TheSaraheverett

I do not doubt the skills of Tim Burton nor his cast of characters, nevertheless I found this film to be very underwhelming. In his normal fashion, Johnny Depp pulled off another semi-creepy but lovable performance that somehow made this film a bit more bearable. The plot was very simplistic in design and a bit too underdeveloped to carry much weight. The other actors were good enough, but they were not important to the basic story. Only Johnny Depp was. As he always is. The jokes were stupid and felt as though they were lacking in the kind of taste normally associated with such films. The worst of it though was that the main character played by Depp, Barnabas Collins, was excused for his behavior as a vampire. It was OK that he was killing people left and right out of thirst. It wasn't frowned upon by the other characters, nor discouraged by the narrative. Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but I think it's a bit rude to go around sucking people's blood when you are thirsty. But that's just me apparently. There were also several appearances that didn't make sense in the film. Like Alice Cooper. Why was he there? Overall, this film was a bit confusing and disappointing in it's presentation. It could have been a comedic view of vampires if it didn't try so hard to be funny and dark at the same time. Sorry Tim, better luck next time. As a disclaimer, I've never really been a fan of his anyway.

There's something to say for films that give messages without beating you over the head with their mission. Safety Not Guaranteed was a great quirky film that captured the essence of the crazies and undesirables of society today and showed their beauty to viewers. All the characters have multiple levels and stories that don't get discussed, but are definitely acknowledged. No one is just a player, or just a writer looking for experience; everyone is a full person with multiple defects and issues that make them accessible to the audience. Warning- this film doesn't resolve all the issues and questions that come up in the story. If you're looking for a complete story with a happily ever after ending where everyone gets married and rides off into the sunset, this isn't it. But if you're looking for a "hey they learned something and now have the chance to be happy" kind of film, then consider this one. It's well done with a fairly strong cast and deserves your attention.

There is a lot to be said for the film criticism industry. There is a rich history and a multitude of viewpoints of its impact on modern day cinema. This documentary interviews various critics on the history and evolution of their industry in hopes of understanding its decline as a whole. Each critic lends their part to giving the background of film criticism and each gives more insight to the issue which the internet has caused among print critics. Unfortunately, the editing of this documentary makes it extremely dry and unentertaining if you're not already interested in the topic. The cuts are random and in between history lessons unrelated stories are told from critics. Perhaps these were put there to break up the action, but all they really do is distract the audience. The music is not matched well at all with the film and often plays a distracting role in the overall effect of the movie. I will not be watching this one again, and that's a shame. Film critics are an important part of the movie industry, but I have no interest in learning more about them if all their films are like this.