Reviews

Whew. As the first animated movie of the year, this was pretty good. This is no Pixar, but I'm giving it credit for what it was. This is a movie about the Little Red Riding Hood story with a twist. I like how we get a story from each character--the wolf, the granny, Red, and the axeman. We have to find out who the real criminal is here. The animation was not bad, and neither were the visuals. The voice talents were fair, and overall I did not have any major complaints. This succeeded in what it wanted to do--it was an entertaining movie. It was also very funny. There is no way that someone could sit through this and not laugh at least once. It is actually that funny. I'm glad that I was not hoodwinked by the trailers (as with most movies), and that this did not turn into some lame picture. It was humorous and entertaining, and I think that kids will like this as well as some adults. If you could put up with Madagascar, you will most likely enjoy this =D

6.5/10 Stars

Wow. Simply wow. That is all I can say after having the luxury of screening this movie a day early. The visuals are gorgeous, the music is beautiful--everything is simply amazing. This movie takes us to the world of Narnia. I will say that as a movie, this is excellent. Those unfamiliar with the book will enjoy it. I did read it, and I will tell all of you who have read it as well--you will not be disappointed. Sure, some dialogue is left out; some scenes are cut and/or extended; and some things are not explained--but this is the MOVIE version of Narnia. If we want it exactly as the book, we might as well just read it again. This film stays true to the important and outstanding parts from the book, and I was simply awed. Tilda Swinton plays an excellent and very cold White Witch--she was indeed convincing. Her portrayal of Jadis is very well-done. The scenery, the magical creatures--just stupendous. People are calling this a miniature Lord of the Rings. Well of course--C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien were friends, so it would make sense. I have already said all I could say about this wonderful film. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful =)

8.8/10 Stars

I will begin this review by saying that I absolutely enjoyed Saw part one. I was surprised that it would be so different than the average horror/gore flick. I believe that it is the best movie of its kind in a long time. Now here is the sequel. If you know nothing of the first Saw or did not understand it, you will be confused, perhaps lost, and find this movie bizarre and maybe even dumb. But it is as genius as the first one. When the movie starts, we already know that we are in for something different than the first. It has a distinct feel and seems like a typical horror movie at the beginning. But as it goes along, the Saw feel returns and the tension begins. I cannot describe any more about the movie here without spoiling anything. The Jigsaw killer is awesome, his games are sick and twisted, and this movie is excellent. Forget what the critics say. I have come to realize that they cannot appreciate a movie like this for what it is. Look at their reviews for this and you will see what I mean. I mainly take into consideration how the screenwriter is a new guy (only other movie is Saw one) and he managed to come together with two first-time directors and produce a very different and interesting movie. Many experienced writers/directors cannot even do that. As the Jigsaw killer says: yes, there is blood here, and a lot of it. If you could not handle the first Saw, I do not know how your tolerance level will be here. There are a lot of moments of disgust. But if you enjoyed the first Saw, you will either find this too weird or outstanding. There is a lot of information about Jigsaw that gives us more of an understanding of who he is and how twisted his mind is. There are so many instances in which we even want to agree with him. I find that to be good writing on a character's part, and surprising to most, there are a lot of symbolic images here that involve the clock and the jigsaw piece that the killer takes from his subjects' skin. I'm glad I SAW this too along with the first one. It certainly lives up its predecessor (and most sequels do not), and I was afraid it would not. Go see this for yourself, especially if you liked the twistedness of the first Saw =)

