REVIEW: Across the Universe

Across the Universe

Year: 2007
Director: Julie Taymor
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Across the Universe is a film that I wasn't interested in. I thought the movie looked too cartoon-ish and not real enough. Its the trailer that made me cave and go watch the movie. This is the only movie I remember watching the trailer for many times, possibly over 30 times. Simply because it was shown alot and advertised pretty good, but even with advertisement, this film didn't end up being the big box office smash some were hoping for. Grossing an estimated $28 million worldwide, the film didn't break any barriers, but it was pretty well received by many critics. So after watching the trailer like a billion times, I did myself a favor and went to go see it. Just coming back from watching the movie, I can confirm that its a good movie.

Plot Outline:
Jude (Jim Sturgess) is a hard working kid from Liverpool with a dream to be an artist. He goes to America to find his father, an American soldier who impregnated his mother while stationed in Europe during the second World War. He finds his father, who is not all what he was expecting, but makes an even more meaningful connection with Max (Joe Anderson), a rebellious student at the College Jude's father works at. The two become fast friends and Jude finds himself growing close to Max's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a girl in her last year of high school who has just lost her boyfriend in Vietnam. Max drops out of College and takes off for New york city with Jude right by him. There they make new friends and are joined by Lucy. Together they experience the changing world, but it is not very long before they are confronted by the harsh and violent reality of America in the late 1960's.

Plot:
The story of Across the Universe is somewhat good. From the trailer, it makes it look like this is just another typical movie where boy meets girl and falls in love, but its not just limited to that. The story gets interesting from the start of the film with the setting centered around the 60's. The movie has many references to the Beatles as if that is the main focus of the film. The characters all look good with each of them having a good significant roles in the film. I did however find that character development was pretty slow and un-fulfilling. I thought the story overall was pretty good, but not anything special. Sure it was a common story that many films have done before, but the film has many parts of the plot where its not just about love, but rather the war in Vietnam.

Cast:
The cast of the film is pretty good and engaging. Since many of the cast sings to the music that plays in the background, its quite hard to judge their acting skills, but we do have some moments where the cast is just plain acting with no music in the background. Jim Sturgess plays the main character Jude and hes pretty accurate for the part. I wouldn't say hes great in his role, but he definitely gets the job done. Evan Rachel Wood plays Lucy, the love interest that Jude meets. She is very pretty, but also serious. I think she did a great job in her role. We also get Joe Anderson playing Lucy's brother Max. Hes pretty good in his role, but just like Jim Sturgess, it ain't anything special or groundbreaking. Overall, I thought the cast was pretty good. Nothing special, but still enjoyable.

Picture:
The visual effects for the film are simply astonishing. I thought the amount of film grain in the movie was just right. The movie has very colorful and creative images that go great with the music that's playing. There bright and bursting with vibrancy. We get many absurd visuals that might look crazy if you were just skipping through the film, but they make pretty good sense to be their. Detail is great with many close up shots of the cast that really brings them to life. As much as the visuals are great, their were some areas of the movie where I thought the colors seemed alittle dull at times, but even then, Across the Universe is a visual delight that you will need to see to experience it.

Sound:
The film has many references to the Beatles so we get many of their music ranging from I Am the Walrus to I Want to Hold Your Hand. The music is just phenomenal with many of them sounding great with whats on the screen. I was told that the crew spent awhile trying to come up with a list of music from the Beatles that actually went with the movie and I'm happy to say that they did a fantastic job at it. Not everything is perfect though as we do get some minor problems that could get in the way of things. As great as the music sounds, some of the music was a bit altered. For example I Want to Hold Your Hand doesn't sound right and feels like its been enhanced to go with the film. I don't quite agree on this decision, but the music still sounds great. Since the entire film is mostly dialogue and music driven, the voices are pretty crisp and clear. The soundtrack is definitely the star of this film.

Conclusion:
Across the Universe is a wonderful film that I enjoyed in some levels. I thought the story was pretty good, but wasn't original enough. The cast is pretty good with many of them doing an OK job in their roles. The visual effects for the film are fantastic and very colorful. The music is outstanding with many of the soundtrack the film uses sounding very vivid and clear. I cant say Across the Universe is for everybody simply because this isn't a film that everyone will enjoy. This ain't no action thriller type movie with alot of explosions in the background. Its a film that's about love and the war on Vietnam that occurred around the 60's. If your the type that loves musical movies then Across the Universe just might do it for you.

Grade: B

REVIEW: Good Luck Chuck

Good Luck Chuck

Year: 2007
Director: Mark Helfrich
Starring: Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, Dan Fogler, Ellia English, Steve Bacic
Distributor: Lionsgate
MPAA: Rated R

Good Luck Chuck is just your average comedy film with alot of sex scenes and the trailer really shows that. I'm not sure if these types of movies still do great at the box office, but Good Luck Chuck did pretty decent and grossed an estimated $56 million worldwide. I wouldn't think the budget is too big for a movie like this so I'm sure it passed its budget. When I first saw the trailer for this film, I thought it looked like another teen comedy that we have seen before and to no surprise, I was right. After seeing this film, I can say its just your average teen comedy that feels like it should have been a direct to video release instead of a theatrical one.

Plot Outline:
Charlie Logan (Dane Cook) is a man whose been cursed since grade school by a weird tall goth girl to never find love, but those women that date him will find true love with the next guy. Charlie accidentally falls in love with the clumsy penguin loving Cam Wexler (Jessica Alba), but the same curse that inadvertently makes him extremely popular with the ladies causes him to stay away from Cam until he finds a way to reverse the curse and get rid of it.

