First Impressions Quick-Fire Vol. 6

   Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. :)
   I missed out on last week's "first impressions" entry because I was away for the weekend, without Internet access. I did think about postponing it to Christmas Eve, which I felt would have been an appropriate time, but I never got round to actually writing the reviews by then. So here I am, in my last batch of reviews for 2013, going over two weeks' worth of movies. (Two rather quiet weeks, that is.)
   First up, I finally got back to my library of downloads from ages ago, interspersed with the James Bond series. The next in line was another one that I was only watching for the sake of completing the Compatibility Test on Flixster.

Hitch (2005)

I'd describe Hitch as somehow predictable and offbeat at the same time. It's a romantic comedy about Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, a professional "date doctor". It's divided into two parallel romances: Hitch's latest client Albert, and Hitch himself smitten with Sara Melas. I cared so little about Albert's story that I just started to wonder how much Alex earned for this job. But the main scene I remember is when Sara's misunderstanding is exposed at the end of the second act, because the truth rightfully comes out almost immediately, and the movie grinds to a complete halt after that. My rating: 55%.

   Next up, a pair of movies I saw in the cinema.

Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie (2013)

The trailer for this movie had me screaming "betrayal" just like Spoony did with XCOM! Seeing Walking with Dinosaurs, a serious documentary miniseries that I loved as a child, turned into a crass children's movie with talking dinosaurs… it really does feel like a violation! The film itself is basically a remake of Disney's Dinosaur. It's just as unfunny as the trailer implied, and it keeps pausing to introduce the animals by name, which completely takes you out of the movie anyway. It's an annoying, misguided and condescending mess – and of course, for me, it's a personal insult. My rating: 15%.

Frozen (2013)

Sometimes I complain about trailers misrepresenting a movie because the film ends up letting you down, but this time it was quite the reverse. :) The trailers for this movie made it look painfully unfunny. But the film itself turned out to be witty, very well written and endlessly charming – thanks in no small part to its genuinely lovable characters. Early on, when Elsa is trying to contain her powers, the tension is unbearable. Also, I don't want to spoil anything, but there's one particular plot thread that becomes an expert satire on the nature of Disney romances. In short, yet another triumph for Disney. My rating: 85%.

A Christmas Story (1983)

I try to make it a tradition every Christmas to see at least one new Christmas movie, and this year it was A Christmas Story. And boy was it a good choice! :) This is one of those movies that takes you right back to your childhood: the innocence, the excitement, the daydreams… This is aided all the more by the narrative structure: it simply presents one day at a time in this boy's life, which makes you feel like you too are living it. In a time when Christmas sadly seems to be growing stale, this movie reminds you how magical it used to be, and ensures that the Christmas spirit never dies. My rating: 80%.

The Accused (1988)

I have conflicting opinions on this movie. On one hand, I highly commend it for portraying rape as the beyond unjust atrocity that it is; the movie doesn't make any attempt to glorify it. But on the other hand, as a courtroom drama, I have to admit some characters are quite right in that it's a very flimsy case; it's about trying to convict the men who cheered it on, and there's no proof. At first, I didn't think they were ever going to actually show the rape itself – which I thought would have been a nice touch – but I'm glad that, when it is, it perfectly conveys the horrific nature of the scene. My rating: 80%.

   And finally, my last batch of Xtra-vision rentals for the year.

Elysium (2013)

Director Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to District 9… is not very good. :( The real-world allegories (to the first and third worlds and illegal immigration) are painfully obvious and sometimes very poorly executed. For example, early on, what's the point in shooting two of those shuttles down when they just send the third one back to Earth anyway? And the abuse of shaky cam in this movie is just ridiculous! It makes the action practically unwatchable. The premise had potential and the plot does have its moments, but the characters constantly drag it down by being complete idiots. My rating: 40%.

Lovelace (2013)

Based on the true story of Linda Lovelace, who was forced into pornography by her domineering husband, Chuck Traynor. While watching the movie, I got the distinct impression that it was holding something back – and indeed, a lot of people have complained that it severely tames down the truly brutal truth – but I think it still gets the point across. Here's a woman who just can't catch a break – not just from Chuck, but even her mother is overly strict. And what makes it even worse: without Chuck, she has no money to call her own, so she's effectively trapped. It's a deplorable situation. My rating: 65%.

The Way Way Back (2013)

Fourteen-year-old Duncan is forced into a summer vacation with his mother and her new boyfriend, then a welcome distraction is provided when he finds friends in the oddball staff of the local water park. Boy did I underestimate this movie! It's basically a catharsis for anyone in a stressful situation. I really felt for Duncan wanting to escape his home company, and his new friends are so relentlessly funny and charismatic that they really do make for the best companions possible. In fact, I honestly didn't want to leave this place. :) This is, hands down, one of my absolute favourite movies of the year. My rating: 85%.

   I was already working on my best and worst movies of the year lists, but after this lot, I had to do a couple of revisions to both lists. Check in on New Year's Eve for the final results. :)