20100228:
First off, I knew absolutely nothing about this movie prior to watching it. Except perhaps that it's probably a comedy. Haha.
The introduction is interesting, with Lee Carter before we are introduced to him, and then switching over to the opposite Joshua. It was hard to know what to make of the protagonist, Joshua. And as we are introduced to him more and more, it gets pretty funny. And then there's the introduction of the second-most pivotal character in the movie, Lee Carter. But the ending was done well...
The movie is funny with the occasional more serious and emotional scenes. I guess if I were to compare it to a movie I've seen, I'd say it'd be most like Little Miss Sunshine, but more eccentric, more comedy oriented, and a sprinkle of cheesy, but in a good comedic way. Or perhaps a mix of Little Miss Sunshine (2006) with Donnie Darko (2001). ::shrug:: Rank-wise, I'd have to put it below Donnie Darko, and Donnie Darko below Little Miss Sunshine, but Son of Rambow is still good.
[20100312]
Watched 20100228
Son of Rambow (2008)
Relevant Links:
click here for imdb
click here for rotten tomatoes
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Donnie Darko (2001)
20100210:
Whoa... what a movie...
Throughout the movie, I kept hoping things work out for Donnie Darko. In particular, I wanted his relationship with Gretchen to work out. In order to avoid spoilers, I won't say things do work out or not, but I consider the ending to be good. It wasn't the ending I expected, but it was a good ending.
The movie is interesting and reminds me of another movie which is dark and whose protagonist has a great deal of internal struggle.
In any case, I would probably have to watch this movie again to gain a deeper understanding of the movie as a whole. Watching the movie for the first time, my focus was mainly on the question "What will happen next?" At some point, I'm also wondering, "How is everything related?" If I watched it a second time, I would ask, "Why was this scene here?" and be able to focus on details that surround the core of the movie.
Actually, the movie reminds me of the philosophy that if you don't fear death, then you can let it come; this doesn't mean that you should seek death (which includes living recklessly), but that you are at peace with it's occurrence.
Character Comments:
Jake Gyllenhaal ... Donnie Darko
:(younger) brother of Maggie Gyllenhaal. There are certain dark scenes with him smiling that just freak me out. It's cool, but freaky.
Maggie Gyllenhaal ... Elizabeth Darko
:being cast as your brother's sister is definitely the way to go...
Daveigh Chase ... Samantha Darko
:"What is a f*ck-ass?"
Mary McDonnell ... Rose Darko
:She doesn't know what to do with Donnie, but you can tell she loves him.
James Duval ... Frank
:Creepy bunny.
Jena Malone ... Gretchen Ross
:She was young Ellie in Contact. In this movie, I like how she lines up with Donnie.
Drew Barrymore ... Karen Pomeroy
:"Cellar Door"
*Ashley Tisdale and Seth Rogen also have small roles in the movie.
In hindsight, a lot of foreshadowing occurs throughout the movie. And last, I'd like to say the movie was particularly interesting because I had no idea what the movie was about before watching it. I hadn't seen any previews, and hadn't heard any plot summaries. Imagine how surprised I was during the introduction of the movie.
[20100210][20130307 Edited]
20110820 Comment:
Reading the above entry today (20110820), I couldn't figure out which movie I was comparing with Donnie Darko. Trying to think things through, I'd say Donnie Darko reminds me of Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Overall, I like Pan's Labyrinth better, because Pan's Labyrinth creates an entirely new world and portrays a greater degree of emotion than Donnie Darko. On an emotional scale, Donnie Darko might be more like Harold and Maude (1971).
20130307:
Watching the movie again today, I was able to pick up on a lot more details. However, while certain aspects of the movie made more sense, the ending of the movie made less sense. The ending suggests that all the characters felt a ripple of what Donnie had been through.
20191005 Comment:
A couple of months ago I was investigating movies with time travel and Donnie Darko was on the list. I was surprised, because I didn't understand why. So then I went around reading about the plot and there's actually some deep plot points which I completely miss. Though to be fair, part of the explanation involves a book which is referenced in the movie and whose contents have been shared. At the end of the day, I realized that I previously wasn't close to understanding the ending of the movie. I look forward to watching the movie again from a new perspective.
