Tron: Legacy

This entry won't just be a review of Tron: Legacy. No! This review will be more! By more I just mean that I'll probably throw in some comparison to the original Tron because there were definitely some things that need to be touched on regarding both movies. For me, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, most of the hype for Tron: Legacy came from the soundtrack and while I owned Daft Punk's score before the movie even came out, I knew the experience wouldn't be complete until I saw the movie. However, I think it's fitting to start this review with the music as it was perhaps the greatest score I have heard all year. Daft Punk proved themselves to be versatile and emotional composers without losing their electronic edge. Throughout the film Overture and The Game Has Changed provided a dramatic and sprawling theme that presented the grandness, mystery, and danger of the grid. Concurrently, individual themes like Adagio for Tron and Son of Flynn provided great emotional connection to specific characters, events, and ideas. To say the least, the soundtrack fit the movie incredibly well and was infinitely better than the original Tron soundtrack. Visually, I have incredible respect for Tron. The effects and style that it used were revolutionary for the time and are still impressive to me today. I had high expectations for Legacy in this category and was not disappointed. The movie made great use of special and visual effects. The look of the movie was spectacular all the way through (hats off to Claudio Miranda and cinematography). The CG locations (I loved the Sea of Simulation), weapons, and vehicles complimented the action of this movie superbly. I was particularly impressed by the integration of 3D in the film, I noticed specific cues for 3D (like stepping through walls) and it did add something to the feel of the movie. The story of Legacy was just as simple as Tron but with a few more ideas and concepts to make it that much bigger and more dramatic. Even so, the movie did feel like it needed just a little bit more of a plot. I was a bit disappointed by Tron's missed potential (I always felt that the idea was something of a precursor to The Matrix) and that the movie abandoned deeper ideas for the graphics that made it what it is. In this respect, Legacy capitalized a little bit more. With the idea of 'imperfections', the Creator, and most of all with the idea of the ISO's, Tron: Legacy hinted at something deeper and more intellectually rewarding. While it was really just a hint, I did appreciate that the glimmer was there. As far as acting goes, the film was fairly solid. I particularly enjoyed Jeff Bridges as C.L.U. as well as Michael Sheen as Castor/Zeus. Finally, I wanted to point out the subtle brilliance of certain moments in the film. The 'like father like son' idea was prominent in a number of ways, from flipping the coin to breaking into Encom (I loved that!) to proclamations of "I am not a program.". *SPOILER ALERT* I also got goosebumps towards the end with Rinzler/Tron's line "I fight for the users." *SPOILER END* Things like this that threw stuff back to the 1982 Tron were great! All in all Tron: Legacy was a pretty good motion picture. The film could have used a bit more substance but what it lacked in material it more than made up in visual and musical excellence. Tron: Legacy receives a 7.5/10.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

For me and a lot of people, this was a huge movie and is therefore a huge movie to be reviewing. This picture represents the culmination of my generation's greatest and favorite story and that kind of influence is not to be taken lightly. For everyone, Deathly Hallows had to be awesome. Going in with that in mind may have been a bad idea as it made my expectations ridiculously high. I think I'll have to see the film again to form a clearer opinion. I'll try my best to sort everything out regardless. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 did some things right and some things wrong. Its greatest strengths were by far the acting and directing. The main three characters delivered excellent and believable performances in a movie that was emotional tense and at many times quite moving. And many of the supporting cast (particularly Ryhs Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood, Toby Jones as Dobby, and the various actors comprising the Malfoy family) also delivered performances that added a lot to the movie. Direction of the movie was also great. The forest chase, parts of the sky battle, and everything in Godric's Hollow had me enthralled. Not to mention the desolate and beautiful landscapes that added so much to the middle of the film. This paired with some excellent cinematography gave it a very grey and very isolated and alone feel. The movie and the characters and the world as a whole seemed to feel hopeless. For effects, this movie was also sewn up pretty well. The style of dueling that was executed so well in the fifth and sixth movies was presented well again in this one. The more pronounced role of apparation in this movie was also handled with visual excellence (the escape from the ministry and splinching come to mind). There was also the addition of an animated sequence that fit pretty well with the theme of The Tales of Beedle The Bard and was visually intriguing if not fully fitting with the movie in its entirety. Throughout the movie there were a number of little things that I picked up on that I did really enjoy. The scene where the locket is destroyed was done far better than I could have expected it to be. The scenes involving snatchers were also well done. What I enjoyed most about this movie was that it kept inline with the book very well and also that it did not hang itself up on explaining what was going on to the viewer. The filmmakers knew that if you're a Harry Potter fan you should be able to understand the subtle elements and ideas of the series (i.e. the two way mirror). This was what I had the most hope for while waiting for the release of the movie. That by dividing the book into two films essentially a 4-6 hour film, they could make a movie that would make fans proud. In this respect HP7 did not disappoint. I did however feel that there were a few weaknesses of the film. Most notably for me was the score. While I don't deny that Alexandre Desplat wrote a beautiful score and that he is a great musician, for the most part I just didn't feel that the music really fit. In a lot of ways this soundtrack reminded me of the scores of the first two films as well as elements of the fourth. While the second score was probably my favorite of the whole series (the 6th is close too) the Deathly Hallows score seemed to fit this film just as much as the Chamber of Secrets score would have (that's saying not terribly well). It had too much of a romanticized lightness throughout that I didn't feel was appropriate for many of the more intense scenes and themes of the film. That's not to say it didn't have its moments. The Obliviation and Farewell to Dobby gave me goosebumps and themes like Snape to Malfoy Manor and Godric's Hollow Graveyard did have some great elements that I hope will be brought back in the next film. Similarly to the score, I just didn't get the exact feel that I would have liked from this movie. What it came down to for me was that this movie just didn't have the sense of gravity and importance that it really should have. This is a quest to destroy the fragments of the most evil soul to ever live. A battle for the very fate of the world mixed with a side story involving the greatest triad of magical objects in history. It didn't seem like this movie took itself seriously enough. I would have liked to see more from the outside world and the state of chaos and disorder it was in, even though I do completely understand and will not debate that the story is and should be primarily about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I think in a lot of ways the absence of a really deep score did make this discrepancy more pronounced to me. All in all I really did enjoy this movie. I wouldn't say it was my favorite of the series but it was certainly among the top. I am now more than ever looking forward to the sequel and final chapter of the Harry Potter saga. Hopefully I will get the chance to see this movie again and clear up some final thoughts. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 receives an 8.5/10.

