Of the movies that have come out this year, there are only a small select few that I can say are the best of the year, and The King’s Speech is one of them. Again there is not much else to be said other than how fantastic the actors were and how well made this movie was.
Colin Firth is fantastic as the stuttering Duke of York (Prince Albert) who later became King George VI. Everyone from the leads to the small supporting cast such as Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice the 5 hour version), Timothy Spall, and Derek Jacobi, there is hardly a thing I would change, and that is saying much.
Tom Hooper, the director of great TV films and series such as John Adams and Elizabeth I, did his first theatrical film last year, The Damned United (pardon the title). That being one of my all time favorites, he tops himself this year. He has a unique way of editing his movies and shooting them. Nothing is ever centered and he uses that to genius. The set pieces are elegant and historically accurate, much like the costumes. But where other period pieces are led astray, your attention is on the actor in them and not the surroundings. And like his previous films, this is no exception. We do not dwell on the beautiful sets and gorgeous dresses and suits, but we look at Colin Firth or Geoffrey Rush or Helena Bonham Carter. And that is quite the feat.
If you get a chance to see this movie, without hesitation, see it. It doesn’t matter if you can’t or don’t see R films, because the only reason why it is R is because there are two scenes where Colin Firth uses the f-word to help with his speech therapy, so it has to R. So see it if you love these films and see it if you don’t.
*Like many other movies such as The Dark Knight or No Country For Old Men, if I could, I would give it more stars
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The Tourist (The short version*):2 stars
The Tourist was a fun movie, and that is all. Nothing great, nothing catchy about it, The Tourist was a slight disappointment. With a great cast like Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie (how is surprisingly the best in the movie *cue the torches and pitchforks*) and Paul Bettany. The movie was a rehash of the much more energetic and masterful Duplicity (review coming soon). The twists and romance and complexity of Duplicity were being copied in this movie and are utterly seen by those who have seen said movie. There is not much to be said other than it being poor filmmaking. The only plusses were Angelina Jolie, the music (who composed Duplicity and composes music that would have worked as well in Duplicity). Don’t see it.
*A longer version may be coming later
*A longer version may be coming later
Jeff Bridges v. Jeff Bridges v. Jeff Bridges: 2 stars;5 stars
Jeff Bridges is a fine actor, one of the best American actors at work today. I have never been a diehard fan of him, but I appreciate his work and see why so many like him. After watching him in K-Pax and in The Big Lebowski, I learned how good he can be. But he has made a few bad films. Tron: Legacy and True Grit are his two most recent movies, one was good and one was great.
Tron: Legacy has too many flaws to be considered a great movie, Jeff Bridges being one of those. He tries too hard in his acting, giving to much force to either the good guy or the bad guy. And with all the technological marvels in this movie, they still cannot upgrade the aging-backwards technology. The look of a younger Jeff Bridges still makes it look like they injected Botox into his face. And what is with those creepy, out of this world, eyes? This movie is far from being one of the best movies of 2010. There are good thing in the acting too, like Michael Sheen and Olivia Wilde, nut where the movie flourishes are the visual effects. There is no other upside to the confusing, ridiculous sequel that may have children and older audiences cheering, but not much else.
It is True Grit that Jeff Bridges shines all the rest of his performances. The whole movie is a masterpiece by the extremely talented and genius Coen Brothers. Nothing is bad in this movie, not one major flaw that I can find (there are flaws, just nothing big). It is among one of the most genius pieces of filmmaking that I have seen in a long time. Every actor, every set, every musical note (composed by the mediocre Carter Burwell who finally has made a score that I enjoy), and every word said is a stroke of genius. This one is a must see.
See True Grit. Avoid Tron: Legacy
Tron: Legacy has too many flaws to be considered a great movie, Jeff Bridges being one of those. He tries too hard in his acting, giving to much force to either the good guy or the bad guy. And with all the technological marvels in this movie, they still cannot upgrade the aging-backwards technology. The look of a younger Jeff Bridges still makes it look like they injected Botox into his face. And what is with those creepy, out of this world, eyes? This movie is far from being one of the best movies of 2010. There are good thing in the acting too, like Michael Sheen and Olivia Wilde, nut where the movie flourishes are the visual effects. There is no other upside to the confusing, ridiculous sequel that may have children and older audiences cheering, but not much else.
It is True Grit that Jeff Bridges shines all the rest of his performances. The whole movie is a masterpiece by the extremely talented and genius Coen Brothers. Nothing is bad in this movie, not one major flaw that I can find (there are flaws, just nothing big). It is among one of the most genius pieces of filmmaking that I have seen in a long time. Every actor, every set, every musical note (composed by the mediocre Carter Burwell who finally has made a score that I enjoy), and every word said is a stroke of genius. This one is a must see.
See True Grit. Avoid Tron: Legacy
Monday, December 20, 2010
Capote v. Infamous
Within a year, there were two movies that came out about the famous (or should I say infamous) Truman Capote. Both of these films revolve around the story behind how he wrote his most famous and last book, In Cold Blood. These films are Capote and Infamous.
Capote is the more famous one, having been nominated and won several awards. The tone of the film is much more dramatic and intense than that of Infamous, which is good. These events that take place are not fun loving, goofy little scenarios. They are important and should be taken seriously. That is where Infamous goes off the deep end. Everything seems to be a joke and Douglas McGrath (the director) takes every opportunity to make the audience laugh, even when he shouldn’t.
Now the acting was quite good for each of these movies. I dislike Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) with a fiery passion. He is a terrible actor who can never correctly portray the characters well. Toby Jones (Infamous), however, is a fantastic actor who I always have enjoyed watching him, whether it be Amazing Grace, The Painted Veil, or The Old Curiosity Shop, he has never disappointed me. The descriptions of these actors have one exception, their own respective Truman Capote performance. Hoffman is AMAZING as Truman and deserved any of the awards he received for it, and Toby Jones performance was good, but I did not believe that I saw Truman Capote, just some gay man that was trying to write some novel.
The rest of the cast for both of these films were tremendous, especially the supporting cast for Infamous. Sigourney Weaver, Juliet Stevenson, Jeff Daniels, and Sandra Bullock all were great in their portrayals of these people. Other than Toby Jones, Daniel Craig is the only actor that I can pick out every actor in that movie and say was bad (which is sad because I normally like him). In Capote, I only know three of the other actors besides Hoffman and all three are good: Catherine Keener (who is as good as Sandra Bullock in the role of Nelle Harper Lee), Chris Cooper (better than Jeff Daniels as Alvin Dewey, the investigator of the crime), and Bruce Greenwood (who is great but I do not know who played his character in Infamous).
Over all, Capote was the surprising better of the two. Infamous has a great cast and a great director, but not all are at the top of their game. Capote is where this story stands on its own two feet in acting, screenwriting, and editing.
Capote: 4 stars/Infamous: 3 stars
Later this week: Jeff Bridges v. Jeff Bridges v. Jeff Bridges and The Tourist.
Capote is the more famous one, having been nominated and won several awards. The tone of the film is much more dramatic and intense than that of Infamous, which is good. These events that take place are not fun loving, goofy little scenarios. They are important and should be taken seriously. That is where Infamous goes off the deep end. Everything seems to be a joke and Douglas McGrath (the director) takes every opportunity to make the audience laugh, even when he shouldn’t.
Now the acting was quite good for each of these movies. I dislike Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) with a fiery passion. He is a terrible actor who can never correctly portray the characters well. Toby Jones (Infamous), however, is a fantastic actor who I always have enjoyed watching him, whether it be Amazing Grace, The Painted Veil, or The Old Curiosity Shop, he has never disappointed me. The descriptions of these actors have one exception, their own respective Truman Capote performance. Hoffman is AMAZING as Truman and deserved any of the awards he received for it, and Toby Jones performance was good, but I did not believe that I saw Truman Capote, just some gay man that was trying to write some novel.
The rest of the cast for both of these films were tremendous, especially the supporting cast for Infamous. Sigourney Weaver, Juliet Stevenson, Jeff Daniels, and Sandra Bullock all were great in their portrayals of these people. Other than Toby Jones, Daniel Craig is the only actor that I can pick out every actor in that movie and say was bad (which is sad because I normally like him). In Capote, I only know three of the other actors besides Hoffman and all three are good: Catherine Keener (who is as good as Sandra Bullock in the role of Nelle Harper Lee), Chris Cooper (better than Jeff Daniels as Alvin Dewey, the investigator of the crime), and Bruce Greenwood (who is great but I do not know who played his character in Infamous).
Over all, Capote was the surprising better of the two. Infamous has a great cast and a great director, but not all are at the top of their game. Capote is where this story stands on its own two feet in acting, screenwriting, and editing.
Capote: 4 stars/Infamous: 3 stars
Later this week: Jeff Bridges v. Jeff Bridges v. Jeff Bridges and The Tourist.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Chronicles of Narnia: 4 stars;2 stars; 4 stars
The Chronicles of Narnia are the greatest children’s books ever written. But it is unfair to call them children’s books. The morals and ethics and stories they teach and tell are meant for people of all ages. One thing about the adaptations of these books into movies have done is keep C.S. Lewis’ teachings intact. The analogies to God and the many Christian aspects of Aslan and these characters are apparent. And that, in and of itself, is a reason to watch these movies. They aren’t just for entertainment; they are here to help teach us as an audience to be better as humans.
The first film, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, may have its flaws here and there, but they are few. Some dislike the child actors, some dislike the battles because they are not as cool as those of the PG-13 or R battles, but considering how many terrible child actors are out there and hat this is a PG film meant for little kids, the actors and the battles are good. The pros of this film far outweigh the bad.
The four children actors, Georgie Henley (Lucy) and Skander Keynes (Edmund) and Anna Popplewell (Susan) and William Moseley (Peter), are all good in their own way in this film. Considering how many terrible child actors there are out in film and television, these four did a good job. William Moseley (Peter, the whiny boy) is the weakest link of all of them, but that, to me, isn’t as apparent until Prince Caspian. The other three, especially the surprising Georgie Henley as Lucy, are great with their adult co-stars.
Where these movies really shine are the adult actors and the voice talents, with the likes of Liam Neeson and Ray Winstone and Rupert Everett doing the voices for Aslan and Mr. Beaver and Mr. Fox. Tilda Swinton is exceptionally charming and scary as the White Witch. James McAvoy is really loveable as Mr. Tumnus. A+ across the board.
Prince Caspian is where the films take a turn for the worst. The screenplay writers did a great adaptation for the first, but something went wrong and the second one fell short in both characterization and plot. Just like the first, the adult characters were all marvelous, some of them, yes even I, never heard of before. The younger actors were not directed well enough to be as good as they originally were. They botched Peter’s character and nobility from the books, added unnecessary battles that could have all been avoided if they had kept to the book, and ruined the look of the perfect Aslan from the first. And Mr. Gregson-William’s score for this one was almost a complete rehash of his previous work.
And now we get to the most recent installment. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was as visually stunning and nigh perfect as the first. Where this film lacked was in the special effects. The new actors and old actors alike were all good, especially young Will Poulter who plays the newcomer Eustace Scrubb (he actually sounds like an adult; a child not just talking like an adult, but sounding like one). Fans of the book will be glad to know the majority of the events are in this one, but in a different order. Elements were left out, but not to the quantity as Prince Caspian had. This one was a good addition to the series, maybe better than the first. Fans will enjoy it.
Next: The Tourist
The first film, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, may have its flaws here and there, but they are few. Some dislike the child actors, some dislike the battles because they are not as cool as those of the PG-13 or R battles, but considering how many terrible child actors are out there and hat this is a PG film meant for little kids, the actors and the battles are good. The pros of this film far outweigh the bad.
The four children actors, Georgie Henley (Lucy) and Skander Keynes (Edmund) and Anna Popplewell (Susan) and William Moseley (Peter), are all good in their own way in this film. Considering how many terrible child actors there are out in film and television, these four did a good job. William Moseley (Peter, the whiny boy) is the weakest link of all of them, but that, to me, isn’t as apparent until Prince Caspian. The other three, especially the surprising Georgie Henley as Lucy, are great with their adult co-stars.
Where these movies really shine are the adult actors and the voice talents, with the likes of Liam Neeson and Ray Winstone and Rupert Everett doing the voices for Aslan and Mr. Beaver and Mr. Fox. Tilda Swinton is exceptionally charming and scary as the White Witch. James McAvoy is really loveable as Mr. Tumnus. A+ across the board.
Prince Caspian is where the films take a turn for the worst. The screenplay writers did a great adaptation for the first, but something went wrong and the second one fell short in both characterization and plot. Just like the first, the adult characters were all marvelous, some of them, yes even I, never heard of before. The younger actors were not directed well enough to be as good as they originally were. They botched Peter’s character and nobility from the books, added unnecessary battles that could have all been avoided if they had kept to the book, and ruined the look of the perfect Aslan from the first. And Mr. Gregson-William’s score for this one was almost a complete rehash of his previous work.
And now we get to the most recent installment. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was as visually stunning and nigh perfect as the first. Where this film lacked was in the special effects. The new actors and old actors alike were all good, especially young Will Poulter who plays the newcomer Eustace Scrubb (he actually sounds like an adult; a child not just talking like an adult, but sounding like one). Fans of the book will be glad to know the majority of the events are in this one, but in a different order. Elements were left out, but not to the quantity as Prince Caspian had. This one was a good addition to the series, maybe better than the first. Fans will enjoy it.
Next: The Tourist
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Killing Bill Indeed: 5 stars each
Tarantino is one of the great of directors of our time (one of the worst actors, though). I have given reviews on some of his other films previously, but now I have finally seen Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2.
The movies are both greatly shot and written. Tarantino is a very creative writer. He mixes slower scenes with faster paced scenes very well because of his writing. There are many great one-liners and stories that the characters say throughout the film. However, the first one is the best because of the fighting.
The best thing about the first film is the bloody mess that the Bride creates as she searches for Bill. In the second film, we do not get that much fun in the second. The second film is more psychological horror than just a bloody horror. Quentin Tarantino does a very good job using this, but it isn’t nearly as much fun to watch.
The only problems I can really find with this movie are Uma Thurman and a few inconsistencies in the script. We do not hear the Bride’s name throughout the first film. It is bleeped out every time someone says it until the end of the movie. I think they should have kept it a mystery forever and we only know her by the Bride. And just like Pulp Fiction, this is one of Thurman’s best role. Granted, it is not a great performance, but definitely well for her. There are plenty of other actresses that could have plaid her.
Good movies, if you like gory films and don’t mind a f-word or s-word or b-word every other word.
The movies are both greatly shot and written. Tarantino is a very creative writer. He mixes slower scenes with faster paced scenes very well because of his writing. There are many great one-liners and stories that the characters say throughout the film. However, the first one is the best because of the fighting.
The best thing about the first film is the bloody mess that the Bride creates as she searches for Bill. In the second film, we do not get that much fun in the second. The second film is more psychological horror than just a bloody horror. Quentin Tarantino does a very good job using this, but it isn’t nearly as much fun to watch.
The only problems I can really find with this movie are Uma Thurman and a few inconsistencies in the script. We do not hear the Bride’s name throughout the first film. It is bleeped out every time someone says it until the end of the movie. I think they should have kept it a mystery forever and we only know her by the Bride. And just like Pulp Fiction, this is one of Thurman’s best role. Granted, it is not a great performance, but definitely well for her. There are plenty of other actresses that could have plaid her.
Good movies, if you like gory films and don’t mind a f-word or s-word or b-word every other word.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Harry Potter 1-6
Sorcerer’s Stone: Robbie Coltrane/Richard Harris/Maggie Smith/Alan Rickman/John Hurt/Julie Walters/John Cleese: 4 stars
This one is a little childish, but it is in keeping with the book, which is good. It is meant for kids, so it is very fun loving and family friendly. It brags a magnificent cast of ace British actors, and not one falters. Even the young actors are good, keeping up well enough with the experienced adult actors. It is long, but it is very easy to look over that problem. And a tip-of-the-hat to Maestro John Williams’ score is needed.
Chamber of Secrets: Kenneth Branagh/Jason Isaacs/Toby Jones/Mark Williams: 3.5 stars
Just like the first in the series, it is a very light-hearted movie. The ending gets grim, also like the previous film, but it is still very family-friendly. Kenneth Branagh is surprising perfect for an egotistic, blubbering buffoon of a wizard. Jason Isaacs is creepy and very suave as the evil Lucius Malfoy. And the chemistry between Mark Williams and Julie Walters (Arthur and Molly Wealsey) in this film and the other films is quite fantastic. The only major flaws are the music and Dobby, the house-elf. The music is disappointing, it being a rehash of the previous films music. And Dobby looks and sounds too childish and fake to be real. It imagined a house-elf much grittier and having not so quite a high of a voice. But again, it is a good movie, but not as good as SS.
