Reviews

For this movie's budget, it was visually stunning and very impressive. Acting was good too. Plot was totally original which is rare these days. It was a good little movie, moved very fast, slightly absurd and darkly comedic in places. Special effects were top notch for what this movie cost. It ended with sequel potential. Characterizations were decent as later the focus shifted to one human and one alien.

About the only complaint I really had was they never explained the reason why the aliens actually came to Earth and were malnourished. Later, I thought they'd reveal it but it was just a plot device to drive the story. The 20-year timeframe wasn't well delivered either. Unless mentioned, the movie seemed like it moved in a few weeks or months rather than 2 decades. I saw no reason why the aliens had to live in squalor. Plus the language barrier, or lack thereof, was never explained as to how it was overcome as no human ever spoke alien language but could understand them fully. I'll chalk that up as one of the absurdities. Why'd the aliens stay for so long? 'Why' seems to be the big question that's never answered. But I don't think they really wanted to. Needed to, yes, that would've been nice. Wanted to; if they would have, the movie would've been a lot longer and a totally different experience. All the stuff that was left out because the movie moves so fast could be revealed in a retrospective featurette, possibly on the DVD. Then the 2nd movie, if any, could be the return of the alien species; either malevolent or benevolent. Either way, I'd like to know the answer to 'why.' It's the only headscratcher in the whole movie.

That aside, if you're a bonehead, like my friend who calls this flick "cinematic trash," who doesn't understand the type of story the director is trying to tell or needs a simple plot to enjoy a movie, then don't bother with this. You could get lost if your brain is slow because this movie does move very fast and uses very different expository techniques as it shifts from a documentary style at the beginning where the characters acknowledge the cam to traditional methods where you just kick back and watch things unfold. I liked it. Can't say I was expecting what I got and that's a good thing. It's original.

I was wondering when and where Cobra Commander would reveal himself and he finally did at the end. His mask was horrible and his voice was just as bad and real comicky and clichéd. Other than that, the movie had few flaws. They changed up origins of characters but did a good job laying the groundwork for sequels that I hope are on the way. Comic and cartoon fans, and even non-fans, will enjoy this. Special effects are believable. This was my first time seeing a Channing Tatum flick. His dialogue wasn't spectacular but was fitting for the Duke character. There was some jungle fever between Ripcord and Scarlett which I thought was kinda unnecessary. I wasn't too thrilled at how they were using the Baroness character at first but it all made sense at the end. There were a few holes in the movie, like what happened to Dr. Mindbender? But I can see that as being unanswered on purpose if there's a sequel.

It played out like the 80's cartoon so the good guy winning at all costs using unbelievable methods was totally expected. It's obvious that people died but nothing that was blatant. It was like a live-action cartoon really. Kids and adults will like it. It's a popcorn, escapist movie. Lots of fun and action. Not much for hokiness if you understand that the movie title is G.I. Joe. Pretty much everything I expected and not disappointing at all. Not nearly as big as the scale of Transformers but it was still entertaining.

11-11-11 was almost as bad as discussion forums say it is. The cinematography was on point, the acting was good, and the plot was engaging enough but it only had TV movie quality and the climax was terrible with unnecessary special effects to match. Costumes and makeup were equally as terrible. The script was bad. You expect more from Darren Lynn Bousman but you're not gonna get it here. It's low budget all the way but if it had a better script, I think he could've made it work. The payoff isn't good. You'll feel like you wasted your time because the ending is so poorly done. The Collector and The Woman in Black are good examples of how things should happen when trapped inside of a house of freaks. Not that The Collector is a good movie in comparison to The Woman in Black, which is a damn good movie and recommended, but it's the path that 11-11-11 should've followed in act three leading up to the climax. As it is, the ending comes across as going through a county fair haunted house ride. The movie isn't completely bad because I watched the whole movie but definitely not great. I've seen worse (Ultraviolet, The Day the Earth Stood Still).

This movie is more thematic than anything else. The plot can't get much simpler: get caught in the dark, you die. It's not an action movie. It's more of a lower budget sci-fi thriller with religious and environmental undertones like prayer being able to save you and solar being the better method of power delivery. It does have a genuinely scary moment and one jump scare that I can recall. As for what the shadowy creatures are, the explanation is short and doesn't really explain much but there is a brief foreshadowing in a flashback. By the very end of the movie, which looks like a scene from The Walking Dead, you'll see that last religious undertone that's thematically similar to the movie 'Knowing.' With a bigger budget, this could've gone a more horrific route but death wasn't portrayed in that way here. Again, religion played its part together with an environmental and even societal message. One thing I don't get about movies like this is how come bicycles are never a transportation option when you need to move fast and vehicles either won't start or they don't have gas?

I went ahead and read Action Comics #775 before watching Superman vs. The Elite. It has the worst opening credits of any DC animated movie I've ever seen because the tone doesn't match the movie. The comic wasn't great but it had a good concept. The movie tried to copy that but there was so much that was completely unrelated to the comic that they didn't quite get the job done. You gotta wait for half of the movie to pass before you start seeing similarities. The question is should the life of a killer be spared or should equal justice be served? We all know Supes is a boy scout. The Elite, in the comic, are anti-heroes and portrayed to be more powerful than Supes. In the movie, The Elite aren't anywhere near as powerful but the filmmakers want viewers to believe that they could beat Supes. Yet they needed his help during a battle? In the comic, Supes shows them who's really the boss and is in total control of his actions. In the movie, he does the same but they want us to believe he's losing his sanity and morality at the same time. If you haven't read the comic, then you'll probably enjoy the movie for what it is. If you have, then you'll know where I'm coming from and will be disappointed. Lois Lane's voice made her sound like she was a bleached-blonde, Paris Hilton type and it really didn't help. The funniest part of the movie was the scene when she saw another lady kissing Superman. The laugh was like watching the "Jake from State Farm" commercial.

