Reviews

This is a movie about traveling to Africa with your father and his new wife. You just can't relate to her and you really love your mom, so it invokes feelings of anger in you when you have to spend the day with her. I thought this was a horror movie you say, well...yes, that's true. What better way to bond with your new step-mom than fighting for your life against a pack of bloodthirsty lions. Well, not a pack, more like three really. Throw in one short-lived tour-guide and a pair of African poachers and you've got the Prey. B movie? Yes. Worthy of a straight to video release? Absolutely. Scary? Not really. It's actually kind of boring. For most of the movie dehydration in a more pressing concern than the lions. Well, at least it's only 89 minutes!

If you like to be surprised this a the movie for you. When you walk into a Ritchie/Statham flick this is not what you expect. Delightfully convoluted plot line? Well, yeah. Head snapping violence? Naturally. But the movie is also very cerebral.

I've heard a lot of people say it's pretentious and that couldn't be more dead wrong. I think the background narration of Statham's character brings just the right amount of tact and explanation to the story. The quotes, while a bit overused, are well chosen and totally pertinent.

If you really want to be surprised though, take a look at the actors and the roles that they play. Statham's character feels as little like his usual ones as he looks in this film. He's a real genuine threatened character with real emotions and a real lack of control. Andre Benjamin has made a career out of surprising me and what can I say, he does it again. The kid is great in this film and shows he has the cajones to make it in the dramatic side of the world. I love that guy!

Now, that isn't to say the film is perfect, in fact, it isn't close. The quotes are overused, the so called twist is extremely telegraphed, Statham spends a tad too much time arguing with himself, and - to me the biggest problem - is Liotta is only given enough rope to hang himself. His character says and does things he hasn't earned and spends far too much time being "dramatic".

All in all thought, Ritchie has stretched out of his normal hard-nosed action and made a solid film (that still takes about fifteen minutes post-movie to get). Statham and Benjamin pull it out, and a strong thematic line holds it together.

Okay, so a lot of us have seen Dawn of the Dead (old and new), Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, Resident Evil and any other number of zombie films, right? So when you hear the term "funny" associated with "zombie" you think, "Oh, it's a spoof." Quite the opposite is true of Shaun of the Dead.

While one of the ambitions of the film makers is clearly to poke fun, it's not picking fun at zombie movies, but rather at society as a whole. They ask questions like "How much would really change if the world was overtaken by zombies?" and "How long would it take the average guy to notice?" With excellent performances from a virtually unknown cast and filmmakers who are driven by multiple viewings of George Romero's classics, Shaun of the Dead is an excellently good time from start to finish. The barrel of laughs provided by the two main characters (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) added to an average love story (which just happens to include zombies) produces the sort of movie you're never likely to see again and are certain to enjoy.

Will an invasion of zombies change the way we live forever? Probably not.

Alright, well to be completely fair, I walked into this movie pumped. I had been looking forward to it since I first read the rumors. Hugh Jackman is great and Beckinsale isn't too bad either, but they just couldn't pull this movie out of the rutt. The movie got into this early pattern of dropping people from the top of things and just didn't seem to be able to stop. I can't remember the last time falling was a chief plot device in a movie! Anyway, we are grounded in a certain love for the classic horror creatures (Drac, Frank, Wolfie) and to cheer against them we need to be given a certain motivation, i.e. connection to the hero who battles them. Van Helsing just doesn't offer that. I didn't care what happened to either of the heroes in the movie, no matter how many times they fell off of things. Thrills were not delivered, special effects were only semi-impressive while not realistic, and they played on the same old monster mashing traditions. Beckinsale seems strangely doomed to make Underworld over and over as it seems this was another werewolf versus vampire movie. Weak plot, weak characters, weak movie, little or no originality. Luckily, the constant action is just enough to keep you from realizing what the movie is till it's over. In the end, it really feels like an episode of a Van Helsing cartoon than anything else. 5/10

This is without a doubt one of the finest pieces of cinema to grace the screen, EVER! Go to see this movie in theaters, because you will be absolutely blown away. Let's take it point for point:

1) Directing: Nearly flawless. Peter Jackson needs to be commended, not to mention, awarded (cough cough) for putting together a masterpiece of these proportions. One problem: Could have done with less Arwen. Pulling the movie continually from Mordor or Pellanor Fields back to Rivendell is completely unnecessary, slows things down a little, and gives an occasional herky jerky feel. All that is important is whether or not she shows up at the end and it should have been left at that. That aside, awesome directing. Easily oscar worthy.

2) Special Effects: There are no standards by which to compare this movie. Think of it this way: Matrix? Two Towers? Mere child's play! Gollum is fantastic as in the Two Towers, but he only leads the way. There are Oliphants, Nazgul, dead soldiers, mountain top beacons. and most astoundingly, the Witch King of Angmar. I was worried that they wouldn't be able to carry such an amazing creature who also has such an important and amazing fight scene, but I was taken aback by how well they pulled it off. Hats off to the men at the computers!

3) Acting:

Viggo Mortensen: Flawless, strong, and overall amazing. I would follow Aragorn into battle any day.

Ian McKellan: Perfect and definately oscar worthy. Not to mention the man has some moves with his sword and staff that I didn't expect to see out of him. Bravo!

