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United 93 (2006)
This is not art, this is storytelling.
As six billion people in the world conduct their daily duties, a handful of Muslim extremists are carrying out their last prayers before they cause one of the most infamous cataclysmic events in recent world history.
Regardless of your views toward the subject matter, Mr. Greengrass chronicles the stories of United Airlines' Flight 93 with undeniable skill in his craftsmanship. The product of his efforts (and those of the brilliant cast and crew) is United 93, a gritty and blatantly created film that attempts solely to tell its story, rather than rely on the rules and tricks of Hollywood to draw massive sums of cash into the studio's coffers. The director has definitely surpassed his Bourne installments (terrific popcorn flicks notwithstanding) and showed the utmost respect for the victims of the United 93 crash--including the Muslim hijackers, drawn into the horrific business through extensive manipulation.
As I noted before, the cast is superb, as various emotions display on their faces with perfect precision. It isn't long before the viewer is sucked into the reality of the story, and cares for each passenger. Stereotypes are not used, in contrast to entertainment pieces like Air Force One in which there are distinct heroes, villains, cowards, damsels in distress, etcetera.
Though you know the depressing outcome of the fateful hijacking, you still root for the passengers to stop their oppressors. Visual junkies will be respectfully denied your doses of TNT and green screen, the only explosions here are through news footage of the tower's collapses.
And, as I comfort myself with a viewing of Men in Black after seeing this, I warn you that United 93 is not an easy sitting. Some less resilient moviegoers will be sobbing in your respective fetal positions by the film's climactic final seconds, and most of you will feel compelled to keep the DVD in your player until the credits stop rolling.
I can't see a purpose to rate this film. It was not created for the sake of artistic creativity, but to tell the story of United 93 with accurate juxtaposition to the actual predicament.
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies (2001)
One of the best combat flight simulators.
"Amidst the blue skies, a link from the past to the future. The sheltering wings of the Protector... The flames of hatred scorch the skies, igniting Gaia's funeral pyre..."
These words usher you into "Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies" with a grandeur foreshadowing the next 30-some hours, because once you become attached to this game, you can't put down the controller. Very simply, the entirety of this game is engaging in a personal way. It has one of those rare stories you find in a video game that makes you feel like you just stepped out of a movie theater showing a four-star film. Of course, the gameplay is equally on par with its plot. However, while you play as a fighter pilot, the story is seen through the eyes of a man writing a letter to someone. The various experiences he puts on paper unfolds in still images drawn like a color manga, with the man narrating his life story.
The man recalls he was "just a child when the stars fell from the sky." By this, he means that as a boy, meteorites pounded the Earth. In response, the Erusians built a superweapon to combat the deep-space attackers. After the danger subsided, the Erusians realized the power of their weapon and turned it towards the rest of Usea. Here, a war ensues with fighter planes playing a crucial part. During a dogfight in the Narrator's hometown, a plane is shot down on his family home. Still a child, the boy was left to fend for himself in a wartime society. He found a job at a local bar where he played the harmonica and developed a crush on the barkeep's daughter. The boy also becomes attached to the squadron responsible for his family's deaths. The rest you must experience for yourself, it truly becomes heartfelt and intense.
During gameplay, you play an ace fighter pilot designated Mobius 1. Throughout a series of cutscenes the boy occasionally sights Mobius 1 during battles in and near his town. He idolizes the fighter pilot along with the rest of his town.
The gameplay itself is smooth and easy to learn. The handling corresponds to your plane's statistics, which are precise and accurate to the actual plane on which they're based. The different enemies, especially the superweapon(s), are varied and have unique fighting abilities. There is a choice of a couple dozen planes with special weapons and different ammunition capacities. Their statistics are based on several criteria including air to air combat, air to ground combat, mobility, stability, durability, and speed, if I remember correctly.
The graphics look fantastic for a 2001 game. In fact, it's one of the best looking games on the Playstation 2. The planes are detailed and often dirty, with different textures contrasting vibrantly with the rest of the colors on the ground and the cities. In a night battle, it's difficult to distinguish the sky from the ocean, so the graphics, in a sense, are acting as your enemy along with other vehicles.
The game features an incredible, grand soundtrack that, personally, made me want to look it up online and listen to it over and over. The music sounds like techno, but also has beautiful non-lyrical vocals that makes a great combination. This game isn't just for viewing.
Trust me, folks. I tried. I really tried to find a disappointing aspect in this game. However, I'm blown away by the sheer excellence and enjoyability of "Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies." 10/10.
Casino Royale (2006)
Martin Campbell brings us a satisfying reboot; this is how Bond is meant to be seen.
Bond movies are at the core of the action film genre. Not only is this series the most financially successful of all time, but the films appeal to nearly every generation. Make no mistake, though; Casino Royale abandons the cheesy and light-hearted demeanor of its predecessors and instead focuses on an in-depth analysis of Bond's beginnings... including one hell of a poker game.
