Movie Review: Juno (2007)

How can a movie director make a story about a pregnant teenager good? I have no idea, but Juno is a great movie. I'm not sure if the story can support itself on its own, but the acting is really the strong point. Juno tells the story of a girl named Juno, Juno discovers that she is pregnant. She had a one night stand with a guy friend of hers and one thing led to another. She tells her parents, and they all decide that the baby should be up for adoption. So they meet this couple, the wife is played by Jennifer Garner. Juno starts becoming really close to the husband. So close, they end up having a romance blossoming between the two. It then ends up being a really interesting premise. Ellen Page has great chemistry with everyone, but the chemistry with her and her father is great because he's like this really serious guy who has to get involved with this really serious situation. Despite all his facial expressions reveal. Overall, Juno is a wonderfully acted film. Three stars.

 

Movie Review: Misery (1990)

I'm on a Stephen King high right now, so I decided to review one of his best movie adaptations (in my mind). Misery is a 1990 horror/psychological thriller film starring Kathy Bates and James Caan. The plot of the movie is pretty simple (considering some of King's more intricate stories), basically James Caan is this author who gets into a car accident during a snowstorm. He's then rescued by someone who claims to be his number one fan (Kathy Bates). Her name is Annie Wilkes and she literally is one of the most demented people in film history. She is nice, then if you somehow piss her off, she goes off and becomes a raving lunatic. Kathy Bates plays this character so well, you actually think that she is Annie Wilkes. Her behavioral patterns are off the wall, and her character is just as twisted. I give credit to Stephen King, he is arguably one of the most creative people on planet earth. Some of the stuff he comes up with are disturbing, but others are the work of a pure genius. That's just what he is, a guy who thinks of something and then articulates it. Misery is also really good at not being grizzly horror, but more just kind of strange. There are some scenes where things happen that are just plain weird. Bates's character names her pig after one of the authors book characters. Overall, Misery is a great movie that chills and delivers a faithful adaptation to this horror novel. Three stars.

Movie Review: Ted (2012)

I'm really glad that I'm finally getting to review this movie. Most directors first movies don't reflect their best talents. However, Seth Macfarlane's Ted reflects the maximum strength of his efforts. By that, I mean this is a really funny movie. All of the jokes in this movie are various pop culture references that aren't just relative to the time period, but to world history in general. OK, so the movie stars Mark Wahlberg as this guy who is in his twenties and still lives with his talking teddy bear named Ted (voiced by Macfarlane). He is also really involved with this girl (Mila Kunis), but the problem is that Ted is getting in the way of the relationship between Wahlberg and Kunis. This movie has a very clear plot and sub-plot, and the two stories do interlock at the end, but it takes awhile for the movie to really get to the sub-plot. I'm not saying what it is because I don't want to give away any spoilers. This movie is also really funny, it has some jokes that you won't even pick up the first time you watch the movie. This is why the movie is better when you watch it multiple times, instead of just one. We all love Family Guy and American Dad, we also are familiar with Seth's demented and sometimes really dark humor. That kind of humor is mainly what makes up Ted. Overall, Great jokes, good acting from everyone especially Seth's voicing as Ted himself. Three stars.

Movie Review: Paul (2011)

Happy Holidays! I was off yesterday for Christmas Day, but am back today. OK, so the movie Paul has a very basic formula to it. You take the movie Ted, then you replace Mila Kunis with a dude, minus the romance, and instead of a talking teddy bear, it's a CGI alien voiced by Seth Rogen. To start off, I want to say that I liked this movie WAY more than I thought I would. It's not just that it's funny, but the movie is great. The acting is very realistic from both Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, both of those guys suppossedly have done other movies together, I've never seen them though. The premise is this, the two guys are coming from comic con and are going to tour America. They are trying to visit all the hot spots through the country and then they meet this alien named Paul. Paul literally is the funniest thing in this whole movie, just his jokes are really kind of intelligent, and Seth Rogen's personality in real life matches up really well with this character. They go on a road trip together, while trying to run away from government officials who are aware of Paul's existence and are trying to find him and bring him to these scientists so they can study alien life forms. Another thing this movie does is make various pop culture references, not just to anything, but to science fiction films in general. There is a scene in this film that is supposed to be a flashback. Paul is talking with Spieldberg about this new movie that he wants to make about this alien. Paul then unintentionally gives Steven Spieldberg the idea for the movie ET: The Extra Terrestrial. So, good jokes and pop culture references, combined with good humor make Paul a great ride that keeps you hooked until the end. Three stars.

