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Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Cruise Missile, Good Hit
I don't want to repeat myself too much here, but Tom Cruise has been on a roll. This latest one pairs him up with director Doug Liman in a highly inventive summer blockbuster. Nasty aliens terrorise citizens of Earth, and every time William Cage is killed he finds himself alive a day before a large scale... losing steam here.
I don't want to repeat myself too much, but Tom Cruise has been on a roll. This latest one pairs him up with director Doug Liman in a highly inventive summer blockbuster. Cruise finds himself reliving a doomed battle against mysterious aliens, and the key to his mysterious inability to die lies with a very buff looking Emily Blunt. With a mesmerising concept, great performances, and great visuals, Edge of Tomorrow is a must-see. Too generic.
I don't want to repeat myself too much, but Tom Cruise has another great hit. His latest pairs him up with director Doug Liman. Cruise finds himself reliving the day of a doomed battle against alien nasties, and the key to his mysterious rebirthing lies with a buff Emily Blunt. Liman adds some British sensibilities atop Cruise's American charm, and while it's another alien invasion story, what we get is a lot smarter, wittier, and entertaining than it deserves to be. We're almost there.
I don't want to repeat myself too much, but the Cruise Missile has another good hit. His latest finds himself reliving the day of a doomed battle against alien nasties, and the key to his mysterious rebirthing lies with a buff looking Emily Blunt. It's almost typical alien invasion fare, but director Doug Liman adds some British sensibilities atop Cruise's American charm, and what we get is a lot smarter, wittier, and more entertaining than expected. A happy surprise.
Iron Man (2008)
Solid
Iron Man is arguably the biggest blockbuster movie this summer (aside from the highly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). With a marketing campaign of $50 million dollars, Paramount was banking on this movie pleasing the core fan base and the general audience. What happens when you risk it all? Generally, you're going to play it safe.
This is exactly what Iron Man does. Now, Iron Man is by no means a bad film. It's actually rather good. But come on Marvel, we have seen it all before. This is the mandatory 'origins' story (which means this is turning into a film franchise of course) which builds up protagonist Tony Stark from multi-billion dollar CEO, socialite, and Albert Einstein-like genius to the vigilante that must uncreate everything that he has created.
RDJ (Robert Downey Jr. for you ignorant fools) plays the part very well, though if you've followed his career for quite sometime, it's nothing that exercises his acting ability. Gwenyth Paltrow does well for Stark's PA and love interest, though unfortunately her character doesn't accumulate into anything substantial. Jeff Bridges played well as the antagonist, and though it was a great concept, it was handled poorly by the filmmakers. The best thing about Terrance Howard's character was when he looked at the spare suit Stark built and said "Maybe next time", hinting at the possibility of War Machine in the sequel.
The biggest gripe I have with this movie is that it does not try to break out of conventions; it does not have an edge to stand out as a defining film, let alone a defining Marvel adaptation. It does not help that Favreau and his team kept the look rather generic. When we see Spider- man, we can see Sam Raimi's touch. Nolan can be seen throughout Batman Begins. This film could have been directed by Tim Story (director of Fantastic Four "fame") and you would not even be able to tell the difference.
What I did like in the film was all the references to other Marvel properties, which are all conveniently coming together (the Avengers movie is coming soon). S.H.I.E.L.D and War Machine are the two I remember the clearly, and releasing the movie about one of Marvel's lesser known characters before his alleged cameo in The Incredible Hulkmovie will be a treat to all movie-goers alike.
I guess what it comes down to is the gut feeling I have inside. When I came out of Spider- man 2 & 3, I wanted to be Spider-man. With Batman 1 & 2 and Batman Begins, I wanted to be Batman. With X-Men, I wanted to be Wolverine, only because Cyclops was treated as a pansy. With Iron Man... Iron Man is just damn bloody cool. He almost makes me want to be him, but it's just not quite. Maybe his character is too overwhelming for me to want to be in his shoes (pun not intended), but rather fight along side him like all the other Marvel heroes that have had that honour.
Final Rating: 7.5/10
Transformers (2007)
Best summer flick of 2007.
I watched this film at an advanced screening in New Zealand. I loved Transformers as a child, but was not a die hard fan, so I did not complain over the changes. However, I had decent expectations for this movie as people were saying it's better than expected.
