filmfiend's stats
- Review count10
- Helpfulness votes1
- First reviewMay 25, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 5, 2013
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.1
filmfiend's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
This is How Hollywood Blockbusters Should Be Made
PostedJuly 5, 2013
filmfiend
from New York
Age:55 to 64
Gender:Female
Goes to the movies:weekly
Dialogue
4
/
5
Special Effects
5
/
5
Art Direction
5
/
5
Acting
5
/
5
Story
5
/
5
Camerawork
5
/
5
Don't let the critics kill this movie. This movie takes its time developing, but it has wonderful light moments (and there are plenty of them) and some serious moments too and balances them beautifully. If you're looking for lots and lots of jumpy action shots; lots of vroom vroom bang bang boom (car chases, shootouts and explosions), you get them here, but without the jumpiness, and every single one serves the plot. Depp and Hammer are great as are all the villains, and the story builds nicely to a wonderful nostalgic climax. A little slow in spots? Maybe. Some aberrant vampire bunnies? OK. But how director Gore Verbinski, the writers and editors got this one past the money men is probably a story in itself. The cinematography is gorgeous and every shot, (except for the bunnies), and every bit of spectacle serves the story. I can't remember the last time a big Hollywood movie cared about story, or characters for that matter. The only thing at fault here is the marketing campaign which gives the impression the movie is one big heartless yuck. Well it's not. And don't hold that against it. Don't let this movie die! GO SEE IT!
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, great cinematography, wonderful special effects
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
Vroom Vroom Bang Bang Boom
PostedJuly 30, 2011
If you're a fan of car chases, bullets and explosions, you'll like this movie. (OK, no car chases, just alien space ships.) And there's the rub. Absolutely no tension. Action movies depend on spectacle: momentary visual displays that have to be creative to keep you occupied. Once the spectacle starts in any movie, if the movie makers don't come up creative forms of spectacle to keep you entertained, you're going to be bored. And here's why. You already know the hero will prevail so the story had better be about the journey, i.e. the obstacles along the way, and this one, as many other reviewers pointed out, was full of cliches.
The plot and the characters were thinly drawn. Except for Craig, none of the characters were compelling and even Craig's was only interesting through the sheer will of his performance. He is the only actor who achieved the balance between playing it straight and being sardonic.
Harrison Ford seemed like more of a caricature than the rest with his usual grimace. The others that stood out were Craig, Dano, Rockwell, and I always love Goggins. This leaves out compliments to a great number of character actors, but the characters were as thinly drawn as the plot.
The plot seemed thrown together, and the movie depended on flashbacks.
The dialogue at the end was the characters repeating the same line over and over. Apparently, they'd run out of all the dull lines they'd used previously.
The number of writers who got credit says it all. A giraffe is an animal invented by committee. All high concept, no follow through.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
If You're Not a Scifi Buff...
PostedMarch 20, 2011
I love Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, but they do better in movies written by Pegg and his writing partner, Edgar Wright. The plot and the characters were derivative and just didn't hold my interest. I was surprised at how strong the god versus evolution argument was and that was the problem. An argument isn't necessarily "dramatic action". Sometimes it's just an argument. If it doesn't move the plot forward and it isn't entertaining, why is it there? And the supporting cast was just thrown away. If you don't develop your characters and the plot is not original, you'll have a hard time holding us in the seats.
I got a few of the scifi references and maybe that was the problem which is why I give this movie a two instead of a one, in deference to those that got them all, but this isn't one for the rest of us.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
A Mature Film, Not for Action Fans
PostedSeptember 4, 2010
This is a beautiful, slow, character-driven movie. It may have suffered from false advertising, if it was being portrayed as a thriller. While it can lag a bit at times, the suspense builds towards the end, and it benefits from the constant paranoia of the main character, Edward Clark, that increases as the movie progresses. His loneliness, the paranoia which is a side-effect of his profession as a hit man, and his taciturn demeanor come through beautifully in Clooney's performance. If you need a lot of shoot-em' up, bang-bang explosions, go see The Expendables, but if it's a mature film that you're after, The American has the goods.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
1
/
5
Great Sleep Aide
PostedAugust 7, 2010
This movie has a completely disjointed script. The writer seemed to be throwing in as many gags and references to other films that he could think of. I'm not the biggest Will Ferrell fan. His routine gets old after a while. His partner in crime, Mark Wahlberg did his best, but was stuck with a one-note performance throughout. I fell asleep during the middle of the movie. I think that says it all.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
I'm with the Fools
PostedAugust 1, 2010
In a world full of cynics, I'm with the fools. Professional critics blasted this movie for being predictable. Frankly what Hollywood fare isn't? It's how you get there that counts. This is Carell's movie and he makes his character, "Barry" endearing. From the Beatles' song at the beginning to how Rudd's character reacts to Barry, there's just enough empathy to keep the movie from being mean-spirited. Good comedies that can keep a consistent tone are hard to come by. This one achieves that and enough laughs to make it worthwhile.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
The Duds are a Dud
PostedMay 30, 2010
Overall, SATC2 was fun, and the movie didn't drag, as some professional reviewers said. Carrie and Big were at the center of it, as they should be, and there were some funny lines and just enough plot to keep it moving. Neither movie has had the bite of the series and given the R rating I don't know why, given that the people who will see it are the ones who watched the series. My biggest complaint was the fashion. (Sorry, Patricia Fields.) SATC has always been about glamour, but the wardrobe here seemed tacky and just out of date.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
A Chaotic Symphony
PostedApril 25, 2009
This is a beautiful movie about human suffering and what it means to truly be someone's friend. Steve Lopez is the reporter who befriends the schizophrenic Nathanial Ayers. In his misguided attempts to help, Lopez trys to control the outcome only to realize that the best way that he can help is just by being there.
If you are looking for typical Hollywood fare, tightly written, with car chases and explosions, this is not for you, but wondering what Ayers might do provides plenty of tension and you route for both men to succeed. We're coming to the summer season when lighter fare for young audiences predominates. Hollywood, if you're listening, keep putting out at least one movie every few weeks for mature audiences.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
1
/
5
Really Kinda Sad
PostedApril 11, 2009
Ray Liotta's fellow cop pretty well summed up this movie, "I thought this was going to be funny, but it's really kinda sad." Director Jody Hill's attempt at black comedy is instead mean-spirited. Bashing skateboarders and shooting a flasher with the intent to kill him, without any slapstick misses the mark.
The usually likable Seth Rogen had a hard time pulling anything likable or compelling out of his character, Ronnie Barnhardt, the bi-polar head of security at a local mall who yearns to be a real cop. The rest of the excellent cast, Ray Liotta, Colette Wolfe, Celia Weston, and Anna Faris all invest their characters with the right degree of exaggeration or pathos, but they cannot save this movie from its mishandled tone.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skul
PostedMay 25, 2008
I should start by saying I'm not an action movie fan, but I loved Raiders and went despite the professional reviews. The first 45 to 50 minutes were great: amazing cinematography, more character-driven action than normal, witty dialogue and as the mystery begins to present itself I was fascinated. The sequences with the magnetism were really creative. As with many action flicks, however, it devolved into one long chase scene with lots of CGI and it was too predictable. I never doubted that the heros would make it out alive, and when that's the case, the process of getting there has to be more interesting. The tension and suspense just weren't there. Perhaps just a little more emphasis that Indy is older, and maybe misses a bit more, not just the one time in the beginning, would have made our hero vulnerable and made us more concerned for him, but that was not the case. Spielberg has never been known for character development, but a little more creativity in getting us from beginning to end would have been nice. Despite having said this, I recommend the movie for it's first half. Watch the masters at work.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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