Category: Movie Review (Page 6 of 9)

…Or that Russell Crowe could be that chubby? State of Play (2009) is an action packed, mind boggling thriller that is smart, well-cast/acted, and about politics.

The story is about a politician, his journalist friend, and the love polygons that eventually lead to a murder. And guess who does the principle investigating? Certainly not the cops…it is the journalists! This story of betrayals and friendships will keep you guessing until the end (unless you’ve seen it already).

I was thoroughly impressed with the story, the amount of action, and the acting. The music didn’t stand out, but I’m sure it added to the suspense. Finally, this story could really happen. That impressed me the most. The only thing this film doesn’t have is staying power. Because the story is so suspenseful, one needs to wait a long time after he/she sees it to see it again…otherwise you lose that unexpected feeling in the pit of your stomach.

State of Play runs 128 minutes and is rated PG-13. I would follow the MPAA on this one…only watch with 13-year-olds or older: this movie is too smart for some younger kids and has enough language. I give it 8 ramheads out of 10.

So apparently I just watched a classic movie…I was unaware until right before I viewed The African Queen (1951). This film won an Oscar (for Humphrey Bogart, best actor).

With today’s standards, this film is nothing special. The dialogue has its moments, but also can be a little “eh”. (The “eh” happens mostly at the beginning.) For its time the special effects were probably great, but now they can be a little painful. I could see the green screen quite well. I’m not going to knock this film for its effects, because the technology wasn’t developed yet.

Humphrey Bogart’s Charlie was the highlight of this film. His Oscar winning performance livened this film, gave it some character, and in my opinion, made this film enjoyable. Without him, I would probably have hated it.

With a little research by my fiance, I’ve figured out why this was a classic. There were 2 factors: (1) It was the first film truly filmed in Africa (the Congo to be exact) and (2) It is widely available throughout the world (the copy I watched had Chinese subtitles).

I wasn’t really impressed with the music, all in all it was over-the-top, which made the movie funny when it wasn’t supposed to be.

Although this is considered a classic, I hadn’t heard of it before I watched it. That may or may not be my fault. I don’t think it stands up to other classics that I’ve seen though…it is not really the most memorable film.

Eh… it is kind of hard to judge…

The African Queen runs 105 minutes and is was too old to be rated in the US (it was only “approved”). I give it 7 ramheads out of 10.

About five minutes ago, I finished watching The Hangover (2009) for the first time. This movie wasn’t the funniest movie I’ve seen, but it was one of the best written comedies. It is creative, not generic.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s a brief summary: 4 guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, get really drunk/drugged, wake up with a lot of weird stuff, realize the groom is missing, and have to figure it out from there… It was really cleverly written. The acting was really good, especially from Zach Galifianakis (Alan). (You’ll know him when you seem him.) There is quite a bit of language and one naked Chinese guy (Ken Jeong, Community), but all in all, this movie was hilarious.

This movie runs 100 minutes and is rated R. DO NOT show this to kids, it will screw them up. I give it 8 ramheads out of 10 for a creative screenplay and because it was really funny.

We all make choices, choices that decide our path in life and choices that define us. All of our choices define us. What if we could get a glimpse of what our life would be like if we chose otherwise? The Family Man (2000) explores what Jack Campbell’s (Nicolas Cage) life would be like if he changed his mind in college. Jack gets the glimpse of a lifetime.

This film stresses priorities and choosing love over career. It is a wonderful, wholesome message wrapped in a humorous package. This film is brilliantly written and hits me right in the heart. I adore this film and will make a point of watching it every Christmastime.

The Family Man runs 126 minutes and is rate PG-13. Aside from some language (two words) this film is one that the whole family can watch. I give it 10 ramheads out of 10.

