wwefreakjon Reviews

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

The Beginning of the End

[10/10 · 19 November 2010]

Waiting in line at 6:30 on November the 19th, I was waiting for the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Part 1. Despite the obvious excitement, I was worried. The last two installments were poor in my opinion and David Yates (the director of parts five, six, and seven parts one and two) was still at the helm for this one. Once I left the theater the next morning at 2 AM my faith was restored. The film was beautiful and moving beyond measure. It is easily the best film of the series since Prisoner of Azkaban, and it creates great excitement for the final installment.

HPDHP1 is the first part of the conclusion to the series. Harry Potter knows that he has to destroy a number of magical items (known as horcruxes) before he can attempt to kill his life long enemy and the most dire threat to the wizarding world, Lord Voldemort. For those of you who have not read the books or seen the movies, this film will make almost no sense to you. Without a decent understanding of the Harry Potter series this film will be completely incoherent. However for those who have followed along, you should have no trouble with understanding the film.

The biggest concerns with installments five and six were that they each had one element that was necessary for the movie to be great. The fifth was missing good acting and the sixth was missing a good mood. Part seven is missing neither. The mood is set from very early on and keeps hold even when some lighter moments do arise. Those lighter moments which ruined part six, due to corniness, were wholesome and relieving. The acting which ruined part five, again due to corniness, was genuine and emotional. It brought a lot of true feeling to what could have been an emotionless film.

Some die hard fans will say that the film was ruined due to parts that were missing from the book. I tell you to ignore those nay-sayers. JK Rowling (the author) had huge amounts of input into this so I think you can safely assume that anything that was done, was done to make part two, the most spectacular finale you could imagine.

The O.C. (2003–2007)

A gem when it comes to teen dramas

[9/10 · 17 June 2010]

I read all of the, "This show is cheesy, terrible, and cliché," comments and I can't help but agree with the first and third adjectives. The OC is INCREDIBLY CHEESY and INCREDIBLY Cliché. There is just no denying it. The rich kids with problems that seem like the end of the world. It's so classic that it's cliché. The big thing that makes this show great is that for every cliché and every cheesy line there is a piece of witty dialogue or an original plot point that will surprise you. For instance, you have Marissa Cooper, beautiful, rich, and an alcoholic. She is possibly the worst actress on the show and doesn't add much to the substance. Then you have her mother, Julie. She is beautiful, rich, a socialite obsessed with the good life and an Uber-B*tch extraordinaire. It's amazing how funny she makes the show and how she is able to get good acting and chemistry out of Mischa Barton (Marissa) I won't lie, it is not the greatest show on earth by any stretch of the imagination. Just don't group it together with shows like One Tree Hill and 90210 because it is better and is worth your time.

The American President (1995)

If 7 of every 10 Americans could see this

[10/10 · 23 May 2010]

In 1995 we were in a really good time (politically that is) In Canada and the Us we had Liberal parties (democrat in the US) in power and the economies were doing well. That is probably the only bad thing about this film, the timing. The American President was a political/romantic comedy film, that was directed by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin (both famous from A Few Good Men). The film had a lot to say about politics but because we were in a stable political time, it was ignored. That is a real shame because this is one of the best political movies ever made.

The film is about President of the United States, Andrew Shepherd (portrayed by Michael Douglas) in his third year in office. After achieving a 63% job approval rating he decides to tighten ship and focus on passing a crime bill through congress. Well that doesn't sit well with the Global Defence Council who are continuously asking the president for a large fossil fuel reduction (20%) on the new environment bill. This in turn causes the presidents first meeting with GDC lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Portrayed by Annette Bening). A fire ball, Sydney's first meeting with the president is followed shortly by her inadvertently insulting him. After a few awkward meetings they become a couple. The problem is that this relationship is the perfect opening for Republican Senator (and presidential opponent) Bob Rumson (portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss) to start a character debate with the president. This causes his job approval rating to start dropping and the loss of votes on the crime bill.

The acting and writing have to be the two most important things in this film. Douglas plays the president that we all want; confident and wont back down to spineless opponents. He and Bening are the root of this film but Michael J Fox and Richard Dreyfuss are the cherries on top of the Sunday. Fox plays an unspecified role (sorry but it's never specified) in the presidents cabinet. He is the member who always wants to stay on the right path, wants to be risky to do the right thing. He is my favourite actor in the film and I'm sure that anyone who sees this will agree. Dreyfuss plays Rumson and I'm completely positive that this is the role that got Oliver Stone to select him for the role of Dick Cheney in his film W.

There is a quote that sums up what this film is about.

Lewis Rothschild: You have a deeper love of this country than any man I've ever known. And I want to know what it says to you that in the past seven weeks, 59% of Americans have begun to question your patriotism. President Andrew Shepherd: Look, if the people want to listen to-… Lewis Rothschild: They don't have a choice! Bob Rumson is the only one doing the talking! People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand. President Andrew Shepherd: Lewis, we've had presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty. They drink the sand because they don't know the difference.

God just watching that scene sends shivers down my spine. It is mind boggling. If this movie had been made just a few years later this world would be such a better place. I believe that if it had been released in say late 1999 or mid 2000 then Gore might have won the election. This film is almost perfect so i'm giving it 9.4 stars out of 10.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

It's Killin' Nazis Time

[10/10 · 23 May 2010]

Remember those Old Italian spaghetti westerns. You have your villain causing some problems and then you have your anti-hero come in and clean things up. Well, try picturing that in a World War 2 setting where your baddie is an officer in the SS nicknamed the Jew Hunter and your hero is a Jewish American soldier who has dropped into Nazi Occupied France with a band of other Jewish American soldiers on a mission to kill every Nazi he can find before the invasion of Normandy Begins.

Now to be honest, this sounds like one of two things. Either some small European director wants to create a 'nazisploitation' film or Quentin Tarantino is back with him most absurd idea yet. If you guessed the second you were right. QT is back with a spaghetti western set in Nazi Occupied France.

Our villain the Jew Hunter is played with skill by Christoph Waltz. He opens the film by going to a small dairy farming family living in south France. He begins interviewing the father of the family about the Jewish dairy farmers who lived in the area before the occupation. Through witty and intimidating conversation he gets the father to give up the location (under the floorboards) of the family Dreyfus who he has been protecting.

Next we meet our heroes. The Basterds, as they're known, are led by Brad Pit as Lt. Aldo 'the Apache' Raines into France dressed as civilians. With the gang we have: Sgt Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth), known by German soldiers as the 'Bear Jew' and is famous for beating Nazi soldiers heads in with a baseball bat; Sgt Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger), famous for killing 13 SS officers before being captured; Cpl. Wilhelm Wicki (Gedeon Burkhard), an Austrian who escaped after his family was killed and joined the Basterds to get some good old fashioned revenge. When we first see them in France they have just ambushed a German platoon and have begun scalping the dead (each Basterd owes Raines 100 Nazi scalps) when the survivors are brought out. The German sergeant is brought forward and is offered survival by Raines for the position of another platoon. After refusing, Donny comes out and beats his head in (on screen) with a baseball bat. Then the youngest, and now only, survivor is brought forward and gives the location up. Right when he thinks he'll be allowed to escape unscathed he is asked what he will do with his uniform after the war. He says that he'll burn it. Wrong answer kid. The Basterds like their Nazi's in uniform. So to make sure that he will always be recognized as a Nazi, Aldo paints a little picture on his head with his knife.

