Movie Reviews

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

April 2012!!!!

The Month of April brings with it 4 new films the first being "American Reunion" Starring Jason Biggs, Sean Wiliiam-Scott and Eugine Levy the film opened on the 6th.

Plot

"The class of '99 returns for their high school reunion".

My Thoughts

I will not say much here when it comes to comedies you know what to expect, If you have seen the first two films in the series (wast a huge fan of American reunion) you know what you will see. I will say that when I heard that this film was coming I decided then and there that I would see this I was a huge fan of the first two films and this was a great entry in there series,And I am hoping there is a fifth Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 43% saying "It'll provide sweetly nostalgic comfort food for fans of the franchise, but American Reunion fails to do anything truly new or interesting -- or even very funny -- with the characters". I disagree with what they are saying here, it all depends on what you expect if you are used to the American pie series you know what to expect and will be pleasantly enjoyed by this film, What I think they are looking for is a different type of film and if that is what they are looking for then it is right that they were disappointed.I thoroughly enjoyed the film for what it was a funny,rude,sometimes crass film exactly like the original and the second film in the series

Rating

Was great to see the old gang back together a great entry into the cult classic comedy series 7.7/10!!!

The next movie for the month was "The Cabin In The Woods" Starring Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchinson and Kristen Connolly the film opened on the 13th.

Plot

"Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods".

My Thoughts

I did not know much about this movie when I first heard about it ,after viewing the trailer I felt I knew even less about the film, I decided to do some digging into information for this film and found that the film on paper sounded like it could be complicated, but the film did intrigue me very much. I will say that if you think this film is the run of the mill " friends go to cabin and killer comes out and does his business" you saree wrong, this film goes much deeper than that and it unravels itself very slowly and you must pay attention to keep pace with what is going on, I do not want to give away much but there is an element of "evil corporation trying to keep peace" element in this film, it works very well with what the film is trying to do. The casting choices I felt where very good choices and everyone who was cast did an excellent job (I want to give special mention to Kristen Connolly who played Dana, not for her acting but she was very cute in the film and I enjoyed all of her scenes). Chris Hemsworth (Thor) was better in this than he was in "Thor" (though this film was made in 2009 and not released until 2012 which would mean he actually got worse after making Thor), the one other cast member I will mention is Fran Kranz who played the character of Marty, he was great comic relief and brought a sense of "Level-headiness" to the group of friends, The setting for this film was perfect fore how the film played out a dark Forrest surrounding the cabin was the perfect setting and really brought the film together. The special effects in this film for its budget where very good and without giving away to much to the plot I will say there are some crazy things in the woods and the cabin.Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an outstanding 91% saying "The Cabin in the Woods is an astonishing meta-feat, capable of being funny, strange, and scary -- frequently all at the same time".

Rating

This was a very good film, and honestly I could find nothing wrong with it other than its running time I felt wasn't that long (95 minutes) but for this film it seemed the perfect length 8.6/10!!! best movie I have seen this year so far!!!.

The third movie for the month of April is "Lockout" Starring Guy Pearce. Maggie Grace and Vincent Regan, the film opened on the 13th.

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".

My Thoughts

I will not say much about this movie, other than that I did not have much expectations going in and after seeing this film it is good that my expectations were not to high, this film fro the get go just had an odd feeling to it. whether it was the acting (I will say Guy Pearce did an okay job, nobody else in the cast needs to be mentioned) the movie from my perspective was filmed with a CGI city background which made the film feel fake to me, to top the film of some of the actors in the film were British and had very heavy accents and most of the time when they spoke it was hard to understand which took away from the experience.Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 35% saying "Guy Pearce does the best he can with what he's given, but Lockout is ultimately too derivative and shallow to build on the many sci-fi thrillers it borrows from". overall this was a very underwhelming film and the only bright spot i can honestly say was Guy Pearce and his role of the character snow other than that this film is unforgettable.

Rating

Forgettable film, not many bright spots, if you have time to waste this film will definitely waste it 6.2/10!!!.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

March 2012!!!!

The third month of the year brings with it 3 more movies to view, the first being "John Carter" Starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and Samantha Morton, the film opened on the 9th

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".

