Prometheus: NR #26

Yes, I missed last week, but I'm making it up today. I wasn't going to do a review until I saw this movie. I and many other people have been excited for this ever since it was first mentioned. The film that has had 50 trailers, 75 teaser trailers. and 100's of teasers for the teasers trailers for the trailers! The sorta, kinda, maybe prequel to "Alien". I'm ecstatic to finally talk about...

   Let's Begin

PLOT

Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway have been on the hunt for the origins of man kind, and believe they've found the true origin; a planet in a solar system that has very close conditions to our solar system and planet. Peter Weyland, founder and owner of  the Weyland corporation, believes in the project and gives them the funds to send a team to explore the planet. Once there, they soon realize that this discovery was best left untouched.

PROS

The performances from Noomi Rapace  (who played Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" movie), Idris Elba, and Charlize Theron are outstanding. Noomi's character of Shaw is almost like a new age Ripley, but has enough to stand out from the crowd. Idris Elba becomes one of the few crew members you actually care about, and Charlize Theron, for the second week in a row, plays a great villain.

But Micheal Fassbender as David, the latest in android technology, steals the show. His performance and character are great and really help to keep the movie going. David is the most interesting character in the whole film.

The film looks gorgeous. Ridley Scott still knows how to wow you. The cinematography is amazing, and so are the special effects.

Speaking of special effects, Scott choose to use practical effects in most scenes involving the aliens (I don't mean the ones from "Alien", these are new aliens not yet seen in this film universe). While there is some obvious Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) for the more dynamic scenes, it still looks very realistic.

Say what you will about Ridley Scott's modern career, but he still knows how to make you cringe. The film halfway through goes into "Horror" mode and has scene after scene of "HOLY CRAP" moments. The one scene that everyone is talking about, the most "HOLY CRAP" moment in the entire film, left me literally shaking long after it happened. This film is not for the faint of heart.

But don't think this is all gore and violence, the movie is true, slow, thought-proving Sci-Fi for the first half, and the last 20 min. or so. It raises many questions and takes its time bringing them up.

CONS

The crew, as in the side characters, aren't that interesting. They just seemed boring and two-dimensional. I never cared for any of them because they never do anything with them.

The film raises a ton of questions, spends time wondering about them or gives you a lot of time to do the same, and ends with more questions then answers. Now, I feel that either this was done to make way for a sequel (hopefully called "Prometheuses"), or that was the point. The point being that we as humans will always pose and seek out answers to questions, no matter how irrelevant they seem. Either way, it really does leave you hanging.

The biggest and most glaring problem with the film is that it's a prequel to "Alien". What this means is that the filmmakers have to put random little nods and connections throughout the whole film that pull you out of the cinematic world and back into reality. The references feel really tacked on, which makes me think that this wasn't the original intent. Someone working on the film may have hinted on the "Alien" connection and too many fans got the wrong idea. The worst part is that they had to tie it in at the end with a completely unnecessary scene. You think the movie's over, but then they almost ruin the whole thing with the "Alien" connection. I think the best way to have done this was to set it in the "Alien" universe, but have only small. background references to "Alien".

CONCLUSION

This is an awesome movie. It gets back to true Science Fiction while also including the horror elements that fit well in the film. I loved this movie, and I know why I did. Because I went in there not expecting an "Alien" prequel, but an awesome Ridley Scott movie, and that's what I got. So if you hear the phrase "It was disappointing" or "It's not as good as the other 'Alien' movies", don't listen. This is a movie that should have been judged on its own merits, but was almost ruined by the hype. If you go see this film, just remember, it's better if you don't think about "Alien".

RATING

RUN TO

Summer of 101 Movies #98: American Beauty

Today's film is considered one of the best movies released during the year of great movies, 1999. A movie that proved you could market and make a form of entertainment for adults and be successful. One of the most mature movies I've ever seen. I'm talking about...

 Let's Begin

PLOT

Lester Burnham is seriously depressed. He lives in suburban hell with his perfection obsessed wife, Carolyn, and his also depressed, self-loathing, confused teenage daughter, Jane. And worst of all, he has Rodney Dangerfield syndrome, he "Get's no respect." Lester goes through a mid-life crisis once he meets Jane's friend, Angela Hayes, who he becomes hopelessly infatuated with. He then starts working out, taking authority in his home and in his life. The family's already troubled life starts to spiral out of control when the status quo is disrupted.

