The Evil Dead (1981) - Review

The Evil Dead (1981) - Starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Hal Delrich, Betsy Baker, Sarah York. Written and Directed by Sam Raimi. Not Rated. Available on Netflix Watch Instantly.

I found the Evil Dead to be a fairly good horror film, but not necessarily one of the best. The scares were fairly predictable, the characters were pretty flat and indistinguishable from one another, other than Campbell's character. However, it is very obvious that this was a very influential horror film since many of the styles, techniques, and scares in this movie have been copied and been paid homage to by so many other films. This film is also one of the goriest I have probably ever seen. 

So while it isn't the best horror film, it isn't the worst either. It does have some very good moments. If you looking for a gory movie about teenagers being murdered by demonic spirits summoned out of a book of the dead in a cabin, this one is for you. 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Godzilla (1998) - Review

Godzilla (1998) - Starring Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner. Written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Directed by Roland Emmerich. Rated PG-13. Available on Netflix Watch Instantly.

Don't watch this movie. It's as simple as that. It's an overlong, rambling mess of a movie with terrible acting and a completely illogical plot. On top of that, the monster that the movie is supposed to be focused on is not even in half of the movie with the other half of the film being filled with ridiculous and unnecessary subplots. The dialogue is stiff. The action scenes drag on and on and on. It is directed by Roland Emmerich, who is the king of crappy blockbusters. He has brought us such miserable films as 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, 10,000 B.C. and the recently released and terribly received White House Down. 

The people who originally created Godzilla hated this movie. And I'm pretty sure that if the people who created movies would've known that this was what have come of it, they might not have done so. It's that bad.

It won 2 Razzies and was nominated for 4 more.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.

One Day (2011) - Review

One Day (2011) - Starring Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clackson. Written by David Nicholls. Directed by Lone Scherfig. Rated PG-13. Available on DVD.

One Day follows two people on the same day every single year, mapping their relationship with one another and their lives. While the concept of storytelling in this film is very interesting, the film fell flat for me. It is well acted, but there are several times where the story doesn't seem to work. Specifically, when the couple finally decided to get together, despite the fact that it had taken roughly 15 years, the moment felt rushed. The worst instance where the story did not work is a part that is supposed to be shocking to the audience, but instead felt dumb and I saw it coming. 

Another thing that bothered me about this film is that even though it goes over the span of 20 or so years, the characters didn't seem to age. They looked like they were in their 20's the whole time. Another problem I had was that Anne Hathaway's character seemed to be slightly inconsistent. 

What really saves this film is the acting and the interesting storytelling concept of chronicling the same day every year. But I didn't enjoy it that much.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Monster's University (2013) - Review

Monster's University (2013) - Starring John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Peter Sohn, Joel Murray, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Charlie Day, Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion, Tyler Labine, Aubrey Plaza, Bobby Moynihan.  Written by Dan Scanlon, Daniel Gerson, and Robert L. Baird. Directed by Dan Scanlon. Rated G. Now in Theaters. 

Monster's University, the fourteenth film made by the incredible Pixar, is the best film made by Pixar since Toy Story 3. It's more fun and comedic than Brave. It also feels more like a Pixar film than Brave did. It is also ten times better than Cars 2, which honestly isn't that surprising. Monster's University puts a nice twist on the standard college film, incorporating the monsters from Monster's Inc. While it was cool to see how these characters meet, I actually believe this film could have held up on it's own. But the fact that's it's a prequel do make the characters more interesting. I laughed several times during this movie and thoroughly enjoyed it. Being in college myself, it was quite hilarious to see the monster versions of standard college activities. And while the whole conflict in the film seems fairly contrived, there are still so many great moments that make up for this. It may not be the best Pixar film (I still believe that's a close race between Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Toy Story 3), but it is far from the worst.

Also, the short film at the beginning of this film, The Blue Umbrella, might be one of the coolest and most inventive Pixar short films that have been released. It really impressed me and the animation is stunning.

So go see Monster's University because it's a great film, but also enjoy the short film.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Cloud Atlas (2012) - Review

Cloud Atlas (2012) - Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving,  Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D'Arcy, Keith David. Written and Directed by Tom Tyker, Lana Wachowski, and Andy Wachowski. Rated R. Available on DVD.

Cloud Atlas is an insanely ambitious film. It spans centuries with actors playing different roles in each story line. The film is not chronological, but rather cuts back and forth from each story. The film is meant to be about interconnectedness and how lives impact one another. However, it is not clear how the lives and decisions ripple through the generation. There are some things that happen that you see in several story lines, but there isn't really anything that spans across all of them, other than the comet birthmark all the protagonists in each story share.

Some of the stories are much better than the others, the weakest being the 1849 story line in my opinion. I enjoyed seeing the actors playing the many different roles in the film. I thought in particular, Hanks, Broadbent, and Whishaw were standouts.