My Thoughts

Let me start by saying that I have not read any of the books that this film was based on, having no idea of the back story for this film I did some research on the books but I found them to be very uninteresting and decided to just look up info online, after finding out what I felt was needed to have a grasp of what the basis of the film would be I was ready to view this the day after it came out, I want to add that the trailer to me gave the film a kind of "Avatar" feel and by that what I mean is, if you have seen Avatar you will recognize the connections (Human lands on alien planet conflict ensues with the natives). Onto the film I will start by saying that it had a slow pace in the beginning and can lose some viewers here, this aides in the set up and the character development of John Carter who was played by Taylor Kitsch, I have seen him in two other roles (The Covenant and X-Men Origins:Wolverine) he was okay in both but didn't play a major role as he does as the title character in this film, he does a solid job in this film and plays the role of a man living in the 1880's who gets transported to Mars (or Barsoom as the natives call it) very well, Lynn Collins plays Princess Dejah Thoris (her role is the "Save the planet" type) This is my first time seeing her act and she played her role well for what was asked of her (I just have to add why does it seem every film has to have a love interest) the rest of the human cast does a solid job in thier roles. The real stars of this film are the Special effects and the Tharks (one of the two natives species on Mars) the amount o detail that is used in creating this tribe was outstanding (almost Avatar level in my opinion), the way they allowed the viewer inside of the tribe and the way they lived really made you feel for them for being oppressed by the other race on Mars (similar to humans except they had a red tinge to their skin who where also waring with each other). I want to add that to me just be me but I felt a hint of not racism but stereotyping, the three groups waring wit h each other (Tharks, Native Mars Blue and Native Mars red) just felt a little offensive to me especially with the non tharks having red skin again maybe it is just me.Rotten Tomatoes has the film currently ranked at 51% saying "While John Carter looks terrific and delivers its share of pulpy thrills, it also suffers from uneven pacing and occasionally incomprehensible plotting and characterization". The key word I agree in with what they are saying is pacing, Like I mentioned before the film starts off terribly slow and can lose a lot of people there out of sheer boredom it does eventually pick up though, also the film for me ran a bit longer than it needed to it clocks in at 1 hour and 58 minutes and honestly it should have been about 20 minutes shorter, the ending also left some to be desired it wasn't terrible but not great either, it does leave the door open for a sequel (judging by the amount of books there will be plenty of them) I want to add that I saw this film in 3D and it was horrible you don't even notice it is a 3D film other than without the glasses the film is blurry there are barely any 3D effects at all. Overall this is a beautiful film, but a flawed film.

Rating

This film has Avatar Level special effects but Clash of the titans Level 3D and acting not a good mix 7.0/10!!!! Decent Movie nothing special.

The Second movie for the month of march is "The Hunger Games" starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Wes Bentley the movie opened on the 23rd.

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".

My Thoughts

Let me start by saying that I have never read the books in this series and up until I saw the trailer for this film and did some research on the series as a whole, I had no idea what "The Hunger Games" where. After reading up on the back story and the looks in the series my interest peaked and when the first film was announced I decided then and there that I would see the film series even though I have no intention of reading the books (I will add that I read the synopsis of all three books so I have an idea of what will happen in each film). The story for these films goes as follows in the future there are no longer states in place we have 12 districts each vary in some way from each other, every year one female and one male ages 12 to 18 are chosen to do battle with the other males and females from the other districts in what are called "The Hunger Games" in a fight to the death winner take all televised battle royal. I want to add that when I first heard of this premise the idea seemed kind of cool and something I had not seen or read about before that initially intrigued me very much,whenever a book series is turned into a film faithfulness to the source material is always a must and after viewing this film it seemed they stayed fairly close and followed the path except of a few missteps that I myself had not noticed but those who read the books seemed to take offense with (Rue and Cinna being black and Prim being very pale skinned has seemed to cause controversy with those who have read the book Lenny Kravitz criticized in racist tweets, Amandla Stenberg responds to racist Twitter attacks). I thought all three did fine jobs in their roles and applaud them for their work in this film; Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss Everdeen, Prue's older sister who volunteers herself in Prue's place when she is chosen to compete in the games in her first ear of eligibility, Lawrence does a good job of playing the older sister who is just trying to protect her little sister from having her life cut so very short even if it means she herself may loose hers in the process. Lawrence Overall was very solid in I look forward to seeing her take Katniss further in the next films in the series. The rest of the cast does well in their roles and play the characters to a level I am sure those who read the books would be happy with, I will add though I felt Josh Hutcherson's character peeta while played very well by him it was kind of funny to see that Lawrence was taller than him, it makes him seem a little less of a protector and more of the protected (you will see what I mean if you have seen or are going to see the film), I want to add one more tidbit abut the cast by giving honorable mention to two actors first Woody Harrelson for his portrayal as Haymitch Abernathy a former Hunger games winner who is no a drunk and former shadow of his former self who gives Katniss vital information along the way, and another mention to Isabelle Fuhrman for her portrayal as the bloodthirsty Clove she did a wonderful hob portraying clove as a ruthless killer. The scope of the film defiantly made you think of a different world especially once the movie shifted from the coal miner district 12 (Katniss,Peeta,Prue's district) to the main city where the games would take place the people there dressed very flamboyantly and had a wide range of outfits that by today's standards would be seen as very "out there" it does however pull you in and show just how much of a caste system that world is living in. The movie had a very real feel to it what I mean by that is the special effects are seemingly kept to minimum in favor of live action stunts, which for this film works perfectly. On the negative side which maybe minor in some peoples mind I felt the movie started off kind of slow and took about a good 45-50 minutes to really get going (The movie runs 142 minutes) which I am sure was done to give the audience a chance to get to know the characters and make a connection with them to feel what they are going through, and in this regard it works but I have a feeling it may lose some moviegoers who want to see action right from the start one last part of the film that I felt was not needed was the love story between Peeta and Katniss, I understand it is essential to the series as a whole but to me it just felt tacked on (Just like Natalie Portmans role in Thor) but I know this has to happen and taking this storyline out of the film would be doing a huge injustice to the books which you simply cant do and get away without any backlash from the book readers..Rotten Tomatoes currently has the movie at 85% saying "Thrilling and superbly acted, The Hunger Games captures the dramatic violence, raw emotion, and ambitious scope of its source novel". Overall this is a very good film for the entry in what is sure to be a very financially successful movie franchise, a few annoyances but otherwise a really good movie.

