Mr. Hakujin Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus C+ Interesting concept, stunning visuals, wonderful performances, and an intriguing premise--nothing new really for a Terry Gilliam film. However, all those combined still don’t add up to a story that really goes anywhere or has a real point, which is sadly ironic for a film that attempts to extol the virtue of a good story. Too bad the film didn’t take its own advice. Anvil: The Story of Anvil A- Surprisingly touching and hilarious documentary about two best friends who refuse to let their dreams of being heavy-metal rock stars die, even as they approach their fifties. Their passion and humor make the sadness of watching them refuse to let a lost dream die almost inspirational. Couple’s Retreat C- Vince Vaughn and John Favreau got their breakthrough debuts in Swingers about single men trying to find love in L.A. and attempt to come full circle, in a way, by writing about four guys trying to work out different problems in their marriages. Unfortunately the writing, also Vaughn & Favreau, is pandering and the plot is nonsensical. The only reason I didn’t give this film a “D” was the fact these middle aged men all had wives with ridiculously toned bodies and the film gratuitously showcased these hot wives (Kristen Bell!!!) in bikinis. Paris, Je T’aime [blu-Ray] B+ This film is actually 20 different five minute short films. Each five minute film takes on a different setting in Paris and is written & shot by a different director. The interweaving theme for each film is love in Paris. These five minute shorts range from humorous to touching, bizarre to inspiring, and from good to horrible. Some you want to go on for an entire feature and some you wish would’ve stopped at the one minute mark. This is a beautiful film on Blu-Ray, but the extras/supplements are almost non-existent (one 20 min. documentary). Recommended rental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 nice, adding that last one to my list/queue, sounds interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 nice, adding that last one to my list/queue, sounds interesting. It's an interesting film. Cohen Bros. Gus Van Sant, Alfonso Cuaron, Natalie Portman, Steve Buscemi, Bob Hoskins, and a few other known names are involved. Let me k now what you think when you get around to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keth Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Ninja Assassin B About halfway through this film I realized even though I’ve seen a lot of kung-fu movies, I haven’t really seen too many “ninja” movies. In fact, as inherently cool as ninjas are, other than the pseudo ninjas in Batman Begins I can’t really recall ninjas ever being featured in a major studio film. Ninja Assassin corrects this egregious error. This is a straightforward “B-Movie” revenge flick with some pretty gruesome CGI enhanced fight scenes. The plot is flimsy and the acting spotty, but I went to see people getting sliced in half by katana’s and by God did I get what I paid for! I can only hope that this film leads to a sequel, which will hopefully have more of a plot and fewer one-dimensional characters. But they can keep the excellent, stylized ninja slicing CGI fights! So can't wait for the bluray. Shoot Em Up with swords Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted February 7, 2010 Author Share Posted February 7, 2010 New York, I Love You A This film is a pastiche of several short films about love in its various incarnations in NYC. If this premise sounds familiar that’s because it’s produced by the same people as Paris, Je T’Aime. New York, I Love You has more A-List clout (James Caan, Orlando Bloom, Shia LeBouf, Christina Ricci, Ethan Hawk, Natalie Portman, Andy Garcia, Bradley Cooper, and many more) and the short films interweave much more fluidly than its Parisian predecessor. It’s a magical movie experience with a lot of humor, a lot of heart, and a slight wisp of sadness thrown in for good measure (no such thing as love without sorrow to some degree). Bottom line is you don’t have to love New York in order to love this film—but it doesn’t hurt. City of God A I’m late to the party on this 2002 South American version of Goodfellas in Rio. Like Scorsese’s film, this is also based on real life gangsters, but City of God has a desperation and gritty rawness to it that Goodfellas’ did not. Don’t misunderstand me, this is not a cheap knockoff of Scorsese. The characters are engaging and the narrative is enthralling. A truly great gangster film worthy of a place alongside the other genre greats on your shelf. Big thanks to DOJ for the recommendation on this one! Payback [Director’s Cut] A- I vaguely remember anything more than Lucy Liu as a dominatrix in the theatrical version, but the director’s cut is a different beast altogether. I looked up this Director’s Cut of the 1999 film based on Baytor’s recommendation and am I ever glad I did. This is a modern day crime noir revenge flick where Mel Gibson plays a hard as nails crook who has little more to live for than his principles and his mission to get the money he’s owed. My only complaint is the James Brown song of the same name was nowhere to be found. The Reader B The film got attention for Kate Winslet’s Oscar winning performance as a former Nazi concentration camp guard trying to live with the shame of her past. The film’s climactic