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Samundsasha
Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
It's a sensational swashbuckling success, savvy?
Nowadays when I see the "Walt Disney" mark at the top of a film I think to myself, "Oh no, another rubbishy soppy story with an ending like ones on Barney the Dinosaur." You cannot deny it, Disney is letting us down. Or was letting us down UNTIL the launch of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl".
You see, POTC is nothing like the usual Disney do-gooder rubbish that everybody finds incredibly tiring and sickening. It is comedy from the start. And, thankfully, the soppy lines are kept to a minimum. And you know what? They are TWENTY TIMES more effective than when they are thrown at you all the time. For instance, when Will (Bloom) and Elizabeth (Knightley) kiss at the end, its for the first time in the whole film and it makes it so sweet that everybody is wiping their eyes at the perfect love story.
The casting is superb as well and I'm not just talking about the big actors (Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightley, Geoffrey Rush), the less well-known actors are top-notch. Who can forget the showdown between Jack Davenport's "Commodore Norrington" and Depp's "CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow"? Or strange antics of Giles New and Angus Barnett's "Murtogg" and "Mullroy". And the extras do their job perfectly.
Overall, this film is well acted and extremely well directed. The Jerry Bruckheimer effects will wow you and the comedy will have you quoting the script for weeks to come.
A must-see for all the family! P.S. The extras on the DVD especially the Blooper Reel and the commentaries are a great source of entertainment.
Two Weeks Notice (2002)
Grant at his best (Spoilers)
This film was funny in the adverts, which unlike most comedies, did not contain all of the best scenes. People go to the theatre to see Hugh Grant state the obvious with "Well, that's just silly. You haven't met everyone in the world" and are given the hilarious story of a young lawyer and her dumb English boss.
Overall, its not exactly the best film for hiding what's going to happen. I think we all knew before we went to see the film that somehow Grant and Bullock were going to fall in love one way or another. But, like every good rom-com, it somehow keeps you hooked to the end. In fact, the fact that Grant and Bullock don't actually kiss till the last minute is a really good twist to the film.
Summarised, the jokes are terrific, Hugh Grant was the perfect choice for the very upper-class and proper character he plays and Sandra Bullock was also perfect for her part as a young lawyer person who has to see things done about things that are wrong.
I, personally, give this film 9/10.
A MUST SEE.
The Lion King (1994)
This is a heart-warming Disney film for the whole family to enjoy (SPOILER)
SPOILER
I first saw this film at a young age. I loved it. When I saw it again about 6 years later, I got all of the jokes I had missed in my younger days and I enjoyed the film and fully appreciated the superb animation. It is a heart-warming story about a young lion's feelings and actions following the death of his father which was supposedly his fault.
The voice cast was well chosen. Jeremy Irons' voice is dark and sounds evil enough and goes perfectly with the evil uncle role he plays. Rowan Atkinson is an excellent hornbill with his English accent emphasising long words and important points.
It is very emotional. When Mufassa dies, I cry. When Simba and Nala fall in love I'm really happy. As usual, Disney have outdone themselves with the music in the movie and it appears at the right time. The finale is the best point with the vocals and the orchestra and the feeling of 'Wow'.
Timon and Pumbaa light up the screen with their loopy songs and their stupid jokes (that are still funny even for the mature).
In conclusion, Disney have obviously put time and effort into making this film a success. Their careful choice of characters, voices and music adds emotion and enjoyment to a film that has a very unbelievable plot. It is the perfect family film.
9/10
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
An extremely enjoyable film with only a few let-downs (SPOILER)
CONTAINS SPOILERS
Lets be frank. Any film based on an event that happened AGES and AGES ago will always be criticised for inaccuracy, wrong type of actors etc. and this one has been criticised by many for being glitched in some way or another. But I think that this Robin Hood film is one worth watching if only for the cast.
I first saw this movie at the age of about 6 years old and always got too bored to watch to the end. When I first did, I was like 'OH WOW! That man has been stabbed!' To tell the truth, I was disappointed by the ending, just because it was Alan Rickman that was killed off and not Kevin Costner.
I feel that this film could have tried a little harder to make Costner stick to one accent only and not switch between two like he does. It is quite annoying to hear posh-ish English phrases in an American accent or slang in a cross between English and American.
I think that there is no doubt as to who steals the limelight in this film. Alan Rickman brings enjoyment to every scene he's in, storming round Nottingham castle saying things like "Cancel kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans and call off Christmas!" and screaming at an escaping Costner, "LOXELY! I'm gonna cut your heart out with a spoon!"
Unfortunately for Costner, the only good scenes he has are the ones where he is fighting, galloping or getting shouted at by Rickman. I thought that he was a bit on the boring side apart from his flirty scenes with Mary E. Manstrantino (that isn't how you spell her name).
Like I said at the start of the review, the cast is brilliant. Morgan Freeman adds a good bit of humour and 'wise words' to the film, Costner provides a hero and an icon, Mary (can't spell the surname) is a brilliant example of a sexy female icon who is a heartthrob for the lead character (his weakness)and Alan Rickman is an ace baddie who shows that he really is evil. The story-line and the filming and the editing could have had a bit more work but all in all, this is a brilliant film that is good for watching on those late Saturday nights.
8/10
Beethoven's 4th (2001)
This film lacks a certain spark that would make it successful and special.
When I saw this film on the shelves, I thought to myself, 'Why are they making another one?'. I felt that Beethoven's third had been a bit of a flop with childish jokes and a not very good father character. I am sorry to say that I feel that the fourth one has gone the same way. The plot is alright, being very imaginative and the Who-dunnit feel to it is a nice touch.
But the jokes and the actors are missing a certain spark that would make them funny to everybody, not just little children who love farts and people falling over. Everybody in my family (age range from 5-61) laughed at Beethoven. Genuine laughter. The only person laughing at Beethoven's 4th was me, trying to convince everybody that the film wasn't a complete waste of money. I had to give up in the end. My throat hurt from trying to snigger. Still, the added bonus was the free Beethoven film with the 4th one. The children especially could have done a better job. Its all about being a 'babe magnet' and being pushed on roller blades. And the girls have these annoying high pitched American accents that pierce your brain and make you grind your teeth. All of the stunts have been done before in other films to much better effect. And, a last point, why do they refer to him saving skiers in the Alps? When did Beethoven ever do that? Before he was kidnapped from a pet shop or en-route to the new family? In conclusion, the film is a good film for children and dog lovers who adore dog films no matter the plot. But, for comedy seekers, this film is a big disappointment.
2/10