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 :(
Monday, August 15, 2011
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Gary Oldman
director: Alfonso Cuaron
After the whole Dobby fiasco, Harry Potter seemed to be content with how his life was going. Until a man named Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban prison (kind of like Alcatraz in San Fransico), which no one had ever done before because it is heavily guarded by surrounding Dementors.
I felt nice and warm watching another Harry Potter movie again for the first time (which was a very long time ago). The moment that the Monster Book of Monster's started to open it's eyes and become alive underneath Harry's bed made me feel happy that I had finally fallen into another Harry Potter adventure.
Hogwarts never looked better, since after this movie, the whole series would take a completely drastic turn. I love watching the classroom scenes, the Quidditch matches, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione hanging out together. I wonder if this movie got approved for a bigger budget because it seemed like this movie looked more like an epic film compared to the first two, in a good way. The Whomping Willow, Sirius as Padfoot, Buckbeak, the Dementors, Remus Lupin, and the Marauder's Map all looked incredibly well done and fit perfectly with the setting and lighting of the movie.
I thought the director did an amazing job at portraying the whole back-in-time sequences. At first I was a little confused when Harry and Hermione were actually back in time watching themselves. I would question whether the dialogue that was being said coincided with what they were seeing, and after re-watches of the movie, they were perfect. Everything fit amazingly well, I thought it was completed spot on for how complex the story-line was for that particular portion of the film.
I really love the fact that John Williams (whom I am a big fan of) composed the music for the first three Harry Potter films. The scene where Harry was riding Buckbeak over the Black Lake with John Williams's music in the background was simply refreshing and touching. You could just 'feel' that Harry began to trust Buckbeak when he spread his arms out and shouted with excitement. I also thought the point where Buckbeak glided over and touched the water was a brilliant shot as well.
Some of the more powerful scenes to me in this movie was when Professor Snape got Expelliarmus'd by Harry while in the Shrieking Shack. Harry finally taking control and being the powerful wizard that we all wish for him to be glistened in that part. Another part was, of course, the scene where Harry used his Patronus Charm and blasted away hundreds of Dementors coming down on him and his godfather Sirius Black. Harry realizing it was himself that he saw saving them was spectacular, Daniel Radcliffe made me a believer.
The whole movie is amazing, and I wonder what the other Harry Potter movies would look like if either Chris Columbus or Alfonso Cuaron directed the remaining films. I believe they would have more of a sense of loving between the relationship of Harry and the audience, but I am not complaining at all, I cherish the movies immensely.
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Gary Oldman
director: Alfonso Cuaron
After the whole Dobby fiasco, Harry Potter seemed to be content with how his life was going. Until a man named Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban prison (kind of like Alcatraz in San Fransico), which no one had ever done before because it is heavily guarded by surrounding Dementors.
I felt nice and warm watching another Harry Potter movie again for the first time (which was a very long time ago). The moment that the Monster Book of Monster's started to open it's eyes and become alive underneath Harry's bed made me feel happy that I had finally fallen into another Harry Potter adventure.
Hogwarts never looked better, since after this movie, the whole series would take a completely drastic turn. I love watching the classroom scenes, the Quidditch matches, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione hanging out together. I wonder if this movie got approved for a bigger budget because it seemed like this movie looked more like an epic film compared to the first two, in a good way. The Whomping Willow, Sirius as Padfoot, Buckbeak, the Dementors, Remus Lupin, and the Marauder's Map all looked incredibly well done and fit perfectly with the setting and lighting of the movie.
I thought the director did an amazing job at portraying the whole back-in-time sequences. At first I was a little confused when Harry and Hermione were actually back in time watching themselves. I would question whether the dialogue that was being said coincided with what they were seeing, and after re-watches of the movie, they were perfect. Everything fit amazingly well, I thought it was completed spot on for how complex the story-line was for that particular portion of the film.
I really love the fact that John Williams (whom I am a big fan of) composed the music for the first three Harry Potter films. The scene where Harry was riding Buckbeak over the Black Lake with John Williams's music in the background was simply refreshing and touching. You could just 'feel' that Harry began to trust Buckbeak when he spread his arms out and shouted with excitement. I also thought the point where Buckbeak glided over and touched the water was a brilliant shot as well.
Some of the more powerful scenes to me in this movie was when Professor Snape got Expelliarmus'd by Harry while in the Shrieking Shack. Harry finally taking control and being the powerful wizard that we all wish for him to be glistened in that part. Another part was, of course, the scene where Harry used his Patronus Charm and blasted away hundreds of Dementors coming down on him and his godfather Sirius Black. Harry realizing it was himself that he saw saving them was spectacular, Daniel Radcliffe made me a believer.
