The MOVIE REVIEW Thread

[dungeonbaby]

Surprised there aren't any reviews for Looper. So I suppose I'll go ahead and give it a whirl...

 

Halfway through this movie, I thought to myself how appropriate the title was, as the story arc kind of threw me for a loop. I knew the basic premise - that hitmen called loopers in the film's present assassinate people from a future whose criminal network sends unfortunate fellows back through a time machine, back to a past where it's convenient to dispose of bodies. Okay. I knew that Bruce Willis was in it, and that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun, Inception) plays Willis' younger self, brilliantly too, without resorting to a comical impression of the action star. Okay.

 

(SPOILER ALERT)

 

But did anyone expect this movie was also going to be about a kid who's a cross between ultimate-evil-kid Damien and Anakin Skywalker? Not I.

 

Remember how Anakin turned to the dark side because of the traumatic way in which his mother died? Same idea, better acting. Emily Blunt, who does a fantastic job as a shotgun-toting farm mom, must keep her son Cid shielded from further becoming embittered, ensuring that he turns out okay, instead of becoming Darth Vader…er, I mean, the Rainmaker.

 

Fun to think about a future where you can count TK (telekinetic) skills as part of your repertoire for picking up women. Interesting to think about what you would do when faced with the possibility of ending the life of your future self. Ultimately, though, the most compelling thing about the film was the presence of so many parallel character threads and story loops that the audience was allowed to ruminate on. Joe and Cid thoughtfully regarding each other as they revealed their stories of loss; Cid protecting present Joe, as future Joe surely worked his way to killing him; stripper mom and farmer mom moving heaven and earth to make sure their children are going to be alright. All these layers provide a depth to this movie that was one heck of a sleeper.

 

db

Edited October 31, 2012 by dungeonbaby

[praetorian]

may nkapanood na po ba ng Skyfall? showing na ata sya khapon eh.

[boy uhog]

may nkapanood na po ba ng Skyfall? showing na ata sya khapon eh.

 

 

puro wento ala naman wenta hahaha LOL pati yung kontrabida nagpapa cute lang din ng facial expressions LMAO

 

sayang pera ko dito kagabi tskx3

[johnnydrama]

Surprised there aren't any reviews for Looper. So I suppose I'll go ahead and give it a whirl...

 

Halfway through this movie, I thought to myself how appropriate the title was, as the story arc kind of threw me for a loop. I knew the basic premise - that hitmen called loopers in the film's present assassinate people from a future whose criminal network sends unfortunate fellows back through a time machine, back to a past where it's convenient to dispose of bodies. Okay. I knew that Bruce Willis was in it, and that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun, Inception) plays Willis' younger self, brilliantly too, without resorting to a comical impression of the action star. Okay.

 

(SPOILER ALERT)

 

But did anyone expect this movie was also going to be about a kid who's a cross between ultimate-evil-kid Damien and Anakin Skywalker? Not I.

 

Remember how Anakin turned to the dark side because of the traumatic way in which his mother died? Same idea, better acting. Emily Blunt, who does a fantastic job as a shotgun-toting farm mom, must keep her son Cid shielded from further becoming embittered, ensuring that he turns out okay, instead of becoming Darth Vader…er, I mean, the Rainmaker.

 

Fun to think about a future where you can count TK (telekinetic) skills as part of your repertoire for picking up women. Interesting to think about what you would do when faced with the possibility of ending the life of your future self. Ultimately, though, the most compelling thing about the film was the presence of so many parallel character threads and story loops that the audience was allowed to ruminate on. Joe and Cid thoughtfully regarding each other as they revealed their stories of loss; Cid protecting present Joe, as future Joe surely worked his way to killing him; stripper mom and farmer mom moving heaven and earth to make sure their children are going to be alright. All these layers provide a depth to this movie that was one heck of a sleeper.

 

db

 

 

 

It kinda reminds me of Akira, in some angles...Johnson should pay Otomo-san royalties

 

 

 

[El Chapo]

Wreck it Ralph maganda ba?

[praetorian]

hmmmm well, yung mga nageexpect ng new gadgets & car na gagamitin ni james bond sa skyfall, mafu-frustrate lng dahil wala masyado gadget, dalawang bagay lng ang ginamit na medyo techy, and wala pa dun sa dalawa yung sasakyan nya. to add, may different twist ang story sa huli, and some changes sa character/s portrayal.

