vawagg Reviews

Captivity (2007)

Unpleasantly Surprised, In A Good Way

[7/10 · 13 July 2007]

I didn't really want to see this movie. I'm not much into the genre and frankly I was kind of angered by the billboards that got taken down. But there was not much else to go see if you're not a Harry Potter fan. I was pleasantly, rather, unpleasantly surprised.

This is good thriller. I loved Elisha Cuthbert. I thought she did a great job. I was plenty scared and truly worried for her. There is some pretty hot stuff between her and Daniel Gilles. Gilles has a chance to be another Hollywood heartthrob. I believed in her character and cared about what happened to her.

It's not at all what I expected from this movie. Though there are pretty gratuitous torture scenes most of the movie was internal and really tackled fear unlike I've seen in a movie before. It not anything like Hostel or Saw both of which I didn't care for.

I'd recommend this for anyone who wants a good thrill and doesn't mind blood and gore.

Saw (2004)

Better Than Expected

[7/10 · 23 May 2007]

I'm not that much of a fan of this genre but this was well done. It was smart even though it was really gory. It was as mentally manipulative as it was physically manipulative. There are twists and turns and complex character dynamics. It moves very, very quickly and I was pretty much terrified the entire time.

All the hype about this movie is true. It's disgusting but really well done. I thought the torture would completely push me away from this movie but I found myself unable to turn away.

Most of all it has stuck with me and haunts me in my sleep which isn't good.

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

I'm so angry at the people who made this one!!

[2/10 · 23 May 2007]

First of all I loved the last two Spiderman movies. So, I went to this very excited. What a complete let down.

I was so bored. Even with three villains they couldn't keep me paying attention.

The dialog is so terribly melodramatic and unreal people in the audience were actually laughing when characters on screen were crying and revealing their innermost feelings.

Characters swung from one side to the other, from good to evil, just by hearing a couple of honest words or seeing the light that seemed to come from absolutely nowhere? Okay, the special effects were really good. They keep getting better and better. The Sandman's scenes were especially well done.

But what I loved about the last two movies was their integrity in regards to character motivations and emotions. This one just planted feelings on the surface and relied on whining and tears to emote.

The writers this time are the ones to blame. Please Hollywood, realize you need real writers in order to tell meaningful stories. Producers and Directors are not always good writers.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

I loved this movie!!

[9/10 · 23 May 2007]

Whether you love or hate the movies they are spoofing you'll love "Hot Fuzz!!" There has been a glut of "spoof" movies like "Scary Movie" or "Date Movie". The difference here is this one rides its own merits of story, character and plot while reminiscing about those great to mediocre action movies of the past without simply twisting a scene directly form those movies.

Or simply: these guys are original. Like their last outing, "Shaun of the Dead", they made a movie here with just the right amounts of jokes and didn't rely too much on gags.

A definite must see.