Since I have put this off for so long, these reviews will probably be pretty brief since I have to do all 9 in a row...but here goes:
Salt
Drama
Starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Shreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Directed by Phillip Noyce
After being exposed as a Russian spy who is about to kill the president, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) goes on a mission to either clear her name or carry out her intended mission.
One thing I thought was cool about this movie was that for quite awhile we don't know if Salt is "good" or "bad," so I won't spoil it for you. The action is played out quite well, even if a hell of a lot of it is extremely over-the-top and unnecessary. It also isn't a super drawn out action flick, as it slows down quite a few times to fit some storyline in. Overall better than I expected, but not super amazing.
Final Score - 7/10
Inception
Psychological, Action
Starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Cilian Murphy
Directed by Christopher Nolan
A new technology is invented that lets people share dreams (whether they want to or not). A high-value target is selected for "Inception," using nested dreams to implant an idea in someone's head. That's really the best description I can currently think of.
I'll say this right now, this movie is great, but extremely overrated. It is still #3 on IMDB, but really it probably isn't even in my top 20 of all time...maybe not even top 50, I'm not sure. Anyway, on to what's good about it.
Unlike most movies these days, this one is about the journey, not the destination (*cough*like LOST*cough*) and it is virtually immune to spoilers because even if I told you how it ended, you still probably wouldn't know wtf I was talking about.
The film is extremely psychological, and you need to pay very careful/close attention to catch everything. It is extremely reminiscent of The Matrix in a lot of regards, as dreams are almost like the matrix and the pedestrians in them are like agents.
The cast is great. Leonardo is incapable of bad acting, Joseph Gordon-Levitt again shows his greatness, and Ellen Page works great also, no matter what the idiots on imdb say.
Where the movie lost me was with the military snow base...by that point, I was just wondering when it was going to end because what was currently happening just felt silly. If it wasn't for that, I think this could have achieved a perfect score. Again, sorry if this review is confusing but it's very hard to review without talking about the entire story.
Final Score - 9/10
Halloween II
Horror
Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Brad Dourif, Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie
Directed by Rob Zombie
Starting the minute the first film ended, this movie shows the aftermath of Michael's killing spree, Laurie's life afterwords, and Michael's return/motive for killing.
It's no secret, this movie doesn't even hold a candle to the first one, so I might as well explain why. First of all, it was PAINFULLY obvious that the beginning was a dream sequence...but it just kept going...and going...and going... Come on, Rob Zombie, the strategy for a good dream sequence is to end it BEFORE the audience knows it's a dream. It seriously went on for like 20 minutes, so it literally felt like the first section of the movie could have been completely eliminated.
Next, the characters changed way too much from the first one. I liked Laurie in the first one with her glasses, sweet personality, and overall quirkyness but in this movie I just wanted her to shut up every time she said anything. She is soooo bi-polar in this she will be screaming and then offering to go party 2 second later. Likewise, Dr. Loomis transformed from interesting psychologist to greedy idiot novelist. That was his entire purpose in the movie: to be a greedy jerk. Finally, Michael was simply a mindless killer, with no traumatized childhood anymore (which was the best part about the first movie).
Overall it was two things: "Watch Michael kill random people for 90 minutes" as well as "Watch Laurie be a hardcore bitch for 70 minutes" and the two segments overlapped into 1 movie.
Final Score - 4/10
Pandorum
Sci-Fi
Starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster
Directed by Christian Alvart
Two men wake up from their hyper-sleep pods on a gigantic ship in space. They have no memory of who they are, what their mission is/was, where everyone is, or where they are going. Unfortunately, that is the least of their problems, as hideous mutants are present at every term, as well as the fear of "Pandorum," a psychological disease that effects space travelers.
I don't know how, but this movie flew complete underneath my radar. The only reason I even saw it was because I needed a 5th movie for the "5 movies for $20" deal, and the box looked interesting. That being said, I'm quite glad I impulse-bought it.
If I had to describe the feel of this movie, I'd say The Cave, Alien, and Titan AE got together and made a movie baby using pieces of all three of them. If it had a more successful advertising campaign, I really think this movie could have been a modern-day sci-fi classic, as it was definitely the best one I have seen in a long time.
There's plenty of variety in the movie. Dennis and Ben have to deal with super strong mutants, human cannibals, the ship itself, and the constant fear of falling victim to Pandorum. The storyline has plenty of twists to keep it interesting, and the ending was quite satisfying and...I may even use the word "epic" to describe it. I was really worried because there were about a bazillion cliched ways it could have ended, but they took the satisfying way out.
Final Score - 8.5/10
100 Feet
Independent Horror / Drama
Starring Famke Janssen, Bobby Cannavale, Ed Westwick
Directed by Eric Red
After killing her abusive husband, Marnie Watson is under house arrest in her New York (I think) house and cannot move more than 100 feet away from a monitor box on her second floor. As she tries to get on with a semi-normal life, the ghost of her husband begins to appear to harass her from beyond the grave.
