| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar - PG-13 |
It has been 12 years since Cameron unleashed the phenomenon that was Titanic and real fans would have to look as far back as 1991's Terminator 2 for their last proper dose of his incredibly epic action (True Lies, while fun, really doesn't count). So the anticipation for Avatar has long since reached fever pitch and beyond.
Thankfully for the patient masses, Avatar has turned out to be the biggest and best event movie of the year, perhaps the decade. The story is pure Cameron simplicity ? a paraplegic ex-marine is given a chance to walk again through the use of a unique alien body, called an Avatar. It is his job to gain the trust of the natives so that a greedy corporation can steal the precious metal from their lush moon. Jake's (Sam Worthington) crippled main character is the perfect point of contact for the audience ? not only is he new to the visual delights of Pandora but his disability means that every moment in his Avatar body is one of glorious freedom from the confinement of his chair. When the Corporations intentions become more sinister, Jake must choose between his new found place with the natives and his own race and fight for what he believes in. Avatar combines parts of Pocahontas and Braveheart with a liberal dose of Space Marines into an epic whole that takes nearly three full hours to unfold. We could criticise that length, the weak story and the hammy dialogue. We could attack its thinly-veiled ecological message or the frankly bizarre spirituality in its second half but honestly nothing can spoil the experience while you are enveloped in it. And a large part of that is down to the brilliant use of 3D ? which is both subtle and incredibly effective. Til now, we have been making movies with 3D elements, Avatar is the first truly 3D film and might well prove to be one of the most significant things to happen to blockbuster film-making since Star Wars. Cameron is also pushing the envelope with truly photo-real CG ? something which has been promised for years but has finally been delivered with Avatar. The interactions of the characters with the environment is incredible and the detail on the faces of the motion-captured leads (Worthington and Star Trek's Zoe Saldana) bring them to life. You will believe totally in their performances, representing another quantum leap in tools which have rarely been used for anything other than spectacle. Make no mistake, Avatar is an important film from a technical standpoint but it is also great entertainment. The world of Pandora is a stunning spectacle from scene to scene and as Jake learns more about the Na'vi the film approaches the kind of light hearted adventure story which has been absent from movie theatres for years. Then the final act explodes into tragedy and desperate action, with the final half hour a blistering life or death struggle that has to be seen to be disbelieved. Over the coming days you will be hearing a lot about Avatar, and some of the critical reaction is bound to focus on its weaknesses in a bid to appear appropriately reserved and objective. But this is not a film to be dissected or examined, rather one to be experienced with a warm crowd, a great sound system, in 3D as you bask in the knowledge that the movie-making master is back! I even met Carl Douglas who was one of the members who worked on the visual effects for the film he was sittin right beside me and we started talkin randomally because before I went to see Avatar we got told the film was broken so we had 2 wait an hour before it started so we chatted along the way! |
December 18, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Planet 51 - PG |
First of all, let me say that I'm tired of dumb reviews saying "why do aliens speak English?" or "they fart and burp a lot". Disney's The Princess and the Frog's trailer has about 3 ass related jokes and one burp in less than 45 seconds. Toy Story's characters spoke English and understood humans and nobody wondered why. A house managed to be lifted by balloons in Up with no police radars detecting anything. So, this said: Let's sit down and enjoy a movie and stop looking for silly excuses to criticize it.
I watched Planet51 with my mates and Kiel enjoyed it all the way. The quality is as good as Pixar's or Dreamworks and, yes, it's true the script is somewhat flat and very repetitive, but as the kids said to me "We didn't understand Wall-E's plot and didn't sympathize with any characters in Up, but Planet51 we did." It has some really funny characters (the white camera ala Wall-e and the alien pet), plus it's easy to understand, and despite the lack of chases or explossions it keeps its pace all the time and, as I said before, kids love the characters and understand -and enjoy- the plot. |
December 13, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon - PG-13 |
I'm not a serious 'twi-hard' fan, I only got into the whole thing in the summer. I put off reading the books because of the hype, I didn't want to jump on the band waggon. Four or five days and Breaking Dawn later, I can sympathise with the hype. The books after fantastic, even as a 22 year old female, they take you back to childhood fantasy, romance, lust and love.
