wspeedc Reviews

Prometheus (I) (2012)

An Entertaining Movie With A Weak Connecting Plot

[6/10 · 10 June 2012]

I am going to keep this brief, and I want to start off by saying that I am not a die-hard fan of the series. However, I have always thought of the first two aliens as one of the most innovating, fun series for it's genre.

This movie was, at the end of the day, a let down for me. You mean to tell me, Mr. Scott, that the aliens indirectly spawned from humans? The same alien that was supposed to be the perfect specimen that had acid for blood? I get some of the ways the alien ultimately popped out of about 3 or 4 different species intertwining their respective character traits, but such a perfect specimen as the alien was always presented to be felt that there should have been a sense of mystery and not a direct result of different species combining (including HUMANS). It was just a let down for me. I cannot believe that the alien that has had such a dramatic effect on cinematic history would not have spawned had it not been for human intervention. That is just a let down for me. I do not know what everyone else felt, but that plot detail upset me. I loved the movie otherwise, but whenever I go back and watch the originals, I am going to try and block out this movie's plot.

X: First Class (2011)

Is Everyone Joking?

[6/10 · 6 June 2011]

So I saw all of the initial reviews and ratings about this film and was psyched to see it. Some people were saying it gave "The Dark Knight" competition for best comic book adapted film of all time. Are you kidding me? This film was just like every other X-Men movie made. There was nothing new or unique about this one. I have to admit that the film had some great potential and throughout the film I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the film to make a turn for greatness. It never came. The actors did a good job, but some of the screenplay was so flat that it took away from the film.

The difference between a film like "The Dark Knight" and "First Class" is that "The Dark Knight" brings a serious, dark, and realistic tone while "First Class" continues the same trend X-Men have always been on. There is nothing magical about this film. There were some great scenes and cameo appearances, but overall this movie let me down tremendously. I was expecting so much more from a film that got 87% from RottenTomatoes. Is everyone joking? Do not have high hopes for this one.

6/10

Ninja Assassin (2009)

IMDb Failed Me For The First Time Ever

[1/10 · 26 November 2009]

I have always relied on IMDb. I have found that any movie receiving a 7 or above has something to offer. Whether that be solid acting, a great plot, or tremendous cinematography a 7 or above meant it had something. This movie had nothing.

If you really like pointless violence then by all means go see this movie. There is plenty. The acting is beyond terrible. There are line after line of poorly delivered material waiting for you as you enjoy the only good thing about this movie, your drink. One line in particular (I cannot say what it is because it may be considered a "spoiler") brought the entire audience around me to laughing out loud. The only good part about this movie was the big guy next to me who lost it at the end of the movie because of how corny and cheesy it was.

Perhaps I should have waited for the weekend to end before seeing this movie to allow IMDb to get votes from people other than the 13 year old boys who can't get enough blood. 7.7? Hahahahaha. I don't think so.

1/10 for being the first bad movie I have seen in a very long time. IMDb has be solid until now. It wasted my money and my time. Save your money and watch College Football this weekend.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Great for what it is

[7/10 · 24 June 2009]

Everyone needs to understand that this movie is not going to be nominated for best picture of the year. Shia LaBeouf is not going to win best actor. It is a summer box office, popcorn flick. In that category this movie excelled. It could have had some better autobot/decepticon development, but the action, CGI, and humor were all better than the first. Don't give this one a 5 out of 10 because it is not The Godfather. Of course it isn't. Give it an 8 or above for its category because it definitely exceeded my expectations, and overall I was entertained. I thought that was the point of going to this movie, to be entertained.

The Dark Knight (2008)

First Comic Book Movie Worthy of Oscars

[10/10 · 18 July 2008]

The Dark Knight has been by far the most highly anticipated movie this year and arguably ever. From the trailers highlighting the Joker to the Batpod, to Heath Ledger's unfortunate death this movie has looked spectacular from the beginning. And even with all the hype and anticipation is has still exceeded expectations.

Yes, yes Heath really did steal the show with his brilliant performance, but bravo to Chris Nolan and his team for keeping the plot and footage from leaking onto YouTube. I really wanted to not hear someone tell me Batman does or doesn't die (you can make up your own mind about whether he does or doesn't because I can't spoil anything but you get my point). I had been waiting for this movie for months and months ever since the original teaser and I have to say that despite the greatness it looked to have, the trailers did not take the best footage of the movie and put all into a 2 minute clip like most awful movies need to do to get you to go see it in the first place. No, quite honestly the trailer is so unrevealing that to be honest I thought they could have exploited a few details but Thank God they didn't.