As you can guess because it is a Tarantino film there has to be at least one other plot line involved. The third in Inglourious is about the left over member of the Dreyfus family, Shoshanna, and what she does after her family is massacred by Landa. Two years after the massacre, Shoshanna is operating a cinema in Paris under the name Emmanuelle Mimieux. One day, a hero German sniper walks by the cinema and feels an attraction for her. He attempts to ask her out but is stopped at every step. Eventually he talks to the Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbles and asks him to change the premier of his new film to Shoshanna's cinema. Those are the three stories and with typical Tarantino style, he intertwines them beautifully. It all comes to a close at the movie premier.

The greatest thing about this film is the dialogue. First off, it is in most of the languages spoken at the time (French, German, Italian) not just English. This does mean that a lot of the dialogue is seen in subtitles. Despite this, the actors say their lines with conviction and the dialogue keeps you enticed with its playfulness. It is filled with a lot of the beautiful pointless dialogue that Tarantino films are famous for.

The thing that I have avoided mentioning until this point is the violence of the film. This film is very very violent. Violent and graphic. It is not for children (well no QT film is). The scalping I mentioned before is shown right on screen and when Donny beats the Nazi sergeant's head in, it is very graphic and there are no camera tricks used to make it less shocking.

Without a doubt this is one of the best films of 2009. It is funny and suspenseful, charming and insane. It has all the elements that you'd expect from a QT film and easily the greatest villain in the history of his movies. It is no surprise that Waltz won every acting award he was nominated for. He was everything I mentioned above and more. He was ruthless and he made the film the best it could be.

Star Trek (2009)

Not What our fathers grew up with

[10/10 · 23 May 2010]

Earlier tonight I was given the pleasure of watching the latest Star Trek film and I have got to admit that it surpassed even my expectations. I was expecting a sexed up version of the original series that my dad grew up with and that I grew up with the re runs of. I was only half right. What waited for me was not only a sexed up version of what I'd grown to love over the years but a new beginning for the franchise.

The movie begins with an epic battle sequence showing the voyage of the USS Kelvin versus a monstrous Romulan vessel know as the Narada. During the battle George Kirk gives his life as the captain of the Kelvin so that the rest of the crew, including his wife and newborn son, can escape. The next part of the movie shows the son (James T Kirk) 25 years later going to star fleet academy. When a problem arises on planet Vulcan, all of the Star Fleet cadets are called to help out. When they arrive at Vulcan they find that the same ship that had destroyed the Kelvin 28 years earlier is attacking Vulcan.

This movie is absolutely fantastic, and one of the reasons for this is the casting. I know that most trekkies were rather uneasy about rebooting the series because of the casting issue but they did a fantastic job. McCoy and Spock were perfectly cast and did great jobs of taking on the characters and making them their own. Kirk was taken on by Chris Pine and this may be considered blasphemy by Trek fans but I like him as much as I liked Shatner. My favourite member had to be Scotty. He was the one person (Simon Pegg) that I knew would do a bang up job.

That is not to say the the casting was the only good thing, because the direction, special effects, and editing were all just as great. I seriously can't wait until the next movie.

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

I don't understand the 7.5

[1/10 · 5 April 2010]

This movie was a piece of garbage. Typically I would write a very fair minded review but as a kid that grew up during the golden age of Disney films (1989-1999) this film was a severe disappointment. The film takes place in a 1920's New Orleans and stars a young woman names Tiana. Not a princess mind you, a poor black woman who longs to complete her fathers dream and open a restaurant. She is not a princess, and she doesn't long to be a princess. So there's is plot failure one. If that had been all I wouldn't have hated the movie, but there was so much more. This film is supposed to be a throw back to the golden age of Disney but the plot is incredibly thin. Every plot point, is one you can see right through and the one place where it seems they make an interesting twist, is ended in such a cheesy predictable way that it ruins any of the good parts that came before it. The next problem is the characters. With the exception of the Firefly, Ray, who provided the only good laughs in the film, every character was one dimensional and typically an amalgamation of older Disney characters. The biggest example of this was the villain. He was a mix of Hades from Hercules, Ursula from the Little Mermaid and Scar from the lion king. If you can't see it in the character alone then just pay close attention to all the imagery and you will see the similarities. The biggest problem however was the music. Yes, little kids will enjoy it because it is catchy but the thing to remember is that the songs were written by Randy Newman. This is the guy that wrote "When She loved me" from Toy Story 2. The music in this film is all simple and terribly cliché. Overall I would give this a 4 out of 10 but because of how high the overall rating is on here I am giving it a 1 out of 10.

Valentine's Day (I) (2010)

Not that Bad

[7/10 · 12 February 2010]

Is it corny? Yes. Is it incredibly predictable? Yes. Does it to heavily rely on its all star cast? Definitely. Does it work as a romantic date movie? Without a doubt. This corny tear jerking star studded romantic comedy is one of the best in recent years and is perfect if you are looking for some unbelievable comedy. The plot is well… confusing. It has a dozen different components ranging from Aston Kutcher proposing and being dumped by Jessica Alba to Anne Hathaway having a secret job as an "adult conversational phone partner" to pay off student loans. It is unbelievable how many plots there are in this movie and despite a truly terrible one coming from Taylor Lautner and Swift they fit together pretty well. They start off having very little relation to each other but in the end you see all the puzzle pieces come into place and create some heart wrenching moments. The secret to this movie is how it was able to overcome the biggest challenge that faces all romantic comedies; the cliché. Most romantic comedies fall into this trap and can never recover because the audience is able to predict every plot point. Valentine's Day has a charm that you get lost in. You believe all of these ridiculous stories to be true and eventually they intertwine and you really have no idea what is coming next. This is the magic of the movie and I wonder if it was put there to try and mimic the story's lesson. Love is confusing. Overall a pretty good movie and really good for dates. If you are hoping for Oscar calibre performances you will be severely disappointed but who seriously goes to a romantic comedy hoping for Oscar worthiness.

Up in the Air (I) (2009)

If you're disappointed, you didn't get it

[10/10 · 2 January 2010]

The one thing that you will hear from 30% of critics and 60% of audiences about this movie is that the ending was a disappointment. The acting, superb; the screenplay, humorous with drama that makes you think; the direction, Jason Reitman's best; but the ending, disappointing. If you share this opinion of the film then you did not get the point.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a professional termination technician (in lay terms, he fires people for a living). He has settled into a lifestyle where he flies across the country for over 300 days a year. Due to this lifestyle his one goal in life is to accumulate 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles.

When a new hire at his company (Natalie Keener portrayed by Anna Kendrick) shows up wanting to change his business so that all the firing can be done over the internet, Bingham is told to take Keener with him on his next trip to show her the ropes of the business. While flying across the country Bingham meets Alex (Vera Farmiga), another middle aged travel hog and they begin to sleep together whenever their travel plans overlap.

The plot takes a turn when Bingham's boss decides to take Keener's new strategy over Bingham's old one; he goes to his sister's wedding with Alex. Through all of these people arriving in his life and events taking place, Bingham realizes that the way he is living doesn't work for him anymore.

After this little turn everyone is expecting the clichéd, redemption ending where Bingham gets the girl and becomes a wholesome person. This to say the least does not happen and that is the point. He led his life by running away from responsibility and relationships. The way the world is right now means that he can't just change and expect to be rewarded with everything that he wants. That is the point of the film. That the life that he led came back to bite him in the ass when he let down the wall he had built around himself.

Yes the plot is very depressing in the end and will leave you surprised, but that is the beauty of the film. It creates a stable and funny premise and let's all hell break loose.

Aside from that, Up in the Air will make you feel happy for a variety of reasons. Anna Kendrick's performance is the best of her career. She is funny, and smart but naïve which makes her a very interesting and realistic character. Vera Farmiga is also very good, as she plays Clooney's match and yet polar opposite simultaneously.

