Entertainment

Movie Reviews I've Posted on the Internet Movie DataBase

I'm not often moved to write movie reviews, so those I've included here by no means represent all the movies I could have commented upon. If I'm sufficiently inspired, have the inclination and more importantly have the time, then I put fingers to keyboard.

Chugyeogja (2008) aka The Chaser
Eat Your Heart Out Hollywood. 07 January 2009
5/10

ChugyeogjaEat your heart out Hollywood. Watched this movie with English subs which usually detracts from fully enjoying any movie. In this case I didn’t even notice them. The new generation of Hollywood directors really need to watch this movie and get their notebooks out. I will be on the lookout for more movies by this talented South Korean director.

Chase scenes where the chased and the chaser really get exhausted, fight scenes where it’s not just an exchange of clean Queensbury rules punches, not one Kung-Fu kick or triple somersault in sight, anti-heroines who would come through gung-ho Hollywood style, but don’t quite make it.

Not perfect, but it’s some time since I saw a movie in this genre that really got it right, no horror for horrors sake, no out and out sex, violence tempered by the limitations of the perpetrators and realistic relationships between people living in a community that match exactly the community in which they live.

Just one final word on the soundtrack; excellent.

I give this movie the highest score I have ever awarded to any movie on IMDB, 9+.

 

Teeth (2007)
A Gentle and Sensitive Movie. 05 January 2009
5/10

I found this to be a gentle and sensitive movie. True it did tend to cast males as all being potential rapists and it was a little farfetched suggesting that there are 16 year old virgins in the USA, but apart from those two errors the director did a magnificent job bringing an ancient myth up-to-date. As for it being labeled a horror movie, well if you are like any of the male characters in the movie then I guess it might be [and I guess you could label every 'BJ' porn flick horror as well.  

Anyone who was disappointed with this movie should watch it again free of the pre-conceptions they probably had first time round. This time appreciate the directors groundwork and the way that every element of the movie has a beginning, a meaning and a conclusion. Even the ending puts most of 2008’s movie offerings to shame. It even begs a Teeth 2 with a less than innocent ex-virgin dealing with guys who don't know how to keep their secret, secret.

7+ out of 10

PS. Loved the sponsored ad for Listerine on the IMDB 'Teeth' movie page [at the time I viewed it].

If you have never bought this movie and you have no 'copyright credit' from bought media duplicates, you can get it here: Amazon.com

Anyone who has bought a copy of this title previously and wants a backup copy or who has bought duplicate copies of singles, albums, compact cassettes, 8 track cassettes, CD's etc. and has paid for the copyright twice or more times for the same media and is 'in copyright credit' in this respect and your sense of fair play demands recompense, the bit torrent for this movie is available here: Isohunt.com

 

Deception (2008)
A movie spoiled by one of the worst endings of the year., 19 September 2008
6/10

DeceptionI have to say I found this movie to be reasonably entertaining, like most of the audience I was initially taken in by the charms of Hugh Jackman, though I did catch on fairly early that the movie had to live up to its name. Ewan McGregor was a believable accountant and his American accent was excellently underplayed, with no trace of his native Scottish. Generally speaking the performances of all the players were acceptable.

The plot is as someone else mentioned fairly obvious, but sometimes that's not always a bad thing, some movies in this genre are sometimes just a bit too clever, overly complicated and only really good on a second watching. The thing that really spoils this movie is the appalling ending. Having set up the identity switch and the 'frame' connecting Jonathan to the murder of the girl, Interpol moving in at the end to arrest the bogus Jonathan and shooting him in the process would have been sweet justice. Instead we have to endure a rapid succession of blatant movie blunders.

  1. No bank, even in 21st century Spain would allow anyone in packing a gun and silencer.
  2. It is extremely unlikely that 'S' would be able to acquire a gun within two days of arriving in Madrid, and why should she think she would require one?
  3. No one would realistically walk away from $20,000,000, especially after having gone to so much trouble.
  4. The final re-meeting and corny ending is just pure schmaltz and un-necessary.  

