Change Your Image
SpartanIII
Reviews
Arthur (2011)
Haters gonna Hate
I thought this film was simply brilliant. The acting in it was great, the comedic timing perfect, the script well written, and the setting well shown. Yes, once again it is a movie set in New York, but there's a reason why they can't having them there. It's an amazing city. And this movie showcases that very well. I appreciated the range of humor they had in there as well. Some of it was raunchy, and then at other times it was mild and a relief from some of the over the top jokes. The climax was well done, humorous yet tasteful at the same time, and the conclusion was very appropriate.
I heard some people complaining about how this movie was showcasing how rich people have it made and it wouldn't be received well today because of the economic climate. That was ridiculous. If anything, it shows how money really can't buy happiness, and that the most important thing in this world is that we have each other. Overall, very enjoyable film that one should go into with an open mind and just have a good time.
The Mechanic (2011)
Good Enough For a Late Night Flick
I just got back from seeing a late night showing of The Mechanic. After having a long week, this film did exactly what I wanted it to do...entertain me.
Was the plot original? No.
Was the acting amazing? No.
But... Was the action good? Yes.
Was Jason Stathham in it? Yes.
Can you ask for anything else in an action film these days? It didn't label itself as a milestone of cinematic achievement. It was marketed as an action film, with good death scenes, mildly intriguing characters, and a simple plot and it delivered exactly on cue. Go see this if you just want to see some good action stars kick-butt for a couple of hours. 6/10
Tron: Legacy (2010)
I LOVED This Film
I saw the original Tron the night before my friends and I went to the Midnight Premier, and though the original was visually fascinating, I found the story line to be pretty moot.
Tron: Legacy was completely different.
The plot in this was much more in-depth and attempted to reach a wider audience than just programmers and let's be honest, nerds in general. There was a few more twists involved as well as better written dialog. I also enjoyed the decisions that the characters were forced to make, and the development it caused.
The characters were believable in the sense that they weren't normal movie characters. Unless its a drama, characters in films always seem to be trying too hard to be relateable. They are really strong characters but with a terrible and at times pointless flaw that makes them susceptible to one form of weakness. But the characters in Legacy were only the characters they were meant to be, with no irritating weaknesses or stupid habits.
The graphics were ground-breaking, which was a welcome similarity to the original Tron. The 3D was well done, and did actually take advantage of the format for reasons other than getting a few more dollars out of the box office, which is something I greatly appreciated as a patron.
And finally, the score composed by Daft Punk was spectacular. There were definitely influences from Hans Zimmer but not the point it was irritating. Overall, I think Tron: Legacy surpassed the original, which is very rare were sequels are ever concerned, but very much welcomed.
8/10
Kick-Ass (2010)
You're Better off Watching "Watchmen"
First off, let me premise this by saying that I loved the concept of this film. When I was younger I imagined myself dressing up and going around fighting crime and cleaning up the neighborhood. I mean let's be honest, who didn't? Up till the middle of the film it seemed that's exactly the direction this movie was going. Kick-Ass got his ass kicked when he tried to save stop people from stealing a car because the only fighting he'd ever done was in his mind, and in there you know exactly what the bad guy is going to do. But in real life you have no idea that's why people get formal training. So I applauded Matthew Vaughn on this by making Kick-Ass totally worthless.
But then something changed. The entire mood of the film shifted and all of a sudden it turned into your standard comic book movie. Suddenly, Kick-Ass knows exactly what to do in situations, and don't get me started on the end of the film. All I'll say on that is, I don't think you can learn to pilot a jet-pack like that in 2 hours, or attach mini-guns to it and not fly COMPLETELY off course when you fire TWIN mini-guns from a tiny little jet-pack.
The most disturbing part of this film however is the little girl. I think the whole reason she was in there was merely for shock value. I wouldn't have this opinion of it if at the end of the film it would have been more realistic for her. You know, like how an 11 year old should react to killing multiple people in gruesome ways; you have a nervous breakdown and end up being hospitalized for most of your life. Had they ended it that way I would have been impressed, but ending it with her being completely fine, that's what finally did it for me.
So watch this if you enjoy a cheap laugh or easy thrill, but don't look at it for any more depth than that. If you want that, the Watchmen film is much more suited for a realistic look on Superheroes, even with Dr. Manhattan.
After.Life (2009)
What a letdown!
I was hooked on this movie all the way from beginning to end. The characters were enticing, the plot was driving, and the suspense was amazing. It kept you guessing till the very end...and then it went to crap.
I'm so sick of movies having sad endings, or stupid endings, which is exactly what this movie ended with. Was she dead, alive? What? And the answer was obviously alive, Liam Neeson was obviously a serial killer, and obviously if Justin Long or Christina Ricci had been any smarter, she would have figured it out, killed Liam Neeson, and we would have had a happy ending.
It just didn't fit at the end with the characters at all. Also, if you were burying a coffin, 20 bucks says you could hear somebody screaming and yelling from inside of it! Especially if all you've thrown on it is ONE shovelful of dirt. The write just seemed to want to end it on a depressing note, which just irks me. Life's too depressing at it is. Could we please see some happy endings on occasion?
Daybreakers (2009)
CONCLUSION: Wait for it at Blockbuster.
Okay, so the premise of the movie was really interesting; Imagine a world where vampires are the dominant species on the Earth and humans get hunted. A unique enough of idea with enough homage to I Am Legend that its an attention grabber.
However, you throw in enough dead space in the movie to make even the most avid movie-goer yawn, actors like Sam Neil and Willem Dafoe giving a B-Rated performance with One-Dimensional characters, and a random child killing herself at the beginning of the film, and you have one very horridly rushed horror film.
First, the dead space. There were just random shots of the city thrown in through-out it that makes you go...okay...I've seen this already, whats the big deal.
Second, the B-Rated performance. Now, I love Sam Neil and Willem Dafoe, but they both got screwed over when they got the script for this. Sam Neil's character has no depth, whatsoever, except for the random daughter they throw in. Then Willem Dafoe's character says so many two-bit one-liners that you could have made a whole movie just out of them.
And finally, the random death. Hostage with Bruce Willis, 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean, are all examples of movies that did not reach its full potential because they both had one thing in common...a child dying at the beginning. This sets a depressing over-tone for the whole movie, and an icky feeling that you can never fully discard during your whole viewing of the film. A child getting killed on screen is just...wrong. Especially in the beginning.
Though I may bash on this however, the story was a very good idea, and I want to know what happens next, but just in a comic book or a novel media because if they did a sequel to this, I would not go see it.
CONCLUSION: Wait for it at Blockbuster.