Reviews

AVP was unjustly given a death sentence in 2003 and by that i mean a PG-13 rating and writer/director Paul WS Anderson (Resident Evil/Mortal Kombat)it failed miserably among hardcore fans, average moviegoers were slightly amused, and critics despised it. Now Collin and Greg Strause two fanboys and first time directors bring us an R-Rated, gore infested Alien vs Predator sequel.

The movie follows the end of the first film where a hybrid alien/predator bursts through the chest of a dead predator on board their ship. The hybrid takes out a few predators until a blast from one of their shoulder cannons blows a hole in the ship sending it on a crash collision in a little village in Colorado. They definitely set the movie up well they found a way to toss the aliens and predator back on earth without some lame we once worshiped them aztec, pyramid back story, what i like is how the Strauses stay away from all of that contradictory bull$hit.

The movie suffers from a lot of set backs one it seems starved for attention. These guys seem to be willing to do anything to counteract Andersons terrible 2003 film and constantly drill the R-Rating into your head by killing kids, pregnant women, and implied babies. It's not that it offended me it just seemed like a desperate cry for attention a way for them to say "hey this one is R-Rated remember".

The creature effects are great although in certain places the CGI looks pretty bad almost sci fi channel quality but the predators look reminiscent of the classics and the aliens look bigger and more menacing. AVP-R looks to be an action fueled film, intended to be mindless fun and brain off entertainment. The biggest problem is that despite the loads of action none of it makes you feel excited or on edge it's you just watch it you do not get into it at all. Perhaps one of the key reasons of this is the fact that you can't see much with the dark lighting, especially during fight scenes all you can make out is some dreadlocks here a tail there, green blood spraying over here. The choppy editing doesn't help either it only furthers the lack of visibility.

The acting is actually alright there are very few bad actors in the film but they do stand out, the ditsy blonde feels like a Laguna Beach character her relationship with one of the protagonists is rushed and feels very unrealistic but hey who's looking for realism here. The direction of the film is right the went darker, more brutal, in a way more entertaining but the technical side of the movie needs work. A good little debut for the Strause brothers but they need to work on better editing, and better lighting they seem to be better writers then directors the exact opposite of Paul WS Anderson. Overall AVP-R somehow fails at being mindless fun but it tops the original which again isn't saying much at all.

Halloween has itself a legacy and it seems today that everyone goes overboard when somebody wants to remake or add to this legacy fearing that the original will be ruined. It blindsides me how people can be so judgmental about this film before it's release even though there have been seven horrible sequels that for me ruined the legacy of Halloween. Rob Zombie's remake does not pose as the original like the remakes for The Omen or The Grudge it has it's own unique take on a classic character.

People seem to have a pretty prejudice feeling for remakes because almost every message board I go to when one is announced is always flocking with negative posts on how it will ruin the original. Remakes have existed since the time of ancient Rome however as most plays salvaged from that period are simply Greek plays with different characters or slight tweaks in the story thus a remake. I feel this is one of the better remakes up there alongside Dawn Of The Dead, The Amityville Horror, and The Hills Have Eyes.

The acting I felt was I most cases very good and very convincing although certain characters are very cliché. Sheri Moon does an amazing job playing Michael's gutterslut mom who isn't at fault for where her life has brought her. She is the character you sympathize the most for as she does all she can to keep her family together, works all the time as a stripper because her dead beat husband won't do anything, and when Michael finally kills it breaks her down even more as all she's left with is her murdering son and her 8 month old or so daughter. Daeg ferch who plays young Michael has some line delivery problems but when acting with just facial expression or body expression he is the perfect Michael Myers as he is simply eerie to look at. The teenage characters with the exception of Laurie Strode are very cliché "bad" girls who are of course drinking and having sex throughout most of the film and no most of them cannot act very well however they are minimal characters so it doesn't take much from the overall picture. Malcolm MacDowell plays an interesting yet very underdeveloped child psychologist who after 17 years working with Michael decides to quit on him and move on however when Michael escapes he returns to prevent the death of Laurie Strode which at first is not Michael's plan.

The story is very interesting yet straightforward there are no twists and turns just a simple plot and one storyline. Rob uses all the scores from the original throughout the film to build suspense and surprisingly it works very well. The blood and gore which some would expect to dominate the movie works very well as it's not just a hack/slash film like any of the Friday The 13th, or Nightmare On Elm Street sequels. Rob uses suspense to build up the act of the murder and much like the film seven shows mostly the aftermath and not the kill. It's not the blood or gore that is meant to scare you though, what is meant to scare you is the violence which is terrifying because of it's realism and how relentless Michael is with that knife. The kills make you feel uneasy not sick to your stomach but very uneasy as you can put yourself in the victim's position much like Saw.

The remake seems to have a lot more depth than the original not that it's better but I honestly feel it's a pretty worthy addition to the franchise far more worthy than any of the 7 pathetic hack/slash sequels. Halloween is what Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning should have been a deep, frightening back story that dives in to the killers before and after persona's and gives us reason and the ability to see why he does what he does. If you have a weak stomach I guarantee you won't like this film not due to the gore but again to the realism of deplorable acts in this film there is a very realistic rape scene that will make you feel angry and uneasy at the same time and I know many who were outraged by the one in The Hills Have Eyes so any of you out there offended by that please do not see this film. If however you are looking for what today is a rare breed a good horror movie with an actual plot than see Halloween immediately because trust me it is the best slasher I've seen in years and a shockingly scary good time.