The whole movie is amazing, and I wonder what the other Harry Potter movies would look like if either Chris Columbus or Alfonso Cuaron directed the remaining films. I believe they would have more of a sense of loving between the relationship of Harry and the audience, but I am not complaining at all, I cherish the movies immensely.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robert Pattinson
director: Mike Newell
Along with the first three movies, I watched The Goblet of Fire before reading a single page out of the Harry Potter series. At this point, I had never missed the opening day of a Harry Potter movie and didn't plan to with this one either. The theater was packed with people, so I was lucky to get a good enough seat to enjoy the movie without hurting my neck from looking straight up.
With so many new characters coming on in this movie, it felt a little bit overwhelming at first, but after a few more times of watching it, everything fell in to order. The wizarding world opened up so much more during this movie than from the other three. The Quidditch World Cup, the Dark Mark, the Goblet of Fire, the Unforgivable Curses, dragons, and international wizards were all very new to the series that we as the audience didn't know before. I thought there could be no limit from here on out, this installment was the reason I wanted to start reading the books, beginning with #1 (The Sorcerer's Stone).
This was the first movie where someone had perished. Unfortunately, it was the Hufflepuff Hero, Cedric Diggory played by Robert Pattinson. It was a complete shock to me the first time I watched this movie, I would have never expected for him to die, let alone to Wormtail. I thought Robert Pattinson did an excellent job on playing Cedric, he can unleash intensity and kindness simultaneously whenever needed, which is how I had pictured Cedric Diggory to be.
The first thing that I noticed about the Trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione), was that they had soooo much hair. Hermione has an excuse being that she is a girl, but Harry and Ron had loads of hair which was kind of distracting for the first 15 or so minutes into the film. I think Mike Newell wanted to have the Harry Potter film franchise take a drastic 180 degrees into adulthood with some of the scenes. For example when Hagrid was dancing with the giantess Madame Olympe Maxime during the Yule Ball and he slyly slithered down to grab some giant ass. Another is the tug and pull relationship developing between Ron and Hermione, especially during the Yule Ball, which happened to silence the people who were rooting for a Harry+Hermione relationship to happen. I could keep going with this list but I can't stop without pointing out one more, the part where the lovely ladies from the Beauxbatons Academy were striding along the middle of the Great Hall in Hogwarts and a scene cut straight to their butts, bloody hell indeed Ron.
Despite having so much information, characters, and plot-lines to introduce to the audience, I thought the movie was made beautifully. Nothing seemed out of place, and I applaud everyone who worked on the film on how great it turned out. I also have to thank the talented author who made this entire series possible: J.K. Rowling, for with her incredible imagination, determination and success, I would not have the opportunity to have watched such a great film series.
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robert Pattinson
director: Mike Newell
Along with the first three movies, I watched The Goblet of Fire before reading a single page out of the Harry Potter series. At this point, I had never missed the opening day of a Harry Potter movie and didn't plan to with this one either. The theater was packed with people, so I was lucky to get a good enough seat to enjoy the movie without hurting my neck from looking straight up.
With so many new characters coming on in this movie, it felt a little bit overwhelming at first, but after a few more times of watching it, everything fell in to order. The wizarding world opened up so much more during this movie than from the other three. The Quidditch World Cup, the Dark Mark, the Goblet of Fire, the Unforgivable Curses, dragons, and international wizards were all very new to the series that we as the audience didn't know before. I thought there could be no limit from here on out, this installment was the reason I wanted to start reading the books, beginning with #1 (The Sorcerer's Stone).
This was the first movie where someone had perished. Unfortunately, it was the Hufflepuff Hero, Cedric Diggory played by Robert Pattinson. It was a complete shock to me the first time I watched this movie, I would have never expected for him to die, let alone to Wormtail. I thought Robert Pattinson did an excellent job on playing Cedric, he can unleash intensity and kindness simultaneously whenever needed, which is how I had pictured Cedric Diggory to be.
The first thing that I noticed about the Trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione), was that they had soooo much hair. Hermione has an excuse being that she is a girl, but Harry and Ron had loads of hair which was kind of distracting for the first 15 or so minutes into the film. I think Mike Newell wanted to have the Harry Potter film franchise take a drastic 180 degrees into adulthood with some of the scenes. For example when Hagrid was dancing with the giantess Madame Olympe Maxime during the Yule Ball and he slyly slithered down to grab some giant ass. Another is the tug and pull relationship developing between Ron and Hermione, especially during the Yule Ball, which happened to silence the people who were rooting for a Harry+Hermione relationship to happen. I could keep going with this list but I can't stop without pointing out one more, the part where the lovely ladies from the Beauxbatons Academy were striding along the middle of the Great Hall in Hogwarts and a scene cut straight to their butts, bloody hell indeed Ron.
