Category Archives: 4 Star Movies

The Core Review

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It’s time for another disaster film, but this one doesn’t really manage to be as interesting as the Volcano film. The main problem is that it runs on for a little too long and the plot takes away the chance of us actually getting to see most of the destruction. Is The Core as scary as the poster would have you believe? Not really, but the tone of the film is interesting.

The plot involves a guy by the name of Josh. He’s a professor at a university and he gets called in by the government after a group of people mysteriously die for no discernible reason. He starts to look into the situation and Josh realizes that the Earth is doomed. The Core is not turning anymore and soon the Earth will get cooked by the Sun. The Government actually believes him for once and a crew is assigned to go to the Core and restart it. This’ll be a dangerous mission and Josh must learn what it means to be a true leader as he embarks on the most dangerous quest of all time!

I do have to give the film some credit for the intro. It’s very ominous and action packed so it would have been fitting for something like The Avengers or Man of Steel. It’s a pretty awesome intro. I definitely did not expect something quite like that, but it really helped to set the tone for the film. Unfortunately, you can’t help but raise your expectations after something like that and the rest of the film couldn’t match this.

Near the beginning of the film is a big scene, which immediately destroyed the film’s chances of being very good. A flock of birds is attacked by The Core and there are dozens of fatalities. I definitely didn’t need to see that and it destroyed any momentum that the film had. We also get to see a lot of fishes and whales get terminated by the solar ray that the Sun shot out to take out the planet. These scenes doomed the film as far as I was concerned, but did the rest of it hold up?

Josh is the main character and he likes to keep it real. After he found out that the Earth was doomed, he did what any cheap uncourageous unheroic doubtful main character would do. He quickly went to a bar to get drunk and hopefully sleep it off. Luckily, the Government quickly threw him back into the thick of things and while Josh tried to intimidate them at the meeting…it didn’t work. Josh is still more of a hero than most of the other characters and he tries his best to make sure that everyone is safe. In that sense, he’s easily one of the best characters in the film, even if he wasn’t willing to make the heroic sacrifice at the end. Self Destruction for the sake of the world is a tall order so I can’t blame him for not volunteering even though someone like Goku would have done it without hesitation. Josh does have a quick scene with Rebecca that was incredibly forced and it wasn’t even to produce a romance as it was a spur of the moment emotion that just came out. There was literally no reason to add this to the film and it was likely just to make everyone get ready to exit the theater as it symbolized that we were approaching the climax. Why!!!? It could have been worse, but it was still sad.

Rebecca has a lot of experience at being a co-pilot in an air craft and she did make it all the way up to space with her crew. She saved them all with her superior navigational skills, but that was not enough for the others to take her seriously. She got her chance when the mission for The Core popped up. Granted, the government acknowledged her brave actions, but Robert was convinced that she is still not leader material. You have to lose a few times to be ready for that. (It would have been more convincing if Robert had actually won a battle or two)

Edward is one of the more sympathetic characters. His life’s research was stolen by one of his co-workers and he’s had to live out in the desert for over a decade. It’s been rough, but he never gave up on his super driller. The heroes finally come to help out the planet and they need his design so Edward joins the crew. Tensions are still running high between him and Conrad, which climaxes with a one punch fight. Edward is basically the down to Earth character and he keeps everyone in check.

Conrad is one of the smarter characters in the film and he makes sure to constantly boast about it. He always seeks attention while making sure to put others in the spotlight when things start to get dangerous. He never makes the hero calls though as his personal safety is very important to him. I actually liked him in the beginning, but he started to drop as the film went on. It’s good to see him being the voice of despair as he tries to keep the mood down, but it’s not enough to overlook the fact that he’s one of the big antagonists who’s portrayed as a protagonist.

Serge is Josh’s friend from the beginning of the film and he’s also a part of the crew when they head to The Core. He’s mostly there for the one liners, but he’s also pretty good at setting up weapons. He was all right I suppose, but he didn’t really add anything to the film. I dare say that he was basically inconsequential to the plot and nothing would have changed if he had not been present.

Robert is the GI Joe of the group. His role is likely the smallest from the group members and he’s just there to constantly remind Rebecca that she’ll never be a proper pilot. He’s technically the hardcore/experienced sergeant who makes the tough calls when necessary, but we don’t see a whole lot of that. He mostly operates from hype and that’s typically not enough to impress me while the situation continues to escalate. He was actually a good character for the most part, but he didn’t really help when it was needed. (Josh was having trouble with his tie and Robert didn’t give him any assistance)

Rat is the genius of the group when it comes to hacking. He may not be the nicest guy out there, but he gets the job done and he likes his Hot Pockets. I can definitely sympathize since they are some of the best microwaved food out there! He’s a decent character, but I had to suspend my disbelief a whole lot when he pick pocketed the main character and then hacked his phone in a minute with a whistle. It was also pretty sad for the government since he can hack just about anything. Ah well, he did what he had too and he made the hero call at the end so he’s a solid guy to rely on.

Another critique that I would have to address is the fact that the film tries to be too emotional at times. Every death consists of long scenes where: One character looks around a lot before getting compressed, One character laughs because his last actions will not be remembered, One character melts as he almost made it back…etc. I understand that an emotional death is part of the classic disaster film formula, but overdoing it is certainly not going to win the film any points. Especially when the characters are going to have to be back to their happy selves a few minutes later so the plot can continue.

