Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share.
Today’s review is American Flyers
In my younger days (and soon again) I was quite the cycling enthusiast. I even competed on the semipro circuit placing modestly. I also took a 1200km route from Quebec City to Toronto in 12 days. Damn, I used to be in shape. And this is in part why I find American Flyers to be such an important film to me. But it also has a deep storyline that makes this exciting race movie more of a drama.
THE GENERAL IDEA
Sports physician Marcus (Costner) persuades his unstable brother David to come with him and train for a bicycle race across the Rocky Mountains. He doesn’t tell him that he has a cerebral tumor. While David powerfully heads for the victory, Marcus has to realize that the contest is now beyond his capabilities.
THE GOOD
They don’t candycoat the mechanics of the bike racing. In a lot of sports movies they change elements to make them more entertaining. Like Olympic figure skating with performance concert lighting (The lights are always on in competition skating) but we forgive it because it looks cooler. But Flyers managers to do keep the technicalities of the sport accurate to a tee and illustrates some of the strategies cyclists use to win a race.
The story is sincere. There are no story hooks that require forgiveness in it. Things happen for a purpose, there is no “convenient coincidences” to save the day. There is no miracles. There is drive, passion, and a brotherly bond. There are no pointless love interests. There is no hokey plot holes to serve the excitement of the sport. It is a great story that just gives you a real life relationship and none of the “hollywood baggage”
THE BAD
Kevin Costner is Costner. I really think that Costner is a fantastic actor when he wants to be, but typically he is just Costner. Which works out, because he seems like a really genuine guy and he plays the everyday joe very well. Costner loves his sports movies, and most of them tend to be “What if Costner was a pro ball player/pro golfer/etc?” this is no exception. People that don’t like Costner at all are not going to like this movie as it revolves entirely around him and his brother.
There are some actors I can’t stand them being the same guy, but Costner doesn’t have that affect on me.
OVERALL
The sincere storyline, great illustration of a brotherly love that we don’t often see in films anymore, and some real exciting cycling all contribute to a great film. I just love this to death because of my involvement in the sport. Still a great movie, even without all the Hollywood shine.
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV. Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it. Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
So on a scale of TV, Rent or Buy I suggest RENT! (It was a buy for me, but for different reasons. But safe to call it a Rent for anyone else)
Thanks for checking out our Transformers 2 review. If you’d like to see a video version of our Transformers 2 review you can see it at the bottom of the post.
It’s no secret that I LOVE Transformers. I grew up playing with the toys as a kid. Aside from the Star Wars prequels I’ve never looked forward to a movie as much as I did for the first Transformers a couple of years ago… and I LOVED the first movie (weaknesses and all). So it’s no surprise that Transfomers 2 (aka Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) has been my #1 most anticipated movie of the year.
The other night I had a chance to go and see it in IMAX here in Los Angeles and I can tell you this right up front. This movie is bigger than the last one, has more action than the last one, has better effects than the last one but over all is not as good as the last one. As one friend of mine wrote to me “It’s more spectacular than the first one… but not as good”.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis for Transformers 2 looks something like this: “When the story begins, the Autobots and the military have been waging a secret war against the Decepticons. As more of the giant robots continue to resurface, though, it becomes apparent the Transformers have been part of Earth’s history for longer than they’d led mankind to believe. One group of bureaucrats even wonders if the Decepticons are only appearing because of the Autobot presence. Desperate not to leave Earth undefended, Optimus Prime turns to Sam and asks him to become a human advocate, someone who will convince mankind that the Autobots should be allowed to stay. Sam refuses to believe he can help though, wanting to go to college and live a normal life – as normal as possible with the strange thoughts and visions that have haunted him since being exposed to the All Spark’s primal energies two years earlier. Alas, Sam’s refusal will have harsh consequences for himself, the Autobots and possibly the entire world. The Decepticons fallen leader, Megatron has been resurrected and brings with him an ancient evil from the Transformers own history.”
THE GOOD
My dear heavens I never would have thought that the effects in Transformers could be outdone… but Transformers 2 did it. The Autobots and Decepticons look far more real and awe inspiring than they did in the first one. They become especially impressive when you see them interacting with real world actors and sets. It’s so hard to believe that these gigantic warriors aren’t real. Exactly what Transformers fans wanted.
The action. Holy sweet nuts cakes the action! This movie just goes and goes and goes. The movie OPENS with a HUGE scale action sequence that just makes your jaw hit the floor in amazement. “This is what they’re STARTING the movie with?!?!” went through my head a couple of times in the first 60 seconds. So many more action sequences and battles than the first one. Exactly what Transformers fans wanted.
There is A LOT more screen time for the Autobots and Decepticons than in the first film (something that a bigger budget allowed for I guess). We even get to see a much longer Megatron/Starscream squabble which is something painfully missing from the first movie. Exactly what Transformers fans wanted.
There is a much deeper history revealed about the Transformers in this flick that I thought added some much needed richness to the whole mythology of the Cybertonian race. We learn more about “The Primes” (a certain leadership sect within the Transformers of which Optimus is obviously a direct descendant of). We learn more about Energon (no, we don’t get to see “Energon Cubes” unfortunately) and the history of the Transformers on earth as well as the grander plans (evil ones… dun dun duuuunnnhhhh) the decepticons have for Earth. Exactly what Transformers fans wanted.
Yes, it seems Transformers 2 takes all the good things about the first movie and builds on them. Exactly what Transformers fans wanted. BUT… they unfortunately also built on all the first movie’s weaknesses and put them on steroids, which leads us too…
THE BAD
I absolutely must start with this one. THE TWINS! Oh dear heavens the Twins. These two new Autobots are the new Jar Jar Binks. They absolutely ruin this movie. They are the most offensive and racist stereotypes I’ve seen on the screen in a LONG time on top of being unfunny and as annoying as hell. I personally don’t mind stereotypes in general because they’re often just an expression of reality… but when you use stereotypes to express nothing but negative connotations of entire people groups I get really uncomfortable. Basically, the “Twins” are two dumb autobots who don’t even know how to read (no really… they don’t know how to read) that talk jive and look, and act like two “hood niggas”. For fuck’s sake they even have buck teeth on one of them has a gold tooth. I wish I was making this up. Who thought this was a good idea?!?!?! To make matters even worse, these two Jar Jar’s have more screen time than Megatron and Optimus Prime! No, I’m not kidding (maybe if I clock it I might find out I’m incorrect on that… but it certainly felt like that). It was horrible. I HATED them with a deep and abiding hatred. They are the stupidest thing I’ve seen on screen in a long time and I’m simply astonished that ANYONE thought they were a good idea to go forward with.
It’s hard to believe, but the dialog in this one is worse than in the first one. Let’s face it, dialog in Transformers is entirely unimportant. We all know why we see the Transformers, and the spoken word isn’t really one of the reasons. Still… the pure amount of cheese in the lines was painful to both listen to and think about.
Even though a lot of people had issues with John Turturro’s character from the first movie (the Sector 7 super agent), I actually liked him. However, in this film they made him a ridiculous parody with some of the most inept nonsense you can think of. No way this guy was a respected agent in the government at one time. The Transformers are supposed to be the animated characters… not Turturro who ends up being just one step removed from Yosemite Sam. Horrible horrible horrible.
A lot of Transformers fans got excited when we heard that fan favorite Soundwave was going to be in this movie. Well… I don’t know who that was… but it was NOT Soundwave. In Transformers 2, Soundwave is basically a giant fat metal blob satellite hovering in space that looked more like Jabba the Hut than a Transformer. That’s all he does in the movie… floats in space. Thanks.
Holy Shit “Wheelie” is almost as annoying as the Twins. You’ve probably seen the clip online of him getting chased around by Megan Fox. He changes sides from Decepticons to Autobots for… well… for no apparent reason whatsoever. He just decides to become an Autobot and I’m still not sure why.
Speaking of Megan Fox. Have I ever mentioned this girl CAN NOT ACT!?!?! Look, I’ve met this girl. She is absolutely one of the hottest women on the planet and seems like a very nice girl. But acting in any sort of role that requires her doing anything other than showing of her midrif or possibly performing fellatio is just way beyond her ability. She’s a joy to see on screen. She’s a nightmare to HEAR on screen and her “performance” in Transformers 2 does nothing but solidify my opinion of her.
I don’t want to give any spoilers away here… but since when does Megatron kneel to ANYONE? In the movie Starscream tries to explain to Megatron why he took over command of the Decepticons after the “death” of Megatron and Meg says the BEST line in the movie in response to him: “Even in death there is no command but my own”. How awesome is that?!?!?!?! Then it gets ruined when he then turns to “The Fallen” and calls him “Master”. How does that make any sense?
OVERALL
Transformers 2 takes all the good things about the first movie and makes them bigger and better… but it also does the same for all the bad things about the first movie… x1000000. Great action. Fantastic effects. More Transformers in both numbers and time on screen…. but HORRIBLE dialog, The Twins and a terrible misuse of a lot of the characters puts my enjoyment level of this movie far below my enjoyment of the first one. I have to see the movie again tonight to even be sure if I “liked” it or not. It is everything a big summer blockbuster should be… and everything it shouldn’t be. Just because of the action and effects I still recommend you go see it for sure… but I’m only going to give Transformers: Revenge of the fallen a 5/10.
You can see our video version of the Transformers 2 review here:
Thanks for checking out our new feature, Forgotten Fridays. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. I have done some of these reviews in the past called Forgotten Gems, but now we want to try and bring you something on a more regular basis.
Today is Saturday, but yesterday became unbearably busy for me, so I apologize. But I still wanted to share a gem I have mentioned before.
Today’s review is Noises Off!
