I Am Legend
Daniel Scillieri
Personal Grade: B+
The grade alone should speak for this Will Smith movie. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I Am Legend is the third movie make of the classic book I Am Legend. The earlier being "The Last Man on Earth" and "The Omega Man". Each movie follows the same story line that in the near future a global outbreak destroys more than 90% of Earth's population. In this recent remake, a scientist develops a cure for cancer which in-turn becomes this terrible virus that turns the infected into vampiric monsters they call night-seekers. The movie jumps 3 years into the future and Will Smith, who plays Robert Neville, is the last survivor in New York City. With his awesome dog Sam, he searches the city through the day for supplies and food, but when his watch alarm goes off he returns to his home, which is transformed into a small fortress. Throughout the movie Robert Neville has several flash backs of when the military decided to close off the Island of Manhattan, which shows the mass hysteria that was settling in. Survival is not his only goal in the movie, Robert Neville, who is immune to the virus, is also an expert scientist and is closing in on a cure for this infection. In his high tech lab, he experiments with infected rats and even captures an infected human subject. This movie is packed with action, adventure, and suspense that keeps you locked onto the screen. Here are the Pros and Cons of Will Smith's I Am Legend
Pros:
There are a whole bunch of things I really really liked about this blockbuster hit. The first few minutes of the movie really capture your attention by showing you a deserted New York City. Wild animals and Weeds cover the once busy streets of this major city. The camera work and effects it must of required to make NYC become desolate is jaw dropping. You really feel for Will Smith's character has he tries to maintain a "normal" lifestyle in a world where he has not seen another living person in over 3 years. He talks to mannequins, rents DVDs, even plays recordings of Good Morning America. When nighttime comes he closes the steel shutters on his windows and doors as he tries to sleep with the horrible moaning and screaming of the infected. For the majority of the movie, Will Smith is the only actor on the screen, but that does not slow him down from giving an excellent performance. One of the better scenes of the movie is when he is chasing down a herd of deer in a ridiculously nice Mustang GT500. One of the deer escapes into a very dark building and the dog Sam chases it into it. This suspenseful scene is the first time you see the infected humans as they chase both Will Smith and the dog back into the light. As the story goes on, you begin to see that isolation is really beginning to take its toll on Robert Neville. His constant search for other people who are immune and the cure for the disease begins to drive him mad. Through out the entire movie you are hooked on what will happen next and ask yourself " how is he going to get out of this" or "will he ever find the cure". The suspense and roller coaster of emotions throughout the movie make it incredibly entertaining.
Cons:
For a movie with a personal grade of B+ it had a few minor details or things that made me question a bit to much. There was just a few too many unexplained events or ridiculous things that held it back from an A grade. First, I would of really liked to see more of the spreading virus. You see the initial panic as thousands of people try to evacuate the city but after that it just jumps to the dying world full of the infected. I think a scene of people being attacked, zombie style, would have really given the movie an excellent boost. The next thing that didn't sit will with me in the movie was the infected humans. Did the virus give you super human strength, super agility and made you almost indestructible. The infected are still human beings but had the ability to run full speed into a steel car without a scratch on them. They could bash their head through a bullet proof door without crushing their skull after easily scaling up the side of a building. It added a sense of fear to the situations but made it a bit to ridiculous. Another question that came to my mind was "what did they eat". WIth the large numbers of infected and low numbers of animals and humans, I feel they would have eventually ran out of food and possibly even turned on themselves. Another minor thing that bothered me about the movie is whenever his watch alarm went off, it seemed there was a missing sense of urgency. The alarm would sound and he would slowly walk back to his car then slowly go into his house and that was that. The second that went off I would of been MOVING! Now the movie was very entertaining, but things like that just held it back from being very realistic and believable. Yes it is a movie, but the idea of a global infection is not a new thing.
Conclusion:
I Am Legend is definitely worth the price of a ticket. The entire movie keeps you very entertained and when the credits come up you are in awe. While a bit scary for the kids, it is a movie that anyone can enjoy. Action and thrills give this great movie a solid B+ grade. Go see it and Let me know what you think...Till Next time, so long from Team Talking In Movies
Favorite Quote of the Movie
" I can help. I can fix this. Let me save you. I can save you; I can save everybody."
A special thanks to Joe and Jeanette Boz, thanks for coming with me to see the movie and helping me find eggs on the menu.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Gone Baby Gone
Rated:: R
Genre:: Crime/Drama
Starring::
Casey Affleck - Patrick Kenzie
Michelle Monaghan - Angie Gennaro
Morgan Freeman - Capt. Jack Doyle
Ed Harris – Det. Remy Bressant
John Ashton - Det. Nick Poole
Amy Ryan - Helene McCready
Plot::
Dorchester, one of the toughest neighborhoods in all of Boston, is no place for the weak or innocent. Its a territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets littered with broken families, hearts, dreams. When one of its own, a 4-year-old girl, goes missing, private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don't want the case. But after pleas from the child's aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything -- their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives -- to find a little girl-lost.
No Country for Old Men
Rated:: R
Genre:: Crime/Drama
Starring::
Tommy Lee Jones - Sheriff Ed Tom Bell
Javier Bardem - Anton Chigurh
Josh Brolin - Llewelyn Moss
Woody Harrelson – Carson Wells
Kelly Macdonald - Carla Jean Moss
Plot::
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande.
Beowulf
Rated:: PG-13
Genre:: Action/Adventure
Starring::
Ray Winstone - Beowulf
Robin Wright Penn - Wealthow
Anthony Hopkins - Hrothgar
John Malcovitch – Unferth
Plot::
The warrior Beowulf must fight and defeat the monster Grendel who is terrorizing towns, and later, Grendel's mother, who begins killing out of revenge.
The Golden Compass
Rated:: PG-13
Genre:: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Starring::
Nicole Kidman - Marisa Coulter
Daniel Craig - Lord Asriel
Dakota Blue Richards - Lyra Belacqua
Freddie Highmore – Pantalaimon
Ian McKellen - Iorek Byrnison
Eva Green - Serafina Pekkala
Plot::
It was no ordinary life for a young girl: living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College and tearing unsupervised through Oxford's motley streets on mad quests for adventure. But Lyra's greatest adventure would begin closer to home, the day she heard hushed talk of an extraordinary particle. Microscopic in size, the magical dust- found only in the vast Artic expanse of the North -was rumored to possess profound properties that could unite whole universes. But there were those who feared the particle and would stop at nothing to destroy it. Catapulted into the heart of a terrible struggle, Lyra was forced to seek aid from clans, gyptians, and formidable armored bears. And as she journeyed into unbelievable danger, she had not the faintest clue that she alone was destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.
the wulf's bark is worse then his bite
Beowulf
By Daniel Scillieri
Personal Grade: C-/C
This animated movie just didn't live up to the hype or expectations that all the previews and comments set for it. The legend of Beowulf is an old English story, written in that terrible form of text that takes multiple attempts to understand one sentence. The movie is in a language we all understand but that didn't save the film. The story of Beowulf is that he is this great warrior / monster slayer who comes to this small kingdom that is attacked by this grotesque unbeatable monster named Grendol. Beowulf accepts this challenge and for some reason, strips down to nothing to battle the monster in mortal combat. The story really begins after this battle when Grendol's mother, an animated naked Angelina Jolie, steps in and begins to press her evil power. The story goes on and on and is pretty good for about half but then just takes a few to many twists from the original story that I didn't like. I read the English lit. epic a few times and I really enjoyed the story. Beowulf is pretty much a superhero who has great courage and quick wits. The original story is great, and the movie follows it for a while but then it takes a turn for the worse. Here are my Pros and Cons for the animated movie, Beowulf.
The Pros:
The fantasy story gives several reasons to catch your attention and hold it. There are several really cool fight scenes throughout the movie showing how much of a warrior Beowulf really is. Be it a giant sea serpent, weird ugly monster, or a massive golden dragon, he dives right in without thinking twice. The battle Beowulf has with Grendol is both exciting but at the same time very comical. In an Austin Powers type style, The naked Beowulf is discretely covered by a mug of ale or a sword in the ground no matter which way he moves to fight the monster. At the end of the battle is the famous line seen in the trailer that gives you a few goose-bumps of excitement. In case you haven't seen it or know what I am talking about, It is my favorite quote from this movie and you can find it at the bottom of the posting. Another major bonus was the animated demon Angelina Jolie. As a big fan of her, the face and body of a hot, naked, temptress monster definitely added some much needed spice to this movie. Yea yea, I know what you are thinking that she is animated, but it looks exactly like her and it is quite simple to visualize the animated version as the real version.
The Cons:
There were a few in this movie that really hurt its grade. First, the question of why was this animated??? This movie would of been much better if it was with real characters and advanced computer generated monsters, and of course the real Angelina Jolie. There were several times in the movie that the animation just didn't seem top notch. I have seen graphics in video games that were better then some of the shots in Beowulf. The other major problem I had with the movie is that It did not follow the original story. It stayed pretty close for about half the film but then took its own twist as if the director was like," I Like it This way". I guess being the director you have the power to do that but in this case it just didn't seem right. In my opinion, if the movie followed the story closer, it would have been just as good and possibly even better.
Conclusion:
This animated action adventure provides a good amount of excitement with cool fight scenes and a very hot villain, but lacking things like story line and poor graphics made this movie average at best. You think film makers will learn after this movie and Final Fantasy a few years ago that real actors just can't be beat. If you are looking for a quick paced fantasy movie, then you will enjoy Beowulf. It is worth the price of a movie ticket but should not be your first choice when deciding what to see. It will definitely make it on the list of future DVDs for the Team Talking In Movies library.
Favorite Quote:
Beowulf: I am Ripper... Tearer... Slasher... Gouger. I am the Teeth in the Darkness, the Talons in the Night. Mine is Strength... and Lust... and Power! I AM BEOWULF!