I would argue that the film also gets hit by the Lord of The Rings curse in that it’s a little too long. I’m always glad to see films crack 2 hours, but this one just didn’t need it. I liked the beginning minus the animal violence scenes because it was pretty ominous and interesting. After that, the action and excitement just died down as they made it into the drill. It just wasn’t as interesting and I like disaster films because you get to see buildings blow up and cars ravaged. Being in the center of the Earth just isn’t as exciting because there sin’t a whole lot to see. I was glad that the film had such an excellent beginning, but it just made the second half’s drought more noticeable.

The soundtrack for the film is very good and the theme from the intro quickly comes to mind. I also liked the music that was playing during the first spaceship scene as the heroes try not to crash into the civilians as they manage to make it to a patch of water. The music in those scenes was very good and maybe movie soundtracks aren’t as dead as I remembered. There have certainly been a number of films that had a good soundtrack at this point.

I do have to give the Government some props for their plan since it was so terrible that I had to smile. To stop the Earth from blowing up, they were going to cause a massive earthquake/explosion to shake things up and hope that everything works again. Okay…..whatever brings in the dough for the inventor of the weapon I suppose. He was probably grinning from ear to ear in Europe when the general gave him the OK to fire it. The government had two agents who were always sent to get Josh and I’ll admit that they were pretty cool. They always had their guns at the ready and these guys meant business. They were easily the two best government agents.

Overall, The Core is not going to be the next hit as far as Disaster films go. The soundtrack was dynamite and the intro for the film is incredible. The first half hour really builds up the excitement and the film had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, animal violence and an uneventful second half filled with (forced) emotion helped to stop the film from reaching its full potential. The government is also very unapologetic at the end as they don’t even want to be bothered to look for the main crew. They could die for all they care since the government just wanted to save the planet. The government typically looks mean or corrupt in these films, but that was still stretching it just a bit. You would be better off watching the first Broly film in the DBZ series if you want to see a lot of destruction.

Overall 4/10

In Time Review

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I’m always up for a film that takes place in the future. The possibilities are basically endless and while I believe that things are not going to be as advanced as all of the films seem to suggest..it’s fun to think about. The concept of this film is very bold, which makes some parts interesting, but also requires you to suspend your disbelief for this system actually occurring. This film may have dropped the ball in some aspects, but the plot was pretty original.

The film takes place in the future and money has been phased out. The currency is now time…and it’s on the side of the rich. After you age to 25, then the rest of your life depends on how much time you have. You start off with a year and go from there. If your time reaches 0, then you “time out” and it’s game over. Just about everything cost time like riding a bus and you get time for completing your job. Unfortunately, the rates continue to go up and everyone continues to die. The main problem is the fact that it is incredibly easy to steal time. Just grab someone’s arm and you can drain them until it’s all over.

That brings us to Will Salas. He is an ordinary joe who lives in the slums. He doesn’t have a whole lot of time, but he gets by. Unfortunately, his mother gives him a little too much time that day and she doesn’t make it. Will got rich from a guy who didn’t want his time so now he’s doing all right financially. Will decides to avenge her by taking all of the time away from the rich people as he transfers into the rich sector. Unfortunately, he quickly forgets this goal and now it’s simply a matter of staying alive and disrupting the system. He won’t be able to do it alone and that’s where Sylvia comes into play. The two of them will need to surpass the system!

Will Salas is the man character of the film and he’s definitely not one of the better protagonists. He’s all right at first as he tries to do the right thing and there’s nothing really bad about him. That changes when he makes the decision to avenge his mother and take down all of the villains. It was a great move on his part and Will’s big mistake….is that he completely forgot about this. That was where I began to lose respect for his character. Will decides to go to a hotel and live the good life as he gets to enjoy a nice meal. He then goes to a casino to gamble and he nearly throws his life away for a single card game. I suppose that it looks cool for the audience, but it’s definitely not a smart move. After that, Will gets heavily involved in the romance aspect of the adventure and I believe that he loses sight of his original goal. By the end of the film, Will is basically back on track, but it certainly took him long enough. He definitely could have been a much better protagonist.

Sylvia is the main heroine and I can’t say that she fares much better than Will. In the film she’s mostly used for fanservice and romance with Will. She has her moment (Which is starting to become very generic) where she quickly shoots down one of the villains even though it’s one of her first times using a gun. The hero is impressed and they bond as he teaches her to shoot. Then we get more romance and it’s time for their plan. Sylvia does help with the strategies as Will wasn’t really thinking of any elaborate plans. Still, I can’t really say that I cared for Sylvia.

Ray is much better than our two heroes and he’s one of the better characters in the film. His job is to keep time and he has to stop the heroes from wrecking the whole economy. He does pretty well, but the heroes are always one step ahead of him. Ray doesn’t get bribed and he always gets his man. Ray hasn’t been working at his job for 50 years for nothing! You almost sympathize with Ray since he seems to be a good cop in a corrupt system. That is…until he says that he doesn’t care about justice. Then his whole character goes out the window and he gets a pretty unnecessary plot twist. Ah well, I can’t let the plot twist wreck him and he’s still one of the better characters. The twist just didn’t help his case.

Hamilton gets a relatively small role and I was expecting some kind of big twist by the end. I suppose that it wasn’t necessary and he was just needed to start up the plot. Compared to the rest of the rich guys, Hamilton didn’t have a bunch of time. That being said, 100 years was a huge amount to Will and Hamilton knew this. I can’t say that Hamilton’s a great character because he unwisely went into a bar to try and end his life. At least it would have been a painless exit, but still not one that he should have attempted.

