Django Unchained Review

Justin, Dad and I saw Django Unchained on December 27, 2012. This movie followed the Quentin Tarantino formula utilizing elements from his previous films and other inspirations on his career. I have seen every major Tarantino movie, and I can honestly say this is my favorite of all them. I thought the story in this movie was excellent with a team of bounty hunters: one professional-Dr. King Schultz played perfectly by Christoph Waltz, and his recruit over personal issues with slave owners around the American South, Django played very well by Jamie Foxx. I have yet to see a movie I didn't like Christoph Waltz in. Foxx is usually somebody I dislike, but he filled the role well. The friendship between the two men constantly grows, and I felt that the actors interacted well on screen integrating what the character called for naturally. Django is also on a mission to rescue his wife, played by Kerry Washington-who is quite beautiful and I expect will have a great career just like her father. If you didn't know her father is Denzel Washington. They go from plantation to plantation trying to find her while also collecting the bounties of the wanted owners like the Brittle Brothers. Eventually, they cross paths with the ruthless Calvin Candie and his estate appropriately named Candieland in order to acquire Broomhilda (Django's wife). They create gimmicks for themselves in order to gain favoritism with Calvin. Leonardo DiCaprio played an exceptional villain. He was cunning, ruthless, warped, and indicated how dark of a character he can play. DiCaprio has been my favorite actor for at least 10 years now, and I think the Candie role could finally land him his first award win for Best Supporting Actor. Him and Waltz both deserve it, but it would be nice to see DiCaprio finally win. If you think the chemistry between King and Django is good, wait til you see the chemistry with Calvin and his loyal servant Stephen played very well by Samuel L. Jackson. The scenes between the four of these characters range from calm to extreme anarachy. In fact my favorite scene in the movie takes place in a dining room between these characters turning from a conversation into a huge Scarface mansion shootout. DiCaprio and Waltz stole the show, and both deserve their nominations. This movie combines dramatic elements, great comedy (specifically a scene involving the KKK which had the whole audience laughing, and Stephen's over-reacting to Calvin's jokes), and intense bloodshed. I still think the best scene in any Quentin Tarantino movie is the Showdown at the House of Blues in Kill Bill Volume 1, but this is my favorite overall movie of his, and I believe deserves the praise it's getting. From the excellent cast to the animated characters to the dialogue to the story/plot to the bloody showdowns, the movie easily warrants a 5/5 for me. Awesome to see Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio both nominated this year. I'd love to see both win, specifically DiCaprio as he deserves it after putting out excellent movies since 2002 from Gangs of New York to Catch Me If You Can (still baffles me why he wasn't nominated for this) to Blood Diamond to Body of Lies to Shutter Island to Inception and I am sure I'll enjoy his work in The Great Gatsby-of course Carey Mulligan is Daisy Buchanan in that which is a completely different topic but she's one of my favorite actresses so it's worth mentioning it). Definitely enjoyed Django Unchained!! Remember, the D is silent!!

Les Miserables Review

Justin, Dad, and I saw Les Miserables on December 26, 2012. I absolutely loved this adaptation. The theater was packed and the emotions were at an all time high, and it's to be expected. I love the music, and I love the interwoven stories whether it's the ongoing feud between Jean Valjeant and Inspector Javert, the struggle for Fantine to find a good home for her child, Cosette, the love triangle with Eponine, Cosette, and Marius or the Revolution. I have always loved the book (definitely one of the best I've ever read) and then Cameron MacIntosh created this phenomenal play about the book interwoven with larger than life characters and music that has stood the test of time. This has been one of the most successful plays in Broadway history, and I enjoyed this movie very much. Tom Hooper did an excellent job in the director's job as he did for The King's Speech, and the approach he took for the singing worked well in my opinion. Having the actors sing live put them into the mind of the character, and once they become that character the orchestra starts up and it is pure gold. I loved the cast from Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjeant to Russel Crowe as Javert to Anne Hathway as Fantine. Each of the songs was well put together. I felt it presented an amazing visual imagery of the play. The costumes, art design, and cinematography were magnificent. I kept reliving scenes in my head as I've actually analyzed and studied both the book and the play on my own. As a nerd, I do things like this. I felt the facial expressions and the method acting put into the roles really helped deliver into the magic of the music. The songs I really liked were Fantine's I Dreamed A Dream-I thought Anne did an excellent job with this reflecting on her downward spiral, On My Own sung by Eponine (my favorite character)-I had goosebumps during this song. I'll discuss this after this piece. One Day More-really loved this with the preparation for revolution amidst the different characters, and the finale which always has a Titanic feel to it with Valjean's death and the joining with Fantine. In my personal opinion, I felt that Samantha Barks stole the show. She did an excellent job as Eponine-she actually plays her in the UK version and has really cemented herself into that role. Without a doubt, she had the best voice, and Barks is absolutely beautiful. Always liked the Eponine character with her sacrifice for Marius and participation in the Revolution as well as standing up to Thernadier. I hope Samantha Barks gets more roles. If you need somebody to play Elphaba in the new Wicked movie, please consider her. Great cast, great music, great songs-I've listed the ones I liked the most, and fantastic usage of cinematography and editing. After the film ended there was a huge applause, and I agree. I give this a definite 5/5 and hope it dominates the awards shows. I really wish that Samantha Barks was on the list, but the Eponine part is smaller than the others (even though it's the best one-haha).

Silver Linings Playbook Review

Justin, Dad, and I saw Silver Linings Playbook on December 18, 2012. This was a great movie with phenomenal acting, and a decent story. The movie follows former teacher Pat Solitano played brilliantly by Bradley Cooper (probably his best performance to date). He is in a mental institution over an incident involving a co-teacher and his ex-wife, Nikki. He returns home to live with his parents on a plea bargain. His father is played by Robert DeNiro, and its definitely one of his best roles in the 2000s. You see how both father and son have afflictions affecting them, but it really adds some great emotion to the movie. In his quest to reconcile with his ex-wife, he meets a girl named Tiffany, who could very well be even more messed up then he is. In my opinion, Jennifer Lawrence's performance in this is what stole the show, and I wouldn't be surprised if she actually wins Best Actess at the Golden Globe. She certainly deserves it, and is fast becoming the new It Girl of Hollywood. It's great to see as I've actually enjoyed everything she has been in thus far: Winter's Bone, X-Men: First Class, The Hunger Games, but this is by far her best role. The chemistry with Lawrence and Cooper comes across as natural and you become invested in the characters because their acting is well done. Tiffany is dealing with the death of her husband and being fired from her job. Both realize they can help each other to realize their own goals. The combination of the characters brings out the best and worst of both. The movies takes us through Philadelphia whether its at an Eagles game (Pat's dad is obsessed with them and bets on the side to make profit off the games), a dance competition (incredible scene showcasing comedy and drama) It combines the interests of Pat's dad with Tiffany's goals and Pat's assistance in achieving those, while also realizing his pursuit of Nikki is not what his focus should have been as Tiffany has been there the entire time since he got out. This is a great movie that many of us can relate to even if we don't share the same afflictions. Great cast, great acting, and a pretty good story about how we may all have problems, but there are ways to solve them. Definitely a 5/5 and worthy of the nominations its getting.

Les Miserables (pre-review and review)

Hi My name is Jacqui. You may know me from other entries on this blog, though I admit they don’t happen as often as I would like.

I am here to discuss Les Miserables. This is a movie I have been waiting for since I was a little bitty child. When I was younger and my parents were mean, I would imagine I was Cossette waiting for someone to rescue me from the Thenardiers. As I got older, I thought of most of my relationships as the one-sided love of Eponine and Marius. Additionally, I was bullied mightily as a child. When I was down or saddened, I would retreat to my room or the corner of a field and listen to the soundtrack. Truth be told, there was a time when I knew the whole thing in 3 languages (Original French, Hebrew and English). To this day, I can tell you the differences between the original London Cast and Broadway. As well as the subtle ways, they changed the show for the symphonic recording, 10th and 25^th anniversary concerts (10^th was by far the most amazing). 

I only give that introduction so you as the reader can understand my bona fidas to totally destroy this movie. I haven’t seen the film yet; I have only heard the recording. To me, that is enough to explain my dislike for what I will see tomorrow.

Tom Hooper chose an unorthodox approach to film this movie. The nature of Les Miserables is a very emotional piece of music. As a result, he chose to have the actors sing live on set and using long takes to accommodate this manner of filming.   I understand why he made the decision and I appreciate what he tried to do.

However, what seems like a great idea in theory is not always good in practice. I feel like Hooper who is not a musical guy didn’t quite grasp what he asked his cast to do. Hugh Jackman, a Tony nominee and true Broadway veteran sounds tired. He is capable of this Hugh Jackman Oklahoma Opening. The same goes for Samantha Bark  (A West End “Eponine”) and Amanda Seyfried. Anne Hatheway has done some Sondheim and other sort of soundtracks (Ella Enchanted).

Hearing Hugh Jackman sing “Bring Him Home” is painful. This man has a range and power. While I didn’t expect him to sound like Colm Wilkinson or Anthony Warlow; I did expect him to sound like he was able to pull off the high notes. Again he sounds tired when he sings it.  Another example from earlier in the movie,  “Who am I?” I will provide an example to illustrate what you will be walking into:

Jackman

Alfie Boes from the 25^th Anniversary concert (whom I dislike)

The notes of the song where in the show it transitions to the courtroom, (lyrics: “Who am I? I’m Jean Valjean”) are some of the most badass sung notes in the musical. By talking through it, he fails to convey the full emotion of the moment. I also grant that he doesn’t have to make the transition that the stage Valjean has to make during this song as the magic of film takes care of that for movie Valjean. I feel this reflects how truly tired Jackman was during the filming and the lack of understanding Hooper has for the show. 

