tttl4077 Reviews

Doctor Strange (2016)

Takes The Comic Book Genre To The Highest Level

[27 October 2016]

You can rest assured that Doctor Strange is an astoundingly amazing movie and YES as good as any Marvel origin movie to date. I'm so glad Marvel got in to the solo movie making business. Instead of leasing out their characters to other studios, they're making movies themselves and have not missed yet. The critics all agree (as if that matters) and they are single-handedly saving 2016 in movies.

This movie really takes the comic book genre to the highest level. It reinvents epic adventure by "Marvelizing" characters by making them more believable and more relatable. Then, they deliver visuals unlike anything that you've ever seen before. They certainly deliver a movie with as much feeling as it has action and intensity. It's a movie that has a wonderful balance that delivers intelligence with its fun. This is, without a doubt going to be on everyone's top ten list come the end of the year. It's an origin movie for the ages.

Into the Storm (2014)

Poor Man's Twister

[19 September 2014]

Well, there certainly were a lot of CGI tornados and storm damage to be sure. The movie starts out terrible with some of the worst dialogue and poorly written scenes imaginable. Then, somehow the action and events that hit the screen becomes bearable. A poor man's "Twister" without the heart of that film. The recorded final messages scene with the eldest son and the object of his affection is actually moving and emotional. In a film devoid of depth up until that point, the scene is a pleasant surprise. However, using so much "found footage" and inside the camera moments really was awful and often jarring. It's as if the director didn't know how much point of view camera stuff to use so he randomly jammed it in whenever possible.

The Wolverine (2013)

Superb In Every Way

[29 July 2013]

I've used this colloquialism before but "X marks the spot" and there are plenty of big action scenes throughout this amazing movie that it has to be called spectacular. Wolverine goes ballistic train in a good way and rivals the train sequence from Spider-Man 2. It's action with a nice mix of smarts and fun. I don't understand how anyone can complain about that awesome ending. After delivering adventure and a superb set up, they deliver action in just the right amount for the third act. For example, one of the few complaints about the first two Iron Man movies was that the pay off and third acts were lacking in action. No one can credibly say that with this film. What hits here is the best film of the summer in my mind.

For the task of making a great stand alone film that could still be considered a sequel on some level that offered more then the first and was able to expand on the X-Men trilogy - it exceeds all expectations. The pace is better, the effects are better, the writing is superb, the additional characters were nicely patched in, Wolverine kicked backside, and overall this is one fine action film.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Just Awful. Worse Than Wild Wild West And That Says It All

[26 June 2012]

Despite the silly premise I went looking for popcorn fun. Sadly, the movie delivers very little of that but plenty of what most expect and that's a story that's dumber than dirt. This effort really is as bad as Wild Wild West but with less star power. In fact, the entire final train battle scene was so far over the top and so very cartoonish and silly that it actually falls BELOW Wild Wild West levels. Up until that point, the action was quite light and that was a surprise. Take out one scene where young Abe chases a vampire through a stampede complete with CGI horses being thrown around and I can't recall any other interesting action at all. Everything is cheesy bad but very little of it in a good way. This was truly one of the worst films that I've experienced this year.

(BTW- Abe gaining vampire-like super strength because truth is power did make me snicker out loud. That was worth a few ratings points right there!)

The Avengers (2012)

Shear Perfection! It's smart, intense, well acted, thrilling, fun and superbly done.

[4 May 2012]

All hail the new KING! I'm not saying this to anger the Nolan nation or egg on the Distinguished Competition but I'd have to rate Marvel's Avengers a true 10/10 masterpiece and THE best comic book movie ever made. It is as close to a perfect movie as you can get regardless of the genre. I've noted before that Superman has generally held the title as most fondly remembered or nostalgic superhero film even though it has some campy flaws. Spider-Man has generally held the title as most beloved superhero film because of the character. TDK has generally held the title as most technically sound and highly rated superhero movie. Iron Man has generally held the title as best all-around superhero film. Thor and Captain America jumped in last year and added their own unique flavor but I can honestly say that Avengers tops them all in every single category. It is IMO shear perfection on every level. It's smart, intense, well acted, thrilling, fun and superbly done.

MARVEL'S been on a roll since the record breaking success of Iron Man and here's where it all pays off. And man, does it ever!!!!!!! Avengers has my vote for film of the year because it lives up to all the hype and all the hope. This movie was excellent and entertaining and deserves all the praise it has gotten.

Immortals (2011)

an ungodly waste of time... just awful

[16 November 2011]

I guess it was the year for really bad, dumb CGI video game type films. Immortals is as awful and as deep as the worst mindless video game cut sequences. Being very poorly written may have been inevitable but this films biggest crime is that nothing of note happens for the first hour. The lack of action is puzzling for a movie such as this one. The first hour is filled with CG scenery, "gods" dressed in their best homosexual fetish duds, an occasional ominous soundtrack, and a story held together by nonsense and one brief skirmish where the lead kills three men as he tries to save his mother. Until the final battle, this movie is actually boring. The final battle was cool (although disgusting) but ultimately meaningless when anyone stops and thinks about it. In 3D or regular, this is an ungodly waste of time.

In Time (2011)

Too Stupid To Enjoy... Yes, A Waste of Time Indeed

[9 November 2011]

I'm not sure what this movie wanted to be and I'm quite sure neither did the director or even the writers. Apparently, they wanted to spin a tale that would satisfy the "Occupy Wallstreet" crowd but forgot to make the movie itself fun or even coherent. The concept never works or makes any real sense at all and, quite frankly, is too stupid to buy in to at any time. Never aging past the age of 25 and having time as the only form of currency is an interesting idea but there are so many facets involved and none of it works. What would be the true ramifications are never shown and there's no depth to anything. No supporting character does anything remotely believable and the I haven't seen this dumb of a society since the movie Demolition Man. At least in that dumb movie we got to see Wesley Snipes kick someone. Here, there is one car chase and no action or adventure to link anything together. It's a straight share the wealth story with a nice message of appreciate life don't just live it. That's not near enough and the irony is that this seemed like two hours wasted to me.

SPOILER: At the end, why the hell didn't they take some of the one million years for themselves? They were driving around with it but had under an hour left? The only reason was to have a dramatic climax but the only thing I could thing of during that scene was why the hell is this happening at all?

Thor (2011)

Thor is an exquisite film. Fun and Smart.

[12 September 2011]

I thought this remarkable movie was smart, well written, visually stunning, very well directed, and struck just the right tone for the material. There's really no other movie you can compare this one too. It's a small part psychodrama that explores the depth of human relationships but still delivers great action. It also gives us a human element to which most anyone should be able to relate. This movie really is exceptional. From the epic opening set on Asgard, to the awesome battle with the Destroyer back on Earth, Thor is filled with plenty of action, a compelling story and some superb direction from Branagh. Yes, I said superb. Everything I wanted in a film such as this and, actually, quite a bit more.

Yes, I THORoughly enjoyed this movie. Each frame is packed with either action, emotion, drama or intensity. I was expecting to simply see crazy mythology with monsters destroying the landscape for two hours like maybe Clash of the Titans. Instead, I was shocked at the depth and complexity of this amazing film. You definitely need your brain and your heart turned on for this one, unlike certain CGI mishmashes. If you want a movie with just dumb action and no plot then stay away from this exceptional film. The performances are top tier and the visual effects may be the best I've seen in years if not ever. I have to join the majority of people and even critics that are praising this film. It's a true joy and such a pleasant surprise.