Reviews

I stumbled upon this movie without having ever heard of it, and boy was I glad to watch it. It's the movie about one of the most famous Korean generals in Korean history during a crucial battle in the war with Japan. The acting in the movie was solid, even if I didn't understand the language. The naval battle scenes and how Admiral Yi used naval tactics to fight his enemy were realistic and breathtaking at the same time. I'd compare this with the 300: Rise of an Empire movie, with far less CGI, fantasy elements, better acting, and more realistic portrayal of naval battle. It's pretty amazing what they could do with ships back in those days.

The history/characters in the movie is a little hard to follow if you don't know about it beforehand or don't speak Korean/Japanese, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit and learned a little bit of Korean history in the process.

People who go into this movie expecting Oscar worthy script or performance are deluding themselves (even though Jeff Bridges is in it). This movie was made to ENTERTAIN. The story and acting was "good enough" so it didn't get in the way of the stunning visuals, perfectly written score by Daft Punk, and the joy and excitement of "living" in a virtual world.

I saw the first movie a week before this came out, and while I appreciated what it did for its time, it was a pretty terrible movie. Tron: Legacy in my mind is in every way better than the original.

One more thing, this is one of those movies (like Avatar) where you HAVE to see it in a REAL IMAX theater. What do I mean by "real"? Not those retrofitted crappy AMC/Century "IMAX" screens, but the true big ones like the SF Metreon, or the ones in Dublin, LA Rave, etc... the full power of the movie and the IMAX resolution (for about 30% of the movie) cannot be released with a regular screen.

This is easily the scariest and most frightening movie I've seen since "The Ring"! I could barely sit through the movie. I've known about the subject and what the "Jesus Camps" were like, but seeing it is a whole different story. It is just beyond me how these fundamentalists can brainwash 9-12 year old children with things like:

• Bush is a messenger from God - Harry Potter is evil and would have been put to death (because he's a Warlock) in the old days - Science doesn't prove anything - Democracy is a great system, but allows too much freedom to believe other things/religions - and more...

What I really liked about the movie is, unlike Michael Moore documentaries, this movie has no narrative, no commentary, just whatever the people on camera were saying. There were no pointed questions and no questions aimed at embarrassing the main characters. It is as even handed as documentaries go (I've heard "No End In Sight" is another even handed documentary I still need to see). The only snippets where you can detect the directors' personal opinions is when the Christian radio host talks about how small groups of fundamentalists have hijacked his religion. But even those parts are logical and fair.

Without a doubt, I highly recommend people watching this movie, and forming your OWN opinion on the subject. It's one of those movies where I can see everyone, from atheists to fundamentalists appreciating (for very different reasons). Rent it, watch it, and make sure you turn the night lights on.

Brilliant documentary that discusses a "hidden danger" (well, for upper middle class professionals, that is) in our seemingly perfect "American Dream." This is probably one of the best Moore documentaries, and is definitely done more even handedly than "Farenheit 9/11". While Moore still uses some cheesy tricks to toy with the emotions of the audience, and some flashy stunts that are completely meaningless (the beginning of the Cuban section), the true stories of all the people who got denied life-saving medical procedures from the HMOs were heart wrenching.

I understand that the national health/medical insurance system in Canada, England, France, and Cuba aren't as "perfect" as the documentary portrays, but just from talking to people who are from those countries, they are a huge step ahead of our privatized system. Yes, implementing a national health care system haphazardly would probably hurt more than help people (i.e. poor doctor's pay, no freedom of choice, etc.), but if the plan were implemented thoughtfully (I really enjoyed hearing how the doctors' pays are determined in England based on their performance), a government controlled system would be better than what we have today.

Maybe it's because I am lucky enough to work at a big company that the HMOs treat very well (so far haven't gotten any medical treatment requests denied, knock on wood) that I haven't paid much attention to how pathetic our health system is, but this movie definitely woke me up. There could be one day where I'm in need of a huge medical procedure and I'm either between jobs, or the HMO decides to deny that procedure just that one time, and I would be royally screwed.

What can I do about this? At this point, I don't know, but knowing that the problem exists is part of the fight. I strongly encourage everyone to go see this documentary, filter out the "stunts" that Moore often likes to use, and understand that we HAVE a problem with our health care system. Be aware of future local or national politicians who pledge to fix the problem, and try to support any cause that will lead to a reformed system. If anyone has a better suggestion, please share it with all of us, as we need to stop the practice of "sacrificing" a life for better profits that the HMOs are doing right now!

This one is supposedly one of Romero's best movies, and I am very glad that it's light-years above "Day of the Dead". I must say that I liked the remake version of this movie (with Ving Rhames) a LOT better, but that's probably because of the "Post-28 Days Later Zombie Syndrome" where things move much faster and are much scarier for your present-day movie goers who are numbed by scarier and gorier movies every day. (wow that was a long run-on sentence). Anyway, the acting was still a bit hokey, and people still do VERY stupid things that get themselves killed (then again, if they didn't, the slow moving zombies wouldn't be able to kill anyone). I did like the social commentary in this movie a bit better than the remake of "Dawn of the Dead", but overall as a movie, it was just above average. Some of the scenes do not make sense at all (like the beginning "raid" and the strange ending), but it's definitely worth watching if you want to see an old school "zombie" movie with a soul.

