Worst Movie of the year 2011!!!

With every year that passes I see great films, but I also see very bad films and this year was no different, I name a best movie of the year and now I will name a worst movie of the year as well. First I will list the 5 worst rated movies I have seen this year (in order of worst rating to better rating).

*=Tie

In Time-5.8/10
Apollo 18-6.0/10
Shark Night 3D-6.1/10
Green Lantern-6.6/10
*The Roomate-6.8/10
*Priest 3D-6.8/10
*I am number four-6.8/10


Those are the worst of the worst, Unlike my best movie of the year post I will not elaborate on these films are they are not worth my time (If you want to see how I feel look up the reviews),

The Nominees



In Time- Released- October 28th, Starring- Justin Timberlake, Amada Seyfried and Cillian Murphy, Rating- 5.8/10

 Apollo 18- Released September 2nd, Starring- Warren Christie, Ryan Robbins and Ali Leibert, Rating- 6.0/10

Shark Night 3D- Relased- September 2nd, Starring- Dustin Milligan, Sara Paxson and Chris Carmack, Rating- 6.1/10

Green Lantern- Released- June 17th, Starring-Ryan Reynols, Blake Liively, Rating- 6.6/10

 

The Roommate- Released February 4th, Starring- Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester and Aly Michalka, Rating- 6.8/0.

Priest 3D- Released May 13th, Starring- Paul Bettany, Maggie  Q and Karl Urban, Rating- 6.8/10

I am Number Four- Released February 18th, Starring- Alex Pettyfer, Diana Argon and Timothy Olpyphant, Rating- 6.8/10

Those are the nominees for worst of the worst and the loser is......................................................

Apollo 18

2012 Watch List!!

with a new year comes a new host of films to be excited to see and 2012 is no different
just in case you forgot how my star system works here is the outline.

*-Probably will not see

**-Maybe will see

***-Will certainty see


20th-Underworld:Awakening***

Plot-"When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind".

27th-The Grey**

Plot-"In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders".

February

3rd-Chronicle**

Plot-" Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides".

10th-Safe House***
Plot-"A young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge".

March

9th-John Carter***

Plot-"Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior".

23rd-The Hunger Games***

Plot-"Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match".

30th-Wrath Of The Titans***

Plot-"Perseus embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, who has been targeted for capture by his traitorous son, Ares, and his brother, Hades".

April

6th-American Reunion***

Plot-" Jim, Michelle, Stifler, and their friends reunite in East Great Falls, Michigan for their high school reunion.".

 13th-The Cabin In The Woods**

Plot-"Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen".

13th-Lock-Out*

Plot-"A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president's daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates".

May

4th-The Avengers***

Plot-" Nick Fury and the international agency S.H.I.E.L.D. bring together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki & his various membered army".

11th-Dark Shadows***

Plot-"A gothic-horror tale centering on the life of vampire Barnabas Collins and his run-ins with various monsters, witches, werewolves and ghosts. Based on the cult TV series:.

18th-BattleShip**

Plot-"A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals".

25th-Men In Black III***

Plot-"Agent J travels in time to MIB's early years in the 1960s, to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history".

25th-Chernobyl Diaries**

Plot-"

Six tourists hire an extreme tour guide who takes them to the abandoned city Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. During their exploration, they soon discover they are not alone".

 June

8th-Prometheus***

Plot-"A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race".

22nd-Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter**

Plot-"President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers".

August

3rd-Total Recall**

Plot-"As the nation states Euromerica and New Shanghai vie for supremacy, a factory worker begins to suspect that he's a spy, though he is unaware which side of the fight he's on".

17th-The Expendables 2***

Plot-"Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat".

September




14th-Resident Evil"Retribution***

Plot-"Alice fights alongside a resistance movement in the continuing battle against the Umbrella Corporation and the undead".

21st-House At The End Of The Street**

Plot-"A mother and daughter move to a new town and find themselves living next door to a house where a young girl murdered her parents. When the daughter befriends the surviving son, she learns the story is far from over".

21st-Dredd*

Plot-"In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO".

28th-Looper*

Plot-"A killer who works for the mob of the future recognizes one of his targets as his future self".

October



5th-Taken 2***

Plot-" In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter".

12th-Sinister***

Plot-"Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity".





26th- Silent Hill:Revelation:3D

Plot-" Heather Mason and her father have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn't fully understand...".

