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Reviews
BioShock 2 (2010)
Underrated Dystopian Sequel
To say that this game is similar to the first one and that it lacks the presence and awe of the previous title is to disservice the game since it is obviously very different in terms of tone and the story is more personal than the previous installment. The story takes place 10 years after the first one well after Ryan is dead and his citizens are tired of his philosophy of the self who they easily sway into the opposite view of Lamb which is one of unity sacrificing the self like communism and the protagonist is a previous outsider of Rapture who got turned into a Big Daddy and his mission is to unite with his little sister who turns out to be Lamb's daughter. The idea of a unionized family of Splicers changes the game-play to a more challenging aspect since every single Splicer teams up against you instead of the every one for himself from the first game. The game-play itself is faster paced from the upgradeable plasmids, faster hacking and dual weapon and plasmid combination. I like the fact that the villains Grace, Stanley, and Alex Gill are ambiguous when it comes to the scenes where Delta has every reason to kill them, especially Alex Gill, but mercy is a central theme since it will shape Eleanor's character at the end. Definitely buy this game!
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
The Best Western Ever Made
Sergio Leone captures the essential western by turning it into a basic gold hunt story instead of falling back to the stereotypical evil characters who want some railroad scheme or abuse the townspeople, the basics of 3 characters battling it out for pure greed is genius. The scope of the film coupled with Ennio Morricone's magnificent score is epic to say the least especially with the Ecstasy of Gold playing over Tuco looking for the grave which is easily the best scene of the film. The final shoot down is one of the best if not the best climax of any film with the music thundering over each character with awesome close ups being more and more intense as it proceeds.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
The Uprise of an Empire and the Fall of another
How do you follow the greatest mobster movie of all time? By contrasting the uprising of Vito along with the fall of Michael at the same time. The scenes at first are subtle, yet powerful. Take for instance, the beginning where you have the humble Don singing in Italian at Ellis Island as a kid and the scene changes to Antony's first communion in Reno which is just a front for the Senator to do business with Michael about the acquaintance of new hotels for double the price of the arranged price in order to milk the family as much as possible. There is hatred for the current family that Michael controls from outsiders such as Senator Geary. The Vito plot flows smoothly of how Vito gains power by meeting Clemenza and killing the current powers in Little Italy in New York and later getting revenge on Don Ciccio in Corleone. He starts by stealing and then running molasses with several partners while doing favors for certain people. Michael's story is about Roth trying to take over Michael's control over the hotels he owns by having a partnership with Cuba, Michael's investment in some new hotels in Cuba, all while trying to overthrow him by having Fredo betray him unintentionally since he knew that everyone in the family stepped over him because he is weak minded. While Vito is becoming the new Don in the 20s, Michael does the unforgivable and orders the hit on his own brother since he never forgave him for his betrayal and the ending is truly the end of this franchise with the haunting comparison of a young Michael with his dad waving goodbye and then it goes back to a cold Michael pondering his brother's death. The irony also is that when Michael joins the Navy and everyone on the table questions his decision, Fredo is the only one who embraces his decision.
