My Favorite Movies
My favorite movies all the time.
| husky10000years's Rating | My Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
10,000 B.C. (2008, PG-13) |
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| 2 |
101 Dalmatians (One Hundred and One Dalmatians) (1961, G) |
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| 3 |
101 Dalmatians (1996, G) |
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| 4 |
102 Dalmatians (2000, G) |
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| 5 |
21 (2008, PG-13)
Slick camera work and some good performances rev up the technical quality of this fact-based story. The script's dialogue is snappy and hip, and contains minimal tech jargon. Production design is realistic and lavish; this is a big budget film. Color cinematography, by DP Russell Carpenter, is polished and slick. 21 is a terrific film. |
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| 6 |
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003, PG-13) |
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| 7 |
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (AVP 2) (2007, R) |
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| 8 |
Angels & Demons (2009, PG-13)
There may be something to be said for a getting a second chance. Ron Howard's movie based on Dan Brown's first Robert Langdon offering, Angels & Demons, is a tighter better-wrought experience than the first movie, The Da Vinci Code, which is actually the second Robert Langdon novel. The plot itself is not that dissimilar to The Da Vinci Code. This movie is a nice blend of religious art history with the intensity of a political thriller that you might find in a Robert Ludlum novel. And being able to peruse the Vatican archives, arguably the greatest collection of ancient books dating from the early Middle Ages to the present time, is a scholar's dream. Simultaneously, the intensity never lets up for those who like the sensibility of an action thriller. The outstanding performance of this movie has to be Ewan McGregor as Camerlengo Patrick McKenna. In what seems a small insignificant role at first gains high import as the story unfolds. High marks for Tom Hanks, reprising his role as Robert Langdon, who seems to better understand his character than in the first movie. And Ayelet Zurer as Vittorio Vetra holds her own in a stellar cast. Angels & Demons is an incredible movie with an incredible ending that makes the entire movie. |
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| 9 |
Apollo 13 (1995, PG)
Probably one of the most significant things about Apollo 13 is the fact that it managed to be such a strikingly realistic movie despite the abundance of well-known Hollywood actors. Tom Hanks can convincingly act any part in the world, and his role in Apollo 13 is no exception. All of the actors involved seemed to have been given parts that they were born to play, because they were so successful in the roles. The true events of the historic Apollo 13 mission are amazingly re-created here and the results are spectacular. The movie also presents a nearly flawless portrayal of the time period, even down to the slide rulers that were used to do calculations. Another thing that was used in the perfect amount in Apollo 13 was the special effects. The special effects in Apollo 13 served the movie very well. The most significant special effect in the movie, aside from the space scenes, was the zero gravity, which was done flawlessly. has an excellent story made even better by the fact that it is true, it has great acting, skillful direction, and plenty of tasteful humor. |
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| 10 |
August Rush (2007, PG)
Freddie Highmore could be the current hot property as far as male child actors go. The story is told in two tracks, both of which will probably wring at your heart for the many missed chances and opportunities that would have made this a short movie. The first track which is August Rush centric, as mentioned, is Oliver Twist, plain simple and obvious. Freddie Highmore alone is charismatic enough to hook, line and sinker your attention as he goes about his heartwarming quest to locate his folks, while at the same time his vulnerability allows him to be exploited since he's quite condescending. The second part of the story I thought was the more touching part, with two lovers not being granted the opportunity to spend more than one night together, and must separate because of parental insistence that "it's for your own good", though probably the cynic in us could have said, it's the age of technology, and obviously Louis Connelly could have every chance to track her down, but just didn't. August Rush boasts and excellent soundtrack, some of which merged classical and rock ballads in an almost seemingly perfect fusion. |
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| 11 |
Australia (2008, PG-13)
Baz Luhrmann actually hit the movie quite squarely on the head with his Gone with the Wind-ish sprawling epic set in the Australian outback and around the time when the Japanese Imperial Army rained bombs over the Northern Territories, with a sprinkling of his keen eye for visual flair especially in the first few minutes where he had to set the stage for everything else to happen. The similarities with Gone with the Wind cannot be denied. The story's told in two distinct acts, The first focused a whole lot on cattle driving and the second arc focused more squarely on the romance between the two leads, as told through the eyes of the little boy Nullah, whom people insult as "creamy" (half-white, half-aboriginal). Casting is no-brainer as well, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman shared perfect chemistry together, transforming loathe to love through the course of the movie. The rest of the ensemble supporting cast also pulled their weight together, and even Hong Kong actor Yuen Wah had a bit part playing the non-English speaking kitchen help. Australia works on many fronts, and while it might not be a great movie, it certainly is a good one, with wonderful visuals, sets and all round chemistry between its cast. |
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| 12 |
AVP - Alien Vs. Predator (2004, PG-13) |
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| 13 |
Case Closed: The Movie: The Fourteenth Target (1998, Unrated)
