starlimitz2

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• 
  I recommend you see...

  The Dark Knight

  by Craig

  Directed by: Christopher Nolan.
  Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman.
  
  << "You see, madness is like gravity, all it takes is a little...push" >>
  
  The story follows Batman a year after his accounter with Ra's Al Ghul and his thugs, the streets remain the same and Batman continues to do what he can with the help of newly appointed Commissioner, Jim Gordon and Gotham's new D.A, Harvey Dent. Before long a menacing madman called the Joker introduces something into Gotham that no one would have ever expected.
  
  This is no doubt the hundredth review you have read on this film, massively hype for years by fans and recently by the general public, reviews have been pouring in by the bucketload...my review is simply just a reminder, from both an obsessed fan and a general moviegoer, that this film is beyond anyones expectations, especially mine and that it simply is outstanding.
  
  Everything about the first film is simply raised in level here, everything seems to be in a new direction, yet never forgetting what made Begins so great. Christopher Nolan has always been my favorite director and he has simply proved it here by a mile. To many it might appear flashy that he has taken hold of the newest technology for the film with IMAX cameras etc and in the wrong hands it would have just been for show, but Nolan is god behind these cameras and the epic scope is deftly handled and perfectly assured, the man is long overdue to be recognised more...and Wally Pfeister simply dazzles with the assured tone on this epic scale, it adds such a lovely feel.
  
  The Nolan brothers screenplay is simply remarkable and again, 'beyond' everything I expected from the film. I was one of the men who knew the film was going to be more than just a Batman film, the footage I saw showed it, the dialogue rang true of it and as I am no doubt repeating in this review, its more than you would ever expect. In Batman 89, the problem that feel on it was the fact that the storytelling was lax and Joker became a first rate character over Batman, who simply became third rate. Begins proved that Batman and Bruce Wayne can be powerful forces and complex humans and faces and TDK continues that power by adding so much more. Morally complex from every angle, its a perfect crime saga under the superhero cover. Each character is given special treatment and in one word, a 'soul'. Bruce Wayne must now face the facts of Rachael being with another man, especially the one appointed as the challenger to Batmans moral values on Gotham. Joker is never given a major origin story and thank god for that, because the direction of Nolans vision didn't need it. He's unrelenting, mysterious much like Batman yet so self destructive and simply one hell of a scary, menacing clown that promises anarchy and chaos.
  
  I can't go on without mentioning something highly underlooked in films...the score. It is the first soundtrack I would have ever bothered to sit down and listen to throughout and for good reason. Its a rich force that blends beautifully with the complexities of the films morals and emotions, beautifully adding richness to every epic scene on screen, its up there as one of the greatest pieces of music I've heard that can add so much to the moving image.
  
  You all knew I was getting to this...the performances. Christian Bale once again proves to be the greatest mix put on screen for these characters. As Bruce Wayne, he continues to show the charming and cheeky wit around the way he is seen in city, yet remains so human and battles the strong emotions with others as we all do. Aaron Eckhart simply blew me away, especially when everyone goes in for Heath. He's perfect...there I said it and easily blows Tommy Lee off the face of the earth. He's got the perfect charisma to play this all american man as D.A of a major city and really is a nice threat for Bruce in his personal life, because he is not only similiar in statue as the force of Gotham, but he has won Rachael over, who no doubt sees him as Bruce without the mask...and when Harvey changes into who he is destined to become, Aaron is scary as hell and really is compelling. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a great replacement over the horribly wooden Katie Holmes and is given more to work with this time around and she blends in just well....AND of course Heath Ledger. What more can I say that no one has already said? Many still believe an posthurmous Oscar win would be a sympathy vote, the truth is, if the man was still alive today, he would still win it for what is quite possibly the greatest villian to ever grace celluloid...and that will be argued. Equally unexpecting and expecting, his performance as the Joker will stand for a lifetime. Sure Ceaser and Jack will always have a face for Joker as the showman style of the character, but Heath is the dark side everyone knows from a 50+ year old character. Charismatic, dark, edgy and scary as all fucking hell, he breezes into every scene easily stealing it and delivering something so intense, so unexpected, yet so real. Its a performance to be remembered by someone who died so suddenly and whether or not he wins the truly deserved Oscar, he's already in the hall of fame in my eyes.
  