The Godfather (1972)
The Essential Mobster Movie
Besides romanticizing the idea of being a mobster, the movie marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new idea. The whole concept is the patriarch of this mobster family seeing the end of a profit for innocent leisure activities such as gambling and running molasses when new mobsters want in on the narcotics business which is just dirty business since it involves addiction and not just plain drinking and gambling. The viewer sees how the old ideals of the 1920s which are embodied with the Don conflict with the new ideals of the 1950s which is the business of narcotics. It is an epic of the Don's youngest son, Michael, how he refuses the idea of being a part of the family and how his love for his father forces him to be more ruthless and calm than his father and his brother, since he takes action right away by killing Solozzo and the police captain for being corrupt and to top it off kills off the heads of the five families just to solidify the Corleone family power. This is the essential mobster movie since solidifies the idea of an organized crime effort with the Boss, the Underbosses who are next in line, the Capo Regime and the soldiers modeled after the Roman Empire as mentioned in Part II by Tom Hagen. While the sequel is arguably one of the best sequels of all time, the original excels in showcasing how this mobster empire conflicted with new ideals but came up on top with nothing but ruthlessness and calm precision by Michael.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
A Great Movie about Hope
From the intro setting up the mood for the 1940s with If I didn't Care that strangely feels like Bioshock or Fallout from the other era defining themes such as the relevance of Rita Haywood from the 50s to Tommy Williams emulating the James Dean Rock' n Roll character to set the mood of the 60s. This is something that has not been addressed when reviewing this movie, how it seamlessly transfer from era to era is genius in itself. The camaraderie between Andy and Red is flawless and the viewer truly believes that these two are the leaders of Shawshank and are the best of friends. By leaders, just look at the scene where Heywood is about to be slit by Brooks and Andy and Red are notified right away to solve the problem; great scene symbolizing their importance to the group. The only flaw which keeps it from being a perfect 10 out 10 movie is that it suffers from the same stereotype that prison movies are littered with, and that is the inclusion of sodomites. I know that's what happens in prisons, but is just disgusting and cringe worthy seeing this on screen; however Shawshank Redemption implies what the Sisters do to Andy and never graphically show it on screen and that is the saving grace. That is why it only loses one point and not several, anyhow. The movie's message about hope is more heavily implied near the end though, how Andy never loses hope while Red is closer to being institutionalized. The line get busy living or get busy dying always sends chills down my spine because of its relevance when Andy says it when he knows that the system is absolutely corrupt when his only witness that could get him a new trial is killed so that Andy could keep laundering money for the warden.
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Another masterpiece released in December (Previous being Avatar)
I was surprised by the intro of this movie, which sets out the main character, Sam Flynn, who is Kevin's son to be a rebellious bad-ass for lack of a better term. It's like if Bruce Wayne from the Nolan Verse just decided to screw with the people from his company once in a while to prove that he truly owns the company even if he is not present; therefore, this was a perfect introduction to the character that is really the drive of the movie and the reason for this sequel, from father to son, the legacy was handed and controlled. Truly epic introduction and themes handed in the film. The soundtrack of this movie was truly magnificent, kudos to Daft Punk for creating this retro synthesizer music to match the video game world of Tron and a real surprise by an oldie which plays when Sam walks in to the arcade for the first time in years, will not ruin the surprise but it was nostalgic. The performances were all top notch, initially one might take from the trailers that the main character, Kevin's son, and Olivia's character would be the stereotypical out of the water teenager a la Percy Jackson that has to learn his true role and throw in the random romantic interest being Olivia's character Kora. As you can see by my positive review this is not the case, Sam Flynn is a Bruce Wayne rebellious but very charismatic character and Kora is a serious babe who is not who she seems to be and it is not at all the random love interest since the whole movie revolves around who she is, won't spoil it but it is very interesting, think of her as Leloo from The Fifth Element but without the autistic behavior. This is a visual feast that I will definitely buy on Blu-Ray since I saw it on IMAX HD, the way it was meant to be experienced, the 3-D was not necessary but the IMAX experience is where it needs to be seen to be believed. I'm pretty sure the Blu-Ray will blow me away same as Avatar did, but this is the best movie to see right now.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Pixar can do no wrong
Nothing is going to beat the first Toy Story, although Wall-E was extremely close, but Toy Story 3 is still a great action film, yes this is not a typo, this "cartoon" is one of the best action films ever! With the opening montage paying tribute to the first two movies in an awesome action piece and explaining why the toys needed an owner and have a need to be played with, they also embark on the adventure that the kid is imagining for them and I thought that was pure genius from Pixar, love the villain Lotso and personally I thought his flashback of why he was who he was was the sad part of the film and not the ending like many reviews said. The supposed "sad" ending was Andy's mom crying because her little boy is going to college and this in my opinion felt forced and reminded me of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen with the crazy mom crying over the baby booties and lost all credibility for me, besides the ending was a happy ending with the toys staying with Bonnie who is essentially another Andy instead of staying in the attic and of course Woody never abandoning his friends. Spanish Buzz was funny at first but Jessie being "turned on" was ehhh, look at her expression when she is dancing with him at the end credits, awkward. Anyways, these are obviously nitpicks since the movie is great and almost a masterpiece, especially the action pieces- also the return of classic Buzz (the scene where he is at demo mode) is always welcome)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
A great sequel
From the best opening for an animated film with the audience finally seeing what Buzz is capable of, the toys getting out of Andy's room, and how awesome is to have Frasier, Newman from Seinfeld, and the return of the original Buzz Lightyear thinking he is the real Buzz! Classic. The only gripe I have with this film and its sequel but especially this one since he has more screen time is Bullseye, the dog/horse lame toy. The reason I dislike this character is that the films already have that position filled with a more likable Slinky and even Buster because he is a real dog, there is no reason to include Bullseye.