Unlike Clash of the Titans, Wrath has a more capable director but it uses a cookie-cutter script like the first part. The special effects used to create The Kraken creature were top notch and that scene is the only reason I'd recommend to watch the first part. With that being said, the special effects used to create Cronus (and the Makhai) in the second part are the only reason I'd recommend watching it. Cronus was only featured in action briefly in a dream sequence at the beginning of the movie and full-on in the final act. Everything else about the movie was what you'd expect if you saw the first. Nothing special to write home about. It's completely predictable. One complaint was the dialogue of Cronus and the Makhai if you wanna call it dialogue. Were they speaking some ancient Titan language? Because their speech wasn't understandable. It just sounded like some garbled mumbling and grunting. Nope, it was never explained in the movie. No exposition, no subtitles. Don't you hate when they do that? They were better off not "speaking" at all.

It's one of the very few movies that actually shows the violence (and some nudity). Like a chick getting her head bashed in with a pipe, beheadings, and stabbings. It's hardcore and is basically a revenge thriller. To beat the monster, you have to become the monster. That's the theme. And the twist is similar to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You'll know what I mean when you get to that point in the movie.

I knew Byung-hun Lee looked familiar. He plays Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe movies and just like in those, his dialogue is limited. The real treat here is Min-sik Choi's acting. It's about as top notch as you're ever gonna see and is a great fit to bring his character's personality to life. The plot of the movie is simple enough and the cat and mouse scenes with the 2 leads are entertaining but they're not quite as unique as the plot development of 13: Game of Death. It has its tense moments but it's not anything super special or original. It is worth seeing if you're into Asian cinema. Choi's acting and characterization is the main reason I'd recommend it.

There are comparisons to Akira and they're justified. Where the manga/anime had the relationship of Tetsuo and Kaneda, Chronicle had something very similar with the Andrew and Matt characters. Both of them had powers but one of them lost control, like Tetsuo, and it took the person closest to them, like Kaneda, to take them down. There are complaints about the black guy dying (as usual with the exception of Busta Rhymes in the Halloween movie) but it makes sense here when you consider the relationship between all 3 of the main characters.

Even with a low budget, the special effects are acceptable. The storytelling places events in a realistic setting. Nothing seems too far-fetched. It is predictable but this isn't a Hollywood popcorn blockbuster and you know that when you're watching it. It's a found footage movie with believable acting and you get what you expect from movies in this genre. It's not large-scale at all. You just watch events unfold. The Troll Hunter is an example of a large-scale found footage movie but Chronicle doesn't achieve that despite having characters with super powers.

The way it ends, they set it up for a sequel and if they do that, they should ditch the found footage and go traditional. The thing that gave them their powers is what sets all events in motion and that will likely be the focus of a second movie. And whatever it was, if it gave the 3 characters here powers, it's highly unlikely that they'd be the only people with powers in a sequel. A new movie could be small or huge depending on where the creators wanna go. Could be an alien invasion, temporary super powers, more side effects, an entire super powered society, or a good vs. evil showdown. Lots of different directions they could go. This was a good intro into the universe they created and it'll be interesting to see where they go from here.

The name John Carter either doesn't ring any bells with the general public or rings very negative ones. The Disney fiasco is well documented. A guy with a background in directing family friendly computer animated fare takes on his first live-action flick that adapts an obscure literary character. I never read the books and don't intend to. The John Carter concept is a good one. It can even be updated from Civil War times if they wanted to; and they probably should have. The main problem here is that it's a Disney movie and that means watering down. That's what happened with Prince of Persia (which wasn't that bad) and that's what happened here.

The acting and formula was typical of a Disney movie. The plot is problematic. Not many people know their American history so starting a movie like this in the 1800's without enough exposition created an immediate disconnect when they market it as a sci-fi action flick. The second problem is that typical Disney acting won't work for something as serious as the Civil War. Where it could've been high on drama, there was comedy (that works in a movie like National Treasure but not here) and the 1st act was moved along very fast without taking the time to develop the characters. But the 2nd and 3rd acts were easy to follow, were entertaining, and exactly what you'd expect from a Disney movie. They tried to keep a consistent light-hearted tone but that just didn't work.

You can't have war, sci-fi, comedy, alien gore, and all this other stuff going on without something going wrong somewhere. They missed the mark with their target audience and for this movie to have truly succeeded, I think it should have been all dramatic. The fight scenes, creatures, setting, designs...a lot of that stuff was great. The main theme was the causes of war and if they're worth fighting. Loss was a plot device used throughout the movie. The loss of a loved one, loss of one's identity, loss of one's home. These are all dramatic things that were conveyed dramatically yet poorly placed within the context of what is really a sci-fi action movie. The sci-fi and action are good but all of that should've taken a back seat to the drama. Then the movie would have been truly unique and succeeded. Disney failed in their execution of John Carter for obvious reasons. Another studio should've handled it and maybe they would've known what type of movie to make.

It's still entertaining to watch once you get past the 1st act. There are some good characterizations, particularly the Tharks, and the voice acting and special effects are very good. I like how there were 2 species of Tharks; the civilized ones and the primitive brutes that were bigger and more aggressive looking (like the Hulk as Joe Fixit and his rampaging counterpart). Too bad the primitives didn't get acceptable screen time because those character designs were pretty awesome. I'll give credit where it's due on that. John Carter was originally supposed to be a trilogy and with this failed execution, that's likely not gonna happen unless they change genres. It has to be more dramatic and less light-hearted fantasy fare that's typical of Disney. There was so much depth that never got fully explored, like racism, astronomy, and history. John Carter has the potential to be a long running James Bond type character and that's based purely on what I saw in this first movie but Disney was the wrong studio to get their hands on this. Again, after the 1st act, it's watchable. If Tron can get an animated series, why not John Carter? That may be a better home for him.

I saw it in 2D. It's a combination of The Ultimates 2 comic book and the second half of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The concept is almost right out of the comic (the comic is far superior) and just like the Transformers movie, the second half is all action with otherworldly technological beings destroying the city in a battle against heroes trying to protect people and ward off the baddies at the same time.

