Datenight -- C+ Greenzone -- B How to Train A Dragon -- A- Iron Man 2 -- A-
Robin Hood -- B-
It was an interesting take on the character, although I think I agree that we didn't really need a Robin Hood Begins movie. I enjoyed it over all, but the last few minutes of him living as an outlaw in the forrest really made me realize that I wanted the movie to be about that. I didn't get to see enough bandit Robin Hood in Sherwood forrest.
Also, Marion and Friar Tuck really had no place being in that final battle. That was dumb.
Besides that, I'm glad it didn't end with
King John signing the Magna Carta
. Part of me wants a sequel that is more Robin Hood-esque, but i have no idea what it would be about.
He already has a band of Merry men, he already is with Maid Marion, King Richard can't return, so what's left? I don't think it would work.
Anyway, I enjoyed it for what it was: a new spin on an old favourite. The story of Robin Hood has been told so many times that it starts to become predictable - that wasn't the case with this movie. So Not a great movie, but good.
Daybreakers - Really creative, constant tension, stacked cast, damn good film. Really liked what they did with the concept. 8/10
The Wolfman - This really could've been great, but a lot of the usual things went wrong. Insane amount of CGI, jump-heavy blockbuster scares without much atmosphere or showmanship to them, bizarre pacing, etc. I love a lot of Joe Johnston's stuff but I think he's just not a horror director. M. Night Shymalan could've done a great job with this. Every actor does very well though. Hopkins saves the whole film. 5.5/10
I just read that they cut 17 minutes from the final cut of the film for theaters because the studio wanted audiences to get to the first Wolfman transformation sooner. Joe Johnston's putting these back for the DVD, which I want to see.
Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland - I think as entertainment this is pretty much critic-proof. It has a lot of the same problems with missed showmanship that Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory had, but at the end of the day it's a fun tribute to Carroll's world packed with colourful, captivating visuals, a great cast, and a good old-fashioned fantasy quest element woven through which it's fun to see the well-known characters participate in. Where else are you going to be able to see
a Jokerized Johnny Depp using a garment mannequin to swordfight a one-eyed Crispin Glover?
6.5/10.
The Crazies - An interesting take on the Zombiepocalypse genre and an effective, suspenseful, scary film overall. Literally every second is suspenseful, never letting up. 7.5/10
Hot Tub Time Machine - Absolutely The Hangover meets Back To The Future, this was hilarious. With a little more effort they could've approached a BTTF level of changed-the-future emotion and satisfaction at the end, but it was still a borderline great movie. 8.5/10
Kick-Ass - Apart from a few details I would've changed, and maybe a different lead actor, this was so ****ing good. 9.5/10
Clash Of The Titans - This wasn't directed very well, and is one of the poorest uses of the 3D process I've seen yet. Worthington's still good, everyone was, especially Mads Mikilsen, there were some AWESOME moments(the whole
Medusa sequence
was probably my favourite part), and it benefits from the original story still being so good. In a lot of ways it's a great old-fashioned movie, but one of the most powerful feelings it elicted in me is still "appreciation for Peter Jackson". But I still enjoyed it. 7/10
A Nightmare On Elm Street - Barely scary and cluelessly directed, for the most part. But Haley is great and this film's story, and Freddy Krueger, are excellent and way, way more interesting than in the original. Some real horror direction, subtlety and scary imagery could've made the most of that story, but as it is this was still decent overall. 6/10
Iron Man 2 - This was amazingly engaging and entertaining, filled with captivating performances and some of the best effects-fueled action sequences in the whole superhero movie genre. The story parts didn't flow quite as well as in the first film, but the story was far bigger and more ambitious too, and in my opinion, worth that price. I loved every minute of it. 9.5/10
Ridley Scott's Robin Hood - Take Gladiator, mix it with 300, Kingdom of Heaven, and Beowulf and Grendel, now strip it of all the character, the spirit, the fun and the point. Pretty much. A "gritty reboot" of a character whose legend has been kept alive for a thousand years largely because of the merry, swashbuckling, fantastical elements was simply a bad idea. Crowe was great as usual and a potential sequel could really be something. This was not. 5/10.Ebert's review is spot-on.
