Walking into Star Trek I wasn’t expecting much. I actually didn’t know what to expect, I hadn’t seen a trailer and I hadn’t once seen a Star Trek episode or movie. All I knew was the names Captain Kirk, Spock, Sulu, and Scotty, and a few of the alien species names. I had no knowledge of the show other than a few names and a few famous quotes. I was just never that interested, but I was interested to see why there was such a following and I thought this would be a good place to start. As it turns out, I was right.
My expectations were certainly exceeded for many different reasons. First of all, I wasn’t expecting anything out of the actors mainly because the two main characters were being played by actors I had never heard of. I thought the acting was actually pretty top-notch, nothing oscar worthy of course, but very entertaining and believable. Chris Pine was able to perform fantastically with Kirk’s huge ego and same goes to Quinto with Spock’s highly intelligent dialogue, also more minor characters that I loved were Simon Pegg as the famous “Scotty” and Eric Bana did a fantastic job as the menacing Captain Nero, the main antagonist of this film.
Everything about this movie was very colorful and visually appealing. It told a story that needed to be told and it told it very well. Everything about the film was just exciting, the action was big, colorful, and fun, while the dialogue was quick and executed very well. I have never seen a Star Trek episode or movie before this one and I most certainly will see the many sequels that will follow this one. I would recommend it to anyone who’s in the mood for entertainment. You don’t have to be a fan of the series, I’m can attest to that.
Watchmen was one of those movies that you walk in expectations. It wasn’t a movie you were dragged to knowing that it would be terrible, and it wasn’t a movie (atleast not for me that it) that you’ve been anticipating for half a year expecting greatness and nothing short of it. It was a movie that could’ve been terrible, amazing, or decent. And for me, it hit the latter category straight on the nose. Watchmen was a decent movie, that’s all it was. Its not amazing like the die-hard comic book loving fan might tell you, and its not terrible like the average blockbuster movie watching guy, who was expecting an action packed superhero movie and got something completely different, might tell you.
I enjoyed Watchmen because it wasn’t your average super hero movie. It was a 2 hour and 40 minute movie that did have some action, but also it told a story that had many philosophical points to make. It also, while throwing much intelligent imagery and symbolism at you, formed itself as a criticism on both society and comic book movies. It sort of did to comic book movies, what Scream did to slasher movies, if you can understand what I’m trying to say. I did enjoy that aspect of it.
While being a very different comic book movie, I still had many reasons I didn’t enjoy it, which is why, even with its creative ideas and writing, it still wouldn’t be very high on a top comic books movie list because movies like The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Sin City, and V for Vendetta, still pass this movie by leaps and bounds. During this extremely visibly long movie, a very well-thought out story was told that I’m 100% sure was better in comic book form, but my problem was that it was a very inventive story that was told through characters that I did not enjoy watching on screen (for the most part). For a movie thats almost three hours long you have to enjoy almost all of the characters that have a lot of screen time and I only enjoyed two of them.
Don’t get me wrong, the two characters I enjoyed were great, and acted well, but one of them didn’t even have much screen time. Those two characters were Rorschach and The Comedian. Now Comedian was certainly not a character you were supposed to like because he was the definition of an ass hole, but I loved the guy, he ate up every scene he was in with a passion. Rorschach was another great character. Rorschach was by far the best character in the movie and one of the main reasons the movie was worth watching. I enjoyed every second he was on screen.
Unfortunately there were some characters that I absolutely could not stand. Particularly Dr. Manhattan a.k.a. the glowing blue guy who could literally do anything. The delved way too far into this character and a few others that just didn’t do it for me. All and all Watchmen was probably one of the greatest graphic novels ever written, I can tell that from watching the movie because it was a movie that would work so well in comic book form. Because of its praise, it had to be made into a movie and it was decent. It was good, but Its not one of those movies that I’m jumping to see again anytime soon.
Friday the 13th was a great homage to not just the orignal series that basically started a hybrid of horror films (Friday the 13th and Halloween are what basically started the slasher genre), but also all classic slasher films. A clever and entertaining genre that is able to still bank today. There are two different types of horror movies. Movies that try to scare you long after the films credits through mental terrorism (The Shining, Exorcist, Poltergeist) and slasher movies that just entertain you in a way that makes your heart pump, they try just to make you jumb out of your skin and make you wonder what you would do in a situation like this.
I don’t know why, but I was expecting a lot out of Friday the 13th. I was expecting a dark, moody, realistic homage to what make this genre watchable. Well, Friday the 13th wasn’t nearly as good as it could’ve been, but it also wasn’t nearly as bad as it could’ve been if it was directed by Rob Zombie or someone. The movie started off exactly how I would’ve hoped and if it kept that same momentum that it instilled in the first 25 minutes, I would’ve enjoyed this movie just as much as any of the classics. The first half hour of the movie brought with it such a dark and moody tone, I was loving every second, but I just couldn’t say the same about the rest of the movie except for the end.