Remember that scene where Sam Witwicky was running through all the destruction and he was jumping over cars and stuff like you've never seen him do before and wouldn't expect him to do in the first place? There was a damn near identical scene with Captain America doing the same damn things but you expect him to be able to do what they were showing. Remember how Shockwave and his Driller were plowing through buildings and causing total destruction? The Asgardian ships from Loki's army did the same thing. Remember how Starscream got damaged by Sam and they made him look like a total wuss during his death scene? Loki got his ass handed to him and totally embarrassed by the Hulk. Remember how they opened a portal to Cybertron and things didn't quite work out? Same damn thing happened here with Asgard.

The big secret of the movie that was on my mind the whole time was who was Loki getting help from. After the first credits, that was revealed and it's a pretty big deal for long-time Marvel comic readers. It's equivalent to the last scene in the last episode of the Wolverine & The X-Men cartoon. Unlike that, where we'll never get a second season to continue that story, Avenger's 2 has the potential to be an even bigger, better movie if they do it right. The whole Asgard/Earth thing has played itself out in the animated Marvelverse movies and cartoons to the point of them needing to do something new and move on. I never saw Iron Man 2 and don't ever plan on seeing it but it does help to have seen the Marvel movies to have a better understanding of what's going on in this one because there are references and flashbacks. The scene after the full credits is short and only meant to be humorous.

Unlike someone I know who said to not pay for this movie, I'd say it's definitely worth paying for. It's a popcorn flick and high on entertainment. There were only a few cuss words so kiddies might enjoy it if they have the attention span (and most don't) to handle the pacing of the movie in the second half. There aren't any over-extravagant Mark Millar stunts and it's not too technical. It's a fairly simple movie that's easy to follow as one can expect from a Marvel comic book movie. If there are any comparisons of this to The Dark Knight because of its box office take, squash that out of your mind. There's absolutely no comparison of any kind to the DC movie other than the fact that they're both based on comic book material.

I give the movie 8 out of 10 stars and I rate it that high for its entertainment value. You get your money's worth from this flick and it's deserving of all of its success. One thing I noticed that most people probably haven't is the title. When it opens and even during the rolling credits, it's called "Marvel's The Avengers." They've clearly got Tyler Perry syndrome; as if anyone is gonna mistake this for the British TV show or its film adaptation. I guess they gotta cover their bases.

The movie starts out slowly with a bit of humor. Actually, 3 girls died and some people in the theater found it funny. I kinda doubt that's what the film-makers had in mind. A drawing by Radcliffe's son in the movie drew the most laughs and it was a recurring prop that was later used as a plot device. The only other recognizable face was Ciaran Hinds from Above Suspicion. It has an eerie feel to it as if some sort of filter was used to make the movie feel like how the haunted house looked. Yep, it's one of those types of movies. To sum it up, Harry Potter is playing a lawyer who has to settle the affairs of the house and it becomes a cold case and if he doesn't, his job is on the line. This is more of a horror mystery. There wasn't much lawyer work going on. A lady lost a son, she's dead, her son is dead under mysterious circumstances, she can't move on until it's solved, you get the picture.

Radcliffe just happens to be the character who has to work in the house and you already know he uncovers the truth. During his discoveries, the plot begins to unravel and some of the antagonist's intentions, and supernatural powers, are revealed. The number one problem with this movie is the use of jump scares. There were just too many of them in my opinion. Not that the audience didn't react to them because that's what jump scares are supposed to do but there were some genuinely scary moments that didn't need to use that technique. Thankfully, some didn't. This really is a scary movie. There's a very long scene where Radcliffe is experiencing about as much Amityville stuff as one can handle. That scene in the house was very well done and suspenseful. It's just you, the house, Radcliffe, and all the various haunts. The director did a good job with that. Most of this movie takes place in the daytime like Feast 2 (not a good comparison, I know) but they still did a good job building suspense.

Without giving too much away, The Woman In Black lost her child and that means everyone else has to lose theirs, too. The girl setting herself on fire scene was good but I think the other death scenes should have been on par with the quality of that one for added chills. Props play a big part in the movie. Specifically dolls and toys. If you're sensitive to children dying or anything related to that, you don't wanna watch this. It will scare you. It's not gory or graphic but clearly the audience sympathized with what was going on in the movie when those particular scenes came up. The biggest error in the movie was the addition of the dog that accompanied Harry Potter into the haunted house on one of his return visits. What happened to the dog? You know what? Someone said exactly that out loud. Gimme a Napoleon Dynamite "IDIOT" for that guy!

But seriously, the dog was just forgotten completely. There were a lot of clues as to what would happen later in the movie. Lots of foreshadowing if you pay attention. You can figure out how the movie is gonna end if you do. Speaking of, it's a very good ending. Sad yet happy at the same time. And even then, some knuckleheads in the audience had to spoil things by saying the obvious right before those scenes started. The climax pretty much happens right at the end of the movie and it concludes shortly after that. The overriding theme is grief and how to deal with it. The Woman In Black's grief was resolved, or so it was thought. With that resolution, you think the movie is done but it's not. There's a very brief scene explaining why she continues to do what she does but prior to that, it's not really explained why.

All the minor details are there but there's just not enough exposition. 3-5 minutes more of an explanation about her son's death and her feelings towards those involved in his death would have made the final revelation of her intentions make more sense. Not that it doesn't but for this type of movie, it needs to be shown. The absolute ending is nice. We get a clear image of what she really looks like. It's very reminiscent of Insidious in that aspect. A new revenge horror icon has been created similar to Freddy Krueger in the fact that she kills kids. Yeah, yeah, I'm exaggerating but this was a very enjoyable horror movie that does its job by scaring you and keeping you interested the whole way through. It's not gonna keep you awake at night but you'll enjoy the ride. Solid acting, scenery, and special effects all the way around despite the minimal cast and budget. Worth paying for and seeing on the big screen but just make sure you see it with an audience that doesn't have the maturity level of a Peanuts character. Nothing happens after the credits. I give this 7 out of 10 stars. The movie poster ain't that great (yet still relevant to the movie) and it's rated PG-13 but those detriments shouldn't stop you from giving this a chance.

