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The Lego Movie (2014)
Kid Films Domenation
I haven't seen the film so I can't critic on it but I can share my knowledge on why I think this film has done so well for itself. It's a kids film and even though they are the most overlooked films in terms of their content they rack up huge at the box office because of audience fees. Point blank people who have kids have no choice to take them to a kids movie at the multiplex because they either typically can't see anything else or don't want to see anything else. Look at the top 50 highest grossing films of all time if you look past Avatar, Titanic and The Avengers most of the list is comprised of kids or young adult films. Movies like the lego movie are funny, spontaneous and colourful hence the reason children love them but this film also has familiar characters like Batman for instance which thanks to Christopher Nolan is majorly back on the map. However most of the time films distributed by Disney and Nickoldeon tend to be ran into the ground against more adult films because of their content which doesn't really vary from that in big hits like Frozen and The Lego Movie. I wish the filmmakers of this film all the luck and maybe just maybe this film will make the top 10.
Boardwalk Empire (2010)
A neo noir ride
The 1920's have always fascinated me and Noir in general. Although this isn't seen as a noir tale to many I look at it from that angle your dealing with the roarin 20's,gangsters and murder all the ingredients to make a noir story. Creatively I would have made the series black and white to keep the originality of the era but the show works in color. The cast really drew me in through the first episode and kept me wanting more. I'm yet to see season 2 but I cannot wait to see how characters grow and exit. What will become of the relationship between Margeret and Nucky will it heat up again. I think the costume department deserves a huge shout out to the fantastic work they put in and the editing is great too. It's a well written and directed Noir ride and should be embraced by anybody who calls them a filmmaker.
Haywire (2011)
Sent me spinning
I always call a film fairly and action films are my first love however this one I found to be all hype in terms of what was said about it. I thought the performances were good but the story suffered as a confusion to me because it starts you somewhere then catapults you somewhere different. I think it would have worked much better as a linear story as apposed to a giant 90 min flashback that eventually caught up to itself. The ending was really rushed and abrupt will we ever find out what happened to Antonia Bandaras most likely not. I was impressed by the fighting though the world needs more female heroines. All in all the story was too confusing and struggled to hit the mark with me.
Bunraku (2010)
A watchmen style kick ass movie.
I am a huge fan of comic book films like sin city,sucker punch and watchmen. Bunraku ticked all the necessary boxes for me in terms of style and techniques. The direction was really good and the script was amazing. I loved the whole keep the hero silent until the very end thing that made me watch the film the whole way through keeping you on edge. Josh Hartnett is very good at these kind of roles. One other thing I really loved was how the movie was lit I mean wow the lighting complemented the originality of the scenes and locations. This was one of the better movies I have come across this year. I love gift scenes especially if their done well like these ones are. Also the video game fight scene with the drifter going down levels of stairs I picked up on that,it was great. This is pretty much what I want my first feature to look and feel like.
The Hunger Games (2012)
A decent ride
I don't know how being a super critic works but I do know one thing. This movie has not been reviewed fairly at all. You gotta look past the book okay movies that are based on book are going to be different from the film always because books are a bundle of words on a page. Unless your running time is 7 hours for the film naturally you have to cut and paste all I am saying to you hardcore book fans out there is be aware of that. Films and books are two completely different mediums. As for some reviews on this film I failed to see the Blair witch camera work relations at all. The movie was shot quite decently there it's an action film the camera needs to move around in order to bring the audience in if the camera just sat on a tripod you'd complain that the action got away from you. Great fight choreography well written story with some good direction. The cast was wonderful in their performances the only two thing that bugged me were the fact that glimmer died at all and the starship flying over head in the forest. All in all a decent ride.
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
A visual masterpiece
I'll get the thing that bothered me out of the way first. Persius goes through a lot in the story only to have Zeus die on him anyway right that is a kick in the sack big time. Other than that the film romped the first one in terms of story and style. The main antagonist lasted at least more than a minute this time round and it was a far more elaborate battle scene. The visual effects were mind-blowing and done with such profession for that I commend you guys very good job. I thought the stand out death scene went to the actress who played Karina whom I would have loved to see more of. The costume dept done a really great job too but it was the effects and directing that sold this one for me.
