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.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
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.
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