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Reviews
Van Helsing (2004)
So bad its comically sound
I liked the Mummy, I thought it was an entertaining movie. I hated The Mummy Returns with a passion but that looks like one of the greatest movies of all time compared to Van Helsing.
Not only does this movie have a script that appears to have been thrown together by drawing words out of a hat, Stephen Sommers also appears to have drawn movie cliche's out of a hat and thrown them into his film wherever he gets the chance! This movie is really that bad that I was in stitches laughing. Kate Beckinsale is her usually awful self, Hugh Jackman does all he can with the stupid script and "that guy who plays Dracula" has a good look, but cannot pull off a Romanian Accent.
With Dracula being perhaps the coolest bad guy in movie history, why can nobody ever produce a good film involving him? If you found Underworld to be entertaining or even good, God help you, then this movie is for you. However if you have seen more than a few films, you will realise how incredibly cheesy and stupid this film is. All it needed was the Stars and Stripes at the end to round it off as being Van Cliche.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Fantastic Cinema Once Again!
After watching Volume One, i was convinced that the pending sequel would round Kill Bill off as a fantastic movie. Where as Volume One focuses on the Eastern style of cinema, Volume Two is much more Western.
After the first viewing, I have to say I felt let down simply because of the stupid amount of hype this movie got. However, I walked out at the end of the credits, walked straight back in and watched it again and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Volume Two is different enough from Volume One so that when you watch them collectively, you will get bits of everything in the dosage you require, rather than overdoing one particular style of fight for instance.
What struck me most about this second part was the style in which the confrontations were done in. Where I was expecting massive amounts of sword fighting and blood, following the fight with O-Ren Ishii, I was given two completely different confrontations for Budd and Elle. This was good I felt, because it makes each member of the DIVAS more unique and makes the fights more unique.
However it is the final moments of the movie where you have the remaining pieces of the story revealed to you and in Bill's final moments, i found it incredibly touching and my entire outlook on the movie as a whole was turned on its head.
While some may argue that Kill Bill isn't as good as Pulp Fiction, it never can be because it is completely different. Similarly Pulp can never top Kill Bill. But as far as movies go, Kill Bill is one of the best you'll see.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Not as good as people say
I have to say first off that this movie is not as good as people said it was, in fact I found it to be very disappointing. The humor is subtle and in my opinion barely existant. John Goodman was the main reason I continued to watch the film as he offered a character whose unpredictability sparked some interest in a almost uninteresting plot.
Its not a bad film, it just never seems to go anywhere or offer anything. I'd recommend to watch it if you have the chance with nothing better to do, just for the sake of seeing a movie that isn't trash. However at the same time, don't expect a masterpiece of cinema or a great film.
The movie isn't funny for the most part, but I guess that depends on what makes you laugh. In the end though, its safe to say I won't be watching this movie again.
Mystic River (2003)
Fantastic Movie with Outstanding Acting
When I watched this movie, it turned out to be something I never expected it to be. But that was the least of the things left in my mind, first and foremost the quality of acting in this film is outstanding. Tim Robbins is unbelievable in his role as Dave and Sean Penn plays Jimmy very well too. However I do feel that Sean was better in the more recent 21 Grams.
The movie is very well produced and structured, I really got into the story and the characters of Dave and Jimmy as well as the general murder mystery story. I rate this movie very highly and recommend seeing it if not for its quality, then definately for Tim Robbins.
21 Grams (2003)
After seeing this movie, you'll need more than a deep breath
This movie completely stunned me to silence. When I left the cinema, I had to take a few deep breaths at what I had just witnessed for the past two hours or so. 21 Grams follows three characters who are brought together after a tragic accident. The movie jumps around chronologically throughout and at first was difficult to understand the main plot of the movie because of the frequency of the time jumps, however it all came together in the end.
Sean Penn gives a brilliant performance in the lead role as a terminally ill Maths Professor. Benicio Del Toro plays the role of a criminal who is trying hard to follow the religion that he has turned to to improve his life and similiarly it is a very good performance. However for me, Naomi Watts steals the show with an astonishing performance as a drug addict who's life is destroyed following one tragic incident. Her acting throughout this movie is extremely realistic, powerful and emotional. During some of her scenes, the silence in the cinema was deathly, you could have heard a pin drop.
All in all this is a brilliant movie, very dark, powerful and brutally confrontational with human emotions. It will stay in your mind after the credits roll and you will have to breathe deeply at what you have just seen.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Wasn't sure what to expect..
I wasn't sure what this film would be about when I first watched it. It began and I was aware of the acclaim of Russell Crowe's performance and to be quite honest I was not his biggest admirer. The film began in such a fashion that half interested me and really began to make me wonder how I could possibly watch 2 hours of it. Then it altered and without spoiling anything, I will have to say that the turn in the film turned my interest and made me more aware of the situation.
The acting of Russell Crowe is flawless and for me it made the film what it is. I felt that the story, although true, was not something that would usually compell me to watch a full two hours, however it was the performance of Crowe that truely captivated me and changed my opinion of his acting abilities and style for the better.
Cold Mountain (2003)
Overrated, Overlong, Over-boring
When I sat down to watch this movie, I really wanted to enjoy it and say that I had seen an epic in film making. However, I fell asleep on numerous occasions because this movie is so boring. None of the actors in this film offered any charisma at all, thus making it so much more difficult to even remotely care about their issues and relationships. Cold Mountain is a film designed and written to try to win lots of awards, which is why I am eternally satisfied that this snooze-fest did not receive a best film nomination for the Oscars.
