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knight_armour
Reviews
Without Her Consent (1990)
Memorable Rape Case
I remembered this movie having watched it many years ago. My second viewing, some 18 years later, was almost as good. We have to bear in mind that the movie might look a little dated by today's standards. This is the story of small-town Emily Briggs and how she moves to California and gullibly exposes herself to danger from the smooth-talking, basketball-playing guy across the street (i.e. Jason Barnes played by Scott Valentine). He's not a very convincing rapist even though the scene was 'tastefully' done by today's standards. Most of the movie deals with how Briggs has to struggle to get others to believe her and even more so getting Barnes into court. At around 90 minutes, the movie is easy to watch and has some good lessons, especially for trusting young women.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Stupid and Predictable
The story is about a messed up teenager (don't really know *why* he's so messed up, though) who can't get out from behind a wheel. This gets him constantly into trouble. Eventually with the Yakuza, no less. Trouble tends to start with a girl. Just about every punk kid in this film is young, dumb and full of cum. If they catch you so much as talking to their girl, that means she's probably sleeping with you so you gotta die. That's basically the impression I got watching this nonsense. The characters (wait... who else but the messed up kid was acting?) are not well-developed and the plot, I think, has many holes. I would not recommend this film. Waste your time on something else.
Bachelor Party Vegas (2006)
Not so Bad
The start of this movie makes it look like yet another attempt at a teen comedy. Hot chicks get naked, punk kids go bananas about them, and we all have some laughs. This one is slightly different, though. It starts off kind of like that but then develops into a story about friendship. In fact, it pulls it off so well, you actually forget that Z-Bob (Kal Penn), is actually Indian and does not quite fit in the group (at least not for another generation or so). Sure there's the token black guy and the token fat guy but they manage to carry their weight somehow. The bachelor himself, unfortunately, is a kind of a forgettable character. Even their geek buddy manages to outshine him. It's worth watching if you can't find anything better to do.
Superbad (2007)
Truthful Comedy
I didn't know what to expect from this film but was pleasantly surprised. Seth, a high school senior two weeks from graduation has never actually been laid and desperately wants to to prepare himself (sexually) for college. Despite being an overweight, swearing, porn-loving yet somewhat sensitive mess of a teenager, he eyes baby-faced Jules as his destined conquest. However, he knows a hot girl like that will probably have nothing to do with him beyond casual conversation so he hopes to get her drunk and be the 'mistake' she regrets later. A mistake that he hopes will lead her to being his girlfriend for at least another two months before they part ways for college. Through all this, Seth has to deal with separating with his best friend, Evan who's going to a different college. An adventure ensues for Seth, Evan and their underrated third wheel of a friend, Fogell as they struggle to get enough alcohol to Jules' party, their ticket to getting laid. Two young and nutty cops add some remarkable fun to the whole plot. The dialog is well-scripted and honest. I found myself being able to relate to a lot of it (being kind of like Seth myself).
Primeval (2007)
Exciting Creature Feature!
I'd usually trust the poor reviews of a movie like this but decided to take a chance and go against them. I was not disappointed. The first thing that kept me interested is the "cinema" look and feel of the film. Unlike shoestring budget films like, "Supercroc" (2007), this one makes a good first impression. The movie is generally about a legendary 20+ foot crocodile that is terrorizing terrorized South Africa. A news team from the US is sent to capture the creature but naturally find out it's more difficult than they thought. Not to mention that the crocodile isn't the only thing they need to watch out for.
The main actor, Dominic Purcell, I best remember as "John Doe" from the short-lived series of the same name. Lately, I've been seeing him mostly as a B+ actor in films like this. He neither adds nor takes from the film. In short, you could replace him with almost anyone else (with the same build and look) and it would be fine. Brooke Langton is strangely out of place. She's a little bit too attractive and sweet to be on such an expedition in war-torn Africa. If she's not careful, a girl like her might just get robbed and raped for good measure. Overall, you can relate to the important characters and the story builds up quite well. It's also not short of suspense.
The crocodile also makes decent appearances every now and then showing that the movie isn't relying on some Hitchcock excuse of leaving things to the imagination. The beast looks quite realistic and even moves slower than the blink of an eye sometimes. Length-wise, it's just right. Many movies these days drag on for up to 2 hours (or more) but don't warrant it. This one is compact at a classic 90 minutes or so. Finally, I have to say that I do not agree with the poor reviews of this film and the points they bring up because it just seems to me like a bias toward "creature features". If you're looking for entertainment, you'll find it here.