Movie Review: The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

The Kentucky Fried Movie can basically be described with three words: Awesome, Funny, Great. Even though those are pretty vague terms, it's exactly what this film is to society. The Kentucky Fried Movie is a 1977 movie that combines various skits, short films, and false advertisements. The only skit that goes on too long is the skit called Fistful of Yen. That was supposed to be long because it was a short movie, but it still has parts that could be edited out. The courtroom skit was perfect length because it had commericials intertwined in it. The movie's best strength in my mind was the commercials. The film includes various false commercials that advertise raunchy movies, fake products, and just about everything else you can think of. Overall, KFM is a great movie that mocks modern society (70s). Three stars.

Movie Review: Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Some people think that Dumb and Dumber is one of the funniest movies of all time. I kind of agree with that. It has some really memorable scenes, and the best part is that they are really funny. So, Dumb and Dumber is a comedy movie starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. This movie is pretty slow at the beginning, it's good, it just doesn't start making stuff come out of your nose until the story begins. The movie revolves around Jim Carrey's character who is trying to give this really attractive girl's briefcase back to her, after she leaves it at the airport. Then it turns into a road trip movie and the whole thing unravels. Yes, it's a really funny movie, just the lack of street smarts for these two is enough to crack me up. There were some scenes where I literally had water coming out of my eyes. The film does that to you. Which automatically makes it a classic in my book, but it's a classic everywhere so it's not just my book. Overall, Dumb and Dumber is a classic comedy film that fails to dissapoint. Three Stars.

Movie Review: Saw (2004)

Usually, whenever I want to interact with a type of media, I usually either read or play a video game. Oh yeah, there is also a seven part movie series that puts you in the position of the main character. OK, so Saw is a 2004 independent horror film that spawned a seven part movie series. So the story revolves around this guy called "Jigsaw/Jigsaw Killer". He finds people who he thinks are trashing their lives and puts them in these death traps. They can escape, but only if they make the right decision. This is probably one of the goriest horror franchises ever. The first one isn't that bad, but as the series goes on(I'll try to review a few more of them) the gore is almost unwatchable. As we watch these people in these traps, we start to think about what we would do in a situation like this. Is Saw a great movie? Well random voice, yes and no. It's a great movie because it's very unique and spawned copycat films, as well as being genuinly cool. On the other hand, it's not a masterpiece. However, no movie is a masterpiece unless pretty much everyone likes it, which kinda can't be said for this series. In fact, I can really only think of two horror movies that mostly everyone likes. Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs are ones that have won awards and are culturally significant. Point is, it's hard to make a horror movie a classic, not just because of the market, but because of the stories that come from these films. Overall, Saw is a really cool, first person, thriller film that is very entertaining. Two stars.

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the lost Ark

George Lucas, Harrision Ford, and Steven Speildberg all pool their talents together to make one great and nostalgic flick. Raiders of the Lost Ark is the first entry in the Indiana Jones series. Raiders is great because it tells a very unique story. It talks about an archeologist named Indiana Jones who goes on a quest to discover a lost Ark that the nazis are after. The story then unfolds and Indiana finds himself in various traps, as well as dealing with a really creepy villain. He also meets Marion Ravenwood who he falls in love with. Why is this movie so great? Let's see....The sets are great, Ford's acting Is supurb, the story is creative. I think the best part in this movie is the first scene where we actually see Indiana doing what he does. It's a very entertaining movie, and it deserves the critical acclaim that it received and continues to receive today. Three Stars

Movie Review: The Conjuring (2013)

