Connor Macgregor Reviews Thread

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Connor Macgregor Reviews...Brazil

This is Doug Walker`s favourite film...if you don`t know Doug Walker is The Nostalgia Critic and one of my internet idols. So when he put Brazil number 1 of his favourite films,i had to buy it. I just finished watching it and here are my thoughts.

In a highly structured and bureaucratic state, the government has installed extreme and highly counterproductive measures for which to track down terrorists. A "bug" in the system mixes up the last name of a terrorist (Tuttle) and an innocent man (ironically enough Buttle). Thus, the wrong man (Buttle) is arrested and killed while Tuttle continues to roam free. Sam Lowry, an average man with a mother who "knows people", is assigned to investigate the error. At the same time, Jill layton, Buttle's neighbor, is trying to report the mistake to authorities. Due to the extremely inefficient bureaucracy, she finds the process to be very tedious. Meanwhile, Sam Lowry, who has been dreaming about Jill, gets sidetracked by his fantasies and ends up also being a victim of the counter productivity of the government.

Now the first thing i love about this film is the setting. It feels like a George Orwell just by looking at the locations and the set design of the place. You feel like you are in a new world. Every scene there is something new to look at which dazzles you with awe and wonder at this world that Terry Gilliam has created. Through his wonderful direction,he creates a sort of parrarell world in which life on that world is not right. The story is wonderful and leads you on a journey you yourself do not know which direction it is going. Jonathan Pryce creates this wonderful character that is stuck in this mess that he himself cannot unravel himself out of. Futhermore he is after this girl played by Kim Griest who he keeps seeing in his dreams.

I won`t spoil the ending for you but it just builds and builds and builds and then spills all over the place until you yourself are very confused. But then the very end the confusion is forgotton and you leave sastified with the film you watched.

Overall its a great film.Great characters,amazing story with lots of twist and set design so amazing that not many films could overcome. Brazil is a film you should pick up.

Rating - 79% - B+




Connor Macgregor Reviews...Zodiac

I have never heard of the Zodiac Murders since this film. I thought i had figured the film out...but i was wrong and after finishing the film i was so pleased to have seen this film.

Robert Graysmith is a cartoonist who works for the San Francisco Chronicle. His quirky ways irritate Paul Avery, a reporter whose drinking gets in the way of doing his job. The two become friends thanks to a shared interest: the Zodiac killer. Graysmith steadily becomes obsessed with the case, as Avery's life spirals into drunken oblivion. Graysmith's amateur sleuthing puts him onto the path of David Toschi, a police inspector who has thus far failed to catch his man; Sherwood Morrill, a handwriting expert; Linda del Buono, a convict who knew one of the Zodiac's victims; and others. Graysmith's job, his wife and his children all become unimportant next to the one thing that really matters: catching the Zodiac.

This is quite possibly one of the best "Based On A True Story" Films in years. The characters are great in this film and you get into their emotion and fustration when they are trying to find the Zodiac Killer. Its hard to pick who the best performer is but i reckon i`ll go with Mark Ruffalo due to the amount of pressure and fustration he has to deal with trying to find the killer is. Robert Downey Jr is great and this film proves how great of an actor he really is. Jake Gyllenhaal was a little drippy in the beginning but eventually as the plot progressed he got into it.

The direction is great and it makes you feel like you are in the 70s. The set design,the costumes and the feel of it all. I just love these type of films that are set in the 70s 60s or 50s. It just really feels that i am in that certain decade and watching how the world goes by.

Nothing else more to say is that overall i really enjoyed this film. The pacing worked well as you could feel that it was going through years and years of history to tell the story. Again direction is fantastic and the acting is very well done.

Rating - 73% - B+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...4.3.2.1

I thought i check this out seeing that i was quite easily bored this week and had nothing to do. And i am so glad that i did.

While Jo (Roberts) is chained down in a dead end supermarket job, her friends are all out on their own separate adventures: Cassandra (Egerton) is jetting off to New York to meet her Internet boyfriend; Kerrys (Warren-Markland) is on a one woman crusade fighting for female liberation and Shannon (Lovibond) is on a one way trip to meet her maker. But a chance encounter with some diamond thieves sends their separate worlds on a collision course with not only each other, but fate itself. These 4 girls are about to have 3 days they will never forget, spanning to 2 cities. That is ... if they survive.