Fortis is the leader of the local gang. The cops leave him alone because he helps to keep the poor people in line. (Since when isn’t the government corrupt in these kinds of films?) He duels people for time and he always has a few bodyguards since he knows that his skills are lacking. He’s easily the worst character in the film and we didn’t need a petty threat like him. The time cops were good enough for me and they should be good enough for the world. Fortis is just a mild villain that you will likely forget a few days after the film. There just isn’t anything likable about him.

Borel is Will’s friend and he’s easily one of the cheapest characters in the film. He’s pretty poor and he has a family to support so Will gives him some time. The next thing you know, Borel runs to the bar so that he can go and drink until he drops out. I was pretty surprised since that came out of nowhere and I just expected him to have been offed by the villains or something. This is a much cheaper way to go out and I doubt that anyone would really find him likable after that. It just came out of the blue and showed that he lacked strength of character.

Philippe is one of the richest men on the planet and he doesn’t like to share this money. He has enough time to live for well over a millenia and he loves to gamble with his time. After all, he can’t possibly lose it all so he may as well have a blast with it. He gets pretty sore about losing to Will and he also seems a tad suspicious of Will’s motives. When the moment of truth strikes, Philippe essentially chooses the dark side. Time is all that matters to him now and he will do whatever he can to ensure that he wins in the end. He has a lot of bodyguards as well, but he probably pays them minimum wage. Philippe is definitely in cahoots with the government and he has quite a lot of connections. I suppose that the film needed a big villain and he’s much better than Fortis.

Rachel doesn’t really get a large role in the film, but she’s still instrumental to the plot. Giving away 30 minutes may be a move that she’ll end up regretting, but it was still the right call since she didn’t know that Will would essentially be winning the lottery. She seems like a nice person and I guess her job just doesn’t pay a lot of time. Will should have stuck to his plan of avenging her as it would have made me gain respect for him.

Finally, another film that actually had a soundtrack. It’s actually been a while and this is always good to see. The soundtrack wasn’t the next Resident Evil, but it’s definitely a start. The main techno theme isn’t bad and the background music is also solid for the car chase scene. It’s these little things that can help to enhance the film experience and make the scenes a bit cooler.

The film definitely has too much fanservice, which drags it down. Most of it is from Sylvia as she teams up with Will. The romance between the two of them is forced at best and annoying at worst. They get too many scenes on this and it feels like Will immediately lost sight of his true objectives. Not a good decision if you ask me. The film also makes sure to emphasize the fact that they’re all 25 so they are all essentially wearing party attire for a while, but it’s still unnecessary. A conservative cost would work just fine. Either way, there was too much of it in this film and that’s always a negative.

Now, it’s hard not to be a little skeptical of using time as a currency. First off, how did humans learn to control time and place it in such a container? The easiest thing that I can think of is that it’s a scam. They inject poison into everyone when they’re born and it doesn’t start to have an effect until the person is 25. The “time” that they receive from others is merely an antidote that prolongs the poison’s effects until it runs dry. Naturally, the film really means for it to be time, but it’s hard to believe that humans are ready for that power yet. If they have discovered how to control time, then I could see endless wars being raged to get control of it.

I’m also not crazy about how time is transmitted. Merely grabbing onto someone’s wrist is enough to force it out of them. So, it’s just a battle of physical strength so we should see a lot of bodybuilders walking around with extra time in the slums. After all, everyone apparently fights to survive so the weak ones should be out by now. I just don’t see how anyone could ever feel safe under such a system and how it would be passed. It also results in a really cheesy battle between Will and Fortis that did not make sense. The strategy is all right in theory, but I don’t see it working in real life.

Overall, I am definitely skeptical about how time would work out as an economy, but this is sci fi so I’ll just take it in stride for now. The main characters aren’t that good and their friends are even worse. Luckily, the time cops are pretty solid characters and you almost want to root for them at some points because they really want to win. It’s one of those films with an open ending so you can decide what happens next. Personally, I think it leads to the next great depression of time and then the economy will stabilize in a few years. It’ll just take a while. The film was very interesting and it really just drops thanks to all of the romance and fanservice. It was just unnecessary and they could have made Fortis into a much better villain. It’s a decent alternate future and you may want to take a look if you’re intrigued by the idea of time as money. If you want a slightly cooler future story, check out Yugioh 3D Bonds Beyond Time!

Overall 4/10

Groundhog Day Review

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I probably should have heard of this film before, but I only have a vague notion that I may have heard it prior to the week before I actually watched this movie. I liked Christmas Do Over and the concept is pretty similar except that it’s not taking place on Christmas. Groundhog Day is significantly funnier than the last few films that I’ve seen, but it also manages to fall into more film holes than the others.

The plot involves a man named Phil Connors and he’s (not) excited about the big Groundhog Day celebration. He covers it every year for the news, but he doesn’t enjoy it. Two other characters by the names of Rita and Larry are coming to assist him. Phil avoids them and get through most of the day, but then he finds out that the blizzard (Which he predicted would not happen in this area) has blocked his only way out of town. Phil goes to bed with a heavy start and begins his infinite loop inside of the day. He doesn’t have any reality superpowers so getting out of this loop will take every bit of skill that Phil has. Will his best be enough to end this crisis? That’s what the film asks the audience as it unfolds.

