"The Wedding Singer" is a 1998 film starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Frank Coraci directs this romantic comedy about a wedding singer (Sandler) struggling to find true love in a seemingly cruel world. From what I've heard about this film, it's one of Sandler's best movies. IGN actually called it his best, so needless to say I wanted to see it. Is it his best movie? I don't think so, but it's not bad. I found most of this movie to be quite entertaining. The best part of this movie is the fact that if features an almost unbearably charming soundtrack featuring a plethora of 80s classics. I love the 80s, I honestly think they were one of the best decades in American History. It was a time that featured a cultural renaissance, a solid economy, and an overall unique feel and I was glad to see that this movie embraced that period so openly. Adam Sandler is also one of the film's strongest points. I honestly did not think that he could play any other part than the lovable fool ("Waterboy") or the ill-tempered everyman ("Billy Madison"), but he can. Not saying that those parts are bad, but it's refreshing to see a change of pace every once and a while, and Sandler's performance in this film is one. Some of the jokes are filled with a little too much brown and they seem dated in a few parts, but the film's comedy is generally funny. The script is pretty predictable, but as I said it's too charming to rip apart. Anyway I found that, in the end, "The Wedding Singer" was a genuinely entertaining movie that ranks among one of Adam Sandler's best movies.
Reviews
52 Reviews
Crimson Tide
(1995)
Review Of "Crimson Tide"
4 March 2012
"Crimson Tide" is a 1995 film Starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. The Tony Scott film involves a first officer (Washington) on a nuclear submarine who clashes with his captain (Hackman) over whether or not they have enough information to perform a first strike on a volatile Russia. As far as, Tony Scott films go, they're sort of hit or miss. I loved "Man On Fire" and "Unstoppable." However, movies like "Deja Vu" and "The Taking Of Pelham 123" are just sort of "meh" for me. This is partly because Mr. Scott made a very strange transition midway through his career. He went from using a really clean and traditional camera movement (as in "Top Gun," "True Romance," and "Crimson Tide") to using this really frenetic and trippy camera style (as in "Deja Vu," "Man On Fire," and "Unstoppable"). Sometimes the latter works, sometimes it doesn't, but one thing that usually has stayed amazingly consistent throughout Tony Scott's career is a brilliant lead performance from Denzel Washington. Tony Scott and Denzel Washington have collaborated together five times, and they've crafted some amazing stuff. "Crimson Tide" is no different here - Denzel sails through this movie with an utterly incredible finesse. However, while Denzel's performance is a force to be reckoned with, the best performance in this film is from none other than Popeye Doyle himself; Mr. Gene Hackman. His portrayal of Captain Frank Ramsey is one of the most menacing performances I've seen him give in a long while. Hackman owns this ship. In terms of directing, this movie in my opinion had everything "The Hunt For Red October" had, yet there was just a tad more. While "The Hunt For Red October" filmed it's underwater combat scenes using trick photography and models in midair, "Crimson Tide" actually shot their model ships underwater and utilized practical special effects on them regularly. While "The Hunt For Red October" had a brilliant score by Basil Poledouris, "Crimson Tide". . .had Hans Zimmer. Finally, while "The Hunt For Red October"'s plot was very interesting and definitely worth watching, "Crimson Tide" managed to be one of the most intense filmgoing experiences for me in a very long time - the fear of a nuclear holocaust is hammered into your head at an almost unsettling degree. White-knuckle film? You don't know the meaning of the term. "Crimson Tide" is an unbelievable film that I will not soon forget.
The Hunt for Red October
(1990)
Review Of "The Hunt For Red October"
26 February 2012
"The Hunt For Red October" is a 1990 film directed by John McTiernan and stars Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery. The film is adapted from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel about a Soviet nuclear submarine which drops off U.S. scanners, prompting a young CIA analyst (Baldwin) to scramble to find out what the captain's (Connery) motives really are. To start off, I love Tom Clancy. I'm a fairly big fan of his Splinter Cell, Rainbow SIx, and Ghost Recon franchises. I had also heard of "Red October" and that it was directed by the guy who made "Predator" and "Die Hard", so I was already pretty excited to watch this movie. In short, the film did not, in any way, disappoint. What kind of shocked and worried me about this is that this film was filed under the "Thriller" section on Netflix. . .and it's rated PG. Needless to say, this fact sort of worried me. I was wrong though - just because this movie is PG does not mean it isn't "thrilling" in any sense of the word. "Red October" is in fact an "edge of your seat" thriller by definition. Almost every facet of this film is excellent. The script, I found, was very witty and well written by Larry Ferguson. The acting was spectacular, specifically of course from Connery and Baldwin. The score was very awesome and appropriate for the source material. The special effects were very good, especially for the late 80's. I'd say that "The Hunt For Red October" is a solid thriller that will have a hard time disappointing many of its viewers.
