Tyler's Reviews

not a big fan of the Hulk movie, i preferred the 2008 movie hands down.

Uggh, I did not like the 2008 version. As much as I love Ed Norton, he was totally wrong as Bruce Banner.

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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."

On another related matter, is that the 2003 Hulk in your avatar or the 2008? Just curious .

i think its the 2003 hulk not sure. I just think the 2008 version they did everything perfect, i enjoyed it alot.

We obviously come at this film from completely opposite viewpoints, and yet, we do agree on Lee's direction. I'd also point to the editing and lighting, which I think are the stars of an, otherwise dreary, film.

Forrest Gump (1994)



The best flick of 1994 is easily Pulp Fiction, in my opinion. But I haven't forgotten this triumphant Best Picture Winner, one of my all-time favourite heartwarmers. Forrest Gump is the story of a simpleton with an I.Q of 75. But that doesn't stop him from being a war hero, a talented ping pong player, champion football player and owner of a shrimping business. But he would give it all up for Jenny, his one true love.

Tom Hanks performance in this film isn't monumental or showstopping, but he's really sweet and likeable as Forrest Gump. I still think that it is between Hanks and two others who deliver the most superior performances of 1994.

I also really love the quotable dialogue in this film. There are too many to quote, but my absolute favourite would have to be Gump's answer to the question "What is his sole purpose in the army?".

"To do whatever you tell me to do, Drill Sergeant!".

There are too many reasons I love Forrest Gump, but I mainly love it because it's good natured entertainment.

i love forest gump. fantastic movie, tom hanks at his best.

Love, love, love Forrest Gump. And I like the scene you highlighted with the drill sergeant and his reaction to Forrest; "You're a ********* genius!"

Speed (1994)



Pop quiz hotshot... there's a bomb on a bus. In my eyes, this is a film that should've failed. Setting most of the film's running time on a bus that can't slow down, otherwise it blows up. But, amazingly, it works. Thanks to enjoyable performances, great vehicle stunts and good writing, Speed is an excellent action thriller.

I want to get this out of the way early. This is my favourite Dennis Hopper performance. Yes, my personal favourite role from the man who gave us Easy Rider and Apocalypse Now. But I love a good psycho villian, and Hopper is a notch above the others. So damn crazy and funny. I also think that this is Keanu's best performance. He handles his role with at truns seriousness and then humour.

Jan De Bont's direction is inventive and grabs the audience's attention for two hours and never lets go. The stunts are amazing. Especially the bridge jump sequence.

Speed is recommended for all action fans; if you haven't seen it, see it now.

Pirates Of The Carribean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)



On Stranger Tides was ok. It had it's moments, but it's nothing when compared to the first entry in the series. POTC is the story of a drunken pirate who helps a blacksmith rescue the govenor's daughter from cursed pirates. it's formulaic, but it's also really, really fun.

Johnny Depp, in his drunken glory, is the shining light of this film. His crowd-pleasing pleasing performance as Captain Jack Sparrow is no stranger to many casual film fans' favourite character lists. And why shouldn't it be? He's likeable, funny and dynamic in this role. It might the role he was born for. It's one of the top 5 comedic performances I have ever seen.

The effects are also well-done in this film, especially in the sword fight scene between Sparrow and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) near the end. The way the characters change in the moonlight as they fight is very impressive.

The sequels are worth a watch, but this is worth a couple. I like this film a lot and would rank it in my top 50.

The X-Men Trilogy (2000-2006)



I'm really excited to see First Class, so I thought I'd revisit the original trilogy. I wasn't really impressed with them on my first viewing, save for one. They were all well made, but I thought that they had flaws, especially the third one.

X-Men opens up the trilogy with great action scenes and likeable performances, but in my opinion, it lacked character development. Each character was given a memorable moment or line, but they were pushed aside to really focus on Wolverine. I don't have a problem with the character of Wolverine, but I would've liked to see the other characters developed more.

Nevertheless, X-Men is still very entertaining, especially in it's action-packed climax. It's likeable enough, and it remains an enjoyable, if unremarkable superhero film.

X2 is the weakest of the trilogy. It jumped around each plot thread at a fast pace, so when I was just starting to get into a particular sub-story, it would jump straight to another one. I also think that Patrick Stewart had a relatively small amount of screentime. There is more character development than the first though, which is one of the areas it surpasses it's predecessor.

There were many good aspects about this sequel, but I don't like as much as the first and third. Maybe it's because my expectations were too high for it. Still, it's a well-made flick, which like the first, is a decent, if unremarkable film.

The Last Stand is probably the most flawed and most disappointing of the series. Each character isn't explored enough or developed as much as the viewer would like, and it is very short. But through all it's flaws, The Last Stand is my favourite of the X-Men trilogy. It has fascinating ideas and works as humourous, action packed entertainment.

Hugh Jackman is the standout as Wolverine, as he is in all the X-Men films, but Ian McKellen deserves a special mention as Magneto. I thought he was a stronger presence in this entry than the others.

The X-Men trilogy is entertaining, but don't expect masterpieces. They're all good, one in particular is great, but they aren't cinematic brilliance.

X-Men (2000)
X2 (2003) +
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) (this is an enjoyment rating, not a quality rating)

The Last Boyscout (1991)



"Friday night's a great night for football..."