I of course watched Twilight, pretty much after I'd finished reading the book and loved it, it was fantastic seeing the pages of the book come to life. Yes the acting wasn't great, and some of the direction and script didn't really fit, but it was good. I watched it for what it was, a film, not a scene by scene take on how much it fitted the book. For New Moon I did exactly the same, went to our midnight showing with an open mind. I didn't think "I hope the put this bit in, or this bit or this". The film is derived from a book, a book and a film are two completely separate things, this is something I think a lot of people are forgetting. Bearing this in mind, I was extremely impressed by New Moon. My first big thumbs up was the direction, Chris Weitz has done a fantastic job. The cinematography, the locations, the colours, the soundtrack in particular were all just brilliant and fitted the film superbly. I actually think it stuck to the book a great deal more than a) I thought it would and b) Twilight did, but I do think you have to have a prior understanding of the whole thing. I can totally understand why somethings were left out, and some added too, like I said before if it was done page by page, it would probably be long, slow and un- enjoyable. I think New Moon is a more mature film, as in Twilight was a younger more inexperienced sibling, while New Moon is the well developed older brother. I honestly loved every second of the film, and couldn't believe when it was finally over. I don't think I've ever sat through a film with such a roller coaster of emotions, my heart pounded and bled, I shed tears and held my breath, which proves that all aspects of the film came together, flowed and captivated the mind. The actors I think have matured, especially Kirstend Stewart, she was just totally brilliant and I really connected with her, as I did with Bella in the book. All in all, I loved New Moon and am slightly annoyed it has only received 4.2 on IMDb. I know for a fact the people who gave it such a low rating will be the sceptics who hate Twilight. Also, I cannot wait for this to be released on DVD, watching it with in the comfort of my own room, as sitting in a theatre full of serious Twilighter going ooooo and ahhhh every time Edward was on screen or Jacob was topless ruined it slightly. |
November 22, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Mary and Max - Unrated |
Oscar winning (and proudly gay) animation artist Adam Elliot's acclaimed clay-mation feature film "Mary & Max" is astoundingly rewarding wonderful entertainment on the big screen.
It's an intriguing tale, starting in the mid seventies, of the ongoing true friendship of two long distance pen-pals, younger Mary in rural Australia and older Max in the rat-race of New York City. A significant element of the story involves Max's experience of living with Asperger Syndrome, knowing painfully full well that he senses the world in a radically different way to most. I've never seen any other project deal so honestly and powerfully with that condition. It's a genuine celebration of the value of difference. There's lots to laugh and think about - and the attention to detail is staggering. Australia's living legend Barry Humphries excels as the narrator. I loved the soundtrack which strongly featured two of my favourite Penguin Cafe Orchestra compositions. I've ordered the soundtrack CD already. |
November 18, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Day After Tomorrow - PG-13 | really enjoyed this film by director Roland Emmerich a great deal. It is a fast-paced, exciting, suspenseful film filled with wonderful images, great CGI effects, plausible acting, and even a coherent script. How realistic is it? I hope not at all, but the director made the film so that it seems very real and like something that MIGHT happen. The story revolves around some major climatic shifts that cause the entire Northern hemisphere to become Artic tundra. New York City is devastated as are other major cities all over Europe. Dennis Quaid gives a good performance as a climatologist that predicted some of these events. We see things through his perspective and that of his son for much of the movie. The acting in general is good in this film. I particularly liked Ian Holm's role as the British meteorologist stuck in the middle of nowhere while these changes advanced. Much of the credit for the film's success must go to Emmerich. This is easily one of his best films. He keeps his viewer on the edge of his/her seat through the entire film. Action is the film's primary objective, but Emmerich also uses a lot of humanity in what his character's motivations are, and I for one, enjoyed seeing that side of humanity rather than what I probably would see under similar circumstances. As a previous viewer noted, this is a great popcorn movie! | November 17, 2009 | N/A | |||
| 2012 - PG-13 |
I've recently watched 2012 since I got back from Bradford with me mates from uni - and it's everything you can expect from a movie like this. The special effects are top notch. So breathtaking, intense and gripping that at times I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat. The main premise is the usual mix, with a family, a scientist and the president of the United States all struggling to make it through the end of the Earth. The latter two stories are filled with clichés and very predictable. However, I did feel emotionally connected to the angle regarding John Cusack and his on screen family's struggle to survive - and since they were the main focus of the story anyway, it worked well in my books. Also, throughout the film there is an incredible sense of urgency, which contributed greatly to the build up.