There are so many good things to say in this film. The acting is so well done and it makes you feel like you are in a similar situation. The 4 teenagers have their own personality which are all different yet at the same time seem similar in a way. Each story has its own different tone. The first story is centered around Shannon and its very tragic. Its some sort of a greek tragedy,about a girl who has no friends (or in this case all abandoned her),her parents have split and everyone is out to get her in different circumstances. Cassandra is sort of a comedy which i will explain more in my negative side of the film. Kerrys is a romance which i was surprised to find out when i saw her story. Of how they built up her character prior to her story was quite a surprise. We then get to Jo played by The Fabulous (see what i did there) Emma Roberts. Her story is sort of the main plot of the film. It involves a gang of criminals who want diamonds. In the end all four stories tie in together. I also enjoy the use of great brittish actors. If you are seeing this from America then it may be a tad difficult to follow due to the accents.

The negative things. Well back to Cassandra`s story i felt was a bit too predictable in my taste. Also the ending after we saw all the stories and i wanted to see a great climax,but i was sadly dissapointed.

Never the less, i enjoyed this film incredibly. The story,character developement,the direction and the use of locations. New York was well used in the film.

Rating - 82% - A-



I don't think I could watch it I the original
__________________
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha



Its only my opinion.
true thats why i didnt mention matrix revolutions being as good as the first



it is. Both Sequels i thought were. My reason is that The Matrix potrays itself as Cyberpunk Noir which works , but does it too much at times. Matrix 2 & 3 still do that , but manage to not make it that obvious and delve into the backstory of The War , Zion and The Main Characters which we never got in Matrix 1.




Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Godfather

Fellow MZP Posters,I come here today to do a review of a film close to my heart and to other people`s hearts as well. It is in my opinion The Greatest Film Ever Made and My Favourite Film Of All Time. The Godfather.

The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia "family", oversees his daughter's wedding. His beloved son Michael has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Through Michael's life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don't want to follow the old ways and look out for community and "family". An up and coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don's influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don's fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price, especially from Michael, all for the sake of the family.

Honestly within ten minutes of this film, i was in this wonderful but dark world by a click. Its an emotional place with emotional characters who are fighting for power and a place in the new world.

Lets talk about The Corleone Family. Marlon Brando plays the wondeful character Vito Corleone. The character is full of wisdom and charm,yet he has a sinister past that has changed him into a ruthless mob boss. He cares for his kids and wants what is best for them,but knows that they will become like him. James Caan plays the ruthless Sonny Corleone. I love this character and how he is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and that time bomb reaches implosion when he discovers what has been happening to a certain family member. Robert Duvall plays Tom Hagen who in my opinion is a very underrated character and is one of my personal favourites. He is the real person running the business in a way. While Vito makes the decisions,Tom has to organise them. Then there is Talia Shire who plays Connie who i find is more emotional in this film than in The Rocky Series. She plays a much more vulnerable character than Adrian. Then there is Fredo who I at first wasn`t a big fan of in this film.But i did enjoy his performance much more this time. He is more lead about by other people and not as strong willed as the other corleones. But the stand out performance of the whole film is Al Pacino who plays Michael Corleone.

This is where Al`s career began. Michael is a character unlike anyone has ever seen before. From sweet caring to ruthless and evil, his transformation is somewhat of a modern day greek tragedy. He starts off as a nice human being who served his time in the war. As he returns to his family and new girlfriend Kay, his life is about to change to a dark turn. Michael becomes more embroiled in the businesses of his family which strains his relationship with Kay. Its like something ou have never seen before. See the beginning of the film with Michael in his uniform and remember that image. Then at the end take a look at the new Michael and compare the differences. it is astonishing.

The Score in this film will also go down in Movie History. Nina Rota creates something which is so special and so gifted that it honestly defines movie music. That infamous opening to the last note of the ending. It is just an amazing score.

I want to talk also how dark this film is. It is as i said before a Modern Greek Tragedy. Its the story of how corruption effects even the innocent people and turns them into people that they aren`t. The characters are different and have different personalities and all go different changes in the film.

This film truely puts itself up there with Casablanca,Citizen Kane & Gone With The Wind. Its a classic to be beloved by all and one that I MOST recommend above all my films.

Rating - 100% - A+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Godfather Part II

So after reviewing Part I i will now present to you the review Of Part II. And just remember its MY Opinion. It was interesting watching Part II and seeing which is better. I or II but i now have a winner.

