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Reviews
Children of Men (2006)
A once in a lifetime experience...
This was a movie I had high hopes for. When I watched the trailer in the summer of 06, I immediately bought the book for some sort of means of comparison. The book is good (despite it's obviously religious undertones) so the hype of the movie increased the suspense. Come January 07 I went to the theater with my family and witnessed the best film of the year, and one of the most memorable of the decade.
Similar in size and spectacle to 28 Days Later, Children of Men is an apocalyptic thriller seeking a higher understanding of themes such as hope and love. Alfonso Cauron's direction is immaculate, handling live ammunition, many extras, gargantuan set pieces, and long takes with pitch-perfect sight. A scene shot entirely in a car with one long camera take stands out, as does a shoot-out near the end. The cinematography adds an underlying texture of depression and madness to these magnificent wonders, ad a digital baby looks all too real coming straight from the womb. While it may be the photography of the movie that make it bonds, it's the characters that strengthen it.
Clive Owen, an actor almost unknown to me until now, gives us a powerful, heart wrenching performance as Theo Faron. He is almost numb to the things around him, struggling with his estranged ex-wife's (Julian Moore) plan to sneak someone out of the mass immigration target Britain has become. His surprising re-encounter with her essentially brings him nothing but trouble. Her name is Julian, and her role, although short, is lovable. Then there is Michael Cain, who plays the retired political cartoonist Jasper. He is Theo's only source of friendship and company. But purposely, Theo keeps their relationship distanced. Jasper asks Theo why he won't come move in with him, and Theo replies, "Because then what would I have to look forward to?" The smaller roles in the film are powerful and moving as well. There is Kee, the last pregnant woman on Earth, Miriam, a gentle lady who was a mid-wife before babies stopped being born, Luke, the activist who wants the baby solely for political purposes, Syd, a corrupt cop who sneaks Theo into a neo-concentration camp, and Marichka, an immigrant in the camp Bexhill who sacrifices everything to help Theo.
If these aspects of the film aren't dazzling enough, listen closely to the beautiful score composed of John Tavner's Fragments of a Prayer, which breaks your heart every time...like many of the scenes. A docile deer, not startled by the sight of man, running in front of Theo, might shake you. As will the sight of men carrying explosives across a roof right before a battle scene. There are too many of these occurrences to name quite frankly. A cafe exploding as Theo spikes his coffee. An elderly woman holding her dead son in her arms, referencing Michael Angelo's "Pity" The camera forcing us to look at two dead police in the road, a door being shot through while Theo attempts to squeeze through it, and of course, Kee and Theo pacifying hundreds of soldiers while they walk with a crying baby between them.
Movies with this kind of emotional core don't come out often.
United 93 (2006)
Practically unexplainable in words...
United 93...
On September 11th, everything changed. But I was young, around 11, and failed to recognize these changes. I had no sense of patriotism, and I had never seen, nor heard of, the World Trade Centers or the Pentagon. Same goes with Afghanistan and Al Queda. It's truly amazing when you look at the whole situation in a broad sense. I knew so little, and during that day, I felt so little. I told Ms. Palmer (my teacher at the time) that the world's tallest buildings were no longer there, and then I laughed. It was sick in a way, but I was so young. I regret saying those things now. And today, September 5th, the first 9/11 movie came out on DVD. I rented it at soon as I got home from school, and having just finished watching it, I have quite a bit to say.
I sat Indian style in front of my 13 inch television, glued to the screen. Whether my legs were numb from the way I was sitting, or whether the movie terrified me to that extent, I'm not quite sure. Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) is the last person I'd expect to direct this movie. He's British, for starters, and couldn't have truly experienced 9/11 like anyone else in America did that day. So, I had my doubts. Boy, was I wrong.
It is art, in it's most beautiful form. Every angel, every shot, every actor plays his part with infinite perfection. Ground-control air traffickers try to get a sense of what's going on, a during the same time a plane hits the first tower...right behind them. The initial hit, the second hit, the Pentagon, and finally United 93 all occur practically under there noses. Intensly realistic dialoug keeps you interested during the most dull parts. But once the plane is hijacked, you're no longer in your seat. The expression on the edge of your seat can't keep up with the film. You are there, and it's that simple. When one of the four terrorists straps the bomb on his chest, you are no longer in the audience.
