Hello all!
As many of you know, I am on my way to study abroad in Spain. I do have one review to post on SALT, but I will do so once I am in Madrid. I'm not sure how long it will be until I see another movie, but I think I have a pretty good chance, with oh...6 theaters within a 2 minute walk from my dorm. There are quite a few Original Version films with Spanish subtitles so that could be a fun experience but we'll see. I need to make some new friends first to go with me haha. Alright, goodnight, sleep tight and I'll talk to you all in Madrid.
Hasta luego!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Inception
OMG! This movie was incredible. Leo does it again!! This is another one of his psychological thrillers. I saw Shutter Island earlier this year but this was hands down one of the most complex and interesting movies I have seen all year. I had my doubts when the first trailers came out. I didn't understand it at all but after seeing this movie, I'm so glad I went with my gut and bet on Leo to produce another amazing movie.
Inception starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard was a mind-bending thriller where the mind is a powerful tool. DiCaprio plays Cobb, a man who has built his entire life on being able to enter a person's dreams, to find their deepest darkest secrets and extract them. This has kept him away from his two young children and has made his reality more difficult to live with. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, plays his partner Arthur who is just as skilled as Cobb in extraction. A huge part of Cobb's job has cost him his relationship with his wife that as the movie goes on, has a deeper meaning than initially thought. Cobb wants to return to his children but can't go back to the States because he is under suspicion for murder, the only way for him to get back is by the help of a Japanese businessman named Saito (Ken Wantanbe) with connections. The only problem is that Saito wants something in exchange, not an extraction but something called Inception. He wants Cobb not to steal a thought from someone's mind but to plant an idea which would in turn change the person's whole being to conform to that idea. It is next to impossible but Cobb assembles a team including Ariadne (Ellen Page), a college student who is a gifted architect, the one who assembles the dream world.
There are many layers into what constitutes a dream, with the subconscious playing a big part in filling the dream with things with projections of people, places etc. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish was it real and what is a dream. That's why the character carry totems with them, little items to remind them of what state they are in, a dreaming state or in reality. The only way to get out of a dream is to wake up, wake up to a kick (see the movie to understand) or kill yourself in the dream. It seems kind of straightforward, but as the movie goes on, it gets more complicated, with more layers, and dreams upon dreams. Cobb struggles with his past, and with his relationship with his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) and this takes a toll on him.
I absolutely LOVED this movie. It really made you think about dreams, my subconscious, what is real, what isn't real and the price a person are willing to pay to discover those truths. The acting was superb and some of the dream sequences and fight scenes were incredibly well done. The timing and complexity of this movie is spot on and I'm going to see it again. Such a fantastic movie with a steady pace and the director Christopher Nolan has done it again. This is my favorite movie of the year so far. I honestly can't think of anything wrong with this movie, so this deserves special recognition.
Overall, I give this movie 9.0/10 totems! Go See It!
Inception starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard was a mind-bending thriller where the mind is a powerful tool. DiCaprio plays Cobb, a man who has built his entire life on being able to enter a person's dreams, to find their deepest darkest secrets and extract them. This has kept him away from his two young children and has made his reality more difficult to live with. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, plays his partner Arthur who is just as skilled as Cobb in extraction. A huge part of Cobb's job has cost him his relationship with his wife that as the movie goes on, has a deeper meaning than initially thought. Cobb wants to return to his children but can't go back to the States because he is under suspicion for murder, the only way for him to get back is by the help of a Japanese businessman named Saito (Ken Wantanbe) with connections. The only problem is that Saito wants something in exchange, not an extraction but something called Inception. He wants Cobb not to steal a thought from someone's mind but to plant an idea which would in turn change the person's whole being to conform to that idea. It is next to impossible but Cobb assembles a team including Ariadne (Ellen Page), a college student who is a gifted architect, the one who assembles the dream world.
There are many layers into what constitutes a dream, with the subconscious playing a big part in filling the dream with things with projections of people, places etc. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish was it real and what is a dream. That's why the character carry totems with them, little items to remind them of what state they are in, a dreaming state or in reality. The only way to get out of a dream is to wake up, wake up to a kick (see the movie to understand) or kill yourself in the dream. It seems kind of straightforward, but as the movie goes on, it gets more complicated, with more layers, and dreams upon dreams. Cobb struggles with his past, and with his relationship with his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) and this takes a toll on him.
I absolutely LOVED this movie. It really made you think about dreams, my subconscious, what is real, what isn't real and the price a person are willing to pay to discover those truths. The acting was superb and some of the dream sequences and fight scenes were incredibly well done. The timing and complexity of this movie is spot on and I'm going to see it again. Such a fantastic movie with a steady pace and the director Christopher Nolan has done it again. This is my favorite movie of the year so far. I honestly can't think of anything wrong with this movie, so this deserves special recognition.