Chuck Lorre is in my opinion a pretty funny writer i was so so with Dharma and Greg, hated Roseanne, and once again i'm so so with Two and A Half Men. It seems though that Lorre is one of those guys that get better and better as they go so i'm looking very forward to The Big Bang Theory this fall on CBS. Now on to the sitcom everyone is hailing as the only worthwhile sitcom on TV for one that is a terrible terrible lie. Two and a Half Men is funny i enjoy it's sexual, crude, but intelligent humour but the show is extremely over rated. The characters do not develop or change or learn lessons and all the show plot wise goes absolutely nowhere every episode is funny but character wise uninteresting. Why Charlie Sheen is viewed as the star is beyond me and why he's up for an emmy is beyond the world because any true fan of the show should be well aware that Jon Cryer is the star. He's definitely the person who generates the best jokes and delivers his lines best he's also the only character who is eccentric or different while the others are very laid back and casual. Charlie Sheen basically just says his lines and he's lucky that they're very good lines or else the show wouldn't be funny. The show is quite entertaining and because of it's go nowhere characters can go on for a long time. Two and a Half Men is really just a bunch of good writers speaking through actors there really isn't anything that makes the characters three dimensional other than Jon Cryer and the boys's mom. From the beginning the show has pretty much only furthered the Alan and his ex wife plot line and not very far at all. I do enjoy the show and find it funny it has it's few classic episodes bu it's never had a "bad" episode at least so far and probably because the series is so ho hum that you're expectations aren't big going into it. I think it's one of the most over rated sitcoms in terms of it's constant emmy nominations but it is a huge and hilarious stepping stone for Chuck Lorre who get's better and better as he goes. Overall it's a good show to watch when not much else is on but you won't miss anything if you don't watch it for weeks.

I don't understand why anybody finds this film mind blowing, ground breaking and all the other over-hyped words used to describe this over-hyped movie. Children Of Men may have an interesting story that is smart and intelligent but a movie's purpose is to tell that story in an interesting way and Children Of Men doesn't not deliver good "film" qualities. Whether or not they were going for a Blair Witch feel the movie is filmed like a one camera sitcom or documentary with brutal shaking and extremely bad and unappealing visuals. Despite that, i'm sure they intended for this to add to the realism it does but you know what? real life is and looks boring that's why people watch movies. The flaws in the film technique keep you from concentrating on the plot which is complex and requires thought and attention but the sheer boredom of the movie keeps the mind uninterested and antsy. Clearly i'm alone here due to the enormously great reviews this film has gotten so bear in mind this is just my opinion for all i know you could love the film but hey that's what the internet is for free expression right??? It's just so difficult to get into this film because it doesn't even really catch your attention nor does it hold your attention but turns into one of those movies you impatiently and angrily await to end so you can know the plot's resolution obviously that means Children Of Men has great storytelling. If the only thing keeping you from shutting this off or walking out of the theater than you know the writers have done their job and it's the production team that has screwed things up. The acting is so so i generally enjoy Clive Owen but he seems less emotionless than usual which doesn't work when he isn't playing a bad@$$ action hero. Julianne Moore is great as usual but doesn't end up saving the film. The acting is really not bad at all Naomie Harris is awesome it's just the way it's shot, the pacing, the character development, everything is just so slow and so bland. I believe this was based on a book so my advice is to skip the movie and read the book.

Adam Sandler and Kevin James are great in this hysterical and in the end uplifting comedy. You might be mis judging this comedy like most mis judged The Ringer as an excuse to crudely make fun of a specific group but like The Ringer it actually demonstrates a very positive message that people can learn from. Adam Sandler fans will love this movie because it's one of his better films in which he gives a funny performance without being too over the top like he was in Waterboy or Little Nicky. Kevin James is great as usual giving us a lovable good hearted character in which everything blows up in his face. These two make a great team for comedy as good and as lovable as Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels or David Spade and Chris Farley truly two funny guys you love to see play off of each others performances. In terms of the humour style much like Click it fits everyone's style of humour as it contains random, slapstick, witty, uplifting, insulting, over the top, character, and crude humour. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry will have pretty much everyone laughing and in the end won't be offending or angering anyone. Those who thought Jessica Biel would add or detract from the quality of the film don't worry as she doesn't do either she just gives a pretty steady performance without overshadowing anyone else or being overshadowed by everyone else. I think Adam Sandler is on a role due to his later films being much more uplifting and funny rather than just over the top funny. If Adam Sandler keeps up with Reign Over Me, Click, and now Chuck and Larry he will remain as lovable and memorable as legends like Rodney Dangerfield and Leslie Nielson. Kevin James to put it simply is a sitcom actor meaning he has amazing comedic timing and can always keep you laughing with lines that if said by anyone else would'nt be funny a very bright future for him and a great step forward with Chuck and Larry. My only complaints are within the fact that it gets a little sappy, and the storyline gets too out of this world and unbelievable at certain points. Overall it's a great movie and a real accomplishment for both Adam Sandler and Kevin James.