Watched 20100210 @ Home
Watched 20130307 (Netflix, Instant, HD)
Donnie Darko (2001) Richard Kelly. 113 min.
Relevant Links:
Donnie Darko (IMDb.com)
Donnie Darko (RottenTomatoes.com)
Donnie Darko (Wikipedia.org)
The Destructors (Wikipedia.org)
Whoa... what a movie...
Throughout the movie, I kept hoping things work out for Donnie Darko. In particular, I wanted his relationship with Gretchen to work out. In order to avoid spoilers, I won't say things do work out or not, but I consider the ending to be good. It wasn't the ending I expected, but it was a good ending.
 |
| The Darko family. |
The movie is interesting and reminds me of another movie which is dark and whose protagonist has a great deal of internal struggle.
In any case, I would probably have to watch this movie again to gain a deeper understanding of the movie as a whole. Watching the movie for the first time, my focus was mainly on the question "What will happen next?" At some point, I'm also wondering, "How is everything related?" If I watched it a second time, I would ask, "Why was this scene here?" and be able to focus on details that surround the core of the movie.
Actually, the movie reminds me of the philosophy that if you don't fear death, then you can let it come; this doesn't mean that you should seek death (which includes living recklessly), but that you are at peace with it's occurrence.
 |
| Donnie (left) and Gretchen (right) |
Character Comments:
Jake Gyllenhaal ... Donnie Darko
:(younger) brother of Maggie Gyllenhaal. There are certain dark scenes with him smiling that just freak me out. It's cool, but freaky.
Maggie Gyllenhaal ... Elizabeth Darko
:being cast as your brother's sister is definitely the way to go...
Daveigh Chase ... Samantha Darko
:"What is a f*ck-ass?"
Mary McDonnell ... Rose Darko
:She doesn't know what to do with Donnie, but you can tell she loves him.
James Duval ... Frank
:Creepy bunny.
Jena Malone ... Gretchen Ross
:She was young Ellie in Contact. In this movie, I like how she lines up with Donnie.
Drew Barrymore ... Karen Pomeroy
:"Cellar Door"
*Ashley Tisdale and Seth Rogen also have small roles in the movie.
 |
| Donnie, Gretchen, and Frank. |
In hindsight, a lot of foreshadowing occurs throughout the movie. And last, I'd like to say the movie was particularly interesting because I had no idea what the movie was about before watching it. I hadn't seen any previews, and hadn't heard any plot summaries. Imagine how surprised I was during the introduction of the movie.
[20100210][20130307 Edited]
20110820 Comment:
Reading the above entry today (20110820), I couldn't figure out which movie I was comparing with Donnie Darko. Trying to think things through, I'd say Donnie Darko reminds me of Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Overall, I like Pan's Labyrinth better, because Pan's Labyrinth creates an entirely new world and portrays a greater degree of emotion than Donnie Darko. On an emotional scale, Donnie Darko might be more like Harold and Maude (1971).
20130307:
Watching the movie again today, I was able to pick up on a lot more details. However, while certain aspects of the movie made more sense, the ending of the movie made less sense. The ending suggests that all the characters felt a ripple of what Donnie had been through.
 |
| Donnie riding his bike home. |
20191005 Comment:
A couple of months ago I was investigating movies with time travel and Donnie Darko was on the list. I was surprised, because I didn't understand why. So then I went around reading about the plot and there's actually some deep plot points which I completely miss. Though to be fair, part of the explanation involves a book which is referenced in the movie and whose contents have been shared. At the end of the day, I realized that I previously wasn't close to understanding the ending of the movie. I look forward to watching the movie again from a new perspective.
Watched 20100210 @ Home
Watched 20130307 (Netflix, Instant, HD)
Donnie Darko (2001) Richard Kelly. 113 min.
 |
| One of Donnie's sketches of Frank. |
Relevant Links:
Donnie Darko (IMDb.com)
Donnie Darko (RottenTomatoes.com)
Donnie Darko (Wikipedia.org)
The Destructors (Wikipedia.org)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
20100209:
I watched this movie once or twice before. Perhaps in theaters, I can't remember. For some reason, I remember liking the beginning. But watching it now, it didn't look that great. Good, but not great.
