The Lion King

 

While the Disney Renaissance presented us such great classics like "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Aladdin", they released another movie that has talking lions and other talking animals and such great wonder also known as "The Lion King". Before I begin, let me ask one question: Why is it that every movie you have saw just literally become such great classics? It's because of their creative efforts and mere pride and this movie is one of them.

The story tells of a young cub named Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), the son of Mufasa (James Earl Jones) who is destined to become king of the Pride Rock. One day, Simba's ruthless evil uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) plots to take over Pride Rock by killing his father and tricks Simba into feeling guilty which causes him to flee from the kingdom never to return. Once he disappears, he meets two friends named Timon, a meek rat, and Pumbaa, a warthog who helps teach him the meaning of "Hakuna Matata". A few years later, after reuniting with his friend Nala, Simba, now an adult (Matthew Broderick) realizes that he doesn't know who he is anymore and is aware that Scar has destroyed everything that the lions had hunted for. He is then persuaded to return to Pride Rock and must overthrow his uncle to restore the kingdom to its rightful place.

After its success at the box office with $783 (Now $912) million dollars which marks this movie as the 32nd highest grossing feature film, everything else has been praised due to Disney and their intelligence.

The music score by Hans Zimmer and the songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice were considered to be successful in cinema history, The animation and characters were very memorable, The acting was superb and the cinematography was terrific.

The Lion King is one of the greatest animated movies of all time and is one of my childhood favorites that will teach me that this movie means no worries. Thank you Disney. With your charm and brilliance, a thumbs up from me.

10/10

Back to the Future

 
Back to the Future is one of those rare, almost forgotten, pieces of pop culture that, surprisingly, draws little attention to itself. Unlike such notable gimmicks as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, and Independence Day, there aren't any low-budget leeches trying to imitate off this work and cash-in on its success. This is due to the near flawless script. Why it didn't win an Oscar, you're guess is as good as mine. Making a time-travel storyline as in this movie that doesn't fall into plot holes the size of Terminator's is exceptionally difficult. I'd know.

The film starts slow, and gradually accelerates as it progresses. You could almost call it a Jerry Bruckheimer movie for kids with Spielberg's trademark nostalgia. The characters themselves are typical stereotypes for a movie like this and none of them, not even Marty himself, gel with potential. In some ways it's as if MAD magazine made the film in an attempt to be serious.

With such an automotive obsession as this film has, one must wonder if George Lucas was involved.

Overall, I have to praise this movie for its inventiveness and originality, even if it created most of our time-travel cliches. 4 out of 5 stars. Well worth your time.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

 

On a partial first viewing, I didn't like "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." I thought it was a slow, tedious story about a bunch of unpleasant jerk characters involved in a bog-standard conflict over money. It all seemed very macho and self-consciously cool, and it had obviously inspired all the overrated macho directors I don't like in my own generation - Tarantino, for example, and Robert Rodriguez. In short, I was unimpressed.

Years later, after hours of convinsing by my dad I gave the film a second shot, watching it all the way through this time. I loved it. What had changed?

For one thing, I took more notice of the technical side of the film. I paid attention to Leone's famous use of close-ups, his selection of memorable character actors, and his wonderful scene-setting. I admired the detailed sets and the sweeping landscapes, the props and the costumes and all those weird, wonderful faces that Leone clearly loved to photograph.

I also got hooked by some of the quieter moments that I had skipped over in my first viewing. One of the most effective scenes involves Eli Wallach's character, Tuco, quarreling with his brother when they meet after they've been apart for years. Their argument is great, emotionally charged stuff, made all the more effective by the suggestion that they really do love and care about each other. It's the kind of sensitive, human scene you never get to see in a Tarantino or Rodriguez movie.

Before I get too fuzzy-wuzzy, I should also like to point out that, on my second viewing, I LOVED all the action, too. Every gunfight is great, in its own way, and they're all a bit different. The greatest of them all is, of course, the final confrontation between the trio, which is accompanied by some of the most rousing music I've ever heard in a film. And hey, there's even a huge Civil War battle to provide a change of pace from all the small-scale action.

