REVIEW: Predator

Predator

Year: 1987
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Elpidia Carrillo, Kevin Peter Hall
Distributor: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
MPAA: Rated R

Before John Mctiernan went on to direct the ever so popular movie "Die Hard", he gave us Predator. Predator is now considered a classic by many action film fans. It was considered one of the best SCI-FI action films of the decade and one of Schwarzenegger's better efforts. The movie not only was great, but also introduced a new monster franchise that appears in other films. The film was also a success grossing an estimated $98 million worldwide on a small budget of $15 million. Living in Canada, I first saw Predator on TV and I was only 5 years old. My eyes were simply glued to the TV and I just couldn't stop drooling over how awesome it really was. After spotting it while I was skipping through channels yesterday, I decided to whip out the DVD and give it a review.

Plot Outline:
Army Seargent Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is hired to lead a team of commandos into a Central American jungle to rescue some soldiers who've been kidnapped. But on arrival, they learn they weren't the first unit to arrive and that those who came before them have been gruesomely slaughtered and skinned alive. They soon realize that someone or something is hunting and killing them one by one. Dutch slowly comes to realize the reason for this is that they are the prey of a hunter who is more than human and simply likes killing them for no reason other than pure sport.

Plot:
I was wowed by it when I was 5 and I'm still wowed by it today. The story is simple and in short terms, its basically the hunter being the hunted. The film is also highly entertaining and full of explosions. It grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Director Mctiernan creates a suspenseful mood that is every bit as effective as it can be. We get a few shots of the Predator looking down on his prey and these scenes are nicely done using some sort of thermal vision to make the Predator different than humans. This makes for an impressive sense of claustrophobia while leading to an uncertainty and an impending doom. The film also had me on the edge of my seat while keeping the interest up. I was so eager to find out what will happen next. This isn't those predictable action movies that plague us in today's world. Sure we do get a few cheesy lines and the story does leave you with some unanswered questions, but these hardly ever get in the way of how fun this movie really is. Besides, I still love that memorable quote where Arnold says "If it bleeds, we can kill it".

Cast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays as Dutch and hes fine for this role. Sure his acting isn't great, but I found him to be very enjoyable and enough to easily handle the torch of being the main protagonist in the film. Carl Weathers plays as Dillonand and he too is good for his role. His lack of faith and certain charisma makes him an interesting character. Elpidia Carrillo plays as Anna in the film. She does a decent job even though she doesn't have many lines. I think someone else could have played this part just as good or even better than what Carrillo did. Bill Duke plays as Mac and he gives a good performance. I enjoyed his character and thought he was great in this movie. I was impressed by Dukes work here even though this was early in his career. The late Kevin Peter Hall plays as The Predator and hes great. Sure his character hardly says anything, but I think Hall was a good choice to be playing this character. Hes tall and well built for the part.

Picture:
The visual look of Predator is probably the films weakest area. As solely for the special effects, they are good. For a film of its time, the effects certainly look good. The late Stan Winston has done a nice job on creating a creature that looks great, but also iconic in a way. As for the rest of the film, its actually a big disappointment. The films source is in bad position and theirs film grain just about everywhere. Colors can look pretty at times, but they aren't vibrant enough. The jungle setting of the movie doesn't pop or wow me like it should. The night scenes also don't hold up well with blacks not being dark enough. Detail is also on the soft side even with close up shots. Fox really needs to remaster this film in high definition so we can all witness how the movie should have looked like.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Predator is simply riveting. Composer Alan Silvestri who also scored the 1985 hit "Back to the Future", does a fantastic job here. He creates a score that easily goes well with the film, but one that also stays in your head. Its truly wonderful and one of the best SCI-FI music I have heard in awhile. The music is also effectively well used in ever scene. The films bass is average which is kind of a surprise. A movie like this was bound to rock on your set up, but it doesn't. I mean it sounds fine, but just not as great as I would have hoped for. I think Fox needs to remaster the soundtrack too because a great soundtrack like this shouldn't sound outdated and yet it does.