I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. However, it did fall a little flat on what I expected it to be. It's Michael Bay, ladies and gents, don't expect anything more.
Transformers begins with the reason for the alien robots' existence. How the all important AllSpark (essentially the life giver) was lost into the vacuum of space after the robots divided between good and evil. Falling onto Earth, a handful of these entities travelled the galaxy to find this all important device. Great premise, but how about the execution? Visually, the film is astounding. ILM have outdone themselves once again and have created top notch visuals for others to measure up to. The robots look real, feel weighty yet elegant, and with every Bay movie, there are explosions. And what beautiful explosions they are. This is complemented with a hit-and-miss musical score. At times, the score is cinematic brilliance. At other times, you wonder why Linkin Park was included, when sequences with emotional pieces are suddenly juxtaposed with the current Billboard Hot 100.
The acting is competent. I thought that with a cast mostly compromised of underwear models and hip hop artists, I would be disappointed. Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky), Josh Duhamel (Cpt. Lennox), Tyrese Gibson (Sgt. Epps), and even Megan Fox (Mikaela) delivered surprisingly well. Even with Jon Voigt in the cast, you cannot see a distinct line in ability between the seasoned vet and relative new comers. But although the acting was top notch, it was severely hampered by the script.
The script, to put it frankly, does not take itself seriously. At all. Firstly, there was a lack of story. Autobots and Decepticons want the AllSpark. One wants to defend it. The other wants to use it. Battle. Fin. Secondly, I could not remember one scene that did not have some humorous one liner put in to make the audience laugh. Even in the most grave of sequences, did some joker blurt out something (admittedly) funny, making you wonder "Wait.... Earth's in danger, and you're cuing for a crash on the drums?!" Some of the script was clever, and in the parts which were appropriately funny, hit the nail on the head (Shia LaBeouf is a child prodigy in comedy).
Transformers. Everyone wants to know "What about the Transformers?". Well, personally, they were simply awesome. They could have been more 2D than they were and I still would have liked them. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, Frenzy, Ratchet... Megatron, Starscream, Bonecrusher, Barricade and Ironhide -- they were masterfully put on film.
However, only two of those actually got a decent amount of character development -- Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. Bumblebee, being the first Transformer Sam sees, and Optimus, of course gets plenty of screen time being the Autobot leader. It's a shame that the Decepticons were only there to be the "bad guys", even Megatron. It would have definitely benefited the movie if all the robots were fleshed out and given some emotional attachment to the crowd. It doesn't, and this does have a few repercussions towards the end of the movie. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to see them wreak havoc in different countries, and with the inevitable sequel, one can only hope that we get to know more about these "loveable" mechanical beings.
It is definitely the must see summer flick of the year, and whilst not Oscar material, it is one of the best 'popcorn' movies of recent times.
7.5/10
**Upon a second screening, I found the impact of the movie to remain just the same as the first. In certain aspects, that impact heightened. New score 8/10
300 (2006)
Great action film.
With all the advertisement and hype of 300, I felt obliged to go to one of the very first screenings in my local area. I only expected a through-and-through action film, but after watching 300, I realized it was a whole lot more.
Based on the historical battle at Thermopylae, 300 follows the story of King Leonidas and his group of Spartans (clearly 300 of them), as they hold back wave after wave of Persian soldiers (in the millions).
The story may be simple, but what the 3 writers brought out of it (Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael Gordon), and of course, Frank Miller is exceptional. The themes aren't so subtle, but for a movie like this, they cannot be. Ideas of Spartan teamwork and glory resonate throughout the entire two hours. The dialogue is sharp, smart, and will be quoted for quite some time. One of the lines that I felt stood out was one of God-King Xerxes, who says: "Cruel Leonidas required you to stand. I only require that you kneel." The dialogue would have been nothing without a troupe of good actors, and 300 does not fail in this department. Notable performances include David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes, and of course, Gerard Butler as King Leonidas. The characters they portray are powerful and charismatic - the passions they excite are appropriately over-the-top. At times though, I felt that Gerard Butler could have said things better than he did, as with these kind of films, there is a fine line between being melodramatic and overdoing it.
For most people who see the movie, it would be because of the striking visuals. It is without a doubt that this film delivers in that respect. Although the state-of-the-art CGI is well on show, what I felt was most awe-inspiring was the direction and cinematography. Quite simply, it was beautiful.
