Friday 18 July 2008

Movie review of The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight: 9/10
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Cast- Christian Bale, Michael Cane, Heath Leger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart,
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman and Chin Han

Plot Summary
Batman and James Gordon join forces with Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, to take on a psychotic bank robber known as The Joker, whilst other forces plot against them, and Joker's crimes grow more and more deadly.

Review
What a fantastic movie!Despite a few flaws,it was brilliantly done and so much excitement! It's been a long time since i was so psyched up to watch a movie(my last was 300).For the whole week,I was listening to the soundtrack and also watching the trailers and the prologue numerous times.I watched this wonderful sequel with my friends and we thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.
And here...I go.
For cinematography,Almost all the scenes were done really very well especially the IMAX scenes.The IMAX shots were the action sequences and the scenic shots,which were all done very well.there were a few errors in certain scenes but not really noticeable.Camerawork was great.The crane shots and the zoom ins were just awesome. You got to give it to the DP for this.
TDK was written by David Goyer and the Nolan brothers and they did a great job.Chris Nolan said during an interview ,that he cited that the movie Heat(Al Pacino and De Niro,directed by Michael Mann) as a major influence for The Dark Knight.and you can clearly see that the flow of the story is just the same as Heat(which is also a great movie by the way).
Thank god the costume department threw away the nipple suit worn previously by Clooney and Kilmer,cause it really looked fucking ridiculous.The new bat suit this time is way much more sleeker and apparently more comfortable(for Christian Bale) than the one in Batman Begins,even the costumes for Harvey Dent and The Joker were really cool.The only thing I didn't quite like was Batman's mask.Somehow it looked like he had a long nose and that reminded me of the Penguin.
I really loved the make up done for the Joker,which has a dark,sinister look and the scars on his cheeks really made him look evil which was fucking awesome)the scarifications on the cheeks also reminded me of Iitchi the Killer.
The special effects on this movie were pretty good as well especially batman's scenes when he is flying around and all the landing parts.

The soundtrack done by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is fucking awesome! There are a couple of scenes which the soundtrack made it even more thrilling.It's really worth buying the soundtrack.
The casting for this movie is good if not better than Batman Begins.Michael Caine is the perfect actor to portray Alfred the butler and he does it well.Morgan Freeman was alittle under utilized but still all in all,he never fails to deliver no matter how small the role is.Gary Oldman on the other hand has a bigger role this time and pulls it off brilliantly.Maggie Gyllenhaal was good as always,and it' a good thing Maggie replaced the retarded looking Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, cause Katie Holmes was horrible in Batman Begins.I liked Aaron Eckhart's acting in Thank you for smoking,and I was pretty sure he could pull off Harvey Dent's Character easily and furthermore under Chris Nolan's guidance.Another good thing I like about Chris Nolan is he can always bring the best out of any actor regardless if he is good or bad.For example,he did a great job in making Hugh Jackman act in The Prestige,cause that fucknut can't act for shit.One actor I'm really proud of is our very own homeboy,Chin Han.He did a really cool job and I sincerely hope he gets his big break from this.Unlike that honkong cunt(Edison Chen) who had about 5 secs of screentime,our home boy got at least 15mins of screentime.Way to go...Chin Han! Christian Bale on the other hand is the Perfect Bruce Wayne.A really brilliant actor,from young(Empire of the Sun) till now.I will always watch Bale's movies no matter who the director will be.The scene stealer is definitely the Late Heath Ledger.His portrayal of The Joker is the best ever! As much as I love Jack Nicholson,I will dare to say...Fuck Jack Nicholson's Joker cause Heath Ledger's joker will forever be remembered as the One! hahaha.Every time the joker is on scene,you will forget everyone else and that was how good this fella was.Sinister,Dark,Evil,Manipulative and Funny is what the very least you can sum up on Heath Ledger's Joker.He is of right now in my top 5 list of most evil and greatest screen villains.It is a real treat watching actors of this calibre in one movie.
A pretty good job on the editing department as well except for a few cut scenes and the flow of the first half was rather rushed.
Chris Nolan does a great job in direction.i really liked his way of story telling and he has been rather consistent.Besides bringing out the best in an actor,another thing I like about him is he likes to get involved in everything,from production,to direction and to editing which is a trait you seldom see in a director.What I didn't like about TDK was the first half an hour was rather rushed.I felt like too much info was crammed in that little amount of time.And the last 15mins could have been shortened.Still I will look forward to watch his next movie which I'm pretty sure that it will be as good as his other works.

Definitely worth watching on a weekend,worth watching it TWICE!! and worth watching it on gold class as well!
Batman and Nolan fans will thoroughly enjoy the Dark Knight.