One of my ultimate guilty pleasures. Bruce Willis stars as a former Secret Service agent turned private detective, who teams up with Damon Wayans to uncover a conspiracy plot in the pro-football world.

Bruce Willis is one of my favourite actors. While I like his serious performances more, I love his performances in movies like these. He and Wayans make a good pair, with the superb comic timing and seemingly effortless banter that they acheive.

Shane Black's script isn't expertly written, but it does have some pretty funny dialogue. But in the end, for me, it's Willis' show, with his wisecracks, foul mouth and smirks. And what an enjoyable show it is.

Boyscout is such good fun. even Damon Wayans is quite good in it.

Love PotC. It's the only one of the series I've seen and, as each sequel comes out, it becomes more likely that it stays that way.

Wow you're reviewing a lot of films I love of late. Big fan of Speed, Pirates..., and Last Boy Scout. I really like Shane Black and his work. Another fun film along the same lines he's done is Long Kiss Goodnight.

As for the X-Men films the 1st is good fun, the second is very good and the third one is...well the third one! Really not a big fan of that

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)



"Brilliant, on an entertaining and emotional level."

Sequels. In a rare case, you'l find one that is better than the first. This is one of the handful of sequels that surpasses it's predecessor. T2 is the ultimate sequel. Not only does it surpass it's predecessor, but it surpasses every other film I've ever seen, save for a few that I rate at the same level as T2. It's the "grandaddy of all action films,".

John Connor is now a rebellious young boy, while his tough-as-nails mom is stuck in a mental hospital. John is meant to be the future resistance leader in the future war between man and machine. But the machines send a liquid terminator back in time to kill John, so the machines can win the war. But the humans send back a terminator themselves, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The effects are very impressive, the T-1000 in particular. The scene where he enters a helicopter by turning into a blob and squeezing through a broken window is awesome. It should be laughable, but it's actually quite frightening, not only because of the effects, but also because of Robert Patrick's menacing performance.

Cameron's directed many great films, but this is his finest work yet, although it doesn't contain my all-time favourite James Cameron scene. He is more famous now for sinking ships and blue people, but this is the Cameron I'll remember, making exciting action films, but with strong emotional factors behind him.

And the emotional factor of this film is the best thin about it. The father-son relationship between John Connor and The Terminator is what makes the film a masterpiece. John teaches The Terminator modern mannerisms and The Terminator protects him no matter what. He's the best type of father figure; a flawless one in the child's eyes. The final scenes are very sentimental, but I cared for these characters enough not to mind it.

It's no secret that I love T2. It was the main reason I love films today; it entertained, it frightened, it saddened and it played with a lot of different emotions; the way a good film should.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)



"Very underrated"

The most disappointing film of all time? While I can see why this was a letdown for many, this film holds a special place in my heart. Despite it's flaws, this is my favourite Star Wars prequel.

I won't delve deeply into the plot, but it's basically about Anakin Skywalker's origins, in the days of galactic war. Ewan McGregor plays Obi-Wan Kenobi as a padawan, while his master Qui-Gonn Jinn is played by the excellent Liam Neeson.

Jake Lloyd was a terrible casting choice. He is the film's major flaw in the pivotal role of Anakin Skywalker. He's unconvincing and just plain annoying. I still love this film, but I hated Jake Lloyd in this. I have said before that Jar-Jar wasn't a major distraction to the storyline. He's slightly annoying, but not enough that I condemn each scene he waddles into.

Some parts of the plot are misconceived, especially the parts about space bureaucracy, but apart from these obvious flaws, The Phantom Menace remains, at least for me, a respectable attempt to capture the style and feel of the first Star Wars film. It doesn't have a lot of depth, but there is a whole lot of fun.

Finally, I will say that Duel Of The Fates is the best lightsaber battle in entertainment standards, though it doesn't match the stronger themes involved in the battle in Empire.

A lightly humourous, action packed adventure that doesn't quite reach the quality of Empire or A New Hope, but entertains throughout.

Xmen

X2

xmen Last Stand

The weakerst is by far The Last Stand, X2 i found to be by far the best.

Terminator 2 is yet another of my favourites.


That's roughly how I'd rate them as well.

great T2 review aswell, i'd like to see what your thoughts are on the other terminator films.

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)



"So, so, so disappointing."

Terminator 2 is a masterpiece, and it's predecessor is a pretty good movie itself. But this? This is a mess of a film. Never before have I been so eager to see a film, and then had my excitement viciously ripped apart, chewed and spat out by soul-crushing disappointment.

This basically retreads the events of the last film, but with Judgement Day happening for real this time. Instead of Robert Patrick's more menacing T-1000, we are given The Terminatrix, a female terminator who is good to look at, but not much else.

The three redeeming elements of this film are Arnie, Nick Stahl and Claire Danes, who acheive genuine chemistry in their lead roles. Stahl and Danes are solid actors who turn in solid performances, and Arnie does what he does best; he blows sh*t up.

The effects are undeniably spectacular, but the story is very misconceived. It lacks freshness, unpredictability and most of all, James Cameron. Jonathan Mostow is no Cameron, as proved by 2009's equally lame Surrogates. He fails to mix the humour and action that the previous sequel had in abundance, or the thrills and compelling storytelling that the first used so well. On the contrary, it's a weak misfire that doesn't really work on any level.

The ending does deliver what fans of the series have been waiting for, but they were bound to be as disappointed as I was with the rest of the film. Steer clear of T3.