The Dark Knight Rises Review!

It’s been 7 years since Christopher Nolan introduced us to his vision of Batman in the movie Batman Begins. I just can’t believe it’s been that long. I haven’t watched that movie in almost 3 years, and yet the experience, story and memorable characters are still very fresh in my memory. Then 3 years later, Nolan presents The Dark Knight. Wow! That was, and still is an amazing, epic, and astonishing movie that easily outshined the first movie. I almost forgot about Batman Begins for Nolan tied the two movies so well that I felt I was watching one complete story. Long live the Heath Ledgers version of the Joker! 

Christian Bale as Batman

After 4 years of waiting, the final chapter to Nolan’s Batman trilogy has finally arrived. The Dark Knight Rises is entertaining. I went to the midnight showing, and after realizing the movie was 3 hours long, I was a bit worried that I would dose off. Not once did I fall asleep. Even without air conditioning and feeling uncomfortable, I was still engaged and interested. Maybe It was a lot to do with the fact I was excited to see this movie.

I am not going to dig into the story too much to spoil it, but Nolan delivers an excellent story. He presents a Batman that has aged, and lost his since of purpose, but rises again to bring a final epic conclusion. There are moments in the movie that felt drawn out, but it wasn't to bad to hurt the overall flow of the story. He ties the three movies well, that you will definitely feel this is the final chapter for Batman.

Marion Cotillard as Miranda

With so many cast members from all three movies making appearances, there was a lot of things going on. Some characters like Miranda played by Marion Cotillard becomes a love interest for Bruce Wayne, and plays a big role in the Wayne Company, yet she felt out of place given how little screen time she recieves, especially for the role she plays in the main story. Some may argue the movie had too many characters that Bane and Catwoman did not have enough screen time. With the roles they played, I believe they both had a good balance of screen time to present their stories. I also felt Batman had less screen time in this movie compared to his previous movie. I don’t think that hurt the movie for it was crucial each supporting character had screen time to tie things together and provide a memorable conclusion for Batman.

Tom Hardy as Bane

If you are not familiar with the Batman universe, Bane is Batman’s greatest adversary who was the only villian to break Batman’s back. In this movie Bane is physically and intellectually a dominating figure played by Tom Hardy (Warrior), who is the main antagonist or is he?  I was curious how one would present a character like Bane in a realistic setting. I got say they did a good presentation of Bane. Hardy’s version of Bane is a brutal, no holds barred character with I am the man complex personality with brains. Some may complain Hardy played him too much likes a Sean Connery impression, but I think Hardy captured his personality close enough. Bane is also a bit small compared to the comics. He was over 7 feet tall, but in the movie he was equal to the size of Batman, however, the cinematography presented a physically dominating figure. If Bane was any bigger his character would feel unrealistic, so I was happy with his physical appearance. I also like the breather mask he wore. It provided a more realistic feel and menacing appearance compared to the cheesy wrestling mask presented in the comics.

While, Bane’s background is not true to the comics, similarities to his origins are still in place, like his time in prison and connections. Also don’t expect a monstrous Bane to appear. The drug like venom that he is known to use to increase his physical appearance even more is not presented in the movie. He also does not have his famous tubes proliferating from his back to indicate he was even using venom. As dominating as Bane may be in the comics, that version would not translate so easily into a real life setting, but the one in the movie did. Hardy delivered a superb performance that was essential to delivering an epic conclusion with his version of Bane.

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman

With so many characters already in the mix, Nolan manages to present two key characters that leave you wondering what part they play in the movie. One character in mind is Selina Kyle aka. Catwoman played by Anne Hathaway. Catwoman has been presented in so many ways, that I was hoping for something refreshing. Hathaway delivered just that and boy was she hot! She didn’t purr, clean herself by licking her leather or meow like previous actresses. Although, I will always remember Michelle Pfeiffer's version of Catwomen. That style of acting would not fit in this movie given its presenting a more releastic character. Hathaway presented us a unique character that was ferocious, cunning with a feline attitude without being to cat like. Her outfit was simple and wore night goggles that left the impression she was wearing cat ears, which was pretty cool. She brought a unique twist to the story and a complex relationship with Batman that left you wondering if she was good or evil. Hathaway’s performance was outstanding, and is among one of the better presentations of Catwoman.

