danhollow Reviews

Santa Clarita Diet (2017–2019)

Non-Stop Onslaught of Comedy

[9/10 · 7 April 2018]

Not a zombie show/movie guy, but came for my love of Timothy Olyphant. For a brief summarization, the first season is solid, but not extraordinary. There are some great laughs, the characters are creative as well as kooky, and the material definitely has a style all its own. If you watched Better Off Ted (by the same showrunner), you'll know what I mean. Give this show your heart, and it will reward you with laughter and warmth. There's a couple pieces that can drag a little, but still some moments absolutely worth watching for. Like Drew Barrymore singing Rafi's "Baby Beluga" outside a storage unit while plotting crime. Cutest thing you will ever see.

Season 2 is where the show hits its stride. The jokes, the writing, the characters, the performances, the suburban non-sequitars; it is one strange show but damn is it funny. The scenes jump between the most mundane of middle class life and the most extreme reactions, often blending the two with impossible ease in a nonstop onslaught of comedy. Every character is so lovingly written and played, you'll fall in love with almost everyone. YOU'LL FALL IN LOVE WITH THE NAZIS; that's how well these characters are done. Every member of the main cast has a chance to shine in every episode, with the biggest kudos going out to Tim Olyphant as Suburban Husband/Realator Joel and Liv Hewson as the once-reserved, now increasingly badass teenage daughter.

There are so many scenes that are just impossible to describe because they make no sense out of context. This series creates one of the most bizarre yet entertaining worlds of any series, streaming or otherwise. Just make it through Season 1, please. Also, bring a strong stomach, because Sheila is a messy eater.

Torment (2013)

Good Straight-Up Horror

[8/10 · 27 September 2014]

Torment may sound like another submission to the growing "torture porn" sub-genre of horror, but don't let the name fool you, this is an old-fashioned scary movie. New family comes home, only to be attacked and tormented by a cult-like psychopathic family. Think "You're Next", only without useless characters begging to be killed off. Also without the ridiculousness.

The movie does a great job creating believability in everything that happens. There's almost no stupid mistakes or decisions, and the killers are just as mortal as anyone. A good deal of time is spent with them looking for the family, not just suddenly appearing behind them wherever they may be. This movie has some real suspense. They even come up with inventive ways to explain old horror movie standbys. Why won't the car start? (Spoiler) Because they took out the battery for tormenting their victims. (End spoiler).

Some may complain about the lack of backstory for the killers. Personally, haven't we heard them all by now? Everything we need to know about these psychos is here, everything else is just decoration. As for the family, which features the always charming Katharine Isabelle as a new step-mom; the early scenes do a great job setting up drama efficiently. It isn't a huge thing, just a personal story that takes a turn for the wicked. Torment is a great Halloween flick.

Carrie (2013)

Absolutely Blew Me Away

[10/10 · 24 October 2013]

I went into this film with low expectations. Low, low, low expectations. I never saw the original Carrie, and I saw little reason to; the story seemed pretty basic and predictable, not to mention unscary. Furthermore, this remake seemed like just another in the never-ending line of crappy horror remakes. I'd seen a couple just that day, the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and the Prom Night remake. Both were awful, Prom Night in particular failed on every level to be believable, likable, or scary. I'd groaned seeing the ads for Carrie. Still, I was in a bit of a blues mood, and gave the movie a shot (with the intention of seeing others later when it disappointed).

I was wrong. I was completely wrong. Carrie blew me away. This is the best horror remake by a long shot. The writing has flourishes and insights far beyond the usual drivel of horror films. There is thought and effort put into every word.

Furthermore, the actors attach genuine emotional attachment to their lines and performances. These felt like real people with reactions, outbursts, and pride; but also flaws, insecurities, guilt, shame, and even regret. Line by line, scene by scene, they build this movie. A movie populated by real people who illustrate what people like Carrie need to know; the world has bad people, but far more good ones. People who do nice things for strangers, whether it's as small as a tidbit of advice over someone's shoulder or a big sacrifice to give someone one night of acceptance and happiness.