Interview with the Assassin (2002)
A Very Impressive Docudrama.
It felt real to me I found myself believing every word Walter said. Even if the guy was nuts his skill and knowledge pointed to the fact that he could have killed JFK. He knew the scene of the crime very well ( And I don't mean from a spectators POV) To much evidence proves that he was the second shooter. The way it was shot helped the overall look of the film. I actually felt like I was watching a documentary until the cast credit came up at the end. Then I realized that this was a filmmakers recount on the actual confession. Many other forms of media have been created about the JFK murder but this one really stole the show for me. I also enjoyed the fact that a former American hero of the marines would actually be the guy to secure supreme power by killing the president. I got to say the scene towards the end where Walter is proving he done it by getting a gun into the white house and about to shoot another president was totally crazy in all the right ways.
Predators (2010)
Expected More
When I heard Rodregiuez was producing I had to see it. I enjoyed it however there was just something missing for me. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly but something lacked. The cinematography struck me as plain as well. It had the chance to be better than AVP2 but it just wasn't. On a happier note the VFX were awesome and the performances were great too. It had an old school predator vibe but I think the lack of quality camera work just let down the new school story. I almost predicted every place Nimrod chose to put the camera as I did in the first predator. However the one shot from the tree canapé was great. Worth a watch but not brilliant.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010)
Masterful
I have seen all the Harry Potter films so far and I've not once been disappointed in any. The performances are always great,The VFX are becoming far better and The story lines are having far more bite to them. This was the first David Yates film i've seen and he made an outstanding impression (And that's coming from a Frank Miller and Zac Snyder fan) Emma Watson blew me away with one of her scenes she has with Helena Bonhem Carter. Each Potter film that comes out always impresses me more than the previous one. I've not read any of the books cause for me that would just ruin the spectacular chance of seeing it on screen. If you haven't seen this one yet than make it a mandatory goal.
Dorian Gray (2009)
An enjoyable piece of work
I always looked at Dorion Grey at the store. I'm not much a fan of old fashioned UK films if they are like: The Young Victoria or something along those lines. Dorion Grey was described to me as a vampire film at first, well clearly the person who told me that was wrong. Dorion Grey is the perfect example of a much more powerful friend that wants everything Dorion has but never attempted to seek for it. So Dorion decides he wants to live forever and so selling his soul to a painted picture of himself allows that. I finally bought it and watched it, I was not disappointed at all. Other than the gay/bi-sexual traits Dorion expresses in the film I quite enjoyed it. It's dark creepy and quite tense in most scenes towards the middle of the film. I also noticed Oliver's interesting creative choices to use jump cuts and a lot of shallow depth of field in this film. An enjoyable piece of work worth a watch. Well done to the crew and cast.
The Grudge (2004)
WOW A down and dirty horror
I really enjoyed all 3 of these films one thing I noticed in particular is that they were all really true to each other. The same opening credits, The same long corridor shots with the grudge walking towards a victim. Another thing I really want to compliment the creative team on is their ability to have made each of the grudge's appearances more horrific then the previous one. I really like the corridor shot in the grudge 2 where it is making it's way towards Sarah who by the way I think is beautiful. I give the entire trilogy a 9 due to the fact that almost every hot girl get's killed in these films. I hated how Sarah falls off the roof in the 2nd film but you gotta put some kind of shock moment there for your audience. All round I really like these films and the stories that they told.
Zodiac (2007)
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it
I really like how the story follows a cartoonist who decides his going to prove himself to people that he can do more then draw cartoons. To all people who think that your prone to only being what you can I'd just like to say your wrong. Watch this film it is a true underdog story he might not solve the case but he comes damn close. Jake is once again brilliant in the role. After brokeback everyone kind of thought his to much of a soft guy to play any phiyiscal or tough guy type roles. Well they were wrong again. All round the film is true to the actual events and is well reasearched and presented. The way that David had it looking and feeling like it was the 60's again was also executed nicely.
