Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Priest 3D
I don't quite understand the concept behind the movie. The movie is based on a series of graphic novels, but I'm not sure where the hell those crazy Koreans came up with this mismatched mash-up of genres. Is it a western? Is it Science-Fiction? Is it Horror?
It's actually all of those plus post-apocalyptic adventure. The addition of warrior priests weirds the thing up to completion. Throughout the entire movie I kept thinking to myself, "... what...?"
Paul Bettany is actually kind of a good actor, so I'm thinking it's time he fired his agent. Whoever green lit this shit storm should also be let go. Please don't waste your money on this garbage!
Battle: Los Angeles
Battle: LA is a pretty straight forward action flick. It's Saving Private Ryan with aliens. Gritty and realistic, the director succeeds in his attempt to merge the modern style shaky cam war footage like in The Hurt Locker with the special effects of an alien invasion.
The acting is not exactly top notch, but it's sort of covered up by the gunfire and explosions. There's really no story to speak of and I would have liked one, but I still didn't hate it.
Battle: LA definitely won't be anywheres near my top 20 at the end of this year, but it's still a fun ride.
Mars Needs Moms
I was pleasantly surprised by Mars Needs Moms. I really thought I was going to hate it and I didn't. Knowing that I would probably hate it might have lowered my expectations enough to actually give it a positive review, but that won't help this movie at all since it had the 12th worst opening weekend for a movie released on more than 3000 screens.
Clearly others weren't willing to give it the same chance I did, and with good reason. Other films that were created with the same motion capture animation have been horrible. The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol were filled with soulless, weightless characters; if you look into their eyes, you will see what death is like. The studio seems to be working it's way out of the uncanny valley, slowly but surely, as the characters in Mars Needs Moms are very much less creepy than in earlier films. I'm not sure, however, that Disney will be investing much more of their money into this style of animation.
Mars Needs Moms might already be out of theatres, but if you want a family night with your kids, give it a rent and help Disney make back some of the $150 million budget that it pretty much just flushed down the toilet.
The Adjustment Bureau
I really liked The Adjustment Bureau. I like the concept, story, the actors... almost everything. I didn't like the director, the screenplay and the end... so, almost everything.
I don't know if The Adjustment Bureau was too long or too short, but it definitely wasn't the right length, and then it just kind of ends. The end of the movie (which I won't give away even though it sucks) is really weak. Given the epic nature of the movie's concept, there should have been way more to it than there was.
I loved the whole idea behind the movie though; that we're all on a set path, but that it's possible to stray from that path in order to fight for something/one that we care about. I completely believed the chemistry between the actors and was rooting for them the whole time.
If the director and writer had done a better job, this would be an instant "must-see" recommendation. Alas, I can only recommend a video rental in a few months :-( .
Tron: Legacy 3D
... I wanted so bad for this movie to exceed my dismally low expectations and sadly, it was only able to meet them.
Aside from the special effects, Tron: Legacy has very little to offer other that a cool score written by Daft Punk. The performances are either over-epically serious or sickeningly cutesy-cute. Why Disney would put this tent-pole holiday release into the hands of a first time director is mind-blowing, but I'm really not 100% sure that it would have been all that much better in the hands of a seasoned director, anyway.
I think the biggest disappointment is probably special effects related. While the movie was stunning to look at, there was never any huge special effects climax or overly impressive stunt to "wow" the audience beyond the pretty standard effects that fill the movie. The visual effects are just a stagnant aspect of the movie that you'll take for granted by the 30 minute mark.
The story was both overly complicated and irritatingly unoriginal and while the effects were enough to keep me engaged for the length of the movie, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that anyone spend money to see Tron: Legacy unless you are only looking for eye-candy and your standards for what qualifies as eye-candy is on the low side.
Skyline
God no.
Skyline has phenomenal special effects. Everything else about it is phenomenally bad. The story is nonexistent, but not for a lack of trying. The writer's attempts at a plot is pathetic at best as are the actors' attempts acting.
If you're looking for pure eye candy, Skyline will suit your needs. If you like a little substance in your movie going experience, look elsewhere.
Resident Evil: Afterlife
I fell asleep...
.. which is an amazing feat considering the fact that Resident Evil: Afterlife is one of the loudest most obnoxious movies I've ever gone to. It's just awful. As if it weren't bad enough, they torture the audience with slow motion; essentially doubling the actual length of the movie. Total crap.
Piranha 3D
... and by yes, I mean, "Shit, yeah!!!"
Piranha 3D is a remake of the 1978 cult classic that, based on the synopsis I read, is nothing like the "remake" at all. That's irrelevant though, because this new version is (I'm sure) just as silly, campy, gorey, and nude-y as it's predecessor.
The effects are terrible, the acting is over-the-top and the story is, obviously, ridiculous. However, Piranha 3D succeeds where, say, Snakes on a Plane failed because it never tries to take itself seriously. The producers knew what kind of movie they were trying to make and hired people who "got it".
You should run out and catch Piranha in 3D if you still can... it's fun.
Inception
I'm behind on my reviews; I've seen The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Despicable Me and I just watched From Paris with Love at home... I'll go back to them, but I need to submit this post now because everyone needs to go out and experience this film as soon as possible.