The story only seems to improve with an updated setting. Carrie's old-fashioned home life makes her stand out more than ever, and the addition of certain modern-day elements fit perfectly into the character stories. You'll wonder how the original got by without them. It's so exhilarating and realistic that you start to see the cracks in the source material as you're watching it. You see the beautiful place the characters are going, but then it has to follow the story set in stone for Carrie.

Among a pretty remarkable cast, Chloe Grace-Moretz and Julianne Moore stand out. Chloe was born to play Carrie. She doesn't fit into the usual Hollywood standard of dolled-up beauty, which becomes all the more evident when you see her classmates. Still, there is a pretty young girl in there, she just needs someone to see it. She plays shy and vulnerable better than any other actress I've ever seen. Furthermore, for all the bragging I hear about Sissy Spacek, most people don't mention she was 27 when she played Carrie. Chloe is 16, the isolation and judgement of high school is still fresh in her mind. As for Julianne Moore, she plays Margaret White with a quiet instability that makes it very clear why Carrie is terrified of her getting involved in anything. This is a woman lost in a world no child should have to endure. Still, she and her daughter have some rather touching moments, and it's clear that for better or worse, Carrie loves her mother.

I've been reading a lot of bad reviews for this film, and I just wanted to put my opinion out there, because I went in with serious doubts and instead got a new favorite horror movie. And if I enjoyed it this much without ever seeing the original or reading the book, then I'd say this movie deserves another look.

R.I.P.D. (2013)

Poor Movie

[5/10 · 29 July 2013]

I love science fiction, I love action, I love comedy, I love comic books, and I even like Ryan Reynolds. Still, his movies just never seem to pan out, and this one is very poorly done. At best the premise belongs in a B-movie with a B-movie budget.

A Boston Cop (who couldn't convince any Bostonian) dies and is drafted into the Rest in Peace Department to hunt down "Deados", spirits that decide not to face their fate and stubbornly stay on earth. How do they defy Death and Judgement? They just refuse to go. "150,000 people die every day, the system can't catch all of them", and by system, I mean time stops and you suddenly find yourself flying into the sky without warning. Clearly something that can be resisted by someone saying "I don't wanna go!". These Deados look like ordinary people, but once they are exposed to Indian food they reveal their true disgusting forms. The RIPD's job is to track them down and send them to Judgement with their magic magnum pistols.

Apparently Deados are supposed to be a secret no one knows about. Except they do a horrible job at staying secret or being in any way discreet or subtle. At least in Men in Black the secret organization tried to cover up what happens. No, the RIPD just curse under their breath and move on to the next case, and maybe they get scolded by some doodles on a golden scroll.

The plot is dull and lifeless, much like the characters. No one seems to take anything as seriously as they should if it was as important as they say. The only elements of the film worth seeing are Jeff Bridges and Kevin Bacon. Bridges is in full Rooster Cogburn gunslinging form, and is somewhat a combination of the smart-talking Agent J and the surly Agent K in one man. He's cool. As for Kevin Bacon, no matter how stupid a scene he's in he never shows an instant of doubt or weakness. Just goes to show that even in a bad movie Kevin Bacon is untouchably cool.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (2013–2024)

Whose Line: Resurrection

[10/10 · 24 July 2013]

Everyone who has ever seen a rerun of Whose Line has fond memories of the show. Oddly, I think it was more popular *after* it ended, once they started showing reruns all the time. That was when I got into it, and boy did it get me. More than any other program I've ever watched, Whose Line put me on the floor in fits of laughter. Ryan and Colin are two highly underrated geniuses of comedy, Wayne adds style and energy (not to mention hilarious musical comedy) where Ryan and Colin cannot, and who isn't a fan of the wonderful Laura Hall and her improvisational music? Drew Carey's biggest contribution was making the show happen, and trying to keep it going with Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza. He knew how many people loved Whose Line, and he did everything in his power to give it to us. So how well does this new show stack up against one of the funniest TV programs in American history?

