Boondock Saints II REVIEW!

Troy Duffy is one of those directors with a really bad rap in the filmmaking community. With all of the negative word of mouth behind him, he is back. He is back with the first film since his cult hit Boondock Saints. Now it leads us to now.

This film is beat for beat the same film as the first. While the film's scale has certainly expanded since the last film, the storypoints are almost all the same. Clifton Colins Jr. is a wasted talent in this film and he plays one of the biggest hispanic cliches in a movie in a long while. He serves no real purpose than to try and fill in the shoes of a character that died at the end of the last film, without the audience liking him. The actors from the last film are all fine. The brothers still kick ass and they are as strong as ever. Julie Benz is miscast and Judd Nelson is wasted a bit too. Every new actor is either playing a tired or offensive cliche.

With all of this said, I wasn't bored by the film. I had fun with it in a lot of parts. I thought it was more or less the same film as the last one. It didn't expand on any of the thematics brought upon in the first film. The weakest point of this film is in the script. It is the same film, but it was still fun. The brothers are back, but I can't help but feel as if the novelty of the first film has kind of rubbed off. There are some great set pieces to the film, but the story feels very lackluster at points and a retelling of part 1. This is a movie made for the hardcore Boondock fans. It was't as bad as it could have been. So, I'd give it a RENTAL. It was fun seeing the brothers back for another go!

Christmas Carol in 3-D REVIEW!

Robert Zemeckis is at it again with the all CGI film again, but only in this case: it works really well with the story and it is the only way this story could have been done to do it justice. Charles Dicken's eerie classic story is faithfully told with the right tone, the right look, and the right angle. This film is very dark as Dickens' original novel was parable for righting wrongs and it for the most part doesn't talk down to it's ideas.

First off, the performances were spot on. Of course this is a CGI movie, but the director's intention is to keep some of the actors in the film as much as possible, but the film can't help itself from feeling as if these performances were being compromised or changed as the animators saw fit. Gary Oldman is great in his role as Bob Cratchit and you really feel for his situation. One of my favorite aspects is that they really sell the idea that the Cratchit household is just a depressing place with no ray of hope in sight, but these people hang onto that hope because it is all they have left. Jim Carrey did a fantastic job as Scrooge. Jim Carrey plays Scrooge as the mean and the downright despicable old man that you just can't help, but hate in the opening of the picture. His Scrooge is just a oddly shaped human being that is just as much thrilling as it is disturbingly scary to watch him throughout the film. He does a great job as the ghosts as well. I thought Jim Carrey was the highlight of the film.

The other great thing about this film is that Zemeckis gets the soul of the story down! He gets the griminess of the story and that works well in playing the fact that this isn't a happy setting for Scrooge and it gives him more reason for his change later on in the picture. There is no real presence of Tiny Tim as he was just a side character, and I didn't miss Tiny Tim much. This film does away with the campy and family elements that the previous pictures had, but it does keep all of the depressing aspects intact. The creepy and depressing aspects is what is really going to sell this movie to mature and young audiences. I think that this is definitely a really dark film, but you can take your kids to see this. The 3D definitely worked and I thought it was great!

With all of my praise of the film, I didn't think the film was entirely perfect. The only aspect that I think the film lost me was in the last scene in which Scrooge is being chased by the ghost of christmas future. it is a common criticism. That scene seemed more played for laughs and it downplayed the more depressing aspect about the film, but thankfully it doesn't last long and Zemeckis gets right back on track with getting rid of Scrooge's squeaky voice and his size change and getting serious once again before any real harm is done the integrity of the picture.

Overall, a very faithful rendition of Charles Dickens' classic story. I thought that Jim Carrey, Robert Zemeckis, and crew have done a fantastic job retelling this classic story to a new audience. While I thought the only flaw was a choice with the last act, Zemeckis nails everything else. This is easyily above what Polar Express and Beowulf did both technically and storytelling wise. I'd give this one a FULL-PRICE! Check this out!

