Tag Archives: Bradley Cooper

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Guardian of the Galaxy – Review

Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-Poster-High-Res

I had been counting down the days until the release of Guardians of the Galaxy since last year’s New York Comic Con Marvel Unlimited Plus Members Only panel. It was in that panel that we were shown, months before others were, an extra long trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy. Twice. I remember walking out of that panel and telling my friends, “Guardians of the Galaxy is the movie I’m looking forward to most in 2014.” I was convinced that even though many superhero movies were making their way to the theater in 2014, Guardians would be the best.

Guardians of the Galaxy totally lives up to the hype that I built up for it in my head. This is awesome news for regular folks. I don’t think the average guy on the street built this movie up in his head the way I did. Most people I talked to in the weeks leading up to Guardians of the Galaxy’s release date were a mix of cautiously optimistic or just flat out confused. One person told me, “Bradley Cooper voicing a raccoon? I don’t know how I feel about that.” I wanted to say, “I’ll tell you how you feel about that. Awesome. That’s how you feel. Awesome.” But every now and then I like to keep the obnoxious craziness inside me and I just smiled.

The characters in Guardians of the Galaxy are not household names. This movie could have easily flopped. I think it’s the strength of the script, director James Gunn and the stellar cast that made it work big time. Chris Pratt is awesome as Star-Lord. I’m currently reading a Guardians of the Galaxy comic, and Chris Pratt’s is the voice that hear in my head for Star-Lord. I love Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, but Andrew Garfield is not the voice I hear in my head when I read Spider-Man comics. Neither is Toby Maguire. Maybe it’s that Star-Lord hasn’t had countless iterations on film and television the way Spider-Man has, but whatever the reason, Star-Lord is Chris Pratt to me.

star lord gotg

One of the reasons that I made sure to see Guardians on opening weekend was that AMC was giving away Guardians of the Galaxy pins to their Stubs Card members if you saw it that weekend. You had the chance of getting Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Drax. There was also a rare 1 in 100 chase pin of the Guardians insignia. I really wanted that pin. Luckily, I got my second choice, Rocket. Unfortunately, so did my wife. I wanted to trade one of our Rocket pins with a friend who got Groot, but didn’t have a chance to do so before the movie started and he saw how awesome Groot is.

i am groot

Groot steals the movie. He’s like a more awesome Hodor. I would totally go see a Groot and Rocket buddy movie. Just the two of them out in space ripping shit up. Yes, please. I would see that movie in 3D, possibly even twice. Marvel, give us a Rocket and Groot movie, or even better, a season of Rocket and Groot on Netflix!

In case there was any question, Zoe Saldana is just as hot green as she is brown. Yeah, I wasn’t surprised by that one either.

zoe saldana gamora

Can we talk about the soundtrack for a minute? Hooked on a Feeling, The Pina Colada Song…this is my favorite soundtrack of oldie but goodies since Reservoir Dogs. Sorry, The Big Chill…

If you haven’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy yet because you don’t think it counts because the Avengers aren’t in it, stop thinking that and go see it. Thanos, the mastermind bad guy of The Avengers film, is the mastermind bad guy of this movie. I don’t think Guardians necessarily plays into what’s going to happen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it definitely contains a lot of necessary exposition for The Infinity Gauntlet movie that we are undoubtedly heading towards.

Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy is worth seeing in the theater, and worth seeing in 3D at that. Sadly, it is not the best superhero movie of 2014, but that is only because Captain America: The Winter Soldier was so damn good. Go see Guardians of the Galaxy. And then see it again.

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Silver Linings Playbook – Review

4/5 – The movie where you realize Bradley Cooper is a serious actor.

It has to stink having the movie where you show the world that you’re a really good dramatic actor comes out the same year that Daniel Day Lewis has a new movie. That’s exactly what happened to Bradley Cooper with Silver Linings Playbook. If Daniel Day Lewis wasn’t in Lincoln this year, I think Bradley Cooper would walk home with the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role.

I like Bradley Cooper a lot, but if you had told me this time last year that I thought he would be the runner up for the Best Lead Actor Oscar, I would have called you nutty. Before Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper has been known mostly for his very good comedic skills (Wedding Crashers, The Hangover) and movies that banked on his good looks (The A-Team, Valentine’s Day). 
Silver Linings Playbook is the movie that tells the world Bradley Cooper is one damn good actor. In the movie, he plays Pat, a guy who had to do a stint in a mental institution after having the worst day of his life. In Pat’s defense, I think everything he did to that teacher in his bathroom was justifiable.
Weird Tie-In Merchandise: Silver Linings Trash Bag Vests, exclusively at Target

Pat has issues: rage, insecurity, an obsession with his separated wife, and Cooper plays these issues brilliantly. His parents have issues in the movie too, and you can see how they’ve influenced Pat in how well Cooper plays him to be both a little like his mother and a little like his father. 
Speaking of Pat’s father, Robert De Niro turns in a great performance as Pat Sr. Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook is the antithesis of Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln. In Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones’s Thaddeus Stevens is Tommy Lee Jones in a wig. But Pat Sr. is not just Robert De Niro in an Eagles sweater. There were points in the movie where I found myself completely lost in the family dynamic of Pat’s family. I wasn’t seeing Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro on the screen. I was seeing Pat and Pat Sr.
I can relate to Frank Sr’s superstitions. My dad and I once banned my mother from 
the living room when we thought she was jinxing the Yankees during the World Series.

Jennifer Lawrence reminds you that she’s the same actress who excelled in Winter’s Bone, not just the face of Hunger Games. She has a scene-stealing scene confronting Pat and his family. This scene is definitely what has garnered her so many awards nominations. It’s definitely the second-best scene in the movie.
What’s the best scene? Without a doubt it’s a scene I don’t want to spoil, but one that comes near the very end of the film. I laughed hysterically, and then did so again a few moments later, and that’s all I’ll say on that.

David O. Russell once again created an excellent movie. His last movie, The Fighter, was my favorite movie of 2010. While Silver Linings Playbook is not my favorite movie of 2012, I definitely give it a very high recommendation. 

I fully expect their dance to be incorporated into many weddings.