8.2/10 Stars

Foster is an excellent actress. She always has been. And sadly enough she barely saves this lethargic movie. It starts off okay, it gets better, it reaches its best point, and then it descends. After watching about an hour of her searching for the daughter, I just did not care any more about what happened. I stayed for the conclusion, but it was not very much worth it. The concept is pretty good--a woman loses her husband in a falling accident and, on her way to ship the body somewhere, her daughter disappears on the plane. There is no record of the daughter's existence. Was the woman imagining bringing the daughter onboard all along or is there a conspiracy against her? That is what kept me watching, but I grew tired of it after minutes of the same thing over and over. The best thing this film has is probably the acting. I can't think of much else. We really do not get on the edge of our seats as we should have. I definitely have no plan on seeing this flight again. Once was enough for me. But if you enjoyed Red-Eye(6/10) and/or are looking for an average thriller and/or great acting from Foster as a frantic mother, then you may like this =)

5.9/10 Stars

Whoa, whoa, whoa. That is my remark for all the immense praises on this board. Let me get this out of the way first--the movie was all right. It was way better than I expected. But all these OUTSTANDING remarks? Come on, now. It was because of these remarks that I expected a masterpiece, a classic. But instead I only saw a different and fun science fiction film. Comments like "Best movie of the year" just cause me to shake my head because--off the top of my head--I can think of five movies that came out this year that are better than this. Sure this was entertaining and a good sci-fi overall (and I am not a big sci-fi freak), but that is pretty much it. There is no sense of character in these people except for River and the Operator. I did not really care what happened to anyone else. The concept of this movie is good though. The battle is not only on the ship Serenity, but also FOR serenity in the universe. The acting was so-so except again for the ones mentioned above. There was good humor, great special effects, fascinating action scenes, and pretty good direction. It is a bit slow for the first half an hour or so, but then it picks up there and gets better. These people who praise this movie like it is the god of films just make me think that they are movie studio plants. Over half of them only reviewed THIS MOVIE. But anyway, aside from that, this movie was okay. If you are a science fiction fan, there is a high chance that you will like this movie. Everyone else will at least be entertained because this show is not bad at all =)

6.6/10 Stars

Okay, okay. It's hard to begin this, especially after seeing so many praises for this film. I'm just going to be completely honest. I finished seeing the movie about fifteen minutes ago, so the best time to write this is now. First of all this is not an all-out action film, so if you were expecting that, you will be disappointed. Now, aside from that, I thought this was an AVERAGE movie that could have been A LOT better. I thought this was going to head down a very good road in plenty of instances, but when I noticed that it was already an hour in, I was wondering what could POSSIBLY happen now. Mortensen is a great actor. I'll give him that. Harris is a classic actor. This film has plenty of good acting, enough to make us believe the characters and who they are and what they are going through. I liked Harris' character and the only one I felt for was Mortensen's. He gets ridiculous reactions from his family. I mean, he is protecting them, but he gets bashed at because of who he is/was. The man made a drastic change, and that is not even appreciated by the ones he loves. I would explain further, but I do not want to spoil this. The fact that this is more psychological and about how people fight so hard with themselves is very good and well-done here. Mortensen's character has mental wars and inner struggles, and I like the way that is done. The films are shot stupendously, and if the story worked out great too, this could have been a masterpiece and up in my top five films of the year. But now we must go to the reason why I graded this a bit lower than everyone else. There should have been a little more explanation and background to this movie. I mean, after about an hour and fifteen minutes in, I just didn't care any more about what happened. Things happened and I started to wonder where this was going. It's really hard to explain, but I didn't feel any history to the main character's violence. There should have been a little more of that--a little more mental struggle. Then we could have felt for him more. There should have been more story for the violent side that this man once had. The last ten minutes were too blah for me, and I just shook my head. It happened so quickly and there was almost no point for it. A lot of different things could have occurred. But alas, I will stop there now. It is really hard to put into words the reasons why I thought this movie was only average. It could have really been a classic film. I'm sure though that a lot of you will enjoy it for what it is =)

