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Flight 7500 (2014)
Not what you would expect from the Director of the Grudge
When you see a movie directed by The Grudge, you would expect something of similar standards. The concept of the movie is very interesting, and the characters are quite well-developed, given that the whole of this movie takes place on a plane. I was interested in this movie because i was interested in how a horror movie would happen on a plane.
Once the plane starts flying and the main plot point happens, you would understand the main reasons of the story. The director has his fun teasing and misleading you, and the constant jump scares, as you would expect from a horror movie. Many things happen throughout, most of which are weird and unexplained, leaving you anticipated to watch till the end and figure out what is actually going on. However, that is exactly why this movie is disappointing. When you watch till the end, you will realize that most of the stuff that happened wasn't logically part of the plot, but were only there to give you a little scare here and there. There is also a short cameo from a popular youtuber.
Overall, this is a fun and thrilling mystery movie that you can enjoy on its own, but watching till the end is rather disappointing. The thing is, the ending wasn't weak. It was strong, and made sense. But because of the director focusing on the horror part of the movie, the mystery became sort of illogical and unnecessary. The execution of the ending came out of nowhere and was not impactful enough. It was as if the director wrote the script for just the beginning and end, and he just came up with stuff to throw at you until he was done, he just shoehorned the ending right there.
In conclusion, I would say that this wasn't so much of a horror movie than a tragedy movie. It felt a tad too short, left most of your questions unanswered, and wasn't really worth the full ticket price IMO.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Best Movie of Marvel's Phase 2... (So Far)
Compared to Iron Man 3, which felt like comedy, and Thor 2, which was nothing really special, Captain America The Winter Soldier is the best. It is also considerably better than its predecessor. Nick Fury brings along his usual badassery, but plays a pretty large role this time,as well as showing his vulnerable side, since he is just a human, like Coulson and the other agents of SHIELD. His actions also lead up to what seems like would be a big change in the MCU, opposed to what we would be expecting. This time, more people die in a Marvel movie, some of which were pretty unexpected. Plenty of great action scenes, but were not too overwhelming. Every appearance of Winter Soldier was pretty badass. The movie manages to wrap up well, since it is over 2 hours long, and also leaves enough story to lead up to Captain America 3. Best end credits scenes out of all MCU movies. *Related to Avengers 2.
RoboCop (2014)
Robocop!
Robocop might not live up to your expectations, but that doesn't make it a bad movie. The storyline was good, but there was not as many badass scenes as you would expect, from watching the trailer. *SPOILER* One of the most badass scenes was when Robocop shot his arm off. *SPOILER* Samuel L Jackson was good. Even though his role could be played by anyone else, but because it was Samuel Motherf*king Jackson, the scenes with him were more interesting and fun to watch. The actor playing Robocop was pretty convincing, with his near-expressionless face. I like how both the silver and black suits were used, but it would be cool to see him switch around the combat and tactical suits instead of him using the black suit through. There were also a few homages from the original Robocop, like "Dead or Alive, You're coming with me", which made things cooler. Robocop isn't exactly childish, despite a PG13 rating, but of course, it is nothing as violent as compared to the original Robocop. Robocop not only fights against his will, but there are also conflicts with his family. Its pretty much Robocop owning a bunch of crooks, avenging his "death" with him constantly shooting perfectly. It would be cool to see some close combat scenes with his fists or melee weapons though, instead of just Robocop + a bunch of guns. Not sure if such a thing is possible from the original Robocop, but this is a reboot after all, so it would be cool to see a little variety. In Conclusion, if you are looking for a movie with plenty of shooting, a solid story with no plot twists, a story about robots and humanity, or you just want to see a new Robocop movie (without comparing to the original one), this is the movie you can go for.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
Political Thriller
From the trailer, and without knowledge of previous Jack Ryan films, Jack Ryan seems like an average spy action movie like The Bourne Trilogy or James Bond movies. However, its not. This movie gives us the origins of Jack Ryan. I came into the movie expecting an average spy action/thriller and it managed to surpass my expectations. Jack Ryan does not have many action scenes, as he uses more of his intellect than his fists. The exposition parts of the story are at times boring, but when Jack Ryan is doing his mission, it doesn't feel rushed, and it manages to constantly keep you in suspense. Even with not much action scenes, there were quite a few action scenes that come as a surprise. The director of the movie, who was also the villain, was pretty menacing with his Russian accent. Chris Pine was good, too. If you like spy movies, go into this movie not expecting much and this film will probably be better than expected, and it will constantly keep you off the edge of your seat.
