George and the Dragon (2004)

5.5/10

Good concept with a great cast but poor and very rushed execution.

Tagline: A knight returning from the Crusades takes on a dragon and becomes a legend.

James Purefoy, Piper Perabo and Patrick Swayze stars in this crusade comedy. A wonderful cast, could not save this poorly written and rushed film.

Character development is poorly done, and the story felt extremely rushed. The dialogue attempted at being humorous, but only achieved a faint tint of cheesiness that wasn't very classy.The princess (played by Perabo) was suppose to be this pro-protecting of dragons but her relationship with the female dragon and the reason for her disappearance wasn't well established.

It is a good film for kids to watch as the underlining message is very positive and in favour of protecting dragons instead of slaying them. But the story could have been with a tighter knit dialogue and slowing down the sequence of events.

War of Buttons (2011)

8/10 [Highly Recommended]

Tres Magnificent!!!!

Plot: In occupied France, Lebrac leads a play war between two rival kid gangs, but his feelings for Violette, a Jewish girl in danger of being discovered by the Nazis, encourage Lebrac to face the reality of what's happening around him.

I am so glad I ignored the rating from IMDB and watched this film. It is a heartfelt film set in a small town during world war II and their struggles to stay together under the Germany regime. War of Buttons mainly focuses on a group of kids of one town and a rival group of kids. What this film does so well is it uses this group of kids as a metaphor of the actual war that was taking place. This group of boys, led by Lebrac, goes through multiple battles with the rival town over buttons and territory like a mini war. Many themes (innocences, betrayal, love, hate, bond, friendship, battles, confidence..) are explored from this simple warring between the kids, as they experience the effects of the actual war that's taking place.


Not only is the acting from all the kids, especially Clément Godefroy and Jean Texier, absolutely amazing and realistic; This film stars one of my favourite French actors as well!! Guillaume Canet, who plays the school teacher, has been one of my favourite actors since the film Love Me If You Dare, making this film an absolute TREAT!!

I highly recommend this film. The underlining theme of the world war II mixed with the innocence of the children, well written/funny dialogue and superb acting makes this film a GEM

Lost Room (2006)

8/10 [highly recommended]

Despite some flaws, still mindblowingly awesome.

A detective investigates a mysterious motel room, which acts as a portal to alternate universe after he lost something precious in the room.

The Lost Room had me completely engrossed from the first episode, I was pulled in and couldn't turn away until it ended.

Premise of The Lost Room is astounding. Without giving too much away, Lost Room is about a motel room and the many contents that it came with. The room and each item has a different/very unique abilities that is attached to it. The mini-series is built around these items and the people who covet after them. I was completely absorbed by the different qualities given to the items and the way all the items comes together.

Despite the fascinating premise, there were certain flaws that made it hard for me to give this series a perfect 10. The mini-series had way too many characters and sub-plots that didn't get developed enough. The character relationship was lacking in material and emotion. The main character, Joe Miller, felt kind of one-dimensional and we aren't really told why he was so special in comparison to the rest of people whom were once involved with the mysterious hotel room.

Joe Miller's relationship with the different characters, eg with the girl interest Jennifer Bloom, was thin and rushed. Besides being a cop and single father, we aren't given much background about Joe  and yet almost everyone he meets seemed very inclined to help him.

Also the gun, the way he points it at people at such close distance can be so easily swatted away, yet no one seem to be capable of disarming him....(i know, this is just me being picky but nevertheless bothersome).

Overall, I did enjoy this mini series and highly recommend it. The main focus of the film (the special abilities of the motel room/items premise) does overshadow the flaws (the undeveloped characters/relationships).  Very entertaining and will keep you at the end of your seat!

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.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

4/10

Mediocre film that's not very thoughtful

Plot: Two seemingly dumb teens struggle to prepare a historical presentation with the help of a time machine.

When I started this film, I expected a ton of time travel that would make you think. What I received was a very linear storyline about two dumb and extremely dull teens who are caught up travelling through time in an attempt to finish a history report. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is just a bunch of different famous people from history thrown together in a phone booth....that's it.

