wish

I wish someone would tell me what's wrong with me so I can start fixing it now.

Review: Batman: Year One

BATMAN! Do you even need to ask why I watched this? If you do, shut up and read my review.

Batman: Yea One follows Bruce Wayne, returning to Gotham after years away, secretly training for a mission that was unclear to him. Upon his arrival, he sees the city he left behind fallen more into corruption and depravity.  Concisely - Gotham is fallen victim to crime.  At the same time, Lieutenant James Gorden has come to Gotham as well.  He feels his coming to Gotham is an appropriate punishment for his past misconduct, He grieves though over bringing his wife, and eventually, his son, to such a immoral place.  The film follows both men as they come to terms with their home and how best to fight for it.

Likes - This was a very good adaptation for Frank Miller's masterpiece.  The filmmakers faithfully brought to life those pages drawn so long ago.   Some instances, its understandable to try and provide a new spin on an old story.  This approach wouldn't work here though.  Batman: Year One is both hallowed ground and a solid story.  Making any changes would ruin it.
Similarly to Batman Begins, we see the original inspiration for Batman.  Not the costumed likes of the Joker or the Riddler.  No, crime, both organized and petty, were what made Bruce Wayne begin his endless, unrelenting crusade.  We see Batman doing more 'mundane' tasks like saving old ladies from runaway trucks.  We also see him using his dectivie skills to weed out the information he needs.  We also see Batman get theatrical.  Keep in mind most people do not even believe he exists.  He needs to strike fear into the criminal underworld, even if it means putting on a show. Also, we see Batman make mistakes, criticize himself, and even act unsure of his his next move.  All this is a very refreshing side of the classic character.

Dislikes - For one, I wanted more! The animation seemed too crisp and clean for such a gritty story.  I think it might have hurt the story some.  Also, the voice actors were different from the usual talents associated to these films.  This isn't bad so much as it's disarming a bit.  Still, they did a very good job.

Overall - I think any fan of Batman, diehard to luke warm, should watch this.  It was a very good, mature take on the caped crusader.  Overall 5 out of 5.

Review: Everything Must Go

I love Will Ferrell.  I can unashamedly admit this.  So when I saw he was doing a film a little different from his normal roles, I had to jump on it.  Ferrell is a great actor when he wants to be, his work in Stranger Then Fiction as one example.

Everything Must Go begins with the worst day in Nick Halsey's life.  He gets fired from his job of 16 years after one too many screw ups, many related to his alcoholism.  He returns home to find all his possessions strewn about his front lawn.  He tries to get inside his home, only to find every lock and key code changed.  By state law, he is able to stay on this lawn for up to 5 days.  Nick is forced to hold a pseudo yard sale, while he figures out what to do next in his life.

Likes - Everything Must Go is not at all the comedy I was expecting.  I will be up front about that now.  Still, I enjoyed this film.  As I've stated before, expectations of a film can greatly effect the viewing experience.
Back to the point, this film was good but not great.  There was a subtlety in the story that was present throughout most of the film.  This is key because it makes the outbursts seem so much more real and extreme.  We really feel the frustration in Nick just boil over into a sheath of absolute helplessness.  Will Ferrell is great and it's really nice seeing him really act, as opposed to acting out like a child.
This story isn't new - a man, down on his luck, looks for a way back to his humanity and dignity.  What this film set out to do, it did well.  Everything Must Go was a real 'slice of life' pice done right.   The movie wasn't innovative by any means and it might even be forgettable to some, but it made you real feel something.  A great effort was made to develop the relationship between Nick and his various neighbors, each one trying to help Nick out in their own capacity.  Kenny, Samantha, and Frank each show a unique side of Nick, creating a multi-dimensional image of this man, instead of a paper thin perception from just one person.

Dislikes - For this film there was nothing in particular I disliked.