Overall, I give this movie 9.0/10 totems! Go See It!
Predators
Predators starring Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne and Topher Grace was a movie that honestly I would have been better off not seeing. My mom and I just wanted to watch a movie, and by this point we had already seen Eclipse twice, so I wasn't going to push her on that. We decided on Predators. I liked the original Predator movie and the Alien v. Predator movie which brought together two of sci-fi's greatest creatures for a major battle. The movie started out abruptly with Adrien Brody falling out of a plane into a jungle with a parachute and he happens upon other people in the jungle who were in his same predicament.
The main idea of the movie is that they were the prey and this was a game, a hunt. Very simple, although it took the characters a while to figure that out. There were killer dog-like predator creatures as well as the Predators themselves. Then there were a few weird moments with a random appearance by Laurence Fishburne as a survivor of one of the Predator's hunting seasons, who was kinda crazy but had survived long enough to know a few things about the hunters. There were numerous fight scenes that were classic Predator style with cloaking devices and heat vision camera shots.
The one thing I did take away from the movie was about humanity and how humans for the Predators were the most exciting prey. But also, how for some, losing their humanity made them just like those Predators, cold and heartless and Topher Grace's character brought up some interesting points along that line about how even the monsters at home, the murderers and other killers, would feel normal among the Predators.
Overall, I give this movie a 5.1/10 Predators.
It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. It's more of a filler movie or a wait to watch on DVD.
The main idea of the movie is that they were the prey and this was a game, a hunt. Very simple, although it took the characters a while to figure that out. There were killer dog-like predator creatures as well as the Predators themselves. Then there were a few weird moments with a random appearance by Laurence Fishburne as a survivor of one of the Predator's hunting seasons, who was kinda crazy but had survived long enough to know a few things about the hunters. There were numerous fight scenes that were classic Predator style with cloaking devices and heat vision camera shots.
The one thing I did take away from the movie was about humanity and how humans for the Predators were the most exciting prey. But also, how for some, losing their humanity made them just like those Predators, cold and heartless and Topher Grace's character brought up some interesting points along that line about how even the monsters at home, the murderers and other killers, would feel normal among the Predators.
Overall, I give this movie a 5.1/10 Predators.
It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. It's more of a filler movie or a wait to watch on DVD.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Warning** This is a movie for the fans. If you haven't read the books, you may not understand everything that's going on right now. If you are a fan, go see it (if you haven't already) and if not, then maybe this isn't the movie for you. If you are willing, open your mind, put away your preconceived notions of vampires and just sit back and enjoy. I am a fan of True Blood, which is much more conventional, so really it's more about how much you are into that sort of genre.
Also, before I start this review, I must take a position on this post that may be different for those who are outside of the world of Twilight. I am a fan, but let me specify. I am a fan of the books by Stephenie Meyer. I think they are such a fast and entertaining read and Eclipse was my favorite of the four books. There is a distinction that people must make about this series, that it is a love story with vampires, not a vampire love story. The main focus is on the love between Bella and Edward (and at times Jacob), but the fact that Stephenie changed the perception of what it is to be a vampire, is a daring move.
Some might balk at even considering the Cullens as real vamps when compared to Lestat or a vampire from an Anne Rice novel. Stephenie was bold enough to create a new spin on a pretty cliche supernatural subject, and for that I think that the books deserve to be read for what they are, a story of young love. The image one has from reading a book is very very difficult to translate into a movie. It is rare to find a movie that hold true to your perceptions of the characters.
I believe that David Slade did capture a great deal of the third book in his movie that was lacking in the two previous movies. For those who don't know the plot (even if you aren't a fan, I'm sure you get the gist), Bella Swan is a normal, clumsy and awkward high school girl who finds herself living in Forks, Washington with her father, Charlie, the chief of police. She becomes attracted to a mysteriously pale yet extremely intriguing vampire named Edward Cullen. Edward is part of a family of vampires that are "vegetarians" who choose to live above their carnal natures and only feed off of animals. In the first books, Bella became the target of an unrelenting vampire hunter named James, who wanted to kill Bella just for the sport of it, but he was killed by the Cullen clan. New Moon brought about the most difficult part of Bella and Edward's relationship, when Edward leaves Forks to give Bella a normal life. It nearly kills them both and brings Jacob, Bella's best friend (who happens to be a werewolf/shapeshifter) into her life in a more meaningful way than she originally intended. Also, this movie sets up the revenge plot of Victoria, who wanted to avenge her mate's death (James) and in the vampire world, if you kill the mate of a vampire, they NEVER give up the fight to return the favor.