By Daniel Scillieri
Personal Grade: C-/C
This animated movie just didn't live up to the hype or expectations that all the previews and comments set for it. The legend of Beowulf is an old English story, written in that terrible form of text that takes multiple attempts to understand one sentence. The movie is in a language we all understand but that didn't save the film. The story of Beowulf is that he is this great warrior / monster slayer who comes to this small kingdom that is attacked by this grotesque unbeatable monster named Grendol. Beowulf accepts this challenge and for some reason, strips down to nothing to battle the monster in mortal combat. The story really begins after this battle when Grendol's mother, an animated naked Angelina Jolie, steps in and begins to press her evil power. The story goes on and on and is pretty good for about half but then just takes a few to many twists from the original story that I didn't like. I read the English lit. epic a few times and I really enjoyed the story. Beowulf is pretty much a superhero who has great courage and quick wits. The original story is great, and the movie follows it for a while but then it takes a turn for the worse. Here are my Pros and Cons for the animated movie, Beowulf.
The Pros:
The fantasy story gives several reasons to catch your attention and hold it. There are several really cool fight scenes throughout the movie showing how much of a warrior Beowulf really is. Be it a giant sea serpent, weird ugly monster, or a massive golden dragon, he dives right in without thinking twice. The battle Beowulf has with Grendol is both exciting but at the same time very comical. In an Austin Powers type style, The naked Beowulf is discretely covered by a mug of ale or a sword in the ground no matter which way he moves to fight the monster. At the end of the battle is the famous line seen in the trailer that gives you a few goose-bumps of excitement. In case you haven't seen it or know what I am talking about, It is my favorite quote from this movie and you can find it at the bottom of the posting. Another major bonus was the animated demon Angelina Jolie. As a big fan of her, the face and body of a hot, naked, temptress monster definitely added some much needed spice to this movie. Yea yea, I know what you are thinking that she is animated, but it looks exactly like her and it is quite simple to visualize the animated version as the real version.
The Cons:
There were a few in this movie that really hurt its grade. First, the question of why was this animated??? This movie would of been much better if it was with real characters and advanced computer generated monsters, and of course the real Angelina Jolie. There were several times in the movie that the animation just didn't seem top notch. I have seen graphics in video games that were better then some of the shots in Beowulf. The other major problem I had with the movie is that It did not follow the original story. It stayed pretty close for about half the film but then took its own twist as if the director was like," I Like it This way". I guess being the director you have the power to do that but in this case it just didn't seem right. In my opinion, if the movie followed the story closer, it would have been just as good and possibly even better.
Conclusion:
This animated action adventure provides a good amount of excitement with cool fight scenes and a very hot villain, but lacking things like story line and poor graphics made this movie average at best. You think film makers will learn after this movie and Final Fantasy a few years ago that real actors just can't be beat. If you are looking for a quick paced fantasy movie, then you will enjoy Beowulf. It is worth the price of a movie ticket but should not be your first choice when deciding what to see. It will definitely make it on the list of future DVDs for the Team Talking In Movies library.
Favorite Quote:
Beowulf: I am Ripper... Tearer... Slasher... Gouger. I am the Teeth in the Darkness, the Talons in the Night. Mine is Strength... and Lust... and Power! I AM BEOWULF!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Golden For A Reason!
The Golden Compass
By Dan Scillieri
Personal Grade: B / B+
Talking In Movies went to go see the Golden Compass on its opening night, and it was worth it. From the very beginning this film captured your imagination and kept you wide eyed in your seats. The Golden Compass was originally a book, and we all know adapting literature to film is difficult, but this movie did it with flying colors. The basis of the story is that the universe is made up of infinite dimensions which are held together by a cosmic dust. I know what you are thinking, How could dust bind the universe, but this isn't ordinary household dust, the dust is just a term used to describe the essence of these parallel dimensions. In the dimension the story takes place, people walk side by side with their souls, who have taken the physical form of an animal which represents you. These people are bound to their animals which are called Daemons (not like the hellish ones) they share pain, emotions, and even death. (For one can not survive without their soul.) They then describe these amazing artifacts called Alethiometer, or golden compass. The compass has the power to give you a truthful answer, if you know how to properly ask the question. Like every story, there is an evil side which wants to find the compass and remove all talks of Dust and a resistance of heroes who fight back against the forces of darkness. This action packed adventure full of witches, talking animals and giant armors ice bears is a great movie that Talking In Movies fully enjoyed. In my opinion, here is why....
The Pros:
As said earlier, a story full of talking animals, cosmic instruments and one hell of a cast made this movie everything I hoped for. Even though I have not read the books, this was still an excellent story to follow. The main character, a young girl named Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is given the golden compass and begins her adventure to find lost children who are mysteriously taken by suspected "goblers". She runs into Nicole Kidman's character Marisa Coulter, who is just as evil as they come. With the help of friends she escapes Marisa Coulter and meets up with more great characters along the way. Daniel Craig (yes the new james bond) plays Lord Asriel Belacqua, Lyra's powerful uncle who is set on finding a gateway to the other dimensions. The beautiful Ava Green plays Serafina Pekkala, a several hundred year old witch. Sam Elliot comes in as Lee Scoresby, an old and wise cowboy who rides a flying machine instead of a horse. Another excellent character is the giant Ice Bear for hire, Iorek Byrnison who's voice is the great Ian Mckellen. As the movie goes on and on, Lyra's quick thinking to get out of tough situations and more than a few chase scenes definitely keeps you locked on the screen. There are a handful of great fight scenes where both Humans and their Daemon spirits fight it out, a cool effect is when the human dies their daemon explodes into the cosmic dust. In my personal opinion, one of the best scenes of the movie is the epic Ice Bear battle. Two massive armored polar bears square off one on one and the final moments of the fight had not only Team Talking In Movies but the whole audience gasping in amazement. These elements such as the cast, effects, and story line made this movie an easy B/B+ in my books.
The Cons:
This movie deserved its given grade so the cons list will be short. Through out the movie there was a sense that several things were left unexplained. I feel if I had read the book prior to the seeing the movie, a few more things would have pieced together. One thing that I noticed that really didn't weaken the movie but it didn't sit well with me was the deal with the Daemons. They were supposed to be a physical representation of the human's spirit, but they were their own entity. Certain characters were closely compared to their animals such as Daniel Craigs'. His was a sleek muscular snow leopard that didn't talk much but when it did it demanded respect and could instantly pounce if needed, just like D.C. But even then, His daemon was a female, along with several other characters of the story. Their daemons were of the opposite sex and didn't seem to have similar personality. I just thought the connection between the human and their "spirit" should have been a little stronger.
Overall:
The Golden Compass provides an excellent story with a great cast. I enjoyed the entire movie from beginning to end. There was more than enough action, adventure, and comedy to give this movie a solid B/B+. It is definitely worth seeing in the movie theater, possibly more than once, and an easy choice for the top of your queue on the online movie rental service. I am already planning on reading the series of books and hoping for an early release of the sequel story.
Favorite Quote/Scene:
There will be a slight change this film. instead of a quote it will be a favorite scene. It easily goes to the scene at the end of the Ice Bear Fight. It was such an awesomely quick ending that almost made you stand up and cheer.
By Dan Scillieri
Personal Grade: B / B+
Talking In Movies went to go see the Golden Compass on its opening night, and it was worth it. From the very beginning this film captured your imagination and kept you wide eyed in your seats. The Golden Compass was originally a book, and we all know adapting literature to film is difficult, but this movie did it with flying colors. The basis of the story is that the universe is made up of infinite dimensions which are held together by a cosmic dust. I know what you are thinking, How could dust bind the universe, but this isn't ordinary household dust, the dust is just a term used to describe the essence of these parallel dimensions. In the dimension the story takes place, people walk side by side with their souls, who have taken the physical form of an animal which represents you. These people are bound to their animals which are called Daemons (not like the hellish ones) they share pain, emotions, and even death. (For one can not survive without their soul.) They then describe these amazing artifacts called Alethiometer, or golden compass. The compass has the power to give you a truthful answer, if you know how to properly ask the question. Like every story, there is an evil side which wants to find the compass and remove all talks of Dust and a resistance of heroes who fight back against the forces of darkness. This action packed adventure full of witches, talking animals and giant armors ice bears is a great movie that Talking In Movies fully enjoyed. In my opinion, here is why....
The Pros:
As said earlier, a story full of talking animals, cosmic instruments and one hell of a cast made this movie everything I hoped for. Even though I have not read the books, this was still an excellent story to follow. The main character, a young girl named Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is given the golden compass and begins her adventure to find lost children who are mysteriously taken by suspected "goblers". She runs into Nicole Kidman's character Marisa Coulter, who is just as evil as they come. With the help of friends she escapes Marisa Coulter and meets up with more great characters along the way. Daniel Craig (yes the new james bond) plays Lord Asriel Belacqua, Lyra's powerful uncle who is set on finding a gateway to the other dimensions. The beautiful Ava Green plays Serafina Pekkala, a several hundred year old witch. Sam Elliot comes in as Lee Scoresby, an old and wise cowboy who rides a flying machine instead of a horse. Another excellent character is the giant Ice Bear for hire, Iorek Byrnison who's voice is the great Ian Mckellen. As the movie goes on and on, Lyra's quick thinking to get out of tough situations and more than a few chase scenes definitely keeps you locked on the screen. There are a handful of great fight scenes where both Humans and their Daemon spirits fight it out, a cool effect is when the human dies their daemon explodes into the cosmic dust. In my personal opinion, one of the best scenes of the movie is the epic Ice Bear battle. Two massive armored polar bears square off one on one and the final moments of the fight had not only Team Talking In Movies but the whole audience gasping in amazement. These elements such as the cast, effects, and story line made this movie an easy B/B+ in my books.
