Terminator97C Reviews

300 (2006)

"300" gives blood and guts for glory

[7/10 · 30 April 2007]

"300" delivers an all out, adrenaline pumping, macho blood-fest of massive proportions that is rarely seen on film. From the start, this film intends on taking the viewer to the limit.

One has to take a breath after the film's conclusion because a person cannot handle such a testosterone pummeling.

"300" is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller. The same man that gave us "Sin City." The graphic novel and film are very loosely based on the historical Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. In this battle 300 Spartans attempt to strategically take on the estimated million strong army of the invading Persians.

From here the film divulges into a type of fictional history, yes an oxymoron. The basic idea stays the same, but there are many creative liberties taken. For example the Spartans fighting against giant monsters and other creatures.

The war against the Persians is forbidden by the gods, but the Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) does not want to see his people enslaved or killed. Breaking the law, he leads the 300 best Spartan warriors to battle in order to make a statement strong enough to persuade the rest of his countryman to go against the gods and declare war.

"300" is directed by Zack Snyder. This is a director to really keep an eye on. His two films "300" and the re-make "Dawn of the Dead (2004)" have been excellent. Snyder has shown a mastery of his craft.

What Snyder does tremendously is recapturing the art of Frank Miller's original graphic novel. Just as "Sin City" did in order to mimic the frames of the graphic novel, "300" was entirely shot with a blue/green screen.

This allows Snyder to articulately copy the pages of Miller. The backgrounds of the film are vibrant with color and resonate with the ominous blues of the night and the ceremonious golds of the day. This will please many the fans of the graphic novel as it has striking similarities.

Snyder also meticulously shows scenes in slow motion. Many times this would cause me to complain as most films either overuse slow motion or misuse it. Slow motion has thus become overdone. Alright, it is probably overly abused in "300," but the film develops a specific style from slow motion shots that makes the film what it is.

The slow motion used by Snyder also allows the viewer to see what is being displayed during the action scenes. Too many times movies show rapidly cut action scenes where the viewer did not comprehend anything that happened. In "300" most of the action is shown in slow motion and the viewer can see the action in all of its bloody glory.

Plus the slow motion is just flat out cool. Slow motion has not been used this well since "The Matrix." "300" is obviously not a film that is going to build deep characters. Just about all of the soldiers are interchangeable and blend in with their exposed and ridiculously defined muscular chests'. Seriously, some of those muscles probably don't even exist.

Without a doubt, "300" caters to a specific audience. If you are not intrigued by intense action at a breakneck pace with blood gushing from every direction "300" is probably not for you. If that does intrigue you then "300" will satisfy your bloodlust.

The Lookout (2007)

Not as exciting as I was expecting,,,

[5/10 · 20 April 2007]

Take your typical film-noir plot, mix that with the idea from "Memento", and sprinkle on a little bit of "Fargo" for taste. Put it in the oven for a few minutes and you have "The Lookout."

This sounds like a great idea for a new movie, but this recipe has no flavor. The movie is just stale. It tries to combine all of these cool elements from other films, but just cannot get them mix together in the right amounts.

"The Lookout" tells the story of super famous high school hockey player Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who gets into a vicious car accident. This wreck leaves Pratt with a short term memory disability and a significant amount of guilt. Some of his friends were also involved in the crash.

Pratt now does not fit in anywhere in snowy Kansas City. His head injury makes him socially awkward, he is unable to remember easy things like names, and blurts out inappropriate comments.

Pratt's only friend is his roommate Lewis (Jeff Daniels), who is blind. The sad part is Lewis appears to have an easier time living than Pratt.

The only job Pratt is able to perform is a night janitor at a local bank. Pratt, by what seems like chance finally makes new friends. However, these friends are planning a bank robbery at the same bank Pratt works at, and they need someone to be the lookout.

But, like Pratt is told by his new friend, whoever has the money has the power.

The reason "The Lookout" is stale, is because it takes way to long to develop the story. Getting to the climax is just unexciting. It gets a little boring.

When we finally do get to the heist, the movie takes off in full force. The scenes are gripping with a raw intensity, but this is only during the last part of the movie. If only the rest of the movie was made with this much passion and dedication. The parts leading up to the heist just seems like dramatic filler.

"The Lookout" is directed by first timer Scott Frank. He does show many moments of promise. If he focuses on a strictly action film, I think he will be quite successful because the action in this film looks like it has come from an experienced filmmaker.

