Thursday, June 30, 2011

Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon


Title: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Director: Michael Bay
Writer(s): Ehren Kruger
Staring: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Dempsey, Frances McDormand, Voices: Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, Leonard Nimoy
MPAA Rating:PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo
Running Time: 157 min
Synopsis: The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets

What Others Are Saying?

Rotten Tomatoes: T-Meter: 36% (Rotten), Top Critics: 26% (Rotten), Audience: 90% (Like It)
Metacritic: Critics: 42 out of 100, Users: 6.1 out of 10
MRQE Metric: 47 out of 100
Yahoo Movies: Critics: C Users: A-

My Review

Source Material: Based on Hasbro toys

Entertaining Value:
  • Action Elements: An awesome but awful amount of action. There is a lot of action its a Michael Bay film. With every Michael Bay film there at least 100 explosions. Some scene are visual simulating and are pretty cool but after sometime it becomes a bit boring.
  • Comedy Elements: One liners and small amount of comic relief, insert Sam's parents. I don't think the filmmaker where focusing on comedy this go around, because it more or less a war film.
  • Dramatic Elements: Most if not all the actors need acting lessons...not really...but I'm not to far off...but again its a Michael Bay film. The film tried some dramatic scenes by using slow motion and "sappy" music.
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy Elements: Umm...Giant Robots fighting over high-tech technology. If that's not Sci-Fi, then I don't know what is...just kidding. Got to love Giant Robots
Cinematic Value:
  • Acting and Dialogue: 6: A teen-heart throb, a underwear model, a Hollywood hunk, and "McDreamy" come together in a movie about fighting robots. Add it all up and what do you get...the best movie ever...that's sarcasm. It not the worst acting in the world but if it didn't have some amazing voice actors like Leonard Nimoy it would be very close.
  • Art Direction: 7: Most of the film looked good from a art point of view. not the prettiest film but good enough for a summer movie.
  • Cinematography: 6.5: In an action film action needs to be captured and be smooth. This is one of the better films from Michael Bay that achieves this aspect. There was still some shaky cam and moments that you don't know what is going on but action and explosions
  • Direction: 6.5: If you can't tell already I'm not that big on Michael Bay films. As far as this film goes, It has high octane action but in places its slow and boring...these moment where when the film was trying on drama...but it a Michael Bay film.
  • Editing: 7: I did like that the filmmaker made a decision to use a slow motion for "cool-action-sequence" but too much of anything is bad including slow motion.
  • Screenplay: 5: The story for me was very weak...I don't expect good storytelling out of an action pact summer blockbuster, but there was so many plot holes I need a shovel to fill them (Brock can I us yours) sorry folk that's was a inside joke...but if your looking for story forget about it.
  • Sound and Music: 8: I think all the Transformers movies have had one thing going for them and that is sound mixing/editing and music.
  • VFX: 8: The visual effect was good as usual..its also another thing that I can get behind on a Transformers movie.
Overall: 6.5: Action + VFX + Robots + Michael Bay - Story = Transformers. Even though I may seem to be harsh against this film it is arguably the best Transformers movie to date.

Friday, June 3, 2011

X-Men: First Class: Review


Title: X-Men: First Class
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writer(s): Ashley Miller (screenplay), Zack Stentz (screenplay)
Staring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence
MPAA Rating: PG -13
Running Time: 132 min
Synopsis: In 1963, Charles Xavier starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr, his best friend... and future archenemy.

What Others Are Saying?

Rotten Tomatoes: T-Meter: 70% (Fresh), Top Critics: 86% (Fresh), Audience: 88% (Like It)
Metacritic: Critics: 65 out of 100, Users: 8.0 out of 10
MRQE Metric: 76 out of 100
Yahoo Movies: Critics: B Users: A-

My Review

Source Material: Based off Marvel comic book with the same name.

Entertaining Value:
  • Action Elements: This movie has a good balance between action and drama. Personally, I didn't want to leave my seat because I felt I miss something awesome but nature did call. The action on screen was well done.
  • Comedy Elements: A good bit of the humor was thrown into the film for the die hard comic book fans cause there is a good amount of cameos and references to the x-men universe, either from the comic book or from the previous four x-men films. If your reading this and saying "great I never read a x-men comic ever in my life" don't worry the film took that into consideration.
  • Dramatic Elements: This film maybe a heavy action/adventure story. But there is some awesome dramatic scenes, most of them take place between Charles (Professor X) and Erik (Magneto).
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy Elements: This is one of the many comic book movies coming out this summer, so expect "cool" VFX shots for even "cool" superpowers. Personally some of the VFX shots are campy and a bit funny, but it is a comic book movie and the atmosphere is pose to be light and a bit humorous.
Cinematic Value:
  • Acting and Dialogue: 8.5: Two guys you have to look out for Jamse McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. I willing to bet a lot of people are in the same boat I'm in when it comes to Jamse McAvoy, and that is he has been basically loved, and or respected ever since his appearance as Mr. Tumnus in Narnia. McAvoy has but out some solid performance: Atonement and The Conspirator. As far as Michael Fassbender goes he was fantastic in this role. His roles in 300 and Inglourious Basterds don't realy stand out in my mind, but that because they were smaller roles.
  • Art Direction: 8: This film is not only a comic book movie but also somewhat a period film as it dose take place in the 60's during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The art and clothing do match the time period to a degree, but this film was made in the 2010's so it has some modern edge to as well. This aspect I think can be seen in the suits. The suits represent the old school blue and yellow spandex suits but with modern twist.
  • Cinematography: 8: The good thing about this film was during the action scene the camera wasn't shaky. There were some notable scene were cool camera effect were use. One that stood out in my mind was the beast transformation which was done in a POV style.
  • Direction: 8: The film had a decent pace. A friend of mine said he only look at his watch once to check time, but then at the same time, another friend was on the edge of her seat the entire time.
  • Editing: 7.5: The editing was good, expect for the "training montage." I didn't like it because the filmmakers where trying to achieve a comic book panel type look. In my opinion this style of editing can a bit confusing to the average movie going audience.
  • Screenplay:7.5: The story for this film is great, but the liberties they took on the film will piss hardcore X-Men fans aka "fanboys" off. When it comes to film continuity this film works to a degree, if you look at from the prospective that its similar to Star Trek (2009) or Batman Begins. Besides those minor facts the story was fantastic, the cameo were fantastic as well.
  • Sound and Music: 8.5: The music was good
  • VFX: 7: I though it was kind of weak...or campy. Lets just say its a bit silly, not silly as in looking bad like old school caymation but silly as how they used it. But then there are some spots that are awesome.
Overall: 8: This movie is good. For being a person who doesn't pay for movies often because I work at a movie theater, I would say it was well worth my 9$ admission. As a X-men movie it runs up next to the first two X-men movies. I give it two thumbs up and what not. Happy movie watching.