Sinister Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 9/10
Sinister was a bit of a let down. Based on the trailers I thought this movie could potentially be tremendously creepy. The audience did receive a few jump scares but the film didn’t really do anything out of the norm. It lacked suspense and any real direction in the plot. It did, however, have a few humourous moments
The film follows a family who move to a new home because their father is a true crime writer who wants to reclaim his fame. The house they are living in was the house of a family of murder victims. It is revealed that a supernatural force, which lives in images, is behind everything. The acting was well done. Ethan Hawke contributed a decent performance as did the rest of the cast, which included Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thompson, and James Ransone.
The movie wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t really good. There were a few sequences when it got kind of boring. There were also times where it seemed that it should have ended but didn’t, leading to a bit of a drag-out.
Posted by Jon Franz
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10/13/12
The film follows a family who move to a new home because their father is a true crime writer who wants to reclaim his fame. The house they are living in was the house of a family of murder victims. It is revealed that a supernatural force, which lives in images, is behind everything. The acting was well done. Ethan Hawke contributed a decent performance as did the rest of the cast, which included Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thompson, and James Ransone.
The movie wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t really good. There were a few sequences when it got kind of boring. There were also times where it seemed that it should have ended but didn’t, leading to a bit of a drag-out.
Posted by Jon Franz
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10/13/12
Pitch Perfect Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Pitch Perfect follows an all-female accapella group as they try to make it to their regionals competition and fix their reputation(that was destroyed by a rather gross debacle) by finding new members.
The group now features a group of misfits who all love music. They perform mash-ups and covers of popular songs throughout the film and try to defeat their rivals, the Treblemakers. Before anything more is said, yes it is an awful lot like Glee. The one thing that saves it from being “Glee: The Movie”is that it is slightly raunchier.
The film stars Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Rebel Wilson. The film also features the like of the amazing Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins who get some really great one-liners in.
The movie does tend to get a little chick-flicky at parts but that’s all good and fine. It’s actually fairly funny although doesn’t live up to it’s full potential. Rebel Wilson deserves to have her name mentioned as well because without her the film probably wouldn’t even have been as good as it was.
Pitch Perfect is a fun movie to watch with friends but was not really overly memorable.
Posted by Jon Franz
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10/13/12
The group now features a group of misfits who all love music. They perform mash-ups and covers of popular songs throughout the film and try to defeat their rivals, the Treblemakers. Before anything more is said, yes it is an awful lot like Glee. The one thing that saves it from being “Glee: The Movie”is that it is slightly raunchier.
The film stars Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Rebel Wilson. The film also features the like of the amazing Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins who get some really great one-liners in.
The movie does tend to get a little chick-flicky at parts but that’s all good and fine. It’s actually fairly funny although doesn’t live up to it’s full potential. Rebel Wilson deserves to have her name mentioned as well because without her the film probably wouldn’t even have been as good as it was.
Pitch Perfect is a fun movie to watch with friends but was not really overly memorable.
Posted by Jon Franz
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10/13/12
The House At The End Of The Street Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
The House At The End Of The Street may not be the most original film to grace the silver screen. It is however quite entertaining.
The movie stars The Hunger Games’ Jennifer Lawrence as young Elissa, Elisabeth Shue as her mother Sarah, and Max Thieriot as Ryan Jacobson.
Elissa and her mother move into a new house after the death of their father and husband. It is revealed that two people were killed in the house next door. Their surviving son is still living in that house. It is believed that the daughter is livig in the woods. This causes other neighbours to speculate and jump to conclusions, resulting in unfavourable. Elissa begins to fall for the son(Ryan Jacobson) and eventually finds out things are not what they seem. The ending reveals a very Sleepaway Cam-esc plot twist.
The performances given in the film are fine. Each character seems likeable in their own way and the ones that aren’t likeable weren’t meant to be. I actually didn’t want any of the main characters to die which is what makes it so entertaining to watch.
The film had a good atmosphere to it and was a great random popcorn thriller but nothing more. I was glad to see that I wasn’t completely disappointed by this film.
Posted by Jon Franz
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09/22/12
The movie stars The Hunger Games’ Jennifer Lawrence as young Elissa, Elisabeth Shue as her mother Sarah, and Max Thieriot as Ryan Jacobson.
Elissa and her mother move into a new house after the death of their father and husband. It is revealed that two people were killed in the house next door. Their surviving son is still living in that house. It is believed that the daughter is livig in the woods. This causes other neighbours to speculate and jump to conclusions, resulting in unfavourable. Elissa begins to fall for the son(Ryan Jacobson) and eventually finds out things are not what they seem. The ending reveals a very Sleepaway Cam-esc plot twist.
The performances given in the film are fine. Each character seems likeable in their own way and the ones that aren’t likeable weren’t meant to be. I actually didn’t want any of the main characters to die which is what makes it so entertaining to watch.
The film had a good atmosphere to it and was a great random popcorn thriller but nothing more. I was glad to see that I wasn’t completely disappointed by this film.
Posted by Jon Franz
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09/22/12
Movie Review Much Ado About Nothing
Movie Review Much Ado About Nothing
On Saturday September 8th, I attended the Toronto International Film Festival World Premier of Joss Whedon’s take on William Shakespeare’s, Much Ado About Nothing. I admit I am a Disciple of the Church of Joss Whedon’s greatness. I fully intended to enjoy this film going in because I do love all of Joss’s work. But I figured it was going to be a tough sell for me due to the fact it was Shakespeare. I have never been a great lover of the Bard’s prose, I respect it and think he was genius, but I have never gone and read any play of my own choosing. I was blown away right off the bat with how accessible this film was and how Joss modernized the surroundings and set pieces but did not modernize the language or tone of the play. The banter between the characters was fantastic.
Even though the play is over 400 years old I will not spoil any storyline or surprises that Joss and cast might have thrown in. I will just say that for such an old tale it was made modern by the usage of current items, surroundings and wardrobe.
Speaking of the cast, it is a Whedonverse’s Whose Who. You have Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) as Benedick, Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse) as Beatrice, Nathan Fillion (Firefly/Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Castle, Dr. Horribles Sing A Long Blog) as Dogberry, Reed Diamond (Dollhouse, The Shield) as Don Pedro, Clark Gregg (The Avengers, Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor) as Leonato, Fran Kranz (Dollhouse, Cabin In The Woods) as Claudio, Jillian Morgese as Hero, Sean Maher (Firefly/Serenity) as Don John, Tom Lenk (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Cabin In The Woods), Ashley Johnson (Dollhouse, The Avengers) as Margaret, Riki Lindhome (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Conrade, Emma Bates as Ursulla, Nick Kocher as First Watchman, Brian McElhaney as Second Watchman, Spencer Treat Clark (Unbreakable, Gladiator, Mystic River) as Borachio, Joshua Zar as Leonato’s Aid. They were all fantastic with the real standout’s being Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker and Clark Gregg. Reed Diamond also did an amazing job as Don Pedro. Nathan Fillion and Tom Lenk provided the comic relief. And Sean Maher was one hell of a dick. Overall all of the actors seemed to raise their game and they all were pretty fantastic.
The film was shot in black and white and filming took 12 days. Filming took place at Joss Whedon’s house. His wife Kai Cole was an executive producer and I would assume the rock that kept this whole production in place. Joss wrote, directed and produced this for his and his wife’s new micro production company Bellwether Pictures.
I can’t express enough how much I loved this film. I was riveted for the hour and 47 minutes it was up on the screen. I laughed a lot and I really was just engaged in the story. I have never really understood much of the old English prose but Joss and the cast made the film accessible. And as a fan of the television show Angel, I finally got my Wesley and Fred moment even if it was in the guise of Benedick and Beatrice. And to make this experience even better Joss and the ENTIRE cast was there for the premier. They got to hear our reaction and they got to see our standing ovation at the end. They did a short Q&A at the end. I honestly think Joss was sort of taken aback with the response to the film. And the response was extremely positive. I think everyone enjoyed the hell out of the movie. I know I did.
Jason’s Rating 9.5 out of 10
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09/10/12
On Saturday September 8th, I attended the Toronto International Film Festival World Premier of Joss Whedon’s take on William Shakespeare’s, Much Ado About Nothing. I admit I am a Disciple of the Church of Joss Whedon’s greatness. I fully intended to enjoy this film going in because I do love all of Joss’s work. But I figured it was going to be a tough sell for me due to the fact it was Shakespeare. I have never been a great lover of the Bard’s prose, I respect it and think he was genius, but I have never gone and read any play of my own choosing. I was blown away right off the bat with how accessible this film was and how Joss modernized the surroundings and set pieces but did not modernize the language or tone of the play. The banter between the characters was fantastic.
Even though the play is over 400 years old I will not spoil any storyline or surprises that Joss and cast might have thrown in. I will just say that for such an old tale it was made modern by the usage of current items, surroundings and wardrobe.
Speaking of the cast, it is a Whedonverse’s Whose Who. You have Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) as Benedick, Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse) as Beatrice, Nathan Fillion (Firefly/Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Castle, Dr. Horribles Sing A Long Blog) as Dogberry, Reed Diamond (Dollhouse, The Shield) as Don Pedro, Clark Gregg (The Avengers, Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor) as Leonato, Fran Kranz (Dollhouse, Cabin In The Woods) as Claudio, Jillian Morgese as Hero, Sean Maher (Firefly/Serenity) as Don John, Tom Lenk (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Cabin In The Woods), Ashley Johnson (Dollhouse, The Avengers) as Margaret, Riki Lindhome (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Conrade, Emma Bates as Ursulla, Nick Kocher as First Watchman, Brian McElhaney as Second Watchman, Spencer Treat Clark (Unbreakable, Gladiator, Mystic River) as Borachio, Joshua Zar as Leonato’s Aid. They were all fantastic with the real standout’s being Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker and Clark Gregg. Reed Diamond also did an amazing job as Don Pedro. Nathan Fillion and Tom Lenk provided the comic relief. And Sean Maher was one hell of a dick. Overall all of the actors seemed to raise their game and they all were pretty fantastic.
The film was shot in black and white and filming took 12 days. Filming took place at Joss Whedon’s house. His wife Kai Cole was an executive producer and I would assume the rock that kept this whole production in place. Joss wrote, directed and produced this for his and his wife’s new micro production company Bellwether Pictures.
I can’t express enough how much I loved this film. I was riveted for the hour and 47 minutes it was up on the screen. I laughed a lot and I really was just engaged in the story. I have never really understood much of the old English prose but Joss and the cast made the film accessible. And as a fan of the television show Angel, I finally got my Wesley and Fred moment even if it was in the guise of Benedick and Beatrice. And to make this experience even better Joss and the ENTIRE cast was there for the premier. They got to hear our reaction and they got to see our standing ovation at the end. They did a short Q&A at the end. I honestly think Joss was sort of taken aback with the response to the film. And the response was extremely positive. I think everyone enjoyed the hell out of the movie. I know I did.