Independence Day
(1996)
Review Of "Independence Day"
19 February 2012
"Independence Day" is a 1996 Roland Emmerich film starring Will Smith and Bill Pullman. Now, let me preface this review by saying that I'm not really a fan of Roland Emmerich movies. I usually find them to be heavy on special effects, rather flimsy on worthwhile narrative substance, and shoddy in terms of character development. Now before I go on, I know what you're thinking - "Well what the heck do I care about those last two things, all I need is explosions." That's fine I guess. It's just that I'd rather have a well crafted story featuring explosions that endanger characters I actually give a crap about than the aforementioned. Now with that said, is "Independence Day" the former or the latter? It's a little bit of both. This movie is not total bad but it does have it's moments. Thankfully the good moments outweigh the bad ones. Yes, the character development is rather nonexistent. This is mainly because of the fact that there are way too many characters in this film altogether, so even the slightest hint of any sort of character arc is almost impossible/undetectable. The plot is rather stale, and there are a handful of plot holes and inconsistencies throughout, but there isn't really any dynamic of this plot that is so flagrantly bad one can't sit through it without feeling entertained. I had mixed feelings about some of the lines in this film. Some of them were pumped with so much 90's action cheese It made me want to gauge my eyes out with a pinecone, but there were others that made me laugh/smile some. As most Roland Emmerich films go, the special effects end up looking unbelievable and it's no different for "Independence Day". The fact that this film came out in 1996 is still a shocker to me. The acting is great in some places, while lacking in others. Bill Pullman had one of the best performances in the film, as did Jeff Goldblum. Overall, It's apparent that "Independence Day" is one of Roland Emmerich's best films, if not his best, and it is indeed very entertaining.
A Few Good Men
(1992)
Review Of "A Few Good Men"
4 February 2012
"A Few Good Men" is a 1992 courtroom drama film Directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise. The story follows a young lawyer's plight to defend two marines accused of murder. Now I know just about everyone's heard of this film. If they haven't, they've at least heard of the line, "You can't handle the truth!" That line is just a snippet of the greatness that is weaved into this film. Starting off on a related note, the script is fantastic. Aaron Sorkin strikes again with his rapier wit and compelling dialogue. The story is a very compelling look at the military definitions of honor and loyalty and how they can sometimes become misinterpreted. Some of the lines in this film are also spectacularly memorable. However, while the screenplay is decidedly impressive, the most imposing aspect of this film is the performances within it. Every single actor in this film brought their best to the table, and it's because of the unbelievably captivating performance from Jack Nicholson that everyone else raised their bars. Nicholson's really only in this film for about 10 or 15 minutes, but man does he make those minutes count with his caustic and snide portrayal of Colonel Nathan R. Jessup. Again, it's his performance that caused everyone else in this film to bring their a- games, and holy crap did they. Tom Cruise, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Bacon, J.T. Walsh, Kiefer Sutherland, Demi Moore, all did unbelievable jobs with their respective characters. Even Wolfgang Bodison, a stagehand who had never acted before in his life, did a really beautiful job with his role. The aforementioned fact is a real testament to the seemingly limitless talent of Rob Reiner. After watching the special features of the film, you really get a good idea that Reiner forged an effective relationship with his actors and offered some acting tips of his own for their performances. Because this is such a character driven story, Reiner made a great choice in offering some of his own acting expertise to his cast. Overall, I felt that "A Few Good Men" was a really masterfully directed, beautifully written, unforgettably performed coatroom drama that is sure to impress anyone.