The costumes and props were vibrant and fitting. The CGI polish improved it five-fold.
Zack Snyder has come from no where to being up there with the likes of Peter Jackson and "Lord of the Rings" and many of Steven Spielberg's movies. I cannot tell you any single shot that caught my eye, only because it would detract you from many of the other great ones. But rest assured, you will admire at least one of them in 300.
I must comment on the action sequences since people will want to know what they are like. 300 arguably has some of the best new age action sequences since "The Matrix". It does use a lot of slow motion techniques like the Wachowski Brothers classic, but unlike other movies, it does it with (ahem) style. If it is only for the action sequences that you go to see 300 for, then you will be satisfied.
A definite must-see that hovers between being a cult hit or blockbuster classic. 9/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Amazing sequel.
One of the best sequels of all time, and that's saying something when the first one is one of the greatest movies of all time.
The Two Towers picks up pretty much where the first one left off: Frodo and Sam are traveling on their own to Mordor, Merry and Pippin have been taken by a band of Orcs and Uruks with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli hot on their tail. Saruman is now building a great army, Merry and Pippin run into a giant race of Middle Earth, Aragorn and co. go forth to save the kingdom of Rohan, and Frodo and Sam have some unexpected company in the form of Gollum. New paths are crossed, old ones are found; each and everyone of them as captivating as possible.
Once again, everything is exceptional. From the sets to the acting to the visual effects - everything is top notch.
Peter Jackson and crew have done a tremendous job of topping the original in terms of storytelling. The lines are bolder, the cinematography even better, and the direction spot on.
Throughout the film, you can see Frodo being taken in by the Ring's power. It is also obvious that Sam is trying hard to keep Frodo from falling into the Ring's power, whilst Gollum's character arc is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the movie.
Aragorn's struggle as he comes to face the realization that he must take on the responsibility of his forefathers' is done extremely well. Comic relief comes in the form of Legolas and Gimli's relationship (Elves and Dwarfs don't usually get along), and how hobbits Merry and Pippin react to the ways of the Ents. By no means aren't they informative, because they are, but they are at the same time humorous.
The action pieces are once again on par with the drama and have clearly gone beyond what was done in "Fellowship". From the Warg attack to the climactic battle at Helms Deep, Peter Jackson truly shows his imagination is leaps and bounds beyond any other director.
The cinematography is once again superb, and it deserved every bit of the Oscar it won. Sets are realized on a greater scope than Fellowship of the Ring. Edoras is truly a magnificent town upon the hill, whilst Osgiliath looks like it really has been war-torn.
I didn't mention Howard Shore's score in my review of "Fellowship", but my thoughts on his music for the first film are the same for this one: It's amazing. Simply amazing. The score is now synonymous with the term fantasy. A melodious orchestra piece highlights the drama, whilst the trumpet sounds as the the bodies pile up during the fights.
Like the first film, my gripe is that this is quite a long movie. This is necessary for an adaption which source is amazingly detailed, and besides, you won't get bored easily. Also, major characters could be off screen for over half an hour, almost as though they have been forgotten. But you'll be so intrigued by what's going on screen, that you too will forget about the other characters. It also helps that the change in character plots are seamlessly changed from one to the other.
Peter Jackson has once again made a must-see movie. This will be loved by the most die hard Tolkien fan to the most ignorant of fantasy. As Saruman said in The Two Towers: "A new power is rising". With hindsight, we now know what that means.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
"Mr. Anderson, welcome back. We missed you."
May 15, 2003, the whole world waited. May 16, 2003, the majority cried.
All I can say is, what happened? After the success of the first film, Warner Bros had a winner. Mothers spoke in witty tongue. Fathers debated with their sons whether the chicken came before the egg, and geeks decided that sunglasses were much cooler than a glare screen. What did the Wachowski Bros. do to screw up their sequel? "The machines are digging", Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith) says at the start of the movie. That's right, in 72 hours, the machines will reach the human city of Zion and war will break out. Neo, as The One, must find his purpose in this upcoming event, as well as taking on an unwelcome threat in the form of an agent from the previous film. Sound good on paper? Wait until you see the execution.
The acting was more wooden than sombre, and dialog not as sharp or witty: it's either stupid, or so ridiculous that not even the most literate could understand it.
