The Avengers (2012)

Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.

Director:

 Joss Whedon.

Writers:

 Joss Whedon (screenplay), Zak Penn (story).

Stars:

 Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson.

Story line

Nick Fury is director of S.H.I.E.L.D, an international peace keeping agency. The agency is a who's who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When global security is threatened by Loki and his cohorts, Nick Fury and his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster.

The Avengers Movie Reviews

I just loved Marvel's Avengers. I thought it was smart and the impressive cast really delivered! This movie works on so many levels and makes you draw on just about all of your emotions. I don't remember when I enjoyed a movie this much! Such cool fantasy but what makes it extra special is following this film after all the other solo efforts from each character. I enjoyed the others films quite a bit but they all delivered something different. Seeing them blend together in Avengers and the sparks that resulted was the extra special treat. Example: They blended the grounded futurist (Tony Stark) with the Norse thunder god and his angry brother in a perfect way. Same could be said for every other character. It all works. In fact, it doesn't just fit, it's a symphony and that dyconomy and difference in characters are what makes it truly great. It's why this movie stands so tall above any other franchise at the moment. Things like Transformers, GI Joe and even Star Trek all operate with monotone restrictions. Avengers covers all angles and delivers depth with its fun.

I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in years if not ever!

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's Mightiest Heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

Director:

 Joss Whedon.

Writers:

 Joss Whedon, Stan Lee (based on the Marvel comics by).

Stars:

 Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo.

Story line

When Tony Stark tries to jump start a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for a global adventure.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Movie Reviews

This movie did not disappoint! Extremely well done! You are totally been sent to different place where That's what a movie should be all about! I seriously cant wait to see more of avengers.. I never really like avengers before but MAN I become a fan now! Shrieks

The plot is well made, Everything about the story line and the association of each characters and the actions itself is totally breathtaking. 

One of the most, exciting movie i have ever seen thus far. And I am so hoping to see more!

Furthermore, I don't even get why these people does not appreciate a good story telling and visual impact of the movie! This movie rocks! I cant wait to see scarlet witch improve! And the other, avenger characters! 

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe.

Director:

 James Gunn.

Writers:

 James Gunn, Nicole Perlman.

Stars:

 Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper.

Story line

After stealing a mysterious orb in the far reaches of outer space, Peter Quill from Earth, is now the main target of a manhunt led by the villain known as Ronan the Accuser. To help fight Ronan and his team and save the galaxy from his power, Quill creates a team of space heroes known as the "Guardians of the Galaxy" to save the world.

This Movie Reviews

You might expect a movie studio at the top of its game to play it safe rather than strike out in new, bizarre directions. Certainly, it's hard to imagine any other studio giving the greenlight to Guardians Of The Galaxy - a huge blockbuster movie based on a title unfamiliar to anyone who isn't a comics aficionado, starring a relatively unknown actor playing a character most people have never heard of. And yet, Marvel scores once again with its willingness to head off the beaten track. GUARDIANS is a fun, fizzy delight, even as it mines some surprising depths of emotion from its ragtag group of anti-heroes.

Peter Quill (Pratt) - a human abducted from Earth as a child - has grown up into an intergalactic thief who has no idea what he's getting into when he takes possession of a mysterious Orb. Little does he know that Ronan (Pace) - a genocidal Kree radical - will do just about anything to get his hands on said Orb, including sending alien assassin Gamora (Saldana) after it. Gamora, as it turns out, has an agenda of her own. Trapped in an intergalactic prison (long story), Peter and Gamora are forced into an uneasy alliance with three other misfits: a brainy, sarcastic raccoon-like creature named Rocket (voiced by Cooper), a giant tree by the name of Groot (Diesel), and the vengeance-minded Drax The Destroyer (Bautista).

The truth is that there's almost too much going on in GUARDIANS. Not only do we meet a host of characters we've never met before, on a raft of new planets teeming with brightly coloured life and detail, we're also introduced to several plot lines all stuffed somewhat awkwardly into the film. We have Ronan's planet-destroying aspirations, which are somehow bound up with the evil plans of Thanos - that creepy purple- skinned dude who popped up at the end of The Avengers. Peter's kidnappers turned surrogate 'family' are also on the trail of the Orb, turning up at moments both enormously convenient and inconvenient to the plot. It all makes sense in the end, but until it all clicks into place, it can make for a rushed, unsettling experience.

