rocknroll1985 Reviews

Skyline (2010)

Rental worthy

[4/10 · 13 November 2010]

Having seen this movie in the theater, I would say it's rental worthy and could have passed on this until it was released at blockbuster. Sure the premise was intriguing, the trailers somewhat awe inspiring, and the notion that the Strause brothers were going to take the next step after their work on AVP Requiem. This is not the case. The movie, as I said before, had an intriguing premise(coupled with seeing a mondo sized promo poster for it plastered on the side of a building in downtown San Diego while I attended this year's Comicon). People are not taken physically by the aliens, but in an imaginative, and visually dazzling way: they "look into the light" and are whisked away to the motherships. That's where the intrigue ran out. What follows is a slightly hum drum attempt to make the film intense. Sure the Strause brothers used VFX in ways all the other directors would look down upon,(slow mo sequences, Aeriel assault sequences,etc.) which makes those VFX scenes the only engaging parts of the rest of the movie. As more time passes watching the film, I couldn't help but laugh when I noticed the similarities to the 1950's sci-fi movies which were vehicles for the red scare (IE: the aliens want your brains=the Soviets want to control your thoughts). And, of course, this film followed the cliché of all alien films with gory and invasive ways people die and become brain food for the aliens. This method way already used up in the first movie it was used in. No originality there. The ending is somewhat different. Not totally original mind you, but innovative for this caliber of film. Sadly, this didn't save the film. The one benefit to seeing the film in the theater is getting to feel the scope of the alien presence and the magnitude of their methods. Either way, this film would make a good weekend popcorn flick to watch when you really don't care what you are watching. If you do feel the need to see it in theaters, go to a matinée, not a late show. Otherwise, wait for block buster and save your money.

Push (2009)

This deserves more credit ....

[7/10 · 11 February 2009]

I had been waiting for this movie since I saw the first teaser. I am a big Chris Evans fan and a bigger Camille Belle fan(Marry me?) This movie brought the superhero genre back from the mainstream shallowness and half-heartedness that had plagued it since Heros premiered. Granted this was not the caliber of X2 or Iron Man, but it had a feel all it's own. The powers of the characters were subtle making this movie more about the characters than their powers. Dakota Fanning's performance was new and believable as she has always played the starry eyed little girl in previous films and we new she had to grow up eventually. Houson's role as the bad guy was fitting, his accented voice led to his villainy. Chris Evans always fits well as the young man who just wants to live his life but always must face his troubles. And Camille Belle(hot) played the extorted woman who finds her own strength at the right time.

Because the powers were toned down and shown in a more average day type of way, this made the plot drivable as their powers didn't risk Armageddon, they merely attributed to a turning point in each of their lives. In a real world drama or mystery, one could just replace the powers with unique talents and this would play similarly if not just the same.

This is a movie for the hardcore genre fans, but also the mystery and sci-fi crowd could like it as well. Don't watch it thinking it will be another batman or X-men, this movie is more for the audience that wants more, but won't take cheap imitations(TV's "heros").

The Ultimate Fighter (2005– )

Good show

[8/10 · 20 October 2008]

I'm no big fan of the UFC(Ultimate fighting championship), and I only heard about the UFC when it became Spike TV's only truly original money train. I gotta admit, I only started watching TUF on season 7 when they started having their contestants actually fight for a place on the show, and I saw an add for a local gym using one of the contestants(who actually made it to the final bout). I did get hooked, because this reality show didn't have the audience choose a weekly loser or have the other contestant vote him off, they had to duke it out to prove they still belonged in the house. Some who did lose on the show still impressed someone because I see them in opening bouts for other UFC events, so I guess some prove their mettle in somewhat less publicized ways than the big names and over all winner(s) of the show. Of course I watch the show of the fights outside the octagon and inside the house. Do you really think these fighters can leave their competitiveness in the gym? Some guys have to stay macho 24/7, and those that try the hardest usually lose the worst in the octagon, and those that just think of it as a sport and respect it as such, get a whole lot farther. As with any sport(and reality show that feeds on it) you get the guys who are always out to prove something and the guys that need help more than to prove themselves. But hey, it still makes for good TV, right? I still root for the fighters from my home town, the scapegoats, the losing team, or the guy who gets on to the show by default. They all have a chance, but as stated in comments before: the committed, trainable, and trained always win.

