The Social Network Review
starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
director: David Fincher
I am glad I watched this movie when all of the hype about it subsided because then my opinions about how the movie might be would be completely off. A lot of people said they didn't like it but I actually did. For one, it was a true story, so that was captivating in itself. Secondly, it's about how Facebook started. Since I have a Facebook page, and the owner/inventor of Facebook is around my age, I thought it would be an interesting story to watch on the big screen because I wouldn't be in the least bit interested if it was just a book or a newspaper article.
I like how sometimes there's a break in between movie releases where there isn't a movie that's all action packed, CGI invested with fight scenes every moment like The Social Network. I like to sit down, relax and not be overwhelmed sometimes with a great story line and great acting. Jesse Eisenberg played a spot-on Mark Zuckerberg. He brought a more intense, jack-ass like attitude in this movie than he had in a lot of other recent movies he has been in which I thought suited his character quite nicely. He came off as the good guy in some situations and the bad guy during other situations and he could mix in a little of both in other moments.
I like how there wasn't a whole lot of music in this movie to build the audience up for dramatic scenes. The actors really brought dramatic scenes to my attention when they were happening, which is a big reason why I liked this movie a lot. I also thought that the part where Mark (Jesse Eisenberg) and Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) were discussing things in the club in California was genius because the audience, along with the characters, had to listen attentively to the dialogue of each other because the music in the club was playing so loudly. I thought it was innovative to keep the music louder than usual movies, but not loud enough to hear what was being said.
The ending summed up the story quite nicely for me with Mark refreshing his laptop every couple of seconds to see if his love interest would accept his friend request while the information of the true story was being told at the bottom of the screen. Great overall production of this movie and its worth a couple of views to fully grasp the realism of this movie.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen Review
starring: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb
director: F. Gary Gray
This movie was strangely good. I am a huge Jamie Foxx fan because I think he is a very talented actor and can play comedic or drama roles at the very high level, and whenever I think about Gerard Butler, I just think about 300 and Spartaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. So lately I have been quite surprised to see his other movies like this one and, of course, The Ugly Truth. In this movie, Gerard plays a tactically psychotic justice-bringer. I think he could have been a little more sadistic in his looks and dialogue, but overall he did a great job.
Jamie Foxx has dramatic roles down pat. His timing is amazing and his intense looks make me believe his character's understanding of what is going on. Jamie and Gerard worked very well together, and I would gladly see another movie with the both of them in it.
The murders at the beginning of the movie were really captivating to say the least. Clyde (Gerard Butler) dismembering his family's killer was gruesome and painful to hear. I am glad they didn't show everything that happened because the aftermath was like a scene out of a game of Fallout 3 or Grand Theft Auto. I think the killings towards the end of the movie were a little too sloppy for how I thought Clyde would kill his enemies. The cars blowing up were pretty crazy but the armored remote controlled weapon in the graveyard wasn't very frightening. That part definitely let me know that yes this was a movie, and movies have to have explosions, bullets and guys not looking at explosions while they walk away.
I loved the plot-line a lot, this movie seemed to be original and worthwhile to watch a couple of times. Jamie Foxx seems to make movies incredible when he is in them, I believe if someone else played the part of Nick Rice then it wouldn't have been nearly as good.
starring: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb
director: F. Gary Gray
This movie was strangely good. I am a huge Jamie Foxx fan because I think he is a very talented actor and can play comedic or drama roles at the very high level, and whenever I think about Gerard Butler, I just think about 300 and Spartaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. So lately I have been quite surprised to see his other movies like this one and, of course, The Ugly Truth. In this movie, Gerard plays a tactically psychotic justice-bringer. I think he could have been a little more sadistic in his looks and dialogue, but overall he did a great job.
Jamie Foxx has dramatic roles down pat. His timing is amazing and his intense looks make me believe his character's understanding of what is going on. Jamie and Gerard worked very well together, and I would gladly see another movie with the both of them in it.
