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Reviews
LazyTown (2002)
Poor Acting; Weirdos
OK, so why the heck is this sporticus guy running around doing flips like a monkey every damn second? Quite distracting if you ask me but then again there isn't much story to be had anyway.
Very cheesy, not the greatest acting on the part of Sporticus who i will give credit only for being an athlete. The other 2 characters are more interesting.
I gave it 2 stars for those other actor's contributions and because of the healthy message for kids, but sheesh they need a half decent actor who is YOUNGER to play Sporticus.
Someone with a bit of charm who doesn't take himself as seriously but who you can take more seriously OK, figure that one out ;)
Man of Steel (2013)
Attractive but Ultimately Disappointing
Any new Superman movie is a must see for me and i went in intrigued by the possibilities of a "modern" spin on this classic tale.
It had some interesting angles like the brooding, handsome, tortured hero bit and the new "bio leather" type costume but though there were some good parts the whole film seemed disjointed like some weird, cool alien with no vertebrae.
Firstly, the whole opening sequence on Krypton was too long. Also, Zod was less than captivating. So was Amy Adams who didn't fit the role of Lois Lane. Bummer.
The flashbacks were cute but not as rich as I would have liked. Neither did they fit seamlessly into the narrative. There was no feeling like, "oh wow, i really wanted to know that and boom here comes flshback." it was more like, "getting bored....oh flashback? Yes please. And afterwards- OK, whatever."
The action sequences were boring to be honest. The tension created in a single encounter like the one in the bar when the guy punches Clark for standing up to him was greater and had more opportunity for drama than the entire long, drawn out fight sequences with Zod's drones.
They set the movie up for some strong drama and then let it devolve into some phony sentiments between him and Amy Adams and him vs the Zod crew.
For me this was the third in a line of 3 disappointing superhero films lately.
The worst: Avengers. Yuck
The second to worst: Dark Night Rises
The best (but not as good as it could've been) Man of Steel
Lemale et ha'halal (2012)
Evocative & Fresh
As a watcher of many movies I often find myself bored at watching the same tired clichés recycled over and over and packaged as original movies.
Thats why i was refreshed to watch this movie- a film that has an original story and gives us a look at a different world.
I found the casting to be excellent. The male lead was strong & handsome and inhabited his role with controlled emotion and dignity. The female lead was beautiful in an innocent way and her demure manner and emotional expressions were well suited for her role.
Well done & thanks for a good film experience!
Fearless (1993)
Decent Film; Disappointing Movie
This film is an interesting character study of a man dealing with fear and death.
I watched it because I'm a big fan of Jeff Bridges work as "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski but I was a bit letdown. Here's why:
The movie did not deliver enough entertainment value. Thought provoking it was but entertaining- questionable.
Also, the way the movie handled its core issues and themes seemed a little heavy handed to me.
The old chestnut about script writing that the dialogue should never be totally "on the nose" was not adhered to, in this case to the film's detriment. I found some of the dialogue to be too direct and not leaving enough room for subtext and for the viewer to feel that there is something bubbling beneath the surface. Its always better for the writer to sketch the character's struggles as metaphors and incidental to the story rather than try to force themes to lead the story and drive its dialogue.
Additionally, the Director's use of camera shots was a little slow. The style of, "Look at me, here is another important closeup on some random object for longer than we would like," coupled with the writing served to make the movie a bit melodramatic.
Aside from Jeff Bridges who does a solid job in a decent role, Benicio Del Toro was very interesting in his minor role as was John Torturro.
You will see a lot of rave reviews for Fearless largely because it has a small cult following who were emotionally impacted by it. As a regular viewer with no special connection to the film, I advise you to take these reviews with a grain of salt. They are biased.
This is not a flawless film. It is merely an interesting one with a couple good actors. Definitely Not a must see. I also wasn't crazy about Rosie Perez. Her acting was one note, loud and amateurish rather than nuanced and intelligent.
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
Lots o' Laughs
I can't understand the anal reviews of people who thought they were watching a documentary on the rise of physics or something and feel the need to criticize this comedy, because....well simply because it's a comedy.