Ultimately, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is probably just a potboiler of a film, without too much to say about, for example, the human condition. But what a potboiler! It doesn't have to try to be cool - it simply IS cool. In fact, it probably defined heroic coolness for an entire generation. Eli Wallach's performance, Leone's direction and Morricone's music alone are enough to elevate it to classic status - and the fact that everything else in the movie is great, too, helps elevate it to the level of perhaps the greatest action film ever made.

And to think, I missed all that the first time through...

Blog award

So i have been nominated by TheRandomGuy for the Leibster award.
And  I'm very surprised and pleased. Thanks a lot bro, I appreciate it.

 

(Shameful copy pasting):

So pretty much, here are the rules to accept the award:

• Link back to the person who gave you the award.
• Pick 5 people deserving of the award and notify them on their blogs.
• Post the award on your blog and spread the love.

 so now i have to pick 5 people who deserve the award:

1.  Baur
2. My2Pesos
3.  Come at me bro
4. Zyu
5.  Shockgrubz

Gratz, you deserve it 

Saving Private Ryan

 

It gives a million reason why no one should go to war and one very powerful reason to go to war. It is a soul numbing realistic depiction of what our grandfathers, fathers, uncles, brothers and sons have faced in humanities darkest moments. Not just in WWII but in any war. No one can see this movies without being altered in some way. No one should miss it with the EXCEPTION of those war veterans that have already been there. The surround sound puts the audience in the middle of the battle.

Steven Spielberg has out done himself and effectively held up a mirror to civilization for events to which we should all be ashamed of, rather than appalled at the movie for its real life depictions. I suggest that this movie be made standard view for congress as well as the President each and every time the question of war comes up. This movie would not stop future wars but I would hope the objectives would be much more clearly defined. I say this as a US Marine.

Gladiator

This is wonderful storytelling. The opening Battle Scene simply mesmerizes, showing the brutal nature of combat for Roman conquests. I went back to see the film again. The first time I didn't hear anything Crowe said before the battle. I was just too visually caught-up. The second time I listened very closely and caught the wise yet succinct line from Maximus "what we do in life... echoes in eternity." Awesome.

A simple man v. an emperor. I just loved the resilience Maximus showed throughout the movie. I find in most movies, there is an irritatingly slow process where the character has to "find himself," not so with Gladiator. Maximus does what is needed.

I liked how there were only two or three issues within this film. One was the afterlife. Aspects of the afterlife are opened, but not overdone. Love of family is given sizable focus. I liked the theme of love of country that we see as well, although it may not be justly deserved, it is never questioned.

The visual effects were amazing. It actually had me wanting to believe that's the way Rome actually looked in all it's glory. The battle of Carthage reenactment was really great.

The ending is just hypnotic. Intentionally or unintentionally it was simply emotional. The music is wonderfully beautiful as if Maximus' family are telling him...you have arrived.

Bottom line: magnificent. Visually and emotionally satisfying.

Batman - The Dark Knight

 

I had the honor of watching TDK during a screening and was completely blown away! This isn't just the best Batman movie ever made, this is one of the best movie ever made. Everything in this film is excellent, not one piece of annoyance.

Bale marvels as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Ledger has made The Joker in to an iconic movie villain. His performance belongs there at the top with Hopkins Lecter. The Joker has finally been portrait properly on film, he has earned his place between the big boys in movie villandom. This is the true Joker every Batman fan knows, loves and fears. Ledger deserves any and every movie award known to man for this brilliant display.

Nolan has made his "I will always be remembered" movie, this is the crownjewel in his portfolio. Perfect directing, perfect story, perfect balance between action and drama, everything is perfect.

Even if you hate Batman, you will love this film. If you don't, then something beez wrongz with youz!

