BASEketball
Comedy
5/5
PLOT
Baseketball is about two avergage men who have no maturity at all. They can't really do anything well except shoot hoops. So they decide to invent a sport called "BASEketball" which is a cross between Baseball and basketball. This way they can use their skill of shooting basketballs while not having to run very much. The sport soon catches on quickly and becomes a world renown event. Like all sports other things start to get in the way such as team merchandise and people trying to buy other teams. This starts to make the sport of baseketball divide until Coop the main character decides that he is going to change all of this. And so him and his team play their hearts out in this fun comedy that will keep you laughing.
ACTING
The acting that takes place in this movie is simply hilarious. The two main actors Matt Stone and Trey Parker are the two creators of South Park the animated comedy show that is still to this day on television. The proceed in making subtle jokes throughout the movie that will get the audience laughing. Their casual and dry sense of humor is definetly for a certain crowd but is still funny regardless. Although making a lot of dirty potty jokes some of them involve quite some thought which is sometimes a positive for people who like to have jokes that make them think. But overall I thought the acting was great and very funny.
SPECIAL EFFECTS/ CINEMATOGRAPHY
Because this film was a comedy and doesn't involve a lot of special effects, it is hard to say anything about it. The music was that of a good comedy and really helped set the mood at times. The camera shots consisted of mostly medium and wide shots to keep it easy on the audience. It also had quite a bit of close-ups on the characters facial expressions to emphasize a point. It also gave it a comdy aspect by allowing the characters to speak without using words.
FINAL COMMENTS
I believe that this film has a target audience of younger adolesences and adults who have a fairly large sense of humor. If you prefer the textbook jokes and politically correct jokes then I highly suggest you stay away from this film. But if you have do have a sense of humor that can handle the so called "potty humor" then I highly suggest watching this film. The films main strangth is it has all the basic essentials in making a movie and thats it. It didnt try to make the story too complex. It kept it simple allowing the audience to be more focused on the jokes that were being made over the progress of the movie.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Hulk Movie Review
THE HULK
Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Rating: 3.5/5
PLOT: Academy Award nominee Edward Norton stars as scientist Bruce Banner, a man who has been living in the shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him(The Hulk). But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civiliztion, he find himself coming face to face with his most formidable foe(The Abomination). A nightmarish beast of pure aggression who's powers match The Hulk's own. Also starring Liv Tyler, Oscar nominee Tim Roth,and Oscar winner William Hurt, The Incredible Hulk is stepped in action and spectacular special effects and delivers a mind-blowing final showdown that can only be summed up with one word...INCREDIBLE
Acting: In this film there was 1 Oscar winner and 3 nominations. Overall the acting in this movie was really good. Edward Norton was great playing The Hulk. It was action filled and a way better movie then The Hulk in 2003. If there was actually a Hulk in real life today Edward Norton would be it. IN his acting during the movie he seems like hes a kind calm guy, but hes just hiding someone thing from everyone. He made it seem almost realistic.
Special Effects: The effects in this movie are just great. Explosions, Hulk Smash, the Hulk and Abomination themselves...the effects in this movie made it what it was. Im happy that they redid this film into more or a action filled special effected movie.
Final Comments: Tony Spark (Ironman) appearing at the end made the movie even more exciting and left fans of marvel thinking. There still has to be a Captian America Movie and a Thore Movie before they reunite them all in the next Avengers Movie.
Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Rating: 3.5/5
PLOT: Academy Award nominee Edward Norton stars as scientist Bruce Banner, a man who has been living in the shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him(The Hulk). But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civiliztion, he find himself coming face to face with his most formidable foe(The Abomination). A nightmarish beast of pure aggression who's powers match The Hulk's own. Also starring Liv Tyler, Oscar nominee Tim Roth,and Oscar winner William Hurt, The Incredible Hulk is stepped in action and spectacular special effects and delivers a mind-blowing final showdown that can only be summed up with one word...INCREDIBLE
Acting: In this film there was 1 Oscar winner and 3 nominations. Overall the acting in this movie was really good. Edward Norton was great playing The Hulk. It was action filled and a way better movie then The Hulk in 2003. If there was actually a Hulk in real life today Edward Norton would be it. IN his acting during the movie he seems like hes a kind calm guy, but hes just hiding someone thing from everyone. He made it seem almost realistic.
Special Effects: The effects in this movie are just great. Explosions, Hulk Smash, the Hulk and Abomination themselves...the effects in this movie made it what it was. Im happy that they redid this film into more or a action filled special effected movie.
Final Comments: Tony Spark (Ironman) appearing at the end made the movie even more exciting and left fans of marvel thinking. There still has to be a Captian America Movie and a Thore Movie before they reunite them all in the next Avengers Movie.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Pulp Fiction
Genre: Crime Drama
My Rating: Five Stars out of five
Even though Pulp Fiction is split into 7 parts it has 3 protagonists who all meet each other in one point of the chronology or another. The protagonist of the first third of the movie is Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta. Vincent is a hitman employed by Marsellus who recently returned from Amsterdamn. Vincent's storyline revolves around him going on a date with Marsellus's wife Mia, played by Uma Thurman. The second part of the storyline revolves around a boxer named Butch Coolage, played by Bruce Willis. His storyline revolves him running from Marsellus's influence. The third storyline revolves around the character Jules, who is a veteran hitman for Marsellus. Jules's plotline revolves around him completing a job with his partner Vincent.
Pulp Fiction was surprisingly good with it's attentiont to detail with the characters. Almost all the major characters appear in more then one part of the storyline
My Rating: Five Stars out of five
PLOT
The plotline of Pulp Fiction takes place over 7 parts and surprisingly are not in order. It follows the trials and tribulations of several characters over the timespan of a few days. Much of the plotline revolves around a mob boss named "Marsellus Walace" who apparently controls most of the city of Los Angeles. Pulp Fiction's protagonists are mostly either gangsters employed by Marsellus or people who betray him later on.Even though Pulp Fiction is split into 7 parts it has 3 protagonists who all meet each other in one point of the chronology or another. The protagonist of the first third of the movie is Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta. Vincent is a hitman employed by Marsellus who recently returned from Amsterdamn. Vincent's storyline revolves around him going on a date with Marsellus's wife Mia, played by Uma Thurman. The second part of the storyline revolves around a boxer named Butch Coolage, played by Bruce Willis. His storyline revolves him running from Marsellus's influence. The third storyline revolves around the character Jules, who is a veteran hitman for Marsellus. Jules's plotline revolves around him completing a job with his partner Vincent.
Pulp Fiction was surprisingly good with it's attentiont to detail with the characters. Almost all the major characters appear in more then one part of the storyline
ACTING
The Acting was, for lack of a better term. Exceptional. The small bits of dialogue that the characters give out always match the situation to the letter. The characters themselves are completely over the top and cliche. However in the midst of this, Tarrantino quells his lack of originality with his presentation and style. Even in the chapters which overlap previous ones, their dialogue seems so desireable. As if you have been waiting for the entire movie just to hear them speak out and use their body language.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
The many shots of Pulp Fiction were very original. Tarrantino uses a wide mixture of shots which keep the viewer guessing. The music always suits the scene and seems as if you have heard it's style in hundreds of movies before. But that adds to the magic of Pulp Fiction. Pulp Fiction is clearly very beautifully edited. Many of it's camera angels obviously took quite a lot of brainstorming during it's pre-production. This is obviously the mark of a good movie. For example, during several shots the camera shifts to a shot where the character is viewing something, but the camera doesn't see it. This leaves room for the viewer to continue guessing until you finally get to that part where the movie reveals what the character was looking at (In most cases you are just kept guessing)
FINAL COMMENTS
This is one movie I am surprised Mr. Rochetta did not show us in film class. It is a prime example of a good modern movie. It has a fairly non-linear and sometimes confusing plotline, great acting and awesome presentation. It is one movie that once the credits roll, you wished it didn't end. It is definantly one movie that you are going to want to watch again, and again just to understand it better.
Finding Nemo Movie Review
Finding Nemo
Genre: Animated Comedy/Adventure
My Rating: 5/5
PLOT
This story takes place in the ocean. Marlin, a Clownfish, and his wife settle into a new home where all of there eggs were. Suddenly, a Barracuda attacks their home, leaving Marlin and a single egg. Marlin was left with his only son, Nemo. Nemo and Marlin would live in their coral reef home until his first day of school, when Nemo who was frustrated by his father’s over protectiveness deliberately disobeys his father’s caution by swimming into dangerous open water. Nemo is caught by a scuba diver, leaving behind only a bear of diving goggles. Marlin, discovering that the goggles came from
ACTING
The characters in this story were amazing. Almost every character had an adorable personality that made you chuckle, even the sharks. The voices used in this movie were great, they made it impossible not to enjoy the performances of Dory and the sea turtle. The characters were almost realistic, some of their characteristics were realistic, and some were not. Each of characters had their own little story that allowed you to connect with them in some way. There are a few stereotypes in this movie, such as the turtles’ surfer accent but they were not major.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
Finding Nemo, which was animated has many great shots and depict the story at many interesting and nice angles. Finding Nemo applies shots that were able to provoke panic, comedy, or excitement. The music also contributed to the mood greatly, setting the tone for many of the shots throughout the movie. I absolutely loved the shots used in the fish tank.
FINAL COMMENTS
Everyone should go watch this movie. Finding Nemo is fun and entertaining for just about anyone, regardless of age or background. This movie was funny and exciting throughout the whole movie, but perhaps could have spent more time with some of the other characters. Regardless, Finding Nemo is an excellent movie.
-Wilson Teng, Block G
BURN AFTER READING
Genre: 
Comedy
Rating: 4/5 stars
PLOT
"Burn After Reading" is a roller coaster ride of a film; it's full of twists and turns and you never know what to expect next. The plot is based on, in a nutshell, a huge misunderstanding. A CIA spook (John Malkovich) is in the process of leaving his job and after finishing his memoires, leaves them stored on a CD in a local gym by accident. The files are later found by one of the employees at the gym (Brad Pitt) who later discusses with the owner of the gym (Frances McDormand) what to do with the files. After learning the identity of the author of the files, they decide to try and blackmail the former CIA spook (John Malkovich) so they can get some cash for the CD, as well as find a buyer for the files, although unbenownst to them they are actually useless. A CIA superior (Gearge Clooney) hears of this after they try to sell the files to the Russian embassy, but has no idea what to do about the situation or what to make of it. Coincedentally, he also begins dating the owner of the gym (Frances McDormand), not knowing that she possesses the files he is searching for. Meanwhile, the former CIA spook (John Malkovich) is going insane trying to get his memoires back from the gym duo. Nobody knows what anybody is after.
ACTING
ComedyRating: 4/5 stars
PLOT
"Burn After Reading" is a roller coaster ride of a film; it's full of twists and turns and you never know what to expect next. The plot is based on, in a nutshell, a huge misunderstanding. A CIA spook (John Malkovich) is in the process of leaving his job and after finishing his memoires, leaves them stored on a CD in a local gym by accident. The files are later found by one of the employees at the gym (Brad Pitt) who later discusses with the owner of the gym (Frances McDormand) what to do with the files. After learning the identity of the author of the files, they decide to try and blackmail the former CIA spook (John Malkovich) so they can get some cash for the CD, as well as find a buyer for the files, although unbenownst to them they are actually useless. A CIA superior (Gearge Clooney) hears of this after they try to sell the files to the Russian embassy, but has no idea what to do about the situation or what to make of it. Coincedentally, he also begins dating the owner of the gym (Frances McDormand), not knowing that she possesses the files he is searching for. Meanwhile, the former CIA spook (John Malkovich) is going insane trying to get his memoires back from the gym duo. Nobody knows what anybody is after.
ACTING
The performances displayed by both Pitt and Clooney are the two things that make this movie a must-see. Altough the plot is completely ridiculous and confusing, these two make it believable. Brad Pitt really goes back to his roots and puts on a totally wacky and geeky act to provide some comic relief which is much needed, while Clooney's emotion and intensity keep you watching and laughing. Clooney's performance also makes it a lot easier viewers to believe and understand the situation. John Malkovich is hilarious as well, and you'll swear he's crazy when you see all of the stuff he does in the film. I won't spoil any of them though......
CINEMATOGRAPHY / SPECIAL EFFECTS
There were hardly any special effects used in this film as it was primarily based on plot and charaters. However, the cinematography really added to the humour of the film. The way the shots were done during some of the comedic parts really added to the humour of them and definetely got some extra laughs out of me then a normal shot would have. *SPOILER ALERT* The part where Brad Pitt looks up with a big smile on his face at George Clooney after he finds him hiding in the closet is hilarious, but sadly George Clooney shoots Brad Pitt in the head and that's the last you see of him in the film. It was a great scene, but it kind of sucked seeing him get picked off like halfway through the film but once the plot wraps up it's pretty funny.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, "Burn After Reading" was a pretty good movie with a lot of confusing parts, but great laughs all around. You need to see it with more than one person so that you can talk about it afterwards and piece together the parts that you didn't get in the movie. That'll help you understand it a lot better. In my opinion, it's definetely one of the best films of the year and a must-see.