My favorite part of the movie is the ending. Personally, I would suggest people watch IV V VI and then I II III, it would make for a better surprise than I II III to IV V VI. But perhaps, that's what anybody who watches IV V VI first would say.
And then there's the real sad part in the movie, which I can't mention, but it's so terrible. At least there was a positive ending to that section; Yoda rocks!
Quick Comments on Some Characters:
Ewan McGregor ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
:Great! I think he fit his part. Either him or Yoda is my favorite character in the movie.
Natalie Portman ... Padmé
:Ok...
Hayden Christensen ... Anakin Skywalker
:I didn't like the character's voice. It seemed overdone.
Ian McDiarmid ... Supreme Chancellor Palpatine
:Whoa...
Samuel L. Jackson ... Mace Windu
:Great... er... can't say. Except, he doesn't make a favorite character, because when it comes to a scene that has Windu and Anakin, the scenes feel unnatural. Perhaps because of Christensen, but... I don't know.
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
:Awesome fight scene. Yoda's the best!
Christopher Lee ... Count Dooku
:Poor Dooku... tricked
Temuera Morrison ... Commander Cody
:I know him from the cartoon!
20110111 Comment:
I found the ticket stub for the movie! So I did watch it in theater!
20220606 Comment:
There's a reddit post that says "Padme wasn't killed by a broken heart" and instead was killed by Palpatine, but I think several points are incorrect.
1. While the droid didn't say "broken heart," it did mention lacking the will to live.
2. I agree that Anakin's force choke didn't kill Padme, but I imagine it's emotionally jarring. Padme was beginning to be convinced of Anakin's darkness, so what more evidence does she need than being choked.
3. This third bullet point concerns the Force. But Yoda was there and he's very in tune with the Force.
4. Not sure what this has to do with anything. For the most part, this story was half a lie to persuade Anakin over to the dark side. It may be true that Palpatine killed his master, but it is later revealed that Palpatine did not know how to save a life (he tells Anakin they'll discover it together).
5. This point makes a huge jump between awareness of Anakin on Mustafar and being able to siphon life from Padme on Polis Massa.
6. It's clear from the dialogue that Vader was referring to the moment of the force choke on Mustafar.
7. Regardless of whether Padme was dead or alive, Palpatine would lie to Anakin.
In summary, the points defending the theory in the post are either invalid or don't really support the theory.
Instant Comments:
3: Why would shield controls be on the outside? ("Have you noticed the shields are still up?")
3: Lol. I'm sure there was a moment where Anakin was behind Dooku but didn't strike the back.
3: "Good, Anakin, good. Kill him. Kill him now." "I shouldn't." "Do it."
3: "Death is a natural part of life..." (the entire quote that follows is deep, and yet easier said than done)
3: An expression which is the equivalent of "wild goose chase", substituting "goose" with "bantha"
3: Was Grievous once human? (after Obi-Wan defeats him) [Yes]
3: Oh. I forgot that Anakin actually did inform Windu that Palpatine is the Sith Lord.
3: "Power. Unlimited power!"
3: Oh foolish Anakin. So easily manipulated.
3: Yoda feeling distraught makes it seem like perhaps Windu was indeed killed
3: Oh wow, that youngling (?) saved Organa
3: Oh, so that is Chewbacca (Yoda says goodbye to him)
3: How tragic. "Anakin is the father, isn't he? I'm so sorry."
3: Oh, poor Anakin. Wants to protect Padme and yet chokes her
3: "If so powerful you are, why leave?"
3: Anakin boasts he is strong, but is just even with Obi-Wan's fighting.
3: "Into exile I must go. Failed I have."
3: Oh I forgot this part where he catches fire
3: "How to commune with him I will teach you."
3=20220606
Watched 20050527 Theatre. AMC Block 30 [STAR WARS] $9.00 Around7pm
Watched 20100209 @ Home
Watched 20220606 (Disney+)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) George Lucas. 140 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (IMDb.com)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (RottenTomatoes.com)
I watched this movie once or twice before. Perhaps in theaters, I can't remember. For some reason, I remember liking the beginning. But watching it now, it didn't look that great. Good, but not great.