But, despite its occasionally unwieldy script, GUARDIANS triumphs because of the gang of scruffy losers (a term that will take on a different, more heartfelt meaning during the film) at its heart. Director James Gunn, who co-wrote the script, clearly feels a strong affinity for each one of these outcasts, all of whom are easily outlaws in some (if not all) parts of the solar system, each one battling - at least initially - to save his or her own skin rather than to save the world. It's fascinating to watch the five members of this unlikely group slowly banter, bicker and batter their way into becoming a team.

Most joyfully of all, Gunn never loses sight of the prickly, selfish side of his characters. He gives them plenty of rich, emotional moments

• whether it's Peter and Gamora bonding over the loss of their parents,

or Rocket's ability to read a whole range of meaning into Groot's extremely limited vocabulary ('I am Groot') - but never allows the film to descend into dangerously sentimental territory.

In fact, Gunn pumps up proceedings with a healthy, hearty dose of humour. Films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have always been more tongue-in-cheek than the likes of the considerably more dour Dark Knight franchise, but GUARDIANS is a heady trip of a different order. It practically delights in bursts of odd, subversive comedy, and actually dares to punctuate its most epic face-off with a sly homage to, of all things, Footloose.

Pratt - so winning in TV's Parks And Recreation - holds the emotional core of the film together. He exudes an easy, rakish charm that makes Peter both dashingly arrogant and achingly vulnerable. He's matched very well by Saldana, who is clearly delighting in the opportunity to play the world-weary, no-nonsense Gamora - bred into a killer, born a fighter. The rest of the cast does justice, too, to the film's cheerful swing from drama to comedy and back again: Bautista brings unexpected pathos to Drax's occasionally comical determination to avenge his family against Ronan, while Cooper sounds completely unlike himself - in a very good way - as a creature who hides a world of hurt beneath his mouthy exterior. Even Diesel manages to find a great deal of depth in a CGI character who only communicates via the same languid burst of three words.

If anything, GUARDIANS is let down by a trio of not particularly threatening villains. Pace snarls and spits in heavy make-up, but can't quite rustle up much in the way of nuance or genuine menace. Ronan is a one-note madman, with so little in the way of backstory that he automatically becomes less interesting. Thanos, too, now voiced and performed in motion-capture by Brolin, doesn't get much to do beyond lounge on his space throne. Only Gillan's cyborg Nebula manages a smidgen of complexity; even then, she struggles to be half as fascinating as her conflicted "sister", Gamora.

Before the film was even released in cinemas, Marvel announced that a sequel would be coming in 2017. It's a no-brainer as to why. The film is smart, funny and quite wonderful on its own merits. But, even more crucially, GUARDIANS is a gamble that pays off handsomely for Marvel. It opens up the MCU in, quite literally, all directions. Don't be surprised if you see our more earth-bound heroes heading into space sooner rather than later. The film also adds a new cast of lovable rogues to the MCU's roster of characters: a gang who, one might say, are actually all the more heroic for being people who would ordinarily be running in the opposite direction from any galaxy-guarding duties. Frankly, we can't wait to see what they get up to next.

Lucy (I) (2014)

A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

Director:

 Luc Besson.

Writer:

 Luc Besson.

Stars:

 Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi.

Story line

It was supposed to be a simple job. All Lucy had to do was deliver a mysterious briefcase to Mr. Jang. But immediately Lucy is caught up in a nightmarish deal where she is captured and turned into a drug mule for a new and powerful synthetic drug. When the bag she is carrying inside of her stomach leaks, Lucy's body undergoes unimaginable changes that begins to unlock her mind's full potential. With her new-found powers, Lucy turns into a merciless warrior intent on getting back at her captors. She receives invaluable help from Professor Norman, the leading authority on the human mind, and French police captain Pierre Del Rio.

