Don't expect me to take you with me when I go to s
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Sep 15, 2004
Messages
25,007
Updated for Funny People, Avatar and Antichrist:
WATCHMEN
I'm not sure how to rate this. It's good but not great. Enjoyable. A worthy adaptation. Probably the closest we'll come to a great film version of Watchmen. But there are still flaws... flaws that would always be there because it was a comic, not a film. But yeah... it's good enough for me. 4 might be too high but 2 might be too low, so I think 3 is right for me. The movie made me realise even more how brilliant the story Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons have created is and I doubt I will ever see this again as I'd rather read the graphic novel instead.
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS
Predictable story but great animation and a brilliant voice cast. Really enjoyable and a lot of fun.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
A lot of potential that is completely wasted. A movie that is sometimes about Wolverine but mainly all over the place. I had low expectations and even I was incredibly disappointed. I can't believe filmmakers get away with stuff like this after comic movies like Iron Man and The Dark Knight.
STAR TREK
I loved it. I had high expectations for this movie and it met them. It is flawed but so well done that the flaws don't matter - incredibly enjoyable and just a fantastic experience all over.
ANGELS & DEMONS
A decent movie with a pretty good cast that seem to be wasted. It's entertaining and an average thriller and worth seeing but I doubt I'll ever bother seeing it again. Tom Hanks deserves to be in better movies than this.
STATE OF PLAY
An interesting thriller and an entertaining movie. Some of it does get bogged down with the twists but the excellent cast makes up for it. Like DSF, I now want to see the original mini series and it has me interested in a career in journalism. I don't know if it will stand up on repeated viewings so it may lose a point in the future.
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
I didn't like it as much as the first one but it was still an entertaining action movie. Some of it was annoying and some of it was actually really funny. Not sure if the comedy is a good or a bad thing. Wanted to see more of Isabel Lucas (Alice, the Decepticon Pretender that went after Sam at college). Some really epic fights and amazing special effects. The more I think about this though, the more I think how different it would be if I got a crack at it. And it sort of disappoints me that this is what we have to settle with.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
While some of it is really stupid, it doesn't take you out of the movie and the cast's charm and strength makes up for any mistakes. The movies are mediocre adaptations from the books (I wonder how well I would enjoy them if I hadn't read the books, for example) but I really like the style and the tone of each movie as the series progresses. While I disagree with the idea of splitting the last movie into two, I will see them, probably enjoy them, but probably never have a desire to see them again. More than anything, these movies make me realise how much I enjoyed the books, and I guess that's a good enough reason for seeing the movie.
PUBLIC ENEMIES
I was really excited for this but was prepared for disappointment when I heard the mixed reviews. I was always worried about Mann and his camera and while it did get pretty annoying sometimes, I got used to it and I think this is the first time I've been fine with it. I really liked the cast and while there wasn't much characterization, it was still a lot of fun. And those guns were badass.
CORALINE
This was good. I think I still prefer The Nightmare Before Christmas but this was still a great animated movie. And man... some of that animation was amazing. I loved how unique it was. It was like Selick's previous animated movies on another level. The story was good too (Neil Gaiman knows how to tell a story) though there were a few iffy bits which I don't think were explained well enough or at all. However, these were few and far between and didn't subtract from the overall charm of this film.
DISTRICT 9
One of the most unique movies I've seen in years and incredibly well done. A lot of effort and thought has been put into this movie and it's really fun. Great special effects and action while remaining quite intelligent. Very recommended.
KNOWING
This movie has an interesting idea but is let down by basically everything else in the movie. The cast is wasted (Nicholas Cage is terribly boring and Rose Byrne is wasted), the special effects are iffy (the plane sequence was fantastic and I thought the train sequence was poor, but the stuff at the end was neat) and all the other technical bits (lighting, sound etc.) seemed really off for some reason. I wanted to like this but I just couldn't.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
I'm a massive Tarantino fan so I might be biased, but I loved this movie. If you thought Death Proof was weak, then you'll be glad Tarantino is back. This is so essentially Tarantino yet so completely different - I don't know how to explain it. The characters, dialogue and soundtrack are just as fantastic as they've always been. My audience loved it and applauded at the end, which is a very rare occasion in my cinema-going history here. I don't know if it's his masterpiece but it's up there. Great movie and now I enter the depressingly long wait until his next, and I fear this may be his last...
GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT
I thought this was pretty mediocre until the point where Sinestro goes to the Qwardian Weaponer and gets his yellow ring. And then I started paying attention. It got pretty awesome. I think most of this would be perfect for the live action Green Lantern movie. I hope they don't **** that up. Anyway, the voice cast was of a particular high quality, especially Victor Garber as Sinestro, who was badass.
OBSERVE AND REPORT
I think this might be brilliant. It's so radical and yet so simple. For some reason, I thought this was another Judd Apatow production (I guess because Seth Rogen was involved) but now that I see it's by this Jody Hill guy, I want to go back and watch The Foot Fist Way and Eastbound & Down. The cast was unusual yet perfect in their small doses and I continue to really like Seth Rogen, no matter how deranged he becomes. I'm not sure if this is a great movie (or even a particularly good one) but it seemed so different to every other comedy I've seen recently, and I like it for that.
ADVENTURELAND
This was really sweet. I am a fan of these recent teenage drama comedy things (Superbad, Juno etc.) because I am at a similar age and they make me rethink things I've experienced in my life and whether I did the right thing or if I'm on the right path. The soundtrack and cast were great (especially the lead guy who I've never seen before - I guess he's the new Michael Cera?) and I'm really looking forward to Mottola's next movie, Paul.
I LOVE YOU, MAN
For such a simple movie, this was surprisingly good. I thought this was really funny and I laughed at it a lot more than any other comedy this year. Jason Segel and Paul Rudd have great chemistry together and I'd love to see the two together in an insane adventure movie in the vein of Pineapple Express. Some of the stuff Rudd said was ridiculously hilarious. I would be his friend.
CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE
This was ridiculous. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. I like these movie for their insanity but I got bored during this one. Jason Statham is cool but he's cooler in movies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, where he's much more subtle rather than movies like Crank and The Transporter where he's allowed to go nuts. Amy Smart is nice but I wish Statham would have chopped Bai Ling's head off. She was so annoying.
UP
This was fantastic. I think it's probably the best Pixar movie I've ever seen. I loved all the characters, the storyline was simple but brilliant, and the animation was fantastic. The moment where the balloons first pop out of the house and it lifts off the ground... magical. Total Miyazaki moment right there. Pixar continue to be the masters of animated films and are constantly proving that they are an entirely credible medium. Every Pixar movie I see inspires me to try and write something on that level and I thank them for the inspiration.
