The MOVIE REVIEW Thread

[grinchx452]

Eight Below

 

 

 

Starring: Paul Walker, Jason Biggs, Bruce Greenwood, Moon Bloodgood

Directed by: Frank Marshall

Produced by: David Hoberman, Patrick Crowley, Todd Lieberman

 

Genres: Action/Adventure and Drama

MPAA Rating: PG for some peril and brief mild language.

Distributors: Walt Disney Pictures

 

Synopsis of the Movie

Inspired by a true story, EIGHT BELOW is an action-adventure about loyalty and the bonds of friendship set in the extreme wilderness of Antarctica. The film tells the story of three members of a scientific expedition: Jerry Shepard, his best friend, Cooper, and a rugged American geologist, who are forced to leave behind their team of beloved sled dogs due to a sudden accident and perilous weather conditions in Antarctica. During the harsh, Antarctic winter, the dogs must struggle for survival alone in the intense frozen wilderness for over 6 months.

 

Review

 

We're just moments into the majestic Antarctic snow whiteness of Eight Below when a cute little penguin flaps and shimmies out of the water through a crack in the ice, shuffling off as if in search of the open bar at a black-tie event. Sorry, buddy, wrong picture! Despite the early cameo appearance of a flightless waddler as a subliminal link to the success of March of the Penguins, Disney's spirit-affirming family affair about the resourcefulness of God's creatures leaves the birds to their baroque reproductive choreography and casts its bid for audience love with an adventure drama about doggies.

 

There are eight of them, you see — below (as in the bottom of the world), as well as working under subzero conditions — and the canine octet spend their days harnessed to sleds, transporting scientists around otherwise unnavigable territory. Their nights, meanwhile, are drowsed away at a base station watching survival guide Jerry (Paul Walker) flirt chastely with bush pilot Katie (former Laker Girl Moon Bloodgood) and pal around manfully with goofball cartographer Cooper (Jason Biggs). The arrival of an ambitious geologist (always pleasurable Bruce Greenwood) who won't let bad weather slow down his research puts the canine team through their paces: Naturally, the brash human ignores warnings against venturing beyond safe terrain, and naturally, the doggies save him from what might have been a deadly accident, tempering his vanity with their four-legged goodness.

 

But not until dire weather sets in and the entire nattering population of B actors, with their B-human story lines, is evacuated by airlift while the dogs are forced to stay behind does Eight Below get to work. And then this clean, classical, hooray-for-the-pooches picture, directed by veteran Frank Marshall for what seems like the pure geographic fun of it, does the thing that Disney animals-in-the-snow movies have been doing so reliably — and satisfyingly — since White Wilderness nearly 50 years ago: It tells a wordless, admirable tale of quadruped bravery, cooperation, loyalty, patience, and nobility, with crisp nature photography and fine, round music.

 

Based on a Japanese Antarctic film and inspired by a real-life story of sled dogs who survived extended subzero abandonment, Eight Below teeters at times too coyly on the frozen territory of anthropomorphism — the handsome, personable dogs who find a way to survive until the humans return aren't just impressive animals (and terrific movie stars, at that), they're also designated as ''heroes'' who enact psychological dramas of their own in David DiGilio's ingratiating script.

 

But happily, Marshall and his superb cinematographer, Don Burgess (Spider-Man), attend to the big picture, letting nature speak for herself beyond the reach of staged conflicts. There's something invigorating about this unpretentious dog tale. And if a penguin drops by to promote his own movie product, well, there's room on the frozen continent for all.

[Hottie_Babe]

I recently watched Pride and Prejudice. I'm not aware of any format that you guys are following (transalation: tinatamad ako magbrowse at magbasa ng rules), so bear with me.

 

Movie: Pride and Prejudice

 

 

Length 127 min

Rated: PG

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: 2005-11-18

 

Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

A screen adaptation of the classic Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen). Hala mga hayskul magsipanood na para sa book report. Slightly costly than borrowing Barron's Book notes but will always be a good excuse for any high school dude to get some extra money (and watch the movie).

 

Set in 18th century, the Benneth sisters, the slightly jologs but landed family, needs to marry well, so not to lose their estate to their far cousin Tom Collins. In their quest, for that most strategic and convenient marriage, they meet Mr. Charles Bingley, who has the eye for the lovely, demure Jane Bennet. Bingley had eye for Jane but still hesitant to see girls beyond his class.