Lucy Movie Reviews

Normally I don't write reviews but these movie differed so much from what people told me I fell compelled to give my opinion. Because of the bad reviews I didn't expect anything at all. In fact, I expected a killer heroine who would beat her adversaries to pulp. However, I got an extremely interesting, unusual and highly entertaining story, that I found quite fascinating. Of course, it's completely unrealistically, but the whole idea is quite funny and unusual. I generally like movies which manage to introduce new ideas or differ from the same old boring patterns (Iron Man 12, Final Destination 14, Transformers 8). Lucy does that. Its just, well, cool. I absolutely enjoyed the Science Fiction aspects and seeing Lucy developing her powers was just pure gold. So if you don't break into tears because the movie operates on ridiculous scientific premises, watch it and have fun. It's different, it's interesting and its extremely entertaining.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with another super soldier, the Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

Directors:

 Anthony Russo, Joe Russo.

Writers:

 Christopher Markus (screenplay), Stephen McFeely(screenplay).

Stars:

 Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson.

Story line

For Steve Rogers, awakening after decades of suspended animation involves more than catching up on pop culture; it also means that this old school idealist must face a world of subtler threats and difficult moral complexities. That becomes clear when Director Nick Fury is killed by the mysterious assassin, the Winter Soldier, but not before warning Rogers that SHIELD has been subverted by its enemies. When Rogers acts on Fury's warning to trust no one there, he is branded as a traitor by the organization. Now a fugitive, Captain America must get to the bottom of this deadly mystery with the help of the Black Widow and his new friend, The Falcon. However, the battle will be costly for the Sentinel of Liberty, with Rogers finding enemies where he least expects them while learning that the Winter Soldier looks disturbingly familiar.

This Movie Reviews

When Fury(L. Jackson, tough as usual, for him and these) is attacked by an unknown enemy, the Captain(Evans, will of steel, heart of gold) and Black Widow(Johansson, sultry and devious – this uses her right, finally) find themselves(they have a great chemistry, with a charming running gag of her wanting to pair him up with a girl, going through a list of ones they both know; and with his straightforward nature, and her relative lack of integrity, they both affect the other towards them, benefiting both) with no one else to trust, except perhaps the veteran Falcon(Mackie, amiable), as they uncover a genuinely devastating truth, while on the run from a considerable force – including the elusive assassin, The Winter Soldier(Stan, terrifying, pure awesome pretty much every second he's on screen).

This is just short of the level of The Avengers. It uses the strong continuity of the cinematic Marvel(as in, their own studio) universe better than any of the others, and does justice to many different elements, most of them set up prior to this. Events occur in this that will have serious consequences for future entries. The plot-driven nature and approach of a 70's political thriller(where some characters, all credible and with something to do, happen to wear a flag or the like) in a contemporary setting and with biting satire(on foreign policy, something not entirely new to these, but never before this sharp… commenting on mass surveillance and executions taking place before any trial against the (supposed) perpetrator) is spot-on. From a 40's war flick, with heroism and defined lines between good and evil, to the modern method of taking on the opposition – with spying, and questionable tactics(compared to one army versus another).

The action all comes about naturally, it's personal, hard-hitting and, on account of next to no CGI, it's "real". Each intense set-piece is varied(fighting, shooting, chasing both on foot and vehicular…), you will remember them, and except for one bit, they feel fresh and original. Among the very few weaknesses are that Sharon(VanCamp, another compelling and strong woman) has nothing to do in this, appearing as if her important scenes were cut, and/or that she was setup for the next one. She is the only one that that goes for, a pleasant surprise considering the seemingly bloated cast of characters. This explores S.H.I.E.L.D., and how the iconic super soldier fits into it …or, whether or not he does, at all. The 3D is unobtrusive, adding depth and atmosphere, similar to Avatar.

There is violence and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to any fan of, well, blockbusters. 10/10

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

A military officer is brought into an alien war against an extraterrestrial enemy who can reset the day and know the future. When this officer is enabled with the same power, he teams up with a Special Forces warrior to try and end the war.

