DrLaser's stats
- Review count280
- Helpfulness votes157
- First reviewMarch 15, 2008
- Last reviewAugust 14, 2013
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
Overall rating
5
/
5
Hugo - an homage to one of the first film makers
PostedFebruary 28, 2012
Forget the previews and ads, this is far more than a children's story. Hugo is a compelling film by director Martin Scorsese about a much earlier director, Georges Melies, famous for his silent film with a rocket hitting the eye of the man in the moon. His story is told through the fictional character Hugo, a little boy who secretly lives in a Paris train station maintaining its clock. As the boy searches to find meaning in his life he finds his path crossing that of an old man (Ben Kingsley) who runs a toy store there. The man sees Hugo as a thief. So does the disabled police inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) who is constantly chasing him. With that tension as the background the mystery unfolds and like a good detective story, each piece slowly comes together like assembling a puzzle to tell the story of one of the great men in early cinema. Its a loving tribute, artfully directed, with intricately detailed set design and 3D. It can feel slow at times, but it comes together beautifully in the end. If you have ever studied the birth of cinema or are even mildly interested, go see Hugo!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
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5
Safe House - Lots of action, good actors
PostedFebruary 21, 2012
This CIA thriller is full of adrenaline charged action and chases. Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington grow from adversaries to trusted allies as the story unfolds with all the usual spy twists and turns. Both actors really shine in their roles. Unlike the Bourne thrillers, the main characters are not killing machines. They are good but they make mistakes and learn. The acting and directing are excellent. At times it can be dizzying as you try to follow the speed of the action. The story is a little different and that's what makes it work. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good spy thriller with lots of action.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
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5
Big Micracle - a whale of a tale indeed!
PostedFebruary 14, 2012
Inspired by a true yet simple story of three trapped whales in Alaska and the unlikely people who come together to work for their rescue, this is well constructed and charming story that you will truly enjoy. As the rescue evolves into a team effort, former enemies join together in ways that blur their distinction as stereotypes as they demonstrate their humanity. Its all told through interlacing actual news footage with network anchors like Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jennings, and yes, its Alaska, so even a clip of then sports broadcaster Sarah Palin. Environmentalist, oil men, the military, President Regan, and even the Russian Navy all join together. And through it all, the personal stories of the little people make this film totally charming. My favorite scene was the two entrepreneurs from Minneapolis who fly up with their home made de-icer to keep an opening in the ice so the whales wouldn't suffocate. Its all told by a young Inuit lad who wants to escape the traditional world of his elders and finds meaning in it as he becomes caught up in the drama. Its a wonderful film that is well worth seeing!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
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5
War Horse - emotional vignettes of WWI
PostedFebruary 7, 2012
Not so much a story about a horse as it is a story of the way people who come in contact with the horse show their humanity. Told in chapter style, we follow the horse though a succession of "owners" during WWI. As his ownership changes hands, so does the side he is working for. Rather than showing the sides as bad and good, we get to see them as individual people caught in a larger struggle. What matters most is the decency that lies in all our hearts even in times of armed struggle. People who are seen early on as bad grow and find their better selves. The strongest metaphor for this is in a scene where the horse is trapped in barbed wire between enemy trenches. A soldier from each side comes out to help the horse get free. It just makes you think. The cinematography is beautiful and the story is professionally told by Spielberg. You'll find this a strongly emotional film with a lot of heart.
