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8/10
A little more violent than it needed to be.
27 January 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed the first 75% of the movie. Django (Jamie Foxx) the slave is bought by a German abolitionist bounty hunter, Dr King Schultz in the opening scene. Schultz is played by Christoph Waltz, who, in my opinion, did a fabulous job and is my favorite to win the Supporting Actor Oscar. After a year or so of bounty hunting, Schultz agrees to help Django find and free his wife, Broomhilda. They track her to Calvin Candie's plantation, "Candie Land," where Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) watches slaves mandingo fight for entertainment. Django and Schultz travel there, under the cover of mandingo traders. Although they tell Candie they will return in five days to pay twelve thousand dollars for a mandingo fighter, they actually hope to buy Broomhilda on-the-spot (supposedly because Schultz wants someone to speak German with him) as a seemingly side-thought for a cheap price, and then never returning for the mandingo fighter. But, as in all movies, something goes wrong, and characters have to improvise.

If you want to go see this movie, I highly recommend it. A few scene transitions were a little rough and confusing but it was okay in the end. I was interested and engaged, wondering if they were going to succeed, escape, make it out alive. I was only a little disgusted with the graphic and excessively violent shots, as though the movie makers were trying to show off their ability to make blood splash. From the first scene to the last, things explode, from people's heads to carts to houses. It didn't really bother me much though until a scene about 75% of the way through the movie. The entire scene consisted of blood splattering up the walls as shot after shot was fired, bullets graphically piercing flesh. I think it was a little extreme. I was also a little horrified with the nonchalant cruelty of the final scene. Otherwise, it was a fantastic movie, with a little bit of everything: terror, humor, thrill, excitement, strategy.

Unless you get sick at the sight of blood, go see it.
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Once Upon a Time: Pilot (2011)
Season 1, Episode 1
8/10
"The classics, there's a reason we all know them."
18 January 2013
It's a classic pilot, introducing characters, storyline, setting. And since its a story about fairy tales, it is definitely a little cliché and well, childish, at some points. But that's to be expected.

Aside from those small annoyances it was a fantastic pilot, with a strong flashback-to- fairyland story about Snow White and Prince Charming. The whole timeline of it all, between Storybrooke and Storybook, doesn't exactly make sense yet, and whether its intentional or not, I expect that it will become clearer with each episode.

It's pretty cool how each person in Storybrooke is a fairy tale character and the writing is fantastically set up to emphasize this. Not just Ginnifer Goodwin or Josh Dallas, but upon close inspection, even actors like Tony Amendola or Lee Arenberg are glimpsed in each world.

This is the only episode yet directed by Mark Mylod. The acting is mediocre with some strong and weak points, though the somewhat cliché script could have contributed to the latter. Mark Isham's music is excellent, fitting perfectly with every scene.

Overall, this is strong pilot, one that I think will keep its viewers watching. But I don't think we have yet seen the best of this series. This is a show that will get better and better.

Best Quote: Emma: "Kid, you've got problems." Henry: "Yep, and you're going to fix them."
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