Clooney also has the best performance of his career in this film. His protagonist role fools you into believing things that are inherently untrue and unrealistic. This gives the film the power to pull the rug out from under you.

This movie is happy, sad, inspiring, and depressing all at once and that can come as a bit of a shock. But I suggest you see the film again if you didn't like it the first time. Maybe it will surprise you again.

Changeling (2008)

Changeling, Utterly Captivating

[4 December 2009]

There are three things that make this movie the classic it should become. One, Angelina Jolie rises above the hype to give a performance that should have won her the Oscar (I saw the Reader. It wasn't that great). Two, the look and sound of every scene is so crisp and polished that it's impossible to look away. Three, the mystery story with a dash of social justice that gives you hope for the human race.

Changeling is about Christine Collins, (Jolie) a mother from Los Angeles whose son (Walter) goes missing one afternoon after a long day at work. When she discovers that he is missing she calls the police who won't send a unit over until 24 hours after the kid goes missing. The next day the cops show up but it seems to be too late. However, 5 months later the LAPD say they have found Walter but when she meets the boy at the train station, it's not her son. After weeks of giving the LAPD chances to admit their mistake, she goes public and with that the cops have her committed to a psychopathic ward filled with women who have caused trouble for the Police Department.

What to say about a film of this calibre. The writing and directing are phenomenal. The lighting and the cinematography make every shot have a gloomy tone that fits perfectly with the story. It's obvious that Clint Eastwood put a lot of emotion into this film because not only do you feel for the characters when they are down but you have a great sense of pride in human nature when justice is served.

One of the characters who will probably never be given enough credit is Rev. Gustav Briegleb (portrayed by John Malkovich). He is very reminiscent of X from JFK. His story of conspiracy and corruption within the LAPD gives you chills. Malkovich is only one of the supporting actors who is very deserving of credit. Jefferey Donovan as Captain Jones (the officer who claims that Collins is crazy) and Colm Feore (the police chief) also give stirring performances.

The only problem with the film is that near then end they keep having scenes that could have been the ending, but then it continues. You only understand the reason for these multiple climaxes after the real ending comes. They show true growth in Jolie's character and although a bit confusing you see the amazing change from a woman who is content to let things go by into someone who stands up for justice and the rights of everyone who is oppressed by hierarchy.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

I thought it couldn't get any worse

[2/10 · 2 December 2009]

How does one describe a movie like The Twilight Saga: New Moon? The direction was amateur at best; the mood of the film changed every twenty minutes; the acting was terrible (except for Taylor Lautner but more on that later); the dialogue was boring and my little sister could have done a better job with the cinematography.

New Moon is the sequel to the inexplicably popular Twilight (both of which were based off of novels by Stephenie Meyer). The Twilight series is about Bella Swan, a teenage girl living with her single father in the small suburban town of Forks, Washington. During the first instalment, Bella meets Edward Cullen and quickly becomes infatuated with him and discovers that he and his family are vampires.

New Moon is the story of what happens when Jasper Cullen (one of Edward's "brothers") attacks Bella after she gets a paper cut. Due to this "traumatic" event the Cullens Leave Forks and Bella becomes disturbed with nightmares of Edward. After discovering that being reckless will bring her visions of Edward she rekindles an old friendship with Jacob Black (who is actually a werewolf) so he can help her rebuild two motorcycles. Eventually she develops feeling for him until Edward's sister returns to Forks to warn Bella of Edward's suicidal Intentions.

It is difficult to describe just how bad this movie was without ranting. As most people who despised Twilight, the change of directors to Chris Weitz (American Pie and the Golden Compass) was a welcome addition to the crew. It was expected that he would re-vamp the terrible special effects from the first movie and bring an interesting view to the story (despite the terrible source material). Well to say the least, he did none of those things. The special effects were a bit better but still looked nowhere near as good as they did in the Golden Compass, and the way he styled some of the earlier scenes in the film completely wrecked the mood that the "dream style" intro had produced.

Another disappointing part of this movie was the soundtrack. When the OST was released, it seemed as though the sound editors had chosen some excellent songs (including Roslyn by Bon Iver & St. Vincent). Unfortunately when being added into the movie, the scenes were incorrectly selected, which in turn created contrasting moods between what was happening on screen and what was being heard.

The acting was downright terrible, not that you can really blame the actors. The dialogue was dry and boring which was caused by bad writers and bad source material. There was no chemistry between any of the characters except Jacob Black and Bella Swan and even their scenes were plagued with overly clichéd romantic dialogue.

With that, I can finally come to the one thing in this movie that impressed me, Taylor Lautner. After weeks and weeks of the screaming fan girls waiting to see Taylor without a shirt, I was convinced that he was there purely as eye candy. I was mistaken because at the end of the movie, the only character that elicited any emotional response from me was Jacob Black. I felt sympathetic for his character and felt bad about what happens to him in the end.

Overall this movie ranks very high on my list of worst movies ever made. I recommend that no one go see it or at least that no one pays to go see it. If you like Vampires then watch True Blood at home but if you are so fantasy obsessed that you need Vampires and Werewolves then try Underworld. Just stay away from New Moon

Fame (2009)

Fame; It Wont Last Forever

[2/10 · 29 September 2009]

"What was the point of making this movie?" I continually asked myself this question during the 107 minutes after the previews were over. There were 10 main characters, none of which have enough screen time (not that their acting talent merited more) to make you care about them. It is so filled with old teen and musical movie clichés that the plot can be predicted by the time the "freshman" sequence is over.

Fame is about the New York City High School of Performing Arts and 200 students who spend four years of their lives going there. That is the plot and then there are all the different characters whose stories are so stereotypical that they have all been told in another movie at some point. There is the under-privileged, talented, black boy from the ghetto who falls for the girl who's a piano virtuoso but really just wants to sing, but her father won't let her, the uptight white girl who finds a guy who helps her loosen up, the director who gets scammed out of $5000, the guy who isn't talented enough to make it and tries to kill himself, and so many more.

The characters are all completely one dimensional except for the teachers, who have some substance but not enough screen time to make you care about them more than you care about the students. The writing is very limited and the direction is no better than most of the other dance movies to have some out in the past five years. The choreography wasn't bad but you can find much better in other films (i.e Take the Lead). The high points of this film are the cinematography and the film editing which were very good, but you forget about the look of the shots after all the mindless droning of the characters.

The only suggestion I could give to the producer's would be to take the cast of the faculty (which included Kelsey Grammar, Bebe Neuwirth and Megan Mullay of 90's sitcom fame) and some of Sinclair's dancers, actors, and singers to launch a TV show. That would at least have some talent and would be worth spending the hour a week to watch.

WarGames (1983)

This One Came Right on Time

[10/10 · 25 June 2009]

I recently reviewed The American President and said that it was the right movie at the wrong time. Well unlike TAM, the movie War Games came out right when it was needed. Smack dab in the middle of the cold war. In 1983 John Badham's movie War Games was released. It tells the story of a slacker/computer genius high school student who almost causes world war three.

In the middle of the highest state of tension in the Cold War the US military performs a fake nuclear launch simulation to see if the men in the missile silos are up to the job. When it is determined that they are not, Dr John Mckitrick comes forth with a revolutionary idea. Put the missiles into the control of a single computer (WOPR) that has already fought WW3 time and time again in a series of war games. They will retain control but it takes the human element out of the situation.