See, the International Friends might not know this, but John was actually a roommate of mine back in our younger days. Doug was an unofficial roommate often just spending the majority of the summer at our place as did Wormwood, another TMB Alum. The house I owned at the time was the central hub of our group of friends and that 4 bedroom four level back-split went down in history as a fraternity house of sorts. At one point I had 3 official roommates and about 3-4 more who just lived there. We also had a total of nine couches.
I didn’t want to spend any of my money on something as silly as cable so the movie rental place up the street which offered 7movies for 7 days for 7bucks got a lot of our business. There was always a stack of generic VHS white plastic movie shells on the entertainment unit.
One of those movies, which quickly became a purchase was Noises Off! We wore out that movie.
THE GENERAL IDEA
Lloyd Fellowes (Michael Caine) is the director of a theater company. He’s desperately trying to get his production together, despite the best efforts of the cast, the crew, and Lady Luck. We follow the production from final rehearsals, through opening night, and onto the tour: as with any group of actors forced to work closely together for any great length of time, romances and arguments are bound to break out. Quite often, what’s happening on stage is nothing compared to what’s happening backstage.
THE GOOD
The Play within the Movie is called “Nothing On”, and you only get to see the first part introducing the characters and some of the hijinks, and then skips ahead to the end with a line involving Sardines and some struck poses that make you wonder how the play came to this conclusion. But you don’t need to know. This story is about the actors putting on the show and this is where the genius lies. You are exposed to as much of the play as you need to just to get to the real story.
The Cast. When you hear the term “ensemble cast” it refers to a group where no one is the clear star, but the group itself is the star. I think this movie defines that term better than any other film. Some ensemble casts have a “clear lead” but this film works every personality as just another ingredient in a wonderful salad of laughs. None of them were super stars, but each had their degrees of success. Just check out this lineup:
Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Denholm Elliott, Julie Hagerty, Marilu Henner, Mark Linn-Baker, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter and Nicollette Sheridan.
Each of these actors are just brilliant in this movie. They all have strong personalities which all play a critical part and of course clash throughout the production. And each one of them plays an actor who is playing an actor in a play. It’s always clear when they are being “themselves” or when the actor is acting. Within this stage production we see what happens backstage and get a look at how a show gets put on. They all have their character quirks and they all shine in them.
The late John Ritter putts his pratfalls and physical comedy to the limit in this movie and not always “in the play”. Also no longer with us Christopher Reeve plays a soft spoken pacifist who gets a nosebleed if he witnesses violence. Which just punctuates the comedy of the falls, kicks, punches and other tomfoolery “on set”.
The comedic timing of each of these players is spot on. A line doesn’t drop without the rim shot to follow. The running gags never get tired.
I was in stitches for probably half of this movie and smiling during the rest of it.
THE BAD
Nicollette Sheridan spends the majority of this movie in lingerie. You hope to see more, but you don’t.
Aside from that, I’ve got nothing. Seriously.
OVERALL
This movie has repeat watching value that wont tire you or bore you. A rare quality. Dare I say that you will NOT find another ensemble as brilliantly mixed as this bunch. They may not have been superstars in their individual right, but together they combine to make the most amazing production which guarantees laughs and memorable lines.
The line by Carol Burnett that always gets me is “I’m sorry, I can’t see that far with this leg” – Sounds silly, but in the context of this complex scene there is nothing more perfect for her to say. You will just have to watch it.
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV. Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it. Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
Director Tony Scott and Denzel Washington are together again (the two have worked together previously on films like Deja Vu, Crimson Tide and Man On Fire) for this remake of the 1974 film which featured Walter Matthau. Everything sounds good so far… except they cast John Travolta as the main antagonist and Travolta isn’t exactly high on many people’s “favorite actor” list these days. I must admit I’m not much of a fan if his either and I thought his casting in this film opposite Denzel was a mistake from a marketing standpoint.
But hold the phone a second. While I readily admit that I don’t find Travolta all that good of an actor these days, I have to confess that whenever he’s cast as the “bad guy” in a movie, I usually end up liking him much more than usual (aside from quite possible the worst movie created in the history of cinema, Battlefield Earth). I loved him in Face Off, I even liked him in Broken Arrow. So maybe he’d fit in Pelham 123?
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis for The Taking Of Pelahm 123 reads something like this: “Tony Scott directs this remake of the Walter Matthau-starring thriller from 1974 with this Columbia Pictures production that pits a transit cop (Denzel Washington) against a group of hijackers lead by John Travolta, who take over a subway train in order to rake in a hefty ransom. David Koepp (War of the Worlds) is adapting the book by author John Godey. ~ Jeremy Wheeler
In “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there’s one riddle Garber can’t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?”
THE GOOD
One of the key elements to any good heist movie is that you’ve got to have the audience asking themselves the question “how on earth are they going to pull this off”? Or in the case of Pelham 123 “how on earth are they going to get away with it”? Unlike many heist movies, The Taking of Pelham 123 actually begins with the heist (in a sense) with Travolta and crew taking the train and the rest of the movie is a bit of a cat and mouse game that really does have you guessing “how do they plan to get out”. It’s this question that keeps you interested and riveted to the unfolding story and it really was pulled off well.
Denzel Washington continues to amaze me with his ability to take the best, or worst characters on screen and really make them pop. His performance in this film is no exception. Washington wasn’t given the best dialog to work with here, but somehow he finds a way to make this character REAL, sympathetic and we become interested in him due to the performance. This guy really is amazing.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I tend to be a lot more open to John Travolta in a film if he’s playing the antagonist, and I’ve got to say he steals the film. Granted, he had much better material to work with than any other character in the movie, but to his credit Travolta takes advantage of that and runs with the character. He’s intense, insane, smart, and funny at the same time (I think Travolta got all the biggest giggles from the crowd in the movie). Thumbs up.
THE BAD
There is a sub plot in the movie regarding Denzel Washington’s character facing an investigation at work for alleged bribe taking. The story line takes up a considerable amount of the film and it was a total waste. Here’s how I measure it… if you can remove a character or subplot from a movie entirely, and you wouldn’t have even noticed it being gone or if it had absolutely no effect or influence on the main story line… then get rid of it. Oh I realize that Scott was going for a motivation of redemption and exoneration for Washington’s character, but it was completely inconsequential and just took up screen time for literally no reason.
The ending of this movie SUCKS. It’s so horrible it practically undoes any good thing the rest of the film did. It was soooo bad and soooo terrible that even when the credits started rolling I stayed in my seat half expecting the screen to come back on to show more things happening… to show us that the movie didn’t end the way we think it did… so do SOMETHING. But no. A film that built up a satisfying story and sense of tension let it all completely unravel at the end in one of the most unsatisfying endings to a movie I’ve ever seen. Very disappointing.
OVERALL
The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 is a pretty good heist film, setting up a good premise and giving us fairly solid characters with a really good villain, that unfortunately bleeds a lot of its energy with a pointless subplot and then completely unravels with a horrible ending. The movie as a whole still kept me moderately entertained for the runtime, but blows it at the end. Overall I give The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 a 5 out of 10.
Thanks for checking out our new feature, Forgotten Fridays. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. I have done some of these reviews in the past called Forgotten Gems, but now we want to try and bring you something on a more regular basis.
Today’s review is Solarbabies.
THE GENERAL IDEA
In a future in which most water has disappeared from the Earth, an orphanage, run by the despotic rulers of the new Earth is more like a prison. A group of kids have formed a “skateball” team and call themselves Solarbabies. The youngest member of the team (their mascot) finds an orb of special power, but is stolen by a mysterious outsider who escapes the orphanage. The Solarbabies escape from the orphanage and try to cross the wasteland looking for the orb as the stormtroopers search for them and the orb. They discover what is left of this post apocalyptic world, and an adventure that will change everything they know.
THE GOOD
There is a solid story that was very reminiscent of teenage independence in the 80s. There seemed to be a lot of movies where kids are left to fend for themselves. This film takes a strong sense of loneliness that is only staved off by friendship and “the family you choose” mentality. Looking back on it, I found the “gang” to be more realistic than some of their contemporaries of the time that just seemed to be a cluster of exaggerated personalities. However, at the time I was more fascinated by the roller skates, and how cute a teenage Jami Gertz was.
The minimal effects are quite decent considering this film was made in 1986. They are not so cheesey that they take you out of the film, even by todays standards. The story is the real star here and it weaves a wonderful story of friendship and adventure at its heart. No gritty darkness or ultra real violence that seems to be the only trigger for entertainment these days, but still it manages to tell the tale of this strange fictional future.
Sarah Douglas plays the suit behind the enforcer cop and she is more menacing than the leader of the cops. Its no wonder she exudes an evil spirit as she was earlier seen as Ursa in Superman 2. Her part is brief but effective. She could recite nursery rhymes and still make it clear that their militaristic goals are evil.
Also in a supporting role of the strange outsider who first steals the orb from the Solarbabies, Heroes’ Adrian Pasadar (pictured above as in the movie) makes one of his earliest appearances in film.
Also, the orb has a name. It’s Bodhi. Before Patrick Swayze ever used it in Point Break.
THE BAD
The despotic leader of the Protectorate hardly makes for a menacing opposition. He reminds me of the bumbling LtHarris from Police Academy. Without the bumbling. He just doesn’t have the presence to lead a police force that is supposed to embody evil. If not for his sidekick enforcer, I wouldn’t find them a threat at all even though they are the ones with the guns.
And for the love of Zod, the Rollerskates. Ok, we can accept that there was quad skates instead of the inline rollerblades far more popular today, but they were a gimmick in this film and nothing more. The late 80s were clinging onto their quad roller skates that managed to maintain decades of popularity over many other fads of the time and they wanted them to be cool in this movie too. The Solarbabies played a game like lacrosse on skates. It’s what binds these orphans together – the only entertainment or joy they had in their dismal lives. When they break out of the complex they took to their skates to escape across the wasteland which conveniently had plenty of roads for them to run off on. The inclusion of rollerskates was completely uneccessary.