Jason’s Rating 9.5 out of 10
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09/10/12
Jason’s Movie Reviews
Lawless
Jason’s Movie Reviews
Lawless
This film starring Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf, is about the Prohibition Era and is set in Franklin County, Virginia which was known as the Wettest County in the world. The film centers around 3 brothers Forrest (Hardy), Jack (LaBeouf) and Howard (Showtimes Brotherhood’s Jason Clarke) who run a bootlegging liquor business. Jack falls for a Menonite Preachers Daughter, Howard is a drunk and Forrest is the leader of this band, he has a reputation as being Immortal. Jessica Chastain plays the lovely Maggie Beauford and Guy Pearce is at his evil best playing Special Agent Charlie Rakes. He truly is a sick bastard in this film. Gary Oldman portrays Floyd Banner but I honestly believe this was a wasted role for someone that is as good as Oldman. I enjoyed this film and found it rather graphic at times, which I am a big fan of. If you are a fan of Prohibition Era drama’s, then this should be your cup of tea.
Jason’s Rating 7 Out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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09/07/12
Lawless
This film starring Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf, is about the Prohibition Era and is set in Franklin County, Virginia which was known as the Wettest County in the world. The film centers around 3 brothers Forrest (Hardy), Jack (LaBeouf) and Howard (Showtimes Brotherhood’s Jason Clarke) who run a bootlegging liquor business. Jack falls for a Menonite Preachers Daughter, Howard is a drunk and Forrest is the leader of this band, he has a reputation as being Immortal. Jessica Chastain plays the lovely Maggie Beauford and Guy Pearce is at his evil best playing Special Agent Charlie Rakes. He truly is a sick bastard in this film. Gary Oldman portrays Floyd Banner but I honestly believe this was a wasted role for someone that is as good as Oldman. I enjoyed this film and found it rather graphic at times, which I am a big fan of. If you are a fan of Prohibition Era drama’s, then this should be your cup of tea.
Jason’s Rating 7 Out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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09/07/12
Jason's Movie Review
The Bourne Legacy
Jason’s Movie reviews
The Bourne Legacy
This is not Matt Damon’s Bourne, nor is this a direct sequel or a reboot. I would call this a kind of spin off using a new character but in the same spy, Black Ops Universe. Jeremy Renner stars as Alex Cross, he is an Outcome Operative. They are essentially a different form of Treadstone, but instead the government has given them forms of medication to make them advanced. It is an interesting film and it does involve a few of the characters from the Bourne series. Matt Damon’s picture shows up but he is not in the film. I would recommend this movie to anyone that is a fan of the previous Bourne films and also people that are fans of action films. It is good to see Rachel Weisz back and in action. This film rests on the shoulders of the two leads and also on the main antagonist Eric Byer, who was played by the always brilliant Edward Norton. I did not enjoy this as much as the other Bourne films but that does not mean that I did not enjoy this film. It was a well made action film with some spy twists. The problem is that most of the main action and storylines were shown in the trailer. There really were no surprises. But that isn’t really the films fault, it was entertaining.
Jason’s Rating 7 out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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09/07/12
The Bourne Legacy
This is not Matt Damon’s Bourne, nor is this a direct sequel or a reboot. I would call this a kind of spin off using a new character but in the same spy, Black Ops Universe. Jeremy Renner stars as Alex Cross, he is an Outcome Operative. They are essentially a different form of Treadstone, but instead the government has given them forms of medication to make them advanced. It is an interesting film and it does involve a few of the characters from the Bourne series. Matt Damon’s picture shows up but he is not in the film. I would recommend this movie to anyone that is a fan of the previous Bourne films and also people that are fans of action films. It is good to see Rachel Weisz back and in action. This film rests on the shoulders of the two leads and also on the main antagonist Eric Byer, who was played by the always brilliant Edward Norton. I did not enjoy this as much as the other Bourne films but that does not mean that I did not enjoy this film. It was a well made action film with some spy twists. The problem is that most of the main action and storylines were shown in the trailer. There really were no surprises. But that isn’t really the films fault, it was entertaining.
Jason’s Rating 7 out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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09/07/12
Jason’s Movie Review
The Expendables 2
Jason’s Movie Review
The Expendables 2
I know this film came out around 3 weeks ago but was not able to do my review until today. So here it is.
I loved the first movie and was anxiously awaiting the release of this film. Let me tell you it did not disappoint. The action was just as good as the first and the jokes and camaraderie was even better than the first. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross, the leader and heart of the Expendables. Jason Statham returns as Lee Christmas, the knife specialist and Barney’s best friend and trusted right hand man. Jet Li plays Yin Yang a hand to hand combat specialist. Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky 4 opponent Dolph Lundgren comes back as Gunner Jensen, a hot headed big gun on the team. Hilarious Old Spice Spokesman Terry Crews plays Hail Caesar, the heavy barrel weapons expert on the team. And he also has the BIG GUNS. Former UFC Light Heavy Weight Champion Randy Couture reprises his role as Toll Road, the demolitions expert of the team. The team added a new member, Billy The Kid a sniper portrayed by Liam Hemsworth.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis reprise their cameo roles from the first film. Jean Claude Van-Damme joins as the Big Bad, Jean Vilain. Scott Adkins plays his right hand man Hector. Yun Nan enters the fray as Church’s (Willis) CIA agent helping the team retrieve the lost safe. And last but not least Chuck Norris shows up to kick ass like only Chuck Norris can.
This film is a kick ass 80’s style action film. It is fun, and exciting from beginning to end. I don’t really want to talk much about the film itself but I highly recommend it to you if you have seen the first movie and if you enjoy action flicks. While viewing this I received all that I was looking for. I got my fan boy glee when there were inside jokes between the characters, and I loved all the action scenes.
Jason’s Rating 8 out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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09/07/12
The Expendables 2
I know this film came out around 3 weeks ago but was not able to do my review until today. So here it is.
I loved the first movie and was anxiously awaiting the release of this film. Let me tell you it did not disappoint. The action was just as good as the first and the jokes and camaraderie was even better than the first. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross, the leader and heart of the Expendables. Jason Statham returns as Lee Christmas, the knife specialist and Barney’s best friend and trusted right hand man. Jet Li plays Yin Yang a hand to hand combat specialist. Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky 4 opponent Dolph Lundgren comes back as Gunner Jensen, a hot headed big gun on the team. Hilarious Old Spice Spokesman Terry Crews plays Hail Caesar, the heavy barrel weapons expert on the team. And he also has the BIG GUNS. Former UFC Light Heavy Weight Champion Randy Couture reprises his role as Toll Road, the demolitions expert of the team. The team added a new member, Billy The Kid a sniper portrayed by Liam Hemsworth.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis reprise their cameo roles from the first film. Jean Claude Van-Damme joins as the Big Bad, Jean Vilain. Scott Adkins plays his right hand man Hector. Yun Nan enters the fray as Church’s (Willis) CIA agent helping the team retrieve the lost safe. And last but not least Chuck Norris shows up to kick ass like only Chuck Norris can.
This film is a kick ass 80’s style action film. It is fun, and exciting from beginning to end. I don’t really want to talk much about the film itself but I highly recommend it to you if you have seen the first movie and if you enjoy action flicks. While viewing this I received all that I was looking for. I got my fan boy glee when there were inside jokes between the characters, and I loved all the action scenes.
Jason’s Rating 8 out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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09/07/12
Paranorman Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Paranorman is without a doubt my favourite kids movie of the year so far.
The movie follows a young boy, Norman, who is bullied because he “talks” to dead people and others think he is weird. He meets his other weird friend Neil, who may be the funniest character in the movie, and his brother. Through a series of events the dead are raised from the gorund and Norman must find a way to stop the fury unleashed by a young witch.
If you’re into horror films and kids movies this is the perfect mix for you. Paranorman is very original and funny.
Some of the jokes in the film could be considered quite sexual for children’s movie. The film also features the first openly gay character in a kids film(at least that I’ve ever seen). I’m sure some parents may take issue with this. Needless to say this movie tried to push the envelope of what could be included in a kids movie.
The effects in the movie were well put together and thoughtful. There characters were quite likeable, and the direction was fantastic.
Thank you, Paranorman for allowing us to not go a full year without any decent kids movies.
Posted by Jon Franz
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08/14/12
The movie follows a young boy, Norman, who is bullied because he “talks” to dead people and others think he is weird. He meets his other weird friend Neil, who may be the funniest character in the movie, and his brother. Through a series of events the dead are raised from the gorund and Norman must find a way to stop the fury unleashed by a young witch.
If you’re into horror films and kids movies this is the perfect mix for you. Paranorman is very original and funny.
Some of the jokes in the film could be considered quite sexual for children’s movie. The film also features the first openly gay character in a kids film(at least that I’ve ever seen). I’m sure some parents may take issue with this. Needless to say this movie tried to push the envelope of what could be included in a kids movie.
The effects in the movie were well put together and thoughtful. There characters were quite likeable, and the direction was fantastic.
Thank you, Paranorman for allowing us to not go a full year without any decent kids movies.
Posted by Jon Franz
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08/14/12
The Campaign Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
The new Jay Roach comedy film, The Campaign, Will Ferrell and Zac Galifianakis play congressional candidates Cam Brady and Marty Huggins. Brady is the Bill Clinton character while Huggins is a much more effeminate version of every other character that Galifiankis has ever played.
While I do appreciate Galifianakis’ sense of comedy I am usually a little harder on Will Ferrell. Both were fine in this movie but nothing more.
The film follows their two politicians as they campaign against eachother and some hilarity is served up(including a highly publicized scene of Ferrell punching a baby)
The film is not a high point for anyone’s career overall, but brings a half-decent comedy into a slightly more serious summer Blockbuster season.
The strange thing about this film is there’s not really a ton to say about it because it is so mediocre that it didn’t really have high points or low points. It just kind of coasts.
Posted by Jon Franz
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08/14/12
While I do appreciate Galifianakis’ sense of comedy I am usually a little harder on Will Ferrell. Both were fine in this movie but nothing more.
The film follows their two politicians as they campaign against eachother and some hilarity is served up(including a highly publicized scene of Ferrell punching a baby)
The film is not a high point for anyone’s career overall, but brings a half-decent comedy into a slightly more serious summer Blockbuster season.