The murders at the beginning of the movie were really captivating to say the least. Clyde (Gerard Butler) dismembering his family's killer was gruesome and painful to hear. I am glad they didn't show everything that happened because the aftermath was like a scene out of a game of Fallout 3 or Grand Theft Auto. I think the killings towards the end of the movie were a little too sloppy for how I thought Clyde would kill his enemies. The cars blowing up were pretty crazy but the armored remote controlled weapon in the graveyard wasn't very frightening. That part definitely let me know that yes this was a movie, and movies have to have explosions, bullets and guys not looking at explosions while they walk away.
I loved the plot-line a lot, this movie seemed to be original and worthwhile to watch a couple of times. Jamie Foxx seems to make movies incredible when he is in them, I believe if someone else played the part of Nick Rice then it wouldn't have been nearly as good.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Other Guys
The Other Guys Review
starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson
director: Adam McKay
Starz has been great for staying up and watching some movies that I have never seen before. The last three movies I watched for the first time were all from Starz. I have been really missing out on newer movies, and especially comedy movies. I have always liked Will Ferrell movies, not in a sense where I was laughing out loud, but most of the jokes were an awkward kind of funny and this movie is no different.
I thought the parts with Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson were by far the best moments of the movie. Their death was hilarious and the music went amazingly perfect for their plunge to glory. The movie picked up with the basic Will Ferrell type of humor with Mark Wahlberg playing as a funny, hard-ass co-star. The movie went slightly downhill when the basic story-line caught up and the ending was drawing near. It turned in to a movie where the focus was on the awful story and not the comedy. It seemed like the only funny parts in the last quarter of the movie were with Michael Keaton.
My mother noted how disappointed she felt when she saw Michael Keaton playing such a minor roll in a movie, although it is a comedy film. She was in shock that Michael Keaton went from being a star to a minor character. I think that it doesn't matter that much because he is still acting, and I thought he was actually really funny in this movie.
After watching The Other Guys, I felt like I wanted to see more of Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. After they died, I felt kind of bored, although some parts were funny until half the movie was over.
starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson
director: Adam McKay
Starz has been great for staying up and watching some movies that I have never seen before. The last three movies I watched for the first time were all from Starz. I have been really missing out on newer movies, and especially comedy movies. I have always liked Will Ferrell movies, not in a sense where I was laughing out loud, but most of the jokes were an awkward kind of funny and this movie is no different.
I thought the parts with Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson were by far the best moments of the movie. Their death was hilarious and the music went amazingly perfect for their plunge to glory. The movie picked up with the basic Will Ferrell type of humor with Mark Wahlberg playing as a funny, hard-ass co-star. The movie went slightly downhill when the basic story-line caught up and the ending was drawing near. It turned in to a movie where the focus was on the awful story and not the comedy. It seemed like the only funny parts in the last quarter of the movie were with Michael Keaton.
My mother noted how disappointed she felt when she saw Michael Keaton playing such a minor roll in a movie, although it is a comedy film. She was in shock that Michael Keaton went from being a star to a minor character. I think that it doesn't matter that much because he is still acting, and I thought he was actually really funny in this movie.
After watching The Other Guys, I felt like I wanted to see more of Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. After they died, I felt kind of bored, although some parts were funny until half the movie was over.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Brooklyn's Finest
Brooklyn's Finest Review
starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes
director: Antoine Fuqua
I saw Brooklyn's Finest this morning for the first time on Starz beginning at about the 10 - 15 minute mark. I came in to see Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes apparently reunite as well as Richard Gere teaching some rookie cops the ropes on their first days. The cast for this movie is great, the stars and supporting cast did a great job. I love how 'adult' the movie was. I believe films these days are moving into a Rated-R direction rather than pulling back on swear words to go for a bigger box office hit with a PG-13 movie.