The Wolverine (2013)
Samurais, Ninjas, and The WOLVERINE!
An excellent movie that focuses on plot and character development. This movie is not for kids.
The cast of the movie are pretty good. Apart from Hugh Jackman, there is also Tao Okamoto who is not just incredibly pretty, but can also act very well (despite this being her first film).
This movie does a great job of foreshadowing and subtext. Like the scene where Wolverine ends a bear's life to save it from agony, and him confronting hunters who use poisonous arrows.
The movie deals wonderfully with multiple villains, and at the same time, not messing up the movie with too many unnecessary scenes. There are parts that might you chuckle, but there are also parts that make you cringe. This Wolverine movie is a darker tone, compared to Wolverine Origins, and focuses more on Wolverine as the hero than him teaming up with a bunch of other mutants. Not that there is anything wrong with more mutants, but it makes the film more focused.
The plot twist at the end was also dealt well. Just as you were starting to think that Silver Samurai was actually a machine, the big revelation was shown. This movie would have been incredible even if it wasn't a Wolverine movie, but a movie about Samurais and Ninjas. But because of Hugh Jackman, this movie is really awesome. It may not have the destruction capability of Superman or the advanced tech of Iron Man, but it is a really incredible story that focuses on Wolverine with plenty of character development.
Pacific Rim (2013)
Kaijus Vs Jaegers
The plot of this movie is not as simple as just Godzilla vs Transformers/Power Rangers, however, it is also not as complex as Oblivion. Ron Perlman and Idris Elba were the ones who stole the show. Ron Perlman, despite appearing only after half the movie, was still able to do a good job. Idris Elba had the best development I should say.
This story focuses more on plot development than character development, with the least character development given to its main character. The Kaijus have unique looks. None of them will remind you of Godzilla, however, there are some that will remind you of animals e.g. Shark, Frog, Bat Kaijus. The Jaegers, despite only a few being shown, were also cool. The CGI is pretty realistic and doesn't look like a Saturday Morning Cartoon at all.
There are a few memorable quotes, those that we have already seen in the trailer. The plot is rather understandable and the action scenes are slow and steady, allowing you to see what is happening throughout, except for a few parts where they zoom in too much.
If you are looking for a movie where you won't be emotionally-affected, and want to look for an action-packed movie with spectacular special effects and an interesting plot, look no further. This is it.
Teen Titans Go! (2013)
Titans Go!
Teen Titans Go brings back the original Teen Titan cast that we all love. Many of us love Teen Titans and would really want to see a new season. When Teen Titans Go was released, many fans dislike it because it was different from the one that we are familiar with. I'm not sure why they decided to do this instead of renewing the original Teen Titans, but after giving it a go, it isn't as bad as we expected.
Teen Titans Go has many references to the DC Universe, ranging from pictures of Bane, Joker and other characters to cameos of Batman and Commissioner Gordon laughing in a car. These antics are really fun to catch, especially for fans of the DC Universe.
Teen Titans Go is a comedic take on what the Titans do when they aren't crime fighting. The original Teen Titans series was part of my childhood and I love it. As much fun as Teen Titans Go is, it will never reach the standard of the original series, but we can all give it a go and support the show. Treat it as an homage to the original series, rather than a follow-up. That series ended well and probably will not return. However, if Teen Titans get popular enough, we might get a live-action Teen Titans movie someday, with the success of the DC Cinematic Universe.