Michael Bay once again delivers with the best Hollywood blockbuster of the summer which is saying a lot considering the large amount of great summer blockbusters this year. Spiderman 3 was disappointing but entertaining, Shrek The Third was funny but again disappointing, Pirates 3 was better than the second but not as good as the first and Fantastic Four 2 was entertaining but gave too much away in previews. Michael Bay's Transformers was pretty much my last hope in this years blockbusters and you can damn well bet that Transformers was the most satisfying, entertaining, and enthralling movie of the summer. I was never really one who followed the Transformers cartoons when i was young with the exception of Beast Wars but like most people not living under a rock i knew of their existence. After seeing Michael Bay's action packed and promising trailer i decided to familiarize myself with this franchise and honestly i did not like what i saw. I watched the original animated film and a spin off series called Transformers:Cybertron and while the film i felt was dated and cheesy the spin off which is a show of the 2000's was more cheesy with worse dialogue but they gave me the back story behind the Transformers and i was ready to roll. First of all Transformers is one of those movies you absolutely must see in theatres, IMAX if you can because the carnage, destruction, and mayhem is hardcore and gets you're adrenaline at an all time high. The script is surprisingly solid i figured Transformers would be 2 and a half hours of stuff blowing up but there is definitely intelligent writing behind it as well. The comedy is written perfectly i don't think i rolled my eyes once at any of the jokes because none of them sucked, and while it is sitcom like writing (meaning the actors timing makes or breaks the joke) it's not bad sitcom writing like in Ghost Rider it's hilarious and really does a great job at lightening the mood. The special effects are the best i've seen honestly better than Star Wars or Peter Jackson's King Kong absolutely flawless, nothing looks too CGI, nothing looks puppet like everything looks pretty damn real for a movie about transforming robots. The action is also extremely solid Shia LaBoef is great and definitely an up and comer however Megan Fox gives a passable performance she seemed to have some bad line delivery but still accomplished the job, Shia clearly overshadows her performance by a mile though. If you are a fan despite the little changes (Bumblebee is now a Camaro) it won't matter trust me they do such a great job at bringing a very difficult thing to the big screen with slight changes that don't detract from the overall picture. For non fans everything is explained very well you are not in need of searching for a back story before seeing the film, non fans will definitely enjoy the ride of full out non stop action. The movie overall met and slightly exceeded my expectations unlike every other film this summer so if you are expecting this movie to be amazing do not fear disappointment because it is more than meets the eye.

Batman and Robin face the challenge of the deadly Mr.Freeze, Poison Ivy and Bane as well as a jealousy conflict between each other and a new partner in Bat Girl.They must work together to stop Freeze from icing the entire city of Gotham.

After Batman Forever everyone should know his Batman films are an homage to the old campy comics and cheesy TV series.Batman and robin is as openly, blatantly obvious about being over the top and corny that anyone who takes it seriously is missing the point.You really think that the genius behind The Lost boys and The Number 23 would give us scenes like Batman playing ice hockey with bad guys, sky surfing, the Dr.Woodrow character, bat nipples on the suit, and Batman pulling out the "Bat Credit Card" to buy a night with Poison Ivy while trying to make a serious Batman movie...PLEASE! The acting is absolutely hilarious and every bit as campy as the rest of the film.The magnificent actors all give hilarious over the top performances as very eccentric and flamboyant characters that are every bit as corny and fun as The Evil Dead.The action screams out it's homage to the random gadgets and MacGyver like use of surroundings in the 1970's TV series.The script is purposely terrible you can tell as Schumacher picked out every one liner possible and made a script out of them.I honestly can't believe people took this seriously and to heart i think it's better than both of Burton's films which were also cheesy and over the top but with a far too serious tone but because Tim Burton's name was there no one will consider it bad.Burton is extremely overrated because we all know it was Jack Nicholson who carried the 1989 film.

Overall it's funny, it doesn't take itself seriously at all yet stubborn people without a sense of humour label it as an "atrocity" I've actually read that somewhere...sad.Giving this a bad review because it was cheesy is like giving a bad review to Evil Dead, Freddy vs Jason, or Mars Attacks!.Overall a perfect Batman parody and a good homage to the awesomely cheesy 70's show all that was missing was a little POW! SOCK! WHAP!

In this sequel to 2002's video game adaptation of Resident Evil.The virus has escaped to the city and Alice has escaped with abnormal abilities and is aiding a group of survivors left for dead by the deceitful Umbrella Corporation who plan to nuke it to get rid of and cover up the zombie epidemic by all means necessary.

Resident Evil Apocalypse is the perfect popcorn movie one of which you cannot take seriously at all.It's pure entertainment and it knows it is and it delivers what it promises to contain, a rush of non-stop action.The movie strays further away from the games but adds two existing game characters Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliviera.This movie is meant as a big budget action film it's supposed to be over the top and it's supposed to be a special effects extravaganza so of course critics will over-analyze it and label it as garbage but those critics don't know how to have a good time.

The elements of cinema here are actually very good aside from one thing.The acting is awesome a big improvement from the first Milla Jovovich is more intense, Oded Fehr is as cool as ever, Sienna Guillory is bad @$$, and Mike Epps is a riot.The visual effects are no longer grainy and cold looking but they're sleek, glossy, with a Tim Burton kind of feel by which i mean a lot of night settings but with lots of various colours in the night settings.The dialogue is just brutal, it's unbelievably cliché and not in a purposeful, campy way it's just plain old bad dialogue and it totally distracts you from the films mood.Aside from that there's more adrenaline pumped action, better gun brawls, amazing martial arts choreography, great explosions, and realistic gore.The plot is really interesting you really want to know the secrets of Umbrella and once again were are left with a giant cliffhanger that gets us looking forward to the third movie in theatres September 2007.

Overall I have to say taking the film in a much lighter and humorous tone made it far easier to enjoy the over the top action and entertaining storyline unfold.It's obviously just made for fun, there's no uplifting message just pure brain off entertainment.Paul WS Anderson steps down as director but still contributes as writer which is very evident as everything else seemed to improve but the dialogue got worse lol.See it for the special effects and don't expect a brilliant adaptation of Resident Evil 2 or a terrifying zombie flick like Dawn Of The Dead expect to be entertained and you will be.

Resident Evil follows a team of commando's investigating an underground biolab after a reported incident occurs inside of it.The incident is more severe then any of them suspected as the former employees are dead but they are still walking around and they are hungry.

Seeing as Resident Evil was originally a groundbreaking horror game you'd think this film adaptation would be a mirror image of it however this movie only has elements of the game in it spread out through various visual effects, lighting, and set design everything else is completely different.Director Paul WS Anderson (Mortal Kombat,AVP) intended this movie to be a prequel to the game and show how and why the viral infection escaped however many did not know this and immediately hated it because the storyline and characters in the movie were never in the game.