This installment begins with a summing-up of Bond's first two kills to achieve his "00" status. Here, we begin to realize that Bond will be displayed as a far more vulnerable and deep character. At the helm of the most difficult role in 007 history is Daniel Craig, who proves that he is a formidable addition to the cavalcade of actors chosen for Bond. It soon becomes apparent that we'll be seeing more of him in the series. Eva Green is introduced as Vesper Lynd. This is interesting. If you watch this movie expecting a beautiful broad with a name you can't say twice on television, you're only partially correct. Vesper features an individualism only seen in such roles as Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore, and "Agent Triple X" in the Spy Who Loved Me. Bond succumbs to Lynd's beauty and impeccable character which has faint reminders of... Bond himself. They ultimately fall in love when Lynd has "stripped Bond of his armor." Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that the result from this relationship is the Bond we've all come to know and love over the 50+ years since his initial birth in Ian Fleming's legendary series.
Aside from our leads, Mads Mikkelson gives a great performance as the lead villain, Le Chiffre. This particular megalomaniacal genius has an unfailing ability to calculate the odds in a poker match, and--thank God--he's physically deformed! Le Chiffre has a scar over his eye (reminds me of Donald Pleasance's Blofeld) and weeps blood. Judi Dench returns to the role of M. A feature of this reboot is the development in Bond and his superior's relationship, which is one of the many differences from Bernard Lee's character.
Casino Royale has small and satisfying reminders of Bonds long past; such as the gun barrel intro, the best opening credit sequence since "Live and Let Die," 007's famous "Bond, James Bond" line, Felix Lester (Jeffrey Wright is excellent here), and a couple of snappy comebacks.
It's almost insulting to call this and action movie. In the action genre we see henchmen firing machine guns at the hero/heroine when no bullet actually hits, and features melodramatic acting with a terrible script. Casino Royale is the polar opposite.
I've fallen for every aspect of Casino Royale. A must see for every Bond fan, I give it a well-deserved 9/10.
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
If you ever think the prequels are poorly made, watch this.
The only reason that I, an avid Star Wars lover, sat through that entire "holiday special" is to be able to write my IMDb review. It wasn't worth it.
The Star Wars Holiday Special begins with a sequence in which Han Solo (hopefully you know these characters from the original Star Wars Trilogy) explains the entire plot to Chewbacca. The simple truth of it all is, Han Solo is trying to return Chewie to his homeplanet to meet his family for an important Wookie Holiday called "Life Day."
That's all. The only subplots involve the characters watching music videos, but I'll get to that in a minute. We are immediately whisked to the Wookie homeworld (which is basically Kashyyyk, with a different name) where we see Chewie's family preparing for his arrival in what I can only hope is the set for the Brady Bunch's pool house. The treehouse home (note that this is the first time the Wookie homeworld is actually seen, so I assume that the environment is original) has a very 70's feel, with the green carpet and kitchen appliances to boot. The Wookie family speaks Shyriiwook (probably not yet named, this is also known as "wookie speak") so we cannot understand them when C-3PO isn't there for a translation. So, the next few minutes are dedicated to a useless attempt at an insider's look at Wookie life, since the conversation is unintelligible.
The rest of this television special is likewise pointless, since the subplots are totally unrelated to the story. The conclusion is expected, with no backbone to the pointless dawdling of the characters in the whole of the story.
There is, however, a reason as to why I gave this a 2/10, rather than a one. The special has a few redeeming factors:
1. We see a very good description of the Imperial xenophobia towards alien lifeforms, poorly executed as it was.
2. The animated feature is quirky but admittedly enjoyable since it features the first glance at Boba Fett, the infamous bounty hunter loved by most fans of the sci-fi saga.
Don't let these little parts fool you though, the Holiday Special will make you eternally grateful that the series was continued after this.
I fully advise you not to watch this if you are a Star Wars fan. However, if you are interested in:
-Holographic circus acts, with normal-sized Oompa Loompas!
-Multi-armed transvestite cooking show hosts
-The worst stormtrooper actors EVER
-The worst performances from Hamill, Ford, Fisher, and Anthony Daniels
-A Wookie family gunning to replace the seven dwarfs in Snow White (I'm not kidding, Chewie's father is "Itchy" and his son is "Lumpy")
-Musical numbers from people that are completely unrelated to Star Wars
-A Wookie receiving a happy ending machine for a family holiday
-The most pointless story ever devised for the torture of television-viewers
then watch this special!
A solid 2/10 from Spiden
War of the Worlds (2005)
A modern and underrated sci-fi thriller.
I'll never understand just why some people don't like this film.
You say that the visual effects distract and leave a hollow story, but, while the effects are not used sparingly, they are very necessary to tell the modern-day adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic novel.
In addition to top-notch cinematography, make-up, score, and one beautiful car, Steven Spielberg experiments with camera views and movements. After reading this comment, kindly watch the film--closely at the car ride after Ray's neighborhood is torn to pieces. You may notice that the entire scene is one take. The distressing family is seen through the car windows as the camera weaves through unmoving traffic. You also see many of the most dramatic or thrilling scenes through a reflection or the screen of a video camera. (note: tiny spoiler) In the first scene where the viewer sees one of the tripods, you watch the entire front portion of a church be carried away by the moving earth. It is visually interesting as you watch a ray of light shine through the steeple's window.
And, for god's sake people, Morgan Freeman narrates the thing! It's a real treat to hear him give the first lines of the classic book at the beginning of the movie.
Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning also develop a convincing on-screen bond.
Conclusion: 8/10