A Nutshell Review of Zombieland
Where to begin. This is probably one of the funniest comedy-horrors out there. While this is somewhat reminiscent of Shaun of the Dead in terms of comedy, Woody Harrelson stole the movie. His performance as a zombie-killing psycho is hilariously good. Think Natural Born Killers meets Cheers. The plot isn’t the most fascinating, but it works because of the type of movie this is. There are plenty of holes in the plot and it’s your basic survival story–just with a twist. With only literally a hand’s worth of fingers of survivors, why not live it up? It’s not meant to taken seriously in any aspect. The deaths are over-the-top and the acting was surprisingly good. There is a small cast of survivors, among them Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Nim’s Island). Her performance is especially good, given this genre. It shows that she can be diverse, but don’t plan on seeing her in many of these gore-fests. Woody Harrelson had a good career, at least to me, but seeing him in this role was great. This movie is deserving of high praise. This movie gets a 9. I rarely give tens, but this was pretty close.
Much Ado About Nothing: Fox Kiss in Body Not That Great
Many salivating guys across the country I’m sure are lining up to watch the Diablo Cody-written flick, Jennifer’s Body. Whether it’s the sultry actress Megan Fox or just the general love of scifi (probably the former), the movie expects to be one of the highest grossing this weekend, next to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. However, I must say I’ve seen the movie and guys will probably be disappointed with the onscreen kiss with Amanda Seifreid. Both are attractive, but there was something definitely forced in the scene(s). Guys, I’m sorry, but you’re going to be disappointed in seeing the movie if that’s what you’re banking on. The movie, however, is pretty good, not great. This isn’t my typical review blog, but I had to warn guys before they spend the money on Fox. In my movie, at least, I was able to get the teaser for Inception(It’s the same teaser everyone has seen). Nothing new was revealed, however, my Hollywood insider has told me that Inception is a movie that is based primarily on Joseph Gordon-Leavitt’s character, not DiCaprio. Much of the movie takes place in DiCaprio’s mindscape and nothing is real and there are agents that move between the dream world and the real. Think Matrix. This informant is shooting 70 percent, but there’s not telling where this info falls. Maybe that will be confirmed in full trailer set to come out in November. We’ll see. As far as Jennifer’s Body goes, it’s worth a look. It’s funny/horror/suspense and drama wrapped up into one. 7.
The Best Movie You Probably Haven’t Seen: Moon
It comes as no surprise that 2009 would have a sleeper scifi movie that would wow the senses and tantilize your movie taste buds again. That movie goes to Moon, a movie that stars Sam Rockwell (Hitchiker’s Guide and Charlie’s Angels) as an astronaut that is spending some time on the moon shipping back energy samples for study and development. Though the first 40 minutes or slow, it keys you in on important facts that eventually unravel for you in the end. This isn’t your typical science fiction movie, nor is it horror. It’s not drama or psychological. Perhaps it’s a blend of all; that I leave unto you. I will say this, as my typical norm here so as not to spoil ANYTHING, no one or no thing is to be trusted, not even the “narrator”. This is confusing for a reason as this movie will spin you in a moment of confusion that’s worthy of your praise. Think of it as a combination of 2001: Space Odyseey and Usual Suspects. There won’t be a lot of action in it, but it doesn’t need it for the director to pull off the value that is such an example of the human condition. Check it out! 10.
Gamer Review: Awesome!
I think the title says it all. Gerard Butler puts in a scarily good performance. At some points in the movie, you don’t know if he’s being controlled or being himself. The direction is especially good for a movie like this. Action movies can leave lots of plot holes or they can get lazy with the directing, but this one is pretty complete. For those that are unfamiliar with this plot, Butler plays a human being controlled in video game fashion in a real gaming environment. Sure, the plot sounds cliche and done before, but this movie adds a few more twists than you expect. This is more than just a movie that appeals to nerds who love gaming. There is complete action, a pretty good storyline and a non-pretnetious protagonist. There’s nothing fantastical about the movie. It’s straight forward and in your face. Michael C. Hall, whom many of you know as Dexter, pulls off the kid you love to hate, but just can’t pull yourself from his charm. That might have something to do with you guys knowing him as Dexter. Kyra Sedgwick (Closer) is annoying and you do wish she would die (maybe you’ll get your wish), but overall, the performances are pretty good for an action movie. You’ll like the movie if you’re an action fan or a video game fan. It’ll suspend your reality for roughly two hours. Ludacris does play in this, but his performance is probably the worst. It’s passable, but annoying. Go check it out. This movie gets an 8.
