Love & Other Drugs review... I want 2 hours of my life back!

When your married, or in a committed relationship for that matter, your significant other makes you go see films you otherwise wouldn't be caught dead watching.  This was one of those films.  Jake Gyllenhaal is a womanizing prescription drug salesman.  He's shallow and sleeps around.  Anne Hathaway is a young woman with a rare case of Parkinsons disease.  She wants to keep it casual and so does Gyllenhaal's character... at first.  This is going to be a short review because if the actors and filmmakers weren't going to try their best, neither am I.

What I liked about the film:
Oliver Platt and Hank Azaria
It's a pretty good indicator what a movie is going to be like when the best thing about it is the screen time of two supporting actors.  Oliver Platt is Gyllenhaal's mentor at Pfizer drugs.  Hand Azaria is a doctor who Gyllenhaal tries to sell his prescription drugs to.  Platt is hilarious and is the same character he always plays, but I like it.  Azaria is so diverse I bought he was a womanizing doctor who really cared for his patients.  Great job.


What I didn't like about the film:
Its Stars
Everyone on here knows I dislike Anne Hathaway very much!  Jake Gyllenhaal is not very much behind in my book.  They both phoned in their performances.  Ho, hum, the movie was dumb.

The Writing
Typical "chick flick" fashion.  Predictable, even though they attempted the unpredictable.  So stupid.  Hathaway doesn't want to get involved with anyone because she's worried she'll get attached.  At first Gyllenhaal is in it just for the sex, but later wants more.  As his career improves, his personal life goes down the tank.  Who cares? 

The Director
Edward Zwick should just chalk this one up to a loss.  He's too good a damn director to be involved in crap like this.  He's made such classics as Defiance, Blood Diamon, The Last Samurai, The Seige, and Legends of the Fall.  Wow, that's an amazing resume and hopefully this film can be shrugged off. 

The verdict:
Horrible
There was not a memorable moment in the film.  I left the theater wondering how on Earth I got conned into watching it.  I didn't have an interest in the film whatsoever.  We never covered it on the blog, and rightfully so.  ARRG!  I'm so mad I wasted my time watching this instead of Black Swan!  The timing was just too late for Black Swan and a man's got work in the morning.  Speaking of which, goodnight!

Wow, Anne Hathaway will play Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises; Tom Hardy will play Bane

A fan made mock-up

Remember the rumor about Megan Fox playing Catwoman?  Remember the Angelina Jolie rumor?  Yeah, I do.  Well, all the rumors can be laid to rest, Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman... and I hate it.  If you've ever, EVER read this blog, and see Anne Hathaway's name, it's usually in a negative light.  She is the undisputed, most overrated actress in Hollywood.  I just keep saying to myself... 'Director, Christopher Nolan has never let you down'.  I have to believe he made the right choice for the film.

Last week I posted about the 6 women vying for 2 major roles.  We knew Hathaway was in the running, but all along we thought the roles were that of Talia al Ghul and reporter Vicki Vale.  Not so.  It's official, the first of two lead female roles is Selina Kyle. 

Along with the casting of Hathaway, we now know who Tom Hardy will play in The Dark Knight Rises.  Hardy will play the second villain, Bane.  Hardy was cast back in October; but no one knew who he was going to play in the film.  Most people guessed Dr. Hugo Strange or Black Mask.  Both characters seemed to fit in Nolan's "real world". 

The internet/Twitter/blogs all went nuts at the announcement.  Nolan was bound to choose a lesser known villain that the Batman films in the past.  But Bane was already portrayed (horribly) in Batman & Robin.

Bane was created in 1993.  He's both brilliant and has superior strength to Batman.  He was a prisoner at one point; and the aforementioned Dr. Strange tested a new drug called "venom" on him, which acted as a steroid.  So maybe Dr. Strange will still be a player in the film, maybe even a cameo.

Like I said about Nolan before, I trust him, unquestionably.  So I know he'll find a way to make this work! 

Want to see some Irony at it's best?  Check out the picture to the right.  It's a fan made poster of Bat Girl, featuring none other than Anne Hathaway.  Considering it was on the internet soon after The Dark Knight was released in theaters, that's some irony!  Hate it or love it, Hathaway is in the film.

6 Women, 2 Roles, 1 Huge Movie... "The Dark Knight Rises" Leading Women Casting

Click to Enlarge

The title summarizes the situation, I'll go into more detail. The Dark Knight Rises is the third Batman film in Christopher Nolan's trilogy. The first was Batman Begins and it introduced us to a great villain that could live in Nolan's "real world". The villain was Ras al Ghul, played by the great Liam Neeson. Click the jump to hear about the rumored female characters, as well as what I think of each actress up for the roles.

