Diggler31 Reviews

Movie 43 (2013)

Return Of The Kentucky Fried Movie

[7/10 · 6 June 2013]

My wife and I finally got a chance to watch this film... I must admit, due to the scathing reviews, I would find this film incomprehensibly stupid. In some ways it was, in other ways it was down right hilarious! Much like the Kentucky Fried Movie (Or The Groove Tube), this film is nothing more than a bunch of skits. Though this time held together by a inane sub-plot that should have not been there.

Much like The Kentucky Fried Movie the skits are hit and miss affair. Though for us there was more hit than miss with some truly hilarious and gross out laughs on offer by a literal bevy of A-Class actors.

If you loved the Kentucky Fried Movie back in the 70's or early 80's on VHS, then you will probably enjoy this old style gross out humour. Though it seems it is lost on most everyone else nowadays... Which is a shame!

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

Needs to look up the the meaning of funny in the dictionary!

[3/10 · 15 March 2013]

And here we have yet another comedy in the of 2013. As of a part of the 2000ish generation comedy's have been a hit and mid of a hit and miss affair.

Unluckily, this film hit's the miss part of their fair. With such great actors on offer in the form of Steve Carrel, Jim Carrey and Buscemi and Alan Arkin, you would really expect comedy gold! You would generally expect this, but with suck a meagre script on offer you spend most of your comedy time scratching your heads actually wondering when the real comedy is about to start...

While I could sit here and pick out such things like the "Hollywood Story" script and the blah and blah... Instead the movie just plain sucked as a comedy.

Give it a try. You may really like Carrell's role, but it unluckily wasn't enough to carry the whole film...

Mental (2012)

Far superior than the nay sayers may let you believe!

[10/10 · 4 October 2012]

Went to see this Aussie film from P.J. Hogan today. I have to say I am actually quite flabbergasted that this film has received so many negative reviews? The film follows the exploits of a group of girls, who live with their dysfunctional and mentally disturbed Mother (Gibney), and their non-existent politician father (LaPaglia).

After their mother suffers a breakdown and is sent on "holidays", their father decides to hire Shaz (Toni Collette), to look after the kids while he pursues his political career. She in turn teaches them that life is not all so bad.

People have said this film is essentially a rip-off of P.J. Hogan's breakthrough film Muriel's Wedding. I have not seen Muriel's Wedding in a number of years, and really cannot comment on the comparisons, only my opinion of this film.... And I personally loved it! The film had memorable characters, quirky situations, hilarious scenes, and some truly fantastic acting from all the cast. The stand out for me would have to have been Rebecca Gibney as the crazy mother. Plus Liev Schreiber, totally unrecognizable as a warped Steve Irwin style shark hunter.

While some people may find the humour too crude, or the story too similar to Muriel's Wedding. Everyone else that likes a good Aussie comedy should lap this up! Also if you're from Murwillumbah, and/or surrounding areas, you'll be treated to some familiar sights! :)

Pontypool (2008)

Great beginning, mediocre ending

[6/10 · 24 August 2009]

Pontypool is the story of a radio host and his crew that hear of an outbreak of a virus or some sort of mass hysteria within the town of Pontypool. Locked up inside the station they keep on getting reports of people turning violent and killing one another.

The movie itself was shot on a relatively low budget, though you would not seem to notice as it is very professionally shot. The acting I felt was really good for the first half though as the tension rose (and by god it was tense as a piano wire!) the acting started to falter.

I need to read the book, which I have a copy on the way. Maybe it will also make a bit of sense as the film seemed to have a couple of odd bits.

Overall I enjoyed this, it had me on edge for most of the film, unluckily some of the acting later on took away the dread factor for me.

I give this a 6-10

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Another Tarantino Classic

[9/10 · 23 August 2009]

Where to start. Quentin Tarantino has been at the forefront of hip films for some 16 years now. With such classics as Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction under his belt, this movie takes a turn into an area that you will find very unfamiliar to his usual works.

The film is set in WWII France during the Nazi occupation, though the movie does seem to pan out more like a spaghetti western rather than a war film. While it does play up the whole "Inglorious Basterds" gang of Jewish/American thugs, there is far more to it.

One thing that people have been led to believe due to the trailer is that this film is an action extravaganza. IT IS NOT! Like all of Tarantino's previous films, this is very much dialog driven with smatterings of extreme violence. Actually I felt that the violence while slim had far more impact than Kill Bill's bloodletting bonanza.

Also if you don't like subtitled foreign dialog, then you are probably going to dislike this film as a very large chunk of it is in German and French.

Overall this was a fun film with smart dialog, fantastically diverse characters (I smell an Oscar nomination for Christoph Waltz) and multi-layered storyline. Also anyone that is an avid b-grade film buff will have fun picking out the homages as well.

District 9 (2009)

Beyond Expectations

[10/10 · 14 August 2009]

I went into District 9 today pretty much knowing what to expect from this film. I had followed the internet phenomena and rabidly watched any and all I could find about this film.

What I did not expect was the sheer wonderment of the alien creatures, they were created to seem so realistic, yet so different in mannerisms.

Sharlto Copley (Wikus) gave, in my opinion, an award winning performance. His transformation from nerd to empowered human was so astounding.

Now I know this movie won't be as highly watched as garbage like Transformers 2 and GI Joe. Though for a film that was made on a measly $30M budget it far surpasses these films in both substance and effect.

Also I saw this film on a Saturday and the theater was close to empty. Not good enough people! You really don't know what you're missing out on!

Jumper (2008)

Great concept killed by boring script

[4/10 · 19 March 2008]

I really expected this film to be so great, unluckily I was very disappointed with the whole affair.

While the special effects were some of the best to be seen, and the movie had a genuinely interesting concept, the movie fell far short of my expectations on a couple of levels.

Samuel L. Jackson of course was great (as he pretty much always is). I felt that the other main actors were lacking, Rachel Bilson especially was so whiny that all I wished to do was just whack her one.

The script was just plain boring. You felt nothing for the characters because they were also just plain boring. Which inevitably made the movie just plain boring.

If you want to watch a big budget brainless action flick, go right ahead. If you wanted some substance, look elsewhere.