Suspect's Reviews

Thanks Sussy for the review, I think I will give it a miss

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Sky High (Mike Mitchell)




"Live Action Incredibles, But Shy Of It's Greatness"

It all begins at a secret school in the clouds like none on earth: Sky High, the first and only high school for kids with super-human powers going through crime-fighting puberty. This year's class features some of the best, brightest and most powerfully gifted super-teens ever assembled. And then there's Will Stronghold. When you're the son of the world's most legendary super heroes, The Commander and Jetstream, people expect you to live up to the family name The problem is that Will is starting with no superpowers of his own and, worst of all, instead of joining the ranks of the Hero class, he finds himself relegated to being a Sidekick. But when an evil villain threatens his family, friends and the very sanctity of Sky High, Will must use his newfound superpowers to save the day and prove himself a Hero worthy of the family tradition.

When I heard the director of "Surviving Christmas" was making another movie attempt, I felt a little sick. Mike Mitchell was on a fast track to being the next...UWE BOLL. But here Mitchell is able to poke fun at a genre and be able to use quirky special effects out of the writers imagination, guess what, it works.

Sky High is basically the live action version of The Incredibles, but is shy of the Incredibles greatness. Sky High is able to make fun of itself and the genre it imitates. It's hard not to smirk at certain parts where the students must fill in such lines as "Holy,____,____ Man" or when Lynda Carter says "I'm not wonder-woman you know". Granted a lot of kids who watch this movie will probably not get these little jokes, but it is in their for the older crowd and it's appreciated.

Kurt Russel seems to be imitating Adam West as Batman whenever he is Cap't Commander. Which is great to see, and his secret identity is hidden with a pair of glasses, like Clark Kent. Bruce Campbell is a familiar face who seems to enjoy his role as the overbearing coach boomer. A lot of times when kids are in movies, they tend to be a tad annoying to some, here they all seem to fit nicely in the film and the stand-out is notable Steven Strait (Warren Peace). Who look like the only one who enjoys being the superhero that was written. Kids in the Hall fans will be pleased to see Foley and McDonald create laughs up on the screen once again.

The real treat is seeing all the superpowers that Mitchell and co conjure up at the school and how they are put to use. Seeing a young girl freeze two teenage boys, another boy stretch like Mr. Fantastic down the steps, and even a flash like character running around the school grounds. The characters powers range from super-strength to melting like a Popsicle on the spot.

In the end, it's not a harmless film. The kids will enjoy seeing the superpowers fly across the screen and the bright clours that the costumes are. The adults will enjoy the old school jokes. Sky High is a good film, that does everything right, but just doesn't have enough "superpowers" in it to be "Incredible"

7/10

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)



"If You Could Only Watch One Film In Your Lifetime...Look No Further."

A village is constantly attacked by well armed bandits. One day after an attack they seek the wisdom of an elder who tells them they cannot afford weapons, but they can find men with weapons, samurai, who will fight for them, if they find samurai who are in down on their luck and wondering where their next meal will come from. They find a very experienced samurai with a good heart who agrees to recruit their party for them. He selects five genuine samurai and one who is suspect but the seven return to the village to protect it from the forty plus bandits.

If you could only watch one film in your lifetime, this one is it. Yes that's a pretty bold statement, but it's true. Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is a must see for any film fan. Kurosawa brought so many elements together for this film that it is on such a grand an epic scale.

Each samurai has their own arc to them, from being the experienced warrior to a young hopeful. Kurosawa takes his time to develop each character on his/her own terms and it works wonderfully. The film is extremely long and the epic battler doesn't take place till the final part of the film, but here we get to know our Seven Samurai, all of them, very well. We care for each, not wanting them to die in the heat of the battle, for a film to be able to do this for one character is great, but for seven....is extrodinary.

Samurai is a dazzlingly technical achievement for it's time and to this day outshines most "epic" movies we see today. It has beautiful cinematography and art direction. Kurosawa has a keen eye and uses it well in this film.

Samurai has one of if not the most amazing battle put to screen. The samurai turn the village into a fortress and use the surroundings to their help. The battle is so massive it spawns roughly 30 some odd minutes. The climatic battle itself goes through every rock that mother nature throws it's way, from the cold dirty rain to the hot dry day. It has influenced all the films we see today, The Return of The King, The Magnificient Seven, Narnia. Please don't see this film expecting BRAVEHEART, because there will be no limbs flying off the screen. But the action is beautifully filmed and shows early use of slow-motion.

