The Review

[Trekker 42]

I think it's about time to create one. So let's go into the world of film and speak of it. Give a review and an opinion of a movie that is currently in the Box Office at this time. Leave old movies to the DVD thread.

My review of the day: Beowulf

Beowulf is an excellent movie. Ex. Cel. Lent. Be that as it may, it does have some flaws that did not coencide with the poem such as

Hrothgar's Suicide and Beowulf's connection to the Dragon.

, but this movie overall was extraordinary. Grendel deserves to be marked amongst the greatest movie monsters and the most tragic. He did have a good reason to go against Herot. Poor guy. Angelina Jolie is an interesting character as the seductress that is Grendel's Mother. Side note: She is not full frontal naked. There is some odd gold covering there. Eh. Anyway, the highlight of the movie was the Dragon. At last, we have a good dragon design and he has a backstory and a reason to attack Beowulf. Beowulf himself is a fun character to watch and I was actually sad to see him die. (hopefully that is not a spoiler and everyone at least knows the basic story: man fights Demon kappa, and dragon and dies.) This movie is animated and the graphisc are like that of a videogame on the people. The inhuman (or half human) creatures are flawless. But this is NOT FOR KIDS! this movie has blood up the wazoo. This thing has demons which rip people in half. it is very VIOLENT.

Final note: See this in Imax 3D If you don't have an Imax near you find a theatre that is showing it in regular 3D. Not 3D does not do this film justice.

It's a 7/10.

[karamazov80]

Last Friday, I saw the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men. This is a pretty simple, albeit unconventional story (though not by Coen Brother standards). In essence, the plot focuses on an everyman that finds a suitcase full of money in the outskirts of Texas after a drug deal gone bad, a philosophizing psychopath (with a fondness for compressed air and a silenced shotgun) that is sent by the drug dealer to get the money back, and a sheriff that observes the unfolding story with a kind of calm resignation. The film contains a number of interesting characters, great, quotable one-liners, and a brutal look at the modern world. In fact, I haven't been to many movies this year, but if I can use one word to characterize some of the best adult-targeted works, it would be "brutal" (this, 28 Weeks Later, and Eastern Promises).

I don't really want to say much else, as this is a film that, I think, works best when you go in not knowing much. As far as a review/critique, the story is riveting in its own way, the acting (particularly by headliners Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, and Javier Bardem) is excellent, the direction/cinematography/editing are (not surprisingly) top notch, and this movie, as a whole, really works for me. However, a lot of people that I saw the film with (many old folks, surprisingly) grumbled at the end. I think a lot of people will take issue with the ending, and the way that the Coens approached a major confrontation near the end. If people can accept the movie for what it is trying to do, and accept that this isn't a conventional film, however, I think they would find it a very worthwhile way of spending a couple of hours and a couple of bucks. This was the best film I had seen at the theaters since, probably, A History of Violence. 9/10

[Dan]

Has anyone seen the Hitman movie yet? I saw it last Saturday.

I'm a big fan of the games, and I did enjoy the movie. I don't think they got the character perfect to be honest. He shouldn't have given the girl any sympathy, its not in his character at all! There was plenty of killing, and he showed no remorse which was a good adaptation of the character. I was glad to see his Silver Ballers and Sniper in a briefcase being his main weapons. The fight scene on the train with the swords was awesome. I didn't like all the high-tech stuff he carried. Seemed wrong for him in my opinion, but hey.

I liked the little nods toward the games, such as the flowers, taking someones clothes, and one of the games actually being featured in it. I was disappointed that the line "Guards are looking for a suspicious bald man" wasn't in it, as it came up alot for me while in the games, esp Hitman 2.

On the whole the character wasn't perfect and the plot was fairly hard to follow, but I enjoyed this Movie and would give it a solid 7/10

[luke314pi]

I saw Enchanted the other night with my wife. Yes I do like the occasional chick flick. I thought this one started off really over-the-top, but after a while I realized it was supposed to be that way. It was a play on fairy tales, and it had some truly memorable moments in it. I laughed out loud quite a few times, and I was geniunely touched at a few parts. This is definitely not a movie for everyone, but if you have kids it would be a great one to take them to!