CINEMATOGRAPHY / SPECIAL EFFECTS
There were hardly any special effects used in this film as it was primarily based on plot and charaters. However, the cinematography really added to the humour of the film. The way the shots were done during some of the comedic parts really added to the humour of them and definetely got some extra laughs out of me then a normal shot would have. *SPOILER ALERT* The part where Brad Pitt looks up with a big smile on his face at George Clooney after he finds him hiding in the closet is hilarious, but sadly George Clooney shoots Brad Pitt in the head and that's the last you see of him in the film. It was a great scene, but it kind of sucked seeing him get picked off like halfway through the film but once the plot wraps up it's pretty funny.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, "Burn After Reading" was a pretty good movie with a lot of confusing parts, but great laughs all around. You need to see it with more than one person so that you can talk about it afterwards and piece together the parts that you didn't get in the movie. That'll help you understand it a lot better. In my opinion, it's definetely one of the best films of the year and a must-see.
Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond
Drama
5/5 stars
Plot:
Danny Archer(Leonardo DiCaprio) is a dealer of "conflict diamonds" in Sierra Leone. His entire career and survival is based off of dealing diamonds that are the result of torture and suffering by people enslaved by money hungry "diamond farmers." A fisherman(Solomon Vandy, played by Djimon Hounsou) whose village was burned to the ground and everyone in it, has been separated from his family and forced to work in these diamond mines so that people who beat him and kill his friends can profit. After Solomon finds a massive diamond worth millions of dollars and manages to bury the diamond outside of the camp, american peacekeepers attack the site. All the leaders of that camp, and workers, are taken to prison in a nearby town. The rumor that Solomon has this diamond startes to travel, and reaches Danny's ear. Danny bails solomon out of prison and convinces him to help him find the diamond. The rest of the movie involves the two in search of this diamond, and the struggle for solomon to find the rest of his family.
Acting:
The acting in this movie is outstanding. Leonardo DiCaprio won an oscar for Best Preformance by an Actor in a Leading Roll and Djimon Hounsou won an oscar for Best Preformance by an Actor in a Supporting Roll. Both oscars were well deserved. Other than a few characters (Love Interest, Antagonist) they both carry this movie incredibly well. Leonardo DiCaprio pulls off the South African accent perfectly.
Special Effects/Cinemtography:
This movie didn't have too much special effects apart from Explosions and gunshots. The cinemtography was amazing. This one shot after Solomon Vandy arrives in London, and sees a necklace with hundreds of diamonds on it, and realizes, his friends and family, have been put through incredible torture and pain, and in some cases, death, so that a jewelry retailer can sell a pretty necklace for $1000... The scene was perfect.
Final Thoughts:
If you are into dramas, I strongly recommend this movie. The is nothing about that movie that doesn't make you think. The movie doesn't have a single weak spot. Shots are clearly defined and everything you would expect out of a 5/5 star movie is there.
Drama
5/5 stars
Plot:
Danny Archer(Leonardo DiCaprio) is a dealer of "conflict diamonds" in Sierra Leone. His entire career and survival is based off of dealing diamonds that are the result of torture and suffering by people enslaved by money hungry "diamond farmers." A fisherman(Solomon Vandy, played by Djimon Hounsou) whose village was burned to the ground and everyone in it, has been separated from his family and forced to work in these diamond mines so that people who beat him and kill his friends can profit. After Solomon finds a massive diamond worth millions of dollars and manages to bury the diamond outside of the camp, american peacekeepers attack the site. All the leaders of that camp, and workers, are taken to prison in a nearby town. The rumor that Solomon has this diamond startes to travel, and reaches Danny's ear. Danny bails solomon out of prison and convinces him to help him find the diamond. The rest of the movie involves the two in search of this diamond, and the struggle for solomon to find the rest of his family.
Acting:
The acting in this movie is outstanding. Leonardo DiCaprio won an oscar for Best Preformance by an Actor in a Leading Roll and Djimon Hounsou won an oscar for Best Preformance by an Actor in a Supporting Roll. Both oscars were well deserved. Other than a few characters (Love Interest, Antagonist) they both carry this movie incredibly well. Leonardo DiCaprio pulls off the South African accent perfectly.
Special Effects/Cinemtography:
This movie didn't have too much special effects apart from Explosions and gunshots. The cinemtography was amazing. This one shot after Solomon Vandy arrives in London, and sees a necklace with hundreds of diamonds on it, and realizes, his friends and family, have been put through incredible torture and pain, and in some cases, death, so that a jewelry retailer can sell a pretty necklace for $1000... The scene was perfect.
Final Thoughts:
If you are into dramas, I strongly recommend this movie. The is nothing about that movie that doesn't make you think. The movie doesn't have a single weak spot. Shots are clearly defined and everything you would expect out of a 5/5 star movie is there.
Love Actually
Romantic Comedy
* * * * *
PLOT
This movie is about love and everything that comes with it. Love can bring you joy, confusion, happiness, madness. It can break your heart, take you down long winding roads, give you “the butterflies” and make you feel as light as a feather. It can make you act like a fool and even make you test some of the strongest bonds you have with someone else. Basically, love is everywhere and no matter what you do it is always going to be around you. You just have to accept it.
ACTING
I think that the characters in ‘Love Actually’ are very realistic. The adults in the movie act in ways that I can see other people and even myself acting in and the young boy (Thomas Sangster) did a wonderful job and was a believable character. In some movies and televison shows where there are child actors, I find it hard to actually believe some of the lines they are saying but I actually fell in love with Thomas Sangsters character and found him very adorable and believable. I didn’t see any stereotypes in the movie when I was watching it so I don’t think there were any, but I wasn’t really looking for any. The characters are very well developed. Each character has their own story and their own problems to deal with and after watching the movie I feel that they did a good job in using enough detail to help me understand them and see their problems as if I were going through the same things they were.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSICAL SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS etc.
This movie has a really great variety of camera angles and shots. They are very creative and they really help show the mood and the emotion that comes with the scenes. The music works very well with the emotion and the mood too. My I think my favorite shot in the whole movie is when Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon are in a car with her nephew and are on their way to a school play. The two of them are separated by this young boy in a bulky, paper maché costume and are trying to have a conversation about their feelings. The shot is straight on and it shows all three of them in the back seats of the car. The dialogue shows the awkwardness that is felt between the two characters and the shot suits the mood.
FINAL COMMENTS
I think that everyone should watch this movie because it is very cute and everyone can relate to it in one way or another. You may not be exactly like any of the characters or have the same experiences as them but it’s easy to put yourself in their shoes and go along for the ride. Almost anyone can watch this movie. Old people because you can blast the volume for them if you have to and change the language of the video if that helps, and I’m sure it would be a nice treat for them. Teenagers can definitely watch the movie and obviously adults can too. I watched it with my mom and my sister a few weeks ago and we all loved it. I don’t recommend it for younger kids though because there is nudity in some scenes.
The films strengths are its well developed characters, great story line, good cast and its uniqueness. I’m infatuated with this movie so I’m going to say that it has no weaknesses. =)
Romantic Comedy
* * * * *
PLOT
This movie is about love and everything that comes with it. Love can bring you joy, confusion, happiness, madness. It can break your heart, take you down long winding roads, give you “the butterflies” and make you feel as light as a feather. It can make you act like a fool and even make you test some of the strongest bonds you have with someone else. Basically, love is everywhere and no matter what you do it is always going to be around you. You just have to accept it.
ACTING
I think that the characters in ‘Love Actually’ are very realistic. The adults in the movie act in ways that I can see other people and even myself acting in and the young boy (Thomas Sangster) did a wonderful job and was a believable character. In some movies and televison shows where there are child actors, I find it hard to actually believe some of the lines they are saying but I actually fell in love with Thomas Sangsters character and found him very adorable and believable. I didn’t see any stereotypes in the movie when I was watching it so I don’t think there were any, but I wasn’t really looking for any. The characters are very well developed. Each character has their own story and their own problems to deal with and after watching the movie I feel that they did a good job in using enough detail to help me understand them and see their problems as if I were going through the same things they were.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSICAL SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS etc.
This movie has a really great variety of camera angles and shots. They are very creative and they really help show the mood and the emotion that comes with the scenes. The music works very well with the emotion and the mood too. My I think my favorite shot in the whole movie is when Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon are in a car with her nephew and are on their way to a school play. The two of them are separated by this young boy in a bulky, paper maché costume and are trying to have a conversation about their feelings. The shot is straight on and it shows all three of them in the back seats of the car. The dialogue shows the awkwardness that is felt between the two characters and the shot suits the mood.
FINAL COMMENTS
I think that everyone should watch this movie because it is very cute and everyone can relate to it in one way or another. You may not be exactly like any of the characters or have the same experiences as them but it’s easy to put yourself in their shoes and go along for the ride. Almost anyone can watch this movie. Old people because you can blast the volume for them if you have to and change the language of the video if that helps, and I’m sure it would be a nice treat for them. Teenagers can definitely watch the movie and obviously adults can too. I watched it with my mom and my sister a few weeks ago and we all loved it. I don’t recommend it for younger kids though because there is nudity in some scenes.
The films strengths are its well developed characters, great story line, good cast and its uniqueness. I’m infatuated with this movie so I’m going to say that it has no weaknesses. =)
Title: The Dark Knight
Film style: action/adventure
Rating: 4 out of 5
PLOT:
One year after Batman Begins, Lieutenant Gordon, Harvey Dent (the new DA) and Batman start to clean up the criminals of Gotham City. A sadistic, psychopathic unknown criminal called the Joker shows up in Gotham City and robs a mob-owned bank. He then tricks the mobsters into killing each other. It's chaos in Gotham City. Batman begins a personal crusade against the Joker to catch him at all costs. In the process, Batman is forced to examine everything he believes in ...
ACTING:
The characters are somewhat realistic, but they are based on comic-book characters so they are intended to be fantasy-like and exaggerated to emphasize the good and evil aspects of their characters.
Batman is a typical, uncorruptable hero. Harvey, at first, is the perfect DA, but later becomes hardened and vengeful after an explosion disfigures him and drives him insane and leads him to kill Rachel, his girlfriend. The Joker is a typical villain but much darker and more evil.
The acting overall is excellent and although it is based on comicbook characters, they make you believe in them. Heath Ledger does an incredible job as the psychopathic, sadistic Joker. His mannerisms and facial expressions make him seem truly deranged.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSICAL SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS:
Some of the film was shot in a format, especially some of the calmer scenes, that gives it that larger-than-life feel. The Joker is dressed more scruffy and grungy and this made him look eerier when he moved. By making him look so grubby the audience might even be able to "smell him." Batman's costume is tighter and looks more up to date technologically. The white lenses over Batman's eyes make him look more like a comicbook hero. Gotham City looks cleaner in this movie than in the last one. The characters look less repulsive and more realistic. Music in the movie sounds like it only uses a few notes. The music doesn't seem to interfere with how dark and evil the characters are.
What stood out for me was how technologically cool Batman's vehicles were. I liked this version of Batman much more because the characters were less cartoon-like and much more edgy. I liked the fact that Batman was conveyed as being both good and bad, he wasn't the typical goody, goody hero.
FINAL COMMENTS:
This is a "go see" film. It is Heath Ledger's last film before he died of an overdose and his portrayal of the Joker is incredible. Although the plot is predictable, it is entertaining and exciting to watch.
This film is definitely not for children as it is very dark and fairly violent. Anyone who loves heroes and villains and wants great escapism should go see this film. The down-side to this film is that it's somewhat typical; you have seen this plot before. The strength of this film is the acting and the cool technological Batman gadgets.
Heading:
1. Step Up
2. dance (?) / romance
3. 4.5 out of 5
Plot:
It's about a troubled street dancer (Channing Tatum) Tyler Gage who got caught in an act of crime at a dance school and was charged to do community service at the particular dance school. It's there that he met Nora, a privileged classically trained dancer who is seeking for a temporary replacement for her injured dance partner. After seeing Tyler dance, Nora takes the challenge of making Tyler her replacement. As they start to progress, their chemistry starts to flare up.
Acting:
Tyler's and Nora's characters were very realistic. Their acting was very believeable and it clearly portrayed that there was a person behind the character, and they showed, that what their characters went through, was real.
There were stereotypes such as, Tyler, the male was a hip-hop dancer while the female, Nora was a ballet dancer. The characters were well-developed because they went through an emotional journey.
Special Effects, Cinematography:
There were many wide and bird's eye view shots to show the multiple dancers. When they were dancing there was many medium shots. Also their was many intimate close up shots when they were speaking. Near the ending of the movie when the last performance there was panning across the stage, which stood out for me.
Final commentary :
If you're intrested in a light, romantic yet upbeat movie than i strongly recommend Step Up. This movie particularily speaks out to people who are intrested in dance or trying something new. It also speaks out to teenagers. Some of the films strengths was the big variety of actors, but the movie plot lacked a climax, and many characters weren't as round.
By: Sherry :]
1. Step Up
2. dance (?) / romance
3. 4.5 out of 5
Plot:
It's about a troubled street dancer (Channing Tatum) Tyler Gage who got caught in an act of crime at a dance school and was charged to do community service at the particular dance school. It's there that he met Nora, a privileged classically trained dancer who is seeking for a temporary replacement for her injured dance partner. After seeing Tyler dance, Nora takes the challenge of making Tyler her replacement. As they start to progress, their chemistry starts to flare up.