6.3/10 Stars

This was overall a beautiful film. I happened to enjoy the Nightmare Before Christmas, and I had a feeling that this would be just as good. I was not wrong. Yes, you could see the reflections of many of the characters from NBC in this one, but I did not mind that. This was still a movie on its own. The music was fantastic, the animation was splendid, and the visuals were marvelous. I do not believe that a fan of Burton will be disappointed with this one. I like how we come to care about the characters and actually feel what they are going through just by looking at their facial expressions. That surely is quality. There are so many scenes in this movie that are extremely beautiful, one being a piano-playing scene between the main character and the Corpse Bride. There are a lot of symbolic features, which is of course typical of Burton to do, and that is one of the reasons that he is a great director. I have said so many good things about this movie, so now let us move on to the negatives. A lot of people will want to expect something new from Burton, which they will not get here, but I did not seem to have a problem with it. What I do think is that there could have been a little bit more development with the characters and a few of the scenes, but I did take into consideration that this type of animation is extremely hard work. The movie was still very well done, and I do not have many complaints about it. I think kids will like this, especially since there are enough funny moments, and older people will enjoy the movie as well, most likely for its beauty and "cuteness" it has to it. Burton reanimates his style through this one. That is why I think that his fans should not have a problem with this Corpse Bride =)

8/10 Stars

Let us get a few things out of the way. Craven is known for his mastery over thrillers and horrors, but lately his movies have been failing. It is almost as if he has lost his touch. With this movie, he only gains it back a little. On a plane, a young woman is forced to take a part of a menacing plan of a killer. That is a somewhat interesting story. It could have been an interesting movie. But before I get into that, I'll talk about the good things this has in it. First of all, Murphy plays an excellent (and creepy) bad guy. I have to give him that, especially after this and his performance as the Scarecrow in Batman Begins. But even with his talent for evil, this movie is just not very attention-grabbing. It has a good setting and atmosphere--in a plane, close to many other people, claustrophobia, terror...things like that. It is just what happens in this movie that makes it not that great. It is very predictable and the choices that the main lady makes are sometimes pretty lame. The movie takes a totally different turn during the last half hour and it is not a very good one. It just becomes bland and you know what is going to happen, and you're just waiting for it to happen. This could have been an intense and very tight thriller that keeps us on their edge of our seat, but it is only something to watch with a notch of thrills. After seeing this, you might just want to get a bit of shut eye. It is forgettable and nothing really special at all. Murphy is beautiful and eerie, but if you want to see him as a bad guy, see him in Batman. If not even the previews caught your attention, then you should move on. This movie is NOT bad. It has its moments. But it could have been more intriguing. Craven could have done a lot better than this. But if you are a fan of his or if you like cheap thrills with predictability, then you may like this movie =)

6/10 Stars

All right, how many of us would actually expect a movie like this to be good or above average? I mean, many urban flicks or street revenge types are usually just average, so-so. But this, I must say, is a good one. The story was catching enough as it is. It might be typical or mindless at times, but it has its funny moments, its tense moments, and parts where you will be at the edge of your seat. There is really not much bad to say about this movie except that maybe the end could have been better and certain parts could have been delivered differently. But there are four reasons (perhaps more) why this movie is good--four main reasons at that. The first one is already mentioned--about the story being catching and so on. The second reason is because in this movie you get a feel of how close these brothers really are, regardless of their differences of race. You see them together as a family and act like everyday brothers when they're not out beating people up. And with that said, the third reason is how convincing the actors are, especially Wahlberg. I have seen him in plenty of movies, but now I think I will see him as the bad boy, hot-headed Bobby from this. He did a very well job as did the rest of the cast. The final reason why this movie is good is because it stays to what it is. It does not stray, suddenly become an intense drama or overly done comedy, etc. I think you know where I'm going here. This movie stays as what it is supposed to be--an urban revenge flick. Other movies like this take whole different route and stray from the story. I was afraid this would do the same, especially when it started explaining why everything happened. But I am happy to say that I am not disappointed. If you are into these types of movies, I'm sure you will feel the same. It was not bad at all =)

