Transformers: Why the Serious Analysis
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen has recently been slammed in many ways from the lack of character development to the inaccuracies of geography. I respond with this (in homage to Heath Ledger), “why so serious?” Critics have lambasted the movie stating such nonsense as “the movie lacks a transformative will of characters to overcome their on-screen egos” (whatever that means) and my personal favorite, “the lack of believability insulted my intelligence.” Give me a break. When was the last time you encountered automobiles and planes transform into robots? Here’s my personal review of it in non-pretentious terms: “Enjoyable. Action-packed and a good use of two-and-a-half hours.” My question to the reviewers and others who put such a philosophical slant to their reviews is did you know the movie is based off a toy? Sure, I can see a philosophical or sociological interpretation to, say, the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe or the Golden Compass where both books are based on books that have a dominant religious or anti-religious interpretation. But when you try to do the same for Transformers, doesn’t it cheapen what Transformers is, a gkid’s toy. Sure, there are plotholes. What movie doesn’t? Cut it some slack and take it for it is: a movie that is designed to have action and lots of it. It’s robots from outer space, people. As a cigar is sometimes just a cigar, so too is a scifi movie just a scifi movie.
District 9 Trailer Here, Not to be confused with Halo
District 9, a movie produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neil Blomkamp, is not a decoy title for Halo. It is about a race of aliens who is forced to live amongst humans. That doesn’t nearly go along the lines of Halo. Don’t let the rampant rumors fool you. The trailer can be seen here.
The movie will be shot in documentary style, much like Cloverfield and the Blair Witch Project.
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.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Review
Some questions from the first movie were answered in this movie, but as far as rounding out a trilogy, the movie didn’t do much. Underworld follows Sonja, the daughter to Viktor in the first movie. Sonja is found to have an affair with the Lucian and thus started the war between the Lycans and the vampires. As far as story arc is concerned the movie wasn’t done that badly. Inconsistencies (despite the scientific aspect) were kept to a minimum and the development of the Lycans revolt was done quite well and better than expected. With this prequel, it is likely the Underworld franchise has come to its end. Tying in the missing questions that were unanswered from the first movie has essentially rounded out the movie franchise. From a literary standpoint, there isn’t much. A movie of this caliber is complete with action and depends highly on intense action sequences to make its mark. With that, it does well. There’s no use in attempting to analyze the film on a deeper level. On a scale from 1-10, I give it an 8 based heavily on its development of the war between the two races.