jerrythecow's Reviews

Shogun (1980)

7/10

14 May 2007

Warning: Spoilers

When I was eleven and I decided to take Japanese at my soon-to-be middle school, my dad immediately showed me the book "Shogun" by James Clavell. Due to fact that I was an eleven-year-old boy during the summer, I did not get very far past the first chapter. So when my dad suggested we watch the movie, I was skeptical. I didn't really like the book when I read it--too young to understand it I guess--and I wasn't expecting the movie to be much different.

I was wrong.

The movie is a great movie! It made many confusing parts of the book understandable, and was a very suspenseful and (approximatley) accurate representation of Japanese history and culture.

Although the movie drags a bit in the second hour, it is action packed and very interesting. The romance between Blackthorn (anjin-san) and Mariko-san is believable and understandable, and her death and funeral is moving and heartbreaking.

The un-subtitled Japanese was a nice touch, making us as confused as Blackthorn. However, you are still able to understand it due to context and body language, and by the end you will have undoubtedly learned some Japanese.

Definitely worth the watch, especially if you are interested in Japan and Japanese.

(extra note: the movie inspired me to re-read the book which I can now understand and am enjoying.)

10 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

7/10

Saw the premiere: A moving masterpiece

14 December 2006

Warning: Spoilers

I saw the premiere for this movie the day before it came out, and I have to say, I was happy I did.

In The Pursuit of Happiness {sic}, Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a husband and father failing at bringing in enough money. The movie chronicles his rise from failure on the poverty line, to--simply through grit and determination--becoming the owner of a large multi-million dollar corporation.

Before this movie, I had never seen Will Smith in anything but a comedy. Apparently, he can do other things. The acting was the best part of the movie. Also, Jaden Smith is a rising young star. We will be seeing him in the future.

The directing was also pretty good as well. For a rather beginning filmmaker, Muccino managed to fit the theme well, contrasting the rich life and the poor life of LA.

So, it got boring in parts, and the ending tried to wrap everything up too quickly, but it was a good, sometimes funny, mostly heartbreaking movie. A great one to watch!

8 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Superman Returns (2006)

6/10

A movie worth seeing, but there are definitely better ones.

4 December 2006

Yesterday, I saw Superman Returns. In it, after visiting the remains of his home planet Krypton for 5 years, Superman (Brandon Routh) returns to Earth in order to reclaim his lost love, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth). However, once he arrives on Earth, not only does he discover that Lois has forgotten Superman and married a pilot, Richard White (James Marsden), but also that Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has gotten out of jail and is planning an all new plan.

Though billed as an "action" film, Superman Returns does not have quite as much action as I would have hoped. There's really only 2 or 3 scenes where Superman fights, and those scenes are very brief. Superman is just too strong. It's boring watching him fight criminals that he can take down in instants. Shoot him? Nope. He's impervious to bullets. Outrun him? No, he can move faster then sound. Sneak past him? Sorry. As Superman himself remarks "I hear everything." Basically, the only way to kill him is with kryptonite, which is getting to be a bit old plot.

Another annoying thing about Superman Returns, is that they are forced to spend the first 20 minutes reminding us what happened in the movies that came out 30 years ago. I understand that this is necessary, but they could have cut it down a bit.

The romance was too much. If they took a quarter of the romance scenes they had and made them action scenes, it would have been perfect. But as I said, superhero movies should be chock-full of action, which this movie wasn't.

I did like some parts of this movie. The action (when it happened) was intense and well done, with great special effects. The acting was good, especially by James Marsden and Kevin Spacey. I really liked the scene with the miniature town that Luthor makes to test his plan.

All in all, a movie worth seeing, but there are definitely better ones.

0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

8/10

A Depressing Story of Loss and Love....And zombies. Don't forget the zombies.

10 August 2006

Warning: Spoilers

Plot: When the radiation from a fallen satellite causes the recently deceased to rise from the grave and seek the living to use as food, a small group of people must try to survive in a run down farmhouse.