The premise isn't SUPER original, but it goes beyond the normal "haunted house" genre of normal horror flicks. In these stories, the audience usually asks "why don't they just leave??" WELL, she can't!! It sets up for some interesting stuff. While the movie is labeled as "horror" on the box, I'd really call it 50% horror, 50% drama. It is just as much about a woman trying to cope with house arrest after murdering her abusive husband than it is about her being haunted. But don't get me wrong, there is a fair share of grittiness. This isn't just a "boo, I'm scary" ghost... he literally beats the crap out of Marnie a few times, and in one scene COMPLETELY pulverizes someone to a pulp. Someone call Sam and Dean, please.
I was kind of expecting a big twist ending, but it isn't there. Maybe it's for the best though cause it probably would have ruined what turned out to be a pretty decent film. Also for the record, Famke Janssen (Jean Grey from X-Men) is a milf...just though I'd throw that out there.
Final Score - 7.5/10
The Final Destination
Horror / Silly
Starring Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten
Directed by David R. Ellis
After a death premonition at a speedway, a guy and some other random people leave and narrowly escape death, only to be systematically killed in horrific accidents afterwords... you know, exactly like the first 3.
This movie is NOTHING new. If you have seen the first 3...or ANY of the first 3, you know what you're getting into. It's basically a movie about watching Death kill people with gravity, wind, well-placed fire, and simple machines. It's entertaining if you're looking for a gore-fest with some very cleverly made accidents, but doesn't have much appeal beyond that.
Final Score - 3.5/10
She's Out of My League
Romantic Comedy
Starring Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve
Directed by Jim Field Smith
Through a serious of random events, a "loser" manages to get into a relationship with an extremely beautiful woman (who is "out of his league"), and both hilarity and conflict ensue with friends and family.
I was a little disappointed that for such a semi-original concept, it still kept the traditional rom-com formula of "they hook up, things go good for awhile but conflict ensues and they break apart. Then they both realize they are idiots and reunite in some glorious fashion." Seriously are there any romantic comedies that don't do this? Also, the movie KEEPS going out of its way to suggest to the audience how hot Alice Eve is....Yes movie, I get it, she is good looking...
The main character's best friend was a major asshole also. Usually with movies like this you get the "comic relief best friend" who is a jerk, but in a hilarious way, but this guy just came off as extremely hateful and hard to like. That being said, the movie was still decent.
Final Score - 6/10
The Book of Eli
Action / Drama
Starring Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman
Directed by Albert and Allen Hughes
In a post-apocalyptic world (think 'Fallout 3' / 'Mad Max' Post-Apocalyptia, not 'The Road') a man travels west with a 'mysterious' book hoping to find a place worthy enough to keep it. On the way he encounters highwaymen, bandits/raiders, cannibals, etc.
This movie turned out to be WAY different than I expected, so I don't want to talk about it too much or I may give it away. Denzel is always great, Mila shows she can really act, Oldman shows he is extremely skilled at playing both good guys and villains you love to hate. This world is FAR less depressing than the one of "The Road," but I also thought this was not quite as good as that film. By the way, expect lots of religious themes (not necessarily a bad thing, just be prepared like I wasn't)
Final Score - 7.5/10
Law Abiding Citizen
Action / Thriller
Starring Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler
Directed by F. Gary Gray
After his wife and daughter are killed by two assailants, Clyde Shelton (Butler) goes on a mission to systematically kill EVERYONE who had the slightest involvement in the system of getting one of the killers a deal.
Overall it is pretty damned entertaining. I wasn't even bored for a minute because it moves so fast. There may be a message about how corrupt our current legal system is somewhere in the movie, but I was too lazy to dig that deeply. I hated Jamie Foxx's character, but Butler's character was awesome enough to make up for it. I wasn't a huge fan of how it ended (in the last few mins), but what can ya do.
Final Score - 8/10
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
"Eclipse"
Movie Reviewed Today: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Genre: drama / fantasy
Starring: Kristen Stewart
Robert Pattinson
Taylor Lautner
Director: David Slade
The love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob continues, even though the final decision is quite clear. Over in Seattle, someone (who is obviously Victoria) is creating an army of "newborn" vampires with one purpose - to kill Bella.
As suggested in my "New Moon" review, I really think the Twilight series is underrated by its critics but overrated by its fans, and this movie sticks to that claim. It's not *great*, but it is far from unwatchable.
The characters aren't nearly as annoying in this as they were in the previous film. Most of the teen angst is gone except for the love triangle, so no more moping around the house for month after month or anything. I don't know why, but Kristen Stewart looked a lot more like a "real person" than in New Moon. Edward is still an annoying ponce, and Alice & Jacob are still more interesting than the two leads. Not much of a change from New Moon.
One thing I thought was kind of lame was that they completely MADE UP some new vampire "physics" simply for plot convenience.
New vampire physics made up in this movie:
-The "younger" a vampire is (time since being changed = small), the physically stronger they are. Really.....REALLY? Does this mean vampires who are 3000 years old are extremely weak? It really seems like they made up this rule JUST for this one plot point about an army of newborns being dangerous.