Rating

Very good entry into the series excited to see what "Catching Fire" brings next year 7.6/10!!!!

The Third and last movie for the month of March is "Wrath Of The Titans" Starring Sam Worthington, Liam Nesson and Ralph Fiennes the film opened on the 30th.

Plot

"Perseus braves the treacherous underworld to rescue his father, Zeus, captured by his son, Ares, and brother Hades who unleash the ancient Titans upon the world".

My Thoughts

I was really excited for "Clash Of Th Titans" it was one of my most anticipated films of the year for 2010, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement, from the acting, to the setting to the horrible almost nonexistent 3D, the film was overall bad and it was one of those films you erase from your mind and forget you ever saw it. When news of a sequel was released on the net, I was somewhat interested providing they learned from the mistakes that plagued the first film, while doing my research for the film and contemplating whether or not to see it, the first detail I looked for was the cast, I wanted to see if for the most part they would keep the same cast, I dislike when sequels in films change up the cast especially when it is a character who did not die or leave during the first film and is only replaced due to financial or casting changes. All of the main cast (Neeson,Worthington,Fiennes) was coming back but I did notice that the role of Andromeda (played by Alexa Davalos in Clash) was going to be replaced by Rosamund Pike, while her role was minor in the first film from what I read her role would be much bigger in this film, I could not understand why they changed her role it boggled me. After mulling it over for a while I decided I would see the film when it came out. First let me start with the acting which honestly was not much better than the first film, Worthing, Neeson and Fiennes do solid jobs in their roles and I shudder to think what the film would have been like if one or more of the three had been replaced by someone else. The best performance in t his film would have to go to Bill Nighy for his role Hephaestus the "forgotten one" he really stands out in this film. The special effects were very good which was to be expected wit ha film running on a budget of $150 million Kronos scene was epic albeit short and one more thing I want to add the ending if this film is similar to the last film, what I mean by that is the film gets to a point where you feel all is lost then Perseus much like in the first film rides in on a horse and saves the day, not very original, but nonetheless films with budgets as big or close to have had miserable effects and made you think to yourself"Am I watching a sy-fi channel movie?". Again they made this movie 3D and again I ask why, it was just as bad as the 3D in the first film which is the worst compliment you can give any 3D film, there are barely any scenes that even show 3D effects and the only reason that I kept my glasses on was cause of the blur that film has without 3D glasses Rotten Tomatoes has this film at 25% saying "Its 3D effects are an improvement over its predecessor's, but in nearly every other respect, Wrath of the Titans fails to improve upon the stilted acting, wooden dialogue, and chaos-driven plot of the franchise's first installment". Overall this film did not improve much over the last film which was very disappointing to me it shows lack of effort, I was really expecting better acting and a better script but got neither all I feel that was improved was the special effects which is not really an improvement, here is hoping the third film in the entry will finally step it up.