THE BOX
This could have been so good. The premise is amazingly simple yet brilliant - a mysterious man offers you a box with a button - press the button, you get $1 million... but someone dies. Do you press the button? I don't think I like Richard Kelly. Donnie Darko is an interesting movie but one I don't particularly enjoy. Southland Tales was an incomprehensible mess. The Box lies somewhere in between. Half of it is really good... and the other half is just boring, typical Richard Kelly stuff - weird **** that doesn't get explained. I can understand directors that do this in order for the audience to make up their own mind - Stanley Kubrick and 2001 comes to mind - but at least Kubrick had an idea for what 2001 was about. I don't know if Kelly does. He obviously has a lot of unique ideas but I think he needs to figure out what he's doing. He is talented and the movie is well directed but I just didn't care about it because I was wondering what the **** was going on for the whole time. You can't let the audience fill in the story three times in a row. I think that's a cheat. I have no desire to see it again.
BRUNO
This was pretty funny but it wasn't as good as Borat. While Borat seemed very real, Bruno seemed very set up - I got the impression that a lot of it was staged. I don't know if this is true or not but it sort of took me out of the movie. I still think Sacha Baron Cohen is brilliant and this was still an enjoyable movie but he has done better. Now that he's so well known, I am interested to see what he does next.
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
I really enjoyed this. It's not a great film but it's very entertaining. I am a fan of these Tony Scott/Denzel Washington collaborations and while they're both capable of making better films, sometimes I just want to sit back and watch a movie like this and not have to think. And while I would like to see Unstoppable, I think it's a mistake to do another train movie right after this one.
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
Poor, poor Heath Ledger. He was becoming such a great actor. I'm so happy that Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell helped Gilliam finish the movie - because it was a fantastic experience. Delightfully insane and scarily beautiful, this is Gilliam having fun. All of the references to death and fate were very bizarre, considering what happened to Ledger but I think they help make the film that much more effective. The entire cast was fantastic - the gorgeous Valentina, the amusing Anton and Percy, the sinister Mr Nick and of course, the extraordinary Doctor Parnassus. The visual effects were absolutely mindboggling. It was like nothing I had seen before and while I haven't seen all of Gilliam's films (the ones I haven't have definitely moved up my list), I think this one is my favourite. A film from Heath Ledger and friends indeed.
THE BROTHERS BLOOM
I was... underwhelmed. It wasn't a bad movie, it just failed to keep me interested. I found this odd considering the great cast. Brick sort of did the same thing. Both movies were neat though.
DRAG ME TO HELL
I didn't think I would like this but I was pleasantly surprised. Just the right amount of horror and comedy.
I knew that Justin Long had taken the button and I expected it to end with him being dragged to hell, which I thought would have been a better ending. I was disappointed that she went through all that only to lose.
A SERIOUS MAN
Damn. That was brilliant. The Coen Bros. continue to prove why they're currently the best filmmakers in America. Perhaps even better than No Country For Old Men. See it.
THE INVENTION OF LYING
Despite the fact that when you apply actual thought to this movie it doesn't work at all, it is still very entertaining, thanks to the delightful cast. Seeing one of my heroes interact with all of these great comedic actors was fun to behold. While it won't be ranked among The Office or Extras or The Ricky Gervais Show, I still found it quite funny and it was better than I thought it would be. I am much more excited for his next movie, Cemetery Junction, which is co written and co directed with Stephen Merchant, which both Ghost Town and this movie lacked (though I did enjoy his cameo). I'm thinking about vanilla with skunks flavoured ice cream.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
I have been waiting for this for years. I kept hearing mixed reviews and was scared that it might disappoint... but I loved it. On the surface it doesn't seem like there's much to it but the more I think about it, the more I am amazed at how much Spike Jonze was able to achieve. I loved Max, the monsters, the cinematography, the soundtrack... this movie is love. This is a kid's movie viewed through the eye's of an adult and therefore it is quite personal... and I think that makes it Spike Jonze's best. Those that like it probably decided they did before they ever saw it and those that didn't like it... well, obviously they don't have a Wild Thing inside of them.
MOON
A movie I've been quite excited for ever since I stumbled upon it on the Internet randomly one day but missed when it was here on a limited release... I downloaded a DVD rip and just watched it tonight. Superb. I've always liked Sam Rockwell but this movie proves how great an actor he really is. I can't believe this movie was made for only $5 million. This puts most blockbusters to shame. There is no reason for these rubbish movies to have hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on them when you can tell a great story like this one for such a low cost. The set design/special effects were beautiful. The soundtrack was haunting. The movie was sad and touching yet surprisingly funny. I look forward to future Duncan Jones movies (I've heard about three of them and they all sound great). I hope it wins something because it definitely deserves it.
TERMINATOR SALVATION
This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. But it also wasn't that good either. It just felt... unnecessary. I think you could make a great Terminator movie showing what happened in the future and how John sends Kyle back but this wasn't it. It was a lot of wasted potential. The entire cast was wasted except for Sam Worthington as Marcus, who was the best thing about the movie. I can't believe that McG (I don't care whether your family calls you that name, it's still a ****ing joke) wants to direct not one but TWO more. What would they be about? And why?
THE HURT LOCKER
Middle East war movies are boring. Jarhead is boring. The Kingdom is boring. Body of Lies is boring. This one, however, is the exception. It feels unique yet more authentic, possibly because it focuses on one guy and one team that dismantles bombs and that's it. I like that they had big names like Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes and didn't need to rely on them
(and Guy Pearce dies in the opening scene. That takes guts).
While it is a good movie, I don't think it deserves Best Picture. I definitely approve of Jeremy Renner playing Hawkeye.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN
This was surprisingly entertaining. It's not a great movie but it's worth seeing just for Gerard Butler's performance. This guy can be a great actor. He needs to do less romantic comedies and more roles like this. He was like The Punisher. I thought the story was quite unpredictable, which was good. There seems to be a lot of hate because of how it ended... but I thought it worked.
FUNNY PEOPLE
This is Judd Apatow's best movie. Equal parts comedy and drama, he really managed to make something special. Adam Sandler shows that he can be a great actor depending on the movie and the rest of the cast is really good as well (especially Eric Bana - he needs to do more comedy). It might be a bit long but I didn't even notice the length as I was enjoying it so much. I think that Apatow's movies have gotten better each time so I can't wait for whatever he does next.
AVATAR
It's not the best thing ever... but it's still pretty amazing. People have been criticizing it because of the story or the characters but is there anyone really going to see it just because of that? Everyone is going to see it for the visual effects and to see if it's really worth all this money, time and hype. And they are. The 3D isn't annoying at all and makes everything that much more vivid. The cast is clearly having a lot of fun making this movie and James Cameron knows how to make an entertaining movie. Is it the next Star Wars? We'll have to wait and see but I expect great things in the future now that the technology is ready.
