Movie Mondays - Jumper and Once

I haven't been to the movies in since Jumper, I still have to get over that one before heading back to the theaters. Jumper was not the worst movie I have ever seen, but for a movie being about something as awesome as teleportation, I thought it could be much better.

Hayden Christensen wasn't too bad as David Rice, the main character, he just lacked any depth, and he didn't show much real emotion through the entire film.

Rachel Bilson, as Millie, did a decent job with the shoddy writing that she was given. I mean honestly, who would just run away to Italy with someone you assumed was dead since ninth grade without any kind of conversation before hand? That was a little hard to accept.

Samuel L Jackson was...well...he was Samuel L Jackson. Pretty much just out for a paycheck. His characters motives were pretty darn vague.

The standout actor in this movie was by far Jamie Bell, the cynical and aggressive veteran Jumper who tried to give advice to David. While I thought Bell's Griffen was the best character in the film, he was also left with no closure, which was very disappointing.

Ultimately, this movie was a let down. It had some cool action sequences, but not enough to make it worth sitting through the rest of it. Avoid it if at all possible.

A few months ago Mrs Titan was interested in seeing a romance, so I looked on my extensive Netflix Queue (over 400 movies and counting!) for something that I thought we would both enjoy. I remembered hearing some pretty great things about Once when it first came out, so I thought we could check it out.

I was expecting to be mildly entertained, listen to some decent music, and ultimately be depressed, as that seems to be the norm for movies that are well reviewed anymore. Well, thank goodness I couldn't have been more wrong.

This movie is great! It's emotional, moving, and beautiful. For once, I agreed with most critics. The folk music in this film is exceptional. I bought the album the same night we finished the movie and it has been repeated many times on the ole iPod. When Falling Slowly won the Oscar I was thrilled, it was the most excited part of a fairly boring Academy Awards (although that is a story for another post).

Finally, the movie did not have a depressing ending. It may not have been expected, (and I won't ruin it here) but it was believable, uplifting, and warm. I would hardily recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys good movies and music.

Tomorrow: Comics - Marvel vs DC