Snatch (2000)
A film with a lot
I loved this film the editing was great and so was the sound but nothing beat the writing in this film it has some of the funniest dialog ever. It's a very natural film and the comedy and action works really well together. It is much like a film that neveildine/Taylor would direct and write. I saw a lot of snatch in crank high voltage there are the funny witty inter cut scenes and then there's the action with Jason statham who is nothing short of brilliant all of the time. It was interesting for Jason in snatch playing a weaker character then usual and he didn't have any cool martial arts fighting scenes which kind of shows he can do more then just beat people up.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The best so far
For the life of me I'll never understand how people cannot like a film like twilight. I'll admit the first one failed to impress me and if you've read my reviews you would know that it isn't very hard to impress me with films. Eclipse takes this saga to a whole new level of whoop ass. There is far more action and intensity in each performance and some quality camera work as well. The cinematography is well done as the light varies throughout the film nicely with each scene and it's mood. When there's romance it's bright and colorful when there is horror it's dark and creepy. The directing is also better in this film then it is in the other 2. It's worth a look at and comes recommended.
Gabriel (2007)
Not your ordinary Australian film
Most Australian director/writers have a certain look on there films which is why Australia is no Hollywood. That said Gabriel is an Australian film in the style of a dark Hollywood action horror. It's easy to see why this film done very well in the united states as it's not all about the country of Australia or it leaves out the Australian feel which kind of makes most Australian films the same or comparable to each other. Gabriel is not comparable to any Australian films but it has compared to Constantine an American film. Shane abbess is the kind of Australian director/writer that I inspire to be. I want to make action/graphic novel films. As an Australian my work would be very American and not a typical Australian film much like Gabriel. So that is why Gabriel worked on many levels for me.
Wrong Side of Town (2010)
An interesting look and feel
I wasn't exactly disappointed with the film but it looks better on the case then it is on film. There were a few things wrong. One of which is the fact that when you look at the cover for the film you think that Batista is the main focus of the film. His not rob van dam is the main character but Batista is made to look more powerful which didn't work for me. There were some shaky camera shots that could have been fixed with the use of a steadicam or a tripod. One the upside it had a slight graphic novel feel about it with it's lighting in the strip club scene and the opening credits are quite graphic novel looking. The performances are very good I just think it could have been tightend up and made a better impression on the audience. It has an interesting look and feel.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Burton does it again
Tim Burton one of my favorite directors ever. Tim has a way of making films his own even if they've been remade time and time again. I have seen one of the other versions of Alice and it was good but not great. With Tim's version it seems like a different film in some parts because it is a Tim Burton film. He usually makes awfully dark Gothic films however the element of darkness is there in Alice it also has the element of color as well which I think is really good. The lighting is nothing short of fantastic and the fx are great. It's very well done with it's production design as well. But to have an unknown Australian actress to play Alice at first I thought interesting casting. I was not disappointed Mia was great as Alice and I felt she fell into the character. Nice work Tim!
The Marine 2 (2009)
A great piece
I really love films like this. Although graphic novels are my favorite military movies are a close second. Wwe superstars have a good eye for taking on scripts that involve a lot of stunt work blowing stuff up and being an action hero. It wasn't as good as the first marine cuz John cena is the original of the marine making him better but John is also more hardcore then Ted. Ted on the other hand really impressed me with his performance he really made feel like he was a marine and for a director to feel a performance is good. Not to mention the fact that the entire film was shot on location no sets at an actual village in phuket. The director chose to shoot on location to give a sense of realism to the film. Ted was jumping through peoples houses on there furniture and everything and everything. The hotel was real there people on holiday there while the crew blew stuff up and Ted fought his way into the hotel it was a crazy but breathtaking way to shoot a picture. The amount of action in the film paces the story along at a nice speed as well. A great piece.