Joseph Gordon Levitt as John Blake

The other character is John Blake played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is a rookie cop that exhibits a lot of courage and bravado. He can handle himself well and grew up in an orphanage that was supported by the Wayne family. He also figured out who Batman really is and learns the true nature of the world from Commissioner Gordon and Batman. Many believe he is Robin, but the original name of Robin was Dick Grayson. He also did not accompany Batman as a sidekick in this movie, so who is he exactly? Pay close attention to this character and you will find out more. Levitt does a superb job of delivering a mysterious and unique character leaving you with a lot of questions.

Overall, Christopher Nolan provides a great conclusion to an amazing trilogy that sets a new standard for future superhero trilogies. Nolan truly is one of the best, and probably is the best superhero director and story teller of our time. I give Dark Knight Rises an impression score of 3 out 4 smiles.  Althougth the story is not as solid as the Dark Knight, it still provides a great performances across the board ending with a unique closure to a great trilogy.

Wrath of the Titans Review

When I read there was a sequel being made for the Clash of the Titans, my mind automatically concluded the movie was going to be horrible. For the life of me I could not picture a sequel. The remake of the Clash of the Titans did not deliver a great story to really warrant a sequel. Don’t get me wrong, there were moments in the remake I did enjoy, but mostly it was because of the amazing CG and action scenes. Of course, I still prefer the original movie because it presented a better story on why Perseus went on the epic journey.

After finally watching the Wrath of the Titans, I was actually entertained, especially because of the action. There was something about the presentation that was more enjoyable than the remake. I think the story was better, probably because it was not trying so hard to overshadow a classic movie since it was its own unique story.

Sam Worthington as Perseus

If you know anything about Greek Mythology you will kind of understand the premise of the story of the Wrath of the Titans. Basically, Chronus and the Titans was overthrown and imprisoned to Tartarus (a pit like abyss and maze) by Zeus and his siblings making Zeus the king of the gods. The story takes place when the gods was less favored by the world giving Chronus a chance to break free from his imprisonment using Hades and Zeus’s son Aries to help him escape. After further events Perseus, who is the son of Zeus played by Sam Worthington and Agenor, who is the son of Poseidon played by Toby Kebbell begin an epic journey accompanied by Andromeda played by Rosamund Pike, to forge a weapon that was used to imprison Chronus to defeat him.

Rosamund Pike as Andromeda

In the original movie Andromeda was an innocent princess who was to be sacrificed to the Kraken, but was saved by her love one Perseus. In the Wrath of the Titans they upgraded Andromeda’s character; making her a warrior queen, who lead battles and accompanied Perseus to defeat Chronus. Since Perseus’s wife was dead and a single parent raising a son, Andromeda was now a love interest for Perseus. I like the idea the love between Perseus and Andromeda was rekindled in this movie, but since the love between the two was missing from the Clash of the Titans, it didn’t really portray the strong love Perseus really had for Andromeda. After all, it was originally the love for Andromeda that Perseus went on the epic journey to defeat the Kraken to save his love in the first place. It’s too bad they did not present the love between the two during the remake. It would have made a more epic presentation when they finally fell in love in this movie.

Although, Sam Worthington played Perseus well, his character seemed a bit out of touch. You have hero who defeated a number of legendary monsters during his journey in the Clash of the Titans, and yet he seemed a bit lost. It’s like he lost all his heroic personality. Maybe it was the lifestyle he was living that made him too timid. Eventually, he does become heroic, but not as compelling as he was during the Clash of the Titans.  

Where the movie takes off is in the action sequences and CG presentations. The movie presented amazing battles scenes. And the presentation of Tartarus was so epic that it showcased a maze so confusing that you would not want to be exiled in such place.  The acting was ok, but it was the action scenes that made this movie truly entertaining.

