patrickmbrame Reviews

Hanna (2011)

Expertly directed with a strong cast and compelling story, Hanna is an entertaining, thrilling movie topped off with a kick ass soundtrack.

[8/10 · 18 April 2011]

Expertly directed with a strong cast and compelling story, Hanna is an entertaining, thrilling movie topped off with a kick ass soundtrack. Hanna, tells the story of a father and daughter, Erik and Hanna, played by Eric Bana and Saoirse Ronan, living just beneath the Arctic Circle in a secluded cabin where Erik has been teaching his daughter how to survive, kill, and think adaptively, basically how to be an assassin with the ultimate goal being to kill Marissa Wiegler, played by Cate Blanchet, a handler for the CIA. The motive behind why they want her dead is kind of part of the interesting storyline so I don't want to go to into that, but that's the basic premise. We are led on a journey with Hanna, uncovering truths about her past and seeing what it's like in the real world being a teenage girl, all the while being hunted.

The direction by Joe Wright was some of the best I've seen and I love that he chose to do an action movie, and stepped away from his drama period pieces like Atonement or Pride & Prejudice. If anyone else had filmed this story it would have been a straight forward CIA action spy movie with stereotypical, simple, action shots. With Wright though, he takes an action movie and mixes it with fairy tale themes and these beautiful masterful shots creating a movie that is unlike your typical CIA spy movie. On top of that, his action scenes are very well done, they're not loud or explosive, instead he's in the character's face with the camera while they're in hand to hand combat, and on occasion he'll do this all in one shot making it that much more impressive and real.

The cast is excellent and is strongly led by Saoirse Ronan, who is and will be a huge talent in the next few years. She plays Hanna extremely well showing her vulnerable and innocent side while also being this bad ass teenage girl. Eric Bana plays an integral part to the story, but he really isn't shown enough to be an interesting character and his acting skills are kind of put to waste here. He does however have one of the better action scenes that is all one shot. And finally, we have Cate Blanchet, who I really don't have to say much about, she's always going to be great and she especially shines in this role. Marissa Wiegler is pretty much seen as a wicked witch but with a strong sadistic, almost psychotic personality, making her a really fun character to watch on screen. Not to mention she has an obsession with her teeth, like has her own personal dental equipment obsession. It looks like she just had a lot of fun playing her which always makes the performance that much better.

Bottom line, Hanna is a pretty good time at the movies and does what it should. It never really dives to deep into the characters or the storyline itself, but shows just enough to keep you entertained and glued to the screen. I would have liked to have gotten some more background information on Erik and Marissa particularly, however by not doing so we are placed in Hanna's shoes and feel how frustrated and scared she is enhancing our audience experience. Personally, my favorite part of the film was the music, done by The Chemical Brothers, making every scene that much more fun to watch, and this was definitely evident during the action scenes. You can get a taste of it during the trailer, but it doesn't totally do it justice when compared to a whole chase scene. Wright turned a basic CIA story with a few mysteries into something that is fun, intriguing and different than most other spy/assassin films and one that I highly recommend going to see.

Limitless (I) (2011)

Visually exhilarating and well acted, yet I felt it missed the mark to make it a really thought-provoking and substantial film.

[7/10 · 10 April 2011]

Visually exhilarating and well acted, yet I felt it missed the mark to make it a really thought-provoking and substantial film. The idea behind Limitless is simple and in itself extremely intriguing. What if there was a pill you could take that would make you capable of anything without feeling any kind of negative emotions like stress or anxiety, would you take it without knowing the full consequences? Pretty cool idea right and one of those questions that could be debated over for hours and Limitless does a decent job with the overall premise but I felt it didn't quite go far enough into the morality and the humanity of taking such a pill and focused instead too much on the entertaining aspects such as paranoia, making tons of money, being witty and charming, etc.

Bradley Cooper stars as Eddie Morra, a failure of a writer, recently dumped, and insanely depressed, who surprisingly runs into an old friend who gives him this special pill, NZT, that can access the remaining parts of your brain that lay dormant. This essentially is all you need to know (unfortunately the trailers pretty much tell you most of the film anyway) in order to understand what is going on. He starts to write, succeed with women, make millions, etc. all the while taking the pill, that is until some of his prior bad decisions as well as side effects of the pill start showing up.

The direction, done by Neil Bruger (One of his past films is The Illusionist, if you haven't seen it I highly recommend it), is very well done, making Limitless one of the more visually, psychologically compelling films I've seen. He captures the feeling of the pill very well on screen and really excels as a director during a lot of the fast paced sequences. Leslie Dixon wrote the screenplay and deserves a lot of credit because it is mainly a dialogue driven film, however it is probably fair to assume that all of the credit goes to Alan Glynn who wrote the novel which this based on. However, where she faults is with the overall story itself. She at times seems like she can't figure out if she wants to write a film about the drug and what you can do with the drug, or the consequences of taking such a drug and the moral and human issues that come along with it. Dixon does succeed however with her dialogue, which is fast, witty, always entertaining, and who better to deliver than Bradley Cooper.

Cooper is excellent as Eddie Morra and if there was any doubt that he could lead a film he's wiped it all away with this. He plays both sides of the character very well, the failure and the successful side and shows that he can not only do the comedy, fast talking, witty character that we all know he can do, but he can also pull off the dramatic side as well. As for DeNiro, he only shows up so that an older audience will go to see it. He plays a pretty important role, but not one that needs the acting chops of someone like Robert DeNiro (however maybe this is just more proof that he's slipping and is losing what he once was). Abbie Cornish also shows up as Eddie Morra's girlfriend throughout the movie, and is one of the character's I wish would have been present more on screen, mainly to help with what I thought was the only fault of the entire film.

What Limitless lacks is the debate between what would people do if there was a drug that could help you accomplish your wildest dreams. The idea of a drug being able to do that is never really discussed nor is the idea of addiction, what it means for people around you, all the things that are usually brought up in a drug film. And what a better film to discuss these questions than with a story about a drug that makes you and your ideas, excuse the obvious use of the title but, limitless. What an awesome question of humanity, what if you could be perfect? How much time would you hesitate to try the pill, what would you do to get more, etc? Some of these questions are briefly touched upon and answered but not to the depth that they deserve. Instead the film aims to please the masses, with entertaining yet mentally boring action and dialogue. To make matters slightly worse, the ending doesn't help. Your left with a couple of pretty big questions and it leaves you hanging. However, I did like the ending and always will take a film that ends unconventionally and you wanting more than one that wraps everything up nicely and sends you on your way. It's one of those endings where as soon as the credits role your left discussing what you think happened, which in my book is a success. If you can get people talking about your film, and not just what scene they liked the best, or what song was in it, but a real conversation about the story, that is a huge accomplishment and one I hope to see more film makers try to do.