Overall - I enjoyed this film.  It was nice seeing Nick find his way back, even after a plot twist really puts the pressure on.  It was also a pleasure seeing Ferrell play a role that requires some restraint and talent.  I give Everything Must Go 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Ward

It's HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNN!!!!!.....So I tried finding a new American horror film to watch.  I was only able to find this here.

The Ward follows Kristen as she is inexplicably sent to a mental ward after setting a barn on fire.  Upon her arrival, she becomes acclimated into the small world that exists inside.  She meets the other patients, pisses the staff off, and randomly encounters a woman covered in darkness trying to kill her.  This film turns out to be a ghost story...or is it? (Insert spooky laugh)

Likes - The Ward wasn't a stand out innovative film, so it's hard to point out anything major that I liked.  It wasn't terrible or even bad.  The acting was acceptable, except for Sarah's death.  That was a bit silly.  The story was generally solid.  Honestly, I was only half paying attention while watching this.  The questionable points I did pick up on were ratified with the ending, which i might add......WAS A TWIST! Bet you didn't see that coming.

Dislikes - Again, I have the same general comment.  Nothing comes to mind that I greatly disliked about this film.  Not saying it was flawless, though.

Overall - The Ward was a fun film to watch if you don't take it too seriously.  Viewing it once is enjoyable but that would be enough.  This won't change horror or make you scared to sleep at night. I was getting turned off by the ghost story concept because it wasn't being executed in a proper manner.  The ending made it acceptable though.  The ending didn't bring things full circle, so much as, it was able to explain away any flaws the plot might have had.  It was a good idea but the lack of strong acting made the overall film, though fun to watch, an overall forgettable affair.

P.S. One last note I want to add.  I will continue to review smaller, more obscure tittles.  Reviewing big movies that everyone has already seen before is rather frivolous.  I want to give people something unique to read, as opposed to another screaming voice in a roar of screaming voices.

Review: Dream Home

Hey everyone.  I know it's been some time.  In my real life, I was away on business and wasn't able to keep the movie watching going like normal.  Don't fret though, I've returned!! And I've brought along a stellar gift in this Chinese slasher masterpiece!  I choose to watch Dream Home beucase it was a newly added title to Netflix's instant stream.  I wasn't expecting anything great or evenly remotely good.  Thankfully, Dream Home managed to surprise me.

Dream Home is the story of Cheng Lai-Sheung's pursuit of finding the perfect home.  Early on, we don't understand what drives Cheng's obsession to get a flat in a particular spot.  Despite the advice from friends, family and experts, she refuses to be deterred from acquiring her dream home (OH NO I just made a title reference!).  Slowly, we come to find what's pushing Cheng and how far she will go to make her dreams come true (I can't stop).

Likes - Firstly, the cinematography was amazing.  There were many quiet moments where panning shots of Hong Kong were showed in both vibrant and dull colors.  You can tell a lot of effort was made to show the city in both it's beauty and it's darkest corners.  It was like watching photos breathing. During the moments where there was development, there was also a sense that the setting was carefully picked.  Each scene seemed to have it's own thematic color.  I could be wrong, but that's what I remember.  It really added to the uniqueness of the film.  It reminds me of Hero, where each battle had its own special setting.  Secondly, the story telling was well crafted, detailed, and moved at a good pace.  At first we have no idea why Cheng is doing what she is doing.  The film provides us insight by going back and forth from Chengs past and present.  We go as far back as her childhood.  It's the only way to truly understand what is driving her.  In time, we come to empathize with her.  The back and forth also provides a nice break from the violence.  Lastly, the gruesomeness and depth of violence is nothing I've ever seen in any horror film.  Where most cameras look way and force us to imagine the outcome, Dream Home leaves no room for speculation.  You see each death to it's bitter end.  For someone who has seen more then his fair share of horror, I was shocked to finally see the next level being taken.  Granted, due to its foreign nature, many lines could be crossed.  But even in Japanese and Korean films, I've never seen this level of gore and maiming. It was gruesome and bloody but I was so intrigued with the overall story, I felt no need to look away.  That's pretty amazing

Dislikes - The only thing I disliked about the film was its Netflix description.  Though it gives you a very basic idea of the film, it does not prepare you at all for what you're about to watch.  To the general audience, the violence and blood maybe too much for some people.  The story is so strong though, to see anything less takes away from the obsession driving Cheng.