Lighten up folks; all the critiques in the world don't mean a thing if people are enjoying and let me tell you, i saw this in the theatre and both myself and the people around me were having plenty of laughs. The script didn't pull any punches and that worked for me.
Adam Sandler is one of the most talented comedic actors working today and he knows how to put together a funny movie with a great cast including funnyman John Torturo. Additionally, there are some fine performances from some new faces, most notably Ido Mosseri.
I would dread to meet any of the people who didn't find this film funny at all. A lack of laughs for a viewer can only be chalked up to side effects of the surgical removal of the funny bone or perhaps the unfortunate enlargement of the anal area causing a sever case of anal retentiveness.
Sit back, relax, let your hair down, sip some fizzy bubalech with a teaspoon of Hummus and have a good time!
The Master (2012)
The Master....bator
Director Paul Thomas Anderson is quoted as saying in an interview after the release of previous film Magnolia: "... what I really feel is that Magnolia is, for better or worse, the best movie I'll ever make."
After viewing this film, I can confirm and assure you that his own prediction remains true. Magnolia remains his one true masterpiece, on a level completely untouched by his latest film: The Master.
The Master (I facetiously titled it The Master....bator based on the opening scene)has many parallels to the style of PTA's other film "There will be blood," but it was even less satisfying than that sprawling colossus.
Yes, it is an innovative film by one of Hollywood's more original talents; however on an intellectual level it fails to thoroughly tackle the complex themes it introduces and consequently also fails to deliver entertainment-wise.
In fact, even the characters of Lancaster and Freddie, though well-acted are actually simply drawn and not nearly as rich as i had hoped. Lancaster's charisma is shown to be purely a product of his personality- Anderson does not successfully communicate his supposed dazzling intellect through the dialogue and Freddie's association with him seems to be simply due to a stray dog complex, rather than anything deeper. At least it makes sense that a weak master would attract an effete disciple.
Perhaps the film would have been better if a more global view was taken to showcase the effects of 'The Cause.' Stuck in the blurry vision of a psychotic drunk (Freddie) the viewer is unable to see clearly and may experience dizzy spells. Gratuitous nudity is included as well.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Night Tries to Rise....Trips on Himself and Falls
I am a huge fan of batman director Christopher Nolan. He is the genius who brought us such groundbreaking films as Memento and Inception, the very good Batman Begins and the excellent The Dark Night.
That's why my hopes for this third installment were so high. Boy was i disappointed.
This movie is a GRAND MESS. Here are some of the reasons why:
Nolan cuts off batman's balls and holds them hostage the entire movie. He is either hobbling around as Bruce Wayne looking like he belongs in a Senior's Home or in his batman's suit trading punches like an aged boxer with MS. No great fight scenes in the inimitable batman style with the whooshing and swooshing and swooping and gadgets and disappearances/reappearances.
I would conjecture that this is both because of the post modern philosophy adopted that no man is a true hero (including batman) and also more practically because the fight team was actually changed from the first two movies to a new one for this film, a change drastically for the worse. They should have stuck to the Keysi Fighting Method.
Another error is that any movie is only as good as its villain and Bane is a horrible villain. He's really more like a big goon that the main villain usually sends in the eleventh hour to do his bidding like the big Russian guy in the Punisher for example. Don't expect another performance like Ledger's Joker here.
What really gets me though, is how the second film developed the whole origin of Twoface as Harvey Dent (who was a great character) and then just dropped it and brought in a much worse villain????
Extremely irritating was Nolan superimposing the Inception style of for example heavy background music etc on this film where it doesn't belong. Even the dialogue was hard to always pick out, especially when you have two of the main characters growling through masks and the war drums right beneath their voices.
But it didn't stop there. Nolan invited almost the entire Inception cast and stuck them into this film inflating the story by giving them non- essential roles and by constantly taking you out of the illusion of reality a film is supposed to create when it forces another much better film to come to mind. He and his buds must have been having such a good time on set enjoying the Inception reunion that they must have forgot they were filming an entirely different movie.
The cherry on the top of this egregious casting is when in the middle of the film you suddenly have a cameo by none other than Cilian Murphy the scarecrow villain in the first Batman movie as some minor people elected judge. (And yes, you guessed it, he was also in Inception). To me that's tantamount to giving Heath Ledger (Joker) or Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent) a role as a cop or a waiter in this film. Seriously man, is there anything else you can do wrong to break the movie spell and keep reminding me i'm only watching a film with actors- something totally fake?
