Connor Macgregor Reviews Thread

to me its one of the best. Craig is epic and dark in that film.

Craig was unbelievably cool in the film.. Definitely a relief to have him as a Bond over Pierce Brosnan.

I see Casino Royale more inspired by the bourne movies with it's pace.. it won't hold up for a long time. There are more chances of it being topped by something better.

I consider From Russia With Love as timeless.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Quantum Of Solace

Casino Royale was to me of of those action masterpieces very few films could top , 2 years after CR comes Quantum Of Solace , the 2008 addition to The James Bond Franchise , but is it a winner of a downgrade ? Here's my review.

Is there solace in revenge? Bond and "M" sniff a shadowy international network of power and corruption reaping billions. As Bond pursues the agents of an assassination attempt on "M," all roads lead to Dominic Greene, a world-renowned developer of green technology. Greene, a nasty piece of work, is intent on securing a barren area of Bolivia in exchange for assisting a strongman stage a coup there. The CIA looks the other way, and only Bond, with help from a retired spy and from a mysterious beauty, stands in Greene's way. "M" wonders if she can trust Bond, or if vengeance possesses him. Beyond that, can anyone drawn to Bond live to tell the tale?

Quantum Of Solace is a steller sequel like any other sequel. When i first saw this , my first review was that there was barely a plot in this action and too much action. However now that i have given it a second look , it follows the same pattern as CR. The problem with it is that the setting doesn't fit the story. I got bored of the exotic scene really quick. With Casino Royale , you could get use to and settle with every location. In Quantum Of Solace , it gets old and dull pretty quickly.

Never the less , The Action works and so does the acting. Craig's performance is a real hitter and stays on par with his earlier performance as Bond in the previous film. However the main villian didn't feel like a villian and personally couldn't take him seriously as a potential bad guy. Judi Dench is marvelous as M and brings her own personality to the role.

Overall , good sequel but could have been a lot better at places.

Rating - 73% - B+

at places ???? more like the whole movie.

there were some parts of the film that i wish they could have done a lot better at. Like make the action scenes less Bounre like and more realistic like Casino Royale.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Clockstoppers

The first film i got in DVD and a good nostalgia trip. Clockstoppers is a sci adventure film with a cult status. Here is my review.

Until now, Zak Gibbs' greatest challenge has been finding a way to buy a car. But when he discovers an odd wristwatch amidst his father's various inventions and slips it on, something very strange happens. The world around him seemingly comes to a stop; giving the effect that everyone has come to a stop. Zak quickly learns how to manipulate the device, and he and his quick-witted, beautiful new friend, Francesca, have some real fun. What they soon realize, though, is they are not alone in hypertime.

The film has a smart and fun concept. Hypertime. The idea of going faster in time than anyone else in the world. The story is pretty original with ideas that you don't normally see in sci fi films. Its modern (Well was its quite dated now) and brings a family look at time and science. It has their Nickoleoden feel as they try to incorperate comedic elements for kids and not really for adults.

The acting for what it is is ok. Jesse Bradford is a good lead as well as Paula Garces as a female lead. French Stewart is a good comedic actor and Michael Biehn as a villian is pretty interesting. Also i really liked Robin Thomas as the dad and Lindze Letherman i happen to notice in the film was good.

With a unique concept , comedic situations and cutting edge special effects , Clockstoppers is a perfect film for the whole family. Sure its quite dated but still good fun

Rating - 81% - A-

QoS was so forgettable, I can't even recall who the villain was.
It didn't seem like a Bond movie at all..
I can't believe the same guy directed Stay, Stranger than fiction & Finding Neverland

It's weird how great Bond movies have terrible follow-ups.

Dr. No was followed by a very good From Russia With Love. Goldfinger & Thunderball were equally good & then they ruined everything by You Only Live Twice..

The new Bond films have a chance of fixing everything with the sequel, if not .

Clockstoppers was surprisingly good.. enjoyed it a lot.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Devil's Rejects

A new interesting horror film with a new look and meaning in the term "horror". This Is The Devil's Rejects.


In Ruggsville, Texas, the police under the command of Sheriff John Quincy Wydell attack the house of the sadistic serial killers Firefly family (a.k.a. The Devil's Reject) and they arrest mother Firefly, but Otis B. Driftwood and Baby Firefly escape from the siege. Tiny is wandering nearby the house and also escapes. Otis and Baby call their patriarch, the mad clown Captain Spaulding and they schedule to reunite at an isolated motel in the desert. When Otis and Baby arrive, they kidnap two families of singers, using sadism and violence against the harmless persons. Meanwhile, Sheriff Wydell promises to capture and kill the runaways, seeking revenge for the death of his brother, the Deputy George Wydell.