The Grey
(2011)
Review Of "The Grey"
28 January 2012
"The Grey" is a 2012 movie directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Liam Neeson. The film is about a oil rigging team that tries to survive the harsh Alaskan wildlife after their plane crashes. Let me start off by saying that Joe Carnahan has been a hit or miss director for me. He usually specializes in high octane and stylized action flicks. Movies like "The A-Team", and "Smokin' Aces" look cool, but they fail to impress me on an intellectual level. Now, here we have "The Grey". This movie is a departure from Joe Carnahan's style. . .in a good way. This movie is toned down to a much more believable level and it has substance. A great script that has not only great dialogue and characters, but this movie's script possesses very deep philosophical and poignant moments. I walked into this film feeling that my heart strings wouldn't be threatened. This movie tugged at them up a great deal. Liam Neeson gives the best performance I've ever seen him give. I honestly thought that Neeson would be the typical badarse he's been fond of playing as of late, but his character (and all of the other as well) is so multi-dimensional, complex, and most importantly, real. The soundtrack is as touching as it is chilling. Joe Carnahan proved me wrong. This movie is a phenomenally entertaining, moving, thrilling piece of cinema. I implore everyone to go see it.
The Graduate
(1967)
Review Of "The Graduate"
26 January 2012
"The Graduate" is a 1967 film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Dustin Hoffman. The film tells a story of a young somber graduate student (who knew) who finds himself tangled up in an affair with his father's business partner's wife. Now, first off, I've heard nothing but great things about this movie. I heard that Hoffman was great in it, it had a great story, soundtrack, dialogue, etc. I can say that after everything I heard, this film definitely lived up to it's hype. The film is almost half a century old and yet I found myself (a generation Z college student) relating to it in a myriad of incredible ways. The fact that this film stands strong after an immense amount of time is, in my honest opinion, the most impressive aspect of the film. Dustin Hoffman is arguably the greatest actor in the business and he's in this movie - it's common knowledge that he's going to be good in it. All of the characters in this film were well written and well portrayed as well. Even the side characters were well-written. The script, in general, seems to be the epitome of good writing. The soundtrack is written by two of my most favorite artists - Simon And Garfunkel. Needless to say, it's timeless and unforgettable. The ending of the film was really well done, and the direction altogether seemed to be executed with the utmost precision. There were even a few editing techniques that impressed me in this film. Overall, "The Graduate" is a film that truly impressed me. Every person that was at once a student (pretty much everybody) should see and identify with this film. Really good stuff here.
This Is Spinal Tap
(1984)
Review Of "This Is Spinal Tap"
22 January 2012
"This Is Spinal Tap" is a 1984 Rob Reiner mockumentary about the failing fictitious rock and roll group, Spinal Tap, and their attempts to get back on top of the charts. The film stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer as the main group members. What surprised me most about this film is that most of the films dialogue was improvised by Reiner, McKean, Guest, and Shearer. It works quite well throughout the film, as the jokes feel more organic and not staged. There's not much else to say about "Spinal Tap". It's a really clever movie that's modestly executed and it, in all honesty, pays off. While, it's not a solid eleven (ha ha see what I did there?) in my book, it's still a freaking hilarious movie.
Open Range
(2003)
Review Of "Open Range"
13 January 2012
"Open Range" is a 2003 film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. The movie tells the story of two cattle ranchers (Costner, Duvall) who are forced to take up arms when threatened by corrupt lawmen. The movie to me looked like it was gonna' be a slightly boring film about life on the. . .wait for it. . .open range. I was half right. A very large portion of this movie's beginning 45 minutes is about just that. However, past that point the movie picks up with a fairly plain, but still enjoyable plot. The characters in the movie are pretty good. Duvall's portrayal of Boss Spearman is the best in the film, by my opinion. I thought Costner's performance was a little stoic, but not bothersome (makes me think that that was the intention). The script was standard in terms of dialogue I guess. Then again, I wasn't alive during the 19th century, so I have no frame of reference. The best and most entertaining point in this film is the last hour where the film's most impressive set piece is set into motion - a really incredible gunfight happens. It's shot spectacularly well - a worthy testament of Costner's directorial aptitude. Through and through I found "Open Range" to be a fairly entertaining film with a great climax.