November


 21st-Red Dawn**

Plot-" A group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers".

Movie of the Year 2011!!!!.

We have arrived at the end of the year, This year really flew by There was a total of  33 movies I had planned to see this year, I was able to view 23 of the 33 on my list which his about 70% not  bad ration in my option. When you see that many Films some will be bad some will be good some will be very good and some will be very bad, this post is for those that fall into the very good category. I will pick my top 5 films of the year and elaborate on each and decide which I though was the best of the best.

First I will list every movie I have seen this year that I gave an 8.0 or above to (sorted by highest rating to lowest)

A very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas- 8.0
Battle: LA- 8.1
Unknown- 8.2
Scream 4- 8.2
Immortals- 8.2
Fast Five- 8.3
Rise Of the planet of the Apes- 8.4
Super 8- 8.4
Contagion- 8.6
Hanna- 8.8


From these 10 films I will whittle it down to the top 5 regardless of the rating .

Here are the Nominees

Hanna

Contagion

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Scream 4

Super 8

Now that the five Nominees have been chosen it is time to discuss each film and give some brief thoughts on each  (I will list the films in the order I listed them above).




Hanna- Released April 8th, Starring- Saorise Ronan, Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett, Rating- 8.8/10

This film was a pleasant surprise going in I had no idea this would be my highest rated movie of  the year, The setting and the acting in this film is the reason that this film was so highly rated by me, Ronan, Bana and Blanchett all did great jobs in their roles and made the film flow together very well. If I could summarize this film I would say it is similar to the the "Jason Bourne films" but with a teenage female in the lead role, This was a great film and anyone interested in a movie with great acting and a solid plot with a good setting should check this out, Ms.Ronan has a bright future ahead and I expect great things if films of this quality continue for her, a criticism of this film would be the soundtrack it was very techno sounding and to me it got a little annoying in some parts but other than that not much to complain about.




Contagion- Released-September 9th, Starring- Laurence Fishburne, Matt Damon and Jude Law, Rating- 8.6/10

  

The plot for this movie insured that I was going to see it regardless of how it turned out, the cast also drew me in.  I was not disappointed in the slightest, The acting was top notch which I expected with this cast. The idea of this film had been done before but not exactly in this same way with a global virus pandemic which is highly possible of happening in today's world, which made the film all the more real. This was a very good film and I recommend it for anyone who wants to see how a global viral outbreak would effect the world and the steps that could be taken by the worlds leaders it is interesting to watch it unfold on the screen, There was not much wrong with this film but I will say at some points the film fills a little dry and can be a bit boring but with a film like this that is expected this is not a action film it is a drama and in that regard it did a great job.




Rise of the Planet Of The Apes, Released- August 5th, Starring-James Franc, Frieda Pinto and John Lithgow, Rating-8.4/10.

 

I saw the last "Planet of the apes" film in 2001 and to say it was a monstrosity is an understatement, I understand that it was directed by Tim Burton and he views directing in a different way than most directors but that film was just a little to different. I was not sure what to expect when I saw this film but what I did see was a great film that from the feedback I have been told from others was overlooked by most and anyone who has told me this, I do not hesitate to recommend the film to them as they are missing out on one of the best films of the year, the choice to use CG apes instead of real ones in my opinion was great choice WETA did an excellent job and should be nominated for an academy award for special effects, also Andy Serkis did an outstanding job as Cesar and should also be nominated in my opinion, this was a great film that has seemed to go under the radar, no sweat a sequel has already been planned and I cannot wait, a downside to this film for me was that I wished the apes talked as I felt it may have added more to the story but I also understood that this was the origin story and the apes had not yet developed speech yet, and let that slide and appreciated the film.




Scream 4- Released April 15th, Starring- Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox-Arquette, Rating-8.4/10

Horror films for me are graded on different scale, unless the film is not completely a horror film and in the case of the scream series I would say it fits the bill, while generally horror films the "Scream" films have certain amount of suspense and drama to them and that is why Scream 4 was rated so highly by me this year. While I do not agree with some of the deaths that occurred in the film that may hamper the chances of making a Scream 5, but that is not important to this film, in my opinion this was the best of the Scream series so far which is saying a lot especially when compared to the first two films. The big three Sidney, Dewey and Gale do great jobs and show why you do not mess with the original, The new cast did a great job in thier roles as well with special mention to Hayden Panettiere (never thought I would mention her in association with good acting) and Kiran Culkin they stood out most of the new cast, If you are a fan of the scream series and want to see some of your old favorites handle ghostface in a new era then you must see Screm 4, you wewill not be disappointed.




