Movies!

I saw two movies this week. In theaters. I haven’t done that in years.
The first one was Kung Fu Hustle. Oh my god this is fun. Silly, cheesey, utterly over the top fun. It’s one of those movies where you know a lot of what’s going to happen, but rather than sitting there thinking “oh no, you’re not going there, are you?” you’re instead going “yeah, go on, you know you want to—yes!” Very very enjoyable. I will own it when it’s on DVD. I really need to see Chow’s other movie, Shaolin Soccer.
The second movie I saw, last night, was Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I enjoyed it quite a bit, as did the friends I saw it with. It was not the perfect film—could have been a little more polished, could have had the action and the humor ramped up just a little—but good solid fun. Lots of laughs, lots of nods to the previous versions, lots of lines straight from the book. I think Douglas Adams would have approved—like the LotR movies, this one was utterly faithful to the feel of the original material even when it strayed from the specific details.
Of the two, I have to admit I enjoyed Kung Fu Hustle more. But that’s because I had no expectations going in, and it didn’t have to measure up to anything. I definitely recommend both movies.