Eclipse is a delight for fans, after a mediocre adaptation of Twilight and a slow, filler that was the second movie. I can honestly say that Eclipse is the BEST of the three Twilight movies, not the Best movie ever made as some younger fans may say, but it was definitely filled with fun action scenes, and a few memorable scenes that really got to the love triangle between Bella (Kristen Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Victoria is back (though with an actress change to Bryce Dallas Howard, who I think did a good job) and with a newborn vampire army lead by Riley, her right hand vamp.
One of the scenes that I just loved, was the proposal scene and so did my friend Kelly. She is Team Jacob and I am Team Edward and after watching that scene she leaned over to me and said, "I might have just changed teams." That's what I love about Edward's character, that in his simplicity and honesty, his love for Bella is truly unmatched by anyone including Jacob. David Slade, the director of the vamp flick 30 Days of Night, is a horror master who had to tone it down a bit for the PG-13 rating but still there were scenes where he didn't hold back, with limbs and heads being torn off in fight scenes and the great opening that was fast and suspenseful. The CGI wolves were much better than New Moon, so hopefully they will get better in the next two movies for Breaking Dawn (so excited!). The acting....oh the acting. The quality of acting has yet to reach great heights with the Saga, but they have all improved. Keep in mind that quite a few of these actors either had small roles before Twilight or none at all, so I give them credit for doing the best with what they had.
I know there are a lot of Kristen Stewart haters saying she can't act or she only has one blank expression on her face, but I felt like she was more herself, more comfortable in this third movie. I've seen her other indie movies such as Panic Room, The Cake Eaters, Adventureland, Speak, and The Runaways, so I know she can act. All of the actors were more comfortable with themselves and that helps with the chemistry. The movie was quite fast paced compared to New Moon's slow pace but still there was a choppiness to the movie that unless you have read the books, you would feel a little lost. I just have to give a shout out to Dakota Fanning who is such a great actress, who chose such a small but powerful role of Jane, the small yet completely commanding vampire guard of the Volturi, the vampires who are considered the upholders of law in their world. With a look, Jane can make a person feel pain like they've never experienced before and Dakota just slips into that role so well.
So far, I have seen Eclipse twice and I plan to see it again before it leaves theaters. After seeing it the second time, it made me like it even more. Also, if I can say anything positive about the Twilight films that even those who can't stand the films would agree with, is the strong quality of the soundtracks. They had such a great soundtrack for this movie with Muse, Vampire Weekend, Bat for Lashes and the Black Keys. So far, Eclipse has made over 300 million dollars worldwide, which shows the dedication of the fans to the franchise no matter what.
Overall I give Eclipse, 6.8/10 newborns.
Also, before I start this review, I must take a position on this post that may be different for those who are outside of the world of Twilight. I am a fan, but let me specify. I am a fan of the books by Stephenie Meyer. I think they are such a fast and entertaining read and Eclipse was my favorite of the four books. There is a distinction that people must make about this series, that it is a love story with vampires, not a vampire love story. The main focus is on the love between Bella and Edward (and at times Jacob), but the fact that Stephenie changed the perception of what it is to be a vampire, is a daring move.
Some might balk at even considering the Cullens as real vamps when compared to Lestat or a vampire from an Anne Rice novel. Stephenie was bold enough to create a new spin on a pretty cliche supernatural subject, and for that I think that the books deserve to be read for what they are, a story of young love. The image one has from reading a book is very very difficult to translate into a movie. It is rare to find a movie that hold true to your perceptions of the characters.
I believe that David Slade did capture a great deal of the third book in his movie that was lacking in the two previous movies. For those who don't know the plot (even if you aren't a fan, I'm sure you get the gist), Bella Swan is a normal, clumsy and awkward high school girl who finds herself living in Forks, Washington with her father, Charlie, the chief of police. She becomes attracted to a mysteriously pale yet extremely intriguing vampire named Edward Cullen. Edward is part of a family of vampires that are "vegetarians" who choose to live above their carnal natures and only feed off of animals. In the first books, Bella became the target of an unrelenting vampire hunter named James, who wanted to kill Bella just for the sport of it, but he was killed by the Cullen clan. New Moon brought about the most difficult part of Bella and Edward's relationship, when Edward leaves Forks to give Bella a normal life. It nearly kills them both and brings Jacob, Bella's best friend (who happens to be a werewolf/shapeshifter) into her life in a more meaningful way than she originally intended. Also, this movie sets up the revenge plot of Victoria, who wanted to avenge her mate's death (James) and in the vampire world, if you kill the mate of a vampire, they NEVER give up the fight to return the favor.
Eclipse is a delight for fans, after a mediocre adaptation of Twilight and a slow, filler that was the second movie. I can honestly say that Eclipse is the BEST of the three Twilight movies, not the Best movie ever made as some younger fans may say, but it was definitely filled with fun action scenes, and a few memorable scenes that really got to the love triangle between Bella (Kristen Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Victoria is back (though with an actress change to Bryce Dallas Howard, who I think did a good job) and with a newborn vampire army lead by Riley, her right hand vamp.