Prisoner of Azkaban: Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson, Julie Christie (brief cameo), and Michael Gambon: 5 stars
Michael Gambon takes over for beloved and deceased Richard Harris. He is good, in fact he is great, but he cannot compete with the memory of Richard Harris still ripe in our minds. But the cast has many great new additions. The new cast members are all fantastic and everyone is perfect for their respective roles. The movie is the best in the series. It is visually stunning, with the best visual effects, music, cinematography, acting, and story. It is emotional without it being too overbearing. Alfonso Cuaron did an amazing job at directing this film and I can only imagine what some of the other films would be like if he continued. Granted, it is not a 100% to 90% adaptation from the book, but it is still quite good.
Goblet of Fire…: Miranda Richardson/Brendan Gleeson/Ralph Fiennes/David Tennant: 2.5 stars
…or The Guide to Dating for Teenage Witches and Wizards. This is the worst film of the series. Here we are introduced to Emo-Harry and Emo-Ron. We get too much of the teenage-high-school drama then we do of the story and what is going on. And they both do this with ridiculous, long haired haircuts. What was the director thinking? The new actors are particularly good. David Tennant deserves much more attention than he has previously gotten. His character was underused which is really disappointing, considering how well he did. And people may disagree, but Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort was brilliant. It was one of the few things that Mike Newell (director) and the producers got right. One other problem was how mediocre the score was compared to John Williams’ magical (pardon the pun) score was. The normally gifted Patrick Doyle had big shoes to fill, much like Michael Gambon did, but did not meet up to the expectations.
Order of the Phoenix: Helena Bonham Carter/Imelda Staunton 4 stars
We still have Emo-Harry, but Ron is back to his normal loving self. Emma Watson continues to grow as an actress in this one (she always has done a good job). And the two new cast members are delightfully evil, more so for Helena. Well shot and well told, this movie did a good job at shortening the long book and keeping the major points in (however they still left out many other plot elements). And get ready for a tear jerking ending like the previous ones.
Half Blood Prince: Jim Broadbent/Helen McCroy 5 stars
We don’t see much of Helen McCroy, Narcissa Malfoy (Draco’s mother), but she is good and I wish I could see more of her work. Jim Broadbent was an interesting choice for the role of Horace Slughorn, but he did prove me wrong and did a good job. Helena Bonham Carter returns even better. This is the second best film of the series. Many elements of this movie could have brought it done, because there is not much at all in way of a story, but David Yates (director) does a good job at convincing you that there is stuff that is happening. The high school drama is back, but they handle it very well (which this is the way Mike Newell should have done for Goblet of Fire). The only major problem is Tom Felton. Here he could have shined very much, but he shows that he is the worst actor in the series (worse than Daniel). This movie is all about him and Snape, but his ability to act is this much : -
Continue on to read my review for harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
This one is a little childish, but it is in keeping with the book, which is good. It is meant for kids, so it is very fun loving and family friendly. It brags a magnificent cast of ace British actors, and not one falters. Even the young actors are good, keeping up well enough with the experienced adult actors. It is long, but it is very easy to look over that problem. And a tip-of-the-hat to Maestro John Williams’ score is needed.
Chamber of Secrets: Kenneth Branagh/Jason Isaacs/Toby Jones/Mark Williams: 3.5 stars
Just like the first in the series, it is a very light-hearted movie. The ending gets grim, also like the previous film, but it is still very family-friendly. Kenneth Branagh is surprising perfect for an egotistic, blubbering buffoon of a wizard. Jason Isaacs is creepy and very suave as the evil Lucius Malfoy. And the chemistry between Mark Williams and Julie Walters (Arthur and Molly Wealsey) in this film and the other films is quite fantastic. The only major flaws are the music and Dobby, the house-elf. The music is disappointing, it being a rehash of the previous films music. And Dobby looks and sounds too childish and fake to be real. It imagined a house-elf much grittier and having not so quite a high of a voice. But again, it is a good movie, but not as good as SS.
Prisoner of Azkaban: Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson, Julie Christie (brief cameo), and Michael Gambon: 5 stars
Michael Gambon takes over for beloved and deceased Richard Harris. He is good, in fact he is great, but he cannot compete with the memory of Richard Harris still ripe in our minds. But the cast has many great new additions. The new cast members are all fantastic and everyone is perfect for their respective roles. The movie is the best in the series. It is visually stunning, with the best visual effects, music, cinematography, acting, and story. It is emotional without it being too overbearing. Alfonso Cuaron did an amazing job at directing this film and I can only imagine what some of the other films would be like if he continued. Granted, it is not a 100% to 90% adaptation from the book, but it is still quite good.
Goblet of Fire…: Miranda Richardson/Brendan Gleeson/Ralph Fiennes/David Tennant: 2.5 stars
…or The Guide to Dating for Teenage Witches and Wizards. This is the worst film of the series. Here we are introduced to Emo-Harry and Emo-Ron. We get too much of the teenage-high-school drama then we do of the story and what is going on. And they both do this with ridiculous, long haired haircuts. What was the director thinking? The new actors are particularly good. David Tennant deserves much more attention than he has previously gotten. His character was underused which is really disappointing, considering how well he did. And people may disagree, but Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort was brilliant. It was one of the few things that Mike Newell (director) and the producers got right. One other problem was how mediocre the score was compared to John Williams’ magical (pardon the pun) score was. The normally gifted Patrick Doyle had big shoes to fill, much like Michael Gambon did, but did not meet up to the expectations.
Order of the Phoenix: Helena Bonham Carter/Imelda Staunton 4 stars
We still have Emo-Harry, but Ron is back to his normal loving self. Emma Watson continues to grow as an actress in this one (she always has done a good job). And the two new cast members are delightfully evil, more so for Helena. Well shot and well told, this movie did a good job at shortening the long book and keeping the major points in (however they still left out many other plot elements). And get ready for a tear jerking ending like the previous ones.
Half Blood Prince: Jim Broadbent/Helen McCroy 5 stars
We don’t see much of Helen McCroy, Narcissa Malfoy (Draco’s mother), but she is good and I wish I could see more of her work. Jim Broadbent was an interesting choice for the role of Horace Slughorn, but he did prove me wrong and did a good job. Helena Bonham Carter returns even better. This is the second best film of the series. Many elements of this movie could have brought it done, because there is not much at all in way of a story, but David Yates (director) does a good job at convincing you that there is stuff that is happening. The high school drama is back, but they handle it very well (which this is the way Mike Newell should have done for Goblet of Fire). The only major problem is Tom Felton. Here he could have shined very much, but he shows that he is the worst actor in the series (worse than Daniel). This movie is all about him and Snape, but his ability to act is this much : -
Continue on to read my review for harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I: 4.5 stars
Bill Nighy/Rhys Ifans
I am not going to be a part of the Deathly Hallows craze. Part 1 was good, don’t get me wrong, and definitely one of the better ones, but it was not great.
There are several problems with the seventh outing. The major one is the pace of the film. The film kept maybe too close to the book in the way that they left it slow. The beginning and the ending are faster and much more upbeat; however the middle could have been picked up much more. The suspense of the middle lacked, and the urgency, moved forward sluggishly. The beginning moved fast and tried to get them on the road really quickly, and then the makers took their time once on it and didn’t continue the pace.
Other problems dealt with an unmentionable scene that occurred close to the end (those who have seen the movie may be aware of what I am talking about). Also, we do not get much of a chance to mourn for the dead as much as we do for a certain character at the end of the movie. Certain characters die, and it is pushed aside to further move the story. Another major problem is the final scene. It came too quickly, without much warning, and ended just as quickly. And the genious of an actor, Bill Nighy, gave a forgettable performance and a rather weird opening speech. People who haven't read the books would feel "Who is this guy? Why do we care about him?" The beginning moved too fast and we saw very little of the characters that are introduced. We do not know what is really going on because there is too much going on.
The movie wasn’t all bad. There were good things: the music was good (still not as good as John William’s scores), the scenery shots were marvelous, and the expository scenes didn’t feel out of place. And like all six films before it, the best thing about the movie was the acting. This series has become the epitome of ace acting. Daniel Radcliff, who I have not cared much for before this film, finally matches up to Emma Watson and Rupert Grint (who both have always been as good as their adult co-stars). But who really shines in this movie is Rupert. This man has grown so much as an actor. I predict that he will be among the greats of my generation. He will go on and do amazing things with his acting career.
One other plus was Dobby. One of the few characters that I have never really cared for (both in the books and the films), Dobby really does look good in Deathly Hallows. He never looked or sounded like I quite envisioned him from the books (and Kreacher), but they did a better job that they did with the past movies.
All in all, it is a good new film. It may have problems, but it has improved the story and characters. The main problem is that it is fast where it should be slower, and slow where it should be fast.
I am not going to be a part of the Deathly Hallows craze. Part 1 was good, don’t get me wrong, and definitely one of the better ones, but it was not great.
There are several problems with the seventh outing. The major one is the pace of the film. The film kept maybe too close to the book in the way that they left it slow. The beginning and the ending are faster and much more upbeat; however the middle could have been picked up much more. The suspense of the middle lacked, and the urgency, moved forward sluggishly. The beginning moved fast and tried to get them on the road really quickly, and then the makers took their time once on it and didn’t continue the pace.
Other problems dealt with an unmentionable scene that occurred close to the end (those who have seen the movie may be aware of what I am talking about). Also, we do not get much of a chance to mourn for the dead as much as we do for a certain character at the end of the movie. Certain characters die, and it is pushed aside to further move the story. Another major problem is the final scene. It came too quickly, without much warning, and ended just as quickly. And the genious of an actor, Bill Nighy, gave a forgettable performance and a rather weird opening speech. People who haven't read the books would feel "Who is this guy? Why do we care about him?" The beginning moved too fast and we saw very little of the characters that are introduced. We do not know what is really going on because there is too much going on.
The movie wasn’t all bad. There were good things: the music was good (still not as good as John William’s scores), the scenery shots were marvelous, and the expository scenes didn’t feel out of place. And like all six films before it, the best thing about the movie was the acting. This series has become the epitome of ace acting. Daniel Radcliff, who I have not cared much for before this film, finally matches up to Emma Watson and Rupert Grint (who both have always been as good as their adult co-stars). But who really shines in this movie is Rupert. This man has grown so much as an actor. I predict that he will be among the greats of my generation. He will go on and do amazing things with his acting career.
One other plus was Dobby. One of the few characters that I have never really cared for (both in the books and the films), Dobby really does look good in Deathly Hallows. He never looked or sounded like I quite envisioned him from the books (and Kreacher), but they did a better job that they did with the past movies.
All in all, it is a good new film. It may have problems, but it has improved the story and characters. The main problem is that it is fast where it should be slower, and slow where it should be fast.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Zombieland: 5 stars
Zombieland is one of those movies that is just good, violent fun. Though it may be filled to the brim with swearing and gore, it is just plain fun. Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin are all great in this movie (in order of awesomeness). And the humor in this film is so dark and twisted that you cannot help but laugh.
Woody Harrelson is the best thing about the movie. Forget about Emma Stone (one of the hottest girls I have ever seen on screen) and Jesse and Abigail. If Woody Harrelson was not in this movie and they got someone else, this movie would not have done so well. He gives the single greatest line in the movie (If you haven’t seen the movie, please don’t highlight the next few words. Wait until you have seen it: "Where are the *bleeping* Twinkies!" Also, Bill Murray was great.
The other thing that made this movie great was the screenplay. The narration by Jesse Eisenberg was brilliant to say the least. The one-liners said by Woody are hysterical. And the situations that these four people are put into are also fantastically outrageous. And another thing of genius is that we never know their true names: they are just city names that each person is headed to.
If you can get past the mindless zombie gore and the swearing (all of you guys), this is a movie for you. I highly recommend it, except to those who don’t like the aforementioned reasons.
Woody Harrelson is the best thing about the movie. Forget about Emma Stone (one of the hottest girls I have ever seen on screen) and Jesse and Abigail. If Woody Harrelson was not in this movie and they got someone else, this movie would not have done so well. He gives the single greatest line in the movie (If you haven’t seen the movie, please don’t highlight the next few words. Wait until you have seen it: "Where are the *bleeping* Twinkies!" Also, Bill Murray was great.
The other thing that made this movie great was the screenplay. The narration by Jesse Eisenberg was brilliant to say the least. The one-liners said by Woody are hysterical. And the situations that these four people are put into are also fantastically outrageous. And another thing of genius is that we never know their true names: they are just city names that each person is headed to.
If you can get past the mindless zombie gore and the swearing (all of you guys), this is a movie for you. I highly recommend it, except to those who don’t like the aforementioned reasons.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sorry, My Followers
I apologize, my followers. I am having a difficult job right now balancing my movie-watching, school, work, family, my social life, and my blog. I have been watching plenty of movies over the past few weeks or month (however long it has been). I will try and update it once a week again. I hope to see more movies in theatres for the rest of the year. I plan to see Unstoppable, next Harry Potter 7 (you will get brief reviews for the past 6, but not too long), Narnia 3, Tron: Legacy, and True Grit. I also hope to watch The Tourist and The King's Speech during this time, but I don't know. If you have not seen the trailers for these movies, I highly recommend you go to YouTube and watch them. I also have a few movies that are on DVD that I will post. I still havent done my Zombieland or Resident evil reviews. I also will do a review on Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Fight Club, The Early Years of Matt Damon (Rounders, Talented Mr Ripley, Legend of Bagger Vance, and Good Will Hunting), No Country For Old Men, Seven Years in Tibet, and Ridley Scott- The Best of the 80s, 90s, and 00s.
So I humbly ask for you pardon and if you will be so kind, spread the word about my movie blog if you enjoy my insights. And I plan to do better for the next few weeks.
Yours truly,
RJ Engle
So I humbly ask for you pardon and if you will be so kind, spread the word about my movie blog if you enjoy my insights. And I plan to do better for the next few weeks.
Yours truly,
RJ Engle
The Next Three Days: 3 stars
Do not let the marketing fool you: The Next Three Days is not an action film. It is more of a suspense movie with romantic and action interludes. Paul Haggis, the director of this movie, does a better job than most directors do nowadays with mixing the tear-jerking parts with the heart-racing parts with the suspense. Where the movie lacks, Crowe and Banks make up for.
This film has to start off slow. It hits the viewers with a big scene and then leaves us wanting more. We do not get much more in the terms of vengeful, prison-breaking moments until the end. The whole film is about this man willing to do anything for the woman he loves. Russell Crowe was perfect in this role, but the movie wasn’t perfect for Crowe. The long drawn out scenes were only bearable because of these two actors and no other reason.
Other problems for The Next Three Days were the other two, so called, “main” actors. Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde, both usually good (and are in this), but their screen time is so limited that the viewer leaves feeling used. I thought, “Cool! Russell Crowe and Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde in an action film! I’m in!” But it is wrong on both accounts. With barely five minutes of screen time, I do not even understand why they bothered with this film.
Do not get me wrong, I am stating the bad things about this film, but there is still plenty of heart in this movie and many moments to look forward to at the last thirty minutes of the movies. I think a more appropriate title for the movie would be The Next Thirty Minutes. The movie is also shot very well, complimenting the story telling and the performances. I say see it if you are a Russell Crowe fan, or just wait for it to come on DVD.
This film has to start off slow. It hits the viewers with a big scene and then leaves us wanting more. We do not get much more in the terms of vengeful, prison-breaking moments until the end. The whole film is about this man willing to do anything for the woman he loves. Russell Crowe was perfect in this role, but the movie wasn’t perfect for Crowe. The long drawn out scenes were only bearable because of these two actors and no other reason.
Other problems for The Next Three Days were the other two, so called, “main” actors. Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde, both usually good (and are in this), but their screen time is so limited that the viewer leaves feeling used. I thought, “Cool! Russell Crowe and Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde in an action film! I’m in!” But it is wrong on both accounts. With barely five minutes of screen time, I do not even understand why they bothered with this film.