Overall - All in all, I was unexpectedly impressed with this film.  I wasn't expecting anything this great.  In fact, the first time I watched this film I fell asleep since I was so tired.  I made another attempt to complete my viewing and it was well worth it.  I'm glad I tried a second time since it usually takes me a few tries to really enjoy a film.  With Dream Home, the story is solid and is told in both a beautiful and grotesque manner.  This juxtaposition really shows you the purity of intentions and the dark depths we can fall into to fulfill them.  I give this film 5 stars easy.  Do yourself horror fans and watch this film ASAP!

Review: The Adjustment Bureau

This film is based on a Philip K. Dick short story.  As of late I've been reading his work (GASP!) and I  was interested to see this film.  With the leading roles being filled in by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt,  I'm that much more excited to watch this film.

Matt Damon is David Norris, a would be senator, who randomly meets Elise.  It turns out that this romance was never meant to be, and a whole secret organization is doing everything they can to stop their relationship from blossoming.

Likes - I enjoyed this film.  I think it kept to the spirit of PKD pretty well, though not completely.  I haven't read the actual story this was based on but I did read a lot of PKD.  He is a master of making you feel absolutely paranoid.  That paranoia was in the film but wasn't nearly as heavy as it should have been.  I think the film makers were after making this a thrilling tale of love conquering all over a conspiracy theory film.  Matt Damon and Emily Blunt both did well I think but they won't be winning any awards I think.

Dislikes - There wasn't anything in particular that stood out that I didn't dislike about this film.

Overall - This was a good film but not a great film.  I enjoyed this film and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a slick sci-fi thriller.  There isn't much replay value though.  This film did stick with PKD's mastery of creating a world within a world but the feeling of paranoia that is PKD's bread and butter was a bit lacking.  Nonetheless, good film.  I just didn't get that overwhelming film of greatness afterward. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Super

I decided to watch SUPER because of the premise and cast seemed unusually big to me, pure and simple.

SUPER is a film about Frank and his attempt to change the world at large.  His Wife, Sarah, leaves him for a drug dealer.  In his grief and as a vain attempt to get her back, Frank becomes the Crimson Bolt, crime fighter.  Soon he begins to see that simply having the desire to stand up for whats right isn't enough.

Likes - Right away I have to tell you, this movie is dark.  It starts off with a cute premise.  Very quickly, it begins to became a very dark, disturbing tale of trying to do the right thing.  No character is completely innocent or stable.  That's one thing I really appreciated in this film.  Maybe because I'm more astute today, but I noticed that everyone character, including Frank, was a disturbed individual, looking for a way to cope with reality.  It was entertaining to see how each character tried to just survive his or her mundane role in society - drugs, money, the past, a costume.  This movie takes the classic idea of a super hero and places it the real world.  SUPER shows us just how far and how bad things can get.  The cast was amazingly big for such a small title.  I think most everyone did good work, though nothing exceptional can be gleamed from this film.  Except Ellen Page.  Her portrayal of Libby is great.  She provides some of the best lines in the film and the best scenes in the whole film.  She reminds me of Damien Wayne in the Batman comic world, but without the extensive training or confidence.  

Dislikes - Nothing in particular that I disliked about this film.  The most negative aspect I have of this film is that it simply was not at all what I was expecting.  It was much more brutal and true to life then I was expecting. That isn't a bad thing but it took me longer then it should have to appreciate what SUPER was trying to convey.  

Overall - I'd recommend this film for any superhero buff, be you into comics, cartoons, or movies.  Also for anyone who loves dark comedy, this is a must watch.  For the luke warm viewer, I'd probably avoid this film.  It's not for everyone.  Since I'm in a decent mood, I'll give this film 4 out of 5 stars.