Plot:
The story of Good Luck Chuck isn't very original and sounds kind of lame. The whole movie is about Chuck getting laid about fifty times or so just because women think hes some kind of good luck charm. To me it feels like the story was written at the last second or with no creative time put into it. It just feels too tacked on. The plot feels wasted and un-original. If I wanted to see a movie about a person getting laid, Id go watch American Pie. The characters act accordingly with the usual romance sequences we all have gotten use to so theirs nothing special. Even though the story was bad, I still found some enjoyment in some scenes and when I mean some, I mean very little. Overall, the story is mostly a miss situation where it wont be bad if you see it, but its something you don't need to see.

Cast:
The cast of the film is alright I guess. I wouldn't rank the cast as giving a great performance, but rather a low performance that seems like it does the job right. Dane Cook plays the main character Chuck and hes very dumb in his role. Although, I'm not a really big fan of Cooks work, he seemed pretty straight forward and dumb in this movie. Its almost as if he didn't belong in the film. Jessica Alba plays Cam Wexler and shes pretty hot in this film. I give credit for her looking very sweet and lovely, but even she doesn't help this film much. She seems to be doing her job pretty good, but nothing special in terms of performances. Then we have Dan Fogler who plays Stu Kaminsky and hes pretty funny in the film, but gets kind of annoying at times simply because he talks too much. The rest of the cast isn't really special, but I guess they contribute to the film.

Picture:
The movie doesn't really offer much in the visual department since this is just your average teen movie with no special effects or high explosive. However, the film does have a pretty colorful feel to it. At times, they seem muted, but they still have a vibrant feel to them. I didn't detect any film grain and thought the movies source was clean. Skin tones look precise and accurate with many of the cast looking pretty good in the movie. Detail is also very sharp which results in a clean image that should please people. While I wasn't blown away by the quality of this movie, I did think the movie looked pretty good for a standard DVD.

Sound:
The film's soundtrack is pretty bad considering whats in it. The film doesn't have a powerful score or anything since its just a typical comedy so I guess I can be fair in that, but the overall film just doesn't have any music that feels like it belongs in this movie. The credits do have music and they do sound pretty decent, but the whole movie as a whole is missing alot in terms of good music. A movie like this would have definitely benefited from some lively music. Since the movie is a comedy, we do get our jokes and laughter's with some of them actually being pretty funny. Their are some parts where the jokes don't seem too funny, but are taken like they are, but at least the dialogue seemed pretty crisp.

Conclusion:
Good Luck Chuck is a comedy that should have sent directly to home video rather than theaters. The story is pretty lame with no interesting moments and only a few rare scenes of enjoyment. The cast seems pretty lazy with no real effort put into it, but at the same time, pretty average. The jokes are pretty funny when they work. The film doesn't feature a heavy use of music although what we get is what we get. I think you can safely pass up on Good Luck Chuck because its definitely not worth a purchase, but if you are that type of person who likes these teen type movies then I guess you can give it a rental. I do however suggest you check out other movies that have the same plot like American Pie before sinking your teeth in this film.

Grade: D

REVIEW: Minority Report

Minority Report

Year: 2002
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow, Neal McDonough, Samantha Morton
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Minority Report is a film that I just totally missed out on. I never got the chance to see it in theaters and never got the DVD when it launched. When I first saw the trailer for Minority Report, I thought it was going to be another action thriller based on Phillip K. Dick's work. It was only then that I noticed that legendary film director Steven Spielberg was attached to direct the movie. It made me so excited that the director of Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, etc. was going to do another adaptation of Dick's work. The film based on a short story by Phillip K. Dick turned out to be a great success when the film grossed an estimated $358 million worldwide. It was also pretty well received by critics around the world.

Plot Outline:
The year is 2054, John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is the head of the pre-crime unit, a special branch of the police force that uses technology to tag and arrest criminals before they actually commit a murder. These prophecies are the work of three precogs, a young woman and two twin brothers who were the pregnant results of drug addicts. All goes wrong for Anderton's world when the female pre-cog, Agatha, points him out as a future murderer. Anderton hits the road running from Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell) and his old police crew to find out who set him up, but also clear his name before they kill him.

Plot:
The story is based on a short story by Phillip K. Dick, the man who also wrote Blade Runner and Total Recall. The story starts off pretty well with the action and continues through out the 2 hour and 25 minutes. The premise has a very interesting concept that involves people arresting people for committing a murder they have not yet done. Each of the characters have their own personality that distinguishes them from each other. I think director Steven Spielberg did a pretty good job on the movie with his directing and I'm glad he didn't ruin this film since it was being pretty hyped because of the project being based on Phillip K. Dick's work. While I thought the story was pretty good, it wasn't as cleaver as Blade Runner. Their were also some parts of the plot that I disliked because we didn't get certain questions answered. I really wanted to know everything about this film, but I was left with only 90% of the movies story. Their were also a few minor plot holes that I didn't really find too distracting, but I do have to mention them here just in case someone asks.

Cast:
The cast of Minority Report is pretty solid. Theirs nothing special or out of this world in terms of the cast. We have Tom Cruise playing the main character of Chief John Anderton. He does a pretty good job in his role, but their is just something about him that kind of distracts me simply because his character kind of reminds me of Ethan Hunt, a character Cruise played in the Mission Impossible series. Colin Farrell plays as Danny Witwer, the man after Cruise. He also does a pretty good job in his role, he plays that snoopy detective trying to find some kind of flaw at the pre-crime lab. We also get Max von Sydow playing Director Lamar Burgess and he does a pretty darn good job. Again, nothing special, but something pretty good. I found the cast overall, pretty solid.

