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nownevertherose
Reviews
Children of Men (2006)
Contains both the hope & destruction of man
I thought this film was wonderful. I won a free pre-screen pass to it & thought it was going to be the typical sci-fi flick. Barron waste land of black (or red Mars-like) dirt & half burnt buildings ***or*** flying cars, cyborgs, robot servants, etc.
This film was surprisingly believable. The story was told as if evolution COULD prevent fertility of humans in the very near future due to our experiments, corruptions and short-cuts to solution. Some may see the movie as political - any war/end-of-the-world movie would be. It was almost like a movie outlining the consequences of our actions due to those who trying to prolong life, create life that isn't intended to be, and alter life from its natural state. Like God's punishment to our evil. That's the basic point of many movies made but it's been a long time since I've seen one delivered quite as well as this one. It ended up being more of a war movie than a sci-fi flick. Very dramatic and even spiritual in more than one scene.
I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending but it still was better than I anticipated. As my husband said, it almost made it seem as if there was going to be a sequel (I hope not though because it would probably ruin the philosophical flow of it all. Almost like what the Matrix 2nd & 3rd movies did for the first). We were left to wonder whether or not mom & baby were really going to be protected as they tried so hard to get to a safe place. BUT if it ended up happy & "la-dee-da" then that could have made the ending corny, which then would have ruined it all.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Long, a bit slow-paced but still good
SPOILER: I should have watched this movie before Pride & Prejudice. I understand the screenplay & directors were different so it was weird that I kind of expected the same results. It was OK though. I'm glad I didn't watch it with my husband though otherwise I would have heard an endless river of yawns & sighs & mumbles of when the movie would end.
Was this Emma Thompson's first screenplay???? It was pretty good in that sense. She looked great in this movie but a bit old when compared to Hugh Grant. That's OK though because I would have preferred her acting over any other average 17 through 20 year-old mediocre one.
Her character was wonderful at keeping all her wits together (minus the 5 second breakdown @ the happy end of the movie, of course). Kate Winslet was wonderful too. Her character was a bit too quirky & dreamy for my taste but that just displays her master of the art of acting too. MAN! I thought I was a hopeless romantic (modern-day) but her character was just over-the-top! I'm rather glad she ended up w/the Col. Brandon versus the equally hopeless-romantic Willoughby. Was it mean of me to be happy that Willoughby left? No - I thought he was too fake anyway although Marianne fell for it. Funny, I couldn't help seeing The Sheriff of Nottinghame & worse yet Professor Snape when watching Alan Rickman though. Wonderful actor but it doesn't hurt to see handsome folks on screen (of which I personally don't think Rickman is - to each their own though) but I think that made it even more believable, right? Anyway, the screenplay was well written & this was a pretty movie. It just wasn't one of my favorites & I don't think I'd watch it again. Opposite to my thoughts on Pride & Prejudice w/Knightley & Macfayden.
Hostel (2005)
LOVED the ending
I'd give the suspense a 7, the gore a 10, the storyline/plot...8ish. It was a very powerful film but too much sex & drugs for my taste. I mean, that's all a part of horror flicks & movies in general these days but paid sex is just not my taste. The plot was VERY original so I'd have to give the writer that much credit. I wouldn't boost it to say that it's one of the best horror flicks out there but must better than the typical 'girl-tries-to-run-away-but-trips-and-twists-her-ankle' or 'guy-tries-to-start-the-car-to-get-away-but-the-car-stalls'. The best part of the movie was the ending. No, not that it stunk but I almost got up & cheered. It was so satisfying. Maybe I HAVE become a gore-lover after all.
Sigaw (2004)
* more creepy than scary *
I had to watch this movie 3 times in order to catch it beginning to end. Some parts of the movie were THAT slow. The eerie music came on loud enough to start to annoy me.
The abuse scenes were troubling to watch but I've seen worse. It was haunting though. I was kind of disappointed at the end. Even if it would have been corny if the curse didn't go away I don't think it would have been a bad way to end the movie though. There are just way too many movies with 'to be continued' type endings. I'd say the movie theatre & bathroom scene would have to be the scariest parts of the movie.
Saw III (2006)
Not as good as the 1st one, MUCH better than the 2nd one!!!
Gore-fest? OH YES! Should you watch it after you just got done eating? NOT recommended for those with weak stomachs but who would watch it with a weak stomach anyway? I loved it! It's twisted! It's puzzling! It's everything we loved from the first & second films. There actually were a few moments of sentimental value, which was surprising & revealing on Jigsaw's behalf but that made it even deeper & meaningful. I wish they showed exactly what was in Amanda's envelope but we really don't need to know, do we? I didn't like how they threw us off @ the beginning of the movie on who the DOC was actually married to but that's OK. I forgive 'em. I LOVED IT! It's just a bummer there won't be a 4th...or will there??? I definitely will want to see it!
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
OK for a movie but thumbs down for the comic-followers
I liked the plot of the movie but for someone who has a bit of knowledge about the comic characters it doesn't make sense. If I looked at it from a comic-book fan I would have thought it was horrible. Why would they have made ArchAngel so young if they were trying to bring in all the original X-Men team together as a team? How can Professor X, Jean Grey & Cyclops die? How can Rogue take the "cure" if she is to meet Gambit in the future? How can Magneto been stuck with multiple cure needles & still be able to show some powers in the end? etc.
BUT once I got over that part & looked at it from a movie-goer standpoint I liked it & understood what the script-writer was trying to do. I did like how they actually put Dark Phoenix into the movie, although I wish she would have referred to herself as such more often when her evil side took over. I really liked how they wrote in a part for the exercise room. I'm not sure if comic-book fans would have understood that part (it puzzled the heck out of my son & husband).