dekkar5 Reviews

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011 Video Game)

A Milestone in Gaming History

[10/10 · 21 November 2011]

I have been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I have played games in every category imaginable and have had countless favorites over the years.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim surpasses all of these with flying colors.

It is a giant play place. A beautifully crafted sandbox filled to the brim with HUNDREDS of hours of action, dialogue and epic quests. You will climb the highest mountains, crawl the deepest dungeons, wield the greatest weapons and fight the mightiest creatures.

The game is gorgeous. It's landscapes, cities and towns are lush and vibrant with detail.

Skyrim features professional voice acting talent by greats such as Michael Hogan, Joan Allen and Max von Sydow.

Skyrim's main storyline is but a mere fraction of its content and you will easily find yourself enraptured in it's fantastical world; unable to break away as you pour your time into it almost unwillingly.

It is simply marvelous. Words do not do it justice.

American Horror Story (2011– )

Not that scary... just VERY creepy, but thought provoking

[9/10 · 13 November 2011]

This show isn't really a horror movie put into a TV series, its more of bizarre, outlandish creepfest stretched across episodes. There are very few OMG SCARY moments in the show. Things don't suddenly pop out to terrify its audience, it relies on an overarching theme of mystery and downright strange behavior of almost the entire cast.

Without going into details that would reveal spoilers, you are treated to an array of Ghosts, murders, unexplained phenomenon and shocking gore that will leave you squirming around in your seat - yet asking the question "Well what the hell was that all about? I HAVE to see the next episode to find out!" American Horror Story does this unique formula very well and the audience is always left with a slew of theories as to what exactly is happening on the show.

It's not for the faint of heart necessarily, but it very entertaining.

The Devil's Double (2011)

Incredible. Disturbing. Brilliant.

[10/10 · 13 November 2011]

The story of the Devil's Double follows the relatively mild mannered body double of Uday Hussein - Saddam Husseins son; a man forced into the position at the threat of his family's massacre.

Dominic Cooper plays both Uday and Latif (the double) with incredible flare and a demonstration of his incredible acting range. It would be hard to walk away from this movie without considering him a master thespian.

His portrayal of the psychopathic, sadistic Uday is so jarring and disturbing, it makes the film a piece of media that is not for the weak stomach. He rapes underage girls and has their bodies dumped in the desert, he rapes a woman on her wedding day, he kills people ruthlessly and in graphic detail when he wants, and he might just be the most insane, murderous psychopath you will ever see in any film ever.

On the other hand, Dominic's portrayal of Latif the body double is the opposite. A man of few words. A man who cares for the lives of his family and of innocent people. A man of reason and intelligence - completely at odds with the egregiousness of Uday Hussein.

From beginning to end this film is gripping. Even at its most disturbing moments it leaves you wanting more. It makes you question how such a sick and twisted individual could ever exist (the real Uday Hussein was actually reported to be quite like how he is portrayed).

It is certainly not a family film, but for anyone with the gumption to stomach some extremely disturbing violence and debauchery, at the cost of an amazing glimpse into the decadence and insanity of the Hussein household, this movie is a must see.

10/10

Colombiana (2011)

Zoe Kickin' Butt

[8/10 · 13 November 2011]

Columbiana has a relatively basic storyline. Zoe's character witnesses her parents deaths at a young age at the hands of a Columbian cartel, and grows up to become an assassin to avenge them. Very simple, no interweaving plot arcs that are hard to follow or understand. It's a run and gun movie.

Thus the story isn't that important in this film really; its more the action, which some have referred to as B-movieish, but I would liken more to the flare and faced paced action of the The Matrix.

There are plenty of nice explosions, sets and set pieces getting blown into oblivion, and lots of gun fire going on throughout. Luc Besson is almost a poor mans Michael Bay in this sense. He delivers raucous amounts of gun play and stuff getting shot to hell, but does so with very little 'graphic' detail. No one's guts get ripped out via machete, no heads getting blown off, just a lot of cartel thugs getting taken down in a very calculated assassin like way.

Zoe is convincing as the heroine trying to redeem her family's slaughter, but is only given a handful of emotional scenes to work with to show her inner turmoil.

The film could have been much better, the character more refined, the story more complex, the action more graphic, but for what it was, it was very entertaining from start to finish and is worth watching.

Jack and Jill (I) (2011)

Deserves to be Erased from Film History

[1/10 · 12 November 2011]

I will start by saying that I have enjoyed many Adam Sandler movies and have found him to be a generally funny guy when I've seen him interviewed and when he was on Saturday Night Live.

I laughed gleefully through Anger Management, Mr. Deeds, Billy Madison, 50 First Dates, and Happy Gilmore. Funny People and Just Go With It were awesome movies! I was brought to tears in Sandler's emotional portrayal in Reign Over Me.