Nut Shell Halloween II Review
First, I want to say thanks to the people who sent me a private message to get better. I am getting a little better, but not by much. Still recovering, but I think I’ll be 100 percent soon. Now, to my review of Halloween II. This movie stunk. If anyone could have desecrated John Carpenter’s masterpiece, you would think it would’ve been Uwe Boll. Nope. Rob Zombie takes the cake and then some. The movie had no sense and there were loopholes so big you could drive a truck through them (sounds cliche, but the movie had LOTS of them). Rob Zombie’s Halloween retelling was actually decent, prompting me to see the second one. By the end of the movie, you hoped everyone would die, especially Malcolm McDowell’s character. Also, what was deal with the nudity? There’s a place for it, but in this movie, I think Zombie just wanted to see naked women. It made no sense. The story arc was unbelievably naive and the plot does not fit into Zombie’s own universe of the movie. This movie should be avoided at all costs. Is it worth a dollar movie? No. Red Box? No. On television when it’s free? Maybe. My biggest regret was paying for this movie. On a scale of 1-10? 2.
Star Trek 0: Awesome, Worth It On Many Levels
The highly anticipated Star Trek movie is, to sum it up in one word, awesome! The long wait in line was worth it. I will caution this, however. Go to the restroom before the movie starts. You will not want to miss anything. The movie focuses on James T. Kirk’s, pre-Shatner days, and how he became the legendary captain. You start to understand some of the quirks and nuances that Shatner’s Kirk had. This movie, even for those who didn’t like the Shatner films, is highly likeable. There’s no witty catch phrases, knee-jerk reactions or any “Shatner-isms” so for those who didn’t like the Shatner films, you’re good to go. The cast, some fairly new to the movie business pulls off a great performance, particularly Chris Pine. You’ll also see scenes with good ole Spock in it. He plays a cameo, kind of. His role is fairly important to the plot of the story. It doesn’t matter where you stand in the fandom of Star Trek. You will enjoy the film. You can see touches of Abrams’ work so be prepared for that. On a scale of 1-10, this movie gets a 9. I only give it a nine because there is nothing at the end of the credits.
This movie is one of the best in the series and will most likely remain a classic for some time.
Dragonball: Evolution: Don’t Waste Your Time
Undoubtedly there are many people who are interested in watching this movie. In recent weeks, the marketing for the film has died down significantly and that might have been for a reason. The anime or manga series of Dragonball is probably the favorite for many anime and manga fans, but this movie, riddled with bad puns, cliche and bad acting, will be an assaul to your senses. The lack of a storyline also distracts from the movie viewing. In the Dragonball world, the movie is a conglomeration of details that are so prevalent in the cartoon series. Screenwriters producers couldn’t possibly get all the details correct in the Hollywood movie; there’s too much to touch upon. If you’re a Dragonball fan, you know what I’m talking about. That was one knock on the movie. Could you possibly have a roughly two-hour movie and put out a decent storyline given all the details laid out in the show? No! Many of the characters don’t even emulate what they were in the anime version. This movie is a waste of time, not worthy of your time or money. On a scale of 1-10, this movie is deserving of a 3.
Monsters vs. Aliens, fun, new for the family
Dreamwork’s new hit Monsters vs. Aliens is in a word, fun. It’s comedic wit and more than decent voicing makes this movie very family friendly and can even be enjoyed by fans of science fiction or adventure. Sure, this movie is void of gore and extreme violence, but the movie still shows areas of science fiction mixed with the occasional story arc of a scifi movie. The viewer will recognize many voice talents such as Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen and Hugh Laurie and they deliver a wonderful performance. And, dare I say, fits the characters they all play very well. Monsters vs. Aliens employs a simplistic story line with not a lot of structure, but there’s not a lot of need for structure, particularly in a kid’s movie. This movie isn’t an inquisitive movie like the Seventh Seal. There are mild themes of violence it is very stylized and cartoonish. Nothing too frightening to the child, for sure. This movie, dare I say, is appropriate for all ages. For the rough and tough exteriored person, this movie will still have themes that you’ll enjoy. I give this movie a 9.
Haunting in Connecticut, Chilling, Artistic
Contrary to what others believe, Haunting in Connecticut is not a remake nor a sequel to An American Haunting. Rather, the movie is based on the true story of an actual haunting in Connecticut. It is one of the most haunting stories of this generation and has been made into documentaries and the like. If you’ve seen Discovery Channel or Travel Channel, you might have seen a special on that particular house or family. The details of the real life facts are portrayed in a very real, scary fashion. Not only do viewers get a good idea of the happenings at the house, it captures a glimpse of human depravity, realizing that no matter our species or positions in life, we’re all fallable. The movie is chilling, adding tense moments to the scene. Though the movie focuses on the family at large and their struggles with this paranormal event, the underlying story, the story of the diseased boy, played by Kyle Gallner, delivers a delightful performance and one that is artistic, haunting and memorable. There are few plot holes that were left unanswered, however, those are acceptable because of the lack of involvement with the story line; perhaps an indescretion by the writer and director. Viewer beware: there are slow parts of the movie that make it tiresome in spots, but it does make up for itself toward the end. A Haunting in Connecticut is a cleverly crafted, well-written story. On a scale of 1-10, I give this piece an 7.5.