The score by John Powell is no better or no worse than necessary. It keeps the control room scenes tense, and the flight scenes quivering. I was honestly scared watching the movie. It's that realistic, and it works so well. The biggest passengers on the plane run to the flight-attendants quarters, grabbing fire-extinguishers, wine-bottles, cork-screws, anything to help them. They plan to take over the plane, because they know of the Twin Towers, they know of the Pentagon, and it all becomes clear. This is a suicide mission. But one of the visionary perspectives of the film is the terrorists, who we fear for and pain for the most. How Greengrass humanizes these people...these monsters, is far beyond my recognition.
The famous line, "Let's Roll" is played down perfectly. It's not a pre-ready, clichéd. action hero line, but a spur of the moment kind of line. Greengrass could have muted the film, readied the heroes in slow-motion, then thrown the line into the blue like anybody else would have done. But no, it's subtle and jumbled and stuttered.
And when they take back the plane...my God is it great. There's only three minutes left of the movie, and in that three minutes, Hell breaks loose. They jump from their seats unexpectedly and storm the first terrorist. There is no gore, only a ten man-to- one rumble for the protection of their country. There is no choreography or balance, and it's perfect. The other three terrorists are confused. Two in the cock-pit and one in the hall, they can only wait for the passengers.
The violins start, but can barely be heard. Screaming and banging and the plane spiraling towards the ground. Greengrass envisions no take-down, no win-lose. He see's, in a shattering finale, the arms of our nation, grasping for the villains, their weapons, the controls, and hope. There is no moral, no character build-up, no wind-up. We don't see where every terrorist ends up on the plane, and where each passenger is during the crash. In the midst of the struggle, we see the ground, moving closer and closer, spinning clock-wise. And whatever we expected from the movie doesn't come. Instead, it's something greater.
I established my mind-set for where I'd go and what I'd do for this country, no matter how corrupt or uncivilized, because this movie offers you inspiration in open arms, and you can't help but take it.
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Not exactly better than the first, but a wonderful movie anyway.
Now, the idea itself of continuing with the Ocean's Eleven franchise was a bad idea in the first place. No movie could live up to the success and sheer brilliance of the first, but with a cast like that, and the visionary wonders of Soderberg, I suppose it was worth a try.
This time around, the team goes international after Mr. Benedict, the shrak-like Antonio Banderas, gives them two weeks to reapy their debts, with interest. It adds up to around 197 million dollars, which the team cannot put together. They find three high paying jobs, only to discover another, perhaps more talented, thief wishes to compete. His name is the NIghtfox, and he is working with Mr. Benedict (which you will find out later).
Now the movie is very different than the first. Not so much a smooth, jazzy flick anymore. The camera is often hand-held, which is new to Soderberg's previous style, but works nicely. The dialouge is funnier than the first movie, but less relevant. Possibly the funniest part in the movie is when the team discuss's why they were called "Ocean's Eleven", yet it doesn't move the movie along at all. The interactions between Rusty (Pitt) and Ocean (Clooney) is great. They work very well together.
The addition of the two new characters, Isabel (Zeta-Jones) and the Nightfox bring the movie to new hieghts. When in the first movie, Ocean picks this job for Tess (Roberts), this movie moves more with Rusty, as he chooses Amsterdam because Isabel is there.
Some of the shots are simply magnificent. When the Nightfox dances through the lasers, and when the incredible Julia Roberts plays...herself. It all just reminds me of what the definition of entertainment really is.
Not the first, and hopefully not the last. Soderberg, you bring hope in sequels.
Jarhead (2005)
"Still walking through the desert..."