[dexterhaba2]

so is it worth it to watch Skyfall? maganda review ng vatican dito eh,, pero base sa mga review dito parang waste of money??

[darthvader0917]

Check out the featurette before the movie "Wreck It Ralph", entitled "Paperman". It is so cool and definitely a contender for the short film category in the Oscars.

[johnnydrama]

hmmmm well, yung mga nageexpect ng new gadgets & car na gagamitin ni james bond sa skyfall, mafu-frustrate lng dahil wala masyado gadget, dalawang bagay lng ang ginamit na medyo techy, and wala pa dun sa dalawa yung sasakyan nya. to add, may different twist ang story sa huli, and some changes sa character/s portrayal.

 

Then again, Daniel Craig portrays a rebooted James Bond, so it keeps with a strict chronology not to get him too reliant on gadgets and whatnot. 21st century cinema audiences are a whole lot different from their '60's and '70's counterparts.

Edited November 8, 2012 by johnnydrama

[dungeonbaby]

James Bond: "A gun and a radio. Not exactly Christmas, is it?"

Q: "What were you expecting, an exploding pen?"

 

That just about sums up the lack of high tech stuff in Skyfall. For me, though, that's actually a plus. This is the James Bond for a world reeling from tough economic times - a little rough around the edges, gritty, and more akin to a cowboy than to the 007 brand. There were so many great things about this reboot: the plentiful nods to past Bond movies, references to old-school gadgets like an ejector seat, dry humor that'll get you chuckling, Judi Dench reciting 'Ulysses,' and yes, Javier Bardem. Didn't think I'd enjoy seeing him, but he truly delivered. Everyone delivered, and the story tied up nicely in the end into the Bond mythos.

 

I'd give it an 8.5/10.

 

 

 

[dungeonbaby]

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 (with spoilers)

 

so okay, i'm not the target demographic for this movie, since i'm not a 14-year old girl prone to fainting at the mere sight of taylor lautner, but i've watched this series from its first installment and felt a certain commitment to see it through to its highly-polished, much-vaunted end. fifteen minutes into this movie, however, my date leaned in and whispered "tell me again why we're watching this?" frankly, i was at a loss for an intelligent answer myself.

 

you can miss the first half of this movie and still be ahead of the story, but i guess to a screaming tween, plot is only secondary to long, romantic stares and passionate PG 13 caressing between the two main stars. this is like porn for 12-year old girls, i suppose. can i say that? it's got all the right stuff to make you swoon. the cinematography is gorgeous, all the vampires are mtv-grade beautiful, and the only actor who is allowed to have pores on his skin is Bella's father. beside kristen stewart's two-dimensional acting, dakota fanning and michael sheen are sheer geniuses. but who cares about stony acting and drawn out love montages. this was a trip. by the time the audience is brought to the final confrontation between the Cullens and the Volturi, everyone is so ripe for a fight that it's actually pretty gripping action. especially when heads come off. so at least the producers showed a little sympathy to all the boyfriends who sat through all the lovey-dovey stuff. (spoiler alert). it's too bad that in the end, though, we had to be dealt a major cop out when we find that it was all just a vision and no one's really dead. swell.

 

the thing i like about the movie is the preponderance of female characters that rock. and finally, bella is doing something more than just moping around. what a relief. strong female figures for all the little girls to aspire to without letting go of their precious fairy tale endings.

 

if i were 14, i would've given this movie 7 out of 10 hearts. okay, maybe even a 9.

[Bugatti Veyron]

Just watched El Presidente. It's about the history of the Philippine revolution and revolves around the lives of President Aguinaldo, Andres Bonifacio, General Trias, Antonio Luna, etc.

 

Highly recommended for students of Philippine History.

[BRONX]

LES MISERABLES REVIEW

This was the best musical movie production that i've ever seen. It was moving and intense. It was beautiful and harsh too.. Hugh Jackman, Ann Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, all of them they were all awesome.Hugh Jackman was amazing in this performance, and his singing superb.Russell Crowe was definitely the weak link in what was an overall outstanding cast. This movie makes you feel intense, and very touching in some parts too. Overall this movie is highly recommended for all Musical Fanatic lovers, As everyone applauded at the end of the movie.

[dfgvan]

Just watched El Presidente. It's about the history of the Philippine revolution and revolves around the lives of President Aguinaldo, Andres Bonifacio, General Trias, Antonio Luna, etc.

 

Highly recommended for students of Philippine History.