Well, it's been rumored that Talia al Ghul will be the main villain in the TDKR, set to avenge her father's death. The rumor works on many levels. First of all, it fits within the world that Nolan has created. It COULD happen. Second, and I think more importantly is, it brings the trilogy full circle, and supplies a fitting end to an amazing run for Nolan. When I go through all the actresses that are up for the part, you can begin to see the physical similarities for this character.

The second female character to be rumored for the film is Vicki Vale. Remember when Kim Basinger played the character in 1989 for Tim Burton's Batman? She's the investigative reporter for Gotham. I can only assume her character will be investigating the whereabouts of Batman, as he was cast out at the end of The Dark Knight. You will also notice physical similarities to this character from a few of the actresses.

First, Keira Knightley. I love this pick. She would make an amazing Talia al Ghul! She looks the part, as in, she could be Liam Neeson's daughter. She has the physique, she's been in plenty of action movies. Plus, she has an accent which could play well into the story if she was raised chasing her father around the world. And last but not least, she's a good actress! Yeah, that IS still important to Mr. Nolan.

Next up is an actress I do not like, nor do I want in this film! Jessica Biel would definitely look the part of Vicki Vale, but I don't like her, so we're going to move on.

Another actress I don't like! Anne Hathaway is, I've said it before, and I'll say it again... the most overrated actress in Hollywood. I just don't understand it to be honest with you. She could NEVER pull off Talia, but possibly Vicki. She reminds me too much of Katie Holmes though and I hope that works against her.

Then there is lesser known Kate Mara. I liked her in The Shooter starring Mark Wahlberg, albeit a very small role. She physically looks the part of Talia, but I don't know. She is smart and sexy and could probably play Vicki as well. I like the dice Mr. Nolan is rolling.

Next up is a definite unknown to American fans... Charlotte Riley, who just so happens to be engaged to Tom Hardy; who has already been cast in TDKR after his amazing role in Inception. She must be up for the role of Talia. She looks the part, has an accent and could do well. I've never seen her work, but read a few bios, and it looks good.

Last but not least is Gemma Arterton. I loved her in Prince of Persia, and thought she did what she could with 007: Quantum of Solace. I think she would be up for Talia as well. I liked her in the past, but hope Nolan passes on her for this one, she just wouldn't fit in, I think.

I have to tell you who the dream casting would be... Keira Knightley for Talia al Ghul and Kate Mara for Vicki Vale. I think they're both classy, sexy and all around good actresses. Whoever it is, they're going to have to prove themselves to Christopher Nolan. That makes me feel better no matter who gets picked. We'll keep you up to date as I'm sure a decision will be made in a week or two. The movie starts shooting in May so there's no time to waste!

"Superman" Casting Rumors: Matthew Goode and Anne Hathaway? I Say McAdams or Bullock!

Matthew Goode for Superman; Anne Hathaway for Lois Lane? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't the fans have a say in this? Let's take Matthew Goode for example. Ok, he's been a superhero before. He was one of the best additions to the new Superman director, Zack Snyder's Watchmen. I can see that a director and an actor want to work together, ok. I also understand that they're going for a younger version of the hero. But, in my opinion, Goode is a relative unknown.

I've written about it a million times on this blog, I don't want to see another "unknown" play Superman. Enough of that crap. I want to see a strong, built, A-list actor carry the franchise beyond Superman: The Movie. 1978 was a long time ago. The director of that film, Richard Donner had an unbelievably difficult task at hand. He had to discover the actor set to play one of the most recognizable characters in the history of man. Really an unknown was the only way to do it. Clear the audience's minds of any preconceived notions of what the character looked like. It's not 1978 anymore.

I've spent enough time on Mr. Goode. Now, to my other gripe. Anne Hathaway for Lois Lane? Really? Like, really? In my opinion.... she's one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood. Yes, I mean that. What has she done that has earned her the critical success she receives? The Princess Diaries? Disney camp. Rachel Getting Married? As over-rated as she is. Please don't say Get Smart? I don't need to say anything.

Listen, how about Rachel McAdams?! If they're truly going younger, how about her? She's smart, sexy and can easily be a convincing reporter. She played a blogger once, does that count? If Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan go a bit older, I've got that covered as well! Jon Hamm has been rumored to play the Man of Steel; what about Sandra Bullock as Lois Lane? Huh? Huh? She's amazing and has never really done a franchise type film. I want to see her and Hamm saving the world! What do you guys think of my casting ideas?

