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Elwood23
Reviews
Sin City (2005)
It's Good To 'Sin'
Kay, it's time to talk Sin City, folks.
It's very interesting film indeed. Excellent directorial style/film editing. I love how it was all set up like an old film noir. It was a creative idea how it was mostly a black & white film, but then you'd also see bits of colour throughout, like maybe they'd show someone's eye colour for a moment, etc. Also I think it's the best comic book to screen adaptation I've seen to date. Seriously it played like something you would've read right off the page, (I even started reading some of this very recently, and I have to say all the things I read so far looked and felt familiar to me).
As far as acting goes, EVERYONE did a very good job (with the exception of Alexis Bledel, which aside from her attire I had a hard time picturing her as a hooker
she just couldn't leave her role of Rory behind her, AND I've never really even seen the Gilmore Girls to know that's who she is, so I guess perhaps that says a lot). But everyone else was fine. Too be fan-biased of my favourite celebrity momentarily, Elijah Wood's role was, er um, 'different' to say the least. I mean I've seen him get violent in movies before (Ash Wednesday comes to mind here
though I must say his costar in that Rosario Dawson did a much, much better job here in Sin City), but uh yeah that was interesting. AND unlike his above mentioned costar Miss Bledel he is proof that stars can move successfully past certain roles. Sure we'll always remember that he is Frodo, but it's not going to stop his career anytime soon because there are no more LOTR movies for him to do (so yep, no Mark Hamill syndrome for him, whew
not that I was ever worried about that because he was good in a lot of things even before LOTR came along, but still good to know he's still got it)
So, all in all an excellent movie. Now the film geek in me is just dying to know which scene Tarantino directed, heh.
9/10
Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986)
The Best of the Care Bear Movies
This movie does contradict the first one as far as the origins of the Care Bears and the Care Bear Cousins goes. I won't deny that. However, if you look at "Part II" as a separate film, then it's a very good movie. I remember watching this in the early 80's (and fitting into its targeted demographic audience then), and absolutely loving it much more than the first movie (not that I didn't enjoy that one too, it's just that this one seemed to have a little something extra to it). Sure it's darker than the first one too, but perhaps maybe that's why it's so good. And it's dark in deeper kind of subtle way too (that kids may not fully understand, but could still be a bit scared of because of the atmosphere it gives off, and adults watching will surely get quicker as I have now watching this film again now in my mid-twenties) where you basically have a young girl making a deal with an evil spirit/demon in exchange for something else. Get the picture? But simply watching that as a child, sure as I said it may have been a little scary, but nothing traumatizing. In fact if anything it gave me another fantasy game I could play when I was that age. I can't tell you the number of times I used to pretend Dark Heart wanted to imprison me, have me help him capture the Care Bears, tried to make me turn over to his dark side, and other things like that etc. So this movie was also good for my imagination. And it's also got great emotional depth to it too. I used to watch it at least once a week.
Also Hadley Kay was the perfect choice for the voice of Dark Heart (I always thought so and I always will).
Now it's just too bad that they never made a soundtrack available. Sometimes I just want to hear Growing Up without watching the movie, as good as it is.
"What good is love and caring if it can't save her?"
Cabin Fever (2002)
Its So Bad It's Not Even a B-Horror Movie
I am a fan of scary/horror movies, some of which fall into the b-horror movie category and some that do not, and I even like a good comedic horror flick like an Evil Dead 2 or anything that falls into Peter Jackson's early zombie movie career, and so I can therefore appreciate films like that. With that being said Cabin Fever is the worst movie that falls into any of those categories that I've ever seen (not that I know what category it was even hoping it'd fall into because yes whether it was meant to be comedic or whatever I have no idea). I was just too amazed at how dumb it all was. The teens in this movie are of course stereotypical of what you would find in a b-horror movie (though in my opinion worse than that actually
I mean you expect a bit of stereotypical nature when you see these movies, but when you start hoping everyone will soon just die off you know something must be wrong here).
All in all save your time and your money from this movie. Your brain just may thank you later.
Ray (2004)
Ray is inspiring Though it seems like it takes intelligence to see that
as I must mostly comment on the audience's reaction for my review. (They do after all contribute to one's movie going experience do they not?)