I saw it twice. On Wednesday, I woke up and was at work by 10:30am. I worked until 9pm and then watched Inception, a two and a half hour film, at 1am (technically Thursday morning). I was exhausted, first from the day and then from trying to follow what was going on in the movie. I drifted off once or twice and needless to say, I had several questions at the end of the movie. I watched it again at 10:45pm on Thursday night and everything became clear. There are no words to describe the epic nature of Inception, the closest I can get would be with "Brilliant", or "Mind-blowing", or "Astounding".
When I say everything became clear, I don't mean to imply that I could verbalize the complex plot or the rules created by the genius writer/director that govern the world(s) the film takes place in... I just don't have the vocabulary or the articulation necessary to explain it. Suffice it to say Inception is one of the most extraordinary pieces of film making to hit the screen in... forever(?). The fact that anyone could put something like Inception together in a way that is even remotely coherent, is staggering.
Christopher Nolan. He hasn't made a "bad" movie yet. Memento was phenomenal, Insomnia was OK. Batman Begins was great and The Prestige was really good as well... you should know by now how I feel about The Dark Knight and now he pulls Inception out his hat. His next film will be the final entry in his Batman trilogy and if he is successful with "Batman 3", he may earn the coveted role of "Mike's favorite director". (Yes, it is coveted.)
Needless to say, the writing and direction are unbelievably good. The acting is stellar all around; there isn't a single weak link in the cast. The visual and sound effects seamlessly bring you in the world of the dreams, and the orchestral score is emotive and exciting. The action sequences will keep you on the edge of your seat and the love story is absolutely heart-breaking.
My suggestion to you is that when you go to see Inception... and you will go see Inception... you pay attention when the characters are talking... even some of the "throw away" lines of dialogue are important. Go see it tonight. And tomorrow... I'm going for a third time next week, let me know if you wanna tag along.
P.S. Warner Bros - Thank you for not releasing this in 3D.
Predators
So Predators is by no means a good movie, but it's successful in that it was an unnecessary sequel that didn't destroy the mythology of the original, and actually could have held up on it's own without the original having already existed.
There were no weak links in the cast, and the writers and director were totally aware of the lack of necessity for another film in the Predator saga so they never took the film too seriously.
Should you see it? No; it didn't even need to be made... but you can. If you do you'll probably have fun.
Hot Tub Time Machine
Yes... however... ...the majority of my review can be summed up in 6 words: "It's called Hot Tub Time Machine." It's a stupid movie, but it knows it and revels in it.
There are a few flaws in it... It wasn't as consistently funny as, say, The Hangover; most of it's laughs were 80's nostalgia based, but they didn't go as far with it as I thought they would. A staple of the 80's comedy was the competition, like a boat race or a eating contest, that they would have to win to save their friend's grandmother's house. Since John Cusak was in it and was an integral part of that era, you would think that he would have put a little more thought into it. Also, the time travel would have created a paradox that the film makers kind of overlooked which probably would have ended the world.
Hot Tub Time Machine is funny, raunchy, stupid fun. It's definitely the kind of movie that you should get high before going to see.
Repo Men
No.Repo Men is just an excuse to release a blood splattered movie in theatres.
There are so many different approaches they could have taken with the subject matter to make the film relevant in today's society. The new Health Care craze and the nation's current economic crisis could have both been analyzed through the clever concept for this movie. Neither were.
Even the most basic concept or morality is only briefly explored with Remy's (Jude Law) wife's decision to leave him if he didn't transfer to the sales team and get out of the repossession department. Even that's a pretty weak gesture since that implies that if she turns a blind eye, everything is OK. I was really hoping that the ethics of the company that repossesses your organs if you can't pay back your loan would play a role in the plot of the movie. It didn't.
Having watched this movie free of charge, it's difficult for me to say that I didn't at least enjoy watching it play out. I was hoping for a whole lot more and if I had payed to see it, I would have been furious.
The Crazies
Yes.I was kind of surprised by how much I like The Crazies. Even with the good reviews it was getting, I was just expecting a half-way decent "zombie" flick that wasn't good, but wasn't bad, either.
The characters never do anything that's blatantly stupid. Yes, they take risks, but not completely unnecessary ones and I never thought any of the main characters made any idiotic decisions. I suppose The Crazies represents how rational people would handle the situation.
I prefer the weapons grade biological weapon leak to the traditional zombie stories where the "disease" is contagious and no one really knows what it is or where it came from. The military's attempt to quarantine the outbreak added an interesting element to a story that usually consists a much more clear-cut identification of who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.
The Crazies was good. If you dig these kinds of movies, definitely check this one out.
Daybreakers
Yes, thanks to the Halo effect.Vampire movies and movies in January all tend to suck these days. Since I didn't absolutely HATE Daybreakers, I'm actually willing to give it the stamp of approval.
Daybreakers is over-the-top, overly gory, over acted and over directed. It's clear that the directors are really really trying to create a moody atmosphere, which they do... unfortunately we can tell that they were trying to create it instead of just wallowing in the gloom along with the characters. The special effects are good but the action sequences are boring and always needed to shock you at the end with something gross in order for you to remember it.
I like how they stuck, for the most part, to the original rules that governed the vampire population in their original tales. They can't go out in daylight, they need blood to survive, they have no reflection, etc. This is, however, the first time that I've seen a movie try to cure vampirism as if it were a disease. The way that they do it is... kind of clever.
There is no twist at the end of this movie, the whole thing pans out exactly as planned and so after the movie, there is little to talk about. If you're into vampire movies you can go see Daybreakers, but as I've said a million times... it's January, keep your expectations in check.
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