Reviews

Since that final clip with Nick Fury and Tony Stark in Iron Man, there was hope that maybe Marvel could really be doing an Avengers movie. 4 years later and 4 movies later (Iron Man 2, Hulk, Thor, Captain America) and we have Joss Wheddon's Avengers.

What makes The Avengers so Engaging and Intriguing is the dialogue between the superheroes. Joss Wheddon should be awarded with an Oscar for the writing and directing of The Avengers. Everyone blended in so naturally and their back and fourth banter made for some good comedy. Everyone felt equal from Hawkeye to Hulk. It is so difficult to balance these personalities on screen and I don't think any other director besides Joss would've been able to pull it off the way he did.

The Action scenes in the Avengers is as Epic as it gets. The last hour is like a marathon of awesomeness. Every action sequence in this movie was perfectly executed and each character had their significant moments.

The cast was phenomenal as usual, but the show-stealer is definitely Mark Ruffalo. His portrayal of the incredible hulk was spot on. He was wildly entertaining and I couldn't help but cheer him on when he smashed sh!t. I think what made the Hulk work was because he was used sparingly.

Lo-Ki as the villain was great. I felt he was developed a lot better here than in Thor. He was witty and had an evil aura about him especially when he was interacting with the "mortals".

Never have I enjoyed a movie so much as the Avengers. The 2 hour plus runtime flew by easily and I was left wanting more once it ended. Once in a while a masterpiece of a film comes along, and after the hilarious closing scene after the credits, it was clear that this was Marvel's Masterpiece. Back to the Future and Terminator 2 have always been my go- to favourite movies. After this gem, I believe I can the Avengers to that list.

10/10

My only negatives with Captain America were the annoying montage's. I understood the purpose behind them, but I thought one would be enough, not three.

With that said, I thought Captain America was an Excellent movie. It balanced drama and action really well. I felt that the pacing of the story and how it evolved was really well done. It allowed me to invest into Steve Rogers a.k.a Captain America (Chris Evans). I loved the vulnerability he portrayed in the opening act's and how it remained consistent throughout.

The cast was excellent and were phenomenal in their performances. Tommy Lee Jones who played The Colonel was exceptional and provided some good comic relief. Hayley Atwell did an fantastic job playing Peggy, who was Captain America's love interest. She portrayed her as an equal to Steve Rogers especially in the earlier moments.

Joe Johnston (director) did a good job of setting up the future sequels and tying up some of the past tie's in the Avenger's universe. The integration of Tony Stark's (Ironman) father, Howard Stark, was handled perfectly. You can see the immediate resemblance between Tony and Howard, "Like Father Like Son" I suppose. Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull was awesome. Wish i could've seen more of him on screen, and be more menacing. Still though, i felt that he delivered.

The action sequences were incredible. I liked how they were spaced apart. It really added to the tension. The final action sequence's were spectacular.

Apart from the montage's, Captain America was a great watch. There were a few flaws, but they are minor in the grand scheme. I was entertained and engaged for the majority of the film. Can not wait for the sequel.

7.5/10

Iron Man caught me by surprise when It hit theatres back in 2008. Heading in I was thinking how the hell are they going to pull this off. Iron Man ended up being one of the best comic book movies ever, and it was only a matter of time for a sequel.

Iron Man 2 is not as good as the original, but it is still a great film and should stand on it's own. We get to see a different side of Tony Stark as he spiral's out of control. We also get to see more interaction between himself and Nick Fury who made an appearance after the credits of the original.

The action sequences in Iron Man 2 are spectacular and are a work of art. I was really impressed with the special effect's used especially in the final scenes. The camera angles during the flying sequences were handled very well.

Robert Downy's portrayal of Tony Stark is one of a kind and awesome. I don't think anyone could've been able to play Tony Stark as well as Robert Downy which is impressive. Mickey Rourke had me convinced he was really Russian. His performance as Ivan Vanko was Great. He had a creepy vibe going for his character which really added to the plot. Scarlett Johansson blended in really well as "the Black Widow". Her fight scenes were pretty damn good. Sam Rockwell in my opinion stole the show. He was hilarious throughout as Tony Stark's rival "Justin Hammer". He had some good one liners and his interaction with Ivan were awkward and funny. I was hoping for Terence Howard to reprise his role as colonel Rhodes but Don Cheadle did a great job as a replacement, so that did not bother me as much.

The original Iron Man will be hard to beat as the bar was set so high, however for a sequel, Iron Man 2 is a great follow up. I felt that the action sequences were a lot better compared to the original, It's weakness was the storyline and plot which at times seemed clustered and can confuse you. Still, those little problems did not hinder my enjoyment and I thought Iron Man 2 was solid followup to the original.