ANTICHRIST
Disturbing. Beautiful. Interesting. Complex. Pretentious. Lars von Trier's film is all of these things. I didn't enjoy watching it but I am glad I can say I did. Chaos reigns.
SHERLOCK HOLMES
This was great. I was unsure of whether I would like it because it sounded like one of those things that could be really bad... but it wasn't. It was lots of fun. The cast is great (Robert Downey Jr. is ****ing good at everything) and the plot comes together quite well. I got really excited at the end because I thought I was going to see the rumoured
Brad Pitt as Moriarty
but it didn't happen... though hopefully for the sequel. To sum up, incredibly entertaining and I will definitely see a sequel.
- Avatar
- Coraline
- District 9
- Every Little Step
- Inglourious Basterds
- Ponyo
- A Serious Man
- Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D
- Up
A-
- Away We Go
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
- Drag Me To Hell
- The Hangover
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Observe and Report
- Star Trek
- Up in the Air
B+
- Adam
- The Great Buck Howard
- Knowing
- Taken
- Zombieland
B
- Alien Trespass
- Funny People
- The Girlfriend Experience
- I Love You, Man
- Inkheart
- The Men Who Stare At Goats
- Thirst
- Tyson
B-
- Adventureland
- Brüno
- Confessions of a Shopaholic
- New York, I Love You
- Sunshine Cleaning
- Watchmen
- Where the Wild Things Are
C+
- Monsters vs. Aliens
- Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian
- Paul Blart Mall Cop
- Race to Witch Mountain
C
- Land of the Lost
- Paranormal Activity
- The Soloist
Okay, I REALLY tried to like Rhona... I really did. I watched her in Ali G, I watched Doomsday, I watched Rise of the Lycans. I just can't like her, she's like a Wal-Mart version of Kate Beckinsale. It's like "Hey, let's get Kate to do this! Wait... what? We're almost out of casting money? Dude, call Rhona!"
And seriously... she looks like Viggo Mortensen in drag.
I don't mean to get all weird, but while I don't find Rhona attractive at all, I've never understood the whole "she looks like a man" thing.
I mean, notwithstanding the fact that man-woman aesthetics are entirely subjective --- insert random quote from Judith Butler about gender as a social construct or the fluidity of sexuality --- YES, Rhona DOES look like a man.
But wasn't there a time when all the big sex symbols were kind of mannish. Turn back the clock and look at Brooke Shields and Cindy Crawford were Da Shiz. I guarantee you can find a man underneath all that beauty.
The guy next to me is watching Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and I was immediately reminded of this convo.
It still stands.
Rhona Mitra is not hot. Her body is nice....but as soon as you see that face....she immediately falls into "coyote ugly" category. And I don't mean the movie.
- Avatar
- Coraline
- The Cove
- District 9
- Every Little Step
- Inglourious Basterds
- Ponyo
- A Serious Man
- Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D
- Up
A-
- (500) Days of Summer
- Away We Go
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
- Drag Me To Hell
- The Hangover
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Observe and Report
- Star Trek
- Up in the Air
B+
- Adam
- The Great Buck Howard
- Knowing
- Taken
- Zombieland
B
- Alien Trespass
- Funny People
- The Girlfriend Experience
- I Love You, Man
- Inkheart
- The Men Who Stare At Goats
- Thirst
- Tyson
B-
- Adventureland
- Brüno
- Confessions of a Shopaholic
- New York, I Love You
- Sunshine Cleaning
- Watchmen
- Where the Wild Things Are
C+
- Monsters vs. Aliens
- Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian
- Paul Blart Mall Cop
- Race to Witch Mountain
C
- Land of the Lost
- Paranormal Activity
- The Soloist
Don't expect me to take you with me when I go to s
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
25,007
SHERLOCK HOLMES
This was great. I was unsure of whether I would like it because it sounded like one of those things that could be really bad... but it wasn't. It was lots of fun. The cast is great (Robert Downey Jr. is ****ing good at everything) and the plot comes together quite well. I got really excited at the end because I thought I was going to see the rumoured
Brad Pitt as Moriarty
but it didn't happen... though hopefully for the sequel. To sum up, incredibly entertaining and I will definitely see a sequel.
Wall*E - 9/10
Watchmen - 5/10
Wonder Woman - 9/10
Hulk Vs. 8/10
The Soloist - 7/10
Star Trek - 10/10
Terminator Salvation - 5/10
Paul Blart: Mall Cop - 7/10
Valkyrie - 7/10
Taken - 8/10
The Forbidden Kingdom - 7/10
The Wrestler - 10/10
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - 7/10
Bruno - 7/10
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - 7/10
Green Lantern: First Flight - 8/10
Funny People - 9/10
Inglourious Basterds - 8/10
Halloween II - 7/10
Zombieland - 8/10
Adventureland - 9/10
Where the Wild Things Are - 8/10
A Christmas Carol - 7/10
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - 9/10
Observe and Report - 8/10
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 4/10
The Goods - 6/10
The Hangover - 8/10
Sherlock Holmes - 8/10
I'm probably going to see Ponyo, District 9, 500 Days of Summer, Paper Heart, Avatar, Doctor Parnassus, and The Lovely Bones soon.
The only reason I would ever read the books or watch the movies is so that I would be better able to make fun of them. That is the only reason I can think of for reading them.
40. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Another mediocre comic book movie with no real idea what it could be. It makes me sad.
39. The Year One
It really wasn't that funny. Especially considering who was in it, but it had it's moments. And the girls were hot especially that Juno something chick. Damn.
38. Public Enemies
Boring. A problem time period movies have sometimes.
37. Where the Wild Things Are
Meh. A lot of this movie annoyed me, but it was a okay. I didn't see the hype.
36. I Love You, Man
It was a pretty plain comedy. Not what I expect after seeing them in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
35. State of Play
Decent movie starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Rachael McAdams. I enjoyed, but it's one of those movies, that you seen once and than never again.
34. Funny People
I am undecided where to rank this compared to his other movies. I want to say I liked it better since but that is not saying much since I was never a big fan.
33. The Men Who Stare At Goats
Not as funny as I was expecting. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed it but none the less it was average, which is disappointing with the cast involved.
32. Terminator Salvation
Let me get this out of the way. I am not a fan of the Terminator franchise. I really was liking it until the horrible ending.
31. Ninja Assassin
This was watching a videogame. The story wasn't very original and it was very cliche, but I really liked the effects and fight scenes.
30. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
I enjoy this movies despite how stupid they actually are. Some moments were a little too ridiculous and plot holes big enough for Prime to drive through, but I want to watch robots beating the **** out of each other and Megan Fox.
29. Friday the 13th
A beside a couple tired slasher cliches this seems to try and make a new film while still staying true to the originals. I really liked this new type of Jason.
28. The Informant
The first half of the movie was incredibly boring except for the main characters random thoughts. The second half of the movie however was fantastic.
27. Fantastic Mr. Fox
Not a big fan of the animation used, but it help the tone of the movie. It had some really great moments. Ash was my favorite character.
26. Drag Me To Hell
I have always wanted to see the Evil Dead series and has yet too. But this movie from what I hear is in the same vein. I've never seen horror and comedy combined like this. It was great.
25. Jennifer's Body
Pretty much what I expected. I love the fact that Diablo Cody follows up the successful movie like Juno with this. But it didn't seem to be creepy enough, funny enough, scary enough, corky enough to really be something great.
24. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
It's about as good as the others. They really should of started with this one from the get go.
23. The Invention of Lying
It really shows you how second nature it is for people to lie.
22. 9
A pretty interesting idea for a post apocalyptic movie. It really needed a lot more detail to the story, but the animation was brilliant.
21. Saw VI
I will continue to watch these as they continute to be entertaining and coherent. Tobin Bell is really the highlight of the movies.
20. Away We Go
I really like the movie sorely because I really liked the main characters. They were entertaining to watch.
19. Adventureland
I like the new sting of teen romantic comedies that seem more realistic with the awkwardness of dating. This one was average, but I enjoyed it. Kristen Stewart is nice looking.
18. Watchmen
It was very brilliant in some parts and really really terrible at others. The overall narrative seemed to suffer, especially for the ones not familiar with the source material. I was happy to see Rorschach played so well.
17. The Hangover
Another comedy starring people I really have never heard of and it was hilarious. Makes me want to go to Vegas and get wasted
16. Bruno
Possibly more insane then Borat but not as funny. I still really enjoyed it, some parts I hoped was staged so I don't completely lose faith in the human race.
15. Fired Up
It was actually really funny. References to the classic Bring It On, hell they even watched it in the movie. It was like Wedding Crashers meets Bring It On.
14. Angels & Demons
I may be in the minority, but I loved this movies. I love mysteries and religious based stories.
13. Whip It
I always love watching Ellen Page and despite the pretty predictable plot, but overall it was a great movie.
12. Crank 2: High Voltage
I don't even know where to begin. This was the most offensive, over the top, insane thing I ever seen. I loved every minute.
11. Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
I love all the Harry Potter movies for good or bad. People complain about them not comparing to the books, well duh. But this suffers a bit from the pacing problem 4 had.
10. Sunshine Cleaning
Amy Adams is becoming one of my favorite actresses and she is so beautful. This was a wonderful family movie and I want to start my own biohazard remove business.
9. Avatar
Visually stunning. This was my first experience of a 3D movie at the cinemas and I thought it was really fantastic. I thought the story and acting was also pretty splendid.
8. The Brothers Bloom
Fantastic cast and really one of the best endings to a movie I have seen in awhile.
7. The Time Traveller's Wife
This is getting a lot of bad reviews and I'm not sure why. I thought the story was original, Bana and McAdams were great.
6. District 9
This was nothing like I expected. I love the documentary idea and I would love to see some kind of sequel.
5. Zombieland
Probably the most fun I had watching a film since Tropic Thunder. Great cast and I think am now a converted zombie fan.
4. Up
Almost as good as Wall-E. It was pretty wonderful. I didn't watch too many trailers, so I didn't really know anything about it.
3. Star Trek
One of the best Summer blockbuster/Sci-Fi movies I ever seen. Great cast, action, and humor. I never cared for Star Trek at all and now it is cooler than Star Wars.
2. Coraline
Gaiman movies are 3 for 3 in my book. The voice acting and stop animation was perfect. I also seen the Bluray 3D and it was probably the first time I watched a 3D movie and loved it.
1. Inglourious Basterds
The best Tarantino movie ever and the best WW2 movie ever.
Watchmen - Pretty good. Not how I would've done it, but they put so much effort into how they did it that it payed off. A book-accurate Ozymandias might've made it a whole point higher. It's basically in the same category of b-t-f adaptations as the Potter films - no match for the book, but very cool to see for fans of it. And once in a while, sheer magic. 8.5/10.
Taken - Exciting, straight-forward, cool. Neeson is cool. 6/10.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I enjoyed this, but basically, they just weren't making a good movie. So they just pumped up what they had as best as they could, and it turned out okay. It also just felt kind of dated.... seenitamilliontimes.... know what I mean? 6/10
Star Trek - First movie I can remember seeing in a while where the special effects actually impressed me. A great, fun action-adventure with a cast that completely sells it. I want more emotion and depth in a film, but this was the rare "great" movie that still manages without it. I hope it's there in the sequels, though. 8.5/10.
Terminator: Salvation - Pointless, dry, completely unengaging. Anton Yelchin was awesome, and Sam Worthington, for some reason, just really has something. I look forward to seeing more of both of them. But Conner was flat and the plot went absolutely nowhere. I'm disappointed in Bale for being so involved with this. And that stupid alternate ending they wanted to use.... damn.... 5/10
Outlander - This was pretty cool. A humanoid alien crash-lands in Viking-Era Norway. I like Jim Caviziel a lot and overall thought this was done pretty well. 8/10.
UP - The best, most touching thing I've seen from Pixar in years. I still wanted more, but as it was there wasn't really anything wrong with it. 9/10.
Tranformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - SFX porn with a likeable cast, especially Sam and his parents. I don't think this one felt as epic as the first, but it was good. 7/10.
Knowing - Stunning. Why isn't Shyamalan capable of this kind of thing anymore? Refreshing, creative, very suspenseful, amazing disaster sequences.... not to overhype it, but maybe the most I've enjoyed a movie this year. They clearly believed in the film they were making, which is more than I can say for a lot of films. 9/10
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince - Probably the best one yet, and certainly the most unique, beautiful, and magical to me. The problems that all the films have had still apply, but even those not as much. I loved it. 9/10.