I had an epiphany today. Pick one of the scariest movies I've ever seen, and review it. Is The Conjuring really that scary? Yes, it is one of the most terrifying movies I have ever seen. So, The Conjuring is a movie about this family who moves into a new house and encounters evil spirits. These aren't just ghosts, they are demons that are rooted in a creepy doll named Annabelle. Hence the name for the spin-off movie. I really liked this movie, the people in the movie actually look like they are having fun. Besides that, it is a REALLY scary flick. There are pop up scares, exorcisms, and a possessed doll. These things come together and it will make an extremely big impression on you. The acting is great, despite the fact that I recognized nobody in the movie. Is there room for improvement? Not really, Conjuring is pretty much just as scary as any movie gets. The other thing that works really well in this movie? The special effects. I'm not going to give anything away, but just don't watch this film before bed, it will scar you....and scare you. Overall, scares and solid performances give The Conjuring a great shoot into a possible new movie franchise. Three Stars.

Movie Review: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

The sequel to Phantom Menace wasn't as well received by the critics or the public. Various reasons for this, the first that I'm going to mention later on, is the dialogue. Ok, so it's ten years after Phantom Menace. Anakin is ten years older and he has completed his jedi training and is on his way back to the council with Obi Wan Kenobi. Before they even arrive, Anakin is worrying about how Padme will perceive him (because all of a sudden Anakin has this sudden weird love thing with her). When they get to the council, Anakin sees Padme and the two jedi receive the mission. The mission is to protect Padme from an attempted assassin. OK, so the villians in this movie are awesome. We meet two new people who are considered the antagonists, Jango Fett is this bounty hunter who basically is after the senator. We meet his son named Boba. Completely random name choice of course. Christopher Lee joins the cast as Count Dooku. He's like this guy who basically is the Emperor, only a little less evil. These two guys rock the movie. The main complaint with this film, the dialogue. There are a bunch of scenes in this movie where Anakin and Padme are hanging out and their talking. The thing is, the dialogue is kind of cheesy. Also, there isn't as much acting in these scenes, it seems like we are watching Romeo and Juliet. Other than that, the movie is great. Acting, effects, the ending duel. Three stars.

Movie Review: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Yes, I am finally reviewing Star Wars. I plan to do all six films. However, to put a twist on things, I'm going to review the movies in chronological order, rather than the order in which the films were released. The Phantom Menace is chronologically the first film in the story of Star Wars. It came out in 1999, which according to Wikipedia was 16 years after the OT films were made. I couldn't believe that when I read it, the technological advancements in this film are drastically different in this movie. So if the original trilogy was a really good story, what's this really good story? Well, it actually isn't a bad story, but it is pretty well known that tons of people dislike the prequels for a bunch of reasons. Personally, I never minded the prequels. They had to be a little different because they were supposed to take place within a different time period. This movie tells the story of two jedi knights. The master Qui Gon Ginn, and his apprentice Obi Wan Kenobi. Does the second name ring a distant gong? Anyway, it revolves around not really Obi Wan's training, but the search for this boy named Anakin Skywalker who lives on the desert planet Tatooine with his mother. His mother is single...and yet she still gave birth to Anakan. Not saying anything, but there wasn't any explanation. So the two jedi knights travel with this girl named Padme who works for the Queen Amedala. I may be spelling that wrong. Anyway, they also travel with this dude named Jar Jar Banks. He's the species called a Gungan and most people who watched the movie found him really annoying. I never felt that way about Jar Jar Banks, I mean yeah he's strange, but he's really funny. If there were to be one part of his role that could be taken out, it would be the scene where he farts and those two aliens things say ew. That was probably the weakest part in this entire movie. So the get Anakin and take him back to this place called the jedi council where all the jedi knights prosper together. There we meet Mace Windu (Samuel L Jackson) and Yoda. Does the second name sound familiar? On the dark side, we have Darth Maul and Darth Sidious/Emperor. Does the second name sound familiar? Darth Maul is this devil-looking guy who has red and black tattoos on his face and body. He is one of the best things in this entire movie. Oh yeah, C3PO and R2D2 are in this too. Anakin builds C3PO, but never acknowledges him in the original movies. Overall, Phantom Menace is a pretty good start to a new trilogy of prequel Star Wars films. Three stars.

