Reviews

"Avatar" is, for all intents and purposes, hardly on the same level of visual medium as a "film". It is, it was, to me, an experience. An experience that I happened to witness in a movie theater (luckily enough in an IMAX 3D theater)...and during this experience I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I got excited, but most of all, I was entertained. Entertained, entertained, entertained.

I knew going into the theater that Avatar would be cliché. I did. And I didn't care one bit. I was too preoccupied with the mind-blowing experience before me to care about how stupid a line was or how well I could predict the plot. With Avatar, it really doesn't matter. And to say this film would be nothing without its effects is like saying orange juice would be nothing without the orange. In other words, the effects cannot be separated from the film, NOT BECAUSE the effects make the film, but because story and effects go hand in hand in hand in hand in hand in a way that is not only appealing to the eye, but for the most part, the hearts of the mass audience.

In a way, Avatar's plot not being the most original thing in the world was a good thing. Suppose it did have some wonderfully complex story - would I have enjoyed it as much? Probably not. It doesn't make Cameron lazy for not using original ideas...I mean, Pandora itself is pretty original for film-making (name a movie where a world has literally been created). This is the man who dreamed up the idea for Terminator, we know he has original plot ideas, he didn't need to prove that to us with Avatar.

Avatar is probably the greatest film experience, ever.

You can call him crazy, you can call him violent, you can call him whatever you want, but I think Quentin has, with this film, proved he is a genius when it comes to making movies.

After it premiered at Cannes, many critics were saying it was a hot mess, beautiful and unorganized, entertaining but reckless. I agree with half of that; the film is beautiful, and really truly beautiful not just through the shots (some of which are incredible, no doubt) but through the atmosphere created by the film. It is like Tarantino took what makes him a genius and added a much needed dose of beauty and sophistication while still retaining his edge, his able-to-make-fun-of-itself-with-a-big-ego kinda attitude for his film.

I don't need to write a long review. This movie is incredible.

"The Hangover" is what a comedy should be without being a bad movie. All the ingredients of a good movie in general exist here and the film is just so, so funny...and funny consistently. There aren't huge laughs followed by gaps of plot explanation or catch up or whatever. The plot is essentially the comedy driven ingeniously by the actors. There are almost no spots in the movie where you aren't laughing...and if and when you aren't laughing you are only listening closely and anticipating the next laugh and you never worry if the bulk of the comedy is over. It is nice to see a comedy that doesn't need Judd Apatow and company to make it a good one. The Hangover leaves the sophistication at the studio and just brings laughs - some crude, some stupid, some witty, some dark, some insulting - but all worth seeing this hilarious comedy.

If you are over 12 expect to need a lot of your friends present to make fun of it for Mall Cop to be anything near funny. The film's plot is in two parts really. Part 1 is seeing how much of a fat loser he is with his old mom and fat daughter, trying to get the girl and what not,. Part 2 is seeing how much a fat loser he is and him fighting the bad guys. The film is peculiar because it is somewhere between being a stupid PG comedy for the kids and a very bad homage to Die Hard. The funniest lines are those that aren't intended to be humorous. Seeing the bad guys jump around the mall (and I mean literally jump) spitting out their terrible lines was the best part of the movie. Some parts of it just don't make any sense. Overall if you are going to be close minded it is a terrible film. If you have an open mind, it will still be a terrible film.

Toy Stories, Monsters, Fish, Incredibles, Cars, Cooking Rats - all very good, some brilliant. It seemed like after Ratatouille, the idea of Pixar making another masterpiece seemed outrageous. And it happened. In June they came out with Wall-E, right up there with the best of the best.

Wall-E is special because for me because for a good 60% of the movie, there is almost no dialogue. In the beginning of the film, the audience is engaged by the animation, the robots, their mannerisms. Wall-E is such a vivid character that even without words we know exactly what he is thinking and feeling.

The story is great, the music is astounding, really just a brilliant, brilliant movie. Another Oscar coming.

'Twilight' had potential. Harry Potter proved that successful book to movie adaptations could be done. I mean, as a huge fan of Harry Potter, I was very pleased with at least 3 of the 5 movies.

However, Twilight just fails. I am not that big of a fan of a book, I actually read it just because I wanted to see what the big deal was. I wasn't blown away at all, but it was fine, and I suppose I can figure why every female I know is nuts for it.

But again, the movie fails to do the book any justice. It isn't really a mess up by anyone in particular. Just the overall effort to make it an adequate adaptation seemed to be seriously lacking. It almost felt as if they were rushing to get it made. Some of the lines are just terrible. I never thought the actual writing of the book was that sophisticated, but the screenplay just takes the already corny lines and butchers them that much more.