Acting:
Tyler's and Nora's characters were very realistic. Their acting was very believeable and it clearly portrayed that there was a person behind the character, and they showed, that what their characters went through, was real.
There were stereotypes such as, Tyler, the male was a hip-hop dancer while the female, Nora was a ballet dancer. The characters were well-developed because they went through an emotional journey.
Special Effects, Cinematography:
There were many wide and bird's eye view shots to show the multiple dancers. When they were dancing there was many medium shots. Also their was many intimate close up shots when they were speaking. Near the ending of the movie when the last performance there was panning across the stage, which stood out for me.
Final commentary :
If you're intrested in a light, romantic yet upbeat movie than i strongly recommend Step Up. This movie particularily speaks out to people who are intrested in dance or trying something new. It also speaks out to teenagers. Some of the films strengths was the big variety of actors, but the movie plot lacked a climax, and many characters weren't as round.
By: Sherry :]
28 Days Later (Horror/Thriller/Sci-Fi)
Plot: Late one night, a group of animal activists break into a science lab to free a chimpanzee that was bieng for a medical research. A sciencetist warns the activists of the chimps being infected with a rage virus. The activists didn't listen and free the infected chimp was realeased and soon infecting everyone , turning them into monsters. Four weeks after the mysterious virus spreads through the UK leaving terror. Meanwhile a bicycle courier name Jim(Cillain Murphy) wakes up after a coma in a hospital, near London, and he asumes he's all alone. Jim wonders around the city in London until he is encounters the infected and is being chased by them, he is soon help by survivors. Now both Jim and a handfull of a survivor try find Sanctuary.
Cast: The acting in is excellent and very believable. In other movies were the "End of the World" theme, the acting isn't convincing. In 28 Days Later it makes you believe that this has actually happening. Both Cillain Murphy and Naomie Harris shows great proformance in there rolls.
Crew: Director Danny Boyle shows great plot and story towards writer Alexl Garland vision of this film. What makes this intresting is even though its a "zombie flick" they don't refer the walking dead as the undead that they are, but instead as the "infected". Though the film was realesed in North America it had a British style to it. Which shows a taste of a British Horror Film.
Coments: Overall the film was a great succes. Danny Boyle did a great job with the directing. Cillain Murphy shows great proformance towards his character Jim. One of the few scary zombie horror flick we seen in a while. Loved the British theme to it.
4/5
Cast: The acting in is excellent and very believable. In other movies were the "End of the World" theme, the acting isn't convincing. In 28 Days Later it makes you believe that this has actually happening. Both Cillain Murphy and Naomie Harris shows great proformance in there rolls.
Crew: Director Danny Boyle shows great plot and story towards writer Alexl Garland vision of this film. What makes this intresting is even though its a "zombie flick" they don't refer the walking dead as the undead that they are, but instead as the "infected". Though the film was realesed in North America it had a British style to it. Which shows a taste of a British Horror Film.
Coments: Overall the film was a great succes. Danny Boyle did a great job with the directing. Cillain Murphy shows great proformance towards his character Jim. One of the few scary zombie horror flick we seen in a while. Loved the British theme to it.
4/5
A Beautiful Mind (Drama) *****
Plot: The plot of this film follows the mind of a mathematician, John Nash, as he trys to come up with a new idea for his next paper. Joh sees math in almost every thign in his day, and he seems to be very much to himself as he trys to analys and solve problrms that come out of the most random places. A CIA agent sees John as a possible asset to help the CIA follow the soviets. With the problems at work, with his wife and with his new secret, the biggest problem John has has got to do with is head.
Acting: The acting id the main reason why I chose this film. It has some of the most superb acting i have every seen. All the characters are realistic, ironically evern the ones that as just a past of the main character's imagination. I didn't really find any of the characters stereotypical, maybe the college buys...they're all aragagant and all they can talk and think about is sex. But thats about it. The main characters are all very well developed, they do a very good job at making you feel like you've known each and every one of them for years and years. All have their own distinctive personality and each one you have an interest for. All the actors very believable. You would never in your life be able to tell that they were reading from a script. Each had their own contribution to the movie and also the way they portrayed their characters was almost effortless. A standing ovation I think is in order for Russel Crowe!
The cinematography was amazing, everything set the mood, and the editing and the lighting and all that jazz really made it convincing and real. You almost felt liek you were in the movie. When you watch it you cannot help but feel the suspense and have the feelings of the characters in the movie over take you. The music I think was critical to the film. It was perfect. like the cinimatographe, it set the mood of the film and help get the veiwers really interested.
I think anyone who has read thsi should watch this movie. The film, i found was intended for young adults or adults, but young teens and children would most likely loose focus. It is a farely long movie and it is very intellectual. You can easily lose awarness of what is going on. Overall...one o fthe most amazing movies I've seen in my life.
Acting: The acting id the main reason why I chose this film. It has some of the most superb acting i have every seen. All the characters are realistic, ironically evern the ones that as just a past of the main character's imagination. I didn't really find any of the characters stereotypical, maybe the college buys...they're all aragagant and all they can talk and think about is sex. But thats about it. The main characters are all very well developed, they do a very good job at making you feel like you've known each and every one of them for years and years. All have their own distinctive personality and each one you have an interest for. All the actors very believable. You would never in your life be able to tell that they were reading from a script. Each had their own contribution to the movie and also the way they portrayed their characters was almost effortless. A standing ovation I think is in order for Russel Crowe!
The cinematography was amazing, everything set the mood, and the editing and the lighting and all that jazz really made it convincing and real. You almost felt liek you were in the movie. When you watch it you cannot help but feel the suspense and have the feelings of the characters in the movie over take you. The music I think was critical to the film. It was perfect. like the cinimatographe, it set the mood of the film and help get the veiwers really interested.
I think anyone who has read thsi should watch this movie. The film, i found was intended for young adults or adults, but young teens and children would most likely loose focus. It is a farely long movie and it is very intellectual. You can easily lose awarness of what is going on. Overall...one o fthe most amazing movies I've seen in my life.
WALL-E
Wall-E
Animated Children's Film
5/5
Set in the distant future, Earth is now a garbage landfill. Wall-E is the only trash compacter robot left on Earth, slowly cleaning up the planet. When E.V.E, another, more aggressive robot lands on Earth to find any traces of life, Wall-E finally finds what he's been looking for - a friend. Together they attempt to restore life on earth, save the humans up in space, and attempt to destroy corruption.
The robotic characters are realistic, there is no way to determine how robots will look in the future. The human characters are also realistic in the sense that if people continue to lead the lifestyles that they do right now, they will look like they do in Wall-E, human manatees.
The characters cannot follow stereotypes. All the characters in Wall-E live the lifestyle that some people predict mankind to sink into. The individual characters show strong personality traits, and do not follow the typical character molds as the morbidly obese tend to be protrayed. The characters are strong represantitives of how mankind can and might develop.
The human characters are not well developed, but EVE and Wall-E both show strong character developement as well as character growth.
There are no actors in Wall-E as it is an animated film.
The entire film is animated. The scenes are amazingly well done, and the different angles of the animated film are unique and interesting. The film has very little dialogue, which shows how well the technical aspects compliment the movie. Without dialogue, movies without interesting shots and composition are horribly boring. Wall-E keeps the young and old hooked until the end.
The lack of dialogue stands out, as many children's movies are full of dialogue-based humor. With Wall-E, the simple sounds and few words the robots use, are all the audience needs to be satisfied.
I believe that everyone in the entire world needs to watch this film. It is beautiful in many different levels, and as which is common with Pixar films, can be viewed by the very young and the mature, and everyone will be entertained, and get something different out of it.
The film has only strengths. It uses symbolism, humor, love, and the fragility of communication to create a touching love story that can be enjoyed by all.
-BY EMILY!!!!!!!!
Animated Children's Film
5/5
Set in the distant future, Earth is now a garbage landfill. Wall-E is the only trash compacter robot left on Earth, slowly cleaning up the planet. When E.V.E, another, more aggressive robot lands on Earth to find any traces of life, Wall-E finally finds what he's been looking for - a friend. Together they attempt to restore life on earth, save the humans up in space, and attempt to destroy corruption.
The robotic characters are realistic, there is no way to determine how robots will look in the future. The human characters are also realistic in the sense that if people continue to lead the lifestyles that they do right now, they will look like they do in Wall-E, human manatees.
The characters cannot follow stereotypes. All the characters in Wall-E live the lifestyle that some people predict mankind to sink into. The individual characters show strong personality traits, and do not follow the typical character molds as the morbidly obese tend to be protrayed. The characters are strong represantitives of how mankind can and might develop.
The human characters are not well developed, but EVE and Wall-E both show strong character developement as well as character growth.
There are no actors in Wall-E as it is an animated film.
The entire film is animated. The scenes are amazingly well done, and the different angles of the animated film are unique and interesting. The film has very little dialogue, which shows how well the technical aspects compliment the movie. Without dialogue, movies without interesting shots and composition are horribly boring. Wall-E keeps the young and old hooked until the end.
The lack of dialogue stands out, as many children's movies are full of dialogue-based humor. With Wall-E, the simple sounds and few words the robots use, are all the audience needs to be satisfied.
I believe that everyone in the entire world needs to watch this film. It is beautiful in many different levels, and as which is common with Pixar films, can be viewed by the very young and the mature, and everyone will be entertained, and get something different out of it.
The film has only strengths. It uses symbolism, humor, love, and the fragility of communication to create a touching love story that can be enjoyed by all.
-BY EMILY!!!!!!!!
The house Bunny<3;Comedy/Chick flick;****.5 stars
Plot:
Shelley, a playboy bunny(Anna Faris), the day after her 27 th birthday gets told she is too old to be a bunny, and kicked out to start a new life, ending up to be a sorority mother in a geeky, sorority house about to be taken over by the "pretty" sorority house PHI LOTA MU. Shelley has 2 weeks to gain the girls(Zeta alpha Zeta) guys,pledges,popularity and find herself.
Acting:
The characters are typical, you have the college setting and all the other students that follow around it, most though are stereotypes(eg. the geeks, the popular girls, and the hott guys). Most of the characters follow that routine.The character seem to have alot more background info later on in the movie, some more suprising than others. The acting was really girly but, believable making it seem more realistic than it actually would be. All the actors and actresses were basically adapted with there specific character(Anna Faris especially).
Special effects, Cineomatography, Musical Score, Camera shots Etc:
There was'nt alot of technical aspects, but the few that were there stood out for me. The shots were done with bright lighting and mostly followed the actor/actress as they acted, unfortunately leaving no room for the rest of the surroundings around them( except for a couple shots).The best scene that stood out for me was the transformation scene, which( NO SPOILERS) just gave me a suprise, it was expected just not the way I thought it was going to play out.
Final comments:
I recommend the film to everyone, but if you are looking for a raunchy, sexy pillow fight or just overall "sex" related scenes THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT MOVIE !!!!! I personally liked it but that does`nt mean everyone will.I think this movie is mostly for the ladies.........and there poor boyfriends that will be dragged to go watch it, but hey guys have a mind open for new movies and expand your horizon. I think the strengths was a good ending and overall positive show, but the weaknesses is that it should be truly a realistic movie not something that you create that will happen in a sorority, because not everything is a happy ending all the time.
-Carly Marek
blk:H
Babylon A.D.
Action/Adventure
3/5
Plot
Vin Diesel’s character, Thoorop, is a mercenary who is asked by the Russian mob to protect and escort a girl named Aurora from her convent to New York. He must protect her from doctors who try to duplicate her intelligence and use her to repopulate for a better, smarter world. Her father is also requesting for her to study her genetics and intelligence he had given her when she was young.
Acting
I wouldn’t say the characters were realistic since it was futuristic. But I think the world could be like the movie in the future. Images from the movie were very captivating. The actions of the characters and the mission that Thoorop was on seemed unrealistic when they went to extremes to get somewhere. It was all for a movie so, it was hard to tell. Babylon A.D. was interesting nonetheless.
The main characters were not stereotyped but when they walked into the slums of Russia, terror zones, most of the people were either hisbanic or black and carried guns or worked in an underground fight club. Most of the main characters were ahead of the times and it didn’t look like they were being stereotyped. But knowing it was set in the future, I thought they would’ve changed the stereotypes a bit and make it fit the movie more since every other part was very different.
I think Aurora was a well-developed character because we find out about her past and what she wants for the future. But she’s in a struggle because she has not seen much of the world since living at the convent with her guardian nun. We see her life before, the conflicts in the middle and where she ended up being at the end. As for Vin Diesel’s character, it was as if he was thrown into the job as a mercenary but we do not see the full story nor do we find out about what he likes/doesn’t like about it. The characters who wanted to own Aurora weren’t well-developed either because we find out their motivation to capture her but we don’t know why it started.
Vin Diesel surprisingly took on an action film after many G-rated releases. He was believable and he was fit for the role. Melanie Thierry, who played Aurora, was very interesting. She played a character who was out of her element and was scared of everything around her. But at the same time she subconsciously knew the world around her. I thought she acted very well in this movie.