I, going to a school where war is the choice career, was hysterical when every child went to see Jarhead, hoping for the next Saving Private Ryan. But instead, got an anti-war movie, with no action sequences. They all said it was the worst war movie they've ever seen. Obviously, from one of the first lines in the movie, this is NOT a war flick. Do not expect a bloody, bumpy-camera, fogged-lens, modern version of Hamburger Hill. Do not expect Full Metal Jacket with M16's. Do not expect Black Hawk Down: Iraqi Takedown. Instead, expect a moving, flawless, touching, masterful epic of a marines struggle through Gulf War, and how it changed him. There is tension, there is fighting. Threats of weapon discharges, helpless soldiers wandering through inches of oil, burning gas fields, work, boredom, faulty NBC suits, untrusting wives, and nighthmares. Jarhead gives you the experience of what these marines went through, without having to wait in the desert for 6 months, wanting only to fire your rifle at something other than dirt. Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Troy, is deserving of an Oscar. His every line is perfectly spoken, filled with wit and character. I actually cried when he flips over not getting his only chance at a KO. And trust me, I don't cry during movies much. Last time was during My Dog Skip. So, how does it end? Do they go home? Yes. Are they hurt? Yes. Are there lives changed forever? Not all of them. Will they ever go back? Only one. Do they get to kill someone? No, not even one. Do they have fun? Sometimes. Are they still walking through the desert? Forever, they are always walking through the desert. 10/10
A History of Violence (2005)
Seems to have missed something,, but I can't say what
I'm disappointed. This movie got a lot of hype and fame. Anybody I asked said the movie was great. Peter Traverse of Rolling Stone said it was the best film of the year. Now, there's only one problem with all this, and that is the mediocrity of the movie. Basically, it wasn't that good. I finally watched it, although it was hard to sit through, and became sick. I couldn't believe it was going to actually end there, with them sitting at the dinner table. Characters come and go. And come and go. And COME and GO. Nobody, except the main characters, stays for more than thirty minutes. The opening scene is far too long too. They weren't even big characters and Croenberg spends the whole opening scene on them. The sexual scenes are done well though. Meanwhile, Mortensen plays his character decently. At first, I was like, "He isn't believable as a father at all!" But I soon realized, that's the point. I've made a conclusion that, either Croenberg did poorly, or that the graphic novel wasn't intended for a movie.
Munich (2005)
Spectacular, but nothing we haven't seen from War of the Worlds
I saw two of Spielberg's major films this year; (I believe these were the only two) War of the Worlds and Munich. So, I have decided to compare Munich to War of the Worlds and let the reader decide which one is better and whether they want to see Munich, assuming they've seen War of the Worlds.
Munich is "loosely" based around the 1972 Munich Olympics and focuses on the hardships that the assassins went through during the years of hunting the terrorists known as Black September who murdered 12 Israili athletes. The film has an extremely dark tone, although not as dark as War of the Worlds. The main character, Avner, who is the lead assassin, is a husband and soon-to-be father. He is assigned to hunt and kill the 12 terrorist members as long as he stays in the selected European nations. He has four other team members who you will unfortunately not have enough time to get fully acquainted with. This is the storyline of the film.
War of the Worlds, in character senses, develops more of a relationship with the characters in an even less time. This is one thing that puzzles me about Munich. The movie is almost three hours long and has about 5 more characters than War of the Worlds, varying what you consider "important characters". So, why does Munich only hint here and there at the character's emotions? I mean, Spielberg does give slight notions towards them, but not enough to fully impact what is going on in their head, except, of course, Avner.
The movie has way too much suspense as well. Because more than 2/3 of the assassins are killed by bombs, the film has so many moments of waiting and expectation. It's almost annoying. War of the Worlds does this sort of thing in the cellar scene, but not as exaggeratedly.
The best scene in Munich consists of AVner loosing his mind and becoming paranoid about who might be hunting HIM. THe scene is beautifully done, but uses so many shots from War of the Worlds and the same techniques that its nothing new. My friends disagree but I believe I'm correct.
Okay, the reason I'm giving this movie a nine out of ten is because I've had a revelation recently about the film. Why the other characters are not so focused upon, why the movie uses seemingly recycled shots, and why the movie ends abruptly and leaves characters behind so simply, and its because the movie is not about the other character, and its not about THIS and THAT and THIS. The movie is about Avner. Solely and completely. He battles through the experience and the tragedy of missing his child's earliest years. Its about what happened, and how. Its about the realization of the disaster and how it will affect Avner's life from there on.
Great movie, but not as compelling, entertaining, and moving as War of the Worlds.