  The Dark Knight is a fucking masterpiece. To be, of course as 'opinion', because no one can stand as being right, it is the greatest film I have ever seen and blew my obsessive and very high expectations right out of the water. Moral complex, beautifully captured, deftly controlled, greatly performed...simply great. I still can't say that the film is 'flawless', because I still believe no film can or ever will, but The Dark Knight comes damn close.
  
  << "You see, nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying. If I told people that a gangbanger was going to get shot, or a busload of soldiers was going to get blown up, nobody would panic. It's all part of the plan. But tell people that one tiny little mayor is going to die and everyone loses their minds!" >>

  SilentWar

  What should I be saying here, read my review :) You know my obsession is good for it.
  
  ...and I was annoyed enough to have to wait until the 24th (release date) here to see it.

  posted 5 hours ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Rolling Thunder

  by Jessi

  A veteran of the Vietnam war comes home to all new horrors that force him to seek revenge, with a little help from some friends.
  
  Absolutely brilliant. William Devane is mad, and its wonderful. The ending of this flick keeps it from falling towards mediocrity.
  
  Delicious grindhouse flick.

  SisterHyde

  Took me a while to see this one, but it was worth it. Really fantastic 70s action/drama. William Devane is crazy intense and Tommy Lee Jones is crazy young, so check it out.

  posted 3 days ago
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  madmac17

  Hey - try this quiz and see how we compare
  
  Stephen King

  posted 4 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  The Dark Knight

  by Kevin

  Nothing is lacking in this excellently dark blockbuster - action, script, cinematography, storyline or marketing. What is considered the most-hyped film of '08 is justly the best, in my opinion.
  I viewed this film in an IMAX theatre, as it was intended to be seen. There were more than enough spectacular moments to retain my full attention, given how brilliant director Nolan's vision always is.
  The emergence of Joker (Ledger), Two-Face (Eckhart) and a brief cameo from Scarecrow (Murphy) all assemble a comic-fan's dream. Batman is excellently portrayed once again (Bale), while his friends of authority, Commissioner Gordon (Oldman), Asst DA Dawes (Gyllenhal) and DA Dent (Eckhart) are violently stirred into the Joker's plot. The finality of sudden events is exactly what the Batman franchise needs - unlike Tim Burton's comedic flops.
  The late Ledger's performance is shocking, mostly because you'll never recognize his transformation. For those who are too weak-minded to stomach such brilliant acting, in favour of a more 'friendly' edit, go back to your screening of 'Wall-E'.
  If you appreciate dark films, you will love the 'Dark Knight'. This is the 'Empire Strikes Back' (Star Wars) of the Batman series. Nolan still has 1 more Batman film to helm - which I eagerly await.

  kevsammal

  The effort and dedication that was invested into this film is clearly remarkable. It was intended to reach a large audience, without ridiculous 'edits' to preserve the memory of the late Heath Ledger. The film is excellent. See for yourself why Ledger's portrayal of the Joker will be forever immortalized in the best and most successful film of '08.

  posted 4 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  The Dark Knight

  by Jessi

  Went to see it at 12:20 Thursday night for full admission price and it was incredible. Fans of the Batman mythos are going to get what they want, casual movie fans are going to be blown away, and I'm not going to stop babbling.
  
  The only downfall of this movie is the dependence I developed on The Joker. I got antsy while our heros were on screen -- I need more of what proved to be absolutely unfiltered, morbid, delightful insanity. It could have been toned down, in light of Ledger's passing, or in an attempt to reach a wider (and younger) audience, but thankfully, no such attempt is made.
  
  I still haven't stopped grinning completely.