7/10 Stars

Sky High - - a movie about a kid who goes to a school for superheroes. He is the son of the world's greatest heroes and he ends up discovering that he does have powers. This movie is not lame; it is pretty entertaining as it should be. It isn't a classic in the superhero genre (yes, there is such thing), but it is good to sit back and watch. The movie is what we expect it to be. The father is usually the strong one and the mother is the one who makes the decisions. There is nothing new here, but I like how these makers did the whole high school thing with the stereotypes and the placing of the Hero/Sidekick thing. That was funny and interesting. Oh, and it does not copy X-Men as many other people believe. I think this is a movie on its own. The superheroes do not go to the school for protection; they go to learn more about their superpowers in order to help save the world. Of course we have our villain who wants to get back at our greatest heroes, and there are typical teenage issues, but that is what this is supposed to have. This movie does not aim high, but it is good enough to please most audiences, especially families. I think the kids will enjoy this one. It is one of the better movies that Disney has released recently =)

6.8/10 Stars

Wedding Crashers...a very funny film that just could have been better. I'm not a big comedy fan. I only saw this because I was able to see it for free. It has two good and pretty funny actors in it, and I will say they did very well together. The story of two guys crashing weddings for the free food, drinks, and girls--one of them ends up falling for a political figure's daughter and the other strangely falls for the sister. This seems like a pretty good story for a romantic comedy. And it is for a while. The whole movie provides the audience with laughter, which of course was a very good thing. It was the relieving factor here. I just did not like how I did not care about what happened to any of the characters, especially during the middle half. They made pretty messed up decisions and I was beginning to get tired. But I'm sure not many people are going to care about that. This is a comedy, not a drama. It is supposed to be fun and it is. I guess it just becomes a little too drab, and I just did not care how it finished. A lot of you will like this though. The movie is entertaining for a while, but as I said before, it then crashes toward the end. And if you are concerned with sexual content, there is plenty of it mainly in the dialogue and brief nudity. That is about it. If you are a fan of comedies or any of the actors, you will have a good time with these crashers =)

6.2/10 Stars

This was just a cute movie. It was not something spectacular or horrible. It was okay. The story is something we have seen plenty of times--a big time coach loses his high position and starts coaching a team of middle school basketball players who are famous for their losing streak. It is the predictable kind of film where you know what is going to happen, but it is still watchable. Lawrence is a funny guy and it was great to see him in a kid's movie. It was possible to get a few laughs out of this one. Do not expect a big time comedy or an excellent movie. This is your average basketball-team-makes-a-comeback type. It is good to watch as a family and/or with some kids. It does not rebound as a great film, but it is still okay. There is actually not much more to say about it. If you want to sit back for some light fun, this is one to watch =)

5.5/10 Stars

The original movie was good. If you have seen it, picture that with even more detail and background. That is close to what this film is. Tim Burton did a very good job with this and took us around the Factory while providing more insight than the first movie did. There is no better and worse here because they are both very good. This was a well-done movie. I enjoyed it and was glad that I saw an advanced screening to it. It was warm, charming, and fun. Depp did a superb, outstanding job as Willy Wonka. I know that many doubted that he would be able to do the job, but think about how long of a way he's come. He is a very good actor, and he proved so more here. I totally forgot that it was Depp playing the character. All I saw was Willy Wonka. He was just that convincing. If you want to see this movie but are worried about how Depp will do, relax now and go watch it because you will most likely not be disappointed. The movie is good and touching at some points, giving some details to Wonka's past, which is not emphasized in the original version. This lets you see who Willy Wonka actually is and why he is the way he is. There is a lot of symbolism, which is one of the movie's strong points. I like how there is a reason for everything and everyone. And in conclusion, the trip to the Chocolate Factory was a great and interesting one. The children will enjoy it especially with the many funny parts and everyone else will like it because it's entertaining. The worse thing I can mention about this is the way the songs were done by the Oompa Loompas. But they were still all right. They were passable. The great and artistic Burton did an overall good job with this film =)