In Seattle, David Lightman (Mathew Broderick), computer hacker extraordinaire is trying to find the computer system of a computer game company in California through a phone line. On his trek through digital space he comes across an unidentifiable system. Eventually he finds games on the system, not the games he was looking for but games none the less. When he finds his way into the system he begins a game of "Global Thermonuclear War: with the computer. When he hears about a potential Russian missile threat on the news, he and Jennifer (the girl he was with playing the games) think that the games he was playing with the computer caused a real reaction. Things really get tight when the FBI comes and picks David up because of his little game.

The writing in this film is some of the best you will find. Not only are there the great witty dramatic scenes but there is some excellent humor in it as well. Many people must have been surprised with the choice of Broderick in a serious role. Well to put it bluntly he did a spectacular job with the role. The other great roles in the movie were John Wood playing the enigmatic Dr Stephen Falken and Barry Corbin playing General Beringer.

This film is one of my personal favorites and that is because of these two lines.

Once upon a time, there lived a magnificent race of animals that dominated the world through age after age. They ran, they swam, and they fought and they flew, until suddenly, quite recently, they disappeared. Nature just gave up and started again. We weren't even apes then. We were just these smart little rodents hiding in the rocks. And when we go, nature will start over. With the bees, probably. Nature knows when to give up, David.

and General, do you really believe that the enemy would attack without provocation, using so many missiles, bombers, and subs so that we would have no choice but to totally annihilate them? … General, you are listening to a machine! Do the world a favor and don't act like one.

Those two lines show two things; 1, that as Dr Ian Malcolm said, "Life will find a way," and two that the chances of sane people starting world war three are lower than the chances of the Stanley Cup being marched down Main St. We live in a world where we have multiple super powers who all know that the other superpowers have the same ability to blow each other to smithereens. No sane person will launch a full scale missile attack when their opponents can completely annihilate them.

Those two lessons plus the great acting, writing, and directing make this the great film it is. A final thought, there is a great quote from the WOPR computer near the end of the film about nuclear war, "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play." Think about it. I give the movie 9.6 out of ten.

Swing Vote (2008)

Swing vote a swing in the right direction

[8/10 · 23 June 2009]

I remember back last fall while I was watching the hour on CBC, George Stroumboulopoulos did an interview with Kevin Costner about his new movie, Swing Vote. As you can probably guess, the film is about one man who is given the fate of the US presidency because of a miss vote. Well when I heard what he said about the film I was expecting it to be a very simple predictable film. Well, on the outside it was. It was very predictable, and very funny. But the writing was absolutely fantastic. The dialogue was witty, and characters delivered it well, and overall the film showed some really great values about what is wrong with politics in the states.

Kevin Costner played Ernest "Bud" Johnson, an alcoholic, single father with a 10 year old daughter who is much, much smarter then her father. Being so politically apathetic, when Bud gets laid off on election day, he goes to the neighborhood bar and gets completely wasted while forgetting about his promise to his daughter to vote. This causes a bit of a dilemma for Molly (his daughter). She, being so politically minded, makes a stupid move and tries to vote for her father. While in the voting booth, a freak accident causes the computer to be reset and the vote to not be counted. In the mean time, the election gets to be very close. So close that Buds county becomes the one that will decide the election. During a moment of panic Bud and Molly lie and say that Bud voted instead of Molly and gave Bud the chance to re cast his vote.

There were a couple of reasons that this movie was as good as it was. One was the acting, Kevin Costner took a very simple character (Joe the Plumber meets Bill Engvall kind of guy) and made you care about him. He had all the faults you could expect and still came out looking good. His daughter, played by Madeline Carrol, was just as good if not better then the rest of the cast. She was very reminiscent of Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine. The rest of cast were great as well with the standouts being the presidential candidates, played by Kelsey Grammar and Dennis Hopper.

The other thing that made this movie great was its political satire. Throughout the movie, there were interviews done with Bud to see what mattered to him. Along with each interview a new political add was unveiled. For instance, when Bud said that he was pro gay rights, Kelsey Grammar and the Republicans made an add supporting gay rights. Then Bud inadvertently implies that he is pro life, the Democrats make an anti abortion add. The satire (although completely predictable) shows exactly what is wrong with politics. To much focus on PR and not enough on what will actually help the world. It really says something about our political situation and it is perfectly summed up in Bud's final speech. He says, "America needs someone who is bigger then their speeches." Overall the film was really great, and despite its predictability it was a good feel good movie. I warn any parents who want their kids to see the film to watch out for the language cause Bud can be a bit fowl. 8/10 stars.

A Few Good Men (1992)

I Can Handle the Truth

[10/10 · 8 June 2009]

The first masterpiece written by the creator of the West Wing television show was a 1992 movie directed by, actor turned director, Rob Reiner. A Few Good Men, is a military/court drama about two marines accused of murder. This film has always been a personal favorite and is one that is a good one to watch multiple times.

Daniel Kafee (portrayed by Tom Cruise) is a young navy lawyer working for the NJAG (Navy Judge Advocat General). Known for plea bargaining Kafee is handed a murder case about three young marines at Guantanimo Bay in Cuba. Assigned with Kafee is his friend, fellow NJAG lawyer, Sam Weinburg (Kevin Pollak), and Naval investigator Joanne Galloway (Demi Moore) who has an odd attachment to the two marines on trial, Dawson and Downey. The situation on the night of the murder was; PFC William Santiago was in his room asleep when in the middle of the night Dawson and Downey came into his room, tied his hands and feet, and stuffed a rag into his mouth. Suddenly Santiago started to bleed from his mouth, so they untied him to see what was wrong. An hour later he died at the hospital and Dawson and Downey were arrested for murder. The only reason they weren't sentenced straight away to 20 years at Leavenworth is because Galloway heard their story and thought that the case sounded very similar to a "code red" (a code red is where the members of a squad or platoon gang up on another member to teach him a lesson. i.e. if a soldier dropped his lesson during drills he would get his hands glued together). Also appearing in the film are; Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R Jessup, Kevin Bacon as the prosecuting attorney, Keifer Sutherland as an officer at Gitmo, and J.T. Walsh as another officer at Gitmo.

The writing in this film is basically as good as it gets. Aaron Sorkin (also known for his work on the West Wing and the American President) wrote the play the film was based on and also wrote the screenplay for the film. The film is also very visually appealing and although it lacks the action of many modern movies it has a similar quality to 12 Angry Men in how the writing provides all the action the film needs. Overall I give it a ten out of ten and it is an amazing film.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Speechless

[10/10 · 2 March 2009]

There aren't words too describe the greatness of this movie. The Directing is fantastic. The music, moving. The dialog, amazing. The story, exhilarating. Stephen Kings fantastic story of hope has been brought to the screen as my second favored movie of all time.

Andy Dufresene (Tim Robbins) is a middle aged man who has been wrongly sent to prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. With a lifetime to spend in Shawshank state prison he makes friends with an old timer at Shawshank, Ellis Boyd Redding(Morgan Freenman). Sfter a couple of years of abuse at the hands of the sisters (led by Mark Rolston) Andy makes nice with the guards and becomes the teachers pet of the prison. During his time at Shawshank Andy endures more hell than anyone could ever imagine. From a friend dying to 50 feet of unimaginable stench.

This movie was not as well received as it should have been. It may have been nominated for a couple of Oscars but the viewer reception was just not to great. This movie is my favored only behind A Few Good Men.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

I'm sorry it wasn't that great

[7/10 · 2 March 2009]

OK yes the cinematography was fantastic and the directing was phenomenal but the movie was just not that great. Critics and audiences alike have been praising Slumdog has the best film of the year. I just don't agree. It was too happy in the end. Mainly I didn't like that he won the show. Maybe if he lost the game and still got the girl I would have appreciated it more. I think that there is a reason that this movie was so universally praised; the economic crisis. Everyone is in such a foul mood with either losing their job or not being able to get that big screen TV, that when they see a very optimistic movie they love it. I'm not saying that Slumdog Millionaire was a horrible movie. It was just not as good as the critics imply.