I wish i could stop here but honestly i could go on and on. The movie spends time with characters whose story lines are not that interesting and leads up to a cliché climax that you and i have seen done in previous TV shows like 24 and other films.
I believe the production suffered from the all too common problem of having too large a budget (250 million) that enabled Nolan to create a spectacle of "Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing" instead of an interesting film. The film alternates between dragging with boring exposition and blasting your ears off with nonsense. There is a tender moment between Bruce and Alfred that is very brief that was nice though ;)....
Guys, I went into the theatre ready to love this film, willing to try to like it, but it never even gave me the chance.
Unfortunately it does not live up to the hype. Like the Godfather Part 3, there is no reason to watch it even though you enjoyed the great Parts 1 and 2.
Let sleeping dogs lie and let dead films die. For your own sake, do not break the caution tape to watch this wretched bomb of a film.
Boy Wonder (2010)
Not for the Adult Mind
I gave this film a shot for 35 minutes. The acting was weak and unconvincing and the writing was poor. The pace dragged; it didn't move fast enough and did not qualify as entertainment in my book.
The moody protagonist did not deliver with his head in the ground acting style and the female detective looks like a nice girl but wholly unconvincing. I doubt they had good direction.
This film played with themes that have been done so much better before. Why reinvent the wheel when you are only going to screw it up?
Leave this film to teens; they are the only age group old enough yet unsophisticated enough to possibly enjoy it.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Pretensions of Profundity
Here's one of those movies that receives accolades solely because it deals with a weighty subject and has Pretensions of Profundity.
Is it actually worth watching? I don't believe so. Wish i could get back the time i spent on this lemon of a film. There isn't enough story here to make it a great film and the whole climax is sorely botched. Without writing a spoiler i'll just say that Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz- for whose appearance you wait the entire film for- was a huge letdown.
Although Brando is inarguably one of the greatest actors ever, he was miscast and given vacuous lines to deliver to boot. The movie ends as one big melodramatic farce.
Additionally, the fact that this was a work of director Francis Ford Coppola who directed the inimitable Godfather films does not mean that you should watch this film too. It only means that you should go back and watch the Godfather again (and again). This is shameful compared to those films and it's hard to see any true artist wanting this sham attached to their name.
The only part that was at all enjoyable and made me forget how that the movie was going nowhere, were the parts with Robert Duvall as the macho commander. Very funny stuff.
Hugo (2011)
Slow....Full of problems
I barely made it halfway through this movie before i was finally forced to give it up.
I understand it's a children's movie but that doesn't excuse its movements or dialogue for being so predictable.
Every beat of drama, every give and take was forced and obvious; sentiment without substance, motivations not fleshed out enough among other issues. The script seemed to take the easy way out whenever possible. I found myself predicting lines of dialogue, action, even the gestalt of whole scenes.
Oh, right, i almost forgot. Its damned boring! The pace is slower than paint drying.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Al Pacino at his Best
Watching this film, i finally understood why Al Pacino has earned a spot in the pantheon of great actors.
He inhabits his role so deeply that the movie making spell is never broken. You always believe and you feel sorry for him too. Its in moments like this when films or literature hold you in a spell that you know something magical is at work. Pacino never slips out of his role and just keeps on giving with his acting. Surrounded by a good cast with actors like Charles Dunning this is a good movie, though it is more about his performance than an incredible plot.
I would just add that for modern times it is a bit slow; if the movie came out today, they would have cut a half hour of footage. Then again, this movie wouldn't come out today. The other interesting thing about this movie is how it straddles the line between drama and comedy with all the nebbishy characters.
Thor (2011)
Refreshing Take on Superhero Story
I was pleasantly surprised by this interesting story. There was a lot of great humor and while- like most movies- it wasn't perfect, it was a very worthwhile watch overall.
In terms of the actors, Hemsworth did not disappoint as Thor, which was cool because Hollywood has screwed up by casting wimpy looking actors as superheroes before.
