The Avengers Impressions

"The Avengers" is easily the best "superhero" film that I have 

ever seen. After wading through, what seemed to be, an endless ocean of poor to decent films, I was beginning to wonder if there was even any dry land to be found. Gladly, there was, and the hand that pulled me out of the water was Joss Whedon's.

His unique style of action, humor, and engaging storytelling was exactly what this film needed. Though, I'd have to say, the great triumph of Whedon's handling of this film was in the way he was able to balance the  importance and contributions of all the characters. Many of us, read "most of us," believed that this film would just be Robert Downey Jr.'s "Tony Stark" acting circles around the rest of the cast. As most of you know, by now, this was not the case. Every character had their place and every character had their chance to shine. 

Some of the most common complaints about the film have been about the length, but I honestly can't imagine it being even 10 minutes shorter. This is definitely one of those films where you go in, sit down, are constantly engaged, and stand up about two and a half hours later, wallet in hand, ready to see it again. 

Five stars out of five. Brilliant movie. Let's hope the upcoming Marvel sequels can keep up the momentum.

Green Lantern Impressions

"Green Lantern" is yet another film that seems to fall victim to one of the very messages that it tries to preach. More specifically, the film somehow manages to squander practically every gift that it receives.

Millions of dollars in CGI, rich source material, and a decent cast can't save a film when the writing is weak on almost every level and the majority of said cast gives bland and forgettable performances (I say the majority because Mark Strong does manage to pull off a decent, if generally underused, Sinestro).

I am awarding "Green Lantern" one and a half stars out of five. All in all, it is probably the most disappointing film that I have seen so far this summer. If tons of CGI, or the fact that a film is based off of a popular comic series, are all that it takes for you to go see a movie, then you've probably already seen this film (or you are at least planning to see it in the near future). If those conditions don't apply to you, then I strongly suggest that you save your money. You aren't missing anything.

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Impressions

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" was significantly more entertaining than the two films that preceded it, which wasn't all that hard to accomplish, but just as poorly written. I mean, the logical gaps were just too excessive. While I was watching the movie, I actually came up with an alternate title that seemed much more fitting than "Dark of the Moon." I call it "Transformers: What Was Your Plan?!" Why, you ask? Because hardly a minute goes by where you don't want to ask that question. All of the character's actions seemed so impulsive and ill-conceived that you really have to wonder if the writers weren't just randomly stringing together index cards with ideas written on them. Yes, every last character. Even Optimus Prime himself made more than a few pointlessly stupid decisions. I am all for expensive CGI and whatnot, but if a film feels like it was written by the kid in the back of the class who flicks his boogers and just can't seem to sit still then I'm sorry, I just can not enjoy it.

I am awarding "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" two stars out of five for being as flashy as ever, but still very poorly written. Honestly, the film's masterstroke is definitely the fact that Leonard Nimoy voices a majorcharacter. That is really the only reason I could ever envision myself watching it again.

Summer 2010 Movie Review Backlog #2: The Karate Kid

**Sorry for the lack of posting over this past month. I have been extremely lazy. August will be different, I promise. >_>

I am hesitant to even call this homage to the film that first used this title, but "The Karate Kid" was fairly entertaining to watch. Everything about the film was fairly standard, the choreography for the fights were decent, as was the general story of the film, but my biggest problem was the acting. I have never really liked Jaden Smith, and I certainly think that he has yet to prove himself as any kind of actor, but even beyond that, the only other actor in the film that gave even a decent performance was Jackie Chan. In fact, I think that it could easily be said that he carried the film. My only other issue with the film was that there was a very loose sense of time, and that made the whole pre-tournament part of the movie hard to watch.

I am awarding "The Karate Kid" two and a half stars out of five for be entertaining to watch (and for casting Jackie Chan) but for having fairly poor acting and a loose concept of time. I would definitely rent/Netflix/whatever this film, but it's certainly not collection worthy.

