Alex Dowies Movie Blog

Tron (2010)

2011-01-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

When is the last time you saw a Disney movie in December? Hard to think isn't it. Normally around this time, each studio breaks out their big guns just in time for Oscar season. But Disney has refrained from doing so for quiet some time........why? And an even bigger 'Why' is, why make this sequel now? Why not 5...10...or even 15 years ago? Many questions surround Disney choices as of late, like spending over $250 million to make an animated feature with "Tangled".......well, if this outcome is anything like that, than we are surely in for a treat.

Okay, regardless of what you may hear or read about this film in the coming weeks, i want you to totally ignore it. Because going into this movie, i read numerous negative reviews, mainly circulating around problems with the script and the amount of depth. But i can tell you this right now......this movie is without a shadow of a doubt, the best 3-D movie i have ever seen. Wait a minute, does that count "Avatar"?.....you bet your ass it does.

Don't get me wrong, i love me some "Avatar". I once said that it was a visual revolution. Well, it seems that it's wake has proceeded it. The best comparison i can give is this......If The Beatles are to Avatar, then Pink Floyd is to Tron. Take that how you will.

Now, what makes this film oh so great? Well, a number of things. First is the amazing visual effects. I'm sure you know what your in store for by just watching the previews, but let me assure you, that is just a small appetizer compared to the feast that awaits you. Within the first 30 minutes of this film, i was literally wiping the drool from my jaw.....and the movie did nothing but get crazier and crazier with it's effects.

Second, is the combination of the set decoration and the musical score, which combined, are hands down the best portion of the movie. Not since "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones" have i seen a musical score fit the set detail quiet like this. Wait a tick, did i just make another comparison to "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones"? Once again, you bet your ass i did. This soundtrack is so good, it will convince you to go out and buy it, regardless if there are no words.....yes, it is that good. DaftPunk, i urge you to tackle more projects like this....please, i bet of you.

Now, the story does not match the epic quality as everything else......however, the story is good enough to keep your interest and keep you entertained. In fact, i actually liked the story. Sure it had it's moments where it would slow down from it's vigorous pace.....but thats fine, it doesn't matter. The story is fun, and somewhat engaging, and you piece that together with everything else, and you don't even care if it has minor flaws.

Bottom Line, i will say it once again, just so it can be tattoo'd into your brain. This is easily the best 3-D movie i have ever seen. You don't need to see the first one a thousand times or even once to understand it, and yet it still fits in nicely with the original. I applaud Disney for giving the Director the freedom to make this movie how he saw fit. I don't know who is it charge as of late, but they are making some very bold steps.....bold, and pioneering.

9/10

The Social Network

2010-10-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

This review will contain spoilers.
I went to see this film with a friend, i had wanted to see it for ages, however she was not to keen, after the film finished and i asked her how she found it she told me she reall enjoyed it, which in itself shows how amazing this film is.
Every aspect of this story and film is handled just about as well as it could be done. The subject matter has to be of interest to the 500 million people who are on Facebook or the millions who are not and are wondering how did all of this ever get started.
At the start of the film we get a very realistic trip back a few years to the Harvard campus where the very contemporary version of the great American dream is being hatched in a college dormitory.
Mark Zuckerberg somewhat of a social misfit himself, is developing this idea for what will ironically become the greatest social networking concept of all time. He is played extremely well by Jesse Eisenberg whom we remember as the older son in The Squid and The Whale, plays Zuckerberg. The fascinating part of the story is that a bunch of other guys at Harvard also had some roles in stimulating and developing what was to become a world wide phenomena. While Zuckerberg clearly is the genius here, the Winklevoss brothers and Divya Naregra provided some of the nuclei of the ideas and Eduardo Saverin one of Zuckerberg's friends actually started off as the business manager and then CFO of the fledgling enterprise.
Saverin initially invested the $1000 to start it and then another $18,000 before several the big venture capitalists found it. In contrast, this movie, about their story cost $50 million. But we digress here because the essence of the story, which will suck you in, is how all these Harvard students plus Sean Parker (played by Justin Timberlake), a Stanford dropout who himself invented Napster, became entangled ultimately in a multimillion lawsuit at the time that Facebook was worth billions of dollars. The film is directed by David Fincher, who knows how to transition episodes of time, having directed The Strange Case of Benjamin Button. He cleverly moves back in forth from the high stakes deposition of a law suit being waged about who owns Facebook and how much do they own, back to the events of their college days a few years previously. Zuckerberg is the center of attention here.
This film is successful in giving us a good glimpse under the hood of this determined person who is one of those 21st century people who is changing the world as we know it. I feel we will see alot more from Zuckerberg.