Push - Fun, fast, good effects and well-directed action sequences.... the plot was extremely confusing in brief spurts, but I was pretty satisfied by it. A lot of the stuff that made Heroes good in the first place works here. 7.5/10
Horsemen - Detective movie about serial killers patterning themselves after the biblical four horsemen of the apocalypse. Good premise, only okay execution. Clearly made by people who really love Se7en, but aren't in the same leage. Patrick Fugit, the kid from Almost Famous, was the best part. 6/10
Funny People - Has lots of flaws and lots of good stuff. Sandler truly carries the picture, but everyone in it is good. A different and very personal step from Apatow. Odd for a director's third film, it feels more like a tenth. I guess that's the case for Sandler, though. What would really be interesting is if he stops making the type of movies they spoof in the film. 7.75/10
The Great Buck Howard - Swell. Colin Hanks is good here, but I'd really like to see him do a much less reserved, really emotional role soon. The movie is a must-see for any John Malkovich fan and overall was just really sweet and well-done. 7.5/10
I Love You, Man - I'm not usually big on the whole "bromance" thing, but this was awesome. It was really funny first and foremost, but the Segel-Rudd relationship is so much damn fun and steals the show, even when it's not being funny but just plain honest and raw. The whole cast is great and the film is enhanced by the fact that I love Rush. The extended concert scene on the DVD was a ****ing blast. 8/10
District 9 - A completely enthralling, edge-of-your-seat film experience, the most unique in ages. I feel like the whole "documentary/shaky-cam/handicam" thing a lot of them have been trying to use recently to make it feel more like you're actually there was finally perfected by this, with the perfect blend it uses. For the first time since I think 2007..... it's a solid 10/10.
Inglourious Basterds - Sometimes in all the hype and fanfare and his behind-the-scenes persona I forget just what a rich, superb film-maker Tarantino is. So suspenseful, so satisfying, amazing acting and direction and dialouge.... I will be riding high on this movie for quite a while. For the first time since last week...... 10/10.
The Final Destination - You can't really rate this the way you would a normal movie because it's not designed to be a good film, just a really fun, amusement-park-ride type experience. With friends, in the well-utilized 3D, this was very entertaining, and the climax was excellent. 7.5/10.[/COLOR] The lead guy was also really good and I hope he gets a good career. The girl too for that matter.
State Of Play - Russell Crowe is awesome, so was the plot and concept, and the direction, and everyone else. Especially Jason Bateman. "Political Thrillers" usually require me to make an effort to get interested. Not this time. Again, Crowe.... his performance has stuck with me. I'm also glad to see Ben Affleck has really turned into a completely respectable actor who is a pleasure to watch, although I really want to see him direct something again. Gone Baby Gone was terrific and I would've picked him to direct Watchmen based off of it. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this. 8.5/10
9 - Cool concept that ultimately went absolutely nowhere. The "stichpunks"(name according to Acker) were literally just completely normal, functional people and 9 was the least dimensional character of them all, which is saying a lot. There was a lot of really cool stuff and the director obviously had a vision, but the story needed about another year or two's work and was literally just to get them from one action sequence to the next. The very ending was really good too, but overall it fell miles short of how good it potentially looked from that first trailer. 6.5/10.
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs - A triumph. Funniest movie of the year, one of the most exciting too. Loved it from start to finish. See it. 9.5/10
Surrogates - The concept is excellent but it only touches upon doing it justice. Bruce Willis is great though and it's a worthwhile film. 7/10.
Zombieland - Pretty much just as good as it looked. Filled with laughs and characters you latch on to immeadiately. I really hope there's a sequel. 9/10.
Year One - It had it's moments but overall was just an incredibly crude and lazy film. Notable for the DVD including one of the most extensive and expensive alternate endings I've ever seen. It was kind of better than the "real" ending too. 4/10
The Brothers Bloom - I'm not that big into caper movies, but this looked like it could be a lot of fun. What I didn't expect, though, was for it to be about me. Probably the best screenplay of the year and I intend to buy it and do repeat viewings, which could easily make my raiting even higher. 9.5/10
Law Abiding Citizen - This kicked ***. My theater was laughing and cheering all the way through and Gerard Butler was terrific. Jamie Foxx was great too and I will definitely watch this again with other friends when it comes out on DVD. With an extra .5 for Butler's performance sticking with me, 8.5/10.
The Proposal - Blech. I'm not a big Sandra Bullock fan outside of Speed and Miss Congeniality, and Ryan Reynolds bores me at best and pisses me off at worst. This was no exception. Retarded story, one or two unbearable scenes, and a predictably cringe-worthy ending. It's scary to think anyone could consider these two characters to be legtimately in love. Oscar from The Office was good though. 4/10
The Men Who Stare At Goats - Eh, this was all right but not exactly the result of much effort. There were a few hilarious moments, when they tried. 5.5/10.
The Maiden Heist - This should've been publicized more. Christopher Walken in his first and best leading role in ages with Morgan Freeman and William H. Macy right behind him. Holy ****! It was very enjoyable and stuck with me. Love that Walken. 7.5/10.
Angels and Demons - The ingredients are too good for it to be anything but. Howard, Hanks and Hans Zimmer are a great team and it was really cool seeing all the stuff go down in the Vatican after having been there last year. On top of that, Armin Mueller-Stahl totally makes the film. Like The Da Vinci Code, an easy 8/10.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard - It definitely had the right idea and I laughed throughout. I would've liked to see them taken it even farther, more and more over-the-top and feel-good as the movie went on, but it was still pretty damn fun. 7.5/10.
Fantastic Mr. Fox - Very funny and well-made. Wes Anderson was so right for this. 9/10
Avatar - Really disappointing. The story and characters were laughably straw, to the point where I didn't even care enough to get excited during the action sequences. I found the use of 3D way more thrilling in Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs and although the CGI is pretty amazing now, it'll be dated again in 5 years. Not that I think I'll have any desire to see it again. 5.5/10
The Hangover - Perfect concept, and they didn't shy away from it at all. They followed through and squeezed so many more jokes and surprises out of it than a lot of movies would have. My only real gripe is the frequent transitions between scenes using just the intro of some song and then it quickly fading out, which I usually find kind of amateurish. Still, pretty much an 8.5/10.
Extract - A stupefying experience. Office Space is probably one of my Top-20 films and has one of the tightest and most rewatchable sceenplays ever. How the same guy could've made this unbelievably apathetic, empty, no-stakes film is a mystery. It gets a 3 only because I enjoy watching the actors and I did laugh a few times, but overall, I actually can't figure out how you'd go about writing a full screenplay with as little energy or direction as this. The Men Who Stare At Goats would be a wildly ambitious and controversial film in comparison to this. 3/10.
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Updated for Away We Go, (500) Days of Summer, The Lovely Bones and Up in the Air:
WATCHMEN
I'm not sure how to rate this. It's good but not great. Enjoyable. A worthy adaptation. Probably the closest we'll come to a great film version of Watchmen. But there are still flaws... flaws that would always be there because it was a comic, not a film. But yeah... it's good enough for me. 4 might be too high but 2 might be too low, so I think 3 is right for me. The movie made me realise even more how brilliant the story Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons have created is and I doubt I will ever see this again as I'd rather read the graphic novel instead.