The story is your basic end-of-the-world chaos thingy. This time around, the Earth's crusts are shifting - causing earthquakes and volcano eruptions on a global scale, followed by unfriendly tsunami waves. The governments of the world have some sort of a solution, in the shape of giant ships located in China (not spoiling anything here, this is said from the beginning of the film and is indicated in the trailer as well), and the movie follows the family's journey towards their destination, en route to China. As expected, they manage to flee and escape most of the horrific events happening around them and stay intact. Meanwhile, we get to see most of the world's biggest iconic monuments get destroyed in vivid ways - including The White House, the Jefferson Memorial, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, the Vatican in Rome and many many more. As indicated earlier, a main reason the film worked for me was the emotional connection I felt towards some of the characters. The cast here is top notch, including some recognizable actors like Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet - and of course, John Cusack. The cast seemed as if they were having a great time shooting this film, including some necessary tongue-in-cheek implications. Never the less, many philosophical and emotional elements of redemption and survival of the fittest were also added into the mix - making 2012 a better film than it had the right to be. Sometimes, one might even forget that the chances these events will all happen at once are small at best. Now, if only the clichés were a bit less over-the-top and the premise less predictable, this could have been one hell of a masterpiece. But then again, even when 2012 doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, it's still one hell of a roller coaster ride ? and an excellent winter blockbuster to close the year with. |
November 17, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Disney's A Christmas Carol - PG |
Jim Carrey is full of surprises and the entire movie is a theatrical outburst of his talent, under the brilliant direction of Robert Zemeckis. Brilliant because it manages to make take the Dickens story and walk us through all its dimensions, without fear of sadness and, in the same time, he has the cold blood to use the magic wand for a happy end. I wasn't a big 3D fan until this movie, maybe because I didn't see any possibility to enrich the classical format, perfect as it became with the years... 'A Christmas Carol' gains a lot from 3D being a sensorial experience enhanced by IMAX technology.
All in all, it's not a story for kids, because it's rather disturbing and contemplative. Gary Oldman's pointing finger will stay with you for a while... It's an enchanting story and I encourage you to go and see it. |
November 15, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Aristocats - G |
The first Disney animated film without the strong involvement of Disney himself, this film suffers from the fact that the story is not particularly original or interesting (this is, I believe, the only animated Disney film since the 1940's which is NOT based on an earlier book or other work, but is rather an original story). As others have noted, the plot is essentially a cross between the romance in Lady and the Tramp and the kidnapping/journey home story in 101 Dalmatians.
But to overcome this flaw, the filmmakers have successfully used many of the better features of most of the Disney animated films of the previous 10-15 years: Phil Harris (from The Jungle Book) voicing one of the main characters, follows his duet with Louis Prima in the previous film with another here with Scatman Crothers. The quality visual look of this film is virtually carried over from "Dalmatians" (with some nice nods to French Impressionism, it appears), and the villain here (the butler) is strongly reminiscent of the henchmen in that film as well. (This is probably one of Disney's least memorable villains.) The main story goes back and forth between the cats, and the butler's ongoing difficulties with two rural hound dogs (with great voice work by Pat Buttram and George "Goober" Lindsey"). The various animal characters are similarly familiar to those who have seen "Tramp" and "Dalmatians." The cats' owner, while bearing a striking visual resemblance to the wicked stepmother in Sleeping Beauty, bears none of that character's nasty traits and comes across as very warm and generous. The real strength of the film is the voice work; after first going toward the use of mostly familiar actors in The Jungle Book, the tactic is continued strongly here with Disney veterans Harris and Sterling Holloway from The Jungle Book, and Eva Gabor (who would do a very similar character in the later film The Rescuers), as well as Crothers and Nancy Kulp. All are excellent here, particularly Harris and Gabor in the leads. The character animation is as excellent as one would expect, showing a variety of emotions well. Smaller children may be upset by a few brief episodes (an escape from the path of a speeding train, a near-drowning by one of the children), but these are not presented in a particularly frightening or dark manner and are over very quickly. Overall, there's very little of the type of more frightening scenes found in many other Disney classics. One minor oddity is the way some visual aspects of 60's culture are depicted among the jazz-performing cats in supposedly 1910 Paris; one can't help but wonder why the story wasn't set solidly in the present, other than the great deal Paris had changed much of its appearance in the intervening time. It really would have made more sense that way. The songs, while being pleasant and sometimes very enjoyably performed, are not particularly memorable. Nonetheless, the general energy applied here, the excellent voice work and fine animation all contribute to overcome the relatively few and minor weaknesses. Far from the greatness of classic "10"s such as Pinocchio or Aladdin, and not quite up to the "9"s one might give to Sleeping Beauty or 101 Dalmatians, this is probably a rather marginal 8 of 10; perhaps a 7. |
November 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Land Before Time - G |
This is one of the best animation films ever made, as it is moving and entertaining. Not only is it a story of friendship, courage and love, but it also demonstrates childhood friendships which are 'not allowed' due to classism or racism - "Three-horns never play with Longnecks". 'Land Before Time', with its tribe of various dinosaurs plus a pterodactyl, is a story about putting aside so-called 'differences' and striving together in 'united we stand, divided we fall' fashion in order to leave the unlovely wilderness and find a land of freedom and equality (in this case the Great Valley).