If you are a fan of the book, avoid. If you want to see a movie for the sole purpose of making fun of it, go for it.

This movie tried so hard to be cool but it ended up just being kind of pretentious and average. Fifteen minutes after walking out of the theater I had completely forgotten I had seen it, seriously. There are a few lines that made me genuinely laugh, but again, there were few. Michael Cera is definitely believable and the supporting cast is fine. The plot is the main problem. The movie has a pretty good idea for a semi-indy film, but it ends of confusing itself and turning into a cliché. You can't help but feel a little annoyed that Cera's ex-girlfriend is very attractive while Nora has kind of a vampirish face and needs braces. Honestly, can we have a film where the new girl is equally as attractive as the ex? Bottom line, interesting musical entries, pretty good acting, average plot. I'd avoid unless you are really interested in the music or are a Michael Cera fan.

6/10.

Hamlet 2 is a very interesting film because it doesn't go with the typical plot (if at any point the plot does something cliché, it is to make fun of that cliché), and it contains humor which is strangely unique. In the beginning I was a little worried that the film would be too awkward to actually be hilarious, but in the end, that was the point...and it worked amazingly. The humor ranges from stupid to dry to very witty, and all of it is delivered amazingly by Steve Coogan and cast. Some of the lines are unexpected almost to the point of shocking, and as long as you are layed back, you will love it.

There's not much to say. If you like ridiculous, you love it.

It would be easy for someone to point fingers at this movie and say it would be terrible even before the trailer came out based on the fact that it was done by those two guys who made such crapshoots as Date Movie, Epic Movie, and the latest, Meet the Spartans. Then the trailer came out, giving us more of a reason to hate it.

And as you might expect, it was terrible. I think my reasoning for seeing this movie was because I had "nothing else to do" and I wanted something to "make fun of". This movie is so frustratingly bad that you really don't feel a desire to make fun of it. It doesn't deserve it. There is clever funny, there is stupid funny, and there is ridiculous funny. This movie just isn't funny. It is just annoying. It just parodies the summer's movies in a way that is just annoying. Iron Man, Indiana Jones, whatever. It wasn't funny.

Just stay away. You probably already knew that but if you feel like you have nothing else to do as I did, trust me, staring at a wall is better. You will come out angry and upset that anyone would actually be stupid enough to make a film this atrocious.

Calling 'The Dark Knight' a comic book movie or a summer movie is insulting. It is a crime saga, it is brilliant, it contains one of the best villain performances ever in a movie (yes, Mr. Ledger really is that good), and overall it shows what happens when a bunch of dedicated film makers come together and make a film.

Every other summer movie that comes out/came out in 2008 is/was crap compared to this. It was funny to me that they were showing a preview for the next Mummy movie...it seems so ridiculous that two such movies could exist in the same world.

I don't mean to use this review to bash on other movies, but it really delightful to see such an amazing movie come out of Hollywood. On the other side of the coin, it is annoying that other films' makers just don't care as much.

Christopher Nolan is a genius, every actor in this movie ranges from good to astounding, every explosion looks real, action shots are stunning, and as I have already said, The Joker is breathtaking.

10/10, this movie is a crime masterpiece, the best comic book movie ever made, and one of the best films to ever have come out during the months of May-August.

Until June 2008, I had never really given much thought to Scrubs. I knew it was a popular TV show staring Zach Braff. After seeing a few episodes from season 3, I decided I was going to buy the whole series.

I cannot imagine a better way to spend money on entertainment. Scrubs is unbelievable. It is funny, witty, moving, touching, awesome, amazing, perfect. I appreciate every single character in the show. There is not one actor who doesn't range from very good to brilliant. There is not one episode I can honestly say I dislike.

It is difficult for me to appreciate Scrubs in the same way as someone who watched it on TV, complete with the weekly and monthly longings for more. I watched the whole show straight through on DVD, and so my views are a bit different.

But if I try to imagine myself watching it on TV, I cannot honestly see myself being upset or disappointed in the least. Scrubs has so much substance and texture. It is one of the only shows that has made me laugh, cry, and think in the same 20 minutes. The show is amazingly consistent. A plot line is never left unresolved, a characters attitude towards something is never left unexplained.

Never once was I annoyed by the music, the main character's narration, the 'lessons' of each episode.