 

Christopher Nolan (and cast) have pulled off what I hadn't dared to dream - a Batman every bit as good as Burton/Keaton's vision - and eradicated the camp, feverish memories of Clooney, Kilmer and (cough..) O'Donnell.

The story is as good an origin story as you'll find - covering all the major (true-to-the-comic) events, and not wasting ages on them. We see Wayne's all-important training period (previously ignored), and his connection to the Tibetan shadow-ninja clan led by Ra's Al Ghul. We see Bruce come up with ideas for his symbol, his costume, his gadgets, his car, his cave - IT ALL FITS SO PERFECTLY.

That's not all - Liam Neeson is perfect (as ever, when Lucas isn't writing his lines), Batman's first mad nemesis (the Scarecrow) is genuinely frightening; with some outstandingly scary 'fear' effects.. Gary Oldman looks just like a young Commissioner Gordon (and doesn't dominate), Morgan Freeman and Rutger Hauer give solid heavyweight support to the boardroom machinations at Wayne Enterprizes. I love Michael Gough(?) but Michael Caine is great as Alfred. It's only Katie Holmes who didn't ring true for me - not because of her performance, but simply because she looks all of 15 years old (sorry Katie). I am always blown away by Christian Bale, and this is no exception.

The fights are great, the Bat-gadgets all there, the car is amazing, the plot is thorough and exciting, Gotham looks great, Batman really is frightening & menacing (and lethal!).. And the scenes with the bats themselves FINALLY get across the idea of how scary they can be.

There is some humour, but it's fairly dry. The soundtrack, like all the best original soundtracks, is excellent - you hardly know it's there, but the emotions of the scene are enhanced and boosted. For the most part this is a serious Batman film, with plenty for long-time fans. This NEW Batman is one I'd like to see again. Bravo Mr Nolan, bravo.




Also i feel in love with this actor (no-homo):

Started watching every single movie by him.

Fight Club

 

The script was tight, the theme fascinating, the acting incredible (especially Edward Norton, as one might expect), the direction inspired, and the cinematography stunning. It is one of the few films of the past five years that deserves to be seen multiple times. In fact, if you have seen it only once, you have missed something. I was seriously hoping the movie would receive Oscar nominations for Best Actor (Norton), Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Picture.

So, how is it that the film received no nominations? Unfortunately, it had a mismatched ad campaign. The ads made it seem like the movie was about street boxing, instead of a intellectual and emotional ride through a man's psyche as he takes a strange path toward rebellion against consumer society. As a result, most who went to see it were disappointed, and those who would recognize its brilliance stayed far away from the movie theaters. This is one of the most underrated movies I know.

I always love movies that keep you entertained and keep you guessing, and this movie scores a 10 in both. Those who enjoyed The Game, Memento, or The Matrix really should check it out.

Good Will Hunting

 

Sure, this film's plot is fairly predictable. Sure, if you boiled it down to its essential components it wouldn't amount to much. Sure, Will Hunting's genius is profoundly unrealistic.

Yet I'm giving this one 10 out of 10.

I don't know whether Matt and Ben have ever been in therapy, but they certainly understand a lot about the human psyche, how it ducks responsibility, and pushes blame onto others, how it dismisses the real gifts it has and concentrates on running itself down. How many of us suffer from the same problems as Will? Only those who deny their own vulnerability will remain unaffected by this film.

Not only is the script powerful, but the dynamics between the characters - all of them selfish, even Skylar - is vividly and plausibly executed. The film just about manages to avoid easy answers, preferring to acknowledge (indeed, highlight) the complexity and pain of personal growth and self-realisation.

You could read a lot of self-help books, but they won't bring across to you as powerfully as this film what it's like to be scared, what it's like to experience loss, how difficult it is to shake off your old ways of thinking, how important honesty to yourself is. If this is the kind of revelation Matt and Ben are going to come up with, I look forward to their future efforts.

