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Basic (2003)
Entertaining B-movie that does that make sense at all
Despite its flaws, I love this movie. I must have watched this movie 2 dozen times over the years. It's a B-movie whose plot does not make sense. The things I like about this movie are the chemistry between actors/characters and the film noir mood of the movie.
This is a conspiracy movie that has a lot of smoke screens. It is best not to make sense of the plot of this movie as it would require a significant suspension of disbelief. There's a conspiracy/mystery, some characters try and do "resolve" it, and then there's a "satisfying" resolution at the end.
Overall, I would recommend it to people just to pass the time.
The Colony (2013)
Clichéd movie about a group holding out against an enemy
This movie piqued my interest because it reminded of movies such as The Thing and Dawn of the Dead, and of games such as The Swarm. I found the setting of the movie, an underground base effectively surviving underneath a frozen world, a good basis for a story. However, the plot itself does not explore the world and the background story.
When the movie started, I found myself thrown amid a bunch of clichés. The narrative simplistically explains how the apocalypse, in this case a frozen world, came about. The premise of the plot is that a team of three people from one base, in response to a distress signal, journey to help another base. This is where the help squad encounters its initial enemy, and the squad inevitably ends up luring the enemy back to its own base. Other clichés include a power struggle for leadership, and the movie trying to leave the backstory undeveloped to shroud the audience with a mysterious atmosphere. I found similarities between The Colony and Oblivion, including the narrative, the initial encounter with enemies, and the lack of answers. There are many other clichés that are scattered about the movie, including scenes on a decaying bridge, and scenes involving escape.
As for the special effects and the cinematography, I did not find them particularly special or bad. The whole movie reminded me a bit of The Dawn of the Dead and The Thing, both of which are better than this movie. It did not make up for the lackluster plot with its visuals, and it did not make me feel anything.
If you have seen The Dawn of the Dead, The Thing, or anything similar, you have already pretty much seen this movie. The Colony is only worth watching on Netflix.
Pain & Gain (2013)
Visually-Colorful Ominous Movie about Three Amateur Criminals
Pain & Gain follows three bodybuilders who look to amateurishly cause pain for their own personal gain. The trio kidnaps a rich businessman, a client at their gym, in order to extort money from him. The movie follows their downward spiral once they prove successful in their scheme.
Being based on a true story, it is morbid having the protagonists of the story be the bad guys. I feel conflicted about this. On one hand, I can sympathize with the protagonists for wanting to make it big and to live the good life. On the other hand, I am troubled to see their schemes become increasingly vicious towards people, including themselves. The plot of Pain & Gain is concrete – all the actions of the protagonists have a cause and an effect. We get to see how their actions affect their world – the damage they cause to property, to themselves, and to others; and the reactions of the characters to the wrongdoings of the protagonists. Unlike other Michael Bay movies, the events of this movie flow and mix really well and there is logic in the plot.
The film being set in Miami in the 1990s makes it vividly distinct movie. Everything is portrayed in full color literally and figuratively. Just as the movie shows us a spectrum of locations, colors, and imagery, it shows us a spectrum of character emotions, thoughts, and actions. While this is not a movie of Oscar-worthy performances, the actors definitely portray a spectrum of acting abilities.
The action in the movie is definitely the most realistic in any other Michael Bay movie or Hollywood action movie, like Gangster Squad, G.I. Joe, or Bad Boys 2. Not much suspense of disbelief is required for the action scenes in this movie. While not overloaded with action, the movie will keep you engaged in terms in the action it does have.
This movie is a Full-Price day-of-release movie. To me, it is almost worthy of two theater runs with popcorn and soda pop.
Oblivion (2013)
A search for truth, yet no answers are provided
"A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself." That is the IMDb synopsis of Oblivion's plot. I went in expecting a science fiction movie about a protagonist that uncovers magnitudes of answers and truths that go against all his taken-for-granted knowledge.
The movie started in an intriguing way, showing us the decimated world wrought by war, and the routines of the protagonist, Jack, and his partner. The visuals of the movie are very well done and it was awe- inspiring to see, ironically, the beauty of such destruction. The cinematography was very well done – I was immersed in several of scenes due to the fashion in which the movie was filmed.
The storyline, however, is a giveaway. It is extremely predictable at times, and it takes the protagonist on a path for truth that leads to a puddle of answers. I expected Morgan Freeman's character to provide some answers, and I expected the characters to be more inquisitive and prying for information. However, the characters were satisfied with the face value of the truth handed to them. I wanted to learn more about the world, and I was learning about it vicariously through the characters. The lack of lore presented in the movie left me hungry for more, and I ended up walking out of the theatre empty.
Overall, this movie is a rental at best. The acting and the visuals, while good, cannot compensate for the lacking story.