It seems as though the introduction of new characters has halted the progression of other ones. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is now The One. That's it. End of story - his character has hit the end of the line. His relationship with Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss) is so unbelievable its funny, and Morpheus is more of the same, which is not a bad thing. Oh yeah, most of them can fight agents one-on-one now. "Hmm... upgraded?". I think not.
Hugo Weaving as Smith is undeniably good (and adds a much needed creepiness), and Lambert Wilson and Monica Bellucci are great as The Merovingian and Persephone respectively, even if they really do nothing to advance the plot.
It seems the Wachowskis have forgotten about how to tell a story, and rather tried to wow us with their updated versions of werewolves, vampires and ghosts of the Matrix, as well as impressing us with their dazzling effects.
Yes, they didn't forget their action sequences. Neo fighting three agents at a time (righteous!), Neo fighting hundred agents a time (um...), to Neo fighting henchmen with medieval weapons (eh?). They are all bigger and better than anything ever seen, but ultimately are pointless. The saving grace is the freeway sequence, which is one of the best out there.
As you can tell, I'm disappointed. I loved The Matrix, but the Wachowski Brothers somehow stuffed their unstuffable franchise up. Unless you really are interested in the lore of The Matrix, or want to skip to the action scenes, you may give this one a miss.
The Matrix (1999)
A modern classic.
What is The Matrix? Well, after it took the whole movie world by storm, and spawned a series of copy cat action movies, you would have to be living in a cave to not know what The Matrix is.
Basically (and I mean basically), a simpleton named Thomas Anderson, is contacted by his hacker alias Neo by someone who is connected to Morpheus: a person who he is looking for. In a series of strange events, he finally meets Morpheus, who turns the world he knows upside down. He is told that the world he had been living in was not real; a dream world, and that the real world was nothing like it. Cue in some smart dialog, philosophy to engage the average person, and some mind boggling visual effects and that is the essence of The Matrix.
The lead actors do an impressive job as uber-hackers, and Keanu Reeves gives us his defining performance as Neo. Laurence Fishburne plays the ever-wise Morpheus and Carrie Anne Moss gives us a warrior woman worthy of a place amongst Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton as Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor respectively.
The Wachowski Bros. did an astounding job of directing this movie. They brought out the "cool" in the geeks (most of them are hackers), and made some of the most scariest antagonists ever to grace a film; the ubiquitous agent is a relentless machine, tracking down any rogue person in the system. They have an uncanny ability to give The Matrix multiple layers: the first layer is purely action. Peel that off and you have a very good story. Peel it even more and you have some fundamental questions that may make you even question whether or not you live in a dream world.
Arguably their greatest pieces in this movie are the action sequences: The lobby scene and bullet dodging scene stand out the most, but the rest are of high quality as well. I expect everyone thought Episode I: The Phantom Menace would outshine all other movies visually in 1999, but that is not so.
Whether you want to see a pure action movie, a smart sci-fi flick or some subliminal messages to really screw with your mind, watch The Matrix. It's definitely worth your time.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Brilliantly brought to the silver screen. A must see.
The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the greatest films of modern times, and definitely should not be missed. Peter Jackson proved with this movie that he was not just a "splatter director" that couldn't handle such an epic project. In fact, he showed the world that he was the ONLY one who could handle it.
Tolkien's first chapter, the Fellowship of the Ring, has young Frodo Baggins being entrusted to take the Ring to Rivendell. At Rivendell, he is called upon to take the Ring to the heart of Mordor, to destroy it, taking with him a group of comrades who shall aid him on his journey. Along the way are Orcs, dangerous creatures and the harsh natural environment; a perilous journey for any intelligent being. Tolkien's story is regarded as one of the finest pieces of fictional literature. So how does Peter Jackson's adaption fare? Everything is superb.
The cast truly take on the role of their characters, and you couldn't imagine anyone else playing their parts (three cheers for not casting Sean Connery!). In fact, when you watch the movie, you don't see actors: you see the characters on their fateful journey to destroy the One Ring. Very few movies can do such a thing.
The script is nothing short of masterful, that Tolkien should be proud. Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Peter Jackson have done a marvelous adaptation. Be it comical, sincere, or depressing, all the emotions Tolkien had weaved into "Fellowship" are here in full force. It is wonderful that the actors bring these emotions forward well.
