The Lovely Bones

Goolphipp Award: 4.4 (No Peanuts Chucked)

Phipps:
The Lovely Bones made me tear up and made my chin wobble. Let me be honest, I haven't read the book, so I don't know if Peter Jackson did it justice, but I do know that his version, however different it is from the novel, is a movie worth seeing. The blurring of heaven and earth, called the "in-between," where the spirit of Susie lived, was done well - cohesive and interesting. All the necessary parts were foreshadowed in an balantly obvious way, but the pieces couldn't be put together until we (and Susie) were ready.

Performances in this movie were just wonderful. The very Irish Saoirse Ronan brought Susie Salmon to life, and did a phenomenal job with the range of emotion expected of her. Susan Sarandon stole all of her scenes as the grandmother, who smokes and drinks throughout. Stanley Tucci. What can you say about him? He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role, and it is well-deserved. He was the perfect serial killer. In fact, I think all the performances were great.

As a whole, this movie is intense. I walked out of the theater overwhelmed and discombobulated. It is an experience. I came to care about the Salmon family, and I wanted to see Stanley Tucci take a long walk off a short pier. I don't know if I'll ever watch this movie again, because it's so intense and emotional, but I don't think I'll ever forget it.

In fact, the only thing I have against the movie is that the climax of the movie is a kiss, which is more of a book issue anyway.

Phipps overall: 4.75
My chin actually wobbled...doesn't happen for just anything.

Goolsby:
I wasn't as excited for this movie as Phipps. I was curious, but that's about it. That being said, I went in pretty blank. I think Mark Wahlberg plays a great father role in this movie. he brought just the right amount of emotion for his fallen daughter. On the other hand I thought Rachel Weisz was missing the "it" factor. She did a good job, but I didn't feel her performance matched her on screen husband's performance.

What I really like about this movie was the score and music selection. I thought the music added a nice cherry on the top for the movie. It was perfectly woven in and the main song really reflected the "in-between" world.

Maybe someday I'll read the book. Imagine how hard it would be to write the "in-between" world. Oi.

Goolsby overall: 4
I welled up, didn't spill over though. Commanding, but not the full hype.

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Goolphipp Award: 5 (Opening Night Excellence)

Audience: Teens and up

Goolsby: I think this movie is pretty much a family movie if you’ve got teen kids. The violence is pretty hardcore and I bet some animals of the Pandora world would be too intense for small children.

Phipps: If your kids are accustomed to action and violence, I think this movie might be okay for them. Keep in mind, there is some swearing and "mating" discussion. Honestly, I think the rating was due to violence. And as Goolsby said, there are some scary creatures. Tentative audience 12+.

Plot: Dances with Na'vi

Goolsby: I’ve heard quite a few people compare or describe the movie in terms of Dances with Wolves, even Pocahontas. The point is, it doesn’t matter. The plot is a classic tale, that’s why it works so well. I think the fact that the plot is a bit played out works in favor of the film. Since we all know how it will end, we can focus on more interesting parts of the movie – like the graphics, crazy technologies, and the deliveries of the actors. Classic is classic for a reason.

Phipps: This movie was Dances with Wolves in space. The only difference is Jake Sully and his woman don't have to leave the tribe at the end. But since the Dances with Wolves plot works in the "original," it also works here. I think critics and movie elitists get all wrapped around the axle about classic storylines, but newsflash...as Goolsby said, it works. And as of yesterday, it was reported that Avatar is second only to Titanic for top box office of all time. People can't help themselves, they settle in for the ride, and are not disappointed.

Special effects: 3D spectacular

Goolsby: Well once you forget about the funny glasses on your face it’s pretty neat. I’m glad that the 3D effects weren’t so in-your-face, pop out at you, sort of deal. The 3D aspects were subtle and seamless. It added another layer to your whole movie experience. And come on, all the fluorescent stuff, awesome. I did however make a comment after the movie that I wanted there to be one line in the movie that explained all the fluorescent things.

Phipps: Holy cricket! I was afraid that the CGI aspects would not be blended seamlessly. After Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, everything is compared to that standard. And, although I knew it was fake, the effects were fully integrated. It was wonderful, like falling down a rabbit hole into wonderland. I have no complaints. James Cameron did a wonderful job making the whole movie a cohesive experience. I might even be persuaded to see it again.

Where’s the wow: Paint me blue and make me an extra

Goolsby: The magic of this movie is the world it creates. For 2 hours and 40 minutes you get to be part of James Cameron’s Pandora. You get swept up in the action and want to be part of the Na’vi tribe. I want to ride some crazy pterodactyl-like bird. I think sometimes emotional delivery can be lost with special effects, but Cameron made sure that wasn’t the case for this movie. On spot, all the way. A bit cliché in some places, but all movies have their moments.

Phipps: Shoot. I want to ride that flying dinosaur-ish bird. I noticed a few little details that I loved. I liked that the human avatars had five fingers, and the Na'vi had four, which makes sense if they combined DNA for the avatars. The technology featured wasn't totally other either, it was a good extrapolation on what we have now. Pandora - the computer plant...full of glow-in-the-dark plants - what a smart idea! And however they rigged Sam Worthington's atrophied legs, they did an amazing job! Of course if you don't use your legs for an extended period of time they are going to be tiny! Bravo on that. That was accurate. Although I felt some moments were really messagey, it wasn't tiresome. Performances were solid. It was just a complete package of fun, which doesn't come around often. See it in theaters, people.

Phipps overall: 5
Well, shucks, can't find a single thing wrong with it.

Goolsby overall: 5
I went in expecting to be disappointed and was blown away.

Goolphipp award: 5 (Opening Night Excellence)

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