The strange thing about this film is there’s not really a ton to say about it because it is so mediocre that it didn’t really have high points or low points. It just kind of coasts.
Posted by Jon Franz
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08/14/12
Jason Reviews The Dark Knight Rises
Dark Knight Rises Review
I have to start off by saying as much as I love comic books and love comic book movies, I am not a reader of DC and I am not specifically a huge fan of Batman. I respect the character but never read the books. That all being said I enjoyed this movie. I thought Nolan did a great job finishing off his trilogy the way he wanted to. There are no doubts that this is a trilogy, and that all 3 films fit together. Christian Bale was great once again as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Anne Hathaway stole all of her scenes as Selena Kyle. Bane was a force of nature, and Tom Hardy played him well. Gary Oldman was fabulous again as Commissioner Jim Gordon.
The story was slow a bit in the beginning, but then again I also found that in parts during The Dark Knight, so I knew not to hold that against Nolan. He wanted to make the slow burn and build up to the great finale. The acting was as it always is with Nolan films, top notch. The story was good and the directing fantastic. This movie had a bit more of a feel of a Comic Book movie than The Dark Knight did. Although in total I don’t think Batman gets much screen time. The film picks up 8 years after the end of The Dark Knight, and Batman has gone into hiding. He isn’t needed anymore because the streets are now clean of crime thanks to the Harvey Dent Act. Bruce Wayne hasn’t taken this well and he is a beaten up, shut in, recluse.
I don’t want to give much away so I will stop talking about it there. I do think that fans of Batman will love this movie and I do think that fans of the Nolan films will love this movie. I will need another viewing of it to see if I enjoy it more than I did The Dark Knight. My overall rating is a 8.5 out of 10.
Posted by Jason Revington
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07/23/12
I have to start off by saying as much as I love comic books and love comic book movies, I am not a reader of DC and I am not specifically a huge fan of Batman. I respect the character but never read the books. That all being said I enjoyed this movie. I thought Nolan did a great job finishing off his trilogy the way he wanted to. There are no doubts that this is a trilogy, and that all 3 films fit together. Christian Bale was great once again as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Anne Hathaway stole all of her scenes as Selena Kyle. Bane was a force of nature, and Tom Hardy played him well. Gary Oldman was fabulous again as Commissioner Jim Gordon.
The story was slow a bit in the beginning, but then again I also found that in parts during The Dark Knight, so I knew not to hold that against Nolan. He wanted to make the slow burn and build up to the great finale. The acting was as it always is with Nolan films, top notch. The story was good and the directing fantastic. This movie had a bit more of a feel of a Comic Book movie than The Dark Knight did. Although in total I don’t think Batman gets much screen time. The film picks up 8 years after the end of The Dark Knight, and Batman has gone into hiding. He isn’t needed anymore because the streets are now clean of crime thanks to the Harvey Dent Act. Bruce Wayne hasn’t taken this well and he is a beaten up, shut in, recluse.
I don’t want to give much away so I will stop talking about it there. I do think that fans of Batman will love this movie and I do think that fans of the Nolan films will love this movie. I will need another viewing of it to see if I enjoy it more than I did The Dark Knight. My overall rating is a 8.5 out of 10.
Posted by Jason Revington
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07/23/12
The Dark Knight Rises Review
Rating: 8.5/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
Christopher Nolan… a man who deserves all the praise he can get. Not only has he given us one of the best trilogies of all time, he gave us perhaps the best superhero film series of all time as well. His latest and final journey into the world of the Batman feels like a different movie altogether and differentiates itself from the first to. This is necessary due to the time gap between this film and the previous installment. Eight years have gone by since the events of The Dark Knight.
Nolan’s action sequences are spectacular to watch, so just sit back and enjoy.
The plot is generally well thought out with a few mistakes here and there but if you can get passed that then you are set to be in awe of the movie. It does however, move a little slow in the beginning in order to build up to the action in the last half of the movie.
Now let’s discuss the actor’s performances, starting with Batman/Bruce Wayne himself.
Christian Bale delivers the same quality of performance as he did in the two previous installments. He makes a fine Batman and Bruce Wayne and is probably closest cast to the character than any other previous Batman actor. His performance was nothing to be in awe of but still good.
Gary Oldman, who plays Comissioner Gordon is still excellent, although his character seems less heroic than he was in The Dark Knight. Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, Wayne Enterprises’ CEO and Bruce Wayne’s personal artillery manager. He is very good as well. Michael Caine, who plays Alfred, on the other hand…. is one of the most excellent parts of the movie, he brings much of it’s emotional depth.
Tom Hardy plays the new villain Bane to a good degree. Unfortunately, some of his excellent performance seems to be hindered by the mask that his character wears, which makes him difficult to understand at times.
Anne Hathaway plays Nolan’s version of Catwoman, with great success, although she is still not the defining Catwoman. She did a great job and like Michael Caine was one of the best parts of the movie.
Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate and fills the role perfectly as we all expected but her character has a few surprises in store.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a terrific role in this film as officer John Blake, who helps Batman to help the people of Gotham City. His character also gives us a few surprises.
This movie brings the series full circle and is one of the greatest third movies in a series. Thank you Christopher Nolan for taking the adventure with us and deciding that a third film was worth doing.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/22/12
Nolan’s action sequences are spectacular to watch, so just sit back and enjoy.
The plot is generally well thought out with a few mistakes here and there but if you can get passed that then you are set to be in awe of the movie. It does however, move a little slow in the beginning in order to build up to the action in the last half of the movie.
Now let’s discuss the actor’s performances, starting with Batman/Bruce Wayne himself.
Christian Bale delivers the same quality of performance as he did in the two previous installments. He makes a fine Batman and Bruce Wayne and is probably closest cast to the character than any other previous Batman actor. His performance was nothing to be in awe of but still good.
Gary Oldman, who plays Comissioner Gordon is still excellent, although his character seems less heroic than he was in The Dark Knight. Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, Wayne Enterprises’ CEO and Bruce Wayne’s personal artillery manager. He is very good as well. Michael Caine, who plays Alfred, on the other hand…. is one of the most excellent parts of the movie, he brings much of it’s emotional depth.
Tom Hardy plays the new villain Bane to a good degree. Unfortunately, some of his excellent performance seems to be hindered by the mask that his character wears, which makes him difficult to understand at times.
Anne Hathaway plays Nolan’s version of Catwoman, with great success, although she is still not the defining Catwoman. She did a great job and like Michael Caine was one of the best parts of the movie.
Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate and fills the role perfectly as we all expected but her character has a few surprises in store.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a terrific role in this film as officer John Blake, who helps Batman to help the people of Gotham City. His character also gives us a few surprises.
This movie brings the series full circle and is one of the greatest third movies in a series. Thank you Christopher Nolan for taking the adventure with us and deciding that a third film was worth doing.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/22/12
The Amazing Spider-Man Review
Rating: 6/10
Excitement rating before film: 6/10
I want to start my review by saying that this take on Spider-Man was not my friendly neighborhood Spider-man. He was actually a bit jerky. If Andrew Garfield got one thing right in his portrayal of the character it was most definitely Spidey’s sense of humour.
Other than that I would like to say that the film lacked bewilderment. There was no “Holy sh** I have spider powers” element to it. Another thing it lacked was the depth defying webslinging that Spider-Man is known for which bring such wonder and amazement to the franchise.
Let’s talk about casting. Andrew Garfield makes for a great Spider-Man but is not the Peter Parker I know and love. Denis Leary does a wonderful job as Captain Stacy. Oh and Martin Sheen was a half-decent Uncle Ben although he didn’t fit the role perfectly like Cliff Robertson. To say that Uncle Ben’s death in this movie was not as prominent as it should have been is an understatement.
Perhaps the worst casting came in the form of Sally Field as Peter’s Aunt May. She looks NOTHING like her and as great as Sally Field is she wasn’t right for the part. Rhys Ifans plays the underwhelming Dr. Curt Connors/ The Lizard. Perhaps the worst part for me is that The Lizard was one of my favourite villains in the comics and I hated him in the movie.
Now it’s time to give the movie some credit where it is due.
Emma Stone proved me wrong when I said I thought she was wrong for the part of Gwen Stacy. She was terrific and one of the best parts of the film. She and Garflied had amazing chemistry.
The film did have humourous moments but was much too dark in tone for a Spider-Man movie.
Also I did enjoy the build up to the potential inclusion of the Green Goblin in future installments.
Overall I’m not overly pleased with The Amazing Spider-Man. As a movie it was okay but it’s not the tale of Spider-Man as far as I’m concerned.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/22/12
Other than that I would like to say that the film lacked bewilderment. There was no “Holy sh** I have spider powers” element to it. Another thing it lacked was the depth defying webslinging that Spider-Man is known for which bring such wonder and amazement to the franchise.
Let’s talk about casting. Andrew Garfield makes for a great Spider-Man but is not the Peter Parker I know and love. Denis Leary does a wonderful job as Captain Stacy. Oh and Martin Sheen was a half-decent Uncle Ben although he didn’t fit the role perfectly like Cliff Robertson. To say that Uncle Ben’s death in this movie was not as prominent as it should have been is an understatement.
Perhaps the worst casting came in the form of Sally Field as Peter’s Aunt May. She looks NOTHING like her and as great as Sally Field is she wasn’t right for the part. Rhys Ifans plays the underwhelming Dr. Curt Connors/ The Lizard. Perhaps the worst part for me is that The Lizard was one of my favourite villains in the comics and I hated him in the movie.
Now it’s time to give the movie some credit where it is due.
Emma Stone proved me wrong when I said I thought she was wrong for the part of Gwen Stacy. She was terrific and one of the best parts of the film. She and Garflied had amazing chemistry.
The film did have humourous moments but was much too dark in tone for a Spider-Man movie.
Also I did enjoy the build up to the potential inclusion of the Green Goblin in future installments.
Overall I’m not overly pleased with The Amazing Spider-Man. As a movie it was okay but it’s not the tale of Spider-Man as far as I’m concerned.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/22/12
Magic Mike Review
You would think that I wouldn’t really enjoy a movie about male strippers, but you would be wrong. This movie was actually very good. It was a drama with elements of comedy sort of a modern day Boogie Nights. Starring Channing Tatum, Matthew Mcconaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, Olivia Munn, Adam Rodriguez, Riley Keough (Elvis Grand Daughter) and Cody Horn. The movie is set in Tampa Bay and revolves around an All Male Strip Club. Magic Mike is the star, Dallas is the owner and the man that wants to take their show to Miami. The newbie to the group is Adam aka The Kid. There is a lot of eye candy for both those that are into men and those that are into women. Cody Horn is the female lead and she is kind of cute but she scowls her way through the whole movie. This film is probably the best that Channing Tatum has acted so far. The directing by Steven Soderbergh is very good. The screenplay was well written and for the most part the cast was fantastic. I am not a fan of Alex Pettyfer but the guy actually acted very well in this film. I would recommend this film to most people, although prudes need not apply.