Pros: The graphics and special effects for the late 80s is quite well done for this film. The different time period costumes are well done and detailed. The backdrop for each history time frame is believable

Cons: The time travelling aspect lacked in element and though. The story focused all of it's energy in introducing the viewer to the varies history time periods/personalities and spent no time on the effects of time travel has on the present/future. The dialogue was dull and the two main characters didn't appeal to me at all.

If you want GOOD time travel movie, DON'T bother with this one..you're way off base. I recommend you check out Back to The Future trilogy and Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel.

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.

The Core (2003)

5.5/10

Not the best apocalypse movie but not the worst either

Plot: The Earth's core has stopped spinning. Disasters are appearing all over the world: Birds acting crazy, powerful thunderstorms, 32 people die within seconds of each other when their pacemakers quit working. Dr. Josh Keyes and his crew of five (total members: 6) go down to the center of the Earth to set off a nuclear device to make the Earth's core start spinning again or Mankind will perish.

The Core isn't the best film about world disasters but it is fairly entertaining nevertheless. On one hand this film is full of action, explosions and a decent plot line. On the other hand, this same film is flawed, is predictable, riddled with cliches and doesn't have the best acting. When you balance the pros and cons, you are left with a brainless 135 minutes of overdramatic but entertaining film.

This film had potential to be so much better but failed to be much more then another forgettable action flick. The Core reminded me so much of the 1998  film Armageddon, where a group of drillers were sent to save the world, but sadly did not come to par with it. This movie lacked in the deep rooted character development, believable situation and better CGI.

The acting felt overdramatic and unreal, even with the amazing cast. The actors aren't completely at fault as the dialogue and interactions in between the characters are very underdeveloped. It felt as if someone in the editing room decided to cut out all the meaningful emotions and character depth leaving an empty fiery shell of people running around. Stanley Tucci and Bruce Greenwood kept the emotions going in the film with fairly good performances. I am a fan of both Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank but this film didn't do them much favour. DJ Qualls' character was my least favourite as it was way too dramatic, fake and forced.

I won't even go into the logic of how certain situations played out.

This film is for those who want to watch an exciting film without having to use their emotions/brain. Forgettable film

Galaxy Quest (1999)

8.5/10 [highly recommended]

Loved it...perfect balance of witty humor, action, alien, and sci-fi spoof

Galaxy Quest is about an alumni cast of a cult space TV show, "Galaxy Quest", have to play their roles as the REAL crew of an space ship when an alien race needs their help.

The moment Galaxy Quest started, I knew I was in for something special. I almost didn't watch this film when I first read the plot but I am so glad I gave this film a chance.

Galaxy Quest is spoof on sci-fi/fantasy/alien/outer-space/Star Trek. What audiences should be aware is that this film is about actors pretending to be the crew of a ship on a tv show. So it's actors acting to be "actors" who are pretending to be "crew" of a space ship.

The film begins by introducing the audience (us) to a fictional "cast" of the television show "Galaxy Quest" at a comic con type event. To those who are familiar, will see right of the bat that this film is a perfect spoof of Star Trek. The film even does a perfect job of replicating a comic-con full of sci-fi fans. Alan Rick is fantastic as the "Spock" of Galaxy Quest and Tim Allen was stellar as the captain. Rick, who also plays Snape in Harry Potter, was a joy to watch as he was so full of different facial expressions. I found myself laughing and completely absorbed on the ridiculously witty story.

My favourite element is that Galaxy Quest acknowledge the absurdity of TV and refer to itself. It does not use crudeness, obscenity or vulgarness to try and force a laugh. Rather is uses audiences' knowledge of sci-fi, television shows in general, and spoofs to create a masterpiece.

I love it. I most likely will watch it a couple more times because that's how many times it would need to see the sheer genius behind this piece of work.

Hugo (2011)

7/10

Wonderful cinematography, good editing, beautiful scenes... predictable storyline.

Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

 From the moment the film started, I knew I was in for some incredible scenes and editing. During the first 5 minutes, you'll notice one continuous should of Hugo running through the mechanical back rooms/chambers of the train station. This single shot goes up, down, spirals around, through, and over...never missing a beat as the camera seems to float behind Hugo. I am very fascinated in how this shot was accomplished.

 The colours and lighting in HUGO made the entire film feel almost dream like, which fit really well with the theme of the film. The almost cartoon feeling really asks your brain to try and detect whether what you are watching is real or animated. I felt myself suspended in wondering whether a scene was CGI or real people.

The story is quite predictable. Several times during the film, I found myself guessing how that act will end and how it will tie in with the final conclusion....each guess I made turned out to be right. When I first read the synopsis,  I was expecting that Huge witness a mystery that was full of twists so I guess that initial expectation might have made this film a bit less exciting.

Overall, I would recommend this film to those who enjoy a feel good, good cinematography, and cheerful family film.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

8/10 [highly recommended]

Daring, unique and brilliantly epic

Plot: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.

Inglourious Basterds doesn't try to find forgiveness, to be historically accurate or to please the audience. It is full throttle on being a dark, fun filled comic fantasy film about an alternative WWII where people fault back. I loved the dark humour and gore that filled this film from bottom up. The film uses all the human emotions and takes a shape of its own.

Tarantino knows exactly how much gore, crudity and length of each scene. Giving you enough to laugh while gagging. He toys with cliches and uses unexpected as well as expected moments to put together a piece of art work.

All the Basterds are a bit mad, which gives the film an edgy appeal. My favourite characters would have to be Donny Donowitz (aka bear Jew played by actor Eli Roth) and Hugo (portrayed by Til Schweiger) as they have real dynamic to the group.

Go watch it! It's a crude, gory, unsympathetic and very daring film that is just plain awesome! Not recommended to the squeamish and the weak hearted as it is gory.

Oh and don't take the film seriously because that's not the point of it.

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.

Ironclad (2011)

4.5/10

Honor and blood....a ton of blood

Ironclad is about in 13th-century England, a small group of Knights Templar fight to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John.

Ironclad is a straight forward story of a medieval siege with lots of action. The Acting and battle scenes in this film is believable and in tone with the film. James Purefoy as the lost soul and Kate Mara as the supporting are both gives a dramatic performance.

I don't blame the minds behind Ironclad for the slow-mo moments, dramatic die-hard elements, some cheesy dialogue and romance that was thrown in. A somewhat historical film with a simple storyline requires these addition to spice things up. Of course, Ironclad filmmakers did not fail to include a dramatic climax where all hope are lost but our hero saves day (oops, did I spoil the film for you? I mean it's pretty obvious something like this would occur..no?)

Oh and there's gore....don't say I didn't warn you...there's a lot of gore. The special effects make up team did a fantastic job of gore and brutality of the battle scenes that it can make your stomach cringe. I felt very uneasy as the effects of the killings are so realistic and gruesomely repetitive. Pretty much you can expect hands lopped off, bodies hacked in half and guts slashed open everywhere.

I'm not going to lie, this film is very entertaining... it has fight scenes, a love story, gore and explosions (yes, explosions. how you ask? watch the film and find out)...but this film is not very epic. It is made from the same cookie cutter that created Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and other action-packed movies with the exception that it is medieval and very very gory.

Don't expect too much but don't write this movie off either. Enjoy it for what it is...a blockbuster Friday night entertainment.

Brother Bloom 2008

 6/10


Funny at times, with cooky characters but not overly epic

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world. (imdb)

I read the IMDB plot (above) and was interested enough to check it out. The movie, for the most part, is outline with humor. I especially loved the character Bang Bang played by Rinko Kikuchi. Despite not having much dialogue, Kikuchi's performance was a joy to watch.

Brothers Bloom plays with the old theme of 'crying wolf' and does this so many times throughout the film that you never actually know when the film will draw its curtains.

The overall storyline is mediocre. I felt there could be more content with the story and more twists.