Identity
(2003)
Review Of "Identity"
2 January 2012
"Identity" is a 2003 James Mangold Directed film about 10 strangers who meet at a seedy Nevada motel and soon realize that they are being killed off one by one. Let me start off by saying that I love a good thriller. If you have an intriguing premise and a good touch of tasteful twists here and there, I'll ultimately find the movie to be, to some degree, good. "Identity" definitely possessed the former, but tricked me with the latter. From the moment this movie starts you are almost immediately pulled into it's fascinating plot. And as the movie goes on, twists ensue, leading you to reconsider every view of every character in the film. However, the last twist of this film, in short, angered me. I found the final twist of the film to make sense, but it was the most unsatisfying ending I could have imagined this film to present. The film presented an incredibly new type of plot for me and in my opinion fudged up the ending a bit. However, every minute up to the last 5 were pretty thrilling and intense. All of the actors did a good job in their roles and their lines were fairly well written. The direction by Mangold is really quite beautiful - he really creates some unsettling imagery here. Overall, I can say that "Identity" was a enjoyable movie. . .up until the end.
Super 8
(2011)
Review Of "Super 8"
23 December 2011
"Super 8" is a 2011 film directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning. The film follows the story of a group of kids who witness a train crash in the summer of 1979 and investigate the paranormal events of the that it has on this town. Well to be blatantly and frankly honest - I observed almost no problems in this movie whatsoever. The problems that I did observe are so trivial and insignificant that I'm not even going to waste my energy going over them. When I saw previews for this film, I saw that the prominent characters in it were mostly middle schoolers. Now, movies like this can go either one of two ways for me. One - the kids in this movie are so obnoxious as crap I don't even want to watch anymore. Two - the kids in this movie are portrayed in an enjoyable and original manner, that I can find myself relating to wholeheartedly. As you may have guessed the kids in "Super 8" are portrayed in the latter form. I found every child in this movie to be either hilarious or almost hauntingly familiar. In doing this, Abrams excels at portraying all of the interesting feelings and thoughts that go along with being a kid. The set pieces in this film are unbelievably breathtaking. I mean, the train crash in this movie is so astonishing, words can't even do it justice. I mean instead of saying "train crash" I could say "TRAIN CRASH :D" and that doesn't even depict the amount of intensity involved with this scene. . .yeah. The soundtrack by Michael Giacchino is incredibly diverse in emotions - it's scary, breathtaking, and thrilling all at once. The film in and of itself is a roller-coaster of emotions too. There were parts in this film where I couldn't stop laughing. Then there were parts where tension drew out like a blade. There were scenes that pulled at my heartstrings. I honestly can't say that for many of the films that have come out this year. All in all, I felt that "Super 8" was an almost relentlessly entertaining thrill ride. I can now see why Steven Spielberg wanted to be attached to this superbly thought out project.
Quiz Show
(1994)
Review Of "Quiz Show"
19 December 2011
"Quiz Show" is a 1994 Best Picture Nominated film directed by Robert Redford. The film tells the true story of a Congressional investigator (Rob Morrow) who is soon wrapped up in a web of conspiracy surrounding a popular game show called "Twenty One". Now, the plot of the movie has always been something of interest to me because I always love a good quiz show now and then. The thought of a quiz show being rigged has entered my mind on occasion, and this film properly explores that subject in depth. One of the greatest aspects of this film is its performances from Ralph Fiennes and John Turturro. Turturro's character is the man who is told to "take a dive" because he is not as aesthetically pleasing as Fiennes' character, and their performances really help draw a line of contrast between the two of them. Rob Morrow also did a very good job in the film's leading role. The Academy-Award Nominated script is also something I found to be very well executed as well. There's some fairly memorable, compelling, and even at times amusing dialogue all throughout this screenplay and I truly enjoyed watching this story unfold on screen. Robert Redford's Directorial work really shines in his fourth film - he's proved himself to be a jack-of-all-trades. The movie also does an astounding job of exploring just how pivotal TV was to the American population during the 1950s. Overall, I felt that "Quiz Show" was a riveting period drama that presented a very fascinating look into the Game Show Scandal of the 1950s.