Wall Street - Money never sleeps

2010-09-19T15:35:00.001-07:00

So first things first, I haven't seen the original Wall Street film from 1987 and know little to nothing about the market itself. Oliver Stone, who is certainly a very talented director, hasn't really made a film that I've loved. Considering all these factors, I was wondering how Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps would measure up. While a good portion of the film seemed to take solace in the massive amount of stock market jargon spewed throughout its entire duration, hiding underneath that layer of the film was where Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps truly shined.

The first forty five minutes or so of the film come off as slightly convoluted. It almost feels intentionally overly complicated in its execution, but once the film starts to present itself as more of a revenge tale for Jacob Moore and focuses on the relationship between Gordon and Winnie Gekko things begin to get a bit more interesting.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is full of nothing but solid performances from the entire cast. The only weak link of the bunch was Carey Mulligan who seemed to just cry every time she was on screen. Michael Douglas steals the spotlight every time he's given screen time. This is the type of role he was meant to play. While Shia LaBeouf has shown in the past that he has some untapped potential as an actor, he really steps it up here and this could be the best performance of his career so far. The on screen chemistry between these actors is unbelievably strong. Any scene involving Josh Brolin and Shia LaBeouf conversing with one another is one of the best in the film. There's also the scene where Douglas is pleading with Mulligan to give him another chance as a father that is incredibly memorable. Watching the relationship between LaBeouf and Mulligan fall apart is really powerful, as well. This stellar cast is near perfect for this film.

While Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps starts off as a purposely baffling drama that revolves around the stock market and is somehow more talkative and dialogue driven than a Tarantino film, the film evolves into a rather intricate tale of revenge that is driven by nothing but strong performances all around. The film is worth seeing for Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf alone, but Frank Langella and Josh Brolin certainly have their moments as well. Even if you have no interest in this film, it's still worth giving a chance. It might surprise you.

Overall 8/10

The other guys

2010-09-17T02:43:00.001-07:00

This comedy film puts Will Ferrell back in the right direction. He still has some ways to go before becoming actually funny again, but with the help of his long time collaborator and new comer Marky Mark Wahlberg, we have a slightly funnier comedy than one would expect.

The Other Guys is in the vein of Hot Fuzz, only with less jazz and more stupid Ferrell humour. It takes the buddy cop action film genre and parodies it. Sam 'The Man' Jackson & Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are two egocentric big time cops who will do more than millions of dollars in damages to the city just to bust some people running dope. Tango & Cash on steroids. Their untimely exit (you knew it happened, come on) gives the others guys a chance to shine. The other guys are of course Ferrell and Wahlberg. Two polar opposites that when together make for some laughs.

Wahlberg plays up on his bad boy rep as he berates Ferrell every chance he gets. This is a fish out of water style of film for Wahlberg who finally just seems to have found his footing in comedy. Specifically this style of comedy. Ferrell tones it down a notch, but does his typical long winded comedic bits at others. His backstory involving hoes and pimps was a huge misfire in my opinion.

Eva Mendes is the sexy wife who gets nothing to do but be the good looking woman of the film. Her role is minute and her talents are kind of wasted, she does the best she can with the material. I really dug Michael Keaton as the Captain. With this film and Toy Story 3, I hope he has the comeback his so deserves.

The comedy is really hit and miss. I expected it to be a lot worse. As far as McKay and Ferrell comedies go, it's pretty light. It's more grounded than their previous efforts and actually has a bit of plot to give the viewer. The Other Guys is a rental.