Stand by Me (1986)

The Body gone Hollywood

[10/10 · 1 October 2008]

Stephen King's coming of age story The Body, has been brought to life by Rob Reiner, Raynold Gideon, and Bruce Evans in the spectacular 1986, film, Stand by Me. It stars Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix as best friends in a small 1950's Oregon town. Within this 88 minute masterpiece, you'll experience thrills, chills, laughs, and an unnerving need to throw up.

It all starts when a dead body is found on the outskirts of Castle Rock, Oregon. When Chris (Phoenix), Gordon (Wheaton), Teddy (Corey Feldman), and Vern (Jerry O'Connell) hear about this, they decide to go on an epic adventure to find it. All is fun and games until Vern's older brother and his gang of scoundrels go searching for the body as well. With dilemmas like a ruthless game of chicken and a river full of leeches, the two gangs go to all lengths until they meet up and all hell breaks loose. With deep conversations and hilariously immature outbursts, this movie never loses tension and will keep you satisfied to the very end.

The movie takes place in Castle Rock, Oregon, and its surrounding counties, in the year 1959. Most of the film is shown on the train tracks in the county, which brought a lot of lighting and setting options to the movie. That, plus the music, camera work, and costumes, give the movie a great 1950's feeling. The mood of the different scenes is normally set by the sound, or lack of it. Such as, when the mood is calm or serious, there is very little noise in the back ground, normally only crickets. The camera work is always still during those moments, which helps keep the tension.

Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix, give the strongest and most believable performances as best friends, Gordon and Chris. The two have great chemistry and bring a lot of emotion to the film's story. The two have scenes together, where they talk about their positions in life, death, and the future. In these scenes you can barely believe that they were 12 year old kids, because of the intensity and emotion. Aside from them, Kiefer Sutherland is the best actor in the movie. He is smart, witty, and brings a larger-than-life feeling to his character. Those traits are uncommon, but they are welcome to this bully character.

The theme of this movie is painfully obvious. Be a kid when you're a kid, or you will regret it for the rest of your life. In the scenes between Chris and Gordon, they continually talk about this, and by the end of the film, it's obvious that it's the main point. Another good point is made, right near the end of the film, by an adult Gordon. He says that he never had better friends, than the ones he had when he was twelve. That really adds on to the prior theme, of being a kid, because a big part of being a kid is having friends. When this film was released it was not only vastly popular but it gave a real kick start to the directing career of Rob Reiner. Reiner had only previously directed two movies, This is Spinal Tap, and A Sure Thing, both of which were only met by modest success. After this movie, he went on to direct many blockbusters within many genres, such as Misery, A Few Good Men and, The Princess Bride. Since the genres are so vastly different, the only thing that can be said about his films is that he has made one of the greatest contributions to the film industry, of any modern director. For a final note, this film is fantastic and although it is not for everyone, it's like The Basketball Diaries and is important for teenagers to see.

Batman & Robin (1997)

Batman Series Review

[3/10 · 20 July 2008]

OK, I finally got my chance to see The Dark Knight and I'm very happy to say that it's the best of the series. But before I do my review of the best I'm going to do my review of the worst, Batman & Robin.

No matter how good Uma Thurman looked has Poison Ivy there's no disputing the fact that not only did Joel Shumacher really butcher the directing but Akiva Goldsman made the worst script in his career; a complete 180 from his brilliant "A Beautiful Mind". George Cloony was the worst Bruce Wayne (yes he was worse than Adam West) Chris O'Donnell as Robin wasn't much better and Arnold Schwarzenegger became the worst villain of all time as Mr Freeze. I give it a 3/10 for the pure fact that it can be enjoyed if you really have no taste.

Next worse is Batman Forever. Even if it had the most Oscar Nods of the series so far Tommy Lee Jones and Chris O'Donnell doomed the movie from get go. Although Val Kilmer wasn't bad as the caped crusader he just didn't fit the role like Michael Keaton did before him. Another problem was that Joel Shumacher replaced Tim Burton which pushed the comic book appeal way over the top. I've got to say that Nicole Kidman was really good in her role and that she did bring the film up a few notches, but the true star of the film was Jim Carrey. He was so funny and yet so insane in his role has Edward Nigma/the Riddler. I give this a 6.5/10 for not being a total flop.

Now the series begins to get better with Batman Returns. Although Danny Devito wasn't great as the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer brought the real villain to the film. In this instalment Michael Keaton and Tim Burton return to their respective roles has Batman and Director but they definitely lost the magic after they switched the villains. I give this a 7.5/10for not butchering the series.

In 3rd Place the original Batman movie which was fantastic. Jack Nicholson was great has the comical Joker and if I were judging this on awesome cartoony flavour than this would be #1 but since I'm not I put it at 3rd. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson play off each other so well and there's very little more to it. I give this a 8.5/10 for being the best original and the best Joker until TDK.

In 2nd place Batman Begins reboots the series with a fresh new cast. Christian Bale completely renews the character of Bruce Wayne with a new sense of confusion and bringing a real anti-hero play into the role which is a great spin on the character. Michael Caine does a fantastic job as Alfred and completely blows Michael Gough out of the water. Bringing Morgan Freeman into the movie was a great idea all together. Liam Neeson was a refreshing change from the cartoony villains from the earlier movies and has a great heir of arrogance. The only bad part was Katie Holmes playing Rachel Dawes, she was just a bad choice for the part but luckily she was replaced for the latest instalment. I give this a 9/10 for reviving the series.

Finally in 1st place is The Dark Knight. The film is not only the greatest Batman/ Superhero film of all time it's also one of the best films of all time. Director Christopher Nolan brought back the realism he used in Batman Begins as well as the actor's. Christian Bale completes his turn to the anti-hero and is so real in the role, but the real star of the movie is the late Heath Ledger. The darkness he brings to the role rivals Hannibal Lecter as a villain. He is so evil and you just can't deny liking him no matter how much you hate him. His plans, or rather lack of plans makes everything very suspenseful. Another star of the film was Aaron Eckhart has Harvey Dent/ Two Face. He brings the knight in shining armour feel to the movie to contrast the anti-hero Batman which is nice until he snaps. I'm not going to give away how or why he snaps but when he does he plays a villain that reminds me Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 3. He's good but just snaps. Next Maggie Gylenhall plays Rachel Dawes with a much more commanding and sincere character than Katie Holmes did. Gary Oldman is spectacular has Capt. and later Police Commissioner James Gordan. He never loses his trust in our caped crusader even when the world has turned against him. The final stars of the film are the mob boss Maroni who is a new kind of boss instead of the same Old Italian wacko. There is one thing you can't forget which the design for the latest two movies is. To be short and frank are amazing. The Batmobile is so much cooler now than it was and then the Batcycle is even cooler. I give this a 10/10 for bringing the superhero movie into the category of Oscar worthy Drama.

To end off I just want to say that I love all the movies (except Batman & Robin) and can say It's one of the greatest series in movie history.

Batman Returns (1992)

Batman Series Review

[8/10 · 20 July 2008]

OK, I finally got my chance to see The Dark Knight and I'm very happy to say that it's the best of the series. But before I do my review of the best I'm going to do my review of the worst, Batman & Robin.