The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

a prominent Sci-fi influence

[16 October 2008]

I was born way after this show aired and canceled, but what can I say, I'm a retro junkie. I give props to the forerunners of the modern craft, they showed us how it should be done, or what not to do. The original Twilight zone is one of my favorite Sci-Fi shows. The latest spin-off had promise but didn't deliver. Every time Sci-Fi channel has a marathon, I have to watch. This show was more than aliens abducting humans or astronauts crashing on an unknown planet(there were those episodes) it was a study of the mind, a study of the imagination and a pondering of what happens when the two meet, or for a better analogy: when they agree/disagree/argue. I also loved the episodes that showed an average Joe suddenly found him/herself out of their native reality(the girl who keeps seeing the same hitch hiker, the pilot in a deserted town, the petty thief who can suddenly change his appearance) and a possible reaction to that reality or realization of the world they really live in (or think they live in). The innocence of the late 50's early 60's definitely kept the show centered on the extraordinary and not shallow personalities or relationships or pursuits. Rod Sterling topped it off with his Narration, his charisma and total involvement in the present story to give it essence. Twilight zone is one of the top influences for what sci-fi is today. It's sad to see not all sci- fi has progressed or learned from this show, and it's an unacceptable majority.

Broken Arrow (1996)

my start.....

[9/10 · 15 September 2008]

Okay, so I've seen a lot of rated R movies before this and well before I turned 18. But I remember seeing the previews on TV, but not being able to see it in theaters because I was too young, so when it came out on video, I would ride my bike down to the video store to rent it countless times a month. Surprisingly, the folks liked it too and didn't mind me watching it over and over. At first I thought it was over the top, but I really liked the soundtrack(by Hans Zimmer, one of my favorite composers), and as I watched it more for the soundtrack, the over all experience of the movie grew on me. The theme for Travolta's character just made him the badass his character needed to be. Slaters unlikely role as the scrawny hero worked out for the betterment of the film and his character. Long's only good film appearance as the muscular right hand man fit him to the T. John Woo's affinity for action movies is exemplified in this film. Mathis's role as the female element was believable(she didn't come off as a dit and one could see her has a park ranger because her proportions weren't medically exaggerated). The shootout in the mine, the Humvee chase, the Helicopter pursuit of slater and Mathis, the opening scene with a fight in the cockpit of the stealth bomber, and the climatic train sequence made this a cool movie. So what if it wasn't Oscar material, not every movie is, and the ones that aren't are the most entertaining. I now attribute this movie as my start into movie loving and becoming a connoisseur.

Unbreakable (2000)

Not really M. Night's crowning glory,

[6/10 · 15 September 2008]

Seeing the endless posts on this movie, and reading quite a few of them, I see there are mixed feelings about this movie, and I know I'm not the first or 101st person to comment. So what's another penny in the fountain? I did see M. Night's trademarks in this film and some good build ups of tension and or suspense to a few pivotal scenes. However, the over build of tension to the end of the movie was a sore let down once the audience found out the big question that fueled the movie. Honestly, I did not find the subject matter all that suspenseful. One could almost see it coming, whether or not they are moderate to avid comic book fans. I think M. Night was just pitching his ideas in the wake of the 6th sense success, and seeing which one stuck. He's still a good suspense director, but this is one of his let downs.

