Scott Pilgrim Vs The Review!

Scott Pilgrim is apparently a popular comic that I have yet to sink my teeth into and to be quite honest probably never will. Hate me if you must, but I just have far too many other things on my reading lists at the moment to jump on a band wagon for what seems like a very fun read. This movie is directed by one of my favorite directors, Edgar Wright, he has directed a hilarious T.V. show that only aired in Britain called "Spaced" (This show is a must see, it is available on DVD through Amazon, I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of their work.) this was the first time he worked with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, he then went on to direct Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz with that dynamic duo. This is his first film without Simon Pegg helping on writing duties and the first time without Simon and Nick Frost having a role in his film.

The story to this as many of you know is boy meets girl, boy has to fight seven evil ex-boyfriend's to be able to be with her, quite common in our world, right? The film is high on laughs, its got heart and its got action. The plot doesn't really have anything that stuck out as a problem, its just a movie full of great fun. Even the romantic scenes that are scarce throughout the flick are given some laughter and try not to be too serious. The movie really hits on the video game generation taking a lot of punches from games like Zelda, Street Fighter, Super Smash Brothers, Final Fantasy and Mario. This movie has something for everyone.

This movie is full of visuals, they remind of "Speed Racer" and it is awesome. It's so colorful and everything seems to work for the movie, it's all video gamey and it's awesome. The action scenes are set up wonderfully, there is no choppy action just wonderful large spanning shots. There is also great choreography throughout the entire film. The CG is great throughout this movie, I can't help but say how much this truly helps the feel of the entire movie. It really reminds me of Kick-Ass in it being so stylish and fun. There is also a great musical score that just captures the video game feel while also the band that Scott plays in is an awesome indie rock group that could totally perform a concert in the real world. (I'm not sure if an actual band played the music for their band in the movie.)

The actors in this movie are great, I also have to make a note of saying I can't stand Michael Cera anymore and he may be the same guy for every film, he ended up really working for this film as the under dog you wanted to root for. Everyone is great, I mean there is just so many different cast members to go through, I had no complaints on the cast.

THE VERDICT: A-
This movie is in my top three so far for this year; "Kick-Ass", "Inception" and Scott Pilgrim have been my favorites so far. I really recommend this one, it is just sheer fun, I can guarantee laughter. Sadly the action scenes are better staged than "The Expendables" and you can actually tell what is going on. So if you have to choose between "The Expendables" and Scott Pilgrim, I'd say go with Scott Pilgrim as I can almost guarantee your just going to have more fun when you walk out of the theater, but if you must "The Expendables" isn't a terrible way to spend your money for the awesome nostalgia it possesses. Another note I'd like to make, is one of our friends really didn't want to see this movie and ended up really enjoying it. So give it a shot.

The Expendables, the review!

In the 80's there was a slew of action films that involved extremely buff dudes kicking ass with mostly terrible plots, but this spoke to the audience at the time. This was a time of one liners and it was when dudes like Stallone and Arnold would pull in money just by being in a film. I remember as a youngin watching "Rambo" and "Commando" with my Uncle, they are fond memories that continue to get me to watch ridiculous action films for the sheer joy of seeing the hero rain destruction upon his enemy. "The Expendables" attempts to relive this time period by bringing in action heroes from all sorts of different areas to kick ass together for the first time on screen.

As far as plot goes, you're not watching it for this. Story is what you expect, complete bad ass mercenaries feel they need to do something right for once so they go help some island you've probably never heard of in the Gulf of Mexico from some horrid leader that looks like a kitten when compared to Stalin or Castro. There are some interesting moments such as, Mickey Rourke's little speech about half way through the movie, there seems to be a lot of neat back story which would really add to the plot and give characters some more life but  sadly it's never really touched upon other than just mentioning of things and not really getting into detail. Of course seeing Arnold, Stallone and Bruce Willis on the same screen is definitely one of the greatest moments in the film; I mean c'mon it is the Governator!

