REVIEW: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Year: 2007

Director: Sidney Lumet

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris

Distributor: THINKFilm

MPAA: Rated R

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is one of those movies you don't hear too much about in public. Its sort of a low budget film that hardly drew in alot of crowd which is kind of weird considering how many talented actors are in it. I had no idea this movie even existed because I haven't even seen one trailer or TV spot for it. It was only recently that one of my friends had mentioned it to me and thought I should check it out. After looking at a couple reviews and staring at its impressive cast, I had to take a look.

Plot Outline:

Andrew (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Henry (Ethan Hawke) plan to rob their own parent's jewelry shop. Andrew plans the robbery and Henry hires an unknown waiter to carry out the robbery for him. Things go wrong and the mother is shot dead. Because the police are ineffective, the father Charles Hanson (Albert Finney) tries to investigate the crime himself. Henry is blackmailed by the waiter's wife Chris (Aleksa Palladino) and her brother Dex (Michael Shannon) to give a bounty of US $ 10,000 in return of keeping his name away from police.

Plot:

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead has a great story. I really wasn't expecting too much from the story and yet it surprised me. Just looking at the plot outline, you may think the story is simple and not much too it, but you would be wrong. The movie is played mostly in timed flashbacks. The story is scattered in these flashbacks and explain each part carefully. This isn't new and has been done in films like Pulp Fiction. While I usually don't care too much about this because I rather enjoy movies like this. I think it keeps the viewer very much interested in the plot even though it really isn't necessary since the movie could have worked without it. The film is also filled with many twists and turns that really add alot to this dark story. There isn't much character development so the characters can tend to be almost forgettable. The movie also has a pretty unsatisfying ending. It isn't explained much and could have easily been better.

Cast:

The cast for the film is top notch and something to look forward too. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays as Andy and he gives a brilliant performance here. I'm a big fan of Hoffman and think hes one of today's talented actors. His performance here is riveting and very believable. Ethan Hawke plays as Hank and he too gives a good performance. He has good screen time with Hoffman and easily stands by him. I kind of felt like his performance here mirrored the one in Training Day, but that's not a bad thing since I enjoyed that movie. Marisa Tomei plays as Gina and I enjoyed her work here. I did however think she was better in some of her other films, but I cant really complain. Seeing a couple of her nipple shots is more than ok with me. We also have Albert Finney playing as Charles. Hes been great in many of his previous films and does a fine job here. A performance that's very much enjoyable and one that works.

Picture:

The visual look for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is dark. The movie was just released a year ago so its film source is pretty much clean. I couldn't detect any grain which shouldn't be a surprise because the film was shot with HD cameras. Colors look alittle muted and oversaturated. The film doesn't have any vibrant or colorful scenes nor does it need it. The color palate seems fine to me and really adds another layer to the experience. Sure their are some scenes that tend to look slightly dark, but it only adds to the films atmosphere. Detail is pretty good with close up shots revealing alot of clarity to them. We get many scenes where it shows our characters talking and you can really see the detail on their face. There are some soft shots mostly in the darker scenes that tend to look not as good as others, but when the film is mostly in well lighted areas, it can look pretty good.

Sound:

The soundtrack for the film is great. Famous composer Carter Burwell who also scored Being John Malkovich for Universal and Adaptation. for Columbia Pictures does a fine job here. The movies got a mesmerizing score that gives you the feeling like your watching a murder happen. Its very well made and used alot through out the movie. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead doesn't feature a whole lot of bass considering its a melodramatic crime thriller, but whats there is fine enough. While the movie doesn't have much bass to show off, dialogue is very cleaned up. You can hear everyone in the movie loud and clear. It isn't something that's going to wow you or anything, but I happen to find that great since this is a heavy dialogue driven film.

Conclusion:

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a great movie that's definitely up their with some of Sidney Lumet's other classic hits like 12 Angry Men or Dog Day Afternoon. Even though the ending could have been better, the story is interesting and captivating. The cast is phenomenal with Hoffman giving another excellent performance. The visual style for the film is very much dark with muted colors, but it works. The soundtrack is lively and strongly goes well with the movie. I think Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a fascinating movie. I was very much pulled by its gripping story and talented performances. Id easily recommend this film to those familiar with Lumets previous films or for those looking for a great movie.