7.5/10 Stars

Oh boy. Where do I even start? I'm not going to hate on this film. I'm only going to provide an honest review. Here we go. In a nutshell, this is an entertaining movie. It's a FUN movie. With that said, this will please more kids than anything. Teenage boys will like it for Alba (sigh), kids will like it because it's funny and fun, and everyone else might either hate it or find it at least entertaining. I fit in with everyone else. This movie was OKAY at best. I've never read the comic books, but I know enough about the Fantastic Four to say that not much justice was done to them. Reed Richards was mediocre, Sue Storm was not convincing as a character, Johnny Storm was either irritating or funny (at least true to his character), and The Thing was the one that very convincing and the only one I remotely cared for. Maybe it's because of the casting? I did not feel this to be the Fantastic Four at all. It felt more like a comedy. If it were, it would be a good one. But come on! This is the FF4! Why not be like how Spider-Man was and show us who they are? This could have been an excellent movie. But Doctor Doom, my all-time favorite Marvel villain (and perhaps the best villain) was done NO justice whatsoever. Okay, so McMahon is a decent actor. He did what he could. But there is no Victor von Doom here. Suddenly in this movie he's a comedian. Making lame jokes? Come on, that's not Doom! Perhaps there is too much Victor and not an ounce of Doom. Okay, I got that out of the way. Now let us move on to Alba as Sue Storm, which was obviously done for eye candy and eye candy only. I wanted to see her as Sue and not as Alba. With her acting skills and the bad script, Sue Storm surely seems to be invisible. I wanted this to be good, but alas this is the movie. The special effects are pretty good. The only battle scene left me saying, "What? That's all? That's the climax battle?" It was that unsatisfying. There really is no story here and I don't know what else to say except that it was just okay. No depth and there is almost no reason for anything that happens in this film. Maybe because Tim Story should not have directed it? I don't know, but 'Fantastic' is just not the adjective to describe this movie. It was what it COULD HAVE been, but sadly it was not. But as I said before, there is a high chance that the kids will like it, especially since it is entertaining at best =)

5.7/10 Stars

This was not a bad movie. It was not a very good one either. It had its moments where it was charming, fun, and humorous. But then it started going downhill as it continued. Toward the end, you really didn't care any more about what happened. It just became weak. This movie could have been better, but the way the story was made was too bland. It never becomes 'interesting.' And I use that term strongly. Now I'm not saying to skip this. If you want some light entertainment, sit down and watch this or wait for DVD. Kidman does do wonderfully as a witch trying to fit in with everyday people. And Ferrell does fine as the crazy actor that finds her. They are both very good together, and the best parts are usually when the two are in the scene at once. Overall though, I was not very bewitched by this. The movie could have been a more delightful one. But hey, many of you might like it. As I said, it's not THAT bad =)

5.5/10 Stars

Eh. This movie was just okay. One could easily tell that it was made for mainly eye candy--to show two supposed "pretty" faces. Pitt, according to many is one of the hottest male actors (nothing special about him in my opinion); and Jolie, also according to many is one of the hottest female actors (she's more elegant than she is pretty). Now put these two together in an action flick and you have something that people want to see--no matter how unrealistic or dull it is. This had a pretty good plot and it could have been taken further, but as I said, the two main actors were more concentrated on. I did not feel them as assassins. I did not feel them as married. I did not get much from this movie. It was all right until the end of the middle, and then from there it got dull and I was hoping for it to end soon. I just did not care about what happened to these two. But I'll stop saying the negatives about this and go on to the positives. There were some funny parts like the battles that Mr. and Mrs. Smith have. I like how they are married without knowing who each other really is and that their marriage is falling apart particularly because of that. I would go on and say what else I liked, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. It is also humorous when the couple is trying to kill each other. Other than that, I did not care for this movie. These two killers missed the target. But, nevertheless, this drew in a large audience and many of you will enjoy it especially if you like Pitt and/or Jolie. I suppose that's it =)

