Sunday, March 27, 2011

Name a movie that begins with 'R'

I'll give you two: 'Red Riding Hood' and 'Rango'. I got a chance to watch both these movies recently, which is great given that my workload has been immensely hectic. I wanted to see 'Red Riding Hood' because I found the trailer and the concept really interesting, while 'Rango' had a really high rating from critics in Rotten Tomatoes so I thought I should go see it as well.

Strangely enough, my reactions to both films were quite the opposite of the ratings they got from both critics and general audiences. I though 'Rango' was just okay. The story was good and the animation was fantastic. In fact, it is probably one of the most well-animated films I have ever seen, and the man in that scene where Rango talks to the Spirit of the West looked so real that it had me - and still has me - wondering if the man is real or animated. Nevertheless, I wasn't as entertained by it as other people who have seen it. I guess that might be partly due to the fact that I've never really been a fan of Westerns.

On the other hand, I found 'Red Riding Hood' really entertaining despite the film being panned by critics and most other viewers who watched it. I liked the fact that this werewolf film got its inspiration from, and built its story around, a fairy tale from which it took its title. It took several elements from the classic children's story - from the big bad wolf to the grandmother and her house to the actual red hood - and weaves all that into a murder-mystery framed against a love story. I wasn't necessarily inspired by the romantic angle and I correctly guessed who the werewolf was early on. Despite this, I liked the drama, the tension, and the conflict in 'Red Riding Hood', and I thought the period setting, along with the stunning cinematography and visual effects, made it a really good watch. When I think about it, though, I think the solid performances from the cast, specifically Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, and Julie Christie (who played the grandmother) truly sold the film.

I still tend to miss a lot of movies that I want to see (example: Adjustment Bureau). Hopefully I can find time to visit the cinema more often.

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