The bottom line is, if you have ever loved television, you must watch Scrubs. I am no TV expert, but I don't even think calling it "A Modern Television Masterpiece." is enough. It is just that amazing.

I don't watch American Idol because I want to buy the albums of the winning contestant (although I did buy some stuff on Itunes from a few Season 7 contestants). I watch it because it is entertaining and addicting . I am interested in the performances, the contestants, and how the judges will react to them. American Idol almost tells a weird story. Sometimes contestants do good, sometimes they do bad, sometimes they are safe from elimination when they shouldn't, sometimes they are eliminated too early. I just love the drama. It isn't that I love seeing people get their dreams ruined, but it is interesting to figure out why America voted the way they did.

I really enjoy Randy and Simon, but I am really sick of Paula. She is more annoying than she is entertaining.

And no, I don't think the show is rigged as far as voting goes.

Just good TV, I highly recommend it.

I went into 'Speed Racer' with low expectations. I didn't expect to be good at what it was trying to do, but nothing more.

But the main reason Speed Racer works for me is because it was so ridiculously over-the-top. I knew this film would be crazy, but everything about this film just seems blown out of proportion. The lines, the shots, the acting, everything is just so ridiculous...almost to the point of hilarious...

Another thing that I must address is the mix of live-action and animation. In all fairness, it reminds me of Mary Poppins. Characters dancing and then animation inserted. It is charming but it looks bad. I am not quite sure what to think of Speed Racer as far as action goes.

But perhaps a flaw with the film that is actually bad is that I have no idea who this film is being aimed at. Little kids will enjoy the action sequences, but will they enjoy them every now and then for 125 minutes? And they will not understand the plot, which does actually exist.

Not sure what to say, 7/10.

The opening credits set the tone for the movie; we get a montage of all the violence going on in Burma. Rape, murder, mutilation. You know within the first 5 minutes that this film is not going to be light-hearted. It is dark, far darker than any of the other Rambo films.

And Rambo is still Rambo. Bitter and upset with the world. And it doesn't help that Christian aid workers want him to take them up the river to Burma so they can make changes. He tells them they won't be making any changes if they don't have weapons.

But as the film needs a plot, Rambo agrees to take them up to Burma, and from then on we get a suspenseful, angering, and a gore-fest of an action film. This movie is not cheesy at all. No clever lines, no crap. Just Rambo being Rambo.

I applaud Sylvester Stallone because while I believe he was trying to make the film entertaining (as any filmmaker would do), I honestly believe he was aiming to show the world what is going on in Burma. Who would have thought that a Rambo movie could actually make us aware of the madness that is taking place in a lesser-known country. I admit that before this film, I hardly knew Burma existed.

I don't have much else to say. Oh yeah, the tagline is one of the best ever. "Heroes never die...they just reload." Genius.

If you are a Rambo fan, an action fan, or if you just like movies that are intense and/or anger you, I highly recommend this film.

This films rating on IMDb is what it should be. It just isn't very good. The first film was clever, the second was a great action film, and the fourth was a dark conclusion. This film just doesn't bring anything to the table. Rambo is still Rambo, but there are vague traces of 80s' cheesiness in him, and doesn't help.

But my biggest problem with this film was that it was boring. The first half is a boring introduction to situation in Afghanistan circa 1988, and the second half is one huge action scene that never seems to let up. The action itself is simply not that good. The force of emotion I felt with the first film and especially the fourth film just doesn't exist. This movie is so plain.

Overall, not really worth it. I saw it anyway just because I wanted to complete the series, so maybe you are like me in that sense. Otherwise, avoid.

4/10.

Iron Man was a great way to begin a new summer.

One thing that is so refreshing about this film was the casting. The casting director did a perfect job. Robert Downey Jr. was a perfect choice for the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man. The Big Lebowski - Jeff Bridges - was a perfect villain. Gwyneth Paltrow was great even though I felt like she was trying to hard at some points. Then there was Terrence Howard, a good actor who isn't used enough.

There has been some talk that Iron Man doesn't have enough action. I would not say that at all. Iron Man has quite a lot of action, it just also has a story and character development.

The action, by the way, is very good.

Definitely set itself up for a sequel...

"Super Smash Bros. Brawl" is everything I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be similar enough to the first two so that the wonderful gameplay would not change. It didn't. But I wanted more stuff. More things to do. I got that.

This film is loyal to the first two games and the Bros. franchise but it is special in its own way. There are so many different ways to play, a plethora of characters (again) to use and master.

Also brilliant is the WiFi connection. People around the world are brawling it up. Just brilliant.

