Series Review: Political Animals

I'll start this review by admitting fully that I only found this series because I searched "Sebastian Stan" on Netflix, and this was the thing I hadn't seen. So my motives going in were as shallow as they come. 

Thank god they reward shallowness in my world.

'The pleasant surprise for this miniseries that reads like it should be an introduction to a full series (and sadly isn't) is that it's really, really good. Yes, okay, tune in to watch Sebastian Stan being beautiful and making out with boys. I did. But Sigourney Weaver is ridiculously charismatic, and particularly if you're someone who enjoys things like The West Wing, you're going to get sucked in fast.

I told you - I'm shallow. 

The pace is quick, the dialogue is sharp, the actors are all fantastic. Since there are only six episodes to get through, it's a quick watch and well worth the time. Now streaming on Netflix.

Movie Review: Trust Me

I do. I really, really do.

I suppose it's no surprise given last week's Hottie of the Week post that I purchased a digital copy of this as soon as it went live on Amazon. I mean, literally as soon as it did. I may have been refreshing the page a little. Don't judge me. 

In any case, I finished watching a few minutes ago, and I really enjoyed myself. To start off, this movie has a fantastic cast. Even the smallest parts are played well, and the leads are all stellar. I confess fully to being biased when it comes to Clark Gregg, who I already adore (and who, it should be noted, wrote and directed the movie in addition to starring in it), and the ever-lovely Amanda Peet, but even actors I was less familiar with and the handful of newcomers really shone. Saxon Sharbino (how cool is that name, people?!) was especially fantastic. I fully expect to see her pretty much everywhere soon.

One caution: don't walk in expecting all laughs. It's a dark comedy, which means you'll feel like grabbing for the tissues as often as the popcorn. The balance between the two is handled with real grace, and what the movie sometimes lacks in subtlety, it easily makes up with substance and heart. Well worth the time and money - you won't be disappointed. So go buy it.

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

I could pretend that I'm going to do an in-depth, thoughtful review here, but we don't really need that, do we? If you're going to go see Iron Man 3, you're going to go see it.  You're either a fan already or you're being dragged by someone, but either way, it's a done deal. So here's a quick guide to my highlights and lowlights.

The Good

• The characterizations are fabulous. RDJ is in fine form and perfectly bitchy with everyone from Pepper to small children. Really, he calls a small child a pussy. It's amazeballs.
• The action is great. I'm not big on CG replacing physical action, but it's really well done here. The textures on the armor alone are enough to be impressive. I love that it's never pristine. Excellent attention to detail.
• Ben Kingsley. I can't even tell you WHY he's so great without spoiling things, just trust me.
• Gwyneth Paltrow's abs. Sorry, they're so rockin' they deserve their own entry. Wow. I need her to be my personal trainer. 
• Despite the production team screwing with the audience by making the credits last 10 minutes, it's pretty worth it. The closing credit sequence is done in an 80s TV show style, and after that it's all about spotting fake names. Enjoy! Besides, the after credits scene is hilarious and well worth the wait.

The Bad

• Suspension of disbelief is part of all movies, especially superhero movies, but I found it VERY difficult to ignore that they didn't mention Captain America once. It made perfect character sense for Tony to not ask for help, but the overall danger and plot of the movie really cried out for Cap to step in - asked or not. If he wasn't going to be there, they needed at least a quickie cover story for it.
• Some of the danger wasn't as,  y'know, dangerous as it could have been. Too often it was too obvious that everything would be fine and why. But that's a super generic hero movie complaint, so it's a minor quibble. 

Basically? It's a super fun entry into the new Marvel catalogue, and fans will be pleased to see that they've raised their game since Iron Man 2, which was distinctly "meh" with the exception of some interesting character moments. Now, get thee to the theater, fellow geeks!

Evil Dead 2013

Let me apologize for taking so long to get this up. Hubby and I actually got the chance to see an early screening of the Evil Dead remake last Thursday. As excited as I always get when seeing a new movie (especially a new horror movie), I had reservations. I love the original Evil Dead trilogy. It's campy and fun and silly. It's got Bruce Campbell. When I originally heard they were doing a remake, I was horrified. When Bruce nicely asked fans to give it a shot before judging... oh, come on, like YOU could say no to Bruce Campbell.

I'm glad he paved the way for an attitude change on my part because I have to say I was pleased. While I find some of the movie's intro to be a bit slow (some of the acting is, as in the original, a bit iffy, so being asked to do nothing but watch it...), but once things heat up, they stay that way. The horror unfolds quickly, and there are plenty of squeamish "I can't look!" moments, which is saying something since I hardly had to glance away during the Saw franchise.

What I found most heartening is that the movie's sense of playful, dark humor is fully intact. While this is definitely not a slapstick romp like much of the original trilogy, there are definitely moments that will make you chuckle. Old school fans will appreciate all the nods to the original. There's respect here. Despite being a remake, this isn't a movie asking you to forget the past and pretend it never happened - and I'm cool with that. If you're a horror fan who enjoys a bit of darkness, blood, and offbeat humor, do yourself a favor and check this out when it hits theaters in April.

Movie Review: Struck by Lightning

The greatest compliment I can give Struck by Lightning is that I wasn't thinking about Glee at all as I watched it. Obviously like most people, I fell in love with Chris as Kurt on Glee (he was my favorite character by about 10 minutes into the pilot). While I always want to see actors I love succeed in their endeavors, I'm sure I'm not alone in having butterflies in my stomach when they move away from what I fell in love with them in. It can be scary because you know that you're sitting down to watch the moment when you might fall out of love with the actor to a degree and realize you're just in love with a character.

Thankfully, that is not the case here. Chris is a fluid, adept actor. Apart from one brief "Kurt" look in a daydream sequence, you won't be thinking about sequins and show tunes. At all. I'll take a moment here to confess that as a former struggling small town school newspaper editor and writing fanatic myself, I saw a lot of me in Carson. A lot, right down to the absentee dad (who thank god never put me in the position Carson's dad put him in - I lack the grace to have handled it so well). Thankfully I had a mom who always read my work, supported me, and smoothed over a lot of those rough times.

This movie is a downer in a lot of ways. You start the film off knowing you're about to spend an hour and a half falling for a character who is already dead. This isn't a spoiler: the movie opens with him dying. But that doesn't matter, really, because the point is the experience. The point is seeing how easy it is to give up on your dreams and how hard and painful it can be to fight for them - and how much it's worth it. Every single performance is honestly wonderful. Chris Colfer is brilliant (again, I was relieved and pleased and giddy about that), Allison Janney is heartbreaking and messed up and amazing as Carson's mother, Polly Bergen will make you want to call and spend time with grandparents you don't even have, and Rebel Wilson is a total scene stealer (despite not having an American accent totally under her control just yet).

Basically, if you don't mind some sniffles and tears along with your revelations and moments of zen and humor, this movie is entirely worth your time. Hell, to support Chris and company, I vote that you click the link at the top of this puppy and rent it whether that's your cup of tea or not. I walked away from SBL inspired, shaken, and incredibly excited to see what Chris has in store next.