brodlimmel Reviews

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (2010 Video Game)

Odyssey to the awesome

[27 October 2011]

This is probably one the most underrated video games from 2010. In no means is it the best game out there but it was certainly better then some of the crap other people bought. Enslaved is taken from the Chiniese novel Journey to the West. Which like most Americans I never read it so I got no idea how close this is to it's source material. This is a game made by Ninja Theory who have made games such as Heavenly Sword. This is also made by Andy Serkis, who if you played the game had a huge role to play.

Game-play- this game plays as the best platforming action adventure I have ever seen. Jumping around like a monkey is so organic you your character just goes platform to platform, poll to small rock on the wall. He does it so well, I am not a fan of jumping puzzles or platforming but this was so much fun just to climb a wall. The AI is not the smartest they're strategy is to bum rush you and that is basically it. I understand they are supposed to be mecs that can't think for themselves so that is a minor complaint more of a nit pick. As many of you know this is basically one long escort mission but it is not annoying but rather fun. The enemies hardly ever attack her and she will actually hide so you can take out the foes. They add some boss fights against bigger mecs and those have that video game feel to it you find the bosses weakness and take it out.

Sound- this is what games need actors to do the voice acting. Andy Serkis is great as the character Monkey. This game has amazing sound effects and score to match it.

Graphics- probably the most beautiful apocalypse ever. This seems realistic in the way of vegetation taking back the land. The enemies look dangerous. Dare I say they look better then the Transformers have.

Story- you play as this character Monkey he is basically the man with no name and a troubled past. This girl Trip helps you escape from the slaver ship but then turns around and enslaves you so you can help her get home. The story goes on how you have to help her get home and the obstacles you face. Both the characters are likable and of course they do develop a relationship as the story goes on. This isn't that much of a story heavy game for the fact it never drew me in the game-play is what was gripping. This game does in fact have the weirdest ending just saying that it doesn't really fit the rest of the game and brings up more questions.

Overall this is a fun game but has little replay value. So I give it a High Rental this is a must play just not a must own.

Black Hawk Down (2001)

This Really Happened

[21 October 2011]

Charlie tango ten four we got a modern war movie here requesting permission to review. Black Hawk Down, based on a true event that just so happened a couple months after I was born believe it or not. This one of the based on true events that to my knowledge stays pretty close to the actual event. This movie is gory and it seemed like a modern Saving Private Ryan.

The plot is about the Black Hawks that were shot down in our invasion of a Samolian city and how everything just went to hell. Now I find the story extremely interesting and truly captures the feel of what these guys went through. I can describe this as a pure action war film with a sprinkle of drama.

The characters are mixed with really interesting to cliché as hell. One of my favorites was Grimes (Ewan McGregor) he plays this army ranger who signed up thinking he will be a army bad-ass but ends up making coffee the entire time till now. They have these two snipers who are the bravest guys ever, just watching the scene where they go to secure a crash site by themselves you think wow they are real heroes. You got some cliché characters or at least boring characters. Josh Hartnett plays this emotionless soldier he might as well not have been in the movie and definitely not the main character. Hoot (Eric Bana) is the man of few words he seemed like the silent protagonist in a Call of Duty game, but they tried way to hard to make him a bad-ass when he doesn't do anything.

Overall this is one of my personal favorite war films. It is not for everyone but I say it is still worth a view. With the stellar cast and how they interact with each other I say High Rental.

Tron: Legacy (2010)

It looked pretty

[21 October 2011]

Coolest rave ever! This movie isn't terrible but nowhere near a classic. Now I saw this film never have seeing the original and with the end result of this one I still don't want to see the original Tron.

The plot is this guy named Sam gets sucked into the Tron world look for his father Kevin Flynn. I simplified the synopsis because that is how weak this story is and how boring the none action points are. Any scene where characters are talking then the movie is the most uninteresting and leaves you so bored. The ending was such a lackluster ending you just leave the movie well it looked pretty cool. If I was on any drug at all I would've loved this movie just for the visuals.

The action and the visuals are really frigging good. Light cycle races have you one the edge of your seat. Identity disks are the most bad-ass Frisbees I have ever seen. Now this is a problem the movie pumps you up so much in the action scenes then puts you to sleep during the talking scenes. It is like mixing a action movie with a slow drama.

The characters while none acted terrible none stood out either. The movie suffers from a none threatening villain not once did I think Clu (Jeff Bridges) was a threat to any of the main characters. Not that he was a push over of a villain but the film never made me feel like he could defeat any of the characters. There is no sense of danger. This movie is just a video game with boring cut scenes and a boss fight at the end.