This movie is slightly more better than the previous one. It has a lot more to it for a sequel. Including a larger cast of characters. More locations, thrilling moments, and action filled scenes. The mystery is more well done too. Great suspense thanks to a clever premise and delightfully tricky clues, plus plenty of action to top things off. In other words expect the unexpected while watching this one. In addition, we even get to learn more about why Eri Kisaki & Kogoro Mori divorced. Which is pretty funny when they get to that part. |
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| 14 |
Catch Me If You Can (2002, PG-13)
Based on a true story, although it doesn't rely on 'and it really happened' to be a good movie. The plot starts at the end and jumps back to see the whys and the hows of the tale. It is told with a slick energy that keeps the story moving and never really lingers on any scene longer than it has to. It is for this reason that the two hours goes by relatively quickly. The presentation is good. John Williams' score is not as memorable as his usual work but it is what the film needs it to be - unobtrusive and slick. Just like the opening credits, this movie is very much a chase movie with a nice sense of period. The only downside of this slickness is that it feels like eating a sweet - it is very nice while it lasts but it doesn't fill you up. The cast is good even if they aren't all used well. Leonardo DiCaprio is very good, he was engaging here and looked about the right age to play the part. Tom Hanks does good work in support. Because his character is quite drab it is easy to forget him. Christopher Walken is good in support and Martin Sheen adds another famous name to the end credits but it is very much a two hander with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio more than able. Overall this movie is a slick, stylish chase movie which should be enjoyed as such and is slightly more enjoyable for being a true story. |
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| 15 |
Changeling (2008, R)
J. Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 fame wrote Changeling, which is based on the true story of one woman's fight against corruption, incompetence, accusations and intimidation, all the while in searching for the truth of what happened to her beloved 9 year old son, who vanished without a trace, only for the LAPD to try and convince her that the boy they found, was indeed her son. But that's just the gist of the first hour with plenty more in store, keeping you gripped to the screen as the story develops. Clint Eastwood movies over the last few years have been nothing less than excellent, and Changeling adds to this stellar repertoire of his. There's a certain quiet confidence in the way his movies get presented, like a veteran hand masterminding all elements to fall in place perfectly. But of course the star of the show here is Angelina Jolie. She provides a very solid performance that hinged on everyone in the audience being able to connect with her plight and exasperation, of sympathizing with her, and rooting for her as she faces obstacle after obstacle as she goes about doing sensible things that the authorities frown upon. There are a number of threads running that converge nicely together, and while the movie clocks in over 140 minutes, you'll never feel time plod, as you get engaged into the story, feel for the characters, and at the same time, enjoy the excellent recreation of the 1920s. There's a little bit of everything that managed to cram itself here, from mystery to courtroom drama, showcasing a variety of story settings, dealing with themes such as justice and integrity. John Malkovich has a supporting role here as Reverend Gustav Briegleb, who has a congregation behind him as he tells it as it is in his weekly radio shows, and provides much needed intervention to assist Angelina Jolie's Christine Collins along the way. |
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| 16 |
Chi Bi (Red Cliff) (2009, R)
John Woo acknowledged parallels between characters in his movies, and characters from the Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon era. The fight sequences were pure spectacle, with old school wire work combined with technological wizardry to showcase some large scale battle sequences at a macro level, or to highlight the immense naval numbers that Cao Cao brings to battle. There's the usual bellowing cape and slow motion in John Woo's signature style, but these were kept to a minimum, as are the pigeons. Perhaps it is the success of the fight sequences that had left some lamenting for more, but bear in mind this is just but the first half of the movie, setting things up. The major war sequences of course are left in the second movie which we will get to see come early next year. Like The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, expect the next movie to go on an all out assault. |
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| 17 |
Chi Bi: Xia - Jue zhan tian xia (Red Cliff II) (2009, Unrated)
For this movie , there will be two main groups of audience. First, there'll be those who know little about the background, be it historical fact or the romanticized historical fiction The Three Kingdoms. At the other end of the spectrum, there'll be those who are familiar with the Battle of Red Cliff just as some people are familiar with Camelot or Alamo. A really smart thing though is taking two well-known anecdotes and running them parallel as reciprocal challenges between the two top-notch strategists Zhou Yu (Tony Leung) and Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro), each putting his life down for failing to fulfill his end of the bargain. Their assignments, respectively, are to trick Cao Cao into killing his two best generals and to secure a huge supply of arrows from heaven knows where. This is one of the best parts of the movie, filled with dramatic tension as well as relieving humour. Depicting the rivalry-cum-comradeship between two heroes who have great respect for each other is of course vintage John Woo. The heart and soul of the movie, the battle itself, is a joy to watch. At the helm, John Woo has again done something very clever ? removing the Zhuge Liang's supernatural element of the original novel. Zhuge Liang attribute the critical event to the strategist's ability, be it an art or a science, to predict weather patterns. In enriching the movie for general consumption, John Woo has to create material for his two female leads almost out of a vacuum. He has in fact been quite successful, from the angle of dramatic appeal, albeit at the cost of some sacrifice of common sense and logic. This is a high quality, entertaining movie which John Woo has succeeded in creating by a very clever decision to concentrate on a simple agenda, The Battle of Red Cliff, despite the lure of numerous potential sub-plot. |