Samurai packs an emotional punch at the end, as it shows how the samurai are honourable, we have been on this journey with them since their beginning to their end and we cannot help but feel sorrow for the ones lost in the battle. We feel sorrow for the Samurai because in the end they get nothing, yes the village is safe and the enemy is gone, but the only thing the samurai get is a loss in numbers.

Samurai is a landmark film that has it's place in history as one of the greatest. For those that can't comprehend it, think of it as Japan's Citizen Kane....only better. For a film that has inspired so many and given us so much, there is only praise to be said. For if it were not for this film, we may not be where we are today in cinema.

10/10

Thanks for the great review Sussy, I just bought this movie, it is in my top 10.

Got the framed poster in my bathroom, cool or what?
Love the film, even liked the american rip-off the Magnificent 7, but the original is still the best!
A 10/10 review, my my Suspect you are feeling generous this festive season!!!!
Just glad Christain Slater's nowhere near it!!!

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Hey Pepe, would you say I have a plethora of presents?


Toga, toga, toga......


Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour?

Just glad Christain Slater's nowhere near it.....how very true, LMAO

Bewitched (Nora Ephron)




"Will Ferrell Tries His Best To Save This...Dead Duck"

Out in California's San Fernando Valley, Isabel is trying to reinvent herself. A naive, good-natured witch, she is determined to disavow her supernatural powers and lead a normal life. At the same time, across town, Jack Wyatt a tall, charming actor is trying to get his career back on track. He sets his sights on an updated version of the beloved 1960s situation comedy Bewitched, re-conceived as a starring vehicle for himself in the role of the mere-mortal Darrin. Fate steps in when Jack accidentally runs into Isabel. He is immediately attracted to her and her nose, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the nose of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha in the original TV version of Bewitched. He becomes convinced she could play the witch Samantha in his new series. Isabel is also taken with Jack, seeing him as the quintessential mortal man with whom she can settle down and lead the normal life she so desires. It turns out they're both right--but in ways neither of them ever imagined.

Nicole Kidman is a good actress. Will Ferrell is a funny comedian. Nora Ephron is a decent director who knows how to handle romantic comedies. So how could this remake of a classic TV show with a lot of things going right for it end up being a dead duck, well....nothing that I just mentioned shows up in this film.

Kidman is hard to watch as she delivers her lines like a fragile child with absolutely no credibility. Will Ferrell tries his best to get a laugh out of the material that was written, and uses a lot of improve to get those laughs, but ultimately comes off as acting like a child. Nora Ephron seemed like she didn't know what she wanted from her actors, or from the script, a child could do a better job and I'm pretty sure that this was written by a child. It tries too hard to be cute.

The script is where the film is really falls flat, there seemed like there was none. The whole filmed seemed like it was rushed and there is absolutely no chemistry between Kidman and Ferrell, or even Ferrell and Ephron for that matter. Putting these two together was a disaster. It seemed that Ephron didn't know how to handle Ferrell's quick comedy and just threw all his jokes in, funny or not. Steve Carrell, who is funny with hits like The Office and Virgin, doesn't know how to do good impersonations. Seemed like a last ditch effort to try and hit us with more childish comedy. Every other character in the movie is boring and useless. It's sad to see Micheal Cain in this heap.

It was hard for me to watch this film, seeing Cain use his magic right in broad daylight on the street and no one noticing. When an umbrella appears out of nowhere, you must think that something is up.

The highlight of the film, as low as it may be is indeed Ferrell. The only decent and somewhat funny parts in the film is when he has a hex on him, or a spell. That's where Ferrell can have his fun, much like Carell did in Bruce Almighty. The film ends quickly as well, probably due to poor test screenings. So we all get that 6 months later crap and see how the two end up.

In the end, this is a horrible remake, with a horrible team behind it. Ferrell needs to choose his projects wisely, not only must the material be funny, but there needs to be a good director behind it. You'd think after Kicking and Screaming he would acknowledge that.

4/10

Thanks for the review, I had a feeling after seeing the shorts that I may not like this movie. your review has reaffirmed that

Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unforunate Events (Brad Silberling)




"The Environments Created Make The Film"

Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are three intelligent young children who receive terrible news that their parents have died in a fire and have left them an enormous fortune not to be used until the eldest child is of age. When they are sent to live with Count Olaf, a greedy distant relative, they soon learn he is trying to steal their fortune for himself.