Director:

 Doug Liman.

Writers:

 Christopher McQuarrie (screenplay), Jez Butterworth (screenplay).

Stars:

 Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton.

Story line

An alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop-forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again...and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Vrataski take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy!

Edge of Tomorrow Movie Reviews

Wow - this was unexpected. The trailers had me believe that after 'Battle L.A.' and 'Oblivion' this would be yet another bleak, action- packed, special effects driven Sci-Fi blockbuster about an alien invasion - what the trailers failed to convey almost entirely is that over long stretches, this is also seasoned with nearly as much humor as 'Groundhog Day'. That it would invite comparisons with the Harold Ramis/ Bill Murray classic was obvious, given the time loop premise, but I never expected to what extent those comparisons would actually be justified and that this film would really tap into a similar kind of comedy. Luckily, it is all the better for it.

Most unexpected of all, the main reason the comical aspects during the first half of the film work so well, is Tom Cruise's character, Major William Cage. This is easily Cruise's meatiest role since his turn in 'Magnolia' as Frank T.J. Mackey; forget his usual stern, poster boy heroes: here he plays an entirely different character – and he really seems to relish the opportunity. I won't give away too much, but be prepared to chuckle and laugh when you see a new side of Tom Cruise.

Yet while this is not nearly as bleak as the trailers suggested, it certainly isn't a comedy either. And it absolutely IS an action-packed, special effects driven Sci-Fi blockbuster about battling an alien invasion (the trailers got that right), albeit one with a funny bone and great characters. Speaking of which, the rest of the cast is also very good, especially the gorgeous Emily Blunt. It seems that no matter what she does, she always comes across as genuine and real; here she succeeds in portraying her character - a tough, seasoned soldier other soldiers refer to as "full metal bitch" (no kidding!) - with just the right touch of vulnerability to make her that much more believable. Bill Paxton and Brendon Gleeson are always a welcome addition to any movie, and while they are great (as usual), character-wise, they don't do anything here that you haven't seen them do before. 

As for the Sci-Fi spectacle that the trailers promised, I'm glad to report that the film delivers. The battle scenes are beautifully orchestrated (not the Transformer-style blur where you can't make out anything anymore), and there are moments when the intensity of the fighting recalls the landing on Omaha Beach in 'Saving Private Ryan' - without the gore, obviously (after all, this is PG-13). The design of the aliens - the production design in general - is incredibly well done, although I would lie if I said it was something ground-breaking and new the way the first 'Matrix' was (it IS breathtaking, though).

So my verdict: With one of the most inventive (adapted) scripts for an original (mega-budget) film in a long time and the best Tom Cruise we've seen in years, 'Edge of Tomorrow' will have you chuckle and laugh nearly as much as drop your jaw in awe: this is what Hollywood should take as a blueprint for exciting summer entertainment henceforth. 9 stars out of 10.

Inception (2010)

A thief who steals corporate secrets through use of the dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO.

Director:

 Christopher Nolan.

Writer:

 Christopher Nolan.

Stars:

 Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page.

Story line

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Inception Movie Reviews

Inception is written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine. The musical score is by Hans Zimmer and Wally Pfister is the cinematographer. Plot finds DiCaprio playing Dom Cobb, a specialised spy for hire who steals ideas from the dreams of people. But one day he gets a different offer, one that will enable him to see his estranged children. To get his reward he must enact Inception, the planting of an idea in the mind of the selected target. But Inception is thought impossible and should Cobb and his selected team fail? The consequences are unthinkable.

There has already been much written and pondered about as regards Inception in the relatively short running time of its life. One can only imagine what will be written and said about it in ten years time. For although it's arguably a bit too early to be talking about it being held in such high regards as the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, it's inescapable that Nolan's movie is this current generation's sci-fi classic. That Nolan has managed to make it accessible to the mainstream, and dazzled the eyes as much as the brain in the process, is close to being a piece of genius craftsmanship.

