My Movie Spot

Movie Journal: X2

2009-09-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Plot Synopsis:The X-Men band together to find a mutant assassin who has made an attempt on the President's life, while the Mutant Academy is attacked by military forces.

The first and second times I saw this movie were a few years ago. Seeing it again now, I remember just how much I really liked it. In fact, I enjoyed it even more this time. Why? Because I've seen a lot of action films since then and I've realized one thing: there are many films with intense, plot-driven action, and there are many films with cool, over-the-top, visually striking action. But it's very rare that a film has both: intense, plot-driven action that is also cool, over-the-top, and visually striking. X2 is one of these rare instances.

X2 is not only one of my all-time favorite superhero flicks, it's also a personal favorite action film of mine. It's also one of my very favorite sequels. Despite some of it's subtle flaws, it's probably one of the best times I'm ever going to have with a crazy, wild action flick, The Matrix notwithstanding.

Movie Journal: Prince Caspian

2009-08-31T17:39:00.001-07:00

I remembering reviewing this film when it was released in theaters. I was in a good mood, and there were aspects of the film that(at the time) I preferred over The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. I rated the film an 8 out of 10, which was essentially stating that it was a "great film". I was wrong.

Why? Well, for many reasons. The new Prince Caspian film has some serious problems, one of the most prominent being the failure to establish a sense of danger and dread. Consider the fact that the very first scene in the original Chronicles of Narnia dropped us right into the middle of a bombing run. People were dying, and if the Pevensie family didn't move fast, they were going to die too. What better a way to establish conflict? Intense scenes like those helped make up for the film's obvious visual misinterpretations of the story in terms of the action.

In contrast, Prince Caspian does not have any bombing runs or crashing waterfalls. Just more of the same, kid-friendly conflict. Only this time, it was cheesier. To tell the truth, I don't think the first film ever really established that the Pevensie kids were really capable of the majority of the violence they inflict in the Prince Caspian film, and that's only part of the problem.

I would again submit that the creators' kid-friendly approach to the action is very unrepresentative of C.S. Lewis' stories. Sure, his books weren't explicit in terms of violence in a sense. But Lewis does mention that it takes place. Having said that, I find the complete and utter lack of true violence simply castrating in terms of the story, not to mention silly and unbelievable. The Chronicles Of Narnia should not be treated with any less authenticity than the Lord Of The Rings series.

Movie Journal: Happy Gilmore

2009-08-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Gilmore is a sports comedy about a pro hockey player wannabe who's grandmother's house is repossessed by the IRS. By sheer chance he discovers he has something of a talent for the game of golf. Being in need of funds for the sake of his grandma, he manages to join a local tournament, after which he is admitted into the pro tour.

Now, from that brief description of the first act, one may be lead to believe that Happy Gilmore is quite typical and standard. But that's quite far from the truth. One thing I really find amazing about the film is, no matter how good at golf Gilmore gets, the plotline still finds ways to retain his status as the story's underdog. It's a sports tale that is less about the main character's constantly pushing himself physically, and more about the calming of his inner conflicts and the harnessing of his emotions. Hence the complete lack of any training montages; the kind that have, quite frankly, plagued the genre for years.

It's really hard not to be impressed by the film's...well, simply bizarre sense of humor. If you just take a few steps back, the whole premise is entirely absurd. And just when you think things are starting to become normal and make sense, there's always that over-the-top twist that never fails to leave you speechless. The utterly incredible final twist of the film's third act is a testament to this.

While it's true that there are a couple major flaws in the plot, they barely register in the first viewing, whereas the sly wit of the jokes get better every time. While it's certainly not perfect, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the very best sports comedy yet produced.

9 out of 10

Tron Legacy Teaser Trailer

2009-07-31T13:49:00.001-07:00

Movie Journal: Kung Fu Panda

2009-07-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

To tell the truth, I initially had every suspicion that this film was all anime spoofs and fart jokes. Turns out, not only is there not a single fart joke, but anime spoofs are kept at a chill minimum. It also turns out that the film's goofy slapstick and quirky humor have somehow managed to compliment the dark and epic themes of the backstory. Who knew?

I didn't, so that was a pleasant surprise. Featuring a great action-oriented plot that stays fresh from beginning to end, Kung Fu Panda is one of the first recent CG animated films I've seen in a while that has truly impressed me.

8 out 10

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review

2009-07-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Right from the opening shot, I knew I was going to love this movie. It had this strange sense of genuine visual and emotional focus that all past films in the series have essentially lacked. Plus, it just knew how to do something every past installment lacked the guts for: the altering of the book's original storyline, if ever so slight.

Some may be thinking, "Isn't it bad enough that they can only adapt so much of the essential pieces of storyline in the book, but now they are altering some of the story's events completely?" But I wouldn't say that at all. While it's true that you are not going to find nearly the amount of material the book has in the film, it's really impressive how they've been able to fit all the paramount bits of storyline together as a cohesive whole within the two hours or so that the film runs. In addition, by altering some of the events, or rather the context in which they happen, certain aspects of the story have become much more cool and epic in feel. This is the very first Harry Potter film for which I can honestly say that I did, in many ways, greatly prefer it to the book.

Yes, you heard me right. There are some ways in which Harry Potter 6 is, in fact, better than the book. Even definitive.

Now, I know that the creators have taken a great risk, and that there are just as many praising this movie as accusing it of being unfaithful trash. I, for one, shall stand up for the fact that this film is, in fact, the greatest Harry Potter film yet.

9 out 10

Movie Journal: The Rock

2009-07-26T19:27:00.001-07:00

The Rock is a film that has managed to surprise me on more than a few levels. The plot is engaging, the characters fascinating, and the action truly intense. For better or for worse.

My quarrel with the action in the film hasn't so much to do with it's intensity so much as there being just so darn much of it. For a greater part of the film I underwent an experience rather like that of having a variety of good yet filling treats being shoved into my mouth, often faster than I could properly chew.

Another issue the film seemed to have is that of the musical score, which happens to be, for the most part, very obnoxious. Maybe one of the reasons it was so much so was because of the fact that it never failed to adjoin the action sequences, of which there were undeniably many. In other words, the music rather got old, rather fast.

On the flip side, it is overall, a very intelligent story that sets out to bring to the viewers mind some very important issues that the leaders of every nation must at some point face. The Rock isn't so much a bad movie as an imperfect one.

7 out of 10

Alice In Wonderland Trailer

2009-07-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

Well, this is just cool. Ladies and gentleman, Burton is back.

New G.I. Joe Clip

2009-07-23T10:40:00.001-07:00

I remain interested in this movie, even though I know it will very likely fall very short of people's expectations.

Movie Journal: Contact

2009-07-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

There's really not much more to say than that this film is utter, undeniable genius. Starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey, Contact tells the story of a woman who has been searching for signs of extraterrestrial life for years, in the hopes of learning more about the true meaning behind life and her purpose in this universe.

Though there are aspects of the film's concepts that I don't entirely approve of, it's one of the most inspiring stories I have ever seen all the same. See it at any cost, because movies only get so much more powerful than this.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Pineapple Express

2009-07-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

Pineapple Express isn't a bad movie, per se. It's just that it's not a particularly fulfilling one. While many of the film's scenes are sheer genius, others become drawn-out and episodic in a not-so-good way. And I guess that that's to be expected when it comes to a story about two stoned idiots trying very hard not to get killed, but there are times when the storylines' excessive eccentricities actually work against the story itself, rather than for it. Although the first act brings some interesting themes and concepts to the viewers' mind, the plot then sort of degenerates into a crazy shoot'em'up. I mean, I'd seen the trailer and I'd known it was going to be a shoot'em'up, but the first act of the story also led me to believe that, just maybe, it would be a little more than that, too. Forget that.

For those not quite following; the film of which I speak centers around a man named Dale Denton who ends up...well, I won't quite finish that sentence because I'm far too prone to giving away spoilers. Let's just say that both him and his friendly drug dealer end up on the run from both the criminal underworld and the local police.

Insanity ensues, and it's not necessarily a bad kind of insanity either. It's just that it's the kind of insanity that doesn't really get anywhere. Think Monty Python, but without the irony and wit. You could say it all comes down to a lack of polish, but I think it goes deeper than that. Now, I can't necessarily know, but it seems almost like the writer had some kind of specific goal, but gave up halfway in favor of an obnoxious, open, and unfulfilling route. I have no particular quarrel with this movie, but I'm sure as heck not delighted with it. Moving on.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: High School Musical 3

2009-07-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

“Plot Synopsis: As seniors in high school, Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.”

I have something of a confession to make as a reviewer: I didn’t actually watch the whole film; even though I had very much resolved to do so ahead of time. It's just that when it came down to it, I really just couldn’t make it all the way through; it was too painful. And there’s a reason for that. If you wanna know a good part of why, here it is: the first act of High School Musical 3(the part that I watched) shuns every cherished principle known to man in terms of storytelling, and I mean that in the worst possible way.

No, really. It doesn’t even bother to settle for cliches. The very first scene (the basketball game) just sort of plops you down in the middle of a “dramatic” situation and gets characters singing. In fact, this first scene has every characteristic of an event in a story’s third act. The only difference is that in this case there is no buildup, leaving viewers in a state of an utter lack of emotional engagement, but for the upbeat music pounding in the background the whole time. Yippee.

My intentions of seeing the film from start to finish were further dissuaded by a complete and utter lack of antagonism. Everything was just so…happy. For the whole first act(and for all I know throughout the entire movie), nobody was at odds with one another, and no single person was frustrated or hurt. Also, there were no signs of impending doom or any such circumstances. In other words, there was little or no conflict. Who wants to watch a movie in which conflict, the very essence of drama, is completely foregone?

The result is a story that isn't truly a story, just a mish-mash of cliched characters moving from one predictable sequence of events to the next, none of which have any capacity to engross the viewer on the same levels that almost all other films easily can.

It may have only been the first twenty minutes, but if the writer that wrote the first act of the story – in which even the most basic and self-explanatory principles are in no way taken into account – also wrote the rest, I don’t really think I’m interested.

The very fact the people actually get paid to write this mediocre dung is sickening to me, much less that people actually pay money to go and see it.

4 out of 10

Movie Journal: The Transporter

2009-07-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Imagine this: an ex-military man makes his living by providing the service of discrete, undercover transportation. For the right amount of money, he'll transport anything to wherever you need it, no questions asked. Things run smoothly until one day, when he notices his cargo wriggling around in the back. He opens up the bag to discover a bound and gagged woman who is struggling to get free.

An intriguing idea, isn't it? I'll never tell what happens next; I've revealed far too much of the plot already. But just know that if the structural genius of the first and second acts doesn't win you over, the incredible, nonstop action that takes place throughout the third will. It's not a perfect movie, but at the same time you can't really go wrong with it.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Desperado

2009-07-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

Desperado as a sequel, is both very satisfying and very disappointing. How can this be, you ask? It's simple, really.

It's satisfying because, whether you've seen the original El Mariachi or otherwise, it's easy to be impressed by Antonio's Banderas' grand and believable performance. He's everything you'd imagine the character Mariachi would become after years out on the run and in search of revenge. In fact, every member of the cast is well chosen and contributes to the story's fun and charming feel.

It's also satisfying due to it's cool, slick, action. The opening gunfight is quite honestly one of my more favorite scenes in film history in terms of style. As Banderas comes in through that door, long hair shadowing his face and a large guitar case in his hand, you know something extremely awesome is about to take place.

Unfortunately, the film is also very disappointing, largely due to it's undeniably convoluted plot.

The ending to El Mariachi positively screams, "SEQUEL!", which is a shame because it will never get one. Instead of picking up where the last movie leaves off, Desperado flashes forwards years and years into the future, where any interesting backstory we so much wanted to see about the events following El Mariachi are eluded to briefly but never shared. This defeats the whole point of what fans wanted a sequel for in the first place. In fact, what we have instead is a very generic revenge story that is not only cliched, but makes absolutely no sense, and because it makes no sense it's really hard to become engaged on an emotional level.

Still, don't let a few shortcomings deter you from what is one of the coolest movies around. It could have been a lot cooler, but what's done is done, so enjoy what you've got.

7 out of 10

Movie Journal: Fireproof

2009-07-03T22:23:00.001-07:00

Fireproof is one of the very few romantic comedies out there with a plot that, instead of focusing on a particular couple and the circumstances of their coming together, instead revolves around a young and failing marriage, and the struggle of the two members of said marriage(and no, Fool's Gold most certainly does NOT count). The husband, Caleb, as strong and courageous a fireman he is, has steadily lost almost all interest in his wife, Catherine. And trust me when I say that it's worse than you think. The conflict between them builds to a vocal explosion on Caleb's part, leaving Catherine to draw away, her hope all but gone. It's at this point that she seeks out a lawyer for divorce, but not before Caleb's father and friends light a desire inside him to win her back.