Halloween II (2009)
A well made film
Having not seen the first Halloween 2 by John carpenter. I didn't know what to expect from this version. I did see the very first Halloween with Jamie lee Curtis. The only things I found disappointing about this version was the amount of clichés rob decided to use. On the other hand this had a lot of great shots to make up for that the shots were complimented by very nice lighting. One type of shot used a lot in this film is a master shot where rob has put the camera on the ground at a rather long distance from the subject and then had a light at the other end of the shot behind the subject and I thought that worked rather well. The story was good but I didn't like how Lorie ended up being Micheal's sister. Cuz in the original Micheal kills his sister so that was a little out of place. Another compliment to the acting in this film it was dramatic,filled with trauma and very well pulled off. A well made film.
Avatar (2009)
An epic film
There have been mixed emotions about this film from a lot of people I have spoke to. I decided that I would check it out for myself and I can't wait for the sequel. It has been referred to as a simple Pocahontas in space story but I see a much bigger picture here. James Cameron always thinks about what his going to do in each of his films and he does this brilliantly. The effects in avatar are mind blowing and the music is great. I'm simply having trouble understanding that if it is such a basic film and not the epic everyone says it is then why is it at the top of the world wide box office charts. If someone can give me a half decent answer to that then I'll consider listening.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
A fantastic piece of work
Well having played all the games I can honestly say I didn't know what to think when I found out that Jake gyellenhaal would be playing dasdan in the film. Well as always Jake impressed me at his fullest and the film was a fantastic piece of work. I expected it to be once I knew Jerry bruckhiemer was the producer and once again he impressed me. The visual effects team on the film deserves to be credited due to there brilliant work throughout the entire movie. The last effect sold the work of the effects team to me as outstanding. I also really like the way the director chose to open and close the film with the same shot and subtitles. After the film is done you really understand why the director did that. I really hope they follow this great film up with an equally great sequel and i don't think I will be disappointed.
Sin City (2005)
My favorite style of film
Sin city changed the way I looked at films. Frank miller really created a style all his own when he shot this film the way he did. It was the look and feel of the film that drew my attention fully. I love the idea of the red blended with the black and white. It's just capturing in every way. When I shoot my films I always do a noir style like sin city cause it's just such a great film. Also with the blend of Robert Rodriaguez and Quentin Tarantino this film is easily the best of it's genre and an all time favorite of mine. Another great compliment is to the casting of the film. Jessica alba really brings the sexiness as always and josh hartnett plays my favorite character of all. I can't say I love every scene about many other films but this one I can honestly say that.
True Blood (2008)
A truly glittering series
True blood always has me wanting more after I watch every season on DVD. The cliffhangers kill me and leave me wondering what is going to happen next. I was however disappointed with how small Lindsey haun's role of Hadly is in the second season. It also has some great camera work and most of the directors that have so far worked on the series have all done great jobs. The creator and writer has concived this brilliant idea of what it would be like to live and breath among vampires and to share feelings with them and even fall in love with them. I am no fan of dramatic love stories but this show can hold my attention with the way that every episode is put across to the audience by wonderful performers.
Wolf Creek (2005)
Not a bad picture
I enjoyed wolf creek but the reason I can't give it full marks is because it just lacked something for me I am not quite sure what exactly but it was missing a certain something. I didn't know then what I know now about films and if I had to guess what it was missing I guess it would be the fact that some of the actors couldn't act all that great. Some just lacked the ability to treat it like a story based on true events. On the positive side the directing and location choices made up it's 7 stars I give it. Greg really did well to shoot a film in such a hostile environment like out in the dessert.It also had a great usage of light to help the flow of the film. The last scene the sun is rising cause Nathan Phillips is alive and his a survivor where as in the killing scenes the light is much darker and dismal.
Bran Nue Dae (2009)
A well made Aussie film
Bran nue dae is one of the best Aussie made feature films I've seen. The songs are natural and help to move the story along at a good pace. The camera work also works well to help tell the story of where our main character is heading along his journey back home to broome. The landscapes in the film are great and it has a lot of vibrant warm coulours. Even in the chapel scene when the priest is punishing the boys the director and costume department choose bright yellow shirts to give the scene a bit more of a warm comedic feel to it. The story is well written and well directed. The only thing I have to take marks off for is the clasification of the film. I think it should have been M rated due to a certain song sang in the bar scene. Other then that it is a well made Aussie film.