 

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Bennet, the independent-minded, girl-above-her-times with Fitzwlliam Darcy--Mr. Aristocratic, I'm so-rich-but-I'm really-bading-pag-na-inlove guy, provides the love tension in the movie

 

Mr. Darcy meddles with the blossoming love affair of Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley. well, Bingley and Darcy being close friends. He convinced Bingley that the Bennets are way beyond his league. The grounds? Talkative mother, over-giggly sisters, unwelcome visits.

 

In the end, things fall into places in the fashion of romantic idealism. Wahaha. Things that just does not happen in my world. Wahahaha.

 

 

WHY WE SHOULD WATCH IT:

It's CGI free, for a change.

*If you enjoy Sense and Sensibility, Age of Innocence, this is your movie. You love the banter and verbosity of the English language.

*It will prompt you to go on a diet again, when you see (and loathe) women in their bodices, corsettes.

*You don't believe that you don't need to wear braces to have your overcrowded teeth and your bite corrected to look nice. Look at Keira Knightley!

*You haven't read the book and would like to have an inkling of what a classic is about.

*You still believe in vanilla skies and picket fences.

 

WHY WE SHOULD JUST WAIT FOR THE PIRATED DVD:

*For guys, no one is taking off their clothes in this movie (hehehe).

*It could drive you to doze off a little (like I did). I ate beef gyudon during the first 15 mins of the movie, and I dozed off right after the last morsel.

*Gusto ng boyfriend mo manood ng Pink Panther tsaka Final Destination 3 at mapagbighay ka, kaya hindi mo na siya kukulitin.

 

 

MY OBJECTIONS:

*Elizabeth Benneth should be a little plump. That's how I imagined her in the novel, much like Minnie Driver in Circle of Friends. Kahit sino naman maiinlove kay Keira Knightley. Akala ko hindi dapat masyado kagandahan si Elizabeth.

*Hindi bagay si Matthew McFayden na Mr. Darcy. Dapat si Collin Firth, mas bagay, pero pag siya na yung bidang lalake, dapat ako na si Elizabeth Bennet. Wahaha.

[Guest Inquisitive]

Fearless (a.k.a Huo Yuan Jia)

Directed by Ronny Yu

Starring: Jet Li as Huo Yuan Jian

 

Synopsis of the movie

 

Fate Made Him A Warrior, Courage Made Him A Hero

 

Imagine a powerful and adept martial artist whose skills are almost superhuman. He moves faster than the wind and is stronger than the average man. In spite of countless victories in martial arts duels, he still craves glory and has an insatiable need for fame. However, fate humbled him when he lost those whom he loved due to his own doing. After learning selflessness and humility, destiny pushed him to fight again but this time for his country. He became a hero. This is the story of Huo Yuan Jia.

 

Review/Criticism

 

This is definitely one of Jet Li’s best films and it may be as best as Hero. It’s such shame that this is his last Kung Fu/martial arts movie but at least he ended this stage of his career with a bang.

 

To start with, the fight sequences were breathtaking. So don't expect fighting ala Fernando Poe or Lito Lapid. Even a non hardcore martial arts fan would enjoy the fight scenes. The detail of every punch, kick and jump were presented clearly; you can actually see how they are executed since some of them were shot closely and slowly. Every fight scene was like poetry in motion. And for me the best fight scene was the one in the restaurant. Take note of this because this is Jet Li at his finest.

 

The locations and the cinematography were excellent. While watching the movie, there were times that you feel you’re looking at a painting. The shots were just exquisite.

 

The costumes were also great and were done properly. You won’t see any cheap and haphazardly done clothes in this film. And because of that it helps the viewers to fully appreciate the film since it is a “period” movie.

 

Inasmuch as I want to continue with my praises, there are certain areas that I didn’t like. And they are the dialogue and story development.

 

Regarding the dialogue, there is a mitigating or probably an exonerating factor that would explain its lousiness. And that is “translation.” When translating a message/dialogue from one language to another, the meaning tends to get lost. Ergo, the rational behind the phrase lost in translation!

 

Moving on to story development, I just felt that some parts of the film were not fully developed. The director and probably the writers knew what they wanted and focused on the theme. However, they failed to develop parts of the story to make it more cohesive and coherent.