  SisterHyde

  Believe the hype, do yourself a treat, go see it -- very, very soon.
  
  As an added bonus, depending on your theatre, check out the trauker fir tge sure-to-be mindblowing adaptation of Alan Moore's genius The Watchmen. It's a good time to be a nerd.

  posted 5 days ago
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  Upinthecosmos

  dude, hook me up... LOL! Guess I just need to wait until the 29th. Was Corey Haim's messed up butt in it or what???

  posted 6 days ago
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  Upinthecosmos

  How did you see it already?? I'm jealous!

  posted 6 days ago
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  Upinthecosmos

  I'm good, thanks for the request:-)

  posted 7 days ago
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  chichi2006

  Hey - try this quiz and see how we compare
  
  How much do you know Gaspard Ulliel

  posted 10 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Fight Club

  by Craig

  Directed by: David Fincher.
  Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto.
  
  << "Self improvement is masturbation. Now self destruction..." >>
  
  The story follows the narrator of the film, an office employee, a heavy consumer to the world, who suffers from insomnia and does what he can to try and cure it, but when someone gets in his way, it vents up. He soon meets Tyler Durden on a business flight and together, aside from there differences, they put together 'Fight Club', an underground male fight group to help relieve male aggression.
  
  I've seen this film countless times and I think it takes my number 1 spot for that reason. I find it difficult to pick a favorite film and even then I see no film as perfect, but the fact that I can keep re-watching this film and finding something new and refreshing every single time keeps it as one of my 'favorites'.
  
  This film showed me one of my favorite directors...David Fincher. I would also count Se7en as another film that really brings forward the genius (it was released before this), but I saw this first. Key words is really all I can give you for his work here...brilliant, stylish, taut and a very original directional style, even when a lot of it comes from the CGI, his deft control and visual mind are present in every computerized moment and whats delivered is more than just CGI.
  
  Now I have never read Chuck Palahniuk's novel that this film is based on (but I definitely plan to read it), so I can't judge how faithful this film is, even though people say it is. Whether or not the book is more complex and layered or whether it's the other way around...either way, Jim Ehl's screenplay is something astonishing. Many still believe that even though its a film for the mind, the visceral content make it that much more...wrong. The screenplay is complex and chock full of layers. Its thoughtful, controversial and truly outstanding. Its not only a film full of crafty thrills, brilliant characters, superb and thoughtful dialogue and a twist to shock many (your not smart to 'figure' it out before the end, you can only take guesses), buts its so much more...a corporate advert to show the deterioration of man, a consumers guide to how life is, every character action, every frame tells another story about everything we live for, all while keeping you extremely engrossed elsewhere...reading the basic synopsis for this film tells you nothing, it is not just a film about fighting, its about what man is really capable of, because we are blinded by how unreal the world has become, where we aim for unnecessary goals, where we want a certain lifestyle that we don't need, like Tyler Durden says in the film, 'Things you own, end up owning you'...trust me, I am only telling you one small factor of the film here.
  
  The acting is brilliant, although Brad Pitt delivered a strong and weird performance in 12 Monkeys before this, this film showed the world he really is an actor and not just a celebrity. His performance that is darkly hilarious and strangely captivating...and Edward Norton gives the 2nd strongest performance of his career (after American History X), enough said.
  
  Fight Club was a critical success, which is rare thing for a film that is now seen as a 'cult classic', seeing as it flopped at the box office...it got the best of both worlds without the worlds money. I could continue to rant on and on about how much I love this film and how the film stands alone as something great, but I'll stop soon. The film is a masterpiece in my eyes, a film of kinetic beauty and a film to tell so much to so many...many will see this film as a degeneration of the world, but its actually exposing the world for what it is...a nice twist.
  
  << "Hitting bottom isn't a weekend retreat. It's not a goddamn seminar. Stop trying to control everything and just let go! LET GO!" >>

  SilentWar

  Yeah yeah you've all seen it...but I had to finally give it the review it deserved, especially since its in my top 5.

  posted 11 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Student Bodies

  by Jessi

  Before the Scary Movie franchise stopped being funny, Student Bodies was pretty okay.
  
