DisasterpieceMK

Ignoring the plot (which is often times best when it comes to American comedies), the film has a decent amount of laughs. I had low expectations and this far exceeded them.

"...interesting from a technical perspective but not nearly as compelling as one would want." Ahh, critics. I am not quite sure what you are looking for in a film told from the first-person perspective of a maniac, but this one does the trick. If you are looking for some sort of magical insight into the mind of a crazed individual, you will not find here it because, as one would imagine, there is not much to be found. "Mommy issues" are sufficient enough to move the experience forward. It is gory, creepy, and interesting. This will definitely satisfy most horror fans (especially those of the slasher variety).

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

I have a hard time giving an film or work of art a perfect "10" but to me, I think it is a way of saying that I thoroughly enjoyed whatever was presented to me, flaws and all. Trek has its share, but that they did not detract of my experience is why I think so highly of this film. I was never a big fan of the franchise growing up though I imagine that I would have been had I given the time to watch it (I did enjoy the season of Next Generation that I watched) so it is easy for me to say that I was not offended by the changes I am sure were made (even if the films claim to be an alternate timeline). The pacing was good, the action sequences were fun, the story was compelling (the mental chess-like sequence during the film's climax was fantastic), and having not watched it in 3D made me felt like I dodged a bullet. The next Star Wars film has its work cut out for it because in my opinion, this is the best Star Wars film since the Empire Strikes Back. I am not confusing franchises when I say this because this film was everything I would have wanted out of the prequels but never received. Definitely worth viewing if you love Science Fiction.

I wanted to enjoy it much more than I did. I still feel that Zombie is an excellent director but I am doubting his ability as a writer, at least with this film. I couldn't help but pick out the similarities in plot to an excellent film the House of the Devil only with the addition of witches and the Salem location. I still believe that Rob has his horror masterpiece still to come but this was most certainly not it.

There are more than a few theories presented during this documentary and almost all of them are at least entertaining to listen to. An exercise in stretching your brain in terms of how you view a piece of art. There is nothing concrete on display as far as information is presented and since we will never truly know what Kubrick intended with his film, it is a fun way to wonder about the many layers of subtext that the genius was certainly capable of creating.

I just read a user review marking this film as "the Exorcist for this generation" and I threw up a little in my mouth. This does not come close to any of the scares of that masterpiece. This remake had a little tension and a lot of gore. I will give them credit for trying to make us care for the kids involved (the whole drug addiction mommy issues) but I found myself wishing for Bruce Campbell throughout the entire film because he was what made the original so entertaining to watch. None of the cast had a quarter of that man's charisma. The nods were cheeky and a bit clever, but again, only made me wish I was watching the original or its sequel. I cannot find fault in others enjoying this film it really is not a bad film, as far as horror films go. But I felt like it had more than a few opportunities to separate itself from the pack and provide genuine terror. Gore, to me, is uncomfortable, and should only enhance your fear not try to provide it. I have been scared by films before with genuine tension (Vacancy and Frailty immediately jump to my mind) but this completely lacked it. Whether or not you will enjoy this film entirely depends on what you deem to be fearful.

I give the premise of the film and the acting a solid 9. Topics about education are extremely important for our society to grasp. The film itself was heavy-handed but it had to be. You cannot be subtle or make plot twists more important that the purpose of your film. While it doesn't make for the most compelling overall story possible, it does the trick that it needs to do. As a film, it wasn't perfect by any means but I would still recommend it as a viewing to anyone who cares about the state of our educational system which should be everyone. I do not think that the teacher's union portrayal was entirely accurate but like I said before, this film was from a particular point-of-view, and a passionate one that is worth viewing.

It has its moments Arkin was great, Carrey was funny most of the time, and the magic was humorously entertaining. Carrell felt miscast through most of the film, and the plot was forced and contrived like most Hollywood comedies. It didn't need to be clever but it certainly had the opportunity to do a little more than what it ended up doing. If anything, I would give it a few points for reminding me of "the Prestige" and how I really need to sit down and watch that wonderful film again.

There seem to be a lot of cynics out there who wish to view this as a simple cashgrab by Disney. While it may have some of that, the film on a whole does not suffer it. It is a most enjoyable experience in a way that the Star Wars prequel trilogy failed to achieve it does not try to live up to or surpass the greatness of the original. Rather, it tries and succeeds at using some of the magic of yesterday to tell a story for today's audience. An outright remake would have drawn poorly comparisons from the get-go, while this you could still walk into open-minded (if you don't listen to critics like Mr. Morgenstern who was just waiting for the opportunity to use a turn of the phrase in the Tin Man and make us belief that his opinions should matter. If you are getting your movie watching advice from WSJ instead of your real life friends and family first, and the actual public second well, there is no hope for you anyway). This walked a fine balance and told a suspenseful-enough tale that reminds you that magic does not have to die in your childhood.

This is a perfect noir genre film it has grit and nails, and doesn't try to weigh you down with lofty ideals or convoluted nonsense. And I am a fan of lofty ideals and convoluted nonsense. Not everything needs to be a perfect thinkpiece about violence especially when it comes to a gangster film. Detractors would probably feel the same about a Western film or a Kung Fu flick. It has its fans and that it who the film was made for. I understand why people would not like it but I don't care for Michael Bay flicks either so I go out of my way to avoid them. Smarter that way.

Any film that contains a role for John Goodman immediately gains a +2 in my book. And it does not hurt that the director is Robert Zemeckis, who directed two of my favorite films Back to the Future and Castaway (oh yeah, and that not too shabby Forrest Gump). That does not mean everything he directs will be golden, but the concept of the film and Denzel on the cast certainly intrigued me more than your average film. And Mr. Washington once again proves that he could carry a weak script with his acting ability and this was by no means a weak script. It felt long only once or twice but that was worth the more than satisfying character interaction. And the plane crash that is the centerpiece of the film was full of intensity and high suspense. That proves just how great of director Zemeckis is even though you know the outcome of the scene, you still felt as if it were in total jeopardy. Brilliant film.

The first of the film series that I really enjoyed throughout. It has a more definite British feel and sensibility about it, mixing in all of the wonder and magic that Rowling described in her series. A great blend of light and dark, with those dreary greys that can really make the magic pop on screen. I am certainly glad that they ended up changing directors - Cuaron did a job better than Colombus.

As a lover of Spaghetti Westerns (Once Upon a Time in the West is my favorite) and Tarentino films (Death Proof is my favorite), it was a no-brainer that I would enjoy this film. I was only a little surprised at how thoroughly I enjoyed it. From start to finish I was captivated. Do I think this is an absolutely great film that everyone must go see before they die? Nope. I can see where a lot of people would not enjoy it. It is not a heavy thinkpiece or a soulless action flick. It is a character driven film with great moments of high tension (I do not believe anyone does it better today than Quentin) done by someone who has a great appreciation for the art - the way he makes pouring a beer pop with sound and image is one of the few things that earn him the right as a master. I left the theater wondering when I would have the chance to go see it again.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

I enjoyed the experience but cannot help but feel that it was over-hyped. I expected something at least on level with Casino Royale, if not better from the way the critics were gushing over this thing. I will say that I enjoyed it more so than Quantum but it just did not pull me in like I thought it would. The scenes were fun in a lot of ways, but they felt disconnected, or quickly stitched together to form a plot. I enjoy Craig as Bond, and the addition of Q was good but could have been better. Javier Bardem was a great Bond villain that had potential to be excellent if not for the predictable ending.