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| 18 |
Dante's Peak (1997, PG-13) |
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| 19 |
Deep Blue Sea (1999, R) |
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| 20 |
Defiance (2009, R)
"We may be hunted like animals, but we will not become animals" - Tuvia Bielski |
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| 21 |
Digimon - The Movie (2000, PG) |
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| 22 |
Dragon Wars (D-War) (War of the Dragons) (2007, PG-13) |
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| 23 |
Driven (2001, PG-13) |
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| 24 |
Eight Legged Freaks (2002, PG-13) |
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| 25 |
Executive Decision (1995, R) |
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| 26 |
Fast and Furious (2009, PG-13)
The tagline caught my attention, promising a brand new movie with the original cast of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. This movie tries to bring together all the best characters to appease fans and the timeline of this installment sits snugly in between the first and second movies where we learn that Han Lue and Dominic Toretto do go all the way back together. Vin Diesel had The Fast and the Furious back in 2001 to thank for in making him a household name, where every fan boy out there left the theatres chanting his name and wishing they could emulate his road stunts if given a car as powerful as that in the movie. It was smart of Justin Lin to have featured Dominic Toretto in his movie then just to whet the appetites of fans everywhere, and to helm this installment by trying to top the first movie by getting the first cast all back. The plot doesn't drift away from the standard cop-robber formula, with a cat and mouse game brewing involving a drug run from Mexico and the USA making use of expert drivers to be couriers between the two countries. People who is itching to see a lot of action will have to contend with only 4 major set action pieces, with 2 of which happen in the same tunnel, one bringing back memories from the first movie, The Fast and the Furious, in a heist that doesn't go exactly right, and one being the nod back to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in having a downtown city area night time race. |
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| 27 |
First Blood (Rambo: First Blood) (1982, R) |
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| 28 |
High School Musical 2 (2007, G)
It is shocking to think of how big the High School Musical franchise has become for Disney. In 2006, the first movie became a surprise hit, and the sequel is expected to follow along the same lines. High School Musical 2 is thousands of times better than the first movie, with improvements in every category. The movie is longer, most of the scenes are more realistic, the directing and the acting seem to have vastly improved, and most importantly of all, the songs and the music are just amazing. The plot this time around is incredibly different from the first one, and much more structured. It has a certain unique flow to it. The best thing about this sequel is the fact that Disney seems to care so much about it. It's not one of those crappy sequels like Inspector Gadget 2 with none of the original cast returning. This sequel brings back the entire cast and fleshes out the backstories for each and every one of them. With a longer length, there is more time to develop the characters, and this time is utilized wisely with a number of songs with amazing lyrics. Each and every song brings something new to the plate and is a realization of one thing or another. Every song has its own sound and feel that is much more unique than the first one. The acting is considerably better this time around as all of the cast members have had a year or so to work on their acting. Lucas Grabeel steals the show as Ryan Evans. Zac Efron gives a flawless performance with some amazing vocals. Everyone's hairstyles and clothes look much better this time around. The writing and the script are very well-written, and there are very few scenes that don't come out the right way. The dialogue and the music and lyrics balance themselves out perfectly in the movie. High School Musical 2 is not only the best Disney Channel original movie ever made, but it is also sure to become a classic. It is better than the first movie in every way imaginable with better humor and comedic moments, better writing, and much better songs. |
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| 29 |
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008, G)
High School Musical 3: Senior Year is the last installment for the original cast members where it's senior year and everything is winding down before graduation as the seniors must do something together as a team one last time. While the original characters are worried about high school aftermath, new characters are introduced. While most people care for the characters, the breakout of any musical is the music. With High School Musical 3 in a bigger production compared to the first two, everything is much more dazzler and wild. Zac Efron was better this time around compared to High School Musical 2 where he actually has spoken words to make him convincing rather than a guy that nods and show off his perfect body. Vanessa Anne Hudgens brings the better version of her character unlike the first sequel where all she did was squeal with delight and sounded like a bratty teenager. Overall, this movie doesn't beat the original flick, but it is better than High School Musical 2. |
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| 30 |
Initial D (1999, Unrated)