But for me, the one thing that makes this game so, so good is the MUSIC. They took a ton of old themes from old games and recreated them in a way that was awesome, but remaining loyal to these wonderful classics.

The attention to detail is astounding. The difficulty level can be immense, and the level of fun is very high.

It will be remembered as a Wii classic.

"Requiem for a Dream" is a film that doesn't follow any rules. It pushes the limits. It doesn't care how you feel, or what you think. It does not preach, it simply tells - and for me in was one of the most frightening film experiences ever.

This film is technically brilliant in all aspects, ranging from acting to screenplay to cinematography. Ellen Burstyn is absolutely brilliant. But the films excellence lies within it's mesmerizing power.

Some people have said that this film should be shown in High School health classes. While that would never blow over with parents and what not, the films effect will last longer than some stupid documentary. If ever there were a film to make you not want to do drugs, any drugs, ever...this is it.

Requiem for a Dream is a force to be reckoned with, and it will not be forgotten about in the future.

There Will Be Blood is just about flawless in every department imaginable. Daniel Day-Lewis is shockingly brilliant, the script is brilliant, the cinematography is brilliant, etc., etc., etc. I cannot think of one technical aspect that wasn't top-notch.

The plot of There Will Be Blood may be drawn out but it is surprisingly entertaining. Despite its longevity, I never found myself checking the time. I never found myself looking away from the screen for more than three seconds.

But while There Will be Blood is brilliant beyond brilliant, it, in my eyes, lacks a simple ingredient that most people expect from such a prestigious movie.

A message. At the credits I could not think of a message. Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe there is one but I don't see it.

Oh well, still brilliant and still one of the better films of the decade.

First Blood Part II is a very interesting film because while it is not as intelligent or serious as its predecessor, it isn't really one of those cheesy 80's action films. Rambo remains a serious, disturbed character. I can't remember an instance where he spit out some one-liner.

But the film and plot itself is much more "cheesy", if you will. It is, in any case a very, very good action film. We find ourselves really disliking the bad guys and really rooting for Rambo to do what Rambo does best.

Overall, a very good action film that is a worthy sequel to the original.

8/10.

This film is not like your average 80s action comedy, a la one-liners and an "action hero" type character.

First Blood is more intelligent than that. While I love those type of action films, this film proves to be much more deep than that. Here we have a character whose emotions extend beyond one-liners. We have Rambo, a seriously disturbed Vietnam War veteran. Rambo is bad ass, but he has emotions, and that makes him very real.

Another thing that is so nice about this film is how the "Vietnam vet vs. American citizen" issue is portrayed. While the audience is inclined to side with Rambo, the cops in this film aren't as ruthless as I expected. They are bad, but most of them don't appear to be ruthless.

First Blood is entertaining, bitter, and overall one of the better action films ever made.

21 is worth seeing on a restless Friday or Saturday night with friends, but it isn't anything more than that. The film features nice performances from actors Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne, as well as nice entries from the lesser known ensemble.

However, it doesn't take a film expert to notice some of the more...awful lines. "That's is impressive software."...come on, seriously? Just bad writing.

And the flow of the plot is painfully cliché, up until the end where things are admittedly pretty unpredictable. The ending was unexpected, but it worked and made up for earlier plot points that were predictable.

"21" is entertaining, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Little Miss Sunshine" is borderline quirky to the point of irritating. The characters are crisp and original, but the premise is seemingly one-dimensional and the conclusion is thought provoking, but in a boring way. It isn't a bad movie but for me it failed to move me, or really entertain me that much. Many will disagree but the movie got good when Paul Dano's character started telling people off. Before that time it just seemed like a drag to a unexciting finish.

Little Miss Sunshine is not Oscar worthy. The actors do quite a good job, but they are only as good as the quirky, even pretentious script that was given to them. You want a really good independent film? See Juno...THAT is a great film.

6.5/10, decent but flat.

You have probably heard that It's a Wonderful Life is one of the happiest, most uplifting movies ever made. This is so true. I watched this film for the first time last night on Christmas Eve, 2007, and all I have to say is that, besides being close to tears when it was finished, it made me feel blissful. Now feeling happy is not too exciting, but this film made me feel absolutely cherry. It is the kind of movie that, were I to be abandoned on an island and I could only choose five movies, this would most certainly be one of them. The film is oddly scary in that it is truthful...not in the sense that angels will come down and make a man continue to live, but in the sense that is shows what would have happened had someone never lived in a fashion that is entirely realistic.

It's a Wonderful Life is remarkable, if not life changing.