Films that are based on a beloved fan base, such as Lord of The Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, have the enormous task of pleasing so many. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is no different, as it is loved from many young minds. For Lord of the Rings and Narnia, they were transfered to the screen in a fantasy format, for Unfortunate Events, it goes between the lines of Fantasy and Comedy, but cannot be able to connect either to the audience.

This is a dark film, about a man who killed the parents of three children so he may get the vast fortune, when this fails, he tries to marry the young girl, pretty dark eh. But In the film, it plays it off as comedic, and many of the comedic moments in the film don't hit all the notes.

Jim Carrey, while looking the part perfectly, seems to be playing himself in the role. I saw Count Olaf, but I did not believe him. Although, you can tell that Jim Carrey had fun being all the different personalities, and it is a delight to see him portray the many different characters.

While in most movies child actors seem to annoy more then please. Case in point, The Ring. Here all the kids are likable. They know how to act in this film because they understood the material, after all the source material is for kids. Unlike every other movie where the kids seem to know everything, case in point again, The Ring. Here they are lost in what is going on, even though we all know what the answer is at the end. The film tries to play it of as a surprise that we find out what really happened to the parents, but we all knew it from the beginning.

It was comedic to see all the adults not knowing Count Olaf's plan, or seeing through his disguise, but it was also frustrating at the same time. Another frustration would be the weak CGI of the baby and snake playing together. That scene made me laugh at it and not with it.

So where does Snicket get it's praise from, well that's easy, the amazing set designs and cinematography. All of which are beautiful in their own sense. From the beautiful orange sky, to the house on the edge of cliff. The entire film was a beautiful sight to see. It looks like something that Tim Burton would do, and if Burton had done this film it could have been something incredible.

Snicket is a feast for the eyes and a good flick to see if you're a fan of the source material. If you're looking for a film with lots of laughs, then pass. If you're looking for depth in plot, then pass, because it's pretty much generic. Olafs tries to get money, kids go to one relatives, Olaf tries to kill them, they go to next, Olaf tries to kill them, tries to get money. Jim Carrey isn't his crazy self, he seems restrained, to a degree. He lets his craziness out through the wild characters that he plays in disguise. Enjoy the film for it's unique experience.

6/10

Thanks for the interesting review

American Pie Presents: Band Camp (Steve Rash)




"American Pie is now National Lampoon...The Later Films"

This time around, the focus will be on Matt Stifler, younger brother of Steve Stifler, as Matt is sent to band camp for the summer when he faces expulsion from school. At first, Matt will attempt to wire the camp with hidden cameras to turn it into the set for his own "Girls Gone Wild"-type video, but when he falls for fellow camp buddy Elyse, his efforts to stifle his Stiffmeister ways will surely meet with hilarious results.

Not in anyway another sequel to the first three, more of a spin-off. American Pie roams into new territory and takes a few notes from National Lampoon. Unfortunately, it's not the Animal House or Vacation Lampoon that we all know and love, it treads along Dorm Daze waters.

In comparison to the other Pie films, Band Camp is even more juvenile. Here you don't get any of the original cast members, save Levy and the Sherminator. Why he decided to do this film is beyond me, but his appearance alone cannot save this film. The lead character, Matt Stifler is even more annoying then his older brother. Scott was funny in the first Pie movies because he wasn't the main focus, here we get Tad Hilgenbrink trying his best to do a Stifler impersonation, and failing completely.

The crude teen comedy that made American Pie such a hit for the first movies, seems to try to hard in this installment. Instead of getting a laugh or a gross out gag, we instead sit there scratching our heads wondering why the hell they even decided to do that. There is also the case of the nudity, which so happens to appear in ever Pie film. If you ask me, that is the only reason people went to see the 3rd and the only reason people will see this one.

American Pie is no longer about the laughs, but about the beautiful women in it showing off their bodies. The lead actress in this film does her best with the material and I would like to see her get some more roles in her career. Seeing the ass of the main actor once is not funny, so why force us to see it on multiple occasions. Three times is an obvious plead for help and a long stretch for laughs.

I hope that this is the last installment in the Pie series, do not fall into the long downhill spiral that has taken over National Lampoon. Doesn't anybody get it over there, if we all want to see some hot naked chicks, we watch porn, not a crappy teen comedy.