The soundtrack was by Daft Punk was amazing I could just listen to the music and be happy. But not even that can save this movie.

Overall this isn't a terrible film but not worth a cent of your money. If you have a friend with a cool TV or you have one a see it one cable that is exactly what I would give this movie. See it on cable.

X: First Class (2011)

This is what the X-men is all about

[20 October 2011]

Best X-men movie ever. Bold statement yes but so, so true I wish they would reboot the series off of this movie. If only the Wolverine movie was at least half way good then I could say I enjoyed all the X-men movies.

The plot is the creation of the X-men and the creation of Magnitos Brotherhood. There are so many side character developments in this movie I can't explain in one review. You have Kevin Bacon who is a mutant he wants to start WW3 between America and Russia, so when both sides are defeated the mutants will rise from the rubble. He for some reason believes that mutants can survive nuclear blast. This fits the original 3 X-men movies for the most part there are some plot holes. The fact in the third movie Magnito and Professor X are recruiting Jean Gray they are still friends and that really doesn't fit with this movie.

The acting is phenomenal and all the characters are likable and you can see why some have real problems and somehow you relate to them. The best character was Magnito (Micheal Fassbender) he is such a bad-ass and you finally get to see why he hates humans with such a passion. The weakest character was the villain Shaw (Kevin Bacon) he had similar motives as the later Magnito would but unlike him he is basically just a power hungry villain with no logical plan.

The music score is phenomenal I adore the soundtrack. None are memorable but they enhance every scene making each scene just that much better.

Overall this is a great film my favorite of all the X-men movies. I give this movie a Buy it is a comic movie for fans and movie goers alike.

The Thing (I) (2011)

Almost as good as the original

[18 October 2011]

The Thing has this thing and it can absorbs things. This is actually a great movie that fans of the original will immensely enjoy. The thing is a prequel to the John Carpenter 1982 The Thing. It isn't as good as the original nor could it be but this will most likely be the best horror film of 2011.

The plot is these Norwedgen scientist find a alien and its' ship under the ice in Anartica. They hire this American scientist to figure out what the Alien is. Of course the Alien isn't actually dead and it starts to kill and absorb the crew one at a time. I personally enjoy the plot for the fact it shows you what the Thing actually looks like and that it explains what went down at the research center.

The acting is good better then any creature feature would normally have. The movie doesn't really characterize them they just kill them off so fast even the main characters they're trying to survive so they don't get and characterization. The greatest part of The Thing is the whole aspect of who is alien and who is human. That is what I loved in the original and love it here. It isn't as suspenseful as the 1982 version but you still have that mystery of who is who going on.

The effects vary from good to crap. When they are burning bodies or anything really with fire the effects are beautiful but when someone mutates into a thing it's really noticeable it is CG. Since the entire film is a creature feature they should've spent more time making the alien look more realistic. Now with my complaints on that I have to say when the humans mutate it looks creepy as hell. The moment where one of the "people" mutate there head is just swinging around while their chest opens up to consume.

The setting is also a big part in this film. Anartica is such a desalinate place that you get that feeling that none of the characters will survive even if they do kill the Thing they'll freeze to death. I am so glad they never made a sequel where the Thing is in a city or something because that would just plainly ruin the series.

Overall I say Full Price go see this film. If you are a fan of the original then this is a must see. If you've'e never seen the original then I highly recommend this it will make you want to see the 1982 version.

Super Troopers (2001)

Super funny

[13 October 2011]

The best cops ever, they're funny, stupid and yet in some weird way still get the job done. Super Troopers is a raunchy comedy that is pure gold in hilarity. Not once can I remember thinking OK that was just retarded like in the Hangover. This is made by the Cataland Production which help make Beerfest and Slamon Samon.

The plot is about these screwball state troopers are getting shut down because of cuts. There goal is to find out where all the weed is coming from so the governor can see them as heroes and they can keep there jobs. These guys screw up so much just trying to keep there jobs you start to wonder how did they become state troopers in the first place. The comedy is consistent in good jokes throughout the film. It never seems like they are trying too hard to be funny yes they have dick jokes and masturbating jokes but if you can laugh at that then you'll like this movie.

The characters are all likable and funny and you can see yourself being friends with guys like this. Except one Farva played by Kevin Heffernan he is this annoying guy that thinks he is funny but just comes off being an ass. The funny thing is well can all relate because we have all meet this guy or are even friends with this guy. Just in case anyone was thinking well this is dumb these guys could never be cops how they act. I agree they are no where to believable but in the movie you don't care it is a comedy as long as it works in the movie then that is all that matters.

