I mentioned earlier this week that Bond movies are uniquely formulated to appeal to a wide audience. James Bond is popular because his moves are predictable and consistently entertaining. Despite a battery of negative press, I braved the cold and the cynics to form my own opinion. My thoughts follow, as usual, in 160 characters or less.
QoS sucked. No humor, no gadgets, no fun; I’m unimpressed. The best part was the Minority Report style computer interface. This ‘Gritty’ 007 is boring.
Oh well, perhaps Daniel Craig will get it right next time.
Traveling is not new to me. I’ve been plenty of places - but usually I don’t stay long enough to recognize persistent trends. Here are some things I’ve noticed while working in the UK this week that totally drove me up the wall:
9. Older women (30ish) are really into dying their hair red. I mean seriously red.
8. The majority of young men have spiky hair; occasionally in faux hawks. All the TV commercials are for pomade and hair clay that promise to keep your spikes straight despite helmets and noogies. This is also a popular hairstyle with the balding set.
7. Everyone wears black pants. It’s as if khakis are taboo or something. I feel like a total weirdo in my sand colored slacks.
6. UK Hotels don’t have alarm clocks.
4. The toilets here flush like Niagara Falls.
3. Dudes out here resemble really crappy Euro-trash. They love to rock white shoes with white belts. Somehow, they pull girls.
2. Cabbies speak this ridiculous patois. While technically English, it sounds like cockney gibberish.
1. There is a new brunette bartender at O’Neill’s Irish Pub in Peterborough. If you ask her for an Irish Carbomb she will charge you separately for a shot of Jameson’s, a shot of Baileys, and half a pint of Guinness. Then, she will mix them together all at once creating a curdled concoction that can only be described as ‘effing gross’. It will cost $12.
Next: The Top 9 Horror / Psychological Anime! (by Justique, nonetheless!) [The Top 9 Obscure Movie Soundtracks is postponed indefinitely!!!]
Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is better. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.
So, my friend Ryan is moving to England till the end of the year. It’s great for his career, but terrible for my social life. Since he flies out tomorrow, I met up with Ryan for brews and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Afterward, I flipped my phone to give the Nick the rundown. (btw, that movie is great) As usual, 160 characters or less:
Too many one-liners, even for a movie about mummies - but otherwise enjoyable. Also, Maria Bello >> Rachel Weisz.
Side note: did you know Michelle Yeoh is 46!? I think I may have found the next CougarI Want To Stick It To. Rahr!
I was going to say that The Bank Job was the first ‘drama’ that Jason Statham has been in, but a quick IMDb search put the kibosh on that. Perhaps, this is the first non-action driven movie that Statham has bothered to star in. Whatever the case may be, I dug this movie quite a bit. I learned the term ‘mutton digger’ from this film and for that I am forever grateful. It requires no explanation.
The movie is a loosely based upon the 1971 robbery of a London bank. The heist goes off beautifully until the robbers’ walkie talkies are picked up by a local Ham Radio operator. The robbery allegedly has national security implications and the press is quickly gagged. As if that weren’t enough, Statham’s crew is also pursued by a sadistic bookie, crooked cops, and agents from MI5. Did I mention there was a cute girl (Saffron Burrows) in it?
I wouldn’t say the film is extremely well acted, but the characters have that John Cleese sort of humor that keeps my attention. Well, everyone except the David X character. He seemed like a caricature if anything. Statham appears extremely calm throughout the film. His voice and his eyes do all the acting for him. Diehard Statham fans may lament the lack of kicks, punches, and headbutts until the last 10 minutes of the film. I have a feeling that Statham wrote that short sequence into his contract, ‘I must be able to hit a dude with a brick - or I walk.’
The story moves along briskly and does not lag. You get from concept to plan to caper to chase to resolution on schedule, much like the MTA train from New Haven to Grand Central. I find this extremely important to a movie like this. This is not the place for introspective monologues or cathartic breakdowns. I’d like to thank the director and editor for their work here.
The Bank Job is simultaneously plausible, wrly funny, and compelling. You may be tempted to draw parallels to Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but this film does not rely on slapstick or unintelligible accents to entertain. The plot is simple, the twists are predictable, and it all works. A caper film without all the Hollywood flash - trailer below:
Quantum of Solace, All I Want, "One More Drink" by Ludacris, Uncanny X-Men #165 thru #175, Chris Claremont, and Paul Smith.
On The Next Podcast...
Neal watched David Hasselhoff in the Nick Fury movie just for Podcast Episode 057 on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. See the pain we put ourselves thru for you just to talk about media every week?
And in Podcast Episode 058 on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, we're bringing you an interview with comic creator Ross Campbell about the new Wet Moon vol 4!
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