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
Excellent Three-Part Story About the Ripple Effects of Crime
All I knew about The Place Beyond the Pines as I walked into the theater was that it was about a motorcycle stuntman robbing banks as a way to provide for his wife and young son. I found this movie a great example of a story that does not revolve around a singular character, but around a spree of crimes. This movie has three distinct narratives that take place, as the story follows three different characters. However, they all have to do with the bank-robbing spree of the initial protagonist.
There are a lot of unexpected elements in this movie. The first narrative chance in the movie is very drastic. When it happens, it got me thinking "Did that really just happen?" I found myself to be shocked by the realism of the situation. The movie is so ominously realistic as it goes on that it almost gave me chills just thinking about it.
The titular location, the place beyond the pines, refers to several locations. The literal meaning of the title indicates that the place is beyond some trees, either within the same woods or even beyond. The place beyond the pines is also the loose meaning of the city name Schenectady. The heavily wooded area, seen several times in the movie, is a place portrayed for as a path to redemption and death. Yet the city itself is a place where the characters define themselves through actions. The characters physically leave the city to go into the woods or beyond to be redeemed in one way or another, yet they never leave the same place symbolically. Figuratively, they stay in the same place they were before. The story comes full circle, since the protagonist that the story follows at the end is in the same figurative place as the protagonist at the beginning of the story.
This is full-circle story about how a crime creates a ripple effect on all the people involved, as well as their relatives. The storytelling of this movie is really enhanced by the unconstrained cinematography. The ending of the movie is not really tragic, but it leaves you with a feeling that life goes in circles, and that not all circles are good. I highly recommend this movie.
A Haunted House (2013)
A Haunted House is a twin movie of Scary Movie 5
A Haunted House is very much part of the Scary Movie family of movies. A Haunted House and Scary Movie 5 are twin movies: similar type of humor and similar horror movies parodied. This is a movie that can be pretty much judged by the cover: it is a stupid parody movie filled with slapstick humor, fart jokes, and sex. The plot is ridiculous, but more coherent than the one in Scary Movie 5.
While I enjoyed the movie, I did not find it as hilarious as Scary Movie 5. The reason may be that I have not seen all the movies that Haunted House parodies, while I have seen some that Scary Movie 5 parodies. One of the reasons why I laughed at the ridiculous humor in the movie is its satirical and ironic nature intrinsic of parodies. Another reason is that I found the humor in this type of movie, while many people probably have not. If A Haunted House were not a parody movie, it is doubtful I would have found the exaggerated humor as funny.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I personally might have paid matinée price for this movie. However, it will be a while before I watch it again. I would only recommend this type of movie to people who have found the humor in this kind of childish slapstick comedy.
Scary Movie 5 (2013)
Scary Movie 5 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors
Scary Movie 5 is a parody movie comprised of slapstick humor, whimsical characters, and celebrity satire. The movie is done in the same vain as all the other Scary Movies. I think that Scary Movie 5 is one of the better movies in the series, Scary Movie 3 being my favorite one.
The movie is over-the-top and there is hardly anything witty about the humor or writing. Some of the scenes are ridiculous enough to come out of a child's imagination. Or maybe a child's imagination would have resulted in better quality humor than what was presented in this movie. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this movie, even though I know that the jokes are childish, over-the-top, and exaggerated. I have always enjoyed movies within this genre, movies such as the Scary Movies and The Comebacks. Meanwhile, I am not one to enjoy other exaggerated movies, like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. I am not sure why such movies appeal to me more than others. If I had to come up with a reason why I liked the Scary Movies is parody: I like the satirical and ironic imitations that are intrinsic of parody.
The difference between this movie and the others is, for a lack of better word, subtlety. In previous movies, especially the first two movies, there are a lot of jokes related to disgusting events or disfigured and disturbing people. The first movie had an explicit over- the-top sex scene. The fifth installment's sex scene used more figurative imagery to represent what went on. A disfigured man in the second movie was the basis of a lot of jokes. Here, the only thing that comes close to that is a genetically-enhanced ape that is parodying The Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
I like Scary Movie 5 because of its parodies of movies, its slapstick humor, its whimsical characters, and celebrity satire. I am overlooking stupidity and the exaggeration because it does not bother me at all: I expect it as part of the movie.
Snitch (2013)
A new idea with a standard Hollywood execution
The movie effectively sets up the premise as soon as it starts. A high school senior, Jason, is busted and convicted for drug dealing as a first-time non-violent offender. His father, John, decides to be an informant and bring in high-level drug dealers in exchange for a reduction of his son's prison sentence. We also get an idea of John's life: he is a divorced once, his son Jason is estranged, he has a new family of his own, and he owns his own construction company.
As the movie progresses, we find ourselves understanding the severity of the conviction, and the implications for the high school senior. We also understand what a father is willing to do for his son.
Dwayne Johnson is not a bad actor in my eyes, but he is neither a great actor. He is just an actor with enough acting abilities to fill the shoes of his character, John. He definitely can portray a range of emotions in his acting. Nevertheless, he seemed to play this role with a version serious tone. Overall, he is just a standard actor that is able to play this part.