This film has a real disturbing feel to it. The Acting is really good and makes you want to hate yet sort of like these sardistic killers that are the main characters. Serial Killers with no remorse for anyone and these characters show no remorse and no pity. They are sardistic and take no prisoners and my god you either hate or love them. I can't decide , they're good at being both.

The Acting is solid and very believeable as real serial killers. Sid Haig i really like and Sheri Moon Zombie also was very enjoyable. Even Diamond Dallas Page was good despite a small role.

Overall , not much to say besides it being gritty , new and exciting. The Devil's Rejects is one to spend wisely.

Rating - 81% - A-

House of 1,000 Corpses and Devil's Rejects were both great horror flicks. Rob Zombie did an excellent job.

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"Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and like it, never really care for anything else thereafter." - Ernest Hemingway

But The Halloween Remakes were god awful.

So was El Superbeasto.

I had high hopes for El Superbeasto, but it was a big letdown.

havent seen El Superbeasto

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Fantasia

I bought this over the weekend along with Fantasia 2000 and i am going to do a 2 in 1 of quite possibly Disney's best films...if we are not including Pixar.

Disney animators set pictures to Western classical music as Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. "The Rite of Spring" tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. "Dance of the Hours" is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators. "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria" set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day.

Fantasia is a masterpiece through and through. Instead of a film with a full story , it gives us little short stories with the score being from a well known music writer from the past. We start off with Toccata and Fugue in D Minor which is a very good way to kick off the show , but i would have had less time on the orchestra and more on the animation. I felt it was too much time on the orchestra. The Nutcracker Suite was very good. It had a sweet feeling to it , like you had just eaten some candy or had something very sweet and tasty. The Sorcerer's Apprentice was of course the most memorable of the scores due to the appareance of Mickey Mouse during and after the performance. A great classic piece of animation that cements Mickey Mouse as the icon of Disney. The Rite Of Spring was great animation and told quite a interesting story of the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. Quite sad but brilliantly drawn and animated. We then meet the soundtrack...funny and cute but pointless...then The Pastoral Symphony which was both brilliantly scored and beautifully animated. Dance Of The Hours was another one both fantastically Animated and scored especially the end part. Finally we had Night On Bold Mountain/Ave Maria. Chernabog on screen looks fantastic and terrfying. But Its the music and transition from one symphony to another that makes it a great ending to Fantasia.

Overall , Fantasia is a masterpiece of Sound , Animation & Imagery and deserves to have the retrospect and acclaim it so rightfully deserves.

Rating - 100% - A+

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Fantasia 2000

Fantasia is a classic no doubt about it , but what about the sequel Fantasia 2000 ? Well here is my review.

In this update of Disney's masterpiece film mixture of animation and music, new interpretations of great works of music are presented. It begins with an abstract battle of light and darkness set to the music of Beethoveen's Fifth Symphony. Then we see the adventures of a Humpback Whale calf and his pod set to "The Pines of Rome." Next is the humourous story of several lives in 1930's New York City, scored with "Rhapsody in Blue." Following is a musical telling of the fairy tale, "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" set to Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2. Then a goofy Flamingo causes havoc in his flock with his yo-yo to the tune of the finale of "Carnival of the Animals." This is followed by the classic sequence from the original film, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" starring Mickey Mouse and followed by "Pomp and Circumstance" starring Donald Duck as a harried assistant to Noah on his Ark...

Where Fantasia stands , Fantasia 2000 stands right next to it as a classic. And an underrated one at that. Symphony No 5 is a great way to start off the show. Pines Of Rome i think was an real beauty to watch on screen. It looked and sounded fantastic especially the end in which i was close to tears. Rhapsody in Blue was my clear favourite as it showed New York in a jazz sense. The Jazz really fit in with the new york animation as well as the characters. The Steadfast Tin Soldier was also beautiful to watch too. Great story and really well animated. I was surprised at how short Carnival Of The Animals was. It was great but i wish i could have extended longer. The Sorcerer's Apprentice was great to watch once again and Pomp & Cicumstance was also really great as well to watch.The Finale The Firebird Suite was amazing and wonderful to watch. Great finale and beautiful animation.

