Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy // Running Time: 99 minutes // Release Date: March 30, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1646987/
Overall Rating 7.5 out of 10
Synopsis: After being told about an upcoming apocalypse from his father Zeus, Perseus must once again use his demi-god powers to battle the forces of evil and attempt to save mankind. This time, Perseus must battle the once imprisoned Titans and make his way into Tartarus itself to rescue his father, who has been captured and is being used to awaken Chronos, the father of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.
The first thing that should be noted is that the special effects in this movie are spectacular! This might be the first movie that has had even remotely impressive 3D since Avatar. After trying hastily and very unsuccessfully to convert Clash Of The Titans to 3D, the makers of Wrath seem to have done a much better job in this one. There were some pretty visually exciting scenes in this movie that made you feel like you were almost in the movie ... almost. I'm sure however, that without the 3D, the movie will still be visually fun to watch.
Secondly, there is a lot of action in this movie. Pretty much non-stop action, actually. The story definitely seems to play second fiddle to the battle scenes in this movie, which is a bit disappointing with the caliber of acting available. I mean, you have Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Bill Nighy for starters, so the potential is definitely there. Sadly, it's pretty much wasted in this film. That being said, the battles are pretty intense and exciting, right from the first run in with a Chimera, all the way until the final battle scene, the action just keeps coming. There are battles with all sorts of mythical creatures in this movie - chimeras, cyclopes, minotaurs, weird double torso warriors, and a giant volcano monster. There's sword fights, explosions, large scale military battles, and some other pretty ridiculous things that are sure to entertain any action fan.
The story is a bit rushed, and they definitely could have done with some more Bill Nighy, as he pretty much stole the show in his short appearance, but this movie is still far better than the first release. I went into the movie expecting an all out CGI assault, and that's exactly what I got. So obviously, I wasn't disappointed. If your looking for a movie with substance, full-bodied characters, and a well drawn out storyline, you'll want to skip this movie. But if you're like me, and you just want to be mindlessly entertained, this movie definitely hits the mark.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Hunger Games
Genre: Action / Drama / Sci-Fi // Running Time: 142 minutes // Release Date: March 23, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/
Overall Rating 6 out of 10
Synopsis: Set in the future sometime after the next big war, the story centers around a competition held every year pitting 24 children/teenagers in a fight to the death. Every year a lottery is held to select one girl and boy from each of the 12 districts of Panem for the Hunger Games, which are used to both entertain and intimidate residents into keeping the peace.
I haven't read the books yet, but I'll probably start this week, so I definitely can't compare the movie to the books. Although from what I've gathered on the ole' internet, there are some things missing, and 'shockingly' the book is supposed to be better. So teach yourself how to read, or take lessons or something, and read the books. Use your imagination kids!
I realize that in today's movie world, everything is a copy or a rip-off, but that still doesn't stop me from noticing the similarities in this story to that of things done before. I definitely was reminded of Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Running Man while watching this movie. A violent, to the death game show, that was used as a way to keep the masses content while making money for those in power. It also reminded me of Van Damme's Hard Target and this other movie I saw a long time ago that I had to look up called Surviving The Game. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It stars Gary Busey, John McGinley, Rutger Hauer and F. Murray Abraham. Basically, as I watched the movie, I kept thinking that I'd seen all this somewhere before, which was uber distracting, and after looking a few things up after I got home, I know why.
Similarities aside, the movie itself is fairly entertaining. I wouldn't call it spectacular by any means, but it was a fun watch. There is some scenes of high drama and suspense, quite a bit of action, and the interactions between the characters is believable even if some of the other parts of the plot aren't. I would elaborate, but it would result in some spoilers. Let's just say some children are plucked out of farming and mining communities and are competeting against other children who have been training for the games their whole lives and we're supposed to believe they stand a chance after a week (or less) of martial arts, weapons, and survival training. But whatever, it's a fantasy right?
Like I said, the movie is fun to watch, and it's not overly violent despite the fact that the characters are in a fight to the death, so you can take your children to see it without fear of overly terrible nightmares and future therapy bills. But if you do, please educate your children on proper theater etiquette because my movie experience (and possibly this review) was tainted by one little turd constantly asking his father for explanations about every little thing without waiting to see if his question would be answered in the next 20 seconds, which it almost always was!
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/
Overall Rating 6 out of 10
Synopsis: Set in the future sometime after the next big war, the story centers around a competition held every year pitting 24 children/teenagers in a fight to the death. Every year a lottery is held to select one girl and boy from each of the 12 districts of Panem for the Hunger Games, which are used to both entertain and intimidate residents into keeping the peace.
