aaronzombie Reviews

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Not as good as I expected, but still a great flick

[14 December 2003]

Like many others here have said, Pirates of the Carribean is one of my favorite Disney rides. When I heard that they planned on turning it into a feature film I was intrigued. I hadn't seen the first Disney attraction based movie "The Country Bears," which was probably a good move on my part because I've heard it's a pretty awful film, and might have made me want to steer clear of this one. After seeing the theatrical trailer when I went to see "Holes," I knew that I had to give it a shot. I didn't get a chance to see it in the theatres, and now that I have seen it I wish I would've found some time. Before watching the DVD I was hoping for a compelling adventure in the same vein as other great pirate flicks like "The Goonies" and "Muppet Treasure Island." After watching it I...well, read on to find out what I thought.

Plot:

A young woman is kidnapped by a gang of pirates who just happen to be the crew of the infamous ship called the Black Pearl. A local blacksmith who was rescued by this girl years ago, asks wanted pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to help him rescue her from being sacrificed. To make matters worse, these bloodthirsty pirates are cursed and will be difficult to defeat.

The good:

Top notch performances from the cast, especially the four leads. Great special effects and fight sequences. The plot is nothing new, but the script was definately written with care. A powerful musical score. Awesome costumes and set design.

The bad:

The film is a tad overlong and the pace drags at times as a result of it.

Not one of Disney's greatest achievements, but still solid entertainment. Fans of swashbuckling flicks shouldn't be disappointed. Bring on POTC 2!

My rating: **** out of *****

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

A good combination of two great series

[27 August 2003]

Like many others, I had been really looking forward to this film since they first officially greelit it(They had supposedly greenlit it before, but things didn't work out I guess). Some of the things revealed about the film, meaning who was in it, the plot, etc., made me very happy and gave me high hopes. The photos also looked great and the interviews with the cast and crew(Especially the ones with Robert Englund)sounded very positive, and so did most of the reviews. I asked myself: How could this film possibly fail? Ok, it could have failed miserably and turned out to be a piece of crap, but lucky for us fans we got a real treat. Now on to my review. Beware there might be a few minor spoilers.

Plot:

A few years have passed since "Jason Goes to Hell" and "Freddy's Dead," and Freddy Krueger has grown tired of being trapped in his own personal Hell. The adults in Springwood, Ohio have made sure everything about Freddy Krueger was erased and that every person who remembered who he was, was locked away in a nearby institution. This is where Jason Voorhees, also in his own private Hell, comes in. Freddy manipulates Jason by appearing to him as his long dead mother, and tells him to go to Elm Street to kill some of the teenagers so that Freddy can regain his power over them. What Freddy doesn't know is that Jason can't be stopped, and so when Freddy gains enough power to kill someone, Jason beats him to it, causing Freddy to get furious. A group of friends living in Springwood discover the truth and attempt to stop the two killers for good, but Freddy is determined to stop Jason himself and continue his reign of terror. The film ends with a battle between the two at Camp Crystal Lake. Who will take the trophy home?

The good:

A good plot, great special effects and visual effects, decent acting from young cast, a good pace through most of the film, and a great ending.

The bad:

Poor charecter development, the pace drags at times, some bad dialogue, and they could have shown more of Jason's past like they did with Freddy, meaning flashbacks to the previous Friday the 13th films.

Overall rating: ***1/2 out of *****

Final thoughts:

No it won't win any major awards, but it made a lot of money at the box office, and is a fun little movie. Bring on the sequel! (With Michael Myers in it of course).

Half Moon Street (1986)

Underrated classic

[3 May 2003]

I admit that I only rented this film because it has my favorite actress, Sigourney Weaver, but I was surprised to find out that this is a well acted, well written, and extremely entertaining gem. I expected the film to be pretty mediocre and kinda dull since it involves politics, but Half Moon Street is now one of my favorite films.

Plot: (POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2)

Dr. Lauren Slaughter has grown tired of her low paying posistion at a university in London. She recieves a videotape from an anonymous person and watches it immediately. It turns out to be about an Escort Service. At first she thinks it's completely rediculous, but then realizes she doesn't have very many options, so she goes for an interview and gets the job. She is brought into the life of Lord Bulbeck, a British diplomat who is working on a top secret peace settlement with the Middle-East, and the two come to like eachother. What they both don't know is that someone is watching them and that now they're lives are in jeopardy.

The Good:

An original plot that is pulled off quite well. Great performances from everyone, especially Weaver and Caine who have a great chemistry together. The pace is fast and there's lots of suspense and intrigue. I also love the music score.

