Halloween II REVIEW!!!

Time and time again Rob Zombie has proven that he is one creative and talented musician/artist/filmmaker. I wasn't a fan of House of 1,000 Corpses, but the visuals were great in the film. I think that Devil's Rejects is a far superior film than Corpses and I actually dug the 2007 Halloween Remake. It was a different vibe and feel and I applauded Zombie for trying something different and not simply rehashing the original story and give us a re-telling of that classic first film. It was different and it was an entertaining and solid horror flick. Now this brings us to Halloween 2. I was actually looking forward to this film because I did enjoy the remake and I know he was going to have his own re-interpretation for the sequel since he is not bound by the limitations that he had before with a remake. Plus the fact that he can outdo himself with each movie definitely had me on it's side. I was definitely looking forward to it.

Well, the film is essentially taking a much more fantasy element to the story. While the first film delved into the dysfunctional family aspect of the Michael Myers character, this film focuses on the "white horse" and the relationship between Michael and Laurie. Doing that is fine, but they just didn't make it interesting and they threw cliche' upon cliche' onto the story to the point where I felt as if I was being force feed all of these mental health aspects. The film is also just a bit on the unorganized side. While this film has a lot of kills, they are all the same kills and it just gets a bit tiresome by the end. The Halloween theme is not present in most of the film and it just decided to forget that it was a Halloween movie. I have to give props to Zombie for not rehashing the original sequel, but it still wasn't that interesting. I wasn't all that impressed. Most of the character development is undercut by a scene that happens later on. The main protagnist isn't active and you really aren't rooting for her. The Characters that come from the original are either not the same characters or they have just changed to really generic and unlikable characters completely different from the original film's portrayal. The character of Sam Loomis is completely wasted and is just not a likable character at all in the entire picture. Nearly every character here is wasted and not likable. The film also takes the biggest leap of faith with Michael Myers. While I was fine with Michael Myers being somewhat of a hobo, you need to have Michael Myers stay consistent. His mask comes on and off on a constant basis. That conflicts with his character that was established in the first film. The film just doesn't know what story to tell about Michael Myers and what to convey about his character. It is just a misfire character-wise. It is one thing to play around with the mythos, but it is a completely different thing to negate everything that had happened to the characters in the last film.

The acting of the film just ranging from mediocre to terrible. Scout Taylor-Compton is just terrible in the film and is one note. Brad Dourif was surprisingly good and I liked his character much more in this film. Sherri Moon-Zombie feels very shoe-horned in to a comic extent! The gore is brutal, but brief.

I am completely convinced that this film wasn't directed seriously by Rob Zombie. There are tons of lines of dialogue that are overly just unbelievable even for a horror flick. The tone is all over the place and it was just weird to explain Michael Myer's motivation by using the "white horse" psychology is just too much. It was better to have Michael as a force of nature in the first film and now explaining everything makes him a victim and you don't want that for an iconic mass-murderer.

With all of this bagging on the film, the cinematography for a 16MM film was great. There was a lot of standout moments visually with the white horse that definitely gives this film it's own vibe, but it's a small positive in an otherwise decent slasher film.

Overall, It's a character mess all around and just disappointing as a Halloween film. It undermines everything that Michael Myers was as a icon. The film is not going to win any new fans and it is just all over the place in terms of what it wants to be. The only reason to watch this on the big screen would be to see the 16mm cinematography as it does add to the vibe of the film. Overall, I would have to say that this film is just ok. I got a slasher film, but it's not Halloween. Michael Myers definitely deserved better and if the series keeps on track with how it's going so far, I fear that we may get a feeling of Deja Vu in which the series just gets progressively worse and worse after the third film. This is just a RENTAL film at best. I didn't hate the film, but I was disappointed.

The Final Destination REVIEW!