The Cons:
This movie deserved its given grade so the cons list will be short. Through out the movie there was a sense that several things were left unexplained. I feel if I had read the book prior to the seeing the movie, a few more things would have pieced together. One thing that I noticed that really didn't weaken the movie but it didn't sit well with me was the deal with the Daemons. They were supposed to be a physical representation of the human's spirit, but they were their own entity. Certain characters were closely compared to their animals such as Daniel Craigs'. His was a sleek muscular snow leopard that didn't talk much but when it did it demanded respect and could instantly pounce if needed, just like D.C. But even then, His daemon was a female, along with several other characters of the story. Their daemons were of the opposite sex and didn't seem to have similar personality. I just thought the connection between the human and their "spirit" should have been a little stronger.
Overall:
The Golden Compass provides an excellent story with a great cast. I enjoyed the entire movie from beginning to end. There was more than enough action, adventure, and comedy to give this movie a solid B/B+. It is definitely worth seeing in the movie theater, possibly more than once, and an easy choice for the top of your queue on the online movie rental service. I am already planning on reading the series of books and hoping for an early release of the sequel story.
Favorite Quote/Scene:
There will be a slight change this film. instead of a quote it will be a favorite scene. It easily goes to the scene at the end of the Ice Bear Fight. It was such an awesomely quick ending that almost made you stand up and cheer.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
I know why there is no country for old men!
Daniel Scillieri
Theater: AMC Loews, Friday November 23rd
Personal Grade: C-
I know I know, most of you who read this will disagree with my personal grade, but if you haven't seen the movie then you don't understand. If you do spend money to see this film, I am pretty sure most of you will feel the same as I did when the credits began to scroll. No Country For Old Men is a movie about an average man in Texas who stumbles into a drug deal gone terribly wrong. Josh Brolin plays Llewelyn Moss, who investigates the bloody scene where the drug trade went down. He continues to search for what happened and finds a satchel with 2 million dollars and the suspense begins. The opening scene of the movie introduces Javier Bardem who plays the psychopathic serial killer/hitman named Anton Chigurh. His calm killer personality and unorthodox style of killing everyone really gives you a creepy feeling. Tommy Lee Jones plays Sheriff Ed Tom Bell who is an older officer who is closing in on retirement. These three stories combine for a suspense filled action movie that keeps you guessing and wondering what will happen next. Here are my Pros and Cons of No Country For Old Men and you can see why I gave this movie such a poor grade.
Pros:
This movie had so many awesome elements, that could of easily given this film a higher grade. The action and suspense keeps you so focused on the characters and you can't take your eyes off of the screen. Javier Bardem's character is one of the best villains I have seen in a film in a very long time. His absolute "kill anything" mentality while keeping such a calm composure makes him an awesome bad guy. One scene he uses his silenced shotgun (crazy I know) and kills 3 drug dealers who are waiting for Llewelyn Moss. He catches the last guy who is trying to hide in the shower and begs for his life. Without saying a word or changing his expression, he simply pulls the shower curtain closed and shoots the guy anyway, protecting himself from the spray of blood. Llewelyn Moss is also a hero you can really cheer for, he is just a smart character doing clever things to escape the killers who are close on his tail. More than a few times, I leaned over to Scott to say "this movie is awesome" or something along those lines. 3/4 of the movie was great, definitely worth the money to see it. But it was not the whole movie which is why it earned such a low grade. Here is why!
Cons:
The cons mostly came in the last half hour of the movie. The movie is great, one of the better I have seen in a while, but out of no where it falls off a damn cliff or something. It goes from being awesome to amazingly terrible. I don't have any idea what the Coen brothers were thinking...It was going so well then all of a sudden it completely changes. I can't explain the sudden change because it would give away the movie, but I can say what was said between the Talking In Movies team. "well what just happened" and "whats going on" was a regular comment for those last 30 mins. So much goes unexplained and Tommy Lee Jones' character becomes so ridiculously confusing and almost unnecessary that is leaves you wondering why he was even in it. He talks about the most random things and then bam the movie just ends... screen goes black and the theater is silent. We stood up and I was literally speechless, the only way I could describe this amazing fall to terribleness is that I was stunned. There was way to much left unsaid or unexplained and it ruined the movie.
So in conclusion, The first 3 quarters of the movie were awesome, everything I was hoping for until the sudden change. The last 30 minutes of the movie simply crush the whole film and dropped it's grade so much. It could of been one of the best films of the year but I don't think there will be any awards for this Coen Brothers film. If you are a fan of the directors then maybe you will enjoy this film more than me but in my opinion wait for DVD to see this movie.
Favorite Line:
Man who hires Wells: [about Chigurh] Just how dangerous is he?
Carson Wells: Compared to what? The bubonic plague?
Theater: AMC Loews, Friday November 23rd
Personal Grade: C-
I know I know, most of you who read this will disagree with my personal grade, but if you haven't seen the movie then you don't understand. If you do spend money to see this film, I am pretty sure most of you will feel the same as I did when the credits began to scroll. No Country For Old Men is a movie about an average man in Texas who stumbles into a drug deal gone terribly wrong. Josh Brolin plays Llewelyn Moss, who investigates the bloody scene where the drug trade went down. He continues to search for what happened and finds a satchel with 2 million dollars and the suspense begins. The opening scene of the movie introduces Javier Bardem who plays the psychopathic serial killer/hitman named Anton Chigurh. His calm killer personality and unorthodox style of killing everyone really gives you a creepy feeling. Tommy Lee Jones plays Sheriff Ed Tom Bell who is an older officer who is closing in on retirement. These three stories combine for a suspense filled action movie that keeps you guessing and wondering what will happen next. Here are my Pros and Cons of No Country For Old Men and you can see why I gave this movie such a poor grade.
Pros:
This movie had so many awesome elements, that could of easily given this film a higher grade. The action and suspense keeps you so focused on the characters and you can't take your eyes off of the screen. Javier Bardem's character is one of the best villains I have seen in a film in a very long time. His absolute "kill anything" mentality while keeping such a calm composure makes him an awesome bad guy. One scene he uses his silenced shotgun (crazy I know) and kills 3 drug dealers who are waiting for Llewelyn Moss. He catches the last guy who is trying to hide in the shower and begs for his life. Without saying a word or changing his expression, he simply pulls the shower curtain closed and shoots the guy anyway, protecting himself from the spray of blood. Llewelyn Moss is also a hero you can really cheer for, he is just a smart character doing clever things to escape the killers who are close on his tail. More than a few times, I leaned over to Scott to say "this movie is awesome" or something along those lines. 3/4 of the movie was great, definitely worth the money to see it. But it was not the whole movie which is why it earned such a low grade. Here is why!
Cons:
The cons mostly came in the last half hour of the movie. The movie is great, one of the better I have seen in a while, but out of no where it falls off a damn cliff or something. It goes from being awesome to amazingly terrible. I don't have any idea what the Coen brothers were thinking...It was going so well then all of a sudden it completely changes. I can't explain the sudden change because it would give away the movie, but I can say what was said between the Talking In Movies team. "well what just happened" and "whats going on" was a regular comment for those last 30 mins. So much goes unexplained and Tommy Lee Jones' character becomes so ridiculously confusing and almost unnecessary that is leaves you wondering why he was even in it. He talks about the most random things and then bam the movie just ends... screen goes black and the theater is silent. We stood up and I was literally speechless, the only way I could describe this amazing fall to terribleness is that I was stunned. There was way to much left unsaid or unexplained and it ruined the movie.
So in conclusion, The first 3 quarters of the movie were awesome, everything I was hoping for until the sudden change. The last 30 minutes of the movie simply crush the whole film and dropped it's grade so much. It could of been one of the best films of the year but I don't think there will be any awards for this Coen Brothers film. If you are a fan of the directors then maybe you will enjoy this film more than me but in my opinion wait for DVD to see this movie.
Favorite Line:
Man who hires Wells: [about Chigurh] Just how dangerous is he?
Carson Wells: Compared to what? The bubonic plague?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Go BABY Go
Daniel Scillieri
Theater: Clearview Cinemas on Tuesday, 11-13-07
Personal Grade: "B"
After hearing more than a few good things about "Gone Baby Gone" Talking in Movies added it to the list. Casey Affleck plays the role of Patrick Kenzie, A private detective who focuses on missing children in the city of Boston. He works with his girlfriend Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) on finding children who have run away from home or wandered off. Early In the movie breaking news hits the television and papers that a young 4 year old girl is kidnapped from her home while her mother is out and the story begins. As they start the investigation, they are thrown into a world of corruption, drug use and child molesters. Morgan Freeman plays the role of Captain Jack Doyle, a popular police officer who also lost his daughter to a kidnapper only to find her murdered, which sets him on a mission to end violence to children. Ed Harris guest stars as Detective Remy Bressant and tags along with the two young investigators in search of the missing child. The movie will keep you guessing and at times on the edge of your seat questioning yourself with "what would I have done in his situation?" In the long run, the movie is presented very well, Ben Affleck (director) does an excellent job at giving you the sense of the hardships of growing up in certain parts of Boston, along with really hitting the heart with some of the events throughout the movie. The morale question of what is right and what is wrong presents itself a few times, leaving an imprint on the viewers. Once again for the loyal Talking In Movies fans...here they are...THE PROS AND CONS
The Pros:
As said in the earlier paragraph, this police thriller earns its place in the genre. The young couple are pressed into this kidnapping case which is way over their heads and they know it. Casey Affleck plays the part of a man who grew up in the heart of Boston and knows the ins and outs along with every back alley corner as if he actually went through it himself. The entire cast plays their respective roles very well which allows you to really dive into the situations between each. You get the sense of how life in Boston is with the famous accents and flowing lines of cursing. The movie's story line does not drag, but instead keeps you following and attempting to figure out who is responsible for the kidnapping. An hour into the movie, the way the film is set it seems like it is about to end, which would of upset me but it goes on even stronger for another hour. Only a very small amount of times was I like, "wow this is so unrealistic" or "that would never happen". The entire story and plot twists makes this a very good movie. As the movie goes on, you find yourself questioning what is right or wrong and it leaves you thinking "what would I have done?" This again, only adds to the mark you feel after leaving the theater. On a personal note, there is one scene when Casey Affleck and Ed Harris are close to solving the puzzle and Casey Affleck does something that had me jump out of my seat in excitement. Now I won't tell you what he does but I was mumbling to myself what I wanted him to do and when he did it made the movie just a little bit better. You will have to go see it, to know what I am talking about.
