Joe’s Review: The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian
May 28, 2008 by Joe · 2 Comments
The first thing I’d suggest before seeing Prince Caspian is to go out and watch the first one. You can get The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian is the sequel to the 2005 film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. One year has passed since the Pevensies have left Narnia. However, in that time, hundreds of years have passed in Narnia, and the great kingdom they once ruled has fallen into shambles. The Telmarines have waged war against the Narnians in an attempt to render them extinct. Even worse, the self-appointed ruler of Narnia, General Miraz, has attempted to place his own son as the heir to the throne by assassinating Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne. However, with the help of his professor, Caspian manages to escape, and seek help in the Old Kings and Queens of Narnia. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, so I’ll stop there. Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information.
The story behind Prince Caspian does seem epic. Does the film succeed in bringing this to the big screen? In my opinion, it does, but only to an extent. There are several conflicts throughout the film that give the feel of an epic movie, but in the end, the scope of the movie doesn’t seem big enough to make it an epic. This might have been what ended up hurting it at the box office. Narnia seemed to try to appeal to a Lord of the Rings crowd while at the same time maintaining the story that appealed to a younger crowd. If they had picked one route or the other, the film might have been more of a commercial success.
That being said, the special effects and camera work in for Prince Caspian was very good. The colors they used, and effects to make the movie seem grand worked for me. As my supervisor (the day job) said when we were discussing the movie:
It was really relaxing, with the cinematography being so visually pleasing. You just got caught up in it.
An excellent way to put it. I couldn’t agree more. That, in my opinion, was the highlight of the film for me. Even though there were special effects aplenty, it didn’t feel too “manufactured”. Just right, in my honest opinion. But then again, my opinion is my own…you may disagree.
Overall, Prince Caspian was an enjoyable movie. It did the trick on a long holiday weekend where I didn’t really have too much else to do other than build furniture for my mom. I have to say that came out nice, and I’ll be taking pictures of it to show off my handywork :-). Oh, and I’ve got an exciting annoucement (for me, anyway) that I hope will bring lots of attention and great stuff for you guys, just for reading (and commenting) on this blog! That’s just a “preview” though, so look out for that.
So, did you see Prince Caspian? What did you think?
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Movies This Weekend! 5/30/08
Indiana Jones really rocked the box office last weekend, raking in $126 million. That’s a little less than I thought, but it does have another chance this weekend, with movies that are “beatable”. That’s not to say that they won’t be blockbusters, I just (personally) don’t think that they have the same blockbuster qualities that an Iron Man or an Indiana Jones did. Who knows though, I’ve been wrong before. Let’s take a look!
Sex and the City: The Movie - Directed by Michael Patrick King, Rated R
Sarah Jessica Parker and the ladies from the hit HBO series make their way to the big screen this summer. All the familiars from the show will return, with Jennifer Hudson being introduced as Carrie Bradshaw’s new assistant.
Joe’s Take - Sex and the City will be big with the crowd that it’s trying to draw. However, I just don’t see it appealing to everyone, and that’s what is going to hurt it at the box office. Basically, if you’ve seen the show, and liked it, then you probably will go out, see this movie, and like it. That’s how I think it’ll work. Of course, there will be the men that will be dragged on with their ladies (I might be), and they will add to it’s box office gross. I suspect it will take in about $40 million… with Indy still taking in a big chunk of the box office!
The Strangers - Directed by Bryan Bertino, Rated R
For years, the events that took place in the Hoyt family’s vacation home have not been known. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Kristen McKay and her boyfriend James Hoyt. After leaving a wedding reception and returning to the vacation home, everything has collapsed for the couple. When a knock comes late at night with a haunting voice, asking “Is Tamara here?” What happens next explores every facet of the most universal fears in the world, and masked strangers torture their victims just because they are home. James and Kristen must go far beyond what they ever thought they would need to to survive.
Joe’s Take - Well.. first off, for a horror/thriller, it bodes well that the film is rated R. That means that they can get pretty intense with what they do. I’m a little curious as to who these “Strangers” are, and I think that in a very busy summer season, this film will not be totally lost. It has a decent story I think, and there will be those who just don’t want to see Sex and the City or Indy. Not to mention that there will be plenty of kids that are trying to sneak into the movie because it’s the cool thing to do. Ugh. $15 mil at the box office I think!
Like Fletch said, these posts are getting less intensive, which is good for me! I can prepare them the night before (Monday or earlier), and just set it off to post at Noon on Tuesday so you guys don’t have to wait! I’m still working on my review of Prince Caspian, which I enjoyed, and I’ll try to have that out by Wednesday. In the meantime, I’d like to know what movies you guys have seen this summer, and if you plan on seeing either of these two?
That’s it! Cut, and print it!
Jerk! at the Movies #2
May 24, 2008 by Joe · 9 Comments
I really didn’t think I’d be updating this feature again so quickly, but I really need to right now. Sometimes people can be the biggest jerks without even trying. I mean, these people weren’t mean, they didn’t do anything really personally to me, but they still really really made me mad. Ok maybe not extremely mad, but I was definitely ticked. Read more
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Joe’s Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
May 22, 2008 by Joe · 4 Comments
Wow, that title really is long. And “wow” is the one word that I would use to describe Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The latest installment (19 years in the making) in the Indiana Jones series features things you definitely don’t expect out of an Indy movie. It does bring back a lot of what made the Indy series so popular, but there are some “are you serious?” moments for sure.