This an action film in the vein of the 80's, so you expect action scenes to be brutal and just plain awesome. I really felt bitter after seeing the film as the action scenes are all super choppy much like a Bourne film. This style really works for the Jason Bourne trilogy, but it really doesn't work for this. Gone are the epic shots that you saw back in the 80's, instead your trying to pick out what happened in the different quick cuts, it really detracts from what could have been one of the better action films in the last decade. Another thing that really sucked was the use of CG blood, it just looks so fake, does no one else notice when they are filming that it looks crappy? Can we please start using squibs in movies again? Thank you. While the fake blood sucked, for the most part the rest of the CG worked well enough and didn't distract you. Otherwise the other action scenes that weren't so damn choppy were awesome and what you expected from this film.

Performances are what they are for their respectable characters, they are all playing their normal roles, some better than others. The only performances worth mentioning is Mickey Rourke and Jet Li. Mickey Rourke brings the only meaningful piece of dialogue to the entire film and Jet Li brings some of the best laughs. If there was one thing I wish would have happened other than the problems that have all ready been mentioned be fixed is that Dolph Lundgren and Stallone would have duked it out one last time for us fans.

THE VERDICT: C+
If you want your nostalgia fix or just enjoy choppy action scenes go check it out. I feel it is worth a watch and I'd watch a sequel but I think it's the child within me that has any true joy for the film. It's worth it for the Governator appearance.

Inception, the review.

Christopher Nolan, this name carries a lot of weight within the world of cinema. Ever since his first time truly striking gold with "Memento" after his debut with "Following" his name has been synonymous with success. Working with actors such as Al Pacino and Robin Williams for "Insomnia" to Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale for "The Prestige", and of course there is the amazing rejuvenation that he gave to the Batman series beginning with "Batman Begins" and most recently "The Dark Knight". With none of his films reaching below a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is safe to say that Christopher Nolan knows what he's doing and strives for more with his work. Enter "Inception", a script that Christopher Nolan has been working on for the last 10 years or so. As you can tell I went into this film with expectations flying through the roof and bending cities.

Starring an all star cast: Leonardo Dicaprio as Cobb, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur Cobb's right hand man, Ellen Paige as Ariadne "the Architect", Tom Hardy as Eames, Ken Wantanabe as Saito, Dileep Rao as Yusuf "the Chemist", Cillian Murphy as Robert Fischer Jr, and Micheal Caine as Miles Cobb's step-father and mentor. Every single person here does their part amazingly, I have absolutely no complaints. This is quite possibly Leonardo's very best role and film. Ellen Paige loses the "Juno" stereotype and becomes the role of the Architect. Tom Hardy known for his role in "Bronson" is amazing as the James Bond character, Eames. It was wonderful to see Ken Wantanabe on screen for more than just a few minutes in this film compared to his appearance in "Batman Begins". This ensemble is wonderful, everyone brings such emotion and such feeling to film, especially Leonardo.

As far as story is concerned, it is as layered and complex as the ideas they try to present throughout the film. This story has something for everyone, there is drama, there is action and there are moments of laughter, but most of the story is very smart and extremely original. This is a smart persons summer block buster. It pushes the bounds of an audience and begs you to just immerse yourself within this world. Everything in this film is so intricate and well thought out, I can't help but praise the ideas presented throughout the film. It is as intricate and complex as "Memento", and as ground breaking and emotional as "Blade Runner". This is the "Blade Runner" of the new age. I would give more details about plot, but this is one you should just find out as you watch.

This film is beautiful, wonderfully shot. Christopher Nolan truly has an eye for film, he shows the majesty of the ocean to the wonder of beautiful cities. One of the truly amazing things about this movie is just about everything is done in camera, meaning that there is as little CGI as possible in this film. There are the obvious scenes that had to have been CGI, but I think people will be challenged to wonder how they did some of these wonderful stunts, such as the hallway fight scene that defies gravity which surely become a classic fight scene in cinema. The CGI when it is used is really well done and does a great job of meshing into the world. Every action scene is set up wonderfully and is given a sense of reality that isn't seen in movies today.

THE VERDICT: A
This film is truly a feat, it is something that should be experienced. It may not be for everyone, but it is an amazing film. I expect to see Oscar nominations all over for this film. This is the first intelligent summer blockbuster in a very long time and its quite possibly one of the greatest films I've seen in a very long time. Highly recommended, so stop reading and go watch it.