The first time I saw it, I felt moved as the credits rolled. On my way home from the cinema, I felt sombre. When I got home, I finally burst into tears. This film burns slowly, inside you.

As cinema, it's fair to middling. The performances are all first class. The script is a jewel. As wisdom, it's second to none. A fine achievement.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 


I know its an old movie but as a movie watcher, I tend to become bored with the constant, overdone, overdrawn, underplayed, overdramatized performance and production quality of most Hollywood films. It's a trait that in recent years has sadly driven me away from most big budget American films. A decent idea will become mangled by the money making machine that is Hollywood, hoping to pump the most raw cash they can out of it before it drops dead in the street.

We all saw the catastophre of a failure that arose from the Matrix Franchise. Such immense hype and professed genius only made the failure all the more poignant for those of us that really wanted and expected more from the franchise.

That all being said, I must say that The Lord of the Rings is an amazingly powerful visual experience. Not even just a visual experience. Peter Jackson has crafted one of the finest written pieces of our era into THE quintessential epic. He supplements the brilliant storytelling of JRR Tolkien with one of the most awe-inspiring collection of films ever created.

The 7 hours of film that leads up to the Return of the King is only precursor though, when you sit and watch this film. It's just plain brilliance. Everything about the film is wonderful. The manner in which Jackson has arranged the scenes, detracting slightly from the original flow of the novel really helps to keep the suspense strong in all three story branches. The Tolkien humor is intact perfectly and the gallantry and just plain coolness of these heroes is plain amazing. (Check out Legolas in the BIG battle) It's all just too much for words.

If one were to gripe, and I suppose there will never be a film made that one cannot find a point at which to grip, it is painfully long running time here. I personally believe that this is the only way such a film could be made, true to the source material and completely engrossing, but I found myself more worried about the pain in my posterior than the emotional final minutes after 4 hours (including ads and previews) that I had spent in a cramped seat. As such, this will be all the better (at least for me) when it's release on DVD (can't wait for the extended...get to see the Sauroman scenes that they cut out).

As a film though, this is amazing. A true lasting legacy in story telling and now cinema. Bravo Mr. Jackson.

The Grey

Warning! This is not a date movie, nor a Disney nature pic. Do not take your kids under 16 or so (maybe a mature 14 or 15). Do not take your grandmother. Do not take your faint-of-heart girlfriend. But if you want a kick ass action movie that does not take the usual course of 'action' flicks and, as some of the above reviews state, a movie that will stay with you a while this is it. This movie does not have car chases, nor 'bad guys', so don't go looking for those. This is a movie that gets into your head. Liam Neeson is one of my favorite actors in almost anything he's in, but this role seems tailored to him. Ottway is a broken man at the start of the movie, as he himself says in his first few lines. He works at the end of the world doing a dirty job to protect the scum that have washed up with him there. Yet there is steel in him that only tremendous adversity can bring out. In this movie the cold and frozen landscape is as much a character as any of the supporting cast, and on a par with the wolves to challenge any man. I once saw Neeson as Ethan Frome and I thought that was a bleak, cold landscape. This movie is several degrees bleaker and colder. The supporting cast are great as a batch of misfit men thrust into a situation they have never had any preparation for. This film could have been written by Hemingway and Jack London collaborating with Homer. Do round up bunch of your buddies and go see this movie - oh, and stay till after the credits roll. Seriously.

The Thing 2011

 

Like most, when I heard they were going to remake John Carpenter's The Thing, I got worried. Then I heard the interesting news that it was going to be a prequel, focusing on the Norwegian's story that was alluded to in the first film. I became very curious to see what they would do with it. If you've seen the original movie, you know for a fact there is only ONE way this movie can end. And there are also several key moments that needed to occur in order to keep in tune with the continuity.

Well you know what? Not a single beat was missed. From the red axe in the wall to the two faced creature burned in the snow to even the dog running from the helicopter. IT'S ALL THERE. And it's amazing. This prequel kept the spirit of the original film and a lot of themes while even embellishing and complimenting them. It was excellent. I have never been more pleased by a prequel or even a sequel for that matter.