“Phil……Phil Connors!” is the main character and I love the way that Ned yells his name. Phil is definitely someone who you can root for at first. He’s very sarcastic and he spends most of his time mocking the other characters and being a bad sport about everything. He doesn’t like the hotel and he doesn’t like the coffee. Phil can barely hold in his contempt for the actual Groundhog Day Celebration and he lowers his comrades’ spirit whenever he can. After that, his true character bubbles to the surface and I can safely say that it ruined his character.

I liked Phil at first, but then he used his time travel as a way to make false relationships and add unnecessary romance to the story. That really makes him no better than guys like James Bond and Captain James T. Kirk. Phil couldn’t really redeem himself after that because he simply went way too far. Phil is one of those characters who has some good traits, but it destined to remain in my “awful characters” section along with Kamina. They have the potential to be likable characters and then throw it out of the window for their own personal desires. It’s not worth it and they realized this too late. At least I can always smile at the memory of Phil punching out Ned….Ned Ryerson!

Ned…..Ned Ryerson is the best character in the film and he’s someone that you don’t mess with. He always laughs at the misfortune of others and he’s very good at being an insurance employee. He put the pressure on Phil and he didn’t back down as things got tough. At the same time, he knew when it was time to get out of there and make a new plan. I won’t be forgetting Ned anytime soon and his name is just plain epic. It’s why I loved the banter between him and Phil. Both of them would use each other’s full name in fake surprise during greetings.

Rita is the main heroine and she’s a decent character at best. It’s probably rough to have to work with someone like Phil. She doesn’t do extremely well because Phil has the time advantage, but she still could have looked better. She shouldn’t be doing anything with Phil since it’s only been a day and they got too buddy buddy in other times. She should at least be suspicious for a few more days after Phil’s big change in personality. As a supporting character she is okay, but the romance between her and Phil is unnecessary at best and cringe worthy at worst. I almost wanted Larry to get more screen time…almost.

Larry actually doesn’t look that bad at first, but they his character quickly starts to fizzle out. He suddenly becomes the comic relief character and he just wants to make some new friends. That was a pretty unnecessary addition to the film and I don’t know why they bothered to add it. I liked him when Larry was snacking on desserts and insulting the main character behind his back. He should have stuck to that role.

There are certainly more characters in the film, but this is essentially the main cast. The lady in the hotel who always offered Phil coffee was cool. She went straight to the point and she was always polite despite Phil’s unfriendly approach to everything. The actual groundhog was pretty fun and he’s a solid driver. There were many other characters sprinkled throughout the film, but their roles were not very monumental and I’m sure that they will fade over time.

One of the major flaws with the film is the abundance of unnecessary romance. Why did one of the citizens be so eager to have a one night stand with an old (fake) classmate? How could the no nonsense Rite quickly get tricked into romance? It was all very forced and it certainly didn’t do any wonders for the film. The romance wasn’t ridiculously long, but there were more scenes of it than I’ve seen in a film for a long time. Each scene gradually lowered the enjoyment value of the film until I cheered as the real plot took over (temporarily) and got rid of the romance. Those romance scenes are the different between a great comedy film and one that forgot its place.

There isn’t much of a soundtrack for this film, but the songs are there. It can just be tough to notice them, but the radio song is another matter. We heard it quite a few times and the song is definitely catchy. I never really expect a big soundtrack for any live action movies, much less a comedy one. That being said, it’s always a pleasant surprise to have any that I can remember after it is over.

Phil ended up living through the cycle for over 6 months and possibly a whole year or longer. That’s pretty intense and it would have been pretty scary to keep going on forever. I do think that the movie ends a little too happily and there aren’t really any big twists. I believe that the film could have used a few of those and it would have been that much better. Just ending on a twist would have been a nice change of pace for me.

We do get treated to a pair of car chase scenes when Phil is having one of his episodes. The drive with the Groundhog started off in a great way, but then things went sour quickly. This film did not need a mild case of animal violence on its shoulders as well. It’s very mild because the death is quick and we don’t see it, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Groundhog didn’t make it. That was unnecessary.

Overall, Groundhog Day was one of the funniest films that I’ve seen in a long time. The humor was pretty solid and Phil really stole the show with his facial expressions and one liners. If Phil and Rita had not been such unlikable characters by the end, then the film could have done better. Taking away their romance and the other romance scenes would have made the film be a lot closer to a masterpiece. This is a good film if you’re looking for a solid comedy, but the romance really does drag it down. Instead, I recommend watching Christmas Do Over at the plot is very similar, but it takes place on Christmas. A nice twist if I do say so myself. One thing that I give the film credit for is the fact that Phil decides to eat as much as he can because the food won’t hurt him the next day. Brilliant.

Overall 4/10

Mission to Mars Review

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A mission to Mars always sounds fun, but it’s not something that I would want to do. Those voyages take way too long and space isn’t my thing. Still, the plot has is intriguing since space films can always add aliens and it’s hinted at in the plot. Was this film a success or did it turn out like most other space films? Let’s find out!

I’ve always been a big fan of alien/creature films. They’re always fun to watch and the films always have potential to be great. I usually end up dishing out low scores to those films because they make a lot of mistakes, but I always get my hopes up when a new one comes out. Unfortunately, this film may disappoint you if you’re looking for some solid aliens!

