The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[P@t_Mtl]

The Karate Kid

2010 directed by Harald Zwart with Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith & Taraji P. Henson

(sorry I know Jaden Smith as top billing on the movie credit but come on! come back and see me in 25 years when you have a real carrer behind you, in the mean time Jackie get's top billing in this post )

So this is the remake that started more threads on the Internet than any other movie in the history of cinema (alright maybe I am pushing it a bit). You do have to admit that it did cause some people to get their panties into a twist when it first got mention. We all know the story, young kid move to a new city (in this case new country) and get's beat up by the local bullies, meet's a good kind hearted master (of kung fu this time) and he learn's how to defend himself and about life. I always love the original but I did not lose sleep over the remake like so many seem to did (then again reading posts on this forum a lot of people seem to lose a lot of sleep over the silliest stuff). I knew I was going to see it at one point because of Jackie. The kid was my main problem. In every other movie I saw him, he annoyed me to no end. Surprise, surprise...this time I actually liked him. He was pretty good in this movie. Sure still not Oscar worthy performance but for his age he was alright. Jackie was also pretty good in this one too, more dramatic then what a lot of people would expect of him (if you mostly see the movies Hollywood like's to release here). I find the relationship between the two of them was good, there still was this feeling of father-son relationship.

Overall it was a good movie and worthy of the original, I will add this one to my collection.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

The Karate Kid

[Show spoiler]2010 directed by Harald Zwart with Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith & Taraji P. Henson

(sorry I know Jaden Smith as top billing on the movie credit but come on! come back and see me in 25 years when you have a real carrer behind you, in the mean time Jackie get's top billing in this post )

So this is the remake that started more threads on the Internet than any other movie in the history of cinema (alright maybe I am pushing it a bit). You do have to admit that it did cause some people to get their panties into a twist when it first got mention. We all know the story, young kid move to a new city (in this case new country) and get's beat up by the local bullies, meet's a good kind hearted master (of kung fu this time) and he learn's how to defend himself and about life. I always love the original but I did not lose sleep over the remake like so many seem to did (then again reading posts on this forum a lot of people seem to lose a lot of sleep over the silliest stuff). I knew I was going to see it at one point because of Jackie. The kid was my main problem. In every other movie I saw him, he annoyed me to no end. Surprise, surprise...this time I actually liked him. He was pretty good in this movie. Sure still not Oscar worthy performance but for his age he was alright. Jackie was also pretty good in this one too, more dramatic then what a lot of people would expect of him (if you mostly see the movies Hollywood like's to release here). I find the relationship between the two of them was good, there still was this feeling of father-son relationship.

Overall it was a good movie and worthy of the original, I will add this one to my collection.

Nice man glad u enjoyed it. Damn good remake and even the hate from folks wont stop that! Cant wait for part two.

I see Squid and a few other folks finally watched A Soldier's Story. I will give my review also but mostly discuss this with u guys in the Review Club thread. Got Em!!

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Its not a horror film.

I don't know...what it does to your mind is pretty horrible

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

The Karate Kid

[Show spoiler]2010 directed by Harald Zwart with Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith & Taraji P. Henson

(sorry I know Jaden Smith as top billing on the movie credit but come on! come back and see me in 25 years when you have a real carrer behind you, in the mean time Jackie get's top billing in this post )

So this is the remake that started more threads on the Internet than any other movie in the history of cinema (alright maybe I am pushing it a bit). You do have to admit that it did cause some people to get their panties into a twist when it first got mention. We all know the story, young kid move to a new city (in this case new country) and get's beat up by the local bullies, meet's a good kind hearted master (of kung fu this time) and he learn's how to defend himself and about life. I always love the original but I did not lose sleep over the remake like so many seem to did (then again reading posts on this forum a lot of people seem to lose a lot of sleep over the silliest stuff). I knew I was going to see it at one point because of Jackie. The kid was my main problem. In every other movie I saw him, he annoyed me to no end. Surprise, surprise...this time I actually liked him. He was pretty good in this movie. Sure still not Oscar worthy performance but for his age he was alright. Jackie was also pretty good in this one too, more dramatic then what a lot of people would expect of him (if you mostly see the movies Hollywood like's to release here). I find the relationship between the two of them was good, there still was this feeling of father-son relationship.

Overall it was a good movie and worthy of the original, I will add this one to my collection.

You enjoyed it more than I did. I didn't dislike it but I was underwhelmed and had hoped for better.