Gordon-Levitt does another fine job of playing the protagonist in a film-noir movie, the other film being "Brick." His face throughout the film harshly displays the anguish and frustration he constantly experiences with his mental disability.

Frank really tries hard to make this film work, but he needs to complete his storytelling first. He drops some characters and sub-plots before we really know what their purpose was in the first place. It seems that Frank attempted to bring elements from all of his favorite films into his own. Good idea, but it just becomes jumbled and unfinished.

Frank might have the money, but he doesn't yet have the power to create a great film.

Perfect Stranger (2007)

Perfect Stranger is a perfect mess

[2/10 · 20 April 2007]

Just when I thought movies could not be anymore bland, Hollywood goes and makes "Perfect Stranger." This movie is completely and utterly unoriginal. The film never moves the viewer towards any captivating moments, and frankly you really don't care. "Perfect Stranger" is a thriller that follows journalist Rowena (Halle Berry), with the help of her friend Miles (Giovanni Ribisi), as she attempts to solve the murder of her childhood friend. She believes high powered advertisement executive Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) is the one responsible. Hill is well known as a womanizer, so Rowena, in undercover fashion, begins working at his agency at a temp. Here she can gather evidence against him. However, no one is who they appear to be as the mystery of her friend's murder grows deeper.

"Perfect Stranger" was only filmed for two reasons; showing off Berry's body and for the allegedly overwhelming ending.

The events within the film just happen to allow Berry to dress in many different dresses and provocative outfits. How convenient. Even more so, she has to play sexy in order to catch the eye of Hill. I wonder how it feels to be an Academy Award winning actress and to only be picked for a role because of your physical appearance.

And this can't miss ending…I saw it coming. Honestly, I did. You only have three characters to choose from that could have logically (not that that always matters) committed this murder. Two of them you can rule out fairly early because they are too obvious.

Not to give anything away, but this ending does not even make sense. It negates the entire story. So everything that the viewer just watched was a sham; no purpose what so ever. That becomes really frustrating.

Films have done this before such as "The Usual Suspects," but most of the time they are done with much more cunning. Even then, the rest of the film still has a purpose.

"Perfect Stranger" heavily relies and dies on this 'shock' ending. The film is also shamefully filled with product placement. Heineken alone must have stiffed the bill for the entire film because "Perfect Stranger" is littered with their green bottles. Anytime Rowena comes home she cracks open a nice cold Heineken. Anytime her and Miles begin to do some investigating, Heineken. Neon signs glowing brightly in the back of a bar, you guessed it; Heineken.

Any film worth its merit is not going to be stuffed full of such advertisements. I don't mind product placement in small doses or from varying companies but anything of this sole magnitude becomes degrading. Halle Berry, please, you are an Oscar winning actress; stop signing up to do terrible movies. Ever since receiving her Academy Award for best actress in "Monster's Ball," Berry has not taken any roles that would further demonstrate her acting capabilities. It's disappointing to see an actress win that prestigious award and then continue to star in the substandard movies that made her popular. "Perfect Stranger" develops into a lifeless, uneventful and entirely preposterous film. Miss it if at all possible; unless you crave Berry. That is the one thing that this movie does have plenty of…well besides Heineken.

Grindhouse (2007)

Another great picture (pictures) from Rodriguez and Tarantino

[8/10 · 20 April 2007]

"Grindhouse" is the utterly off-the-wall visceral experience that viewers have come to expect from directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.

There is plenty of blood, guts, and gore and don't forget the blatant exploitation of women and minorities. "Grindhouse" has everything that a film paying homage to 1970's drive-in B-horror movies requires.

"Grindhouse" is a horror movie double feature. The first film is "Planet Terror" directed by Rodriguez. The film is about a military team who accidentally releases a toxic gas into the air of Texas. This gas just happens to turn everyone in the town into zombies. Residents of the town, especially El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), Cherry (Rose McGowan), and Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn), must stick together and try to survive this zombie nightmare.

By the way I'm so happy to see Biehn back on the screen. Even though he is the most typecast actor I have ever seen. Seriously, go to IMDb.com and look him up. You will be hard-pressed to find a film where he does not play a police or military officer. He is so good at it though, and he has played those parts in some great modern classics.

In between the two films are three fake trailers made by other horror directors including, Rob Zombie (The Devils Rejects), Eli Roth (Hostel), and Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). These trailers are hysterical. They do such a fine job by poking fun at trailers for movies that you probably would not see because they look so goofy. Honestly, one of them is called "Werewolf Women of the S.S." Hilarious.