The writers which is the main cast they are geniuses at raunchy comedies. They also make hilarious dialog and that is something that some comedies today really need to work on.

Overall I love this movie it is one of my favorite comedies of all time. My rating is Buy this movie because you will want to watch it again and with friends.

Red Dead Redemption (2010 Video Game)

Clint Eastwood smiles on this game

[9 October 2011]

This town ain't big enough for the two of us. This game is down right one of my favorite games I have ever played. I enjoy this as a solid game and a great western tale. I never played Red Dead Revolver but if it is half as good as this game then it is a decent game.

Game-play- this takes GTA makes it a western and improves the game-play by 100%. Riding a horse actually handles better then cars in open world games. The shooting makes you feel like a true bad-ass of the west. You can never miss a hard target thanks to the dead eye feature which is just bullet time. The game isn't hard like the GTA games but it is extremely fun with so much to do. You can spend hours hunting, shooting outlaws, completing challenges, and doing side quest. There are some glitches in the game but that is mostly on the online aspect of the game.

Sound- oh Lord this game sound beautiful, I always felt like I was a cowboy in the old west. That's just from the soundtrack and sound effects. The song towards the end of the game is God awful but that is the one complaint in this amazing game. The voice acting is fantastic all the voices have a distinctive western vibe and there is no one who talks like Clint Eastwood or John Wayne which is nice to see.

Graphics- this game amazed me with how it looks you are just wowed when you start playing it. Honestly I never thought the dessert could look so alive. When you shoot someone you can see the entry wound which sounds morbid to give praise but it is a nice touch of realism to the game.

Story- you play John Marston the man with a troubled past who is sent out to hunt his old game so he can save his family. This story is so deep and has such great characters ultimately you just want to see John get his family back and start a new life. Not once is the story dull or just lame as hell I enjoyed ever second of this game.

Online- this has so much to do online, the free-roam is a blast when you are playing with friends. The co-op missions are fun but only one time around can you really enjoy them. Then they got some competitive online which is challenging you can't run around the map just shooting you have to be precise and get head shots. There is a ton of DLC that I wont get into but it is worth the money.

Overall if you don't own this game what you doing go buy it and love it. I give this my rating of Jizz in Your Pants yes it is that great.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Hell yes

[6 October 2011]

Yeah boy it's Hellboy. I thought the first Hellboy was a boring waste of time. This new one is bad-ass not once was I bored and can I say they make elf's look like the badess of asses I've ever seen elf's. I never read the Hellboy comics so I have no clue how close to the material it is but as a movie I really dug it.

The plot is this Elf Prince is tired of humanities greed and he needs collect three pieces of this crown to raise the Golden Army and destroy all humans. Yeah it doesn't sound like the most original piece of art but it plays out extremely well. The only plot problems I had with this was the love angles Hellboy and his problems and Abe who just randomly falls in love with the Elf Princess. But the action oh damn that cool and you get to see Hellboy use a sword and that was just cool all on its own.

The characters are kind of weak but this is a pure action movie if you start looking into the characters you find out stuff like Hellboy really only cares about himself, and Liz. The creature design is so original Guillermo del Toro is a genius at creatures and making some cool ass action monster films.

The acting everyone did great with there role Ron Perlman is great and has some funny sarcastic lines. My personal favorite was the Elf Prince played by Luke Goss he was a great villain, plus he played one of my favorite villains from Blade 2 Nomak.

Overall if you haven't seen this or you hated the original Hellboy or even liked it I still high recommend this movie. This is such an improvement that I say buy only because at this point it is cheap and I see this movie as one of those movies you'll wanna watch later down the road.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009 Video Game)

Why aren't all superhero games this good?

[6 October 2011]

The best, yes the absolute best superhero game ever. Well maybe until the sequel at least but this game here makes me wish every superhero adaptation was this good. This game truly captures what it is like to be the worlds greatest detective. The game comes from the Arkham Asylum comics but it is still it's own original thing as well.

Gameplay- This game is flawless you get everything you need to make you feel like you are Batman, you fight like him, get cool gadgets, do a little sneaking around. The AI isn't incredibly smart but when were the henchmen ever smart. The fact they will get terrified as you pick them off one by one that is a truly satisfying feeling. The boss fights aren't that hard except the infamous Poison Ivy fight that is just down right annoying. The game is also great when you set a trap for a henchman and they fall right in it.

Sound- This game sounds amazing the music score is pretty good nothing too notable. But the voice acting is every fan of the animated series cream in there pants. So yes Batman is voiced by Kevin Conroy and the Joker is voiced by the Mark Hamill himself.