The cinematography in the film was what sold me on this movie. The slums of Russia were done to an extreme that was still believable. They were dark and run down but there would be sections out of nowhere that would be considered advancement from today. The mix of clean, new products and old, rusty railings made the scenes enjoyable. A lot of the music incorporated into these parts added to the effect. Mostly hip hop and rap music made this place seem even darker.
The scenes from NYC were amazingly well done – very futuristic and high-tech. Cars were amazingly fast and street signs were all digital. NYC was made into a very glamorous and new city. The contrast between the two were incredibly well done. I think this addition is foreshadowing what will occur in the future, where America will be advanced and other countries will always be behind. The cinematography and contrast stood out the most for me. Russia was a dark dreary place whereas New York was brightly lit.
I think some people would enjoy it for the odd story line and amazing cinematography. It is definitely a different type of movie than most that are put out there. At the same time, I don’t think they’d enjoy it because it is so different and out of the ordinary. They must walk into the theatre with an open mind and expect nothing. That’s what I did because I didn’t know what the movie was about or what to think of when I read the plot and it turned out to be very surprising.
Babylon A.D. seems to be one of those films made for a variety of people. Teenagers who are not very caught up in mindless movies may enjoy it. Adults ranging from any age I believe would enjoy it as well.
The film consisted of a lot of random action and fight scenes. But I thought it fit in because they didn’t know what to expect while they were on their adventure. Visuals were a huge sell on this movie and were a key feature. I think the weakness was the ending, which didn’t seem to fit into the story very much.
Action/Adventure
3/5
Plot
Vin Diesel’s character, Thoorop, is a mercenary who is asked by the Russian mob to protect and escort a girl named Aurora from her convent to New York. He must protect her from doctors who try to duplicate her intelligence and use her to repopulate for a better, smarter world. Her father is also requesting for her to study her genetics and intelligence he had given her when she was young.
Acting
I wouldn’t say the characters were realistic since it was futuristic. But I think the world could be like the movie in the future. Images from the movie were very captivating. The actions of the characters and the mission that Thoorop was on seemed unrealistic when they went to extremes to get somewhere. It was all for a movie so, it was hard to tell. Babylon A.D. was interesting nonetheless.
The main characters were not stereotyped but when they walked into the slums of Russia, terror zones, most of the people were either hisbanic or black and carried guns or worked in an underground fight club. Most of the main characters were ahead of the times and it didn’t look like they were being stereotyped. But knowing it was set in the future, I thought they would’ve changed the stereotypes a bit and make it fit the movie more since every other part was very different.
I think Aurora was a well-developed character because we find out about her past and what she wants for the future. But she’s in a struggle because she has not seen much of the world since living at the convent with her guardian nun. We see her life before, the conflicts in the middle and where she ended up being at the end. As for Vin Diesel’s character, it was as if he was thrown into the job as a mercenary but we do not see the full story nor do we find out about what he likes/doesn’t like about it. The characters who wanted to own Aurora weren’t well-developed either because we find out their motivation to capture her but we don’t know why it started.
Vin Diesel surprisingly took on an action film after many G-rated releases. He was believable and he was fit for the role. Melanie Thierry, who played Aurora, was very interesting. She played a character who was out of her element and was scared of everything around her. But at the same time she subconsciously knew the world around her. I thought she acted very well in this movie.
The cinematography in the film was what sold me on this movie. The slums of Russia were done to an extreme that was still believable. They were dark and run down but there would be sections out of nowhere that would be considered advancement from today. The mix of clean, new products and old, rusty railings made the scenes enjoyable. A lot of the music incorporated into these parts added to the effect. Mostly hip hop and rap music made this place seem even darker.
The scenes from NYC were amazingly well done – very futuristic and high-tech. Cars were amazingly fast and street signs were all digital. NYC was made into a very glamorous and new city. The contrast between the two were incredibly well done. I think this addition is foreshadowing what will occur in the future, where America will be advanced and other countries will always be behind. The cinematography and contrast stood out the most for me. Russia was a dark dreary place whereas New York was brightly lit.
I think some people would enjoy it for the odd story line and amazing cinematography. It is definitely a different type of movie than most that are put out there. At the same time, I don’t think they’d enjoy it because it is so different and out of the ordinary. They must walk into the theatre with an open mind and expect nothing. That’s what I did because I didn’t know what the movie was about or what to think of when I read the plot and it turned out to be very surprising.
Babylon A.D. seems to be one of those films made for a variety of people. Teenagers who are not very caught up in mindless movies may enjoy it. Adults ranging from any age I believe would enjoy it as well.
The film consisted of a lot of random action and fight scenes. But I thought it fit in because they didn’t know what to expect while they were on their adventure. Visuals were a huge sell on this movie and were a key feature. I think the weakness was the ending, which didn’t seem to fit into the story very much.
Saw 5
The Heading
A. SAW 5
B.Thriller/Horror
C. 1.5/5, was given 5.9/10
Plot:
Saw 5 is about a man named Mark Hoffman disguising himself as Jigsaw to avenge his sister by taking revenge on her ex boyfriend, because he was the one that caused her death but was not charged or put into jail. Due to his sister's ex boyfriend not being caught by justice, he believes he could punish the man, himself. Mark Hoffman is later found out by Jigsaw, but surprisingly he is not put to death, but given a lesson learned and then becomes Jigsaw's apprentice. Mark Hoffman then carries away with Jigsaw's 'little games' which require teamwork. Five players are put in his trap and are ready to begin. While this is all happening Agent Strahm tries to fit all his clues together to be able to put this new Jigsaw away, unharming others, but instead he is in for a real treat.
Acting:
1. The characters were realistic because in some parts of the film, where they are being tortured, you can actually feel the same thing happening to you while they are in pain.
2.The actor who played 'Jigsaw' was mysterious because you wouldn't know what evil scheme he could come up with next, from his expressions.
Special Effects, Cinematography, Musical Score, Camera Shots, Etc:
The movie had good shots where it took the emotions of the characters in the horrific scenes, where some pain was involved. Some of the shots, you'd think a person would die, but all of a sudden someone else would kill that person and save the other person that was going to die, but then the person that was going to die is ganged up and exterminated.
Final:
I would not recommend this film to people to like gory and to people who are just looking for a 'scary film' because i think the gory scenes seem to be a little rushed, some of the deaths don't look painful enough and each character's background story didn't have enough drama. Saw 5 was boring to the point that i wanted to fall asleep but i thought something else would happen because it was just the beginning of the film, but nothing did. I believe SAW 2 may be better.
A. SAW 5
B.Thriller/Horror
C. 1.5/5, was given 5.9/10
Plot:
Saw 5 is about a man named Mark Hoffman disguising himself as Jigsaw to avenge his sister by taking revenge on her ex boyfriend, because he was the one that caused her death but was not charged or put into jail. Due to his sister's ex boyfriend not being caught by justice, he believes he could punish the man, himself. Mark Hoffman is later found out by Jigsaw, but surprisingly he is not put to death, but given a lesson learned and then becomes Jigsaw's apprentice. Mark Hoffman then carries away with Jigsaw's 'little games' which require teamwork. Five players are put in his trap and are ready to begin. While this is all happening Agent Strahm tries to fit all his clues together to be able to put this new Jigsaw away, unharming others, but instead he is in for a real treat.
Acting:
1. The characters were realistic because in some parts of the film, where they are being tortured, you can actually feel the same thing happening to you while they are in pain.
2.The actor who played 'Jigsaw' was mysterious because you wouldn't know what evil scheme he could come up with next, from his expressions.
Special Effects, Cinematography, Musical Score, Camera Shots, Etc:
The movie had good shots where it took the emotions of the characters in the horrific scenes, where some pain was involved. Some of the shots, you'd think a person would die, but all of a sudden someone else would kill that person and save the other person that was going to die, but then the person that was going to die is ganged up and exterminated.
Final:
I would not recommend this film to people to like gory and to people who are just looking for a 'scary film' because i think the gory scenes seem to be a little rushed, some of the deaths don't look painful enough and each character's background story didn't have enough drama. Saw 5 was boring to the point that i wanted to fall asleep but i thought something else would happen because it was just the beginning of the film, but nothing did. I believe SAW 2 may be better.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Review: Lock Stock and 2 smocking Barrels
Genre: Crime Gangster/Comedy
My rating for this movie is 4/5 stars
Plot:
The 4 Buddys Eddy(Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Soap(Dexter Fletcher) and Bacon (Jason Statham) gathering each 25.000 pounds, so that poker-ace Eddy can participate in an illegal poker tournament. There he meets the undergroundboss Hatchet Harry(P.H. Moriarty) and in the end of the evening he lost all of the money and owes Harry about 500.000 pounds. Harry gives the 4 guys one week to pay off their depts, otherwise he´ll chop of their fingers...one for each day they´re too late.
After a short time of agony they had the plan to rob a mariuhana plantage and sell the weed.
Now it starts a crazy race trough the whole underworld of London; the whole time the movie follows different storylines that cross sometimes during the movie and get all together in the end. This leads to very weird and curious situations all over the movie.The Story is made very fast by quick cuts and brilliant shots. Througout the movie you can see many parallels to "Snatch" which was too directed by Guy Ritchie.
Acting:
1) In general i think the characters are realistic, but how they accidentely met sometimes is maybe a bit unrealistic.
2) I think some of the gangsters characters are a bit stereotyped, for example there one weapon dealing fat greek guy with goldchain and everything.
3)I think the characters are pretty good developed , you can imagine that they really exists.
4)In my opinion the actors did a great job. It looks very realistic how the act.
Camera Shots:
I think there are some pretty good shots in this film. To speed the story up they used a lot of quick cutting. The camera-angles are also very good and unconventional(in the end there is a scene were a guy gets beat up and the camera films from the position of the victims face)
Also they used in one scene slow motion, which looked pretty good( in the scene there was a firing gun and you can see the fire and shells very detailled)
Final Comments:
1) I highly commend everyone to watch that movie, because its very funny and it had some good action scenes too. Also the characters are very unique and wellacted.
2) Maybe some would say its more a male movie but i think girls can have a lot of fun with it too.Though some scenes are pretty brutal and rude but that belongs to a todays crimemovie i think ;)
My rating for this movie is 4/5 stars
Plot:
The 4 Buddys Eddy(Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Soap(Dexter Fletcher) and Bacon (Jason Statham) gathering each 25.000 pounds, so that poker-ace Eddy can participate in an illegal poker tournament. There he meets the undergroundboss Hatchet Harry(P.H. Moriarty) and in the end of the evening he lost all of the money and owes Harry about 500.000 pounds. Harry gives the 4 guys one week to pay off their depts, otherwise he´ll chop of their fingers...one for each day they´re too late.
After a short time of agony they had the plan to rob a mariuhana plantage and sell the weed.
Now it starts a crazy race trough the whole underworld of London; the whole time the movie follows different storylines that cross sometimes during the movie and get all together in the end. This leads to very weird and curious situations all over the movie.The Story is made very fast by quick cuts and brilliant shots. Througout the movie you can see many parallels to "Snatch" which was too directed by Guy Ritchie.
Acting:
1) In general i think the characters are realistic, but how they accidentely met sometimes is maybe a bit unrealistic.
2) I think some of the gangsters characters are a bit stereotyped, for example there one weapon dealing fat greek guy with goldchain and everything.
3)I think the characters are pretty good developed , you can imagine that they really exists.
4)In my opinion the actors did a great job. It looks very realistic how the act.
Camera Shots:
I think there are some pretty good shots in this film. To speed the story up they used a lot of quick cutting. The camera-angles are also very good and unconventional(in the end there is a scene were a guy gets beat up and the camera films from the position of the victims face)
Also they used in one scene slow motion, which looked pretty good( in the scene there was a firing gun and you can see the fire and shells very detailled)
Final Comments:
1) I highly commend everyone to watch that movie, because its very funny and it had some good action scenes too. Also the characters are very unique and wellacted.
2) Maybe some would say its more a male movie but i think girls can have a lot of fun with it too.Though some scenes are pretty brutal and rude but that belongs to a todays crimemovie i think ;)
Once
The Heading:
1) Once
2)Romance/ Musical
3) Rating 4/5 Stars
Plot:
Once is about a heart-broken musician who befriends a talented pianist. Over the course of a week, they grow closer, and together they create incredible music. The duo then deals with the difficulties of an improbable romance.
Acting:
1) Yes, the characters are very realistic. The problems that the two main characters face are those of which people have to deal with every day.
2) The main male character is a stereotypical musician who writes songs about the girl who broke his heart.
3) The characters are developed pretty well. Throughout the movie, they both undergoe changes, and face their problems. How the characters deal with their problems can tell a lot about their personalities.
4)The actors were believable. They have not been in many films, and aren't huge Hollywood actors, but the acting was decent and they portrayed their characters well.
Special Effects, Cinematography, Musical Score, Camera Shots, Etc. :
1) I found the film to be very basic. There were no special effects, and the camera angles were pretty basic. However, since music is a huge theme in this movie, I think that the simplicity made the music stand out more.
2) The music in the film definately stood out for me. It was very catchy, and stood out because the rest of the film was very simple.