Visually, "Fellowship" shines like no other before it. Weta bring all the special and computer effects to life, rivaling even Industrial Light and Magic and Digital Domain. It is a shame that Peter Jackson didn't win Best Director from the Oscars for this, because this film is more memorable than whatever film won that back in 2002. From the sets of Hobbiton to Rivendell, each and every one is believable. The Dwarven Moria is dark, ancient and worn, whilst the Elvish haven of Lothlorien looks timeless and pristine. Kudos to Alan Lee and John Howe for conceptualizing and bringing to life what Tolkien only described.
Howard Shore has done an amazing job on the musical score. His work on all three films could easily rival that of John William's Star Wars. An orchestra plays softly over sentimental moments, whilst the choir chants over big battle sequences; Shore has everything covered.
Action junkies won't find much luck here: Although the action pieces in this film have never been on a scale like this before, they are few and far between. But the fight scenes that are there are nothing short of fabulous.
The only gripe one could have against this film is that it clocks in at 3 hours: the extended edition being 20 minutes or so longer. Unless you have a very short attention span, you won't even mind it being this long, because every shot is just as intriguing as the previous one.
Easily a must see and definitely a defining epic of our time. 10/10
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
One of Spielberg's finest.
'Saving Private Ryan' is not meant to glorify war, rather, it tries to show the audience the pain and suffering of not soldiers, but people.
Beginning with the fateful D-Day which has influenced popular video games and other war movies, a company of soldiers is given the mission of pulling a private out from the war front. Confused and annoyed at this objective, the soldiers travel across Normandy in search of someone they never knew, let alone cared about.
The band of soldiers have a hard time coming to terms with such an obscure mission. However, they cannot bail out of the objective. After all, they are in the army. Obeying orders can be the difference between winning or losing.
Steven Spielberg masterfully creates a duality in the characters: at once they are soldiers, yet at heart they are only civilians. The cast of characters are exceptional: Captain Miller (played by Tom Hanks), keeps the group together and just wants to get the objective over and done with. Pvt. Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper) is the Godfearing soldier who believes his Lord has given him such talent with the sniper rifle. Pvt. Richard Reibens (Edward Burns) is the one who questions the authority, and feels the mission is unnecessary, and the rest round up the company beautifully. These men are not cookie cutter soldiers: They talk with each other, have feelings, reflect upon their actions; Spielberg brings out the 'other' side of the men at war, and this is what the audience (especially war veterans) can relate to.
The direction is great. Spielberg's shots are moving: War is dirty and horrifying, and the bonding between the soldiers are sensitive scenes. The cinematography is excellent, some of the best I have seen from any movie. The sound aspects are just as good, if not better, in depicting the harshness of war.
'Saving Private Ryan' is a movie not to be missed, partly because it is arguably the greatest war movie ever made, and partly because it will deter those from the idea of another great war.
DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)
Worse than I thought it would be
---MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS---
What can I say? From the moment it was advertised that "Popstar/actress Holly Valance...", I knew it was desperate for some ratings.
This will NOT satisfy action/martial arts fans, and it will NOT satisfy DOA fans. So what has Corey Yuen tried to achieve? Absolutely nothing.
The DOA characters are bland and generic (How did Yuen screw up the source material?!). The actors can't act. Their story arcs (or lack thereof) do not help the audience sympathize with them.
Holly Valance acts as the sexy cat thief Christie. It hurts that the whole time she tries to act like that. Devon Aoki as Kasumi was a complete miscast. Sarah Carter as Helena didn't stand out, but she didn't completely lose face in this mess. Ayane is nothing more than a reason for a cat fight between her and Kasumi. Ryu Hayabusa was played out to be Kasumi's love interest rather than a masterful ninja: any game enthusiast would wonder how Yuen could butcher one of the most beloved video game characters of all time.
The "added" characters are uninspired. Weatherby is annoying, and unfunny (the only reasons I remember his name. Oh yeah, and the fact that he kept telling everyone who called him "Wallaby". Was that funny?). You can see that the man is TRYING to act. Max, as Christie's partner in crime, does nothing to enhance the plot; he adds 3 minutes to the 86 minute movie by allowing Christie to sleep with him. The main antagonist and the final fight is almost laughable.