The Cons:
There were only a few problems I had with this movie, but none were strong enough to lower its grade. The movie at times seemed as if it were a cheaper version of The Departed. Now, I am sure they were not trying to do this when creating the film, but the classic Boston arguments involving more than a few curse words about people's mothers and what they should do to them along with the relationship between the people and the police proves my point. Mind you it makes for some funny dialogue, but i just kept thinking "oh its been done before". Another problem I had was with Michelle Monaghan's character of Angie Gennero. She just seemed out of place in alot of the situations the couple was in. When Patrick Kenzie is trying to make a trade with drug dealers or squeeze information out of an old friend, she cuts in with a comment or an argument that in real life would have gotten them both killed. To quote "Madagascar" I called out a few times " Oh Shut Up You're So Annoying" which got a laugh from my friend Vanessa ( who is a trainee for Talking In Movies). Now one problem I had with the story line was that it kept you guessing for the majority of the movie and you were confused the whole time but then all at once in the span of a few minutes, you figure out the entire thing with very little shock factor. I guess I had it in my head that there was going to be an ending like The Departed, which had one of the most mind blowing final 5 minutes I have ever seen, and when it didn't happen I was a bit dissappointed.
To wrap it up, Gone Baby Gone, earns itself a "B" for having a good story line, even better acting, and offering a glimpse at a world that is usually looked over by those who are not a part of it. The movie keeps your attention throughout the film and leaves you talking about it all the way back to your car. It is definitely a movie to go see in theaters, if you have not already, and if not then an easy choice for a quick rental when it comes out in stores.
Favorite Quote:
Lionel McCready: She isn't in the best shape right now. She doesn't really act this way, normally.
Beatrice McCready: Oh, she's a *%&*
Patrick Kenzie: Do you want us to leave?
sorry, I had to cut that word out, it is the one thing that made me laugh the hardest. Feel free to comment to find out more. And a special thanks to Vanessa Rodriguez for her help and support of Talking In Movies.
Theater: Clearview Cinemas on Tuesday, 11-13-07
Personal Grade: "B"
After hearing more than a few good things about "Gone Baby Gone" Talking in Movies added it to the list. Casey Affleck plays the role of Patrick Kenzie, A private detective who focuses on missing children in the city of Boston. He works with his girlfriend Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) on finding children who have run away from home or wandered off. Early In the movie breaking news hits the television and papers that a young 4 year old girl is kidnapped from her home while her mother is out and the story begins. As they start the investigation, they are thrown into a world of corruption, drug use and child molesters. Morgan Freeman plays the role of Captain Jack Doyle, a popular police officer who also lost his daughter to a kidnapper only to find her murdered, which sets him on a mission to end violence to children. Ed Harris guest stars as Detective Remy Bressant and tags along with the two young investigators in search of the missing child. The movie will keep you guessing and at times on the edge of your seat questioning yourself with "what would I have done in his situation?" In the long run, the movie is presented very well, Ben Affleck (director) does an excellent job at giving you the sense of the hardships of growing up in certain parts of Boston, along with really hitting the heart with some of the events throughout the movie. The morale question of what is right and what is wrong presents itself a few times, leaving an imprint on the viewers. Once again for the loyal Talking In Movies fans...here they are...THE PROS AND CONS
The Pros:
As said in the earlier paragraph, this police thriller earns its place in the genre. The young couple are pressed into this kidnapping case which is way over their heads and they know it. Casey Affleck plays the part of a man who grew up in the heart of Boston and knows the ins and outs along with every back alley corner as if he actually went through it himself. The entire cast plays their respective roles very well which allows you to really dive into the situations between each. You get the sense of how life in Boston is with the famous accents and flowing lines of cursing. The movie's story line does not drag, but instead keeps you following and attempting to figure out who is responsible for the kidnapping. An hour into the movie, the way the film is set it seems like it is about to end, which would of upset me but it goes on even stronger for another hour. Only a very small amount of times was I like, "wow this is so unrealistic" or "that would never happen". The entire story and plot twists makes this a very good movie. As the movie goes on, you find yourself questioning what is right or wrong and it leaves you thinking "what would I have done?" This again, only adds to the mark you feel after leaving the theater. On a personal note, there is one scene when Casey Affleck and Ed Harris are close to solving the puzzle and Casey Affleck does something that had me jump out of my seat in excitement. Now I won't tell you what he does but I was mumbling to myself what I wanted him to do and when he did it made the movie just a little bit better. You will have to go see it, to know what I am talking about.
The Cons:
There were only a few problems I had with this movie, but none were strong enough to lower its grade. The movie at times seemed as if it were a cheaper version of The Departed. Now, I am sure they were not trying to do this when creating the film, but the classic Boston arguments involving more than a few curse words about people's mothers and what they should do to them along with the relationship between the people and the police proves my point. Mind you it makes for some funny dialogue, but i just kept thinking "oh its been done before". Another problem I had was with Michelle Monaghan's character of Angie Gennero. She just seemed out of place in alot of the situations the couple was in. When Patrick Kenzie is trying to make a trade with drug dealers or squeeze information out of an old friend, she cuts in with a comment or an argument that in real life would have gotten them both killed. To quote "Madagascar" I called out a few times " Oh Shut Up You're So Annoying" which got a laugh from my friend Vanessa ( who is a trainee for Talking In Movies). Now one problem I had with the story line was that it kept you guessing for the majority of the movie and you were confused the whole time but then all at once in the span of a few minutes, you figure out the entire thing with very little shock factor. I guess I had it in my head that there was going to be an ending like The Departed, which had one of the most mind blowing final 5 minutes I have ever seen, and when it didn't happen I was a bit dissappointed.
To wrap it up, Gone Baby Gone, earns itself a "B" for having a good story line, even better acting, and offering a glimpse at a world that is usually looked over by those who are not a part of it. The movie keeps your attention throughout the film and leaves you talking about it all the way back to your car. It is definitely a movie to go see in theaters, if you have not already, and if not then an easy choice for a quick rental when it comes out in stores.
Favorite Quote:
Lionel McCready: She isn't in the best shape right now. She doesn't really act this way, normally.
Beatrice McCready: Oh, she's a *%&*
Patrick Kenzie: Do you want us to leave?
sorry, I had to cut that word out, it is the one thing that made me laugh the hardest. Feel free to comment to find out more. And a special thanks to Vanessa Rodriguez for her help and support of Talking In Movies.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Worth the Buzz
Bee Movie
Remember people, this is a Jerry Seinfeld movie which means RANDOM. In a good way though. For those of you that were looking for the Seinfeld style jokes, you will be pleasantly surprised. Those of you looking for something a little different, you got that too. For those of you who know nothing about Jerry Seinfeld and his hit TV show (see "Jerry Seinfeld rips Larry King” post), you are in for an even bigger treat.
Bee Movie takes place in New York City where they introduce a bee, Barry Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), as he is about to graduate bee college in his hive. However, to Barry’s disappointment he finds out that after college he will be working only one job for the rest of his life. Barry instead wants to see the world and leaves the hive where he meets Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellweger), a local florist. Barry then goes on to discover that the human race has been stealing bee honey all over the world. This aggravates Barry and he decides, with the help of Vanessa and his best friend Adam Flayman (Matthew Broderick), that he wants to sue the human race and reclaim all the honey for the bee population of the world.
This movie is very fast. It is one joke after another. You really have to pay attention from start until finish in order to catch all of the jokes. In the beginning of the film they throw a ton of bee jokes at the audience. I found that Dan and I were almost the only ones in the theater laughing at some of these. They weren’t lame jokes, but like I said they came one after another and didn’t really give you much time to think about the last one. They also assumed that the viewer had a basic knowledge of bees.
I think this movie has something different to offer for anyone who goes to see it. The fast jokes will probably fly right over the heads of the children but they will love the cute bees and the normal PG movie jokes. For the adult viewer who has never seen Seinfeld, it has a few jokes for you that the kids aren’t supposed to understand. Also the constant ripping of well known celebrities, such as Ray Liotta and Sting, will get everyone excited. Lastly, for the Seinfeld lover, Jerry definitely throws in some classic Seinfeld jokes. Barry and Vanessa would be sitting over a cup of coffee and talking about the most random things in a very Seinfeldesque manner. Another funny thing that Jerry Seinfeld did was to make fun of how the insect world acts in real life. Have you ever wondered why bugs are always on your windshields? No, they aren’t dead; they are just hitching a ride on your car to get to their destination. Little jokes like this add to the range of comedy portrayed in this movie.
If you are looking for a movie with a story line, this is not the one to see. Much of this movie is just ridiculous. I guess we could start with the fact that bees are talking, but the film doesn’t even try to make things even semi-realistic. However, if you can just look past the out of this world story and take the movie for what it is (an amazing comedy), then you will end up being satisfied when you leave the theater. One thing that the DreamWorks team did make realistic was the visuals. They worked really hard to portray everything that we have in real life into the bee equivalent. An example of this is Bee-NN, the television channel that held the interview by Bee Larry King with Barry.