Super 8- Released June 8th, Starring- Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka and Kyle Chandler, Rating- 8.4/10

If you are like me when you saw the trailer for this film you probably had no idea what to expect, the trailer left a lot to the imagination which I am sure was done intentionally, further down the line another trailer was released that displayed a little more of what was going on in the film. My expectations for this film were actually pretty high and that was due to the director both previous films that I had seen that where associated with J.J. Abrams (Cloverfield, Star Trek) were both good films in my opinion, and see that Steven Spielberg attached himself to this film also increased my anticipation for this film to a new level, I was not disappointed in the slightest, the film is part coming of age film and part monster film with sci fi and a little drama mixed in as well, The child cast did a great job with special mention to Elle Fanning if she continues with great roles such as this she will be right up there with her older sister Dakota in no time, my one gripe with this film is that the monster in the film I fel was a little tacked on they could have easily not included a monster at all and the film would have been even greater, it felt as if they just included it to have something to build up to and it fell a little flat in that regard, but this is a great film that I am sure a lot of people overlooked and that is unfortunate as they missed out on a great all around film.

Those are the five nominees and a little on what I have to say about each film.

I saw a lot of great films this year, it was hard to pick the final 5 but there must be a winner and that film is.

HANNA

December 2011!!!!

The last month brings with it one last movie to end the year, "The Darkest Hour" Starring Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby and Rachel Taylor which opened on Christmas day the 25th.

Plot

In Moscow, five young people lead the charge against an alien race who have attacked Earth via our power supply.

My Thought's.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was really intrigued not by the premise of the film we have seen movies with alien invaders time and time again. What caught my eye was the fact that the invaders where invisible, that has not been done before and if it has I never saw the film that did this. Going into the film my expectations where not overly high while the aliens intrigued me, the premise of the film did not have me expecting the world. The cast was mostly unknowns except for the character of Sean played by Emile Hirsch who I have seen in a few movies and he was decent/good in all of the roles he played and Rachel Taylor who I have seen in a few films most notably the first transformers movie.the rest of the cast I have never heard of but they all did commendable jobs and played the roles well enough, I will say the Olivia Thirlby who played the character of Natalie overall wasn't horrible in her role, but she suffered from what I call "Megan Fox transformers syndrome" or MFTS for short, What I mean by this is that she kept screaming a certain character's name over and over again in situations that did not call for it, if you do not understand what I mean watch the first two transformers films especially the second one and the watch h this and you will see the similarities, it's not that its bad acting it just get's very annoying and it got to me and took away from the film and made me start to dislike her character the more the film went along. The film overall was Okay nothing special here, I will say that the aliens while a good idea of  them being invisible was something new after the first few times of experiencing them it got boring and predictable with how the character handled them in the film, especially after a solution was found with how to deal with the aliens and the idea in itself was kind of cliche. I went into the film under the impression that it  was 2D, after looking at movie showings and theaters in my area I was surprised to see that the film was only available to see in 3D, this initially put me off as I had no idea this film was being done in 3D but I finally decided to see it anyway. The 3D was decent nothing spectacular on a level of the likes of "Avatar" or "Piranha 3D" but better than "Shark Night 3D" and "Clash Of The Titans" it had some good scenes that put the 3D to good use, my only problem is that this film just does not feel like a 3D film a film about an alien invasion is not in my opinion a good set up for 3D but that is just me, Lastly the special effects where actually very good. This film was not bad by any stretch and it always depends on what you expect going in to seeing a film if your expectations are to see a decent 3D alien invasion film with a different twist to it with invisible aliens then you will not be disappointed, if you are looking for wold class acting and world class 3D then look elsewhere.

Rating

Decent invasion Movie, decent acting, Good special effects and decent 3D 7.2/10!!! worth seeing.

November 2011!!!!

The month of "Thanksgiving" brings with it two movies to view the first being "A very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" starring Kal Penn, Jon Choi and Niel Patrick Harris which opened on the 4th.

 Plot

"Six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, stoner buds Harold Lee and Kumar Patel cause a holiday fracas by inadvertently burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree".