 

Potentially a great movie but killed by the director, 17 February 2008
4/10

Storm WarningI am writing this without having seen any other reviews, or trailers and I have no idea who the director is. For it is surely the director who has to take the wrap for this movies' complete failure to entertain. The scriptwriter/s, actors and everyone else involved in its production deserve every accolade, it was excellently produced. But, in almost every scene there were reality errors. The victims have so many opportunities to overcome their captors but don't take them. A good horror movie should be the good guys lose, lose again, win a bit, lose again, win, win a lot, and win outright. And the characters should be believable in any situation. I can only assume that the director of this movie is fresh out of film school and got a main chance. I will check it out now. 

Jodie Foster just gets better, 21 February 2008
9/10

The Brave  OneAfter the disappointment of the appalling movie 'Storm Warning' what a pleasant surprise to watch a movie that exceeds all expectations. The title 'The Brave One' and starring Jodie Foster didn't exactly have me enthralled. But as it turned out there was nothing I could fault this movie for, it delivered everything that a 21st century movie should. Utterly believable, even the ending is what the audience expects and deserves. It was also good to see Jodie Foster returning to the earthy talent she showed in her earlier movies, in my opinion this is her best role to date. I can't imagine that anyone would be disappointed with this movie.

 

7eventy 5ive (2007)
Breaking the usual Hollywood mold, 5 January 2008
8/10

7eveny 5iveThis is only the second movie I've been moved enough to comment on. What a strange movie, normally I'm on the side of the good guys, but from the opening credits I was on the side of the killer. Brat kids get perhaps a bit more than they deserve and smart mouthed over-age US college students, still just as smart mouthed, get their just desserts. OK the punishment for being smart mouthed was a bit extreme, but then hey it's just a movie. Great entertainment completely breaking the usual good guys win mold. Making the audience hate the good guys and then take them out one by one. Or am I the only one to see the movie this way, in which case perhaps I should get help.  

My final comment:
I think you're missing the point of this movie, it's fairly obvious that the movie is aimed at putting down the clever clever smart mouthed younger generation. From the outset the audience is made to hate the telephone prank kids and later the over-aged adolescents, so instead of feeling sorry for them being eliminated one by one the audience is actually on the side of the killer(s). As for the pseudo sex with all the girls keeping their bras on etc, and the blurred out nipples in the only naked run through scene, well that only added to the hilarity of the whole movie. Breaks the mold of the usual good guys win movies.

The Queen (2006)
That this movie was made (allowed to be made) at all is a fairly obvious political statement, 1 February 2007
5/10

The Queen - The MovieI can understand why the reviewer 'soflwrs' of Brighton, England did not want to comment on the politics of this movie. Nonetheless it seems to me the fact that this movie was made (allowed to be made at all) is a fairly obvious political statement. The role and need for a monarchy was sorely tested during the period of time covered by the film and the final message to me was of yet another patch being applied to an ailing institution. And where did the scriptwriters get their 'royal dialog' from? is it fiction or fact? Pathe News, champions of wartime propaganda, could not have done a better job. As for the title, 'The Queen' this is a little broad for a movie that spans but a minute portion of this Monarchs reign. Actors portraying modern day people never quite works, and with so many in this movie, judging the casting directors choice of actor constantly diverted my attention from the storyline. Despite all that, I found the movie mildly entertaining.  

It's not possible to write a spoiler for a movie this bad. 12 December 2008
5/10 (Should be one star, but I have to design a one-star image especially for this movie)

2012 DoomsdayI have seen some bad movies in my time but 2012 Doomsday really wins the ‘brown globe’ award. What a bunch of religious, sanctimonious, schmaltzy, over-acted claptrap. The holier than thou brigade gone flip-side. If this movie was designed to turn all non-God-believers into raving bible freaks it failed miserably.

As for the pathetic technical side, snow that never settles, a guy who watches his wife clothed in just a short sleeved tee shirt die of hypothermia without offering the long sleeved shirt off his back, a heroine battling her way to the temple in the snow in a halter top. Not to mention earthquakes that occur where the hapless cast just happen to be standing (or driving their car). I guess it must have been Gods will that mothers and helicopter pilots just disappear for no apparent reason, all for the greater good I suppose. This movie gets the lowest score I have ever given, 1 out of 10.  