All in all, this movie will be a wonderful experience for anyone who decides to go see it, and I DO recommend that you see it. Not only that, but I predict it will do very well when the DVD comes out because after the movie I found myself trying to remember the lines and also trying to remember if there were any jokes that I had missed. I'm sure there were. I also found that I was craving honey afterwards... I wonder why...
My Rating:: (Even though Dan already did this I kind of have to…) “Bee”+
Remember people, this is a Jerry Seinfeld movie which means RANDOM. In a good way though. For those of you that were looking for the Seinfeld style jokes, you will be pleasantly surprised. Those of you looking for something a little different, you got that too. For those of you who know nothing about Jerry Seinfeld and his hit TV show (see "Jerry Seinfeld rips Larry King” post), you are in for an even bigger treat.
Bee Movie takes place in New York City where they introduce a bee, Barry Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), as he is about to graduate bee college in his hive. However, to Barry’s disappointment he finds out that after college he will be working only one job for the rest of his life. Barry instead wants to see the world and leaves the hive where he meets Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellweger), a local florist. Barry then goes on to discover that the human race has been stealing bee honey all over the world. This aggravates Barry and he decides, with the help of Vanessa and his best friend Adam Flayman (Matthew Broderick), that he wants to sue the human race and reclaim all the honey for the bee population of the world.
This movie is very fast. It is one joke after another. You really have to pay attention from start until finish in order to catch all of the jokes. In the beginning of the film they throw a ton of bee jokes at the audience. I found that Dan and I were almost the only ones in the theater laughing at some of these. They weren’t lame jokes, but like I said they came one after another and didn’t really give you much time to think about the last one. They also assumed that the viewer had a basic knowledge of bees.
I think this movie has something different to offer for anyone who goes to see it. The fast jokes will probably fly right over the heads of the children but they will love the cute bees and the normal PG movie jokes. For the adult viewer who has never seen Seinfeld, it has a few jokes for you that the kids aren’t supposed to understand. Also the constant ripping of well known celebrities, such as Ray Liotta and Sting, will get everyone excited. Lastly, for the Seinfeld lover, Jerry definitely throws in some classic Seinfeld jokes. Barry and Vanessa would be sitting over a cup of coffee and talking about the most random things in a very Seinfeldesque manner. Another funny thing that Jerry Seinfeld did was to make fun of how the insect world acts in real life. Have you ever wondered why bugs are always on your windshields? No, they aren’t dead; they are just hitching a ride on your car to get to their destination. Little jokes like this add to the range of comedy portrayed in this movie.
If you are looking for a movie with a story line, this is not the one to see. Much of this movie is just ridiculous. I guess we could start with the fact that bees are talking, but the film doesn’t even try to make things even semi-realistic. However, if you can just look past the out of this world story and take the movie for what it is (an amazing comedy), then you will end up being satisfied when you leave the theater. One thing that the DreamWorks team did make realistic was the visuals. They worked really hard to portray everything that we have in real life into the bee equivalent. An example of this is Bee-NN, the television channel that held the interview by Bee Larry King with Barry.
All in all, this movie will be a wonderful experience for anyone who decides to go see it, and I DO recommend that you see it. Not only that, but I predict it will do very well when the DVD comes out because after the movie I found myself trying to remember the lines and also trying to remember if there were any jokes that I had missed. I'm sure there were. I also found that I was craving honey afterwards... I wonder why...
My Rating:: (Even though Dan already did this I kind of have to…) “Bee”+
BEE for Brilliant!
Daniel Scillieri
Theater: Clearview Cinemas in the Preakness Shopping Center (11-6-07)
Personal Grade: "Bee+"
In a last minute decision, Team Talking In Movies went to go see the new animated feature "Bee Movie" starring Jerry Seinfeld, who plays the role of Barry B. Benson. Barry is one small bee in a big hive who just can't accept the repetitive lifestyle of the average honey bee. Surrounded by other bees who have accepted their everyday careers, Barry decides he wants to leave the hive and see the outside world. With the help of the cool "Pollen Jockeys" he gets his wish to leave the hive and thus our adventure begins. On the outside he descovers a whole new world most bees never even dream about and eventually meets Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellweger) a human woman who is the first to learn that bees can talk to humans after she saves Barry's Life.
THE PROS:
As the title says, this movie was Brilliant! From the very beginning of the movie Scott and I were laughing out loud (sometimes it was only us in the theater) at the little Bee jokes spread through out the hive world. Jerry Seinfeld's witty comments and jokes reflect his style of comedy found in his hit television series. The whole movie has several little jokes that most people won't catch until they see it a second time but the whole movie kept you laughing. The supporting cast also added quality comic elements of the movie. Matthew Broderick plays Barry's super cautious friend Adam Flayman, who is more than ready to become a working bee for the honey company. Patrick Warburton adds a hiliarous voice to the character Ken, who is Vanessa's ridiculously competitive boyfriend. His stress filled screaming voice leaves you laughing after every appearance. A quick cameo by Chris Rock as a mosquito suprised you with some very funny dialogue. The jokes through out the movie had a wide range of humor. Some were directed to the younger crowds while Jerry and the others threw in some jokes that only adults seemed to catch. The blend of the two worked very well, giving the crowd the entertainment they were hoping for when sitting in the seats of theater.
THE CONS:
This movie's con list is almost non exsistant. The animated feature has several jokes and events that stretch into the level of ridiculousness. A few times I had to say outloud "WHAT" or "Oh Come On Now" but what can you expect it is a PG animated family movie about a talking Bee. That con is barely even a con because I was usually laughing when I said those things. This movie was an overall Hit.
Final Remarks:
Just a few moments into the movie, you begin to forget the whole crazy concept of a talking bee who friends a human woman and begins changing the world. You sit back in your chair and let the jokes fill you with a sense of being a kid again. You feel yourself laughing instead of debating the storyline. With a group of people next to me and hearing them laugh as loud as I was, I exited the theater nodding my head and saying " I Liked it ALOT" This is definitely a movie to go see in theaters with anyone, a friend, significant other, or your family. BEE MOVIE earns its BEE+ grade with flying Yellow and Black Colors.
Favorite Quote:
Barry B. Benson: Tivo. You mean you can just freeze live TV? That's insane.
Vanessa: What, you don't have anything like that?
Barry B. Benson: We have "Hivo", But it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease.
Theater: Clearview Cinemas in the Preakness Shopping Center (11-6-07)
Personal Grade: "Bee+"
In a last minute decision, Team Talking In Movies went to go see the new animated feature "Bee Movie" starring Jerry Seinfeld, who plays the role of Barry B. Benson. Barry is one small bee in a big hive who just can't accept the repetitive lifestyle of the average honey bee. Surrounded by other bees who have accepted their everyday careers, Barry decides he wants to leave the hive and see the outside world. With the help of the cool "Pollen Jockeys" he gets his wish to leave the hive and thus our adventure begins. On the outside he descovers a whole new world most bees never even dream about and eventually meets Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellweger) a human woman who is the first to learn that bees can talk to humans after she saves Barry's Life.
THE PROS:
As the title says, this movie was Brilliant! From the very beginning of the movie Scott and I were laughing out loud (sometimes it was only us in the theater) at the little Bee jokes spread through out the hive world. Jerry Seinfeld's witty comments and jokes reflect his style of comedy found in his hit television series. The whole movie has several little jokes that most people won't catch until they see it a second time but the whole movie kept you laughing. The supporting cast also added quality comic elements of the movie. Matthew Broderick plays Barry's super cautious friend Adam Flayman, who is more than ready to become a working bee for the honey company. Patrick Warburton adds a hiliarous voice to the character Ken, who is Vanessa's ridiculously competitive boyfriend. His stress filled screaming voice leaves you laughing after every appearance. A quick cameo by Chris Rock as a mosquito suprised you with some very funny dialogue. The jokes through out the movie had a wide range of humor. Some were directed to the younger crowds while Jerry and the others threw in some jokes that only adults seemed to catch. The blend of the two worked very well, giving the crowd the entertainment they were hoping for when sitting in the seats of theater.
THE CONS:
This movie's con list is almost non exsistant. The animated feature has several jokes and events that stretch into the level of ridiculousness. A few times I had to say outloud "WHAT" or "Oh Come On Now" but what can you expect it is a PG animated family movie about a talking Bee. That con is barely even a con because I was usually laughing when I said those things. This movie was an overall Hit.
Final Remarks:
Just a few moments into the movie, you begin to forget the whole crazy concept of a talking bee who friends a human woman and begins changing the world. You sit back in your chair and let the jokes fill you with a sense of being a kid again. You feel yourself laughing instead of debating the storyline. With a group of people next to me and hearing them laugh as loud as I was, I exited the theater nodding my head and saying " I Liked it ALOT" This is definitely a movie to go see in theaters with anyone, a friend, significant other, or your family. BEE MOVIE earns its BEE+ grade with flying Yellow and Black Colors.
Favorite Quote:
Barry B. Benson: Tivo. You mean you can just freeze live TV? That's insane.
Vanessa: What, you don't have anything like that?
Barry B. Benson: We have "Hivo", But it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease.
Bee Movie
Rated:: PG
Genre:: Comedy
Starring::
Jerry Seinfeld - Barry B. Benson
Renee Zellweger - Vanessa Bloome
Matthew Broderick - Adam Flayman
Patrick Warburton – Ken
John Goodman - Layton T. Montgomery
Chris Rock - Mooseblood
Plot::
Barry B. Benson, a bee who has just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry's life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey, and subsequently decides to sue the human race.