Despite having so much information, characters, and plot-lines to introduce to the audience, I thought the movie was made beautifully. Nothing seemed out of place, and I applaud everyone who worked on the film on how great it turned out. I also have to thank the talented author who made this entire series possible: J.K. Rowling, for with her incredible imagination, determination and success, I would not have the opportunity to have watched such a great film series.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Gary Oldman
director: David Yates
I give to the entire cast in the whole entire Harry Potter series. They do an incredible job and I thank them for giving me so many wonderful memories. The Order of the Phoenix is the first movie of the entire series that was directed by David Yates, and it is quite obvious, in a good way. The darker side, more... grown up side, of Harry Potter seemed to come out since David Yates took the lead on the Harry Potter film franchise. The dark blue shade captivated the essence of the film. I am particularly glad that David Yates still kept a lot of the classroom scenes in the movies because the classroom really started the exploration into magic as Harry learned through his interesting professors. I applaud David Yates on doing a wonderful job on his first Harry movie and I hope he continues to make more epic movies down the line.
The casting crew did an amazing job on acquiring Imelda Staunton for the roll of Dolores Umbridge. She played the part to perfection with her crack-whip dialogue and her little laughs that she did to herself. Her all-pink wardrobe completed the package as the perfectionist professor with a pleasant demeanor, but with a horribly cruel heart. I also thought that the little kitten plates in her office at Hogwarts was hilariously cute.
I look up to Gary Oldman a lot as an actor because the passion seems to intensely flow through him. Whatever roll he plays, he plays it remarkably well and I am glad he was chosen for the roll as our friend Sirius Black. Sirius's fate turned out to have a very sad ending, however, he went out in true 'Top Level Wizard' fashion. His dueling near the veil alongside his godson Harry had epic written all over it, it was truly Sirius's best moment of the entire series in my opinion, aside from escaping from Azkaban and 'catching' Wormtail.
As soon as the mind-blowing fall of Sirius Black was calculated in your head, you then see Harry running after the culprit: Bellatrix Lestrange. This quick chase changed everything because our favorite wizard of all time used an unforgivable curse! The torture curse, Crucio, was released on Bellatrix, which didn't affect her enough because Harry is a good guy of course (and he needs to mean it, not to mention that was his first time ever).
I think the best duel of magic in the entire film series happened right after, Professore Albus Dumbledore vs. The Dark Lord, Voldemort. The darkness, the epicness, the glass shattering awesomeness that is this franchise unleashed into a battle of good versus evil. I was waiting a long time to see this battle and I was certainly not disappointed, I loved it.
Overall, I think this movie won't be forgotten any time soon, as it is one of the top films of the franchise, considering how much information needed to be explained to the audience who haven't seen the books. I could see how it could be confusing for someone who has not read the books, but I think the extra information gives the audience more incentive to actually read them. Great movie, please watch the series from 1-7 if you have not already.
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Gary Oldman
director: David Yates
I give to the entire cast in the whole entire Harry Potter series. They do an incredible job and I thank them for giving me so many wonderful memories. The Order of the Phoenix is the first movie of the entire series that was directed by David Yates, and it is quite obvious, in a good way. The darker side, more... grown up side, of Harry Potter seemed to come out since David Yates took the lead on the Harry Potter film franchise. The dark blue shade captivated the essence of the film. I am particularly glad that David Yates still kept a lot of the classroom scenes in the movies because the classroom really started the exploration into magic as Harry learned through his interesting professors. I applaud David Yates on doing a wonderful job on his first Harry movie and I hope he continues to make more epic movies down the line.
The casting crew did an amazing job on acquiring Imelda Staunton for the roll of Dolores Umbridge. She played the part to perfection with her crack-whip dialogue and her little laughs that she did to herself. Her all-pink wardrobe completed the package as the perfectionist professor with a pleasant demeanor, but with a horribly cruel heart. I also thought that the little kitten plates in her office at Hogwarts was hilariously cute.
I look up to Gary Oldman a lot as an actor because the passion seems to intensely flow through him. Whatever roll he plays, he plays it remarkably well and I am glad he was chosen for the roll as our friend Sirius Black. Sirius's fate turned out to have a very sad ending, however, he went out in true 'Top Level Wizard' fashion. His dueling near the veil alongside his godson Harry had epic written all over it, it was truly Sirius's best moment of the entire series in my opinion, aside from escaping from Azkaban and 'catching' Wormtail.
As soon as the mind-blowing fall of Sirius Black was calculated in your head, you then see Harry running after the culprit: Bellatrix Lestrange. This quick chase changed everything because our favorite wizard of all time used an unforgivable curse! The torture curse, Crucio, was released on Bellatrix, which didn't affect her enough because Harry is a good guy of course (and he needs to mean it, not to mention that was his first time ever).
I think the best duel of magic in the entire film series happened right after, Professore Albus Dumbledore vs. The Dark Lord, Voldemort. The darkness, the epicness, the glass shattering awesomeness that is this franchise unleashed into a battle of good versus evil. I was waiting a long time to see this battle and I was certainly not disappointed, I loved it.