This movie is similar to the smash hit Crash for having multiple plot lines. Unlike Crash, however, they did not intertwine how I thought they would. It seemed like the three main stars would somehow end up speaking to one another at the end at least, but that did not happen. In my opinion, only Richard Gere's character got a rewarding climax. Not just for the fact that he was the only one to survive the ending, but his character had a sense of resolution that the others did not have. I think the character that got the worst ending was Don Cheadle's character because it seemed like everything he had worked for his entire career was blown by a friendly fire mistake in non-dramatic fashion. I don't even want to get in to how disappointed I was to be completed surprised when Ethan Hawke's character got blasted from the back by some random gang-banger who had perhaps one line in the movie, if that.
A better ending would be to have Ethan Hawke's character shoot up the kidnappers apartment right before Richard Gere's character came in to save the girls, and then have the Gere fight struggle as originally planned. Also, Don Cheadle's character should have survived along with Gere.
I think this movie was good, the many plot lines were very entertaining because it made you (the audience) think. I was just disappointed by the ending, I thought it was just too anti-climactic. I believe the movie had hints of trying to be like Crash (even having taking one of the stars from Crash in Don Cheadle), but it just didn't live up to my expectations. None-the-less, this movie was entertaining, and had some good suspenseful scenes.
starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes
director: Antoine Fuqua
I saw Brooklyn's Finest this morning for the first time on Starz beginning at about the 10 - 15 minute mark. I came in to see Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes apparently reunite as well as Richard Gere teaching some rookie cops the ropes on their first days. The cast for this movie is great, the stars and supporting cast did a great job. I love how 'adult' the movie was. I believe films these days are moving into a Rated-R direction rather than pulling back on swear words to go for a bigger box office hit with a PG-13 movie.
This movie is similar to the smash hit Crash for having multiple plot lines. Unlike Crash, however, they did not intertwine how I thought they would. It seemed like the three main stars would somehow end up speaking to one another at the end at least, but that did not happen. In my opinion, only Richard Gere's character got a rewarding climax. Not just for the fact that he was the only one to survive the ending, but his character had a sense of resolution that the others did not have. I think the character that got the worst ending was Don Cheadle's character because it seemed like everything he had worked for his entire career was blown by a friendly fire mistake in non-dramatic fashion. I don't even want to get in to how disappointed I was to be completed surprised when Ethan Hawke's character got blasted from the back by some random gang-banger who had perhaps one line in the movie, if that.
A better ending would be to have Ethan Hawke's character shoot up the kidnappers apartment right before Richard Gere's character came in to save the girls, and then have the Gere fight struggle as originally planned. Also, Don Cheadle's character should have survived along with Gere.
I think this movie was good, the many plot lines were very entertaining because it made you (the audience) think. I was just disappointed by the ending, I thought it was just too anti-climactic. I believe the movie had hints of trying to be like Crash (even having taking one of the stars from Crash in Don Cheadle), but it just didn't live up to my expectations. None-the-less, this movie was entertaining, and had some good suspenseful scenes.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
TRON Legacy
TRON Legacy Review
starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde
director: Joseph Kosinski
I first saw this movie for the first time last night at a really early hour on Justin.tv in high quality. I thought I would stay awake long enough to see if this movie was going to be any good because I have heard that this movie has a lot of fans. The people in the chat room were raving about the music during the entirety of the film, the beats and electronic sounds were incredibly suitable for the theme and setting of TRON. After the first 10 minutes, I got the impression that the creators of TRON Legacy wanted to make an Epic film. Epic films, in my opinion, are movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, the newer Batman's, Avatar etc. I liked the movie, but I wouldn't exactly put it in the same category as those titles.
TRON seemed to take a lot of things from other movies, but that didn't stop it from being somewhat original. The fast-paced music during relatively silent moments in the film reminded me a lot of Batman, not to mention the dark settings. I also thought that some of the fight scenes were reminiscent of The Matrix Trilogy.
