Shannon's Cinematic Reviews

I really liked this movie. I thought it was lots of fun and very well made. A very colourful film that was fantastically written, well cast and original. Im not much of a fan of Megan Fox, but she was perfect in this role. A great concept mashing together a teen high school flick with a horror film and delightfully executed.

This sequel was horrendous. As predicted, Kristen Stewart was as flat as always, Rob Pattinson was not up to his usual standards, the plot was tedious for the most part and the story was predictable, vague, and unoriginal. So what did I like about the film? I was impressed with Taylor Lautner - he showed that he has real potential as an actor and certainly carried Kristen Stewart. The character development between Jacob and Bella as well as the development of Jacobs back story was what stood out in this movie as well as the blossoming relationship between Bella and her dad and with the Cullen's. One thing that was a credit to this film was the dramatic portrayal of Bella's heartache when Edward leaves her. The audience is truly able to feel this pain in its entirety.
I had been really looking forward to this film and had expected it to be far better developed than the first instalment, but I was disappointed with the overall production of the film and its story and feel quite nervous about seeing its 3rd instalment.

I thought this film was really well made and wonderfully written but was let down by its savage casting. Swank was unconvincing in her role and although it was a fair effort, she failed to capture the enigma of Amelia. I couldn't help but feel that the lack of energy in this film could have been overcome with the casting of a more suitable leading lady. I am reminded of Amy Adam' interpretation of Amilia Earhart and how much life she bought to the character in Battle of the Smithsonian. I also felt that Richard Gere was also mis-cast in this film, believing that the role should have gone to someone a little younger with less of a calming screen presence. I did feel That Ewan McGregor was one of the few that were rightly cast in this film and was impressed with his performance in this supporting role. My overall opinion is that this was a good film that could have been brilliant if it had better suited actors.

I am writing this as someone who has not read the book on which this film is based. I thought this movie was brilliant. It was raw, emotive, passionate, sensual, seductive, dramatic and everything else it should be. The script was superbly written and sensationally executed. The cast were phenomenal and the story was fulfilling. I had my doubts going into this film after reading a few negative reviews, but I honestly don't think those people were watching the same film. I was immensely impressed with this film and am sure that will enjoy it just as much the next time around.

This movie was awesome. It was creepy, thrilling, enticing and contained underlying biblical mythology cleverly interwoven into the storyline. It was was well directed, with intended fear and fright produced with suspense and calm rather than Hollywood's typical gore and special effects. Though I still feel that Renee Zellwegar was miscast in this role, she did better than I had expected. Though I think she should stick to her usual rom-coms and leave the thriller/horror genres to those who do it best. It is Zellweger's bleak performance that demands I give this film less than a perfect rating.

This movie was slightly Bizzar. Though Cameron Diaz's accent was less than convincing, the story was interesting, edgy and intriguing and has the feel of a Hitchcock film. The movie then took a strange twist around the third quarter and became a sci-fi-esque based story. That quality quickly settle and it become an almost religious feature telling the story of humanity. I have very mixed feeling about this film, at times it was brilliant and at others it was nothing more than strange. For this reason, I have no choice but to give it an average rating. You will need to see this film and make up your own mind on it.

This is very successful comedy, oh hang on, it was a horror movie? Unlike the original film, this sequel relied too heavily on gore to scare its audience and failed miserably. Sure it grossed you out, but it was so unrealistic that the audience burst into fits of laughter, rather than vivid screams as was the intent. This movie has a real feel of 'Hollywood got to and ruined this one'. If you loved The Descent, then don't ruin it by seeing this atrocious sequel.

Whilst watching this movie I went through a range of feelings towards it. My first impression was that it was badly edited. I also felt that Jackson fans would be disappointed by the quality of the films footage, particularly scenes that were projected on a partial screen. Eventually the editing improved and majority of the footage presented in full screen and of a much better clarity. The film reminds us why Jackson is the king of pop and offers fans a rare glimpse of his true character and not just of his stage persona. We were treated as an audience to viewing what would have been a mighty and spectacular stage show. The film was a little long for me and could have been comfortably cut by around 20 minutes, though being the last footage of the man whilst alive, im certain fans will prefer its current length.

This movie is serious fun. Drew Barrymore has, in my opinion, proved herself as a director with her début. As for Ellen Paige, just when you thought she had shown us the best work she can do, she comes out with a delightful performance in her new leading role. The supporting cast were also sensational. This movie was full of action, innocent romances and life time adventures. I had been highly anticipating this film and it did not disappoint!

This is a rare find in the sci-fi genre. It is superbly written and well executed. Sam Rockwell was sensational in his multi-faceted role. Elegant yet terrifying, this movie will plunge you into the darkest depths of science and awaken you to the terrifying reality of what the future may hold for humanity. A must see film, even for those of you, who like myself, are not a fan of the genre.

