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BobbyB 10-20-06 08:04 PM

Reviews by Bobby
 
Here we go, I guess.

Flags of Our Fathers (Eastwood, 2006)

On paper, this is one of the greatest war films of all time. It's got everything working for it. Clint Eastwood is one of the most highly regarded directors, Spielberg is working on the film and we all saw his brilliant work on "Saving Private Ryan". One of the co-writers (Paul Haggis) has been one of the majority writers on the last two best picture winners, it is based off of a very popular book, it's a film about "The last great war" and a minor thing working for it, it has Barry Pepper who appears to have become the quintessential war film actor.

On paper, this should be the greatest movie of all time, or at least the greatest war film of all time. It's not either, but that shouldn't discourage you from going, because it is still a very good movie.

"Flags of Our Fathers" is a moving drama about the war. This is not a war film, it's a drama that revolves around the war. Comparisons to "Saving Private Ryan" are inevitable, but don't go into it expecting the same type of film. These are two completely different kinds of movies.

It focuses on three men, John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe) Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) and Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and their celebrated lives after the war and most notably, their lives after raising the second flag on Iwo Jima.

Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon get a ticket home after they are apart of the raising of a flag over Iwo Jima. The picture was released in papers and publications across America and gave hope to those at home. They are brought home with the express purpose of being spokesmen for the war in an attempt to raise money for the war effort.

In coming back to America, Hayes and Bradley struggle with being dubbed heroes and are haunted by things they witnessed in war. Meanwhile, Gagnon fully embraces his new found stardom and it causes for a butting of heads between himself and Hayes.

The movie does start off somewhat slow (Only for the first ten or fifteen minutes) and it does appear that Eastwood didn't exactly know how to close it out, seeing as how the last 30 minutes seem to drag on for forever, but overall the movie is good. The battle scenes are just a shade under Saving Private Ryan's, but are still very intense. The acting is decent, but in particular I enjoyed Ryan Phillippe's performance.

At times, Flags can be confusing due to flashbacks inside of flashbacks that aren't even in chronological order, but if you pay close enough attention you'll be fine.

Overall I'd give this movie an 8/10. Not as good as "Saving Private Ryan" or "Platoon", but better than "Black Hawk Down" and "The Thin Red Line" (Both the 1998 and 1964 versions)

BobbyB 10-24-06 10:52 PM

The Prestige (Nolan, 2006)

"The Prestige" has potential, but fails to fully reach it.

The story follows two budding illusionists, Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and a bitter rivalry that ensues after a disheartening tragedy.

The Angier, Borden, Cutter (Michael Caine) and Angier's wife Julia (Piper Perabo) are stagehands for a magic act. A tragedy that ends out taking the life of Julia is to be blamed on Borden and Angier begins to become full of rage.

From then on, the movie follows them as they open their own magic acts and try and out-do each other. Cutter joining Angier and bringing along a helper named Olivia (Scarlett Johansson) as Angier runs his own magic show with his stagehand (His name escapes me at the moment, and I can't find a credit for him)

Borden pulls off a magic trick that has Angier scratching his head. He asks his new found love, Olivia, to join Borden and be a spy. The movie continues to take you one way and then turn you another. Angier turns to a wizard in order to help him create something that will put Borden out of business. We're not quite sure what it does for awhile, but we know it's not a "Trick" and we also don't know what exactly is going on since the movie keeps jumping back and forth between present day, a very long time ago, a short time ago, a long time ago again, etc.

And if you are wondering "Hey, whatever happened to ScarJo?" I am asking the same question. She just kind of disappears.

It all comes together in the end and everything is explained, but it's almost not worth the trouble of being so confused the rest of the time.

Their are plenty of twists, but I was able to call all of them before they happened. Not tooting my own horn, just letting you know that I found the twists somewhat predictable. It was a good movie, I'm sorry if I'm acting like it's not, but it's because I know it could have been so much better.


nebbit 11-03-06 05:35 AM

Thanks for the great reviews Blobby ooops Bobby ;D

SpoOkY 11-03-06 05:44 AM

Nice review of 'Flags of our Fathers' :D . It hasn't been released here in Aus yet but it's on the way and am really looking forward to it.