Waterworld (1995)

One of the quintessential sci-fi movies of the 90's

[8/10 · 16 May 2008]

This movie didn't have a huge hook to begin with: after all, Kevin Costner has yet to out grow "Field of dreams" much less dive into the seas of tomorrow. But I saw this film when I was 10, and it didn't disgust me, but left me wanting to see it again to get an understanding of this future world. That's what sci-fi is about, understanding. This world was a stylistic showing of life on the high sees if there was no land to dock at anymore in the future. The copious amounts of rust, scrap used resourcefully, and about every manner of sea craft used just to survive were shown in this movie. It wasn't a "here's how it might be" story. It was a "here's a world we created and here's a story inside it." Kevin Costner took some getting used to, but does his part well. Dennis Hopper is perfect as deacon, he pulls off crazy and maniacal just well, which leads one to think "what would a person who commands the oppression of the future act like?" Sci-fi doesn't have to always be in space, and fantasy doesn't always have to involve trolls. This moving blended them well, filling in the gaps with reality of nature. A definite for any Sci-Fi fan. Movies like this should have their own Sub-sci-fi category. Space fans, then "everything Else."

War (2007)

Not a war, it's a battle to like this movie

[1/10 · 15 May 2008]

This film came out after "Fearless", Jet Li's "last" martial arts epic. After seeing this movie, I thought "Fearless" was his last martial arts movie and he was going to focus solely on acting. He only had two, maybe one and half, actual fight sequences. Statham's character twist was absurd, so was Jet Li's, all the while the audience is waiting for Jet Li to break out some moves and subdue legions of bad guys. This film was a mere rehashing of Statham and Li's last collaboration "The One" that one had more interaction between the two than this one. This is another pieace of ammo the indie generation needs to kill Hollywood and go about low budget filming. Don't waste your time.

Halo 3 (2007 Video Game)

Very Good

[9/10 · 2 May 2008]

This was a very worthy sequel to the ground breaking game that defined this generation's breakthrough in consol gaming. I loved the Film capability, where you could play back your missions and take screen shots of your past exploits, the only down side is you could only record multiplayer sessions and not actual game play. The possibility was there to make raw footage of a "Halo" fan film and edit it how you wanted with out doing restart after restart trying to get it right and using another player's view to film it, but was just out of reach. Seeing grainy fan films on youtube(accomplished but locking the camera in front of the screen and trying to keep the reflections to a minimum or seting a VCR to record on a network screen) will have to endure a bit longer until someone finds out how to record or Bungee agrees to let players record actual gameplay. Aside from that, great ending to the trilogy. Master chief fulfils his promise, all characters introduced in the preceding two games were actively used, new weapons, and my favorite, the "Hornet" was introduced. Master chief could finally fly in alliance sanctioned and engineered Ordinance. Heavy machine guns and short range missiles were equipped and the landing skids could carry two extra soldiers for extra firepower. As a plus, if you took the time you discovered a way to bring down the Scarabs(also a great addition) from the air without landing inside. Another plus, you could freely use the heavy artillery: the gattling guns and pulse cannons. They could be used at their set points or torn off(with a cinematic show of strength which only the Master Chief could pull off) and move around with them with a 200 round limit. Great scenery, classic weapons and vehicles(the warthog), new weapons, new vehicles, and a great ending secquence reminiscent of the first Halo which I still play over and over again, then watch on the film.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)

The producers didn't know how to make movies, and it shows.

[6/10 · 3 April 2008]

The fight scenes were quick and in your face, character design and production design were top notch, and the landscapes, Surreal. That being said: this movie failed to deliver on a well known franchise. Many were expecting another film along the veins of "Spirits within." Well it had the look of such, but it didn't have the feel. As the movie moves on, it starts to feel like a video game, and even in the dialogue scenes, there were quick cuts and canted angles. Why? I don't know why, it didn't make the conversation any more important, dynamic, or memorable, because at the end of the movie, these conversations didn't give it meaning, because they had nothing to do with the progression of the film. Of all the great modern Japanese film makers, they couldn't have paid one of 'em to give this movie it's direction from video game to actual film.

Bullrun (2007– )

A reality show I actually liked.

[8/10 · 31 March 2008]

Spike is known for being a channel for men, however they can't come up with good original shows, save pros vs. joes, and bullrun.

