I saw the second the day it came out and it was hilarious, but it was more like a big expansion of just the icing-on-the-cake elements of the first film, the pop-culturey stuff and kids-characters-WITH-ATTITUDE, but it didn't have the same heart or drama. I haven't had much desire to see it again or gotten around to seeing the third because it looks like the same thing.
Don't expect me to take you with me when I go to s
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
25,007
SHUTTER ISLAND - ****
This is a fantastic movie. The cast, the cinematography, the score... I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie because of how tense it was. But unfortunately... there is a twist. Everyone knew the twist was coming... so why have the twist in the first place? Imagine the movie without it. I think it's a lot better.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - ***
It's not a bad movie... it was just a pointless one. It's fun but it's unnecessary. I didn't expect much from it and I didn't get much from it. Tim Burton needs to get back on track.
KICK-ASS - ****
Is this the best superhero movie ever? No... but it's an incredibly fun one and that's all I want from a movie titled KICK-ASS. The movie is a great adaptation of an okay comic book (I approved of most of the changes except for the
jetpack
) and I thought all the characters were wonderful. What I thought was most impressive was it looked just as good as most of the other superhero blockbuster movies and was done with less than a quarter of the budget. I really hope this movie succeeds because the entire process behind this movie is how movies should be made. Also, Big Daddy and Hit-Girl stole the entire thing.
Datenight There were a lot of funny parts, for sure. Tina Fey and Steve Carell work well together. I also liked that it was a nice story about a couple who love each other even in the midst of life being a huge routine. There aren't enough stories like that. That being said, the pole dancing scene was so painful it made my eyes bleed. Overall, it was entertaining, but I doubt I'd watch it again on purpose. -- C+
Overseas we have what's called AFN (Armed Forces Network). They'll show some of the TV shows from back home, but on a delayed schedule. So if there's a new episode of The Office....we get it almost 4 weeks later. The delay isn't that bad, especially if you're somewhere like Germany where you can get good internet access you can just stay current by watching stuff online.
But what really sucks is that we don't have actual commercials. Not like in the States. AFN isn't allowed to air company commercials. So instead it's all military commercial PSAs. So instead of seeing a TV spot for Date Night...we'll get a armed forces skit about a soldier who is depressed and at the end we get the words "Contact Your Unit Chaplain or Mental Health For Help".
Daybreakers - Really creative, constant tension, stacked cast, damn good film. Really liked what they did with the concept. 8/10
The Wolfman - This really could've been great, but a lot of the usual things went wrong. Insane amount of CGI, jump-heavy blockbuster scares without much atmosphere or showmanship to them, bizarre pacing, etc. I love a lot of Joe Johnston's stuff but I think he's just not a horror director. M. Night Shymalan could've done a great job with this. Every actor does very well though. Hopkins saves the whole film. 5.5/10
I just read that they cut 17 minutes from the final cut of the film for theaters because the studio wanted audiences to get to the first Wolfman transformation sooner. Joe Johnston's putting these back for the DVD, which I want to see.
Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland - I think as entertainment this is pretty much critic-proof. It has a lot of the same problems with missed showmanship that Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory had, but at the end of the day it's a fun tribute to Carroll's world packed with colourful, captivating visuals, a great cast, and a good old-fashioned fantasy quest element woven through which it's fun to see the well-known characters participate in. Where else are you going to be able to see
a Jokerized Johnny Depp using a garment mannequin to swordfight a one-eyed Crispin Glover?
6.5/10.
The Crazies - An interesting take on the Zombiepocalypse genre and an effective, suspenseful, scary film overall. Literally every second is suspenseful, never letting up. 7.5/10
Hot Tub Time Machine - Absolutely The Hangover meets Back To The Future, this was hilarious. With a little more effort they could've approached a BTTF level of changed-the-future emotion and satisfaction at the end, but it was still a borderline great movie. 8.5/10
Kick-Ass - Apart from a few details I would've changed, and maybe a different lead actor, this was so ****ing good. 9.5/10
Clash Of The Titans - This wasn't directed very well, and is one of the poorest uses of the 3D process I've seen yet. Worthington's still good, everyone was, especially Mads Mikilsen, there were some AWESOME moments(the whole
Medusa sequence
was probably my favourite part), and it benefits from the original story still being so good. In a lot of ways it's a great old-fashioned movie, but one of the most powerful feelings it elicted in me is still "appreciation for Peter Jackson". But I still enjoyed it. 7/10
i went and saw how to train your dragon again, this time in 3D. I decided that I don't really like 3D that much.
