Terminator Salvation (2009)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: McG.
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin
Running time: 115 minutes

 

Set in a post-apocalyptic 2018, this new installment in the Terminator franchise tells the story of the unification of world’s militaries against Skynet and the Machines. John Connor, a Resistance fighter, and Marcus Wright, a cyborg, team together to protect and young Kyle Reese.

While the special effects of this film are cool, the story feels very convoluted and there is a lot of silly overacting. Christian Bale still has that Batman voice. This film just lacks the heart of the previous installments in the franchise. It feels like a big video game.

Rating: ««

La Petite Vie (1993-2023)

Genre: Franco / TV / Comedy
Réalisateur: Pierre Séguin
Distribution: Claude Meunier, Serge Thériault, Marc Messier, Diane Lavallée, Marc Labrèche
Nombre de saisons : 5

 

La Petite Vie raconte avec humour l’histoire du couple formé par Ti-Mé et Jacqueline Paré, ainsi que de leurs enfants Raynald, Thérèse, Rod et Caro. Dans l’entourage, il y a aussi leur gendre Réjean Pinard et leur bru Lison, ainsi qu’une ribambelle de personnages plus colorés les uns que les autres.

Cette série télévisée est réellement un classique de l’humour absurde et de la télévision québécoise. Le travail de création de Claude Meunier, combiné aux talents de toute la distribution et aux efforts de la production, donne un résultat qui a marqué l’histoire et qui continue de faire rire encore aujourd’hui. Sur cinq ans, il y a eu quelques épisodes plus faibles, mais, somme toute, voilà une série que j’apprécie encore beaucoup pour son regard satirique sur la société québécoise.

Ajout en 2023: Une cinquiène saison, dans laquelle nous retrouvons les personnages quelques décennies plus tard, est sortie est 2023. C'est une saison fort drôle et sympathique. Les créateurs ont fait un beau travail pour s'adapter à la santé fragile de Serge Thériault, l'interprète de Moman.

Note: ««««

Une fois c't'un noir (2022)

Genre: Franco / Documentary
Réalisateur: Frédéric Pierre
Distribution: Normand Brathwaite, Boucar Diouf, Erich Etienne, Anthony Kavanagh
Running time: 44 minutes

 

Le comédien Frédéric Pierre a rassemblés différentes personnalités noires du milieu de l’humour québécois, telles que Normand Brathwaite, Boucar Diouf, Erich Etienne et Anthony Kavanagh, pour discuter de l’évolution de la place des noirs dans l’humour au Québec.

Ce documentaire est fort intéressant, quoiqu’il demeure un peu trop en surface selon mes goûts à moi. J’en aurais pris plus. Cela étant dit, j’ai tout de même beaucoup aimé ce petit film aux propos fort pertinents.

Note: ««««

Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute (2022)

Genre: TV / Comedy
Cast: John Stamos, Jeff Ross, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock
Running Time: 83 minutes

 

A group of friends of late comedian Bob Saget got together on stage at the Comedy Store, in Los Angeles, to pay tribute to their deceased brother. John Stamos, Jim Carrey, Jeff Ross, Chris Rock and many more took turns telling stories and trying to find consolation through humor. Musicians and singers John Mayer and Jackson Browne were also there to provide a few words and some music. We also heard from Saget’s widow and saw some montages of the comedian performing and of the memorial that was organized after his passing.

It was a wonderful evening of trying to feel better through humor and music, which are two things Bob Saget was very fond of. The show lacked a bit of structure and pace, but, overall, it was very good.

Rating: ««««

40 Years of Metallica (2021)

Genre: Musical
Cast: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo
Number of Episodes: 2

 

Over the course of two nights, in late 2021, rock band Metallica celebrated its 40^th anniversary by having two concerts, with distinct setlists, in its hometown of San Francisco. In with the musical performance, there were interesting clips about various aspects of the band’s career. It was a very cool show. A few moments were rough around the edges, vocally and musically, but the audience loved every second of it, and the band sure seemed to do so too. All in all, a very fun celebration.