Jason’s review 8 out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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07/03/12
Review of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
I had not read the book that this movie was based on. I was intrigued by the concept and I enjoyed the director, Timur Bekmambetoy previous film Wanted. I was intrigued how they would blend the Abe Lincoln we know with that of a Vampire slayer. Overall I enjoyed the film, there was one scene with horses that almost spoiled the film for me due to it’s complete and utter lack of realism. So the film stars Benjamin Walker as Abe Lincoln, Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturgess, Anthony Mackie as Will Johnson, Mary Elisabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, Rufus Sewel as Adam and Alan Tudyk as Stephen A. Douglas. I really enjoyed the ending of this film. And the action scenes were pretty good. I would give this film a 7 out of 10.
Posted by Jason Revington
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06/30/12
Posted by Jason Revington
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06/30/12
Rock of Ages Rock
Jason’s Review of Rock of Ages
Set in the year 1987 in Los Angeles, California Rock of Ages is Hair Band fantastic. You see I grew up in this generation and I loved the hair band music. This movie stars Julianna Hough as Sherrie the small town girl with a dream and Diego Boneta as Drew the bar back who wants to be a rock star. The setting for the musical is The Bourbon Room a popular Rock Bar on the Strip in Hollywood. Friday Night will be the big Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) Concert and Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) really needs it to do well to pay off his taxes, his best mate Lonny manages the bar. All the while the Mayor Whitmore (Bryan Cranston) and his wife Patricia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) want to shut down the Bourbon Room for good. The story is pretty simple but is well done and the music fits it amazingly. I definitely want to see this film again. I was singing along with the songs and playing Air Guitar in my seat. The songs are from such artists as Bon Jovi, Journey, Foreigner, Gun’s N Roses, Poison, White Snake, The Scorpions, Pat Benatar, Night Ranger, Twisted Sister and REO Speedwagon. Tom Cruise stole the movie, he was absolutely believable as Stacee Jaxx. In my personal opinion I think he should at least be nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal. Unfortunately the movie hasn’t done that well commercially and the reviews have been mediocre. I myself loved the movie and think anyone who likes the mid to late 80’s music will also like the movie.
Jason’s Review 8.5 out of 10
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Posted by Jason
06/22/12
Rock Of Ages Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Rock Of Ages follows a group of young rock n’ rollers as they strive to keep rock alive as the struggle to live their lives.
Starring Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman, Paul Giamatti, and Tom Cruise as rock star Stacee Jaxx, Rock Of Ages allows for a fun time at the movies. The soundtrack is well done. The film is hilarious at various points.
One thing I would like to mention is that as much as I don’t care for Tom Cruise or Russell Brand they were two of the best things this movie had going for them. Tom Cruise definitely lost himself in the role of bad-ass rock star while Russell Brand was utterly hilarious.
The one downfall the film has is it’s thin plot. This is however usually expected in the musical genre.
If you are looking to have fun and sing along without paying the cost of attending a live rock concert, Rock Of Ages is the next best thing.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/22/12
Starring Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman, Paul Giamatti, and Tom Cruise as rock star Stacee Jaxx, Rock Of Ages allows for a fun time at the movies. The soundtrack is well done. The film is hilarious at various points.
One thing I would like to mention is that as much as I don’t care for Tom Cruise or Russell Brand they were two of the best things this movie had going for them. Tom Cruise definitely lost himself in the role of bad-ass rock star while Russell Brand was utterly hilarious.
The one downfall the film has is it’s thin plot. This is however usually expected in the musical genre.
If you are looking to have fun and sing along without paying the cost of attending a live rock concert, Rock Of Ages is the next best thing.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/22/12
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer return as our furry animated buddies in Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. Unfortunately the main cast of this film hardly made me laugh. The enjoyment comes from the supporting characters like the lemurs and the penguins as was the case in previous installments. Some laughs also come in the form of an animal control officer from France, who is quite hilarious.
The film is a great outing for the kids and the adults may get some fun out of it as well.
This movie seemed to be one that was actually visually enhanced by the 3D effect. It is colorful, vibrant, and high-spirited.
Madagascar 3 was a standard-issue family film and that’s all it strives to be so the filmmakers accomplished what they set out to do: entertain the kids and like-minded adults.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/12/12
The film is a great outing for the kids and the adults may get some fun out of it as well.
This movie seemed to be one that was actually visually enhanced by the 3D effect. It is colorful, vibrant, and high-spirited.
Madagascar 3 was a standard-issue family film and that’s all it strives to be so the filmmakers accomplished what they set out to do: entertain the kids and like-minded adults.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/12/12
Prometheus Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
Excellent science fiction! That is exactly what Prometheus is.
Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel is wonderfully written, directed, and acted out by set of more-than-capable filmmakers.
The movie looks dazzling and has quite a compelling story, and acts as a great lead-up to one of the biggest franchises in the history of sci-fi.
The actors all play their roles well, especially Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron(who doesn’t quite get as much screen time as one would hope).
Prometheus is an entertaining journey to discover the beginnings of mankind that doesn’t disappoint. This review has been short due to the fact that there really is nothing about this film to really take issue with. Well done Mr. Scott.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/09/12
Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel is wonderfully written, directed, and acted out by set of more-than-capable filmmakers.
The movie looks dazzling and has quite a compelling story, and acts as a great lead-up to one of the biggest franchises in the history of sci-fi.
The actors all play their roles well, especially Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron(who doesn’t quite get as much screen time as one would hope).
Prometheus is an entertaining journey to discover the beginnings of mankind that doesn’t disappoint. This review has been short due to the fact that there really is nothing about this film to really take issue with. Well done Mr. Scott.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/09/12
Snow White And The Huntsman Review
Rating: 4/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Anyone who was expecting Charlize Theron to be FANTASTIC in this movie were completely correct! Unfortunately, that may be all this film has going for it other than it’s dark tone.
Snow White And The Huntsman is, for the most part, completely forgettable. With the exception of the evil queen, not any one character, despite the fact that most are portrayed by capable actors, is entertaining.
And now for the most dreadful aspect of the movie: Kristen Stewart’s “acting”. This girl needs to be banished from filmmaking for the rest of her life. I’m sorry but she wore the same stupid face for the whole film, despite all the outrageous things her character had gone through.
Any love story that was supposed to be developed throughout the film seemed to be missing completely.
And finally any film where Kristen Stewart is supposed to be called “fairer” than Charlize Theron will most definitely be flawed. It’s too bad I didn’t realize this before sitting through the snooze-fest that was Snow White And The Huntsman.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/04/12
Snow White And The Huntsman is, for the most part, completely forgettable. With the exception of the evil queen, not any one character, despite the fact that most are portrayed by capable actors, is entertaining.
And now for the most dreadful aspect of the movie: Kristen Stewart’s “acting”. This girl needs to be banished from filmmaking for the rest of her life. I’m sorry but she wore the same stupid face for the whole film, despite all the outrageous things her character had gone through.
Any love story that was supposed to be developed throughout the film seemed to be missing completely.
And finally any film where Kristen Stewart is supposed to be called “fairer” than Charlize Theron will most definitely be flawed. It’s too bad I didn’t realize this before sitting through the snooze-fest that was Snow White And The Huntsman.
Posted by Jon Franz
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06/04/12
Review Battleship
If you are looking to go see a mindless, fun, summer popcorn movie then this is right up your alley. If you are looking to be moved, awed and changed by a film, this one ain’t it. Peter Berg’s Battleship based on the Hasboro Board Game, is another popcorn summer flick with a bunch of action pieces and some rousing fun scenes. It won’t be winning Oscars, it won’t be starting debates about whether that robot car or that robot plane looked like the original design on television. The Board Game as far as I can remember had nothing to do with an alien invasion, this movie does. This was reminiscent of Independence Day and Armageddon. It wasn’t nearly as good as either film but it was going for that under dogs up against something bigger than themselves. The cast led by Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgard was pretty unremarkable. I am a big Kitsch fan first off because he was in Friday Night Lights the Television show, secondly the cat is Canadian. But in this it was like he was playing a watered down version of Tim Riggins. Alexander Skarsgard was rather amusing as Kitsch’s older brother. Rihanna also a star was actually pretty good in this. She also was damn cute as hell. I love me some Rihanna. Liam Neeson was pretty much phoning in his performance but he still did great. Brooklyn Decker looked gorgeous and also was pretty good considering she started out as a model. I only recommend this film to those that enjoy fun action flicks.
My rating 7 out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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05/25/12
My rating 7 out of 10
Posted by Jason Revington
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05/25/12
Dark Shadows Review
Rating: 6/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are at it again! While I love both of them, I do wish that they would take a break from one another. With that being said, when I saw the trailer for Dark Shadows I thought it was something quite refreshing.
After watching the final film, which is based off of the soap opera which ran from 1966-1971, I will say it was definitely entertaining. Although, it starts off kind of boring the second half makes up for it. The movie is whitty and fun. Depp, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, and Michelle Pfeiffer all give great performances in the film.
The movie is not perfect by any means, but it serves as a good time out at the movies. The comedy in the film helps to save it from it’s mediocre plot. Oh, and of course it may soon be another one of Burton’s cult classics.
Posted by Jon Franz
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05/07/12
After watching the final film, which is based off of the soap opera which ran from 1966-1971, I will say it was definitely entertaining. Although, it starts off kind of boring the second half makes up for it. The movie is whitty and fun. Depp, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, and Michelle Pfeiffer all give great performances in the film.
The movie is not perfect by any means, but it serves as a good time out at the movies. The comedy in the film helps to save it from it’s mediocre plot. Oh, and of course it may soon be another one of Burton’s cult classics.
Posted by Jon Franz
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05/07/12
The Avengers Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 9/10
The Avengers was most definitely an exciting film. Some of the best superheroes come together in the film to form an amazing team of more than competent saviors.
The teams includes Iron Man(Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America(Chris Evans), Thor(Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk(Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow(Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye(Jeremy Renner). I felt that all these characters got adequate screen time and most of them, other than Thor seemed to have adequate development. Thor’s lack of story was what disappointed me most.
The plot was simple but fun. There are enough one-liners to go around and these characters play off of each other very well.
The first half of the film seems a little slow paced but once it finally gets around to more of the excellent action sequences it speeds up and you won’t want to stop watching.