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

A unconventional love story that is thought-provoking, well acted, and extremely entertaining.

[9/10 · 4 April 2011]

The Adjustment Bureau stars Matt Damon, as David Norris, an up and coming congressman of New York, and Emily Blunt, as Elise Sellas, a rising professional dancer. The story follows David, who is in the middle of campaigning for a Senator seat for New York, and on the night of the election he finds that he has lost and must deliver his concession speech. When he stops into the bathroom he unexpectedly runs into Elise, who is hiding from security because she was caught crashing a wedding in the same hotel, they immediately feel something strong for each other. We are also introduced to the mysterious group of men that are always watching behind the scenes, with notebooks, business clothes from the 60s, and most importantly a fedora. Without going into too much detail about who they are and what they do, because that would really ruin a pretty fun and intriguing part of the whole story, they essentially make sure that everything goes as planned (Every person has a certain path, and their job is to make sure everyone stays on course. There are strong religious themes here however the film does a pretty good job I think of addressing those themes). However because of a mistake from one of their own, David is shown their world and was never suppose to see Elise after the night of his concession speech thus creating the motivating drive of the film.

George Nolfi has shown that he can both write and direct, mostly direct, an intriguing, well made film with power house stars like Damon and Blunt. His direction of New York City is very well done, and he really excels with the many on-foot chase sequences throughout the film. Where he really shows his strengths however is in the dialogue between Damon and Blunt. It's extremely witty and humorous, with a touch of romance and his words are brought to life brilliantly by his two lead actors. All the while he intertwines the love story with the science fiction aspect of the Adjustment Bureau and the mystery surrounding this powerful, all seeing, all controlling group.

The cast is excellent and I can't picture anyone else in the roles of David Norris or Elise Sellas. The simple dialogue scenes between these two are just as entertaining, if not better, than the suspenseful and/or action packed scenes throughout the film. Damon is great, but no real surprise there. And Blunt was right up there with him, now if that's because I'm in awe of her sheer beauty with an accent to top it off, I cant really say, but I thought she was great none the less.

Overall it's a very good film and one of the better stories that have come along since Inception (unfortunately Nolfi can't be credited for an original story here because he based it on Philip K. Dick's short story). My only real problem with the film that I didn't like was the ending, which is pretty unfortunate because up until that point it was almost flawless. It's a bit anti climatic, however I can't see how you would end it any other way and have it still work with the overall story. Bottom line though, the film really makes you think about the idea of fate versus choice and if we really have a say in our future. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, these ideas are prevalent and will always be an important topic to discuss and the film does a pretty good job of asking questions and giving some answers while also leaving enough open for discussion. All in all it's the perfect film for all audience's, both male and female, young or old and one that relies more on it's acting and story than it's special effects like most film now a days, and that in itself is something worth seeing.

The King's Speech (2010)

Beautifully shot and superbly acted yet at times I thought the story was a little slow and at times boring.

[8/10 · 23 March 2011]

The King's Speech stars Colin Firth as King George VI and Geoffery Rush as his speech therapist Lionel Logue. The film follows King George VI's, or Bertie's, rise to become King of England, and his struggle with his speech impediment while also dealing with the life of being in the Royal Family. All the while the beginning of World War II is lingering in the background providing for much of the political side of the film.

The direction of the film was brilliantly done by Tom Hooper, especially during the scenes between Firth and Rush. Most of the scenes are just simple conversations between the two but Hooper creates this beautiful environment, often in Lionel's office, reminding me a lot of a painting, or perhaps a portrait to more accurate. He also excels during George's speeches to the public by really creating a sense of anxiety in the audience that George himself is feeling with his speech impediment. Most of all, he captures the post World War II England beautifully immersing you into the environment.

The most impressive aspect of The King's Speech by far is the cast. Firth is at his absolute best as King George VI and won the much deserved Best Actor Oscar. He brings out George's strong, stubborn personality while also showing his vulnerability while very realistically speaking with a stutter. The best scenes with Firth are during his sessions with his speech therapist, Geoffery Rush. They play off each other so well during these scenes and they are only strengthened by Hooper's direction. Helena Bonham Carter plays Queen Elizabeth and as always is a strong presence on the screen that only aides Firth's performance as the King. Guy Pearce also shows up a little during the film, as George's brother Edward, or King Edward for a small stint, and proves that once again (Animal Kingdom) that he can keep up with high caliber performers.

The story itself is where I felt The King's Speech was faulty, and it may not be fair to just say it's the King's Speech or just any historical film in general. The scenes between Firth and Rush are incredibly well done and pretty fun to watch on screen. However the scenes that are in between are where I feel it slows down and I found myself just wanting Rush to come back on screen. I do understand that those scenes are important to the character development of George because they mainly deal with the Royal Family, but I just found them to be too boring.

Overall, The King's Speech is very well made film and in terms of a historical biography, it does it's job. I just found it dull at times but luckily the direction and casting was enough to keep me entertained and interested in the characters. I did enjoy the inside look it gave at the Royal Family, and especially what their role is in politics. The pressure and stress that simply being born in to a family is a pretty unbelievable thought. Being born into royalty and the pressure that not only comes from your family, but The Royal Family at that. It's well worth a viewing even if it's only to just see the performances, but as a film on the whole I thought it failed with the overall story and it's not the production's fault, I just think the source material wasn't really there to begin with. I felt like I was watching a history textbook and that's the kind of material I try to escape when watching a movie.

Animal Kingdom (2010)

Repulsive, disturbing, intense, and shockingly intriguing.

[9/10 · 21 March 2011]

Animal Kingdom is a roller coaster ride of emotions from start to finish that will uncomfortably get under your skin while at the same time making you more and more interested and glued to the screen. The film's protagonist is Josh, played extremely well by James Frecheville, a somewhat relatable quiet, introverted teenage boy who must live with his extended family of criminals after his mother overdosed. The extended family consists of Josh's four uncles and his grandmother, played brilliantly by Jacki Weaver (also received a much deserved academy nomination for best supporting actress). Guy Pearce also shows up in a supporting role here as the detective that is investigating the family for their crimes. At this point I feel that I shouldn't explain anymore about the story with details because what I think made this such a fantastic movie was how shocked and disturbed while also being so fascinated watching this crime story unfold before my eyes.

