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Transformers (2007)
Two words sum it all up...
Yes, only two words sum it all up: "Freakin' awesome!" Or so that's what a five year-old told me after we saw it last night at the Tuesday release.
Growing up on Transformers and other 80's cartoons (and comics, toys), this was well worth the wait. Micheal Bay delivers like expected: high-octane action that gets you from the beginning and doesn't let you go until the very last scene. (The theatre was packed full of children--and after ten minutes, NO ONE was talking or leaving their seats. Unheard of.) The detail on the Transformers has already been laid on so thick by other reviews--and that's because not enough can be said about it! The robots are almost obsessively detailed, which makes them extremely realistic, and makes you think that this really could happen. Even die-hard fans will find the upgrades on the Transformers themselves believable, understandable, and mind-blowing.
There has been criticism about the camera play and grainy, incoherent battle scenes, but I found them realistic and cohesive--especially when you're a puny human trying to watch two 20-30 foot robots destroy each other. Perspective makes it harder to believe, and to see. Bay makes the camera angles very realistic by showing us what we would see if we were are ground zero.
And also, like said in previous reviews, the storyline was a bit on the weak side. Or at least not what you would be expecting from a movie called "Transformers." Humans played too large a part for a movie about alien robots. I'm sure they'll compensate for this in the rumored sequel--which I'm sure after this weekend won't be a rumor anymore.
My biggest quirk with the storyline and dialogue was the rampant comedy--particularly the rather crude and childish wording and actions. (Bumblebee's lubrication of the Sector Seven guy, or Mom's "private" talk, anyone?) Shia LeBouf, renowned for his comedy, was more than enough to keep the laughs in the theatre without "potty humor." This was not a obscenely-budgeted film, but that did not effect the quality of the actors one iota. From Shia to Jon Voight, Bernie Mac and voice talents of Peter Cullen (who we fondly remember as the original Optimus Prime) and Hugo Weaving, the cast was solid and believable.
The music score was outstanding. Steve Jablonsky, usually a composer for the horror-thriller genre, did a stand-up and recognizable job at keeping the music flowing and up with the action, making sure that there was never a dull moment. (I particularly liked the almost hymnal score piece while the Autobots were coming to Earth to Sam.) Linkin Park, Goo Goo Dolls, Disturbed and several other notables lended their talents to the score and to the soundtrack--I'm gonna put it on my must-have list.
All-in-all, this is the blockbuster family movie that is a must-see for anyone who lived on Transformers as kid. Oh, and bring your kids, too.
9/10
Fainaru fantajî X-2 (2003)
Charlie's Angels--a bad thing?
As a female gamer, the idea of a Final Fantasy with the main characters predominantly female was an appealing endeavor. Very "Charlie's Angel"-ish in theme in places, but overall a good game.
Pros: They brought back, in a sense, job classes--in the form of dresspheres. Immediate freedom with the Celsius--you take control of the direction of your game. Kept in tradition (mostly) to previous Final Fantasies. Male or female, either will like this game. Nifty battle system. Game-Plus mode for second run (to achieve 100% rating). Multiple endings depending on your percentage of completion.
Cons: High encounter rate of Random Battles. For the first time in the history of Final Fantasy, Nobuo Uematsu did NOT compose the score; we are denied the Crystal Theme and the Overworld Theme that we have grown to love. Chaotic battle system. No...summons? NO SUMMONS?!?! What kind of Final Fantasy has no summons? Sure--you SEE them, but you can't SUMMON them. Randomness of storyline/non-linear storyline; you have complete control over the direction of the game, but missing a sidequest costs you your completion rating. Multiple endings? 100% completion rating for best ending? Sheesh.
It's strengths are also the weaknesses.
All in all, I give it about an 8.5/10. Maybe an 8. I can't put it on the level with...say...VII or III, but I can put it against IX and call it square (no pun intended). Definitely worth the look, not all of it is eye candy...though there are some scenes that will make the boys happy, I'm sure.
Reign of Fire (2002)
Two Wings Down.
Two wings down. Period. The entire movie was so blooming -vague- that you really couldn't follow the plot that well. It was, what? Eighty...five? Seven? Minutes long? Had they made it an easy one-twenty, they could have added in enough storyline fillers to make it just -that- much more interesting. There were too many holes in the plot, then just that much more herky-jerky scene-splitting what-the-heck-just-happened-there sort of rummaging. Quite frankly, that could confuse some people. Like me.
The soldiers. Everyone thus far seems to have liked the soldiers. What soldiers? There's...four...five...six? Maybe? Listening to Van Zam's grunted out orders to go suicide "arch angel" diving out of a helicopter before or after a thirty-odd foot beast hell-bent on turning them into a mid-flight snack? I don't -think- so.
Reviews say that the dragons are the best part. Ooookidokie. Exactly -what- dragons? You see...two. And only split-second shots of them. For the length of "seventeen seconds". Otherwise they're dead or blown up. Riiiight.
This movie, via the hardcorse AD&D folks, ranks right up there with DragonSlayer. Except that one was better. Some reviewers ranked it next to the movie Dungeons & Dragons. No. A piece of sci-fi highschool drama-class...whatever that was like this can not be ranked next to a movie based on...well...something actually -viable- and believable. (Right, elves and magic are believable. Riiiight. Of course they are--someone thought of those a -long- time ago! And people -enjoyed- that!)
Huge fan of dragon movies. Love the fantasy flicks. But whoever decided to cross DragonSlayer with The Terminator and splash in a bit of When Harry Met Sally really needs to get their head examined.