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.
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