My Thought's

This review will be short and sweet, if you have seen the two previous Harold & Kumar films you know what to expect here, Nothing new. Kal Peen and John Choi are at their hilarious, vulgar, stoner best in this third entry in the film, The cast of character this time around is just as funny as the other two films (Special mention to the baby). The 3D was used very well in this film and i would put it right along with Piranha 3D in terms of usage and execution, Overall this was a welcome addition to the franchise and I hope there is a 4th not far down the line. On a last note NPH is great in his cameo and is a staple to this franchise.

Rating

Great entry to a hilarious franchise, Definitely see if you are a fan of this franchise 8.0/10!!!!.

 The Second Movie of the month is "Immortals" Starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Roarke and John Hurt which opened on the 11th.

Plot

Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

My Thoughts

I was not sure what to make of this movie when I first viewed the trailer a few months ago, I decided to wait a little bit and not see this movie on opening day. I waited a week and read some feedback and reviews about the movie before finally deciding to see it, I have to say that this is the first movie sine "300" where the art style caught my eye visually this movie is stunning like few movies I have seen before, The whole movie had this "epic" feel to it from the landscapes to the battles everything was done on a huge scale and it really attributed to the film, The acting for the way the film was made went well with it no actor/actress stood out but the cast did a good job. I do not usually comment on this but the sound in the film was masterful it really complemented well to  the film really well and helped set the scenes for the movie, The action and choreography for this film was beautiful and not since
300" had I seen a film with battle scenes like this I applaud the production crew for there was not much about the film that I did not like, If I had to nitpick about anything the film started off slow but finished with a flurry.

Rating

Did not know what to expect but this film greatly exceeded my expectations 8.2/10!!!!.

October 2011!!!

The "Halloween" Month brings with it two more movies to view the first being "The Thing" Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen which opened on the 14th.

Plot

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of the original "The Thing" it was such a great, classic monster/horror movie and was made during a time when movies of that genre were made with a great feeling of effort and time put into the films. When I heard that a new film in the series was on the cards, I was very interested in knowing what route the film was going whether it would be a prequel or a sequel, I was hoping for a prequel (I was really interested to see how the first crew handled the monster), I was ecstatic to find that the film would indeed be a prequel and would provide the full story on the Norwegian team's findings of the alien and how they dealt with it. The cast fit together perfectly, it was a good blend of American actors and Norwegian actors I was pleasantly surprised that the actors that they chose to play members of the Norwegian team were actually from Norway, Little touches like this add to the overall feel of the film. The acting overall was very good for what the film needed them to be Mary Elizabeth Winstead did a great job in her role as the lead in this film,  the supporting cast was great also. The setting if you saw the first film is pretty much the same a base set out in the middle of Antarctica, the setting compliments the film well and wouldn't work in any other place. The realness of the first film is what really keeps it fresh in my mind, the animotronics they used in the first film while outdated by today's standard really added to the film and it really helped make the film feel real. With it being 2011 and not 1982 CG is what would be expected to be used in today's films and the use of CG was a disappointment in my opinion, The scenes that involved "The Thing" to me looked really fake with the type of CG they chose to use and this took away from the film experience, every time the alien was on the screen it had this really glossy look that just screamed of CG and made me laugh which his not what a movie like this should be doing. If you plan on seeing this film there is one more thing I would like to mention the ending for me while it helps set up the 1982 film there are a few questions that I felt the film could have explained more but neglected to. Overall this was a good film and a welcome addition to the franchise and I am glad that it was made to help answer some questions those of us who saw the original still had, I will add stay during the credits for a scene that helps set up the 1982 film.

Rating

Good Film no real complaints other than than one or two plot holes (near the end of the film) and the CG of the alien, Good film and worth seeing 7.8/10!!!.

The Last Movie of the month is "In Time" Starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy which opened on the  28th.

Plot


"In a future where people stop aging at 25, but are engineered to live only one more year, having the means to buy your way out of the situation is a shot at immortal youth. Here, Will Salas finds himself accused of murder and on the run with a hostage - a connection that becomes an important part of the way against the system".