The last film is Tarantino's "Death Proof." This film is about two groups of girls that are terrorized by a stunt car driver. The driver, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), has some unknown vendetta against these girls and attempts to kill them with his death proof stunt car. This film is the only weak point of "Grindhouse." The double feature opens with an explosion then slows down to a crawl; never bringing you back to the same point of excitement.

Tarantino has always been known for having films that are driven by witty and clever dialogue, but this causes "Death Proof" to be a slowly unwinding movie. After the non-stop thrills in "Planet Terror," "Death Proof" pales in comparison. It is like going to a concert and having a heavy-metal band open up for jazz band. The viewer gets revved up in the first movie only to be slowed down for a smooth, cool second film. The order of the movies should have been reversed.

"Grindhouse" ultimately suffers from the abrupt change of pace. Rodriguez and Tarantino even dirtied the picture quality in order to give all the films an aged and well-worn visual look. Plus, I enjoyed how the theater even put a flier on the entrance on the specific "Grindhouse" entrance doors telling all patrons that the film is supposed to look that way so don't go and complain to them.

The directors even went as far as to leave out missing reels from the films so a part from each movie is missing. These reels are conveniently left out at the sexually exploitative parts, so even though they are paying homage to the classic films, "Grindhouse" does not become exploitative itself.

Be forewarned, "Grindhouse" literally is a movie double feature. Expect the length of two movies combined together with some trailers because this film clocks in at about three hours and 15 minutes. This is time well spent though, as "Grindhouse" is a roller-coaster ride of pure gruesome fun and humor.

Hostel (2005)

Brutal, Brutal fun

[7/10 · 20 April 2007]

"Hostel" is definitely not a film for everyone. With intense depictions of torture and camera shots that force the viewer to observe every gory detail, "Hostel" pushes the R rating to its limit.

Produced by Quentin Tarantino and written and directed by new comer Eli Roth, this film gives the horror movie genre a wake up call that it desperately needed.

The film begins with three friends Paxton (Jay Hernandez) Josh (Derek Richardson) and their new found friend Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson) who are backpacking through Europe. Paxton is the typical college guy who encourages all of the bad behavior that they participate in. Josh on the other hand is the shy type and has to be forced to do anything. Then there is the laid back Icelander Oli who Josh and Paxton met on their travels and has now joined their group.

Of course they partake in the activities of drug use and other debauchery that characters in horror movies usually do, but what they are really looking for are beautiful women. This is when the three bump into a local in Amsterdam who tells them of a secret hostel in Slovakia where the most gorgeous women are located.

Unable to resist, the three jump on the next train to Slovakia. At the hostel things start to take turn for the worse when after the first night Oli is missing. After worrying a bit Paxton and Josh brush it off and decide to continue partying with the girls they have met. Naturally the next morning Josh cannot be found. Paxton then becomes desperate to find his missing friends. Interrogating the girls they were with Paxton is lead to a place where people are violently tortured as a way of fulfilling people's fantasies and reaching a new emotional rush.

The horror movie genre has become extremely formulaic recently with movies that are either remakes of older films or use every cliché possible. Fortunately Roth being a fan of horror movies knows what has become tiresome and tries breaks away from the sameness that has corrupted the genre. Although he does resort to using characters that are the typical young rule breakers, they are given some characterization that allows the viewer to feel sympathy for their situation. Not to mention when the characters do something that might seem stupid, he gives ample reason for their actions.

What Roth does well is he understands exactly how to build tension throughout the film. Recent horror films have relied on the use of quick cuts and cheap scares in order to frighten the viewer. Roth though utilizes the atmosphere of the scene by using close up shots that allude to the painful acts that will soon occur. Do not worry though because when those acts do occur the camera does not switch over to something else. Roth instead decides to show the whole gruesome act. This gives the film an intensity that other horror films have begun to lack.

Realism is a key element that Roth emphasizes throughout the film. The premise for the movie originated when Roth stumbled upon a website that said one could kill someone for $10,000. Thus the movie advertised that it was based on true events. Here he uses ordinary people in a plausible situation in order to cause fear. This strays away from the typical plot of an un-killable monster or a ghost that has been overdone.

"Hostel" is a horror movie that is not only new but refreshing due to its original story and strong direction from Eli Roth. Be warned though that this movie is fairly intense at times, but any fan of the genre will appreciate this fresh approach to horror film making.