I recommend this film as a simple Friday night entertainment that has many snickering moments.

Ella Enchanted (2004)

6/10

Very cute, funny, clever play on different themes, good storyline BUT poor special effects

Ella Enchanted is about a girl who is under a spell to be constantly obedient, a fact she must hide from her new step-family in order to protect the prince of the land, her friend for whom she's falling. (imdb)

Here's what I love about Ella Enchanted

I love Anne Hathaway and I am surprised I haven't seen Ella Enchanted sooner. Hathaway is brilliant in this movie acting, singing, dancing and even fighting. Hathaway portrays a very funny Ella who has been "blessed" with the gift of obedience, having to do everything she's told. Ok, this gift sounds like the type of gift most parents would want their child to have, but this movie will show that even the "best"-and I say this with as much sarcasm as I can through writing- can have negative results.

The fairy tale story is very well written to involve elves, ogres, princes, evil figures, step mothers/sisters, talking books (of course some sort animate object that can talk), fairies and best of all a hero that will become queen. However, if you pay attention, you will notice that this movie cleverly adds many parodies and pokes fun at many of modern day themes and occurrence. Example, the play on 'botox' and the 'fan-club-craze' that seems very common nowadays. Grimm brothers were even referenced a couple times.

There are many hilarious moments that I couldn't stifle uncontrollable giggling. The brilliant performance from Anne Hathaway being one of the main cause of the humor, which the dialogue and script helps to emphasize. The obedient element was the best part of this film, causing much laughter and odd situations.

The ending song was very suitable..and the dance routine just cracked me up.

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This movie was close to a perfect fairytale flick but sadly there are parts that frustrates me.

The CGI and special effects was very mediocre and I always felt the presence of the green screen-which took away from the action on screen. It felt very stiff and the images didn't merge well.

The ending climax could have been treated differently-without giving too much away- I felt Ella's secret could have been revealed in a much more exciting/funnier way instead of the very rushed fight/explanation/scrimmage that was shown.

Another was how no one figured out to tell Ella to NOT listen to what people tell her to do unless she wants to/ think is right...I think that would have vetoed her from doing some of the deeds, BUT then again what fun would that have been?

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In conclusion, this is a fairytale comedy romance, so all the kinks in the movie kind of flowed well with the silliness of the content.

I RECOMMAND this to those who loved Princess Diaries, Enchanted, Devil Wears Prada, Nanny McPhee, She's the Man, Princess Bride (main male cast Cary Elwes actually played the king in Elle Enchanted) and What a Girl Wants.

It's silly but clever enough for a good time :)

Duma

5.5/10

Great sceneries, beautiful animal but with a very thin storyline that just doesn't feel all there.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

9.5/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]
An exhilarating finish to a magnificent series. Nostalgia

Harry Potter has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It is the book that has allowed me to see the joy in reading, so I feel very personal appreciation for the series.

The action is non-stop in this movie while staying true to the book. Never did I once feel like the movie was rushing or dragging out the story.

The acting is prefect, refined and to the point. Every character is portrayed beautifully with a respectable send off to the series. The trio Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint has carried this franchise so brilliantly and finished with an emotional compelling performance. Alan Rickmangave one of the most powerful and stunning performance of a character so tortured by his beliefs and love.

There are many sequences where I would be baffled if people didn't stifle a tear or choke a little. The flash back scene withSnapeHarry's realization of the truth scene, Neville's opposing stance scene, Lupin and Tonks lying next to each other scene...

There are so many prevailing themes in the book and equally in the movie. Belief, trust, redemption, love, determination, life and death.

Cinematography was done perfectly to show us . The special effects was done exquisitely, , bringing us right into the middle of each battle scene and each scenery.

I have been excited about this movie ever since the book came out in 2007, the year I graduated from high school. The final installment of the 7th movie finally arrived this year, which is also the year I graduated from University. It feels like the end of an era.

The end of the movie brought a smile and a tear. Bitter sweet as I came to realize that Harry Potter franchise has carried me from childhood, into high school years and past my Bachelors degree. Harry Potter not only initiated my love for reading but the series will always be my key down nostalgia lane.