Do not get me wrong, I am stating the bad things about this film, but there is still plenty of heart in this movie and many moments to look forward to at the last thirty minutes of the movies. I think a more appropriate title for the movie would be The Next Thirty Minutes. The movie is also shot very well, complimenting the story telling and the performances. I say see it if you are a Russell Crowe fan, or just wait for it to come on DVD.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Kenneth Branagh: What Can't This Man Do?
Kenneth Branagh is one of those classic, old school directors. He makes a movie not for the sake of money, but for the sake of making a great movie. And he has never once gone out of his way to receive recognition for his work. He even declined the OBE (Officer of the British Empire, or being knighted). In everything that he has done, he has done an amazing job with many of his films, but, like all directors and actors, there are some bad ones.
As an actor, he has captivated my mind for many years. I was first introduced to him in my 9th grade stagecraft class with Henry V. Although we did not watch the full length film, we did watch a clip and saw what he could do with his movies. Then the next semester came along and I watched Much Ado About Nothing in my drama class. There I witnessed the full majesty of Mr. Branagh’s acting ability. Ever since then, I have continued to try and watch his other films. However, the majority of his greatest performances are ones where he did not direct the movie. Recently, a movie called Pirate Radio was released with an outstanding cast, but the movie itself was horrible. I could not watch the full movie because it was too sexually explicit, but I did get a chance to see Branagh’s scenes which are some of the most appropriate and best. He was, pardon the expression, laugh-out-loud funny. I couldn’t stay in my seat. Then there is Wild, Wild West, the 1999 action flick starring Kevin Kline and Will Smith. Again, nowhere near a good movie, but Branagh was so good. Other performances that he has done that he did not also direct was the 2001 and 2009 British mini-series called Conspiracy and Wallander, Othello, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
And as a director, he has done some amazing movie. He continues to use several close friends of his in movies throughout the ‘90s. His wife Emma Thompson, friends Imelda Staunton, Richard Briers, Phyllida Law, Robin Williams, and Ian Holm have all been in multiple films of his. He also uses Patrick Doyle, one of his closest friends from college, as his composer. Patrick Doyle always composes beautiful or haunting music for every one of his films. Tim Harvey has been his production (or set) designer for ever film except for his latest, Thor. There are some problems, however, with a few of his movies. Peter’s Friends was not as good as it should be, with such a stellar cast as it does (Branagh, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Imelda Staunton, and Emma Thompson) but the script made it very sexually explicit which it didn’t need to be. But some of his greatest directing films have been recent. As You Like It, with Kevin Kline, Alfred Molina, and Bryce Dallas Howard, was one of his best Shakespeare adaptations. Sleuth (Michael Caine and Jude Law) was a brilliant game of cat-and-mouse with only two roles, Caine and Law. However, like Pirate Radio and Peter’s Friends, it gets a little too risqué. This isn’t to say his earlier works are bad, they are not. His adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was the closest representation of the book (but still no cigar). It did have some great performances by Helena Bonham Carter and Robert De Niro. And his Henry V, Hamlet, and Much Ado About Nothing were all excellent, but also had problems as well.
The see it: Frankenstein, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like, Wallander, Conspiracy, and Henry V.
The don’t see it: Pirate Radio, Peter’s Friends, Sleuth, Wild, Wild West, and Othello.
Next time: Zombie time, with the Resident Evil series and Zombieland
As an actor, he has captivated my mind for many years. I was first introduced to him in my 9th grade stagecraft class with Henry V. Although we did not watch the full length film, we did watch a clip and saw what he could do with his movies. Then the next semester came along and I watched Much Ado About Nothing in my drama class. There I witnessed the full majesty of Mr. Branagh’s acting ability. Ever since then, I have continued to try and watch his other films. However, the majority of his greatest performances are ones where he did not direct the movie. Recently, a movie called Pirate Radio was released with an outstanding cast, but the movie itself was horrible. I could not watch the full movie because it was too sexually explicit, but I did get a chance to see Branagh’s scenes which are some of the most appropriate and best. He was, pardon the expression, laugh-out-loud funny. I couldn’t stay in my seat. Then there is Wild, Wild West, the 1999 action flick starring Kevin Kline and Will Smith. Again, nowhere near a good movie, but Branagh was so good. Other performances that he has done that he did not also direct was the 2001 and 2009 British mini-series called Conspiracy and Wallander, Othello, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
And as a director, he has done some amazing movie. He continues to use several close friends of his in movies throughout the ‘90s. His wife Emma Thompson, friends Imelda Staunton, Richard Briers, Phyllida Law, Robin Williams, and Ian Holm have all been in multiple films of his. He also uses Patrick Doyle, one of his closest friends from college, as his composer. Patrick Doyle always composes beautiful or haunting music for every one of his films. Tim Harvey has been his production (or set) designer for ever film except for his latest, Thor. There are some problems, however, with a few of his movies. Peter’s Friends was not as good as it should be, with such a stellar cast as it does (Branagh, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Imelda Staunton, and Emma Thompson) but the script made it very sexually explicit which it didn’t need to be. But some of his greatest directing films have been recent. As You Like It, with Kevin Kline, Alfred Molina, and Bryce Dallas Howard, was one of his best Shakespeare adaptations. Sleuth (Michael Caine and Jude Law) was a brilliant game of cat-and-mouse with only two roles, Caine and Law. However, like Pirate Radio and Peter’s Friends, it gets a little too risqué. This isn’t to say his earlier works are bad, they are not. His adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was the closest representation of the book (but still no cigar). It did have some great performances by Helena Bonham Carter and Robert De Niro. And his Henry V, Hamlet, and Much Ado About Nothing were all excellent, but also had problems as well.
The see it: Frankenstein, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like, Wallander, Conspiracy, and Henry V.
The don’t see it: Pirate Radio, Peter’s Friends, Sleuth, Wild, Wild West, and Othello.
Next time: Zombie time, with the Resident Evil series and Zombieland
A Night on The Town was Not That Great: 2 stars
Ben Affleck gives us another movie to look down on. With only one good movie under his belt, Gone Baby Gone, I was hoping that The Town would be another, but sadly it wasn’t meant to be.
The problems with The Town are mostly with the acting and the screenplay. Mr. Affleck himself co-wrote the screenplay and directed this film, so the problems are laid down onto his shoulders. Critics have been giving The Town great reviews, but here is one reviewer who will not fall to Ben’s feet.
Blake Lively was one of the worst things about this movie. I stand by the opinion that she is one of the worst actresses I have seen, dead or alive. Jessica Alba or Biel could have pulled off this role better than she did. She looked and sounded more like an Italian gangster than a Boston slut (pardon the word choice, although she act that last part a little too much). A fake Boston accent and throwing your hands randomly in the air does not make you a good actress. And then there is Mad Men actor Jon Hamm who plays a cut and dry FBI agent with no background and no point other than to be there. Jeremy Renner is nowhere near as good as he was in The Hurt Locker. His fake accent hurt my ears and completely incomprehensible whenever he was on screen. And Ben Affleck was just being Ben Affleck.
The only two good actors, Rebecca hall and Chris Cooper, could not hold up the movie on their own. Chris Cooper was underused and Rebecca Hall was the only sign of light whenever Affleck was on screen.
The technical aspect wasn’t any better. The cinematography of a film is supposed to help build on the emotion of the actor’s performances and maybe add more. That’s what a talented director of photography would do. For this movie, they just pointed the camera straight at the actors and expected us to be moved by their own performances. The music is also there to help build the mood and give us as an audience more emotion. Harry Gregson-Williams, Hans Zimmer’s most adept protégé, did not do that great of a job with this film. It was a mellowed down score for a mellowed down movie. And when the action sequences came, it was a convoluted mesh of strings and electronic sounds. And the script, as I said, was horrible. There were so many stalk characters. The only interesting character was Ben Affleck’s and Rebecca Hall’s. However, Ben’s character is very contracting: he wants to move on with his life and wants to change, and yet he keeps partying with the boys and sleeps around with all of these girls (we actually see one of the nights). It just seems off to me that if you want to become a moral man and get rid of this life, you would just get out immediately and not just keep having sex and getting hammered.
The cold cut case is just to avoid this movie. Don’t see it. Whatever you pay for it won’t be worth it.
The problems with The Town are mostly with the acting and the screenplay. Mr. Affleck himself co-wrote the screenplay and directed this film, so the problems are laid down onto his shoulders. Critics have been giving The Town great reviews, but here is one reviewer who will not fall to Ben’s feet.
Blake Lively was one of the worst things about this movie. I stand by the opinion that she is one of the worst actresses I have seen, dead or alive. Jessica Alba or Biel could have pulled off this role better than she did. She looked and sounded more like an Italian gangster than a Boston slut (pardon the word choice, although she act that last part a little too much). A fake Boston accent and throwing your hands randomly in the air does not make you a good actress. And then there is Mad Men actor Jon Hamm who plays a cut and dry FBI agent with no background and no point other than to be there. Jeremy Renner is nowhere near as good as he was in The Hurt Locker. His fake accent hurt my ears and completely incomprehensible whenever he was on screen. And Ben Affleck was just being Ben Affleck.
The only two good actors, Rebecca hall and Chris Cooper, could not hold up the movie on their own. Chris Cooper was underused and Rebecca Hall was the only sign of light whenever Affleck was on screen.
The technical aspect wasn’t any better. The cinematography of a film is supposed to help build on the emotion of the actor’s performances and maybe add more. That’s what a talented director of photography would do. For this movie, they just pointed the camera straight at the actors and expected us to be moved by their own performances. The music is also there to help build the mood and give us as an audience more emotion. Harry Gregson-Williams, Hans Zimmer’s most adept protégé, did not do that great of a job with this film. It was a mellowed down score for a mellowed down movie. And when the action sequences came, it was a convoluted mesh of strings and electronic sounds. And the script, as I said, was horrible. There were so many stalk characters. The only interesting character was Ben Affleck’s and Rebecca Hall’s. However, Ben’s character is very contracting: he wants to move on with his life and wants to change, and yet he keeps partying with the boys and sleeps around with all of these girls (we actually see one of the nights). It just seems off to me that if you want to become a moral man and get rid of this life, you would just get out immediately and not just keep having sex and getting hammered.
The cold cut case is just to avoid this movie. Don’t see it. Whatever you pay for it won’t be worth it.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Expendables
It has been a little while since I have done a full movie review. I hope to get back on track.
Sylvester Stallone is not the greatest actor nor director. In fact no one in this movie are good actors. But this movie still made me happy.
Like The A-Team, The Expendables was a blow 'em up movie without much plot and a lot of predictability. But the action was so great and the fighting sequences were so well rehearsed and thought out, that it really didn't matter. Many of the stunts were superb, especially one that involves Stallone and his knife and a person's head. Another great few moments in the fighting were when Jason Statham would chuck his throwing knives into someone's face or heart.
Again, as I said before, there is not much in the way of story, but there is a lot in the way of stunts. if you like these kind of movies, I would say this is a must see. If you don't, then I would say avoid it.
Next time I will be reviewing The Town, The Resident evil movies, and the start of my actor and director profiles.
Sylvester Stallone is not the greatest actor nor director. In fact no one in this movie are good actors. But this movie still made me happy.
Like The A-Team, The Expendables was a blow 'em up movie without much plot and a lot of predictability. But the action was so great and the fighting sequences were so well rehearsed and thought out, that it really didn't matter. Many of the stunts were superb, especially one that involves Stallone and his knife and a person's head. Another great few moments in the fighting were when Jason Statham would chuck his throwing knives into someone's face or heart.
Again, as I said before, there is not much in the way of story, but there is a lot in the way of stunts. if you like these kind of movies, I would say this is a must see. If you don't, then I would say avoid it.
Next time I will be reviewing The Town, The Resident evil movies, and the start of my actor and director profiles.
Trailer to Watch for Part 3
The Next Three Days: Russel Crowe and Liam Neeson. Enough said, right. i predict it will be one of the greatest action flicks of this fall. Watch the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q73Vda1JFn0
The Debt: Another great action flick with even more great actors. Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington with different accents sound great.
Never Let Me Go: You will definetly see a review for this movie in the next month once it come out. This has Oscar written all over it. I am a huge Keira Knightley an Carrie Mulligan fan. Also, an great up-and-coming actor, the future Mr Peter Parker stars, Andrew Garfield.
Herafter: Another Clint eastwood and Matt Damon team-up. I believe this will be better than there last film together, Invictus. I also am looking forward to seeing Bryce Dallas Howard.
The Tourist: Angelina Jolie has been growing on me. And with this movie she works with Johnny Depp and Pual Bettany, so no matter if she does a good job or bad, there are still two other performances to look forward to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q73Vda1JFn0
The Debt: Another great action flick with even more great actors. Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington with different accents sound great.
Never Let Me Go: You will definetly see a review for this movie in the next month once it come out. This has Oscar written all over it. I am a huge Keira Knightley an Carrie Mulligan fan. Also, an great up-and-coming actor, the future Mr Peter Parker stars, Andrew Garfield.
Herafter: Another Clint eastwood and Matt Damon team-up. I believe this will be better than there last film together, Invictus. I also am looking forward to seeing Bryce Dallas Howard.
The Tourist: Angelina Jolie has been growing on me. And with this movie she works with Johnny Depp and Pual Bettany, so no matter if she does a good job or bad, there are still two other performances to look forward to.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Trailer to Watch: Part 2
New trailers for films are revealed all the time online. Before, I posted here,
http://stickyfloorreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/trailers-to-watch.html, a few trailer of movies that I have been looking forward to. Here are a few more films to look out for.
Red: Last time I posted a trailer for a movie called RED, about retired CIA agents being hunted because of knowing too many secrets. Here is another trailer for it, making it even more action packed and humorous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7tvQZ1RJ2Y
Tron: Legacy: This is the long awaited sequel of the original movie, Tron, from 1982. Starring Garret Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Jeff Bridges, and Michael Sheen, this will be one of the greatest films of 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9szn1QQfas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE7fM18VdrA
The Town: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, and Chris Cooper. I am not a fan of Ben Affleck, but I am a fan of everyone else in this movie. This trailer makes this film look really good and after I saw it for the first time, I keep seeing the nun outfit in my head. It is so creepy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ7wcayQQLQ
Let Me In: Chloe Moretz is an amazing actress and she is only 12. This is another vampire movie, but it is more than that. This movie is a thriller, horror, and romance in one. But I don’t think that Chloe is even a vampire, just something like a vampire. Check these two trailers out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hDPUlcjmQQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPoTsYDJV8
No other trailers now. In a few weeks, several big name comic book movies will be releasing trailers for their films such as Thor, Captain America, and Green Lantern. I will post those when they come out. Visit Trailers To Watch Part One for other film trailers.
http://stickyfloorreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/trailers-to-watch.html, a few trailer of movies that I have been looking forward to. Here are a few more films to look out for.
Red: Last time I posted a trailer for a movie called RED, about retired CIA agents being hunted because of knowing too many secrets. Here is another trailer for it, making it even more action packed and humorous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7tvQZ1RJ2Y
Tron: Legacy: This is the long awaited sequel of the original movie, Tron, from 1982. Starring Garret Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Jeff Bridges, and Michael Sheen, this will be one of the greatest films of 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9szn1QQfas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE7fM18VdrA
The Town: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, and Chris Cooper. I am not a fan of Ben Affleck, but I am a fan of everyone else in this movie. This trailer makes this film look really good and after I saw it for the first time, I keep seeing the nun outfit in my head. It is so creepy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ7wcayQQLQ
Let Me In: Chloe Moretz is an amazing actress and she is only 12. This is another vampire movie, but it is more than that. This movie is a thriller, horror, and romance in one. But I don’t think that Chloe is even a vampire, just something like a vampire. Check these two trailers out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hDPUlcjmQQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPoTsYDJV8
No other trailers now. In a few weeks, several big name comic book movies will be releasing trailers for their films such as Thor, Captain America, and Green Lantern. I will post those when they come out. Visit Trailers To Watch Part One for other film trailers.
Friday, July 23, 2010
INCEPTION: 6 STARS! Ten Thumbs Way Up. 'Nough said.
Inception is an adrenaline high. It is a complex story of dreams and ideas. It is one amazing action scene after another. And it has the greatest ensemble of a cast this year. And it is the greatest film I have ever seen.
No spoilers here. It is best to go in the movie not knowing what to expect except that you need to pay attention. Losing focus in this film could cause large amounts of confusion. But Inception does have the most complex, moving, and emotional scripts that has ever been put to screen.
