Reviews

Spider-Man is my favorite super-hero of all time. I've read the comics (mostly the Ultimate comics, but some of the 60's comics as well), played some of the video games, and watched the cartoons (The 1994 and 2008 series being some of my favorite animated shows of all time).

I enjoyed Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (yes, even Spider-Man 3). When I heard that the series was being rebooted, I wasn't happy to hear about it. My expectations were neutral as time went by and when I walked out the theater, my expectations were blown away.

I don't want to compare this movie to the original trilogy, but I think it's necessary to see where this movie improved from the originals.

Let's start with the casting. Andrew Garfield is a great successor to Tobey Maguire. I can really relate to him like I always do with other incarnations of the web slinger. Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is even better than Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. Gwen is a much stronger character and the chemistry between her and Garfield as Peter Parker is believable. Rhys Ifans is great as Doctor Connors (a.k.a. The Lizard) and I like how he is a "Jekyll and Hyde"-type of villain (kind of like a few other villains... yeah). Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May, respectively, are also great as well. All the characters are portrayed very well and are believable.

The visual effects and the action scenes are good as usual, but nothing new.

The musical score by James Horner is also great, although I prefer Danny Elfman's score in the original trilogy because they felt more memorable and left a lasting impression. But, who knows? James Horner's score may grow on me over time.

If I have to name some complaints, it would have to be that some parts were rushed (although it's a minor nitpick) as well as a couple of parts not evaluated much. I think an extended cut of the movie would be necessary when it's released on DVD, but that's just me.

Overall, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is a fresh new start on the franchise. It has superb acting, thrilling action scenes (especially the climax), an amazing score, and being faithful to the comics but at the same time taking liberties to make it more interesting. Best Spidey movie ever? It's too early to tell but maybe. It's definitely worth watching and I am looking forward to the sequel.

If I hadn't taken TV Productions, I never would have heard of this film. My teacher showed me this film near the end of the school year and taking us about 2 classes to watch the whole thing, I was laughing so hard, it makes me wonder why we don't have comedies like this anymore.

The story revolves around a guy who just finished high school and decides to live his dream as an actor. Turns out, while auditioning, he can't act, but the daughter of the guy running the theater chooses him for the role because of his good looks.

The characters are all likable. Reni Santoni, who plays the lead character, David, was perfect for the role. His character is portrayed as a bad liar as well as indecisive, and he managed to pull it off well. The rest of the characters played by other actors like Janet Margolin, Jack Gilford, Don Rickles, etc. were all perfect for their respective roles. I may not be familiar with the actors (minus Don Rickles from the Toy Story trilogy), but they are all great.

The highlight of the movie is the humor. I never laughed so hard while watching a comedy. The humor sounds natural and not so forced. Even my teacher was laughing on some occasions while we were watching it, especially the climax, which I'm not going to spoil. You can't finish the movie without laughing at least once or twice, or even more than that.

It's too bad no one gave a darn about this movie and it has long since forgotten over the years. Heck, it's not even on DVD or Blu-Ray. No one should miss out on such an underrated comedy.

I believe the movie has a message in which you make your own decisions on how to live your life and not let anyone else control them. This movie is a fine example. If you find a copy of it on VHS, don't hesitate. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a dedicated fan of comedies.

I remember when I saw the first Harry Potter film in early 2002. It left me with a good impression, and I grew attached to the film series ever since. I also got an opportunity to read all the seven books. I read the first six in 5th grade, and it wasn't until seventh grade, I read the final book.

It is 2011 now, and I just walked out of the theater, looking back at all the memories I've had with the Harry Potter franchise.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of Part 1. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to locate the last few Horcruxes in order to finish off Lord Voldemort, once and for all.

A great majority of the film takes place in Hogwarts, where the final battle takes place. There was a lot going on, with spells being cast, parts of Hogwarts being torn down, it's like the entire world was falling apart.

The acting is very well-done. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and the rest of the cast members did a fine job. Even the ones that appear for a few seconds or so did a great job.

The action scenes were great and the CGI was great as well. I also love the suspense. I was at the edge of my seat, excited for what happens next.

That's pretty much all I have to say about this film. All I have to say is that my childhood is now complete. Watching from beginning to end, I left the theater with a warm and optimistic feel. It was nice to see the final Harry Potter film end on a really high note, with me flashing back to all the memories I've had with the films. I wanna thank the past film directors, Chris Columbus (Years 1 and 2), Alfonso Cuaron (Year 3), Mike Newell (Year 4), and David Yates (Years 5-7) for making the Harry Potter films enjoyable. Lastly, I want to thank J.K. Rowling for creating the Harry Potter franchise.

Harry Potter will live in our hearts and will live on 'till the end of time.

In my TV Productions class, my teacher showed my classmates and I "2001: A Space Odyssey". He advised us to pay attention to what is going on or we will be lost. So, I had my mind on every moment I've seen in the film.

Watching the film for the first time, the film blew me away with its art direction, musical score, visuals, atmosphere and groundbreaking special effects for its time.

The settings in the film are well-thought out and you really feel like you're in space due to its slow pace. Some people complained about the slow pace, but it's that way for a reason, and I just mentioned why. The spaceships and vehicles were very original at the time and seeing the technology and the way to navigate through the spaceships is just creative and groundbreaking.

The music and sound is one of the highlights of the film. A couple of times you will hear "Also Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss and "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss and each of them perfectly fits what is going on and how you're supposed to feel when listening to them.

I also like to point out its creepy and mysterious atmosphere. There are times where you are calm and there are also times when you feel like you want to know what's going on or what will happen. Watching it the first time, I felt that way.

Now for the special effects. Remember, this is 1968 and CGI wasn't invented yet. The crew members were able to pull it off well. Some say they are now outdated, but to me, they are still the most groundbreaking special effects I have seen.

Lastly, the story is what I want to talk about. If you go throughout the whole movie, you may not get it the first time. But watching it the second time, you may pick something up. From what I can gather, without going into spoilers, it deals with various themes like evolution and technology. It is a story that explains itself with minimal dialogue, so make sure to pay attention to what's going on.

The characters were great, most notably the three main characters on the Discovery One. But the character that steals the show is HAL-9000, a computer who claims that he has never made an error and can also mimic human emotion, all while speaking in monotone. He is very original that he influenced other fictional computers with a great AI, like GLaDOS from the video game series "Portal".

In conclusion, this is one of the most unique films I have seen. As my TV productions teacher told my classmates "Star Wars wouldn't be Star Wars if it weren't for this film", so it was definitely an influential film. I never heard of Stanley Kubrick until I saw this film, and I have to say he did a great job making an accurate and realistic science-fiction movie. I say give this movie a view if you don't complain how different it is from movies with brilliant plots.