[CZAR]

I Spit on Your Grave (1978) - First viewing of the film. Man one thing I love about old horror films, they were grimey and felt very real and the freedom of the actors and what they were willing to do especially the female actors. Nowadays we still have very explicit horror but back in the day it seemed every horror film was very controversial and very extreme and I love it! Of course as an old film like some, it was dated just a bit but due to the subject matter and that old school atmosphere I was able to get into it. Camille Keaton did a very good job and she was a fox in her day. Boy what can I say about that bush haha.

All in all I am still wondering how much replay value the film has. While I did enjoy it I am not sure if I would revisit it but then again Camille isnt to hard on the eyes. The PQ was fairly good for an older film. Definite recommendation for horror/thriller fans for atleast a rental if u havnt seen it before.

Film Rating - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)



Unstoppable - My boy Denzel does it again! What a great thriller and a great ride. I was drawn in from the gates and was on the edge of my seat for most of the film. I loved the character development and the way they gave us info in a film with such a fast pace. It worked perfectly and I felt for both Denzel & Pine. The acting was very good from the whole cast with Denzel doin what he does as usual. The CGI/Effects were damn good and the overall setting of the film was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and the film has great replay value in my opinion.

This is a must see and to me a must own and one the better adrenaline thrillers in a while. PQ & AQ were top notch.

Film Rating - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)



I Spit on Your Grave (2010) - Saw I watched the day after watching the original. I have to say I think I prefer the original actually. I was kind of surprised I felt that way as I was sure that the original wouldve most likely been dated to much and newer films just have an advantage of simply being newer and fresher. I actually at times felt sleepy here and there. The lead actress in this version of the film was very different then the original chick and not in a good way. The original girl was more perfect for the part and her vulnerability was felt more. The new chick was athletic and just didnt seem as innocent.

I do have to say the chick in the remake was more of a savage and the kills were super savage and creative so in that regards this film was more superior. Also as I said in the review of the first film, this one wasnt nearly as explicit in regards to the rape scenes and such. They still did a good job but it seemed as I said before there was more freedom back in the 70's and 80's for horror films or actors were willing to do more. All in all I would also recommend this film for atleast a rental as again I am not sure of the replay value.

Film Rating - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)



A Soldier's Story - Ok its been a while since Ive seen this film and I didnt remember much. I even forgot Denzel's role in the film so that tells u how long its been. I thought the film aged pretty good and good acting is good acting. What can I say about Denzel as that was one of his first films and I knew right away that he would be a huge star. As for the story, it was pretty good and I like the way thing unfolded and how information was gained.

I loved a few of the accents as well and chemistry was very good through out the film. David Ala Grier did well in one of his rare serious roles and I thought the portrayal of the Army was well done and believable. This is a film everyone should atleast see once. Its not a perfect film or even a great film but a very good one and also an important film. I wouldnt watch it to often however as its not a film that your eyes would call often.

Film Rating - 4 stars (out of 5)

Got Em!!

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Unstoppable - My boy Denzel does it again! What a great thriller and a great ride. I was drawn in from the gates and was on the edge of my seat for most of the film. I loved the character development and the way they gave us info in a film with such a fast pace. It worked perfectly and I felt for both Denzel & Pine. The acting was very good from the whole cast with Denzel doin what he does as usual. The CGI/Effects were damn good and the overall setting of the film was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and the film has great replay value in my opinion.

This is a must see and to me a must own and one the better adrenaline thrillers in a while. PQ & AQ were top notch.

Film Rating - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Originally Posted by Diesel

Unstoppable


Saw this today at the theater. It was me and 3 friends plus about 7 people who looked to be 60+. No cell phones/blabbing.


I wasn't sure what to expect going in, I saw the trailer several months ago but forgot about its details and went in really only remembering its about a runaway train.

Ended up highly enjoying it

It's got some good scenes imo. It might not work for everyone but it definitely did for me and my friends, we were sucked in the whole time watching.

There's some humor here and there to break up the tension a little, but its never disruptive to the events at hand.

Washington and Pine work very well together and both do solid jobs I thought.

There's other characters like Rosario Dawson and other supporting characters, but you'll definitely be all about these two (and maybe one named Ned) when you watch it.

I definitely recommend checking it out, highly enjoyable

No new entry to the One and Done Collection this time; not sure on the replay value, so I don't know if I'll buy it, but I'll definitely see it one more time whether it be a rent or watching it when a friend does.


Rating - 4.5/5

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Its not a horror film.

It is horror, and it looks cheap made in a way too.

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

It is horror, and it looks cheap made in a way too.