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS
Predictable story but great animation and a brilliant voice cast. Really enjoyable and a lot of fun.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
A lot of potential that is completely wasted. A movie that is sometimes about Wolverine but mainly all over the place. I had low expectations and even I was incredibly disappointed. I can't believe filmmakers get away with stuff like this after comic movies like Iron Man and The Dark Knight.
STAR TREK
I loved it. I had high expectations for this movie and it met them. It is flawed but so well done that the flaws don't matter - incredibly enjoyable and just a fantastic experience all over.
ANGELS & DEMONS
A decent movie with a pretty good cast that seem to be wasted. It's entertaining and an average thriller and worth seeing but I doubt I'll ever bother seeing it again. Tom Hanks deserves to be in better movies than this.
STATE OF PLAY
An interesting thriller and an entertaining movie. Some of it does get bogged down with the twists but the excellent cast makes up for it. Like DSF, I now want to see the original mini series and it has me interested in a career in journalism. I don't know if it will stand up on repeated viewings so it may lose a point in the future.
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
I didn't like it as much as the first one but it was still an entertaining action movie. Some of it was annoying and some of it was actually really funny. Not sure if the comedy is a good or a bad thing. Wanted to see more of Isabel Lucas (Alice, the Decepticon Pretender that went after Sam at college). Some really epic fights and amazing special effects. The more I think about this though, the more I think how different it would be if I got a crack at it. And it sort of disappoints me that this is what we have to settle with.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
While some of it is really stupid, it doesn't take you out of the movie and the cast's charm and strength makes up for any mistakes. The movies are mediocre adaptations from the books (I wonder how well I would enjoy them if I hadn't read the books, for example) but I really like the style and the tone of each movie as the series progresses. While I disagree with the idea of splitting the last movie into two, I will see them, probably enjoy them, but probably never have a desire to see them again. More than anything, these movies make me realise how much I enjoyed the books, and I guess that's a good enough reason for seeing the movie.
PUBLIC ENEMIES
I was really excited for this but was prepared for disappointment when I heard the mixed reviews. I was always worried about Mann and his camera and while it did get pretty annoying sometimes, I got used to it and I think this is the first time I've been fine with it. I really liked the cast and while there wasn't much characterization, it was still a lot of fun. And those guns were badass.
CORALINE
This was good. I think I still prefer The Nightmare Before Christmas but this was still a great animated movie. And man... some of that animation was amazing. I loved how unique it was. It was like Selick's previous animated movies on another level. The story was good too (Neil Gaiman knows how to tell a story) though there were a few iffy bits which I don't think were explained well enough or at all. However, these were few and far between and didn't subtract from the overall charm of this film.
DISTRICT 9
One of the most unique movies I've seen in years and incredibly well done. A lot of effort and thought has been put into this movie and it's really fun. Great special effects and action while remaining quite intelligent. Very recommended.
KNOWING
This movie has an interesting idea but is let down by basically everything else in the movie. The cast is wasted (Nicholas Cage is terribly boring and Rose Byrne is wasted), the special effects are iffy (the plane sequence was fantastic and I thought the train sequence was poor, but the stuff at the end was neat) and all the other technical bits (lighting, sound etc.) seemed really off for some reason. I wanted to like this but I just couldn't.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
I'm a massive Tarantino fan so I might be biased, but I loved this movie. If you thought Death Proof was weak, then you'll be glad Tarantino is back. This is so essentially Tarantino yet so completely different - I don't know how to explain it. The characters, dialogue and soundtrack are just as fantastic as they've always been. My audience loved it and applauded at the end, which is a very rare occasion in my cinema-going history here. I don't know if it's his masterpiece but it's up there. Great movie and now I enter the depressingly long wait until his next, and I fear this may be his last...
GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT
I thought this was pretty mediocre until the point where Sinestro goes to the Qwardian Weaponer and gets his yellow ring. And then I started paying attention. It got pretty awesome. I think most of this would be perfect for the live action Green Lantern movie. I hope they don't **** that up. Anyway, the voice cast was of a particular high quality, especially Victor Garber as Sinestro, who was badass.
OBSERVE AND REPORT
I think this might be brilliant. It's so radical and yet so simple. For some reason, I thought this was another Judd Apatow production (I guess because Seth Rogen was involved) but now that I see it's by this Jody Hill guy, I want to go back and watch The Foot Fist Way and Eastbound & Down. The cast was unusual yet perfect in their small doses and I continue to really like Seth Rogen, no matter how deranged he becomes. I'm not sure if this is a great movie (or even a particularly good one) but it seemed so different to every other comedy I've seen recently, and I like it for that.
ADVENTURELAND
This was really sweet. I am a fan of these recent teenage drama comedy things (Superbad, Juno etc.) because I am at a similar age and they make me rethink things I've experienced in my life and whether I did the right thing or if I'm on the right path. The soundtrack and cast were great (especially the lead guy who I've never seen before - I guess he's the new Michael Cera?) and I'm really looking forward to Mottola's next movie, Paul.
I LOVE YOU, MAN
For such a simple movie, this was surprisingly good. I thought this was really funny and I laughed at it a lot more than any other comedy this year. Jason Segel and Paul Rudd have great chemistry together and I'd love to see the two together in an insane adventure movie in the vein of Pineapple Express. Some of the stuff Rudd said was ridiculously hilarious. I would be his friend.
CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE
This was ridiculous. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. I like these movie for their insanity but I got bored during this one. Jason Statham is cool but he's cooler in movies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, where he's much more subtle rather than movies like Crank and The Transporter where he's allowed to go nuts. Amy Smart is nice but I wish Statham would have chopped Bai Ling's head off. She was so annoying.
UP
This was fantastic. I think it's probably the best Pixar movie I've ever seen. I loved all the characters, the storyline was simple but brilliant, and the animation was fantastic. The moment where the balloons first pop out of the house and it lifts off the ground... magical. Total Miyazaki moment right there. Pixar continue to be the masters of animated films and are constantly proving that they are an entirely credible medium. Every Pixar movie I see inspires me to try and write something on that level and I thank them for the inspiration.