Kanye West's 'Runaway'

So I had no idea that this was even a concept until it appeared on my facebook wall. I'd been checking up with Kanye's G.O.O.D. Fridays stuff every now and then but I had no idea that a feature length film was being produced for his upcoming music. That being said I'm sure you can understand that I had no idea what to expect. To begin, one should take note that this is essentially a 30+ minute music video and there's no way that would fly without some good music to back it up. Luckily, Kanye delivered, putting me into high anticipation mode for his new album. I can imagine that this film had a respectable budget and it clearly showed. The production was on point. This piece was visually stunning. Whether it be the wings of a bird-woman or a troupe of ever-shifting ballerinas, the movie was a continuous mass of imaginative and moving images. However, I do feel that there may have been a bit too much slow-motion used. It got to the point where I was saying to myself, "Is it really necessary to have THIS much slowmo in one scene?". While this may have been done to back up Kanye's deep emotional and mental struggles like some have implied, I have thought it all through and cannot find a parallel in Kanye's life for every single instance these type of effects were used. The storyline was simple and yet didn't make much sense, although, again, this may or may not have been intentional. I felt like maybe Runaway tried a little bit too hard to be introspective. Overall I enjoyed the piece. It was an incredibly interesting video to watch and the music was great. {Edit} I just purchased Kanye West's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' and after listening to the whole album I found the words to say that I wanted to say after watching Runaway. When it had finished I had the undeniable feeling of "I just experienced something" and not just anything. Something unique and beautiful if not a little bit Dark and Twisted. {Edit} Runaway gets a 7.5/10.

Alice in Wonderland

This one is way late I know! I just noticed Alice on instant play on netflix so I decided to jump on it. When this was in theatres it was one of those impulse kind of movies for me, which, in general, is either a sign that the advertising campaign is on point, that the movie seems very intriguing, or a combination of both. I wanted to see it because it intrigued me and it looked awesome. Now, I'm not usually one to put much stock in the words of most critics when a movie first comes out, but I must admit, critics did make me pass on this one in the beginning. Hopefully you get the sense that I wasn't particularly sold on this movie in any legitimate way. Tim Burton has kind of become a cold subject to me, he pigeon-holed himself into a very predictable genre and in doing so it has almost turned into a joke. Now I'm not going to go as far and say that Alice breaks his mold, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by it. Visually, this movie was inescapably brilliant. The only thing I regret about the visuals is not being able to have seen them in 3D. Story-wise, this movie was alright. I did enjoy the story but to be perfectly honest there wasn't that much to it and I feel like it sacrificed development in some areas for graphics. The plot was pretty simple and it only really hinged on a few key moments. In my opinion this was also one of it's pitfalls as its lack of events really did slow it down. I wouldn't say I was bored, but it was by no means a nail-biter. Musically this movie really impressed me. I was surprised by the scope of Elfman's score and really by how epic and yet lightly wonderful it managed to be. This, at least in part, having to do with Elfman's implied pigeon-holing (although not nearly as notably) along with Burton. The acting was decent, Alice performed well and Johnny Depp played a good role as always. I think what I liked most about this film was how well (at times) it was able to shrug itself off with the sort of strange detachment and madness that was characteristic of the original Wonderland. This, though, as seemed to be the dual-standard of the movie, was also a weakness as it was not able to keep it up throughout the whole film. All in all this was a better movie than I expected even if it wasn't perfect. Alice in Wonderland gets an 8/10.

