I come back to this film in the wake of the Batman announcement, and it still amazes that we rate it as a bad movie, honestly, it is flawed and it is not The Dark Knight, but it tried many of the things that Nolan perfected, it feels like a criminal drama with costumes at parts, and that is a good thing, the cast is not as colossal, not as good as Batman would get, the hero also is much less known for the average movie goer but this movie right here has all the seeds that will eventually grow into the two best movies of heroes -both of 2008- At this moment in time 10 years after it's release, the effects are dated, the music is a minus for most people. But for me, even if annoying it manages to integrate itself into the narrative of the film, it is a noisy thing for a guy whose world is a noisy place to live. The movie tries to cram so much into too little space, but there is a Director's Cut that saves some of these and makes the hero even more of a dimensional character, this 10 is not because the movie is perfect, but because it is seriously underrated, even the people in the movie seem to hate it not realizing what they did, what they accomplished and what they almost accomplished. People say now that this movie is the reason Affleck can't be Batman, but they are wrong, for good and bad, for the experience he got from this movie, for the talent and heart he already gave here, it's obvious he can be Batman. Affleck is strong and the late Clarke Duncan owns the character rightly so, while Farell and Garner are not a strong, they still deliver, Daredevil is a flawed gem, but one that tried to gave it's characters some dept and to run with plots that made sense and to conclusions that are not really that happy, while DC learned from this, Marvel forgot about this as soon as the Avengers project became viable and hence Daredevil remains a much more solid film that Captain America or the Iron sequels which we nonetheless gave more money and rate higher. We should put things into perspective, remember the state of films before the two Fox films of that remote 2003 and thank that year for our eventual 2008 and all of the things that came from that.
Reviews
6 Reviews
The Last Airbender
(2010)
It works better with the ending...
28 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
So OK guys, I will not tell you I loved the rhythm because I did not, it certainly hurted the movie, this had to be Troy long why it wasn't because it was targeted as a children film so hopefully someday we'll get a director cut which sometimes really helps movies.
So no it is not that great there is something so Eragon about it, the ending feels sadly the same and it is probably doomed just like that.
But for those of you complaining about the wave...it is the only way to make the pinkie dinky happy ending of the series logical, in here I found no Fire Helmets near Gyatso, I heard Koh the dragon said to Aang you shall not hurt them...the spirits and he both want to hurt nobody...from here, and there is not a direct advise or evidence against it.
This is not by far the film of the year...that so far goes to Inception...but really it was hurt by many things and it manages to get some good ideas there and to work better with Aang final decision than the whole setting of the series.
It is a kids film and to be as complete and rhythmical as some of us wanted it to be it would need all 3 hours. So it is a fault about the people really into it, must of us ain't no kids, but that was the supposed target.
I gave it 10 stars just to rank it a little because good darn it...works with that awful final and at the same time feels less shoehorned than that...and this movie really goes all the way shoehorned.
So no it is not that great there is something so Eragon about it, the ending feels sadly the same and it is probably doomed just like that.
But for those of you complaining about the wave...it is the only way to make the pinkie dinky happy ending of the series logical, in here I found no Fire Helmets near Gyatso, I heard Koh the dragon said to Aang you shall not hurt them...the spirits and he both want to hurt nobody...from here, and there is not a direct advise or evidence against it.
This is not by far the film of the year...that so far goes to Inception...but really it was hurt by many things and it manages to get some good ideas there and to work better with Aang final decision than the whole setting of the series.
It is a kids film and to be as complete and rhythmical as some of us wanted it to be it would need all 3 hours. So it is a fault about the people really into it, must of us ain't no kids, but that was the supposed target.
I gave it 10 stars just to rank it a little because good darn it...works with that awful final and at the same time feels less shoehorned than that...and this movie really goes all the way shoehorned.
Iron Man 2
(2010)
It does not feel like a whole thing
16 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
There is simple no point of comparison between The Dark Knight and IM2 and if we could all see what each one is you can see why IM2 ends up failing.