Pirate Radio REVIEW!

To start off, the film is very much a coming of age tale with a different gimmick. Is that to say that this is a bad film? Nope. This film is very much about getting to know these people and what the cultural feeling was to have to listen to rock and pop in the UK at that point in history. While it does have some findings of it being a bit generic with it's music selection, I found that just following these characters was very interesting enough. The film has you fall in love with each of these characters and it gives most of them dimension and further complicates their lives as the film progresses. This film is an ensemble piece and it's more about the lives between the characters rather than the typical story about how these characters changed the world of rock. They did, but in a sense they didn't. They were only interested in providing the music for people and spreading the world. This film has a very ALMOST FAMOUS vibe, but with a bit less going for it. While I did like the film, it seemed to be trying a bit too hard at points with the soundtrack and with each of the characters not nesscaryly having an arc, but watching the film, I was able to forgive all of that.

The performances are all pretty spot on funny! The characters and actors all have a great chemistry that shines on-screen and you just fall in love with each of these characters from the get go. If you are to be stuck at sea with a group of people, namely Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, and Nick Frost, then you're going to have a blast with this film!

Overall, fun film to watch and it definitely was an enjoyable experience. I am right on the edge because I know the film is a great watch, but I wouldn't say go out and see it right away. This film is very funny and I did enjoy it a lot for it was trying to do, so I'd have to give this flick a MATINEE! I had a lot of fun watching these characters, but didn't get much from the story. It was a coming of age tale of a different sort.

Antichrist REVIEW!

There comes a film that once in a while completely baffles me in terms of where to place it. In the whole time I reviewed films, I've rarely come across those films. Lars Von Trier's ANTICHRIST is definitely one of those rare and exceptional films. Without giving out too many spoilers this film was clearly written in a state of depression or in a time of pure grief. Von Trier has transported me to a world where you just feel the pain, blood, sweat, and tears present in every single frame of this beautifully shot film. However, I while I did enjoy the film to an extent, I can't quite defend it. It is a divisive film. There are a number of conflicting opinions on the film. Some call it an artistic achievement. Some call it just an offensive and terrible film and that the director is just "masturbating" on-screen. I called it a visceral experience and definitely not for the faint of heart.

On the positive side, this film has two great performances. Willem Dafoe is great in the role as "HE." His character is very sympathetic and you feel as if he is a character that is conflicted between choices of the intellect and choices of the heart. He is a well rounded character and I thought Defoe did a great job portraying that. The main thing that stood out for me was Charlotte Gainsbourg. She was fantastic in her role. She communicated that grief aspect to her character. I thought that she had a lot to say with simply her eyes and you do feel she has changed by the end of the picture. Both Her and Defoe did a great and believable performance, but Gainsbourg pulled a career defining performance. It takes a lot of bravery for Gainsbourg to pull off the emotions that she portrayed in the film. This is not a easy performance to watch or portray and she did a great job. You can see she is an actress with a lot of potential. The cinematography is just excellent. The film looks amazing and it has all of these nightmarish imagery that will shock you and stay with you for a long time to come.

On to the negatives.

While the visuals and the performances are definitely there, there doesn't really seem to be a rhyme or a reason as to why the extreme things are happening onscreen. There really isn't much to be said or much to connect by the end. Although this film has a lot of thematic material that is reaching out to a higher concept, the film just seems as if it is made more to shock than anything else. The film is just a visceral experience. It is stunningly shot, but it is very much an art house film of a different sort. The symbolism of the picture gives it a conflicting tone. It is called Anti-Christ, but the last act of the film doesn't really connect well to the promise from the first two acts. The last act is an all out endurance test. The two climatic set pieces that guarantee this will get an NC-17 rating, will have you cringe in your seat. It is pretty outlandish. The nudity in the film also becomes very distracting at points. The film after a while just had me question what is the purpose of trying to gross out or offend the audience. It is just buying into it's own ideals a bit too much and you get the sense that the director has completely alienated his audience for the sake of shock value.