My favorite part of the movie is the ending. Personally, I would suggest people watch IV V VI and then I II III, it would make for a better surprise than I II III to IV V VI. But perhaps, that's what anybody who watches IV V VI first would say.
And then there's the real sad part in the movie, which I can't mention, but it's so terrible. At least there was a positive ending to that section; Yoda rocks!
Quick Comments on Some Characters:
Ewan McGregor ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
:Great! I think he fit his part. Either him or Yoda is my favorite character in the movie.
Natalie Portman ... Padmé
:Ok...
Hayden Christensen ... Anakin Skywalker
:I didn't like the character's voice. It seemed overdone.
Ian McDiarmid ... Supreme Chancellor Palpatine
:Whoa...
Samuel L. Jackson ... Mace Windu
:Great... er... can't say. Except, he doesn't make a favorite character, because when it comes to a scene that has Windu and Anakin, the scenes feel unnatural. Perhaps because of Christensen, but... I don't know.
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
:Awesome fight scene. Yoda's the best!
Christopher Lee ... Count Dooku
:Poor Dooku... tricked
Temuera Morrison ... Commander Cody
:I know him from the cartoon!
20110111 Comment:
I found the ticket stub for the movie! So I did watch it in theater!
20220606 Comment:
There's a reddit post that says "Padme wasn't killed by a broken heart" and instead was killed by Palpatine, but I think several points are incorrect.
1. While the droid didn't say "broken heart," it did mention lacking the will to live.
2. I agree that Anakin's force choke didn't kill Padme, but I imagine it's emotionally jarring. Padme was beginning to be convinced of Anakin's darkness, so what more evidence does she need than being choked.
3. This third bullet point concerns the Force. But Yoda was there and he's very in tune with the Force.
4. Not sure what this has to do with anything. For the most part, this story was half a lie to persuade Anakin over to the dark side. It may be true that Palpatine killed his master, but it is later revealed that Palpatine did not know how to save a life (he tells Anakin they'll discover it together).
5. This point makes a huge jump between awareness of Anakin on Mustafar and being able to siphon life from Padme on Polis Massa.
6. It's clear from the dialogue that Vader was referring to the moment of the force choke on Mustafar.
7. Regardless of whether Padme was dead or alive, Palpatine would lie to Anakin.
In summary, the points defending the theory in the post are either invalid or don't really support the theory.
Instant Comments:
3: Why would shield controls be on the outside? ("Have you noticed the shields are still up?")
3: Lol. I'm sure there was a moment where Anakin was behind Dooku but didn't strike the back.
3: "Good, Anakin, good. Kill him. Kill him now." "I shouldn't." "Do it."
3: "Death is a natural part of life..." (the entire quote that follows is deep, and yet easier said than done)
3: An expression which is the equivalent of "wild goose chase", substituting "goose" with "bantha"
3: Was Grievous once human? (after Obi-Wan defeats him) [Yes]
3: Oh. I forgot that Anakin actually did inform Windu that Palpatine is the Sith Lord.
3: "Power. Unlimited power!"
3: Oh foolish Anakin. So easily manipulated.
3: Yoda feeling distraught makes it seem like perhaps Windu was indeed killed
3: Oh wow, that youngling (?) saved Organa
3: Oh, so that is Chewbacca (Yoda says goodbye to him)
3: How tragic. "Anakin is the father, isn't he? I'm so sorry."
3: Oh, poor Anakin. Wants to protect Padme and yet chokes her
3: "If so powerful you are, why leave?"
3: Anakin boasts he is strong, but is just even with Obi-Wan's fighting.
3: "Into exile I must go. Failed I have."
3: Oh I forgot this part where he catches fire
3: "How to commune with him I will teach you."
3=20220606
Watched 20050527 Theatre. AMC Block 30 [STAR WARS] $9.00 Around7pm
Watched 20100209 @ Home
Watched 20220606 (Disney+)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) George Lucas. 140 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (IMDb.com)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (RottenTomatoes.com)