My Thoughts

When I first heard about this movie the concept intrigued me, The premise of money no longer being valuable and the new currency being time was a fresh idea that if done the right way could make for a good film. This is not one of those times the film truthfully was not very good at all in any respect, I now see why Justin Timberlake is not offered mor leading roles, it wasn't that he was horrible in his delivery it is just the movie and the pacing of the film just didn not flow well with his acting ability. Amanda Seyfried didn't do much better she was actually in all honesty worse than Mr. Timberlake and that is saying something her acting was stilted and her expressions made me want to walk out of the theater on every occasion, The only bright spot acting wise was Cillian Murphy who payed the timekeeper who was chasing the two previously mentioned. As I mentioned earlier the concept of using time for currency was an interesting one and they blew it in this film it just got kind of comical when someone would g to buy a cup of coffee and it would cost 4 minutes it just didn't make any sense and after seeing this fil, I hope the idea is never used again. This film the more and more it went along the worse and worse it got by the time was over I was actually thinking in my head "This is the worse Movie I have seen this year" I had not had a truly bad movie experience this year until I saw this film utter Trash, I don;t ;like to slam a film like this but I cannot say anything good about it at all, Even the choice of cars were in bad taste (Mostly 50's and 60's style cars where used). Overall bad movie I would not reccomoned anyone to see this unless they had time to kill and just really wanted to see a film otherwise spend your money elswhere.

Rating

Everything about this film was under par and I give caution to anyone who wants to see this 5.8/10!!! worst movie I have seen this year.

September 2011

The ninth Month of the year brings with it Three more movies for viewing the first being "Shark Night 3D" Starring Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligann and Chris Carmack which opened on the 2nd.

  

Plot


"A sexy summer weekend turns into a blood-soaked nightmare for a group of college students trapped on an island surrounded by voracious underwater predators in Shark Night 3D, a terrifying thrill ride from director David Ellis (The Final Destination, Snakes On a Plane). Arriving by boat at her family’s Louisiana lake island cabin, Sara (Sara Paxton) and her friends quickly strip down to their swimsuits for a weekend of fun in the sun.

But when star football player Malik (Sinqua Walls) stumbles from the salt-water lake with his arm torn off, the party mood quickly evaporates. Assuming the injury was caused by a freak wake-boarding accident, the group realizes they have to get Malik to a hospital on the other side of the lake, and fast. But as they set out in a tiny speedboat, the college friends discover the lake has been stocked with hundreds of massive, flesh-eating sharks! As they face one grisly death after another, Sara and the others struggle desperately to fend off the sharks, get help and stay alive long enough to reach the safety of dry land".

My Thoughts

I did not know much about this movie other than what the title gives away, Which all it really tells is that it is a movie that happens during the night that will involve sharks, After seeing the trailer for the first time I had had a better idea of what to expect when I went to see this on opening day. Let me say before I go any further that my expectations for this movie where not very high so I knew what to expect going in., I was right to have my expectations very low anyone expecting a good to great movie look elsewhere, if you are even looking for an enjoyable but not good movie this is not in that category either, The cast comprised mostly of of no names (other than Sara Paxton, Katharine Mcphee and to a lesser extent Dustin Milligan) either had to work with a very poor script or the material they are given to work with they cant convey properly no actor stands out here and all the performances are forgettable. The pacing of this movie from the start was  bad, but what really got me was at certain points in the film it does this speed up sequence where everything going on is in double speed to make time go faster which got annoying after a while and turned me off from the get go. One thing about the cast that irked me eve more was the fact out of the whole group of main characters in the movie they manged to put the two "Minorities" in a relationship which to me was the cliche way to go and I did not like one bit they even include the expected "racist" comment towards a member of the couple . This movie was touted as a "3D" film (hence the word being used in the title) and when i compared the 3D in this film to another movie in this genre from last year "Piranha 3D" it pales in comparison,  there are certain moments for example when water splashes up at you or when they are swimming and the water rushes towards that you notice it, but overall the 3D in this film was bad and felt to me as it was tacked on and was an afterthought. I am not a huge 3D fan but if the film is made in 3D i usually will give it a chance. The best 3D film I have seen was Avatar (I am sure most would agree). Overall I did not expect much and did not get much in return and I am not hesitant to say this movie is a waste of Money and if you want to waste 90 minutes of your life spend it elsewhere.

Rating

Didn't expect much and that is what I got, Bad Acting, Bad 3D,, Bad Cliches and to top it off sped up effect  made no sense to be in this film. 6.1/10!!! Watch at your own peril.



Next on the list we have "Contagion" Starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow which opened on the 9th.

Plot

An action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.