Conclusion:
Predator is easily one of the best SCI-FI films of the decade. Not only is it one of Schwarzenegger's better films, but it even stands the test of time. I enjoyed this film when I was little and I still found it to be great. The story is engaging and really entertaining. The cast works fine and I found most of them to be enjoyable. The visual look of the movie is soft and needs remastering, but at least the special effects look good for its time. The soundtrack is lively and has a fantastic score made by Alan Silvestri even though it could also use a remastering. I can easily recommend this film to any action film fans or to those seeing an entertaining film. Its one of those rare action films that belong in your collection.

Grade: B

REVIEW: Step Brothers

Step Brothers

Year: 2008
Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

When I first saw the trailer for Step Brothers, I thought it looked pretty funny. I mean Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and Judd Apatow producing can only mean a fun time at the movies. After Ferrell's last movie "Semi-Pro" bombed at the box office by grossing only $43 million, it was important for his next movie to be a success or else his career could have been headed downhill. Luckily it was because Step Brothers has made over $62 million in two weeks and should finish above the $100 million mark in the end. After reading the mixed reviews for the film, I decided to give it a look.

Plot Outline:
Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) is a thirty-nine year old who has never left home and lives with his divorced mother, Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen). Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) is a forty year old who also has never left home and lives with his widower father, Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins). Both of them are unemployed and have been living off the goodness of their parents their whole lives. Nancy meets Robert and they both fall in love. The two of them soon get married and the two sons are forced to live together in the same room as step brothers. Brennan and Dale hate each other because they don't want to share their parents or change their lives. However, things are about to change.

Plot:
I know when I walked into this movie, I wasn't expecting to be blown away by the story, but I was at least expecting it to be good. The plot is un-original and not really creative. It starts off pretty nicely and looks like its going to end good, but it doesn't. The plot gets really thin and doesn't go anywhere. I also didn't really like the ending and thought it could have been better even though the last scene where the brothers come back to kick some child ass is simply hilarious. The movie has many funny scenes that will easily make you laugh if you have seen previous Apatow type films. I haven't laughed this much watching a Will Ferrell movie since Anchorman. The jokes are more raunchy and pretty dirty. In one scene we have Ferrell rubbing his balls on Dale's drum set. I do think the movie focuses more on its jokes rather than its story to past the time. The movie also uses foul language excessively when not needed. Sure the previous Apatow related films have all had strong language and I know this movie is a rated R picture, but I think its simply just too much and un-needed.

Cast:
The cast for the movie is great. Will Ferrell plays as Brennan Huff and he does a great job acting like some thirteen year old kid. Ferrell is at the stage of his life where he can do just about anything and people would still laugh. Even though I'm not the biggest Ferrell fan, I enjoyed his performance here. John C. Reilly plays as Dale Doback and he too is great. He shares great chemistry with Ferrell and its hard to imagine anyone else playing the same role opposite Ferrell. Richard Jenkins plays as Dr. Robert Doback and he gives an enjoyable performance. I haven't seen him this excited and open minded in any of his films. He fits the role of the father just nicely. Mary Steenburgen plays as Nancy Huff and she gives a nice performance. I think she did fine playing as the mother next to Jenkins. We also have Adam Scott playing as Derek and hes just funny. Even though he doesn't look anything like Ferrell's brother, he was funny and enjoyable.

Picture:
The film was just released last week so the films source is in good shape. I didn't notice much film grain, but I did catch a few scratches here and their. I'm not sure if it was the projector in the theater or if it was the movie itself. The movie has many colors that show. Their not really bright and vibrant like how Forgetting Sarah Marshall was, but its still colorful. The colors seem slightly pale and somewhat darkish compared to Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Skin tones are pretty much accurate and don't seem off. Detail is surprisingly not great. I was expecting a new release film like this to pop with detail, but its just average. Some shots tend to look soft and others just look average.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the film is also pretty good. The movie doesn't really consist of a score, but it still has tons of music. These music are mostly mixed between rap/hip hop and some techno. They all sound pretty good and seem to go well with the films comical type atmosphere. The movie's bass isn't really loud, but it seems pretty good for a movie like this. I was pleasantly surprised with the films bass and thought it seemed alright for a comedy like this. Its definitely not demo material, but I cant imagine it being any louder considering its story and genre.