IMDB has it down as a Drama, Mystery, Thriller and I would go along with that. While I certainly get why some might consider it a Horror, I never felt it was such.

While I did enjoy it I do think some Over praise it but at the same time I still think of it now and again, So maybe it isn't over praised at all.

It was certainly different to anything I have seen in a very long time, All though I still ain't sure what the point of the movie was.

[Show spoiler] Was she in this place because she was a Bad mother, Or cause she got her Kid killed or was it a self Inflicted punishment, born out of Guilt

Honestly I don't really Know

[Evra]

I hated Unstoppable. I thought it was hell lot of meh.

[jhiggy23]

Food Inc. (blu)

PQ/AQ: 4 (out of 5)

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)


While it is nowhere near as good as the Oscar winner of that year, The Cove, Food Inc. is still a very good documentary. The information presented is of great importance to us all, and in that regard it's a must-see. The major negative of the film is that it's one-sided (not skewed) simply because the corporations at issue refused to comment.

[jhiggy23]

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (dvd)


Film: 2 stars (out of 4)


The gf and I watched the dvd instead of the blu because we were at her place. She had just finished the book a few days prior. Here's some thoughts:

I guarantee there's no one on this site that's more of a fan of the books than myself. We all know how much I love the first movie and practically everyone on this site agrees that it's an excellent film and an excellent adaptation. The second book is most people's favorite, and the movie did a pretty good job despite the difficulty of adapting it. The third (and last) book is universally considered the weakest in the series because it has little action and a lot of exposition. The third film is also easily the worst reviewed of the three. The thing about the third book is that it's incredibly difficult to adapt the first 450 pages because it's mainly talking and unraveling the conspiracy. The courtroom scenes, however, are among the finest in the entire series.

This film really did fail on virtually every level. The directing was stagnant and completely uninvolving. The writing was poor at times and the courtroom scenes were completely ruined by getting away from the book (those scenes should've been taken verbatim). The acting was mediocre in the entire film, even Rapace, because she's given nothing to do. The music was never used effectively, as it was in the previous two films. The cinematography and lighting were poor. The pacing was poor. The resolution of the courtroom scene was anti-climatic. The scenes that come after that, which I won't spoil here, were basically pointless because they weren't developed like they were in the book. Overall, this film was a failure both as a movie and an adaptation. The second book is my favorite and that movie deviated from it a good bit, but the movie was still successful as a film and as an adaptation. Not this one.

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by menaceuk

IMDB has it down as a Drama, Mystery, Thriller and I would go along with that. While I certainly get why some might consider it a Horror, I never felt it was such.

While I did enjoy it I do think some Over praise it but at the same time I still think of it now and again, So maybe it isn't over praised at all.

It was certainly different to anything I have seen in a very long time, All though I still ain't sure what the point of the movie was.

[Show spoiler] Was she in this place because she was a Bad mother, Or cause she got her Kid killed or was it a self Inflicted punishment, born out of Guilt

Honestly I don't really Know

It was differrent and kind of uniqe, but I found it very forgettable and nothing really made me to think about it after.

It was intriguing, but certainy not on emotional or psychological level.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

It was differrent and kind of uniqe, but I found it very forgettable and nothing really made me to think about it after.

It was intriguing, but certainy not on emotional or psychological level.

It was intriguing to me precisely BECAUSE of the emotional and psychological levels it conveyed

Love the avatar btw! Can't wait for that later this year.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Good man. Great flick. Got Em!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

It was differrent and kind of uniqe, but I found it very forgettable and nothing really made me to think about it after.

It was intriguing, but certainy not on emotional or psychological level.

Yet you continue to talk about it..................

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Diesel

You enjoyed it more than I did. I didn't dislike it but I was underwhelmed and had hoped for better.

I wasn't too sure how I would like it but came out of it rather surprise. I think the kid had a lot to do with it. I expected him to annoy me again and he did not this time and that really took me by surprise

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

It is horror,

Nope.

and it looks cheap made in a way too.

Originally Posted by Evra

I hated Unstoppable. I thought it was hell lot of meh.

So a bunch of meh = hate?

Too bad you didn't enjoy it as much as CZAR and I did

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

It was intriguing to me precisely BECAUSE of the emotional and psychological levels it conveyed

Have you gotten your Ph.D in Triangle yet?

Originally Posted by CZAR

Good man. Great flick. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Yet you continue to talk about it..................