I haven't read the books yet, but I'll probably start this week, so I definitely can't compare the movie to the books. Although from what I've gathered on the ole' internet, there are some things missing, and 'shockingly' the book is supposed to be better. So teach yourself how to read, or take lessons or something, and read the books. Use your imagination kids!
I realize that in today's movie world, everything is a copy or a rip-off, but that still doesn't stop me from noticing the similarities in this story to that of things done before. I definitely was reminded of Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Running Man while watching this movie. A violent, to the death game show, that was used as a way to keep the masses content while making money for those in power. It also reminded me of Van Damme's Hard Target and this other movie I saw a long time ago that I had to look up called Surviving The Game. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It stars Gary Busey, John McGinley, Rutger Hauer and F. Murray Abraham. Basically, as I watched the movie, I kept thinking that I'd seen all this somewhere before, which was uber distracting, and after looking a few things up after I got home, I know why.
Similarities aside, the movie itself is fairly entertaining. I wouldn't call it spectacular by any means, but it was a fun watch. There is some scenes of high drama and suspense, quite a bit of action, and the interactions between the characters is believable even if some of the other parts of the plot aren't. I would elaborate, but it would result in some spoilers. Let's just say some children are plucked out of farming and mining communities and are competeting against other children who have been training for the games their whole lives and we're supposed to believe they stand a chance after a week (or less) of martial arts, weapons, and survival training. But whatever, it's a fantasy right?
Like I said, the movie is fun to watch, and it's not overly violent despite the fact that the characters are in a fight to the death, so you can take your children to see it without fear of overly terrible nightmares and future therapy bills. But if you do, please educate your children on proper theater etiquette because my movie experience (and possibly this review) was tainted by one little turd constantly asking his father for explanations about every little thing without waiting to see if his question would be answered in the next 20 seconds, which it almost always was!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Gone
Genre: Drama / Thriller // Running Time: 94 minutes // Release Date: February 24, 2012 (March 16, 2012 - Taiwan) Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1838544/
Overall Rating 6.5 out of 10
Synopsis: A year after escaping from being abducted and taken to a remote location in the woods, Jill returns home to find her sister missing and fears that the same abductor has returned and took her sister by mistake. Unfortunately, no evidence was ever found and her case was never solved, so the police continue to believe she is simply suffering from mental health problems leaving Jill no choice but to track down the abductor by herself before he kills her sister.
I found this movie to be pretty gripping and interesting. It's a perfect length for this type of movie. I believe if you make these thriller, suspense-type movies too long, it's hard for the audience to maintain a decent level of nervous tension. This film did a good job of creating suspense, providing a handful of shady/weird characters that could be possible suspects, and keeping you guessing throughout the movie. I thought Amanda Seyfried's acting was also quite good in this film and her performance was definitely believable and added to the overall tension of the film. Without giving too much away, the sub-plot (shown in the trailer) with her being chased by the police for her vigilante-esque behavior is also pretty intense, with many close calls (as you'd expect).
Overall, I went in with low expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. Like I said, the film was the perfect length and I think that really helped to make it effective and enjoyable. I know this plot has been done quite a few times in the past, but you know Hollywood, it's either a remake or a rip-off ... or a comic book movie. I would recommend it as a date flick. It's not gory or gruesome, but exciting enough to put a little scare into the light-hearted movie goer. And the research says that a little fright is good for arousal, which is always good for a date right?
Overall Rating 6.5 out of 10
Synopsis: A year after escaping from being abducted and taken to a remote location in the woods, Jill returns home to find her sister missing and fears that the same abductor has returned and took her sister by mistake. Unfortunately, no evidence was ever found and her case was never solved, so the police continue to believe she is simply suffering from mental health problems leaving Jill no choice but to track down the abductor by herself before he kills her sister.
I found this movie to be pretty gripping and interesting. It's a perfect length for this type of movie. I believe if you make these thriller, suspense-type movies too long, it's hard for the audience to maintain a decent level of nervous tension. This film did a good job of creating suspense, providing a handful of shady/weird characters that could be possible suspects, and keeping you guessing throughout the movie. I thought Amanda Seyfried's acting was also quite good in this film and her performance was definitely believable and added to the overall tension of the film. Without giving too much away, the sub-plot (shown in the trailer) with her being chased by the police for her vigilante-esque behavior is also pretty intense, with many close calls (as you'd expect).
Overall, I went in with low expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. Like I said, the film was the perfect length and I think that really helped to make it effective and enjoyable. I know this plot has been done quite a few times in the past, but you know Hollywood, it's either a remake or a rip-off ... or a comic book movie. I would recommend it as a date flick. It's not gory or gruesome, but exciting enough to put a little scare into the light-hearted movie goer. And the research says that a little fright is good for arousal, which is always good for a date right?
