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Reviews
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Affleck shows directing chops with Gone Baby Gone
Ben Affleck is a good director and with Gone baby Gone he has shown that he might very well transform into a top caliber one with time. The best mystery novels are the ones that use the genre as a stepping-off point for developing characters and examining issues. Affleck has successfully captured the essence of a written mystery on the screen. The production engages viewers not only on an emotional level but on an intellectual one. As the onion-like layers of the story are peeled away to reveal new ethical dilemmas that force the lead character to question what truly is "right," we are invited to answer those questions alongside him then evaluate whether the consequences of his choices justify the decisions he made. It's a rare motion picture that provides such an uncompromising perspective of what is right and what is moral. This is an auspicious start by Affleck.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Great sequel to the Captain America saga
This is an improvement on its predecessor. The first two-thirds of The Winter Soldier almost feel more like a Cold War-era espionage thriller than a superhero movie. The movie concludes with the expected special effects-laden battles and beat-the-clock action but those scenes are composed more coherently than related sequences in similar movies. And, although The Winter Soldier is available in 3-D, it's perfectly capable of being enjoyed in the less expensive 2-D format. The Winter Soldier is effectively paced with enough action to keep things moving but not so much that it overwhelms everything. One of the keys to the film's efficacy is that it takes the time to develop the relationships among the four key members. The narrative contains its share of unpredictable elements and isn't afraid to shake up the status quo.
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Nowhere as good as the original but still has Dinosaurs
Relatively speaking, Jurassic Park III is a disappointment of behemoth proportions. With Steven Spielberg gone from the director's chair (replaced by Jumanji's Joe Johnston), the Jurassic Park saga has sunk down to its B-grade monster movie roots. The concept of a human character has been replaced by a cardboard cut-out, each of which serves one of two purposes: to run away from the dinosaurs or to be eaten by them. It was probably foolish to hope for something new or original to surface during the course of Jurassic Park III - after all, the formula has long been established for this sort of movie - but it shouldn't have been too much to expect a little excitement. Having said all of this I still think this is a nice movie, especially for kids. Come to think of it who doesn't like dinosaurs? They are like fairy tales- take us away from the tragedies of the real world.
Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
Awesome sequel to Babe
Pig in the City opens on "a place just a little to the left of the twentieth century" -- the farm of "Boss" Arthur Hoggett who has returned home triumphant with his world-renowned sheep-pig, Babe. However, Babe's time to bask in the glow of his fame is short-lived. After the farmer suffers an accident and is laid up in bed, his wife, needing to raise money to keep the bank men at bay, takes the pig with her on a trip, hoping to get a generous appearance fee by showing up at a county fair. After missing a connecting flight, however, Mrs. Hoggett and Babe end up stranded in the unfamiliar land of the Big City, where a series of astounding adventures awaits them. This is a great follow up to the wonderful Babe. Not to be missed.
The Ruins (2008)
Creepy psychological horror
The Ruins concerns two American couple who somehow end up perched on a Mayan pyramid in the middle of nowhere, with the indigenous people waiting for them with bows and arrows on the other side. Also, the pyramid has some evil spirit or something that makes the vines and bushes growing on the pyramid so strange things. The direction is good and the characters are well etched- in fact the first half hour or so is simply buildup. This is a psychological horror and you will be surprised by it. I wish this film were better known.
District 9 (2009)
Awesome original science fiction film
Set and shot in South Africa District 9 is a great debut by Neill Bloomkamp and features some gritty locations and actions sequences often layered by comedic elements. Of course, what makes the film special is the underlying theme and message of apartheid and racism. You should watch this movie if you like anything to do with aliens because it is much different than what we usually see.
Meet Joe Black (1998)
An okay one time watch for the cast
Meet Joe Black is ultimately a disappointment and an an exercise in how one should understand the pacing of the movie. Starring Brad Pitt, Claire Forlani and Anthony Hopkins this is based on an older film called Death takes a Holiday (1934). Brad Pitt dies and is reborn as "death" and enters a wealthy mogul's life to understand the meaning of life, meanwhile falling in love with his daughter. The pacing is a killer and sorry to say but the acting is pedestrian- especially Brad Pitt. It seems they're all here to collect paychecks to buy mansion, the likes shown in this film. Avoid.
Tremors (1990)
Kevin Bacon rules in the middle of Nevada against giant bugs
Tremors is a great guilty pleasure and one of my favorites but this is a genuinely well made film. Kevin Bacon stars as a handyman in the middle of nowhere, the town perfectly titled "perfection". This small town is suddenly terrorized by giant underground bugs which leads to a bunch of everyday men trying to get rid of these menaces. The practical effects are absolutely stunning and the pace and light heartedness of the story is a triumph. This is one of the finest guilty pleasure films which, believe it or not went on to become a franchise.
Limitless (2011)
A fun movie to watch with some badass sequences
Limitless is a good film but not great because it becomes a generic action movie after a while when the potential could have been a lot more. The story is about a writer suffering from a terrible case of writer's block and some personal life issues to boot. He is offered a sort of wonder-pill which does wonders, and he is not only able to get over his block but do some great things also. He demands more of this pill and gets sucked into a cesspool of crime and danger. Bradley Cooper is likeable enough to carry this film (He's pretty much the only consistent character) and De Niro gets a moment to spout some cool stuff. The special effects deserve a mention and there is some stunning infinite zoom scenes especially the opener. Plus, the entire film has a kind of kinetic or synthetic energy which is rather cool.
The Body Tree (2017)
Body tree is it doesn't know what it wants to be- a horror or a murder thriller
The problem with Body tree is it doesn't know what it wants to be- a horror or a murder thriller and ultimately it ends up being neither. This is a problem with a lot of indie films- they lack a vision and blueprint. (Avoid it)