Matthew A. Hawkins is available for creative design in all things media.

PHONE: 604.316.4404 EMAIL: matt@filmads.ca

Category: Movie Reviews

2012 Movie Releases

Posted on January 7, 2012

2011 was a bit of a let down in terms of box office sales.
I know there was a lot of anticipation for some great releases, but short from Twilight or Harry Potter, the box offices were far from sizzling.

2012 is looking much better. At least for the box office.
This year will be riddled with sequels or prequels and from my own personal opinion I’m screaming for Hollywood to create more original material like Super 8, Drive or Midnight in Paris.

Great box office anticipation is excellent news for advertisers – the more people coming through the box office, means more impressions.
It’s a great idea to look at setting some of your budget aside in 2012 for some great ad space – www.filmads.ca

So here’s a few of the trailer for what I think will do really well in the box office for 2012.

The Hobbit

Avengers

Dark Knight Rises

The Hunger Games

Men in Black 3

Cheers,
Matthew A. Hawkins

2 Comments - Posted in filmads, Movie Reviews, On My Desk Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

To Mr. John Lasseter – Cars 2

Posted on June 28, 2011

Hey John,

Took the family to go see Cars 2 this weekend and gotta say I was disappointed… better yet I should say my 3 year old was disappointed.

I’ve listened to a lot of your interviews, I’ve read books about your beginnings, about Pixar and I’ve really felt like you’ve been a champion for quality family films. Cars 2 was not the case.
I get it, the spy genre is fun, cool and easy to make a story for. It’s exciting and pushing the boundaries for computer animation, which I get what Pixar has done again and again, BUT the story… did you forget the story?

My 3 year old got bored well before half way through your 2 hour (120 minutes!!!!) feature. He kept asking why you only got to see Mater, then he would get distracted by a cheap joke and then back to bored and then asking why Lightning McQueen wasn’t nice and why he left the movie.

I remember reading about the ‘Big 6′ of Disney back in the day. Have you gotten so big that you’ve forgotten what’s got you this far? Quality animation with even higher quality story.

I’m not an expert at film making, but I can sit down in front of a screen like nobody’s business! Even my 3 year old can sit down and watch Cars all the way through, heck I bet he could sit through Toy Story 1, 2 and 3 before sitting through Cars 2 again. I wish that wasn’t the case.

I admire you for trying. I admire you for all the work you’ve done and shared with millions. I admire you as a story teller.
I wish my son could have felt that same sort of admiration when we left the theatre the other day and asked if we could go play, as if he hadn’t even seen a movie at all.

Thanks John, it was fun, but you’ve done better.

Matt

Posted in Movie Reviews Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hangover II: Movie Review

Posted on May 26, 2011

If you’re easily offended, or you find off-color, rude, crude jokes offensive, then I suggest you don’t bother reading this review OR bother seeing this movie. IN FACT, I suggest that you make up some signs and go picket your local theatre. Do it!

No Real Spoilers Below – FYI

Hangover II takes off a few years after when the first movie ended. Although it followed the exact same plot line and didn’t really deviate course to surprise you. Oh well, it was FUNNY.
Zach Galifianakis was the biggest highlight of the movie for me. He really stole the show. I love his dry, slow and off beat humor. The man can make something so awkward but funny in the same stride. That takes talent.

The Wolfpack really is back! How they got wasted and went on a Bangkok evening spree is just fun to watch.

The monkey was fantastic. Any time you see a monkey chew on fake male anatomy OR smoking cigarettes, I think that’s funny.

Bradley Cooper was the sex appeal of the film, even though he looked like crap. It made me feel better about myself how bad he looked. Enough about “Hottie Cooper”… pft

Ed Helms was great (most know him as Andy from the Office). From his “Mike Tyson” face tattoo to his girly scream and his “manly adventures”, he was funny and insightful… ok, nothing was insightful about he was funny. Helms even had a moment of playing his acoustic guitar and singing about being in “Alantown” which makes me wonder where he got that freaking guitar from???

Overall, The Hangover Part II was funny. In no way is it a comparison to Bridesmaids by the way. The two are very different styles of humor. If you were to ask me which one I thought was funnier I think I would probably reply with both. They are both just funny, good movies to watch. So get out there this weekend and do a double header… the movie kind.

See you at the movies,
Matthew A. Hawkins

Posted in Movie Reviews Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,

Green With Envy

Posted on May 24, 2011

A must watch trailer. So glad to see Amy Adams and Jason Segel hook up on screen…

I love when Hollywood has a little fun.
Well done Disney and the Muppets!

Do you think that there’s too many romantic comedy’s out there? I think so.
So glad we don’t have another soft lens, blurry light, big city romantic comedy. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan/Julia Roberts killed that genre.

Go GREEN! (aka Kermit, not necessarily an environmental thing)

Posted in Movie Reviews, On My Desk Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Bridesmaids: Movie Review

Posted on May 16, 2011

My wife was away for 5 days and when she got back I needed to get out of the house.

After spending my Friday night watching old SNL skits on Netflix and working, I felt I needed some sanity and planned a date to go see a movie I knew both of us would like: Bridesmaids.
We both enjoyed the Hangover, and from what we gathered, Bridesmaids was going to be along the same lines just from the girls perspective. That pretty much sums it up.

I find that too often women are reflected negatively on screen. Just think Mandy Moore or Rachel McAdams. Often women seem so dependent on their man to come save them… blah blah blah… and then they live happily after Disney. PUKE! I’m all for a good romcom (romantic comedy) but I can only take so much. Stand up girl. Be a woman. Stop writing in your stupid notebook and do something! Your guy is a loser anyways.

I’m buying this shirt for my daughter when she’s old enough:

ANYWAYS, I loved Bridesmaids because of the strong female leads AND the lack of over macho, six pack toting, gaga men in the movie. The movie was down to earth in terms of casting (except for Jon Hamm – who played a great jerk) and I loved seeing Chris O’Dowd from The IT Crowd making a big screen presence.

I don’t think that Bridesmaids is for everyone. The humour is not everyone’s style. If you like proper, polite humour, don’t bother with this one.
It’s lewd… (never thought I’d use that word) but it was perfect for a night out for me and my wife.

I thought Kirsten Wiig made a great debut as the lead and the writer behind the movie.
All in all a very funny movie with some awesome choices in terms of 80′s classic hits… (what is it with white people and 80′s music???)

HIGHLIGHTS
There’s a scene where Wiig tries to get pulled over by a cop that made me laugh a lot. Wiig taking a few pills and scotch on a plane was funny and the interaction between Wiig and O’Dowd was well done and more real to an actual relationship then say Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal (talk about onscreen disasters…).

*I also think that Melissa McCarthy really stole the show. Wiig was awesome and funny, but McCarthy really brought out some big laughs.

Enjoy the movies.

Matt

Posted in Movie Reviews Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,