The film was a well-written and directed popcorn flick by Buffy creator, Joss Whedon. There is a lot of great comedic moments in the film. Unfortunately for me, I felt, unlike most, that this film was not the greatest superhero movie of all time, although it does rank quite high up on the list.
Posted by Jon Franz
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05/07/12
The teams includes Iron Man(Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America(Chris Evans), Thor(Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk(Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow(Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye(Jeremy Renner). I felt that all these characters got adequate screen time and most of them, other than Thor seemed to have adequate development. Thor’s lack of story was what disappointed me most.
The plot was simple but fun. There are enough one-liners to go around and these characters play off of each other very well.
The first half of the film seems a little slow paced but once it finally gets around to more of the excellent action sequences it speeds up and you won’t want to stop watching.
The film was a well-written and directed popcorn flick by Buffy creator, Joss Whedon. There is a lot of great comedic moments in the film. Unfortunately for me, I felt, unlike most, that this film was not the greatest superhero movie of all time, although it does rank quite high up on the list.
Posted by Jon Franz
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05/07/12
Jason’s The Avengers review
Jason’s The Avengers review
I will not include any spoilers in this review. I will just comment on what I thought of the film. I absolutely loved this film. I loved every aspect from opening credits to the extra scene before the screen went black. I think Joss Whedon hit on every note and gave every character a fair chance to shine. And shine they did. This is not just a Popcorn flick this movie actually has heart. You root for these characters. You care if characters live or die. You care if they succeed at their task. I think people of all ages can see this movie. I think fans of the comic books will absolutely love this movie to death. I am an avid Marvel reader and Avengers (Mighty, New, Secret) are probably my favourite reads, and they got each character right. The Universe that Marvel Films has built up has now become my favourite universe in film. It has surpassed The Star Wars universe and surpassed The Lord of the Ring universe. There are so many points in this film that I totally geeked out. But as I said I will not spoil them, if you do wish to discuss this with my look me up on Facebook or Twitter (@jasonrevington). I will say that I love everything Joss Whedon has done in his career to varying degrees but this was his Crown Jewel, His 5th Symphony, his Mona Lisa, his Cosmic Cube! I will continue to Pray to that Alter of Whedon, and am thankful that Marvel Studios chose him to make this film. I will not only say that this is the best Marvel Studios film by far, but this is also the Best Comic Book movie period. This movie was so good that if I were a Cineplex Employee I would have a name tag that says Jason and under it The Avengers. I have never been able to say a favourite movie before because I have always loved Sagas. Be it Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or even Rocky. Now I can say a definitive film that I found flawless. For film geeks they will say Citizen Kane, Casablanca or Gone With the Wind. Some will say The Godfathers or Pulp Fiction. I have love for those movies, but this movie was for me. This is my genre and it was done perfectly. I have seen the movie 3 times now and intend to see it again tonight with my father. I remember when I was but a child my father took me to a double bill of Star Wars A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. I am finally able after all these years to be able to bring him to a movie of the same quality.
Jason’s Score 10/10 Flawless Victory
Jason’s Expectation 8.5/10 Boy was I wrong
Posted by Jason Revington
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05/07/12
I will not include any spoilers in this review. I will just comment on what I thought of the film. I absolutely loved this film. I loved every aspect from opening credits to the extra scene before the screen went black. I think Joss Whedon hit on every note and gave every character a fair chance to shine. And shine they did. This is not just a Popcorn flick this movie actually has heart. You root for these characters. You care if characters live or die. You care if they succeed at their task. I think people of all ages can see this movie. I think fans of the comic books will absolutely love this movie to death. I am an avid Marvel reader and Avengers (Mighty, New, Secret) are probably my favourite reads, and they got each character right. The Universe that Marvel Films has built up has now become my favourite universe in film. It has surpassed The Star Wars universe and surpassed The Lord of the Ring universe. There are so many points in this film that I totally geeked out. But as I said I will not spoil them, if you do wish to discuss this with my look me up on Facebook or Twitter (@jasonrevington). I will say that I love everything Joss Whedon has done in his career to varying degrees but this was his Crown Jewel, His 5th Symphony, his Mona Lisa, his Cosmic Cube! I will continue to Pray to that Alter of Whedon, and am thankful that Marvel Studios chose him to make this film. I will not only say that this is the best Marvel Studios film by far, but this is also the Best Comic Book movie period. This movie was so good that if I were a Cineplex Employee I would have a name tag that says Jason and under it The Avengers. I have never been able to say a favourite movie before because I have always loved Sagas. Be it Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or even Rocky. Now I can say a definitive film that I found flawless. For film geeks they will say Citizen Kane, Casablanca or Gone With the Wind. Some will say The Godfathers or Pulp Fiction. I have love for those movies, but this movie was for me. This is my genre and it was done perfectly. I have seen the movie 3 times now and intend to see it again tonight with my father. I remember when I was but a child my father took me to a double bill of Star Wars A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. I am finally able after all these years to be able to bring him to a movie of the same quality.
Jason’s Score 10/10 Flawless Victory
Jason’s Expectation 8.5/10 Boy was I wrong
Posted by Jason Revington
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05/07/12
The Cabin In The Woods Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
The Cabin In The Woods is a horror movie that does not seem to be made for the sheer fact of scaring it’s audience. What it gives them, instead of the usual jump scenes and gory deaths, is an overwhelming amount of paranormal happenings.
The film attempts to deconstruct the horror genre as a whole, much like Scream did back in 1996. The major difference was that, this film was less effective in doing so.
That being said, Cabin does have it’s merits: a likeable cast of would-be victims, a crazy underground workforce who are the major antagonists of the film(who are semi-reminiscent of The Initiative in co-writer Joss Whedon’s hit television series Buffy The Vampire Slayer), and plenty of laughs to go around. Oh, and did I mention an ending that is so utterly fun that it makes up entirely for the underwhelming second-act. Fans of old and new horror movies will enjoy the film.
Fans of the horror-comedy sub-genre will most likely definitely love the film as it has almost the same feel to it as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead Trilogy and Drag Me To Hell.
Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard worked very well together on this one.
Posted by Jon Franz
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04/21/12
The film attempts to deconstruct the horror genre as a whole, much like Scream did back in 1996. The major difference was that, this film was less effective in doing so.
That being said, Cabin does have it’s merits: a likeable cast of would-be victims, a crazy underground workforce who are the major antagonists of the film(who are semi-reminiscent of The Initiative in co-writer Joss Whedon’s hit television series Buffy The Vampire Slayer), and plenty of laughs to go around. Oh, and did I mention an ending that is so utterly fun that it makes up entirely for the underwhelming second-act. Fans of old and new horror movies will enjoy the film.
Fans of the horror-comedy sub-genre will most likely definitely love the film as it has almost the same feel to it as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead Trilogy and Drag Me To Hell.
Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard worked very well together on this one.
Posted by Jon Franz
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04/21/12
American Reunion Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 9/10
Wow! What a reunion that was!
The whole cast from the original American Pie film returns after the franchise took a nine-year break(other than the horrible spin-off movies) and they still continued to amuse me.
This film made me feel old but in a good way. It was great to see the old gang again. Jason Biggs, Alysson Hannigan, Seann William Scott were all hilarious in the film. But I think Eugene Levy deserves some credit as well.
The film, once again deals with the issues of growing older. As individuals the group has trouble adjusting to grown-up life but that soon fades away as they are reunited and fighting with the new generation. Oh, and the sexual escapades continue to be embarrassing yet hilarious.
Thank god this film was not a disaster.
Well done!
Posted by Jon Franz
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04/10/12
The whole cast from the original American Pie film returns after the franchise took a nine-year break(other than the horrible spin-off movies) and they still continued to amuse me.
This film made me feel old but in a good way. It was great to see the old gang again. Jason Biggs, Alysson Hannigan, Seann William Scott were all hilarious in the film. But I think Eugene Levy deserves some credit as well.
The film, once again deals with the issues of growing older. As individuals the group has trouble adjusting to grown-up life but that soon fades away as they are reunited and fighting with the new generation. Oh, and the sexual escapades continue to be embarrassing yet hilarious.
Thank god this film was not a disaster.
Well done!
Posted by Jon Franz
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04/10/12
Wrath Of The Titans Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Wrath Of The Titans
is a bit of an improvement on the 2010 remake Clash Of The Titans. The reasons for this being that the special
effects were much better, the acting seemed better, and overall it was just
more epic.
While Wrath does not have a lot of scenes that define it, it does strive to make every scene better than what we got in the first outing.
Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson also seemed to be a bit more into their involvement in the sequel. Oh, and did I mention Liam was also quite badass when he wasn’t being held prisoner.
In this film we also get to see the Minotaur, which has always been one of my favorite parts of Greek mythology.
Thank you director Jonathan Liebesman for giving us a sequel that was at least somewhat worthwhile.
Posted by Jon Franz
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03/31/12
While Wrath does not have a lot of scenes that define it, it does strive to make every scene better than what we got in the first outing.
Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson also seemed to be a bit more into their involvement in the sequel. Oh, and did I mention Liam was also quite badass when he wasn’t being held prisoner.
In this film we also get to see the Minotaur, which has always been one of my favorite parts of Greek mythology.
Thank you director Jonathan Liebesman for giving us a sequel that was at least somewhat worthwhile.
Posted by Jon Franz
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03/31/12
21 Jump Street Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Having never watched the original I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film. All the trailers that I saw looked awesome and that’s why I decided to see the movie.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play Jenko and Schmidt in this comedy about two incompetent, best-friend police officers who are undercover at a high school to find the supplier of a new drug that is making it’s way through the student body.
The movie is hilarious, due to the work of both Hill and Tatum. Had any other actors taken their places I don’t know if the film would be as entertaining as they seem to be a fantastic comic duo.
21 Jump Street features lots of action sequences, which are quite enthralling. It is very fast paced with lots of comic relief.
Perhaps one of the best things about this reboot is the fact that it actually admits to be being a reboot.
This film is a pure popcorn flick and should be treated as such.
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03/17/12
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play Jenko and Schmidt in this comedy about two incompetent, best-friend police officers who are undercover at a high school to find the supplier of a new drug that is making it’s way through the student body.
The movie is hilarious, due to the work of both Hill and Tatum. Had any other actors taken their places I don’t know if the film would be as entertaining as they seem to be a fantastic comic duo.
21 Jump Street features lots of action sequences, which are quite enthralling. It is very fast paced with lots of comic relief.
Perhaps one of the best things about this reboot is the fact that it actually admits to be being a reboot.
This film is a pure popcorn flick and should be treated as such.