Overall, I think this movie won't be forgotten any time soon, as it is one of the top films of the franchise, considering how much information needed to be explained to the audience who haven't seen the books. I could see how it could be confusing for someone who has not read the books, but I think the extra information gives the audience more incentive to actually read them. Great movie, please watch the series from 1-7 if you have not already.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman
director: David Yates
The dark side of the Harry Potter series was cemented from the very start of this movie in my opinion. The theme and story itself became incredibly dim, which showed in every scene. I know there were a lot of things that were different or changed in this movie from the book, but I have no problem keeping them somewhat separate in my review because it is what it is and it cannot be changed anyways. I have said this before plenty of times out loud and I will repeat it here: In my opinion, I think the casting crew should have chosen a different actor to play Dumbledore. The first Dumbledore played by Richard Harris was beyond perfect, and I think Michael Gambon is a brilliant actor, but maybe wasn't the right fit for playing Albus Dumbledore. The scenes after Dumbledore came back out from the restroom at Slughorn's place was awkward instead of the planned approach that Dumbledore supposedly set up. As a viewer, I felt a sense of secured protection with Richard Harris, like an all-wise grandfather who would look out for you and teach you right from wrong the correct way, unlike the emotional outbursts and insecure feelings that Michael Gambon expressed.
Daniel Radcliffe did a great job portraying Harry in this movie as usual, I especially liked the scenes when he confronted Slughorn, and took the Felix Felicis that he won for brewing a perfect draft of Living Death. It was a completely different side of Harry and I thought Daniel pulled it off hysterically. He definitely doesn't get enough credit for the different little things that he does while being Harry.
As I said in my Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review, I thought that Emma Watson controlled the emotional flow of the Trio and basically the entire movie. Her reactions to Ron getting affection from another girl were very believable and I could 'feel' her hurt inside. Rupert Grint also did a wonderful job in another HP movie. It is obvious that he is completely comfortable playing the role of Ron Weasley.
My huge criticism about the movie is during the moments of Dumbledore's death. I truly believe that the crew could have made it more... epic. One of the most powerful wizards of all time just got hit with the Killing Curse and it was pure silence and slow motion as he was falling, falling, falling down from the Astronomy tower. I have re-watched the movie several times and I always hope for something more significant to be shown. However, the very last time I watched the scene, I was watching and feeling every moment and I definitely could see how the moments could seem perfect to someone else. In my opinion, I would have liked to see something more powerful for what actually happened.
Overall I loved the movie and the books. They put me in such an incredible mood when I watch them which is why I have seen every Harry Potter movie way beyond more than five times.
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman
director: David Yates
The dark side of the Harry Potter series was cemented from the very start of this movie in my opinion. The theme and story itself became incredibly dim, which showed in every scene. I know there were a lot of things that were different or changed in this movie from the book, but I have no problem keeping them somewhat separate in my review because it is what it is and it cannot be changed anyways. I have said this before plenty of times out loud and I will repeat it here: In my opinion, I think the casting crew should have chosen a different actor to play Dumbledore. The first Dumbledore played by Richard Harris was beyond perfect, and I think Michael Gambon is a brilliant actor, but maybe wasn't the right fit for playing Albus Dumbledore. The scenes after Dumbledore came back out from the restroom at Slughorn's place was awkward instead of the planned approach that Dumbledore supposedly set up. As a viewer, I felt a sense of secured protection with Richard Harris, like an all-wise grandfather who would look out for you and teach you right from wrong the correct way, unlike the emotional outbursts and insecure feelings that Michael Gambon expressed.
Daniel Radcliffe did a great job portraying Harry in this movie as usual, I especially liked the scenes when he confronted Slughorn, and took the Felix Felicis that he won for brewing a perfect draft of Living Death. It was a completely different side of Harry and I thought Daniel pulled it off hysterically. He definitely doesn't get enough credit for the different little things that he does while being Harry.
As I said in my Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review, I thought that Emma Watson controlled the emotional flow of the Trio and basically the entire movie. Her reactions to Ron getting affection from another girl were very believable and I could 'feel' her hurt inside. Rupert Grint also did a wonderful job in another HP movie. It is obvious that he is completely comfortable playing the role of Ron Weasley.
My huge criticism about the movie is during the moments of Dumbledore's death. I truly believe that the crew could have made it more... epic. One of the most powerful wizards of all time just got hit with the Killing Curse and it was pure silence and slow motion as he was falling, falling, falling down from the Astronomy tower. I have re-watched the movie several times and I always hope for something more significant to be shown. However, the very last time I watched the scene, I was watching and feeling every moment and I definitely could see how the moments could seem perfect to someone else. In my opinion, I would have liked to see something more powerful for what actually happened.
Overall I loved the movie and the books. They put me in such an incredible mood when I watch them which is why I have seen every Harry Potter movie way beyond more than five times.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes
director: David Yates
Like I said in my Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review, I thought that all of the creators of Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 did an amazing job at capturing the tense urgency of what needed to be done within the story and the importance it all meant to the wizarding world as well as the muggle world. The opening of the movie was perfect, except I didn't quite understand why they didn't show the farewell interactions between Harry and The Dursley's. Although it was in the book, I wasn't that taken aback since only a couple minutes later, the whole crew shows up and they start turning into the 7 Harry's.