Also the group of friends is, by todays standards, a tired stereotype. Despite having less exaggerated personalities than most other films of the time, The Solarbabies are a Breakfast club gang with their handicapped sidekick, alpha male leader, hot brunette, nerdy computer guy, token black kid who breakdances and the musclebound jock. Watching this with years of those stereotypes used over and over takes away from their “uniqueness” in its time. So in that aspect it doesn’t hold up well.
OVERALL
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV. Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it. Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
So on a scale of TV, Rent or Buy I suggest Rent!
Everything else is out of stock at the rental place tonight? Check out the Not-New releases shelf and see if your local store carries a copy!
Thanks for checking out our Land of the Lost review. If you’d like to see a video version of our Land of the Lost review you can check it out at the bottom of this post.
There are many movies made from old TV shows that make s collectively ask “WHY!?!?!” However, Land of the Lost is not one of those for me. The old show was a campy and cheesy, yet kinda fun show with a solid premies for a movie behind it. Add Will Ferrell to the cast and you potentially have a winner, and certainly a box office giant right? Well no… not even a little bit. This movie was terrible.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis for Land of the Lost looks something like this: “On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Friel) and a redneck survivalist (McBride). In this alternate universe, the trio make friends with a primate named Chaka (Taccone), their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures. Can they all make it back to our world alive, and if so: Will Dr. Marshall can go from zero to hero with his discoveries?”
THE GOOD
You could have changed several of the characters around and no one would have blinked or cared. You could have even changed the name of the lead character and hardly anyone would have noticed. BUT… you HAD to get the Sleestak right if you’re going to do a Land of the Lost movie. And man they really did. In the movie they stayed completely faithful to the Sleestak of the TV show and made some improvements to them at the same time (they did some great CGI stuff with their mouths that looked pretty good).
In any Will Ferrell movie you can usually safely expect at least a few good one liners and laughs, and sure enough there are a couple of those scattered throughout the movie (not many mind you… but a couple). For me, one of the funnier moments of the film is one we see in the trailer with Ferrell getting sucked on by a giant mosquito… except that it was even funnier in the film.
That’s about it.
THE BAD
I started getting really tired of Will Ferrell’s schtick a while ago. I wasn’t a fan of Talladega Nights, or Blades of Glory or Semi Pro (at all). He’s the exact same Will Ferrell in every single movie. Then out of nowhere he does Step Brothers that I almost cried at because I was laughing so hard. I thought Ferrell had returned to form. Sadly, it didn’t last long because he’s back to the tired same old Schtick again. Like in Semi Pro he had no life, no enthusiasm. He was just dead in the movie ALMOST everything he said you could have predicted. I understand that in a PG-13 movie his hands are tied a lot more than they are in an R rated comedy like Step Brothers… but regardless of the reason, Ferrell just didn’t work. Maybe he should lean more towards the R stuff for a while.
If someone purposefully made a “bad” movie and succeeded… you still call it a bad movie. Despite the fact that the Sleestak’s looked pretty good, the rest of the movie looked really cheesy. Some people suspect this might have been on purpose… but if that’s the case it only makes it worse There is no excuse for making crap look this bad.
Land of the Lost is supposed to be a comedy… and it’s just not funny. Yes it has its moments… but the moments are few and far between.
The action in the film was pretty weak too. I lost count of how many times we saw Ferrell running away from something BIG… then cut to another angle and suddenly the thing chasing him is even further away. Constantly using that exact same mistake took any of the tension or excitement out of the movie. Why get my heart pounding when I know in two seconds the T-Rex will magically be 200 yards further behind him. If was strange the first time it happened… then it just got flat out annoying.
OVERALL
Overall Land of the Lost is pretty much just a waste of 2 hours. A comedy that’s not funny with some action that’s not exciting. That pretty much sums it up. I sure hope Ferrell can return to form for his next project, because I find myself almost ready to give up on him again. Overall I give Land of the Lost a 3 out of 10.
You can watch the video version of our Land of the Lost review below
Thanks for checking out our The Hangover review. If you’d like to see a video version of our The Hangover review you can see it at the bottom of this post.
I’ve been saying for years now that Bradley Cooper is a top notch talent and deserve to get a shot at leading a film. Comedy, drama, horror, whatever. He finally got that chance with Midnight Meat Train, but Lionsgate didn’t see fit to give the movie a wide release so basically no one saw him in it. Now comes The Hangover in which he, the whole cast, and the entire movie just completely shine! This is the comedy of the year so far.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The basic synopsis for The Hangover looks something like this: “A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him.”
THE GOOD
This movie is frigging HILARIOUS!!!! Not two minutes ever pass by with some solid hard laughs. The trailers were obviously very funny, and I had a fear that maybe the best stuff was in there… it wasn’t. I could just rave on and on about how this movie is hilarious… but I’ll just say it’s hilarious and leave it at that.
Ken Jeong (the asian doctor from “Knocked Up”) is quickly becoming one of my favorite comedy character actors right now. He never plays a large part… the the parts he plays always end up being hilarious (I also thought he was the funniest thing I saw in Pineapple Express “you sucker of cock”. In “The Hangover” Ken plays a slightly larger role than he’s used to… but he’s gut bustingly funny each and every second he’s on screen and I’m telling you right now he’s already a nominee for John’s Best Comedy Moment of 2009. If you saw the movie you know exactly what I’m talking about!
I love movies about Vegas so I’m a little biased. I try to go about once every 2 months and always have such an amazing time… so when I see The Hangover guys driving through the strip and seeing all the sights… it just makes my heart happy. But more than that, the movie really does capture the spirit of Vegas for a lot of people who like to visit there. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas baby!
The whole “mystery” of where Doug is works great as you find yourself trying to figure out the problem as they go. On that level it’s a much smarter movie that you might think on the surface and it helped really get me into the movie.
The whole ensemble cast work very well, and while I feared on screen comedic chemistry between this bunch of guys might be a problem, it turns out my fears were all for not. Within about 10 minutes I really bought that these guys were all great friends finding themselves in the most ridiculous situation ever. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha aren’t quite on the level as say… the 40 Year Old Virgin guys were… but I for one can’t wait to see them together again for The Hangover 2.
THE BAD
There are moments (just a few of them) where the comedy almost went a little too far into the “slapstick” arena. Slapstick comedy can be great… but not when the movie has a real sort of feel to or isn’t a Slapstick movie in general. When that happens the comedy feels out of place and a little jarring. Like I said, it doesn’t happen often in the film… but I did notice it a couple of times.
While I don’t think a movie needs to give us (the audience) ALL the answers, there are several things that happen in The Hangover that never get explained in any way by the end. That was a little bit of a let down and a touch frustrating as an audience member. But that’s a minor gripe.
OVERALL
The Hangover is a flat out hilarious movie that also brings you along for the ride in trying to solve the mystery of what happened last night. Intensely entertaining and sickingly funny makes The Hangover the comedy of the year for me at this point. Overall I give The Hangover an 8.5 out of 10
You can see the video version of our The Hangover review here:
Thanks for checking out our new feature, Forgotten Fridays. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. I have done some of these reviews in the past called Forgotten Gems, but now we want to try and bring you something on a more regular basis.
Today’s review is The Fifth Element
THE GENERAL IDEA
The survival of humanity, becomes the duty of a taxicab driver (and former Special Forces member) named Korben Dallas (Willis) when a young woman named Leeloo (Jovovich) falls into his taxicab. She is the Fifth Element, whose appearance was prophesied by Father Vito Cornelius (Holm). Korben’s mission is to gather the other four elements (represented by four stones) before a dark planet that represents pure evil collides with Earth. Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg (Oldman), under the payroll of the Great Evil, hires the Mangalores, a slow-witted, shape-shifting, warrior-like alien race, who are also seeking out the four stones.
THE GOOD
Lets start with the obvious. The characters. Each and every person in this film just rocks. From the core cast of Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, to the supporting core of Chris Tucker Gary Oldman and Ian Holm.
Bruno is basicly a futuristic John McLean with less German bank robbers after him. Which is fine. We love that version of Bruce. Milla is sexy and adorable, and her command over a language that doesn’t exist flows seamlessly from her lips.
Gary Oldman plays Zorg, the greedy mega corporate opportunist set on acquiring the stones which sets the task of fulfilling the phrophecy against ultimate evil astray. An awesome character driven by greed and his own ego.
Chris Tucker is amazing in this movie. Yeah, you heard me. Amazing. His DJ Radio Show host character “Ruby Rhod” is so over the top in personality and worshiping his own celebrity that you cant help but laugh at him when he squeals like a girl and is the most panic stricken character in the crisis.
Other characters like Zeus (Tom Lister Jr) from the WWF Wrestling film No Holds Barred as the Galactic President. Kim Chan once again plays an overly stereotyped Asian character selling noodles in his flying flotilla boat. As well as a number of known supermodels as flight attendants, McDonalds girl, etc.
The setting is cool. A futuristic New York has layered itself into a Coruscant of cityscape, with flying cars and wonderful technological advances, but life itself seems to mostly be the same. People sludge through their 9 to 5 ratrace just as they do today. It offered some cool and colourful costumes while still maintaining a state of familiarity.
The music is also pretty amazing. Very techno, and VERY much a part of the mood and feel. The music punctuates every step and motion without being so blatant about it. In one particular scene we get a tie in of The diva, Plavalaguna giving her techno opera performance which synchs perfectly with LeeLoo’s combat scene against the Mangalores.
