JAMJAM's Movie Reviews

[JAMJAM]

Hey guys, I'm new to the website but pretty excited to share my opinions on some movies. I wanna do some writing and I guess writing reviews for movies would be a pretty good thing to do in the mean time. I'll be reviewing movies that I have personally watched so I hope you enjoy! ;)



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Wreck-It Ralph
Release Date: November 2, 2012
Runtime: 120 Minutes

As soon as I saw the trailer for this movie, I was stoked. I mean, what could be better than a movie about video games? I had high expectations towards this movie and I can say that it delivered on all fronts. At the beginning, it was good already because you got to see some video game classic characters such as Bowser, Ryu, etc. As the movie progressed on, not only did the movie go into a whole new dimension but it picked up quite nicely.

The graphics, effects, and overall picture were pretty amazing! The whole storyline was what really caught me though. Going into this, I thought that the storyline would only appeal to children. However, many adults can enjoy this film as well. Gamers will most especially enjoy this movie but even if you aren’t, it’s just as good. The casting was done well in my opinion. Not sure if they made it intentional for the characters to look like the people providing voices for them but I think it was a nice touch. Jane Lynch was spectacular. I think she played the role of Calhoun really well. Along with her backstory, she’s probably my favorite character after Ralph.

While this movie may be an animation, you would think that all the mushy stuff would only appeal to kids. However, in the scene where the virtual world was literally crumbling and getting shred to pieces with Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) unable to escape, it was quite a touching moment. Probably the best scene of the movie which tested its viewers emotions, well done on that scene.

Overall, Wreck-It Ralph is a really good animation film and is probably the best since Up debuted. The characters were all very likable even the villain. A very good movie for everyone to watch. Not only is it great for everyone, but it does a good job of appealing to your emotions. All in all, this movie takes you on a journey where you just have to hop on and see where the road takes you.

Rating: 8/10

[JAMJAM]

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Argo
Release Date: October 12, 2012
Runtime: 120 Minutes

Knowing that this film was directed by Ben Affleck, I was hoping that he’d deliver after I had seen his previous movie, The Town which was quite good as well. However, I didn’t see it at its initial release as I decided to see how people reacted toward it before giving this review.

The first thing that caught my attention was the way the film was presented. It felt like an old school film which is always good to see once in a while. While the beginning started a little slow, I almost didn’t want to continue the film. However, the movie definitely picked up in the middle part. The storyline was just amazing. Pretty sure nothing like this has ever been done before and if it did, Argo would be a tough act to follow. The movie became a suspenseful film as each second passed because it seemed like if someone blew their cover, they’d be all dead, which was the case.

At first glance, I didn’t even notice that Bryan Cranston was part of the film. Seeing him totally made me enjoy the movie more after his stellar performance in Breaking Bad. The casting was done beautifully but Cranston and John Goodman were my favorites. Cranston played his supporting role quite well and deliver an awesome performance as Jack O’Donnell. The picture that the film had was great as well which doesn’t surprise me as it won an Oscar Award for Best Picture. I think Affleck did a good job of installing fear into his characters which also made the audience tense with the whole situation.

Favorite part in the movie was at the end when Cranston and Affleck shared a conversation that no one could know of this operation while the credit all went to the Canadians. While Affleck would also be recognized for his work with the Intelligence Star but it would be taken back altogether. The ending really summed up the whole movie quite well in regards to emotion.

Overall, Argo is definitely a movie that you’d wanna check out not just because it won an Oscar Award, but because it lives up to the hype. Probably the only thing I would complain about is that is started out pretty slow and took a little too long to pick up, but the action was great. The middle part of the movie really was a nail biter because no one could slip up or they would all be doomed. Yet again, another movie that makes you feel as if you’re in the same situation as the characters in the film. Go see it!

Rating: 8/10

[seanc]

I really like Wreck It Ralph as well, although I didn't go into it with the same expectations as you. Best animated movie I have seen in some time. 4

I know I am in the minority on Argo, but this film really lost me in the last third. My suspension of disbelief was just thrashed in this movie. It was done really well and the acting was great though. 2.5

[teeter_g]

I loved Argo! I thought it was fantastic. I haven't seen Wreck it Ralph.

[Mingusings]

Loved both of these films. In fact, I gave them both 8/10 as well. Excited to see some more reviews by you.