Jerry Seinfeld rips Larry King
I heard this on the radio right before we saw Bee Movie. Then somewhere in the middle of the movie there is a "Bee Larry King" joke and it made this even more funny. So, I just thought I would share it.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A Real Life Winner
by Scott Pospishil
Steve Carell is on the radar yet again in a movie that will touch all of your emotions, but, most of all, you WILL laugh. The story starts off showing Dan Burns (Steve Carell),who writes an advice column for his local newspaper, and his hardships when it come to raising his 3 teenage daughters. While heading up to his parents house for a family get together, he meets a woman, Marie (Juliette Binoche), at a book store and they hit it off. When he arrives at his parents house Dan’s brother Mitch (Dane Cook) introduces his girlfriend who is no other than the woman that Dan met in the bookstore. In this situation, however, Dan cannot take his own advice and gets caught up in an entertaining love triangle that includes Mitch and Marie.
This movie seemed as if it was broken down into three parts which actually worked out well. At first, it kind of eases you into the comedy and into Dan's life. I chuckled at some of the jokes in the beginning but nothing too crazy. Next, for the better part of the movie, it was hilarious. I mean one joke or awkward situation after another. This movie had one of the best shower scenes ever (don't get your hopes up its only rated PG-13). By best I mean funniest. The end part of the movie was where most of the drama occurred.
Steve Carell’s character was pure genius. It seemed to me as if he took all of his well known previous rolls and mixed them together. Let’s just say it worked. We definitely see his 40 Year-old Virgin character in his cheesy lines and dancing, his Little Miss Sunshine character in the "he is so depressed he's funny" parts, and we also see the famous Michael Scott character from The Office come out in some of the many awkward moments.
There was not much to dislike about this movie. I guess my one main knock on it was that it was fairly predictable. There were more than a few parts where the real life Dan, meaning Dan Scillieri my fellow critic, and I would call out what was going to happen next and sure enough we were right every time. The other thing that I noticed was the stupidity in some situations. What I mean is that if these were real life situations, no one would get caught in the situations that these characters found themselves in. However, these situations lead to some of the funniest parts of the movie so I can look past them.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the type of movie where you’re going to be memorizing the lines and using them in your everyday life. It was a very solid, smart comedy that will leave you with a good feeling when it’s over. You should definitely bring your significant other to this one; I think this movie will be a big hit with the ladies.
My Grade:: B+
Steve Carell is on the radar yet again in a movie that will touch all of your emotions, but, most of all, you WILL laugh. The story starts off showing Dan Burns (Steve Carell),who writes an advice column for his local newspaper, and his hardships when it come to raising his 3 teenage daughters. While heading up to his parents house for a family get together, he meets a woman, Marie (Juliette Binoche), at a book store and they hit it off. When he arrives at his parents house Dan’s brother Mitch (Dane Cook) introduces his girlfriend who is no other than the woman that Dan met in the bookstore. In this situation, however, Dan cannot take his own advice and gets caught up in an entertaining love triangle that includes Mitch and Marie.
This movie seemed as if it was broken down into three parts which actually worked out well. At first, it kind of eases you into the comedy and into Dan's life. I chuckled at some of the jokes in the beginning but nothing too crazy. Next, for the better part of the movie, it was hilarious. I mean one joke or awkward situation after another. This movie had one of the best shower scenes ever (don't get your hopes up its only rated PG-13). By best I mean funniest. The end part of the movie was where most of the drama occurred.
Steve Carell’s character was pure genius. It seemed to me as if he took all of his well known previous rolls and mixed them together. Let’s just say it worked. We definitely see his 40 Year-old Virgin character in his cheesy lines and dancing, his Little Miss Sunshine character in the "he is so depressed he's funny" parts, and we also see the famous Michael Scott character from The Office come out in some of the many awkward moments.
There was not much to dislike about this movie. I guess my one main knock on it was that it was fairly predictable. There were more than a few parts where the real life Dan, meaning Dan Scillieri my fellow critic, and I would call out what was going to happen next and sure enough we were right every time. The other thing that I noticed was the stupidity in some situations. What I mean is that if these were real life situations, no one would get caught in the situations that these characters found themselves in. However, these situations lead to some of the funniest parts of the movie so I can look past them.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the type of movie where you’re going to be memorizing the lines and using them in your everyday life. It was a very solid, smart comedy that will leave you with a good feeling when it’s over. You should definitely bring your significant other to this one; I think this movie will be a big hit with the ladies.
My Grade:: B+
Dan in Real Life
Rated:: PG-13
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Starring::
Steve Carell - Dan Burns
Juliette Binoche - Marie
Dane Cook - Mitch Burns
Alison Pill - Jane Burns
Brittany Robertson - Cara Burns
Marlene Lawston - Lilly Burns
Plot::
Dan Burns (Carell) is a single father who dedicates his life to his children, but one day he meets Marie (Binoche) at a bookstore. They get to know each other, but then Dan finds out that Marie is actually dating his brother, Mitch Burns (Cook).
Dan In Real Life
Dan Scillieri
Personal Grade: "B"
Scott and I decided to see this romantic comedy movie to add a bit more substance to our website. Trying to move away from just horror movies we took a few friends to go see Dan In Real Life starring the always funny Steve Carell. This being the first movie we decided to see after the launch of our Talking In Movies website, it is kind of a landmark event. So here is my review, I hope you enjoy and please do remember to comment or tell us another movie we should see and review.
The movie kicks-off with Steve Carell (Dan Burns) as a loving single father with 3 daughters ranging from 17 to 9. He is a newspaper columnist who writes witty and clever replies to his fan letters. People write to him about family problems, issues with work and a variety of other problems but he always provides a motivational response in his article, which is growing in popularity. Dan decides to take his 3 girls on a weekend vacation to his parents house ( Dianne Wiest and John Mahoney) where all of his siblings and their families meet for an annual reunion. Dane Cook makes a comical appearance as Dan's brother Mitch, who keeps talking about a new girl in his life who is coming to stay with the family. The first morning at the house, Dan meets a mysterious but charming woman in a local bookstore. Marie (Juliette Binoche) is also in the area to visit a new boyfriend but spends most of the morning laughing and sipping tea with Dan (Steve Carell). Those reading this can probably piece 2 & 2 together and Marie turns out to be Mitch's new girlfriend, much to the dismay of Dan who has already begun falling for her. Over the next few days Dan must struggle with an overwhelming family and a growing love for Marie. These elements make for a great romantic comedy that I recommend, but here are my usual PROS and CONS so you can decide for yourself.
PROS:
Steve Carell may easily be one of the most popular actors of today, from his hilarious roll of Michael Scott on The Office to his ark building role of Evan Baxter in Evan Almighty. He plays a great father of 3 girls who is trying to understand them while being a good father. Each daughter presents an equal challenge that he must juggle, providing the movie with a steady flow of comedy. The best example of this would be Dan's relationship with his middle daughter Cara played by Brittany Robertson. She is a teenager who believes she has found true love at a young age. Like every father would, Dan steps in and would rather lock up his daughter then see her in a relationship with an equally young man. The level of laughs only increases when they make it to the family reunion and Dane Cook is just one member of this large family. That element of family is something everyone can relate to while watching this movie. Several times while in the theater I laughed while saying "that is just like my family". Every member of the family provides their own twist which makes Dan just a bit more miserable. Through out the movie you begin feeling so bad for Dan but those feelings usually come after a good laugh. "oh this poor guy" or " something has got to work out for him" was said on more than 1 occation. The chemisty between Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche is genuine and leaves you with your fingers crossed for a happy ending. The duration of the movie has you laughing and hoping that things work out for Dan who is searching for that missing piece of his life.
CONS:
There were not that many this time, like the previous postings we submitted here on Talking In Movies. One problem I had, that was not really a big deal, was the level of predictability. This is a common thing in romantic comedies, you catch yourself calling out events that are about to happen and hold your hands out moments later when they do. You go into the movie expecting that one terrible thing to happen because in every romantic comedy there is that one catostrophic event that the main character has to go through and eventually fix before the end of the movie. After that major event lead to my only other minor complaint with this movie, the quick ending. I won't spoil it but in my opinion, the movie comes to an abrupt ending which leaves you piecing together the remaining events. The ending still gives you a smile but could of had a bit more meat to it.
Overall, Dan In Real Life is a good romantic comedy that is suitable for a wide range of people. Both younger and older couples are not the only ones who can have a good laugh and a big smile during this movie. It hits so many levels of life that make it a movie you should go see in the theaters and rent when it comes out on DVD.
Personal Grade: "B"
Scott and I decided to see this romantic comedy movie to add a bit more substance to our website. Trying to move away from just horror movies we took a few friends to go see Dan In Real Life starring the always funny Steve Carell. This being the first movie we decided to see after the launch of our Talking In Movies website, it is kind of a landmark event. So here is my review, I hope you enjoy and please do remember to comment or tell us another movie we should see and review.
The movie kicks-off with Steve Carell (Dan Burns) as a loving single father with 3 daughters ranging from 17 to 9. He is a newspaper columnist who writes witty and clever replies to his fan letters. People write to him about family problems, issues with work and a variety of other problems but he always provides a motivational response in his article, which is growing in popularity. Dan decides to take his 3 girls on a weekend vacation to his parents house ( Dianne Wiest and John Mahoney) where all of his siblings and their families meet for an annual reunion. Dane Cook makes a comical appearance as Dan's brother Mitch, who keeps talking about a new girl in his life who is coming to stay with the family. The first morning at the house, Dan meets a mysterious but charming woman in a local bookstore. Marie (Juliette Binoche) is also in the area to visit a new boyfriend but spends most of the morning laughing and sipping tea with Dan (Steve Carell). Those reading this can probably piece 2 & 2 together and Marie turns out to be Mitch's new girlfriend, much to the dismay of Dan who has already begun falling for her. Over the next few days Dan must struggle with an overwhelming family and a growing love for Marie. These elements make for a great romantic comedy that I recommend, but here are my usual PROS and CONS so you can decide for yourself.
