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Prometheus (2012)
Great Movie That Leaves Too Much for the Sequel
Prometheus is the long awaited return of Ridley Scott to the Sci-Fi Horror genre. This movie had a big budget and put it to good use. The acting is great for a strategically chosen cast. The CGI and production value of this movie are thru the roof. However, the story lacked the suspense and big moments to make this movie legendary. The biggest issue was the amount of information left for the sequel(s).
The CGI, camera work and action scenes were all very well done. This movie played like there was a lot of thought put into the fine details. I particularly liked the degree of creativity with the foreign structures and creatures within. The acting was very impressive and Michael Fassbender was fantastic. Everyone else played their role well, and I felt that Noomi Rapace created a great protagonist. She was delicate yet resilient when it mattered.
Surprisingly the flaws of the movie were in the story and late execution. Anyone will tell you that there were unanswered questions, but the truth is much more grave. It almost seems like everything in the movie happened unjustified and while it can be clarified in a sequel, it left a lot of wonderment. As much as I love sequels, each movie needs to stand effectively on its own, and I feel this one relies to heavily upon its successor. This affected the suspense that built up so well during the beginning of the movie.
I would recommend Prometheus to any Sci-Fi or horror fan. It is worth a watch, though until the sequel(s) come out, I doubt many will consider it a classic. Being that Aliens is one of my favorite movies of all time, it is possible that my expectations are too high. But if you too were a fan of the originals and wonder how they would look in the 21st century, look no farther. The CGI is crisp, the acting is beautiful but the story and marketing effects give it a limp preventing it from its true potential.
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005)
Low Budget Let Down
Urban Legends 3: Bloody Mary was not a good movie. It wasn't terrible, and it was definitely watchable, but it didn't really accomplish anything. It was a very average "who's the killer" movie tied in with some supernatural edge. Unfortunately the production quality is laughable and it looks like it was made at a high school by students. It seems like an average bad horror movie but then it keeps reminding you that it's cheap and just not a good movie. I hate being overly blunt, but no one will watch this movie and enjoy it. The only thing the movie does well is pace. It is constantly killing off characters while the (simple) story builds. So many decent horror movies under perform because they build too much story. There needs to be some action to keep the audience glued in (a la Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).
The Darkest Hour (2011)
Decent Fantasy/Horror does some things right but tries to do too much.
The Darkest Hour is a track meet by movie standards. It tries to combine a lot of different themes and plots. The sad thing is it doesn't do a bad job at any of them. But what stops it from being a good movie is the fact that it doesn't leave a lasting impression as a result.
The acting is well done. The mood is set right and the calamity does enough of a job of seeming insurmountable to create the feeling of desperation. Really this movie is as close to a 7 as you can get while still being a 6.
This movie was bold and adventurous but overextended itself. The "aliens" were a little far-fetched and scientifically questionable. But the execution differed from what has worked in the genre, and didn't do enough with it to be deemed a success.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes end of the world type movies. Though it's only a 6, it's worth a watch.
Dark Floors (2008)
Has a Lot Going On, But Nothing Actually Happens
Dark Floors is a very interesting moving. It is thought provoking, dark and paced well. Unfortunately not to many other compliments can be given to this movie. It is thought provoking because it is flat out so random and no explanations are given.
Dark Floors has some fundamental pieces of a good fantasy horror. There are some interesting terrors and the setting is great. The acting is average but none of these things can save this movie.
This movie seems like it's a great movie with about 15 minutes of plot oriented scenes cut out. The movie makes no sense and doesn't even try to bring you along for the ride. It's sad because the movie was beginning to remind me of a crappy Silent Hill, but just ended up being crappy.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to pay as little attention to a movie as possible and not miss anything.
Messengers 2: The Scarecrow (2009)
Low grade farm based horror movie
The Messengers 2 is a very prototypical low grade horror sequel. These types of movie never feature the stars that made the first and try to capture the mood of the first without stepping on it's toes too much. The idea would be to elaborate on the parts that worked and avoid the parts that didn't. Unfortunately most of them do the opposite and this entry is no different.