Which also brings me to the editing and direction. There is a LOT going on in this film. To keep that all together and still tell a story with good pacing and delivery is a task on its own. Luc Besson makes this seem effortless and has multiple story angles running at the same time flipping back and forth between two scenes that are describing the same events from two different points of view. Incredible.
THE BAD
The scene where LeeLoo is “genetically reconstructed” always bothered me. Fascinating technology that we forgive because its the future but the idea that she was rebuilt based on some surviving cells and retains her memory and even hairstyle irks me. But that is just over analysing. It also bugged me that they had to toss in the moral dilemma “Why should I save the human race if you only seek to destroy each other” bit. Really not required, but I guess they felt that they should offer up a tiny bit of social commentary in an otherwise light adventure action sci-fi film.
I have heard other criticisms that the Mondoshawans created this supreme perfect being that couldn’t speak english, and knew nothing of Earth culture, but I recognize that as planned. Her purpose was to show up, meet the Priest, get the stones and perform the ritual at the pyramid in Egypt. She had no need to learn language (Her contact could understand the Divine language) and she wasn not required to interact with society as a whole. So I wasn’t bothered by that at all.
OVERALL
This is a perfect blend of action, adventure, comedy, and Sci-fi. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but its not so campy and silly that you don’t feel the tension of the combat scenes either.
Visually stunning, a fun adventure, and lovable characters. This is the only film I can say I liked Chris Tucker in (I tolerate him in Rush Hour, I like the movie and his interactions with Chan but not him on his own).
This also ranks high on my repeat viewers list. Some films I can watch over and over without getting tired of them and this is one of them.
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV. Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it. Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
Thanks for checking out our new feature, Forgotten Fridays. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. I have done some of these reviews in the past called Forgotten Gems, but now we want to try and bring you something on a more regular basis.
Today’s review is The Power of One
THE GENERAL IDEA
compassionate novel about the coming of age of a white anti-apartheid activist during the years of World War II in South Africa. Seven-year-old P.K. is a white English South African raised on his family’s farm by his Zulu nanny. When his mother takes ill, he is sent away to an Afrikaner boarding school, where he is picked on and nearly killed by the school bully during a pep rally for Hitler. Surviving and carrying on his life, he earns life inspiration from a number of unlikely sources. A Jailed German professor (who teaches him languages, music and philosophy), an African prisoner (who teaches him how to box), and finally finds an unlikely bond in the culture of that time with an African boxer from a shantytown.
Together they invoke the folk legend of the Rainmaker (the one who will bring harmony) and PK begins to teach literacy to the Africans, while he falls in love with the daughter of the Apartheid leader.
THE GOOD
The storytelling in this film is beautiful on a number of levels. Not only do we get a solid feel for each stage of his life, but the pacing doesn’t make it seem like “chapters” but just a natural progression. Three actors take on the role of PK, but you really feel the sense of growth of the character.
The best part of the movie has to be the supporting cast. PK may be the central figure and an inspiring one for sure. What he endures and lives through only serves to help him grow until he is a man of his own right. But he gets there by those who inspire and teach him along the way.
Some very notable performances sit on opposite ends of the spectrum. A jailed African prisoner, Herr Piet (Morgan Freeman) teaches PK to box, and this is hands down my favourite Freeman performance in anything he has been in. Piet becomes a mentor and friend to PK. Though Piet teaches PK much, he is also inspired by him as well.
The opposite would be PK’s nemesis. The bully in his boarding school where PK was only 8 abused and tormented PK to the point that it nearly kills him. This abusive Nazi obsessed youth Botha, who is played by a young Daniel Craig. Their paths cross again when PK is older and Botha has not forgotten PK.
The setting is also beautifully laid out. The strong themes of rising above the blind hate embodied by Apartheid could easily have been shoved down your throat, but instead through the growth and life of PK you simply see it as the status quo. It is told from the perspective of a white man, who also suffers his own kind of separation. Sure it offends the sensibilities of our modern thinking, but it is presented in a way that you can accept it, and see how people lived with it.
THE BAD
The only complaint I could even begin to fathom is the repeated complaint that the book is far more inspiring than the film. I don’t know that my soul could bear the burden of such influence considering how emotionally this movie impacted me, as I have only heard this from the account of others.
OVERALL
The movie is wonderfully told, and it is an inspiring and tragic tale of one man’s life in the midst of adversity. When I first saw this movie in 1992, I was changed at my core. It was just that powerful of a movie. You feel every little victory and you pain at every loss. The film drained me emotionally at my first viewing and easily sits at the top of my favourite films of all time.
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV. Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it. Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
Thanks for checking out our Up review. If you’d like to see the video version of our Up review you can view it at the bottom of the post.
It’s no secret that I love Pixar films. However, some people will, from time to time, accuse me of only loving Pixar films BECAUSE they’re made by Pixar. They’re missing the point. It’s actually the other way around. The reality is I love Pixar because their films are so good. Time and time again they release movies with humor, entertainment and a level of story telling that isn’t often matched.
So along comes “Up”. Like Ratatouille and Wall-E, I didn’t really see anything special about the trailers or the marketing for the film. But I’ve learned with Pixar films to not really put too much stock in the trailers or basic concept laid out in the official synopsis because their movies always end up being so much more. So how does Up measure up? Does it meet the regular Pixar standard of excellence?
No it doesn’t. It EXCEEDS it in every possible way imaginable and more. This is a perfect movie.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis for Up reads something like this: “By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.”
THE GOOD
The opening of this movie is nothing short of magical. It shows us Carl (the main character) as a young boy who loves and dreams of adventure. He meets a young girl who shares his imagination and the movie then, mostly without dialog, goes on to tell the story of how they fell in love, married and shared a wonderful life together, a life where the two always dreamed of going on an adventure, an adventure they never got to share due to his wife passing away. I just can not put into words how beautifully this entire part of the story was told. So touching, so real, so happy and so sad. You FELT the joy Carl felt, and the down in the deepest part of your soul you feel his loss. It was magical. I know I’ve used that word in this review already… well get used to it because it’s going to be used a lot more.
The film is HILARIOUS. Perhaps the funniest film Pixar has ever done, and every single character in the movie adds to the humor. Carl (voiced by Edward Asner) is more the straight man whose “grumpy old man” routine never shuts out his soft side, Dug the dog (voiced by the guy who actually wrote the screenplay co-directed the movie, Bob Peterson) is GOLD every single solitary time he talks. I’m not kidding. Whenever Dug had a line, it was sure to make you howl with laughter. Kevin the bird didn’t have a single line of dialog in the entire film… and yet was hysterical. Even the villains were side-splitting.
One of the most difficult things for an animated film to accomplish is to make the audience feel a sense of wonder because we know that with animation you can make anything… and it’s no big deal. But I’m telling you, when the house takes off and starts to float through the city you really feel it. On top of that you honestly buy into the adventure that Carl and Russell (the young boy scout who inadvertently ends up tagging along for the ride) embark on. It’s so much pure fun.
I don’t want to get into spoiler territory here, so I want to be careful with my words. The final act of the movie is triggered by Carl realizing a lesson that is departed wife Ellie left behind for him. The realization is so moving and touching, yet bold and jarring. It makes you want to break down and cry (which a lot of people in my theater did) and yet jump into action with Carl at the same time. I’m never much one for the “moral” of the story in movies… but this one was special. No, more than special… it was magical (there’s that word again).
Sweet heavens even the way the movie did its closing credits was the most creative and original way I’ve ever seen them done. Brilliant!
I’ve always made this assertion, and seeing up only reinforces it: Pixar does not make kid movies. They make movies that are kid friendly. There is a huge difference. I saw Up with an audience made entirely up of adults who laughed, cried, gasped, squealed and cheered together without a single child… but kids will love it too.
THE BAD
The movie ended. That’s about it.
OVERALL
Up is perfect. I have no other way to put it. Thoroughly entertaining, extremely touching, brilliantly animated, hilariously funny, excitingly adventurous and flawlessly told. Somehow Pixar has topped themselves again. This is (in my personal opinion) the best film they’ve ever made, easily the best film of the year so far, and perhaps the best film of the last 2-3 years altogether. So I have no choice here… for only the fourth time in my career as a film blogger (in my 7th year now) I’m going to give a movie a perfect score. Overall I give Up a perfect 10 out of 10.
YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEO VERSION OF OUR UP REVIEW BELOW:
I wasn’t a huge fan of the first “Night At The Museum” movie. Despite a solid all star cast I personally found it to be rather bland. Not a “bad” movie, but neither was it “good”. However, one can’t deny the sheer success of the film at it grossed over $250 million at the box office in North America alone and was the second highest grossing film of 2006 behind only Pirates of the Caribbean 2. With money like that, the question of “should” we make a sequel becomes replaced with “dear heavens how quickly can we make a sequel”?
So out comes Night At The Museum 2. Was it any good. Well… actually… it really wasn’t bad at all.
THE BASIC IDEA
The synopsis for Night At The Museum 2 looks something like this: “Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is now head of Daley Devices, a company he founded to manufacture his inventions. These inventions, including the Glow-in-the-Dark Flashlight, were created from his experiences as a former night guard. He finds that the American Museum of Natural History is closed for upgrades and renovations, and the museum pieces are moving to the Federal Archives at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. On the last night, Larry meets the museum pieces such as Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Rexy the Tyrannosaurus Skeleton, and Dexter the Monkey and finds out that several exhibits, including Teddy, Rexy, the Easter Island Head, and Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) are not moving to The Smithsonian Institution – the other exhibits will no longer be animated. The next night, Larry gets a call from Jedediah (Owen Wilson), saying that Dexter stole the tablet, and that Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), Ahkmenrah’s older brother, is attacking them. Larry takes a plane to Washington and visits the National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Castle to find the Federal Archives with the help of his son Nick (Jake Cherry).”