Part II sees The continuing saga of the Corleone crime family tells the story of a young Vito Corleone growing up in Sicily and in 1910s New York; and follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s as he attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

There are a number of things that Part II does do better than The first one. The first thing is the story. There isnt one story. Its two. One being the early years of Vito Corleone and the other being Michael`s continuing power as Don Of The Corleone Family. Both stories are well played out and we really care for what each main characters are going through. If i had to pick, i would go for Vito`s story over Michaels. The reason is that his story was more enjoyable and we saw how Vito becomes who he is and more importantly who Michael becomes who he is. Michael`s story is great and does continuing a very tragic story, but Vito`s was just better to watch. However there were a number of things that Part I did better than II. First is the cast. Part I`s cast was solid perfection. Part II`s was just fairly good. They just took the remainders of I and added new faces for II. De Niro fit right into The Godfather and his performance as Vito was so great despite barely any english.

Diane Keaton is also great as Kay and you can tell by a glance at the beginning that she is miserable. But the star performer once again goes to Al Pacino. If you thought his performance In Part I was fantastic, this one is timeless. Michael is a changed human being. Power & Wealth have made him someone that he wasn`t. He has lost most of his family,the love of his wife,and the respect of his most faithful allies. All for Power. I myself pity Michael at the end of the film because he is a lost soul. Someone that will never find goodness in the world anymore. As i said before The Godfather is a Greek Tragedy and Part II is just more depressing to watch than The First.

Also i must mention Nina Rota`s fantastic score once again. Part I`s was slightly better but this is just more emotional and heart pulling than before.

Overall Godfather II is a tie for the title of Best Movie Sequel Ever Made...that and The Empire Strikes Back.

Rating - 99% - A



it is. Both Sequels i thought were. My reason is that The Matrix potrays itself as Cyberpunk Noir which works , but does it too much at times. Matrix 2 & 3 still do that , but manage to not make it that obvious and delve into the backstory of The War , Zion and The Main Characters which we never got in Matrix 1.
THE MATRIX was a great film but i felt they fell of track with the sequels deffo the matrix revolutions.




Connor Macgregor Reviews...Letters To Juliet

Just thought i should see this because this was a friday and really had nothing else to do. And i also LOVE Amanda Seyfried and anything that she is in (except Mean Girls) looks good. Basically the plot is An American girl on vacation in Italy finds an unanswered "letter to Juliet" -- one of thousands of missives left at the fictional lover's Verona courtyard, which are typically answered by a the "secretaries of Juliet" -- and she goes on a quest to find the lovers referenced in the letter.

There wasn`t much wrong with this film. It is what i expected really. Seyfriend finds letter, go and find the true love, find the true love and tie up other plots. END. Seyfried does do a very convincing performance as Sophie and Christopher Egan is a pretty good actor in this film. He is obviously a cocky ass, but you do sort of like the guy. Sophie`s fiance was just hilarious. I love that he just didn`t give a **** about his fiance and rather be humping the food dry. I reckon that if he saw the perfect looking ice cream, he would add an extra layer IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

Also the plot was kind of predictable, but never the less i did enjoy this and it was a perfect way to stop myself from being bored over the weekend.

Rating - 74% - B+






Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Godfather Part III

Honestly when watching this, i hear two sides to this film. Some saying its underrated and some saying its a stinker. Well after seeing two spectacular films, i am going to dive into The Godfather Part III.

In the final instalment of the Godfather Trilogy, an aging Don Michael Corleone seeks to legitimize his crime family's interests and remove himself from the violent underworld but is kept back by the ambitions of the young. While he attempts to link the Corleone's finances with the Vatican, Michael must deal with the machinations of a hungrier gangster seeking to upset the existing Mafioso order and a young protoge's love affair with his daughter.

Now there are some good things about Part III and also there are some bad things about III. First of all, this is NOT a gangster film in my view. Its more of a Religious Political Finance story in a sense. There isn`t much Mafia theme for it to be a Gangster film. It is by far a crime film because crimes are taking place, but there isn`t any more Families or Mafia dealings going on like there was in Part I and Part II.

The good things are this. Al Pacino Is Michael Corleone. No matter what age he is. Michael Corleone will always be potrayed by Al Pacino. This film proved that this is his story and no one elses. It isnt Vito`s story and it isn`t The Corleone Family`s story. It is Michael Corleone`s. The story of a man who is born into a family and a world in which he must go through his darkest fears and enemies by potraying himself as a dark figure. He sucks himself in a world in which he becomes a new person. In Part III we see the Michael from the very beginning of Part I. Despite the fact i cannot recongnise Al Pacino from Godfather I and Godfather III (Part 2 was sort of the middle. His eye liner was distracting and his voice was cracking) Al Pacino will always be Michael Corleone. Also Talia Shire gets a bigger part and she does good. Diane Keaton has not aged at all in this film. In fact she doesn`t age much in The Trilogy. She looks amazing in all three films. The star of the film for me goes to Andy Garcia. He has all The Corleone Personalites rolled into one. He has Vito`s cunning,Michael`s Ruthlessness,Fredo`s Sensitively and of course Sonny`s temper. He is a perfect Corleone.