Nowhere is this more evident than the way he directed some scenes in the movie. Example: Traditionally, actors who share certain singing attributes play the roles of Javert and Valjean. The main reason for this is because the actors are asked by the score to act as a counterbalance. Again, I understand the choice of a Russell Crowe. He does have some singing experience mostly in rock and not in a musical setting (though I did find this little gem: http://youtu.be/somEd35Xz2Q).  Jackman while "forcing it" still has more power than Crowe. With Crowe unable to sing it, the least Hooper could have done is “fix” scenes like the various Confrontations scenes to adjust the levels so the proper counterpoints occur at their proper times (http://youtu.be/rlYVHOUa3Vo though the same thing occurs on the movie soundtrack as well).

Sorry I have to say it. Hooper was given a collection of some of the best voices Hollywood has to offer and he failed to allow them to meet their potential. He also was unable to fully grasp the material he was working with. Again, I understand the idea of “let the actors be actors” but it fails in this medium with this score. My hope is that when they release the DVD/Blue ray, Cameron Macintosh sends the cast to the studio to record a proper recording and re-engineer the movie.

Pre-movie Rating: 1/5

Updated on 12/25

Following the usual Jewish Tradition of Movies and Chinese; I went to Les Miserables with the family. My above critique of the vocals still stands. I will stay that the movie is well done in almost every other respect. I even cried at some points.

Anne Hathaway will get an oscar nod for this performance. Hugh Jackman I believe will get the globe but Hooper sabotaged him. Valjean is hard to sing in normal circumstances, Hooper really hurt Jackman's ability to sing it properly. His edits of the confrontation scenes to remove the counterpoints between Jackman and Crowe really bothered me and also hurt the ability to tell the story in a proper way.

Hooper's use of the super-closeup was also something that I found beyond troubling at times. He often used the technique to "show" you who was singing; something that would not have needed to happen if the film was properly mastered in a studio and not on set. For what Hooper attempted to work, you needed voices who could pull it off and he lacked them/ tired out the ones that could. I go back to "Bring Him Home" which sounds like Jackman made a choice between proper technique and drama. Never cause vocal damage was something teachers always taught me.

While I have spent the majority of this entry completely panning this movie, I will spend some time complimenting a few of the changes made to the script. A big complaint of the show is the lack of background given on the characters, Hooper appears to remedy this in a couple places (actually introducing Marius by showing his grandfather. They  also explain where Cossette and Valjean ended up after she is rescued from the Thenardiers).

Another touching change occurs at the end. The show finale has Eponine and Fantine escorting Valjean to heaven. In the movie, Fantine and the Bishop (played by the Original "Valjean" Colm Wilkinson) escorting him gates.  A very touching finale to an otherwise lackluster movie. 
    

Post Movie Rating: 3/5

Rumor has it they are going to make a 3D version.. ABORT ABORT 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

Justin and I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 15, 2012. This was a fantasy driven movie with incredible effects, amazing characters, and great scenes that take you back to memories of reading the book. This was honestly one of the first big books I read back in 6th grade for Mrs. Christie's Reading Response Journal entries. I loved the book, and I loved the movie. Bilbo Baggins is one of my favorite characters: He is a character that starts out as somebody that is a recluse and wants to keep to himself, but through interactions with Gandalf and the dwarves, who want to reclaim their mountain kingdom from a dragon known as Smaug, he becomes a brave, intelligent companion keen on helping the cause and showing what a hobbit of Bagend is made of. I've always liked Bilbo, and disliked Frodo because I feel Frodo is weak, whiny, and crying for Gandalf to help him all the time. I liked the intro showing what happened to the Dwarf Kingdom, and the issues with the Elvish kingdom. It is a great way to show why Legolas and Gimli disliked each other at the start of the LOTR trilogy. The dinner/meeting scene to organize the fellowship to gain control of the kingdom was hilarious. Justin and I were laughing at the line: "That's a bit excessive isn't it?" when the heavyset dwarf comes out holding a wheel of cheese to eat. The audience follows this troupe on their adventure and feels the intensity in each scene whether its the encounter with the trolls, or the obstacle of survival with the Stone Giants and the encounter with the Goblins in the caves of Moria. My favorite scene is the Game of Riddles with Gollum and Bilbo, and I absolutely loved watching it unfold. I felt it was well done and I always have liked Andy Serkis's portrayal of Gollum. I like the schizophrenic nature of the character, and how obsessed with the ring he is. Bilbo is intelligent and is able to get away from Gollum, but the riddles exchange was perfectly executed. The battle scene at the end with the orcs and the Fellowship of the Dwarves displayed why I love the fantasy drama: characters that your creativity imagines battling each other through walls of fire, sword fighting, and brave risks. Thorin was basically obliterated and Bilbo rushing to save Thorin elicited a big applause from the audience. I knew the eagles scene had to be where the movie was going to cut, and the way they ended the movie for the second installment was perfect. Great action, scenes, effects, characters, and tremendous performances by Martin Freeman (Bilbo), Ian McKellan (Gandalf), Richard Armitage (Thorin), and some nice cameos by Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee, to which somebody turned and asked me: "Is he still living?" I said: "Yes, surprisingly enough." This is a definite 5/5. It was so well executed and personally I've always liked the actual story of the Hobbit better than the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Lincoln Review

Justin and I saw Lincoln on November 23, 2012!! This is a sure fire Oscar nominee for Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Director, and Picture. It probably will have a couple of nominations for things such as make-up, costumes, etc, but this movie certainly deserves the nominations if it gets it. It basically follows Abraham Lincoln's presidency during the Civil War, and the battle to get the 13th Amendment passed. The 13th Amendment is what abolished slavery. As a fan of history, I was instantly hooked when I heard about this project and that Daniel Day Lewis was attached to it. Daniel Day Lewis is my favorite actor, and he looked hauntingly like him. He is a method actor, so it made sense to me that he would definitely work to resemble the look of the 16th President. He definitely did an excellent job throughout the movie delivering speeches, stories, and impassioned arguments that captured the essence of one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States. One aspect that interested me was his ability to change gears from previous work. My favorite movie of all time is Gangs of New York, and in that movie DDL portrayed my favorite male movie character in Bill "The Butcher" Cutting. In that movie, he was against Abraham Lincoln's policies, and was also a supporter of Tammany Hall throughout the movie. It was interesting to see him come at it from the other perspective in the form of Honest Abe himself. In fact on the call sheets, he would be listed as Abraham Lincoln, and not Daniel Day Lewis. He is an awesome actor!! Sally Field did a phenomenal job capturing the personality of Mary Todd Lincoln particularly following the death of Willie, and her refusal to allow Robert to join the Union Army. She never fully recovered from the loss of her son, and Field captured that perfectly. It has been said that she suffered from schizophrenia, and various mental disorders. In fact, Robert actually committed her later in her life. Tommy Lee Jones balanced dramatic and comedic very well with his role as the voice of the Radical Republicans: Thaddeus Stevens. He gave the feeling of the old time Senator fighting for the 13th Amendment and waving the flag of the Republican party. In the sidelines, you have great appearances from actors like James Spader as W.N. Bilbo who was great as a man trying to steal votes to gain Democrat support, and providing some genuine comedy. I also really enjoyed the scenes where the House was debating on the amendment. It showed you the divide in the House, and how crucial a vote can be in Congress. The movie certainly demonstrated a nice American flavor adding to the intrigue of one of the United State's greatest men that ever lived in my opinion. I fully expect the movie to get the nominations I listed, and hopefully if that happens some wins. Brilliant performances, great dialogue, and a fantastic cast make this a 5/5!!

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 Review

Justin and I saw Breaking Dawn, Part 2 on November 17, 2012!! I felt this was a good ending to a series that I've actually enjoyed unlike the majority of people out there. I felt Kristen Stewart did an excellent job as Bella (my favorite performance of hers throughout the whole series). I am a big fan of her to begin with, but I was impressed with how she portrayed her new vampiric state and the remnants of her humanity, much like Elena is doing in The Vampire Diaries. She shows fire and passion as Bella, going to great lengths to protect her daughter Renesmee, and her husband Edward. She has gained strength and a keen ability to protect her family. The Cullens are an interesting family, as each character brings something unique to the table, whether it's Alice with her visions or the gentle nature of Carlisle. I liked the whole element of vampires having unique abilities. It's something I've never really seen when approaching the vampire subject. I think the Volturi is a unique group of old guard vampires, who want to protect the race by taking out threats such as immortal children. They are under the impression that Renesmee is immortal, and she will never be able to learn how to control her abilities as her life was taken from her and will be doomed to be a child for eternity. Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner did well in their respective roles of Edward and Jacob. I felt that the movie showed a maturity amongst the cast as its been a team effort since the first film, but you see how well the chemistry works on screen. I also liked how they maintained a level of campiness with Michael Sheen's portrayal of Aro at some points. The Volturi overall is a great blend of characters as many have differing ideologies regarding certain situations as you'll see throughout the movie. I think this movie did an absolutely incredible job of playing with the audience's emotions. The crowd was applauding and some were crying at certain points in the movie. I could understand why. The big twist was so well done. It was shot in such an intelligent matter that it created an extremely realistic environment. That whole sequence is one of the best scenes I've had the privilege of seeing. The evolution of characters, incredible scenes, beautiful scenery, intense emotion, music (especially the brilliant, well orchestrated score), costumes, and storylines made this a movie that I give a 5/5. I gave each one of the other movies: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, Part 1 a 4/5 and this one I liked just a little bit more than the others. My brother Jake was the one that initially got me into these movies, and I have to thank him for it. He knows I am usually into movies and books dealing with subjects like this. These movies have been presented over a 5 year period starting in 2007, and I have liked each movie. The ending with the credits and well constructed shots of the saga's history really did a great job of wrapping up this cinematic journey. In my opinion, this was very well done. I was applauding along with everybody else in the packed theater as we bid farewell to a series filled with passion, entertaining moments, emotional moments, and of course, blood.