Graphics- These look fantastic granted the game is so much easier if you stay in detective mode, but I high recommend just getting out of that and admiring Arkham Asylum and all its glory. What I love is the fact Batman will take damage as the story progresses that is just something story heavy games should have because it adds so much to the game. Plus I personally thing it gives a sense of danger if the hero is getting beaten down.

Story- So the Joker turns Arkham Asylum into his own personal playground but of course he has a more dastardly plan in mind. The player or Batman has to use every tool in his arsenal to stop the crazy clown. In the story you fight The Joker, Harley Quinn, Bane, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and there are appearances by other Batman villains as well. This is such a Batman fans wet dream I had a hard time putting the controller down wondering whats going to happen next it is really addictive. The ending sets it up for a major sequel but with how great this game is who would ever complain.

Overall this is in my top 10 games ever. I loved the hell out of this game, if you haven't already played go out and buy, buy , buy it. My rating for this game is Jizz In Your Pants good.

Troy (2004)

For Troy!

[3 October 2011]

Let it burn let Troy burn! This movie is good but not even close to great. I will say it didn't seem to cliché at all. This of course is based on the story of how Troy fell and the heroes that fought in it, and of course the giant horse that everyone knows of. I have no clue how accurate this movie is but they sure make it look cool.

The plot is of course the fall of Troy, so how does this movie sell the audience on a movie they already know the ending to? Well they add some bad-ass fight scenes with Brad Pitt, men getting slaughtered by swords, arrows, and in one case a giant hammer. I find this movie is very interesting to watch, but thats it.

The biggest problem I see with this movie is all the characters are flat, Brad Pitt play Achillies the warrior with a heart. Then you have Eric Bana who plays Hector the family man and the only character I even gave a damn about. Last of the big ones Orlando Bloom who is Paris the whiniest person in the whole damn film and yet he still has his bow and arrow from The Lord of the Rings. It would've been epic if he was Legolas that could've made this movie a master piece instead of a rental worthy movie. In the end with all the characters with them being so flat when they die you don't care you just think OK next fight scene.

The dialog isn't bad but could be a helluva lot better. All the characters will have at least one line of really cheesy dialog that seems like George Lucas wrote it.

Now the music score is fantastic I applaud the composer. In certain scenes the score just pulls you in and you become immersed.

Overall low rental for those who like the Greek tales or guys slicing each other up into little bits. For everyone else who might be curious See It On Cable there just isn't anything to recommend for you to spend any money on.

Trainspotting (1996)

I spotted something else besides trains

[6/10 · 27 September 2011]

Trainspotting has nothing to do with trains at all which is good trains bore me but the struggles of drug addicts thats interesting to see. I saw this movie not knowing anything about it so when they start shooting heroin in to there body that threw me off completely seeing Obi-won doing drugs why wasn't that in Star Wars.

The plot is about these drug addicts living in Scotland and how these guys deal with there addiction. Now this isn't depressing at all they add funny moments mixed in with intensely dark moments. The main character is played by Ewan McGregor and all he is trying to do is kick the stuff but of course it is hard because he is addicted and he has friends who don't want to kick it you know peer pressure. If you can't tell this is a character piece.

The characters all have there own problems, one is a psycho path and will fight and attack people for no reason at all. Others are so addicted they will land in jail or just throw away there whole life just to get one more hit. Ewan McGregor is the character you want to see get a normal life and get out of this mess so when you see him make these bad decisions or thrown in bad situations you truly root for him to get out.

This is directed by Danny Boyle who has made some great films such as Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours and this one is up there not his best but certainly nothing bad. The film is based on a book so but I never read it so I don't know if it is a accurate adaptation of the book.

Overall this is a great movie on the struggles of drugs and wanting a normal life. But it isn't buy worthy so I give it a high rental because this is a must see just not a must have.

Bastion (2011 Video Game)

Best Arcade game to date

[27 September 2011]

Xbox Live has out done themselves with this game, they just released it but whoever the developers they deserve a pat on the back. Now I haven't been the biggest fan of the arcade games because I haven't played any worth a damn. Until now the great action adventure RPG has risen.

Gameplay-this is nothing innovated in the combat area but it is in the fact that the level will for around you that just leaves the feel of real exploration to the gamer. I have honestly never seen a game do that before so I hand Bastion. This game offers so many weapons to choose from whether it's a giant hammer, or a spear from a rapid crossbow to a bazooka. The A.I. is run of the mill they see you and they attack you nothing special with them. The game is fairly easy but you can up the difficulty by adding shrines that will put new and interesting challenges for the player to overcome.