The acting is superb as well. Leonardo DiCaprio is surprisingly amazing as Dom Cobb, the lead character in the film. He put away all of his terrible performances in the past and he brings forth the most powerful performance in his entire career; better than Body of Lies, better than Blood Diamond, and better than Catch Me If You Can. Now comes the supporting cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun) shows himself to those who do not know him that he is one of the greatest young actors at work today. Tom Hardy, a young British actor who hasn’t had much success in America soon to be a hot commodity after this. Ellen Page (Juno) holds her own with every actor in the film. And Marion Cotillard (A Good Year, Public Enemies) is perfect in showing every bit of emotion that is needed. Other cast members include Ken Watanabe (Batman Begins, The Last Samurai) who may be the weakest link (only because he was a little incomprehensible), Cillian Murphy (Red Eye, 28 Days Later, Batman Begins) who acts tremendously well with bigger name actors, and Michael Caine who I wish we could have seen a little more of.
On the technical aspect, the music, the special effect, the graphic effects, and the production design were all perfect. The music drove me nuts (not in a bad way). It added so much tension to the film, making me get closer to the edge of my seat than any other film. After every intense scene, the music added more pressure to my lungs, making me hold my breath longer and longer. The practical effects and the computer effects melded so well that it is hard for us as an audience to tell which were which. The sets were also amazing. Every one of them grabbed my mind and threw me across the room with awe and amazement. The scope of all of the sets and the beauty of them continued to grab me and strangle me.
So see it. No matter how much money you have to spend, it is worth it. Find $5.25 under the couch or in the desk, but see this movie.
P.S.- (I see the top spinning in my head. You’ll know when you see it.)
Next time: Musicals to avoid and a month of Ken Branagh.
No spoilers here. It is best to go in the movie not knowing what to expect except that you need to pay attention. Losing focus in this film could cause large amounts of confusion. But Inception does have the most complex, moving, and emotional scripts that has ever been put to screen.
The acting is superb as well. Leonardo DiCaprio is surprisingly amazing as Dom Cobb, the lead character in the film. He put away all of his terrible performances in the past and he brings forth the most powerful performance in his entire career; better than Body of Lies, better than Blood Diamond, and better than Catch Me If You Can. Now comes the supporting cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun) shows himself to those who do not know him that he is one of the greatest young actors at work today. Tom Hardy, a young British actor who hasn’t had much success in America soon to be a hot commodity after this. Ellen Page (Juno) holds her own with every actor in the film. And Marion Cotillard (A Good Year, Public Enemies) is perfect in showing every bit of emotion that is needed. Other cast members include Ken Watanabe (Batman Begins, The Last Samurai) who may be the weakest link (only because he was a little incomprehensible), Cillian Murphy (Red Eye, 28 Days Later, Batman Begins) who acts tremendously well with bigger name actors, and Michael Caine who I wish we could have seen a little more of.
On the technical aspect, the music, the special effect, the graphic effects, and the production design were all perfect. The music drove me nuts (not in a bad way). It added so much tension to the film, making me get closer to the edge of my seat than any other film. After every intense scene, the music added more pressure to my lungs, making me hold my breath longer and longer. The practical effects and the computer effects melded so well that it is hard for us as an audience to tell which were which. The sets were also amazing. Every one of them grabbed my mind and threw me across the room with awe and amazement. The scope of all of the sets and the beauty of them continued to grab me and strangle me.
So see it. No matter how much money you have to spend, it is worth it. Find $5.25 under the couch or in the desk, but see this movie.
P.S.- (I see the top spinning in my head. You’ll know when you see it.)
Next time: Musicals to avoid and a month of Ken Branagh.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Michael Sheen Collection
I love Michael Sheen. Very few people know who this amazing actor is because he hasn’t had his big break in America yet. However, he is very well known across the pond for one major reason: Tony Blair. There are three films where he played the British Prime Minister: The Deal (2003, TV), The Queen (2006), and lately The Special Relationship (2010, TV).
The Deal is about Tony Blair’s relationship with Member of Parliament (MP) Gordon Brown and how the Labour Party grew in the UK to beat the Conservative Party. This film is good in many different aspects, but most importantly the acting. This film is hard to find on DVD but it is on Youtube in its entirety. If you have an hour and a half to two hours to spare, I would recommend looking this up and watching Michael Sheen’s first go around as Blair.
The Queen was well known for Helen Mirren’s portrayal as Queen Elizabeth II. Academies and other award associations gave their awards to Mirren but poor Michael Sheen was left in the dust. This film is about the relationship between the queen and the newly elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The whole film takes place during the time of Princess Diana’s death. It is a powerful story with a well written script and extraordinary cast. I would also recommend this film.
The last of what has been called, “The Blair Trilogy” is The Special Relationship, which discusses the relationship of Blair and President Bill Clinton. This just aired on HBO so I did not get a chance to see it, but I hear it is worth seeing Dennis Quaid as Clinton. I also would imagine Sheen would be a great as Blair, again.
All of these films were written by the same screenplay writer, Peter Morgan. After The Queen, and before The Special Relationship, he wrote two other films which also stared Michael Sheen: Frost/Nixon, and The Damned United.
Frost/Nixon, directed by Ron Howard, is about what happened to President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella; The Box, Good Night and Good Luck) after he resigned the presidency and was given a pardon. David Frost (Michael Sheen) is a talk show host from Australia who believes he would be the only person to get a confession out of Richard Nixon. A powerful film that is very informative to someone who did not live during that time. And every single actor in this movie is right for the part.
The Damned United is about Brian Clough (Michael Sheen), a football manager in England who has a professional rivalry with another football manager, Don Revie. This is another well acted film with a great British cast with Jim Broadbent (Nicholas Nickleby, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and Timothy Spall (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sweeny Todd and the Demon Barber of Fleet Street).
There are other films of his that I like, such as Underworld. This film is the closest thing Michael Sheen has to a “big break” in America. He plays Lucian, a Lycan (aka werewolf) that is trying to destroy the vampire race. He doesn’t reprise his role in the second film, but in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans he comes back to play Lucian in an origin story. I would recommend seeing the first but not seeing the others.
Michael Sheen was also in a few smaller roles recently. Most memorable for me was in Alice in Wonderland as the voice of the White Rabbit. And also, he was in Twilight Saga: New Moon as the Vampire lord Aro, the leader of the Volturi.
Of all of these films I have presented to you, I would say see them all. But if you could only see one or two, I would say see The Queen and Frost/Nixon.
Next time: Dream Girls and other bad chick flicks
The Deal is about Tony Blair’s relationship with Member of Parliament (MP) Gordon Brown and how the Labour Party grew in the UK to beat the Conservative Party. This film is good in many different aspects, but most importantly the acting. This film is hard to find on DVD but it is on Youtube in its entirety. If you have an hour and a half to two hours to spare, I would recommend looking this up and watching Michael Sheen’s first go around as Blair.
The Queen was well known for Helen Mirren’s portrayal as Queen Elizabeth II. Academies and other award associations gave their awards to Mirren but poor Michael Sheen was left in the dust. This film is about the relationship between the queen and the newly elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The whole film takes place during the time of Princess Diana’s death. It is a powerful story with a well written script and extraordinary cast. I would also recommend this film.
The last of what has been called, “The Blair Trilogy” is The Special Relationship, which discusses the relationship of Blair and President Bill Clinton. This just aired on HBO so I did not get a chance to see it, but I hear it is worth seeing Dennis Quaid as Clinton. I also would imagine Sheen would be a great as Blair, again.
All of these films were written by the same screenplay writer, Peter Morgan. After The Queen, and before The Special Relationship, he wrote two other films which also stared Michael Sheen: Frost/Nixon, and The Damned United.
Frost/Nixon, directed by Ron Howard, is about what happened to President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella; The Box, Good Night and Good Luck) after he resigned the presidency and was given a pardon. David Frost (Michael Sheen) is a talk show host from Australia who believes he would be the only person to get a confession out of Richard Nixon. A powerful film that is very informative to someone who did not live during that time. And every single actor in this movie is right for the part.
The Damned United is about Brian Clough (Michael Sheen), a football manager in England who has a professional rivalry with another football manager, Don Revie. This is another well acted film with a great British cast with Jim Broadbent (Nicholas Nickleby, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and Timothy Spall (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sweeny Todd and the Demon Barber of Fleet Street).
There are other films of his that I like, such as Underworld. This film is the closest thing Michael Sheen has to a “big break” in America. He plays Lucian, a Lycan (aka werewolf) that is trying to destroy the vampire race. He doesn’t reprise his role in the second film, but in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans he comes back to play Lucian in an origin story. I would recommend seeing the first but not seeing the others.
Michael Sheen was also in a few smaller roles recently. Most memorable for me was in Alice in Wonderland as the voice of the White Rabbit. And also, he was in Twilight Saga: New Moon as the Vampire lord Aro, the leader of the Volturi.
Of all of these films I have presented to you, I would say see them all. But if you could only see one or two, I would say see The Queen and Frost/Nixon.
Next time: Dream Girls and other bad chick flicks
Twilight Saga: Eclipse- 3 stars
These movies continue to improve as they continue throughout the series. But it is impossible for any of these films to be considered great. When Catherine Hardwicke cast these three leads, I don’t know what was going through her head. There are many actors who could have done a better job then them. New Moon and Eclipse could have been two films, and maybe Twilight, if these three actors were never cast.
In this one, there is more action and better plot. They build up the ending better than Stephanie Meyer did in the books by actually showing us the mind process of Riley, Victoria’s new lover and a newborn vampire. It is an interesting concept that we see very little in the book that could have made Eclipse the greatest of the series.
Kristen Stewart still hunches over her body and mumbles incoherently when she gets mad at Jake or Eddie. Her buckteeth is shown less in this movie, but that still doesn’t mean she is improving. RPattz, or whatever he is being called now, still has vacant expressions whenever he talks. When he is relaxed, his eyes are relaxed. When he his mad, his eyes bulge out of his head. That is the only indication when he gets upset. And Taylor Lautner continues to speak the words as if he was just reading the script. The only other bad actor was Dakota Fanning. She was good in New Moon, but that was because they gave her three lines. In this one, Fanning has a larger role as Jane, in which she did not do a good job at all.
With all of these flaws in the leads, you might be surprised to read that I actually liked Eclipse. I liked the acting from the Cullens. It was nice to see more of the Cullens. Outside of the great action sequences, the best scenes were when Rosalie and Jasper (Go Team Jasper!) tell their back stories. I am a huge fan of Jasper and it was nice to see more of him in this film than in the others. And the new Victoria (played amazingly by Bryce Dallas Howard) is one of the greatest actors in this series so far. Howard got to show off some great fighting skills. But the actor that I was really impressed with was Riley. Xavier Samuel did a very good job as the newborn vampire leader. He plays perfectly alongside the beautiful Bryce Howard.
All of the romances in these films are really beautiful, (Jasper and Alice, Emmet and Rosalie, Riley and Victoria, Carlisle and Esme), except for the love triangle that we are supposed to care about. That is the major downfall of the films and ultimately the books: I wouldn't care if Bella or Jake or Edward dies. Their so called passion for each other is a fickle thing and filled with contradictions. If Stephenie Meyer could write a romance like the one of Jasper and Alice for Edward and Bella, or if Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson could act better, I would love these books and films.
Lastly, I would like to mention I enjoyed the technical aspects of the film like I did with New Moon. Most importantly, the music is where this film really shines (Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings). The greatest part of the score is the theme for Riley and Victoria. I also thought that the theme for the love triangle (not a theme for just Bell and just Edward and just Jacob, but for all of them) was as heartbreaking as the love theme in New Moon. I look forward to what the next composer will do for Breaking Dawn (TBA).
Overall, I say see it if you have seen the other films, but, like I said with New Moon, if you haven’t seen the other films, don’t go out of your way to see them. I would advise waiting until the end of 2012 for when Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part II comes out. Let us have a show of hands for those who will actually listen to me. (I didn’t think so.)
(GO TEAM CHARLIE)
In this one, there is more action and better plot. They build up the ending better than Stephanie Meyer did in the books by actually showing us the mind process of Riley, Victoria’s new lover and a newborn vampire. It is an interesting concept that we see very little in the book that could have made Eclipse the greatest of the series.
Kristen Stewart still hunches over her body and mumbles incoherently when she gets mad at Jake or Eddie. Her buckteeth is shown less in this movie, but that still doesn’t mean she is improving. RPattz, or whatever he is being called now, still has vacant expressions whenever he talks. When he is relaxed, his eyes are relaxed. When he his mad, his eyes bulge out of his head. That is the only indication when he gets upset. And Taylor Lautner continues to speak the words as if he was just reading the script. The only other bad actor was Dakota Fanning. She was good in New Moon, but that was because they gave her three lines. In this one, Fanning has a larger role as Jane, in which she did not do a good job at all.
With all of these flaws in the leads, you might be surprised to read that I actually liked Eclipse. I liked the acting from the Cullens. It was nice to see more of the Cullens. Outside of the great action sequences, the best scenes were when Rosalie and Jasper (Go Team Jasper!) tell their back stories. I am a huge fan of Jasper and it was nice to see more of him in this film than in the others. And the new Victoria (played amazingly by Bryce Dallas Howard) is one of the greatest actors in this series so far. Howard got to show off some great fighting skills. But the actor that I was really impressed with was Riley. Xavier Samuel did a very good job as the newborn vampire leader. He plays perfectly alongside the beautiful Bryce Howard.
All of the romances in these films are really beautiful, (Jasper and Alice, Emmet and Rosalie, Riley and Victoria, Carlisle and Esme), except for the love triangle that we are supposed to care about. That is the major downfall of the films and ultimately the books: I wouldn't care if Bella or Jake or Edward dies. Their so called passion for each other is a fickle thing and filled with contradictions. If Stephenie Meyer could write a romance like the one of Jasper and Alice for Edward and Bella, or if Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson could act better, I would love these books and films.
Lastly, I would like to mention I enjoyed the technical aspects of the film like I did with New Moon. Most importantly, the music is where this film really shines (Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings). The greatest part of the score is the theme for Riley and Victoria. I also thought that the theme for the love triangle (not a theme for just Bell and just Edward and just Jacob, but for all of them) was as heartbreaking as the love theme in New Moon. I look forward to what the next composer will do for Breaking Dawn (TBA).
Overall, I say see it if you have seen the other films, but, like I said with New Moon, if you haven’t seen the other films, don’t go out of your way to see them. I would advise waiting until the end of 2012 for when Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part II comes out. Let us have a show of hands for those who will actually listen to me. (I didn’t think so.)
(GO TEAM CHARLIE)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Trailers to Watch
One of the things I do online is I wach trailers to films that I am hoping to go and see. For any film, if I don't like the trailer, I will not see it. You have to wow me, or I have to know the story. I will not go and see any movie just because it might seem good. I have to know. Here are some trailers for future up and coming films that I am excited to go and see.
Red: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, and Richard Dreyfuss. About Retired CIA agents coming ouot of retirement to work together once more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmIbOoEVmow
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The third installment to The Chronicles of Narnia film. Lucy and Edmund go on a journey with King Caspian and their cousin in search of the seven lost lords.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrJQDPpIK6I
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The last two films of the amazing Harry Potter films. These two films revolve are about the Terrifc Trio leaving Hogwarts in search of the Deathly Hallows and the horcruxes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EC2tmFVNNE
The Adjustment Bureau: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp. Two lovers, a dancer and a politician, fall in love and are being forced apart by a supernatural bureau.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHVU3fKhsjI
Scott Pilgrim Vs the World: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Chris Evans. Scott Pilgrim must defeat a girls seven evil exes in order to date her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ZXnYvRaA4
Dinner for Schmucks: Paul Rudd and Steve Carell. Office executives bring idiots to a dinner party to make fun of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FHlvEc3vaE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOMngejmwKE
I will continue to post trailer links as they come out.
Red: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, and Richard Dreyfuss. About Retired CIA agents coming ouot of retirement to work together once more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmIbOoEVmow
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The third installment to The Chronicles of Narnia film. Lucy and Edmund go on a journey with King Caspian and their cousin in search of the seven lost lords.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrJQDPpIK6I
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The last two films of the amazing Harry Potter films. These two films revolve are about the Terrifc Trio leaving Hogwarts in search of the Deathly Hallows and the horcruxes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EC2tmFVNNE
The Adjustment Bureau: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp. Two lovers, a dancer and a politician, fall in love and are being forced apart by a supernatural bureau.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHVU3fKhsjI
Scott Pilgrim Vs the World: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Chris Evans. Scott Pilgrim must defeat a girls seven evil exes in order to date her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ZXnYvRaA4
Dinner for Schmucks: Paul Rudd and Steve Carell. Office executives bring idiots to a dinner party to make fun of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FHlvEc3vaE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOMngejmwKE
I will continue to post trailer links as they come out.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Toy Story 3: 5 stars
Toy Story 3 is one of the greatest animated films out there. It has great humor, a fun plot, emotional scenes, and some action sequences.
