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Pacific Rim (2013)
Tarantino, take note: I you're going to pay homage to old film genres, do it right.
Pacific Rim is largely an action epic, and a good one at that. The narrative itself is based on Japanese monster (kaiju) films, and - while paying homage to the classic 'style' - manages to be very modern and fairly grounded in reality. Pacing is good and the story has a set of well-placed twists, accompanied by some interesting character development. The casting, on the other hand, is not great, but does not detract from the experience.
In contrast, the direction is fantastic. Guillermo del Toro does a great job of making the large and scary feel huge and terrifying, without making a mess on-screen. Several great touches add to the 'epic' feel of the film, such as the detail on the hide of the kaiju and the fantastic sound effects. Coupled with a great musical score, this film would be one of the best this year. Sadly, there is a small problem that stops this film being fantastic, but great instead: the scientist sub-plot.
Two scientists are in the process of finding a new way to stop the kaiju, and they manage to be fairly useless and rather annoying. They have a fair number of cheesy lines, which left me wishing that their sub-plot had been left out of the film. Nevertheless, Pacific Rim is still very good, and definitely worth watching. I give it an 8 out of 10.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Spectacular
The Shawshank Redemption is a film worth watching. Well-written, well directed and well shot, this film is entertaining throughout. It's a real tear-jerker with deep meaning, and is a must-watch for anyone remotely interested in movies. The only negative is that the story's a little far-fetched, but it barely affects enjoyment of this film.
The plot summary might make The Shawshank Redemption sound a little boring to the modern-day film fanatic, but it really isn't. It's filled with dramatic tension and is both depressing and uplifting, which is a quite rare characteristic for a film to have. This movie is not to be missed.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Not deserving of the IMDb top 250
Pulp Fiction is, overall, a poorly written and poorly directed movie. What shines though is the acting, which carries the entire film.
The plot is confused and riddled with continuity errors. Events do not occur in chronological order, but in 'chapters,' and the story is too far-fetched and too violent for the experience to be enjoyable. With the exception of Joules (Samuel L Jackson), every character is completely one-dimensional. Coupled with the fact that there is zero character development, this film gets very repetitive. Pulp Fiction starts off abysmally, an levels to at best mediocre by the end.
The good in the movie is Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis in their roles (though Tarantino's cameo appearance is laughable as always). Luckily, unlike all other Tarantino movies, no one suddenly does something completely out of character. This allows the film to just about carry itself, but it certainly does not justify the 9 and 10-star reviews Pulp Fiction has received. As usual, Tarantino's 'visionary' work is nothing more than a crass, overly violent flop.
Django Unchained (2012)
Classic Tarantino, with little charm or wit
I understand that some people might not agree with this review. It is undoubtedly biased as I strongly dislike Tarantino (though this is my favourite of his films).
Don't get me wrong - this film has its merits. The beginning of the movie is relatively enjoyable and follows a well-written but poorly directed story. Towards the end, however, things fall apart and Django's actions even disagree with his character. It becomes an unpleasant viewing experience and I was left wishing that the script would have been given to someone else, as the movie could have been so much better.
Everything from the comedy to the violence is disappointing, and - though I understand that it is supposed to convey the style of, and pay homage to, the old Spaghetti Westerns - it fails to remind me of any previous Western that I've seen. In addition, the main roles are poorly acted, with the exception of Monsieur Candy (Leonardo DiCaprio), which is a real shame. A good actor can save a poor film (take the Bourne Ultimatum, for example), but Tarantino doesn't seem to appreciate that. DiCaprio's monologue was the only part of the film I genuinely enjoyed, and I wish he had been cast in a larger role (such as Django's sidekick and mentor). As usual, the director makes his own characteristic appearance, which is as out-of-place as ever.
Django Unchained comes across as a crass, unentertaining mess, which almost made me leave the theatre half way through. I am quite surprised at some of the reviews I have seen on here, but perhaps I don't understand it fully. Nevertheless, my view is this: Django's Unchained isn't worth watching (other than for DiCaprio's impressive monologue).
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Spectacular in every way, another great addition to Abrams' collection and possibly the greatest film in terms of entertainment of all time.
When I first watched the 2009 Star Trek reboot, I thought that - despite it's flaws - nothing could compare entertainment-wise. That was until I watched its darker, grittier sequel, Into Darkness. The flaws from the first movie are gone, and there are a number of great additions to the series, which I wholly hope will continue.
Into darkness is an action-packed, but well-paced movie for hardcore Trekkers and newcomers alike. The writing and screenplay are excellent: the storyline is thoroughly enjoyable throughout and draws from elements of some of the best Star Trek films from the past. Our heroes are back, but this time they're even better: Spock (Zachary Quinto) is Vulcan as ever, and Kirk (Chris Pine) is a humbler, more Shatner-esque captain. Actors in supporting roles all do fantastic work. No star's acting can be faulted.
Most impressive of all, the villain (whose name I have withheld to avoid spoilers), played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is both compelling and fantastically developed. Over the course of the movie, I began to empathise with the seemingly misunderstood antagonist, but - with a sudden, well-placed plot twist, I started to hate him, more than any other movie villain before. I took pleasure in seeing the crew of the Enterprise finally deal some blows, and genuinely felt part of the movie. Into darkness made me cry, cheer and rage in the best of ways, like I never had before.
As with any other Abrams movie, the special effects are incredibly impressive. The director has a way of making the large feel large and the epic feel epic, which really adds to a movie like Into Darkness. The direction was, in a word, spectacular. When I watched the film, it was in 3D IMAX, and I can honestly say that this was one of the few movies 3D added something to. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout, and during several different parts of the film, the entire audience jumped. I had never seen that before other than in a horror movie. I really was impressed and will be seeing it again as well as buying it on Blu-ray and adding it to my collection of favourites.
The only criticism I cold possibly make is that the soundtrack - though one of my favourites - is a little overused. It does not detract from the experience at all, so I didn't feel that such a minor fault was worth me deducting a point out of 10.
If you love the Enterprise or don't, Into Darkness is a fantastically entertaining experience throughout its two and a half hour runtime. It's definitely my favourite film of all time, and I believe it's going to make it into the IMDb top 10 movies ever made.