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Michael Bay
07-14-11
[Thor]



Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the god of thunder, and the son of Odin. Arrogant, and just an overall cocky deuce. He's in line for the throne, but makes some mistakes in judgement just before he's throned. Odin decides that Thor is not ready to be king yet, and banishes him to Earth to teach him humility. After being cast out, Thor comes across Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her team of scientists. While his rome of Asgard is being overtaken by his brother Loki, Thor looks for a way back home and save his kingdom.

Director Kenneth Branagh does a hell of a job with this movie. Action looks epic enough. And it actually looks like God is kicking some ass. The director can shoot some pretty good action. I just wish there was more of it, i really do. But, Kenneth Branagh (director) fills this Thor movie with plenty to look at, and gives the large cast plenty to say.

The cast is just great, nobody is weak here. If anything, then your just gonna wish that Branagh spent more time on each character, cause these characters are so good. But, realistically, there is no time for that. Branagh compacts a lot in 114 min.

The movie starts to feel rushed at the end of the film. With Thor having his little coming of age rather quickly. For a guy who is suppose to go through his whole personality change, and humble, being banished, it happens kinda quick. Also, his love for Foster never got time to develop. I would have appreciated a few more scenes with them together. And maybe i would have bought this, god falling in love with this human. It felt rushed. This prevents the movie from being up there with The Dark Knight, Iron Man, etc. It's a shame, cause it was so close.

Still, Kenneth Branagh pulls it off. And gives us one of the better superhero movies that you are going to see.

Skip the 3-D. It's not worth it.




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Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:07 PM.



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Michael Bay
07-14-11
Shoutouts!

BumbleBee's Reviews
JayDee's Movie Musings

Two very good reviewers. Just recently started reviewing, i think. Maybe even better reviews than mine?...
That's probably pushing it a little
Anyways, good reviews. Check them out!



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Michael Bay
07-20-11
[Horrible Bosses]



Three friends hate their bosses. Really Really hate their bosses. And for good reason, cause these people are the worst. When Nick, Dale and Kurt realize that these horrible bosses are in the way of their happiness, they conspire to kill them. Yep, it sounds dark. But the way this movie is done comes of very funny.

One of the things that made Horrible Bosses such a funny movie, is the natural way these characters interacted with each other. It never felt forced. It never felt phoned in. Or heavily directed. It's what Hangover Part 2 should have been, just a bunch of guys dealing with each other, as well as the situation that they found themselves in. And in this process, these characters come familiar to some people. You know what to expect.
And laugh when you see them react to something you knew they would react to. That's what works in this film.

A bonus, is just how fantastic everyone plays their characters in this movie. Jason Sudeikis finally proves that he can act, and do more than just sketch comedy. He was in Hall Pass, but in this movie he just steps it up.
And Jennifer Aniston, wauw, Jennifer Aniston. She's hilarious. And it's so incredibly striking, it's almost like if she's giving a big F U to every guy who ever dumped her. You can tell she's having a blast too. Jason Bateman is doing what he does best, and hes never been better at it.
Kevin Spacey, he looks like hes relishing his role a bit too much, just channelling that inner A-hole, it was awesome. Now Charlie Day is this films Zack Galifianakis. Hes a bit corky, but i still had a great time with his antics. And you got Jamie Foxx, who was pretty good. And even Colin Farrell was hilarious with his character.

Everything just comes together, and works. Especially the sharp witty dialogue, the way this film is written, the writing is excellent. And the delivery from every actor is just on point.

The film had a very solid pace, it never slowed down.




Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:06 PM.



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Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
07-20-11
Originally Posted by Saully
Shoutouts!
JayDee's Movie Musings

Two very good reviewers. Just recently started reviewing, i think. Maybe even better reviews than mine?...
That's probably pushing it a little
Anyways, good reviews. Check them out!
Just stumbled across this. So sweet!!! Thank you very much.



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Michael Bay
07-27-11
[Cloverfield]



We are introduced to Robert Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David), who films bits and pieces of his relatioship with his love interests, Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman). Planted information shows you their love, their relationship problems, and their current situation. Basically, he's in love, but is leaving for Japan. His friends are throwing him a goodbye party, and eventually his camera falls into the hands of his best friend, Hud (T.J. Miller). Immediately, Hud and his camera become one. As he just simple mindedly decides that everything just must be documented.