The characters that have been around now for ten years have returned. I loved every minute of watching these characters that I have grown up with and loved. There are some fun moments, such as the few scene with the new characters, Ken being the most fun out of them all (Michael Keaton [Batman] having a fun time voicing the role). And it also had its heartfelt moments (it wouldn’t be Pixar without these scenes).
I was most attracted by the animation in this film. Every new Pixar film, I am blown away by how beautiful computer animation can be. With Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. and Wall-E, one might think that Toy Story wouldn’t count as beautiful, but it is. The toys look real and you actually feel like you are sweeping through the air with Woody in the kite.
The ending also was very emotional. This trilogy of films had a good ending that made me a little teary-eyed. That is what I like, a happy, but emotional ending. And Pixar does it the best.
The voicing of these characters are great. The old cast is back with Tim Allen and Tom Hanks leading them on, and newer voices join the ensemble. The best of these are Ned Beatty as Lots-O, a teddy bear, Michael Keaton as Ken, and Timothy Dalton (one of the James Bonds) as a stuffed hedgehog can Mr. Pricklepants.
So I would definitely say see this movie. If you love the first two films, see it. If you haven’t seen the first two, watch those and then watch this movie.
Next time: The Michael Sheen Collection (The Queen, Frost/Nixon, The Damned United, and Underworld Trilogy)
The characters that have been around now for ten years have returned. I loved every minute of watching these characters that I have grown up with and loved. There are some fun moments, such as the few scene with the new characters, Ken being the most fun out of them all (Michael Keaton [Batman] having a fun time voicing the role). And it also had its heartfelt moments (it wouldn’t be Pixar without these scenes).
I was most attracted by the animation in this film. Every new Pixar film, I am blown away by how beautiful computer animation can be. With Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. and Wall-E, one might think that Toy Story wouldn’t count as beautiful, but it is. The toys look real and you actually feel like you are sweeping through the air with Woody in the kite.
The ending also was very emotional. This trilogy of films had a good ending that made me a little teary-eyed. That is what I like, a happy, but emotional ending. And Pixar does it the best.
The voicing of these characters are great. The old cast is back with Tim Allen and Tom Hanks leading them on, and newer voices join the ensemble. The best of these are Ned Beatty as Lots-O, a teddy bear, Michael Keaton as Ken, and Timothy Dalton (one of the James Bonds) as a stuffed hedgehog can Mr. Pricklepants.
So I would definitely say see this movie. If you love the first two films, see it. If you haven’t seen the first two, watch those and then watch this movie.
Next time: The Michael Sheen Collection (The Queen, Frost/Nixon, The Damned United, and Underworld Trilogy)
5 Greatest Con and Heist Films
There are several great con and heist films out there but there are five that I find the greatest of the types of films.
5) Inside Man: This movie is not the greatest movie, but it has a great concept to it. Executed poorly, but a great bank robbery none the less, Inside Man does have a few good things about it. Other than the bank robbery itself, the other good thing about it is the acting. Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, and Christopher Plummer shine in this film. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending was a real shocker and I did not see it coming. If you don’t mind people searing every other word and several fowl, crude jokes, you might want to rent this movie.
4) Ocean’s Trilogy: For a trilogy, I often clump the three movies as one, especially if they are directed by just one person. The first and last films in this trilogy are really good, and very entertaining with a fun twist and complex robbery. You can tell that the actors are having a blast with their respective roles: George Clooney and Brad Pitt and Bernie Mac give some of their greatest performances. Matt Damon and Andy Garcia are also fun to watch. The endings to each of these movies are very satisfying.
3) RockNRolla: Gerard Butler’s greatest film, and Guy Ritchie’s last directed film before Sherlock Holmes, RockNRolla is a real treat, and like all con or heist films, they give the greatest trick for last. Thandie Newton (Mission: Impossible II) and Tom Wilkinson (John Adams and The Patriot) are also fun. But who really steals the show is my favorite actor, Mark Strong (Robin Hood, Stardust, and Body of Lies). Archy (Mark Strong) is Tom Wilkinson’s henchman, his right hand man. He plays a pivotal role in the overarching story. I’m not sure I recommend this movie because of the extremely sexual aspect of it, but the twist at the end of the film is amazing.
2) Duplicity: This movie is the director’s second directed film. It stars Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. I am not a fan of Julia Roberts at all, and I don’t think she did a particularly good performance in this film either, but it is the complex and twisted turn of events of the story that steals the show and not any actor. The film has a dual plotline, one that goes from one time in these characters lives to where they try to con these corporations. I can’t really say much or it will spoil the whole ending, but it is by for the second greatest con film ever done. I recommend this movie to anyone (though it does have a few risqué parts).
1) The Usual Suspects: The greatest con film ever. Throughout the whole movie, it might seem a basic, predictable, linear plotline, but it isn’t. I know I have been saying this, but it is true for all con and heist films, that the ending is the greatest. The whole movie is rewritten, literally, in the last minute. Of all of these movies, I recommend this film the most (though, like Inside Man, it does have a lot of swearing in it).
5) Inside Man: This movie is not the greatest movie, but it has a great concept to it. Executed poorly, but a great bank robbery none the less, Inside Man does have a few good things about it. Other than the bank robbery itself, the other good thing about it is the acting. Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, and Christopher Plummer shine in this film. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending was a real shocker and I did not see it coming. If you don’t mind people searing every other word and several fowl, crude jokes, you might want to rent this movie.
4) Ocean’s Trilogy: For a trilogy, I often clump the three movies as one, especially if they are directed by just one person. The first and last films in this trilogy are really good, and very entertaining with a fun twist and complex robbery. You can tell that the actors are having a blast with their respective roles: George Clooney and Brad Pitt and Bernie Mac give some of their greatest performances. Matt Damon and Andy Garcia are also fun to watch. The endings to each of these movies are very satisfying.
3) RockNRolla: Gerard Butler’s greatest film, and Guy Ritchie’s last directed film before Sherlock Holmes, RockNRolla is a real treat, and like all con or heist films, they give the greatest trick for last. Thandie Newton (Mission: Impossible II) and Tom Wilkinson (John Adams and The Patriot) are also fun. But who really steals the show is my favorite actor, Mark Strong (Robin Hood, Stardust, and Body of Lies). Archy (Mark Strong) is Tom Wilkinson’s henchman, his right hand man. He plays a pivotal role in the overarching story. I’m not sure I recommend this movie because of the extremely sexual aspect of it, but the twist at the end of the film is amazing.
2) Duplicity: This movie is the director’s second directed film. It stars Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. I am not a fan of Julia Roberts at all, and I don’t think she did a particularly good performance in this film either, but it is the complex and twisted turn of events of the story that steals the show and not any actor. The film has a dual plotline, one that goes from one time in these characters lives to where they try to con these corporations. I can’t really say much or it will spoil the whole ending, but it is by for the second greatest con film ever done. I recommend this movie to anyone (though it does have a few risqué parts).
1) The Usual Suspects: The greatest con film ever. Throughout the whole movie, it might seem a basic, predictable, linear plotline, but it isn’t. I know I have been saying this, but it is true for all con and heist films, that the ending is the greatest. The whole movie is rewritten, literally, in the last minute. Of all of these movies, I recommend this film the most (though, like Inside Man, it does have a lot of swearing in it).
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The A-Team 4.5 stars
The A-Team is a fun movie.
And I mean it is fun. Great action sequences, not much language, hysterical dialogue and jokes from every cast member, and great acting everywhere, this film truly is a must see.
(MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS) The A-Team is about a group of soldiers who are dishonorably discharged from the army and sent to four different prisons for a crime they did not commit. They escape and try to prove their innocence. (END OF SPOILERS)
For lack of a better word, the action was so much fun. There are so few movies left that can just make you sit back and enjoy the unrealistic fighting and aerial combat. As much as I thought that I would not like these grandiose, gravity defying sequences, I actually loved it. The director, Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces), fills the films with all of these funny, quick dialogue scenes and amazing actors that you are too immersed in the film to care about that they can “fly a tank.”
Though the story was a little weak, and the graphic effects were okay at best, it was the acting that made the movie. Liam Neeson (Taken, Batman Begins) as Hannibal Smith, Bradley Cooper (Valentine’s Day, The Hangover) as “Faceman” Peck, Sharlto Copley (District 9) as James Murdock, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A. Baracus were all amazing. Rampage Jackson was a little hard to understand, but other than that, they all portrayed their respective characters perfectly. However, Sharlto Copley was the best. He is so funny and can do so much humor with his characters.
I definitely recommend this film. See it, no question.
Next time: The Greatest Con Films
And I mean it is fun. Great action sequences, not much language, hysterical dialogue and jokes from every cast member, and great acting everywhere, this film truly is a must see.
(MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS) The A-Team is about a group of soldiers who are dishonorably discharged from the army and sent to four different prisons for a crime they did not commit. They escape and try to prove their innocence. (END OF SPOILERS)
For lack of a better word, the action was so much fun. There are so few movies left that can just make you sit back and enjoy the unrealistic fighting and aerial combat. As much as I thought that I would not like these grandiose, gravity defying sequences, I actually loved it. The director, Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces), fills the films with all of these funny, quick dialogue scenes and amazing actors that you are too immersed in the film to care about that they can “fly a tank.”
Though the story was a little weak, and the graphic effects were okay at best, it was the acting that made the movie. Liam Neeson (Taken, Batman Begins) as Hannibal Smith, Bradley Cooper (Valentine’s Day, The Hangover) as “Faceman” Peck, Sharlto Copley (District 9) as James Murdock, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A. Baracus were all amazing. Rampage Jackson was a little hard to understand, but other than that, they all portrayed their respective characters perfectly. However, Sharlto Copley was the best. He is so funny and can do so much humor with his characters.
I definitely recommend this film. See it, no question.
Next time: The Greatest Con Films
The Emperor's Club: 4 stars/ Dead Poets Society: 4 stars
The Emperor’s Club was a film made in 2003 about a history teacher at a college preparatory school for boys. Kevin Kline (Wild Wild West, Midsummer Night’s Dream) plays Mr. William Hundert, the history teacher who tries to instill into his students a sense of morals and wisdom by studying the Greeks and Romans.
Dead Poets Society was another film about a teacher trying to teach more than the basic curriculum. Robin Williams plays John Keating (“Oh Captain, My Captain”), an English teacher at a college preparatory school for boys. He teaches the young boys how to think on their own and not to be told what to think.
Though Dead Poets Society came first (1989), I believe that The Emperor’s Club is the better of these two films for one important reason (and I am not saying that Dead Poets Society is not good, in fact just the opposite): there are no long breaks in between the classes or the next insightful teachings of the main character. What I mean is that in DPS, we don’t see very much of the in classroom teachings or even of the outside teachings. It follows the boys very closely outside of the class, which isn’t a bad thing, but the premise of these films in my belief is the teachings of the teachers.
These two films are similar in plot but very different in the telling of the story. Each director gives their own talent to the telling of the story and never do these films have parallel plot details. Each film stands its own ground and gives new meaning for each viewing.
The Emperor’s Club has a very real-life ending that you don’t see very often in films (no spoilers). Dead Poets Society has a sad ending that did make me cry, but it was what you might expect from a film. Throughout DPS we see the lives of each of these boys which provided the film with some weight and depth in the story, but at times it takes too long to get back to the main character, Mr. Keating.
Both of these films are amazing in their own way. I say watch Dead Poets Society if you have not seen it: it is a classic. And I say watch The Emperor’s Club. For both of these films, you will come out enlightened and with a respect for teachers.
Dead Poets Society was another film about a teacher trying to teach more than the basic curriculum. Robin Williams plays John Keating (“Oh Captain, My Captain”), an English teacher at a college preparatory school for boys. He teaches the young boys how to think on their own and not to be told what to think.
Though Dead Poets Society came first (1989), I believe that The Emperor’s Club is the better of these two films for one important reason (and I am not saying that Dead Poets Society is not good, in fact just the opposite): there are no long breaks in between the classes or the next insightful teachings of the main character. What I mean is that in DPS, we don’t see very much of the in classroom teachings or even of the outside teachings. It follows the boys very closely outside of the class, which isn’t a bad thing, but the premise of these films in my belief is the teachings of the teachers.
These two films are similar in plot but very different in the telling of the story. Each director gives their own talent to the telling of the story and never do these films have parallel plot details. Each film stands its own ground and gives new meaning for each viewing.
The Emperor’s Club has a very real-life ending that you don’t see very often in films (no spoilers). Dead Poets Society has a sad ending that did make me cry, but it was what you might expect from a film. Throughout DPS we see the lives of each of these boys which provided the film with some weight and depth in the story, but at times it takes too long to get back to the main character, Mr. Keating.
Both of these films are amazing in their own way. I say watch Dead Poets Society if you have not seen it: it is a classic. And I say watch The Emperor’s Club. For both of these films, you will come out enlightened and with a respect for teachers.
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Illusionist: 4.5 stars/ The Prestige 5 stars
The Illusionist is about a magician who is in love with the emperor’s girlfriend. A rivalry ensues between these men and the chief inspector is caught between this fight. The Prestige is not a rivalry between emperor and magician but between two magicians. As the film unfolds, betrayal and death surround these men.
Both of these films have great twists in the end in which none of them could be predicted the first time through. The screenplays were fantastically written, both written by the director of the films. The films have many clues that are not obvious when first seen. A clever person could catch a few things coming, but the clues were so well hidden that they would not be obvious until the ending comes. And both of these films require two viewings and not just one.
The acting is also well done. Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk, Italian Job), Paul Giamatti (John Adams, Cinderella Man), and Rufus Sewell (A Knight’s Tale, Amazing Grace) were tremendous in The Illusionist. Giamatti in particular was very good with a nice accent. And Edward Norton is always reliable for a good performance. In The Prestige, Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Kate and Leopold), Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Terminator: Salvation), and many others were so well cast in this film, I applaud Christopher Nolan. From Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) to David Bowie to Michael Caine, these actors did a great job at portraying their respective roles.
Other things I liked were the costume design and production design. In period pieces like this, it is so important for detail. If any scene looks wrong, then everything will start to fall apart. Detail is always essential in period films and many forget that these costumes have to be made from scratch. And in production design (that is the set design), all of the props need to be made and placed in the proper place. The set has to be accurate to the time. This all may sound very obvious, but it is not easy, and both of these films do brilliantly at this very thing.
In conclusion, see both of these films. If you had to pick, see The Prestige, only because it is the more complex of the two.
Next time: Dead Poets Society and The Emperor’s Club.
Both of these films have great twists in the end in which none of them could be predicted the first time through. The screenplays were fantastically written, both written by the director of the films. The films have many clues that are not obvious when first seen. A clever person could catch a few things coming, but the clues were so well hidden that they would not be obvious until the ending comes. And both of these films require two viewings and not just one.
The acting is also well done. Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk, Italian Job), Paul Giamatti (John Adams, Cinderella Man), and Rufus Sewell (A Knight’s Tale, Amazing Grace) were tremendous in The Illusionist. Giamatti in particular was very good with a nice accent. And Edward Norton is always reliable for a good performance. In The Prestige, Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Kate and Leopold), Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Terminator: Salvation), and many others were so well cast in this film, I applaud Christopher Nolan. From Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) to David Bowie to Michael Caine, these actors did a great job at portraying their respective roles.
Other things I liked were the costume design and production design. In period pieces like this, it is so important for detail. If any scene looks wrong, then everything will start to fall apart. Detail is always essential in period films and many forget that these costumes have to be made from scratch. And in production design (that is the set design), all of the props need to be made and placed in the proper place. The set has to be accurate to the time. This all may sound very obvious, but it is not easy, and both of these films do brilliantly at this very thing.
In conclusion, see both of these films. If you had to pick, see The Prestige, only because it is the more complex of the two.
Next time: Dead Poets Society and The Emperor’s Club.
Prince of Persia: 3 stars
There were some interesting things about this film. Prince of Persia has many things in its favor, such as great action, a good looking lead actress, and some good British actors like Alfred Molina (Spider-man 2).