2/10

Thanks Suspect, I think i will give this one a miss.

The Family Stone (Thomas Bezucha)




"The Family Stone Delivers, Even With It's Bogus Sub-Plots"


The Stone family get together for the Christmas holidays and one of their son's is bringing home his uptight girlfriend, with the hope of proposing. When the family takes it one step too far with the hostility towards her, she brings in her sister for comfort. This happens to cause more complications then solutions.

The Family Stone tries to pass itself off as a Christmas Holiday comedy, when it is totally different. The laughs are there, but it's not laugh out loud funny, instead the film is filled with more emotion then you will find in any other film this Christmas Season, that's if you have no love for a giant ape.

Bezucha has the support of a great cast. Graig T Nelson and Diane Keaton, as the parents, their pain in the ass daughter, Rachel McAddams, pregnant daughter, Elizabeth Reaser, weed smoking son, Luke Wilson, gay and Deaf son, Tyrone Giordano and of course their business man son, Dermot Mulroney, who's girlfriend is non other then Sarah Jessica Parker and her sister Claire Danes...did you get all that?

The Family Stone is indeed funny, but it's not necessarily the material that makes it funny, it's the amazing cast, that brings life to the jokes and craziness that this family is. Within the whole family, Luke Wilson and Rachel McAddams stand out, as basically the exact opposite to how they feel to Parker. McAddams hates her guts and Wilson has feelings for her. That single element to the film is one of the negatives.

Stone is a good film that has good laughs, but there is an underground feeling of sorrow in it. The film is more about the characters within the family then it is about the mishaps of Parker and the family. Once Parker's sister arrives, and you see the look Mulroney gives, you know exactly what the outcome of the film will be. This sub-plot is just too unbelievable to be taken seriously and takes the film down a notch because it's simply bogus and would never happen.

One scene that I laughed in which was not suppose to happen was the slow-motion part of Mulroney walking back home with a smile on his face. It's goofy and inappropriate for this type of film. I was having fun with the film and emotionally attached to it, until that scene and the final ending. The ending is suppose to be one of the sad parts of the entire film, but when you see it coming it really has no effect because in some cases you just want it to get over with.

Stone will have you laugh and possibly cry, but will also have you cursing out at some of the goofy and unbelievable scenes. With those aside, Stone is able to deliver the goods.

7.5/10

The 40 Year Old Virgin (Judd Apatow)




"Virgin Is Without A Doubt, The Funniest Comedy In Years."

Andy Stitzer is a toy collector, who plays video games, rides a bicycle to work and has never had sex. When his co-workers need a fifth poker buddy they ask Andy to join in on the fun. After some raunchy sex talk they discover that Andy is in fact a virgin and they make it their mission to get Andy laid. When Andy meets a beautiful woman who is divorced and has kids, he falls in love, and finds it hard to keep his virginity a secret.

Steve Carell is a funny guy, you have probably noticed him in many comedic films as the *******, Bruce Almighty, the creepy guy, Achorman, and loser, Sleepover. In virgin he wrote the material, so he knows how to play the character perfectly. With it's R rating, Carell and co were able to let anything fly in terms of their sexual innuendos.

Judd Apatow has his directorial debut with Virgin, his previous work including off beat comedy Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks. When the director and actor both write the film and both get what is funny about it, it makes it a lot easier to connect to the audience. It is a raunchy movie. The sex jokes are everywhere, the swearing is everywhere. But it all fits in this movie. Carell is so innocent in the movie, so seeing him curse so much is odd in a funny way. Catherine Keener looks and performance good in this film, but it's Carell's friends that are funny.

The film has many comedic highlights, unlike other comedy films that may contain only one or two. Birgin manages to keep the laughs coming and each time they do, they get longer and louder. Carell wax chest scene had me in tears and the fact that everyone knows that it was real made it even funnier. Seeing the reactions from the actors in the room was priceless and Carells "cursing" was hilarious. Another highlight was Carell trying to put on the condoms. He has trouble of course cause he has never had sex. So when the condom snaps and hits him in the penis you can't help but laugh. To add icing to the cake the kids enter and see the "used" condoms on the bed and ask how many times they did it. The ending song credits is one of the funniest moments, if you know where the joke is.

Virgin is indeed the funniest movie of 2005. It is hilarious and has a good message about abstinence. The only downfall of the film would be it's running time, it goes over 2 hours and they could have easily cut some of the material out. During the film I had mixed emotions about the length, at first I did not want it to end, then I was thinking to myself, this is a long movie.

