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Gekijou-ban Mahou Shoujo Madoka*Magica: [Zenpen] Hajimari no monogatari (2012)
Mesmerizing, even to a noob
I was dragged into seeing the premiere of this movie by one of my friends without having ever heard of the TV series and without having seen a whole lot of anime, and no anime with English subtitles. I went into the movie with a skeptical attitude, but what I saw over the course of the following five hours was one of the most fascinating and enthralling cinematic experiences I have ever witnessed. Since I don't really have much anime experience to which I can compare this movie, I can't really comment on the specific details. But as a movie buff, I can say that this movie is a spectacle, a monumental achievement in animation which should not be missed.
White Noise (2005)
A unique, well-made thriller that IS genuinely disturbing.
Despite its many down points (and there are several) and obvious borrowings from Spiehlberg's Poltergeist, this film manages to hold its own identity among the touchy subject of supernatural thrillers, a genre that is quite good at falling into clichés.
Our story begins with a simple quote and static-y opening sequence-a pertinent and interesting opener to an interesting movie. Geoffrey Sax's unique directorial style becomes very clear within the first few minutes, including shots from angles uncommonly seen from the human eye and several long fades-which can be awkward at times. However, Sax does a great job at directing the emotion in Michael Keaton's struggle with his wife's passing.
However, as soon as Anna dies and we start seeing this EVP maniac for the first time, the plot becomes really incomprehensible. Due to limited dialog with Anna's spirit through the static, the plot becomes so garbled it takes a lot of thinking to tell what's going on. However, if you can comprehend this screwed-up second act Niall Johnson crapped out, you will be rewarded with Geoffrey Sax's superior direction of suspense, character reaction, and stuff popping out at you. His style almost echoes that of terror master Sam Raimi, sometimes building you up to where you know something's going to pop out at you and you know from where, and you brace yourself, and it just...doesn't...happen.
So overall, if you're not a perfectionist and can stand a really messed- up, disjointed script, watch this film because of the interesting story, excellent acting, and superior direction. You won't regret it.
Disaster Movie (2008)
Be sure to leave your brain at home when you go see this movie.
Let's get a few things straight here... I don't watch movies like this to be moved by a deep plot line, to sweat on the edge of my chair by petrifying suspense, and to be stunned by actor's performances. I come to films like these to laugh my butt off. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you can open up your mind to the above principals of comedy films, you can truly see this film as I saw it.
This film was absolutely hilarious. Sure, the gags were often dirty, sure they were politically incorrect, sure certain people would be offended by it. But honestly, it's just a cheap comedy meant to cause people to laugh until they have heart attacks. It's what the directors intended, and in my opinion they succeeded in it very well.
So, if you can possibly lower your IQ by a few points for an hour and half, I'm sure you'll find this movie very enjoyable.
Tooth Fairy (2010)
A clever, lighthearted film that's enjoyable to people older than 8
Tooth Fairy is by no means amazing, but it was just entertaining enough to keep me satisfied, and I'm 16. I meant to go see Avatar a second time with a friend, but it turned out that for some reason they weren't showing it at that time, so we went to see this instead. And even at the loss of seeing possibly the greatest film of all time again, this film was not bad.
There were several parts that made me laugh, and I don't laugh very easily. In addition to that, the storyline produced many likable, well- written characters that we can all relate to, as our adult selves or our child selves, and if a film can move us closer to our inner child, that is truly a touching moment.
On the negative side, the cinematography was really nothing amazing and the production design was very average for this type of film-you know, clouds, castles, pink, purple, the whole Disney Princess getup. Also, no performances were truly amazing-besides that fact that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson actually produced an exceptional performance.
So, in the end, this film is by far nothing to go out of your way to go and see, but if you've got a spare moment, who knows. You might actually like this.
2012 (2009)
Maybe I'm just too 'general public' to be a critic...
As a disclaimer, the only spoiler I have included is the overall tone of the ending, no plot specifics. Promise :)
I'm not sure whether to think of myself much of a movie critic or not. I know what I like in a film for sure, but it seems to me that I'm quite nicer to most films than a lot of people on this site. So, particularly in this review because it seems to very much from the others, I hope that you find this review somewhat helpful but it seems impossible to promise that you will agree with me.
I judge a film based on how it leaves me feeling. Not like sad gets 1 point and ecstatic gets 10, but based on the level of effect that the pull of the emotion proposed in a film has on me. I don't go off on a checklist and explore every little detail down to the last byte (i.e. character depth, particular performances, little filmmaking goofs) Thus 2012, to me, is quite possibly one of the best films I have ever seen.
I had a phase in around eighth grade when I first found out about the 2012 conspiracy in which I started freaking out. I didn't want the world to end so soon! I did a little research and learned that there was no way anything could happen, but still the thought lowered my spirits quite a bit whenever mentioned.