Initial D which first aired in Japan in 1998, is a consistently exciting and compelling anime series based on Shuichi Shigeno's popular manga about downhill mountain road racing in Japan's Gunma Prefecture. The look of the series draws closely on that of the manga with somewhat simple, almost cartoonish (but surprisingly effective) design for the characters, created in 2-D animation, contrasting noticeably with the technically detailed look of the cars and races, which are recreated with 3-D CGI for the anime. While the integration of 2-D and 3-D is somewhat awkward in the early episodes, it improves greatly as the series progresses. The character design gets better also, with more detailed, expressive facial features becoming quite evident. The races are edited and designed with great skill and thought. These sequences are genuinely exciting even to those of us who never followed any kind of auto racing outside of Speed Racer and action movie car chases. And, besides, the technical aspects of this form of racing, particularly the all-important practice of "drifting," are adequately spelled out for novices--to the point where the series might even be called educational. The music track deserves singling out for its lively collection of pulsating, catchy songs in the Eurobeat style popular in Japan. The songs come into play in the opening and closing credit sequences and during the racing sequences (where they work perfectly). The instrumental tracks during the quieter scenes are expertly done as well. |
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| 31 |
Ip Man (Yip Man) (2008, Unrated)
In this bio-pic, Ip Man, one of the earliest Wing Chun martial arts exponents credited to have propagated its popularity, gets portrayed as the best of the best in 1930s Fo Shan, China, where the bustling city has its own Martial Arts Street where countless of martial arts schools have set up shop to fuel the craze of kung fu training. The bulk of the story gets set in the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, and it's not all fight and no story. Witth this historical setting, at times it does seem that there is an air of familiarity with the type of stories told, with how the Japanese Imperial Army had made life really miserable for the Chinese, and how the Chinese being fragmented in spirit, fail to unite during dire straits. More often than note, martial arts become a unifying force, and this aspect of the narrative might seem to be a walk in the usual territory. But with its array of charismatic supporting cast with the likes of Simon Yam as Ip Man's best friend and industrialist Zhou Qing Quan and Ka Tung Lam as a cop turned translator, there are little nicely put sub plots which seek to expand the air of respect that Ip Man commands amongst his community. The story by Edmond Wong did not demonize all the villains, often adding a dash of empathy and sympathy to the likes of the Japanese General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), a highly skilled exponent from the North called Jin Shan Zhao (Fan Siu-Wong) as well as Ka Tung Lam's translator character who is deemed as a traitor for being in the service of the Japanese. Ip Man's family man also gets put under the spotlight, where his passion could sometimes leave him neglecting his wife and kid, and through the course of the story this focus often leaves one quite exasperated for his family's safety as he puts his countrymen above self and family when going up against the oppressive Japanese forces. |
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| 32 |
Iron Man (2008, PG-13)
Amazing movie. Great story. The script captures the glibness of the comic while not dipping into campiness. The casting is awesome and all the actors do a fantastic job. The climactic ending, too, could have been in one of the better Marvel books. The film doesn't glut you on overkill action and powers, but rightly develops a character. |
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| 33 |
Jaws (1975, PG) |
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| 34 |
Journey to the Center of the Earth (Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D) (2008, PG)
Brendan Fraser has always been a great actor, with an agreeable presence. That he was the star here helped a lot, as did the newcomer actor, the Icelandic lady- Anita Briem. The supporting cast (and there wasn't much of them, as it was mostly CGI stuff, and not really populated with many humans, except for brief appearances) was also adequate, albeit they had little to do. Overall Journey to the Centre of the Earth may very well be the biggest surprise of the summer, and quite possibly the year. While it won't win awards it does entertaining, and the hundreds of kids who were in my screen today seemed just as impressed and entertained as I was. Also the promise of a potential sequel at the end of the movie didn't horrify me, in fact I'm ashamed to admit I'd quite happily watch another one if its delivered with the same quality. |
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| 35 |
Jumanji (1995, PG) |
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| 36 |
Jumper (2008, PG-13) |
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| 37 |
Jurassic Park (1993, PG-13) |
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| 38 |
Jurassic Park III (2001, PG-13) |
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| 39 |
Kamen raidâ Zetto Ô (Kamen Rider ZO) (Masked Rider ZO) (1993, Unrated) |
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| 40 |
Kamen Rider the Next (2007, Unrated)
This movie is better than Kamen Rider: The First. The story is trying to borrow elements from other movies like horror movies. The fighting scenes is good but it is obvious that they had strings to help do the fighting they want. There is blood and nudity added. It is action-packed with unusual stunts. It is not the usual Kamen Rider series or movies, it is more darker and violent plus mature. |
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| 41 |
Keulraesik (The Classic) (2003, Unrated)