The writing and directing of this film, both done by David Michôd, are equally brilliant. The story itself is almost Shakespearean like and some of the direction is beautifully done, but at the same time he consistently makes you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. And he does this right from the very beginning. He opens up with Josh and his mother sitting on a couch, watching a game show on TV. The mother has fallen asleep and Josh is just calmly watching the show. Seconds later, 2 paramedics walk through the front door and ask what happened. Josh unemotionally tells them that he thinks his mother has overdosed and died. No big deal. Michôd is just giving you a taste of what the remaining roller coaster ride is going to be like.

What really makes this film so disturbing and repulsive are the characters themselves. In particular, Josh's grandmother, played by Jacki Weaver, and his uncle, Pope, played eerily well by Ben Mendelsohn. The grandmother or mother to the rest of the family, is very aware of what her sons profession's are (bank robbers for the most part, but mainly just criminals) and has no qualms with it. She just plays the comforting, loving mother and is there to console the boys. She reminds me very much of one of Hitchcock's mothers, a very loving and caring person, yet the most evil of them all. She mainly plays a background character throughout most of the first 2 acts until she rears her very scary and sadistic side towards the end of the film. Then there's Pope, possibly one of the best villains on screen this past year, and one that will absolutely terrify you. Mendelsohn plays him so well, and by well I mean he really brings out this subtle, disturbing, sick side of the character, that will literally make you feel distressed while watching the film. He's one of those characters that you will truly hate by the end of the film, and I mean hate with a passion yet he's probably the one character you want to see more of just to see what he'll do next. Pope is pretty much absent for the first act of the story, but not to worry, he shows up in the beginning of the second and pretty much drives the film from that point.

Animal Kingdom is a must see if you have the opportunity. I take that back, It's a must see and you should go out of your way to see it. However I do warn that this is not your typical crime drama, it's extremely powerful, repulsive, and in your face about it. The direction and writing are superb and the script should have probably gotten a nod from the academy but it was a foreign film technically which put it at a disadvantage off the bat but at least Jacki Weaver got a nomination. At the heart of it, Animal Kingdom is about survival, and like in the hostile surrounding of the jungle, only the strong will survive which means doing things that we never thought we could possibly be capable. Animal Kingdom is one of those special kinds of films where long after the credits have rolled it will stick with you, and in my book that is a damn successful film.

Drive Angry (2011)

A grindhouse film with the all the ingredients: terrible one liners, graphic violence, and a fair amount of naked women, yet it somehow misses the mark and is just bad.

[4/10 · 13 March 2011]

A grindhouse film with the all the ingredients: terrible one liners, graphic violence, and a fair amount of naked women, yet it somehow misses the mark and is just bad. Not even to the point of being so bad it's good, it's just bad. Nicolas Cage stars as Milton, a man hell bent on revenge and on a mission to rescue his grand daughter from a Satan worshiping cult, led by Billy Burke, that plans on sacrificing her so as to bring Hell to Earth. Along the way he gains the aid of Piper, played by Amber Heard, a southern, hard ass waitress, while also being chased down by The Accountant, played by William Fichter, who is in charge of bringing Milton back to the prison that he escaped from, Hell. That's pretty much it, there's a lot of violence, weak dialogue, and lots of sex, but even the 3D can't bring this grindhouse flick up the caliber of other successes like From Dusk Til Dawn, Machete, or Snakes on a Plane.

The 3D is sub par at best, they use it way too much for the stereotypical gimmicks like bullets, explosions, and debris flying at you. 3D's become just another way for studios to boost ticket prices, when lately the films that use it cripple the technology and make people feel like it is a pointless venture. 3D is suppose to enhance the experience of going to the theaters by placing the audience into the film itself. But all they seem to be able to do with it is throw things or shoot things at you, with the exceptions of few, like Avatar. There are times during Drive Angry where they do place in the scene but these scenes are few and far between and are overshadowed by the usual gimmicks.

The cast is pretty strong unfortunately there isn't much for them to work with. Heard pretty much steals the show which isn't too surprising. You have a gorgeous blonde with a strong personality, not to mention a southern accent on top of it, who would you rather see on screen. Nicolas Cage is his usual character here, one that he seems to be doing a lot of lately. He has some pretty good scenes here, one in particular that is especially funny, having sex whilst in a gun fight (unfortunately not too original, reminded me way too much of the a similar scene in Shoot Em Up). William Fichter and Billy Burke are the villains and are fairly compelling in their roles, almost to the degree of upstaging Cage in the title role.

What Drive Angry does have going for it is the first half of the film. It's pretty entertaining and where most of the fun action takes place, starting from the very beginning. The supernatural aspect is pretty cool and makes it more than just a revenge story but I was looking for more of it. There could have been some great fight scenes between Milton and The Accountant however there was only one that I can remember and it wasn't even a good one at that. Basically your going to get what you pay for from Drive Angry, but I guess I was expecting more absurdity, more supernatural action, and really bad dialogue, instead it was kind of like they attempted to make a grindhouse movie with studio control and restrictions thus making this mess of a movie that even 3D can't save.

Faster (2010)

Basic Revenge Film Action, with a Well Done and Interesting Character Study

[7/10 · 3 March 2011]

Your basic graphically violent revenge film, however I was pleasantly surprised by the setup it took as well as the overall story. Faster stars Dwayne Johnson, as Driver, Billy Bob Thorton, as Cop, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, as Killer. Those are the characters, their names are never mentions, creating a mysterious theme around them, but that's how they are seen and referred to throughout. The film follows Driver through his revenge plan, while also following the 2 the other characters, Cop and Killer, as they try to chase down Driver. It starts off with Driver being released from prison, getting his car that has a gun and information on where to find a man, whom he ends up gunning down in a middle of an office building. All of this happens within in the first 10 minutes, so there is very little time wasted on getting to the action which is always a plus. From here your introduced to Billy Bob Thorton's character, Cop, who is almost retired, a heroin addict, and the usual hard ass that Thorton has played so often. He's partners with Carla Gugino and they are the cops who are trying to hunt down Driver and/or find the people he is trying to kill. We are then introduced to Killer, who we see is a multi millionaire, lives in a giant house, has started up multiple computer companies, has a beautiful girl friend, and a master of essentially every challenge he comes up against. He's also an assassin, which is no mystery to his girlfriend, and is given a job to kill Driver as soon as possible. From there it's a lot of decent action scenes, some pretty good music, the mystery behind why Driver is trying to kill these people and comparisons between these 3 characters.