THE GOOD
I am a huge fan of Hank Azaria. I think the man has some of the best comedic timing in the business today and consistently shines in even mediocre movies. Movies like “America’s Sweethearts”, “Run Fatboy Run”, “Mystery Men” and even in a smaller role in “Dodgeball” give him perfect platforms to really shine, and his role in Night At The Museum 2 is no exception. Playing the main villain, Kahmunrah, Azaria also ends up being the funniest part of the film and consistently the most entertaining element as well. Every moment he’s on screen in this movie you’re smiling. Shame they didn’t have him on screen for more of it… it would have been a better movie.
The visual effects are just fantastic. This movie need to look great if it hopes to pull off that sense of awe and wonder off seeing these exhibits coming to life, and on that level the film succeeds tremendously.
Amy Adams is adorable. At first I have to admit that I found her character (Amelia Earhart) rather annoying with the way she talked and carried herself… but after a few minutes she really starts to grow on you.
THE BAD
Unfortunately, aside from Hank Azaria there just aren’t many laughs in the movie. Yes there are a load of “cute” moments, but not many laugh out loud moments. Now keep in mind that I’m saying this as an adult. The kids in the theater seemed to eat up the slapping monkeys… so, whatever.
The actual full title of the movie is Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian… and the actual “Battle of the Smithsonian was really lame. I’m going to go into SPOILER territory here… so be warned if you want to read the rest of this paragraph: The big plan of Hank Azaria was to bring forth his undead legions to take over the world… but when he finally opens the gates only about 30 come out… and they all run away the moment Abe Lincon walks in… that’s the big climax of “The Battle Of The Smithsonian”… the whole movie built up to that lame moment. Very lame. Very lame indeed.
Far too many eye rolling moments. Some things aren’t “cute”, they’re just lame. Beat boxing Jonas brothers flying cherubs… dancing singing Einstein dolls… the aforementioned slapping monkeys… the list goes on and on.
OVERALL
In general, Night At The Museum 2 is a pretty cute and at times entertaining movie with terrific effects and some good imagination that could have been a lot better with more effective humor and less of the painful eye rolling moments. Not a bad movie, but not one I’d be running out to see again either. Overall I give Night At The Museum 2 a 5.5/10.
Thanks for checking out our new feature, Forgotten Fridays. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. I have done some of these reviews in the past called Forgotten Gems, but now we want to try and bring you something on a more regular basis.
Today’s review is Galaxy Quest
With the successful sequel/reboot of Star Trek getting so much attention lately, I thought this great comedy film that satires Star Trek both on and off screen would be a great start.
THE GENERAL IDEA
Eighteen years after their sci-fi adventure show “Galaxy Quest” was canceled, actors Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell), and Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) are making appearances at sci-fi conventions and store openings in costume and character. They’re wallowing in despair and at each other’s throats until aliens known as Thermians arrive and, having mistaken the show for fact and consequently modeling their entire culture around it, take them into space to save them from the genocidal General Sarris and his armada.
THE GOOD
Ok, I am not going to gush over every last frame, but there is a LOT about this film that I just love. First off is the premise. Yeah, its an updated take on the movie star mistaken identity gag that brought us The Three Amigos (a future Forgotten Friday feature no doubt) but it works in its own right. The actors spoof on the convention circuit to poke some fun at the rabid fanboy/girl Trekkies, as well they focus on the interpersonal relationships and conflicts that for Star Trek are almost as much cannon off screen as the show and films are on screen. We get to watch as these modest actors have no careers and are clinging to the only thing that made them popular nearly two decades previous.
Then there is the cast. The Galaxy Quest actors that make up the core command of the show are all stars in this. Tim Allen is not for everyone, but in this movie he is. I just love the guy as his genuine personality and comic timing bring life into anything he does. He is far from A-List, but he has his own flavour that he brings to any project he is on. Here he gets to play the Kirk archetype embodying him both on and off set. He is egotistical, and everyone talks about him behind his back and quietly despises him.
Allan Rickman plays the PERFECT theater snob who’s career got railroaded for his involvement in the show, and dare I say that I have NEVER seen Sigourney Weaver look hotter. Wrap up the cast with the polar opposites played by Sam Rockwell and Tony Shalhoub. Rockwell plays a “red shirt” from an early episode who dies before the first commercial break and catches up with the cast trying to ride their coat tails of fame that they are desperately hanging onto. Shalhoub plays the laid back Engineer. When these two are doing there thing they give us two completely different reactions to the impossible scenario they find themselves in.
Rockwell (Guy) is giving the more realistic reaction. He is in a constant state of panic. If aliens dragged me off into space and I would be acting the same way. Shalhoub (Tech Sgt Kwan) however seems to unrealistically go with the flow and takes it all in stride like someone told him the cable guy was coming the next day instead. No biggie. He just rolls with it. And in that comes some of the great comedy he is known for.
And that is just the “Crew” The Thermians – aliens who have built their culture around the “historical documents” (the show) – play a supporting role but brilliant as well. The leader of this outcast alien race is played by Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars, Just Shoot Me) and he just hits it out of the park. The odd mannerisms and dialouge of the aliens is delievered perfectly while still portraying their dire need and awe. Missi Pyle and Patrick Breen make up his entourage and they too have their presence.
The plot, the premise, the cast, the comedy, the clever dialogue. Everything about this movie is awesome.
THE BAD
There is a little bit of suspension of disbelief required to FULLY enjoy the movie. The Thermians build their entire culture around the Galaxy Quest TV Show, replicating the technology and it just so happens the rest of the universe co-operates. They even re-create make the Omega 13 (watch the movie, you will know what it is) without knowing what it can do. Yet when it is used, it works just like the fans presumed it would. And when they require spare parts, it just so happens there is a mining world that has the power supply they need. Meh. You have to over look some of that stuff for the premise to work.
Other than that, I got nothing. I could watch this movie a dozen times a week and not be tired of it. I am watching it right now.
Shut up. Just go watch the movie. Its made of awesome.
OVERALL
I cannot give any higher praise for this movie. And in rewatching it after some time I find myself enjoying it more and more. There are little things you catch like some of the minor supporting cast. An easy spot is Brandon, the sterotypical “Questarian” fanboy who’s devotion is challenged when he encounters the actor he worships on a bad day is played by a young Justin Long. And you will catch brief moments when Ted the lawyer from Scrubs (Sam Lloyd) and Rainn Wilson from The Office, appear as one of the Thermian crew. And The pilot of the ship shown only in the clips from the Galaxy Quest TV show was a 8 year old prodigy. That kid was played by Corbin Bleu (now famous as Efron`s best pal Chad on Highschool Musical)
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV. Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it. Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
So on a scale of TV, Rent or Buy I suggest BUY!
They just released a new version of the DVD called the Deluxe Edition which has a LOT of behind the scenes stuff. Nothing earth shattering but there is a music video of Sigourney Weaver rapping. Just sayin.
Thanks for checking out our Terminator Salvation review.
I had the chance to check out a screening for Terminator Salvation at a local AMC digital theater, and what a treat that was. The high backed chairs had a little spring recliner feel to them, and the picture was impressively clear.
Oh wait, I saw a movie there too. Well I didn’t hate it completely, but my socks stayed firmly unknocked.
THE GENERAL IDEA
Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.
THE GOOD
The whole overall tone of the film has some great visuals. The very air seems to have a tint to it that just reminds you that after the nuclear fallout, that the earth is just not the same. If that didn’t do it for you, the massive remains of destruction would never let you forget. The designs of the Terminators, the Cycle-Terminators, the giant robo mecha-terminators, and well… everything is visually appealing. This is EXACTLY the future we expected to see in this continuing of the franchise. The Terminators are every bit as unstoppable as you would expect and even military grade weaponry seems to only slow them down until someone drops a skyscraper on them.
The action is great. Lots of over the top graphic scenes illustrate just how badly outmatched people are against the Terminators. People were worried that the PG-13 rating would take away from all of that, but it doesn’t at all. I found myself cringing in sympathy at the screen many times. There were a few times where something happens and you think that would kill a man and you have to suspend your disbelief for a moment and just enjoy it. The action is what this movie is all about.
Anton Yelchin is amazingly good as the young Kyle Reese. You see his empassioned leadership peeking out from his nervous false bravado. If they do get around to sequels, I want them to be all about this guy.
Linda Hamilton makes a cameo in voice only on the tapes she is seen recording at the end of T2. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a cameo appearance but I won’t tell you when or how, but its probably my favourite part of the movie.
THE BAD
Charisma? Bale you are doing it wrong! Connor was supposed to be the saviour of mankind, but there was nothing inspiring or charismatic about this guy that made me believe that he could inspire such loyalty. Sure he kicks some ass and has his little radio show (I didn’t make that up) where he gives speeches about the resistance, but the religious level following of this commonplace soldier is just not justified. Bale is a fantastic actor but I just wasn’t buying him as man’s only hope. Perhaps in this dark dismal future, the world is so hopeless that the one guy who seems to have some sort of passion about anything at all is considered a messiah. I hear it was a toss up between him and the guy who still knows how to do Oragami.
The supporting cast is sloppy. An old lady who shows a moment of kindness and is then abducted by giant robo-mecha-terminator plays to the heart strings for about a half a second then everytime you see her you just wonder why this extra got a speaking part. Then there is the mute kid side kick for Reese. Pointless. And Connor’s wife (played by the infectiously pretty Bryce Dallas Howard) is the only woman in the post apocalyptic world to own lipstick. Connor never even acknowledges she is pregnant and she serves no purpose. They even had Michael Ironside. Wasted.
