TheHobbitman Reviews

The Truman Show (1998)

Infinitely better than your average Jim Carrey flick

[10/10 · 24 April 2022]

This movie is incredible. It is not just my favorite Jim Carrey movie, but easily one of my favorite movies of all time. Unlike most of Carrey's films, this is not a typical goofy slapstick comedy. This is Carrey's first dramatic role, and he is surprisingly good at drama, at least in this film. While Carrey occasionally overacts slightly, and you can see a small bit of Ace Ventura shining through, this fits with the film's tone, and for the most part his acting is very good.

The incredibly engaging plot concerns Truman Burbank (Carrey), a friendly insurance salesman who lives a seemingly idyllic life in the overly pleasant small town of Seahaven. However, it turns out that Truman's entire life is actually a reality TV show he is unaware of. Seahaven is actually a simulated town built within a giant dome, and all its residents aside from Truman are actors - even Truman's wife, "Meryl". After living almost thirty years completely oblivious of this, he eventually releases that something is off after a series of unusual events happen - including a stage light marked with the name of the star Sirius falling from the sky; his car radio picking up frequency describing exactly what he is doing; and even his long-dead father turning up as a homeless man. Truman soon realizes his life is fake, and begins planning to escape the dome and make it into the real world, but must confront his crippling fear of water to do so.

If you like Jim Carrey, you will like this movie, but being a fan of his other work is not a requirement to get maximum enjoyment out of this film. Chances are you won't like "The Mask" or "Dumb and Dumber" if you aren't a fan of Carrey's work in general, but you will most likely still love this incredible dystopian drama even if you don't generally care for his more comedic films. So what are you waiting for, go check this movie out right now! You won't regret it.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

As good (possibly better) than the original

[10/10 · 8 November 2021]

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is an amazing science fiction film, one of the best of the last decade. It is perhaps the best film in the Planet of the Apes franchise, or at least tied with the 1968 film--and if the honor of Tied with the Original for Best Film in the Series doesn't go to this one, it would go to either "Dawn" or "War." Although it is a little disappointing that every ape in the film is CGI-animated (they could have used a couple of real ones in some scenes) and no makeup is used, the CGI is extremely good and the apes look like what I'd expect hyper-intelligent (but not yet evolved) simians to look like. If the apes in the original looked a bit too human, then these look just the way the Planet of the Apes simians should.

In fact, the CGI used on Andy Serkis to create Caesar is more advanced than when he played Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" a decade earlier.

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes", and its sequels, were the perfect way to resurrect the Apes franchise after Tim Burton's terrible remake.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Very sad, but good!

[10/10 · 23 February 2021]

This movie was very sad, although I won't say why because then my review won't get posted because of spoilers. However, despite its sadness it's a very good movie that I really enjoyed. I would watch it again, except that I cried so hard at the end that my eyeballs fell on the floor and I had to stick them back in. Obviously to make anyone that sad it had to be very good, which it is. The characters are likeable and the acting is outstanding. One of the best movies I have ever seen, and everyone should see it eventually. Regardless of Roger Ebert and his negative review, the fm is still a classic. If you're wondering whether it's worth it, the answer is: go see it and find out for yourself.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Almost as good as LOTR!

[9/10 · 18 February 2021]

In a hole in the ground, there was a Hobbit movie. It was not a poorly acted, disappointing film with poor special effects that make you laugh, nor yet a film that wasted its budget with overuse of CGI; it was a Hobbit movie, and that means happiness. This film is the definitive on-screen retelling of the timeless tale. Seeing Gandalf return in the film, not to mention several other characters from LOTR, is amazing. Seeing Frodo's cameo in the beginning is astounding. The special effects are glorious and the scenery dazzling. If they hadn't gotten Bilbo right, none of this would have mattered. But they did. I couldn't ask for a better Bilbo than the movie gave me, and doubtless many moviegoers think the same thing. If you are a LOTR fan, you will like this movie. And if there were no LOTR to compare it to, this film would definitely have a better reputation.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Bad movie with little to redeem itself!

[3/10 · 7 February 2021]

With the obvious exception of the classic film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl movies tend to be pretty bad-- "James and the Giant Peach", and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" were weird, and "Matilda" was cheesy and lame, but this is easily the worst of the bunch. Tim Burton has previously directed good films, especially the Batman duology, but this one is not good in the least. Johnny Depp's performance as Wonka ruins everything special about Gene Wilder's beloved rendition of the character, and being played by one man with little talent the Oompa-Loompas are less cute and funny than in the original film. Charlie himself is a shining spot in the film, as well as one of the only redeeming qualities this film has, but the other acting is mostly horrid. The music is so bad it can be considered an insult to the catchy songs of the original, and the CGI is so bad that one wonders if a three-year-old designed the film. The aesthetic is even more weird here than in Burton's other films. Mercifully there are good actors in the film--Helena Bonham-Carter, Christopher Lee and James Fox spring to mind--but they have little screen time, and the instant Johnny Depp appears on screen the remaining 90 minutes of the film are ruined.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

A very good film adaptation of LOTR!

[10/10 · 3 February 2021]

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien is a classic novel, quite possibly the greatest fantasy series ever written. Bringing it to the screen is a very difficult job, for a bad film adaptation would forever be a stain on the sparkling world of Tolkien. This was not the case. The film is even better than the book, and the story is brought beautifully to the screen. The characters leap right onto the screen from the page, thanks to a marvelous batch of actors--there is not a single character here that they got wrong. The special effects, for the early '00s, are absolutely marvelous, although thankfully not too excessive. And the scenery is so dazzling to the eye that many a viewer will think this is actually Middle-Earth. This film is much better than I, or anyone else, would have excepted, and definitely one of the greatest movies ever made!