Enter the Void

2010-09-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

First I have to say "Enter The Void" technical masterpiece. The use of the camera is creative and splendid and makes the whole movie as a roller coaster ride. The special effects are really, really special. I got hooked on these technical superiority's in "Enter The Void" that I got all thrilled down my spine. Watching it at the cinema really gave it an incredible touch. The sound was ear piercing and in some scenes it made me jump in the seat. It could go almost half and hour without any dialog, just remarkable scenes and CGI. You could think by this description it's a joyful and happy movie, but it's really not. It's dark, sea bottom dark. This movie have everything all parents wants to keep away from their children. I just get the feelings this movie would get so censored in America it would be a whole other film when showed over the ocean. But censoring this movie is fatal and would kill it. I certainly hope everyone is going to get sucked into the void just as I did.

It was a great experience, I can't deny it, but what made me put an 8/10 was the length. Sometimes Gaspar really could have made some shots shorter, there were unnatural long phases that were totally unnecessary. So that's why I give it an eight. Other then that I see no faults in this masterpiece. Go watch as soon as it shows up in a cinema close to you.

Resident Evil: Afterlife

2010-09-07T04:41:00.000-07:00

From the first minute to the end of the credits, this movie is a zombie movie lover's fantasy. Imagine crossing Shaun of the Dead and Kung Fu Hustle and you'll have a small idea of what kind of movie you're in for when you watch Resident Evil: Afterlife.

I scour the world of film to find movies that stand out to me as being worthy of owning. I'm very picky when it comes to movies, and I've seen many films that fall into the "zombie" category which end up being nothing short of wasted time in my life once I reach the ending. I am not a fan of Shaun of the Dead simply because it only is a comedy, as it mocks the entire genre of horror movies and zombie flicks. Resident Evil: Afterlife is much the same in the way that you try to open your mind to it and wonder how long it will be before you can accept it's another sorry zombie movie, before you realize that you're laughing hysterically aloud at flying heads and spurting blood.

The plot sucks and has more holes than a moth-eaten sock. The zombies don't follow normal rules of engagement and the film just substitutes gore for true well written horror. Imagine zombies being killed by a newly deceased spirit and people being possessed and killing themselves. Zombies specialized in exorcising just die by strangulation! That is ridiculous. Guys, don't watch this one. Its not worth the time at all! I hope this review and my comments have helped you make your decision about this movie. Overall 2/10

Toy Story 3

2010-09-04T16:38:00.001-07:00

I was about 10 or 12 when I watched the first Toy Story in the cinema with my little sister. We were all enchanted! Years later Toy Story 2 came out and it was a blast! Again we all went to the theater to see it and we were so thrilled and excited after the movie! Im 18 now. No doubt that the animation is better than ever, the guys from Pixar constantly push the limits, but that's kinda natural for them. But still it feels like 100% Toy Story, with all the improvements, somehow I don't feel this 15-years-wide gap between the first and the third part.

What matters more is the (Toy) Story itself! And it is just fantastic! I had really high expectations of this film and honestly, after seeing it, my expectations were surpassed! The plot is really emotional, with so many nostalgic moments... Being kinda grown-up myself, but doing my growing-up with the first two parts of Toy Story, I couldn't relate more with this one! I was really touched! I just wish the theater was empty. Then I could stop holding back my tears! And it's not just t the big story, but also all those little things that go on around it! I don't know how many of those references and gags were in the script and how many were put in there in the making process, but it's just amazing! Even if it's the most dramatic and the darkest of the 3 (as dark as Toy Story can get) the comedy is still there, and I was laughing out loud all the way through! It's a wild roller-coaster, and I'm not even sure who will have more fun with it, if it will be the kids, or their parents! There's just so much more in there for you to notice, admire and laugh at! And I'm sure that after watching the film again I'll find out even more! There's also a really neat Totoro cameo, and it's great of Pixar to pay homage to their old friend, Miyazaki san.

The old lovable characters are all here, and they are joined by an army of new ones, and each one of them has his real personality and you can recognize in them characteristics of someone, both visually and with their attitude they express different things and you instinctively feel what these toys stand for. It's really funny to recognize in them some movie archetypes or features of people that you know.

I realize that I just poured out tons of superlatives, but there's nothing else you can say about this film! It has everything! (And about how many 3rd parts you can say that?) The only thing I could criticize is that there is one really freaky baby-toy, that can give the creeps to the smaller kids, but it's done on a purpose and for me it was really an enjoyable touch to the atmosphere of the film.

