of whom do a fantastic job at each of their respective
roles.
And while I could've done with less of Kat Dennings’s obnoxious jokes and more what
she's best known for, it was great to see more of Hiddleston as the main villain eating
the scenery and everything with these delicious lines and puns.
He’s so brilliant as the adopted son of Asgard, you want to see more of him every
time he's not on screen.
Especially after he eases Thor’s doubts by claiming: “You can trust my rage.”
The messy and hollow plot is really of no consequence.
You're here to see big action, explosions, fistfights, jokes, and Natalie Portman.
And you get all that in spades here.
So on the surface, this movie is entertaining, it's fun, it's enjoyable.
If you try to dig deeper, you will be disappointed.
The pg-13 rated film takes almost 20 minutes to really get going and the main villains,
when finally introduced, are nothing but angry Vulcans who growl with subtitles if for no
other reason than their evil and that's what they do.
The bad guy here is literally evil incarnate but still at the end of the film he engages
in a pointless fistfight with Thor, which is great and fun to watch unfold but totally
and utterly pointless.
I will say though that the climax unfolds like a level in Portal with multi-dimensional
rifts opening up and sending our heroes back and forth between realms in a totally unique
and awesome sequence that is worth the price of admission alone.
What this film lacks in plot development and seriousness in drama, it makes up for with
great light-hearted humor.
Especially, a quick and inspired cameo by a fellow Avenger that scored huge laughs.
Delivering all the technical accomplishments we’ve come to expect from the Marvel film,
the music, sound, directing, and especially the visual effects, are all expertly done.
With some high points and low points, this movie definitely ended on a bang and has me
excited to see where the franchise will go next.
But again I'm disappointed that this film wasn’t able to live up to the entertainment
value of the Avengers.
For some reason, the individual entries in the Marvel Universe just haven't been as good.
Thor: The Dark World: thoroughly enjoyable, despite lackluster villain.
Now let’ see what you had to say about this Marvel movie in the YouTube comments.
The Rate-O-Matic with Thor: The Dark World— an 8 and a 7.
You recognized the weaker plot but could not fault Hiddleston’s character.
You thought the movie was great.
And I agree.
He is the chief reason I’ll go back and rewatch this someday.
But for now, it left me wanting more.
I'm excited to see what they do with the third movie.
Until then though, I have to rate this a cool.
Finally tonight, let’s take a look at what you're saying about other movies currently
playing in theaters with some of your tweet critics.
If you see a new movie in theaters, tweet your review at JPMN hashtag.
And be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for updates between episodes and to help with
upcoming reviews.
Next week, we’re going right back out to the theater to check out: Gravity, the epic
space drama starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney that's getting rave reviews; About
Time, the romantic comedy starring Rachel McAdams; and the hugely hyped sequel to The
Hunger Games, Catching Fire.
After you’ve seen these films, let me know what you think about them by voting in the
poll below or by leaving a comment review.
Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula.
Thank you for watching and listening.
Until next time, have a good Movie Night!