 

 

Highly recommended??? Do you know anything about our history???

 

The movie told a skewed version of our history...

si aguinaldo ang nagpapatay kay bonifacio at luna

di naipagtanggol ni bonifacio ang sarili nya sa trial dahil sinaksak sya sa leeg

sinabi ng nanay ni aguinaldo "buhay pa ba yan?" nung pinatay si luna nung pinatawag sya ni aguinaldo sa bahay nya...

 

bakit hindi pinakita sa pelikula na si aguinaldo ay kumampi sa mga hapon nung 2nd world war?

[dungeonbaby]

WARM BODIES

 

soo darn cute!

 

this movie is an earnest rom-com (zom-com?) with a cool soundtrack to match familiar zombie apocalypse scenes - just one of the things that makes this take on the undead fresh as...living flesh. heh.

[kimkinnison]

no problem! mas maganda ang mas madaming review. kahit na mag conflict ang mga review ok lang, ang mag benefit ay ang mga manonood pa lang. (sorry for the reply, alam ko movie review lang ito. dont worry, may review ako after nito )

 

good point

 

I got two reviews, and the first one is waaay late.

 

Looper:

Enthusiastic opinions from friends made me watch Looper. Unfortunately, the first few minutes pretty much spoiled the rest of the experience. Bruce Willis stole every scene he was in. Rian Johnson's script is notable for its memorable dark humor, creative set pieces and a fresh take on the old destiny versus free will yarn. It is, however, riddled with time travel paradoxes. Rian Johnson clearly did not work out the causality of his story's timeline. Looper's SF noir style dimly echoes Blade Runner and Twelve Monkeys and wisely doesn't incorporate anything too fantastic past anti-gravity jet bikes. The characters are all fighting for what they believe is theirs, and it is in the vitality of these performances where the film's true strength lies.

 

Conclusion: Looper is comparable to a Christopher Nolan film and despite the annoying plot holes, is still worth the money. 7/10.

 

---

 

The Man with the Iron Fists:

Even with an expectation-setting title like that, I can still see it failing in local cinemas. Most moviegoer will watch the opening montage (particularly the shot of the bird-man), and condemn the rest of the movie for being b-grade trash. A few things have to be made clear about the film before commiting the two hours it takes to watch it:

 

-it is the director's first big-screen film (RZA is apparently a musician. pardon my ignorance). Eli Roth lends a hand with the script.

-it had a budget of only $20 million.

-it is an homage to late 20th-century martial arts films.

 

Bearing all that in mind, it is a very fun and watchable kung-fu romp. The characters (particularly the villains) were colorful and interesting despite the wooden acting and cheap lines. The plot, involving the circulation of exotic weapons, a gold heist and (surprise!) revenge, is forgettable and seemingly randomly paced but otherwise gets the job done as an excuse for the people to beat the snot out of each other. The film grinds to a halt (and becomes unintelligible), however, whenever RZA steps in front of the camera. And that's in spite of him playing a central character. The use of CG was restrained, and as a result the utlization of wire-fu and practical special effects lent the movie an authentic, appealingly old-school and campy feel. The martial arts scenes were visceral, vividly compositioned and rewind-worthy. The crisp dialogue was dubbed and slightly out of sync to the actors' lips, an amusing reference to 70s and 80s Hong Kong dubbed flicks.

 

Conclusion: Despite the limited budget, The Man with the Iron Fists crafts a highly entertaining, if sloppily written, indie-styled homage to the old martial arts films. 8/10.

[sonnyt111]

Highly recommended??? Do you know anything about our history???

 

The movie told a skewed version of our history...

si aguinaldo ang nagpapatay kay bonifacio at luna

di naipagtanggol ni bonifacio ang sarili nya sa trial dahil sinaksak sya sa leeg

sinabi ng nanay ni aguinaldo "buhay pa ba yan?" nung pinatay si luna nung pinatawag sya ni aguinaldo sa bahay nya...

 

bakit hindi pinakita sa pelikula na si aguinaldo ay kumampi sa mga hapon nung 2nd world war?

 

It's in the history books. Aguinaldo had Bonifacio executed because he (Bonifacio) was sowing intrigues within the movement. The story plot jives with what I've read in the past. In fact I think it's well researched.

[dfgvan]

It's in the history books. Aguinaldo had Bonifacio executed because he (Bonifacio) was sowing intrigues within the movement. The story plot jives with what I've read in the past. In fact I think it's well researched.