Grade: B+

REVIEW: Hancock

Hancock

Year: 2008
Director: Peter Berg
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Jae Head, Eddie Marsan
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

The script "Tonight, He Comes" has been in studio trouble for as long as I remember. Its been passed from Warner Bros. to many other film studios until Sony finally grabbed hold of it. The script impressed the guys at Columbia Pictures and they decided to green light the movie which was later changed to Hancock. The movie has had a rough landing from the time it was made to the day it finally got released. The film was troubled with re-shoots and kept getting an "R" rating by the MPAA. The studio decided to cut a majority of the film and edit parts out to get that standard "PG-13" rating that action movies now a days tend to get. Not only that, but the movie has been getting criticized alot by many critics stating that the movie sucks. Now, I personally didn't want to see the movie because I knew it was going to suck, but alot of my friends are Will Smith fans and they wanted to see it.

Plot Outline:
John Hancock (Will Smith) is a drunken hobo endowed with special superhero-like abilities. He cannot be harmed in any way and spends his time trying to help people. Yet for all his seemingly virtuous intentions, he is clumsy and doesn't know how to control his powers. As a result, hes condemned by the citizens of California and all of the news media. But there is hope when an aspiring ad man named Ray Embrey and his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) see the potential in helping Hancock better utilize his powers and gain the approval of the world.

Plot:
The movie starts off good with the slight introduction of Hancock drinking while trying to stop a hot car pursuit in a middle of a busy freeway. It continues to keep you interested in this story by bringing up the idea of having this drunken man with super powers being turned into a real superhero. This works pretty good until the second half. The second half feels so rushed like they had no time or something. We don't really get any origin to Hancock or how he came to be. Their is no character development which really makes the story seem "wasted". It also becomes alittle predictable when they keep making it so damn obvious that a certain character is in some way related to Hancock. I'm glad that Hancock isn't based on a comic book and that it looks like a fresh idea, but in reality it isn't. Its basically Superman only with Will Smith, but even than it doesn't come close to the creativity of Superman. The movie is also heavily focused on its jokes to keep you moving forward. While some work and tend to be funny, others just seem like there trying too hard. I would have enjoyed this story if they had payed more attention to it and took a more serious route. With that said, the movie does have some parts I enjoyed particularly when he stops those guys on the freeway.

Cast:
Will Smith plays John Hancock and he does an alright job in his role. Being the main centerpiece of the film, its no surprise that he does a pretty good job. I'm glad that hes playing a more heart warming, but serious character this time around. Having said that, I still enjoyed his performance in last years I Am Legend alot more and thought it was his best. Jason Bateman plays as Ray Embrey in the film. I'm not really sure he was the right person to be playing this role because I just wasn't convinced by his performance here. He seems like hes trying too hard to make you laugh, but I think that's the scripts fault and not Bateman. We also have Charlize Theron playing as Mary Embrey. I also wasn't impressed with her performance here either. I kept thinking in my head how she doesn't belong in this movie. I would have personally went with some else for this role. Jae Head plays as Aaron Embrey. He doesn't really have a whole lot of screen time, but I guess hes fine for the scenes he does have.

Picture:
The visual look of Hancock is kind of a mixed bad. The film being relatively new benefits from pristine source. There were no film grains that I could detect. Colors seem only slightly muted, but pretty vibrant overall. There are alot of outdoor shots during the day and they all have wonderful colors to them. Detail is good if not great through out the whole movie. Close up shots reveal alot of motion and clarity to the object. Charlize Theron has never looked this great. That being said, the CGI in the movie is probably one of the worst I have seen this year. There are alot of scenes where Will Smith is just flying around or trying to help someone and they all look pretty bad. The animation seems alittle off and maybe too loose in some shots. Lets just say, an average person could easily distinguish the real thing from the CGI. This is a real disappoint that Superman Returns looks better than Hancock when this film came out a full 2 years after Superman.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Hancock is pretty good. The score is composed by John Powell who also scored other big hits like X-Men: The Last Stand and The Bourne Ultimatum. He does a pretty good job here with his work and one that looks pretty right for this film. My only nitpick would be that it isn't really used alot. I would have easily put his score in a few scenes here and there. Their are other music in Hancock, but most of them are rap/hip hop songs from various artists that you all might know. Hancock features some stunning bass work and one that I almost considered reference material. There are many action scenes in the movie that the bass follows through. While I wouldn't say its as grand as the one in The Incredible Hulk, but it certainly has enough kick to suit your home theater equipment just nicely.