I have heard a lot of great reviews of Pulp Fiction (1994) and decided to get it from the library. I started watching, ignoring the obscene language because of the great reviews. As I watched, the language was lessening as the film rolled on, so I was pleased. But about an hour into it, I decided to stop watching. This film was not logical, it was really obscene, and was not at all entertaining. A story was almost nonexistent, and I was done. I have limited experience with Quentin Tarantino films, and Pulp Fiction really let me down. I’ve heard good things about Inglorious Bastards, but after watching Pulp, I have less interest in seeing it. Whatever Tarantino was trying to do or say in his film…I didn’t buy it.

Pulp Fiction runs 154 minutes and is rated R. Definitely DON’T show this to kids. I give it 1 ramhead out of 10.

Like I said in an earlier post, I watched A LOT of movies over my Christmas break. Rain Man (1988) was one of my favorites. This film deserved all the awards it won.

The film is about a selfish foreign car importer, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) and his discovery, upon his father’s death, that he had a brother–Raymond (Dustin Hoffman)–and that his brother is an autistic savant (he is extraordinarily with numbers and memory, but lacks the ability to do simple tasks and to have normal relationships). Charlie “kidnaps” his brother, intending to get ransom money from the institution he took Raymond from, but things don’t go his way. He ends up traveling across the country all the while growing more and more fond of his brother.

It is a story of transformation for Charlie, and a heartwarming one at that. There is a bit of language, but it is definitely part of Charlie’s character and is necessary for the film. Tom Cruise does an excellent job, but Dustin Hoffman gave the performance of a lifetime. He was truly spectacular.

Rain Man runs 133 minutes and is rated R. This is not a film for children. I give it 9 ramheads out of 10.

Just minutes ago I returned from the movie theatre upon seeing Sherlock Holmes (2009). I must say, I was thoroughly entertained! Robert Downy Jr. (Holmes) is spectacular and his Golden Globe was much deserved.

This film did was movies are supposed to do: entertain. The acting was solid. The story was definitely a Sherlock Holmes mystery, very well written. The music (by Hans Zimmer) was spectacular. It was the best music I’ve heard since Harry Potter 6. Here’s a song that’s not on the soundtrack, but featured in the end credits:
This film looks really good. London looks great. Great filmography. The only thing missing is the fabled term “Elementary” from Holmes’ dialogues with Watson.

If you haven’t yet seen it, go ahead!

P.S. They are already planning a sequel, and Brad Pitt is probably going to be the villain.

Sherlock Holmes runs 128 minutes and is rated PG-13. Most kids would be fine watching this one…. 9 ramheads out of 10 for a purely entertaining experience.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) was very curious indeed, it probably didn’t deserve all the nominations it received, but won what it deserved. Confused yet? It was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes, but didn’t win any GG’s and won Oscars for “Art Direction”, “Makeup”, and “Visual Effects”. These I agree it deserves, but definitely not even a Best Picture nomination.

Sure, the concept is extremely intriguing (originally written as a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald), but the filmmakers didn’t do enough with it. The acting was outstanding, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett both shined. The visual effects were really well done. The music was sufficient; it didn’t stand out as bad or good. Technically, the parts were there, but I still would have changed a few things.

First, this film was missing its sense of real direction. Random sexual encounters occurred numerous times, perhaps due to the fact that the marriages in this film weren’t good examples. The magnet-affected moral compass was troubling to me… The film was lacking in its sense of character development/arc.  Benjamin had no direction in life, and the film failed to get past its interesting concept.  Second, this film was really LONG. It wasn’t quite 3 hours, but it felt like it. Finally, this film was missing its “X-factor”. The filmmakers seemed to rely on the concept of reverse aging to drive the entire film; this got me watching, but the film gave me nothing to latch onto. It didn’t work and it failed to live up to expectations.

Benjamin Button runs 166 minutes and is rated PG-13. Sure you can show it to kids, but they would probably be bored. I give it a disappointing 4 ramheads out of 10.

