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Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Wonderous, if a bit long
The third installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean" picks up a short while after the second one, and yet manages not to confuse newcomers at all. The cast performs beautifully, rounding out their characters with new twists and quirks, all of which only add to the believability. Setting and story become ever more engrossing, ensuring that only the most uninterested can walk out without worrying about what they are missing. Jack Davenport and Bill Nighy steal the show, despite Johnny's charisma as Captain Jack, and Tom Hollander's talented portrayal of Lord Beckett, the baddie you love to hate. Plot twists will keep fans glued to their seats, and newcomers wondering what will happen next, and the set design will knock your socks off. Go see this movie before it leaves theaters. There is just no substitute for seeing the final battle on the big screen.
Wild Wild West (1999)
Good and funny movie
A witty, clever, anachronistic romp through the post-Civil War West, Wild Wild West showcases many exceptional talents. Many people complain that the movie is a "lame, bloated blockbuster", but I have to disagree. I've never seen the original TV series, and maybe I'd have a more informed opinion if I had, but I immensely liked what I saw. I had never known Kenneth Brannagh was English until I saw him in the second Harry Potter, but I thought he did a wonderful job as Dr. Loveless. Will Smith was both funny and dedicated as Capt. West. I've only ever seen Kevin Kline in this movie, but I thought he did a fine job, too. Salma Hayek is, as ever, a perfectly good reason to watch this movie. If you like nothing else about Wild Wild West, you'll like her. I know President Grant was never that good of a leader, but when your movie has a giant, mechanical spider, historical accuracy doesn't really come into play. I liked everything about it; I don't what else to say. The cinematography, the story, the gadgets, the comedy, it's all good.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
An apropos equivalent of the (im)famous(?) novel
While the movie does an excellent job of portraying the book, it also speaks to the ambiguity and uncertainty most people have about the book. The concepts of the mind seeing what it wants to and believing in something without proof are prevalent in the movie. Of course, being the movie adaptation, some things have to be changed. Character motivations have changed from the book, but the story remains essentially the same. There is more argument between Langdon and Teabing, which speaks to the ambiguity mentioned earlier. All things considered, it's a beautifully done movie. It won't get any Oscar nods, but that's not the reason movies are made.
V for Vendetta (2005)
Mind-expanding
I thought "V for Vendetta" was an eye-opening experience. People have said that the movie is just a platform for making terrorism look good, but I beg to differ. "V"'s acts of terrorism are almost justified compared to what the movie's government did to him and others. "V for Vendetta" showed me that terrorism is an ideal, and one open to interpretation. To quote V himself: "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". If you go see this movie, and I strongly suggest that you do, I beg you to do so with that epithet in mind, please. It doesn't necessarily point to any specific group and say that they are to blame. Rather, the movie tries to remind us that any government has the chance of becoming a dictatorship, and in the face of such a government, terrorism takes on a new meaning.
Nanny McPhee (2005)
Wonderful fairy tale
I really can't think of any words to describe fully how wonderous I found this movie to be. Emma Thompson, after her portrayal of Professor Trelawney in "Prisoner of Azkaban", delivers another beautiful performance as Nanny McPhee. I loved Angela Lansbury as the nearly blind, stuff-shirted aunt. Ms. Celia Imrie, whom I had never before heard of, really sold me on the self-centered Selma Quickly. Of course Colin Firth plays a wonderful father figure, and Kelly MacDonald as well for her performance as Evangeline. The setting and plot were wonderful. The ending is totally righteous. I'd say Nanny McPhee is "Mary Poppins" for the new millennium. Yes, it is hard not to compare it with that beloved work of Julie Andrews, but what can you do? Nanny McPhee is quite distinguished in its own way though.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
One of the best games of the year.
An infinite number of times better than the first game. You can literally go anywhere and do anything. There is so much to do that even if you beat the game without doing anything else, you won't scratch the 50% bar. There's so much to do that doesn't have anything to with the storyline you can spend a month just swinging around collecting icons and helping people without doing much of anything to the storyline. You gotta love the voice work. Having the people from the movie do the voices for the game does wonders for the feeling of being sucked in to the game. The amount of power ups to buy is staggering and the attacks are very cool. The one I probably enjoyed using the most cold only happen in spider reflex mode. You would kick the person up in the air and proceed to pummel him many times like you were performing a bicycle kick on him. It looked so cool. The fan service in the form of Black Cat was nice. I liked how they cut her hair so short. The amount of markers was unbelievable. You could probably spend the better part of a month just trying to find all the hint markers. You really cannot beat this game in a month. You must try it at least once before you pass judgment.
Spider-Man (2002)
one of the best movies of all time
Two words: undeniably wonderful. Certainly one of the great movies of all time and the sequel is guaranteed to outdo the first. No bad comments to say about this movie and anyone that does needs to have his or her head examined. The casting is brilliant. The acting is on par with "The King an I" and "The Sound of Music". The action sequences were beautifully constructed. I especially loved Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of Mary Jane. Tobey Maguire did an excellent job of showing Peter Parker's range of emotions tied to Spider-Man. J.K. Simmons is the only person to J. Jonah Jameson. Willem Dafoe's "mirror scene" is beautiful. All in all, a truly wonderful movie.