The elements of this movie are a mixed bag.The acting is very good especially Milla Jovovich, Eric Mabius, and James Purefoy but Michelle Rodriguez gives her one trick pony tough girl act again.The script is at times suspenseful and at times god awful mostly coming from poor dialogue and badly delivered one liners.Visually the film is gritty and very grainy with a very cold colour temperature which creates suspense but looks at times boring and unappealing.The music in the movie is also mixed sometimes it's absolutely perfect others it's loud and overbearing however the main score is an absolute masterpiece thank you Marilyn Manson.The action is raw and hardcore, the gun brawls are great but the hand to hand is weak and cheesy especially when it's Milla vs the zombie dogs.The special effects are pretty good but at times far too unrealistic and far too fake looking for example some of the gore and CGI effects(the licker is obviously CGI).

This is probably Paul WS Andersons best film it's not perfect, it's not brutal but gamers probably won't like it too much.The film is mildly entertaining but the lack of special effects and good hand to hand choreography you generally see in an Anderson film (Mortal Kombat,Soldier) are missing in the otherwise fun film.The trailer isn't misleading if you've seen it you know what you're getting into n action/horror that isn't supposed to be taken too seriously.

When The Simpsons got slow and started losing it's spark Matt Groening decided to focus ideas elsewhere and partnered up with David X Cohen to create Futurama which was expected by many just to be a lame rip off of The Simpsons however it was a smash hit and in my personal opinion is better than The Simpsons.American Dad! went through the exact same thing as everyone expected it to be Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy 2 but once again American Dad! is a huge hit and in my opinion better than Family Guy.We have the basic formulaic family set up the father,mother,brother, an sister but with the addition of an alien and a talking fish were talking a new spin on an old idea.The characters are absolutely amazing and original even better than Stewie or Peter Griffin.We have Stan the overprotective father who works for the CIA and is demeaning,racist,fascist,violent,overbearing,stubborn, and close minded basically a Republican exaggerated and blown way out of proportion.Francine is the semi ditsy mother who keeps to herself and is 100% comfortable being a housewife, she's soft and mothering but with an extremely psychotic side as well.Steve is the geeky teenage son who cares about nothing but boobs and Star Trek his father is ashamed of him as Steve is extremely nerdy.Hayley is liberal hippie daughter who is constantly doing weed,rebelling, protesting, and giving hypocritical speeches during the show basically your exaggerated Liberal blown out of proportion.Roger steals the show as the effeminate alien whom the family found at Area 51 and have been secretly keeping secretly in the attic, Roger is outrageously funny he' whiny, b*tchy, and addicted to TV basically a woman going through a middle aged crisis but in n alien body.Klaus has basically served more as a supporting character the family pet a German talking fish he serves his purpose with some good one liners but he for the most part just gets in the way and it's evident as he is more and more excluded in each episode.The show is nothing like Family Guy this is like Seth MacFarlanes South Park his show to voice his political and social commentary in an extreme over the top and offensive way.This show constantly makes fun of liberals and republicans and carries some of the wittiest and most laugh out loud hilarious lines in TV history not to mention Patrick Stewart as a lovable supporting character named Bullock.American Dad! is amazing political satire without the flashbacks, character similarities, and random humour of Family Guy.

I am in no way an enormous Spiderman fan i enjoy the character and the films but not to the point that cinematic alterations to the comic book bothers me.I thought both previous Spiderman films were great blockbusters, fun summer films, and awesome comic book adaptations however while i believe the same for Spiderman 3 it's obvious fanboys and dedicated readers will not.Many say the problem with Spiderman 3 lies with the "too many villains" factor however i believe it was that they spent too much time on the wrong villains and too little time on the right one.I am aware of Venom's huge popularity, his fan base is almost as big as Spiderman's but unfortunately there is definitely not enough of him and they defeat him too easily and too quickly you will feel as if you've been ripped off when it comes to Venom.Sandman is by far the most entertaining and coolest villain in the film you can tell Sam Raimi loved this character and wanted to bring him in to the franchise in a big way and trust me the confrontations between Sandman and spiderman are just the impact Sandman needed to forever cement himself as a classic character in the Spidey film franchise.Harry Osbourne was the villain they needed to cut down in terms of screen time as everything with him especially his first fight scene while fantastically choreographed came out of nowhere and felt very random and rushed.The soap opera drama that filled up Spidey 2 is again present in Spidey 3 but due to all the action and adventure it's not as annoying but it completely makes you roll your eyes when Mary Jane is on screen.The emo Peter Parker thing was definitely the thing that killed the seriousness of the film as i found it downright funny.I know the symbiote story and i know the symbiote makes Parker violent and angry not a narcissistic emo for awhile it felt like we had two Eddie Brock characters.Speaking of Eddie Brock Topher Grace is such a lovable bad guy that you instantly forget he's the exact opposite of the comic book Eddie Brock.The action is spectacular, and the visuals are as great as they've always been with unbelievably great CGI and fantastic colour coordination.The score is absolutely brutal it's by far the worst thing about the film and the most noticeable flaw.It makes everything feel awkward and out of place i definitely missed Danny Elfman during the film after the first time i heard that score i thought i was watching a 1940's detective film as the music is loud and overbearing.The film i think is more good than bad it has good morals, a pretty good storyline, amazing action, flawless visuals, great comic relief from J.Jonah and Bruce Campbell really when you break it down if Venom wasn't in it everyone would enjoy it more and it wouldn't be such a disappointment.