OVERALL
Even with moments that deliberately drop the “Come with me if you want to live” and “I’ll be back” lines (yes, they both happen) this movie seems to be suffering from the same unquantifiable stigma that curse both Sequels and Prequels. This movie is technically both. Don’t hurt your head too much on that one.
As a sequel, we want a movie that leads us to the next part, showing us something new, something exciting, something kicking something’s ass. But then as a PREQUEL we are stabbed in the eye with the lack of threat. At one point in the movie Connor sums up the Terminator’s apparent mission by saying “Kill Kyle Reese, Reset the Future” and I had a glimmer of hope that something radical would happen and we would get to see a whole new evolution of the story. But we know that as long as there IS a story to tell that the eventual end (sending Reese back to save Sarah Connor and father John) will still happen. There is no suspense. I don’t fear for Reese’s or Connor’s life at all. And where they had lots of opportunity to make us care about other characters who’s fates are not already spelled out, they drop the ball.
I am not saying I wanted McG’s rumoured massacre ending to happen, but I would have liked to have shaken things up somehow. All in all, I was left underwhelmed, and the impressive designs and incredible action just didn’t make up for it.
Overall I give Terminator Salvation a 4 out of 10.
Thanks for checking out our Star Trek Review. If you’d like to see the video version of our Star Trek review you can see it at the bottom of the written version below.
For years now I’ve been saying that Star Trek is a dead franchise. And it was. I’ve also been saying that the only way to revive a dead franchise it to do something different. Change things. Essentially what I’ve been saying for years is that they’ve needed to reboot or re-imagine Star Trek and open it up to the non-traditional fans. Then, J.J. Abrams announced they were doing just that… I had hope. Then, I heard they were going to use the old “time travel” story device, and I lost some hope. Still, the trailers have looked good so there was promise.
So off I went to see Star Trek the other night. Did it revive the dead franchise? HELL YES!!!!!! This might be the best movie of the year so far.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The basic synopsis for Star Trek looks something like this: “From the first scene, the Star Trek universe as we knew it has changed forever. Kirk is now an angry wayward young man looking for trouble. He fights with Starfleet cadets in Iowa when a Capt. Pike takes an interest in him, finding out he’s the only “genius level repeat offender in the Midwest”. Pike dares Kirk to join Starfleet, goading him with the legacy of his father. A young Spock is tortured over his mixed heritage, the emotions he fights to control and the very different paths he has before him. He must choose between the Vulcan world which will never accept him as anything other than ‘half human’ and Starfleet Academy, worlds away from everything he has ever known.
We meet Dr ‘Bones’ McCoy and a young linguist Uhura at the Academy and watch as a headstrong Kirk wreaks havoc on Starfleet’s rules and regulations. Kirk’s antics culminate in his reprogramming the famous Kobayashi Maru test and consequent disciplinary hearing. He comes face to face with the scenario creator, Mr. Spock. As this unfolds; a vicious Romulan from the future is hell bent on vengeance upon ‘Ambassador’ Spock and nothing will get in his way. The fleet is called to arms as peril aims at the heart of the Federation and Kirk and Spock are irrevocably pulled together to save the galaxy – for the first time”.
THE GOOD
J.J. Abrams along Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (also the same guys who wrote Transformers) came up with a MASTERFUL way of bridging the old Star Trek with the new one. A way of saying this is the “same” Star Trek, while at the same time giving it total free license to go in it’s own direction and not be held captive to the old traditional Star Trek canon. It is so simple and yet so effective. You never once felt like you were watching a different Star Trek, and at the same time didn’t feel like you were watching the same old one. Beautifully done, and the entire success of the film hinged on it… and it did it exceedingly well.
They NAILED all the characters. Scotty was Scotty. Karl Urban absolutely nailed Dr. Bones McCoy. Zachary Quinto was born to play Spock. Even Ben Cross as Spock’s father Sarek was damn pin point on target. They all not only got the CHARACTER of these fictional people right, they hit home runs with their nuances and mannerisms as well that made it all feel like home.
The only actor who did not nail the nuances and mannerisms of their character was Chris Pine playing James T. Kirk… and that’sa GOOD thing. Had Pine tried to act like William Shatner’s Kirk, it would have come off like he was playing Shatner playing Kirk. You know what I mean? The decision to embody the character of Kirk without also embodying the mannerisms was very very very wise. It would have been complete distracting and they avoided that brilliantly.
The action/adventure of the film is fantastic. Don’t get me wrong… the space battles aren’t as good as the one in Return of the Jedi or anything like that, but it was all beautifully done, very exciting, very intense and over all very effective. Even the hand to hand action was pretty solid (not fantastic, but solid).
One of the unique things that this Star Trek did very well was make it a story about friendship. The bonding of Kirk and Spock is as much a main story line as the invading Romulan from the future. That could have been cheesy, but instead it felt epic.
The movie is funny… so funny in places that I’m almost tempted to classify Star Trek as a Sci Fi/Comedy movie. They did such a great job of using a balance of fresh humor and humor based on winks to the old Star Trek that you were laughing and reminiscing at the same time. Bones was the funniest character to me, and I know I’ll get laughed at for this… but I think Karl Urban should be in early consideration for Best Supporting Actor. No, I’m serious. Watch the job he does in this movie. This was NOT an easy character to play and sell to the audience, but Urban did it brilliantly.
THE BAD
What would a Star Trek movie be without some things here and there that made no sense? For me, I never bought into the bad guy’s (Eric Bana) motivation. His motivation for doing everything he was doing should have been fleshed out a bit more, because the explanation they give in the movie was unsatisfying to me. I can’t go into it too much without giving away spoilers, but all I could think the whole time was “ummm… he doesn’t actually blame them does he???”. Anyway, you’ll see what I mean.
Speaking of Nero (the bad guy), as much as I love Eric Bana, I found him to be a pretty useless villain and a pretty forgettable one at that. He really doesn’t have much screen time (which is ok since the movie really wanted to use the screen time to re-introduce us to the legendary crew of the Enterprise).
There was almost TOO MUCH action. Sometimes I felt like “did we really need to turn this simple scene into an action scene of some sorts? Scotty and Kirk beam somewhere… and instead of just arriving and moving on with the story, they had to throw in some useless, non story related “action” sequence. Not a huge gripe, but it was a flaw. It’s almost like when it came to action, they were trying just a little bit too hard.
OVERALL
They did what they had to do. They reinvented Star Trek while paying homage to and honoring the original and they passed the test with flying warp speed colors. This isn’t just a good movie… this isn’t just a good remake… this isn’t just a good sci-fi movie. This is a brilliant and entertaining movie PERIOD. I loved this film. A few minor flaws here and there that could have been easily corrected, but that’s just nit picking. Star Trek is back folks! Live long and prosper! Overall I give Star Trek a 9 out of 10. I had my doubts… but they were thankfully put to rest.
YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEO VERSION OF OUR STAR TREK REVIEW HERE:
Thanks for checking out Rodney’s X-Men Origins:Wolverine review.
As suggested in some comments, movies that John and I see together I want to try and offer my review even though his may follow. Despite popular Live UnCut rumours, John and I are not the same person and we may share different insights into a film. So tonight we ran off to the very frustratingly long wait in line to see the midnight showing of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
THE GENERAL IDEA
Remember that guy who dominated the X-Men movies? Of course you do. Logan was always the most popular X-Man, so its no surprise that after three films with him front and center, that their first solo spinoff film would be all about Wolverine. I wouldn’t call this X-Men 4, because this has very few X-Men in it. The story picks up with Logan as an 8(ish) year old who sees his power manifest for the first time in a fit of rage, the rest fills in a lot of blanks that lead up to Wolverine’s first appearance in X-Men – most importantly his relationship with Victor Creed (Sabertooth) and the elite military squad that inevitably leads him to Weapon X.
THE GOOD
Oh, so much of this was good. Despite liking how the X-Men film was littered with cameos of SO MANY mutants, there really wasn’t much of that here – and I didn’t mind. Normally I am all excited to see that glimpse of a character but the lack of it didn’t take away from the film. Cyclops’ early appearance in the film suits the plot, and ties into the story well without tripping over continuity. We are even introduced to other mutants who we do not see in future episodes (but may see in other Origins films).
The only continuity “error” is how we can expect to believe that the Sabertooth we saw in X-Men evolved from THIS guy. Creed was incredible and everything I wanted out of Sabertooth. However vital to the plot we see how Creed is giving in more and more to his animialistic side and we can speculate that in the span of time between this and the first X-Men film that the animal takes over completely and he becomes a lumbering grunting animal.
Logan was Logan. They nailed it again. The subtle sarcasm, the warmth and vulnerability struggling against his animal inside. Everything. Jackman captured everything that made Wolverine a great character in the comics.
And Gambit was SO well done. The effects of his card flipping was a bit over the top, but the “charging” was pretty damn cool and the action with him involved was awesome. I loved The Blob too. But of the supporting elite squad members I have to say my hands down favourite was Wade Wilson. Every word that comes out of Reynold’s mouth in this movie is gold, laced with more gold. He never fails. Never. The only thing sharper than his wit was his swords. Best action scene in the movie.
However, Deadpool was also my least favourite part. Which leads me to…
THE BAD
Deadpool was such a waste. What turns out to be the most entertaining part of the movie is just discarded so casually… I have no words.
The action at times was a little rapid fire cuts that it nearly felt like an epileptic shaky cam.
Suspension of disbelief reached a new high in areas. Logan’s memory loss is a staple of the franchise, so we were waiting to see how that came about. It was mentioned casually and you were thinking “there it is” and then it doesn’t happen… Then later in the movie it happens and it is so ridiculously laid out and shoved in your face that it hurt. Such a lame plot device that they had plenty of opportunity to implement and then ignored it in place of the worst possible way to introduce it.