Well this series has gone on for four movies, each with a different gimmick, but this one has one thing going for it: Three Dimesions. While I did enjoy this film, this film is more enjoyed the way it was intended on the big screen and with the 3D glasses. On the positive side, this film has the gore factor going for it. The Writer and the Director of the second film and the most entertaining of the bunch, come back for another crack at making the audience squirm at the over-the-top kills, but now they will be ducking for cover. The film works as the mindless summer horror film that it sets out to be. This film does not try to build upon anything that the last couple of films did. It is just there to have kids get killed in over the top ways.

The plot of this film is more or less standard for a Final Destination film. Kid experiences accident and then he stops it, only to delay his ultimate demise. It is just a film that is more or less a wash of the previous 3, only different and some very creative kills. The thing that this film has going for it is the 3D! The 3D is very in line with what Friday the 13th in 3D did for the 80's and what My Bloody Valentine did earlier in the year. It is a fun and great time at the movies. The 3D adds so much to the film and it gives that extra kick to the film.

While the best thing that this film has going for it is the 3D, if that was taken away, this film pretty much doesn't hold up. It is better than the last final destination film, but its got nothing new to offer except for the 3D. The biggest flaw is that this film is dependent on the 3D to have a great time in the movie. The acting is mediocre to terrible. the characters are only there to die, and nothing else. The plot is a wash of the last film. There's nothing else to offer here. The intention was to provide a good time at the movies and deliver a visceral 3D experience, and this film does it.

Overall, the kills were cool and there is a twist at the last act that does make this one stand out over the last film that makes this film fun as hell in 3D. Overall this film is a RENTAL. I did enjoy it, but without the 3D it loses a lot of the thing that made this film so fun. I don't think another film is warranted, but I wouldn't mind seeing another one. See it the way it was intended: 3D, in a theatre, and with some buddies!

AVATAR: IMAX 3D First Impression!

This is the preview to the hotly anticipated follow-up film from the mastercraftsman director: James Cameron. For the past 10 years, James Cameron has been doing the reasearch and development for this film. Whatever details that have been leaked to the public have been quite scarce, until this year when we finally got the teaser trailer to this film and the comic-con impressions. I got tickets to the AVATAR DAY screening in IMAX 3D and the Teaser Trailer to the film went online a good 24 hours in advance. I decided to skip out on seeing the trailer right away, as so I can heighten my experience when I finally see the first frames of the film the way it was meant to be seen.

What we got to see!...

The footage kicked off with an introduction by James Cameron in full 3D.

Then the first frames of the film started and the titles "AVATAR" appear

The footage kicked off with Jake Sully (the wheelchair-bound marine played by Sam Worthington) wheeling himself in among the other marines while they are being debiefed on Pandora by Col. Quaritch.

"After a tour of Pandora, you'll want to go to Hell for a little R&R"

This scene was really there to illistrate that the 3D aspects works well even for these more smaller moments. There was no real CGI as the scene takes place mostly in a the inside of a military base. The 3D looked great and this scene worked with it.

The Next Scene was Jake's conciousiness being transfered the his Na'vi' Avatar. The scene opens with Jake climbing onto an MRI-like machine. While Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) is walking Jake through the transfer process. As Jake's conciousiness is transfered, he wakes up and is invigorated to be walking again.

"This is great" smiles Jake

Jake still has some trouble adjusting to the walkin as he stumbles out of the room with the entire medical crew telling Jake to take it slower and get back on the table.

What was great about this scene was that it establishes tha Jake is full of himself in a sense and that he is one that is very independent.

The next scene is on Pandora with Jake and Grace in their Na'vi Avatars being confronting and being chased by the creatures of pandora.

What was great about this scene is that is establishes that James Cameron's intention with the 3D is to not have gags, but to transport you to this gorgeous and vividly lush environment that is Pandora. There were some particle effects here that really impress and you get the sense that this is a jungle. This scene also further went on to show Jake's character as his place in life is sort of renewed with his new Avatar and you can see it in his eyes. Overall, great scene in 3D!

The next scene was of the Na'vi Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) defending Jake from a horde of Dog-like creatures. She uses her bow and arrows to kill these creatures. She comes to a wounded dog and she mercy kills it. Neytiri then walks off with a hurt look in her eyes. Jake comes behind her to give his thanks and she refuses his thanks.