I was not one to find 28 Days Later to be a zombie masterpiece that redefined the apocalyptic genre as the previews say personally i thought it was far too slow moving and boring so obviously i expected a rushed sequel like The Hills Have Eyes 2.28 Weeks Later is one of if not the best zombie films ever made i think it is better than George A Romero's series of Night Of The Living Dead, Day Of The Dead, and Dawn Of The Dead which have for the most part been deemed the best zombie movies to ever be made.28 Weeks Later has an extremely intense and realistic start as these zombie don't wonder aimlessly, decaying, and grunting "BRAINS!" these zombies run at you like an angry bear clawing and biting at you, they don't stop or slow down for a moment even when that means trying to abandon them in water.The entire movie is a rush of action and adrenaline with a great story and great themes of togetherness and conspiracy.The acting is phenomenal especially for a film that is being lead by a 12 year old and his teenage sister it's surprisingly realistic, and not over the top or campy.The visual effects are that of the first film nothing too glamorous or stunning but it keeps you remembering the events in the first film.The score from the first film is kept and is absolutely riveting and just gets you pumped up for terror.The film is innovative in terms of it's methods to scare the audience with a good balanced mix of psychological horror and well place jump scares that catch you off guard.The directors film techniques are also unique as one entire scene is filmed as if the audience is looking through night vision with that eerie green glow you see on shows like Most Haunted and The Blair Witch.The gore isn't fake or corny and the stunts and events that would've been corny are done so well that it just fits into the whole rush of action and adventure.The script and dialogue is very good no over exaggerated humour crying for a laugh track and no stereotypes something Dawn Of The Dead lacked.The only complaints i have is there is a big plot hole in which one of the scientists says that the virus is not trans species when in fact the original outbreak was caused by chimpanzees, and the boring visuals.Other than those few minor flaws the film is action packed with unexpected twists, shocking violence, and heart-stopping terror.

I never really fell into the group of people hyped up for this film, I thought it looked good but too phony and fantasy like not too mention i thought it might turn out like Narnia.Pan's Labyrinth is however one of the best epic fantasy films ever made right up there with Lord Of The Rings, and King Kong in terms of cinematic perfection.The film is not a complete fantasy world like the previews portray it as it is only on consistent occasion that the main character Ophelia enters the world of the Labyrinth where most of the film takes place in the real world on a military base.The film has extremely surprising and violent content and is definitely not a fantasy film for children so for those thinking this will be anything close to Harry Potter, Narnia, or Eragon think again before taking your child to see this relentlessly gory yet artistically beautiful film.If any of you are gamers and have played Resident Evil 4 you'll know of the eerie creatures and hauntingly beautiful settings such as enormous corridors and eerie rooms and a certain scene in Pan's Labyrinth will definitely remind you of what made Resident Evil 4 such a great game to look at.Speaking of visual style the movie does one of the most fantastic jobs at creating a beautiful fantasy world without anything looking cheesy or fake.The CGI is masterful and is probably the best and most realistic use of CGI since King Kong while the props and costumes for the majority of the creates make them feel much more real.The movie does a good job of emotionally drawing you to certain characters and hating other characters so when certain things happen to them you are devastated or extremely happy so the movie does a perfect job in terms of character development and getting you into the film to root for who it wants you to root for.The gore and violence is realistic, stylized, and intense and the blood effects are absolutely amazing, they don't look the very least bit fake.The storyline moves along at a pretty good pace it gets slow very rarely as the action is spaced out well over the course of the movie.In one word i would describe Pan's Labyrinth as "Epic".Guillermo Del Toro i've always felt was overrated as i enjoyed Blade 2 and Hellboy but not to the point of thinking "hey the new Del Toro films out it's gotta be good" now i see the talent everybody is talking about.Very well done by the entire production it deserved the 3 Academy Awards it received and undeniably should have won the Academy Award for best score over An Inconveniant Truth.This movie is an epic masterpiece i now look forward to Del Toro's work.

The theater was packed more so than usual and why not as Vacancy was a very entertaining thrillride.Kate Beckinsale is great in her first Horror film and Luke Wilson is great in pretty much his first serious role as these two squabbling spouses can feed off of each others talent.Remember when we had nothing but slasher movies being intentionally funny, you know the days where Jason X, Wrong Turn, Scream, Freddy vs Jason, and I Know What You Did Last Summer well that is slowly coming to an end as Vacancy aligns itself with Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Hills Have Eyes as a great serious slasher that doesn't have ridiculous humour or one liners.Vacancy has a simple enough storyline that has indeed been done before but the best thing about it is that unlike so many other slasher movies this one has a lot of character development as these characters aren't the typical teenager or cop whose name you don't remember or care about you know damn well who the Fox couple is, why they're having problems, and you end up rooting for them to survive.To say Vacancy is scary is a bit of a stretch but to say Vacancy is a great thriller would be about accurate.The storyline progresses at a fast pace but none of it is half @$$ed or out of nowhere everything makes sense in the end.Vacanc's pacing gets you're adrenaline pumping in the same way that any good quality thriller does.Vacancy has has a much more realistic and believable story as you know full well these killers are everyday people they aren't a monstrous man with a flesh disease like in Texas Chainsaw or House Of Wax and it's not some campy undead serial killer like Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees.I think what added to the effect of the creepy atmosphere was having pretty much the whole film take place at night as it really gave you a cold feeling that something was lurking out their.Again my only complaints are that the dialogue is sometimes not well delivered, the plot is at times over the top, and it borrows a lot of elements from Psycho and Saw.

