Reviews

Came in with low expectations to find that this movie really works. It is sold as 'horror' but it's really not. Sure there's a village that wants to sacrifice these 2 girls to their god, but it's not really 'horror' at all. The movie unfolds as an action/suspense movie really as the two leads are separated minutes into the movie and then we have follow their survival paths and see where they continually almost link up. It sounds cliché almost, but really it works. There's no body count, no gore, just an old fashioned "who's betrayed me" plot while running from the masses. And I actually did NOT figure out whodunit and was nicely surprised when it all unfolded.

If you're counting, this is Andy Sidaris film # 5 - but honestly, after the great "Hard Ticket To Hawaii", you can skip the rest and move on to this one. We all know these movies just entertain and you should check the brain at the door, but if you can do that, you will enjoy this film (and if you don't mind a little harmless t+a). The music reminds me of the A-Team and Hunter TV shows we grew up with - you know, the 80's synthesizer music...with all the explosions, it could very well have been a Steven J. Cannell production.

The inclusion of Roberta Vasquez is a good shot to the system and in starring villain roles you've got Erik Estrada and Danny Trejo. That must have been quite a coup for Sidaris and wife at the time.

I just have to bite the bullet and come to accept that CGI animation just has a place in cinema. I've always said it looks incredible when its robots, animals and environments, but when you introduce the human element, it just doesn't come across as 'human' as traditional animation. Same occurred here. Some parts I was amazed how it looked like the action was being filmed _by_ a camera. But then the humans came. Which I was willing to actually not nitpick, but it doesn't help visually when in a scene you're establishing a shot with a CGI human and goddamn Fred Willard in the same scene. It's just jarring and it reminds you the people are just fake, no matter how real the robots look.

BUT, as far as the story goes, it's near flawless. If you wonder how could tell a story with almost no words and just actions, this is how you do it. I had wished there were less 'people' interaction at the end. All in all, I'm staring to believe Pixar can do NO WRONG.

Did I read the original? Yes. Am I going to judge it as a movie and not just compare it to the movie? Yes. So did I like what I just saw? No. The whole point of this story is to give you a sense of awe and inspiration that certain men and situations gave America decades ago. I believe they could have hit those points if they had more time to develop them. You had John just joining a police force out of nowhere, the whole "Center" story is rushed and just feels like random ubervillain # 14, and why dinosaurs? Why? Try explaining it for those who didn't read the novel - I had a tough enough time with my wife when we watched it. Why was Hal's friend suddenly wearing a purple outfit like some other guys standing in the end? Who's the guy with the jet pack? Why was the government out to get the heroes? Why mention in passing a black hero who was killed? On and on, there were to many questions that I knew the answers to, but not a person who had no idea what the story was really about. The 2 uses of "Son of a bitch" didn't really feel natural either, like they were tacked on for "PG's" sake. You have the original source material, build on it, and not just make it an all-star voice cast of a Cliff's Notes version of an otherwise beautifully told story.

Huge Cronenberg fan, but I gotta ask if i'm not as "disturbed" by this movie as everyone else, what does that say about me? I gotta be real, it was pretty boring. Then when it became "Cronenberg-ish" toward the end, it was sort of too late for me. 10 minutes do not a make a movie, and it was pretty hard for me to stay interested through most of it. The famous scene at the end just doesn't make up for it, sorry. Also it seems people defend it because of the fact that this story mirrored what he was going through in his personal life at the time and is sort of a metaphor with what he went through with his wife. As a movie watcher, I should not care nor have to know about that going into the movie, because it alters your perception of what to expect.

I never read the original story, so I had no idea what this was about. Needless to say by the end of the short (which is about 6 minutes) I was felt a heaviness in my chest an my eyes were teary. Mind you, I'm an action/horror movie guy - I don't emote much. :-) THIS is the full potential of what animation can do - even without any words spoken. The expressions and fluidness of the characters simply would not emote the same way if it was CGI and as this was the final hand drawn 2d work by Disney's studio it looks to be their final true masterpiece.

Its BURIED in the Platinum edition of the Little Mermaid DVD, be sure to find it on the 2nd disk Why a person would tell this story to their child is really beyond me.

SIGH. OK, I liked it. Look, we know its not an Oscar contender. We know how the Friday movies are. You couldn't possibly go into this thinking "will my life be forever changed watching these performances?" No. But taking it for what it is - serial killer gets frozen, taken aboard a ship centuries later and proceeds to kill - you couldn't possibly hate it. If it sounds preposterous to you, why would you even watch?

The chicks are hot, the kills are bad ass, and its a perfect "what if..." popcorn movie. As long as they never follow up on this, its a pretty fun movie in my boat. Glad I spent 2.99 on it!!!

And people harp on the "upgraded" Jason too much. He was in perhaps the last 10-15 minutes max. Similar to how the Dino's on Jurassic Park were taken to the US in part 2? Yea, it was only the last 10 minutes, so it's not a big deal. I'd actually like to see more "what if" types of Jason stories like this.

... They all had a hand in creating this movie. What I don't understand most about this movie is the criticism come people give it about nothing 'happening'. Some people don't like to be challenged while watching a movie. For, them there's always Napolean Dynamite.

It's not your regular run of the mill horror movie. Its a more personal, human, psychological horror than anything else I've seen in a long time. Metaphors are aplenty, and if you just watch the interview with the director afterward you'll be amazed even more at what went into the thinking behind this script. The movie itself, is well shot and exceptionally well edited.Granted, I saw the ending to this in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, but it doesn't make the movie any less powerful than it is. "Mandingo" Lawrence Hilton Jacobs was just downright creepy and is hands down the best performance.

Every performance was absolutely great...and this coming from a person who thinks Leonardo is a little above average and still looks like a fourteen year old. All the sets, cinematography, and directing was again, great... BUT,amazingly for a movie that 170 minutes, they forgot to actually end the movie, thus setting up an Aviator II. OK,just kidding, but really, they should have closed the movie a bit stronger, and if it wins the Oscar for screenplay, I'm gonna have to object...But of all Cate Blanchett= spot on as Hepburn and made me look at the actress in a totally different light. Could do without the closeup shots of all the musical stage performers aw well...too much of an average thing...