One of the scenes that I just loved, was the proposal scene and so did my friend Kelly. She is Team Jacob and I am Team Edward and after watching that scene she leaned over to me and said, "I might have just changed teams." That's what I love about Edward's character, that in his simplicity and honesty, his love for Bella is truly unmatched by anyone including Jacob. David Slade, the director of the vamp flick 30 Days of Night, is a horror master who had to tone it down a bit for the PG-13 rating but still there were scenes where he didn't hold back, with limbs and heads being torn off in fight scenes and the great opening that was fast and suspenseful. The CGI wolves were much better than New Moon, so hopefully they will get better in the next two movies for Breaking Dawn (so excited!). The acting....oh the acting. The quality of acting has yet to reach great heights with the Saga, but they have all improved. Keep in mind that quite a few of these actors either had small roles before Twilight or none at all, so I give them credit for doing the best with what they had.
I know there are a lot of Kristen Stewart haters saying she can't act or she only has one blank expression on her face, but I felt like she was more herself, more comfortable in this third movie. I've seen her other indie movies such as Panic Room, The Cake Eaters, Adventureland, Speak, and The Runaways, so I know she can act. All of the actors were more comfortable with themselves and that helps with the chemistry. The movie was quite fast paced compared to New Moon's slow pace but still there was a choppiness to the movie that unless you have read the books, you would feel a little lost. I just have to give a shout out to Dakota Fanning who is such a great actress, who chose such a small but powerful role of Jane, the small yet completely commanding vampire guard of the Volturi, the vampires who are considered the upholders of law in their world. With a look, Jane can make a person feel pain like they've never experienced before and Dakota just slips into that role so well.
So far, I have seen Eclipse twice and I plan to see it again before it leaves theaters. After seeing it the second time, it made me like it even more. Also, if I can say anything positive about the Twilight films that even those who can't stand the films would agree with, is the strong quality of the soundtracks. They had such a great soundtrack for this movie with Muse, Vampire Weekend, Bat for Lashes and the Black Keys. So far, Eclipse has made over 300 million dollars worldwide, which shows the dedication of the fans to the franchise no matter what.
Overall I give Eclipse, 6.8/10 newborns.
Knight and Day
Knight and Day starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz was a mildly entertaining spy movie, that left me with a few chuckles but other than that was another B list movie with A list actors. Tom Cruise is quite funny as Roy Miller, the slightly zany yet dashing rogue agent, who after a crazy cross country flight finds himself in the company of June Havens, a woman on her way to secure her sister's wedding gift. After June gets involved with Roy, they go on a series of events including car chases, gun battles, train fights, all while being hunted by the CIA and other government entities. Roy's mission is to protect an energy source (the Zephyr) at all costs and June finds herself on the ride of her life. Both Cruise and Diaz have great chemistry on screen and they seem to charm their way through a mediocre plot that could have had slightly better draw with more resources on the editing and budgetary parts. Half the movie, June is drugged and we go from a desert island to Spain or to the mountains of Austria. Even with those minor issues, I still loved all of the locations, the humor, the adventure and how easily Tom and Cameron clicked. The movie does leave you with a few valuable lessons, like how to maneuver out of a behind-the-back attack grip across your arms or how to change someone's clothes without looking (see it to understand).
Overall, I give this movie 8.5/10 Zephyrs.
Overall, I give this movie 8.5/10 Zephyrs.
Tons of Movies and Tons of Reviews!
I have taken a slight break from blogging due to my change in jobs but now I'm back. I have 4 movies to review that I've seen since the end of June.
First, Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner.
Predators 2, with Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, and Topher Grace.
Finally what I just saw tonight, Inception, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, and Cillian Murphy.
All of these movies range from wildly entertaining to dreadfully predictable, so I'll tell you what I think you should see and what you should avoid investing precious time.
First, Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner.
Predators 2, with Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, and Topher Grace.
Finally what I just saw tonight, Inception, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, and Cillian Murphy.
All of these movies range from wildly entertaining to dreadfully predictable, so I'll tell you what I think you should see and what you should avoid investing precious time.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Coming up next in the review pool
I've been a bit busy with work but I will be doing reviews on Knight and Day as well as The Twilight Saga: Eclipse! I will see Toy Story 3 next month due to a commitment I made to my brother not to see it without him. He's in a summer program at Princeton. So this weekend look forward to some new reviews!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
I got a special request from Whitney to review Dreamworks' new movie "How to Train Your Dragon". Off the bat, I'm going to say go see it. I loved this movie. This has been the best Dreamworks movie for me since Shrek. HTTYD has a very interesting assortment of cast members ranging from Jay Baruchel as the misunderstood yet clever Hiccup, Gerard Butler as Hiccup's dad Stoick, to America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig as the band of young dragon slayers. The story is set in a small Viking community near the sea, which is constantly harassed by dragons who come to steal their livestock and most of the time, wind up burning down half the village. In this village, Hiccup, the son of the village chief Stoick, is everything a Viking isn't. He's clumsy, he's not very strong and he doesn't have much of a talent for fighting. The one talent he does have, is the ability to understand dragons and befriend them, in particular Toothless, a very rare and curious dragon (a Night Fury). Hiccup and Toothless eventually form a strong bond which is contrary to the very nature of a Viking, whose natural enemy is the menacing and deadly dragon. Hiccup struggles to find acceptance in the village, among his peers and also with his father.