7.0/10

Of all the movies leading into the Avengers, Thor was perhaps the film i was least looking forward to. Whenever I think of Marvel's superheroes, I think of Spiderman, Fantastic 4, IronMan, Hulk etc. The last guy that comes to mind is Thor, who is "the god of lightening". After watching this film however, he's right up there. I enjoyed the blend of fantasy, Shakespearean folklore and modern action. Everything seemed to flow through easily. The transitions from the planet Asguard and Earth were seamless and very well done. The special effects were decent and not too overbearing. The buildup to the Avenger's movie is in full effect in Thor with regular appearances of Agent Coulson representing S.H.I.E.L.D.

Thor was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the movie from start to finish. Chris Hemsworth performance as Thor was great. He was a natural fit for the character and showed a great range of emotion. He can be menacing and funny in one scene. He can also be serious and mellow as well which is impressive. His interaction with Jane (Natalie Portman) seemed authentic which would've been difficult to do with the story behind Thor.

All in all this movie kept me engaged and I bought into the Thor Mythology. I was entertained through out the film. There was a good balance of comedy/drama/action in Thor. Looking forward to the next phase in the next Thor movie.

7.5/10

Usually within the first 15 minutes of a movie, I get a sense of where the movie is going and where the plot may be heading. With "Jeff Who Lives At Home", I had no idea what was going to happen. From the opening scene to the credit's, this film had me guessing, and I thought because of that, I was taken on a thought provoking ride through the main protagonist Jeff, who is played by Jason Segel, who has been obsessed with the movie "Signs" (yeah I'm referring to the Mel Gibson movie) and has based his life around the movie looking for "sign's" that would lead him to his destiny.

It's full of random occurrences which of cause end's up making sense once you really figure out what's happening. I loved everything about this film, from the script to the performances from a great cast with Ed Helms playing Jeff's brother Pat and Susan Sarandon playing Sharon who is their mother. It's a moving story with a powerful message. A very thought provoking and deep Drama/Comedy. Great way to spend 83 minutes of your life.

Honestly, I thought this movie was going to suck. Only reason I watched it was because my girlfriend is a huge horror fan, and she made me watch it with her. I've been forced to watch countless of crappy horror's since we've been together and I thought with "Splinter", it was going to be the same old s**t.

By the time we get into the main setting of the film which is an abandoned gas station, i was very intrigued. Thought the creature in this movie was very creative. Some very intense scenes in this movie that made you fear for the character's on screen. There are some gory elements to this film, but nothing too outrageous. I thought the interaction between the central characters in this film was very well done. The acting was great and for me, i thought it was great to see Paulo Costanzo in a movie, hadn't seen him since "Road Trip".

For a movie with such a small budget and a small cast this was very enjoyable. There are a few technical problems but they are very minor. This movie caught me off guard and I enjoyed it. It kept me engaged, at the edge of my seat and at times frustrated but for most of the movie, I was entertained which is pretty much rare for me when it comes to the horror genre.

6.5/10

Recently watched this movie on youtube. So many times i wanted to turn it off because it was so bad, but it was so bad I couldn't turn away if that makes any sense. The acting at times was quite comical but I've seen worse. 50 Cent's acting has improved since "Get Rich or Die Trying". However that's not saying much as he can still seem a bit stiff and often times can come across as being "robotic" in some scenes.

The "kill" scenes are pretty authentic and brutal. The story is basic but lacks depth. I've seen worse street movies than this (Belly 2). I will commend 50 Cent for directing/writing/acting in this movie. It's hard work and for a debut in directing/writing, he did pretty well. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, but if your a fan of 50 Cent and G Unit, then feel free to check it out.

4.5/10

I've always been a fan of Luke Wilson, and have preferred his work over Owen's. Middle Men is not your typical Luke Wilson comedy, It's much rather a cross between a Guy Ritchie and Martin Scorsese movie. That's not a bad thing by any means. What Middle Men will do is keep you entertained and engaged from beginning to end. Whether it's Wayne & Buck arguing back and forth, or Jack's ability or lack thereof,of balancing his family life and business.

The cast is pretty impressive with James Caan and Kevin Pollack also lending their talents. Everyone played their part well especially Giovanni Ribisi's performance as the coke'd up "Wayne Beering". His mannerism's and habit's were entertaining.

Overall I loved this film for what it was, a dark comedy centred around the internet porn industry. The soundtrack is great, which i might add is very "Scorsese esque". Loved the use of 2 Pac's California Love =) It's an intelligent film full of dark humour about pornography. My only gripes with Middle Men would be the pacing of the story, i feel if they had a longer runtime it would have flowed through effortlessly. They are minor issues though, they balanced the comedy well with the crime elements of the plot. It should be said that "Middle Men" is very underrated, and I would recommend it to fan's of dark humour and pornography, which after watching this movie, is every male living on the planet. Check it out, you won't regret it.

"Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous" holds a special place in my film collection. With memorable performances and a kick-ass soundtrack, Almost Famous is a perfect blend of music and storytelling.

Anytime you have Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin on a soundtrack, its always going to be good. However any film can have good music, but if the plot is crap ("Feel The Noise") then the film as a whole is shi**y. "Almost Famous" is NOT. The plot is about a high school boy who is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies it on their concert tour. It sounds simple, but nonetheless original. With a director like Cameron Crowe you know its good, in this case, Its a classic and perhaps one of the best films of that decade.