This is a survival thriller. It has action involving man vs. wolf but nothing in the traditional sense beyond that. This is a movie worth paying full price for on a quality screen with either no audience or a more mature, respectful audience.

The scenery in the entire movie is beautiful and probably difficult for the actors. It has a very cold feel to it that transfers from the screen directly into you. Just because it's a Liam Neeson movie doesn't mean it's gonna be a good movie but it was in the hands of what appeared to be a capable writer/director so I did have some expectations and it didn't disappoint. It's a pretty straightforward plot. A plane crashes in the middle of nowhere and the survivors try to survive. Liam naturally has to be the most skilled and knowledgeable of the bunch since he is the star, after all. A recurring theme of life and death played out all the way from beginning to end.

His job was to stop wolves from attacking workers at an oil pipeline or drilling site. If wolves tried to attack, it was his job to shoot them down sniper-style before they could. Therefore, he knows wolves, how they think, and he knows how to survive since it's his job to protect himself and others. Those others were portrayed as the dregs of society and Frank Grillo did an excellent job as the embodiment of what Neeson's character opposed. Joe Anderson played the only other truly unique character. We've all encountered the person who likes to talk your head off, haven't we? He's that guy in this movie and his wasn't a glorious death. I think if the other characters had more depth and personality, they'd matter more when they were alive. In this movie, their deaths had more meaning than their life.

You'd think a plane crashing could be found relatively easily these days, right? In this case, it crashed in a remote area during a storm where all remnants of the plane and anyone on it would quickly become covered in snow and unfindable due to the harsh conditions. Plus, the plane was filled with people no one seemed to care about (the dregs). It just happened to crash in wolf territory. Humans were where they shouldn't be and the battle of man against nature takes a different turn where we're the intruders and not the other way around.

Since this is a survival flick, that's pretty much what you're gonna see is humans trying to survive in a hostile environment and that includes animal interactions. I'd have liked to see some bears passing by during the river scene. Maybe a scene like the one in The Edge but with a wolf. Possibly some moose encounters as well. This focused strictly on wolves and there's nothing wrong with that. It worked, but it could have been more. The flow of the movie would have allowed for it and wouldn't have been out of place. Maybe we'll get those in the deleted scenes on DVD/Blu-ray.

This is man's movie. You put guys together, all we do is cuss and talk about sex. There was no sex and not much sex talk during the movie but there was cussing on a frequent basis. The scene where Grillo was cutting off the head of a wolf had about 10 F-bombs in less than one minute. There was enormous amounts of cussing and I love it. As for violence and gore, there was nothing here that you wouldn't see on PBS or NatGeo. The only difference is that it's humans being ravaged instead of animals. You should already know how it ends considering the plot. Bad ass Liam Neeson in a group being chased by wolves. Guess what it came down to? You got it, Alpha Male vs. alpha male. What? You were surprised? No way! The good thing about the ending is that despite its predictability, the journey getting to it wasn't boring at any point. You know all the other characters weren't gonna make it but most of their deaths weren't pointless. Grillo's character went out on his own terms. At the same time, they didn't show him die. Add in the plot device of the watch he took that was GPS enabled and you could have some alternate endings for this. No, the final wolf fight wasn't shown and I'm glad it wasn't. It didn't need to be.

I give the Grey 8 out of 10 stars. It's not perfect by any stretch but it is entertaining, well acted, written, and directed, has good casting, and is visually stunning. I'd say the biggest mistake during the movie was when a character drowned. His foot was stuck between some rocks. To save him, he was continuously being pulled up but not budging. One, if his foot was stuck, wouldn't he know that? He could have just ducked into the water to dislodge his foot. Two, Liam was the one trying to pull him up. After being unsuccessful, you'd think he'd be smart enough to know the situation and go under the water to move the rocks. That didn't happen. It was what I'd consider to be one of the bigger mistakes of the movie but I guess they had to do something to setup the final scene. The tree jumping scene...don't get me started.

You already know what type of acting to expect from Mark Wahlberg. The main complaint I hear is about Giovanni Ribisi's acting. Some people don't like his character's voice, like it's annoying or something. Lemme tell ya, without that specific character, this movie would have been about as cookie cutter as it gets. His is the only one that truly stands out and the voice given to his Briggs character makes all the difference. It has people talking as opposed to him using his regular voice, no one would care. Kudos to the film-makers on that one.

Another complaint I hear is about Ben Foster's acting. Not that he can't act, he just doesn't have a lot of range. He's like Wahlberg. You put him in something, you know what you're gonna get and it's only gonna be one thing. He doesn't really get a lot of screen time here but his character is very integral to the plot and climax. Yet another complaint I hear is about Kate Beckinsale playing the distressed wife when she's capable of so much more. People, it's just a movie. For actors, it's a payday or something to add to their resume. Like Jesse Eisenberg in Camp Hell. Or any of the actors who starred in the first BloodRayne movie.

The plot is pretty predictable in some places but does have some twists if you're paying attention. Fans of X-Men: First Class will be thrilled to see Caleb Landry Jones. His character sets things in motion. Fans of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies and the Farmers Insurance commercials will be thrilled to see J.K. Simmons playing an asshole as he tends to do in the roles he chooses. Funniest scene in the movie involves him in a wife-beater and boxers. Everyone in the auditorium laughed during that scene. You'll know it when you see it. The movie is violent but not overly graphic in that department. At least I don't think so. Others may have a different opinion. It does have a boatload of cussing and if not for that alone to add realism to it, this movie would have failed miserably. This movie needed the foul language for it to be as entertaining as it is.

