grandslam40 Reviews

WALL·E (2008)

Is this REALLY the best Disney/Pixar film?

[6/10 · 10 January 2009]

Let me start off by saying I have grown up with Disney/Pixar movies. The day a brand new D/P movie came out was like Christmas morning for me. And I was never let down. Ever. Toy Story 1 +2, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, and Ratatouille all have amazing aspects to them that make them classics and some of the best family movies ever made. It is hard to pick a best one of these - they are all great in their own ways.

That being said, I just finished watching Wall-E, the latest D/P "masterpiece." When I first saw the trailer, I was skeptical. It looked pretty stupid to me and I did not end up seeing it in theaters. After reading the rave reviews for it all over the place and the 8.5 rating on IMDb, I thought I would give it a shot.

The first 30 minutes or so I was very confused. Some of the few other negative critics have used the word "uncomfortable." But, honestly, I thought it was stupid. There. I said it. Not even because it was not physically correct or whatever...or showed Liberal propaganda to children... but because it was just STRANGE. When EVE came it picked up a little bit. But one thing I have to say was that Wall-E annoyed me a little bit. OK - the first couple times he said "EEEEEVE-uh" and EVE said "wwwwwuuualll-EEE" it was kind of "cute." But after the 3 or 4 hundredth time, it started grinding on my nerves. I was not "swept off my feet" by the "adorable" romance of Wall-E and Eve. Again - a bit strange. I was really disappointed because I REALLY wanted to join the hordes of people who endeared this film, but I just couldn't. First 30 minutes - 3/10 As for the positives, OF COURSE the cinematics, visual effects, animation, art, and technical aspects were stunning. (I will say Wall-E was the best D/P movie in those terms.)A positive turning point came when we met the humans. I particularly liked the Captain for his bumbling, yet heroic aura. It was funny how they satired and exaggerated the American culture and what may become of it. It had a nice ending and an overall good story. I will not go into anymore of the positives, since the have been covered by the 70,000+ who gave this film a 9 or 10. For the rest of the movie I give a 7/10.

But please, Wall-E doesn't come CLOSE to other D/P masterpieces such as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Monsters, Ratatouille, and Cars. And best of animation of the year - Kung Fu Panda and Horton Hears a Who were both better. (OK - Wall-E WAS better than A Bug's Life - and Space Chimps).

Again, I enjoyed this film and was thoroughly entertained by it. Also, I agree, it does reach a plateau in computer animation with its visuals. The story was nice. But a lot of it was just bizarre and definitely NOT D/P's best. Again I write these negatives with a heavy heart and I hope maybe if I let it "digest" I will be able to comprehend what others have heralded as "an incredible cinematic achievement." Overall for Wall-E - 6(sigh)/10

Poseidon (2006)

Poseidon is a Great Movie

[9/10 · 4 October 2008]

I just watched Poseidon for the second time on TV last night, after watching it on DVD a couple years ago. I remember really enjoying this movie, and watching it again it just got better. I have never seen the original "Poseidon Adventure," which means I have nothing to compare this movie to.

The acting in this movie is very strong. Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, and Richard Dreyfuss (the shark guy from Jaws) were all very believable and sincere and the character development, while a little hurried, is very real and convincing. All of the main characters were important and relevant and contributed to the story. Josh Lucas' character was my personal favorite and his development is fantastic. At the beginning of the movie he was a cunning and self-centered loner, then grows to be brave and a good leader. The small group that decides to leave the ballroom where the survivors of the initial wave strike stay becomes very close and captivating to the audience.

Another positive in this movie is the enchanting special affects. There is no way any critic could knock on the sheer brilliance of the created wave, or the way the filmmakers show the cruise ship tragically capsize and flip over. It was all very impressive.

Critics of this film (and there must be a lot of them, considering the 5.6 rating on IMDb) have constantly found faults in the predictability and convenience of the story. And if you look for it, yeah, you might find that there is a fire hose right near the flooded area that is just long enough to make it across the balconies, among a few *just in time* moments. However if you watch this with an open mind, and sense of adventure it shouldn't bother you at all. I personally don't mind if there are small, "lucky", things that help the characters...especially when I am engrossed in the story.

Poseidon is a great adventure and a good movie to rent on DVD, now that it is out of theaters. If you ignore the nasty comments made on this website about this movie and give it a watch, I think most people would enjoy it. Again, if you are watching this for fun, and to see an action-packed, thrilling, adventure and not to criticize, Poseidon will not disappoint.