Movie Review: Back to the Future (1985)

It's here. One of the best movies ever made is coming to Media Center. When you might ask? Well...right now. Back to the Future is one of my favorite movies of all time. Currently, it seems like it is one of society's favorite movies of all time. Robert Zemeckis combined with Steven Spieldberg is a great equation. Back to the Future is the story of Marty Mcfly. He is a teenager who encounters a terrorist shootout one night. The victim ends up being a brilliant scientest. One thing leads to another, and Marty and the guy Doc are traveling back to the past to rearrange the present and the future. Not the future from the past, but the future from the present. This movie is kind of confusing to wrap your head around at first, I'm sure there are some people who have watched this and found some random plot holes that go within the movie. Anyway, what makes this movie so good are two things, acting and storyline. The events that Marty travels back to in this movie are really funny to watch. He unknowingly falls in love with his mother when he goes back in time. He also inadvertently expresses his views on television, about a few decades too early. As for acting, Micheal J Fox is a great actor, he had a great run in the 1980s and is still excellent today. Christopher Lloyd is great in this film, he is eccentric and also really likeable at the same time. That's a hard thing to do, making a character weird often involves giving them some really unlikeable trait that turns most viewers off. With this one, it works really well. Overall, Back to the Future is a great movie that I could watch over and over and never get tired of. Oh yeah, the car? Awesome! Four Stars

Movie Review: Major League (1989)

There are a lot of slightly cheesy sports movies out there. However, I am pleased to say that Major League isn't one of those. Major League is a sports/comedy film that tells the story of a fictionalized Cleveland Browns history. So, for those of you that have seen it, in case you didn't know, none of the players in this movie are real. Charlie Sheen never played baseball. Speaking of Sheen, his role in this movie is awesome from beginning to end, he is this really serious guy who actually has a heart underneath all of his supressed emotions. He was my favorite character in this movie. I watched this movie a long time ago, and the amount of it that I can recall is very good for an old movie. It chronicles how the Cleveland Browns lose and go through bouts of doubt because of their losing streaks. It captures the feeling of being part of a team really well. Now, it's not a great movie, not at all. However, it has supurb acting which makes the movie worth watching. It's not an oscar winner, but it deserves some recognition. In my mind, it is a very influential film in the world of sports cinema. Overall, Major League is a light, funny, and even somewhat fascinating look into the world of baseball. Two Stars.

Movie Review: Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Fun fact: this movie took 400 days to shoot. With 400 days of nothing to do, but read scripts and act. You would expect with that length of time, the movie would be even more epic than all of the Star Wars movies plus The Matrix combined. However, Eyes Wide Shut didn't exactly do that. It's not a horrible movie, it just doesn't "hit the spot". Eyes Wide Shut tells the story of character Tom Cruise who is married to Nicole Kidman. One night while taking illegal drugs, Tom's character discovers that his wife has been dreaming about this guy who she had an affair with. Tom says he is fine with it, but then he goes and tries to hook up with these prostitutes and other people who cost money. Eventually, one of his friends finds this club where he goes to play a gig, Tom goes there after getting the required clothing (a mask and costume, very creepy). In the group, guys in these masks and costumes hook up with these random girls and start "having fun". That is the plot of the movie. If you can even really call that a plot, I mean, it's more of a subplot than something that can actually support a story. Kubrick did it though, he never used to really have that subplot problem. With this one, he really struggles with it. Tom Cruise acts ok in this movie, I would take it or leave it. Nicole Kidman just read lines and pretended to be married, it wasn't awful, but there wasn't as much character development as there could have been. Overall Eyes Wide Shut is a bizzare, creepy, and long film that Kubrick himself directed. Two Stars.

