banosd Reviews

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Might restore my interest in super her genre

[7/10 · 10 July 2017]

Although I am generally sick of comic book movies, I gave this a chance because my son wanted to watch it.

It has a good villain in Michael Keaton, whose Hollywood comeback keeps gaining momentum. Despite his intensity, you could see he was also a victim of circumstance.

The new Spiderman was good. Tom Holland is much older than the teenager he is playing, as is the rest of cast. His portrayal is down to earth which seems to be a trend in the superhero movie universe. What was nice to see were the action scenes without the suit. He seemed more like a regular guy who inherited super powers.

I don't think this was groundbreaking in any way, just a good action movie and a more interesting Spider Man than the last two. I was impressed by the nerdy classmate portrayal by music star Zendaya, too.

The Interview (II) (2014)

Not bad

[7/10 · 24 December 2014]

These two get together again for a wild ride like Pineapple Express making an absurd but fun movie. Full of adult humor, cartoon violence, sexual connotations, drug references, plus some slapstick.

James Franco was over-the-top as the childish talk-show host while Seth Rogen played a more straight-faced and grounded character as the director. Both play off each other much like the buddy formula used in 22 Jump Street but they also shine when they are in separate scenes. There were many laugh-out-load moments and an overall good pace and flow to the story.

As for the cultural representation, they actually did explore the Korean viewpoint of Americans a little bit to humanize them before going the Hollywood-hero route where the do-good Americans try to save the day scenario occurs.

It starts off tame enough but I can definitely see why the North Korean government would not want this to be seen. At least it was funny.

Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)

Expected worse

[6/10 · 19 July 2014]

Took my 5 year old to see this fully knowing the franchise is worn out after having seen the disappointing Cars 2 and the first Planes. The plot is more interesting here as it plays out like an 80 minute episode of Rescue Heroes.

The animation is fantastic as you would expect. Having animated planes allows for more panoramic views of the woodlands and fires.

Sounds like kids were bored during the sad parts. The story didn't really need this as it's all predictable. You knew Rusty would defeat the odds to save the day in the end. Dane Cook voiced Rusty similar to Owen Wilson's Lightning McQueen, very down to earth without being over the top.

There is certainly nothing groundbreaking here but the action scenes were good enough for my son to say he liked it (which is all that really counts!).

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

This Transformers has less jabs, more hooks and uppercuts

[7/10 · 28 July 2011]

The third Transformers movie has some of the best action visuals ever filmed and were plenty exciting in 2D.

During the "Invasion of Chicago", there are many CGI ships flying around downtown. The alien crafts resemble those in earlier movies this year like Skyline and Battle Los Angeles. There are spectacular aerial views of the combat and mayhem. The sweeping panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline with soldiers jumping out of helicopters and buildings set to a drum pounding score were comparable to some of the action scenes in the Dark Knight.

The story begins with a new interpretation of the first man on the moon mission and makes an immediate impression. The scope of this film is immense as there is action on the moon, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Downtown Chicago and what appears to be a replica of Chernobyl.

THE HUMANS (AMERICANS):

Sam (Shia LaBeouf) wants to be taken seriously and succeeds by shouting in our ears most of the time. Maybe he was trying to be heard over the non-stop music and action. Col. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) shouts a lot as well. Sam's new love interest Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) is there to be the damsel in distress. Although her accent is out of place, Director Michael Bay does a fine job showcasing her beauty utilizing a variety of wardrobes and backdrops. Tyrese Gibson is featured prominently in the action scenes along with Lester Speight (of Office Linebacker Terry Tate fame). The soldiers seemed to have a greater role in the outcome of this film rather than the previous two.

There are frequent attempts at comic relief from both the robots and the humans, most of which are not funny but at least are entertaining. For the characters that we already know from the first two films, we get more of the same. Sam's parents are less obnoxious this time (Kevin Dunn, Julie White) as is Seymour Simmons (John Turturro). But many of the new characters (played by some veteran actors) were there to ham things up. I don't think any of these guys were necessarily bad, as they succeeded in keeping us occupied until the battles took place.

THE ROBOTS:

In one corner we have The Decepticons who are tough foes once again, this time their heavy hitter is a gigantic snake-like robot that rips through buildings and streets. "Spock" does the voice of the powerful turncoat robot Sentinel Prime whose arm is like a sword and the beat-up looking Megatron is back to manipulate and scheme.