The Weather Man (2005)

Dark drama, but refreshing film

[7/10 · 20 April 2007]

"The Weather Man" is not quite the comedy one would expect it to be. In fact the movie is quite blunt and depressing. Regardless in the end this film is brilliant and is not afraid to deliver a movie that does not follow the typical happy Hollywood story.

David Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is the Chicago weather man who is trying to turn his life into the perfect dream that he has for it. Unfortunately the more he tries to make things better the worse they become. He also has the comedic problem of getting fast food items randomly thrown at him.

His wife (Hope Davis) has divorced him and is dating another man, his daughter is becoming over weight thus being teased at school, his son uses drugs, and his father (Michael Caine) is recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. See what I mean by depressing.

David then comes up with a slightly flawed plan to try and resolve these problems and bring his family back together. This entails them all moving to New York where he will become a weather man on a national morning news program and things will magically work themselves out. As hard as David tries to make this happen we know that it will never happen. The reason for this is David is an extremely flawed character. He is lazy, vulgar, and mostly immature. Also he does not even know who he is as a person, so how is he able to repair his family if he cannot repair himself. He also feels as if he has to live up to the high expectations of his father who is highly respected and award winning author. From here David attempts to find out who he is with the help of his dying father and his recently acquired hobby of archery. Both of these aids in his journey of self discovery as he tries to put his life back together. The director Gore Verbinski strays from the genre of his previous works including "The Ring" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" and its sequels to do a simplistic drama. He does a masterful job in showing the story of this conflicted man. Although he can be quite despicable at times the viewer still cares for him.

"The Weather Man" is also a very blunt movie. It always attempts to resemble reality throughout the script. This includes plenty of cussing and sexual dialogue. The language might deter some from the film, but ultimately gives it a gritty feeling that seems true to real life conversations. . The film also purposefully strays from the perfect and sappy resolutions popular in most movies because things in life rarely happen that way. The film was recently released on DVD. The special features include a theatrical trailer and five features about different aspects of the film such as the script, the style, and the characters. These features are very well done and intriguing to watch. Many of them provide insightful views about the themes and characters in the film.

"The Weather Man" may not appeal to all viewers because of its gloomy nature, but the film delivers a great story that does have some humor and poignant moments.

Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac welcomes back David Fincher

[8/10 · 20 April 2007]

The word remake has to be the most popular word in Hollywood right now. So many films are being released recently that are remakes of previous films, especially in the horror/thriller genre. The worst part is that very few of them are any good. In a quick attempt to make a few dollars, movie studios stick to the same formula. The most important part is do not come up with original idea; instead just redo a movie that was already successful in the past. Second add a handful of inexperienced actors and directors. Finally pump a whole bunch of money into advertising and you are guaranteed to make a bad movie and rake in tons of cash in the process. This film is no different.

"When a Stranger Calls" stays close to the same premise from the original 1979 film of the same name. The sad thing is that even the plot from the first film was fairly bland. Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle) is experiencing the usual high school drama and feels like nothing is going right for her. First her boyfriend ended up kissing one of good friends at a party. Then she went over her cell phone service plan by 800 minutes and now she is grounded for a month.

Therefore Jill cannot attend the huge bonfire party that everyone in her high school is going to. Instead she has to baby-sit. When she arrives at the house the kids are already asleep and the parents give her a quick tour of their beautiful house. Once Jill is alone in the house she starts to receive odd phone calls from a person that says nothing.

After the caller continues for some time Jill becomes scared and calls the police. The police call back and tell Jill that the calls have been traced and are coming from within the house.

That is it. That is the whole plot and somehow they manage to drag it out to an already lacking running time of 1 hour and 23 minutes. Not to mention the first and last scene of the film should be removed because they serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever. It seems like the creators just threw the two scenes in the film in order to give it a longer running time.

The infamous scene where Jill finds out the call is coming from inside the house was the driving force of the 1979 version, but the modern version uses the scene as its main advertising focus. This then ruins the only good thrill that the movie could have had because everyone already knows it is going to happen.

"When a Stranger Calls" is filled with plot holes, impossibilities, and inconsistencies that make an already poor film even worse. The movie also takes every opportunity to use a cheap scare when Jill goes multiple times to investigate a noise in the house and is startled by everything possible.

The only praise that can be given to this film is that it does attempt to build up to a strong climax. "When a Stranger Calls" has a very classic thriller feel to it, which can only be praised so much because of the fact is a remake of a classic thriller. Unlike the trend nowadays where films have scares and deaths every few minutes in order to hold the attention of the young teen audience the movies are targeted for.