Monsters University (2013)
Monsters University Oozma Kappa
Monsters University brings a sense of nostalgia and fun. It has its great share of funny moments in the beginning and uses very unexpected twists here and there. Especially the ending scene, which is something that nobody would see coming, but everyone will love it.
I went into the theaters with the mindset that this would be a kids movie. However, it turned out that there is nothing childish about this film. It can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages. This movie brings about a lot of surprises, and tells a wonderful origin story of Monsters Inc.
Not only does it tell a great story, it also teaches us morals throughout. For example, just because you are very good in something doesn't mean you do not need to work hard. You may not be very good at something, but perseverance will give you success. Having textbook knowledge is not enough, you need real life experience. Sometimes, you can achieve success even though you start at the bottom. These morals will be useful for kids to learn.
Monsters University also has some reality as they show the different kinds of people you will see in a university, which is fun.The movie does well not just because of its comedy,or its use of familiarity, but because of its smart and well-written plot. Monsters University doesn't ride on the coattails of Monsters Inc, but uses Monsters Inc to propel the success of Monsters University. This is a fun and exciting film for people of all ages, and will leave you wanting for more.
Arrow (2012)
Green Arrow
As a comic book fan, I was actually looking forward to this after finishing up Smallville. I thought it was a spin-off of Smallville. When I found out that the lead wasn't Justin Hartley, I was doubtful of how this show would be. It was then when I watched it that I realized. Turned out, it has a very dark and gritty tone unlike Smallville. Initially, I didn't know much about Green Arrow and didn't have high expectations for this show. I watched it with the expectations of knowing the origins of Green Arrow and stuff from the comics.
However, it turned out very differently. From the 3rd episode onwards, the more I watched it, the more interested I got. And this TV series takes the risk of changing many stuff from the comics. And it turned out great. Superman and Batman are my favorite superheroes. This has the dark and gritty tone of Batman but is a totally different story. Its not about a man whose parents died and he turns into a man of vengeance, but its about a man whose father sacrificed himself hoping that his son would help him make things right.
The best parts of the TV show throughout was the flashbacks. As the story progresses, flashbacks appear, and gradually reveal more about what happened to Oliver on the island. Slade and Yao Fei are really bad- ass characters, and I always hope for more flashbacks.
There are consistent nods to the comics, for the comic book fans. However, this show is also suited for non-comic book fans, as you don't really need to know much about Green Arrow from the comics. The introduction of Deadshot and Huntress were really cool parts of the story, and they also serve to add on more comic-book goodness.
Slade Wilson was really well-portrayed in the series. I liked how he was actually not the villain of the story, as I thought he would be after seeing his iconic mask. All the main casts in the story were rather good.
I am really looking forward to Season 2. I would really love it if they bring in more characters from the comics. I know that the story focuses on non-super powered heroes. Green Arrow had a friendship with Hal Jordan since young. They could bring in Hal Jordan as a pilot, and not as Green Lantern as there is definitely no chance of that, but it would really be cool to see him appear somehow or another. Stephen Amell is really great as he can act convincingly well. You can see the difference of mannerism between the past Oliver(flashback), the current Oliver, and as Green Arrow (or the Hood/the Vigilante) as he is known as by others.
Man of Steel (2013)
Best Superman film ever!
The cast of the film is wonderful! Every single one of the actors were great in their respective roles. Hans Zimmer's score, though not as iconic as John William's, but was still great in providing a level of epicness to the film, especially the action scenes.
In the beginning, they show a spectacular view of Krypton, with dragons flying around. Instead of just showing a place full of ice and crystals, they really depicted the scene well, like Avatar. Jor-El, as a scientist, is able to beat General Zod in a fist-to-fist fight shows how determined he is to save his son. Both of them want to save Krypton, but they have different views on doing it.
When the spaceship carrying Kal-El falls to Smallville, I expected what was supposed to happen. Johnathan and Martha Kent driving in a truck, the spaceship crashes and you see a naked kid. But instead of that standard scene that you see in Superman I and Smallville, they skip it to the grown-up Man of Steel. I really liked how they actually changed these parts, and show a really different Superman movie. You don't get scenes like a young Kal-El lifting a truck but you get young Kal-El having problems in school.