PROS:
Steve Carell may easily be one of the most popular actors of today, from his hilarious roll of Michael Scott on The Office to his ark building role of Evan Baxter in Evan Almighty. He plays a great father of 3 girls who is trying to understand them while being a good father. Each daughter presents an equal challenge that he must juggle, providing the movie with a steady flow of comedy. The best example of this would be Dan's relationship with his middle daughter Cara played by Brittany Robertson. She is a teenager who believes she has found true love at a young age. Like every father would, Dan steps in and would rather lock up his daughter then see her in a relationship with an equally young man. The level of laughs only increases when they make it to the family reunion and Dane Cook is just one member of this large family. That element of family is something everyone can relate to while watching this movie. Several times while in the theater I laughed while saying "that is just like my family". Every member of the family provides their own twist which makes Dan just a bit more miserable. Through out the movie you begin feeling so bad for Dan but those feelings usually come after a good laugh. "oh this poor guy" or " something has got to work out for him" was said on more than 1 occation. The chemisty between Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche is genuine and leaves you with your fingers crossed for a happy ending. The duration of the movie has you laughing and hoping that things work out for Dan who is searching for that missing piece of his life.
CONS:
There were not that many this time, like the previous postings we submitted here on Talking In Movies. One problem I had, that was not really a big deal, was the level of predictability. This is a common thing in romantic comedies, you catch yourself calling out events that are about to happen and hold your hands out moments later when they do. You go into the movie expecting that one terrible thing to happen because in every romantic comedy there is that one catostrophic event that the main character has to go through and eventually fix before the end of the movie. After that major event lead to my only other minor complaint with this movie, the quick ending. I won't spoil it but in my opinion, the movie comes to an abrupt ending which leaves you piecing together the remaining events. The ending still gives you a smile but could of had a bit more meat to it.
Overall, Dan In Real Life is a good romantic comedy that is suitable for a wide range of people. Both younger and older couples are not the only ones who can have a good laugh and a big smile during this movie. It hits so many levels of life that make it a movie you should go see in the theaters and rent when it comes out on DVD.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Resident Evil 3: exSTINKtion???
Daniel Scillieri
Personal Grade: C-/C
Resident evil....such a great line of video games...such an average, possibly below average Zombie movie series. Mind you, it is a zombie movie, not a film that is going to be up for the best movie of the year award at the next Oscars. Still, there are tons of fans of the Zombie genre of horror films and an equal amount loyal to the hit video game titles (who have long hoped for a movie adaptation of a popular game to be a success) I myself fall into both those categories of fans so I had to go see the movie. Nomadic survivors searching for supplies, fuel and people who escaped the undead makes for a great movie. Their search for a safe haven gives the people hope and a purpose to fight on through a world that is dying a little more each day. As usual here are the Pro's and Con's of the Third and Final installment of the Resident Evil trilogy.
PROS:
Milla Jovovich = HOT. She has been a hottie since her roll as Lelu in the 5th Element (cool movie, possibly a later review). Where can you go wrong with a smoking hot woman rocking post apocolyptic clothes and a whole array of zombie killing weapons. Later on she meets up with a caravan of survivors who also have a few hotties of their own (Ali Larter for one). The zombies are the stereotypical zombies, slow moving with little brain function besides an unending craving for human flesh. They aren't the insanely crazy zombies who can run fast and solve problems like undead in a few recent movies. I mean seriously, that is just unfair. These zombies use suprise and overwhelming numbers to spread so fast and in time destroy the civilized world. As every horror movie should, this film presents a good amount of death and gore that makes every fan of the genre grin from ear to ear. Those loyal to the game should be pleased at a few quality name drops from the hit titles. The world is dying, along with the few remaining survivors, all key essentials for a Zombie thriller. Bad ass characters and great fight sequences will keep your attention for the duration of the film
CONS:
For every good thing in this movie, there was something that made you shake your head in confusion and disappointment. The Umbrella Corp, enormous hives deep underground with supplies that are slowly running out do not seem to be in a rush to save the world from the mess they created. Such amazing technology and they can't figure out any way to do something productive to rid the Earth of undead? All the supposed brilliant minds of their company and only one man is trying to find a cure. All these supposed supplies, technology and man power, they can't find a system to start killing the zombies...i mean they are slow mindless undead, come on now. One of the earlier scenes is the above ground area of an Umbrella hive, the only thing protecting this facility is a small chainlink fence which is surrounded by thousands of zombies with thousands more on the way. I am pretty sure, mindless or not, a thousand zombies craving flesh could push a fence down and get into the facility. The film also has the "survivor stupidity" that happens in almost every zombie movie. One survivor will get bitten somehow but won't tell the others until it is to late, leading to him/her becoming a zombie and attacking fellow survivors. (usually killing at least 1). Another display of "Survivor Stupidity" is that one of the humans will chase after something they shouldn't, like a dog or something they dropped that they ABSOLUTELY DON'T NEED. They run back into the zombie horde and look back with confusion while the undead tear them apart. Finally another example of "Survivor Stupidity", which also happens in most zombie flicks is that one of the survivors will eventually be killed and turned into a zombie and one of the living can't kill them because they love them or won't accept they are undead and gets attacked by that same zombie.
Later on in the movie things just get more and more ridiculous, Milla Jovovich has crazy strong Psychic powers and can make huge fire storms with force fields and a few other insane powers. WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?? Also from all the experiments on her, she can be shut off as if she was a robot from a Umbrella Satellite orbiting in space. Literally in the middle of the fight the satellite turns her brain off and her body goes into lockdown. But of course her impressive psychic powers fights back and turns her back on....( and shake head in confusion). Another thing that bothered me in the movie was the Umbrella scientists attempts to tame the mindless undead. They try to work these newly fixed zombies in hopes to have them do the small jobs when the living reclaim Earth. Zombie farmers, garbagemen and several other ridiculous jobs came to mind during these scenes. And finally, the ending, *sigh* I won't spoil it to much but the first word that came out of my mouth when the credits appeared was CLIFFHANGER. How does a "third and final" movie leave two amazingly huge cliffhangers. Alice (Milla Jovovich) has a new army and is looking to take on the remaining Umbrella Hives while killing the waves of undead. Claire Redfield ( Hottie Ali Larter) and the remaining survivors escape on a helicopter for a supposed safe zone to the far north but we never know if they make it there. These cliffhangers set up for a 4th movie perfectly, but I thought this was the final movie????
Overall, Resident Evil 3 offers fast paced intense zombie action, those fans of the zombie genre and video game series should find this movie some what entertaining. But even if you try to bear it, the movie leaves you wanting a stronger conclusion, a solid ending to a trilogy of movies. Don't Say the 3rd and final installment and then leave such an open ending. A few minutes of extra ending would have easily made a groovy ending.
Personal Grade: C-/C
Resident evil....such a great line of video games...such an average, possibly below average Zombie movie series. Mind you, it is a zombie movie, not a film that is going to be up for the best movie of the year award at the next Oscars. Still, there are tons of fans of the Zombie genre of horror films and an equal amount loyal to the hit video game titles (who have long hoped for a movie adaptation of a popular game to be a success) I myself fall into both those categories of fans so I had to go see the movie. Nomadic survivors searching for supplies, fuel and people who escaped the undead makes for a great movie. Their search for a safe haven gives the people hope and a purpose to fight on through a world that is dying a little more each day. As usual here are the Pro's and Con's of the Third and Final installment of the Resident Evil trilogy.
PROS:
Milla Jovovich = HOT. She has been a hottie since her roll as Lelu in the 5th Element (cool movie, possibly a later review). Where can you go wrong with a smoking hot woman rocking post apocolyptic clothes and a whole array of zombie killing weapons. Later on she meets up with a caravan of survivors who also have a few hotties of their own (Ali Larter for one). The zombies are the stereotypical zombies, slow moving with little brain function besides an unending craving for human flesh. They aren't the insanely crazy zombies who can run fast and solve problems like undead in a few recent movies. I mean seriously, that is just unfair. These zombies use suprise and overwhelming numbers to spread so fast and in time destroy the civilized world. As every horror movie should, this film presents a good amount of death and gore that makes every fan of the genre grin from ear to ear. Those loyal to the game should be pleased at a few quality name drops from the hit titles. The world is dying, along with the few remaining survivors, all key essentials for a Zombie thriller. Bad ass characters and great fight sequences will keep your attention for the duration of the film
CONS:
For every good thing in this movie, there was something that made you shake your head in confusion and disappointment. The Umbrella Corp, enormous hives deep underground with supplies that are slowly running out do not seem to be in a rush to save the world from the mess they created. Such amazing technology and they can't figure out any way to do something productive to rid the Earth of undead? All the supposed brilliant minds of their company and only one man is trying to find a cure. All these supposed supplies, technology and man power, they can't find a system to start killing the zombies...i mean they are slow mindless undead, come on now. One of the earlier scenes is the above ground area of an Umbrella hive, the only thing protecting this facility is a small chainlink fence which is surrounded by thousands of zombies with thousands more on the way. I am pretty sure, mindless or not, a thousand zombies craving flesh could push a fence down and get into the facility. The film also has the "survivor stupidity" that happens in almost every zombie movie. One survivor will get bitten somehow but won't tell the others until it is to late, leading to him/her becoming a zombie and attacking fellow survivors. (usually killing at least 1). Another display of "Survivor Stupidity" is that one of the humans will chase after something they shouldn't, like a dog or something they dropped that they ABSOLUTELY DON'T NEED. They run back into the zombie horde and look back with confusion while the undead tear them apart. Finally another example of "Survivor Stupidity", which also happens in most zombie flicks is that one of the survivors will eventually be killed and turned into a zombie and one of the living can't kill them because they love them or won't accept they are undead and gets attacked by that same zombie.