Ghost Rider (2007)
Falls Short
I had never heard of Ghost Rider prior to the movie. Since there are so many comic book films coming out these days I figured it couldn't be all that bad. The first half of this movie was rather engaging until Blackheart shows up and points to the rest being a special effects fest. That's usually a sign that the story is going to get weak and it did. Nicolas Cage (Johnny) was reasonably cast for the role of Ghost Rider. That's a guy who makes a deal with Mephistopheles (the Devil's right hand in some myths) to save his dad but the deal turns out to be sour. Now he's forced to work for Mephy and his main task is to kill Blackheart, who happens to be Mephy's son. Eva Mendes - usually playing the role of a tough girl - is oddly cast as Johnny's love interest whose only role in the film seems to be to kiss him and show us her ample bosom at every (yes, every) opportunity.
Donal Logue (of Grounded for Life fame) plays Johnny's buddy but his character is poorly developed, like most in the film with the exception of Johnny's, of course. In Ghost Rider mode, "bonehead" Johnny looks a little bit too CG. So do some of the other evil spirits who have sharp teeth appearing on the face every now and then for some reason. Like Venom in Spider-man 3, are repeated showings of teeth (coupled with a high-pitched, fast, shrieking sound) supposed to scare us? It would seem the movie was simply not aiming for a slightly mature audience. Overall, it's generally entertaining but has little depth and falls short of full movie-going satisfaction.
Proof (2005)
Chick Flick Trying to Be Taken Seriously
I could not bear more than half an hour of this movie. From the glowing reviews, I thought it'd be a story about geniuses, mathematics and science - stuff I'm interested in. Instead, it turned out to be about this crazy chick who yells at everyone given the slightest provocation. The movie's script must have been longer than usual because all the characters seem to be saying a lot of things and talking just like women do i.e. too much. The worst part, the men in the film were made to do the same. Every now and then there's a morsel of science thrown at us but it quickly gets lost in all the personal issues the main female character is suffering from. I'm all for women's equality or whatever but just don't have it in me to sit through drivel like this. If we're supposed to "connect" with the crazy woman on some level, why don't they just tell us that in the reviews? Instead, the reviews make it sound all mysterious and scientific. It's a glorified chick flick, sorry. And fine, women can be geniuses too but apparently they still have to bitch about everything.
Eragon (2006)
Bastardizing Fantasy
Ever since Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter came to the silver screen, there seems to be no end in sight for fantasy films and books. I for one appreciate it because I would not spend the time reading fat books on fiction. Even so, if the Eragon book is anything like the movie, I'm disappointed. The plot in general is pretty standard. Evil king. Rebels. Hero. Pretty girl. Dragon. And these days, spectacular special effects and CGI. I found the story rather weak. There was nothing quite novel in the way say the first Harry Potter movie was. It lacked imagination and even seemed to jump from scene to scene (barely making it over the cliff, in a manner of speaking). I knew this came from the mind of a 17 year old but am afraid it reeks of that too much. Unless you're a sucker for anything to do with dragons, elves and all that, you may as well just skip this thing. To be honest, I had just watched 'The Prestige' (excellent!) the day before so it set the bar pretty high for this movie. Perhaps if I had watched 'The Last Shark' instead, I would have better things to say about Eragon.
Casino Royale (2006)
Rather Confusing
The start of this movie opens with a burst of action sequences that promise an entertaining ride; more than your typical Bond film. However, it begins to lose momentum halfway through (which is over an hour, by the way) and settles into a hodgepodge of plot twists that apparently have much less to do with the story than Bond himself. The plot, it would seem, was only a means through which the director wanted to mold Bond into what we expected from him in the first place. Personally, I didn't see the need to reinvent Bond. I liked him just fine. If people really are tired of the 'old' Bond, they'll watch something else. You don't go to McDonald's and say you're tired of Big Macs. I missed the fancy gadgets, the hero-villain showdown (a 'real' showdown, that is) and the sex appeal of sophisticated female characters (especially villains) who don't use every opportunity to remind us to take them seriously. Most of the characters were underdeveloped so that Daniel Craig could blossom. Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait for the next Bond film so he can deliver the goods. Overall good entertainment but expect to be a little disappointed by this 'Bond' film.
