Alice In Wonderland Trailer

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

New G.I. Joe Clip

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

Movie Journal: Contact

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

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

“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

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

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