Buried

So I caught a sneak peak of the upcoming movie Buried last night. Since walking out of the movie I have been trying to find the proper words to describe the film. I still haven't found them. It'll be hard for me to review this without spoiling anything but I'll try my best. This movie to me was an incredible concept. It is a unique idea. An American man, Paul Conroy, is working as a truck driver in Iraq when his convoy is ambushed. The movie begins in complete darkness with Paul discovering he has been buried alive in a wooden coffin. The movie spends essentially all of it's 95 minute entirety in this box with Ryan Reynolds as his character desperately tries to find a way to get out.To start, Ryan Reynolds put on a good performance. His character wasn't a hero, he wasn't anyone special, he was just a normal, confused, and very frustrated guy thrust into a horrible situation. The look of this movie was so simplistic but worked so well that it was incredible. I'm surprised at how well the filmmakers managed to use their limited (and sometimes less limited but artistically acceptable) space. The movie did it's job so well that I left with a feeling of claustrophobia and I heard numerous comments from other moviegoers about nausea. The story of the movie was so straightforward that it couldn't help but keep you enthralled. You wanted Paul to get out. The various twists and conversations in the movie kept you involved the whole time. The music was decent, nothing special, but it had some great cues. What shocked me most about this movie was that it actually made me laugh at parts. It was a very quick-witted movie at times and Paul and some of the people he speaks to on the phone have some almost comical exchanges. For all it's merits, this movie frustrated me to no end. Literally, no end. The thing is, that's exactly what it's supposed to do, disappoint you. I left the movie wanting to cry or throw up (I'm not even sure which) and feeling like I didn't have enough air. Overall, this movie was incredible due to it's simplicity. Rodrigo Cortés is twisted. I can't say that it's one of my favorite movies, but only because I hated everything that happened to Paul so much. Overall I give this movie an 8.5 out of 10, which probably would be higher if I could get over my frustration. If you want to see something novel, I can guarantee you won't find another movie like this one. But be warned, only watch this if you're willing to go through 90+ minutes of torture and if you're not claustrophobic. You will be buried right next to Paul Conroy.

BEHIND!

I'm very far behind in reviews I was hoping to do. I'll get around to them all eventually, but for the time being it might be difficult to put them up. My old reviews got deleted so I might do re-reviews of Half Blood Prince and Daybreakers. More will come if I decide to write them.

The Other Guys

I picked a good day to see The Other Guys. I had a reunion with my best friends from middle school, we hung out had a fun time and decided to catch a film. Good atmosphere. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the movie as I didn't know all that much about it. What I left with though were some good laughs and overall a decent movie. The actors in this film were hilarious. It's only natural that you would expect this of Will Ferrell, but many other characters had their moments as well, for me Michael Keaton and Steve Coogan stood out in particular. The humor wasn't exactly cause for nonstop laughter. Instead it made use of many one-liners and recurring jokes throughout. Stunts and visual representation of the action in this film was surprisingly well done. I can't say the film had an overwhelming 'style' to it, but I did find parts like the drunken bar scene to be both entertaining and visually impressive. The story of the movie was also much more fulfilling than I would have expected. This is probably the case because of how the back stories of the main characters advanced the plot and inevitably the relationships. Overall this movie wasn't spectacular, but it was entertaining and funny. I would give The Other Guys a 7 out of 10.

Iron Man 2

Going into Iron Man 2 I didn't really know what to expect. I jumped on the chance to see it early. The longer you wait, the more reviews you hear and even if you don't think they'll influence your thinking, a lot of times they do. They say sequels are never as good as the original. If this is the norm, then Iron Man 2 breaks the mold. I enjoyed Iron Man 2 to the fullest! The story was just about as fast paced as the original (if not slightly slower) and it worked. It kept me entertained and interested the whole way, even during the down times. The acting was good, although the characters could have used a bit more development, particularly the main antagonist, Ivan Vanko. The action was awesome as can be expected of nearly any Marvel movie, especially with such a crowd favorite as Iron Man. The special effects and visuals were good, on par with the first Iron Man. From start to finish, Iron Man 2 helped me to remember what a purely fun movie is. I would give Iron Man 2 an 8 out of 10.

This Blog

This one, not that one. Listen up. I enjoy movies immensely. I want to pursue a career in filmmaking. Something about being able to get lost in the story of a movie, to be able to forget your own life for a while and pick up in the excitement of another's is spectacular. There are movies that I think do this very well (ones that really just give you everything that you're looking for and even more) and ones that absolutely don't get the job done, as well as everything in between. I like to reflect on movies that I've seen and point out the positives and negatives and give an overall rating of how well I think the movie was presented. When analyzing a movie I like to look at the plot and storyline, the characters involved, the visual style and (of course) the cinematography, visual effects, music and soundtrack, and then the effect that all of these have on the piece as a whole. I don't see movies as often as I would like to, but when I do, you'll probably find a review about it here!