Skyfall Review

Justin and I saw Skyfall on November 10, 2012. I am not a huge fan of James Bond overall, but I have to say this installment was excellent!!! Daniel Craig has been amazing as the iconic male agent giving it a darker realism to it, much like Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale have done with Batman and The Dark Knight trilogy. The cast of this movie was excellent from Daniel Craig to Javier Bardem to Ralph Fiennes. The opening sequence in general is one of the most entertaining openings I've ever seen. It's action packed and certainly presents a pulse-pounding cinematic experience. From there, we go into Adele's Skyfall theme-probably one of my new favorite songs. The main theme of this Bond is to show how much loyalty Bond has to M. He has to help her erase the past and infiltrate who is behind the threat...at any cost to himself physically or emotionally. We definitely see Bond take a beating, and as I've said before I feel Craig has stated in his contract: I must have the crap beaten out of me. Bardem's portrayal of Silva was great-he was intimidating and at the same time had some silly qualities. Bond in general should have a mixture of both and it does. It really helps revitalize the British feel to the Bond franchise which is important. I thought the different shooting locations capture the emotions at each stage of the movie. The Shanghai sequence in particular was beautiful in terms of scenery and displaying the suave demeanor of Bond. I really liked the red and gold atmosphere amidst a kaleidoscope of greens, blues, pinks, and yellows on the skyline. You also have a deserted mansion/church which is demonstrative of Bond's early childhood as an orphan. Sam Mendes did an amazing job at the director's helm. The emotional ending really wraps up this trilogy of Craig's take on the character. Each character's arc comes to a crescendo at the Bond mansion-so nicely done filled with intense action and strong dialogue. I definitely give this movie a 5/5-the movie received a huge applause from the packed theater I saw this in as the signature gun barrel walk concluded. Also, it seems that Voldemort is now in charge of England's national defense which is awesome!!! I give this movie a well deserved 5/5 for brilliant action, characters, dialogue, and scenery.

Wreck-It Ralph Review

Justin and I saw Wreck-It Ralph on November 4, 2012!! I LOOOOOOOOOVED this movie!! As many know, I am extremely picky on animated movies and I was absolutely impressed with this. I thought the writing, characters, and voice talents worked perfectly to create something amazing. The visuals in each world were all different which was great to show how video games have changed over time. The movie takes place inside an arcade, and characters jump between games through the various plugs in the arcade. The movie centers around Ralph, who is the main villain of a video-game called Fix-It Felix. He wrecks buildings and Felix fixes them. He has been doing that for 30 years. The problem is, he wants to be seen in a different light. He wants to be the one that wins the medal and be viewed as the hero. He is tried of being the guy thrown off the building into a puddle of mud. After a party celebrating the game's 30th anniversary, he decides that he wants something different. He goes through different worlds like Hero's Duty-which is where he initially goes to gain recognition as a hero and get a medal. This leads to some consequences, and even leads to problems for Fix-It Felix which could result in the game being shut down. Ralph's reputation of wrecking things leads to him crashing into the world of Sugar Rush. Automatically, I loved the set-up of this game with the characters named after candy, and the design of each of the characters. I would play this game for hours if it was available for real. It's awesome!! Ralph is introduced to Venelopee, who appears to be a glitch which means she can't jump between games. Venelopee is my favorite character in this movie. She is so upbeat and optimistic. Ralph's quest actually leads to consequences for the whole arcade, and you see these developments over the course of the movie. I found the Sugar Rush storyline to be absolutely amazing. I loved the twists that resulted at certain points, and I like how each twist showed how much of a good guy Ralph really is. His committment to help Venelopee is what ultimately makes him a hero. The different video game worlds playing a role at the end was awesome to watch as it combined incredible visuals and awesome conclusions for each character. The movie's ability to combine incredible characters, phenomenal writing, tremendous visuals, great voice talents such as John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman, and positive messages of ultimately realizing that your glitch makes you special and can be a positive make this movie a 5/5!! I'M GONNA WRECK IT!!! The only thing is I hope nobody decides to start calling me Old Ham Hands now. Haha.

The Man With The Iron Fists Review

Justin and I saw The Man With The Iron Fists on November 3, 2012!! This movie was very entertaining and had a great mix of martial arts and a decent story to it. This movie was shot very much like an old kung fu movie you'd see being made in China in the 1970s-1980s. The movie centers around plots to conquer kingdoms, gain gold, and ultimately gain revenge on those who have wronged. Silver Lion takes over a kingdom by betraying his father and his brother Zen Yi who would be next in line. Silver Lion wanted the power now so he kills his father Gold Lion, and begins to take over a village in feudal China. Silver Lion was a great villain from the start. RZA plays a blacksmith who created weapons that were then used to take over Gold Lion's kingdom, which he regrets. He is now looking for ways to redeem what he has done. All the storylines from the rogue British soldier Jack Knife (which Russel Crowe definitely had fun with) to how RZA would become the Man With The Iron Fists and Zen Yi's revenge on Silver Lion come to a crescendo at Lady Blossom's brothel. The thing about this movie that really sticks out is the awesome action sequences and weaponry involved. I personally loved a scene in the middle of the movie with the Gemini vs. Silver and Bronze Lion. The martial arts were so well choreographed mixed in with some great camera work to create something special. I thought the usage of Batista as Brass Body was well done. Batista is somebody that has a big presence so the way he was used is natural. I thought RZA's back story was interesting and it is very important in terms of connecting the action to the stories. I think the usage of weaponry mixed in with the larger than life characters created a fun movie. The main battle at the conclusion wraps up each storyline nicely and creates an amazing visual presence. From the Black Widows in Lady Blossom's brothel revealing themselves as warriors; to Jack Knife squaring off with the man he had an issue with in Dagger; to Zen Yi and Silver Lion squaring off; to RZA vs. Brass Body, each sequence ended on a big note. Through gold, blood, amazing characters, and interesting stories, this movie created an amazing cinematic experience that will certainly result in me buying the DVD. I give it a 4/5!!

Here Comes The Boom Review

Justin and I saw Here Comes The Boom on November 2, 2012!! I am a fan of Kevin James and this movie was a great example of why. It shows the importance of how much difference a teacher can make whether it is with the students or fellow teachers. The movie follows high school biology teacher, Scott Voss, who seems to have initially lost his passion for the education profession over ten years. He had won Teacher of the Year and was enthusiastic about educating students. Now he shows up to work late, acts like teaching students isn't important, and basically treats the periods like study halls. At the faculty meeting at the beginning of the year, we find out that to meet budget, the school is going to cut all extra-curricular activities, which includes the music department. Scott doesn't agree with this, and I automatically see where he is coming from. It's cutting a school's ability to allow students to express themselves in a creative way, and provides avenues for students who may not be academically motivated. He assures Marty Streb (played by Henry Winkler) that he will help get the money for the school and the students. They need to raise $48,000 to save the extra-curricular activities. The assistant principal and Voss don't see eye to eye. Scott also teaches a citizenship class to earn extra money on the side. He is also trying to figure out a way to help Marty. He realizes it might be a failed effort based on the amount of money he earns. One of his students in the citizenship class, Niko (who was hilarious) wishes to get extra tutoring for the test. Scott sees UFC on television and hears that the fighters earn certain amounts of money, $10,000 if they lose, $50,000 if they win. Scott sees this as the opportunity he has been looking for. As a former amateur wrestler, he thinks this will be easy. After several beatdowns and pulled body parts, as well as frequent trips to the school nurses office, he begins to get serious about his training as the goal is to make the money and give it to the school. I like the chemistry between him and Salma Hayek's Bella Flores character as well. He has been trying to go on a date with her for years, but he either came across as too cocky or other circumstances came to light. With the new training and drive to fight for something, it ignites his passion for the students and his interactive lessons bring him back to how he was ten years ago. With this new passion, his attitude with Bella changes and leads to a nice conclusion to the romantic arc building between them. Salma Hayek is beautiful!! It's great to watch Scott change over the course of the movie. A meeting with Joe Rogan allows Scott to qualify for a UFC fight. Now he literally is in for the fight of his life. He is fighting for more than himself. There is a twist with money he has already raised that had me and the audience flipping out, but Scott manages to bounce back and in an intense battle is able to reach the school's goal. It's an amazing story of fighting for what you believe in. I give it a 3/5 for a good cast, legitimate comedic parts, and an overall positive message of determination to meet goals.

Cloud Atlas Review

Justin and I saw Cloud Atlas on November 1, 2012!! I thought this movie was visually impressive with a phenomenal cast. There were some great storylines connecting past, present, and future that had me invested from the beginning. From Tom Hanks to Halle Berry to Jim Broadbent to Jim Sturgess to Hugo Weaving to my favorite part of the movie Doona Bae, I was into everything. It carries over six different worlds from the 1800s to 2145 in New Seoul. Each character is somehow connected in some way whether its by relation or causes that a particular character is fighting for. The storytelling followed the book pretty well and resulted in a cinematic experience that the Wachowski Brothers and Tom Tykwer turned into something special. The different worlds such as the futuristic New Seoul with Sonmi-451 to the post-apocalyptic world were great. It had a nice blend of storytelling, acting, action sequences, and great dialogue scenes. It is a movie that you should see multiple times just so you can keep making connections with the characters. It's interesting to me that Doona Bae was actually the most important character. Her world actually connects each piece of the movie in some way. I think the concept is interesting, and something that many people might actually agree with. It's a belief that we are here in our present form, but we existed in the past, and will in the future. The way we are is shaped by actions from the past, and what we do in the present will impact how we will be in the future. Even when we pass away, we will still continue on in the some form as somebody else in the future. It might not be the same name, but it will us in a different form. I really like that deep meaning and connection. Natalie Portman gave the Wachowski Brothers a copy of the book to read on the set of V For Vendetta. They read the book and instantly began creating this. I believe they did an excellent job of adapting the book into movie form. It's a complicated book to turn into visual form and through the amazing visuals combined with the characters and messages of connections through time, it resulted in a successful effort. I will give this a 4/5. Tremendous movie that certainly did an excellent job of making me care about each character's obstacles and ability to overcome them.