An excellent and unmissable adventure which will appeal to anybody of any age. I love it I sure did "Yup Yup Yup!" The sequels sadly did away with the grittyness of this first film and instead turned to TV cartoonishness and pointless songs, but most of them (the boring Part 4 aside) are still very enjoyable. But in the tradition of most series of films, the original is the best. |
November 3, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) - PG-13 |
This seems to be Miyazake's most personal work, clearly a serious design. It is set in an imaginary time which blends the time of the ancient gods (Shinto style, gods of place and nature) with the settlement of humans and the coming of metalworking and war. The world is not in balance, and a distant conflict between industry and nature has wounded one of the gods of the forest, which is then killed by a sentry boy as it rampages into farmland he guards. The evil controlling it transfers to him, beginning a slow takeover, and he must journey to the origin of the conflict to find a way to cure himself and incidentally, as he will learn, to try to restore balance. But this is not a simplistic tale, he finds there are other characters in play, and there is good and evil in everyone, and no easy balance. The Princess (Hime) of the story is a mysterious human who has been raised by wolves (which are themselves powerful forest gods, a little reminiscent of the Amerindian Coyote myth), who becomes both his ally and his enemy. The story is not easy to understand. It has many Japanese mythic elements but even then, it is a work of Miyazake's unique imagination, and is not intended to be simple or to have a clean resolution.
The animation is spectacular, and unusual, with new elements even for Miyazake and marks a new departure for style which you can see continued in his next film, Sen to Chihiro - more nature, more wild, more jamming on elements from Japanese myth and folklore. And, continuing the trend to be more personal, concerned with ethics and character, and less sci-fi. There are at least half a dozen well developed characters threaded through the story, and their animation is wonderful in displaying subtle character. The original Japanese soundtrack has some amazing singing and draws upon some of the best talent available for voices - in Japan, Miyazake is universally known and this was a masterpiece carefully crafted. Japanese television documented a lot of the production. The English translation drew on some good talent but they seem not to have "gotten it" quite so intensely as the Japanese crew. If you haven't seen Miyazake, give it a try (but maybe look at Sen to Chihiro first, or even Laputa or Kiki's Delivery Service, for easier and lighter introduction to his work). Some say he is the Japanese Disney, but I don't like that. His work has a depth and sophistication that goes beyond Disney cute. There is no other animation like it. This is truly an adult work: children might like some of the visuals, but I doubt that many kids below teen age will have any idea what it is all about, and even adults will get more out of this each time you see it again. |
November 3, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Enter the Dragon - R | November 3, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Father of the Bride - PG | November 3, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| 9 - PG-13 |
I come from the days of when I grew up watching Tim Burton, Don Bluth and Jim Henson- three of my cinema deities from my earliest memories- and this is the first time in a long time that anyone has managed to touch on that magic for me.