-Vampires are all icy on the inside. They never even suggested this in the other two. In this one, when vampires are beheaded, they break apart like ice and all of their interior flesh is hard and clear. Weird.
The action, acting, CG, and plot were better, but I can't shake the feeling that I enjoyed New Moon slightly better....I have no idea why though.
Final Score - 6/10
Genre: drama / fantasy
Starring: Kristen Stewart
Robert Pattinson
Taylor Lautner
Director: David Slade
The love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob continues, even though the final decision is quite clear. Over in Seattle, someone (who is obviously Victoria) is creating an army of "newborn" vampires with one purpose - to kill Bella.
As suggested in my "New Moon" review, I really think the Twilight series is underrated by its critics but overrated by its fans, and this movie sticks to that claim. It's not *great*, but it is far from unwatchable.
The characters aren't nearly as annoying in this as they were in the previous film. Most of the teen angst is gone except for the love triangle, so no more moping around the house for month after month or anything. I don't know why, but Kristen Stewart looked a lot more like a "real person" than in New Moon. Edward is still an annoying ponce, and Alice & Jacob are still more interesting than the two leads. Not much of a change from New Moon.
One thing I thought was kind of lame was that they completely MADE UP some new vampire "physics" simply for plot convenience.
New vampire physics made up in this movie:
-The "younger" a vampire is (time since being changed = small), the physically stronger they are. Really.....REALLY? Does this mean vampires who are 3000 years old are extremely weak? It really seems like they made up this rule JUST for this one plot point about an army of newborns being dangerous.
-Vampires are all icy on the inside. They never even suggested this in the other two. In this one, when vampires are beheaded, they break apart like ice and all of their interior flesh is hard and clear. Weird.
The action, acting, CG, and plot were better, but I can't shake the feeling that I enjoyed New Moon slightly better....I have no idea why though.
Final Score - 6/10
Friday, July 9, 2010
"Autopsy"
Movie Reviewed Today: Autopsy
Genre: Independent / Horror
Starring: Jessica Lowndes
Robert Patrick
Michael Bowen, Robert LaSardo
Director: Adam Gierasch
After a night of partying at what appears to be Mardi Gras, five friends are involved in a collision with a pedestrian on a quiet secluded road. A mysterious ambulance shows up to collect the pedestrian, and the five are also offered a ride to the hospital to be checked for injuries. They find that the hospital is mostly abandoned, save for a nurse, the two orderlies (Bowen and LaSardo), a doctor (Patrick), and a multitude of strange patients. As the 5 are separated, Emily (Lowndes) notices something is wrong and begins a search for her boyfriend.
First of all, I don't know why but I love the way the opening credits are done. They manage to do three things: set up a back story, credit the cast & crew, and be entertaining. Definitely a good first impression. However, know that the opening is the only back story you are going to get. The credits end with the sound of a car crashing, then the cast gets swept up into the ambulance and the rest of the movie takes place in the hospital.
The cast, for the most part, was pretty awesome. Jessica Lowndes should really be in every movie ever, Robert Patrick is great as always (I think it's just the way he talks that makes him incapable of bad acting), Bowen & LaSardo are amazing as the sinister "orderlies," and that nurse is definitely a character you love to hate for multiple reasons. The rest of the cast play their parts alright, but those five take up most of the screen time.
Be prepared, this film is a gory one (as if the title "Autopsy" didn't let you know that already). There are buckets of blood, a ton of insides coming to the outside, etc. Unlike most horror female leads, Lownes gets BEAT UP a lot and even tortured in one scene by Michael Bowen, though the tables eventually inevitably turn. Movies usually don't bother me, but I definitely felt a little weak at times.
The film creates a pretty eerie atmosphere of a (mostly) abandoned hospital. The braindead patients wandering around are almost like ghouls, though they are mostly harmless, save for one scene. Being that it is a hospital, some of the scenery is repetitive. Some hallways and staircases are basically mirror images of each other: one scene Emily will be running up stairs that curve to the right, and later she will run up what appears to be the same stairs, only they curve to the left. There aren't a ton of "atmospheric" shots of the hallways though, so the repetition is easy to forget.
I did kind of have a problem with the ending...it was pretty unsatisfying. It's one of those "omg, what happens next?" endings, which I like when they are pulled off well. Unfortunately I felt that this one was a little cheesy and a bit of a let down.
Final Score - 7.5/10
Genre: Independent / Horror
Starring: Jessica Lowndes
Robert Patrick
Michael Bowen, Robert LaSardo
Director: Adam Gierasch
After a night of partying at what appears to be Mardi Gras, five friends are involved in a collision with a pedestrian on a quiet secluded road. A mysterious ambulance shows up to collect the pedestrian, and the five are also offered a ride to the hospital to be checked for injuries. They find that the hospital is mostly abandoned, save for a nurse, the two orderlies (Bowen and LaSardo), a doctor (Patrick), and a multitude of strange patients. As the 5 are separated, Emily (Lowndes) notices something is wrong and begins a search for her boyfriend.
