Righteous Kill (2008)

2/5

When I first heard Righteous Kill was getting made over two years ago, I was excited for two reasons: Russell Gewirtz was writing the screenplay (he also wrote Inside Man) and De Niro and Pacino were acting together. Both disappointed. The plot concerns two aging New York cops in pursuit of a serial killer who murders bad guys. The way the movie progressed, and the structure of the story overall, made the twist at the end obvious. There was also no build-up to the finale; you were simply watching stuff happen like it was some kind of indie slice-of-life movie. Additionally, the actions of most characters made little sense or were poorly explained. Characters' motivations were seemingly nonexistent or just plain ludicrous.

As far as the acting goes, what can I say? It's De Niro and Pacino, so it's not bad. It's just bleh. It's two old men talking about a case that needs to get solved. They're given nothing to show off their abilities. The best thing about this movie, which surprised me, was the cinematography and editing. They were far better than I expected (and better than the rest of the piece), although they were also a little out of place sometimes. Whether or not you were originally interested in this movie, just leave it behind. There's nothing here to satisfy you.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034331/

Ratatouille (2007)

4/5

Ratatouille is a delightful family movie with aspects nearly everyone can enjoy. Remy the rat has a gift for cooking because of his sense of smell, but his father wants to use him as a poison detector instead of letting him live his dreams. Linguini is a buffoon hired out of necessity to be the garbage boy of a famous restaurant that recently fell out of favor with food critics. Their paths cross and the adventure begins. The animation is absolutely brilliant; every frame makes you stare in awe. Liquids, fur, and their combination are notoriously difficult to animate and they were stunning in this film. The ingenuity and the innovation were real joys to watch (Remy marionetting Linguini, all the rats cooking in the kitchen, etc.). It was fun to watch and never got old or boring. These are rare traits in a modern movie, and much appreciated.

I found the characters a bit hollow. Remy was the chef who always made the perfect dish, Linguini was the moron who never got anything right, and Colette consistently and predictably chose the wrong ingredients. All the characters were so set and never surprised you. Also, some of the scenes would increase in climax but never quite reach their peaks. For example, many scenes would end with a fade out or cross dissolve into the next one with no real satisfaction of ending the previous one. The comedy was a bit too rare and the emotions were a bit too common; it tries to be too meaningful and doesn't succeed at being funny enough. The plot is a mite too complicated because it feels as if it's trying to tell two stories instead of one--the rat story and the human story. Overall, very much recommended for anyone who loves Disney Pixar and Brad Bird (of The Incredibles fame).

Also, I loved the short that they showed in the beginning (Lifted) and found it to be my favorite of the ones I've seen.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0382932/