The next thing to look forward to is when "When a Stranger Calls" comes out on DVD and the movie studios will resort to their second best money making formula. Release an unrated version that is almost exactly the same as the original.

TMNT (2007)

TMNT brings back childhood classic

[6/10 · 20 April 2007]

Cowabunga dudes! I just saw the new movie "TMNT" (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles abbreviated) and it was totally gnarly.

Honestly though, it was surprisingly good. The making of this film was troubling because, like many people my age, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" was a childhood favorite that will always be cherished. Was a new "TMNT" movie really necessary? Only bad things could come from this right?

Wrong.

"TMNT" delivers. The film perfectly blends all incarnations of the turtles from the comics, the classic and more recent television shows, and the previous films.

It mixes the humor and style of the original show, while still having the deep characters and dark tone from the comics and first film. This should please any and all fans of the Ninja Turtles universe.

For those who do not know, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are four mutated turtle brothers who live in the sewers of Manhattan and fight crime. Yes, it is quite odd, but back in the day (and now) it was quite cool.

"TMNT" chronologically follows the previous three films, taking place where they had left off.

The turtles arch-nemesis The Shredder has finally been defeated, leaving the turtles with very little to do. They have become unnecessary because only petty crime remains.

Leonardo, by the order of Splinter, has taken leave to South America in order to fully understand his leadership role within the group. By the way, Splinter is the turtle's father and sensei who is a giant old rat. I promise. This stuff really is cool.

Without their brother and leader, the remaining turtles have become separated and disenfranchised by working menial jobs. This will soon change as monsters begin showing up in Manhattan as a man named Max Winters (Patrick Stewart) attempts to bring an ancient legend to life in which he will be able to take over the world.

To stop this threat, the turtles will have to join back together and use the help of some of their old friends.

"TMNT" is the first time the turtles have been shown in CGI (Computer-generated imagery). In the shows they had been animated, and in the three previous movies that were live action.

At first it feels a little odd to see the turtles this way, but after a few minutes they fit right in. Plus, the CGI looks spectacular. My only complaint is the humans look a little too cartoonish, but the turtles look perfect so this can be overlooked.

Don't worry; many of the classic characters from the shows are also in "TMNT." This includes April O'Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Casey Jones (Chris Evans), and even the Foot Clan makes an appearance in this film.

Of course, the feud between Raphael and Leonardo continues in "TMNT," but by this point their constant bickering has become stale. Can't Raphael keep his emotions under control and follow Leonardo as their leader?

With "TMNT," just kick back, eat a pizza, grab some shell, and relive the memories of a childhood classic that will appease any Ninja Turtles fan.

Thumbsucker (2005)

Thumbsucker is a good DVD rental

[7/10 · 20 April 2007]

Creating a lot of buzz at the Sundance Film Festival, but unfortunately having a very limited theatrical release, "Thumbsucker" recently came out on DVD for the mass audiences to see.

This independent film, based on the book by the same name, attempts to display the problems of American families in suburbia and a kids coming of age story. Although this plot seems a little contrived, "Thumbsucker" tackles many different issues on the subject that makes this film stand out from the rest.

The main character Justin (Lou Pucci) has a dilemma. The dilemma is that he is 17 years old and still sucks his thumb. He is a fairly shy kid and continues this addiction to his thumb as a coping mechanism to deal with the issues of adolescence.

His father (Vincent D'Onofrio) sees the act as extremely childish and looks down upon Justin for it. His mother (Tilda Swinton) on the other hand is too busy trying to win a contest for a date with her favorite TV star (Benjamin Bratt) to pay any attention to what is happening with her family. Justin finally realizes that his thumb sucking is causing problems with his family and his social life.

This is when Justin's unusual dentist (Keanu Reeves) decides to separate him from his thumb by using hypnosis. After not being able to comfort himself with his thumb he begins the mission of finding out just who he really is before reaching adulthood.

Through this journey the only people who aid him are not his parents but are in fact his debate club coach (Vince Vaughn) and his odd dentist who is also going through a stage of self-discovery. What Justin finds out is he is not the only person dealing with problems in his life. In actuality everyone is.

In true independent film fashion "Thumbsucker" relies on purely the story and acting in order to drive the film. It uses very soft camera shots to express the subtleties of these people's lives. The sets are also very bland therefore drawing all of the attention towards the characters.

