The MOVIE REVIEW Thread

[Cmayfrayna]

300

 

 

if yoou havent seen it get your butt of that computer stop reading the post here, run to the nearest cinema and watch this flick...you wont be disappointed and after you watch this movie log back in and tell everybody how great this movie was.... :thumbsupsmiley:

 

 

 

this movie seriously rocks...this is how a comic book movie should be made :thumbsupsmiley:

[Mandrake]

300 -- loads of 6-pack abs oozing with testosterone....moves you to hit the gym right after watching it. :thumbsupsmiley:

[Tajak]

Vanilla Sky. hehehe. The film was critically panned. But hey, it was pretty interesting for my tastes. Definitley not oozing with entertaining value, but if you want a movie that makes you think for awhile, its worth a look.

[Tajak]

Watched Ghost Rider.

 

Let me put it this way. It is not as bad as Fantastic Four or The Punisher. It is not nearly as good as Spider-Man or X2.

 

More of somewhere in between.

 

good points: The effects on the transformation and the Ghost Rider was quite well-executed. Nicolas Cage was also commendable.

 

Bad: The lines. They were cliche-ish and bordering on cheesy and laughably bad i.e. "He may have my soul but he does not have my spirit!"

 

A good way to while the time away but if you can't catch it in the theatre, don't feel really bad either...

 

I totally agree. Great effects, and REALLY riveting transformation sequence. I was getting goosebumps during that scene (loved the accompanying score! Made for a really intense sequence!). I'm glad that a considerable amount of people liked this film as I am a big fan of the comic.

 

I found the pacing of the movie a little off though. There will be build ups that will cut you off short, and make you change positions in your seat. Yeah, bad lines too; "My name is LEEEEEEEEGION, because we are MAAAAAAANY" (HAHA!). But most dissapointing of all were the fight scenes. For a character like GR, action and fights should've been given more emphasis. Would've upped the entertainment value even more.

 

I also think that the "tragic struggle" theme from the comic would've given more depth to the film. The whole idea of GR is a mans' struggle to come to terms with his inner demons (literally), from an irreversible mistake he made years ago, and learn how to deal with it in a better light. What the movie tried to do instead was to focus more on "Ghost Rider's here to kick ass", which ironically, wasn't even that established with such short fight scenes.

 

Over all, its an ok way to spend 100+ minutes of your day. I hope they improve on the sequel though. :cool:

Edited March 16, 2007 by Tajak

[Waterbearer]

Watch Wild Hogs instead....putcha sobrang nakakatawa ang palabas na ito....scene stealer talaga si William Macy.... 4/5 stars :cool:

[kerrmit]

Caught a sneak preview of Rocky Balboa and got a great smile afterwards. Sure, the plot was quite simple and the action scenes were nothing compared to 300. But it brings back a lot of nostalgia to an old Rocky fan like myself. Just listening to that familiarly riveting music all over again.. man, that was all worth it.

 

Of course, it's not for everyone. Stallone really looked old for this one and the opponent had no character whatsoever. the plot strayed on so many lines. and the end felt half baked.

 

but it's a Rocky movie, just telling everyone who cared to listen to always dig deep inside for that gift of determination and passion which we all have. and in the end, it doesn't matter who wins or lose. with a message like that, any movie, even with a slurring, speech challenged actor in the lead, is always a winner in my books. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

 

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6633/scaledrbmpzu3.jpg

Edited March 21, 2007 by kerrmit

[clubber_lang]

Agree with kerrmit...

 

Rocky Balboa would only be enjoyed by Rocky fans! That stirring score by Bill Conti still rules. A good send-off for the iconic hero...

[Marshall Bruce]

Watched the TMNT movie earlier today. Superb animation pero bitin yung story. The movie lasted only for an hour and 20 mins.

 

A must see for TMNT fans. :thumbsupsmiley:

[quutee]

I caught TMNT as well on opening day.

 

It's very dialogue-driven for an animated action flick; I can recall only a handful of action scenes that went on for longer than 10 seconds -- don't get me wrong, they were cool and all, but there didn't seem to be a ton of work put into making the actual fighting look cool. The choreography of the CG, if you will.