courtroom scene is a big “Really? Are you serious?” kind of melodramatic moment that feels like it’s just there to serve the purpose of setting up the circumstances for the third act to unfold. It has an interesting premise and at its heart it’s a slow-paced May-December tale of romance and reconciliation with surprisingly less substance than one would expect from an Oscar winning film based on an international best-seller novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 Payback [Director's Cut] A- I vaguely remember anything more than Lucy Liu as a dominatrix in the theatrical version, but the director's cut is a different beast altogether. I looked up this Director's Cut of the 1999 film based on Baytor's recommendation and am I ever glad I did. This is a modern day crime noir revenge flick where Mel Gibson plays a hard as nails crook who has little more to live for than his principles and his mission to get the money he's owed. My only complaint is the James Brown song of the same name was nowhere to be found. See? It pays to listen to me once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted February 8, 2010 Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 See? It pays to listen to me once in a while. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Good call on this one though. I obviously dug it a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 it was just so mediocre though, really gonna have to see what was added to make it work. i couldnt stop rolling my eyes by the time Mel goes "crooked cops...do they come any other way?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 it was just so mediocre though, really gonna have to see what was added to make it work. i couldnt stop rolling my eyes by the time Mel goes "crooked cops...do they come any other way?" Okay, picture somebody makes a good movie, a really good movie, we're talking mid-90s Mel Gibson good here. Then the star gets a bug up his ass, shitcans the director, orders tons of reshoots, replaces the main villain with Kris Kristofferson, adds a shit ton of characters, scenes, and plot points that didn't even vaguely exist in the original. Strips down all the dark humor and darkness in general to one line at the end of the movie and puts all through a meat grinder making it into some run-of-the-mill action movie slurry: This is the theatrical version of Payback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted February 10, 2010 Author Share Posted February 10, 2010 Yeah NZA. When both baytor and myself come together in agreement on a film like this you've gotta just "let go and let God." Just DL the torrent. Satisfaction guaranteed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 13, 2010 Author Share Posted March 13, 2010 Alice In Wonderland [imax 3D] C+ This was about what you’d expect from a Tim Burton adaptation of the source material—a lot of style and, meh, some substance. Oh, and a whole mess of Johnny Depp scenes. The characters are fleshed out a tad more and some semblance of a cohesive plot is made from combining Lewis Carroll’s two Alice books and his poem about the Jabberwocky. The 3D aspect did make the CGI animation more enjoyable, but I’d have a hard time convincing myself to watch this film again. An Education B+ Ingénue Carey Mulligan can’t help but make you fall in love with her in this coming of age story of a bright, 1960s suburban London schoolgirl with aspirations of attending Oxford. Well, more accurately, they’re her father’s aspirations—who is played wonderfully by Alfred Mollina. However, those with the most potential have the most to lose. It’s a story that’s been told before and an ending that wraps up a bit to tidily for the protagonist. Yet Mulligan is such a joy to watch you really don’t mind forgiving the film those flaws. The Third Man A+ This is a beautifully filmed noir thriller that the less you know going into it, the more you’ll enjoy all its twists and turns. A man tries to uncover the circumstances leading to his friend’s death in post-World War II Vienna. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Get the Criterion version if you can, as it not only has a beautifully restored transfer, but some great special features as well. Now go rent it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 14, 2010 Author Share Posted March 14, 2010 (edited) Public Enemies B Before I saw this film I knew nothing of famed 1930s bank robber John Dillinger other than he was a famous bank robber of the 1930s. So, yeah, I’m not the guy to look for regarding comments on historical inaccuracies—of which I’m sure there are many as there always are in such adaptations. However, I can say with certainty that this is a pretty damned entertaining film. The romance between Dillinger & his love interest seems forced and melodramatic, but as a whole the film is a sobering commentary on America’s violent criminal history, obsession with celebrity, and how one psychotic egomaniac walked the line between them both. Un Prophete [A Prophet] B Malik was a homeless, illiterate Muslim teen living on the streets of Paris when he’s sent to jail for six years for assaulting a police officer. On the inside a Corsican crime lord finds Malik’s Arab heritage useful to him and thus Malik begins to unlock his true potential as a criminal mastermind.Not as Epic in scope or as rich in characters as films such as Goodfellas