I have never really appreciated the acting skills that Olivia Wilde possesses until I was watching her portrayal of Quorra in this movie. Her style is unique, and it transitioned well from House MD to TRON Legacy. Her eyes can tell you whether she is happy, sad, or frightened with ease. Which, I think, is a talent that is difficult to master (her gorgeous looks is a huge perk as well). I would also like to give a nod to Garrett Hedlund. He did a great job of being the main character and having a roll in virtually every scene after the first 10 minutes or so. Everyone else in this movie came off as sort of generic. It may have been their lack of back-story, or limited parts, but the supporting cast made me feel like this movie wasn't terribly meaningful like some of the other movies it would like to be compared with.
Overall I thought it was a pretty decent movie. Olivia Wilde gave me the most interest in watching, since I happen to be such a huge House MD fan, and I was really pleased with her performance. The story was cool, but I personally just didn't like the trademark TRON wardrobe and overwhelming white/orange lines everywhere. I do think this movie is worth a look, but perhaps maybe not a second.
starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde
director: Joseph Kosinski
I first saw this movie for the first time last night at a really early hour on Justin.tv in high quality. I thought I would stay awake long enough to see if this movie was going to be any good because I have heard that this movie has a lot of fans. The people in the chat room were raving about the music during the entirety of the film, the beats and electronic sounds were incredibly suitable for the theme and setting of TRON. After the first 10 minutes, I got the impression that the creators of TRON Legacy wanted to make an Epic film. Epic films, in my opinion, are movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, the newer Batman's, Avatar etc. I liked the movie, but I wouldn't exactly put it in the same category as those titles.
TRON seemed to take a lot of things from other movies, but that didn't stop it from being somewhat original. The fast-paced music during relatively silent moments in the film reminded me a lot of Batman, not to mention the dark settings. I also thought that some of the fight scenes were reminiscent of The Matrix Trilogy.
I have never really appreciated the acting skills that Olivia Wilde possesses until I was watching her portrayal of Quorra in this movie. Her style is unique, and it transitioned well from House MD to TRON Legacy. Her eyes can tell you whether she is happy, sad, or frightened with ease. Which, I think, is a talent that is difficult to master (her gorgeous looks is a huge perk as well). I would also like to give a nod to Garrett Hedlund. He did a great job of being the main character and having a roll in virtually every scene after the first 10 minutes or so. Everyone else in this movie came off as sort of generic. It may have been their lack of back-story, or limited parts, but the supporting cast made me feel like this movie wasn't terribly meaningful like some of the other movies it would like to be compared with.
Overall I thought it was a pretty decent movie. Olivia Wilde gave me the most interest in watching, since I happen to be such a huge House MD fan, and I was really pleased with her performance. The story was cool, but I personally just didn't like the trademark TRON wardrobe and overwhelming white/orange lines everywhere. I do think this movie is worth a look, but perhaps maybe not a second.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robbie Coltrane
director: Chris Columbus
I remember the first time I went to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I think I was 12 years old and I had no idea what Harry Potter was about. I knew that this was the book that everyone in my class was going crazy over, so I was feeling good to finally SEE what all the fuss was about. I immediately got hooked. The Harry Potter franchise, in general, has made my life so much better, I am grateful for such a wonderful story to be upcoming and new during my generation.
John Williams did a fantastic job of composing a beautiful tune that we all know as 'the Harry Potter theme' in Hedwig's Theme. Like all epic movie series, it had a song at the very beginning. I liked how the story was just told, and not explained like some of the future HP movies. I finally knew who Dumbledore and Hagrid were, and the story of Harry Potter. The movie, however, seemed to be going a bit fast with the music and such, but the pace slowed down after a little while.
I thought Richard Griffiths' facial expressions towards Harry were hilarious, especially during the scene where Aunt Petunia was finally revealing the story of Lily and James Potter to Harry. Uncle Vernon looked so evil and disgusted at the same time, it's so funny. Fiona Shaw did a great job at showing some deep emotion while she was talking about her sister whom she was so jealous of.