Fun Size Review

Justin and I saw Fun Size on October 31, 2012!! We saw movies five days in a row due to power issues at home, but it was great to get caught up on some movies we wanted to see from the prior weekends, and the newer releases we had anticipated for some time. We were automatically interested in this movie because we are big fans of both leads: Victoria Justice and Jane Levy. They star on the shows Victorious and Suburgatory respectively. It was produced by Nickelodeon films, but had many more adult themes which I liked. Wren played by Victoria Justice is planning on attending a party with her best friend April at Aaron Riley's house. April really wants to fit into the social ladder. Attending Aaron's party is the ticket. It's even called the party of the year. Wren is automatically a character you like. She is determined to attend college at NYU and create a great life for herself. She lives with her mother played by Chelsea Handler (who is worried that Wren will leave and she will be alone) and her little brother, Albert. The father had died a year ago, and each member of the family has been grieving in their own way. The mother is going through a phase of seeing younger guys, which bothers Wren. Albert doesn't speak since their father's passing, and he is also quite bratty. Wren's plans are shot when she has to baby-sit Albert and take him trick or treating. This is where the movie really gets exciting. Wren and April get separated from Albert and each character has their own adventures. The thing about all of these adventures is they all end up connecting together, which is something great to see. Wren is good friends with Roosevelt (played by Thomas Mann), who like Wren has more nerdy qualities, and natural chemistry. I like the innocent young love storyline. He has a crush on Wren, and ultimately you see she does as well. Levy is one of the prettiest girls in Hollywood in my opinion. She was completely opposite from her role on Suburgatory in this, but still showed a nice parallel between the two main leads, with Wren being more of the sweet side and April being the sour side. Roosevelt's friend Peng was hilarious as well dressed like Aaron Burr. I thought the adventures the characters get in whether it was Wren, April, Roosevelt, and Peny dealing with bullies from the high school, Roosevelt's very liberal parents, or a duel at the chicken restaurant to Albert's adventures with convenience store worker Fuzzy (who was pretty funny). There's a nice subplot with Johnny Knoxville, who is a major enemy of Fuzzy, and this leads to a rescue mission from Wren to protect Albert. I really liked the Wren character. I thought a scene at the end after the chaotic adventures had ceased where Wren and Albert go to visit their father's grave was emotional and had me tearing up a little bit. I am not going to lie about that one. The characters, adventures, intertertwining stories, and plot twists you wanted to see happen made this an enjoyable experience. I will give this movie a 3/5. Justin commented on the movie: "It was a good movie. I don't know why it's getting such bad reviews." It balanced family entertainment with young adult themes that gave it a very realistic quality of the importance of family and what real friendship is.

Argo Review

Justin and I saw Argo on October 13, 2012. This was an excellent movie displaying the importance of cooperation between international governments to quell international problems. The events in this movie are inspired by a true story around the time of the Iran Hostage Crisis. This movie focuses on taking six American ambassadors out of Iran amidst a cover-up of a mock science fiction movie called Argo. I liked how the movie begins with a brief history lesson of how Ayatollah Khomeini came to power and how it affected Iran. The six ambassadors are taken in by the Canadian Ambassador, so the C.I.A. creates identities that they are a Canadian film crew. The movie definitely leaves you on the edge of your seat and you're invested in the characters from start to finish. It's up to Tony Mendez to extract them from Iran. With a team of C.I.A. personnel and Hollywood film makers, he is able to formulate his plan. Ben Affleck did an excellent job in the role of Tony Mendez as he is constantly battling to get his plan to succeed. I think the ensemble cast was awesome all around. In recent years, Affleck has had some great movies. The Town is one of the best movies I've seen from the last five years. He hit another homerun with this movie. Just like The Town, he also directed this. The rest of the cast is awesome: Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Clea Duvall, Tate Donovan, and Victor Garber to name a few. The scenes at the airport were amazing. These six ambassadors show what real fear would be like. Being in that situation will definitely cause emotional scars. The theater was packed. We were all wrapped up in the story and rooting for Mendez and the American six to escape the terror. The audience erupted into applause at the events and I even heard a few people crying which was awesome. Powerful movie!!! I also felt there were some legitimate comedic moments particularly with Goodman and Arkin. They had some great scene in Hollywood that blended nicely with the extreme dramatic nature of the Iran scenarios. The bottom of the screen also kept giving updates on what was going on with the hostage crisis in conjunction with the events of this movie, which actually happened. Now, I am sure there were some things that were done to make it more Hollywood, but this was a real event. That's what made this so powerful in my opinion. Also, it's great to see Clea Duvall in this. I have always been a fan of her and I feel she is a good actress that doesn't get enough credit. I have liked everything she has been in to date. I definitely feel this movie deserves a 5/5 for the excellent cast, great story with historical events, and brilliant dialogue.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review

Justin, Dad, and I saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower on October 4, 2012. I absolutely loved this movie. Justin and I were still discussing it for ten minutes after we saw it. He thought it was good as well. He normally doesn't come out and say if he thought something was good right away, but on this occasion he did. Now, I first found out this was going to be a theatrical release early last year and was immediately excited. I have read the book three times. I read it back in 2001 when I was at North. I read it junior year at Elmira College. I read it this past summer to refresh myself and delve back into one of my favorite books. In my opinion, the book is a must read, especially for those that may be close minded. Stephen Chbosky definitely opens your eyes with this. I was really glad to see that he directed and wrote the screenplay for the movie. That meant an accurate portrayl of his work. The casting for the movie is excellent and each actor/actress fits their role perfectly. The book and movie follow the life of Charlie, played perfectly by Logan Lerman, as he transcends from a tumultuous year of dealing with his friend's suicide in 8th grade to the sometimes tumultuous world of high school. He is an academic, but suffers from mental disorders and inner guilt about certain events, such as the loss of his Aunt Helen. He is a loner, but soon is befriended by the seniors at his high school, namely Sam and Patrick, who are step siblings. Emma Watson is young, beautiful, and extremely talented. Alot of scenes with her as Sam, especially the one on one conversations with Charlie had me crying at certain points, especially the climactic one dealing with the importance of love between them. I loved how well the tunnel scene was portrayed. Definitely well done. Ezra Miller was excellent as Patrick. He really did a great job of balancing the character's comedic side and dramatic side with Brad. Justin and I loved how the Rocky Horror Picture Show scenes came along. I loved how both sequences looked. Creature of the Night with Sam and Charlie is so cute to watch honestly. Emma and Logan had a fun time shooting that, and it allowed Emma to show a sexier side. I saw that she has three projects lined up which is awesome. I also thought the Don't Dream It, Be It sequence was well done. Ezra Miller really looked the part of Frank N' Furter in that scene, which he should have. Mae Whitman continued the pattern of perfect casting as Mary Elizabeth. As I was re-reading it over the summer, I had known the cast members by then and I kept seeing her in the role. I liked Paul Rudd's portrayal of Mr. Anderson as well. Rudd fit nicely into the role and worked off of Lerman's Charlie pretty well. Catcher In The Rye is actually my favorite book, and I always liked how that is one of the many books Mr. Anderson gives to him for pleasure reading. Perks explores how a person can lie about who they are, but deep down they know who they are. It's about looking within oneself to realize we are all wallflowers. We are all infinite-this is the basis for my brother Jake's tattoo. It is insightful, thought provoking, emotional, captivating, character identity, the ability to feel proud of who you are. as well as knowing you love the people that matter, and they love you back. Charlie has that with his sister Candace (good cameo by Nina Dobrev of The Vampire Diaries-who reminds me a little bit of my cousin Tiffany in the way they look. Tiffany just gave birth to a baby girl name Lila Raechel Christenesen on Wednesday. It's very exciting), Sam and Patrick, and Mr. Anderson. I have that with my brothers, my best friend Jennifer Turner, my father, my mother (who is looking at me type this from somewhere). We all need to have that acceptance. This book and this movie will show you that it is okay to be who you are. The people that accept you for you are the people that matter. Screw the rest!!! This is in my top ten movies, just like its in my favorite books. On a sidenote, really cool to see Emma Watson represents two of my favorite books. This movie had great acting from young actors that I can't wait to see more from adapted from one of the best books I've ever read. If you couldn't figure it out, this is a 5/5 for sure!!! Loved this!!!

Hotel Transylvania Review

Justin and I saw Hotel Transylvania on September 30, 2012. I had been interested in this movie since I posed for a picture with people dressed up like the characters at Comic-Con!!! I thought the movie was funny, had a good plot, and had some great animation/special effects. The movie follows the life of Dracula and his daughter Mavis. The hotel was constructed in order to save Mavis from the human world. The humans caused a major tragic event in Dracula's life and he doesn't want to see this happen to Mavis. That is why the hotel is constructed: protection. Only monsters are allowed!! Dracula is preparing for Mavis's 118th birthday and a huge party is going to take place. Mavis wants to experience the world, but Dracula keeps doing everything to keep her from moving from the hotel: He even sets up a mock town with zombies acting as humans to keep Mavis from going. I personally thought the Dracula plot blended a nice dramatic element to some fun physical comedy bits from characters such as Frankenstein's Monster, The Wolfman-and his 30 kids, and other great monster friends. I think my favorite character in terms of overall look was Mavis. A human named Jonathan (who can get annoying at times) infiltrates the hotel. It is interesting to watch the progress made by Dracula. He notices that all humans aren't bad. We witness some fun scenes including a Monster Comic-Con which was great. I thought this was great to show as people have become more accepting of monster culture. There are some subtle messages in there in terms of current social landscapes, and I like the way they approached it. The voice talents of Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Fran Drescher and David Spade were excellent. Rob Schneider was missing, which baffled me. I am picky on animated movies, and I have to say the combination of placing the Universal Monster troupe in a more family friendly environment, along with great animation/visual effects-with great usage of color especially, and a good plot mixed with dramatic and comedic elements made this enjoyable for me. Everything meshed well together in my opinion. I give this a 4/5, and besides Grown Ups this is the first Adam Sandler project I've liked for a while.