 

An example of the aforementioned is Huo Yuan Jian’s friend or love interest. Note the word “or” because it was not established if she was just a friend or a romantic partner. Another detail that they forgot to develop was Hua Yuan Jia’s return to the fighting scene. He saw an add that downgraded Chinese people and suddenly decided to fight, as if in one instant he had to do it. It’s kind of hard to believe that he suddenly decided to fight without much introspection or further motivation considering the transformation that he has undergone.

 

To digress a bit, I hope that the local film industry would take note of this film and similar ones that preceded it. The movers of Philippine Cinema can definitely learn a thing or two from Jet Li, Jackie Chan or Stephen Chow (director and star of Kung Fu Hustle). All of them have made notable movies which were entirely produced and made in Asia. Noteworthy is the fact that Ang Lee (who shot to fame with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) just won the Best Director Award in the 2006 Oscar Awards. I think it's high time that the local film industry shape up because not only is it lagging behind its Asian counterparts but it also runs the risk of being extinct.

 

Rating

 

In a rating of 1 – 10 with the latter being the highest, I give this movie 7.8 in spite of its shortcomings. It’s definitely better than watching a sequel of a black FBI man dressed up as a big ass woman in order to play nanny to a bunch of kids! Not only is that so passé but it is also ridiculous.

[Kurtsky Keigee]

http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/O/G/8/16blocksposter.jpg

 

16 Blocks

Bruce Willis

Mos Def

 

An Unrealistic Yet Entertaining Cop Thriller

Bruce Willis plays a broken down cop who’s ready for either rehab or retirement – or both – in “16 Blocks,” the latest police drama from Richard Donner, the director of the “Lethal Weapon” film series. Although the movie practically screams ‘been there done that,’ there are enough little twists to keep you amused and mostly entertained.

 

Willis stars as New York Police Detective Jack Mosley, a cop you wouldn’t want watching your back in a life or death shoot-out. He’s lazy, unmotivated, and just taking up space until he can hang up his badge and collect his pension. About the only thing he’s good for at this point in his career is pulling babysitting duty. Assigned to take a petty criminal named Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) from his jail cell to the courthouse 16 blocks away, Jack begrudgingly accepts the duty but not without putting up a fight.

 

Eddie needs to get to the courthouse and testify before the grand jury by 10:00am and that gives Jack 100+ minutes to complete a trip which should take about 15.

 

But Jack, being the burn out he is, can’t make the 16 blocks without popping into a liquor store only a block or so into the trip. Have I mentioned he's a loser? Emerging from the store, Jack’s forced into action as the simple trip to drop off a prisoner turns into a 16 block fight for both their lives, pitting Jack and Eddie against the worst of New York’s finest.

 

Jack and Eddie are polar opposites drawn together under desperate circumstances. What you expect to happen does happen, but because Donner is a skilled director and Willis and Mos Def work well as a team, “16 Blocks” is saved from being a throw-away thriller.

 

And speaking of Mos Def, he’s affected this indescribably bizarre nasally voice and it’s grating to listen to for 90 minutes (almost to the point of being unbearably annoying). In fact, the latest TV spot for the movie doesn't even include Mos Def speaking so that ticket buyers who haven't seen the full length trailers won’t know what they’re in for until it’s too late. Once you’re into the film, the voice isn’t enough to make you want to get up and leave – but it’s close.

 

At this point I feel like if I’ve seen one ‘weary cop who battles booze more than he battles bad guys’ movie, I’ve seen them all. “16 Blocks” doesn’t so much break free of the mold but rather wraps itself up in the tried and true format and then adds a couple of special little moments so as not to be a total rehash of every generic bad guy seeks redemption film ever made.

 

“16 Blocks” is what it is. It’s Bruce Willis doing a character we’re familiar with. It’s Clint Eastwood’s “The Gauntlet” but on a much smaller scale. Realism and logic play very small roles and shoot-outs can take place on crowded streets with minimal collateral damage and no real signs of panic. The saving grace is a superb performance from Willis combined with an interesting one from Mos Def, and enough actionsequences to shove the film along when the characters and dialogue don’t cut it.

 

- My Comment:

Its a nice movie, excellent acting by Bruce Willis, great storyline too although not much action,still good movie.