Natalie Portman is such a lovely, gifted actress. I really enjoyed watching her expressing all the different emotions of her character. Very tender, always, spot-on.
Add Anthony Hopkins as the father of Thor and Skarsgard as a professor and I would say a fine cast all around.
The Italian Job (2003)
Sheer Entertainment
I watched this a few years back and i remember being really critical about this film because at the time i was more into heart wrenching drama, stellar acting etc. and that caused me to be a bit of a tight ass when it came to enjoying a mindless fun caper flick like this.
Maybe some of the negative reviews are from people stuck in that frame of mind but luckily i've grown beyond it enough to appreciate this film for what it is: 100% pure entertainment.
The acting is solid all around which is not the case for a lot of films; the pace is blistering hot and never lags; there are some innovative scenes that will blow your mind just trying to figure out- How'd they do that!!??; the characters are well drawn while avoiding sentimentality; and all the ingredients are whipped into a fine recipe for a tasty movie dish!
Spy Hard (1996)
Ripoff of Spoofs on Real Movies
Some movie director's make spoofs on real movies and some just make ripoff's of those spoofs. This is one of the latter.
I popped this in because i, like many of the people who watched the Naked gun series (and Airplane and Scary Movies) loved the way the Zucker Abrams director team made incredible comedy with Leslie Nielson.
But this movie was directed by entirely different people, who had no qualms about totally ripping off those comic geniuses and what's more egregious- failing to be funny! Just don't waste your time- there are still plenty of great comedies with outrageous Leslie Nielson playing the same exact character that are actually bearable to watch. Unfortunately this is not one of them.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
Great Fun!
Man, Zucker really knows how to keep the laughs coming with his trademark brand of comedy that includes spoofing serious situations (whether or not they have appeared in actual movies) wordplay, sight gags and through the vehicle of Leslie Nielson- deadpan humor.
No punches are pulled. If it will get a laugh, they use it. Not much for plot; it's mainly a bunch of hilarious situations cobbled together to form that ideal of entertainment portion sizes: the screen film.
My favorite scene in this film was the mayor's announcement of the Queen's impending arrival and their security measures with Frank and the mike. Boy, did i have soda squirting out of my every orifice! Priscilla Presley is beautiful. I found it really heartwarming that she was a successful actress in her own right after being married to one of the most famous celebrities ever (Elvis).
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Freakin Funny!
Funniest Freakin movie ever!!!
The characters in this movie are some of the best ever. "The Dude" has got to be my favorite person and John Goodman, the Vietnam vet was hilarious as well.
Gosh, what happens when you put a fantastic script in a room with some of the most talented actors?
You get a great movie. In the case of the Big Lebowski, a fabulous movie.
Warning: If you are an anally retentive person you might not be able to handle the unconventional approach.
Also, beware, it is r rated so not for the young'uns....
The Strangers (2008)
You Were Born With an Allergy to this Movie
This is quite simply, a terrible movie. Do not watch it. End of story.
Wait, IMDb requires several lines so i must go on. I watched this movie because Liv Tyler is beautiful and i liked her in the Lord of the Rings.
Well, why she would choose to be in a movie with lees plot than a kindergarten bar graph i have zero idea.
Seriously, how the hell did a script this horrible get any financial backing? It has no merit for interesting, original story at all.
OK..obviously I didn't like it..yada...yada, yada, right? But you have a question, a legitimate one:
Was I scared?
I'll be honest with you. In the beginning i was scared a couple of times. But a third of the way through i ceased being scared and I began to wonder why. The answer?
Because the characters do things so terrifically stupid simply to play into the need to create a scare it breaks the whole sense of realism and releases you from the magic spell that movies are supposed to bind you in by passing themselves off as reality for the time you are glued to the screen.
Final Verdict...gag...gag....gag
The Crimson Pirate (1952)
Incredible Fun
I've watched this film so many times, as a child and just now in 2012 and it held up so well for incredible fun. Its pure entertainment. Better than so many movies made even nowadays, its an awesome, huge spectacle of rollicking adventure.
Burt Lancaster shows off his incredible acrobatic skills and delivers a great performance as the Skipper with his
The film just never stops being incredibly fun, with ingenious new twists populating every new corner.