[The Gunslinger45]

I have seen Wreck It Ralph and Argo, both excellent movies!

[JAMJAM]

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The Croods
Release Date: March 22, 2013
Runtime: 98 Minutes

I’m a big fan of animated films so this one caught my attention right away. Plus, it was released on my birthday so I went to go see it the day after. I went with my girlfriend and to no surprise the theater was filled with families and couples too. You can tell everyone was enjoying the movie because of the laughter heard from both the children and adults, it definitely added to the atmosphere in the theater.

The casting is impressive with Cage, Reynolds, and Stone leading the way playing the three most important roles in the movie. While I thought Reynolds was a tough pick to play the role of Guy, he surprised me and did well. Going into this, I thought Emma Stone would be the main character but as the movie progressed, it was more of Cage and Stone’s characters that really shined through.

Oh yeah, seeing it in 3D was great as well. The kids most especially were excited as their “ooohs” and “ahhhhs” were heard. The picture was great and while it didn’t present much color, there were scenes that were just amazing such as the starry night or when the family found a new place other than their caves, was quite a nice picture to see. The world that the Croods lived in was inhabited by such unique animals which I enjoyed personally. Although the movie started out a little slow, it definitely picked up after just a few minutes. The humor was there and delivered even if they were predictable, it still got a good laugh out of me and my girlfriend.

We all know that these types of movies come with an emotional side and it was seen in this movie. An overprotective father doing things the old way for the betterment of his family before a new way was found. Classic father/daughter tale as well. Good story, good action, good payoff.

The Croods isn’t as groundbreaking as movies produced before it such as Up, Shrek, Wall-E, and so on. It sends out a good message and that’s all we can really ask for. With the cast being quite diverse and star power-heavy, a lot of expectations can be sought for. Star for me had to be the characters of Cage and Stone, despite them being unusual voiceovers. Great movie to enjoy with the entire family. The kids will love the picture, colors, jokes, and the fact that it’s in 3D while the adults will have laughs as well and have fun seeing the smiles of their kids or loved ones.

Rating: 7/10

[seanc]

Glad to see a good review for The Croods since I will be taking my boys to see it next weekend. I don't ask much from animation, just want to have the experience you had.

[JAMJAM]

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Release Date: March 28, 2013
Runtime: 110 Minutes

***MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***

The hype surrounding this movie was big as it can be considered the first movie at the early stages of summer. And with good reason too. The cast was pretty solid with Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson but they added in Bruce Willis in as well. Going into it, you just had to know that the storylines were going to be predictable and that it'll be much like the first film. And well...it was.

Duke (Channing Tatum) was in the movie for about ten minutes before his role was killed off in an explosion, leaving 3 Joes left in Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye. The whole storyline was very predictable and was painful to watch at times because of knowing what would happen next. So in short, the storyline was weak and pretty much the same as the first movie with them trying to destory nuclear warheads.

The cast seemed to be competent but in actuality, Dwayne Johnson probably delivered the best performance of the entire cast, and that's really saying something. Haven't seen much of Palicki and there were probably better choices than her to play Lady Jaye but she was decent. Seeing her in a red dress made my mouth drop. Tatum and Johnson had some good chemistry together which is why I was disappointed that Tatum died very early in the movie. Even with the addition of Bruce Willis, he didn't add too much to the movie. He had limited time in the entire movie, which is expected especially in some of his recent movies where he isn't the star. Felt like he was just there for a longer cameo than usual.

Watching it in 3D was a good experience and the movie didn't suffer from it. The action scenes were decent but not really ground-breaking. The only thing to take note of was the ninja fight, that was pretty awesome. The fight Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow was probably my favorite part so you can look forward to that. Other than that, the explosions, interaction with the enemy, everything of the sort were decent at best.

If you enjoyed the first film, you'll enjoy the second one. While both aren't that great, they still have some good moments. The best part again was probably the fight between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, that scene really stole the movie. If you don't expect much from this movie, then you'll really like it. Judging by the events of the movie, there will be a third movie which I'm not too fussed about but will check it out when it eventually comes out.

Rating: 6/10

[Masterman]

Nice reviews. Dwayne Johnson is pretty good for these type of roles, I actually enjoy him these days.