This is a magical film. A visual feast of eye candy that is surely one of the most stunning animated films to look at. Acclaimed director Robert Zemeckis uses motion capture perfectly here as he did in his classic "The Polar Express". Based on the timeless book by Charles Dickens, the movie truly brings every moment to life. With a terrific cast highlighted by Jim Carey and Gary Oldman, the vivid characters that Dickens created seem to act and feel just the way he imagined. The story that Dickens wrote is heartfelt and definitely unique, and the script doesn't miss a beat. An unforgettable experience that keeps the magic coming from start to end.
To simply say that Jim Carey portrays Scrooge well is a total understatement. Carey is brilliant. If it wasn't for Zemeckis and his motion capture, he might be receiving an Oscar nod. It seems like Carey loses himself in the character, trying vigorously to act and feel the way Scrooge would. This is no easy task. Talk about a complex and difficult character to play. Then there is Gary Oldman, who plays Tiny Tim, Scrooge's co-worker and a loving father of a suffering child. And like Carey, if it wasn't for the animated features placed on top of him, he could have gotten a best supporting actor nod. When Oldman smiles, you can see the pain behind that smile. This is due to his tremendous acting ability and talent.
Dicken's story is a complex one, but one of a kind. The name is Scrooge, and he has seemingly lost touch with his family, friends, and most importantly himself. When Christmas eve comes along, he doesn't feel the spirit. In fact, he opposed Christmas and loathed it whenever people said "Merry Christmas" to him. He goes to the point of not caring for the dying population. But who can blame him? Scrooge is lonely, terrified, and insecure about himself. And to make it worse, he takes it out on everybody else. Everyone also seems to be aware of his personality, from his family, friends, to the Christmas singers on the side-walk. What is behind his attitude you may ask? You find out when Scrooge is told that he will be visited by three spirits. Each are assigned to show him the past, present, and future. What you see in Scrooge's past is telling, truly revealing why Scrooge has ended up the way that he is. The present and future, I will leave that up to you to see. The reason for the spirits' visit? To persuade Scrooge to change his ways and finally see that Christmas is still alive.
"A Christmas Carol" is a jolt of pure magic. It hits you and absorbs you. You get captured by not only its visual goodness, but the personalities and feelings of each character present in the film. It may be a little dark for smaller children, but I think that from a child to an adult, everyone will see this as a worthwhile film. Robert Zemeckis doesn't falter and gives us another classic.
Rating: 31/2 out of 4
Friday, November 27, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
"New Moon" review
A so-so but good-looking cast star in this average sequel to the highly popular "Twilight". Based on the book by the tremendous Stephanie Myer, this film (like its predecessor) doesn't do the book justice. The books in the series are widely acclaimed and read for a reason, and for the two films to come out thus far, I have to say that it shouldn't be in the same breath as the books they are based on. With this said, "New Moon" definitely has its strong points, but it simply wasn't enough. It felt dragged at times with several slow areas that could be done without. Despite this, the movie will make bank, and teens will fall in love with all of its glamour but none of its substance.
I smell trouble. Edward Cullen is leaving Bella Swan?! Oh lord! Why is this? According to Cullen, he feels as if he has to leave Swan to "protect her" after an unfortunate event at her birthday party where she unfortunatley gets a paper cut. And we all know what happens when vampires smell blood. They pounce on it. Edward's brother, Jasper Cullen, attacks her not on purpose, but rather by instinct. After witnessing this, Edward feels it will be best to leave her be so she could live a normal life. Bella predictably breaks down, as if she just lost her only friend. But not to worry. She knows there is some one else to turn to. Jacob Black, a werewolf and a hater of the blood-sucking Cullens, seeks to comfort Bella. Soon, they form a "deep" relationship. With this love triangle in mind and the knowledge of both men hating each other, we all know what's about to occur. A terrible and sometimes violent fight for Bella's love.
The cast is young and pretty looking, but talented? Hard to say, as no part played here is really challenging. Don't get me wrong, they all play their parts well and effectively, but I don't think anybody seemed to exert alot of effort. Robert Pattinson is solid as Edward Cullen, but is it really difficult to play a vampire who shows almost no emotion? Kristen Stewart, who I believe is the most talented actor of the young cast, is great as Bella Swan. And finally Taylor Lautner, the sexified and strikingly handsome actor who plays Jacob Black, plays his role well. His best moments are when he takes off his shirt and looks like an abercrombie model. That was sarcastic, by the way. Definitely great futures for all these actors with the Twilight series making them well-known. Now, is it going to get them any challenging roles and recognition by the highly acclaimed directors out there? I don't think so.
