DrLaser's stats
- Review count280
- Helpfulness votes157
- First reviewMarch 15, 2008
- Last reviewAugust 14, 2013
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
Overall rating
4
/
5
Tarantino's alternate WWI
PostedSeptember 15, 2009
Imagine if WWII was rewritten. With subtitles that required speed reading. Characters like Brad Pitt who speak a little Eye Tallian. Where even ordinary German soldiers hear nuances in an accent. A world of treason and twists. Man and superman. Love and revenge. Betrayal and surprise.
Its meant to be seen many times so that you can discover all his homages and metaphors. Its meant for his fans as a special treat and will shock others. But its one of his best.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
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5
Mediocre at best and not scary
PostedSeptember 8, 2009
Lets pretend that this wasn't called Halloween so there's no baggage about remakes. It just isn't very good and I have to admit that I do like horror. Suspense was replaced by obligitory brutality. I never felt scared. There was no tension. The idea of the backstory about Michael's childhood and his Mom were ok but less than intriguing or interesting. Yes there is graphic violence (read that as the usual killing) but its boring and repetitive in style and quickly loses its shock value and without that there isn't much meat on the bone. There is no spark of genius here. This one is best left for cable tv on a very very slow night.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
District 9 is high brow grim scifi
PostedSeptember 7, 2009
Most of the great movies of the past were poorly received in their time, but over time became classics. This very grim and excessively graphic film will most likely join them. Be warned it is hard to watch. It is violent, foreign, stark, racist, slow at first, and low budget. Yet it stands as an intellectual monument to what scifi can achieve.
Blomkamp has taken social issues of our world and used aliens to depict them through the metaphor of a documentary.
The final third of the film is phenomenal as we see the evolution of the main character from zero to hero.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
The story behind Woodstock, not the concert
PostedSeptember 1, 2009
Demitri Martin fans will enjoy his dead pan role as the man who inadvertently gave us the Woodstock concert. Ang Lee shows he can direct comedy as well as anyone. The concert serves as the backdrop for a story about the lives of people living through the major changes in our culture in the late 60s. Each of the characters has to find themselves from the gaye son to the self centered over the top mother. Liev Schreiber is simply wonderful as usual as is Jonathan Groff as Michael Lang. Its a ironic look at an iconic event!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Harry Potter and the Tansition to the end
PostedAugust 20, 2009
This is clearly a transition film getting you prepared for the two film finale to the series. It works on that level quite well and spends a lot of time developing some of the characters as they go through adolescence. Its a metaphor for the film itself. One can only hope that the final two films will rise to a level befitting the books.
I saw this in IMAX in 3D. Surprisingly, the 3D only lasted 20 minute. Good 3D, but brief!
I think this is a movie that some will love while others will find fault with. I liked it. Its not perfect but it was worth seeing.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
Loopey
PostedAugust 18, 2009
This movie is a sledge hammer going after a mosquito. What is supposed to be witty satire is simply relentless cynicism. Its a very two dimensional attack on the bureaucracy that leads to war designed for the simple minded. Rather than deal with the intricate possibilities that are presented, the director chooses to oversimplify all the players into stereotypes of a demeaning nature. There is no plot development aside from a minor humorous subplot about a falling wall from a constituent. Profanity is used here as a substitute for a good script. Wait for the dvd, or better yet, wait for a good film.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
GI Joe, wind him up and watch him go...
PostedAugust 12, 2009
If you remember the old 1940's movie serials like Rocket Man or Buck Rogers, you know exactly what you are in for with GI Joe. Its not high brow writing or top notch acting, its ACTION ACTION ACTION and loads of CGI. Don't go if you're looking for high drama or something intellectual, but if you want some old fashion adventure set in the near future, this is a good summer popcorn movie that starts fast and never stops. The plot has more twists than licorice and ends with an obvious tie in to the next installment of what from its surface looks to be a winning franchise for Hasbro.
There are some good laughs and cameo appearances. Hey, its summer! Have some fun.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Summer is more than a season!
PostedAugust 4, 2009
Music video director Marc Webb has smashed into the big leagues with this uniquely structured and oddball love story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is destined for big things after this. Zooey Deschanel is proving to be one the up and coming actresses of her age.
The musical production number that Webb sneaks in is just about perfect leaving you smiling. By going back and forth in time, the contrasts of where a relationship can go is often jarring yet wonderfully smart.
The last word in this film may be one of the best single word endings of the year. Go see it.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Food for Thought!
PostedAugust 2, 2009
A surprisingly fair look at the food industry from both the left and right. Its not for the faint of heart. The graphic nature of the film is an eye opener. Although this is a documentary, its more of an expose of the way a few large corporations have come to both dominate and deteriorate the way food is produced and handled. Animals, workers, and consumers are all being marginalized in the name of profit.
Some of the material is horribly sad to witness. Yet the film holds out hope for a better future.
This is a very important film and needs to be seen.
This is a very important film and needs to be seen.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Away We Go with a Juno feel
PostedJuly 28, 2009
Sam Mendes has crafted a small smart film about an expectant couple searching to find a place to call home. Its really a series of skits about the quirky funny dysfunctional people they encounter at each and every stage of their journey. Both Maggie Gyllenhall and Allison Janney are over the top in their performances as odd ball friends who convince our searching couple that they need to move on once more. Maya and John work very well together. Subtlety is king here in this adult story of finding that home is where the heart is.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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