Overall , Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 stand as true classics for Disney. May many more Fantasias be on the way. Fantasia Reborn...nice ring to it.

Rating - 100% - A+

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Frost/Nixon

2008 was a great year for film and this was one of the films that made 2008 the year it was. This is Frost/Nixon the review.

Writer Peter Morgan's legendary battle between Richard Nixon, the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and David Frost, a jet-setting television personality with a name to make, in the story of the historic encounter that changed both their lives. For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans (as well as a $600,000 fee). Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted.

Frost Nixon is one of those films with 2 or more terrific award winning performances. Frank Langella and Michael Sheen both brilliantly potray their respective roles with amazing chemistry. Michael Sheen is one of those actors that can do almost anything and pull it off tremendously. Langella does a really impressive job as Richard Nixon but i dont remember Nixon being as bulgy as before , but hey he is still amazing. Michael Sheen does look more like Frost and slightly sound like him which proves my point at why Michael Sheen is an impressive actor.

Other great acting includes Oliver Platt , Sam Rockwell , Kevin Bacon , Matthew McFaydden and Rebecca Hall all delivering really great performances to the screen.

Overall , Frost Nixon is a true future classic with great performances and an amazing story of one man's journey for the truth. And Another's journey to hide it. See it if you must.

Rating - 95% - A

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Epic Movie

We now come to a bad movie , and this one i underestimated. I believe that these films have no redeeming values and are just the worst of any bad movies. This is Epic Movie.

Four troubled orphans from four separate movie scenario's who are bound together in a wacky chocolate factory after receiving golden tickets to go on an 'epic adventure.' After they escape from the clutches of a very scary Willy Wonka they discover the magical world of 'Gnarnia' through an enchanted wardrobe. There they must seek the help of a randy lion, a hoard of mutants from the x academy, students of witchcraft and wizardry, funky swash-buckling pirates and a mischievous beaver to defeat the evil white bitch!

Well i can safely say that this film is just unbelievably terrible in every sense of the word. Firstly the story is cliche and stupid. The Acting is boring and has no life of its own. The Jokes are no way NEAR funny to the jokes in Airplane. Production Value is quite poor , in fact its really poor. Also their weird obsession with naked attractive models. WHAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING A NAKED LADY COME OUT OF A WARDROBE ? Seriously that was stupid and served no meaning to the plot.

There isn't much more to say , other than its garbage but not the worst one. No there are worst and one day i will unleash my wrath on how bad and awful they really are.

Rating - 9% - D

I actually liked Fantasia 2000 better than the original.

despite it being shorter , i also felt it improved on Fantasia. In Animation , But i think Fantasia had stronger music and more importance seeing as it was the first one.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Town

One of the best films in 2010. While also being a good crime film , its also a great drama and Ben Affleck gives it his all in this film. On and Off The Camera.

The Charlestown neighborhood of Boston is renowned for churning out a high number of armed robbers, generation after generation. These robbers never leave their Charlestown life on their own volition, the neighborhood where there is an unwritten code to protect that lifestyle. Such robbers include friends Doug MacRay, James Coughlin, Albert 'Gloansy' Magloan and Desmond Elden. Doug and James in particular treat each other like family, as the Coughlins have realistically been as such to Doug since Doug's mother ran off and Doug's father, Stephen MacRay, was sent to prison. James' single mother sister, the drugged out Krista Coughlin, and Doug have a casual sexual relationship. The foursome carry out a mostly successful bank robbery, but due to circumstances take the bank manager, Claire Keesey, hostage for a short period before releasing her physically unharmed. They find out that Claire lives in Charlestown...

To me , The Town is one of the highlights of the year. Ben Affleck once again proves that he is the new Clint Eastwood in terms of a successful director & actor. Not only are his directing skills incredible , his performance is just as good and emotional to watch in the film. There are many other performances that stand out as great. Jon Hamm , Rebecca Hall , Jeremy Remmer , Pete Postlewaithe and how can i forget Blave Lively from Gossip Girl. That lady is heading only up from here.

The Grit & Realism of the film helps make the story feel more real and more vulnerable as an audience member. This could happen anywhere and not just in a place like NY or LA , but in your own town and thats what makes the film so effective. Its set in a vulnerable town.

The story is fresh. It reminds me of Heat a lot but i still think the film works. Its brutal , nasty but good fun. Overall this film deserves the acclaim , the money and more importantly the nominations that are heading our way in 2011.

Rating - 92% - A