For starters Iron Man2 tries to be at the same time a teaser of Avengers. a decent sequel, a funny summertime movie. Within these three responsibilities Iron Man2 has to be taken within a bigger cannon, and as such it is not a whole thing in itself.
That could be good as it happened with The Incredible Hulk (As it managed to homage the 70s series, felt much more like a sequel (Even if it wasn't) to Hulk than this is to IM, and delivering both a complete story yet full of natural hints as teaser of the Iniciative) But Favreau or rather the whole production team decided to spent money paying a more than famous artist to do the storyboard rather than keep an actor who performed well enough in the first one. I am by no means doubting the talent of Cheadle and I know that Katie Holmes was successfully replaced in The Dark Knight (But Maggie not only does not jump that obviously to the sight, no, she has few scenes and the importance of the character comes from the memories, significance of her appearance rather than the character actions in themselves) Don simply makes the whole thing does not feel like an aesthetic unity anymore.
This comes as the biggest problem for me if only because no one else is giving it importance, but this is the kind of thing that would get attention if it happened to Ron Weasley. But it is not the only one. Iron Man 2 feels overstuffed, it has cool characters that feel a little forced into the mix (The SHIELD agents Natasha and Fury) Certainly Mickey Rourke could have done much more, and Sam Rockwell delivers greatly that much I can tell you.
Some people will see the "Element" creation as something a little over the top, but it is not except for the Captn reference, not subtle and cool like in the first one.
Iron Man2 is fun, yes, and the special effects are a la pair with the first movie, but it tries to be a cannon piece to much and fails in such an obvious way that I could not give it any better status than X3:Last Stand.
For starters Iron Man2 tries to be at the same time a teaser of Avengers. a decent sequel, a funny summertime movie. Within these three responsibilities Iron Man2 has to be taken within a bigger cannon, and as such it is not a whole thing in itself.
That could be good as it happened with The Incredible Hulk (As it managed to homage the 70s series, felt much more like a sequel (Even if it wasn't) to Hulk than this is to IM, and delivering both a complete story yet full of natural hints as teaser of the Iniciative) But Favreau or rather the whole production team decided to spent money paying a more than famous artist to do the storyboard rather than keep an actor who performed well enough in the first one. I am by no means doubting the talent of Cheadle and I know that Katie Holmes was successfully replaced in The Dark Knight (But Maggie not only does not jump that obviously to the sight, no, she has few scenes and the importance of the character comes from the memories, significance of her appearance rather than the character actions in themselves) Don simply makes the whole thing does not feel like an aesthetic unity anymore.
This comes as the biggest problem for me if only because no one else is giving it importance, but this is the kind of thing that would get attention if it happened to Ron Weasley. But it is not the only one. Iron Man 2 feels overstuffed, it has cool characters that feel a little forced into the mix (The SHIELD agents Natasha and Fury) Certainly Mickey Rourke could have done much more, and Sam Rockwell delivers greatly that much I can tell you.
Some people will see the "Element" creation as something a little over the top, but it is not except for the Captn reference, not subtle and cool like in the first one.
Iron Man2 is fun, yes, and the special effects are a la pair with the first movie, but it tries to be a cannon piece to much and fails in such an obvious way that I could not give it any better status than X3:Last Stand.
Playmobil: The Secret of Pirate Island
(2009 Video)
Comes out unimaginative when compared to the toyline
24 March 2010
I try to see this as a kid since that is obviously the target of the film. It may be entertaining, for a while in such instance. The idea in itself is not that bad if maybe a little "retro" with children playing 'till they get lost into a brave new world.
While some of the story obstacles resolve themselves somehow unexpectedly, there is way to much of a Deus Ex Machinna saving the kids and the pirates too many often. And this may not be wrong at all, since I repeat this movie is for very little kids.
As a simple commercial it is not that bad, but it needs to improve if it wants to get some profits of it.