Sound-well the music at the end of the game was amazing it really helped the story. Besides that I really can't think of any other music in the game. I did't forget about the most famous part of the game the narration, this game has it's own narrator and he has some clever writing and will know exactly what you are doing. It is actually quite entertaining to roll around or fall off the edge just to see what he will say. This is probably the most original part of the game.

Graphics-they aren't bad, fairly good for a arcade game. The enemies are interesting and colorful, they do seem a little cartoonish for me but they work in the game. The level design is great I love the colorful destruction and all the detail they put in this. They also can add the isolation feel in certain levels.

Story-you play a character known as The Kid and you wake up and his whole entire world has been destroyed by a calamity and it is your job to rebuild the world be using this thing called the Bastion. As you can see it is kind of a cliché in the story but for me it hooked me at the end and I just had to see what will happen next. The ending is something most gamers will like and they will like the end result.

Overall this game is great it truly is but 15.00 is a little high for this so I say get it at a reduced price and you will be happy with what you paid for. It is a solid 8 hour game but it is kind of repetitive and 15 dollars doesn't seem worth it.

Survival of the Dead (2009)

This is hardly Surviving

[24 September 2011]

Survival of the Dead is one of those zombie films that kind of just plain suck. I am a huge zombie fan and I like most zombie films yes even the remake of Day of the Dead but oddly enough this one I didn't like it at all. The main plot was more stupid then most zombie films which is hard to do being they don't have the strongest stories to begin with.

The plot is the traditional survival story we all love from the zombie films, this is more of a two family fighting over land with zombies in the mix. You follow the solders from Diary of the Dead yes the same douches that take all there food. The solders consist of asshole leader, the hard-ass chick, suave Spanish guy, last redneck guy. They meet up with the biggest d-bag kid who joins them randomly and then also old Irish man who starts to shoot at them for money which who cares about money in a zombie apocalypse what will you buy? So to skip ahead they go to this island called Pussyfoot where two old Irish guys are fighting over what to do with the zombies one says kill them the other says train them. The plot is just so stupid some how especially when you hate every character in the movie.

The characters are all so unlikeable which it is key in a zombie film because you need to have one person to root for and survive. But even if you hate them all none of them are killed in any cool way.

The zombies and gore what everyone wants to see in a zombie film. The zombies are of course the George A. Romero zombies which are the slow walking ones but I always found Zack Snyders running crazy zombies way more believable in how threatening they are. The gore is terrible the opening scene is so bad it isn't even funny because this movie actually takes itself seriously.

Overall I say see it on cable or on a prepaid subscription like Netflix otherwise there isn't anything here to even recommend.

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)

Monsters vs Awesome

[17 September 2011]

Honestly I thought this movie was going to be like a lot of other Dreamworks movies a bunch of pop songs and Mike Meyers but instead this movie is hilarious and not filled with a bunch of pop culture references. I have to add this is a pretty original premise the story is kind of predictable but it is a kids movie so I am not looking for too much depth.

The story starts with a meteor landing on this girl named Susan (Reese Witherspoon)on her wedding day because of this she gets the power to grow really big and she can't get smaller so the government captures her and throws her in this secret facility with the other monsters. You can tell they are all buffoons but funny ones. Well honestly the aliens attack the government can't beat them so they send monsters it is that simple of a story but it is a fun one at that.

The voice acting is phenomenal Reese Witherspoon is OK she is the level headed I just want my old life back girl. Then you got Seth Rogan is perfect as a voice actor I liked him in Paul and I like him in this Seth do voice acting I hate your stoner comedies. His character is a blob named Bob and this guy is so retarded it is funny not slapstick retarded but just stupid funny. Hugh Laurie play a cockroach named Dr.Cockroach and he is great as the mad scientist his evil laugh got me every time. Will Arnett was good his character didn't have any memorable lines but he was still good. The villain Gallaxhar had his moments of hilarity but nothing special.

So overall this has a kind of a weak but interesting plot great voice acting and wonderful writing with jokes that keep you constantly laughing. I can only give this movie a Buy if you have kids if not a strong very strong rental.

Iron Man (2008)

Better the second time around

[16 September 2011]

OK as some may know I'm not a fan of the sequel to this film but I adore the original film of Iron Man. Yes before you continue to read I will be just kissing this movies ass this is just a warning. So Iron Man is not my personal favorite superhero but he is one of the most interesting. I see him as Marvels Batman but less moody and more fun loving.

