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Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Yippie-Ki-Yay?
I'm what you could somewhat call a die hard 'Die Hard' fan, as I've enjoyed every movies in the series (albeit, the 2nd one less) and have always enjoyed the crazy action and funny one liners and the whole mood created by these films.
This movie brings us back to John McClane's unfortunate world, and I've got to say I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I was scared the movie would become too 'CGI-ized' but was pleasantly surprised that Lens Wiseman made more or less subtle use of digital technology. The action is impressively set up and quite frankly, delivers on every level.
My main criticism (and this made me cringe slightly before watching the movie too) was the producers choice to have this film cut down to a PG-13 for a wider audience to enjoy. While I understand the idea, 'Die Hard' for me as always been so much fun because it was an action series (unlike say Mission Impossible) that had violence and swearing which made it feel more adult orientated. The one liners in this movie aren't as efficient as before and the repetitive kiddie insults used by McClane, which would certify the rating, make him seem nicer, and turns John into a more 'friendly neighborhood' policeman type instead of the iconic, dirty, down-talking cop which made him famous. Even the trademark line of the series, the emblem of this character, and the greatest quote of all time(exaggerated, I know) is bleeped out by a gunshot!
All this said though, the film was top-notch and impressive, and anyone looking for crazy action, entertainment or popcorn fun will enjoy this as much as I did. I recommend it to any Die Hard fan, or simply someone who wants a good time.
I just hope the R-rated Director's Cut will be released on DVD so we can get a real sense of Die Hard back.
United 93 (2006)
Public opinion will kill it
This films gives us an insight at the lesser known aspect of September 11th, Flight 93's mysterious crash. The story is told excellently, with strong performances from unknown actors. This makes it all more believable, and leaves a bigger impact on us. Can you picture a famous figure such as Brad Pitt standing up against terrorists in such a serious drama? The problem with this type of film is that Americans, for the most, are not ready for this, and thus the film will be the target of much criticism trashing this movie, because it is too 'soon'. Didn't Apocalypse Now come out not a few years after the Vietnam war? The politics behind this movie will kill its reputation, and an excellent movie will be forgotten, much like last year's Jarhead.
Overall an excellent movie, I'm really looking forward to more of these such as the upcoming World Trade Center. 8/10
The 4th Annual Canadian Comedy Awards (2003)
A Funny-Ass Standup
This stand-up comedy does not compare to epics such as Eddie Murphy's delirious, Robin Williams Live On Broadway or Dave Chapelle's Killing Them Softly, nevertheless Russel Peters proves to be a talented, funny stand-up comedian. This is well paced, with distinct sketches and recurring jokes. It is more on the racial side and issues, but he never crosses to line, going through everyone (even white people!!) and stays original throughout (the priceless Indian accent sketch). I came across this while watching TV, and I sat through laughing my ass off, and urge people to see this!
This stand-up his a must, and if you are a fan of stand-ups, i definitely recommend this one! 8/10
War of the Worlds (2005)
A Misunderstood Masterpiece
This is a brilliant piece of work by master director Steven Spielberg. What is really annoying when it comes to this movie is how stupid people have become, dwelling on little details that do not matter, or that are completely wrong!! Many people asks stupid questions on the invasion, such as why they waited so long to invade if they put their machines on Earth so long ago. My answer is, or else you wouldn't have a blooming movie!! If you question everything about a movie supposed to be entertainment, then you'll quickly find out that without these technicalities, there would be no movie! Many people too comment on the fact that these machines come out the ground, how come we never saw them, stumbled on one, etc. If people would think for a minute, they would realize that these machines could have been buried at extreme depths, it is just said they are right under our feet, but they could be kilometers under the surface!! And do we humans know what lies there? Except for the material and form of the Earth there, we do not exactly know what lies near the core, or in the inner-mantle making it more than plausible for us never to see one! This film has been the subject of much criticism, which most of the time had not been thought through, though people continued to go against it. Less it we forget, the story is not about aliens. It's about a father's protection over his children during an invasion. People need to loosen up and enjoy more this movie, brilliant on special effects, story and most of all, sound effects!!