Conclusion:
Hancock is a messy film that some how turned out the way people didn't want it to be. The films story although pretty enjoyable at times is just bad and leaves you wanting answers. The cast is pretty good and they do their work accordingly even though some could have been replaced by other celebrities. The visual effects for the movie look pretty ugly and falls short of the 2 year old Superman Returns, but when Hancock isn't flying around or destroying things, the movie tends to look great. The soundtrack for Hancock is good and the movie has some strong bass here and there. Hancock was a bold idea that could have been something special, yet it couldn't deliver. I'm being generous here with the films review and is something to check out only because the movie can be somewhat enjoyable at times, but even than, Id encourage you to see something else.

Grade: C-

REVIEW: Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs

Year: 2008
Director: Peter Avanzino
Starring: Billy West, Katey Sagal, John Di Maggio, Phil LaMarr, Lauren Tom
Distributor: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
MPAA: Not Rated

Bender's Big Score was only one of four straight-to-DVD films that was to be split into sixteen episodes that will make the fifth season of Futurama. After the series got cancelled in 2003, all hope was lost for the many fans that loved this show. Finally Fox heard our cries and decided to bring Futurama back for a fifth season which was basically the four DVDs, but split up to make it like a regular episode. This was great news because I'm a huge fan of the series and loved every episode even though their were some un-funny ones. The Beast with a Billion Backs is the second of the upcoming DVDs. After having a great time with Bender's Big Score in my other review, I felt the rest of the upcoming DVDs would be the same.

Plot Outline:
Attempting to tie up that space rip problem that happened in the first film, Stephen Hawking teams Professor Farnsworth (Billy West) and his arch-enemy Ogden Wernstrom (David Herman) to figure out the problem. Meanwhile, Fry (Billy West) attempts to deal with his new girlfriend Colleen (Britney Murphy) and her quartet of other boyfriends. When he finally decides, after weeks, that he can't compete with four other guys he decides to float himself to the space anomaly and end and it all. Unfortunately, he returns to earth hooked to an alien tentacle named Yivo (David Cross) and proclaims a new religion.

Plot:
The plot for The Beast with a Billion Backs is pretty good. The first 40 minutes of the movie starts off really good and continues right where the first film left off. We get introduced to new characters like Colleen and Yivo which isn't a bad thing because it adds more character development to the cast. From there on, the story kind of falls apart by rushing to many things. By the end of the movie, I kind of felt like watching that episode "Mother's Day", but only alittle different. The movie tries too hard to focus on the romantic aspect of the story that doesn't work for the most part. The story also isn't very emotionally effect like the first film was. The jokes also aren't very funny when compared to the TV series or even the last movie, Bender's Big Score. I only laughed maybe three or four times through out the whole movie. I just didn't think the jokes were was smart or cleaver as the ones we have heard before. Despite the un-easy plot of The Beast with a Billion Backs, I still had fun with this movie. I thought it fell alittle short of the first movie, but was still enjoyable to some extent.

Cast:
The cast for The Beast with a Billion Backs is great. Everyone from the main TV show returns and we also get a host of new talent like Brittany Murphy, David Cross, etc. While this is an animated film where their isn't any live action acting involved, I will have to base my review on their voice work. So far everyone seemed to sound great and what you would expect from a Futurama movie. I hope the next movie also features some new Hollywood talent because I really liked what was here.

Picture:
The visual look of The Beast with a Billion Backs is good. The movie like the TV show is in 2D animation just like The Simpsons. This is the first time the series is presented in wide screen 16:9. So everything is a big improvement from the TV show. Colors are brighter, image seems more crisper and cleaner. However, I'm not sure if it was just my TV settings or something, but I kind of felt this was alittle downgrade from Bender's Big Score. The colors although bright, seemed somewhat muted to me. They didn't look as good and vibrant as I would have hoped for. I could be wrong on this and that this movie could look on par if not better than Bender's Big Score, but that's what my TV was showing me. The movie doesn't look as sharp or vivid as The Simpsons Movie did, but it still looks pretty good.