Ok, so this isn't exactly a spectacular, cinematic experience, but what it is, is a lot of fun. This is one of those great romantic comedies that will be enjoyed by both the guys and the girls. Its fun, witty and well played out. This is a cliche but good old fashioned date movie. There hasn't been one in a while, so if your looking for that perfect movie that your both going to enjoy - make it this one.

Although slow to begin with, the dop has made up for with stunningly beautiful cinematography. Once this movie kick in, it becomes exceptionally dark and forbidding, something that has not really been explored in Australian cinema before. Though there is not a lot of dialogue nor much action, it is what is not said that makes this movie so powerful. What the film does show is a feast for the eyes and graphic scenes that will be burnt onto your brain. This movie really does draw its audience into the depths of the films environment and entices the audience to experience the characters rather than simply watching them. This is a movie that can really only be viewed on the big screen, watching it on dvd is sure to loose the films intensity. This movie will re-define the way you look at Australian cinema.

I have mixed feeling about this moive. On one hand, I thought that JGL was fantastic and the storyline was rather quiry and entertaining. I feel it could have been produced a lot better, it was rather tedious and it was very easy for the audience to disengage from the film. After watching Zooey Deschanel in this movie, I'm starting to wonder if she even has the ability to play other types of characters besides the quirky love interest of the main character. Over all this wasn't a bad movie, but I don't think it was particularly great film either, which is such a shame because I was really looking forward to this one too. On thing I'm certain of is that is didn't deserve to to be officially selected at Sundance.

Although it is brilliant that there is finally a documentary of this nature being released into mainstream cinema, it was not as well developed as I had hoped. The music took a vast majority of the screen time and caused the message of the film to be lost in it. Also, by featuring quite a few unknown musicians performing songs directly to the camera and showing very few images of the story they were telling, I feel it lost its connection with the audience, causing them to become restless and even bored to some extent. This film had the potential to stir strong and confronting emotions in its audience and educate the population on a very series issue that is happening right under their noses. Instead, I left the auditorium feeling like a had just come out of a semi-political musical documentary. All in all I found this film to be less that inspiring.

As predicted, this was a completely cliche teen horror film. A sort of cross between I know what you did last summer, scream and Jawbreaker, this movie, whilst slightly entertaining, it predictable until the very end. Sure to please the teeny-bopper horror buffs!

Well this was a lot better than I had expected. The story in poignant and the characters are lovable. The journey is both exciting and emotionally fulfilling. The story and character development was basic but in no way lacking. Surprisingly this movie contained one of the funniest on screen moments id seen in years. The movie was a little slow at times and probable could have had a few minutes shaved off, but all in all, this was a pretty damn good Australian film.

This movie was simply awful. It was flat and its storyline lacked substance. It felt like far too much effort went into creating the stand up material (not that it was fantastic) and the character movies. Yes it did have some funny moments, but it was also over sexualised and used a heck of a lot of unnecessary profanities. Seth Rogan was pretty good, though it certainly wasn't his best work. Eric Bana was the light of this movie and certainly deserved more screen time. It was his performance that was the glue in this movie. Adam Sandler was flat and predictable, as were the remainder of his co-stars. I wouldnt waste my time watching this movie unless your a die hard Sandler or Rogan fan, and even then, id wait for the dvd.

I personally found this movie to be over-rated. It wasn't quite as colourful as I expected it to to be - especially considering this is a Pixar film. It was cute and funny at times and certainly had a lot of adventure, but I found the themes to be a little to dark and complicated for most small children. The movie seemed to drag somewhat despite its adventurous efforts. I left this movie feeling somewhat flat when I felt I should have been delighted.

This was a brilliant story, even if they embellished the truth a little. Imelda Staunton deserves a mention here for her amazing performance. The script was well developed as were the characters. The movie was made in such a way that you were able to feel and get a true sense of what is was like to bear witness to this historic even and participate in the festival, despite the movie opting not to screen any of the world famous concert itself. I feel the movie was around 20 minutes too long and as such the movie did drag a little in places. This movie is still quite entertaining and worth a watch if you remember the events of this era or have an interest in said period.

How to describe a film like this. It is equal parts cinematic genius and complete madness. It is confronting and shocking. For the most part it was brilliant and then there where times when all you could think was WTF!? Willem Dafoe was fantastic but Charlotte Gainsbourg annoyed me for majority of the film - though she was excellent in the last chapter. There is no mistaking that Lars Von Trier has some serious issues. Thinking back on the movie - the story is a complete failure and doesn't even seem to make any sense but for some bizarre reason this seems to be unnoticed by its audience whilst watching it unfold. This movie is definitely not for everyone, most people will probably find it to confronting to watch - but if you can handle the madness, I recommend that you watch this film if given the opportunity to do so.