Carell's talent in other films and the office were not really noticed. Now that he has a successful film under his belt, his previous work will be acknowledge and his future projects will be plenty. I'm for one glad to see new faces in comedy rising and hopefully others will be fading, Sandler and Stiller.

In the end, Virgin is the laugh out loud comedy of the year and you should definitely check it out if not for the laughs, then for the message.

8.5/10

Thanks for the reviews Suspect, I may watch both

Cry_Wolf (Jeff Wadlow)




"The Horror Movie Rules Kill Cry_Wolf"

After a new student makes a fool out of everyone during a friendly game, they university students decide to take the game to the next level. They create a false rumour based on a real murder, but when one of the students receives threatening instant messages, the game is taken to a whole new level. Their rumours are coming true, as they think the killer is one of themselves, they try to survive the doomed they had already planned out for themselves.

There was a horror film back in the eighties, that featured a killer killing off teens in a mansion. The title of the film gave away the entire premise and the ending, so there was really no fun to be had with it at all. It was called April Fool's Day and Cry_Wolf is that exact same film, only almost 20 years later. Cry_Wolf is not to be confused with Wolf Creek. Although both are horror movies, with wolf in the title, which came out roughly the same time and are in the end, not entertaining. In the case for Cry_Wolf, this film suffers from the old horror movie rules.

Wolf could have been a decent horror film for the year of 2005, but it's shortcomings are too many and it's high points are too few. While the overall look of the killer is decent, the orange ski mask and army jacket give the killer a more realistic look then say someone wearing a fencing mask? But we hardly ever see this killer and when we do, the film has to go into this "cool for the sake of it" effect and distorts the image.

Non of the characters are likable. Jared Padalecki plays the same character that he did in House of Wax and no other actor stands out from the other, they are all the same. Although Bon Jovi was not particularly bad in this film, he really had no place in it either.

Wadlow seems to believe that he had something interesting here and tried to tweak it into a something more then a slasher horror film. In some movies this works, but for Wolf, it unfortunately doesn't. Wadlow has some talent, his previous short films are much better this one, he feature debut. Wolf lacks any scares to really scare, and intelligence to make you think, any deaths to make you have a good time. The horror movie rules kill this film, for instance, if you do not see a death on screen, usually they are not dead. Case in point Scream 3, once this is set into motion, you can pretty much figure out the ending.

If the horror movie rules don't give away the ending, then the title will. Much like April Fool's Day, Cry_Wolf treads the same line. You know who's in on the whole thing half way through. The red herrings are too obvious, which lead you to know who's who slasher film. But if that is not enough, the filmmakers try to surprise you with a twist, as every movie has the need to do these days. Thank you Shyamalan. But this twist seems forced as a last ditch effort to make the film seem more then what it actually is. With the ending trying to be smart and different, it ends up being inane and not very original.

If you're looking for a scary movie, look elsewhere. If you are in the mood for a killing frenzy, rent old school slasher flicks instead. If you want to see cry wolf, watch April Fool's Day...at least in that movie the deaths are a lot more imaginative and visible. Wadlow does indeed have some talent, but he had a misstep with this film. One can only hope that he sticks to a more comedic tone like "Manual Labor" and stay far away from crap that is known as Cry_Wolf

4/10

Thanks Suspect, may give this a miss

Serenity (Joss Whedon)




"Exactly What The Star Wars Prequels Should Have Been."


The crew of Serenity are on the run with a passenger that, unknown to them, is a deadly-weapon and has a deadly secret. An assassin in pursuit of them, believing what he is doing is right. This leads the crew of Serenity on a dangerous adventure, trying to tell the world of the secret and the military that will stop at nothing to hide it.

Joss Whedon is a cult phenomenon behind such hits like, my personal favourite, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and it's spin-off counterpart Angel. Here he takes his imagination to space with the western/sci-fi themed Firefly. After it's abrupt cancellation Whedon fought to get the story complete, hence Serenity.

Serenity is a wild ride from start to finish. It has everything that you could ask for in a film. The special effects are great, the cast works extremely well together and the story is entertaining and actually quite good. Serenity is exactly what the Star Wars prequels should have been, a great entertaining sci/fi adventure.