OVERALL
X-Men Origins:Wolverine takes us back to the beginning of Wolverine’s story and delivers a mixed bag of great Wolverine storytelling with a side order of “Why did they do that”. I really enjoyed the film, but I can sympathize with people who want to hang it out to dry for some of its glaring weaknesses. Take out Deadpool2, Adamantium Bullets, and anything Stryker says, and I would have given the movie an 8. But there were some head shaking moments that just ruined the experience for me.
I didn’t dislike the movie by a long shot. They could have still stuck with the storyline they went with and tweaked it gently and the movie would have been mind-blowing great, but it was those moments that just kick you in the shins in the middle of a marathon of hope. Every step after that might be wonderful, but it still stings from what just happened!
What it did good it did so very good, but when it was bad, it was exceedingly bad. All in all, it barely tips me off the fence to say I liked it, but just.
Overall I give X-Men Origins: Wolverine a 5.5 out of 10
Thanks for checking out our Fighting review. If you’d like to see our quick video version of our Fighting review you can view it at the bottom of the written version.
I just actually wrote a post the other day here on The Movie Blog asking you guys if anyone was interested or planning on seeing Fighting. I didn’t ask that because the film looked bad, I simply asked because despite all the marketing I’ve seen for the film I haven’t heard anyone buzzing about it whatsoever. Good or bad. Just nothing. For me personally, despite the fact that I love fight movies and Mixed Martial Arts in general, the film just wasn’t appealing to me. So off I went to see it. I kinda wish I hadn’t.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis for fighting reads something like this: “In New York City, a young counterfeiter (Tatum) is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist (Howard), who becomes his manager on the bare-knuckling brawling circuit.” On top of that we learn that Tatum’s character has a history with his father, and an elite fighter who was coached by his father. Oh the drama of it all.
THE GOOD
I’ve been getting just a little down on Terrence Howard recently. No doubt he has talent, but he’s made some questionable decisions about which roles he takes recently, and turned in some mediocre performances. With that being said, despite not having too much to work with in Fighting, Howard gives a terrific performance. Not explosive and over the top… but rather penetratingly reserved. His subtlety made his performance all the more powerful, and actually made me interested in who this character was. He has a past that the film never fully explains or explores (I like it when a movie doesn’t feel the need to explain every last thing) and Howard brought so much regret, sadness and disapointment to his character who is still proud, that you can read the story all over his face. This was one of those great performances that most people will never talk about because it’s given in a mediocre film. Shame… Howard really brought it.
The actual combat and fighting in the movie is choreographed in a very gritty and realistic way. It felt like I was watching a couple of guys actually brawling. Most Hollywood movies go for all the glam shots. Big haymakers thrown with every punch and wild spinning back kicks. Fighting resists the temptation to go in that direction and I think it was far more enjoyable for it.
There were some very cute girls in it. That’s all I’ve got.
THE BAD
I’m sorry to subject you to my ranting on this same topic again (this is a huge pet peeve of mine), but the wild and chaotic shaky camera and directionless erratic editing of the fight scenes ruined about 80% of all the fighting in the movie called “Fighting”. They completely crapped all over the terrific choreography by ruining the scenes because the audience couldn’t tell who was punching who, or who just threw who because everything was a blurring puke like visual mess. Pathetic. IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO DIRECT A FIGHT SCENE, GET SOMEONE WHO DOES TO COME IN FOR THE DAY TO HELP YOU OUT!!!!!!
I know he’s an up and coming star… but Channing Tatum did not impress me in the least. It felt like I was watching some WWE wrestler trying his hand at acting. His character was actually more interesting (in theory) than Howard’s character, but unlike Howard, Channing never made me believe in his character. Never made me interested in who he was or where his life road came from. no subtlety, no power, no passion. No good.
The romance of the film was completely forced and utterly unbelievable. Other than the fact that the girl was hot, there is no reason he would have instantly be infatuated with her, and there was certainly no reason why she would have started giving him the time of day… let alone so instantly fall madly in love. They met a couple of times, and they were ready to die for each other. Sorry… didn’t buy it even a little bit.
I know I just said that I enjoy it when a movie doesn’t feel the need to explain every little detail… but there are some things you do need to reveal to the audience if you want us to be emotionally invested in the big conflict. The movie never really gives a half decent reason why the lead character and the “bad guy” hate each other so much. Oh it tells us they have some little rivalry when they were younger and some “daddy liked you best” sort of stuff… but the shear amount of animosity suggests there was more to it that the movie either never reveals or never thought of. Left me just not caring about the “big fight” at the end of the movie.
OVERALL
Fighting was a decent idea for the movie with some sound dramatic plot points that just never really come to fruition. The fighting in the film is ruined by the dreaded shaky cam syndrome and the main conflict of the movie never interested me because they made it uninteresting. Terrence Howard almost singlehandedly saves the film, but even he couldn’t pull it out of the fire. Overall I give Fighting a 4/10.
You can watch the video version of our Fighting review here:
Thanks for checking out our State of Play review. If you’d like to see a video version of our State of Play review you can view it at the bottom of the written review.
I never make any secret about it. I believe, without question, not even close, Russell Crowe is the very best actor on the planet today. No one else (aside from Daniel Day-Lewis) is even in the same league as this guy right now. His pure range and diversity put him in another class than anyone else working in the business today. I’ve also always contended that Ben Affleck is a very underrated actor as well… he just does some terrible shit sometimes, but when you see him in films like Good Will Hunting, Chasing Amy or Changing Lanes, you see he’s got it. And who doesn’t love good political mystery thrillers? All together State of Play was a movie I just had to see. And I’m very glad i did.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis for State of Play reads something like this: “A petty thief is gunned down in an alley and a Congressman’s assistant falls in front of a subway – two seemingly unrelated deaths. But not to wisecracking, brash newspaper reporter Cal McAffrey who spies a conspiracy waiting to be uncovered. With a turbulent past connected to the Congressman and the aid of ambitious young rookie writer Della Frye, Cal begins uprooting clues that lead him to a corporate cover-up full of insiders, informants, and assassins. But as he draws closer to the truth, the relentless journalist must decide if it’s worth risking his life and selling his soul to get the ultimate story.”
THE GOOD
I sound like a bloody broken record, but holy crap Russell Crowe just flat out amazes me every single time he’s on screen, and his performance in State of Play is no exception. But it’s not just Crowe. Affleck is terrific in this. As always Helen Mirren (The Queen) is awesome, even Rachel McAdams does a bang up job. I was even surprised to see Princess Buttercup herself (Robin Wright Penn) in the movie and completely sell me on her character. All the acting in the film is brilliant, which I believe is a testament to the direction of Kevin Macdonald (who also directed Forest Whitaker in his Oscar winning performance in The Last King of Scotland).
This is just me… but I really appreciated the distinction that the film makes between bloggers and journalists. Bloggers, these movie website guys who calls themselves “journalists” really irritate me. In the film Russell Crowe plays a newspaper reporter. A REAL journalist. You know, someone who actually tracks down leads, breaks stories, does massive amounts of research, hits the pavement, talks to multiple sources… a journalist. Then, Rachel McAdams plays a blogger. You know, someone who just reads what someone else already reported, regurgitates it on her website and adds her spin and opinion on it. THERE IS A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO and the movie goes out of it’s way to hammer that home. I LOVE that it does that. I’m blogger, and there’s nothing wrong with that… but I’m not a journalist, and neither is any other movie website guy you read out there, no matter if they say they are or not. PERIOD.
The mystery of the film was revealed at a fantastic pace. Not a FAST pace. They told the story in such a way that they timed each revelation perfectly, keeping you as the audience member engaged. They never rushed it, it never felt dragged and the audience never felt lost either. Once again, a testament to the direction of Kevin Macdonald.
THE BAD
My one major problem with State of Play is that as a political mystery thriller, it does feel a little formulaic, and although the film is done VERY well, I feel like I’ve seen it before for most of it. Big bad corporation using it’s power to get and do whatever it wants to make sure it keeps all its money and power. Maybe even kill people! GASP!!!! In thqt sense it felt like just about every John Grisham adapted movie.
I was not a fan of the ending of the film. To me it leaves a few holes in the plot left open and it just didn’t feel satisfying to me.
OVERALL
State of Play is a brilliantly acted, well told political thriller that brings you along for the ride and keeps you engaged throughout the film. The overall story does feel a bit formulaic and I wasn’t thrilled with the ending, but the movie is strong enough to easily overcome those shortcomings. Overall I give State Of Play an 8 out of 10.
Thanks for checking out our Crank 2 review (yeah, we know it’s officially called Crank: High Voltage, but we all know it’s Crank 2). If you’d like to check out our Crank 2 review video, you can see it at the bottom of the written review.
It’s no secret I love Crank. To me, Crank is the living embodiment of the phrase “There are films, and there are movies”. There are artistic expression films with meaning and depth… films that are trying to say or express something. Then there are movies. Popcorn, turn your brain off and just have some fun for 90 minutes movies. Both are valid. Both can be great and both can be horrible. Crank is a MOVIE, and one that I had enormous fun with. So it was with great excitement that I heard they would indeed be going back to proverbial well to do Crank 2.
I finally had a chance to see Crank 2 today… and although it has some weaknesses (some of them pretty big which I’ll address in a moment) it in no way disappointed me, and I walked out of the theater giggling with a big smile on my face.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis for Crank 2 reads something like this: “Chelios faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.” Pretty straight forward huh?
