jacob-l-williams Reviews

The Big Lebowski (1998)

A Perfect Comedy?

[10/10 · 13 July 2010]

The Big Lebowski is one of my favourite films and it is the sort of film you can watch over and over again and each time it gets better and even funnier, nearly every element of this film is made for a joke in some way and it is these deep-rooted jokes that make the film. It is so well written that a majority of the jokes aren't even noticed first time you watch, but then watching again you pick up on them and next time there's more.

I've seen the film about six times and I have to say I have laughed more each time I have watched it as I discover more and more jokes.

It is honestly hard to think of a bad thing about this film, Jeff Bridges heads a fantastic cast with some simply brilliant acting; and all potential narrative loopholes are cleared up by the end.

The Co-en Brothers are fantastic filmmakers and I am shocked that this film did not win more awards or get more acclaim at the time.

9/10

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009 Video)

So bad its almost good... almost being the word

[4/10 · 13 July 2010]

If you enjoy watching films with a strong plot, a good script, good acting and good special effects, I would not recommend this film, if however you like the opposite this film is fantastic.

Nothing in the film is believable and the beauty of the whole thing is that it tries to be. I honestly am unsure if a film can be made this badly by accident, it must surely have been done purposefully, I mean sure they probably had a low budget but still many films have been made fantastically with next to nothing.

The main plot is simple; a mega Shark and a Giant Octopus have been stuck in a sheet of ice for two million years, global warming unleashes them and the audience is allowed to watch the destruction they cause with the Shark leaping out of the air and eating an airplane with the funniest "Holy S**T' acting I have ever seen... ever, the Octopus meanwhile doesn't like airplanes to decides to destroy a Japanese Oil rig, with a guy with an Australian accent playing the only Japanese survivor!!!

But the main plot is not the only funny party, the sub-plot romance is also fantastic funny when she says "I'm going for a walk" in the least seductive way ever I was in hysterics.

The film is so bad its almost good.

4/10

Predators (2010)

Surprisingly good

[6/10 · 13 July 2010]

Now before I begin the review of the newest Predators film, I have to admit that I haven't seen any of the previous Alien or Predator films as the whole idea of Alien's attacking humans is something that has never really interested me, it is for that reason that when I began to watch the newest one I had no idea to what to expect and I have to say it was a pleasant surprise.

From the outset the narrative is obviously incredibly lame; ten random humans are dropped in a jungle by 'Predators' an alien species and try to steal the spaceship... not exactly original, however what the narrative lacks is made up for in other areas. The acting is all good with Adrien Brody being another surprise showing his diversity in order to pull off an action hero role which after watching him The Pianist I didn't think he would pull off. The directing by Nimrod Antal is also very good and you can definitely see elements of his previous work in Vacancy as the film plays out.

The action sequences are superbly done with the right amount of cuts and tension and I have to say I was really enjoying myself until the Predators came into the film. The Predators for me ruined the film as they were a big disappointment for what they where, maybe if I had seen the previous versions with them in I would have expected this but I did not and I just thought they seemed really stupid and pointless with the heat vision etc. It feels really random to say that The Predators are the worst part of a film titled Predators but if I'm honest its true, before their introduction the film is building well and I was asking loads of questions about why they where 'chosen' and what exactly was hunting them, then to discover that they where chosen just so some aliens could play a game just seem ridiculous.

Predators is a good film, far from great but good and I now know what to expect from the Alien and Predator movies and although I don't think I'll go looking to watch them, if I see that ones on TV I might take the time to watch and who knows could become a massive fan.

7/10

The Man in the Iron Mask (I) (1998)

Lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame lame

[2/10 · 13 July 2010]

The Man in The Iron Mask is one of a few films I have seen that has more negatives than positive aspects to it and worse unlike some terrible films such as 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' and 'Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus' this film attempts to be good and some people see it as being good.