If your a fan of bruce willis you should definitely check this out.

Edited March 8, 2006 by kUrTsKY

[Guest Inquisitive]

Last Holiday

Directed by Wayne Wang

Starring: Queen Latifah, Timothy Hutton, Alicia Witt, LL Cool J and Gerard Depardieu

 

 

Synopsis of the movie

 

A lowly retail clerk learns that she only has three weeks to live due to a rare and fatal disease. Instead of undergoing therapy, she decides to use all her money and spend it in a dream holiday in Europe, wanting to live the remaining time of her life to the fullest. During the course of this vacation, she meets people and makes an impression on them. At the end, she learns the value of living everyday as if it were her last.

 

Review/Criticism

 

What are good actors like Queen Latifah, Timothy Hutton and Gerard Depardieu doing in this movie? Beats me and until now I’m wondering why they wasted their considerable talent in this film.

 

This movie is charming but unfortunately boring and predictable. By reading the synopsis, you would immediately be able to guess the plot and especially the outcome. The movie is charming in the sense that it suggests to the viewers the value of looking beyond what is seen at face value and thus to see the true beauty that lies within, as Antoine de Saint Exupery said in The Little Prince: “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” However, once you understand this message, the rest of the “Last Holiday” becomes hackneyed.

 

Queen Latifah plays Georgia Byrd, a big woman who managed to transcend the stereotype of what is beautiful and aesthetically interesting. In spite of her humongous frame, she’s able to command attention and captivate those who look at her. She even managed to get a famous chef’s interest while other people (i.e. crooked businessman, congressman and senator) cannot. And she was able to accomplish that by being true to herself. Her beauty radiated from within and not from a svelte frame.

 

Georgia Byrd was beautiful not because she was sexy or gorgeous but because she was kind, honest, sensitive and caring. She was the complete anti-thesis of Alicia Witt’s character who in spite of being a bombshell never managed to have the same effect like Georgia Byrd. And this was due to her being snooty, rude and a downright bitch.

 

However, the charm of the movie is not enough to sustain interest. There are times that I wished I had a remote control so that I could press the fast forward button. The scenes were dragging and the story developed excruciatingly slow. Since the outcome of the film can be easily ascertained, there were times that I just wanted it to end. This is one film that is worth waiting for in DVD and would not be a loss if it is not seen in the theater.

 

The love angle between Georgia Byrd and Sean (LL Cool J’s character) was not only predictable but also boring. This was due to the fact that you know that they would eventually end up together. The only thing they had going for them was their chemistry. So, they should make another movie together but with better material.

 

The acting of Queen Latifah was boring, dull, dreary and uninspired. This may be due to the weak material that she had to work with. There were times that her acting was so subdued and because of that she failed to be effective. She failed to elicit pity considering that her character only had three weeks to live.

 

The worst part of the movie was when Georgia Byrd gave an impromptu speech after Timothy Hutton’s character told everyone that she was just a lowly retail clerk in his department store. The dialogue and what she said was uninspiring and it was ridiculously long. So, when this part comes up, just cover your ears and ride it out.

 

 

Rating

 

On a scale of 1 – 10 with the latter being the highest, this movie rightfully deserves a score of 6. The only saving grace is the depiction of beauty which ideally should come from within. In trying to break the stereotype that only sexy and gorgeous women are beautiful, this movie is not a total disaster. However, aside from that, there’s nothing left to like considering that the other theme which was living life to the fullest has been used countless times already. Does “Dead Poets Society” or “A Walk to Remember” ring a bell?

[tobats04]

Title of the Film INSIDE MAN

Director SPIKE LEE

Lead Actors/Actresses

DENZEL WASHINGTON

JODIE FOSTER

CLIVE OWEN

CHRISTOPER PLUMMER

WILLEM DAFOE

 

B. Synopsis of the Movie

ever watched Quick Change by Bill Murray? this was a mind-boggling film of a bank heist in

Manhattan, NY. Denzel played the role of Negotiator and Clive Owen as the Leader of the

Bank Robbers... the whole bank heist is great - following the real motives of the robbery

and how it develops from unravelling one scene to another...

