joenasc Reviews

Iron Man (2008)

One of my favorite superhero films

[9/10 · 20 April 2015]

After being captured by terrorists, billionaire Tony Stark creates a high tech suit of armor to escape and return home. Once home, he decides to make another suit, but more improved and uses it to fight terrorists and other evil.

As I've said on a previous review, I've never read the DC or Marvel comics; I've only seen some of the movies and shows. When I first saw this, I was unaware that there were going to be more films after this and how they would lead up to "The Avengers". Either way, I was impressed.

The acting was excellent; I'm pretty sure Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect choice for Tony Stark and of course Gwyneth Peltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges were good for their roles. This was, of course, the first appearances of Agent Coulson and Nick Fury and I like them both. I also like Jarvis (Tony's A.I.) I was surprised to hear that some of the dialogue was actually improvised and not scripted; they did well with that. The special effects were fantastic, especially with the suits and explosions. I loved it when Tony is testing his flight suit and he keeps on blasting himself into a wall; pretty funny. Also he crashing through the roof and being sprayed by his fire extinguisher was humorous. He shooting a rocket at a tank and just walks away as it explodes was quite amusing.

I enjoyed the action scenes, such as Tony escaping his captors, Tony attacking the Ten Rings in his new suit, and of course the final battle with Obadiah. There were a few parts that I thought were kind of slow. Not boring, just kind of slow. I enjoyed the last scene: "The truth is………..I am Iron Man." And then everybody goes crazy.

"Iron Man" is probably one of the best superhero movies ever. It was a good way start off the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" and one of my favorite superhero films. I give it an A-.

Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla has returned.

[8/10 · 5 September 2014]

After a decade, Godzilla has returned to the big screen. This time, the mutant dinosaur fights 2 monstrous creatures who threaten the world. EOD Ford Brody must get back to his family during this chaos.

I was psyched to hear that a Godzilla reboot was in the works. After seeing a couple trailers and commercials, I got even more excited. However I didn't set my expectations too high; I was thinking it was going to be good, not awesome, fantastic, etc. My uncle and I went and saw it on the first day it came out. Basically, this movie takes the 98' remake and crushes it.

The special effects were, in a way, incredible. I love the new Godzilla design, the M.U.T.O design was quite ominous looking and of course the destruction was cool. The acting was overall pretty good. For a movie like this, the characters were actually pretty nice. I've only seen Bryan Cranston and Ken Wantanbe in one or two other movies/shows, but they both did awesome performances. It was nice that they brought back the name Serizawa (doctor of the same name from the original film). Yes, they could've had Joe (Cranston) live a little while longer, but he did his job.

While the monster fight scenes were good, the way they were shown was interesting. Either the monsters took up the whole screen, you saw them in the background while the characters were doing something, or you might see them on a TV. While they could've done more of the monster action taking up the whole frame, this way was kind of unique. And yes, they probably could've done a little more monster screen time, but you can't have everything.

The concept of the nuclear testing in the Pacific being a cover-up to try and kill Godzilla was a genius idea (I thought so anyway). I was kind of disappointed that we didn't see Admiral Stenz's "HALO Jump" speech that was shown in the trailers. I liked how this Godzilla was the anti-hero, not the hero nor the villain. Director Gareth Edwards described him as "a force of nature, he's the punishment we deserve." If you ask me, that's pretty deep stuff.

There you have it, "Godzilla" is (I think) a great, satisfying film. I was quite impressed with how they handled this movie and I place it behind "Captain America the Winter Soldier" as one of the best movies of the year. The 1998 remake has officially been blown out of the water and I give it a B+. I hope the sequel will be just as good if not better.

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

As a Mario fan, i don't hate it.

[17 February 2013]

Mario and Luigi must save both the world and Princess Daisy from the evil King Koopa who wants to take over the world.

Let me first start off by saying that I've always been a fan of the Mario franchise. Mario Kart 64 (and DS), Mario Tennis, Super Smash bros (original, Melee, Brawl), Mario Party 1 and 2, Super Mario 64 (and DS), and the original Super Mario Bros were/are all fun and great games. When I first saw this movie, it was sometime in elementary school, possibly between 2nd and 5th grade (which would range from 1999-2003). When I was young, I wasn't into critiquing movies and TV shows, I would just watch them and enjoy them. I don't remember if I liked this one or not, but I got a chance to watch it again recently to see what I think of it after all these years and let me say this: I don't hate it.