With the opening 'The film is based on a legend however the following is true... a Man in An Iron Mask was imprisoned in France in 1662', I was tempted to turn it off, but I decided this is only the start and the film does have some good actors so maybe it will save itself. However it did not. The script was appalling, a majority of the acting worse, John Malkovich was okay in his role and with the bad lines he was being forced to tell and Leonardo Di Caprio was probably the best in the role of Phillipe; although he was also the worst in the role of Louis, honestly who decided to cast a guy who did brilliant in the naive roles of Jack from Titanic and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet in the role of an arrogant king. It was just so unbelievable.

At so many points during the film I let out groans, it was just painful and then the ending with the whole father-son thing I was actually on the verge of sleep.

Honestly the only thing that saves this film from getting a 1 is Di Caprio as Phillippe. DO NOT watch this film... its a waste of time.

2/10

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

One of the most romantic films ever?

[6/10 · 3 July 2010]

Eclipse the third in the 'Twilight Saga' as it is now called is by far the best one of the three films. As I wrote in my review for the two former films they were both beautifully filmed and acted but I didn't really connect with the characters and found it all to be a bit slow, in Eclipse this is not the case.

The beauty of the other two is still there; once again the colour is immense with the scenes in the snow often hurting my eyes which is a good thing, I just don't understand why more filmmakers aren't abusing colour in the way Twilight because in the films its really effective. The soundtrack is also good with Muse, Metric and Florence & The Machine (three brilliant bands) all putting there music down for this.

What this film does better is that unlike the other two it actually starts straight away and you are instantly intrigued by this newborn vampire. However it is not this that gets me, it was the pure romance on display all the way through the film. Now I'm generally not the biggest fan of romance but this inter-species love is portrayed in a way that you couldn't help but feel for the characters, the way its done is far better than in the other two and the three main actors are growing into their characters with each film.

The only let down is that like the others Bella - played by Kristen Stewart - comes across as a total bitch when she says the line "I love you both" I actually felt really angry and wanted to throw something at the screen, I do not believe it's possible too love two people so obviously she doesn't love either of them or is lying to one.

Other than this minor let down though it is by far the best of the three and I have to say I am looking forward to the final installment because I know that even if the plot like in the previous is rubbish I will be able to admire the beauty of what can be achieved in colour and cinematography with modern technology.

8/10

Twilight (I) (2008)

Beautifully made. just a shame its a ridiculous idea.

[6/10 · 3 July 2010]

I have read all the Twilight books and as I read them I couldn't help thinking that the prose within them is beautifully written with the complex language but the whole idea of a 'vegetarian vampire' and a girl being in love with it is kind of ridiculous.

Twilight the film is the same, the dialogue is perfect, it has some of the best cinematography I have seen and the use of colour all the way through astounded me, the green of the forest actually had my jaw drop as yes it is probably one of the most beautiful films I have seen in a way thats really hard to describe. However much like the book I couldn't feel any sort of emotion towards the characters, throughout Kristen Stewart's 'Bella' comes across as a total bitch and I just couldn't see round it. Robert Pattinson as 'Edward' is a character who is too emotional, I just think you know if you're a vampire whose been alive (well technically dead) for 100 years killing people and seeing suffering then you wouldn't get so upset over some high school girl.

I know thats there's supposed to be some sort of connection between the two characters I just didn't get that and it all seemed a bit drained, at some points I literally just sat there admiring the camera-work as that is by far the best part of this film.

Thoroughly disappointed

6/10

The Great Escape (1963)

A Great way to Escape reality and live in prisoner of war camp

[10/10 · 3 July 2010]

The Great Escape is a fantastic film that I have seen many times and love more each time I watch it, from the very start you can tell that what you are watching is something special as it is based on a true story and that is what makes this so amazing.

The idea that an escape can happen as it does in the film astounds me and makes me realise how much stronger people during WWII had to be... if I was put in a camp and asked to escape I would have no idea how and would never think of digging three tunnels, I would be screwed because the younger generation is bought up not having to know things like this, everything is given to us and after watching the film I always wish I had had a tougher upbringing.

The film itself is obviously the most iconic World War II film of all time, and since its realise there have been many films that use the same idea for example Escape To Victory and the TV show Prison Break, both of these are fantastic but do not live up to the epicness of the original, I honestly believe that the Steve McQueen motorbike chase scenes is one of the best made scenes of this type that has and probably will ever be made.