I'll do my best to convey what a fantastic movie this is, without really revealing too much of the plot- because I think that this movie is best experienced not really knowing anything. You come in the same way the main character does- not knowing anything of this world. While sitting in the cinema, I recalled memories of the intensity and heart of "my fave family movies" such as E.T., The Secret of Nymh, American Tail, and Edward Scissorhands- movies that touched upon something that was at once so rooted in human emotion yet so fantastic and unimaginable. I can absolutely say that "9" is now considered one in that catalog of visionary and hallowed movies. Guaranteed some will have a complaint with the length (a seemingly short 79 minutes considering the scale and impact of the story) but I think that a movie can be an epic without needing to be over 2 hours long, or a HUGE amount of unnecessary back story and origins that's only purpose is to make the story SEEM grandiose. This movie is a complete work of art- from the obviously eye-catching visual style and composition of what you see, down to the basic story and character development that you feel. In 79 minutes this team managed to harness my imagination and senses without having to dumb-it-down for the audience, or use any of the old gags that many bigger studios seem to rely on to sell tickets (thankfully there are NO cheesy gross out jokes to appeal to a typical cable-fed attention span). Instead they took me to places that I had never thought of, but will never forget. My most respectful nod to everyone involved. Absolutely do not miss this one. |
November 3, 2009 | N/A | |||
| James and the Giant Peach - PG | There is sooo much I like with this movie. It has imagination, a sense of wonder and characters you either love or hate. And the blend of live action and stop-motion animation is a delight. The songs incorporated in this story is not very memorable but sweet and fit their purpose. And you simply have to love to hate Margoyles and Lumley in their parts as the aunts from hell. They treat poor James so horribly that I thought that "Cinderella had it easy"! Compared to "nightmare before Christmas" I actually liked this movie better. It has more of a heart even if the story itself may be just a bit less interesting and inventive. There are so many good scenes but among the highlights is the arctic adventure and the New York sequence. But, mind you, the opening is very deceptive and might scare younger parts of the audience. Otherwise, a must-see!!! | October 31, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Nightmare Before Christmas - PG |
By 1993, director Tim Burton was such a successful filmmaker in Hollywood that he was able to return to one of his most beloved early projects, "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It's certainly an inspired movie, as it is also very weird, and when I say "weird," I mean it's distinctly Burton.
Even though it was directed with enough competency by Henry Selick, this groundbreaking stop-motion animation film is Burton all the way, as it contains ample "esque" qualities that make this "Nightmare" uniquely his vision. As the film opens in the twisted, "Burton"-esque village of "Halloweentown," Jack Skellington, who is dually voiced by Chris Sarandon and longtime Burton collaborator Danny Elfman, is celebrating another "horrible" Halloween. You'll be shocked and amazed at some of the town's inhabitants, who include jazz-playing zombies, Four Tenor-like vampires, a wolf man, and a wheelchair-bound scientist who occasionally opens up his cranium to (literally) scratch his brain; his creation, a Frankenstein-like scarecrow named Sally (Catherine O'Hara), yearns for contact with others and is quite fond of Jack Skellington. But Jack's quickly growing tired of the same old routine year after year, and because he's so downtrodden with boredom, he ventures into the dark forest outside the town's borders, and accidentally stumbles onto the wondrous, jolly world of "Christmastown." Enticed by its splendor, he decides to bring back his discovery to the residents of Halloweentown, who of which are just as shocked by Christmas as he is. Jack gets the brilliant idea to pose as Santa Claus but hires three mischief-makers to kidnap the real Santa so he can share his own, misguided vision of Christmas with an unprepared world. Painstakingly and meticulously crafted, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a beautiful and wonderful film from start to finish. The most famous image of this film is the cover art, which features Skellington eerily silhouetted against a full moon while he stands atop a coiled hill that overlooks a desolate graveyard. Burton is such a wonderful director, who had already brought us one unique "esque" vision after the other, especially with the first two "Batman" films and "Edward Scissorhands" behind him as of '93 when "Nightmare" was made. |
October 31, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Coraline - PG |
All of this immense undertaking is courtesy writer and director Henry Selick, director of Nightmare Before Christmas, and the well crafted adaptation of Neil Gaiman's international best-selling children's novel. To Selick's credit this is the first 3D stop motion ever made; stereoscopic 3D. Selick himself worked on the film for three years. The style is stunning and the story is an unwavering fairy-tale nightmare that has some genuinely scary moments. is a masterful movie and an exciting tale of mystery and imagination.