 

I liked that the dialogue felt natural, the characters' relationships were shown and developed, and how the characters felt spot-on: the reluctant by-the-book leader, the good-intentioned rebel, stoner surfer dude...

 

While the voice acting sometimes came off very hammy, it was very good all around -- the characters with accents actually had legitimate accents!

 

Though it is a short movie, it's a fun ride; being a TMNT fan myself I'm looking forward to a possible sequel.

 

I'd give it a 4/5.

[Kurtsky Keigee]

Pangit Rocky Balboa?

Never watched the orig so di ko magugustuhan siguro to

 

Just watched Smokin Aces

I must say panalo, Ryan Reynolds does a good job as well as Andy Garcia

Lots of Violence, blood,gore and gunfights.

Little humour but cool. Lots of action. Not quite good plot though.

jason Bateman,Ray Liotta, What more could you want?

And the guy from Entourage is wicked also.

Edited April 5, 2007 by kUrTsKY

[scorpionking]

I watched 300 last month. I enjoyed the movie because I'm a history fanatic but I don't appreciate the use of too much technology. The CG was too obvious and it lessened the realism. There were flaws too on telling the historical facts. I like the older version of 300 Spartans. In fact its in my Netflix queue already. Along with "Ben HUr" and "The Robe"

[Waterbearer]

Watched the following last week

 

1. TMNT - nice movie....masyado lang talagang bitin....parang nanood lang ako ng cartoons na may 3 part episode....pero maganda sya

 

2. Music and Lyrics - natuwa ako sa palabas na ito....ang kulit ng pakembot kembot ni Hugh Grant pagnagpeperform....naalala ko tuloy si Manny Villar as expected Drew Barrymore is just hot.

 

3. Turistas - honestly, ok naman sya eh...ewan ko lang sa iba pero more of suspense sya rather than a slasher film...pero medyo offensive nga talaga kung brazilian ka kasi talagang minemention nung film explicitly yung downside ng kanilang economy.

 

4. Reign over me - Best acting from Adam Sandler...EVER!!! Sayang hinabol sana toh sa Oscar....taena may laban toh.....nagka goosebumps ako sa role nya.....excellent performance din from Don Cheadle...one of his best works IMHO.....the movie will move you on how a person changes when in isolation...grabe talaga.....i forgot Sandler was a comedian.....clearly his most prolific acting to date. Too bad, his name will be forgotten come awards season.....but nevertheless, this is my number 2 best film of 2007 after 300......this is a really nice movie.....drama-wise.

 

5. Inconvenient Truth - Now i know why it got an Oscar.....and it completely changed the way i looked at Al Gore.....no wonder millions look up to him....he is like the Gandhi of Environmental Protection. Very comprehensive presentation.....clearly it was succesful at conveying a scientific study to a layman.

 

6. Flags of our Father - hindi ko sya masyadong naappreciate....andami kasing flashback e.....nakakahilo.....pero pwede na rin lalo na pagnapanuod mo na ang letters from Iwo Jima....which is a magnificent film if you ask me.

Edited April 9, 2007 by Waterbearer

[<warriorofjah>]

sunshine -- a group of scientists out to "jumpstart" the dying energy source, the sun (similar to "The Core"). it's an expedtition gone wrong.. but in the end, the hero emerged on the movie is Kapa (Cillian Murphy, Batman Begins, Red Eye). stars Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), Hiroyuki Sanada (Last Samurai), Michelle Yeoh (Memoirs of a Geisha, among others). Story is somewhat slow, and the ending is... well, not that amazing. Yeah, it's an "ok-lang" movie, but not recommended. nuff said.

[Kurtsky Keigee]

Guys you should watch Deja Vu.

Its like Back To The Future+12 Monkeys+Enemy Of The State+The Final Cut

 

I just watched it I think beyond all those mumbo jumbo techy language its overall a good movie.

Its a little confusing thats why you have to watch it more than once to understand it.

It has a little humour too. Nice one liners

 

Buy the DVD. Denzel+Tony Scott+Jerry Bruckheimer

:cool:

Edited April 14, 2007 by kUrTsKY

[redshirt]

If you like movies about dance and with a hip-hop soundtrack go watch Stomp the yard :cool:

[fry_saging]

Rocky balboa is ok.. But do they really need a another love interest for rocky?