I did enjoy the film and the nearly three-hour run time felt much shorter because of the many stories. It's not the best film, but it is definitely an unique one which makes it worth watching.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Man of Steel (2013) - Review

Man of Steel (2013) - Starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne. Written by David S. Goyer. Directed by Zack Snyder. Rated PG-13. Now in Theaters.

Man of Steel was amazing to watch. The fight (and the flight) scenes were awesome and well done. It was well casted. The direction was sometimes odd; abrasive zooms and random close-ups were quite prevalent. But I enjoyed it.

Until I started thinking more about certain things that happened in it. I realize these are really nerdy complaints, but these did bother me. First off, the relationship between Clark and Lois, one of the most popular and well-known relationships in comics, was rushed and not well-defined. Also, Lois and Clark's relationship was also sort of will-they won't-they and there is none of that in this movie. Character development is also not that present in this movie. In Christopher Nolan's Batman films, a lot of the focus was on Bruce Wayne and what made him Batman and the purpose Batman served. Man of Steel was more focused on the action scenes. There is also something that happens (which I won't ruin since it happens at the end of the film) that completely undermines Superman's character that has been a part of his character for decades. I know that sounds dramatic, but trust me, when it happens, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Overall, it's a great action film and a good superhero film (better than a good deal of them), but it makes the mistake of thinking that it is only his abilities that make Superman super, when in actuality, that is only part of it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

This is the End (2013) - Review

This is the End (2013) - Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, Emma Watson. Written and Directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Rated R. Now in theaters.

This is the End is hilarious, insane, and original. The best parts of the movie lie in the actors portraying themselves, especially Michael Cera's scenes. Cera's scenes were definitely a highlight of the film. The jokes are hit and miss and the ones that fall flat are of the sophomoric type that one would expect from these guys. But when this movie's jokes hit, they hit hard. It has really hilarious moments, but tends to flounder when it tries to advance the plot, especially in the absolutely insane third act.

If you like the other movies from this group of guys, then chances are you will also like this one. It's really hard to compare this film to anything, because there's nothing to compare it with. But I would enjoy seeing another movie where actors play themselves like this, but without the apocalypse.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Funny People (2009) - Review

Funny People (2009) - Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza. Written and Directed by Judd Apatow. Rated R. Available on DVD.

Funny People is not a film as funny as you would expect because of its title and Apatow's other films. However, it is a film that I did enjoy very much. I thought that the mixture of the world of stand-up comedy combined with the story of a man who realizes that despite all of his success he doesn't have very much was very well told. I thought the acting was pretty good and I enjoyed all the cameos that were made in the film, especially Eminem and Ray Romano's scene. I also thought this movie was one of Adam Sandler's best. Sandler can actually do dramatic roles really well, something you wouldn't imagine of someone who has starred in movies like Jack and Jill. He does quite well as a super successful comedian with a career that mirrors Sandler's actual career who is completely unhappy with his life, a fact he realizes once he is told that he might be dying. Seth Rogen also seems to be able to pull off roles with some seriousness to them, which he displays in this film along with 50/50 and Take This Waltz. 

I know that many people had an issue with this movie, but it was because they went in to the film expecting to laugh the whole time. But in life, it isn't always all laughs. This film shows that. It shows that even in the world of jokes and stand-up comedy, people aren't always happy. They aren't always laughing. Many stand-up comedians don't manage to ever make it big. This film shows how difficult it actually is to do that while also showing how hard it is to be happy period in life. It's a very good movie. Funny? Not always. But definitely good.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) - Review

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) - Starring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, and Famke Janssen. Written and Directed by Tommy Wirkola. Rated R. Available on DVD.

Hansel and Gretel lived up to my expectations. That's not saying much though, since I didn't have high expectations. Hansel and Gretel is a violent, quippy (albeit horrible quips), non-stop action movie that doesn't really require any thinking. If you like similar movies to this (i.e. Van Helsing which also featured an automatic crossbow, if I can remember correctly), you'll enjoy it. I, however, didn't enjoy it. It just wasn't good. The mythology behind the witches seemed inconsistent, but mostly because it was never explained. The two leads did decent enough, delivering quips one minute and then super serious fantasy dialogue the next, but both deserve to be in better movies (and have been). The filmmakers of Hansel and Gretel seemed to be toeing the line between whether this film was supposed to be humorous, almost a parody of this type of movie, or whether it was meant to be serious. This is further made confusing due to the fact that it was produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, the guys behind Anchorman and Talledega Nights. Regardless, it isn't really successful in either one.

And seriously, I hated the fact that it was a fantasy movie set in the past and they had guns. Swords and regular bows and arrows would have still made for cool fight sequences. Throwing the guns in this type of movie just made it cheesy. And maybe that's what they were going for. Who knows?

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Take This Waltz (2011) - Review

Take This Waltz (2011) - Starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, Sarah Silverman. Written and Directed by Sarah Polley. Rated R. Available on DVD and Netflix Watch Instantly.