I have great respect for the man as a comedian and actor. But Jack and Jill is abysmal. The "jokes" are not only bizarrely misplaced - THEY ARE NOT FUNNY. I did not hear a single laugh, not even a slight giggle from any audience member in the theater. In fact, almost 1/3 of them walked out before it was over. Those who stayed, openly derided the flick as we all exited the theater in utter disgust and sadness.

I don't know why Al Pacino was in this movie, his acting made it seem like he was forced at gun point to do this movie. Nick Swardson and Tim Meadows are way too funny to be in such a disaster. Especially given Swardson's stellar performance in Just Go With It.

This movie is not a flop, its not an "oops", its not a mistake - it's a career ending pile of trash. A career ender that started with Sandler's god awful "Grown Ups" and climaxes with this revolting hunk of garbage.

Sorry Adam, it's over.

Last Exile (2003)

The most entertaining, engaging Anime I have ever seen.

[10/10 · 16 January 2008]

Last Exile is a masterpiece through and through.

The most attention drawing aspect of this series is its incredible animation. It mixes 2d animation with 3d CGI almost perfectly and delivers an explosive, in-your-face presentation that can only be rivaled by feature anime films like Blood: The Last Vampire.

The story behind Last Exile is interesting and emotional. The characters are lovable and their interactions are genuinely enjoyable and surprisingly human. The setting is steampunk inspired and meticulously detailed.

Overall, one hell of a ride, and easily the best anime I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. This is a must see for not just fans of anime, but fans of excellent storytelling and entertainment in general.

Juno (2007)

Junk.

[1/10 · 14 January 2008]

This has got to be the single most over-hyped, overrated movie of 2007.

Juno delivers a train-wreck of awkward moments one after another, which ends up making the film both uncomfortable and ultimately unenjoyable.

The way this film was written and directed is nothing short of annoying. The way the characters speak, the ridiculous lingo they use, the sequence of events, the plot as a whole, the stupid feminist undertones, the failed attempts at witty comedy, everything about it is irritating.

I've enjoyed Ellen Page in other movies, most notably, Hard Candy, but her performance here comes off as not only pretentious and arrogant, but absurd, unrealistic and just plain stupid. Michael Cera portrays the same socially detached high schooler that he has in other movies, exactly the same way as before. Jason Bateman does alright as the unsure father to be, but Jennifer Garner's baby obsession comes off as incredibly forced and almost as jarring and annoying as the main character.

The soundtrack to this film sounds like it was recorded in someone's basement, and only further helps to annihilate what little emotion and drama existed.

The plot is uninteresting, the characters are dull and boring, and the movie itself is a perfect waste of 95 minutes.

Don't see it. Ever.

He Was a Quiet Man (2007)

Brilliantly Surreal

[10/10 · 13 January 2008]

He Was a Quiet Man draws on one of the most morbid aspects of our society and describes it perfectly.

Christian Slater plays the quiet cubicle worker, who, abused and mistreated by his coworkers, decides to shoot up the office. Fortunately for him, another man in his position takes aim first, and Slater takes him down with the bullets he had originally meant for his coworkers.

After the aftermath, his coworkers whom he loathed, treat him as a hero; and the object of his desire, played by Elisha Cuthbert, is paralyzed from a bullet wound. While Cuthbert initially enlists Slater to help her end her life, the two eventually form a bond that would have never otherwise occurred.

The movie leads us down a path of insanity and through the surreal, morbid, and sickened world of Slater's character almost flawlessly; and delivers a thought provoking, eye opening take on the mind of a psychotic would be murderer.

Bleach (2004–2023)

Has incredible potential, but ruins it at almost every turn.

[5/10 · 4 January 2008]

Before you guys say that I didn't watch Bleach, wait, because I sat down and watched the first 5 seasons almost back to back. And yes, its not a bad show, there are a lot worse animes out there. I tried REALLY hard to LOVE Bleach like everyone else does, but it seems that almost every chance Bleach has to make itself a great show, it fails.

Negatives.

First of all, the first season of Bleach is stupidly boring.

Second, there are WAY to many filler episodes in the series.

Third, the second season introduces a totally stupid amount of secondary characters, and then spends way too much time detailing their history, their special attacks and individual personalities, and all kinds of crap that drags the show down.

Fourth, serious and emotional/drama filled moments in this show are constantly shattered by "comic relief" when they shouldn't be. They are also dragged out to the point of ruin by excessive dialog.

Fifth, the characters need to SHUT UP AND FIGHT, and stop taunting each other and giving huge monologues about their abilities and their swords and what not. If I want to hear about every detail about a character's powers I'll go read the wikipedia article about them; it doesn't help the already crawling pace of the action to constantly interrupt it with boring talk.