In the rotting nooks and crannies of Coraline's new home the real story begins and where she discovers a hidden doorway behind the wallpaper. Inside is her alternate space where there are doubles of her distracted parents now lavish loving attention on Coraline, the oddball neighbors are friendlier, and her pesky friend long longer speaks. Only her parents' eyes now black buttons give a clue that something isn't quite right. Selick has created a world as much for adults as children as there are references dotted throughout that the young won't understand. The imagery, however, is very child like. Both talents live side by side and bodes well for Selick's previous work in Nightmare before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and even Monkeybone. His work has always been fascinating. Gaiman is to be credited with the story for sure, but this is Selick through and through. This film is sure to become an instant classic and as well executed as this movie is it should be. |
October 31, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Michael Jackson's This Is It - PG |
I went to see this movie as a huge-Michael Jackson fan with absolute high expectations. I bought the tickets for the weekend showing with my mum. We went to the cinema in the evening and from the beginning I was moved. I have never done it before but in the very beginning a tear came to my eye. Thinking that this guy, with so much energy is 50 years old and about to die. When I bought the tickets I expected a movie with some biography of Michael, a lot of interviews etc, but there is none of this in the movie. The whole movie is about how the concerts would be, but I still didn't feel like I was seeing a concert. I was seeing a little family making a big project come true. I also expected to see Michael less weak, than some of his others concerts, but damn.. If you didn't know he was dead, and saw him dance and sing like he does there is no way you could predict that he was about to die of illness. I wanted to pay for tickets to his concerts before they were sold out in London. Although that This is it was about the concerts, the movie also consist a little sense of humor, love and a insight to the worlds climate problems.
A really great job, with great cutting and editing. This movie is a must see for everyone! Go watch it! LOVE YA MJ R.I.P. |
October 31, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Final Destination - R |
Death has always had a design for the folks in the Final Destination films, but it does seem with this fourth installment and the definitive "The" before the title, that death has finally zeroed in on the series itself.
Let me say right up front that I enjoyed The Final Destination for pure entertainment value. I enjoyed the 3-D, I thought the actors were attractive enough to hold my interest, the deaths were wonderfully creative and gory, and in terms of strict formula and fun this film delivered. Most will think the plot was weak, and I suppose I have to admit to some degree that the movie is basically sleepwalking through the old formula we know so well. Everything is there, just as we left it. Nothing really new, but nothing really to make a fan of these flicks not like it. So in that, it delivers everything I was hoping for; just not anything more. No new plot points or turns. I do look forward to its DVD release, so I can buy all 4 of Final Destination films in a box-set, so I can re-watch some great death scenes. I do expect, and hope, that this really is the FINAL Destination film. Anything past this fourth film can only be expected to be bad, straight-to-DVD money grabs. I give this one 7/10, because I'm feeling generous and as far as sequels are concerned this one wasn't bad. Most importantly, it doesn't screw up the three that came before it. |
October 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Final Destination - R | Inventive, effectively eerie spine-chiller is a step up in the teen horror genre. Teenager Sawa has a horrific vision of his plane crashing just moments before its departure on a class field trip. He and several others exit the plane only to discover that it does in fact crash, but things take a shocking turn when the remaining survivors soon begin to die in the most mysterious ways. Story is intriguing, the suspense flows well throughout, and there are enough violent deaths to satisfy the target audience. The ending is a bit of a disappointment and should have been planned out better, but overall this is one of the better films of the genre. | October 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Final Destination 2 - R |
If you liked "Final Destination" you'll really like "Final Destination 2". I remember the commercials for this one and was afraid they were ruining the thrill of this sequel. So I didn't see it in the theaters. I was wrong. If anything the commercials used the film footage to mislead you, so that the surprises were even greater.
For what "Final Destination 2" is trying to do, they do it perfectly. From the script, to the acting to the directing. This was a tough score for me. While it doesn't rate up there with the the best films of all time. In every aspect, they perfectly accomplished what they set out to do. It's a Thriller, full of a lot of unpredictable turns and surprises, and with great action. They wasted no time, the movie starts, they get right into it, and it keeps on at pretty much full pace until it's done. |
October 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Final Destination 3 - R |
Once you've seen Final Destination there's not much more of the story to tell, or twist, or reveal. All three films could actually be compiled together to make one long film, in other words, the story is told and the scene is set in part one, the two that follow just get more creative with how messy, bloody, and bazaar each person is slaughtered. And thats why I love these films.