No matter how good Uma Thurman looked has Poison Ivy there's no disputing the fact that not only did Joel Shumacher really butcher the directing but Akiva Goldsman made the worst script in his career; a complete 180 from his brilliant "A Beautiful Mind". George Cloony was the worst Bruce Wayne (yes he was worse than Adam West) Chris O'Donnell as Robin wasn't much better and Arnold Schwarzenegger became the worst villain of all time as Mr Freeze. I give it a 3/10 for the pure fact that it can be enjoyed if you really have no taste.

Next worse is Batman Forever. Even if it had the most Oscar Nods of the series so far Tommy Lee Jones and Chris O'Donnell doomed the movie from get go. Although Val Kilmer wasn't bad as the caped crusader he just didn't fit the role like Michael Keaton did before him. Another problem was that Joel Shumacher replaced Tim Burton which pushed the comic book appeal way over the top. I've got to say that Nicole Kidman was really good in her role and that she did bring the film up a few notches, but the true star of the film was Jim Carrey. He was so funny and yet so insane in his role has Edward Nigma/the Riddler. I give this a 6.5/10 for not being a total flop.

Now the series begins to get better with Batman Returns. Although Danny Devito wasn't great as the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer brought the real villain to the film. In this instalment Michael Keaton and Tim Burton return to their respective roles has Batman and Director but they definitely lost the magic after they switched the villains. I give this a 7.5/10for not butchering the series.

In 3rd Place the original Batman movie which was fantastic. Jack Nicholson was great has the comical Joker and if I were judging this on awesome cartoony flavour than this would be #1 but since I'm not I put it at 3rd. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson play off each other so well and there's very little more to it. I give this a 8.5/10 for being the best original and the best Joker until TDK.

In 2nd place Batman Begins reboots the series with a fresh new cast. Christian Bale completely renews the character of Bruce Wayne with a new sense of confusion and bringing a real anti-hero play into the role which is a great spin on the character. Michael Caine does a fantastic job as Alfred and completely blows Michael Gough out of the water. Bringing Morgan Freeman into the movie was a great idea all together. Liam Neeson was a refreshing change from the cartoony villains from the earlier movies and has a great heir of arrogance. The only bad part was Katie Holmes playing Rachel Dawes, she was just a bad choice for the part but luckily she was replaced for the latest instalment. I give this a 9/10 for reviving the series.

Finally in 1st place is The Dark Knight. The film is not only the greatest Batman/ Superhero film of all time it's also one of the best films of all time. Director Christopher Nolan brought back the realism he used in Batman Begins as well as the actor's. Christian Bale completes his turn to the anti-hero and is so real in the role, but the real star of the movie is the late Heath Ledger. The darkness he brings to the role rivals Hannibal Lecter as a villain. He is so evil and you just can't deny liking him no matter how much you hate him. His plans, or rather lack of plans makes everything very suspenseful. Another star of the film was Aaron Eckhart has Harvey Dent/ Two Face. He brings the knight in shining armour feel to the movie to contrast the anti-hero Batman which is nice until he snaps. I'm not going to give away how or why he snaps but when he does he plays a villain that reminds me Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 3. He's good but just snaps. Next Maggie Gylenhall plays Rachel Dawes with a much more commanding and sincere character than Katie Holmes did. Gary Oldman is spectacular has Capt. and later Police Commissioner James Gordan. He never loses his trust in our caped crusader even when the world has turned against him. The final stars of the film are the mob boss Maroni who is a new kind of boss instead of the same Old Italian wacko. There is one thing you can't forget which the design for the latest two movies is. To be short and frank are amazing. The Batmobile is so much cooler now than it was and then the Batcycle is even cooler. I give this a 10/10 for bringing the superhero movie into the category of Oscar worthy Drama.

To end off I just want to say that I love all the movies (except Batman & Robin) and can say It's one of the greatest series in movie history.

Batman Forever (1995)

Batman Series Review

[6/10 · 20 July 2008]

OK, I finally got my chance to see The Dark Knight and I'm very happy to say that it's the best of the series. But before I do my review of the best I'm going to do my review of the worst, Batman & Robin.

No matter how good Uma Thurman looked has Poison Ivy there's no disputing the fact that not only did Joel Shumacher really butcher the directing but Akiva Goldsman made the worst script in his career; a complete 180 from his brilliant "A Beautiful Mind". George Cloony was the worst Bruce Wayne (yes he was worse than Adam West) Chris O'Donnell as Robin wasn't much better and Arnold Schwarzenegger became the worst villain of all time as Mr Freeze. I give it a 3/10 for the pure fact that it can be enjoyed if you really have no taste.

Next worse is Batman Forever. Even if it had the most Oscar Nods of the series so far Tommy Lee Jones and Chris O'Donnell doomed the movie from get go. Although Val Kilmer wasn't bad as the caped crusader he just didn't fit the role like Michael Keaton did before him. Another problem was that Joel Shumacher replaced Tim Burton which pushed the comic book appeal way over the top. I've got to say that Nicole Kidman was really good in her role and that she did bring the film up a few notches, but the true star of the film was Jim Carrey. He was so funny and yet so insane in his role has Edward Nigma/the Riddler. I give this a 6.5/10 for not being a total flop.

Now the series begins to get better with Batman Returns. Although Danny Devito wasn't great as the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer brought the real villain to the film. In this instalment Michael Keaton and Tim Burton return to their respective roles has Batman and Director but they definitely lost the magic after they switched the villains. I give this a 7.5/10for not butchering the series.

In 3rd Place the original Batman movie which was fantastic. Jack Nicholson was great has the comical Joker and if I were judging this on awesome cartoony flavour than this would be #1 but since I'm not I put it at 3rd. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson play off each other so well and there's very little more to it. I give this a 8.5/10 for being the best original and the best Joker until TDK.

In 2nd place Batman Begins reboots the series with a fresh new cast. Christian Bale completely renews the character of Bruce Wayne with a new sense of confusion and bringing a real anti-hero play into the role which is a great spin on the character. Michael Caine does a fantastic job as Alfred and completely blows Michael Gough out of the water. Bringing Morgan Freeman into the movie was a great idea all together. Liam Neeson was a refreshing change from the cartoony villains from the earlier movies and has a great heir of arrogance. The only bad part was Katie Holmes playing Rachel Dawes, she was just a bad choice for the part but luckily she was replaced for the latest instalment. I give this a 9/10 for reviving the series.

Finally in 1st place is The Dark Knight. The film is not only the greatest Batman/ Superhero film of all time it's also one of the best films of all time. Director Christopher Nolan brought back the realism he used in Batman Begins as well as the actor's. Christian Bale completes his turn to the anti-hero and is so real in the role, but the real star of the movie is the late Heath Ledger. The darkness he brings to the role rivals Hannibal Lecter as a villain. He is so evil and you just can't deny liking him no matter how much you hate him. His plans, or rather lack of plans makes everything very suspenseful. Another star of the film was Aaron Eckhart has Harvey Dent/ Two Face. He brings the knight in shining armour feel to the movie to contrast the anti-hero Batman which is nice until he snaps. I'm not going to give away how or why he snaps but when he does he plays a villain that reminds me Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 3. He's good but just snaps. Next Maggie Gylenhall plays Rachel Dawes with a much more commanding and sincere character than Katie Holmes did. Gary Oldman is spectacular has Capt. and later Police Commissioner James Gordan. He never loses his trust in our caped crusader even when the world has turned against him. The final stars of the film are the mob boss Maroni who is a new kind of boss instead of the same Old Italian wacko. There is one thing you can't forget which the design for the latest two movies is. To be short and frank are amazing. The Batmobile is so much cooler now than it was and then the Batcycle is even cooler. I give this a 10/10 for bringing the superhero movie into the category of Oscar worthy Drama.

