TheMovieRhino's stats
- Review count647
- Helpfulness votes412
- First reviewNovember 16, 2008
- Last reviewMay 26, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
Overall rating
5
/
5
The Artist Makes a lot of Noise ....
PostedJanuary 2, 2012
....for a silent movie! Most audience applause at the end of this film than at the end of any movie in 2011 ....and so far into 2012. Black & white, no talking, no sex, no violence, no dirty language .... all adults .... and yet every adult was obviously impressed and immensely entertained by The Artist. Worthy of a repeat in-theater viewing and deserving of all the accolades being heaped upon it. You will not be able to take your eyes off of the screen for fear of missing something. There are more unforgettable moments in this movie than all of the movies combined in the last 12 months. The Artist should see many Oscar nominations before all is said and done. It may sound glib but, suffice to say, that "words cannot do it justice". A big, glorious rhino horn way up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
A Dangerous Method Slices Open ....
PostedJanuary 1, 2012
...the historical beginnings of psychoanalysis - using the relationship between Freud and Jung as an underpinning - and splays the often subjective thinking of both historical figures into full view .... spiced up with (what I believe to be fictional extrapolation) a pyscho-sexual relationship between Jung and one his patients. Keira Knightley is amazing in channeling the female patient. She transforms herself emotionally and physically into this tortured young woman. The movie is gorgeous to look at and fascinating from start to finish. It misses getting 5 stars only because it takes some shortcuts at times to get to the next place in the overall story that I just found frustrating and a bit jarring. Not to say that this confuses the story ... it doesn't. Overall - really great work by everyone! A Freudian rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy needs more ...
PostedJanuary 1, 2012
... clarity of plot and less "plod". Acting, actors, cinematography, score ....all get an A+ ....but .... pacing, script and editing get a D-. I kept thinking that the creative team must have been trying to capture spy dramas of 40 years ago to match up with the approximate time the story unfolds ... if true they fail to deliver. Long moments of silence, stoic faces on bureaucrats, cutting back & forth from the movie's present to the past, etc, does not an intellectual spy thriller make. There are several worthwhile and well-developed scenes in this film but the fact that they stand out in such sharp contrast to most of the movie's over-long 127 minutes speaks volumes. A rhino horn dipped in ricin down on this one.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is good enough....
PostedJanuary 1, 2012
... but not as good as the original Swedish version(s). Truth is I may have liked this movie far more and given it 5 stars had I not seen all 3 of the original Swedish versions. I preferred the less defined, more nebulous, hard to pin down, more dangerous, more shadowy version of Lisbeth Salander as played by Noomi Rapace in the 2009 version. Director Fincher and his crew do a more than adequate job of putting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo onto the silver screen ...but, alas (at least for me), it is not as fresh and film noirish as the original. This version could have been a little "tighter", less "drawn out" ....and it did not need to linger on the more salacious aspects of the story. In summary - I liked it but I kept thinking that I wanted to see the 2009 film again more than seeing this new version. A conflicted, emotionally torn rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Tin Tin is a Win Win - For Story & 3D ....
PostedDecember 31, 2011
.... Tin Tin is a sheer pleasure of adventure, visual splendor and a panoply of fascinating characters. A bunch of talented folks put their creative genius to work in this new 3D animated tale that is sure to engage youngsters and oldsters alike. Gorgeous 3D animation is buttressed by a fun story that zooms from one intricate scene to the next and there is always a perfect eye for detail and unexpected peripheral activities that occur off to the side and in the background. I had never heard of Tin Tin until the news about 2 years ago that Spielberg was working on his first animated feature. The wait is worth it and Tin Tin earns a place in the archive of quality 3D animated family films. Can't wait for Tin Tin II. A hollowed rhino horn with a secret map hidden inside way up!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
1
/
5
Shedding Some Light on The Darkest Hour
PostedDecember 26, 2011
Must admit that I had high hopes for the Christmas Day horror film release of "The Darkest Hour". The previews looked intriguing. Alas ... all that is worthwhile and interesting can be found in those selfsame trailers. The premise is scrumptiously horrific ... energy beings from another world arrive on Earth and they are usually invisible to the naked eye. Their purpose is to absorb all energy and steal all of our natural resources. A rag tag band of "accidental survivors" in Russia begin to "fight back" and look for a means of escape to where the world's resistance is being waged. Sound promising ...eh? Too bad that the promise is not realized. Pacing, acting, dialogue, script, effects, 3D, cinematography all are below par. The film does the worst thing that a horror sci-fi suspense movie can do ... it gets boring and just slogs. It's 89 minute length feels interminable. Painful. Almost walked out but "hope springs eternal". I did like the effect when an alien sucks up a human or animal BUT it also got boring after seeing it several times. Cannot recommend seeing this one by any means. It's not bad enough to be funny and it is not good enough to be worthwhile in the genre it portends to be part of. A non-electrical rhino horn down.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
War Horse Plays Every Emotional...