[Marshall Bruce]

The Hills have Eyes 2 was good stuff. Very entertaining movie imo. So violent, so bloody, so nice. :cool:

[clubber_lang]

Rocky balboa is ok.. But do they really need another love interest for rocky?

 

She was not a love interest. It was more of a friendly type of relationship since her character was the little girl in the original film. Rocky was just sort of helping her out.

 

I actually liked "Sunshine". It reminded me of Kubrick's "2001" though the latter is far superior. My problems with Boyle's film are Yeoh and Evans' characters which are either not fleshed out or just cliched. Plus, there's a twist that was just bonkers... But it was still entertaining...

[Marshall Bruce]

The Shooter was ok. The movie didn't bore me as I thought it would. It was action packed and brutal at times. John Cena err Mark Wahlberg sold the role pretty well. They should've shown more of Rhona Mitra though.

Edited April 23, 2007 by Marshall Bruce

[MRyoso]

saw hillary swank's the reaping

 

i find it soooo boring

[Waterbearer]

The shooter was ok....though the plot was predictable.

[enobi13]

the hills have eyes 2 is good but the part one is better, ang sexy nung girl, sana ako na lang yung nag rape sa kanya, joke.

[Marshall Bruce]

Gray Matters starring Heather Graham, Bridget Moynahan and Tom Cavanagh was a waste of time and money. Should've trusted my instinct that this flick was not worth it. Aside from the kiss between Heather and Bridget, the movie didn't raise my inetest at all.

 

@ Mushy Rocker - I agree with you that Mark Wahlberg should've been the lead in the Bourne Series

[Waterbearer]

Spiderman 3 has got mixed reviews and its freakin 2 1/2 hours long......be prepared for the dragging....

 

Michael Bay made 2 test screenings for The Transformers for 850 people.....and he got the highest scores of his entire career.......I always knew this was going to be the most successful movie of 2007.

[thebigbadlonewolf]

Not Your Usual Bedtime Story:

My Take on Pan's Labyrinth

 

(Reposted from my blog)

 

* * * * W A R N I N G : S P O I L E R S F O L L O W * * * *

 

 

You know the story about Little Red Riding Hood, right? Yeah, you probably do. But the version you most probably recall is the post-Perrault, SANITIZED, GRIMM-ified, Disney-fied, watered-down, "happily ever after" version.

 

Interestingly, the other ORIGI NAL Red Riding Hood story was a bit more sinister.

 

 

As you can see, it involved real MURDER and DISMEMBERMENT(the wolf kills granny, pours her blood into a bottle and slices her flesh onto a plate), CANNIBALISM (the wolf tricks Red into eating and drinking her grandma's flesh and blood unwittingly), and a LESS-THAN-HAPPY ENDING(no woodsman to save the day; both granny and Red end up as the wolf's dinner). Not your usual bedtime story.

 

 

 

PAN'S LABYRINTH definitely fits the latter description.

 

 

Expecting a "Harry Potteresque" experience? Don't. Less than twenty minutes into the flick, you are already treated to a scene of the Captain (the main "villain") going ballistic on a suspected rebel's face, beating it to a bloody pulp with his gun. No sanitized camera work here either; you could actually SEE the beating and blood spurting all over.

 

 

Eventually, one gets used to all the violence. You see people getting shot in the HEAD at close range, the first stroke of a saw amputating a leg, TORTURE scenes, stabbing scenes, FACE-CARVING scenes, the actual NEEDLEWORK of the captain repairing his face from the face carving, and other gruesome little tidbits that actually made me flinch and bite my lip at some points.

 

But since I have already been de-sensitized to gore (aside from "300",i recently became a DC VERTIGO Graphic Novel fan), I was able to look past the disturbing scenes and appreciate the story.

 

 

It was actually one of those pretty interesting juxtapositions of the real world with the faerie realm. In the "real" world, Ofelia- the main protagonist- is an ordinary little girl who was -along with her pregnant mother - adopted by a sadistic captain of the Spanish army during Franco's time. In the "faerie" world however, Ofelia is really a princess who escaped to the mortal world, got her memories wiped out, and who was now being wooed by a faun (or "PAN") to return to her REAL FATHER in the faerie world.