Sixth, the action in Bleach is way behind the times for animation and for the most part is not that fun to watch. For the most part, I could describe the action in Bleach as Dragon Ball Z, with swords, in slow motion. ITS BORING. In almost every major fight in the series, as soon as the action starts up, it cuts away to another scene with boring dialog somewhere else in the world. Its damn annoying. There are certain Nickelodeon shows *cough*Avatar*cough* which have action that is 10 times more entertaining than Bleach.

Positives

1. I will admit, I have a big soft spot for emotionally damaged female characters, and Bleach has a couple of really good ones. It also has pretty solid character development overall, thanks to the excessive talking and explaining that goes on.

In conclusion, I've watched Bleach because I wanted to see some bad ass sword fighting; while there are a few good fights in the series, none are very memorable, and all of them are marred by the aforementioned mouth diarrhea that almost every character possesses. I will continue to watch Bleach in hopes that it gets better though.

Gurren Lagann (2007)

Outrageous and Infectious... But a little too ridiculous.

[7/10 · 2 January 2008]

Gurren Lagann follows the story of a young man named Simon who lives in an underground village in a seemingly post-apocalyptic future, where humans beings are forced to live below the surface to avoid the wrath of the evil Beastmen, and their King, Lord Genome. Simon and his friends must venture to the surface and destroy the Beastmen, reclaiming the Earth in the name of humanity.

The series is very intensely action oriented and all of the fight scenes are masterfully crafted and are very entertaining to watch. The animation in generally is beautiful, with the exception of one episode which was apparently directed by a different director.

The characters in the series are predictable, but lovable at the same time. However, Gainax certainly didn't take modesty into consideration when they designed Yoko, the female lead. Her half naked body, while fun to look at, takes center stage in almost every scene that she's in. However, despite using her to sell out to sex appeal, Yoko is revealed to be subjected to loss, sadness and pain throughout the series just like the other characters, and personally, is my favorite character in the show.

The problem I find with Gurren Lagann, is that half way through, it exits the land of bad ass giant robots fighting giant robots, and enters the land of obscenely huge robots doing battle with entire universes and alternate realities and all manner of ridiculous science fiction. I feel like Gainax spent almost no time brainstorming the plausibility and design of the antagonists from the second half of the series as we are mostly treated to our heroes fighting giant stone faces and hands and other stupid shapes, which is also found in their other notable series: Evangelion.

Overall, Gurren Lagann is fun to watch until the point where the story enters the realm of absolute absurdity.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)

Amazingly good

[10/10 · 22 December 2007]

Avatar combines the greatest aspects of American cartoons and Japanese anime.

Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the story of Aang(an airbender and the "Avatar", or master of the 4 elements, fire, water, earth and air) and his friends Katara(a waterbender) and her brother Saaka as they travel to find waterbending, earthbending and firebending masters for Aang, so that he can learn all the elements and defeat the evil Fire Lord Ozai and his treacherous followers in the Fire Nation.

The story also focuses on the banished Fire Prince Zuko as he chases Aang and company across the globe with hopes of capturing the Avatar and regaining his honor and the love of his father. Zuko, the emotional outcast of the story, and the relationship with his family, and especially that of his Uncle Iroh(whom he travels with for the first season or so) is tear-jerkingly crafted and beautifully executed.

The story and the world it takes place in is fun and interesting, the characters, good and evil are lovable, and the animation is the most detailed and flawless I've ever seen come from an American studio.

The action and fight scenes in this show are jaw-droppingly detailed and beautifully choreographed; even though it is a Nickelodeon production and is primarily meant for kids it still has the most entertaining action of any animated show I've ever watched - but there in lies its single weakness.

Had this show been produced for Cartoon Network, the action could have been much more violent and the themes much more mature, which I personally would have preferred. However, since it is a kids show, I'll give it credit for putting together some serious entertainment without resorting to peoples arms and heads getting blown off in a bloody frenzy.

9/10

The Golden Compass (2007)

Dreadful and Disappointingly boring.

[1/10 · 9 December 2007]

The Golden Compass spends far too much time explaining the boring and generic mythology behind the dull and uninteresting world it takes place in; far too much time setting up the silly and poorly crafted antagonist's motivations, and almost no time actually entertaining the audience.

Almost all of the actors' performances in this film come off as extremely pretentious and forced, especially Nicole Kidman who's career has been rocketing through bad movie after bad movie since the late 90's.

The only real actor in this disaster is Mr. Daniel Craig, who, bless his heart, is given barely any screen time to speak of.

Without giving anything away, the heart of The Golden Compass' problems is that its story is ridiculous, silly, stale, and spiritless.

If you can manage to get past the incredibly dull first hour and half of the flick, you are eventually treated to 2 giant polar bears fighting, and an giant ending battle, where the lighting is so dark and poorly executed that it might as well have never happened. There were at least 10-15 people who walked out of the theater when I saw the movie.

Don't waste your money, the best part about this movie was the Speed Racer trailer before it began.