The quick introduction is handled surprisingly well, and the actors do a real good job. I felt like i was there with the characters, witnessing what they witnessed. Even if the film feels like a drunken amateur with a camera.
it's excusable here. Matt Reeves (director) does a good job controlling what could have become a visual mess.
The pacing is strong, and never slows down. In fact, from the point this monster hits, and to the very end,
your taken for a ride, and never let go.

And the monster? Visually, you won't be disappointed. Yes, you see it. Yes, it's spectacular.




Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:06 PM.



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Michael Bay
08-14-11
[HP and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2]



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, the final Harry Potter film in the series.

The film starts of immediately where Part 1 ended. Voldemort had a new wand, things look pretty bad, and all hell is about to break loose. Harry Potter finally learns how every single thing he went through in all his previous films are connected, and why. Secrets are revealed, and Harry confronts the man this whole series has been about. Voldemort. Throughout the film, some characters get their moments to shine.

One of the things i liked about this movie, was the tone of the it. Harry Potter films were always dark and brooding, this film had a particular sense of despair accompanying it. When you couple this with the events of what happened in Part 1, it becomes a truly depressing atmosphere.

And the actors do an amazing job portraying these feelings. Often with just a look or a glance. And this manages to grip the audience alongside them. It's consistent, and shot brilliantly. You know, it's hard to nail this type of emotion in a film, but the director, David Yates, he pulls it of. So it looks and feels natural. Not forced.

And the action in this film is also much stronger than stuff that i've seen in the previous films. It's Shot much more cleaner. The film includes a major battle sequence, that totally felt just as good as something from The Lord of the Rings.




Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:05 PM.



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Michael Bay
08-18-11
[Captain America: The First Avenger]



The story follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), who wants to fight for his country. But due to his size and health, he's rejected numerous times. His determination catches the eye of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), who sees something special in him. And chooses him to be part of an experiment that will turn him into a super soldier, and become the main weapon to stop the Red Skull. Who is using an ancient power to fuel his army.

I was always weary about Chris Evans being cast as Captain America. I've always felt, one actor should play one hero. It was sort of an unwritten rule. So, in my mind, Chris Evans was the Human Torch. And that's how i see it. I would have preferred Evans to be a little more aggressive in some of the scenes. But for the most part, he did a fine job.

Steve Rogers best friend, Bucky, that friendship was never really developed properly. And they did maybe do a good job of forming together Captain America's team, but the film desperately needed scenes where they worked together for a common goal, and show that process. Not just a montage of successful sequences. I would also have liked to see Captain America's training. There was some great scenes in the movie, where he's not fully adjusted to his new powers, those are fantastic scenes. And i would have liked to see him actually train with his new powers. Or, as stated before, test his limits within the different situations he would find himself in with his team.

The acting was superb. Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones and Hayley Atwell, all giving fantastic supporting jobs. And Hugo weaving, who did a great job with an under developed Red Skull.

The pacing of the film is something that definitely might annoy a few.




Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:05 PM.



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Michael Bay
08-23-11
[Transformers]



Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), a normal teenager, who's in the middle of a civil war, with the universe at stake, when he unknowingly finds glasses his great grandfather used to own. Which has the location of the All Spark, a device that can be used to rebuild the home planet of the transformers, or/and all life in the universe. The glasses have the location of the All Spark inprinted in them, after Sam's great grandfather found Megatron frozen in the ice. An accident turned on the navigational system... And now, the Autobots are in a war, between them and the Decepticons, to fight for survival here on Earth.

I know what kind of film this is. I didn't go in and expecting Lord of the Rings style epic storytelling, with Oscar winning performances. I really just wanted a fun movie.

With the exception of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, no real robots stand out.

The film, in itself, is a technological achievement in filmmaking. And it deserves the Boxoffice returns. It really does. Visual effects, amazing. The way these robots interacted with the real world, and in broad daylight, it just deserves a price of admission alone.

Transformers isn't a totally bad movie. You'll be on an emotional roller coaster with this movie. Cause, you'll love certain scenes, and then moan about others. It's a simple popcorn flick.




Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:04 PM.



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Michael Bay
09-04-11
[The Hurt Locker]



Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), is deployed to Iraq to lead the EOD team (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). During the course of his rotation, he deals with the psychological and emotional strain that's accompanying with working in an environment, where every person could be a potential enemy, and every object could be a bomb. The movie follows this squad through their day-to-day operations, which includes Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge. All desperately trying to stay alive long enough to get out of Iraq. As each day passes, they get to know each other a little better, and as each day passes, they come just a little closer to death.