The cast actually isn't as bad as I thought it would. Dwayne Johnson finally took a break from his children movies and came back to action films and it's good to see him back in his original genre. He doesn't a decent job throughout the film but that can mainly be attributed to the fact that he says hardly anything the entire hour and 40 minutes. Billy Bob Thorton is great as always, playing his usual role but one that I personally never get tired of seeing him in. I haven't seen much of anything with Oliver Jackson-Cohen but he pretty much steals the show I think. His story is easily the most interesting of the three, which somewhat works as a big disadvantage for the overall film. One of the cooler parts of the story behind his character is how much he charges to kill somebody and his motivation behind it. I wanted to learn and see more about his character than I did about Cop or worst yet Driver, the motivating character of the whole movie.

George Tillman Jr. Is the director behind Faster, and does a decent job with the film. The action scenes are done pretty well done , it's nothing that you haven't seen before. Fast cuts, loud gun shots, the usual. Where he does excel however is with the pacing of the film. He takes your basic revenge thriller and turns it into this character study and mystery. He's constantly comparing the 3 main characters in the film with each other from relationships, personality, parents, obsession/addictions, to name just a few. By doing this when the finale occurs when all three characters are together makes for a very suspenseful and intense scene.

Overall it's nothing that's going to blow you away or leave a lasting impression, however I was surprised at how much I did enjoy it. I first started watching it because I was tried from work and just want a no think, brainless movie, but that's not what I got. I don't know if I liked it because I was surprised or if it's actually a good film... So don't hesitate to tell me I'm wrong here. Check it out, it's a pretty good character study if anything, and has some decent action scenes to boot and you can't go wrong with a Billy Bob Thorton film.

Unknown (I) (2011)

An interesting and compelling idea for a film that is extremely well acted yet doesn't deliver on the narrative side

[6/10 · 2 March 2011]

An interesting and compelling idea for a film that is extremely well acted yet doesn't deliver on the narrative side. Unknown follows a couple in Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris, played by Liam Neeson, and Elizabeth Harris, played by the jaw-dropping January Jones. Martin is a scientist and is in Berlin to speak at a Bio Tech Summit and his wife is just tagging along. When they arrive at the hotel, Martin realizes that he left his briefcase at the airport with his passport in it. He hails a cab with Diane Kruger driving and on the way there gets in an accident and is in a coma for four days. When Martin awakes and finally finds his wife, she doesn't know who he is, another Martin Harris is with her that she says is her husband and he can not provide any real ID that says he's Martin Harris. What's nice here is that this all happens within 15 minutes after the opening credits. There's no time wasted on developing the problem and thus creating suspense and fear from the start. From here he tries to figure out what's going on, is he crazy? is there something more going on?, while also believing he is being followed. I don't want to say much more than that at this point because I don't want to give anything away.

The cast is great here. Liam Neeson is good no matter what role he's doing (well maybe not Zeus), and he's in familiar territory here playing a much tamer version of his role from Taken. I haven't seen much of January Jones, well I haven't seen much of her acting I guess is more appropriate, but after this I am very excited to check out Mad Men as well as being that much more pumped to see the new X-Men. Diane Kruger plays the cab driver that crashes and causes Martin's coma, however she becomes an integral character further in the storyline. As for Langella, he plays one of Martin's friends that could potentially help him provide proof of his identity, but he only really shows up for about 15 minutes towards the end of the film. It's a very strong cast but it loses itself in the pacing and narrative of the story itself.

The director, Jaume Collet-Serra, is a little over his head on this one, with some of his past credits including the remake of House of Wax and Orphan. He does do a very nice job in the first half of the film showing the anxiety and fear of Martin not knowing if he really is Martin while being in an unfamiliar location. Where he fails is through his pacing. The film feels very boring and somewhat predictable (which could accredited more to the trailer, I pretty much had it figured it out from the previews and that should never happen). The action scenes are few and far between and don't really deliver. There is one decent car chase scene and the final fight scene is very well done and a lot of fun to watch, but others are just forgettable. Then in between the action scenes Collet-Serra slows it down too much with the mystery part of the story instead of trying to make the it more suspenseful with the answer slowing coming to be. Instead he hits you with the solution all in one scene and to be honest I was a little let down by it. I feel like it was pretty anti-climatic but that's all I can really say without giving anything away.

The idea behind the story is very interesting and could be extremely compelling but it just wasn't delivered very well here. The first act is exciting and full of what the hell is going on moments but after that it's pretty weak until the finale. Also, some of the scenes are very reminiscent of Taken and makes me think that they are just trying to get in on the Taken money. I mean its Liam Neeson, in a foreign country, looking for answers and fighting a bunch of people in between. It not quite worth the theater admission but worth the wait for Blu-ray/DVD, right around the time when you'll forget the trailers that showed way too much information. But if you're a fan of a good mystery and a Neeson fan I recommend it. You might be slightly bored in the middle part of the film, but just remember that January Jones will be back on screen momentarily.

I Am Number Four (2011)

An entertaining, visually fun film that misses out on the most important parts of a movie: the story and it's characters.

[5/10 · 2 March 2011]

An entertaining, visually fun film that misses out on the most important parts of a movie: the story and it's characters. I Am Number Four tells the story of the last remaining aliens from an extinct planet that are being hunted down and killed by the aliens that exterminated it. There are 9 teenage special aliens left and these are the ones that the bad aliens are after. These special aliens also have a guardian who was a warrior on their alien planet whose sole duty is to protect them. Oh, and these special aliens have abilities that range from moving object with their minds, super-human strength, invisibility, etc. Got all that. Because that alone make me have all kinds of questions that never get answered. The film follows, if you can guess, the Number Four alien, played by Alex Pettyfer, and his guardian, played by Timothy Olyphant.

We are told that the first three aliens have already been killed and that Four is on the run with his guardian to Paradise, Ohio. There, he predictably gets tired of being told to hide in their house, so he starts to attend the high school, where he befriends the local nerd, falls in love with the star quarterback's ex-girlfriend, and of course fights with the star quarterback and the other jocks, meanwhile he starts to gain his abilities and strengths. All the while this is happening the bad aliens are closing in on them as well as a mysterious blonde girl. This all occurs over about an hour and fifteen minutes which really is a shame, because the last 30 minutes when the bad aliens and Four fight is extremely fun and entertaining. It's one of the better action scenes I've seen in a while, the big problem being it takes way too long for it to reach the screen.