The plot involves a group of characters as they head off to Mars. The only one that you need to remember is Luke, as the rest of the crew is quickly destroyed by what seems to be a Kaiju. Luke quickly radios for help, but then the channel is cut. On Earth, they know that it’ll take a long time to get to Mars and Luke may already be dead. That’s definitely not going to stop our heroes! Jim, Terri, and Phil are some of the members who are a part of the new crew. They know the risks and while they are not prepared for any hostile encounter, they have determination on their side! Let’s just say that they’re in for a surprise when they finally make it to Mars!

Well, that’s the general plot and it’s a decent way to start a film. We got a party scene at the beginning, which is supposed to help us relate to the characters and maybe even sympathize with them. That part wasn’t bad and it was definitely an explosive beginning when the monster appeared. Unfortunately, nothing really happens after that. The rest of the film is basically set up for something that doesn’t even get to happen. A little on the sad side eh?

There are aliens in this film, but they have a very generic design. I have to say that they were also some of the worst aliens that we’ve seen in a while. On one hand, they seem to have almost limitless power as they hint that they are the ones who created humanity, or at least the ones who made the animals. They started the evolutionary process. You may be trying to suppress a laugh during the big scene that showcases this, but you may as well let it out. These “all powerful” aliens are quickly forced to retreat when an asteroid shower takes out their planet. So much for their technology and powers!

One part of the film that may annoy most people is the decision that Jim makes. It basically means ditching his whole race and also trusting the word of a being that he’s never truly met. That doesn’t seem like a smart move and it makes Jim unlikable. It’s impossible to agree with this choice, at least for me. That’s why I was glad that the other characters didn’t choose the same path.

I also noticed that this film was PG. I think that a PG rating doesn’t really suffice. The scene where the Kaiju murders the team is pretty intense and PG-13 worthy. Some films do skirt that edge nowadays and Prince Caspian is a good example of that. Still, this film isn’t very violent and that is really the only scene that gets intense. The rest of the film plays it safe and we don’t get any real action scenes. There are some emotional moments in the film, like one guy (not literally) self destructing so that someone else wouldn’t die in a rescue attempt. Still, watch that first Kaiju battle and tell me that the film should be PG!

This film is essentially why I’m not a fan of space movies that do not involve aliens or creatures. Being in space is like being underwater of in the dessert. Those scenes just aren’t interesting in movies and that’s the case here. The scenes could have been worse and they were decent, but they just didn’t mean anything in the end. The film was very misleading and maybe the score would have been better if we didn’t get the Kaiju scene.

See, the Kaiju scene was very intense and it hinted that there were creatures on Mars. I won’t spoil the “epic” twist, but there is no life on Mars. That scene was just meant to trick the audience and keep people watching. There were so many ways that they could have achieved that part in a better way. It was pretty sad when the twist happened and I’m sure that many viewers were not pleased.

Aside from being very uneventful and disappointing, Mission to Mars did have some things going for it. For one thing, there are no really big negatives to the film. It didn’t fall into any of the usual holes like Animal Violence. The film may not have achieved a lot of success in its pros, but the fact that it doesn’t really have any cons, helps it to get such a rating. A 4 isn’t exactly Oscar worthy, but it’s not bad considering the genre and lack of action. Comparing it to some of my recent reviews, this would technically be one of the higher rated ones.

The characters were decent for the most part, but many of them went south. Luke essentially cracked after the Kaiju attack and Jim didn’t make a great move. Self-Destructing isn’t going to help anyone in my books and the other characters were just around. I suppose that I liked the commander who allowed the mission to proceed, but he didn’t get a whole lot of screentime. Maybe he’ll get some more next time!

Overall, this is not a space film that I would recommend. I guess it would be like watching Apollo 11 or Gravity. Space isn’t a great backdrop for me unless there is a lot of action. I like seeing people inside of spaceships or objects in space, but not space itself. A Metroid setting would do very well, but we also need the sci-fi that accompanies that. Adding in aliens just helped to confuse the audience, since it never really amounted to anything. Most of the drama and suspense comes from ship malfunctions and other disasters. They’re sad, but I don’t think anyone paid 20 dollars to go and see people plug the leaks of a space ship. We came for aliens and explosions! If you like realistic space films, then I’m sure that you would like this film. It’s just not my cup of tea. If you want to see a really epic space film, check out DBZ: Broly The Legendary Super Saiyan!

Overall 4/10

Daylight Review

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Daylight is a movie that you probably haven’t heard of. I definitely had not heard of the film until I ended up watching it the other day. This movie is about a pretty tricky situation that some people get involved in and now they’ve got to get out. There’s plenty of drama and action, but is it the good kind?

The movie starts out in classic 90’s style as we are introduced to the main characters. We’ve got the Hollywood big shot, the old folks, the tough crowd, the Policeman, and others. It’s actually a pretty large crowd and they have one big thing in common…they’re going through the Holland Tunnel! Unfortunately, some members of the mafia (Or just a random gang) quickly go into their top speed and there are some pretty dangerous substances around. One thing leads to another and a large wave of fire engulfs them all. There are many casualties, but around a dozen people survive. The two ends of the tunnel are sealed so it seems like their doom is certain. Meanwhile, Latura decides to head in to rescue them all, but he’ll have to go through a very tough path which may lead to his doom. Latura may make it through the path, but how can he possibly save them!?