If you really enjoyed THAT novel in English Literature class that seemed to use every word under the sun to describe a location and ultimately didn't seem to ever go anywhere, go see this film. Otherwise don't.
American Psycho (2000)
Worth watching simply for Bale's Performance
I bought this movie on DVD having never seen it before or heard anything about it. I was intrigued and after seeing it multiple times I do consider it to be a film I would buy. It is a dark comedy crossed with a thriller about egotistical highflying businessmen in the 80's.
I really enjoyed this movie simply because the performance by Christian Bale as psychopath Patrick Bateman is electric. He is undeniably the perfect actor for the part and makes the role his own. I found myself thinking however, just what the hell the movie was all about. The difficulty in decyphering its meaning is also the film allowing you to think and develop your own conclusions. Is it real? Or is it fantasy?
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Confusingly made but good nonetheless
I do believe that Tarantino would have made this movie so much cooler and ultimately better than Oliver Stone did but I guess we'll never know. This movie is completely mental in the first half, I found myself constantly on the border line of liking its weirdness and saying that the movie is an embarressment to filmmaking.
Woody Harrelson is good in his role as Mickey, but for me the star of the movie is the incredibly talented Juliette Lewis who plays Mallory so well. The movie however, is so so random. If you can tolerate the bizarre nature of directing then you should find this movie entertaining. I however, prefer the second half of the movie (set inside a prison) to be far superior because it does offer normality.
You'll either like it or hate it with a passion.
Directors Commentary (2004)
Just plain unfunny
I did enjoy Rob Brydon's Marion and Geoff as it was a weird new style of humour where we knew we shouldn't find this man's obviously tragic life as funny, but we did. Director's Commentary on the other hand is completely over-hyped, overrated and just plain not funny.
In its 30 Minute slot, Director's Commentary features Rob Brydon as an acclaimed director, commentating on "his work". Although the concept is unique, the thirty minutes given for the show is too long and the content of his "comedy" is run dry almost immediately. He rambles on for basically half an hour about every random diverse topic under the sun and this happens on every episode.
My advice would be, there is much better comedy out there worth watching over this, however if you really wish to bore yourself, then be my guest.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Leaves you thinking...
I love Bill Murray. He shines in every film I have seen him in. I love his humour and his ability to act and so I was delighted to see him in a role that catered for his style of acting and humour, but also showed a more mature and serious side to his acting.
I watched this movie not knowing what to expect, except that the movie's lead stars (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen) had been given very good reviews about their part in this film. I have to say I enjoyed the film. It was entertaining, funny but yet so sad.
The film is about two characters who are miserable in their love lives (for different reasons) and in a strange country far from home. Their friendship develops so nicely and quickly that they become so attached to each other that saying goodbye is the hardest thing in the world.
As much as the film shows happiness in the form of the friendship, the film touches you in an all different way towards its end. After seeing this film, I found myself thinking about it all too much afterwards.
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Entertaining, Quirky but not the greatest.
I found that this movie almost offered too much to be true when I first read about it. Tarantino alone would make me watch this movie, not considering the draw power that Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis have over me in terms of other great films they have both been in. I was unsure of how George Clooney would act in a role written by Tarantino, but to my surprise he handled it very well. I felt that Clooney and Keitel pulled together the entire film as it was dangering close to falling apart.
I enjoyed Tarantino's screen play and his acting as well as they both offered a unique style of quirky humour that only Tarantino can deliver. The movie did alter extremely suddenly at one point, which I knew was approaching but I was disappointed as I had begun to like the charismatic start to the film and the dialogue of the characters.
I'd say that this film is entertaining, its definately worthy of a few watches but I'm yet to be convinced on both Vampire movies and movies directed by Robert Rodriguez. Very good, but not great.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Beautiful storytelling at its very best.
The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies of all time. It doesn't have high budget effects, dramatic car chases or elaborate plots. However it is a fantastic story of the inmates at Shawshank Prison, more specifically Andy Dufrasne (Tim Robbins) and 'Red' (Morgan Freeman). The reason I believe this film is the greatest is down to its ability to deliver a brilliant story at a realistic level, with developing friendships, loveable characters and despicable villians.
The tag line for this movie states that "Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free" and that is what this film is all about, hope. The belief that if you have a dream, hope can help you realise it, no matter how bleak the situation may seem. Everytime I watch this movie, I become immersed by it to a point where it seems that I am there with the main characters at each and every step. I watch the credits roll knowing that I have been touched by something beautiful, knowing that I have been told a tale that inspires any hopes and dreams of my own. The Shawshank Redemption is without a doubt the greatest movie of all time.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Letdown Central
If Reloaded was about life, this addresses death. True, it addresses the death of The Matrix as a successful trilogy. Never before have I felt so let down and disappointed with this shoddy movie that is covered over by special effects. Nothing was answered, in fact more questions were created and not in the way in which we could work it out for ourselves, we're talking total confusion. The film is visually stunning, but predictable and there is nothing new about it. Although it is a good epic war film, it uses every cheezy cliche imaginable to do this.
The only real brilliance is Hugo Weaving, who plays the role of Agent Smith and confirms him as one of cinemas all time evil bad guys. The rest of the cast are plain and rarely get into the character they are portraying, with exception to Jada Pinkett-Smith who plays Niobi very well.
The main disappointment about this movie is that it is called Revolutions but nothing is concluded aside from the obvious. If you are a die hard fan that knows all the ins and outs of the Matrix philosophy, you may be able to decypher all the questions I simply could not answer, however I wouldn't get your hopes up. After Reloaded I was convinced that this movie would make or break the trilogy and for me, it destroyed it. As far as I am concerned, there is only one Matrix film worth the time of day and thats the original.