Sound:
The soundtrack in The Beast with a Billion Backs is great. Composer Christopher Tyng who scored the first film returns once more to score this film. The intro to the movie has the same theme song that the regular episodes had. No, it doesn't have the remixed version that the first film had in its intro which kind of sucks because I really liked that version. Instead, that remixed one is in the end credits. The movie is also presented in 5.1 surround sound with the soundtrack really benefiting from the bigger space. Bass is also pretty good with some moments receiving a big boost from the bass. The Beast with a Billion Backs soundtrack is just as great as the one in Bender's Big Score. It might not be as lively as the first film, but its still great.

Conclusion:
Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs is the second DVD from the popular TV series that was once declared dead. This new movie isn't as great as the first film. The plot isn't as memorable and feels somewhat rushed. It starts off great, but goes kind of down hill in the second half. The cast is great with almost everyone from the TV series returning along with some new Hollywood talent. The visual look of the movie is good, but I'm not sure if its up to par with the first film. The soundtrack is loving and pretty much the same music you heard from the previous Futurama episodes, but that's not a bad thing. I enjoyed The Beast with a Billion Backs, but it was not as good as Bender's Big Score. I can recommend this to any Futurama fan, but just don't go in expecting the best. Here's hoping the next movie Bender's Game which is scheduled to come out this year turns out to much better than this film.

Grade: C

REVIEW: Wanted

Wanted

Year: 2008
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann, Common
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

Wanted is a movie that I have been craving to see. Ever since that first teaser for the movie, I was stoked for it. You know their are some trailers that you can just tell if the movie is going to be good or not, by what you see in the trailer. There are some that can be misleading, but then some are accurate. This was the one that was accurate. After awhile, Universal released a couple more trailers and the film kept looking more and more interesting. The Matrix type style of fighting mixed with tons of action just made me want to melt in excitement. Its been awhile since The Matrix impressed people with its high technology of fighting and slow motion scenes. I was hoping that Wanted comes and keeps that idea still fresh while creating new ones.

Plot Outline:
Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is an office worker who does not know how to stand up for himself. Wesley's life just seems to be a complete waste, until one night a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie) rescues him from an assassin. Fox takes Wesley back to meet her leader, and here Wesley learns that she is a member of a secret Fraternity of Assassins. At the Fraternity's headquarters, Wesley is told that he possesses all of the powers to be in the Fraternity and is convinced by the Fraternity's leader Sloan (Morgan Freeman), to become an assassin. Once Wesley begins his assassin training, he learns that his father was an assassin as well, and that he was killed by the rogue assassin Cross (Thomas Kretschmann). Upon learning this Wesley begins to train harder in order to avenge his father.

Plot:
Wanted is surprisingly deep and good. The movie is loosely based on the comics "Wanted" by author Mark Millar. I searched online to compare the movie to the comics. While the movie does a good job on what made the comics so good, it also changes a few things. I don't want to discuss this when people can search online for comparisons. As for the story, I really enjoyed it. There are many scenes that make you think "oh my god, that was cool" and these are really fun to see. The film starts out with a guy jumping through a building and you might laugh alittle after seeing this, but what this does is give you the feel of the movie. It makes you a custom to the high flying stunts, by letting you witness one in the beginning. You might think some of the scenes can be alittle over the top, but so what. This is based on a comic and shouldn't be taken seriously just like Spider-Man. The plot does drag alittle and the story could have been explained alittle more clearly in a sense that the whole audience can understand, but these little hiccups get overshadowed by the action. The movie also comes with a twist ending that will surprise people who haven't read the comics. I haven't had this much fun watching a movie like this since The Matrix days.

Cast:
The cast for Wanted works really good. James McAvoy plays as Wesley Gibson and he does a great job in his role. McAvoy has done movies like The Last King of Scotland and Atonement in the past so its really nice to see him doing an action packed movie like this. I really enjoyed his work here and wouldn't replace him for anybody. Angelina Jolie plays as Fox and shes just plain good. Shes very sexy in her role and has that right charm of playing someone as rough as Fox. She also looks good next to McAvoy. Morgan Freeman plays as Sloan and hes also good. His character seems to match his voice and charisma perfectly. I couldn't find anything bad about Freeman in this movie. Thomas Kretschmann plays as Cross, but he doesn't really say much in the movie even though hes in it for like the first half and alittle bit of the second. Still, his certain look and natural voice makes him a good choice to be playing Cross.