One of the more emotional moments is when Johnathan Kent dies. In the standard storyline, Johnathan dies from a heart-attack. This time, he dies trying to protect Clark's secret. It was really a tear-jerking scene. It provides a great deal of character development for Superman as he knew that he could have saved Johnathan but he did not.
There were moments where even though they changed quite a lot of Superman's origins, it was still done really well. The Fortress of Solitude with Jor-El is no longer limited to an area in the north pole, but its data is contained within a key that you can insert into a Kryptonian spaceship. You don't get just Jor-El's head, but his whole body. This shows the great 1000 years of advanced technology of Krypton over Earth.
The part with a major controversy was when Superman snapped Zod's neck. Personally, I felt that it was necessary, especially what happens after. Superman cries in remorse over what he had done. This shows that Superman really didn't want to kill Zod. After all, what could he have done? Cover Zod's eyes with his hands? No.. just no! Superman may be invincible but he can be hurt by powers equal to or greater than his. If he was invincible, he wouldn't need to be flown through buildings and buildings.
The most disappointing part of the film was actually with Zod. Michael Shannon did a great job. He had the motivation to do what he did, instead of just pure revenge. However, the lack of "Kneel Before Zod" was utterly disappointing. Zod should have given Supes a chance before being intent on killing him. After all, Zod is all about making sure the Kryptonians survive. Why would he want to be bent on killing one of his own without giving him a chance? Of course, I'm not saying that we let the scene where Supes kneels before Zod only to trick him, but at least we could see Zod say "Pledge your allegiance to me, and Kneel Before Zod!". I know we've seen that many times already but come one, stuff like this never get old!
Because of the awesome action scenes, (personally I didn't think there were "too much" action scenes, but they were definitely overwhelming) they didn't get to cover much but they still managed to touch on important parts like Clark Kent working at the Daily Planet. Henry Cavill was surprisingly really good as Superman from his look to his voice but what bothered me was that he really only wore glasses at the end, and not slick his hair back or anything. I like how there wasn't a standard romance between Clark and Lois yet, as their development takes time.
The Arrow-styled flashbacks were really great. Initially, Henry Cavill doesn't look like Superman but throughout the movie's progression, he looks more and more like Superman. Overall, this film is one that is very different from its predecessors, a very unexpected one. Be prepared to accept change, but making Superman modernized is really a great job.
Superman Returns (2006)
Superman Lives!
Superman returns to Metropolis after 5 years. When he returns, Lois Lane is married and has a son. Superman - depressed and alone. Lois makes him feel like he is no longer needed. The beginning of the film shows a very humanized take on Superman, and just when you think this is the tone of the whole film, you're wrong.
In the next half of the movie, Lex Luthor attempts to create a whole continent using Kryptonite. Very interesting and ambitious. Even in the comics, we know Lex Luthor as the President of United States but creating an island using Kryptonite, hm... And thats a major part of the film.
So Lois's child actually has super-strength which he discovered to save Lois. Factually, Superman and Lois are not supposed to be able to conceive because of the bodies having different biological structures. Major plots, with major problems.
Superman Returns doesn't focus so much on Superman and much less on Clark, and has a lack of action scenes. Its supposed to take place 5 years after Superman II. However, I'm not minding the fact that Superman doesn't grow old, but the problem is that Lois and Lex look younger.. A good but miscast crew.
Kevin Spacey was more convincing as Lex Luthor than Hackman, though not as good as Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) in my opinion. At least, Lex has a reason now - to take over the world without Superman to stop him - compared to when he just wanted to stop Superman for the thrill of it. Brandon Routh did a great job in imitating Christopher Reeve. Regarding the costume, I like how it is portrayed darker in colour as its supposed to be, but what I don't like is that the 'S' symbol seems like it has shrunk even though it has a more solid texture compared to being printed on the costume.