First of all, I don't know why but I love the way the opening credits are done. They manage to do three things: set up a back story, credit the cast & crew, and be entertaining. Definitely a good first impression. However, know that the opening is the only back story you are going to get. The credits end with the sound of a car crashing, then the cast gets swept up into the ambulance and the rest of the movie takes place in the hospital.
The cast, for the most part, was pretty awesome. Jessica Lowndes should really be in every movie ever, Robert Patrick is great as always (I think it's just the way he talks that makes him incapable of bad acting), Bowen & LaSardo are amazing as the sinister "orderlies," and that nurse is definitely a character you love to hate for multiple reasons. The rest of the cast play their parts alright, but those five take up most of the screen time.
Be prepared, this film is a gory one (as if the title "Autopsy" didn't let you know that already). There are buckets of blood, a ton of insides coming to the outside, etc. Unlike most horror female leads, Lownes gets BEAT UP a lot and even tortured in one scene by Michael Bowen, though the tables eventually inevitably turn. Movies usually don't bother me, but I definitely felt a little weak at times.
The film creates a pretty eerie atmosphere of a (mostly) abandoned hospital. The braindead patients wandering around are almost like ghouls, though they are mostly harmless, save for one scene. Being that it is a hospital, some of the scenery is repetitive. Some hallways and staircases are basically mirror images of each other: one scene Emily will be running up stairs that curve to the right, and later she will run up what appears to be the same stairs, only they curve to the left. There aren't a ton of "atmospheric" shots of the hallways though, so the repetition is easy to forget.
I did kind of have a problem with the ending...it was pretty unsatisfying. It's one of those "omg, what happens next?" endings, which I like when they are pulled off well. Unfortunately I felt that this one was a little cheesy and a bit of a let down.
Final Score - 7.5/10
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
"I Sell the Dead"
Movie Reviewed Today: I Sell the Dead
Genre: Independent / Horror / Comedy
Starring: Dominic Monaghan
Larry Fessenden
Angus Scrimm (Credited 3rd but really only has ~30 seconds of screentime)
Ron Perlman
Director: Glenn McQuaid
Faced with his impending execution by guillotine for murder, a grave robber (Arthur Blake - Monaghan) tells tales of his life of crime to a priest (Father Duffy - Perlman) in 1800's England. He describes how he got into the business by following Willie Grimes (Fessenden), who had been executed at the beginning of the film, and multiple misadventures that the two had.
This movie is almost like an anthology...sort of, but more like a frame story with separate sections. The overlying story includes Arthur Blake telling tales to the priest. The stories are almost entirely exclusive of each other, so in reality one could probably skip one or two and still get the major idea (not that I would recommend that). Arthur goes into detail about how he started stealing corpses as a child, but eventually discovered that the REAL money was in trafficking the UNdead.
There are serious moments, but most of it is done in a comedic way that is somewhat of a "grim sitcom" style. Many moments were quite goofy, even if they were dealing with graverobbing and the undead. Without spoiling anything, Arthur and Willie encounter many different..."kinds" of corpses, some of which are quite hilarious. I wouldn't say most of the film is "laugh out loud" funny, but it still has that light tone that will easily hold your interest.
Dominic did a great job, though it took me a little while to shake off his old role of Charlie on LOST. Likewise, Ron Perlman had a pretty convincing Irish accent, and though I never heard of Larry Fessenden before this movie, he had a great "grubby poor english criminal" character. Like I noted in the header, Angus Scrimm is credited third, but he was only present very briefly, though he is quite awesome as the old corrupt doctor.
For an indie film the special effects are pretty awesome. There were some moments were there was an obvious green screen, particularly of the panoramic english countryside at night shots, but for the most part the settings are pretty convincing. There isn't much gore for a movie about stealing corpses, but when there is it is done right.
The ending felt extremely rushed. It seemed like the climax and resolution all happened within the last 60-90 seconds. Also, I can't tell if they were leaving it open for a sequel or if the final message was "and they ran off to have more misadventures forever :D "
While it did take me a little while to get into it, and I do feel conflicted about the ending, it was still a pretty fun film. It is also fairly short and sweet, so it has definite replay value and never drags.
Final Score - 7/10
Genre: Independent / Horror / Comedy
Starring: Dominic Monaghan
Larry Fessenden
Angus Scrimm (Credited 3rd but really only has ~30 seconds of screentime)
Ron Perlman
Director: Glenn McQuaid
Faced with his impending execution by guillotine for murder, a grave robber (Arthur Blake - Monaghan) tells tales of his life of crime to a priest (Father Duffy - Perlman) in 1800's England. He describes how he got into the business by following Willie Grimes (Fessenden), who had been executed at the beginning of the film, and multiple misadventures that the two had.
This movie is almost like an anthology...sort of, but more like a frame story with separate sections. The overlying story includes Arthur Blake telling tales to the priest. The stories are almost entirely exclusive of each other, so in reality one could probably skip one or two and still get the major idea (not that I would recommend that). Arthur goes into detail about how he started stealing corpses as a child, but eventually discovered that the REAL money was in trafficking the UNdead.