Edge Of Darkness - I was basically expecting your usual Taken type of thing, but this was so much more(both plot-wise and overall quality). I forgot it was a Martin Campbell film until the end credits, but it's certainly up to his standard. Mel Gibson was amazing. 8.5/10
The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus - This is vintage Gilliam. The only frustrating thing is that CGI has replaced his traditional models and clay, which used to account for so much of his signature brand of surreality. Nevertheless, this is a fine film with a great story, tons of excellent performances from an eclectic, amazing cast and the fact that Burton's Alice In Wonderland made like ten times as much at the box office is pretty much a disgrace. Oh well. This will endure where it counts. 9.5/10.
Youth in Revolt - 10/10
The Wolfman - 5/10
Shutter Island - 10/10
The Crazies - 5/10
Clash of the Titans - 4/10
Kick-Ass - 9/10
A Nightmare on Elm Street - 4/10
Iron Man 2 - 6/10 MacGruber - 8/10
I went into MacGruber thinking it was going to be insanely stupid, because that's what I saw from the commercials. And it was an insanely stupid movie. But it's also the funniest movie I have seen all year. It had me in tears literally ten minutes into it, and tears were pouring down my face for the duration of the show. When you take it as what it is, a dumb comedy, it's about an 8 out of 10 for me.
1. How To Train Your Dragon - 9.5/10 - A nearly perfect childrens film. I can't even say how pleased I was to get to see this while it was still playing in theaters.
2. Shutter Island – 9/10 – By far the best film to be released this year, and the only thing on this list likely to make the Oscars next spring... DiCaprio is phenomenal in this beautifully filmed thriller.
3. Kick-Ass – 8/10 – High octane fun... Much better than the original comic book series in the way it dropped its aspirations towards reality and embraced the absurdity of ultraviolence in superheroism.
4. Iron Man 2 – 7/10 – High octane fun as well, but without the story-work that should have been there to make it truly unforgettable. Truly wish I could rank this higher, but regardless, I had one hell of a time watching this movie.
5. Alice in Wonderland – 5/10 – This should have been infinitely weirder than it ultimately was. What it ended up as was simply a cliched fantasy plot forced into Wonderland... Some good visuals and performances, but by far the least satisfying Burton film in ages.
6. Daybreakers – 5/10 – This movie really could have been good... I loved the world, and Sam Neil made for a great villainous vampire... But in the end, it was just all kind of stupid.
7. Legion – 3/10 – "Ain't got no shark teeth, paw!" made me laugh out loud. A lot of this movie did. I don't think I would have enjoyed it at all without the few beers I drank beforehand.
8. Shrek The Fourth - 1/10 - Having created this film, everyone on the production team should be put in prison forever. In particular the person who voiced Rumplestiltskin. I cannot even remember a less enjoyable film-going experience in recent history. At least Legion was LAUGHABLY terrible. Nobody in the theater laughed at this film. It was dead silent and sad.
Upcoming Movies to See:
Get Him To The Greek, Splice, The Karate Kid, Toy Story 3, The Last Airbender, Predators, Inception, The Sorceror's Apprentice, Dinner for Schmucks, The Expendables, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Machete, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Social Network, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Tron Legacy, True Grit
Upcoming Movies to See:
Get Him To The Greek, Splice, The Karate Kid, Toy Story 3, The Last Airbender, Predators, Inception, The Sorceror's Apprentice, Dinner for Schmucks, The Expendables, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Machete, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Social Network, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Tron Legacy, True Grit
I'm having a hard time imagining Sarah Polley in a horror movie. I've only ever seen her in Road to Avonlea when I was a kid. But apparently she was in Dawn of the Dead too?
weird.
8. Shrek The Fourth - 1/10 - Having created this film, everyone on the production team should be put in prison forever. In particular the person who voiced Rumplestiltskin. I cannot even remember a less enjoyable film-going experience in recent history. At least Legion was LAUGHABLY terrible. Nobody in the theater laughed at this film. It was dead silent and sad.