Let me get some of the stuff I didn't like first: the characters/script definitely could've been better. Some of the stuff they said, did, etc were either dumb or so dumb it was funny. I don't want to say the acting was horrible, maybe some of it wasn't that great, but for me it's hard to tell. I wish there were a few more fight scenes, like Mario and Luigi fighting off a group of Koopa's minions or something.

I'm glad Yoshi was in the film, but why didn't he talk? At least he had his long tongue, though. While I was glad to see Mario and Luigi in their suits, I wish they put them on sooner. The plot about dinosaurs and merging dimensions didn't really sound so bad, but you would think there should've been a few more dinosaurs and references to the games. The part about the goombas having arms was interesting, but they could've tried to have them without arms like in the games. The way I see it, the filmmakers were just trying to make the film a little realistic with the goombas having arms and King Koopa and the others being human-like. I don't wanna say the failed at it, but they put some effort into it.

Okay now for some things I liked (that's right, I said liked). Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, and Dennis Hopper are actors that I like, even though I've only seen Hoskins and Hopper in a couple movies. Dennis Hopper being the bad guy was actually an okay idea, since a year later he'll play the main bad guy in "Speed". Leguizamo and Hoskins being the Mario bros wasn't such a bad idea and I can't really think of anyone else who could've portrayed them. They did decent Italian-American accents. I thought the romance between Luigi and Daisy was alright. It was kinda funny how nervous he was when he and she first met, but I don't blame him.

The special effects weren't that bad, some of it did look kind of cheesy. The goomba make-up/effect was interesting and I liked King Koopa's hair. There were a few spots that I laughed at, because I actually thought they were humorous. It was cool seeing a few mushrooms here and there and seeing a bomb-ob. The music didn't sound too bad and it was nice hearing the actual theme in the beginning.

Overall, with its pros and cons, I actually think Super Mario Brothers is kind of a fun movie. After much thought, I give this film a C-. One more thing: I don't wanna bash the filmmakers for what they did to the movie, but if another group of filmmakers decides they want to remake/revamp the film, I hope they do better.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012)

If you don't play Halo, you should still watch this film.

[20 December 2012]

The year is 2525 and the UNSC is at war with terrorists know as Insurrectionists. Thomas Lasky, a freshman cadet, is unsure about this war and his combat capabilities, but when the Covenant invades, he learns what it takes to be a hero from spartan John-117 (aka Master Chief).

This was an awesome film/mini series. Pretty good cast of characters, the actors weren't people I've heard of, but they were still good, cool special effects, and of course the music was great.

I think anyone, whether they are Halo fans or not, will like or love this film/mini series. One more thing: as a lot of people know, most games that are turned into movies are bad, but after watching this, I have faith in an actual Halo movie being made and it being great. All they have to do is do what they did here.

Halo: Reach (2010 Video Game)

Great game.

[19 April 2012]

"Halo Reach" takes place about a month before the events of "Halo Combat Evolved" where the planet Reach is under attack by the Covenant Empire.

I've played other Halo games before (Halo CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3), but this is the only Halo game I own. And it's awesome. The campaign is good. I like how it shows what happened before the first game and shows you how those events led to the defeat of the Covenant (as we see in Halo 3).

The graphics are great, the A.I. is actually really good, and the voice actors are pretty good. Also, multiplayer and Firefight are awesome, especially with being able to drive warthogs, ghosts, etc.

Also, no Halo game is complete without its amazing music. The theme music delivers that "war tone" feeling you would want in a game like this and the other games in the series. I also liked playing co-op campaign with either other people or just with a buddy.

Overall, "Halo Reach" is a great game, one of my favorites, and I give it an "A+". By the way, I also play "Call of Duty". I'm saying this, because I know there are a lot of people who play Halo and don't like COD, or vice versa.

The Patriot (2000)

I like it.

[26 March 2012]

Mel Gibson plays Benjamin Martin, a widower farmer and veteran of the French-and-Indian Wars. He doesn't want to fight in the Revolutionary War until a British soldier (Jason Issacs) kills one of his children and he changes his mind.