"You shouldn't be thankful. This is all your fault!" exclaims Neytiri

This scene was very effective in so many ways. Zoe Saldana does not appear in the film as a live-action person, but her performance remains very intact throughout the whole scene. What was different about this scene was the look of the environment. Oh my god, was this environment beautiful. The lighting effects and particles were unlike anything you have seen in a movie this year so far, or quite possibly ever. This was really an entirely CGI rendered scene and there were moments where I got lost in it's beauty and it really does transport you and you forget you're watching a CGI rendered scene. Not to say that the film is entirely photorealistic, but it doesn't become a distractiong to you. Overall, fantastic scene!

The last scene that was screened was a scene that showed Jake and Neytiri taming a dragon-like winged creature.

"If he wants you, he won't kill you" says Neytiri as Jake heads to tame the creature.

Jake struggles with the creature and fully overtakes it.

"You have a strong heart" - Neytiri

Then Jake and the creature go on their first flight together. Jake has a lot of difficulty flying the creature. He crashes into rock faces and gorges. He plunges down a canyon while barely hanging onto the creature at one point. Jake ultimately overcomes this obsticle and he ends up flying more gracefully with the creature.

This scene served the same purpose and showed the great 3D that was being employed here and it was also a character defining moment for the Jake character in showing that he is different from the other marines and even the Na'vi. Overall, great 3D scene!

So first impressions!...

The 3D looked great. It was much more in line with the 3D quality of such films as Beowulf and you can definitely tell that the film was meant to be seen in 3D. In this 16-minute footage, every frame was in 3D and it looked fantastic! While the 3D looked great, some of the setbacks to using 3D was that the detail slightly becomes a bit compromised. I saw more detail in the film when I took off my glasses for a bit, but that's to be expected when using 3D. This is a minor gripe with the 3D that I have, but it is still sure to be a great experience in 3D and 2D nonetheless.

The film is supposed to employ revolutionary filming techniques and it really does show. This is the type of film that is going to piss off Robert Zemeckis in terms of how CGI is used to capture the performances. The big advantage that Avatar has it it's CGI performances. Zemeckis' CGI character movements looks stiff, a bit creepy, and odd. What Zemeckis' style feels like is removed from reality. It doesn't feel natural. Avatar is a leap above what Zemeckis is using in CGI. I actually felt as if there was a performance behind the CGI characters. The expressions in the CGI Na'vi creatures look nautral and has some acting behind it. The fact that this film has a live action human and CGI Na'vi counterpart, it's almost challenges you to comprare the CGI and the live action performances. The performances aren't as compromised by the CGI animation processes as other films of this type have been before. The CGI is used as an extention of the actor, not a replacement. That is what is already making Avatar a different theatre experience than most to come out this year.

Lastly, the CGI quality of the characters.

While I have been praising the CGI used in the film, and it has been getting a lot of positive word of mouth, the CGI isn't as amazingly photorealistic. It isn't quite to the point where the film looks entirely realistic, but it is getting there and we are very very close to having that quality. This may be stemmed from the fact that this environments and the creatures are so radically different and fantastical that they will always come off as non-realistic no matter what. Not a flaw of the film, it's just a case of the CGI tastes of our audiences. Overall, the CGI still looks great and it's definitely a step above what anybody is doing now.

Overall, James Cameron has definitely proved that this will be one film that will be an event when it comes out in December. December 18th can't get here sooner and I look forward to seeing the film in IMAX 3D as intended! I definitely think I got a great experience from seeing the 16-minue preview in IMAX 3D, but it is sure to be a great experience in 2D, 3D, or IMAX 3D!

Great so far and can't wait to see the full-feature! 10 Years of pre-production is definitely not wasted here! James Cameron looks to have challenged himself once again!

See ya next time guys!!!

Inglorious Basterds REVIEW!