The new show is everything we ever asked for. It's unbelievable to think that the original Whose Line started 15 years ago; aside from Colin's white hair(?), it feels just like the old show. The main difference is a new (nicer) stage, some new games like the Sideways Floor Scene, and a new host, Miss Aisha West. But the comedy is every bit as gut-busting as it was in its glory days. I made the mistake of trying to eat while watching the first two episodes. I came very close to having chicken breast come out my nose. Ryan and Colin are still in top form, Wayne hasn't lost a step, and with the cult status of Whose Line, they're getting some interesting guest stars.

Fans of Whose Line, our prayers have been answered.

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Terrible Adaptation, Classic Horror Film

[9/10 · 1 December 2012]

My senior year of high school we were discussing Poe and read "The Pit and the Pendulum", which is some pretty dark stuff (I recommend it for any and all horror lovers). Then we were shown this film version of it. There were two things our entire class agreed on; it was a truly terrible adaptation, but it was a fantastic horror film on its own.

The original story took place almost entirely in a dark prison over an indeterminable period of time. You felt the endlessness of waiting for tormentors to finally end the waiting and just kill you, or at least get on with the torture. The waiting, the sense of all the time you were in this pit was the source of terror. The pendulum was the ticking clock counting away every second of your life; and it was slow. Slow as in it took hours to even get close enough to start causing you any harm. That was the worst part.

In the film, there is no pit, and the pendulum doesn't factor in until the very end. That upset us. Still, the film itself is quite engaging and interesting, the characters are well-acted and the plot keeps you hooked. By all accounts, an excellent addition to anyone's horror movie collection. Vincent Price in particular is exhilarating to watch (but then isn't he always?).

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Wonderful

[10/10 · 19 September 2012]

I went into this movie expecting something somewhere along the lines of Narnia, Spiderwick, or Harry Potter. Young kids discover a world of their own, and have adventures there. I was right and I was totally wrong. The magical world is not the center here, it's the characters. This is an incredibly enjoyable and emotional movie that treats all its characters like real people dealing with real problems, particularly treating its kids like real kids with real problems and solutions, or lack thereof.

Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) lives on a farm with his Dad, four older sisters and one younger sister. They often encounter financial difficulties, meaning Jesse is commonly making do with his sisters' hand-me-downs and the stigma of being a "farmboy" at school. He really doesn't have any friends at school, so he settles for being the fastest kid there. He draws in his spare time. One day, a new girl comes to the school, Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb). Her parents are writers and they don't watch TV, and she doesn't hide any of this. Furthermore, she can outrun Jesse.

Jesse and Leslie grow together as outcasts, and Leslie's imagination leads him to go along with her and create an imaginary world to escape life's problems in the woods near his house. This world is somewhat Calvin&Hobbbesian by nature, in that it's only real to them, but as we see it from their perspective it becomes real for us as well. This world of Terabithia is limited only by your imagination.

The story develops from there, I won't say much more. I will note that serious events take place, the world is not perfect. But before parents start thinking this is not the movie for their children, allow me to say something more. This is a movie about growing up and finding your way in the world. It does not leave you sad, but tells you to keep moving, even after the unthinkable.

Above all else, this is a movie for anyone and everyone who can still remember what it felt like to be a kid and escape into a world of your own creation. I give this movie a full 10 stars for bringing me back to that.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

It Ain't The Best, But It's a Lot Of Fun

[9/10 · 14 May 2012]

What's there to say about director Joe Johnston? He's one of my favorite directors, but I know and respect the fact that he is not (nor will he probably ever be) a great director. Why? Because the movies he makes are too much fun. When Joe Johnston goes into a film, he gives most of his focus to the experience of the film, the feel of it. He makes films he wants us to enjoy for exactly what they are. This is the guy who was a visual director for Raiders of the Lost Ark, and a lot of his films definitely strive to emulate the kind of old-school swashbuckling fun that movie had. At the same time, he is also a director of little guys and little details; all of his films have little scenes or moments that pack more emotional power than you expect, and those moments stay with you.