If you love the genre as I do, you’ll think the movie was enjoyable at times, and most of all, you’ll love both the first thirty minutes and the last minute, but the rest won’t be nearly as good as it could’ve been. The rest of the movie followed the brother of one of the victims of the first 30 minute slaughter and a different group of rich attractive teenagers. This hour is the hour the brought the corny deaths, the corny lines, and the above all else, campiness that could’ve been avoided this time around, but wasn’t. This entire movie was full of parts that I love and parts that I hated so it was what it was, average, while it could’ve been exceptional.
There’s only one reason I saw this movie and that of course was Liam Neeson. He was the perfect pick and did a fantastic acting job, unfortunately I can’t say that about anyone else. I was expecting a lot more out of this movie, but what I got was highly predictable and unimaginative. They could’ve done a lot more with the simple plot, but instead just did what all films about basically the same plot do. Most might find the action in this movie entertaining, but I wasn’t amused by the many action scenes in the movie.
The movie had the simple plot of a daughter going on a vacation and getting kidnapped. Then her, ex-CIA agent, father goes on a quest to save her. Now a simple plot can sometimes be a lot more powerful then it seems, take No Country for Old Men example. This is not one of those movies. It was just like any one of the 50 Harrison Ford movies about the same thing except with a better actor thrown in. Now one of these stereotypical kidnapping movies haven’t come out in a while so the public was blind- sighted, but I was not very entertained. The only scenes I really fully enjoyed were the dialogue scenes involving Liam Neeson.
The ending was predictable as everything else and the fact that the daughter didn’t show any signs of more affection towards her father a few days after being saved tells me the that this movie and especially the ending was not thought through very well. Well Taken was a decent film to start off the new year. Simple action plots are always good to start the year off, but there could’ve been a lot more to this one, with a great actor like Liam Neeson behind the project.
The first Inglorious Basterds Trailer was released today, which is amazing. This is Quentin Tarantino’s next movie and its my #1 for Most Anticipated of the Year I wanted to see this movie before any images or casting rumors were released. It’s a war movie by Quentin Tarantino, how could you not want to see that? I haven’t seen a good war movie come out in a while and Tarantino’s last movie was Death Proof, which was amazing in my opinion. This movie by the looks of the trailer looks nothing short of amazing, well here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:
Once again, as with my Top 25 Best Performances of 2008, I just couldn’t bring myself to only make a top ten, because there were a few movies this year that wouldn’t make my top ten, but in my opinion certainly deserved to be mentioned, so I made a top 15. This was a great year for films even if it didn’t start to shine until the summer. It was a tough year from a critic’s stand point, mainly because it gets very hard to make a list like this at the end of the year. It was fortunately a great year for anyone who’s a fan of films. Well here’s my list, I hope you enjoy it.
15. Appaloosa
It was very nice to see another good western to come out this year. I love this genre and I hope it never ends. This one in particular had a plot that was both simple and developed very well. The acting was great and two of the performances made it onto my top 25 performances of the year. I loved all the the performances, but Viggo’s and Irons’ performances were especially good. If you enjoy the genre you won’t want to miss this one.
14. Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading was a great movie, but it isn’t getting the credit it deserves mostly because its not really being understood. Well I enjoyed every character, every line, and every second of what is now in my mind a classic Coen Brothers movie. Extra props goes out to Brad Pitt for playing a limited role to pure perfection. I laughed out loud every time he came on screen.
13. Milk
Milk was a great movie, but I do believe it is getting way too much credit because there were many movies that came out this year that were much better. Either way, Milk was well made and incredibly acted by all especially Josh Brolin and Sean Penn. Its a tale that needed to be told and it couldn’t have been told mush better or with a better cast then this.
12. In Bruges
In Bruges was rather surprising finding almost a perfect middle ground between comedy and drama. It was able to be very dramatic and even sad at times, while being absolutely hilarious at others, Ralph Fiennes was amazing and I had no complaints with any of the other actors. I just saw this movie for the first time on DVD and I only wish I would’ve been able to catch it in the theater. I probably would’ve liked it even more.
11. RockNRolla
Another great Guy Ritchie movie with great characters, dialogue and writing. There was a bit more story to this one instead of just a fast-paced shoot em’ up, which was a very nice surprise. I can’t wait till Guy Ritchie’s next project. People say that Guy Ritchie just directs the same movie over and over. I don’t agree, I think Ritchie has just established his own movie genre for himself. Others have tried to copy and done great like In Bruges or Layer Cake, while others have failed like Smokin Aces, but nonetheless, this is Ritchie’s territory and he owns it.
10. Quantum of Solace
I enjoyed Quantum of Solace much more than people are saying. Sure it wasn’t as good as the first, but it was still a great movie. There were some small details that should’ve been fixed and a certain line that needed to be said. All that aside, Quantum of Solace was an intelligently crafted and well-acted action thriller that deserves a place in memory. I for one can’t wait for the next.