There are serious moments, but most of it is done in a comedic way that is somewhat of a "grim sitcom" style. Many moments were quite goofy, even if they were dealing with graverobbing and the undead. Without spoiling anything, Arthur and Willie encounter many different..."kinds" of corpses, some of which are quite hilarious. I wouldn't say most of the film is "laugh out loud" funny, but it still has that light tone that will easily hold your interest.
Dominic did a great job, though it took me a little while to shake off his old role of Charlie on LOST. Likewise, Ron Perlman had a pretty convincing Irish accent, and though I never heard of Larry Fessenden before this movie, he had a great "grubby poor english criminal" character. Like I noted in the header, Angus Scrimm is credited third, but he was only present very briefly, though he is quite awesome as the old corrupt doctor.
For an indie film the special effects are pretty awesome. There were some moments were there was an obvious green screen, particularly of the panoramic english countryside at night shots, but for the most part the settings are pretty convincing. There isn't much gore for a movie about stealing corpses, but when there is it is done right.
The ending felt extremely rushed. It seemed like the climax and resolution all happened within the last 60-90 seconds. Also, I can't tell if they were leaving it open for a sequel or if the final message was "and they ran off to have more misadventures forever :D "
While it did take me a little while to get into it, and I do feel conflicted about the ending, it was still a pretty fun film. It is also fairly short and sweet, so it has definite replay value and never drags.
Final Score - 7/10
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
"Deadgirl"
Movie Reviewed Today: Deadgirl
Genre: Independent / Psychological Horror / Drama
Starring: Shiloh Fernandez
Noah Segan
Candice Accola
Director: Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel
While partying in / trashing an old abandoned asylum, two high schoolers (Rickie and JT - Shiloh and Noah) discover something sealed away in the basement: a naked woman strapped to a table who is alive but appears to be brain dead. Rickie wants to leave immediately and tell someone, but JT suggests they "keep" her, saying that they can "get some" whenever they want with her here. Eventually JT discovers that she cannot die, no matter what he does to her, though Rickie wants no part in this. Over the weeks, friendship, integrity, and sanity are tested as the two try to keep the secret and cover up betrayals.
This movie is quite twisted...no, make that extremely twisted. It constantly asks the question of "would you do this if you could get away with it?" and without spoiling anything, the answer for all characters introduced to the deadgirl is "yes." It shows psychological complexities of what could happen after so many years of abuse and rejection in high school. The deadgirl herself could easily be taken as a symbol for something more, especially addiction. At one point, JT really reminded me of a drug addict in his addiction to being with the deadgirl: not leaving the room ever, giving up all other aspects of his life, including his relationships with real people, etc.
The cinematography is quite amazing for an independent film: light when it needs to be, grainy, gritty, and dank when it needs that. Also, for actors I have never really seen before, the cast definitely pulled off the intensity that was required by the storyline.
Overall it was quite awesome, even though the ideas presented were twisted to the point of being insane, though I'm pretty sure I would rather watch "Garbage Pail Kids" 10 times in a row before I would watch this ONCE with my parents.
Final Score - 7/10
Genre: Independent / Psychological Horror / Drama
Starring: Shiloh Fernandez
Noah Segan
Candice Accola
Director: Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel
While partying in / trashing an old abandoned asylum, two high schoolers (Rickie and JT - Shiloh and Noah) discover something sealed away in the basement: a naked woman strapped to a table who is alive but appears to be brain dead. Rickie wants to leave immediately and tell someone, but JT suggests they "keep" her, saying that they can "get some" whenever they want with her here. Eventually JT discovers that she cannot die, no matter what he does to her, though Rickie wants no part in this. Over the weeks, friendship, integrity, and sanity are tested as the two try to keep the secret and cover up betrayals.
This movie is quite twisted...no, make that extremely twisted. It constantly asks the question of "would you do this if you could get away with it?" and without spoiling anything, the answer for all characters introduced to the deadgirl is "yes." It shows psychological complexities of what could happen after so many years of abuse and rejection in high school. The deadgirl herself could easily be taken as a symbol for something more, especially addiction. At one point, JT really reminded me of a drug addict in his addiction to being with the deadgirl: not leaving the room ever, giving up all other aspects of his life, including his relationships with real people, etc.
The cinematography is quite amazing for an independent film: light when it needs to be, grainy, gritty, and dank when it needs that. Also, for actors I have never really seen before, the cast definitely pulled off the intensity that was required by the storyline.
Overall it was quite awesome, even though the ideas presented were twisted to the point of being insane, though I'm pretty sure I would rather watch "Garbage Pail Kids" 10 times in a row before I would watch this ONCE with my parents.
Final Score - 7/10
And Yet 4 More Quick Reviews
In case anyone is curious, I've been doing quick reviews lately because of the high volume of movies I've seen in the last few days...blame it on my newly discovered Redbox Addiction
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Comedy
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey
Directed by Grant Heslov
McGregor Plays Bob Wilton, a reporter looking for a good story while waiting for his pass into Iraq (where all the 'good' stories are). He stumbles across Lyn Cassady, an ex-soldier of the "New Earth Army," a secret sect trying to develop psychic super soldiers in the 70's and 80's.