Toy Story (1995)
Classic Masterpiece
Never get tired of this movie and I love how the film focuses on Buzz and Woody's rivalry for attention from Andy from Woody's perspective and Buzz actually believing he is a space ranger never gets old. I love the small bits that one might overlook such as Mr. Potato Head calling Slinky a kiss ass to Woody, Woody telling Buzz that the word he is looking for is not appropriate for present pre-school toys, and don't forget the facial expressions such as Buzz acting like a complete douche with that arrogant smile and Woody's look when Buzz is telling him his whole mission to defeat Zurg and save the universe when they are lost at the Dinoco gas station. I seriously think this is the true Pixar masterpiece without any flaws, I like all of their films but I can not find anything wrong with this film even if I try to nitpick, I like all of the characters even Bo-Beep with her exaggerated expression when she yells when she sees Buzz's arm in Sid's room. The soundtrack is also hilarious with Randy Newman acting as a narrator to the characters in song montages, genius. A definite buy!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Campaign Review
This is a review of the underrated Campaign for CoD Modern Warfare 2 since every single other review focuses on multi-player. At first, it looks like a generic mock up of the Afghanistan war with the hunting of Talibans and lame military catchphrases such as "We're Oscar Mike" or "Hu-Ah", but the game quickly shifts from that to a high octane blockbuster as if it was produced by Bruckheimer resembling Crimson Tide and The Rock especially that Russian Gulag rescue mission with Hans Zimmer composing the entire game! The No Russian level has been controversial being banned in Russia, but I can't imagine not having that level since it is crucial to the story since is what drives the Russians to attack Washington DC and for the Task Force to locate Makarov right away. The game is full of awesome references to movies such as the The Rock's reference when the Rangers have to go the Whiskey hotel for hiding and the sign for the bombing of the building are the green flares and of course the whole prison rescue scenario! The game only suffers from the beginning especially the tutorial where the general forces you to scope in the targets especially when I have killer aim!! Definitely buy it if you love over the top 90s action movies and if you are a fan of The Rock!!
Total Recall (1990)
With the tone of Robocop mixed with the classic over the top action that Arnold delivers
This movie keeps you hooked towards the very end with the expectation of every twist you can think of and just when you think the twist would be the most predictable one such as it was a simulation or dream the film throws a curve ball and keeps going with the notion that everything that is happening is real. This movie is classic Verhoeven with the tone of Robocop (corporation wants to profit above all costs and hero gets shot down by a gang of bad guys, although in this one it was Quaid's simulation.). This film has the best quotes such as Consider this a Divorce and then he shoots his fake wife or Look who's talking after a mutant asks him that how dare he show his face around Mars and overall is not as thought provoking as Robocop but it is one Schwarzenegger's classics, especially if you're looking for quotes, who can forget the timeless You Blew My Cover aghghghghgh!!! The movie is imaginative, it has that Robocop tone but in the future, and is just pure classic action. Definitely a must buy for classic Arnold action. Now to talk about the action, the scene where he uses one of the bad guys as a human shield, detailed head shots, and more!! Definitely a classic in the ranks of True Lies, Robocop, and Predator. Haven't seen Commando yet, but I will.
Hot Rod (2007)
Perfect 80s Tribute and the funniest movie since Team America
This movie is the greatest parody for 80s triumphant films with power ballads as its main soundtrack. The movie starts out with a bang with the main character Rod failing at the most simple stunts with over the top buildup with the camera being at regular speed when he fails such as when he attempts to jump the cans at the beginning or the pool, priceless. I'm literally still laughing after the end credits and that rarely happens with comedies since they attempt to turn it into a drama but not this one, even after Rod is dying, a taco and a grilled sandwich fight in his vision. So many funny parts, that I could list the entire movie since the whole movie is one big laugh riot! I haven't seen something so original since Team America, the plot in this movie is not that important since is so simple. The premise is that Rod has to save his step-father from dying by making one big jump so that he can kick his ass and gain his respect, even the simple plot premise is awesome. My favorite parts are the Footloose sequence which was totally unexpected, the random riot scene, the cool beans scene, the random Chinese guy throwing fliers, the final jump, and the taco vs grilled cheese fight. That's just the half of it since the entire movie is just laugh out loud funny especially if you love 80s movies. Definitely a must buy!!