Now I will not tell you what happens with the Joker or how Batman gets the Batpod, all I can say is this movie like countless others have said is not really a comic book movie. To be honest you don't even remember you are even watching a Batman film (considering Arnold has been Mr. Freeze and we all know how that turned out). This movie takes the idea of a superhero to a whole new level. The darkness, the search within the characters, the acting, the believability. Personally the reason I liked Batman Begins so much was because Chris Nolan went to the origin, he explained things that had not been revealed before. It wasn't like all of a sudden Bale slides down a pole and he is BATMAN. No, they make a very realistic plot as to how he got his training and his gadgets. Now obviously some of his gadgets were a little far fetched but nevertheless they explained how they worked and perhaps one day in the real world they could be used effectively. This second installment picks up right where that movie left off only introduced an even more stellar cast with Ledger and Eckhart.

Now, onto the reasons I give this movie should win Oscars besides Heath's amazing performance.

1. Christopher Nolan - Best Director. I don't care if you like Batman, if you have followed Batman, or even care about Batman in any shape or form. Christopher Nolan has single handedly turned around a Batman franchise beyond disaster. We all know a little bit about Batman, but the way in which Nolan has adapted those points of view and made them realistic, dark, and believable. His introduction of IMAX cameras to major motion pictures is going to be groundbreaking. I had the privilege of seeing the movie in IMAX opening night at midnight and I kid you not when the first scene came on the screen everyone said "wow" either to themselves or aloud. Personally, I said it out loud. He has created a masterpiece and should be noted for it.

2. Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, and David Goyer - Best Screenplay. Now besides whether you like Batman or not doesn't really come into play in the film yet again with the screenplay and the story line. Their creativeness from how the Joker took control of Gotham to things I can't reveal was simply breathtaking and perfect. The characters they created and the plot they came up with was nothing but exceptional in every meaning of the term.

3. Heath Ledger - Best Supporting Actor. I don't think I need to explain this. Go see the movie.

I could go on, but I think I have made my point. Perhaps these inventors won't be nominated simply because well I guess it is Batman after all, but it is something to consider. These adaptations of Batman are serious, dark, and look and feel like a Best Picture of the Year (depending on what it is running against of course), but it is clearly not your average Spiderman or Iron Man or The Hulk. Those movies were simply popcorn movies. Nothing to them. Just action and explosions. These movies are the real deal and should be looked at in a more serious way and I believe they are with the attraction of a much older audience. I don't know how everyone's cities are doing but down in Houston the IMAX showings are going on every 3 hours and they are completely sold out through Sunday. I don't know what people are thinking when they are unsure if this will break Spiderman's record at 150+ million. This is going to shatter it and I think it will surpass Titanic for all time Box Office Income.

Movie is Flawless, Top 5 All Time Personally, Exceeded Expectations.

10/10 R.I.P. Heath Ledger

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

A Great Return...But A Few Faults

[6/10 · 22 May 2008]

Let's all be honest here...what made the originals great was the fun, adventures that Indiana set out to do. This movie was definitely entertaining and had some classic lines that simply put a smile back on your face. Reminding us of how good the originals were and what they brought to the table.

However, there are two main turn-offs that my friends and I agreed on. For starters the Nazi's were by far the coolest bad guys in the originals and I don't understand why they had to jump ahead in time and change all of that. I won't say who the bad guys are in this film because that would ruin it but I think you would agree with me. Secondly, another factor that made the originals so lovable was that Indiana sought out artifacts that historians have written accounts of that they did actually exist. The arc and the grail for instance...however, what they seek in this film that relates to the crystal skulls is one of those myths that is simply a spoof. Furthermore, Indiana always had a strong desire to go after the grail and the arc because he knew exactly what he was going for and so did the viewers. In this film no one knew what to expect the skulls were to do and it took away from the classic Indiana feel.

This film was great and I recommend it highly. If they had just kept those two things to the classics it would have been up there with the rest of them but because they didn't they simply can't match Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade (my favorites). It is definitely worth viewing though...trust me they could have butchered it, and they didn't.