As a full movie this isn't as terrible as some horror movies you'll see out there. There are a few interesting ideas and twists but not many. The movie is also acted well if not lacklusterly under toned.
The concept of being scared of the scarecrow just didn't work for me. It never really seemed like anything other than an inanimate object. The movie kind of crawled along and was predictable as well. There was too much emphasis on the farm (which albeit is a key theme) and not enough focus on the horror. The first movie was good because it mixed the farm setting with an inherited horror and human interaction. This movie left the interaction out and elaborated on the farm.
I would really only recommend this movie to farm lovers. If you loved the first movie then it's worth a watch but you'll likely be disappointed.
The Innkeepers (2011)
Slow pace and vague plot development sink movie
The Innkeepers is a mixed bag. It is a truer type of ghost story and presents a quasi realistic setting. The pitfalls come in the form of a slow as molasses plot development and a poor supporting cast. The movie spans over an hour and a half and could've done with about 20 minutes left on the editing room floor.
I'm a huge fan of Sara Paxton. I don't know why, but I've followed her career so far quite closely and that lead me to this movie. She does a great job and if your a student of her body of work (so far) you'll notice she has impressive character variety. She nails the character as a nerdy but quirky punt who's a sweet heart. The core story of this movie also has so undeniable potential but falls short.
A good ghost story is deep and filled with the many pieces of supernatural lore associated with it. Unfortunately, the story's great base has no sustenance and falls short at the end. Also, there aren't really many scares or jumps to be had here. There are a lot of stall techniques to build the story but it just comes off as cheap. The supporting cast does nothing to add anything as they are as flat as cardboard.
I would recommend this movie to fans of the ghost story genre and of Sara Paxton like me. This is not a very good movie and it will bore you, but it is watchable if you're driven.
Alien³ (1992)
Decent Horror Movie Pales in Comparison to Predecessors
Alien 3 is the 3rd entry to the extremely popular and successful Alien series featuring Sigourney Weaver as the protagonist. Aside from other factors, Weaver made this series with her version of a tough as nails female dramatic hero in military based settings. Of course it helps that the Alien itself is very unique and interesting. Plus the setting, plot and execution are both novel and unique with very memorable touches. Alien 3 however will likely disappoint. No matter how much it differs from the series and what they were trying to accomplish, the movie doesn't pace and doesn't execute when it matters.
This edition does a few things well. It creates the mood well, mixing an abandoned factory and jail with an Alien is a good touch. They set up plenty of expendable characters. They give you a lot of extra themes and story lines secondary to the movie. And again, the biggest redeeming factor of this movie is Sigourney Weaver's acting job. She is on point and does a top notch job.
The problem with this movie is out of it's control. No movie could follow Aliens. I mean not only did it increase the scope but it executed on every level. But this movie was a little slow and boring. Add in the fact that a slow start has a less than average pay off for the genre and you're not adding much to the core of the movie. The story on it's own seems forced and irrelevant. It almost just seems like an extension of what was postulated in the 2nd movie.
I would still recommend this movie to any Alien fans and horror enthusiasts. But be prepared that if you watch this movie after Aliens, you will be thoroughly disappointed.
Superhero Movie (2008)
Mediocre Comedy Balances Funny and Goofy
Superhero Movie is very odd. Anyone who's seen these Scary Movie spin offs where the movie is a series off topical jokes relating to a movie genre know that they have not been too good lately. This movie surprised me with the fact that I laughed much more than I thought I would. There was a lot of dumb moments that kind of spoil it but I guess it might just be for a different crowd.
There are a few well written jokes, and a couple of decent acting jobs. Kevin Hart was funny as always. Leslie Nielsen was a little on the slapstick side but brought his famous personality to it. Sara Paxton almost seemed to pretty and took the movie very seriously. She almost seemed like she was playing an actual part in a hero movie.
The real flaws of this movie are when it lulled with sad attempts at jokes and poorly executed goofy moments. Almost every movie in this line has those attempted goofy moments that the self assigned mature audience will dislike, but even some dumb moments made me laugh.
I would recommend Superhero Movie to anyone who enjoys comedy and doesn't mind a bunch of moments where the movie lags into dumb comedy.