Quentin Tarantino has hit the nail on the head for what escapist cinema is. Instead of giving us the action flick that Tarantino gave us with Kill Bill, he gives us the art-house glimpse of what we all wished would have happened in World War II all of those years ago. The film is just entertaining and keeps you interested in the whole two and half hours.

The Plot of the film is already enough to be it in the exploitive cinema genre, but it isn't. It's about Americans that are dropped behind enemy lines and kill Nazis. What the film cleverly hides is that it's not just america that wants to kill Nazis, it's nearly everybody else as well. While we all may not be on the same team, we all share a common enemy at points in history. The film takes a much more subtler approach as to present this plot. The film is not based solely on the title characters of the Basterds, but on multiple story arcs. This film is much more in line with Pulp Fiction than it is with Kill Bill. When I say that it's much in line with Pulp Fiction, I mean that the plot is based on developing the characters so that you know why most of these characters are doing what they are doing. The Basterds aren't really given much screen-time, but by the end of the film we get how passionate they are about killing Nazis and the fact is that these jews are pissed as hell and they went to crack skulls and take names...or in this case scalps. We also view the film from the point of views The Basterds, of a Jewish woman who escapes her brush with death, a German colonel nicknamed "Jew Hunter" (fantastically played by Christoph Waltz),and a German Actress. That storylines is developed enough as the Basterds are except we feel a connection to what is happening to some of these side characters. We either love them or we love to hate them. While we aren't given any of these characters whole live stories, we know full and well what they are about. This is a testament to why Tarantino is such a great storyteller and why we all love him for not presenting us with all of this unnecessary backstory that could have been used to beat us over the head with.

The Acting of the film is definitely great! Brad Pitt is hilarious as Lt. Aldo Raine. Brad Pitt is spot on with this character and definitely rises to the occasion again with Tarantino at the helm. Melanie Laurent is great as the Jewish woman Shosanna Greyfus and she proves more of the emotional thrust of the picture with her story-arc. When we see all of the crazy things that goes on with the other story arcs, her story is the one we can all gravitate towards to provide the beat that grounds the seriousness of the picture. When this arc is closed we see how she came to that point and it doesn't feel like a cheat for this type of picture. As great as Melanie Laurent's performance was, the surprise and one of the standouts of the picture is Christoph Waltz performance as Col. Hans Landa. What made this character so effective is that this character is shades of grey throughout the picture and he steals the screen, whenever he is on. His character is the one character that poses the biggest threat to the Basterds and his portrayal makes his character so rich, textured, and fascinating to watch. His viewpoints on what he is doing is a unique in a way we have not seen before and it definitely one of those signature Tarantino roles. The great thing about the acting of the picture is that they all are played right. Nobody feels out of place and everybody is there to serve a part of the story.

The direction of the film is Masterful. Tarantino doesn't talk down to the plot of the film and he sticks to a tone all the way through. This film is very talkative and is dialogue focused. The one aspect that will catch many off guard is one of the strongest things it has going for it: the film is very subtitle heavy. About most of the film is told in a different language, which helps maintain the tone and reality of this picture. What makes this film different from the other World War II films of late is that these characters don't overcome their cultural and language barriers. If they are french, they speak french, and if they are dumb americans that don't know how to speak German, they don't. What sets this apart from films such as last year's Valkyrie was in the fact that film decided to forget that germans are germans and have everybody speak in a perfect english accent, which undercut the picture because we were supposed to get that these Nazi's were trying to right wrongs and we got Tom Cruise trying to assassinate Hitler. This film uses the language barriers to it's advantage and it creates a whole different type of suspense building that is credible and effective in one of the opening scenes of the film. It's almost as if Tarantino saw that Hollywood was too concerned with entertaining and getting to the audience to the point that it undercut the film's message and now he decides to tell what would have happened if these characters existed in our world and he makes them very believable. Not everybody knows french or german and Tarantino is fully aware of this fact and he uses it to his advantage. The Direction is pretty much flawless even for it being a foreign spoken film, it feels very real and Tarantino nails it!