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I wasn't too sure how I would like it but came out of it rather surprise. I think the kid had a lot to do with it. I expected him to annoy me again and he did not this time and that really took me by surprise

He was one of the reasons that I was underwhelmed. I will say he didn't annoy me as much as in The Day the Earth Stood Still but I still didn't like him for the role; I also didn't like how young he was. They are making a sequel though, so maybe my issues with him will be resolved by then.

Chan was very good though

[P@t_Mtl]

Chaplin

1992, directed by Richard Attenborough with Robert Downey Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Moira Kelly, Dan Aykroyd, Penelope Ann Miller

So I received this Blu-ray earlier this morning and having a free afternoon decided to watch it right there and now.

First the movie. Alright I won't lie, always enjoyed this one. Downey did a amazing job taking on the role of Charles Chaplin. I know that some people do not like him very much as a actor but I always find his performances outstanding. The entire cast did a very good job on this one. The movie quickly move from moment to moment in Chaplin's life and yes the accuracy may not be there at every moment. A few scenes seem to be added more for dramatic effect then anything else. That being said the movie flow rather well and you hardly see that it's 150 minutes long. I always been a fan of Chaplin and strangely enough more so of his later work starting with City Lights then the earlier stuff everyone always love. There is more understanding for his work now because with time, we gain perspective. A lot of his movies were social commentaries disguised as comedies. No one like's to be told what they are doing wrong and so for the audiences of his days, the movies where not always fun to watch. It was probably more like looking into a mirror then watching a movie. Yet even afterall this time, you can stil lsit down and watch his movies and just be in entertained. Was he the best? Was he genius? We could talk about that forever and never really agree but he sure made wonderful movies.

What about the Blu-ray? Yes the review on this site rip the release apart. I did not find it as bad as at. I decided to get it despite the review because, first like I said, I enjoy this movie and second, I got it real cheap on Amazon.ca Maybe since I expected it to be so bad after the review I ended up being surprise. Should you go and buy it? Well it's not a reference Blu-ray so don't go and expect too much but if like me you enjoy it and you do find it at a cheap price, I say buy it, it's worth it.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Chan was very good though

I like what he is trying to do and he is doing it very well. He is now in his mid-50's and well no matter how in good shape one is, the age does tell. He just can't make movies after movies with tons of action like he used to do. I think what he is slowly doing is good and preparing himself for a new carrer, something a lot of action stars are not always able to achieve as they get older.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Chaplin

1992, directed by Richard Attenborough with Robert Downey Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Moira Kelly, Dan Aykroyd, Penelope Ann Miller

So I received this Blu-ray earlier this morning and having a free afternoon decided to watch it right there and now.

First the movie. Alright I won't lie, always enjoyed this one. Downey did a amazing job taking on the role of Charles Chaplin. I know that some people do not like him very much as a actor but I always find his performances outstanding. The entire cast did a very good job on this one. The movie quickly move from moment to moment in Chaplin's life and yes the accuracy may not be there at every moment. A few scenes seem to be added more for dramatic effect then anything else. That being said the movie flow rather well and you hardly see that it's 150 minutes long. I always been a fan of Chaplin and strangely enough more so of his later work starting with City Lights then the earlier stuff everyone always love. There is more understanding for his work now because with time, we gain perspective. A lot of his movies were social commentaries disguised as comedies. No one like's to be told what they are doing wrong and so for the audiences of his days, the movies where not always fun to watch. It was probably more like looking into a mirror then watching a movie. Yet even afterall this time, you can stil lsit down and watch his movies and just be in entertained. Was he the best? Was he genius? We could talk about that forever and never really agree but he sure made wonderful movies.

What about the Blu-ray? Yes the review on this site rip the release apart. I did not find it as bad as at. I decided to get it despite the review because, first like I said, I enjoy this movie and second, I got it real cheap on Amazon.ca Maybe since I expected it to be so bad after the review I ended up being surprise. Should you go and buy it? Well it's not a reference Blu-ray so don't go and expect too much but if like me you enjoy it and you do find it at a cheap price, I say buy it, it's worth it.

I think it's a decent movie with a great performance by Downey Jr. The film overall wasn't great though, just good.

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Food Inc. (blu)

PQ/AQ: 4 (out of 5)

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)


While it is nowhere near as good as the Oscar winner of that year, The Cove, Food Inc. is still a very good documentary. The information presented is of great importance to us all, and in that regard it's a must-see. The major negative of the film is that it's one-sided (not skewed) simply because the corporations at issue refused to comment.

Just to play devil's advocate here... can't you say the same thing about The Cove? There's no denying the footage captured but the film is very one sided as well.