The plot is pretty simple and the only problem is that the people need to escape. Unfortunately for them, escaping a sealed off tunnel is a lot harder than it looks. The Hollywood star is pretty brave and he’s probably one of the best characters in the film. He didn’t back down and he never felt fear throughout the whole film. Nobody wanted to stand up to this guy and he was a natural born leader. His climax is pretty intense and you’re not going to want to miss it.

Latura knows his way around the tunnels and he’s definitely the most experienced characters from the main cast. He isn’t about to back down and he’s ready for whatever is about to happen. He’s constantly thinking of new plans on the spot and he doesn’t believe in letting anyone fall behind. (Although he did hesitate about the dog) Latura was a decent main character, but I liked him best during the beginning when he was with the cab.

The rest of the characters were mostly just there. None of them really stood out for the most part although the crook who robbed the bank was a pretty awful character. The parents of the little girl in the film were also pretty bad as they did their best to make things really hard for Latura and friends. I only gave Latura and the Hollywood guy a lot of screen time because they stood out from the other characters. I never cared for the others and they really just fill in the stereotypes. The Government looks pretty bad as per usual and they make their move which involves destroying innocent lives! That is definitely the Government for you.

The film had a very dangerous moment when something happened to the dog. It nearly destroyed the film instantly and would have made the whole review a lot more negative. Luckily the film didn’t fall into that hole, but it definitely did like to test fate with the rat scene also being included. The important thing is that the film avoided the usual death in the animal family and kept its honor.

Overall, this is a decent film. It definitely does drag on a bit since the film is very long and they’re all stuck in the tunnel for the whole time. Also, the replay value for the film is shot since this is the type of film that you won’t really enjoy as much when watching it for a second time. There is a lot of tragedy and drama so if you don’t like when sad things happen, then I would not recommend this film to you. On the other hand, the lines are typically pretty good and I liked the intros for the various main characters. The fire may have been a little too intense, (They shouldn’t have survived it) but it definitely looked pretty cool. The film feels like a 90s film in many aspects and that’s definitely a good thing. If you want a true tragedy story, go and watch Naruto!

Overall 4/10

Dark Waters Review

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Dark Waters is a horror film that features water in a scary way. The title may have tipped you off to that part, but I hope that you’re not afraid of the substance. This film isn’t incredibly long and it’s not immensely popular, but those things don’t matter that much when you’re watching the film. The important part is whether the film was good and scary, or bad and funny!

Well, the film is about Dahlia and her daughter as they move to a new place. This home looks very shady and broken down, not to mention that the girl has a bad feeling about the place. She changes her mind after seeing the backpack. (Or getting possessed) The main character decides to move in, but her ex husband says that he’s going to sue her. He has moved to another place as well and he wants their daughter to be closer to his place. The main character plays it cool and gets her lawyer at the ready. Legal battles will become the least of her worries as the house proves to be a challenge. The residents of the floor above her are gone, but she hears strange sounds during the night.

There is always water that keeps on falling through the ceiling and damaging her apartment and the water has a tendency to come out dirty. Things get even worse when her daughter thinks up an imaginary friend, but she claims that the person is not imaginary! Is their really a ghost haunting them? Why would someone want to haunt the main character!? It looks like we’re going to find out!

Dahlia is a decent main character although she makes a lot of classic horror movie mistakes. She doesn’t really take most of the obstacles in stride, but she’s made to be an average person, not an ultimately brave hero I guess…she doesn’t look that great in the ending. She basically threw in the towel and stopped fighting for what was right. The main character definitely annoyed me in that scene and was a pretty sad way to end the film.

Her ex husband is pretty bad. We never get any proof that he’s an awful person, but there are hints through the film. The main character certainly believes this and she wouldn’t be mistaken…right? We’ve also got the lawyer who started out as a sub par character, but he ended up being a pretty good character. He’s actually pretty skilled at his trade and he doesn’t back down from a fight. He may not be a hero, but he’s as heroic as they get in this film!

The other characters are pretty unmemorable. We have the daughter who tries to fight the supernatural forces that are upon her, but it is just too much. We have the main villain, who is a casual reality warper. Unfortunately, the humans are unable to cope with this level of ability. The main villain isn’t very likable and the ending doesn’t exactly make her look good. The owner of the building is pretty tricky and he gets people to sign the lease before they can really stop themselves. I wouldn’t underestimate such a crafty fellow. He was a pretty good character, but his door man wasn’t as good. A pretty suspicious character and he makes things hard on the heroes. There are other characters up and about, but we don’t need to worry about them.

Overall, this was a decent film if you ignore the whole horror element. It barely felt like a horror film at several points and the threats were not scary. The main character had a tragic life, but it didn’t really have anything to do with the film. The horror moments couldn’t really hold up against other horror films like the Grudge or the Ring. This film definitely has a lot of drama to it and fans of the genre should like it. There isn’t really any excessive violence or scary moments that will make you want to turn away. That being said, the ending is pretty awful and does help to crush the film. If you want a legendary horror, I’d turn to Godzilla the GMK movie.

Overall 4/10

Aliens Review

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Disclaimer, this is a review of the edited version so that it does not receive an R rating. These thoughts are specifically from that version and the score will likely differ from uncut and cut versions.

You may remember my review of the first Alien film as it was only a few months ago. It was a pretty decent Alien film and while it may not be as amazing as all of the hype, it was solid. If not for the small aliens that blow people up, the score may have been even higher. Can the sequel surpass the original classic? Let’s find out!