Spy Kids (2001)
Classic Rodriguez
Classic Rodriguez when you watch the Spy Kids! Although the intro feels like 1996 The Rock with Elfman's score being a little similar but then as soon as you hear Los Lobos guitar solo you know you're in for some classic Rodriguez action. The movie does have flaws such as the corny wedding story at the beginning, the forced ending with the family theme pushed into the audiences' throat but other than those two aspects the movie is pretty fun. The plot is as simple as they get, Minion the generic villain has to sell killer robot children to Mr. Lisp who wants to take over the world but he needs brains for the army and that's where Mr. Cortez comes in because he helped create the Third Brain, which is an artificial brain which Minion can replicate, therefore the Cortez's kids have to rescue their parents. Kudos for Rodriguez by including such awesome cameos such as George Clooney as Devlin, Danny Trejo as another knife name bad-ass this time Machete who got his own fake trailer in the Grindhouse and later turned into a movie, and the T-1000 as Mr. Lisp! Newcomers Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara really take the movie with their hilarious brother and sister bickering with lines such as "Stop calling me names" -"Or what?' –"Or I'll call you names
" classic! Or when Juni calls Carmen the diaper lady because she still wears diapers at night and you see Carmen's reaction, hilarious. Another character that is awesome was Alan Cumming as Mr. Floop who was portrayed as a mad genius who cared more about his kids' show than his diabolical plan to take over the world. Overall this movie is worth renting but only worth buying to complete your Rodriguez collection along with El Mariachi trilogy and Planet Terror since this is essentially Rodriguez. On a side note the Fooglies and the Thumb Thumbs were very creative especially the way that the film explains that the Fooglies were victims by reversing their singing to "Floop is a madman, Help us!" and when Cortez begins suspecting when he sees the show and the camera zooms in at the new Fooglie with his terrified eyes.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Instant Classic
More of a soundtrack than a movie, but that is not really such a bad thing when all 11 songs are top notch! The plot for this one is simple, Jack the king of Halloween is tired of his holiday and is fascinated by Christmas that he decides to replace Santa to experience the joy of Christmas although him and his people don't fully understand the elements of the holiday and instead terrorize the town with a mix of Halloween and Christmas. There a total of 11 songs with the first one reworked at the end along with the romantic Is Never Meant To Be to Is Meant To Be, although I can safely say that the first song This is Halloween and the villains' songs Let's Kidnap Sandy Claws and Oogie Boogie are the most entertaining, as always in animated features the villains have the best songs. The funny aspect about this movie is that is the perfect movie to play on Halloween and Christmas as well although I'd incline more with Halloween but it does have that Christmas spirit in the number What's This? and at the end of the movie where Santa wishes Jack a Happy Halloween and Jack replies with a Merry Christmas. I also love how they show the main character's growth when he admits the spectacle of Christmas but to also accept his place as the king of Halloween and how they both appreciate their holiday at the end of the film with that exchange of Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas, classic. Although I'd like to say that the movie is perfect, it does have some flaws. The main one is that Oogie Boogie deserves more screen presence as he was the best character in the movie with the best musical number but the audience only get to know that he is a gambler and one of the most feared in Halloween Town, although his death is extremely anti-climactic as Jack just happens to stumble on a loose string and pulls on it therefore releasing all of his bugs and killing him, lame. It would of being nice to see Jack and his goons terrorize the town at the beginning as well when they praise him at the beginning so we can see how Jack behaves as the Pumpkin King. Also, is never stated but one can safely assume that the town that Jack visits as Sandy Claws and the one that is fixed is the real world but it can also be Christmas Town for that matter since the elves look similar to the children but this last complaint is just a nitpick. My verdict is to definitely buy this movie since it's both a Halloween and Christmas classic and it belongs in any collection.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
A good film if you are not a Terminator fan
When I saw this film on theaters, I thought it was the best film ever since the action in this film is so well directed but after seeing the first two movies and re-visiting this movie on blu-ray, the disappointment kicked in. At first, I really could not grasp what it was, but then it hit me- it really felt as the future in this movie did not felt like Terminator, more like The Road Warrior, and John Connor was not charismatic at all and I really did not care if he became leader or not. The major flaw are the supporting characters, particularly Barnes, Star, and Katherine Brewster. Common cannot emote, particularly the scene when he is told by Connor that his brother is dead. Brewster is just annoying and follows Connor blindly and if Star would not be on the film it would not change, she is an useless mute. These flaws are what makes the film an 8 and not a 10, it is still a good movie but it cannot be compared to the first two masterpieces; however, it is still better than the third one which is just a cheap copy of the second one.
