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Elrin
Reviews
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Interesting though not amazing
I felt what dialogue there was was pretty poor and this let the film down a bit - nevertheless the acting (especially from James Franco) was top notch with what the cast were given.
I was a little apprehensive about seeing 'The ROTPOTA' since being a prequel, I felt the plot couldn't get too interesting since we knew it's final destination (the trailer didn't help). However, the journey itself took me by surprise. I was frustrated by the first half hour or so (and personally thought some of it was a litte daft) though this may have been mainly due to the fact I didn't feel all too impressed by the CGI. It felt too surreal and it took me a while to accept and connect with 'Caesar' - but I got there in the end.....maybe a little shallow of me I don't know - it just felt too cheesy to begin with.
Once the pace got going though I was fascinated! The expressions conveyed by the Apes were amazing and I felt quite moved - definitely have a new appreciation of the animals, even if they are computer generated.
The revolt was brilliantly written - and though all visually based the body language was amazing to watch - I literally couldn't look away. Though I grew to like the chimps I think the real icing on the cake for me was the two other larger apes which Caesar encountered - a male gorilla (very king-Kong like) and this beautiful orangutan which I felt stole the performance. The CGI was so brilliantly done for the orangutan I suspected in parts he was a real animal performing (couldn't tell) and very humorous.
By the end, I felt the ticket had been worth it. Tons of subtextual meaning and references to the other films. It felt like it belonged with them - and although the script was far from perfect they made up for this with a blockbuster that got me riled up enough to come on here and review it. A great family film too!
The Weather Man (2005)
Very unpleasant surprise - Distasteful and depressing
To put my review in perspective - I'm 18 and have watched plenty of explicit, unpleasant and depressing dark comedies. My parents and I have a very honest/open attitude to our relationship and I can comfortably watch movies such as Fight Club and Hostel with them, but this one? I simply couldn't stand. I have never once walked out of the room so upset - I shocked myself and my parents.
I walked out about 2/3 the way through - so unfortunately I can only help you up to that point. For a start - it was mismarketed. From the DVD box I was expecting something along the lines of 'Family Man' (Cage prompting this idea) but less family-friendly. We rented it on the basic assumption that anything with Caine in it will be at least vaguely quality. And whilst I can appreciate 'The Weatherman' is trying to communicate a very mature and honest interpretation of how family relationships are tainted/messed up in the real world - it is simply too overbearing and blunt. It may be we are too conditioned by Hollywood/traditional story-telling to appreciate the dark satire. And maybe a future audience will be more open-minded...but for now...it was overly-ambitious and all I wanted to see was a movie to bring me down and then uplift me in a meaningful way.
All this did was bring you down, with increasingly crude blows. To give you an idea (mild spoiler)*** Michael Caine extensively explains what 'Camel Toe' means in relation to his 12 year old granddaughter...demonstrated graphically. So it is in no way subtle or easy to skim-over. It's just unrelenting. Cage criticises his wife's BJs...etc.
Everything is so sexualised and this extends across the whole family - indiscriminate of age. There is no innocence, and though I get this is realistic, we JUST DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT TO THAT DEGREE! It brings together all dark themes/taboos to give just a very unpleasant sitting.
I walked away feeling I had to go watch a Disney film to rebalance my sanity..and stop crying.....and I HATE Disney..
The Walking Dead (2010)
Entertaining, but slow and IMHO overrated.
To put my opinion in perspective - I am a great fan of the horror/apocalypse/zombie genre. I'm also aged 18 and in the UK (I find this helps people understand my perspective better). Here they have just finished airing the first season (5 episodes).
In film, I get that the development of characters is obviously contracted and squeezed into an 1-2 hour slot and therefore can only go so far - which is partly why I found 'The Walking Dead' so appealing. I've always felt slightly frustrated that movies like 'Dawn of the Dead' can't pan out over the long term so we get to see more of how the (awesome!) characters develop.
So, it's a given success right there - does what it says on the box and wow is there a big demand for a like-minded audience. The effects were really high budget - you rarely ever see this level of detail in a TV show! They were as good and if not better than most Zombflicks - and far more realistic. The cinematography/editing was also beautiful.
However, whilst I found the first episode pretty excellent (mind you, not without its flaws) and the second also very exiting/action packed, I found the other 3 to be lacking in movement. The plot seemed stuck and I found myself getting more and more frustrated as after 40 minutes nothing much had happened and what had, had been rather predictable. The script seems to deteriorate...becoming more and more generic. The last episode distinctly annoyed me. Whilst touching, I also found it illogical and silly. Not to mention unoriginal. Though i have to admit, I liked the twist in the episode 'Vatos'! :)
Nevertheless, I liked the characters and their interactions. I keep hearing about how 'amazing and awesome..' The Walking dead is...and fans are equating it to 'Lost' and other (IMO) very intelligent and far more effective TV series. There was a similar high calibre UK series called 'Survivors' which depicted a post-apocalyptic society (though instead of zombies it was a virus...which left people dead-dead...no 'Walkers') and personally I found their direction much more effective with regards to script/entertainment factor per episode. But that might be a cultural thing - It might be I relate more to a British setting. This show feels more American than most (being set around Atlanta city) and I don't often feel inferior (though I stress I feel very mildly so).