Monday, March 12, 2012
John Carter
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy // Running Time: 132 minutes // Release Date: March 9, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401729/
Overall Rating 7 out of 10
Synopsis: A civil war veteran turned treasure hunter ends up being mysteriously transported to Mars after a run in with a strange man in a cave he is exploring. This leads to his capture by a race of 12 foot tall creatures who he wins over with his courage during a battle in which he saves a humanoid woman trying to escape a forced marriage, and the two of them then team up to prevent the potential destruction of Mars.
I feel like because I've know Taylor Kitsch, I am obligated to give his movies a higher rating so that I can feel like I'm helping someone I know become more famous and popular. However, I put those feelings aside and gave the movie it's current rating instead, even though I felt like I wanted to give it at least a 4 or higher. I mean, I really liked this movie, but I could see other people thinking is was more of a "so-so" experience.
The film had a lot of really cool action and they definitely made great use of the lower gravity on Mars to bring some fun and exciting elements to the film. The plot is decent, although highly predictable, and the acting is alright as well. I don't really go to an action movie looking for high quality acting anyways, so I'm never disappointed in that regard. That being said, there were some good actors in this movie - Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong, Dominic West, and Bryan Cranston aside from the main stars Kitsch and Lynn Collins.
The movie also has some funny moments thrown in to lighten the tension in between the intense chase and battle scenes. I was particularly fond of Carter's "dog" Woola, who reminded me of my own dog, and had me fairly convinced that they were showing you what the Mars version of a pug would be like. However, I will say that my favorite thing about this movie was Lynn Collins. She is a stunningly beautiful woman, and the costumes she wears in this movie definitely highlight that. The fact that she requested that the original designs be modified so that they were a little more risqué is also something I think many people will enjoy.
I saw this in Imax 3D and I definitely didn't feel cheated by paying the extra $$ for the 3D and Imax experience. I'm sure regular 3D or even 2D will probably suffice, as is the case with most 3D movies. But the vastness of the landscape and the backgrounds seemed like it deserved the massive Imax screen, and as I said, I wasn't the least bit disappointed.
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401729/
Overall Rating 7 out of 10
Synopsis: A civil war veteran turned treasure hunter ends up being mysteriously transported to Mars after a run in with a strange man in a cave he is exploring. This leads to his capture by a race of 12 foot tall creatures who he wins over with his courage during a battle in which he saves a humanoid woman trying to escape a forced marriage, and the two of them then team up to prevent the potential destruction of Mars.
I feel like because I've know Taylor Kitsch, I am obligated to give his movies a higher rating so that I can feel like I'm helping someone I know become more famous and popular. However, I put those feelings aside and gave the movie it's current rating instead, even though I felt like I wanted to give it at least a 4 or higher. I mean, I really liked this movie, but I could see other people thinking is was more of a "so-so" experience.
The film had a lot of really cool action and they definitely made great use of the lower gravity on Mars to bring some fun and exciting elements to the film. The plot is decent, although highly predictable, and the acting is alright as well. I don't really go to an action movie looking for high quality acting anyways, so I'm never disappointed in that regard. That being said, there were some good actors in this movie - Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong, Dominic West, and Bryan Cranston aside from the main stars Kitsch and Lynn Collins.
The movie also has some funny moments thrown in to lighten the tension in between the intense chase and battle scenes. I was particularly fond of Carter's "dog" Woola, who reminded me of my own dog, and had me fairly convinced that they were showing you what the Mars version of a pug would be like. However, I will say that my favorite thing about this movie was Lynn Collins. She is a stunningly beautiful woman, and the costumes she wears in this movie definitely highlight that. The fact that she requested that the original designs be modified so that they were a little more risqué is also something I think many people will enjoy.
I saw this in Imax 3D and I definitely didn't feel cheated by paying the extra $$ for the 3D and Imax experience. I'm sure regular 3D or even 2D will probably suffice, as is the case with most 3D movies. But the vastness of the landscape and the backgrounds seemed like it deserved the massive Imax screen, and as I said, I wasn't the least bit disappointed.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Jack & Jill
Genre: Comedy // Running Time: 91 minutes // Release Date: November 11, 2011
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810913/
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10
Synopsis: Jack is a successful marketing executive and family man whose normally peaceful life gets thrown into chaos with the annual visit of his identical twin sister Jill.
I had no idea that this movie was released in the States almost four months ago. It was only released in Taiwan last week. So I guess you can use this as a DVD rental guide, as opposed to a what to see in theaters guide ... unless you live in Taiwan.
