TheMovieRhino's stats
- Review count647
- Helpfulness votes412
- First reviewNovember 16, 2008
- Last reviewMay 26, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
Overall rating
4
/
5
Insidious is A Horror Tale of Two Worlds...
PostedApril 3, 2011
There is much to like about "Insidious" and there is much not to like. That said I had a pretty good time in this horror flick so, overall, I find it easy to recommend. Dissecting the movie we find a tale of two movies. The first half of the film is atmospheric and nuanced and much better than the last half which uses special effects more than it needs to and quashes some of the benefits we had just gained working out our imaginations in the first hour. The plot and general storyline arc is good but the dialogue and scripting do not keep pace. This is the kind of movie where sparse dialogue usually works better and too much dialogue comes across as unnecessary - at best and redundantly condescending - at worst. Insidious could have been a classic horror picture if only the director had trusted the audience a bit more and let us be more of a part of the psychology of the story rather than lay everything out so neatly. Twist endings are always better if they are not telegraphed. Hey - I may be over-analyzing this one - I had fun, jumped a couple of times and really liked the first hour. Chances are you will as well if the horror-paranormal-possessed genre of movies is to your general liking. A slightly bloody rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Story, Giamatti & Team Are Winners in "Win Win"!
PostedApril 3, 2011
"Win Win" is an exploration of life and how sometimes the unexpected happens - with both good and bad consequences - but what is important is how we handle it and how we prioritize what we do. Ultimately, do we work towards our own personal redemption or languish in a tangled web of our own making? What is winning anyway? A well-told story, intricately plotted and beautifully acted. Not seeing "Win Win" would be a loss. A rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
Devolved is Not Much of a Flick ....
PostedMarch 27, 2011
I understand directors like John Cregan who are "ninja movie-making warriors" without money and bulging Hollywood budgets who are out there, with good spirits, energy and humor, writing, scripting and making "guerrilla movies". John and some of his cast and their voice over narrator were present at the screening of the film. Truth is their live talk and Q&A were the best part of the Devolved experience. The movie was made for under $200k and it looks better than a $200k movie BUT the dialogue, cinematography and editing still could have been much better without another penny spent. Kudos to John Credo's sheer will-power, sense of humor, energy, budgetary inventiveness and will-power. I look forward to more and better from John Cregan and his gang in the future.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Birdemic - A Germ of an Idea that Became a Plague!
PostedMarch 27, 2011
Birdemic works if you see it in a theater with other folks that have an idea of what they are there for. What really makes this "bad movie" good is the third rail of any movie-going experience - the audience themselves. There was constant verbalizing and laughing throughout the film and this interaction not only made Birdemic tolerable it comes close to making it a twisted masterpiece. There are scenes that I will never forget - for all of the wrong reasons - but I, still, will never forget them. I am sure that I was laughing for at least 70 of the 90 minutes and found myself loudly laughing at least 10 times. That beats every "intentional comedy movie" I've seen in many a year .... maybe since "Young Frankenstein". Should not be missed!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Jane Eyre - A Gorgeous and Romantic Film - See it!
PostedMarch 27, 2011
In high school I read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and did a report on the novel. I remember loving the book and then seeing the Orson Welles version shortly thereafter. The movie was good but the book was better (how often this is true). Here, in director Fukanaga's deft hands, the movie matches the book ... perhaps even exceeds it ... because of the perfect imagery and cinematography. Wasikowska is amazing and TheMovieRhino already places her in the top 5 under 30 year-old actresses working today and she may well be #1! Fassbender and Dench and the entire cast are splendid. Jane Eyre gets a big rhino horn up and the highest recommendation to not miss seeing in a theater (if you rent it later you will miss some of the impact of the scenic cinematography)!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Sucker Punch Wins on Points - Not a Knockout....
PostedMarch 26, 2011
Bottom line: The plot and story line for "Sucker Punch" could have been written on a cocktail napkin. It is not complex. The acting is 2D and cardboard-ish most of the time .... and you "can see the spin on the dialogue" all the way from the pitcher's mound. That said - this can't be that good of a movie - right? Wrong - actually. This, after all, is a Zack Snyder Production (writer-director-producer) and all of what would be fundamentally essential in a typical movie to make it worthwhile only needs to be a framework for Snyder to work his magic. Plot, dialogue - even actors are mostly underpinnings - like a clothesline - for Snyder to drape his stunning visuals over. Think of it as going to an art museum and watching a living piece of animated artwork jam-packed with stunning images, stylistically and graphically fascinating ....evolving, fluid, colorful, textured, exciting, original, sensual, violent, poetic, dance-like .... so much so that you cannot take your eyes off of the screen. With a grander tale of more complexity, more nuanced .... with better plotting and dialogue .... and better acting you would certainly have a masterpiece. As it is Snyder's realized visual imaginings nearly get it there all by themselves. A craggy old rhino horn up. See it in a theater for maximum impact.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
Paul - Might Be Funny On Another Planet ....
PostedMarch 21, 2011
.... but not on the 3rd planet from the sun! What on Earth were they thinking? Actually - the concept had great potential - and then they veered right back into all of the stuff we have all seen before. It really does not matter that an ET is involved - if it is the same old stuff we have seen before. Just had to turn the movie into an alien/boy humor/sex jokes/RV chase movie. Could have really been interesting, funny and inventive ..... but noooooooo.....picked the old "path of least resistance". 10 minutes total of funny stuff in a 100 minute comedy movie just does not cut it. Cannot recommend - even as a rental - BUT it gets 2 stars instead of 1 for the inventive placement references to alien sci-fi movies of the past and the waitress character played by Jane Lynch (not enough of either).
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Inspirational - Lord of the Dance 3D
PostedMarch 21, 2011
Lord of the Dance 3D is a mesmerizing, inspiring, toe-tapping, emotional tribute to dance and music of an Irish flavor from the master - the Lord of the Dance himself - Michael Flatley. The staging, lighting, music, sound, costuming are as good as it gets and even these stand in awesome reverence to the magic of the synchronized Irish dancing that Flatley and his energetic gang of proficient dancers put on display for us! We loved the whole thing and thought the 3D did add a dimension. Loved seeing the shows live and in person but the 3D camera work can get in very close to the dancers and it creates a new perspective! A documentary, a story, a musical revival and an historical record that will make us all proud of the Irish in us - or wish we had some!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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2of 2voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Expand Your Mind - See Limitless
PostedMarch 20, 2011
Limitless is based on the idea that we use only a small portion of our minds .... so what would happen if someone developed a drug that would allow us to use 100% of our brain's potential 100% of the time? Like everything in life there is a good and a bad outcome, a yin and yang, and both are entwined in "Limitless". Fascinating concept that is well portrayed by director Burger and his acting crew headed up by Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. Great dialogue and pacing and above-average cinematography. Really liked the ending that I did not see coming!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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2of 2voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Verdict: The Lincoln Lawyer is a Winner!
PostedMarch 19, 2011
Mathew McConaughey sends a jolting reminder to us that he really can act .... in The Lincoln Lawyer. This is not a perfect movie (it gets a bit loose and sloppy at times) but, overall, an interesting tale of lawyers, mysteries and intrigue with excellent performances from an all-star cast. A well-told tale that lets McConaughey put his southern drawl and charm to full use. The jury is in and we find the movie worthy of viewing and the investment of your hard-earned movie money. Sentence yourself to 119 minutes following "The Lincoln Lawyer's" intricate plan to get his client off and get the same client tried for murder - tricky stuff - in a theater of your choice. A "justice is blind" rhino horn up!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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2of 2voted this as helpful.