I've been wanting to see this movie since it came out. This was *the* movie to see as a college student (along with "Swingers" and "Pulp Fiction"), but I was deeply disappointed by it. For the first 30 minutes, I was just hoping the trademark Tarentino "dialogue" would end!!! I know Tarentino is very good at dialogue, but sometimes he overdoes it (also in "Grindhouse: Death Proof") and he definitely does so in this movie. The plot is intricate, the acting is well done, but the plot is at a full stop due to the endless drone of talk talk talk that I really don't care about. The ending was surprising and did save the movie from a lower score, but I guess I will never understand why people think this is one of Tarentino's best movies and one of the better movies of all time.

I kinda liked the first movie, if only for its premise and craziness, but the first movie had too many awkward moments (especially the piano scene). I must say, Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds is a DELIGHTFUL movie, and it's a sequel, no less! I was sad to see the original Marc be played by someone new (and not as good looking), but after I found out the guy was in the short film "Crush", I definitely had a better impression of him (I loved that short film!). Troy was just... I'm speechless. =) Overall, the movie was much quicker, tighter, no serious awkward moments, still over the top as always, light hearted, and funny. There were so many funny sex scenes in this movie it's worth watching it a 2nd time! I'm definitely buying this movie soon!

WOW! This movie is so hauntingly beautiful and original that I left the theater in awe! Who knew the director of "The Mimic" and "Hellboy" (Guillermo del Toro) would have this movie in his back pocket?? Even though I was slightly disappointed that there weren't more fantasy scenes in the movie (I was thinking along the lines of Narnia), but was still awed by the expert directing that del Toro used to mixed harsh reality with terrifying fantasy. The movie keeps everyone guessing on whether the fantasy is completely in the little girl's head, or if it actually exist in reality. This puzzle keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, especially during the dangerous sequences where the girl tries to escape the fantasy world. In the end, when everything is revealed, the solution is satisfying and original.

The cinematography is superb in this movie, accentuating the mood and atmosphere of every scene and sometimes blurring the lines separating reality with fantasy. I was in awe the entire time at how vivid, complex, and frightening the girl's imagination was, and how necessary it is for her to escape the painful life she lives in.

For me, it was the ending that glued the entire movie together into a very powerful work of art. I won't spoil the movie or the surprise here, but I strongly encourage everyone to see this wonderful movie! (Oh yeah, do NOT bring your kids under 12 to see this movie, it's quite scary and violent at times)

Going into the movie with the right expectations, I somewhat liked this movie. Like most reviewers who have seen this movie, I fully agree that the plot was razor thin, clichéd, and I could predict every plot twist from the very beginning of the movie. But, the dancing sequences were VERY well done, and I really enjoyed the fusion of classical and hip-hop dance (both which I enjoy watching). The music/soundtrack of the movie was also very good, which made the "drama" scenes more bearable. The leads (Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum) were OK as actors, but their dancing throughout the movie was impressive and mesmerizing.

All in all, a movie worth watching if you like to watch good dance sequences, and this movie is MUCH MUCH MUCH better than "You Got Served" in terms of the plot and drama. Then again, that doesn't say much, does it? =P

Wow! Now this is one of the most original movies that I have seen in a long time! Normally I really do not like watching Will Farrell in any movie (except for Mugatu in Zoolander), but he really impressed me in "Stranger Than Fiction"! The acting was first rate in this movie, with supporting characters like Robert DeNiro, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Queen Latifah. Will Farrell surprisingly held his own against these heavyweights and together, they carried out the very clever and suspenseful script to perfection. This film really threw me off as it is a very witty comedy, as well as a powerful drama and a potential tragedy (I won't spoil the ending). At points I wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh at the scene, and that is something that very few movies have been able to do to people. The script was very poetically written, considering it is mainly about a famous author's description of an every day guy.

Thus, with all these great aspects of the film coming together (acting, script, directing, humor), it made for an exceedingly impressive movie in which I may consider giving a 10 upon a 2nd viewing in the future. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a truly fun, original, and well executed film!

A good movie that explores all ranges of human sexuality and makes you think. It's explicit yet isn't pornographic. The movie is not intended for the faint of heart to watch. But with an open mind, you'll learn something from watching this movie.

The acting is the only weakness in this movie (and a few strange psychedelic scenes in the end), which explains the score I give the film. But, I applaud James Cameron Mitchell for directing a movie that so candidly and honestly explore all the relationship issues that all human beings have, and not just limit it to a category of people. While many may dismiss this movie as a poor excuse to shock people with sex, people who delve deeper will find that the director has a deep understanding of what a majority of people on this planet go through in their every day love life.

Check it out, withhold your judgment, and stay open to ideas. I think it will teach you something.

Maybe I was looking forward to the movie too much, or this movie was hyped as "Jet Li's final martial arts epic", but other than the fight scenes, I found most of the movie to be somewhat slow, and at times difficult, to watch. The fight scenes were very well choreographed as usual, and Jet Li is impressive in all the martial arts forms that he does. But in terms of acting, something just didn't feel right, especially with Huo Yuan Jia's "early" years. It just looked fake and forced to me.

The story itself was pretty interesting, as it was supposed to be based on a true story (and the martial arts club that Huo Yuan Jia started is still thriving today), but it definitely did not have the depth and impact of "Hero" or even "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Too bad. Maybe Jet Li's next movie with Jackie Chan will be much better!