The whole Diagon Alley portion of the film was magical in every sense of the word. It made you feel wonder, excitement, and amazement all at the same time. Gringotts, Harry's vault, Olivander's, and Hedwig all made me feel like 'damn, being in this reality is quite boring.' The wonders that haven't been explored in the wizarding world of Harry Potter were all opening up in this movie and I was thrilled to have my own personal relationship with this series from here on out.
Everything in this entire movie, and the second one, looks so crisp. The wardrobe, settings and props all looked so great together. The effort that was put into this first movie showed a lot. The only things that looked somewhat out of place were the CGI characters like the Sorting Hat, and Fluffy. However the Quidditch and Invisibility Cloak scenes looked great. The unicorn's blood looked like nothing I had ever seen before, like liquid metal all over the ground that you could see your reflection off of.
I enjoyed watching the Trio battle their way through the trials to get to the Sorcerer's Stone. Especially Ron's scene with the huge game of Wizards Chess. Seeing the pieces get blown up and shredded was awesome. This trial showed how their friendship and wizarding skills could get them through anything, which was basically the theme throughout the entire series. Although, I thought the split second where Harry was actually considering giving Voldemort the Sorcerer's Stone was out of character.
I thought the endings in this movie were really touching. Gryffindor winning the house cup, the scrapbook that Hagrid gave Harry, and the scene where Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express and was off back to London were all very fine ways of ending a wonderful family film. Credit to the amazing author: J.K. Rowling for creating such beautiful stories.
This movie, like all of the other ones, are simply classics. Not once was I bored or uninterested with the movie. I think to truly love this movie and series, you have to come into it with an open mind because I know it is sort of hard to enjoy something when it has been over-hyped, but the hype was 100% spot on with Harry Potter.
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robbie Coltrane
director: Chris Columbus
I remember the first time I went to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I think I was 12 years old and I had no idea what Harry Potter was about. I knew that this was the book that everyone in my class was going crazy over, so I was feeling good to finally SEE what all the fuss was about. I immediately got hooked. The Harry Potter franchise, in general, has made my life so much better, I am grateful for such a wonderful story to be upcoming and new during my generation.
John Williams did a fantastic job of composing a beautiful tune that we all know as 'the Harry Potter theme' in Hedwig's Theme. Like all epic movie series, it had a song at the very beginning. I liked how the story was just told, and not explained like some of the future HP movies. I finally knew who Dumbledore and Hagrid were, and the story of Harry Potter. The movie, however, seemed to be going a bit fast with the music and such, but the pace slowed down after a little while.
I thought Richard Griffiths' facial expressions towards Harry were hilarious, especially during the scene where Aunt Petunia was finally revealing the story of Lily and James Potter to Harry. Uncle Vernon looked so evil and disgusted at the same time, it's so funny. Fiona Shaw did a great job at showing some deep emotion while she was talking about her sister whom she was so jealous of.
The whole Diagon Alley portion of the film was magical in every sense of the word. It made you feel wonder, excitement, and amazement all at the same time. Gringotts, Harry's vault, Olivander's, and Hedwig all made me feel like 'damn, being in this reality is quite boring.' The wonders that haven't been explored in the wizarding world of Harry Potter were all opening up in this movie and I was thrilled to have my own personal relationship with this series from here on out.
Everything in this entire movie, and the second one, looks so crisp. The wardrobe, settings and props all looked so great together. The effort that was put into this first movie showed a lot. The only things that looked somewhat out of place were the CGI characters like the Sorting Hat, and Fluffy. However the Quidditch and Invisibility Cloak scenes looked great. The unicorn's blood looked like nothing I had ever seen before, like liquid metal all over the ground that you could see your reflection off of.