Picture:
The special effects for Minority Report are amazing. If their is one thing this film really does great at, its the special effects. The whole film was based on Dick's work so I was already expecting a future type atmosphere and I was right. The story is set in the distant future so we get the usual hovering cars, but also futuristic items. Minority Report has many moments where the special effects look too damn good, the film's budget of $103 million looks to have been used very effectively. The sky is very clear and bright most of the time with only a few instances where its dark. Detail is very noticeable with many of the cars looking fantastic and shiny. Its pretty crazy how good this film really looks. I wasn't expecting this type of special effects. This film would definitely be a keeper to own on High Def and in 1080p.

Sound:
What good would the movie be without a good soundtrack to back it up and Minority Report has one. The movie has a pretty good soundtrack that's composed by Oscar winner John Williams. The movie features many moments where the music is really engaging and makes you feel like you their. The bass is cranked up pretty good with some scenes featuring intense chases like the jetpack flying scene. While I found the soundtrack to be pretty good, Its definitely no where near as amazing as William's other major hits like Jurassic Park or Star Wars. I'm not disappointed, but I am left wanting alittle more from the music. Still Minority Report has a good soundtrack that gives the movie some legs and keeps the action up.

Conclusion:
Minority Report is a great film that uses the formula Phillip K. Dick created and adds Spielberg's finishing touches. The story has an interesting concept that works pretty well although it left me wanting alittle more. The cast is solid with many of the actors giving some pretty good performances. I found the special effects to be amazing with many scenes that just scream for High Def treatment. The soundtrack was pretty good and engaging although its no where near as fantastic as Williams previous projects. I can safely recommend this film to the die hard Phillip K. Dick fans out there and as for everyone, I suggest you check this film out if your interested in this type of genre.

Grade: B+

REVIEW: What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come

Year: 1998
Director: Vincent Ward
Starring: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Annabella Sciorra, Max von Sydow, Jessica Brooks Grant
Distributor: Polygram Filmed Entertainment
MPAA: Rated PG-13

What Dreams May Come is one of Robin Williams earlier films he made before going onto more serious projects. The film was hardly a success with its budget around $85 million and the movie only grossing an estimated $55 million. While it wasn't a box office smash, alot of people still enjoy this film even to today. Having not seen the movie when it was released in theaters, I didn't know what to expect. I mean with a budget around $85 million, the film better have used it nicely. Just having finished the movie literally minutes ago, I can say the film is about average.

Plot Outline:
Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams), a pediatrician who has a happy relationship with his wife Annie (Annabella Sciorra), a very creative painter. The sudden loss of their two children in a car accident brings them face to face with depression. Annie is hospitalized after a breakdown and when Chris is killed in a car crash, Annie is unable to go on. Soon both are in the next world, but due to the way Annie died, she ends up in very different place. Chris's guide, Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.) helps Chris to find his wife and answer the many questions Chris has laying for him.

Plot:
The story of the movie is pretty decent. Its definitely not something original since I'm sure their have been movies with the same plot elements as What Dreams May Come. The story is not really interesting and many parts of the film kind of bored me. Maybe the plot just didn't click with me or something, but I didn't really enjoy the story. I thought the characters seemed alittle dull and not special enough. The film doesn't really do anything new to set it apart with many other films in the same league. Although the story is kind of a mixed bag, I did however found some parts of it that I kind of enjoyed. I thought the environments were nice and full of lushes colors. I thought the atmosphere was spot on with the setting, but that's about it.

Cast:
The cast of the film is nothing special. Sure its got some heavy celebrities like Cuba Gooding Jr. or Robin Williams, but even they don't really give out any Oscar performances. Robin Williams plays the main character Chris Nielsen and he doesn't really offer anything ground breaking in terms of acting. He generally does an OK job in the role, but don't expect anything mind blowing. Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Albert Lewis and its pretty sad that an Oscar winner like Cuba to not have any memorable lines in the film. Sure hes pretty witty and sincere at times, but hes still not at the top of his game. We also have Annabella Sciorra playing Annie and shes probably gives the best performance out of everybody else. She has many moments in the film where she looked very professional and great in her role.

Picture:
Visually, the films pretty outstanding. It looks like the $85 million budget the film had went to good use because it won an Academy Award for Best Effects. The movie is very bright in most scenes and the environments look very detailed. Their are also many parts where the story takes place at night so the sky looks very dark and creative. Many areas of the film are very colorful with different colors spread out like a painting. Its got many wonderful moments where the visuals look splendid and vivid. It looks like a painting come to life. If there is one thing where What Dreams May Come excels at, its the visual effects. The movie definitely amazed me and is a visual treat to look at.

Sound:
The soundtrack for the film is pretty good. It doesn't look like theirs a score, but rather a music that's been put together pretty well. Their are different types of music that play through the movies 1 hour and 43 minutes. Dialogue is pretty crisp with only some parts where it could have been alittle more clearer. The movie isn't by all means something you would demo to try out your speakers, but its something you can listen to pretty well. If there is something that I didn't like about the soundtrack was that it needed more bass. Theirs hardly any bass involved and many of the later scenes could have benefited from more bass. The movies soundtrack also isn't used much in the film. Since the story requires alot of dialogue, the music isn't put to good use.