8/10

[omendreamer]

I am going to be a total girl and admit that the only movie I've seen in theaters lately is Enchanted. (In my defense the movies I recently watched on DVD are Pulp Fiction and LA Confidential). I took my autistic younger sister and both she and I enjoyed it, although there were some cringingly sugary moments. My little sister mostly enjoyed the Patrick Dempsey character (she is very shallow), while I laughed/was grossed out by the scene where the animated fairytale heroine, brought to real-world New York, sings along with vermin (cockroaches, rats, pigeons) while cleaning the apartment. It has some fun subversions of Disney tropes and points out just how absurd large spontaneous singing and dancing numbers and true love at first sight are, but then goes ahead and does them anyway. The heroine asking the prince to go out on a date before they return to the fairytale kingdom and wed was amusing, as was the ratty henchmen of the evil queen insisting on watching the soap opera wherein the woman told the man he was vermin. The henchmen then goes: Sire, do you like yourself? Idiotic but attractive prince: Of course, what's not to like? All in all it was no Beauty and the Beast/Lion King, but it was also no Dinosaur or straight to video release. I would be willing to get this on DVD to watch with kids, but wouldn't view again on my own.

Rating 6/10- 10/10 being I will force everyone I know to watch this, 1/10 being I left gagging before it was finished, 5/10 being had some moments but I would never watch again. Caveat-I tend to be a harsh critic.

[luke314pi]

I saw Beowulf in 3-D tonight. The 3-D was really amazing, especially during the many action scenes. The movie had some great visuals, and it moved at a good pace. I thought some of the characters were a little flat, but I enjoyed the story. I never read the poem, so I can't comment on the differences. It definitely makes me want to see more movies in 3-D.

8/10

[Punisher]

Nobody get on my case for this but i saw Golden Compass

Overall it was OK! Kinda boring, i was drifting off, but had some great action. POLAR BEARS!!!!! RAWR! Overall it was a pretty good set-up for the other two.....

6.5/10

I also saw hitman a couple weeks ago too. Great action, but dont take your kids! Lots of boobies! The story was kinda shakey, but still was a good movie...

8/10

[Punisher]

I am legend:

I havent read the book, but i really want too. The movie was far from awesome! Where to start...? How about the zombie/cancer patient/smegul/Peices of $H!#! They looked like Smegul from lotor, but regular height, and were very, very, VERY lame. Their mouths opened wayyyy to big, and they were shockingly all the same! It looked like the designers created one, and copied and pasted it 30 times, but gave it a different color outfit... I have to admit, i am thirteen, so i thought it was still pretty creppy! Your small kids, WILL get scared and cry!

Now onto some GOOD parts... It had alot of funny parts, and the superman/batman movie poster was really cool! I bet people who read the book were very dissapointed because i could tell too much was left out. Some things were unanwsered and there was alot of stuff that made you want to go "WTF?". Overall the movie was good until the stupid cancer things showed up!

The best part of the whole experience was seeing the dark night trailer, no joke!

[Dan]

Nobody get on my case for this but i saw Golden Compass

Overall it was OK! Kinda boring, i was drifting off, but had some great action. POLAR BEARS!!!!! RAWR! Overall it was a pretty good set-up for the other two.....

6.5/10

Yeah I saw this too. I only went cos my mate had read the book and wanted to go. I thought it was awful. I actually fell asleep. The plot was too simplistic for me, and they seemed to add random fight scenes for no reason, which in themselves were pretty bad. The acting was substandard especially from the girl playing Lyra. I mean, what was up with her accent? She put it on for some sentences but not others?

I'd give it 1/10. And its lucky to score THAT highly!

[karamazov80]

I also saw the Golden Compass, and I will quickly score it a 3. . .out of 10.

also, if you can read this before the suits do:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35081

--edit: here is the official trailer for the Dark Knight:

http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm

--

[super spider piggy]

i saw i am legend. 4th best movie of 2007.