This high flying adventure is full of action, magic and a tiny kid sized portion of romance. There is an epic battle between the dragons and the Vikings, which is well done. I loved the different kinds of dragons and the dragon fighting school scenes. The ingenuity of Hiccup shows throughout the movie and what he lacks in physical strength, he makes up for in smarts and sincerity. I thought that his transformation from beginning to end was in some ways cliche; the young boy who desperately wanted to fit in, finally finds acceptance by standing out. In that respect, I think if you must have a script with an over-arching cliche, make it interesting, make it fun and make it memorable. How to Train Your Dragon hits all three points. The ending (which I won't spoil) caught me off guard but in a good way. It showed that just because it is a kids movie doesn't mean they have to make the ending overly fluffy. There are some good lessons to be learned in this movie, such as don't be quick to judge someone (or something) before you get to know them, be true to yourself, stand up for your beliefs and you'll never regret it.
I'm going to rate this movie 8.0/10 dragons.
Go see it!
This high flying adventure is full of action, magic and a tiny kid sized portion of romance. There is an epic battle between the dragons and the Vikings, which is well done. I loved the different kinds of dragons and the dragon fighting school scenes. The ingenuity of Hiccup shows throughout the movie and what he lacks in physical strength, he makes up for in smarts and sincerity. I thought that his transformation from beginning to end was in some ways cliche; the young boy who desperately wanted to fit in, finally finds acceptance by standing out. In that respect, I think if you must have a script with an over-arching cliche, make it interesting, make it fun and make it memorable. How to Train Your Dragon hits all three points. The ending (which I won't spoil) caught me off guard but in a good way. It showed that just because it is a kids movie doesn't mean they have to make the ending overly fluffy. There are some good lessons to be learned in this movie, such as don't be quick to judge someone (or something) before you get to know them, be true to yourself, stand up for your beliefs and you'll never regret it.
I'm going to rate this movie 8.0/10 dragons.
Go see it!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Karate Kid (2010)
The Karate Kid (2010): Starring Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson
I saw the movie Friday night and it was fantastic. I gave a bit of a synopsis in the previous post so, I'll just give my thoughts on this post. I thought this was a very well made movie. There were quite a few kids in the audience, but honestly even if you are an adult, there are subjects in the movie that you can relate to. Being the target of a bully, is the main focus of the movie for young Dre and I have to say he did such a good job of emitting those feelings of fear and alienation. I know for most of the movie I cringed every time those bullies were around and the fight scenes were ridiculous (in a good way). The bullies also were very convincing with their incredible kung fu and parkour skills.
Jackie is known for his fighting skills and creating his own stunts, so we see that a bit in the film. I think Jaden stole the show entirely with how much he put into this role. He trained for months to play this part, and he sure played it. Learning kung fu unleashed something in Jaden that was both powerful and entrancing (especially the snake scene, you'll understand once you see). I really enjoyed the performance of the only real friend Dre made at school, and the girl he has a crush on, Meiying (played by the Wenwen Han). I thought Wenwen was fantastic and she surprised me quite a bit in her abilities muscially, and socially throughout the film. Jackie Chan was very good as Dre's Kung Fu master and he showed a vulnerable side I had never seen before. It added a new dimension to him, that I liked very much.
You really get a good sense of China, its ancient and modern beauty and the struggles for a foreigner in a new place. The movie overall is intense in its emotions, the fear, the joy, the sadness and the frustration that comes with overcoming an immense challenge. The kids in the tournament in the movie are so skilled and you won't be able to turn away. I just wanted to give you all a taste. I won't spoil the great parts of the movie but trust that this remake is moving and very fun. At the end, everyone in the audience was applauding, and I haven't been to a movie in a while that made everyone clap. Go see this!!!!
I rate this movie as a 7.2/10 Kung Fu Kicks!
I saw the movie Friday night and it was fantastic. I gave a bit of a synopsis in the previous post so, I'll just give my thoughts on this post. I thought this was a very well made movie. There were quite a few kids in the audience, but honestly even if you are an adult, there are subjects in the movie that you can relate to. Being the target of a bully, is the main focus of the movie for young Dre and I have to say he did such a good job of emitting those feelings of fear and alienation. I know for most of the movie I cringed every time those bullies were around and the fight scenes were ridiculous (in a good way). The bullies also were very convincing with their incredible kung fu and parkour skills.