This movie was divided into 2 separate segments for me: the first hour, and the rest of it. I really enjoyed the first part, but I thought the rest of it really dragged on and seemed like it was completely pointless. Clooney was awesome, but when isn't he? The flashbacks with the New Earth Army were definitely the highlight, and I wish there could have been more development there.
Final Score - 6/10
Ninja Assassin
Action
Rain (aka Jung Jihoon), Naomie Harris
Directed by James McTeigue
A ninja (Raizo) turns his back on his clan and the "orphanage" that raised him, causing conflicts between him, his former allies, and their new marks.
The title is kind of redundant if you think about it...aren't ALL ninjas assassins? Also, why is the entire movie in English, even the parts that take place in Japan where everyone is Japanese? I guess subtitles have no place in an American action movie, so I'll give them a break. The gore is very obviously CG for the most part...I think Kill Bill definitely handled that better. Well, enough about the bad, now for the good: The action scenes (and there are a ton) are quite well made, even if there is a lot of CG. The flashbacks to the Ninja Training were the best parts of the movie, in my opinion. There isn't much story to speak of, but who goes to a Ninja movie for the storyline anyway?
Final Score - 7.5/10
Leap Year
Romantic Comedy
Amy Adams, Matthew Goode
Directed by Anand Tucker
After dating her boyfriend for 4 years without becoming engaged, a frustrated woman (Anna - Adams) follows him to Ireland, where there is a tradition that on February 29th, a woman is "allowed" to propose to a man. There, she meets Declan, a pub owner. Misadventures ensue as they try to get anna to Dublin before the 29th.
Overall it was a very average chick flick. Nothing surprising at all...I really could have told you the entire storyline and ending from just the trailer, but then again originality was never part of romantic comedies. However, Amy Adams is always entertaining, if nothing else than a pretty face to look at for 90 minutes, even if her character is ready to give up a four year relationship to marry a guy she met a few days ago....was the a spoiler? cause I'm pretty sure everyone knew it would happen. Also, I LOVE the scenery in the whole movie...Ireland is really a beautiful country. Overall a decent crowd-pleaser and just a relaxing flick
Final Score - 5/10
From Paris With Love
Action / Thriller
John Travolta, Johnathan Rhys Meyers
Directed by Pierre Morel
In Paris, the young assistant to the US Ambassador (James Reece - Meyers) becomes involved with Charlie Wax (Travolta), an American super spy, in an attempt to foil a terrorist plot.
Right away I can say that this was a pleasant surprise, as when I saw trailers for it I wasn't too excitied about seeing it. I wasn't a huge fan of Johnathan's character, but luckily Travolta made up for it with his very cool Wax character. The storyline was actually pretty decent for an action movie. Also, I tend to get easily bored by action movies, but this one had me totally engaged for the entire run.
Final Score - 8.5/10
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Comedy
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey
Directed by Grant Heslov
McGregor Plays Bob Wilton, a reporter looking for a good story while waiting for his pass into Iraq (where all the 'good' stories are). He stumbles across Lyn Cassady, an ex-soldier of the "New Earth Army," a secret sect trying to develop psychic super soldiers in the 70's and 80's.
This movie was divided into 2 separate segments for me: the first hour, and the rest of it. I really enjoyed the first part, but I thought the rest of it really dragged on and seemed like it was completely pointless. Clooney was awesome, but when isn't he? The flashbacks with the New Earth Army were definitely the highlight, and I wish there could have been more development there.
Final Score - 6/10
Ninja Assassin
Action
Rain (aka Jung Jihoon), Naomie Harris
Directed by James McTeigue
A ninja (Raizo) turns his back on his clan and the "orphanage" that raised him, causing conflicts between him, his former allies, and their new marks.
The title is kind of redundant if you think about it...aren't ALL ninjas assassins? Also, why is the entire movie in English, even the parts that take place in Japan where everyone is Japanese? I guess subtitles have no place in an American action movie, so I'll give them a break. The gore is very obviously CG for the most part...I think Kill Bill definitely handled that better. Well, enough about the bad, now for the good: The action scenes (and there are a ton) are quite well made, even if there is a lot of CG. The flashbacks to the Ninja Training were the best parts of the movie, in my opinion. There isn't much story to speak of, but who goes to a Ninja movie for the storyline anyway?
Final Score - 7.5/10
Leap Year
Romantic Comedy
Amy Adams, Matthew Goode
Directed by Anand Tucker
After dating her boyfriend for 4 years without becoming engaged, a frustrated woman (Anna - Adams) follows him to Ireland, where there is a tradition that on February 29th, a woman is "allowed" to propose to a man. There, she meets Declan, a pub owner. Misadventures ensue as they try to get anna to Dublin before the 29th.