Ultimately, I feel that the film was a strong experience in cinema, but not one I'd go back and rewatch again anytime soon. I'd say it's a beautiful looking film and it makes you dive into the nightmarish dreams of the director. It's definitely not a film for everyone. People will be split on the integrity of the film. While I did think it was worthwhile and not boring, I wouldn't recommend all to see it. I would say this film is a MATINEE, only because you owe it to yourself to see it in a cinema and get the full experience of the picture the way it was intended to be seen. This film is unapologetic as is Lars Von Trier's vision of a couple's descent into madness.

8 of 10

Gentlemen Broncos REVIEW!

In walking into this screening, I wasn't particularly too excited to see this. I tried to distance myself for my personal hatred towards Jared Hess. I don't think Napoleon Dynamite was one of the funniest films of this generation, I thought it was painfully boring at times. I thought Nacho Libre was a bit funnier, but still pretty bland and boring. Now comes to this. I heard about what kind of film this was, and noticed the talent attached behind it. Jermaine Clement and Michael Angarano was attached to this! I am a fan of Jermaine's work on Flight of the Conchords and I have been a fan of Michael's work in the underrated Snow Angels, so I actually was willing to give this movie a shot! Walking into the theatre, I experienced something I didn't think was going to happen. For the first 30 mins, I was really digging this movie! I was laughing! I thought this movie was going to a place that was going to have me really dig the shit outta it, but then again...it's a Jared Hess film...

HE FUCKS UP ROYALY IN THE LAST HALF OF THE FILM and HE LOSES ME!!!

GODDAMN IT!!!

Ok I am going to list some of the positives. On the positives, the thematic ideas behind the film easily push this film into the realm where it is Jared Hess' best work to date! The opening act of the film is a really interesting set-up. Jermaine Clement is hilarious in the film! Michael Angarano is good in the role. I actually liked his character for the most part. I thought that the 2 leads were great! We can't ignore Sam Rockwell! Sam Rockwell's scenes are all ridiculous, but are hilarious! Overall, the cast and the opening act is what this film has going for it.

What this film doesn't have going for it? Well in Essence...it's JARED HESS and the script. Goddamn was I betrayed by this film. I thought that the opening acts of the film were leading up to a really thoughtful story about what it means to be a writer and to get all of these bad stories out of your system. I connected to the film because I myself am a struggling writer! I bought all of the insecurities and the lame ideas that come from writing really bad stories. I thought this film was going to go places...but it fucking didn't. The opening acts really have some meat on the bones, but then the later half of the film turns into a total Jared Hess film and he has to throw all of the cheap cop-out/gross-out jokes and it becomes a tremendous mis-fire. The midpoint of the film had nothing else to say. The film reached a point where I was questioning "why is the director making THIS the main idea for the last acts?" I was saying to myself at the screening "No!....No!!! I WANT TO LIKE THIS!!! PLEASE!!!" The last acts tembling of the film seems abrupt and not becoming of the interesting ideas that this film had presented to me in the beginning! The feeling I felt coming out was just pure betrayal. The leads are all well cast and are built up enough to an ending that fuckin goes nowhere! The last act is where it all fuckin gets ridiculous. The jokes are all lame, boring, and in low taste and then out of her ass, one of the side characters pulls out a plot device that just comes out of nowhere and you can't believe for a single second that this character has the remote mental capacity to even contemplate doing what she does in the very last few minutes of the film. The film fucks up badly.

This is a film with a lot of potential. I was surprised by Jared Hess, but he went back to his old ways and screwed the film into the dirt despite having the wonderful talent behind him on this. I'd say that this film is a SOME OL' BULLSHIT!!! Skip out on this. If you really need to see this, watch the trailer as all of the best moments and pretty much the whole film is in it. Otherwise, It's not worth the time.