Movie: Blast from the Past
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 1999
Notable Cast: Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek
Stars: 2.5
Review: Such a fun movie! This is one of those times when I muse about having a second rating, in addition to "stars"-- while this movie is only 2.5 stars on a 'quality' scale, it is about 3.5 stars on a 'likability' scale. It's an interesting premise-- a 35 year-old man ventures above ground after being in a nuclear fallout shelter his entire life (including some of his fetal life!). The world he sees is in enormous contrast to his parents' world. What results is a number of comical experiences, from public transport to dating etiquette. Casting is hit-or-miss. Brendan Fraser (Adam) performs well as the naive, old-fashioned protagonist, but Alicia Silverstone (Eve) is a bit melodramatic, unbelievable, and unlikable for the majority of the movie. Great supporting cast in Christopher Walken as the dad, Sissy Spacek as the mom, and Dave Foley as Silverstone's friend. One highlight of this movie for me was the fallout shelter! WOW. It was pretty cool / quietly funny in how complete it was, as designed by Adam's eccentric father.
Additionally, while this movie stays pretty light, there is a hint of social commentary in the script as to just how much "progress" had been made from the 1950s-1960s to the current time (~2000) (e.g., dissolution of the quintessential family unit, prevalence of substance abuse, relative decrease in work ethic). It's interesting food for thought. Also, commendably, it is not food that is shoved down your throat.
Definitely recommend seeing this movie-- 3.5 for likability!
Good date movie? Yup!
Movie: Iron Man 3
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 2013
Notable Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley
Stars: 2.5
Review: I liked this movie. We find a different Tony Stark than we have seen in the previous two movies, a superhero who is a bit bruised after some significant failures in the 2nd movie. Tony now deals with insomnia, nightmares, and panic attacks, on top of a broken Iron Man suit. But, we then see Iron Man do what all great superheroes do-- rise up with renewed strength and vigor.
~~Brief interlude~ I love love love superhero movies, and I have observed that the successful ones seem to follow a pretty classic recipe:
1st movie: Hero has lots of successes.
2nd movie: Hero encounters lots of failure and a subsequent identity crisis that we see further developed in the 3rd movie. The 2nd movie also often involves getting the girl; if not in the 2nd, then definitely in the 3rd.
3rd movie: Hero licks his wounds and then comes back fighting with renewed strength. He has lots of successes. He develops his relationship with his girlfriend. Most importantly, he makes the crucial decision about whether or not to continue using his superhero powers. If he decides to forgo using the powers, it is typically because he chooses to protect and prioritize the woman he loves. ~~~~
Without giving too much away, Iron Man 3 follows the recipe described above, and the plot is well-constructed. Acting by RDJ and the villain is particularly noteworthy. As usual, I find Pepper Potts to be such a boring leading lady for Iron Man, but in this movie she is admittedly more interesting than she has ever been. GP does an okay job as always. I do have to take away some starrage for special effects, stunts, etc. It was over the top. Also, in this final movie, I would have liked to see another ingenious invention by Iron Man, as one of the coolest things about this superhero is that his powers are built on his intellect.
Good date movie? YES. We love superhero movies!
