pitsburghfuzz

This is the conclusion of what I like to call, "The Great Apes" Trilogy, which consists of King Kong, Son of Kong, and Mighty Joe Young. The three films involve Merian C Cooper, Ernest B Shoedsack, Ruth Rose, Willis O'brien, and Robert Armstrong. For most people, including myself, King Kong is the best of these three films, while Son of Kong is the weakest. Mighty Joe Young is in between. The gorilla effects are well-done, and even eliminated the ruffling of the rabbit fur King Kong had in 1933. Joe is an amalgamation of the King himself, and his son; containing childlike qualities, as well as the fact that Joe could potentially do some damage. There is one sequence which is simply marvelous involving the nightclub that steals the show. The performances are good for a movie of this type, and ends up being a happier film than the previous installments. Also, Willis O'brien's unmatched talents were finally recognized, with an Oscar for his work on this very film. Highly recommended.

I hate jukebox musicals. Not my thing. I also hate James Cameron's Titanic, a film with beautiful detail, but contains the most shallow love story ever. Good god it was boring. I came into Moulin Rouge with mixed expectations, and got the viewpoints of someone who loved it, and someone who hated it. I liked the film overall but there are some issues that I have with it that I won't spoil. The film is over the top, which for some can be jarring, especially with the editing and musical numbers. It does give the film a certain energy, but it gets old really quick. The plot is also put forth to us fairly quick, especially for a film that is 2 hours. The singing is eh, but my favorite sequence in the film uses "Roxanne" as a tango, and it is shot, choreographed, and sung well. I also enjoyed the set design and costumes, but the editing sometimes prevents me from looking at it. As a whole, I'd give Moulun Rouge a rental. I liked it, but I wish I could love it. However, I can say that is is infinitely better than Titanic.