The Good -Overall good acting -Doesn't rely solely on gore or jump scares -Good amount of character development -Excellent pace that keeps the adrenaline pumping

The Bad -Some bad line delivery -Plot tends to get a little over the top -Various horror clichés eg. the car breaks down

This sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is only scary because it is just so f(_)cked up.The good points in this movie lie within the characters particularly the cannibal family as Matthew MaConahagh gives an amazing performance along with everyone else in the family minus Leatherface.The best part of this movie is that the relentless torture is bloodless but more violent and sadistic than any of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films not to mention very realistic.This movie certainly portrays insanity, cruelty, and disgust to perfection due to the number of scenes where characters are being slapped around, violated, and mocked.The villains tend to always give the victims a glimmer of hope even though they know full well there's no chance of their prey escaping their clutches.The acting in terms of the victims is half good and half bad Renee Zellwegger is fantastic she plays a very helpless but brave young woman, the character who is the typical narcissistic jerk is also a good actor but the ditsy blonde and the very early murdered Shawn are absolutely horrible and you're glad they die.Besides the clichéd characters the meat that holds the bun together in these movies is always and will always be Leatherface but in this movie the actor cannot make Leatherface seem even remotely as scary and scarred as the original played by Gunnar Hansen or the remake's Andrew Bryniarski who at least strike fear into you simply by looking and appearing menacing.This leatherface has a ridiculous mask that looks as if it was made of play doh or thin plaster and really isn't scary or even cool.The worst thing is that this movie is almost an exact double of the first one except with a ton of errors and bad acting.The kill's are all the same as the first film and they even through in the scene where Sally jumps through the window to escape Leatherface cutting through the door.This movie delivered a more warped and bizarre dinner table scene but this dinner scene you knew it was a movie versus the shockingly realistic one that took place in the original Tobe Hooper film.The ending is exactly the same as well minus one little extra scene with Renee Zellwegger in the hospital.The storyline goes from a simple slasher to an unrealistic government conspiracy which i thought was moronic but at least they waited until the last 10 minutes or so to spring that plot twist on us.To sum it up the movie gets a 5 from me 3 points for the scariness, 2 points for most of the acting.

The Good: -Realistic torture compliments the scariness

-The actors portray lunacy and dysfunction perfectly

-Good dialogue for the villain characters

The Bad: -Unbelievable overall concept

-Repetitive to the point that it seems like a bad remake

-Bad make up effects particularly on Leatherface

-Plot line wanders aimlessly without explanation

-Bad dialogue for the victim characters

Overall: 5/10

Unfortunately for Sarah Silverman this show doesn't compliment her at all.The character isn't even remotely likable and it's not a situation where you think "oh she's such i b*tch i love her" just "she's such a b*tch".This character is just a plain old self righteous, mean, b*tch.Sarah seems to struggle to have to carry this show because she's the only semi funny one in it.The mood, the dialogue it's all so damn boring and dry it's like listening to your grandpa go on and on about the marbles he collected as a kid.

The Sarah Silverman Program is so unbelievably boring that i was thinking of changing the channel to watch old repeats of Married With children something that is funny because the characters are so "immoral" and "rude".I'm sorry but i don't find a show packed with dry humour and corny off the wall story lines about some angry, bitter, loser's angry, bitter life with her annoying as hell sister and gay friends who sound like Keanu Reeves with a cold anywhere close to funny.I can't stand this show even though generally i find Sarah Silverman to be that "I love her cause she's such a b*tch character" like in School Of Rock, and most of her stand up.I think this show is boring with characters who think being mean and saying and doing things for shock value eg. the constant pube, diarrhea and $hit in general for laughs.The Sarah Silverman program attempts to be funny and fails it either needs a laugh track or better writers.Someone compared it to South Park but it's not even close.I've expressed my opinions on The Sarah Silverman Program and won't become an annoying troll meaning you won't see me being a b*tch and constantly posting stuff like "This show sucks" and "Why isn't this cancelled yet".I don't like The Sarah Silverman Program if you do enjoy.

Yes The Hills Have Eyes 2 is focused on gore and gross out horror but isn't that what slasher fans go to see slasher movies for.The Hills Have Eyes 2 doesn't try to be anything more than it is it just tries to satisfy it's audience by doing what the first film did which was create a feeling of isolation and claustrophobia.Most critics are calling this movie generic and exactly the same as every other film of it's kind when The Hills Have Eyes (1977) seems to be just Wes Cravens version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and The Hills Have Eyes (2006) was just Wes Cravens version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003).It seems Wes Craven is heavily influenced by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and films just like it so just because this movie is a sequel don't judge it too harshly on originality because other than Last House on the Left, Nightmare On Elm Street, and The Serpent And The Rainbow Wes Craven has never been all that original.The Hills Have Eyes 2 primarily focuses on the similar things The Descent used for scares which would be create an atmosphere of isolation and claustrophobia almost as if there is no possible way out.The first movie was definitely a cut above the average slasher whereas The Hills Have Eyes 2 is much more predictable and follows a typical formula adding a few new horror elements and surprisingly amazing gore effects.Don't think this is anywhere near as annoyingly formulaic as movies like the awful Wrong Turn, the semi bad See No Evil, or the unbearably pointless Hostel, The Hills Have Eyes 2 is at least entertaining.The most original thing this movie does is have the victims actually seek out the killers with weapons and full intentions of slaughtering those who threaten their lives something that you want in a slasher film but you rarely get.The movie's cinematography is both beautiful and creepy much like it's predecessor and creates the feeling of being lost and alone perfectly.The storyline is quite similar to a lot of slasher movies even the ones deemed masterpieces or classics so nothing to fantastic down that end.The acting is great you can easily believe the fear and terror in the performances and identify with certain characters and hope they live instead of wanted to see them die.The Hills Have Eyes 2 is in no way original but nothing in the slasher genre is, most cult followers of slasher movies typically like movies that are almost all the same in terms of film technique i can count at least 50 similarities between The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Wrong Turn.Basically don't go in expecting anything groundbreaking or new I recommend The Hills Have Eyes 2 for a rental on a boring Saturday night.