Conclusion:
I cant say that I loved this movie, but I also cant say that I hated it. The story is pretty weak and I found it uninteresting for the most part. The cast is pretty average with some decent performances, but nothing special. The visuals are mostly eye popping with the movie containing so many wonderful colors that are just delightful to look at. The soundtrack although pretty good, is not really used much. I cant say that I really enjoyed What Dreams May Come, but I guess I just didn't like the concept of the story. I cant recommend this movie, but its definitely worth a rental if your itching for something to watch.

Grade: D+

REVIEW: City of God

City of God

Year: 2002
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Matheus Nachtergaele, Alice Braga
Distributor: Miramax Films
MPAA: Rated R

City of God also known as Cidade de Deus, isn't the type of movie I would have ever watched. Simply for 2 reasons only. The first being that its a foreign film meaning no English language, but English subtitles only. The second is that its a film I never knew existed. I have never heard of anyone mentioning this film yet it was nominated for 4 Academy Awards. These 2 reasons alone would have not gotten me to watch and review this film. It was a teacher that filled me in on this movie when she was talking about her recent films she watched and because of that, I thank her very much. After reading some reviews and looking at the premise for the movie, I was excited. This was going to be my first foreign film I review and you bet your damn ass, it wont be the last.

Plot Outline:
The story follows Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) as he tries to survive in the favelas without being corrupted like so many of his former friends and turning to crime. Pursuing his dream of becoming a photographer, he is able to show the streets of the city as they really are, the pointless deaths are harsh influence put upon each and every person living with the city's limits. The idea is placed upon the overbearing pressure in the favelas to turn to crime, following the characters through their childhood and through their years, growing, changing and for the most part dying at the hands of the violence they so desire to be a part of. Showing you the cycle that grips the slums of Brazil.

Plot:
The story of City of God is really intense. Its based on true events which is quite scary. Its filled with many messages that come out to the audience. The plot is pretty simple yet harsh. The film is told through many flashbacks as some of today's films are. The characters that we get introduced to play very big parts in the film and each one has a significant purpose. The action is rough and engaging. It really makes you feel bad for whats going on because simply you cant imagine yourself in the same situation as the characters in the film. I found the ending to be pretty conclusive, but also left open to whats going to happen next. I found the films story to be really depressing and hard. Its not everyday you see films this intense with many moments where your jaw is dropped down to the floor because you cant get your eyes off the screen. The plot had me that interested that I just couldn't look away. I have to say that City of God has a mesmerizing story.

Cast:
Its so shocking that a film of this proportions doesn't feature any famous celebrities yet it still has many moments where the stars of the film truly shine. The entire cast of the film gave 100% in their performances that I simply cannot describe each one, but since I'm nice, I will. Alexandre Rodrigues plays the main character of the film because hes basically the narrator of this story and he plays the character Rocket. He has many scenes where he really puts his acting to good use. Leandro Firmino plays Li'l Z'e and hes just fabulous. He looks the only one in the film that seems to be enjoying himself. He gives one hell of a performance that it makes some of today's actors seem weak. Then we have Phellipe Haagensen play Benny and hes very good in his own way. We also have Matheus Nachtergaele play Carrot and although hes got a pretty big part in the film, he hardly talks much because the film isn't really talking about him, but rather the other gang members.

Picture:
The movie has a dark tone with some hint of brightness that makes the contrast seem really heavy. It feels like the movie was filmed in the dessert. The cinematography is just phenomenal. Cesar Charlone was nominated for Best Cinematography for his work in this film and I really think he should have gotten it. Their are many shots that show what a fantastic job he did. The movie was filmed using hand camera, the same style used in some of the Bourne series and the latest film, Cloverfield. Using this style really makes this an experience you have to see it to believe it. Detail is very high with many areas of the movie receiving great detail even in small objects you cant really focus on. The movie also has many quick cut and fade away shots that resemble what Tony Scott had in the 2004 thriller, Man on Fire. These can become slight annoying at times because it distracts the films story with its quick movements.

Sound:
The soundtrack for the film is outstanding in a way. Theirs no real score that's been built from the ground up for full use, but instead we get many other music that some how go well with the films design. Their are many scenes were the screen is filled with live music, mostly from the late James Brown that bring the feeling of the movie to stand out. The film also consists of many Brazilian type music that's very lively and filled with many beats. Since the movie is a foreign film, theirs obviously no English language spoken. But the language that the cast do speak is spoken very clearly and seemed precise to me. Its crazy that a film like this doesn't feature any music that really separate it from many other films, yet it features some of the most lively music I have ever heard.

Conclusion:
City of God is not an easy film to watch simply because of how depressing it can get you. The films story is really intense and violent with many of the scenes mostly consisting of flashbacks. The cast is outstanding in every way even though you probably wont find any famous celebs in the film. The visual look of the city is great with the movie boasting one of the best cinematography I have ever seen in a film. The music although doesn't feature its own score, has many music that's presented very well through out the films 2 hours and 10 minutes. I cant really recommend this movie to just anybody because its a pretty rough film. I warn you to have a strong mind and heart before you consider to watch City of God. As for the many other foreign film fanatics, this is one of the best foreign films I have ever seen.

Grade: A

REVIEW: No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men

Year: 2007
Director: Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Starring: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald
Distributor: Miramax Films
MPAA: Rated R

When No Country for Old Men came to theaters, I wasn't really interested. I mean sure the trailer looked pretty cool with what looked to be some great performances by the cast, but I still wasn't willing to go see the movie. Ill be honest here and say I haven't seen or reviewed any Coen films yet so me missing out on this film didn't seem too bad. When the massive reviews started coming in from various critics about the greatness of the film, it was only then that I decided I should go see it. I just had to see what I was missing out on. This was going to be my first review from a Coen directed film so I was kind of excited.