Alexander (2004)
A weak movie.
Let me set one thing straight before I begin, Colin Farrel is NO Alexander. His performance was weak and mediocre. What a bad idea to cast him.
Anyway, this movie really wasn't that good. It jumped between time frames too many times and had way too many sexual scenes between Alexander and his male lover. There is one good thing about this movie, and that's Angelina Jolie. Her role as his mother was spectacular. She deserves an Oscar for that one.
Also, the war scenes were too long, like the movie it's self, and were so confusing you didn't really know what was going on or who was who. And that caused me to lose interest and stray away instead of devoting my full attention to this jumbled jig-saw of a movie. It was as confusing as Eternal Sunshine, but didn't have an excuse because their movie wasn't about deleting memories. I could tell the movie also was trying to rip off Troy. I don't really have a reason for that I'm just saying it.
The scenes were too bloody. The movie was too long. There was too much gay stuff. And because Alexander was such a mean person I really felt more sorry for his horse then I did him when he almost died. 4/10.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
A beautiful film. Not just for children.
This American adapted anime film strait from Japan didn't do to well here in the states. I can honestly ask... why? The film was great. It had a original tale of an ambitious little girl, obviously not wanting to move from her old home, who wanders off into a mythological land of strange beasts where souls trapped and transformed. At this point you understand the little girl wants to get back to her parents, who were transformed as well.
The art amazing and oh-so colorful. Whoever Miyazaki, director, hired to illustrate this movie should be rich. And yes, I know that more than one person helped. But still, the art is faced past during the right times and slow sometimes too. The slower scenes I actually prefer because you get more time to gaze in wonder at the scenery. The creatures all seem to be from Japanese mythology and stories of some kind.
The movie is truly magical and will captivate anyone who watches the first 15 minutes of it.
Signs (2002)
Shyalaman's best film yet.
I have seen all of Shyalaman's films, including the newer "The Village", but Signs takes home the gold. The film has some truly terrifying moments and you never know what will happen next or where, which always keeps you on your toes, trying to look out for little details to help you figure out some kind of indication to a future scary moment. I believe Shyalaman was aware of that so he very carefully situated the setting and the script.
The cast is good which includes Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. The movie uses their relationship along with the kids to help move along the movie. It works well because the movie focuses s lot around family. The movie also shares the center point with faith.
During a midnight conversation between Gibson and Phoenix, Gibson makes us ask ourself if we believe in coincidence or faith. He explains that we either think everything happens for a reason, or that its all chance. We never know what the right answer is or what Gibson thinks at the end of the film which keeps us guessing. And that's always nice.
But what truly makes this a Shyalaman classic is the suspense and the horror. And that's saying something because the only other recently modern movie that had us this scared was The Ring. Some scenes are so scary that I actually saw people walk out of the theater. Not just kids either. One specific scene shows Phoenix watching TV and suddenly we see an alien run through someones drive-way in Brazil. It's really sudden and very scary. But I didn't like what Shyalaman shows us in the end of the film, which I won't give away.
Overall, the movie has a nice take on the whole crop circle idea and has a nice ending. The movie works for all genres really; drama, family, horror, suspense, and a little comedy. This is really Shyalaman's best film yet.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Lord have mercy on George Lucas.
Will thy Lord have mercy on poor George Lucas's soul for creating this piece of wasted screen time and special effects. Star Wars is one, possibly the, most famous trilogy of all time.... so why did this movie suck so much?!
One: The acting was bad, especially little Anikin. When Anikin is flying that ship at the end and spewing those cheesy one-liners I felt like killing myself.
Two: The pod racer scene was obviously put in there to take up time and advertise the Pod-Racer video game for the N64.
Three: Jar-Jar Binks.
Four: There was no big fight scene except the droids vs those f*****g Jar-Jars. Which basically ruined the scene. And then that silly little par between the weird guy and the other two guys. That fight sucked too.
Five: Too many side plots.
Six:...................do I really have to go on? This movie sucked, final answer.
The Village (2004)
Another nice Shyalaman title.