Of course i must talk about Mary Corleone played by Sofia Coppola. She is ok. She isn`t great and she isn`t terrible. She is just ok. I think this project and role was too big for her but she did do the part justice and i did buy her as Mary. But damn she has huge checkbones in the film. Just pointing out.

If you haven`t seen Godfather III,check it out it is a decent film and is worth having a look.

Rating - 86% - A-




Connor Macgregor Reviews...Chicago

Ah yes Chicago.I felt that after seeing the amazing trailer so many times, i saw it for i believe £10 in my local DVD shop. So with that and i believe Full Metal Jacket (which i will review very soon) i bought hopefully two excellent films. I have just watched Chicago and so here is my review in full.

Roxie Hart is a married chorus girl with hopes of being a headliner in Vaudeville. Velma Kelly is a former headliner. What do these two have in common? They both are murderesses. Roxie killed her lover when he walked out on her, and Velma killed her husband and sister, who were having an affair. Chicago's newspapers love the nitty-gritty and Velma is at the top of the headlines. But then Roxie comes along and Velma is old news. They find themselves competing for not only the press' attention, but also the focus of their shared lawyer, the suave Billy Flynn. Add to the mix a sob sister, Roxie's hapless husband Amos, and a warm prison matron who watches out for her girls (if there's something in it for her), and you have Chicago.

What can i say about a musical that is well written, well directed, well acted, well sung and above all well acclaimed. Not only is the film fantastic and flawless, but the stage show is just as gritty and amazing (Seen the show about twice). This film is the centerpeice of classic musicals and will forever be known as one of those great achievements in the musical genre. The music is just amazing in every sense of the word. Its catchy, emotional and gets your feet moving. The top three performances are one of a kind. Zeta Jones is incredibly fiesty in this role and that is why i love her in this film so much. Renee Zellweger is just to die for in this film. Such a B-I-A-T-C-H in this film and yet she is so loveable at the same time. She would kill to get the spotlight...wait she did that. And then she lies to get the spotlight back, classic. But of course to me the star is Richard Gere. Oh he can do the lot. He acts,he sings and he dances and during the fantastic song Razzle Dazzle i said to myself "I Like Richard Gere". So after years of no reason of liking Richard Gere, Chicago has given me that reason. THANK YOU.

The Music in this film is something from another world. Its tricky to pick a favourite but it comes between Razzle Dazzle & Cell Block Tango. I admit something grew while watching Cell Block Tango. It was so mesmerising to watch and it made me felt i was going to the electric chair with a erection and all the police officers were women in lingerie. Oh the agony. Never the less its a great song and it makes me want to crawl to my knees and beg them to kill me.

So overall Chicago is A MUST BUY. Get it now its timeless and a modern masterpiece. OWN IT MUSIC LOVERS!

Rating - 93% - A



part 2 was alot better i thort good reviews tho.
Thanks. Part 2 is brilliant but the one thing that lacked was that the cast wasn't as strong as Part 1. Apart from that , everything else was fantastic.





Connor Macgregor Reviews...Mission Impossible

I finally managed to get round watching this. I thought firstly that this was too short. But never the less it was worth it and it really was a very well done action film.

Movie based on the television series finds Jim Phelps and his team charged with stopping a traitor from stealing and selling classified material. Everything was going well until the man they are following and all of the team are inexplicably killed except for Ethan Hunt. Ethan then calls the Director and goes to meet him when he discovers that the whole mission was to ferret a mole that they have been suspicious of for some time. The Director shows evidence that hints that Ethan's the one they have been looking for but Ethan knows that he is not, so he escapes. Ethan then arranges to meet the buyer and whom he warns against using the material he has and when they meet he offers to get what he paid for in exchange for telling whom the mole is. Ethan, along with Phelps' wife Claire recruits two disavowed agents to help him which won't be easy.