While a lot of the people are going to have a problem with what this film does with Historical events, Tarantino provides an entertaining dive into the alternate world of the Basterds. The ending will definitely be something people are going to be talking about and it doesn't fail to entertain. What Tarantino also does with the picture is take that idea of "wouldn't it have been great if we saw this happen to Nazis?" and he taps into the fact that we would have all like to have seen Hitler pitted against a ruthless group like the Basterds. He taps into that complicit nature in all of us to see someone get exactly what they deserved, and he also tapped into the fact that most of these Nazi's were people and that they are as flawed as we are, but he definitely makes the nazis the antagonists of the picture. We all had a common enemy and we are all similar in our goals despite what side of the world we are from. This films goes to show that Quentin Tarantino is a much smarter writer and storyteller when he devides to not give us a by the numbers war-film and he surprises us with this brilliant piece of Kosher Porn!

I'd say this is a definite Full-Price!!! It is one of the best things Tarantino has done in years.

Top 5 Alien Movies!

In honor of District 9's opening, I decided to compile a list of my favorite Cinematic Aliens. While this is not the end all of cinematic Aliens, these are my personal favorites. My list is comprised entirely depending on the creature and not really the films they were in. So with that said. Here's my list. (Note The Prawns from District 9 would have definitely made the list, but I am excluding them just for the sake of this list)

5. The Independence Day Alien

While these creatures were presented a bit one-dimensional in the film Independence Day (1996) ya can't help but feel that this creature was at least cool to look at. It definitely does look intimidating and they were certainly awesome to look at in the film. But this creature does seem pretty cool to me.

4. Sil/Eve from Species (1995) and Species II (1998)

While the first film may have been interesting and the second film was a load of crap, This creature definitely brought something to the table in sci-fi. This creature was also another great creation from the mind of H.R. Giger. I think he did a great job in bringing a creature that was both elegant in design. The creature also had a understandable motive. It wanted to mate with us Humans. That's not entirely too much of a plan for a human invasion, but if all aliens looked like Natasha Henstridge, then it'd be more than possible for it to happen. Overall, an awesome design from the demented and brilliant mind that is H.R. Giger.

3. The Thing from John Carpenter's The Thing

This creature is shapeless and can be you. What a fantastic creature this was. The film is just dripping with uncertaintly and the conclusion even leaves you with the feeling that you just dunno who to trust, much less yourself. Overall, fantastically demented creature and some spine chilling transformations definitely put this guy at a high place in my list. For those who still haven't seen Carpenter's classic remake, go watch it now!

2. Predator from Predator Franchise

This creature is a silent hunter that hunts only for the game. He doesn't want to destroy the world, he just wants to find the deadliest catch and hang it's skull on it's trophy wall. He also uses some of the most unique weaponry in an alien universe and they all have some pretty nasty results! This creature also has friggin mandibles and a kickass mask. I don't think I can make myself any clearer on why this creature is fantastic.

"if it bleeds, we can kill it"

1. The Alien from the Alien Franchise

This creature is just so damn awesome. Another product from the dementedly brilliant mind of H.R. Giger! Who else can come up with a creature that bleeds acid; has a pretty awesome tail; has teeth on it's tongue; can crawl on walls; and has one of the greatest and nastiest births in all movie history: They have to burst out of your chest after impregnating you with a face hugger. They also love dark and claustrophobic spaces and are terrifying because they have no sense of motivation, they just want to reproduce until they are swarming the locale. Overall, a fantastic creature that is just gettin raped by 20th Century Fox. 2 great films turn into 4 horribly bad films. Hopfully Ridley Scott can redeem this creature with the upcoming prequel. Alien you are my #1 man!

Now I know I am goin to get flack for not including

Klatu from Day the Earth Stood Still, the Martians from Mars Attacks, or even the Roaches from Starship Troopers. Klatu was a great character, but he is not one of my favorites. I don't really like the Martians because they were meant as a way to parody aliens and it wasn't trying to tell an interesting story. The Roaches from Starship Troopers aren't really aliens, they are just killer roaches essentially. E.T. is a worthwhile mention that didn't make the list, but I do very much love the creature!