I give Wrath of the Titans an impression score of 3 out of 4 smiles. Great entertainment worth watching, especially if you are a fan of Greek Mythology and action movies!

Machine Gun Preacher Review

When a movie is based on real events, I just can’t help but to watch it. There is something about real life stores that are intriguing and entertaining. Plus after watching, I end up get educated into a topic I was interested in knowing more about, which is awesome! 

Gerard Butler as Sam Childers

Machine Gun Preacher is about a good for nothing biker who commits crimes, a drug addict and a horrible husband and father named Sam Childers played by Gerard Butler (300).  Sam comes home from prison and finds his wife Lynn Childers played by Michelle Monaghan (Source Code) has found God. 

Michelle Monaghan as Lynn Childers

Sam does not take this news well, and goes crazy, seeking drugs and commits crimes. I honestly don’t know what Lynn even saw in this guy. Even the way Sam treated his child provided more than enough reasons to why they should no longer be together, but the wife stuck it out. Crazy things people do for love!  

Eventually, Sam ends up killing someone, or so he thinks, and puts him over the boiling point leading him to seek his wife’s help that ultimately guides Sam to finding God.  One encounter with a preacher from Uganda helps Sam find a purpose that begins his crusade to help Sudanese children who are forced to become soldiers to fight to kill its own people.

To have the story based on real events is so inspiring. You have this guy who lived a horrible lifestyle, went to jail, was a dealer and drug addict, then finds faith, but gets absorbed in a world that is more horrifying than his own lifestyle. It’s surprising what a person has to go through just to support people who need help. I just cannot understand why people can easily look the other way for small amounts of money to help people more in need.  It just shows how money is such an evil component in our society.

I admire Sam Chandler for his bravado and commitment to help people more in need. To risk his own life, and to fight with a liberation army to save children being forced to be soldiers only to end up receiving a bounty on his head is beyond being a hero. It’s too bad we don’t have enough people like him. The world could sure use more people who truly care about people around the world.

Gerald Butler was awesome; I was moved and inspired by his acting abilities and after reading a little bit about Sam, Gerald did an admirable job of presenting Sam Chandler.  The cast supported Gerald Butler well, and presented a captivating and emotional story that kept me interested.

This movie is worth watching, especially if you are into real life stories. You will feel moved and emotional for it touches a horrible topic that still continues to this day.  I give Machine Gun Preacher an impression score of 3 out of 4 smiles.  Great entertainment worth watching!

The Flowers of War Review

The world has so much history to offer that seeing a movie tell a story about a horrible event in history can leave you speechless and pondering over why things like that could happen. The movie ‘The Flowers of War’  did just that, it made me feel speecheless. Telling an emotional story about the rape of Nanking in 1937 and the brutal nature of an invading army and the inhumane behavior the army conducted towards civilians.

John Miller played by Christian Bale

The story starts with an American mortician named John Miller played by Academy Award winner Christian Bale. Who is sent to Nanking to prepare the body of a father of a church, but arrives during the time when the Japanese army invades the capital of China, Nanking. John barely survives and finds himself stranded in a church full of school girls and a bunch of prostitutes who took refuge in the church. Eventually, the Japanese army enters the church and begins hunting down the school girls to conduct sexual pleasures. John struggles with this and tries to put a stop to it by pretending to be the father of the church to stop the Japanese soliders, but is ignored.

Yu Mo played by Ni Ni

After further events the Japanese army leaves them in peace until the Japanese Chief Commander requests the presence of the school girls to attend a celebration. John refuses but is given no choice in the matter. John knows full well what will happen to the school girls, so he moves ahead with his escape plans, which leads to the sacrifice of the women he falls in love with named Yu Mo played by Ni Ni.  

This is an emotional story about the struggles of a bunch of church school girls and prostitutes and the sacrifices they made to keep each other safe. There are moments in this movie you are left with watery eyes and full of anger. In some parts of the movie I was left speechless. I could not believe this was allowed to happen back then, but then again, inhumane actions towards civilians still happens today.