Chain Letter (2010)
Dime a Dozen Shallow Horror Attempt
Chain Letter is not very good. I can relax my standards for horror movies typically if it has some redeeming qualities. An interesting character or a cool villain or unique plot are all components that can get me through. This movie lacked all of these and really lacked any hope of being a decent movie.
The movie seems so similar to any horror movie that it's hard to find anything it does well. If you like gruesome deaths, than it has a couple unique "chain related" moments. Other than that, the movie is shallow story wise, has flat characters provides very little pay off. There isn't much suspense built up either, but certain scenes showed some promise.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone unless they absolutely love chains.
Slither (2006)
An Instant Classic; Equal Parts Gory and Funny
Slither is a very watchable movie. I am an eternal fan of the horror/comedy genre. It makes horror movies more accessible to a wider audience. That being said, it is very difficult to make movies like the popular Shaun of the Dead, and the less popular Infestation. But you can add Slither to that elite group that not only pulls off both genres, but excels. Slither is an alien invasion movie about a particularly interesting survival/destruction strategy.
The best part Slither is how it can borderline on the edge of sci-fi even though it pulls of horror and comedy so well. The CGI is impressive in this movie. Elizabeth Banks and Nathan Fillion carry this movie and the acting is serviceable. The fact that Nathan Fillion brings that gentle bravado and light hearted quality lends itself well to a movie that moves at a fast pace.
The only things you may hate about this movie are the accents and the pace. It is a southern based movie, so some of the non southern actors attempts at southern accents might be construed negatively. Lastly, the movie moves quickly and doesn't focus on anything too long. Maybe lengthening the movie a bit could've allieveated this, but the movie is good enough as is.
I would recommend this movie to everyone, except those who hate worms.
Women in Trouble (2009)
A Surprisingly Solid Film from Start to Finish
I had some apprehension before watching Women in Trouble. It seemed like a girly film but I decided to watch it because of the cast. The end result was a very unique and impressive movie. It definitely has cult classic potential as the fine balance of comedy, odd situations and comedy is top notch. The way that it intertwines stories and plots is a gentle effect but does a great job of drawing attention and provoking thought throughout the movie. The story disperses between several key characters, many of which are porn stars or flight attendants. They all have issues that are mainly man (or should I say partner) related.
The movie caught my attention so well because it was shocking. There was a lot going on, and it involved so many facets of the world that we aren't very used to. The fact that it aided this learning curve with slight yet well placed comedy really complimented this style. There was a lot of eye candy and great performances for a pretty low key type movie.
The only real negative about this movie is that it's a topical and certain viewing groups won't like it. The average guy may look over it as a woman central movie, while many women might find it too abrasive.
I would recommend the movie to essentially everyone. I certainly agree that from a quick description very few people will be intrigued. But I also believe that many who actually watch it won't hate it and some will love it.
American Reunion (2012)
A Must See Refresh of the American Pie Series
American Reunion was an excellent movie. It surpassed my expectations which is impressive because I was a definite fan of the originals. It does fans of all characters in the series justice and has more laughs than any movie I've seen in a while. It carries that old American Pie charm that is nostalgic of the comedies from the late 90s. The plot is a school reunion that provides all the characters a chance to return to their hometown. You get a glimpse into how their lives have changed and the comedy associated with it.
This movie is a flat out success for a comedy. It takes advantage of the fact that you should know and love the characters and focuses on making you laugh. Some of the jokes and the set ups really surprised me, as you could tell a lot of development went into this script. Every character has their share of jokes and the world remembers why Stiffler was one of the funniest characters ever.
I have nothing bad to say about this movie. It's hard for a movie that has such high expectations to be a 10, but for what it was tasked with, I think this movie executed extremely well.
I would recommend this movie to everyone. Period.
Dinner for Schmucks (2010)
Has Plenty of Laughs, But Lags and Disappoints as Well
Dinner for Schmucks is a trendy comedy that draws from the formula that 40 year old virgin perfected. It features two stars from that film, and has enough charm and laughs to please. It is longer than it should be, and doesn't walk the line of stupid/silly all that well.