THE BOX
This could have been so good. The premise is amazingly simple yet brilliant - a mysterious man offers you a box with a button - press the button, you get $1 million... but someone dies. Do you press the button? I don't think I like Richard Kelly. Donnie Darko is an interesting movie but one I don't particularly enjoy. Southland Tales was an incomprehensible mess. The Box lies somewhere in between. Half of it is really good... and the other half is just boring, typical Richard Kelly stuff - weird **** that doesn't get explained. I can understand directors that do this in order for the audience to make up their own mind - Stanley Kubrick and 2001 comes to mind - but at least Kubrick had an idea for what 2001 was about. I don't know if Kelly does. He obviously has a lot of unique ideas but I think he needs to figure out what he's doing. He is talented and the movie is well directed but I just didn't care about it because I was wondering what the **** was going on for the whole time. You can't let the audience fill in the story three times in a row. I think that's a cheat. I have no desire to see it again.
BRUNO
This was pretty funny but it wasn't as good as Borat. While Borat seemed very real, Bruno seemed very set up - I got the impression that a lot of it was staged. I don't know if this is true or not but it sort of took me out of the movie. I still think Sacha Baron Cohen is brilliant and this was still an enjoyable movie but he has done better. Now that he's so well known, I am interested to see what he does next.
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
I really enjoyed this. It's not a great film but it's very entertaining. I am a fan of these Tony Scott/Denzel Washington collaborations and while they're both capable of making better films, sometimes I just want to sit back and watch a movie like this and not have to think. And while I would like to see Unstoppable, I think it's a mistake to do another train movie right after this one.
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
Poor, poor Heath Ledger. He was becoming such a great actor. I'm so happy that Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell helped Gilliam finish the movie - because it was a fantastic experience. Delightfully insane and scarily beautiful, this is Gilliam having fun. All of the references to death and fate were very bizarre, considering what happened to Ledger but I think they help make the film that much more effective. The entire cast was fantastic - the gorgeous Valentina, the amusing Anton and Percy, the sinister Mr Nick and of course, the extraordinary Doctor Parnassus. The visual effects were absolutely mindboggling. It was like nothing I had seen before and while I haven't seen all of Gilliam's films (the ones I haven't have definitely moved up my list), I think this one is my favourite. A film from Heath Ledger and friends indeed.
THE BROTHERS BLOOM
I was... underwhelmed. It wasn't a bad movie, it just failed to keep me interested. I found this odd considering the great cast. Brick sort of did the same thing. Both movies were neat though.
DRAG ME TO HELL
I didn't think I would like this but I was pleasantly surprised. Just the right amount of horror and comedy.
I knew that Justin Long had taken the button and I expected it to end with him being dragged to hell, which I thought would have been a better ending. I was disappointed that she went through all that only to lose.
A SERIOUS MAN
Damn. That was brilliant. The Coen Bros. continue to prove why they're currently the best filmmakers in America. Perhaps even better than No Country For Old Men. See it.
THE INVENTION OF LYING
Despite the fact that when you apply actual thought to this movie it doesn't work at all, it is still very entertaining, thanks to the delightful cast. Seeing one of my heroes interact with all of these great comedic actors was fun to behold. While it won't be ranked among The Office or Extras or The Ricky Gervais Show, I still found it quite funny and it was better than I thought it would be. I am much more excited for his next movie, Cemetery Junction, which is co written and co directed with Stephen Merchant, which both Ghost Town and this movie lacked (though I did enjoy his cameo). I'm thinking about vanilla with skunks flavoured ice cream.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
I have been waiting for this for years. I kept hearing mixed reviews and was scared that it might disappoint... but I loved it. On the surface it doesn't seem like there's much to it but the more I think about it, the more I am amazed at how much Spike Jonze was able to achieve. I loved Max, the monsters, the cinematography, the soundtrack... this movie is love. This is a kid's movie viewed through the eye's of an adult and therefore it is quite personal... and I think that makes it Spike Jonze's best. Those that like it probably decided they did before they ever saw it and those that didn't like it... well, obviously they don't have a Wild Thing inside of them.
MOON
A movie I've been quite excited for ever since I stumbled upon it on the Internet randomly one day but missed when it was here on a limited release... I downloaded a DVD rip and just watched it tonight. Superb. I've always liked Sam Rockwell but this movie proves how great an actor he really is. I can't believe this movie was made for only $5 million. This puts most blockbusters to shame. There is no reason for these rubbish movies to have hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on them when you can tell a great story like this one for such a low cost. The set design/special effects were beautiful. The soundtrack was haunting. The movie was sad and touching yet surprisingly funny. I look forward to future Duncan Jones movies (I've heard about three of them and they all sound great). I hope it wins something because it definitely deserves it.
TERMINATOR SALVATION
This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. But it also wasn't that good either. It just felt... unnecessary. I think you could make a great Terminator movie showing what happened in the future and how John sends Kyle back but this wasn't it. It was a lot of wasted potential. The entire cast was wasted except for Sam Worthington as Marcus, who was the best thing about the movie. I can't believe that McG (I don't care whether your family calls you that name, it's still a ****ing joke) wants to direct not one but TWO more. What would they be about? And why?
THE HURT LOCKER
Middle East war movies are boring. Jarhead is boring. The Kingdom is boring. Body of Lies is boring. This one, however, is the exception. It feels unique yet more authentic, possibly because it focuses on one guy and one team that dismantles bombs and that's it. I like that they had big names like Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes and didn't need to rely on them
(and Guy Pearce dies in the opening scene. That takes guts).
While it is a good movie, I don't think it deserves Best Picture. I definitely approve of Jeremy Renner playing Hawkeye.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN
This was surprisingly entertaining. It's not a great movie but it's worth seeing just for Gerard Butler's performance. This guy can be a great actor. He needs to do less romantic comedies and more roles like this. He was like The Punisher. I thought the story was quite unpredictable, which was good. There seems to be a lot of hate because of how it ended... but I thought it worked.
FUNNY PEOPLE
This is Judd Apatow's best movie. Equal parts comedy and drama, he really managed to make something special. Adam Sandler shows that he can be a great actor depending on the movie and the rest of the cast is really good as well (especially Eric Bana - he needs to do more comedy). It might be a bit long but I didn't even notice the length as I was enjoying it so much. I think that Apatow's movies have gotten better each time so I can't wait for whatever he does next.
AVATAR
It's not the best thing ever... but it's still pretty amazing. People have been criticizing it because of the story or the characters but is there anyone really going to see it just because of that? Everyone is going to see it for the visual effects and to see if it's really worth all this money, time and hype. And they are. The 3D isn't annoying at all and makes everything that much more vivid. The cast is clearly having a lot of fun making this movie and James Cameron knows how to make an entertaining movie. Is it the next Star Wars? We'll have to wait and see but I expect great things in the future now that the technology is ready.
ANTICHRIST
Disturbing. Beautiful. Interesting. Complex. Pretentious. Lars von Trier's film is all of these things. I didn't enjoy watching it but I am glad I can say I did. Chaos reigns.