Inception is a film that it's better to know nothing about before venturing into it, and then it asks, well Nolan asks, for your undivided attention. It's neither as confusing as some have painted it, nor does it have any tricks-peek behind the curtain type-up its sleeve. The truth is is that Inception has something for everyone; thematically speaking, and that's before we pore over the special effects that sees Nolan raising the bar considerably. As is the case with twisty high concept movies, interpretations are many, with the director rightly abstaining from discourse about his movie. What forms the basis is your basic life and death struggles, with the grey areas during and after given a clever cinematic make over. There's also meditations on grief that this reviewer personally found easy to get involved with; that of course wont work for everyone, but that is just one of many strands that Nolan dangles for the discerning viewer.

If that all sounds a bit too serious for the man who has redefined the Super Hero genre, rest assured thrill seekers, Inception is also a loud swirly spectacle. The action is raucous, be it gun fights or zero gravity punch ups, Nolan has not lost the ability to take the viewer on an action fuelled roller-coaster ride, aided superbly by Lee Smith's editing and Pfister's perfectly broad photography While Zimmer's score blends electronic action pulse beats with saddened guitar strains (ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr on 12 string) to craft one of the best scores of 2010. As I said, there's something for everyone here, making it perhaps one of the leading nominees for title of ultimate modern day blockbuster.

Then there's the strong ensemble cast, led by a quite scintillating performance from DiCaprio. Following on from his cards played close to his chest turn in Shutter Island, DiCaprio has given 2010 two of its best lead performances. Here he gives real depth of emotion, the kind that makes it easy for the viewers to hang their hats on. His unfussy acting is easy to buy into, giving the character the air of believability, he is the glue that binds the whole film together. Murphy is wonderfully vulnerable, very much an axis in the narrative, while Levitt almost usurps DiCaprio with a neatly layered portrayal that carries a delightful whiff of duality about it. Special praise, too, for Ellen Page. Still in her early 20s, she exudes an intelligent sexiness that shines bright in a role that could have been boorishly played as a cipher in a lesser actress' hands. While Hardy provides brawny levity and Berenger leaves a favourable mark.

The Matrix meets Heat and Mission Impossible, only it's written by Phillip K. Dick and Richard Matheson; or something like that. A cracking hybrid movie that's fit to grace any summer and sure to improve and enlighten with further viewings. 9.5/10

District 9 (2009)

An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.

Director:

 Neill Blomkamp.

Writers:

 Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell.

Stars:

 Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope.

Storyline

In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.

District 9 Movie Reviews

After "District 9" was over, I had to run from the theater to the hotel and take a long, long shower. "District 9" is a first. We've never seen anything quite like it. A metaphor for a world that's becoming faster and faster a huge melting pot where nothing truly melts. The have and the have not. New ghettos, new forms of life and we have to learn to live with it or, or what? Neill Blomkamp, the 30 year old director, is someone who's exploded into the film scene and I'm sure he'll stay for a long time to come. A commercial director with a refined artistic mind. Accessible without being condescending a real find and who found him? Peter Jackson. A man that I suspect is creating a Hollywood overseas, a Hollywood for the thinking man. I urge you to see "District 9" and get used to those aliens, they stand for something that is already here.

Chappie (2015)

In the near future, crime is patrolled by a mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.

Director:

Neill Blomkamp.

Writers:

Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell.

Stars:

Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman.

Storyline

In Johannesburg, the police department reduced the high rating of criminality using robots from the Tetravaal Company, designed by the engineer Deon Wilson. The former military Vincent Moore is envious of Deon, since he has developed another project called Moose, but neither Tetravaal nor the police department is interested. Deon has just developed an Artificial Intelligence but the Tetravaal's CEO Michelle Bradley asks him to abort the project. Deon decides to bring the damaged Robot 22 that was sent to be crushed to test his A.I. However he is kidnapped by the criminals Ninja, Yo-Landi and Amerika that want him to stop the robot cops. When they see the damaged robot in the van, they force Deon to program it to heist banks with them and they call it Chappie. However, Chappie acts like a child and need to be trained to learn and grow. Meanwhile Vincent follows Deon and plots an evil scheme to activate his robot.

