Would it be crazy to say that Inception is the greatest movie I’ve ever seen? Maybe. But that is how I felt while I was watching it. Here’s why…
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
July26
Inception Review
July13
DVD Review: Zombieland
I know I am severely late to the game with this film and although I will plead innocent on the basis that zombies weren’t cool to me last year, it pains me that I just now got around to seeing this fantastic film.
For the record, I wanted to write my review the night I saw the film. But I didn’t want a two page rant about how much I hated M. Night Shyamalan. I don’t know if a week was enough time to get all of my anger out, but I figure that only a handful of people will see the movie in the next couple of weeks, so this review is rapidly becoming irrelevant.
It’s been over a decade since Woody and Buzz first captivated the world, entertaining our imaginations and filling the wallets of whichever lucky toy company got the rights to produce Buzz Lightyear action figures. Now, after a wait so long there wasn’t even significant talk of a trilogy until the movie was actually announced, we can all treat ourselves to Toy Story 3. And when I say treat, I mean it. If Toy Story was an ice cream sundae, Toy Story 3 would be the cherry on top.
Get used to rolling your eyes. That is not a statement about the cinematography. Nor is it necessarily a mark against the A-Team. I think writer-director Joe Carnahan’s adaption of the old television program (which I regrettably know too little about to make comparisons) hits the mark it aims for. The question is: does that mark appeal to you?
I have distant memories of Daniel-san, the first Karate Kid from way back in the day. And while I’m pretty sure Jayden Smith (his modern-day counter part Xiao Dre which means “little Dre”) could beat him up, I think Daniel was the superior martial artist. Something about Smith’s portrayal lacked the sincerity and poise of the original Karate Kid. I blame modernization. I mean, nobody compares modern abstract art to Monet, right?
I have a list. A list of books I need to read, movies I need to see, video games I need to play, and time machines I need to invent in order to actually squeeze all of that into a single lifetime. The Prince of Persia trilogy beginning with The Sands of Time is up near the top of the video games list. From the moment I heard about the game moving onto the Silver Screen, I had mixed feelings. Video games don’t usually adapt as well as books, which in turn adapt notoriously poorly. The point of a game is to create an experience that involves the user through controls and story telling; something that is very difficult to capture on film. I confess up front that I have no real foundation for comparing this film to the game(s), but I did see it with a group of friends who adored the Prince of Persia series, and they assure me that the movie borrows efficiently from the game while also carrying a unique plot line.
When a film comes out that is called Robin Hood, there are certain images and themes that come to mind: bow & arrows, Maid Marion, robbing the rich and giving to the poor, Sherwood Forest, Sheriff of Nottingham, “Little” John, and multiple actors portraying the titular star. What happens when a Robin Hood film comes along that throws all of that aside and tells and origin story, void of any substance that we’ve come to know and love?
I am honestly afraid to write this review. This is sacred ground, er, film, we’re talking about. How could anyone but Dan the Man write this review? Opinions about the new installment in the Iron Man franchise are as common and prevalent as PB and J sandwiches in an elementary school lunchroom. That’s a daunting thought for me at first. And then I realize that nobody in elementary school cared about my PB and J sandwich. They were all busy eating their own. I suspect this review will be the same way. I will, in fact, be surprised if anyone even reads it. Iron Man 2 is one of those movies that everyone is going to go see regardless of what anyone else says. I think that’s a good thing.
I don’t get a chance, being the Editor-In-Chief of Truth On Cinema, to see every movie that comes out, so sometimes I have to send my *local* correspondents to check it out for me by way of FREE Advanced Screening Passes, and in turn they are to give me a Quick-Hit Review of what they thought about the film. In this instance my Mid-Cities Truth On Cinema Correspondent Troy, had a chance to see The Losers before it debuts this weekend and this is what he had to say about it.