First off, I really enjoyed the film. The intro scene wasn’t quite what I thought it would be, but it segued nicely into what was to come. It was really great how they introduced Indy back to the big screen with his trademark hat. 
I also thought Cate Blanchette did an excellent job as the villain Irina Spalko, a top Russian scientist trying to develop psycho-weapons for the KGB.
The basic story behind The Crystal Skull is … the crystal skulls. Indy is brought into the middle of the Russian Mission to find relics to help them develop psycho-weapons. The one that they are after is … the crystal skull, which was found to have powers over people, even speaking to people to get them to do what it wants. It is supposedly a lost relic of the ancient Mayan civiliation. Legend has it that when the skull is returned to the city from which it came, the person who brings it back will get great riches and all the power of the city.
Throughout the adventure, there are your typical Indiana Jones scenes. There’s a fight with a large foreign guy in a pit of stuff… there’s running from stuff that threatens to kill you, and plenty of things popping out of places where they shouldn’t. Oh, and snakes too… there has to be snakes. I don’t want to spoil the movie so I’ll leave things at that as far as a synopsis goes.
Anyway, another aspect of The Crystal Skull that I really enjoyed was the introduction of Shia LaBoeuf as Mutt Williams. His character was likable, got involved in the action really well, and added a nice little aspect of clashing with Indy. I know I’ve ripped on him a little bit over at Film School Rejects, but I think that this was a very good choice for someone to bring into the series. Something about his acting style and the way he interacted with Harrison Ford made his character perfect.
Harrison Ford’s return as Indy was also admirable. For someone his age (even though I’m sure there were stunt doubles). he pulled off the role very well. Indy’s wit and brains were there as usual. He did a very good job of keeping the Indy feel of the movie. I don’t know if there will be another film in the series, but I think they’ve got to do it soon if Lucas plans on doing it, because I’m not sure how much longer Ford will be able to play the character. That being said, his performance was brilliant.
So what makes me say “Wow” about Indy?
I keep cutting my head off a bit in the videos… I’ll work on that!
Rating: 
- Definitely go see this!
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Movies this Weekend! 5/22/08
May 20, 2008 by Joe · Leave a Comment
Welcome back again! Looks like my predictions for last week were a bit off.. Narnia unfortunately bombed at the box office. Well, it bombed when compared with what was expected of it… and this huge blockbuster season. With only one movie opening this weekend, there’s only one chance to begin to make it up. Fortunately for the box office, I have a feeling the movie opening this weekend is gonna be a huge hit, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know what it is!
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Directed by Steven Spielberg, Rated PG13
When Indiana Jones last went on an adventure, the time was 1938, and the world was on the brink of war as Jones tried to find the Holy Grail. Now, 19 years later, it’s time for another adventure. Many things have changed, while others have stayed the same. The world is again in danger, threatened by nuclear annihilation. Indy must strive to ensure that a precious, mysterious object remains safe against those who are trying to destroy humanity.
Joe’s Take - It’s Indiana Jones, do I really need to say more? The answer to that question is no, but I’m going to anyway. It’s been a long time coming since the last Indy film, and there are definitely going to be high expectations. I can’t guarantee that the movie is going to please all the fans are sure to criticize it, but I can guarantee you this: It’s gonna rock the box office. Look for Indy to do a bit better than Iron Man, raking in $125 million.
That’s all for this weekend, it should be a huge weekend! I’m going to be extra busy.. and thats good, cuz my baby’s gone all weekend. That’ll give me a bit of time to catch up on watching some movies… gonna catch Narnia and this one… let me know if you’ve seen either… what did you think? Also don’t forget about the Theme Song poll, win a movie soundtrack!
Jerk! at the Movies #1
Hey all, this is a new feature that I’d like to introduce here at Intermission at Work. It’s called Jerk! at the Movies, and it’s basically going to be a little compilation (I’m thinking weekly) of any bad guests or experiences I might have at the movies! It’ll be a nice little way to vent out some of the frustration sometimes!
Before I continue, I’d like to mention that you can still vote for the Best Theme Song and win a movie soundtrack
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I Didn’t See Narnia Today :-(
May 17, 2008 by Joe · Leave a Comment
I really wanted to see Prince Caspian today, and I even convinced the girl to see it with me! It must have been my viewing of What Happens in Vegas with her last week! I really enjoyed the first Chronicles of Narnia movie. I think it might have been the last one I went to go see by myself actually. I don’t know why I did it, but I really really wanted to see it at the time, and I think that kinda translated onto this movie as well!
Anyway, we were this close to seeing the movie. We’d just pulled up to my theatre, and found a nice parking spot when some random lady tells me to lower my window. Great… I was hoping she wasn’t going to complain about me parking next to her. She didn’t, thankfully, but instead gave me some information that kinda ruined my day a bit.
The theatre has no power.