Final Comments:
1) I think if you enjoy a film that you can just relax while watching, I definately recommend it. It's very easy to follow, there's no critical thinking involved, and it doesn't have a lot of action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. However, if those are the movies you prefer, I don't think you would enjoy this movie very much.
2) I think that females would enjoy this film more, because they tend to enjoy the romance aspect of movies more than men do. However, it isn't overly romantic, but it's really cute and quirky.
3)I think that the simplicity of the film made it really easy to watch. The music was really good, and I think the Irish accents made it more entertaining. Howerever, I think the plot could have been more eventful.
1) Once
2)Romance/ Musical
3) Rating 4/5 Stars
Plot:
Once is about a heart-broken musician who befriends a talented pianist. Over the course of a week, they grow closer, and together they create incredible music. The duo then deals with the difficulties of an improbable romance.
Acting:
1) Yes, the characters are very realistic. The problems that the two main characters face are those of which people have to deal with every day.
2) The main male character is a stereotypical musician who writes songs about the girl who broke his heart.
3) The characters are developed pretty well. Throughout the movie, they both undergoe changes, and face their problems. How the characters deal with their problems can tell a lot about their personalities.
4)The actors were believable. They have not been in many films, and aren't huge Hollywood actors, but the acting was decent and they portrayed their characters well.
Special Effects, Cinematography, Musical Score, Camera Shots, Etc. :
1) I found the film to be very basic. There were no special effects, and the camera angles were pretty basic. However, since music is a huge theme in this movie, I think that the simplicity made the music stand out more.
2) The music in the film definately stood out for me. It was very catchy, and stood out because the rest of the film was very simple.
Final Comments:
1) I think if you enjoy a film that you can just relax while watching, I definately recommend it. It's very easy to follow, there's no critical thinking involved, and it doesn't have a lot of action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. However, if those are the movies you prefer, I don't think you would enjoy this movie very much.
2) I think that females would enjoy this film more, because they tend to enjoy the romance aspect of movies more than men do. However, it isn't overly romantic, but it's really cute and quirky.
3)I think that the simplicity of the film made it really easy to watch. The music was really good, and I think the Irish accents made it more entertaining. Howerever, I think the plot could have been more eventful.
Media Review-Saw 5
MAYA HABDAS
For my media review I chose to write about the movie Saw 5. This series, as
you are probably familiar with are about a deranged psychopath that makes
jaw-clenching, unthinkably horrid death traps and gives his victims a certain
amount of time for them to “save themselves” from death.
I found this recent addition to the series to be even more brutal and painful
to watch, but it was even more painful to see how the audience was barely
unnerved by it. How can such violence and disturbing images go emotionally
and physically unannounced by it’s viewers.
Cinematically, this movie did have excellent yet gruesome shots. The
portrayal of each characters antagonizing emotion really makes the movie
even more horrifying to watch and I feel the shots brought this out. For
this Saw movie however, there was a new Director, David Hackl. It was very
apparent though. The way the camera would be placed and even the script,
seemed like a whole new production crew had been brought out, and everyone
looked at it as just another horror movie.
Overall, I would rate this movie 6 out of 10 stars. It was a could “keep you
at the edge of your seat” kind of film and it was entertaining, but I wouldn’t
recommend it to anyone that likes real cinematic productions.
For my media review I chose to write about the movie Saw 5. This series, as
you are probably familiar with are about a deranged psychopath that makes
jaw-clenching, unthinkably horrid death traps and gives his victims a certain
amount of time for them to “save themselves” from death.
I found this recent addition to the series to be even more brutal and painful
to watch, but it was even more painful to see how the audience was barely
unnerved by it. How can such violence and disturbing images go emotionally
and physically unannounced by it’s viewers.
Cinematically, this movie did have excellent yet gruesome shots. The
portrayal of each characters antagonizing emotion really makes the movie
even more horrifying to watch and I feel the shots brought this out. For
this Saw movie however, there was a new Director, David Hackl. It was very
apparent though. The way the camera would be placed and even the script,
seemed like a whole new production crew had been brought out, and everyone
looked at it as just another horror movie.
Overall, I would rate this movie 6 out of 10 stars. It was a could “keep you
at the edge of your seat” kind of film and it was entertaining, but I wouldn’t
recommend it to anyone that likes real cinematic productions.
Sex And The City
Style: Romantic Comedy
My Rating: 4/5
Plot
This television show turned into a movie pretty much takes off where the television series ended. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is still with Mr. Big and they are in search of a new apartment, which begins to lead them down the path of the idea of marriage. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and her boyfriend, Smith Jerrod, appear to be going steady but the idea of being tied down mixed with the new hot neighbour has Samantha’s head spinning. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is as happy as ever with her husband and adopted daughter, but the thought of another addition to the family is up in the air. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is on the verge of a breakdown as she is torn between her son, husband, and job, all while living in Brooklyn. There is of course, the much expected, over the top clothes, accessories, and shoes. In typical Sex And The City style, everything leads to tough conflicts and crossroads that the four women must face both together and alone. Sex And The City is full of glitz and glamour, as well as tears, smiles, and downright hilarious moments.
Acting
I would say that these characters could potentially be realistic in the sense that they all have very good jobs (and/or significant others who have good jobs) therefore being able to afford all their fashions. It is also very believable that there could be four women who depend on each other greatly and who have been through a ton together. The only thing that is not so realistic is the fact that someone in today’s society could wear some of those outrageous clothes on a day-to-day basis.
I think that in some ways the main characters are stereotypes but in others not as much. I think that the fact that there are four women who are great friends and who all have very different personalities is a little bit stereotypical. However, the fact that they all have great jobs and are insanely into fashion isn’t as much of a stereotype as you usually think of people very into fashion and shopping as dumb rich girls who use their Daddy’s credit card 24/7.
The characters are really well developed. At the beginning of the movie the characters are a little flat but as the movie takes off they all reveal sides of themselves you never thought that you would get to see. Every character has something deeper than what is seen on the surface.
All of the main actors were completely believable and acted their part perfectly. They really committed to their roles and definitely did not let down in the acting. However, some actors playing minor roles acted well, but they didn’t completely sell me on their characters.
Special Effects, Cinematography, Music Score, Camera Shots, Editing, Etc.
Sex And The City does not really have very many special effects except for maybe some scenery and background scenes. However, that contributed a ton to the feel of the atmosphere of the movie. There was a great variety of both camera shots and angles that each fit perfectly with the mood of the scene. The cinematography was great and the editing perfectly meshed with each scene. Also, a great variety of music was used because there were so many different moods portrayed throughout the movie. All of the technical aspects really enhanced the movie and made it the best it could be.
In my opinion, the music really stood out. In every single scene, it set the mood and the timing of it was impeccable. The music kept me quite engaged throughout the movie.
Final Comments
I think that Sex And The City is definitely directed more towards women. I can’t really see very many men enjoying this movie and most who watched it were most likely forced by their girlfriends or wives. This movie would be most enjoyed by mothers and daughters or a few friends getting together. Devoted Sex And The City fans would definitely love this movie. With that being said, you also did not have to have watched the television series to thoroughly enjoy the film. However, this movie is not really suitable for younger audiences.
This movie had many strengths and weaknesses. It really captivates its audiences and has a story any woman could relate too. The acting is fabulous as well as the technical aspects. It is full of fun and sadness, and at times you don’t ever want it to end. However, it is two hours and forty-five minutes long and at times it just gets dragged out. Also, at times it gets a little predictable. All in all though, I’d say there are more strengths than weaknesses.
I would personally recommend this film. It is loads of fun and will have you laughing hysterically as well as tearing up. It is a really good addition to the television series.
Style: Romantic Comedy
My Rating: 4/5
Plot
This television show turned into a movie pretty much takes off where the television series ended. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is still with Mr. Big and they are in search of a new apartment, which begins to lead them down the path of the idea of marriage. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and her boyfriend, Smith Jerrod, appear to be going steady but the idea of being tied down mixed with the new hot neighbour has Samantha’s head spinning. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is as happy as ever with her husband and adopted daughter, but the thought of another addition to the family is up in the air. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is on the verge of a breakdown as she is torn between her son, husband, and job, all while living in Brooklyn. There is of course, the much expected, over the top clothes, accessories, and shoes. In typical Sex And The City style, everything leads to tough conflicts and crossroads that the four women must face both together and alone. Sex And The City is full of glitz and glamour, as well as tears, smiles, and downright hilarious moments.
Acting
I would say that these characters could potentially be realistic in the sense that they all have very good jobs (and/or significant others who have good jobs) therefore being able to afford all their fashions. It is also very believable that there could be four women who depend on each other greatly and who have been through a ton together. The only thing that is not so realistic is the fact that someone in today’s society could wear some of those outrageous clothes on a day-to-day basis.
I think that in some ways the main characters are stereotypes but in others not as much. I think that the fact that there are four women who are great friends and who all have very different personalities is a little bit stereotypical. However, the fact that they all have great jobs and are insanely into fashion isn’t as much of a stereotype as you usually think of people very into fashion and shopping as dumb rich girls who use their Daddy’s credit card 24/7.
The characters are really well developed. At the beginning of the movie the characters are a little flat but as the movie takes off they all reveal sides of themselves you never thought that you would get to see. Every character has something deeper than what is seen on the surface.
All of the main actors were completely believable and acted their part perfectly. They really committed to their roles and definitely did not let down in the acting. However, some actors playing minor roles acted well, but they didn’t completely sell me on their characters.
Special Effects, Cinematography, Music Score, Camera Shots, Editing, Etc.
Sex And The City does not really have very many special effects except for maybe some scenery and background scenes. However, that contributed a ton to the feel of the atmosphere of the movie. There was a great variety of both camera shots and angles that each fit perfectly with the mood of the scene. The cinematography was great and the editing perfectly meshed with each scene. Also, a great variety of music was used because there were so many different moods portrayed throughout the movie. All of the technical aspects really enhanced the movie and made it the best it could be.
In my opinion, the music really stood out. In every single scene, it set the mood and the timing of it was impeccable. The music kept me quite engaged throughout the movie.
Final Comments
I think that Sex And The City is definitely directed more towards women. I can’t really see very many men enjoying this movie and most who watched it were most likely forced by their girlfriends or wives. This movie would be most enjoyed by mothers and daughters or a few friends getting together. Devoted Sex And The City fans would definitely love this movie. With that being said, you also did not have to have watched the television series to thoroughly enjoy the film. However, this movie is not really suitable for younger audiences.
This movie had many strengths and weaknesses. It really captivates its audiences and has a story any woman could relate too. The acting is fabulous as well as the technical aspects. It is full of fun and sadness, and at times you don’t ever want it to end. However, it is two hours and forty-five minutes long and at times it just gets dragged out. Also, at times it gets a little predictable. All in all though, I’d say there are more strengths than weaknesses.
I would personally recommend this film. It is loads of fun and will have you laughing hysterically as well as tearing up. It is a really good addition to the television series.
Sunshine Review
Name: Sunshine
Style: Science Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
PLOT
Humanities last hope is in the hands of 8 astronauts that are hurdling towards the sun. The sun is dieing and the only way to save it, is to launch a bomb into it to create a supernova, and hopefully reignite the Sun. The same mission that was attempted 7 years prior by a different crew of the Icarus I. Even though things go wrong and Religious views are threatening, the Icarus II is determined to succeed where the Prior crew had failed, and will do what it takes to Reignite the Sun.
ACTING:
The Characters really do act as if they are on an actual spaceship, and only see each other day after day for a number of years. Two stereo types that were present in the film were the Hero and the Coward. The Hero would do anything it takes to complete the mission and would put the mission and others before himself, while the coward only wanted the save himself, no matter what cost. Even though it never explained the characters life before the mission, you still have the feeling of knowing who they are. All the actors seemed to have been born for there part, everyone suited there own characters perfectly, from being the coward to the hero.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC:
There were quite a bit of special effects in this movie and all were up to par. Not one shot did I think it looked like a set or like computer animation. The camera angles worked well with the film but they were different in a good way. The music in this movie is simply amazing, may even be the best soundtrack I have ever heard. The music worked really well with each shot.
FINAL COMMENTS:
I think people of all ages should see this film, but this film is not for everyone. The way it is filmed and made is different from a lot of films being made to today, but is still a must see.
Style: Science Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
PLOT
Humanities last hope is in the hands of 8 astronauts that are hurdling towards the sun. The sun is dieing and the only way to save it, is to launch a bomb into it to create a supernova, and hopefully reignite the Sun. The same mission that was attempted 7 years prior by a different crew of the Icarus I. Even though things go wrong and Religious views are threatening, the Icarus II is determined to succeed where the Prior crew had failed, and will do what it takes to Reignite the Sun.
ACTING:
The Characters really do act as if they are on an actual spaceship, and only see each other day after day for a number of years. Two stereo types that were present in the film were the Hero and the Coward. The Hero would do anything it takes to complete the mission and would put the mission and others before himself, while the coward only wanted the save himself, no matter what cost. Even though it never explained the characters life before the mission, you still have the feeling of knowing who they are. All the actors seemed to have been born for there part, everyone suited there own characters perfectly, from being the coward to the hero.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC:
There were quite a bit of special effects in this movie and all were up to par. Not one shot did I think it looked like a set or like computer animation. The camera angles worked well with the film but they were different in a good way. The music in this movie is simply amazing, may even be the best soundtrack I have ever heard. The music worked really well with each shot.