As far as Captain America goes, he's the perfect director to tell us the story of a little guy getting the chance to do something big. Steve Rogers was born a scrawny kid from Brooklyn. His one goal in life was to serve his country the way his parents (an army nurse and soldier) did. His main problem? He's a toothpick. He has the heart figuratively speaking, but not literally speaking. All that changes when he is drafted into an experimental super-soldier program that transforms him into (duh duh duh duh...) Captain America! Fighter for Freedom, Justice and the American Way! Go ahead, laugh, most of the army does when they see him. Captain America is a superhuman, but not truly a superhero. He bruises, he bleeds, he can't breathe underwater, a car can still outrun him with a good enough headstart, any standard- issue bullet can kill him. But at the same time, he is the ultimate realization of a man; as strong, smart, and able as one could ever become without superpowers. But what attracts us most to the character is the person within. Take away the mask and the shield and the muscles, and he is still the same scrawny Steve Rogers underneath; a kid from Brooklyn who doesn't like bullies and just wants to do a good job. Steve Rogers deserves a lot of credit for putting aside his ego and letting us see that weakness and mortality throughout the film.

As far as the rest of the film goes, it's a modern-day action-comic-book-explosion movie dialed back to WWII. I can't describe how wonderful it feels to see CGI not for the sake of showing off, but to show us an old-school comic book movie with access to today's computer-graphic technology. The enemies are the Nazis, and they are (I kid you not) firing ray guns that shoot blue bolts of energy which vaporize whatever they hit. The kind of blue energy beams that will never hit their target, but look fantastic when you see a hero dodging passed them and chucking a shield around like a boomerang to knock out the shooter. At the same time, we also see a lot of practical effects; real explosions, dirt flying everywhere, and a good old-fashioned haymaker that would put any Nazi on his back wondering what just hit him.

This is a predominantly fun film. If you have issues with this, I'm afraid I can't help you.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

For Those of Us Who Miss Going to the Movies for Fun

[8/10 · 30 April 2012]

The Five-Year Engagement is the kind of film that doesn't get made very often anymore. Or at least not the kind to see a wide release. It's an honest, sweet, kind, occasionally crude romance about two people as natural to us as Tom and Sue who live down the lane.

Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) and Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt) are in love. Not that kind of invasive love where we're always watching them get way too personal just to draw out time, but the kind of love where there are no other options, it's either each other or die alone. They love the awkward and stupid details of each other that would annoy everyone else. And a year after they first meet, Tom proposes to Violet, on New Year's Eve. From there it's straight to the wedding and the kids, right? Wrong. Life doesn't always go so easily, and Violet and Tom find their wedding getting delayed again and again.

"Life is what happens when you're making other plans", that's the best way to describe the underlying idea for this film. You meet a girl, you get to know her, you propose, every place is busy, you delay for a little while, she gets a psychology gig in Michigan, you temporarily leave your successful job to be with her for a couple years, you find another job, you make new friends, she makes new friends, a couple of years becomes another couple of years, you take up hunting, you decorate the house with the spoils of your hunting trips, you grow a bizarre beard, you spiral into discontent, she tries to help, you decide to get married no matter what, you settle on anything if it means you two will be married sooner, you find out she kissed her boss, you chase her boss down, turns out he knows parkour, you get your throat punched, you find a co-worker and she gets freaky on you, you wander drunk into the woods with no clothes on, you wake up the next morning with frostbite on your toe, she still cares about you, you care about her, she wants to stay, you can't stand it another minute, you argue, she argues, you go your separate ways.

That's about all I'll say (I'll leave some for people to see), but you get the general idea. This is a movie that's genuinely heartwarming and realistic for anyone who knows the ups and downs of love. They do throw a few bits of comedy in every once in a while, but never anything too unrealistic to take you out of things.