Chappie Movie Reviews

Chappie is exuberant, playful, funny and perhaps one of the most human characters to grace the screen in years. He's an unwilling action hero that one can both identify with and admire. His story is gripping and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately some of Chappie's brilliance comes at the expense of the world around him. Plot holes and logical fallacies abound, and although some of it can be written off to the imperfection of humanity (a central theme in the movie) there are enough "Wait, why the would he/she/they do X."" moments to be a significant distraction.

Many reviewers have complained that Chappie Cliché. In an era where the majority of box office darlings with >8 star reviews are remakes, reboots or result of the Disney/Pixar/Marvel equation the majority of those reviewers are clearly either hypocrites or they don't know what cliché means. Chappie is soaked in the Blomkamp style and while that style was new and fresh with District 9, its unreasonable to expect a director's primary product to be novelty.

Overall it's a good movie, certainly more interesting than most of the box-office-safe fare out that's been out there.

Equilibrium (2002)

In a Fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.

Director:

 Kurt Wimmer..

Writer:

 Kurt Wimmer.

Stars:

 Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson.

Storyline

In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.

Equilibrium Movie Reviews

If there is one complaint about the Hollywood system that rings true, it is that Hollywood seems quite bereft of ideas. Then films like Equilibrium come out and remind us that it's not that we're out of ideas so much as we're just not trying hard enough. Not that Equilibrium is inherently new - it borrows a fair few plot concepts from Farenheit 451 and Nineteen Eighty-Four, to name the most prominent examples. It is the way in which the old ideas are combined with the new that makes Equilibrium a fun and underrated experience.

The premise is simple enough. In a kneejerk reaction to the horrors of World War Three, the survivors outlaw what they blame the chaos upon. Their own emotions, in other words. As the lead character has a series of revelations, we begin to understand that in so doing, they have also outlawed much of what gives our existence a point. In the bland, lifeless world that the law-abiding citizens inhabit, everything that the audience takes for granted to make their lives worthwhile is being systematically destroyed. Shades of the America of today, the whole principle of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, are shown in a stark horror show.

I've read people comparing this film to The Matrix or its sequels. Where The Matrix series' fights were overlong, and often with no payoff, Equilibrium's fights are short and to the point. The difference this makes is, needless to say, as uplifting as Preston's fight to regain the humanity he stripped so many others of. Instead of having fights with no emotional connection to the characters, the story is given sufficient development to make the audience care what happens.

The film is not entirely without flaws. The Prozium element seems to have been written with no regard for the facts about psychiatric medicines. Their purpose is not to suppress emotion at all, but to balance the chemical system of the brain in order to give the patient better control of them. Sure, they're not without problems of their own, but exaggerating them like this does not do the portion of the community that needs them any favours. That aside, however, the on-camera struggle is one of the most intriguing I've viewed for some time. Ergo, this minor plot problem is made up for. The only other real complaint I have is that the film could have done with a little more footage to give some characters more of a chance to develop.

I gave Equilibrium an eight out of ten. It's not the best negative science fiction you'll ever see, but it is enough of a breath of fresh air that this won't entirely matter. If the MPAA made more films like this, it wouldn't be suffering the constant financial dire straits that it so loves to blame everyone else for.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman, and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.

Director:

 Zack Snyder.

Writers:

 George A. Romero, James Gunn (screenplay).

Stars:

 Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer.

Storyline

Ana, a young beautiful nurse finishes her day-shift at the hospital to return home to her beloved husband, they make love and sleep together. The next day, after her husband is killed by her neighbor next door, he suddenly comes back to life. She discovers the chaos happening in her neighborhood and escapes from her home. Soon after coming to her senses in the woods, she encounters a cop and other survivors, they decide to find safety in a mall. Soon more survivors come, and they learn that if they want to stay alive, they should stick together as the world is overrun by an army of undead. Can they survive the horror in this horrific global chaos? When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earthWritten by Emphinix.

