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All reviews - Movies (5) - TV Shows (1)

As good as the original

Posted : 13 years, 2 months ago on 17 January 2011 03:54 (A review of TRON: Legacy)

Strengths: Outstanding effects, 3D that's worth the price of admission, being able to take breaks from 3D for the 2D scenes, excellent action sequences, solid story, consistently entertaining, sympathetic main character (Sam Flynn), the TRON world still existing in an 80s motif, Olivia Wilde wearing a skintight outfit

Weaknesses: Predictable moments, relying on the audience's familiarity with the original (not that you NEED to see the original to understand what's going on, but it's recommended if you're going to fully appreciate certain aspects), reverse aging of Kevin Flynn is obviously done digitally (a minor gripe perhaps, but it occasionally bugged me). I also disliked a couple of visual presentation decisions (the pixellated-looking flashbacks did nothing to enhance those scenes), but that may be a personal taste complaint only.

Verdict: Go (re)watch TRON, and if you (still) enjoy it definitely watch this one and you'll enjoy it as well. I thought the pacing was better and obviously the effects have improved thanks to the difference of time & technology. There's room for improvement here (less reliance on familiarity with the first, better character development), but overall it's an entertaining film worth watching.


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Cyrus review

Posted : 13 years, 2 months ago on 2 January 2011 06:06 (A review of Cyrus)

Strengths: Superb acting all around, believable and non-stereotypical characters, believable situations, engaging story, satisfying ending

Weaknesses: Often shoddy camera work, stylistic choice of playing dialogue over scenes where the characters aren't actually saying their respective lines

Verdict: Worth watching for the acting and the story, which I felt outshined the weaknesses I listed above even though said weaknesses did break the spell of the film at times.


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The Switch review

Posted : 13 years, 2 months ago on 2 January 2011 05:43 (A review of The Switch)

Strengths: Acting performances (especially Thomas Robinson as Sebastian), believable chemistry between Aniston & Bateman, could relate to Bateman's character, good comedic and dramatic moments, story well-told, good soundtrack

Weaknesses: Predictable storyline that offers no surprises

Verdict: Not a must-see, but worth watching. I enjoyed it mostly because of the characters, especially the relationship between Wally Mars and Sebastian. I'd watch it again but probably wouldn't go out of my way to do so.


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Check your brain at the door

Posted : 13 years, 3 months ago on 10 December 2010 10:32 (A review of Due Date)

Strengths: interplay/relationship between Downey & Galifianakis, excellent comedic moments, Danny McBride, RZA as an airport screener, soundtrack that complements the film well (as opposed to The Hangover where most of the songs made no sense with the scenes)

Weaknesses: ridiculous/unbelievable premise, few surprises, some "I knew that was coming" moments, time vs. Juliette Lewis, Jamie Foxx's character is mostly pointless, functional but forgettable supporting cast

Verdict: If you don't bother to think too much (or perhaps at all) it's a thoroughly entertaining road comedy, just nothing original. The best reason to see it is for Downey vs. Galifianakis, especially if you're a fan of either/both of them.


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Neverwhere review

Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 2 December 2010 09:44 (A review of Neverwhere)

This TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman's excellent novel successfully brings the tale to life. It's extremely faithful to the source material, the only new material being the introductory part of the first episode (in which the main character provides a brief background on himself). The casting is perfect all around, with my personal favorites being Hywel Bennett & Clive Russell as Mr. Croup & Mr. Vandemar. I also loved the scenery & costumes & thought they were perfectly designed. Plus the music is done by Brian Eno, which is pretty awesome.

My main complaint lies with the introductory parts of the other episodes. They mainly serve as recaps, which seem unnecessary for a limited run series, and the way they're filmed with freeze frame shots of the characters randomly thrown in while they're still talking is cheesy and detracts from the overall quality of the show. Had they been left out entirely I could easily give the show a 9 or 10.

Worth watching if you're a fan, but not necessary viewing.


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Antichrist review

Posted : 13 years, 5 months ago on 25 October 2010 07:25 (A review of Antichrist)

Much like 8mm, my overall response to this movie is "it's a great film, but I would never recommend it to anyone."

Now allow me to explain... Visually this film is one of the best things I've ever watched. It's like a visual symphony, everything conducted carefully to stimulate you in whatever way it's supposed to. The cinematography is perfect, and a lot of the frames would be great to display on your walls.

The acting is completely believable, and Charlotte Gainsbourg deserves every Best Actress award there is for her performance. She fully realizes her character and shows the complete range of emotions over the course of the film. Willem Dafoe fully realizes his character as well, but I guess that's less impressive to me since he's done so many times throughout his career...at this point I simply expect that from him.

As for the story, it's told in a way that's impossible to turn away from. No matter what happens, once it's hooked you in you MUST know everything that follows. Which leads us to the problems I have with the film...

Some parts of this film are boundary-pushing graphic. Now, I'm not a person easily turned away by graphic violence. Go look at some of my favorite films & you'll see lots of graphic violence in them. But this one goes beyond what I'm capable of enduring, and on one hand I feel like it deserves credit in a positive way for making me turn away and squirm uncomfortably...yet those same moments that make me so uncomfortable force me to knock it down a peg or two. I won't say what specifically happens (though if you've seen this it should be obvious what I refer to), but it seemed completely unnecessary...at the very least it could've been implied instead of shown in great detail. And I'm sure some people would say that the fact that von Trier is willing to go there is a great thing, but I disagree.

Also, there was one moment of the film that was so ridiculous it broke the spell, and I'm still unsure why it even happened. It was silly, and not in a comic relief sort of way...more like a "this should be scary/creepy/shocking somehow" way & it failed miserably in my book.

Finally, if I have to consult outside sources to comprehend a movie's ending, then said ending failed to convey its message clearly. Thus, I can go no higher than 7/10.


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