 

C. Review/Criticism

Superbly great!!! weird but amazing plot!! changing from one part of the story from another

but still connects to the smooth flow of the storyline from beginning to the end.... Denzel

was so amazing with his acting as the negotiator.. Clive is so smooth and direct...

Chris Plummer's old-time acting as a big-time old corporate guy was still unfazed.... Willem Dafoe's

supporting role is also cool... Jodie Foster is sweet, but her participation in the whole movie

were kinda short (since you will never notice that the whole film was that long not until you really

finished it!)... Spike Lee is still a great director....

 

D. Rating (To be placed at the bottom of the post)

10 thumbs up... what more can you ask for a SPILE LEE film?!!!! plus powerhouse cast

of Denzel, Jodie, Chris Plummer, Clive and Willem... super galeng.... WATCH THIS ONE!!!

[Anaheim]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/hkdisney0006/GMA-2006-03-16_13-44-11h1.jpg

 

I watched 'Moments of Love' yesterday at the Gateway cinemas at Araneta Center, Cubao

 

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/hkdisney0006/mol.jpg

 

I hope this movie would spark a revival of interests for Pinoy movie and in uplifting the dwindling local movie industry. This is one of the best Pilipino movies I've seen in years. Although it obviously borrowed elements from other great classic movies such as Titanic, Somewhere in Time, Frequency, a touch of 'Back to the Future' and from the korean made film 'Il Mare'.

 

The movie molded by director Mark Reyes from a story by Annette Gozon-Abrogar with lead characters played by Dingdong Dantes and Iza Calzado. Divina (Iza Calzado) engaged to a cruel and ill-mannered but wealthy fiance Paolo Contis in the year 1957; Marco (Dingdong Dantes) a bachelor in the year 2006, two lonely people mysteriously led by fate, able to communicate with each other by using the same telephone in the same provincial house but from different periods in time.

 

'Moments of Love' has a few shortcomings. Technical-wise, the audio sometimes clear in some aspects and inaudible in some. Beginning scenes of the 1957 period were done in sepia / black and white giving it a nostalgic look and feel but I wish the filmakers use more of the 'sepia' look throughout all of the 1957 scenes. Divina planted a framed photo of herself besides the tree in 1957 and recovered by Marco in 2006, yet the framed photo still looks brand new. Divina planted a second object (her artwork in a bamboo container) the following day in the same area and recovered by Marco also on the following day, in strict common sense, shouldn't be the two objects recovered on the same given period ?

 

Dingdong Dantes shines in this film. He touchingly portrays Marco and engages the audience in a complex mix of emotions that other actors would only ruin through overacting. Dingdong Dantes shares the screen with the legendary Ms. Gloria Romero in a poignant moment with sounds of shrills ('kilig') from audiences. Iza Calzado radiantly sparkles the screen with her 1950-ish glamour. Dingdong and Iza's performances are effective and very convincing that not only do we agree with the time-and-space-continuum premise; we hope that fate will find a way to make the characters meet. Prepare to shed a tear or two with this film. Highly recommended.

 

5/5 :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

[Gideon]

Basic Instinct 2

 

Most of the actors and actress are new, but the movie is to die for.

 

The ending is quite the same with Part 1, which thinkers in my mind if there will be a part 3.

[buttakkal]

Tristan and Isolde

 

After the fall of Rome, the warlords of England are brutally kept in line by the forces of Irish King Donnchadh. One of these leaders, Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell) seeks to unite the English tribes to form one strong nation to rule itself. His greatest knight is Tristan (James Franco), whom Marke raised since he was orphaned in an Irish attack that also took Marke's family. With Tristan by his side, Marke believes he can unify his people and rid England of Irish rule. But Tristan harbors a terrible secret…

 

Wounded and left for dead after battle, he is nursed back to health by Isolde (Sophia Myles), a mysterious Irish beauty who hides him from her father, King Donnchadh's, forces and brings him back to life. But their passionate affair is cut short when Tristan must return to England, not knowing if he will see Isolde again.

 

Still seeking to throw the English tribes back into chaos, King Donnchadh gives away his daughter as the prize in a tournament between all the champions of England. Tristan wins the princess' hand for Lord Marke, whose vision of a united England may finally be realized.

 

Tristan is horrified to see that the woman he has won for his Lord, the woman whom Marke will marry, is his Irish savior Isolde. Worse, Marke is a good and worthy future king, whose belief in Tristan has made the young knight who he is.