SHERLOCK HOLMES
This was great. I was unsure of whether I would like it because it sounded like one of those things that could be really bad... but it wasn't. It was lots of fun. The cast is great (Robert Downey Jr. is ****ing good at everything) and the plot comes together quite well. I got really excited at the end because I thought I was going to see the rumoured
Brad Pitt as Moriarty
but it didn't happen... though hopefully for the sequel. To sum up, incredibly entertaining and I will definitely see a sequel.
AWAY WE GO
I am unsure about Sam Mendes - I really liked American Beauty and Road to Perdition but I couldn't get into Jarhead or Revolutionary Road. However, this is a surprisingly good movie. It's simple and sweet. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph showed how much range they really have and made a great couple.
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
This was really good, huh? Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to impress me and is becoming one of my new favourite actors. It was the little things in this movie that got to me - The Smiths, Ringo Starr, architecture... it was really beautiful. What is love?
THE LOVELY BONES
I don't understand why this is getting so many negative reviews. Sure, it's a bit uneven but overall it's still a really strong movie. Peter Jackson may be only making a movie every four years now but you can be assured it will be an impressive one. The cast is the best thing about this movie - from Mark Wahlberg's desperate father to Saoirse Ronan's beautiful Suzie and to Stanley Tucci's chilling George Harvey (who is definitely second on my Best Supporting Actor list) - they really helped elevate this movie and the In-Between is an amazing place, something looking like the fantasy world from Doctor Parnassus. This movie touched me somehow... it is both uplifting and yet truly sad and despite it's occasional flaws it is one of my favourites of the year.
UP IN THE AIR
Best Picture. Best Director. Best Actor. Best Supporting Actress. Best Adapted Screenplay. Up in the Air deserves to win all of these. Will it? I don't know but it's a wonderful film. Jason Reitman's third movie is his best yet. The story is touching and incredibly important, especially in today's current economic situation. The cast is fantastic - all of the actors are great and some of them are only in one scene. George Clooney continues to blow me away. He is a movie star if I've ever seen one. If you're going to have a main character whose job is to fire people, then you better get an actor who is incredibly charming and who's more charming than Clooney, as Reitman has said. While I expect there to be a few surprises at the Oscars this year, I expect Up in the Air to be nominated and probably win quite a few awards. Jason Reitman made Thank You For Smoking in 2005, Juno in 2007 and now this movie - I can't imagine what he is going to do next but the guy just cemented himself as one of my favourite directors.
Updated for Avatar and Sherlock Holmes, with a revised score for Taken.
Watchmen - Enormously enjoyable, meaty, companion piece to the GN with surprisingly awesome fight scenes. It is by no means the 'Citizen Kane of comic book movies' and I hope that the subject matter is re-visited at some point in the form of a miniseries, but for a two-and-a-half-hour movie, they did a good job. 8.5/10
Taken - Two-hours of raw, old-school badassery. I'm actually kind of surprised this was made (and I'm really surprised that Neeson was put in it), given how simplistic the story and script are. Liamo does a fantastic job in any event, even though I'm not sure what he's trying to do with his accent. To be enjoyed with friends and beers.8.5/10
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I feel kind of bad for saying I really liked this. I really enjoyed it the one time I saw it even though its rather massive flaws were quite evident to me, upon reflection. Nevertheless, a really fun popcorn movie. Jackman looked better than ever.7.5/10
Star Trek - As a fun, flashy, fantasy movie this is definitely the best film of the Summer. An excellent cast, a snappy, funny script and a serviceable plot. Chris Pine is the coolest guy out of a really cool cast. 9/10
- As a Star Trek movie, this is sort of a 'white-flag surrender' rather than the 'bold new revitalisation' people keep calling it. Any idiot could have made this movie; it's just fortunate that the characters are done so well and that Pine so effortlessly takes over from Shatner. 7/10
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - After the Earth-shattering awesomeness of the first one, I was bitterly disappointed by this. It was just...too much. It tried far too hard. I didn't even mind Wheelie that much, but those jive-talkin' only-in-the-movie-to-sell-toys twin robots pissed me off something fierce. The only real upside to this movie was that the human cast of characters had all improved and had actually developed a bit (Sam was much more confident and sure of himself than in the last one and the Sector 7 guy was actually likeable). Plus, Optimus Prime was as cool as he was last time, thankfully. 5/10
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince - Serviceable, enjoyable, entertaining, British-made movie that I enjoyed watching in the cinema, but will probably never see again. (Basically, what the James Bond films are to everyone else). 8/10
The Hangover - I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if it hadn't been over-rated into the stratosphere by everyone on planet Earth. Some parts were clever and I laughed out loud a few times, but I mean...it's a tiger...so what?! 7.5/10
Wonder Woman - Could have and should have been longer (there were some small, but annoying plot holes that could have easily been dealt with in a few seconds of dialogue), but it was really, really good. Probably the best of the DCU DTVs, so far.
The little girl calling out '"Look! It's Wonder Woman!" at the very end, was the best part of the movie.
9/10
(500) Days of Summer - A flawless, perfect romantic comedy that was exactly what I thought it would be.
The ending teetered precariously towards being too much of a sugary-ideal-Hollywood ending, but the rest of the movie more than made up for it.
10/10
Green Lantern: First Flight - To sum up my thoughts, I will simply state what I think this movie should have been called: "Green Lantern Corps: The Movie, with Hal Jordan". Hal wasn't given enough to do as a character, even though he was present for the entire thing. It often felt like I was watching someone playing an RPG akin to Mass Effect.
Also, I didn't really care for "the green and yellow elements" as deviations. Mostly because they just looked like giant chunks of Kryptonite.
6/10
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies - Surprisingly good in spite of the bad press it's received. Conroy and Daly are given more to do than in their other recent portrayals of the character and the action is so much fun that the troubled plot doesn't really need to make that much sense. Poor, empty characterisations of other characters pull it down to a 7.5/10
Avatar - Someone described it as "watching someone playing one of the coolest video games ever made," and that sort of sums it up. It didn't really need to be a film. It's quite beautiful and it's certainly the biggest thing I've ever seen, but that's not really much more to it than that. 6.5/10
Sherlock Holmes - It could have been a whole lot more than it was. Downey Jr. and Law were great, but their lines and their chemistry seemed a bit tired. None of the other key characters were interesting and
Moriarty was almost completely ridiculous
. I also thought the movie's title was a bit presumptuous, as if they were suggesting that this was the definitive Sherlock Holmes movie, or something. The general idea of Sherlock Holmes as a martial arts badass worked fine, though. 6/10
