Oh man was I excited to see this. After seeing that hilariously bad movie by Mark Wahlberg, I was interested to see how this would tie in with that story, or the original. And I'm gonna say, I wasn't disappointed.
Synopsis: You follow the story of an ape named Caesar who has inherited human level intelligence from his genetically modified mother. Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist who harbored the ape, as a result of his own medicine testing. The ape is imprisoned as the result of a court order ( He was defending Will Rodman's father). From then on you begin to see how the ape plans to escape, and what he wants to do with his freedom.
Review: I mainly came to see this movie to see if James Franco could rescue this dying series after Mark Wahlberg stabbed it in the back. I was not disappointed. He really made the audience sympathize with him. But, the person I was most impressed with was the director, Rupert Wyatt. This was only his second film he directed, and the first major Hollywood picture. As I watched the movie, I realized that although the apes were portrayed as evil in the previous movies, Mr. Wyatt provides a fresh insight to the series, and the audience begins to question who they should really root for. I was most surprised by how well he ended the film, with just enough vagueness to make the viewer think. It was a great film, well worth seeing. 22/25
Friday, August 5, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Hangover Part 2/ Hangover 1 again
Well everyone loved the first Hangover, including myself. So when news of a second arrived, everyone was excited. Was it worth the wait?
Oh, and there may be spoilers. If you're worried about that, just read the short version.
Synopsis: 2 years after their escapades in Vegas, the gang is traveling to Thailand to celebrate the marriage of Stu (Ed Helms) and his fiancee Lauren (Jamie Chung). After a night out on the beach, the group wakes up in a trashy house in Bangkok, missing one of the gang (Not Doug). As the movie progresses you follow them in their adventures to recover the missing member, stumbling through events like an international criminal, misadventures with a prostitute, and a drug dealing monkey.
Review: Well the first Hangover was a great movie, but this was a result of no one expecting it to be. Now imagine the Hangover one, copy it, then paste it in Bangkok. It's the same movie! The format was a carbon copy of the original. Same intro of phone call, same antics with a small mammal, same jokes. Allen, who stole the show in the first movie, was over used in the second. The director, Todd Phillips, recognized the popularity of Zach Galifianakis, and pushed him on to the audience with vigor. Where in the first he was innocent and hilarious, his stupidity approached levels of frustrating ignorance that drove the viewer to anger. This movie was also considerably more explicit with not only it's language, but it's highly unappreciated nudity. IT just seems like Hangover Part 2 was a cash in on the name, but without the actual hilarity or surprise. 15/25
Short Version: Doesn't hold a light to the first, even though it's a carbon copy.
Well that was my opinion of that trainwreck, and I would actually tell people not to see this movie.
Here's the trailer:
Oh, and there may be spoilers. If you're worried about that, just read the short version.
Synopsis: 2 years after their escapades in Vegas, the gang is traveling to Thailand to celebrate the marriage of Stu (Ed Helms) and his fiancee Lauren (Jamie Chung). After a night out on the beach, the group wakes up in a trashy house in Bangkok, missing one of the gang (Not Doug). As the movie progresses you follow them in their adventures to recover the missing member, stumbling through events like an international criminal, misadventures with a prostitute, and a drug dealing monkey.
Review: Well the first Hangover was a great movie, but this was a result of no one expecting it to be. Now imagine the Hangover one, copy it, then paste it in Bangkok. It's the same movie! The format was a carbon copy of the original. Same intro of phone call, same antics with a small mammal, same jokes. Allen, who stole the show in the first movie, was over used in the second. The director, Todd Phillips, recognized the popularity of Zach Galifianakis, and pushed him on to the audience with vigor. Where in the first he was innocent and hilarious, his stupidity approached levels of frustrating ignorance that drove the viewer to anger. This movie was also considerably more explicit with not only it's language, but it's highly unappreciated nudity. IT just seems like Hangover Part 2 was a cash in on the name, but without the actual hilarity or surprise. 15/25
Short Version: Doesn't hold a light to the first, even though it's a carbon copy.
Well that was my opinion of that trainwreck, and I would actually tell people not to see this movie.
Here's the trailer:
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Battle Los Angeles
Finally! A movie worth seeing in the year 2011, and it's been quite the wait.
Synopsis: You follow the story of aging Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz who wishes to leave the marines after an incident involving a poor decision in Afghanistan, killing his troops. Just days before his retirement, an unexpected alien attack rains down upon the entire earth. Under the command of a fresh-out-of-college lieutenant, he and his platoon must go to an over run police station and rescue civilians before time runs out and the city is flattened.
Review: Well I came in to this movie with high hopes, and i walked out kind of disappointed. The director; Johnathan Liebesman, seemed unsure of what movie to emulate in his own. There were obvious cues from Blackhawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, and even District 9. The camera angles were obviously meant to feel like a documentary, but they were poorly done. This often created bizarre shots that were blocked and terrible. Not that it matters, because no one gave a crap about these one dimensional characters. I can't count the number of monologues with cliche music playing in the background with a single hand. The characters had no development, and the entire cast was extremely cookie cutter. All this being said, the action was superb. I was constantly enthralled in the extensive fight scenes that ensued. The aliens were interesting enough but very little information was given about them, and all scenes with them were shaky and blurred. Overall, the movie proved to be entertaining enough, but with no depth, and a shaky plot, just check your brain at the door. 19/25
Synopsis: You follow the story of aging Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz who wishes to leave the marines after an incident involving a poor decision in Afghanistan, killing his troops. Just days before his retirement, an unexpected alien attack rains down upon the entire earth. Under the command of a fresh-out-of-college lieutenant, he and his platoon must go to an over run police station and rescue civilians before time runs out and the city is flattened.
