Kevin Redbeard McManstein Sanders Reviews

Looper (2012)

[9/10 · 3 October 2012]

Looper is not your run-of-the-mill action flick. It sports some great cinematography, acting, action scenes, and a great plot. Yes they invent their own time travel rules, but since time travel is just a theory, who cares? It works within the confines of the film and does a fair job of explaining things without over explaining.

Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt play their parts well. JGL even goes so far as to copy Willis' mannerisms. Emily Blunt hides her accent well enough, but-as with any foreign accent-can't quite hide it entirely. This isn't a deal breaker; she performs as good as she has in other films. Surprisingly, the child is a very competent actor for his age.

The world that has been created is one of subtlety. The director and writers present a dying, miserable world without over explaining it. There is some needless exposition, but not enough to ruin the overall feel.

Time travel is a moderate part of the plot. It works well within the film's established world and isn't over explained. This shouldn't be a problem for most people, but if you start comparing their time travel to others, or try to work out the minutiae, you'll find some holes. No time travel plot line is perfect.

Looper is well worth the hype and critical adoration it has received. If action films with a great plot are your thing, then I highly recommend it.

House at the End of the Street (2012)

[2/10 · 20 September 2012]

I saw this early because a friend of mine was able to get free tickets. If I had paid money for it, I would've walked out in about twenty minutes. The plot is entirely predictable (except for a half unexpected twist towards the end) and derivative. It's one part Amytiville Horror, one part Black Christmas, and one part Psycho.

Everything from this movie is essentially ripped from another movie. Each "scare" is just a jump scare. Absolutely no ambiance or tension. They keep attempting to do misdirection, but after the first few scenes of "hah! nothing behind this door!" it becomes a parody of itself. There's even a scene in the last few minutes that is mostly a scene-for- scene of the night vision bit from Silence of the Lambs.

The cinematography is awful. During moments of "emotional drama" the camera is all but three inches from the actors faces. The camera is shaky through almost all of the movie, from which my friend became nauseous. They do that cheesy "move slowly towards object of interest" thing.

The director seems to want you feel for the characters by shoving their life problems in your face within the first few minutes" Oh, teenage girl has problems with her mother. Oh, teenage guy is shunned by everyone. Are we supposed to feel for these one-dimensional characters?

All-in-all, a terrible movie. It's definitely NOT for horror fans. Save your money and catch it on cable in about three months.