One thing I must note is that I watch a lot of movies, but I knew none of the actors in this movie outside of Segel and Blunt. They have a very diverse and fun group of characters, and it really helps make everything feel more like the real world.

This is a movie for people who like going to see movies because they think they might just find something they can relate to.

The Middle (2009–2018)

Feels Like a Family

[9/10 · 5 February 2012]

I checked this show out on the second episode with my mother and my grandmother. I'd heard nothing about it before, but the characters just seemed so fun, particularly Sue. It is a fantastic show, and I hope the creators and cast can keep it up for a while.

Our characters are Frances "Frankie" Heck, played with desperate but warm affection by Patricia Heaton. Every member of her family deserves to have their heads looked at, but somehow she manages it on her own.

Mike, played by Neil Flynn of Scrubs fame, is the kind of Dad who is sure everything will work out. He may not get overly involved in things, but he has a kind of horse wisdom that gets him farther than you'd think.

Axl, 16, is the teenage son who makes you question whether raising kids is really worth it all. A brain-damaged athlete who spends most of his time around the house in his boxers, he nonetheless has redeeming qualities, and he will surprise you with them.

Sue, 14, the middle child, is adorable. Perky, bubbly, always optimistic; most people don't know she exists. Quite literally the entire universe is working against her. Her formidable endurance never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Last but not least is 9-year old Brick, who whispers to himself and loves to read. Unfortunately, he loves to read to the point where he forgets to do most of his schoolwork. He has trouble making friends but is a very bright kid, if absent-minded.

That's the main appeal, watching this family go through so much but never lose hope. By the end of each episode, more has gone wrong for the Hecks than right, but those little things that do turn out all right make everything else worthwhile. Anyone with a family will find a lot to love.

The Thing (I) (2011)

Perfection.

[10/10 · 23 October 2011]

Some introduction: I saw John Carpenter's The Thing approximately a year ago when a film buff friend of mine showed it to me, I loved all of it. The mystery, the amazing special effects, the brilliant way it kept you guessing, everything was perfect. I even talked with him when he said the crew had fought tooth and nail to ensure a sequel was never made, I agreed that such a film couldn't be made. Later that year, I analyzed the original screenplay for The Thing for 7 hours for my writing class, writing down every possibility for everything (it was exhausting).

When I heard of this prequel, I cringed. When I heard it was a prequel, I sort of half-cringed (part of me was interested to see a cast that would by necessity be at least half-Norwegian). When I heard Mary Elizabeth Winstead would star, I cringed (no offense to her, but I didn't think she could ever compare to Kurt Russell). And with Stan Winston's passing, more of my hopes died for this film.

I have never been so happy to be so wrong. This film was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Beautiful, breathtaking, disturbing, terrifying, amazing.

Everything that the film needed to match up with John Carpenter's movie was there, and done magnificently. You can tell how much work and effort they put into everything. The locations. Beautiful icy wastelands, not sets. The establishing shots are stunning to look at.

The characters. Yes, more than half the cast is Norwegian, and they all do a great job. There are Americans characters as well, and most of the Norwegians speak English (with one important exception), there are more characters than in the first one, but that's one of the best parts of this film.

It takes great efforts to replicate John Carpenter's The Thing, but also to be its own version of the story. Many scenes are replicated here, but they are done their own way. They don't simply re-hash every scene from the original, they add in new scenes and new territory to be explored.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is still not MacReady, but she doesn't try to be. She's more like Ripley from Alien, but with a flamethrower this time.

The screenplay and suspense. Half of the greatness of The Thing was how impossible it was to tell who was human and who wasn't at any given moment. That continues here as well. They encounter some of the same obstacles and even come up with some of their own solutions to determining who is who and who is what.