Plot Outline:
Local hunter Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin), while out deer hunting in the Texas desert, stumbles across half a dozen corpses in what seems to be a drug deal gone wrong. He also comes across $2 million in cash in a brief case and makes a decision that hes ultimately going to regret. The Mexicans who are the rightful owners of the money, find out the identity of Llewellyn, whose truck was found at the scene. They send a ruthless psychopathic hit-man by the name of Anton Chigarr (Javier Berdum), to recover the money and kill Moss. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is on a mission to try and protect Moss and in doing so, catch the highly dangerous, Chigarr.

Plot:
The story is based on the Cormac McCarthy novel "No Country for Old Men". The film starts off pretty quickly with the audience getting introduced to the main characters. We learn many things about the main characters that we like and dislike. The story gets really fascinating and interesting at the same time. I was literally sucked into this great plot that we have here. Every scene looked better and better with each of them getting more intense than the other. Although the story is great, its not really original. We have had many stories like this in the past, but I guess none have really been able to pull it off as good as the story in No Country for Old Men. While the story of the film is great, its also kind of a mixed bag. Its the ending that really kills the story. I found myself loving ever minute of No Country for Old Men until it got to the end. The ending doesn't really provide us with enough answers and doesn't end in a way the audiences would have wanted it to end. Their was also a few minor plot holes that I didn't find distracting at first, but they caught my attention the second time around. I cant really complain seeing as the story is based on the book.

Cast:
The cast of the film is simply top notch. Everyone is basically at the tip of their career with some giving out Oscar performances. Josh Brolin plays the slick, but confident Llewelyn Moss and hes really great on screen. I enjoyed his performance he gave in the film and I hope he continues to have great roles like this in future films. Javier Bardem plays the mad Anton Chigurh and hes just brilliant in his role. His performance is outstanding and really great to watch. I think he gave the best performance out of everybody in this film. He definitely deserves an Oscar for his role in No Country for Old Men. Tommy Lee Jones plays Sheriff Ed Tom Bell and hes surprisingly good. I didn't expect an old actor like him to still be busting out memorable performances, but he does and I'm happy for that. The rest of the cast is great in their own ways. I simply loved the cast and I think everyone of them gave out alot of memorable performances.

Picture:
No Country for Old Men doesn't offer alot in the visual department. The movie is 80% of the time filmed at night with a few scenes during the hot day. I did notice alittle bit of grain from time to time, but I think it was just intentional to add to the effect of the movie. Colors pop out and seem surreal. Some of the early dessert scene look nicely colored and full of vibrancy. The close ups on many of the actors look really good with many of their faces being detailed as it is. Some far away shots and scenes during the night can tend to look alittle soft at times, but the movie looks great for the most part. The cinematography for the film is also good and really shows you alot of areas. We get a few still shots that might seem random at first, but are pretty interesting because they add to the experience.

Sound:
The soundtrack for the film...wait, what soundtrack. The movie doesn't feature any type of music or score, but instead is very quite for the most part. The entire film is shown only with alot of dialogue which necessarily isn't a bad thing. There aren't any cranked up bass or soundtrack anywhere in sight unless you count the credits which either way still doesn't really provide some music. Sure we do get some kind of sand/beat type music during the credits, but it saddens me that a film this great doesn't even have a great score to go with it. I think it could have really added to the experience and made some of the scenes alittle more intense. Since the film is entirely in dialogue, the voices seem pretty crisp and clear. You shouldn't have a hard time hearing everything.

Conclusion:

I doubted the Coen brothers with out giving them a chance when this movie came out and in the end they came back to bite me in the ass. I enjoyed this great film and will try to review many of their other films that I have missed. The story although contains a few minor flaws and an un-filling ending, is still pretty damn enjoyable. The cast is outstanding with many of the cast giving out Oscar performances. The visual look of the film although alittle dark, seems pretty fine to me and works good. The movie contains no soundtrack what so ever which really disappoints because I think it could have only added to the experience. In the end, No Country for Old Men is a great film that everyone that's interested in a gritty thriller type movie should check out. It stays true to the famous novel and is really something you should see. I can easily recommend this to people because its one of the best movies to come out this year.

Grade: A-

REVIEW: Conan the Destroyer

Conan the Destroyer

Year: 1984
Director: Richard Fleischer
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tracey Walter, Mako, Olivia d'Abo, Grace Jones
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG

After the decent success of Conan the Barbarian, many wondered if we would ever get a sequel. It was only a matter of time before Universal Pictures decided to do another Conan film, but it wasn't a very successful choice. The sequel Conan the Destroyer only managed to gross an estimated $31 million at the box office, when the first one grossed almost $69 million. There was alot of reasons for this simply because alot of what made the first film good, is missing. After seeing the original yesterday, I thought it was only fair that I watch the sequel the next day since my brain will still be in that Conan type world. After watching it just a few minutes ago, I can say that I'm disappointed with the sequel.

Plot Outline:
Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is brought to Queen Taramis (Sarah Douglas), where he is offered a quest. To guide and protect princess Jehnna (Olivia d'Abo) to a key protected by a powerful wizard. This key enables them to collect a magic horn, which Queen Tamaris desperately wants. Conan's reward for this is the resurrection of his love, Valeria. What Conan and his friends don't know is that this horn is to be used in sacrificing the princess to awaken an evil monster. Queen Taramis sends Bombaata (Wilt Chamberlain) with them to ensure the safety of the princess and her virginity. He is also sent to see that Conan and his friends don't return from the quest.