The scene with the cargo ship entering port without brakes (if that's the proper terminology) was pretty tense. Could have been a repeat of the cruise ship scene in Speed 2 but it didn't happen. The plot is pretty simple. Banshee (you know, Caleb) screws up a drug run and has to pay back the cost of the drugs. Wahlberg steps in to bail him out and the adventure begins. I'd say the theme sends the wrong message that crime does pay when in reality, it doesn't. The way the movie ends, it's like everything that happened before didn't have any consequences. Sure people die and go to jail but the protagonist and his immediate family, one of them being Banshee, end up on the white picket side of the fence.

Tattoos were pretty prominent here. It was as if the lowlife element had tattoos and Wahlberg, the hero, didn't while almost everyone else around him did. Tattoos will always have negative connotations, I don't care how trendy they are now. If you have visible tattoos, prepare to be judged for the rest of your life. The real message in the movie, I feel, is to make better choices in who you associate with. Wahlberg may be the hero but even he's a criminal, his dad's a criminal, his best friend is a criminal, his boat captain is a criminal, his co-workers are criminals, and his wife's family has criminals in it. Definitely not what I'd call the best decisions for any of them.

The action scenes aren't all that spectacular. They're quite flawed actually. There was a Noir anime moment where bullets were flying in all directions but Wahlberg and his crony never got touched. Something of extremely high value that, when stolen, attracted a plethora of cops was taken from its native country. This isn't gonna create an international incident? That alone creates sequel potential. The good life they have at the end can come crumbling down based on events in the middle of the movie. Banshee, in an effort to escape from Briggs, appears to jump over a razor or barbed wire fence. Editing makes it look like he made the jump unscathed.

You can't find a movie anymore without the use of cell phones. Part of this movie takes place at sea and in Panama. Only during one scene did coverage become an issue but practically every other scene, the notion of network compatibility was never brought up. For instance, if Panama uses GSM phones and networks and someone there is trying to call another cell phone in the US on a CDMA phone and network, it's a very high probability that call ain't gonna go through. But they were using cell phones to make international calls left and right in this movie without a hitch. Wahlberg was leaving work where his bags were checked by a security guard. Less than a minute later, he's confronted by Briggs and a gun is fired. Due to the editing which didn't allow for enough time or distance to go by, the security guard didn't hear that?

If you can get past some of the unrealistic scenes, then you can enjoy this movie which is pretty tense, smart, has some decent action, thuggery, violence, guns, fighting, tons of cussing, some racial slurs (between Wahlberg and Simmons), and unique characterizations from Briggs and Simmons. Believe it or not, there's no sex in this that I can recall. This is more of a guy movie. I give it 6 out of 10 stars. Not worth paying for in a regular theater but still worth seeing at a dollar movie or on DVD/Blu-ray.

It's not a bad movie. Reminded me of Echelon Conspiracy (which came after Eagle Eye but I saw that flick first). AI gone bad; been done a million times. Nothing original here but it's entertaining. Good enough for DVD; just the way I watched it and the same way you should watch it too. Deleted scenes were few and pointless. A person that I watched it with didn't like the climax. If you get shot a few times in the body and there's blood and it's not explained whether you're wearing a bullet-proof vest or not, you don't expect that person to live do you? After all, Timothy Olyphant's character died from one bullet in Die Hard 4.

Shia LeBeouf didn't do a bad job here. He's certainly a capable actor but he has to put the jokes on the back-burner at some point. It gets old quick since every one of his movies gives him such quick wit. I know it comes naturally for him but you need some range there, buddy. Like, Christian Bale range (which I doubt he'll ever be able to accomplish) because practically all of Shia's characters thus far are the same when you think about it. I give Eagle Eye 6.5 out of 10. Not the best movie on the planet but not the worst either. I'd say Billy Bob Thornton stood out the most with his performance and the chase scene in the package delivery plant was a nice touch, I gotta admit that. Looked like they had a lot of fun filming that one. Makes me wanna hop on a conveyor belt and ride it like a water slide. Easily the best scene in the whole flick and pretty original because I can't say I've seen anything like it before. Special effects aside, it's still only good enough for DVD.

Pandorum was actually a very good movie. The somewhat confusing climax was the only bad part. Everything else was good. People online talking crap about how Ben Foster ain't much of an actor; I don't think anyone did a particularly bad job here, including the writer and director who are both practically newbies. And we all know Dennis Quaid can act so by default I expected the acting to be on point and it was.

I'd say this flick is a mix between The Descent (horrible movie), Shadow Puppets (low budget but decent, pun not intended) and Titan A.E. You got people waking up in a spaceship with no memory and pale creatures killing people. But there's so much more to it than that. There's some layers to the plot but one main mission and the audience journey is good and realistic with some surprises thrown in. There's also a degree of intelligence involved so you have to use your brain for some parts and that's not a bad thing at all. There were complaints online about the special effects but I couldn't find any faults. 2 scenes stuck out. One was where a creature kid killed someone. Really creepy and suspenseful moment due to the creature design. And they're pretty hard to kill so let's just say one of them caught a good smack-down that was pretty funny.

There was good characterization for the human cast. If not for the not-so-good climax, the ending would have been a very good one. Speaking of, you could get mislead by it. It makes you wonder, and leaves some questions unanswered and a possibility for a sequel if the movie proves profitable enough to warrant one. A TV series (hopefully not on SyFy) could be a good launching point for it. Pandorum is good. Period. I definitely recommend it and it's worth paying for. 8 out of 10 stars. It only loses points because of that climax.

I've had the movie on DVD for a very long time but never got around to watching it. As it begins, you wonder what's going on because, really, nothing happens of significance. It's a small cast of characters based in a small town. The story revolves around Napoleon, culminating in Pedro running for class president. The cast of main characters are unique in their own way.

You have Uncle Rico who's all about get rich quick schemes and living in his football past. Kip Dynamite hooks up with girls in chat rooms. Deb is a glamour photographer. And Napoleon and Pedro don't have much of anything going on. They just do whatever. The title character may get all the attention but I think Aaron Ruell's portrayal of Kip is highly underrated. The guy really owns that character and it's truly a unique one. Not only in the way he talks but in how he looks. Napoleon's dialogue is incredibly funny and his nuances and appearance are what make him popular but Kip, overall, is a better character; no offense to Jon Heder.