The Thing itself. While they use computer-generated monster effects this time, they still use a lot of animatronics and freaky costumes to ensure the Thing remains as disturbingly terrifying as ever. This time, we actually get to see some of it moving around and stalking prey, not just hiding in a human meat suit and waiting until you're alone. Some familiar moments and forms are present, but they also do a whole lot of new transformations which are excellent to watch.

The continuity. Does everything match up with what we knew from the original? Yes. Everything. Down to the half-formed two-headed Thing frozen in the ice and the red axe buried in the wall and left there. All in all, it was perfection. A superior remake and a superior prequel. 10 stars.

Role Models (2008)

One of those Crude-but-Funny Films that works

[8/10 · 5 October 2011]

I hear a lot of bad things about Paul Rudd, and I hear (and say my fair share of) bad things about Sean William Scott. This movie works perfectly for both of them. Their characters are both funny, but not over-the-top or just stupid. Actually, they are stupid on one level, but the kind of stupid we enjoy, the kind we can relate to more. They say what comes to their mind with little regard to who is listening. This makes them potentially the worst role models in history. That is the main premise of this film. These two guys have to do community service time after one of them goes a little overboard while advertising one of those Monster-esque sports drinks. They have to watch/guide two kids, or go to prison. One of our kids is a Fantasy dork; but when you see the fantasy world he gets to inhabit; it looks like fun. The other is one of the funniest kids I've ever seen. He swears like one of the kids from Superbad, and everything he says is pure comedy gold. He's like a 7 year old Martin Lawrence with the material of Dave Chapelle. The guys have problems and issues through the nose and the less maturity than most of the kids, but as the kids start to open up to them, they open up as well. It isn't the typical "I know how you must be feeling" stuff either. It is more like how people actually meet and make relationships, and entertaining besides. Hope you like Sex and Rock and Roll. As for the supporting actors/characters; they are all hilarious as well. Jane Lynch is hilarious as the head of the community service center, "ideal" role model Gary is perfect for making us see these two morons in a better light, and Ken Jeong is perfect as the King of the Realm (watch the movie for full understanding). All together, it's crude, but it's funny. It's absolutely worth watching if you like to laugh. I don't recommend bringing your kids, though.

Friday the 13th (2009)

So Predictable it's Fun!

[5/10 · 7 June 2011]

Truth be told, I haven't seen the whole movie. But from what I've seen of it, it is definitely a fun experience for people who can handle blood, gore, and some of the most brilliantly transparent writing ever put onto film. Here come the spoilers; idiotic teens go to a deserted camp site to drink and get naked. Jason Voorhees kills them all. Not much of a spoiler, is it? The fun part about this movie is how easily we can see what's coming next. Think of those scenes you see in movies that you've already seen 100 times in other movies, but done better. After a while, you know what will happen. This movie takes it to the next step. You can predict whose going to die and exactly how they're going to die long before it even happens. The girl behind the other boy and girl who starts backing away while they're talking. Camera switch to her, Jason grabs her and murders her. Token black guy sees carnage, and runs the other way, looking back the whole time, completely oblivious to what's in front of him. Dead in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Someone hears a sound and goes to investigate with a flashlight in the dark. Never even see them die. There are literally about a dozen or more characters in here; and they're all going to die! They are all the perfect victims of any horror movie! The hardest part of the movie is finding a character with enough development to survive their first (and last) bad move. As I said, it's so transparent it's fun. A great movie to watch with friends at a party when you all want to yell "cue Jason with machete in 3, 2, 1...machete!". If you're actually looking for suspense, plot, or any semblance of tension, look elsewhere.

Zarkorr! The Invader (1996)

Poor.