For this film it works well because the story is the best part about it. These characters seem real and the viewer can easily relate to many if not all of them. Especially with that of Justin whose difficulties of growing up are probably quite similar to many of that age. The DVD itself is not very exciting having only a behind the scenes documentary, an interview with the author and director, and commentary by the director.

The behind the scenes documentary is fairly basic showing the different actors and their opinion on the movie, which is always that it is a great film and they loved doing it.

The interview between the author of the book Walter Kirn and director Mike Mills fortunately is extremely interesting. Here the two break down the story from the book and film and analyze all of its major themes and characters. Since the story in "Thumbsucker" is very deep and engaging it is intriguing to examine how the book translated into the film.

"Thumbsucker" is a film that has a little bit of everything from humor, to sadness, to joy. These are all of the elements that make a great dramatic film with a pertinent theme that everyone has their own problems and no one is truly alone in their struggles.

When a Stranger Calls (2006)

I hope I'm not there when a stranger calls

[1/10 · 20 April 2007]

The word remake has to be the most popular word in Hollywood right now. So many films are being released recently that are remakes of previous films, especially in the horror/thriller genre. The worst part is that very few of them are any good.

In a quick attempt to make a few dollars, movie studios stick to the same formula. The most important part is do not come up with original idea; instead just redo a movie that was already successful in the past. Second add a handful of inexperienced actors and directors. Finally pump a whole bunch of money into advertising and you are guaranteed to make a bad movie and rake in tons of cash in the process. This film is no different.

"When a Stranger Calls" stays close to the same premise from the original 1979 film of the same name. The sad thing is that even the plot from the first film was fairly bland.

Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle) is experiencing the usual high school drama and feels like nothing is going right for her. First her boyfriend ended up kissing one of good friends at a party. Then she went over her cell phone service plan by 800 minutes and now she is grounded for a month.

Therefore Jill cannot attend the huge bonfire party that everyone in her high school is going to. Instead she has to baby-sit. When she arrives at the house the kids are already asleep and the parents give her a quick tour of their beautiful house. Once Jill is alone in the house she starts to receive odd phone calls from a person that says nothing.

After the caller continues for some time Jill becomes scared and calls the police. The police call back and tell Jill that the calls have been traced and are coming from within the house.

That is it. That is the whole plot and somehow they manage to drag it out to an already lacking running time of 1 hour and 23 minutes. Not to mention the first and last scene of the film should be removed because they serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever. It seems like the creators just threw the two scenes in the film in order to give it a longer running time.

The infamous scene where Jill finds out the call is coming from inside the house was the driving force of the 1979 version, but the modern version uses the scene as its main advertising focus. This then ruins the only good thrill that the movie could have had because everyone already knows it is going to happen.

"When a Stranger Calls" is filled with plot holes, impossibilities, and inconsistencies that make an already poor film even worse. The movie also takes every opportunity to use a cheap scare when Jill goes multiple times to investigate a noise in the house and is startled by everything possible.

The only praise that can be given to this film is that it does attempt to build up to a strong climax. "When a Stranger Calls" has a very classic thriller feel to it, which can only be praised so much because of the fact is a remake of a classic thriller. Unlike the trend nowadays where films have scares and deaths every few minutes in order to hold the attention of the young teen audience the movies are targeted for.

The next thing to look forward to is when "When a Stranger Calls" comes out on DVD and the movie studios will resort to their second best money making formula. Release an unrated version that is almost exactly the same as the original.

The Reaping (2007)

The Reaping does not know what movie it wants to be

[2/10 · 20 April 2007]

"The Reaping" had such a great idea for a movie plot, but was entirely put to waste in this movie that ends in shambles.

This film had so much potential, but it fails on all accounts. From the beginning of the story you are hoping and praying that the film does not take the ridiculous plot turn you think it is going to take, but it does.

By the end, the film becomes a horror, disaster movie combination; two genres that have become extremely trite and unoriginal. I'm so glad they decided to put them together, plunging the film into shear monotony.

"The Reaping" tells the story of former missionary Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank), who has become anti-religious after the death of her husband and daughter. Winter thus begins to disprove supposed miracles throughout the world using scientific research.

At the town of Haven, Louisiana strange happenings begin occurring that could possibly be the beginnings of a resurgence of the 10 biblical plagues. Winter is then appropriately called in to discover the true nature of these events. The town blames the plagues on a local 12 year-old girl. Could she really be responsible? This film is jammed with plot twists and turns. All of them make absolutely no sense whatsoever, but they keep on coming all the way until the end.