Picture:
The visual look of Wanted is very straight forward. The movie doesn't feature so many CGI effects like Transformers, but it does have enough to make the action surreal. The movies source is in good shape with only a few grain in some scenes. Colors don't tend to have that vibrancy to them, but are still good. The film has many scenes during the night making the colors seem muted and dark. Blacks are nice and inky. Detail is also good, but not great. Close up shots have good detail in them and reveal alot. They aren't up to the top like I might have wanted, but they still look good none the less. The CGI in the movie seems pretty right and is only used in scenes that really require it. The animations look precise and seem to act like they should. This isn't a movie that's going to blow you away, but it still looks pretty great.

Sound:
The sound design in this film is bombastic. The score is composed by mastermind Danny Elfman who also scored the first two Batman films. His score for this movie is done really well and the music just goes well with the movies theme which is to be baddass. Not only that, but the bass is also done with great attention towards it. The action scenes just explode with thundering bass. There even their when McAvoy's character is having stress attacks. The last 30 mins of the movie is just roaring with cleaver sound that the theater was shaking. This easily marks as demo material and is something I would love to hear with loss less sound. Dialogues are clean and clear to the point where you can hear everything everyone is saying.

Conclusion:
Wanted is a mindless action packed experience. It sets itself to be just baddass and in many ways, it does. The story is based on Miller's Wanted comic and it does a good job of capturing most of his essence from that comic. Its not exactly the same as the comic, but it comes close. The cast is good and their talents really show. I thought everyone gave a good performances that should let the audience down. The visual look of the move is clean and sharp. Its not the best looking movie ever, but its still a good looking movie. The soundtrack is filled with many dazzling bass. Its loud and definitely demo worthy in my opinion. I really enjoyed Wanted and thought it was entertaining. The movie is fun and full of crazy moments. I would recommend this to people who love action movies or just looking for a movie that's going to be worth your theater money.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Year: 2006
Director: Justin Lin
Starring: Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Brian Tee, Nathalie Kelley, Sung Kang
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Although 2 Fast 2 Furious was successful in terms of money made, the movie in general feel short of the first film. The cheesy dialogue and weak story overshadowed the awesome cars and slick races. Universal Pictures decided to give the series another go after 2 Fast 2 Furious did well at the box office, but they didn't just want to make another one with the same faces and new cars. No, they wanted to start fresh and really focus on the story. In comes Tokyo Drift, a film that carries the logo, but introduces new characters. Now, I personally didn't mind this after the bad result that was the second film. I thought starting over and giving us fresh new faces was the only way to keep this franchise going, but I was going to miss some of the characters from the previous film. So when the movie opened in theaters during the summer, people thought it was pretty good. They obviously liked it better than the second film, but thought it fell short in comparison to the first.

Plot Outline:
Sean Boswell has been in trouble with the law for awhile. Hitting his third strike when racing through a construction site, he's shipped over to Japan to live with his father. Instantly on the wrong side of everything, it's not long before he's back into the racing world, introduced to a different style of racing; drifting. After losing his first race in Japan to DK, a Yakuza type gangster, he is taken under the wing of drift guru Han who helps him greatly. He also falls in love with Neela, who is the girlfriend of DK. Sean must learn to drift if he ever wants to make it to the top.

Plot:
The story of Tokyo Drift is pretty good. Ill admit that I was disappointed in 2 Fast 2 Furious because the story was just weak. Going into Tokyo Drift, I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot is also very different compared to the previous films. Theirs no going undercover this time and no FBI. Instead we focus on the main characters struggle to learn to drift and gain respect to reach the top. Their are some cheesy dialogue like any other film in the series, but it isn't blown out of proportion like the second film. While the story isn't perfect and has some minor plot holes, it definitely comes in a close second with the first film still being the best. But like I said with the previous films, these type of movies aren't meant to be taken seriously because in the end, its the cars that count and Tokyo Drift doesn't disappoint. We get a good amount of street racing with exotic import cars that all look really nice. We also get some good explosions and great car crashes.

