Tron

Beeps Pick: Tron: The Original Classic



Why I picked this film: I like to torture Apes with old "sci-fi" movies.  But seriously though, We're planning on watching Tron: Legacy pretty soon, and I'm all about knowing my roots.

Beeps:  It took all my self control to keep from shutting this off after about 10 minutes.  Not because it was terrible, but because it made me realize that you could say anything about computers in 1982, and no one would know or care.  I find this to be a recurring theme in lots of popular shows with "computer specialists" in them, and it enrages me just as much today.  Tron is the story of computer programs fighting off a super program that wants to add their uniqueness to its own.  Think The Matrix meets the Borg from Star Trek, only one tenth as cool or exciting.  The movie is hard to watch 30 years later, no doubt about it, but I actually sorta liked the story.  Those effects aren't very special anymore though... 2 Stars!

Apes: Wow... WOW... WOW... Things really have come along way in 30 years. Now we demand good acting, solid plots, less neon, and a little more SPECIAL in our EFFECTS! For the age of the movie I wasn't expecting anything crazy awesome in the technology I knew what I was getting my self into, but the story its self is TERRIBLE. I'm a big fan of watching the original before a new version or a sequel come out, but in this case just skip it! The neon space invader pacman mash up just isn't worth it. My mind has been turned to mush by the flashing strobe lights, poor story, less than stellar plot, and mediocre acting. I give it 1 1/2 stars for um... because its old and because you really should watch the old version to truly appreciate the new ones.

Overall we give this film 2 stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Inside Job

Beeps Pick: Inside Job



Why we picked this film:  I had heard about this on the radio as being a good film that explained the causes of the financial meltdown of the late 2000's.  So I decided to give it a whirl.

Beeps:  I guess the purpose of a documentary is to inform you of the subject in a manner that is somewhat entertaining.  To that end, mission accomplished.  After watching this film, I am now aware of how things ended up going so wrong in the economy.  The movie is dry, but there's a great story here that keeps you hanging on.  After watching this, I felt so jaded and disgusted by the greed of individuals, and then to see where those individuals are now... Wow.  It's a very good film.  It's a GREAT documentary.  If you have any interest at all in why we're in the financial druthers we're in now, go watch this film.  4 Stars!

Apes: This film will make you ANGRY... at least it should. Its crazy and informative. Like all documentaries I was a little hesitant, but agreed to watch this one. I'm really glad I did, but once again it only strengthened my doubt in humanity. How could so many people turn their backs on so many people it really is DISGUSTING. I recommend you watch this so I wont be the only angry person out there. Plus it really is informative about what a joke the government is. I give this film 4 stars for being informative, interesting, and having Matt Damon as the narrator.

Overall we give this film 4 stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Princess Mononoke

Beeps Pick: Princess Mononoke



Why I picked this film:  Another day, another Studio Ghibli film.  I picked this one because Apes has gotten so into Miyazaki's films, I wanted to share with her, the first one that I had the pleasure of watching. 

Beeps:  As I mentioned above, this was the first Miyazaki film that I watched, and for that, it will always hold a very special place in my heart.  Unlike the majority of his other films, I would classify this as not for children, as it is quite graphic at times.  The movie starts off with a bang, as our young hero, Ashitaka shows his bravery as he does battle with a foul beast attacking his village.  There isn't much time in the beginning to develop a bond with the characters, that happens later in the film.  This is okay, it's just a little different.  I think the movie suffers a bit from its length, it runs 2 hours and 14 minutes, but could probably be clipped at around 2 hours, as the ending just seems to drag on forever.  It's not a bad movie though, and if you're looking for an animated movie that tells an epic story that's not futuristic, give this one a try, you'll probably like it.  4 Stars!


Apes:  As I'm sure its GLARINGLY obvious by now I really do LOVE Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. What they do with anime is truly art. However, I wasn't a die hard fan of this one. The story is very hug a tree, save the forest, and talking animals. Anyone who knows much about me knows I HATE talking animals. I'm not really sure why. Its probably some irrational childhood fear or some other deep seated issue. As always the art and animation are amazing, but its a little too drawn out and a little too we love nature for me. This definitely isn't a kids movie some of the graphics are gross and there is lots of blood and death. I'd watch it again and give it another shot but for now I give it 3 stars. (but seriously watch Totoro!)