M. Night Shyalaman had always given us good films with nice, sorta obvious, twists at the end but are always pleasing. And unlike some directors, and as some critics might think, his movies aren't exactly the same. Sure, they have some sort of twist at the end and are always super-natural, but think about his past movies. The Sixth Sense was his first; great film by the way, and then came Unbreakable. Which was also good, but strayed away from the horror feeling and had a more mature essence, that implying the torture scene. Then Signs came along to be his best film yet, with a great take on crop circles and their possible meanings. And now, The Village. Joaquin Phoenix makes his second appearance in Shyalaman's collection as the ambitious yet quiet citizen of an out-of-date village in the middle of some forest surrounded by monsters of some kind. But don't count on the commercials to give you accurate information. Two things the commercials don't tell you. One: Phoenix is NOT the main character. He is actually removed from the picture half way through the flick. And two: Bryce Dallas Howard, that red-headed girl, is blind. Yeah, she can't see. Anyway, the film is unique and original and is more of a romance then a Sci-fi movie. But don't think Shyalaman didn't forget about the suspense and horror. The mysterious monsters enter the village many times to give you a fright, but the real horror happens in a specific forest scene where Howard actually encounters the monster first hand. And he certainly didn't forget the twist at the end. And its not so obvious this time. I actually had to see the movie two times before I fully understood it. Please don't not see this movie because you don't like Shyalaman or you think it will be too scary. It's a great movie with above average acting and an intriguing story that keeps you interested. Shyalaman never seems to let us down. Or at least me.
Zeruda no densetsu: Toki no okarina (1998)
The greatest game.
LOZ: Ocarina of Time is above all, the greatest game. That including recent games like Resident Evil 4 and Halo 2. This game, since 1995, has never been surpassed by any other game. The graphics were top-notch, for it's time, and the fighting is well balanced between slow paced, strategic action, and quick button mashing. The music is excellent and plays a huge part in the game actually. The story and environment is huge and there's plenty of mini games and side quests to keep you busy.
I'll say it again, even to this day LOZ: Ocarina of Time has kept up it's name as the greatest game of all time. And the only game I see on it's way to beat it is LOZ: Twilight Princess.
100/10. (If that's possible)
Crash (2004)
Leaves you asking... What?!
Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, is a seemingly action packed thriller but ended up being a too long sob story about 20 or so people who all hate either Mexicans or Blacks or Asians or Whites or whatever. Either way, they all hate each other and are stereotypical of one another. But when they all collide in some coincidental accident they begin to realize that each of them is special and unique. Or at least that's what Haggin's is hoping for. To tell the truth, the movie goes from bad to worse and ends up as some confused, trying to hard to have a point flick. The movie leaves you asking... Is there a point to this?... Is there going to be a moral?... Why is Ludicrous in this?... and most of all... What?!
5/10. A real disappointment.
Mario Golf: Family Tour (2003)
Better than the first, which was pretty good.
The GC sequel to Mario Golf on the N64 is one pretty good game. The graphics are beautifully colored and very, very slick. There's more characters to choose from, like Waluigi and Birdo. And the gameplay is so easy and fun. I seriously mean this when I say Nintendo has created the best way a golf game should be played. There's a more than a handful of holes to choose and un-lock, all of which look great. And there's many side games to play to always keep you busy.
In the long run, if you liked the old game, this one is for you. This game falls into the Mario Classics section and hopefully will get its deserving share of attention. 8/10.
Soulcalibur II (2003)
A good fighting game.
Soul Calibur 2 was a much better game than people said it was. The graphics are beautiful, the combos and techniques are great, and there's a huge variety of characters to choose from. Including the 3 exclusive characters available depending on the system you have. I, personally, was lucky because I own a GC which means I got Link form LOZ as a playable character!
The game has many modes and un-lockables to choose from and gain which will keep you busy plenty. The new Weapon Master mode has some significance, but not much. I would recommend renting this game because its a very unique fighter game with cool characters and weapons. I would only recommend this game for buying if you don't mind some corny stuff and play games that have lots to do. 7/10.
Kingdom Hearts (2002)
Why isn't all of Squaresofts' games like this one.