Cast:
The cast for the movie is also good. Sure we don't get anyone from the previous films coming back for this movie, but what we have here isn't bad by all means. Lucas Black plays as Sean Boswell and hes the main character for this movie. He does a good job in his role and gives a much better performance than Walker did in the second film. Bow Wow plays as Twinkie and hes like Boswell sidekick in a way. He surprisingly does a pretty good job and wasn't distracting like I thought he would be. Brian Tee plays as DK and hes a good choice opposite of Boswell. I thought he gave a good performance here and one that felt good to watch. Nathalie Kelley plays as Neela and I think she gives a better performance here than Eva Mendes in the 2 Fast 2 Furious. Shes pretty hot and fits the movie nicely. I felt the cast in this film gave a better performance than the cast in the second film and your in for a surprise at the end. When I said we don't get anyone from the previous films returning here......I kind of lied.

Picture:
The previous films looked great and truly demo worthy for a DVD. That trend continues here because Tokyo Drift looks wonderful. Being the newest one in the series, Tokyo Drift benefits from a clean source. Their wasn't any grain and everything looked nicely clean. Colors are alittle darker this time around. Tokyo is no Miami and most of the film is during the night. Still the colors look great and the city of Tokyo is lit very good. Lights and building all look good and have color popping out. The color black is very inky the way it should be. I felt like I was watching the game Project Gotham Racing 3 the movie. Detail is great and the city is very much alive. Everything has nice textures in clean form and it looks great. Cars show alot of detail with every single one of them looking awesome. This is another demo material from Universal and one that looks really good for a standard def DVD.

Sound:
The soundtrack in this film is just as great as the picture. The score is composed by Brian Tyler who also did Constantine. I wasn't really blown by the score in the second film and I feel mostly the same way in this film too. I still think the first film had the best score with this film coming in second. The film also has many other music playing through out the movie. These music are mostly consisting of rap and hip hop with alittle more hip hop. They sound good and fitting for this movie, but I think the music is alittle too much in this film. The bass is no disappoint and its just as great as the previous films. Cars driving and crashing roar with the bass and it really is something to behold off. Its nice and dynamic with that special "kick" in it. Its definitely something that's going to put your system to the test. This is easily demo worthy for someone trying to test their surround sound.

Conclusion:
I really wasn't expecting anything after the disappointment that was 2 Fast 2 Furious, but I was pretty surprised. I thought this movie was better than the previous film, but comes a close second compared to the first film. The story feels more real and is something new for the series. The cast is good and doesn't leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. The visual look of the movie is just as great as the previous films, if not more cleaner. The soundtrack is good although the music feels like its been used too much. Bass is top notch and easily makes this demo material. I enjoyed this movie for what its worth, which is a car smashing mindless action ride. I hope the fourth film in the series which is planned to release next year, stays on this path. Id definitely check this film out for fans of the series and those who want some entertainment on a boring Sunday afternoon.

Grade: C

REVIEW: 2 Fast 2 Furious

2 Fast 2 Furious

Year: 2003
Director: John Singleton
Starring: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, James Remar
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

After the success of The Fast and the Furious, it was only natural that a sequel was going to get made. The only question that was to be determined was if the sequel was going to be better than the first film. Now typically, you all know that sequels for movies tend to go downhill and end up being worse than the original. Now not all sequels are bad, I'm looking at you Terminator 2 and Spider-Man 2, but most of them are. That brings up this movie, a sequel to one of the most car racing entertainment fest of all time "The Fast and the Furious". The sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious ended up being another box office hit, grossing over $235 million worldwide for a movie that cost less than $80 million to make. The only problem was, people criticized the movie for its story. Which really isn't a surprise since I knew it wasn't going to be better than the original.

Plot Outline:
Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) has been thrown off the Los Angeles police force, due to his actions from the first movie. He is now spending his free time street racing in Miami for the thrills and the cash. However, that doesn't last as he is arrested by his former boss and says he will clear O'Connor's record if he takes another mission and get the goods on Carter Verone (Cole Hauser), a gangster working with Cuban babe Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes), who's also an undercover cop. It won't be an easy task and Brian needs help, so he enlists former friend Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson). It is up to Brian and Roman to bring Carter down before its too late.

