Sorry I’m late with this. Have a few interesting releases this week. I’ll get right to it.
The Muppets- I really liked this movie. Jason Siegel did a great job breathing new life into the Muppets after the stale comedy of the last few projects that featured them. I’m really disappointed, though, that he’s not going to be involved in any other future movies with them, seeing as how he’s doing How I Met Your Mother now along with other movies.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- David Fincher’s take on the first book in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy turned out better than I expected. I’ve seen both the original Swedish version along with this, and I honestly can’t decide which one I like better. Especially don’t ask me who was the better Lisbeth Salander, because my head would explode. Rooney Mara was great in Fincher’s version, but I also love Noomi Rapace (who’s also starring in Prometheus, BTW). I guess Fincher’s version edges it out, if only because of the really cool opening credit sequence featuring Trent Reznor and Karen O’s cover of “Immigrant Song.”
Battle Royale- With The Hunger Games coming out this week, it was pretty clever of them to release this on Blu-Ray around the same time, seeing as how it’s the movie that people want to keep comparing it to. And while the premises do seem similar at first blush, considering that stories of humans hunting other humans for sport and the enjoyment of others are as old as the hills, I’ll take Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins at her word when she’s said she was never aware of it while writing it.
For those unfamiliar, Battle Royale is a Japanese film. Much like Hunger Games, it involves a group of adolescents who are chosen by the adults in power to fight for their lives in a hunt-or-be-hunted televised reality show. There are some differences, however: First, the teenagers are all classmates at the same school. Second is that they’re also rigged with explosive collars that can be triggered at any time. I haven’t really seen it myself, but I suppose I should because I keep hearing about how good it is.
Hop- This came out last year around Easter time. Russell Brand is the voice of E.B.: the latest in a long line of Easter Bunnies. Only problem is, E.B. doesn’t want the job, and instead wants to be a Rock drummer. He runs away and befriends the equally aimless Fred O’Hare, played by James Marsden. But while the two of them try to find their place in the world, back home the Easter Bunny’s business is threatened by takeover by a disgruntled chick.
It was a cute movie, and both Brand and Marsden were good. It also features Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco as Marsden’s sister, but unfortunately she’s given very little to do.
So kind of slim pickings for this week, but they’re all good.