Movies I've Seen Recently

I just saw The Wrestler this past month, and I gotta say, that movie was....okay. Don't get me wrong, Mickey Rourke's performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson", a down-on-his-luck has-been professional wrestler, was probably the best leading male performance of the year (the Oscars were wrong as usual). Also, the behind the scenes stuff of the underground wrestling world (which I didn't even know existed) was really interesting and engaging. Even the story itself was redemptive and satisfying. But as for the execution...I don't know. It could be that all the blatant drug use, sex, nudity, etc. made the film less appealing and more generic. However I think blame has to lie with director Darren Aronofsky. All too often I found myself loving characters when I wasn't "supposed to", or giving up hope in certain situations when I ended up feeling relieved. It was like a roller coaster ride of emotions...but not a fun, smooth roller coaster ride, but one where it's so slow that each twist, drop, and turn throws me out of whack and begging to be taken off....hmm, maybe it wasn't that bad. Anyways, rent it when it comes out if purely for Rourke's performance, which is incredible. But be careful, it may make you squeemish.

So maybe the first movie I saw in the new year wasn't the best, but this next movie could end up being one of my favorite's of the whole year. Coraline is the story of a little girl who is moved to a boring new home in a boring new town where each night her dreams bring her what she THINKS she wants out of life. However, the dreams start seeming like more than just dreams and what she thinks she wants turns out to be not so pleasant. Oh man! This movie was soooooooo freakin' good! I loved every second of it! The "dream" sequences were quirky and dark (as dir. Henry Selick's films, like Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, tend to be), presenting an alternate-universe version of Coraline's actual parents, home, and neighbors. And the coolest part is that it was shot COMPLETELY in stop-motion animation and 3-D. And this is not MarineLand 3-D where little fish swim at you for no apparent reason. There were little-to-no blatant 3-D shots where a stick is poked toward the camera or something stupid. It was all beautifully atmospheric and captivating, making you feel like you are actually a part of Coraline's world. BEWARE THOUGH, PARENTS! This should NOT have been PG. It is very dark, very scary, and there is an awkward old lady with big boobs that bounce around pretty much uncovered except for a shell-like pasty. It's funny, but probably too much for kids. But anyone into weird fantasy movies, GO SEE IT NOW! IN 3D!

Last year was the year of the Superhero Movie. I think this year will be the year of the animated movie, with Pixar's Up, the Tim Burton produced 9, Dreamworks Monsters Vs. Aliens, Disney's star-studded A Christmas Carol, and another Ice Age movie all being released. What do you think? Am I right, or am I right?

By the way, shameless plug: if you live in Jacksonville, go to http://www.imfromduval.com/, which is written by my friend Eric Dennis. The funniest Jacksonville-based blog on the planet.