BOOOOOOO! It’s going to be hard enough to keep up with seeing blockbuster after blockbuster this summer! Now I have to wait to go see Narnia. Hopefully I find some time this week.. but I don’t know. In any case, we headed back to my place and ended up watching the red sox, then heading out for dinner afterwards. I still had a good day! Even though Bed Bath and Beyond only had a dented version of the trash can I want to get for my room…
Any of you guys seen Prince Caspian yet? I’d like to hear your reviews if you get a chance. I think I might do my first video review with this movie. I just set up my tripod for my Flip Video Camera
Any Movie Moguls out there?
May 15, 2008 by Joe · 2 Comments
Anyone ever play Movie Moguls over at IMDB? I just saw it on the homepage and realized that I had a lot of fun playing the last time I played, and it’s all about movies so it’s really relevant here! Please leave a comment if you’re interested in playing, and I’ll set it up. Maybe I can scrounge up a good prize for the winner! It better be good, cuz I’m gonna win…. Read more
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Joe’s Review: What Happens in Vegas
May 15, 2008 by Joe · 4 Comments
You are probably pretty familiar with this saying. If you’re familiar with that, then you’ll probably be familiar with the plot of the latest Cameron Diaz/Ashton Kutcher film. The quick, dirty review for What Happens in Vegas is exactly that: You’ll get what you expected. Don’t expect more, don’t expect any less. It’s not a winner , per se, but I’d say that you come out even on this.
What Happens in Vegas pairs together Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz as two complete opposites. One, Jack Fuller, is a playful, lazy, never gets it done type of guy. He can’t even cut it in his dad’s own company, and ends up getting fired. On the other hand, Diaz plays Joy McNally, an overachieving, don’t be spontaneous gal. Unfortunately for her, she is too over the top for her fiancee, and he ends up dumping her. These two, along with their best friends, decide that the best way to get over all that’s just happened to them is to pack up and head to Vegas!
After a mix-up at their hotel, the pair end up having a wild night, which ends up in the two of them being married. Realizing that this is probably a mistake, the two agree that they probably shouldn’t be married, and will get it annulled. Jack doesn’t exactly use the best words when describing how he sees it, and the two get into a huge argument at the casino. As they are about to both leave, Fuller uses a quarter that Joy gave him to play slots. He hits it big. $3 Million Big. All of a sudden, the two are competing for the money that each thinks is rightfully theirs. Taking it to court, they are sentenced to “be married” for 6 months, with the results of the marriage determining what happens to the money.
You can pretty much get the picture as to what happens next. Neither one of them like each other to start, and plan on making the other fail. Their friends try to help them get the other to break… and so on and so on. Try to guess what the ending is.
I have to say that there were some very likable characters in the cast. It DID have me laughing out loud at some points, and it wasn’t absolutely horrible. Predictable, as I mentioned, but not horrible. A positive for me was Rob Corddry, who I also really enjoyed in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. He’s been playing some really nice roles, roles that fit his character perfectly!
Overall, I’m not going to say that I’d recommend this movie to everyone. Like I said, it’s going to be exactly what you expect it to be, so keep that in mind if you’re headed out to see it. For my final rating, see below!
Rating: 
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Movies This Weekend! 5/16/08
May 13, 2008 by Joe · Leave a Comment
Man, the summer movie season is starting to hit full swing, despite the disappointment that was Speed Racer last weekend. It doesn’t stop this week, with another major release. Hopefully you’re enjoying what’s been released so far. I honestly think this Summer might be even bigger than last summer… and that’s hard to top when you consider some of the movies that came out last summer:
- Shrek 3
- Spider Man 3
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
And many more! There’s already one bona fide hit in Iron Man this year… does this week send out another?
Well… if it’s going to, we know which one it’s going to be. That’s because there’s only one major release this week. It’s kind of expected, especially with movies getting bigger and bigger, and competition for a smaller and smaller niche takes over. Anyway, here you have it!
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - Directed by Andrew Adamson, Rated PG
The second chapter of the bestselling C.S. Lewis books. The Pevensie siblings are once again brought to the world of Narnia, one year after they left it last time. However, 1300 years have passed in Narnian time, and the Golden Age of Narnia has come to an end. The Telmarines have taken over, and Narnia is under the rule of King Miraz, who rules ruthlessly. The four siblings soon meet Narnia’s rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who has been forced into hiding. King Miraz plans to put his own son on the throne after he passes. With the help of some magical creatures in Narnia, the four siblings and Caspian embark on a wonderful journey to try to reclaim the rightful throne.
Joe’s Take - What can I say, this is going to be huge. I didn’t think that I would enjoy the first one, but I found that the great special effects combined with some likeable characters made me enjoy it a lot. Personally, if you’re a fan of Harry Potter type fantasy movies, you’ll really enjoy this one. It’s going to finally push the Iron Clad hero off the top of the charts and rack in about $100 mil in the process. Get ready to wait in some long lines… but it’ll all be worth it!
Ahh.. the summer movie season. I love it. Extended hours at the theatre, and a ton of fun movies to watch. Is Prince Caspian on your list of must sees this summer? It’s on mine!