Conclusion:
Step Brothers is a pretty good comedy that's full of laughs. The story isn't creative and the plot wears thin, but its still entertaining. The cast is great with Ferrell and Reilly having good chemistry while being funny at the same time. The visual look of the film is colorful, but also soft at times. The soundtrack seems very suitable for a movie like this and pretty much works with the story. I cant say that I loved this film, but its still pretty damn entertaining. I think its worth checking out if your looking for some fun, but just don't expect much from the story.

Grade: C

REVIEW: Vantage Point

Vantage Point

Year: 2008
Director: Pete Travis
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Saïd Taghmaoui, William Hurt
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

When I first saw the trailer for Vantage Point in theaters early this year, I wasn't interested. I thought the trailer looked mediocre and not something Id spend my money on seeing. Looks like I was right again because the film wasn't well received by critics. The strange thing was that the ratings didn't stop this movie from being successful. The film managed to gross an estimated $150 million worldwide on a simple budget of $40 million. I decided to wait for the DVD to review this film since alot of people said it wasn't that good.

Plot Outline:
President Ashton (William Hurt) is in Spain for a world summit on terrorism. His Secret Service team includes Agent Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) and Agent Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) who took a bullet for the president in the past. However, the experience has left him shaken and only Taylor's good word keeps him on this assignment. While at the summit, an assassination attempt on the President and a bomb going off causes a big stir. Also in Spain are several other random individuals who would never cross each other's path. American tourist Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) and Spanish police officer Enrique (Eduardo Noriega) are about to cross paths in ways they never thought possible until that day.

Plot:
The film's concept sounds very interesting and one that could have worked pretty well if it were nicely executed. The plot is told through a series of flashbacks in someones point of view or as some people like to say, vantage points. This makes the film interesting because it rewinds parts of the film to go with the story. The only problem is that they do this about eight different times and it can get pretty damn aggravating. Not only that, but these flashbacks lack some serious character development. We have no idea who these eight different people are and why they are important to the story. The movie also has a plot hole that really makes the whole film seem kind of useless. The ending also seems rushed and not thought out well. On top of that, the movie also has some minor problems that you can really notice if you pay close attention. I wont name all of them, but one of them is when Agent Barnes is running and shooting at a car. He fires 25 to 30 bullets on a pistol that carries about 12 to 16. Like I said, these are only minor, but their are alot of them. With all of this said, the film can still be somewhat entertaining. We get alot of stuff that blow up and even a car chase.

Cast:
The cast for Vantage Point is another weak aspect of the film. Dennis Quaid plays as Thomas Barnes and he doest give a performance that I would have expected from him. He usually tends to perform well in movies, but hes just so average here. I didn't believe his acting for one bit. Matthew Fox plays as Kent Taylor and I kind of laughed a couple times at his work. He doesn't give a performance that's worth watching and I just found his character to be so dumb and funny when hes suppose to be a serious agent. Forest Whitaker plays as Howard Lewis and he feels pretty wasted here. After his Oscar performance in The Last King of Scotland, I was expecting alot from him here and yet I was disappointed. He seems too calm and worthless in this movie. Saïd Taghmaoui plays as Suarez and he does a decent job here. Nothing too special, but nothing too bad either. We also have William Hurt playing as President Ashton. He too gives a decent performance that's nothing to rave about, but also nothing that's going to bother you.