Let Me In Trailer #1

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I have been fearing this day since I first heard about the American remake of 2008's (yes, 2008's!) "Let the Right One In" a few years ago, and it seems like my fears may have been well deserved. The original trailer for the film didn't rely on any dialogue or voice-overs, and came across as something much more intriguing and mysterious than the trailer for the remake. Don't get me wrong, it could still turn out to be a great film, I just fear that the new director is going to take to many chances with his "re-envisioning" of the story.

I am not going to lie, "Let the Right One In" is not only one of my favorite films, but one of my favorite books as well. This upcoming film has a lot to live up to, and from what I have read and seen so far it looks like it is going to be more of a localization than a remake.

Summer 2010 Movie Review Backlog #1: Iron Man 2 Impressions

I was very disappointed with "Iron Man 2." The first film had a nice balance of action and humor while still making you feel like what you were seeing was important. "Iron Man 2," however, focuses far too much on the "humor" (bad jokes and overly long dialogue) and leaves you pondering the question of whether or not what you are watching is at all significant. Also, what little action there was felt kind of cheap. Not in flashiness, (it is still a big budget Marvel film), but in content. Every one of the three or so "fights" felt too easy and very much anticlimactic.

What "Iron Man 2" did well, though, was tease about three upcoming Marvel films. I won't say anything about them, but I will say that it just felt... wrong. Like my money was just being used for these other films and everything else they are showing me is just filler. Why can't they just make a solid film with all of the teasers and whatnot at the end?

The only thing I even remotely liked about the film was the acting, and like I said before, the dialogue did not do them any kind of service.

I am awarding "Iron Man 2" a very disappointing two and a half stars out of five for losing the feeling of "significance" that the first film had, having very little action, and for focusing too much on "humor." On a lighter note, however, I am now excited for those three other movies I mentioned. So, no big loss... right?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 MTV Clip

The closer this movie comes, the more sad I get... but still, I am fairly excited to see it. At least they are giving it the "two part" treatment. Anyway, watch and enjoy!

On a semi-related note, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens in a few weeks! Check out the site if you haven't already!

***Note: I apologize for the "lower" quality. Youtube took down the original upload so I just found a copy for myself.

Inception Trailer 2

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I can not wait to see this film. Not only does it seem interesting and engaging, but it also plays host to a great cast of actors. Circle July 16th on your calendars!

Jonah Hex Trailer

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I will admit, I was moderately intrigued by this film when I first heard about it, and considerably intrigued when I saw the cast listing. But now that I've seen the first trailer, I honestly don't know what to think. I mean, it just doesn't look especially "cool," you know? Ah well, the film is dated for June 18th so I suppose we will find out soon enough.

The Last Airbender Trailer 3

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The more I see of this film, the more serious it looks. Where are the jokes? Where is the humor? I will admit that the bending looks great, but "Avatar: The Last Airbender" was not all action. I don't think that I have seen the kid playing Aang do so much as crack a smile even once. I am still anxious to see this film, despite the casting choices and the seriousness, but that is mostly because I just want to get it out of the way.

Kick-Ass Impressions

I can't say that I had high hopes going into this film, having not read the comics (though I wasn't expecting the movie to be 100% true to them) and not recognizing any of the actors other than Nicolas Cage and "McLovin," but I can definitely say that I was pleased with what I saw.

My greatest fear, at least after seeing the trailers, was that "Kick-Ass" would be more of a spoof of a "superhero" movie than one in its own right, but there was certainly enough grit and action to keep the audience engaged. The best thing about the film, though, was definitely the fact that it never took itself too seriously. There were buckets of blood and copious amounts of violence, but it all just felt fun. Maybe the zany choice of music did a great deal of helping, but never before (and perhaps never again) has watching a little girl in a mask and a cape take out an entire room of drug dealers with various bladed weaponry been so hilarious.

