TheMovieRhino's stats
- Review count647
- Helpfulness votes412
- First reviewNovember 16, 2008
- Last reviewMay 26, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
Overall rating
4
/
5
Gunless is a Quirky Tale of The Old West....
PostedJuly 17, 2011
... and worth seeking out. If you like originality and if you like a good old western yarn in the off-beat" style we think of as "spaghetti westerns" (think Sergio Leone) then you want to hop on your horse and gallop down to your nearest cineplex that is playing "Gunless", plop yourself down in a plush theater seat, and prepare to be entertained. This dark humor tale of the old west (far northern old west this time) hits all of the right buttons. It is perfectly cast, beautifully shot and is well appointmented with visual details. The movie "fleshes out" its denizens of a dusty western town with such deft and imagery that we are left to hope, at the end, there might be a Gunless part 2. A dusty old rhino horn smilingly up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Stake Land is a B Movie at its Bloody Best
PostedJuly 17, 2011
TheMovieRhino loves small-budget independent, inventive movies done well. Stake Land is just such a film. If only every movie made would work this hard on draining every cent out of its budget and putting it all on-screen we would have a lot of happy movie viewers. Actors, writers, cinematographers, makeup folks and special effects folks all get a bunch of gold stars! The main thing on the negative side is the apocalyptic vampire-zombie thing has been done so many times - especially of late. That said - there are some nice, gory twists that are very well executed in Stake Land. Kudos to the entire Stake Land team! A "last rhino standing" bloody rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Harry Potter's Grand Finale is a Magical Ending...
PostedJuly 17, 2011
... to the most lucrative movie series of all time. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 3D we are immersed, once again, in the realm of magic as Harry finally faces his enemy of destiny in a climactic, violent battle. Director Yates does a great job of keeping the story and action flowing while perfectly incorporating 3D. There are some dramatic and visually stunning scenes where 3D truly enhances the story. For me, personally, this was, by far, the best Harry Potter film. It was well-paced, had a great visual tone, excellent script and editing, beautiful (yet often foreboding) cinematography, nice dialogue that was easy enough to follow and understand (not always the case in the earlier films) and the natural drama that accompanies the climactic end of the Harry Potter saga - all came together for a completely enjoyable cinematic experience. HP fans will not need to be goaded into seeing this finale but I will say that "un-Pottered" folks will quite likely also enjoy the film. A wand made of carved rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
1
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5
Zookeeper is not a "keeper"
PostedJuly 17, 2011
Zookeeper is what most could expect from a typical Kevin James PG family "comedy movie" - except there are a few scenes that stretch the PG rating into what should be PG-13 (and those scenes are not very funny and unnecessary). In a nutshell: there are about 15 minutes of mildly funny PG antics + 5 minutes of inappropriate "PG-13 humor" + 84 minutes of "filler" .... all of which is entirely predictable. Just not worth your ever-increasing hard to scrape up movie-moolah. Rent later if you must. Last word - where were the talking rhinos? Big boo-boo to not include some friendly talking zoo rhinos! A "please make me laugh" rhino horn down.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
A Better Life is a quiet, refelctive portrait ....
PostedJuly 10, 2011
...of the challenges, tension and motivations that inhabit the lives of illegal Mexican aliens trying to live an honest life in spit of their illegal status. Director Weitz generates a lot of empathy by focusing in on a fictional illegal immigrant, his relationship with his teenage son and the immediate world they occupy. This is an unromantic, gritty, unretouched look at what their lives might well be like. I will admit to being strongly anti illegal immigrant and this movie has had an impact on me - softening my views. Kudos to the wonderful cast, the writer and director, the cinematographer and editor. The one thing that I found missing that would have increased the impact,for me personally, would have been a deeper, more present musical score. This film seems to "scream" for music in some places where there was none. No doubt that this was a conscious decision by the director (silence can speak volumes and make us think, make us squirm a bit and, sometimes, make us downright uncomfortable - intentionally) BUT I would have liked more background music. Overall - very nice piece of work that I can easily recommend to all adult film-goers with an eclectic cinematic palette. A legal rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Buck grabs the reins - best documentary 2011 ...