But this film flounders in many other respects. Though Jake Gyllenhaal is a good actor, he can’t quite do a British accent. I still stand by my belief that if you want a British accent, get a British actor and not an American who can’t do a genuine one. He does nail the action part down very well, but that can’t move a film along. Other actors are good, like Ben Kingsley who plays Dastan’s uncle, and Alfred Molina who plays a businessman of sorts.
The main place this film flops is in the screenplay. I know this is a Disney film and I shouldn’t expect much out of it, but I always do. I look for the good and the bad in films no matter what it is. And there were a lot of bad things to be found in this screenplay. There were random one-liners that had no premise on what was at hand; some quick shots of the landscape and then one line to the camera and that was it; and a monotonous vocabulary cursed the script with words like “princess” and “destiny” and many others.
This does have many good scenes, though. Again, Alfred Molina does a really good job as a humorous sheik who gives the best lines. The fighting scenes had a few fresh ideas and not reusing stunts from other films. And the music was very well done, however Harry Gregson-William’s score is strangely familiar to his score for The Chronicles of Narnia. But the premise was very predictable, and that could be due to the videogame, I don’t know, I have never played it.
And other problems surround Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), the director, surrounds himself with British accents in an ancient Persian time. Yes, many films do that now, but it doesn’t mean that I am okay with it all. The final problem is that he tries to mimic Ridley Scott’s cinematography by doing so many landscape shots and aerial shots. It just doesn’t come out as good when someone tries to copy Ridley Scott.
So I would say don’t see it. Wait for it to come out on DVD.
But this film flounders in many other respects. Though Jake Gyllenhaal is a good actor, he can’t quite do a British accent. I still stand by my belief that if you want a British accent, get a British actor and not an American who can’t do a genuine one. He does nail the action part down very well, but that can’t move a film along. Other actors are good, like Ben Kingsley who plays Dastan’s uncle, and Alfred Molina who plays a businessman of sorts.
The main place this film flops is in the screenplay. I know this is a Disney film and I shouldn’t expect much out of it, but I always do. I look for the good and the bad in films no matter what it is. And there were a lot of bad things to be found in this screenplay. There were random one-liners that had no premise on what was at hand; some quick shots of the landscape and then one line to the camera and that was it; and a monotonous vocabulary cursed the script with words like “princess” and “destiny” and many others.
This does have many good scenes, though. Again, Alfred Molina does a really good job as a humorous sheik who gives the best lines. The fighting scenes had a few fresh ideas and not reusing stunts from other films. And the music was very well done, however Harry Gregson-William’s score is strangely familiar to his score for The Chronicles of Narnia. But the premise was very predictable, and that could be due to the videogame, I don’t know, I have never played it.
And other problems surround Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), the director, surrounds himself with British accents in an ancient Persian time. Yes, many films do that now, but it doesn’t mean that I am okay with it all. The final problem is that he tries to mimic Ridley Scott’s cinematography by doing so many landscape shots and aerial shots. It just doesn’t come out as good when someone tries to copy Ridley Scott.
So I would say don’t see it. Wait for it to come out on DVD.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Gladiator: 3.5 stars/ Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut: 4.5 stars
Ridley Scott’s greatest films are his period pieces, Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven. Gladiator stars Russell Crowe as a vengeful general, bent on killing the emperor of the Roman Empire. Kingdom of Heaven stars Orlando Bloom about a blacksmith who looks for redemption in Jerusalem where he is entangled in the dispute between the Muslims and Christians. However, in this review, I will be picturing the Director's Cut, not the Theatrical because the Extended is told better and acts like an epic film rather than masquerading as one.
Where both of these films succeed are in the cinematography and costume design. The costume designer of both these films, Janty Yates, gives a tremendous ensemble of costumes that are both realistic and beautiful. The director of photography, John Mathieson, has worked on almost every Scott film. The landscape shots, just like in Robin Hood, are what Mathieson and Ridley Scott are famous for.
But these films do differ in two ways: the music and acting. Though many believe Gladiator to have a great score, it sounds too much like Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard, and Klaus Badelt’s other scores (Pirates of the Caribbean). Harry Gregson-Williams’ (The Chronicles of Narnia) score, on the other hand, is unique and sounds nothing like his prior work or work he will later compose. The acting in Gladiator is terrible as well, with the exception being Crowe and Richard Harris (Harry Potter) as Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The main actor that I did not like was Joaquin Phoenix as the Emperor Comodus; he was too whiny and very child like in his acting. He gave one of the corniest lines in any Ridley Scott film: “It vexes me so. I terribly vexed.” In Kingdom of Heaven, Scott has an ensemble cast that gives some of their greatest performances: Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk, The Illusionist), Jeremy Irons (The Man in the Iron Mask, The Lion King), Eva Green (Casino Royale), and Brendan Gleeson (Green Zone, Harry Potter).
Both are tremendous films in many respects, but only Kingdom of Heaven is near perfect across the board. See them both, only if you can stomach some gruesome battles and scenes.
Next time: The Illusionist and The Prestige.
Where both of these films succeed are in the cinematography and costume design. The costume designer of both these films, Janty Yates, gives a tremendous ensemble of costumes that are both realistic and beautiful. The director of photography, John Mathieson, has worked on almost every Scott film. The landscape shots, just like in Robin Hood, are what Mathieson and Ridley Scott are famous for.
But these films do differ in two ways: the music and acting. Though many believe Gladiator to have a great score, it sounds too much like Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard, and Klaus Badelt’s other scores (Pirates of the Caribbean). Harry Gregson-Williams’ (The Chronicles of Narnia) score, on the other hand, is unique and sounds nothing like his prior work or work he will later compose. The acting in Gladiator is terrible as well, with the exception being Crowe and Richard Harris (Harry Potter) as Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The main actor that I did not like was Joaquin Phoenix as the Emperor Comodus; he was too whiny and very child like in his acting. He gave one of the corniest lines in any Ridley Scott film: “It vexes me so. I terribly vexed.” In Kingdom of Heaven, Scott has an ensemble cast that gives some of their greatest performances: Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk, The Illusionist), Jeremy Irons (The Man in the Iron Mask, The Lion King), Eva Green (Casino Royale), and Brendan Gleeson (Green Zone, Harry Potter).
Both are tremendous films in many respects, but only Kingdom of Heaven is near perfect across the board. See them both, only if you can stomach some gruesome battles and scenes.
Next time: The Illusionist and The Prestige.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tarantino
Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs: 4 stars
From Dawn Till Dusk: 2 stars
Tarantino is a master at making great screenplays. He is tremendous at writing his own films, but when it comes to acting, he is nowhere near as good as others he surrounds himself with.
I do not recommend any of these three films, though I do give Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction four stars. They have many downfalls, but the artistry of these two films is so good that it couldn’t be less than four stars. There is too much swearing and too many drug and sexual references that just don’t appeal to my taste. Whenever the director and actors have an armory of f-bombs as big as the Grand Canyon, it doesn’t give as much depth to a film as one with a broad vocabulary.
From Dusk Till Dawn is another story entirely. For the first hour of the movie, it seemed like it was going to be pretty good, minus the acting of Quentin Tarantino, but then all of a sudden they went the supernatural route and randomly vampires came out of nowhere. Where did they come from!?! There was no warning, there was no mention or hint of the supernatural before then all of a sudden a vampire attacks them and then there are thousands. And this film is not Harvey Keitel’s (National Treasure) or George Clooney’s best performance.
Reservoir Dogs is not as bad with the crudeness as Pulp Fiction, but it isn’t as well told as Pulp Fiction either. Tim Roth (The Incredible Hulk, Planet of the Apes) did a great job, along with Harvey Keitel, but the other actors weren’t as good. There were fine moments in the film, as there is in every Tarantino. But Pulp Fiction tells the story better and has better lines and story than Dogs. Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta steal the movie whenever they are on screen at the same time.
See it: none of these films. Maybe Pulp Fiction if you don’t mind loads of language and two sexual scenes.
Don’t see it: all of these films.
Next time: Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven
From Dawn Till Dusk: 2 stars
Tarantino is a master at making great screenplays. He is tremendous at writing his own films, but when it comes to acting, he is nowhere near as good as others he surrounds himself with.
I do not recommend any of these three films, though I do give Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction four stars. They have many downfalls, but the artistry of these two films is so good that it couldn’t be less than four stars. There is too much swearing and too many drug and sexual references that just don’t appeal to my taste. Whenever the director and actors have an armory of f-bombs as big as the Grand Canyon, it doesn’t give as much depth to a film as one with a broad vocabulary.
From Dusk Till Dawn is another story entirely. For the first hour of the movie, it seemed like it was going to be pretty good, minus the acting of Quentin Tarantino, but then all of a sudden they went the supernatural route and randomly vampires came out of nowhere. Where did they come from!?! There was no warning, there was no mention or hint of the supernatural before then all of a sudden a vampire attacks them and then there are thousands. And this film is not Harvey Keitel’s (National Treasure) or George Clooney’s best performance.
Reservoir Dogs is not as bad with the crudeness as Pulp Fiction, but it isn’t as well told as Pulp Fiction either. Tim Roth (The Incredible Hulk, Planet of the Apes) did a great job, along with Harvey Keitel, but the other actors weren’t as good. There were fine moments in the film, as there is in every Tarantino. But Pulp Fiction tells the story better and has better lines and story than Dogs. Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta steal the movie whenever they are on screen at the same time.
See it: none of these films. Maybe Pulp Fiction if you don’t mind loads of language and two sexual scenes.
Don’t see it: all of these films.
Next time: Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven
Monday, May 24, 2010
Robin Hood: 4 stars
Robin Hood is one of Ridley Scott’s greatest films. He adds another successful film to his resumé. This movie has great action scenes, brilliant performances, and a well told back story to the great outlaw we all know and love.
There isn’t much in terms of story, there’s only so much one can do with a story about Robin Hood, but Scott did his best in trying to find as original of a story as he could without retelling any of the old stories that we know. There are some interesting new points that Scott brings to the table. A new villain is introduced (played to perfection by the amazing Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes), we actually see a bit of a soft spot of King John (Oscar Isaacs, The Nativity Story), and we do not see much of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew MacFaydan, Pride & Prejudice, a very different role for him).
Although the acting is great, from Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eileen Atkins, Cold Mountain, Gosford Park) to Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian (The Lord of the Rings, The Aviator), the cinematography stole the show, which usually happens in a Ridley Scott film. The beautifully grand helicopter shots, the wide landscape and seascape images of the country, and the well lit sets were so vivid, it just left me in awe of how well Scott and his Director of Photography, John Mathieson, captured the lands of the film.
The greatest scene was the final battle at Dover Beach. Some have felt this to be too close to the Omaha Beach sequence in Saving Private Ryan, but it wasn’t in my opinion. The sea was a great place to fight, since most epic battles take place on large fields (Braveheart). The water splashing everywhere and the soaking foot soldiers gave more visuals to the battle. But all of the battles were good, not just that one. There is only so much one can do with a land battle, and it becomes monotonous. Also, many people feared that these battles would be too reminiscent of Kingdom of Heaven or Gladiator, but none of them were. Each battle had its own unique style and choreography. Also, it could not be paralleled with these films because there was no blood splattering all over the place, which I thought was good, because that too can get monotonous.
I highly recommend this movie. There is humor with Friar Tuck, King John, and the Merry Men. There is romance (but not too much) between Marian and Robin. As I said, there is brilliant action that many would enjoy. And the acting is also the greatest that some of these actors have done.
Next time: Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and From Dusk Until Dawn.
There isn’t much in terms of story, there’s only so much one can do with a story about Robin Hood, but Scott did his best in trying to find as original of a story as he could without retelling any of the old stories that we know. There are some interesting new points that Scott brings to the table. A new villain is introduced (played to perfection by the amazing Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes), we actually see a bit of a soft spot of King John (Oscar Isaacs, The Nativity Story), and we do not see much of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew MacFaydan, Pride & Prejudice, a very different role for him).
Although the acting is great, from Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eileen Atkins, Cold Mountain, Gosford Park) to Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian (The Lord of the Rings, The Aviator), the cinematography stole the show, which usually happens in a Ridley Scott film. The beautifully grand helicopter shots, the wide landscape and seascape images of the country, and the well lit sets were so vivid, it just left me in awe of how well Scott and his Director of Photography, John Mathieson, captured the lands of the film.
The greatest scene was the final battle at Dover Beach. Some have felt this to be too close to the Omaha Beach sequence in Saving Private Ryan, but it wasn’t in my opinion. The sea was a great place to fight, since most epic battles take place on large fields (Braveheart). The water splashing everywhere and the soaking foot soldiers gave more visuals to the battle. But all of the battles were good, not just that one. There is only so much one can do with a land battle, and it becomes monotonous. Also, many people feared that these battles would be too reminiscent of Kingdom of Heaven or Gladiator, but none of them were. Each battle had its own unique style and choreography. Also, it could not be paralleled with these films because there was no blood splattering all over the place, which I thought was good, because that too can get monotonous.
I highly recommend this movie. There is humor with Friar Tuck, King John, and the Merry Men. There is romance (but not too much) between Marian and Robin. As I said, there is brilliant action that many would enjoy. And the acting is also the greatest that some of these actors have done.
Next time: Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and From Dusk Until Dawn.
Iron Man- 3 stars; Iron Man 2- 4 stars
Iron Man is one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Some might say the greatest. But I will not go that far because it has many problems in the story, acting and action.
There are two main problems and two smaller problems that I can pick out. First of all, I am not a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow. The movie did not have a complete script, just notes on how each scene would go and the main lines during the expository scenes. In the humorous scenes with Robert Downey Jr., he is improvising, and most of the actors can keep up with him. Paltrow, on the other hand, cannot. Pepper Potts, Paltrow’s character, is Tony Stark’s secretary and love interest, but whenever Paltrow is trying to do a scene with Downey Jr., you can tell she is improvising because it doesn’t feel natural, it feels forced. In fact, at some times, there are some long pauses and mumbling at which point you can tell she is trying to figure out what to say.
The second major problem is the end battle between Stark and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), aka Iron Monger. The battle is quick with little fighting, horrendously tacky lines, and quick punches that do not satisfy. I hoped for more because the action up to this point was very well done.
The smaller problems revolve around Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard (James Rhodes). The acting in this film is not up to par with Robert Downey Jr. Jon Favreau, the director, surrounded Downey with mediocre actors that amplified their bad acting. Jeff Bridges is good in many of his other films (The Big Lebowski, K-Pax), but did not do a good job as a villain. Terrence Howard’s voice is annoying, period. I just couldn’t stand listening to his higher pitched voice.
This isn’t to say that it was all bad. The action before the ending battle is great. (SPOLIER ALERT) Iron Man in battle with terrorists at the beginning of the film and middle was great and I was cheering the whole time (END OF SPOILERS). Robert Downey Jr. has made a new name for himself with this movie, making the audience and filmmakers forget about his substance abuse and remind us of how great of an actor he is.
Iron Man 2 is leaps and bounds from the second one. This movie was supremely enjoyable with only one main flaw: Gwyneth Paltrow (again). She still doesn’t know how to improvise with Downey Jr., making huge pauses to cue the viewers that she now doesn’t know what to do (“Help me Robert! What do I say?). Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke as the two bad guys was a brilliant idea. Jon Favreau gave himself a bigger role as Happy Hogan (appearing only two times in the previous film). Don Cheadle is so much better than Terrence Howard. He is what I hoped Rhodey would have been in the first one. And the addition of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff was a stroke of genius. And her bloody brilliant (sorry British children, forget I said that) fight sequence in a hall way left me cheering and on my feet.
The action improved and the final battle was better than the first one, but still a little fast. The audience hardly has time to enjoy it.
Over all, see these movies, but expect some predictability and some bad acting in the first movie and some more predictability in the second.
There are two main problems and two smaller problems that I can pick out. First of all, I am not a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow. The movie did not have a complete script, just notes on how each scene would go and the main lines during the expository scenes. In the humorous scenes with Robert Downey Jr., he is improvising, and most of the actors can keep up with him. Paltrow, on the other hand, cannot. Pepper Potts, Paltrow’s character, is Tony Stark’s secretary and love interest, but whenever Paltrow is trying to do a scene with Downey Jr., you can tell she is improvising because it doesn’t feel natural, it feels forced. In fact, at some times, there are some long pauses and mumbling at which point you can tell she is trying to figure out what to say.
