Throwback Thursday: Amelia (2009)

The standard narrative of the biopic is as follows: the person was born on x date, they accomplished a,b, and c, and died on y date. They are known for (fill in the blank). The final product can go one of two ways. It can be an exciting and entertaining deep dive into the subject. Or, it can turn it into a paint-by-numbers story that comes straight out of a basic internet search.

The 2009 film, Amelia is based on the book East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart by Susan Butler. Starring Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart and Richard Gere as her husband, George Putnam, the movie tell the story of the life and legend of the groundbreaking pilot.

The problem with this film is that it is boring. The inspiration and pride that should come from the tale is non-existent. Though the actors do their best, their best is not enough to save this tepid chronicle of an American legend.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

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Throwback Thursday: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)

Movie sequels have a tenuous reputation. Some are worthy of the reputation created by their predecessors, others are nothing but an unnecessary retread of what came before.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian premiered in 2009. In the sequel to Night at the Museum (2006), the audience is taken on another journey with Larry Dailey (Ben Stiller). When his friends Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Octavius (Steve Coogan) are shipped to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. by mistake, Larry has to find a way to return them to New York City. Along the way, he is helped by new pals Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) and old Teddy Roosevelt (the late Robin Williams).

I liked this movie. It has the charm of the original with enough buildup to keep the overall narrative going. What makes it stand out from the first film is the subtle history lesson that the audience may or may not be aware of.

Do I recommend it? Yes.