The movie focuses mostly on Staff Sergeant William James, who first comes off as a hot head, but as the movie progresses, he becomes an incredible deep character, who is trying to deal with the life he knows and the life he wants.

The Hurt Locker is an amazing cinematic experience that grips you from the very beginning and never let's you go. The film captures the incredible tension that surrounds the day-to-day duties of a soldier, and does a phenomenal job showing the effects of what it's like to live your day, not knowing it's your last.

What the film does especially well is approach this theme completely unbiased. There is no agenda in this film. The main focus is the life of Staff Sergeant William James, who Jeremy Renner plays brilliantly. You think you know this character, but you don't. This is not your cliche soldier found in so many films.

The film is wonderfully shot, keeping the angles tight, showing the constant expressions of the soldiers trying to contain their emotions, and perform professionally. Director Kathryn Bigelow has made an incredible film, about a soldier in a war, and not a movie about a war with soldiers in.


Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:04 PM.



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Michael Bay
09-11-11
[Super 8]



This has gotta be the most amazing assemble of kid talent i have seen. These kid actors are incredible. And all do a great job, which is rarely seen in talent so young.

The mystery that J.J. Abrams infuses in his film, will effect how you approach it. Films almost never live up to expectations. Often people feel disappointed for not seeing the movie they imagined in their head. Now this isn't Abrams fault. I can understand and respect his wish to bring back a little mystery and wonder to the film-going experience. He's not lying to anybody. I mean, it's great to go into a movie with all this wonder. "What's gonna be the revelation? What's this film gonna be about?"

This movie has no big twist, there's no big reveal. This thing that breaks out of the train, is nothing you haven't seen before. In fact, there's very little in this movie, that you haven't seen before. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's all on how you approach it.

For me, the first 30 minutes of the film, i could not stop smiling. Everything felt so right, so natural. The characters felt so real, and we had a real story going on here. Joe Lamb was dealing with some dark issues, we were slowly figuring out how people were related to this issue. It was great. Then the movie shifts, loses focus. The movie could have turned into a modern age Goonies, an adventure where this group would unravel this mystery slowly. But instead the film goes all over the place. And falls flatter and flatter as the ending approaches.

Super 8, it's a coming of age story. But not enough happened to the main character, for us to feel connected to this coming of age. Joe Lamb is not given enough story for him to develop. He's just not given enough to drive that ending we got, home.

There's a lot i enjoyed in this movie. Abrams does a lot of good here. It's a good film. And i loved a lot of things about this movie. Like the acting, the mysterious tone that Abrams implements, the score. I just didn't find myself loving this movie.


Last edited by Saully; 09-24-11 at 08:05 PM.



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Michael Bay
09-20-11
[The Lion King]



The Lion King. You remember The Lion King? It's already been out once in theaters in the mid 90's, and it is back, and it's in 3D!

I'm gonna talk about this movie with some spoilers in it. But if you haven't seen The Lion King by now... What?

Alright so i hadn't seen The Lion King in a long time. I just remembered The Lion King being like my favourite Disney animation. And when i sat down at the theater, and the movie started, and you see and hear that intro music... I was like, "Awesome.". It takes you right back!

For me, The Lion King has everything. It has a really cool father figure, it has an awesome villain, it has a relateable hero, because no matter who you are, you've been in that situation where you're like "i gotta step up and do something, i don't wanna do it though.". Path that leads resistance. That's more fun, you know. Hakuna Matata and all that good stuff. And Scar is like the baddest of the bad. He always has been. He's voiced by Jeremy Irons, right there you're like "Awesome". He tries to kill Simba, he ends up killing Simba's father, who is his brother. He takes over the Pride Land, he just wrecks everything, he's bad! And that stampede scene is like the coolest scene ever. And so when Simba runs away, he meets Timon and Pumba. And i remember Timon and Pumba being alright funny, but nothing special. But i watched it now and dude, Timon is the best!

Raise your kids on this kind of stuff! Cause there's a lot of stupid stuff out there that will make your kid dumb. Lion King is not one of them.

Yes, the 3D may be the reason why they're putting it out. But to be fair, the blu-ray release is coming out, so they wanna... They're milking us for money! But The Lion King is so good. It's really one of those movies that should be experienced by every generation in theaters.

