Christ Centered Gamer

Alright, well, you asked.

The Lovely Bones - I actually wasn't expecting to, but I loved this movie. I can understand why other people wouldn't really enjoy it or maybe even appreciate it as much as I did, but I really got absorbed in the world that Jackson/Sebold created. And I can't even say that I'm a fan of Jackson (I loved Lord of the Rings; King Kong, I did not) but the film stylings, the performances, the utilization of CGI...everything was just perfect.* I can't really say it's a favorite movie, but I'll definitely have to digest this one another time.

The Book of Eli - Second viewing, still love it. And it actually does benefit from a second viewing due to the twist ending. Good performances, good action, good set pieces, great music. The only thing I wasn't totally buying is some of Carnegie's henchman, and the fact that Solara looked like a Gucci model. But, forgivable things in an enjoyable and thought-provoking flick.

How To Train Your Dragon - An interesting family movie that managed to keep my attention without annoying side characters and talking animals. I've always kind of had a soft spot for Jay Baruchel, and he does a fantastic job here. All of the other voice roles are filled nicely and the movie's strong themes hold it together. Good movie.

The Box - Was weirded out by this one. Not much redeeming quality in a script that's physically impossible to wrap your head around. It seemed in several ways to mimic the much more superior Donnie Darko, but couldn't come near that standard. Well worth skipping, because you won't find the answers that you're looking for, but Kelly doesn't really seem to make you want to care either.

Crazy Heart - Slightly better than average movie, but one heck of a tour-de-force performance for Jeff Bridges. He just so embodies his character that it makes it impossible not to route for his redemption. The movie expectantly hits all the familiar notes, but you'll mostly be too wrapped up in Bridge's performance (as well as some good supporting turns for Maggie Gyllenhaal and Colin Farrell) to notice.

Into the Wild - Everything comes together in this very immersive movie. I wasn't expecting to watch the whole thing (Meet the Parents had already failed in holding my attention), but I sat through the whole two and a half hours, enraptured by Christopher McCandless's journey. There's some principles well worth learning woven throughout the story, but I'm unfortunately unable to recommend it based on several scenes of semi-brief nudity. Oddly enough, the only nudity I actually thought was artistically necessary was male, in a very symbolic sequence involving Chris and the river. But yes, fantastic performances from an ensemble cast, good soundtrack, and good direction. I'm glad I have this one in my collection, but I will be very hesitant to lend it out.

The Karate Kid (2010) - I wasn't sure I wanted to see this movie since I have such fond memories of the original, and some of the looks of the remake looked sketchy at best (Main character being 12? C'mon.) Nevertheless, Jackie Chan can make almost anything awesome, so I decided to go for it. Jackie Chan was indeed, awesome, and for a good portion of the movie, I was pleasantly surprised. However, there was just one too many tidbits thrown in there that I thought didn't really work: The whole relationship between the kid and the Chinese girl was extremely awkward, the mysticism thing with the blue flame was extremely stupid, and I still enjoyed myself, but it was probably more my time in the movie rather than the movie itself.

If you have any other questions about the movies, don't hesitate to ask.

*perfect a figure of speech, and only my opinion at that.

Daredevil: Director's Cut

Hoo boy. I can't even begin to describe how much of an improvement over the theatrical cut this movie is. I despise the first film. Truly and completely, it is a film I cannot stand. But somehow, the movie that I hate, after being recut and supplemented, it astronomically better. It still has a lot of problems, mainly in the script, but the darker tone, edgier violence, lessened focus on romance, and an additional subplot make the film at least slightly above mediocre. Unfortunately, it still has that atrocious fight in the playground.

C+

THX 1138

In Lucas' full-length feature debut, this movie really appealed to me at first, since I'm a huge fan of this genre. However as time went on, I found myself more and more disinterested with the movie and wishing I was watching/reading 1984 instead. I did notice elements that were later to be in Star Wars, though. Perhaps I need to watch it again, perhaps not. In any case I wasn't impressed with anything but the cinematography.

6.7/10




Moon

I had been told of this for a little while, and the family and I decided to give it a whirl.

What a fantastic movie. It does have a light 2001... feel to it, but it still maintained it's originality and I was still enthralled at the end. I've been on a mind-blowing movies spree lately and this did not disappoint. The cinematography was excellent, although some of the editing was a bit clunky. All in all it's a great movie and I suggest it for everyone that does not mind a moderate amount of language.

9.2/10

Prince of Persia

Soooooooo. On the one hand, I don't have a lot of experience with series to base this on... but it doesn't seem terribly well linked to my understanding of the game. On the other hand, I did have a lot of fun with it. Not mindblowing, but still enjoyable.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

More entertaining than I thought. Though I'm disappointed in their portrayal of Hades (the locale. I actually liked the leather punk rock look for the person) and the fact a teenager somehow managed to steal Zeus' lightning bolt. If Zeus lost it that easily...he doesn't deserve to have it.