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03/17/12
The Lorax Review
Rating: 6/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
The current adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ tale The Lorax seemed to have some potential after watching the trailers for the film. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations.
While it delivers the important message about saving the environment and the negative side of commercialism, the film doesn’t fully deliver the entertainment that is expected.
That’s not to say the film doesn’t have some things going for it. The cast members, including Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, Betty White, and Danny DeVito(as The Lorax), all voice their respective characters well.
The Lorax lagged at moments. This was it’s biggest downfall. There are enough cute and fuzzy characters to keep the kids occupied though. Overall the film was mediocre and if you are expecting to get everything that you got from the book or the 1972 TV version you will probably be disappointed.
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03/03/12
While it delivers the important message about saving the environment and the negative side of commercialism, the film doesn’t fully deliver the entertainment that is expected.
That’s not to say the film doesn’t have some things going for it. The cast members, including Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, Betty White, and Danny DeVito(as The Lorax), all voice their respective characters well.
The Lorax lagged at moments. This was it’s biggest downfall. There are enough cute and fuzzy characters to keep the kids occupied though. Overall the film was mediocre and if you are expecting to get everything that you got from the book or the 1972 TV version you will probably be disappointed.
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03/03/12
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Most people seemed to walk into Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance this weekend thinking, “why did they make a second one, the first was not spectacular and didn’t warrant a sequel.” This film actually ended up being better than it’s predecessor.
The reason this is true is mainly because the action scenes were a lot longer and much more entertaining than the first. The devil returns as the main villain to this film although he creates a super-villain out of Ray Carrigan(Johnny Whitworth) who is a lot more menacing than the original film’s flunkies.
Once again, the downfall of the film probably comes with it’s lead actor, Nicolas Cage who plays Johnny Blaze(The Ghost Rider). I will never understand why he was ever given this role but at least he doesn’t completely ruin the film.
While, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance is not the greatest film, it is a vast improvement on the original film.
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02/19/12
The reason this is true is mainly because the action scenes were a lot longer and much more entertaining than the first. The devil returns as the main villain to this film although he creates a super-villain out of Ray Carrigan(Johnny Whitworth) who is a lot more menacing than the original film’s flunkies.
Once again, the downfall of the film probably comes with it’s lead actor, Nicolas Cage who plays Johnny Blaze(The Ghost Rider). I will never understand why he was ever given this role but at least he doesn’t completely ruin the film.
While, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance is not the greatest film, it is a vast improvement on the original film.
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02/19/12
Chronicle Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
Chronicle should best be regarded as a pure popcorn movie. There is quite a bit of action and just enough story to not leave you bored. The found-footage film follows three friends Andrew, Matt(Andrew’s cousin), and Steve who all discover that they have super powers(most notably telekinesis) after they find a mysterious object in the ground.
Andrew is a bit of a misfit and has issues at home, leading him to abuse his powers and harm people.
The technical aspects of the film were pulled off very nicely, especially in the last twenty minutes of the film. The acting was quite convincing especially on actor Dane DeHaan’s(Andrew) part.
It’s not easy to hate Chronicle if you have a love for superhero movies or comic books.
Andrew is a bit of a misfit and has issues at home, leading him to abuse his powers and harm people.
The technical aspects of the film were pulled off very nicely, especially in the last twenty minutes of the film. The acting was quite convincing especially on actor Dane DeHaan’s(Andrew) part.
It’s not easy to hate Chronicle if you have a love for superhero movies or comic books.
Underworld: Awakening Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
To say Kate Beckinsale returns to the Underworld franchise with a bang is an understatement. After appearing only briefly at the end of the series’ prequel, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans she is back in full form to kick some human and Lycan ass. The movie starts off with a tremendous action sequence and doesn’t let up until after the credits.
The story tended to carry the franchise even further in a direction that feels somewhat new although stayed true to the universe in which the other films took place.
The acting was great. It was nothing spectacular but nothing to worry about.
The technical and special effects were brilliantly executed.
Underworld: Awakening is an excellent installment in the series and is ideal for anyone who enjoyed the previous three films.
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01/28/12
The story tended to carry the franchise even further in a direction that feels somewhat new although stayed true to the universe in which the other films took place.
The acting was great. It was nothing spectacular but nothing to worry about.
The technical and special effects were brilliantly executed.
Underworld: Awakening is an excellent installment in the series and is ideal for anyone who enjoyed the previous three films.
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01/28/12
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Review
Rating: 5/10
Excitement rating before film: 4/10
Ok so Breaking Dawn was only bad for about two thirds of the movie(the first two thirds unfortunately).
The first third of the film was like watching teenagers make out in an amusement park while you wait three hours in line waiting for something to happen. The second third also features a whole lot of nothing after Bella(Kristen Stewart) discovers she is pregnant with Edward’s(Robert Pattinson) demon baby while Jacob(Taylor Lautner) does the whole jealous annoying thing.
The last third of the film is somewhat eventful as the werewolves and vampires somewhat fight it out and Bella finally has the damn baby and becomes a vampire.
Kristen Stewart’s acting was horrible as usual while everyone else was ok.
I suggest only seeing this film if you are a fan of the books. Or if you are interested in seeing Kristen Stewart start to look like the Crypt Keeper.
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12/03/11
The first third of the film was like watching teenagers make out in an amusement park while you wait three hours in line waiting for something to happen. The second third also features a whole lot of nothing after Bella(Kristen Stewart) discovers she is pregnant with Edward’s(Robert Pattinson) demon baby while Jacob(Taylor Lautner) does the whole jealous annoying thing.
The last third of the film is somewhat eventful as the werewolves and vampires somewhat fight it out and Bella finally has the damn baby and becomes a vampire.
Kristen Stewart’s acting was horrible as usual while everyone else was ok.
I suggest only seeing this film if you are a fan of the books. Or if you are interested in seeing Kristen Stewart start to look like the Crypt Keeper.
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12/03/11
The Muppets Review
Rating: 10/10
Excitement rating before film: 9/10
Wow. Jason Segel actually did it! He brought back the muppets and did it well! With a new muppet, Walter, making his first appearance one would think that without the help of Jim Henson it would be a huge risk but they puled it off nicely.
Segel and his human co-star Amy Adams are both spectacular in this film. The music was all fantastic as well, especially the opening song “Life’s A Happy Song”. We also get to re-live old favorites such as “The Rainbow Connection” and “The Muppet Show Theme”.
We finally get to see the old gang again, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Ralph and many others who provide non-stop laughs.
Finally we also got another of awesome cameos including Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis, Jim Parsons, Whoopi Goldberg, Sarah Silverman, Selena Gomez, Dave Grohl, Neil Patrick Harris, John Krasinski, and Mickey Rooney among others.
Jim Henson’s vision lives on through Jason Segel.
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11/24/11
Segel and his human co-star Amy Adams are both spectacular in this film. The music was all fantastic as well, especially the opening song “Life’s A Happy Song”. We also get to re-live old favorites such as “The Rainbow Connection” and “The Muppet Show Theme”.
We finally get to see the old gang again, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Ralph and many others who provide non-stop laughs.
Finally we also got another of awesome cameos including Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis, Jim Parsons, Whoopi Goldberg, Sarah Silverman, Selena Gomez, Dave Grohl, Neil Patrick Harris, John Krasinski, and Mickey Rooney among others.
Jim Henson’s vision lives on through Jason Segel.
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11/24/11
Immortals Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
Immortals was everything I hoped it would be:
1. Action-packed
2. Crazy visual effects
3. Lots of hotness
Mickey Rourke(The Wrestler) plays Hyperion who has his heart set on destroying the world, and does it brilliantly. Henry Cavill(next year’s superman) plays Thesius who is meant to defeat Hyperion without aid from the gods.
Lets get this straight, the main reason I enjoyed the film was the visual effects though. The acting was only really good on account of Mickey Rourke. The film doesn’t seem to let up for a minute. And that’s about all that needs to be said about it. A short review for sure but there really wasn’t much to complain about with this film.
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10/14/11
1. Action-packed
2. Crazy visual effects
3. Lots of hotness
Mickey Rourke(The Wrestler) plays Hyperion who has his heart set on destroying the world, and does it brilliantly. Henry Cavill(next year’s superman) plays Thesius who is meant to defeat Hyperion without aid from the gods.
Lets get this straight, the main reason I enjoyed the film was the visual effects though. The acting was only really good on account of Mickey Rourke. The film doesn’t seem to let up for a minute. And that’s about all that needs to be said about it. A short review for sure but there really wasn’t much to complain about with this film.
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10/14/11
Puss In Boots Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Antonio Banderas reprises his role as Puss In Boots in the Shrek spin-off titled after the character. He is joined by Salma Hayek as Kitty Soft Paws and Zach Galifianakis as Humpty Dumpty.
The movie was actually even better than I had hoped after two mediocre and almost forgettable entries in the Shrek series. Zach Galifianakis and Antonio Banderas bring lots of charm and comedy to the film that follows the ups and downs in their friendship.
There are also some more cute and cuddly characters such as the Golden Goose that show up in this film. The story manages to turn some children’s nursery rhyme characters into creepy and disgusting characters as well (Jack and Jill make an appearance).
Puss In Boots ends up being just under the original Shrek in terms of it’s rank in the franchise, putting it in 3rd place as Shrek 2 was easily the best.
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10/30/11
The movie was actually even better than I had hoped after two mediocre and almost forgettable entries in the Shrek series. Zach Galifianakis and Antonio Banderas bring lots of charm and comedy to the film that follows the ups and downs in their friendship.
There are also some more cute and cuddly characters such as the Golden Goose that show up in this film. The story manages to turn some children’s nursery rhyme characters into creepy and disgusting characters as well (Jack and Jill make an appearance).
Puss In Boots ends up being just under the original Shrek in terms of it’s rank in the franchise, putting it in 3rd place as Shrek 2 was easily the best.
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10/30/11
Paranormal Activity 3 Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Love it or hate it the Paranormal Activity franchise has once again hit theatres with Paranormal Activity 3. This third movie acts as a prequel to the previous films in the franchise.
Let’s talk about the pros of this film first.
1. The cast- Every character was at least somewhat likeable, including the child actors that portrayed Katie and Kristi.
2. There were quite a few good scares. Definitely some fun ones too.
3. The ending was quite well done, and introduced something new to the mythology.
Now the cons:
1. We never ended up being clear on what the antagonist’s real goal was.
2. The creepy Bloody Mary scene seemed out of place.
3. I’m not too sure how much longer this series can continue with the found-footage format, unless these characters somehow recorded every second of their lives from 1988 on.