[2/10 · 6 May 2011]

Okay, I like monster movies as a general rule; I'm a big Godzilla, Gamera, King Kong, etc fan. I appreciate a good monster movie with a guy in a rubber suit. Zarkorr just sucks. The only part of it I liked was the beginning, they opened the movie with the monster erupting from a mountain. That was cool, and many monster movies have the problem of bothering us with the human characters and not introducing the monster(s) until a half hour in or so. The movie didn't go downhill from there, it flat out dropped dead. Lemme put it this way, this monster can shoot lasers from its eyes. Fun, right? They kill it by reflecting its eyes back at it. A regular guy just reflects them back at the monster when it finds him. Doesn't try to eat him, throw anything at him, step on him; just fires those lasers while they get reflected back at him, BAM. Zarkorr is dead. The worst Godzilla movie would be better than this junk.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

A Great Surprise

[9/10 · 22 April 2011]

I (like most people) saw the trailer for this movie and saw a great literary character in a ridiculous action flick. I predicted action clichés and poor story lines that any idiot could follow, with one clever little twist at the end when Holmes (inevitably) figures it out.

I was pleasantly surprised and exceptionally pleased when I actually saw the movie. Yes, there are a lot of action sequences, but they don't distract too much from the plot, and even they are integrated into this whole new world of Sherlock Holmes. We really see the world as someone like Holmes would see it; with compulsive attention to those little details Holmes is so famous for noticing, everywhere. We understand why he's so hard to work with, and why he spends so little time in the outside world. Every time Holmes opens his mouth, there's a lot of thought put into what he says. A big round of applause goes to Robert Downey Jr., an incredible actor who is finally getting the kind of recognition he deserves. It may be a mainstream role, but you can still see that a lot of work went into his interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. He's quirky, he's odd, he's as antisocial as they come (but Lord knows it's not from shyness), and he's got the fastest mind of any movie character I've ever seen. Walking out of this movie, I was just convinced that Sherlock Holmes was the Greatest Detective in history; that there was no case he could not solve.

Praise also goes to Jude Law as Dr. Watson, but not the bumbling Watson we all think of. Law makes a perfect foil to Downey, both as a character and as an actor. Law is straightforward, a versatile actor, although not quite a great actor. He sticks to formality as a general rule, and tries to make sure everyone else does. He's very professional and thus very marketable. Downey is well known for being unpredictable and a bit crazy, as well as quirky through the nose. We watch him to see how above-and-beyond he'll go. They make a perfect team, on and off screen.

This is an exceptionally entertaining film, and believe me when I say you'll remember the characters and the plot more than the action sequences.

The Snowman (1982 TV Movie)

A breathtaking experience

[10/10 · 15 April 2011]

You know how some movies feel more like an experience than an actual movie? This is one of them, and it's one of the most incredible experiences one can go through. Wordless but wonderful, you will remember this movie for it's beautiful (and seemingly one-of-a-kind) animation, it's hauntingly moving music, and the simple story of a boy and his friend, the Snowman. Not one of the big Christmas Classics, but better for it. This movie is more of a personal experience than something you watch with other people on TV. It's short, it's basic,, and yet it's one of my favorite movies I've ever seen (right below Hot Fuzz). You will get lost in it, and you will love every second of it.

Batman Begins (2005)

My Favorite Batman Movie

[9/10 · 17 March 2011]

Probably my favorite superhero movie; tied with Iron Man if not. Does this mean I don't love The Dark Knight? No. I love it. Still, it was after I'd seen The Dark Knight several times, after it'd been years since I saw this that it hit me, this was the movie I wanted. The whole look and feel of the film. All the gadgets and explanations and different factors that formed the Batman; the look into the Batman mythos. Everything Christopher Nolan did to bring everything together. I loved every second of it. Everything was perfectly in character, or new and very witty. It was Iron Man before Iron Man. But with less special effects (which is not to put down the FX of Iron Man, BB just didn't need them as much) and more character.

I repeat; this is not to say I did not love The Dark Knight. I would not give up Heath Ledger's performance for anything. Still, I prefer the movie Batman Begins. The Dark Knight is the better movie, Batman Begins is my favorite.

Darker than any Batman before it (which is saying something), exciting, deep, witty, I loved everything about it. In my opinion, THIS is the movie that redefined the superhero genre. The Dark Knight took it further, but it would not have been without the incredible groundwork of Batman Begins.