Dawn of the Dead Movie Reviews

As a HUGE fan of the original Dawn of the Dead I was very skeptical of this remake. I wasn't expecting an Academy Award winning blockbuster or anything, but I did want to see the remake do the original justice. I was impressed with the filming more than anything. This is an action movie rather than horror. The outdoor scenes are filmed with a grainy, hand-held camera which gave the audience the feeling of being disoriented much the same way the characters would have felt. The movie was not made in the MTV-generation style that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake was. Dawn of the Dead stuck to the same mythology of the first without giving it a complete reimagining. I could imagine the two movies co-existing, but in different parts of the world.

One of the key differences that I did like was the idea of the zombies running. This made them come across as more menacing rather than being the slow clunkers that are seen in the original trilogy. The idea of being able to walk right past them was abandoned. I also feel that the movie did a good job of showing how quickly people would turn on one another and watch out for themselves only.

One of my favorite "realisms" of the movie is how the characters are too attached to their loved ones to shot them when they become zombies. I'm certain that many of us would react in the same manner if something like this were to actually happen (yes, I know it's impossible). Also, it was interesting to have so many people make it to the mall instead of only four as in the original. Of course some of these characters fit the generic stereotype of a movie such as this, but I'm not surprised considering modern audiences would need such characters to maintain their interest. This was a movie made for film viewers, not film makers. We have the strong and silent male hero, the quick-thinking blond heroine, the official dumb jerk, the official slut, the young and naive girl who loses everything and needs the group's protection, the angry challenger for group leadership who has a change of heart and becomes heroic, the young trainee who disagrees with the angry challenger yet follows due to a sense of duty, and the stupid follower who gets his comeuppence.

One aspect that was missing from this remake was the original movie's social commentary on the commercialism of people. Ken Foree's character of Peter mentioned this in the original whereas Ving Rhames' Kenneth was more of a silent action hero never having much to say. This was another reason that I saw this as a simple action movie -- though I will say that Rhames has more acting ability than Governor Schwarzenegger, Sly, Seagal and Van Damme combined. Rhames also LOOKS like an action hero rather than today's prettyboy "action heroes" such as Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck, Nicolas Cage and Keanu Reeves -- who all look like they couldn't fight their way out of a cooking class for senior citizens.

All in all this movie was not better than the original and won't be nominated for any Academy Awards, but if you're looking for entertainment and can stomach the blood it's worth checking out. I can't wait to buy it on DVD someday.

Minority Report (2002)

In a future where a special police unit is able to arrest murderers before they commit their crimes, an officer from that unit is himself accused of a future murder.

Director:

 Steven Spielberg.

Writers:

 Philip K. Dick (short story), Scott Frank(screenplay).

Stars:

 Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton.

Storyline

In the year 2054 A.D. crime is virtually eliminated from Washington D.C. thanks to an elite law enforcing squad "Precrime". They use three gifted humans (called "Pre-Cogs") with special powers to see into the future and predict crimes beforehand. John Anderton heads Precrime and believes the system's flawlessness steadfastly. However one day the Pre-Cogs predict that Anderton will commit a murder himself in the next 36 hours. Worse, Anderton doesn't even know the victim. He decides to get to the mystery's core by finding out the 'minority report' which means the prediction of the female Pre-Cog Agatha that "might" tell a different story and prove Anderton innocent.

Minority Report Movie Reviews

It's an open secret: the Oscar is jinxed. Spielberg's triumph with "Schindler's List" was followed by the longest hiatus of his career, which was broken with ... "Jurassic Park II", a lifeless sequel of the kind you'd once have sworn he'd never make - the single worst and most anonymous movie he's ever directed ("Hook" had its moments). His next two films were improvements (there was nowhere to go but up): the first anonymous but not bad ("Amistad"), the second bad but not anonymous ("Saving Private Ryan"), but they were both pompous gestures which appear to have been designed to win still more awards; and it wasn't until eight years after "Schindler's List" that the skilled director of old times re-appeared (with "A.I." in 2001).