or City of God, but an entertaining look at how it took prison to turn a man into a criminal. Ride the High Country B A Sam Peckinpah western about two old gunslingers and a “new kid” hired by a bank to travel into the mountains of California to collect miners’ deposits of gold and return them safely to the bank. Along the way a runaway girl and some double-crossing dealings make things complicated. It has some great action and a dark, gritty portrayal of the mining town in the mountains that helped put a real edge on this western film. Edited March 14, 2010 by Mr. Hakujin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 Hot Tub Time Machine B- John Cusack is the marquee name in this film that extols the virtues of friendship (and hot tubs), but it’s the supporting cast of Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, & Crispin Glover that steals this film. As for the vibe, it’s going for a parody of Pleasantville meets Back to the Future, and it hits some really funny moments and doesn’t solely rely on 80s jokes for its humor. However, there seems like a lot of missed opportunities in this film and while I love the outrageous premise and concept it just doesn’t hit the mark. I would skip this one in the theaters (wait for the rental) and suggest staying home and watching Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure instead. Shutter Island B+ Leonardo DiCaprio plays a US Marshall investigating a case at a secluded asylum for violent criminals called Shutter Island. The plot has some similarities to the classic Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None, right down to the fantastically twisted ending. Hurt Locker B I watched this film almost a year ago but apparently never did a review. I re-watched it recently after all the Oscar hype and my opinion didn't really change--it's still a decent action flick, but not one that'd really make my top 10 list for the genre. Jeremy Renier plays an adrenaline junkie that gets his fix by diffusing bombs in Iraq. He tries to assimilate back to life as a "civilian" with his wife and child, but the rush of war is just too much for him to resist. The iflm is interesting in that sense, he's not a hero or even a soldier so much as a junkie out for his next fix; his drug of choice is war. From Paris With Love D+ John Travolta plays a black ops badass sent to thwart a terrorist plot in Paris. His over-the-top acting and two decent fight scenes (the others are pathetic attempts at John Woo action) cannot make up for the godawful dialogue and the equally lame acting by co-star John Rhys-Meyers. LEGION C- I’m a sucker for movies about demons and angels and plots involving apocalypse scenarios. Dogma—liked it. Stigmata—liked it. Constantine—loved it. Prophecy—freakin’ loved it. Legion—fast forwarded through most of it. Nevermind the plot holes or the mediocre acting or the lifts from other horror films—this film really failed for me in the fact it’s called Legion and I only get one fight scene with angels during the whole film. And it was an OK fight scene, but when you sell a film on the fact it’s chock full of angel badassery and don’t deliver, well that’s just one sin I cannot forgive. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard C Jeremy Piven tries to play his Entourage character as a used car salesman. Not so much as funny. The plot is so clichéd I won’t even go into it, but there are some good one-liners and a few laugh out loud moments, the two best ones are courtesy of Will Ferrell and his cameo in two scenes as a car-lot DJ (Yep.) that meets a less than favorable demise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 If you loved Constantine then that says all I need to know about how shitty Legion is. (Not that I don't like Constantine, it's a fairly enjoyable movie even if it is a bastardization of a very good comic. But I do have to remind myself that it's not great either. This just tells me how low the bar is.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted April 5, 2010 Author Share Posted April 5, 2010 Yeah, I knew very little about Hellblazer before I saw Constantine, so I didn't have the baggage of comparing it to the source material. The opening exorcism and and final scene with Gabriel and Satan really makes the film for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keth Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 Ever see Gabriel man? I thought it was a cooler low budget angel/apocalypse flick and a decent comparison to Legion. Alot better in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted April 29, 2010 Author Share Posted April 29, 2010 Gabriel never made it on my radar, Axel. But I'll definitely check it out. Looks pretty interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 Clash of the Titans [3D] C+ I’m one of the geeks that actually refers to the original Clash of the Titans as a “classic.” I saw it at a young age and ever since then it has been coated in the rose-tinted hue of nostalgia. So when I heard it was getting the re-make treatment (and in 3D no less) I became very excited. The end result though is less than thrilling. The 3D process was added on to the film in post production and in comparison to the godfather of modern 3D cinema (Avatar) Titans’ 3D is amateurish cheese at best. I don’t know if the sub-par CGI was director Louis Leterrier’s way of paying homage to the “cheezey” stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen in the original or what, but the CGI overall fell very flat. Especially the sequence with Medusa. However, Liam Neesen and Ralph Fiennes are full of gravitas as battling brothers Zeus and Hades. And the scene with the Craken was one of the film’s few exceptions where the CGI and overall cinematography truly delivered. My final word on this 3D re-make is that moviegoers should save themselves the money and skip the 3D and go for some 2D Craken action in this uneven yet enjoyable re-make of a “classic.” How To Train Your Dragon [3D] A Unlike Clash of the Titans, this film was made with 3D in mind and it delivers! I’ve seen it in both 2D & 3D and I have to say the 3D experience was superior overall. The story is that of a misfit Viking trying to fit in. His village is plagued by dragon attacks and all he wants to be is the number one dragon slayer—until he befriends an injured dragon named Toothless. This film has heart, humor, and spectacular CGI action—a perfect package for a family film. Definitely catch this one in 3D! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 The Losers B Adapted from the short-lived Vertigo comic series, The Losers delivers a solid B-action-movie experience. It’s got humor, ‘splosions, and an over-the-top bad guy played by Jason Patric. A few things holding this film back are the over-stylized editing (it feels a bit gimmicky after a while w/ more style than substance), the fight scenes are fast and frequent but aren’t that memorable, the plot seems like it was lifted from an A-Team episode, and there’s no big named star to pick up the slack for the less than original characters that fill the film. Jeffery Dean Morgan is the leader of The Losers, and while he did an excellent job as The Comedian in The Watchmen, I couldn’t help but wonder how much more an actor like George Clooney or even Russel Crowe would bring to the part. However, the cast has some major talent with Zoe Saldana (kicking ass and in her underwear no less) and the future Captain America, Chris Evans. I doubted Evans ability to pull off the part of Marvel Comics’ most patriotic superhero, but his performance in The Losers has convinced me otherwise. Overall, The Losers was a fun film and hopefully they’ll come back for another go-round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 huh. for a movie that came & went before i even knew it was a property (forgot about the series), it fared (faired?) better with hakus than idve thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 huh. for a movie that came & went before i even knew it was a property (forgot about the series), it fared (faired?) better with hakus than idve thought. *fared* yep, it's definitely got an A-Team vibe about it. it was a fun action flick--pretty much exactly what i expected. nothing really "must see" about it on the big screen unless you're as big a Saldana fan as I am. haven't read the series yet either, but it's been collecting dust on my HD for a while now. seeing how poorly it did at the box office i may have to read 'em if i want to find out how the story ends as the film kinda leaves it wide open for a sequel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelogan Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Lets get to the real issue here: Is there any Zoe Saldana nudity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 She has two sessy yet all too brief sex scenes w/ her but zero frontal nudity. It's PG-13. However, to my knowledge these are her first sex scenes where she's not a 7ft tall blue alien. So, ya know, that's good times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelogan Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 PG-13, eh? Fuck that noise. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted May 11, 2010 Author Share Posted May 11, 2010 Iron Man 2 B If you loved the first Iron Man film with its charismatic lead, engrossingly topical superhero story arc (semi)grounded in realism, and adrenaline inducing action sequences then this sequel will most likely leave you saying—“meh.” Iron Man 2 suffers from what so many superhero sequels do: too-many-characters-itis. What you get with Iron Man two is a gaggle of interesting new characters that are fighting for screen time and a lot less frickin’ Iron Man. There are three pretty fantastic action scenes in the film, but only one carries any real emotional weight for the main man Tony Stark. I won’t spoil it here, and I definitely think it’s worth seeing on the big screen, but overall Iron Man 2 ended up being a case of too much leading to too little. Away We Go C+ If I mentioned Sam Mendes directs a script by Dave Eggers about a young couple on the verge of being parents and how they travel cross-country to decide where they’d like to raise their offspring you might say to yourself this film sounds like a load of thirty-something, sentimental trite basted in a medium coating of upper-middle-class academia self righteousness. And, ya know what, you’d be right. It also has some scenes with genuine humor and sincerity but they’re lost in a plot trying to ground itself in relevancy yet the two protagonists live a life (I’d guesstimate) only 5-10% of the world’s population could even remotely relate to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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