The Forgotten--1 and a half out of 5 stars
This is such a stupid movie. Almost everything about it was just...stupid! I can't think of a better word to describe it. I think the DVD was literally just a thin disc of rotting cheese.
There are several really good actors in this movie, but it seems to me that they just took the day off to help out an untalented middle school student with a film project that not even his fellow students would like.
The terrible acting is apparent almost immediately. All the supporting actors just look bored, spouting out ridiculous dialogue that must have been written by a fifth grader, while Julianne Moore spends all her time crying and looking distressed. I didn't feel any of her "pain" though. After the first 15 minutes, I seriously just wanted all the characters to shut up, and for the end credits to start rolling. Even though the movie is only 91 minutes long, it actually felt way too long to me. Somehow, it felt painfully dragged out. I've had more fun in hospital waiting rooms than I did watching this.
The story and directing, however, are the film's biggest faults. I won't reveal the main point of the film simply because it's just too stupid to mention. But there are many things that just didn't make sense. Take, for example, a scene where two characters suddenly get sideswiped by a very fast-moving car. It actually looked really good, and provided decent shock value until these two characters just walked out of the car and started running around as if nothing happened. It was as if they were just vaguely aware that they didn't have a car anymore, and just thought, "Well, thank goodness we still have legs."
With the low-quality acting, dialogue, and many more scenes like the one I just mentioned, this really felt like a made-for-TV movie that you'd see late at night on the Sci-Fi Channel. If I don't want to watch a movie like that for free, I certainly don't want to pay for one. It only cost 50 cents, but darn it, I want those two quarters back!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review
5 out of 5 stars.
Ever since David Yates took over as director, starting with Order of the Phoenix, I've had very high expectations for each successive Harry Potter film. And I have never been disappointed. In fact, they just keep getting better and better. And this latest installment is, without a doubt, the very best of the film series so far.
In my opinion, the film series started going downhill with the 3rd and 4th movies. While moderately decent films, with splashes of enjoyment here and there, the feel of them were just wrong. They really didn't do the books justice at all. David Yates has, quite simply, steered the series back into the right direction. And I am thrilled that he'll be the one to give this series the final sendoff that it deserves.
Deathly Hallows Part 1 is definitely the darkest of the series, which should surprise no one. Not only is this the best Harry Potter movie yet, but I feel completely comfortable with saying that this is one of the most dynamic and thrilling fantasy adventure films I have ever seen. This film offers so much to its viewers that it's almost ridiculous. The first twenty minutes of it stands as one of the best intros to any film I've ever seen. Creepy, exciting, funny, intense, tragic, and thought-provoking, this movie grabbed my attention immediately and refused to let go.
Even though this is the darkest of the entries so far, it also has some of the funniest scenes. Even though it crackles with plenty of breathtaking action, this is probably the most introverted and thoughtful movie of the entire series. This is what I mean by "dynamic". There were parts of the movie that even had a horror movie feel to them. Some of it was actually scary. Some people might not like that, but I really ate it up.
The director knows that it is the characters that make this series so great. And we really get to know the three core characters in such a way that we weren't allowed to before. The other movies were in too much of a hurry to get to the next major scene, whereas this movies allows the scenes to simmer and develop.
Much of the film is deliberately slow-paced, but I never once found it boring. Each frame is shot with such care and intricacy that every scene is just too interesting to look at to want to turn away from the screen. The performances from everybody are also top-notch. Despite the fact that this is set in a fantasy world, all the characters seem very real, with the kind of emotional integrity that is simply lacking in so many mainstream movies these days.
At this point, I guess I don't really need to say that I loved every inch of this film! Be warned though. This is absolutely NOT a movie for kids. I would say that it hangs on the very edge of the PG-13 rating. There are rumors of there being a nude scene in this movie. While there is a brief love scene, in the context of the film, it is not actually happening, and more important, it is not explicit. Therefore, I would say that the rumors are false. With that being said though, some people may still find it disturbing. Keep that in mind when you decide whether or not to watch this film.
Either way, this is a great film on every possible level, and comes with my highest recommendation to anyone over 14.
Ever since David Yates took over as director, starting with Order of the Phoenix, I've had very high expectations for each successive Harry Potter film. And I have never been disappointed. In fact, they just keep getting better and better. And this latest installment is, without a doubt, the very best of the film series so far.
In my opinion, the film series started going downhill with the 3rd and 4th movies. While moderately decent films, with splashes of enjoyment here and there, the feel of them were just wrong. They really didn't do the books justice at all. David Yates has, quite simply, steered the series back into the right direction. And I am thrilled that he'll be the one to give this series the final sendoff that it deserves.
Deathly Hallows Part 1 is definitely the darkest of the series, which should surprise no one. Not only is this the best Harry Potter movie yet, but I feel completely comfortable with saying that this is one of the most dynamic and thrilling fantasy adventure films I have ever seen. This film offers so much to its viewers that it's almost ridiculous. The first twenty minutes of it stands as one of the best intros to any film I've ever seen. Creepy, exciting, funny, intense, tragic, and thought-provoking, this movie grabbed my attention immediately and refused to let go.
Even though this is the darkest of the entries so far, it also has some of the funniest scenes. Even though it crackles with plenty of breathtaking action, this is probably the most introverted and thoughtful movie of the entire series. This is what I mean by "dynamic". There were parts of the movie that even had a horror movie feel to them. Some of it was actually scary. Some people might not like that, but I really ate it up.
The director knows that it is the characters that make this series so great. And we really get to know the three core characters in such a way that we weren't allowed to before. The other movies were in too much of a hurry to get to the next major scene, whereas this movies allows the scenes to simmer and develop.
Much of the film is deliberately slow-paced, but I never once found it boring. Each frame is shot with such care and intricacy that every scene is just too interesting to look at to want to turn away from the screen. The performances from everybody are also top-notch. Despite the fact that this is set in a fantasy world, all the characters seem very real, with the kind of emotional integrity that is simply lacking in so many mainstream movies these days.
At this point, I guess I don't really need to say that I loved every inch of this film! Be warned though. This is absolutely NOT a movie for kids. I would say that it hangs on the very edge of the PG-13 rating. There are rumors of there being a nude scene in this movie. While there is a brief love scene, in the context of the film, it is not actually happening, and more important, it is not explicit. Therefore, I would say that the rumors are false. With that being said though, some people may still find it disturbing. Keep that in mind when you decide whether or not to watch this film.
Either way, this is a great film on every possible level, and comes with my highest recommendation to anyone over 14.
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