Movie Review - Tron Legacy

Having never seen a 3D movie before, I thought "Tron: Legacy" was a good one to go see. I have seen the original a couple of times and loved it. I remember playing the game and how it has changed over the years. By the way those glasses are not made for comfort.

The story takes place twenty years after the original. Kevin Flynn has disappeared and he leaves behind his son and his corporation. When a mysterious signal originates at his old arcade room, Sam, his son, goes there and is transported into the Grid. There Sam finds his father and together they must defeat a program, called CLU who is in control of the Grid.

The Visual Effects are amazing in this film. From the action to the simple talking, everything stands how. I mean to just watch the Cycle races and the ring throwing battles for two hours would have been cool.

The story is your basic one, a search for father by his son and then escaping and defeating the bad guy. There are a lot of subplots that are not very fleshed out, but I think what they told was enough. Some might think the pace of the story is up and down. Because the first half hour is a run and gun and then gets bogged down in the middle. I didn't that at all, sure it gets slow, but that is ok for us to catch our breath.

The acting pretty good. The main kid, Sam Flynn, is decent enough and he comes across as a reckless kid who grows up without a father.

If you want to see a movie that has awesome special effects and decent story, "Tron Legacy" is for you. It was just fun ride and I would not mind at all seeing it again. As for the 3D, it was pretty cool. It wasn't in your face all the time and they used it at the right scenes to make it look really cool.

Go See it!

Tron Legacy is rated PG for violence

4 stars out of 4

Tangled - Movie Review

On Friday I went with my niece and nephew to see the new Disney movie Tangled and I enjoyed it. I can't say that to to many Disney movies these days. Most are just dumb kid movies that have no story and resort to crude humor to make kids laugh. Tangled doesn't do that and I am glad.

Tangled is a twist on the classic fairy tale of the girl named Rapunzel who is trapped in her tower waiting for a prince to come rescue her. The story follows it loosely and throws in a couple of modern things, but over all the story is fun and engaging.

I liked it how there wasn't any crude humor and that is was good animation flick for the whole family. It reminded me of like a mixture of all the classic Disney films (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Lady and the Tramp) and threw them together and mixed them in a bowl and out came Tangled, which is good.

Some little kids may find the evil lady scary, but other than a little cartoon violence, fun for the whole Family.

31/2 Stars out of 4. Rated PG.

Movie Review - Knowing

"Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of fire."

Ezekiel 1:4

Introduction:

When I first saw the trailers for Knowing, I thought, oh boy another disaster movie, when will they stop making them, but thrown into this disaster movie is a nice twist. This film has many various spiritual overtones and metaphors.

Story:

The story starts in a school, in 1959, where the teacher asks her class to write down what they think the future will look like and they will put them in a time capsule. Most of the kids draw some weird cars and robots, but one little girl draws a bunch of random numbers on a paper.

In the present day, John Koestler and his son Caleb come into contact with this paper, when the time capsule is uncovered, and John soon realizes that each number predicts every major natural or man-made disasters over the past 50 years. He soon figures out that there are three more disasters yet to come.

The rest of the story follows John and his son Caleb as the try to uncover the truth of the numbers and trying to prevent these disasters from happening. Also, there are 4 strange men that are following them around and "whispering" to Caleb and showing him visions. Who are they? What do they want?

What worked:

What made this movie work so well is that it is not just another "The Day after Tomorrow" or "Independence Day". You don't want to go into this movie looking for another natural disaster that must be avoided. You have to go into this movie, like the teacher says at the beginning of the movie, with your thinking caps on.

Throughout the movie John wrestles with the issue of "randomness" and "determinism". Is it purely random that the Earth happens to be the exact distance from the Sun that it needs to be in order for life to grow and thrive here? Or is it a sign of some sort of deeper, grander design (and if so, whose)? John personally believes that stuff just happens. When he receives this paper with all these numbers on it and discovers that they predicted all of these disasters it rattles what he believes. This film is a great discussion starter for your friends and family.

On the technical side of things everything was top notch, from the errey music to the flawless special effects and above par performance of Nicholas Cage. There is a scene with a plane crash that is super intense and will leave you grabbing your friends arm in the seat next to you.

What Didn't Work:

There are a number of questions that the film raises and I can't really talk about them without spoiling the movie, but I just wish that film answered all of the questions. Other than that, there is not really all that much that I hated about the movie. Some I suspect will find the ending utterly ridiculous or strangely comforting, depends on who you are.

Conclusion:

I like this kind of movie, where is has some great action sequences, down to earth character development and interesting ideas. This movie I believe will have some Christians up in arms for its out of world ideas, but others will look at it as an opportunity to discuss it with other people and turn others to the truths of the Bible. Some of you may be wondering why I put the Ezekiel verse at the beginning, well I guess you will just have to see the movie to find out.