The previews certainly make it look spectacular but I'm gonna wait and see yeah....not expecting too much is probably a good plan. I'll spread the word on that too before I go with all my buddies, cause they'll definately compare it to Saving Private Ryan and expect it to be as good. It looks so similar in the previews...why would they make the previews like that I wonder?

BobbyB 11-04-06 07:13 PM

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Charles, 2006)
http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNew...at1_061101.jpg

Wow.

Borat is the single most horribly offensive movie on the face of the planet. Borat is also the single most incredibly hilarious movie to come along in a long time.

Borat is sent over to America to learn more about the American culture and bring back his findings to Kazakhstan. While in New York, he is not exactly welcomed with open arms. His ignorance and woman and Jew hating mindset is not something that is looked upon very favorably.

While in his hotel room, Borat is flipping through channels and comes across the television show "Baywatch" and immediately falls in love with Pamela Anderson. He desires to travel to California and marry her, but before he left Kazakhstan, he was told by his wife that she would "Snap his cock" if he cheated on her.

Later that day, he receives a telegram informing him that his wife has died...Borat is overjoyed!

We are then led on a cross-country road trip to California as Borat learns about the US of A. He takes us on adventures into the ghetto of Atlanta, a hostile group of rednecks at a rodeo, an uncomfortable dinner with a pastor and his family, a naked wrestling match that spills over into a Dallas banquet and so much more.

Borat is most likely going to offend you at some point. Cohen makes sure of that. If you can stomach the parts that are tailor made to offend you, you will laugh your head off at the other parts of the movie.

Unless you are a god fearing, Jewish, woman who is uncomfortable with nudity, in which case the entire movie will offend you, then I reccomend seeing this one. I think it's most defenitely worth the price of admission.

If Borat is not the funniest movie I've ever seen (Still can't decide if it's better than The 40 Year Old Virgin) than it's way up there.

A++


nebbit 11-04-06 07:21 PM

Can't wait to see this :yup: Thanks Booby ;D

BobbyB 11-04-06 07:24 PM

Booby? Haha. No problem. Thanks for the positive comments, Nebbs and Spooky :yup:

nebbit 11-04-06 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by BobbyB
Booby? Haha.
I am Australian :yup: we must, it is imperative, everyone has to have a nick name ;D

BobbyB 11-04-06 08:21 PM

Well, I already get called Beebo by a lot of people, so Booby or Beebo I guess (Although I'm not sure if Booby is a nickname most guys wish to have LOL ;) )

TheUsualSuspect 11-04-06 08:28 PM

I'm called Sussy. ;)

usachatnow 11-06-06 12:16 AM

i have to agree with you bobby on both of your excellent reviews:D

BobbyB 12-05-06 09:17 PM

Stranger Than Fiction (Forster, 2006)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/grap...bfstranger.jpg

Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) is a writer who has writer's block. She is deeply involved in her latest novel, but can't find a way to kill off the main character of the book.

Without knowing it, Karen is writing a real life story about an IRS tax agent named Harold Crick who is a loner in life and at work. He spends all day by himself and has no social interaction except with those he is auditing. If Karen writes that he trips over a curb, the real life Harold trips over a curb. If she writes that he makes a telephone call, the real life Harold makes a telephone call.

Harold (Will Ferrell) hears the voice of the author narrating his life. Harold is becoming frustrated since no one else can hear the voice and simply thinks he's crazy. When standing at a street corner waiting for the bus, Harold hears the narrator say that he had just set in motion events leading to his imminent death.

In an effort to get help, he asks literary professor Jules Hilbert (Dennis Hoffman) to help him figure out who could be writing this story and how he could prevent the grim ending. The professor tells him he needs to figure out whether he is in a comedy or in a tragedy and that they can go from there.

Harold is in the process of auditing a baker named Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal) when he realizes that the plot of the story is beginning to lead him to fall in love with Ana.

In an effort to figure out which genre Harold is being written in, he starts keeping tally on everything in favor of a comedy and everything in favor of a tragedy, and his relationship with Ana becomes the center of his checklist.

Harold finally is able to come in contact with Karen to inform her that he is real and needs her to write his death out of the ending.