The Bad:

The pace lags at times, but other than that I saw few problems with this movie.

Overall rating: ***** out of *****

Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002 Video)

Welcome back Kirsty!

[23 October 2002]

As soon as I heard that Ashley Laurence would be reprising her role as Kirsty Cotton from Hellraiser I-III in this latest sequel, I've been looking forward to it's release. I was sorely dissapointed in the last installment, Hellraiser: Inferno, so my expectations for this one were high. As time went by I heard more and more good things about it and when I saw the pictures I knew I was in for a treat. The day it came out I went to my local videostore, rented it, took it home, watched it, and here it is, my review of Hellraiser: Hellseeker.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!

Plot:

After the death of his wife, Kirsty, a young man starts having visions of disturbing images of people suffering and dying at the hands of hellish creatures. The police begin to suspect that their was foul play involved in the accident that claimed Trevor's wife. Even people in Trevor's life suspect he had something to with Kirsty's death and soon Trevor will learn the answer to the question: Is it all just a bad dream? Or has Pinhead placed Trevor in his own private Hell as a offering for the release of Kirsty from Hell?

The Good:

A decent, but not great plot, good acting, decent special effects and visuals, an o.k. pace, a great scene where Kirsty faces Pinhead, and a decent twist ending.

The Bad:

The pace does lag at times, the dream sequences and hallucinations get a little old after a while, Ashley Laurence and Doug Bradley deserved a bit more screentime, somethings don't make much sense, and the music score leaves a lot to be desired.

Overall:

Not too bad. A definate improvement over Bloodline and Inferno, and about as good as Hell On Earth. The film has flaws, but is still worth a look for Kirsty's return alone.

*** out of *****

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

A definate improvement over H20, and a pretty good film on it's own, but still can't touch 1-6

[13 July 2002]

Well here it is. The long-waited 7th sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 classic about an escaped mental patient searching for his sister on Halloween night. Over the past 10 years I have watched the series grow from a simple indie horror flick to a complex epic horror story. For me, Halloween was the perfect horror film series from I & II to 4-6. Then in 1998 came Halloween: Twenty Years Later(I choose not to acknowledge that ridiculous H20 part), a decent yet disappointing sequel that broke the continuing storyline we had and tried to get us to believe that 4-6 didn't happen.

That doesn't mean that things couldn't be fixed in a later sequel, so I had hope for 8. From 1999-2001 Dimension put the film together and several different ideas came across and then were dropped or debunked as rumor. Finally on July 12, 2002 it hit theatres. Today me, my dad, and two of my friends went in to see this film. I was really excited especially after having seen the cool trailers many times. Now here it, my review of Rick Rosenthal's Halloween: Resurrection...

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2!!!

Plot:

3 Years have passed since Laurie Strode decapitated the man whom she thought was her brother, infamous serial killer Michael Myers. Turns out Myers switched clothes with a paramedic, crushed his windpipe, and left. Laurie was locked up in a sanitarium and now Michael has found her. After finally ridding himself of his sister, he returns to Haddonfield, Illinois to kill off any other surviving relatives. However, he learns that 8 people are locked up in his house holding a live webcast. There they will search for clues as to why Myers does what he does. Michael doesn't like this idea, so he locks himself in with these people and kills them one by one.

The good:

A pretty good pace through most of the film. Jamie Lee Curtis, Bianca Kajilch, Brad Loree, and Ryan Merriman give good performances. The whole webcast things is pulled off really well, so the story is pretty good. We also get some great kill scenes, and a great dark atmosphere to go along with all of it. Not to mention a pretty good score.

The bad:

Aside from the actors I mentioned above, the rest of the cast is forgettable and I could care less about them. The pace does lag at times, but not for a big part of the movie. There is no character development or suspense whatsoever. That's not te worst thing about it though. The #1 one bad hing about this film is that like H20 it tries to get us to believe that 4-6 never happened, but it doesn't completely erase them eighther. Oh and two more things: What's with the connection between Sara and Miles? It doesn't go anywhere and is not needed. Finally we get a lame explanation for why Michael was supposedly missing for 20 years, but I won't spoil that one for you.

Overall:

Despite it's flaws, Resurrection is a pretty good addition to the Halloween series, but is still nowhere near as good as parts 1-6.

