Movies: Ratatouille and Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D

[amedia]

We rented Ratatouille, which we'd always wanted to see. Very cute! I *loved* Peter O'Toole as the food critic!

We saw Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D in the theater with SIL and metherion. The latter prefers to watch movies on DVD, but we dragged him along to get him out of the house (it was the day he crashed the car and he was moping) and because he wasn't going to get the 3-D effect from the DVD.

The 3-D effects were great - sometimes a bit blurry, but when they worked they made us jump. The story was very simple and I think the movie might have been boring without the 3-D, but it was fun. Brendan Fraser was very likeable as usual and the others were good as well.

Absolute favorite moment (no spoilers): Very early in the movie, Trevor is unpacking a box of miscellany and comes across a stereopticon. He stares at if for a moment, says, "I have no idea what that is," and tosses it aside. We have a couple of those!!!! TODS collects stereopticon cards! They're an early 3-D medium! So quite a nice reference for a 3-D movie.

metherion was quite incensed with one scene in the movie. Remember he just graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. He was practically sputtering, "Magnesium will burn UNDERWATER! They didn't need to find a dry patch!"

ETA: This is the SIXTH movie we've seen the theater this year! Last year I think we saw one (the 300). We probably hadn't seen six movies in the theater in the last three years combined! But it's been a great summer for movies and there are more coming - Dark Knight, the new Mummy - we saw an ad for a new animated film called Igor that looks great, too.

Comments

[moony-blues.livejournal.com]

I saw Journey yesterday on a regular screen and it was still just as entertaining. At least, I found it to be enjoyable. It was worth the money to see on the big screen. =) And, yes Fraser's movies are usually extremely watchable, so I wasn't disappointed at all.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I told metherion to chill about the magnesium because it was just so we could get to see Brendan Fraser upside-down! He wasn't impressed. ;-)

[moony-blues.livejournal.com]

See, most people are ignorant enough about chemistry to not be bothered by it. I know I wasn't. *shrug*

[shawan-7.livejournal.com]

I'd like to get out and see flicks again. On my list: Wall-E, Dark Knight and the new Mummy - which I'd forgotten was coming out because it's getting absolutely no coverage here in DC.

And the new SW flick which is being dumped at the end of summer no matter HOW the SW rep tries to sell it to me...

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I want to see Wall-E when it comes out on DVD - the problem with kids' movies in the theater is that they're full of, well, kids. I'm with you on Dark Knight and the Mummy! And the new SW flick, too.

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

Peter O'Toole is a genius at vocalizations. "Listening" to him act is a wonder. The man is almost limitless with those abilities. I also loved how his character shared the same tall, wide shouldered long legged slender build as O'Toole.

I'm an longstanding O'Toole fan. Big time :)

[amedia.livejournal.com]

When the first Harry Potter flick came out, I remember one reviewer said that while Richard Harris was okay as Dumbledore, that Peter O'Toole would have been even better, because he brings a certain ... I forget exactly how it was said ... you can't always trust him, you know? Even when you know he's a good guy, you can also figure there's something he's not telling you. He comes across as more complex.

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

I completely agree about O'Toole. A director may ask him to dial it down and he would comply, then without warning he'd make a gesture, turn a phase, rumble a tone in the middle of a sentence or lift his head and for 4 seconds his eyes would be totally mad. I've seen him play the ultimate stuffy tweedbag and still he'd pull out things that never compromised the character but gave you just enough that you knew his character was far more than what you were seeing.

Trust him? Oh, heavens no. He is the tour director who will reliably get you to your destination while taking you through an unannounced detour through the Twilight Zone.

[usedusername.livejournal.com]

Ratatouille was adorable! Which is really all you can expect out of a talking rat movie. I agree with metherion; I'm not a movie-goer, myself.

Does Journey to the Center of the Earth have anything to do with the Jules Verne book of the same name? Or is it just kind of cashing in on the title?

I'm not looking forward to the new Batman movie (though I've heard it's very good, I'm almost instantly against every Batman movie except the '60's one) I want to see the new Mummy movie, because the first one was really enjoyable, and Brendan Fraser is never godawful.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Does Journey to the Center of the Earth have anything to do with the Jules Verne book of the same name? Or is it just kind of cashing in on the title?

Kinda sorta. It mentions the book a lot - Brendan Fraser's character even carries it around! But a universe in which people READ the book obviously isn't a dramatization of the book itself. But it's kinda like a sequel.

I'm almost instantly against every Batman movie except the '60's one

I thought that was just *my* generation who were spoiled by the TV series with Adam West! :-) I know the darker Batmans (Batmen?) are supposed to be more authentic, but I'm with you - give me "Bif! Pow!" any day.