I enjoyed watching the Trio battle their way through the trials to get to the Sorcerer's Stone. Especially Ron's scene with the huge game of Wizards Chess. Seeing the pieces get blown up and shredded was awesome. This trial showed how their friendship and wizarding skills could get them through anything, which was basically the theme throughout the entire series. Although, I thought the split second where Harry was actually considering giving Voldemort the Sorcerer's Stone was out of character.
I thought the endings in this movie were really touching. Gryffindor winning the house cup, the scrapbook that Hagrid gave Harry, and the scene where Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express and was off back to London were all very fine ways of ending a wonderful family film. Credit to the amazing author: J.K. Rowling for creating such beautiful stories.
This movie, like all of the other ones, are simply classics. Not once was I bored or uninterested with the movie. I think to truly love this movie and series, you have to come into it with an open mind because I know it is sort of hard to enjoy something when it has been over-hyped, but the hype was 100% spot on with Harry Potter.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris
director: Chris Columbus
The movie starts out wonderfully with a beautiful shot high above looking down onto hundreds of cookie-cutter style homes as it zooms into Harry's room. I like how we jump back into the same mind-set from the ending of the first movie to this one, even when the whole summer had passed. Harry looking at the moving pictures of his Mom and Dad, and of Ron and Hermione brought us right back to the story, reminding us of what had happened. As Uncle Vernon yelled for Harry to come downstairs, it was obvious that nothing substantial had changed. One of the first things I noticed was how deep everyone's voices got, especially Ron, Harry and Draco. It was a bit surprising at first, but that surprise wore off quick as the story progressed.
As soon as Dobby showed up, I immediately thought "Oh no, another Jar Jar Binks character," but I was gladly proven otherwise. Upon watching this film, I had not read a single page out of the Harry Potter movies and so the story presented to me on the big screen was all incredibly new to me. Dobby, even to this day, still looks amazing in that movie. The artists that made him and put him on the screen are genius because he doesn't look out of place at all. Dobby, the flying car, the bewitched knitting, and the bewitched dishwashing all looked fantastic. People certainly do not make movies like that anymore, actually using something tangible instead of creating it as a CGI figure/item.
The funniest person in the entire Harry Potter series makes his debut in this movie. Professor Gilderoy Lockheart, played by Kenneth Branagh, was simply hilarious. His timing and facial expressions were priceless, and I will always remember the lines he said. One of my favorites is "celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that" while talking to Harry, then suddenly looks away with the funniest smirk ever. I felt kind of sorry for him that he wasn't, or shall I say couldn't be in the final battle during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I believe he would have redeemed himself after what took place in the Chamber of Secretes.
Another person who makes his debut in the film is Lucius Malfoy, played by Jason Isaacs. I thought he played Lucius perfect throughout the entire series, as he is an amazing actor. The way he can turn up his intensity so immediately is inspiring.
I am truly thankful that they did not make a CGI Whomping Willow, because the scenes of Ron and Harry crashing into it were awesome. Perhaps the movies got a bigger budget, or that is how a director like Chris Columbus likes it, either way I enjoyed watching handmade material. I don't know exactly what happened to where Chris Columbus wasn't directing any of the other films, but I think Warner Bros. should have let him continue making them because he made them work. The CGI characters did not seem like they were CGI, unlike some of the other future films.
I am really quite sad that Richard Harris passed away after this movie. He was the perfect man to play as Albus Dumbledore. Really a great cast. He would have been amazing in the other battles and scenes in the other films.
The spider scenes were pretty intense. I, like Ron, hate spiders, so it was eerie watching hundreds of HUGE spiders rushing after the boys and Fang, Hagrid's dog. That would be one of my worst nightmares if spiders that big were actually real. Not to mention the Basilisk. The Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets is GIGANTIC. Anyone controlling that huge snake is truly evil. Christian Coulson played a very convincing part as Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Voldemort. I think he deserved to be cast in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince to make the films come together more (kind of like how George Lucas put in Hayden Christensen in the last scene of Star Wars Return of the Jedi as Anakin Skywalker's ghost during the Rebel Alliance celebration).