The only saving character is Jaime Pressley as Tina Armstrong. Although not in the busty proportions of "game" Tina, it's almost forgiven as she makes the character her own, and has a genuinely funny relationship with her father, Bass. One of the only reasons to watch this movie.
The plot is completely horrible. Generic and predictable, it would have looked better back in the 1980's. One expects it to revolve around the actual tournament, or focus on a specific character's story (seen in the game). What I got was some lame conspiracy, and as Tina rightly puts it in the trailer "They're a bunch of pervs".
The soundtrack is unoriginal. It's a bunch of licensed music, probably because the music composer gave up on this movie. Funnily enough, DOA rightly plays the song 'Scandalous'.
The martial arts/fighting is as fake as it can get. Wires can be 'seen' without actually being visible, and Yuen's decision to do 'Matrix' shots is a double edged sword. Good because it's apparent "Popstar" Valance can't fight, bad because the audience has had enough of slow motion sequences. All characters apparently do the same type of martial arts. One comes to wonder how the non-ninja characters fight fluidly with a sword against 20 trained professionals. Utter rubbish.
Attention to detail is obviously something the crew thought unnecessary. The characters are from different ethnicities. A few even come from Japan. Yet they can all speak perfect English. WITH American ACCENTS. From the first line, the audience roared with laughter at this very poor mistake.
---DOA fans--- Dear Yuen and co, why pay homage to DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball when you can't even pay homage to DOA properly? Christie works in a team? Hayate is the ultimate fighter? Hayabusa acts like a ninja wannabe? Helena is American? How did Jan Lee get defeated so easily? What about Lei Fang? Yes she is in it, but not as a beautiful oriental schoolgirl. She has a cameo but anyone would realize the woman portraying her is some 40 year old dressed up like a schoolgirl. Hideous.
Essentially, a movie not worthy of your time, unless you're REALLY REALLY bored. Miss. Pressley saves this stinker from scoring a one.
2/10
Silent Hill (2006)
Pure, genuine creepiness.
--CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS-- I'm not a fan of horror-thriller movies. This is partly due to the fact that most of them aim for the 'boo!' factor rather than real haunting ideas or good story lines.. Few films have achieved this in recent times (Exorcism of Emily Rose comes to mind), and Silent Hill is one of them.
Having hardly any knowledge of what or how the Silent Hill games are about, I watched the movie with decent expectations. I came out of the theater quite impressed at what the movie has achieved.
The story is essentially about Rose (Radha Mitchell) and her daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland), taking a vacation to Silent Hill. Ignorant of the town's past, Rose, en route to Silent Hill, has a sudden car crash. Upon coming out of unconsciousness, she finds her daughter has gone. So begins the journey into the dark secrets of the ghost town.
Rose, through the course of the movie, is seen running through a completely deserted town, which is 'snowing' ashes. In the distance of her vision, she sees what appears to be her daughter, and through the course of the movie she is seen chasing her daughter, who seems adamant on always being out of reach. A run in with the other humans stuck in this horror reveals plot points, until Rose must literally go to the root of all evil to find out where her daughter is.
A few times in the movie, things go 'bad'. The first time, Rose is chasing her daughter, who runs down a set of stairs. As Rose follows her, an air horn sirens. Everything turns dark, until it is pitch black. The true terror then begins.
'Otherworld' Silent Hill is the residence of most of the monsters encountered in this movie, and they are genuinely disturbing. The video game is famous for it's fear-inducing creatures, and its film adaption is certainly no slouch. The first monster encountered is arguably the most terrifying. In typical fashion, it creeps up on the protagonist. However, as well as its appearance and cry, the fact that Rose actually screamed at it's appearance is nothing short of terrific. Most other films depict the victim scared of dying rather than an appearance of a creature; in Silent Hill, the audience sympathizes with Rose as it is obvious she is terrified of the creature. In reality, anything that resembled that monster would generate the same sort of results (We wouldn't look with mild terror like Sarah Michelle Gellar did in 'The Grudge').
However, the monsters become less and less terrifying (although more and more disturbing). The last monster Rose encounters before reaching the turning point in the movie was creepy, but somewhat attractive (the male and female audience in the theater were divided in their reaction). Maybe the film was playing on the idea of an 'attractive killer' (certainly deformed), but it certainly got serious when she started slicing and dicing.