Overall we give this film 3 1/2 Stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Get Him to the Greek

Beeps Pick: Get Him to the Greek



Why I picked this film:  I chose this film because I love Russell Brand.  That's really the only reason.  Russell Brand is one of the funniest people alive today. 

Beeps:  This film is not for the feint of heart.  The drugs and drug usage flows, the women react much how you would expect them to with a rock star in their midst...  If you can get past that.  What you have at it's core is a genuinely funny film.  I just wanted to say, I have no problem getting past that, and in fact I believe that it lends itself to the affection that you can't help but feel for the characters.  Russell Brand reprises his rock star character Aldous Snow from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, if you enjoyed him in that film, you will most assuredly enjoy him here where he steps into the spotlight and shows that he can lead the way in a film.  4 Stars!

Apes:  Wow what a perverted roller coaster of a film. I feel almost dirty to admit that this is a very funny film, but its almost potty humor. Russell Brand is so funny check out our review of his stand up DVD! If you are mature, sophisticated, classy, or consider yourself an upright citizen then I'd recommend skipping this film. However, if you are a self proclaimed scum bag or shameless individual I say check it out. The comedy is low, the songs are terrible, and the whole movie is a whirlwind of shockingly tasteless jokes, but the acting is great, the script has a flow, and it really is funny. I give it 3 1/2 stars. I'd give it more, but I'm afraid it would make me feel dirty! :)

Overall we give it 4 stars.

~Beeps and Apes

My Neighbor Totoro

Apes Pick: My Neighbor Totoro



Why I picked this film: Apes = Anime Dork! Is that a good enough reason? I've said it before thanks to Beeps I'm a huge anime dork and Studio Ghibli mark. So its now my mission to see all the films! Which means I'll be reviewing them all here! Plus it came back to the library so I checked it out! (Support your local library yo!)

Beeps:  This movie gets a free pass in my book.  I'll explain more later, but as Apes mentioned above, I have sparked her interest in anime and more specifically the films of Studio Ghibli.  If you've seen any of Miyazaki's other films you know that they typically involve a character who starts off a bit of a brat, and then matures over the course of the film.  This is somewhat true for this film, although in a completely different way.  On to that free pass.  My Neighbor Totoro has no real action to speak of, I mean theoretically it should be an extremely boring film.  Yet, there's an incomprehensible cuteness about the characters that make it too endearing to not like.  This movie would make an excellent choice for anyone interested in getting started with anime, or someone who wants a family friendly animated movie to enjoy.  Be advised there is a scene in which the 2 girls take a bath with their father, which seems odd in our culture, but is normal in Japanese culture.  This is the only scene that would be even remotely objectionable, and I really don't see it as a big deal.  Just mentioning it in case you decide to show it to your kids, or your neighbor's kids.  4 Stars!

Apes: This movie gives me such a sweet, cuddly, warm, and fuzzy feel just thinking about it! Theres not a lot of dialog, no action, nothing crazy, but I honestly feel like I could watch this movie OVER AND OVER! Its just a peaceful film and such an adventure into child like imagination! I almost want to have kids just so I can share this with them ALMOST! The animation as always is great, the story is cotton candy sweet, and I'm now some how in love with Totoro! Its simple, peaceful, and wonderful! Check it out! I give it 4 1/2 stars for the emotion it makes you feel while watching it and the way saying Totoro will now and forever make me smile!

Overall we give this film 4 1/2 Stars

~Beeps and Apes

BlockBuster Top 100 Movie Bingo

So as you may know I (Apes) am VERY indecisive! I'll struggle with movie picks, what to wear, what to eat, or pretty much any decision. So I came up with the idea to create movie bingo after Beeps told me he wanted to watch and review all the movies on Blockbusters Top 100 Most Loved Movies List.