The plot of the movie is alright. I think it is an original idea with a very Hollywood execution. The main pitfall of the movie is that it shows the father gain too much trust off the bat. The movie portrayed that as an easy feat. He was just some guy with that was able to offer some of his skills. Was he the best at what he did? Unlikely. The high-level drug dealers could have found somebody more trustworthy than a complete stranger. There is a twist at the end of the movie which, in my view, was just a smokescreen used to conceal some downfalls of the plot. Does it leave plot holes? No, but it leaves some questions up in the air.
The action of the movie seemed a bit standard, nothing fancy. A couple car chases and some close calls. Snitch is a quiet movie in terms of action movies; it focuses more on the drama of the situation.
Overall, I say this movie is a rental. It provides entertainment when there is time to kill.
Flight (2012)
An investigation of the mind of an alcoholic, not of the airplane crash
"An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling." I went to a screening of this movie based on this short IMDb synopsis of the movie. Having not viewed any other promotional material for this movie, I went in expecting a movie focusing on the investigation of this airplane crash. What I came to realize is that it is a movie about the investigation of an alcoholic.
Denzel Washington's character Whip Whitaker is portrayed as an exceptional yet alcoholic airline pilot. The movie revolved around Whitaker and his alcohol and drug problems, yet it does not investigate any of the problems that cause the plane crash or the character's hardships. Sure, we are allowed a glimpse into the life of an alcoholic, but the movie does not provide any reason to feel sympathy for the character. We do not know how he got to be that way in the first place.
The movie is predictable in the ways that we would expect of a Hollywood movie about substance-abuse recovery. The story culminates to the character's epiphany that he has a drug problem and that he needs to recover from it to have a fulfilling life.
Overall, it was an entertaining movie, but it my view, it is a rental or a Netflix watch.
In Time (2011)
It's an OK Futuristic Dystopian Movie with generic messages
In this movie, time is money. Due to genetic engineering, people require time (i.e. money) in order to continue to live past the age of 25. When the clock starts ticking at age 25, they stop ageing and they automatically get 1 year of free credit. The amount of time they each have is tracked by a tracker in their left forearm, and they earn more the same way people do in real life: they work, steal, gamble, etc.
In general, I liked the idea of the movie, but there are a certain flaws introduced in the movie, and there is one fatal flaw that I didn't like about this movie.
That fatal flaw is that people can get time from man-made devices, and nobody has been able to reverse engineer them. If these devices are made by people in factories, then someone out there certainly has the knowledge to find a method of recreating these devices. This would lead to a black market of devices, and would therefore change the economics, the ethics, and the social ethics of having a time-based currency.
There are a couple more flaws. One being that the time (i.e. money) can be taken so easily without any security measures, especially when it has to do with somebody's life. Another being that the Timekeepers (police) were able to monitor the movement of time from one place to another and from person to person, which lacked explanation and needed to be explored.
Now onto the good things. Two of the better aspects of this movie, although not explored in depth, include the economy of time, and the willingness of people to live to a certain age before they pass away. I did not find the acting exceptional or horrendous. I also thought that the cast was a good fit.
Overall, I think the movie was a low rental in terms of quality. The movie was trying to send out grandiose messages without having substance itself. Had there been more depth to the social, economic, and ethical aspects of the premise, then the movie would have been better.
Talking Funny (2011)
"Make fun of what they do, not for what they are."
Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K., Chris Rock, and Ricky Gervais sit around a table to discuss their comedy acts and routines. They talk about the way they develop their acts, how they view jokes, and how they perform on stage.
I really enjoyed this talk show because it brings out the comedians' different personalities, and how their personalities affect their respective acts. You will recognize that Ricky Gervais is very analytic and academic, that Jerry Seinfeld is self-righteous and "pure", that Chris Rock is educated yet vocal about ethnic and social issues, and that Louis C.K. is a very down to earth everyday man. Some people may not like the attitudes of any of these comedians, namely Gervais and Seinfeld.
Despite any flaws in character or personality that any one of these comedians may have, I think that these four really interact well with each other, and the communication of ideas flows well. I think that if they had prepared discussion material for this, as opposed to talking at will, they would have been able to articulate their ideas way more effectively. Gervais is notable for not being able to effectively express his thoughts. While most of the time he has good points, his choice of words puts him at odds with the other comedians. Nevertheless, they are still able to express their thoughts well enough to have a conversation and they do bounce ideas backs and forth. This is especially true when one of them says something that the others don't agree with.
Some of the topics involved in the talk show include swearing, killer bits, how they develop acts and jokes, their relationship with the audience, and the reasons why people love certain jokes. They cover a multitude of topics that showcase their similarities and their differences as comedians. You will see the fundamentals of stand-up comedy brought to life and discussed.
I really enjoyed this discussion on comedy. There was barely anything, if anything at all, to detract from my enjoyment of the talk show. I hope that they may be able to come back to do this again, and add more to the discussion.