To wrap up this review, I will just say - Thank you, Pixar! 10/10

Vampires Suck (2010)

2010-09-02T04:22:00.000-07:00

So far, the Twilight films have been extremely disappointing and they have all received pretty low ratings from me. I decided to check out Vampires Suck, thinking it would be a good laugh. Unfortunately, I could count the amount of times I laughed on one hand.

The film was full of cheap gimmicks, badly written lines that were not even close to being funny and actually, much like the Twilight films themselves, terribly structured with mass chunks of uneventful time filling.

The lead actress is a fantastic Kristen Stewart impersonator - literally every twitch, facial expression and bodily movement is spot-on. Even her voice is extremely similar! Having never seen her in anything else however, it remains to be seen how far her acting skills actually stretch.

There is really nothing much to comment on, simply because there was nothing in the film that was really worth noting. Don't bother seeing this one - simply AWFUL!
Over all i give it 3/10

Salt

2010-09-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

While I was expecting a little more sophistication in the plot department I realized that such a thing couldn't happen when US versus Russia is at play. (To my knowledge the Cold War is over and the spy business has become more complicated than ever. This oversimplification of old enemies and their wars is too much.) The plot is all over the place and realism is thrown out of the door. There are too many things happening in the movie that are too convenient and even impossible. Still it didn't keep me from enjoying this movie. It even managed to thrill me at occasions even if I was aware that most of the plot was nonsense. Jolie does an excellent job as the action heroine. The action is that makes this movie tick and that is almost the only thing that should count in a movie like this.Ignore the bashing and trashing of Jolie. This is pure entertainment!

Overall 4/5!

Grown Ups

2010-09-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

I am fan of Adam Sandler and Chris Rock (comedian, not actor). I've watched all of Sandler's movies but lately his movies just aren't as funny to me. It's either cuz I'm growing up or there's a serious lack of quality control in his films.

I got the impression that the script was written in a weekend and then shot without testing the jokes.

There were LOTS of jokes but many felt forced or just went over my head. The family moments were forced and felt awkward to even watch. I cringed and felt bad for the actors.

I think the circle of friends have what it takes to make a great comedy, but I think they'll need to work harder. I know they can do better cuz there were a few Kodak moments in there - classic Sandler humor.

Overall 3/5

Piranha 3D

2010-09-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Splatter flicks of the 1970s and 80s tend to have a real fun factor to them, as opposed to darker gore films like the 'Saw' franchise. Once in a while a group of filmmakers will attempt to homage those films, some succeeding and others not. Peter Jackson blew us away with his 'Dead Alive,' which piles on the blood, guts, and goo to the point of being hysterical. There have been some pretty graphic Horror films since, but who knew that the remake of the 1978 Joe Dante cult classic would rival Jackson's over-the-top gorefest? We're not talking about great art here people, but pure and simple trashy Horror fun like we haven't seen on the big screen in some time.

Pros: The cast does it's best with the minimal material they have. Lots of gorgeous underwater and above water photography. Apart from one section of the film, the pace just zips along. Fantastic special and visual effects. Ample amounts of blood and gore. Also some great gore gags. Made with a real sense of fun. Occasionally pretty funny. The massacre sequence is actually pretty terrifying and stomach churning.

Cons: With a movie like this you don't expect brilliant writing, but it still could have been better. Plot is almost non-existent. There's a section of the film which includes divers going into an underwater cavern and the filming of a "Girls Gone Wild" style video above that really drags. Goes by so fast and is so short that there's no room for any real tension, which would have given the film some extra oomph.

Final thoughts: This film seems to have come at the right time. Not a bad way to end the summer. Sure it's all pretty mindless, maybe too much so, but who doesn't enjoy a good 90 minutes of pure bloody goofy fun now and again?

My rating: 3/5

UK Opening This Week

2010-08-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

UK Opening This Week

The Other Guys
The Switch
Why Did I Get Married Too?
Bonded by Blood
13Hrs

UK Box Office Monday 30 August 2010

2010-08-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

UK Box Office

1.	The Expendables	£3.91M
2.	Salt	£2.17M
3.	Toy Story 3	£2.09M
4.	Piranha	£1.49M
5.	Marmaduke	£1.24M