Movie Review: American Psycho (2000)

It's Christian Bale! He's American! He's a business man! Oh yeah, and he's a deranged serial killer. American Psycho is a 2000 black comedy film staring Christian Bale. I only mentioned Christian's name because there isn't really any other star of this film. There are a few supporting characters, but Bale is really the whole purpose of this film. If you didn't have Christian Bale in this movie, the movie would just go on, but it would have this huge gap in it. A void really. So, sit back, relax, and read why American Psycho is one of my favorite movies of all time. American Psycho is about Patrick Bateman (played by Bale). He's a guy who works in business and seems completely polite and normal. However, when he leaves work, he is a raving lunatic. He chops peoples heads off, beats up a homeless guy, and makes a raunchy video with a couple of girls. The movie definitely has some uncomfortable scenes, and watching them in a group of other people....well, that would just make things more awkward. The movie is great, the more you watch it, the better it gets. Beware, the movie has some REALLY uncomfortable scenes. I'm not even going to say what they are because they are so weird and disturbing. The graphic violence in this movie has no limits, there will be blood, and in one quick shot, we see a decapitated woman's head in a refrigerator. This is Bale's best role in my mind, because he goes to great lengths to get into the mind of a serial killer. The other thing, is that this film is meant to mock horror films and be taken as a dark/black comedy. If you go into American Psycho and hope to see an intense horror-thriller kind of thing, then you will not enjoy this movie. It will seem boring and you'll feel like your missing the point of this movie. Go into this film and think of it as a black comedy (a really black comedy). Overall, American Psycho is a darkly-comic, grizzly, well acted film that deserves an oscar nomination. Three Stars

Movie Review: Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)

Wrath of Khan is considered to be one of the best Star Trek films in the entire series. Granted, it is a very good movie. In fact, the villain in this movie is actually really cool. So cool, that he ends up getting his name in the title. So what happens? Basically, Kirk deploys his crew to go and investigate a mysterious base that is on a very mysterious planet. It sounds like your everyday Star Trek episode, but then the two guys who go to investigate, get kidnapped and taken in by the villain named Khan. I love Khan. He is absolutely one of the best things in this entire movie. Leonard Nimoy's acting is excellent in this movie, he is able to become worried about Khan while also not showing any expression or emotion. Now Khan was actually introduced in a season 1 episode of Star Trek the original series. If you watch that episode first, this movie will actually be more enjoyable to watch because there are constant references to Khan's first appearance. Overall, this is a classic science fiction movie that is great to watch over and over again because of Nimoy's acting and Khan. Three Stars.

Movie Review: Almost Famous (2000)

So on Monday, Almost Famous debuted on Netflix instant. I actually first saw this movie not too long ago, and the thing that makes this movie great is the story. It tells the story of this kid who goes on tour with an actual rock band. Now this isn't just a random thing, the kid (15 or so), gets hired to write for Rolling Stone magazine. Unlikely, but a very cool plotline. So, he goes to interview this band, and at first all of the members pretty much reject him and tell him to go elsewhere for an interview. However, as Will explains what he is doing, the band members warm up to him and they become family. They go on tours, and Will even meets this girl named Penny (in the poster above). The movie is all about friendship and it really captures the feeling of being one as a whole, really, really, really, really well. There is one scene where the band starts singing the song Tiny Dancer by Elton John. It's an awesome scene because it shows that they know the same lyrics, to the same song, but they are also singing in unison. It's a great scene. The part about this movie that also is excellent, is the reaction after you watch the movie. After I saw this, I turned on the radio to a classic rock station. It inspires you to get more involved and listen to the music that is promoted in the movie. Overall, Almost Famous is a great movie about growing up, and offers a great feel of the 1970s-80s, while also capturing the meaning of non-biological family. Three stars.

Movie Review: A Million Ways to die in the west

When this movie first came out, it was panned by critics. At first, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was the creator of Family Guy and Ted. Both of those things were genius. However, I watched the movie when it came out on Amazon rental and I sort of could tell where they were coming from. I had a bit of a different opinion though. First off, this movie is really long. I found myself checking the time, and the jokes are mainly centered around toilet humor. I mean yeah, that's what every Macfarlane project has in it, but it's spread out and mixed in with some other kinds of humor. This movie was almost just toilet humor, which was kinda dissapointing because I know Seth can do better. The best thing about watching Family Guy or American Dad, is finding those jokes that are a joke inside a joke. Ted even tried to do that, but this movie just put out a joke and walked away from it. I liked the cast in this movie, but the acting is so-so. Seth Macfarlane didn't really act that much, he dressed up and read some lines. It was very different from watching Ted. Neil Patrick Harris is extremely good as a cocky cowboy dude who challenges everyone he meets. Liam Neeson is also really good as a villian. Overall, Million Ways is kind of slow, but can be funny in designated parts. Two Stars.