But yes, I guess the movie Ray is not meant to be watched by folks who are immature and lacking in intelligence. First, in the theatre I couldn't help but feel sorry for being a part of my race as their were two white folks always laughing their asses off whenever there was a verbal fight going on in the movie. Seriously, what's funny about something like Ray's wife finding his heroin even? And secondly thus far the only really awful reviews I've read thus far are from people who definitely seem like they lack any intellect at all. Such as someone who called themselves Milky on here; they (ahem) recommend that instead of wasting your time with 'crap' that you go and see the 'comedy' that is Saw. Uh what the hell is wrong with the world? Saw is NOT comedy, Saw is supposedly so graphic that I've heard most people don't know why it only got an R rating. I quote a review from a local paper, 'OK for teenagers? Hell it's not even OK for adults.'
It's amazing how smart one can feel when comparing themselves to people such as that. A) I'm not a racist, and B) I know that graphic things are not meant to be funny (unless of course it does depend on how they're done, like take for instance some of Peter Jackson's early zombie movies, those could be considered humorous
but even that's graphic in a different way than what Saw is supposed to be)--I mean I didn't laugh during Passion of the Christ
but who knows, maybe Milky did, and maybe that racist couple did as well (depending on their religion).
But ah well, I feel good knowing that I enjoyed the movie. It's amazing how low-brow reviews can do that to a person if they themselves know they liked the movie to begin with and recognize it's cinematic worth. Which is was this movie has most definitely. It's very highly recommended if you like his music (or even if you don't and you just want to understand the man behind the music a little more), biographies (ones that don't sugar coat the facts anyway), or if you just like human emotional dramas in general.
I certainly understand all the Oscar buzz it's already generating.
Ray Charles Robinson (1930-2004)
Rest in peace.
Garfield: The Movie (2004)
The Essence That Is Garfield
Well hmm, what can one say about Garfield? It most certainly is NOT the Cat in the Hat, and here that's a very good thing. My mother and I saw it yesterday and you either like it, or it bombs. I thought OK it's not going to be my favourite anytime soon, but it was still a decent movie for what one can actually do with a feature film based on a Sunday comic strip. If you don't expect great epical plots you'll be fine. I've been reading mixed reviews of the movie, and so far I've noticed one thing: the main complaint people seem to have with it is that it does not hold true to the character in the comics. To which I say 'huh, are you blind, are you even an avid fan of the comic? What, did you read it maybe once or twice and immediately figure out Garfield's personality?' Cuz yeah, I saw the movie and I have to strongly disagree with bad reviews that make that claim. Yes Garfield was a fat cat, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't move at all
Especially if being chased by dogs, or having to save Odie (which is something people have major problems with
that I don't get--uh yeah he doesn't like Odie all that much sometimes, but he has always had a love/hate relationship with him--like on the surface he's more prone to act like he doesn't like him, but you know deep down there is love--so yeah I don't get the people who complain that Garfield would NEVER venture so far just to save Odie). Many people also say Garfield NEVER danced, so thus that became a problem just based on people seeing the trailer. However once someone showed an actual comic with him dancing in it, that shut people up on the one message board thread.
Baiscally I agree with Roger Ebert's review, it (unlike Scooby Doo)catches the essence of what Garfield is, and THAT's what holds it together.
My only real problem (other than the CGI
which really wasn't a problem per say, I've just been spoiled by LOTR's Gollum heh) was that I liked Nermal much better in the comics (completely wrong coloured cat here, Nermal is supposed to be more grey-ish), and Arlene (also wrong colour, but then again how do you get a pink cat actually heh, and her part was too short).
So overall I guess I give it a 6 and a 1/2 out of 10
If you go not expecting too much of a plot, and you seriously KNOW the character of Garfield you'll be fine
I guess just remember too that it's just like any other book that they make into a movie, sure the movie's out there and you see it, but like it or hate it, the book can live with you forever.
Oh and the little cartoon at the beginning that they showed before the movie was annoying. It was about some creature from Ice Age, and it made me long for the days of the little cartoon just before Finding Nemo. Now THAT was a funny one.
I hate Mondays