THE GOOD
This movie is insane. Neveldine and Taylor (the writers and directors of Crank and Crank 2) said from the outset that the movie would pick up at the exact moment where the first Crank ended. They weren’t kidding. The movie starts with it’s foot on the floor and it just never takes it off. The first Crank movie started off fairly normal and just got more and more insane as it went. Instead of going back to normal again, they correctly pick up the same pace and just keep it going until this film ends. Pure ridiculous fun. Chev Chelios evolves from just another movie hitman character into a mythological creature. He’s now more like Friday the 13th’s Jason than anything else. Nothing can stop him. Nothing can kill him. Nothing can slow him down… and I ate it up.
If you’re going to do a film this ludicrous, you can’t even pretend to take yourself seriously. The best way to offset that is humor, and Crank 2 has some great humor that had me giggling a lot through the film. Bai Ling was far more funny than I thought she’d be (I’ll be honest, I thought she’s be a hinderance to the movie, but she actually ended up adding to it)
You’ve probably seen the pictures online, so this isn’t spoiling anything for you, but there is a sequence in the film where Chev is hit with a massive dose of power while fighting a guy and it causes him to sort of hallucinate. His hallucination is HILARIOUS. I don’t want to say any more than that out of fear of spoiling it for you.
Seeing Corey Haim return to the big screen was funny and he did a very solid job playing Amy Smart’s new boyfriend (Amy has thought Chev has been dead for 3 months). You’ll never even realize it’s him at first, but then it becomes obvious, and he was great.
Some of the shots and cinematography in the movie are just fantastic and very unique. Neveldine and Taylor shot this film in a very raw guerilla style and it suits the film very well (with some exceptions which I’ll expand on in the “bad” part of the review). It’s crazy, it’s disjointed, it’s chaotic… just like Chev’s adventure itself. It was extremely fun to watch on that level.
Much has been made (at least by me) of the fact that Crank 2 was shot almost entirely on the consumer level camera, the Canon XH-A1 on standard mini-dv tape. IT WORKED WONDERFULLY!!!! Using $3000 camera instead of $300,000 cameras, that were small, light and rugged opened up tons of shooting possibilities that the filmmakers took full advantage of.
I love Jason Statham. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: Statham was born to play Chev Chelios, and Chev Chelios was born to be played by Statham. Statham is just great in this flick.
THE BAD
Now before you go thinking that I thought Crank 2 was the greatest thing since sliced bread, I did have several issues with it. First and foremost is a pet peeve of mine for several films… SHAKY GOD DAMN CAMERA DURING ACTION SCENES. Don’t get be wrong, there is a difference between hand held camera (which is just fine when used right, like Crank 2 does most of the time) and shaky camera. There is a difference between a camera moving a little, and a camera jolting all over the place like it’s being operated by a chicken having a severe seizure to the point that you as the audience member have no bloody idea what the hell is supposed to be going on up on the screen. A couple of potentially fantastic action sequences in Crank 2 were completely ruined for me because of this. Most of the action sequences were totally fine, but a couple of them were nothing but random blurs of incomprehensible images and noises. Really a shame.
One of the things that gives Crank its unique identity is the style of editing. It works… for the most part. But in Crank 2 I found several spots irritated me because of the excessive random jump edits and supers that felt more like a visual collage of a 3rd grader doing show and tell. Again, 90% of great, but there is that 10% that bothered me… a lot.
There was a wasted segment in the film that dealt with Chev’s childhood that I thought was just completely wasted screen time. Not funny, had nothing to do with the story nor did it add to anything going on… it just dragged us out of the action. I can understand how it seemed like a funny thought at the time, but it shouldn’t have been left in the film.
OVERALL
Crank 2 is a fun, insane and extremely over the top amusement park ride for the senses that I believe, if you go into it with the right mindset, you’ll absolutely have a great time with. But be warned, like its predecessor this movie is NOT for everyone. Even as just an insane ride there are some glaring weakness and problems that could have been easily avoided, but for me, they did not distract from the pure enjoyment of the ride too much. Overall I give Crank 2 (aka Crank: High Voltage) a 7.5 out of 10.
YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEO VERSION OF OUR CRANK 2 REVIEW HERE:
Goku sets out on a mission to find the remaining legendary Dragonballs at his adoptive grandfather Gohan’s dying request. Joined by Master Roshi and Bulma, he encounters the evil Lord Piccolo who is also looking for the Dragonballs to take over the world. Legend tells that collecting all eight Dragonballs will grant the collector one perfect wish. Its a pretty basic story. They both want the power to accomplish something great, but the badguy wants it for bad, and the goodguy wants it to stop the badguy.
THE GOOD
Ouch. How do I spell this out. It’s like getting an ugly sweater from your favourite aunt. Here I am expected to write something good about this and I have to do it without trying to sound like I am just being nice.
Honestly, some moments of the action was pretty decent, and the visuals on the tech were pretty well done. The Jetson’s fold-a-bike was awfully nifty and it sure beat the hell out of a floating cloud. Marsters’ Piccolo was menacing and evil. If I didn’t already know I wouldn’t have guessed that it was Marsters playing him.
Other than that I can honestly say they did a good job attempting to please the fans and give them what they wanted while still making the necessary adaptions to the big screen. Not that I feel they accomplished that, but they did make an effort to try.
THE BAD
The limited amount of things I had to say were good about the movie just means I could spend all day talking about what was bad.
Emmy Rossum, easily my favourite of all the actors on this screen was just dry and emotionless. Her attempts to portray a cold tough chick gunslinging treasure hunter just came across as flat and unappealing (two things I would never think could be associated with Rossum). This girl has a smile that can light up a room and it just wasn’t used nearly enough. And Chow Yun-Fat is usually much better than this, and I can’t believe they talked him into all that silly dialouge. Embarrassing.
But most of all I found this movie to be purely un-enjoyable just because it was un-enjoyable. Fans will be quick to label every last inconsistency with the cartoon or manga to try and cut down this production. Hell they even make up stuff that doesn’t matter to cut it down. But fact remains that even just looking at this film from a pure action adventure flick, the movie falls short.
There was no suspense, tension or worry ever presented. Even the teen angsty crush seemed empty. I was never on the edge of my seat wondering if the hero will prevail – even though you know that’s a foregone conclusion, building a sense of impending doom would be nice.
I judged this movie as a movie, not that it was an adaptation. I tried to enjoy it as a stand alone film that didn’t require you to have previous knowledge of the franchise.
Perhaps it relied TOO much on its fanbase which appeared to be its target audience, despite how the trailers indicating this would be a small departure from the cartoon and deliver solid action and adventure.
OVERALL
All Dragonball continuity complaints aside, this movie just doesn’t make for a good adventure film at all. Some action in very small glimpses. Some really decent visuals. Poor everything else. I was originally all up for seeing this, but after some preview footage, I lost all hope. I don’t think it sucks for the reasons the fanboys are hating on it for, I think it just sucks. Period.
I was expecting a popcorn flick, but all I enjoyed was my popcorn.
With its staggering $25m already gathered in overseas markets, and its estimated $6million in North American markets, I would be utterly shocked if this $50million budgeted film gets the sequel they apparently already wrote for it. It just might if they figure they can lure people into the more popular Dragonball Z storyline?
Overall I give Dragonball Evolution a 2 out of 10.
I won’t beat around the bush here. I absolutely despise all the fast and the furious movies right from the first one. The first film was nothing but a blatant and criminal rip off of Point Break. The plot and each successive story point were all directly stolen from the much superior movie and offered no apologies for it. Each one just got worse and worse from there.
When Vin Diesel showed his face at the end of Tokyo Drift (the third installment of the franchise) we all knew that a 4th Fast and Furious film was going to be on it’s way. That, and the fact that everything else Vin Diesel has tried to do over the last 5 years has bombed on a Pauley Shore scale and he had to return to his popular roles to regain significance).
So I forced myself to go and see fast and Furious so I could give my thoughts on it here. Ummmm… crap… I hate myself a little bit for saying this… but… wow… I actually kinda enjoyed it. Let the apocalypse begin.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The synopsis or Fast and Furious reads something like this: “Heading back to the streets where it all began, two men rejoin two women to blast muscle, tuner and exotic cars across Los Angeles and floor through the Mexican desert. When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Connor. But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him. And from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: push the limits of what’s possible behind the wheel.”
THE GOOD
Look, this whole review is going to be pretty short because the strengths and weakness are fairly simple and straight forward… like the movie itself.
THE ACTION IS AMAZING. This film, far more than any others in the franchise, has some truly awesome and exciting action sequences (all revolving around car chases and races for the most part). This film knows what people are here to see… and they just deliver it in spades. The movie just go go go go gos from the start right to the finish and I’m not ashamed to admit that it kept me entertained pretty much the whole way through. People seeing any Vin “I have the emotional range of a turnip” Diesel movie is not there expecting Shakespeare.
The party and “lifestyle” scenes were all well orchestrated giving a large feel to the film and lots of hot booty to look at (I swear there is as much camera time spent on various women’s asses as there is meaningful dialog).
THE BAD
Absolutely everything else. Let’s start with Diesel… even though he is HUGE in this movie (not kidding… I’ve never seen him look bigger or more physically intimidating), the guy is a total tool when it comes to acting. Every time he speaks a line in the movie I would wish some stranger would kick me in the balls… because it would hurt less. Paul Walker was only marginally less miserable… as were all the bad guys, supporting characters… it was just dreadful.
Ha… don’t even get me started on the story.
OVERALL
In every way, shape and form Fast and Furious is a poor movie… EXCEPT in the area of heart pounding action. Fortunately for the movie… that’s the most important ingredient for a film like this, and it delivered it in spades… enough so that despite the fact that it is so bad in so many ways… I actually have to say I enjoyed watching it overall and that it entertained me. NEVER thought I’d ever say that about a Fast and Furious movie… EVER. Overall I give Fast and Furious a 6 out of 10.