8/10 I star off for each mistake.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

As Good As A Kid Movie Will Get

[7/10 · 19 May 2008]

I don't even know why I saw the first one or what made me get up and go see this picture, but something about these movies has kept me wanting another and another. It isn't a Lord of the Rings or The Godfather purely because of the kid aspect to these films, but I think of them as certainly entertaining. Walden Media has done a great job with these films and as a person who has not read the books I am extremely surprised with what they have done. I found this movie a great sequel to the first and kept me guessing about things to the end. The special effects were captivating and the plot sustained curiosity throughout. I would definitely recommend this movie to the young crowd or fans of the books because from what I have read, Walden Media has done a fantastic job of giving the books what they deserve. There isn't superb acting (although the kids have definitely improved from the first), there isn't a great cast, but these movies have kept me entertained and I think it is another along with movies such as Iron Man that have kicked the entertainment aspect of this summer off with a bang.

8/10 Great Film for the Kids

Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man vs. Batman Begins

[8/10 · 17 May 2008]

Let me start off by saying that I do indeed highly recommend Iron Man. The movie was well done, and Robert Downey was brilliant for the role. The CGI was incredible although I would have loved to have seen some more intense action scenes that dealt with Iron Man facing a more challenging opponent. The lines were great, the cast was awesome, and some of the scenes with Stark alone with his robots were priceless.

However, many people have come to say this movie is the "best comic book based movie to date". I would have to disagree. Although it was highly entertaining, Batman Begins takes the spot at the top. Iron Man was bit too unrealistic for me. I am not talking about how his suit was made but some of the scenes in the movie were a little too fake. I won't go into any details but perhaps a little more clarification on how this happened and so forth would have made the picture better. There were also some scenes that one would look at and say that would never happen (again not talking about his suit or anything in that manner). Batman Begins goes through step by step how he became who he is and what got him there. There weren't any scenes that made yourself say, "psh yeah right".

Again, highly entertaining movie and I do recommend it to kick off the summer. My advice is to stay seated through the credits...

Juno (2007)

Disappointing, Reviews/Rating Misleading

[3/10 · 19 January 2008]

Juno. A movie portrayed in the previews as being about a girl going through the decisions and difficulties of becoming pregnant is exactly what it was. I went and saw it because of the fantastic reviews it had received but wow they were a little misleading.

The actors and especially Ellen Page did a fantastic job with their characters, however, the parents although lovable at times were completely unrealistic about the whole issue. Not even a tear drop or a little yell which one would expect from the parents if they found out their child had become pregnant at the age of 16.

Overall the film, I thought, was funny and at times worth the price of admission, but to think the rating was a 9 and potentially up there with No Country for Old Men was completely misleading. It had humor at times and some touching scenes but was not some kind of remarkable masterpiece as people had portrayed it to be. One of my friends commented before seeing the movie, based on the previews, as being about, "Some girl who gets pregnant and has to deal with the issues of it, doesn't seem interesting to me." Unfortunately, he couldn't have summed it up any better. I gave it a 3 just to bring the 9 star rating down realistically I would give it a 6 or 7 just because the acting was there. The plot turned me away.

Transformers (2007)

Remarkably Surprising, Fun for Anyone

[9/10 · 27 August 2007]

It is hard to put into words what this movie is. At first the movie starts out making you think it is going to be some childish kids movie, but almost 1 min in you realize there is a lot more to be had here. This movie was Michael Bay's best yet. It combines the sick special effects with hilarious commentary and characters you fall in love with. Despite all my friend's saying Shia LaBeouf is a terrible actor in regards to "Holes", his performance was amazing. He made people laugh. I also thought some of the military aspects of the movie were impressive, some of the weapons and aircraft they used are not even in military production yet. The fight jets used for example. This movie had everything, from bad ass army officials to hot Megan Fox. This movie is worth seeing more than once. It ain't a stupid robot film by any means. This film has a lot "more than meets the eye".

War (2007)

Ending...?

[6/10 · 26 August 2007]

I thought the movie had a very intriguing plot. It was well thought out and held the suspense to the end. Although you can realize that Jet Li is actually Jason Statham's partner the reason for why or how is left for you to ponder till the end. I thought however despite the plot the action was blurred by the constant camera motion that allowed the average person to be unable to appreciate/follow the fights. Lastly, the ending was a disappointment in my opinion. It was straight out of Brokeback Mountain and there was not a final clash between Li and Statham which I think my friends and I would have enjoyed. The movie left me thinking only about how bad the ending was rather than appreciating the plot and the movie prior to the final scene. I thought the movie was very interesting however if you are looking for an amazing action film this one leaves you wanting more.