Jackie is known for his fighting skills and creating his own stunts, so we see that a bit in the film. I think Jaden stole the show entirely with how much he put into this role. He trained for months to play this part, and he sure played it. Learning kung fu unleashed something in Jaden that was both powerful and entrancing (especially the snake scene, you'll understand once you see). I really enjoyed the performance of the only real friend Dre made at school, and the girl he has a crush on, Meiying (played by the Wenwen Han). I thought Wenwen was fantastic and she surprised me quite a bit in her abilities muscially, and socially throughout the film. Jackie Chan was very good as Dre's Kung Fu master and he showed a vulnerable side I had never seen before. It added a new dimension to him, that I liked very much.
You really get a good sense of China, its ancient and modern beauty and the struggles for a foreigner in a new place. The movie overall is intense in its emotions, the fear, the joy, the sadness and the frustration that comes with overcoming an immense challenge. The kids in the tournament in the movie are so skilled and you won't be able to turn away. I just wanted to give you all a taste. I won't spoil the great parts of the movie but trust that this remake is moving and very fun. At the end, everyone in the audience was applauding, and I haven't been to a movie in a while that made everyone clap. Go see this!!!!
I rate this movie as a 7.2/10 Kung Fu Kicks!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Karate Kid
Well my fellow moviegoers, this weekend I'll be seeing "The Karate Kid" starring Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan and Taraji P. Henson. I'm really looking forward to this movie. Firstly, who doesn't love Jaden Smith? The child of the amazingly talented Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, has proved that he does have some acting chops at such a young age. He starred in "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Will and I really enjoyed that movie. He's also starred in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," the remake of the 1951 classic, with Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly and Keanu Reeves. I look forward to his many, many movies in the future. Dre and his mom (played by Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson, from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") move to China to make a fresh start. Soon, Dre is the target of the local bully at school and learns the art of Kung Fu to defend himself.
The other main character is the awesomely skilled marital artist Jackie Chan. I don't need to explain how great he is at flipping, jumping, kicking and creating all of his own stunts. He plays Mr. Han, the kind custodian who takes young Dre under his wings and teaches him the art of Kung Fu. He is the new Pat Morita, the new Mr. Miyagi. Like I mentioned before, I can't wait to see this. I know Jaden trained for months to be able to do the stunt work in this movie. If you didn't know already, the whole Smith family joined Jaden in China while he was filming. During that time Will Smith, flew home EVERY weekend from China back to L.A. to watch his older son Trey play football (apparently he's really good). That is one dedicated and (well-off) dad.
Keep an eye out for my review on "The Karate Kid" in theaters tomorrow (06/11)
The other main character is the awesomely skilled marital artist Jackie Chan. I don't need to explain how great he is at flipping, jumping, kicking and creating all of his own stunts. He plays Mr. Han, the kind custodian who takes young Dre under his wings and teaches him the art of Kung Fu. He is the new Pat Morita, the new Mr. Miyagi. Like I mentioned before, I can't wait to see this. I know Jaden trained for months to be able to do the stunt work in this movie. If you didn't know already, the whole Smith family joined Jaden in China while he was filming. During that time Will Smith, flew home EVERY weekend from China back to L.A. to watch his older son Trey play football (apparently he's really good). That is one dedicated and (well-off) dad.
Keep an eye out for my review on "The Karate Kid" in theaters tomorrow (06/11)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Robin Hood > > ---------------> |((o))|
I just want to start off by saying..go see this movie! Director Ridley Scott has done it again, with this modern version of a classic tale. I overheard someone commenting a week ago that this movie is just like Gladiator but just in England. All I have to say to that guy is come on, just enjoy the film for what is it. Stop comparing it to Gladiator and just enjoy the experience (it wasn't really the same). Ridley Scott is joined again by Oscar winner Russell Crowe who stars as Robin Longstride a.k.a. Robin Hood. The setting of this movie is in the 12th century just at the end of King Richard the Lionheart's failed Crusades in the Middle East. Robin Hood was an archer in the King's army but through numerous twists of fate, he winds up at the home of a fallen soldier and meets the recently widowed and tough willed Lady Marian (Oscar winner Cate Blanchett). Meanwhile, trouble is brewing between the power hungry French King and a weakened England, and King Philip is presented with an opportunity to usurp the English throne. There is a TON of action in the movie (obviously) but I just wanted to note, that the action scenes were well done. There is a touch of romance here and there between Robin and Lady Marion and I appreciated how discreet it was at times but yet still powerfully engaging. They had such natural chemistry. I thought King John was played well by Oscar Issac. He really emitted the annoying and self-entitled air of the younger, jealous brother of the beloved Richard. There were quite a few comical bits intertwined with the more serious moments of betrayal, pain and the bloodiness of battle. Also, the villain of the film, Godfrey was played by the great Mark Strong. He's just so great at being bad. Overall, well done plot, great characters and a clean ending. I'm buying this when it comes out on DVD.