The Winner is an enjoyable show presented to us by Family Guy and American Dad! creator Seth MacFarlane.The show has a very original concept the love of geeky 32 year old Glen Abbott moves back in next door with her twelve year old son who is a mirror image of what Glen was as a kid.Glen and 12 year old Josh become friends and help each other out in life, Josh uses Glen's childhood knowledge to score girls his age while Glen uses Josh's knowledge to form a relationship with Josh's mom.Yes it is far fetched and wacky but it's told in a way that works and makes it all seem possible.Most of the nay sayers of this show will claim it sucks simply because it has canned laughter then go on a rant about shows with canned laughter and how "bad today's shows are" or b*tch about Arrested Development being canceled.In many of the other reviews you'll see very little information on the show they may say "it's predictable" or "it's unoriginal" then rant about everything they find wrong with todays TV shows and hardly analyze The Winner at all.The Winner primarily focuses on awkward situations and embarrassing moments to draw laughter from you much like the American Pie movies.The character is a loser , virgin, nice guy, who's too geeky for his own good he's basically a big kid with little to no knowledge of the adult world (examples being showing up for a job interview without a resume, going to a penthouse for sex lessons, and using his $250 paycheck as a pick up line.Alison is the sweet, trusting girl next door who has great comedic timing she's sort of the "normal" character.Josh is a geeky houndog who wants girls but isn't very good with what to say basically a child version of the Glen character.Glen's parents with whom he lives with are the typical squabbling old coots the father a real hard@$$, the mother a nurturer.The show isn't perfect as a lot of the situations are very unbelievable and the fact that Alison would be so trusting of Glen around Josh (especially in todays paranoid society)is very unrealistic.The show is fun and without any of the random humour or pop culture references you see on Family Guy, or any of the political humour you see on American Dad! this is just a harmless show that gives you more laughs than the average sitcom like According To Jim or Til' Death.The series airs on Sunday nights @ 8:30.See for yourself.

No Basic Instinct 2 is not the monstrously unbearable film it's been made out to be personally i believe that this movie has received low ratings because it didn't top the original and because it starred Sharon Stone whose movies may be Razzie worthy but whose performances are never Razzie worthy.Basic Instinct 2 follows novelist Catherine tramell being questioned for the murder of a soccer star and going through psychiatric treatment on her own terms, Catherine soon plays a seductive game with her psychiatrist getting him into loads of trouble.I'm just going to go out and say that no this film does not live up to the original and no it's not that great of a movie in general but this movie needs to stop taking it up the @$$ from a bunch of p*ssed off fanboys or people who expect everything to be an original motion picture that will leave them breathless.Basic Instinct 2 has a pretty interesting plot but the pacing is so horrible you lose interest very fast but there is always a scene that brings back your intrigue and keeps you wanting to watch.The character of Catherine Tramell is played flawlessly by the still sexy Sharon Stone who gives a performance full of greed,sex,seduction,insanity,intelligence, and just pure evil.The look in Sharon's eyes during this movie is that of a snake sneaking up on it's prey, knowing it's prey's every move, waiting to strike when the time is right.The rest of the cast gives very ho hum boring performances and while the entire cast is believable as their characters there nearly expressionless faces just end up giving you the want for more Catherine Tramell.Like the first film there is a lot of explicit sex and Sharon stone shows her still magnificent body off in sex scenes that appear to be just full of violence and aggression.The movie is very slow moving and doesn't promise the kind of film the opening sequence leads it on to be.At the beginning you get this very pulp noir film but soon it just turns to a film about psychiatry with boring lighting and boring visual effects.A lot of the dialogue can't be heard over the very overbearing background noise that drowns out the actors voices.The dialogue is brilliantly dirty and definitely intelligent and original, Sharon Stones line delivery is perfect and hauntingly beautiful as is her character.Overall this is a very boring, silly, movie but with good acting and fantastic dialogue yes it is a pretty bad film but not to the degree that people have brought it to.Sharon Stone and the writers of this movie deserve better than to be viewed as making one of the worst movies ever made.Overall a so so movie that is enjoyable because of Sharon Stone's performance.

The Grudge 2 is a sequel to the 2004 hit remake of Takeshi Shimizu's Japanese cult classic Ju-On:The Grudge.While many may be under the opinion that The Grudge 2 is a remake of Ju-On:The Grudge 2 will be disappointed because this is a completely original chapter in the Ju-On saga.This movie provides explanations for a lot of the confusing things about The Grudge as this film gets more in depth into the character Kayako and shows a lot more about her death and her family history it also tells us why she makes that hauntingly creepy noise before taking her victims.I loved the way The Grudge 2 had a lot more characters than the first film and i liked how all the characters were spaced apart all over the world and differed in age unlike the first movie that had two main characters in their mid twenties.Sarah Michelle Gellar doesn't appear very long in the film but she hangs in their long enough to help us get an understanding of what happened after the events that took place at the end of The Grudge.The trailers portrayed Amber Tamblyn as the lead character in this film but personally i thought she was the weakest character both plot wise and when it came to acting.My favourite characters were Arielle Kebbell's character and the American family i found them to be the most developed and three dimensional characters.I don't like the new "cat kid" he doesn't really resemble the old one very much and is a very random character with little to no importance in the story.This film follows a much simpler and unfortunately a much more unoriginal plot style unlike the first movie which jumped back and forth in time.I didn't think the score was good either it was very loud and very distracting much like those 1960's horror films anytime something scary happens this big bang of music draws your attention away from it.The acting was pretty good but not as good as the acting was in the first one i personally think Amber Tamblyn doesn't suit horror movies.The first film also had more of a creepy feel and a surreal, paranormal atmosphere whereas The Grudge 2 lacks in set design,lighting, and atmosphere.A few of the scares take place in mid day which totally takes away from whatever suspense is being built up because a ghost killing someone in broad day light doesn't compliment what kind of atmosphere the movie is trying to generate.Overall The Grudge 2 fails to surpass the first film in terms of scariness,plot, and atmosphere but it's an enjoyable ghost film that is completely free of cheese it's not like Pulse or The Fog if anything i'd compare it to The Amittyville Horror (2005).

