Luca

First astonishing fact about this film: the main character’s parents aren’t dead. Second...well, there really isn’t anything else astonishing about this flick. It’s cute, reasonably entertaining—my attention did not wander at any point in its running time—visually impressive (though that hardly counts at this point, so refined is the state of the art) and at least a little bit heart-tugging. I doubt this one will ever enter into anyone’s pantheon—the somewhat similar Coco is substantially more memorable—but watching this work can hardly be considered a waste of time. And if you take it as an oblique homage to Italian cinema in general, then that adds a further dimension of pleasure to the experience. Like many a visit to the shore, this is enjoyable but ultimately ephemeral.

Big Hero 6

Yeah, it’s one of those movies where the principal characters are geniuses, but nobody knows how to pronounce “data.”  Make of that what you will. What was made of this story and script by the producers was a decent action flick, though one that—true to the legacy of actioners—doesn’t stand up to a lot of scrutiny. So definitely don’t overthink it. Most of what goes on here is entertaining enough, but it is curious in a number of ways. Why the made up, mashed up city? Probably because it was that way in the original book, but that doesn’t necessarily answer the question. Why did someone think that out-of-control tech would be a source of comedy? In fact, that’s getting less and less funny with each passing day. And, again, why is Disney so damn obsessed with dead parents? Ultimately, it all adds up to an enigmatic movie, one that’s enjoyable to some extent—certainly so in terms of the visuals, which are impressive all the way through, and in the character of Baymax, who is about the most endearing robot in all of cinema. But it's also a movie that leaves the viewer feeling that the final product could have been better. The patient survives, for sure, but maybe isn’t quite completely satisfied with his care.

Bridesmaids

I was sure I'd give this movie a PURR after watching the first hour. Then things started to falter, and doubts crept in. Eventually, the story rallied, and enough laughs came in the final half-hour or so to hold the whole enterprise up in positive territory. But the unevenness is there, and worth noting, meaning this flick is not quite the perfect piece of work it is often made out to be. Still, this one is probably the best work from at least some of the principals involved, particularly Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and (maybe) Melissa McCarthy. It's definitely worth watching--I'm just saying maybe don't marry it.

Idiocracy

Let he who is without the sin...You've set yourself up for a rough ride when you make a movie about the ubiquity of stupidity, then turn around and seed lots of stupid throughout the movie itself. I'm feeling what Mike Judge has to say here, but the execution could have been much, much better. You've got to think it through! Posted 5/9/09.