Anyway, there really isn't too much to say beyond that. My biggest problems with the film were that too many things felt unbelievably convenient and that the acting ranged from fairly mediocre to outright cheesy. Maybe it was simply supposed to be commentary on the "traditional" superhero movie, but I just found it to be annoying.

I am awarding "Kick-Ass" four stars out of five for being gritty and fun to watch, but still lacking a strong cast and for being overly convenient. If you don't mind a great deal of violence and swearing, then "Kick-Ass" is definitely the film for you. Otherwise, you might want to see something else because you will most likely be doing some seat squirming if you choose to see this.

Prince of Persia Trailer #2

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I want to not have mixed feelings about this film, I really do, but I just can't get over some of the scenes and lines in these trailers. It could go either way at this point. I guess we will just have to wait until May 28th to find out whether or not the action can drown out the cheesy dialogue.

Repo Men Impressions

Before I get into my review, I want to put one thing to rest: "Repo Men" is in no way a "rip-off" of "Repo! The Genetic Opera". The former was based off of a novel written by Eric Garcia in 2001 (though it wasn't published until 2009), who got his inspiration from a short story he had written in 1997. In that regard, however, I am not saying that "Repo! The Genetic Opera" took anything from "Repo Men." The two films are very much different from one another and each have their own inspirations.

Now, for my review. I will start by saying that "Repo Men" was not the poorly crafted film the critics said it was going to be. The acting was solid, the cinematography wasn't too overblown, it was in no way unentertaining, and the story wasn't nearly as washed out and political as many current filmmakers would have taken the liberty to make it. To be honest, I really think that critics dropped the ball on this one, though I suppose that could be said of most critics most of the time.

First, what worked best for the film: the straightforward simplicity and the music. As I said before, "Repo Men" was not the heavy political satire it could have been. There were no corrupt politicians or business men or moral high grounds. Just a company that sold synthetic organs, people that wanted them, and individuals hired to repossess said organs if the client couldn't keep up with their payments. Also, the main characters weren't out to "take down the system." They were about 99.9% in it for themselves. That being said, the film was not overly predictable either. There were still plenty of twists and turns all the way through that culminate in an ending that will probably surprise you, though you may have seen it before. As for the music, I have to say that "Repo Men" has one of the most dynamic and well chosen soundtracks I have heard in a long time (in terms of using music not especially recorded for the film). Instead of just having songs that happen to be popular or that "sound" appropriate, the film uses songs that fit on both a rhythmical and lyrical level.

What didn't work for the film: the shallow character introductions (which hurts their development) and the ending. By the end of the film, I didn't really feel like I "knew" many of the characters and some of the people I saw the film with didn't even know most of the character's names. You see the characters do things and get a semblance of what their respective personalities are like, but you don't really get to know who they were before the events of the film or what they might be doing beyond what you see in the story. As for the ending, I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that it is one of those endings that explains a lot of the events you witness prior to it, but at the same time disappoints you for the things that it has "undone." Also, as a hint, I will say that I have seen an ending almost exactly like it in the "non-wholesome edit" of an 80's science fiction film.

I am awarding "Repo Men" three and a half stars out of five for being entertaining, relatively unpredictable, and for having a great soundtrack, but also for having weak character introductions and a fairly disappointing ending. I definitely thought that this film was worth the money I spent to see it, which is more than I can say for most of the films I have recently gone to see.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Trailer 1

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As much as I dislike Michael Cera (I am tired of seeing him play "awkward teenage boy" in every one of his films), I would be a complete and total liar if I said that this movie doesn't look awesome. On a side note, I am really glad to see that more and more non-mainstream comics are getting film adaptations. Hollywood seems to be taking less liberties with their stories (because that makes perfect sense) and has been making them look fairly amazing.

Anyway, enjoy the trailer!

Alice in Wonderland Impressions

In spite of all I have said about Tim Burton in the past, I will admit that "Alice in Wonderland" had the potential to be a great movie. The acting was decent, though Alice felt very bland at times, the voice work was great, and the visuals were amazing.