We took all the movies and added them to a bingo type format and took a few liberties with the list. The biggest change we made to the list is adding the WHOLE series if it only recommended 1 or 2 movies in the series. We figured it made no sense to watch Harry Potter 2, 3, and 6, but not the others. So YES this is quite a bit more than 100 movies and YES when we land on "The James Bond Series" we will watch them ALL.

Now for the fun part... YOU CAN PLAY ALONG! Download our handy dandy bingo board and then by using a Random Number Generator  (numbers 1 - 17) and a Random Letter Generator (letters a-e) (unless you have a nifty custom bingo caller in which case please share it with me). We guess you could also just random numbers 1- 100 and count them out... Whatever you choose... and then BAM random up some movie goodness!!

We will still be watching new, random, and whim movies of our choosing, but these are for the days one of us (Apes) is too indecisive to pick, or we don't have anything pressing we want to watch! So try it out.

We also take movie suggestions!

Have fun and watch some RANDOM movies!

~Beeps and Apes

Dune - (2000)

Beeps Pick: Dune (the one from 2000)




Why I picked this film: I blame Hayner!  While working at Blockbuster during the early 2000's, my buddy Anthony and I stumbled across this gem from the Sci-Fi channel (before they changed the name to SyFy), and we totally loved the movie.  He reminded me of this flick last week and he told me I had to make Apes watch it.  I have the books on my e-reader and so I thought this might kick start me into finally reading them.

Beeps:  Sometimes it is so easy to forget how bad something is...  Fortunately, this is only partially true for this film.  I'll expound upon that a bit more, later.  If you read my review of Akira, you know that my problem with that film is that they didn't really tell a full story from the source material.  If you've ever seen the 1984 version of this film you know exactly what I'm talking about.  The 1984 version of this film runs 2 hours and 17 minutes, this version runs a glorious 4 hours and 25 minutes.  Thankfully, the movie does not drag at all.  It is an epic tale that encompasses everything that you would expect.  The movie is full of  love, murder, revenge, politics, religion, action, and adventure, all rolled into 3 DVD's.  I love the fact that the film is split that way, it's roughly an hour and a half per disc, so it's easy to watch in pieces, or all at once, if you fancy that sort of thing.  The only detraction that I can say is that this is most assuredly a low budget production.  Most of the scenes are filmed on a sound stage and it shows.  There are plenty of scenes that it is very clear they are standing in front of a backdrop.  If you can repress that, and suspend disbelief, like you would if watching a theater performance, do yourself a favor and invest the time to watch this movie.  It is that good.  4 Stars!

Apes: Okay, so I'll admit I was totally dreading this! Four and a half hours of an "old" Sci-Fi film... uggh... However, I was very pleasantly surprised. The story is EPIC and the entire movie has that epic film feel in the same vein as Lord of the Rings and on a much more grown up level Harry Potter. The acting is well done and the special effects aren't too shabby (despite them reusing a few of the explosion scenes). This is one of those films with an iconic quote "The Spice Must Flow" that I've known for years and even used in dorky random conversations, but had never seen. I'm really glad I took the time to watch this film. Its definitely a way better use of my time than the 4 hours I gave to Napoleon Dynamite... Uggh. I'd recommend spacing this movie out over a couple of days, on a day where you are home sick and ready to vedge out, or using it as an AMAZING stall tactic like " Yeah honey I'll pick up your mother as soon as this movie is over." No matter how or why you decide to watch this film just make sure you DO indeed get around to watching it! Its definitely a must see film. I give it 4 1/2 stars (one for every hour and because I truly LOVED it)

Overall we give this film 4 and a half stars!

~Beeps and Apes

Dinner For Schmucks

Beeps Pick: Dinner For Schmucks






Why I picked this film:  I like The Office and Steve Carell by association.  He was good in the 40 Year Old Virgin and Paul Rudd is usually pretty funny too. 