Picture:
The visual look of Vantage Point is probably the films strongest point. This is a great looking movie. I didn't notice any CGI effects and the films source is an excellent condition with no film grain which shouldn't come as a surprise since the film was released early this year. Colors are lively and pretty to look at. The film has many different scenes where colors truly pop out and look wonderful. Blacks are inky and very strong. Flesh tones are somewhat off at times, but pretty consistent for the most part. Detail is very strong and really impressive. Close up shots and the environment reveal alot of detail. The film is also razor sharp and what a recent DVD should look like.

Sound:
The soundtrack is pretty good and seems to fit the movie. The music is composed by Atli Örvarsson who hasn't done much big budget films in the past. His score seems perfectly fine for the movie and is used pretty effectively. Scenes feature music that tends to go well with the action. The films also got an impressive amount of bass. It ain't up to the level of something like The Incredible Hulk, but its definitely good for a movie like this. Dynamics are full and loud. The explosions sound great and the way it should sound. This ain't demo material, but is definitely enough to satisfy most people.

Conclusion:
Vantage Point had a good concept, but it wasn't executed right. The story starts out interesting, but becomes a hassle to watch. It feels like I'm in Sunday school trying to figure each little thing out instead of watching a great movie. Their are some parts that can be entertaining, but these get overshadowed by its many problems that any smart person would notice if they looked hard enough. The cast is mostly poor with many of them not performing as strong as I would have liked them to. This movie has many talented actors and yet they don't give it their best. The visual look of the film is great and the movie is nicely detailed. The soundtrack works and features some good bass work. If you have to see it no matter what, Id probably give it a rent than. As for everyone else, id skip it.

Grade: D+

REVIEW: Leatherheads

Leatherheads

Year: 2008
Director: George Clooney
Starring: George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, John Krasinski, Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Root
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Leatherheads was intended to come out in 1993 until former president of production at Universal Pictures, Casey Silver left the studio to become an independent producer. The script and movie was put on hold for awhile until Clooney came on board. When a movie that was suppose to come out 15 years ago ends up coming out now, it only spells trouble. The film only managed to gross an estimated $41 million worldwide on a budget of $58 million. Not only did the film not make its budget back, but it also received mixed reviews from critics. I really wanted to see this film when I first caught sight of the trailer. I thought it looked fun and exciting, but I wasn't able to catch it in theaters.

Plot Outline:
Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly (George Clooney) is the leader of the Duluth Bulldogs, an amateur American football team whose fortunes have gone the way of the black sheep. Losing team members as well as matches, he hatches a plan to recruit war hero and Princeton star Carter "The Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski), the nation's biggest and best loved college player. Only thing is, not everyone believes Bullet is quite the golden boy he claims to be. Dispatched to scoop the truth is reporter Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger) who ends up falling in love with both Connelly and Rutherford.

Plot:
I have to agree with some critics here because I too felt that the story for Leatherheads is a mixed bag. While the story isn't really bad, it just doesn't click. It never stays on one path and ends up adding more ideas. In the end we get a sequence of romantic rivalries filled with dull sexy moments of flirtation. The dialogue tends to drag and feels somewhat corny. I know this was meant to be a screwball type comedy, but even then I think the dialogue drags on. The ending could have also used alittle more work. With this said, Leatherheads can still be fun. I know the concept of it may sound boring and dumb on paper, but its actually refreshing. The story ain't great, but its fun and nicely directed by George Clooney. The movie has some jokes that can be pretty funny and fits in the nature of this film. We also get many football scenes that are exciting and fun to watch. All of this mixed with the great 30's and 40's music can result in some form of entertainment.

Cast:
George Clooney plays as Jimmy 'Dodge' Connelly and hes nicely casted here. Sure hes not giving out Oscar performances, but I found his character to be very enjoyable especially since its Clooney that's playing him. Renée Zellweger plays as Lexie Littleton and she fits in very nicely. Her clothing and style of voice easily matches the films setting. She shows alot of charisma and humor that I found to be pretty refreshing. I did think her dialogue with Clooney was very corny and somewhat childish, but these aren't big issues that will keep you from enjoying this movie. John Krasinski plays as Carter "The Bullet" Rutherford and hes fun here too. I love "The Office" so its very nice to see Jim...I mean Krasinski playing in big roles like this. I thought he did a good job here even though his character kind of felt like Jim Halpert from "The Office". We also have Jonathan Pryce playing as C.C. Frazier and its nice to finally see him away from the Pirate movies. He gives a nice little performance here. Nothing special, but far from bring bad.