As a Superman fan though, frankly, I enjoyed this pretty well. Superman and his problems was a pretty good take on Supes. The movie didn't so well not because of its lack of action scenes, but because of its over- ambitious albeit well done plot which makes it a not-so-good plot. Sun rays strengthen Superman and with his willpower, gives him temporary immunity to Kryptonite? Sounds plausible to me. Superman dies after that? Hmm.... Everyone knows that Superman has the power of amnesiac kiss (Superman II) but who would have thought that Lois also had a superpower. Resuscitation Kiss...
This isn't the badly done Superman movie that we are trying to forget, neither is it the action-packed Superman movie that we are stoked for. However, this is a fun Superman movie for both fans and non-fans. Enjoyable, but not too realistic. Its ending leaves enough space for other villains to enter in a sequel, but not for the development of Superman and Lois Lane, so a reboot is the best option for the continuation of Superman.
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980)
Superman II
Personally, I would prefer Donner's Cut over Lester's Cut of Superman II. Donner's cut is more accurate because it should be Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude than Superman's mom. I also liked how Lois Lane actually risks both her and Clark's lives to prove that Superman is Clark Kent, instead of Clark accidentally tripping and having his hand put in fire, making it his fault that Lois found out about him.
For the ending, I still prefer Lester's Cut as I'm pretty sure we don't wanna see Superman turning back time after every movie. The first one is already enough. Don't turn back the time again. You already defeated Zod, Ursa and Non. If you turn back time, won't they have another chance to escape? And also the part where Superman went back to beat up Rocky. I'm pretty sure that by turning back time, it would mean that Rocky had never beaten up Clark so was it really necessary to go beat him up?
Superman II (1980)
Superman!
A Superman movie which met my expectations. Christopher Reeve and Terrence Stamp were good in their respective roles. The action scenes were well done. Most of the story is entertaining.
However, I had a few problems. How did Lex chance upon the Fortress of Solitude? I don't think that any human technology would be able to pinpoint the location of an alien construct. Also, Gene Hackman still doesn't make me feel like he is Lex Luthor. Why is he still wearing a wig? Does Lex really care about his appearance that much? His demeanor is quite unlike Lex, as he uses more of his mouth than his brain. I really can't tell that he is a genius billionaire mastermind. He is more like a plump guy trying to manipulate those weaker and dumber than him. Also, in the films, Superman didn't do anything to him so there was no motivation for him in wanting to eliminate Superman.
Another problem was regarding the powers. I'm pretty sure General Zod and his gang aren't supposed to have the ability to fire beams that can make stuff levitate. And whats Superman throwing his blanket on the enemy and it disappearing? Also, like Superman, General Zod is supposed to have super-hearing so he probably shouldn't have fell for that trap. But oh well!
Apart from these problems, it is a pretty good movie. In terms of action and pace, I prefer this film over its predecessor. Also, I like the ending where Superman gave Lois the amnesiac kiss and him going back to the café to beat the arrogant man.
Superman (1978)
Superman.
Christopher Reeve does a great job of portraying both Superman and Clark Kent. I like the part on Krypton where they show the other Kryptonians wearing uniforms with different Kryptonian symbols. The destruction of Krypton was not specified clearly.
Throughout, the movie is very slow-paced and takes its time, especially during the first hour of the movie. Gene Hackman couldn't convince me that he was Lex Luthor (not just because he was wearing a wig).
This film shows a very classic Superman with a classic suit which he got from Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude. It serves as a great introduction of Superman and his main adversaries (Zod and Luthor, even though there was a lack of action scenes. Most of it was just Superman saving the world. No heat vision,etc.
Superman defying Jor-El's orders was a good part of the film, but the ending was not so well done, with Superman saving Lois by turning back time. It was not specified how Superman could do that, and if there are any limitations. This would lead people to believe that Superman can just turn back time as and when he likes. If so, there is no need to save the world if he could just prevent everything from happening.