I'm going to give Robin Hood 9.1/10 arrows. Go see it!
I'm going to give Robin Hood 9.1/10 arrows. Go see it!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
True Blood Ultimate Fan Experience
Last night, in over 50 different movie theaters across the country, fans of True Blood, the hit HBO Southern vampire drama, got a little taste of the upcoming third season of the show. My friend Makeda and I had the opportunity to go to the Sugar Land, TX AMC theaters at 11pm. We had the red carpet experience, with a photographer snapping shots of every fan coming in, with a special True Blood backdrop. Once inside the theater, there were clips from both seasons, short interviews with the cast about new characters and a whole lot of fun. We watched the Season 2 Finale via satellite (there were some technical issues but they were fixed at the end, thankfully). After the finale was over, we tuned into a live chat with the director of the show Alan Ball and all of the castmates..except for Nelsan Ellis (who plays Lafayette, the feisty cook from Merlotte's Bar and Grille) because he was ill. We were shown a never before seen trailer with new bits of information for ravenous "Truebies". You can watch the live Q&A on True Blood's Facebook page.
After that, once we stepped outside the theater doors, at 1:30am, we were greeted by the theater staff with lots of free goodies. A True Blood themed drawstring bag, a promotional poster of Season 3, a choice between the soundtrack to season 2 or a Sookie Stackhouse novel by Charlaine Harris, and finally to top it off, a bottle of True Blood for the road. I'm saving that for the June 13th premiere of True Blood at 9/8c. Even inside the bags, were mini promotional postcards of teasers for season 3. So overall, it was a very good night, and it was my first time winning VIP tickets for an event. The sweepstakes on Facebook gave away 50 free VIP tickets per city and winning them helped start June off the right way.
Hopefully, this little TV sidenote got some of you interested in this exciting young series.
I did get a chance over the weekend to see Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett and I'll be reviewing that tomorrow. Right now I'm so tired from this extremely long day. I need to catch up on my rest. Thank goodness it's Thursday tomorrow.
So for now, so long and sweet dreams.
After that, once we stepped outside the theater doors, at 1:30am, we were greeted by the theater staff with lots of free goodies. A True Blood themed drawstring bag, a promotional poster of Season 3, a choice between the soundtrack to season 2 or a Sookie Stackhouse novel by Charlaine Harris, and finally to top it off, a bottle of True Blood for the road. I'm saving that for the June 13th premiere of True Blood at 9/8c. Even inside the bags, were mini promotional postcards of teasers for season 3. So overall, it was a very good night, and it was my first time winning VIP tickets for an event. The sweepstakes on Facebook gave away 50 free VIP tickets per city and winning them helped start June off the right way.
Hopefully, this little TV sidenote got some of you interested in this exciting young series.
I did get a chance over the weekend to see Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett and I'll be reviewing that tomorrow. Right now I'm so tired from this extremely long day. I need to catch up on my rest. Thank goodness it's Thursday tomorrow.
So for now, so long and sweet dreams.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Yesterday, I went with some friends to see the new movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This movie was based on the video game but this review is from the point of view of someone who has never played the game firsthand. I thought that there elements of the movie that were great but other elements fell short of the target. I loved the scenery shots of Alamut and of the Persian kingdom, but at certain points when CGI was involved (more in action shots), it looked really computerized. I really enjoyed the many action sequences and I thought that Jake Gyllenhaal played the part well. He really bulked up to play Dastan and his fight scenes for the most part were believable. What bothered me was the accent. Most of the other characters had a decent if not stellar accent, but Jake struggled a bit with making it more realistic. It was more American trying to sound British, but in the end, I did like him as Prince Dastan. My friend thought that he could have been replaced by some unknown accented actor, but Gyllenhaal has the star power to boost the box office sales.
I liked the banter between Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton who played Princess Tamina, and I thought they had good chemistry. My favorite part involving the CGI was of course Prince Dastan's journey back into time, turning his body into sand and the ability to manipulate events to change the future. I thought that was very well done. The movie for the most part had exciting battle scences, especially the Hassasin fight scenes. The only problem that I noticed with the plot was how Dastan, after releasing the sand through the dagger, got transported back to just after he captured Alamut. He simply accuses his uncle right in the open and basically for his brothers to believe him was a huge leap of faith in reality. We knew the truth, but I thought that it was tied together in a sloppy way. They could of added a little more time to the movie to make a better way for Dastan to show the treachery of his uncle Nizam. Also, I liked that Dastan and Tamina got a second chance to be together which ended the movie on a good note for me.
