Name: Ccharisma
Most Recent Reviews by Ccharisma
This movie is unlike any other. This is a comic book movie that you have never seen before. Directed by Zack Snyder (300), Watchmen is based on the acclaimed comic book that focuses on normal people trying to be heroes. Well except Dr. Manhattan. He is a kind of super-hero. I am not familiar with the comic book, but I do know the hype behind this movie. And the expectations are high. However, these expectations were not met.
First, let me try to explain this story. Besides Dr. Manhattan (the blue guy), all of the other vigilantes are normal people trying to make a difference. The members of Watchmen are Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre, Night Owl, Ozymandias, Comedian, and Rorschach. The story is set in an alternate world that is a lot like Earth in 1985 and America and Russia are involved in a nuclear war with each other. President Nixon is on his third or fourth term and the government passes the Keene Act. This act forced the group to go in to retirement because it banished all masked avengers. But that doesn’t sit well with Rorschach.
The movie kicks off with the death of the Comedian and Rorschach sets out to find out who did this and if one of the other Watchmen members are next. This starts a stream of events involving all members of the Watchmen and dealing with their troubles and their past while trying to find out the truth. Oh and trying to keep the the country from a nuclear attack. Don’t forget about that.
This comic book adaptation is dark and violent. It definitely earns its R rating. Zack Snyder is very good at fancy film-making. He really knows how to use the ever-evolving technology to his advantage. Visually this movie is amazing. There are scenes that are simply stunning. Never has there been a comic book movie that looks like this and deals with such a dark world. I give credit to Snyder because of how he was able to make this movie look and pull it off successfully. However, if you take away the technical aspect of the movie, you are not left with much.
The movie is Benjamin Button long (2 hours and 43 minutes) but there is not much to it. It didn’t feel long and I wasn’t really bored at all, but there is just no substance to the story. If Watchmendid not have all of the uses of technology, this movie would have been borderline lame. The performances are good and I have already praised the look and feel of the movie. But with all this hype about the movie, it was not that impressive, especially if you just look at the story itself. The EFX overwhelm the story and I am almost certain that was a conscience decision. Is the movie good? Yes it is. But it was a little disappointing and not very impressive.
Fans will probably love it more than the average viewer. The die hard fans will have a lot of back-story to the characters and perhaps have a more distinct, better story in their minds. But as a film, it cannot stand on its own. It has to rely on the uses of technology. It must.
Tyler Perry has struck gold with his movies and especially his movies that were plays. A lot of his movies do have messages and meanings. He tries to give tips on how to live life right. Madea Goes to Jail is adapted from his play and focuses on the rude, hot-tempered Madea.
The story is relatively simple. Madea, of course, goes to jail due to many of her altercations. At the same time, we see an engaged District Attorney helping out an old friend who now is a prostitute and lives on the streets. And as he tries to help her, it starts to take its toll on his relationship. So, there are a few plots going on. However, they run together once Candace (the prostitute) finds herself in jail as well.
Derek Luke stars as the DA and he always tries to bring a good performance and he does it here. He has been in Antwone Fisher, Catch A Fire, Miracle at St. Anna, and earlier this year in Notorious. He has good taste for such a young actor. But it is the character of Madea that steals the show. You find yourself waiting for when she shows up on screen again. The character might be out of control and very exaggerated, but it is still fun. It seems like the Tyler Perry movies that have her in it are better. The Diary of a Mad Black Woman has been the only movie that would still have been good if Madea was not in it. Who am I kidding. No it wouldn’t have.
My only negative comment is that each of Tyler Perry’s movies have the same formula. You will always know how each of his movies end. Usually with a happy ending. No matter what the situation is. Besides the humor, there are no surprises involved. This is why the character of Madea brings people to the theatre because it is not necessarily the stories that do.
I’ve Loved You So Long is a slow-paced drama about a woman who is trying to get her life straightened out. This film has a lot of emotion involved and at times some scenes contain nothing but silence. The characters involved in this film have their struggles and their secrets, and the film explores all of these things.
