Reviews

I enjoyed this film so much more than the first one. Guillermo Del Toro is brilliant when it comes to special effects and creature concepts for the atmosphere of a story, which now brings me to my next point. The movie itself was great visually, but the story was something we have seen many times before; an evil warlord or entity returns from the dead or from exile to destroy humanity and it is up to the good guys to put an end to the destruction.

The movie has plenty to keep you entertained; monsters left and right, humor, and plenty of action. It surpassed the original by far because the first Hellboy didn't blow me away as this movie did. In my opinion from the first Hellboy, the villains sucked, acting was mediocre, and it lacked the action to keep one interested. However the villain (Prince Nuada) in Hellboy 2 was bad ass. And also the giant "Cloverfield" monster was cool as well, even though it is not the actual "Cloverfield" monster, but it looked like it for a second.

Anyway, I must say this is a really good summer for films adapted from comic books. I mean come on; the past few years have sucked when you look back disaster films like "Spider-Man 3" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." Now we've got great movies to clean up the mess they left behind like "Iron Man", "The Incredible Hulk", "The Dark Knight", and finally we have "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army."

Last night was the biggest night of the summer. The closest place to park was 8 buildings away from the theatre and all 10 screenings of "The Dark Knight" were completely filled. My friends and I were lucky to see this film at midnight and I will say right now; it is worth every penny. "The Dark Knight", the newest addition to the Batman series has it all. The action, the chaos, the heroes, the villains, and most importantly BATMAN!

Christian Bale never ceases to amaze me. He still has the same elements he did in the first one and does so much more with his abilities, whether it's kicking ass or rolling around as smooth-talking billionaire Bruce Wayne. However the biggest reason why I wanted to see this film was because of the legendary performance of Heath Ledger as the infamous "Joker" (God rest his soul). Every time he was on that screen, everybody just went wild, cheering him on and waiting to see what he does next. He was absolutely flawless as the villain and "The Joker" character is the greatest villain imaginable. The fights that Batman and the Joker have are amazing. Also I was happy of how much the comic book was seen in the movie. "The Joker" is not only a member of the mob who has a taste for the theatrics and performs a couple of deadly gags, but he is also a crazy guy who just kills people. Believe me; Heath Ledger does it all.

Michael Cain is always great in everything he does, Maggie Gyllenhaal was so much better than Katie Holmes (She is not the typical damsel in distress), Gary Oldman is untouchable as newly appointed Commissioner Gordon, and Aaron Eckhart does a great job as well, playing the roll of District Attorney Harvey Dent and his alter-ego as the infamous Two-Face. This is one of those films that has an all-star cast and a great story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Christopher Nolan has done it again and it would be great if he could make another Batman film in the next few years. But I was so happy that they dedicated the film to the memory of Heath Ledger during the credits. Everyone applauded, including me. Rest in peace Heath Ledger. Your fans will miss you. I will miss you. But in your honor, The Knight Beckons!

Wow! That was my reaction after I saw this film. You know, there aren't too many good horror sequels out there. In fact, most of them are just absolutely worthless. But this movie is really something. This is hands-down one of the best horror sequels I have ever seen.

I was skeptical at first when I found out Danny Boyle was not directing this, but new director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo adds a lot of the same atmosphere from "28 Days Later" and blends it into his own chilling style which was very effective. The story focuses around the aftermath of the deadly virus known as "The Rage" virus as most of the infected human beings begin to die off from starvation. Weeks later, the American army takes control of England to help rebuild the city and bring back the populace to start a new life for everyone. But there is only one problem; something is still out there and the horror is unleashed once again.

The movie itself is full of pulse-pounding terror lurking around every corner. There are plenty to scenes that will make you jump and just simply horrify you. I was also glad that Robert Carlyle (Don) was in this film. I have considered him a talented actor and I'm a fan of some of his previous films like "The Beach", "The World is Not Enough", and "Ravenous". Also Jeremy Renner was another character I enjoyed very much, remembering him from films like "North Country" and "The Assassination of Jesse James." The overall acting was good and everyone was very convincing. However, the ending, the very ending, was perfect. You would never expect it then all of a sudden BAM! It was the perfect ending to a horror movie such as this one. So attention all horror fans, check out this awesome sequel that will have you begging for more.

Could this be the best horror film so far this year? Well when you take a look at some of the horror films we see today like "The Eye", "Prom Night", "Shutter", and "One Missed Call", it damn well could be. Because lets face it; those movies I just listed flat-out sucked and I didn't even have to see them to find out for myself. However, this movie on the other hand delivers a couple of scares and some intensely disturbing images that will make you look the other way.