I'm undecided about pursuing the next season. It's definitely entertaining and I probably will end up watching it - but for now I'm slightly put off by all the hype and what I feel was a clichéd ending to season 1.
Hope this helped :)
Transporter 2 (2005)
Watchable...but seriously delusional.
It is mindless entertainment...if you like that kind of thing. And it IS vaguely entertaining. But stupid. Incredibly stupid.
And these are the reasons why:
1) The editors thought that by turning up the exposure and contrast really high the movie would have that 007 glamour feel to it.
Wrong, it really is overdone. Resulting in the female villain being an eyesore and the need to wear sunglasses compulsory.
2) Physics does not apply to ANY of the stunts! The driving is cool...and Stratham's fighting ability impressive...but it has a 'Crouching tiger hidden dragon' feel to it (invisible rocket boots?!) and tbh doesn't pull it off well. And the female villain is...some say lingerie, guns and loads of dirty eyeliner is hot (and in theory, is) but frankly I was more disgusted.
3) Script is one big sickening cliché.
"Frank Martin: I'm afraid that your flight's been cancelled. Gianni: I'm afraid that *you* have been cancelled! "
"Would you rather be late...or dead?"...and "Have a good life. What's left of it. "
Truly appalling.
On the other hand, I like the relationship between Stratham and the young boy at the beginning - endearing in a humorous way (the riddle game) and I think there are some decent actors in it.
The plot was decent in theory, I think it was just its execution which stank. But I couldn't tell whether it was intended to be taken seriously or whether the director knew it was one big joke?
What really kept the movie afloat for me though was the French Policeman (Stratham's friend). This is one of the only areas where the script really worked. I loved that guy!
Coraline (2009)
Very imaginative! Though a bit scary for younger children.
I was really impressed by Coraline, though I have to say I didn't expect any less from Tim Burton or Neil Gaiman. I hadn't read the book beforehand - nor had I even heard of Coraline until going to see it.
The animation was beautiful! Story unique and quirky. The characters amazingly eccentric and Burton-ish. I personally found Coraline a little whiny and annoying at points but I think this only makes the film better in a way - she has her own outspoken personality making her character more developed and fun. However, I do feel it is a little too scary for...I dunno...say ages 8 and under? And I'm not one to say that often - I do believe children shouldn't be pandered so much when it comes to imaginative movies.
But nevertheless, if you're thinking of renting this movie for your younger family members I would investigate the parent's guide and content. The protagonist is quite nightmarish (especially towards the finale) and the idea of the 'magic door' being in the house sounds fine but my 8-year old cousin was freaked out by that. I think every kid should have a bit of Burton to remember from their childhood! If you're looking for a similar film (but maybe a little more easy going) I would recommend 'The Corpse Bride' - equally fantastic and though it may not sound it, is far less scary.
Primeval (2007)
Rating and marketing is misleading - a genuinely impressive adventure thriller!
I was shocked to see how ridiculously low the meta-score and IMDb rating is for 'Primeval' - it really deserves much more credit for what it is.
However, I can see how this might have come about. For a start, whoever was in charge of marketing this film should be completely banned from the industry - I hold them responsible for the failure of this blockbuster. The adverts, so called 'genre' (this is not so much a horror as political adventure/thriller) and even the title completely mislead the audience. I was expecting a sort of crocodile/lake placid romp from beginning to end. And to be fair, at least a quarter of the movie did live up to this expectation. The other 3/4 of the film were completely unexpected and this may be one reason for its poor rating. A lot of people would have bought tickets expecting mindless gore and a shallow outlook on the picking off one by one of the American team with nothing else to it but survival.
There is so much more depth to this story! And an excellent script - just the right balance of humour, moral debates between reporters, politics and...general build up of tension as stories circulate about 'Gustave' the demon croc and the civil war which is simultaneously terrorising the people in its territory. To be honest, I've seen a LOT of creature features and horror flicks and I do not really categorise Primeval as one. It is more an adventure thriller which just happens to feature a nasty 25ft crocodile. And in a way, it's a nice mixture. Entertaining a wider audience!
The cinematography is breathtaking - also really unexpected! This is clearly not a low-budget film. You see beautiful shots of village life along the river, Africa's wildlife and gorgeous scenery. I was rather impressed by the director - and while some of the plot is slightly predictable (as you often see with similar films) he/she don't always take the obvious shot.
I think the only let down is the CGI of the croc himself...though it's not terrible as people keep complaining about. It is a little OTT and the creature's movement isn't great....so a lot of like genre-fans will be disappointed. But as I said, this film isn't about the croc as much as it is his surroundings.
Anyway...I didn't mean to go on. To summarise:
PRO: * Amazing Cinematogrpahy * Depth to plot * Not too obscene (nothing very sexually explicit or that much swearing...which is what you often find in these films) * Not that predictable and an interesting twist * Humorous but not really corny
CON: * Misleading marketing * CGI is slightly disappointing