So the plot is a origins story of Iron Man being I never read to many of the comics I don't know if how he made the suit is exactly like the movie or not and honestly I don't care because I love what they did here. So I am not going to go into the plot too much you got Robert Downey Jr playing as Tony Stark and he is perfect I am honestly yet to see a movie where I dislike him even if I don't care for the movie Robert always gives a stellar performance. Then you have Jeff Bridges who plays Tony's business partner note he is bald so if you have seen this cliché before you know what is going to happen.

I used to hate the fact that most of this film was Tony building his suit but the second viewing I did notice how that suit defines the character so him building the suit we see a build in character as well. The thing this movie does great is that is just hints at the Avengers here and there and at the end but it doesn't stop the main story so it can just be like oh heres that movie coming out and yadda yadda.

The writing is top notch you suspect it to have some cheesy lines because it was a comic movie and it doesn't. The director Jon Favreau does great and I do want to see him make more then just Iron Man.

Overall for those who haven't seen this all two of you buy this film it is just one you will want to own and pull out on a rainy day.

Knockaround Guys (2001)

This Knocks you around

[6/10 · 16 September 2011]

The Knockaround Guys a crime dramas that try to hit that Goodfellas feel but miss completely. Now saying that it is not bad at all it is entertaining and a fun film to watch. This will add elements of comedy in there some cool action by Vin Diesel of course but the storyline is what it fails at it is just such a lame ass ending that you just think wow they really had no clue where they were going with this.

The story is about these four wannabe mobsters when I say wannabe they are in the business but the guys higher up see them as lackeys and use them to do small tasks. Yet each of them want to be higher in the business and seen a equals to the bosses. The four guys are Matty Demaret (Barry Pepper)who is the main mob bosses son and wants to prove himself. Chris Scarpa (Andy Davoli) who is some playboy who just wants more then to run a restaurant, and you got Johnny Marbles (Seth Green) is a recovering addict and just wants to prove he is not a screwup last the big guy Taylor Reese (Vin Diesel) who is actually done with "the life" and can't get out.

So the pilot Johnny is to transport a bag of money from point a to b simple but he screws up and loses it which means he will probably die. So he calls his friends the other 3 guys to help him track down the cash. At this point the movie is good seeing these guys being small in the big city go to this small town and be the baddest mothers out there. John Malkovich plays the role of Barry's uncle and he just is not a good mobster he isn't threatening and doesn't seem like his plans are even thought out. The biggest flaw is the ending because with out spoiling anything there is a Mexican stand off that just is a waste of time most because there is no tension and you know exactly what will happen.

The writing isn't bad it was written by the same guy who wrote Oceans 13. Acting everyone but John Malkovich was good that is not his fault it was just how his character was.

Overall this film is a low rental close to just saying see it on cable but if you rent it you would have some fun. This movie just doesn't compare to the Scorsese mob films. Low Rental

Jarhead (2005)

Jarheading experience

[13 September 2011]

As a fan of war films I really enjoyed this movie for focusing only on the marines and very little of the war. They are fighting in the Gulf War which this is the only movie I've seen that they are fighting in Dessert Storm. Something people I knew that seen it there is fighting scenes the solders never see combat and that will throw off many audience members if they think they are getting into the traditional war film will blood and guts and explosions.

The story follows many of the marines but the main character is Anthony Swoffward played by Jake Gyllenhall is a kid who only joined because he couldn't get into college and being a Jarhead was in the family his dad joined his grandpa joined. Swoff gets to be a scout sniper one of the coolest things in the marines. One complaint there is the whole sniper thing doesn't even matter until the end otherwise the whole movie could just be about a marine with no special title like a sniper.

The emotional aspect in this movie is deep almost a little too emotional. There is one scene where the marines are watching a sex video and one notices it is his wife and neighbor and that is just one of those holy crap moments where you feel for this marine who isn't even part of the main cast. Besides the wives and girlfriends cheating on these guys you also see the war take it's hold on these guys either they have emotional break downs or they turn psycho.

The action in this is phenomenal Jake Gyllenhall is great in this he really seems human in this role and you sympathize with him. Another great performance is by Peter Sarsgaard he plays great as the guy holding the marines together and he has this emotional scene towards the end that just leaves you feeling sorry for this poor guy. The weakest of them all was Jamie Foxx he has the funnest lines in the movie but has no emotion to him he is kind of a flat character compared to the rest of the cast.

Overall I think this is a very unappreciated war film and it has its problems but is not to be overlooked I say a good rental and you will be satisfied with what this movie bring to the table.

Daybreakers (2009)

Vampires will kill you

[8 September 2011]

Daybreakers is one of the most original vampire movies around. The world is futuristic and vampires run it and the humans are almost extinct. The thing I really love about it are the vampires stick true to most of the clichés they are killed by wooded stakes or arrows, sunlight hurts them and most important they feed on human flesh. Then this movie shows what happens if a vampire doesn't feed on humans it will mutate into a monster.