Beeps:  Not a fan of this film.  There were some funny parts to be sure, but there was a disconnect here for me.  I think I know why this is.  To me, a movie where the main character is a victim of one unfortunate event after another, is not comedy.  This is the same reason, I am not a fan of Meet The Parents.  If I want to watch bad stuff happen to good people, I'll just turn on the nightly news.  To be honest, I actually find this type of comedy to be depressing.  I don't necessarily believe that this is a bad movie, I just happen to not be a fan, although like I said there were a few parts that made me laugh out loud.  1 and a half stars!

Apes: More like a movie for Schmucks. There are parts of this film that are memorable and down right funny, but for the most part the movie is just sad, depressing, and painful. The acting is sub par even Steve Carell who I love in The Office. I can't believe this story and plot were approved by any studio anywhere much less the money for the star power that still couldn't save this film. I give this film 1 star for the few jokes that will forever be stuck in my head.

Overall we give this film 1 and a half stars.

Beeps and Apes

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Apes Pick: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 




Why I picked this film: I have seen all the others so I figured it was about time to watch this one. Plus it just came out so what better time to watch and review it.

Beeps: I love Harry Potter!  I love the Harry Potter movies, although they had been progressively getting worse over the years.  Yes, I said it, the Half Blood Prince is an abomination of a film.  Nothing pleases me more than to tell you... Harry Potter is back!  Finally, they've managed to recapture some of the excitement of the earlier films.  This movie is a thoroughly kick ass ride back into the Harry Potter universe, and I really enjoyed the film.  4 Stars!

Apes: For as terrible as I find the books the movies are pretty great. The story line continues as expected, and I'm not a fan that this movie is a total cliff hanger, but it will be nice to see how they wrap the whole series. Although there isn't much you can say about the movies at this point... If you like the rest totally check out this one its not a waste of time, but be prepared for no conclusions and more questions than answers. I give it 4 stars because I didn't get bored once and because it is exactly what it promises a big box office popcorn flick!

Overall we give this film 4 stars.

Beeps and Apes

Kiki's Delivery Service

Apes Pick: Kiki's Delivery Service



Why I Picked this Film: When Beeps says I've been on an Anime kick he means it! I don't really know what happened, but I'm in love with Studio Ghibli. Now I'm on a mission to watch all of the Ghibli films! So for that reason I picked KiKi's Delivery Service.

Beeps:  I have seen this film before, but as I sat here and watched this, I couldn't help but question if I had or not.  I literally spent half the movie wondering if I had seen it, and after watching it again, I know why I had selective amnesia.  The movie suffers from a lack of caring,  there really isn't much about the film that makes me want to care about it.  I can deal with a movie that lacks excitement if the movie is cute such as (My Neighbor Totoro) or if the movie is thought provoking in some other way.  This film isn't all that cute, although it tries, and really isn't thought provoking at all.  Do yourself a favor and watch some of Miyazaki's other movies first, and if you're a hardcore fan then throw this turd into your DVD player.  1 and 1/2 stars! 


Apes: I'm really glad this wasn't my first Studio Ghibli film or I probably wouldn't be as addicted as I am. The idea behind all of Miyazaki's films is similar, but this one some how falls short. The stories are generally coming of age tales of young women who have to rely on a friend or mentor while they find their inner strength. This film however, is a let down. Its long winded, has needless characters, no real climax, and while you do care about the characters you don't really feel as though the main character Kiki has learned anything through her time alone. Plus, What a crappy witch if all she can do is fly - and how is she supposed to learn in her year away from home if she isn't around other witches? I just don't get it. I feel like there are HUGE plot holes and cohesion issues. I give it 2 stars and that is just for the amazing animation and feel of the art!

Overall we give this movie 2 stars

~Beeps and Apes

RED

Apes Pick: RED 



Why I Picked this Film: Lets face it Bruce Willis is hot and the older he gets the sexier he becomes. I really just can't help myself. Plus I remember laughing during the previews and wanting to see more so I figured why not. Plus its a new-ish movie which is a nice change from some of the older films we've been reviewing.