The second major problem is the end battle between Stark and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), aka Iron Monger. The battle is quick with little fighting, horrendously tacky lines, and quick punches that do not satisfy. I hoped for more because the action up to this point was very well done.
The smaller problems revolve around Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard (James Rhodes). The acting in this film is not up to par with Robert Downey Jr. Jon Favreau, the director, surrounded Downey with mediocre actors that amplified their bad acting. Jeff Bridges is good in many of his other films (The Big Lebowski, K-Pax), but did not do a good job as a villain. Terrence Howard’s voice is annoying, period. I just couldn’t stand listening to his higher pitched voice.
This isn’t to say that it was all bad. The action before the ending battle is great. (SPOLIER ALERT) Iron Man in battle with terrorists at the beginning of the film and middle was great and I was cheering the whole time (END OF SPOILERS). Robert Downey Jr. has made a new name for himself with this movie, making the audience and filmmakers forget about his substance abuse and remind us of how great of an actor he is.
Iron Man 2 is leaps and bounds from the second one. This movie was supremely enjoyable with only one main flaw: Gwyneth Paltrow (again). She still doesn’t know how to improvise with Downey Jr., making huge pauses to cue the viewers that she now doesn’t know what to do (“Help me Robert! What do I say?). Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke as the two bad guys was a brilliant idea. Jon Favreau gave himself a bigger role as Happy Hogan (appearing only two times in the previous film). Don Cheadle is so much better than Terrence Howard. He is what I hoped Rhodey would have been in the first one. And the addition of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff was a stroke of genius. And her bloody brilliant (sorry British children, forget I said that) fight sequence in a hall way left me cheering and on my feet.
The action improved and the final battle was better than the first one, but still a little fast. The audience hardly has time to enjoy it.
Over all, see these movies, but expect some predictability and some bad acting in the first movie and some more predictability in the second.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Johnny Depp Reviews
When I think of Johnny Depp, I think of the enormous talent that the man has. He has many successes. Also many failures, but I try to weigh a man’s brilliant films with his not so brilliant films like a scale.
His collaborations with Tim Burton, in my opinion, are not his greatest. I enjoyed Jack Sparrow as much as the next person, I loved his performance as Johnny Dillinger in Public Enemies, and his role as J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland is his most emotional to date. As I look at these movies, I do not see the name of Tim Burton attached to these films. This is not to say that I didn’t love his take as the Mad Hatter or as the demon barber, Sweeney Todd, but every other role he has done with Tim Burton I did not care much for.
Edward Scissorhands is Tim Burton’s favorite movie that he did. The problems in this movie, however, are so many that it is impossible to list them all. This is not Depp’s best; he has vacant expressions that make us as an audience feels nothing except for the first time we meet him. He has no power behind his dialogue which is lost in the craziness of the film. The dialogue is short, unmoving, fast, choppy, and boring.
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, his performance is too creepy to describe. The movie is too weird and that is all I can say. The only thing good, and it isn’t enough to redeem the movie, is Depp’s creepy performance as Willy Wonka.
Sweeny Todd and Sleepy Hollow are Tim Burton’s two best films. The singing in the former is phenomenal, but the songs are chaotic. Whenever they sing, the melodies move around so much that it is incoherent. Depp would sing a chorus of one song and Carter would sing the song of another so fast to another song that is off beat to Depp’s and then they meet suddenly at one note that the two songs have in common and hold. This is the only problem with the movie, but it isn’t Burton’s fault, it is Steven Sondenheim’s fault. Johnny Depp is really good, along with the rest of the cast. The only reason to not see this movie is the bloodiness and goriness of the film. Sleepy Hollow only has one problem and that is the goriness. Every time the Headless Horseman slices off of person’s head, we actually see it. The horror could be so much more moving if we don’t see it. But again, Johnny Depp is good, but not his best performance.
Chocolat is great, but not Johnny Depp’s best. A movie that revolves around a woman who comes to a small French village during Lent and opens up a chocolaterie, Depp’s character is sorely underused. He plays a “pirate”, a river wandering gypsy who stops by the village and falls in love with the heroine. Johnny Depp is great, along with the rest of the cast which includes Alfred Molina, Dame Judi Dench, and Carrie Ann Moss.
Public Enemies has many good things about the movie, but all of them are outweighed by its horrendous editing. Depp is incoherent as Johnny Dillinger; he mumbles when he talks and it is so difficult to hear and understand what it is he is saying. The movie itself is not long, but the whole time you think it could be twenty to thirty minutes shorter. When I saw it in the theatre, I saw several people looking at their watches and nodding their heads as they fell asleep. I did the same thing.
Lastly, Finding Neverland is Depp’s greatest performance outside of the Pirate films. His role as J. M. Barrie was so heartbreaking, it deserved so many of the awards that Depp was nominated for but never won. Also, this movie has the greatest performance by Kate Winslet (and I am no fan of Winslet). Neverland is magical in every way. Some might say it is boring and hard to get into, but when you sit back and simply watch it for what it is worth, anyone can fall in love with Depp’s amazing portrayal.
See it: Finding Neverland, Chocolate, Sleepy Hollow, and Sweeney Todd (if you don’t mind a little bit of gore).
Don’t see it: Edward Scissorhands, Public Enemies, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Next time: Iron Man and Iron Man 2
His collaborations with Tim Burton, in my opinion, are not his greatest. I enjoyed Jack Sparrow as much as the next person, I loved his performance as Johnny Dillinger in Public Enemies, and his role as J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland is his most emotional to date. As I look at these movies, I do not see the name of Tim Burton attached to these films. This is not to say that I didn’t love his take as the Mad Hatter or as the demon barber, Sweeney Todd, but every other role he has done with Tim Burton I did not care much for.
Edward Scissorhands is Tim Burton’s favorite movie that he did. The problems in this movie, however, are so many that it is impossible to list them all. This is not Depp’s best; he has vacant expressions that make us as an audience feels nothing except for the first time we meet him. He has no power behind his dialogue which is lost in the craziness of the film. The dialogue is short, unmoving, fast, choppy, and boring.
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, his performance is too creepy to describe. The movie is too weird and that is all I can say. The only thing good, and it isn’t enough to redeem the movie, is Depp’s creepy performance as Willy Wonka.
Sweeny Todd and Sleepy Hollow are Tim Burton’s two best films. The singing in the former is phenomenal, but the songs are chaotic. Whenever they sing, the melodies move around so much that it is incoherent. Depp would sing a chorus of one song and Carter would sing the song of another so fast to another song that is off beat to Depp’s and then they meet suddenly at one note that the two songs have in common and hold. This is the only problem with the movie, but it isn’t Burton’s fault, it is Steven Sondenheim’s fault. Johnny Depp is really good, along with the rest of the cast. The only reason to not see this movie is the bloodiness and goriness of the film. Sleepy Hollow only has one problem and that is the goriness. Every time the Headless Horseman slices off of person’s head, we actually see it. The horror could be so much more moving if we don’t see it. But again, Johnny Depp is good, but not his best performance.
Chocolat is great, but not Johnny Depp’s best. A movie that revolves around a woman who comes to a small French village during Lent and opens up a chocolaterie, Depp’s character is sorely underused. He plays a “pirate”, a river wandering gypsy who stops by the village and falls in love with the heroine. Johnny Depp is great, along with the rest of the cast which includes Alfred Molina, Dame Judi Dench, and Carrie Ann Moss.
Public Enemies has many good things about the movie, but all of them are outweighed by its horrendous editing. Depp is incoherent as Johnny Dillinger; he mumbles when he talks and it is so difficult to hear and understand what it is he is saying. The movie itself is not long, but the whole time you think it could be twenty to thirty minutes shorter. When I saw it in the theatre, I saw several people looking at their watches and nodding their heads as they fell asleep. I did the same thing.
Lastly, Finding Neverland is Depp’s greatest performance outside of the Pirate films. His role as J. M. Barrie was so heartbreaking, it deserved so many of the awards that Depp was nominated for but never won. Also, this movie has the greatest performance by Kate Winslet (and I am no fan of Winslet). Neverland is magical in every way. Some might say it is boring and hard to get into, but when you sit back and simply watch it for what it is worth, anyone can fall in love with Depp’s amazing portrayal.
See it: Finding Neverland, Chocolate, Sleepy Hollow, and Sweeney Todd (if you don’t mind a little bit of gore).
Don’t see it: Edward Scissorhands, Public Enemies, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Next time: Iron Man and Iron Man 2
Friday, April 30, 2010
Twilight: 1 star/New Moon 2.5 stars
The Twilight Saga films, so far, are very accurate to the books (cue the screaming girls with pitchforks and torches).
I’m sorry, but I believe that Kristen Stewart played Bella Swan perfectly: a whinny, buck-tooth, dull, linear, boring, mumbling, retarded (yes, I used the “R” word), multi-personality teen girl who gasps and opens her mouth without saying a lot of words.
The same can be said about Edward Cullen and Jacob Black: they play their characters perfectly. And that is the problem with these movies. The horrible characters from the book are played too perfectly, and so even the teenage girls who love the books are seeing the problems with Bella, whether they want to or not.
I will not get into much of the story (which is REALLY FLAWED), but for those who have no idea what it is about, here it is in a nutshell (SPOILER ALERT): girl meets vampire, girl falls in love with vampire, girl gets threatened by other vampires, good vampires kill bad vampires (with much drama and horrendous dialogue, acting, and cinematography; end of first movie). Girl gets hurt on accident by good vampire, good vampires leave, girl falls in love with werewolf, werewolf hurts girl’s heart, girl forgives werewolf, werewolf tries to protect girl from good and bad vampires, good vampire think girl dies, girl saves good vampire, end of second movie (with more horrendous drama and acting. However the Volturi are quite good, surprisingly). (END OF SPOILERS)
In Twilight, there were only three good things about that movie: Anna Kendrick, who plays one of Bella’s human friends named Jessica; Ashley Greene, who plays one of Bella’s vampire friends; and Billy Burke, who plays Bella’s dad.
I mentioned the cinematography because the director, Catherine Hardwicke, sweeps the camera back and forth very randomly, making it very dizzying. The whole time I was begging the screen to stop, but it didn’t, so I had to shut my eyes. And the DOP, that’s director of photography, thought it would be fun to do many shots of Bella’s buck-teeth expressions and gasping mouth, but it gets tiring.
Twilight Saga: New Moon is not as bad. The dialogue is still terrible, but they had so little to go off of in the first place. The acting of the leads is still atrocious, but now we see Taylor Lautner’s bad acting instead of Robert Pattinson. But what stole the show was the Volturi, the vampire royalty. Michael Sheen was amusing as the soft spoken, but terribly creepy Aro. Dakota Fanning, I was pleased to find out, could do well in one of her performances. She plays an expressionless, sadistic vampire called Jane (perfect role for her). Another improvement on the second was the music. I enjoy Alexandre Desplat’s music very much, however there is always room to improve, and that is why I am excited to hear what Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings) will do for Eclipse.
Overall, if you have not read the books, stay away from the movies and stay away from the books. Don’t touch them. My friends begged me to read them and I regret it very much. However, I am going to see the next installment this summer, just to see if it is an improvement on the book.
Next time: Johnny Depp Marathon: Public Enemies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow, Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, Chocolat, Sweeney Todd, and Edward Scissorhands.
I’m sorry, but I believe that Kristen Stewart played Bella Swan perfectly: a whinny, buck-tooth, dull, linear, boring, mumbling, retarded (yes, I used the “R” word), multi-personality teen girl who gasps and opens her mouth without saying a lot of words.
The same can be said about Edward Cullen and Jacob Black: they play their characters perfectly. And that is the problem with these movies. The horrible characters from the book are played too perfectly, and so even the teenage girls who love the books are seeing the problems with Bella, whether they want to or not.
I will not get into much of the story (which is REALLY FLAWED), but for those who have no idea what it is about, here it is in a nutshell (SPOILER ALERT): girl meets vampire, girl falls in love with vampire, girl gets threatened by other vampires, good vampires kill bad vampires (with much drama and horrendous dialogue, acting, and cinematography; end of first movie). Girl gets hurt on accident by good vampire, good vampires leave, girl falls in love with werewolf, werewolf hurts girl’s heart, girl forgives werewolf, werewolf tries to protect girl from good and bad vampires, good vampire think girl dies, girl saves good vampire, end of second movie (with more horrendous drama and acting. However the Volturi are quite good, surprisingly). (END OF SPOILERS)
In Twilight, there were only three good things about that movie: Anna Kendrick, who plays one of Bella’s human friends named Jessica; Ashley Greene, who plays one of Bella’s vampire friends; and Billy Burke, who plays Bella’s dad.
I mentioned the cinematography because the director, Catherine Hardwicke, sweeps the camera back and forth very randomly, making it very dizzying. The whole time I was begging the screen to stop, but it didn’t, so I had to shut my eyes. And the DOP, that’s director of photography, thought it would be fun to do many shots of Bella’s buck-teeth expressions and gasping mouth, but it gets tiring.
Twilight Saga: New Moon is not as bad. The dialogue is still terrible, but they had so little to go off of in the first place. The acting of the leads is still atrocious, but now we see Taylor Lautner’s bad acting instead of Robert Pattinson. But what stole the show was the Volturi, the vampire royalty. Michael Sheen was amusing as the soft spoken, but terribly creepy Aro. Dakota Fanning, I was pleased to find out, could do well in one of her performances. She plays an expressionless, sadistic vampire called Jane (perfect role for her). Another improvement on the second was the music. I enjoy Alexandre Desplat’s music very much, however there is always room to improve, and that is why I am excited to hear what Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings) will do for Eclipse.
Overall, if you have not read the books, stay away from the movies and stay away from the books. Don’t touch them. My friends begged me to read them and I regret it very much. However, I am going to see the next installment this summer, just to see if it is an improvement on the book.
Next time: Johnny Depp Marathon: Public Enemies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow, Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, Chocolat, Sweeney Todd, and Edward Scissorhands.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
X2- 4.5 stars & X-Men: The Last Stand- 1.5 stars
X2 has very few problems. The story is an improvement on the first because we now know these characters and back stories. There is good foundation from X-Men. Now we get into more action and plot. The dialogue is less awkward than the previous and the music has what I hoped the first one would have been like.
(SPOILER ALERT) Put simply, Wolverine doesn’t find out who he was and returns to be babysitter when Professor X and Cyclops go to visit Magneto, and Storm and Jean try to find a killer mutant who tried to kill the president. The mansion is attacked and Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro escape with Wolverine while the rest are kidnapped (other than Strom and Jean who do find Nightcrawler, the killing mutant) by Stryker, a human who is bent on killing all mutants. Magneto escapes from his prison and finds Storm and Jean, and Wolverine and his gang. They make their way to Alkali Lake where they free the mutants, but one does end up being killed. (END OF SPOILERS)
The main problem I had with this movie was still Storm. Halle Berry cannot do a good performance to save her life. Many of her lines would not be considered “cheesy” lines or “corny”, but when she says them, they are.
But it is definitely the best in the series and is highly recommended.
On the other hand, the next movie, X-Men: The Last Stand, is the absolute worst in the series. Why did Bryan Singer have to leave the series? It is beyond comprehension. The story was flawed, no emotion went behind the majority of the performances, and the music went back to being horrendous with the addition of John Powell.
(SPOILER ALERT) Short version: a cure to mutation is found. Magneto tries to destroy the source of the cure. Jean Grey is brought back to life (yes, she is the one that is killed at the end of the last movie) and is now evil because of her alter ego. She ends up killing Professor X. And, as always, Wolverine saves the day and kills Jean for good. (END OF SPOILERS)
They incorporate one of the greatest mutants in the comic books poorly. I was so excited when I heard that Angel would be in it, but he was in it for four scenes. Also, WHAT HAPPENED TO NIGHTCRAWLER? He’s the greatest mutant from the last movie and he’s not in it? COME ON! Even Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart were not fantastic like the other two films. With all of the poor acting and horrible use of the actors, Halle Berry didn’t seem as bad (but she was).
The only great thing about this movie (other than Hugh Jackman) was Kelsey Grammer as Beast. At first, I thought that he would be horrendous as an action hero because he has never done an action movie before (not to my knowledge, at least). But he kicked butt in the movie.
But even seeing Kelsey Grammer doing back flips and killing a few bad mutants isn’t worth seeing the movie. It isn’t worth the money to see it unless you find it at a cheap, second-hand store.
Next time: Twilight Saga.
