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"Man of Steel" 10 Scale Rating: 9.0 (Amazing) ...
The Good: Superman is finally updated and made relevant to the masses. Is it an exact interpretation of the comic book character? No, it isn't. It is a modern Superman for a modern world and is extremely well done. Well acted, especially Cavill, Shannon, and Crowe. This is how a super hero franchise should start and I was impressed with the depth of the script. The flashbacks were extremely well done and helped move the movie along by skipping past yet another origin story in the opening act. The sci-fi elements and stressing that Superman is indeed an alien was a good call. Clark is isolated and alone, which was far more realistic than one would expect. Exceptional fight scenes that put the sheer magnitude of the powers involved on display.
The Bad: During the final battles, the sheer amount of damage done and death was dizzying. It got to the point where I actually said aloud "Why is anyone still in the area?!?!" Some people are annoyed that Superman didn't save everyone, but that was sort of the point ... he can't save everyone. Shannon was up to the task and Zod was very cool, but came across as more than a little ham-fisted at times. I would have liked him to be more of a combination of wits and force instead of relying almost solely on power.
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"Celeste and Jesse Forever" 10 Scale Rating: 7.5 (Very Good) ...
The Good: A genuinely funny romantic comedy that does things a little differently. A refreshing film as it doesn't fall into the usual cliches that this type of film typically falls victim to. I keep seeing the word "charming" in other reviews for this movie, and that is probably the best word to describe it. Just a very likable movie.
The Bad: Celeste and Jesse are far more entertaining apart than they are together. If I met the two of them in real life I would have to resist the urge to throat punch them as their inside jokes and non-stop quips get old quickly. It is difficult to root for them ever getting back together, though you do root for them to succeed on an individual level
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"Jack Reacher" 10 Scale Rating: 6.5 (Decent) ...
The Good: Cruise actually shows some acting skill in this one, though it does help that he is playing a very well written character. Reacher is interesting and makes me want to read the book series. The story starts off with a lot of intrigue and with such a great set up, you remain very interested in what is going on. Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, and David Oyelowo round out a good supporting cast ... especially Jenkins and Oyelowo who always seem to be the highlight of whatever they are appearing in.
The Bad: Cruise was an odd choice. While he shows flashes of real acting skill, a lot of the times you can't help but feel like you've seen this movie before. Far too often, Cruise is the same guy he is in any other action/thriller that he has been in. Robert Duvall was pointless and his character rubbed me the wrong way. He was very cliche and I could have done without him. The story itself unravels somewhat near the end.
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"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" 10 Scale Rating: 6.0 (Decent) ...
The Good: The series has built up some pretty nice characters and that continues on in this film. Some new characters were added in and they didn't take away from the movie at all and fit in nicely. It is a nice idea for a third installment and at times is genuinely entertaining.
The Bad: Much like the second film, it just doesn't live up to the first. A lot of the jokes fall flat and the film tries too hard to repeat the same general idea from the first two movies. It feels very much like the second film, just with a different setting. Lastly, the villain in the film was not entertaining at all and actually took away from the movie.
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"Red Lights" 10 Scale Rating: 4.0 (Bad) ...
The Good: Starts off great and is a very interesting concept. The cast is full of talented actors and they don't disappoint. Throughout the first half of the film, there are a handful of very powerful scenes that make you think.
The Bad: It bogs down in the second half and loses steam. The talented cast couldn't overcome the poor plot choices as the film goes down an entirely different path and stops making any sense. Horrible ending that was way out of place and served to neatly explain everything. A film ruined by needless twists and turns.
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"House at the End of the Street" 10 Scale Rating: 3.0 (Awful) ...
The Good: The two young leads (Jennifer Lawrence and Max Theriot) try their best to make this work and I have no complaints about either of them. The first twenty minutes are solid and set up the movie well ...
The Bad: ... but then it falls flat. This is quite possibly the most boring "thriller" that I have ever seen. Next to nothing happens for the bulk of it and by the time something finally does, you no longer care. The pay off is a let down and what is really happening isn't all that imaginative or plausible.
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"Stolen" 10 Scale Rating: 1.5 (Awful) ...
The Good: Danny Huston and Mark Valley were decent as FBI agents. It was funny a few times, though I don't think it was meant to be.
The Bad: Nicolas Cage was dreadful, but was trumped by Josh Lucas who played the movie's villain. Lucas is usually pretty solid, so perhaps villains just aren't his thing. Terrible plot, bad acting, awful action sequences, and annoying music that kept repeating throughout ... easily one of the worst films of 2012.
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"Star Trek: Into Darkness" 10 Scale Rating: 8.5 (Fantastic) ...
The Good: Just like in the previous film, the cast does an amazing job bringing these timeless characters to life once again. You can tell that the actors themselves truly love their roles and have worked to perfect them ... especially Quinto's Spock and Urban's Bones McCoy. An ensemble cast this large makes it difficult to give proper screen time to, especially with such a dedicated fanbase, but Abrams pulls it off brilliantly as every character gets special moments in the film. Cumberbatch was an amazing villain, a perfect blend of explosive savagery and calculating calm. Lastly, the film balances action with drama very well, which concerned me coming in as all the previews makes the film out to be so action packed.
The Bad: I understand that these films are also love letters to past films, but too many scenes were pulled from old films and that rubbed me the wrong way ... especially near the end. The Enterprise doesn't do much in this film and spends a lot of time taking a beating.
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"V/H/S" 10 Scale Rating; 7.0 (Good) ...
The Good: Found footage style films became old and overdone some time ago, but this was a creative idea. Despite the shoestring budget, the effects weren't bad at all and the directors used some creative camerawork to pull it off. While the film is very up and down in regard to the acting (which can be expected in low budget anthologies), there were some bright spots. At it's best, it is a fantastic horror film that is genuinely creepy.
The Bad; At it's worst, it is pointless and poorly done ... though that was just one story. The framing story (or wraparound tale) was not all that interesting which is a shame because that is typically one of the better parts of this style of film. When the acting is bad, it is REALLY bad. One dud story and one mediocre story (plus the frame story) isn't too bad and was better than I expected.
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"Sinister" 10 Scale Rating: 8.5 (Excellent) ...
The Good: The right blend of gore and spookiness that makes a horror movie entertaining. In most modern horror tales, the "boogie man" is far more interesting when you only catch glimpses and becomes silly and not very frightening once you see them in all their glory. "Sinister" does not suffer from this as the film's villain is kept in the shadows just enough to retain his mystery and scariness. The story is a creative one. Wrong at times, gleefully so, but still creative and entertaining all the same.
The Bad: For a few ,moments, the imagery was pretty horrible and that might rub some the wrong way. I was fine with it as it helped tell the story, but some might not agree. While the film strays from most cliches, it does have a few too many "jumpy" scenes where nothing really happens. Those scenes almost felt like filler and while I accept these scenes as horror film staples, this film could have had a few less.
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Gavin the moviejunkie1994 on 6/17/13 at 05:48 PM
Great review!
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