Review: Well I came in to this movie with high hopes, and i walked out kind of disappointed. The director; Johnathan Liebesman, seemed unsure of what movie to emulate in his own. There were obvious cues from Blackhawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, and even District 9. The camera angles were obviously meant to feel like a documentary, but they were poorly done. This often created bizarre shots that were blocked and terrible. Not that it matters, because no one gave a crap about these one dimensional characters. I can't count the number of monologues with cliche music playing in the background with a single hand. The characters had no development, and the entire cast was extremely cookie cutter. All this being said, the action was superb. I was constantly enthralled in the extensive fight scenes that ensued. The aliens were interesting enough but very little information was given about them, and all scenes with them were shaky and blurred. Overall, the movie proved to be entertaining enough, but with no depth, and a shaky plot, just check your brain at the door. 19/25
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Green Hornet
Managed to catch this super-hyped movie saturday night. Here's the review.
Synopsis: The son of media giant Tom Wilkinson grows up under the reign of an uncaring and hateful father. 28 years in to his life, he's grown in to a childish slacker, who has done little other than party. His father dies from an allergic reaction to a bee sting and this leave Britt Reid in charge of the new corporation. After waking up to unusually bad coffee, he meets Kato, a street-raised hyper-intelligent martial arts master who works magic with cars. After a night of drunken debauchery, the two bond and become friends. Out of hate for Tom Wilkinson, and an accidental crime-fighting, the two formulate a plot to pose as criminals so that they can further destroy the crime in the city. What starts out as an innocent, drunken plan, turns in to a full-scale war with a city known crime boss, Benjamin Chudnofsky. The more havoc the two reek, the closer they get to a much larger conspiracy.
Review: Well I must warn you, if you walk in to this movie expecting it to be as great as the classic Green Hornet, you will be extremely disappointed. But this is not, necessarily a bad movie. This movie did not try to copy the original, and it shows. As one would expect from a Seth Rogen comedy, there is a significant amount of low-brow humor and slapstick. The plot was nothing to write home about, but the comedic performances by Seth Rogen and Christoph Waltz performed admirably. There was also a forgettable Cameron Diaz role, and Jay Chou had little to say throughout the movie. In fact, Seth Rogen's constant belittling and using of Jay Chou often led the audience to feel sorry for Chou, and come to resent Seth Rogen's character. With Britt Reid being the main character, this created a confusing dynamic that detached viewers from the film, emotionally. Now while the comedy was decent, the action scenes were superb. They were fantastically entertaining, with just enough tongue-in-cheek action for you to enjoy yourself. Overall, the movie suffered from Michael Gondry's poor direction and lackluster plot, but managed to salvage itself with amusing dialogue and exciting action scenes. Due to the complete lack of movies in January, this movie is a great breath of fresh air. Although, do NOT see it in 3-D. While I normally say this, I've read reviews that said about 20 minutes of the movie were actually 3-D. So don't waste your money.
Here's the Trailer
Synopsis: The son of media giant Tom Wilkinson grows up under the reign of an uncaring and hateful father. 28 years in to his life, he's grown in to a childish slacker, who has done little other than party. His father dies from an allergic reaction to a bee sting and this leave Britt Reid in charge of the new corporation. After waking up to unusually bad coffee, he meets Kato, a street-raised hyper-intelligent martial arts master who works magic with cars. After a night of drunken debauchery, the two bond and become friends. Out of hate for Tom Wilkinson, and an accidental crime-fighting, the two formulate a plot to pose as criminals so that they can further destroy the crime in the city. What starts out as an innocent, drunken plan, turns in to a full-scale war with a city known crime boss, Benjamin Chudnofsky. The more havoc the two reek, the closer they get to a much larger conspiracy.
Review: Well I must warn you, if you walk in to this movie expecting it to be as great as the classic Green Hornet, you will be extremely disappointed. But this is not, necessarily a bad movie. This movie did not try to copy the original, and it shows. As one would expect from a Seth Rogen comedy, there is a significant amount of low-brow humor and slapstick. The plot was nothing to write home about, but the comedic performances by Seth Rogen and Christoph Waltz performed admirably. There was also a forgettable Cameron Diaz role, and Jay Chou had little to say throughout the movie. In fact, Seth Rogen's constant belittling and using of Jay Chou often led the audience to feel sorry for Chou, and come to resent Seth Rogen's character. With Britt Reid being the main character, this created a confusing dynamic that detached viewers from the film, emotionally. Now while the comedy was decent, the action scenes were superb. They were fantastically entertaining, with just enough tongue-in-cheek action for you to enjoy yourself. Overall, the movie suffered from Michael Gondry's poor direction and lackluster plot, but managed to salvage itself with amusing dialogue and exciting action scenes. Due to the complete lack of movies in January, this movie is a great breath of fresh air. Although, do NOT see it in 3-D. While I normally say this, I've read reviews that said about 20 minutes of the movie were actually 3-D. So don't waste your money.
Here's the Trailer
Sunday, December 19, 2010
DVD Review: The Other Guys and Inception
Hey, this month two great movies come out on DVD & Blu Ray. Be sure to check out my reviews to see if you should buy 'em.
The Other Guys
Inception
The Other Guys
Inception
Tron: Legacy
Alright, alright i'll write a review. School's over, so i'm going to be seeing some movies. And this weekend started off with Tron: Legacy. SPOILER ALERT
Synopsis: It starts off with Jeff Bridges telling his son Sam a basic recap of the previous movie. If you haven't seen this movie; 2 things. First, it doesn't matter, as it tells you everything about it and second, it's a horrible movie anyhow. After that night, Sam's father disappears. Skip forward 15 years, and now the major corporation the Jeff had built is being run by a bunch of hipster evil titans. Every year, Sam visits to pull a massive prank. After getting a mysterious page from a dead phone line, Sam goes to the arcade where the company started and is sucked into Tron. From then on out his main focus is to defeat an evil program and get out of Tron.
Review: Tron was an interesting movie. It seemed like it pulled an Avatar and tried to distract the viewer from the crappy plot with amazing visuals. That's not entirely true because Tron did manage to have a decent plot. My main problem with it was that the last 45 minutes of the 2 hour movie was that it was a chase scene. This may be true, but it was still a great, suspense filled chase scene. But action and adrenaline can only get you so far. In between action scenes, you were often given some time for the characters to progress. But... they really didn't. My greatest pet peeve was Sam. He was a bad actor who wandered about the whole movie with a big stupid look on his face. He seemed so disinterested, like a 14 year old hipster at his parents high-school reunion. Olivia Wilde (hothothothot) managed to effectively play a bad-ass, naive woman in a hostile environment. A huge problem was the character the movie was named after, Tron, had a few only a few minutes of screen time with 2 lines, and an unexplained villain role. Now poor characters aside, the set-pieces were amazing. The environment was detailed and intricate. The whole thing felt like being in a loud rave. Although there was a lot of brightness, there weren't that many colors. It was extremely monochromatic with the biggest colors being blue, red and black. Even when they weren't in the computer the set-pieces were dark and colorless. Now aiding these action sequences was an amazing score by Daft Punk. It electrified the action and provided a fast tempo that the scenes managed to keep up with without a problem. I highly recommend checking out the score, as well as this great movie. And with flops like yogi bear out, there isn't a lot out there this December. Overall it was a great movie with a fun ride that's well worth the money. Well that's what I thought about Tron, and I hope you liked this review.
And here's the trailer.
Synopsis: It starts off with Jeff Bridges telling his son Sam a basic recap of the previous movie. If you haven't seen this movie; 2 things. First, it doesn't matter, as it tells you everything about it and second, it's a horrible movie anyhow. After that night, Sam's father disappears. Skip forward 15 years, and now the major corporation the Jeff had built is being run by a bunch of hipster evil titans. Every year, Sam visits to pull a massive prank. After getting a mysterious page from a dead phone line, Sam goes to the arcade where the company started and is sucked into Tron. From then on out his main focus is to defeat an evil program and get out of Tron.
Review: Tron was an interesting movie. It seemed like it pulled an Avatar and tried to distract the viewer from the crappy plot with amazing visuals. That's not entirely true because Tron did manage to have a decent plot. My main problem with it was that the last 45 minutes of the 2 hour movie was that it was a chase scene. This may be true, but it was still a great, suspense filled chase scene. But action and adrenaline can only get you so far. In between action scenes, you were often given some time for the characters to progress. But... they really didn't. My greatest pet peeve was Sam. He was a bad actor who wandered about the whole movie with a big stupid look on his face. He seemed so disinterested, like a 14 year old hipster at his parents high-school reunion. Olivia Wilde (hothothothot) managed to effectively play a bad-ass, naive woman in a hostile environment. A huge problem was the character the movie was named after, Tron, had a few only a few minutes of screen time with 2 lines, and an unexplained villain role. Now poor characters aside, the set-pieces were amazing. The environment was detailed and intricate. The whole thing felt like being in a loud rave. Although there was a lot of brightness, there weren't that many colors. It was extremely monochromatic with the biggest colors being blue, red and black. Even when they weren't in the computer the set-pieces were dark and colorless. Now aiding these action sequences was an amazing score by Daft Punk. It electrified the action and provided a fast tempo that the scenes managed to keep up with without a problem. I highly recommend checking out the score, as well as this great movie. And with flops like yogi bear out, there isn't a lot out there this December. Overall it was a great movie with a fun ride that's well worth the money. Well that's what I thought about Tron, and I hope you liked this review.
And here's the trailer.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
iPad
Thought I would do an actual blog post today. As I was surfing the internet while waiting for my dinosaur printer to print of my history notes, I went over to one of my favorite websites, Gizmodo. For those of you who don't know what that is, you could go to the website since your on the internet. But if you don't want to do that, it's basically a tech-news website. Over time, i've noticed it has released literally dozens of articles about the iPad. And every time this topic comes up in conversation, I say the same thing. Don't buy it. It literally does not do anything. Let me be more specific, it doesn't do anything any other device can. It is a gigantic piece of metal that you can touch. Your fingerprints cover up the screen your looking at. It costs at minimum 600 dollars. At that price, you get a wifi only device with a mere 16 gigabytes of storage, and a 1 gigahert processor. Wee. My laptop cost 325 dollars. It has a 2.3 gigahertz processor, 2 gigs of ram, an actual keyboard, and 250 gigabyte hard drive. All for one third the price. But because Apple released it, and because it has a big touch screen, people shovel out loads of cash for it. Do yourself a favor and spend that money on a really nice laptop. That's all I've got to say about that
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Late Review: Red
I'm sure like everyone else when they saw the commercial they immediately thought of A-Team or The Losers but I was happy with this movie.
Synopsis: You begin following Frank Moses, a retired CIA agent who pretends to have problems with his retired pay so he can talk to a girl he likes at her job. After he is attacked by a team of mercenaries, he gets his colleagues together from years before. After several attacks, and some digging, he finds out the more sinister plot as to what is happening.
Review: First of all, that was a terrible synopsis, but I don't want to ruin this plot. While I was worried it would be a copy-paste of A-Team or the Losers, it didn't disappoint. Granted it was very similar, but it wasn't the same thing. The thing that really made it stand out was its cast. It starred Bruce Willis, who knows his way around an action movie. John Malkovich played a crazy, paranoid survivalist, and he did it amazingly. Although one would expect such great work from such a seasoned actor. Other actors made small appearances and the chemistry was magnificent.
I highly recommend this movie as it blends action and comedy beautifully. 23/25 just for the plot
P.S. I don't think i'm going to do a breakdown anymore. I'm going to more a little more in depth reviews in place of the breakdown. Tell me what you think. I'm pretty sure you can comment on it below.
Synopsis: You begin following Frank Moses, a retired CIA agent who pretends to have problems with his retired pay so he can talk to a girl he likes at her job. After he is attacked by a team of mercenaries, he gets his colleagues together from years before. After several attacks, and some digging, he finds out the more sinister plot as to what is happening.
Review: First of all, that was a terrible synopsis, but I don't want to ruin this plot. While I was worried it would be a copy-paste of A-Team or the Losers, it didn't disappoint. Granted it was very similar, but it wasn't the same thing. The thing that really made it stand out was its cast. It starred Bruce Willis, who knows his way around an action movie. John Malkovich played a crazy, paranoid survivalist, and he did it amazingly. Although one would expect such great work from such a seasoned actor. Other actors made small appearances and the chemistry was magnificent.
I highly recommend this movie as it blends action and comedy beautifully. 23/25 just for the plot
P.S. I don't think i'm going to do a breakdown anymore. I'm going to more a little more in depth reviews in place of the breakdown. Tell me what you think. I'm pretty sure you can comment on it below.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Late Release; Scott Pilgrim versus The World
Ack, I know most of my posts begin with apologizing for not posting very often, But i fear I must state it again. School started, and I'm a rather busy man. Anyhow, I know this is kind of late, but this is a review of Scott Pilgrim versus The World.
Synopsis: In boring old Canada, 23 year old Scott Pilgrim sits alone, still depressed about a break-up with a now famous musician. He is on the rebound, dating a high-school girl for kicks, and then he meets...her. Her name is Ramona Flowers, and she is the most beautiful girl he has ever met. Making his move, he realizes she is the love of his life, but with some complications. Seven, to be exact. She has seven, evil, ex-boyfriends who Scott must defeat for the future of Ramona Flower's love life.
Review: Walking in to this movie, I literally had no idea what to expect. But, I must say I was not disappointed. This movie starred Arrested Development's Michael Cera, and he did fantastic. This movie was hilarious, fast-paced, with seamless transitions, and quick, witty humor I hadn't seen in any other movie. Combine this with the fantastic visuals, and the video game like fighting sequences, and you have one great movie. Michael Cera finally had an almost, outgoing role in this movie, and his frustration with the situation was portrayed beautifully. Minor characters included his witty, gay, roommate played by Kierran Culkin, who had a minor role in Home Alone. Anyhow, this movie was colorful, fast, funny, and fresh. I imagine it to be a dawn in a whole new line of comic book based movies.
Breakdown:
Synopsis: In boring old Canada, 23 year old Scott Pilgrim sits alone, still depressed about a break-up with a now famous musician. He is on the rebound, dating a high-school girl for kicks, and then he meets...her. Her name is Ramona Flowers, and she is the most beautiful girl he has ever met. Making his move, he realizes she is the love of his life, but with some complications. Seven, to be exact. She has seven, evil, ex-boyfriends who Scott must defeat for the future of Ramona Flower's love life.
Review: Walking in to this movie, I literally had no idea what to expect. But, I must say I was not disappointed. This movie starred Arrested Development's Michael Cera, and he did fantastic. This movie was hilarious, fast-paced, with seamless transitions, and quick, witty humor I hadn't seen in any other movie. Combine this with the fantastic visuals, and the video game like fighting sequences, and you have one great movie. Michael Cera finally had an almost, outgoing role in this movie, and his frustration with the situation was portrayed beautifully. Minor characters included his witty, gay, roommate played by Kierran Culkin, who had a minor role in Home Alone. Anyhow, this movie was colorful, fast, funny, and fresh. I imagine it to be a dawn in a whole new line of comic book based movies.
Breakdown:
- Acting: As mentioned earlier, the movie focused primarily on Michael Cera and his female counterpart, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, with some minor appearances from band members. There wasn't a lot of chemistry between Cera and Winstead, but this is mostly due to their situation in the movie. One thing I remain disappointed about is Michael Cera's acting. He was in an action movie, and he was just...boring. But that's really just how he is. 4/5
- Directing: Shaun of the Dead's Edgar Wright was the director of this movie, and he has maintained his position as one of my favorite directors. He constantly manages to make new and fresh ideas to movie-making and Scott Pilgrim was no exception to this. 5/5
- Script: I've already mentioned most of this section above, but I'll keep going. This movie featured a hilarious script, with loads of witty one-liners. 5/5
- Cast: This movie had actors that were well known, but didn't have a lot of roles under their belt. Never the less, they did a great job in keeping up with this break-neck speed movie. 5/5
- Plot: Well I can't give this a 5 only because it's not original. Only because it is based on a comic, so the writers didn't come up with this one on their own. Though I must tip my hat to Bryan O'Malley, the original writer of the comic. 4/5
Friday, August 13, 2010
DVD Release Kickass
Oh the age old question, "What do you want to watch tonight?" Well tonight's movie is Kick-ass. I actually saw this movie in theatres, but I had forgotten to write a review, so you get the DVD version. Sorry.
Synopsis: Have you ever asked " How hard could it be to be a superhero?". Well on one momentous day, Dave decides to act on it. After experiencing brief fame and success, he is riding on Cloud. But after a "mission" for a friend goes wrong, he is saved and intercepted by a much more serious duo, who turn out to be after a powerful drug lord. What originally, was an innocent attempt to be a superhero, has now turned out to be a violent spree of death and destruction.
Review: This movie was a splash in the face. I believe this movie represents a new, violent, and gory phase in the Superhero phase. I did thoroughly enjoy said movie, but I was disappointed in several aspects of this movie. First was the horribly misleading ad campaign. I was lead to believe this was an all out comedy, but I could not have been farther off. While It did have the occasional comedic quip, it was a violent and very serious movie. But this does not make it a bad movie, it was just unexpected.
B-b-b-breakdown
Acting: This movie featured several new stars, and I expect them to have a lot of roles in the future. The star of Kick-ass was Aaron Johnson, actually a British actor, but did a fantastic job at a nerdy, American boy. Though it did seem like he was acting very similar to Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland). Otherwise a fantastic job. 5/5
Directing: Kick-ass was directed by Matthew Vaughn, who has not directed much else, this being his first major role. This was a good movie, but I was disappointed with the highly typical character development, and misdirection. 4/5
Script: There was a new type of script to this movie, as it was vulgar and comedic. There was significant controversy behind Hit-Girl's dialogue, as there was much cursing, which disappointed me. The reason for this, is because it seemed like they were stooping to a 10 year old's humor. 4/5
Cast: As I'd said earlier, there was not a lot of stars in this movie. This being true, I was still not disappointed with the selected cast. They all managed to do a fantastic job, and were quite funny on many occasions. 5/5
Plot: This movie plot was not completely original, it was still well done, and provided many dark twists and turns. I must admit, I did not expect several of the plot changes, which pleased me. 5/5
Kick-Ass performed admirably with a 23/25. This is rather good, and it was a fresh page in the superhero genre. All in all, a good movie, and this is why I recommend it for your movie night.
Synopsis: Have you ever asked " How hard could it be to be a superhero?". Well on one momentous day, Dave decides to act on it. After experiencing brief fame and success, he is riding on Cloud. But after a "mission" for a friend goes wrong, he is saved and intercepted by a much more serious duo, who turn out to be after a powerful drug lord. What originally, was an innocent attempt to be a superhero, has now turned out to be a violent spree of death and destruction.
Review: This movie was a splash in the face. I believe this movie represents a new, violent, and gory phase in the Superhero phase. I did thoroughly enjoy said movie, but I was disappointed in several aspects of this movie. First was the horribly misleading ad campaign. I was lead to believe this was an all out comedy, but I could not have been farther off. While It did have the occasional comedic quip, it was a violent and very serious movie. But this does not make it a bad movie, it was just unexpected.
B-b-b-breakdown
Acting: This movie featured several new stars, and I expect them to have a lot of roles in the future. The star of Kick-ass was Aaron Johnson, actually a British actor, but did a fantastic job at a nerdy, American boy. Though it did seem like he was acting very similar to Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland). Otherwise a fantastic job. 5/5
Directing: Kick-ass was directed by Matthew Vaughn, who has not directed much else, this being his first major role. This was a good movie, but I was disappointed with the highly typical character development, and misdirection. 4/5
Script: There was a new type of script to this movie, as it was vulgar and comedic. There was significant controversy behind Hit-Girl's dialogue, as there was much cursing, which disappointed me. The reason for this, is because it seemed like they were stooping to a 10 year old's humor. 4/5
Cast: As I'd said earlier, there was not a lot of stars in this movie. This being true, I was still not disappointed with the selected cast. They all managed to do a fantastic job, and were quite funny on many occasions. 5/5
Plot: This movie plot was not completely original, it was still well done, and provided many dark twists and turns. I must admit, I did not expect several of the plot changes, which pleased me. 5/5
Kick-Ass performed admirably with a 23/25. This is rather good, and it was a fresh page in the superhero genre. All in all, a good movie, and this is why I recommend it for your movie night.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
DVD Release (The Losers)
Find yourself wondering, " Oh should I rent this movie?" " I don't know, I haven't heard anything about it". Well, now you will know. Tonight's movie, The Losers.
The Losers' theatrical release was April 9, 2010, and is just now coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Synopsis: After a team of mercenaries are sent out on a mission, they are framed by a mysterious man on the radio. The rest of the movie is them trying to exact revenge on this man. Sound familiar?
Review: Though this movie got mixed ratings, I thought it was fantastic. It was a fast paced, and violent movie, with a tinge of comedy. If you're in the mood for some good action, this movie will satisfy your hunger. Though the acting was mediocre, and the plot was, err, recycled. *Cough A-Team Cough*
B-b-breakdown
Acting: Well it was meh. Most of these actors starred in B movies, or didn't star at all, but they performed their best. Which is always admirable, but I want a good movie. 3/5
Directing: Sylvain White was the director, and has had almost no directing experience at all. Now this isn't a bad thing, every director has to start somewhere. Unfortunately, it is never good to start on a high profile action movie, based on a comic. He was unable to bring the comic to life, which was a disappointment. 3/5
Script: Though poorly directed, I was impressed with the humor in this movie. Mr. Sylvain managed to keep a constant stream of amusing quips and funny scenario. Admittedly, being funny, it was still not enough to counteract the cliched blurps or recycled material. 4/5
Cast: Most of the cast were no pros, like Keanu Reeves or anything, but they performed admirably. But this rating is for cast, and it wasn't that great. 4/5
Plot: This movie was based off of a comic, but even though the comic came out long before the movie, the movie came out now. This is a problem because the plot is old, repeated, and seen before. MEh. 3/5
So "The Losers" got a 17/25 . This isn't terrible, remember it is a point higher than "Alice in Wonderland" which I did not enjoy at all. I recommend renting it, but I wouldn't buy this movie, as you couldn't watch this more than once. So, check it out!
The Losers' theatrical release was April 9, 2010, and is just now coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Synopsis: After a team of mercenaries are sent out on a mission, they are framed by a mysterious man on the radio. The rest of the movie is them trying to exact revenge on this man. Sound familiar?
Review: Though this movie got mixed ratings, I thought it was fantastic. It was a fast paced, and violent movie, with a tinge of comedy. If you're in the mood for some good action, this movie will satisfy your hunger. Though the acting was mediocre, and the plot was, err, recycled. *Cough A-Team Cough*
B-b-breakdown
Acting: Well it was meh. Most of these actors starred in B movies, or didn't star at all, but they performed their best. Which is always admirable, but I want a good movie. 3/5
Directing: Sylvain White was the director, and has had almost no directing experience at all. Now this isn't a bad thing, every director has to start somewhere. Unfortunately, it is never good to start on a high profile action movie, based on a comic. He was unable to bring the comic to life, which was a disappointment. 3/5
Script: Though poorly directed, I was impressed with the humor in this movie. Mr. Sylvain managed to keep a constant stream of amusing quips and funny scenario. Admittedly, being funny, it was still not enough to counteract the cliched blurps or recycled material. 4/5
Cast: Most of the cast were no pros, like Keanu Reeves or anything, but they performed admirably. But this rating is for cast, and it wasn't that great. 4/5
Plot: This movie was based off of a comic, but even though the comic came out long before the movie, the movie came out now. This is a problem because the plot is old, repeated, and seen before. MEh. 3/5
So "The Losers" got a 17/25 . This isn't terrible, remember it is a point higher than "Alice in Wonderland" which I did not enjoy at all. I recommend renting it, but I wouldn't buy this movie, as you couldn't watch this more than once. So, check it out!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Other Guys
Well it's out, And even If you aren't A Will Ferrel Fan, chances are you are gonna like this one.
Synopsis: After the high profile cops of the precinct die in a completely avoidable accident, the opportunity to be the the new heroes of New York City arises, giving Will Ferrel and mark Wahlberg their opportunity. Unfortunately, after they blow a mud case out of proportion, things get complicated.
Review: Going in to this movie, I had mediocre faith. I mean, c'mon, after Wahlberg's disaster of a movie "The Happening", I don't think I could take him seriously. And Will Ferrel, though funny, he does the same thing in almost every movie, which is act ridiculous. But, I fear that my fears were ill-conceived. This movie was fresh and old at the same time. Mark and Will did a fantastic job, and in this case, Will Ferrel played the calm and understandable character in the movie. And It was absolutely fantastic.
B-b-b-reakdown
So "The Other Guys" got a 21/25, which is still a great score. It was marked down for its small cast, and basic plot. But otherwise, a great addition to a somewhat laugh-less summer. Sooo Go see it!
Synopsis: After the high profile cops of the precinct die in a completely avoidable accident, the opportunity to be the the new heroes of New York City arises, giving Will Ferrel and mark Wahlberg their opportunity. Unfortunately, after they blow a mud case out of proportion, things get complicated.
Review: Going in to this movie, I had mediocre faith. I mean, c'mon, after Wahlberg's disaster of a movie "The Happening", I don't think I could take him seriously. And Will Ferrel, though funny, he does the same thing in almost every movie, which is act ridiculous. But, I fear that my fears were ill-conceived. This movie was fresh and old at the same time. Mark and Will did a fantastic job, and in this case, Will Ferrel played the calm and understandable character in the movie. And It was absolutely fantastic.
B-b-b-reakdown
- Acting: Will Ferrel and Mark Wahlberg had the lead roles in this movie and did a great job. As mentioned earlier, I was worried that Mark would be a boring addition to this movie. But he did well, but he did play a very confused officer, which was hilarious. These two actors were featured so extensively, that almost all other actors were in shot for maybe 5 minutes at a time. But the chemistry, or lack there of, balanced it out. 5/5
- Script: There were tons of laughs in this movie, but none of them were flat out jokes. In fact, most of it was ironic situation, but it was hilarious. 5/5
- Directing: Adam McKay was the director of The Other Guys, along with every other Will Ferrel movie ever. Okay, maybe not every other movie, but he has directed 7 movies so far( Anchorman, Talladega Nights), and they all have Will in them. So they do know each other, and not only was it a funny movie, but the action was well done. Although, there were some attention to details he missed. 4/5
- Cast: Well, I had already said it, but there wasn't a lot too this movie. They had some other people, but only for minutes in total. Though they did a good job, it would've been nice to see some fresh faces. 4/5
- Plot: This is just another underdog story, where the people you don't expect to do well actually do well. 3/5
So "The Other Guys" got a 21/25, which is still a great score. It was marked down for its small cast, and basic plot. But otherwise, a great addition to a somewhat laugh-less summer. Sooo Go see it!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Predators
This is a little outdated, but I still wanna do the review.
Synopsis: A group of elite killers find themselves on an alien planet that they find out is also a game reserve. Once the hunting begins, the problems escalate exponentially, and it turns in to every man to himself.
Review: This movie turned out to be an exciting update to the Predator series, especially since the horrific atrocity called Alien versus Predator. This movie was gory, but in a beautiful way. It was elegant and gruesome. The main character was heartless and calculating, and some other characters brought some exciting twists in. Also, extra points are awarded for making references to the original movie.
B-b-b-reakdown
Acting: This movie featured 7 heartless people who they themselves were hunters. They all did a great job showing a terrified but violent class of hunters. Although, I was disappointed with some of the forced emotion, and predictable character development. 4/5
Script: I was happy with the ominous undertones, mixed with hints of complete hopelessness. Also, there were many direct quotes from the original Predator, and references to it as well. 5/5
Directing: Predators was directed by Nimród Antal, a little known director, with only 3 other movies under his belt, most of which were unsuccessful (Armored). The directing was nothing fantastic, but this movie was salvaged by the acting abilities. 4/5
Cast: I was impressed with the unknown director but the almost all-star cast. It had some of the greats like Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Danny Trejo (Con Air), and Adrien Brody (King Kong).Laurence played an insane veteran of the planet, where Adrien Brody played a merciless mercenary, keen on survival. A surprising fantastic performance by Topher Grace (Eric, that 70's show), who plays a comedic, supposedly misplaced doctor.5/5
Plot: The plot was obviously not new, but was a fantastic adaptation of an old story. 4/5
It got a 22/25, it's downfalls being it's old plot, and cheesy character development. I still recommend seeing it.
Synopsis: A group of elite killers find themselves on an alien planet that they find out is also a game reserve. Once the hunting begins, the problems escalate exponentially, and it turns in to every man to himself.
Review: This movie turned out to be an exciting update to the Predator series, especially since the horrific atrocity called Alien versus Predator. This movie was gory, but in a beautiful way. It was elegant and gruesome. The main character was heartless and calculating, and some other characters brought some exciting twists in. Also, extra points are awarded for making references to the original movie.
B-b-b-reakdown
Acting: This movie featured 7 heartless people who they themselves were hunters. They all did a great job showing a terrified but violent class of hunters. Although, I was disappointed with some of the forced emotion, and predictable character development. 4/5
Script: I was happy with the ominous undertones, mixed with hints of complete hopelessness. Also, there were many direct quotes from the original Predator, and references to it as well. 5/5
Directing: Predators was directed by Nimród Antal, a little known director, with only 3 other movies under his belt, most of which were unsuccessful (Armored). The directing was nothing fantastic, but this movie was salvaged by the acting abilities. 4/5
Cast: I was impressed with the unknown director but the almost all-star cast. It had some of the greats like Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Danny Trejo (Con Air), and Adrien Brody (King Kong).Laurence played an insane veteran of the planet, where Adrien Brody played a merciless mercenary, keen on survival. A surprising fantastic performance by Topher Grace (Eric, that 70's show), who plays a comedic, supposedly misplaced doctor.5/5
Plot: The plot was obviously not new, but was a fantastic adaptation of an old story. 4/5
It got a 22/25, it's downfalls being it's old plot, and cheesy character development. I still recommend seeing it.
Inception
Alright, before I begini must apologize for not posting. I will be posting about 3 more reviews in the next few hours, so be patient. And thanks for reading
Synopsis: A military program creates a device that allows people to enter the sub-conscious of a dreamer. A team of professional thieves use this device to steal things like trade secrets, and sell them to large corporations. When a man wants these thieves to plant an idea in a mans mind to destroy a corporation, things become incredibly complicated.
Review: An absolutely mind-blowing movie. Christopher Nolan creates another movie that makes you think about the way the human mind works. This movie makes you question reality itself, and this is primarily achieved with incredible effects, and stunning performances by both Leonardo DiCaprio AND Ellen Page.
B-b-b-reakdown
Acting: The cast in the movie provided a highly suspenseful, nail-biting movie with pure and raw emotion. Leonardo did a fantastic job in providing a man with a horrific and troubled past. 5/5
Script: This story was fresh and new, originally proposed 10 years ago with an 80 page script on defending from dreams. Watching this movie constantly reminded me of The Matrix, as well as several types of time traveling movies. So if you are easily confused, I wouldn't recommend this movie. 5/5
Directing: I've already said the Christopher Nolan directed this movie. Yes, we're talking about the same man who directed The Dark Knight, one of the darkest and most successful movies ever created. Mr. Nolan did a fantastic job in convincing the audience that things were dire, and keeping you on the very edge of your seat. 5/5
Cast:As mentioned earlier, this movie has an outstanding cast. Ellen Page plays a highly intuitive architect, and Leonardo DiCaprio brings a genius with a troubled past to the table. Christopher Nolan also brought back Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy, both of which were in the first Batman Movie. 5/5
Plot: A fantastic, and new idea, never before seen or heard of. 5/5
Alright so it got a 25/25 but this is one of the best movies of the year. I think I did a skimpy job on this review, but I tried very hard to not repeat myself, or give away anything, because I do not want to give anything away. GO SEE THIS MOVIE>
Synopsis: A military program creates a device that allows people to enter the sub-conscious of a dreamer. A team of professional thieves use this device to steal things like trade secrets, and sell them to large corporations. When a man wants these thieves to plant an idea in a mans mind to destroy a corporation, things become incredibly complicated.
Review: An absolutely mind-blowing movie. Christopher Nolan creates another movie that makes you think about the way the human mind works. This movie makes you question reality itself, and this is primarily achieved with incredible effects, and stunning performances by both Leonardo DiCaprio AND Ellen Page.
B-b-b-reakdown
Acting: The cast in the movie provided a highly suspenseful, nail-biting movie with pure and raw emotion. Leonardo did a fantastic job in providing a man with a horrific and troubled past. 5/5
Script: This story was fresh and new, originally proposed 10 years ago with an 80 page script on defending from dreams. Watching this movie constantly reminded me of The Matrix, as well as several types of time traveling movies. So if you are easily confused, I wouldn't recommend this movie. 5/5
Directing: I've already said the Christopher Nolan directed this movie. Yes, we're talking about the same man who directed The Dark Knight, one of the darkest and most successful movies ever created. Mr. Nolan did a fantastic job in convincing the audience that things were dire, and keeping you on the very edge of your seat. 5/5
Cast:As mentioned earlier, this movie has an outstanding cast. Ellen Page plays a highly intuitive architect, and Leonardo DiCaprio brings a genius with a troubled past to the table. Christopher Nolan also brought back Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy, both of which were in the first Batman Movie. 5/5
Plot: A fantastic, and new idea, never before seen or heard of. 5/5
Alright so it got a 25/25 but this is one of the best movies of the year. I think I did a skimpy job on this review, but I tried very hard to not repeat myself, or give away anything, because I do not want to give anything away. GO SEE THIS MOVIE>
Sunday, June 20, 2010
TOY STORY 3!!!
I waited 11 years for this movie to come out and dear god it was well worth the wait.
Synopsis:(Spoiler Alert) As expected, Andy has aged and grown away from his toys, and is now 18 and headed to college. While packing up, he finds his old toys. During a coincidental set of events, the toys are almost thrown away. Indignant at this event, though an accident, they decide to be donated to a daycare. Upon arriving, they soon realize their dream come true is a complete nightmare. From then on, they try to escape from their prison.
Review: I LOVE THIS MOVIE! I love Toy Story. I grew up with Toy Story, I had all the toys, my first words were from the movie, and i can still quote the whole thing. And the third movie was just as amazing as the previous 2. The acting was fantastic, and the emotion was pure and beautiful. This movie almost put me to tears, and it put adults around me to tears. This is undoubtedly the greatest movie of this decade, and the previous decade as well. I will never forget just how amazing this movie is. Now, I have been informed the 3d was amazingly immersive, and that you forget you were wearing the glasses. Now I haven't seen it in 3d yet, But I am going to now. Let's see the breakdown.
Acting: Well, It's voice acting, but it is still amazing!! Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are still as amazing as ever as well as bringing in new actors like Michael Keaton and Ned Beatly. 6/5
Script: This movie maintains it's amazing script. It's witty, it's funny, and it contains beautiful raw emotion that makes you cry. 6/5
Directing: Lee Unkrich, who was basically the director of almost every Pixar movie ever. He has really outdone himself this time. 6/5
Cast: Well I sort of gave it away up there, but It's still amazing. The actors were great, and they brought in many new ones. On the down side, they lost actors too, like Bo-Peep, and Wheezy. (Wheezy's voice actor, Joe Ranft, actually died in a car accident), but the movie was still amazing.6/5
Plot: Well, Pixar has always had the most imaginative plots to have graced the movie industry, and they have yet to fail us. So, 6/5
So overall this movie got a 30/25, which I know is unfair, but this movie was just beautiful. The emotion, the animation, the acting all joined together for the greatest movie combination I've seen.
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