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David McK (3361 KP) rated The Phantom of the Opera (2005) in Movies
Jul 11, 2022
The Phantom of the Opera is here ...
2005 film version of the Broadway show, starring Emmy Rossum (Christine Daae) and Gerard Butler (as the Phantom).
And therein lies it's greatest problem: Butler (and, to an extent, all the modern Phantom's) is just too conventionally good-looking for the hideous disfigured gargoyle who haunts the Parisian Opera catacombs but dreams of higher things!
That aside, this is definitely sumptuously filmed, with some great sets. Some catchy tunes, with the latter to be expected
I.t's just that, well, it does tend to drag a bit.
I suppose, in effect, it's like going to the Opera without actually going to the Opera ...
And therein lies it's greatest problem: Butler (and, to an extent, all the modern Phantom's) is just too conventionally good-looking for the hideous disfigured gargoyle who haunts the Parisian Opera catacombs but dreams of higher things!
That aside, this is definitely sumptuously filmed, with some great sets. Some catchy tunes, with the latter to be expected
I.t's just that, well, it does tend to drag a bit.
I suppose, in effect, it's like going to the Opera without actually going to the Opera ...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Killalot in Books
Nov 18, 2018
Will There be a Renaissance in Crime?
Part-time PI and actress Ivy Meadows is enjoying a rare day off with her boyfriend, her brother, and her brother's girlfriend at the Renaissance faire thanks to free tickets from her friend, fellow actor Riley. They are going to watch Riley's debut in the jousting event when a terrible accident ends with one jouster seriously injured and the other riding Riley's horse off into the desert. Riley claims to have been knocked out, but was he? Ivy finds herself undercover at the home of a Broadway writer and at the faire. Will she be able to keep her undercover assignments straight? Will she find out what happened? Could this job land her a ticket to Broadway?
As you can tell, there is a lot happening in this book. Unfortunately, it overshadows the mystery at times. While things came to a satisfactory climax, I felt we could have gotten more development on the mystery earlier. However, I was never bored. So much was happening I was always reluctant to put the book down because I was having fun. Part of that fun came from the characters; as usual for the series, we meet a wide variety of very fun people. While the book has a comedic tone overall, things do get serious in the last quarter without getting dark. This allows for some wonderful character growth in Ivy. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see how she progresses here. I can't wait to see where this leads in the next book.
As you can tell, there is a lot happening in this book. Unfortunately, it overshadows the mystery at times. While things came to a satisfactory climax, I felt we could have gotten more development on the mystery earlier. However, I was never bored. So much was happening I was always reluctant to put the book down because I was having fun. Part of that fun came from the characters; as usual for the series, we meet a wide variety of very fun people. While the book has a comedic tone overall, things do get serious in the last quarter without getting dark. This allows for some wonderful character growth in Ivy. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see how she progresses here. I can't wait to see where this leads in the next book.
speaker357 (212 KP) rated The Greatest Showman (2017) in Movies
Oct 2, 2018 (Updated Jun 14, 2019)
Hugh Jackman singing again! (2 more)
Circus oddities!
Broadway music.
Michelle Williams (Honestly, I just don't like her.) (1 more)
Too family friendly to truly paint Barnum's character.
A glance into the antics of P.T. Barnum
I do genuinely enjoy this movie, it's got a really great story that starts with a adolescent Barnum realizing what may be his calling all while pursuing a young girl. As the story progresses he begins to use the methods which gave him the prestige he's earned.
For the most part I believe that this is pretty close to the truth. Missing some of the few antics that I recalled from reading the "48 Laws of Power."
Overall, I think I wish that they showed the true colors of Barnum.
For the most part I believe that this is pretty close to the truth. Missing some of the few antics that I recalled from reading the "48 Laws of Power."
Overall, I think I wish that they showed the true colors of Barnum.
Lewis John Hatchett (23 KP) rated Rocketman (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Exceptional fun
After seeing Bohemian Rhapsody only a few months ago, I had quite high hopes for the film seeing as it was directed by the same director who (unofficially) took over for the director of Rhapsody and boy did the film deliver. A fun filled film with loads of toe tapping music and an intriguing story to go along with it.
Fairly cheesy in parts but it's to be expected when it's a film about Elton John. Also it felt more of a musical than bohemian Rhapsody which took me put of the film and made it feel almost fake at times.
Perfect for the West End or Broadway but a fun film nonetheless.
Fairly cheesy in parts but it's to be expected when it's a film about Elton John. Also it felt more of a musical than bohemian Rhapsody which took me put of the film and made it feel almost fake at times.
Perfect for the West End or Broadway but a fun film nonetheless.
Michael Imperioli recommended Opening Night (1977) in Movies (curated)
Carrie Preston recommended The Complete Works in Books (curated)
William Sadler recommended The Verdict (1982) in Movies (curated)
Doug Jones recommended Waiting for Guffman (1996) in Movies (curated)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Siege (1998) in Movies
Jun 10, 2020
In The Name Of Freedom
The Siege- is a good action movie, that the plot of this movie, is still happening today.