I liked bullrun because it wasn't a popularity contest, it was a contest of skill and an endurance match against each other, including the 2 man teams. What also was a major draw to the show was the cars: The Lotus espirit, the trans am, and the charger. Who wouldn't love watching sleek racers and muscle cars go at it on the road and on the track? And an added bonus was to see how the drivers would react to their car's deteriorating condition as the show wore on. After awhile you could tell who knew how to fix their own particular car, who kept up their car before the show, and who was just sitting on a lot of money to own their car. The outright backstabbing, selfishness, and low blows each gave gave and took made this a real show. They weren't competing for the love of the American audience, they were fighting for first place, pride in their car, and just plain "Me and my car are better than you." Of course, Goldberg topped off the show, because no one wanted to cross him and complaining to him was useless because he could snap you in two with his pecks and tell "get over it, I'm a wrestler." I hope this show comes out on DVD AND spike does another season.

Extremedays (2001)

To get away from the hum-drum that calls itself "devine Hollywood"

[8/10 · 26 March 2008]

I liked this movie: yes I was raised in the church, yes I was (and still am) a huge fan of the Christian alternative music genres, yes I do believe in God, and yes I'm not living with my parents anymore. That being said, growing up in the church, the usual activities and such offered to kids and teens were just plain pathetic. They lacked the element of cool that all kids thirst for and can't get enough of. So it's no surprise that a lot of kids and teens in the church and youth groups now still love this movie. It wasn't some Cheap barney with bible verses rip off or corny, poorly acted, "it could happen to you-Jesus loves everybody" films they push on kids all the time. It was funny, killer music, decent quality of film and film-making and extreme sports footage that kids will watch back to back to back until they can't stay awake anymore. I know the sports footage wasn't really them, but I never expected them to really do their own stunts. Can any actor really act and execute a darkslide with equal skill? This movie was a hope to teens and kids who thought Christian life and faith in God meant you had to be boring and uncool. Not stellar, but worth a weekend rental.

Knight Rider: Knight Rider (2008) Season 1, Episode 0

they should'a stuck with the trans am

[5/10 · 17 February 2008]

For a TV movie, this was not a lousy waste of two hours, but I still think I could have found another use for that time. Still, I had to watch the movie. I remember as far back as day care watching "Knight Rider" reruns on TV. The story is a usual setup: Flagg is now all but gone, bad agents led by a stern looking guy with a British accent(of course), want to steal some valuable info, the daughter of the project leader is the next target, and Micheal Knight's estranged son is the best protection to get the girl to safety. All the while both already have a heart breaking love lost history between each other(who would'a guessed?) and KITT is now upgraded and back in the game with modern tech and intell for the 21st century(way more advanced than his "advanced" state in the 80's).

The character development(if any) was predictable, the secrets revealed were no surprise, and the villains lacked that 3rd dimension to make them truly villainous. But the effects of KITT: the way his armor would regenerate, the way the car would change and his way improved graphics(also a stellar voice act from Val Kilmer, always a good choice) made this made for TV movie bearable and the didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth that was all that bad. But the Biggest disappointment: they didn't bring back KARR, KITT's evil counterpart. Seeing dueling mustang's would have given the film a much better action feel. David Hasselhoff's cameo was no surprise either, but you can't have a reprise of Knight Rider without it's original. The references to the show were what fleshed out the big blank between the decades. Still, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if NBC did make a new Knight Rider show. NBC should'a paid the billions to have GM rehash the Trans am, and give KITT a new body from his original one (why knot? continuity).

Action Man (1995–1997)

A new kind of G.I.Joe

[8/10 · 5 March 2007]