Though there are a couple of big names in this movie, Jemaine Clement easily was responsible for half the laughs in this movie. He stole every scene he was in. Steve Carell was funny, but also pushed the silly envelope too hard too often. Paul Rudd was more of the straight line character and had enough charm to carry the main story.
This movie was easily 20-30 minutes too long. The "cameo" by Zack Galafianakis missed in my opinion. The parts he was in seemed a little to dumb for my taste.
I would recommend every comedy fan watch this movie. It also has enough story and charm to carry most casual viewers. Unfortunately, it takes too long and also gets a bit too silly.
Shark Night 3D (2011)
Great If You Like Sharks and Horror, Brutal if Not
Shark Night can be summed up without really watching the movie. The title says shark and the cover has it in killing position. The only real question of a theme movie like this would be: is it so good that it becomes a cult classic VS. is it so poor that not even shark fans should watch. The bottom line, it fits right in the middle.
There aren't too many good parts in this movie, but not many bad. It carries along and builds the setup and eventually gets thru its horror. The actress have a lot of visual appeal and the production value is top notch. The 3D in the title pushes that it is a polished movie. The acting is marginal, with a great cameo by Donal Logue.
The horror scenes aren't overly graphic and don't show too much. It wins as a horror by just having the shark fin cutting thru the water after the victims, but it loses from a shark standpoint because it really doesn't show much.
I would recommend this movie to fans of both horror movies and sharks.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Entertaining and Excellent but Will Be Overjudged
The Hunger Games is actually the first movie that I've viewed after reading the book. As such I had mixed feelings going in, and my worry mainly pertained to event accuracy. I understand the nuances of making a movie and had I have donned the Directors cap I would've had to change parts to make it an acceptable movie for all crowds. However, this team executed the movie with a general focus on fact accuracy and the first hand experience.
The acting in this movie is great. The actors all reacted in the manor i envisioned while reading. The production quality is top notch, which was expected for such a high profile movie. The level of accuracy that this movie has in paralleling the book is astounding from an adaptation stand point. It can be very difficult to make an entertaining movie that closely follows the structure of a book, but they were able to.
I'd like to start out by saying that this is a great movie, but being that I read the book, I had some criticisms. The biggest one in the execution of subtleties. This movie tried very hard to define the dystopian world and spent a lot of the movie's "free" time on that. However, the visuals are enough that i felt this time may have been better spent expanding on the other characters in the movie. Emotions also took a back seat. Katniss is portrayed as a very strong emotional character, but a lot of the emotions around the various events felt rushed and lost.
I would easily recommend this movie to everyone. However I don't think it will be as highly rated as it is successful. If anything I would recommend reading the book. Because I think if you wanted to make this movie you have it stray a little further and create its own identity. Trying to capture everything the book offered in just over 2 hours is an impossible task.
Defendor (2009)
Everyone Will Like Defendor
Defendor was a very good movie. I believe that certain people will love it. But more importantly, I can't imagine anyone who watches this movie all the way through hating it. This movie does a fantastic job of combining themes and emotions. It gives you comedy, drama, romance, action, you name it. Why it's unique is because it does all of this seamlessly without feeling forced.
This movie does so many things well. In a world where high budget superhero movies based on deep dynasties are a dime a dozen, this one bests them all. It doesn't need superpowers to amaze. In fact, the reality of the situations are what make it so likable. Like a well oiled machine, it is able to switch gears effectively, bring you from laughs to tears to awe. Also, Woody Harrelson does an INCREDIBLE job of acting.
The only negative that I can give to this movie is that it spends so much time varying it's purpose and theme that it's hard to love. It will appeal to almost everyone, but no one positive attribute of the movie has enough sustenance to be memorable.
The bottom line on this one is that everyone should see this movie. This movie should be a prerequisite to owning a TV. However, very few people will likely re watch it and fall in love.
Death at a Funeral (2010)
Big Names in Remake Provide Few Laughs
Death at a funeral was just not that funny. I mean if there was anything more to this movie aside from as a dedicated comedy, that might have been acceptable. But this movie has far too many names for the amount of laughs. They play their parts well enough, maybe the script is to blame.