All of the performances are great and the famous music fits the ideas of the film perfectly; but as I have said its the fact that the events are real that makes this film great.

I would like to dedicate this review to those fifty who died as even though they were killed in a disgusting fashion and should have survived they will always be remembered as people watch this fantastic film.

8/10

Dogma (1999)

Brilliantly funny religious satire

[9/10 · 30 June 2010]

Dogma is a film which is made for the sole purpose of highlighting the absurdities of religion and people blind faith in God. It does this through the use of comedy and what can only be called blasphemy of Christianity.

The film claims Jesus was a black man but the people who translated the Bible where racist, it also claims God to be a woman and that the same people are sexist. However the way in which it makes these claims is in a way so absurd that I think its nearly impossible for anyone to be offended, it is not meant to be harsh on religious people it is merely Kevin Smith's way of exploring the subject of religion in a comic way.

The acting in the film is all good, but director Kevin Smith as Silent Bob, and Alan Rickman as the Metratron are the two stand outs, even though Rickman only has about two minutes on screen, and Smith says all of two words.

Many of the funniest moments in this film are stolen from other films for example when Silent Bob throws Loki and Bartleby off the train looks at the passengers and says 'No Ticket.' I instantly knew it was the same joke used in one of the Indiana Jones films although I can't remember which one, however this doesn't matter I knew the joke sure but in the new context it still made me life, particularly as this was the first and only line Silent Bob has in the entire film.

The only let down of the film is perhaps the sub-plot of the Jason Lee as the evil Azrael is a little under-developed and amongst everything that was going on I kind of forgot about him until his showdown at the end with the Holy Bartender joke which is hilarious.

Dogma is a fantastic film with good performances, a great script and unlike many of other comedies something to say about society. If you want to have a good laugh at God and the Bible then definitely watch this film; if you are a religious fanatic then perhaps watch something else as this could be very offensive.

9/10

Coyote Ugly (2000)

Almost good... but in ultimately ugly.

[7/10 · 30 June 2010]

Coyote Ugly is a film that I have to admit I was looking forward to watching, I'm not normally a fan of rom-coms, but this film had been described to me as a raunchy teen drama so I thought it was worth a watch. However imagine my disappointment when I realised it was basically just a boy meet girl film all over again only with a bar where girls dance and sing.

After 15 minutes I was bored and ready to turn it off when there came a scene that made me stick around to watch the rest, the scene is when Violet is having breakfast and the other "coyotes" walk in. The scene isn't a fantastic one but it was enough to keep me watching and I have to admit I enjoyed the film for a small time in the middle.

It was thrilling to watch the girls dance of the bar and the way in which customers where served and pelted with water if they ordered it, it was just a shame to see it ruined so soon and revert back to the badly written rom-com it had begun.

The last ten minutes are in all honesty probably the worst last ten minutes of a film I have seen in a long time, honestly beginning with the toll booths stupid light flashing, the ridiculous u-turn the turning off the power; then Le-Ann Rhymes appearing and everyone being happy it was stupid and to end the film with the biggest cliché of all other than a freeze frame... a slow motion kiss, was ridiculous and took away all the enjoyment I had from the mid-section of the film.

This film is not raunchy and it is not a teen drama, my friend has lied to me and I cannot help feeling that nearly two hours of my life has been completely wasted and wish I had turned it off after the appalling start.

5/10

Death at a Funeral (2010)

Completely pointless remake

[4/10 · 30 June 2010]

Death At A Funeral is a remake of what is a fantastic British comedy about a funeral service where everything goes wrong. The original is brilliantly funny, well acted and the jokes work perfectly with what is a great script.

It's such a shame that the same script can be ruined so badly by a Hollywood remake of a film less than three old that didn't and shouldn't have been remade.

Now I can understand the point of some remakes for example Tim Burton re-creating Charlie and The Chocolate Factory for a new generation, but Burton didn't take the script from the original and he didn't make the film until like 30ish years later (thats a guess I don't know when the original. I can also understand why Hollywood remake foreign films because a majority of people will not go and read subtitles for an hour and a half. I just cannot understand why they wanted to remake Death At A Funeral and even more so why to keep the same script and add in about two extra jokes.

