Jack Reacher (2013)

6.5/10

Ok, so I have said before that I didn't like Tom Cruise action films but this one was quite enjoyable. Putting aside how true this film stayed to the book, I felt it was a decent.

Reasons why I enjoyed this fim: 1) stars one of my favourite actresses Rosamund Pike 2) the witty dialogue 3) the very slight undertone of humor. Rosamund did a wonderful job, she's the demzel in distress, not too difficult role but I like her portrayal. The dialogue in the film is worth a closer inspection, it is witty and at times quite funny. There was one incidence where Jack (Tom Cruise) was examining the weapon he was lent and his reaction to it left me laughing. This slight use of humor made the film stand out a bit, and reminded me a bit of Lethal Weapon.

Now as for elements that I didn't like. As usual Jack Reacher has the very typical cliche of hero who's ever so lucky, damzel in distress and different teers of bad guys.
Jack Reacher (played by Tom Cruise) is a military veteran who gets involved in a sniper investigation, and now must fight all odds to save the day. He is able to fend of bad guys left and right, and eventually [oh look this includes a spoiler] save the damzel in distress, Helen [portrayed by Rosamund Pike] after fighting off the group of bad guys.  If you're angry that spoiled it for you, I don't apologize because this is a fairly obvious part of this film.

Jack Reacher has all the elements of the typical action film with the different levels of bad guys. As you can see there is always one big boss, who in most cases is the weakest but has a lot of power/money. Next after the big boss is the right hand man, he is usually the strongest fighter, toughest to beat and will be the last fight sequence in the film. In most cases the bad guy would hold up a weapon to the the hero and talk for a while, but thankfully this was kept out of this film. This film also included the lowest form of bad guys, the goons and idiots who would try to kill the hero but each failing miserably. What this film does do quite nicely, is the fact that it makes fun of the goons and idiots with this one scene in the bathroom...for those who have seen the film will know what I mean, it is VERY humorous.

 So if you're into James Bond, Die Hard or Lethal Weapon...and have actually read everything I just wrote....then you have just made me really happy, and deserve my blessing to go enjoy this film.

John Carter of Mars (2012)

7/10 [highly Recommended]

underrated gem filled with rich characters and an incredible new world.

Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior.

 What's not to love? Action, fight scenes, alien creatures, civilization on mars, and Taylor Kitsch in the lead.

The story telling style of John Carter is very unique as it explores the world of both earth and mars. It is not a simple story to follow if you aren't paying attention. There are many characters, endless new vocabulary to get used to, and a lot of 'clans' that are at war with one another.

Taylor Kitsch is perfect as long haired hero, John Carter and Lynn Collins as the princess of Mars. James Purefoy's character is also worth noting as it brought much comedic element to the film.

Though the graphics was not as extravagant as Avatar is was very believable and real. I feel that I enjoyed John Carter more than Avatar, not because of the graphics but rather the story and character development. John Carter explored more character depth and has much more complicated plot.

I highly recommend this film and pay close attention, as it is a thrill ride from minute one.

Jackie Brown (1997)

6.5/10

Layers upon layers but no surprising conclusion.

A female flight attendant becomes a key figure in a plot between the police and an arms dealer.

Samuel L Jackson gave a great performance in this film. I felt myself despising him the moment the film rolled. His character had a sinister nice guy personality that makes you unsure whether to run away from him or to trust him.

This film had much of Quentin Tarantino's stylish touch to it, though the story didn't engage me but the filming technique kept me interested.

A visually appealing film that is fairly slow paced

Jurassic Park III

6.5/10

You basic adventure that is fast-paced and entertaining

Jurassic Park III follows a decidedly odd couple, the Kirbys, with ulterior motives convince Dr. Alan Grant to go to Isla Sorna (the second InGen dinosaur lab.), resulting in an unexpected landing...and unexpected new inhabitants on the island. (IMDB)

In this third installment of Jurassic Park, we have the Kirby's who convinced Dr. Grant to once again explore dinosaur infested island resulting in a fun movie with losts of chase scenes. This is different from the original in the sense that it is less horrifying, less gory and not as epic. HOWEVER, this movie is just as fun to watch as it is action packed and has many funny situations involving the couple and their ulterior motives on the island.

The story is flawed, like how

The acting is spot on and believable with the CGI-ed dinorsaurs. I like the casting of Alessandro Nivola as Billy the side-kick of Dr. Grant. William H. Macy and Tea Leoni plays the arguing Kirby couple generating many funny moments during panicky scenes, adding a nice balance to the serious tone. We are also joined by Michael Jeter, Mr. Noodle from Sesame Street, who plays a role very different from what I have seen him in.

Special effects and CGI both believable. Though I found the make up to be a bit fake. We see much smeared blood but not much of the actual wounds. I guess this movie could take some advice from Ironclad in the special effects make up team in the gore department.

Overall, entertaining and fun...that's what I was expecting when I went into the movie.

Jumper (2008)

7/10

Action packed, great cast, entertaing and not your typical superhero movie.

Watching Jumper for the second time today I noticed multiple elements that I never noticed in my first viewing. I paid more attention to the cast of the film as well as the characters portrayed. There's a message hidden in the movie that is different from the other superhero movies (Spiderman, X Men and Batman).

Casting is one element of this film that made me notice and liked the film. Hayden Christensen's portrayal is adequate and is able to keep the movie entertaining. Jaime Bell has always been one of my favourite actors thus I noticed him more in my re-watch of Jumper. Samuel L Jackson gives a fantastic performance as the much hated 'arch-enemy' type role in this film. His simple facial expressions tell so much. During one scene when he is stuck in the canons, you can read disbelief, humor and impressed look in his expression.

The concept of the film is simple but quite captivating. The action is non-stop, especially coming from the director of the Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs Smith. The special effects are not stunning but is believable and captivating in it's simplicity.

What I love about this film is all the different destinations the film takes you. We travelled the world within the two hours span going to Tokyo, Egypt, US and so forth.

I never liked the main character David (played by Hayden Christensen). I found him selfish and hot-headed. But his sly characteristics, I believe, is the hidden message that this movie is trying to unravel. Jumper questions whether if we had superpowers would we use it for the greater good and save the world? Unrealistically, everyone would say yes, but realistically we most likely would have done what David did with his powers.

At one point, when David is watching the news on TV he see footage of a flood. In superhero movies, the hero would go and save the day but David just smirks and flips off the TV. His actions demonstrate the exact opposite you would expect from a superhero. This is the beauty of this film, it doesn't play off typical 'save the day superhero' movies. The 'arch-nemesis' Roland (played by Samuel L Jackson) may be cruel in his actions but he is actually the guy trying to protect the world.

Overall a not-so-typical super power movie that is action packed, with a great cast and a fun concept that is definitely worth watching!