Posts Tagged ‘review’
Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance: Review
This sequel to the 2007 comic book feature stars Nicholas Cage and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Johnny Blaze makes a deal with the devil in return for his soul. Now he rides around on his flaming motorcycle as the Ghost Rider, punishing the wicked for their evil ways. Now feeling as though he can’t be trusted around the ones he loves, he travels over the Eastern Europe to get away. Soon after he gets thrown into a situation where he has to stop the devil himself from taking over the body of a young boy.
I take back a previous statement I made in a recent review about Marvel excelling in the Live Action feature department. This one really hurt their cred. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for a comic book movie but his was a big miss for me and I’ll tell you why. Nicholas Cage. The first go around wasn’t spectacular either but it was way more tolerable than this movie. There’s only so many bad “flaming head” quips and puns one can take. This was my limit. Sure there were some improvements. The visual effects of Ghost Rider himself looked to be alot better and the bike he rides is charred and more realistic than the wildly exaggerated chrome skull version.The improvements pretty much stop there. The directors of the film (same duo that directed Crank) try to use their fast paced style of filmmaking here and it just didn’t transfer well at all. Ghost Rider is so visually appealing and I think would do really well if given the right story, director and (dare I say it?) NO NICHOLAS CAGE. If you’re a comic book movie fan and HAVE to see this movie just because then go ahead but you have been warned. Other than that, I would say Redbox it or skip it all together.
The Lie: Review
Directed and Starring Joshua Leonard (Blair Witch Project), The Lie shows us the life of Lonnie (Leonard) and how he feels stuck in a rut. He’s a married man with a six month old little girl and realizes his life isn’t the way he quite pictured it. On whim he decides to call into work and tell his boss he can’t make it into work because his daughter is sick. He then goes out and plays “hooky” for the day and enjoys himself. He enjoys himself so much that he decides to do it again the next day but scrambles for an excuse while on the phone and tells his boss his 6 month old daughter died the previous night. He starts to gain sympathy from everyone around him because of this lie and somewhat enjoys the benefits a tad. What comes next is a journey of regret and self discovery as a husband and father.
It has an interesting premise and that’s what attracted me to this flick. The acting is fair and it has a well rounded cast. The filmmakers did a good job at excluding the lie from any synopsis or description because I don’t think I would’ve sat through it if I would’ve known. It was kind of off-putting to know that even after Lonnie told the lie he kind of just went along with it. I’m not one to be appalled by subject matter in a film or anything of that nature. I think that if it serves a purpose to help the story along then fine but I think this was done just to get the cheap “shock” factor in. It worked to a certain degree but not in the way they probably wanted or expected. Although the underlining message was understandable, the rest of the film felt like a long complaint letter about the characters’ life thus far. I would say, if you’re curious then go right ahead and give it a view but other than that you should wait till it hits IFC at 2am and DVR it.
We Need To Talk About Kevin: Review
Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, We Need To Talk About Kevin tells the story of a mother (Tilda Swinton) dealing and coping with her sons’ (Ezra Miller) horrible killing spree at his high school as the two year anniversary of the event draws near.
The subject matter of this film is controversial but that’s what makes this film and story powerful. It’s something that could realistically happen to anyone at any given time and we see/hear about it constantly in the media. Alot of the story takes place in flashbacks that show the upbringing of Kevin (Miller) and the way he never formed a bond with his mother. As he grows up you start to see certain little “signs” that Kevin has a problem as well as the way he acts out towards his mother. Even though I knew the conclusion of the film, I was emotionally invested with it enough to want Kevin to change his mind in the end. Alas, that was not the case. The acting in this film was stupendous. Tilda Swinton really blew me away and I think this was one of the best films I’ve seen of hers in recent years. You can definitely see the pain and helplessness in her performance. Ezra Miller is completely believable as a toubled youth. The look in his eyes at certain times in the movie is almost scary. Another great performance was by John C. Reilly. He plays Kevin’s father and is a fresh departure from the comdedic roles we’re used to seeing him in. All in all, this was a great film with a tragic story.
The Thing (2011): Review
This film tells what happens that leads up to the events of the 1982 film “John Carpenter’s The Thing”. A Norwegian research team stumble upon a spaceship and an extraterrestrial being out in the Antarctic snow. They return back to base with “The Thing” (frozen in a block of ice) and call on Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to examine the recent find. While celebrating their discovery it breaks out and wreaks havoc on the crew. It isn’t until after their first encounter with the creature that they realize it kills its prey and replicates its body, hiding itself in plain sight.
There’s something about this flick thats a bit more disturbing than the 1982 sequel. I don’t know exactly what it is but I think alot of it has to do with the advancement of movie effects. The way the creature reveals itself and tears the hosts’ body open on numerous occasions is the key “gross out” factor of this film…..and I loved every minute of it! It says alot when a movie makes me not want to eat or drink anything while I’m watching it. This one does the trick. That, along with the fact that everyone is being questioned and no one can be trusted makes this a great horror/thriller flick. I’m glad that this ended up being a prequel rather than a remake for the simple fact that I remember watching the original so many times and always wondering what happened at the base they stumble upon. They made the gap between the two movies rather seamless and it shows. If you watch both movies back to back (i really suggest you do) and pay close attention to the end of the 2011 version and watch the beginning of the 1982 version, the continuity that is kept at the Norwegian base excellent. From the creature that is out in the snow, down to a simple thing as an ax in a wall. A definite watch if you’re interested in a nice little scare.
The Thing is out on DVD and Blu-Ray 1/31/12