***1/2 out of *****

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Great, but not as good as the other existing episodes

[1 July 2002]

This, the second installment in Lucas's epic series isn't quite as good as it's predecessor or sequels, but is still an overall great addition to the Star Wars legacy. I mean, could they really do that bad of a Star Wars film? I think not.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!! Ten years have passed since the events in "The Phantom Menace," and things are still not well in the Republic. As a matter of fact things are much worse. Anakin Skywalker and Obi- Wan Kenobi are asked to once again protect Padme Amidala. While Obi- Wan searches for answers, Anakin and Padme slowly grow to like each other more than they should. We learn that an army of clones is being built for what could be a major war between races in the galaxy. To makes things even worse, Anakin takes his few first steps into the darkside, so we can be sure that he will soon dawn the mask of the evil Darth Vader in Episode III.

Great story, acting, effects, and music score. **** out of *****.

Jason X (2001)

A dissapointing sequel, but...

[28 April 2002]

I had high expectations for this 10th Jason adventure. I mean, the last installment Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday is my favorite F13 and I thought it ended the series perfectly. Once New Line Cinema revealed that they wanted to continue the legacy, I wondered how they were gonna bring him back and make it worthwhile instead of pointless. Now that i've seen it, i've been answer the question: Did we need another Friday the 13th? Read on and you'll find out what I thought.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2!!! A few years have passed since Jason Goes to Hell, and Jason is being contained by the government. He breaks free and kills off almost everyone there, except one woman. She lures him into a tank where they are both frozen. Over 400 years later, a group of scientists journey to what is an abandoned Earth and find the two frozen specimens. They take them with them on their space station to take to Earth 2. They thaw out the girl, Rowan, and tell her that they are safe. Unfortunately, Jason has also thawed out and does what he does best.

Entertaining, good acting, great effects, and a pretty cool premise, but poor dialogue, the overall plot is nothing special, and there are some missed oppurtunities(Like with Uber-Jason for example). **1/2 out of *****. Could have been great, but is only o.k.

Witchouse 3: Demon Fire (2001 Video)

Another superior sequel

[6 February 2002]

My prediction was right. This third installment of Full Moon's franschise is a step up from the above average Witchouse: Blood Coven and like that film goes in a completely different direction than the entertaining, but derivitive original. Plus, it stars my second fave scream queen behind the lovely and talented Linnea Quigley.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2!!!3 friends get together to film a documentary on witchcraft. The first thing they do is hold a seance, but they are unaware of the evil that is amoung them. They conjure up Lilith who goes on yet another rampage of murder and cat & mouse games until a decent twist ending.

Good story, acting, and o.k. effects. ***1/2 out of *****. I hope they do at least one more installment.

Alien 3 (1992)

Not as action packed as Aliens, but a good film that is better than the original and Resurrection

[22 January 2002]

Over the years i've read mixed reviews about this 3rd installment of this popular franchise. What side am I on? Well first of all this film definately is not as good as Aliens. That film has an intensity that few other films can touch. However, Alien 3 is my 2nd favorite of the quartet and personally(Don't bash me for this)I think it's even better than the original, a film called a masterpeice by some.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!While in hypersleep, Lt. Ripley's ship crashes on a prison planet. She is rescued, but is the only survivor. She learns that she is amoung ex-criminals and has to wait for the rescue team before she can leave. Suddenly people begin dying off. Has an alien arrived with Ripley?

Good story, acting, and effects. ***1/2 out of *****.

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Not great, but no where near bad eighther.

[17 January 2002]

This 4th entry in the Alien franchise is weak when compared to it's strong predecessors, but isn't really a bad film. Like so many other part 4's(Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare, Leprechaun 4: In Space, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation)Alien Resurrection is mostly a rehash of the best elements of the previous installments, but like those films I mentioned it makes some of those elements still work.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2!!!200 years have passed since the conclusion of Alien 3, and Ripley has been cloned. Why? So some scientists can take out the baby alien and use it for their experiments which includes breeding more of them. Once again Ripley bands together with a group of renegades to stop the alien race from spreading.

O.k. story, good acting, and effects. *** out of *****.

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Far from Carpenter's best, but a great film none the less

[20 December 2001]

In my whole life I have only seen a handful of Carpenter films. "Halloween," "Escape From New York," "Ghosts of Mars," "Escape From L.A.," and this film. Minus the mediocre "Ghosts of Mars" and the decent "Escape From L.A.," this film can't hold a candle to eighther "Halloween" or "Escape From New York," but it doesn't really try to. On it's own it's a gem and way better than what is said about it.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2!!!A group of college students are asked to spend the night in an abandoned church. There they study a mysterious canister filled with a green liquid. They discover that it is the gateway to Hell and suddenly horrible things begin to happen around them. Zombies, bugs, and other horrible things are what they must face before they can stop the comming of the Prince of Darkness himself.

