kaitou | Two Thumbs up.

So far this has been a good weekend. Nice after a Friday where I got shot down for a job interview because my sample translation wasn't in complete sentences. Neither was the original, mind you. Anyway, I digress.

Dad's home this weekend, so we decided to do something special. Later we're going to a Mexican Resturaunt, El Nibble Nook. I can't wait. I haven't had decent Mexican for at least two years. But earlier today we followed Dad's suggestion to go see a movie. So we went to go see Shall We Dance?

Ok, deep breath.

It was good. I enjoyed it very much.
Now, understand that I adore the Japanese version. I own the VHS, and I'd buy the DVD if there was one. And I really enjoyed the US remake. I think all the actors did a very good job. Everyone was very natural, very charming. It was played remarkably straight to the original. Many of the lines were the same, and the scenes. Like Him washing his car when his friends come to talk him back to the studio. The changes they made, were on the whole, good ones. Like bringing the connection with his wife a little more into focus. And the resolution with the Latin dancer and his co-workers was more satisfactory too. But I find that a lot of Japanese things are a little weak on the endings on the whole.

I didn't think the gay jokes were necessary, but they seem pretty de riguer for Hollywood these days. And I think the dance teaching scenes were better in the Japanese, but the actual dancing was better in the Hollywood. They cut some of the Dance Instructor's and Latin guy's storylines to make room for his wife, which was a shame, but I think the movie still held up pretty well.

So, yeah, two thumbs up.