Looper Review

Justin and I saw Looper on September 29, 2012. This was an intelligent movie with good writing, an interesting plot, and a good cast. The subject of the movie deals with the element of time travel, but also the idea of choosing your fate. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a Looper who is designed to basically clean up the past and erase people from memory that cause a problem in the future. Every once in a while, a Looper has to "close the loop" or take themselves out in order to end their contract with the organization. Bruce Willis plays the older version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Both did an excellent job acting off of each other. The future and the past are tied between two characters. I won't reveal how Willis transports to the past, but he does it in order to gain revenge, which the trailer doesn't really let you in. I like when that happens. Willis is coming to avenge the death of somebody from the future, and in the past the person that ended up killing this person is actually a child. It makes it more intense as the movie becomes a race not only of survival with both Levitt and Willis, but one of protection in some ways. People also have the ability of telekinesis, especially the main kid that the whole movie revoles around, Sid. Sid will eventually grow up and cause major problems for the whole Looper organization, but primarily Joe. I normally dislike Emily Blunt, but her role as Sarah was well done here as the protector for Sid in order to help him quell his Level Five mutant abilities-reminded me of X-Men a litte bit which was cool. This movie is mostly about furthering the plot and really looking at the characters. There are some great action scenes, such as a brawl in the diner between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, a huge battle with Bruce Willis battling through Looper thugs, and Levitt taking on a force of Loopers. There are great cameos from Paul Dano (who really is important in shaping the premise of what the movie will be) and Jeff Daniels (who actually is from the future-pay attention to dialogue he says-it gives us some subtle hints about the Joe character in the future.) I liked how this movie focused primarily on character building. If one combines X-Men, Back To The Future, and The Butterfly Effect, that would combine all the plot elements of the movie. Very well done-good acting, fun action scenes, and great writing made this a 5/5 for me.

Moonrise Kingdom Review

I watched Moonrise Kingdom on September 22, 2012. I had been interested in seeing this for some time and finally got around to seeing it. I thought this was an incredible movie. Wes Anderson did a great job with this movie. It had a great mix of being hilarious and insane at the same time with a great story of young love and the wanting of more in life. Each story of the characters is linked to the other in some way and it provides for some great storytelling. There is a great cast including: Bruce Willis as Island Police Captain Sharp, Edward Norton as Scout Master Randall Ward, Bill Murray as Mr. Bishop, Frances McDormand as Mrs. Bishop, and some small cameos that still added a great deal to the plot in Tilda Swinton as Social Services, Jason Schwartzmann as Cousin Ben, and Harvey Keitel as Commander Pierce. Each of these characters has secrets and are isolated in their own little worlds in the year 1965, however, as I said they are all connected to one another in some way. It makes the movie even more fun to watch. Though this stellar cast of amazing actors does a great job, the standouts in this lies with the young love storyline of Suzy Bishop and Sam who is an orphan because both of his parents are deceased. They met a year ago and eventually agree to run away together a year later. Their first meeting scene was so well done and really tied in nicely with the finale. I like when movies tend to return to a crucial scene. It makes it special. I was extremely impressed with Kara Heyward, who played Suzy. Her performance was excellent showing a troubled teenager with a dark side, longing for something more than normal. She has a home life that shows the family is well to do with both of her parents being lawyers and three bratty brothers, but she longs for adventure. She is a loner and likes to do her own thing. The same can be said for Sam, who is tired of the same old routine in the Khaki Scouts. Jared Gilman also did a fantastic job in his role. These young actors clicked very well. Suzy and Sam protect each other from other scouts. Their bond is really strong. The adult characters care for the two young characters as it is evident from the search party. Society turns upside down, which actually is needed. A major storm is used to show this. Secrets come out regarding Captain Sharp and Mrs. Bishop and Scout Master Ward. I loved following the adventures of Suzy and Sam. Suzy always has a fantasy book and as we follow Suzy and Sam, they seem to be writing their own fantasy book. This movie combines fantastic performances (particularly by Heywood and Gilman), good dialogue, good musical scores, great camera work and an all around impressive movie. I am giving this a 5/5 because I found it to be that good. I am very glad I finally got a chance to see this.

Resident Evil: Retribution Review

Justin and I saw Resident Evil: Retribution on September 15, 2012. We both thought this was an awesome movie!!! Before I get into discussing this, I have to point out that I love that all of the main characters are female characters, and they're all strong characters. It's really cool to see honestly. We need a female version of the Expendables. We follow the battle of Alice played by Milla Jovovivh against the Umbrella Corporation. I thought it was great that Alice did an introduction before the movie starts explaining what happened in all of the other movies prior to this one. It helped to establish background information for people that might not be familiar with the video game or the previous movies. We get different scenarios playing out in Alice's life...or so we think it is Alice. The trailer illustrates that Alice is now happily married with a daughter and living in a suburbia. The movie took this in another direction and everything is basically a simulation. Alice is battling Jill Valentine (played by Sienna Guillory), Albert Wesker, and The Red Queen. This whole movie basically takes place within the Umbrella complex amidst different training scenarios which Justin and I loved. They go through New York City, which is one of the best action sequences I've ever seen, Moscow, and an Arctic environment. Amazing scenes!! They also introduced us to a new character in Ada Wong played by Bing Bing Li, who looked amazing in the red dress, and she also has great fighting skills. The whole thing about Umbrella is it is a testing facility and they inject subjects with the T-virus which increases strength and agility. They established the point that each scenario uses cloned subjects, even showing an assembly line similar to Terminator to illustrate this.It also has great healing powers. My favorite part of this movie was Michelle Rodriguez's Rain character. Rodriguez had two very diferent characters-one the bad ass action star we're used to seeing, and the vegan, gun control version which worked really well. The action is non-stop in this. The fights were intense and created a pulse pounding energy that kept you on the edge of your seat. Jill Valentine's memory is restored, as this was something Alice had been attempting to do. Rain went ballistic on everybody, including stopping a guy's heart, and basically dominating inferior male characters. Jill almost takes out Alice during their battle prior to her memory being restored-really intense. Rain actually does defeat Alice which I cheered, but I knew something was going to happen to Rain, and they creatively took her out. The ending set up a sequel with a unit prepared to stop Umbrella. Alice has assistance in her resistance movement with Jill and Ada. I am giving this movie a 4/5 for the usage of strong female characters, intense action scenes, and a fun story. Definitely getting this on DVD. Justin and I compare the Resident Evil movies to Underwolrd, because we like all of them and they're just fun to watch. It's not about acting, it's all about the scenes and the action, so the high rating is indicative of what the genre entails.

Ruby Sparks Review

Justin and I saw Ruby Sparks on September 8, 2012. This was an interesting movie with a brilliant cast, and great writing. Calvin Weir-Fields, played perfectly by Paul Dano, is a young novelist. He is searching for a new topic to write about as he has been suffering from writer's block. He also is in therapy dealing with the death of his father, as well as problems with his ex-girlfriend Lila. He dreams about a girl named Ruby Sparks, and instantly begins writing about her. As he is writing a new novel, the story he is writing is actually coming to life before his eyes. His imagination created the girl into a real world entity. He controls her actions/decisions as well as her emotional state. It leads to some great scenes, which really create some nice dramatic elements. Ruby is played by Zoe Kazan, and I was really impressed with her performance. She also wrote the story, and it shows a great level of creativity. The cast also features Chris Messina, as his brother Harry, Annette Benning as his mother, Gertrude, Deborah Ann Woll as Lila (great scene between the two of them about their break-up), Antonio Banderas as Mort (seems to be a step father type role), and Steve Coogan as Langdon Tharp, an author in his own right. The movie has some good comedic parts, but the story overall of the creation of a real life entity through imagination captivated me. The Ruby book begins to take a negative toll, leading to a great scene showing his depth of control over her. He realizes something has to change. The ending was really well done, and I thought it wrapped up everything positively to counter-balance some of the consequences of his novel. This movie was really well done with great acting from Dano and Kazan, good writing, and a great plot. 4/5!!!

Lawless Review

Justin and I saw Lawless on September 1, 2012. This was an impressive movie with some intense scenes and decent performances. Three brothers played well by Shia Lebeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke are bootleggers in Prohibition era America. It's 1931, and they are getting threats from all sides: mostly from law enforcement, thus defining the title of this movie. Nobody truly plays by the rule. This is actually based on reality with the Bondurant family, which is who the brothers portray. They team up with Gary Oldman's Floyd Banner character to make more profit on their moonshine business. Lebeouf really did a great job as Jack and I feel this is what he should stick to. He was great balancing comedy and drama trying to impress Mia Wasikowska's Bertha character (a preacher's daughter), but at the same time trying to do more with the bootlegging business. He's the youngest member of the family and Forrest and Howard want to protect him. Tom Hardy was an absolute badass in this. He would not stay down. I was impressed at how much he took. Howard is underrated as Clarke was also in Public Enemies and it really helped to shape his role here. He had cold eyes, but he cares about his family and lashes out when his family and business is threatened. Forrest is the most reserved, but when he has to he'll take you down. Beware his fists, especially when they have brass knucks on them. Jessica Chastain was the only part I didn't like. She was just kind of there. They needed to put a love interest for Forrest, but she did nothing and was unecessary. However, the overall feud between the Bondurant family and the main villain of this movie in Guy Pearce's Charlie Rakes character is what was awesome about this. You just loathe Pearce's character here. There are some intense beatings that Jack takes. I do think that Rakes character was actually the best one because of how villainous he was. Great action and storylines made this a good movie. I'll give it a 4/5. I was impressed with everything else in this movie. All the male leads did an excellent job which is what kept the movie going. Beware that this movie has extreme violence, but it was necessary for this story. It made things more personal. Interestingly enough, the Boundurant's abide by more laws than the actual law enforcement. I am definitely glad I checked this out. I was interested initially from the trailers and cast.