Picture:
The visual look of Leatherheads is pretty great. The film doesn't feature any CGI so we don't have to worry about fake looking animations. I did notice some film grain here and their, but Its very minimal. I think its more of the films look considering its a gritty type of football movie. Colors are pretty impressive for the most part. The film has many scenes outdoor or indoor that really show many wonderful colors. Even when their outdoors, the color never fails to amaze me. Flesh tones are alittle off, but look generally good for the most part. Detail is very good, but not good to the level of 21 which was the last film I reviewed. Their are scenes where the characters faces have a good amount of detail on them. Its only when their far away that some shots seem soft.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Leatherheads is nicely made and used very effectively. Composer Randy Newman who also scored the music for Toy Story 2 and Seabiscuit, does a fine job here. His score easily fits the atmosphere of the film and is very impressive. We get a ton of music that I think is mostly from the 30's to the 40's. These all sound very good and keeps the story from being a bore fest. The movie also has some nice bass that seems enough for a movie like this. It isn't as great or loud as the ever so popular "Cloverfield", but I think its enough to satisfy you. Its got plenty of rumbles that are mostly heard when their playing football in the fields. But when you got music like the ones in this movie mixed with some bass, you get a great soundtrack.

Conclusion:
Leatherheads can be pretty fun at times. Sure the story ain't perfect with its bad use of dialogue and somewhat messy plot, but its still enjoyable. I thought the cast was fine with alot of them giving performances that shouldn't disappoint. The visual look of the movie is somewhat gritty and full of lovely colors. The soundtrack is a joy to listen to and seems to fit the movie very nicely. If your into screwball comedies like this then Id definitely give Leatherheads a rent. Its not great, but its worth checking out if your bored.

Grade: C

REVIEW: 21

21

Year: 2008
Director: Robert Luketic
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Aaron Yoo
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

21 was released in late March of this year and it was a good success. The film that was made for only $35 million grossed over $155 million worldwide at the box office. It easily passed its budget and went on to become one of the sleeper hits of this year. I personally didn't care much about the movie when it was in theaters. The trailers I saw for the movie looked alright, but nothing that made me jump up in excitement. So I decided that Id just wait for the DVD instead of paying $10 bucks for a movie that I'm not really interested in.

Plot Outline:
Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy, but brilliant MIT student who wants to enroll at Harvard Medical School once he graduates. He only has to come up with $300,000 for tuition. His math professor, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), recognizes his genius for numbers and invites him to join his special "math club," a group of fellow students who make weekly trips to Las Vegas to beat the casinos by counting cards at blackjack. The Vegas lifestyle soon seduces Ben and so does his sexy teammate Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth). Cautiously watching all of this is Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) the casino's security chief who is trying to figure out why the weekly kid never tends to lose a hand.

Plot:
The story is based on the book "Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich. Having not read the book, I cant comment on how close the movie stays faithful the book. The actual story for the movie is somewhat of a mixed bag. The film would have been totally boring if it was just counting cards the whole time so luckily it isn't. The writers tried to add in some type of story so it isn't just counting cards the whole time. This makes the movie less boring and something to actually look forward too, but it doesn't really click. The film ends up being longer than it should be and feels somewhat stretched out. The plot also tends to get repetitive with things happening over again and again. The story is also pretty much straight forward and can be predictable from time to time. I don't think the book had enough material to make a movie out of it. With that said, 21 can still be pretty fun. It has enough suspense to keep you entertained and doesn't go off track. Watching the characters count cards for the first few times is pretty cool. The story also starts off interesting with the main character being introduced to counting cards.