Paranormal Activity 3 was a fun movie to sit and watch for pure creepy fun, although it probably won’t be good to watch again after you know everything that is going to happen.
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10/22/11
Let’s talk about the pros of this film first.
1. The cast- Every character was at least somewhat likeable, including the child actors that portrayed Katie and Kristi.
2. There were quite a few good scares. Definitely some fun ones too.
3. The ending was quite well done, and introduced something new to the mythology.
Now the cons:
1. We never ended up being clear on what the antagonist’s real goal was.
2. The creepy Bloody Mary scene seemed out of place.
3. I’m not too sure how much longer this series can continue with the found-footage format, unless these characters somehow recorded every second of their lives from 1988 on.
Paranormal Activity 3 was a fun movie to sit and watch for pure creepy fun, although it probably won’t be good to watch again after you know everything that is going to happen.
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10/22/11
The Thing Review
Rating: 5/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
The Thing seems to be more like a remake than a prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 remake of the horror classic. It seems as if the studio should have just said “Hey, let’s do a remake” because most of the major occurences in the film happen in the 1982 version.
The Thing(2011) was a decent film and captured the atmosphere of John Carpenter’s film, but desperately seems to be lacking something. The acting is fine although not brilliant by any means.
This film shows how CGI is not always superior over animatronics or even practical effects.
In closing, the film is worth a look but my leave you somewhat disappointed with itself.
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10/15/11
The Thing(2011) was a decent film and captured the atmosphere of John Carpenter’s film, but desperately seems to be lacking something. The acting is fine although not brilliant by any means.
This film shows how CGI is not always superior over animatronics or even practical effects.
In closing, the film is worth a look but my leave you somewhat disappointed with itself.
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10/15/11
Straw Dogs Review
Rating: 6/10
Excitement rating before film: 6/10
Straw Dogs stars James Marsden(X-Men), Alexander Skarsgard(True Blood), James Woods(John Carpenter’s Vampires), and Kate Bosworth(21) and is directed by Rod Lurie.
While James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgard, and James Woods all do a great job at portraying each of their characters, Kate Bosworth does not. And the film moves very slowly through a plot, which almost seems inexistant for the first hour.
The film is about a Hollywood couple who move back to Amy’s(Bosworth’s character) home town in hopes of getting some work done. Amy’s ex boyfriend Charlie(Skarsgard) and his crew of construction buddies are fixing their house and have their eye on Amy. The film leads to a murderous dispute.
Straw Dogs was not overly brutal or gory and still somewhat entertaining in the last 30 minutes. Other than that there is not much to say about this film.
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09/27/11
While James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgard, and James Woods all do a great job at portraying each of their characters, Kate Bosworth does not. And the film moves very slowly through a plot, which almost seems inexistant for the first hour.
The film is about a Hollywood couple who move back to Amy’s(Bosworth’s character) home town in hopes of getting some work done. Amy’s ex boyfriend Charlie(Skarsgard) and his crew of construction buddies are fixing their house and have their eye on Amy. The film leads to a murderous dispute.
Straw Dogs was not overly brutal or gory and still somewhat entertaining in the last 30 minutes. Other than that there is not much to say about this film.
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09/27/11
Contagion Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 5/10
Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion is a film that probably would have worked had there actually been some kind of motion in the second half of the film. The first half was fairly fast-paced and smart but then it all seems to fall apart.
The film has a great cast consisting of Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lawrence Fishburne, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Marion Cotillard, who are all perfect in their respective roles.
Contagion is about a virus that begins to infect people and how it spreads across the world. The CDC begins to track it and test cures for the disease. Jude Law’s character continually attempts to uncover a “conspiracy” that the CDC is not giving the public correct information. Marion Cotillard a representative of the WHO tries to figure out where the virus originated. Everyone else gradually deals with more personal issues that are presented by the spreading disease.
Once again the film starts off strong but eventually becomes so slow-paced that you might lose interest.
One last complaint would be that the soundtrack for the film seems really urgent at times and then seems ridiculously annoying at others.
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09/11/11
The film has a great cast consisting of Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lawrence Fishburne, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Marion Cotillard, who are all perfect in their respective roles.
Contagion is about a virus that begins to infect people and how it spreads across the world. The CDC begins to track it and test cures for the disease. Jude Law’s character continually attempts to uncover a “conspiracy” that the CDC is not giving the public correct information. Marion Cotillard a representative of the WHO tries to figure out where the virus originated. Everyone else gradually deals with more personal issues that are presented by the spreading disease.
Once again the film starts off strong but eventually becomes so slow-paced that you might lose interest.
One last complaint would be that the soundtrack for the film seems really urgent at times and then seems ridiculously annoying at others.
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09/11/11
Apollo 18 Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
Apollo 18 was a decent film. But nothing more.
The movie follows three astronauts to the moon where they are attacked by alien creatures that have already killed two cosmonauts, which the American government already knew about. They are continually attacked throughout the movie and one of them is infected by a disease after one of the aliens gets under his skin.
The film is shot to look like raw footage from an actual Apollo mission. The performances from its lead actors are alright. The movie provides a few good scares but never truly gets under your skin.
Apollo 18 will give you a fun night at the movies but don't expect anything spectacular.
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09/04/11
The movie follows three astronauts to the moon where they are attacked by alien creatures that have already killed two cosmonauts, which the American government already knew about. They are continually attacked throughout the movie and one of them is infected by a disease after one of the aliens gets under his skin.
The film is shot to look like raw footage from an actual Apollo mission. The performances from its lead actors are alright. The movie provides a few good scares but never truly gets under your skin.
Apollo 18 will give you a fun night at the movies but don't expect anything spectacular.
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09/04/11
Fright Night Review
Rating: 9/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
This remake was definately one of the better ones. In 1985 Chris Sarandon portrayed the vampire, Jerry, in the original Fright Night movie. Colin Farrell takes his place in this film and does it well. Anton Yelchin(Terminator Salvation, Star Trek(2009)) plays Charlie Brewster this time around with Christopher Mintz-Plasse(Superbad, Kickass) providing a new take on Evil Ed. Oh and Peter Vincent is played by the ecceptional David Tennant who brings new life to the character, as a Chris Angel-type vampire hunter/alcoholic.
The film still showcases some of the campiness that made the original what it is without going overboard. All characters are well played with the exception of Amy(played by Imogen Poots) who was just meh.
The tone of the film was dark but not too dark to get a few laughs out of it.
Colin Farrell was definately A LOT more menacing than Chris Sarandon was.
The films only real downfall was that the character of Evil Ed was not quite as insane as he was in the 1985 version. However, I suppose this was attempt at revamping the film for a modern audience, so it makes sense.
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08/20/11
The film still showcases some of the campiness that made the original what it is without going overboard. All characters are well played with the exception of Amy(played by Imogen Poots) who was just meh.
The tone of the film was dark but not too dark to get a few laughs out of it.
Colin Farrell was definately A LOT more menacing than Chris Sarandon was.
The films only real downfall was that the character of Evil Ed was not quite as insane as he was in the 1985 version. However, I suppose this was attempt at revamping the film for a modern audience, so it makes sense.
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08/20/11
Final Destination 5 Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 8/10
How many fifth movies in a series can we say are good. The answer is not very many. After a horrendous fourth installment the Final Destination series seems to be back on it's feet. Was the story much different than the other films? No it wasn't but it still provided us with a good time at the movies.
Essentially how these films work is in the starting of the film a group of teenagers/young adults escape from a major freak accident and for the rest of the movie death seems to catch up with them in seemingly coincidental but brutal ways.
The film was full of humour, which gives it points. I felt there were a few moments though where the film lagged but not too badly. A new twist was added to the plot with the idea that if one of the protagonists kills another person death will skip them. My only wish was that this was discovered earlier on in the film so that there could have been a lot more tension between the characters.
The acting wasn't great by any means but it was enough.
The deaths in this film were not over-the-top gory but were enough to make you say "ewww".
Overall the film impressed me and tied the series together well. Can we expect a Final Destination 6? I'd say so.
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08/16/11
Essentially how these films work is in the starting of the film a group of teenagers/young adults escape from a major freak accident and for the rest of the movie death seems to catch up with them in seemingly coincidental but brutal ways.
The film was full of humour, which gives it points. I felt there were a few moments though where the film lagged but not too badly. A new twist was added to the plot with the idea that if one of the protagonists kills another person death will skip them. My only wish was that this was discovered earlier on in the film so that there could have been a lot more tension between the characters.
The acting wasn't great by any means but it was enough.
The deaths in this film were not over-the-top gory but were enough to make you say "ewww".
Overall the film impressed me and tied the series together well. Can we expect a Final Destination 6? I'd say so.
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08/16/11
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes Review
Rating: 9/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
The trailers for this film worked very effectively in getting me to see this movie. It definately lived up to my expectations.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes was an intelligent prequel to the old classic films. Having only seen bits and pieces of those films prior to watching this one may have been why I liked it so much.
The film starts off with James Franco's(Spider-Man, Pineapple Express) character Will trying to create a cure for alzheimer's. He and his company begin testing on a chimp and it becomes incredibly intelligent but then it shot dead dude to the danger it presents. Will sneaks the chimp's baby out of the lab and takes it home, noticing that it has inherited the intelligence that was given to the mother through the formula that he was testing. Eventually the baby chimp, Ceasar, grows up and becomes protective of Will and Will's father(John Lithgow) and winds up being taken away and held in a cage with a bunch of other apes. Eventually he grows angry and helps the other apes to become as smart as he is and manages their escape. They reap havoc on the city. And eventually everything leads to the Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes.
The film was quite entertaining and was well acted. The action sequences were especially well done, although I had a few minor issues with one of them.
The most impressive thing about this film is the CG. The apes looked incredible.
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08/09/11
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes was an intelligent prequel to the old classic films. Having only seen bits and pieces of those films prior to watching this one may have been why I liked it so much.
The film starts off with James Franco's(Spider-Man, Pineapple Express) character Will trying to create a cure for alzheimer's. He and his company begin testing on a chimp and it becomes incredibly intelligent but then it shot dead dude to the danger it presents. Will sneaks the chimp's baby out of the lab and takes it home, noticing that it has inherited the intelligence that was given to the mother through the formula that he was testing. Eventually the baby chimp, Ceasar, grows up and becomes protective of Will and Will's father(John Lithgow) and winds up being taken away and held in a cage with a bunch of other apes. Eventually he grows angry and helps the other apes to become as smart as he is and manages their escape. They reap havoc on the city. And eventually everything leads to the Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes.
The film was quite entertaining and was well acted. The action sequences were especially well done, although I had a few minor issues with one of them.
The most impressive thing about this film is the CG. The apes looked incredible.