Best Quote
The Joker: [to Batman] You've changed things... forever. There's no going back. See, to them, you're just a freak... like me!

Harvey Dent: You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

The Joker: Introduce a little anarchy... Upset the established order... Well then everyone loses their minds!


Recommended movies done by the director
Batman Begins
The Prestige
Memento




Thursday 17 July 2008

Movie review of Penelope

Penelope- 1.5/10
Directed by Mark Palansky
Cast - Christina Ricci,James Mcavoy

Plot Summary
A modern romantic tale about a young aristocratic heiress born under a curse that can only be broken when she finds true love with "one" who will love her faithfully.

Review
A fucking stupid movie. It's not romantic, it's Shit! I have watched a fair share of romantic movies and Penelope is definitely one of the worst romantic movies ever. The director is a total fuckall. It's so fucking obvious,he hasn't got a clue to what he is doing. And what a stupid plot! If you are gonna do a fairytale movie, make sure you get the story right. What were Christina Ricci and James Mcavoy thinking when they were accepting a crap movie like this. Sadly this is a directorial debut for Mark Palansky and a first for Reese Witherspoon who produces it. Both of them should not quit their day jobs.
Apparently this movie was done about 2 years ago. All the more they shouldn't have released this pigshit out in the
cinema. It should have gone straight to dvd instead. Editing in this movie was pretty much horrible and so was the cinematography. The worst however is the acting. Ricci is more suited for serious indie roles,she can't do this fairytale bullshit kinda roles. Even though her first role (if i remember correctly) was in Adam's Family.The most irritating character in the movie was Jessica, Penelope's mother.James Mcavoy was great in last king of scotland and Atonement. He was also ok in the wanted.but this...sigh...

Do not watch this movie at all even if it is free! And if someone gives you a copy of Penelope,slap the fucker!

Best Quote
Journalist #1: Do you have any other pig parts?
Penelope: No!
Journalist #2: With such a large nose, do you smell better than the rest of us?
Penelope: [laughs] You tell me.

Recommended movies by the director
None

Movie review of The Savages

The Savages - 6.5/10
Directed by Tamara Jenkins
Cast - Philip Seymour Hoffman,Laura Linney

Plot Summary
A sister and brother face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father.

Review
I have always been a big fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman and I think he is one of the few brilliant actors of our times. The fella can be funny and most important he can act! I have always never given much thought to Laura Linney as I've always thought of her as a rather just above average actoress. But the good thing about her is, she chooses her roles pretty well. Her role as a sister to Philip Seymour Hoffman character was very nicely done. So kudos to you Laura Linney. Like I said earlier, the casting in this movie is good. The chemistry between Laura's character and Philip's character was outstanding.
The direction in this movie was simple and effective. The plot also done
well. Infact the whole movie is rather simply done. It's just that you get the good acting as a bonus. All in all this is a good movie to watch with your loved ones on a lazy sunday afternoon. Definitely one of the better Indie movies which are out this year.

Best Quote
Wendy Savage: Dad has been writing on the walls with his shit!
Jon Savage: [half asleep] Wen, what the fuck are you talking about?

Recommended movies by the director
none that i know of

Movie review of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - 5/10
Directed by Guillermo Del ToroCast - Ron Perlman,Doug Jones,Selma Blair

Plot Summary
The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world from the rebellious creatures.

Review
This is so much better than the first one. Directed by Guillermo Del Toro who is known for his visualistic style of story telling, and true to his style, Hellboy 2 was visually breath taking, from the special effects to the costumes.It was brillant. I have never been a fan of Del Toro's work even though I have watched most of his movies. It's just that his way of storytelling is tad too slow for me. Especially for comic book adapted movies like Hellboy. It's just too slow. Script wise, nothing fantastic either. I did find the editing quite badly done though as certain scenes have been edited without continuity.
The fight sequences were good and choreographed rather well especially scenes involving Luke Gross as Prince Nuada. (fella looks like some black metal vocalist) Acting wise,Ron Perlman reprises his role as Hellboy once again and does a good job. Selma Blair this time does a better job acting then the first Hellboy she was in. She was horribly irritating in the first one. Doug Jones as Abe Sapien/The chamberlain/The Angel of Death is as cool as ever. Seth Mcfarlane voices Johann Krauss which was interesting cause Johann Krauss sounded like Jeremy Irons. All in all,Hellboy 2 was entertaining but it aint no Dark Knight. (hehee thats for another day)

Worth watching on a weekend,only if you are a big fan of Guillermo Del Toro or Hellboy comics. Otherwise just save the money and wait for THE DARK KNIGHT!!!

Best Quote
Prince Nuada: Let this remind you why you once feared the dark.

Hellboy: Oh..Crap...