Although many had expected this movie to be a sequel, or even a prequel to My Sassy Girl, there is no real connection between the movie besides the fact that it was directed by the same people, Jae-young Kwak. Jae-young Kwak's The Classic is actually the opposite of My Sassy Girl, whereas My Sassy Girl was a light-hearted comedy based on a couple's unusual meeting and eventual romance, The Classic is more of a melodrama, depicting the relationship between Jun-ho and Ju-hie in parallel to the current relationship between Ji-hae and Sang-min. However, with a link between the two couples from both the past and the present by means of letters written to Ji-hae's mom, viewers are able unravel the connection, as the characters are oblivious. Filmed in various locations reminiscent to Korea in the past, Jae-young Kwak captures not only the innocence of love between the pair of lovers from the past and the present, but manages to depict the social influences on the characters as well. |
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| 42 |
Knowing (2009, PG-13)
Knowing is different from your mindless popcorn thrillers because it isn't mindless. It's sometimes thought provoking and triggers a variety of emotions from the viewer. The movie is funny when it needs to be, after having watch a very disturbing scene. The action scenes are amazing, some cringe-worthy, in a good way, actualy, because it's not just "Wow. Cool special effects," although there really are some top notch effects, but because they are very hard to watch. The movie really pushes the PG-13 rating and sometimes pushes it so far and shot so well that I was left speechless. The movie also has a lot of fantastic performances, one from Nicolas Cage, an iffy actor, if you ask me but he manages to pull it off here. Chandler Canterbury, the kid actor one hopes to act well alongside Nicolas Cage, also does a decent job. Rose Byrne finishes off the main cast with an equally well played role. And the movie isn't just about the action either. In some very human scenes, it may strike an emotional cord from some viewers. This is not your usual apocalyptic flick. It has something more, something I cannot reveal without spoiling the movie, including an out-of-the-world ending that will leave some viewers talking. Alex Proyas, again, does not disappoint. There are some fantastic performances and some ingenious action scenes, especially in the way they are shot, along with a very intriguing plot. |
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| 43 |
Kung Fu Panda (2008, PG) |
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| 44 |
Mamma Mia! (2008, PG-13)
Musical adaptation of the hit play with ABBA songs. The plot is, to be nice, simplistic and predictable. It was beautifully shot in Greece, some of the scenery takes your breath away. With one exception everyone can sing and the songs are worked seamlessly into the story. The acting is as good as it can be. Really, this isn't a great acting challenge but everybody seems to realize this is a slight story and play along with it. A few minor quibbles, the dancing is cut into quick shots here and there. The stage show ends with the cast members coming out an doing two more songs for the audience. The movie ends with Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters singing full blast. Beautiful fun musical full of energy and color. |
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| 45 |
Meitantei Conan: 14 banme no target, (Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target) (2007, PG)
The cleverest thing about this movie is also the most difficult to translate: a series of number tricks and wordplay based on the characters' Japanese names. Behind the wordplay and arithmetic, however, is another solid Conan case: plenty of suspense, a wondrously elaborate solution, and a flash-bang finale loaded with explosions. Although it makes a good action-suspense movie with a clever mystery setup, its strict adherence to the world of Conan Edogawa ends up being its own undoing. |
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| 46 |
Meitantei Conan: Hitomi no naka no ansatsusha, (Detective Conan: Captured in Her Eyes) (2000, PG)
Lots of action and a sad and sweet character story all happen here in this fourth movie of the Meitantei Conan series. For those unfamiliar with the TV anime, starting with the fourth movie may prove to be a bit challenging because of the number of characters being introduced. Although the mystery itself is not the strongest, it is the character story being told which is truly interesting. The one thing that struck me as a touch unusual in the story, is the constant reminders by the various characters of whether Ran remembers anything of her past. It seemed to put unnecessary pressure on the amnesiac. The emotional aspects of the story of dealing with an amnesiac was very well portrayed. Particularly noteworthy are the voice acting efforts of Takayama Minami and Yamazaki Wakana who portray Conan and Ran respectively. The animation quality in this movie is a bit of a mixed bag. The music in this movie is also very well done and while we hear certain melodies repeated a number of times, overall the music does an excellent job of augmenting the atmosphere of a given scene. Likewise, the final closing theme to this movie suits the movie's atmosphere very well. The overall storyline and the story being told of the characters from this popular TV series is decently done. This wouldn't be the best introduction to the Meitantei Conan series for the uninitiated compared to other movies due to references to incidents in previous movies and TV episodes. |
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| 47 |
Meitantei Conan: Tanteitachi no requiem (Detective Conan: The Private Eyes' Requiem) (2006, PG)
The 2003 movie, Crossroad in the Ancient Capital is for Heiji Hattori fans and the 2004 movie, Magician of the Silver Sky is for Kaito Kid fans. However, The Private Eyes' Requiem has both Heiji Hattori and Kaito Kid in it. Furthermore, it also has all the major characters of Detective Conan as well. Only once before in Detective Conan movies when Conan and his comrades were forced to solve the mystery or they will lose their lives. In other movies, the mystery and action are usually separated from one another. The Private Eyes' Requiem is the second movie which combines both matters into one. Conan, as well as many other detectives, must solve the mystery within the given time limit or they will all be killed. This makes this movie becomes very surprisingly intriguing, because these people must also compete with time. The roller coaster ride at the end is another exciting nice bonus. Kaito Kid is cool as usual, especially with the roller coaster incident at the end. This time, the culprit is a very smart character. Kogoro Mouri is idiotic as usual. The ending theme for this movie isn't that good. The drawing is really good and took care of the detials and totally amazing, its like it's getting better every year. If you like all the previous Detective Conan movies, you should also enjoy this. |