Let me pause for a moment here and just say that I really don't care what some people think about this low-budget film's average acting, partly because each actor did an absolutely unbelievable job considering that they were working for free, but also because, quite frankly, the writing, the part that really counts, is so often nothing less than sheer brilliance. Caleb, a Captain of his own fire station, is no stranger to challenge and competition, which is why it's so darn intriguing to watch him try and pursue his wife. Moments such as when he throws his computer out back and begins smashing it with a baseball in order to avoid his temptation of of pornography are not only cute and funny, but also impressively powerful.

Also, in contrast to other such films, the Christian themes ACTUALLY suit the storyline, and bring depth and meaning to the plot in ways I had not previously been able to fathom.

Sherwood Pictures has completely outdone themselves. In fact, if there's a movie to lead to the way for Christianity in the film industry, it's this one. Good Christian movies CAN be done, and this low-budget masterpiece is a true testament to that.

And no, when I compliment the quality of this movie, I'm not just talking about the realm of budget films. This movie is much better than most romantic comedies I've seen this year, and far more enjoyable than Outlander(which is interesting, considering that Fireproof had approximately 1/97th of Outlander's budget).

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Outlander

2009-06-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

Outlander's basic premise could well be described as such: Aliens meets E.T. meets Conan the Barbarian. Or something like that. Essentially, a humanoid alien(James Caveizel) crashlands on our Earth, accidentally bringing with him the last surviving member of a race of destruction-bent beasts called the Moorwen. The real twist is that these events take place during our Iron Age, and it's up to only the main character and a group of brutal vikings to put an end to the creature.

Now that I've given you a picture of what the story is like, let me just cut to the chase. The plot structure of this film SUCKS. Big time. The pacing is pretty much horrible, and the subplot construction is even worse. If I may, I shall now illustrate my point with a tiny spoiler. In the film's introduction of the character Freya, she's shown arguing with her father because she doesn't want to marry Wulfric, who is heir to the throne. Not only is this kind of predicament totally cliched, but in the case of this story, it's also almost entirely irrelevent. The subject is not brought up at all except for in this one scene, and never again is Freya pressured to marry Wulfric. In other words, the movie introduces what should rightly be an element of conflict and antagonism, and then completely discards it.

As you may have easily surmised by this point, anyone who tells you that this movie is a deep and exciting thrill ride is lying. In this case, no amount of flashy action scenes can make up for such a horrible plot. And even the action scenes themselves are pretty bad. And I mean it. This story offers no true thrill, exhileration, or insight. I only give it such a high rating because some of the visual effects were quite impressive considering the project's relatively low budget. Still, a couple minutes of good special effects is little compensation for two whole wasted hours of one's life.

5 out of 10

Movie Journal: Battle Royale

2009-06-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

If they really end up remaking this Asian film in the United States(and there are those who plan to), Jack Johnson is going to physically explode. And by that, I mean that it would most likely be the most controversially violent movie in recent American history.

Imagine this: in the near future, an act is passed that allows the military move teenagers to remote islands for the performance of what is called a "Battle Royale". In this mandatory game, an explosive collar is attached to every player's neck. If anyone attempts to leave the island, his/her collar will activate and blow. In addition, in three days time, unless there is only one player left standing, every single collar will go off.

That is the premise to this absolutely nuts film. And I meant what I said about the violence. Each player is equipped with a random weapon in his bag. Sometimes it's an Uzi, sometimes it's a hand-grenade, sometimes it's a short sickle, and sometimes it's even a pot lid. In the case of one of the players, it turned out to be a Japanese fan. Another time, it was a container of poison. You get the idea.

Are you getting the mental picture of forty teenagers all tracking each other down and killing each other in bizarre and twisted ways? I'm telling you, man, Jack Johnson would totally lose it.

Of course, not everyone goes the route of death and destruction. Some commit suicide with their lovers, deciding that their not going to play this evil game. In contrast, one of the teens is a complete psycho, who wanted in the game in the first place. Some would normally not do these twisted things, but have grudges against other kids and feel justified under the circumstances. It's interesting to see how all the different characters respond to these bizarre events as they unfold.

All in all, Battle Royale was much more deep and insightful than I expected it to be. It's not like I'd watch it over and over several times, like I would Nightmare Before Christmas. That would almost be psychotic. But it's still a very cool and unique film and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Bolt

2009-06-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Plot synopsis: "The canine star of a fictional sci-fi/action show that believes his powers are real embarks on a cross country trek to save his co-star from a threat he believes is just as real."

But don't be fooled. Bolt isn't nearly as deep and interesting as the premise has led so many to believe. True, the first act is a lot of fun, and actually quite intriguing as well, but it all goes downhill at around the mid-act climax. Though it may proclaim itself to be different and unique, it's really just like every single other lost dog story you've ever seen, only with a few neat touches that soon lose their luster. Trust me when I say that you know exactly how this story is going to turn out.

True, it's much more consistently entertaining than Meet The Robinsons. If anything, Disney's new model of shallow, goofy fun has been proficiently refined.

7 out of 10

Movie Journal: Kiss Of The Dragon

2009-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I mean, don't get me wrong. It's a good movie. It's got awesome action and some impressive actors. But let me say that it's really no wonder that Jet Li wants to quit with martial arts films. Shallow plot + badly cast leading lady + complete lack of a controlling idea = a movie I don't really want to see again any time soon. Not only that, but it's certainly not going to stick in my mind for very long. I just watched it an hour ago and I can already feel it fading, if you know what I mean.

And yeah, I know that Luc Besson directed it. But if you're looking for some real Luc Besson awesomeness, just see District B13; it's about five times better. Or at least four times. Anyway, it's cool.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: The Nightmare Before Christmas

2009-06-19T23:10:00.000-07:00

Over the years, The Nightmare Before Christmas has developed something of a reputation among those who have not seen it. Many will say that it is "weird" and "freaky," and that may be true. But it's also a timeless classic, and a landmark in both musical and animated film.

What an awesome premise, too. Think about it: what if there is a dimension in which there exists a land for each holiday, the inhabitants of which have to work constantly to bring that holiday about? What if the kings of each land have been running and supervising their designated holidays since the beginning of time? In this story, that's exactly the way it is for Jack, the Pumpkin King of the dark and graveyard-infested Halloweentown. Every year he makes Halloween happen. And he's getting tired of of it.

While off on a thoughtful walk through Halloweentown's deep and dark forest, he happens upon a clearing containing a portal to each holiday's land. Drawn to Christmastown's door, Jack enters and is totally amazed by the bright and colorful world of Christmas. Still, as he returns and tries to describe the place to the inhabitants of Halloweentown, he finds that, well, he can't. His explanations are completely lost on his citizens, leaving him questioning whether what he experienced(the emotions, the sights, the sounds, the warmth inside) was truly real. And so, Jack begins to tirelessly conduct tests and experiments, none of which lead to a rational way of defining or explaining Christmas. This prompts him...

Ah, what the heck is wrong with me? Off I go about the exceptionally intriguing plot and premise, yet at the same time I just about abuse one of the greatest things about the film: the music! Not only did Danny Elfman(who needs no introduction) both write and compose the score, but he also performs the powerfully emotional singing voice for the main character, Jack himself.

Elfman's musical score grabs your attention instantly at the very beginning of the story, and doesn't let go until the end. Very few moments pass that are not carried by the emotion of Elfman's music, perfectly transitioning the storyline as it carries us from one scene to the next. There's not a dull moment in the entire plot.

As for the animation, the majority of it is stop-motion, and is shot at 24 frames per second. This may seem a dated approach for an animated film, and it is. But if anything, this film's graphics only lend a more eerie feel to the story, with age. Hence my describing it as timeless.

The Nightmare Before Christmas isn't just a "Christmas movie". It's a deep and fascinating tale that delves into the fact that there are some things in the universe you simply cannot reduce to explanations of scientific logic and reasoning. It's also a somewhat bittersweet story, because while we know that Jack finally gets the message of Christmas, he'll never truly be able to be a part of it, and express it purely; though he can try. Kind of like how us humans try, and yet even in some small way always fail. In a way, we're very much like Jack; dark and tainted, knowing only the world of Halloweentown and barely able to comprehend Christmasland. At the same time, we're given hope in the fact that we may yet someday experience it firsthand, kind of how Jack did.

The result is a controlling idea that reflects meaning, and when it comes to film, that is true depth.

10 out 10

Movie Journal: Nausicaa Of The Valley Of Wind

2009-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Kaze no tani no Naushika (or Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind) is an epic animated adventure, written and directed by none other than Hayao Miyazaki. Originally released in the year 1984, it's one of Miyazaki's oldest films, in addition to being one of his best.

The story of Nausicaa gives us a glimpse of a future in which the world is slowly being overrun by a steadily spreading toxic forest. Some simply try to avoid it, while others are actively seeking ways to destroy. Unfortunately, every time an effort is made to burn a segment of the jungle to the ground, the giant insects within fly into a rage, killing everything within miles until they eventually starve and die, producing new spores that cause the forest to spread further. Eventually a nation of industrialism and war comes forward with a plan to dig up an ancient giant of fire that could potentially destroy the jungle altogether. Supposedly.

This great story based on Hayao Miyazaki's own hit manga is not only epic in scope, but features rich characters and an exciting, action-oriented plot. Over all, it's certainly the best quality kid-centered action film there is. Next to Castle In The Sky, that is. In fact, in many ways, I probably prefer Nausicaa.

This is just the kind of intelligent storytelling that young kids deserve. The environmentalist undertones are undeniable, but underneath that is a deep and gripping message about love and self-sacrifice, in cool and epic ways that most stories for kids cannot boast.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Labyrinth

2009-05-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

Labyrinth is yet another case of what I like to call a flawed masterpiece. While it has it's share of issues, certain subtle qualities retain it's "must-see" status.

Directed and co-written by Jim Henson, Labyrinth tells the story of a teenage, overly dramatic girl(played by none other than Jennifer Connelly in one of her earliest roles). Once again, her parents force her to stay home and look after her baby brother while they enjoy a night out. Sarah takes it all a bit melodramatically, and in a fit of sad angst wishes that the goblins of the far castle would come and take the baby away, turning into a goblin and keeping him within the castle for all eternity. Apparently she didn't at first know that goblins actually existed, but it's too late now, isn't it?

As you can imagine, when Sarah finds out that her wish has come true, she's quite dismayed. She pleads with none other than the Goblin King(played by none other than David Bowie) himself, who finally brings forth a proposal. Surrounding his castle is a gigantic labyrinth, which he himself built. If Sarah can solve it within the next few hours, before the designated time of her brother's transformation, they both can go free.

As the story unfolds, Sarah works hard to navigate the Labyrinth while all around her Jim Henson's bizarre puppet creations come to life.

While flawed in parts, and certainly showing it's age, Labyrinth contains too much genius to be overlooked. For many young kids, and anyone for that matter, Labyrinth is a very valuable story that should be mandatory viewing. Plus, it's just a ton of fun.

7 out of 10

Movie Journal: Say Anything

2009-05-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

Don't you just hate it when the title to a romantic comedy has almost nothing to do with the storyline?

No matter. Say Anything may not make much sense as a movie title, but the content of the movie itself is superb.

As for an idea of the plot, I think IMDb sums it up best: "A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college."

John Cusack stars in what is probably my favorite role of his, while Ione Skye perfectly portrays the smart and pretty yet unsure girl the main character is trying to win over.

The characters are fun and the sheer complexity of the storyline is quite satisfactory. All in all, it's one of the greater and more moving of the teenage romances of the 1980's, despite some potential ethical issues concerning the very intimate relationship between the main characters. Don't let the unfortunately corny poster above deter you. For any fan of film, Say Anything is well worth your time.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Blade II

2009-05-25T15:17:00.000-07:00

What possessed me, you might ask? Well, the first Blade wasn't entirely bad, and Del Toro directed this time around. How bad could it be?

Actually, not that bad. Wesley Snipes again returns as Blade, a daywalking vampire who has taken it upon himself to track and kill other vampires. However, a rather interesting twist occurs when the vampires come to him for help hunting a new threat: a hybrid vampire that feeds off of other vampires. Normally, our hero wouldn't care, but it seems that as soon as all the vampires are gone these creatures will turn to the humans for food, resulting in a worldwide catastrophy.

Blade agrees to group up with a special vampire ops team that has been training to kill him for years. They put aside their differences in order to rid the world of a common and much deadlier enemy.

Blade II is almost monumentally better than the first, but it's almost even more shallow. Blade is an awesome character, and he does awesome things, but most everything else going on plot-wise leaves much to be desired.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: Spaceballs

2009-05-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

When it comes to comedic spoof and parody, who can forget Mel Brooks? He created several undeniably hysterical films in his time, such as History Of The World Part 1 and Young Frankenstein. And Spaceballs.

Of all of Brooks' works, Spaceballs is almost certainly the most popular. Also, it's probably the cheesiest. In this galactic adventure just about every major space-related franchise is almost utterly humiliated, from Star Wars to Planet of the Apes, to even Alien. Shamelessly, too. Still, Spaceballs isn't trying to hurt anyone, it's just trying to share a little fun, and in that it succeeds.

