Movie Weekend Overview

Greetings to all you SLM fans out there. Alanna dropped by this weekend and we went through a bunch of movies, all but one I'd never seen before. Instead of writing full reviews for each, I'm going to take the lazy way out and just lay down some quick comments about all of them here.

• Last Chance Harvey - This was a great movie. I think I liked it better than Alanna did. Which is odd, since usually she's the one big on romantic comedies. But this isn't your typical romantic comedy. It's not about rambunctious teens looking for their first love and wild times. It's about an old man, down on his luck, abandoned by his family and career, stumbling into one last chance at happiness. Maybe I can just relate to the social ineptitude and awkwardness of Harvey, charismatically portrayed by none other than Dustin Hoffman. The movie can be slow, depressing (in witnessing all of Harvey's troubles), and rather predictable, but the payoff is downright endearing and a joy to behold.

8.5/10 Toddsperience

• Rent - It's a musical about Bohemians in New York struggling to get by. A couple of them also have AIDS, which is also an important point to the story. It's actually not a bad movie. Some good songs and slight humor make it enjoyable, and it can even be quite compelling in certain spots. Still, it's no Enchanted. Oh, and if I'm ever on the verge of dying, don't stand around singing to me. Take me to the dang hospital.

6.9/10.3 Toddsperience

• Batman: Mask of the Phantasm - This one is obviously the movie I'd seen before, though I hadn't seen it in a long time. The DVD was cheap and in widescreen, so I snagged it and we watched it. This is based on the animated series from the mid-90's, so you know it's excellent. Actually, it's much better than most of the live-action Batman films. Up until Christopher Nolan's movies came out, many considered this film to be the best Batman film of all. Some still hold that position. Though it's obviously a cartoon for kids, it's still pretty dark. And it probably gets deeper into the emotional aspects of Bruce Wayne than any of the live action films, The Dark Knight included. Though it be cheesy at times, it still manages to be a rather deep movie.

8.4/9.9 Toddsperience

• Sense and Sensibility - This was obviously not a movie in my collection. But it is still a rather good film. It has Hans Gruber in it, after all. House also makes an appearance. No Cuddy, though. For those unfamiliar, this is adapted from a Jane Austen novel, so it's a period piece romance set in England. Grand. Actually, is you pay close attention, it's got some great wit and is a rather enjoyable film, even for dudes like The Smitch. And don't forget: Hans Gruber.

7.2/10 Toddsperience

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - This is the first Harry Potter movie, for those who don't know. I tried watching this several years ago, but only got halfway through after mocking it heavily. This time I paid attention. It's all right. Not phenomenal like everyone seems to think. Maybe it's extra cool for folks that have read the book. To me, it seemed like an amalgamation of many various science fiction and fantasy series (Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars - I see Hogwarts as nothing more than a slight twist on a Jedi Academy). But, for the most part, it works and is enjoyable. They wore some stupid hats, though. Oh, and Hans Gruber is in this one as well.

6.4/10 Toddsperience

• Say Anything - John Cusack stars in this late 80's teen romantic comedy. Cusack plays a mediocre slacker who, after graduation, starts to date the school's beautiful, brainy girl. It follows the predictable romance storyline, but manages to be sweet along the way. Plus, it includes John Mahoney (the dad from Frasier!) as the girl's father. A subplot involving an IRS investigation also leads to the climax and affects the story in a big way. Overall, not a bad film. Sadly, though, Hans Gruber is not in this movie.

7/10.2 Toddsperience