ParaNorman Review

Justin and I saw ParaNorman on August 25, 2012. I wanted to see this initially because it was made by the creators of Coraline, and I really liked that movie. I enjoyed this movie as well. It's rare for me to like these type of movies, but the idea in this movie about Norman Babcock being able to communicate with the dead intertwined with teenage stereotypes: the loner, the nerd, the popular girl, the jock, and the bully blended together nicely. It's like The Sixth Sense, Monster House, and Breakfast Club all intertwined. Norman has this ability for a reason. He is supposed to break the town's curse of an event that occurred during the Salem Witch Trials. I enjoyed the supernatural elements and his connection to Aggie, who the town had convicted of witchcraft and ordered her execution. She was only 11 years old. The judge and the jury committed an unspeakable act, and Aggie cursed the seven because of it. Now, the town is in fear because Aggie has lost her faith in humanity. This really spoke to me as I am trying to write a book with a premise of human salvation. The comedy and themes are definitely geared towards a more mature audience. There were darker themes, much like Coraline had with the other world. This one explores the link between past and present and how it is possible to mend time. Some of the voice talents included: Kodi Smit-McPhee (who played Owen in Let Me In-so the voice talents worked very well as it was a role that would work for him in live action as well), Anna Kendrick (Courtney-the popular girl/cheerleader), Casey Affleck (Mitch-the jock), and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Alvin-the bully). Neil (voiced by Tucker Albrizzi) was a favorite of the audience. I felt the comedy mixed in with the darker elements combined with the incredible animation in the fashion of Coraline made this a very well done movie. I give this movie a 4/5 for the plot and the characters designed for the movie.

The Dark Knight Rises

Justin and I saw The Dark Knight Rises on July 21, 2012. What an epic conclusion to an amazing trilogy!!! Christopher Nolan did an excellent job with this. I was very impressed with the theme of anarchy mixed in with physical and emotional pain/loss on two sides of a personality. There were things from the comics that were added in which made the movie seem more authentic and fun to watch. The movie connected all three parts of the trilogy really well, particularly focusing on Batman Begins, but looking at The Dark Knight in terms of Harvey Dent. Batman has retired for the time being in the 8 years since the night Dent died. Christian Bale did a great job of portraying a man scarred from nightly combat and trying to repair his existence as Bruce Wayne. Encountering the wily ways of jewel thief Selina Kyle (an important element from the comics/animated series that was omitted in other features) leads to several complications for Bruce Wayne as Selina Kyle's skills lead to problems for Bruce Wayne. Anne Hathaway did a great job in the role of Selina/Catwoman. I liked her portrayal of the character dancing between being a hero and a villain which is what Catwoman is. Tom Hardy as Bane was very good, and I thought his chaos was better than The Joker's in The Dark Knight. Everything Bane does is strategically planned, and like the comics they made him intelligent and somebody that leads. Of course, he is still a mercenary that was brought up with the same teachings as Bruce Wayne. Gotham City is basically crumbling with Batman out of the picture for the time being. Selina Kyle's skills actually make Bane capable of carrying out most of his plans, which fascinated me. The female characters in this movie determine the direction of the movie. Marion Cotillard's Miranda Tate is the most important character overall. You just have to watch to see what I am talking about. I marked out at a certain plot twist let's just say. It was done in an intelligent manner, and one that makes sense in conjunction with the comics and the animated series. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was my favorite part of the movie, though. He starts out as beat cop John Blake, but gets promoted to detective by Commissioner Gordon because of his bravery and ability to be a hero for Gotham. Blake knows secrets about characters and this knowledge along with his own natural abilities lead him to be an integral part of the battle against Bane's Revolution!! The action sequences/battle scenes are some of the best I've seen, and I thought each main character was given equal time to do something in the main battle at the end. The first battle with Batman and Bane is hard-hitting and in your face. It's what it should be. Bane beats the hell out of Batman in this instance. The second face to face battle with them leads to the mark out plot twist I said. I liked some things they did with Joseph Gordon-Levitt towards the end of being a hero without a mask. An excellent cast with well-written characters, great storyline, incredible action scenes, and scores that captured the emotion and personality of the characters, as well as the scenes make this movie a 5/5 for me and one of my favorite movies of the year. Very impressive conclusion to a great trilogy of movies!!

To Rome With Love

Hello all: its me the other Geek who goes to the movies.

Yesterday, I went to see Woody Allen's new film " To Rome with Love". In recent years, I have learned to avoid the Woody Allen movies that Woody Allen actually appears in. However, I will say this one has built off of the success of "Midnight in Paris" and his more recent successes.

Like most Woody allen movies, this one features parallel stories lines. Unlike others where there is some interception, these characters remain for the most part unrelated. You have stories of what should have been, regret, lessons learned and excitement for the future rolled up into one film.


The movie deals with the traditional Woody Allen theme of "Regret" and changing your future. Alec Baldwin's character advising his younger self about his future was an example of this. Roberto Benenni's storyline was much along the same lines. His character went from no body to celebrity overnight. When his 15 minutes of fame was literally over, he missed the craziness and the recognition. 


I will say this movie got very busy for me at times. Alec Baldwin and David Eisenberg's story line got me confused at first until I realized it was the older architect trying to direct the younger in the ways of love and the world. The story line of the young married couple having last flings before they settle down for good, was another confusing story line. I am leaving out the others. 



Overall, the movie was enjoyable. Very busy.  I'm going to give it a 3/5. 

Savages Review

Justin and I saw Savages on July 7, 2012. This was an intense, emotional thrill ride that kept you on the edge of your seat for the entire film. The plot involves a love triangle, drug empires, family relationships, and secret partnerships. Each piece of the puzzle fits together nicely and all gets meshed together for the finale. Ben and Chon are best friends and share a relationship with Ophelia, but she is referred to as O throughout the movie. They are a tight knit group as is evident from the opening moments. Ben wants out of the business, while Chon, who is an army man serving stints in Iraq and Afghanistan which led to the business they are currently involved with believes this is a good business. Elena Sanchez needs them for her operation which also includes Lado and Alex Reyes. They go to extreme measures to keep them involed, which leads to the kidnapping of O. What follows is a chaotic adventure with a corrupt DEA agent, Elena and the Baja Cartel, and two men trying to get back the woman they love. There are double crosses, plot twists, and teasers that keep you into the movie. The performances were very good for the most part. I was very impressed with Aaron Johnson as Ben. He did such a great job struggling with the violence of the business they entered into. Very well done!! I thought Taylor Kitsch did well as the hot head and the one acting on impulse to counterbalance the negotiator/peacemaker in Ben. Blake Lively did a tremendous job as O, and I felt that her casting was perfect for the role. I knew that I would like Salma Hayek's Elena from the start. She did such an awesome job as the boss of the whole operation with a tough attitude, but still maintaining her motherly affection for her daughter Magdalena (who becomes a major part of the plot). Salma Hayek is definitely one of the legit most gorgeous women of all time as well. There was a scene where she was having a conference call with Ben and Chon and showed how devious her character can be with Chon and his gun. The suspense in the scene was amazing!! The suspense would continue throughout the movie. Benicio Del Toro as Lado was insane and made you hate his character. He was definitely a true villain. I felt that the tensions between Elena and Lado, as well as his creepy demeanor towards O were very well done. The man did what the role asked for. Also, Demian Bichir played Alex Reyes. He reminded me of his Esteban Reyes character in Weeds. John Travolta knew exactly what to do with the role and it worked. His role as DEA Agent Dennis is alot of what connects the stories. We get some intense scenes of violence which fit in perfectly with the tone of the movie. All the stories of the individual characters connected well and flowed to the conclusion. They approached the ending in a unique way and I thought it worked well. The first ending is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. The second ending worked well as it still established the bond between the three leads, but the way it was presented in the first ending was really great. I think Oliver Stone was on top of his game with this movie. Usually, I kind of scoff at his work, but he impressed me here. I think alot of it has to do with the fact that the stories were well done, and the actors were cast well. I definitely give this a 5/5. I can't wait to get this one on DVD. It was a good movie filled with great performances, memorable scenes, great dialogue, and connection between stories.