"New Moon" has its strengths, but the weaknesses and loopholes seem to overpower whatever is good about the film. Chris Weitz, the director, seems like the perfect pick for the look and feel of the Twilight series, but it's obvious that he can achieve more. Hardcore fans will love this film, but regular viewers won't think highly of it. I don't think anything will be missed by just reading the book. All in all, the series doesn't feel like it's making any progress. Instead, it feels stagnant.
Rating: 2 out of 4
I smell trouble. Edward Cullen is leaving Bella Swan?! Oh lord! Why is this? According to Cullen, he feels as if he has to leave Swan to "protect her" after an unfortunate event at her birthday party where she unfortunatley gets a paper cut. And we all know what happens when vampires smell blood. They pounce on it. Edward's brother, Jasper Cullen, attacks her not on purpose, but rather by instinct. After witnessing this, Edward feels it will be best to leave her be so she could live a normal life. Bella predictably breaks down, as if she just lost her only friend. But not to worry. She knows there is some one else to turn to. Jacob Black, a werewolf and a hater of the blood-sucking Cullens, seeks to comfort Bella. Soon, they form a "deep" relationship. With this love triangle in mind and the knowledge of both men hating each other, we all know what's about to occur. A terrible and sometimes violent fight for Bella's love.
The cast is young and pretty looking, but talented? Hard to say, as no part played here is really challenging. Don't get me wrong, they all play their parts well and effectively, but I don't think anybody seemed to exert alot of effort. Robert Pattinson is solid as Edward Cullen, but is it really difficult to play a vampire who shows almost no emotion? Kristen Stewart, who I believe is the most talented actor of the young cast, is great as Bella Swan. And finally Taylor Lautner, the sexified and strikingly handsome actor who plays Jacob Black, plays his role well. His best moments are when he takes off his shirt and looks like an abercrombie model. That was sarcastic, by the way. Definitely great futures for all these actors with the Twilight series making them well-known. Now, is it going to get them any challenging roles and recognition by the highly acclaimed directors out there? I don't think so.
"New Moon" has its strengths, but the weaknesses and loopholes seem to overpower whatever is good about the film. Chris Weitz, the director, seems like the perfect pick for the look and feel of the Twilight series, but it's obvious that he can achieve more. Hardcore fans will love this film, but regular viewers won't think highly of it. I don't think anything will be missed by just reading the book. All in all, the series doesn't feel like it's making any progress. Instead, it feels stagnant.
Rating: 2 out of 4
Thursday, November 5, 2009
"Michael Jackson's This Is It" review
Michael Jackson was something special all the way from his childhood to the days before his death. In this amazing and must-see documentary about the King of Pop's rehearsals for his London tour, you surprisingly see a different side of the man. You see him seemingly at home on stage, having fun doing what he does best. His strive for perfection is unbelievable. Despite going through what he went through off the stage, his love for his music and fans made him somehow forget everything. For Michael Jackson to be capable of moving his body like that at the age of 50 simply isn't fair. Like the King, the documentary itself is unmatched.
The film starts off by showing a series of short interviews with the dancers who were fortunately hand-picked from several thousands to dance with Michael Jackson in his London tour. Unfortunately they would never get the chance to do so, other than dancing with him in those small but tremendous rehearsals. After watching this film, I would kill just to rehearse with the man. Talk about working with greatness. Then finally, the film proceeds with Michael rehearsing his long list of classics. You can go and see this documentary just to listen to the great songs. But I believe what this documentary is trying to show is how great he still was just a few days before his death. There are times when he looks so good, that you think that it's "too bad that he's gone", while on the other hand there are times when you thank GOD for giving us such a talent. Either way, the documentary works mainly because it makes both the die hard fan and the regular viewer feel bittersweet about Jackson's death.
This is an unforgettable experience. To just feel close to the man is enough to see this film. His work ethic, ability to entertain, and his talent is ridiculous. He was simply something else. Whether you love him or hate him, you can't help but recognize why he had such a huge fan base. I don't think this film will change your view on the man, but then again, this documentary isn't made for that. Instead it should give people a true appreciation for not only his work, but his vision to take people to "places they have never been before".