Good story, acting, and music score. ***1/2 out of *****.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

A HUGE improvement

[20 December 2001]

Steven Spielberg's 1981 film "Raiders of the Lost Ark," failed to show me a really great movie experience, but it does have it's strong points. This prequel, however, is a completely different story. It completely makes up for the bad parts of "Raiders," and boasts better special effects and a much faster pace. However, if you have a weak stomach I recommend you watch this one with caution.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!After making a deal with the Chinese mafia, Dr. Indiana Jones flees to India to get back to his University. Along for the ride are his sidekick Short-Round and a singer he rescued from a horrible death back in China. They come across a village where the people ask them to go to a palace to recover a sacred stone and save the children of the village. Not long after their arrival, they experience some unspeakable things. Will they survive and grant the wishes of the villagers? Watch this gem and find out.

Exciting, great story, acting, and music score. ***** out of *****.

Working Girl (1988)

Classic late 80's Comedy/Drama

[6 December 2001]

A classic 80's flick that spawned a short lived t.v. series and is one of the best films that Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford, and Melanie Griffith have starred in. It's just like everyone else here says it is, a modern fairytale.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!Secretary Tess McGill gets a new job working for Catherine Parker at one of New York's biggest companies. She is told that whenever she has an idea to let Catherine have a look see at her notes. What Tess doesn't know is that Catherine is about to pass one of her ideas off as her own, but while she is on a skii trip, Tess takes the idea to Trask Industries to get it through. Unfortunately she is caught and loses her job. Does that stop her from making her dreams come true? Watch this awesome flick and find out.

Great story, acting, and soundtrack. **** out of *****.

Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001 Video)

After 2 worthless sequels, Dimension brings us another good entry

[22 October 2001]

To me it seemed almost impossible for Dimension Films to actually release another good entry in this series after the damage that Children of the Corn V & 666 did. However, I was surprised to find out that this latest film is decent and best of all it completely ignores V & 666.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!A young woman goes to visit her Grandmother who lives in an old apartment building. We learn that her grandmother was the only survivor of an accident that took place many years before the previous entries. Now the spirits of the cult children who perished in that accident are back and aren't too happy about these people on their land.

Good story, and acting. *** out of *****.

The Crow: Salvation (2000)

Here's where they should leave it

[5 October 2001]

3rd installment of The Crow franchise is nowhere near as good as the original and not quite as good as the first sequel. Does that mean it's a piece of trash that should be avoided? Not at all. Just don't expect much when you see it and you may enjoy it.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!A young man is framed for the murder of his girlfriend and is excecuted. However, he returns from the land of the dead to get revenge on those who really did kill his girlfriend.

Entertaining, good acting, and effects. **1/2 out of *****.

The Dead Next Door (1989)

Dawn of the Dead meets Return of the Living Dead

[5 October 2001]

What we have here is yet another enjoyable shoestring budget gorefest about a virus bringing the dead back from their tombs. If you are a Bookwalter fan or just a zombie movie fan, I recommend you pick this up.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2!!!A virus spreads and brings the dead back to kill the living. A team of soldiers searches for a religous cult that may be responsible for the carnage.

Good story, effects, and o.k. acting. ***1/2 out of *****.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

First Half: 9/10, Second Half:5.5/10 Overall:...

[27 September 2001]

I had already seen The Shining and A Clockwork Orange, so I thought i'd give this movie a shot. Now usually I don't care for war movies, but I didn't care at the time. Did I like it as much as I wanted? Read on.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!The first half of this film has our main charecters going through their basic training. The ones who make it go on into the second half. The second half is during the Vietnam war where we again meet some of the main charecters and some new ones.

Now the first half was awesome, but then there was the second half. It feels like they wrote it quickly and through in a few good scenes to make it kinda bearable. Sadly it really hurts the movie, but doesn't keep it from being good.

Good story, acting, and effects. *** out of *****.

Witchouse II: Blood Coven (2000 Video)

Even though Witchouse wasn't goo enough to warrant a sequel, one was made, and a good one at that

[20 September 2001]

The first Witchouse was an o.k. Friday/Saturday night watch, but was nothing really special or original. When I saw the box for Witchouse II: Blood Coven I thought "Oh geez, they're gonna milk it aren't they?" However, after watching it I ate my words. It's actually a decent sequel.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!A group of scientists set up there lab in a spooky old mansion where witches were murdered years before. The leader becomes possessed by Lilith and turns most of the others into her army of demons.

