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Reviews
Life of Pi (2012)
Great visuals serve only as a distraction from a overbearingly preachy plot and shallow characters.
I'm going to go ahead and say it outright. This film flat out takes the cake for the most overrated film of the year. This is unwarranted and uninspired Oscar bate on a Hurt Locker level. For the first time in a very long time I have actually left a movie feeling I had wasted my money.
You all know the plot. A boy finds himself adrift at sea with a dangerous tiger after a horrific shipwreck. At the start of the film we are subjected to a meandering and drawn-out set up for themes and characters that do not even see a reprise or conclusion before the end of the film. It really felt like this film was stretching every scene and concept to a breaking point to fill the three hour artistic precedent established by previous Oscar winners like Return of the King. It just drags and drags until we are finally privy to the main plot. But then, the films biggest problem comes to a head: the theme.
The film's theme cannot even be adequately described as it lacks any focus or objectivity. It simply comes off as an overbearing theistic agenda slathered onto an unrelated story. It presents itself as a lesson about faith, but doesn't convey this message in any other fashion than saying "I had faith and I survived, therefore you should have faith." As a critical thinker, I simply counter the point by demonstrating that if a faithless person was put in the same position as the main character and made the same decisions (since none of these decisions were based his faith) they would have identical outcomes. There in lies the problem: the lesson is not demonstrated through means of the story or character progression. It is literally told to you every few scenes via frequent and uninspired narration. The first rule in screen writing is a simple one: Show, don't tell. After all, film is a visual medium. Apparently the screenwriter missed the memo.
What else is there to say? The acting was wooden. The score was big but not memorable. The only thing I can give to the film's credit is some beautiful cinematography and an effective use of 3D. But presentation is all for naught if the story is ineffective, and Life of Pi never once managed to grab me, move me or convince me of anything. It serves only as a colossal waste of money and time; my own and Hollywood's.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
I don't get where the bad reviews are coming from.
Terminator Salvation is currently sitting at 34% on RottenTomatoes.com. I just don't get it. When it comes to films, I am very hard to please. I'd say out of every fifteen movies I see I would only describe one as a 'good' movie, and even less as a 'great' one. But Terminator Salvation suited me just fine. It's engaging, interesting, well-directed, and at moments surprisingly emotional. Of course it pales in comparison to Terminator 1 and 2, but that's James Cameron for you. I found it to be fathoms better than the abomination on film: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Terminator Salvation had incredible visual effects, preferring to film on real sets rather than extensive green screens and using real helicopters and cars over computer generated replacements, and opting to film Animatronics over CG models. The effect is quite endearing as we movie goers have been bombarded with cheesy CG effects since 1995. (I nearly wanted to gouge my eyes out at the giant CG Sandman in Spiderman 3 or CG baby in Children of Men). The story is straightforward, incorporating elements and themes ever so subtly from previous James Cameron films. Overall, I'd say the movie delivers. Definitely worth your admission price. I plan to buy it and add to my Terminator DVD collection (something I have not and will not give the privilege to the steaming pile that was Terminator 3). I'd say the fair score on rotten tomatoes should be a 69%. Maybe with more time and reviewers, the film will get the buzz it deserves.
Silent Hill (2006)
Beautiful imagery and chilling moments, but a weak plot.
Silent Hill was the best horror movie I've seen all year, but it could stand to be a bit better.
The good: The imagery was fantastic. Many moments were hauntingly graceful and beautiful, and then others can make you turn in your sleep with horror. The camera angles were fantastic. Many shots made you feel like you were in the scene about to fall into a great chasm, or burn to death on the rotting floor. The monsters were horrifyingly creepy and were done with stunning CG and make-up effects. The first scene with the monsters of Silent Hill had me screaming in terror. The movie touches on very primal fears such as a lack of faith, and losing a child, making a great chill factor throughout the film.
The bad: Though the creatures were terrifying, there were no moments that made you jump in your seat. It was all progressive fear, which can be nice as a change of pace, but not what people want from a horror film. Some of the dialog felt unnatural and corny. The 'cop' character was weakly developed and had a muttled personality. Sean Bean was constantly dropping his American accent, making for strange dialog. Also concerning Sean Bean, the character, 'Christopher', had no resolution; his part in the story pretty much felt completely useless. But the utterly most annoying thing with this film (spoiler) is that it has NO ENDING! The story progresses and starts its falling action, but many things are left unresolved. Your just about to get those final resolutions...and the movie's over. I'm sure there was something symbolic about the ending, but it was simply disappointing. After I was creeped out beyond belief, this horrible ending had me walking out of the theatre regretting spending nine dollars and over two hours of my life. I hope there is a sequel or something, because this film was just one long and scary lose end.