Now I do believe that if an audience member where to see this without having seen the original they would find it funny, I even laughed twice. However if they were then to see the original I think they would still laugh more. The original is better in pretty much every way apart from the amount of money its made.

Completely pointless and if you want to buy the DVD just make sure its the original you click on and not this piece of rubbish.

4/10

Ali G Indahouse (2002)

Not Ali A, not Ali B, not Ali C, not Ali D, not Ali....... E, not Ali.... erm.... F, but Ali G!

[8/10 · 27 June 2010]

Ali G Indahouse is a fantastic film that makes me laugh every-time I see it, the way that Sacha Baron Cohen can create characters that really stereotype what he is attacking and still be funny is one of his greatest aspects, and in the film he perfectly portrays a London chav.

The film has so many funny moments that it would impossible to mention them all and so as not to ruin it for potential viewers I'm not going to mention any, but nearly every line is packed with some sort of witticism and yet still teach the audience about restecp.

The only downside of the film is that I just found some of the support acting (other than Cohen who plays Ali G) to be too over the top for example Charles Dance as the evil MP was just too exaggerated to be as funny as he could have been, but this is just a minor let down on a fantastic film that I have watched several times and will watch several times more over the years, it gives a great sense of what can be achieved by British filmmakers if they have confidence in their own ability.

8/10

Eraserhead (1977)

Really don't know what to write.

[9/10 · 27 June 2010]

I am a big fan of Luis Bunuel surrealism films and have heard David Lynch takes Bunuel to a different level so when I rented Eraserhead I was looking forward to something Bunuel like that made some serious points about American society.

What I got was a film that is highly confusing and has made a massive impact on the way I see life but I can't really explain how, there are several images from the film that have stuck with me and will probably haunt me for years such as the deformed baby being sick.

The film is intriguing, disgusting and confusing but I am left having returned the DVD wishing I could watch it again to try and make some sort of sense from it, however I don't know that that would improve my enjoyment.

As you can tell by the way I'm going on (and the title of the post) I am just writing because I made a promise to review every film I watch and this is by far the hardest one of written... what can you say about a film that has such a massive effect on the way I think and see things yet for no real reason....

At some point I will watch it again and my re-review it but until then

8/10

Air Force One (1997)

What would happen if Indiana Jones became the President of America.

[7/10 · 24 June 2010]

After watching Air Force One, I felt as I thought I would feel before watching (if that makes sense). I knew before I put it on that it was a Hollywood action film about the Presidential aircraft and that Harrison Ford played the President, so going from there I guessed what the plot of the film would be and pretty much got it right. I watched expecting to feel an adrenaline rush in the fight scenes, be shocked by lots of guns firing and explosions; whilst still being able to laugh at the occasional moment, I was not disappointed.

It begins with an action scene and a big explosion, then the action goes away to give the characters some characterization and the terrorists a motive, then once the plane is hijacked its all guns blazing in what is basically a standard action film and exactly what is expected, except for one thing, being a massive Indiana Jones fan; I found it hard to take Harrison Ford seriously as the President, especially when he was getting in fights that where at times filmed in a very Indiana style, for example when he is falling from the parachute ramp is something straight from one of the Indie movies.

The other slight problem I had with this film was its failure to explain little details... like the President is shoved in an escape hatch which is deployed (presumably with the President in), yet somehow he manages to get out and we see him crawling out from the top of a door, which I found very confusing. As an audience member in Hollywood films I find I have to turn off my film brain to watch them, but moments like this turn my film brain back on and this annoys me as I then can't enjoy the film for a while.

So another Hollywood action blockbuster which is exactly what's expected ; if you like the sound of watching Indiana Jones as President with more explosions and less one-on-one combat this film is for you. If you want a film that makes you think and will change your life then perhaps not.

7/10

Jaws (1975)

Spielberg the master of audience manipulation?

[10/10 · 22 June 2010]

After watching Jaws for the first time in about ten years I can honestly say that I forgot what a fantastic film it is and that modern days films should look at this as a guide to how to make a film.

