Movie Reviews by Eggbox

Entries categorized as ‘fantasy’

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)

11 May 2008 · Leave a Comment

About time …

Te To say that I have been waiting for this movie to come out is an understatement, the first one [Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)] was a blast. Now don’t misinterpret what I am saying here, the plots in both movies are 100% stupidity, the characters are larger than life and the situations they get into unbelievable if you think for more than a millisecond.

The setup …

The movie starts where the last one left off, right after the dudes have downed a number of White Castle burgers.

A quick explaination for those people who do not live in the US; White Castle is a fast food chain where the burgers are incredibly small but are very tasty. The only problem is that the meat is … well … not prime and the affects on the body are somewhat random. You usually purchase more than you should eat (along with loads of fries and too much soft drink). They are affectionatly known here as “sliders”, they slide in and they slide out the other end.

So we get the picture of Harold (the Asian dude) (played by John Cho) in the shower feeling good about himself because the connected with the hottie in the lift (elevator for our US cousins), smooth music and slow motion, probably the most artistic shot in the whole movie. Luckily this does not last long because Kumar (the Indian dude) (played by Kal Penn) punctuates the moment by taking a dump of mammoth proportions and shattering Harold’s moment.

Guantanamo Bay here we come …

As the title of the movie suggests the pair end up in Guantanamo Bay through a series of events that are just classic, Kumar tries to get into the Mile High club, not in the biblical sense, think of it as more as the Mile High As a Kite Club, he has even invented a battery powered bong to get the most out of the weed, what a guy!

Another aspect of the pot is Kumar’s lost love who they meet when they are at the airport, we see that there is a spark there but the plot takes a twist when we find out that she is marry Kumar’s mortal enemy from college. This dude (Colton played by Eric Winter) is your run of the mill slime ball who you just want to slap, be patient and everything will work itself out :)

They get on the plane and get arrested by sky marshalls, taken back to the US and interrogated by a secret service offical who is wonderfully played by Rob Corddry, he is an idiotic simpleton who cannot see past his pressed shirt and stupid tie. I just hope that his character is not based on fact but I feel that may not be the case.

So they get to Guantanamo Bay and after a short spell in the cells and some interesting dialogue with the other inmates and guards they get out and back to the US, thus ensures a road trip like the previous movie but with the added suspense of being hunted down by the government.

Where now …

They end up in Miami Florida where they meet a friend who they ask for assistance, this is a great scene, the dude drop in while there is a party going on. Ok, here is where the smut level hits 10, it is not a topless party (which would have been fun) but bottomless, there are some very interesting designs where most men will be looking when the opportunity arrises, I saw a mohawk and a US flag, very creative. The scariest thing here is their friend who is also bottomless, that dude needs a haircut, not on his head.

So the guys borrow a bright yellow open top Mustang and are dressed like Crocket and Tubbs from Miami Vice, so they start their trip, as you can imagine they lose the car are end up with the KKK. This is a short scene that does a great job of making the KKK out to be a bunch of simple, stupid wankers, I don’t think the writers had to make up much stuff here.

The creepy house …

They end up in a hunters lodge with a hottie wife and a cyclopes kid, this is reminisent of the scene with Freakshow in the last movie, it plays out Ok but I felt that it was a bit forced.

Neil Patrick Harris is a God …

What a guy, he is such a sport and a mental at the same time. We meet him as the guys flag down a car and (what a surprise) it’s NPH. He is munching on magic mushrooms, swilling beer and Jack Daniels and still drives better than most people. The scene where he sees the unicorn talking to the FBI man is wonderful, the only problem is that he takes an exit too early in the film.

The final reel …

So it comes down to Harold and Kumar meeting up with good ole George Bush, the movie makes him out to be a pot head (pretty accurate from my perspective) and they get a pardon and a trip to Kumar’s ex-girlfriends wedding. The bottom lines is that Kumar gets the girl, they go to Amsterdam and Harold gets his girl, the last montage is worth sitting through some of the credits for.

