DCT Season 2 Episode 8: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), or Ned's Lola Likes Taong-Gagamba

Da Couch Tomato Podcast Season 2 Episode 8, discussing Spider-Man: No Way Home. Hindi namin inakala na makakakita kami ng isang mahabang dialogue exchange in Filipino sa isang major Hollywood movie. Nagustuhan din namin na the use of all three actors who played Spider-Man on the big screen ay na-pull off nang maayos, and hindi naging gimik lang para kumita ng pera. Also, bakit nga ba kami nalungkot sa nangyari kay Aunt May?

Sting Lacson's rating: 8.6/10

Rachel's rating: 8.7/10

Final rating: 8.65/10

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DCT Episode 47: Promising Young Woman, or We Need Movies Like These Until Men Learn How to Behave

Vanity Fair

Da Couch Tomato Podcast, Episode 47, discussing Promising Young Woman, the timeliness of films like these, and the deeply-embedded culture of male dominance.

Sting Lacson's rating: 8/10

Rachel's rating: 7.4/10

Final rating: 7.7/10

Review: Three Dangerous Life Lessons Monsters University Teaches Kids

DisneyPixar on YouTube

Monsters University is an excellent example of a good prequel or sequel. First, it doesn't appear forced (at least on the surface), and by "forced" I mean "made for the sake of box office returns". Second, it's a stand-alone film, which is what good sequels or prequels should be. It's possible to enjoy this film without having seen Monsters, Inc., and it gives a whole new level of meaning to those who have actually seen it.

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I wish I watched Monsters, Inc. again before watching this.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

If you've seen The Adventures of Tintin by Steven Spielberg, you've probably already heard of the story of how he acquired the rights to redo the Tintin books on film. Since the anecdote would require effort on my part to paraphrase, let me just lift it directly from Wikipedia:

Spielberg has been an avid fan of The Adventures of Tintin comic books, which he discovered in 1981 when a review compared Raiders of the Lost Ark to Tintin. His secretary bought him French-language editions of each book, but Spielberg did not have to understand them: he immediately fell in love with its art.

This then renewed my interest in the Indiana Jones films, which I've loved ever since I was a kid. In fact, at one point in my life, I wanted to be an archaeologist, especially after The Last Crusade and Jurassic Park. That's another Spielberg film. It might be safe to say that half of my childhood fantasies were directly or indirectly influenced by Steven Spielberg.

Anyway, this review will try and see what it was about Raiders which prompted the French to cry "rip-off!"

Rango

This movie should teach everyone a valuable lesson, and it is this:

Just because it's Johnny Depp doesn't mean you have to watch it.

This, by the way, is a Nickelodeon and Industrial Light and Magic production, and marks ILM's first venture into CG-animation. And I'm so sorry to say that it actually failed in the character designs. First off, the title character himself:

The Hawaiian shirt isn't helping.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

I don't really know why but I have always been drawn to the supernatural: magic, sorcery, even vampires and werewolves, or angels and demons. If not for its same-date release here with Inception, I would have watched this earlier.

Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) finds the boy who lived... ooops, sorry... the prime Merlinian (a.k.a. Merlin's great successor) who can defeat Morgana (a.k.a Merlin’s evil counterpart), and he's a reluctant but interested physics nerd. Dave (Jay Baruchel), who just wants a second shot at getting the girl of his dreams, manages to juggle romantic dates and plasma-generating or levitating practice sessions. Together they need to defeat Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), a heartbroken-betrayed sorcerer out to free Morgana (who, by the way, is trapped in an enchanted Matryoshka doll everybody kept referring to as the Grimhold). Thing is, it's all about Dave really. But how would a distracted crazy-in-love newbie sorcerer vanquish the evil witch and her magical minions?

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is actually worth watching if only for Baruchel’s eccentric comedic timing, even if it just works half or most of the time. That or maybe his geeky comedy stands out in a sea of slapsticks. Or his jokes make references to things my generation can easily relate to. Cage is a perfect example of an actor dedicated to his roles that he changes hairstyles for them, even if it means having a bad hair day. I think the Cage-Baruchel partnership is okay, but maybe it could have been a better mix. Alfred Molina is greatness─greatness waiting to burst out (but he wasn't able to do much) in the small role he’s given. If he had more screen time, he would have overshadowed everyone else. I thought the women in the film had strong roles, but they’re there for the usual love angles, or just as pretty faces. I’m not sure if it’s because of the actors or the script; I think the film doesn’t do justice to romantic executions.