The plot: After terrorists attack a bus in Brooklyn, a Broadway theater and FBI headquarters, FBI anti-terrorism expert Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) teams up with CIA agent Elise Kraft (Annette Bening) to investigate. Soon, martial law is declared in New York City, and General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis), a sadistic racist, is put in command. When Devereaux begins rounding up Arab-Americans and forcing them into a detention camp, Hubbard and Kraft must fight back in the name of freedom.
Like i said its a good action suspense thriller. Its only downfall is that we have seen this before, but its still a good movie.
The plot: After terrorists attack a bus in Brooklyn, a Broadway theater and FBI headquarters, FBI anti-terrorism expert Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) teams up with CIA agent Elise Kraft (Annette Bening) to investigate. Soon, martial law is declared in New York City, and General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis), a sadistic racist, is put in command. When Devereaux begins rounding up Arab-Americans and forcing them into a detention camp, Hubbard and Kraft must fight back in the name of freedom.
Like i said its a good action suspense thriller. Its only downfall is that we have seen this before, but its still a good movie.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Cats (2019) in Movies
Nov 20, 2020
Cut what worked in the musical and left in what didn't
I had heard that the movie version of the mega-Broadway hit musical CATS was a "total trainwreck" with bizarre performances and CGI that was incomplete and/or incompetently done making these CATS look more like FREAKS, so I was looking forward to a "so bad it's good" experience at the film. But, instead of being horrified or bemused, I felt another emotion while watching this...
BOREDOM.
I've never been a real fan of the Broadway production - I witnessed the original cast back in the early 1980's and had a follow-up viewing of the show on Broadway in the mid-to-late '90's when 2 people I know were in the cast and both times I enjoyed the music (for the most part) and the dancing was SUPERB, but I was left disappointed by the characters and the plot (or lack thereof) of this show.
And...that's the biggest problem with the film version of CATS, Director Tom Hooper (LES MISERABLES) decided to focus this film ON the characters and the performances - headlined by such stalwarts as Dame Judy Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Idris, Elba, Ray Winstone, Jennifer Hudson, James Cordon and Rebel Wilson - and ignore the spectacle of the musical numbers and, most heinously, ignoring the dancing aspect of this musical. This approach, quite frankly, just did not work.
Now...add onto this questionable CGI (I'm being kind), a languid pace (I'm being kind) and performers who were miscast (I'm looking at you Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Ray Winstone and...if I'm being honest...Ian McKellan and Judy Dench), and don't get me started on Jason Derullo's RumTum Tugger and Taylor Swift's Bumbalurna (really?) - they were just plain awful. Derullo, especially, turned a fun, energizing driving character into a boring embodiment of all that is wrong with this film (okay...Rebel Wilson was worse, but still....) the only players in this film that kept my attention were stage performers like Robbie Fairchild (Munkustrap) and Francesca Hayward (Victoria) and they were sidelined for the most part by the bigger names and had their dance numbers eliminated and/or truncated.
I wish they would have gone for the campy "so bad, it's good" style of filmmaking - it, at least, would have kept my interest, but the movie as it is, did not. I was happy when the "Jellicle Cat" was selected at the end - I knew this experience would be over soon.
Letter Grade D
2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
BOREDOM.
I've never been a real fan of the Broadway production - I witnessed the original cast back in the early 1980's and had a follow-up viewing of the show on Broadway in the mid-to-late '90's when 2 people I know were in the cast and both times I enjoyed the music (for the most part) and the dancing was SUPERB, but I was left disappointed by the characters and the plot (or lack thereof) of this show.
And...that's the biggest problem with the film version of CATS, Director Tom Hooper (LES MISERABLES) decided to focus this film ON the characters and the performances - headlined by such stalwarts as Dame Judy Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Idris, Elba, Ray Winstone, Jennifer Hudson, James Cordon and Rebel Wilson - and ignore the spectacle of the musical numbers and, most heinously, ignoring the dancing aspect of this musical. This approach, quite frankly, just did not work.
Now...add onto this questionable CGI (I'm being kind), a languid pace (I'm being kind) and performers who were miscast (I'm looking at you Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Ray Winstone and...if I'm being honest...Ian McKellan and Judy Dench), and don't get me started on Jason Derullo's RumTum Tugger and Taylor Swift's Bumbalurna (really?) - they were just plain awful. Derullo, especially, turned a fun, energizing driving character into a boring embodiment of all that is wrong with this film (okay...Rebel Wilson was worse, but still....) the only players in this film that kept my attention were stage performers like Robbie Fairchild (Munkustrap) and Francesca Hayward (Victoria) and they were sidelined for the most part by the bigger names and had their dance numbers eliminated and/or truncated.
I wish they would have gone for the campy "so bad, it's good" style of filmmaking - it, at least, would have kept my interest, but the movie as it is, did not. I was happy when the "Jellicle Cat" was selected at the end - I knew this experience would be over soon.
Letter Grade D
2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)