Tamara is a movie that tries to create suspense but instead creates cheese.This is totally a low budget B movie with not to much going for it other than the gorgeous women.Tamara is particularly sexy and gives a fairly decent performance minus a little bit of bad line delivery but i think the writing team is at fault for that.Yes the writing is pretty bad and almost as bad as the storyline which has a very Blair Witch 2 feel to it.The big difference between Blair Witch 2 and Tamara is Blair Witch 2 had a better storyline, an explanation for the weird paranorma, better acting, realistic performances, and elements of fear whereas Tamara is a more ridiculous, cheesy attempt horror with good looking babes and a few good actors.The actress who played Kisha was beautiful yet a terrible actress who delivered every line like she was doing one of those TV college infomercials so yeah pretty bad.Gore wise i would say the film is half @$$ and a bit of a let down.I was expecting kisha to stick the one guys face in the deep fryer but instead she just tried to stick his head in and got smashed in the face with a stick.What a tease of a horror film!!!!If you put a lot of focus on a deep fryer use it don't taunt us with a potentially gory scene and then screw us over.That would be like leatherface revving up the chainsaw and then someone knocking it out of his hand and for the rest of the film you never see a chainsaw again.This movie was a very original film but sometimes original isn't a good thing as this movie gets lost in it's own fantasy.Overall hot chicks $hit movie.

Fantastic Four is definitely a story that is very very difficult to make seem believable and Tim Story gives a lot of effort to make it seem some what believable but Fantastic Four is just too goofy.I think that this movie is a great adaptation of the comics it has look and the feel but Fantastic Four is too cheesy and hokey of a comic book so we get a cheesy and hokey comic book movie but nonetheless an enjoyable one.Yes the dialog sounds like it was taken straight from a 1960's comic book and yes the storyline is ridiculous and unbelievable but it's a guilty pleasure and a fun ride.The acting is good with the exception of Ioan Griffudd he was very boring and monotoned his performance was lacking spirit but Jessica Alba,Michael Chiklis, and Chris Evans all give effort filled performances full of passion and energy all of the actors but Ioan Griffudd seemed to enjoy their characters.The special effects are very good and the action sequences get you right into the movie you can't help but feel exhilarated when the Human torch zooms around on fire or when The Thing smashes his way through trucks and walls so in the action and special effects department Fantastic Four is fun and enjoyable.The film seems to flow at a pretty decent pace but much like The Hulk we don' see enough scenes where the superheroes are blasting bad guys into oblivion and smashing their way through the streets after a deadly villain there's just way too much focus on very simple story.At least Fantastic Four had more action than previous Marvel films examples being Elektra, The Hulk, and Spawn.This film was far too childish to really take seriously just like the comic books or the cartoons you need to take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the action and the fun.Overall Fantastic four is a flawed but fun movie and hopefully the sequel will give us some more action and less blah blah blah.

After an amazing adaptation of one of the most incredible and insightful comic books surprised audiences everywhere an equally fantastic sequel emerges from the talented hands of Bryan Singer.New additions to the X-Team include Nightcrawler, Pyro, Lady Deathstrike, and a brief cameo from Colossus.This movie has visually some beautiful scenes and just like the first movie has a very metallic look and feel to it.This time the writers give us statements and opinions on issues like racism, cloning, genetic technology, and mind control, basically X-2:United gives us a statement on what is and is not ethical.With that intelligent and meaningful story comes eye popping special effects and explosive action sequences.The pacing is very much the same as X-men lots of dialog, lots of plot twists and character development then a pulse pounding final action sequences that leaves you breathless.If you thought there wasn't enough action in the first film X-2:United has quite a bit more as X-Men had i believe two or three action sequences this film has approximately five or six pure sequences of adrenaline fueled action.The accuracy and dedication to the comic books is admirable and greatly appreciated i think Bryan Singer really gets what X-Men is about and what it says metaphorically about society.The cast is again fantastic each actor gives there finest performance screw Monsters Ball if you're going to give Halle Berry and Academy Award give her the award for this movie.Unfortunately since this is based upon a comic book a lot of know it all intellectuals will not see this film simply because it's a comic book movie which is sad because this stubborn individuals will miss out on some great political and social commentary.Overall X-2:United keeps the X-Men franchise alive and better than ever.Truly something you need to see.

The two geniuses behind Everybody Loves Raymond and The King Of Queens come together to bring us Grilled.First of all and this is very important Grilled has a completely different comedic style than both sitcoms so don't expect The King Of Queens or Everybody Loves Raymond.The humour style of Grilled is very subtle and rather dark as Dave and Maurice get themselves in and out of hilariously dark situations.The acting is what makes Grilled funny Ray Romano, Kevin James, Juliette Lewis, Burt Reynolds, and Michael Rappaport give amazing performances that are unique and show all the talent the have in the genre of comedy.Where the pacing is concerned it is very slow and yes Grilled does get a little stale but they always put in a good plot twist to get your interest back and hold it.The movie has a lot of film noir like humour the kind of humour you'd find in Lucky Number SLevin or Pulp Fiction but it also has it's fair share of physical humour as well.It is overall a very fantastic movie but definitely not as good as either Everybody Loves Raymond or The King Of Queens it is however a funny film worth watching at least once.Ray Romano and Kevin James show they have a lot of potential and a lot of talent in more than one division of the comedy genre.I enjoyed the slow yet amusing tale of two meat salesmen hellbent on making a sale no matter what the situation so I give Grilled a 6 out of 10 it would receive a 7 if the pace was faster and there was a little more physical comedy.