The story is about a woman named Juliette who has served 15 years in prison and is getting out and living with her sister who she barely knows. The story is about their relationship and Juliette’s sister helping her and never giving up on her. Kristin Scott Thomas, who is a great actress with a lot of range, plays Juliette. She has been in The Horse Whisperer, Gosford Park, The English Patient, and a great french film called Tell No One that came out last year. Thomas holds a lot of her feelings inside, but you can see it in her face. It is not until the final scenes you see her let them pour out of her.
She did a great job playing a woman who is trying to discover life again. She has been in prison for a long time and she must reconnect with the only family she has left. It is a tough role to seem so distant, but to be able to overcome her problems and Thomas does it. Pretty well I must say. The reason she went to prison is the main struggle in this whole film. It involves murder, but it is who she murdered and why that is so tough on the whole family. Only Juliette knows exactly what happened, and her sister wants to find out the truth. By the end, we get the whole picture and realize the trauma and guilt Juliette has put herself through, and if she’ll finally let it go.
This film may possibly be Joaquin Phoenix’s last. I hope it is not, but if it is he ends on giving one of his best performances. Two Lovers is about heartbreak and the complication of a relationship. The mind wants one thing, but the heart wants another. Phoenix’s character is going through that very struggle. He does not know what he wants or what he’s getting in to.
The story is about Leonard Kraditor(Phoenix) who has moved back in with his parents. His father is going in to business with another guy, and so the set of parents decide to hook up their two kids. Sandra (played by Vinessa Shaw) seems like she is perfect for Leonard. Leonard practically tells her all his secrets the first night he meets her. We find out that Leonard has been in love before. Actually he was engaged. However, the engagement falls a part and it haunts Leonard. But Sandra is there for him. She wants to take care of him. However, things change when Leonard meets Michelle.
Gwyneth Paltrow plays Michelle, who has a lot of baggage attached to her. Leonard finds out Michelle has a boyfriend, and that boyfriend is married. But this does not stop Leonard from falling head-over-heels for her. He likes her. Then he slowly starts to love her. He has forgotten all about Sandra and wants to be with Michelle. He wants to take care of her. So, as the film unfolds we see the struggle of Leonard and the woman he wants to be with.
Gwyneth Paltrow does a good job in this film, and so does Vinessa Shaw. Both of these ladies show their talent in these characters. But Joaquin Phoenix shows the most talent. He plays a heart-broken man who may never want a relationship again. He has tried suicide more than once and is a very confused man. And Phoenix is able to show all these emotions even sometimes without saying a word. This is an interesting story about love and what it can do to people. It’s about finding that right person or who you think might be the right person for you. You never know what role love might choose.
“Chick Flicks†are a dime a dozen, especially when Valentine’s Day weekend is coming up. They all have a similar formula, but can stand alone depending on what they can do with the plot and which actor or actress they can get to be a part of it. Confessions of a Shopaholic manages to keep the story entertaining even if you know how things may end up, and the movie has Isla Fisher who carries this movie.
The story is about a woman named Rebecca Bloomwood. She lives in New York City and loves shopping. She loves shopping a lot. And it is the brand names she is addicted to. Well, she loves clothes and fashion, but does not have the income to support her addiction. So, she finds herself in a massive amount of debt. Rebecca wants to work for a top fashion magazine, but settles on a savings magazine that is all about saving money. So this story goes in to what she has to do to keep her debt secret so her column can gain more success. The only problem is Rebecca does not listen to her own advice.
The is the first movie that Isla Fisher headlines. Most people know her as the “crazy one†in Wedding Crashers, and she provides most of the entertainment and laughs in this movie as well. You find yourself feeling sympathetic towards her character when you know it’s her own damn fault she’s in this situation. Fisher brings some insecurity to her character, but confidence as well. She knows what she wants, but she may not be approaching it in a rational way. But the movie focuses on how materialistic people can be and they lose sight of what is important. For a “chick flickâ€Â, this movie does contain a message involving what matters in life, and Isla Fisher helps bring this story to life and the character of Rebecca Bloomwood. Fisher deserves a lot of credit because she made this movie seem different than other rom-coms even when the same formula is still there.