Hostel (2005)
Intriguing
This movie is about three young lads who backpack around Europe looking to have sex with beautiful and exotic women. The idea is that they should get laid as much as possible in order to have 'experiences' they can bring back home with them and perhaps even into their old age. This makes them prime targets for a hellish turn of events especially given their nationality as Americans. The movie is trying to tell us that sex just doesn't cut it anymore for thrills. Women are basically the same everywhere you go and getting laid is overrated. Some people need something more to feel alive. They need an adrenalin rush that can only be attained through an unspeakable act. This movie is not for god-believers or the faint of heart. Having watched several sex-and-violence-packed films, it didn't bother me very much but I would not recommend it to 'virgins'.
Bad Lieutenant (1992)
Not Very Good
I had reasonable expectations from this movie but was disappointed. The story about a "bad" cop learning to forgive and clean up his act was promising but ruined by trying to be too real. The movie is absolutely and unequivocally about this one bad cop. It goes to the extent of showing minutes-long scenes of him walking like a drunkard from one end of a corridor or road or dance hall to the other end. This gets terribly boring after a while because we pretty much understand the character enough and don't need to witness everything he does short of take a crap. For a movie under 100 minutes, it speaks volumes about how much substance there is to the story. Every once in a while there are unnecessary scenes of nudity and violence that serve only to dope the audience up enough (much like our main character does to himself) to tolerate the dragging, uneventful scenes that follow. Unless you're a die-hard Harvey Keitel fan, you can afford to miss this.
House of Wax (2005)
Entertaining Enough
This movie wasn't as gory as I thought it would be. The build up was rather slow but that kind of worked in its favor somehow. Basically, a bunch of kids get "lost in the woods" and are lured into some ghost town where a couple of freaky brothers prey on them. Anyway, Paris Hilton was clearly miscast. She can't really act. Her little striptease (not all the way, don't worry) was pointless. Elisha Cuthbert on the other hand fit the role nicely. Unlike artsy horror films, our lead female here keeps her hard conical bra on under that all-too-familiar over-sized white T-shirt which makes us wonder why the director stripped her down a little in the first place? I suppose it's "a little" sexier. There was nothing sexy about this movie, however. At times it makes you wonder if there's some kind of incestuous chemistry between Carly (Cuthbert) and her brother, Nick. Aside from that, it is rather entertaining. Unfortunately, you won't really feel any sympathy for the "good" characters except those just mentioned. The antagonists behave rather predictably. One good thing is the recent trend in movies like this (e.g. See No Evil) that tries not to stereotype all the characters and actually has some of the good guys fighting back hard whenever possible. After all, the goons are just people too and when it comes down to it, it doesn't mean they'll win just because they are nuts. If you like thriller/horror flicks without too many plot complications, you can't go wrong with this. Overall, good entertainment.
Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)
The Simple Pleasures in Life
I didn't expect an enthralling action movie or drama upon finally deciding to watch, 'Coffee and Cigarettes'. In fact, I thought I'd never watch 'this kind of film'. Feeling slightly depressed one evening however, I just wanted to lay back to something intelligent with a unique perspective. As it turns out, I was quite pleased. And it's not because I'm some kind of artsy film student. That couldn't be further from the truth. People simply tend to have interesting conversations over drinks. Even more, intelligent people tend to speak their mind over drinks, or at least show it in their facial expressions. Some of the sketches captured precisely what I hoped to see (e.g. between Iggy Pop and Tom Waits) while others were rather boring (e.g. Renee). Some just didn't quite fit in with the rest (e.g. Vinny Vella). This movie isn't about humor or drama but rather just a slice of life at the pace it should be. I don't smoke or drink much coffee but it made me feel like having evening tea more often, with intelligent company to boot. There really isn't much more to life than savoring such moments.
Torque (2004)
Too Much Mindless Action
This movie does nothing to educate or enlighten. It is one extreme action sequence after another. Everything is moving so fast you can barely keep up with what's going on. In fact, it was probably a little over-done. A 15-year old boy into bikes and girls would love this movie but anyone with an IQ even slightly above 100 would find it wanting. Good thing for the movie it's less than 90 minutes long so you won't think you've completely wasted your time. There's nothing inherently wrong with bikes or girls but this film just didn't get it right. Ice Cube does alright as the stereotypical Black dude and the lovely Monet Mazur (nicely made up for the film) keeps the blood pumping through our veins despite what would otherwise be a quite numbing experience.
