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Ladyirol
Reviews
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Worth your time...
I did not have any knowledge nor expectations going in and was suitably impressed. I found the story very interesting, the pace excellent, the acting was very well done and the character's were well-developed and believable.
I enjoyed both the action, the set designs (very realistic) and the setting of the story. I did not feel any lags in the tempo of the movie and found the the action offered much to be enjoyed. I especially appreciated the fact that the religious nature of some of the characters was not exaggerated as I have seen in other movies. The touch was just the right level to be believable - not too heavy and not too light.
I am the type who does not read reviews until after I have seen a movie and was disappointed at the trolls who jumped in to diss the movie. Not sure what movie they were watching but it is not likely they were watching the same movie I was. This movie was interesting and not formulaic in any way. I work from the assumption that it relatively follows the video game that is so popular, but I am unsure just how closely that might be as I have never played the game. The fact that the story comes from a video game history does not diminish it's viability one bit.
Watching this movie was a totally enjoyable & interesting experience...I recommend it!
After Earth (2013)
I liked it - confused about low ratings/harsh reviews
This is a solid movie. The graphics are enjoyable and realistic. The acting was good and young Mr. Smith did a good job for his first real effort. Maybe he did too good of a job, as his character is not particularly likable - I feel this is possibly why most did not like this movie. We want to connect with the main character but sometimes we simply cannot care. I becomes clearer as the story progresses that history has left a hard footprint on the characters, so we do not sympathize at the beginning - we simply do not understand. That said, I did not leave the theater feeling my money was wasted -- I simply enjoyed the show and was entertained. I will not state that this is the most amazing movie I have ever seen - I just state that it is an enjoyable watch....
The Ugly Truth (2009)
Neurotic vs Undisciplined
Maybe there is always a "reason" for behavior or maybe you are just that person...it does not seem to really matter in the battle of the sexes... Attraction does not have the logic or the reason we think it should (and yes ladies, I am speaking to you).
Miss Heigl was so good at being neurotic that she will drive you crazy and no one could ever doubt that Mr Butler is perfectly cast into his role. Mr Winter does not have a rich part, but does a solid job with his bits (casting spot-on there too).
This is not a deep story but it is good comedy, so just turn off your brain, relax and enjoy the laughs... Guys, you will enjoy this so don't avoid it just because the trailer did not get you interested. The movie is predictable just because the characters don't act unusual - they act exactly as you would expect them to...
Casino Royale (2006)
Love Bond - Very surprised to love this one :-)
I have loved the Bond story from the beginning. Dreamed of Pierce Brosnan becoming the Bond and was not disappointed when it finally worked out. I did not expect to like this one at all and the trailers did not encourage me to believe otherwise. I would not have even gone to the theater to see it except for the fact that my brother - one with no love for Bond movies - told me I needed to see it to believe it.
Wow! This one is now in my personal library - I could never have suspected I would appreciate the many differences so much. I still love Pierce and, of course, Sean, but that does not keep me from appreciating the development of the Bond character. Adding more depth only serves to increase the pleasure of watching and this Bond is unquestionably "Bond". Not only that - taking the storyline to the beginning gives so much more to the Bond character - why didn't someone think of doing this story before? "M" is perfect as always - you've got to love that interplay.
The intro would have been better if the only colors used were red, white and black - the other colors did not work well. Other than that, the only complaint that I can make is that I could wish the actor a bit younger - this was the first adventure in the Bond storyline and he seems a bit long in the tooth to play the character - I am afraid that like Brosnan - we will not be able to keep him as long as we might like.
Gothika (2003)
Much better than The Ring or Blair Witch...Worth the watch.
This one will make my permanent collection. I don't usually go for the scary thrillers, but this one worked well and was definitely good for a couple of good shocks to the old ticker.
It is in my opinion better than The Ring (very good story, but too long, drawn-out and not well done) and certainly much more thrilling than Blair Witch Project (cheesy, nauseating and ridiculous). I class it with 8MM and will be much more willing to watch it again and again.
I was totally in the dark for half the movie and then spent the other half guessing who, what, when, where and why. It was clear that the bad guy(s) were going to get their comeuppance - just not clear who done it and if Ms Berry would survive the process.
It did go a bit cliché and weak near the end, but appropriately re-caught some of the earlier good stuff by the little twist in the last scene. It is the best part of Hollywood that the good prevail in the movies and an analogy for what we hope is the greater cosmic justice balancing the wrongs of life. Many thanks to the writer for serving cosmic justice even though critics see the positive ending as unrealistic.
As usual I appreciated Ms Berry's performance...her character was smart, savvy and appropriately disconcerted by events that certainly did not fit into the neat, rational and organized world that she clearly lived in. Reflecting the education of her character, I also appreciated the fact that the writer did not have her dissolve into a fumbling victim that would have been completely inconsistent
with the cool, collected professional that she was portraying. The writer allowed her to accept the events as they came, suffer the disorientation that would be prevalent and to process into each next step without throwing her brain away...
(And on the aside for the anal critics out there on the message boards: ...an insanity plea is the hardest to perfect and the best to acquire because a person can indeed get out in a short period of time - just as soon as the mental institution certifies the individual as "not harmful to themselves and no future threat to society"...Yes, although very unlikely - it can happen in a year...)
Love Actually (2003)
Superbly done...never drags...amazing work...worth seeing!
***It is amazing that the director/writer Mr Curtis was able to put so many personal stories into one movie and do them all so well. He also gets major kudos for getting such touching and excellent work out of such an outstanding compilation of acting talent.
***The finished product is so well-done that one can only applaud the entire production team for their efforts...obviously there was great teamwork on this movie.
***Both funny and very "feel good" this one will become a part of my permanent archives someday... A true classic!
Forever Lulu (2000)
Touching and unsettling film...well done!
A soul-searching, touching film with excellent performances by all of the major characters. The film was in many ways much less predictable than I had thought it would be at the very beginning. Ms Griffin gives an excellent and totally believable performance; plus, an unusually clear insight into the mind of her character--not an easy task at all. I hesitated to buy this one, so I rented it. I am so glad I did...the movie was much more than I had expected from reading the cover and well worth the watch. On the other hand, I found it to be very unsettling and therefore am glad that I did not buy it because I will always remember this one clearly enough not to want to watch it again--it reaches deep into your heart. Highly recommended...