3 stars out of 4

Knowing is rated PG-13 for violence and language

Movie Review - Defiance

Over the years there have been many movies about the Jewish Holocaust which include The Pianist, Schindler's List, Sophie's Choice, and The Hiding Place. Now you can add to the list the movie Defiance.

The story begins in 1941, and is about four brothers who lose their parents in a raid and take shelter in the woods from the Germans. As the story progresses the Bielski brothers continue to encounter other displaced Jews, reluctantly welcoming them into their fold, uncertain whether they can accept responsibility for their safety and well-being. Before long, their camp evolves into a community, and word spreads throughout the region that there's a place for the Jews to seek refuge. Because Defiance is primarily about the camp's struggle to survive, there's no specific adversary. For sure, the Nazi threat is always present, but much of the film focuses on the Bielski partisans battling cold, starvation, and illness during a bitter winter not unlike the American revolutionary troops at Valley Forge. They also face adversity from within as fear and uncertainty threaten to overcome them, leading to unrest and sedition. This provides for a very interesting story which teaches their need each other if they're to survive on their own in the wilderness. As one of the brothers puts it, their goal is not to exact vengeance on their Nazi persecutors—"Our revenge is to live."

The acting is top notch with great production and score. The violence is there, but is not on par with Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List and also their is some language.

Defiance is a compelling tale that not only depicts how a community came together to face adversity, but also how they responded to it. I highly recommend it!

4 stars out of 4.

Defiance is rated R for violence and language.

Movie Review - The Dark Knight

"Why so serious?"

Intro:

The Batman franchise was rekindled with a vengeance in 2005 with Batman Begins, a whole new take on Batman and his origins which was a hit and took out all of the elements of campy, cheesy, Tim Burton feel of the older ones and put in a dark, gritty and more true to life story. Then in 2008 we are treated to one of the most complex, exciting, dark superhero movie to ever cross the big screen.

Story:

Under the increased presence of Batman, Gotham City is a different place with the city's criminal element fearfully avoiding him whenever possible, creating a void that's filled by the new menace called The Joker (Heath Ledger) who targets both the gangsters and the city's law officials alike. When the Joker challenges Batman, threatening to kill a person a day unless he unmasks and gives himself up, the caped crusader and Gotham's new D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) must find a way to deal with this violent new form of killer each in their own way. At the same time, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) must contend with Dent's interest in his childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and his own feelings for her.

What Worked:

Ok, lets get one thing straight, this movie rocks! The cast is perfect. The Joker will get into your mind and scare you, Batman is still the protector of the city, Lt. Gordon has a bigger role this time and is another hero to root for, and the D.A. Harvey Dent is well played in his transformation (we all know who he becomes). The director, Christopher Nolan did well also because he went for character and story over big explosions.

The movie may be call "The Dark Knight" referring to Batman, but this story will leave you remembering The Joker character above all else. As soon as he comes on the screen he will leave an imprint on your mind with his scary laugh, his freaky voice, his scars and make-up. Ledger deserves a Oscar for his complete transformation into the character of The Joker.

Pretty much everything worked which include the story, action, suspense, acting, and score. This movie will require multiple views because the story is long and complex and very interesting.

What Didn't Work:

The only problem I had with the movie was that is got kind of long toward the end, but I still enjoyed it. I mean 150 minutes is a long time to sit down, but it is worth it. Also you might think this is going to be a light superhero movie, but it is not. This is a very dark and grim story filled with scary parts and is not a light movie. I enjoyed it, but leave the kids home.

Conclusion:

Go see the movie and pay attention.

4 stars out of 4

"The Dark Knight" is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace.

Movie Review - Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Intro:

I remember sitting around one Friday evening living on 1098 SE Clarey Ave. in small house right beside the river in 2004. Jesse and I were bored and we were looking at the movie reviews for Hellboy which looked kind of interesting because it was a comics superhero story. So, Jesse, Paddy, and I went and saw it and we enjoyed it. A pretty fun movie.
Now for those who don't anything Hellboy, maybe you are already put off by the title. The first movie is more of supernatural thriller which starts in 1944. The German Nazis work with Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland to build a dimensional portal. They intend to use it, with Rasputin's help, to awaken the Ogdru Jahad (the Seven Gods of Chaos), monstrous entities that have been imprisoned and asleep since an undisclosed time, to destroy their enemies. But Rasputin secretly intends to use the entities to bring about the destruction of the entire Earth.
The United States sends a small Army team to destroy the portal, guided by a young doctor, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who is well-versed in terms of magic and sorcery. In the ensuing battle, the German scientists and soldiers are killed and the portal is destroyed, killing Rasputin. As the Army team surveys the ruins for anything that may have sneaked into their dimension through the portal, they discover a bright red infant demon whom they name Hellboy. Hellboy later joins with group of other different characters which include fish-like person named Abe Sapien who has advanced psychic abilities, and Liz Sherman, a pyrokinetic with firestarting abilities. The group later becomes known as the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense.
The first movie showed off hellboy's skills at fighting a different amount of offworld and fantasy like creatures.
Fast forward four years and here comes Hellboy 2.