My friend that i went with the second time says she loves 3D and wishes everything in life was 3D...
i'm not even kidding.
and then when I said How to Train your dragon was one of the best Dream Works films ever (up there with Shrek 1 and Kung Foo Panda) she said, "No way, A Bug's Life and Monsters Inc were WAY better!"
:lol:
Don't expect me to take you with me when I go to s
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
25,007
SHUTTER ISLAND - ****
This is a fantastic movie. The cast, the cinematography, the score... I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie because of how tense it was. But unfortunately... there is a twist. Everyone knew the twist was coming... so why have the twist in the first place? Imagine the movie without it. I think it's a lot better.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - **
It's not a bad movie... it was just a pointless one. It's fun but it's unnecessary. I didn't expect much from it and I didn't get much from it. Tim Burton needs to get back on track.
KICK-ASS - ****
Is this the best superhero movie ever? No... but it's an incredibly fun one and that's all I want from a movie titled KICK-ASS. The movie is a great adaptation of an okay comic book (I approved of most of the changes except for the
jetpack
) and I thought all the characters were wonderful. What I thought was most impressive was it looked just as good as most of the other superhero blockbuster movies and was done with less than a quarter of the budget. I really hope this movie succeeds because the entire process behind this movie is how movies should be made. Also, Big Daddy and Hit-Girl stole the entire thing.
IRON MAN 2 - ***
All of the recent negative reviews sort of lowered my expectations of this movie but I was glad to find that it just as entertaining as the first one. There's a lot more going on in this sequel but I think all of the elements are juggled well and they all come together at the end. The cast makes this movie and it's a shame because most of them are not given enough to do. The new additions are great though - I thought Johansson's Black Widow, Rockwell's Justin Hammer and Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko made the movie that much more exciting when they were on screen. There are a few flaws (the movie peaks at the Monaco sequence and it ends with a giant CGI battle but hey, it's Iron Man, what are you going to do?) but much like Star Trek or Sherlock Holmes, the movie is so fun you just don't care. The problem with The Avengers... Robert Downey, Jr's Tony Stark WILL dominate. I don't think the other characters stand a chance. His portrayal of the character is perfection.
10. The Crazies
Meh. Why are all these small town survivors movies the same?
9. The Wolfman
Exactly what I expected to be. The atmosphere and mood were perfect and it was a just a really entertaining movie.
8. Hot Tub Time Machine
A really interesting premise, and while it had a few laughs, there really wasn't much to it.
7. Clash of the Titans
Great special effects, effective cast, and an average movie. Not as epic as I expecting. It felt awkward in some scenes, like they couldn't pull off what they were going for.
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street
Jackie is no Robert Englund but he was still great. It was a remake for good or bad. Nothing really new, but just more of the same with new look. But I still liked it well enough.
5. How To Train Your Dragon
One of the more enjoyable Dreamworks films. Great voice cast and I want a pet dragon.
4. The Book of Eli
Surprising how good it was. I loved the entire tone of the movie. It really suprised me with the whole purpose of the film.
3. Alice in Wonderland
I went into thinking mediocre at best. It was quite better then I expected and one of Burton's best. Depp as the Mad Hatter, while on paper sounds awesome, was actually the worse part of the movie. He had some moments but mostly meh. Alice on the otherhand was wonderful.
2. Kick-Ass
I wasn't a huge fan of the book and I think I like the movie better. I could stomach Nicholas Cage and while I liked some tweaks and changes, others I didn't.
1. Shutter Island
I totally would of done the ending differently. At first I was going to be annoyed if they went that route but they totally made it work. The movie had terrific atmosphere.
Youth in Revolt - 10/10
The Wolfman - 5/10
Shutter Island - 10/10
The Crazies - 5/10
Clash of the Titans - 4/10
Kick-Ass - 9/10
A Nightmare on Elm Street - 4/10
Iron Man 2 - 6/10
I've been really behind on this this year, haven't I? Not only on posting my list, but actually going out and seeing movies too... Still want to see Nightmare on Elm Street, Hot Tub Time Machine, Waking Sleeping Beauty, The Ghost Writer, and How to Train Your Dragon... So I'll be getting on that post-graduation.
1. Shutter Island – 9/10 – By far the best film to be released this year, and the only thing on this list likely to make the Oscars next spring... DiCaprio is phenomenal in this beautifully filmed thriller.
2. Kick-Ass – 8/10 – High octane fun... Much better than the original comic book series in the way it dropped its aspirations towards reality and embraced the absurdity of ultraviolence in superheroism.