There are many problems with the story, but mainly they just leave way too many questions unanswered, and this is mainly because the whole film is set up for a franchise with multiple films. This is also what happens when you adapt a novel into a film, there's always going to be aspects left out, but you have to choose what's essential to the story and not, and the writers chose the wrong things. The cast really isn't anything to talk about, they just look good on screen but are essentially television actors, but it's not totally their fault they're working with that caliber of a script.

Some of the good things about the film come mainly from D.J. Caruso. He knows what he's doing when it comes to teenage action movies. This isn't as good as Disturbia (whose success is mainly due to Shia LaBeouf), but he does what he can with the script and the action scenes are where he shines and pulls you out of the coma you've fallen in to. It was also kind of cool to see an action/science fiction film based around the high school scenario even though they missed the mark where others have succeeded, like The Faculty. Lastly, the villains are pretty cool. There gigantic, bald, covered in tattoos with gills and sharp teeth, carry some pretty cool weapons, and have 2 gigantic beasts as pets.

Overall, its not worth the $8 or more you'll have to spend to see it. If you want to sneak in for the last 30 minutes I would highly recommend that or just wait until Blu-Ray/DVD. If you've seen the show Smallville and Jumper it's essentially those 2 put together with a sprinkle of the Twilight movies. Caruso does his best with some very cool and entertaining action scenes but the script is just too bare and full of holes for him to save it. The same goes with the cast, even if they were all very talented actors I'm still not sure it would be a worthwhile movie. With all that being said I would probably go see the sequels because of the last action scene and just to see if some of my questions are answered or just save some money and read the books...

The Green Hornet (2011)

Fun, Visually appealing, but not up to par with other action comedies.

[6/10 · 13 February 2011]

Fun, Visually appealing, but not up to par with other action comedies. This was my first experience with The Green Hornet story and I really wasn't all that impressed. I don't know if it was because of the actors, the writing, the tone but it seemed way to similar to other great masked super hero stories, except with less action, funny dialogue that really isn't all that funny, and characters that you are interested in and/or care about.

I was really excited when I heard that Michel Gondry was directing. He really hasn't made a boring and uncreative film yet. But even all his attempts at trying to make this film better were lost in the dialogue and characters. Gondry is really only visible during the actions scenes and any scene really dealing with the car (which is a pretty sweet car), and they are very entertaining actions scenes at that. I wish he had a little more to do with the script or chose another super hero or action movie to do because this just never felt like a Michel Gondry film, mainly due to the limitations of the script.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote the script and you can tell that they had fun doing it but at the same time I don't think they can write a funny PG-13 movie. They're the minds behind the hilarious Superbad, so you can see why their comedy just doesn't work in a PG-13 world. Also, because The Green Hornet was previously a huge piece of entertainment it had to of come with some limitations, so right away Rogen and Goldberg's script had rules when writing it and therefore had to be approved so as to not hurt The Green Hornet name. All in all, just a bad recipe for these comic minds. I think I might have laughed a total of 3 times out loud.

As for the characters, Rogen plays Britt Reed, The Green Hornet, and Jay Chou plays his sidekick Kato. There really isn't any chemistry between the two, and at times Chou just seems lost trying to interact with Rogen. You can almost feel the awkwardness that Rogen probably felt trying to improv lines and Chou just being speechless. Rogen is, as always, a pretty good lead. He plays the character well, and still has the quick, witty line delivery, but the character just isn't likable. Britt Reed is just a spoiled rich kid trying to get back at his absent dead father who only enjoys the crime fighting for the adrenalin, and that's pretty much it. You don't really get anything more from him. He eventually gets to the point of doing it to help people, but the script is more concerned with comedy and the action then how he gets to that point. Kato's there to make the gadgets and do all the fighting, while also providing Rogen with some comedic moments, but again that's about it, nothing more. Christoph Waltz is great as always. He does play the similar villain character that he does so well (I hope he ventures out into different roles so we don't always see him as a villain), while also carrying a pretty awesome gun that is 2 guns put together (something I would assume Gondry came up with). Tom Wilkinson is Britt Reed's father and only shows up for about 10 minutes of screen time in the beginning. As for Cameron Diaz, she plays a pretty pivotal role in the story, but is really only there for eye candy, yet she wears clothing in all of her scenes so.... There is a great cameo in the beginning of the film and that opening scene is worth checking out the film by itself. There's also a nice casting decision for a childhood actor as a drug dealer that was a nice touch as well.

Overall, it's a fun time, the story and dialogue could use work but it's entertaining to say the least. The 3D is very well done, especially during the action scenes. Rogen's fun to watch, even with a so-so script, he still pulls it off. It does have a nice social commentary on the Newspaper business, the power of the media, and he relationship between the media and politicians. I recommend to wait until it comes out on Blu-ray/DVD unless you want to see it in 3D, which is pretty good, just don't know if it's double digit price good.

Unstoppable (2010)

Simple, Thrilling, and Very Entertaining.

[9/10 · 10 February 2011]

Simple, Thrilling, and Very Entertaining. Unstoppable never tries to be anything more than it is. It follows a runaway train that occurred in Pennsylvania and the two men that try to stop it. First off, I gotta five Tony Scott credit for making a film about trains, that in itself is pretty interesting. How many people know about and use trains regularly? Then take that and turn into one of the most suspenseful, entertaining films of the year culminates into a really good time. The film's opening credits starts with how the train was lost and runs away, so right off the bat you know that it's not going to be a dull film. Before any of the main characters are brought into the story the antagonist and therefore the action get underway. Your then introduced to Will, played by Chris Pine, and Frank, played by Denzel Washington. Will is the rookie conductor that is placed under the veterans Frank's wing. Then you have Connie, played by Rosario Dawson, as the head of all the trains currently running, basically a conductor that oversees all operations, who is in charge of finding a solution to the runaway train, while also dealing with the corporate suits, mainly Oscar Galvin, played by Kevin Dunn, who are more interested in stock prices and money losses then the overall safety and physical damage the train could cause. So, after some failed attempts to stop the train, Denzel comes up with a plan to stop it, and this is where Will and Frank become involved with the runaway.

Tony Scott does a pretty good job of making the runaway train look menacing, almost like a monster that no matter what you do always keeps coming for you. The majority of special effects and stunt work were done realistically with very little CGI being used, which for me is always a plus. With it being based on a true story he definitely uses a lot of tactics to make it feel less like a film and more like your actually watching the action happen presently. There's a lot of bird eye shots of the trains making it feel like a news helicopters are shooting it, while also cutting to news broadcasts following the runaway train through the majority of the film creating a more realistic view of the whole story. He also filmed on location in Pennsylvania, which was pretty cool living in central PA and having the opportunity to talk with some of the crew.

