100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 9: The Informant!

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Genre: Drama/ Comedy/ Crime

Runtime: 108 minutes

Year: 2009

Starring: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula, Patton Oswalt, Joel McHale, Thomas F. Wilson, Scott Adsit

Description: The U.S. government decides to go after an agro-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president-turned-informant Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon).

Review: After Mark Whitacre graduated from Cornell University as a biochemist he starts working for a multinational company Archer Daniels Midland. In the early nineties he has worked his way up to vice-president of the company and everything is going well. In 1992 Mark discovers a mole in the company and tells his superiors. They rather let the FBI handle everything and they ask Mark to be their informant. But is he the right person for the job?

The movie is based on true events and director Steven Soderbergh made it a dark comedy. It’s a film with humor. Matt Damon, who plays the lead role, is irresistibly funny in “The Informant!” Not only because of his role, also his voice-over and the tragi-comedic take on the film. The look of the films suggest another time period then the nineties.

The start might feel a bit slow and has some weaker moments, but the more we get the know Mark Whitacre, the more fun it gets. Lie upon lie, a man that goes from being a naïve informant to a vicious fraud.

Matt Damon is perfect for the role, he does a great job. This is one of those overlooked and underrated Damon films.

Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Characters of 2015

Although we already a week in 2016, I still wanted to look back on all the awesome movie characters the year 2015 gave us. Here are my five favorites.

5. Rick Ford (Jason Statham in “Spy”)

We all know now that Jason Statham isn’t just an action hero and that he can also be funny. In “Spy” he takes it to another level. He is hilarious and he is the best part of “Spy”.

 

 

4. Baymax (Scott Adsit in “Big Hero 6”)

Disney’s new star, Baymax was the best element of “Big Hero 6”. A perfect combo of best friend, doctor and warrior machine. Fist bump!

 

 

3. Mark Watney (Matt Damon in “The Martian”)

Matt Damon’s enormously likeable Mark Watney has no option but to get on with things. This is exactly the role that shows us why Damon is such a good actor and why we love him too.

 

 

2. Rey (Daisy Ridley in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)

What a great new character in the “Star Wars” universe. I loved her from the start and I loved everything about her character.

 

 

1. Furiosa (Charlize Theron in “Mad Max: Fury Road”)

Talking about a strong female character. Charlize Theron kicks ass as Furiosa and “Mad Max: Fury Road” is actually her movie, she dominated the film.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson in “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”), Ava (Alicia Vikander in “Ex Machina”), Sadness (Phyllis Lapin in “Inside Out”), Harry Hart (Colin Firth in “Kingsman: The Secret Service”), Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton in “Birdman”)

In the Picture: The Characters from "Big Hero 6"

I just saw “Big Hero 6” and I think it was amazing, Disney did it again. And don’t you just love the characters? Here they are.

Baymax

Voiced by: Scott Adsit

Baymax is a healthcare robot. As such, he is highly intelligent in the world of medic, devoted and extremely caring for his patient in question. Baymax is also slightly naïve as he lacks understanding of human emotion. However, after meeting Hiro, Baymax slowly begins to change, pick up human tendencies and emotions and eventually gains a personality of his own.

Hiro Hamada

Voiced by: Ryan Potter

Hiro is a young boy with intelligence far beyond his years. Because of this he can be rather brazen and cocky, but never to the point of arrogance. He spends much of his time using technology to win money through illegal bot fights. Hiro has a much softer side to him, and he’s shown to be rather shy in front of crowds and during the process of making new friends. Hiro is a free-spirited, innocently sassy, warm and very loving boy.

Tadashi Hamada

Voice by: Daniel Henney

Tadashi is incredibly kind, encouraging and hard-working. He is always there when people need him. He has an energetic sense of humor and can be silly and excitable. Ever the optimist, Tadashi successfully balances his rising career in cutting-edge technology and providing moral and emotional support for his younger brother Hiro.

Go Go Tomago

Voiced by: Jamie Chung

Compared to her teammates, Go Go is tough and extreme, making up for her lack of conversation with bluntness and sarcasm. A straightforward athelete, Go Go lives for the speed and thrill and is willing to take up any challenge.

Honey Lemmon

Voiced by: Genisis Rodriguez

Honey is sweet, sunny, outgoing and humorously photogenic. She loves life and seems to find most things interesting. Eternally optimistic and bright, Honey is the team member who keeps everyone smiling and her sympathy towards other people’s issues can help relive moments of fear and tension within the group.

Fred

Voiced by: T.J. Miller

Fred is incredibly eccentric, zany, childish and rather boisterous. Nevertheless, he is ultimately very sweet, and extremely laid-back, especially when compared to his friends. Due to his nature, he can often sit back and look upon the brighter side of things, even in the face of danger.

Wasabi

Voiced by: Damon Wayans Jr.

Wasabi is neurotic and compulsive, apparently suffering from OCD, as well as a hint of anxiety. Wasabi is the most grounded and appears to be the one with the most common sense. He is easily scared and disturbed when facing intense situations, but he isn’t a coward.

 

 

Favorite Character: Baymax

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 31: Big Hero 6

Director: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Genre: Animation/ Action/ Adventure/ Family/ Comedy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph, Abraham Benrubi, Katie Lowes, Billy Bush, Daniel Gerson, Paul Briggs, Charlotte Gulezian

Description: The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax (scott Adsit), and prodigy Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter), who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

Review: Not everyone was happy when Walt Disney Animation Studios took over Marvel Entertainment in 2009. But with “Big Hero 6” it has proven to be an okay choice, because it’s a heartwarming animation filled with action and adventure.
We meet whiz kid Hiro, who watches his also brilliant older brother Tadashi build robots. When Hiro also invents something and he shows it to the professor at school, something goes horribly wrong. There is an explosion and Hiro’s brother dies. But he decides to continue his brothers work. One of Tadashi’s projects was a white, inflatable robot called Baymax. A funny and very huggable robot that steals the show and wins your heart. Together with his friends and Baymax, Hiro is trying to find the man who stole his invention.
“Big Hero 6” manages to combine Japanese animation with the more traditional cartoon techniques. The movie is on a high artistic level. With that, the movie deals with strong emotions (loss and mourning) and manages to combine that with humor and action. Baymax is the biggest plus of the film, with his clumsy posture and funny sounds. Fist bumps have never been this funny. It’s amazing how a robot can be so loveable.
The scenes between Baymax and Hiro are the best, but even in the dynamic action sequences the central theme is never gone. “Big Hero 6” is again a very unique film by Disney, a definite must-see!

Rating: 4,5/ 5