Predators, The Review!

The Predator franchise has been traveling down a very dark and atrocious rode since 1987 when the original testosterone filled film released with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The original film is a must see among dudes. It has what I call the most manly moment in film, where Arnold yells at his antagonist at the top of his lungs from atop a tree, it is truly a spectacle to see. Man versus the universes greatest hunter! Its great flick and I highly recommend it for all of you action junkies. So now comes a sequel or reboot...however you want to call it. Robert Rodriguez apparently wrote this story as a direct sequel to the first film "Predator" in the 90's and has finally been given the chance to give it the light of day. This new film stars Adrien Brody and is directed by Nimrod Antal, while Rodriguez only executive produced and Alex Litvak & Michael Finch wrote the script based off of Rodriguez's original story. It's been a long time coming and "Predators" is here.

As far as story goes, this film is quite simple. Bunch of bad asses from our world get dropped off onto a Predator planet that acts as a game reserve. One by one people die, there are Predator dogs that make a thankfully brief appearance throughout the film. Once the Predators start making their way into the film though it gets pretty awesome. *SPOILER ALERT* My biggest issue with this film is it is to some degree original but as we get closer and closer to the ending, it feels like I'm watching the 1987 film all over again. The scene from the original where Billy dies is practically reenacted for us except this time we get to see the whole blood affair which was probably the best scene of the flick. The original Predator returns, how the hell did that happen? And the last final straw for me was the very end where Adrien Brody is half naked covered in mud and yells at the Predator "Come on! Do it! Kill me! What are you waiting for? Kill me!" when he is trying to trap the Predator. I nearly threw my soda at the screen I was so appalled. I can appreciate throwbacks but I don't need a full reenactment of a scene, just a "Your one ugly motherfucker" line would have sufficed.*SPOILER OVER*

The overall vibe of the flick is pretty awesome, its dark but not too dark like some sequels. (AvP-R I'm looking at you) There is plenty of good gore and classic depictions of Predator brutality. The film feels gritty and the set pieces overall are just great. For the most part the CGI is good, though there is one explosion in the movie that is just horrid, I'm not sure how they let themselves get away with it. Action scenes are great, people don't have infinite ammo and it feels realistic. I loved the mini gun throw back, it was much appreciated.

The score is also one of the best things because for the most part it is the sound track to the original movie. I have some issues with the throw backs in the film, but this is one thing that I enjoyed. I couldn't help but laugh and nudge my brother throughout the film because of the awesome music. The music from the original just feels so fitting for this film. I wouldn't have it any other way.

As far as actors go in this film, for the most part they all hit the spot. I'll keep my eye on the main contenders for this. Adrien Brody shines as a smart action hero, he really pulls off the role, the skinny pianist has been hitting the gym for this one too. He brings a real grounded sense of reality in the role, you can believe this guy is special forces or black ops. Alice Grace is great as Isabelle the IDF sniper, shes tough, shes cute and is great in the role of the girl gone bad trying to be good. Lawrence Fishburne is just over the top in the role as the one that got away and he feels so unbelievable. When he meets his inevitable end your either cheering or you just don't give a damn. Topher Grace plays a Doctor that is a bad bad man and his character just feels so unneeded even though it is designed to contrast humans to Predators, his character just doesn't seem fleshed out nearly enough. The rest of the cast plays their roles just fine but its nothing worth taking note.

THE VERDICT: B-
This one gets a B- for being the second best film the franchise has had. I personally would watch the sequels that have been left wide open for at the end of the film. I'm a huge fan of the original and if you have any joy in seeing Predator films go check this one out.

Robin Hood and Prince of Persia...OH MY!

I'll be doing both of these reviews in one post.

Robin Hood-
Beginning with Robin Hood, I'd like to inform all of you that this is a prequel to every Robin Hood film you've seen. He is not the stealing from rich for the poor hero we all know...not yet at least. The film begins with Robin returning from the crusades and goes on to see a power struggle within England to the French invading to kissing in the middle of a battle. Its full of non sense and way too much for its own good. It feels like when you pack your bags for a trip and you keep trying shove more shit into your bag and it just won't close. That is the best analogy I can come up with for this film.

