The Caucasian Report - "Mr. Popper's Penguins" (2011)

~Unlikely Guest Puts Popper to the Test~
When I saw the preview for this picture, it was apparent that its purpose was to please younger people. Despite the puerile plotline, I was always planning on seeing it because it’s practically impossible for me to pass up a Jim Carrey movie. This film is precisely what can be expected: an updated presentation of the popular 1938 children’s parable. You simply can’t go into the theater anticipating a profound experience. What you can expect is a preposterous amount of penguin cuteness.

The movie is about Mr. Popper (Jim Carrey), a powerful and passionate businessman in the prime of his life. After his father’s passing, he is left a particularly peculiar inheritance. One day, a pretty large package appears at his door. Upon opening it, Mr. Popper finds the last thing he expected—a live penguin. Due to a communication problem, when he attempts to send the penguin back, he is sent five more instead. Amongst his penguin panic, his ex-wife (Carla Gugino) and kids (Madeline Carroll, Maxwell Perry Cotton) stop by for his son’s birthday party. The boy’s persistent pleas persuade Mr. Popper to keep the penguins in his possession. Before long, Mr. Popper finds himself growing partial to the penguins. He proceeds to prop his doors open in the middle of winter and pile snow into his living room. Thanks to the penguins, Mr. Popper starts to put a higher priority on parenting and pays less attention to work. Who knew that a pack of playful penguins would be just what the doctor prescribed for Mr. Popper?

The film puts a contemporary spin on the story of Mr. Popper. If you happen to be familiar with the book, be prepared for the movie to be completely different. Provided, I do think the story had to be adapted to produce something applicable to the 21st century, the screenwriters pulled it off superbly. The best part of this movie is the inspiring message it portrays—spend a predominant portion of your time with the people you love. The movie’s weak point was that it was extremely predictable. There is a high probability that any predictions you ponder will play out right before your eyes. As far as acting goes, I am positive this wasn’t Carrey’s paramount performance, but it probably wasn’t his poorest either. It is someplace in the middle of the road. It was a pleasant surprise to see that Angela Lansbury had an important part. She was the perfect actress to place as the prudent Mrs. Van Gundy—the first person who doesn’t fall prey to Mr. Popper’s perfected charm. This movie is like watching paint dry, only if the paint is black and white with a hint of orange here and there.


By WhiteChick

The Minority Report - "Sucker Punch" (2011)

“What you’re imagining right now—you control this world.”
This is one of those movies that I saw the trailer for a long time ago (a year or year and a half, more or less) and have been waiting for ever since. My initial thoughts on the trailer were: “Holy crap” and “That is awesome!” For me, the attractiveness of the cast never factors in the equation. I don’t go to see a movie because someone visually appealing is acting in it. That is a terrible way to judge movies. That said, I’m pretty sure that most of the advertisement of this movie went to showing how attractive a bunch of petite girls fighting in short skirts are. Sad really, but what actually attracted me to this movie initially was its premise. In all honesty, it didn’t let me down. It was exactly what I expected, though; it wasn’t better and it wasn’t worse.

The story centers around a 20-year-old who is referred to throughout the movie as “Baby Doll” (Emily Browning). Her mother passed away and her stepfather is upset because the family fortune is being left to her and her sister. In a burst of anger, her father locks her in her room and proceeds to try and molest her younger sister. In defense, of her sister, “Baby Doll” threatens her step father with a gun and shoots at him, killing her little sister accidentally. Because of this, she is institutionalized in a mental hospital. Here, she is encouraged by Dr. Vera Gorski (Carla Gugino) to retreat into a fantasy world of her creation to deal with all of the bad around her. Here, she formulates a plan to escape from the mental institution, with the help of other girls currently residing there. What ensues is an action-packed journey through the wondrous imagination of “Baby Doll” as she lives her real life as a dream. This puts everyone in incredible scenarios that could only be dreamed of.

The movie was visually astounding. Even though it has gotten mixed to negative reviews, everyone can still praise the cinematography, directing, and art employed throughout. It was lacking a bit in character development, that’s for sure, but that doesn’t make it an entirely bad film. I highly enjoyed it and almost all of the people I was with did as well. People are annoyed because it plays out like a video game of sorts, but the thing is that most of the impossible and crazy scenarios employed take place in her imagination. Get a grip and loosen up is what I have to say. It is meant to be far-fetched because, in all honesty, who has normal dreams populated by normal rules that actually make sense? When do people say things that aren’t corny in your dreams? Nothing makes sense! If anyone asked me if they should go and see this movie, I would say yes. It is a fantastic ride through the mind of a mentally ill woman that takes us to the ends of the world. This movie is like watching paint dry, if it is inside the imagination of the artist and is slowing down and speeding up in fantastic fight sequences within itself.

By Kulguy