I am definitely going to miss seeing this amazing cast together...

Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

8/10

Magical creatures and some fortunate (or unfortunate) chance of finding them.

Spiderwick Chronicles is a story about how upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures. Based on the book with same name by Tony DeTerlizzi and Holly Black. (imdb)

I have never read the book, so I am unsure how true the movie is to the story. Despite my unfamiliar knowledge of the story did not, in any way, effect my enjoyment of The Spiderwick Chronicles.

The movie gripped my interest from moment one and never let it go till the credits rolled.

The special effects are quite fantastic bringing everything to life. It felt like that the creatures, fairies and goblins are real enough to touch.

The acting are all believable and to the point.

There is much development in the characters and their relationship with each other. As the movie goes on, we see how the house and book brings each character together and allows them to see through the other's eyes. I really like the fact that the movie did not rush through the story but put focus on creating connections.

Cinematography and editing style also are worth noting. Notice how inanimate object are given close up shots before shifting to a creature/person. Also the very saturated colours of the film really emphasizes the fairytale aspect of this movie.

My favourite bit might be how the female character has fencing skills.

Overall I loved it. It is a great movie that seems to have everything from action, spells, mysterious creatures, humor to drama.

The Eagle (2011)

6./10

Entertaining but not epic

The Eagle is about Roman-ruled Britain, where a young Roman soldier endeavors to honor his father's memory by finding his lost legion's golden emblem. (imdb)

The action and fight sequences are shot well with some nice touches of cinematography throughout. I'm glad this film didn't let CGI take away the art of filmmaking.

The storyline start off nicely but towards the middle of the film it became flat. The ending was predictable fell short of being an epic. The end scene was very cliche resembling a "walking into the sunset" type of ending from old westerns.

Channing Tatum, has always been to me the perfect lead in rom coms (romantic comedy) so I was a tad skeptical going into The Eagle. HOWEVER, Channing did not disappoint and gave a good performance as Marcus Aquila, a young soldier looking to honor his father's memory. Jaime Bell as well did a fabulous job as the support role. The duo delivered a great performance, and I wouldn't hesitate to see them in a future project.

The part that stuck out was the very distinctive American accent in the film that doesn't quit suit the Roman aspect of the storyline. I guess it's not a big deal as this film appealed to be more of a entertaining blockbuster movie than it was historical.

The Eagle has lots of action/fight scenes, great costumes and Channing & Jaime are quite eye catching (ok this last bit is a ftw for the girls ;) )

Alive (1993)

8/10 [Highly Recommended]

A movie about the will to survive and the cost that comes with it
Alive is a powerful film based on the true story based "upon Piers Paul Read's 1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, which itself was based upon interviews with survivors of the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 on October 13, 1972." (wiki)

Alive captures the tension, determination and hope people have in tough situations. Each character express a strong and weak side in the situation. Each having to deal with loss and fear.


The fact this movie is based on reality makes this film all the more intense.

Zombieland (2010)

8/10
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

LOVE IT

Zombieland is a very smart film that intertwines many genres with the outcome of pure awesomeness. It is action packed, scary, thrilling, hilarious and heartwarming.

Zombieland offers you tips on how to survive in the event of an actual Zombie epidemic and if you follow the guidelines...you should be ok. The cinematography and sound effects works perfectly to create an eerie atmosphere with humor and romance sprinkled throughout. At times I wasn't sure whether to laugh, awwww or just jump (horror elements).

Great cast! Emma Stone, Abigail Berslin and Jesse Eisenberg all had fantastic performances. Absolutely love these three. My favourite was the cameo of Bill Murray, who plays none other than himself--Bill Murray.

Two parts that bothers me; a) why did the girls jump out of the car?? they could have drove gotta there. b) Bill, dressing up as a zombie and scaring the sh!t out of someone during a zombie epidemic...not smart...but hilarious!

If you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz then Zombieland is perfect for you!