This movie is my second straight surprise like. After seeing the trailer and the poster, I kind of assumed this movie was going to be pretty terrible. However, if you're an Adam Sandler fan (and I am), and like his style of comedy, you will probably love this movie. I was laughing almost the entire time, whether it was from the hillariously awkward dialogue in social situations, the slapstick spills and tumbles, or just watching some of the cameo actors steal the show. Seriously, you've got most of the old SNL cast in here (as usual), Shaq, John McEnroe, Regis Philbin, even the Sham-Wow guy is in this. The guy who steals the show though is Al Pacino. He plays himself, or rather a super neurotic/psychotic version of himself (hopefully not true to life), that is a lot of fun to watch. I didn't even know he was in this movie, but he definitely made the movie for me. He was so intense and creepy that it made the storyline even more hillarious.
This is an old school Sandler comedy, so if you like movies like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, you'll probably like this one too. If you don't like those movies, a) WTF is wrong with you? and b) you won't like this one either.
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810913/
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10
Synopsis: Jack is a successful marketing executive and family man whose normally peaceful life gets thrown into chaos with the annual visit of his identical twin sister Jill.
I had no idea that this movie was released in the States almost four months ago. It was only released in Taiwan last week. So I guess you can use this as a DVD rental guide, as opposed to a what to see in theaters guide ... unless you live in Taiwan.
This movie is my second straight surprise like. After seeing the trailer and the poster, I kind of assumed this movie was going to be pretty terrible. However, if you're an Adam Sandler fan (and I am), and like his style of comedy, you will probably love this movie. I was laughing almost the entire time, whether it was from the hillariously awkward dialogue in social situations, the slapstick spills and tumbles, or just watching some of the cameo actors steal the show. Seriously, you've got most of the old SNL cast in here (as usual), Shaq, John McEnroe, Regis Philbin, even the Sham-Wow guy is in this. The guy who steals the show though is Al Pacino. He plays himself, or rather a super neurotic/psychotic version of himself (hopefully not true to life), that is a lot of fun to watch. I didn't even know he was in this movie, but he definitely made the movie for me. He was so intense and creepy that it made the storyline even more hillarious.
This is an old school Sandler comedy, so if you like movies like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, you'll probably like this one too. If you don't like those movies, a) WTF is wrong with you? and b) you won't like this one either.
This Means War
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Romance // Running Time: 97 minutes // Release Date: February 17, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596350/
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Synopsis: After blowing an assignment, two top CIA operatives are taken out of the field and punished with desk duty. They decide to use this time to try and develop their personal lives a little and end up trying to date the same girl, resulting in some conflict between the two friends as the two agree to let the girl make up her own mind about which one she wants.
This movie was surprisingly good. I went in with no expectations and really no real notion of what kind of movie it was going to be, and it ended up having a nice blend of action, comedy, and romance. I spent most of the movie laughing pretty hard, which is always a good thing ... unless it's a horror movie I guess.
The interplay between the two spies, played by Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (Inception and soon to be The Dark Knight Rises), was very entertaining to watch. There was a lot of really funny scenes and situations, as well as some pretty sweet action sequences. Of course, with any romantic comedy, there has to be romance involved, and there was some of that as well. However, I didn't find the romantic part to be a dominant theme, the focus was more on the two guys trying to undermine or one-up each other, and that was mostly just hillarious. It kind of gives you an idea of what could happen between two friends if they had the kind of resources that the characters in this movie have access to and end up competing for the same girl.
Reese Witherspoon is also pretty good in this movie. She's charming and funny, and definitely sexy enough for me to believe that these two guys would go through all this trouble for her.
All in all, this is a pretty good date movie. There's a nice mix of stuff to keep everyone entertained.
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596350/
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Synopsis: After blowing an assignment, two top CIA operatives are taken out of the field and punished with desk duty. They decide to use this time to try and develop their personal lives a little and end up trying to date the same girl, resulting in some conflict between the two friends as the two agree to let the girl make up her own mind about which one she wants.
This movie was surprisingly good. I went in with no expectations and really no real notion of what kind of movie it was going to be, and it ended up having a nice blend of action, comedy, and romance. I spent most of the movie laughing pretty hard, which is always a good thing ... unless it's a horror movie I guess.
The interplay between the two spies, played by Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (Inception and soon to be The Dark Knight Rises), was very entertaining to watch. There was a lot of really funny scenes and situations, as well as some pretty sweet action sequences. Of course, with any romantic comedy, there has to be romance involved, and there was some of that as well. However, I didn't find the romantic part to be a dominant theme, the focus was more on the two guys trying to undermine or one-up each other, and that was mostly just hillarious. It kind of gives you an idea of what could happen between two friends if they had the kind of resources that the characters in this movie have access to and end up competing for the same girl.
Reese Witherspoon is also pretty good in this movie. She's charming and funny, and definitely sexy enough for me to believe that these two guys would go through all this trouble for her.
All in all, this is a pretty good date movie. There's a nice mix of stuff to keep everyone entertained.
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