This marks the third movie in the Underworld series. However, it is not a sequel, but a prequel. So Kate Beckinsale makes a cameo, but Rhona Mitra plays the dominant female in this one. But its the guys who really take control of this movie. Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy really have most of the spotlight, and this prequel is their movie.
The story goes back to the beginning when a group of vampires known as Death Dealers kept the Lycans as their slaves. However, Lucian (Sheen) becomes the voice of the Lycans and gets them to join together to battle against Viktor (Nighy), the vampire king. To make matters worse, Lucian is having a secret love affair with Viktor’s daughter, Sonja (Mitra). I must say this movie is entertaining and always keeps the pace going pretty fast.
The actors really bring more to this movie and ultimately make it better. Bill Nighy has been in some dramatic films like The Constant Gardener, Notes on a Scandal, and Valkyrie. However, he can also be the ultimate villain, which he has proven in the other Underworld movies. Also, Michael Sheen is almost the exact same as Nighy. Sheen is very underrated as an actor and always gives a great performance, but is ignored. This has happened in The Queen and Frost/Nixon. Helen Mirren got all the glory for The Queen and Frank Langella is the only actor who has been nominated this awards season for Frost/Nixon. But Sheen can also play the hero, a werewolf hero. He can handle battle scenes and is just as entertaining in this as he was in the other two films I mentioned.
This movie surprised me because it was better than I thought. It fits right in with the other two movies of this franchise, and watching how it all begins is fun and entertaining. If you enjoyed the other two Underworld movies then I have no doubt that you will enjoy this one as well.
This is not your normal animated children’s movie. Coraline is a darker movie than most people think. It deals with situations that might give little kids nightmares if they did not know any better. But the movie is unique with its storytelling and its animation. The animation process of Coraline is similar to The Nightmare Before Christmas. They both have stop-motion animation. Also, they are both directed by Henry Selick.
This stop-motion animation takes a long time. I believe it took something like 4 years to create. The process is long and it takes a week just to film a few seconds of the movie, which explains the 4 years to complete it. But this type of animation makes a movie like Coraline shine. It has a darker theme than the usual animated movies, but that’s the point. It is not suppose to be like those. And the animation helps it stand a part from others. Also, I got to see it in 3D and it is a cool movie to see in 3D if you can. Everything that Selick used in Coraline made the movie and the experience of seeing it better.
The story is about Coraline, a girl who thinks she lives a boring life. She has moved away from her friends, and her parents are too busy to notice her. She is alone. However, when she finds a secret door that leads to another version of her world, everything seems so much better. Or so she thinks. Her “other†parents notice her and pay her too much attention. But she enjoys being noticed. She feels loved until they want her to stay with them forever. The world that she thought was so bright is dark instead. So, we watch while Coraline tries to escape and help her real family as well. It is a dark adventure story. And its tagline could not be truer: Be Careful What You Wish For. Things could be much worse than you think. The story is about appreciating what you have and being thankful. I think it’s a message everyone can relate to. Coraline is an animated movie, but an animated movie with a message that is told with a good story and great visuals.
For those who saw the first Pink Panther with Steve Martin know what to expect from this sequel. The movie’s focus is on children and the filmmaker tries to make it mainly for families. I think the role of Inspector Clouseau is a role that will forever be attached to Peter Sellars, but Steve Martin tries. He does not try to be like Peter Sellars, but he puts his own touch on the character. Martin is a physical actor and he uses that to his advantage in playing Clouseau.
This movie is about a thief known as The Tornado, who has stolen some of the world’s greatest treasures. So, the world calls upon its greatest detectives to find The Tornado and get the treasures back and who will lead them? Inspector Clouseau of course. The movie replays some of its jokes from the first movie. For example, Clouseau tries to pronounce things and it sounds terrible. However, this movie delivers some laughs and its Martin who plays a big part in that. The jokes will never get you rolling on the floor, but you will at least crack a smile.