As for the characters, the first half of the film, is where the majority of the very little character development comes into play. Will and Frank bicker back and forth at each other, when unsurprisingly they find a common bond through broken families with their wives and children. There are also many conversations, which mostly turn into arguments, between Connie and Oscar about how to stop the runaway train and the potential problems it could cause. Yet, due to the pacing and strategic place of key conversations you end up caring about the characters and are pulling for them to get out of this disaster alive. The most important and character revealing dialogue occurs during the more explosion filled scenes with the train.

Overall, it's a pretty fun time, and never has a boring moment. Just when you think the dialogue may be getting a bit to breathy and boring, Scott crashes the runaway into some object causing a major explosion. It's one of those no brain activity films that you can just sit back and enjoy. The characters are there and Scott makes sure not to fill the runtime up with too much dialogue, but with just enough to develop Frank, Will, and Connie into people we want to see succeed. Lastly, it doesn't try to be anything more than it is. It's a film about a runaway train and the people trying to stop it, that's it. Unstoppable is a thrilling ride and a guaranteed enjoyable viewing.

The Last Exorcism (2010)

Considering the low budget it offers quite a few jumps and some pretty disturbing material yet it abandons the most crucial aspect the film has going for it.

[7/10 · 2 February 2011]

Considering the low budget it offers quite a few jumps and some pretty disturbing material yet it abandons the most crucial aspect the film has going for it. The Last Exorcism follows Cotton, a famous local priest in Baton Rouge, making a documentary about how exorcisms are bogus and dangerous because they can actually end in killing the victim. He receives a letter about a family that is in dire need of an exorcism and uses this opportunity to show that the act is all just a hoax and a way to profit off of people's faith. I thought the introduction of the film was well done, we are shown that Cotton, played by Patrick Fabian, has essentially lost his faith and only continues to preach for the paycheck. This is a typical theme in exorcism films, there's always the doubtful priest who must regain his faith in order to defeat the demon, nothing new here, and The Last exorcism doesn't really try to hide it. However, it does introduce a new theme where this particular priest, Cotton, continues to perform exorcisms because he knows that he can con people and receive huge amounts of money. And this is pretty much shown in the second act of the film.

Another aspect of the film that is different from other exorcist films is the setting. Cotton and the 2 person crew travel to a farm that is very secluded from society and are introduced to a family of 2 children that have lost their mother to cancer and are home schooled by a drunk, extremist father. So, right off the bat after being introduced to these characters you get that kind of Deliverance feel to them, which on its own can be fairly creepy. Here, Cotton shows all his toys and tricks in order to convince the victim, in this case the teenage daughter, Nell, that she is possessed. From this point, the family is convinced that the exorcism has worked and Cotton and the crew leave, when unsurprisingly something happens that causes them to return.

After this the film gets pretty scary, mainly due to the documentary style cinematography that is used. And really the only reason it works so well here as opposed to other films is the introductory act, setting up the strong documentary feel. One of the other aspects that is used very well is the absence of light. It kind of takes you back to when you were afraid of the dark, not knowing what was out there and only being able to see so much with your own eyes. However, when the film starts to get pretty good and scary it breaks from the documentary style and uses quick cuts and jumps around too much with the accompaniment of eery music in the background. If they would have kept the documentary cinematography, using one shot and only the sound from what is occurring in the scene, it would have been a much better, and scarier film, but because of the break we are instantly reminded that this is a just a horror film. From here to the finale of the film, they keep breaking from the documentary style, thus losing a lot of the impact that it potentially could have delivered. The finale of the film, I thought was the best part. I can see why a lot of people might think that it was stupid, but without giving to much away I have to give them credit for trying to catch people off guard, I know I was, and another reason why it differs from every other exorcism film.

Overall it's not a great film, and you pretty much know what your getting into when you sit down to watch it. It does change up a few things in the formula of an exorcism movie which only aides the film's suspense and story, which does set it outside of other similar films. Also, for the $1.8 million that it was made for, it does deliver a few scares that will make you jump and does do exorcism films justice in that right, with the cast playing their roles fairly believably. If your in the mood for a scary movie, I recommend The Last Exorcism, it's not the best movie in the world but since a truly good horror film is made few and far between now a days it delivers everything a scary movie should do and leaves you uncomfortably on edge afterwards.

The Fighter (I) (2010)

Superbly Acted, Inspiring, and Uplifting.

[9/10 · 22 January 2011]

Even though after watching the trailer for The Fighter I knew essentially the whole story and how it ended (the reason I only gave it a 9 was the predictability of the story), I was still thoroughly entertained for the duration. And this can mainly be credited to the strong performances for really the whole cast.

Bale is a shoe in for an Oscar. Already got the golden globe, and I don't see anyone else even coming close to his performance. Aside from Bales physical appearance like his drop in weight, at the end of the film, during the credits,they have the real Mickey and Dickey, and Bale is almost a damn clone of the real Dickey. The performance is so strong, you pretty much hate Dickey for a lot of the film, yet you feel almost sorry for him in a pathetic kind of way, and then end up cheering for him towards the end.

Wahlberg gives possibly his best performance of his career. This was a great move for him because lately he's been having a lot of duds. Personally I thought he wasn't even all that good in The Good Guys and that was probably his best film since The Departed.

The two female leads, Amy Adams plays Wahlberg's girlfriend and Melissa Leo who plays his Mom and Manager, are great as well. Adams is great as the strong, inspiring girlfriend that gets Wahlberg out from the hole that is his family, but that's no surprise. And Leo will be getting some good roles coming her way, she was the least likable character on the screen, somewhat similar to Amy Ryan's Mom in Gone Baby Gone.

As for O'Russell he did a great job directing the film, especially with his choice of cinematography. The majority of the film is filmed with hand held cameras, giving it a very documentary and realistic feel. He also takes real home videos of the Dickey and Mickey as well as cutting to real rights from HBO to make the story that much more authentic, creating an even more heartfelt experience for the audience always being reminded that this is a true story. During the actual boxing matches he uses footage from HBO and the only voices that can be heard are the crowds and announcers placing you in real time with the match, unexpectedly watching.

Overall its a phenomenal character story, driven by the actors and actresses. The story is predictable, yet I almost cheered myself a couple of times during the matches. It definitely worth a watch, especially if your a Christian Bale fan, its an unbelievable performance and without a doubt the Oscar winner for best supporting actor. I would see it again and recommend you do as well, at least once.