The cast as a whole did a great job in adapting to their characters. All were very convincing and honest. Roles such as the "groupies" could have easily been over-exaggerated and vague but were handled very well, among them, Kate Hudson. Kate's performance as the wildly entertaining groupie "Penny Lane" is probably the greatest of her career. She was Charismatic, Sexy and Vulnerable all in one. Other memorable performances come from Patrick Fugit who plays the films main protagonist William Miller or should i say, "The Enemy". All in all a spectacular job by the cast as a whole. This film has been a huge part of my life.

I first saw this film back in 2001 when i was 12. Was a huge fan of music, especially hiphop. However after watching "Almost Famous", instantly i became a fan of music from the 60s/70s era. As a 12 year old then, i never knew the likes of Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Brenton Wood, Smokey Robinson or even Led Zeppelin. Never knew how MUCH BETTER music was in that golden era. This film completely changed my perspective on music. Im a still a hiphop fan, but none of that compares to Jimi's Purple Haze entrance. Since this film, my whole mindset has been on producing music. Today, im in my sophomore year at University studying music theory, composition and production. That is how much impact this film has had on me. Overall, its probably my favourite movie.

This film was a breath of fresh air. Its your typical Boy meets Girl film but the way it is presented makes it beautiful.

What i enjoyed was how time was plotted. It would Flash forward and back effortlessly. This idea could have easily backfired but it worked to perfection.

My hat goes off to Joseph Gordon-Levitt. His portrayal of a 'fragile' Tom was right on the mark. Long gone are the days of 3rd Rock from the Sun (i did enjoy that show). You can really see his maturity in 500 Days Of Summer. Zooey as Summer also did an excellent job.

There some laughs here and there, but it feels more like a Romantic/Drama/Comedy. It is probably one of the best if not the BEST Romantic Comedy/Drama to come out in 5 years. A breath of fresh air.

8.5/10

Just awesome. I was fortunate enough to see it in 3D, "most of the 3D theaters were sold out". Let me just say that Avatar is by far, hands down the best movie to come out this year and ranks in my top 15 of all time.

The story is simple but effective. Cinematography is outstanding. But the special effects is just jaw dropping. The night sequences are breathtaking as the dark is illuminated by the glow of the leaves. Watching this in 3D, you cant help but look around and admire the landscape. The alien like insects, the purple sky, or how the ground lights up green when it vibrates (like m.j's Billie jean video).

Avatar by far is the best movie out this year and one of the best this decade, and IS THE FUTURE of cinema. You have to see it to believe it. Its almost 3 hours long and it when it ends you would've felt it was short. I recommend seeing this in 3D to get the full experience. Either way, 2D or 3D, Avatar is Freaking Awesome.

9.3/10

A Classic Action Comedy. This in my opinion is Chris Tucker at his best. From the opening scene to the end, Chris Tucker is hilarious. From the funny looking hair cut to the cussing and singing, he reminds you of Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop. Charlie Sheen also does an impressive job. The action scenes are not spectacular, but it does a good job.

Money talks is a good blend of Guns/Explosions and laughter. If your a fan of 48 Hours, Nothing To Lose or any other Action Comedy, Money talks is a must see.

7.4/10

Mortal Kombat is still in my opinion the best video game adapted film. The story is loyal to the video game franchise, acting is commendable, and the soundtrack kicks ass. Mortal Kombat succeeds where Street Fighter failed. Anderson did a good job with directing. The storyline is authentic and is made believable by the acting, something street fighter failed badly at. The actors/actresses cast were good. Christoper Lambert and Robin Shou were great. Overall a decent Martial Arts/Fantasy/Action flick. Recommended for all fans of the video game series. I would avoid the sequel however........ ahem... sequel????....... what sequel??? 6.2/10

When you have Al Pacino and Robert De Niro cast on the same film, automatically you think, "Awesome" ...... Righteous Kill was far from it. A mediocre thriller best describes this film. The plot was vague and predictable. It just dragged on. Only highlight for me was seeing Robert De Niro back on the Baseball Diamond. I was hoping for BOBBY RAYBURN to show up. That's how bad the film was for me. To be fair however, im harsh on the film because i expect a lot from Pacino and De Niro. What irks me is the story more than anything. Even if you had Scorsese as the director for this, Righteous Kill would still be mediocre. I give it 4.8/10. Very disappointing.

Just roaming through the comedy section of a local blockbuster and picking out random films, mostly films I've never heard or seen. "The Dog Problem" was one of them. 15 minutes into the film and im thoroughly entertained. The acting is good, Dialogue is hilarious, and the plot is simple but yet interesting. I will say that Giovanni Ribisi is really underrated as an actor. He makes it look effortless. The same goes with Scott Caan on his Directing/Acting. "The Dog Problem" is an intelligent comedy. Very underrated. With this i look forward to more of Scott Caan's work.

7.4/10