So, cool characters. Good hero, good story, great music. Awesome.


Last edited by Saully; 09-20-11 at 07:02 PM.



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09-24-11
nice reviews! keep up the good work!



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Michael Bay
09-24-11
[Attack the Block]



Attack the Black is a British comedy, about aliens that invade and attack... The block. The block being a neighborhood in south London, it's pretty much run by street gangs.

Now this movie is pretty straight forward. One alien comes down, these street punks kill it. Then a lot of aliens come down, they try to kill the street punks. But these aren't aliens with like gun, and like smarts. These aliens are animals that pretty much go on instinct. They're really furry, shadowy figures, that run on all four, and have like glow sticks for teeth. All in all, i thought the aliens looked pretty cool. And i always like an alien movie, where like calm and every-day people haft to fight these things. But the problem in this was that the people weren't common every-day people. The first thing you see the main characters do in this movie, is rob a chick at night point. And after that i was like "Why would i care about you guys?".
Yeah, at a point in the movie, the chick they robbed forgives them, it makes you feel a little better. But still, there's like 1/2 an hour before the movie ends.

However, watching human beings who grew up on the streets take on shadowy wolfs (or something), it's always cool. and i gotta give it up for the uniqueness of it. And there were actually some pretty cool kills too. A lot of the movie was them regrouping and coming up with a plan. I just wish they would have taken more guns and just wasted more aliens.

So the movie has a really specific target audience. If you like it, you'll like it. If you don't, you just won't. And has unrelatable characters. There's no way i can relate to people who just mugged a chick at night. I'm just that kind of person, i don't like that ****.

But in the end, i did have a good time with the movie. I did respect it for what was. An alien invasion movie, made on a small budget.





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Michael Bay
10-10-11
[Drive]


Drive stars Ryan Gosling, who plays a driver. Stunt driver by day, and at night he's like a guy from Grand Theft Auto, he drives criminals around by night. And he has this set of rules, man. It's like: We meet here, your on time, you got 5 minutes, I drive, I don't carry a gun. You do the dirty work, I will drive you anywhere. But in that five minutes, I am yours.
When he was listing off the rules in the very beginning of the movie, I was like, dude this is awesome. I love people like this. And all in that, the beginning of this movie is so awesome. He's driving these guys on a job, and he's just working his craft.
He is a badass behind the wheel. And then after that the beginning credits come on, and I was like dude, I am so hyped for this right now. But, then after that you know, the movie continues, and it really slows down. It slows down to a pretty drastic degree. About half an hour into the movie, after like ten lines of dialogue, I realized that this is truly and art house movie.

In terms of action, both the action sequences are in the trailer. There are two driving sequences. Two! One's at the very beginning of the movie, and then the next one is like half way into the movie. In between it focuses on Ryan Gosling's character meeting this girl, and she all makes him feel warm and fuzzy. Although he's not really the warm and fuzzy type. He just kinda sits there and stares, and gives a look, and doesn't say much. Which I get is his character. Because you know he can kill you. And I like knowing that, I like knowing this whole time, that guy can just snap and kill people. And Ryan Gosling plays it perfectly. He's a good actor. There were some scenes where your like, dude that guy is just gonna murder some f***s.
I just think this movie got a little too stylistic at certain points. I think the director tried to show off too much.

Overall, it's a well filmed movie, and it's well acted. Everyone's a good actor in this film. But it doesn't change the fact that I found the movie to be quite boring, at least for half of it.

If you like art house movies, your gonna love Drive.


Last edited by Saully; 10-10-11 at 02:27 PM.



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MoFo Whisperer
10-10-11
You were bored by at least half the film and you give it 4/5?

Is that a; "I was bored, but it's a very good film." 4/5? Y'know, like Kubrick, or are you just confused?



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Michael Bay
10-10-11
Originally Posted by honeykid
You were bored by at least half the film and you give it 4/5?

Is that a; "I was bored, but it's a very good film." 4/5? Y'know, like Kubrick, or are you just confused?
Yes it was kind of boring. And that's why it's not getting a 4.5/5 or 5/5. If it had just been a little less boring, or if I'd been into movies like this, I'm sure it would have gotten a higher rating.

Does that answer your question?



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BANNED
10-11-11
Yes, I also think that this movie is one of the most underrated and underexposed action movies of this decade， I watched this movie in my senior school, it does leave a great impression to me, I hope there will have sequel of this movie.

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