Electric Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Electric's reviews.I will do two requests (one serious and one filler) for everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riczhang Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 (edited) The Coming Storm, and 1910. Thanks. Edited July 8, 2012 by riczhang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Creator Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Black as Night, because if you don't finish your reviews this year I would at least like to see what you thought of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Red Rabbit and Wolves of the Deep (for the Neeson-ness) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Alfred Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Planeswalkers, 8AM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Community Manager Water Bottle Posted July 8, 2012 Community Manager Share Posted July 8, 2012 Blue Heart and The Dead in the House. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverShark Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Prodigy and Red Skin please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 Will be starting the reviews tomorrow and getting all of them up by Wednesday or Friday at latestIf I have time I will do more reviews of the whole year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 1910 (4.5/10)I didn't really find myself getting into this film. With a title like that, I expected more references to historical events, or even some plot that was related to the events leading up to World War I. But what I saw was a mediocre comedy. I don't think the R rating did it justice... all the good humor could easily have been toned down without losing any "edge." This movie's plot felt, to me, more like a "family comedy" that would air every Saturday night on ABC or the Disney Channel. But all the sexual comments and swearing made it unacceptable for that group. I think it would have been a bit better had they toned it down. Still not amazing, but a decent family film. Right now it seems a bit of a mess.And even though the film was less than two hours long, I felt it could have been shorter.See: If you really enjoy people in awkward situationsDon't See: If you'd prefer a film whose plot and language match each other in their target audience. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 The Coming Storm (9/10) -Overall, an excellent film. Early on, I had expected the "Prince" to be a stereotypical trope of the jealous brother, like Scar in the Lion King or Claudius in Hamlet. But as the film went on, I enjoyed his development near the end, though I wish we had more on his wife. I felt almost like she was an additional character thrown in. I liked her role, but would have preferred to have some foreshadowing toward her appearance, at least more than it was. The dialogue was a bit rough at times. I was not sure what the intended time period was... fantasy, of course, but the phrase "Stop with the lame excuses" seemed a bit too modern for what I felt the film should have been, with "lame" being used to mean "bad" or "poor" only recently, and before referring to a body part no longer working. (Lame leg, etc.) But it was still an enjoyable film, and that is just a minor issue I had.All the acting went well, and best of all, this is one of the few films that I would actually recommend paying to see in 3D. This is the sort of movie that should be put in 3D. The arrows flying in the title were amazing and even a bit scary, and there was not the "toy boat" effect that plagues many poorly made 3D movies.The runtime of 2:15 worked perfectly. Even though it was over two hours, the film seemed to be tight, without any unnecessary characters or plot points. I felt it could have expanded easily if they felt the need to add more.See: For excellent action, acting, and visual effects.Don't see: If you're looking for a slow-paced film or one with a lot of romance or comedy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Black As Night (7.5/10)I felt myself getting bored often in this film. It seemed like the sequences from the past should not have come at once. I would have enjoyed it more if there had been some interspersed scenes between the two time periods, but with 40 minutes of the film being all 25 years prior to the current period I felt like there was a lot to try to remember early on, and perhaps what I noticed wasn't what the film though I should notice.The acting was good, one of the strong points in the film for sure. Though I felt Leonardo's name (Leonard) was a bit strange. I've always been able to see Leonard DiCaprio as a character rather than a big name actor in films he's in, but with his name being so close to his real name, it was harder to see him as a character as I did in Shutter Island.The film is good, and well-made, but I could not find myself getting into it like I expected to.See: For a compelling story with good acting and a good period drama.Don't see: If you are looking for a film that is easy to get into right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthdevidem01 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Karate Kong..thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Red Rabbit (9.5/10) -In most cases, the book is better than the movie, and the complaints of editing a book's pacing to fit in a movie slot upset many. But in the case of Red Rabbit, the movie outshines the book by making what would have been boring to read into an exciting film with an excellent job by its leads and a genuine love for its material.The time period was set excellently... all the details they set to make sure we knew it was in the 1980s reminded me of a scene in Charlie Wilson's War, where someone