Plot:
The story in 2 Fast 2 Furious takes a step back from the original. The movies plot isn't flushed out enough and is filled with some plot holes. I complained in the original saying that the story was pretty good, but had to be more robust. The sequel doesn't even do that and continues the problems the first film had while making more. I was left with unanswered questions when the movie was over. Now I don't mean to act like the movies story wasn't simple because it is. Its just that I didn't find it to be better than the previous film. I mean the story is easy and just about anyone should understand it, but its just not good. On top of that, the movie has some of the cheesiest dialogue I have heard in awhile. Its just terrible and really distracts you from watching the film. Now I did say it was alittle unfair to judge this movie solely on its plot when in fact, its main strong point is its entertainment. Now even though I didn't like the story and thought it was a let down compared to the first film, I did happen to enjoy the car chases.

Cast:
The cast for the movie is somewhat of a let down because most of the characters from the first film don't return. Paul Walker reprises his role as Brian O'Conner. While I liked him in the first film and thought he suited the film right, I think hes bad in this film. His acting just isn't on par with the first film even though hes more relaxed this time around. Tyrese Gibson plays as Roman Pearce. His character made me laugh a few times here and there, but his acting was just as bad as Walker's. He doesn't convince me that hes really acting. Eva Mendes plays as Monica Fuentes and shes pretty sexy in this film, but even that doesn't help her from the bad acting we get. I just wasn't impressed with her performance here. We also have Cole Hauser playing as Carter Verone and I think he gives an average performance here. Its still bad acting, but alittle more interesting than the others.

Picture:
This is a great looking film and also demo worthy of a DVD. The films source is in great condition and we hardly get any grain that was present in the first film. Colors are fantastic and very vibrant. Miami looks simply outstanding with its colors just popping out of the screen. The film is much more colorful than its predecessor mostly because almost every scene is shot in daylight, but even at night, the neon's on the cars look nicely done. Skin tones are accurate and have a warm feeling to them. Detail is really strong and it shows. Facial hair and expressions are full of clarity. You can literally see almost everything on any ones face. Textures on everything are much more clean and focused on. The cars all look really good and very clean. You can spot just about anything on them. Their highly detailed and pretty amazing to look at. This is easily a top notch DVD and beats the first film because of the amount of colors used. Props definitely go to Universal for this one.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the movie is just as effective as the first film. The score is composed by David Arnold who also did Changing Lanes. Now, I didn't really like the score here compared to the one the first film had. I think they should have sticked to the one the previous film had and just re-tune it to suit this film better. That aside, the movie also features other music. These music are mostly comprised of some hip hop and rap songs. They all sound good and go with the movie. Just like The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious has some of the best bass usage ever. I raved about the bass in the first film and that trend continues here. This movie is just filled with great bass that it rocked my system. I would say its equally great as the first films. The sound department in this film is another winner and another demo worthy DVD.

Conclusion:
2 Fast 2 Furious was bound to crash with the director changing and most cast members not returning. The story isn't good and has some plot holes. It just isn't fleshed out more and the cheesy dialogue doesn't help either. The cast all look pretty right for their parts, but that doesn't help the fact that their acting is just bad. I wouldn't consider any of their performances to be memorable. The visual look of the film is simply outstanding and the vibrant colors make it more better than the first film. The soundtrack doesn't really have a good score, but the amount of music mixed in and the bass make up for it. This is easily another demo worthy DVD to show off your system. While the movie wasn't as good as the first film, its still fun and entertaining. I had just as fun and excitement here as I did in The Fast and the Furious. This is mostly recommended to fans of the first film and if you don't care for some mindless street racing.

Grade: C-

REVIEW: The Fast and the Furious

The Fast and the Furious

Year: 2001
Director: Rob Cohen
Starring: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Rick Yune
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

The Fast and the Furious is what started it all. Street racing and car explosions were never really taken to the limit until this movie came out. If it wasn't for this series, you wouldn't be seeing exotic racing cars crashing into other cars which is what we all really want to see. The movie did great at the box office grossing an estimated $207 million worldwide on a mear budget of $38 million. It didn't stop there because the movie went on to become one of Universal Pictures best selling movie title of all time. I cant remember how many times the studio has released this movie on DVD with some in box sets. The movie became very popular that Universal green lighted two sequels, but also a fourth which is being planned to release next year.