Now, when this movie came out I did whatever I could to avoid it, the whole depression residue still left in the deep, dark pits of my soul. However, as in today's case, when you're on a 9 hour plane ride and have seen every other film in the seatback entertainment system, you don't have much of a choice. So, I entered the world of this film at 30,000 feet not expecting much of anything but a bunch of explosions and $50 million of special effects.
That's where I was wrong.
You see, this film wasn't just several edited clips of explosions. It was a film following the journey of an average American family, under harsh stresses, facing the end of the world. And even though a few parts are clichéd to the point where you want to rip your hair out of your head (I swear if I ever hear that 'you cannot fill a cup that is already full' analogy in a film ever again...), the ending, surprisingly enough for dealing with the end of the world, brings an extremely uplifting emotion. It proposes many possible morals to the story. It installs a sense of hope in the viewer.
Oh yeah, and then there's that special effects and bang boom KABLOOSH!!!! BAM BAM BAM BAM KSSSHST!!! BANG!!! and stuff.
Overall, don't get put off by the grim prospect of the world ending. See this film. You'll be happy you did.
So, the verdict
Shrek Forever After (2010)
Did the writers even SEE Shrek 2?
It's not a HUGE spoiler, but I'll check the box just to be safe.
So anyways, Shrek 4 movie had all the visuals of a great movie. Outstanding animation, great digital cinematography, an entire world created by the animators, great directing, etc. Heck, I'll even go so far as to say the story line was pretty good-it had its twists and turns, almost like the original two Shrek films!
If the writers of Shrek 4 see this review, they'll definitely slap themselves silly on how they missed such a HUGE plot hole caused by Shrek 2. In Shrek 2, Fiona's parents arranged her marriage with the Fairy Godmother's son, Prince Charming. So, if Shrek hadn't come to rescue Fiona from the tower, Prince Charming would soon enough. She wouldn't escape by herself.
Besides that infuriating plot hole, the writers lacked the magic of the original two Shrek films. It may be that kids movies writers nowadays would be afraid to have a line saying "I can get you a prince with a sexy tush!" but part of the magic of the original two Shrek movies were the original, if sometimes on the dirty side, gags which Shrek 4 almost totally lacked.
If you were a fan of the original Shrek movie and you hoped from the reviews that this movie was a departure from Shrek 3, I'm sad to say that in some ways it is (i.e. plot line), but in most ways it's not (i.e. unoriginal gags). In comparison to other recent kids movies (Monsters vs. Aliens, Bee Movie) this is quite a bit better, but still don't expect much. I'm in a good mood so I'll give it a 6.
Eagle Eye (2008)
I just don't understand...
Really, I don't. I don't see how Eagle Eye could possibly be getting only a 6 out of 10 on IMDb.
Sure, there's a bit of stretching reality in this movie, but if you shrug off all of the non-realistic elements to the plot, you're left with a very finely-crafted, breakthrough film.
The characters are very well-developed. You know from the start what kind of person they really are, and you are able to come up with theories as to how they will handle certain occurrences throughout the film.
The action in this movie is top-notch. Never before has a movie kept me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding as much as this one did. The special-effects are incredibly realistic and while much of the action is relentless, it doesn't take away from the plot of the film by any means.
Finally, the plot is about as twisted as it gets. At the beginning, you have no idea as to who this person controlling Jerry Shaw's life. Throughout the movie, who the person is, its intentions, and its plans are gradually revealed, each time causing a huge twist in the plot that might not make sense at first, but when you think about it it makes total sense.
All this wrapped up with great performances by Shia LeBouf, Michelle Monhagan, and others, incredible cinematography, interesting and creative camera-work, and a good amount of comic relief mixed into the action are what really make this a good film. So if you can stand a bit of relentless action and an audacious, non-realistic plot, this movie is for you. If you love conspiracies, this movie is definitely for you. And if you are afraid of technology, watch this film because it will scare you out of your skin.
The Box (2009)
An intense masterpiece.
Would you push the button? Or would you just let it slip? What would happen in either case? That's the big decision for Normah and Arthur Lewis in this amazingly intense supernatural thriller.
Many people will say that the plot is very hard to follow. If you generally aren't good at paying attention to movies, you may want to skip this one as the plot is quite out-there and there are several parts where would-be massive plot holes are explained by small elements previously in the movie that might go unnoticed.
However, if you enjoy a complicated plot and a good thriller, this movie is definitely for you. All the actors delivered outstanding performances-especially Cameron Diaz, and Richard Kelly pulled off a movie as artfully directed as Donnie Darko. Also, this movie is extremely unpredictable. It will keep your heart pounding wondering what will happen next.
Just a negative note, I thought the musical score was absolutely terrible. Much of the time it consisted of un-tuned strings squeaking out dissonant notes.
As a fan of Richard Kelly's other famous movie, Donnie Darko, The Box certainly didn't disappoint. If you enjoy a good intense movie and don't mind a highly unlikely plot, this one's for you.