Hirp Went to the Movies

I haven’t reviewed any movies lately, and I’ve actually been going on a somewhat regular basis this summer. So far I’ve seen Shrek the Third, Knocked Up and Ocean’s 13. Two sequels, and one movie that had essentially the same cast, writers and director as another movie which basically makes it a sequel. But all three are just as good as their predecesors, which is remarkable.

Shrek the Third was just as fun as the first one, and had plenty of jokes for adults without corrupting the kids. I saw it a few weeks ago, and I can’t say anything about it really stuck with me, so it isn’t a must see by any means.

On the other hand, Knocked Up is a must see. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should probably leave work right now and go. A absolutely hysterical flick, which might just be better than 40 Year Old Virgin. 40 Year Old came out right around the same time as Wedding Crashers, and after one viewing I felt Crashers was the superior movie. But after watching them each multiple times, 40 Year Old just got funnier and funnier while Crashers looked more like a chick flick we were tricked into believing was the funniest movie in years. This is relevant here because I can’t wait to see Knocked Up again. I’m already sure it’s going to be even funnier the second time.

Ocean’s 13 made up for 12, which we can now officially deny ever took place, even if I do own the DVD. I was afraid adding Pacino to the cast would throw the chemistry out of whack, but he didn’t over do his “whoo-ah” shtick that he’s used in every movie since Scent of a Woman. In fact he was just about perfect for his character. It’s just hard to see him as anything other than Michael Corleone or Tony Montana. Walking out, I thought it might have been as good as Ocean’s 11, so last night I re-watched 11. And as good as 13 is, it’s not at the same level as 11. Some of the funniest and coolest scenes in 11 were the looks they gave each other. A cocked head, raised eyebrows in response to a line or rolled eyes. That level of “cool” may not ever be replicated. It should be noted, that from the previews I was afraid that the whacky costumes and disguises would give the movie a cheap feel. That they’d be forced jokes and take the wind out of the sails, as the stupid gags in Be Cool killed any chance of that movie being as good as Get Shorty. But the gimmicks worked, because they didn’t over do it.