Enchanted

Year: 2007

Genre: Family/Musical/Disney

Director: Kevin Lima

Screenwriter: Bill Kelly

Starring: Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey

I remember seeing this movie with a couple of my friends, all of them avid musical haters. Yes, it's a Disney movie. Yes, there are some singing woodland creatures. Hell, there's even a poisoned apple! Despite everything working against it, the movie was actually a success. It hit on enough levels for almost everyone to enjoy it. It had the Princess and Prince element for the little kiddies, Patrick Dempsey for the cougars, Amy Adams for the fathers that got dragged there by their daughters, and the absolute absurdity of being in New York (and no one thinking twice about anything) for everyone else.

But, even though I enjoyed the movie, not everyone will like it. Not everyone finds Adams' bubbly personality welcoming or happy. Not everyone can stand a movie where Idina Menzel is cast aside for the short redhead that seems to have the IQ of a house plant. Nor can every audience bear to listen as Central Park bursts into song about not neglecting your significant other.

Now, what are you favorite Disney movies? Is there anything you would have changed about them?

Titanic

Year: 1997

Genre: Romantic Drama

Director: James Cameron

Screenwriter: James Cameron (again)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet

I know this movie is beloved by every Leonardo DiCaprio fangirl and everyone who swoons when Kate Winslet walks onto the screen, but I couldn't stand this movie for the life of me. With a running time of more than three hours, the movie dragged on far too long for any decent film. Two and a half hour maximum, Cameron! I let Lord of the Rings get away with it because, well, I'm biased. I, unfortunately, was dragged to this movie back when it was first realeased and was astonished when I heard a gaggle of teeny-boppers talking in the row ahead of me; "The boat doesn't sink, does it?" That was just.....nope, done ranting about that.

While the costumes were gorgeous (and won the Oscar quite deservedly), the plot was weak and the acting was sub par (not counting Kate). Billy Zane played the "outraged fiance" too easily (method acting?) and Frances Fisher (Rose's mother) filled the stereotype of the social-climbing mother. The special effects were good for the time, but looking back, nothing all too special.

Ask yourself this: without the "star" power of the boy-wonder that was Leo, would the movie have been as successful as it was? Do you think the movie needed to be as long as it was? Couldn't they have cut it down in post-production?

Bottle Shock

Year: 2008

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Director: Randall Miller (Nobel Son)

Screenwriter: Jody Savin (Nobel Son) & Randall Miller

Starring: Alan Rickman (Dogma) & Chris Pine (Just My Luck)

Obviously a movie that revolves around a wine tasting in France can't appeal to everyone. Even die-hard Alan Rickman fans seem to have avoided this one like a movie from the Friedberg and Seltzer team. But, if you really can stand a plot that moves at a snail's pace (and are willing to stick around for Alan Rickman's dead-on sarcasm), then I think you'd be able to stomach this movie. By no strecth of the imagination should this movie persuade you to like the French. Quite the opposite really. You'll probably think of them as haughtier and more snobbish than ever. But they are French, so give them a break. There are a few familiar faces to be seen, but few and far between. For the general public, I don't reccomend this movie. It can't keep your attention unless you're already engaged in the plot.

Those of you who can stomach the all the wine country lingo and subtle 1970s references, answer me this; why do you think movies that seem to be on a higher intelluctual plane do so much more poorer than others that appeal to baser needs? There are very few movies that centralize themselves on one particular, relatively unknown events in history. A wine tasting that the American's whooped some French ass in? Yeah, not too much note of that in the film archives. But how many movies can you name about sports teams and TV shows? I can come up with 'The Replacements', 'The Simpsons Movie', and 'A League of Their Own' just off the top of my head. Can you name any others?