Rating

Slightly better special effects, still bad 3D, same level of acting for the most part overall disappointing 6.9/10!!!!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Trailers 2012!!!!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

February 2012!!!!

The second month of the year brings with it two films to view the first being "Chronicle" Starring Dane Dehaan, Alex Russell and Micheal B. Jordan the film opened on the 3rd.

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".

My Thoughts

When I first laid eyes on the trailer for this film, I was not sure what to make of it. at first glance it looked like some low budget film that Would not think twice about not seeing and never think of it again, as the trailer continued on I realized the movie had to deal with three guys getting extra ordinary abilities, while that was nothing new what intrigues me more about this film was not the trailer, it was the researching I did on the film once I got home and found that while this film offered nothing new in the type of film it was going to be, What I liked about it was the fact that it was going the route of dealing with the trials and tribulations that would effect the everyday teen/young adult when receiving powers, it was something I had not seen in a movie before in terms of the and was really interested in seeing it done on the big screen. Now that I had an idea on the film and made my decision to see the film on opening weekend. The Film decides to go with the "Cloverfield" Style of camera work for those who did not see the film "Cloverfield" what this means is that the whole movie is shot from the point of view of a video camera, this can be a tricky situation because if done wrong the movie can lose the audience fairly quick, this film followed in the steps of cloverfield and did a wonderful job, this point of view really works well with the flow and pacing of the film and really leads to some intimates moments with the characters. The acting in this film was surprising to me very believable for what the movie was trying to accomplish which is high school life in that regard it does very well, three main cast all did remarkable jobs with special mention to Micheal B. Jordan (Steve) he was my favorite character out of the three and I look forward to seeing where his career goes after this role. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chronicle/ has this film at 84% and adding " It arrives during a glut of found-footage films, but Chronicle transcends its gimmicks with a smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from its young, talented cast". This film was heavy laden with special effects and with a budget of only 15 million which is independent film budgetary wise, surprisingly for the most part the special effect where very good there was a particular scene where all three of the guys are flying through the air above the clouds and I must say it was excellently done and made me envy them and wish I could fly, there are only a few instances where you will notice that the effects being used is computer generated. Overall this was a very good film and exceeded my expectations the only knock I can find wit this film are its length (83 minuted) and the fact that an age old cliche was once again brought to life and I hope if there is a sequel that this cliched is allowed to be knocked to the way side.

Rating

Good young cast, Good special effects for the budget, Good choice of camera work 7.7/10!!!

The third movie of the month is "Safe House" Starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds and Vera Farmiga the film opened also on the 10th

Plot

"A young CIA (Reynolds) agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive (Washington) in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge".

My Thoughts

Let me start by staying I am a huge Denzel Washington fan and in my opinion he is one of the best actors of all time and I have rarely seen him in a bad role and as such my expectations for this film where very high, I also want to add I am not a fan of Ryan Reynolds at all he ruined Blade:Trinity for me with his horrible attempts at jokes which in my opinion fell flat. now that I got that out of the way time to talk about the film first off http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/safe_house_2012/ has the film rated at 53% saying "Though Safe House is anchored by strong performances from Washington and Reynolds, they're let down by a thin script and choppily edited action sequences that betray the film's unfortunate lack of imagination"this is the first time in my reviews that I disagree with rotten tomatoes, for me this was a very good film that surprised me in some aspects, what surprised my was not the film but that Ryan Reynolds was decent in this role not great but he did a very good job, Denzel Washington in this film was as usual a standout in his role as Tobin Frost the fugitive on the run from the C.I.A. it is a shame if this role had been given to any other actor Mr.Reynolds would have been the star but fortunately for me it was Mr.Washington. The feel of this movie and pacing was suited to what I like for a film of this nature there is a bit of the shaky cam effect which is find given the quick pace of the film in general. I also want to add if you are are a fan of Gun fights and chasing via foot or car this is a film for you. The supporting cast around Reynolds and Denzel all do a great job in their roles as well with special mention to Vera Farmiga in her role as the director of the C.I.A.. The length of the film was an 1 hour and 54 minutes which is a good length and made the film feel very developed and not rushed to end, On a negative note I will mention that the ending while not bad has a character meet their end and I felt it took away from the film, Lastly I want to add that having the movie set in S.Africa was a great idea I find for movies in this drama it always makes the movie feel better when it is filmed in Europe or Africa Or Asia as long as it is not in N.America, S.Africa was the perfect setting and added to the movie as a whole, Overall this was a very good film that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend highly.