Every character is just weird and this is a character-based movie. The plot is pretty weak. Not much to it. Uncle Rico throwing footballs past a camera pointed at him, it just doesn't make any sense to the point of it being stupid funny. Kip using chat rooms to find girls, I can relate to that. Back in the day before Facebook, MySpace, and dating sites, Yahoo and AOL chat rooms were the place to go to hook up. I speak from experience. The fact that someone like Kip actually did find a dime-piece adds to the humor. Stick around after the credits for an example of what I mean about Ruell owning the character. I don't know how the cast kept a straight face during that scene. Tina Majorino's character was just a weirdo like everyone else but she was rocking' that side ponytail, I'll give her that much. The 'Vote for Pedro' shirts were popular back in the day. I'm surprised chicks weren't styling' with Deb's ponytail. Maybe they were and I just didn't see any of them.

Pedro and Napoleon's destinies were intertwined. Napoleon, and others, were being bullied and those scenes were funny. Pedro, as part of his bid for class president, could stop the bullying. They were both chick-less and helped each other score a date for the prom. Pedro was about to give up his bid for president. Napoleon, in all of his weirdness, helped Pedro win in a dance scene sure to make you laugh when you see it. The funniest scene is the revealing of the Trisha drawing. There's no way you won't almost die laughing when you see it. There are other weird characters but just those 5 make up the main cast of freaks.

I did watch the animated series' first episode but wasn't impressed. It didn't have the same feel as the movie. The cartoon has to create plots to keep it going. It's more situational. The movie didn't have to do much of anything to keep it going. It was the characters that made it good. I did skip through the second episode to get to that scene where Napoleon's robe blew open and he said, "Dangit!" That will always be a classic. In the movie, it's Kip who says it first and that surprised me based on the cartoon trailer. Napoleon's was better. He talks like that a lot in the movie and just him speaking is funny. That applies to Kip too. Don't discount Kip's scenes. His character is right on par with Napoleon, if not better in some places.

The cartoon doesn't explain how or why Kip got divorced. I thought that'd be immediate since they showed him trolling chat rooms. The beginning of the movie is just as weird as everything else. Tetherball was the prominent sport on display in the movie and brought back some memories. I haven't played or even seen a tether-ball setup since I was a kid. I'd love to play again. The bike ramp and so many other small scenes keep the humor flowing. The way everyone dresses, it feels like an 80's movie. One of the biggest things I noticed that no one else may have mentioned is how much Napoleon is similar to Kif from Futurama. They both sigh a lot when they either don't get their way or when someone says something stupid. Makes you wonder if Kif was a partial inspiration for the Napoleon character. Some of the deleted scenes could have easily made it into the movie. The funniest ones were the locker room and lotto ticket scenes. The end of the kickball scene was funny too. They all display how Napoleon puts emphasis on certain words.

The movie is slow to start because it's almost aimless. As it continues, you're introduced to a lot of people and situations but the weirdos stand out the most. Can't stress that enough and it's the most appropriate word to use to describe them. You also have the llama, Rex (his wife's intro is funny), and Sandy Martin from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia but they have small parts. The chicken farmers' scene was funny. More weirdos. That's about what this movie consists of is weirdness but good weird, not bad. It's character-based and doesn't have any clear direction but that's what makes it good and different. It's a different style of comedy and I give it 6 out of 10 stars. Worth watching. You'll like Kip and don't forget about that Trisha scene. You'd better not be eating or drinking during that scene. Your personal belongings and anyone around you will appreciate it. As for the cartoon, I didn't like it enough to continue watching it. Stick with the movie. In this case, less is more.

I saw this in Hollywood, FL at Regal Oakwood 18. It was the last showing and I didn't mind because I had a good inclination that it'd be worth the money and it was. I don't remember the ticket price or if they gave a student discount. The auditorium was about a quarter full. Everyone stayed nice and quiet during the flick except during the funny parts which were numerous. That translates into being able to enjoy the movie properly. Nobody talking or acting stupid, air temperature was just right, and it was easy to find a good seat which were plentiful and comfortable.

It's an entertaining movie. I ain't think very much of Jesse Eisenberg. Reminds me way too much of Michael Cera. Really dry, expressionless humor and delivery. I'd never seen either one of their movies. This'd be my first Eisenberg flick. Because I'm a zombie movie fan is the main reason I wanted to see this, not for any of the stars. So unless Jesse E. picks up another good role I'm interested in seeing, this'll be the only movie of his I'll be seeing. Not saying he did a bad job. He played his character perfectly. Harrelson wasn't bad either. Neither was Emma Stone (scorching eyes) or Abigail Breslin. Good casting all the way around. And yes, they do explain the reason people were zombified. Another plus.

The filmmakers are green but this is a good step up for them in quality. I don't have any complaints about this movie. It's engaging in the fact that some things you can see coming if you pay attention to the "rules" presented in the beginning. Cussing, blood, violence, mild gore, high zombie body count, and lots of comedy. Great characterizations too. A continuous thing about end-of-the-world movies like this is that humans just can't seem to get along. Even if they're an endangered species, humans will off each other over the pettiest of things. Never fails. We all suck. I give it a solid 7 out of 10 stars. Stick around after the credits or you'll miss something.

It's worth paying for at a good dollar theater. Solid acting, solid plot, graphic in some places, keeps you guessing in others, a good dose of suspense, and an acceptable climax. It could very well have an alternate ending because it could go either way in my opinion. Not gonna spoil anything. It also seems like there's some cut exposition scenes because in some places, they just use dialogue instead of flashback which I think would have been more appropriate.