Cast:
The cast for 21 is pretty solid. Jim Sturgess plays as Ben Campbell and he does a pretty good job here. I think he was good for the part and I really enjoyed his work here. I did however think that he was bad at being excited when he won each time. Kevin Spacey plays as Prof. Micky Rosa and he too does a good job here. I enjoyed his performance and thought he was very much suitable for this character even though he doesn't have too much screen time. Kate Bosworth plays as Jill Taylor and shes pretty average here. I didn't think she was giving it her best and I thought she was rather flat at times. I think someone else could have easily replaced her for this role. Laurence Fishburne plays as Cole Williams and hes as great as ever. I thought he fit the shoes for this character and really had me convinced he was this evil guy trying to stop the people who count cards. Just like Spacey, Fishburne doesn't have alot of screen time so basically hes just in the background.

Picture:
The visual look of 21 is really great. You wouldn't expect a card game movie like this to feature any CGI and yet it does. The movie has many close up shots of chips moving and these are all CGI. They look pretty good as far as special effects, but too much CGI is really unnecessary for a movie like this. I couldn't detect any film grain which shouldn't come as a surprise considering the film was just released a couple months ago. Colors look bold and vibrant at times. This isn't a colorful film, but it does contain some nice colors especially when their playing in the casinos. Detail is pretty strong and the movie tends to look really great. Close up shots reveal a whole lot of detail on the cast members. The slot machines and card tables all look nicely detailed.

Sound:
The soundtrack in 21 is also very good. The score is composed by newcomer David Sardy and he does a nice job here. His score feels relatively right for a movie like this and its very much used effectively. We also get many other music in the film from various artists. These music all sound great and go well with whats being shown on the screen. I enjoyed listening to each and every one of them. You wouldn't expect a whole lot in terms of bass for a movie like this and yet it surprised me. The film features some good bass work that goes well with the films soundtrack. It isn't as aggressive like the one in Doomsday, but it perfectly fits the films mood. This is a solid soundtrack.

Conclusion:
21 has an interesting concept and one that is pretty cool to see. The film is based on a book that I don't think has enough material to make it into a full length movie. The story although entertaining can be pretty predictable and repetitive. The cast is mostly solid with many of them giving good performances. The visual look of the film is great and features some good amount of detail. The soundtrack is full of various songs from many different people and they all sound wonderful. 21 is worth watching if your into card type movies because it can be fun at times. As for everyone else, Id give it a good rent.

Grade: C

REVIEW: Doomsday

Doomsday

Year: 2008
Director: Neil Marshall
Starring: Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, David O'Hara, Craig Conway, Adrian Lester
Distributor: Rogue Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

When I first saw the trailer for Doomsday, I thought it looked kind of cool. Sure the story seemed un-original and dark, but it still looked like a fun movie. Not only that, but the director of this movie directed The Descent which alot of people said was pretty good. I pretty much enjoy watching low budget movies like this because I think they can be somewhat fun at times. Luckily my friend had seen the movie before me and convinced me to not see it. He thought it was decent, but not worth paying 10 bucks for. So I waited for the inevitable DVD release in which I can give a review for.

Plot Outline:
It's 2035 and a deadly virus has turned Scotland into a massive isolation center populated by crazed tattooed people. When the virus unexpectedly reoccurs in London, female cop Eden Sinclair (Rona Mitra) is recruited by her boss Bill Nelson (Bob Hoskins), to go over the wall into Scotland once her homeland in the hope of finding an antidote. She takes with her a crack team of soldiers to find the one man still inside who might have found the cure. But life behind the wall has changed over the past years and not for the better. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking to save Britain.