This film is near perfection in everything, the acting is good (not great but believable), there is a mix of nearly every genre in the script and narrative and there are some shots that have become iconic in film history, the special effects on the Shark are also awesome; better than some of the CGI in modern films.

From the very start when the girl is eaten late at night Spielberg knows exactly how he wants the audience to feel and with a beautiful score from John Williams and a some good camera work and editing he pulls it off perfectly, in a way only Spielberg can... I've noticed this is many of his films but it is most obvious in this. Spielberg can turn an audience from crying with laughter to jittering with fear in a matter of seconds and that it why this film must be admired.

I normally try to come up with some sort or criticism for a film no matter how good when writing a review, but I honestly cannot think of anything except that it didn't win more Oscars, although if I'm correct it was up against One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest another fantastic film that stole all the awards.

Jaws is a perfect thriller, action, comedy, horror, romance film in which you surrender you emotions completely to Spielberg and can lose yourself for two hours of pure enjoyment.

9/10

American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009 Video)

Stupid, ridiculous and completely unfunny

[3/10 · 22 June 2010]

I didn't have high hopes for American Pie Book Of Love when I watched it, however I did expect like Naked Mile and Band Camp to be mildly amused for an hour and a half and for it to have a least some originality. However after the opening ten minutes I knew I had made a bad decision, the acting was horrible and all the jokes where either stolen from a previous American Pie film or just completely ridiculous... what is amusing about someone being raped by a moose? or killing an old lady?

The acting however was probably the worst part, with all the leads being so terrible that I won't even bother to look up their names, the stand out performance was by Louisa Lytton who comes from Eastenders, she had about ten lines but I was surprised how well she pulled off her character.

If you like unfunny, ridiculous, regenerated comedy then watch this film, however if you like funny and original (at the time) comedy watch the first American Pie or American Pie 2 as both of these are far far superior to the newest addition which barely deserves the American Pie name.

3/10

Snatch (2000)

Guy Ritchie does British movies like no-one else

[9/10 · 14 June 2010]

Snatch the second film which Guy Ritchie made is basically a bigger budget remake of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels... however that is not a bad thing considering how good Lock Stock is.

Right from the start with Turkish introducing all the other characters and the shot of Turkish and Tommy sitting across the table it is obvious exactly who directed the film and that obviously makes Guy Ritchie an auteur.

The film is a fantastic mix of comedy, violence and swearing that are at the heart of proper British films, and from the start was laughing and enthralled in the drama and the twists and turns in the plot that happen in a way which is totally unpredictable and ironic in so many ways.

The performances are all very good but I have to say in this film Brad Pitt shows what a fantastically diverse actor he is and if before the film I would never have believed the Brad Pitt could play a Gypsy as convincingly as he did and his performance as to be the stand out.

As I say the only downside would probably that being such a big fan of Lock Stock parts of this movie seemed almost too similar which is a shame really because if I hadn't seen the former this film would be like nothing else I've ever seen and would probably getting a rating of 9 or maybe even 10 like Lock Stock.

Snatch a fantastic British film by a fantastic British director and is thoroughly enjoyable.

8/10

The Hangover (2009)

Fantastic comedy brilliantly made

[8/10 · 13 June 2010]

The Hangover is a comedy which you can watch over and over and still find in it funny things you've never noticed before; from the opening scenes it is instantly hilarious and it is the first film in a long time that has actually made me laugh out loud.

The absurdities of the situations that the characters got in the night before cover over some of the plot loop-holes (and there are many like what happened to the guy at the wedding place who got shot and how did they know where Mike Tyson lived?). These are just a few of many things that let it down, however not enough to ruin the experience.

The Hangover has fast become one of my favourite films to watch when I'm ill it is now in the list of comedies that I enjoy to make me feel better along with Johnny English, Dude Where's My Car, Monty Python's Life Of Brian and Mike Basset: England Manager; it has become one of my five favourite comedy genre films.