PROS

Their are no stand out performances, because all of them are amazing in their own ways. Kevin Spacey never ceases to surprise you with his range, Annette Bening's character is a horrible person, wife, and mother that you still sympathize with from time to time, Thora Birch is perfect as the teenage daughter, who is more believable than any teenager put to film, and so many more that if I put them all down, this section would have to fill another post.

The film deals with Mature subjects...maturely. What I mean is that it never starts acting so "mature" that it becomes immature. The tone is not always serious, in fact, there are some down right hilarious scenes, and they never try to appeal to multiple demographics. The movie was made with a mature purpose for mature people. 

The score is like a parody of suburban life. It's very lighthearted and "normal", it sounds like something you'd hear in a phony commercial trying to convince you what they're advertising is wholesome and safe. And, strangely, it fits. While I still think the stand outs go against this type, the score still fits.

Speaking of music, the soundtrack (songs not made for the film) is very diverse. Lester starts listening to hard, classic rock that really embodies his new rebellious spirit, while Carolyn listens to old lounge, jazzy music that's boring and perfect for the background. It really shows each characters personalities without shoving it in your face.

The script by Alan Ball is perfection. The characters are realistic and so is the situation, people do things that are justified in their current state, and they say things that never go against character.

The final speech of the film, heck, the whole last 30-40 minutes, the "last day", is one of the most powerful and perfectly crafted scenes in cinema history. It left me sitting in the dark of my room with the only light coming from the credits, thinking and absorbing what I had just seen. The only time that's ever happened with me was after watching Black Swan.

CONS

Fourth times the charm? Nope. And I'm pretty sure you agree with me if you've seen the movie.

CONCLUSION

This is an amazing movie. I realized this when I watched the movie a second time, and not even halfway through I knew what I wanted to say about it, I knew what I had gotten out of it, yet I kept watching. It immersed me back into it's world, I just couldn't turn away. This is the perfect "discussion" film, a movie that starts a discussion about it's themes and what it was all about that could never, ever, ever, ever, ever end, and that's 4 evers.  This is a must see for people (preferably adults) who want a movie made for them, a movie that never talks down and only tells it like it is. This is a new favorite of mine and one I'll happily watch again and again.

RATING 

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Summer of 101 Movies #99: Pulp Fiction

Welcome back to Summer of 101 Movies. Today's film is one that changed the way films were made, it changed what type of movies were made in the 90's, it made careers and brought back dead ones. It's one of the most quotable and iconic films of all time, it's the most successful "indie" movie of all time, and it's a film buffs dream. I'm of course talking about...

  Let's Begin

PLOT(S)

Pulp Fiction tells four stories that are told out of order and interconnect through characters and events. The first story is about two hitmen, Vincent and Jules, who are on a hit from their boss, Marsellus Wallace. Story 2 is about Vincent taking out Marsellus's wife, Mia Wallace, to show her a non sexual good time. Story 3 is about Butch who failed to lose a boxing match and is now on the run from Marsellus Wallace. And finally, story 4 is about Vincent and Jules adventures after the hit at the beginning of the film. Each story is filled with comedy, drama, and kinetic energy that never stops for even half a second.

PROS

Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta are amazing in the film. They both have great chemistry and have their own moments to shine. Also, this is the movie that made both their careers and made Jackson the king and rightful owner of the F-bomb.

Tarantino is a master of dialogue, and this is his writing at it's best. This movie should be slow, boring dialogue driven, but the dialogue is so good and the actors are also so good that it never becomes dull or boring. The dialogue feels natural and like a conversation you'd have with one of your buddies.

Even though the movie is 2 and half hours long, it never feels like it's slow or like its been going on too long. You're so engrossed with the characters, the stories, and the world that you never notice the time fly by. I always felt the film ended abruptly because it left me wanting more, in a good way.

The soundtrack is phenomenal, always adding and never subtracting from a scene. Weather it be a jazzy song or classic funk, it feels right at home in the movie. It's said that Tarantino chooses the songs he wants to use before he even starts shooting the movie!