I havent seen the TV Series prior to the films so i won`t comment on the controversal plot of the film. Tom Cruise is really into his role as Ethan Hunt. He plays the part with such ability and strength. He can be a candidate for James Bond if he threw on a convincing English accent. I also liked Jon Voight as Jim Phelps. He was very interesting but was very limited near the end. Some of the supporting cast like Ving Rhames is good,but Je Adore Jean Reno. i always have in a way he can pretty much play anything and he is very convincing at the role he plays.

The plot is too short. The film`s running time is 110 Min although it felt very shorter than that. I don`t know but i felt like it was more than a TV Pilot but with a film Budget. Never the less it was very engaging and really felt like a Spy Film.

So overall Mission Impossible is a fun action film with a very interesting plot that keeps you on your feet, great cast overall and very well done special effects. Mission Impossible is Impossible to hate.

Rating - 73% - B+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Abyss

Going in seeing this i knew this was a special film i was going to watch. And after watching the special edition version, i can tell know that James Cameron has never let me down on any of his films.

When an American nuclear submarine crashes, the United States Government believe the Russians to be responsible. They enlist the help of a team of underwater drilling platform workers who are to help the deployed Navy SEALS locate the crash site. As they get closer to their destination, the friction between the two teams increases. When some workers report seeing UFO's underwater, the SEALS grow increasingly suspicious and suspect a Russian mini-sub. After a series of near-fatal disasters, the workers find that they are the only people who are capable of stopping World War III. But they are not the only inhabitants of the deep, and strange things are happening back at the surface...

I really enjoyed this film. It wasnt really that suspenceful but it did have a very interesting and entertaining story to it. James Cameron`s writing and directing is something of a specialty. Despite what many people say about his attitude to people when he works, he does direct amazing films and all of them are different in many ways. The Abyss is different because of its use of underwater. Water is a big central theme in this film and it plays out terrifically. I love the aliens in this one. They want peace on Earth and would even go to lengths to destroying all life to get what they want.

I do love the characters in this also. Cameron does real well in creating amazing memorable characters in his films. The most memorable to me is Michael Beihn`s character. So alone,so scarred by war and so scared, his character is fighting to survive despite not understanding the whole situation. Another actress i like is Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Her performance in this film is excellent. And finally i cannot leave out Ed Harris. He is so good in this film having to look out and save as many lives in a situation that he has no idea what will throw at him next. Its unpredictable but with him at the helm, we can put our trust in him.

Overall The Abyss may not be Cameron`s finest work but it is certainly worth checking out. I loved the plot,characters and the effects. Cameron certainly knows how to put on a entertaining film.

Rating - 80% - B+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...Iron Man

I Saw Iron Man 2 and if yu go back a few pages you can check my review on that film, but now i have finally come round to seeing the first one. So here is my review.

The playboy wolf and genius Tony Stark is the successful CIO of the Stark Industries, a weapon company founded by his father. His second in command is Obadiah Stane, who worked with his father, and his loyal and professional secretary is Pepper Potts, who has a crush on Tony. While in Afghanistan to demonstrate the ultimate Jericho missile developed by his company, his military convoy is attacked and Tony is seriously wounded on his chest and kidnapped by a group of rebels that wants him to assemble a missile for their use. Tony stays with his abductors for three months and develops a powerful metallic armor to escape from the cave where he is arrested. He decides to stop manufacturing weapons in his company under the protest of Obadiah, and dedicates his time to improve the armor, manufacturing it with gold and titanium and installing a propulsion system to fly. However, Pepper discovers that Tony was betrayed by Obadiah, who is using Tony's data to build prototype armor for him, transforming it in the ultimate weapon.

Iron Man is a lot better in many ways. The first is the story. This is a great introduction for Iron Man into the world of cinema. It feels very original and new on the big screen and Robert Downey Jr just fits like a puzzle into the character of Tony Stark. His arrogance,wit and self charm is just perfect for him. I also really feel like Marvel did a good job because he looks exactly like the Tony Stark in the comics. Pepper Potts is a nice sweet character played by Gwyneth Paltrow who is very sweet and fiesty in the role. Terrance Howard plays Rhodey and feel that he is a lot better than Don Chedle in the role. But the star is by far Jeff Bridges. Such a clever villian with a clever personality. As well as that i think Jon Faverau The Director and Hogan was good at both acting and directing. I also give credit to Clark Gregg who plays Agent Coulson in this. I think he is very underrated and should get more major work.

Overall its fun, original and very exciting and its worth seeing.

Rating - 75% - B+



how do u work your ratings out. you rated iron man 2 65% and said its better than the first ??