I thought that one of the saddest parts of the movie was when Hedwig came out of no where to help protect Harry on her own will, and unexpectedly to Harry, receiving the most god-awful spell in wizard history (The Killing Curse). Movie-wise, I thought it was a brilliant shot because it captured the quickness, sadness, and bravery of Hedwig, the beautiful snow-white owl that has been by Harry's side since he turned 11 years old.
I thought Rupert Grint did a great job in this film, it seemed like he was especially comfortable in some of the parts he was doing. For example: parts where he was angry and yelled at Harry, and the fighting scenes it finally felt like 'yeah, thats Ron MF Weasley'. Another example was when he had the Sword of Gryffindor and became livid after the Horcrux showed Harry and Hermione aggressively kissing and holding each other while naked.
Emma Watson did a fantastic job on the entire movie series in my opinion. In this movie, she was the glue to how the movie flowed and it was through her that showed the type of emotion that was supposed to be felt at any given moment. I think that kind of talent comes natural to her, and it really shows up on the screen. While Daniel Radcliffe had the tough task of being in almost every shot and having the mindset of a hero.
The saddest scene, in respect to Hedwig, definitely has to be awarded to the free Elf: Dobby. I believe that CGI has come such a long way that instead of just having monsters created, it can produce some of the most touching moments of a movie. If you didn't have your eyes watering while Dobby was drifting away, I suggest you check your emotion level because that was just plain heart breaking. It was devastating in the book as well as the movie, and I believe that Dobby's death was a foreshadow of what was to come and that there were zero boundaries on who could perish in the great war between good and evil.
I thought this movie was incredibly refreshing leading up to Part 2, and I am very grateful that they decided to have The Deathly Hallows made in to two parts.
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes
director: David Yates
Like I said in my Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review, I thought that all of the creators of Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 did an amazing job at capturing the tense urgency of what needed to be done within the story and the importance it all meant to the wizarding world as well as the muggle world. The opening of the movie was perfect, except I didn't quite understand why they didn't show the farewell interactions between Harry and The Dursley's. Although it was in the book, I wasn't that taken aback since only a couple minutes later, the whole crew shows up and they start turning into the 7 Harry's.
I thought that one of the saddest parts of the movie was when Hedwig came out of no where to help protect Harry on her own will, and unexpectedly to Harry, receiving the most god-awful spell in wizard history (The Killing Curse). Movie-wise, I thought it was a brilliant shot because it captured the quickness, sadness, and bravery of Hedwig, the beautiful snow-white owl that has been by Harry's side since he turned 11 years old.
I thought Rupert Grint did a great job in this film, it seemed like he was especially comfortable in some of the parts he was doing. For example: parts where he was angry and yelled at Harry, and the fighting scenes it finally felt like 'yeah, thats Ron MF Weasley'. Another example was when he had the Sword of Gryffindor and became livid after the Horcrux showed Harry and Hermione aggressively kissing and holding each other while naked.
Emma Watson did a fantastic job on the entire movie series in my opinion. In this movie, she was the glue to how the movie flowed and it was through her that showed the type of emotion that was supposed to be felt at any given moment. I think that kind of talent comes natural to her, and it really shows up on the screen. While Daniel Radcliffe had the tough task of being in almost every shot and having the mindset of a hero.
The saddest scene, in respect to Hedwig, definitely has to be awarded to the free Elf: Dobby. I believe that CGI has come such a long way that instead of just having monsters created, it can produce some of the most touching moments of a movie. If you didn't have your eyes watering while Dobby was drifting away, I suggest you check your emotion level because that was just plain heart breaking. It was devastating in the book as well as the movie, and I believe that Dobby's death was a foreshadow of what was to come and that there were zero boundaries on who could perish in the great war between good and evil.
I thought this movie was incredibly refreshing leading up to Part 2, and I am very grateful that they decided to have The Deathly Hallows made in to two parts.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes
director: David Yates
The end of one of my most favorite stories has ended with this concluding Harry Potter film. I am sad to see that there will no longer be anymore Harry Potter movies to gleefully wait for, however, I am happy to have been raised with the movies being only about a year older than Daniel Radcliffe. I read all of the books, so I already knew what was going to happen, but I was still almost in tears at about 10 different parts of the movie. I definitely loved this movie and I think that this one was the best Harry Potter movie since the first 3 were made for many reasons.
One reason I thought it was one of the best Harry Potter films was because the movie stopped dumbing down the audience. In my opinion, movies 5-6 went a different direction and focused more on trying to educate the viewers on the wizarding world, the characters, and wizard dialogue rather than just tell the story at face value like The Lord of the Rings movies had done. They should have just spoke and talked about things in the wizarding world like it was normal and the viewer (mostly having read the books themselves) would have picked up on it instantly, or after watching it multiple times. In The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, they through all of that away and just spoke and went on with the movie like it was all normal and the story was told the way it is supposed to be told, which is why I really loved this movie.