If had a PS2 when Kingdom Hearts came out and didn't buy it because of the Disney characters incorporated into it, you're an idiot. Kingdom Hearts has a great storyline that keeps up well with the game. I like the characters like Goofy and all the Final Fantasy characters, but the best characters are Sora and Riku created solely for the game.
The gameplay is really nice because it doesn't follow Squaresofts original turn- based, strategic combat. Instead, you're running around killing things with cool style and awesome combos. Throughout the levels, which are great also, you can substitute your sidekicks Daffy or Goofy for someone like Tarzan or Peter Pan who have their own powers and equipment. The music is nicely placed too.
Overall, Kingdom Hearts is a great game and is worthy of being on the same shelf with the GTA and FF series.
Jet Set Radio Future (2002)
The best X-Box game. Seriously.
The sequel to Sega's old Jet Grind Radio has been released on X-Box. And even though I might be the only person saying this I think its the best game on the system. Well, only in retrospect seeing as how this review is 3 years too late and newer games like Halo 2 and Half-life 2 have come out. But for it's generation, JSRF was the king.
The graphics are beautifully Cell-shaded and look great when you do your graffiti, which is also awesome looking, even though you can't understand most of it. The characters are kinda silly but that adds to the games greatness. The music is good, the environments are incredible, and again, the graffiti looks great.
9/10
Biohazard 4 (2005)
The only good Resident Evil game.
I will trruthfully say I hate all Resident Evil games, except this one. As a matter of fact I love this one! I love it so much to think of it as possibly the greatest game ever. Those of you who've played it probably are thinking the same thing. The games graphics surpass anything I've ever seen on the NGC or on anything else. The gameplay has improved do much from the previous Resident Evil titles. And over all this game blows away anything that stands in it's path. What makes it so much better than any other RE game is that for once you're allowed to aim (with a sweet laser sight). You get this awesome 1st person/3rd person shooting view. The graphics are much much better. Customizable weapons, interesting plot. And its the only horror game thats actually scary. 100% a great game. 10/10.
Dai-Rantô Smash Brothers Deluxe (2001)
This is my favorite game ever!
SSBM is a fighter game of different proportions. It features four player action and some great 1 player modes as well. Adventure mode allows you to fight enemies in their preferred stages and explore stages not available in versus mode. Event Matches, Collecting Trophies, and so much more add to the games brilliance. This game has great symphony music as well, all accurate to some of our favorite tunes from Mario to The Legend of Zelda. That reminds me of one of the games biggest features, the characters! Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, Samus, Link, Zelda/Shiek, and at least 10 others, all with unique attacks and specialties are available. The stages to choose from are also limitless. In simplest terms, there's about 1 or more stages for every character. All different. There is just so much to do in the game and its so easy to get into. SSBM goes down as the greatest fighter game of all time. It may even THE greatest game of all time.
Akira (1988)
Breathtaking
I know I'm a little late with this review but after seeing this movie I've got to say something about Akira. Directer Katshiro Otoma has made quite the piece of work. Akira has the most original story and captivating characters ever seen in an animated film and perhaps a real film too.
Shotaro Kaneda ( Japanese voice by Mitsuo Iwata) is the leader of a Neo-Tokyo bike gang. Along his side as one of the other gang members is Tetsuo Shima (Japanese voice by Nozomu Sasaki). When a secret military experiment is thrown in the picture turning Tetsuo into a crazed psionic killing freak Kaneda and his gang must save Tetsuo and save Neo-Tokyo at the same time.
This movie goes beyond any other anime film ever. Even the widely known Princess Mononke. The movie is fast paced and the characters are well thought-out. Akira goes down as the greatest anime film of all time. 9/10.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
The perfect movie.
As if Southpark isn't the greatest TV show of all time, Trey Parker and Matt Stone had to go and make the greatest movie of all time. I've never given a movie a 10/10 before and I probably never will again. This movie is so funny and clever you wonder why these guys aren't ruling the world.
The regular school boys Stan Marsh (Trey Parker), Kyle Broflowski (Matt Stone), Eric Cartman (Trey Parker), and Kenny McKormic (Matt Stone) have found themselves in peril again. But this time they're stuck in the middle of World War 3, Canada VS. U.S.A. all because they sneacked into an R rated movie, Terrance and Phillip: Asses of Fire, and learned some really bad words. Now the kids are off to settle their own problems, as well as the countries.