Acting: Not that good. Duane Jones, who played the main character, Ben, was good, especially for a first time role. Most of the others were okay, except for the bad ones like Judith O'Dea.

Direction: Surprisingly good. George A. Romero surprises you with things you expect.

Horror: Pretty scary. For a 60's film....

Ending (spoiler): One by one they are all killed off until only the main character. He holes himself in the basement, vowing to live. And live he does! The zombies go away! As the rescue team arrives the next morning, he goes out of the house ready to be rescued...

Where he is shot by a man mistaking him for a zombie. Very depressing!

All in all: A good film to watch. Definitely a classic. The start of all other horror films from then on.

1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

8/10

Slow to start, then gets better. A bit confusing.

8 July 2006

Warning: Spoilers

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest does not really follow the first story that much. It has the same characters, but is not really a continuation. You could watch it without watching the first one.

In starts with Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightly)having their wedding interrupted by the small setback of them getting arrested. The charges: helping Jack Sparrow get away. They are sentenced to death. But the man in charge offers Will one chance. If he can get Jack Sparrow's compass for him, in exchange for a navy pardon, they can both go free.

Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is being haunted by a slave of Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), Bootstrap Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgård), who we later learn is Will's father.

Through a series of events, (which I won't go into too much detail about) a four-way war starts for the possession of Davy Jones's chest. Of course every chest has it's key, and they also need that.

The plot is a bit confusing, with a lot of twists and turns. Very funny at a lot of parts, and well directed. All the acting was good, and the special effects were really good, from ships falling apart, to the tentacles of a kraken grabbing a ship.

It started out kind of slow, and I was going to give it a 7, but then it got much better. It's hard to say which is better, the first or the second, because they both had they're good parts. It ends with a huge cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more: Jack Sparrow dies, and they need to bring him back, with the help of none other then: Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) the evil ship's captain from the first movie, who supposedly died. I can't wait for the sequel! Go see this movie!

0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

8/10

What a creepy movie!

17 June 2006

Warning: Spoilers

I don't care how "scary" and "exiting" and "heart-pounding" movies are today: This is by far the scariest! Rosemary's baby is about a couple that buys a house with a mysterious past. After becoming pregnant, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) begins to suspect that everybody in the building, including her husband (John Cassavetes), is a Satan-worshiping, anti-Christian witch. Is she imagining it, or is it real? And if it is, will she be able to save her baby? The movie does start out slow, and doesn't really pick up until she becomes pregnant. Also, some of it is boring, and not all is very scary. But the parts that are: *shiver*! Roman Polanski is a good director of horror. I did not think much of the ending was good, but my favorite line is when Minnie Castavet(Ruth Gordon) remarks: "He chose you, honey! From all the women in the world to be the mother of his only living son!" Obviously playing on the Jesus story, Minnie says this in her strong, New York accent, making the situation almost comical.

All in all, a very creepy movie!

1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Civil War (1990)

9/10

Wow!

11 June 2006

I'm 13, and I learned more about the Civil War in these videos than I have in my entire life! It might just be that my teachers don't teach it well, but I think it's something else! When I first started watching them with my parents, I was doubtful of their quality. How is a guy going to make a documentary about a time when there were only still photographs? I thought it wasn't possible to keep the audience interested, especially in a 12.5 hour long documentary. Well, I was wrong.

Ken Burns is actually an amazing film maker. He not only gave information in his documentary, he told a story. And not just any story, he told the story of one of the worst wars in the history of the world. By using still photographs mixed with voice overs and quotes, he brought the world of the Civil War to life.

A great documentary!

24 out of 30 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)

7/10

A Powerful Moving Story!...That Drags ON & ON!!!

4 June 2006

Warning: Spoilers

7/10, ***.5/4

Kanichiro Yoshimura (Kiichi Nakai) is a samurai who was forced to betray his clan in order to save his family. His life goes on in a new clan until finally, he crawls back wounded to his first clan, only to be forced to commit hara-kiri before even seeing his family including the daughter he's never seen.

The script was a bit confusing. Of course, I saw it with subtitles and I have never been to Japan, but still. Other than that, I liked the script, especially Yoshimura's death monologue at the end, although it dragged a bit.