Oh and one more thing: it has some of the most memorable music in any film, especially the theme that plays in the climax showdown.
Overall, a damn good ride!
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Splendid fun
Incredibly enjoyable movie with vivid characters.
It was really cool to see a cast of so many people who became so famous later on.
Kate winslet is gorgeous and plays the passionate sister to a t. Emma Thompson's face and whole demeanor make her perfectly suited to her role as well.
When i saw Hugh Laurie from House i was like What! There he is! Mr Sarcastic Dr. House! Even Professor Snape from Harry Potter has an important part (Alan Rickman)and i love his unique voice most of all, though he is a fine actor as well.
Finally, I really enjoyed Hugh Grant's stiff, humble walk and speech. What a charismatic actor.
The Road (2009)
Good Adaptation...Some great moments
The movie does a really good job of truthfully and faithfully adapting the excellent book by Cormac Mcarthy, though the fabulous descriptions and images in the book are hard to translate without the medium of language and the use of wordplay.
One of the highlights for me was Robert Duvall's performance particularly when he alludes to his own family experience. Watch for it. I rewound only that moment in the film while watching on DVD to see it twice.
Viggo Mortensen (of whom i'm a fan) gave a great, honest performance. The kid was good but there were moments that i felt his acting facade cracked and i could see the inner workings and machinery of him trying to behave a certain way. In a word, I lost my belief for a moment here and there.
Charlize theron was hauntingly beautiful and well acted in her brief appearances.
All in all, its a good movie- if you can stomach it, because its as grim as the damned reaper.
Bad Company (1972)
Not worth it
I'm a huge fan of Jeff Bridges. Great all around actor who is a pleasure to watch and the Big Lebowski is an all time favorite of mine.
But the movie is still just not worth it. Its just a rambling, meandering story with little story spine and a lack of any true drama. If you are on the edge of your seat it will probably be from dozing rather than from any gripping sort of suspense or interest.
I believe it was given kudos by some critics for being a different type of western: more gritty, real, less glamorized and all that. Honestly, just because a film does something different, doesn't mean it was good entertainment and that's the most important criteria for a good movie.
So, if you want to then watch it but you can definitely do better.
Limitless (2011)
Such a letdown
I was really excited about this film given it's high rating on IMDb. Boy, was i disappointed. It certainly did not live up to it's hype as "the perfect thriller" or whatever drool i read in a previous review.
Perhaps because i had just finished watching "The Game" with Michael Douglas, which is an incredible thriller with great actors, I had high expectations when i popped this DVD in. Sadly, they were smashed to smithereens.
The acting was blah, the antagonists were incredibly blah. Honestly, some Russian street guy just incidentally gets a hard on for the hero and we are supposed to get satisfaction from that? De Niro wasn't too hot either but i can't say i blame him. Low quality script, what is he supposed to do? Oh right he could have turned it down. But we don't expect even good actors to be able to sift out every dud, especially when there is a fat paycheck slipped into the pages of the lousy script.
On the Waterfront (1954)
one of the Finest Films ever made
Wow...This film is just so great. The acting by Brando and the chemistry between him and Eva Marie Saint (also a lovely actress) is so tender yet fraught with so much difficulty. Drama, romance, adventure, philosophy are just a few of the many attributes performed to a t in this film classic.
Good supporting cast, including a great performance by Lee J Cob as the mob head.
This film -with wonderful direction by director Elia Kazan- contains some of the most iconic scenes in film history.
Wish movies this good could be made nowadays.
Was blown away the first time in saw it and then again and again and again..........
The Last Lions (2011)
Deceptive, Shameless
As an avid watcher of National Geographic and big-cat films I was able to spot the deception this supposed "documentary" tries to pull off. My great excitement immediately plummeted when i recognized footage from other videos being inserted into this one to complete the storyline- in other words create a story where there was none.
It happened numerous times, each time i was surprised how low a film by what you would think is an honorable company- national geographic- would sink to.
The lack of honesty in what was supposed to be a documentary destroyed any value this film had for me. I only gave it three stars because there were cool visuals, even though the story was dreck.
There are some good videos out there. Go watch Lions and Hyenas: Eternal Enemies. That will really knock your face off and you won't grow a long nose like Pinnochio for watching it.