127 Hours (2010)

Beyond Inspirational, Superbly Directed and Brilliantly Acted

[10/10 · 16 January 2011]

Just finished watching 127 Hours, I still have the credits and song playing in the background. Kind of speechless right now with what I just watched. I feel like I was trapped in a canyon with my arm stuck. Where to start.

Boyle is on top of his game with this one and right away you can tell its a Danny Boyle movie. It has fast cuts, hand held camera work and a beautifully appropriate constructed soundtrack. Using all these tools he places you right in Aaron Ralston shoes, and they are not the shoes you want to be in. We are introduced to Aaron, played by Franco, getting ready for a hiking expedition and his journey as he gets there. He rides his bike 17 miles, locks it up and then hikes running into two girl hikers. He helps them on their way and shows them a ton of fun. Through the prelude here, we see that Aaron is a fun loving guy, living for the thrill of living, the rush, he just wants to be outdoors, which will ultimately put him through hell. I thought this had one of the better preludes of a film in a while, with upbeat music, beautifully shot scenery, your ready to join him yourself. It's not until a rock falls and is lodged between the canyon wall and his arm are we shown the title 127 Hours, and with Franco's terrified face. Just an awesome shot, and really all we need to see to understand what is to come.

For the next Hour and fifteen minutes we are with Aaron, stuck. We are dealing with Aaron's mortality, and thus thinking of our own. From here Boyle direction and Franco's acting places you in the canyon. He uses extreme close ups on Franco's face repeatedly to instill a sense of claustrophobia and fear (this more so due to Franco's acting). There are even shots from the inside of his thermos and camel back, placing you in Aaron's mind. Imagining the water flowing to you and becoming less and less. There are few times he will use a shot that pans back from the canyon and displays the empty desert creating for the audience Aaron's loneliness and crushing reality of his surroundings. The sound was an especially well done aspect, specifically with the water. Boyle cranks up the sound of the water sloshing around in the thermos, or going through the hose in the camel back, you'll actually get thirsty while watching. While Boyle places the audience in the canyon with his direction the writing and Franco make us start to deal with our own mortality.

Throughout the time in the canyon, you are constantly shown flashbacks and memories of Aaron's leading up to the event. He starts out with what we all would start with, regret about not telling anyone where he was going, what he should have brought with him, etc. As time goes on he starts to think about life, how he treated people that he loved, and what he's leaving behind. Up until the climatic vision that gives him the strength to survive. And really who wouldn't be doing this. He constantly is keeping record on his video camera, keeping his own sanity as well as the audience's. Really the whole time you are thinking that that's probably what you yourself would be doing and thinking thus really making you think about your own life.

Its an extremely powerful film. Inspirational, depressing, scary, and the climax of the film is grotesquely real. Its such an unbelievable amazing true story of survival and what the human body and mind are capable of. I'd say go out and enjoy it, but I don't know if enjoy is the right word. I can guarantee that you will be moved and inspired by this film due to Boyles direction, Franco's acting, and of course the real Aaron Ralston.

Tron: Legacy (2010)

So Fun and Entertaining

[8/10 · 8 January 2011]

Extremely Entertaining and a Ton of Fun. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this and I had the pleasure of watching it in IMAX 3D which I highly recommend the way you see it. Almost 45 minutes of the movie is filmed in IMAX and it is meant to be seen that way. The special effects are out of this world you can hardly tell... that its all CGI it blends in that well. When Sam Flynn (Bridges son) first enters The Grid (the computer) it is an awesome spectacle. He's immediately thrown into a disc fight, followed quickly by a light cycle battle which for me was the highlight of the movie. And during every action scene you have Daft Punk providing the music making it that much more fun to watch (they even make a cameo at the night club scene). I was a little hesitant with the effect of making Bridges look younger, but for the most part it looks pretty good and you only really notice how weird it looks when he's talking. The cast is fairly strong even with Garrett Hedlund acting along side the power house of Jeff Bridges, he held his own throughout most of the film. But the supporting cast was excellent, you had Jeff Bridges (I don't really need to say anything else), Micheal Sheen as an eccentric club owner who was by far the most fun character on screen, and the always great looking Olivia Wilde who, like Hedlund, never seemed to overwhelmed with who she was acting with. A lot of the criticism that I have heard is all from the writing and story however I found no problem. Yea, there are plenty of stupid one liners that aren't needed but what can you do, the cast has to do something with the light show going on in front of you. As for the storyline, it wasn't too hard to follow and they do a pretty good job of explaining everything. It is pretty weird and out of the box and has a pretty strong Christianity theme but come on, your watching a movie where a human being gets transported into a computer world. What are you expecting? As for fans of the first one, you'll be plenty entertained and there a lot of little easter eggs in this one that will remind you of the Tron. There's also a great cameo by Cillian Murphy in the very beginning playing the son of the Villain from the first one, which leads me to think that they are already planning a sequel and I will be one of the first ones to watch on opening night. I highly recommend Tron Legacy, it's easily the most visually alluring film of the year and the most fun I've had at a movie in a while, just make sure you see it in IMAX 3D.

Buried (2010)

Unconventional, Dark, Twisted, and Suspenseful

[9/10 · 8 January 2011]

One of the most unconventional, disturbing, and fully suspenseful films I have seen in a while. Ryan Reynolds is great as Paul Conroy, a contract truck driver in Iraq during the war who is captured and buried alive in the desert. As you watch the movie you begin to learn more and more information about his character, however from the very beginning you care about him getting out of that damn coffin because Reynolds gives such a brilliant performance, plus it also helps that anyone would feel some kind of pity for anyone stuck in a coffin.

Going into it I read all the hype and was expecting a fantastic film, yet I was still pretty skeptical with the whole movie taking place inside a coffin. Literally all 90 minutes of the film is underground, inside a coffin. And for all of those 90 minutes I was anxious, scared, and completely enthralled with what I was watching due in large part because Rodrigo Cortes is an unbelievable story teller. Buried loosely reminds of a Hitchcock film, with the setting taking place all in one place giving the audience the same feeling of claustrophobia that Reynolds himself is feeling (clearly not to the same degree).