During my Christmas break I watched all four films in the Terminator series. I was actually quite impressed. Here are my reviews:

The Terminator (1984)
This film was noticeably made in the ’80s. The music, the special effects, the styles…all ’80s. That being said, this movie was not overly cheesy. The film is about a Terminator (Schwarzenegger) sent back in time to kill Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) to prevent her son (John Conner) from being born and becoming a threat to Skynet’s existence. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is sent to protect her. Arnold was a nearly unstoppable force and the acting overall was sufficient, not great. There was a bit of language, otherwise I generally liked this film.

The Terminator runs 108 minutes and is rated R. Don’t show this to kids, there is a lot of language and a sex scene (with unnecessary nudity). I give this first film of the series 6 ramheads out of 10.Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Arnold’s back (as promised), but this time as a reprogrammed (by future John Conner) older model Terminator sent from the future to protect young John Conner (Edward Furlong) from the newer (unrealistic) shape-shifting Terminator (Robert Patrick). The good Terminator and young Conner end up bonding and this film is much more complex and deep than its predecessor. There is still a lot of language–mostly from Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton).

This film runs 137 minutes and is rated R. Again, there is a lot of language and some violence, so I wouldn’t show this film to children. I give it 9 ramheads out of 10, because it has a heart.Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)Terminator 3 follows John Conner (Nick Stahl), in his 20s and living off the grid. He was sent another older reprogrammed Terminator (Schwarzenegger) from the future for his protection. This time, for whatever reason, the new Terminator–a female Terminatrix (Kristanna Loken)–does not have the shape-shifting abilities of the terminator in the previous installation, but she can control other machines. This third installment of the series is probably the weakest in terms of acting performances. Stahl doesn’t capture the character of John Conner as well as Furlong did in T2, his character doesn’t have as much fire, he isn’t as memorable. Arnold’s Terminator is also a lot weaker than in T2.

I liked this movie, despite some acting issues. Terminator 3 runs 109 minutes and is rated R, but I would be ok with showing this to my younger brother, it is mostly for the action/violence. I give this film 7 ramheads out of 10.Terminator Salvation (2009)I was first introduced to Sam Worthington in Avatar, but I didn’t realize he was in Terminator Salvation first. His character, Marcus Wright, is a surprisingly deep character: a rebuilt victim of the death penalty, who meets Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) and is determined to save him after he is captured by the machines. The film takes place in 2018, featuring the Resistance and John Conner (Christian Bale) fighting Skynet and the machines. They are determined to find Kyle Reese, because if he is killed Conner will cease to exist (Reese in Conner’s father). The plot is interesting, the acting is good, and the action is awesome.

Terminator Salvation runs 115 minutes and is rated PG-13. This is more tame that T3, kids would be ok watching this. I give it 8 ramheads out of 10.

P.S. I heard there is a fifth Terminator installment in the works, starring Christian Bale.

I got Disturbia (2007) from the library last week because I’ve heard good things about it (and I like to watch movies)….also, because it always makes me think of the song Disturbia by Rihanna.

The film focuses on Kale (Shia LaBeouf) and his punching-his-Spanish-teacher-in-the-face invoked house arrest. Upon the realization that his mom canceled his X-Box Live and iTunes and cuts the cord to his TV, he takes to sleeping, making Twinkie towers, and watching his neighbors with binoculars. He ends up learning a lot about his neighbors: some are boring, some are hot (and end up dating you), and some are serial killers.

The story is intriguing, but not complex. There were moments that I was having a hard time watching, because I knew something bad was going to happen. For that, I commend this film. It really made my heart pound. There are some things that I (and most others) would not do that some of the characters in this movie did. For example, I would never sneak into someone’s home–who I suspect to be a crazed killer–and poke around trying to figure out if he is one…..especially not at night. And, if I was unable, I would definitely not convince my best friend to do so, putting him in harms way, possibly awaiting his death. For these moments of shear stupidity, I take away ramheads.

The filmography is well done, the music is great, the acting was solid. Disturbia runs 105 minutes and is rated PG-13. This would probably scare kids, so use discretion. I give this film 7 ramheads out of 10.