I'm having a hard time imagining Sarah Polley in a horror movie. I've only ever seen her in Road to Avonlea when I was a kid. But apparently she was in Dawn of the Dead too?
weird.
She was actually really good in DotD. Splice looked really interesting from the trailers, but also like it could be one of those movies that gets 7% on RT and goes down as unwatchable. Last time I checked it was doing pretty great. I'm looking forward to seeing it sometime this week.
She was actually really good in DotD. Splice looked really interesting from the trailers, but also like it could be one of those movies that gets 7% on RT and goes down as unwatchable. Last time I checked it was doing pretty great. I'm looking forward to seeing it sometime this week.
Daybreakers - Really creative, constant tension, stacked cast, damn good film. Really liked what they did with the concept. 8/10
The Wolfman - This really could've been great, but a lot of the usual things went wrong. Insane amount of CGI, jump-heavy blockbuster scares without much atmosphere or showmanship to them, bizarre pacing, etc. I love a lot of Joe Johnston's stuff but I think he's just not a horror director. M. Night Shymalan could've done a great job with this. Every actor does very well though. Hopkins saves the whole film. 5.5/10
I just read that they cut 17 minutes from the final cut of the film for theaters because the studio wanted audiences to get to the first Wolfman transformation sooner. Joe Johnston's putting these back for the DVD, which I want to see.
Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland - I think as entertainment this is pretty much critic-proof. It has a lot of the same problems with missed showmanship that Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory had, but at the end of the day it's a fun tribute to Carroll's world packed with colourful, captivating visuals, a great cast, and a good old-fashioned fantasy quest element woven through which it's fun to see the well-known characters participate in. Where else are you going to be able to see
a Jokerized Johnny Depp using a garment mannequin to swordfight a one-eyed Crispin Glover?
6.5/10.
The Crazies - An interesting take on the Zombiepocalypse genre and an effective, suspenseful, scary film overall. Literally every second is suspenseful, never letting up. 7.5/10
Hot Tub Time Machine - Absolutely The Hangover meets Back To The Future, this was hilarious. With a little more effort they could've approached a BTTF level of changed-the-future emotion and satisfaction at the end, but it was still a borderline great movie. 8.5/10
Kick-Ass - Apart from a few details I would've changed, and maybe a different lead actor, this was so ****ing good. 9.5/10
Clash Of The Titans - This wasn't directed very well, and is one of the poorest uses of the 3D process I've seen yet. Worthington's still good, everyone was, especially Mads Mikilsen, there were some AWESOME moments(the whole
Medusa sequence
was probably my favourite part), and it benefits from the original story still being so good. In a lot of ways it's a great old-fashioned movie, but one of the most powerful feelings it elicted in me is still "appreciation for Peter Jackson". But I still enjoyed it. 7/10
A Nightmare On Elm Street - Barely scary and cluelessly directed, for the most part. But Haley is great and this film's story, and Freddy Krueger, are excellent and way, way more interesting than in the original. Some real horror direction, subtlety and scary imagery could've made the most of that story, but as it is this was still decent overall. 6/10
Iron Man 2 - This was amazingly engaging and entertaining, filled with captivating performances and some of the best effects-fueled action sequences in the whole superhero movie genre. The story parts didn't flow quite as well as in the first film, but the story was far bigger and more ambitious too, and in my opinion, worth that price. I loved every minute of it. 9.5/10
Ridley Scott's Robin Hood - Take Gladiator, mix it with 300, Kingdom of Heaven, and Beowulf and Grendel, now strip it of all the character, the spirit, the fun and the point. Pretty much. A "gritty reboot" of a character whose legend has been kept alive for a thousand years largely because of the merry, swashbuckling, fantastical elements was simply a bad idea. Crowe was great as usual and a potential sequel could really be something. This was not. 5/10.Ebert's review is spot-on.