9. Gran Torino
Gran Torino was a highly entertaining movie due mainly to Clint Eastwood and the wonderful dialogue and transformation he exuberates. Gran Torino is a wonderful drama that teaches us morals of race and the ability to change, while being completely entertaining the whole way through. The suppoting acting wasn’t that great sure, but Clint Eastwood sure makes up for it.
8. Body of Lies
This is very sadly, a highly over looked movie. I was very excited for it and saw it in the first weekend. It was incredible, it told a very good story with a great cast and had some really great action sequences to boot. I didn’t understand why not many people were seeing it and why it wasn’t getting very good grades, but either way, I loved the movie and can’t wait for another viewing. If you get the chance, check out this movie. Its a very entertaining watch.
7. W.
W. was a fantastic movie from start to finish. Some might disagree with me putting this movie so high (his name may start with an L and end with an ANCE), but I loved this movie. It was not what I was expecting, in a good way though. I was expecting a very well-made comedy with Oliver Stone at the helm, that would just bash on Bush. What I got was a drama with a bit of comedy thrown in. I actually liked Bush better after seeing the movie. The movie tells his story and allows you to draw your own opinions, I felt empathy for the guy. The movie was also great because of the performances of Josh Brolin and Richard Dreyfuss. They made a perfect team. The direction made what could’ve been very boring into very entertaining and what else can be expected of Oliver Stone.
6. The Wrestler
The Wrestler was movie I just recently saw and I’m so glad I did. It was such a good movie and its just really hard to describe why without giving away much other than saying that Mickey Rourke was spectacular in a role that won’t soon be forgot. The Wrestler was also probably the saddest movie I’ve seen, ever. The fact that it made me feel sad tells me that they did exactly what they set out to do. The Wrestler is a must-see this year not only for Rourke’s performance, but also the incredible story of someone whose not so incredible any more.
5. WALL-E
WALL-E is a fantastic movie. It is visually a spectacle to watch and yes it is an animated movie, but nonetheless it deserves to be this high like any other movie. It is able to have many criticisms on society, while telling a wonderful tale of how love concurs all. Each character and scene is more beautiful and creative than the last. It makes you feel every emotion and is able to keep you enthralled with the story even with the limited dialogue it has.
4. Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is an incredible movie and it tells a story of love that we’ve all heard or seen before, but it tells it in a way that is so different and original. Slumdog Millionaire is being called by most, the best films of the year and yes it is up there, it is one of the best, but is it the best? No I don’t believe so, obviously, as you can see, I enjoyed three other movies more than this one, but I do not think this is the best. I will be disappointed if it wins the oscar for best picture, but I will not be angry because it still is a great movie.
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an epic in all shapes and forms. It tells one of the most beautiful tales I’ve ever seen of love and life. It is acted and directed to perfection. The movie is so astoundingly beautiful and it shows such original thoughts and morals. There’s a whole strew of well-crafted characters and scenes and through the whole movie, not once did the length bother me. It felt almost short because it was telling a story that took place over an 80 year time span. This is an elegant tale that shows that all people are special and different and everyone deserves to be loved.
2. FROST/NIXON
FROST/NIXON was an event to be remembered. It was such a surprise of a movie, it was amazing how much better this movie was then I originally thought and I already thought it was going to be a great movie, what I saw was nothing short of perfection. It wasn’t just the incredible action, which was IN-CRED-I-BLE, it was a direction, the way the film just kept building nonstop tension, never let up and gave you everything you wanted to see and more. Frank Langella was of course breath taking, but not just him, but everybody just fit perfectly into every role. FROST/NIXON unfortunately was pretty over-looked because of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire came out around the same time and I actually enjoyed FROST/NIXON more then both of them. It’s a movie with no action, but dialogue so well written and acted that the audience feels so involved to the point where it does feel just like action. FROST/NIXON is the kind of film you could watch over and over because you just fail to release that your watching a movie. A spectacle to be hold that only comes around once in a blue moon.
1. The Dark Knight
Anyone who has read this site before will find this of now surprise because I’ve stated in the past multiple times that not only is this the best movie of the year, but the greatest movie ever made, and I’ve seen a lot of movies. The Dark Knight is an epic masterpiece of good and evil. What more could you ask for? The classic ritual of good vs. evil has been used sense the beginning of film and it will be used until the end of film. This is the greatest depiction of good vs. evil ever created. Each understands that god needs the devil, good needs evil and they need each other. There is no good without evil and there is no evil without good. The Joker is the greatest character in film history by far. He is so evil that he kills innocent people for fun and is willing to be killed knowing that it will instill chaos and anarchy into a world that he thinks desperately needs it. While the hero of the story won’t kill anyone knowing that’s what seperates him from the dark side sort of speak. The Joker won’t kill Batman though either because he knows that evil needs good. He knows that he won’t have nearly as much “fun” without him. That’s the genius of the film and the whole Batman series, the greatest hero ever who never even asks for anything in return will never kill the greatest evil ever and vice-versa. The Dark Knight is a masterpiece, in my opinion, that’s the best way to describe a film, and it most certainly is a masterpiece.
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