April A to Z Challenge: Movie Villains C

Captain Hook- Peter Pan (1953)

Captain of the Jolly Roger and archenemy of Peter Pan.

Source: IMDB

April A to Z Challenge: Movie Villains B

 

 Bane- The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Played by Tom Hardy, this villain finally breaks Batman.

Source: IMDB

April A to Z Challenge: Movie Villains A

I just heard about the April A to Z Challenge, so I am a little late to the game, but I have decided to partake. To catch up I will be posting more than 1 a day, but once I am there, I will post my favorite movie villain starting with the appropriate letter for the day. So here we go.

  Agent Smith- The Matrix Trilogy

Played by Hugo Weaving, he will do anything to keep the system in order.

Source: IMDB

Batman Forever Reviewed

I had not seen Batman Forever (1995) in, well, forever; but I caught it one TV today. I was not a fan of Schumacher's Batman and Robin at all, but I remember somewhat liking Forever. In fact, I had it rated at 7/10. Maybe it is because Christopher Nolan raised the bar so high, but Forever is just not very good.

Val Kilmer isn't terrible as Batman, but the movie is as cheesy as can be. He didn't exactly have a great script to work with. Tommy Lee Jones was way too over the top as Two-Face. I was not a fan of him at all in this movie. Jim Carrey was over the top as the Riddler as well, but that kind of fit the character, so I didn't mind him as much. Riddler was always one of my favorite Batman villains so I actually liked him in the movie.

This is also the movie that Robin (Chris O'Donnell) was introduced. Now Robin was a cool character back in the Adam West days, but it just doesn't work here. They tried to include a 'holy...Batman' quote in Forever and it just came off as lame.

I also didn't like the look of the movie. Maybe I did when I was 11(the year it was released), but not now. They completely went away from the dark and almost eerie atmosphere Tim Burton created in Batman and Batman Returns, and turned in into a nightclub scene with all the neon colors. I guess they were going for that 'comic book' feel.

Batman Forever still isn't a terrible movie, but not near as good as I remember. It is much more on the level of Batman and Robin than I remembered, therefore I have changed my rating.

My Rating: 5/10


Source: IMDB

Top 10 Baseball Movies

With baseball season upon us, and 42 set to release soon, I give you my Top 10 Baseball Movies. I am a huge baseball fan, so I could probably go Top 20, but I will stick with the usual 10 (well really 11).

10 a. Rookie of the Year (1993)- 8/10

A 12-year-old (Thomas Ian Nicholas) leads the Cubs to the World Series after a broken arm heals in a way that allows him to throw close to 100 mph. Certainly the most far fetched movie on the list, but fun nonetheless. I bet the Cubs wish they could find themselves a real Henry Rowengartner.

10 b. Brewster's Millions (1985)- 8/10

A minor league ball player (Richard Pryor) inherits $30 million dollars. If he can spend that $30 million in 30 days, without owning anything at the end of those 30 days, and without telling any of his friends the deal, he will then get $300 million. John Candy and Richard Pryor... hilarious.

9. Little Big League (1994)- 8/10

After his grandfather, the owner of the Minnesota Twins, passes away, 12-year-old Billy Heywood (Luke Edwards) takes over as owner and appoints himself as the manager. Not quite as far-fetched as a 12-year-old pitcher, but close.  This one is a lot of fun and includes appearances from a number of actual Major Leaguers.

8. A League of Their Own (1992)- 8/10

While a number of men were off fighting in World War 2, an all-girl baseball league is formed. Tom Hanks plays the manager of one of the teams and gives us the classic line- "There's no crying in baseball." Hanks is quite brilliant in this one, and these girls can really play. Even Madonna.

7. Bull Durham (1988)- 9/10

Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon), a fan that has an affair with one player each season, sets her sights on Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), a minor league player nearing the end of his career, and Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), a young rising star. Great baseball and great comedy. It really pains me to have this movie so low, but the competition is fierce.

6. The Sandlot (1993)- 9/10

Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) moves into a new neighborhood, meets a group of kids and learns to play baseball. He then hits his stepfathers baseball signed by Babe Ruth into the backyard of 'The Beast'- a dog with a monstrous reputation. The boys then attempt to retrieve the ball from The Beasts' jaws. This is a childhood classic.

5. Major League II (1994)- 9/10

After losing in the ALCS the year prior (even though this movie was release 5 years after the original), the Indians were back to compete for the World Series. It's not quite as good as the original, but very close. Most of the original cast, aside from Wesley Snipes, were back; plus they added a few more funny characters. Rube was a nice addition.






4. For Love of the Game (1999)- 9/10

On the last day of the season, aging pitcher (Kevin Costner) goes for a perfect game at Yankee Stadium, while thinking about the girl he loved and lost. A perfect game in baseball is a love story in itself, and even though I am not a fan of the Yankees, there is no better setting for one than Yankee Stadium.

3. 61* (2001)- 9/10

In 1961 Yankee teammates Roger Maris (Barry Pepper) and Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) battled to break Babe Ruth's single season homerun record of 60. I still cannot believe this was a made for TV movie. Billy Crystal, a big Yankee fan, did a fantastic job of chronicling one of the best seasons in baseball history.

2. Major League (1989)- 9/10

Hoping that the team would lose bad enough so she could move them to Miami, the Indian's owner, a former playmate, puts together a team of misfits that shock the baseball world. Not only is this the top baseball comedy of all-time, it is one of my favorite overall comedies. This was back before Charlie Sheen was crazy and was simply the 'Wild Thing.'

1. Field of Dreams (1989)- 10/10

Led by a ghostly voice, Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) builds a baseball field in his corn field so the ghosts of players such as Shoeless Joe Jackson have a place to play. Sure, the plot sounds 'corny' (pun intended), but this is a fantastic movie- one of my few perfect scores. Kevin Costner knows his baseball movies. 

Source: IMDB

Tree Leaves: Baseball Movies

Soon I will reveal my Top 10 Baseball movies, but I want to know:

What is your favorite baseball movie?

Weekly Recap: March 24- March 30, 2013

A recap of the movies I watched for the first time this past week.

Featured:

 The Hole (2009)- 4/10

Two brothers and their next door neighbor open a hole in the basement that produces their biggest fears. I did not watch it in 3D, but you could tell this movie was created for it. It was odd to see a 'family' horror movie that was rated PG-13. Its like it could not decide what it wanted to do. At times it felt much like a family movie but then quickly turned to horror. I think I would have preferred it just to be a straight family flick. 





The Rest:

Case 39 (2009)- 3/10- I just didn't find it to be scary, or entertaining for that matter. Not a good genre for Renee Zellweger.


Movies watched this week: 2
Movies watched in 2013: 45


Source: IMDB