Pretty much everything else, however, was rather terrible. The story and the dialogue felt forced and awkward, especially a lot of the insertions of lines from Lewis Carroll's work, and far too many convenient solutions revealed themselves in light of the character's problems. You never feel like any of the characters are in danger and all you can really do is sit back and watch things happen. There also seemed to be quite a few pacing with the film issues as all of the events outside of "Underland" felt rushed and shallow (there are barely any formal introductions to the "real"characters) and in Underland events seem sporadic and whimsically arranged. This especially hurts the ending of the film because it is really difficult to know what to make of things. More than a few of the liberties taken with the original work felt needless and awkward as well.

I am awarding Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" one and a half stars out of five for having potential, but not doing anything with said potential. By the end of the film, you will have no choice but to wonder whether or not the visuals alone can make this film worth the time and money you spent on it. In my case... they just couldn't do it.

Defendor Trailer

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Although this film has technically already released theatrically, I am sure that most of you have never heard of it. I have really been getting to like Woody Harrelson, though, so I thought that I would post the trailer for the film before its DVD release in April. This film reminds me a lot of 2006's "Special" with Michael Rapaport, but the story looks a bit wider in scope and more interesting. Anyway, enjoy!

New Iron Man 2 Trailer

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I was wondering when they were going to give us a new Iron Man 2 trailer. They showed the old one during the previews before "Shutter Island" and I was kind of disappointed. Ah well. Enjoy! The film is due for release in American theaters on May 7th!

Shutter Island Impressions

I had high hopes for "Shutter Island," it being a Scorsese film and all, and I can happily say that I wasn't completely disappointed. The film was well shot, well acted (Leonardo DiCaprio was especially fantastic), and will keep you intrigued from beginning to end (though I found the ending to be fairly disappointing, personally).

My biggest issue with the film had to be the editing. I can appreciate the fact that "Shutter Island" wants to play with your mind, but changing filters at random times for seemingly no reason and random breaks in shot consistency is far too self-indulgent. Scorsese tries so hard to convey the instability of the film that you are left wondering if what you have seen was purposely done or an if a few inconsistencies slipped past the editors.

I am awarding "Shutter Island" three and a half stars out of five for being well acted and intriguing, but for having distracting (an often annoying) editing work and a somewhat disappointing ending. This film is definitely worth the watch, even if you only want to see how things pan out, but don't feel bad if you want to wait for a rental.

Toy Story 3 Trailer #2

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Wow, this trailer was far more enjoyable than the first one. It is able to showcase the humor and personality that made the first two films great while still explaining the "Brave Little Toaster"-esque premise (not that the comparison is at all a bad thing). I can't wait to see it in June. Enjoy!

The Wolfman Impressions

Before I get into the review, I will just say that I was never a fan of "The Wolf Man." Nothing against the original film, or anything, I just never really liked the "man turns into unthinking monster" premise. It just makes it difficult to feel sympathy for the charcter.

Anyway, I thought that "The Wolfman" stayed true to the original film while still managing to add a few new twists that didn't undo everything. That being said, though, I actually would have liked to see a bigger twist regarding the ending... but I won't say more than that. The acting was decent for the most part, but none of the characters felt genuine or engaging so it was kind of difficult to connect with them. Even the "big" characters felt somewhat shallow and at times distant. For instance, I would have loved to learn more about Hugo Weaving's "Francis Aberline" other than the fact that he "worked on the Ripper case a few years back." The film makes you feel like you are just watching stale characters play out their respective parts in between gory slaughter scenes. On that note, the film's strongest point was definitely the visuals, and the decision to use costume and make-up in the fashion of the original film for the wolf (instead of solely relying on CGI) was commendable as well.

I am awarding "The Wolfman" three stars out of five for accomplishing what it set out to do, creating a respectable remake a classic film, and nothing more. If you have seen absolutely everything else on your list, then I would suggest that you give it a shot, but don't expect to be impressed.