5.9/10 Stars

What an excellent movie. I actually saw this twice in the same day and that was because I went to take someone else to see it after I already saw it. Now this had all the signs of a good movie--excellent director, magnificent casting, very good actors, and the anticipation of a plot. And this movie had its plot--something many of this year's movies were lacking. This Batman outdoes all the other Batmans made and Bale does such a good job that he finally cleared Keaton of the "Batman" name. I did not think Bale could pull it off, but I was proved wrong. Everyone else was good for their parts and I must give my credits to my favorite DC villain--the Scarecrow. Murphy couldn't have done better. From the moment we see him, we know he's crazy as he should be. This movie had just about everything--enough action (not overly done where one gets tired of it), enough dialogue (not the type that makes a movie drag), good cinematography and scenery, and much more. You thirst for more when it ends. If you appreciate good movies with a real story and not just mindless action, you must see this one. Now I usually say the goods and bads of a movie. I suppose the downsides would be: not more screening time for the Scarecrow or Watanabe (who is an excellent actor), Holmes' acting, and the fact that I'm going to have to wait a while to buy this on DVD. Everything else is true. The statement that there are too many Batman movies must be dismissed--this it the REAL Batman movie. If you are a true fan, see this now. This is definitely up there with Spider-man. Don't let the trailers fool you if you didn't find them appealing. Like I said, if you appreciate a real and good movie, you'll be missing out if you don't see this =)

9.5/10 Stars

I'm going to start off by admitting that I had no interest in this movie whatsoever. I only saw it because I was dragged. Was it as bad as I thought? Not at all. It was way better than I expected it to be. We all know those mindless comedies that barely have a plot, cheap dialogue and jokes, and are just filled with stupidities galore. I thought this was one of them. I was wrong. This remake had a pretty good storyline and a few laughable jokes and moments. I usually don't laugh out loud at movies, but I did find myself doing so three or four times here. So that takes care of the Funniness Factor. The story is easy to get involved in--you want to see the prisoners kick the guards' butts in football. It is a well played story and fun to watch. Sandler is not one of my favorite actors, but I have to give him his props because I am starting to see that he usually stars in movies that are at least remotely funny and that have a pretty decent plot. But the main thing is that his characters usually act the same. I would get into the slight lack of character development, but I'm sure you don't care to read about that. You only wish to know if this movie is funny or not and if it's worth watching! Well, yes the movie has its moments and it's good to watch, especially if you like football or are a Sandler fan. This has its good kicks and it is near a touchdown in the comedy category. So if you want to have a good time and relax to some entertainment, you can watch this one =)

6.6/10 Stars

Okay. Here we go. Before watching this film, if you read what it is going to be about, you will find something that could be promising. Four animals that are close friends in a zoo end up being stranded in the wild where one of them--the lion--finds out that it is his nature to hunt down the other three. Now that makes a good story! But the thing is that the story barely even touched on that. It seemed to go nowhere and throughout the time that I watched this, I felt as if it were still beginning and we were being introduced to the characters, including the ones that later come into play. I didn't feel as if the peak of the plot was ever reached because I started thinking: What is the plot? Where is this movie trying to go? Nothing really happens. This film is like a large introduction that never really goes anywhere. It barely touches the middle of the story when it suddenly ends. A big hole was certainly there when the credits came up. A lot could have been done with this story. We also never really connect with any of the characters. They are just there. The voices are done well and they really match with the characters, but that's mostly it. There is not a lot of character development. But the good news is that many kids will enjoy this. There is plenty of light humor, especially with the penguins who steal the show most of the time. There are cute parts and the visuals are all right. This is no Shrek and it is a little below Shark Tale in my opinion. Dreamworks could have had a much better film. So much more could have happened on this island, but alas we were only introduced to it and nothing else. No, this movie is not horribly bad, but it is not very good either. I give it an average at best. It is watchable but that is it for me. The story was handled too weakly. This movie really had potential. But hey, at least the kids most likely will enjoy it =)