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08/09/11
My Sister's Keeper Review
Rating: 8/10
Excitement rating before film: 5/10
My Sister's Keeper stars Abigail Breslin(Zombieland, Little Miss Sunshine), Sofia Vasselieva, Cameron Diaz(Charlie's Angels, America's Sweethearts), and Alec Baldwin(It's Complicated, Tv's 30 Rock) amongst a few others.
The film focuses on how cancer can affect an entire family rather than just the person that has been diagnosed. In this case it's mainly Abigail Breslin's character Anna who is majorly affected due to the fact that the only reason she was born was to save her sister Katie from losing her life to cancer, and Cameron Diaz's character, their mother Sara, who is trying to fight to keep all of her family in the picture.
The acting was excellent on everyone's part, with the exception of Cameron Diaz who was just okay.
There are many touching scenes in the film, including those which demonstrate Sofia Vasselieva's character Katie's relationship with a boy portrayed by Thomas Dekker.
The film was well-directed and well-written, although in the end I felt it was not as sad as everyone had made it out to be but I was a little choked up at times.
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08/09/11
The film focuses on how cancer can affect an entire family rather than just the person that has been diagnosed. In this case it's mainly Abigail Breslin's character Anna who is majorly affected due to the fact that the only reason she was born was to save her sister Katie from losing her life to cancer, and Cameron Diaz's character, their mother Sara, who is trying to fight to keep all of her family in the picture.
The acting was excellent on everyone's part, with the exception of Cameron Diaz who was just okay.
There are many touching scenes in the film, including those which demonstrate Sofia Vasselieva's character Katie's relationship with a boy portrayed by Thomas Dekker.
The film was well-directed and well-written, although in the end I felt it was not as sad as everyone had made it out to be but I was a little choked up at times.
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08/09/11
Trust Review
Rating: 7/10
Excitement rating before film: 5/10
When I found out David Schwimmer directed this film I was rather suprised that it wasn't a complete disaster. But I must congratulate him on creating a film with some kind of emotional investment. Schwimmer's film tells the story of a young girl who is sexually abused by an online and her father's(Clive Owen) struggle to cope with the situation and find the man at any cost.
Trust is well-acted but not superbly acted. Even Clive Owen surprised me. However the man couldn't fake cry for his life. The tension between his character and his daughter Annie (Liana Liberato) brings some very uncomfortable moments into play. Also Catherine Keener does a good job portraying the girl's mother.
There were a few points in the movie where I could see obvious plot holes but they weren't enough to deter me from finishing it.
Other than that the film was quite solid.
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08/06/11
Trust is well-acted but not superbly acted. Even Clive Owen surprised me. However the man couldn't fake cry for his life. The tension between his character and his daughter Annie (Liana Liberato) brings some very uncomfortable moments into play. Also Catherine Keener does a good job portraying the girl's mother.
There were a few points in the movie where I could see obvious plot holes but they weren't enough to deter me from finishing it.
Other than that the film was quite solid.
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08/06/11
Cowboys & Aliens Review
Rating: 6.5/10
Excitement rating before film: 7/10
Cowboys & Aliens. A film that sounds like it could potentially be horrible, however it isn't all that bad. It wasn't all that good either though.
Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and Olivia Wilde are believable in their roles in Iron Man director Jon Favreau's new film. They are not exceptional, just good.
The film starts with a lot of tension and then somehow lags in the second act, leaves you wondering "Is there any reason to keep watching because nothing has happened for the last 30 minutes". The third act of the film is quite well done with an interesting action sequence between the cowboys and the aliens. Although it is really nothing we haven't seen before.
Visually, the film is awesome. With that being said, I still didn't feel like a lot of creativity was put into the look of the aliens.
In the end this film is watchable and I would definately sit and watch it if it aired on television but I would not rush out to see it again.
08/01/11
Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and Olivia Wilde are believable in their roles in Iron Man director Jon Favreau's new film. They are not exceptional, just good.
The film starts with a lot of tension and then somehow lags in the second act, leaves you wondering "Is there any reason to keep watching because nothing has happened for the last 30 minutes". The third act of the film is quite well done with an interesting action sequence between the cowboys and the aliens. Although it is really nothing we haven't seen before.
Visually, the film is awesome. With that being said, I still didn't feel like a lot of creativity was put into the look of the aliens.
In the end this film is watchable and I would definately sit and watch it if it aired on television but I would not rush out to see it again.
08/01/11
Source Code Review
Rating: 8/10
Source Code was much better than I was anticipating.
The movie focuses on Jake Gyllenhaal's character Colter Stevens an ex-soldier who has become the test subject for a project called "Source Code". In these tests Stevens must travel into parallel universes to figure out the details behind a train bombing.
Source Code is less action-packed than what was expected of it, however it delivers quite an interesting story.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan do a great job as the lead characters. The supporting cast is also quite good with Vera Farmiga as Colleen Goodwin and Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Rutledge. Oh and even comedian Russell Peters make an appearance.
The film is a very well paced movie that never really gets boring but is never truly over the top.
I would recommend this film for anyone who loves action films with a elements of sci-fi mixed in.
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07/26/11
The movie focuses on Jake Gyllenhaal's character Colter Stevens an ex-soldier who has become the test subject for a project called "Source Code". In these tests Stevens must travel into parallel universes to figure out the details behind a train bombing.
Source Code is less action-packed than what was expected of it, however it delivers quite an interesting story.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan do a great job as the lead characters. The supporting cast is also quite good with Vera Farmiga as Colleen Goodwin and Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Rutledge. Oh and even comedian Russell Peters make an appearance.
The film is a very well paced movie that never really gets boring but is never truly over the top.
I would recommend this film for anyone who loves action films with a elements of sci-fi mixed in.
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07/26/11
Captain America: The First Avenger Review
Rating: 7/10
Captain America has never been one of my favorite superheroes. But I was still excited to see this film as it was the last step towards the upcoming Avengers film.
Captain America was enjoyable although somewhat slowly paced in the first half. The end of the film is quite entertaining as Cap(AKA Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans) battles it out with The Red Skull(Hugo Weeving).
The film has an interesting cast, including Evans, Weeving, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, and Dominic Cooper who all play their parts well. Hugo Weeving does a tremendous job portraying The Red Skull however I wish the make-up effect for the character were a little more realistic looking.
It is also noted that visually, this film is quite a treat. The WWII atmosphere of the film helps to bring the story of Captain America to life.
The screenwriters Christopher Markus and Steven McFeely wrote the film to be quite comical. However, as I mentioned it lags in the first half and the action picks up later.
Joe Johnston did a wonderful job as director however, overall it wasn't the best superhero film.
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07/24/11
Captain America was enjoyable although somewhat slowly paced in the first half. The end of the film is quite entertaining as Cap(AKA Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans) battles it out with The Red Skull(Hugo Weeving).
The film has an interesting cast, including Evans, Weeving, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, and Dominic Cooper who all play their parts well. Hugo Weeving does a tremendous job portraying The Red Skull however I wish the make-up effect for the character were a little more realistic looking.
It is also noted that visually, this film is quite a treat. The WWII atmosphere of the film helps to bring the story of Captain America to life.
The screenwriters Christopher Markus and Steven McFeely wrote the film to be quite comical. However, as I mentioned it lags in the first half and the action picks up later.
Joe Johnston did a wonderful job as director however, overall it wasn't the best superhero film.
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07/24/11
Horrible Bosses Review
Rating: 8/10
I will admit I did not have high expectations going into this film. However it is my pleasure to say that Horrible Bosses was not all that horrible.
The film follows three friends Nick, Dale, and Kurt (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis) who for various reasons, including sexual harassment, hate their bosses. The three characters end up trying to kill their bosses. Through a series of mishaps they all end up getting what they wanted in the first place.
The comedy has a very interesting guest appearance by Jamie Foxx who plays the guys' "murder consultant".
Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, and especially Jennifer Aniston do a FANTASTIC job at protraying each of the bosses. Yes I think I actually just said that, Jennifer Aniston gave a fantastic performance.
The film was fun to watch and is worth watching again sometime. Quite simply it was an enjoyable film with a few funny instances.
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07/22/11
The film follows three friends Nick, Dale, and Kurt (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis) who for various reasons, including sexual harassment, hate their bosses. The three characters end up trying to kill their bosses. Through a series of mishaps they all end up getting what they wanted in the first place.
The comedy has a very interesting guest appearance by Jamie Foxx who plays the guys' "murder consultant".
Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, and especially Jennifer Aniston do a FANTASTIC job at protraying each of the bosses. Yes I think I actually just said that, Jennifer Aniston gave a fantastic performance.
The film was fun to watch and is worth watching again sometime. Quite simply it was an enjoyable film with a few funny instances.
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07/22/11
Insidious Review
Rating: 9/10
What is there to say about Insidious? One word sums it up.... goosebumps.
The film follows a family of five who have moved into a new house and find themselves being haunted and harassed by spirits after one of the children, Dalton(Ty Simpkins), goes into a coma. After the mother, Renai(Rose Byrne, Bridesmaids), convinces the father Josh(Patrick Wilson, Hard Candy) to move houses once more the family soon realizes it wasn't the house that was haunted and that the spirits have followed them.
The film is one that will definately get under the skin of most people who watch it. This means it's done it's job. Insidious is not overly gory as well and is a little easier than it's creators' Saw franchise.
Insidious is also a call-back to many of the horror films of the past especially those of the haunted house and possession genres.
The acting in the film is quite strong and less cheesy than the majority of horror films, and finally we have a film in this genre in which we tend to care about the characters involved.
Director James Wan does a terrific job with the color scheme and cinematography of the film and the costume and make-up design is very well done as well.
I hope people will enjoy Insidious as much as I did.
The film follows a family of five who have moved into a new house and find themselves being haunted and harassed by spirits after one of the children, Dalton(Ty Simpkins), goes into a coma. After the mother, Renai(Rose Byrne, Bridesmaids), convinces the father Josh(Patrick Wilson, Hard Candy) to move houses once more the family soon realizes it wasn't the house that was haunted and that the spirits have followed them.
The film is one that will definately get under the skin of most people who watch it. This means it's done it's job. Insidious is not overly gory as well and is a little easier than it's creators' Saw franchise.
Insidious is also a call-back to many of the horror films of the past especially those of the haunted house and possession genres.
The acting in the film is quite strong and less cheesy than the majority of horror films, and finally we have a film in this genre in which we tend to care about the characters involved.
Director James Wan does a terrific job with the color scheme and cinematography of the film and the costume and make-up design is very well done as well.
I hope people will enjoy Insidious as much as I did.