My Thoughts

I knew nothing about this movie until I saw the trailer for this film last year. The idea of the film was a good one, on one hand it is similar to a zombie film (apocalyptic circumstances), But in another it is different (The circumstances of the situation. After I first viewed the trailer I was very interested in learning more about the film, Once i heard about some of the cast which featured such names as Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow (Not a fan), Jude Law, Sanaa Lathan and Also Matt Damon (Not a big fan of him, that sealed the deal for me on whether I would see this on on opening day which I did. The pacing of this film flowed together very well, the setting's set around various cities around the world all had a part to part in the story coming together and being told to the audience. When doing a movie of this stature character development is crucial, and t his movie did a very good job introducing the viewer to the important and even the minor character and explaining there roles very well which made you feel for character who may have not survived the entire ordeal. The acting was top notch which would be expected with a cast of this magnitude all of the main big names did very good jobs in the roles they are given (Even Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow) special mention to Kate Winslet and Jude Law for their performances in this film. I want to also mention that watching this film really made me feel that I was actually experiencing this with the actors and gave me a real sense of if something like this where to actually happen how people from all different backgrounds, and countries would handle it, this film really takes you into places most movies that deal with global disasters do not, I really felt that this movie was made to show how both sides handle conflict one side you have the Governments trying to fend off the infection and keep the people safe by limiting what knowledge they know of the outbreak. And on the other side you have the civilians those caught up in the disaster and are totally unaware of what is going on around them and are just trying to survive, some will do more than others but in the end they aIll want the same thing. This overall was a great film and one of the best I have seen this year so far, Great Acting, Great Story, Great setting and pace definitely worth seeing.

Rating

One of the best of the year so far 8.6/10!!!!.

The Last Movie of the month is "Dream House"  starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts which opened on the 30th.

Plot

Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.

The last movie off the month is "Dream House" starring Danie l Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts which opened on the 30th.

 Plot

Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.

My Thoughts

This movie was not on my radar at all, I only found out about this movie by going to a website and looking at their upcoming movie schedule, Once I read up on the plot I was interested and when I saw the main cast (Craig, Weisz and Watts) that sealed the deal for me. Let me say that I had very high expectations for this movie given the cast and the idea of the film. Once I saw a trailer for this film my expectations piqued even higher. Seeing this film on opening day was a must, The setting of this film was perfect for what the movie, The dark snowy suburb went nicely with the pacing of this film and led to the suspense well, The acting by the main cast was excellent which is expected with names such as Craig, Watts and Weisz (I must add Elias Koteas in his supporting yet limited role was also very good). But that is where my praise ends, the movie let me down in several areas. First the movie felt short (it was 98 minutes which for me is short)  that is not a huge concern on my part, my biggest fault with this film was the plot as a whole, the potential for this film was so great and I felt that they shortchanged not only the audience but also the amazing acting talent they had at their disposal if you see this movie and watch the story play out by the time you see the end you just don't care anymore. While the actors did great jobs in their roles it just didn't flow together well for me, maybe it was the way the script was written but I am not so sure that is why, maybe it was the way director wanted the lines to delivered by the actors again I am not so sure that is why, my last gripe with this film was the story overall, I expected it to be told in a complete different way than it was actually shown to the audience, after the movie was over I felt like I mentioned earlier shortchanged and felt as though what I just experienced was much less than what this movie could have been, On the other hand maybe my expectations where to high, If you look at the actors associated with this film and the story before seeing the film you would expect a great things, what I felt I saw was much less than that and disappointment was my final emotion.

Rating

Great Cast, Great Potential Story and Great setting for the film, Yet it didn't come together and all that potential went to waste, This is not a horrible movie but maybe if my expectations where not so high maybe I would have not been so disappointed, still worth seeing 7.2/10!!.

August 2011

The Hottest Month of the year brings with it 3 new movies to take a look at the first being "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" starring James Franco, Andy Serkis and Frieda Pinto which opened on the 5th.

 

Plot Summary

An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy."