True: it's extremely and unbelievably cheesy. But maybe that's what makes it so memeorable in the first place.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Blade

2009-05-16T22:38:00.001-07:00

Here we go again. Tell you what; chances are that you already know what I'm going to say, so I'll make this one short and sweet.

Blade features some of the very best choreographed action I've ever seen. When it comes to style, it completely surpasses even The Matrix. In parts. As for the rest of the movie, the pace is slow, episodic, and inconsistent. Also, the plot is totally cliche-ridden, though I have due respect for the original comic's ingenuities.

In the end, if you are looking for a truly satisfying movie, give this one a pass. Yeah, The One was better than this.

5 out of 10

Movie Journal: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

2009-05-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

You gotta love the unique style John Hughes was so well known for during the late 1980's, namely in his novel depictions of both youthful bliss and teen angst in his stories; and often together. My favorite of his would probably be Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which he both wrote and directed. It's a masterpiece.

So, what's the plot, you might ask? Well, it's rather hard to say. One of it's qualities is the film is very laid-back and yet very engaging at the same time. However, the one incident that sets everything off is that Ferris convinces his parents he's too sick to go to school, for the ninth time this semester. Knowing he'll have to go to extreme measures to deceive his parents the tenth time, Ferris begins preparations very soon after he has the house to himself. This may be his last day off, and he's going to make it count.

That's the little I'll say on the matter, because it's a movie that has to be seen to be believed. Just know that when it comes to comedic film, this one should be mandatory viewing. It's all but perfect in it's execution.

9 out of 10

Star Trek Review

2009-05-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Don't you kinda despise the immense hype preceding just about every major summer flick? the worst part is that about half the time the film in question isn't nearly as good as the trailers made it out to be. And what has achieved more hype than Star Trek? Not much else, this summer season. But that's why I feel it's my duty to inform readers of one simple fact: the new Star Trek IS just about everything it's cracked up to be.

Star Trek is an epic prequel taking us back to the very beginning of both Spock's and James T. Kirk's journey. Over the course of the plot every character from the series that us Trekkies know and love meet up in an effort to stop a mysterious and deadly enemy. That is all you need to know without having a perfectly awesome plot being spoiled.

To tell the truth, I didn't appreciate Transformers all that much, which happened to be a film that Roberto Orcia and Alex Kurtzman too wrote. It had the fun, but none of the legitimate drama, or so I felt at the time. But this time the expertise of these screenwriters really shows. They have quite successfully combine the dramatic with the visual stimulation so signature of their past action flicks.

One aspect of the dramatic situations being so believable may be due to the fact that each character's intricacies are mindblowing, though much of that may also be due to phenomenal casting. I now consider the new Star Trek cast to be in many ways the definitive one. There's not a single unwanted choice in the lot, and each actor excells in the portrayal of these classic characters.

As for the action, tension builds steadily to each dramatic situation until the characters are completely and totally unleashed, and push toward their goal unrelentingly until the very end of the film. Contrary to what some misguided journalists have postulated, this is action at it's finest in years.

Star Trek is the funnest and most mindblowingly exciting film of this year yet, and I'd advise that you not miss it. This is Star Trek the way it was meant to be experienced.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Memento

2009-05-12T23:56:00.000-07:00

On the day his wife is murdered, a man is injured and wakes up with a case of short-term memory loss. Only able to remember one clear thing(that is, the death of his wife), Leonard is constantly working to track down the killer. Every morning he wakes up in his motel room wondering where exactly he is, and has only bits and pieces of clues to go by that he left for himself to find, such as notes and pictures and tattoos steadily covering his body.

Much like Leonard's disjointed sense of memory, the film's plot manifests itself in bits and pieces of the main character's experiences. Such a plotline is rather hard to characterize. It doesn't really take place in a straightforward and linear fashion, but neither is it nonlinear; rather, the movie shows us every incident in reverse order. Viewers are invited to see for themselves the bizarre things Leonard will never remember he did, let alone understand.

Christopher Nolan writes and directs this masterpiece with true vision. A little tedious to some but gripping to those who enjoy a good psychological thriller, Memento may be the most novel film in said genre ever conceived.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Castle In The Sky

2009-05-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

Not only is Miyazaki's classic masterpiece of the 1980's instantly captivating, but once the action kicks in things stay in high gear until the final confrontation, thanks to outstandingly structured action. It's like Temple Of Doom for kids. Only better.

The idea is simple, but the execution is not. A young girl who floats down from the sky is on the run from air pirates, who are after her mystical stone, which has been passed down for generations of her family. A boy meets up with her and helps her escape. Turns out that the government too is after the stone, and will do anything they can to obtain it.

That is how the story begins. Sounds simple? Perhaps, but by the story's end more twists and turns occur than I originally thought possible. Cool, charming, and above all nostalgic, Castle In The Sky is one of the very best animated features ever produced.

9 out of 10

P.S. I can guarantee you will enjoy it much more if you see it in Japanese with English subtitles, the way it was meant to be experienced.

Movie Journal: The One

2009-05-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Like many stylized and potential-brimming action flicks before it, this film utlimately falls short of the mark. The action may be incredible, but the plot starts out ambitious and ends up just plain generic. This is a real pity, especially considering the story's stellar premise.

Basically, the world is not made up of a single unified universe, but rather a multiverse. There are hundreds of universes, and chance dictates that every few universes there is an alternate you. So, believe it or not, some psycho in the distant future finds a way to move in between these universes, and thereby begins assassinating all his alternate selves, one by one. It's then up to the members of the interuniversal republic to track down and stop him, before he becomes The One, and throws off the balance of energy between worlds.

Again, it's a cool idea, and the action isn't so bad, either. How they were able to take clearly Matrix-style concepts into a totally new direction is a little beyond me, but it works. Time and again we see Jet Li dodging bullets and running across walls, but he does it in a style entirely seperate from what The Matric accomplished. Kudos to that. Still, there's little that can save a film from a monotonous plot. See it if you must, but just don't expect to be entirely satisfied.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: District B13

2009-05-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the French are actually well known for their action sequences in film? It's true. A rather recent example is the movie District B13(or Banlieue 13). In it, certain crime-polluted areas of France are being closed off into isolated districts. Cut off from the rest of the civilized world by thick concrete walls, the society slowly degenerates. Chaos reigns.

Things run this course until a gang from district B13 hijacks an armored car and accidentally sets off the timer of the nuetron bomb inside. In 24 hours, it will detonate.

The action itself delivers on this premise outstandingly, and the storyline is essentially eighty minutes of nonstop intensity. The main characters pull off all sorts of crazy stunts on their mission, often without trampolines or wires. Some would say the incredible sense of movement in each action sequence is proportionate compensation for a shallow plot, but District B13 is anything but guilty pleasure. Rather, what it lacks in "complexity" it more than makes up for in intelligent cinematography. In other words, don't get the wrong idea, because the plot is awesome.

District B13 is the best over-the-top action film in years. Wait; scratch that. It's not "over-the-top". The stunts were quite real. Maybe that's a good part of what makes this movie so darn cool.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

2009-05-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Mask of the Phantasm is that Batman movie so often overlooked. What is it? It's an animated feature based on the magnificent Batman TV series of 1992. Written by Alan Burnett, the storyline takes some very interesting turns and has the viewer pretty engaged by the characters quite early on, which is note-worthy for a kids cartoon of the 1990's.

The age of the cartoon shows in the animation, but to this day it's still cool and visually striking. Any fan of Batman and his movie adventures should give Mask of the Phantasm a shot, and chances are that anyone particularly into the show already has.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

2009-05-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

What can I say; it's Indiana Jones. Only on steroids. After escaping an Asian mob boss and his henchmen by plane, Jones crashlands in India and is implored by a group of poor villagers to retrieve a magic stone that was stolen from them by a secret sacrificial cult.

Leading lady Kate Capshaw's character is a rather obnoxious one, and Ford has to play a somewhat stereotypical hero this time around, but the young and goofy Asian sidekick "Short Round" brings out a side of Jones we haven't really seen before. Not only that, but Temple of Doom's action is so continuous and intense that by the end of the film you're left far more satisfied than by Raiders' inexplicable dropoff. Indy 2 isn't just a good time, it's a genuinely good movie, and deserves to be remembered as such.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Pan's Labyrinth

2009-05-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard of this masterpiece up until now, as it's had quite a lot of publicity for a foreign film. It has been nominateda whopping 58 times and won 3 Oscars, one being for Best Writing/Original Screenplay. Who wrote it? None other than Guillermo del Toro, and I can only conclude that the man is an absolute genius.

The storyline is an adult-geared fairytale starring a young, immortal princess who attempts to leave the underworld and see what life on earth is like. Eventually, the princess dies a cruel death in the world of mortals. In response, the king of the underworld opens a portal in order to reincarnate the princess. However, the girl, Ofelia, cannot proceed to her father's kingdom until she has passed three tests. Ofelia attempts to complete these tasks, hoping to take her baby brother with her to the kingdom when he is born; an event that is quite imminent. Meanwhile, she's currently staying at a camp of the Spanish military, and rebels hiding in the forest plan a means of defeating the camp's cruel and heartless Captain.

That is a very, very small taste of what the story is like. But know this: finally, an essentially perfect cast of actors have come together to breathe life in a nearly flawless screenplay dealing with the truths of both cruelty and innocence in the world we live in. Few other movies so perfectly chronicle man's yearnful search for immortality, and how it is ultimately attained. Pan's Labyrinth could be the single most powerful movie I've yet seen.

10 out of 10

Movie Journal: Stardust

2009-04-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

There's only so much to say about Stardust, and that's mainly that it is a charming film that succeeds in parts but ultimately fails where it really counts. Sound familiar? I used the same words in my review of Indy 4, though I assure you that Stardust is in many ways the better movie.

Why do I say this? Because, again, it's got a lot of charm. The majority of the time characters come across really well and there are more than a few fantastic scenes. However, to go into any detail concerning the first act and a half of the film would be to destroy it for the reader. The fact is that Stardust sets up the story almost perfectly and then fails to deliver.

It's hard to say exactly what doomed the latter half of the film. I have a few hunches, one being the casting choice of Claire Danes as the ethereal and immortal Yvaine. Claire Danes just doesn't do ethereal and immortal, if you know what I mean. She and the main character were a terrible pairing, and the least charming aspect of the movie. As a result it was really hard to be engaged by the events between them. I had initially thought that Danes had been a weird casting choice, but also that there must be something I missed and that the director would make it work. Not the case. In fact, every time I saw Danes I was ripped right out of the experience because she just didn't belong. This was not a good moment for an actress of her caliber, partly because it may be that she was carefully cast but just didn't do a very good job.

It's terribly sad, because Stardust is a very unique and ingenuity-infused film, and with a few tweaks it could have been truly great.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: An American In Paris

2009-04-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

An American In Paris is one of the greater musicals such as The Music Man and Singin In The Rain, though it tends to achieve far less publicity. Mark my words though that it is every bit as great, if not more so.

This fabulous musical tells the story of...wait for it...an American in Paris! Would you believe it? Gene Kelly stars as a young, struggling artist. He's also the film's choreographer, and boy does he go to town on this one. As the film opens up and the main character is introduced, each movement is like that of a ballet, elegant and precise. And that's far before any singing or dancing even starts, though there's much to enjoy until that picks up. The characters positively come to life on the screen, and give you a guided tour of life in Paris, and what the people are like there. At least, what they're like in a musical.

So anyway, as I was saying: Gene Kelly is Jerry Mulligan, an inexperienced if inspired artist who is barely scraping by. So along comes Milo Roberts, an older, wealth-inflicted woman who has taken an uncanny interest in his work. She wants to help him. It could be that Milo is lonely and attempting to take advantage of Jerry by putting him in her debt, but in his situation, what choice does he have? Things become even more complicated when our hero meets another gal; a young and gorgeous doll he's hooked on almost instantly. This quite visibly upsets Milo, but that's not where the trouble ends. Though Jerry starts going out with this girl named Lise Bouvier in secret, and adores her more than anything in the world, it seems there's something she is not willing to tell him, just like he's not willing to tell her that Milo's financial grip on him is growing uncomfortably tighter.

Sound cookie-cutter? It's not. The storyline is more than the sum of it's parts, and the same goes for the film's rich characters. The dialogue that passes between each one is, to say the least, very well crafted. It's outstandingly clever, and meshes with each song effortlessly scene by scene.

Which once again brings me to the subject of Gene Kelly's choreography, which was almost never better than this. Prepare for your mind to be blown away before the movie is over. "Captivating"? Yeah, it's captivating; your brain will be in microscopic bits. Before the film's end there comes an almost entire act of stylish musical montage madness that leaves you breathless. Musicals don't get much better than this.

Bottom-line? An American In Paris gives us a precious glimpse of the sheer beauty a painter sees in his lover, and it's so spectacular, so amazing, so majestic, that there's no way you're going to watch it just once.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2009-03-21T21:27:00.002-07:00

To tell the truth, I had actually looked forward to Indy 4 for some while; though not excessively enough to find time to view it in theaters. Nevertheless, I was excited. Now that I've actually got around to seeing it, I have to say that not only is "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" the worst Indiana Jones film ever created, but it also happens to be one of the worst action films I have had the misfortune to see.