Story:
Hellboy 2 starts on Christmas Eve with the professor telling Hellboy of an ancient tale of a battle between humankind and mythical creatures. The king of the mythical creatures makes a deal with a certain race, that are his slaves, if they build him an army that will destroy the humans he will let them go free. This race agrees and makes him the indestructible golden army along with the command tool, a golden crown. This race of fantasy creatures tell him that whoever has control over the crown will have control of the army. The golden army is so strong that it destroys most of the humankind. The king of the mythical creatures is sorry that he made the golden army and declares a truce with the humankind. They split the crown in to three halves and give one to the humans and two to the mythical creatures, one for the king and his daughter. The prince does not agree with his fathers decision and believes the humans should be destroyed. He is then sent into exile.
The story then goes on to tell the prince's return from exile and his search for all three pieces of the crown to command the golden army which Hellboy and his friends try to prevent.

What worked:
The one thing about this sequel compared to the first is that everything was taken up a notch. The humor, fun, action, suspense, drama, character development. I think this story was better then the original because the first dealt more with the supernatural side of the hellboy story, while this dealt more in the fantasy realm of the hellboy story. The characters were really fleshed out more and the evil prince was really cool as the bad guy with his great sword work. Also the director Guillermo del Toro did a better job this time around with the story and pacing, maybe because this time he wrote the whole screenplay and was given more freedom then the first one. Now for those who don't know about del Toro is that he is a visionary director with a great imagination. He is like the George Lucas of today. There is a scene in Hellboy 2 in the Troll market which is like the bar scene in A New Hope with Luke meets Han Solo. Both those scenes featured many weird and cool characters. Del Toro also directed Pan's Labyrinth another fantasy adventure with alot of interesting ideas and characters. He is also attached to do The Hobbit in 2011.

What didn't work:
I don't have anything really bad to say about the movie. Some minor things in the middle got the story kind of slow and bogged down. Also you might be put off by the whole nature of the story about a demon who comes from another portal and fights alot of weird creatures. Also for some the ending could be kind of predictable.

Conclusion:
This is great sequel to the first Hellboy movie and a fun summer flick. Prepare to see some amazing creatures and have alot of fun. You probably don't have to see the first one to see this one, but it would help with the back story.

Hellboy II is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language
3 1/2 stars out of 4

Movie Review - Hancock

The other day I was looking forward to this movie called Hancock.
I had seen previews in the cinema and looked like a pretty funny action superhero movie. It was interesting because a lot of the trailers I saw didn't really give anything away about the plot of the story. I also really wanted to see it because it has Will Smith in it.

The story is centered about the main character named, John Hancock(Will Smith), a superhero who is shall we say a bum on the streets. He lays on park benches and drinks beer from the bottle and acts really different for a typical superhero. Hancock is the kind of guy that everyone hates rather than loves. He produces more damage when he tries to save the day and pretty soon everyone is out to get him to put him in jail. One day Hancock saves a man's life who in return desires to help Hancock restore his lost image. The salesman played by Jason Bateman takes Hancock under his wing and sort of teaches him how to be a superhero. Ray(Bateman) lets Hancock into his life and he meets his wife(Charlize Theron) and son. Ray teaches Hancock how to land when coming to fly into a situation, how to tell the cops a good job for keeping a situation under control, and so on. Hancock doesn't like it at first but eventually comes around.

Eventually Bateman's character, Ray, convinces Hancock to spend some time in prison (there has been a warrant out for Hancock's arrest since his latest do-good debacle) to make the public miss him. Sure enough, it works. But just when it looks like Hancock will sail happily into a Santa Monica sunset, a major twist throws his life for a new loop.

The major twist, I thought, was pretty cool and indeed made the story more interesting. The last half of the movie got really dark and intense which really differed from the first half which was pretty light and funny. This sort changed the feel of the movie, even though I didn't really mind, it might have worked better if that didn't happen.

A major complaint I had was that they didn't explain it well enough the origins of Will Smith's character. It got kind of confusing and it was sort of rushed near the end. I wish they had made the movie longer with a better explanation of the characters. The story also seemed kind of choppy. Maybe they are setting it up for the next sequel.

All and all I enjoyed the movie with some minor set backs and storytelling. In terms of themes, Hancock deals with standard superhero fare: reluctant heroism, the burden of power, fate vs. choice, etc. On the technical level, Hancock does everything it needs to do, though nothing more. The cast was really great with Will Smith as the great lead and Bateman has the pretty funny PR man.

Hancock is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence and language.

3 Stars out of 4