Rating: 4 out of 4
The film starts off by showing a series of short interviews with the dancers who were fortunately hand-picked from several thousands to dance with Michael Jackson in his London tour. Unfortunately they would never get the chance to do so, other than dancing with him in those small but tremendous rehearsals. After watching this film, I would kill just to rehearse with the man. Talk about working with greatness. Then finally, the film proceeds with Michael rehearsing his long list of classics. You can go and see this documentary just to listen to the great songs. But I believe what this documentary is trying to show is how great he still was just a few days before his death. There are times when he looks so good, that you think that it's "too bad that he's gone", while on the other hand there are times when you thank GOD for giving us such a talent. Either way, the documentary works mainly because it makes both the die hard fan and the regular viewer feel bittersweet about Jackson's death.
This is an unforgettable experience. To just feel close to the man is enough to see this film. His work ethic, ability to entertain, and his talent is ridiculous. He was simply something else. Whether you love him or hate him, you can't help but recognize why he had such a huge fan base. I don't think this film will change your view on the man, but then again, this documentary isn't made for that. Instead it should give people a true appreciation for not only his work, but his vision to take people to "places they have never been before".
Rating: 4 out of 4
"Paranormal Activity" review
With all the hype surrounding this movie, I expected to see something extremely terrifying that would literally keep me up at night. Fortunately, this film did not disappoint. The simple thought of the film being real seems to flood your mind. That's a strength of the film. Its ability to be so real that its truly scary. We need these types of revolutionary movies. If you go along and buy into it, "Paranormal Activity" can be loads of fun.
The movie starts off by thanking Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat for giving their house. Right off the bat it seems genuinely true. With all this said, I, of course, looked the film up and found that there is in fact a director. The name is Oren Peli, who also wrote the movie. With this said, I believe that one of the flaws of this movie is the somewhat slow start. Maybe it was my expectation of sudden scares. But with how good the rest of the film is, this isn't a monumental problem. The freaky scares later on all but confiscates for the beginning. The cast is brilliant here especially Katie Featherson, who played her part perfectly. Her character is what I like to call a "demon-magnet", and you see the fear and anxiety in her eyes. Micah Sloat, who is surprisingly barely on camera, played his part almost as well. Don't get me wrong, though, these aren't the hardest roles to play.
Micah and Katie move into a strange house, known for its "paranormal" activity. Micah wants to get to the bottom of the situation, and gets a new camera. He absolutely loves this camera and seems to never want to leave it. Micah tells Katie that he's gonna film their bedroom as they are sleeping to find out what exactly is going on. Of course, the script makes Katie seem hesitant, but she eventually gives in. The only way to see what happens is to see the movie.
"Paranormal Activity" is one of the best horror films of the year. Even though the film frightened and scared me, I saw this movie as simply pure entertainment. Trust me, you will get scared, but I think when you look back at it, you will interpret it as a terrific, fun ride. Like it or not, this is a film or rather an experience that you have to see.
Rating: 31/2 out of 4
The movie starts off by thanking Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat for giving their house. Right off the bat it seems genuinely true. With all this said, I, of course, looked the film up and found that there is in fact a director. The name is Oren Peli, who also wrote the movie. With this said, I believe that one of the flaws of this movie is the somewhat slow start. Maybe it was my expectation of sudden scares. But with how good the rest of the film is, this isn't a monumental problem. The freaky scares later on all but confiscates for the beginning. The cast is brilliant here especially Katie Featherson, who played her part perfectly. Her character is what I like to call a "demon-magnet", and you see the fear and anxiety in her eyes. Micah Sloat, who is surprisingly barely on camera, played his part almost as well. Don't get me wrong, though, these aren't the hardest roles to play.
Micah and Katie move into a strange house, known for its "paranormal" activity. Micah wants to get to the bottom of the situation, and gets a new camera. He absolutely loves this camera and seems to never want to leave it. Micah tells Katie that he's gonna film their bedroom as they are sleeping to find out what exactly is going on. Of course, the script makes Katie seem hesitant, but she eventually gives in. The only way to see what happens is to see the movie.
"Paranormal Activity" is one of the best horror films of the year. Even though the film frightened and scared me, I saw this movie as simply pure entertainment. Trust me, you will get scared, but I think when you look back at it, you will interpret it as a terrific, fun ride. Like it or not, this is a film or rather an experience that you have to see.
Rating: 31/2 out of 4
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