 

First separated by countries at war, and now by loyalty to King and country, Tristan and Isolde must suppress their emotions for the sake of peace and the future of England. But the more they deny their passion, the more fiercely it burns. Despite their efforts to stay apart, Tristan and Isolde are driven inexorably together, risking everything for one last moment in each other's arms.

 

(courtesy of Rottentomatoes.com)

 

 

my personal review:

 

I think the producers the Scott Brothers are already going bankrupt...hehehe..they did not show the movie based on the real story of Tristan and Isolde. Sayang ang ganda pa naman ng story. if you

read the story before watching the movie youll surely say WHATTA FAK!!! bakit iba???? ibang iba ang libro sa movie...parang tipid version ang movie.

 

Pero ang ganda ng sword scenes...parang Gladiator at maganda ang girl who played Isolde (Sophia Myles).

 

VALUABLE TIP : if you want to enjoy the movie, dont read the real story of Tristan and Isolde.

 

btw here is the link to the real story: http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/tri...html#Background

 

I give this movie 3 stars because of Sophia Myles.....and the sword fight scenes...

[Guest Inquisitive]

Mission Impossible 3

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Starring: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rames, Keri Russel, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Crudup, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Laurence Fishburne

 

 

Synopsis of the movie

 

Ethan Hunt is now trying to live a normal life, and is preparing for marriage. Since he has retired from active duty, he acts as a training instructor of new MI agents. However, he is asked to head one last mission in order to save another agent. He learns that said agent has been investigating Owen Davian, a ruthless, sadistic, and evil arms dealer. Eventually, Ethan captures Owen Davian, but the latter escapes, and vows to k*ll him and his fiancée. Ethan then embarks on a true impossible mission, and his misstep or failure could mean leaving the fate of his loved one to a sadistic Owen Davian.

 

Review/Criticism

 

In Mission Impossible 1 (MI1), the franchise (MI movie series) was still trying to define itself. But, it still retained the essential elements of the Mission Impossible TV series which are: action, espionage, suspense, and action. Its sequel (MI2) veered away from the original concept and became more of a love story — a forced one at that. Mission Impossible 3 (MI3) goes back to the original concept of the MI TV series, and effectively intertwines it with the love story angle.

 

In MI3, Ethan is trying desperately to have a “normal” life, and has finally found love. In spite of this new found normal life, he eventually has to take down Owen Davian; this provides the action, espionage, and suspense part of the film. However, Ethan’s fiancée Julia will be kidnapped by Davian; this predicament makes the “love story angle” relevant in the story.

 

On the other hand, in MI2, Ethan suddenly fell in love with Thandie Newton’s character, and he had to save her from the villain of that movie. MI2’s premise was that the instant love between the two was enough motivation for Ethan to go on an impossible and dangerous mission. This is not realistic.

 

MI3 establishes that Ethan and Julia, already spent some time together; thus, making it believable that they are really in love. And the love between them becomes the reason why Ethan is willing to go to hell and back for Julia. The workable premise of MI3 makes the movie more plausible and credible.

 

The trademark of the MI movie series is its stunts; eventually, MI3 has to be compared with its predecessors. MI1’s most notable stunt was the one when Tom Cruise was trying to steal the noc list from the CIA headquarters. In that movie, he almost fell to the floor horizontally, but stopped a few inches. In MI2, the memorable stunt was the motorcycle chase. On the other hand, MI3 is offering a more impressive maneuver, and that is when Tom Cruise has to swing from building to building.

 

Not being Spider-Man, Ethan can’t just jump to the next building because he won’t make it; in order to get there he has to jump, and swing like a pendulum. This means he has to jump from the opposite end of the building where he stands, and then swing towards the other building in one motion. Consequently, the camera is not on slow motion while Tom Cruise is executing this stunt. The camera is not zeroing on him; thus, showing the audience that the stunt is not done by CGI.

 

Perhaps what sets the MI movies apart from other action flicks are their fight scenes. MI3’s action sequences are non-stop, gritty, and realistic. This is unlike MI1 which did not offer anything new. MI3’s fight scenes are believable; there are no gravity defying kicks, or bullet like punches. It shows what true fighting is — bloody, messy, brutal, cruel, and ugly. In fact, this is probably the only movie in recent memory where Tom Cruise is beaten up black and blue, and almost to a pulp. Forget seeing good looking Tom Cruise i.e. Jerry Maguire, but think of a filthy Brad Pitt in the Fight Club — he is as dirty and bloodstained.