 

Swing Vote (2008)
Kevin Costner, believable at last. 14 December 2008
5/10

Swing VoteFirst, I have to say this is the first movie I've seen Kevin Costner play a believable role in, getting there at last. I have to say I expected Molly to come through to take full advantage of the 'bribes' angle, but then as the movie enfolded, that wasn't really what the writer had in mind. The send up of the US political system was subtle and poignant without resorting to overt cynicism. All in all a surprisingly watchable and enjoyable movie.

Bud's final speech to both candidates, and to the (real) American public at large was what the whole movie is about, re-wind and watch that bit again. In this year of banker induced financial misery, the question cannot be asked enough times. Just why is it that here in the 21st century many ordinary hard working Americans cannot feed their family, pay their mortgage and generally make ends meet?

 7 out of 10 for the movie and the very promising beginning for Mr Costner.  

Kings - USA TV Series (2009)
Ian McShane, reduced to this. 2009 June
5/10

Not a movie as such, but having recently watched all three series of the western TV series 'Deadwood'[in 2 weeks] I am at last, after six months of having too many other things to do, moved to comment upon Ian McShane's latest role as King Silas in the less than moving series 'Kings'.

My IMDB posting says it all:

Sheer utter unadulterated juvenile pathos. Predictable, unrealistic script supported and made mildly watchable only by the acting ability of Ian McShane and a couple of other exceptional actors.

Plodding plot and pathetic twists of stilted fate and godly references worthy of some children’s hour play.

Compared to the heights dedicated TV fare reached half a decade ago with 'Deadwood', Kings is I suspect, unlikely to make it past series one. I wait with baited yawn for S01E07.

Postscript: I have now learned that the series has been pulled and no sequels are planned - No surprises there.

 

Entertaining and Thought Provoking. 2009 July
5/10

The Day The Earth Stood StillI don't know how I missed this movie in 2008. I have suffered some real rubbish movies of late (circa 2009), but like books, once started I have to finish, no matter how bad they are. Now I've read a lot of criticism about the 2009 version of 'The Day The Earth Stood Still', but I have to admit the story and the message elevated me above being immediately critical about the various less-than-worthy aspects of the movie that have been justifiably raised by other critics. I watched it for what it was meant to be, pure entertainment, 100 minutes of my life I could well afford and donated gladly. It re-kindled many thoughts in my mind that have been lounging around for some time now.

Right from the start of the movie when the alien gets shot I wanted the aliens to win, (am I the only one?) such is my growing disgust for all things human on this planet. Rightly so, the movie measures us against all the other life forms that inhabit Earth, giving as much credence to their right to live as to ours. It's a fact that dinosaurs roamed this planet for a period of time 600 times longer than Homo Sapiens has been in the driving seat, our tenancy is in its infancy by comparison and yet most human beings think they are what the planet was waiting for.

I really wanted the aliens to succeed with their sanitization of the planet, for some time I have thought how nice it would be to clear this great planet earth of human beings and let it revert to better times. Basil Fawlty (AKA Prof. Jacob Barnhardt) was wrong, the aliens were right. Nations that have atomic bombs call them 'deterrents', nations that don't but aspire to having them are said to desire 'weapons of mass destruction', for me they are the ultimate cleansing agent just like the black bugs in the movie.

Wow, such uproar, no doubt myriads of itchy fingers reaching for keyboards to vent their wrath upon my words in some kind of proxy revenge. Don't bother, the fact that you even think about doing it is proof positive of the perniciousness of the human mind. This movie, while not perfect at least goes a long way in pointing a finger at the culprits, humankind, the scourge of this earth.

I'm not a 'green' or an activist, just an observer becoming more ashamed by the day of being human. But human beings are what they are, despicable self appointed 'super beings' that think they're the ultimate life form created in the image of equally pernicious gods that direct them in the guise of a thousand religions to kill, maim, swindle, rob and generally cause harm to each other and every other living thing. Our desperate search for life on other planets is merely our desire to extend the reach of our lust for other life forms to exploit or kill.

More or less everything on this Earth has been here since the beginning of everything, as the alien Klaatu said in one throw-away line in the movie, '...the universe is not wasteful it's all recycled'. For me it's definitely time for the human race to move over, the quicker it's recycled the better.

And finally suck on this; in a billion years time man will be long gone, but the atoms we're all made of right now will still be here, but not in their current configuration, thank those gods.

A very entertaining and thought provoking movie that gets 8 out of 10 stars from me.

 

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