New Tuesdays 3/29

So I can’t front: I’m happy that I finally have a couple of GOOD movies coming out on DVD this week. Which ones are worth it? Well read on and I just might answer that for you.

Batting first, Tangled (rated PG)

The story of Rapunzel gets twisted in Disney’s 50th (!) animated feature. Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) longs to see some floating lights thing but is trapped in a huge tower by her Moms because Moms doesn’t want her to get the family cash…or something like that. ANYWAYS, this dude Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), who’s a thief, sneaks into her tower one day to hide from 5-o but Rapunzel knocks him cold, ties him up and convinces him to take her to see the floating lights for her 18th birthday and from there action, hilarity and romance (duh) follow.

Rapunzel and Flynn get into some buisness

As much as I hate to admit this, this is a excellent movie. Levi and Moore have wonderful chemistry that convinces you that they really do generally like each other, it’s not just forced upon you. The animation is top notch (got that Disney money!!!!!) with bright vibrant colors and beautiful scenery that makes the movie worth the price of a rental. Also the lantern scene looks amazing. It’s nice to know Disney put a lot of effort into retelling this old story in such a refreshing way. Definitely go buy or rent this one, but don’t tell the homies about it (gotta keep that cred up).

Hitting 2nd, Black Swan (rated R. Seriously, don’t watch this shit with your kids)

this scares the living crap outta me

The high publicized battle between the filmmakers and Natalie Portman’s dancing double ain’t got nothing on what goes down in this psychological thriller from Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler). Set in a New York dance company, the latest production of Swan Lake is under way, but when the lead (Winona Ryder, I guess art imitates life, right?) goes all diva on suckas, Thomas (Vincent Cassel) calls Nina (Portman) up to the big leagues. But not all is as it seems, especially when Jackie Burnhart Lily (Mila Kunis) comes in, out black swans her and develops a twisted friendship with each other. It also doesn’t help Nina might be slowly going insane. Which raises the question: can Nina pull it together in time for opening night without losing her mind?

To call this movie a thriller would be a massive understatement. I haven’t seen this much drama and tension in such a tight area since Chris Brown went all Axel Rose on Good Morning America (too early?). Anyways, this movie is bananas, b a n a n a s. Aronofsky pulls out all the stops and goes guerilla with a handheld look for about 93% of the movie and it pays off. You feel a slow binding tension with each step, a creeping sense of fear and insanity lurking as the excellent script weaves a complex chronicle involving jealousy, anger, exigency and….sexual exploration? That’s right Mila and Portman (who have such an amazing cat and mouse structure to them that makes their chemistry completely enduring) do the dirty and, as unnecessary as it sounds right now, it actually extremely important to the story and the whole aura Swan carries. It kinda jumps the shark towards the end, but the final sequence is so expertly executed that Alfred Hitchcock would tip his hat to it. With all that said, this is a solid rent only because the re-watchability of this movie is minimal at best, but still a sight to see no less.

Next on the lineup, Fair Game (rated PG-13) 

A quasi-biopic, Fair Game is the story of Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), a CIA operative who’s entire life is unraveled when her secret assignments are leaked to the press in a politically charged move. Her marriage staggers, but her husband Jospeh (Sean Penn, going H.A.M.), convinces her to listen to Chuck D and fight the power. What ensues is an engaging story of the difficulty of fighting bureaucracy when all you have is the truth. Directed by Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), this is a good movie. Not great, just good. Watts and Penn have solid chemistry, as expected and the story is engaging. However, I feel like there’s just this certain…umph missing from the movie. There’s nothing that really grabs you and pulls you in; it feels like a training exercise more than a combat situation, which is dissapointing to say the least. I wouldn’t rent it simply because it’s not a must see.

Also out this week, season 4 of Mad Men! Check it out, you won’t be dissapointed. We also have the re-release of The Ten Commandments on Blu-Ray and DVD. So, overall, a good week to spend some redbox money.

Next week I’ll be reviewing Tron: Legacy, Little Fockers and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader. Guess good things can’t last forever, right?

As always, comments and suggestions are welcomed but completely ignored.