"Hellboy II" Review

Mary's Review

I must admit that I am not a comic book reader, nor do I typically get psyched up by new super hero film releases. When I saw the original Hellboy, I was fairly impressed, since I tend to enjoy fantasy films. Mainly, I liked the monsters and wild characters in Hellboy I, but I wasn't crazy about the movie as a whole.

When the first Hellboy was released, I had no idea who Guillermo del Toro was. After falling in love with Pan's Labyrinth (read my review), I was eager to see all of Del Toro's upcoming films. I was looking forward to seeing Hellboy II, but I wasn't sure if it would blow me away like Pan's Labyrinth, or if it would underwhelm me like the first Hellboy. Folks, Hellboy II is awesome!

I don't typically gush over mainstream films, since they are usually pretty bland, but this summer blockbuster made the cut. Del Toro pulls all of the stops for Hellboy II. He managed to create a charming, witty, sophistocated, humorous, exciting, action-packed, visually in-sane super hero film! I loved it, my husband loved it, and we are looking forward to watching it with my three teen brothers.

Del Toro has successfully created another world of dazzling monsters and amazing creatures. The scenery is stunning, the storyline is moving, the action is explosive and gritty, and the creatures are magnificent.

Scroll down to watch the trailer. It shows a bit too much, but if you still need convincing, I hope that seeing some of the crazy characters in the trailer will change your mind.

Come back and let me know what you thought about the film!

General Information

• Released July, 2008.
• Rated PG-13.
  
• Director & Writer: Guillermo del Toro.
• Go to the interactive movie site.
• See what the tough review site Rotten Tomatoes rated Hellboy II.
• Scroll down to watch trailer.

Cast

• Starring Ron Perlman,
• Selma Blair,
• Doug Jones,
• Jefferey Tambor,
• Luke Goss,
• John Hurt,
• And more!
  

Peer Reviews

"A spectacularly vibrant, varied, detailed, freakish, magical, surreal and exciting universe for this sequel to Hellboy." -by Andrew Urban (from Rotten Tomatoes)

"The film shows a certain wit and a refined eclecticism: a director who in a few seconds combines Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, a quotation from Tennyson’s In Memoriam and two monsters singing Beautiful Freak deserves watching" -by Martin Hoyle (from Rotten Tomatoes)

"Not only are the creatures amazingly conceived, but there’s a lovely sense of humour to it all as Del Toro references horror movies of the past and even the work of John Landis." -by David Stratton (from Rotten Tomatoes)

Watch Hellboy II Trailer!

"Factory Girl" Review

Mary's Review

Factory Girl is based on the life of Edie Sedgwick, the famous New York socialite, model, and friend to notorious artist, Andy Worhol. Although the trailer portrays the movie as a romance, the film is actually based on the friendship of Sedgwick and Warhol, and how the friendship contributed to the downfall of Edie Sedgwick. There is a short romance between Edie and the folk singer (my all-time favorite artist), Bob Dylan, who is played by Hayden Christensen. I wasn't a big fan of his after seeing his rendition of Anakin Skywalker; however, he played a great young, handsome Bob Dylan.

This film basically documents the fall of Sedgwick, although she is on top of the world before things start to crumble bit by bit. Between her family troubles, her rocky friendships with celebrities, her insatiable lust for approval, and her dangerous affair with drugs and alcohol, Edie Sedgwick slides down a dangerous slope before your very eyes. Before you know it, the poor little rich girl will win you over and will have you wanting to reach into the screen to pull her off of her destructive path.

Guy Pearce plays a fantastic Warhol, the fascinating and bizarre 1960's pop artist and revolutionary visual art icon. I love watching Warhol biographies; what a random and off-the-wall personality! This is the first Warhol depiction that really showcases his interaction with those who adored him. Although Warhol plays a large role in this film, Factory Girl revolves around Edie Sedgwick's fabulous, rich life-turned sour.

This film shows the audience how wonderful and also how terrible a life of privilege can become. Much of this film is fun, exciting, and very amusing; but Edie finds herself on the opposite side of the spectrum as well. Sienna Miller is endearing, profound, and raw in this role. I had no idea that adorable little British blonde had this role inside of her, but Sienna Miller put on a shuttering performance.

I hope you enjoy the film, but it is important to remember that this is an account of a true story, with actors playing the parts of once-living characters. This glamorous, tragic tale may leave you with some powerful thoughts. I would be honored if you would return to share your interpretation of Factory Girl.

General Information

• Go to interactive Factory Girl website.
• Directed by George Hickenlooper.
• Tagline: "When Andy met Edie, life imitated art."
• See a listing of the star-studded cast.
  
• Read a New York Times review of Factory Girl.
• Download movie.
• Scroll down to watch movie trailer (FYI: doesn't do movie justice).
  

Peer Reviews

"Guy Pearce is fabulous as Warhol, delivering a complex portrait of the pop artist as a bundle of contradictions." -by Laura Clifford (from Rotten Tomatoes)

"Point: Don't do drugs! Who knew that Any Warhol was so messed up?!?! It is cool that the film is based on a true story. It shows what happens to real people in real life when vanity takes over. Sad in so many ways." -Melody, age 23

"Sienna Miller, revealing a depth and presence she's never hinted at before, inhabits Sedgwick with raw exuberance." -Phil Villareal (from Rotten Tomatoes)

"Miller gets old and used up before our eyes, and we not only see it, we see what it means to experience it. This is a movie about power, and its spectacle is that of a woman losing all of it." -by Mick LaSalle (from Rotton Tomatoes)

Watch Trailer of Factory Girl (FYI: doesn't really do the movie justice).

"Thumbsucker" Review

Mary's Review

I saw this movie when it first came out in 2005, and I have been a big fan ever since. This film was so much fun to watch; I was constantly surprised by the characters and the unpredictable plot. Just when I thought the movie was a coming of age film, I changed my mind and thought it was more of a comedy, then I thought it might be a romance, then I thought it was more of a teen angst movie, and by the end, I was only sure that I loved it!

For such a small independent film that most people have never heard of, the cast is phenomenal! The lead is played by a new young actor named Lou Taylor Pucci, who was also in the movie The Chumscrubber (see my review). In this film, Pucci is so great at the comedy, and he effortlessly made me sad for his character, as well as inspired. The rest of the cast was amazing, but I think Pucci's performance is what made Thumbsucker so great.

Simply, Thumbsucker is about a teen who sucks his thumb to relieve stress and attempts to break his habbit. This is such an honest portrayal of the world from a teenager's perspective. This movie is very funny, intelligent, sexy, sympathetic, thoughtful, and eye-opening. Vince Vaughn plays the crazy teacher, Tilda Swinton plays the mom, Vincent D'Nofrio plays the dad, Kelli Garner is the cute girl, Benjamin Bratt is a messed up celebrity, and Keanu Reeves is fantastic as the creepy, yet wise dentist.

Basically, if you have a family or have ever been a teenager, you should see Thumbsucker. Seriously, I hope you get a chance to cuddle up under some warm blankets and relax with Thumbsucker. Please come back to leave your own review!

General Information

• Directed by Mike Mills.
• Based on the 1999 novel by Walter Kirn.
• Official movie site http://www.sonyclassics.com/thumbsucker/
• Recieved 3 wins and 4 nominations (including an award from the Sundance Film Festival!)
• Listen to the soundtrack for free. The music is rhetro, ironic, and upbeat.
• Watch the Thumbsucker trailer below.

Peer Reviews

"Quirky doesn't begin to describe this eccentric and funny dip into the bizarro-world psyche of adolescence, marked by neck-breaking turns of character in teenagers and adults alike" -by Jim Slotek (from Rotten Tomatoes)

"In its own sneaky way, the film cleverly manages to examine the meaning of loneliness while looking at dysfunctional-family dynamics, but without becoming too overwhelming or too heavy-handed." - by Jeff Vice (from Rotten Tomatoes)

"Its great strength lies in its characters, all of whom are constantly surprising the viewer by not being what they seem" -by Ken Hanke (from Rotten Tomatoes)

"The way Mills gives every character the chance to surprise us turns what could have been just another tale of teen suburban angst into something special" -Rob Thomas (from Rotten Tomatoes)

Your review could be here!