Now, don't get me wrong. I haven't seen loads of terrible action movies, but I have seen my fair share. And, truth be told, Indy 4 isn't all bad. But it just doesn't succeed where it counts.

Take Jones himself, for instance. As longtime fans of the series, do we not empathize with his situation when the Soviets are forcing him to assist them in their search of the Crystal Skull, which they believe will lead them to the ultimate power? Of course. But Jones' responses to these various situations gives us more of the impression that he's just trying to stay out of trouble instead of being in search of adventure. And who could blame him? He's gotta be at least fifty years old by now, right? It's unfortunate that he's really not the same Indiana we remember and cherish.

In fact, nothing we've cherished from past Indiana films is present here. Marcus? Dead. Jones' father? Dead. And so what we are presented with are a group of mostly new characters, the purpose of these being to replace the old, which never comes to fruition. True, some chords are struck here and there, such as during Shia Labeouf's character's introduction, when he is portrayed as something of a passive thief; a person who takes what he wants without asking, without thinking, and when he feels like it. But that's never really referenced again, and the rest of his character doesn't really reflect that. Also, Karen Allen returns as Indy's long lost G.F. Marion Ravenwood, but the chemistry between her and Ford just isn't there anymore. Not to mention that her character was really badly written this time around.

Perhaps the only character I connected with besides Shi LaBeouf's was Cate Blanchett's. Blanchett did applaudingly well as a Russian villain, and it's a shame because in the end she received the very worst fate among every bad guy in the movie.

The action shines in some moments, but really grinds in the third and perhaps most crucial act of the film. The creators attempt to keep things rolling with cute little domestic inter-character subplots between the main characters, which are badly hatched and executed worse.

Indiana Jones 1, 2, and 3 feature some of the best action scenes ever created, along with superb dialogue and legendary characters to carry it. Indy 4 is the sequel that should never have been made, because then Indy fanatics wouldn't have to pretend for the sake of the series that it didn't exist. Also, I really expected just a little more of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg both. Granted, it's not the worst movie ever made, but it just falls too flat for many people to care for very long.

What I think it comes down to is that, the rest of the series and any expectations aside, even in it's own right The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an ultimately unfulfilling story. It really is a bad movie.

5 out of 10

Movie Journal: True Lies

2009-03-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

The first act of the film starts out with a strong, balanced action sequence that sets up the action-oriented element of the plot: that a group of terrorists are currently attempting to smuggle a nuclear warhead into the United States. Then, as the main character spends time at home with his family while the mission is on standby, the movie moves into the second act, the majority of which is a romantic comedy. The fact that these two elements of action and romantic humor can be juggled so effortlessly is in itself a grand feat, rendering True Lies an absolute must-see.

Just three years after the release of the amazing Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Arnold Shwarzenegger returns to take on the role of Harry Tasker, a character who at first glance makes you think of both Rambo and James Bond. Not only is he tough and efficient, but he's got all the cleverness and playfulness of a ladykiller. So it's something of a surprise when he goes home to an ordinary wife and kid, both of which he absolutely adores, even if they don't know it.

They fact is, they both believe that he is a computer salesman. Harry's frequent and necessary lies for the sake of his work have formed something of a disconnection between him and his family. It's the family and marital issues as well as the terrorist threat that are balanced so well and effectively that we have to keep watching to see how things are finally resolved. Also, this is Schwarzenegger at his totally captivating and very best.

The action is best described as very well paced, very well structured, and very well choreographed. It may be of interest to the reader that there are some action shots that are straight out of The Matrix( or rather, there are shots in The Matrix taken straight out of True Lies). For a movie running at 144 minutes long, it's amazing that True Lies successfully has you absolutely gripped by it's over-the-top yet somehow very intense action throughout it's entirety.

As for the adjoining plot involving Harry Tasker's marital problems...I will tell you that the antagonist of this plot is played by none other than Bill Paxton, in one of his most absolutely hilarious roles yet.

Perhaps one of the only major complaints I have is a stylish yet obscenely sexual scene right at the mid-act climax that very nearly bogs down the pace of the film. It's relevant and short, and it's not particularly explicit, but it's just far too gratuitous for my taste. Overall, I guess it's not really a kid movie, if you know what I mean. Other than that, this film is action, romantic, and comedic gold.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Red Eye

2009-03-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a film that, chances are, you've heard about at some point, even though you've probably never seen any trailers, posters, or ads for it. Red Eye is in many ways an underrated film, and mostly because people tend to expect it to be something other than what it is: a short, humble yet superbly acted thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Red Eye was released just a month before the thriller Flightplan, which bears many resemblances but is far more remarkable. Rachel McAdams stars as a hotel manager whose father is held ransom in order for her seatmate(Cillian Murphy of Batman Begins fame) to persuade her to adjust which room the senator is to stay in. The course of this conversation takes place aboard an in-flight airplane, and takes up a good majority of the film.

Don't get the wrong idea: Red Eye is every bit the sum of it's parts and more, which include rich, character-oriented dialogue and remarkable acting. Since when can you watch two people sit and talk for minutes at a time and be entertained? Not so often, these days. Usually the filmmakers have to introduce some kind of new element to keep things rolling before people start spacing out. Which is interesting because Red Eye throws little plot twists or surprises to speak of, but I assure you that if it had run much longer than it did my head would have exploded of overstimulation as it is.

Why this movie has such a low average viewer rating on most movie sites is beyond me, because it's truly great. Red Eye is a gripping, intelligent, and worthwhile thriller that deserves at least some of your attention. You will be entertained.

8 out of 10

Gran Torino Review

2009-03-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Though I wasn't sure what exactly to expect, it turns out that Gran Torino is a superb masterpiece, and in many ways a structurally near-perfect story of pain, death, and ultimate salvation.

Yes, Clint Eastwood stars in this movie, and no, it's not a "shoot-em-up". Eastwood plays a bitter Vietnam vet and an elderly widower with a somewhat paranoid contempt for his neighborhood and it's steadily increasing number of Asian immigrants, as well as the lingering new generation of ignorant teens, many of which constitute the proud gangsters prowling the streets. Eastwood's character's bitterness and disapproval is duly noted by his threatening, animal-like growl, as he glances at his teenage granddaughter and happens to sight her pierced bellybutton.

But make no mistake; Eastwood's contempt for the people around him in no way leads to our contempt of him. In fact, his behavior is perfectly charming because we suspect that deep down he's a real teddy bear. And he is. On a case-by-case basis.

For example: when an Asian kid tries to steal his mint-condition Gran Torino, he's not a teddy bear. Anyhow, turns out that the kid was pressured into it by a local gang, who have been haunting the family next door. As one event after another takes place in this man's life, the situation and the events revolving around it grow increasingly intense; from brutal beatings, to rape, and eventual murder.

Sounds rather dim, doesn't it? But despite these dark undertones Gran Torino is a very bright movie that's a great deal of fun all the way through. Though the majority of the supporting actors are brand new and fairly inexperienced(as Clint Eastwood has pointed out himself) their characters come across magnificently, and with a hint of complementary spontaneity that many have falsely accused of being shallow one-dimensionality. Don't listen to them; if anything, these characters come across as all the more authentic.

Eastwood's role is that of a man who struggles both spiritually and physically most of his life, but in the end finds redemption. This isn't just a good film, or a great one either. It's an absolutely superb and ingeniously crafted masterpiece that I'm really glad I didn't miss.

9 out of 10

Public Enemies Trailer

2009-03-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is a movie whose premise has me rather intrigued, so of course I've been looking forward to the trailer.

The tone is serious overall, and yet the characters and action are almost stylized to the point of being fitting of a dark superhero comic. Looks glorious.

Movie Journal: Appaloosa

2009-03-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

Appaloosa is unlike any other movie of 2008 I've thus far had the opportunity to see. I feel like there's not much to say, but I will say this.

Appaloosa is a movie that has received very mixed reviews. Some say it's stupid, and a complete waste of the talents of both Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris. Read TV Guide's review and you'll see what I mean, and the same goes for Wall Street Journal. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, on the other hand, gave it three-and-a-half stars out of four and called it "a potently acted powerhouse that sticks in the mind and the heart," and "gripping entertainment that keeps springing surprises." I disagree on both counts, but I also refuse to side with Maitland Mcdonagh's impression that it is "dull and preposterous." It may be dull, but it's not preposterous. Upon closer inspection the characters are actually very rich and enjoyable to watch.

At the same time, after almost two hours of watching these characters interact as they pursue their innermost goals, I found the eventual conclusion to be anticlimactic and unsatisfying. In the end, Appaloosa is not a truly great movie, though it is an impressive one.

7 out of 10

Movie Journal: Horton Hears A Who!

2009-03-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

This was a somewhat difficult movie to diagnose for me. On the one hand, it is after all based on a very intellectual story by Dr. Seuss exploring not only the concept of believing in things without proper empirical verification(seeing, touching, tasting, or smelling), but also the sacred worth of any form of life, great or minuscule. As Horton so eloquently puts it, "A person's a person, no matter how small." On the other hand, themes and messages aside, the movie itself is not so intellectual. Not only is Horton himself something of an idiot, he's also a boring stereotype, and undergoes little convincing development over the course of the storyline. The result is that his philosophical musings, which happen to be the whole point of the story, appear to be emitting from a talking head more than a character.

All things considered, the real stars are "the Who's": microscopic creatures living inside a small speck that Horton somehow happens upon. In fact, most of the time, Horton the elephant is just filler, as evidenced by an extensive 2D-animated scene of heroism taking place in Horton's mind that shamelessly and inexplicably pokes fun at Japanese anime and culture. Shame on you, Ken Daurio and/or Cinco Paul; whichever one of it's two authors that came up with that scene. Shame! Shame!

Anyhow, it's the elephant who somehow manages to contact the respectable Mayor of Whoville, who hears Horton's booming voice from above. It's a revelation to the Mayor that, as it turns out, his world is nothing but "an infinitesimal speck floating in space." The ramifications are tremendous: seeing as Whoville is small and fragile, the slightest impact could completely obliterate it. It's then Horton's job to find a soft, safe refuge for the world of the Who's.

Visually, Dr. Seuss' own graphic style has been recaptured fantastically. Not to mention that voice-actors Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell, and others do an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. And that's all well and good, but I also can't stand the fact that the plotline itself, aside from Dr. Seuss' original touches, is almost completely uninspired. It may be fun and actually quite entertaining, but somehow I think many of it's creators(aside from the artists and voice-actors) deserve little merit. Seriously: is there some "animated movie" guideline I don't know about that states that unless you're Pixar, at the ending of your movie all the characters must sing a song together? There's nothing worse than uninspired entertainment, so let's just be thankful Seuss had some in emergency reserve.

7 out of 10

Movie Journal: The Family Man

2009-03-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I never really heard about this movie before. It's one of those movies whose first act is so well structured and surprising, you figure, "Well, that's just because the author focused solely on the first act, and there will be a drastic decline in quality during the grind of act two." So when the entire second act is just as brilliant as the first, you can't help but think, "Well, they'll botch the ending for sure." But then when the end comes, it works. And it works because the writer structured everything precisely, and everything leading up has been in specific preparation of the plot's climactic conclusion. That's my kind of movie.

One of the reasons the structure works so well is because the ending of the first act(or, "the inciting incident") throws us an almost completely unexpected curveball. Having said that, I had promised myself I would only disclose a very small dose of what the plot looks like in terms of details, because to properly prepare you for it would be robbery. However, I will tell you that Nicholas Cage plays a young man who moves from New York to London in pursuit of a job opportunity. His future wife, played by Tea Leoni, begs him not to leave, fearing that they may slip apart while he's away for a year. He promises that he will never stop loving her.

There. That's as far as I'm going, because the plot is simply too good to spoil. Throughout it's entirety it manages to remain facinating, vivid, and worthwhile, and I'd hate to ruin that. Just know that it is one of the very best movies I have ever seen, and the reason it's so great is because it taps into our basic emotions in an effort to cause us to consider what life is all about. And if, by the time the credits roll, it doesn't cause you to reflect on your life's priorities and values, at least a little...you've got to be dead inside. That, or you are living the perfect life.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Hulk

2009-02-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hulk is what I like to call a "flawed masterpiece". It may be rough around the edges in parts, but boy does it have it's moments.

As you may already know, Hulk chronicles the rise of The Incredible Hulk. The events leading up to this are portrayed in rapid succession as a science division of the US government attempts to develop human regeneration for soldiers on the field of battle. The theory was that this ability could be inserted as a genetic trait, which would be activated by physical stress: a gunshot wound, for example. But the thing about genetic engineering is that if you alter even one trait, the results are highly unforeseeable. Dr. David Banner discovered this, and was in the process of developing a cure when the government shut him down for failing to follow procedure. The true disaster takes place years later, in the form of David's son, Bruce Banner.