The only other bad thing is that all of my other favourite comedies are much more satirical, they were made with a purpose of attacking something and getting some sort of social point across to the audience for example Life of Brian attacks the trivialities of religion and the fickleness of human nature. In The Hangover there is none of this, the narrative has no depth, granted it is very very funny, but once the jokes are taken away it is nothing at all.

The film's script and narrative are incredibly well devised so that even when there are no slapstick jokes there are so many witty things that the characters say it doesn't matter.

The Hangover is in essence everything a comedy should be; it makes the audience laugh consistently and is easy to watch and enjoy whilst offering no real depth and making no points.

8/10

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Rather amusing

[7/10 · 11 June 2010]

Having just watched Grosse Pointe Blank I have to say I am rather impressed, prior to viewing the film on Sky TV I have to be honest and say I'd never heard of it and literally watched it just because it was on.

But I have to say I was very impressed and I think for me the film was a success in many ways. Firstly and probably most importantly for a comedy it made me laugh, now I was not in hysterics at any point in the film but I was chuckling and smiling as the dialogue contained some great witticisms and the acting was good.

Another good point is that the film's narrative kept me interested all the way through, as other reviewers have said it is rather unpredictable yet predictable at the same time. What I mean is that certain things happened which when watching were rather surprising, however when you think back it is quite obvious that it was going to happen in that way (I don't want to ruin the film by using an example as the most obvious one comes right at the end :P.)

The soundtrack was also impressive with loads of 80's songs that I love such as The Clash, The Cure and Guns 'n' Roses, there were also a few songs I liked during the film such as Blister In The Sun by Violent Femmes and since watching I have downloaded.

A fourth way this film is a success is that I managed to connect on a personal level with what is going on, now I am just finishing my A- Levels so in September will leave home for good (hopefully) and this film made me wonder what it would be like if my school did a re-union in ten years, it made me think who would be successful, who wouldn't. What will I be doing? The one thing I know for sure is that I'm not going to be an assassin.

The bad points of this film are small but I think major ones, the government agents sent to kill Blank are pretty pointless in the scale of the narrative and have no real purpose, they're not funny and they leave their car for about thirty seconds in the entire movie. The second is the way in which Blank's friend just accepts that his old high school buddy has just killed someone and helps dispose of the body no questions asked... that just seemed a little far fetched even in the context of this far fetched movie.

So the film Grosse Pointe Blank is an amusing comedy with good acting and a good soundtrack. It is not the best film ever made but for what it is I think it is a success and it did make me think about my life and my future.

7/10

Michael Clayton (2007)

Pretty standard thriller... but why did George go the horses?

[6/10 · 8 June 2010]

Michael Clayton is a dark tense thriller movie about Michael Clayton (played by George Clooney) a law firms 'fixer' and how he slowly uncovers the corrupt business behind it.

The film is well made, written and acted, the plot has some interesting twists, however when watching it all felt kind of dull to me. I could see as I watched it that the acting was good and that the director was doing everything right to create the tension and confusion which he was obviously aiming for and yet I never really connected to the characters or the story-line.

The film started off well and shows Clooney going about his job before getting upset driving into the country and then for no apparent reason pulling over and going up to some horses in a field, his car then explodes and the narrative takes a flash-back four days, as the filmmaker then tells us how Clooney got to where he is. However when the narrative reaches the point where Clooney is once again in the field, it is not explained why he gets out of the car and goes to see the horses and that really annoyed me. Any other day Clooney's character would have died and I just felt like the director of the film was trying to think up a reason for Clooney to leave his car and then looked out of the window saw some horses and was like 'yeah they'll do'

Michael Clayton then is a film which I did enjoy at parts but which failed to make an impact and annoyed me when a key plot point was left unexplained.

This movie has all everything a great film should have and yet somehow doesn't reach greatness which is something I am rather disappointed about.

6/10

Road Trip: Beer Pong (2009 Video)

Typical American Pie rip off

[5/10 · 8 June 2010]

Road Trip: Beer Pong is once again another rip off American Pie.

It is that bad that even after the movie I thought I'd just seen the sequel to Sex Drive and searched for that to write my review.

Now I have no seen the original Road Trip but after watching the sequel I think it would be pretty pointless.