Sky High (2005)
Haven't Felt This Way About A Movie In A While
I didn't expect much before watching Sky High but was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was either going to be too childish or predictable but as it turns out, I was quite entertained. The story is about a boy whose parents are great super heroes but is unsure if he even has powers or how to use them. It takes place mainly in a high school for 'special' kids where there are some cool showdowns. The cast was well chosen especially the 'nature girl' who fits her role perfectly. Lynda Carter has a small and rather insignificant role, though. Anyway, the movie has a lot of values and is laced with humor that will bring a smile to your face. Some of the scenes may be too comic-bookish but they can be forgiven. I only wished there were more movies like this when I was 12 for I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. As you get older and older, life sort of loses its enchantment and wonder but movies like this let you be a teenager again at heart.
Red Eye (2005)
Sexy Thriller
Rachel McAdams is so lovely. I didn't recall she was the girl in, 'The Hot Chick' but my attraction to her stretches to even this movie where she barely shows any skin. Anyway, she's filled up a little now but is still as sweet as a peach until she realizes "Scarecrow" wants her to do something mean for him. The suspense builds up as we follow Lisa (Rachel) through her ordeal dealing with her spooky-eyed captor. The movie runs a little short and lacks some plot development but overall it's enough to keep your attention. Similar in some ways to Flight Plan, I think Rachel McAdams would have done better there and Jodie Foster here. I didn't like the part where Lisa implies she had been raped once before because I'd hate for such a thing to happen to a sweet, lovely girl like her. Overall, I'm sick of Hollywood trying to shove the 'tough girl' persona in our face movie after movie. Yes, women can be tough and even killers but do we really need to see it all the time? To be fair, I don't like it when they are portrayed as completely helpless either. This movie touches both extremes at the beginning and end.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Getting Worse
This latest installment of Harry Potter was a bit of a letdown. First off let me declare that I have never read any of the books (and probably never will; I have more important things to read). I also never read Lord of The Rings either. The point being that I don't think it's necessary to read any books that have been transferred to the big screen. A movie should be able to stand on its own. The first three films were quite engrossing with all the special effects and intriguing characters but this one shifted focus too much between former and new characters. The threat of Voldermort returns yet again and it's getting pretty old. Harry Potter still has no composure whilst Ron is just as idiotic as he's always been. Hermoine is growing up but there's too little focus on her. Some parts of the movie were quite difficult to understand too. I get the impression they think we would have or perhaps should later buy and read the book. I don't really have a problem with these kids growing up on screen and don't believe it's the reason why this movie was not as interesting as its predecessors. The reason it wasn't as good is probably because too many scenes are wasted on trivial matters instead of developing characters and good dialog. In a way, it's similar to the new Spider-man movies where he just can't decide what he wants to be and takes the 'good guy' thing too far. Harry better shape up and get something going on with Hermoine in the next film. And they should kill off Ron in the next movie.
Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine (2003)
Biased
This documentary was neither professionally nor objectively made. The whole thing played out like a conspiracy theory by IBM to win the match in question just to make some money. Garry Kasparov has an ego problem. He was puffed up before the match and when he lost, he didn't like it. I remember playing chess against computers back in the 80s and it wasn't too difficult to win. As time went on, I started to lose and didn't like it. Today, I simply don't play against computers anymore because they're just too good. Not only that, the games are uninteresting and lack the appeal of human games, where both sides are more likely to err and open the game to exciting possibilities. This documentary keeps showing us images of The Turk which is an ancient chess playing automaton that was really controlled by a human being. From the start until the end we are lead to believe that IBM short of literally hid a human GM in the back of their cupboard-sized computer. I'm a computer scientist and take offense at the notion that just because Garry lost, IBM must have cheated. I know how computers play chess. It's not magic and it's no mystery. They can be trained, have huge amounts of chess knowledge and they most certainly see positions and possibilities in unprecedented detail compared to humans. It's really no surprise that Deep Blue won. Perhaps at the time it was. If it happened today, given the ever-increasing processing power of machines; people would hardly blink. If a machine couldn't at least draw with a GM today, people would think the program was weak.
Thirteen (2003)
Insightful
I'm a 28 year old guy who's been working for about 4 years. It's about time I got married or so I'm told but I don't want to. It's not because I like to fool around but because I think people shouldn't have a family unless they can provide a good life for them. This movie confirms that. Money is always an issue. Raising kids isn't easy. Women are not what men expect or hope them to be. Life is a struggle. We don't need to go looking for trouble because trouble has a way of finding us. Life is short. Live it as best you can. This movie illustrates these principles quite well. The girls are young and beautiful but really troubled. Sex always comes up in such a mix but not in the way you might expect. I certainly can't imagine what goes in the head of a 13 year old girl (and wouldn't want to) but I could relate to this film if on no other level than just being human.