Bruce Banner, though having no knowledge of who his real parents were or what they did, ends up a scientist working in the exact same field as his father did. He(played by Eric Bana) works together with Dr. Betty Ross(Jennifer Connolly) to develop therapeutic regenerative traits using gamma radiation. Eric Bana was very well cast for his part and does an exceptional job. Jennifer Connolly, on the other hand, takes on the role of Dr. Ross almost perfectly. It's not like she did a perfect job because she was perfectly cast or born for the role, but rather because she knew exactly what she was supposed to do. She was able to see something deep and facinating in that character that no one else saw, and then portray it outstandingly. And I expect nothing less from an actress of her calibur.

Yes, if I were to list all the things that made this movie great, one of the topmost ones would be "Jennifer Connolly". At the same time, every other major actor reflected their character notably. This, tied together with ingenious editing, managing to carefully and intricately capture the feel of the comic in outstanding cinematography, alone makes this story worthwhile.

Unfortunately, especially in areas well into the movie, you may find your belief to be suspended at times. Still, giant mutated french poodles aside, Hulk is a faithfully artistic comic book adaptation, and while it does have it's share of flaws it is still a must-watch.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

2009-02-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

There's a reason many people these days have an aversion to animated movies. Why? Because they've become cheap and manipulative of the low standards of children. That's been the truth behind the majority of kid's movies for a long time now, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire was perhaps the last truly great animated movie Disney made.

Released in 2001, it's a movie behind it's time in many ways. First of all, it's a genuine cartoon. At the time of it's release computer generated effects and animation were becoming the norm, and while Atlantis makes use of what appear to be a few CG visual effects here and there, it's mostly the real deal, and it's the better for it. The main plot concerns a centuries-lost civilization and a archeologist/linguist attempting to find it in his father's place, aided by a group of bizarre and charming mercenaries. I don't believe the sense of style, personality, and charm portrayed here could have been accomplished utilizing the CG effects of the day, or even of today's.

And it's really the sense of style, personality, and charm that sucks you in, almost instantly. The main character, Milo, is an extremely dedicated professor who is never given credit, and is always looked down on as a kid. Even his expertise seems to be part of his social problem; he's a nerd and nobody seems to like that. And yet, his child-like fascination and curiosity is infecting for us viewers. The group of mercenaries he works with comprise of a large and rather hyperactive medical doctor, a world-class professional engineer who happens to be a teenage girl, a charmingly dry and unenthusiastic demolitions expert, a(I suspect) psychologically disturbed dirt and tunneling expert nicknamed "Mole", a commander who is clearly in the expedition for fame and fortune, and a blondie named Helga Katrina Sinclair who, despite her very seductive and intoxicatingly attractive gestures and outward appearance, is actually a real tomboy.

The way this group of mercenaries behaves and interacts together, you'd think that they were siblings. It's amazing the small ways they manage to portray this, really. Over time, Milo slowly starts to become one of them. That's how when they finally do manage to find the lost city for which they've been searching all this time, things get pretty intense as the priorities of Milo's friends turn out to be little different from what he expected them to be.

I think that's why I ended up loving this movie so much: it's just incredible how real it manages to be, even behind all the magic and mystery. In a few ways it's actually rather comparable to Princess Mononoke, but not excessively. It's a Disney movie that, for once, manages stands on it's own two feet, and I pity those that would rather miss it.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Michael Clayton

2009-02-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

This is what we call an overrated movie. There's no denying it. Not only was it nominated for Best Picture in 2007, but also rated a score of "perfect" by Roger Ebert, Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly and Claudia Puig of USA Today. I admit that it is an interesting thriller and a profound movie in many ways, but it also fails where so many average movies succeed.

First of all, the script is overflowing with cheap baggage and fluff. Inspired baggage perhaps, but baggage nonetheless, and the overall storyline is forced to haul it around in a rather unseemly fashion.

Secondly, it's controlling idea, if there indeed is one, fails to come across in a gripping or impacting way. It's a message we've seen so many times before, and it's no more profound here. The result is obvious. The lack of a proper controlling idea, as you can imagine, dealt a heavy blow to the pace. All three acts grinded tremendously, to the point that at parts it was just painful. It's very often that the plot, as well as the scenes themselves, appear to be just drifting without true direction. At times, it was a mess.

I watched an entire two-hour movie called Michael Clayton, and yet I still have absolutely no idea just who Michael Clayton is. Which is rather frustrating, considering that the main character took up a major chunk of the screentime. All I know about him was that he was a bad person experiencing a mid-life crisis, wanting to fix what was wrong. At least, that's what I think he was. Some of his actions and statements indicate a different scenario, so I'm not really sure. I doubt anybody will be, perhaps even including Tony Gilroy, the writer and director of the film. Come on, Tony. You've made better movies than this.

And yet, having said all that, Michael Clayton features some really intricate and intense dialogue that grips you. It made me giddy. For that, Mr. Gilroy, I applaud. But know this: I honestly believe your movie could have been so much more.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: Burn After Reading

2009-02-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

There are two things you should immediately know about the Cohen Brothers' new "comedy". Firstly, it is not a kid movie. And all that that entails. The language is foul, the sex and innuendo is rampant, and the violence(what there is of it) is shocking. Secondly, it's not really funny. At least, not in the sense you are probably thinking it is.

To elaborate: as a film it may have distinct and colorful characters, some of which actually do behave pretty funny. But don't expect it to be anything like so many other wacky and chaotic comedies, where the jokes are innocent and despite all the chaos everything seems to miraculously work out in the end.

If anything, it's my belief that Burn After Reading is a movie about idiocy. More precisely, the complete failure to consider the consequences of the actions you take. The story picks up as an employee of the CIA is more or less fired. It's at this point that the man begins to experience what many of us know to be something along the lines of a mid-life crisis. He feels the world has passed him by, and yearns for the virtuous and patriotic passion of his youth. Feeling nostalgic and without much purpose, he decides to write a memoir of the experiences of his much-missed youth. Namely of his experiences in the CIA. Little does he suspect that these memoirs may be found and read by someone else, and just what that would mean.

Much of the rest of the movie revolves around a main cast of stupid yet empathetical characters, making stupid yet(much of the time) empathetical decisions. It's kind of painful really, because as an attentive viewer it's rather hard to miss the writing on the wall, and you sort of wish you could just yell out to the main characters just what they are doing to themselves. You know that should the spaghetti hit the fan(and it will), things are not going to look good(and they don't).

In the end, it's a fine movie, if a flawed one in parts. Just the kind of crazy episode of insanity you'd expect from the Cohen Brothers, though one not nearly as satisfying as that of some of their other works, such as Raising Arizona, O Brother Where Art Thou?, and No Country For Old Men. I guess I was just expecting something a little more.

7 out of 10

Why I'm Looking Forward To G.I. Joe: Rise Of Cobra

2009-02-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

To tell the truth, I have been waiting for a movie like this to come along for some time now. Why? Because, if the trailer and the past history of the franchise is anything to go by, it's a movie featuring tons of cool characters who are immersed in backstory, with strange and cool abilities. It's not so much that these movies are rare, but rather that filmmakers usually tend to avoid the belief-suspending and over-the-top action sequences that they deserve. The way I see it when it comes to television is this: if it looks real, it's real. There is no such thing as being "realistic" in movies.

Realism is a noteworthy element, that if implemented properly can lend itself to enhance a movie by making it more immersive. But that's not how most action movies should work. Movies like The Matrix, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, and Spiderman 2 are so immersive because they push reality. When The Matrix came out, millions of viewers watched Trinity leap into the air and perform a double side-kick, then run across the wall. The beauty of it was that what they were seeing on-screen looked very real, yet defied their expectations of real life. Those people that originally saw that first very famous scene in The Matrix were thinking something along the lines of, "OMG, THAT IS SO NOT HAPPENING!!!" Of course, that was why they enjoyed it so much.

It's often that people say the novelty of The Matrix has worn off what with all the "rip-offs" coming out. But I find it rather naive to call an over-the-top and slowmoey action flick a rip-off when The Matrix itself was merely an east-meets-west movie. Asian entertainment(specifically cartoons and anime) had been portraying that type of action for over twenty years. In fact, you can trace the origin of many of the most famous The Matrix scenes back to Japanese cartoons. It's just that only by around the year 2000 that we had the technology to pull off the same brilliant choreography in live-action.

What must be done now is push the boundaries of belief, coming up with wilder and wilder yet real-looking choreography. There's always room for more of these far-out, stylized action flicks; and Rise Of Cobra should be a good start.

Movie Journal: West Side Story

2009-02-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

The classic musical West Side Story is actually in many ways based on another classical and widely-acclaimed work of fiction. Am I going to tell you what that piece of fiction is? Of course not. That would be a major spoiler. But I will tell you that West Side Story holds it's own, and it's novelty is so striking that I wouldn't be all that surprised if the author had never heard of the work of fiction I have in mind.

The location in which the story takes place is within the crowded west side of Manhattan, where local hoodlum gangs battle it out for control of the streets. Our hero Tony used to participate in these territorial struggles, but has moved on and now has a job. He has the distinct feeling that something worthwhile is just around the bend.

Meanwhile, the gang called "Jets" has been pushing around the recently immigrated "P.R.'s" ever since they arrived, and the the Puerto Ricans are starting to feel like pushing back. This is one of those movies that if I get into too much detail, I'll give it all away, so I'll leave the specifics at that.

The dancing, singing, and choreography are some of the best I have ever, ever seen. Various songs will either get your blood pumping extremely fast with exciting dance moves and acrobatics, or even slow and soothing yet hauntingly nostalgic songs of love and adoration; the latter of which you are in some cases likely to never forget. I'm afraid that you can't call yourself much of a fan of musicals if you haven't seen this movie. The way the different characters express themselves through both song, gestures, and very carefully constructed dialogue, is so vivid and believable that it's almost impossible not to get sucked into it's world.

And yet, around halfway through the movie, all the singing and laughing and dancing suddenly take a bizarre turn. Perhaps one of the reasons this movie has such an average viewer rating on movie sites is because the manifestation of the film's darker side is a rather harsh wake-up call, even if a necessary one. One of the reasons the ending stuns you so much is that deep down, you didn't believe it was going to happen. The world isn't that cruel, is it? But it is. West Side Story points you straight in the face and says, "This is what you've done," and you can't help but walk away feeling convicted and ashamed, knowing that you yourself are guilty of these same crimes in your own way.

No other movie has accomplished the projection of such a powerful controlling idea without getting preachy, and un-entertaining. And yet, West Side Story stays gripping from beginning to end. It's one of the few movies I have dared to describe as "Beautiful." There's only one other movie I would dare compare it to. And so, when you see my rating of this movie, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying that it's perfect or flawless in any way, only that it's truly in a league entirely of it's own.

10 out of 10

Taken Review

2009-02-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

If your daughter was kidnapped by a ring of foreign sex traders, and you knew that within ninety-six hours she would be auctioned off and never seen again, what would you do? Well, if your daughter was absolutely everything to you, and you used to work as a specialist for the government, you would probably do something along the lines of what Liam Neeson does in Taken. Tracks down and kills every person involved until his daughter is safe.

As I left the theater, I was really baffled at the negative reviews I had witnessed of this movie beforehand. Well, I can tell you right now that the majority of the negative feedback you have heard about this movie is absolute bogus. I have to say that I was unimpressed by the over-exaggerating hyper and giggly behavior coming from the teenage characters Amanda and Kim, but other than that, for the most part Taken is a very immersing and satisfying movie. Not only do the action sequences rival the intensity of that of the Bourne series, but behind all the violence and gore is a very touching story about a man who loves his daughter, and I'm really glad I got to experience it.

Seriously, don't listen to them. Taken has fabulous action and a well-crafted plot that never grinds. It's cool, it's fun, and it works. Go see it.

8 out of 10

G.I. Joe Teaser Trailer

2009-02-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm a little late to the party. But you if haven't yet seen the teaser trailer for G.I. Joe: Rise Of Cobra, then see it now. Once you have; if you're not even in some way looking forward to this movie, there's something wrong with you.

Movie Journal: The Incredible Mr. Limpet

2009-02-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

It's a widely accepted fact that during the first World War the U.S. Navy made use of a top secret weapon codenamed "Limpet". Thanks to "Limpet", the Navy was able to quickly pinpoint and sink hundreds of Nazi submarines. The Nazi's fear of the Navy grew, and so in order to eliminate this threat they called "Das Limpet", German engineers developed a high-tech weapon specifically for the job. However, when the time came, these weapons backfired, and an entire Nazi fleet was destroyed, making way for the U.S. Navy's passage to Europe.

And that, my friends, is how we pushed back the Nazi's U-boats surfing the Atlantic during World War I. Although, I may have failed to point out one minor detail; Limpet happened to be a talking fish, who was once a man.

Such a promising premise, isn't it? But I have some unfortunate news. Everything especially good about the movie is long over before the film is even a third of the way through.