And for the reigning heavyweight champ Autobots, Optimus Prime reprises his role as the robot Rambo who comes in only for the final stages of the battles after his mates take their abuse.

Overall, this one was a little more entertaining then Revenge of the Fallen.

Death to Smoochy (2002)

Pretty Funny Movie

[27 November 2003]

Maybe it is just me but I thought this movie was hilarious! A little uneven at times, but funny nonetheless. I believe I must be its target audience because I have always thought of children's shows as marketing tools. This movie blows up that whole industry.

Ed Norton was good in this role. He plays the squeaky clean character and Robin Williams plays the psychopath. I think they could have switched roles and still done a good job. And I don't know much about big lips Catherine Keener but she is hot.

Anna and the King (1999)

Sprawling epic

[8/10 · 13 April 2002]

I am going to Thailand this summer so I am trying to become more familiar with the land and its history and I found this movie entertaining. Even if it has Hollywood-ized history, it still was visually stunning and well-acted. Chow Yun-Fat was cool just like Crouching Tiger with that subdued yet gripping demeanor. And he is much taller then Jodie Foster so maybe you could see that romance happening, hahaha.

The little children were cute, the scenes with those huge boats were incredible and the bridge finale were good. I think I had heard some negative things about the movie back that year like it was too long or Jodie Foster was weak or something but this is a solid movie. I think it is good for people to watch movies about other lands and cultures. It is amazing that Siam was never conquered by a foreign power and this movie gives you a glimpse of why not.

Colors (1988)

I am a nightmare walking

[8/10 · 28 March 2002]

Great song, classic movie! I used to love this movie and I got to see it again after all these years. It is cool to notice Don Cheadle as one of the gang bangers. There are a lot of memorable characters in this movie....Pacman, Hodges, Rocket, Frog, High Top, etc. I would recommend it highly as one of the later 80's better movies.

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Good fighting scenes but a tad too long

[7/10 · 11 February 2002]

This movie certainly was an adventure, from start to end.

A couple observations...the period costumes were awesome. I especially liked the two main characters, they were cool. The photography was outstanding and the fighting scenes were good. However, it was a little long. I think they tried to make a little too much happen...kind of like other movies that try to be epics when they don't need to be.

I did not know a thing about what to expect before I saw this film. All I knew is that there was fighting and it was a late 18th century movie which was enough for me. I would say if you like Crouching Tiger, then this one is right up that alley. I have not seen many French movies, so I get the impression that they do not censor blood too much because this was as violent as any movie I have seen. Even with the WWF-like sound effects. You could hear every crashing blow!

I'm glad I picked it today.

Ali (2001)

Not that bad at all

[7/10 · 29 December 2001]

First of all, this movie is not as bad as others have said. The boxing scenes were fantastic and more realistic then any of the Rocky's were. You can't say the story writing is bad when it is an autobiographical picture either. There was only so much they could put into it. Considering I was like 11 years old when Ali won his 3rd belt, I remember him being a great fighter that bounced around a lot. He was ugly to watch for the most part but effective. And the movie caught that. Will Smith did a great job too getting buff and mimicking his moves in the ring. But the movie was uneven and a little long so my suggestion is to have fun with the actor's portrayals in this movie.

Hannibal (2001)

Okey dokey,

[7/10 · 21 February 2001]

I'm glad I finished most of my popcorn before the film because I would have lost my appetite during the course of the movie. Hey, I did not know Gary Oldman was in the movie....I thought that whoever was Mason Verger was pretty good. I don't think I will ever look at Ray Liotta the same way again....hahaha.

The scenery and music is pretty good...kind of Godfather-ish with the undertones of sophistication amid the violence. Although I think Jodie Foster would have been better, this is still a decent movie. One of those that whether it is good or bad, it is worth seeing.

Save the Last Dance (2001)

Better than I expected

[7/10 · 1 February 2001]

I was disappointed at first seeing MTV credited for the film and was thinking it would be as cheesy as their programs are but it wasn't. Good dancing and story. Kind of like a Mr. Holland's Opus meets Boys in the Hood scenario.