Plot:
The story of Doomsday is decent at best. The plot feels like a mix between the Mad Max movies and 28 Days Later. The film doesn't do anything new to set itself apart from many other movies in the same genre. The story sounds interesting on paper and even looks that way at the start of the film, but it really isn't. It tries too hard to accomplish too little. Theirs too much going on with many things happening from one corner to another. We have crazed tattooed people in the first half than it introduces us to medieval type people in the second. It would have been better if the story just stuck to one path instead of throwing more ideas in. The ending also feels a bit weak and could have been better. With that said, the movie can still be somewhat fun. Theirs alot of action and good explosions. I like how the crew made the film so bloody and gory. There are plenty of scenes that show some awesome, but bloody kills. I also found the film to have some character development in the main character even though it really isn't much.

Cast:
The cast of Doomsday is about average. Rhona Mitra plays as Eden Sinclair. I'm not sure if she was right for this role and I think someone else could have easily filled her shoes. She doesn't give a performance that wowed me, but I still thought she was decent as her character. Shes also very damn sexy in this film. I know she always looks good in her movies, but she looks fantastic here. Bob Hoskins plays as Bill Nelson and he does a pretty good job. I don't think he gave it his best like he did in Unleashed, but I think that was just the script and not him. David O'Hara plays as Michael Canaris and he seems flat here. His character is so dull and mostly un-interesting. Craig Conway plays as Sol and he does a decent job here. I think he gave a performance that I thought looked right, but his character is way too over the top. I found it really surprising that his character managed to become the leader of the infected people.

Picture:
The visual look of Doomsday is really good. The film was just released a couple of months ago so its source is in great condition. I didn't notice any film grain and thought the image was pretty smooth from start to finish. Colors seem slightly muted at times, but also very vibrant in a couple scenes. The color black is very strong in the film which shouldn't come as a surprise since most the scenes are at night. The scenes we have in the day are also wonderfully lit and pretty cool to look at. Skin tones seem accurate and tend to have a warm feeling. Detail is surprisingly really good. For a movie that's mostly at night, I wasn't expecting the detail to hold up well, but I was wrong. Close up shots show alot and car explosions look nicely detailed.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Doomsday is also very impressive. The original music is done by Tyler Bates who also did the soundtrack for the 2004 Dawn of the Dead and 300. His score for the film isn't used as much as I would have liked, but it still sounds pretty good. It goes well with the atmosphere of the film. Their are also plenty of other music in the movie. I haven't seen a movie that had this much music in it. There all good and fit nicely with whats going on in the scene. The bass is also great at times. While I wouldn't consider it demo material, but its still packing enough punch to satisfy you. The movie has many action scenes including a car chase near the end and all of this meets the bass. It delivers on being loud and aggressive.

Conclusion:
Doomsday doesn't do anything new to set itself apart from others. It takes the ingredients from films such as Mad Max and 28 Days Later to combine it into one. The story although entertaining at times isn't really good with too many things happening. The cast is decent with most of them giving out performances that are average at best. I still think Rhona Mitra is hot as hell in this movie. The visual look of the film is really good with alot of nice colors and detailed scenes. The soundtrack is lively and is always used. Each scene features music that goes well with whats going on. I wouldn't recommend this movie for those seeking something great. It might be a rental at best just for those fun scenes.

Grade: D+

REVIEW: Jumper

Jumper

Year: 2008
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane
Distributor: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
MPAA: Rated PG-13

When Jumper intentionally hit theaters early this year, I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it. It just didn't look like a movie that was going to be any good. The trailers however convinced me other wise. They kept mentioning from the director of The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. This kept me kind of interested because I happened to enjoy both of those movies. What ultimately made my decision to not see the movie was its reviews. Despite grossing over $220 million worldwide, Jumper didn't fair well to critics with most of them complaining about its story. So with that in mind, I decided to wait for the DVD and hoped to review it someday.