While some of the story obstacles resolve themselves somehow unexpectedly, there is way to much of a Deus Ex Machinna saving the kids and the pirates too many often. And this may not be wrong at all, since I repeat this movie is for very little kids.
As a simple commercial it is not that bad, but it needs to improve if it wants to get some profits of it.
Silent Hill
(2006)
It works for itself.
24 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
In the DVD features Christophe states the essential truth about adapting a work from a different media. You can mess the characters and the setting but you shall not mess the theme.
The theme is something that goes completely ignored more times than not, and it carries the difference between a great adaptation or a unwatchable work.
The theme to Silent Hill (Just the Alessa arc) is about parent and child love. And just how religion can transform people into monsters. The movie gets this right while visually keeping the cue from the video game. It develops in a story of it's own. There will be purists who will not enjoy the film, since it cannot recreate the long hours of playing and the feeling of being in control. Buyt it is just different media and the only thing that has to be really carried over is the theme and the spirit.
In a sub genre full of bad flicks. Silent Hill may be the best out there. That does not speaks great of the film, but means something, the production team understood what could be done and as a result even with the most different setting this movie shares more spirit with it's original material than the LOTR movies for example.
A worth rental at the very least. and for people who know nothing of Silent Hill perhaps a good chance to get into one of the most rich and narratologically complex videogames ever.
The theme is something that goes completely ignored more times than not, and it carries the difference between a great adaptation or a unwatchable work.
The theme to Silent Hill (Just the Alessa arc) is about parent and child love. And just how religion can transform people into monsters. The movie gets this right while visually keeping the cue from the video game. It develops in a story of it's own. There will be purists who will not enjoy the film, since it cannot recreate the long hours of playing and the feeling of being in control. Buyt it is just different media and the only thing that has to be really carried over is the theme and the spirit.
In a sub genre full of bad flicks. Silent Hill may be the best out there. That does not speaks great of the film, but means something, the production team understood what could be done and as a result even with the most different setting this movie shares more spirit with it's original material than the LOTR movies for example.
A worth rental at the very least. and for people who know nothing of Silent Hill perhaps a good chance to get into one of the most rich and narratologically complex videogames ever.
Born of Hope
(2009)
A work of understanding and caring.
24 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
First off, I doubted of this movie, essentially because of some posts in the website; This is obviously the work of a fan of the movies which I happen to dislike strongly. But the team behind this simple tale actually reached the spot with the theme and the feeling of a Middle Earth recreation.
I believe strongly that the whole Tolkien universe is resumed in the very last words of the Quenta Silmarillion. And that is my reason to dislike the way the writers of the movie trilogy decided to finish the whole ordeal.
As of Born of Hope itself. there are two lines that I thought had to be there, both of them are...the first one is between the parents of Gilraen and the second is in the very end, the difference between a good effort and an admirable work as they resume the whole experience.
While the battle scenes I felt were not as good as the one in The Hunt for Gollum. They deliver correctly, and the characters got great pieces of dialog.
Technically Born of Hope is flawless for what it is. But a technically efficient experience shall never be enough for a true LOTR project. Thankfully the people behind the film came up with an adequate script. I hope they find this review useful in future efforts.
I believe strongly that the whole Tolkien universe is resumed in the very last words of the Quenta Silmarillion. And that is my reason to dislike the way the writers of the movie trilogy decided to finish the whole ordeal.
As of Born of Hope itself. there are two lines that I thought had to be there, both of them are...the first one is between the parents of Gilraen and the second is in the very end, the difference between a good effort and an admirable work as they resume the whole experience.
While the battle scenes I felt were not as good as the one in The Hunt for Gollum. They deliver correctly, and the characters got great pieces of dialog.
Technically Born of Hope is flawless for what it is. But a technically efficient experience shall never be enough for a true LOTR project. Thankfully the people behind the film came up with an adequate script. I hope they find this review useful in future efforts.
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