Take This Waltz is superbly-acted, realistic, emotional, and heartbreaking. It is also extremely frustrating. The main character chooses to leave an obviously happy marriage to be with someone new and excited. After awhile though, she falls into the same patterns of married life that she was in before, but it's obvious that her husband (now ex-husband) understood her much better than her new lover. That's what makes this story so heartbreaking and realistic. Decisions that people make are not always the best ones and can cause a lot of pain. Take This Waltz manages to be a very unromantic film despite having several romantic moments. It's a powerful story, but this is one of those movies that can be only watched once because it's too sad to watch again. 

All the main cast members are fantastic in their roles, especially Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman, who are playing against the type of roles that are associated with them. Silverman, in my opinion, gave the best performance in her limited role as Rogen's character's alcoholic sister who calls Michelle Williams's character out on the bad decisions that Williams's character has made. 

This film was filmed in Canada and features several Canadians, so really the only reason that you shouldn't watch this movie is if you hate Canadians. And that would just be mean. Seriously, watch it. It's fantastic.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

House at the End of the Street (2012) - Review

House at the End of the Street (2012) - Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, Elisabeth Shue. Written by David Loucka and Jonathan Mostow. Directed by Mark Tonderai. Rated PG-13. Available on DVD and Netflix Watch Instantly.

This movie is really really bad. It is insanely clichéd. There seems to be no originality present in this movie. There is nothing that separates this film from any other horror film, other than the fact Jennifer Lawrence is in it. The subplot, which was about a battle of the bands, was really stupid and altogether unnecessary. The bad guy is exactly who you would expect it to be, although I spent the whole film wishing it would be someone else, just so the film wouldn't be as predictable. Some scenes were also annoyingly shot, including the opening. There was also not a single scary moment in this movie.

Plus, the title's really stupid. Really dumb.

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Sucker Punch (2011) - Review

Sucker Punch (2011) - Starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jaime Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm. Written by Zack Synder and Steve Shibuya. Directed by Zack Synder. Rated PG-13. Available on DVD.

Sucker Punch, the story of a young girl committed to an insane asylum who uses her imagination to keep herself away from the pain and trouble that she is facing in reality, is a film that could have been so much better. The story is not really all that bad, albeit a tad confusing. The cinematography is actually really cool.

However, the dialogue and the way it was delivered left a lot to be desired. While many of the supporting characters did really well in their roles, several of the lead girls had terrible delivery with their lines that ended up being really distracting. The fight scenes were amazing and were shot really well, but the dialogue in those scenes made the film feel like a video game. That is what I got most from the film: Sucker Punch would have made a great video game. But as a film, the randomness of the fight scenes and the terribly delivered, super explanatory dialogue really hurt the film. Definitely not Synder's best film. But also not the worst movie you could be watching.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Sleepwalk With Me (2012) - Review

Sleepwalk With Me (2012) - Starring Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, and Carol Kane. Written by Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, and Seth Barrish. Directed by Mike Birbiglia. Rated PG-13. Available on DVD.

This movie was one of my favorite movies that came out last year. I loved it. The movie follows Matt Pandamiglio (based on and played by Mike Birbiglia), who is an aspiring stand-up comedian who is also dealing with a troublesome time in his relationship and a severe sleep disorder. All of the events are based on actual events that happened to Birbiglia.

What makes this movie great is how realistic everything is. It feels refreshingly honest. The main character screws up and then admits to the audience that they screwed up. The film employs a Woody Allen-esque way of the main character talking to the camera to narrate events which I really enjoyed. The writing and jokes were great and I loved how the jokes in the film gets better as Matt becomes more successful in his stand-up career. The premise was inventive and as I said before, very honest. I am very excited to see the next film from Birbiglia. He's very talented and very relatable. This film has made me a huge fan.

Watch this movie. Now. You'll be glad you did.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Primer (2004) - Review

Primer (2004) - Starring Shane Carruth, David Sullivan. Written and Directed by Shane Carruth. Rated PG-13. Available on Netflix Watch Instantly and DVD.

The simple summary of what Primer is about is that is about two guys who accidentally build a time machine. But it is not that simple. Primer is without a doubt one of the most confusing movies I have ever seen. I tried to pay attention and follow it as best I could, but I still found myself completely lost. Maybe it's too smart for me. Maybe I need a little more information handed to me. There were just times where I felt like I had a handle on what was happening in the plot and I had a idea for the timeframe in which the story was happening, but then a scene would happen that would completely undermine that for me. To fully understand this film, you need a map or a chart to help you along the way. When a film is dealing with time travel and alternate realities, it is bound to get quite confusing and Primer is the most complex time travel film I have ever seen.

It was very good though. It was definitely one of the most original sci-fi films that I have seen in awhile. What makes it even more impressive is how effective and compelling the film is while being made for such a low budget. The acting is not that great, but that is almost to be expected in such a low budget film.

If you plan on watching this movie, be prepared to be confused. Because you will be. But this is a film that people can sit around and talk about, debating what happens in the film. Many people will watch it,  just so they can know what all the fuss is about and then offer their own insight about it. I know I'm not fully sure what happened, but I am glad I watched it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.