I am referring, of course, to Don Knotts. His charm was so genuine and yet at the same time so different from so many other characters he's played, I have to say I was blown away. And then he had to go and get himself turned into a fish, which from a storytelling perspective is like sliding into a straight-jacket, as all the underwater characters he then had to interact with were shallow stereotypes. Even his exchanges with characters above water after that point were often ridiculous and hard to believe; since the voice-recordings for Limpet and live-action recordings for other characters were done separately, the timing is often off and the connection just isn't there.

I'm afraid this is just another mediocre movie trying to sell itself as a classic. Pity, because with a few tinkerings with the plot among other things, it really could have been great. Don Knotts was really something. As a result, The Incredible Mr. Limpet is both one of my very favorite films, and at the same time one of my most hated.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: Ronin

2009-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

Ronin are samurai whose lord has been slain while they went on living. They are warriors without a master, men and women with skills and abilities that are no longer under control. These are the kinds of people that the story of Ronin focuses on, and they are so interesting and different from normal people and the kinds of guys you usually see in movies that it's hard not to thoroughly enjoy it merely for it's genuine novelty.

If I really had to compare, I'd say Ronin is a lot like the 2003 The Italian Job meets The Bourne Identity. Although, both those movies came out years after Ronin did. In fact, I wouldn't think it too presumptuous to say that perhaps those movies were somewhat influenced by this one. In it, many trained killers and outcasts of various organizations(such as the CIA and KGB) gather together to plan the theft of an extremely high-priced object. This object is in the hands of a group of people who keep it in a small metal case, and just about every major character in the film wants it.

Ronin has no shortage of deep characters, intriguing plot twists, satisfying action, and clever dialogue. In one part, Sean Bean's character taunts Robert De Niro's by asking him if he's worried about saving his own skin, to which De Niro replies, "Yeah, it covers my body." Also, it's probably worth mentioning that Ronin features the most intense car chase sequence I've ever witnessed, and it's worth checking out for that aspect alone.

Ronin's final act, while not overflowing with over-the-top action and effects, presents not only a series of exciting twists after another, but also a bizarre revelation of the main character's true motives in this game. If you enjoy a diversely satisfying plot that knows how to build and present action, and you haven't yet seen this movie, you owe it to yourself big time.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: The Ghost And Mr. Chicken

2009-02-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

You know those cheezy movies you find on discount racks with a little gold bar along the top of the case containing something along the lines of "Golden Classics Collection"? And even more so, with an actor's name next to this proclamation? It's one thing when a DVD claims it's a classic, another when it capitalizes on an actor's name. The latter occasion can be real hit-and-miss when it comes to the quality of the movie in question.

Just recently I had the chance to see such a movie, called The Ghost And Mr. Chicken. The bar along the top of the case said "Comedy Classics". In betweeen those two words was the name "Don Knotts". Don Knotts is a funny guy. So, actually quite naturally, The Ghost And Mr. Chicken is a funny movie. In it Don Knotts plays a rather stereotypical reporter, who happens to be a hyperactive and blundering idiot. In his blunders and hyperactivity, he completely and unknowingly uncovers the secret behind an old murder long shrouded in mystery.

There were many things about the movie I didn't really understand. Actually, now that I think about it, it was only one thing. Tell me, why is it that beautiful woman in these movies always go for the idiotic and bumbling types? I honestly did not see what was drawing that woman to the main character. Also, come to think of another thing: what the heck was with that last twist? Did it tie into the rest of the plot at all? Didn't seem so to me. Just screwing with my mind perhaps? Well, it worked, because I thought and thought about exactly what it meant and I still have no clue.

Anywho, the movie works. But it's not a classic. Don't you believe it.

7 out of 10

Movie Journal: The King And I

2009-02-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

I had seen this movie many, many times as a really young kid, and as I revisited it recently I began to wonder something. Sure, the movie was funny. It was bright, and colorful; not just visually but in terms of the characters and the events taking place. But at the same time I wondered: is this movie really considered a classic?

I wondered this for several reasons. Anna's(the main character) son is a total stereotype, and though he is supposed to be really close to Anna, he is onscreen only a handful of times; and he actually talks even less. While colorful, vivid characters like the King more than made up for this, I also found that for a musical, few of the songs were actually memorable.

Until it came to that one scene, the only scene I had remembered and had somehow grasped the significance of, even as a small boy. The scene featuring the song, "Shall We Dance?". It's when this movie's romantic elements kick in that it becomes so powerful. In fact, it is one of the most powerful scenes I've had the good fortune to experience, and even if the rest of the movie were but cliched trash, this one scene would make it all worth it.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Blood Diamond

2009-02-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

Now here is a movie I did not expect to enjoy nearly as much as I did. Elegant, intense, and interesting; I couldn't take my eyes off it. Though the movie is long it wastes no time diving into a very early and impacting action scene. The film is clearly action oriented, and yet at the same time Leonardo DeCaprio's exchanges with Jennifer Connolly were so deep, intriguing, and well-written I couldn't help but be reminded of the dialogue-oriented films of the 1950's. Not to mention the plot itself, which is so professionally constructed that there was never a dull moment. One part Goldeneye and another part Schindler's List, Blood Diamond is, all things considered, certainly one of my very favorite action films.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Stranger Than Fiction

2009-02-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

The truth is, I sat down to watch Stranger Than Fiction thinking it was a Will Ferrell movie. That over the course of this movie I would be mildly entertained by a somewhat intriguing plot, and that the main appeal would be Will Ferrell's over-the-top antics. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong, because Stranger Than Fiction is not "a Will Ferrell movie". In fact, in a way, it's not even a comedy. It's a thriller so vivid and bursting with imagination that it simply exudes a charm so intoxicating you can't help but be very, very amused.

Having pointed out that it is a thriller, I shall certainly do my best to give away as little as possible. After all, it's so easy to spoil a thriller, isn't it? But I will tell you that never so well have I seen Will Ferrell portray this type of character, a person who's so very boring and normal. An agent of the IRS, in fact. A man who counts how many brush strokes he applies to his teeth every morning, and keeps track of the seconds during lunch breaks. A man who is so caught up in all the systematic routines of life he no longer remembers how to simply stop and enjoy it. And that is about as far as I'll get before exposing an inciting incident so unique and thrilling, I doubt I will ever see one quite like it again.

If you missed this movie in 2006 because Will Ferrell was starring in it, as I did, then don't make my same mistake twice. It's true that it's not without it's flaws. I found the romantic elements a bit too gratuitously sexual for my liking, and felt it could have been much more poetic. But no movie is perfect, and I doubt that I will forget this one for a long, long time.

8 out of 10

New Dragonball Evolution Trailer

2009-02-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is by far the best trailer for Dragonball: Evolution I've seen yet. Though I'm only mildly optimistic, I'll probably end up going to see it theaters anyway. What can I say? I'm a huge fan of the Dragonball series, and I'd hate to miss this if it turns out to be any good.

Movie Journal: Last Man Standing

2009-02-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ever feel that when it comes to action films, you've seen it all? You're not the only one. That's why action filmmakers struggle constantly to bring forward movies that at least look or feel different than those that came before. Last Man Standing is unlike any action flick I've ever seen in my life, but I wonder if it's really the better for it.

Though I have not seen Sin City yet, I imagine it's very similar to this film. Bruce Willis stars a man without a conscience and in search of peace and refuge; presumably from the authorities. He comes to a small, dusty town on the outskirts of Texas, called Jericho. It's here he discovers two gangs warring for control of the town. Being an experienced gunman, he decides that this may be his chance to make some easy money.

The storyline is guided, much as in Sin City, by Bruce Willis' entrancing voice-over narrative. The events that unfold are interesting and engaging to watch, and the dialogue, especially many of Bruce Willis' lines, are very memorable. However, as the movie moves quickly from one scene to the next, as we watch everything unfold, you can't shake the feeling that the final shootout won't be quite so climactic after so many twists and turns.

Watching Bruce Willis gun down his enemies one by one can be exciting for sure, but where are the plot twists? The drama? Sadly, they are not present in the third act; perhaps what is often the most important act in an entire film. I wouldn't want you to miss out on some great dialogue and ingeniously choreographed action, but just don't expect this movie to deliver as other truly great action films have done before it.

7 out of 10

About "Movie Journal"

2009-02-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed some recent articles whose names start with "Movie Journal". This is a new feature on this blog where I will write my own review of pretty much every movie I see. The links to these posts will then be moved to the sidebar titled "Movie Journal". If you look now at the time of this writing, you will see a total of...four movies. But don't worry; I see a lot of movies, and the list will quickly grow, so be sure to check back every so often. Also, from this point on any of my reviews of a movie I see in theaters I will also add to the list of movies in the movie journal.

In addition, every so often I may refer to one of my favorite movies or a movie I've seen before now. So when you see a Movie Journal in the future on a classic must-see like The Godfather, or Casablanca, chances are it is not the first time I've seen it. But rather, unless the post says otherwise, I have either just recently revisited it or just felt I should write about it.

Not to say I've seen every single must-see movie. Lately I've been tracking down tons of movies I've heard alot about and wish to experience myself. The Movie Journal's purpose is to share a bit of that experience with readers and let them know whether or not it was worth it. Seeing as how I will also be chronicling every movie I see in passing as well, I doubt it will be very long before there are a good amount of movies on this list.

Movie Journal: Princess Mononoke

2009-02-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

I absolutely adore Japanese anime and manga. They just tend to be much more interesting and character-driven than our cartoons. In fact, many of their TV shows such as Naruto, Bleach, Samurai Champloo, and especially One Piece make many American animated shows look totally pathetic. Sure, there are tons of bad anime out there, but the good ones are so much greater than our "good" ones. They feature believable characters and empathetical scenarios of conflict that happen between them. The events are structured so well that by the time the action comes into play, even though it's often really well structured and choreographed, it is but the icing on the cake.

For the most part, I found the same to be true for the Japanese animated feature Princess Mononoke. I can't say I love it nearly as much as some other animated Japanese creations, but for a cartoon it is interesting, intelligent, and well-structured throughout.

The story takes place in a mythological Japan where gods and spirits govern over provinces of natural wildlife. One such province is a forest belonging to the Deer God, who is the sole embodiment of life itself. The story wastes no time in kicking into gear as prince Ashitaka, last remaining heir of a legendary tribe of warriors, defeats a corrupted god endangering his village. In the process, the god curses Ashitaka. The villages oracle tells Ashitaka that in order to get to the bottom of this he is to investigate what is going on in the lands east of them. Ashitaka sets out knowing he may soon die from the curse that plagues his body, but wishes to do what he can to resolve the conflict taking place in the east, for what power could do what it did to the god that cursed him?

As with most any Japanese film imported to America, the option for Japanese audio with english subtitles I found much preferable to the english dub. In fact, the english voice-acting was much of the time downright terrible. Many of the voice-actors were shamelessly recycled, and Billy Bob Thornton was badly and rather redundantly cast.

So in terms of the Japanese version, I found it to be a very solid and enjoyable film. It had good dialogue, a huge emphasis on interesting characters, a great plot, and in some parts really fantastic action, though not in the over-the-top fashion that people sometimes expect from Japanese television. Rather, it was suspenseful, and intense; more along the lines of the kind of the action in Braveheart and Kingdom Of Heaven than in Bleach or Jubei Chan. Which brings me to this fact: that this movie does not go out of it's way to showcase blood and gore, but it's sure as heck not afraid to, either. For the first time in a long time, there was actually a couple parts where I really cringed, mainly when it came to the injuries some of the battling god-animals withstood. Yikes.

But moreover, Princess Mononoke displays a bizarre and unique sense of style and charm. The environment and atmosphere of the film is both breathtaking and beautiful. Though it's not one of my all-time favorite films, it is one of my all-time favorite animated films and I highly recommend it.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: War And Peace

2009-02-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

It's true: up until recently I had never had the chance to see the classic book-to-film adaptation War And Peace. In fact, I had heard little about it. What I had heard was promising enough that for a long while I had looked forward to seeing it when the opportunity presented itself. I only wish I had seen this undeniable masterpiece sooner.

Though I had known that the film starred famous actress Audrey Hepburn, I was surprised and delighted to also find the likes of Henry Fonda and many other great actors present. The mixture of established yet eclectic professionals seemed out of place to me in theory, but in action I saw that these people knew precisely how to portray the characters they represented, and it all came to together very well.

The main storyline's emphasis seemed to move back and forth between the war taking place as Napolean Bonaparte invades Russia, and soap opera-esque interpersonal conflicts taking place between the main characters, many of which reside in Moscow.

The characters are so real and the development they experience so vivid that every event that took place over the course of the story is still fresh in my mind. Which is saying alot, considering it runs for almost three and a half hours. It is, quite honestly, probably the longest movie I've yet seen. The last time I viewed a movie anywhere near this long was when I saw Seven Samurai. Gosh, that movie was long.