Plot:
The story of the film feels alittle too skeptical. When reviewing the first film, I noted how the film had some skeptical moments that kind of distracted the films plot and that's still present in this film, but its a bit more spread out. The sequels plot just isn't has creative and serious as the first film. Theirs a comedy aspect that really tones down the films rough look. Not to mention that this sequel is rated PG when the first film was given a hard R. This makes the film feel less violent and aggressive which is really unfair since Conan is all about violence. The characters aren't as likable as the first film and many of the previous characters don't return. With all this said, I still found the story to be a tad entertaining. Sure it isn't as good as the first film, but I still found some enjoyable scenes. All in all, I still felt disappointed with this sequel compared to many other sequels for other films.

Cast:
The cast of Conan the Destroyer is kind of a let down. There aren't many previous characters returning for this sequel and it leaves out alot of what made the first film good. Sure Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as Conan, but that doesn't really help that much. Hes still alittle too early in his career to be giving out Oscar performances, but he still is Conan and I'm happy for that. Mako from the first film returns as the wizard, but he gets very few lines that hardly make his return memorable. Then we have Tracey Walter as Malak, but he gets pretty annoying at times simply because his character is a coward. Olivia d'Abo plays the princess and even she looks wrong for her part. She simply looks too young to be princess and play the love interest in the film. Were missing Gerry Lopez who played Subotai in the first film. What I think was really needed in this film was a villain.

Picture:
The visual aspects are still in tack with the first film. There are moments where the film is obviously in different environments such as the Wizard tower, but I felt the look and feel is still the same as the first film. The atmosphere is still the same with many climate changes. Since this film is rated PG compared to the R rating the first one got, alot of scenes feel cut out. The film is shorter than the first film and features less violence and gore. This frustrates me because Conan is all about violence. The quality of the picture is somewhat grainy which isn't a surprise considering its age. Colors don't pack that vibrancy that I have come to expect from DVD's, but it still looks pretty good. Detail hardly hold up with alot of the scenes featuring soft images.

Sound:
The Conan films have always been about big epic music and I'm happy to say that formula is still here. Basil Poledouris who made the soundtrack for the first one is back, but he doesn't look like hes created anything new for this film, but that's not a bad thing considering the first one had a great soundtrack. Whats puzzling is that Conan the Barbarian featured a Total Recall type score that is apparently missing from this film. I just found it alittle weird that they would cut out a score that appeared in the original, but is missing here. The first film also had a soundtrack that although was great, needed a 5.1 restoration remix badly. I just hope Universal Pictures does us fans justice, by releasing a special edition of the Conan films with the 2 films getting 5.1 restoration remixes, but I heard from many sources that its pretty much impossible since the studio has lost many of the films original music so creating a brand new 5.1 mix would seem impossible.

Conclusion:
Conan the Destroyer just isn't a well made sequel to Conan the Barbarian. The story is isn't as violent and aggressive as the first film and seems a bit too skeptical for my taste. The cast is hardly any good with many of the characters acting anything other than memorable. I'm glad Arnold Schwarzenegger returned as Conan, but even that doesn't save the bad cast. The visual look still feels very much like the first Conan which I found to be suitable. The soundtrack is as great as the first Conan was even though it would have sounded even better if it was in 5.1 surround. I cant really recommend Conan the Destroyer to everyone, but if your a fan of Conan the Barbarian and really want to see some more Conan then I guess you can check this film out.

Grade: C-

REVIEW: Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian

Year: 1982
Director: John Milius
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

Conan the Barbarian was one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's first films starting as a low paid actor. It was really this film that slowly launched his career to stardom. Having grossed roughly around $68 million worldwide, it was a decent pic for an R rated film at the time. Its always been one of Schwarzenegger's classic film and many people still hold that by cake. I have never seen this movie at all which is kind of weird since I consider myself a Schwarzenegger fan. Its always been brought up all the time by many fans around the world when we would talk about Arnold's best films. So I had to see for myself and decided to check out the DVD version.

Plot Outline:
Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has a loving father (William Smith) and mother (Nadiuska) that care for him. Not all goes well when a group of brutal warriors known as the "Snake Cult" lead by Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) attack the villagers and kill Conan's parents. Young Conan is then slaved along with the other children of the village. They work like animals for years until Conan gets sold to a new master. His master trains him to be a Gladiator and a Warrior so Conan can defend himself. When his master frees him, he meets several warriors along the way. He meets Subotai (Gerry Lopez) and Valeria (Sandhal Bergman). They team together as Warriors and Thieves until King Orsic (Max von Sydow) hires Conan and his warriors to rescue his daughter, Princess Yasmina (Valérie Quennessen) from Thulsa Doom who seduced her. Now Conan takes his revenge on Thulsa Doom and his Warriors for killing his people & his parents.

Plot:
The story of Conan the Barbarian is based on the Robert E. Howard stories. The film starts off alittle slow by slowly introducing the characters and setting up the plot. It then slowly starts to pick up with some intense fight scenes here and their that make up for the slow pace. We get many sex scenes that also don't really distract the film, but add to the story. I found the story to be alittle puzzling at first with some scenes looking alittle skeptical, but then it got better. You just have to give it some time and don't take it too seriously. The story is pretty good with many elements that need to be seen. The characters are rough and aggressive especially Conan. I found the length of the film to be pretty satisfying and not too long. The movie is also really entertaining from time to time. You will enjoy the many Conan fights here and there which are really fun to see.