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| 48 |
Meitantei Conan: Tengoku no countdown, (Detective Conan: Count Down to Heaven) (2001, PG)
The fifth movie for Detective Conan, Countdown to Heaven is a very fast paced, action packed movie. The direction for the movie is overall very interesting and well done keeping viewers attention firmly focussed on the movie. Making good use of humour, variation in pacing and story development, it makes for an interesting view overall. A shame that a little more time couldn't be taken to allow viewers to keep pace more readily. The new characters introduced for the movie are all very well in character. The animation is theatrical quality with good detail in the background as well as a smooth scroll rate. Some very nice scenes as well as good attention to detail makes this a nice watch. The opening credits sequence while clearly CG animation is very nicely executed and makes for an intriguing opening sequence separate from the rest of the feature. Also noteworthy here is the soundtrack. A number of tracks in the soundtrack take advantage of strings, trumpets, flute and other instruments rather than synthesized tracks giving it that much more depth and feel. |
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| 49 |
Meitantei Conan: Tokei-jikake no matenrou, (Case Closed the Movie: The Time Bombed Skyscraper) (1997, PG)
This movie is a great introduction to the entire series. It is the first of the Case Closed movies and it does a terrific job of offering a movie experience to fans of the TV program as well as standing up as a independent movie experience. The plot device essentially allows Case Closed to explore one of the central issues of being young, of being a teenager with much higher than average intelligence. This movie explores these dyanmics and surrounds them with unique mysteries involving esoteric motives and plots. Case Closed is a serious mystery drama that just happens to be a surpirsingly funny. The filmmakers stick very close to the TV program and anyone who enjoys the series will enjoy this feature, and vice versa. |
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| 50 |
Meitantei Konan: Bekâ Sutorîto no bôrei, (Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street) (2002, G)
Let Kogorou Mouri drag Conan, Ran, Professor Agasa and the Detective Boys with him to another party where he was invited to, with lots of kids, celebrity's and known people from the anime. But, before the actual story, with Conan begins, we get an intro, of a very young protagonist in the computer world. Well, there's story in each game world, Conan and the gang have to solve the mystery of JTR (Jack The Ripper), and then capture him, sacrifice's are made, puzzle's are solved, death is around each corner. A cool story within a cool story, then about the art, the style's the same as in the series, yet better animated, and more things are realistic now, movements, carriage's and such. The sound, the ending is sweet and beautiful (mixed with the movie) and all the sfx's and such are amazing. The characters stay the same, new introduced characters are basic type's too, like the murderer, the victim(s), and the snobby, irritating, dumb rich snobs which are introduced. An anime movie where you can't take you're eye's from, when it's not humorous, it's intresting, when it's not intresting, it's exciting, when it's not exciting, it's beautiful. One of the best Detective Conan movie. |
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| 51 |
Nae meorisokui jiwoogae (A Moment to Remember) (2004, Unrated) |
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| 52 |
National Treasure (2004, PG)
This Disney production lives up to the tradition of good family entertainment. A satisfying finale with an intelligent script and good humour scattered throughout, Nicolas Cage is quite good in this movie. The plot was good, and the combination of historical legends and action was perfect. Very enjoyable movie. |
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| 53 |
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007, PG) |
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| 54 |
Poseidon (2006, PG-13)
Poseidon is based on a novel, technically, although most will associate it with the original film The Poseidon Adventure. The character sequences are laugh out loud funny, thankfully they are brief and there are few of them. The boat being capsized happens very early on and the rest is all narrow escapes, countless explosions, lots of screaming and a needlessly loud soundtrack. The special effects are just superb, very believable and realistic. The characters are all predictable and the actors really try to bring something to their parts, but they can't. Emmy Rossum and Josh Lucas come closest to succeeding. Some of the early scenes are, of course, too predictable (even if Dreyfuss's romantic side seems a little displaced and unnecessary), as one just wants things go forward with the action. Luckily, on that end, in the tradition of bubble-headed (pun intended) thrillers with all the elements of a matinée serial, it's not bad. |
|
| 55 |
Raise Your Voice (2004, PG)
Raise Your Voice wasn't disappointing at all, seeing Hilary Duff flounce her singing talent would be irrefutably appropriate. The plot was great and the talents of the characters were comparatively astonishing, especially the recital of musical instruments. If you love to hear musical movies, watch it, you'll not be thwarted. |
|
| 56 |
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985, R) |
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| 57 |
Rambo III (1988, R) |
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| 58 |
Rambo (Rambo IV) (2008, R) |
|
| 59 |
Rocky (1976, PG) |
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| 60 |
Rocky II (1979, PG) |
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| 61 |
Rocky III (1982, PG) |
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| 62 |