  The real standout of this movie is "The Stick" as Malvert the Janitor. Worth watching for him alone!

  SisterHyde

  After years of nothing, Student Bodies has finally made its way to DVD. Check it out if you get a chance!

  posted 11 days ago
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  rescueme39

  Damn fine taste in movies you've got. Damn fine.

  posted 14 days ago
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  guts01

  i like twelve monkeys!!!

  posted 14 days ago
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  danishrocker

  i got a ps3

  posted 14 days ago
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  danishrocker

  yo man long time no chat...so wat u up to?

  posted 15 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Hancock

  by Craig

  Directed by: Peter Berg.
  Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Eddie Marsan, Jae Head.
  
  << "Call me an asshole, one more time..." >>
  
  POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
  
  The story follows a drunk superhero known as Hancock. The entire city knows who he is and although he really is the only savior they have against crime, they don't trust him, seeing as he is careless, drunk and carries an attitude for all to see. But when the city really needs him the most, the closest people he has met along the way must help him to clean himself up and take on what he is asked of.
  
  Yeah the plot sounds predictable and it is...but god the twisted take sounds like it really could be great and when I first heard it I thought 'wow, its great to finally see a twist on the superhero genre that doesn't sound like another parody'...the plot still sounds great to me, but it isn't fulfilled to it potential here.
  
  I shouldn't really be 'spoiling' the opening scene, but I really have to here, because it shows you why I nearly felt like walking out. Without going into to much detail, a car chase/shootout is happening on the highway, Hancock is drunk and asleep, someone calls upon him to help and he flies to help in a drunk state...this sounds decent and funny, but that isn't the case as it is horribly executed here. The CGI is appalling, I get the idea that they are trying to do him flying drunk through the air but it looks very iffy...and THEN he smashes into a sign on the highway that causes a 20 second sequence of blatant CGI bits smashing into countless cop cars that flip and crash in every direction...a very 'Michael Bay' moment made worse playing to the song 'Move Bitch'.
  
  But to be fair, the movie did step up for the next hour. Peter Berg does go to far into the familiar hand-held style that he did in The Kingdom and it does become a little distracting for where the story goes, but he manages to keep the pacing right and really helps to deliver the humor. That is definitely the strong point of the film, its humor. From such a character created (which is actually standard and goes through the basic motions throughout the film...nothing great), its cheeky, witty, a little dirty and very 'in your face'...I definitely found myself having a great time.
  
  The performances were rather acceptable. Will Smith is obviously the right man for such a role. Although getting greedy with the 'celebrity status' he now has, he can still entertain and can act...and his sly attitude and humor really adds presence to the film. Charlize Theron works well with Will and they have unexpected chemistry together...and shes so damn hot throughout. Jason Bateman is...well, Jason Bateman.
  
  Then the film goes downhill from what was actually a rather decent and acceptable 1st and 2nd act. The final act, while watching it, is done well, remained gripped and the visual style was amazing (underneath the mediocre CGI), but by the time the credits rolled, I felt horribly cheated...the film simply changed note harshly and what was for a while a decent, cheeky, witty piece turned into a overly dramatic film that took itself way to seriously.
  
  The film is really problematic. The characters are stock, theres no strong villain presence and the ending really pulls the film down, especially after what I saw as a rather acceptable, funny and witty twist on the superhero genre with a strong performance from Will Smith...pity.

  SilentWar

  Watch on DVD maybe.

  posted 15 days ago

In Theaters

• Get Smart

On Dvd

• The Man Who Knew Too Little
• Rumble Fish
• Vantage Point
• Freedom Writers
• Horton Hears a Who!
• Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Lists Jeff's Created

• My Favorite Movies (84 movies)
• My DVD Collection (115 movies)
• My Favorite Animated Movies (22 movies)

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