My Thoughts

The taste of the abomination that was 2001's "Planet Of The Apes" directed by Tim Burton still lingering with me, had my expectations for this film not very high. When I first saw the trailer I was not sure what to make of it, The trailer left much to be determined other than the fact that a drug was created that apparently made the apes smarter thus leading to them wanting to take over. The more I read about this film, the more I was intrigued by the reboot once I found out it had nothing to do with that capitalistic movie that Tim Burton made. Before I delve into the overall movie I must say that the cg was top notch some of the best I have ever seen in a movie WETA Digital (Lord of the rings films, X-Men Films special effects) Should be applauded for the work they did to bring the apes to life, the movement and facial expressions they were able to convey on the apes faces was brilliant. I also want to mention that it was very good of the studio to use all CG apes and not any real life or actors in Costumes (again Tim Burton's piece of trash) was a really good idea. Now onto the movie itself one world to describe it AWESOME!!!!, the voice acting of Andy Serkis (Gollum, Smeagle) was great and he should be applauded. James Franco did a very good job in his role as the scientist who started out just wanting to make a cure for his ailing father (John Lithgow) and like so many others his invention is used not for its intended purpose, Frieda Pinto was good in her supporting role as his girlfriend. Overall the way the movie focused on the ape side of things really made you feel for the apes instead of focusing on the humans and just having the apes become savages that just want to take over. The ape side angle really made it feel when the apes defended themselves you did not feel bad..This was a great movie and I must add a little unexpected from the standpoint of previous reboots definitely worth seeing.

Rating

Great movie the emotion, the pacing and the overall feel of the movie is of top notch pleasant surprise 8.4/10!!!

The next Movie of the month is "Final Destination 5" Starring Nicholas D'Agostino, Emma Bell and Arlen Escarpeta which opened on the 12th.

Plot Summary

In this fifth installment, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.
My Thoughts

If you have seen any of the previous films in this franchise, then expect nothing new here. The basic plot for every Destination films is there is a group of people gathered together in a certain place at a given time, One of the persons in the group has a premonition or vision that some thing bad will occur causing mas deaths of many in the area. This movie follows the same formula this time a bridge collapsing is location of the disaster this time around. The cast comprised mostly of unknowns does a decent job for what they need to do, but do not expect any Oscar nomination worthy acting here but I doubt anyone seeing this movie would expect that. Creativity in the deaths is one aspect of these films that stay fresh (unlike the plot) and is one aspect I look forward to seeing. After 5 films you would think they would run out of ways to kill characters creatively but that is not a problem at all. This movie was shot in 3D and while do support 3D in certain applications (ex. Avatar) for the most part I skip movies made in 3D, I read that the 3D in this film was actually pretty good. The Opening credit scene (which lasted all of 5 minutes) was completely in 3D which I guess if you saw the 3D version would be pretty cool to look at for me it was a waste of time. Overall I put Final Destination 5 in the category of "You Know What To Expect" and if you look at it from that point of view it will not be a bad movie, This is a decent movie for what it is a death filled romp that will fill 98 minutes of your life with something to see.

Rating

Decent Movie if you take it for what it is 7.0/10!!!.

The Last Movie of the Month is "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" Starring Katie Holmes, Guy Pierce and Bailee Madison which opened on the 26th.

Plot

the story follows Sally (Madison), a young girl who moves to Rhode Island to live with her father (Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Holmes) in the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the house, Sally starts to hear voices coming from creatures in the basement whose hidden agenda is to claim her as one of their own.

My Thoughts

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was intrigued but had no idea what the movie was about other than it looked like a movie that involved family living in a house that was inhabited by little monsters. I decided to do some research into the background of the film and found out that it is a remake of a film of the same name made in 1974. After finding out what I needed to know about the background and history of the original and the remake, I was prepared and had a good idea of what to expect when I saw this film on opening day. The Film as a very dark and surreal feel to it which complements the setting of the movie very well. The pace of the film also fits well with the way the story is told, I must mention the cinematography of this film was also very good there is one scene when the daughter wanders into the backyard of the house  it is a beautiful scene with everything that is going on all at the same time. The acting was also very good, Before I continue i want to give a special to mention to Bailee Madison she did a great job as the lonely daughter who felt isolated, and alone from the world, who eventually becomes the main target for the house inhabitants, will have to keep an eye on her to see what she does in the future based off this role she looks promising. Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce do great jobs as the parental figures in this film, I will say that Katie Holmes character ads much more to the film the Pearce's especially the bond she creates with Madison's character . The CGI in this film was decent for the budget provided for a film of this stature (On a side note if you have seen the movie "The Gate" then the monsters will not shock you with their appearance). Overall this was a good film that had very good acting, a great setting for what the movie was about, Decent CGI and a decent story (though not believable) to hold it all together.

Rating

This movie actually surprised me a little, I say this because after reading the synopsis of the 1974 version I had low expectations but I am glad that glad that I saw this Solid Film 7.6/10!!.