But in the end, a horse is a horse, of course of course. ;-)
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
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5
Red Tails - George Lucas and the Tuskeegee Airmen
PostedJanuary 31, 2012
This is a fictional story told in typical George Lucas style of the Tuskeegee Airmen of WWII who fought both racism and Nazis as they distinguished themselves as the best fighter squadron of the war. Although totally predictable and a bit on the light side, this is a powerful story that is surprisingly wonderful to watch. Both the human drama of the individual stories of the African American airmen as well as their amazing dog fights are compelling and masterfully done as you would expect from the man behind Star Wars. You'll find yourself routing for the pilots as they establish their personalities on the ground and in the air. The true history of the actual Tuskeegee Airmen may not have been as theatrical as this film, but this version should do them proud. A big thumbs up!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
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5
The Iron Lady - fighting demensia recalls her life
PostedJanuary 24, 2012
Told from the viewpoint of an aged Margaret Thatcher fighting off memory loss and hallucinations, the story of her life is told through a series of flashbacks starting with her modest beginnings living over the grocery her father ran, to her fiery years as the first female Prime Minister of the UK. A mix of fiction and fact, this film is most notable for the incredible acting by Meryl Streep. This is clearly one of her finest acting roles in years. Regardless of your feelings about the politics, the story itself is quite interesting and well directed. The director's choice to focus on her dementia with her constant hallucinations of her dead husband dominating much of the film is a unique theatrical device that at times works well. Its told in a very loving fashion focusing on the their long term bond and his unyielding affection for her. The dementia is contrasted by her many sharply lucid moments that make you wonder just how aware she still is. You get the feeling that she can be completely there when she feels she needs to be, but is teetering on that edge of losing herself. There's no doubt that all eyes will be on Streep at the Academy Awards ceremony based on her work here.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
The Artist - "with pleasure!"
PostedJanuary 17, 2012
More than just a silent move, "The Artist" captures all that is and was special about film, acting, and the back stories that make it all magic, better than any other film I've seen in many years. Its story of a dashing star of the silent film era making a chance meeting with a gangly but equally charming young ingenue has been often told but rarely as well as this, especially since this is essentially a silent film. The actors are amazing (even Valentin's little Asta like dog who steals so many scenes). There is both beauty and art is every frame of film here. Its a loving homage to cinema told by a master and it takes you by surprise not by its intellect but by its purity and heart. This film is a must see and a very strong Oscar contender!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
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5
The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo - Hollywood version
PostedJanuary 13, 2012
If you haven't seen the Swedish version of this story, you will find this film quite powerful. The story is a mystery about a murder in a wealthy family on a Swedish isle that took place 40 years before the film begins. The casting is tight and the directing good. Its not a story for children or people who are easily offended. The violence and sex are graphic, but integral to the plot and in no way gratuitous. Its an amazing story and Lisabeth Salander is one of the most unique characters to grace a novel or screen.
The opening title scene is out of place with the film and far more appropriate for a James Bond film (hint hint), yet with that aside, this is a film of serious merit that you should see.
If you see this Hollywood version and like it, make the effort to watch the three Swedish films. They tell a far richer story with better directing and casting.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
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5
We Bought A Zoo - coming to grips with s loss
PostedJanuary 12, 2012
After the loss of his wife, Matt Damon's son gets in trouble at school prompting the need to move out of the school district. When they find a house they like, it turns out to be attached to a zoo in need of serious help to reopen. However, the real story is about the family coming to grips with the loss of the mom. The zoo simply provides the back story through which they work through their loss and rebuild their lives. Matt Damon does a wonderful job of blending the right mix of emotions as both the survivor Dad to the kids and the bereaved widow. The story is told with both humor and sensitivity. This is a well crafted family story that just might surprise you. Though you might not want to admit it, you will be glad you saw it.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
Sherlock Holmes - A Game Of Shadows - a winner
PostedJanuary 4, 2012
Guy Ritchie has improved on his formula and created a winning film. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) is facing his arch-nemesis and intellectual equal, Professor Moriarti in a battle of wits and brawn to avert world war, but he's losing the fight.
Downey has improved on the Holmes character adding more wit and humor while saving the display of intellect until the end when it really matters. His best friend and partner Dr. Watson (Jude Law) goes from being a lovable twit about to get married to becoming a formidable fighter and detective when he needs to.
The visual artistry displayed in the use of slow motion during fighting is stunning and effective. The idiosyncrasies of Holmes bring a string of well placed laughs to an otherwise serious adventure film. Watch for his urban camouflage, its amazing and wonderful. And to see him on a horse, well, just watch for it!
Its a great movie, though totally unlike the old idea of Sherlock Holmes, but still worthy of the legend!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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