StephenSmith-BC3 Reviews

Listen (VII) (2012)

The music!

[10/10 · 10 March 2014]

This is the type of independent film we all wish we would've thought of first. But Fred gets all the props for being the mastermind behind this great tale!

The idea that there is music inside all of us that's unique is something that is simple enough to understand. But the way that this story plays with that idea is what makes it so complicated and interesting. The world created by this film opens it up to a great series of stories that I would happily consume.

The ending alone leaves you wondering what could possibly be coming next!

This is one all aspiring filmmakers should watch and study as the correct way to make a film on a budget.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)

The kids love it!

[8/10 · 10 March 2014]

Mr. Peabody & Sherman, when removed from the stigma of the original animated shorts, is actually a very well thought out and executed children's movie. The story mainly focuses on the relationship between Mr. Peabody and his adopted son Sherman, with the backdrop of the exciting historical adventure you come to expect from Mr. Peabody.

It's fast paced and has lots of jokes that hit well with children and adult audiences a like. If I was keeping count I would bet that the adults were laughing much more than the little ones in the theater.

One real issue I had with the story overall is the rushed ending that didn't feel on par with the rest of the movie. While logic in a children's time traveling movie isn't what sells tickets, I would have paid a little more attention to some of the "facts" and summed up the paradox a little cleaner.

But really the only review that matters came from my seven-year-old daughter when asked on the way home how she liked the movie: "Much better than Frozen."

So there you go DreamWorks Animation, straight from the mouth of babies.

Visitors (2013)

We are all just Visitors here...

[10/10 · 10 March 2014]

Visitors is an 87 minute journey through the electronically obsessed life as we know it today. The film forces you to stare deep into the soul of other beings experiencing life on this rock that we all are ultimately just...visiting and destroying at the same time.

The way the film stares out at you and forces you to stare back at it is nothing less than creative perfection. The cuts are just long enough for you to understand the message while making you squirm in your seat as you imagine each move of the character on-screen reflecting your very own movements in the audience.

I would recommend this film to anyone who appreciates great art in movement.