 

However, MI2’s fight scenes were different from MI1 and MI3 because of its director John Woo; who is known for utilizing slow motion as an art form. By using slow motion, his fight scenes don’t look like real fights, but instead look like graceful dances. MI2’s fight scenes were like ballets instead of bloody messes. Every punch, kick, and jump was executed with more flair. For example, whenever Tom Cruise punched in MI2, he extended his arm too much; the effect was to exaggerate the punch. This is usually a technique utilized in Asian martial arts films. In the end, MI2 and MI3’s fight scenes are radically dissimilar; the difference being night and day. Choosing the film with better fight scenes boils down to what the viewer prefers; it’s a matter of taste.

 

A noteworthy scene in the movie is Owen Davian’s rescue. The explosions in this scene are not over-the-top; the viewers need not cover their ears because of excessive use of explosives, bombs, and the like. Also, slow motion is appropriately and masterfully used, and this is when Ethan has to jump over a seven – nine foot gap/hole of the bridge. But, the most exciting part of this sequence is when Ethan is running away from a missile; eventually, getting hit and slamming into a car. That’s as real as it gets, and the audience is wowed with that

 

In MI1, the film was trying to find its identity, and it seemed that Tom Cruise was just a big star who happened to be in that movie. MI2 was starting to be identified as a Tom Cruise film; it was becoming synonymous with him. Now, MI3 is Tom Cruise; in fact, Ethan Hunt is Tom Cruise. He finally owns this character. Even if other actors will play said part in the future, it will never be the same. It’s just like having many James Bonds, i.e. Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan, but there is only one true Bond — Sean Connery.

 

However, this film has its share of lapses. The movie fails to establish whether Ethan had a previous relationship with Lindsey, the agent he had to rescue. Also, there is no ample background why he wanted to quit active service. The film just presented that he wanted to quit because he wanted a new life — period! The screenplay should have devoted more time to this, rather than just expecting the audience to take this hook, line, and sinker.

 

Although this is a Tom Cruise film, Philip Seymour Hoffman, 2006 Oscar Best Actor, has to be applauded, too. He is the quintessential villain — evil, ruthless, cold, sadistic, cruel, brutal, vindictive, and merciless. In fact, he is the best baddie of all MI movies, and that is a tall order since the first was Jon Voight.

 

Watching Philip Seymour Hoffman portray Owen Davian, he comes off as if he really is a bad person, and not an actor playing a bad person. There is no need for him to resort to theatrical outbursts, or stereotype dialogue in order to prove that he is bad. His demeanor: silent, cold, and calculating, is enough to convey the impression that he is the film’s bad guy. And when he is saying to Tom Cruise, “I will k*ll you in front of her,” it is so effective because he is able to show how truly ruthless his character is by uttering that one line.

 

Rating

 

All in all, on a scale of 1 – 5, Mission Impossible 3 deserves an almost perfect score of 4.5. It goes back to the original concept of the Mission Impossible TV series, but at the same time effectively intertwines it with a love angle. This time the love story is easier to swallow.

 

This is the first of many movies to come, namely: Poseidon, The Da Vinci Code, X-Men 3, and Superman Returns. It’s a good start and hopefully the others will be as good or be better. Optimistically, the string of summer movies will not end with a whimper considering that it started with a bang.

[Akosikokoy]

Mission Impossbile 3

 

nothing special about this film, same as all the other action films before it. big gun battles, high speed car chase, damsels in distress, a deadline to beat, falling off high places, etc.

 

 

the director even "borrowed" Quentin Tarantino's adrenalin shot in the heart scene from Pulp Fiction

 

nothing new!

 

2/5

Edited May 9, 2006 by peeves

[Mandrake]

MI 3 Must-see movie... :thumbsupsmiley: 4/5

Edited May 9, 2006 by Mandrake

[mr_goblin]

da vinci code: nice one.