After all the Happy Potter films and the Happy Potter-wannabe films, simple magical effects sometimes just doesn't quite cut it anymore for an adult audience. (Kids would probably wow on it though.) I kept waiting to see something more magically grand, if there's such a thing. But it attempted to merge magic and science, so what the heck. You'll learn to be content when you realize it wasn't produced to copy, rival, or surpass any other film. It was made to entertain. And as it turns out, magic is fueled by love, as almost every action is fueled by an emotion.


The Sorcerer’s Apprentice gets a six-point-five out of ten, for my biased love for anything supernatural, and the Tesla coil symphony scene.


*photo from allmoviephoto.com

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

This film both succeeds and fails at the same time.

First, it succeeds as a blockbuster. Now this is what I call a real summer blockbuster: action-packed, filled with swashbuckling, and lots of parkour. Reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean, actually, except for the parkour, of course. And it didn't help that both Pirates and Persia were produced by the man known as Jerry Bruckheimer.

The film also manages to capture the essence of the video game it was based on. I was even momentarily transported back to my childhood, when I would play Prince of Persia in green and black. That's the old PC, by the way, with the floppy disks that really flop.

Second, this film fails technically. There were a lot of lapses, especially in editing. I could forgive one, or maybe two instances. But there were just too much, I'm sorry. Blame it all on director Mike Newell. Some shots were too awkward, some shots involved mismatched eyelines, while some shots were just plain wrong. I'm speaking from a filmmaker's perspective, of course. Regular moviegoers wouldn't probably notice it, but it's as jarring as hearing an orchestra play one note out of tune. Cinematic viewing should be a seamless experience. Oh well. Newell is a newbie, so deal with it.

To end on a lighter note, the cast did just great. Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton's sexual tension was all over the screen. Halfway through the film, I was already shouting, "Come on, have sex already!" But like typical summer blockbusters geared for the younger set, this film saturates you with sexual tension, then ends it with a single kiss. A single kiss, can you imagine that?

I honestly thought the guy who played King Tus was Karl Urban, the guy who played Eomer in Lord of the Rings. Well, turns out he wasn't Karl Urban. His name is Richard Coyle, and he sure can play Karl Urban's stunt double.

Ben Kingsley was great, but not as great as Alfred Molina, who stole every single scene he was in. Every second of Molina's screen time is priceless. And for that, he is disqualified. He is just too damn good.

So for succeeding as a blockbuster, and failing as a technical work, this film gets a passing score.


*some info from IMDb
pic from filmofilia.com


Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. USA. 2010.


Rating: Six out of ten.
Blockbuster elements: Nine out of ten.
Editing errors: Zero out of ten.
Alfred Molina: Disqualified.

An Education

Okay, first of all, I didn't like the subject matter.

I never really liked older man-teenage girl romance flicks. That's just...eeewww. At least for me.

But, this film was well-executed.

First, the screenplay was by Nick Hornby. That's the Nick Hornby. It's not based on a Hornby book; he wrote the screenplay based on the memoirs of Lynn Barber.

Second, Alfred Molina was awesome. Alfred Molina is a terrific actor, and he just nails every scene he's in.

Third, Carey Mulligan was surprisingly great. And she got a Best Actress Oscar nomination for this performance. Of course, she's not really sixteen. I mean, this is the movies, for crying out loud. No one really plays their age. And yes, sometimes she comes off as too smart for her age. But she is really pretty. She reminded me of Katie Holmes. A lot. Even her mannerisms and facial twitches were all Katie Holmes. And I also couldn't help but see the parallelism between Katie Holmes and Carey Mulligan's character. Hello, older man=Tom Cruise. Eeewww.

Fourth, Olivia Williams' acting was excellent. She brings out the human side in all seemingly bitchy teachers. And she's totally believable. It's like you've had, or you've heard of, a teacher like that, some time in your scholastic past.

Fifth, Peter Sarsgaard was despicable. Which means he's good. Older men who prey on vulnerable teenage girls should always be despicable.

So there you have it. Those five points I just mentioned override my abhorrence towards the subject matter.

And before I end this, let me just explain the title. The education in this movie happens on two levels: her education in school, and her education in real life. Just watch the film to figure it out.

*some info from IMDb

pic from pastemagazine.com

An Education. UK. 2009.

Rating: Eight out of ten.