SkyGirl3 Reviews

Inception (2010)

Superb

[10/10 · 7 July 2012]

The film is brilliantly told. And I'm only refferring to the story concept. That's not to forget the outstanding editing, music, acting, design, and action sequences. All fit perfectly making it one of the best films I have seen in a long while.

Cobb our hero, is a dream extractor. His team enter the dreams of others to extract info while they sleep. He lives away from the United States because he has been accused of killing his wife Mal. All he wants is to return home to his children. So when he is offered a seemingly impossible job in return for the clearing of his name, he cannot refuse.

The job is Inception, the planting of an idea inside the dreams of someone else. He and his newly selected crew must convince the heir to a major corporation to dissolve his father's empire. They must enter deeper into the dream world than ever before. The situation is made even more complicated by the fact that Cobb's dead wife, Mal, is breaking into the dreams through his subconscious.

It would be easy to get lost in the intricacies of the concept. Nolan, however, is able to successfully pull it off with very little inconsistencies. Apart from the complexities of the story, the filmmaking techniques are entertaining and stimulating.The editing, is rarely tricky (I mean, how can you successfully show a van falling off a bridge for half the movie), but it couldn't have been done slightly better.

There are a few inconsistencies that, whether there is an explanation or not, is not clear. For example, why is limbo so dangerous if all you have to do to leave, is kill yourself. Also, while the film is brilliant, it can be a little difficult to follow, especially on the first viewing. The ending is not entirely unexpected, but extremely aggravating nonetheless. However, in my opinion, there are enough clues to give away the answer to that final question, so keep a lookout for those.

But to summarise, SUPERB!!

Cleanskin (2012)

Thoughtful & even handed British script

[8/10 · 7 July 2012]

What I enjoyed most about this films that it showed both sides of a very British story without being preachy, one sided or have an agenda. What made me watch it all the way through is that it was all built into the thriller format.

What I have found in many films dealing with this subject matter is that they all have been either heavy handed but mostly too worthy. Cleanskin gets on with telling a story and just observes and keeps a distance from the issues, simply presenting them asthey are.

It was good to see the process of how a man born here in the UK is turned to the road of murder and how people use him for their own reasons and benefits. Very refreshing to have a film show the process and treat the character of Ash objectively but showing all his appalling faults.

It was Sean's Beans best performance for many years, I'm not too familiar with all his films but I thought he did a very good job with this film as he did on Game of Thrones. The good thing about his character is that he wasn't the standard angry soldier, he had a history and motivation.

My favourite scene was when Ash is about to commit his attack he visits the Cleric, Ash wants reassurance about heaven and the cleric reassures him then hurriedly goes to his sons birthday party leaving Ash alone to commit his act while the Cleric is enjoying himself elsewhere. I think that scene sums the film up, very poignantly written.

Avatar (2009)

Not Camerons best

[6/10 · 7 July 2012]

Director James Cameron, makes one big, blue, slow film that looks beautiful but doesn't hold together as a story. Worthington plays a handicapped soldier who has his DNA fused with an alien being, and is able to control a hybrid avatar as he sleeps in a bed. Thanks to his commander his intentions are bad initially. But after months in an jungle with a dreadlocked female creature he has second thoughts.

Cameron packs a lot of visual imagery into his film, some of which you'll miss if you don't see it in 3-D, but the experience becomes tiring and fails to go anywhere.. The CGI creatures are goofy.

This is James Cameron's worst movie since the fx laden The Abyss

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

The Best

[10/10 · 7 July 2012]

The original and still the one and only!

I find it pointless to review this, because I really have never met anyone who hasn't seen it, however, bear in mind I've seen it millions of times.

I know that's not much compared to some people lol. Jus check the Internet.

It hasn't aged at all and is still so much fun. It has everything a sci-fi needs, and if you haven't seen it yet, then where in the name of all that is holy, have you been????????

The sequels The empire strikes back, and return of the jedi are almost as good. But not the phantom menace, ease stay away from that one and it's sequels, just awful awful awful.

Death to jar jar!

The Matrix (1999)

A bit dated and Keanu let's it down

[7/10 · 7 July 2012]

The movie itself is unapologetic postmodern science fiction, which means that it rips off every sci-fi source in existence. This is because most of its target audience doesn't even know the Enterprise had a captain before Picard. This is lucky for them, because when Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) tries to convince Neo (Reeves) that he has the ability to control his reality.

This whole Matrix thing seems a lot like "Dark City" in both story and theme. In order to convince Neo that he's crucial in their battle to reveal the Matrix to everybody, Morpheus and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) take him to an Oracle. Constant references to the Oracle reek of the constant references to The Force in "Star Wars," which means that after about five minutes you hope the next person to mention the Oracle is accidentally decapitated.

There's also a ton of John Woo gun fights and Jackie Chan martial arts-type stuff, except that Reeves looks so stiff in the fight scenes you wonder if his next gig might be Tomb Raider IV.

Not great but for its time this film was good.