Rating: ««««

Overboard (1987)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Cast: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Hermann
Running Time: 112 minutes

 

Dean Proffitt is widowed father of four boys working two jobs to make ends meet. Working during the day as a carpenter, he is hired by heiress Joanna Slayton to build a closet in the master bedroom of her yacht. After treating him rudely, she complains about his work, pushes him off the boat and refuses to pay him. That night, she falls in the water and ends up in the hospital with temporary amnesia. Her husband abandons her there. Seeing this on the news, Dean Proffitt goes to the hospital, leading her to believe that she is his wife, and he brings her home with him.

This is a silly, albeit fun, little movie made a whole lot better by the chemistry between Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. There two work so well together, which is no surprise really. The end is predictable and the plot is a little cringy by today’s standards, but, taken for what it is, it is entertaining, nonetheless.

Rating: «««

Les Misérables (2012)

Genre: Musical
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried
Running Time: 158 minutes

 

Based on the English adaptation of a French musical inspired by the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, this film tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man that was imprisoned for 19 years for stealing bread for his nephew. Upon his release, he escapes his lifelong parole, spending the rest of his life running away from overzealous police inspector Javert. In the process of making a new life for himself, Valjean meets Fantine, a struggling factory worker. On her deathbed, he promises to care for her young daughter, Cosette.

Visually-speaking, this film is majestic. The scenery is breath-taking. The ensemble cast also offered solid performances. The costumes were well done. This film started with a strike against it with me, being a musical where all the dialogue is sung. But, I tried to keep an open mind. It is overly bombastic and overdramatic, but this is a compelling story delivered on screen by talented folks. Not my thing, but kudos nonetheless.

Rating: «««

Wayne's World 2 (1993)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Stephen Surjik
Starring: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Tia Carrere, Christopher Walken
Running Time: 95 minutes

 

Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar now host Wayne’s World from an abandoned factory in Aurora, Illinois. Following a dream where he is lead through the desert by a naked Indian to talk to Jim Morrison, Wayne decides that his destiny is to book a major concert called Waynestock in Aurora. While working on this, Wayne also deals with issues in love, as his girlfriend Cassandra’s new music producer, Bobby Cahn, is trying to pull her away from her man and from Aurora.

While some of the jokes in this sequel do not feel quite as fresh as those in the original, I still dug the storyline and the homages to such films as The Doors, Thelma and Louise and The Graduate. The Garth character was still given some fun stuff, such as the scenes with Kim Basinger. I must admit I was envious there. The Aerosmith cameo and the Farley scenes were also cool.

Rating: ««««

Allô, voici mon pénis (2021)

Genre: Franco / Documentary
Réalisateur: Jean-Philippe Pariseau
Distribution: Kim Lévesque-Lizotte
Running time: 44 minutes

 

L’humoriste Kim Lévesque-Lizotte rencontre des hommes et des femmes de différents secteurs et de différents milieux pour discuter du phénomène moderne de la dick pic, donc les hommes qui envoient par téléphone une photo de leur pénis à une femme, souvent sans que ce soit demandé.

J’avoue que je n’ai jamais trop compris ce phénomène. Je suis plus vieux jeu dans ce domaine : Je préfère décevoir en personne, un à une. Ce documentaire s’est avéré fort intéressant, quoique un peu trop court (that’s what she said). J’en aurais pris plus (again, that’s what she said).

Note: ««««

Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special (2022)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Norm Macdonald and Jeff Tomsic
Starring: Norm Macdonald, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, David Letterman
Running time: 86 minutes

 

When COVID-19 hit the world, in 2020, comedian Norm Macdonald had material but could not go on the road. He was also secretly dealing with cancer and he was about to go for more treatments. Not knowing what would come of it, he recorded a comedy special from his home, in front of a computer. Now that he has left us, this comedy special is shared with the world. It is followed by a panel of his friends discussing it.

In this special, Norm talks about gambling, cannibalism, people with Down Syndrome, and life in general. There is a moment towards the end, where he gets visibly emotional mentioning his mother. Nonetheless, he never discusses the illness that would eventually take him from us. The material is typically Norm Macdonald. It is off-beat, it is truly unique. There were some weaker moments, probably made worse by the absence of a crowd, but there was some genius stuff also.