Grumpy Old Men
(1993)
Review Of "Grumpy Old Men"
14 December 2011
"Grumpy Old Men" is a 1993 Donald Petrie film about two feuding old men (Lemmon, Matthau) who step up their game to woo their new neighbor (Ann-Margret). Let me start off by saying that I love both Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon and I have heard of how the two of them are often paired together on film. This is the first film I've seen with the both of them in it and I can tell why they were paired together here. The chemistry between Matthau and Lemmon is really noticeable throughout this film - they really love working with each other. Everyone else's performances were also very well done. The movie was also pretty funny overall, but what surprised me the most was that this film featured some very touching and heartwarming scenes within it. Honestly, I can say that this movie surprised me all together. I thought I was only going to get a 90 minute film of two old men swearing at each other. What I got was that, but with very great acting, subplot development, tonal diversity, and more. "Grumpy Old Men" is a film that I watched with a genuine smile on my face.
Beverly Hills Cop
(1984)
Review Of "Beverly Hills Cop"
7 December 2011
Before he directed "Midnight Run", Martin Brest made "Beverly Hills Cop", the 1984 action comedy starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy plays Axel Foley, a Detroit cop who pursues a murder investigation in Beverly Hills. I was somewhat impressed with this movie. Eddie Murphy was very impressive in the title role - he was as funny as he was heroic. The script was pretty well written. The soundtrack was iconic. Sadly, there's nothing much else I can say about this film. It's just good. It's nothing too special, it's just. . ."solid" I think is the word? Yeah I'll go with that. Overall, I felt that "Beverly Hills Cop" was solid.
Unbreakable
(2000)
Review Of "Unbreakable"
3 December 2011
"Unbreakable" is a 2000 M. Night Shyamalan film about David Dunne (Willis), an everyman, who becomes involved in a train wreck that leaves him mysteriously unscathed. With the help of a mysterious man (Jackson), Dunne soon learns that he is, in fact, an extraordinary man with superhuman attributes. Now, I know that the first mention of the name "Shyamalan" nowadays leads many people to think, ". . .ew 'The Last Airbender' ". However, there was a time when Shyamalan actually made pretty good movies. This, thankfully, is one of the only 3 he has made. "Unbreakable" is a truly compelling study of the narrative mechanics of comic books. I, being a big nerd who loves comic books, found this movie to be intensely interesting to watch because it clued me into things which I didn't know about them. Like the fact that a villains eyes are always portrayed to slightly bigger than the hero's because it shows that his view on the world is slightly more off-kilter than the hero's. And the fact that the hero's origin is often tied/interconnected with the villain's origin. These are just two of the many interesting concepts of comic book writing that are discussed throughout "Unbreakable". Now make no mistake - this movie isn't a documentary. Yes, it does discuss a lot of the methods comic book writers utilize to convey their very distinct messages, but it does this verbally and nonverbally. This movie maintains a very quiet, yet intensely brooding tone. This tone is amplified by the really somber and mesmerizing performance from Bruce Willis. The cinematography is really intelligently executed, as I found myself saying, "oh that was pretty cool/clever", to a very large amount of this film's shots. The ending could've used some work, but I'm sure with time I can learn to appreciate it. In the end, I found "Unbreakable" to be a very good film that delves deeply into some really cool subject matter.
Review Of "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind"
29 November 2011
"Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" is the classic sci-fi epic crafted by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary, an everyman who witnesses strange lights and UFOs while on a job for work. I've heard a whole lot about how unbelievable "Close Encounters" is and I can say that after watching it, I was not disappointed. "Close Encounters" is a meticulously crafted work of art. Spielberg's directorial work really shines through this film. His interpretation of extra terrestrial life is something that is uncommon, yet pragmatic. One of the best aspects of this film is it's aesthetic appeal. The film has a very hefty amount of quite breathtaking set pieces that help to give the movie a very unique look. John William's iconic score for the movie is also really well-done. I also felt that the script's use of music as a means of communication with extra terrestrial life to be very innovative technique. Richard Dreyfuss does a very good job with the role of Roy Neary; a character that I found myself identifying with wholeheartedly. In the end, Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" was a brilliant film with an awesome narrative and beautiful imagery.
