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JamesB
JamesB's stats
- Review count5
- Helpfulness votes0
- First reviewMay 18, 2008
- Last reviewAugust 8, 2009
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.8
JamesB's Reviews
Overall rating
4
/
5
Better than the other Hasbro movie
PostedAugust 8, 2009
JamesB
from Los Angeles
There was a time when "good" meant a film challenged your point of view on life. Now somehow it means the opposite. How sad.
I can only compare this film to Tran2. At least there are no children's toys getting nasty on a girl's leg or racist stereotypes in this one. (vast improvement) The plot goes like this- bang, blam, boom. Repeat for 2hrs. (same as Tr2) The characters actually imitate depth and motivation (better than Tr2). The special effects are dazzlingly created (slightly better, but not much).
I can only compare this film to Tran2. At least there are no children's toys getting nasty on a girl's leg or racist stereotypes in this one. (vast improvement) The plot goes like this- bang, blam, boom. Repeat for 2hrs. (same as Tr2) The characters actually imitate depth and motivation (better than Tr2). The special effects are dazzlingly created (slightly better, but not much).
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Tasty Only While Consuming
PostedJune 25, 2009
JamesB
from Los Angeles
My wife loved it because it was 'funny', but said that Fox was 'too pretty'. That sums up the film for me, too.
It looked great, especially the CGI, but everyone in the film- humans included- were too pretty-too fake. It looked great and had plenty of shallow jokes to laugh at, but it was all dead behind the eyes. Bay couldn't hit an emotion with a bazooka.
Okay, it's a cartoon, but a 2 1/2 hour cartoon. It wasn't too loud, but it was loud for too long, with no real counter-acting emotion the whole time.
It looked great, especially the CGI, but everyone in the film- humans included- were too pretty-too fake. It looked great and had plenty of shallow jokes to laugh at, but it was all dead behind the eyes. Bay couldn't hit an emotion with a bazooka.
Okay, it's a cartoon, but a 2 1/2 hour cartoon. It wasn't too loud, but it was loud for too long, with no real counter-acting emotion the whole time.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Heart
PostedMay 24, 2009
JamesB
from Los Angeles
My rating is mostly for the summer cotton candy sugar rush of whiz bang action scenes and mostly cool spfx. The robo-Ducatis were my favorite (yes, they were Ducatis, check the end credits). Like all good candy, it tastes great, but after the inevitable crash, it's "what's opening next week?" Bale was channeling Batman the whole time. Kudos to Sam W for bringing some real angst to his role.
Looking for anything thematically deep, even T2 level, then drop one star and take it as is.
Looking for anything thematically deep, even T2 level, then drop one star and take it as is.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
No Exit Strategy Explained in 2 1/2 Hours
PostedJuly 20, 2008
JamesB
from Los Angeles
A misunderstood hero takes flak from the public for his unilateral methods of taking out the evil in his world. He sparks a response in the form of a mad man who will kill anybody anywhere anytime,including blowing up buildings, and is not afraid to die himself. He does it for not money, but his own twisted principles. The hero distorts his own rules to find the fiend, leading to the existential crisis, do I become the madness to stop the madness?
Nope it's not President Bush and his war on terror, it's Batman, but his crisis comes to the same conclusion, which is basically- there is no solution. (No, I really didn't give anything away with that one.)
The Dark Knight may not be a real political commentary, but it definitely sends a message that no one in power is really going to save us. We have to save ourselves.
The film rocks with deep characterizations, especially from the late Heath Ledger, and asks some genuinely disturbing moral questions. The violence is definitely not the kid's comic book type. The Joker could be in his own 70's slasher movie. Yet, for all the hype, the story is thick with plot and adds a piece with Harvey Dent that could have been left as a whole third film. It looks incredible , and the action scenes are thrilling, but in the end, it's too long because they tried to do too much. Go see it, but get ready to talk to someone about it afterward to get yourself out of the funk it puts you in.