Good story, effects, and o.k. acting. *** out of *****. I'm interested in seeing Witchouse 3: Demon Fire. Hopefully it will be even better than this one.

Puppet Master (1989 Video)

Another enjoyable killer doll flick with good effects

[20 September 2001]

Enjoyable Full Moon flick is as enjoyable as a lot of the other 80s/90s killer doll flicks. And like Child's Play this film spawned several sequels and so far i've only seen parts II-4. So far I like II best, III is kinda dull, and 4 is just o.k.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!A group of psychics stay in an old Hotel where the infamous Andre Toulon stayed 50 years before. What they don't know is that he left his puppets behind and they're not too happy with the people who have entered their domain.

O.k. story, good effects, and acting. *** out of *****.

Ghosts of Mars (2001)

A mediocre Carpenter flick? Nah, can't be...can it?

[29 August 2001]

I haven't seen any of Carpenter's other 90's movies, so I can't really agree that he has lost it, but this latest movie ain't no "Halloween." It does feature some of the same type of charecters and plot ideas used in Pitch Black(Read my review of that one), but unlike that film it isn't a complete waste.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILER OR 2!!!A group of police officers travel to a mine on planet Mars on a prisoner pick-up mission. They discover that the workers have been taken over by evil parasites who have turned them into self-mutilating killers.

Good acting, effects & set design, a good score by Carpenter, and a somewhat enjoyable 2nd half, but an extremely dull first half, and a poor plot. ** out of *****.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1987 Video)

A great adaption of the story

[29 August 2001]

I have always liked the story "The Wizard of Oz." My first experience with it was of, of course, the 1939 musical with Judy Garland. Next I discovered that Disney had made a sequel titled "Return to Oz," and enjoyed it as well. Then I saw this movie when it first aired on HBO, I think I was 3 or 4 at the time, and I loved it. After that I never saw it again until a few months ago when I bought a copy. I still loved it.

Anyway, you already know the story, so here are my likes and dislikes. Good stuff: Good animation, good acting, a well written script, and a pretty fast pace. Bad stuff: The pace lags a bit in the middle, but it picks up again after a little while.

**** out of *****. I have yet to see "The Emearld City of Oz," but I have seen and own the other 2 installments and like them also.

Return of the Living Dead III (1993)

Not as good as 1 or 2, but a worthy 3rd chapter

[22 August 2001]

This 3rd installment of the ROTLD series is actually a very serious movie compared to it's superior predecessors. When I say superior I don't mean that this is a bad movie, but it isn't quite as good as what went before.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!After an accident on his motorcycle, Kurt revives his girlfriend, Julie, with that gas from the first two films. It works and Kurt thinks she won't cause any problems, so they escape and run from the cops. Is he in a surprise or want. Julie soon loses control of her new flesheating personality and creates a whole new army of living dead.

Good story, acting, and effects. ***1/2 out of *****.

The Howling (1981)

A decent beginning to a decent series of films(Minus New Moon Rising)

[22 August 2001]

While Howling V: The Rebirth is my favorite of this series, Joe Dante's original is pretty decent if not somewhat overrated.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!A reporter and her husband go on a vacation in the country to join some kind of group therapy. Strange things begin to happen around them at night. Howling, shadows, and dead bodies. Soon the secret of the group is released, and Karen White must fight for her life. Will she succeed? Watch to find out.

Good story, acting, and o.k. effects. *** out of *****.

Amityville 1992: It's About Time (1992 Video)

Forget "Curse," this is the REAL Amityville 5

[16 August 2001]

After an almost completely unrelated part 5, we get a sequel that puts the series about an evil house back on track. This one builds on the idea that 4 started, objects from 112 Ocean Ave. that kill, and does it without being a retread.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!Jacob Sterling returns home with a strange antique clock from the town of Amityville, Long Island. As soon as he sets it on the mantle piece the evil is released, and for Jacob and his family, life is going to be one hell of a terrifying trip through time.

Good story, acting, and effects. *** out of *****.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

Beautiful animation and likeable charecters don't make up for a slow pace and a horrible plot

[14 August 2001]

I really wanted to like this movie. No, I wanted to LOVE it. Unfortunately the only thing I did love about it was the animation. That alone is not worth the price of admission or rental though. Also, I never did play the games, but I'm sure they're WAY more fun than this.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!The year is 2065 and soul-stealing aliens have taken over Earth. A girl who has an alien infection teams up with a gang of survivors to discover how to defeat these creatures and to save herself...yawn!

Great animation, and likeable charecters, but boring, and a horrible and unoriginal plot. ** out of *****.