My second reason was that the filmmakers seemed to go back to the Harry Potter roots and had more 'emotional' scenes. Like the scene at the beginning of the film with Head Master Snape overlooking the students of Hogwarts as they were entering the castle while a deep ballad was playing in the background. The theme of darkness survived the entirety of the movie, which I thought was perfect for what was to come.
Although I thoroughly loved this movie, I was disappointed that we didn't really get to see Fred & George Weasley, Tonks & Remus, and some of the other Order fight during the big battle at Hogwarts. I would have loved to see them in their time of glory, especially since their fate was tragic. Also, John "Dawlish" Noe predicted a huge part in the final Harry Potter book which translated onto the movies where Professor Minerva McGonagall used a spell to summon most of the statues of Hogwarts to 'come alive' to defend and protect its home from the evil threat of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and the rest of his army.
A beautiful way to end the book was also the best way to end the film series. 19 Years Later you see the Trio, Draco, and Ginny all sending their own children off to Hogwarts for the first time. I thought it was a real touching sequence after the violence and chaos that was previously shown. It was wonderful to see them grown up with the wizarding world back to 'normal' like it was when Harry first got on the Hogwarts Express via platform nine and three quarters.
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes
director: David Yates
The end of one of my most favorite stories has ended with this concluding Harry Potter film. I am sad to see that there will no longer be anymore Harry Potter movies to gleefully wait for, however, I am happy to have been raised with the movies being only about a year older than Daniel Radcliffe. I read all of the books, so I already knew what was going to happen, but I was still almost in tears at about 10 different parts of the movie. I definitely loved this movie and I think that this one was the best Harry Potter movie since the first 3 were made for many reasons.
One reason I thought it was one of the best Harry Potter films was because the movie stopped dumbing down the audience. In my opinion, movies 5-6 went a different direction and focused more on trying to educate the viewers on the wizarding world, the characters, and wizard dialogue rather than just tell the story at face value like The Lord of the Rings movies had done. They should have just spoke and talked about things in the wizarding world like it was normal and the viewer (mostly having read the books themselves) would have picked up on it instantly, or after watching it multiple times. In The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, they through all of that away and just spoke and went on with the movie like it was all normal and the story was told the way it is supposed to be told, which is why I really loved this movie.
My second reason was that the filmmakers seemed to go back to the Harry Potter roots and had more 'emotional' scenes. Like the scene at the beginning of the film with Head Master Snape overlooking the students of Hogwarts as they were entering the castle while a deep ballad was playing in the background. The theme of darkness survived the entirety of the movie, which I thought was perfect for what was to come.
Although I thoroughly loved this movie, I was disappointed that we didn't really get to see Fred & George Weasley, Tonks & Remus, and some of the other Order fight during the big battle at Hogwarts. I would have loved to see them in their time of glory, especially since their fate was tragic. Also, John "Dawlish" Noe predicted a huge part in the final Harry Potter book which translated onto the movies where Professor Minerva McGonagall used a spell to summon most of the statues of Hogwarts to 'come alive' to defend and protect its home from the evil threat of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and the rest of his army.
A beautiful way to end the book was also the best way to end the film series. 19 Years Later you see the Trio, Draco, and Ginny all sending their own children off to Hogwarts for the first time. I thought it was a real touching sequence after the violence and chaos that was previously shown. It was wonderful to see them grown up with the wizarding world back to 'normal' like it was when Harry first got on the Hogwarts Express via platform nine and three quarters.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Up
Up Review
starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger
director(s): Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
For the people that have seen Up, I don't have to tell you how sad the first 10-13 minutes of the movie is. The Pixar crew definitely summed the life of a childhood couple in love up quite quickly. The heart-warming scenes were, in my opinion, way more powerful than the whole movie put together. The scenes put time in perspective, and made everyone kind of realize how little they actually have on this wonderful Earth of ours.
Anyways, the movie then progressed slowly afterwards with a great idea for a plot, but it never captured my emotions the whole time like other Pixar films (like Finding Nemo). The 'talking' dogs, and huge colorful bird made it a little too unrealistic, even though it is an animation film. Not to mention the scenery and setting of the barren wastelands / semi-jungle was just not fun to look at or 'be at'. The little problems that Carl and Russell faced didn't capture my worry too much either.
Overall I didn't particularly love this movie as I do with almost every other Pixar film ever made. It seemed like not a whole lot of thought was put in to the story line and it could have definitely been improved, in my humble opinion. However, because it was Pixar, I still enjoyed my time watching Up, it's always relaxing to watch a good animation film made by the best animation studio on the planet.
starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger
director(s): Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
For the people that have seen Up, I don't have to tell you how sad the first 10-13 minutes of the movie is. The Pixar crew definitely summed the life of a childhood couple in love up quite quickly. The heart-warming scenes were, in my opinion, way more powerful than the whole movie put together. The scenes put time in perspective, and made everyone kind of realize how little they actually have on this wonderful Earth of ours.
