Big Fish

What's up guys? I just watched Big Fish. This movie was release by Sony Pictures in 2003.

Review: 
Will Bloom is informed by his mother that his father Ed Bloom is terminal, and he travels with his pregnany French wife Josephine to his parents' home. Will and Ed had broken relationship three years before, because of the imaginative and fantasized stories told by Ed Bloom about his accomplishments in his youth. Will tries to find the true story of the mysterious life of his father, coming to a surprising discovery in the end.

I often find that in order to be interesting, a film these days needs to be stressfully suspenseful or have a complicated story line. This film didn't have either, but I found myself hoping it wouldn't end while at the same time, impatiently awaiting its conclusion. Nonetheless, I was astounded. This movie is an absolute treat for our hearts, ears and especially our eyes with each cartoon/fantasy-like scene painted with Tim Burton's reliable brilliance and magical touch. Ewan McGregor is amazing and Albert Finney gives one of the greatest performances of that year. But when you strip away the beauty, the doll-house sets and all the hocuspocus of cinematography and modern day technology, all you have is a very simple story, and therein lies the heart of this film; that one can create their own legacy, "the story of my life." Not through either extreme of extraordinary adventure or unbelievable lies, but through the art of storytelling- and THAT is what this film is about. It is through our stories that we are immortal.

I will give this movie 9/10, I really, really enjoyed it!

The Hunger Games Review

What's up guys? I just came back from the movies with a couple of friends, and we watched The Hunger Games.
If you haven't heard of this movie (because you live under a rock), this a film adaptation of the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Colins.

Yes this isn't on the list, but I thought I'd review it anyway.

One thing I have to say: SHAKYCAM GALORE

They overdid the shakycam. Sure its exhilarating, but most of the time, I didn't understand what was going on. Besides for the unfortunate cinematography, this movie was pretty good. I enjoyed the first book, but I haven't read the rest of the series yet. It wasn't that close to the book's important details. Most of the characters were very close to what I imagined them as. The acting was pretty good in my opinion, especially for such young child actors. But I thought some scenes were rushed, and not as prominent in the movie as the book. And I thought some of the parts were a bit too gruesome, but after all, it was rated PG-13. One thing I liked was how they made the control room, I thought it was an interesting and high tech addition to the movie. And I loved Seneca's beard, that was crazy!
This movie displays the appalling possibilities of a dystopia ruled by an oppresive government, and how all of the lower groups have to sacrifice their loved ones while the upperclassmen watch and enjoy.
Overall, I would give this movie a 7/10, had it not been for the excessive shakycam, it would have gotten an 8/10.
It was nice to see the movie the day it came out, one of the first times I've been able to do this!

And may the odds be ever in your favor.

The Incredibles

Hello everybody, I recently got done watching The Incredibles. This movie was made by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation and released in 2004.

Review: 
For it's time, the computer generated visuals and sound are very impressive. Unlike many action films, this movie's story is very solid. Basically, this is a story of a man encountering a mid-life crisis and leaping carelessly into it without a care or a thought for his family, proving exceedingly selfish and failing to see the good in his life. Meanwhile the wife is left to try and look after the family. Really, that's the story. Pixar dropped in the idea that the parents are Superheroes, unable of being Super many years previously by the Government and the people, trying to lead normal lives. Their children have inherited their own powers and the Super villains are planning a comeback.
I truly enjoyed this movie, it is wonderful for all ages. The animation is amazing, one of the best I've ever seen. The whole movie flows excellently. At some parts it seems almost real. The effects for fire and water, probably the hardest things to recreate in any form of art, were done perfectly.
The characters and acting are wonderful, and you sometimes feel like you're part of the story.
I'll give this movie a 9.5/10, while not being my favorite Disney/Pixar movie, it's up there. It makes a great movie for the whole family to watch.

Manhattan

Hello everybody, I just watched Manhattan. This movie stars Woody Allen and was released in 1979.

Review: 
The first thing I noticed about this movie was that it was shot in black and white. Isaac, Woody Allen's character, mentions in the opening monologue that he always pictures Manhattan in black-and-white with music from George Gershwin. Out of all of the elements in this movie, the cinematography seemed to be the greatest. The intro portrays black and white postcard-esque images of the bustling town, complete with Ershwin's soothing music, lights, and cars. The images later in the film also exemplify the amazing camera work, especially the scene in the space museum. This movie is truly a work of art.
The acting is phenomenal for some of the characters, but also quite average for some others, in my opinion.
While this movie is not a-laugh-a-minute, I still found it funny occasionally. The subplot about Isaac's ex-wife, her becoming a lesbian, her writing a book about Isaac and her love life, and Isaac apparently attempting to run over her new lover was quite hilarious.
This movie flows very smoothly, and ends with somewhat of a cliffhanger. The story, albeit sounding slightly cliche and strange according to today's society (a 42 year old man dating a 17 year old girl), was great. Overall, I'll give this movie a 8.5/10.

Please let me know what you think of anything, be it my review quality, or a differing opinion in the comments section below. 

Ed Wood

I watched Ed Wood. This movie was made in Touchstone Pictures and released in 1994. This movie stars Johnny Depp.

Synopsis: 
I am going to change my way of doing reviews, I will not be writing synopses, as all of you can easily go to the links in the list and check out a better written synopsis by someone else. Of course I will still be writing reviews.

Review: 
This movie is overly underrated and overlooked. Without question it's one of Tim Burton's best, most complete work and Johnny Depp is superb. Perhaps it's the total understanding of this subject that allowed Tim Burton to do so well with this movie. Ed Wood, is about the Hollywood career of Ed Wood, one truly screwed up individual; a cross-dresser with a fetish for angora wool. Wood releases one horrifically bad film after another, culminating with Plan Nine From Outer Space, before descending into crappy porn films toward the end of his life. It isn't necessarily a happy story, and Burton wisely only tells a small sliver of it, from Ed's first movie, until the premiere of Plan Nine.

Perhaps it is appropriate that Johnny Depp was chosen to portray Eddie Wood. Depp has a long history of playing outcasts -- for example, Edward Scissorhands. Depp makes it clear that Eddie's heart was in the right place. He worked hard on his scripts, he gave important roles to spectacularly talentless actors. And he was very kind to the drug-addled has-been Bela Lugosi, even dissuading the drunken Drac from committing suicide (which wasn't entirely altruistic, perhaps, as Lugosi had threatened to take Eddie with him). Depp makes Eddie appear almost human. Depp's portrayal is just one of several that are outstanding, including Bill Murray as Bunny Breckinridge -- one of the rare times Murray has immersed himself in his character and not been merely Bill Murray with someone else's name. The film ends on a high note, which Eddie's life didn't- he died in his sleep, watching a ball game, just a few days after he'd been evicted from his apartment.

Overall, I'll give this movie a 8/10, as someone not nearly as messed up in the head as this character, I was not able to relate to him as well as others could have. But it was still a great and interesting movie.