And I honestly think it's harder to make a prequel, because you have stricter guidelines. But this movie shines as a perfect example of what a proper prequel should look like. Nothing was over looked and every important detail was accounted for. And as people have already stated, the epilogue, mixed with the Carpenter theme is not only awesome, its chilling.

There is nothing wrong with this prequel film and no true Carpenter fan should find a reason to complain. It in no way detracts from the first movie at all.

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

 

There were many skeptics leading into this new season (not technically season 2) of "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena", many feared it would not be worth watching without Andy Whitfield. For those with concerns, here is some advice: watch it! The major antagonist was lost from the previous season, but the character depth/story of the new leading actor is building AND new depths of past characters from "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" are unveiled. The history of how they developed is fascinating. The relationship differences between the two season are significant, thus there is a huge void of curiosity leftover to reveal how they developed to become the personalities they portrayed in season 1.

It would be remiss to leave out the absolute, succulent gratuity that peaks our senses! The world is enriched with beautiful people, outstanding wardrobes cast in a time that fascinates most, the Roman Empire. Did I mention that many of these beautiful people are quite revealing? Nudity! It is with taste I might add! Of course, references to porn are made, but no porn has the character depth and sophistication that gives the sexual scenes the passion that is conveyed in this series. The necessity to produce these scenes is important in fostering the time-period's stance of sexual openness. The costume range is great; the rich are adorned with lavish jewelry and a colorful, flowing wardrobe which is artistically chosen, and for the poor, well sometimes they are left with nothing. The gladiators are especially left without much clothing, but the armor they do wear is often demonic, intimidating and everything you would naturally expect to find on a person when they are fighting to the DEATH!

The fight scenes are well choreographed and blood is everywhere! The array of weapons to choose from, the differences in fighting styles, the varying levels of fighting skill all make for interesting battles in the arena. Also, bear in mind that the arena is not only for physical fighting, but the political fold is the pressing force behind the fights. Basically, it is more than just a fight, what you see is not entirely what you get. The fight's value is difference for the gladiator, than it is for the crowd, than it is for the owner's of the gladiators; and, these differences are excellently contrasted. The graphics are not top-notch, but it adds a stylistic element to the show. The blood is vibrant and sometimes seems to defy physics--it's great! The acting is intense and the director seems to strive away from being "natural" which is good. The intensity is not monochromatic and individual to each characters personality.

In a short and sweet summary, this gratuitous mash of beautiful people, fight scenes, political undertones is nothing short of brilliant. Watch it for what it is and you will not be disappointed.

The Shawshank Redemtion

 
I believe that this film is the best story ever told on film, ever, and I'm about to tell you why.

Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a city banker, wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. He is sent to Shawshank Prison in 1947 and receives a double life sentence for the crime. Andy forms an unlikely friendship with "Red" (Morgan Freeman), the man who knows how to get things. Andy faces many trials in prison, but forms an alliance with the wardens because he is able to use his banking experience to help the corrupt officials amass personal fortunes. The story unfolds....

I was so impressed with how every single subplot was given a great deal of respect and attention from the director. The acting was world-class. I have never seen Tim Robbins act as well since, Morgan Freeman maybe (e.g. Seven). The twists were unexpected, an although this film had a familiar feel, it wasn't even slightly pretentious or cliched, it was original. The cinematography was grand and expressive. It gave a real impression of the sheer magnitude of this daunting prison.

But the one thing which makes THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION stand above all other films, is the attention given to the story. The film depends on the story and the way in which it unravels. It's a powerful, poignant, thought-provoking, challenging film like no other. If Andy were to comment on this film, I think he might say: "Get busy watching, or get busy dying." Take his advice.

Thoroughly recommended.

Inglourious Basterds

 
I will just start with some quotes from other reviewers that describes it the best.