James Marsden provided the only real consistently funny presence. Call my a Kevin Hart fan, but his cameo was also funny. That's about it. Tracy Morgan is his typical outrageous self, so if you enjoy that there's plenty. But Chris Rock in enamored with playing the serious role and Martin Lawrence's lines just didn't hold much comedy.
This movie was shot well but also felt too long. It seemed like someone took the core concept from the British movie, wrote a few jokes and cast a lot of stars.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to many. There are so many good comedies out there that this doesn't really stack up.
Boogeyman (2005)
Boogeyman is an Average Horror Experience
Boogeyman may sound like a horror title that would command a very high quality and high budget spectacle. So many simple childhood concepts have evolved into very deep thorough scripts. This movie is not heavy on story or clever, but it is still an average movie. It revolves around a young adult who believes that his father was taken by the boogeyman at a young age. The explanation given to him is that his father left, and that was the mechanism that he created to cope. It ultimately culminates into the realization that he might be right and the boogeyman may exist. Unfortunately, the story is very light. Without the many camera effects and horror cues, you could probably film this movie in 20 minutes.
The acting is probably the best part of this movie. Its not that there's incredible acting but it's very steady and helps achieve the mood of the movie.
Unfortunately there just wasn't very many good moments in this movie. The story flows, but about an hour in, you get the feeling that there wasn't enough story for a whole movie. There are too many segways and the movie stalls far too often. The idea behind the boogeyman is that you don't see him, so nothing really happens until the end of the movie.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who really wants to watch a horro movie and has no better choices. Its hard to call this movie bad, but you will find yourself bored.
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
Fresh Slasher Starts Slow but Impresses
All the boys love mandy lane is a slasher type horror movie centering around a group of teens that go away to a cottage and mysteriously get murdered. It establishes a strong core as a movie that focus' on the difficulty of being a teenager and the group has a series of dramatic moments based on boy/girl relationships. All of the boys want to "get with" Mandy Lane, who is a kind of outsider to this group.
This movie had a satisfying ending. It ties everything together and provides some material to the core concept which if left, might have seen a little unnecessary. The themes of teenage difficulties and love/troubles really fit this movie well. It is one of the only serious slasher movies centered around teens. O and Amber Heard is fantastic as always.
The movie does take a little while to develop and is a little easy to predict. But that doesn't take away from the effect. Some of the characters can come off as annoying and you may hate them, but I think that is a device the movie plans.
I would recommend this movie to any horror fan, especially slasher fans. The movie seemed very well planned out and executed. As a result, the movie may not be great, but is memorable.
Bunraku (2010)
Very Unique Action Stereotype
Bunraku was a good movie. It was very fresh and different. It had some issues with pace and execution. This is an action movie and features a lot of fighting. A lot of the sequences are very well done if not over the top. This is not a movie that considers physics even though it makes no effort to explain how certain moves make sense. There isn't too much story, but enough to keep you on tap with why the characters are doing what they are (for the most part).
The action was well done. There a couple of interesting fighting styles and the big achievement was combining a brawl type of fighting with martial arts. The actors were not required to act too often, but Woody Harrelson did a good job. I felt Ron Perlman was perfect for his role but felt a little to lazy. Josh Hartnett has proved he can act but wasn't asked to in this movie. That is not to take away from the physical requirements of this movie which were tall.
The story felt underdone even with a narrative. At certain times I had not idea why things were happening and was not really enlightened for a while. There was no sweet payoff, but the ride was sufficient enough. I'm not even sure why Demi Moore was in this movie, she had a tiny part. The interesting idea of mixing the music with action was cool but gimmicky.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see an action movie.
Asylum (2008)
Should Have Excelled, Ended up Average
Looking back on Asylum, it did a lot of things well. The mood was set right, the viewer was able to get familiar with the group of teens before they go, and the deaths were deep and interesting. However I had the vibe during and after the movie that it was not above average. A few more big name actors could've helped. Also the story is forced on you, a little unbelievable and makes no ammends.
Asylum does a good job of setting up a scary plot. They are college students who are living in a dorm that was once an insane asylum run by a doctor who was killed by his patients for his brutal techniques. The deaths were very well thought out. The mood emanates very well and there are plenty of scary moments.