So the plot is human blood is running out and the vampire society is collapsing. A vampire scientist Edward Dalton is trying to find a alternative to human blood so they can stop hunting humans. In his journeys he runs into Willem Dafoe the leader of the last of the humans. When you see what the vampires do to the humans when they are caught you really feel for the humans. Edward played by Ethan Hawk is a human sympathizer so of course he will try and help the humans out in every way.

The story kind of hints at over consumption and how you should conserve your resources but it doesn't beat you over the head with it works. One flaw is the fact of it is a very quiet movie like the didn't get the sound right or it was quiet for me at least. A good thing this is a very gory movie vampires don't just suck your blood they will rip your arm off and tear you to pieces.

Overall this is a high rental it is a good Sci-fi horror film but it just doesn't have a gripping enough story to say it is worth owning.

Buried (2010)

A true one man act

[7 September 2011]

Buried really shows that Ryan Renolds can act when he is given the opportunity. This whole movie is him in a box no flash backs no other characters on the outside just him in a box trying to find out how he got there and how is he going to get out.

So the plot a guy Paul is a truck driver who was driving a truck for this contracting company in Iraq well it is attacked and he wakes up in the box where you don't know where he is who put him there or if he will even get out. It is great seeing how he uses the cell phone to call anyone who can help him and of course people are jerks either they don't care or they can't or simply won't help him. This gives you this real claustrophobia feel and just keeps you in suspense on what will he try or say to get out of this.

Ryan Renolds is phenomenal in this he really has you care for him you can relate so well to his character and you really do just want to see a normal guy get out of this horrible situation. Not one point in this movie is it slow or boring. Honestly I have a hard time finding a flaw in this I only wish it was in theaters longer.

Overall this is a high very enthusiastic buy it is almost a Jizz in your pants movie but a high buy is what this film deserves

Gran Torino (2008)

Great but not his best

[7/10 · 7 September 2011]

Gran Torinio this movie showed me something I never thought I'd see Clint Eastwood hire actors that couldn't act. Yes the Thao character was terrible in this so bad I bring it up in the opening paragraph but even with him the movie was awesome. To see Clint Eastwood as more of a fragile old man but still seem like the bad-ass he was back in the day is great.

The plot is Clint Eastwood is a retired old Korean War vet living in this bad neighborhood that is filled with gangs. The thing he hates most are Asians and what lives next door but a family of them of course he hates them but of course as this movie would go because of some gang members harassing his neighbors you learn he has a heart of gold. Clint is great in this playing this old hard-ass and teaching this kid to be a man is some of the high points in this movie and the fact it shows even a old raciest can accept people once he gets to know them kind of leaves you feeling good for a moment. This movie does get dark towards the end and does not give you the ending you think will happen.

Most the acting is good from Clint Eastwood but these side characters are just not up there it won't ruin the movie but it is noticeable enough to make you think wow where they get this guy.

Overall the emotional points in this movie work well the score isn't too bad and it is a really great story of a man coming to the end of his life and finding the family he needed. So I say low buy because this is one of Clint Eastwoods best not the best but if you like his work you should own this.

Role Models (2008)

good for chuckles

[7 September 2011]

Role Models is a funny film with great dialog this is one of those films that doesn't rely on psychical comedy to carry it. So the movie is about these two guys Danny and Wheeler who are sentenced to community service and what they have to do is be big brothers to these two kids that they cannot stand.

The strong points in the movie are the sarcastic lines that Paul Rudd gives and the antics Bobb'e J. Thompson will do, and how crazy Jane Lynch is besides that no one else is funny really at all. Comedy wise this movie will hit and miss and when it misses it really misses with the poop jokes they do or mindless swearing the movie is just lame but the sarcasm and weirdness characters bring will have you laughing.

The plot is pretty predictable it is just a buddy comedy but I will hand it to them this movie makes LARP look pretty cool. What I do enjoy is that they don't hold over Paul Rudd romance side plot too much in the story they stick by the guys trying to get along with these kids.

This is directed by David Wain he hasn't directed notable stuff but he has directed episodes of Children's Hospitol, which is a pretty funny show.

Overall this is a funny comedy not the best but worth a watch I say a solid rental.

Rambo (2008)

His name is Rambo

[2 September 2011]

Rambo honestly if you have a name like that your'e destined to be a bad-ass and you know what that is what he is in this movie. Rambo can take out 100 solders in under an hour. But what he can't do is have a more engaging story.