Do not be mistaken, I am a big fan of Superman. He is one of my favorite superheroes (next to Batman). This movie is good, but I expected more from it.
Arrow: Pilot (2012)
Green Arrow
This pilot serves as a great introduction to Green Arrow. Despite similarities to Batman, it is still a wonderfully done story. It is set in modern times as you can see from the "Twilight" reference, which is pretty cool. This episode managed to establish Arrow's mission and what he intends to do, and the obstructions that he will have and it is definitely a very interesting story to look forward to. As much as I would prefer a Batman story, Batman is already well established with quite a few movies that also tell his origins, so having a similar but distinctive character will make it interesting and enjoyable as you have something new to look forward to.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)
Tales of the Green Lantern Corps
This is an excellent story about the less-known characters of Green Lantern. It is comprised of a few short stories about the Green Lantern Corps. I especially love Kilowog's story as I read it in the comics the first time and it was very well done. I like the beginning part of it where he was talking to his mentor. It was hilarious, and done just like in the comics.I like how Laira's story portrays the phrase in the Green Lantern pledge "No evil shall escape my sight".
This is a story that Green Lantern fans will definitely enjoy. If you are a comic book reader, you will enjoy it because of its links. If you are new to Green Lantern, this serves as an excellent story to know more about the Green Lanterns apart from the more popular ones like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, etc
Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern
This film was good in establishing the origins of Green Lantern. Only the necessary characters were introduced, with just one central villain. Parallax and his human embodiment were done pretty well. Kilowog was just the one that I wanted to see. The tough and fierce trainer.
The training of Green Lantern was done a little too quickly, if not you could have enjoyed it more. I enjoyed myself throughout. There could be more action scenes, but it was an origin film after all. I like how they modify the origins to fit Parallax into the story. Ryan Reynolds was pretty good as Green Lantern.
The Green Lantern suit was rather cool, with the modifications of the glowing lines. The CGI suit was done pretty well. Although there weren't too many action scenes with Green Lantern constructs it was still cool. The ending leaves plenty of ideas for a sequel. This is not the best superhero movie or one that evokes much of your emotions, but it is a fun Green Lantern film. Comic-book fan or not, you will definitely enjoy it.
The only problem I have is the end-credits scene with Sinestro wearing the yellow ring. He did not receive punishment for any wrongdoings, (like in the comics) so why did he wear the ring? The only small conflict he had was with the Guardians. Yes, it was to give us a sneak peak of the sequel but just wearing it for the fun of it? Come on, you can do better than that. Maybe it will be explained in the sequel, so I'm definitely looking forward to that. Star Sapphire Carol, John Stewart and Guy Gardner, Evil Sinestro, Atrocitus, bring it on.
Oblivion (2013)
Tom Cruise + Sci Fi
When you hear Tom Cruise + Sci Fi, Minority Report will definitely come to your mind. If you haven't seen it, you probably should. Now, Tom Cruise has established himself with another big Sci-Fi film. The trailers were done well without revealing too much. In the trailers, there's Morgan Freeman and it makes everyone wonder if he was supposed to be a good or a bad guy.
This film evokes your emotions, not mentioning the few comedic lines. The first part will bring you curiosity in the film. The Earth of the future. Halfway through, you get confused halfway. While trying to enjoy it, all I was thinking was that they better explain whats happening in the film later on, and it kinds of distract me from the film but awhile after I got through it, I managed to continue enjoying it. They clear up the confusion in a sort of indirect way, and you will be able to figure out whats happening in the end. After that, there will be some sad moments, but eventually, the ending is a happy one.
The more they reveal, the more you will keep guessing. Till the end, I wasn't able to get with the characters other than Jack Harper(Tom Cruise)and maybe the female leads. Tom Cruise was just Tom Cruise. Morgan Freeman was good in his role, though under-developed. Although this was an original script, there were parts of the film where you could have sworn that you had seen them somewhere. For example, there was the scene where Jack was in his spaceship being chased by two robots. Somehow, I actually thought of Star Wars throughout the scene.