"This is easily one of the most overrated films of the year and probably the worst film Tarantino has ever done." "The ONLY good thing in this movie was the performance of Mr. Waltz".

"So I was really disappointed, and seeing this movie on place #40 of the greatest movies of all time is the only thing about this, that leaves me with my mouth opened" Now for more details go and read "Hated it" reviews.

One thing I hate about a movie is when it treats audience as bunch of dumb people. (Spoiler ahead). Now I know Tarantino's style is based on fantasy and fictitious plots, but come on, Adolf Hitler and 200 top Nazis Officers will be in attendance of a movie premier in occupied France and you have only two guards in the whole theater and the surroundings? Where also an American-African walks around freely with steel pipes locking doors and setting fire. These 2 guards are then executed in seconds opening the door for our 2 "heroes" to slay Hitler at point blank with around 100 rounds... very dumb. At least, challenge our intelligence and create a smarter plot to kill one of the most feared tyrants of all time (Go watch Valkyrie). Besides, Mike Myers impersonation of a British general is more realistic and authentic than the guy doing Hitler, just picture that.

What ruined it further, is that the only smart and powerful character, which nailed everyone in the movie, with his psychological and mind bending interrogations, ends up to be effortlessly tricked by the most mindless character in the movie.

After watching the movie, I was sympathizing with Nazis, who were portrayed to have more bravery and humanity than our Basterds!!! Imagine that.

My recommendations, if you have insomnia, 2hrs 33 min to waste or you want to give your mind a break, go watch this movie.

Supremacy 1914 Review

Supremacy 1914 is a free online multi-player real-time strategy RPG. Up to 30 competitors battle for several weeks for control of Europe. Both, military and diplomatic skills will be essential on your road to victory!

Click here for full image

This review made a particular description of the game start. Here you can see the analysis of graphics, sounds, the interface of the game etc. Will Supremace 1914 be your favorite game? Check details below:

The highlights are firstly the environment which is well promoted by the carefully selected graphics. The whole setup makes you think you are really into 1914 and taking decisions for your country.

Another highlight is the strategy when moving your troops. If you have played Risk (the board game), you will find that the game map structure is much similar to it. This enhances strategy and players have to be very careful as war may not always be declared; Surprise attacks are pretty common.
The graphics are nothing special but still they are enough. Perhaps some improvements could be made into the moving units on the map which are currently represented by a single pin stick.

The game has no sound and perhaps this is something to consider as this is not a classic browser game. Perhaps with an extra download players could download some music files. It would further enhance the environment.

The interface is not perfect and certain weaknesses have to do with the amount of precision you got to have at times. However it quickly becomes familiar and all you got to do is to try and have some patience.
All your progress is rated with ranking points, which contribute in your character total. There is a series of ranks which you earn in your way up and these ranks are used to discern you from other players, a symbol of your skill and experience within the game.

The community seems to be noisily active and this is obvious by looking at the active games as well as the forums. We hadn’t the time to actually meet the players but in such a game it seems that community can be a heavy part of enjoyment so always be careful with whom you team up.

As im writing this I'm currently playing two games. One of them im Burma and together with vietnam am invading the provinces between us. The other game, I am The Arch Duke of Norther russia, who just formed an alliance with Russia and mobilising troops to attack Sweeden.

I would greately appreciate if you used my referal to chekc the game out, it helps me gain some GoldMarks (in game currency):
http://www.supremacy1914.com/index.php?id=177&lp=2&lpv=1&uid=17477
Thanks

30 Minutes or less

 

Despite multiple viewings, I was never a fan of Zombieland. It was not a horrible film by any measure, and was quite the debut feature for Reuben Fleischer, but it still disappointed me every time I tried to watch it. So I went into an advanced screening of his follow-up 30 Minutes or Less this week with significantly lower expectations. Rather thankfully, it surpassed all of them and then some.

Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a bit of a slacker, and living a fairly miserable life. He delivers pizzas for a living, while his roommate Chet (Aziz Ansari) has just started teaching in a local elementary school. On the last delivery of the night, Nick gets jumped by two wannabe- criminals, Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson). They want to have Dwayne's father killed, but cannot come up with the money in order to get it done right. So they strap a bomb to Nick's chest, and give him ten hours to rob a bank and bring the money back to them.

30 Minutes or Less is a rare breed of comedy, especially for this summer. It may sound derivative, and may sound even more like it has too much going on at once. But after a chaotically hilarious opening twenty minutes, the film nestles into its niche, and quickly becomes a fairly twisted story that gets more outrageous and dark with every turn. But instead of slowly falling apart like Horrible Bosses and especially The Hangover Part II, the film stays consistent throughout, balancing its tone and its laughs exceptionally. Despite being shorter than Zombieland, Fleischer and screenwriter Michael Diliberti pack in enough material to allow the story to flow briskly, while also never finding a moment to slow down. The one-liners come faster and furiously with every passing minute, and you may miss a lot from laughing so hard. This is a ludicrously high-concept comedy that could have gone horrendously wrong (especially given how dangerously close it plays out to a real life event), but it thankfully rarely misses the mark it sets out for itself.

Sin City

I'm only a marginal comics fan - I read a bunch of stuff over the course of a year or two in college and haven't read much at all since. Frank Miller was my favorite writer then and the I always loved the Sin City series. I didn't realize the movie was even being made until I saw the notice for the preview screening (if that's an indication of how much I follow comics these days).

This movie was as perfect an adaptation of those books as I could imagine. The look, cast, atmosphere, everything was just spot on. The stories were all gripping and intertwined with each other nicely and I thought the brief Josh Hartnett spots were great bookends to the movie. I was amazed the entire length of the screening.

If you're into comics at all you'll love this movie. You won't be disappointed. I'm not sure how to recommend it to others but you certainly don't need to be a comics fan to enjoy it. I loved it without reservation.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

 

To my dismay this movie has been accused of dealing with the addressed subjects only on the surface and just trying to shock the audience with extreme imagery. I strongly have to disagree with that. "Das Parfum" may be a lot of things but shocking sure isn't one of them. Of course it is visually overwhelming and not only with pictures of pretty flowers and sounds of the wind softly shaking the trees on a warm summer night but what is this movie, if not a piece about the sensuality of the human being? Yes, it is about smells but smelling is just simply not one of the things you can experience while sitting in a movie theatre. This motion picture however comes very close to it. We see close-ups on maggots crawling around and fish getting their heads chopped of but also human bodies in all their perfection and people declaring their honest love for one another. It might be impossible to make the audience fully understand the world in which Jean-Baptiste Grenouille lives but it does manage to create a similar vibe that brings us close to what Grenouille "feels" when he smells. Tom Tykwer beautifully achieves to always put the audience in the right mood, with the help of an amazing soundtrack and great camera work.

One could criticize that Ben Wishaw is too good looking for the part but we have to keep in mind that this story is supposed to be about the character of Grenouille and the way he himself sees his live. Since to him, the smell is the soul of every being, his appearance does not matter to him. So we might as well thank Tom Tykwer for casting an actor who is pretty decent to look at for two and half hours.

Please watch this movie without any prejudices. Open your mind to images and sounds and try to imagine what your feeling could "smell" like. And even if that does not work you can still just enjoy a beautifully told story. Either way, you will be touched.

