Monday, May 31, 2010

Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

IMDb

Title: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Mike Newell
Writer(s): Boaz Yakin(screenplay), Doug Miro ( screenplay), Carlo Bernard (screenplay) Jordan Mechner (screen story) Jordan Mechner (video game series "Prince of Persia")
Staring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action.
Running Time: 116 min
Synopsis: Based on the video game, which follows an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world.

What Others Are Saying?


Rotten Tomatoes: T-Meter: 39% (Rotten), Top Critics: 23% (Rotten), RT Community: 73% (Fresh)
Metacritic: Critics: 49 out of 100, Users: 8.4 out of 10
MRQE Metric: 52: (0.0% A, 26.4% B, 54.4% C, 16.8% D, and 0.0% F)
Yahoo Movies: Critics: C+ Users: A-

My Review

Source Material: Based on the video game.

Entertaining Value:

  • Action Elements: There is a lot of action sequence most of them using the same parkour tricks, but from what I have been told its an homage to the video game.
  • Comedy Elements: Cheesy factor +1, most of the joke where a bit on the cheesy side but at the same time kind of witty.
  • Dramatic Elements: There were quite a few moments the film tried to take a breather from the action with a drama kiss but it was usually interrupt by the bad guys.
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy Elements: The film incorporated some bending of time aspects, hence the title of the film, The Sands of Time.

Cinematic Value:

  • Acting and Dialogue: B-: Let say I have seen better from Jake Gyllenhaal, he wasn't bad there just was something missing from his performance. This is the only second time I have seen Gemma Arterton in a film, so Iam going to say, "So far so good"
  • Art Direction: A-: For the most part Jerry Bruckheimer production have decent art direction this film hold up to those standards.
  • Cinematography: B+: The fighting choreography was great, From what I hear shooting this isn't the easiest, so I give a small token of kudos to the filmmakers on this one.
  • Direction: B: I only known Mike Newell's work from Harry Potter, so from that standpoint he has improved in my opinion.
  • Editing: B+: With all the parkour stunts and fast pace action I think they asembem it in away we as an adiance didnt lose the brilliantly crafted fighting choreography. I say the same to the editing team as I did to the filmmakers, kudoes.
  • Screenplay: C: In my opinion the weakest element to this film was its story, one there where some holes in the story, that I would classify as a continuity issue. I already mentioned how cheesy the dialogue was. Well, even thought it was kind of witty, not to many people laugh at the jokes sadly. That maybe to bad writing?
  • Sound and Music: B: There was a decent score.
  • VFX: C+: I think I would have enjoy the film if the FX were 50% better. They were go but not that good.

Overall: B-: Its one of those popcorn summer movies, that you could take most of the family to, little kids would be board, hence my use of the word "most". I say it was a fairly decent movie, yes it has some cinematic flaws but it is entertaining.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Review: Robin Hood

IMDb

Title: Robin Hood
Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Director:
Ridley Scott
Writer(s):
Brian Helgeland (screenplay), Brian Helgeland (story), and Ethan Reiff (story)& Cyrus Voris (story)
Staring:
Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Oscar Isaac, Mark Addy, Matthew Macfadyen, Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes, and Alan Doyle
MPAA Rating:
Rated PG-13 for violence including intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content.
Running Time:
140 min
Synopsis:
The story of an archer in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion who fights against the Norman invaders and becomes the legendary hero known as Robin Hood.

What Others Are Saying?


Rotten Tomatoes: T-Meter: 44% (Rotten), Top Critics: 42% (Rotten), RT Community: 65% (Fresh)
Metacritic: Critics: 53 out of 100, Users: 5.9 out of 10
MRQE Metric: 57: (7.2% A, 31.6% B, 45.6% C, 14.6% D, and 0.0% F)
Yahoo Movies: Critics: B Users: A-

My Review

Source Material: Characters based on the Robin Hood legend and folklore.

Entertaining Value:
  • Action Elements: Lets just say it had action but it was very weak and a bit boring in parts.
  • Comedy Elements: There were some cutesy line but I wasn't laughing much during the film.
  • Dramatic Elements: The film main drive was drama, but again it was a bit weak
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy Elements: Beside the already legendary aspect of Robin Hood.
Cinematic Value:
  • Acting and Dialogue: B+: The acting was good only because the starring roll were cast with Academy Award Winning Actors. But even the other charters did a good job.
  • Art Direction: B+: I think the costuming was the best part of the art in the film. I think period films always win when come to costuming.
  • Cinematography: B: The Cinematographer made some inserting choices that worked for the film.
  • Direction: C+: For The most part I like most if not all of Ridley Scott's work. Film likes Gladiator usually squeak into my top ten all time favorites. Ridley Scott slightly missed the mark on this one, mainly because their was major pacing issues.
  • Editing: C+: I can see how most of the people I talk to say the film was hard to follow and kind of boring, cause it somewhat a bad editing job. There's quite a few times it switches back in forth.
  • Screenplay: B: I enjoined the fact the story was "historically" based but at the same time holds up the legend aspect of it. I also like how it was more of a story of how Robin Hood became Robin Hood rather than the classic story of a man stealing from the rich and giving from the poor.
  • Sound and Music: B: It was one of the better scores I have heard in awhile.
  • VFX: B: I think the partial effect were great and the stunt teams did a good job.
Overall: B: The true defection of a film with mixed reviews, your either going to like it like myself but there also going quite a few who lean toward, "its boring" I can't recommend it as a must go see but fanboys of that time period, should like the film. Just because I liked it dosent mean you will.