Bottom line …

This movie had a lot to live up to, the writers did a good job getting all the things you (now) expect from a Harold and Kumar movie, they did not hold back on the bad taste and everyone gets their just desserts (except NPH).

As you have probably worked out I liked this movie and am giving it a 9 out of 10 because it lived up to the hype and it did make me laugh (boy do I need that at the moment). I don’t have any inside information but I really really hope that they come out with another one sooner rather than later, there is so much that they could take the piss out of, here are some suggestions.

  • Harold and Kumar run for President
  • Harold and Kumar buy a House and don’t get it Repossessed
  • Harold and Kumar run the Federal Reserve
  • Harold and Kumar stick it to the Oil Companies
  • Harold and Kumar run the United Nations

The possibilities are endless, put these guys in charge of something big, give them a big bag of weed and see whether they can cock it up any better than the guys running it now, I think not.

Ratings

Overall rating:
9/10
For making me laugh
Special effects:
6/10 (not much really)
Acting:
5/10 (par for the course)
Music:
6/10 (fine for this type of movie)
Where seen:
Movie Theater
Perceived length:
Short

Categories: Good · fantasy
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The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

25 April 2008 · Leave a Comment

I saw this movie again this week at home and enjoyed it as much as I did when I saw it at the movie theater with my son. The basic plot is that a lonely boy finds an egg on a Scottish Loch (now what could the name of Loch be ….. hmmmmmm …. Ness), it hatches and hilarity ensues as the young Nessie (named Crusoe for some reason) reeks havoc on the household.

Maybe he was called Crusoe because like the character in the novel he is also stranded in a strange place.

Set during the second world war the arrival of an army unit adds to the mix, it just so happens that these soldiers are preparing for a submarine attack by the enemy and they setup a net across the Loch and a couple of large guns. It is obvious that these elements will play a large part in the story.

Do I look like I’m bothered, well I am …

The major thing that bothered me about the plot is that Loch Ness does not have access to the sea in any way so how a German submarine could get into the Loch is a mystery to me; they would have to be some very clever subs. That aside, the plot device is there to add tension and a great final reel.

The good old day, buzz bombs, rickets …

One of the other things I found interesting was the recreation of 1940’s Scotland, they did a good job with the sets, costumes and hardware (military and civil) and captured the essence of the time using period music. The supporting cast added a lot to the movie, the mother (Emily Watson), sister (Priyanka Xi) and the handyman (Ben Chaplin) all helped in getting you into the story in a way that was not forced or sugar coated.

The main character could be the young boy (Alex Etel) or the computer generated Water Horse (make up your own minds). Alex Etel was perfectly cast, he looks like he was ill through the whole movie (Scots do look like they are near to death most of the time due to their lack of access to sunlight and nutritional food), the boy should get a medal for being such a good method actor.

You sick Nasty …

There are a couple of nasty characters that are there to drive the plot forward, Churchill (the army cooks dog) goes from being the aggressor to being put in his place, Joel Tobec plays the evil private (they lit him from below and he gives a stare that would leave you having to change you underwear), excellent. David Morrissey plays the Captain and he is tough enough and also caring enough so that you don’t hate him at the end of the movie; although you want to kick his butt during the mid section because his is such a pompous twit.

I liked Ben Chaplin in this movie, he plays the handyman (war hero) who has a healthy disrespect for the captain. He helps the main characters throughout the film by keeping the Water Horse under wraps from the mum. Ben is an underestimated actor, he has been around the block a while now and has never really made it big.

The bottom line …

Anyway, the bottom line is that Crusoe gets away and everyone is happy, there are a couple of twists at the end of the movie, not too big but both will put a smile on your face.

Highly recommended where you just want to feel good and get transported to a fantasy world, even if it’s set in Scotland!

Ratings

Overall rating: 8/10
Special effects: 8/10
Acting: 7/10
Music: 7/10
Where seen: Movie Theater and DVD at home
Perceived length: Medium

//*Eggbox

Categories: Good · Movie Review · fantasy
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