This movie had me laughing so hard I felt sick. And when I found out the movie was a musical a cried tears of happiness. It just worked so well that you wonder why the show itself isn't a musical. If this movie doesn't win an Oscar I might kill myself. This is the perfect movie.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Who didn't like this movie? And why?
I'm very angry. Not at Revolutions, at you! You people who didn't even bother to go see this movie because you didn't like the second. Well shame on you.
I believe for the final installment in one of the biggest movie trilogies, Revolutions was above exceptional. The ambiance and dramatic mood throughout the movie was a wise choice by the Wachowski brothers. Many of the un-answered questions that left you cliffhanging in the second are answered. And I understand that some questions weren't answered, and for those I ask you to refer to perhaps The Aniematrix or some of the movies special features.
The acting is good, especially Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Morpheus (Luarence Fishburne). Other characters include Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith). The action is incredible. A 20 minute war scene between the robots and the humans might possibly be the most amazing thing you'll ever see sitting in a movie theater too.
But seriously, this movie was over-looked and didn't deserve enough respect that it should have. The conclusion to the most famous trilogy of all time, beside LOTR, was not a let down at all. See it, it will blow you away.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
A film definitely worth seeing.
Quentin Terintino's newest installment to his collection is KIll Bill Vol. 1. of 2. The story of a pregnant bride (Uma Thurman) shot during her wedding by the Viper Assassination Squad sent by a man named Bill. It only happens that the victim of this assassination was a former member.
The current story (current is used loosely seeing as how the movie jumps from past to present simultaneously) picks up when we see the bride laying in a hospital bed in a coma. She wakes up and vows to kill all four of the four of the members who helped kill her, then to kill Bill, the man who put a bullet to her head.
The four Viper Members are played by Lucy Liu (O-Ren Ishii), Vivica A. Fox (Vernita Green), Daryl Hannah (Elle Driver), and Michael Madsen (Budd).
Now don't come to the theater expecting something different from Terintino, you will be sadly mistaken. But for those who weren't, congratulations, you came to see the right movie. Kill Bill has that same vibe from Pulp Fiction with more action and lots more blood. Seriously, a lot more blood.
The movie has plenty of drama and slow moments as well to balance out the film, which is nice. But after every action scene you find yourself laughing and screaming MORE! And thank God Terintino threw in that awesome soundtrack because even the greatest script needs music.
If a retro yet modern action packed movie with good acting and sweet music is what you need, then most might say you to see Kill Bill. 8 great stars out of 10.
Fantastic Four (2005)
A waste of a perfectly good idea for a comic book movie.
It seems like Marvel production studios are using Tim Story (director) to try to fill the holes for comic book fans until Spiderman 3 and X-men 3 come out in 2007. I just hope that they don't lose too many fans because of Fantastic Four. That meaning this movie sucked. With a "B" class line up of stars including Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic) the science nerd with the rip-off ability of DC's Plastic Man, Jessica Alba (Invisible Girl) possibly the only decent character in this movie, Chris Evans (Flame Boy) whose jokes get so old by the end of the film you feel like puking, Michael Chiklis (The Thing) a big ugly sob story, and Julian McHahon (Dr. Doom) the boasting rival of Mr. Fantastic whose super-power never even becomes that clear. Basically, this movie missed so many opportunities to be great which caused it to basically miss the point.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory barely reaches average.
Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, and David Kelly star in Tim Burton's remake of the classic book by Roald Dahl. Seven lucky children and one guardian are allowed into Willy Wonka's candy factory where all his great chocolate creations are made. Blah, blah, blah as if we haven't heard it before. Might I say that for a movie to attempt to reach the level of success the first movie made is alone, insane. Then to fail to do such adds a certain level of disappointment. But for this all to come from the brilliant director Tim Brton who brought us the classic, A Nightmare Before Christmas, is really a sad sight. But aside from the negatives of this over-all let-down, any movie that stars Johnny Depp as the lead and dresses him up and makes him talk funny is going to be at least an average movie. And Burton's twist on Dahl's ending is pretty good.