Anyways, the movie then progressed slowly afterwards with a great idea for a plot, but it never captured my emotions the whole time like other Pixar films (like Finding Nemo). The 'talking' dogs, and huge colorful bird made it a little too unrealistic, even though it is an animation film. Not to mention the scenery and setting of the barren wastelands / semi-jungle was just not fun to look at or 'be at'. The little problems that Carl and Russell faced didn't capture my worry too much either.
Overall I didn't particularly love this movie as I do with almost every other Pixar film ever made. It seemed like not a whole lot of thought was put in to the story line and it could have definitely been improved, in my humble opinion. However, because it was Pixar, I still enjoyed my time watching Up, it's always relaxing to watch a good animation film made by the best animation studio on the planet.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Ugly Truth
The Ugly Truth Review
starring: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler.
director: Robert Luketic
I saw this movie recently on Starz late at night and I was about to turn it off, but as soon as Gerard Butler came on the screen I stuck around to watch the whole thing only because in this movie he is playing a character that I wouldn't expect him to be cast in since he is so bulky and manly (i.e. 300). Anyways, the first things I noticed about this romantic comedy was how neat, clean, and nicely colored all of the settings, scenery and props were. It had some good scenery from Abby's house to her network building offices. You could definitely tell that the crew put a lot of work into making the movie look like a movie, which is a great choice for a romantic comedy in my opinion.
Katherine Heigl's acting was good, I have only seen her in two movies, I believe, and she seems to have played basically the same role, which she pulls off perfectly. The beautiful blonde who worries more about her significant others' status, opinions and views of life compared to the guys overall appearance; even though she would prefer a 'hot' guy over an ugly guy of course. The scene that I thought was really funny which I thought was going to be awkward (acting-wise) was when Abby had on her vibrating panties at the dinner with her co-workers. I think she pulled it off as good as anyone could have in that situation because I had the feeling like it could have been over-acted and embarrassing, but her timing, control, focus and supporting cast around her made the scene really funny LoL. Overall I think Katherine did a great job in this movie, given that she was almost in every single scene, which I didn't mind at all. She was the star, it was Abby's story and she took control convincingly.
The first time I saw a Gerard Butler film was when I watched 300, which is a complete 180 from Leonidas to Mike Chadway. Gerard seems to be very calm and cool in the romantic comedy genre of roles that he has been cast in lately, and even though he is a beast of a man he pulls off the man/woman interactions very well. His transition from just liking Abby as a friend/another girl to actually falling for her was acted really well because he let the viewer know in the right scenes at the right point of the movie (credit also to Robert Luketic). The part of the movie where he was pumping himself up to go to Abby's hotel room after they had kissed was inspiring because Mike was going to yet again take another chance at love, even though he has been denied, cheated on etc. by many other past loves/girlfriends. His character has a hard shell but his intentions and morals are pristine and honorable.
The only part that made me scratch my head was at the end when Abby and Mike were in the hot air balloon basket, in and on the air, and instead of retaliating to Abby's argumentative statements, Mike just let Abby know that he just told her he loved her and that she could hear everything he was saying but that. The old Mike Chadway would have kept arguing and sniping back at her with much pride and confidence. But, I guess things change once you are speaking to the one that holds your heart. The inevitable kiss in the hot air balloon ride probably just needed to get on with it and that was the quickest way to get the climax underway.
All in all I thought it was a great movie. It doesn't take much thinking about and doesn't tug on a lot of real emotions that I prefer in movies, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless as I do with almost any movie I watch.
starring: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler.
director: Robert Luketic
I saw this movie recently on Starz late at night and I was about to turn it off, but as soon as Gerard Butler came on the screen I stuck around to watch the whole thing only because in this movie he is playing a character that I wouldn't expect him to be cast in since he is so bulky and manly (i.e. 300). Anyways, the first things I noticed about this romantic comedy was how neat, clean, and nicely colored all of the settings, scenery and props were. It had some good scenery from Abby's house to her network building offices. You could definitely tell that the crew put a lot of work into making the movie look like a movie, which is a great choice for a romantic comedy in my opinion.
Katherine Heigl's acting was good, I have only seen her in two movies, I believe, and she seems to have played basically the same role, which she pulls off perfectly. The beautiful blonde who worries more about her significant others' status, opinions and views of life compared to the guys overall appearance; even though she would prefer a 'hot' guy over an ugly guy of course. The scene that I thought was really funny which I thought was going to be awkward (acting-wise) was when Abby had on her vibrating panties at the dinner with her co-workers. I think she pulled it off as good as anyone could have in that situation because I had the feeling like it could have been over-acted and embarrassing, but her timing, control, focus and supporting cast around her made the scene really funny LoL. Overall I think Katherine did a great job in this movie, given that she was almost in every single scene, which I didn't mind at all. She was the star, it was Abby's story and she took control convincingly.