Rating

Great Setting, Denzel at his best as usual, Ryan Reynolds Decent for once, Good supporting acting as well 8.1/10!!!!.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

January 2012!!!!

The first month of 2012 brings with it 2 movies to ring in the new year, The first being"Underworld::awakening"

The first film for the month of January is Underworld:Awakening Starring Kate Beckinsale, Micheal Ealy and India Eisley the film opened on the 20th.

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".

My Thoughts

I am a big fan of the Underworld films (except for Rise of the lycans) and was eagerly awaiting to see this film when it was announced, regardless of the plot I was going to see this film but just to have an idea of what the film would be about and not going in blindly I read up on the plot and was intrigued on the direction they decided to go with this film. Rotten Tomatoes currently has the film rated at % 30 saying "There's more vapid action and less story in Underworld Awakening than previous installments, making the whole affair feel inconsequential". The film followed the usually dark and dreary setting of the other films in the series. Before I continue I will say I was disappointed by the fact that Scott Speedman (Micheal) was not in this film for a large role, he had become one of my favorite character over the first two films but there is always the chance he comes back in the fifth installment. The acting was solid for what the movie needed them to do, i will make special note that India Eisley (Ashley for for those who watch Secret Life of the American Teenager) did a good job in her theatrical debut and I look forward to seeing more of her on the silver screen. I will say the one knock I had going into this film regardless of anything else was the fact that the film was only 88 minutes, me personally I find it hard to say a movie was good when it is short, a good film length for me is around 100 minutes anything less and I feel short changed anything more is a plus, this was odd for me when the film was over it actually felt longer than 88 minutes which was good and presently surprised me as well. The special effects where hit or miss for me while they where great for the fighting sequences the CG wolves looked a little to fake for my tastes and I wished they had used the effects for the first three films in this regard as the wolves looked much more natural. lastly in a decision I still question,especially after seeing this is making this a 3D film I feel that this film could only be worse with 3D being used and after watching it I stand by my assumption, you rarely even notice the 3D except fora few scenes other than that you could watch the film without the glasses and not notice the difference, I feel that they only added 3D just to make a little more money towards the gross which plenty of Movie studios are doing more and more these days. Overall this was a good film and a welcome addition to one of my favorite franchises if you are a fan of the previous underworld films you will not be disappointed here.

My Thoughts

Good film welcome addition to the underworld franchise 7.3/10!!!

The second and final movie of the month is "The Grey" Staring Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney and Frank Grillo the film opened on the 27th.

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".

My Thoughts

Before I go into my review I must say that Liam Neeson is a great actor and he deserves an Oscar nomination or some form of recognition for his role in this film. Now that I got that out of the way onto the film itself, I had not heard much about this film but when I feasted my eyes on the trailer It intrigued me very much this film had very realistic approach to it and that is what caught my eye, you do not see many films like this anymore and I took the chance to see this as soon as possible, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_grey_2012/ is currently at 78% on rotten tomatoes with this being said "The Grey is an exciting tale of survival, populated with fleshed-out characters and a surprising philosophical agenda". The setting of this film fits perfectly for what this movie is about it really feels like Man Vs Wild and how when stripped of everything that we have in civilization we revert to our primal selves an do what is needed to survive. The supporting cast in this film was also very good, what I really liked about this film was that they actually allowed you to get in touch with the characters and you felt as if you had an idea of who they where not just some guy trying to survive in the wilderness.The wolf aspect of this film was a part that I am very happy they put in here without this aspect I felt the movie would not have worked as well as it did, this aspect of the film was done so well that you actually felt as if you got inside the mind of a wolf and learned that they are more than a wild animal and in their own sort of way protect their family. In a movie like this you would think every scene would be very tense and have no comedic spots at all that is not the case there where a couple of spots that made you chuckle to yourself and lightens the mood in a otherwise intense film. Overall this was so far the best movie I have seen this year and I cannot really complain about much if at all the length of the film was perfect as well, if i had to nitpick the ending for me left a lot to be desired and may turn others off, I will add stay after the credits for a bonus scene.

My Thoughts

Great Movie, not many moves of this type coming out anymore, Great Acting, Great Setting, Liam Neeson needs to be nominated for something pertaining to this film 8.4/10!!!.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

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

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

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.