[Dan]

I saw AVPR today. I love the Predator films and AVP and had high hopes for this one.

I have to say I loved it.

The Hybrid

was sooooooooooooooooooo cool, and definately the highlight of the film. The fight scenes were tremendous in my eyes, and the film was full of action. There was never a dull moment, whether it was a kickass fight between Predator and Aliens, or Aliens ripping humans to shreads, you never got bored.

My only two critisms is that alot of it was a little too dark, and it was hard to make out what was going on. And the other was it moved a little too fast, and was real short. They could have had so much more character development on the humans.

I give this film an 8/10.

Love it!

[Trekker 42]

CLOVERFIELD:

Wow.

I. Wow.

Damn. I am both impressed and nauseous. When you see this, bring a barf bag. But please see it. It is the best moster movie ever made.

8/10

[karamazov80]

I saw "Rambo" and "There Will Be Blood" over the last week. Rambo is a great, ultra-violent, and relatively mindless action movie (but much richer than Rambo 2 or 3, for what that's worth). Not unlike "Hatchet," this one is worth watching for the death scenes alone--Rambo's prodigious use of arrows in a scene mid-way through the film is probably my personal favorite. I would give it a B+/A- overall (for what it is).

"Blood" has one of this generation's most talented actors in his greatest performance yet (it also didn't hurt that the script, direction, cinematography, score, and acting by Day-Lewis's costars were also significantly better than average). This movie wasn't quite as good as "No Country" or "Eastern Promises," but it was a damn fine film, certainly one of the top five new movies I've seen over the last year. This is really a great time for great, dark, brutal movies (my very favorite kind)! A++

[karamazov80]

A couple of days ago I saw "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," about one man's attempt to break another man's Donkey Kong high score, and the existing champion's devious efforts to keep his place as the top scorer.

Believe it or not, this was an incredibly riveting and moving film. I could really identify with Steve Wiebe in some ways. He's like a living Charlie Brown, and Billy Mitchell is as unlikeable a character as you can probably imagine. But one of the things that I really liked was all the weird players in the background: the slimy spy at the arcade, the guy who cheated to get into Time magazine in 1982 and has been friends with Mitchell ever since, Steve's incredibly precocious daughter, the old woman who was chasing the record for Q-Bert, the weird old referee guy, and, of course, "Mr. Awesome":

Just a great, wacky cast of characters. Anyway, great movie. I would say better than 85 percent of movies out there.

[Trekker 42]

Jumper-

Without a doubt,the best movie released yet in theaters for 2008. Ths film, with a stellar cast including Hayden Christensen (Much better here than in Star Wars) and Samuel L. Jackson, is a fun filled ride through the world, putting you on top of th Sphinx one moment and walking through Tokyo the next.

David Rice, the protagonist, has an accident where he fell through ice and telported out. Upon the discovery of this power, David realises that it could be used for a higher purpose: Living the good life. Seriously, this guy is anti-Spider-Man. His motto, as shown through his actions, is "with great power comes the ability to do whatever the hell you want and get away with it." But he was wrong. He can't get away with it. Paladins, hunters of the Jumpers get wind of his power and the leader o this band himself (Samuel L. Jackson) comes after him.

Overall a mind blowing action packed thriller completely appropriate for all ages, (some language, an f-bomb, but only one) and should be seen by anyone who wants to see the othr side of Superheroes. 9/10

[Dan]

I saw Jumper last week too. Absolutely freaking loved it! Fantastic movie with a fantastic cast, and fantastic graphics. Every jump was slightly different to the others, so it never gets boring, and the

fight between David and Griffen

was amazing!

This is a fun filled film, with a great plot, great actors, and great sequences. Easily better than anything this year including Cloverfield and AVPR, which I loved both of.

[super spider piggy]

I went to see Meet The Spartans, great funny film.

I especially liked the part where Leonidas was beating the crap out of his kid.