Good actors (like Mel, Heath Ledger, Jason Issacs, etc), the characters in a film set in the 1770s were pretty good, the firefight/battle scenes were done well, and the film is actually historically accurate in some spots (like the Battle of the Cowpens).

Sure, not everything in the movie is historically accurate, but that shouldn't be a reason to not like it. One part I didn't like was when the British burn down a church with civilians inside. I know that didn't actually happen during the war, but I guess the filmmakers needed another reason for the characters to continue the fight.

Overall, The Patriot was/is a good war film that gives you a feeling of war, peace, and family. Also, it shows that people will fight for something they believe in, like being a free nation.

Forrest Gump (1994)

An amazing movie.

[11 March 2012]

Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump, a man with a low I.Q., but a good outlook on life. He lives through many historical events and always seems to run into his childhood friend/love interest Jenny.

Where do I began to start describing this film? Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors, so he did a great job being Forrest. Gary Sinise also did a good job being Lt. Dan. Sally Field did good portraying Mrs. Gump, Forrest's mother. I loved how the movie showed many historical events, just to name a couple: the Vietnam War and the Reagan assassination attempt. Some of the lines were pretty funny and even heartfelt.

Another thing I love about this movie is how some of the characters talk about if we all have our own destiny or if we're just floating in a breeze. Something like that always gets me thinking about the life God has given me.

Overall, Forrest Gump is an amazing movie that anybody will enjoy and that everyone should see. I watch it whenever it's on T.V.

Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001)

A good series

[22 February 2012]

Chuck Norris plays Cordell Walker, a half-white, half Indian Texas Ranger who could beat the crap out of an enemy with his martial arts. His partner is Jimmy Trivette, who also knows his karate. Walker's love interest (and eventually wife) is Alex Cahill, the Assistant District Attorney. C.D. Parker is a veteran Texas Ranger who owns a bar and is friends with Walker, Trivette, Alex, and other people. The show's enemies consisted of drug dealers, white supremacists, gangs, bank robbers, murderers, rapists and so on.

I remember watching this show when I was younger and even today I still watch the reruns whenever I can. I've always loved the show's action/fight scenes, like the car chases, enemies getting the crap beaten out of them, and the explosions. The special effects on some of the episodes were a little cheesy, but they weren't horrible. Some of the lines the characters said were great and others were kinda cheesy. Also, the show did have its funny moments.

Another thing I liked about the show is how some of the episodes had moral values and lessons: like never stop believing in yourself or someone else, don't do drugs, don't be racist, stuff about God, and I think there were a few other ones.

Overall, "Walker Texas Ranger" is/was a good series. Sure it had its cheesy moments, but in a way, that's what made the show kinda fun. I give the show a "C+".

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011 Video Game)

Great ending to a great trilogy.

[14 February 2012]

Quick summary: Modern Warfare 3 starts off with Captain Price and Nikolai getting Soap, whose still injured from the ending of Modern Warfare 2, to a safehouse in India. Meanwhile, NYC is under attack by the Russians and Makarov is still at large.

The campaign was awesome, just awesome. There was so much action in those levels, a few characters return, I loved some of the plot twists, and also fighting in France, Germany, on an airplane, etc. was cool. I will say that there were times where a few levels seem to have gone by really quick. The multiplayer was similar to the first 2 games, but this time it has new killstreaks and game modes. Also Spec Ops is pretty cool, just like in MW2.

Overall, MW3 is epic and whoever played the first 2 games or the Call of Duty series in general will love this game.

Liar Liar (1997)

One of my favorite Carrey movies.

[12 February 2012]

This was probably the first film I ever saw Jim Carrey in when I was younger, probably 8-10 years old, but I can't remember.

Even to this day, I still love it and watch it whenever it's on TV, even if i have seen it a few hundred times.

A little summary (no spoilers), Jim Carrey plays Fletcher Reed, who's a divorced lawyer and likes to lie to people, even to his son, Max. On his birthday, Max wishes for his dad to not tell a lie for at least one day.

It was this movie that got me into Carrey in the first place, which led me to watch more of his movies. Good plot, pretty decent characters and really funny scenes make this a great movie and one of my favorite films of all time. I'm pretty sure that whoever loves comedy films will love this movie.