AWESOME MOVIE!!

Prom Night (I) (2008)

Excellent Thriller!

[9/10 · 11 April 2008]

When I first saw the previews for Prom Night, I got very excited because the previews made it look really good. I couldn't wait to see it. I saw it on opening night and was not disappointed! The film follows Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow) on the night of her prom, fours years after she was traumatized by her pedophile former teacher stalking her and then watching him kill her family. This is shown in the very first scene and the thrills and suspense take off from there. Let me just say this movie is very creepy and not for the faint of heart.

The thrills I got from this movie were the most I've gotten in a long time. It had that natural horror movie tension buildup, where the character slowly walks backward as the music builds. Sometimes the climax was just the character bumping into a lamp, while other times you saw the guy, staring infatuated at her with those creepy, unforgettable eyes. I will admit I jumped out of my seat a couple of times.

This movie was one of the best teen slasher films of the 21st century, as the acting is amazing! Brittany Snow is spectacular and believable as the lead and the supporting cast was amazing as well. The characters were realistic, too.(Most of the time) they were intelligent and believable as party-going, fun-loving young teenagers with romantic drama enjoying their senior prom.

The only thing that could have been better for me, was the ending. I felt it could have been better. You will probably realize it when you watch it, but they had a golden opportunity to make really creepy ending.

Anyway, if you are a fan of horror films, particularly teen slashers, watch this movie! Teens especially would love it, as I did. There are thrills, suspense, romance, and you actually become attached to the characters and hope they survive. This movie will stay with you and have you checking your back after you get back from the theater and have you checking your bathroom after you walk in.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

Interesting...I liked It, but something feels missing...

[8/10 · 27 December 2007]

First of all, National Treasure, the first one, is one of my favorite movie ever. I love history, specifically American history, and it had clever references and facts about American history that lead to finding the treasure in a way that is not predictable. That being said, I felt something was missing in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. It almost felt like the writers could not think of any new, clever clues for Nicolas Cage to solve or more suspense without action scenes.

First lets look at the positives. This movie was very well-done. The acting was as superb as the first (Nicolas Cage and Justin Bartha are amazing). It was very believable. Also the action scenes are excellent and full of invigorating suspense. The scene near the unexpected end where they had to balanced the steel block thing in the cave was terrific. All the action scenes were awesome: right out of an Indiana Jones movie. Another thing I liked was the ironic humor and sarcasm used by Nicolas Cage's character and other characters throughout the movie that gave it a light, fun feel. With interesting history references and a brilliant score by Trevor Rabin, what could be wrong with it?

You may not agree with me. But I felt that the ending, and a few other scenes were rushed. For example, they spent literally about five minutes in Paris both finding and figuring out the clue. After that they moved on to London, they spent about 15 minutes there, 5 of them were spent finding the clue. It all felt rushed which tended to confuse me. And the ending definitely did not satisfy me. It was too sudden and I felt it was incomplete, even though the movie was over two hours long.

As I think back to some of the scenes in the beginning and middle of the movie, I forget why I included "negatives" because it was so brilliant and I loved it as much as the first one. But then I remember the ending. it just didn't satisfy like the last movie did. I can't explain the nice feeling the first movie gave me: its what the perfect movie gives you I guess. Anyway, I would recommend this to anyone who has scene the first one and anyone who would like a good crime/action/adventure flick with excellent acting with lovable and believable characters. It's a great movie, it just didn't live up to my expectations or the original's

National Treasure (2004)

Excellent Historical Adventure

[10/10 · 14 April 2007]

I just watched this movie for the third time and it is such a spectacular movie. The action scenes were top of the line and the acting was terrific. Nicolas Cage shined as the lead, portraying Ben Gates, the persistent treasure hunter who looks for a long lost treasure. Diane Kruger held her own as leading lady and history enthusiast, Abigael Chase. In my opinion though it was Justin Bartha who stole the show as Riley, Cage's assistant. He had some great lines and actually influenced the plot as well as made you laugh. Jon Voight and Sean Bean were great in their supporting roles.

I love learning about history and watching movies that have to do with history and this movie was top-notch. You will learn some very interesting facts about history.

Combine this with one of the best scores I have heard since Pirates of the Caribbean and you have a tremendous movie treasure hunt that is definitely worth watching. Watch it and go along for the ride with Nick...you will not be disappointed.