Overall, I'll give this movie 6.5/10 Sand Daggers (trying a new ranking system, but it will change for each movie)
I liked the banter between Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton who played Princess Tamina, and I thought they had good chemistry. My favorite part involving the CGI was of course Prince Dastan's journey back into time, turning his body into sand and the ability to manipulate events to change the future. I thought that was very well done. The movie for the most part had exciting battle scences, especially the Hassasin fight scenes. The only problem that I noticed with the plot was how Dastan, after releasing the sand through the dagger, got transported back to just after he captured Alamut. He simply accuses his uncle right in the open and basically for his brothers to believe him was a huge leap of faith in reality. We knew the truth, but I thought that it was tied together in a sloppy way. They could of added a little more time to the movie to make a better way for Dastan to show the treachery of his uncle Nizam. Also, I liked that Dastan and Tamina got a second chance to be together which ended the movie on a good note for me.
Overall, I'll give this movie 6.5/10 Sand Daggers (trying a new ranking system, but it will change for each movie)
Hello! I will be reviewing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time next, but just to update everyone on my rankings system. Right now, it'll be a letter grade A,B,C,D or F but later I'll transition into something more movie related, like popcorn kernels or ticket stubs. Also, these posts may contain spoilers, so read these with caution and remember my rating might be different from yours on certain movies, but hopefully for the majority of movies I review, I can steer you all into the right direction.
~Arianna~
~Arianna~
Friday, May 28, 2010
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Memorial Day Weekend
Hey everyone!
My next review will be on Prince of Persia starring Jake Gyllenhaal as heroic Prince Dastan and his rival Princess Tamina played by Gemma Arterton. Also, starring Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina.
The plot: Prince Dastan teams up with rival Princess Tamina to stop an evil ruler from using other worldly powers to conjure up a sandstorm that would destroy everything.
Based on the video game.
My next review will be on Prince of Persia starring Jake Gyllenhaal as heroic Prince Dastan and his rival Princess Tamina played by Gemma Arterton. Also, starring Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina.
The plot: Prince Dastan teams up with rival Princess Tamina to stop an evil ruler from using other worldly powers to conjure up a sandstorm that would destroy everything.
Based on the video game.
Just Wright (2010)
Starring: Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton
Just Wright was better than I originally thought it would be. Queen Latifah was very good in her role as Leslie Wright, the hard working, and under appreciated physical therapist who can't seem to find the right guy. She's always put in the "friend zone" by guys, much unlike her cousin, Morgan Alexander (Paula Patton), who is a manipulative, and materialistic woman. Leslie is the biggest New Jersey Nets fan and one night has a chance encounter with Scott McKnight (Common), the promising star of the Nets. After helping him out one night, he invites Leslie to his birthday party but when she shows up, with Morgan in tow, Scott forgets their instant chemistry and falls instantly in love with Morgan, really for all the wrong reasons (typical plot there).
The movie really starts after Scott and Morgan are engaged but Scott suffers a major knee injury that could cost him his career. Leslie helps Scott immensely in his recovery process but eventually she falls for him. Now I won't spoil the rest of the movie for you guys, but overall the movie proved to be a good one. With lots of sports action for guys and romance for girls, this movie has a solid plot and good acting, although at times Paula Patton's character is a little overdone, but in a comical way. Overall, I would rate this movie as a solid B because although I enjoyed the movie, I felt like there was nothing really holding me to the story after the credits were rolling.
Just Wright was better than I originally thought it would be. Queen Latifah was very good in her role as Leslie Wright, the hard working, and under appreciated physical therapist who can't seem to find the right guy. She's always put in the "friend zone" by guys, much unlike her cousin, Morgan Alexander (Paula Patton), who is a manipulative, and materialistic woman. Leslie is the biggest New Jersey Nets fan and one night has a chance encounter with Scott McKnight (Common), the promising star of the Nets. After helping him out one night, he invites Leslie to his birthday party but when she shows up, with Morgan in tow, Scott forgets their instant chemistry and falls instantly in love with Morgan, really for all the wrong reasons (typical plot there).
The movie really starts after Scott and Morgan are engaged but Scott suffers a major knee injury that could cost him his career. Leslie helps Scott immensely in his recovery process but eventually she falls for him. Now I won't spoil the rest of the movie for you guys, but overall the movie proved to be a good one. With lots of sports action for guys and romance for girls, this movie has a solid plot and good acting, although at times Paula Patton's character is a little overdone, but in a comical way. Overall, I would rate this movie as a solid B because although I enjoyed the movie, I felt like there was nothing really holding me to the story after the credits were rolling.
Welcome!
Hi everyone and welcome to my page. I'll start reviewing in the next post but look around, check out my other link to my Movie List page and enjoy!
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