Magic Mike Review

Justin and I saw Magic Mike on June 30, 2012. Now, before I get into the review, the theatre was legitimately packed...and Justin and I were the only males there. I also want to point out that if you have a gut feeling that there might be something else going on in a movie than what the trailer is showing you, then go with it. Justin and I were really impressed with this. It's not just a "male stripper movie." The plot does involve this element, but there is alot going on and it focuses on friendships/relationships and the demons that can damage them. Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer in their respective roles of Mike Lane and Adam develop a friendship that has several ups and downs throughout the film. They were both excellent and I think Pettyfer is a future star, because he has decent acting chops. Tatum really did a good job as well, putting on a great dramatic performance mixed in with some great comedic elements. I'd describe the movie as 50/50 comedy and drama. I really liked the dramatic side of this as you begin to get invested with the characters and their stories. The stories all intertwine and create a good cinematic experience. Mike has been working at the Male Revue for 6 years at this point under the tutelage of Dallas played very well by Matthew McConaughey. I think if you give this guy a dramatic role like in The Lincoln Lawyer he does a good job with it. He does this job as part of a way to get his own business going. Adam and him are acquainted on one of his jobs working at a construction site. Mike shows Adam the ropes of making money when he takes him to a nightclub to get customers for the show they will put on. As this is going on, Tatum is involved in a relationship with Joanna played by Olivia Munn, who turns out to be a big time bitch. I really loathed Joanna. You had the sense she was playing Mike. Adam has a sister named Paige played by Cody Horn. She is dating this boring insurance guy named Paul. I just wanted to punch this guy because not only is he the cure for insomnia, he is just a douche. I hate the way he acts. Luckily, this doesn't last. I love Paige's personality and Cody Horn is cute too in my opinion. I honestly hope to see alot more from her. She is somebody that really impressed me throughout. I love her smart, witty dialogue, and I like the way she interacts with Mike. That develops over time. The comedic part is mostly the first half. Then the second part presents the nice dramatic side to counterbalance it. Adam is a guy that does whatever he wants whenever he wants. He gets involved with dangerous things and it effects his life as well as Mike's relationship with Adam, and more importantly Paige. There were some powerful scenes mixed in here that Justin and I really liked. Paige and Mike get into a huge argument while standing over Adam about him growing up and ditching this Magic Mike gimmick he is living off of. Definitely one of my favorite scenes in the movie. I also found a face to face scene between Mike and Dallas about a business venture to be pretty good as well. Dallas is definitely an underhanded character and I could sense that from the start. I really liked watching how Mike wants to show Paige how he isn't a gimmick, he's different from what you see on a stage. He really does an amazing act for Adam that puts a damper on his plans, but still shows how important his friendships and relationships are. There's also some great appearances by Kevin Nash, Joe Manganiello (Alcide in True Blood), and Matt Bomer (Neil Caffrey in White Collar)-actually a very important character in terms of ruining relationships and creating a chaotic environment for the main characters. All in all, we were both impressed by the blend of comedy and drama with a good story and good performances especially by Pettyfer, Horn, and Tatum. I'd recommend seeing this and not just scoffing at it. It really will surprise you at how emotionally invested you will get with the characters. I will give this a 4/5 just because everything clicked really well with this. Steve Soderbergh did a good job with this one.

Brave Review

Justin and I saw Brave on June 24, 2012!! I absolutely loved this movie, and I am very picky on animated movies, especially of this form as this is the primary animation style used for movies now. The only other animated movies of this genre I actually enjoy are Toy Story 1 & 3 as well as Coraline and the first Shrek. Of course, they're not all Pixar, but they're the only ones I like with the format used. I was excited for this movie when I found out it would be Pixar's first primary female protagonist mixed in a story from Scottish/Celtic origin. I was impressed how different the movie ended up being from the trailer. The movie focuses on a young girl named Merida born into a royal family, but is determined to shake the tradition and rebel against her mother, Elinor's instructions and preparation. She becomes skilled in archery and sword play with the help of her father, Fergus, who is referred to as The Bear King (which is a major part of the storyline). In some ways, she reminds me a little bit of Arya Stark from Game of Thrones which is a good thing. I look at it as Arya with Sansa hair. Elinor would be similar to Catelyn, and Fergus would be like Robert Baratheon, certainly not Ned Stark who is very reserved. Suitors come to try and win the hand of Merida. Her mother decrees that the first born of each kingdom can enter a tournament and whoever wins gets her hand. Merida basically puts everyone to shame and defys her mother's own decree. She wants her mother to change her idea of what Merida's fate/destiny is. There was a scene with a huge argument on the family tapestry between Merida and Elinor which was very well done. The tapestry is the most integral part of the movie. This will carry over into the message in the movie about legends having some basis in fact, as well as the idea that fate and destiny is something that is within all of us/ We have to be brave enough to face it. After the heated argument, both are upset at the actions they perpetrated on one another, and this leads to Merida encountering the power of magic. This magic will have consequences for Elinor and Merida in turn. Remember what I said about the Bear King moniker? Big foreshadowing into what will happen. Interestingly enough, this magic spell is designed to have Elinor change her mind. Well, it does change her. I'll leave it at that haha. However, despite the differences Merida and Elinor have, their bond grows even stronger. As the bond grows, so does the ability to repair the tapestry and the repeating of what happened in the legend of the four princes. Merida and Elinor make their way to the castle to make a decree that the suitors should decide with their hearts who they want to marry, not just the hand of that person. Fergus sees the physical changes of Elinor and leads a party chasing her. Merida protects Elinor from Fergus in a great sword battle. This is followed by Elinor protecting Merida. Very well done!! Amazing battle sequences!! The tapestry is mended. Very powerful message of how important family is. Don't be afraid to face your chosen fate/destiny. Merida and Elinor protect each other throughout the movie in different ways and it just amazed me. I give this movie a 4/5 for great animation, an incredible story (completely different overall to what the trailer says), great vocal performances from Kelly McDonald, Emma Thompson, and Billy Connolly, phenomenal action sequences, great character development over the course of the movie, and an incredible soundtrack. Very well done!! As I said, I am very picky with animated movies, but I was very impressed with this.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Review

Once again like last week despite being exhausted from my Current Events class, Justin and I went to the movies and saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter on June 23, 2012. It is based off a book by Seth Graehme-Smith. There are differences between the movie and the book, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the changes. It is probably not for everybody, but I was immediately gravitated towards the project. It's an action/fantasy/horror movie that I thought blended everything nicely in it's own unique story. I was very into the whole movie. I liked how Benjamin Walker approached the role, and felt he did a good job with what he had to do. When he doesn't have the beard, he reminds me of a younger Liam Neeson. I was worried how Henry Sturgess would be portrayed on the screen, but Dominic Cooper did an excellent job. I was very impressed with him, as he takes on the role of training Abe to be a successful killing machine, and telling him how there are vampires on both the side of good and evil. Abe is very handy with an ax, but the ax is also a shotgun at the handle. It's a pretty intricate weapon. Sturgess keeps his dark secret from Lincoln, until Lincoln himself finds out that Sturgess himself is of the undead. They hit on several of the key quotes from the book and adapted the book pretty well. Smith worked on the script, so he dictated alot of the changes that happened on the screen. Lincoln is pegged as a man to enter into politics by Senator Nelson (who is himself a vampire-take note of the sunglasses as well as different philosophical viewpoints from sects of the vampires) so he can battle the politics of the South and slavery. In the movie and the book, slaves are harvested for blood. It's a really interesting twist that worked well. I thought the storyline worked well with Adam played very well by Rufus Sewell, and his sister Vadoma, who was a good villainous female character wanting a pure nation of vampires vs. Abraham Lincoln, who was seeking revenge for the death of his mother at the hands of Jack Barts-which is the key reason he begins to undertake this interesting addition to the historical figure we all know. Adam and Vadoma were added for the movie, however, they fit right into the whole philosophy of what Abe and Henry are battling. Adam is important because he is the reason for Henry Sturges's hatred towards his own race as he forced Sturges to watch his wife be killed and was turned himself to live with the guilt. All the training Lincoln undertakes from Henry sends him to Springfield where he works at the general store with Joshua Speedman, who he has a close friendship with in both the book and movie. It's elaborated more in the movie, which is nice to see. He, along with his childhood friend, William Jackson, now a freed man helping slaves escape on the Underground Railroad meets up with him as he is working on his law degree. Anthony Mackie portrayed Jackson, who some may remember from The Adjustment Bureau. He did a pretty good job as I think he is an actor with great potential and hope to see more from him. On the subject of politics, I was glad they kept the plotline from the book intact with how Abe and Mary Todd begin their relationship. In both instances, she is engaged to Stephen Douglas originally. I just love how there's a love triangle between them. Also, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, one of my personal favorite actresses was Mary Todd. It's the only time you'll probably see Mary Todd look attractive. However, Mary Elizabeth Winstead did an excellent job of portraying depression, schizophrenia, and rage fits that many have commented on in several historical articles. Great stuff from her!! I always look forward to seeing her in things. Adam wants Abe to kill Henry, but Abe refuses leading to an all out fight in Adam and Vadoma's plantation. The action scenes were absolutley fantastic-beautifully shot and giving enough to please me. It was directed by the man who directed Wanted so you'll notice a similar style. Now, we all know about Willie Lincoln and how he died at a young age. Well, what they kept intact between the book and the movie is that Willie meets his demise at the hands of the bloodsuckers, except in the movie Vadoma is responsible, which should be how it is here. In the book, it's just a random vampire assassin who follows the same philosophies as Adam and Vadoma here. Willie has a little cavalry sword necklace that Mary Todd gave him which is really cool. That comes back later on in the movie. Abe is in the White House and battling Jefferson Davis who has become one of the undead and makes a pact with Adam to win this war for the Confederacy and to harvest the slaves and most importantly kill the Union. Lincoln, Speedman, and Jackson devise a plan to get silver to the Union as it is a powerful weapon in impeding a vampire's ability as Lincoln himself recognized in his first encounter with Jack Barts. Henry always is telling Lincoln to have a contingency plan and they did an excellent job of making it look like there was dissension between Lincoln's party while Adam thought he was going to kill off the silver supply and allow for the Confederacy/vampires to win the nation. The train scene and the Gettysburg battle scenes are some of the most incredible action sequences I've seen. I love how they used the Underground Railroad to get the silver to the Union with Mary Todd making the commands on the field-very awesome. Basically, the way I look at it Mary Elizabeth Winstead was the general. I was eagerly anticpating a showdown with her and Vadoma over what happened to Willie. It wasn't an all out drag down fight, but it was very well done and I thought that was how it should have been done. In the book, Mary Todd's role is not as big, and I was glad they added a little more to it here. They left out the Ford's Theatre stuff but they imply that Lincoln will live forever even if he isn't immortal. I liked the ending in both versions. Both versions end up in modern times, but are shown in different ways. It's to display the immortality of Henry in both instances. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I thought the action sequences, especially the ones I pointed out on the train and the Gettysburg battle sequences were very well done. I enjoyed the performances-Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benjamin Walker, and Dominic Cooper were excellent. Rufus Sewell was a great villain. He had an evil vibe to him and that's what he should give off. There were several instances of verbatim quotes from the book which is great to see. There were also some genuine comedic parts which is necessary after certain scenes. It's one hell of a thrill ride, and a fun cinematic adventure. It's not going to be considered a masterpiece and you shouldn't take it too seriously. I think it's really creative and love the blend of reality with fantasy like this. I will give this a 4/5 as it just kept me into the movie from start to finish and I enjoyed the differences made in the stories. I liked it because I didn't know exactly what direction they'd take it and that can be a good thing. I thought it worked well here. You won't get me to say a negative thing about this. I realize it won't appeal to everyone, but I definitely will be getting this on DVD when it comes out just because it certainly appealed to me. Smith's addition of characters and scenes to the movie felt natural for this genre. Everything was connected well and led to a good finale.