Overall, the cast presented a captivating, heartwarming performance that left you feeling remorse, anger and sadness throughout the movie. ‘The Flowers of War’ is a must watch for it is a dramatic portrayal of a horrific time we should never forget.

I give ‘The Flowers of War’ an imp score of 4 out 4 smiles.  Excellent entertainment. A must watch!

Sector 7 Review

Being a fan of movies I get cravings for certain movie genres and I get into this phase where I start exploring the internet for movies I may be curious about. A few nights back I was interested in watching a monster/horror movie and I came across this movie called ‘Sector 7’. 

Sector 7 is a South Korean movie about a crew of oil workers stationed on an oil platform somewhere in the ocean seas. The movie starts off with a flashback about an oil exploration that goes wrong. Several years later a new expedition begins in the same location in the area called Sector 7. 

Cha played by Ji-won Ha 

The movie casts a number of unknowns, along with a lead actress named Ji-won Ha who plays the main character Cha / Hae-jun. Cha is obsessed in finding oil and making it big. After several attempts, she and the captain don’t see eye to eye and the captain informs the crew the project will be closing down. Cha is furious and declares she will stay and continue the search for oil. This causes tensions with the captain and the arrival of Cha’s uncle, who has a past history with Sector 7. Leading to events that brings a path of death, chaos and a monster hunting for prey.

The cast didn’t do a bad job; it’s the lack of blood, gore and scary moments that made this movie feel like it was rated G. The monster was creative, but lacked a menacing and horrible presence. The monster attacks could have used a bit more creativity, blood and gore. I don’t believe I ever noticed the tentacles being used as a weapon except to grab people. Oh, wait! There was one moment where it stabbed someone to grab them, but that was mostly it. And I don’t believe I noticed anyone getting mauled or torn apart visually by the monster. The TV show, ‘The Walking Dead’ had better cinematic gore with zombies than this movie. That’s pretty sad given a TV show can out shine a movie in the gore department.

Overall, it was an ok movie, with great action scenes to make it worth renting. However, Sector 7 was to timid to be considered a horror movie, and to mild to be a monster thriller that I am used to watching. Also note this is a foreign movie with subtitles. If you don't enjoy reading during a movie, then I would consider skipping this movie.

I give ‘Sector 7’ an imp score of 2 out of 4 smiles.

The Amazing Spiderman Review

I have always been a big fan of comic books and especially the idea of presenting superheroes to the big screen. One thing I don't like is the lack of progression of stories from these movies.

While the Amazing Spiderman does present a new villian and story arch; it still tries to educate the audience on how Spiderman was born. Why! Just because we have a new actor does not mean we need a reboot. And yes, it’s been 10 years since the first Spiderman with Tobey Maguire, but honestly, do we really need to be told again how Peter Parker became Spiderman?  The story that was told from Spiderman in 2002 is still fresh in my mind and probably with many other viewers. Retelling the story in a different viewpoint does not present a better Spiderman; it just adds to confusion on the origins of Spiderman.

Andrew Garfield as Spiderman

Now for the new actors;
Peter Parker played by Andrew Garfield and Gwen Stacy played by Emma Watson had a great onscreen chemistry. Garfield played Spiderman and Peter Parker with a darker presentation. He showcased a more annoying and quirky personality, which to me was closer to Peter Parkers personality in the comics and other stories. This adaption helped separate Garfield from Tobey Maguire’s version of Spiderman and allowed us to see his own talents come forward.

Rhys Ifans as Dr. Connor/Lizardman

Dr. Connors and the Lizardman played by Rhys Ifans did a great job of presenting a complicated and confusing doctor. When the Lizardman was finally revealed; it felt realistic and life like.  The fighting scenes between Spiderman and The Lizardman were action packed and breathtaking to watch.

Overall, presenting a new villain not seen in previous Spiderman movies really expands the story of Spiderman and that is what makes it more enjoyable to watch, for it was entertaining, action packed and fun. I think Andrew Garfield did a great job with his Spiderman presentation and I look forward to his next Spiderman movie.

I give The Amazing Spiderman an imp score of 3 out of 4 smiles. Great Entertainment worth watching!