To end off I just want to say that I love all the movies (except Batman & Robin) and can say It's one of the greatest series in movie history.

Batman Begins (2005)

Batman Series Review

[10/10 · 20 July 2008]

OK, I finally got my chance to see The Dark Knight and I'm very happy to say that it's the best of the series. But before I do my review of the best I'm going to do my review of the worst, Batman & Robin.

No matter how good Uma Thurman looked has Poison Ivy there's no disputing the fact that not only did Joel Shumacher really butcher the directing but Akiva Goldsman made the worst script in his career; a complete 180 from his brilliant "A Beautiful Mind". George Cloony was the worst Bruce Wayne (yes he was worse than Adam West) Chris O'Donnell as Robin wasn't much better and Arnold Schwarzenegger became the worst villain of all time as Mr Freeze. I give it a 3/10 for the pure fact that it can be enjoyed if you really have no taste.

Next worse is Batman Forever. Even if it had the most Oscar Nods of the series so far Tommy Lee Jones and Chris O'Donnell doomed the movie from get go. Although Val Kilmer wasn't bad as the caped crusader he just didn't fit the role like Michael Keaton did before him. Another problem was that Joel Shumacher replaced Tim Burton which pushed the comic book appeal way over the top. I've got to say that Nicole Kidman was really good in her role and that she did bring the film up a few notches, but the true star of the film was Jim Carrey. He was so funny and yet so insane in his role has Edward Nigma/the Riddler. I give this a 6.5/10 for not being a total flop.

Now the series begins to get better with Batman Returns. Although Danny Devito wasn't great as the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer brought the real villain to the film. In this instalment Michael Keaton and Tim Burton return to their respective roles has Batman and Director but they definitely lost the magic after they switched the villains. I give this a 7.5/10for not butchering the series.

In 3rd Place the original Batman movie which was fantastic. Jack Nicholson was great has the comical Joker and if I were judging this on awesome cartoony flavour than this would be #1 but since I'm not I put it at 3rd. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson play off each other so well and there's very little more to it. I give this a 8.5/10 for being the best original and the best Joker until TDK.

In 2nd place Batman Begins reboots the series with a fresh new cast. Christian Bale completely renews the character of Bruce Wayne with a new sense of confusion and bringing a real anti-hero play into the role which is a great spin on the character. Michael Caine does a fantastic job as Alfred and completely blows Michael Gough out of the water. Bringing Morgan Freeman into the movie was a great idea all together. Liam Neeson was a refreshing change from the cartoony villains from the earlier movies and has a great heir of arrogance. The only bad part was Katie Holmes playing Rachel Dawes, she was just a bad choice for the part but luckily she was replaced for the latest instalment. I give this a 9/10 for reviving the series.

Finally in 1st place is The Dark Knight. The film is not only the greatest Batman/ Superhero film of all time it's also one of the best films of all time. Director Christopher Nolan brought back the realism he used in Batman Begins as well as the actor's. Christian Bale completes his turn to the anti-hero and is so real in the role, but the real star of the movie is the late Heath Ledger. The darkness he brings to the role rivals Hannibal Lecter as a villain. He is so evil and you just can't deny liking him no matter how much you hate him. His plans, or rather lack of plans makes everything very suspenseful. Another star of the film was Aaron Eckhart has Harvey Dent/ Two Face. He brings the knight in shining armour feel to the movie to contrast the anti-hero Batman which is nice until he snaps. I'm not going to give away how or why he snaps but when he does he plays a villain that reminds me Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 3. He's good but just snaps. Next Maggie Gylenhall plays Rachel Dawes with a much more commanding and sincere character than Katie Holmes did. Gary Oldman is spectacular has Capt. and later Police Commissioner James Gordan. He never loses his trust in our caped crusader even when the world has turned against him. The final stars of the film are the mob boss Maroni who is a new kind of boss instead of the same Old Italian wacko. There is one thing you can't forget which the design for the latest two movies is. To be short and frank are amazing. The Batmobile is so much cooler now than it was and then the Batcycle is even cooler. I give this a 10/10 for bringing the superhero movie into the category of Oscar worthy Drama.

To end off I just want to say that I love all the movies (except Batman & Robin) and can say It's one of the greatest series in movie history.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Batman Series Review

[10/10 · 20 July 2008]

OK, I finally got my chance to see The Dark Knight and I'm very happy to say that it's the best of the series. But before I do my review of the best I'm going to do my review of the worst, Batman & Robin.

No matter how good Uma Thurman looked has Poison Ivy there's no disputing the fact that not only did Joel Shumacher really butcher the directing but Akiva Goldsman made the worst script in his career; a complete 180 from his brilliant "A Beautiful Mind". George Cloony was the worst Bruce Wayne (yes he was worse than Adam West) Chris O'Donnell as Robin wasn't much better and Arnold Schwarzenegger became the worst villain of all time as Mr Freeze. I give it a 3/10 for the pure fact that it can be enjoyed if you really have no taste.

Next worse is Batman Forever. Even if it had the most Oscar Nods of the series so far Tommy Lee Jones and Chris O'Donnell doomed the movie from get go. Although Val Kilmer wasn't bad as the caped crusader he just didn't fit the role like Michael Keaton did before him. Another problem was that Joel Shumacher replaced Tim Burton which pushed the comic book appeal way over the top. I've got to say that Nicole Kidman was really good in her role and that she did bring the film up a few notches, but the true star of the film was Jim Carrey. He was so funny and yet so insane in his role has Edward Nigma/the Riddler. I give this a 6.5/10 for not being a total flop.

Now the series begins to get better with Batman Returns. Although Danny Devito wasn't great as the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer brought the real villain to the film. In this installment Michael Keaton and Tim Burton return to their respective roles has Batman and Director but they definitely lost the magic after they switched the villains. I give this a 7.5/10for not butchering the series.

In 3rd Place the original Batman movie which was fantastic. Jack Nicholson was great has the comical Joker and if I were judging this on awesome cartoony flavor than this would be #1 but since I'm not I put it at 3rd. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson play off each other so well and there's very little more to it. I give this a 8.5/10 for being the best original and the best Joker until TDK.

In 2nd place Batman Begins reboots the series with a fresh new cast. Christian Bale completely renews the character of Bruce Wayne with a new sense of confusion and bringing a real anti-hero play into the role which is a great spin on the character. Michael Caine does a fantastic job as Alfred and completely blows Michael Gough out of the water. Bringing Morgan Freeman into the movie was a great idea all together. Liam Neeson was a refreshing change from the cartoony villains from the earlier movies and has a great heir of arrogance. The only bad part was Katie Holmes playing Rachel Dawes, she was just a bad choice for the part but luckily she was replaced for the latest installment. I give this a 9/10 for reviving the series.