Speaking of dragging, that's my #1 concern with this movie. After the final battle at the end where Yoshimura refuses to back down even against 100's of guns, it gets a bit boring. The monologue is a bit long, and it could have been cut down. Everything else after his death could also have been cut down to a few minutes, instead of the 10 or 20 minutes that it was.

The directing was incredible! Yojiro Takita takes the simplest shots and uses them to create a beautiful story! (There was one problem that I noticed: They didn't leave footprints in the snow.) I loved how he framed his shots and used only a few shots to create a scene.

The acting was pretty good, although some of it was weak. Nothing that good or that bad. Just average.

All in all, a movie you must see!

1 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

7/10

Not as bad as they say...

28 May 2006

I liked it. The ending dragged, and the scene at the end in the garden was kind of forced, but it was good. They changed the ending, but I liked it better. Sir Ian McKellan, Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, and Alfred Molina were all good actors. (Everybody else did not act well, but thats all right. My main complaint is that the ending didn't end. They should have taken out the whole questioning religion scene in the garden at the end, which was probably put in so people didn't get mad. But that's my only big complaint. Many people have been saying that it is not as good as the book, but it helped me understand the story more.

0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Cinderella Man (2005)

8/10

A Heartpounding Movie with only a few drags.

8 May 2006

Warning: Spoilers

Cinderella Man opens with the main character, Jim Braddock (Russel Crowe) trouncing somebody in a boxing match. After the fight, he is mobbed by supporters and makes a lot of money from it. The scene ends with his manager Joe Gould, (Paul Giammati) saying hes gonna go far.

Cut to three years later, at the start of the great depression. Braddock is not going far. He has lost fight after fight, and the boxing commission has revoked his license. The rest of the movie is his climb back to the top and becomes the champion.

In my opinion, a really good movie makes your heart pound. This movie is one of the few that I have seen that does it repeatedly. The final fight with Max Baer, (Craig Bierko) is one of the most intense scenes in a movie I have ever seen. My heart took 10 minutes to calm down after it. Also, the acting was very good especially Russel Crowe. The cinematography and directing were also very good.

Now, for the bad: The only thing I have to say is that the plot often dragged. Some of the scenes before he gets good at boxing were the sole reason that I did not rate this movie a 10. Now, like all 13 year old boys, I like action in movies. However, this does not mean that I need it constantly, like some do. But I think that many of the non-boxing scenes could have been omitted or shortened. But I can not think of anything else that was bad.

What a good movie!

1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Fever Pitch (2005)

6/10

Pretty good, but drags a bit.

17 March 2006

Warning: Spoilers

The summary says it all. A good concept with some good laughs, ("I'm washing your father's balls") but completely unrealistic and, at a lot of points, dull. Watching a relationship slowly go down the toilet is not what I would call "interesting." And slow it does go. "Oh I LOVE how your obsessed with the Red Socks!" "Oh, I guess it's OK not driving down with me to meet my parents so you can go to a baseball game." "Hm. I'm a bit upset with you because you refuse to go to Paris with me so you can see the 'big game', but that's OK." "OH MY GOD!!! I HATE YOU!!! YOU AND YOUR STUPID BALL GAMES!!!" And the ending is VERY unrealistic. How can one lady avoid an entire team of security guards, and if she went to jail, how was she at all those games at the end? All in all, the writing was a little weak, although all else was good.

1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Big Daddy (1999)

4/10

A Weak Movie with a Big Heart

17 March 2006

Warning: Spoilers

The whole premise in Big Daddy is unlikely. A lazy bum finds a kid delivered to his doorstep and in order to impress his girlfriend, decides to take care of him until a better home can be found. He then goes on to teach him everything he knows about life. Which amounts to about...nothing.

There were a few chuckles, but it wasn't that funny of a movie. Wow. A kid wet his bed. Funny. Wait, no it's not.

Adam Sandler's performance was surprisingly rather weak, as were almost all of the actors and actresses involved.