5.8/10 Stars

The story to this movie seemed interesting from the start--before it even came out. A woman hears a conversation about an assassination plot in a language that she and very few other people know. Here's the thing now. How can we believe her? How do we know that she is telling the truth? Those questions are in our minds as we sit through this well made thriller. It is not one of the cheap kinds that keeps us bored and desperate to find out what's going on so that we can leave already. We actually start to wonder became suspicious like the people who don't believe her, but at the same time we feel sorry for her AND surprisingly believe her as well. As the mood tenses more and more, events start to build up and collide. We get more definite answers, and at the same time start questioning more. Pollack does very well with this. He makes this movie more thrilling and suspenseful by having us know less than Nicole Kidman, but more than Sean Penn. Those two actors did a fine job by the way. They did well together. There really isn't anything majorly bad with this film. Of course it may have its flaws, but it overall translates well as a good thriller. Perhaps if you do not know a bit about how the U.N. works, you won't understand a lot of this. Other than that, if you like movies of this genre, you may just enjoy this one. It actually has an interesting meaning toward the end =)

7/10 Stars

Whew. Finally a memorable movie this year. It is a different movie, a stylish movie. I really love the fact that it is in black-and-white with bits of color. It really reinforces scenes, detail, and meaning. The direction was marvelous as were the visuals. The acting was good and the characters were convincing. I followed through this film and it was one heck of a ride. Let me say this though: I have not read the comics. It was probably why I did not care to see this film even after the second trailer. But after reading up on it and finding out some details about the film and comics, I ended up thinking that I should give this a shot. Heck, the black-and-white gave me more of a reason. I already knew the direction and cinematography were going to be amazing. I was not wrong. This modern film noir is very entertaining to watch and the jazz music sets the mood and tone just right. People will say that there are no characters with heart in this movie, but I will have to disagree. Yes, everyone is corrupt (maybe with the exception of Nancy). Yes, nearly everyone kills someone. But we actually get a sense of these characters and root for the "good" ones--the heroes--to get what they want. That is what a good movie is about. Having not read the book, this must have been one great adaptation because everything went smoothly and I did not get confused and I was not full of questions. The three stories are intermingled and they do connect somehow, and I thought that was interesting. Everyone is basically a strong character in his/her own way, and that is one strength of this movie. Enough praises though. I am sure that you have read all the praises possible for this. I will go on to the few negatives now. Sometimes you will be able to tell that the background was generated and lose the authenticity of the setting. You start to remember that this was all done on green screen. Some other slight flaws are too insignificant to mention here. One of the Sins of this movie is that it ended. Yes, even with the few "bad" features this movie has, you bypass them and enjoy watching. When it was about five minutes toward the end, I actually wanted it to keep going. But hey, I was satisfied. To end off, I want to say that YES, this film is extremely violent and disturbing with characters killed and tortured in almost every way possible. So if you could not handle something like Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction, you will not be able to endure this one. But if you liked the above movies, you will be able to endure and enjoy this one =)

