Sweeny Todd

Not a movie review, but a kick-ass poster for the upcoming Tim Burton-directed movie-musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Transformers

Caught this movie out at Cape Cod, and was mildly surprised. Although it ran a little too long for my taste (the flick is about 2 1/2 hours), it was a surprisingly entertaining movie, thanks in no small part to Shai LaBeouf.

The plot is simple: Transformers destroyed their world in a civil war. Bad transformers come to earth. Good transformers come to stop them. CGI ensues...

The special effects were good - too good. More often than not, the fight scenes were shot too close. We got great shots of gears and other transforming movements, but I wanted the camera to pull back a little bit (and in some cases, a lotta bit) so I could actually see the fight and put it in context.

My other gripe is the names of the Transformers. I realize that this is because of the source material, and not the movie, but come on! The bad Transformers get cool names like Bonecrusher, Starscream, Frenzy, and Devastator. The good Transformers get bullshit pussy names like Jazz, Ratchet, and - I kid you not - Bumblebee. Devastator vs. Bumblebee. Who would YOU put your money on in a fight?

For me, this movie succeeds due to the stellar work of Shai. In everything in which I've seen him (Holes, Disturbia, etc.), he brings a likability, believability, and sense of humor to the roles. He can play both cool and geeky with ease. And I cannot wait to see him as Indiana Jones's son in the upcoming Indy 4 movie. There is absolutely an Indiana Jones / Han Solo quality about his acting.

So, as far as Transformers goes, it was a fun way to spend a rainy day. A relatively forgettable movie, but fun while it lasted!