Final Destination 3 is really no different than the two before it, except the creepy bald morgue guy who seemed to have a fetish for death does not make an appearance in this one. There's not much to say, if I told you how each person were sliced, diced, smashed, crushed, impaled...you get the point, then I would be revealing the only reason any of us purchased a ticket. There is no denying those who seen this one in theaters were there just to see how bad death could be dealt. Let me tell ya, "There's some really sick and twisted ways these people die." Anyway, for those who enjoy gross and disturbing this one is worth checking out. Enjoy! |
October 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Saw IV - R |
It's a rare occurrence, but get ready to see this more then once. Saw 4 plays more like a detective story lifted from a page of a who-dun-it novel. This time, we delve deeper into John's past, his ex-wife, and the real secrets about what made him Jigsaw. During his autopsy, it's reveled his stomach contains an audio tape. The tape warns that his work will continue.
It seems that die-hard fans don't wish to know about what's in the story, since I had to re-edit my comment so that none of the story would be revealed (except that which you see in the ads anyway). In my previous comment, I said nothing about the ending, yet just giving away some of the plot is enough of a no-no. I don't blame them, since this 4th outing has too many elements that make it easier to predict what's going to happen. Regardless, you'd have to be some kind of rare genius to figure out what will happen in the end. The series has flowed like a smooth, well-oiled Rube Goldberg machine. It's the most complex of the bunch, in some ways, outdoing the previous ones. I repeat: it begs to be watched again. Just when you thought that the previous Saw Traps had done everything they can to a human body, this one has some clever ones of it's own (not as gruesome as Saw 3, though). The autopsy scene is set to the extreme; the MPAA stating that most viewers have now gotten used to seeing programs like CSI and other medical procedures, so they let this slide easier. Deceptive, dark, very edgy and well written, the Saw series can easily end here. It's almost necessary to have watched the previous Saws, but can stand on it's own as one of the best of the chapters. Of course, it leaves it open for yet another in the series, which will be in production soon. I don't know when I will tire of the series, but honestly, I can't wait to see what other delicious traps they cook up next. |
October 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Saw VI - R |
I didn't really enjoy Saw V. I found it had too many flashbacks and the movie itself just felt like an excuse to make another Saw film.
However, Saw VI was a huge improvement over the last. The story was more interesting and the twists and turns were quite intriguing. One little problem i have with this film is that they went way too overboard with the blood and gore in this one, but i suppose that nowadays, thats what the Saw films are all about, which is a shame, considering the first film started off as a psychological thriller. Apart from that, the film was quite enjoyable and there's definitely some little secrets that they will be able to use for more sequels. Bring on Saw VII i say! |
October 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit - PG |
To make a great classic film i think it has to work on several different levels and this one not only plays on many different levels It scores tremendously.
It is a great childrens movie. With zany classic characters such as Roger, the Weasles, and Benny the Cab. They are original crazy and fun. Also it is a mystery. It plays perfectly as one of those Old 50's detective stories. It is a milestone in film making. The scenes of the "toons" and humans sharing a world is great. I think the best scene as special effects go, is the one where Eddie and Roger are handcuffed together in his office. It looks so real!!!!! This movie is fun and creative and will go down in movie history. I don't know what else to say it is simply the best. Also do your self a favor and steer clear of the bad rip off Cool World. |
October 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| An American Tail - G |
Not only is An American Tail easily one of the best animated features ever made, but it proves to be leaps beyond the efforts of recent Disney movies by refusing to be constricted to an all-too-familiar formula. This movie does not stay within the cozy, comfortable guidelines that Disney adheres to in order to make money. Instead, it tells a truly unique tale, one not borrowed from any other source, and one overflowing with artistic wonder and originality.
The characters you will see here are not stock, not pulled from the typical Disney hat. The story is not a chuckle-a-minute, lowbrow attempt to take the easy way out in pandering to children. The main character, Fievel, suffers real hardships and tragedy, and stares into the despair of his own soul before the movie is finished. This, of course, makes the ending that much more satisfying, an infinitely more significant and authentic moment than any cardboard cut-out Disney plot. If you want to see what animation was meant to be as an art form, if you want to feel the power and emotion that can truly be reaped from this under-appreciated and over-commercialized medium, look no further than An American Tail. |
October 29, 2009 | N/A |
1358 ratings
373 reviews