 

 

To do this, Ofelia had to do a series of interconnected "quests" which involved: killing a giant toad to retrieve the golden key which unlocks a small nook which contains a golden dagger which could be used to sacrifice an innocent person's blood that will ultimately open up a magical portal so that Ofelia can return to the faerie world. WHEW!

 

 

In the end, the innocent blood donor would turn out to be Ofelia's brother, which of course she does not agree to, which leads to her death (SHOT in the tummy by the sadistic Captain). Ironically, her death is the FINAL part of the quest, sacrificing her own life and blood opened up the magical portal anyway, so in the end, she was ultimately reunited with her dad and mom in the faerie world.

 

 

Yup, there's a moral to the story after all, kids.

 

Although if you get your logical brain to think about it...it's still a tragedy. In the real world, the kid still dies bleeding in the end. Who knows if the faerie world was real or if the kid just imagined it at her moment of death? I mean, she was a fan of fairy tales after all, so she could have just been suffering from schizophrenic delusions brought about by her stressful situation and her need to "escape". I guess you can choose whether it was a happy ending or not, depending on your disposition (and faith in the realm of the faerie). Me? I believe.... I choose to believe.

 

Visually, i found the treatment literally too dark at some points (i don't know if they purposely did that, or it was the projector or film).

 

I liked the scene change treatment - slow panning, then when the camera hits a tree or some other large object close up it seamlessly morphs into another scene (it's like the graphic novel equivalent of "meanwhile..."). It was overdone JUST A LITTLE BIT, but it was forgivable. Certainly much better than those original "star wars" transitions.

 

The Music was haunting in parts, and set the mood perfectly; I was humming the lullabye theme all the way to my car.

 

The CG and costumes were great! The Faun-with his milky slanted eyes and grotesque appearance was really creepy...and his voice reinforced his creepiness. You did not know if he was a friend or a trickster til the very final scene.

 

 

 

But the creepiest character in the movie (aside from the sadistic Captain) was the PALE MAN. Dude, this is the stuff my NIGHTMARES are made of. The Pale man is a child-eating monster who only comes to life when kids give in to temptation and partake of the sumptuous banquet at his table.

 

 

His eyes lie motionless on a plate in front of him; once he is awakened, he grabs his eyeballs and stuffs them into crevices (sockets?) in his hands. yeaarraarrrgh. The monster actually killed two fairies by CHOMPING THEIR FRICKIN' HEADS OFF. Can you imagine that in a Disney flick? *shudder*.

 

 

Pretty hair-raising stuff...but the chase scene was one of the most exciting parts in the movie (of course, our heroine and one fairy escape unscathed).

 

Oh yeah, I almost forgot...before you trot off to see it, please be informed that the whole film's dialogue....is in SPANISH. At first, I thought that the subtitles were just a prelude to lend authenticity and would subsequently transition into English when they cut to the faerie world...but alas, the subtitles were there forever. But then again, once you get over all the "hola's", "entonses", and "hijo de p#ta's", you get engrossed in the film and just forget that it is dubbed in a foreign tongue.

 

 

Hey....come to think of it, I think that I actually ENJOYED it more because I love to read, and I was not swayed by the nuances and inflections the actors/directors would have done had it been in English. In short, I was making my own dialogue in my head, aided by the visuals and the sounds...making it more EMOTIONAL due to my "internal" dialogue. Hmmm...maybe I should start watching my DVD's in foreign languages too! (...but then, that's just me. I actually noticed several groups of people leave after twenty minutes...I guess they got tired of waiting for the English to kick in, haha)

 

 

Overall, very highly recommended if you (1) are mature enough, (2) appreciate a good story even if it's not "cutesy wutesy" sanitized, and (3) would not mind reading English subtitles for two hours.

But please....leave the kids at home.

 

-tbbLONEWOLF

 

 

P.S. I just did a search for movie stills now, and I found out that this movie actually won several Oscars...Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Makeup). Well deserved IMHO!

 

Official Site is at www.panslabyrinth.com

 

Air your thoughts here.

 

P.P.S. btw, this is how the original Red Riding Hood tale ends.

 

Big Bad Wolves are the SHIZNIT, yo! ;->

Edited April 30, 2007 by thebigbadlonewolf