3. Iron Man 2 – 7/10 – High octane fun as well, but without the story-work that should have been there to make it truly unforgettable. Truly wish I could rank this higher, but regardless, I had one hell of a time watching this movie.
4. Alice in Wonderland – 5/10 – This should have been infinitely weirder than it ultimately was. What it ended up as was simply a cliched fantasy plot forced into Wonderland... Some good visuals and performances, but by far the least satisfying Burton film in ages.
5. Daybreakers – 5/10 – This movie really could have been good... I loved the world, and Sam Neil made for a great villainous vampire... But in the end, it was just all kind of stupid.
6. Legion – 3/10 – "Ain't got no shark teeth, paw!" made me laugh out loud. A lot of this movie did. I don't think I would have enjoyed it at all without the few beers I drank beforehand.
Upcoming Movies to See:
Robin Hood, The Karate Kid, Toy Story 3, The Last Airbender, Predators, Inception, The Sorceror's Apprentice, Dinner for Schmucks, The Expendables, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Machete, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Social Network, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Tron Legacy, True Grit
Daybreakers - Really creative, constant tension, stacked cast, damn good film. Really liked what they did with the concept. 8/10
The Wolfman - This really could've been great, but a lot of the usual things went wrong. Insane amount of CGI, jump-heavy blockbuster scares without much atmosphere or showmanship to them, bizarre pacing, etc. I love a lot of Joe Johnston's stuff but I think he's just not a horror director. M. Night Shymalan could've done a great job with this. Every actor does very well though. Hopkins saves the whole film. 5.5/10
I just read that they cut 17 minutes from the final cut of the film for theaters because the studio wanted audiences to get to the first Wolfman transformation sooner. Joe Johnston's putting these back for the DVD, which I want to see.
Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland - I think as entertainment this is pretty much critic-proof. It has a lot of the same problems with missed showmanship that Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory had, but at the end of the day it's a fun tribute to Carroll's world packed with colourful, captivating visuals, a great cast, and a good old-fashioned fantasy quest element woven through which it's fun to see the well-known characters participate in. Where else are you going to be able to see
a Jokerized Johnny Depp using a garment mannequin to swordfight a one-eyed Crispin Glover?
6.5/10.
The Crazies - An interesting take on the Zombiepocalypse genre and an effective, suspenseful, scary film overall. Literally every second is suspenseful, never letting up. 7.5/10
Hot Tub Time Machine - Absolutely The Hangover meets Back To The Future, this was hilarious. With a little more effort they could've approached a BTTF level of changed-the-future emotion and satisfaction at the end, but it was still a borderline great movie. 8.5/10
Kick-Ass - Apart from a few details I would've changed, and maybe a different lead actor, this was so ****ing good. 9.5/10
Clash Of The Titans - This wasn't directed very well, and is one of the poorest uses of the 3D process I've seen yet. Worthington's still good, everyone was, especially Mads Mikilsen, there were some AWESOME moments(the whole
Medusa sequence
was probably my favourite part), and it benefits from the original story still being so good. In a lot of ways it's a great old-fashioned movie, but one of the most powerful feelings it elicted in me is still "appreciation for Peter Jackson". But I still enjoyed it. 7/10
A Nightmare On Elm Street - Barely scary and cluelessly directed, for the most part. But Haley is great and this film's story, and Freddy Krueger, are excellent and way, way more interesting than in the original. Some real horror direction, subtlety and scary imagery could've made the most of that story, but as it is this was still decent overall. 6/10
Iron Man 2 - This was amazingly engaging and entertaining, filled with captivating performances and some of the best effects-fueled action sequences in the whole superhero movie genre. The story parts didn't flow quite as well as in the first film, but the story was far bigger and more ambitious too, and in my opinion, worth that price. I loved every minute of it. 9.5/10
Datenight -- C+ Greenzone -- B How to Train A Dragon -- A-
Iron Man 2 -- A- Yep, it had some dumb plot devices (new element hidden in the map by Howard Stark). The last battle with Whiplash was weak and Samuel Jackson said "I have my eye on you." But The movie was fun and was never 'slow' as some critics claimed it was. RDJ, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, ScarJo and Jon Favreau (as director and as actor) did a great job. I enjoyed it a lot. Not every movie has to be a work of art, some can just pull off being fun.
EDIT: I rethought my grading scale and gave Datenight and Greenzone a lower score.
Iron Man 2: B
I liked it a lot. It wasn't as good as the first one (which is the best Marvel movie yet), but it was good nonetheless. I really don't know what else I can add. I think think that Sam Jackson just seemed to be playing Sam Jackson with an eye patch. While I have heard criticism that the Avengers stuff seems forced, I really didn't get that impression. One thing I didn't like was the whole fight scene between Rhodey and Tony when he was wasted at his brithday party. Also, SHIELD did too much in the movie to solve Tony's problems...it would have been better if he stumbled upon his father's work on his own.