As a kid, I grew up with out cable television. I realize the blessing of it now seeing as it leads only to a bigger waste of time. Anyway, for the little coastline town I grew up in, we were at the mercy of 7 channels on the family's little U.H.F. television set. But that never stopped my twin brother and I from watching Saturday morning cartoons. We watched the usuals: power rangers, G.I. Joes, transformers, the like. But one morning, the usual line up of cartoons ended around 11 o'clock like it usually does. But I had nothing else to do, so I kept watching TV and this show came on. It wasn't on the TV guide and I never saw any adds for it on the regular channels. This show was action man, the first version that was done in hand drawn cell animation. however it happened, I got hooked. It was like this mix of G.I. Joe and James Bond, and what made the show more appealing, was there was this live action short preceding every show. Very simple, not too in depth, but it set the tone for the rest of the episode. From the few episodes I saw before it got replaced by some dumb sports show, I gather action man was this rogue agent. He would do missions assigned him by the UN or some other world defense organization. Almost all the missions were to foil the plans of the evil Dr. X (complete with eye patch and robotic hand, how else were you supposed to know he was evil), and his army of skull henchmen. But Action man had no idea who he was. The opening sequence of the show barely touched on it, but I (at the genius age of 10 or so) gathered that somehow he and Dr. X got into a scuffle in some Danish villa, Action man get's his world rocked and barely escapes with his life. However, upon his recovery, he can't remember anything before his bout with Dr. X in the villa. But he soon finds out he's a master at martial arts, covert ops, and almost every extreme sport imaginable. He had 3 partners to help him on his assignments: Knuck, Natalie, and Jacques (who was a computer whiz in a wheel chair). At the end of every episode, there would be another live action short where the live action version of action man would take a virtual journey into his amnesiac mind to find random memories in his brain (which, ironically, had some connection to the characters, places, or scenarios that took place in the preceding episode). The C.G.I. remake of the show in 2000 was nothing like the original. The only characters that carried over were action man, Dr. X, and Dr. Gangreene. The story was redone and given a new plot. It lacked the intrigue of the original and made Action man look like a jock and some what of a thrill junkie with no motivation in life.

Spawn (1997–1999)

I disagree...

[1/10 · 4 March 2007]

I disagree with the above comment..... One: The film as a whole tanked. This is an example of what happens when Hollywood tries to make a comic book into a movie word for word, picture for picture, etc.. Their was too much fluff in the movie that looked way better on the pages of the comic book. This is an idea that would have been done justice if it stayed on the page than become a movie, or waited to grow a bigger fan base and then get the attention of a talented director(Dave Fincher perhaps?) to make it a silver screen project. Two: The comic book was given another bad hit when it was made into a "mature" animated series. Once again, it just looked better on the page. It lost it's dynamic imaging when it started moving. To top that off, it was made for mature audiences. There is a huge difference between serious animated flick(Van Helsing's London assignment) and mature animated series(the said title). The mature audience rating was just so they could swear, use gore, and sexual connotations. Never send a cartoon to do a real person's acting.

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (I) (2004 Video Game)

My favorite Splinter cell

[4 March 2007]

I gotta say, out of all four Splinter Cell games: Pandora Tomorrow is my favorite. Splinter cell had the intro and the opening to introduce Fisher and his life as a covert opp., but lacked the grittiness and charisma of a Tom Clancy idea. Chaos Theory was for the hype, it had cool weapons, cool submission moves and environment interactions though. Double agent was just reaching too far. It's a next gen game, but it just failed to deliver on the character development of it's hype. But Pandora tomorrow: as true to Clancy as one of his novels. Gritty, suspenseful, and challenging. I liked the need for patience and timing in the game, and it had more levels with cinematic flare then the rest. The T.V. station level with the rain? Classic. The player has to change vision modes to avoid flash blindness by the lighting and time it to take out the guards around him. If there is ever a movie of Splinter cell, that level has to be a adapted for it.

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa (1992–1994)

Imagination

[10/10 · 4 March 2007]

I remember this show as a kid. I remember my older sister thought it was stupid because the main characters were cows(hence "cow boy."). I thought it was imaginative and unique. Not to beat down Anime, but it is just overkill for today's youth. Trendy, cliché, and no originality like shows of this caliber from the old days. I think this is one of the many shows that got my imagination running because it used such odd ideas. But when you sat back and watched it, it made total sense: they're cows in the wild west. And now that I look back on it, it had a story, character development, and a plot, something cartoons of nowadays lack. I would highly recommend having your kids watch this show, if you ever find the DVD's or some channel that has it in syndication.