30/50: King Arthur

I originally wanted to watch this film when it first came into the theater. At the time I had a bit of a Keira Knightley crush going on and was checking as many of her films as I could. But, I never got around to seeing it and I heard mixed reviews once it finally came out on DVD.

Anyway, King Arthur is not truly about Knightley, but it is a totally different way of telling the story of Arthur and the Knights of his round table. I, of course, am much more familiar with The Sword in the Stone and various forms that are about the same as that story - this one was completely different.

I have actually owned this movie for awhile and never once tossed it in until I forced myself to watch it with this list - and you know what, I didn't hate it. I may have actually enjoyed it.

Arthur (Clive Owen) leads a bunch of knights, including Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), to battle and protect land against the Woads - who are actually led by the "black" magician, Merlin (Stephene Dillane).

As the film opens, Arthur and his knights are on their final mission and will be allowed to go home after 15 years of fighting when they guide a bishop through Woad lands. However, once they arrive they are asked for one last mission to save a family, whose son just may one day be pope, from the attack of Saxons.

While at the castle of the family, Arthur knocks down a wall and realizes that the family has been killing people and leaving them to die in prisons. Found there is Guinevere (Knightley), who in this adaptation is a Woad.

In order to take down the Saxon army, the two sides - the Woads and Arthur's knights - come together and form their own army, which is still way smaller than the Saxon army.

I am not really sure why this was knocked so much, because I felt the acting was pretty good and the battle scenes - especially the one at the end - were amazing.

Also seeing this has reaffirmed my crush on Knightley, and I need her to stop making those wickedly boring period pieces. Get her in some odd comedy or a modern day action film.

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Children of Men, Meet the Robinsons

I was a bit out of commission on Tuesday as I was hit by the flu bug that seems to be going around up here.

Anyway, I was able to check out a pair of movies that I had not seen yet.

The first one I had heard really good things about and had been really wanting to check out.

Children of Men stars Clive Owen as Theo Faron. The movie is set in 2027, and human kind appears to be getting wiped out all over the world - with just a few areas still inhabited including London where much of this film is taking place.

There appears to be an issue with human reproduction in the future, as the world is mourning the loss of an 18 year old kid - the youngest person on the planet.

Theo, however, is pulled into a gang called the Fish to help transport a young refugee. Little does he know that she is pregnant, and could be the answer to all of the problems that are occurring in the world.

I really enjoyed the concept of this film - but it really left me in the dark with the ending. There was a ton of action, but a lot of it led to nothing really. I guess I had too high of expectations going in.

The movie also has Julianne Moore and Michael Caine as the two most recognizable faces after Owen, but their roles are very minor - and I was a bit surprised by that.

Anyway, it was a good watch - although not particular high on my rewatchable list.

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The second film I caught on one of the movie channels as I drifted in and out of sleep - but I did manage to watch most of the film.

Meet the Robinsons is Disney cartoon about an orphan named Lewis who is trying to win a science fair with his memory machine.

Little does he know, but this invention will morph his entire existence.

The evil bowler hat guy and his bowler hat, Doris, steal a time machine from the future to travel back to that time in history to stop Lewis from winning the science fair - and to take credit for the memory machine himself.

Lewis, however, receives a bit of help from another future-dweller name Wilbur. He promises to take Lewis to meet his real mother if he finishes his memory machine and wins the science fair.

This was a pretty good film, especially one that really didn't get publicized too much. At least not in my memory.

Like most animated films in this day and age, it has a few great voice talents in Tom Selleck, Anglea Bassett, Nicole Sullivan, Adam West and Laurie Metcalf.

It's a pretty good watch, especially being just 95 minutes long.

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