The opening credits of the film is particularly well done, right away before you even see one frame of the story, you know that you are in for a wild ride of twists, turns, and incomprehensible suspense. When you are finally introduced to Paul in the coffin you are immediately on the edge of your seat and stay their for the entirety of the film. Cortes puts you right in the coffin with Reynolds, what he sees the audience sees, the phone conversations has you hear, and because of Reynolds performance you feel what he feels making the experience of watching the film that much more terrifying. He then takes you on a roller coaster ride through hope and then the complete abandonment of hope. Over and over, and over and over again. It's almost to the point where Cortes is laughing at you knowing what your going through watching this film. At the same time this horror film going on about being buried alive, you are thrown all kinds of current event themes, the Iraq War, United States Government policies and other political themes, as well as selfish private corporations, that are intertwined into the story.

This is an awesome film to watch and it is a huge disappointment that it was never released nationwide and got more press, so either download it or wait for it to get released on DVD/Blu-Ray which hopefully will be soon. It's a suspenseful and thrilling movie all within one setting, a box. Any film that could be that exciting, all taking place in a box, there's no other reason to see it then curiosity. But if you need them, if your a Ryan Reynolds you'll absolutely enjoy have a good time as well as any fan of the unconventional. This is easily one of the better films of the year (and has the best song over the end credits in film history) and it's a shame that it didn't get more press or For Your Considerations. Find it, watch it, and enjoy the ride man.

Skyline (2010)

Excruciatingly Bad

[3/10 · 8 January 2011]

Pretty bad and excruciating sci-fi film. There's zero characters so you don't really care if they survive or not and with Donal Faison being in it, the whole time he was on screen I was thinking of Turk from Scrubs, he should probably just stay with the comedy. And they try to introduce the movie with a flash back sequence, but the flash back is only like 15 minutes in movie time. They're not even trying to get you interested and the only reason they use the flashback is to develop some sort of character development, which doesn't work anyway. At least they have the decency to bring the aliens in fairly soon into the movie. There were really only a couple good things about it. One, the special effects are pretty cool, especially when the Air Force gets involved. The Aliens are decent enough and I liked how they used the old school motivation for the them by using tractor beams to capture people and then stealing their brains. And finally the very ending was actually somewhat cool. I won't ruin it by telling you what happens so just watch the last 45 or so minutes and you might enjoy yourself. If you enjoy sci-fi movies watch this one when there is absolutely nothing else to do, I mean nothing, your better off watching the Jar Jar Binks scenes from A Phantom Menace over and over.... no please don't do that.

Black Swan (2010)

Creepy, Emotinoal, So Sexy, and Intense

[10/10 · 8 January 2011]

Creepy, Emotional, so Sexy, and Incredibly Intense. As I'm writing this I just got out of the movie 10 minutes ago and am just utterly blown away from this film. Aronofsky is on top of his game like never before, I think this may even be better than Requiem. Natalie Portman is just awesome as Nina the star ballerina ...of Swan Lake. From the beginning your right there with her feeling how much she wants the role and how much pressure she feels when she gets it, all through Aronofsky's direction. He utilizes the extreme close up on the cast's face so much you can't help but feel the emotions they are going through but this is especially felt with Portman. She plays the naive, almost childish girl so well as you watch her transform into the Black Swan its an emotional roller coaster that you can't turn away from. The supporting cast is great. Vincent Cassel is great as the creepy head of production, a character that everyone has seen before, yet he plays it so well its almost like watching the character for the first time. Then you have Barbara Hershey who plays a Hitchcockian mother to the T who is obsessed with her daughter (Portman) to get the role and succeeding. Mila Kunis would be considered the weakest role of the three supporters but that's not saying she's bad by any means, its just everyone else is that good. In my eyes she can't do anything bad, I may just be in love with her... and could use a little more of the scene between her and Portman and if you see the movie you'll know what I'm talking about. Then running up the cast is Winona Ryder, who is really only on screen for a total of 15 minutes maybe but I will say she plays the crazy, sore loser very well and provides the film with possibly one of the most terrifying scenes in the movie. The story is so compelling and so freaking creepy at the same time. Aronofsky plays with the story of a girl training and performing the Swan Lake Ballet while at the same time telling a contemporary version of Swan Lake in the setting of NYC with a twist of the supernatural. It's an unbelievably well made film and worth seeing, seeing even multiple times. If your in the mood for something a little off the beaten path, unconventional and a psychological thriller/horror than do yourself a favor and don't wait for DVD/Blu-Ray to see this one. It will blow your damn mind.

True Grit (2010)

Brilliantly Acted and Directed

[10/10 · 8 January 2011]

Great, entertaining film by the Coen Brothers. Jeff Bridges pretty much steals the whole movie but is followed close behind by the little girl Hailee Steinfeld. At first I thought a PG-13 movie by the Coen Brothers would hold them back from their usual style, but it is plenty violent and often very funny with the usual Coen's dry sense of humor. The scenery is also great, the film takes place in Arkansas, and I'm not totally sure if the filmed on location but knowing the Coen Brothers they probably did and they did an awesome job of capturing the open plains of the State during winter. With it being a western (I'm not the biggest fan of them) and the run time I was a little concerned but it felt no where near the 2 hour length it ran at. As for it being a remake, I haven't yet watched the original but I did see this one with my dad who said it followed the original pretty well and I have also read that the Brothers stayed extremely close to the source material so if you are a dedicated fan to this story no need to worry. I highly recommend this if you are a Bridges, Coen Brothers, or western fan.

Machete (2010)

Graphically Violent, Fun, and of course Terrible

[8/10 · 8 January 2011]

Graphically violent, Fun, and of course Terrible but what do you except from a movie that was made from a fake movie trailer from Grindhouse. The worst mistake you can make is going into this thinking its going to have good characters and plausible storyline because that's the last thing you will get. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and what's not to love. Over the top violence, ridiculous storyline, Steven Seagal playing a Samurai wielding Mexican Cartel Boss with a terrible accent, Lindsay Lohan playing herself (a porn star, crack/cocaine/heroin addict whose the daughter of a wealthy bad guy), and the famous and Fugly Danny Trejo who hardly utters any kind of dialogue but is the first one to seduce Jessica Alba and Michell Rodriguez and save the day all in one. With all that being said, the very loose social commentary it does have on illegal immigrants does remind you of what is going on in the the border states and Robert De Niro plays a great "McCain/Bush" Senator that could really be any far right public office holder in those areas. One of the coolest parts of the film is if you've seen the trailer from Grindhouse, almost every shot that was in that is in the movie. If you want to zone out for 90 minutes, laugh and have fun (and don't mind the extreme violence) I highly recommend this Oscar quality family film. I can't wait for the trilogy finale of Machete Kills and Machete Kills Again...