Beeps:  Welcome to easy cinema 101.  This movie was a delightful romp, but should only be taken for what it is, an entertaining way to kill an hour and a half.  Don't go looking for a serious flick here.  The ensemble cast performs well together, and the story moves along pretty well.  The characters almost seem to be stereotypes of themselves.  Bruce Willis is the kind-hearted ass kicker, John Malkovich is absolutely nuts, Helen Mirren is classy and refined, and Morgan Freeman is quiet but well-spoken, very insightful.  The pacing was excellent, and the story was pretty good too.  Definitely worth a watch!  3 1/2 stars!


Apes: I really enjoyed it. It was lighthearted, funny, fast paced, well written, and a great popcorn flick. This film will not provide a life changing revelation, but it should provide some laughter, chuckles, and enjoyment. Let me also add that Bruce Willis is still just as sexy as ever! The special effects are good which is to be expected with a film with this much star power. I've never wanted to be kidnapped by a lonely older man so bad before in my life! I mean come on who doesn't love the old under dog raising some hell, smashing down walls, and kicking ass and taking names? Possibly a sequel coming in the future. I give this movie 3 1/2 stars for enjoyability and entertainment.


Overall we give it 3 1/2 stars!

~Beeps and Apes

Akira

Why I chose this movie:  I selected this movie because Apes is starting to get seriously into anime.  Why not force her to watch the quintessential anime flick.  Not to mention the fact that Hollywood is creating a live action version of this film soon.

Beeps:  This film was my first introduction into anime.  This film should be nobody's first anime film.  The plot is shall I say, simply complex.  It's really not a difficult plot, but minor details within the plot get so complex, I still don't think I fully understand what I witnessed.  The problem with the film is that it stems from a 2,100+ page manga.  You cannot compress something that large into a two hour film and have it work out just fine, and I feel that it is the only real flaw of the movie.  I would love to see this re-done in animation form, stretched out into many hours and with a proper treatment from the source material.  This movie puts me in a reflective state and I can draw deeper thoughts from the characters and their traits within the movie.  As far as the animation goes, it is quite simply flawless.  This movie is from 1988 and it is finally starting to show a bit of that age, but make no mistakes, it is some of the best animation that you will ever see.  4 Stars!

Apes: Okay, so I'm a huge anime nerd... It's cool I know this, but this movie was totally not what I expected. Not only did I not care about the characters, but I didn't have a clue what was going on. I need more why or how in a movie. This movie just gives you a vague over view with random motorcycle chases and no real plot. Ehhhh not for me. The animation is well done and relatively flawless especially for the age of the film, but other than that I just wasn't very interested!  I give it 2 stars but purely for the beauty in the animation.

Overall we give it 3 Stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Scott Pilgrim VS the World

Why we chose this movie: We have really been slacking on blogging, and well watching movies all together. We both wanted to see this and heard it was pretty good so we went for it.

Beeps:  I had heard from friends that if you've read the graphic novels, that you'll hate the movie, but if you haven't, then you will love the movie.  I did not read the graphic novels, but I also didn't love this movie.  I really liked the first hour or so, but then things started spiraling downward from there.  I felt that the first few fight scenes were pretty well done, there was plenty of movie between them.  However, as we approached the end of the film it felt very rushed.  The last few fight scenes were sort of just there, and really didn't seem like they put much effort into them.  All in all, I think that it's worthy of a viewing.  Especially if you're into video games, slacking, or chicks with different colored hair.  2 1/2 stars.

Apes: This movie was alright. It started off strong, but after the 2nd or 3rd evil ex it really lost a lot. The film sort of felt like an indie film trying to be big budget box-office, and I don't think it quite worked. The characters are poorly developed and quite frankly I don't give a damn about them! If you don't care about the characters then whats the point? *shrug* If some one really wanted me to watch this with them I would, but I'd be sure to have a craft project or my laptop out! I give it 2 1/2 stars... take it or leave it! 

Overall we give it 2 1/2 stars.

~Beeps and Apes

What Slackers!

We have been total and complete slackers! How on earth have we not posted since NOVEMBER??? OMG did we die? We promise we have been watching movies, but for some reason we just haven't been taking the time to post about them! Shame shame shame on us! This is a problem that we will be remedying very shortly! So hold on tight!! :)

~Beeps and Apes