Elijah Wood: Strong. An incredible face actor. The Mount Doom sequence, without speaking, gives you a clear and visible transition. The poor angsty Frodo character was getting a little old and I was hoping to see him show a bit more of a range, but that is the way the part seems to be written. So given his part he just may be given an Oscar.

Sean Astin: Wow! Sam to perfection. Astin is phenomenal in this movie and you could make a how to act highlight reel just out of his performance in these films. More than anyone he deserves anything the academy can come up with to give him.

Miranda Otto: This girl is an amazing actress. If she does not go on to make some more great movies after this one then it will be a great injustice. I feel she has been greatly overlooked so far and shows some amazing skill in this film in particular.

Orlando Bloom: Well, he's really more eye candy in this movie as he doesn't do too much. What he does he does well though. He indeed deserves some props, though he's not likely to get any awards out of any of this.

John Rhys Davies: Really has a stepped down roll in this film. He is as dynamic as usual on screen and plays the character to a tee, but he's really not around much, which I'd say is a shame.

Billy and Dominic: They have been proven an excellent acting team through the first two films and are finally given a chance to show one they can do on their own here. Boyd shows some excellent skill with Monaghan not far behind. These two own the screen while their on it and show serious potential.

The rest of the cast was excellent as well. You really love Theoden and hate Denathor just as much as you should.

4) Score: Beautiful. I've just never heard anything like it.

This movie quite simply forced me to enjoy myself in a theater more than I have in years. Between Johnny Depp playing quite possibly the coolest pirate in the world, an excellent story, amazing visuals, astounding sword fighting, and roll in the aisles comedy - it is what a faithful movie going audience deserves. I will see it again and again and I suggest you do the same.

Well, I have to say I loved this movie when it first came out. It has a beautiful desert set, a wonderful array of actor driven characters, and the kind of gun fighting you could only imagine from a movie about Billy the Kid. But now that I've watched it more recently, it's highly amusing. To watch current stars like CSI's William Peterson and The Lord of the Rings' Viggo Mortensen at the dawn of their careers is something that can't be missed. Along with them are a flock of excellent 80's actors who will have you loving them all over again. Emelio Eztevez provides what is probably the best performance in his career along with the likes of Christian Slater, Kiefer Sutherland, and Lou Diamond Phillips. I recommend this as one of the best good time westerns that recent years have to offer, though the first movie of the series is a bit better. 7/10

This movie is both a great success and a hard hitting defeat on quite a few levels. For suspense, intrigue, and an excellent soundtrack it is hard to beat. The whole theater stayed on the edge of their seat until the very end. Berry, as usual, delivers a strong performance and shows all the signs of an actress who knows what she is doing. The plot is well delivered and the audience does more jumping than a Matrix character. Overall, the movie was very much worth watching and keeps you engrossed to the very end. On the other hand..

The movie is also rich with with religious imagery. A suspicious purgatory tattoo and talk of playing God are not backed up well in the story. I for one was very expectant with symbolism of this type, only to be let down. There may be a parallel but not a strong enough one to really fill the shoes of the symbols. Although the movie was strong, it had the feel of not being properly edited. There were scenes that were not essential to the plot or in many cases seemed to distract more than anything. One scene, and you'll know which one I mean, seems to have simply been included in order to show Berry in a bathing suit.

Overall I liked the movie and felt it was worth a second look, but I also feel that the director did not fulfill his responsibilities to the audience by answering for everything he put in the movie.

The most important fact to keep in mind about this movie is that it is exactly what it is and makes no pretense to be anything else. If you are looking for deep philosophy or drama, you are looking for a different movie. Kill Bill Vol.1 aims to be an action filled story of vengeance and mayhem. The actors (or in most cases actresses) are wonderful in their performances. Yes, some of the dialog seems awkward, but it is not written as realistic dialog, it is written for this movie, which is not realistic either. These characters talk as the stereotypes they portray - the honorable vengeful hero, the female blacksploitation action hero, and the lord of the Japanese Underworld. Tarantino deserves props for this highly stylized piece. Not to mention, it is nice to see some American Actresses really stepping up to the plate in an action film, for once without the previous notions of them needing to be sexy or alluring. All three of the fighting women in this piece hold their own and get down and dirty. Finally, there is only one thing to do, sit back and hope that he can deliver on the sequel. 9/10 stars

Boy, what a sneaky pair those Wachowskis are! They finally tied up the first movie while leaving all the new threads introduced in Reloaded completely open.

Anyway, this movie was exactly what it needed to be. The epic caliber comes to full tilt in this one. Everything is done to an extreme, as it should be. There are just enough answers to leave you, as with the last two films, asking questions as you leave the theater. If you are looking for the final word in all Matrix history, you won't get it, but were you really expecting to?

Finally, I think to fully appreciate the movie you need to be fully versed in The Matrix. Before entering you should have seen: The Matrix, Reloaded, The Animatrix, and the story of the Enter the Matrix video game. The Wachowskis have created their own little film cult and if you are willing to let them take you and enjoy the ride then it is one heck of a ride. But please, do not go in half versed, expect to understand everything, and walk out sullen when you don't. 7/10