This film is funny in places and did actually make me laugh a couple of times, but a majority of the jokes where regenerated and predictable so in fact most of the film is a giant cliché.

For starters its the type of film that Ashton Kutcher would have done in his youth, and seeing as he is now too old and too expensive the director thought lets go online and find a lookalike, their search obviously came up Michael Trotter, and the director thought 'you know who cares if this guy can't act he looks like someone who can, give him a main part so the idiots who watch out crappy film think its Ash'. So thats what they did, and I was one of the idiots; the first time this guy came on screen I did think for a split second that it was Ashton; and believe it or not I was excited, Kutcher is great actor in my opinion with both Dude Where's My Car and the Butterfly Effect (the first one) being fantastic films. Unfortunately his look alike possesses not talent and killed the film.

A good point about the film is they did attempt to bring some originality for example the whole CIA kidnapping was rather amusing and I like the satirisation of the torture system into listening to 'techno music'. I also enjoyed the beer pong tricks that although I know didn't actually happened but where tricks of the camera where pretty awesome.I also liked the sections withe storyteller chatting up the girl and her mum but the jokes in these sections where not made big enough if you ask me.

So in general if you like your teen search for sex films which are predictable yet funny go and watch American Pie instead of Sex Drive: Beer Pong. Oh crap I got the title wrong again didn't I... I mean Road Trip: Beer Pong.

5/10

Rocky (1976)

Zero to Hero movie defined

[9/10 · 7 June 2010]

Rocky defines for me everything that film should be about, the plot is simple but engaging, it is well filmed; it mixes action, drama, romance and comedy perfectly, and the acting although not spectacular is good.

In this film Sylvester Stallone shows not only his talented acting, but also his writing skills, some of the dialogue in this film is fantastically well written.

The movie is probably not the first, but the oldest 'zero to hero' genre that I have seen and so I believe that this defines that genre and elements of Rocky can be seen in major films every day, most particularly the use of montage. The montage is Rocky ending with him celebrating at the top of the steps is one of the most famous scenes in film and if you ask 100 people to name a film with a montage in probably 90 of them would say Rocky with the other 10 mentioning Team America.

From the outset of the film when Rocky is fighting Spider, it was clear to me that I was in for an epic film experience and I was not disappointed, the troubled life of Rocky mixed with his love for the shy Adrian and want to win the fight. Captivated me for two hours and nothing could have stopped me watching until the end.

As for the ending I think it is good that Rocky does not win as it shows that being a hero does not necessarily mean winning but trying your hardest and doing yourself proud.

So whilst I will say that this is not one of my favourite films, it is definitely a fantastic piece of cinema which everyone should view at least once in their lives as it is inspirational.

8/10

4.3.2.1. (2010)

Noel Clarke... a fantastic British auteur

[7/10 · 6 June 2010]

4 3 2 1 is the latest film to come from the mind of Noel Clarke and right from the start it is obviously a film by him.

The same snappy editing seen in Adulthood is once again present and the use of quick cuts to disorientate and confuse the audience is once again put to effective use in this intriguing and very well told story.

The film is the type of film that I do not expect the mass public to like and pay to see, it is anti-main stream and proud. The narrative shows three days in the life of each of the four main girls as they each go about their business, it follows one girl at a time before rewinding and following a different girl, each time more being revealed about the characters and the situation.

The film has little real plot as it is more of a character study of women (and crime) in Britain and has no real ending with a sort of cliff hanger that fails. A majority of the acting is also quite poor as the leads fail to give their characters the depth needed, the stand out performers are Ophelia Lovibond as the shy and troubled Shannon, and Noel Clarke in his role as the main villain.

However despite all this it is still a film that I thoroughly enjoyed as Clark has once again written a script that captures drama and mixes it with comedy and has also used many techniques to give this film a very sleek finish and make it enjoyable to watch. I also enjoyed watching all the little cameos of famous people such as Ben Miller, Eve and Plan B.