And the ending was one of the worst endings I have ever seen! Just because all these people say that he loves the kid is no reason to give this guy, who doesn't have a steady job, who is not married, and has friends who are all other bums.

All in all, a good concept

5 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Munich (2005)

9/10

Wow!!!

26 February 2006

The Godfather used to be my favorite film. Well, that is no longer true, now that I have seen Munich, Steven Spielberg's newest film.

In 1972, 11 Israeli athletes about to compete in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany were taken hostage. When Israel tried to retaliate, all 11 were killed. This is the true story of what happened next. 5 men were given one order; to kill all 11 people who were involved in the Munich massacre.

Going back to The Godfather, Munich was lighted very much the same. Was it an accident or was Spielberg trying to say that the people doing the executions were just as bad as the mafia? Anyway, the direction was beautiful and some parts made my heart pound, it was so intense.

This was the only movie that has ever made me want to cry. It is just so powerful, especially because it is so true. It creates many moral questions that you and the characters will have to ask yourself. Is is right to follow violence with violence. Is what Avner (Eric Bana) and his crew are doing morally right. Well, you'll have to figure it out yourself. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

Final Verdict: 5/5 stars

7 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Citizen Kane (1941)

6/10

Beautifully directed, amazingly acted and spectacularly lighted! An amazing(ly boring) story!

25 February 2006

Warning: Spoilers

I do not care if it was beautifully directed, amazingly acted and spectacularly lighted! All this stuff is important in a film, but every film still needs a plot! OK, so Citizen Kane did have a plot but I'm talking about an interesting plot! I hate to say this, but I DID NOT CARE WHAT ROSEBUD WAS!!! I was bored from basically the first 30 seconds! SPOILER: And at the end: Oh wow. It's his sled. Don't tell me I don't get it, because I do. He's saying that the only time he was happy was when he was a kid. But...I just...don't care.

I do admit this movie was not terrible. It had some beautiful parts that showed Orson Wells can use a camera, but you still need to have an interesting plot to have a good movie. I'm not saying you need action to have a good movie, but you do need stuff to happen! The entire movie was just them going to random people asking them what rosebud meant.

**1/2

0 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The World's Fastest Indian (2005)

6/10

Starts out Slow, Then becomes Fast. An amazing story, but needs some work.

24 February 2006

Warning: Spoilers

The World's Fastest Indian started out slow. I didn't feel it really got interesting until he actually to the racing area. A number of questions rose up. One of my key ones was "Why is everybody being so nice to him?" As much as I hate to say it, people arn't that nice. In America, people don't go to that much trouble for someone else. I did not like very much of the acting, and I thought the plot moved slowly. Very slowly. Much of it was not important at all and very boring. Now for the good stuff. I loved the racing scene. My heart was pounding as he started going faster and faster. Even though I knew he was going to make it I still wondered how he could possibly do it. I liked the acting of the racer, playing such a dedicated man. That was probably my favorite part. I also liked the part where he's being sold the flower and she steals his $10. All in all, it an amazing story, but needs some work.

1 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The New World (2005)

1/10

Want to catch up on your sleep? See this movie!

23 February 2006

I hated many things about this movie.

1. Its length. They could have fit it into a half-hour. It was 2.5 hours of John and Pocahontas prancing around being happy! 2. The voice overs. OHMYGOD!!! I HATED THE VOICEOVERS!!! THEY HAD NO POINT AND WERE REALLY ANNOYING!!! 3. The plot. Wait. There was a plot?!? 4. The commercials. They showed it as an action movie. ITS NOT!!! 5. The Romance. The stupidest romance I've ever seen. They don't kiss, they don't hold hands, they just run around smiling @ each other! All in all, a movie that is very easy to sleep through! Lets see...the acting sucked, the editing was terrible (cutting between different times, cutting from picture, to black, to picture), and I often got really confused about whether the natives hated the settlers or loved them, (considering in changed every couple of minutes). Do I need to say more?

1 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

jerrythecow

Reviews

Tell Your Friends

Recently Viewed