Nathan Fillion has his first major role with Serenity and hopefully big movie executives will take notice. Fallion is able to not only act strong, but lead a strong cast that work well together. Granted, the same actors worked on the small screen, seeing a cast that actually clicks together and play their characters so well off one another is fun. Chiwetel Ejiofor is decent as the assassin, who showcases no emotion because he is in fact just following orders, until he sees the horrors of what he is protecting.

The special effects, although not as jaw dropping as Star Wars, is able to still give you a wow factor. Seeing the ships chasing Serenity through the clouds and the military not ready for it was amazing and leads into a huge battle, that is on par with any of the Star Wars prequels space battles, if not better. Serenity uses originality in it's battle rather then fly and shoot, which we've seen a little too many times.

The story is not so complex, girl has powers. Learns of a dark secret from the government and escapes. Government sends assassin to catch and kill her. What makes the plot of the story more interesting then what it sounds, the way Whedon constructs it all. Subliminal messages in TV commercials playing on all the planets trigger the girl's mind and turns her into a killing machine. Of course a young girl taking out huge guys left right and centre will attract some attention.

While there are enough inside jokes for fans of the firefly series, Serenity is a movie that anyone can enjoy. You do not need to know any back story to any of the characters or even heard of firefly to enjoy or understand Serenity. Whedon applies witty dialogue to the characters to make you laugh when needed and emotional situations to make you cry. Not in a while has there been a movie that is sharp, funny, sad, and entertaining all in one in a long time. There is enough action for the action buffs, enough comedy for people who like to laugh and enough sci/fi for space nuts. There is not a dull moment in the film, when the action is gone the dialogue keeps us on track with the film.

Any fan of the TV series will be more then satisfied. Any sci/fi fan will be more then pleased. Any movie goer will have a fun time. Serenity was too good for the average movie goer. I sometimes wonder what kind of place we live in when a great film such as Serenity goes unnoticed in the world and some of the crappiest films you can ever imagine go on to make the big bucks. Whedon has closed the Serenity chapter in his life and will go on to make other projects, but for now, Serenity

9/10

Very interesting, sounds worth seeing! Thanks, TUS.

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

Lord of War (Andrew Niccol)




"Cage's Performance Makes A Dirt Bag Character Actually Likable"

Yuri looking for a way to find fortune beyond his dreams, decides to turn to arms dealing. Supplying arms to every army except the salvation army. It turns out that he has a natural talent for the gig and brings his brother in for the business. Although when Interpol agent Valentine starts to shake things up, Yuri finds himself slowly losing his mind. Will this dangerous business ruin his relation with wife and son, what will it cost him to stop?

Andrew Niccol hasn't had a really good successful film as of yet, both Gattaca and S1mone had lackluster box office. Here Niccol has the support of Cage, who has a long list of films as of late. As well as a controversial topic, perfect for these times that we live in. Niccol does score with his biggest opening for a film and great reviews, yet the box office seemed to fade away. Well, with no US distributor funding money for this project, who could really guess why?

Lord of War opens with the production a bullet, going through every single stage until it reaches it's target, which is a young African boy. This is the best opening for a film the whole year. It's quite unique and ultra cool. If you went into this film expecting action left right and centre, then this will be a huge let down for you, because Niccol's films are about characters, and Lord of War is one of the best character driven movies in some time.

The main character is Yuri and Nic Cage hands in a great performance by making a dirt bag character actually likable. He gives the character a certain charm, as he does with every role. Leto is Cage's brother, who is a drug addict, going to re-hab to get his life straight. Leto does a decent job and in the last scene showcases the highlight of his talent. Then we have Hawke, who is surprisingly not in the movie that much. War is more about Cage's character and his life as a dealer through the decades, then it is about Hawke tracking him down. Hawke gives a good performance with what little he has.

If you are interested in the topic, then Lord of War is a great film. It will give you insight of what the world of arms dealing is and how it affects everyone. With every character driven movie, there are bound to be some parts that will drag on, and Lord of War is no exception. I found that when Cage is stranded in Africa and starts to really lose his mind, it was kind of dull.

Lord of War is really a film that you either love or hate. This is Niccol's best film as of date, with Gattaca right behind it. Ian Holm, Bridget Moynahan have small roles that play an outcome of Cage's character. But it's the ending of this film that will have the biggest effect on you. Love it or hate it, Lord of War has something to say and in these times it's best to listen to it.

7.5/10