The film is violent without showing the violence. That may seem confusing, but let me explain. The movie, when it originally was released, was considered to violent and needed so serious censorship. But, without counting the "Shot Marvin in the face" scene, the movie is pretty tame. One great example is when Bruce Willies cuts a guy with a katana sword, you see the first cut (which realistically bleeds, unlike Kill Bill), but the camera pans up and you see Willis stab the guy, but you only see the sword move, not the sword penetrating the skin. It leaves the more gruesome parts up to your imagination, which is always better in my opinion.

CONS

Did you seriously expect me to find some serious flaws with this movie? That my friend, is like trying to find someone who doesn't like or appreciate the Thriller music video. Simply impossible.

CONCLUSION

When I first saw this film, I was afraid it wouldn't hold up, that it was a novelty of it's time. I'd heard all my life how it had "Changed films forever" and that "You haven't lived 'till you've seen Pulp Fiction." Well, I was happy to see that not only did it hold up, but it was accessible to any and everyone without even trying. I've probably seen the movie over five times, and it never gets old. If you have not seen this masterpiece, see it. Rent it, record it, buy it, steal it if you have to. ( Do not actually steel this or any film, that was a joke that should not be taken seriously, stealing is wrong.)

RATING

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Summer of 101 Movies #100: The Shawshank Redemption

Welcome back to Summer of 101 movies. Today's movie is a classic that almost became a hidden gem. A movie that everyone loves, but haven't seen more than once. One of my favorite movies, and one I've seen more than I care to count. This is...

Let's Begin

PLOT

Andy Dufresne is a young hot shot banker with a beautiful wife and a bright future ahead. That is, until he's convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Andy is sentenced to 2 life terms, one for each victim, at Shawshank prison. While in there, he soon befriends Red, an old con man whose been there his whole life. We follow Andy through his life at Shawshank and all the great, horrifying, and amazing times it entails.

PROS

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman shine in this film. They're both great individually, Robbins portraying the calm, cool, somewhat snooty Andy, and Freeman portraying the charming con man of Red. But they're also amazing together, portraying one of the most believable friendships on film.

The movie never sugar-coats prison life. It sucks to be at Shawshank, and this film will show just how much it sucks. Instead of going for shock value, it makes it realistic and most of it's left up to your imagination to fill in the gaps. This makes it more disturbing and, sometimes, hard to watch.

The directing is very impressive for Frank Darabont's first time. If you don't know who Darabont is, well he's only the director of "The Green Mile", the first and best episode of "The Walking Dead", and he was also the producer and main reason the show was made.

We're never told up front weather or not Andy actually committed the crime. While, yes, there is a lot of evidence to support that he is not guilty, we still don't get a clear answer. The film never takes sides and let's the audience make up it's own mind.

CONS

Once again, nothin'.

CONCLUSION

This was already one of my favorite movies of all time, and this just made it all the more apparent. If you are one of the 5 people who have yet to see this movie, do anything in your power to see it. This is a classic that will never be forgotten.

RATING

RUN TO

The Summer of 101 Movies! #101: Groundhog Day

It's what you've been waiting for, what you've been teased since last Sunday, the review event of the Summer. It's... THE SUMMER OF 101 MOVIES!!!! Yes, this is my first Summer event, and I hope this goes well so I can do another one next year. Now let me explain. For my birthday, I received a book called "The Greatest Movies Ever: The Ultimate Ranked List of the Best Films of All Time." It contained 101 movies I loved, wanted to love, or had never heard of but was willing to love. Then I was given an idea, why not watch AND review all of these movies over the summer? I hadn't reviewed any of these, and I did want to see most of them. Why not?! So now this is what I'm doing this summer. Now, to clear some things up. No, these will not count as regular reviews, I consider these reviews as "Special" reviews. You'll still get your regular review every week-end and you may even get some YMNKS' as well. This is not my opinion of the best movies, so I shall critic without a biased opinion. Also, don't get angry if YOUR favorite movie of all time is not on here. And lastly, I will not be able to review all the movies by the end of the summer and I will not be able to have a review up each day, We're getting the movies through Netflix mail order, so yeah. Now that's out of the way, let's review #101, a comedy classic...