Plot Outline:
David Rice (Hayden Christensen) is a young man who quite literally gets away from his grim family life by teleporting to another place with the power of his mind. Years later, David is using his powers to raid bank vaults, seduce girls in London and sit a top the pyramids. He soon discovers that he is not the only one bestowed with this unique gift, and all is not well in the world of jumpers. After jumping back to Michigan to get reacquainted with his long lost love Millie Harris (Rachel Bilson), David makes the acquaintance of experienced jumper Griffin (Jamie Bell). Griffin tells him of a secret between jumpers and a shadowy group that seeks to destroy them such as Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) who view jumpers as a threat to all mankind, and make it their mission to eliminate them.

Plot:
The movie is based on Steven Gould's novel with the same name. The movie pretty much follows the novel at the start of the movie, but goes off in another direction half way through. The plot has an interesting concept that would have made for a killer trilogy, but it completely fails to deliver. We don't get answers to many of the questions the film leaves you with such as the connection between the jumpers and the people who are trying to kill them. Also the story with David's mother. Not only that, but the film tries to hide all of this with its special effects which are great by the way. The characters also feel somewhat plastic and pretty dull. Theirs hardly any character development which often results in no chemistry between the main characters. I think the studio should have sticked with the script by David S. Goyer which followed the novel really closely instead of going with another script which replaced parts of the novel with action scenes. With that said, Jumper is still pretty entertaining. Its cool to see the main character David jumping all over the world in the blink of an eye.

Cast:
Hayden Christensen plays as David Rice and he gives an almost emotionless performance. His acting just wasn't convincing me and I know he can do better if he tries like he did in Episode III. Jamie Bell plays as Griffin and hes probably the only one in the film that I thought gave a very good performance. Hes witty and relaxed the way he should be. I remember him playing in Peter Jackson's King Kong which he had a decent role in. Its nice to see him somewhere in the lead this time. Rachel Bilson plays as Millie Harris and I kind of liked her in this role. She doesn't have much chemistry with Christensen, but I still liked that she was somewhat sophisticated. Samuel L. Jackson plays as Roland and he kind of surprised me. Honestly, when I first saw the trailer for Jumper, I just thinking "what the hell is Jackson doing in a movie like this". Than I saw the movie and thought he wasn't that bad in it. He doesn't really make for a good villain, but I still thought he gave a pretty good performance in his role.

Picture:
The visual effects for Jumper are simply great. The movie was just released early this year so the films source is in excellent shape. I didn't notice any film grain and the image was clean through out the movie. Colors are pretty eye popping and very stylized. Their are some scenes where it seems like its somewhat oversaturated, but it looks vibrant for the most part. The film has many scenes where it shows its wonderful colors and this is mostly when David is seen in different locations. Flesh tones look pretty accurate with maybe some scenes alittle off. Detail is very clear and sharp. Environments look highly detailed and show alot of clarity. Close up shots show alot on the characters faces. The movie also contains many CGI footage that looks great. Animations look real and similar to those found in real life. This is a great looking movie that will end up being demo material.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Jumper is very lively. The movie is scored by composer John Powell who also composed other hits such as X-Men: The Last Stand and The Bourne Ultimatum. The movies score is almost non-existent and hardly feels like its been used enough. The only real time we get to listen to it is during the end credits. Even with that, Jumper still features other music from various artists. All these music sound great and seems to go well with the films style. Bass is cranked up high and loud. Jumper has many scenes that use its bass to the limit. You can hear the rumble when someone jumps to another place. Dynamics hold up really well and show some aggressive use for the films rocking bass. This is easily reference material and something Id use to demo off my surround sound.

Conclusion:
Jumper has an interesting concept that could have easily been made into a great film, but its under developed script brings it down a notch. The story although somewhat entertaining feels sloppy and a bit rushed. We get left with many questions that don't get answers too. The cast is average at best with most of them giving out decent performances. The visual effects for the movie are simply great and awesome to look at. The soundtrack is rocking with some strong bass and good music. This movie might be worth checking out if your bored and looking for some fun. Just make sure to have an open mind and not pay too much attention to its story. Here's hoping the sequel which they made it obvious near the end turns out better.

Grade: C-