The first time I saw a Gerard Butler film was when I watched 300, which is a complete 180 from Leonidas to Mike Chadway. Gerard seems to be very calm and cool in the romantic comedy genre of roles that he has been cast in lately, and even though he is a beast of a man he pulls off the man/woman interactions very well. His transition from just liking Abby as a friend/another girl to actually falling for her was acted really well because he let the viewer know in the right scenes at the right point of the movie (credit also to Robert Luketic). The part of the movie where he was pumping himself up to go to Abby's hotel room after they had kissed was inspiring because Mike was going to yet again take another chance at love, even though he has been denied, cheated on etc. by many other past loves/girlfriends. His character has a hard shell but his intentions and morals are pristine and honorable.
The only part that made me scratch my head was at the end when Abby and Mike were in the hot air balloon basket, in and on the air, and instead of retaliating to Abby's argumentative statements, Mike just let Abby know that he just told her he loved her and that she could hear everything he was saying but that. The old Mike Chadway would have kept arguing and sniping back at her with much pride and confidence. But, I guess things change once you are speaking to the one that holds your heart. The inevitable kiss in the hot air balloon ride probably just needed to get on with it and that was the quickest way to get the climax underway.
All in all I thought it was a great movie. It doesn't take much thinking about and doesn't tug on a lot of real emotions that I prefer in movies, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless as I do with almost any movie I watch.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Life As A House
Life As A House Review
starring: Hayden Christensen, Kevin Kline, Kristen Scott Thomas.
directed by: Irwin Winkler
Since this is my first ever review, I want to point out that I don't like doing ratings because I really do like almost every movie that I watch, I can connect with the characters and story emotionally which is why I dislike giving a rating on how the movie is.
Okay, on to the review; I Love this movie! No wonder Hayden Christensen won so many awards for his portrayal of Sam. He really did a wonderful job on making me believe that he was a lost, unguided teenager that just needed some real parenting, love, and a special friend to help him climb up out of his rock hard shell. His crying scenes were amazing to say the least. Although he wasn't crying, I really felt for him when he was smoking pot in the car with Josh right before he was supposed to.... you know. His glassy eyes really sold me when he took his final inhale of smoke while staring at the black Lexus he was about to enter.
Another part that gives me chills was when Sam finally learned the reason why he and his Dad were building the house and why his Dad wanted him for the whole summer. The part that gave me the chills the most was when Same yelled at his dad, "congratulations, because you fucking pulled it off!" and stormed out to seek his comfort in his best friend Alyssa. Beautiful acting by Hayden there.
Kevin Kline did a fantastic job at keeping his character real. What I mean is that after George learned about his diagnosis, his attitude was as if he had a plan, a purpose and nothing but love and a goal in mind. His 'who cares' attitude to life's tiny problems is how I would want to live. For example when his dog kept going to the bathroom on his neighbors lawn or car and his neighbor got really upset, George just laughed it off. Another example- when he made turkey sandwiches and Sam refused to eat it, after the pizza came he exclaimed "I don't even like turkey sandwiches" and forgot about the turkey sandwiches and had some pizza instead.
Overall I really loved this movie and wish there were more movies like this to be honest. I am thankful that this movie is online for free on YouTube so I can watch it any time I want, and if you haven't seen it I highly suggest watching this film. It's one great movie.
starring: Hayden Christensen, Kevin Kline, Kristen Scott Thomas.
directed by: Irwin Winkler
Since this is my first ever review, I want to point out that I don't like doing ratings because I really do like almost every movie that I watch, I can connect with the characters and story emotionally which is why I dislike giving a rating on how the movie is.
Okay, on to the review; I Love this movie! No wonder Hayden Christensen won so many awards for his portrayal of Sam. He really did a wonderful job on making me believe that he was a lost, unguided teenager that just needed some real parenting, love, and a special friend to help him climb up out of his rock hard shell. His crying scenes were amazing to say the least. Although he wasn't crying, I really felt for him when he was smoking pot in the car with Josh right before he was supposed to.... you know. His glassy eyes really sold me when he took his final inhale of smoke while staring at the black Lexus he was about to enter.
Another part that gives me chills was when Sam finally learned the reason why he and his Dad were building the house and why his Dad wanted him for the whole summer. The part that gave me the chills the most was when Same yelled at his dad, "congratulations, because you fucking pulled it off!" and stormed out to seek his comfort in his best friend Alyssa. Beautiful acting by Hayden there.
Kevin Kline did a fantastic job at keeping his character real. What I mean is that after George learned about his diagnosis, his attitude was as if he had a plan, a purpose and nothing but love and a goal in mind. His 'who cares' attitude to life's tiny problems is how I would want to live. For example when his dog kept going to the bathroom on his neighbors lawn or car and his neighbor got really upset, George just laughed it off. Another example- when he made turkey sandwiches and Sam refused to eat it, after the pizza came he exclaimed "I don't even like turkey sandwiches" and forgot about the turkey sandwiches and had some pizza instead.
Overall I really loved this movie and wish there were more movies like this to be honest. I am thankful that this movie is online for free on YouTube so I can watch it any time I want, and if you haven't seen it I highly suggest watching this film. It's one great movie.
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