First, I will say that the premise is excellent! “This time it’s War” is a great tagline and it does get you hyped for the film. Unfortunately, it may raise the bar a little too high for the actual film to reach. The main problem is that the film doesn’t feel like it is a war. The scientists are skeptical so once again, an unprepared team is sent out to fight the creatures. Aw man……

The plot involves Ripley as she makes it back home in one piece. Her cat appears briefly, but that’s a good thing. This film manages to avoid one crucial fact…no animals are destroyed! Awesome eh? Ripley tries to warn everyone that there are Aliens out there, but “they” (The big shots) don’t believe her. After all, a lot of families are living on the planet, so it sounds like it’s all good right? (Where were they in the first film? Well, the main character was asleep for 50 years, but even so…)

Unfortunately, they lose contact with the planet. This could only mean one thing….obviously there are no such things as aliens, so the government seems to think that it’s another country. At least, that’s the vibe that I was picking up. They convince Ripley to go along with a group of….Trained Professionals! Obviously, they’re prepared to deal with what comes up. Unfortunately, they joke around a lot and are very unlikable. “Game Over Man!” is probably the best line that’s uttered in the film.

There are quite a lot of fighters at first, but after the first major Alien scene, let’s just say that the cast is whittled down to size. Will the survivors make it off the planet or will they be the next skeletons on the planet? Ripley doesn’t plan on dying here, but things sometimes take a turn for the worst. Ripley is all right at best, but I’m not a fan of the character. She’s better than the kid, but that’s not saying much. It’s really hard to root for the gunmen and even the android isn’t a great character. The Aliens are definitely a lot more charismatic.

Were the Aliens exceptionally cool? Well, there were a lot of them, but it’s definitely quantity over quality. The Aliens go down pretty quickly when met with gunfire and dozens of them lose to one warrior. The Alien Queen is definitely a smart opponent, but I wouldn’t say that she’s much stronger than the average alien. You seemed to be having some trouble with an outdated mecha that was lying around. Still, the Aliens do have a pretty neat design for the most part.

All in all, this film was much better than the first film. One would expect a higher rating if that’s the case right? Well, sometimes things aren’t so straightforward and the ratings can get sketchy. Still, for the record, Aliens is better than Alien. The film still has it’s share of negatives including some language scattered about, the Aliens who blow people up, (I’ll never like those guys. It’s just too…graphically intense!) and a pretty Awful character roster. With all of the gross out moments that happen in the film, you’ll also want to make sure that you haven’t had lunch in a while. There’s also not much of a soundtrack to get behind, but that’s the case with most films. There were significant moments where a lot of plot hax was used, but it’s to be expected in the long run. If you liked the first film, then you’ll probably like this one. I lightly recommend it to those who want a nice adventure with aliens and “Hardcore” characters, but I wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t like violence. If you want a true alien adventure, check out Superman vs Doomsday!

Overall 4/10

Wait Until Dark Review

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Wait Until Dark is a pretty inspiring title. You will probably think that it’s a horror film upon first glance right? Well, this one is more of a thriller than a horror, but I suppose that you can think of it either way. This film came out decades ago, but I saw the technicolor version so it’s in color. Can this film hold up to today’s standards?

The film starts out with a guy fixing a doll and then giving it to a woman. She heads for a plane and upon getting off, she gives it to Sam. Sam takes it home and promptly loses the doll. The woman who had given him the doll is murdered and then two villains break into the Sam’s home. Another villain follows them and they make a partnership. Mike and Carlino are the two villains who team up with Harry Roat.

The plan is to find the doll because it’s got to still be in the house right? That’s what they figure, but things may get difficult. They trick Sam into leaving for the day, but they’ve still got to deal with his blind wife, Susy, and Gloria, the little kid. Instead of bumping them off the old fashioned way, they decide to take advantage of Susy’s blindness and trick her into giving them the doll. They’ve just overlooked one thing…she doesn’t know where the doll is! Will Suzy find the doll and stop the fiends?

Well, Susy is the main character and since Sam isn’t one of the greatest characters out there, she’s really on her own. Gloria is around for moral support, but to quote a smart man in Megaman Axess, “What can you kids do?” I believe that the man put it in the best phrasing of words possible. He may have been proven wrong seconds later, but at least he talked a good game. Susy is a decent character I suppose, but the terror of the moment does pretty much consume her several times.

Gloria is a pretty annoying character and her first moment brought her down the ranks. She just couldn’t recover from such a sad display of emotion and lack of control. Sam…..he’s not a good character either. I had my suspicions during his first few appearances, but they were confirmed towards the climax. After realizing that his wide is in trouble, he tries to slow down the police from entering the building. “Take it easy!” he says to them, which was definitely odd considering the circumstances. Sam never even got to take on the villains and wasn’t impressive.

Mike was easily the best character from the three villains. He was pretty smart and he was able to take on Harry Roat during the beginning. He definitely felt like he was the most professional and he was pretty epic towards the ending. He and Carlino thought of a pretty Brilliant plan to take someone out, but we never learn exactly how they were going to do it. Carlino definitely wasn’t as good, but he’s all right I suppose. He’s a little overweight, not very smart, and comic relief, so there’s definitely a few stereotypes in there. We’ve also got Harry Roat, who was a decent villain. The only problem is that he loses sight of his objectives and he takes too long to finish the job. He does seem to be pretty smart, but I don’t think that he could take on Mike in a fair fight. His weapon of choice was interesting…but wouldn’t have made it against stronger opponents.