Don't get the wrong idea, though; because War And Peace is the better for it. Though it is probably the longest movie I've yet seen, there is not a single moment that it drags or grinds, in any way. It remains fresh and interesting from beginning to end. In that sense, you could call it the perfect three-hour epic. Definitely a film I will have to add to my list of favorite classics from the 1950's.

9 out of 10

Transformers 2 Trailer From Superbowl TV Spot

2009-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

For a brief TV spot, this is a pretty darn cool 30 second teaser. I enjoyed the first Transformers, even though the structure and choreography for some of the action scenes were quite lacking. The graphics were good, but think of how bad most of the head-to-head combat must have looked on paper? Absolutely no twists and very little strategy. The action in the later half of the second and third acts was mostly just well-rendered robots repeatedly bashing into each other and what-not. Despite it's flaws, it was a lot of fun though. I'm looking forward to this sequel, but mostly because I'm hoping it will improve in the areas where the original did the worst.

Movie Journal: Shaun Of The Dead

2009-01-31T12:43:00.000-08:00

Isn't it so often that a genre or category spoof seems to simply be making fun of itself? As great as Monty Python and the Holy Grail is, it's hard to shake the feeling that it's simply repeatedly mocking whatever it's actually drawing inspiration from. Somehow, I had felt Shaun Of The Dead would be much the same way. However, I found it to be quite the opposite. The reason for this is that it is a spoof that you can somehow actually take seriously.

In a way, Shaun Of The Dead is a very serious and personal film about man who doesn't know what to do with his life. On the other hand, it's a zombie movie spoof, in no way short on blood, gore, and intense dark humor. (Since when would you laugh at someone turning into a zombie and trying to eat people? That was a first for me.) These two elements contrast excellently and the result is a storyline bursting with energy as we watch a group of peculiar yet believable characters fight for survival in a zombie infested suburb.

The movie's first act is mesmerizing, as it shows us what Shaun's life is like day to day, while all the while we see things going on in the background: hints and clues leading up to what will be the beginning of the real story for Shaun. Once this movie really takes off, brace yourself. Things get more and more intense until the final act, when the characters become oppressed both physically and emotionally in an almost heart-wrenching series of events that leave you breathless. Whereas most spoofs seem to belittle stuff, anyone who's seen Shaun Of The Dead knows that zombie films are awesome.

8 out of 10

9 Trailer

2009-01-31T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is a movie I'm actually quite looking forward to, though in a somewhat wary way. After all, though Tim Burton's influence is pretty apparent, it also looks as if it's advertising itself as an action film, and I didn't witness anything particularly great in terms of that in this trailer. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Movie Journal: The Phantom Of The Opera

2009-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

How many movies have you seen in your lifetime that have actually moved you? Sure in Live Free Or Die Hard everyone in the theater gasps as our hero John McClane struggles not fall down an elevator shaft. We've all experienced that: the wave of emotion. Millions of people on the edge of their theater seats, all experiencing the exact same thing. Where else does that happen but in entertainment? Some emotions are more powerful than others, and go deeper. Some emotions can rock you to the core. And that is what the classic tale The Phantom Of The Opera does for those willing to let it.

The sensation that it delivers is one of what I like to call "epic romance". I'm not talking about those "romantic comedies" that guys so often prefer to epic romance, "because they are funny." So often are romantic comedies merely chick flicks. They belittle love in a way, because they communicate that love is humorous, and whimsical. Epic romance differs. Epic romance conveys that love is a very serious matter. Love is something that lasts for all eternity, and beyond.

Movies are about emotion. True epic romance does not fall back onto exotic and erotic sex scenes in order to gain our interest, because that would be very near redundant; though so many Hollywood filmmakers think otherwise. Sex is not emotion. Sex is sensation. Pure, unadulterated emotion is what true epic romance delivers, and does not hold back. It's so powerful because it reminds us that it is better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all, because love is not a means to the end of happiness. Love is a means to the end of love, and all it stands for. It's something every individual pursues, and is never satisfied without, because they know their essence, their being, yearns for it, and will die without it.

So epic romance voices endlessly, and so the film The Phantom Of The Opera has taught me. It is one of the only movies that has ever actually moved me to the core, and despite some of it's few flaws it will continue to be a great story for generations to come, because it is the epitome of epic romance. Not only is it perfectly cast and breathtakingly well played, it's concoction of vibrantly empathetic characters and the impacting emotion of opera are a lethal combination that you will not be prepared for. I wasn't.

9 out of 10

Quantum Of Solace Review

2009-01-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

May contain slight spoilers concerning the movie Casino Royale.

I love James Bond. I love the characters(especially the villains), I love the action, I love the plot twists and turns, and I love how the franchise just never gets old from generation to generation. But by the time the credits roll, it's rather hard to love Quantum Of Solace.

It's a shame really, because Quantum Of Solace got so many things right. It blew you away with breathtaking, edge-of-your-seat action. It grabbed your attention with intoxicating and genuinely interesting female characters who you actually cared about. It knew how to build suspense. The pacing was masterful at times. Where it really messed up was the part about a meaningful plot, which is something it appeared to work so hard for.

Casino Royale changed James Bond forever, because the films always ended with our hero, Bond, holding a lady in his arms and enjoying the payoff of all his work. Casino Royale did end end with James Bond holding a lady in his arms. However, James Bond was sobbing and the woman was dead. It was a powerful ending that lent so much new depth to the character we know to be James Bond.

Quantum Of Solace had a heck of a lot to live up to. It should have brought something new forward, more great and powerful and impacting than what Casino Royale did, or at least just as much so but in a different manner. Is that not what we expect from a sequel? Instead, Quantum monopolizes on Casino Royale's storyline by integrating a sappy subplot that, while easy to relate to if you've seen Casino Royale, doesn't go anywhere we haven't been to before a dozen times over. For the majority of the movie we watch Bond mourn the woman's death from Casino Royale, the culmination of this subplot being an all-around terrible ending that not only(to once again make use of the word) monopolizes on Casino Royale's success but also at the same time invalidates it's meaning as a movie. And seeing as the whole point of a movie so often happens to be it's meaning and the successful expression of it, it's a crime I find very hard to forgive.

7 out of 10

Appleseed: Ex Machina Revisited

2008-12-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recall my review of Appleseed Ex Machina a many months ago. In it, I stated that it was a very solid, character-driven story, and gave it an 8 out of 10. But, having seen it again, I can tell you that that was a bad call. The slick visual style and action sequences greatly affected my judgment, but the plot's issues remain.

The truth is, there weren't any real bad guys for Deunan and Briareos to fight. Sure, there were antagonists, and other conflicts. But these were mostly emotional conflicts and inner struggles. These drove them emotionally. What the movie really needed was for the main characters to be driven physically, by a physical and personal enemy. It needed that third element. This is essential in an action film, and was not present in Ex Machina until the very end of the very last fight. It was because of this that the movie lacked the depth it so much needed.

Before, I had rated Appleseed: Ex Machina an 8 out of 10. Now, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. See it if you are a fan of the manga or of John Woo's action choreography, but the truth is it really could have been so much greater.

Original Draft Of Dragonball Movie Script?

2008-08-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I think it is.

This file was recently leaked over the internet. I'm almost positive that it is the first draft of the live-action Dragonball movie script. How can I tell this is the first phase? Partly because the dialogue is so open and to the point, it's like the writer is just getting his bearings on the different characters and how they function in the story line's scenes, which is what the first draft is really for.

Having said that I'm very confident it's not the shooting draft, I'm actually looking forward to the film. This version of the script implemented some pretty cool ideas, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

Body of Lies Trailer

2008-08-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

The trailer for the upcoming thriller, Body Of Lies(starring Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio) is now online! Check it out.

Taken Trailer

2008-08-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to think about this film quite yet. I guess I'm wondering how the structure will hold as a Thriller, instead of eventually turning into a series of mindless action sequences. I guess we'll see. In any case, the trailer's cool.

Can Heath Ledger Be Replaced As The Joker?

2008-08-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd like to share what I found to be a very interesting article I found at The Movie Blog, concerning the possibility of Heath Ledger being replaced as The Joker.

The writer made a few very interesting points, one being that there are better actors out there than Heath Ledger, and another that the nature of reality is that achievements that people say are unbeatable are always eventually surpassed. We may say that no one can play The Joker as well as Heath Ledger, but how can we know until another great actor gives it a shot?

I'd elaborate, but I couldn't do the article justice, so check it out here.

The Dark Night Review

2008-07-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

I had at first favored the cartoony style of the original Batman film, and I had kinda hoped this new Batman movie series would lean back toward that. I no longer feel that way, now that I've seen just how cool the story of Batman is when it takes the form of truly intense storytelling.

The film opens with our introduction to The Joker. Batman may be the protagonist, but Joker is undoubtedly the star of this film. Actor Heath Ledger has perfectly portrayed the true essence of Joker; that is, as he openly acknowledges far into the movie, "Hey, I don't have a plan. I'm like a dog chasing cars: if I ever actually caught one I wouldn't know what to do with it!" He's a psychotic killer with no long-term plan or destination. He's a man "who just wants to watch the world burn." We've repeatedly witnessed this aspect of The Joker in Batman films and TV over the years. It used to be a cliche. Now, here it is in it's most definitive form, and it somehow comes across in an amazingly believable way and cool way. I can't emphasize enough what an amazing accomplishment this has been for Heath Ledger. It's something you have to see to believe.

Batman(Christian Bale), too, is much darker this time around. Violent and reckless well describes many of his actions, and self-contemplation causes him to fear for the city of Gotham, and for himself; the monster he's capable of turning into. In a new way, his character lends an essentially dark tone to the story.

The story's plot is incredibly extensive. So much had happened in so many intense ways by around the end of act two, I half expected the film to end right there. To my delight the story picked right up and kept going, the remainder of almost an hour of film time delivering more action and drama than the rest of the film put together! It was gripping, beautiful, and a rare quality. Less than a handful of films I've witnessed have achieved this level of quality plot construction.

There was hardly any blood, gore, or swearing, and yet it's the most intense superhero movie I've ever seen. It strikes the perfect balance: dark enough to be engaging and fun enough to be genuinely enjoyable. The only complaint I have is that the ending felt somewhat abrupt after all those plot twists and turns.

I didn't quite expect to see a better superhero film than Iron Man any time soon, but I'd have to say that The Dark Knight takes the cake.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Hancock Review

2008-07-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

I recently got a chance to check out the new film Hancock, starring Will Smith. I remembered how I liked his performance in I Am Legend and was in the mood for more.

John Hancock is a basically an antisocial superhero that nobody wants. He's always coming up with brutally straight-forward solutions, instead of thinking things over. Every time he saves the day he costs people thousands(sometimes millions) of dollars in damages in the process. When a warrant is obtained for his arrest, a public relations expert suggests that he let himself get incarcerated. The expert claims that within two weeks the crime rate will go up and everyone will want him back, and Hancock will get the acceptance he's wanted deep down all his life.

The story is interesting at first, but soon loses most all sense of coherence. Most all the characters are stereotypical, accept for Will Smith's part, and I even had trouble relating to him when the second act of the story started to grind. The truth is the plot doesn't have a very concrete sense of direction, and becomes even less solid at the twist point around two-thirds into the movie. Of course the dullness of the action didn't help, either. There was one part that had real potential for a good fight scene, but ended up so terribly choreographed I almost cried.

But most importantly, it's just an unintelligible tale. It can't decide what it's all about. It's sad really, because the first act and a half could have been great simply as a short story or Twilight Zone episode, if properly structured.

If Will Smith hadn't starred in Hancock, it would have been a bad film. Real bad. Smith's charm has improved the atmosphere of the story a good amount. Still, it's a mediocre movie that I'm quite sure I never want to see again.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Wall-E Review

2008-07-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

For those that may have missed the previews or don't know: Wall-E is a small, domestic robot that was designed to clean up and sort litter and waste. He's been doing it for over seven hundred years, and has developed a very interestingly curious(and somewhat lonely) personality. It seems a great shame to give away much more than that, so I'll leave the summary there.

For those that have seen the previews, you already know that Wall-E features some awesomely realistic landscape visuals and cute robotic voice-acting. What you don't learn from the trailer is that the film is both charming, and genuinely dramatic; two things that are hard to find in a movie these days, and especially together. In fact, I won't lie to you: I was blown away by this story. Everything from the sheer amount of character portrayed in every robot's movements, to the dramatic plot points(which are surprisingly concrete and emotional for a kids' movie).

Wall-E is absolutely everything it's hyped up to be: a philosophical, uplifting, and charmingly memorable adventure. Never before has the phrase "An amazing movie that kids and adults alike can enjoy and appreciate" been so true. Miss out on this film and you are missing out on something real special.

Pros: Awesome visuals. Touching and philosophically insightful storyline. Genuine drama. Undeniably charming voice-acting and robot animations. Beautiful romantic elements. Emotional plot points. Satisfying character arcs and development.

Cons: Certain aspects of the ending are a little hard to believe.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Iron Man Review

2008-07-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Iron Man has got to be one of the most genuinely different super hero films I've ever seen. The reason for this is not better action or special effects - though they are some of the best I've ever seen - but rather, a sense of detail and development that has never so well captured the spirit of the series it's based on.