PostedDecember 26, 2011
...string it can and, yet, it often feels very 2 dimensional. Spielberg should get a "zillion" stars for his period cinematography, costuming and musical score .... but, perhaps in his zeal to capture the innocence of movie-making from 50 or 60 years ago, he imbues War Horse with a "flatness" ... a mundane rhythm that tends to lull the audience to sleep. I kept wanting to feel the emotion of so many incredible moments in this legendary journey and, while the scenic landscapes, panoramic sky shots and WW I battles were gorgeous to look at, the actual story often just droned on. The big moments near the end of the film...the ones we all know are coming... do happen and they illicit our emotional response (as they should) but the movie is just too long, too predictable and too 2D. Overall TheMovieRhino recommends seeing War Horse for the cinematography, score, battle scenes, costuming and general theme. A scarred, chipped rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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+3points
4of 5voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Young Adult is a Modern Morality Tale...
PostedDecember 26, 2011
...and it is relentless in hammering home the message of "shallow, self-indulgences" and how they wreak havoc on (yes) "young adults". Writer Diablo Cody & director Reitman are in no way trying to seduce us into admiring the primary protagonist - played perfectly by Charlize Theron - quite the opposite. By not apologizing for her attitude and behavior throughout the entire 94 minutes of film they underline and highlight the unappealing nature of the character! This is not a "Christmassy feel-good movie"! It is a well made (not perfect) movie that will hold your attention, occasionally make you cringe, surprise you at the lack of redemption and absolutely should not be missed by adult movie-goers for the bravo performance by Charlize Theron. A rhino horn ringed by a pine cone wreath up for this one.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
5
/
5
Shame is a Tough, Closeup Look at Sex Addiction
PostedDecember 18, 2011
Shame is an adult only, somber, serious look into the effects of sex addiction on the addict and those around him. The movie is stark at times and coldly brutal most of the time. It will likely make most viewers uncomfortable often. The movie is well-made and well-acted .... but is obviously not for everyone. Know that there is nudity and lots of emotional and psychological angst. The last 30 minutes of the film are very extreme and will likely make you squirm (I did). The movie does not present a "fairy tale ending" but there is the slenderest ray of hope seeping in through the pain and the door that might be opened from that same pain. An unusual subject matter and an even more unusual time to release such a serious film .... none-the-less worth seeing by contemplative adults with a taste for the unusual in their movie fare. A rhino horn up.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocal Explodes ....
PostedDecember 18, 2011
.... onto the screen with non-stop, original action sequences that are viscerally entertaining! If you live in Arizona I highly recommend you see this new IMF movie on Arizona's largest IMAX screen - the 60' tall IMAX at Harkin's Mill Theater! the visual and audio experience cannot be beat! It is amazing how producers-directors of mega-action serials can "kick it up a notch" and here, in Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, they succeed once again! The "MC Escheresque" parking garage sequence... near the end of the movie, alone, is worth the price of admission. Kudos to everyone involved, all of the actors, and, especially Tom Cruise and JJ Abrams! Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is to run (not walk) to the best IMAX screen you can find, plop down in a seat in the upper half of the tiered seating area, sit back and relish all 132 minutes of this newest and best IMF adventure! This one will light your fuse, explode your senses and self-destruct any boredom you may have accumulating from too many ho-hum films you have perchance been subjected to lately. A big ticking time bomb hidden in a hollow rhino horn way up!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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1of 1voted this as helpful.