The visual effects were really well done though. Some parts were very expected but some parts were really unexpected. Regarding the mind-wipe, Mind Wipe doesn't actually delete all your memories but it actually makes you forget them unless something triggered it. (Read Artemis Fowl books for more)
Overall, this film was good considering that it was an original script and it actually managed to get this far. Is it the best Sci-Fi Tom Cruise movie? Maybe not. Is it an effective film in making you enjoy some Tom Cruise and spectacular Sci-Fi goodness? Definitely.
Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man? Hell Yeah!
Before this film, Iron Man was only known amongst comic book fans. This film did a great introduction to Iron Man. Iron Man's origins is based very closely on the comics and done very well.
Robert Downey is perfect for the role of Iron Man. Without the suit, its basically Robert playing himself. The film took its time and did not rush through its plot. Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane was pretty well done too.
This film was a great set-up and showed that it is a great idea to introduce more less-well-known superheroes among the public.
The film took its time to show Iron Man learning to use the suit like Spider-man, but in its own unique way. It does a great job of foreshadowing future plots like "The Ten Rings" and Rhodey looking at a suit and be like "Maybe next time". The comedic elements supported the plot well.
In conclusion, this film lives up to its expectations for comic book fans, and introduced a new character, or specifically, a new franchise to movie fans/non-comic book fans. Though not as epic as Nolan's Batman films which have a darker tone, this is a good family film and it is very enjoyable.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
A massive improvement from its predecessor.
G.I Joe Retaliation was funnier than I thought it would be. The addition of Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock and Bruce Willis as the original Joe was a pretty smart move. Initially, I was doubtful of watching his film in the cinemas. In the trailer, I saw Bruce Willis firing off a machine gun in the back of a lorry and I was like "Ahh, I have to see this movie!"
The movie was better than what I expected. Many action scenes. Even though Bruce Willis didn't get a lot of screen time, the parts where he was around were either cool or funny. Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock was awesome. He did a great job as Roadblock from the comics.
Unlike many others that felt that the killing off of Duke(Channing Tatum's character)was bad, I felt that it was rather necessary to provide an emotional pain and allow Roadblock to have the commandeering position.
However, I didn't particularly care about the other two main characters. I guess I wouldn't care if both of them got killed off halfway through. The portrayal of Cobra Commander was better here. The helmet he wore bore more resemblance to the one in the comics. I was surprised that he didn't release Destro from the other water tank (if he was even in there). Lee Byung Hun did a great job as Storm Shadow. Pretending to be Snake Eyes and getting caught so that he could break Cobra Commander out. When he spoke(In Snake Eyes's armor), I'm sure everyone got a shock since Snake Eyes wasn't supposed to be able to talk. (Still unexplained in the movie) Storm Shadow's transition from good to bad as he wanted to prove his innocence was done pretty well.
The comedic elements were pretty interesting, especially the part where all the presidents were gathered in the room and forced to waste away their nuclear weapons while the fake President played Angry Birds on his phone. I didn't really feel it was "dumb" or "silly" like what others mentioned. Dumb comedy, I would say, would be one particular badly-done scene from Iron Man 3. (If you wanna know, look at my other review.)
Apart from well-done action scenes and smart plots, there weren't anything too special. It did justice for the G.I Joe franchise though. I would probably expect to see a third film. A blockbuster movie? Maybe not. An extremely fun movie balancing the action and comedy well? I agree.
Jumper (2008)
Unexpectedly fun.
Initially, I thought Jumper would be just another wannabe-superhero film. However, it was far from that. A person who suddenly found out he had the power to teleport or 'jump' in this context when he was trapped in the water under ice. It is a very interesting story to me. Not surprising though, as David Goyer (writer of Man of Steel, and the Dark Knight Trilogy, and more) was one-third of its screenplay writers.