Nope it's not President Bush and his war on terror, it's Batman, but his crisis comes to the same conclusion, which is basically- there is no solution. (No, I really didn't give anything away with that one.)
The Dark Knight may not be a real political commentary, but it definitely sends a message that no one in power is really going to save us. We have to save ourselves.
The film rocks with deep characterizations, especially from the late Heath Ledger, and asks some genuinely disturbing moral questions. The violence is definitely not the kid's comic book type. The Joker could be in his own 70's slasher movie. Yet, for all the hype, the story is thick with plot and adds a piece with Harvey Dent that could have been left as a whole third film. It looks incredible , and the action scenes are thrilling, but in the end, it's too long because they tried to do too much. Go see it, but get ready to talk to someone about it afterward to get yourself out of the funk it puts you in.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
PostedMay 18, 2008
JamesB
from Los Angeles
To get it out of the way, yes, all the things you've heard about the film are true. It is darker in tone, like Lord of the Rings, and has lost the ooh-ahh of the first film. It does have some glaring deviations from the book and it diminishes the theme somewhat for the Lewis faithful.
However, it has enough going for it to still go see it. None of the things I mentioned mar the film enough to stay away. It, like its characters, are growing up. The inner conflict in Peter mirrors the political conflict with evil King Miraz. Both feel justified at their actions.
Speaking of action, it is more adult as well, though not on the level of, say, most video games. There are actually some consequences played out in the first grand battle, a night-time attack on the bad guy castle. Stirring and heart-breaking.
Those who don't care so much for themes and messages will enjoy the special effects and the memories it evokes of Lord of the Rings.
The actors do the best they can, with poor Caspian looking good but not much more. Not the actor's fault, though.
The reason I gave it a four and not a five is simply that the original theme of a young man coming to faith in something beyond himself was squandered with Peter's story. After all, the title is "Prince Caspian", not "Pete and the Prince". While their stories intertwined well enough, it muddied the overall effect. Many opportunities from the book were dismissed. As well, Trumpkin the dwarf and Reepicheep were used mostly for comic relief, and their role in the original story was much deeper than that. The biggest change, the appearance of the White Witch, was handled well enough and was probably done for the fans who saw the first film but had not read the books. Aslan's non-prescence was not handled as effectively. Belief must come before revelation, but that message was missed.
In all, I liked, but did not love the film. I'll probably get the DVD when it comes out and it will grow on me. The way this film was handled leads me to put more hope in the next one, Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Stay tuned.
However, it has enough going for it to still go see it. None of the things I mentioned mar the film enough to stay away. It, like its characters, are growing up. The inner conflict in Peter mirrors the political conflict with evil King Miraz. Both feel justified at their actions.
Speaking of action, it is more adult as well, though not on the level of, say, most video games. There are actually some consequences played out in the first grand battle, a night-time attack on the bad guy castle. Stirring and heart-breaking.
Those who don't care so much for themes and messages will enjoy the special effects and the memories it evokes of Lord of the Rings.
The actors do the best they can, with poor Caspian looking good but not much more. Not the actor's fault, though.
The reason I gave it a four and not a five is simply that the original theme of a young man coming to faith in something beyond himself was squandered with Peter's story. After all, the title is "Prince Caspian", not "Pete and the Prince". While their stories intertwined well enough, it muddied the overall effect. Many opportunities from the book were dismissed. As well, Trumpkin the dwarf and Reepicheep were used mostly for comic relief, and their role in the original story was much deeper than that. The biggest change, the appearance of the White Witch, was handled well enough and was probably done for the fans who saw the first film but had not read the books. Aslan's non-prescence was not handled as effectively. Belief must come before revelation, but that message was missed.
In all, I liked, but did not love the film. I'll probably get the DVD when it comes out and it will grow on me. The way this film was handled leads me to put more hope in the next one, Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Stay tuned.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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