Let's Begin...

PLOT

Phil is a cynical, self-loving, jackass weather man. For four years straight, he's covered Groundhog Day, and is, you guessed it, cynical about it. He hates everything about it. The town, the holiday, even the groundhog. After he and the film crew are stuck in the town for another day due to a blizzard, Phil wakes up the next day, and it's still February 2nd. The day plays out the exact same way it did yesterday. He wakes up the next day, and it's still February 2nd. Phil is now reliving the same day over and over and over again!

PROS

Bill Murray, as always, plays the perfect cynical, self-obsessed, jackass. It's his signature character. Except this time, you actually hate him. The last thing you want is for him to get the girl and get out of this never ending loop, and yet his charms, like always, win you over.

The comedy, for me at least, is spot on. It's no surprise Harold Ramis wrote and directed. There were times I almost fell out of my seat from laughing.

Since the movie is about the same day happening over and over again, they have to keep consistency. Trust me, they keep it up, even with the most minute detail. They even keep the same camera shots. It makes the film infinitely re-watchable.

The film has a prefect mix of comedy, romance, and drama. One minute you'll be laughing so hard you can't breath, the next you'll have tears in your eyes, weather they be tears of joy, or tears of sadness. And it all seems natural.

The movie is a flawless showcase of the 5 stages of grief. 1: Denial, 2: Anger, 3: Desperation, 4: Depression and 5: Acceptance. While Anger never really plays a big part, they rest of the stages are here in full force and in order.

Phil does just about everything anyone would try in that situation, he does outrageous things, goes on a eating binge, learns all about the life of a hot chick just so he can get with her, and even learns a daily routine so he can steal a suitcase full of money!

CONS

I was afraid this would happen... yeah, expect this section to be empty a lot over the Summer...

CONCLUSION

While, yes, I can't think of any serious flaws against this movie, that doesn't mean it's for everyone. I know people who love this movie to death, and others who hate it to their very core. Me? I like it. I love the little minute details and how much work and effort was put into the film to make it something special. While I don't think you need to run out and see it, who am I kidding, you've probably seen it 50 times by now. But for those who haven't, I say see it, but don't rush out for it. Come back tomorrow for #100, and one of my personal favorites.

RATING

WALK TO

Kairosoft: YMNK #3

HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Yes, today is the 1 year anniversary of my first review of "X-men: First Class" So to celebrate, I'm bringing back a series I seemingly dropped. I didn't, I was just waiting for the right subject. Lucky, I found it. This You May Not Know is about a game company you may not have heard of, but you've probably heard of their games. I'm talking about...

Kairosoft

 Kairsoft is a Japanese game development company that has been around since 1996, but America only just discovered them last year when they localized one of their first games, "Game Dev Story." The game was a surprise success and was one of the top sellers of that week. Now, I discovered the game through the IGN podcast "Game Scoop", where Daemon Hatfield mentioned a new game and addiction he was playing on his phone. I was intrigued, and immediately looked it up. I didn't buy it until a couple of months later. It two became my new addiction. The game was simple, yet complex. It had cool retro pixel graphics and catchy, repetitive music, and it could last forever. I fell in love with it that very instant. I didn't start buying other Kairosoft games until much later, but now I have about 6 of their 10 released games. Now what are their games about anyway? 

Kairosoft's first and most successful game "Game Dev Story"

 Every game Kairosoft has made are all simulation games. Now, you're probably thinking, "Ok, so they have a roller coaster game, a business game, and a town building game right?" Well you're sort of right. While, yes, they are business and building games at heart, it's what your managing or building that's different. You can own a game company, a space colony, a mega mall, a feudal Japanese village, and, most recently, a town used by heroes in an RPG! Now, every game also has some elements in common. Some of these are Popularity, research points (they're called something different depending on which game your playing),and attracting new costumers or people.  Each game focuses on getting a highs score and building up your property to a world domination level of success. You start out each game with little to nothing, but if you read the instructions (which really takes under 5 minutes), you'll be making some serious cash in no time.

