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runester
runester's stats
- Review count7
- Helpfulness votes0
- First reviewJuly 20, 2009
- Last reviewJune 19, 2011
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.4
runester's Reviews
Overall rating
2
/
5
Fun, light, fare
PostedJune 19, 2011
runester
from Boston, MA
Beautiful visuals and some good acting made this movie better than I expected. The story was pretty standard, as these things go, but it was done with a fun spirit and on the light side. Reminds me much more of the first Superman movie than say ... Dark Knight. Many of the characters were likable and the world this story is set-in, is vast and interesting.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Charming, Scary, Thrilling, Funny
PostedJune 12, 2011
runester
from Boston, MA
We thought this movie was excellent! The 1970's pastiche was charming. The way the kids were portrayed felt true, and they were both vulnerable and hopeful and utterly sincere. This movie reminded us a lot of E.T. and Goonies and Stand By Me, but it was very intense and, I believe, faster paced. We loved the movie, but it may be too intense for younger viewers, so don't assume that it's OK for your kids. Finally, do yourself a favor and stick around through the end credits to watch the short "The Case" which was absolutely funny & charming on it's own. - Highly recommend.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Beginning of the End, Great Start!
PostedNovember 21, 2010
runester
from Boston, MA
They did an excellent job of setting the very dark tone and desperate emotions of the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix. The stakes were set as high as they possibly could have been, and no one was pulling their punches in this story! There was also some very raw emotional scenes between the three friends on their long wonderings and a hearful scene between Harry and Hermione that shows what great friends are best at - giving you a lift when you're desperately low.
The only con's, in my opinion, is that they didn't have time to fully flesh out some of the secondary characters as well as they were in the book. I'm thinking of Luna Lovegood, Olivander, and finally Dobby. I realize that movies have limited time to tell a story, but a lot of time was spent with them walking through distant and empty lands while some of the important story was happening in the background.
Anyway, I don't think anyone left the theater dissatisfied, except that now we have to wait until next summer for the finale. This was a good, solid movie and a great way to begin the ending of Harry Potter.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Slow Meditation on Character, Conscience, & Fate
PostedSeptember 12, 2010
runester
from Boston, MA
Apparently people think this is a spy movie in the vein of Bourne Identity or 007. It's not. The slow, carefully paced movie shares some elements with The Good Shepherd. The emotion is conveyed through Clooney's face, not through exposition or ridiculous monologues.
The cinematography was beautiful and very deliberate. The women were beautiful, but always remained human and real, not just sexy cartoons. It was no accident that the only two friends "Jack" made in the little Italian town was the local priest and a local prostitute. We find out that the prostitute was not wholly fallen, and the priest not wholly pure - both were as human and fallible and frail as Jack.
Anyway, I loved this movie. It's not a popcorn movie, watch it with the guys on a Friday night over beers kind of movie. Maybe it's not even a "first date, hoping to impress" kind of movie. Instead, it's a beautiful, simple, quiet, steady, and very deep meditation on character, conscience, and fate.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Different take on the post-apocalyptic story
PostedJanuary 17, 2010
runester
from Boston, MA
Great action sequences; realistic & gritty look and feel; fascinating to watch. While some of the plot is easy to see, the twist at the ending was not. We thoroughly enjoyed this movie, & I would like to see it again, in light of what I now know. Very different take on the typical post-apocalyptic story. Not so nihilistic or hopeless. Denzel Washington did a great job & created what is likely to become an iconic action/cult movie character. See this movie!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Good but Brutal
PostedDecember 6, 2009
runester
from Boston, MA
The acting was excellent, and it would be hard not to be pulled into this story and really feel for the young woman and her situation. But the story is BRUTAL and not for the squeamish. Definitely a bleak view ... I'd stay away from sleeping pills &/or sharp objects after seeing this one!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Uneven
PostedJuly 20, 2009
runester
from Boston, MA
It's not that the movie wasn't good, it's that it was so darn UNEVEN. The mood and pacing established in the first 3/4 (focussing on a mystery & teenaged romantic angst) is utterly different then that used in the last 1/4 (high magic & action), and the transition was jarring.
Further, I'm not sure how much someone who had not read the book would have gotten from the film. Many things were skipped or glossed over (for time) and readers would have no trouble following, but non-readers would be left guessing, "What was that? How did Harry know that? What happened to Jinny's boyfriend between scenes?" etc.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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