Rocky IV (1985, PG) |
|
| 63 |
Rocky V (1990, PG-13) |
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| 64 |
Rocky Balboa (2006, PG)
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!" - Rocky Balboa |
|
| 65 |
Rush Hour (1998, PG-13) |
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| 66 |
Rush Hour 2 (2001, PG-13) |
|
| 67 |
Rush Hour 3 (2007, PG-13) |
|
| 68 |
Shark Attack (1999, R) |
|
| 69 |
Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002, R) |
|
| 70 |
Spectacular! (2009, Unrated)
The thing with movies characterized by music and performing arts is that its essence depends largely on the relevance and the timing of its performances in relation to a particular issue in the story. Spectacular! may be underrated and under-appreciated but a deeper analysis of the movie may reveal quite a degree of sense and heart in it lying behind its seeming superficiality. The movie can be summarized through its four songs strategically performed in different parts of the story. For the first song, we are practically introduced to the band singer, Nikko Alexander. Conflicting perspective somehow made it quite a deal for Nikko Alexander. Nothing natural, however, can be hidden for long. Soon, his outlook was discovered and surprisingly appreciated by the choir members. In fact, he started teaching the choir members new dance steps for a change. The second song, we are drawn to the idea that Nikko Alexander finally and officially got hooked into the performing choir as he started introducing new Spectacular traditions. The third song, as in any other group endeavoring to soar, unpleasant things sometimes happen, test of character, difficult choices to be made, truth uncovered during the worst of circumstances, break ups. Good thing is that people are almost always drawn to where their heart is. Realizing that he taught the group something new to believe in and that it's heartless to just abandon and fail them after what they've been through, Nikko Alexander made the most risky decision in his lifetime. The last song is the end credits song. It's practically a good summary and I guess everything that happened in the story already speak for themselves. |
|
| 71 |
Speed Racer (2008, PG) |
|
| 72 |
Sunshine (2007, R) |
|
| 73 |
S.W.A.T. (2003, PG-13) |
|
| 74 |
Tau man ji D (Initial D) (2005, Unrated)
This review's point of view will be from the cinematic experience, and there will be no comparison on how true it stays to the manga/anime. Despite all the star power in the movie, from teeny boppers Edison Chen and Shawn Yue, to veterans Kenny Bee and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, this still remains a Jay Chou vehicle. There will definitely be comparisons with Hollywood's The Fast and The Furious series, starring Vin Diese and Paul Walker. The similarity is the same cinematography technique used that starts from the driver's POV, pulling back to the dashboard, the rear seat, the boot, and the car from a "helicopter" view. Being based on a comic book offers some depth to the storyline, and it helped by staying true to the setting, being based in Japan. Given this is Jay Chou's debut movie role, it is difficult to critique if his acting skills are up to mark, as his lead character Takumi Fujiwara is a nonchalant man of few words. His co-stars Edison Chen and Shawn Yue could very well be their own persons as well. Chapman To, as usual, brings across the rather light hearted moments. Perhaps the only flaw about the movie was the sappy romance between Jay Chou and Anne Suzuki. Not that she isn't gorgeous, but their scenes together doesn't further the plot much, and slows down the pace somewhat of this movie about the need for speed. This is an enjoyable flick. |
|
| 75 |
The Da Vinci Code (2006, PG-13)
The structure of the movie, is exactly the same as the book. Naturally, some of the detailed explanation that's given in the book, especially many three-way dialogue between Agent Sophie Neveu-Dr. Robert Langdon-Sir Leigh Teabing, have to be summarized in order to pace this movie into 149 minutes. Herein lies the challenges. However, having being familiar with the plot and how the story unfolds, red herrings, character motivations, twists and all, it may leave those who've read the novel, a page-turner in every sense of the word, a bit wanting, that the pace could've been improved. the pacing sags when it's time for some dialogue heavy moments, but I suppose that is unavoidable when you're revisiting material. Tom Hanks makes Dr. Robert Langdon pretty accessible, given Tom Hanks' everyman demeanor, and Audrey Tautou makes a believable Agent Sophie Neveu. Paul Bettany is chilling as the albino killer Silas, Jean Reno and Alfred Molina round up the star studded cast as the detective Captain Bezu Fache and Bishop Manuel Aringarosa. The book and the movie have provided an opportunity for the faith to renew itself, to debunk the myths and theories (which were developed loosely to make the story flow of course), and to generally point the curious to the direction and light the faith wants to show. Otherwise, this Ron Howard movie makes a good summer popcorn flick, with the usual thrills and spills you'd come to expect with its superb production values. |
|
| 76 |
The Day After Tomorrow (2004, PG-13) |
|
| 77 |
The Fast and the Furious (2001, PG-13) |
|
| 78 |
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006, PG-13)
The Fast and the Furious is one thrilling ride from start to finish. There are a lot of cool features that show you what went into the making of this movie including the stunts and Justin Lin's insights and expertise into movie-making. There is something very appealing about this movie in the fact that it has a cast of Asian American character actors (Sung Kang, Brian Tee and Leonardo Nam) who are portrayed in a non-stereotypical light nd a white American character who actually embraces the Japanese culture. The guy actually goes with the flow, and makes every effort to fit in, whether it is learning at school, trying Japanese food, or getting into drifting. Directed by Justin Lin, he really gave us a product that Asian Americans can be real proud of. The racing sequences are really awesome and thrilling. Sung Kang was given a prominent role as the non-stereotypical Asian American mentor for Lucas Black as the male lead was unassuming, and this worked well in maintaining the cast as a true ensemble where all the principal roles were equally important. Justin Lin is one filmmaker who is truly in touch with the Asian American ethos. Enjoy this movie for the thrilling ride, the exciting visuals, and awesome sounds. |