Foxx and Butler do a good job here. I don't have a whole lot of complaints other than lack of flashback for Butler's character and the ending which I thought was going one way but went another. Like I said, it's acceptable. Maybe on the DVD/Blu-ray we'll get those extra scenes and alternate ending. One scene stands out above all others. Death by cell phone! You never see it coming, you don't know when it's gonna happen. It comes totally out of left field. The auditorium I saw it in had no more than 20 people in it but when that scene happened, everyone jumped and gasped and there was lingering laughter and jovial cussing afterwards. Some of that can be attributed to reacting to other people's reaction. It was one of those movie moments you don't forget. And not just the movie itself but being there in the auditorium when it happens because of the reactions. For that alone, LAC goes down in my history books. It was unforgettable. I give the movie 7 out of 10 stars.

I knew ahead of time I wasn't gonna pay to see 2012. First off, this is a Roland Emmerich movie. I know not to expect much beyond the special effects which are about as top notch as you can get. Acting is acceptable. Good theme. Plot is pretty weak though. It's like, so textbook and predictable. I mean, are you really gonna sit still and argue about the right and wrong of humanity and risk lives in the process when you can move your butt and save some instead? Your ex-wife's new boyfriend really had to die because you couldn't save him and now you're a happy family again now that he's out of the picture? People paid for their lives to be saved and almost all of them get left behind? Your driving skills are so awesome that you can dodge collapsing roadways and pyroclasts? Your flying skills are so awesome that you can dodge collapsing buildings and one of the largest sandstorms in the history of the world? Come on, now. Way too fake for me. Enjoy the special effects and the accompanying ride but you've been warned about some of the predictability and unrealistic stuff. I give it 6 out of 10 stars. The special effects are responsible for most of that.

About the only thing I took from this movie is an idea for another type of end of the world movie. One where people flee the planet but some stay behind. Those that stayed behind and survived start over with new laws, leadership, culture, beliefs, etc. Those that fled and return have to conform to these new ways and accept their new position in the world since the old way is unacceptable now and the old guard has no power. Out with the old, in with the new. Guaranteed conflict. If my plate wasn't full and overflowing, I'd write it myself.

It's a tearjerker, that's for sure. One scene in particular almost had me in tears. I was watering up, I can admit that. I'm a real man totally in touch with my emotions. Other parts may be hard to take in for some people as the sensitive types (females) could cringe in certain scenes involving the title character and her mom.

I've read the idiotic, racist comments from people who think some of the stuff that happens in the movie is unbelievable. They don't understand black culture or inner city life so they think a lot of it is fake and just made-up. Like people don't really experience that in their lives. Think again. Then there are the people who don't think a fat black chick can be a good lead in such a movie and it still be successful. I'm here to tell you that, although there are fantasy scenes in the movie which are totally justifiable, I believed everything I saw. Now, you've heard all this and that about Mo'Nique's performance in this movie. I can say with absolute conviction that she gave one of the most powerful performances of anyone I've ever seen in any movie. She killed it! From the instant she's on screen, you hate her. If you've ever heard or seen her stand up comedy, you know that she has a mouth that can rival almost any man. She brings that raw delivery to this movie. It's almost like the director just let her have free reign to say whatever she wanted to. The stuff that comes out of her mouth is totally relevant though. It's not out of context in the movie at all. It directly relates. She's spiteful, evil, hurtful, violent, condescending, insulting, insensitive, sick, twisted...all the things you love to hate in any movie antagonist. Most people were offended by her words and actions and it was obvious by the mumbles and silence whenever she spoke.

I thought it was hilarious, man! I even laughed out loud with a couple of other people while everyone else was dead silent. Couldn't help it. She killed that role, man, I'm not even kidding you. Excellent performance. Definitely Oscar worthy, if that means anything, because she made me feel her evil and hatred towards her daughter. Oh, there's stuff that I'm not mentioning because there's stuff that I don't wanna spoil. At the very least, see this movie for her performance. I had no idea she was capable of this type of acting. I give this movie 7 out of 10 stars.

I wanted to pay to see Orphan but when I finally found time to see it, it was already pulled from theaters or was playing in theaters that were too far away from me. I just had a feeling this would be a good movie and it was. And it would have been worth paying for too. I liked every single thing about it except for the climax. It was way too 80's horror movie style, gotta have a one-liner to end things type deal. I didn't like it. It didn't fit the suspense of the rest of the movie. The title character was totally out of character in that final scene. I was disappointed with it.

The movie poster, tag line, dialogue, acting, plot, exposition, cinematography, camera angles...all of it is good. This movie is a really good effort by the practically newbie writers and director. Their future can only shine brighter. People compare this to Mikey, The Good Son, and other killer kid movies. This stands alone in visual and script quality. Isabelle Fuhrman totally owns her role. I don't know how she can possibly top this movie because as far as I'm concerned, she'll forever be known as the Orphan chick. But she's young and I expect good things from her if she chooses the right roles. Even the makeup in this movie is good. Changing from innocent girl to seductress to psychopath ain't easy to pull off, plot or otherwise. But this movie pulls it off. The acting and attention to detail with the makeup and scenery helps a lot. Well done.

If you can, see this movie. It's a gem. Does it have sequel potential? Possibly. I give it 8 out of 10 stars. It's not perfect but for what it is, it's an impressive effort minus the original ending. Did I mention that the original ending totally sucks? Oh, I didn't? Now you know that it does. But enjoy the rest of it.

The alternate ending should have been the theatrical cut. It makes tons more sense and is much better overall for closure regardless of it being left open for a sequel that will probably never happen since Isabelle Fuhrman is only getting older. Either way, the movie is definitely worth watching, especially with the deleted scenes if you can catch this with the alternate ending on Blu-ray. Very enjoyable movie. I'd watch it again. It's that good. Scrap the theatrical cut, go for the alternate ending and watch it with the deleted scenes already cut into the movie. I can't stress that enough.

When I found out that Kurt Wimmer did this flick, I got excited. I like a lot of his movies. The guy has talent. But this movie was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I was looking for the unrated extended version but couldn't. I don't think it would have helped any. Steer very clear of this movie because it sucks that bad. The acting, dialogue, plot, special effects, it's all just so horrible. I really tried to give it a chance but I had to turn it off after about 15 or 20 minutes. Couldn't take anymore.