"The Reaping" fills itself with this pro-religious message, which is all fine and good, with how Winter is going to rediscover her religious beliefs throughout the film's story. However, with all of the plot twists the film turns all of these ideals over and totally negates its Christian message it is trying to portray.

Not to mention, I really want to know what the deal is with so many horror films having a child character that is the root of all evil. Every film that tries to be even remotely scary feels it necessary for the main horror figure to be a child. They are not scary. Stop doing this.

When a child character is the main villain in a horror film, the film ends up having no depth. The protagonist is supposed to interact with the villain verbally or physically, instead these films have the child, who always has these magical powers, just stares at the protagonist with these innocently evil eyes. It is so pointless.

Kudos goes to the production advertisers, who again, aptly use the calendar in order to advertise their movie. Some other clever movie advertising were "The Number 23" being released on Feb. 23 and "The Omen" (2006) being released on June 6, 2006. "The Reaping" was released on Good Friday which is synonymous with the Christian theology that the film entails. How clever.

The only, and I mean the only, redeeming factor about "The Reaping" is the films special effects. They provide a spectacular visual representation of the 10 biblical plagues and the audience gets to see how the plagues would affect our modern world.

"The Reaping" is just plain stupid. It does not make any sense. Spare yourself the hour and a half and just go read about the 10 plagues in the Bible.

The Pink Panther (2006)

Not good, but not bad

[4/10 · 20 April 2007]

Again Hollywood has dropped all of its creative ideas deciding to bring back another classic franchise. Now they revive "The Pink Panther" series which was popular during the late '60s all the way into the '80s. Fortunately this movie is not a remake; instead it is a prequel to the original "The Pink Panther" from 1963.

The new addition to "The Pink Panther" series seems to be made with much more care and planning then the other remakes and additions to classic film series. Steve Martin actually co-wrote the screenplay and with his experience in comedy movies you can trust that there are plenty of funny moments throughout the film.

Just like all of the other "The Pink Panther" films the current story revolves around the crazy antics of French policeman Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin). In France there is an important soccer game between France and China where the winner advances to the championship game. The French win in overtime. During the victory celebration the French coach Yves Gluant (Jason Statham) is murdered and the famous Pink Panther diamond he was wearing is stolen.

Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) of the French police then comes up with a grand plan to finally receive the French Medal of Honor. The plan involves putting an extremely incompetent inspector on the murder case and after that inspector has not been able to make any progress the Chief Inspector will immediately take command and solve the crime.

Dreyfus appoints Clouseau to the case whom we see is a goof and always gets himself into comedic situations. Gendarme Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno) is assigned to be Clouseau's partner in order to keep track of him just to make sure Clouseau does not find too many clues.

Clouseau starts out with two suspects the first being one of the French soccer players. The other is Gluant's girlfriend Xania (Beyoncé Knowles). With the odds stacked against him Clouseau begins the investigation getting into plenty of mischief as he tries to find the culprit. This film owes most of its humor to Steve Martin taking over the role of Clouseau originally played by Peter Sellers. Martin's attempted French accent throughout the film is humorous and leads to many comical scenes. He also has a great supporting cast including Kevin Kline, and an unusually funny Jean Reno who typically stars in action and drama films. "The Pink Panther" also has a cameo by a famous actor which is the funniest part of the film, so I will not ruin it for you. It just shows that the producers did put a fair amount of effort into the new addition of "The Pink Panther" series.

"The Pink Panther" has a PG rating as it does provide clean humor for all ages. In the same style as "Napoleon Dynamite" the film proves that you can have a hilarious movie without having to use dirty and raunchy jokes. It is refreshing for a change. Not all films have to be dramatic and thought provoking. This film just aims to be a form of mindless entertainment that provides some comedy to create an enjoyable experience. "The Pink Panther" succeeds in this by delivering plenty of laughs that is a lot of fun.

The Number 23 (2007)

The Number 23 is better then most thrillers, due to its attention to detail.

[6/10 · 20 April 2007]

My first impressions of "The Number 23" from the advertisements were that this was going to be another horror/thriller dud. Hollywood seems to be filled with them recently, and the reason they keep getting pumped out is that they make plenty of money.

Luckily, "The Number 23" is better then than most. It definitely stands out from the others as it has quite an intriguing mystery to it.

The film tells the story of Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) an animal control worker that is given a book by his wife (Virginia Madsen). The book just happens to be called The Number 23.