Later on in the movie things just get more and more ridiculous, Milla Jovovich has crazy strong Psychic powers and can make huge fire storms with force fields and a few other insane powers. WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?? Also from all the experiments on her, she can be shut off as if she was a robot from a Umbrella Satellite orbiting in space. Literally in the middle of the fight the satellite turns her brain off and her body goes into lockdown. But of course her impressive psychic powers fights back and turns her back on....( and shake head in confusion). Another thing that bothered me in the movie was the Umbrella scientists attempts to tame the mindless undead. They try to work these newly fixed zombies in hopes to have them do the small jobs when the living reclaim Earth. Zombie farmers, garbagemen and several other ridiculous jobs came to mind during these scenes. And finally, the ending, *sigh* I won't spoil it to much but the first word that came out of my mouth when the credits appeared was CLIFFHANGER. How does a "third and final" movie leave two amazingly huge cliffhangers. Alice (Milla Jovovich) has a new army and is looking to take on the remaining Umbrella Hives while killing the waves of undead. Claire Redfield ( Hottie Ali Larter) and the remaining survivors escape on a helicopter for a supposed safe zone to the far north but we never know if they make it there. These cliffhangers set up for a 4th movie perfectly, but I thought this was the final movie????
Overall, Resident Evil 3 offers fast paced intense zombie action, those fans of the zombie genre and video game series should find this movie some what entertaining. But even if you try to bear it, the movie leaves you wanting a stronger conclusion, a solid ending to a trilogy of movies. Don't Say the 3rd and final installment and then leave such an open ending. A few minutes of extra ending would have easily made a groovy ending.
Resident Evil 3: Extinction
Rated:: R
Genre:: Action/Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Starring::
Milla Jovovich - Alice
Oded Fehr - Carlos Olivera
Ali Larter - Claire Redfield
Iain Glenn - Dr. Isaacs
Ashanti - Betty
Plot::
Years after the Raccoon City disaster, Alice is on her own; aware that she has become a liability and could endanger those around her, she is struggling to survive and bring down the Umbrella Corporation led by the sinister Albert Wesker and head researcher Dr. Isaacs. Meanwhile, traveling through the Nevada Desert and the ruins of Las Vegas, Carlos Olivera, L.J., and new survivors K-Mart, Claire Redfield, and Nurse Betty must fight to survive extinction against hordes of zombies, killer crows and the most terrifying creatures created as a result of the deadly T-Virus that has killed millions.
30 Days of Night
Rated:: R
Genre:: Horror/Thriller
Starring::
Josh Hartnett - Eben Oleson
Melissa George - Stella Oleson
Danny Huston - Marlow
Ben Foster - The Stranger
Mark Boone Junior - Beau Brower
Plot::
This is the story of an isolated Alaskan town that is plunged into darkness for a month each year when the sun sinks below the horizon. As the last rays of light fade, the town is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires bent on an uninterrupted orgy of destruction. Only the small town's husband-and-wife Sheriff team stand between the survivors and certain destruction.
30 Days of Vampires Standing Around In The Cold
by Daniel Scillieri
Personal Grade: C / C-
My partner in crime said it best in the previous posting. The concept is a classic horror story, Gang of bloodsuckers attacking a no name town where the remaining survivors fight to stay alive. BUT in my opinion the movie came up lacking in several areas. A few too many times were we sitting in the theater quietly shouting "WHAT" or "WORST MOVE EVER" and the occational "really?...really vampires?".
The Pros:
Its a cool story, vampires are a trademark to scary movies and 30 days of no sunlight (the #1 killer of suckheads) makes for one tough survival experience. The film has the classic horror sequences that make any movie give you chills, the infamous dragging of a screaming victim into a dark hole or the always popular sudden shadowy figure darting infront of the camera. The movie also provides a very good amount of the bloody gore that makes anyone cringe. When the Vamps hit the town, they hit it hard with great camera work. One scene shows an over-head view of blood soaked snow with terrified people screaming through the streets only to get taken down and eaten. Josh Hartnett plays a pretty good hero while saving those who he loves against overwhelming odds, even a few times during the movie he can work the pissed off badass.
The Cons:
Oh man, where to begin...This movie is ripe with a little thing I like to call "survivor stupidity". The first problem would have to be the amount of time left out or just plain skipped in the movie. The vampires get to the town and kill almost all of the humans in what seems a hour at most. Suddenly, after the initial chaos, it is Day 7 and the survivors are struggling to stay alive. 7 days, and entire week...what were they and the blood thirsty vampires doing the whole time? Having bloody snowball fights or making snow deamons? Staying on the topic of vampires...how come only the lead vampire spoke in some strange language, while the others just screeched and screamed like birds of prey. When he did speak in his strange tongue it was very philosophical phrases which made you think a bit to much while reading the subtitles. Back to the strange time changes, the survivors did not seem to change as the sunless days carried on, they didnt get skinnier or grow facial hair. They appeared to remain the same as if it were the same day the vampires attacked. One big thing that my friend and I called out several times was the ridiculous attempts at the love story between Josh Hartnett and Melissa George. (Survivor Stupidity at its finest) Dozens of vampires around and they try and find time to sort out there problems and rekindle a lost love. Just not the thing i would have on my mind when death is around ever corner. There are a few more kinks in the machine that I could write about but I dont want to bash it to much.
Finally, My friend and I agree that 30 Days of Night earned itself a "C" for having a groovy concept but left a few things up in the air and definitely several things making you scratch your head. Perhaps this is a movie to wait until it is available in your local blockbuster.
Personal Grade: C / C-
My partner in crime said it best in the previous posting. The concept is a classic horror story, Gang of bloodsuckers attacking a no name town where the remaining survivors fight to stay alive. BUT in my opinion the movie came up lacking in several areas. A few too many times were we sitting in the theater quietly shouting "WHAT" or "WORST MOVE EVER" and the occational "really?...really vampires?".
The Pros:
Its a cool story, vampires are a trademark to scary movies and 30 days of no sunlight (the #1 killer of suckheads) makes for one tough survival experience. The film has the classic horror sequences that make any movie give you chills, the infamous dragging of a screaming victim into a dark hole or the always popular sudden shadowy figure darting infront of the camera. The movie also provides a very good amount of the bloody gore that makes anyone cringe. When the Vamps hit the town, they hit it hard with great camera work. One scene shows an over-head view of blood soaked snow with terrified people screaming through the streets only to get taken down and eaten. Josh Hartnett plays a pretty good hero while saving those who he loves against overwhelming odds, even a few times during the movie he can work the pissed off badass.
The Cons:
Oh man, where to begin...This movie is ripe with a little thing I like to call "survivor stupidity". The first problem would have to be the amount of time left out or just plain skipped in the movie. The vampires get to the town and kill almost all of the humans in what seems a hour at most. Suddenly, after the initial chaos, it is Day 7 and the survivors are struggling to stay alive. 7 days, and entire week...what were they and the blood thirsty vampires doing the whole time? Having bloody snowball fights or making snow deamons? Staying on the topic of vampires...how come only the lead vampire spoke in some strange language, while the others just screeched and screamed like birds of prey. When he did speak in his strange tongue it was very philosophical phrases which made you think a bit to much while reading the subtitles. Back to the strange time changes, the survivors did not seem to change as the sunless days carried on, they didnt get skinnier or grow facial hair. They appeared to remain the same as if it were the same day the vampires attacked. One big thing that my friend and I called out several times was the ridiculous attempts at the love story between Josh Hartnett and Melissa George. (Survivor Stupidity at its finest) Dozens of vampires around and they try and find time to sort out there problems and rekindle a lost love. Just not the thing i would have on my mind when death is around ever corner. There are a few more kinks in the machine that I could write about but I dont want to bash it to much.
Finally, My friend and I agree that 30 Days of Night earned itself a "C" for having a groovy concept but left a few things up in the air and definitely several things making you scratch your head. Perhaps this is a movie to wait until it is available in your local blockbuster.
30 Days of Vampires Doing Nothing
by Scott Pospishil
Super fast, Super strong, Super senses.... No, I am not describing Superman, I'm describing the ridiculous lot of 40+ vampires that couldn't catch 7 mere mortals over 30 days...
I will give you some good things about this movie: the vampires were pretty cool (despite their ridiculously loud screeching noises and their philosphical ways), it was a cool concept, and I did jump a few times. However, overall, the stupid moves by the humans and the convienient absence of the vampires super powers at just the right time made this a "wait for the dvd" movie...
Now, I have never read the graphic novel that the movie was based on but I just want to point out a few head scratchers that came to mind during this movie. First, the vampires came to this town via a ship. Vampires living on a ship... What's the deal with that? What do they do for food the rest of the year? Alright, now to the meat of the movie. There are 2 points in this movie where all of a sudden a week or two goes by just like that, one time where the survivors were huddled in an attic for the time. A.) What the hell were the vampires doing for these periods of time? I personally think that they had a couple hardcore poker games going on and the rest of the time they were busy making snow angels and B.) Why is it that when they go back to the characters, they havent changed one bit besides a little more facial hair? Sure they look like they have been away for a month but im pretty sure they were acting the same way from the start of this movie to the end. If I was stuck in an attic for 2 weeks I'm pretty sure I would get a little cranky or something. There were many more little things to pick at during this movie but the last issue I had was the forced romance between the two main characters. Seriously they picked the worst times to start telling each other how they feel. Stella Oleson (Melissa George) is trapped underneath a truck with vampires walking all around her and husband, or ex-husband, they dont make it too clear, Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) is talking to her through a walkie talkie, which can get loud (and remember these vampires have super senses). Anyway, they start to have a conversation about their relationship... REALLY? What about all that free time you had while the vampires were busy playing halo 3 during the weeks in between the movie? This I cannot understand...
Overall, the movie was bearable. I did enjoy watching the vampires do their buisness throughout the town(killing mass amounts of people). Also, like I said I did jump a few times which always makes the movie experience a little better. I gave this movie a C... but I wouldnt waste your $10...
My Grade: C
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