As for Ridley Scott, the man knows what he wants when he shoots a film. He has quite the eye for beautiful shots and I applaud him. He has some of the best movies out there such as; Gladiator, Alien, Black Hawk Down and the ever genius Blade Runner (A must see if you haven't). There are beautiful landscape shots in this and it truly captures the essence of England. The recreation of England during the Middle Ages is masterfully done. There are some issues with accents as can be heard throughout the entire film.

As far as performances go this is Gladiator 2.0 for Russel Crowe which isn't a bad thing in my eyes, I happen to be a fan of his work and an even bigger fan of Gladiator. Cate Blanchett proves as usual she is one of the greatest female actresses out there as always. The supporting cast is strong as well. Mark Strong is a great bad guy and continues to prove through every movie I've seen him in that he is a strong up and coming actor that I can't wait to see more of.

For all of you hoping for a bunch of action scenes, there is a handful and they are pretty lack luster. The PG-13 rating cuts back on a lot of violence in the film overall. This is no Kingdom of Heaven when it comes to gore or scope really. There is a nice kill at the end that I won't spoil here.

THE VERDICT: C
This film has too much for its own good. Perhaps a sequel of him as the thief will be better? I doubt we'll find out though. Rent it if you like Russel Crowe and Ridley Scott collaborations otherwise leave it on the shelf and pick up Prince of Thieves which is far superior and that is not saying much.

Prince of Persia-
This is the movie adaptation of the video game of the same name. The story is kind of simple on this one. Our hero found a magic dagger, dagger has powers to change time, dagger goes back and forth between the main character Destan and the Villains quite a few times, eventually he gets the dagger back changes time using some pillar of sand and fixes things and lives happily ever after with his new babe. Whew, now that that run on sentence is done, this story sucks. There are so many issues with plot and pacing its not even worth listing. I won't bother mentioning the atrocious dialogue that ensues throughout the film.

This director lacks the finesse or experience to create this epic film. The fight scenes are bland and choppy. The motion blur that is used during slow motion makes every thing feel cartoony and does not give you the epic sense that is usually portrayed through slow motion. CGI overall is very unsatisfying and it is very disappointing considering the price tag on this one was a nice 200 million not including advertisements and promotions.

Performances are mix and matched, while most deliver decent performances some are hindered, mostly our main character. The biggest issue is the fact that this is Prince of PERSIA not prince of England. I find it odd that everyone in this movie had to have a British accent, it doesn't even make sense. Because of this I believe that Jake Gyllenhaal was very hindered, he didn't seem to have any of the emotional range he normally has in his films. He would have been far better off using his normal American accent. The rest of the cast is mediocre and just not worth really mentioning.

THE VERDICT: D+
I came out of the film thinking it was garbage. Don't waste your time. If you must, wait for DVD. As much as I wanted to like this movie. It was not good at all. Waste of 200 million dollars. As far as video game adaptions go though this is one of the best but that isn't saying much. Play the game for the PS2.

Kick-Ass, the review.

I'll begin this review with letting you know, I'm a huge fan of the comic books that this film is based off of. I will also let you know I've now seen this movie three times in theaters. So as you can imagine, I really enjoyed this film.

Beginning with differences from the source material and the actual film. Some of the differences are big and some you totally don't even notice. Overall I feel that changing the source material gives the film more to root for and it really worked for the medium and a more general audience. The most important thing though is that the film truly keeps the spirit of the comics, it is brutal, it is grotesque, it is vulgar and it is out right hilarious.

I've always felt the story of Kick-Ass is very original, I have yet to see a super hero story like this. Everyone is human, there are no super powers, just the ability to take a beating. So as you can imagine if a normal kid tries to fight crime he is going to get his ass handed to him, and that is exactly how it goes. This film is full of laughs and awesome fight scenes. Every character is very enjoyable. Without getting into spoilers this story is probably going to surprise you if you haven't seen it and judged it only by the trailers.