Zardoz (1974)
Dull Yet Interesting
I didn't know what to expect from this film. I knew the premise was philosophical and that intrigued me but keeping in mind that this movie is 30 years old, I couldn't help but wonder if it would be a waste of time. As it turns out, the movie delivered on the philosophical aspect but the story was too drawn out. In particular, some scenes could easily have been shortened instead of running on and on for what seemed like an eternity (pun intended). If the movie didn't try to be so artistic from a film-making perspective and stuck more to science and a concise storyline, I think it would have been better. For the most part, it's serious but every now and then tries to be funny in a comical way which is inconsistent. Sean Connery saved this film because had it been anyone else, I think most people would not even pick the movie up thinking it to be a 'B-grader'. There's some nudity in the film (the immortal women seem to have a thing for walking around topless) but from their choice of actresses, you can tell that the intention was for you *not* to look at their breasts. Overall it has the makings of being a cult film but not something I'd dare recommend to any of my friends.
Cabin Fever (2002)
Not That Scary
I hesitated to watch this movie for a long time believing it to be very scary. I knew from the synopsis that there weren't any monsters and stuff but the thought of what could result from the combination of human imagination and flesh eating bacteria left me wondering if I wanted to expose my mind to such horrors. It's not that I scare easily but after a long day I'd much rather watch something pleasant or meaningful. Anyway, I mustered up the courage to watch this flick one night and it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. It was sexier than I anticipated (and I really enjoyed that part) but otherwise, it seemed more or less like any other, 'kids-lost-in-the-woods' type of movie. Personally, I feel it could have been improved in many ways to give the characters and story more depth. You might not expect what you see in the ending and the film will probably leave you with a sense of dissatisfaction but overall, it makes for quite an entertaining ride.
Return to Paradise (1998)
Moving
This movie was on my watch list for a long time before I finally got around to it. I'm familiar with Malaysia and its laws so the story intrigued me even more. Overall it was a good story but quite slow moving at times. They could have gotten through some issues much more quickly. Nevertheless, the movie keeps you compelled to know what will happen next so it's never really a bore. The sex scenes are mild and almost unnecessary. Personally, a better, longer sex scene would have been more suitable than the sporadic stuff (bordering on pointless) we find here. The ending sends a very strong message you won't forget any time soon, though. Not a waste of time.
The Descent (2005)
Misleading
I wanted to watch this movie because the synopsis looked interesting. I knew that it was strictly a female cast of main characters but that didn't really bother me much. The movie moves very slowly and nothing about, 'being trapped in a cave pursued by strange predators' happens until the last 30 minutes or so. My father got up after the first half an hour. My older brother, fifteen minutes later. I suffered for another fifteen minutes but decided to skim through the ending because I could not justify wasting any more time on such a poor excuse for an 'adventure movie'. If the whole movie had been in the style of the last 30 minutes, I would have rather this higher. Too little too late, I'm afraid. Very disappointed.
Haute tension (2003)
Interesting But A Little Confusing
I didn't know what to expect from this film except what might be assumed from the trailer. The beginning of the movie was slow but got interesting when night came along. You could tell something was going to happen. It got even better when the main character (an athletic female) started to masturbate in the attic having nothing better to do. We seldom see stuff like this in movies. Anyway, once the killing starts, it's pretty brutal. A little too violent for my taste but still watchable. The rest is a pretty gripping cat and mouse game that will probably have you by the edge of your seat. At the end, when we finally realize that it was the girl herself who was nut case and committing all the murders, it gets you thinking if all the pieces before fit properly. I guess we can assume she 'saw' this other creep as real but what about the scene at the beginning where the guy is getting a blow job from the severed woman's head? I don't recall our sexy nut case anyway near there and was she responsible for other murders too? The only thing that perhaps could have made this movie better was more close-up nudity. I certainly would have exchanged some of the over-the-top gore for that.
A Sound of Thunder (2005)
Good and Bad
I heard the special effects in this movie was nothing to crow about. What I heard was right. While the dinosaur(s) - I'm not sure if plurality is warranted here - looked rather poorly modeled, the other creatures in the movie were passable. The story had so much potential but a rather poor script and lack of funding (I guess) ruined it. Despite all that, whatever remained was enough to carry me through the 95 minutes this movie ran. Ben Kingsley's talents were rather wasted, in my opinion. Overall, it starts off slow but picks up somewhere in the middle and keeps you interested if you are not the nitpicking type. Perhaps a better version or a similar story to it (with a bigger budget) will be released in the future.