The biggest problem with asylum was the linear, predictable and unforgiving and under explained plot. A little twist here and a cliff hanger there really would've helped. The acting was good for a horror movie, but no one really stuck. Maybe if there was a little more focus on the main character and a bigger named actress it may have stuck more.
I would recommend this movie to any horror movie fan. It's not great but will have at least a couple parts you admire. If anything at the end you wont be upset you watched it.
Bookies (2003)
Witty and Interesting, but Derivative
Bookies was a good movie. It had a fast pace that didn't leave you behind and didn't tread. It had some good acting, especially by Johnny Galecki. It had an engaging plot and interesting enough characters. However, the characters were left feeling rigid and inaccessible and at times the movie coasted without enlightening.
Bookies was an intriguing movie from the common format of a Blow type movie. Watching a young group of three guys set up a sports betting ring, listening to their clever intricacies, then watching it fall apart. Even cocaine makes an appearance in this movie. What I thought was very interesting was some of the piece shots and how some audio montage clips were assembled very well. As i stated the acting was good, but Johnny Galecki made it that way. He outperformed everyone. Without him the acting was a bit stiff.
There were some problems with this movie. I enjoy a movie that spends the time to establish the plot then moves through it briskly. But at times this movie jets from one situation to another without explaining how certain events happened. Given the fast plot, this created some confusion. Also I don't think Bookies did anything to distinguish itself. But, it is a type of movie that there are so few of, that I don't care too much.
I would recommend this movie to anyone. It's not going to wow you, but it is worth the watch.
Cherry Falls (1999)
Textbook Horror Movie, Gone Horribly Wrong
Cherry Falls had all the makings of a "who done it" slasher, in line with the screams and i know what you did last summer molds. It however had a dull plot, which developed slowly and awkwardly and suffered from some awful production value and shot execution. The plot is simply the effort to unmask a murderer who is killing virgins. Aside from the fact that so much of the film is ludicrous, the way many of the "action" sequences were shot and edited was just atrocious. I would have given this movie some leniency if it was done by amateurs with amateur actors, but there are quite a few bigger names in it. The acting is moderate, but i doubt anyone could've saved this script.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, unless you hate movies.
Broken Lizard Stands Up (2010)
Charming Broken Lizard Guys Exchange Filthy Stories
Broken Lizard Stands Up is a comedy special by the 5 man team called Broken Lizard. These guys have given us the hilarious comedies Berrfest, The Slammin Salmon and of course Super Troopers. I'm a fan of all their movies including club dread just because I find the 5 guys hilarious. This comedy special in particular will have you laugh a couple times at least. That being said, it is mainly pointed toward the stoner/immature adult male demographic. Most of the jokes are sexual in nature and ridiculous in content.
I would recommend this movie to die hard Broken Lizard fans only. I found it funny albeit brief. But it is not a must buy especially considering how many quality stand up acts (Louis CK, Kevin Hart) are out there.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
High on Hype, Low on Sustenance
I was excited to watch Don't Be Afraid of the Dark because I'm a fan of some of Guillermo Del Toro 's work, I love horror movies and I haven't seen Katie Holmes in a watchable movie in what feels like a decade. My suspicions were first peaked when the trailer for the movie was so short and uninformative. I understand this is a remake, but a little idea of what the plot is wouldn't kill you. After watching the movie, I was unsatisfied to say the least. I agree with everyone harping about plot holes and how things would've (and definitely should have) been done differently by characters in the movie. However, I kept having a feeling that a big event, or plateau was on the horizon and as the movie boringly plugged on, I realized i would be let down.
The movie did a decent job with the story it had. I almost felt like GDT started making the movie and got about 20 minutes in before he realized that the main idea in the movie wasn't very scary. However even if I put my logic and common sense behind and embrace the events of the movie, I still believe more was needed. If they were striving for tension, they got it, but tension in the viewer, anxiously awaiting something to finally happen in the movie. The movie began well and built up a great plot base, then fizzled and floundered.
I wouldn't really recommend this movie to anyone but die-hard horror fans. But even they would have standards too high for this movie. So maybe someone who just began liking the horror genre and hasn't seen any good movies yet.