Cast:
The cast of the film is pretty solid most of the times. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the main character Conan and since this was early in his acting career, it kind of shows it. There are parts where he looks like he isn't trying too hard, but rather reading a script out loud. The good thing is that he doesn't speak too often in the movie since his face usually speaks for him, but when he does speak, its not that bad. James Earl Jones plays the evil character of Thulsa Doom and hes great. He brings that sinister look and creepiness of that character. I really enjoyed his performance. Gerry Lopez and Sandhal Bergman play the characters Subotai and Valeria. They play their parts pretty well with nothing that's out of this world, but still pretty solid.

Picture:
The visual looks of the film are pretty cool. This was a film that was made in 1982 and alot of the image shows it. The atmosphere looks great with many bright environments and dark tone sky's. The clothing and props look very apparent and appropriate for the films setting. I found the film to be alittle gory with alot of blood used effectively which isn't surprising since this is Conan were talking here. The movie has many grainy scenes which dont surprise me considering its age. Colors look dusty, but hold up pretty well. There are many outdoors scenes that show the films colors off. Detail looks pretty good since the movie was remastered not too long ago, but it isn't something to brag about.

Sound:
The film has a well produced soundtrack that is considered one of the best. The soundtrack is made by Basil Poledouris who I think did an amazing job with the music. The film uses the soundtrack very effectively with almost every scene filled with some kind of music or beat. There are many that stand out because of how well their made, but then theirs one that kind of sounds alot like the score from Total Recall which also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger in it. If there was one complaint about the films soundtrack its that it desperately needs a 5.1 restoration mix. As much as I love the music in the film, the dialogue really shows the films age with some parts alittle fuzzy. With all of this said, the film still boasts a very powerful soundtrack that I really loved listening too.

Conclusion:
Conan the Barbarian is considered Arnold Schwarzenegger's best film and in some parts I can agree with, but then their are some parts where I disagree with. I thought the film had a pretty good story that was entertaining to watch even though some parts I didn't think worked so well. The cast was pretty solid and everyone seemed to look the part pretty accurately. The visual look of the film was pretty cool to look at. The film's soundtrack although in need of a sound restoration still sounds really great with a well produced soundtrack. I would recommend you check it out if your a fan of these types of films or if your a Schwarzenegger fan because this film is one of his better films.

Grade: C+

REVIEW: Cloverfield

Cloverfield

Year: 2008
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman, T.J. Miller, Jessica Lucas, Mike Vogel
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Cloverfield is a movie that's been hyped due to its lack of information. The teaser that came attached with the film Transformers showed only a brief section of the movie and gave us no name of the title, but only a release date of 1-18-08. After seeing that I thought to myself "what the hell was that". I was one of the many that was also intrigued by what I saw simply because I didn't know what I saw. A couple months later, we got the full length trailer for the film while watching Beowulf. The trailer was much longer than the teaser and showed some more footage of the film. It also gave us a hint of the story and how its a monster flick. Leading up to its movie release, Paramount Pictures showed various TV spots of the film, but with the monster still hidden and not publicly shown. With all this advertisement and hype this film has been making, was the final product even worth it?

Plot Outline:
Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) is leaving to Japan and his friends throw him a going away party. His brother Jason (Mike Vogel) hands the camera to Hud (T.J. Miller) to document farewells from his friends. During the party, Beth (Odette Yustman) arrives with her date which clearly upsets Rob since Rob loves Beth. Beth leaves the party early because she feels uncomfortable seeing Rob. While Hud and his brother Jason are trying to convince Rod to go after her, an explosion jolts the buildings of New York. Everyone rushes to the rooftop to see what's going on and more explosions sends everyone into a panic out into the streets. A building comes down and some of the party members hide in a shop. Dust clears and one of the girls from the party has seen something, something big. Something that is walking the city of New York and causing destruction every minute of the way. Rob decides to go look for Beth and to see if she is OK, but he has to go through the city streets of New York to reach her.

Plot:
The story of the film is actually pretty good. Its not great, but its not bad either. The film has a very interesting plot with characters that make stupid choices. The film is meant to focus on the story of the characters and not the monster. While this is good that the monster isn't entirely the main thing in the film, but that it comes secondary. The monster looks to be an original design. What really makes this film not great is that it doesn't provide us with the origin of the monster. We don't get to know where and why the monster is here. The whole movie is filmed in hand camera work that add to the experience, but at the same time can make you sick because of all the movement. Someone up front at the theaters threw up because of this. The ending was pretty conclusive in my opinion. While alot of people felt alittle let down because we don't get a satisfying ending, I thought it had some meaning to it.

Cast:
The cast of Cloverfield was decent. Their was some moments where the cast seemed alright, but at the same time their were some cheesy moments. There are alot of people in the film that aren't really famous, but low key celeb's. We don't get to really focus on 1 person, but rather a larger group. Michael Stahl-David plays the main character Rob in the film and he does an alright job at it, but since the characters make alot of stupid choices, it makes the cast seem alittle disoriented. We have the very sexy Odette Yustman playing Beth McIntyre who is the love interest Rob is looking for. She looks very pretty in the film, but even she doesn't do too good acting. Their also T.J. Miller who plays Hud the camera guy. He films most of the film so its pretty hard to tell if hes acting is good, but he does a pretty good job with the shaky camera work. The cast at times were acting good, but there also times where they just seem like their not stepping up.