So there's my list!

Whats your top 5 favorite cinematic aliens?

District 9 REVIEW!

Oh man. None of you folks out there realize the surprise your in for when you check out Niell Blomkamp. When I first saw the trailer for this film, I thought "This is Peter Jackson and Niell Blomkamp's replacement for the HALO film falling apart." This is essentially what this is, but it is something that is in every sense different and stronger because of it. First off, Nobody is prepared for this film. This film completely wasn't what I was expecting and it was better than I could have thought it was going to be. This film is one deep and intelligent science fiction film. I have heard that this film is being touted as one of those films that will stand the test of time and is going to be that one film that will be compared to along the lines of such sci-fi classics as John Carpenter's The Thing and James Cameron's Aliens. After seeing the picture, does it stand up? Does it live up to the small online hype it has had? I'd say it trumps that expectation and Neil Blomkamp delivers a film that says "Halo, hold on! I'm Still watching District 9 here!" Does it stand to be the sci-fi classic that it deserves to be? Only Time will tell.

The Plot of the film is very original. You have not seen a an alien invasion story treated in this particular fashion. I can't say too much about this film without spoiling it. The trailers and TV spots tell you nothing about the conflict of the film whatsoever, but that is why this film is so effective. The film takes a slow-burn approach to the opening acts of the film. The film opens up and it plants images in your head that resemble what the Africans have been dealing with for decades with the apartheid. The film utterly shocks you into thinking that nothing really has changed and that it is basically what we humans have been dealing with and not even an alien invasion will change what we all are still struggling with in today's world. At it's core, the film is about putting aside our differences and coming together. While without giving too many spoilers to the film, the film clearly is made by an intelligent filmmaker in Niell Bloomkemp. Much of the credit of this film has to go to Neill for creating such an original story-line and experience with this film that it doesn't really feel like a wash of everything that had been done before. You have not seen aliens of this type. These aliens are essentially like "us" if we landed and were stranded on a far-away planet. There are so many brilliantly presented allegories to some of our current world problem that this film nails and doesn't beat you over the head with. You can clearly tell Bloomkemp's heart and soul went into this screenplay as he presents all the allegories with such an originality that you just can't take your eyes off the screen. I felt I wasn't being preached about those aspects and this film is at a it's heart a thinking film, but it does deliver on the action sequences with some inventive weaponry and a satisfying story arc for the lead protagonists of the picture. The best part about this movie is that the big twist isn't given away in any of the trailers and that works to the film's advantage because you have no idea what you are in for. If I was to sum this picture up: i'd say it's Starship Troopers, Cloverfield, and City of God kinda rolled up into one in a interesting style.

The cinematography of the picture is a hybrid of both documentary style and a traditional editing style as well. But the Documentary style works in conjunction with the rest of the picture and it doesn't feel out of place. The creature effects in the film were great! I was surprised that this was a relatively low-budget picture and the quality from the special effects that they managed to get out of the picture was just above par and it delivered a visceral experience. This film is definitely an R-Rated film and there is a lot of gore in the picture without it being too much or distracting. It is necessary to the story and it needs to be there to show the raw brutality of this universe. The ending of the picture leaves so many possibilities and is the perfect ending to this picture.

While this film definitely impressed me, avoided many of the potholes of the genre and exceeded my expectation, it isn't going to be a film for everyone. Like Cloverfield before it, it will have some people that won't get it and won't go along with the gimmick. That's what makes this film so special is that it is for all intents and purposes a studio film, but isn't. It is much smarter and deeper than that.

Overall, this is definitely another one of the biggest surprises of the summer. It does show that Neill Bloomkemp has the ability to make a film on a epic scale, with a smaller budget and deliver an extraordinary and original cinematic experience. This film is definitely a FULL-PRICE! I can't recommend this one enough! A film to remember and can stand a chance to be a classic. We have to thank Peter Jackson for giving Neill the chance to shine with this modern sci-fi classic!