FINAL COMMENTS:
I think people of all ages should see this film, but this film is not for everyone. The way it is filmed and made is different from a lot of films being made to today, but is still a must see.
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
Drama
5 starts out of 5
PLOT
The film, There Will Be Blood is based on the novel, Oil! It stars Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Dano, playing two characters struggling against each other over the course of years. After a deal is struck between the two for Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis) to drill for oil on Paul Sunday's (Paul Dano) large land a power struggle begins between the two. The film deals with the issues of money, family, and greed. As Daniel's oil drilling goes very well, Paul who becomes a faith healer, demands more and more money, ultimately ending in tragedy.
ACTING
The acting in this film is so fantastic that just about anyone could appreciate the level of commitment the actors had during the filming. They are so realistic, it's almost a little scary to think that anyone like that could be a real person. The only stereotype in the movie is about the faith healer, Paul Sunday. He is portrayed as a stereotypical overtly religious character. You see each character in the movie go through many personal and physical changes, and you almost feel as if you are growing up with them. Actors in this film did such a good job, it didn't even feel like you were watching a film, it just felt that you were watching their lives and feeling every emotion that they had. Daniel Day Lewis well deserved his Oscar in 2008 for best performance by an actor in a leading role.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
The cinematography and editing was done in this film in a very dark way to show all of the tension and rising emotions. Many shots were done close up to really see all of the actor's faces. Special effects in this film were minimal to none, only using a few for oil coming out of the ground. In my opinion, the music stood out for me. All music was composed and played by the lead guitarist of the band RadioHead. The music complemented every scene of the movie.
FINAL COMMENTS
This movie is for anyone who is interested in psychology. Also for anyone who likes to watch movies that make you think. You may not want to watch the movie if you are sensitive to certain topics like religion. A strength and weakness for the movie is how it makes you think long after you watch it and how it leaves you so shocked after almost every scene.
Hot Fuzz!
THE HEADING
1) Hot Fuzz
2) Comedy/Action
3) 4.86/5
PLOT
This film centers around Sgt. Nicholas Angel. Who is a cop. A very good cop. So good in fact, he makes everyone else look bad. So his Chief Inspector sends him to relocate to a small, sleepy, seemingly crime less town, thus avoiding further embarrassment. When he gets there he is partnered up with Danny Butterman, who constantly questions him about life in the big city, and if there really is car chases an gun fights. But when a series of brutal murders occur in the small town, Danny and Nicholas must get to the bottom of it, clashing with everyone while trying to uncover the truth behind theses so called "accidents."
1) Hot Fuzz
2) Comedy/Action
3) 4.86/5
PLOT
This film centers around Sgt. Nicholas Angel. Who is a cop. A very good cop. So good in fact, he makes everyone else look bad. So his Chief Inspector sends him to relocate to a small, sleepy, seemingly crime less town, thus avoiding further embarrassment. When he gets there he is partnered up with Danny Butterman, who constantly questions him about life in the big city, and if there really is car chases an gun fights. But when a series of brutal murders occur in the small town, Danny and Nicholas must get to the bottom of it, clashing with everyone while trying to uncover the truth behind theses so called "accidents."
ACTING
The characters are extremely believable. It seems like if you strolled into a small town in England you might find people exactly like they are. They seem like real people. Some of the characters are slightly stereotypical but not so its very noticeable. If they were stereotypical its not in a bad way. The characters are very well developed i would say, i can almost believe they are real people, like i could into them on the street. The acting was quite good, it surprised me.Though it was slightly exxagerated at times, it was still good overall. It was very funny, but subtle British comedy, they acted it perfectly. None of the actors seemed particularly weak.
The characters are extremely believable. It seems like if you strolled into a small town in England you might find people exactly like they are. They seem like real people. Some of the characters are slightly stereotypical but not so its very noticeable. If they were stereotypical its not in a bad way. The characters are very well developed i would say, i can almost believe they are real people, like i could into them on the street. The acting was quite good, it surprised me.Though it was slightly exxagerated at times, it was still good overall. It was very funny, but subtle British comedy, they acted it perfectly. None of the actors seemed particularly weak.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
The technical aspects of the film were close to genius. The way they used quick shots of his journey to Sanford was very interesting. It keeps your focus very well. The music was timed really well with the shots, they complimented each other nicely. The journey as i previously mentioned stood out quite a lot, because of the way it was shot. Simon Pegg (Nicholas) and Nick Frost also wrote Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz was done in kind of the same style. I'm mostly referring to the quick fast shots.
The technical aspects of the film were close to genius. The way they used quick shots of his journey to Sanford was very interesting. It keeps your focus very well. The music was timed really well with the shots, they complimented each other nicely. The journey as i previously mentioned stood out quite a lot, because of the way it was shot. Simon Pegg (Nicholas) and Nick Frost also wrote Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz was done in kind of the same style. I'm mostly referring to the quick fast shots.
FINAL COMMENTS
I reccommend the reader go see this movie, it is highly entertaining and you get more out of it, if you view it more than once. Everything about it is done to a T. The action and the comedy work very well together. There is a particular audience that would prefer it, mostly boys or males it doesn't matter the age. This is no chick flick, though I'm sure many girls would thouroughly enjoy it as well.The films strengths are comedy, if you like that kind of comedy at least and well timed shots. The weaknesses are not very present. The length might be weak, but it holds your focus so well you feel as if no time has passed. Overall this film is enjoyable!
I reccommend the reader go see this movie, it is highly entertaining and you get more out of it, if you view it more than once. Everything about it is done to a T. The action and the comedy work very well together. There is a particular audience that would prefer it, mostly boys or males it doesn't matter the age. This is no chick flick, though I'm sure many girls would thouroughly enjoy it as well.The films strengths are comedy, if you like that kind of comedy at least and well timed shots. The weaknesses are not very present. The length might be weak, but it holds your focus so well you feel as if no time has passed. Overall this film is enjoyable!
Changeling
The movie I saw was called Changeling. It is a Thriller/Drama directed by Clint Eastwood. I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5.
PLOT
In 1928, Christine Colins’ nine year old son was kidnapped one day. She said bye to him and dropped him off at school expecting to see him later, and went to work. When she returned home she found that her son was nowhere to be found. She then freaked out and called the police, who just told her not to worry and that they will start looking for him in 24 hours if he has not returned home. A few months later the police claimed to have found her son. She got her hopes up, but then they dropped suddenly, because it turned out that she was sure they had the wrong boy, that the boy the boy the police claimed was her’s, was not her son at all. Depressed, Christine Colins had to claim to all the press around her that this was her son, even though clearly to her he wasn’t, or the police would tell everyone she was crazy. Inviting this strange boy to her house, she notices a lot of things were different about this boy and it was not her son! She tried to tell the police that this boy is not her’s, but they continued to refuse to believe her. In those days, a women would not have much power to go up against the police force. Her disagreeing with them, leads her to some trouble.
ACTING
This movie featured Colm Feore, Jeffrey Donovan, John Malkovich, and Angelina Jolie. I thought the characters were all realistic, and all played their roles really well. The actors were all amazing and I really believed them. When they were getting mad, just talking, crying, or showing emotion it made me really believe that what they are going through was really happening to them! Apart from the good acting, the characters were stereotype. There is always the helpless woman who is strong and gets her point across at the end, the good cop, the bad cop, the victim and the villain in a movie. Even though the characters were stereotyped, it didn’t really matter because what is a Hollywood movie with out the stereotyped characters? Christine Colins (protagonist), to me, was well developed, you knew where she worked, what kind of person she was and a lot about her. The other characters weren’t as well developed, you didn’t know much about them, but it didn’t really matter because that’s what made them mysterious and worth watching.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSICAL SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS ETC
The movie I saw was called Changeling. It is a Thriller/Drama directed by Clint Eastwood. I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5.
PLOT
In 1928, Christine Colins’ nine year old son was kidnapped one day. She said bye to him and dropped him off at school expecting to see him later, and went to work. When she returned home she found that her son was nowhere to be found. She then freaked out and called the police, who just told her not to worry and that they will start looking for him in 24 hours if he has not returned home. A few months later the police claimed to have found her son. She got her hopes up, but then they dropped suddenly, because it turned out that she was sure they had the wrong boy, that the boy the boy the police claimed was her’s, was not her son at all. Depressed, Christine Colins had to claim to all the press around her that this was her son, even though clearly to her he wasn’t, or the police would tell everyone she was crazy. Inviting this strange boy to her house, she notices a lot of things were different about this boy and it was not her son! She tried to tell the police that this boy is not her’s, but they continued to refuse to believe her. In those days, a women would not have much power to go up against the police force. Her disagreeing with them, leads her to some trouble.
ACTING
This movie featured Colm Feore, Jeffrey Donovan, John Malkovich, and Angelina Jolie. I thought the characters were all realistic, and all played their roles really well. The actors were all amazing and I really believed them. When they were getting mad, just talking, crying, or showing emotion it made me really believe that what they are going through was really happening to them! Apart from the good acting, the characters were stereotype. There is always the helpless woman who is strong and gets her point across at the end, the good cop, the bad cop, the victim and the villain in a movie. Even though the characters were stereotyped, it didn’t really matter because what is a Hollywood movie with out the stereotyped characters? Christine Colins (protagonist), to me, was well developed, you knew where she worked, what kind of person she was and a lot about her. The other characters weren’t as well developed, you didn’t know much about them, but it didn’t really matter because that’s what made them mysterious and worth watching.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSICAL SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS ETC
The technical aspects complemented the film well. The varying types of shots made it more interesting to watch, because there was a variety and not just plain, old boring, straight on shots. The special effects and the wardrobe really made it seem like the olden days and like you were actually in that time. Also the music made it that much more suspenseful and interesting to watch. To me, all of the technical aspects seemed well thought out because it seemed well researched. The part that really stood out for me, even though it was sort of disturbing, was when the guy was getting hanged. Even though I knew it wasn’t real, it looked completely authentic and made me believe it. Other times that I have watched a movie with a hanging scene in it didn’t look as real, either it looked like a dummy or they didn’t even show you when they were being hung. In this shot they showed the audience the legs and it looked real.
FINAL COMMENTS
In my opinion I think the readers should watch this movie. It was made realistic by both the actors and the special effects. There was no “fake” part in it. Besides the great actors and special effects, this movie had an awesome story board/plot. The plot wasn’t cliché and it kept making you want to watch it, and find out what is going to happen next! I think that this movie did not have much weakness but did have a lot of strengths. The weaknesses of this movie was that some of the events were unexpectedly disturbing, but I didn’t care because the movie was great and the special effects were exceedingly well done. The strengths of this movie was the acting, the setting, special effects and the plot…in my eyes I though the whole movie was amazing! I would refer this to people who don’t get grossed out by killing, torture and murderers. The type of people that would probably like this movie are people who like dramatic suspense movies and can handle disturbing facts. In my view and from experience, I would caution grown women that they would probably not like this movie, unless they like the violence and gore!
1) The Happening
2) Horror/ Thriller
3) 3.5/5
Plot
1) On a normal day the people of present day America are subjected to an unknown chemical causing them to go crazy and kill themselves. Elliot Moore, a high school science teacher, and his wife, Alma embark on an adventure of survival and mystery. "stay ahead of the wind."
Acting
1) A lot of the characters in this movie are not very realistic. However there are a few that stand out among the rest. Marc Whalbergs and Zooey Deschanels acting were by far the best in this movie.
2) There was really no stereotypical characters unless you count the ever present panicking civilian, if so then there was a lot of that.
3) No character in this movie was developed fully. I would have liked to know more about the plant farmers who lived by the power plant.
4) The only real acting came form Mark Whalberg Zooey Deschanels and Frank Collison. I say this because they are the only ones who seemed to really react to what was going on.
Musical Score/ Special Effects
1) The special effects, camara shots and music really added to the films intensity. The special effects really complements the film in the way that it just disturbes you. The music in this movie really sends shivers up your spine and scares you.
2) What stood out most for me was the music. It was just an amazing addition to the movies elements. James Howard Newtons peices really give you a sense of dread and suspense. i loved the music so much that i even downloaded the songs and put them on my ipod.
Final Comments
1) I would have to say if you enjoy being disturbed and enjoy great music and not mind the bad acting then by all means go watch this movie.
2) I would think people of the ages15+ would be intersested in giving this movie a go. Definately not something that a 10 to 13 year old should watch.
3) This movies strengths lay in the masterfull music, special effects and story telling. The movies weaknesses within the bad acting.
2) Horror/ Thriller
3) 3.5/5
Plot
1) On a normal day the people of present day America are subjected to an unknown chemical causing them to go crazy and kill themselves. Elliot Moore, a high school science teacher, and his wife, Alma embark on an adventure of survival and mystery. "stay ahead of the wind."
Acting
1) A lot of the characters in this movie are not very realistic. However there are a few that stand out among the rest. Marc Whalbergs and Zooey Deschanels acting were by far the best in this movie.
2) There was really no stereotypical characters unless you count the ever present panicking civilian, if so then there was a lot of that.
3) No character in this movie was developed fully. I would have liked to know more about the plant farmers who lived by the power plant.