|
| 79 |
The Game Plan (2007, PG)
This movie was very good. A great family movie with the only purpose of entertaining people with that unique touch that only Disney can give. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson proves that he is more than an action hero, he also can do comedy in a very good way and Roselyn Sanchez delivers a good supporting role. A very good family that you will enjoy. |
|
| 80 |
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003, PG-13)
"There is great unrest. Countries set at each other's throats, baying for blood. It's a powder-keg. The trouble of which I speak could set a match to the whole thing: War." - Sanderson Reed |
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| 81 |
The Lost World - Jurassic Park (1997, PG-13)
Like the first film, very well made and produced, though admittidely the effects are far more superior to the original. Although there are some loveable dinosaurs featured in the course of the film, there are more carnivorous dinosaurs that are the main villains, when you look at all the hunger and bloodshed they bring. |
|
| 82 |
The Perfect Storm (2000, PG-13) |
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| 83 |
The Rundown (Welcome to the Jungle) (2003, PG-13) |
|
| 84 |
Torque (2004, PG-13) |
|
| 85 |
Transformers (2007, PG-13)
Awesome movie. The sound effects complement the action perfectly making everything twice as exciting. There was never a dull moment, the script flowed smoothly, the acting was first-rated and the seamlessness of the CGI and live action were taken to another level. But the bad thing is only the music. The music should enhance the film by bringing out interesting themes or emotions, not force feeding us the drama we can plainly see on the screen in super slow motion. Overall, this movie is very enjoyable to watch. |
|
| 86 |
Ultraman Gaia - The Battle in Hyperspace (1998, Unrated) |
|
| 87 |
Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dyna (1998, Unrated)
If you like giant monster movies, you will like this. Ultraman Dyna is faced with the threat of the Monera, an alien race that has somehow possessed the Earth's greatest weapon. This movie is only barely feature length, and somehow manages to drag despite being that short, but the special effects and fights are fun. |
|
| 88 |
Ultraman Tiga, Vol. 2: Fugitive From Beyond (, Unrated) |
|
| 89 |
Valkyrie (2008, PG-13)
The pace at which Bryan Singer puts this movie through that's what, at breakneck speed rarely slowing down to take a breather. And that's quite the winning formula actually, keeping things tight and moving with clockwork military precision. Providence played a huge role in the movie, with changing of key locations and the ease with which certain key elements of the plan get arranged and completed. Improvisation without hesitation in execution, especially without thorough, objective and robust planning devoid of emotion, becomes an Achilles heel, with wanting to strike fast an overbearing condition in the plan proving to add complexity for everyone. The cast is a mouth watering one. The cast is nothing but spectacular on paper, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, Jamie Parker who played excellently the loyal Lieutenant under Tom Cruise's Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and with what I deem as cameos by Kenneth Branagh, as well as the grossly underused Carice van Houten who was also in another WWII-set movie in Paul Verhoeven's Black Book. Save for the initial one-sided battle at the African front in the first few minutes of the movie, the rest became a battle of the minds and resolve of its participants in a fierce power struggle. |
|
| 90 |
Van Helsing (2004, PG-13) |
|
| 91 |
War of the Worlds (2005, PG-13)
Think about it. They defeated the greatest power in the world in a couple days. Walked right over us. And these were only the first. They'll keep coming. This is not a war any more than there's a war between men and maggots... This is an extermination. - Harlan Ogilvy |
|
| 92 |
X-Men (2000, PG-13) |
|
| 93 |
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, PG-13)
The sequel in the X-Men series has a title that suggests that it is perhaps the last. This may or may not be the case but the story suggests it is and it is as good a way as any to tie up what has generally been a collection of superior summer blockbusters. The cast is perhaps a bit too baggy (although the story helps solve that problem to a degree) but everyone is good. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are as reliable as ever in their characters and bring a lot of dignity to their material. Unfortunately the promise in the material isn't produced that well to compliment the action. The lines are blurred in this drama. Overall this is a good summer action movie with good material, performances and action. In terms of the former aspect the action is great fun, looks great and is well spread out over the whole running time. |
|
| 94 |
X-Men Origins - Wolverine (2009, PG-13)
Let the summer begin. This is one hell of a ride and it certainly lives up to my expectations. Wolverine's story has always been an interesting one and this movie, as it delves into all that we know about Logan and his Wolverine alter ego is simply fantastic. X-Men Origins - Wolverine is action packed from start to finish. The ending is especially satisfying as Professor X makes an appearance and you get to see some of the young mutants who will eventually appear in the three X-Men movies. I found the story to flow and I enjoyed the performances of Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber immensely. Gavin Hood, who's only other Hollywood credit is Rendition with Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhal, does a masterful job keeping the action rolling, the fights exhilarating and the performances crisp and accurate. The final showdown takes place on "Mutant Island" and it does not disappoint. |
|
| 95 |
X2 (2003, PG-13) |

























































