purchased food from the cafeteria, and the money they used was the old $20 bill. But this was done on a larger scale, throughout Europe. Overall, a well done film that just about anyone would watch.See: If you're looking for a gripping film with compelling characters and great acting.Don't See: If you don't like this kind of movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Wolves of the Deep: (8/10) -Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The film benefiting from tight editing and not over-developing meaningless characters. The ending also seemed to suggest there could be a sequel. Even though it was enjoyable, it wasn't as great as some other films this year. It really does not demand repeat viewings... it's entertaining Liam Nesson March popcorn, which is great. See: For an enjoyable film full of action without much drama getting in the wayDon't see: If you're looking for a film with a lot of character development and a "deep meaning." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Gracias.No sequel to Wolves, I just wanted a fun, badass way for the film to end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Planeswalkers: (6.5/10)A film that could have easily become campy and full of terrible product placement, it ended up being an enjoyable diversion. However, I felt like the film took itself more seriously than it should have. A little self-aware humor would have gone a long way, without making it too campy or cheesy.Overall, this will probably appeal more to MTG fans than anyone else. It does not really have enough of a gripping plot. The actors were good choices but ultimately they would have been better used with more interesting material.See: If you're really into MTG and fantasy films.Don't see: For something really exciting and easy to get into. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 8AM: (8/10)This film did not stand out as too much other than an entertaining summer film overall, except for its intelligent use of 3D. Instead of using 3D to throw random objects at the audience or to lazily snatch a $4 surcharge per customer, 8AM encouraged 3D interaction with the character and 3D glasses. That part made it feel almost like an interactive movie or game. At time I wanted to reach out and touch things, and change the environment.I don't think this particular 3D element would be as enjoyable in a second movie, but it works very well here and makes a decent film into a very good one.See: If you are looking for a film that makes creative use of 3D and doesn't require you to overthink too much.Don't see: If you really hate Tom Cruise or can't tolerate (or have a condition that makes it so you can't see) 3D movies 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 Blue Heart (8.5/10)I really enjoyed this movie. I'm always a sucker for political drama, as politics is one of my main interests. The story worked well and the plot felt believable even with the use of animation. But I really don't feel like animation really added too much to the movie. I felt like the story stood up well enough on its own that it would have been a bit more enjoyable with just traditional film.One of the better movies of the year though. See: If you really enjoy political dramas and well-developed characters.Don't See: If you expect a typical animated film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 The Dead in the House (9/10)A moving drama. It is darker than I normally prefer in a movie, but the film's excellent script and acting more than make up for that. I also liked seeing the child actors played by people close to the real ages of children, instead of taking someone in their mid 20s that "looks young." This made the movie seem more realistic and made the story hit home even more. My one gripe was that there seemed to be an anti-religious sentiment in the film, at least Karen's reaction to Arnold become born-again. Not a Christian myself, it did not bother me much, but I know some viewers would be upset by that, and I felt that particular scene could have been handled differently, or the characters religious beliefs explained a little more to add more context to that scene with the pastor.Overall, this movie is not going to appeal to everyone, but it is an excellent movie, and people should give it a chance.See: For a dark drama with realistic characters and clean production values, and if you're tired of over-inflated budgets and thin plots.Don't See: If you are dead-set on your movie having a really happy ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 Prodigy (8.5/10)Ryan Gosling really makes this movie. I am sure there are still people out there who dislike him because of The Notebook, but I hope by now people have redeemed him. With the Ides of March, Drive, Interconnected, and now Prodigy, he's shown himself to be a versatile actor playing many different roles. This movie was very enjoyable. Action-packed, yet it had a great message as well. It wasn't perfect, of course. No film is, but this one suffered from a couple of tropes that are typical of superhero/action movies. There is always a military character that refused to yield to the ultimate power and gets in the way of things. Col. Warren's character was that one here. I felt he could have had more development on his own as hell. Obviously, Nihilo is the main story here, but I would like to see a movie that is more sympathetic and respectful instead of just having the generic military-bureaucrat that gets in the way of everything.But the film is something people should see. It is tightly edited and doesn't get overlong.See: For good action and an uplifting story.Don't See: If you are looking for something that truly breaks the fold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