Just like Harold, this movie does not know whether it is a comedy or a tragedy and it suffers greatly for that main reason. The acting is fine and the dialog is interesting and fast paced (Much like an Aaron Sorkin type script) but in the end the movie isn't quite sure what it wants to be and causes for the ending to fall flat.

I thought the ending could have been much better, but the movie overall is decent. It's certainly a movie with a lot of potential, and many may feel like it reaches it fully, but this movie simply didn't end the way it should have...at least not in my opinion.

6/10

adidasss 12-05-06 09:55 PM

adding the director's names would help, Booby *giggles*

nebbit 12-07-06 03:19 AM

Thanks for the review Bobby, it sounds like you think the movie was lacking something. :yup:

gummo 12-07-06 04:00 AM

Great reviews boobs! They call me gummy ;)

BobbyB 12-07-06 06:01 PM

Casino Royale (Campbell, 2006)
http://eur.i1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/...3795142720.jpg

Well, it took them 20 times, but Hollywood has finally created a Bond that will blow you away.

This is James Bond before he holds his license to kill, but Bond is just as gutsy and dangerous. James is elevated to "00" status and his first mission takes him to Uganda where he is to bring in a terrorist, Mollaka, for questioning. Of course, it doesn't work quite that easily and the first 15 minutes of the movie is an action packed, chase that, of course, ends in an explosion.

Bond decides to investigate, independently of MI6, in order to track down the rest of the terrorist cell. He follows a lead to the Bahamas where he encounters Dimitrios who he finds out is involved with Le Chiffre who is the banker to the world's terrorist organization. Bond is able to take care of Dimitrios and stop even more terrorist activity (Which once more ends in an explosion) which then leads him to his next assignment by MI6 to go to Montenegro at Le Casino Royale where Le Chiffre is setting up a high stakes poker game.

M sends accountant Vesper Lynd along to keep an eye on the finances and to unofficially keep an eye on Bond, who is still not completely trustworthy in the eyes of M.

The action in this movie is superb, but if you look deeper than that, you'll find something more meaningful to this movie. This is more a subtle emotional investigation into the character of James Bond than it is anything else.

Some scenes that may at first seem meaningless (EXP: The scene in the shower with Vesper) really are more showing that Bond does indeed have a soul. He can love, he can care, and he can hurt, he just chooses not to. He needs to be broken down in order for that to happen, but in a profession like his, he can't afford to.

Daniel Craig is the perfect Bond. Eva Green was a good Bond girl, and they do have amazing chemistry throughout the entire film.

Is it worth the price of admission? Absolutely! It is 2 and a half hours, but it moves by fairly quickly. Tons of action, great acting and a deeper look at the character of James Bond.

Best movie of the year.

10/10

nebbit 12-07-06 07:32 PM

Great revoew Blobby/Bobby :D I must see this :yup:

gummo 12-07-06 08:16 PM

I may actually watch this Bond movie. I've been avoiding 007s because of Bronson and Connery. I can't go either of them.

nebbit 12-07-06 08:50 PM

I love Sean as 007 :yup:

BobbyB 12-14-06 06:42 PM

The Holiday (Meyers, 2006)
http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/C...hmed12p.h2.jpg

Just not a very good movie.

Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslett) are two completely different people. Iris is a writer for a newspaper in England and Amanda is a movie trailer maker from Los Angeles.

They decide to switch homes for the holidays and get away from their man problems in their hometowns.

From the commercials and trailer, we are led to believe that Amanda goes to England and falls for Graham (Jude Law) and Iris goes to America and falls in love with Miles (Jack Black)

And while Amanda does rapidly develop a relationship with Graham, there never really seems to be anything there with Iris and Miles except for that they both are two pitiful push-overs who are really not that likable.

Amanda, Graham and Iris are all not likable for various reasons and while Miles is slightly likable, Jack Black is insanely unbelievable in his role as the sweet and kind pushover who wallows in his sorrow over constantly being taken advantage of.

The plot has been done over and over again on poor tv Christmas specials about love at the holidays. Nothing original and nothing really interesting.

I don't know...maybe it's because I'm a guy and this is more of a girls movie, but it was pretty bad.

Oh well...

4/10


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