So this is or should be Rambos last adventure which is great to leave on this note. So basically a group of Samaritans hire Rambo to take them to a village so they can give the people there food and medicine. Once they get there these solders or lets say the villains show up and destroy the village capture some people kill the rest and leave. So how Rambo hears about the people he just helped from this guy who has hire mercenaries to save the group of Christains. So Rambo helps and well you can piece together the rest.

So character wise this story is bland and great at the same time. So none of the characters are deep in any way but some like the sniper mercenary and Rambo are just such bad-asses you really don't care. I'm happy to see the main villain didn't have some evil plan to take over the world he was just a sadistic evil guy who didn't say a thing.

The gore in this is sometimes really bad you can tell it is CG but other times you just sit there thinking wow did that just happened. I am happy to see that in a movie a high power gun will rip a guy in half not guy put a hole in him that in some weird way make me happy with the movie.

I would go into writing but honestly who cares about dialog in a Rambo movie at first I was annoyed but then I just said whatever and went with it.

So overall this is a low buy for me because if you like Rambo you'll buy it if not then you will never give it a chance.

Let Me In (I) (2010)

Let me sleep

[2 September 2011]

Let Me In is a remake of the Let the Right One In film from a country I can't remember. I saw the original and honestly this one hits pretty close to it the only reason why I probably like it better is because I didn't have to read it.

So the story goes as this creepy kid is being mercilessly bullied at school so he is a little nuts and then this mysterious girl moves in next door with a man who could be her father. So these two become friends then it turns out she is a vampire and needs to feed or she will turn into this animalistic stage and just kill people at random. Compared to the Twilight vampires this little girl is a beast.

The characters are all interesting the little girl and the boy really work together and the bullies seemed like real bullies not to over exaggerated. I honestly didn't like the main character played by Kodi Smit-McPhee for two reasons one he is way too psycho for me to root for him and for some reason that every movie I see this kid in he whines it annoys the hell out of me. Richard Jenkins is great as the care taker for the little girl he is such a mystery character and you can tell he feel terrible for the things he has done.

The pace in this movie is slow I think they could've had more going on but that doesn't ruin the movie. Another problem was the special effect were so noticeable it did take me out of the movie and that did ruin the experience a little bit.

Overall this is a high rental film I say see it once you will be happy there is no reason to watch this again.

300 (2006)

This is Average

[2 September 2011]

I'm all for violence and gore and even slow motion so why isn't this movie amazing you ask because the characters really and the believability.

So the story is taken from a graphic novel and that explains why they have basically monsters and guys with saws for arms. But still this isn't a fantasy the fact all these Spartans are half naked makes me wonder how did these guys not get slaughtered during these battles. So it is basically 300 of the best solders in all of Sparta go to fight the endless armies of Persia and how they hold them off for a while. A weird thing I noticed in the story is they preach about freedom yet the main character is still the king of Sparta and his men call him my lord it seemed more or less a power thing then freedom just Leonidas not wanting to bow down to anyone. It is still interesting action wise that the main story just blows over.

The visual design is awesome I remember arguing with people because they said it was animated and no I'm not sure what they did visually but I enjoyed that immensely.

The acting was OK there was no one I hated but there was also no outstanding performances. Then the writing they had some cheesy dialog but it also came up with everyones favorite line "This is Sparta"! so it has that going for it.

This is directed by Zack Snyder and this is just his trademark slow motion yes the visual design but this still isn't his best film nor his worst.

Overall I say this is a high rental because there is still a lot of fun to be had here.

Diary of the Dead (2007)

Dairy of the best zombie film in a while

[27 August 2011]

This is a great zombie film yes I am the guy who liked the remake of Day of the Dead but that is dog s*** compared to this one. I love the filming style and some of the things they do with the characters. The plot is day one of the zombie out break from the eyes of college students. The story is nothing special but the way they film it is just so amazing for a zombie film.

So story this is a road trip film meets zombies meets Cloverfield. It is cool they go back to just zombies they can't do anything but chow down on human. But you meet a deaf Amish guy with dynamite you see a professor use a bow and arrow like a beast and you get to see a terrible message at the end about how bad humans are.

So the best part of this is the filming yes it has been done before and better but this just really made me feel like I was watching a zombie apocalypse actually happening.

The acting is terrible even for a zombie film but I didn't hate any of the characters besides the main character filming it. The only reason why I hated him is because that dude is retarded and a jerk. He won't help out anyone in trouble and he is so determined to film he doesn't care if he dies that is just not human enough for me.

Overall I think this is a great film in zombie and filming wise so if you love zombies see it if not still give it a try you my turn out to like them after this. I say a low buy.