Quickie: Rio movie trailer and poster

From the people who brought us just 1 decent Ice Age movie, and 2 (soon to be 3) crappy ones, comes Rio. The trailer looks great and it has some great voice talent like George Lopez and Anne Hathaway. It has a similar design to that of Disney Pixar's Up. Especially the forest scene. Any who, check it out for yourself and let us know what you think.

Tonedog Review: "Alice in Wonderland"

Finally! The long awaited Alice in Wonderland has screened in thousands of theaters across the country. Now... how was it?! Ok, I've done this a few times before and it seems to get the best response. I'll go through what I liked and didn't like about the movie.

What I liked:

'Underland':
What did you expect from Tim Burton? Seriously, was there a doubt that this man was going to make 'Underland' anything less than magnificent? The world looks and feels familiar, yet so very different. It has a very eerie, Gothic feel, that makes you just a little bit uneasy... which I'm sure Alice must feel as she enters this strange world. The colors, the animals, creatures, all amazing. I don't want to focus too much on this point... but watch the film in 2D. My wife and I watched in 3D and to be completely honest, it took away from the movie for me. So many details are blurry (a big negative to 3D), that I would rather enjoy them in 2D.

The cast/characters:
Again, what did you expect? So much talent, so many unbelievable characters it's ridiculous. Let me start with Johnny Depp, he does an amazing job as the lovable, yet crazy Mad Hatter. He has to be charming enough for you to care, and goofy enough to make you think he's nuts... without being annoying. Great work.

Helen Bonham Carter STEALS THE SHOW! She's sooo good, she's so talented, so funny I couldn't wait for her to reappear onscreen. Pay close attention to the amazing acting she does with her face alone, because her body is slightly twisted for the movie. Mia Wasikowska does great as a curious, scared, confident Alice.

The characters were mostly CGI all of which are stunning. Great to look at, great voice acting and just overall a orgasm for the eyes. Anne Hathaway... I still think you're the most overrated actress in Hollywood, 'nuff said.



What I didn't like:

The story:
This is perhaps the deal breaker for me as far as giving this movie a thumbs up approval. The story is simple, and I understand that's good for families going to see the film, but come ooooon! I don't want to spoil anything, but I promise you this... you will leave asking yourself "who cares?" Seriously, why even make the movie with such a weak story? As I was watching the film, I thought to myself, "oh, this happened in the 1951 Disney cartoon. Oh those characters are in the cartoon. Oh that is a cool CGI version of the cartoon." There wasn't enough of a difference from the cartoon classic to consider this a true sequel, as much as a reboot with CGI. So disappointing there wasn't more meat to the story... SO DISAPPOINTING!

My own expectation:
Look, this is an interpersonal issue, and I understand that. But you're on our blog, so I'm assuming you care what we feel. I felt like I was so let down. I feel like it was such a lost opportunity to make something so special. The talent was there, the characters were there, the technology was there, but.... flat. So flat. A year now of solid anticipation and I walked out so let down.



Maybe I'm being harsh, maybe I "missed the point", but I really did feel let down. It's ok, Burton and company are going to be fine, because the movie is going to do well, VERY WELL. It was sold out 1:40 PM showing on Friday afternoon, a school day. So look for big numbers, check out the movie and lets compare scoring points.

6/10
C+
My thumb is down.

The Academy Awards to have 10 Best Picture nominees next year

Last year's Academy Awards was probably the most entertaining of the award show's history, in a long time. Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway doing a mini Broadway show of the nominees was pretty creative. The format for presenting the major acting awards was also very creative. Next year, the Academy will do something they haven't done since the 1940's... have 10 Best Picture nominees.

The move will hopefully create more interest and also give fan favorites a better chance of being nominated. Movies like The Dark Knight and Iron Man missed out last year for more dramatic movies like Milk and Frost/Nixon. The Associated Press reported President of the Academy, Sid Ganis, had this to say:

Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize. I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February.

I personally think it's stupid, and a waste of time, just trying to get people to somehow tune in for the show. Let's say for example a movie like Defiance was in the running last year for Best Picture, would it really have affected Slumdog Millionaire's chance of winning the prize? My answer is NO. But! But! If it is a year with a close race, a movie third on the list of favorites could screw up the votes and a surprise fourth or fifth place movie wins Best Picture.

Either way, let us know what you think... whether you agree or disagree, the decision has been made.