summer sequel
July 7, 2008
Angie and J-Mac shoot guns
Wanted **1/2 – James McAvoy as a nerdy nobody who suddenly realizes he’s the son of an assassin who is part of a larger group of assassins who kill people based on the thread count in pieces of fabric. This film has several entertaining action sequences, but the characters are not memorable enough for you to care what happens to them. There is a climactic scene where a son confronts his father, and I felt nothing due to zero setup (also known as character development) in the script. Truly technique over substance, and don’t get me started on the dump truck full of CGI rats with little bomb backpacks. Angelina Jolie stars.
eddie wigs out
The Incredible Hulk *** – an improvement over Ang Lee’s Hulk film (it’s not that Lee’s film is bad per se, it just wasn’t true to the smash ‘em up Hulk of comicdom), this one attempts to merge the TV show Hulk with the comic incarnation, and is successful in that regard. Norton is a capable Bruce Banner, and Liv Tyler, although no Jennifer Connelly is adequate as Betty Ross, and Robert Downey Jr. steals the show with his cameo reminding everyone that Iron Man was a better film. Still, this Hulk is worth checking out.
