Reviews

The film has a message and it will pull the rug out from under you in order to achieve it.

From a story and plot standpoint, this is absolutely awful. There are contrivances and contradictions at every possible turn and it just gets worse on subsequent viewings.

What matters in this film is its message, clearly. The only problem I see with that is I'm not sure what the message is. It's something about free will, certainly, but I really can't ascertain anything beyond that single vague notion.

If you feel like a story that doesn't make sense isn't a problem for you, then you will certainly enjoy the film more than I did. Personally, it feels like a nothing of a film.

The joke is that there is no joke, and I just don't find that terribly funny.

At first I thought it was just a quirk of the main character, with Eisenberg channeling his character from The Social Network. As the movie went on and more characters were introduced, I realized this was a deeper trend.

Nobody in the movie speaks in a believable human way. It's all rapid-fire robotic sentences that feel emotionless and it really messes with the tone of the film. It makes it incredibly difficult to discern whether a moment is meant to be humorous because a character is being needlessly verbose or if that's some sort of stylistic choice to reflect on the rigidity of karate.

As for the film itself, it's moderately okay. It has a tolerable plot that doesn't ever drag for too long, but that's really all it has going for it.

It's not a bad film, but it really isn't terribly great either. It's not mind-numbingly boring, but it's not terribly thrilling or cerebral either. It has very little going for it.

It's a better use of time than waiting in line at the DMV, but that's really all I can say for it.

A fantastic entry into the crime/thriller sub-genre and a damn good film starring Jamie Foxx as a taxi driver for a murder-by-numbers sociopath played by Tom Cruise.

Despite Tom Cruise's role as an assassin, he still comes off as a charming (sociopath) and a kind-hearted (if existential or even nihilistic) individual who's just trying to get his job done.

He plays the "bad guy" though describes himself as "indifferent," and yet his relationship with the main character (Jamie Foxx) shows compassion and even respect, which is far from indifference.

Collateral is a great film, it asks a lot of questions and so it leaves the viewer asking those same questions as well.

Are you going to see over-the-top choreographed action like in Mission: Impossible? No. But what you will see is a genuinely enjoyable thriller that will constantly have you guessing, wondering, asking questions, and REALLY wishing Tom Cruise didn't have to be the bad guy all the way through to the end.

I highly recommend this film to both people who are and are not fans of Tom Cruise, and it's a great film both for "veterans" of the Thriller genre and for newcomers alike

The 2013 movie "The Purge" left a bad taste in all of our mouths as nothing more than a pseudo-slasher with a hamfisted plot, poor pacing, and a desperate attempt at "horror." Upon seeing the first trailer for "The Purge: Anarchy," my first and most immediate thought was "we really don't need another one of these." The first film was self-contained and didn't leave any opening for a reasonable sequel. But after seeing a few more commercials and looking into it some more, I decided to give this film the benefit of the doubt and I am NOT disappointed.

The film stands on its own feet much better than the first film did, and mostly because of what it's going for. Instead of trying to be a Horror movie, it becomes a fantastic Thriller/Action film set in a pseudo-apocalyptic future about a group of people trying to survive on a night where it's all-out war on the streets.

A lot of themes are explored -- Human Nature, Fear, Anger, Revenge, Heroism -- in ways that many other movies don't really explore it. And more than that, every small detail is kept in mind throughout the film.

Compared to everything else I've seen so far this year, this is by far the best thriller film to come out. It holds its own and it has a message instead of just being a movie about wanton violence. The action scenes are done well, and the tension is enough to keep interest even in the low parts of the film. Every moment you think is safe leads directly into the next moment of pressure for the main characters, and you can't help but sympathize for the characters who (all but one) don't even want to be stuck out here on this horrid night.

I very highly recommend this film to anyone who likes thrillers or action films with a little bit of psychological horror thrown in.

And a little bit of a tip? Forget everything from the first film. "The Purge" doesn't set up or explain anything that this film doesn't, doesn't add anything to this film, and isn't even worth watching beforehand.

The Purge: Anarchy is a great film in its own right and it's worth watching. My only issue is that the first film couldn't have been more like this.

Elysium is such a massively underwhelming movie.

The action scenes are just way below the bar that's already been set by action movies of 2013 and 2012. What action there is is ruined by a shaky camera and blatantly poor choreographing. It tries to make up for this by being a "LOOK AT ALL THIS COOL FUTURE STUFF" movie with robots, magic healing stations, "futuristic" weaponry, and the tired dystopian theme.

As a science fiction movie… it's just awful. There's a plot hole every 15 minutes, issues that are never addressed, and terrible writing altogether. The science part is never in any way explained — this would be better billed as a science fantasy film. It makes absolutely no effort to be anything other than another cheesy "sci-fi" film to throw in the bin along with After Earth It takes after District 9 in that it's trying to be a social commentary but falls flat on its face so hard it's almost amusing.

The "message" of the film is like any other film being released lately: being socially privileged is wrong. It's yet another film that sets out to make you feel shameful for living in a first world country for no other reason than the fact that it seems to sell really well lately.

Honestly, I give it a 4/10 meaning it wasn't quite painful to watch, but it was pretty difficult to enjoy. The humor (at least I HOPE it was intended as humor) kept me from outright leaving the theatre and that's really all it has going for it in my opinion.

That doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad movie. It just means it's way below average. If you haven't seen much sci-fi and you don't want to think too hard (and in fact staunchly refuse to pick it apart) then it's a fantastic movie for you… otherwise, don't bother.

It's a very unique Horror experience. It keeps a moderate pace while still giving more than enough time to introduce the central characters so you get a feel for them, their motives, and a sense of empathy as these horrible things happen to them.

There is some back-story, a flashback or two, and the main story is occasionally punctuated by lessons taught by Demonologists (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) who eventually get involved with the story of the Warrens.

What makes it really notable amongst horror movies is that it's fairly hard to predict. Yes, there are tropes like there are in all horror movies, but it doesn't follow Poltergeist to a T and it has a fair few twists and turns that will really catch you off guard.

Another thing is that there are very few "jump scares." There's a lot of building tension, but surprisingly little "ahh oh my gosh there's a scary ghost behind you!!" And once the center of all the trouble is revealed, things escalate very quickly. There's no horrible torture or mindless gore, but there is blood and some seriously unsettling scenes that take place.

I give it an 8.5/10 (but for IMDb purposes I have to give it an 8), meaning I think it's extremely watchable, memorable, notable, and something worth being put on a top 10 list somewhere.

And another thing: You definitely need to see it in theatres. Seeing this movie with a full crowd of people is the only good way to see it.