The source of these creatures ties in the plot; there's a reason these kind of monsters exist.
Upon its first view, Silent Hill's plot can lose some people. This could detract some people from the movie, and this has raised some negative comments from the film arena, saying that the game has to be played to be understood. This is not really true. One must see this movie several times before understanding, as not all the information is spoon fed. Some links in the movie can be missed upon the first viewing.
The special effects are quite good, making the otherworldly creatures believable, and the make up is excellent.
The sound effects are creepy. Since one of the video game's strengths was sound effects rather than the element of surprise, it is no surprise then that the movie has followed suit. Although it's not particularly memorable, it heightens and compliments the events on screen.
The cinematography is superb; it really immerses you into the movie. The three 'versions' of Silent Hill each have a distinct look: the 'normal' Silent Hill has normal lighting, and looks quite normal. The 'foggy' Silent Hill looks foreboding. The 'Otherworld' Silent Hill looks dark and sinister, and the unwelcoming creatures fit right into the atmosphere.
Christopher Gans has done an exceptional job of converting the game franchise into a movie. The beginning of the trip to Silent Hill is done almost exactly like the video game that inspired it; even the camera angles are the same. After this, however, he takes full control and applies his vision of Silent Hill: never far from the true plot, yet never following it completely.
In its own right, Silent Hill is an exceptional horror film, and a very good game-film adaption. Sadly enough, it even beats Hollywood's own 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'House of Wax'. Unfortunately, due to the modest marketing and it being a cult video game, it will be overlooked in the running for the 'best video game to movie adaption' category.
7/10
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Simply Stunning...*MINOR SPOILERS*
I went to this movie, expecting that although this was going to be good, it would not be able to exceed the greatness of any of the three original movies. When I came out of the cinema, I thought, "Lucas, you've completed your quadrilogy."
Set a few years after the beginning of the Clone Wars, Anakin has reached Jedi Knight status, and him and Obi-Wan are on a mission to save Chancellor Palpatine Everything, from the acting, to the score, was of high calibre. The special effects were top notch as usual, and actually complimented the movie. The acting was raised another notch or two. McGregor was brilliant as usual, Yoda, even though purely CGI, looked even wiser and more aggressive, but Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin, has probably improved the most. His acting is actually believable this time around, but some emotions still scream 'Episode II stinker' (That is, he seems to restrict himself). When Anakin turns to the Dark side though, Christensen's performance is quite amazing. The chemistry between him and co-star Natalie Portman is believable, too. Without a doubt, Ian McDirmid had the best on screen performance. It seems only he could ever portray the revival of the Sith.
John William's score feels somewhat restricted in the movie, although it is great. At times, one wonders where the music is, while lightsabers are cutting paths of limb-slicing death. There are places where you will feel proud of the Star Wars score though, such as the Yoda vs. Darth Sidious scene. Pure brilliance.
The story is great. It fits in almost perfectly with the old trilogy. Lucas wanted us to 'love' to be sad with this movie, and, fortunately for him, it does make one sad. The script was generally better this time around, and helps move the story emotionally. One cannot help but feel sad/angry at the time of the line "I need him!", or feel the tension at the lava planet when Obi-Wan says "Anakin, let her go!". The transition to Darth Vader wasn't as 'epic' as it should have been. This is probably the biggest let down in the movie, but even then, it is not a big let down. Ultimately, this is a sad movie, a movie that shows that good guys don't always win.
Overall, this movie had everything, great acting, good story, awesome effects, and the rise of one of the greatest villains of all time. Highly Recommended - 9/10
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Possibly the best sequel ever made.
I watched this on the first few days it came out. I had very high expectations for this sequel, as I heard a lot about it on T.V and newspapers. And boy did it fulfill my expectations. Every aspect of this movie has been taken a level up, especially the *SPOILER* emotional part *SPOILER END*
The action has also taken been taken up a notch, and clearly has one of the best fighting scenes this side of The Matrix trilogy. The acting is superb, and Tobey once again is giving us a sense that Peter Parker is real. J.K Simmons is also great and funny, and Kirsten Dunst, Rosemary Harris and James Franco, along with Alfred Molina also do a very good job.
Probably the best movie you'll see this year, much less this Summer. 10/10