Overall it was a very average chick flick. Nothing surprising at all...I really could have told you the entire storyline and ending from just the trailer, but then again originality was never part of romantic comedies. However, Amy Adams is always entertaining, if nothing else than a pretty face to look at for 90 minutes, even if her character is ready to give up a four year relationship to marry a guy she met a few days ago....was the a spoiler? cause I'm pretty sure everyone knew it would happen. Also, I LOVE the scenery in the whole movie...Ireland is really a beautiful country. Overall a decent crowd-pleaser and just a relaxing flick
Final Score - 5/10
From Paris With Love
Action / Thriller
John Travolta, Johnathan Rhys Meyers
Directed by Pierre Morel
In Paris, the young assistant to the US Ambassador (James Reece - Meyers) becomes involved with Charlie Wax (Travolta), an American super spy, in an attempt to foil a terrorist plot.
Right away I can say that this was a pleasant surprise, as when I saw trailers for it I wasn't too excitied about seeing it. I wasn't a huge fan of Johnathan's character, but luckily Travolta made up for it with his very cool Wax character. The storyline was actually pretty decent for an action movie. Also, I tend to get easily bored by action movies, but this one had me totally engaged for the entire run.
Final Score - 8.5/10
Saturday, July 3, 2010
5 More Quickie Reviews
Knight and Day
Action / Comedy
Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz
Directed by James Mangold
June Havens (Diaz) is accidentally brought into a massive conspiracy with the (crazy?) secret agent Roy Miller (Cruise) in the center of it.
If you like Tom Cruise, you need to see this movie, because he really owns it. He is quite cool as the super charismatic and questionably nutty agent. It is definitely an action movie, though, and the storyline feels like it was pasted on after the idea of teaming up a secret agent with a normal girl and throwing them into these crazy situations. It's a pretty fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't ask forgiveness for blatant plot holes and just assumes the audience will roll with it.
Final Score - 6.5/10
Shutter Island
Thriller / Mystery
Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Directed by Martin Scorsese
In the 1950's, two US Marshals (Teddy - DiCaprio and Chuck - Ruffalo) are sent to Shutter Island, a home for the worst kind of criminally insane criminals, to find an escaped patient. When a hurricane hits while they are on the island, dark conspiracies are revealed as Teddy faces his dark past. The storm may not be the only thing keeping them on Shutter Island...
Very enjoyable movie, but a little too long. It felt like there was a bit of filler which could easily have been removed to eliminate 20 minutes or so. The filler was the only thing that kept this from a 10 for me, as the acting, writing, directing, cinematography, music, etc were all top-notch. I -kind of- guessed the ending at the beginning, but there were some details that definitely surprised me, and I wouldn't mind giving it a second viewing.
Final Score - 9/10
The Crazies
Horror
Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell
Directed by Breck Eisner
A plane crash in a small Iowa town releases a disease into the water which causes its victims to become criminally insane before dying. Avoiding "crazies," other survivors, and the government blockades, David (Olyphant), his wife (Mitchell), and a few others attempt to reach Cedar Rapids where rescue may await.
This movie was a pretty pleasant surprise. Don't be fooled by the silly sounding title, the film is quite serious. You could consider this a zombie movie, and it kind of is. However, the "zombies" of this movie are just insane people with veiny rotten faces. They can talk, run, drive, and use guns, making them extra deadly.
I usually don't care for the type of zombie movie where "PEOPLE are the true monsters" (this is one), but it pulls off that sub-genre quite well without being overly annoying. It dragged a bit at times but overall it was satisfying...even the ending.
Final Score - 8.5/10
Sorority Row
Horror (Slasher)
Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis
Directed by Stewart Hendler
After a prank leads a college student to accidentally murder one of their "sisters," 5 girls of Theta Pi Sorority hide the body and swear each other to secrecy in the style of "I know what you did last summer." 8 Months later, as graduation occurs, strange messages are received by the sisters as people start to die around them.
Quite typical college slasher flick. A bunch of hot girls and frat guys party and drop dead. I'm glad they didn't go with the super cliche (by now) ending of "the killer is chasing her but it turns out she WAS the killer!!" end, but I really didn't like what they did with the end. It felt like it didn't make any sense and the murderer was "that" person ONLY so that the audience would never have guessed the true identity of the killer before the end. In reality though, I totally called it...I'm getting way too familiar with typical film maker red herrings...
Final Score - 5.5/10
The Road
Drama
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Directed by John Hillcoat
In this post-apocalyptic world, there is no food, no electricity, no vehicles, no animals, no trees, and no hope. The sky is perpetually gray and civilization ceases to exist in any form. A man (Mortensen) travels with his son (Smit-McPhee) south towards the coast where there may or may not be hope. Along the way, the encounter vicious cannibals, other scavengers, deserted towns, and corpses of those who gave up. Knowing he is dying, the man attempts to teach his son how to survive while retaining some shred of humanity.
As soon as I was finished with this movie, all I could think was Wow...I can't remember the last time I saw such a bittersweet movie. From beginning to end, depression and a sense of existential worthlessness are the only feelings. Sure from time to time there are highlights, but they are quickly shot down by a new problem. In a world where suicide is the best option for every scenario, what is there to live for?
