Jharrison-22 Reviews

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)

More Than Just a Kids' Show

[10/10 · 17 December 2011]

My ten year old sister and I have been watching this series on netflix, and I must say, this is a truly wonderful show. The story is compelling, leaving us hooked from episode 1, and rather sad to see season 3 drawing to a close. I'm 19, and have seen bits and pieces of the show when it originally aired, but never got a chance to watch it all in sequence. I knew it was a fun show with a cool concept, but what surprised me (and has kept me so interested) was the level of depth. Zuko, for instance, is a compelling antihero (which is a rare concept in children's programming) who is struggling with morality, honor, and duty. He is aided (often in ways he doesn't realize) by his wise uncle Iroh. Iroh serves as both comic relief and a source of genuine wisdom (as opposed to the meaningless adages) throughout the show, and is again a character with depth and substance.

The Series's 3 main protagonists (Aang, Katara, and Sokka) develop magnificently as characters, to the point where you find yourself remarking on how much younger they seem in earlier episodes and flashbacks. And while you watch the show, you can feel yourself growing with them, sharing their journey as they do combat with firelords, seamonsters, and their own teenage lifestyles. Honestly, I have been enjoying this show to its fullest, and while it's not quite Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, it certainly isn't Kung Fu Panda.

Also it has a bunch of funny stuff/action that kids like.

The Beach (I) (2000)

Great Movie (Believe it or Not)

[9/10 · 9 June 2011]

I'm a Danny Boyle fan. Not the biggest fan in the world, but I certainly enjoy his style. However, I had heard that this movie was a stinker, so I decided to give it a pass for a while. When I did get around to seeing it, I was blown away.

1. The acting. The acting was superb. Robert Carlyle was excellent as Daffy. Both french actors (Virginie Ledoyen and Guilliaume Canet) were solid. DiCaprio was great. One review I read accuses him of playing a "nobody" but I assure you that this is exactly why he was so brilliantly cast. He's an American twenty-something on vacation in Thailand. He is unsure of himself and he is capable. He doesn't know what he wants or why he's here. DiCaprio plays this part perfectly, acting both unsure and overconfident. Tilda Swin is perfect as the leader of a small island community.

2. Storytelling. This movie is really hard to place. It starts out as a "finding oneself" type film with some thriller elements. It ends up... somewhere I did not expect it to go. THe story follows a windy road full of twists and turns, and takes the viewer to places he had no intention of going. It should also be mentioned that this film is fairly similar to Apocalypse Now (Boyle's Favorite Film). This movie is also funny. I wasn't expecting that either. There are moments (very few, actually) of fun and play in this overall rather dark story.

3. Score, editing, cinematography, etc. When I watch a Danny Boyle film, I am always reminded of the other films he's made, both stylistically and thematically. Despite using different cinematographers, his films invariably have a specific visual style (much more apparent in his later films) with angled camera, and rich blues, yellows and greens. In many ways, this film reminded me a little of Trainspotting crossed with 127 Hours. It's less flashy than one, and more than the other, and deals with some similar elements of trial that are present 127 Hours, as well as an interesting cast of characters, like Trainspotting. Both films have at least one hallucination/insanity moment, but I will not go too far down that road for fear of uncovering spoilers. The score was fine, I felt it fit the film rather well, giving it the flashy wildness of the 2000 without going overboard. Most of the soundtrack has a kind of retro synth feel combined with a more modern beat. Not the best music on the planet, but nothing to lose sleep over.

Anyways, I could go more in depth about specific story elements, plot devices and scene structures, but I won't for brevity's sake. But, to sum up my review: I loved it. At many points during the film I found myself thinking: this is such a good movie. Don't listen to the bad reviews. this is completely worth watching.

Battle Los Angeles (2011)

Black Hawk Down... with Aliens

[7/10 · 13 March 2011]

I saw this film the other day, and I actually really liked it. It was exactly what I expected (maybe a little better). If you want to watch a really well thought out film with lots of character development and interesting subplots this is not the film for you. If you want to watch a bunch of U.S. Marines beat the tar out of invading spacefreaks, then this is the film for you. From when we first encounter the aliens to sometime in the middle, the movie is a nonstop thrill ride. Stuff explodes, aliens get splattered, humans get burned by lasers. In case you didn't already suspect, this film is very violent. Although there isn't a lot of blood, there are certainly a lot of deaths. The action is unpredictable and zany. One minute everyone will be walking somewhere between point A and B, the next, they're crouching behind burned out cars and houses as aliens pour ungodly hellfire onto them from above. The special effects were also quite good, with the exception of a couple bad animations here and there. That being said, the movie suffers when it slows down. The dialogue is poorly written, and delivered decently, but not well. Aaron Eckhart however did a wonderful job as a stony faced marine staff sergeant who keeps a cool head when under fire. Most of the storyline is pretty standard war movie/alien invasion stuff. You know, when after a bunch of fighting everyone gets discouraged and then the leader gives a big motivational speech and the inspirational music plays and everyone feels heroic.

So don't expect a masterpiece of modern cinema, expect alien guts and lots of shooting and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Intense.

[9/10 · 20 July 2008]

I was a little bit blown away when watching this movie. It was absolutely intense. I haven't seen the first one (28 days) and I really want to. Maybe that's why I like this movie so much. because I haven't seen the first. Also, I must note that the music was excellent. I noticed that this film is not that scary, but rather just intense. However, this film has many "jump moments" do not watch this film with a bunch of teenage girls. your ears will pop. At least, mine did.

over all, very good. 8.5/10 (rounds up to nine) Worth watching. you don't really need to see the first movie to understand this film, but you probably should, just to get a batter picture than I did (I had to get friends to explain certain parts to me.)

The Host (2006)

Funny, serious, and really well done

[8/10 · 23 June 2008]

I really enjoyed this movie. After seeing the first two scenes with quotes like: "These aren't just your normal toxic chemicals." I was expecting a cheesy monster flick very similar to the Godzilla movies of the '90's That quickly changed. I soon realized that the visuals off this movie were very good. the effects were great, but by modern standards, they were just average. It soon occurred to me that Joon-ho bong was willing to sacrifice his horror/action film to bouts of unexpected humor, which never failed to make me laugh.

Some people may find this film distastefully handled, but I really liked it.

i would give this film a 7.5, but I will round that up to 8.

V for Vendetta (2005)

fabulous

[9/10 · 20 March 2008]

It was a wonder film. I really enjoyed it. It was especially relevant in my mind, as I had just finished reading George Orwell's 1984.

I really liked how this film could bother you at times. The concentration camp-like facilities were disturbing, as was the scenes of people being arrested. I loved the references to conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan, because it seemed to say: "This could happen." Also, the ending scene was powerful. It really got to me. I did have a few, minor issues with this film, but I can't discuss them without spoiling anything.

anyway, good movie, 10/10