Has anyone gone to the Avengers this weekend?

I went to the 6:30 show on Friday night. Theater was about 1/4 full.

Why wouldn't he make Legolas and his father look alike?

No, I get that. Sort of.

Lee Pace's eyebrows simply turn the effect up to 11.

Leeeeeee Pace. I know Jack about The Hobbit but I dig that pic of him made up as whassisname, the Elf King. But then, I'd dig Lee Pace in almost any getup.

This one is my fave: [link]

Matilda and I saw Paranorman today. I was curious to see how Laika Studios would do after losing Henry Selick. The production values were still great (and we saw it in 3-D). Once again, the 3-D was markedly better than any other studio's approach to it. It's all about depth and texture instead of stuff lurching out at you.

There were some problems with the story. It could've used a little Neil Gaiman magic to tie its mythos off with a flourish and complete the narrative.

For example: the jist of the entire plot turns on the idea of narrative and creating a new narrative for a troubled ghost. And instead of actually TELLING a story that would have metaphorically offered a way through her particular trauma, it just trails away. The virtue of narrative is to shape experience and it tries to tap into that and yet abnegates this essential element.

A second cavil: And I had this problem with The Lorax too. The narrative is somewhat contemptuous about the characters that it's portraying. It does extend itself to Norman (an outsider) and his friend Neil (an outsider) and just barely gives a little bit to the other central characters, but the townspeople are all... well - not just cartoony - but unexamined. And not in an affectionate way.

What was good: Visually it was spectacular. The town was a very intriguing place and the character design was specific and off-beat and non-Disney and non-Pixar and quirky and cool. The 3-D effects particularly with the witch's curse and the final confrontation with the witch were beautifully realized.

Also, even though the plot/narrative doesn't really dig into the witch's story, it's still moving and the visuals are spectacular. The whole final confrontation was on a Pixar level of visual beauty - and yet was not of the Pixar aesthetic. It's just different.

The comedy was also pretty good. Not smarmily referential but character based. Just good zombie fun.

In sum: quirky, gorgeous, gothy, spectacular visuals, moving story but with some definite narrative flaws.

K=Bug and I saw ParaNorman today also, though not in 3-D. I agree with the balance of your comments.

For all the kids in the audience, it was a group of adults behind us that kept talking, even after being asked to shhhhushhh multiple times by different people. Grrrrrrr. All the kids were appropriately behaved...little squeaks and whispers but nothing disruptive.

They seem to have left out some important information.

The only information of import in that movie is that Sam Elliot will be speaking at some point.

(laughing)

You aren't wrong. Sam Elliot is a wonderful presence in almost every movie. It's like a different movie when he was on screen.

I own Ghost Rider, but I confess I bought it for the segment where Sam and Nick are riding along with "Ghost Riders in the Sky" playing. That sort of thing appeals to me. The big musical numbers are why I bought The Mask.

It is a shame that at no point in the movie or the comic does the Ghost Rider actually herd the Devil's cattle.

It's also really BORING. How can a movie about a FLAMING SKELETON ON A MOTORCYCLE be boring?

Skulduggery Pleasant movie now, PLZ.

t edit I mean, REALLY. If Ghost Rider can get made -- and get a fucking sequel -- I can get a Skulduggery Pleasant movie.

Kicking evil very hard in the face.