Review of this movie = I left after 20 minutes. And that made me sad. I adore Romain Duris, Omar Sy & Audrey Tautou and I so thought this was going to be a cute, funny, whimsical movie. Needless to say it wasn’t and I haven’t walked out of a movie since Les Miserables. Before that, it had been years.. I mean I sat through ‘The Other Woman” you’d think I would be able to do this.. But I couldn’t. And yes, It made me sad.
Moving on..
If I’ve learned anything by watching movies, it’s to never have huge expectations for anything, especially Blockbuster season. While I did like this movie, for the first 15 minutes, I almost felt as though I could be watching a foreign film as it was all subtitles for the language the apes speak…and it was kinda fun.
I’m sure most already know the basic overview of the movie. It picks up where the last one left off. Most of the human population has now died off from the man-made ‘Simian Flu’ and the world has moved on to being occupied by a large ape population. Or so we think. This is where the movie got a bit cliched for me. The apes have the first 15-20 min. of the movie all to themselves as we see how they live now, in the forest they escaped to previously, with “Caesar” (Andy Serkis) being their leader. A conversation ensues between some of the apes about how they haven’t seen human’s in 10 years or so. Lo and behold within SECONDS of that conversation..who shows up??? a human!!! “Carver” (Kirk Acevedo) then does what..oh yeah..he shoots an ape. And so it goes..the beginning of plot where we all know what is going to happen as “Malcolm” (Jason Clarke), “Ellie”(Keri Russell), “Alexander”(Kodi Smit-McPhee) and “Koba” (Toby Kebbell -whom I loved as an actor since RocknRolla but sadly he’s all covered up as an ape) all show up along with Caesar, to stop any violence from further happening. See the humans are there to try and get the dam that is located in the apes forest, working so they can have power. They strike a deal and just like as with so many deals that have been struck over time, it doesn’t pan out the way it’s supposed to. Surprise! Surprise!
Just as Apes and Humans are not supposed to get along here, there are some ‘human-friendly’ apes and some ‘ape-friendly’ humans, who are both there to ensure that the day will be saved. There is not supposed to be any ‘ape on ape’ violence either. But Koba, an ape who was horribly mis-treated in labs by humans, absolutely hates humans and will do anything to make the other apes believe this. And sadly he does. But we have “Dreyfus”(Gary Oldman), who is the human version of Koba and believes all apes are trying to kill us. And the plot goes exactly as you think it will. A wrongly started War ensues when the apes get ahold of guns, but the truth has to come out and does. There are no surprises in this plot. One little part I found really funny, the apes are running in the now-defunct old BART system and comes up to some turnstiles, while they are apes and can leap-frog over them etc..one ape actually goes thru the turnstile like a human. I found that incredibly funny! Probably just me! ha!
To wrap it up.. the movie is visually quite stunning, when they go to close-ups of the apes, there is no question in your mind that they are real. This is not the Roddy McDowell costume of the 70’s, though I did love those. 🙂 The story-line also gives off a few big, true-to-heart messages. The major one being, there is both good and bad in everything and pretty much every species, and no matter what, you give a species that can operate machinery a gun, and they will use it not only against you, but most likely against their own also. In case anyone hasn’t figured it out, we are a destructive species.
Grade: C+
#peggyatthemovies
I’m not much of a crier at movies.. Usually, I know when someone is going to die or pass away, and I prepare for it. Not this movie, I knew what the ending was, I knew I would cry ~ and I did. I also laughed and learned a few things. Look, I realize there are some people out there who might not even know who Roger Ebert is and are wondering whaaat?? but for me Roger Ebert epitomized the word “MOVIES.”
And while there were many things I did not know about the man, that this movie nicely took me through to learn more about his earlier life and times, how he got to be the Film Critic for the Chicago Sun Times etc, I was a COMPLETE devotee of Siskel & Ebert ~ At the Movies. And this movie made me remember so many of the reviews, off camera moments, oft sarcastic remarks they made to each other and a big reminder of how far back I actually started watching them..as I even remembered my mom saying to me “why do you watch these guys ~ all they do is bicker” and I haven’t lived at home in many years now!! hahahaha And oh yes, bicker they did. But what made them special to me was not only the way they reviewed movies, as for me a two-thumbs up was a must-see, but you could see deep down the respect and admiration they really truly had for each other even though arguing like high-school boys over whom was right in their reviews. I loved every second of watching them. I will even admit that I used to *gulp* set my VCR to record their show..yep..my fandom knew no bounds..hahahahaha And I know people thought I was weird to be so into what so many of my friends considered a ‘weird show’ for someone my age then, to be watching..And just like now, I didn’t care. To say they shaped how I watch movies would be an understatement. They made me understand movies.