Robin Hood: C+
Not as bad as some of the reviews out there would lead you to believe. Just be warned that this really isn't your traditional Robin Hood, at least not until the final couple minutes of the movie. This is pretty much the Batman Begins of Robin Hood. I liked almost all of the cast, with the possible exception of Crowe as Robin Hood. He wasn't bad per se in the role, I just felt as though he looked a bit out of place. Maybe that's just my preconceived notions of who Robin Hood is coming into play. The guy who played King John was especially good in my opinion, as were the Merry Men. I did think that the final "epic" battle was a bit of a mess and seemed kinda anticlimatic. Overall not bad but far from great.
The Wolfman: D
I was pretty disappointed by this film. The plot was pretty predictable, the Wolfman looked pretty ridiculous and the story was only so-so. Things I did like: Emily Blunt, the CGI transformations, the atmosphere and "look" of the film, all of the stuff in the asylum. After seeing the movie maybe they were smart to focus more on CGI, because the Wolfman that was obviously traditional makeup looked kinda ridiculous.
The reviews for Robin Hood make it sound identical to what I was expecting from the commercials. Meh. I'll see it eventually because I love Crowe, but ain't in any rush.
Daybreakers - Really creative, constant tension, stacked cast, damn good film. Really liked what they did with the concept. 8/10
The Wolfman - This really could've been great, but a lot of the usual things went wrong. Insane amount of CGI, jump-heavy blockbuster scares without much atmosphere or showmanship to them, bizarre pacing, etc. I love a lot of Joe Johnston's stuff but I think he's just not a horror director. M. Night Shymalan could've done a great job with this. Every actor does very well though. Hopkins saves the whole film. 5.5/10
I just read that they cut 17 minutes from the final cut of the film for theaters because the studio wanted audiences to get to the first Wolfman transformation sooner. Joe Johnston's putting these back for the DVD, which I want to see.
Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland - I think as entertainment this is pretty much critic-proof. It has a lot of the same problems with missed showmanship that Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory had, but at the end of the day it's a fun tribute to Carroll's world packed with colourful, captivating visuals, a great cast, and a good old-fashioned fantasy quest element woven through which it's fun to see the well-known characters participate in. Where else are you going to be able to see
a Jokerized Johnny Depp using a garment mannequin to swordfight a one-eyed Crispin Glover?
6.5/10.
The Crazies - An interesting take on the Zombiepocalypse genre and an effective, suspenseful, scary film overall. Literally every second is suspenseful, never letting up. 7.5/10
Hot Tub Time Machine - Absolutely The Hangover meets Back To The Future, this was hilarious. With a little more effort they could've approached a BTTF level of changed-the-future emotion and satisfaction at the end, but it was still a borderline great movie. 8.5/10
Kick-Ass - Apart from a few details I would've changed, and maybe a different lead actor, this was so ****ing good. 9.5/10
Clash Of The Titans - This wasn't directed very well, and is one of the poorest uses of the 3D process I've seen yet. Worthington's still good, everyone was, especially Mads Mikilsen, there were some AWESOME moments(the whole
Medusa sequence
was probably my favourite part), and it benefits from the original story still being so good. In a lot of ways it's a great old-fashioned movie, but one of the most powerful feelings it elicted in me is still "appreciation for Peter Jackson". But I still enjoyed it. 7/10
A Nightmare On Elm Street - Barely scary and cluelessly directed, for the most part. But Haley is great and this film's story, and Freddy Krueger, are excellent and way, way more interesting than in the original. Some real horror direction, subtlety and scary imagery could've made the most of that story, but as it is this was still decent overall. 6/10
Iron Man 2 - This was amazingly engaging and entertaining, filled with captivating performances and some of the best effects-fueled action sequences in the whole superhero movie genre. The story parts didn't flow quite as well as in the first film, but the story was far bigger and more ambitious too, and in my opinion, worth that price. I loved every minute of it. 9.5/10
Ridley Scott's Robin Hood - Take Gladiator, mix it with 300, Kingdom of Heaven, and Beowulf and Grendel, now strip it of all the character, the spirit, the fun and the point. Pretty much. A "gritty reboot" of a character whose legend has been kept alive for a thousand years largely because of the merry, swashbuckling, fantastical elements was simply a bad idea. Crowe was great as usual and a potential sequel could really be something. This was not. 5/10