PostedJuly 10, 2011
... up to July 10, '11. This true life documentary about one of the great horse whisperers of all time is near perfect. I hope they consider a "Buck II" - as Buck Brannaman is still doing what he does and was born to do - and doing it as if by "magic" at times ... amazing! He will surely have more tales to tell. Director Meehl, a first time director of main stream documentaries, does a great job of letting us learn about Buck, weaving his past and his family into a tapestry that touches on why Buck is who he is and how he developed his character, style and horse empathy. The director keeps the film on a good path without letting it slide into maudlin mediocrity and pablum. Our only complaint is that we wanted to know more, see more and have the whole experience continue longer. A big old dusty whispering rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Larry Crowne is 3 Movies in 1 - Not all Good
PostedJuly 10, 2011
Larry Crowne is a tale of three movies. Number one is the story of a man who loses his job unexpectedly after spending 20+ years doing it well and how he copes. Number two is the story of a man and a woman who are both a bit lost and depressed and then they find each other by hook and crook. Number three is the story about a man who is making massive life changes and he finds himself in a "scooter gang". The first two stories I was fine with and Hanks and Roberts were more than okay in the roles BUT story number three popped in about this weird scooter gang and I quit believing what I was seeing. It throws the entire movie off for me. Too cute and too silly. It feels like an unnecessary contrivance. I will add here that the Bryan Cranston character I just did not believe - he felt like another contrivance. Overall, if you are an older movie buff and tend to be a bit sappy and sentimental then this one will probably tickle your fancy ... if you are not of this ilk you will likely feel a bit bored and/or perplexed. Okay to see in a theater if you are oozing mad movie money but, if not, may be best to rent for a buck in 2 months. A rhino horn just slightly up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Hobo With a Shotgun is a Dark Hoot ....
PostedJuly 10, 2011
... and, first off, thanks to Andrea Beasley Brown "The Midnite Movie Mamacita" for bringing her splendorous blend of underground, grindhouse, cult favorite cinema guilty pleasures to downtown Mesa, Arizona and The Royale movie theater. Just what the doctor ordered! Hobo With a Shotgun is not a cinematic masterpiece even within the genre it represents BUT with Rutger Hauer and director-writer Eisener's help it is pretty darn good. You will find yourself engaged, sometimes laughing, sometimes flinching and often agape at some of the scenes involving violent acts and blood gushing. Just what is going on here and who really is this quiet, observant "hobo with a shotgun"? He is all of us of course ... and we are right there with him in his outrage and determination to finally "take a stand". A slightly grimy, slightly smelly rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Transformers:DOTM3Dimax is "Riveting"!
PostedJuly 10, 2011
Michael Bay has done what I honestly thought was impossible - he has made a third movie about giant talking robots and he has succeeded in making a much better one than either of the first two by zeroing in on the graphic imagery, the ingrained 3D quality, color visualizations and sound effects. He has "grown" his Transformer movie franchise into the ultimate beautiful, noisy, sensory spectacular that it must be to live up to it's heart and soul. How much "story and character" development do you need in an action movie about giant, talking, warring robots ... anyway? Bay has mastered the Cameron "effect" in this movie. This is the "Avatar" of giant talking robot movies. I loved the whole thing .... probably because I simply "went with it" and did not fight where Bay wanted to visually take us. I let the sensory experience wash over and through me and I got my "Avatar fix" by doing so. One metallic talking rhino horn up. Why not?
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Horrible Bosses is Horribly Funny
PostedJuly 9, 2011
Horrible Bosses should not be missed if you like your comedy dark, edgy, a bit twisted and you are not too sensitive to sexual innuendo and extremely rough language. I laughed almost constantly throughout this R rated romp. I was "tickled" to see Jennifer Aniston "stretch her wings" and play a character so sexually dark and unlike anything she has done previously. Great work from Aniston, Spacey, Farrell (an almost unbelievable metamorphosis - which he seems to be into these days and good for him) and the entire cast! Crisp writing, editing and directing keeps the movie focused and on-track. There are twists and turns (not all that unpredictable) and the ending is satisfyingly karmic enough. Most will laugh and enjoy this movie but if you are easily offended by foul language and sexually explicit banter you should skip this one - my bride of 34 years walked out after 30 minutes and waited for me in the lobby - telling me that the college boy humor was offensive and the story not that compelling. We agreed to disagree. Variety is the spice of life and we are not robots that all fit neatly into patterns - thank God. A rhino horn with a smiley face sticker on it up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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