Edge Of Darkness - I was basically expecting your usual Taken type of thing, but this was so much more(both plot-wise and overall quality). I forgot it was a Martin Campbell film until the end credits, but it's certainly up to his standard. Mel Gibson was amazing. 8.5/10
The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus - This is vintage Gilliam. The only frustrating thing is that CGI has replaced his traditional models and clay, which used to account for so much of his signature brand of surreality. Nevertheless, this is a fine film with a great story, tons of excellent performances from an eclectic, amazing cast and the fact that Burton's Alice In Wonderland made like ten times as much at the box office is pretty much a disgrace. Oh well. This will endure where it counts. 9.5/10.
Shutter Island - I swear to god, I watched the first minute of the first trailer when it appeared, decided I wanted to see it and shut my eyes for the remainder of the trailer, and hoped that.... this.... wouldn't be how it ended. When the all the hype over "the twist" started popping up, I assumed that it couldn't be what I was thinking of. At yet it was. I don't know how "the twist" got any hype or acclaim. I barely even get how they decided to put up the effort to make the whole movie and seriously do that ending, let alone also drop rock-solid hints to it throughout. However, every single other aspect of the entire film, acting, directing, editing, cinematography, and most of all characterization and development, was so good that it's still totally worth seeing. Also,
the last line in the film is kind of a mini-twist in its own right and makes it a whole point higher.
Get Him to the Greek: A-
Very good. I don't know if it was quite as good as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but I have to say I kinda prefer it to the Hangover. Really funny. I think people will be surprised just how dramatic it gets a certain points. I felt the ending was quite moving personally. There's one scene I could have done without...
it involves a three way between Jonah Hill, Russell Brand and Jonah Hill's girl friend. It just didn't really fit in with what they were trying to do at that point, in my opinion.
All in all some really good performances in a surprisingly good movie. P Diddy (name?) was unexpectedly funny and Brand proved he can be a really good actor.
Iron Man 2: B
I liked it a lot. It wasn't as good as the first one (which is the best Marvel movie yet), but it was good nonetheless. I really don't know what else I can add. I think think that Sam Jackson just seemed to be playing Sam Jackson with an eye patch. While I have heard criticism that the Avengers stuff seems forced, I really didn't get that impression. One thing I didn't like was the whole fight scene between Rhodey and Tony when he was wasted at his brithday party. Also, SHIELD did too much in the movie to solve Tony's problems...it would have been better if he stumbled upon his father's work on his own.
Robin Hood: B-
Not as bad as some of the reviews out there would lead you to believe. Just be warned that this really isn't your traditional Robin Hood, at least not until the final couple minutes of the movie. This is pretty much the Batman Begins of Robin Hood. I liked almost all of the cast, with the possible exception of Crowe as Robin Hood. He wasn't bad per se in the role, I just felt as though he looked a bit out of place. Maybe that's just my preconceived notions of who Robin Hood is coming into play. The guy who played King John was especially good in my opinion, as were the Merry Men. I did think that the final "epic" battle was a bit of a mess and seemed kinda anticlimatic. Overall not bad but far from great.
MacGruber: C
This movie was really stupid, but it was also really funny. I'm torn as to how I should rate it.
The Wolfman: D
I was pretty disappointed by this film. The plot was pretty predictable, the Wolfman looked pretty ridiculous and the story was only so-so. Things I did like: Emily Blunt, the CGI transformations, the atmosphere and "look" of the film, all of the stuff in the asylum. After seeing the movie maybe they were smart to focus more on CGI, because the Wolfman that was obviously traditional makeup looked kinda ridiculous.
So I'm dropping ratings. I'm tired of trying to place how much I like a movie on an arbitrary line. My little blurbs tell everything.
Daybreakers B+ a fun movie. It reminded me of Dark City with Vampires. Sam Niel was pretty entertaining, but William Defoe was too cheesey for me. Ethan Hawk was solid too. The opening was probably the best moment. Still, a good start to what's looking like a genre filled start of the year.
The Book of Eli - B+ Very solid, and I loved all the nods to the post-apocalyptic genre, but I felt like it could have been more. Gary Oldman was fantastic as a villian that easily could have been a hero in another movie. Still, I can't help but think of what might have been.
