by: Grant Photography - Evin

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Won't You Take Me To Funkytown....

So last night I saw two wonderful movies, but there is one in particular that had me rolling (laughing for those that don't know what that means). So last night I saw I Am Legend (2007) and Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007). I want to talk about Alvin and the Chipmunks cause it was the business, but I'll start with a little something about I Am Legend.

I Am Legend is a great movie that keeps you on your toes pretty often by having you try to figure out what the heck is going to happen next. It is not a horror flick or anything that will scare you out of your seat. To me it was more of a thinker's movie. You had to carefully watch what was happening in order to connect the dots and understand why things were happening. If you saw any preview prior to the release of the movie, you would assume the entire movie showed Will Smith and his dog Sam (Samantha) roaming through New York helpless. Well whoop-dee-freaking-do, that is WRONG.

As the after release previews stated, he was the "the last man on earth" but he was not alone by far; a factor is addresses in many different ways from the start of the movie to the VERY END. I'm stopping here, because for those that haven't seen it, I don't want to give it away, and to those that have, was it not a good movie? It tried it's best to tell a complete story without leaving the watcher confused. I ask, was the book better? If so, tell me, cause I don't plan on reading it.

So now to the main part of my piece the 1958 afternoon cartoon phenomenon turned 2007 computer animation movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon, and Theodore). Oh my gosh if that was not one of the greatest movies I had ever seen (I'm sure that I have seen other great movies, but this is stuck in my head because I saw it last night). If you haven't seen this movie, and you remember the Chipmunks from your childhood years, then you need to see this (and get the DVD so you can watch the special feature afterwards). Some original songs (Chipmunks Christmas), a few new ones (Some song about riding in Escalades), and some "hip-hop" upgrades to ones we remember (Witch Doctor), grace this movie. If not for the annoying high pitched voices, I'd bang the soundtrack out of my car. Still might do it (iTunes here I come).

But from singing along, to laughing hysterically, this movie made my day. It is a must see for anyone who remembers the chipmunks, to any kid that needs to be introduced to them. Although the ending was sweet it was very abrupt and left me wanting more singing. Remembering the cartoon and cartoon movies of the late 1980s early 1990s there was a lot more singing, so I expected that. I also expected more "Chipmunk Versions" of more current songs, as you would hear on YouTube, in which people have gone and "Chipmunk-ed" recent hits from Avril Lavigne to any remix that currently has T-Pain or Lil Wayne.

So I would give I Am Legend a 7.96 out of 10, and Alvin and the Chipmunks a 9.23 out of 10. The reason for this, I am Legend is hard for me to categorize. Not enough action to be an action movie, did not seems suspenseful, was not a drama, and was too close to present time to really say it was a Sci-Fi (2009-2012). I will give it credit for using a modern day topic as it's main focus (attempting to cure cancer), which is something I'm sure the author of the book could not predict. But there were minor nuisances that I didn't like from the constant camera jerking in certain parts to the predictable scenes in which you can tell what was going to happen based on similar movies.

Alvin was great minus the lack of more songs and the quick ending near the climax of the movie. Right when you get to a part when you wonder what is going to come next, they go with the quick ending where everything is perfect within the last 10 minutes of the movie and it's over. If they come out with a Part 2, they need to introduce the girl Chipmunks (The Chipettes - Britney and Them - Kinda Beyonce-ish), and have the sing-off like they did in the cartoon movie (Chipmunk Adventure 1987)to the song "Boys/Girls of Rock-n-Roll". That is still a highlight in my life.


So that's that...have fun, go see them both. I just had to talk about them because Alvin and the Chipmunks made my day. And they do sing "Funkytown"!

(And I know Theodore is green, but Simon, the smart one has always been my favorite character. Feels like I could relate).

No comments: