Quick Movie Reviews: Volume Four
Here are a few more quickie reviews(Other editions: Volume One, Volume Two, and Volume Three) Journey to the Center of the EarthPros: Interesting and visually stimulating re-imagining of all the mythology surrounding Jules Verne’s book of the same name. A movie that will likely grab the younger audience more than the adults. Good message too.Cons: 3D is overrated and you can completely skip the 3D component of this film. Not a perfect film by a long shot and could have used with a more solid initial grounding of all the major issues of the story. Had a bit of a TV movie feel in the beginning.Rating: 3/5 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorPros: Most of the important characters are back and some good action sequences.Cons: Too many to list. Of most importance are the replacing of Rachel Weisz with a person who looks and acts nothing remotely the same to the Eve that we’re familiar with, a highly disappointing showdown between Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li, too much obvious CGI, poor story, and annoying inconsistencies and chemistry between the actors. A deliciously flawed film that probably shouldn’t have been made.Rating: 1/5 Tropic ThunderPros: A pretty funny film. Robert Downey, Jr. pulls off one of the goofiest roles I’ve seen in the last few years and Matthew McConaughey is actually enjoyable. A great look into the flawed lives of famous actors.Cons: Ben Stiller is Ben Stiller…again.Rating: 3/5 Saw VPros: Yet another interconnected and gory terror fest. Probably the best thing about this series is how every single addition somehow fits into the overall story.Cons: Not nearly as good as the first few and probably an early marker that this series needs to end soon.Rating: 3/5 NextPros: An interesting take on a Philip K. Dick story with one hell of a twist that most people will hate, but I ended up loving. Rarely does a movie make me go “what the frak?” in a good way. If you like scifi, weirdness, and interesting themes around a person’s moral responsibilities, then this is for you.Cons: It is Nicholas Cage, who tends to be the same person over and over. This is one of his more enjoyable films, to be honest. It also unfortunately falls pray to its own fascinating devices.Rating: 3.25/5 That’s it for now!
Quick Movie Reviews: Volume Three
Yet another batch of quickie reviews for all my lovely readers. Hopefully some of these reviews will help you in your Christmas shopping! (Other editions: Volume One, Volume Two, Volume Four) Be Kind RewindPros: Cute story and had some funny moments. Certainly a good comedy for an older generation that is tired of the slapstick/filthy comedic genre.Cons: Not nearly as funny as the previews made it seem to be. It was more of a nostalgic-comedy in the vein of Sideways. I expected more slapstick and not the deeper feel of this film, which is more a problem with marketing than with the film itself.Rating: 2.5/5 DoomsdayPros: Probably the only film I’ve seen that portrays cannibalism realistically. Lots of action and scifi. Violent and generally interesting. It’s a good attempt at revitalizing the post-apocalyptic genre.Con: Suffers from “get an actress that looks like another popular badass character” syndrome. Rhona Mitra looks exactly like Kate Beckingsale from the Underworld franchise. The story loses some of its luster after about halfway through and some of the actors chosen for the roles made me question the overall film.Rating: 2.5/5 The Forbidden KingdomPros: One of the only Americanized kung fu movies that successfully capture the nostalgia that comes with the territory without sacrificing the story. Plenty of magic and intrigue to go around too. Did for this genre what Bulletproof Monk failed to do.Cons: It’s not a perfect film, and it certainly gives you all those moral, happy-the-dweeb-main-character-grew-up moments that we let Karate Kid get away with.Rating: 4/5 Get SmartPros: Had it’s moments of sheer brilliance and captured decently the more comical side of the super spy life.Cons: Steve Carell is good, but I think he is sometimes a little much and this film did drag at times due to some of his performances.Rating: 3/5 WantedPros: The action was excellent and James McAvoy is by far one of the best young actors of this day and age. I was amazed at how well he pulled together all the varying aspects of his transformation from total loser to badass assassin.Cons: Angelina Jolie needs to stop making films where she plays the sexy woman. The one nude scene in the film featured an aging Jolie and I was reminded of an elderly woman. Other than that, nothing wrong with this flick.Rating: 4/5
Movie Review: Bolt
Pixar better start looking over their shoulders because there’s a new company… … well… an old company is coming back to regain it’s throne in animation… Actually no, Pixar has nothing to worry about, but Disney can however hold it’s head up in pride that they have finally brought themselves up from the pit of despair and death that they were quickly digging up for themselves. Bolt is the story of a young little puppy that was adopted by a girl voiced by Miley Cyrus (Bolt himself is voiced by John Travolta), who turns out to be the star of a hit TV show called BOLT. In this show Bolt has been genetically engineered to protect Penny (Cyrus) at all costs. He has heat vision, incredible speed, and even a super bark. Each episode Penny and Bolt are running from danger from “The Green Eyed Man” and his cat, while they have Penny’s father imprisoned and attempt to get Penny as well and they end up defeating everyone in their path and going away happily ever after and safe…… despite the fact that the father is always under capture by The Green Eyed Man… and his cat. At the end of each episode Bolt is quickly taken to his trailer where he remains until the next episode begins shooting because to Bolt the entire setup and premise of the show is completely real. He truly believes that he is a super dog and the Penny is in constant danger, and as a result all of the other animals on the set make fun of him for it, thought he doesn’t know what they’re playing at. One day, at the pressuring of those god damned TV Executives, the episode needs to get less happy and it ends in a cliffhanger with Penny captured and Bolt unable to save her. After the episode is finished Penny desperately tries to return to Bolt to ensure him of her safety but no one will allow it until he saves her in the next episode, which he never makes it to. Bolt becomes so furious that he lost Penny that he breaks out of his trailer and is set forth, eventually being knocked out and shipped from Hollywood to good old New York City, where, upon discovering that his powers have suddenly stopped working, he takes a cat hostage under the urging of some cat-handled pigeons who mean business. He tells the cat (Mittens voiced by Susie Essman) that she must take him to the Green Eyed Man (because he has a cat… so all cats work for him… Bolt has a strange mind… but it’s an interesting ride none the less.) who has Penny hostage so that he can save her. Mittens does not agree but is tied to Bolt’s leash so is forced to go along on the ride, especially after he threatens to drop her off of a bridge, and realizes that Bolt is a dog from Hollywood, and not only that, but that he is the star of an action TV show and he doesn’t even know it. Basically that’s the movie, with Bolt, Mittens, and eventually a hamster… or gerbil… … named Rhino (voiced by Mark Walton) go off on a journey to find and rescue Penny. If it’s not obvious from the beginning that The three will become friends and everything will work out perfectly in the end then you obviously missed the logo at the beginning of the movie, but it’s perfectly acceptable as a whole product. Travolta gives a great performance as Bolt who, while he may have a plot line so close to Buzz Lightyear that you could almost feel the detached limb coming for a while, is an endearing little character who won’t truly annoy parents and who you won’t mind watching for an hour and a half. Susie Essman and Mark Walton also give great performances, and even Cyrus who, probably because I’m not a thirteen year old girl who’s now into the Jonas Brothers, I’m not so crazy about turns in a fine performance as a young girl concerned for the whereabouts of her poor puppy. Overall the movie is above average, excellent when compared to recent Disney movies… what was the last great disney movie that has come out? Chicken Little was a train wreck heading for a nuclear power plant that was built over an ancient Indian burial site from the beginning, even though it was a first attempt. Meet The Robinsons was acceptable, but nothing exceptional. Bolt truly is one of Disney’s finest movies of the last couple of years, unless I’m forgetting something major here (and please don’t count Pixar movies as Disney). The animation is great, almost on par with Pixar, (Disney still is a rookie in that area after all, hopefully they won’t get too used to it seeing as how I still miss my 2-D animated movies where they will always reign majestically) and the voice acting doesn’t seem too obnoxious, or star focused (*cough* dreamworks /*cough*). The plot line may seem a bit cliché but it is fast paced and you never really find yourself getting bored. Bolt is a sweet story that will have you laughing and smiling throughout the movie, and maybe have you feeling a little pull at the heart strings during the last act of the movie… maybe. All in all I give Bolt a well deserved 4/5. Disney may be on it’s way back.
Quick Movie Reviews: Volume Two
A few more quick reviews for you all, just in time for the holiday crunch. (Other editions: Volume One, Volume Three, Volume Four) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullPros: Indian Jones + Harrison Ford + Stephen Spielberg. Need I say more? The story did a good job, for the most part, of keeping with the feel of the originals, which is good.Cons: I think they took it one step too far by actually having an alien spaceship show up. I think the ending would have been better if they had left some of the mystery, you know? Don’t show us a spaceship, just have the temple crash or something and leave us to decide whether they were really aliens or just weird statues. Also, too much CG, and I’m getting tired of Lucas using it for everything. Stop it, Lucas.Rating: 3.25/5 HancockPros: Will Smith + drunk + super-hero. Good graphics, decent story, and I really enjoyed this one despite what the critics have said.Cons: I think the major plot point came a little out of left field and I was left wondering what exactly had happened or who Hancock really was.Rating: 3.5/5 Rambo (2008)Pros: This testosterone infused Stallone film takes me back to the days of the original Rambo flicks. Lots of action and people being killed by the still muscular and manly Rambo.Cons: While it’s nice that it hearkens back to the good ole days, it does leave much to be desired. There wasn’t anything necessarily “new” about this movie, and that’s one of the problems. I don’t think I fully know who Rambo is at this point.Rating: 3/5 SickoPros: Disturbing, thoughtful, and important. As much as you might hate Michael Moore for his methods of manipulating things to serve his personal agenda, you can’t fault him for pointing out the ugliness of a flawed health system. This film is perhaps one of the most important “documentaries” on America’s progressive failures in matters of human rights.Cons: Well, it’s Michael Moore. We all know how he can manipulate things to fit what he wants to say. A lot of important points are ignored, such as the flaws in universal health care systems in other industrialized nations. Those missing points would have helped make his film more rounded and honest to the entirety of the issue.Rating: 4/5 The Spiderwick ChroniclesPros: Good graphics, decent plot, and overall a very compelling children’s fantasy adventure. One of the better of its genre in the last few years.Cons: Potentially scary for a younger audience and could have used some tightening in the story.Rating: 3.5/5
Quick Movie Reviews: Volume One
Quickie reviews are basically shortened, basic reviews with a rating of movies that have already come out and gone from the theaters in the last year or so. This is my way of playing catch up basically. (Other editions: Volume Two, Volume Three, Volume Four) Here Goes. Iron ManPros: Lots of action, decent storyline, and Robert Downey, Jr. is awesome. Plus, it’s actually a well put together action flick.Cons: It’s a little predictable at times, but generally speaking I don’t see anything really wrong with it. Surprisingly, I think it’s one of the more “perfect” super-hero/Marvel flicks.Rating: 4.5/5 Pineapple ExpressPros: James Franco plays a stoner and hilarity ensues. I laughed out loud a few times, which is good when I’m home by myself.Cons: A little long. About 2/3rds in the film started to drag a bit. I think they could have cut out about 20 minutes and it would have flowed better.Rating: 3/5 The Hulk (2008)Pros: Better than the Ang Lee version, but only because it’s an entirely different take on the green giant. Lots of good action, good characterization, and much better chemistry between Banner and Ms. Ross.Cons: Still falls prey to the annoying overuse of CG, primarily because there are two monstrous guys this time instead of one. Not much of a fan of Tim Roth in this one, but then again, I’m not usually a fan of Tim Roth.Rating: 3/5 Hellboy II: The Golden ArmyPros: Better than the first. I think they were smart to step back from the CG this time around because it helps make the film more authentic and visually stimulating. Hellboy is also awesome.Cons: The reduction in CG also meant that certain characters looking more “fake,” like in the first one where you could tell that mechanical puppetry was used. It’s slight in this film, but noticeable. Minor acting flaws with the bad guy, too.Rating: 3/5 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianPros: A huge improvement from the first film. The kids have really come into their own and the story is well put together here. Excellent action, dialogue, and direction.Cons: I didn’t like the ending as much as in the first film. It’s not bad and I imagine it comes from the book, but I’m generally uninterested in deus ex machina. Still, the movie is damn good.Rating: 4/5 There you have it! More to come in the near future.
Movie Review: Quantum of Solace
James Bond has returned! Wait, no, I’m sorry that’s not Bond. It seems that director Marc Forster believes the best direction to take the Bond series is down the Jason Bourne route, (I know you all are probably tired of all the Bourne Bond comparisons, but they’re there for a reason so you’ll have to suffer through another one), which I don’t think is the best way for the series to go, and I know I’m not alone here. Quantum of Solace is the sequel to the incredible franchise reboot Casino Royale (Which I liked better than superhero reboot Batman Begins), which I see as one of the best in the series, and brings back Daniel Craig as the suave, clean cut, drinking spy we all know and love… Wait, go back, what I meant to say was brings back Daniel Craig as the sometimes suave, beaten, drinking action star that emerged in the last film. QoS also brings forth a new bond girl in the form of Olga Kurylenko, and favorite returning character M played by Judi Dench. The movie starts off almost immediately where Royale left off with Bond racing down a mountainside with a criminal in his trunk ready to be interrogated. This starts off the first action sequence as cars go flying off cliffs and running into very large trucks. When he finally sits down alongside M to interrogate Mr. White, as he is known, he finds out that White is a part of a secret organization and finds it incredible that MI6 knows nothing about them. He laughs telling them that they have people EVERYWHERE, at which point a traitor emerges and sets Mr. White free to run away which starts off another chase scene.The whole movie is pretty much one big long chase with Bond going after… something. In the beginning he is looking for Vesper’s (The bond girl from Royale who drowned, after betraying Bond) boyfriend to get some answers, but he gets sidetracked to a plot concerning a girl called Camille (Kurylenko) trying to kill him, and then a man called Dominic Greene (Mathieu Almaric) trying to kill her by sending her onto a boat where there is a General who killed Camille’s family, who she is now intending to avenge. Now that’s a long way to say that pretty much everyone wants to kill everyone, but wait, there’s more. It turns out that Dominic Greene has a secret plan to possibly control oil in South America, and he’s even getting help from those damn American CIA agents.You can tell from that small plot summary that this movie is going to have it’s themes spread throughout revenge and trust, and while that’s true it’s not exactly a point Forster focuses on too much. Sure you get Bond sulking for a couple of scenes, and trying to do anything to get what he wants, but it never truly feels real. This is not a movie trying to explain what revenge does to the human soul, or how trust can sometimes be manipulated. No, this is a movie about visually active action scenes put down on a mat with a thin plot wire holding them together. It is seen as a thin wire because by the end of the movie you don’t really care about Greene’s evil plan (which is much smaller in scale than what is first assumed). The whole movie you’re just waiting for the next action scene to start. There are a couple of sentimental moments, and even a few true Bond moments spread throughout the scene, but overall this is just your standard Hollywood explosion film with a just an extra small hint of style and dignity. Now there are some things that Quantum of Solace gets right, one of which is Daniel Craig. Craig is by far one of the best Bonds (beaten only by Connery) and this performance is great, even though he doesn’t have much to work with. When he’s given the chance he shines, and that’s all we can ask for from him. The movie is also fast paced for the most part so you never really feel bored, but honestly there just feels like there’s too much missing from this film. To start off they bring in way too many characters. At the end you don’t care about any of the new ones introduced, or the ones brought back. They bring in so many characters that the new “Bond Girl” only gets around fifteen to twenty minutes of screen time. (That is of course a guess, but I can tell you that she wasn’t there long.) My biggest gripe though, is of course what I mentioned in the beginning. People need to realize that this is not an action film, Bond is a spy. He kills when he has too, but he does not enjoy doing it. Violence is an itch that James Bond hates to scratch. He sneaks, he listens, he saves the girl, he has one liners for everything, and he wears suits 99% of the time. He also uses gadgets Forster! Bond has watch lasers, and cell phone grappling hooks, he started that trend, and in over two hours of watching Solace I never caught a glimpse of the slightest bit of technology being used by Bond.Overall the movie itself isn’t bad. The acting is as good as you can accept it to be with Craig giving his all and everyone else doing the best they can with what they have, especially Judi Dench, but that’s practically a given. The direction is going to get points off from me, possibly unfairly, but the blame for this new Bond will fall on Forster and his screenwriters from me. I do not like where they are taking this new Bond and hopefully they will remedy this and bring us a third movie that’s on par with Royale. The screenwriting is just like above, but they get even more points taken off for the