Overall this movie is fantastic, I have it on my computer so I can watch it whenever I please, along with some of the other HP films. Wonderful job by everyone who was involved, I think it's a classic that will be remembered throughout history and they should never remake this one, let alone any of the other HP movies. Also, a little Easter Egg: if you watch until after the credits have finished, you get to see Gilderoy Lockheart's latest book title :(
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris
director: Chris Columbus
The movie starts out wonderfully with a beautiful shot high above looking down onto hundreds of cookie-cutter style homes as it zooms into Harry's room. I like how we jump back into the same mind-set from the ending of the first movie to this one, even when the whole summer had passed. Harry looking at the moving pictures of his Mom and Dad, and of Ron and Hermione brought us right back to the story, reminding us of what had happened. As Uncle Vernon yelled for Harry to come downstairs, it was obvious that nothing substantial had changed. One of the first things I noticed was how deep everyone's voices got, especially Ron, Harry and Draco. It was a bit surprising at first, but that surprise wore off quick as the story progressed.
As soon as Dobby showed up, I immediately thought "Oh no, another Jar Jar Binks character," but I was gladly proven otherwise. Upon watching this film, I had not read a single page out of the Harry Potter movies and so the story presented to me on the big screen was all incredibly new to me. Dobby, even to this day, still looks amazing in that movie. The artists that made him and put him on the screen are genius because he doesn't look out of place at all. Dobby, the flying car, the bewitched knitting, and the bewitched dishwashing all looked fantastic. People certainly do not make movies like that anymore, actually using something tangible instead of creating it as a CGI figure/item.
The funniest person in the entire Harry Potter series makes his debut in this movie. Professor Gilderoy Lockheart, played by Kenneth Branagh, was simply hilarious. His timing and facial expressions were priceless, and I will always remember the lines he said. One of my favorites is "celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that" while talking to Harry, then suddenly looks away with the funniest smirk ever. I felt kind of sorry for him that he wasn't, or shall I say couldn't be in the final battle during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I believe he would have redeemed himself after what took place in the Chamber of Secretes.
Another person who makes his debut in the film is Lucius Malfoy, played by Jason Isaacs. I thought he played Lucius perfect throughout the entire series, as he is an amazing actor. The way he can turn up his intensity so immediately is inspiring.
I am truly thankful that they did not make a CGI Whomping Willow, because the scenes of Ron and Harry crashing into it were awesome. Perhaps the movies got a bigger budget, or that is how a director like Chris Columbus likes it, either way I enjoyed watching handmade material. I don't know exactly what happened to where Chris Columbus wasn't directing any of the other films, but I think Warner Bros. should have let him continue making them because he made them work. The CGI characters did not seem like they were CGI, unlike some of the other future films.
I am really quite sad that Richard Harris passed away after this movie. He was the perfect man to play as Albus Dumbledore. Really a great cast. He would have been amazing in the other battles and scenes in the other films.
The spider scenes were pretty intense. I, like Ron, hate spiders, so it was eerie watching hundreds of HUGE spiders rushing after the boys and Fang, Hagrid's dog. That would be one of my worst nightmares if spiders that big were actually real. Not to mention the Basilisk. The Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets is GIGANTIC. Anyone controlling that huge snake is truly evil. Christian Coulson played a very convincing part as Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Voldemort. I think he deserved to be cast in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince to make the films come together more (kind of like how George Lucas put in Hayden Christensen in the last scene of Star Wars Return of the Jedi as Anakin Skywalker's ghost during the Rebel Alliance celebration).
Overall this movie is fantastic, I have it on my computer so I can watch it whenever I please, along with some of the other HP films. Wonderful job by everyone who was involved, I think it's a classic that will be remembered throughout history and they should never remake this one, let alone any of the other HP movies. Also, a little Easter Egg: if you watch until after the credits have finished, you get to see Gilderoy Lockheart's latest book title :(
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