7.9/10 Stars

The movie trailers were promising. The premise was semi-promising. Oddly enough both the premise and the trailers were scarier than this sequel to The Ring. Yes, the original Japanese director returns and he conveys the images and symbolism very well, but he does not provide anything engaging here. The two movies do not seem to necessarily connect. It's almost as if they remade the first Ring with a few additions. There is not a lot of new material presented here. The movie tries to scare us by using either the same or similar events from the first. The ominous music playing throughout the film and the fact that this sequel was made so nonsensically are scarier than the movie itself. There are too many things that occur that you just have to accept without explanation. And then after the movie's done, you'll be left with plenty of questions including how the first one relates to this one. I cannot place some of those questions here without spoiling anything, so I'll leave that up to you. Okay, let's move away from the negative and talk about the few positives this film has. The acting is much better than the average horror film and, as stated before, the images are presented very well. The visuals are nice and you come to slightly care about some of the characters, although most of them do ridiculous things. Other than that, I cannot think of much else to say that is good. This movie was just disappointing. Do not watch this with high expectations unless you are easily scared and jump at the "sudden" music and scenes. The first Ring was good. It was different and well-made. I did not find it particularly scary, but bizarre. This just relies on music and jump surprises. Fear doesn't even come half circle in this film. If you liked the first Ring and expect to see much more about the story, you may be disappointed as well. But if you only want to see a different version of part one, then you may enjoy this sequel. Good luck =)

4.8/10 Stars

Heaven won't take Constantine. WE should take the movie though and leave the lame ones of this genre behind. Many films having to do with supernatural forces, demons, angels, the occult, etc all attempt to be something original and interesting but fail. Some examples include Lost Souls and the prequel to the Exorcist. But this movie gives us something a little different. It has a good concept--a doomed man exorcising demons on earth to get his way into heaven. That is only a tad of the story--there is more to it that kept me quite entertained and waiting to see what would happen next. It is not only brainless action and special effects. I was actually afraid that it would be that way and that the story would be weak. There is a story and it follows through a bit smoothly. There are only a few dull moments where I lost track of what was being said because the dialogue was much too prolonged. But other than that I will say that they did a fair job with this one. It is not awesomely great either; it had its flaws. There are some instances in the movie that was unnecessary and if they were taken in another direction, this would have been better. But as I said before--compared to the other films of this genre--this is one of the better ones fortunately. It has a dark and ominous atmosphere and it puts you through each plane in the film--Hell, Earth, and Heaven. The visuals were very well done for all three of them and transitions through them were good. Added on to that, Constantine is actually an interesting and cool character to put in a movie like this. Hell wants him, Earth needs him, but Film lacked him; and by that I mean that many movies in this category lacked an attention-grabbing lead character...and story for that matter. This one succeeds in those two departments. So if you are a fan of this movie and were able to sit through the mediocre End of Days, then you will like this one. It is one of the better movies of the year so far =)

6.8/10 Stars

All right. Recently in the past weeks there have been quite a few movies so far trying to be good thrillers and/or horrors. Briefly going back on them, White Noise was a little below average and Hide & Seek was a bit above. This one is in-between the two--better than White Noise, but a pinch below Hide & Seek, which probably places it on the average line. This movie is successful in delivering surprises, quick jumps, and a dark atmosphere. It takes place mostly at night (of course) and gives us a remotely interesting story. It spends a lot of time trying to develop the main character, and that is what causes it to drag sometimes. Yes, character development is important, but it does not have to take so long. We learn about this man's past and how he thinks his father was taken by a figure in the closet known as the Boogeyman. The premise is similar to that of Darkness Falls, but this movie was not as lame. The thing I liked about this was that there are a lot of psychological factors here, and that is what built the suspense. As the movie progresses, however, it gets more and more confusing. It gives us answers to our questions, but only vaguely. We are still left wondering about certain things. There were definitely some details kept hidden behind the closet door that should have been more concrete. Perhaps if we knew those details and if the writers chose to explain more, we would have had a much more thrilling and interesting flick. It is predictable at times, but it still keeps us watching. And as for the Scare Factor: Well, this is not necessarily all that frightening--more surprising actually. There are only a small number of scenes that could be considered scary if we were to place ourselves in the position of the actors. Other than that, I would not consider this that much of a horror. But this does not go on the list of lame thrilling, or shall we say, horror films. It is at least MINORLY interesting and it makes the Boogeyman so mysterious that it keeps us wondering who or what he is. If you found Hide & Seek watchable and/or if you were able to sit through White Noise without a problem, then you will find this one pretty entertaining =)

5.8/10 Stars