So in general if you take this film as a film then it is a failure in terms of narrative and performance, but very well made. However if like Clarke's previous films you view it as a social study on Britain it is very effective as within the four story lines Clarke tackles many subjects which young people in London encounter every day such as abortion, divorce, crime, drugs and even homosexuality (in a rather raunchy lesbian sex scene). The score helps Clarke put across his views on society as much like in Adulthood all of the songs are by contemporary R'n'B artists that perspective audience members will know and be able to connect to.

After watching this I have to say that Clarke is become more defined in his film-making and script-writing abilities with each film he makes and the auteuristic qualities he brings to a film particularly in the editing; I just wish that one time he could hire some decent actors.

7/10

Thunderball (1965)

Great start, lame middle, good ending... a typical Bond movie

[5/10 · 3 June 2010]

Thunderball is a perfect example of everything that a Bond movie should be and upon viewing this film it is clear how all twenty or so films have been so successful.

The film mixes action with comedy and romance to portray the life of someone who is in essence an assassin. However the film for me brought nothing new to the Bond films as some of the other have done.

Now you may say to me that it did bring something new to the Bond genre because it was only the fourth film and I have seen many of the others before this, but I have recently begun watching them in order and of the four this is by the far the poorest. The action does not live up that in Dr. No, it is not as witty as From Russia With Love and Sean Connery's performance is nowhere near the standard he reached in Goldfinger. Even the girl in this one does not reach the same standard of beauty.

When I turned on this film, like most Bond films I was enticed by the scene before the titles that sets up the film and once again the Titles themselves were impressive and the song sung by Tom Jones is as good a theme as any. However after the initial excitement the film seemed to turn into a drag out of underwater scene followed by underwater scene, now I know that at the time this underwater action was cutting edge but I still find it a bit extreme and can see why people refer to Thunderball not by it's title but as 'The Underwater Bond'. After this tedious middle it does pick up when Bond escapes through the carnival and the final underwater fight scene and the part on the boat are also impressive, it's just a shame it couldn't reach a consistent level.

So overall the film is typical for a Bond nothing particularly special but if you are a fan of the James Bond action, romance, witticism in your films you will enjoy it but maybe not love it.

An average film so 5/10 :)

Con Air (1997)

Good action but Nicolas Cage is disappointing

[7/10 · 2 June 2010]

Having just watched Con Air I think the film was everything that I expected there were several good performances, John Malkovich and John Cusack stand out, but Steve Buscemi is also good.

There is also a lot of action which is beautifully directed and gets the adrenaline rushing, the only disappoint was in my view the performance by Nicolas Cage, however this did not particularly surprise me as I am yet to be impressed by his acting. Tell me a person who speaks with a stupid accent thats hard to understand and shows next to no emotion is a good actor? Well loads of people seem to think so, I believe while Nic Cage isn't a bad actor he just seems to be very average and overrated by the mass population.

However having such a poor lead did not ruin my enjoyment of the film, it just made the emotional speeches drag on a bit as I didn't feel anything for what he was saying.

So in conclusion if you like a fast-pace action film with more twists and turns than the spaghetti junction and good supporting actors then watch this, if you want to see a fantastic lead performance don't.

17 Again (2009)

Easy laughs but lacks any sort of originality

[4/10 · 1 June 2010]

Having just watched 17 again I have to say it did exactly what I expected it to do.

It was easy to watch, the plot was simple to follow, the acting average and several moments that made me laugh which is after all its aim. However right from the start I just has a sense that I had seen everything in this before, for example there is a scene where Zac Efron has been knocked out and wakes up thinking it's all been a dream only to discover it is not his wife by his side but his daughter; remind you of the scene from Back To The Future after Marty has been run over... its even filmed using the same camera shots!!!

Now I don't want to spoil any more of these moments for people watching at home, but this film represents exactly what's wrong with a majority of Hollywood filmmakers, they are given money to recreate films that have been made. Next week a remake of Death At A Funeral comes out and people are already raving about its originality with no idea that a probably better version was released 3 years ago.

Anyway that was off topic, in conclusion I would say that 17 Again is the sort of film you should take a girl to see on a first date... it's easy to watch you'll both get enjoyment from it and it has a happy ending, its just a shame that like so many others it lacks creativity or actually any point at all.

4/10