The better the movie, the more critical I become. If it's something lowbrow like Transformers, I can magically enjoy it on a primal lizard brain level. I don't think too hard about it. There's no potential to be squandered because the ceiling is the worst expectation. Surprisingly, I think Age of Extinction is the best one since the first one. Revenge of the Fallen was horrendously insulting and offensive whereas Dark of the Moon was just dreadfully boring. Age of Extinction is not only tolerable, but somewhat enjoyable. A bit long in the tooth though.
When I got home, I watched the Raid 2. I liked it a lot more than the first. I felt the hits were more brutal and gruesome, and the fights more tightly choreographed. The first one was overrated. But the more I think about the Raid 2, the less I like it. It's one of those movies that fall apart on further thought. It's beautifully directed but the script is flat-out bad. The movie goes nowhere until the awesome final act. And given the plot's simplicity, there's no reason for the movie to be as long as it is.
There's no question Gareth Evans is the best action director (at least for hand-to-hand combat) right now, but he might wanna pull away from writing duties. He wanted to shoehorn a crime epic into an action movie. You can't do that. Action is best served with a straightforward plot and strong characterization. There's a twenty minute stretch in the middle of the movie when Rama doesn't show up at all. It's the lack of focus that weaken the entire movie. The assassins in this movie are all terrible at their jobs. A good assassin never walks, no matter how badass you're trying to look.
Then I watched Neighbors. It was really average. I expected better. I think I'm getting tired of the Apatow brand of comedy where two characters just keep talking on and on about something dumb, a technique that's been pervasive in the modern age. I wouldn't mind if the dialogue was a bit sharper, but it was really weak this time. Maybe I gotta see 22 Jump Street for some real comedy. And is it a stipulation in Seth Rogan's contract that he has to be blazed in every freakin' movie he's in? It's obnoxious. You ain't no Snoop Dogg, bro.
To end the night, I just read a bunch of horror manga. A couple trips to the bathroom were unsettling. Damn my overactive imagination.
/eventlog
