Rise of the Guardians (2012)

6/10

Flawed storyline but good feel good film for kids.

At times it felt like the film was trying too hard to take many well known myths and turn them real.

Has a few quotable and funny lines, but overall not as humor filled as Monster Inc.

Rust and Bone (2012)

7/10

This film is not easy to explain, It is raw and blunt– a punch in the gut, yet it is also a film of intelligence and sensitivity.

Plot: Put in charge of his young son, Ali leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Ali's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident

Rogue (2007)

5/10

Its bark scarier than its bite

plot: An American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback encounters a man-eating crocodile.

It is a very mundane creature feature, not much in storyline or in graphics. BUT it does have some amazing and stunning landscape sceneries of Australia.

The acting is not bad, with the at-the-time-not-discovered Sam Worthington and Michael Vartan.

 Rogue, although thin in terms of storyline/material, it is still an entertaining creature feature. I would recommend this to those who enjoyed Anaconda I and II. If you want something that mixes horror/creates/comedy, then I would recommend: Tremors, Eight Legged Freaks and Lake Placid.

Run Fatboy Run (2007)

7.5/10

Run Forest-I mean Fatboy Run!

Run Fatboy Run is about Five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day, out-of-shape Dennis decides to run a marathon to win her back.

Simon Pegg stars and David Schimmer directs. Last film I saw with the duo was in Big Nothing, which was pretty fun film to watch.

Simon, again, is fabulous as Dennis the average joe who wants to accomplish something for once in his life. I am adding this to the list of awesome Simon Pegg film collection.

Simple story made quite enjoyable with some extremely silly characters and well knitted dialogue. This film doesn't cause burst of hysterical laughter but rather is filled with subtle humor that keeps you snickering.

The funny thing is I watched this film while doing my own spin cycle on the exercise bike and what a motivation it is. After the film I wanted to go for a run, I might have to watch this film every time I feel lazy.

Lazy people who hates running be warned, this film is not for you even though it is funny, well written, and has amples of corky characters.

Run Fatboy Run review

Run Lola Run (1998)

7.5/10 [highly recommended]

Fast pace, enticing and great storyline

Plot: A young woman in Germany has twenty minutes to find and bring 100,000 Deutschmarks to her boyfriend before he robs a supermarket.

This German thriller is well made to incorporate both cartoon, action sequences and well oriented music. This film uses one simple event to demonstrate its effect on the lives of people who come into contact with it. Run Lola Run takes the one event and fine combs it to allow the imperfection to come out.

The use of of cinematography and cartoon appeal is absolutely wonderful in this film. It not only engages you but it also allows us to be in the mindset of the main character as she frankly attempts to stop her boyfriend from robbing a supermarket. Without giving too much away, everytime she comes into contact with a stranger we see this stranger's life flash before us in a series of photographs. This is a great effect in giving us a quick glance into the lives of others.

Wonderful film that is fast paced and really uses music well to help accompany this film. Love it and I highly recommended!

Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

7.5/10 [highly recommended]

Unique editing, hilarious, freaky and deep

Royal Tenenbaums is about An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when one of their member announces he has a terminal illness. (imdb)

An astounding cast of Gene Hackman, Angelica Huston, Danny Glover, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Bill Murray... coming togther and strengthening the overall effect of the funny yet poignant plot.

Royal Tenenbaums is able to take a simple plot and build a roller coaster ride of emotions and themes. Each character is carefully crafted and developed to bring out a different element in the film.

A single viewing of this film, for me, was not enough. There's so much detail in the editing, dialgue, characterization and camera angles that one view will not do the film justice. I recommend viewing this film multiple times and each time taking note of a different element.

Royal Tenenbaums is like a moving book. It has chapters where you 1) read, 2)imagine then 3)see. It makes the film so much more interesting because each page that appears, a different "rising action" will take place. It also gives you a chance to pause and think. [you'll know what I mean once you once the film...]

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! smart, funny, freaky, real, dark and deep.

Rookie Blue (2009-Present) TV series

8/10 [recommended]


Good drama supported by an amazing cast.

Rookie Blue follows the lives of five rookie cops from 15 Division in Toronto who have just graduated from the academy. They must learn not only to deal with their duties as police officers, but also deal with the problems and expectation of their families and friends. ( plot description from wiki)

Rookie Blue really captures the everyday lives both in uniform and out of uniform of the rookie officers. This series puts focus on the reality that these officers are people with their own concerns and life problems but they all share the same devotion to wanting to serve/protect.