Chozon1 wrote:Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

the fact a teenager somehow managed to steal Zeus' lightning bolt. If Zeus lost it that easily...he doesn't deserve to have it.

This.


Ghost Rider

Always interesting to watch a secular view of heaven, hell and how it all "works".

The Bounty Hunter

Yep. I officially loved this movie. It wasn't the most original or amazing movie ever, but for a comedy with bits of romantic drama and detective drama blended in... it was pretty solid.

And it had one of my favorites in it.

And I lol'd... a lot.

I love Ghost Rider. XD It is, perhaps, my favorite superhero movie. That, or Iron Man. Despite it being...off, in it's theological outlook. At least it clearly shows you can't trust the devil, and that motorcycles and mysterious western strangers are FREAKING EPIC AWESOME.

That movie with the title about a melee attack and hindquarters... with a name I probably can't say here. >.>

Whatever the case... I totally loved this movie. I will be seeing it again. Excellent characters. Great story world and premise. Hilarious execution. Yeah. I definitely loved it.

Obligatory warning: Lots of violence, a bit of language, and some sexuality earn the film's R-rating.

Repo Men

Somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Even though it draws heavily from Repo! The Genetic Opera, it still manages to be a decent action thriller with plenty of gore. Jude Law Forest Whitaker, and Liev Schrieber turn in deliciously over-the-top performances.

B+

Operation: Endgame

Very, very average. It had a fantastic cast (Rob Corddry, Zach Galifianakis, Odette Yustman, Jeffrey Tambor, Ving Rhames), but the material they were working with was not that impressive. It's a fun battle royale style movie where the entertainment comes in guessing who's going to bite the dust next, and Galifianakis is surprisingly menacing. Unfortunately, with such a massive cast and such a short running time, none of the characters get their deserved screen time.

C+

Chloe

Some very graphic sexual content, but it was also an exciting and occasionally touching thriller that kept me guessing. Good stuff if you can get past the very graphic content. I'm talking a Basic Instinct level of sexuality here.

A-

Toy Story 3

I darn near burst into tears a couple of times in this movie. The ending scene in particular required some utterly superhuman face scrunching to keep the tears from flowing. A perfect conclusion to one of the best movie trilogies of all time, and one of the best animated films I have ever seen. Also, one of the best films of the year.

A+

Heartless_Gentleman wrote:Toy Story 3

I darn near burst into tears a couple of times in this movie. The ending scene in particular required some utterly superhuman face scrunching to keep the tears from flowing. A perfect conclusion to one of the best movie trilogies of all time, and one of the best animated films I have ever seen. Also, one of the best films of the year.

A+

I knew there had to be some sensible people around this site somewhere!


Planet 51

With it being the reverse situation, Aliens in the 1950s and us the 2000s. Astronaut lands on the alien planet and nearly wets himself when he sees aliens. Some pretty funny scenes and the twist on alien movies with us as the bad guys was great.

B+

Gran Torino

Great, minus some excessive language.

A-

Zombieland


Oh, how can someone not love this movie? "Believe it or not, Twinkies have an expiration date. Some day very soon, Life's little Twinkie gauge is gonna go... empty." despite the constant use of the F bomb and an occasional other swear word and the stripper zombie at the beginning (O_o I nearly threw up when I saw that) it's a pretty good show.

32 rules to surviving Zombieland:

1. Cardio
2. Double Tap
3. Beware of Bathrooms
4. Seatbelts
7. Travel Light
17. Don't/Do Be A Hero
18. Limber Up
22. When in Doubt, Know Your Way Out
31. Check the Backseats
32. Enjoy the Little Things

B+

Whisperer Of The Heart...great Miyazaki movie

Halo: Legends

Eh... it was interesting. The various styles of animation ranged from good to alright. The stories similarly ranged from silly to great. The Origin's were interesting, giving some background.

Odd One Out was just plain silly. I mean, they've got an apparently normal girl swinging a tree like a baseball bat.

Homecoming provided some views into the world, but didn't really have much of a story. It felt disconnected. You've got two clips from one character's life, but there doesn't seem to be much of a parallel between the events, and the latter of the two is completely without context.

The Package simply delivered action. There was a bit of a story, but really it seemed all about the action. It was interesting that it switched into the game's display a few times during the run-n-gun scene.

Prototype was easily my favorite since they establish a connection to the main character, and walk you through a brief bit of development. Plus, a good bit of action.

The Duel was good, though I wasn't very fond of the messy style, though I guess it worked. Also, I had a hard time telling if the Elites were actually supposed to be Elites. Most scenes they don't have the split mouth.

Last, the Babysitter. Probably liked it about as much as the Duel. Like with Homecoming there's not much weight to the story, though there is some context. However, like Prototype there is some character development.

Eh, could stand to watch it again to perhaps pick up on more subtle elements. Might not help that I'm not familiar with much beyond the games, which might give some more context to the stories. Also, those are completely out of order.