Seabiscuit
(2003)
Review Of "Seabiscuit"
23 November 2011
"Seabiscuit" is a 2003 biographical period drama about one of the greatest and most notable horses in American Horseracing History. The movie follows the story of a wealthy man (Bridges) who hires an unconventional trainer (Cooper) during The Great Depression to help him find an appropriate horse to enter into the races. They soon stumble upon a young man (Maguire) that they soon choose to be their jockey. I truly enjoyed this movie - there's just so much to really appreciate about it. First off, and most noticeably, is the wonderful cast of characters here. I know this movie's title makes you think this film is just about the horse, but it's also about the truly remarkable people behind him. Tobey Maguire plays Red Pollard, Seabiscuit's jockey, and his performance in this movie is really quite compelling to see. His character's stubbornness is something that you'd think you'd hate, but it's actually something I, and probably most people will, find to be his most enjoyable trait. Ross also does a really effective job of drawing parallels between Pollard and Seabiscuit. This, in a sense, helps solidify the relationship between the two characters. Chris Cooper does a really fine job of playing the unorthodox, yet effective trainer, Tom Smith. However, my most favorite character in this movie is Charles Howard, played by Jeff Bridges. There's just something about a guy, who's been dealt a bad hand of cards trying to make the best of his life do something good for society. I think It's through Howard's character and Bridges magnificent performance that we really get to see what Seabiscuit's presence throughout the Depression really meant for the American people - he was a beacon of hope. The screenplay is incredibly well done, as I find many lines of this movie to be memorable and quotable. After watching the special features, I was really impressed by the intense amount of preparation and work that went into this movie. Nearly every race was historically choreographed and rehearsed, and it really helps you gain a sense that these are the actual events as they transpired. One of the only problems I have with this movie is the length. Nearly an hour of this movie is exposition and I feel that a good amount of it could've been cut out. Did that hinder my ability to enjoy this movie? No not really, so I won't knock this movie much at all. In the end, I felt that "Seabiscuit" was a great underdog sports film with a truly inspiring tone that sticks with you.
The Bad News Bears
(1976)
Review Of "The Bad News Bears"
19 November 2011
Michael Ritchie's "The Bad News Bears" is a classic American comedy film starring Walter Matthau as Morris Buttermaker, a former minor league ball player is recruited to coach a gang of misfit kids into winning the local sandlot baseball tournament. To start off, I had actually seen like the last 10 minutes of the 2000-whatever remake of the film on "TBS" or something. I wasn't really impressed. However, after sitting through all 100-some minutes of the original I can say that it is entertaining and at least worth checking out some time. Walter Matthau is. . .well, he's Walter Matthau. He's great in this and he's a great actor altogether. A young Jackie Earle Haley was in this and it was pretty interesting to see the movie where he first planted his feet into Hollywood. The script is alright from what I've seen - it had quite a few hilarious one-liners in it. The movie in general was fairly funny, but It also featured a lot of really touching moments between its characters that I honestly did not expect to see. Overall I felt the movie was pretty good and worth checking out if you have nothing else to watch on TV.
Review Of "The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three"
16 November 2011
"The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three" is a 1974 action thriller starring Walter Mathau and Robert Shaw. The movie was directed by Joseph Sargent and it tells the story of a man (Shaw) who, with some other gunmen, hijack a subway train in New York City. The man is soon pitted against a railway police official (Mathau) who, with the help of others, tries to stop him. Now let me start off by saying that I actually saw the 2009 Tony Scott remake before I saw the 1974 original. Is the original better than the 2009 remake? In short - yeah, pretty much. In comparing the two movies, it seemed as though, while the 2009 remake felt more up-to- date, it's more modern approach to elements presented in the original often came off as too over-the-top. I felt that in presenting these certain elements, the 1974 version came off more subtle and pulled it off with a lot more finesse. The 1974 movie has two really impressive actors in the leading roles - Mathau and Shaw. Both of which are really, very entertaining in "Pelham", but I'd have to say that Shaw's performance shines the most in this movie. His demeanor throughout the entire movie is really hilarious. He just comes off as this soulless jerk - a soulless jerk with some pretty hilarious one-liners. That brings me to the script which, as I said, contains some pretty great one-liners not only from Shaw, but from Mathau and others. It's nothing really impressive or Oscar-worthy, but it does have a few gems in it here and there. While I, a Generation-Z kid, found this movie to be very easy to watch, it did at times have a few moments of cheese. That being said, I'm not going to knock the movie for being a little long in the tooth - but it does show sometimes. The movie was really entertaining and I can see why it was well received when it came out. I can also see the immense amount of expectations the 2009 movie had to live up to. Overall, I found "The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three" to be a fairly enjoyable crime thriller.