Pulp Fiction

 

To put this in context, I am a fan of Sci-Fiction and I have to say that this is the best film I have seen without doubt and I don't expect it will be beaten as far as I am concerned. Obviously times move on, and I acknowledge that due to its violence and one particularly uncomfortable scene this film is not for everyone, but I still remember watching it for the first time, and it blew me away. Anyone who watches it now has to remember that it actually changed the history of cinema. In context- it followed a decade or more of action films that always ended with a chase sequence where the hero saved the day - you could have written those films yourself. Pulp had you gripped and credited the audience with intelligence. There is not a line of wasted dialogue and the movie incorporates a number of complexities that are not immediately obvious. It also resurrected the career of Grease icon John Travolta and highlighted the acting talent of Samuel L Jackson. There are many films now that are edited out of sequence and have multiple plots etc but this is the one they all want to be, or all want to beat, but never will.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

 

I'm not a fan of Tom Cruise as a person and that sometimes influences my opinion on a film. Even with this point in the back of my mind I must say that Tom Cruise still got it. He's a fantastic actor who doesn't even chose to have a stunt double in MI4. I couldn't even think of trying some of these. Now to the main film. You may think it's going to be just like all the other action movies and all the other Mission: Impossible parts. But with every new part of the series it gets even more spectacular: the equipment is beyond imagination, the locations are mind blowing, the secret plans are super clever, the characters are cool and smart. Also the trailer was that good that I just wanted to see this at the movies and couldn't wait for it to be released. I haven't seen any MI film at the movies and this was definitely a great decision. The best action film in years.

I'm giving it a 10/10 because there was nothing I didn't like about this movie and it was worth every cent!

War Horse

This is a wonderful "against all odds" inspirational story about courage and relationships. A horse of truly amazing spirit touches the lives of so many during War I - including British soldiers, German soldiers, French civilians and even other horses. I cannot recall any foul language throughout the film. The background and drama are epic. Steven Spielberg will take you through many emotions from humor, to sadness, to tears of joy. The scenery is gorgeous, the acting splendid, and the performances by the animals is simply remarkable. The cinematography has to be the best I've seen in a film. The last scene alone is a masterpiece.

Jeremy Irvine as "Albert" was particularly outstanding. I was also moved by the performance of French actor Niels Arestrup as the Grandfather and that of Celine Buckens who plays Emilie - his granddaughter. Of course, the War Horse -Joey- steals the show.

I cannot give a film any higher recommendation than I give this one. You will be moved to tears. Everyone in the family will enjoy it and you'll be pleased that you "participated" because you will be fully invested in this story emotionally.

How to train your dragon

 
Hiccup a young Viking befriends Toothless, a young dragon. This is the best movie I've seen since the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Virtually everything about it is wonderful. Rarely have I been so drawn in to an animated movie. The 3D aspects are thrilling and the movie has a great story, amazing animation, non stop action and a positive and constructive message. It made me want to go out and get a pet dragon. This movie is perfect for people of all ages. Now I know what a feel good movie is. This movie will make everyone feel good. Congratulations to all who contributed to this amazing film. It will make toy dragons a popular gift item. Hope to see it again and again. 3D at it's best.

Dexter

 
Dexter will never disappoint. Each and every episode is a work of art, and it never gets boring or old. To start, we have excellent deliveries from Michael C. Hall as the serial killer (yet a like-able one) known as Dexter Morgan. Add "The Excorcism Of Emily Rose" star Jennifer Carpenter, who plays Dexter's sometimes moody sister, Deb.

It's a hard accomplishment to get someone to actually love a serial killer. But Dexter is one of those few attempts that works. It's not forced upon you- the show doesn't shove the whole "well this serial killer had a terrible childhood..." in your face. And it doesn't need to in order to get you to love its main character. You just do.

Michael C. Hall can play any emotion he's handed. Jennifer Carpenter fits her character perfectly, as does everyone else in the cast.

Then there's the actual story lines. It's not cliché. It's actually scary and chilling. It keeps you guessing. It's one of those mysteries that is very difficult to solve, but it still keeps your interest.

'Dexter' can also be hilarious when it wants to be, depressing when it wants to be and especially thrilling when it wants to be. And it doesn't come across as trying too hard.

Strong writing, clever dialogue, talented stars. It all makes for a wonderful TV show. Definitely the best new show of the season and will become one of the best shows of all time.