Be sure to check out the Original Short film Alive in Joburg that Inspired this film!

Take care Guys!!!

QUICKSHOT REVIEW of A PERFECT GETAWAY with a BONUS!!

It is a 90's film that is overdue. The cast did a good job with the film and they all bring something that makes you question each of them in their actions. The cinematography and the editing was just fine, but I thought that the biggest fault with the film came with the last act of the picture.

It kinda felt a bit like a cheat and it just didn't seem smooth. Even though they do build up mythos for the audience, you just feel like you just go "Why did I just sit through this film?" It had interesting plot structure and I'm glad i got to see it, but I can't quite recommend it to spend 10$ on at the theater. Some will be split on the ending. I for one think that the spin was great, but they just had the wrong angle to the ending. Overall, not a terrible movie and not a really good one either. I'd say it's a very low RENTAL because it's something that one can rent and not feel as cheated as paying full price to see this on the big screen.

Time for Your Bonus!

My personal Top 5 Blu-Rays to show yur balls with!

BONUS Guys! I just got a new HDTV LCD set and I decided to take it upon myself to screen some of the blu-rays I have in my collection. These are films that I own on Blu-ray or have seen in person and they all tend to blow me away with the quality. So check em out!

Blade Runner (1982)

For this film being nearly 20 years old, you can tell that Ridley Scott put his blood sweat and tears into every single frame of this film as each shot just blows ya away, and on Blu-Ray the experience is only better. The Tears in the rain scene just knocks me out and is a beautiful scene both visually and contextually. Overall, great 80's film to revisit in high def!

DEMO SCENE- The Tears in the rain scene

Sunshine- Viberant and Vivid colors make this one a definite high def reccomend. It is one of Danny Boyle's Underrated films and ya owe it to yurself to give it a chance as it a really specially film!

DEMO SCENE- The Last 10 Mins of the film!

Ben Button - David Fincher + Criterion Issued Blu-ray = RECOMMEND!! NUFF SAID!

Demo Scene - Any scene with Younger Cate Blanchet or The opening act of the film

Dark Knight- NUFF SAID!

Demo Scene- Any IMAX SEQUENCE or any scene with the Joker!

Sin City- Frank Miller's Graphic Novel come to life is truly a sight to behold with the various color corrections done, this is just a definite recommend to a fantastically translated book!

DEMO SCENE- The Whole Movie!

Ok....here's a little sumthin if ya wanna show yur balls to that significant other, then here's a lil sumthin for that at home special cinematic selection.

Across The Universe- Just a visual and audibly well put together film that is sure to be a surprise for both members of the sexes and a treat for Beatles fans. Great movie to watch on a date or when ya get a pound of the best local hash :P

Hope ya have a great time with your home theater on your couch and set!

See ya next time Guys!

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra REVIEW!

If you're an boy growing up in America, there is not possible way you couldn't have had a G.I. Joe action figure at some point in your life. This was definitely the case for myself, and I still had fond memories of those figures...

However, G.I. Joe is something that is near to my heart, but the mythology is not religion to me. I appreciate what G.I. Joe is as a piece of american nostalgia. When hearing the news that Hasbro and Paramont were going to go through with this film, I was a bit less than ecstatic, especially after hearing Stephen Sommers was attached to direct the picture. It definitely seemed like a move to milk Hasbro after the success of Transformers. I saw the trailers and thought the film looked anything, but what G.I. Joe was supposed to be. Hearing the marketing ploy that Paramont was doing in order to block certain critics from seeing the film, my expectations were lowered even further. Now I have seen the final film and have a verdict...