Sparrow begins reading the book and becomes startled when the book has many similarities with his life. He becomes engulfed in the book and obsessed with the number 23 because it is everywhere he looks. As he continues reading, the character in the book commits a murder, but Sparrow is too nice to kill anyone. Right?

The idea for this film may not be as original as one might think. The premise of the film actually reminds me of Darren Aronofsky's "Pi." In which a man become obsessed with the mathematical figure of pi (3.14) and discovers the number everywhere and it begins to ruin his life.

"The Number 23" really goes all out in convincing the viewer just how crazy the number 23 can be. The writers find its existence in everything. Whether or not they are real, I have no idea; but it sure sounds good.

The movie gets you so convinced that everywhere the viewer looks in the movie they can find 23. It's on the license plates, the cash registers, and anywhere else you look. That is one of the great aspects about the film. The film constantly barrages the viewer with subliminal messaging of 23. Also I noticed when Sparrow goes to the King Edward Hotel, with its neon sign the O and T are not light up. Nifty isn't it?

Not by coincidence the movie was released Feb. 23. See what I mean by they went all out?

"The Number 23" is directed by Joel Schumacher who has had his good films ("Phone Booth," "The Lost Boys") and his bad films ("Batman and Robin"). I think you can chalk this film up as one of Schumacher's better films.

Schumacher does an interesting trick while Sparrow is reading the book. The audience is vicariously shown what Sparrow is imagining as he is reading that has this surreal and slightly out of focus look to it. I have never seen a movie recreate the mental process of reading before. It definitely works though, and it adds to the film.

Unfortunately, the ending is not as bombastic as the movie wants it to be. It's not bad, but it's just not really shocking. Or at least I thought so. Not to mention the ending probably takes about 23 minutes to wrap everything up.

You are never on the edge of your seat and that is where this movie really fails. As a thriller it is important that you are constantly tense about what is going to happen next.

I give "The Number 23" three out of five (2+3) stars. Uh oh! I gave a two on my last movie review and now I give this movie a three. Put them together and you have…23!

Freedomland (2006)

Honestly, one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

[1/10 · 20 April 2007]

"Freedomland" falls flat in every possible way a movie can. The story is boring, the viewer does not care about the characters, and the movie goes nowhere. The film is set in 1999, which is odd because nothing during the course of the movie makes it necessary for it to take place during that time period.

The story begins with Brenda Martin (Julianne Moore) walking into a hospital with wounds on her hands after being carjacked. Detective Lorenzo Council (Samuel L. Jackson) is called in to ask her further questions. Brenda then tells him the story and blames the carjacking on an unidentified black male. It also then occurs to her that her son was also in the stolen car.

Brenda's brother is detective Danny Martin (Ron Eldard) of a neighboring police department. Trying to find his nephew quickly he puts the all black neighborhood where the carjacking took place under lock down. Since no one is allowed to leave the residents of the area start to get upset and unruly.

To diffuse the situation Detective Council rushes to find Brenda's son before riots break out in the neighborhood or Brenda's son is found dead. As the story unfolds we find that there is more to the story then we know.

"Freedomland" tries to deliver a twist ending at the end, but everyone in the audience can see it coming. Ironically the movie openly tells you many times what the ending is going to be. Though when the truth is told we are supposed to be shocked and amazed.

Even this strong cast of actors cannot save this movie from being totally lost. Samuel L. Jackson really underplays his role as Detective Council. Jackson is probably the loudest actor in Hollywood and the one role that needs it he does not deliver. Julianne Moore on the other hand overplays her role as Brenda who instead of a grieving mother comes off as a lunatic. By the end of this movie the viewer has no sympathy for her character because she is so annoying and irrational.

The true shame about this movie is how it poorly tries to bring in themes of racial inequality. It seemed like an original set up by using the characters in the black neighborhood in lock down. Unfortunately the points the film is trying to make take a back seat to the boring story of Brenda and her missing kid. The racial ideas are then never fully developed and just fall short as a type of afterthought.

Also, what happened to this movie being a supernatural thriller? Every advertisement has shown the movie involving the child going missing for some mysterious reasons. The real story has nothing to do with the supernatural. The movie should not even be considered a thriller because nothing exciting or suspenseful ever takes place. Instead we just dragged along with these characters knowing exactly what is going to happen at the end.

"Freedomland" is one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. It really should be an educational video of how not to make a movie because there is nothing good about this film.