Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Alice in Wonderland (PG):
Rebecca actually liked this movie more than I did, and the whole time I was watching it, the only word that came to mind was "obligatory". I guess when you have Tim Burton try to apply his weirdness to a franchise that's already inherently weird, the weirdness cancels out. The graphics and style are vivid and well-done, of course, but they never exceed expectations. I did enjoy the animation of the Cheshire Cat, but it was annoying to turn up the volume every time Johnny Depp mumbled through his lines while being EXCITINGLY FRESH AND ZANY. A couple related dance sequences near the end also broke the fourth wall down completely.

Final Grade: C

Celeste and Jesse Forever (R):
This was a pleasant, believable romantic comedy about a couple several years into marriage. It doesn't rely on villanous characters or contrived happy endings, and was a nice way to spend a movie night last weekend.

Final Grade: B

Justified, Season One:
This show about a U.S. Marshal in present-day Kentucky was not something I would have normally picked up on my own, but apparently my parents are getting better at recommending shows to me (in spite of the fact that they keep trying to sell me on Upstairs, Downstairs). The tone of the show is low-key but never boring, and after a diet of so many increasingly gratuitous Showtime and HBO shows, it has an understated charm that I really enjoyed. Well-acted, good story arcs, and a good guest appearance by the actor who played Tom Friendly the Other in LOST make this show worth watching. I hope that Robert Knepper (T-Bag from Prison Break) shows up somewhere in a future season.

Final Grade: B+