poolhus Reviews

Yes Man (2008)

I Wish......

[4/10 · 17 January 2009]

I was wishing that Jim would come back to comedy. I wished that YES MAN was gonna be his rise to Comedy King again. My wishes did not come true. Huge fan of the over-the-top Jim of yesterday in hits like Liar Liar, Dumb and Dumber, even Bruce Almighty seemed more on the mark (which I disliked and have since changed my mind after seeing Evan Almighty). Loved him in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Never even bothered with 23. The concept of YES MAN is similar to Liar, Liar but without the constraints that his character had in that movie (which consequently made the humor easier to come by BECAUSE of that) Without a long rant, rave, or negative review....it simply was not that funny. It had funny moments... but with Jim, is that what any of us would really expect? Oddly I do not blame him for this. Hollywood, Jim's agent, whomever....needs to really get a great comedic script that allows Jim to be over-the- top again...something with a great concept or culturally relevant for this time...cause God knows we need at this very time some "bust at the gut" laughter. I SOOOOO, wanted this to be good. For Jim to make me laugh to the point where I wasn't worried or thinking about the economy, or jobs, or war. I can't believe there is no script clever enough to let this talented man demonstrate how bloody funny he can be. It was alright, and in my world...when that description is describing a Jim Carrey comedy....something is terribly wrong. 4 outta 10

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Benji Buttons is very Gumpish

[9/10 · 17 January 2009]

There is a good reason this movie has a Gumpish feel to it...probably because Roth, the screenwriter was attached to both movies. Effects were used to drive the storyline instead of trying to overstimulate the viewers senses (this was contrary to a counterpoint thesis I wrote in film school about the negative implication movie magic effects would have on the eve on movies like Independence Day...I said it would destroy storyline, and from my experience, in most cases it did.....this is definitely an exception to that counterpoint) It had drama, humor, action (the submarine battle scene was sweet). Although clocking in just under 3 hours the story pushed the time along, and ironically... the movie's theme of time within a lifespan doesn't seem to drag. The love story is nice but it lost the one star for overdoing it. I think 10-15 mins lighter, the film would not have suffered in the story being told of his affection for this particular girl. There is a recurring story within the story regarding lightening which I will not divulge but is HILARIOUS. Overall, this was very entertaining. I am still on the fence as to what if so and so...played B. Buttons. Story was good enough to hold up to many A list actors but Brad made this character his.....and not to understate his abilities but I give the most credit to David Fincher...who clearly made a movie out of his element (Seven, Fight Club). Stylistically, this is way different to anything he has ever done in the past, and he (in my opinion) made a masterpiece

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

Not A Kevin James fan, this is a positive review

[6/10 · 17 January 2009]

Never watched King of Queens, never have been a Kevin James fan but always liked him better than his pal Ray Romano. I was coerced into seeing this Mall Cop movie. I give it a 6 out of 10. Now some may say that is a low rating, some may say better than mediocre.....for me who normally does not like this guys type of humor, this is a great rating!!! It was mildly entertaining...for me it gets the extra star to put it at 6 because it's refreshing to see some humor that's not overly sarcastic, deeply degrading to someone else (except the title character), or just downright cruel. This relied on what I call "Bill Cosby" sense of humor. Funny but overall clean. A bit cheesy, but I think that's what Kevin and the screenwriters were going for. Normally I don't get why people think he's funny but in this case, I did get it....and you can't help but like the guy. Without giving any detail, the bar scene for me was one of the most Laugh Out Loud moments in the movie. The way KJ zips around on the Segway is pretty hilarious although because of it's consistency throughout the movie it wears off a bit. I agree with previous reviews of how the villains kind of downgraded the movie a bit. If that was smarter, or those parts were rewritten, it could have been a lot funnier. Another surprising aspect is Kevin's agility, and athleticism. In this particular movie he is very physical (or at least stunt doubles allow him to appear that way) Overall my 6 out of 10 rating should be perceived as a great rating for this movie. I previously never liked this actor, I thought the title was dumb as dirt, and although I always keep an open mind I would be lying if I didn't say that my expectations were very, very low for this. Certainly not as bad as I thought it would be, and not as great as I thought it could have been. Kevin and cast made this a little better than average...and it changed my mind about my hesitation with this guy....I hope someone puts him in a good movie with a great script in the future (better than Chuck and Larry, Hitch). I believe it will do well on cable. One last thing that I must mention was great, at 82 mins...it was just long enough to not overdue what should be viewed as a kinda silly concept.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Dark and Disturbing Dramatic Elements Makes This One a Fan Favorite

[9/10 · 19 May 2005]

No need to give any spoilers here...many of you know what happens..you just want to see how it happens. I think it's fair to say that Star Wars purists will say the back 3 cannot be touched...many new and younger fans will say the prequels are superior. Let's not beat around the bush here...this movie ties the two series together in a bittersweet fashion. I personally believe this will be many Star Wars fans favorite because it has unique qualities. The sappy dialogue is kept to a minimum, annoying creatures are hardly noticeable, and too few slow parts to even notice. One thing that is clear, Lucas has learned from his mistakes. This one is loaded with action, but the effects (which are fantastic) do not take away from the storyline. The dramatic elements are dark and disturbing, almost stylistically similar to the Lord of the Rings. This one makes you care about the characters more than the other two prequels did. 10 out of 10 if your a Star Wars nut, 9 out of 10 if you always enjoyed the series but didn't dress as Chewbacca to see it...7 out of 10 if your a wife or girlfriend who just watched the original series and the first two prequels for the first time last week...so you could see this one. 5 out of 10 if loved Fever Pitch