Finally in 1st place is The Dark Knight. The film is not only the greatest Batman/ Superhero film of all time it's also one of the best films of all time. Director Christopher Nolan brought back the realism he used in Batman Begins as well as the actor's. Christian Bale completes his turn to the anti-hero and is so real in the role, but the real star of the movie is the late Heath Ledger. The darkness he brings to the role rivals Hannibal Lecter as a villain. He is so evil and you just can't deny liking him no matter how much you hate him. His plans, or rather lack of plans makes everything very suspenseful. Another star of the film was Aaron Eckhart has Harvey Dent/ Two Face. He brings the knight in shining armour feel to the movie to contrast the anti-hero Batman which is nice until he snaps. I'm not going to give away how or why he snaps but when he does he plays a villain that reminds me Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 3. He's good but just snaps. Next Maggie Gylenhall plays Rachel Dawes with a much more commanding and sincere character than Katie Holmes did. Gary Oldman is spectacular has Capt. and later Police Commissioner James Gordan. He never loses his trust in our caped crusader even when the world has turned against him. The final stars of the film are the mob boss Maroni who is a new kind of boss instead of the same Old Italian wacko. There is one thing you can't forget which the design for the latest two movies is. To be short and frank are amazing. The Batmobile is so much cooler now than it was and then the Batcycle is even cooler than the Batmobile. I give this a 10/10 for bringing the superhero movie into the category of Oscar worthy Drama.

To end off I just want to say that I love all the movies (except Batman & Robin) and can say It's one of the greatest series in movie history.

Batman (1989)

Batman Series Review

[9/10 · 20 July 2008]

OK, I finally got my chance to see The Dark Knight and I'm very happy to say that it's the best of the series. But before I do my review of the best I'm going to do my review of the worst, Batman & Robin.

No matter how good Uma Thurman looked has Poison Ivy there's no disputing the fact that not only did Joel Shumacher really butcher the directing but Akiva Goldsman made the worst script in his career; a complete 180 from his brilliant "A Beautiful Mind". George Cloony was the worst Bruce Wayne (yes he was worse than Adam West) Chris O'Donnell as Robin wasn't much better and Arnold Schwarzenegger became the worst villain of all time as Mr Freeze. I give it a 3/10 for the pure fact that it can be enjoyed if you really have no taste.

Next worse is Batman Forever. Even if it had the most Oscar Nods of the series so far Tommy Lee Jones and Chris O'Donnell doomed the movie from get go. Although Val Kilmer wasn't bad as the caped crusader he just didn't fit the role like Michael Keaton did before him. Another problem was that Joel Shumacher replaced Tim Burton which pushed the comic book appeal way over the top. I've got to say that Nicole Kidman was really good in her role and that she did bring the film up a few notches, but the true star of the film was Jim Carrey. He was so funny and yet so insane in his role has Edward Nigma/the Riddler. I give this a 6.5/10 for not being a total flop.

Now the series begins to get better with Batman Returns. Although Danny Devito wasn't great as the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer brought the real villain to the film. In this instalment Michael Keaton and Tim Burton return to their respective roles has Batman and Director but they definitely lost the magic after they switched the villains. I give this a 7.5/10for not butchering the series.

In 3rd Place the original Batman movie which was fantastic. Jack Nicholson was great has the comical Joker and if I were judging this on awesome cartoony flavour than this would be #1 but since I'm not I put it at 3rd. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson play off each other so well and there's very little more to it. I give this a 8.5/10 for being the best original and the best Joker until TDK.

In 2nd place Batman Begins reboots the series with a fresh new cast. Christian Bale completely renews the character of Bruce Wayne with a new sense of confusion and bringing a real anti-hero play into the role which is a great spin on the character. Michael Caine does a fantastic job as Alfred and completely blows Michael Gough out of the water. Bringing Morgan Freeman into the movie was a great idea all together. Liam Neeson was a refreshing change from the cartoony villains from the earlier movies and has a great heir of arrogance. The only bad part was Katie Holmes playing Rachel Dawes, she was just a bad choice for the part but luckily she was replaced for the latest instalment. I give this a 9/10 for reviving the series.

Finally in 1st place is The Dark Knight. The film is not only the greatest Batman/ Superhero film of all time it's also one of the best films of all time. Director Christopher Nolan brought back the realism he used in Batman Begins as well as the actor's. Christian Bale completes his turn to the anti-hero and is so real in the role, but the real star of the movie is the late Heath Ledger. The darkness he brings to the role rivals Hannibal Lecter as a villain. He is so evil and you just can't deny liking him no matter how much you hate him. His plans, or rather lack of plans makes everything very suspenseful. Another star of the film was Aaron Eckhart has Harvey Dent/ Two Face. He brings the knight in shining armour feel to the movie to contrast the anti-hero Batman which is nice until he snaps. I'm not going to give away how or why he snaps but when he does he plays a villain that reminds me Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 3. He's good but just snaps. Next Maggie Gylenhall plays Rachel Dawes with a much more commanding and sincere character than Katie Holmes did. Gary Oldman is spectacular has Capt. and later Police Commissioner James Gordan. He never loses his trust in our caped crusader even when the world has turned against him. The final stars of the film are the mob boss Maroni who is a new kind of boss instead of the same Old Italian wacko. There is one thing you can't forget which the design for the latest two movies is. To be short and frank are amazing. The Batmobile is so much cooler now than it was and then the Batcycle is even cooler. I give this a 10/10 for bringing the superhero movie into the category of Oscar worthy Drama.

To end off I just want to say that I love all the movies (except Batman & Robin) and can say It's one of the greatest series in movie history.

The Departed (2006)

By Far the best of the new millennium

[10/10 · 4 July 2008]

I love this movie, and think it's not only one of the best gangster film's of all time but probably the best movie since LOTR 1. For me movie's have been getting boring in the past few years. Very plain plot line's and bad acting. But every once in a while a movie comes out and just blows me away. in 2000 i was blown away by Gladiator and Erin Brokovich, in 01 there was a beautiful mind and LOTR in 03 Lost in translation. But the past four years have been fairly good and then the failures started up; Date Movie, Epic Movie, Basic Instinct 2, The Wickerman, and many others. by that time I'd given up spending my money on going to see movies at the theater so when this came out on DVD I was blown away and my faith in movies was restored.

The acting is spectacular,and to paraphrase SOMS The Departed is like the Godfather, intensified. I'm definitely not saying its better than the Godfather but it's still great. Jack Nicholson does fabulously has Costello the crime boss. There's no way anyone could tell that he was an informer and he does a great job being the puppeteer of the whole operation. Matt Damon and Leo Dicaprio were great has the rats and you could feel how hard it was for Leo to deal with the pressure.

My Personal favorite character and many people agree with me on this was Staff Sargent Dignam played by Mark Walberg. He is amazing and is great in the interview's at the beginning and right at the very end when he kills Colin. He deserved his Oscar Nod for it although he didn't deserve the win(Alan Arkin was just to damn good).

Overall My favorite movie of the decade are: 5,Erin Brokovich 4,Ray, 3, Little Miss Sunshine, 2, No Country for Old Men and 1, The Departed.

Iron Man (2008)

Phenomenal in every way

[10/10 · 2 June 2008]

This movie is absolutely amazing. I thought that RDJ was an odd choice for Tony stark and that Gwenyth Paltrow was even weirder for pepper but when i saw it... They had great chemistry on screen and the writing was great for their characters. Personally my favorite line in the movie is after Christine Everheart woke up and went to find tony and Pepper says "I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires. Including occasionally taking out the trash. Will that be all?" The movie had brilliant action scenes and falls into the same category has the 3 new superhero movies(iron man, batman begins, and spider man 2). If it doesn't receive an Oscar Nod this year I'll be shocked. Some of the scenes with Tony's computer and the virtual pieces of his suit are absolutely flawless. I can't say anything bad about this movie.

One thing i suggest you say if you are going to see this with someone who hasn't seen the movie yet is to wait until the credits are over. There's a very interesting clip at the end.

There are at least 2 more superhero movies this year which i cant wait for(The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight) and in the Incredible Hulk TONY STARK MAKES AN Appearance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To be perfectly honest with the cast of all of these movies I'm not surprised that there so highly rated.