Plot Outline:
Police Officer Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) goes undercover to investigate local street racer Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) who served 2 years in prison for racing. There have been hijackers robbing trucks of their merchandise and Dominic is the main suspect. Brian is on the case, but his judgment is clouded when he befriends Dom and falls in love with Dom's sister Mia (Jordana Brewster). It is up to him to make the right decision and end this case.

Plot:
I thought the plot felt alittle too simple and not enough. Don't get me wrong when I say its simple because it just means alot of people wont get lost. With that said, the movie also isn't very deep. Its pretty straight forward and I'm sure just about anyone should feel at home with it. I just wish there was more to the story because it is somewhat interesting. It just doesn't go deep and give us more character development. I can be alittle forgiving on the film's story because after all this movie wasn't meant to have a perfect story or even a great one. It was suppose to have exotic cars and sexy girls and god dam it, it does. The movie is full of some of the best and slickest cars I have ever seen. There all nicely customized and full loaded which really makes for some killer races. Not only that, but the girls in this film are as hot as ever. Seeing them by the beautiful cars really tend to make me jealous at time. I mean cars and chicks....what more can a guy ask for?

Cast:
The cast in this movie is mostly decent. Paul Walker plays as Brian O'Conner and I think he does an average job here. He certainly doesn't give a good performance like he did in Running Scared, but I still enjoyed his character for what he is. Vin Diesel plays as Dominic Toretto and he too gives a pretty average performance. However, I did tend to like his work here more than Walker and he too was also enjoyable to watch. Jordana Brewster plays as Mia Toretto and shes fucking hot in this film and as usual in person. I really thought her and Walker looked good together and had only some chemistry here and there. I still liked her in this film though. Michelle Rodriguez plays as Letty and shes also kind of on the average side. I just wasn't wowed by her work here, but like the others, I still enjoyed her character. Rick Yune plays as Johnny Tran and he too looks like hes not giving much work here. He still has that bad guy feel to him, but his character could have been more better.

Picture:
The visual look for this film is simply fantastic. I have read from many sites stating that this movie is easily demo material for a DVD and I cant argue with that. The movies source is in good shape, but has some small grain here and their, but its certainly not going to be distracting because overall, its pretty clean. Colors are very nicely lit and bold. The colors on some of these cars are just eye candy and make you wanna reach out to touch it. Skin tones are spot on and have a cool warm feeling to them. Detail is very strong with alot of textures being nicely seen. Close up shots of some of the cast members reveal alot of clarity. I can really see everything on sexy Jordana Brewster's face. Not only that, but the cars look even better. The cars look very real and just wonderful to glaze at. This is top notch by the guys at Universal and still stands as demo worthy even to this day.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the film is well balanced and good to hear. The movie has a nice score that is composed by BT. It sounds really good and matches whats on the screen. It even has some other music mixed in here some rap and some hip hop. This is a music focused film by all means and the music sounds real nice. The film also features some very aggressive bass. The sound of cars crashing and exploding as never sounded this good. My rear channels are put to great use because I can hear every car like as if they were driving right near me. This 5.1 set up easily rocked my system and is one of the best I have heard. Dialogue is also very positive and nicely clean. Every dialogue is heard without any hiccups. Its crazy to think that a 7 year old film like this still manages to impress me because this is also demo worthy.

Conclusion:
The Fast and the Furious is pretty damn entertaining. The story isn't deep and robust like I would have hoped for, but its still easy to understand. The cast doesn't give their best performances, but for some reason, I really enjoyed their work on this film. The visual look for the movie is easily demo worthy with alot of detail in the cars that make them look oh so good. The soundtrack has a nice score that goes with the movie and the film features some of the best bass I have heard in a car movie like this. I can literally hear every car screeching and turning, this is easily demo worthy and one that will put your system to good use. This movie wasn't meant to have a great story, it was meant to focus on cars and girls. To my extent, it did just that. I'm glad a movie like this came out because it really put the pressure on all those racing movies to step it up and match the awesomeness of this movie. This is definitely worth a look if your looking for some fun.

Grade: C+