I remember being so saddened by Gene Siskel’s sudden death of a brain tumour, though it wasn’t as we learned, so sudden. He just kept it hidden. Roger chose a different route when he was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw. Devastating as it was, he kept going until he felt he could no longer be in public. They removed his entire jaw, he couldn’t eat, drink, speak..nothing..It’s devastating seeing what he went through, but that he handled it with a strength I’m guessing he didn’t even know he had. I know I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do it. I believe he had an amazing support system behind him with his wife, Chaz & his step-children/grandchildren also. Martin Scorsese and many of Roger’s film critic friends are featured throughout this movie, and tell it like it is. It’s quite wonderful, funny, and touching.
After Siskel, Roger had a lot of various co-hosts basically giving the a try-out so to speak..(if only I had been old enough dammit!! :)) And none worked so well as Richard Roeper. I was leary at first, thinking was he going to be as good as Gene, would there be that chemistry that they had before. And while it definitely was a different chemistry, it worked. Until Roger could no longer do a live show.
Roger Ebert could write about movies like no other.He had a way with words that no one else simply had. He was the 1st film critic to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. He became somewhat of a celebrity in his own right getting to be friends with some of the biggest names in film, yet that didn’t stop him from ever reviewing a movie thumbs up or thumbs down. I know my little movie review blog here could be taken as a bit laughable when compared to the things that Roger Ebert wrote..but that’s okay by me. Without him I would have never been exposed to the movies the way I am..He loved everything from the Hollywood Blockbuster to Independent Film to the little Foreign Documentaries that it took years for the Academy to even recognize. But he did, and with that true love of film ~ he touched a lot of people..I am proud to say I am one of those people he touched. So yes, this film and my review are an ‘Ode to Ebert’ so to say. Thank you Roger.. my little blog about something I love #peggyatthemovies exists because of you.
Grade: A
#peggyatthemovies
It’s been a week since I saw this movie and I don’t feel bad about not getting this review out sooner. Why? Two words.. WORLD CUP!! ha! I know it doesn’t belong in a movie review, but it’s really captured all my free time to write as it’s been enthralling.. more enthralling than this movie for sure!!
Sad thing is, they could have done so much with this movie and really made about 1001 different puns off of it and made it truly funny with all actual sex tapes of celebs that have ‘leaked’ over the years it’s a pun-lovers dream come true! . The fact that they turned it into a ‘soccer mom’ version (see there is soccer again ha!) stole the fun out of it. It starts off with “Annie”(Cameron Diaz) and “Jay”(a newly svelte Jason Segel) meet in college..yes, Cameron Diaz is trying to pull off playing college age here at first..it’s the usual story~line ~ they have great sex constantly and everywhere, fall in love, get married, have kids, sex life goes down the toilet, just they were told would happen. ZZZzzzzzz
What a surprise then (it’s not..truly not..) that they decide to get drunk when the kids are at ‘grandmas’ and make a sex tape which then oh so conveniently goes viral. I will admit that it finally got some funny moments at this point as they are trying to retrieve the ipads they have given as gifts to everyone from the mailman to their best friends, “Robby”(Rob Corddry) & “Tess”(Ellie Kemper) with an icloud similar app on it that has shared it with all of them, all the while receiving provocative texts from an unknown person who has viewed the tape that most will find at least a bit funny
And in a side-splitting scene with “Hank Piper”(Rob Lowe) who is actually the ‘conservative’ owner of “Piper Bros” the company who might actually be buying Annie’s blog because yes, she has one of those mommy/wife blogs, but Lowe is DEFINITELY the scene stealer here as these are the types of puns this movie should be FULL of..because it’s fantasticaly hysterical. Sadly, it’s also one of the only few high points of the movie.. After a somewhat funny escapade with their neighbors in the car, they decide to break into “youporn” the site that is now ‘hosting’ their video..and in a not-really-so-funny scenes they bring their kids with them as it’s the middle of the night and while there is another scene stealer here in Jack Black as the owner of the site.. it’s also very predictable.
Like I said, this movie has some funny moments..and most every guy will be all into seeing Cameron Diaz naked, much more so than girls will be at seeing Jason Segel naked I’m guessing. So that will be a draw and it will do well opening weekend. But except for a few scene-stealing moments, most notably by Rob Lowe, you got yourself a very average, so-so funny comedy here.
Grade: C-
#peggyatthemovies
Peggy at the Movies 