Samuel L Jackson was pretty cool in the film. I kept guessing what would happen in the film. The flow was pretty good. I like how David brought the problems to himself. Putting a man he was fighting against into a bank which he previously robbed. (Did he not think he would get implicated?) However, the ending was too open. Leaving his friend on the electrical stand, Samuel L Jackson stranded in the desert, and talking to his Mum (who is a Paladin). It would be a pity if a second film is not done (Though it probably will be done).
However, I would much rather see a Nightcrawler Origins film. (Okay, maybe not relevant) I'm definitely looking forward to see its sequel though. It better be unexpected.
Iron Man Three (2013)
Shane Black insulted the bad ass Mandarin.
Because its an Iron Man film, I don't want to dishonor it. The first Iron Man film was incredibly well done. Its origins follow the comic very well. They referenced Mandarin here and there and set up the stage for the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. The trailers felt as if an epic fight between Iron Man and Mandarin would break out. I don't hate the film at all seriously. The script was very well done. From the start to the end, the script was pretty good, with comedic one- liners here and there. BUT halfway through, Shane Black decided to give us a kick in the balls. What was the point of all that hype with the trailers if we didn't even get an epic showdown between Iron Man and the Mandarin?
When Iron Man entered Mandarin's room, I was all ready. Ready for the epic battle between Iron Man and Mandarin. The fight that I've been waiting for ever since Iron Man 3 released its trailers. But the only fight I got was Shane Black giving me a kick in the balls. The beginning of the movie showed a bad ass Mandarin. I believe that Ben Kingsley would have been an awesome Mandarin.(As portrayed in the first half of the film). Mandarin is one of Iron Man's most formidable adversaries. Indeed, that twist was a smart one, but it should not have been in an Iron Man movie. I admitted that I laughed at that scene. (Not because I enjoyed it but because it was funny.)Throughout that scene, I was hoping that Mandarin was only putting up a scene and preparing to strike at Iron Man. I was extremely disappointed. I wanted an awesome Mandarin vs Iron Man fight scene. Seriously if they are gonna portray Mandarin but change every aspect of him, they might as well change his name to the British or something.I was really disappointed. All that Mandarin hype led up to nothing!
The Extremis was done interestingly. The plot focused more much on Tony than the suits. Iron Patriot was.. not really necessary in the film. It was basically just an upgraded War Machine suit. I thought Pepper would become Rescue but I guess not. However, there were some scenes which reminded me of other movies. (The airplane rescue scene reminded me of Bane's attack in the beginning The Dark Knight Rises). Also, the ending scene where Iron Man wanted a clean slate. (Just like Batman in TDKR) This will either lead to him changing his mind to appear in Avengers 2, or he gets replaced in Avengers 2. Shane Black tried to make things up by making Guy Pearce say "I am the real Mandarin" It didn't make me feel any better than I already felt. In the comics, Aldrich Killian is just a scientist and NOT the Mandarin. The Mandarin doesn't use Extremis, but uses his ten rings and his henchmen. He screwed up quite a bit there. One bad thing was that they didn't showcase the many suits that he had. When the suits started flying in, only a few prominent ones could be noticed. For example, they only showed the Hulkbuster armor charging forward for a ten seconds. I'll give it fifteen (cos I'm nice). I would love to see the Hulkbuster appear while Tony narrate the names of the suits. Though that might not be exactly possible cause he was busy fighting. So there were many suits with names and abilities that weren't introduced. And all of them got blown up to make fireworks. Quite a waste. However, I did like the action scenes.
I know it may not be fair for me to judge the whole movie based on the portrayal of one character, but what might have become the most epic scene in Iron Man history, or should I say Marvel history became a letdown to all Iron Man fans. I would much rather see a dark movie, without all the comedic elements and see the REAL merciless Mandarin in action against Iron Man. Why isn't comedy under one of Iron Man 3's genres? In conclusion, they should not have put Mandarin in the movie at all or at most, as deleted scenes. If they wanna make up for it, they should do Iron Man 4 where Mandarin breaks out of prison using his Ten Rings and explain that his scene in Iron Man 3 was actually a facade. That would be cool. If not, they really insulted the Mandarin.