Babylon AD And Burn After Reading

Here are my thoughts on two movies I saw with the Big C. We both had different views on each and I often concede to agree to disagree. Except in instances where I am so right.

Babylon AD:
Our opinion on this ass wipe of a movie differ so greatly, that while at each stop light drivers in cars next to us looked on as we yelled our opinions at each other. No joke.

Now let me be honest. We snuck into this movie after seeing Burn After Reading. I found that free was still too high a price to pay. I like bad movies. I like movies that are exceptional as well. But Babylon AD is just pure suck on a galactic level.

It starts off with a Vin Diesel monologue followed by tough guy walking to rap music. Everything I would expect from a Diesel movie. I was prepared for some cheese. Deli cheese mind you. Not imitation cheese food slices. My main problem with this movie is that the few action scenes present were total crap thanks to excessive shaky camera syndrome. Made worse by quick edits.

When I heard Michelle Yeoh was in this movie, I expected some awesome Kung Fu action, since she is a martial arts master. BONK! Wrong! She was completely wasted and this film was completely beneath her. Virtually NO martial arts action. When there was, it was edited and ruined by the en vogue shaky camera crap.

The Story was weak and even Big C, who said he loved it, made comments about the stupidity before us. Particularly when one character says, 'we were like a family.'

I wouldn't even say this would make a good straight to DVD movie. It doesn't embrace its camp and by not doing so, just plain sucks.

Burn After Reading:
When this ended Big C turned and said, 'I am not sure if that was genius or just jacked up'. This was his first Coen brother's movie and he wasn't prepared for a NON Hollywood ending. As I bashed Babylon AD, to slam me Big C said Burn After Reading sucked. But I would bet money, that of the two, Burn After Reading was the one he thought about most.

Burn After Reading offered distinct interesting characters that were tightly developed. No quiet pauses of reflection. But just enough dialogue to flesh them out and make them engaging.

Other than the message of Don't Sweat The Small Stuff, Burn After Reading doesn't try to change the world. Even though I found it to be packed with allegory. It tells a twisted slice of life story with great dialogue with in a time frame that keeps it from being pretentious.

I am not sure if there is anything award winning in Burn After Reading, but it is a movie I will own and watch again.