Recommended movies by the director
Pan's Labyrinth
The Orphanage

Monday 7 July 2008

Movie review of 21

Hancock - 6.2/10
Directed by Robert Luketic

Cast - Jim Sturgess. Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishborune and Aaron Yoo

Plot Summary
The story is bcased about six MIT students who were trained by Professor Micky Rosa aka Kevin Spacey,to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

Review
The overall of the movie had a good feel to it. Even though there were some parts which I felt they some what dragged through. I felt that the actors did a ok job. For Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishbourne, I felt that the role for them was minor and more could be shown from them. The editing was ok.
This movie is best suited on a weekday. Paying $10 bucks for a non blockbuster, watch once movie ain't worth it

Best Quotes
Micky Rosa: [while Choi is stealing everything that isn't nailed down in the hotel room] *Hey!* You steal The Bible, you go to Hell. Those are the rules.
Choi: Like I'm not going anyway.

Ben Campbell: [in regards to Mickey Rosa inviting him to the Blackjack team] So why are you telling me?
Micky Rosa: Well, let's just say a spot opened up on our roster.
Ben Campbell: How?
Micky Rosa: Jimmy got a job at Google.
Ben Campbell: Jim... Jimmy got a job at Google?
Micky Rosa: Yeah, it's catchy, I know.
Ben Campbell: Well, if you're making so much money at this then why did he take it?
Micky Rosa: Ben, I said Google, not Sizzler.

Ben Campbell: Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Recommend movies by the director
Legally Blonde
Monster in Law
Win a date with Ted Hamilton

Friday 4 July 2008

Movie review of Hancock

Hancock - 5.5/10
Directed by Peter Berg
Cast - Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron

Plot Summary
John Hancock (Will Smith) is an unhappy and reluctant superhero who is living in his own world. For some unknown reason, Hancock is depressed and has started drinking very heavily. Always when in the process of saving people from trouble, he tends to damage state property that comes up to millions. Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) offered to help change the public view of John after saving Ray from being run over by a train.

Review
The 1st part of the show was pretty good, started off well. The 2nd part was when everything went down hill. It somehow or rather it lost it's story.The show was hyped with loads of ideas but failed to deliver.
The execution was poor The acting was above average , the CGI was realistic and editing was alright.

Best Quote
Ray: People don't like you, Hancock
Hancock:Do I look like I care what people think?

Boy at bus stop: [taps a sleeping Hancock] Hancock!
Boy at bus stop: [hits him to wake up]
Boy at bus stop: Hancock!
Hancock: What, boy?
Boy at bus stop: [points to TV screens] Bad guys.
Hancock: What, you want a cookie? Get the hell out my face.
Boy at bus stop: Jackass.
Hancock: What?
Boy at bus stop: You heard me.

Rail road crossing crowd: Your breath smells like alcohol!
Hancock:That's cause I've been drinking bitch!

Recommended movies by the director
The Kingdom
Very Bad Things
The Rundown
Friday Night Lights

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Movie review of Get Smart

Get Smart - 7/10
Directed by Peter Segal
Cast - Steve Carell,Dwayne Johnson(the Rock),Anne Hathaway,Alan Arkin

Plot Summary
Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 for CONTROL, battles the forces of KAOS with the more-competent Agent 99 at his side.

Review
This is by far one of the best movie adaptaion of a classic tv series. Trully enjoyable. If you are around my generation and you have watched Get Smart the tv series before, you will love this movie even better.
Steve Carrell does a great job as Maxwell Smart and he does it so effortlessly. You also got the regular actors from any Adam Sandler movies which was really nice. Even Bill Murray appeared in a short cameo and he was fucking funny. Anne Hathaway was alright as Agent 99 and they both do have some chemistry working together. Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock was good too. The funniest lines always comes from Maxwell Smart and Alan Arkin as the Chief of CONTROL. The jokes in the movie are actually pretty funny even without any vulgarities. The Director does a pretty good job and from his track record, he should continue doing comedy.

Definitely worth watching on a weekend!

Best Quote
Maxwell Smart: There are 300 hundred Control Agents outside this building.
Siegfried: No there's not.
Maxwell Smart: Would you believe 20 SWAT members?
Siegfried: No.
Maxwell Smart: How about Chuck Norris with a BB gun.

Maxwell Smart: Chief, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
The Chief: I don't know, were you thinking "holy shit, holy shit, a swordfish almost went through my head!"?
Maxwell Smart: Missed it by that much

Recommended movies by the director
Tommy Boy(Chris Farley)
The Longest Yard (Adam Sandler)
50 first dates (Adam Sandler amd Drew Barrymore)
Anger Management (Adam Sandler amd Jack Nicholson)