4) The only real acting came form Mark Whalberg Zooey Deschanels and Frank Collison. I say this because they are the only ones who seemed to really react to what was going on.
Musical Score/ Special Effects
1) The special effects, camara shots and music really added to the films intensity. The special effects really complements the film in the way that it just disturbes you. The music in this movie really sends shivers up your spine and scares you.
2) What stood out most for me was the music. It was just an amazing addition to the movies elements. James Howard Newtons peices really give you a sense of dread and suspense. i loved the music so much that i even downloaded the songs and put them on my ipod.
Final Comments
1) I would have to say if you enjoy being disturbed and enjoy great music and not mind the bad acting then by all means go watch this movie.
2) I would think people of the ages15+ would be intersested in giving this movie a go. Definately not something that a 10 to 13 year old should watch.
3) This movies strengths lay in the masterfull music, special effects and story telling. The movies weaknesses within the bad acting.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite playlist
THE HEADING:
My movie was Nick and Norah’s Infinite playlist.
The movie is a comedy and I give it 5 out of five it was a amazing movie.
PLOT:
Basically Kat Dennings and Michael Cera play two people who have never met and Kat Denning as Norah finds all these mix tapes Michel Cera as Nick made for his ex girlfriend named Tris. Tris and Norah go to school together.(Tris likes to brag about her boyfriends)
Norah is in love with the mix’s and one day at a party she see’s a guy playing the guitar and thinks he is hot. after the show she sees Tris (nicks ex girlfriend) and her new boyfriend and is trying to show off to Norah so Norah says she is there with her boyfrind and grabs Nick but she didn’t no they new each other. Then they all find out about each other and who each person is to each other. Nick and Norah end up spending one night together doing crazy things with Nicks bad mates and Caroline Norah’s best friend as they are trying to find fluffy bunny a band all of them like and Tris fallows them around trying to stop Norah and Nick from knowing each other.
ACTING:
Yes all the characters are realistic and the actors are believable.
I don’t think there are a lot of stereo types the main characters are not but some of the small ones are.
All the characters are well developed in this movie.
SPECIAL EFFECTS,CINEMATIGRAPHY,MUSICALSCORE,CAMERA SHOTS
There are some really great shots in this movie and the lighting of the movie went well and complimented the movie it was always not super bright in the shots. Best seen was the second too last shot in the
Recording studio. It makes everything look really well done and the angle was good.
FINAL COMMENTS
I think everyone should watch this film it is really good and when I watched it I thought some people in film would like it. I think people who like underground music and indie will like it.
The strengths of this movie is the ideas of it and the acting in it they say some funny things.
The weakness is it is a little typical in the way of you see what’s coming from the name of the movie.
My movie was Nick and Norah’s Infinite playlist.
The movie is a comedy and I give it 5 out of five it was a amazing movie.
PLOT:
Basically Kat Dennings and Michael Cera play two people who have never met and Kat Denning as Norah finds all these mix tapes Michel Cera as Nick made for his ex girlfriend named Tris. Tris and Norah go to school together.(Tris likes to brag about her boyfriends)
Norah is in love with the mix’s and one day at a party she see’s a guy playing the guitar and thinks he is hot. after the show she sees Tris (nicks ex girlfriend) and her new boyfriend and is trying to show off to Norah so Norah says she is there with her boyfrind and grabs Nick but she didn’t no they new each other. Then they all find out about each other and who each person is to each other. Nick and Norah end up spending one night together doing crazy things with Nicks bad mates and Caroline Norah’s best friend as they are trying to find fluffy bunny a band all of them like and Tris fallows them around trying to stop Norah and Nick from knowing each other.
ACTING:
Yes all the characters are realistic and the actors are believable.
I don’t think there are a lot of stereo types the main characters are not but some of the small ones are.
All the characters are well developed in this movie.
SPECIAL EFFECTS,CINEMATIGRAPHY,MUSICALSCORE,CAMERA SHOTS
There are some really great shots in this movie and the lighting of the movie went well and complimented the movie it was always not super bright in the shots. Best seen was the second too last shot in the
Recording studio. It makes everything look really well done and the angle was good.
FINAL COMMENTS
I think everyone should watch this film it is really good and when I watched it I thought some people in film would like it. I think people who like underground music and indie will like it.
The strengths of this movie is the ideas of it and the acting in it they say some funny things.
The weakness is it is a little typical in the way of you see what’s coming from the name of the movie.
Get Smart
THE HEADING
1) Get Smart
2) Comedy/Action
3) 4 out of 5
1) Get Smart
2) Comedy/Action
3) 4 out of 5
PLOT
1) Basically Steven Carell and Anna Hathaway are spies and they are on a mission to save the president from a bomb about to explode, but watch the movie because there is a twist that I can't tell you...
1) Basically Steven Carell and Anna Hathaway are spies and they are on a mission to save the president from a bomb about to explode, but watch the movie because there is a twist that I can't tell you...
ACTING
1) I thought the characters were realistic, Steven Carell has a sort of a spy look.
2) None of the characters are stereotyped.
3) Yes.
4) I think the Actors are believable because as I said before Steven Carell has sort of a spy look, although when he says his lines, it sounds like he is overacting, but I think that's part of it.
1) I thought the characters were realistic, Steven Carell has a sort of a spy look.
2) None of the characters are stereotyped.
3) Yes.
4) I think the Actors are believable because as I said before Steven Carell has sort of a spy look, although when he says his lines, it sounds like he is overacting, but I think that's part of it.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
1) Discuss how the technical aspects complement the film?
2) There was one scene that stood out for me, Anne Hathaway is getting kidnapped and the scene sort of cuts in between and jumps to another scene but like you can tell that's not how it's suppose to be, maybe it is suppose to be like that, I don't know.
1) Discuss how the technical aspects complement the film?
2) There was one scene that stood out for me, Anne Hathaway is getting kidnapped and the scene sort of cuts in between and jumps to another scene but like you can tell that's not how it's suppose to be, maybe it is suppose to be like that, I don't know.
FINAL COMMENTS
1) I think if you are the kind of person who likes a simple funny movie you should watch it, but if you are the kind of person who likes to laugh your head off when watching a hilarious movie, don't watch it because it is not THAT funny.
2) I think teens and adults can watch this movie because kids wouldn't understand it.
3) I think the strength of the movie is that the main characters are well known, I don't think the movie has any weaknesses.
1) I think if you are the kind of person who likes a simple funny movie you should watch it, but if you are the kind of person who likes to laugh your head off when watching a hilarious movie, don't watch it because it is not THAT funny.
2) I think teens and adults can watch this movie because kids wouldn't understand it.
3) I think the strength of the movie is that the main characters are well known, I don't think the movie has any weaknesses.
Persepolis (2007)
PERSEPOLIS
autobiographical/drama/animation
4.5 out of 5 stars
PLOT
Persepolis is based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novels of the same name. This coming- of- age film follows Marjane from child to adult during the Islamic Revolution. She starts out as an innocent child witnessing first hand the effects of political regression in her homeland of Tehran. A true rebel, she refuses to conform to the regime's rules and has strong opinions on the fundamentalist's actions. With the upheaval of war growing stronger Marjane's family decides to send her to Vienna, Austria to get a European education. Here she finds herself struggling to find her own identity in a country with conflicting cultures and deals with other trials associated with adolesence. After major disappointments she ultimately needs to figure out where she belongs.
ACTING
The character's in the film were very realistic. Especially Marjane's grandmother who took on a feminist view and was portrayed as a strong, independant woman. Marjane's character had many layers to her personality which gave a clear idea of how she viewed the world. All character's were expressively voiced and contained a raw emotion that brought the character's to life.
CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
The film stayed very true to the novel in that it was in black and white except for the "present day" which was depicted in colour and some scenes resembling a shadow theatre show. The stark, simple style complimented the film well and didn't take away from the storyline. If the film had been in live action I don't think that the heroine's complex thoughts would have translated onscreen. It was unique in that it wasn't just another modern day animation. The imagery was minimalistic which made it fluid, and relatable.
FINAL
I would highly recommend this film to lovers of foreign films as this film is spoken entirely in French. It's a history lesson, and often humourous tale of growing up all in one. It's a topic that is more relevant today than ever before and offers a portrait of life in a foreign culture.
autobiographical/drama/animation
4.5 out of 5 stars
PLOT
Persepolis is based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novels of the same name. This coming- of- age film follows Marjane from child to adult during the Islamic Revolution. She starts out as an innocent child witnessing first hand the effects of political regression in her homeland of Tehran. A true rebel, she refuses to conform to the regime's rules and has strong opinions on the fundamentalist's actions. With the upheaval of war growing stronger Marjane's family decides to send her to Vienna, Austria to get a European education. Here she finds herself struggling to find her own identity in a country with conflicting cultures and deals with other trials associated with adolesence. After major disappointments she ultimately needs to figure out where she belongs.
ACTING
The character's in the film were very realistic. Especially Marjane's grandmother who took on a feminist view and was portrayed as a strong, independant woman. Marjane's character had many layers to her personality which gave a clear idea of how she viewed the world. All character's were expressively voiced and contained a raw emotion that brought the character's to life.
CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
The film stayed very true to the novel in that it was in black and white except for the "present day" which was depicted in colour and some scenes resembling a shadow theatre show. The stark, simple style complimented the film well and didn't take away from the storyline. If the film had been in live action I don't think that the heroine's complex thoughts would have translated onscreen. It was unique in that it wasn't just another modern day animation. The imagery was minimalistic which made it fluid, and relatable.
FINAL
I would highly recommend this film to lovers of foreign films as this film is spoken entirely in French. It's a history lesson, and often humourous tale of growing up all in one. It's a topic that is more relevant today than ever before and offers a portrait of life in a foreign culture.
Indiana Jones: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Style: Action/Adventure
Rating: 3.5/5
PLOT:
A new adventure unravels for the famed archeologist/professor Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones (played by Harrison Ford) when a young, reckless teenager, Mutt, (played by Shia LaBeouf) brings him a message from an old, crazed colleague, Oxley. Following scarce clues, they find themselves in Peru looking for a supernatural crystal skull, but they’re not alone. A secret section of the Soviet Union, including a particular power crazed woman, Irina Splako (played by Cate Blanchett), also wants to poses it. Both sides desperately fight, in the treacherous depths of the Amazon, for the Crystal Skull and finding the Gold Kingdom before the other. The skull, in the wrong hands, could wreck the ultimate havoc amongst all people, and amongst the whole world.
ACTING:
In this particular movie, I found that there were some significant stereotypes that were portrayed. The young troubled teen, Mutt, is shown as the ever famous “Greaser”. In the movie, he is shown with a tough manner, a carless attitude with his education, and the constant necessity to have slicked back hair. Along with this, is the fierce leader, Irina Spalko. With her high posture, blunt hair cut, cold eyes and definite, over-the-top commanding voice, she shows the classic personality of a power-greedy rival.
The range of all the different characters, and each were their own distinct personalities, makes the movie that much devious and realistic, and furthermore enhancing the scheme. In my opinion, there were actors/actresses that played remarkably, making me believe every word coming from their breath. This includes Harrison Ford, who exquisitely played is ever-so-famous role as Indiana Jones, along with Karen Allen, who plays as Marion Ravenwood, a high-spirited sweetheart of Jones himself. On the other hand though, there was one actor that disappointed my greatly, and that was Shia LaBeouf, playing as Mutt. He, unfortunately, did not meet my expectation as a raising actor and found him unrealistic and I was unable to connect with his role.
SPECIAL EFFECTS:
As this is a high-packed action film, you could only expect it to be filled with numerous special effects, specific cinematography and intense and exuberant music. All these technical aspects compliment the mediocre film. The sound, in my opinion, was precisely perfect at every moment, captivating me in scenes instantly. This, along with the cinematography, produced the illusion that the movie contained more action than was actually present.
FINAL COMMENTS:
For me, the movie “Indiana Jones: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” had both its strengths and weaknesses. Yes, it could have built in more action hits that would have me holding my breath throughout the scenes, but on the other hand, the different angular shots and intense music kept me from getting up, and walking out of the room. I personally would say that this movie is worth seeing; being able to see what kind of mess Indiana Jones gets stirred up into again and the adventures that he has to face, is one of the big excitements of this movie. Especially, if you’re just looking for an easy movie, on lazy Saturday night, which will keep you awake, but your heartbeat at peace.
Style: Action/Adventure
Rating: 3.5/5
PLOT:
A new adventure unravels for the famed archeologist/professor Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones (played by Harrison Ford) when a young, reckless teenager, Mutt, (played by Shia LaBeouf) brings him a message from an old, crazed colleague, Oxley. Following scarce clues, they find themselves in Peru looking for a supernatural crystal skull, but they’re not alone. A secret section of the Soviet Union, including a particular power crazed woman, Irina Splako (played by Cate Blanchett), also wants to poses it. Both sides desperately fight, in the treacherous depths of the Amazon, for the Crystal Skull and finding the Gold Kingdom before the other. The skull, in the wrong hands, could wreck the ultimate havoc amongst all people, and amongst the whole world.