The Terminator (1984)
A Masterpiece
This movie is every bit as good as the second one in its own rights, first of all it does not feel outdated since the movie is set in the 1980s so it fits and the future flashbacks are awesome- Kyle Reese is awesome too and also and in my opinion this T-850 is more relentless than the T-1000 since he does not hesitate in the kills- the T-1000 is still awesome and sleeker but the T-850 is more threatening in this movie. This film is violent, grim, and with a glimmer of hope with Reese and Connor, the way is supposed to be. Not to mention Brad Fiedel's metallic score matches the film perfectly as a Tech-Noir film. Sarah's evolution from a lowly waitress to the mother of the leader of the human resistance is believable. This film also has lots of backstory relating to the Terminator franchise and is essential to view for any Terminator fan out there.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
A Perfect Movie
I reviewed the first movie and I truly considered both of them a masterpiece in their own right. This movie is a masterpiece for the cinematic blockbuster that it is compared to the gritty, horror/thriller that was the first one. Terminator 2 is, in all the essence of the word, the perfect movie blockbuster for the reason that it has all of the action elements hands down minus the weaknesses of a typical popcorn summer flick which is the lack of characterization and real drama. James Cameron achieved a character study with real human drama and a truly epic summer blockbuster with special effects that were truly ahead in 1991 and still match up today and are better than some 2009 blockbusters such as Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. Terminator 2 was the Avatar of 1991 in terms of special effects.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Worst over-hyped movie ever
This movie is the meaning of over-hyped- 2001 A Space Oddysey has more going on than this boring movie- not insulting 2001, but making the comparison since 2001 has a lot of parts without dialogue and it does get boring at times- but compared to this, you can call 2001 a Michael Bay film- seriously, Paranormal Activity was BORING!!! From the beginning, I wanted the main characters to die since they were extremely stupid and annoying- worst movie ever.
Dare I say, this is now the worst movie ever made and takes the place of Juno which used to take that spot.
real rating= 0
Eagle Eye (2008)
ARIA rules!!!
ARIA the atonomous reconnassaince integration analyst is the best villain since agent smith from the matrix series and Hal from 2001 a space oddysey. The way she moves everyone like pawns in her operation to obliterate the branches of the government so that she will not be disobeyed again, all in the interest of national security in her point of view! The romance between Holloman and Shaw is not necessary since they are complete strangers and does not fit in this action sci-fi thriller. But for the villain of ARIA alone this movie deserves a high score, but sadly it loses points for the weak performances by Billy Bob Thorton and Rosario Dawson who try to provide an unnecessary comic relief.. but ARIA rules!!!
Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008)
Good resident evil movie but not the best
This movie takes place after Resident Evil 4 and is good for the story about Wil-Pharma and Terra-Save disputing and at the end Tri-Cell distributing the T-virus with a vaccine as a set to the black market. Leon Kennedy is bad-ass, but the movie suffers from weak characters such as Angela and her relationship with her typical, stereotypical idealist Curtis Miller who mutates into a common G-virus monster, very anti-climactic. Claire Redfield is more vulnerable than in the games which is disappointing, she is not like she was in Resident Evil Code Veronica. The characters of Rani and her aunt are awful and annoying. Receives a good score for the story between the companies though and the voice acting between the main characters is good. This movie though can not be compared to the live action Resident Evil trilogy though because is a different storyline. Like comparing apples and oranges.