The best way to describe the film is just a fun summer action movie with a little hint of nostalgia thrown into the mix. The trailers and TV Spots for the film are somewhat miss-leading. This is very much what anybody can expect out of a G.I. Joe live action movie. Guns fights and awesome action scenes against the Cobra, with cameos from these nostalgic characters from the old show. I didn't expect this to follow what G.I. Joe was in it's mythology as it was a bit generic at times and was made as a way to sell toys, very much in the same vein as what made Transformers successful. With that said, I was vaguely familiar with what was cannon in this universe, but I can definitely tell a few changes were made to the mythos to fit into this film universe. The action set pieces are pretty much entertaining. The stand-out sequence is the Paris chase scene and it does have some great action direction that makes it a viseral and entertaining experience to watch on film. Snake Eyes is the one that steals the show with this film as he rightfully should. The fight choreography with Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow is definitely one of the highlights of the film. The film is definitely a crowd pleaser and it's a fun summer film at heart. It knows what it wants to be, and it achieves that.

The Plot is almost incidental to the progression of the story, but it is very concise. Unlike how Transformers 1 and 2 had long sequences when nothing was happening and the plot felt dead, I was never bored or really lost by this film. Basically: all that is needed to know "Good Guys Fight Bad Guys" END OF STORY. Apart from the Snake Eyes flashbacks, There's flashbacks in this that seem to not really add anything that the audience can't piece together by themselves. The story is very much generically good, but that isn't to say it's terrible. It just doesn't really have anything new to it. It's still a good watch.

The acting is very subpar to terrible at times. There were lots of moments where I laughed my head off and I wasn't sure if that was the director's intention. Channing Tatum is playing pretty much a dumb american heroic character that just feels like he is acting like "Duke" but he just doesn't seem like Duke. Dennis Quaid as General Hawk was entertaining to watch. The female leads in the film are pretty much just ok in their roles. Marlon Waynes was funny in his role and he achieves in giving the film some humor to certain scenes. My overall problem with the characters is that most of the characters don't really pop out from the film. They more or less seem like a knock off of each other with a gimmick attached. The stand-out of this film has to be Ray Park as Snake Eyes. His is maybe the most crowd pleasing of all the characters. Every action scene with him is awesome and you can't wait to see where Snake Eyes is at various points in the film! Definitely an awesome character that is saved from the fact that he is mostly silent in this over the top and cheesy cast. Another personal favorite performance from this film was surprisingly Joseph Gordon-Levitt. His character never ceased to remind me that this is a G.I. Joe movie. His character definitely seemed like he was taken from that universe and he does a fitting job in his role in the film. While the voice-work I doubt was his, his character was pretty cool.

Now...Some of the Negatives.

The ending seemed a bit too rushed. This is the RISE OF THE COBRA and so I felt that the way they introduced some of the more canon aspects of G.I. Joe was a bit shoehorned and didn't fit organically to the film. The transition didn't feel smooth for me and the ending was definitely rushed. The film was made with the intention of it being a franchise so the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger with a unresolved issue. There are also some moments of humor that just fall flat. The acting can be downright cheesy as hell at times, but it was the intention I suppose, but I know people are going to complain about this aspect. The dialogue is downright horrible at times! Some of the actors seem like carry-overs from The Mummy films and they kinda don't fit. The film doesn't really get into the full swing of what it is until after the first twenty minutes are over. The beginning segment of the film was a bit rough and it felt like it didn't know what it wanted to be. The biggest complaint would have to be that they definitely take some liberties with the G.I. Joe story-line and lots of things are changed to the point where it doesn't quite feel like G.I. Joe. Walking out of my screening, people were complaining left and right about how this and that wasn't the same as the cartoon. This is a film and I am not familiar with canon so I'd say that for the most part it didn't bother me. Some more canon aspects felt shoehorned and I could see it as I am not a full on G.I. Joe follower. It will be OK for the casual viewer, but harder for the G.I. Joe die-hard fan.

Overall, this was definitely a fun watch. I did enjoy it a lot more than I thought I was going to. I had a fun time watching this on the big screen so I'd say it's a definitely MATINEE! Not the train-wreck I was expecting. Pay to see it on the big screen, but just be prepared for a few liberties to be taken with the source material. If you can take these changes, you are in for a good time!

Till next time guys!!! Take Care!!!!