The main character is Tony Stark, a world-famous weapons manufacturer. At the inciting incident, he's captured during a presentation in a foreign country by terrorists using his own "Stark Industries" technology, in an attack during which all Stark's comrades are killed. His captors tell him they'll set him free if he builds them a Jericho missile. They give him all the materials he needs, and set him to work. But, though his captors don't know it, he's not building a missile. He's building a suit.

If you've seen the trailers, you get the basic idea. The suit is made up of a titanium alloid that protects Stark from the weapons of the world and has the technology that allows him to fight back. Having said that, the action can be very fast and satisfying, yet also quite smart and tactics-based. Think Gundam with a superhero twist.

But what really stood out to me was how detailed the storyline was. Many people have said that the pace grinds, but I would hardly say that. The supposed "slow" moments in the story have just as much momentum and sense of development as the other areas, which is really what the meaning behind the success of this film comes down to. Not to mention the fact that renowned actor Robert Downey has become to Tony Stark what Christopher Reeve was to Clark Kent at Superman's release in an amazing performance. It's an incredible thing when an actor is absolutely perfect for the job, and even more so when he does a next-to-perfect job as well.

Pros: Great action, character arcs, and storyline. Manages to capture the feel of a superhero show.

Cons: Okay, maybe it grinds at a couple parts, but it’s hardly worth mentioning.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Alvin And The Chipmunks Review

2008-07-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Alvin and the Chipmunks is neither entertaining or insightful. It is badly written, badly casted, and badly acted out. Kid's movies don't get much worse than this. Why has it sold so well since it's DVD release, even when review scores have been so low? Who knows. I guess some people find the presence of talking chipmunks more than enough compensation; namely parents who can't tell a good movie from a bad one, or simply don't give a care.

Pros: Talking chipmunks?

Cons: Shamelessly constructed out of terribly executed cliches. Really, super predictable. Not much of a point(except for the talking chipmunks).

Rating: 2 out of 10

Bee Movie Review

2008-07-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Bee Movie is witty, charming, and inviting. Unfortunately, these aren't the only things a good story requires, and a few structural problems make it rather hard to recommend.

Jerry Seinfeld voices the protagonist, Barry B. Benson; who just so happens to be a bee. Barry is experiencing what could be called an early-life crisis. After graduating from bee collage he discovers that the career he chooses will be permanent. In other words, bee jobs last for the rest of their lives. Barry fails to see the point in the making of honey, and puts off choosing a job. He contemplates the purpose of work, and finally decides he wants to see the outside of the hive before commiting himself to a life of labor.

This may sound like the beginnings of a solemn tale, but it's far from it. The characters are charming and jokes, big and small, are pretty constant throughout the story. What's more, some very interesting themes and ideas resonate, concerning work and duty. The same can't be said for most animated films out there.

At the same time, though, I couldn't help but notice just how slow the pace is. Though the story is ultimately somewhat meaningful, there's just barely(if truly) enough momentum and development to take you there. It was interesting at times, but again, I can't say I'd recommend it.

Pros: Funny. More meaningful message than alot of kid's movies.

Cons: Slow pace, shallow storyline.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Why Disney's Robin Hood Isn't A Classic

2008-07-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

Definition of "Classic":
a. Belonging to the highest rank or class.

b. Serving as the established model or standard

c. Having lasting significance or worth; enduring

Here are some reasons why Robin Hood, though remarkable and influential in it's time, is not a classic, and Disney should stop pretending it is. These reasons are not opinions, but truths according to structural flaws. These flaws include:

1. Too Much "Fluff": Today's movie scriptwriters have learned to begin scenes as late as possible and end them as soon as possible. They've also learned to throw out any material that doesn't further the story. The reason for this is that they have only two hours to get their message across. "Fluff" is any meaningless line of dialogue or pointless action. In other words, it's screentime without story. Robin Hood is overflowing with examples of this. It's scenes come in early and exit much too late with too many details without exposition or movement. The result is that viewers, especially young kids, become bored and stop watching. Also, it's just bad storytelling.

2. Limp Protagonist: Every story must have conflict. Without conflict there can be no resolution, and the plot structure collapses. Furthermore, direct conflict only takes place because characters make choices that bring it about. Now, Robin Hood's fault is not in it's conflict, but rather in the essence of it's conflict. It's true that stories require action and reaction, but for some reason the main character, Robin, always seems to be on the reaction end. This is true not only for the Setup, but also the Confrontational and Resolution stages of the plot. Think about it. What happens if a character never makes a direct action to overthrow antagonism, but is always reacting instead? When the antagonist Prince John raises taxes and the town of Nottingham goes into depression, Robin does nothing about it. Instead, Prince John makes another action by ordering that Friar Tuck be hanged(in a crafty attempt to ambush Robin Hood), and Robin reacts by executing a jail break and freeing all the unjustly imprisoned inhabitants. Hmm. Why didn't he just save all those poor prisoners in the first place? The film provides no explanation. Though witty and charming, Robin is ultimately becomes a character we can't relate to or properly cheer for.

3. No Concrete Controlling Idea: A controlling idea is the inner message of the story. It's referred to as "controlling" because it directs the plot's events and characters in order to reflect a meaning. Though there are themes of unjust taxes and oppression in Robin Hood, a controlling idea itself is strangely absent. Interesting, as this element is often the ultimate purpose of a film.

Finally, and most importantly...

4. Abrupt And Anticlimactic Ending: At the ending of the final cut of Disney's Robin Hood, Robin and Little John set out to save the innocent imprisoned villagers. This happened, as I've mentioned, after Prince John announced the execution of Friar Tuck. So, our heroes snuck into the prison in the dead of night and managed to quietly free the majority of those held prisoner, and save Friar Tuck.

Eventually the alert sounds and an action sequence ensues. Robin helps everyone escape from the castle except for himself, who is trapped inside. The Sheriff of Nottingham chases Robin up a tower, lighting it on fire as he repeatedly swings at Robin with his torch. Robin escapes to the roof of the tower, but has nowhere to run, as the fire climbs. Finally, Robin leaps off of the tower and lands in a nearby pond outside of the castle's walls.

Prince John has his archers fire on Robin position. Robin struggles to swim to land, but then appears to be hit by an arrow and sinks. Little John, who was watching from land, mourns for Robin. Just then, he sees a small stalk poking out of the water. Robin had been using it breathe underwater; hurray he's saved! And then, bizarrely, the movie drops from there and ends.

It's really perplexing, because structurally this point where this movie stops should have been the beginning of act three. There should have been another twist that pushed the story on for at least another twenty minutes. However, further research provides at least some answers as to why they made this decision.

In the original draft of the movie, Robin Hood did jump off the tower, and Prince John did for a moment think he was dead. In the original draft, when Robin surfaces from the water, he's mortally wounded, and drops to the ground unconcious. At that point troops begin scouring the area for Robin's body, to be sure. Little John lifts Robin and runs, as Prince John's minions take after him. At about the time Little John loses the soldiers, the Prince has adorned an iconically dark cloak and is following a trail of Robin's blood through the woods. Finally, he comes to the church, and sees Little John run out from it to go to find help. Now is the Prince's chance! He'll sneak in and stab Robin in his sleep! (Isn't this turning out to be a much more interesting ending than the original?)

Prince John creeps into the church and sees Robin lying alone and unprotected. He unsheathes and lifts his dagger, but is suddenly surprised by his brother, King Richard, who comes up behind him. It's then that King Richard rebukes the Prince and puts him in his place. I would have prefered an even more climactic conclusion, such as one where Robin in his weak condition had to find a way to turn the tables on the Prince at the last second, but almost anything would have been better than the ending in the final version. I'm rather puzzled that they chose not to go through with the original ending, because the result is something of an injustice to the audience, who never get to experience the true fulfillment that the storyline should have given.

Disney's Robin Hood has many remarkably charming and influential moments. On the other hand, the flaws listed above would condemn most any of today's movies. Disney is lying to you, and I imagine they're getting paid quite alot for it.

I Am Legend Review

2008-07-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

One of the first things I noticed was that the film's atmosphere is horrifyingly intense, and at times, depressing. However, just because it's not everyone's cup of tea doesn't mean I Am Legend shouldn't be recognized as a shining example of a zombie film done very well.

Please excuse a brief "spoiler": The film opens to a TV interview with a female scientist who has found the cure for cancer. But has she? After this brief sequence, we skip three years ahead and are shown a New York City completely devoid of human life. What happened here? It's not hard to guess, but maybe that's why it's such a fantastic hook.

As it turns out, there's only one true man left in New York, perhaps the world. Robert Neville, played by Will Smith, has been living off deer and canned food for years, working to create a cure for a deadly virus that has seized the entire planet. Hosts of the virus experience a massive increase in aggression and a decrease in intelligence. Basically very fast and powerful zombies, they are killed by exposure to sunlight but remain a huge threat at night, the only time they can be found and used as a test subject.

For some of the movie, I found the pace very much like No Country For Old Men; slow, detailed, and steady. The action sequences, however, really stand out, being somehow, amazingly, both physically and emotionally intense. Much of the quality of these scenes should be credited to Will Smith, who was amazingly sincere. Some scenes were so specifically emotional that if anyone besides Smith had acted it out I probably would've laughed instead of taken it seriously.

Zombie movies may have developed something of a bad name over the years, but I Am Legend has shown me there's still life in the sub-genre yet.

Pros: Immersive storyline communicates a deep meaning. Will Smith is genuinely convincing.

Cons: Kind of depressing. Some people may not appreciate the detailed slowness of the first act.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Prince Caspian Review

2008-07-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Prince Caspian has shown me a much darker, cooler side of Narnia, even if it is less deep in terms of storyline.

Much like the first film in the series, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian revolves around the four Pevensie siblings: Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter. However, it also introduces a new major character to the series: Caspian.

Caspian has been Prince in the world of Narnia for years, cousin and successor to King Miraz. However, one fateful night Miraz himself has a son, and soon after orders that Caspian be killed so that his child can succeed the throne instead. Warned just in time, Caspian makes a daring escape and is on the run from that moment on, from his own family and kin.

Just before his escape he is given a trumpet that, he is told, will summon the four kings and queens of old to aid him. That's where our heroes come in.

Let me just say that this second movie has a very, very different feel from the first. The Pevensies are like the Jason Bournes/James Bonds/Indiana Jones' of Narnia. Slick, cool and experienced, they rapidly dispatch of any extra-personal obstacles in their path. I swear, they're superhuman or something, (and I mean that in the best possible way). An action flick this is, down to it's bones.

For the most part, the film remains faithful to C.S. Lewis' book. Though it utilized some stylish character development, inner conflict, and a romantic subplot, I found that this didn't so much stray from the novel as expand on it. The result is an enhanced storyline fit for a moviegoing audience. When I left the theater, I felt an urge to turn back in and watch it over again.

Pros: Awe-inducing action from beginning to end, dark storyline, deep inner conflict, cool characters and development.

Cons: Kind of shallow storyline. Also, some people may not be expecting a fullblown action flick.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Appleseed: Ex Machina Review

2008-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

This is a review I originally posted on FrayedWire.

Appleseed: Ex Machina is the second and latest installment in the Appleseed movie trilogy, based on the japanese manga of the same name.

Appleseed has always been a story about the future. It’s world is that of cyborgs, offensive mechs, and, most importantly, a bio-engineered sub-race of humans called the Bioroids, who are designed to be resistant to emotions like hatred and rage. Bioroids are often appointed as leaders and officials. They maintain, uphold, and protect Olympus, the city where this story takes place.

The film takes off as Deunan Knute(a particularly hot and experienced human soldier) and her “friend” and partner Briareos(a cyborg from the war) infiltrate a cathedral occupied by cyborg terrorists. When Briareos gets heavily injured and hospitalized because of a blast, he is temporarily replaced in the battle to stop the terrorists by a Bioroid named Tereus, who was contructed mainly from Briareos’ DNA. So basically Tereus is the spitting image and personality of Briareos before he lost most of his bodyparts and became a cyborg. The result is a setup that may not sound like such a great springboard for a story like this, but looks great in action.

Those that got a chance to check out the first film will find that Ex Machina is a very different yet largely superior animal. However, I urge you to watch it at least the first time in Japanese with English Subtitles. The reason for this is that it was originally released in japanese, so the lip sync, voice acting, dialogue and pace are all superior to the american version, resulting in what is just a plain better quality movie experience. John Woo’s entrancing action sequences don’t need to be dumbed down with swear words that are thrown in where ever possible, which is exactly what the english version attempts to do.

For fans of action flicks all-around, this is certainly something worth checking out. But for fans of japanese animation and John Woo’s choreographic style, Ex Machina is going to be nothing less than a must-see.

Pros: Outstanding visual style and action. Much more character-driven than the first.

Cons: Main plot involving cyborg terrorists relies on what has become a huge cliche in moviemaking. Mediocre english dub.

Final Score: 8 out of 10