Film Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Unfortunately, On Stranger Tides (2011) cannot rejuvenate the life of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise; it has continued the trend of sequels with declining quality.  Dead Man’s Chest (2006) turned out to be a titanic disappointment after the wild expectations set by The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).  At World’s End (2007) was not much better, but at least it did not irritate as many viewers as the cliffhanging second movie did and seemed to conclude the trilogy decently, even if it had become a bit too silly by then.  As for the latest installment, the charm and adventurous spirit of the massively entertaining original is mostly absent while the problems found in the other sequels surfaced again, such as a disjointed, largely soulless plot with superficial and superfluous characters.  Nevertheless, On Stranger Tides does not run ashore completely as it still manages to entertain or amuse viewers with another swashbuckling journey that generally fits in the series despite a new director and set of characters; fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean should enjoy riding along for another voyage somewhat at least once, if only for a matinee showing or rental at most.

83rd Annual Academy Awards Nominations, Predictions, Polls, and Pre-Ceremony Analysis (UPDATED WITH RESULTS)

The 83^rd annual Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 8 PM EST; James Franco and Anne Hathaway will host the presentation. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), largely comprised of filmmaking professionals and executives who vote on the Oscars, announced this year’s nominations on January 25, 2011. To view previous years’ nominees, winners, and analysis, click here.

Included below is the list of Oscar nominees. I ranked the nominees in order of how likely they are to win in their respective categories, NOT in order of my preferences. Nonetheless, I have written some thoughts, notes, and perspectives (under some categories) regarding the nominees’ chances, histories, and which are my favorites.

Also, DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! – Please vote as if you were an AMPAS member and casting your own ballot, regardless of my predictions and what you think will win. Vote for what/who you think is the best in each category.

* I shall update this post after the presentation on February 27, 2011 to highlight the winners (in red). *

Film Review: The King’s Speech

Along with Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours and David O. Russell’s The Fighter, Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech is one of the most uplifting films of the year. The story’s resolution may be predictable, but this character driven, period piece drama is delightful. Besides, the true story of King George VI is staggering (pun intended). Colin Firth gives a magnificent performance as the king; he will almost certainly win the Best Actor Oscar. The King’s Speech is immensely satisfying, funny, and is one of the all-around best-acted films of the year; it may even take home Best Picture.

The following review contains several semi-spoilers; they are not all that spoilerific since anyone going to see the movie could guess how it may turn out (considering the title).