 Sadly, none of these games are perfect, and they all have to same flaw that may not work for everyone. The games seriously drag near the end. The beginning is always fun and exciting, the middle part, while a little boring, is still introducing new and exciting things. By the end, the game runs out of steam and your just going through the motions. Don't get me wrong, you're already hooked by that point so you barely notice it, but it is still a problem. Now with their most recent game, "Dungeon Village", they've found some cool and inventive ways to keep that from happening. And so far, it's working.

 If I've caught your interest, be warned, you'll probably be hooked and may be fired from your job or fail your classes. You May Not Know is not responsible for any firing or failing of classes, that is entirely your fault and you should learn how to manage time. But, if can manage time, each game cost somewhere from $3 to $4, and almost all the games have a free "Lite" version that usually give you a good taste of what's to come. Heck, I've even been addicted to the trial versions of these games. 

  

Snow White and the Huntsman: NR #25

Wait...is..is that YOU?! Oh my god, man it's been too long, gimmie some skin man! How ya been doin, hows the family? Man, it's been like, what, 2 weeks? That is too long. Yeah, sorry I missed the last two weeks. The first week was out of my control and last week, well that was entirely my fault and I apologize. Now that's out of the way, let's get to the main event which is a movie I think you've all heard of and may have been very excited for. This week's movie is...

    Let's Begin

PLOT

Long ago, in an alternate dimension where fairy tales had to be tough to be good, a royal baby is born named Snow White, who is the "fairest" baby of them all (ewwww). But, when Snow White's father is tricked into fighting an army of...glass people I guess, he discovers a woman prisoner who is so beautiful that the next day he marries her. But, that night, the woman kills the king, and since the first queen is dead, this woman becomes queen. Evil queen. She imprisons Snow White and keeps her locked in the north tower. Years later, and the Queen is still evil and is obsessed with keeping young and chewing scenery. Snow White finds a way to escape and runs away. The Queen then hires the Huntsman to, well, hunt her down. But after he discovers that the Queen is going to betray him, she joins Snow White in her quest to defeat the Queen and bring happiness and colors back to the land.

PROS

Charlize Theron steals the show as the Queen. She is given full range to go absolutely bonkers. She yells and screams at almost random, she makes some of the best angry faces put to film, and is actually evil. She kills, no question about it. She doesn't like you, dead. They really could have done a whole movie about her character.

The costumes and set designs are great. They look awesome, and, once again, Charlize Theron's dresses steal the show. They're very creepy and creative. They're always made out of raven bones, feathers, or anything evil.

The special effects are amazing. They really do some awesome stuff with it. There is a great scene where they go to a place called "The Sanctuary". In this scene, the special effects team went all out. The creatures and plant life are cool and it all looks beautiful.

The Dwarfs, while some what useless, bring comedy that was desperately needed. It really adds life to this dull movie, and they're some of the most interesting characters in the whole movie, next the the Queen of course.

CONS

Now, I've never seen Kristen Stewart in action, but have always heard she was awful. I thought, "Well maybe the horrible scripts of 'Twilight' are to blame for her poor acting skills." I was wrong. She is so bad, so uninteresting, so...so...boring. She's so boring that she looks bored throughout the whole movie. There is nothing that makes her "Fairer" than Charlize Theron, nothing that makes her desirable to anyone, and nothing that makes her stand out. And, SHE. CAN. NEVER. CLOSE. HER. DARN. MOUTH!

The film is to focused on making the film "dark" and "edgy" that it makes the main characters, Snow White and the Huntsman, paper thin characters. You just don't care enough to root for or against them.

Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth have no chemistry. Now, I don't blame Chris, he is a great actor with nothing to do, and I don't blame Kristen, well not entirely. No, I blame the script. They just never seem close enough or even like each other.

CONCLUSION

This is a very lackluster movie that is saved only by the minor characters, the villain, and the special effects. But none of that is the focus, so we spend most of the movie with boring characters just waiting for Theron to scream some more, or the dwarfs to be funny. Over all this movie is not worth a full priced ticket, not even a matinee. It's more than serviceable at home for $5 or less. Come back during the week to see my new summer long review special. What is it? You'll just have to find out.

RATING

RENTABLE