 

 

bonifacio did not sow intrigues... what he did was he didn't recognize the elections and wanted the other revolt groups to have a faction with his group... it's in the history books...

 

these are all in the history books:

bonifacio wasn't able to defend himself in the trial because he was stabbed at the neck...

luna was executed by orders from aguinaldo...

aguinaldo backed the japanese during the second world war...

 

 

the movie wasn't researched well.... their only source was from aguinaldo's side... reason? the aguinaldo clan wants him to be recognized as a national hero...

 

 

read your history books and the memoirs of nakpil

then come back to me with a better argument

Edited February 11, 2013 by dfgvan

[sonnyt111]

bonifacio did not sow intrigues... what he did was he didn't recognize the elections and wanted the other revolt groups to have a faction with his group... it's in the history books...

 

these are all in the history books:

bonifacio wasn't able to defend himself in the trial because he was stabbed at the neck...

luna was executed by orders from aguinaldo...

aguinaldo backed the japanese during the second world war...

 

 

the movie wasn't researched well.... their only source was from aguinaldo's side... reason? the aguinaldo clan wants him to be recognized as a national hero...

 

 

read your history books and the memoirs of nakpil

then come back to me with a better argument

Well I suppose that depends on which version of history you want to believe. There are always more than one account of what happened in the past. Conventional wisdom about the past may be discredited tomorrow and discredited versions about certain historical events can suddenly take on new credibility as historical documents and other evidence surface.

 

Stories may sometimes be clouded by vested self interests such like you insinuated in your reply to me. Admittedly this can indeed happen. Other times historical accounts may be accurate. Neither you nor I were alive during the time of Bonifacio and Aguinaldo. We can only go with what we read. Apparently we read different accounts from different authors. Hence the difference of opinion.

Edited February 11, 2013 by sonnyt111

[dfgvan]

I have read the Aguinaldo memoirs where the movie was based on.

Very biased if you study history...

Try reading Jacinto's memoirs (Bonifacio Ally), Mabini's letters (Aguinaldo Ally) and Nakpil's writings (Neutral)...

 

All of them writes about the death of Luna and Bonifacio as an injustice to the Filipino People...

Mabini and Nakpil writes about how Aguinaldo was duped by the Treaty of Paris...

[dungeonbaby]

Stoker stars talented actors Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), and Matthew Goode (Watchmen) who do not disappoint. this is a well-made film with ruinous characters and a gothic theme. great production design, extraordinary attention to detail, down to the buttons on a blouse or the containers of ice cream.

 

but watching this lushly-realized movie, i felt like i took part in villainy. it felt sickly indulgent which is strange because I liked Alfred Hitchcock Presents as a kid.

[simplyeric]

Im Back!!!The most unofficial Movie review writer/critic this side of MTC.na miss nyo ba ako?wahahaha, joke lang.no one knows me

 

Movie review for this week (hay, i miss this...)

 

21 and Over (aka this generation's American pie)

 

Background: most of you may not know pero every generation starting yata ng 80's ay merong shocker comedy movie.yung tipong barkada movie na laugh trip / gross trip na pang lasingan movie. every generation raises the bar on grossness and nudity and overall definition of crass for the sake of laughter

 

not to be taken the wrong way, but i love these movies!pahingang utak kumbaga. the first time i watched this type of movie is the National lampoon movies.pero hindi ko inabutan sa showing yun, sa vcds nalang at vhs (young...)

 

The earlier ones,national lampoon, raised the bar on breast exposure (it was a big no no back then) and the pumping motion during sex scenes

 

then came american pie,there is something about mary,scary movies, which made semen ejaculation a norm

 

then Van wilder which made female on female make out sessions

 

then came the movie Waiting which somehow started the female pubes showing genre. it also somehow introduced the male gender exposure (pero wala pang actual exposure)

 

then came the deuce bigalow which ushered in the terms of weird sex position like the Dirty Sanchez,the reach around,the donkey punch, the hat trick,the australian, the dutch breakfast, the blue marlin, the rodeo

 

Now, Male nudity is the norm. penis and butt exposure and ang malala, male on male forced make out session is the next big thing (argh american pie!)Sacha BAron Cohen movies na may gay jokes.

 

 

 

and now, back to the movie

 

 

------------------SPOILER ALERT!!!!!--------------------- wag akong sisihin kung na spoil ang movie, you have been WARNED------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

For the movie 21 and over, it centers on what f*ed up things a guy can do when f*ed up drunk!