The cast is impressive as well for this movie. Steve Martin, Emily Mortimer and Jean Reno return, but this time they are joined by Andy Garcia and Alfred Molina. There are also small roles played by Lily Tomlin, Jeremy Irons, and John Cleese. It appears that the entire cast is having fun playing ridiculous characters. However, Irons, Cleese, and Tomlin are never used to their full potential. I think they were nice names to put on the poster.
Now this movie can be ridiculous at times and come off a little too stupid. But the movie is not really trying to stick with reality in the first place. Steve Martin really plays Inspector Clouseau with stupidity mixed with cleverness. The focus of the movie is to see what kind of situations Clouseau gets in to and how he gets out of them. He is always getting doubted, but somehow is able to solve the crime.
I hope we all know about Jason Voorhees and his story. This movie combines the original and the second movie in this horror franchise. This is a reinvention of the franchise and is directed by Marcus Nispel, who also directed the Texas Chainsaw Massacre(2003). So, he has experience in reinventing a classic horror movie.
Not that the story ever matters in these type of movies, I will tell you anyways. The story involves these college kids who go out to Crystal Lake for some sex and fun. Of course, their vacation is ruined by Jason. However, 6 weeks later Clay enters Crystal Lake and is looking for his missing sister. At the beginning, we see what happens to Jason’s mother and the movie kicks off from there.
There is the essential young kids who want to have sex who hear creepy noises. So they go outside and are killed by Jason. Some things will never change. Gore and nudity is a necessity for the horror genre. There are a few changes in this Friday the 13th than Friday the 13th: Part 2. But most of the changes have to do with Jason himself. He is more ruthless and more intimidating. He is more tactical in this remake. He is not so much as chasing the kids, but trapping them instead. Of course, it is always cool when he finds the hockey mask and puts it on.
For a horror franchise that has been ran in to the ground, this remake is pretty good. It has its flaws. There are things that happen that are stupid and may not make sense in the real world. However, this is a Friday the 13th movie. You should know what you are getting yourself in to. But there are suspenseful moments and times when you may jump. Some of that is thanks to the music and the high volume of sound. Yet this movie delivers on what it set out to do. Everyone knows what to expect, but for some reason this movie still delivers the thrills and it works.
The feeling I had when I got out of this movie is hard to explain, but I will try. I had never really felt like that before. It was a feeling of being undecided. I knew Push was not terrible, but I also knew it was not that good either. And believe it or not, the movie went by fast and its actually almost 2 hours long. So it was not boring either. But let me explain the story and what I enjoyed and what I did not.
The story is a mixture of action and sci-fi. The characters in this movie can see the future, mess with your reality, and move objects or people with their mind. In the mix, there is Nick (Chris Evans) and Cassie (Dakota Fanning). Cassie knows about this briefcase and since she can see the future, she knows she’ll need Nick’s help. However, Carter (Djimon Hounsou) is in charge of this agency that also is looking for the briefcase. Carter plays a role in making these individuals have special powers, and he wants them to be weapons. Not people. All of these certain individuals with powers came from a project that went wrong. But some use their powers for good and others use them for evil.
It is tough to really gather what this movie is trying to do. It delivers on action and mixes sci-fi with it very well. The location of Tokyo is nice to look at. It is a good backdrop for the movie. However, the movie does not really do much with what it has. The characters are one-dimensional. The actors try and carry it, but the attempt is lost. You are never really given any answers to why these things are going on. Sure there is a race against time to find this briefcase and a lot of people are looking for it. But there is no back story for the chaos that is occurring. For a movie that is almost 2 hours long, hardly anything gets accomplished. It feels like the movie goes around in circles and comes out with the same outcome, but just 45 minutes later than it should have. Maybe if the movie was 1 hour and 30 minutes it would have been better. But I’m not quite sure about that either.