The movie never says why the world ended, and it actually doesn't really matter. The only clue is the ocassional earthquakes, but I don't know why that would end the world
EVERYTHING about this movie is amazing: the setting, acting, writing, cinematography, music, storyline, etc are all top-notch. Some say that the film is slow, and they may be right, but at no point did I feel bored.
This film embodies the same feeling of hopelessness that Grave of the Fireflies gives off...Turns out post-apocalyptia isn't as fun as Mad Max, Zombieland, or Fallout 3 would have us believe.
Final Score - 10/10
Action / Comedy
Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz
Directed by James Mangold
June Havens (Diaz) is accidentally brought into a massive conspiracy with the (crazy?) secret agent Roy Miller (Cruise) in the center of it.
If you like Tom Cruise, you need to see this movie, because he really owns it. He is quite cool as the super charismatic and questionably nutty agent. It is definitely an action movie, though, and the storyline feels like it was pasted on after the idea of teaming up a secret agent with a normal girl and throwing them into these crazy situations. It's a pretty fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't ask forgiveness for blatant plot holes and just assumes the audience will roll with it.
Final Score - 6.5/10
Shutter Island
Thriller / Mystery
Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Directed by Martin Scorsese
In the 1950's, two US Marshals (Teddy - DiCaprio and Chuck - Ruffalo) are sent to Shutter Island, a home for the worst kind of criminally insane criminals, to find an escaped patient. When a hurricane hits while they are on the island, dark conspiracies are revealed as Teddy faces his dark past. The storm may not be the only thing keeping them on Shutter Island...
Very enjoyable movie, but a little too long. It felt like there was a bit of filler which could easily have been removed to eliminate 20 minutes or so. The filler was the only thing that kept this from a 10 for me, as the acting, writing, directing, cinematography, music, etc were all top-notch. I -kind of- guessed the ending at the beginning, but there were some details that definitely surprised me, and I wouldn't mind giving it a second viewing.
Final Score - 9/10
The Crazies
Horror
Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell
Directed by Breck Eisner
A plane crash in a small Iowa town releases a disease into the water which causes its victims to become criminally insane before dying. Avoiding "crazies," other survivors, and the government blockades, David (Olyphant), his wife (Mitchell), and a few others attempt to reach Cedar Rapids where rescue may await.
This movie was a pretty pleasant surprise. Don't be fooled by the silly sounding title, the film is quite serious. You could consider this a zombie movie, and it kind of is. However, the "zombies" of this movie are just insane people with veiny rotten faces. They can talk, run, drive, and use guns, making them extra deadly.
I usually don't care for the type of zombie movie where "PEOPLE are the true monsters" (this is one), but it pulls off that sub-genre quite well without being overly annoying. It dragged a bit at times but overall it was satisfying...even the ending.
Final Score - 8.5/10
Sorority Row
Horror (Slasher)
Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis
Directed by Stewart Hendler
After a prank leads a college student to accidentally murder one of their "sisters," 5 girls of Theta Pi Sorority hide the body and swear each other to secrecy in the style of "I know what you did last summer." 8 Months later, as graduation occurs, strange messages are received by the sisters as people start to die around them.
Quite typical college slasher flick. A bunch of hot girls and frat guys party and drop dead. I'm glad they didn't go with the super cliche (by now) ending of "the killer is chasing her but it turns out she WAS the killer!!" end, but I really didn't like what they did with the end. It felt like it didn't make any sense and the murderer was "that" person ONLY so that the audience would never have guessed the true identity of the killer before the end. In reality though, I totally called it...I'm getting way too familiar with typical film maker red herrings...
Final Score - 5.5/10
The Road
Drama
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Directed by John Hillcoat
In this post-apocalyptic world, there is no food, no electricity, no vehicles, no animals, no trees, and no hope. The sky is perpetually gray and civilization ceases to exist in any form. A man (Mortensen) travels with his son (Smit-McPhee) south towards the coast where there may or may not be hope. Along the way, the encounter vicious cannibals, other scavengers, deserted towns, and corpses of those who gave up. Knowing he is dying, the man attempts to teach his son how to survive while retaining some shred of humanity.
As soon as I was finished with this movie, all I could think was Wow...I can't remember the last time I saw such a bittersweet movie. From beginning to end, depression and a sense of existential worthlessness are the only feelings. Sure from time to time there are highlights, but they are quickly shot down by a new problem. In a world where suicide is the best option for every scenario, what is there to live for?
The movie never says why the world ended, and it actually doesn't really matter. The only clue is the ocassional earthquakes, but I don't know why that would end the world
EVERYTHING about this movie is amazing: the setting, acting, writing, cinematography, music, storyline, etc are all top-notch. Some say that the film is slow, and they may be right, but at no point did I feel bored.
This film embodies the same feeling of hopelessness that Grave of the Fireflies gives off...Turns out post-apocalyptia isn't as fun as Mad Max, Zombieland, or Fallout 3 would have us believe.
Final Score - 10/10
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