The Bourne Ultimatum
(2007)
Review Of "The Bourne Ultimatum"
28 October 2011
"The Bourne Ultimatum" is director Paul Greengrass' final installment of the Bourne franchise. The film stars Matt Damon and starts up where the previous film ("The Bourne Supremacy") left off. To start off, "Ultimatum" had big shoes to fill - "Identity" set the proverbial bar for the franchise and "Supremacy" raised this bar. Does "Ultimatum" live up to the expectations that it was assigned? In short. . .yeah. . .yeah it does. "Ultimatum" is an expertly crafted film that takes every facet of the first two films and elevates them to an exponential degree. I honestly did not believe the claim that these movies got better with each installment. But, hey, seeing is believing I guess. Just when I thought that Matt Damon's portrayal of Bourne was multifaceted enough, he adds more complicated and compelling layers to this character in "Ultimatum" - I mean, layers upon layers of Bourne are presented throughout this film. If you thought that you had gained a strong emotional attachment to Bourne via the first two movies, well see the third because Damon just blasts expectations with this performance. This performance and the overall film as a whole, is built up by the brilliantly written screenplay by Tony Gilroy. This script is the fulcrum of the film. It's brisk dialogue and precious I-Can't-Believe-That-Just-Happened moments make the film that much more amusing as a whole. One of my favorite aspects of the entire Bourne franchise is the score. Whether it's John Powell's fast-paced music or Moby's stylish trademark song "Extreme Ways", the recurring musical elements really help to embed the film into the audience's head. Paul Greengrass' impressive direction is once again a masterstroke aspect of this film's massive appeal. I would say that, in the end, "The Bourne Ultimatum" surpassed my expectations and lifted the franchise to unfathomable heights.
Alien
(1979)
Review Of "Alien"
21 October 2011
Yeah, not really sure this movie needs an introduction, but here it comes anyway. "Alien" is a 1976 Ridley Scott directed Sci-Fi Horror flick starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, a warrant officer on a mining ship that begins to encounter strange creatures. Now, It's hard for me to say that I haven't seen "Alien" up until this point, but it's true so I'll cop to it. After seeing it, I can safely say that everyone I talked to was right - I missed a lot. "Alien" is a really great film, crafted by one of the greatest revolutionary living directors. Ridley Scott really shows his keen ability to develop unbelievable tension through almost every scene. I had to turn down the volume on my television at some points, because I was almost certain that something was going to pop up and scare the seven shades of poop outta' me. But that's the thing, it didn't always happen when I expected it to. This is something that horror movies today seem to fail to accomplish - in a sense, they give away when the jump scares are going to happen. "Alien" really excels at blurring the line between the moments when you're sure a jump scare'll happen and the moments when they won't. The story, written by the legendary Dan O'Bannon is often cited as the influence for numerous other Sci-Fi Horror films and stories. This story is the fulcrum of the film, and O'Bannon's ability to create unending tension via the narrative is really a noteworthy skill. The cinematography and lighting also really helps in creating intense strain on the audience. At one point in the film, it seems as though cinematographer Derek Vanlint uses strobe lights for lighting. This jarring effect, once again, keeps the audience intensely stressed out. The sounds in the film are really very eerie, as the unnerving creaking sounds of the Nostromo and the shrill shriek of the Alien still resonate in my head. Sigourney Weaver does a great job in one of her very first (and arguably most memorable) roles. H.R. Giger's set and costume design really shines in this film, possibly establishing the Sci-Fi Horror aesthetic as we know it. In the end, I found Ridley Scott's "Alien" to be an awesomely frightening film that effectively exudes the overwhelming amount of skill that was placed into it.