Rock of Ages Review

Though I was completely exhausted from my Current Events class today, Justin and I saw Rock of Ages on June 16, 2012. This movie was fun, entertaining, and an overall incredible experience. I knew that this was based off the hit Broadway play of the same name and going in, I knew it was a movie not to be taken too seriously and the actors would just have fun. I felt the casting choices made in this movie were very good and felt that Julianne Hough's Sherie and especially Diego Boneta's Drew did an excellent job of two kids that came from different backgrounds: Sherie is a SMALL TOWN GIRL. Drew is a CITY BOY. I purposely capitalized those by the way for a reason and you'll see as I delve into this for you. I felt it was actually a pretty cute storyline overall between the two of them. They are pursuing dreams to make it in the music business and overall, they do a great job of singing the songs they cover throughout the movie. There is a great storyline of rock and roll and how it has a major influence specifically in Los Angeles, California during the 1980s. There is the religious/political movement led by Patricia Whitmore, played by the absolutely gorgeous Catherine Zeta-Jones, and her husband Mike, who is the Senator, played by the Man of 1,000 Movies, Bryan Cranston-(he seems to be in everything honestly) that is trying to battle the corruption of society, specifically in the form of Stacee Jaxx played fantastically by Tom Cruise. If I could give a guess as to who he was supposed to be channelling, I would say it's a mix between Jim Morrison of The Doors and definitely Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses. He is scheduled to make his last appearance before he goes solo at The Bourbon Room which is important as this is where Stacee's first gig was and the man that helped him get it runs the bar. That man is Dennis Dupree who was played by Alec Baldwin. Him and Russell Brand's Lonny Bannett provided alot of great comedic parts. We see that Stacee is a tortured soul and has a bad boy reputation and I feel throughout the movie he is trying to redeem himself and make himself a better person. I think part of the reason he has such a bad boy image and personality is due to the way his management wants him to present himself. His manager Paul Gil was played by the awesome Paul Giamatti. He really played a perfect douchebag throughout the movie. Also, going back to Stacee Jaxx, one of his bodyguards was played by Kevin Nash, who some may know as a former professional wrestler in WWE, WCW, and TNA. What Justin and I found funny was that Stacee reminded us of Shawn Michaels from the 90s. He even had the same cowboy hat he would wear in his later run. Each storyline becomes intertwined as the love story spills over into the influence of Stacee Jaxx flowing into the anti-rock and roll music movement as well as the dangers of rock and roll, along with a couple of jabs at modern day society politically and socially. You can definitely see them. Most of the covers were very good. I LOVED when Patricia busts out Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar. I also really liked Stacee's Pour Some Sugar On Me-very well done. The whole idea of the movie is truly Don't Stop Believing: Sherie and Drew keep having to endure obstacles like Drew having to be in a boy band and almost selling out by joining that douche Paul, or Sherie having to resort to dancing in a gentleman's club. She gets help from Mary J. Bliges's appropriately named character of Justice. She was very good as well in this and can still belt out the tunes. Stacee gets some influence from positive people that come into his life such as Malin Akerman's Constance that helps him to realize how to grow up but still be a rock star. Patricia realizes that she is fighting a cause that probably can't be won, but then realizes that she is a hypocrite because she was on the other side of the fence at one point. I thought Catherine Zeta-Jones was awesome in this. Actually, I felt everybody did what they had to do to make the parts entertaining and keep the audience interested. They certainly did that. Two more covers I really enjoyed were the We're Not Gonna Take It/We Built This City mash-up with the conservative traditions battling the changing youth of society-very well done. I love that message personally. Of course as I said the Don't Stop Believing message was the overall theme and all the characters put together a really solid finale (which I assume is just as cool to see in the play). I really enjoyed this because I took it for what it was, a movie based off of a play that is strictly a fun musical with larger than life characters and the changes they make throughout the movie. Very well done in my opinion!!! Justin enjoyed this as well. I give it a 4/5 for the creativity, amazing music, and fun performances.

Snow White & The Huntsman Review

Justin and I saw Snow White & The Huntsman on June 2, 2012. Now despite the fact that it has been getting mixed reviews overall, I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with this. To be honest, of all the movies I've seen this year, this is probably my favorite thus far. Yes, I liked it that much. Not everybody will enjoy it as much as I did, but I am a fan of the fantasy genre, and different takes on classical stories (or in this case fairy tales). Before I get into this a major factor in the events centers around a prophecy and for fairy tale enthusiasts such as myself the three drops of blood. They end up being extremely important in the grand scheme of things. The story begins with the birth of Snow White to her royal mother and father. Snow White has a happy life living with her parents and good friend William who is also destined to be royalty. The mother passes away at a young age, while her father deals with threats to his kingdom. Around this time, a mysterious army springs up and he must take to the field to defend his kingdom. He encounters a young woman in a carriage amidst the chaos on the battlefield. This ends up being Ravena, played perfectly by Charlize Theron. She works her way into the king's good graces and through marriage becomes the queen. This is Snow White's birth right to be the Queen in hereditary right fashion. However, with the marriage Ravena will serve as Queen. At first she comes across as a sweet, young woman, but she quickly sheds the white and unleashes the dark as she slays Snow's father in their bed and takes over the kingdom. I thought it was very well done the way she went about taking over the kingdom. As soon as she had slain the father, her army comes into the castle imprisoning her threats, especially Snow White. The magic mirror tells her that Snow has the power to undo her beauty and power. We encounter Snow White, who has been locked in the northern tower for most of her youth. However she is now growing into a young woman. In my opinion, Kristen Stewart was excellent in this movie. I really thought her portrayal worked well. Ravena takes young maidens and drains them of their beauty in order to maintain her looks. It kind of reminded me of the legend of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who would bathe in the blood of young maidens to preserve her beauty. It is a curse of beauty. She is obsessed with staying young and beautiful. As she grows older, her powers wane. As Snow White grows up, the threat gets worse. With the aid of Ravena's brother and her Queen's Guard, she attempts to off Snow White immediately. However, Snow escapes the castle. Ravena begins aging rapidly. The queen summons a huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth fit into the role very well. Ravena wants him to take her to him so she can consume her heart and gain immortality. She also says that she will resurrect The Huntsman's wife if he does this. Snow encounters the Dark Forest. Amazing visuals at work here and later on in the Enchanted Forest. I thought the magic was captured very well. Snow White and The Huntsman meet up in the forest and realize through a bond that Ravena is against both of them. They join up on a journey to the Duke's (William's)castle to gain an army to lead an uprising against Ravena. Ravena is shown between intervals basically withering away and aging. She looks emaciated in one of the scenes. The encounter with the dwarves was handled well and I liked some of the casting choices such as Ian McShane and Bob Hoskins. They know of the curse and the prophecy, and Snow White is the key to life and can undo the suffering in the land. William learns that Snow White is alive. They are reunited. There were instances where scenes reminded me of Lord of the Rings with the journey to the castle and the dangerous obstacles to overcome along the way. Now, we all know that the poisoned apple would have to make an appearance. I really lked the way it was handled in this instance. Ravena is just obsessed with taking out Snow White and gaining immortality in the process. They also did a different take on the true love's first kiss, which worked well with the plot of the movie and the bond made over the course of the film. Snow White makes an impassioned speech to fight with her father's colors and take down Ravena once and for all. She will pay for the suffering she has caused. Ravena is draining every last maiden she can find. It was an eerie scene to say the least. I thought it captured the darker nature mixed in with the classic fairy tale very well. Ravena's outfit gets darker in each scene, which was very good symbolism of her getting more deranged and evil. The main battle scene was epic!!! Amazing battle at the castle with Snow in battle armor and taking her father's shield straight into the fire. The battle between Snow White and Ravena is amazing and there were some painful looking shots in the movie that made me cringe. Snow White spits out blood and its an all out battle with White vs. Black-incredible stuff!!! With Snow's gift of true life, it is her white magic that will counteract Ravena's black magic. I loved the shot at the end with Kristen Stewart in the red gown with the crown on her head ruling over her rightful kingdom. As I said, I really enjoyed Kristen Stewart's performance and it clashed well with Charlize Theron's darker personality in this movie. Unlike Once Upon A Time, you don't feel sorry for the Queen at all. In Once Upon A Time, Regina is my favorite character just because we have seen her journey and know that her mother is more like what Ravena is in this movie. Barbara Hershey's portrayal of Regina's mother is similar to Ravena, but Ravena goes farther over the edge. Ravena was an amazing character. I just wouldn't root for her to win. I was definitely Team Snow here haha!! However, in Once Upon A Time I'm always Team Queen, so it's very interesting to see how different you can make the same story. That's why I really love this kind of genre. Good action/battle scenes, a good mix of dark undertones mixed with the classic fairytale, good performances, and a fantasy backdrop make this a movie that I absolutely loved. Like I said, this movie is probably not for everybody, but for me it was everything I wanted to see from it. I definitely give this a 5/5. Can't wait to get this on DVD!!!