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All reviews - Movies (3) - DVDs (4)

The Force Awakens review

Posted : 7 years, 11 months ago on 26 December 2016 01:58 (A review of The Force Awakens)

I was interested to see how someone other than George Lucas would handle the Star Wars franchise, the results are to me a mixed bag, but overall I found it less painful and more entertaining to watch than any of the prequels


The issues I had with the film have to do with borrowing too many themes from A New Hope, and some CG characters like Maz and Snoke, which I didn't find very convincing, or just strange to look at (Maz looks like a the child of a minion and an orange, Snoke just looks completely CG) they probably would have been better realized a real actors.

I felt no real need for Starkiller base, which is painfully obvious as another Death Star, with the rise of the First Order and Vader obssesed Kylo Ren, there should have been enough of a plot for Leia and Ren to both be trying to find the missing Luke Skywalker, with Rey, Han, Finn, Poe and the First Order all getting caught up into the mix, without the need for another type of Death Star...a lazy, and unwelcome addition to the story.

Depending on who Rey is the daughter of, it will either make her a Mary Sue type character, or it could make more sense depending on explanation in 8.

All that aside I generally enjoyed the energy, new characters, adequate acting, and came out feeling more positive than negative about the film, despite how barrowed and somewhat unoriginal Kasdan and Abrams where at times with the story.



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Eraserhead review

Posted : 15 years, 1 month ago on 12 November 2009 03:28 (A review of Eraserhead)

Considering David Lynch and his fetish for the deformed in appearance, character behavior, and surreal imagery I'm not surprised by this film.

This could be interpreted as nothing more than pretentious, incoherent  self-indulgent weirdness. 

A deeper meaning behind the film seems so abstract that I wonder if it's even intended. which is why until I know if this is just Lynch's strange imagination, I'll have to wait to find a deeper meaning for this film next time i'm on an acid trip.





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Fargo review

Posted : 15 years, 2 months ago on 9 October 2009 03:15 (A review of Fargo)

Since Joel and Ethan are both from Minnesota, I guess they decided to take the most eccentric cliche's from the state and it's citizens, and incorporate it into a strange murder mystery (which is not based on REAL events).

Joel and Ethan have a talent for creating unique characters with bizarre qualities which adds a creativity to the film. Having lived in Minneapolis, it's safe to say the Swedish accents, goofiness and Hot Dish cliche's applied to everyone is funny, but way over the top.

Aside from the characters and their situations, I personally don't find the plot all that interesting, the movie itself seems more strange and fascinating than anything because of the atmosphere and the offbeat characters.



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Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith review

Posted : 15 years, 2 months ago on 5 October 2009 02:49 (A review of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith)

After Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, It was obvious to me George Lucas had become a completely different director compared to years ago when he let constructive advice, innovation due to limitation of funds and technology, and honest driving inspiration that's unmotivated by commercial success come through. 

Sith obviously drew off some left over scripted ideas back from the period of the original trilogy, which explains some of this films appeal. Unfortunately the film reeks of "it's good enough for the fans" and Lucas overlooks some pretty bad and uninspired acting, amateurish dialog and plot bits, mediocre chemistry between the actors because of casting, and bad gimmick humor along with unnecessary CG which hurts instead of helps the feel and plot of the film... Lucas doesn't believe anymore in the theory that sometimes less exposition is better.

The self-indulgent fascination on Lucas' part for CG creatures,droids and elements hurts the film. Instead of the effects helping tell the story, they seem to be more important so he can try to show off how innovative he is, while making money doing it.

Lucas comes off in the prequels as a wealthy, lazy director, that has too much technology at his disposal, too many yes men instead of talented script people pushing him or challenging him for possibly better ideas, and a fraction of the fresh inspiration he once had.

This is probably the best of the prequels...but then again that isn't saying much, it only ends up about average at best...and that's being kind.


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There Will Be Blood review

Posted : 15 years, 2 months ago on 4 October 2009 09:18 (A review of There Will Be Blood)

I finally got around to watching this film, which turned out to be an interesting story about the evolution (or deterioration) of an oil man. It also has allegorical issues of religion, power, industrialism and the need of men to manipulate for greed.

I understand the method Anderson chose of telling the story, but it seemed unfocused while shifting from one period in the story to the next.

I appreciate artistic and big films with their own sense of morality with no conscience towards time and scale..like Sergio Leone and Stanley Kubrick films, and this film does have signatures of Kubrick's style, but it doesn't quite come together in the way it tries to, but it's still an interesting film with inspired acting as usual from Daniel Day-Lewis who seems to put his heart and soul into every performance.



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The Empire Strikes Back

Posted : 16 years, 3 months ago on 14 September 2008 02:41 (A review of The Empire Strikes Back (1980))

Next to the original "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back" is the most mythic, and imaginative of the six "Star Wars" films.

The Empire Strikes Back balances humor with interesting characters and locations along with action, drama and adventure. But what sets Empire apart from the other five films is the depth of the story and relationships between the characters while together and apart. This film is Sci-Fi storytelling at it's finest.



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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Posted : 16 years, 3 months ago on 14 September 2008 12:40 (A review of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966))

This film combines big operatic visuals and satisfying but unrealistic action set to the sound of a Morricone soundtrack that has a unique Spanish/Western feel...a true masterpiece by Sergio Leone.

Leone does not care about the practical or the plausible or how long he takes to tell his story, but builds on his imagination and having an abundance of Western movie cliches, It feels like a tribute to an American genre that will survive the test of time.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, is a long, deliberate, mad epic of a film, in another day/time or place in the imagination with a style that draws attention to itself with it's larger than life visual style, exaggerated action and mythic characters.



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