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Reviews
Heobeu (2007)
Great film!
It has so many happy moments, but a deep sense of sadness throughout. The main actress, Hye-jeong Kang, does an amazing job portraying a mentally disabled woman. All of the actors are really good, but she stands out. I highly recommend this film, though it's definitely not a good choice for a first date (too sad).
Dredd (2012)
Solid action movie, but a bit too gory. 3D made it bomb in box office.
I watched the new Dredd movie today. It was actually pretty good, though a bit more gory than I care for. Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby both were excellent, as were most of the bad guys. There were a few unnecessary extra gory deaths, but if I remember the comics right, that happened a fair amount in them.
The movie definitely had the right atmosphere. It was quite obvious that gangs were the day-to-day enforcers, but that Judges were feared (and kind of admired) by the general population. The tech was awesome (especially the pistols, which had voice commands to select ammo type).
I was kind of surprised that Karl Urban did not show his face even once. He always had his helmet on. I'd heard this before, but I really figured they'd find a way to have his helmet off for at least a little bit.
Olivia did a great job as a psychic. The movie is mainly about her first day on the job. I really liked how the movie dealt with her first field execution, and its affects on her. I won't go into detail, but it did not avoid the fact that she is judge, jury, and executioner, and she is aware of just what that means.
The bad guys were decent, though definitely more gangbanger punks and not some supervillain, like many comics movies would feature.
Overall, I recommend the movie, at least on DVD, for any gamer. Dredd fans will likely be pretty happy with this, as well. My only issue is that I think the ultraviolent deaths early on weren't really necessary. As the movie went on, most of it was toned down, but early on, be ready for some gross deaths and corpses.
I saw the movie in 2D. I really, really wish the studios would stop wasting money on 3D. Guess what, I will not watch a 3D movie. I don't need the headache. Sadly, the movie is apparently a flop, and the 3D is likely part of the reason. Overall, I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Good, but missing a lot
I read the first "Hunger Games" book a few months back, and really enjoyed it. Today, I saw the movie.
I thought it was pretty good, but not great. It REALLY needed another 20 minutes or so during the actual Games. Many characters that are quite important in the book (especially Rue and Cato), are barely shown in the movie, and give us little or no reason to care about them.
A big chunk of the movie was the lead-up to the actual Games. I understand there was a lot to get through, especially for people unfamiliar with the book, but it took too much time away from the actual premise of the movie.
I will give the director solid props for conveying just how much the people were afraid of being selected to compete, and Jennifer Lawrence's scene (as Katniss) right before going up the tube was extremely well done. She's a fantastic actor.
In fact, almost all of the actors were great. The only one I thought was kinda average was Peeta, and I think that had more to do with his voice tone than anything. Still, he did a good job overall.
The main bad guy (Cato) in the book was not even much of a presence on screen. The knife girl did a better job showing that she was dangerous. The big black kid was probably on screen less than two minutes, and he was a major concern during the Games as well.
Again, Rue was REALLY not done well. I blame this on the editor. The actress did fine, but the movie just plain didn't show why she was so important to Katniss. Her character should have had at least five more minutes of screen time just to explain their bond.
The finishing scenes were decent, but the very end was ambiguous, at best, for anyone who hasn't read the book.
Black Death (2010)
Good acting, very depressing
I figured this would be a dark movie, and it really was. There wasn't even any comedy lines to lighten the mood. Just one dark scene followed by the next.
It has good acting and a nice script, but there is no hope at all in the movie.
It also doesn't shy away from just how evil people can be to each other in the name of religion. Yes, we all know the Church in those days was a really bad place. Getting it piled on isn't all that fun.
I won't watch it again. It's just too damn depressing.
The only movie I've seen that is more depressing is A.I.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Fantastic superhero movie
I saw "Captain America" earlier tonight. Fantastic movie! The vast majority of the movie is set during World War Two. The movie does a great job of showing the transformation of Steve Rogers into Captain America. I won't post any spoilers, but I think most people are going to be very happy with how this movie was done.
Highlight performances were Chris Evans as Cap, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Phillips, Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull, Stanley Tucci as Dr. Erskine, and the whole crew of Cap's Team during WW2. Really, the acting was top-notch throughout.
I liked the plot a lot. It kept a nice pace, unless you are an action junkie who gets upset if something doesn't blow up every minute. Cap was believable. Not overblown, not a tough-guy, just a good man who wants to do right. I LOVED how he was portrayed. Major kudos to the writers and director.
Overall, I think this is my favorite superhero movie to date. It slightly edges out "The Dark Knight" and "Iron Man" and "Thor".
Sucker Punch (2011)
Good movie, not just action
The movie touches on a lot of themes other than the action, which was very good. The treatment of mental patients, how they might see the world they are powerless to interact with, and how the trusting the government to take care of people is a huge mistake.
The movies visuals are just fantastic, and many of the mini-adventures are really, really cool. The asylum people are just evil. Slimy, disgusting, evil. Also, DO NOT take small children to see this. They will probably have nightmares, and will ask lots of hard questions, if they do.
Spoilers One thing many miss is that the orderly is giving up the father-in-law at the end. So, while we won't see justice served on film, that slimeball will be arrested.
I felt bad for Baby Doll, but I also figured out what was going to happen really quick. If you're read "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", you will also not be surprised.
Blue Bloods (2010)
Great cop show
The cast is fantastic. Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg are both on top of their game. It's only three episodes in, but a lot of groundwork has been laid out for the rest of the season.
I like Donnie's cases the best. He is a hands-on cop, who gets too involved at times. His sister the DA is a great counterpoint to him. Tom seems to be riding herd over everyone else, while also being engaged in a very questionable romance. He tried to stop it, but I'm not sure that will happen.
The whole secret killer cops thing is clichéd, though. I really wish they hadn't introduced this plot, as it detracts from the show. There were a bunch of reveals in episode 3, and the youngest cop is really stuck in a bad situation.
I LOVE the family gathering scenes. It slows the pace a bit, and shows how the family works together, even while they are fighting. This show has a ton of potential. It deserves a good run.
Murder, She Wrote (1984)
Great show that had a great run
I really enjoyed this show. It was nice to see an older woman taking on lots of crimes and solving them. The usual formula involves a young person beating up lots of people, this show completely flipped that around.
It was very well written, and had great acting. Angela Lansbury really had the acting chops, and was almost too talented for TV. I'm glad she had such a great show to showcase her abilities, when many actresses are shunted aside once they hit 30 or so. I really miss watching it with my family, as it was a staple at our house. There really isn't anything on the air right now that compares.
The Book of Eli (2010)
Outstanding movie
This is a very well done movie set 30 years after a nuclear war. A lone traveler (Denzel) carries a book with him, on a Journey to the West. He runs into a town run by a crooked boss, who is searching for the book the traveler carries.
The pace is well set, and there are some nice action scenes. Denzel is very competent at fighting, and it shows. There are some disturbing bits about what people are doing to survive, but they are not super graphic. A couple scenes would be inappropriate for kids, but there's no sex, just a bit of violence.
I give it a 10/10, as I think everything was extremely well done, and the acting was great (which is to be expected for Denzel and Gary Oldman).