(no subject)

[green_queen]

So I had a very Starkid weekend. I watched AVPM and then Starship and tonight I finished AVPS. I also watched a couple of movies, so reviews of the movies and Starship are below.

The Perfect Score

So I borrowed this from Daniel because, duh, Chris Evans. He didn't get shirtless, which is not the only detriment to the movie. Its biggest problem is an incredibly irritating voiceover courtesy of its MTV roots that grates like carrots. It's not helped, either, by incredibly lacklustre performances from apparent basketballer Darius Miles and Leonardo Nam, provider of the aforementioned hideous voiceover. The ending is also a total cop-out.

Still, you know I love a heist movie, and this one has a pretty cute high school heist. It has Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson before they were hired only for their looks, so they actually get to do something. And it has a searing indictment of the SAT system, which is entirely justified because it's pretty much the most broken education system in the first world. Well, tied with the insane Japanese school system.

3 out of 5

Gosford Park

Robert Altman does British manor murder mystery, with a cast of good British actors and flawless British actresses. I want to marry Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, and Kristen Scott Thomas, all of whom are breathtakingly brilliant in this. Of course, being an Altman film, it takes ages to figure out who everyone is, but fortunately he allows us the time. His style lends itself to a murder mystery that you actually feel like you're in, despite the fucked-up, weird world of British aristocracy. I love the way the overlapping dialogue grates and alienates at first, then draws you in. Ryan Philippe is, fortunately, purposefully terrible in this. Definitely one of the better Altman movies.

4 out of 5

I really hate insects. I thought it wouldn't be too bad watching this because they're relatively cutesy puppet insects, but there are bug jokes constantly and they make me squeamish.

Also, February is just really. Really. Annoying. She's rarely funny, and she's never endearing, she just drives me up the wall. I don't get how the adorable Bug even likes her in the first place, except that she's the first human he sees.

Having said that, Joe Walker and Lauren Lopez as Up and Taz are comedy genius. I sort of chuckled a bit before they showed up, but once they came in it was like the play came to life. Taz is the most quotable character, Lauren's singing voice has improved, and Walker continues his trend of playing emotionally fucked up characters, but this time he gets to be a good guy and a softie. Brian Holden and Dylan Saunders take his villain spot spectacularly. Dylan also almost steals the musical - I DID NOT KNOW HE COULD SING LIKE THAT. HOLY CRAP. He's amazing. Joey is adorable and a very likeable lead. He WINS at facial expressions, I swear - I could rewatch the whole thing just to watch his face. I thought Meredith Steppien, who I haven't seen before, was pretty great - best of the people I didn't recognise. I love the Starship Ranger propaganda video too, for all the cameos. I basically love all the bits with the humans and dislike all the bits with the bugs.

A couple of the songs are really good, but I felt a bit like Bug's songs got a bit repetitive, especially by the time Status Quo came along - it stopped the show, but not in the good way. It just comes out of nowhere.

Also coming out of nowhere and making me spit wine all over my keyboard with the force of my laughter:



Favourite part. Also, since most of my gifs are Taz:


AND NOW, WE DANCE!

And because this post lacks something:



Green Queen

Comments

[petit-rhino.livejournal.com]

Dylan also almost steals the musical - I DID NOT KNOW HE COULD SING LIKE THAT.
I wasn't that impressed with Dylan when he played Dumbledore, but OMG he was fantastic in Starship!

I can understand how not liking bugs could spoil the fun of watching Starship. I really enjoyed Status Quo when Darren sang it during the livestream, but in the show it just felt weird.
And Lauren and Joe were amazing as usual.

I honestly thought the last photo was going to be this:


:D

[green-queen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't like Dylan's Dumbledore that much either. There are things about him I like but he's mostly just kinda douchey. His characters in Starship were better.

It's not so much the song that's the problem as the placement of it and the fact that it sort of rehashes what we already know. The songs in musicals needs to propel the story forwards and that just stopped it.

[zombres.livejournal.com]

...DOES HE HAVE HIS NAILS PAINTED DIFFERENT COLOURS? HE DOES, DOESN'T HE? EEEEEEEEEE!

[green-queen.livejournal.com]

Yep, he got them done at Coachella and then had them painted for days.

[leeshy-s.livejournal.com]

Totally agree about Dylan's voice it blew me away. And agree about February. She was so irritating it brought entire scenes down for me because I didn't get Bug's love for her at all. Loved the scene between Up and Bug so much.

[green-queen.livejournal.com]

I was really disappointed with February. She's so....just not what I thought Starkid was about.

OMG THAT SCENE. I mean, it was already funny and adorable, but...ESKIMO KISSES. SO PRECIOUS.