When it starts, the style is like live-action anime but they're trying too hard. It's unrealistic. The theme is never fully explained as the movie progresses. Dialogue is drab, lifeless, and like a bad comic book. The special effects are high end in too few places and low end in way too many as this movie tries to blend cgi and live-action. Not like hybrid flicks like Alvin and the Chipmunks but really tries to transplant real people and backgrounds with cgi thinking the viewer won't know the difference but it's so obvious. You don't know if it's a digital world or the real world because it's never explained. Things just happen with no explanation as to how or what they are. It's just a bad, bad, bad movie. And the music sucks too. It's like something you'd hear in a low end Saturday morning action cartoon.

About the only cool thing about the flick is the tech. I did like the anti-gravity belt but when it was used, they kept going the anime route by showing it charge up each time it was used. The first time I can understand. Anything after that is wasted screen time. Fight scenes were incredibly over-choreographed. Movement and flow wasn't natural. It was more along the lines of PG-13 comic violence but on the lower end of the scale. I ain't got much good to say about this movie. I give it 2 out of 10 stars. Watch it for the tech ideas because there is other cool stuff but don't expect to enjoy the ride.

Pontypool is what I'd say is a totally original movie. Starts out slow and takes a good 30 minutes to get to the good stuff. Once there, you're intrigued as to what's going on. You don't know what to expect. It's not a fast movie at all and not high on action, drama or even conflict. It's simple yet complicated. The cast is minimal. You do get a full explanation of events and the climax is acceptable for what the movie itself is. It's not boring but since it's mostly dialogue, you could get bored quickly and easily if you need explosions, fights, and gun shots to enjoy a movie. This doesn't have all that.

It's not a zombie movie as the people aren't dead and they can be cured of their condition which I'd describe as a combination of an infection and being mesmerized by language. You'll know what I'm talking about if you give it a whirl. Can't say I was tempted to turn it off at any point. It sounded interesting and it was. That's about the extent of what you'll get out of it is that it's interesting. I've never seen anything like it. Not that it blows you away or anything but it's a different concept. I watched it all the way through. You really gotta have patience for this type of movie. Exposition takes a while but it's delivered. You're either gonna like it, not love it, or completely and totally hate it. I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

The trailer for this movie made it seem interesting and it is. It's not at all an original concept and the acting isn't that great. Special effects are pretty good. It starts like a run of the mill horror movie by introducing the main characters and creating a situation where they all come together. In this case, it's a vacation, a business meeting, and a club. This movie isn't horror at all. It's sci-fi. And surprisingly smart sci-fi but those displays of intelligence from the characters in the movie are delayed. For instance, when something happens and you figure it out at that moment, it takes a few minutes for that to be acknowledged on screen. And when I say figure it out, the antagonists are aliens that feed on and emit energy. The visual effect used in the movie would make you think they detect people by a heat signature but that isn't the case.

The movie is seriously flawed. When what is obviously something alien from space lands right in front of you, are you gonna surround it or are you gonna run and hide? Are you gonna try and touch the damn thing or are you gonna keep your distance until you know what it is you're dealing with? I mention this because there are people in this movie that deserved to die. Characterizations weren't well developed and I can't stress that enough. Emile Hirsch's character is the protagonist and he's portrayed as someone who wings it. He knows how to improvise to get the job done. He just happens to have a level of intelligence that was never explained since he's also initially portrayed as what basically amounts to an irresponsible skirt chaser. You'd think his responsible business partner would be the one who makes the good survival decisions but they got that backwards.

Insert the female counterparts. Sluts on the prowl for hot guys just like the guys on the prowl for hot girls in a foreign country. I'd say they're accurately portrayed because the girls had absolutely no substance of any kind. One of them deserved to die and I was very glad that she did because she didn't contribute anything to anyone. Nothing more than dead weight. Good riddance. The best line of the movie was when Hirsch said something along the lines of, "I didn't travel to a foreign country to hook up with American girls." You know what? He's got a point. You're not gonna travel to Spain for a hamburger and apple pie, are you? Another mistake in the movie (and they're numerous) is when this particular group managed to hide from the aliens. They were in a room for days without leaving it. That meant their smell should have been overpowering after a while. But they showed them in that room, where there was food, as if none of those things mattered, much less having to use the bathroom there.

The motivation of the aliens was explained later and they were even shown. This has similar plot points compared to 28 Days Later and Resident Evil: Afterlife where survivors are being told via radio where safe haven was. The journey to that safe haven isn't shown in any trailer that I saw. There's a lot more to this movie than you think. I do think some things, like can be expected in a movie, happen too conveniently. Like when they're saved by another group of survivors just in the nick of time and they just happen to discover someone who understands what the aliens are and has a device to stop them that the main cast manages to get their hands on. Other than language barrier, the movie being based in Russia doesn't make any difference. They could have used stereotypical Russians for that group of survivors I mentioned but they failed to capitalize on that. Could have been some good Fist of the North Star anime-type moments out of that.

Wasting time on useless, unlikeable characters isn't good when they effectively could have used less characters to create a more tense environment on that journey to salvation and the fewer characters used could have been better developed to fit into what's going on. Stereotypical club girls in this situation, you already know what good they were to the progression of the movie. And if you're gonna create a hero, those qualities need to be shown in the beginning so that when a certain character becomes a hero, we can believe it. What I'm saying is, this movie is cliché in too many places. It could have been so much more if it had a more serious tone and better character development. I would have given it 5 out of 10 stars but the smart factor earned it another point. Don't spend money on this. Watch it on Blu-ray when you have nothing better to do. 3D effects? They were only good and truly effective when the aliens exploded (I actually moved my head to dodge a fragment) so if you're gonna pay to see it in theaters anyway, save your money and stick with 2D. Nothing happens during or after the credits.