Movie review: The Dictator (2012)

Sacha Baron Cohen may literally be one of the most offensive film directors of all time. Each one of his movies seems to offend more and more people. However, The Dictator is fortunately one of these movies. It's the story of a dictator in a communist run country who finds himself in a series of strange stunts and situations. This movie wasn't like Borat where every ethnicity was made fun of, but I did find a lot of really offensive jokes in this movie. I'm not gonna repeat any of them, because that would probably just start more controversy, but no one is safe in this film. The truth is, the film is actually really funny. I enjoy Cohen's films because they are comedies. If he starts making any other genre of movie, I probably will tune out. The other thing that is really good in this movie is the acting. The portrayals of various stereotypes are so painfully accurate that you can't help and not give a round of applause. Overall, The Dictator is a raunchy, and extremely funny movie that offends, but rocks too. Three Stars

Q&A Session #1

Ok, so this is the first of what I think will be Q&A sessions for the blog. For this time, these questions are all random ones that I came up with to answer. Anyway, sit back, relax, and let's answer some questions

1. How did you start reviewing films?
     So, I actually used to write user reviews for Rotten Tomatoes. That was ok, but I didn't get the same exhiliration I do from writing on the blog. Then I started doing this podcast where I reviewed movies. That was cool, but I liked writing better because I found I often stumbled over my words. Then I started the blog, and here we are today.

2. What are your favorite movies?
     I have tons of favorite movies. Jaws is one of my favorite films ever, which at some point I will review. I also like the movie Braveheart, that is a really long movie, and the the cool part about that film is that it's considered one of the most historically inaccurate films ever made. The original Karate Kid (1984), is an excellent movie that I have always really enjoyed. Some others are: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Good Will Hunting, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Dark Knight, True Romance. Amongst others.

3. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen?
     For this one, I would have to say the original Evil Dead movie. The second and third films in the series were supposed to be spoofs, but the first movie was sheer horror. I saw it when I was in seventh grade and it literally gave me nightmares. Although, it was more just like seeing weird things inside my head, but it really screwed with me.

4. What do you think of M Night Shymalan's movies?
     I've actually only seen two of his films, The Sixth Sense and Signs. Both were very good, but if you compare those stories to some of his other ones, the quality is very different. Usually those are considered his main landmark films. Kind of like how Pulp Fiction was Quentin Tarantino's landmark film. It was the one movie (or in this case, two) that really made them famous for doing their thing.

5. What is the worst movie you've ever seen?
      There's one movie I once had to stop watching because it was so slow. It was the movie Mobsters with Micheal Gambon. The film is about mobsters and hit-men, it tries way to hard to be like The Godfather and Goodfellas that it actually just reflects poorly on itself. Which usually doesn't happen in movies, but I guess could.

6. What are some movies that other people love, but you don't get the hype?
     I'm not gonna trash on these two movies because they were good, just a little different from everyone else's perception of them. The first movie is Frozen. It might just be the fact that I'm a guy, or I just didn't get the point of the movie. It was good, but I wasn't obsessed after I saw it. I left the movie and thought: OK, that was good. I never lingered over it or anything like that. The second movie, which I actually have reviewed on the blog is Natural Born Killers. I liked it, but again, I didn't linger over it after I saw it.

7. Have you ever seen Saw before?
      I've seen Saw #s 1,3,4. They were actually pretty good for films that just show people in pain. They were not all equally as good, but they each brought their own things into the series.

8. What is your favorite Disney movie?
      I have a few favorites. My number one favorite would probably be The Jungle Book. I saw it a bunch of times when I was younger. It just brings back a lot of memories, in addition to being a really good film. Other than that, Tarzan was great and so was Brother Bear.

9. What do you think of the Star Wars prequels?
    I really liked them. Even though most people trashed those three movies, I thought that the acting was for the most part good. It brought us into the past of the OT films. Solid movies.