But he's well and truly back now, and I'm happy. I've even learned to welcome it when he makes decisions which infuriate me, so long as he makes them with the right kind of self-assured arrogance. I didn't like the voice-over at the end (we didn't need to be told that stuff; we could have worked it out), or the way he caved in to the modern tendency to be needlessly revolting (at least he don't play his gross-out moments for cheap laughs), or even the style of photography (it's easy to manipulate us into thinking the future is a grim place, if you push-process the film until even the images which in the normal course of events would be luscious and rich, are grimy and desaturated - there are other ways of getting colourless images, as Spielberg well knows, and many of them are better). Yet, in the end, big deal. The story is a knockout, the action is taut, the future rich, dazzling and believable. Spielberg is to be particularly congratulated on how completely he has avoided the unimaginative dystopia of "Blade Runner". The future we see here is a MIX of dream and nightmare, so convincing a mix that we can't always tell them apart.

Here's a measure of how good the movie is: in an interview, Spielberg revealed that he completely misunderstood the issues which drive the stories

• and there's simply no way of telling this from the finished product.

Unless Spielberg was just opportunistically latching on to the hook forced on him by a dim-witted journalist, he THOUGHT the movie was about how much freedom we are willing to give up in exchange for safety (in order to prevent terrorist attacks, for instance). This is interpretation is strained. Three people (the precogs) do indeed give up their freedom in order that millions of other people may be safer, and yes, there is an issue here. When one of the Crime Prevention officer says, "It's best not to think of them as human", I was surprised to find myself nodding in agreement. The benefits of the system are so great that OF COURSE I'd rather not look too closely into the burden that must be borne by three - just three - individuals. Aside from the three unfortunate precogs, nobody is asked to give up any freedom at all. (Except, of course, the freedom to commit murder. But under the law we are already unfree to commit murder, and a good thing too.)

The interesting issues that DO fall naturally out of the story concern the futility of revenge. After people who would otherwise have committed murder are prevented from doing so, they're sent to prison anyway, presumably on the grounds that that's what they deserve - and no doubt it IS what they deserve. But it's clear enough that locking these people up, however much it may be in the interests of justice, serves no purpose. It's exacting revenge on criminals for the sake of exacting revenge - which is exactly what the U.S. justice system is committed to doing at the moment, which is why the future is a realistic one. (Apart from the precognition, that is.) Anderton's mistake is to believe in the value of revenge, and he's never more admirable than when he realises his mistake. (THAT was a great scene; it's a pity I can't tell you exactly why. Suffice it to say that when we think we know where the story's going, we may indeed know where the story's going - but Spielberg is only allowing us to see so much of what's coming up in order to obscure the rest of it.)

The final sign that Spielberg is again at his peak lies in the performances. They're all good. Tom Cruise's weakness as an actor is that he is only ever as good as his director, and the fact that he's so good here means that "Minority Report" was directed by the real Spielberg, the old Spielberg, the Spielberg with the same ability Charles Dickens had to make even his most grotesque creations, and even his LEAST grotesque, come to life.

Hellboy (2004)

A demon, raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.

Director:

 Guillermo del Toro.

Writers:

 Guillermo del Toro (screenplay), Guillermo del Toro(screen story).

Stars:

 Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, Selma Blair.

Storyline

In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before a demon - Hellboy - has already been conjured. Joining the Allied forces, Hellboy eventually grows to adulthood, serving the cause of good rather than evil.

Hellboy Movie Reviews

Hellboy is a well-balanced and very well-paced movie that avoids tiresome action movie content (mostly).

Script: Very efficient. The snappy-attitude lines are allowable because of Hellboy's partially juvenile personality.

Acting: I credit Pearlman for presenting a complete character without being gabby and coy. Well-done. Almost all of the other significant characters are equally well-presented by their respective actors, save for one. del Toro certainly dropped the ball in writing/directing that character (though I won't mention who so as not to give anything away). He messed up only one character, and I forgive him. Nobody's perfect.

Casting: Appropriate.

Pace/balance: The movie reminded me of X2 in this respect. It moved well, didn't get stalled anywhere, and both the action and drama were moderated with smooth transitions between each.

For comparison, Spiderman was good but overacted, X2 was good but with a few eye-rolling moments.

Overall, I found this movie provided high entertainment value. B+