[tobats04]

Title of the Film DA VINCI CODE

 

Director RON HOWARD

 

Lead Actors/Actresses Tom Hank,Audrey Tautou,Ian McKellen,Jean Reno,Paul Bettany,Alfred Molina

Remarks: Based on a Book by Dan Brown about the secrets of the Christian Church

(I never read the book so I'll base my review on the movie)

 

B. Synopsis of the Movie - Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who was a famous symbols expert was led into a quest which involves life and death situation that will reveal the most surprising secrets of the Christian church - the quest for the Holy Grail. Robert is accompanied throughout the journey by a girl who was a granddaughter of his friend who was murderered and together they uncover the facts of solving the mystery of the murder and finding clues to unravel the most important secret of the Christian Church. They travelled from Paris and London to search for hidden clues given by the girl's grandfather which covers Leonardo Da Vinci, his paintings - The Mona Lisa, Last Supper, Isaac Newton and several historical evidence which involves the Prior of Scion and the Holy Grail. They seek the help of an English friend (Ian McKellen) of Robert who in turns have the same interests of finding the Holy Grail. Together they uncover the mysteries of the Quest later to found out the greatest mystery of all.

 

C. Review/Criticism - the film was great and so was the casting. What more can you ask for nice performances by such award-winning actors like Tom Hanks and Ian Mckellen, plus supporting casts of Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany and French actor Jean-Reno (I like this guy!). I expected the movie to be serious throughout the whole movie but the usual Tom Hanks just can't help throwing some joke or two on some occassions. It runs a good plot for a suspense-thriller-drama movie until it comes to a part when it was becoming religious - where Robert defines religious faith for any believer. The movie was very good the way the storyline was created especially when clues are revealed one after the other. You can really sense that the movie wanted to follow the plot of the book by slowly introducing and making clear the information about how the clues are related one from each other. It most likely draw the same interests as with the same movies like Indiana Jones or The Treasure - minus the action but with a lot of suspense. It was a good movie although it really gives a lot of indirect revelations about the history of the Christian church and the works which most likely would be interpreted as a criticism for the Catholic Church. It draws some parallelism to the christian belief of protestants which most likely have reservations in the way they believe in their counterparts - the Catholics. Although the climax of the movie (No spoilers! Watch it!) was created with little bit of fiction-combined-theory-researched, it most likely have a little nudge to your christian faith as a whole - not because you would most likely not believe in Christ but rather put your faith in a situation where you most likely wanted to have much more reason on why you want to believe. Congrats to Ron Howard and the whole cast for putting a very good movie as well as Dan Brown for creating a little bit of imagination-combined-research (or is it?) story that will inspire us all.

 

D. Rating 9.5/10 Great Movie. I was so engulfed by the movie that I wanted to watch it again and again. but somehow I have that feeling that I could not give it a perfect 10, just don't know why - probably bec. of the fiction thing (which is the climax of the story - whether you may believe or not). Better yet, a 9.5 would fit it in my taste.

[val-mac]

Title of the Film    INSIDE MAN

Director              SPIKE LEE

Lead Actors/Actresses

DENZEL WASHINGTON

JODIE FOSTER

CLIVE OWEN

CHRISTOPER PLUMMER

WILLEM DAFOE

 

B. Synopsis of the Movie

ever watched Quick Change by Bill Murray?  this was a mind-boggling film of a bank heist in

Manhattan, NY.  Denzel played the role of Negotiator and Clive Owen as the Leader of the

Bank Robbers...      the whole bank heist is great - following the real motives of the robbery

and how it develops from unravelling one scene to another...

 

C. Review/Criticism

Superbly great!!!  weird but amazing plot!! changing from one part of the story from another

but still connects to the smooth flow of the storyline from beginning to the end....  Denzel

was so amazing with his acting as the negotiator..  Clive is so smooth and direct... 

Chris Plummer's old-time acting as a big-time old corporate guy was still unfazed....  Willem Dafoe's

supporting role is also cool...  Jodie Foster is sweet, but her participation in the whole movie

were kinda short (since you will never notice that the whole film was that long not until you really

finished it!)...    Spike Lee is still a great director....   

 

D. Rating (To be placed at the bottom of the post)

10 thumbs up...  what more can you ask for a SPILE LEE film?!!!!  plus powerhouse cast

of Denzel, Jodie, Chris Plummer, Clive and Willem...  super galeng....  WATCH THIS ONE!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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