The film focuses on four college students who are on a vacation in Mexico and then suddenly they meet a stranger who invites them to a place that is not even on the map, (So far there is already a typical horror cliché). Anyway, they go to a sight where an ancient Mayan Temple stands, hopping to find the stranger's brother who was missing somewhere among the ruins. Afterwards bizarre events begin to happen and the only thing left for these unsuspected individuals is to survive.

In my opinion, this film is good for its genre. It does follow some patterns on how to make a successful horror movie. The acting is decent and the characters do a nice job holding it together, rather than just falling apart all at once. Now I don't know how accurate this is to the book because I never read it but I'm sure the book is just as graphic as the movie, maybe worse. So to rap it up, if your looking to avoid a bad remake of an original horror piece or some Japanese film turned upside down, give this film a shot. It's not the best horror film I've seen, but its worth the rent.

The Orphanage, presented by Guillermo Del Toro (not directed), is the most chilling and well-crafted ghost film I have seen in a very long time. The last great ghost film I saw was "The Fog" (The original by John Carpenter) and that was back in 1980. The story focuses on a family of three who move into an old orphanage that had once been the home of Laura, the mother. It becomes their new residence and for child who are mentally disabled. However during a party, Simon (the son of Laura) runs off into a mysterious cave and believes to have made a new friend that doesn't exist. After his conversations with the spirit become more crucial, strange events start to happen and secrets begin to unfold inside the haunted orphanage.

There was nothing about this film I didn't like. The acting, the thrills, the cinematography, the story, and the atmosphere. Everything was not short of sheer brilliance. The chilling moments freaked me out several times, which I'm glad they did. That was what I wanted out of this film, but I was offered so much in return. Since I knew Guillermo Del Toro was involved with this project, I had a feeling it would be good. I just didn't think it would be THIS good. It was also very heart-warming, which was something I did not expect. The bond that Laura, Simon, and Carlos (the father) shared is very sensitive and is carried out well throughout the movie.

This is definitely one of those horror films you should see more than once. The horror films you see nowadays are weak, not scary, and most of all; not worth your time. This one is WORTH the time. Believe me, his film has absolutely everything you need to know on how to make a well-executed ghost story and more.

I saw this film last night in my room and had been wanting to see it for the longest time, mainly because everyone I spoke to kept urging me to see it. I got that chance and I found myself asking one question: Should this have been nominated for Best Picture? I will answer it by saying "probably not," just because I felt as though the entire movie did not hold my complete attention as it should have. I got lost during some of the dialogue and had to rewind several times to pick up what I missed. That and the plot was becoming too convoluted for me. However do not get me wrong; George Clooney does a fantastic job acting in this picture and Tom Wilkinson is great in everything he does and not forgetting Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton winning that award for this film.

The idea is a little different as it adds a few new elements to the crime genre. It is a court case drama with a couple of thrills thrown in, even though it never takes place in court. And as I previously mentioned before, all the actors did an outstanding job which made me appreciate the film but what really won me over was the ending, which I will leave for you to check it out, if you haven't already done so. But in the end, this film is definitely worth the rent if you want to see a new side to the element of crime.

"They fought like warrior poets. They fought like Scotsman, and won their freedom." Those final words said by actor/director Mel Gibson made this film truly a legendary masterpiece. Not only that, but the film was legendary from start to finish. This movie proved to audiences that Mel Gibson can act and be a successful film director and I truly thought he would be the first man to receive the "Best Actor and Best Director" Oscars in 1995, but still no one has done it...yet.

When I saw this film back in 2001, I knew it would go down in history for many years to come and that there will never be another William Wallace film to top Mel Gibson's. However, what won me over as well was the score. It amazes me how not many people have ever heard of James Horner before. The guy has composed countless amounts of films such as "Troy", "A Beautiful Mind", "Randsom", "The Perfect Storm", and so on. That final song at the end still to this day puts a tear in my eye. The other thing that won me over was the acting from the supporting roles. Of course Mel Gibson was flawless but I'm also glad to see that David O' Hara (The funny Irishman) is still acting in films and Brendan Gleeson showing a lot of talent as an action star.

This was hands down the best film of 1995 and still today continues to take its place among the greatest of the great action drama's of all time. If you haven't seen this film yet, get off the chair you're sitting in and watch this piece of magnificent artwork.