Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

I'd like to thank the powers that be for letting me join this judgement review circle. I tend to yammer, so I'll try to keep my reviews succinct, just like the title of the first movie review that I'm gonna dish out. Right here. Right now.

I'll assume that everyone knows who Borat is and what he generally does. As for the movie, it is a mockumentary that gives a more unified goal for the purpose of borat's interviews. He does a lot of the same stuff that he does in Da Ali G Show. Jokes about Jews, women, minorities and the absurdity of all Americans in general kept me highly amused. And if you aren't easily offended, I'm sure you will enjoy the movie too. The pacing gets slow at times, and to understand where I'm coming from (and as a reference to any of my future movie reviews), I judge pacing and overall boringness by the number of times I look at my watch during the movie. I looked at my watch once. I'm sure people who share my sense of humor (dry, sarcastic, caustic, and witty humor at the expense of others) then you will enjoy this movie.

However I will say, there is a disturbing scene that may truly offend virgin eyes and create some awkwardness. For that reason, I don't recommend any young people watch this with their parents. It's sort of like watching Basic Instinct in the same room with your parents. Awkward... Trust me, I know. I still think I need to see a shrnk because of it.

Casino Royale (2006)

Awesome. As a twentysomething with little to no appreciation of the Connery or Moore films, I think this is the best Bond film ever made. Also, I like Timothy Dalton! Anyway, the slow pacing and understated tone seemed to catch a lot of the audience offguard, but I appreciated the somewhat unorthodox and sprawling plot, which one would expect from a '50s spy novel.

Man, it was so great to see gorgeous establishing crane shots with NO music telling you to be awed by the locale. There were movies like this all the time in the '60s-'70s...now, though, the languid aspect of Casino Royale makes it seem like an art/action film.

My cinematic experience was made even more brilliant by the two 11-year-olds sitting behind me, who were separated from their chaperone due to the theater filling up. Without anyone to tell them to be quiet, they dispensed such disruptive nuggets of wisdom as "I bet she's touching his penis!" and laughing (only half inappropriately) at the more swooningly romantic moments.

Review: Happy Feet (2006)

Just came back from watching this; wow. There was so much off and weird, it leaves one to wonder how this can come from George Miller, the same director who made both Mad Max and Babe. The story is typical wish-fulfillment coming-of-age tripe about the outsider boy having a chance with the popular girl but having their relationship stressed by societal and emotional obstacles. However, Miller, directing for the first time in eight years, crams the plot with all sorts of message-y agenda-pushing plot points, sinking the movie's mood in the middle with (SPOILER) the abduction and imprisonment of the main character in a zoo, from which no amount of bizarre, haphazardly altruistic deus ex machina can save it. (END SPOILER)

Also, should you decide to plunk hard cash on this funky junk, consider as you watch that the emperor penguins, presumably representing "home" and thus mainstream America, show a heavy black culture influence (as demonstrated by the emperors' overwhelming knowledge of R&B and soul classics), but are societally "white," by which I mean conservative or stuffy (see their prioritization of singing and derision of dancing). Halfway through the movie, our intrepid hero stumbles upon another band of penguins, who are shorter, like to dance, speak with Latino accents, and travel in large, undifferentiated packs. Yes, Happy Feet is a thinly veiled allegory for our current immigration debate. If nothing else, it teaches the kids that Mexicans are good for comic relief.

Cattlegrazing.

Just to be more political on this momentous day, I just thought I'd throw an entry in for an independent voice of politicalness on election day.
I voted.
My favorite was to vote "FOR being against not having the state not disapprove of the legal marriage union of not unsamed sex peoples with in the state whereas the against not being for the conveyance of any weapon to such a ceremony shall only instill a legislated heritage of hunting and fishing."

I think I did the right thing.