Letters from Iwo Jima
(2006)
Review of "Letters From Iwo Jima"
9 October 2011
Clint Eastwood's 2006 film "Letter From Iwo Jima" is a companion piece to his earlier film "Flags Of Our Fathers". It centers around the exact same events in "Flags", but the perspective is switched towards the Japanese army this time. One of the questions I had going into "Letters" was - is it better than "Flags". In short, yes. I found "Letters From Iwo Jima" to be an unbelievable piece of film that, I feel, every American should get a chance to watch. One of the greatest aspects of the film itself is the film's screenplay, which is written almost entirely in Japanese. When I initially found this movie to be almost entirely in a different language, I worried that this quality would impair my ability to sympathize with its characters. I was wrong. I found this film's characters perfectly written and easy to sympathize and care for. The acting also helps with character development in this film. Ken Watanabe plays General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, probably the greatest character in the film. Watanabe's portrayal of the General is so well-crafted that you just can't help but have an immense amount of compassion for him. In a visual sense, "Letters" utilizes the same sort of bleak and grainy style that was present in "Flags", and this (once again) really helps add to the underlying realistic and grim tone. Eastwood's expert directorial work also shines throughout this film. Overall, I found "Letters From Iwo Jima" to be an incredibly well-made and poignant war drama.
Garden State
(2004)
Review of "Garden State"
29 September 2011
Zach Braff directs and stars in the 2004 dramedy "Garden State". The movie follows the story of a a 26-year-old actor/waiter (Braff) who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother dies. First off, for a first-time attempt at directing a film, Zach Braff does an incredible job. I found the majority of this film to be entertaining. One of the best aspects of the film, is its really clever screenplay written, of course, by Braff. It features a lot of real witty and endearing dialogue between characters. Which brings me to another great aspect of the film - the performances. I found pretty much every performance in the film to be very very well done. Braff does a really great job of depicting what a person would be like if they've been taking lithium carbonate for most of their life. I also found Natalie Portman's portrayal of Sam to be adorable. Whenever her and Braff are interacting on screen their chemistry is just palpable. The film also features a very great licensed soundtrack. In the end, I found Zach Braff's "Garden State" to be a very intelligent romantic comedy that doubles as a very effective mood piece.
We Were Soldiers
(2002)
Review Of "We Were Soldiers"
23 September 2011
Randall Wallace's "We Were Soldiers" tells the story of the events that surrounded the first major battle of the Vietnam War. The film stars Mel Gibson, Barry Pepper, and Greg Kinnear. First off, the greatest aspect of this film is the really strong lead performances from Mel Gibson - He really shines in this role. Another impressive performance in the film is Sam Elliott's portrayal of Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley. His character has some of the most memorable lines of dialogue in the film which are often crass and caustic. Another very memorable aspect of the film is it's intensely realistic use of special effects. The film uses special effects to simulate what the actual Battle Of Ia Drang was like. Some of the special effects are really engaging and compelling while other special effects are grotesque and grisly, but either way it helps to ground this film in realism. While a lot of the performances in the film were noteworthy, there were some that were. . .not. I'm not going to say which ones fell flat, but there were some moments when actors delivered their lines in a really unsuitable way. These moments don't really take away from the film's overall appeal, but. . .their just bad. All in all, I felt that "We Were Soldiers" was a fairly impressive film that crafted a very believable simulation of the first battle of the Vietnam War.
The Bourne Supremacy
(2004)
Review Of "The Bourne Supremacy"
18 September 2011
In 2004 film "The Bourne Supremacy" is the Paul Greengrass-directed sequel to the acclaimed Doug Liman film "The Bourne Identity". The story follows the amnesiac titular character (Damon) as he attempts to find out more about his past as a black ops agent for the CIA. One of the things I noticed first about this film was the film's shift in aesthetics. Though Director Paul Greengrass' use of hand-held cameras has often come under considerable disagreement from some critics and fans, I feel that this aspect of the film really sort of adds to the intensity of a lot of the action and dialogue sequences. While the camera-work may have changed, there are certain things about the film that stayed close to what made the first movie so successful. For one, Matt Damon's performance is once again terrific, and with his portrayal, the audience really gets to see some sides of Jason Bourne that they might not gotten to see in "Identity". John Powell's score is really well done, as it uses all of the themes from "Identity", but develops upon those themes so that we feel as though we are watching a different chapter in Bourne's life. Tony Gilroy's screenplay contains really compelling and entertaining dialogue and a very interesting adaption of Robert Ludlum's story. The action sequences are spectacular as well, for they once again showcase Jason Bourne's incredible ability to overcome immense odds with the skills he learned in the CIA. All in all, I felt that "The Bourne Supremacy" was a worthy installment in the "Bourne" franchise that upped the emotion and action to an impressive degree.
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