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- Review count2
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- First reviewJune 23, 2008
- Last reviewJune 23, 2008
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- Average rating3.5
umbrus's Reviews
Overall rating
2
/
5
Hulk Sm-- . . .yea whatever
PostedJune 23, 2008
umbrus
from NY
Ok, let's be honest here. The Hulk, as a developed character, doesn't have a lot going for him. He got messed up by science, he gets angry sometimes, and when he does, he smashes things. Done.
Does Hulk smash in this movie? Yep. Does he do it in the most straightforward uninteresting way possible 90% of the time? Yep. There's no question that this movie stays 100% true to its roots. . .and that's why it's dull. There's simply nothing to work with. Even the sparse, half-hearted attempts at humor fail to bring life to the film. I respect the effort, but I think it's time to let this one die.
The fact is that pretty much every other comic-based movie has as much action as this one PLUS interesting characters and plot. This one just follows every cliche in the book.
Bottom line- If you're looking for a mindless action flick(not that there's anything wrong with that per se) then you're good to go. But if you'd like some fun or (heaven forbid) intrigue with your explosions go see Indiana Jones while it's still around, or pretty much anything else. You'll quickly discover that you don't need giant green men to have a good time.
Does Hulk smash in this movie? Yep. Does he do it in the most straightforward uninteresting way possible 90% of the time? Yep. There's no question that this movie stays 100% true to its roots. . .and that's why it's dull. There's simply nothing to work with. Even the sparse, half-hearted attempts at humor fail to bring life to the film. I respect the effort, but I think it's time to let this one die.
The fact is that pretty much every other comic-based movie has as much action as this one PLUS interesting characters and plot. This one just follows every cliche in the book.
Bottom line- If you're looking for a mindless action flick(not that there's anything wrong with that per se) then you're good to go. But if you'd like some fun or (heaven forbid) intrigue with your explosions go see Indiana Jones while it's still around, or pretty much anything else. You'll quickly discover that you don't need giant green men to have a good time.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Well Worth Watching No Matter How You Cut It
PostedJune 23, 2008
umbrus
from NY
As an ardent M. Night. Shyamalan fan, I would have to rank this as the worst of his good movies, which still leaves it in class above the mainstream as far as I'm concerned.
I will say, however, that this is not going to be a movie that will make you change your mind about the director. If his style works its magic on you, then I don't think this film will disappoint. If you hate the rest of his stuff, then this is just going to be more of the same for you.
This isn't the kind of movie where The Bogeyman is going to jump out of a shadow and scare you to death. It's instead the kind of movie that sinks into your chest and holds on tight. It might not send chills down your spine, but it's definitely creepy and finds plenty of ways to disturb you in new ways. In this regard I think it's for the best that the movie is shorter than average, as too much of that could be potentially maddening.
The movie is not without flaws, but I certainly felt that the big picture was potent enough to allow me to move past them. Your mileage may vary.
The movie is not without flaws, but I certainly felt that the big picture was potent enough to allow me to move past them. Your mileage may vary.
Pros
-The cinematography, Shyamalan's greatest strength, is inspired. Every single shot is handled with tremendous care and thought that really shines through and brings a sense of awe to the film. I also really appreciated that many of the events of the film were expressed indirectly, from the perspective of the characters, which really tapped into the feeling of isolation and hopelessness.
-The cinematography, Shyamalan's greatest strength, is inspired. Every single shot is handled with tremendous care and thought that really shines through and brings a sense of awe to the film. I also really appreciated that many of the events of the film were expressed indirectly, from the perspective of the characters, which really tapped into the feeling of isolation and hopelessness.
-The creepiness of the movie really follows you home. There's a lot of ingenuity here.
Cons
-My one disappointment with the film is that the sense of discovery that usually works so well in Shyamalan's works is absent here. I'm not talking about a "twist" ending here. All of the information you need to know about the characters and the "Happening" is rather matter-of-factly vomited out to you pretty early on. From then on, there's nothing new to learn. Fortunately, the events of the movie can carry themselves, but there's something lost here.
The premise of the movie works. . .but that's all it does. There's really no elaboration.
More particularly, Zooey Deschanel's character, who seemed to be designed as a deep focal point of the movie, was actually extremely shallow. She has a few painful lines in which she very awkwardly gives away her unjustified inner workings just to make sure the audience is getting the point. There's nothing subtle here, and the acting falls flat as a result.
-My one disappointment with the film is that the sense of discovery that usually works so well in Shyamalan's works is absent here. I'm not talking about a "twist" ending here. All of the information you need to know about the characters and the "Happening" is rather matter-of-factly vomited out to you pretty early on. From then on, there's nothing new to learn. Fortunately, the events of the movie can carry themselves, but there's something lost here.
The premise of the movie works. . .but that's all it does. There's really no elaboration.
More particularly, Zooey Deschanel's character, who seemed to be designed as a deep focal point of the movie, was actually extremely shallow. She has a few painful lines in which she very awkwardly gives away her unjustified inner workings just to make sure the audience is getting the point. There's nothing subtle here, and the acting falls flat as a result.
-The ending just didn't stick for me. Again, lack of subtlety seems to be the issue here.
Looking forward to the next one.
Looking forward to the next one.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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