Picture:
The visual effects of the film are pretty fantastic. The movie is filmed using hand camera work so the detail at times look great, but also looks alittle soft in some areas. The film is 90% of the time at night so the sky looks very beautiful, but dark. The explosions look very crisp and pretty. Since people were interested in the film because of the monster, it was important for the crew to get the visual look of the monster to be great and most of the time, it does. The monster looks very creative and scary. The detail on its face was pretty clear and sharp. No, it isn't Godzilla, but it looks very cool. I would say that I'm impressed that this film has some great visual effects on a budget of $25 million.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the film is almost transparent. We don't get any score built from the ground up, but we do get some music at the end. Since the film is filmed using hand camera, it wouldn't make sense to have music. We do get some music during the credit, but there nothing special. Their mostly music consisted of rock or something that would belong in a Godzilla movie. With all this said, the film's bass is cranked up to extraordinary lengths. We hear early rumbles from the beginning of the film that start to get really aggressive and loud through out the film's 1 hour and 24 minutes. The dialogue is very loud and crisp. The film definitely screams reference material if you were trying to demo your surround sound. Although the movie doesn't have a whole lot of music, it does feature one of the best sound designs ever that's impressive and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Conclusion:
Cloverfield had alot of hype surrounding it before it released. With what little information we had on the film made the film more excited to see. I was really hoping this film doesn't suck since it was advertised alot and I'm happy to say it doesn't. The film has a pretty good story that really engages you into the experience with its shaky hand camera work. The cast is decent with some moments that end up good, but also some scenes were they make stupid choices. The visuals look very clear and made well with only a budget of $25 million. The sound design although missing some music is really crisp and will definitely blow your jaws away with its cranked up bass. I found the film to be a really good monster flick that kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat.

Grade: B

REVIEW: The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Year: 1951
Director: Robert Wise
Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
MPAA: Rated G

I will be honest here in telling you that I have never heard of this film. When this film released, I was still in my mother's stomach. It was only recently that I checked this film out. Every time I went to my local Target and browsed around the DVD sections, I always saw this film there. Just by the name of the film "The Day the Earth Stood Still" caught my interest. So then I went back home and did some research and found out that this film was one of the greatest science fiction movies at the time of its release. Me being a huge SCI-FI fan, decided to check this film out and see if it still stood the test of time.

Plot Outline:
An alien by the name of Klaatu (Michael Rennie) comes down to earth to deliver a message about the violence in our world. After being assumed dangerous by the people of Earth and wounded at the very beginning, his attempts to get together a meeting with all world leaders to tell his message fails. He then escapes his hospital room to discover more about the ways we live and how to get his message out to the entire world. He ends up learning about our society by going under the fake name, Carpenter and living with a small family which includes Helen Benson (Patricia Neal), Bobby Benson (Billy Gray) and two other household members. He then understands the people of Earth and tries to get his message out before its too late.

Plot:
I didn't expect a 57 year old science fiction movie like this to really be good. The film has an interesting plot that goes very well with the story. I found myself liking the film more and more each second of the film. Its got very lovable characters that you will admire and pay strict attention too. I will admit that the film does have some moments in the story where certain types of people that expect something to happen every minute might get alittle bored or tired out. There were also a few scenes in the movie that at the time of its release might have been passed by some people, but now in today's world it shows up and doesn't go so well. I also cant lie that this film's story also resembles the story of Christ. As great as this movie is, its ending was kind of a let down. While its certainly not bad, but it doesn't really provide you an answer to this question that has been set from the beginning of the film. This movie was considered one of the best science fiction movies at the time and I cant disagree on it. Its amazing that a film this old can still be great even after other great SCI-FI films like Blade Runner or The Matrix.

Cast:
The cast of the film is staggering. Its got many memorable characters that you will fall in love with and adore. Michael Rennie plays the alien Klaatu and hes very charming with a very sophisticated look. He looks sharp and cool at the same time that it makes him perfect for the part. Patricia Neal plays the darling girl Helen Benson and she has some great moments in the film where she shines with her great personality. At first I didn't really enjoy Billy Gray as Bobby Benson simply because he got alittle annoying at the start of the film, but I now think he did a great job in his role because his character is suppose to be that way. Hes suppose to be the kid who asks questions and is also looking for a friend to be there with him. Lock Martin plays the giant robot Gort, but I cant really comment on him because his character doesn't say a word through out the entire film.

Picture:
For a 57 year old film, the visuals don't really stack up against other films that have come forth in today's world, but whats weird is that the effects in The Day the Earth Stood Still hold up quite well. It looks pretty darn good for a film of its age. Their wasn't too much grain that I thought interrupted my experience with the film. It looks pretty clean for the most part. The space ship and even Gort look really nice and sharp. The film is completely in black and white with no color anywhere to be seen. I would imagine a film this old wasn't made with color in mind. This isn't a problem though because the film looks great with no color. I found the experience a whole lot better with just black and white colors.

Sound:
The film has a great soundtrack that goes well with the film. The music is composed by Bernard Herrmann who I think did a fantastic job at it. The music gives you the feeling that this film really is a science fiction movie with its scary, but imaginative soundtrack. The music really gives this film some legs because it makes certain scenes feel really unique and gives you that strange SCI-FI atmosphere that many films today have. The film doesn't feature a whole lot of bass considering its age, but it does have alittle. The little we have is more than needed since this is a heavy dialogue driven film. I found the soundtrack to be really great and made the film that much more better.

Conclusion:
The Day the Earth Stood Still was a great film at the time of its release and it still holds up quite well in 2008. The story although has problems listed above is still great with an interesting plot. The cast is great and lovable with many serious performances by Michael Rennie. The special effects still look pretty good and the film has a great soundtrack that really gives the film some legs. I very much loved this movie and thought it was a great movie for its time. I found this film to be quite good and would highly recommend it to people who love the science fiction genre.

Grade: B+