(SPOILER ALERT) Put simply, Wolverine doesn’t find out who he was and returns to be babysitter when Professor X and Cyclops go to visit Magneto, and Storm and Jean try to find a killer mutant who tried to kill the president. The mansion is attacked and Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro escape with Wolverine while the rest are kidnapped (other than Strom and Jean who do find Nightcrawler, the killing mutant) by Stryker, a human who is bent on killing all mutants. Magneto escapes from his prison and finds Storm and Jean, and Wolverine and his gang. They make their way to Alkali Lake where they free the mutants, but one does end up being killed. (END OF SPOILERS)
The main problem I had with this movie was still Storm. Halle Berry cannot do a good performance to save her life. Many of her lines would not be considered “cheesy” lines or “corny”, but when she says them, they are.
But it is definitely the best in the series and is highly recommended.
On the other hand, the next movie, X-Men: The Last Stand, is the absolute worst in the series. Why did Bryan Singer have to leave the series? It is beyond comprehension. The story was flawed, no emotion went behind the majority of the performances, and the music went back to being horrendous with the addition of John Powell.
(SPOILER ALERT) Short version: a cure to mutation is found. Magneto tries to destroy the source of the cure. Jean Grey is brought back to life (yes, she is the one that is killed at the end of the last movie) and is now evil because of her alter ego. She ends up killing Professor X. And, as always, Wolverine saves the day and kills Jean for good. (END OF SPOILERS)
They incorporate one of the greatest mutants in the comic books poorly. I was so excited when I heard that Angel would be in it, but he was in it for four scenes. Also, WHAT HAPPENED TO NIGHTCRAWLER? He’s the greatest mutant from the last movie and he’s not in it? COME ON! Even Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart were not fantastic like the other two films. With all of the poor acting and horrible use of the actors, Halle Berry didn’t seem as bad (but she was).
The only great thing about this movie (other than Hugh Jackman) was Kelsey Grammer as Beast. At first, I thought that he would be horrendous as an action hero because he has never done an action movie before (not to my knowledge, at least). But he kicked butt in the movie.
But even seeing Kelsey Grammer doing back flips and killing a few bad mutants isn’t worth seeing the movie. It isn’t worth the money to see it unless you find it at a cheap, second-hand store.
Next time: Twilight Saga.
Monday, April 19, 2010
X-Men- 4/5 stars
It has been hard for the past few years to think of the time when the X-Men films were great. It is hard to think of them when they were well made. When Bryan Singer left X-Men to do Superman Returns, the producers and fans were upset to say the least. 20th Century Fox should have stopped making them until he was available to do it again, because frankly, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were not very good. They had very little emotion and story.
X-Men was a great start to the franchise. Bryan Singer brought many real world aspects to the sci-fi world of Marvel, he was one of the first to do so. Singer incorporated politics and the main theme of the comic books beautifully.
(SPOLIER ALERT) The main premise of the movie is that Magneto (Eric Lensherr) wants to change the world leaders at a summit into mutants, then the way people deal with mutants is the way they treat their leaders as well. Professor Xavier, an old friend of Eric’s, is the head of a school of mutants who is trying to protect Wolverine (Logan) from Eric, believing he is the key to this plot. In actual fact, it is Rogue, a mutant girl who Logan befriends, who Eric wants. How he intends to do it is by a machine that uses Magneto’s power that rapidly evolves normal humans. Rogue’s power, to take another mutants power, is perfect for this. She runs away after she is stabbed by Wolverine and takes his power to heal. Magneto takes her and brings her to the summit where he plans to fulfill his plan. (END OF SPOLIERS)
All of the actors were phenomenal in this movie. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine truly did show off his acting ability in this film. James Marsden did a great job as Cyclops, this being one of his first major films. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan (Professor X and Magneto) are good in almost everything they do. Where the acting bar fails to deliver is Halle Berry as Storm. All of the worst lines were delivered by her.
There were very few flaws in terms of the technical side of the movie. David Hayter, the screenplay writer, wrote a very good beginning to the X-Men universe. He introduced all of the characters perfectly. The length was also perfect, not too drawn out and not too rushed.
The flaw was the score. Not many people care about the score, but I do. I like hearing a theme throughout a comic book movie; not necessarily a suite like Superman, but something memorable. I felt very disappointed by the random mish-mash of sounds in it.
X-Men is very well made and a great action flick. Not very many flaws and a great foundation for X2: X-Men United, I strongly recommend the first movie. Next reviews: X2 and X3.
X-Men was a great start to the franchise. Bryan Singer brought many real world aspects to the sci-fi world of Marvel, he was one of the first to do so. Singer incorporated politics and the main theme of the comic books beautifully.
(SPOLIER ALERT) The main premise of the movie is that Magneto (Eric Lensherr) wants to change the world leaders at a summit into mutants, then the way people deal with mutants is the way they treat their leaders as well. Professor Xavier, an old friend of Eric’s, is the head of a school of mutants who is trying to protect Wolverine (Logan) from Eric, believing he is the key to this plot. In actual fact, it is Rogue, a mutant girl who Logan befriends, who Eric wants. How he intends to do it is by a machine that uses Magneto’s power that rapidly evolves normal humans. Rogue’s power, to take another mutants power, is perfect for this. She runs away after she is stabbed by Wolverine and takes his power to heal. Magneto takes her and brings her to the summit where he plans to fulfill his plan. (END OF SPOLIERS)
All of the actors were phenomenal in this movie. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine truly did show off his acting ability in this film. James Marsden did a great job as Cyclops, this being one of his first major films. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan (Professor X and Magneto) are good in almost everything they do. Where the acting bar fails to deliver is Halle Berry as Storm. All of the worst lines were delivered by her.
There were very few flaws in terms of the technical side of the movie. David Hayter, the screenplay writer, wrote a very good beginning to the X-Men universe. He introduced all of the characters perfectly. The length was also perfect, not too drawn out and not too rushed.
The flaw was the score. Not many people care about the score, but I do. I like hearing a theme throughout a comic book movie; not necessarily a suite like Superman, but something memorable. I felt very disappointed by the random mish-mash of sounds in it.
X-Men is very well made and a great action flick. Not very many flaws and a great foundation for X2: X-Men United, I strongly recommend the first movie. Next reviews: X2 and X3.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The Dark Knight- 5/5 stars
There are very few exceptions to this rule: sequels and prequels are not as good as the original. But every now and then, a director comes along and is the exception. The Dark Knight is one of those exceptions.
The Dark Knight exceeds Batman Begins in every imaginable way. I thought that Liam Neeson was spectacular in Batman Begins but Heath Ledger re-creates the persona of the Joker and portrays one of the greatest serial killers/mass murderers/anarchists/terrorists in cinema history.
(SPOILER ALERT) Batman is still struggling to bring in the escaped inmates of Arkam and the remains of the mob. The new district attorney, Harvey Dent, comes into the picture as the white knight of Gotham, legitimately cleaning the streets. But then a terrorist, known only as the Joker, starts to wreak havoc on Gotham and the only way to stop him is for Batman to reveal himself. In one of these events, Bruce’s love interest, Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal), is killed (at this time she was dating Harvey). Harvey becomes severely burned on one side of his body during this attack. The Joker confronts Dent in the hospital and “pushes” his mind into madness. (END OF SPOILERS)
One of the improvements to the previous film is Rachel Dawes. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a breath of fresh air from Katie Holmes. She does a much better job at portraying the emotion and conflict than Katie Holmes’ vacant expressions. There is more enthusiasm in her portrayal than Holmes, as well.
I believe Aaron Eckhart is one of the most under-appreciated actors in this movie. Most reviewers talk about Maggie or Ledger, but hardly ever does someone praise Eckhart which is really upsetting to me. Harvey has been seen in both of the previous directors’ movies: Billy Dee Williams in Tim Burton’s Batman and Tommy Lee Jones in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, but this performance surpassed both, giving a more realistic tone than the other two. Admittedly, he does lose some affect when he yells and screams, but that is who Aaron is and in actual fact he adds more to the character.
However, this movie is not without its flaws. I do give it five stars, but there are a few lines and story plots that I have not understood since I first watched it. First of all, I am still confused about what Bruce Wayne was trying to do with the gun and bullet (he was trying to get fingerprints off of a shattered bullet but the process is surprisingly complicated). Secondly, there is a line that the Joker says that I don’t agree with. He says in his confrontation with Harvey: “Nobody panics when everything goes according to plan, even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I say a gangbanger will get shot, or a truck load of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it is all part of the plan. But if I say one little old mayor will die, then everybody loses their minds.” And lastly, (SPOILER ALERT) at the end of the movie Gordon said to Batman that there were five dead and two of them were cops, I only counted three that Dent killed and one of those was a cop. (END OF SPOILERS).
So see this movie. Rent it, buy it, it is worth the money. But don’t watch it without seeing Batman Begins first. The two go hand in hand.
Next time, X-Men.
The Dark Knight exceeds Batman Begins in every imaginable way. I thought that Liam Neeson was spectacular in Batman Begins but Heath Ledger re-creates the persona of the Joker and portrays one of the greatest serial killers/mass murderers/anarchists/terrorists in cinema history.
(SPOILER ALERT) Batman is still struggling to bring in the escaped inmates of Arkam and the remains of the mob. The new district attorney, Harvey Dent, comes into the picture as the white knight of Gotham, legitimately cleaning the streets. But then a terrorist, known only as the Joker, starts to wreak havoc on Gotham and the only way to stop him is for Batman to reveal himself. In one of these events, Bruce’s love interest, Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal), is killed (at this time she was dating Harvey). Harvey becomes severely burned on one side of his body during this attack. The Joker confronts Dent in the hospital and “pushes” his mind into madness. (END OF SPOILERS)
One of the improvements to the previous film is Rachel Dawes. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a breath of fresh air from Katie Holmes. She does a much better job at portraying the emotion and conflict than Katie Holmes’ vacant expressions. There is more enthusiasm in her portrayal than Holmes, as well.
I believe Aaron Eckhart is one of the most under-appreciated actors in this movie. Most reviewers talk about Maggie or Ledger, but hardly ever does someone praise Eckhart which is really upsetting to me. Harvey has been seen in both of the previous directors’ movies: Billy Dee Williams in Tim Burton’s Batman and Tommy Lee Jones in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, but this performance surpassed both, giving a more realistic tone than the other two. Admittedly, he does lose some affect when he yells and screams, but that is who Aaron is and in actual fact he adds more to the character.
However, this movie is not without its flaws. I do give it five stars, but there are a few lines and story plots that I have not understood since I first watched it. First of all, I am still confused about what Bruce Wayne was trying to do with the gun and bullet (he was trying to get fingerprints off of a shattered bullet but the process is surprisingly complicated). Secondly, there is a line that the Joker says that I don’t agree with. He says in his confrontation with Harvey: “Nobody panics when everything goes according to plan, even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I say a gangbanger will get shot, or a truck load of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it is all part of the plan. But if I say one little old mayor will die, then everybody loses their minds.” And lastly, (SPOILER ALERT) at the end of the movie Gordon said to Batman that there were five dead and two of them were cops, I only counted three that Dent killed and one of those was a cop. (END OF SPOILERS).
So see this movie. Rent it, buy it, it is worth the money. But don’t watch it without seeing Batman Begins first. The two go hand in hand.
Next time, X-Men.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Batman Begins- 4/5 stars
Batman.
That name brings many things to mind, but the greatest of the Batman films are Christopher Nolan’s.
Batman Begins brought Gotham’s knight back out of obscurity. An instant hit and many hailed it, rightly so, the greatest Batman film ever made, even better than Tim Burton’s original Batman. With an all-star cast, showing the likes of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, and Tom Wilkinson, this movie showed what a superhero movie can be. In a time of horrible comic book films, Christopher Nolan brought a new take on this genre.
For those who have not seen this movie (SPOILER ALERT), as Bruce Wayne is mourning the loss of his parents, he tries to take revenge on their killer. He is too late when that man is killed outside a courtroom. Bruce runs away after he faces Gotham’s biggest mob boss to observe the life of crime. He makes his way to China where he meets a group called the League of Shadows. Here he is trained to fight against injustice. He passes their tests but learns that they plan to destroy Gotham, the “heart of criminality,” and told to lead their men to the city to destroy it. He kills their leader and makes his way back to Gotham to take up his mantle as Batman where he fights the mob and faces the last members of the League of Shadows who try to finish what they started. (END OF SPOILERS.).
What I liked most about it was the fact that Christopher Nolan incorporated real life problems cities face, such as the mob and corrupt cops, into the films and he didn’t turn it into a bizarre sci-fi film with unrealistic technology. All of the villains were mellowed down and not larger than life characters. He used Arkam Asylum in a way that a real asylum is like. Many of my friends felt that the Microwave Emitter (a device that evaporates water in a certain radius; a key part in the ending of the film) was used too much and it was unrealistic. However, one unrealistic aspect compared to the rest of the film is pretty good.
Another great aspect of the movie is the screenplay, written by Christopher Nolan and his friend David S. Goyer. The first hour of the movie goes into flashbacks of the death of Bruce’s parents and the trial of their murderer. This gives tremendous depth and story that no Batman film had yet delivered. It isn’t a simple linear story that goes from Point A to Point B. There is more heart and feeling in the movie than in past adaptations, which is partly due to the acting as well.
Overall this is a great movie. Batman Begins has great action, great story, great acting, and great directing. If you have not seen it yet, make it the next movie you rent as well as The Dark Knight, which will be the next review.
That name brings many things to mind, but the greatest of the Batman films are Christopher Nolan’s.
Batman Begins brought Gotham’s knight back out of obscurity. An instant hit and many hailed it, rightly so, the greatest Batman film ever made, even better than Tim Burton’s original Batman. With an all-star cast, showing the likes of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, and Tom Wilkinson, this movie showed what a superhero movie can be. In a time of horrible comic book films, Christopher Nolan brought a new take on this genre.
For those who have not seen this movie (SPOILER ALERT), as Bruce Wayne is mourning the loss of his parents, he tries to take revenge on their killer. He is too late when that man is killed outside a courtroom. Bruce runs away after he faces Gotham’s biggest mob boss to observe the life of crime. He makes his way to China where he meets a group called the League of Shadows. Here he is trained to fight against injustice. He passes their tests but learns that they plan to destroy Gotham, the “heart of criminality,” and told to lead their men to the city to destroy it. He kills their leader and makes his way back to Gotham to take up his mantle as Batman where he fights the mob and faces the last members of the League of Shadows who try to finish what they started. (END OF SPOILERS.).
What I liked most about it was the fact that Christopher Nolan incorporated real life problems cities face, such as the mob and corrupt cops, into the films and he didn’t turn it into a bizarre sci-fi film with unrealistic technology. All of the villains were mellowed down and not larger than life characters. He used Arkam Asylum in a way that a real asylum is like. Many of my friends felt that the Microwave Emitter (a device that evaporates water in a certain radius; a key part in the ending of the film) was used too much and it was unrealistic. However, one unrealistic aspect compared to the rest of the film is pretty good.
Another great aspect of the movie is the screenplay, written by Christopher Nolan and his friend David S. Goyer. The first hour of the movie goes into flashbacks of the death of Bruce’s parents and the trial of their murderer. This gives tremendous depth and story that no Batman film had yet delivered. It isn’t a simple linear story that goes from Point A to Point B. There is more heart and feeling in the movie than in past adaptations, which is partly due to the acting as well.
Overall this is a great movie. Batman Begins has great action, great story, great acting, and great directing. If you have not seen it yet, make it the next movie you rent as well as The Dark Knight, which will be the next review.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Here There Be Monsters
Who ever is reading this, I hope you enjoy my posts and will continue to look me up in the future. I have a varied interest in films: I like horror (if it is done right), I like fantasy, action, thriller, drama, comedy (also if it is done right), romance, epic, sci-fi, and documentaries. here I will be reviewing almost every movie that I watch, whether it be old or new, at my house or in theatres. I also will right my thoughts of directors and actors, writing down what there best and/or worst movies are. This is not a commentary on how the movie was made or trivial things that occurred during filming or production (unless it has some baring on the movie). I will start the first review in a week. The first posts will be on the greatest superhero movies of our time: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, X-Men, and X2- X-Men United. By the time I have written these posts, Iron Man 2 will be in theatres and I will review that movie. And finally I will compare these six great movies. I hope you will follow along and bare with me. It will be awhile before I will have several movies on here. But during the summer there will be many reviews here. So continue to come back here for new reviews each week. And thank you for supporting my blog.
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