Legion D - pretty bad. Everything here was pretty cookie cutter, tho Taye Diggs had some pretty good lines. That doesn't make a movie worth it.
From Paris With Love B+ Taken this is not, but that's okay. Travolta is really entertaining, Johnathan Reese-Myers is solid, and while the plot takes a bit of a left turn at the end its still pretty fun. Plus the whole Vase bit was great.
The Wolfman B not nearly as bas as I was expecting. There was obviously some stoyline issues, and I personaly take offense to getting one of the best prostetics guys who have ever lived and then still CGIing everything, but I still had fun.
Shutter Island - C I read the book Shutter Island a few years ago and I feel that it was a hinderance to enjoying the movie. Scorcese was making a specific type of movie here and that isn't the same... tone as the book. The book had this great feeling of everything being subtly off in it without resorting to obvious halucinations. In the book everything feels more organic and natural. I didn't think DiCaprio had the best handle on Teddy either. Now the supporting cast absolutly owns this movie. Mark Ruffalo was perfect, as was Ben Kingsly, Freddy Kruger and Stotlmyer from monk.
Cop Out - C this... this had so much potential. But then we had the opeing scene with some amazingly akward expositionary dialoge then a gag that completly fell apart. Tracy Morgan isn't funny. I think this is the last thing I intentionaly watch with him. And the score. It sounds like it was scored by someone who was learning the synthisizer and only had the score from Escape from New York to teach him. Dispite all my complaints I will say Sean William Scott was great in it.
The Crazies A This is how you do a Zombie Movie people. Yes, they're as much Zombies as the 28 franchise. We've got suspense, creepy ****, and a few good jumps. A decent plot that does exactly what it needs to, and a character that keeps you guessing as to his status. Anyone who wants to see a movie like this should really check it out.
Alice in Wonderland A- Quite entertaining except for one thing. Johnny Depp wandered around playing a mix of sweeny Todd and a rainbow. And that dance at the end... but everything else was good. I really enjoyed it.
Repo Men B Everything it needed to be. Fun, gory, funny. Very funny actually. They totally stole the ending from
sleeper
tho, but its the first time in a while it didn't feel like a total cop out.
]Hot Tub Time Machine A Hot damn this is one funny movie. I mean really, really freaking funny. It sends up almost every time travel trope I can think of and manages to do so in style. Being the sucker for Time Travel that I am I might have to see it again. And actually pay for it this time. I had only one question.
Who was in the Bear Suit and what did he do after being stuck in the past?
Maybe its after the music video at the end, I left before that was over.
Kick Ass - Well, I only read the first issue of the comic so I don't have a baseline there, so I'll just say that Hit-Girl was fantastic, Nick Cage looked bloated, The Action scenes were fun and the ending was too over the top for even me. But hey, thats what it was supposed to be.
Clash of the Titans - They made Perseus an *******. What the **** guys? Lets cut out the whole, I'm doing this to save a nation and tag the hottie princess, something we can all relate to on a level and bring in the other universal motivation. **** you dad. Thats all it was. Sam Worthington going **** you dad for an hour and a half. And Zues, dammit, he did everything but look at the screen, shrug his shoulders and say "What do you want me to do, its my kid?" And I'm sick and tired of Hades being cast as the villain in everything that uses the Greek gods anymore. HES NOT ****ING SATAN! God of the underworld isn't a direct connection to the usurper of heaven!
****. Yeah. I wasn't happy with this one,
Prince of Persia - Exactly what I was expecting. I was a little dissapointed by the
everything didn't happen
ending, but hey, its a light popcorn flick. If you're looking for a movie like this you could do worse.
The Evil Dead - Yes, not exactly a new release but a semi-local theator did a midnight showing with a newly blown up 35mm print and it was the best I've ever seen the movie look. Still has all the same issues, but seeing it in a theater gave some scenes a little more weight, especially the basement bit with all the blood.
I watched it yesterday for the second time, and sadly it wasn't as entertaining as the first viewing since the plot twist really changes the way you see each character.