Overall, this is a decent thriller film. It’s not my favorite since it doesn’t hold up quite as well as some of the other old movies. I believe that Susy had a hard time carrying her own film and that probably hurt the overall strength of the film a little. When a person is blind, there will always be a lot of belief suspension needed to believe that she can actually fight/outsmart the villains. Mike was the most entertaining character and especially during the beginning piece, but the others were only okay. So, I’m sure that you’ll like it if you want to see a retro thriller film, but if you want to feel true terror…..Check out Final Fantasy The Spirits Within!

Overall 4/10

Rear Window Review

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Rear Window is a film by Alfred Hitchcock that came out in 1954. This is pretty big since I’m sure you all know of the big kaiju film that came out at the time. The film has an interesting premise since the main character is in a wheelchair and he won’t be able to go and stop the villain(s?) by force. He’s going to need his wit in order to win this round.

The film begins with Jeff in a wheelchair. We learned that he would take any risks for a good shot and that he wouldn’t be able to walk again for a week. Jeff is definitely not the most heroic of characters and he resorts to staring at people through the window. Somehow, they never seem to notice him. Several people try to stop Jeff from looking out of the window, but he’ll have none of that. Eventually, he notices some suspicious behavior and thinks that someone may have been murdered!

You have to admire the fact that Jeff could piece together such loose evidence and then turn it into a murder. I’m not sure that many people of today’s world would come to the same conclusion so quickly, but since Jeff had nothing to do, but stare out of the window, it was easier for him to notice. A subplot is that Jeff is unhappy with the perfect dinners that his friend always brings him. The subplot is not necessarily about the dinners, but that stuck out the most. How do you not like a “perfect” dinner? I couldn’t really sympathize with the fellow in that regard.

Getting a little more into the character, Jeff is an awful protagonist. You really can’t help, but root against him during the film. Jeff is not a hero and he’s really just trying to help to pass the time…maybe even to get a scoop. Staring at your neighbors is hardly polite and Jeff never learns his lesson. Having such a main character can definitely take away from the experience. Of course, I didn’t really like any of the other characters…….

One thing that takes serious points away from the film is the dog scene. It was definitely unneeded and they should have just switched it for a “Paper lands on flowers and someone crumples it” scene. It would accomplish the same purpose and we could avoid the animal violence. The ending is also not great in that regard.

One solid part of the film is the fact that it actually has a climax. Can Jeff defeat his assailant without being able to walk? He definitely gives it his all, but he definitely doesn’t seem like he will be the next Terminator! Of course, he was basically asking for that to happen when he left his door unlocked.

This film was pretty enjoyable, but it did have its flaws. There is some romance in the film, which gets old fast. The dog scene didn’t help and the main character was pretty awful. I did think the police were pretty good at the end. One of them even took out his gun and he looked like he was going to use it! Hopefully the police check out the owner of the building since he seemed a little shady in the film. If not for the romance and the dog scene, the film would definitely have a higher score. As it is, you’ll probably enjoy it if you like the classic mysteries. If you want a really intense mystery, check out Goku’s fight against Frieza in DBZ, The Namek Saga, which only lasts 5 minutes…..

Overall 4/10

Oz The Great and Powerful Review

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I’m sure that just about everyone has watched The Wizard of Oz. It’s a living legend that everyone always hails as one of the all time classics. I can’t say that the original was that great (No real action and I’d only give it a 2-2.5/5) but it is definitely a film that I won’t forget. Making a prequel to that movie is pretty ambitious, but was the risk worth it?

Well, the film starts out as Oz is conning people with his magic tricks. He loves his work and people give him a couple of coins. He’s not a great magician and he is quickly discovered to be a fake. He’s a pretty awful protagonist and proceeds to flirt with as many people as he can. Someone tries to beat him up, so Oz makes a break for the balloon and gets in. You’re actually left wishing that they had knocked him out and taken him to jail, but maybe he’ll still get defeated once he’s in the land of Oz.

Once he makes it to Oz, he meets one of the Witches, Theodora. He tricks her into thinking that he’s the magician of legend and eagerly awaits his gold. They travel for a while and he keeps on saving the day by accident. Oz also suckers Finley into becoming his slave for life. Once Oz makes it to the castle, they tell him that he will need to slay Glinda, The Wicked Witch of the South. Oz doesn’t want to do it since the danger is high, but he’ll do anything for gold. He heads on his way and is ready to slay the witch!

Well, Oz is definitely one of the worst main characters in a while. He’s like a junior Captain Kirk or James Bond. He never really gets what’s coming to him and the film tries to portray him a hero by the end. I really hope that nobody fell for this trap. He hasn’t changed at all and will keep on acting the same way, only now he is rich as well. He’s a character that makes you wince whenever he’s on screen.

Glinda, Theodora, and Evanora are the three witches of the film. All of them are played for fools by Oz and it’s a bit embarrassing. They have actual powers, but once Oz summons up a little light and magic, one of them makes a hasty retreat, while the other one flies off into the distance. I guess Oz is a very fearsome individual eh?

The film doesn’t really have much of a soundtrack, but most live action films are lacking one as well. The fight scene at the end was decently good, (Even if the movement was a little fake) but having one fight scene can’t save an entire film. It was a decent film and I’d recommend it if you have always wanted to see a movie about Oz, but it wrecks his character from the original. If you want to see a classic reborn into the modern world, check out Yugioh Bonds Beyond Time!

Overall 4/10