The beauty of this show lies in the nice balance between character development and action. It doesn't have all the suspense and CGI of CSI but it has enough content to keep you glued to the screen. Rookie Blue is refreshing as it feels realistic and not overdone with special effects.

The cast is amazing, with many familiar faces. Missy Peregrym, whom I've been a fan of since Life As We Know (TV Series), is amazing as Andy McNally the tough rookie who rarely lets anyone in. Gregory Smith, from the old TV show Everwood that I watched when I was a kid, plays Dov Epstein is great. Eric Johnson, from season one of Smallville, portrays Detective Luke Callaghan.

Oh, did I mention, it's Canadian!

I really like this show for it's realistic appeal and simple editing technique. It is refreshing. I recommend people to give the show a chance, you may find yourself drawn into it.

Rise of the Plant of the Apes

7/10 [high recommended]

Powrful film.

During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom. (imdb)

I never liked the Planet of the Apes but found this one quite entertaining and realistic. The CGI and special effects overall is worth the viewing but there are moments where you notice that you're watching CGI.

The story is pretty basic. James Franco plays Rodman, a scientist who tries to find a cure for Alzheimer but even with his good intentions everything goes wrong.

James Franco again gives an amazing performance but his character's relationship with Freida Pinto's character is too blend. But I guess the thinness of the romance is to put the focus on Caesar, the Ape. This is the film time I have seen Tom Felton outside of Harry Potter. Felton's his role doesn't stray too far from Draco Malfoy as he plays Landon, a boy who is abusive and cruel to the apes that's in his care.

The power of this film comes from the fact that with all the experiements going on in the world, movies like Rise of the Apes may end up coming true...

Resurrecting The Champ (2007)

6.5/10

Don't let the 'sports film' description of this film fool you, this movie is much more than just another ugly duckling make it.

Resurrecting The Champ is about an Up-and-coming sports reporter rescues a homeless man ("Champ") only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect Champ's story and escape the shadow of his father's success becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family. (imdb)

This movie is inspired by the article "Resurrecting the Champ" by J.R. Moehringer which appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine in 1997. The movie did not follow the events of the article and journalist entirely as it exaggerated certain elements, but most of the story's main facts are true.

Starring Samuel L Jackson and Josh Hartnett, this movie goes to the heart of how much we try to make a name for ourselves only to realize that it may not turn out the way we want it to. Jackson is amazing in his role as a homeless man who's not always feeling 100%. When you are watching Samuel L Jackson as The Champ, you forget that he is Nick Fury (Iron Man/ Captain America), Mace Windu (star wars) or Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction. He embodies his role as the Champ so well that I am surprised he never won an Oscar.

Ressurecting The Champ is very a inspirational piece of filmmaking. It asks you to think about yourself and the way you preceive yourself and how you want others to preceive you. integrity, truth, preception, fame and responsibilities are some key themes that this film touches upon.

I would say this is a real gem of a movie. It isn't entirely epic, but you can walk away with so much from this movie.

If you don't end up watching this movie, at least remember this you are who you want to be, not what others say you are.

REPO MEN (2010)

6/10

After watching an advanced screening of Repo Men in Toronto last night, couple things jumped out at me. A) filming location, b) gore c) storyline.

About ten minutes into the film, murmuring filled the entire theatre as everyone had the same realization/recognition that Repo men is filmed in Toronto. The film didn’t seem to put any effort into set decoration, because of how easily identifiable the locations are. The TTC logo is clearly in view for the subway scenes, Eaton centre stands out and despite their attempt to hide it through CGI, it is still obvious Queens street is one of the filming locations. Recognizing the locations made it difficult to focus on the film. Then again, if you never been to Toronto, then this should not be a problem.

Unlike SAW series, the gore in this film is just right. Repo Men has gore interspersed throughout the entire film but not over done. Not to say the film isn’t gory, if you have a weak stomach than this is not the film for you. The film seems to use every kind of tool possible from hammers to pocketknives in its killing/fight/surgical scenes. Be ready to see ten different types of blood splatters, sprays and stains.

Repo Men sadly lacks in a solid storyline and character development. The main character (Jude Law) goes through one epiphany but that is it for entire film. The story seems to be pieced together somewhat randomly with attempts to add twists and turns. The film is not very thrilling, or suspenseful. The ending, even though it is unpredictable, isn’t shocking rather a bit disappointing. Overall the storyline lacked in meat and could have done better in character development.

Nevertheless the gore and premise makes it somewhat worth seeing.