ACTING:
In this particular movie, I found that there were some significant stereotypes that were portrayed. The young troubled teen, Mutt, is shown as the ever famous “Greaser”. In the movie, he is shown with a tough manner, a carless attitude with his education, and the constant necessity to have slicked back hair. Along with this, is the fierce leader, Irina Spalko. With her high posture, blunt hair cut, cold eyes and definite, over-the-top commanding voice, she shows the classic personality of a power-greedy rival.
The range of all the different characters, and each were their own distinct personalities, makes the movie that much devious and realistic, and furthermore enhancing the scheme. In my opinion, there were actors/actresses that played remarkably, making me believe every word coming from their breath. This includes Harrison Ford, who exquisitely played is ever-so-famous role as Indiana Jones, along with Karen Allen, who plays as Marion Ravenwood, a high-spirited sweetheart of Jones himself. On the other hand though, there was one actor that disappointed my greatly, and that was Shia LaBeouf, playing as Mutt. He, unfortunately, did not meet my expectation as a raising actor and found him unrealistic and I was unable to connect with his role.
SPECIAL EFFECTS:
As this is a high-packed action film, you could only expect it to be filled with numerous special effects, specific cinematography and intense and exuberant music. All these technical aspects compliment the mediocre film. The sound, in my opinion, was precisely perfect at every moment, captivating me in scenes instantly. This, along with the cinematography, produced the illusion that the movie contained more action than was actually present.
FINAL COMMENTS:
For me, the movie “Indiana Jones: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” had both its strengths and weaknesses. Yes, it could have built in more action hits that would have me holding my breath throughout the scenes, but on the other hand, the different angular shots and intense music kept me from getting up, and walking out of the room. I personally would say that this movie is worth seeing; being able to see what kind of mess Indiana Jones gets stirred up into again and the adventures that he has to face, is one of the big excitements of this movie. Especially, if you’re just looking for an easy movie, on lazy Saturday night, which will keep you awake, but your heartbeat at peace.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
WALK THE LINE
biographical drama
4/5
PLOT
The film tells the story of the original "man in black," Johnny Cash. Detailing his rough childhood days as a cotton picker to his dark drug-fueled years as a musician. In the latter, Johnny begins to fall for June Carter, a famous singer he meets on tour. But his addiction with amphetamines interferes greatly with his pursuit of love.
4/5
PLOT
The film tells the story of the original "man in black," Johnny Cash. Detailing his rough childhood days as a cotton picker to his dark drug-fueled years as a musician. In the latter, Johnny begins to fall for June Carter, a famous singer he meets on tour. But his addiction with amphetamines interferes greatly with his pursuit of love.
ACTING
Joaquin Phoenix portrays Cash with soulful delivery, both in acting and in music (The score is sung by the cast). It is quite safe to say that no other actor would be more suitable for the role than Phoenix. Opposite to him is one Reese Witherspoon, in the role of young country crooner, June Carter. Reese shows her chops in this film, taking the character of June (Who usually resided in the background, behind Johnny) and giving the audience a feel for her personality.
Joaquin Phoenix portrays Cash with soulful delivery, both in acting and in music (The score is sung by the cast). It is quite safe to say that no other actor would be more suitable for the role than Phoenix. Opposite to him is one Reese Witherspoon, in the role of young country crooner, June Carter. Reese shows her chops in this film, taking the character of June (Who usually resided in the background, behind Johnny) and giving the audience a feel for her personality.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
Laced throughout the film are several musical numbers, composed by Cash and Carter throughout their musical careers, several other characters also make musical appearances (Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and even Elvis Presley).
While the majority of the shots are clear and carefully directed, several shots mix up continuity. Close up shots are extremely favoured in this film.
Laced throughout the film are several musical numbers, composed by Cash and Carter throughout their musical careers, several other characters also make musical appearances (Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and even Elvis Presley).
While the majority of the shots are clear and carefully directed, several shots mix up continuity. Close up shots are extremely favoured in this film.
FINAL COMMENTS
This is a film for fans of either Johnny Cash, or serious dramatic films.
If you are curious to see why this film was nominated for five academy awards, you will not be disappointed, as the film is quite well-rounded in all areas of film making.
Walk the Line is sure to keep you engaged all the way through.
Maybe you'll even walk the line a second time.
This is a film for fans of either Johnny Cash, or serious dramatic films.
If you are curious to see why this film was nominated for five academy awards, you will not be disappointed, as the film is quite well-rounded in all areas of film making.
Walk the Line is sure to keep you engaged all the way through.
Maybe you'll even walk the line a second time.
Interview with a Vampire Review
THE HEADING1) Title of the movie: Interview with a Vampire2)
Style of film (ex. comedy): Fantasy, Horror3)
YOUR star rating out of 5: 4/5
PLOT
1) Briefly describe the plot of the movie (don’t give away the ending)
A 200-year-old vampire named Louis tells his life story to Daniel Malloy, a reporter in San Francisco. He explains to the reporter of his betrayal, heartbreak and thirst that his new life brought him. Louis begins to tell his account of meeting Lestat de Loincourt, being changed, and realizing his decision to become a vampire has “condemned him to hell”.
ACTING
1) Are these characters realistic? At first glance, these characters are obviously not realistic as they are vampires, but the trails and tribulations they go though make them relatable. You have Louis, the reluctant vampire, trying to be good despite his need and want to drink human blood, but at the same time wants to keep his conscience clean. And then there is Lestat, the antagonist, who all but feels guilty for doing what he does and at one point, shouts to Louis that he enjoys it just before taking the life of a young lady who has been lured to their room as Louis watches in disgust. The characters’ thoughts and feelings are definitely relatable, but are put in a world no human knows.
2) Are any of the characters stereotypes? Lestat is the stereotypical vampire; enjoying being the evil creature he was intended to be. Louis on the other hand believes his kind is soulless and this type of “good vampire” has become more and more popular as more vampire books and movies are written.
3) Are the characters well developed? Yes. Though we don’t get to hear much about Lestat’s life, we get a full recount of Louis’s life. As well as you get to see another character develop as a vampire right from the beginning.
4) Are the actors believable? How was their acting? Brad Pitt (Louis) and Tom Cruise (Lestat) embraced their characters extraordinarily well in my opinion. It’s very difficult to doubt the believability of the story when watching them. You can see they really believe who they are and makes you believe it too.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
1) Discuss how the technical aspects complement the film? This film was made over a decade ago so needless to say the special effects would have made this movie much better if had been made now, but with what they had, it was done great. There were many well done close up shots to really capture what the characters were feeling. Plus, great camera shots from the vampires perspective to understand what they see.
2) Did anything stand out? Why? This film isn’t very gruesome but for someone like me, any blood is too much so when there we shots in the vampires feeding off humans, I was a little scared. What stood out for me is just that – the way they did those scenes was a little disturbing.
FINAL COMMENTS
1) Should the reader watch this film or not? Support your opinion. The reader should definitely see this movie. It’s a classic vampire flick and also just a good film in general.
2) Is there a particular audience who would prefer the film? This film is mostly directed to vampire lovers, but can also be enjoyed by others. Even if a good vampire story isn’t for you, it’s a good film for some light horror.
3) What are the film’s strengths and weaknesses? I think the overall film was very good, the only weakness I would point out is the lack of knowledge about Lestat, however, the film is based a book series where you most likely get the information that you didn’t get in the film. Still though, there could have been more background on him. Its strength’s though were definitely the portrayals of the vampires in the film. Every take on vampires is different and this is done very well.
Style of film (ex. comedy): Fantasy, Horror3)
YOUR star rating out of 5: 4/5
PLOT
1) Briefly describe the plot of the movie (don’t give away the ending)
A 200-year-old vampire named Louis tells his life story to Daniel Malloy, a reporter in San Francisco. He explains to the reporter of his betrayal, heartbreak and thirst that his new life brought him. Louis begins to tell his account of meeting Lestat de Loincourt, being changed, and realizing his decision to become a vampire has “condemned him to hell”.
ACTING
1) Are these characters realistic? At first glance, these characters are obviously not realistic as they are vampires, but the trails and tribulations they go though make them relatable. You have Louis, the reluctant vampire, trying to be good despite his need and want to drink human blood, but at the same time wants to keep his conscience clean. And then there is Lestat, the antagonist, who all but feels guilty for doing what he does and at one point, shouts to Louis that he enjoys it just before taking the life of a young lady who has been lured to their room as Louis watches in disgust. The characters’ thoughts and feelings are definitely relatable, but are put in a world no human knows.
2) Are any of the characters stereotypes? Lestat is the stereotypical vampire; enjoying being the evil creature he was intended to be. Louis on the other hand believes his kind is soulless and this type of “good vampire” has become more and more popular as more vampire books and movies are written.
3) Are the characters well developed? Yes. Though we don’t get to hear much about Lestat’s life, we get a full recount of Louis’s life. As well as you get to see another character develop as a vampire right from the beginning.
4) Are the actors believable? How was their acting? Brad Pitt (Louis) and Tom Cruise (Lestat) embraced their characters extraordinarily well in my opinion. It’s very difficult to doubt the believability of the story when watching them. You can see they really believe who they are and makes you believe it too.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
1) Discuss how the technical aspects complement the film? This film was made over a decade ago so needless to say the special effects would have made this movie much better if had been made now, but with what they had, it was done great. There were many well done close up shots to really capture what the characters were feeling. Plus, great camera shots from the vampires perspective to understand what they see.
2) Did anything stand out? Why? This film isn’t very gruesome but for someone like me, any blood is too much so when there we shots in the vampires feeding off humans, I was a little scared. What stood out for me is just that – the way they did those scenes was a little disturbing.
FINAL COMMENTS
1) Should the reader watch this film or not? Support your opinion. The reader should definitely see this movie. It’s a classic vampire flick and also just a good film in general.
2) Is there a particular audience who would prefer the film? This film is mostly directed to vampire lovers, but can also be enjoyed by others. Even if a good vampire story isn’t for you, it’s a good film for some light horror.
3) What are the film’s strengths and weaknesses? I think the overall film was very good, the only weakness I would point out is the lack of knowledge about Lestat, however, the film is based a book series where you most likely get the information that you didn’t get in the film. Still though, there could have been more background on him. Its strength’s though were definitely the portrayals of the vampires in the film. Every take on vampires is different and this is done very well.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Run, Fat Boy, Run Review
1) Run, Fat Boy, Run
2) Comedy with a touch of Gross-out
3) *****/5
PLOT
1) The Movie is about Dennis Doyle, a man who always seems to be running away. In the beginning Dennis runs away from his pregnant fiancee, minutes before their wedding. A couple years later, he’s a chubby security guard sprinting after a shoplifter. Soon after, Dennis decides to enter the same marathon as his ex-girlfriends rich boyfriend, to show his ex and his young son that he can make plans and see them through.
ACTING
1) In my opinion I believe the characters in this film could be true and I would not doubt that the events have really happened to someone in their life.
2) For this type of movie the characters do seem somewhat of stereotypes. Dennis seems to be like the typical movie man who is unhealthy, smokes and always wants to prove something. There is the ex-girlfriend/wife who goes on to marry a rich, athletic man and the child who loves his father no matter how much of a screw up he is.
3) The main characters seem to be well developed. They all have their own different unique personalities and traits.
4) All of the actors were actually really believable I thought. They all had their different reactions and showed there emotions towards things and towards each other.
SPECIAL EFFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
1) In this movie I don’t think any special effects were used. The editing was great and I liked the mix of british humour, some slapstick and song montages throughout the movie.
2) I liked the fact that it was a comedy but it sent out a strange inspirational message to the viewers which really pulled you in by the end of the movie.
FINAL COMMENTS
1) Yes, the reader must go and watch this film so that they can also have the same feeling I did by the end of this movie.
2) Other then the Profanity, nudity and gross-out slapstick I think its great for the whole family.
3) Everything in this movie is just great the only weakness would have to be some of that terrible British Humour.
Control (2007)
THE HEADING
CONTROL
Biographical Drama
Five Stars
PLOT
A portrait of Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis' life from humble beginnings to his suicide at the age of twenty-three.
ACTING
Actor Sam Riley's portrayal of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis is impeccable. The film captured all that Joy Division was, so much so that at times I felt as though I was watching a documentary. I found myself becoming emotionally involved with the characters sharing in their successes and disappointments. Riley's acting was sincere and believable; I didn't doubt him for a second. Which is saying the least for an actor that was discovered in the produce section of a grocery store from what I hear.
CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSICAL SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS ETC.
Control was done entirely in black and white; which isn't seen a lot in modern cinema. However, it fit extremely well and gave the movie its own unique feel. The style of the movie is so clean it's sterile. Black and white has never been so breathtaking. Control's soundtrack consisted of Joy Division mostly, which is expected in a movie about the band. The combination of strong black and white images and Joy Division's music left me feeling nostalgic for a time I was never alive to experience.
FINAL COMMENTS
This film may not be for everyone, having heard of the band Joy Division should be considered a prerequesite. With that said you do not have to be a fan of Joy Division to enjoy the movie but don't watch it if you're looking for a movie about rock stardom and drug abuse. Control is about growing up too fast and the conflict that can arise between one's personal and professional lives. Such themes may not be relatable for all, but what is relatable is how there is something so distinctly human about Control. Definitely a must see for any Joy Division fans (of which I expect there are none.)
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