The panel at the end was cool. It was nice to hear people like David Letterman, Dave Chappelle, Molly Shannon, Conan O’Brien, Adam Sandler and David Spade discuss the man and comedian that Norm Macdonald was.

Rating: ««««

Marvin's Room (1996)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Jerry Zaks
Starring: Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Leonard DiCaprio
Running time: 98 minutes

 

Bessie and Lee are two sisters who have been estranged for close to two decades. Bessie stayed behind, in Florida, to care for her father, who became bed-ridden after a severe stroke. Lee moved to Ohio to escape the pressures of family. After receiving a leukemia diagnosis, Bessie contacts her sister, as her doctor is looking for someone compatible for a bone marrow transplant. Lee comes back home for the first time in 17 years, along with her two sons, including a troubled teen who is facing troubles with the law.

The story is compelling here and it all feels very real, thanks in large part to great acting by most of the cast. Some side characters feel very caricatural and the end is a little cutesy for me, but, overall, this is a very good film that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rating: ««««

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken
Running time: 108 minutes

 

Artificial intelligence network Skynet sends back in time yet another advanced Terminator — a woman this time — to insure the rise of the machines and kill the future leader of the resistance, John Connor, and his future wife, Katharine Brewster. A reprogrammed less-advanced Terminator is also sent back by the resistance to protect John and Katherine.

While a lot of the magic from the second Terminator film was gone here, it still offers an entertaining film. The story is compelling enough and the acting is good. Some of the material given to the cast did not feel so fresh anymore, but, overall, not a bad offering at all. Still visually impressive.

Rating: «««

Le Mirage (2015)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisateur: Ricardo Trogi
Distribution: Louis Morissette, Julie Perreault, Christine Beaulieu, Patrice Robitaille
Durée: 101 minutes

 

Patrick Lupien est un propriétaire de magasin d’articles de sport qui s’emmerde un peu dans sa vie de banlieusard, avec sa conjointe Isabelle et ses deux enfants. Cherchant à mettre du piquant dans sa vie, il développe une fixation sur Roxanne, la meilleure amie à conjointe.

Ce film offre un bon petit divertissement. Le jeu des acteurs est assez juste, et le scénario est assez bien ficelé pour nous garder intéressé. Ce film offre un regard assez prenant sur la surconsommation, quoique le message est un peu trop surligné et en gras par moment. J’ai aussi trouvé la fin un peu abrupte et sèche.

Rating: «««

Wayne's World (1992)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Starring: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe
Running Time: 95 minutes

 

Wayne Campbell is a rock music fan from Aurora, Illinois, who hosts a public-access TV show  called Wayne’s World from his parent’s basement, along with his best friend Garth Algar. An offer to make the show a professional one, by ruthless producer Benjamin Kane, threatens the friendship between Wayne and Garth and the new love between Wayne and his girlfriend Cassandra Wong.

This one is one the better films based on Saturday Night Live sketches. Some of the stuff has not aged so well, but, overall, when taken in its context, Wayne’s World is a fun comedy. The chemistry between Myers and Carvey is undeniable, and the support cast did a good job too. A few jokes miss the mark a bit, but I still find this very entertaining so many years later.

Rating: ««««

Top Gun (1986)

Genre: Action / Drama
Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer
Running Time: 110 minutes

 

Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is a young and brash US Navy pilot. Along with his best friend Lieutenant Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, he is recruited to train at the US Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, known as Top Gun. At the school, he falls for Charlotte Blackwood, one of the instructors, and he enters into an intense rivalry with fellow pilot Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.

Visually-speaking, the flying scenes in Top Gun are quite spectacular. As such, the action is captivating. The story in itself is fun and has great potential, but there is not much in terms of character development to sink your teeth into. It is all very superficial. Some of the acting is over-the-top and bad and some of the scenes are overly melodramatic. The soundtrack is good and still offers some good time oldies.

Rating: «««