I really enjoyed the style this film was shot in. The action pieces are wonderfully set up with quick cuts but at times still allowing the wonderful panning shots where you can see every punch and bullet penetrating flesh. This is a very gritty and raw film. Matthew Vaughn was a wonderful pick for the directors seat on this project and I couldn't be anymore thrilled with the outcome. Having only a few other movies under his belt he proves that he knows how to set up an action film while also delivering plenty of laughs and story.

All of the performances in this film are top notch, everyone is wonderful in their given roles, I have absolutely no complaints. I would like to especially mention Nicholas Cage as most people I feel almost every movie he is in he plays a very bland character with no life, he plays Nicholas Cage, but in this movie he is Big Daddy. This is by far Nicholas Cage's best role since Raising Arizona, he embodies the character with an odd sense of humor but with enough bad ass to make the Punisher and Batman run in fear. The other amazing performance I'd like to point out is Chloe Moretz who plays Big Daddy's daughter Hit Girl, this little girl has an amazing future ahead of her in the film industry and she is truly the star of the show in this movie. Haven't laughed so hard in a long time but when I saw this small child cut off a grown man's head I was laughing hysterically.

THE VERDICT: A-

This isn't the greatest movie ever made but it sure is fun as all hell. This is my favorite movie of the year so far. I recommend checking it out while its still in theaters. This film is also one of the few movies that have been independently filmed before finding a studio, so support this film. Also support the comics which are also independently published. So get ready for some laughs and decapitations, its one hell of a ride!


Side note: The sequel to the comics will be coming out in October which will eventually be a sequel to the movie so go to your comic stores and be on the look out for them. They are a great read, I promise.

Iron Man 2, The Spoiler Free Review.

In 2008 Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. embarked on a mission of bringing Iron Man to the big screen, the film with its flaws was a wonderful breath of fresh air in the comic book films a long side the Christopher Nolan Batman films. So the question left hanging how does the sequel stand against the first?

Overall Iron Man 2 is enjoyable and marks the beginning of the summer popcorn movie season. This film has a lot of faults that I really can't seem to get into without getting into spoilers as most of my issues with this film is the story and plot. There are quite a few plot holes and a lot of moments where you feel that something was very lame or extremely predictable.

As far as action goes, this may not be the Iron Man magnum opus of action films you were hoping for. One of my biggest issues with the first one was the lack luster "Boss" battle at the end of the film. This down fall is once again repeated in this film. The large action piece at the end is pretty good, but again there are some issues.

The characters of the film are throughout pretty good. Robert Downey Jr. brings his wit and arrogance in full force as the title character, you would be hard pressed to find anyone else that could really bring Tony Stark to life beyond RDJ. Gwyneth Paltrow is great as Pepper Potts, her and RDJ seem to have great chemistry on screen. Mickey Rourke plays Whiplash, the mad Russian scientist hell bent on killing Tony Stark, sadly he isn't given as much screen time as I would have liked and some of my issues with the character is he seems too Mickey Rourke at times which you'll understand if you go ahead and watch the film. Sam Rockwell is always a delight in a film and nothing has changed as he plays Justin Hammer the rival weapon manufacturer. Scarlett Johansson is the fiery red head of hotness Natalie Rushman but I have a few issues with her character that I cannot get into without spoilers again. Don Cheadle takes over the role of Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/War Machine from actor Terrence Howard he does his job alright but I can't help but feel there was some more character to the Rhodes played by Terrence Howard, but at the same time Rhodes in this film has a very one sided mission and is quite lacking in the character department with very little overall story arch. And last but certainly not least, Samuel L. Jackson, he is Nick Fury and there isn't anyone else that could do his version of Nick Fury (The Nick Fury he plays is based off of the Ultimates series of comics and it is said that they designed that Nick Fury off of Samuel L Jackson).

THE VERDICT:B
Go watch it, its worth a few bucks and you probably won't dissect the story like I did, but this isn't the sequel we all hoped it would be and it sure as hell isn't The Dark Knight. This movie is fun though and certainly will be enjoyed by the masses. So grab your popcorn and sodas.

Don't forget to stay after the credits there is something Norse awaiting you.