 

its from the makers of hangover so you already know how the story will go (and in a way how the movie ends...)

 

its like weekend at bernies + american pie + road trip. so if you have seen those films, it this generation's version of those. parang intro to gross out films for the youngsters

 

the movie is again what i call a "pahingang utak" movie so dont expect anything meaningful. for those who are a regular at gross comedy, you might say its a "meh!" kasi most of the this shown here were done before.sanay ka na sa mga ganun

 

One thing new about this film is the blatant racist jokes and comments.because admit it or not, everyone has made a racist comment or joke.

asian jokes are abundant since asian ang isa sa main cast. may jewish jokes, red neck jokes (funny na no black or french jokes)

 

Overall:

 

The movie is a 6.3~7.4 out of 10 for the comedy genre. since the asian jokes and the "film shockers" are funny.

 

the plot is predictable pero that is not the point. the point is mindless laughter...

 

di ko masyadong inelaborate ang review kasi gusto ko panoorin ninyo

 

 

Funny thing is the other people inside the movie house has a delayed reaction to the jokes.

baka naman i have watched too many movies..hahaha

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone here wants to know my review on the Silver linings Playbook? kaso late review na yun. baka may magalit

[johnnydrama]

Tarantino. The Wild West. Go Figure.

 

My review of Django Unchained

The long wait was well worth it - d@mn you MMFF!!!

[Why So Serious]

G.I. Joe Retaliation - low ratings, unexpectedly they killed Duke, di nila pinakita kung pano nabuhay si Storm Shadow.. Mas ma action ang Rise of the Cobra saka mas maganda at mas maayos ang plot ng story unlike this latest movie.. In my own personal opinion, hindi nila na meet, natapatan or much better to say na nahigitan ang 1st Joe movie.

[simplyeric]

Sa akin naman i liked the recent GI joe kasi mas "realistic" ang scenario.

 

Walang suit na mag accellerate ng tao,techie guy na may weird eye gadget,uber tight fitting female costumes,laser beams,nano mites that eat metal like it was nothing,and most of all,no sinking ice (dito lang ako nakakita ng yelo na lumulubog sa tubig,take note that greenland is one big chunk of ice and it floats)

 

************Spoiler alerts*********

 

 

Dito back to basics.i agree na *****SPOILER******* p/i/n/a/t/a/y/ /s/i/ d/u/k/e

 

Pero for me it shows that they are willing to go against the predictable joe movie na good looking white guy always lead the team to victory and f*cks the hottest women.

 

Dito pinakita nila na the family man can win and should win.kasi meron silang pinaglalaban,ang family nila.hindi yung lagi nalang na ang family guy ang namamatay tapos iiyakan ng family.

 

Plus *****spoiler***** i like how they redeemed storm shadow.and i like his reaction after.realistic ang reason why he became who he is.medyo teary eye ako nung naglaban sila side by side ni snake eyes.

 

I also like how badass yung new adversary na si firefly.parang pyromaniac bomb expert.parang si bane pero walang discipline.sana lang binigyan siya ng mas mahabang screen time paraipakita ang kanyang badassnes tulad ng pag gamit ng remote bombs or land mines and trap.

 

Cobra comander needed more screen time,pero i guess sa susunod na movie na yun.

 

Lady jaye is way better than scarlet kasi lady jaye can fight,again,realisticaly.she has the same moves as the guys without relying on high tech gadgets,ahem target seaking crossbow.whe they were climbing out of the well as a team made me admire her more.nung gritty siya and nung malinis ang ganda parehas

 

General joe proved that he can still kick butt.as for flint,sana ginawa siyang magaling sa parkour para maging astig siya.

 

Sana sila pa rin ang sa susunod na movie.pwede nilang ibalik si duke as a mind controlled minion kaso nakuha na ang dog tag niya meaning may natagpuang body pero lalagyan ko pa rin ng ???? Hehehe

 

OVERALL

The movie is a must watch para sa gi joe lovesr at kahit sa mga kababaihan.it clearly shows that women have no problem doing what men do.sabi nga ng gf ko gusto niyang maging si lady jaye (ROLE PLAY!!!).

 

I give the movie 8.5 out of 10 (for movie grade reference,Dark knight rises is 10/10 and the bloodrayne movie series is 0/10)