Blue Orange Green Pink Purple

Dan In Real Life

This is a great movie! The acting is superb, the writing is top notch, the story is full of meaning and depth and it stays entertaining until the very end. The film is even more relevant if you're single; everything is captured perfectly, so much so that it's almost creepy, in hindsight. Obviously, I could point out the fact that the family is a little too perfect, or that it is at parts predictable, but to be honest, I don't give a damn. Go watch this movie.

In a sentence:

Amazing acting, storytelling and pacing, along with a story that captures the very essence of love and single life, make this very relevant and very entertaining. Probably my favorite romance so far.

Read More 0 comments |

Dumb and Dumber

I can see why this is a classic when I put it in the context of the time it was released: this was one of the first comedy road trip movies, as well as one of the first large Jim Carrey movies. In that sense, the status is well deserved. In addition, the writing is quite smart in its goofiness, and the acting and delivery are dead-on. The movie never loses its appeal. It's one of those movies that make you nostalgic about the 90s, and it contains elements and lines that are source for endless references.

If I had to complain, I'd say that this is really just a silly movie with no real point or depth, which is true. But it's so smart in its stupidity that it's hard not to like it anyway.

In a sentence:

Classic movie that spawned the comedy road trip movie and launched Jim Carrey's career. It's silly and pointless, but lovable and calculated in its stupidity.

Read More 0 comments |

The Spirit

One thing is obvious from the outset: this movie does not deserve its 14% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But then, as it moves along, I started liking it more and more despite its faults. Essentially, this is one of the best looking movies of all time, and is pumped full of style from beginning to end. Entertainment, however, remains its only purpose.

The story is as simple as they get, with zero substance whatsoever and cardboard characters. The style is a kind of hybrid of Sin City and 300, and while it ends up looking better than both, it doesn't feel very fresh anymore. The acting is over the top and the actors are A-list for the simple purpose of attracting audiences. HOWEVER, despite all this, the movie succeeds at its primary goal: it is very entertaining from start to finish, never gets boring and is different enough to not feel stale.

In a sentence:

Gorgeous, but not new. Stylish, but empty. Great actors, but cookie-cutter characters. This is 100% entertainment and 0% substance, but oh how entertaining it is.

Read More 0 comments |

Bedtime Stories

It's exactly what you'd expect, but it's a lot more entertaining than it sounds. The story is surprisingly unpredictable due to the uncertainty of what parts of the dreams will happen in real life, while also staying predictable in terms of main plot points and conclusion (what do you expect, it's a Disney movie). It's actually rather funny (not laugh-out-loud funny, but silly-funny like the really cute guinea pig) and contains some original morals for what is essentially a kid's movie.

In a sentence:

Definitely something I'd recommend watching to lighten the mood and just be entertained. It's not a normal kid movie and actually features some funny and original elements.

Read More 0 comments |

What Dreams May Come

This did not win "best visual effects" at the Oscars for nothing. Visually, it's like art, and has some of the more memorable scenes of all the movies I've ever seen. In terms of story, it's very unique and has some outstanding moments, but it is a bit strange sometimes (though that is arguably the point). The acting is great and fitting (although I had a pet peeve about the main actress's strange way of smiling and then becoming serious over and over and over), the pacing is quite nice and presents a lot of information in a short amount of time. The themes are fascinating and will lead to a lot of thought.

In a sentence:

Visually amazing and very original with a great story that will make you think for a long time about life and death. Sometimes it becomes a bit too weird, however.

Read More 0 comments |

SiCKO

Classic Michael Moore. This is, as usual, very entertaining but a bit sensationalist. He tends to compare the worst of one thing with the best of another to make the point that one is superior to the other, but generally speaking, Moore's arguments stay rational and make sense. Still, I really recommend watching this to at the very least be introduced to the subject, which is more important than we might think at first.

In a sentence:

Very entertaining and eye-opening, and while generally rational, it is slightly sensationalist.

Read More 0 comments |

Marley & Me

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would! Instead of a formulaic movie about a naughty dog, I got a hugely entertaining life story about family, work and pets. It manages to fit years of story into a 2 hour running time without seeming overly long or like it was missing important parts. Additionally, from what I can gather, it seems to be humanly impossible not to tear up during the ending... I'm serious, just try not to. Can't be done.

In a sentence:

Although slightly idyllic, this is a touching and extremely entertaining life story that thrives on the great acting and pacing. One of the best recent movies to watch with a loved one!

Read More 0 comments |

2Fast 2Furious

Well this is certainly a different breed of film from the first and fourth one. Instead of shamelessly ripping off Point Break like the first one, it recycles plot points from Miami Vice. And instead of the slower, more serious tone from the Vin Diesel story, this one goes all out on fast cuts, crazy wooping and cheering, vivid colours, racial stereotypes, women and, most importantly, neon-coloured cars. Brian goes from a calm and stone-faced guy in the first film to a constantly grinning goofoff in this one, and then back to his initial state in the fourth one. It's as if he's only happy when he's not in the Police.

Funnily enough, though, the fact that this is a no-holds-barred crazy movie full of colours and over-the-top ideas and acting makes it better than the fourth. The original is a multilayered masterpiece compared to this, but then 2F2F isn't trying to compete on the thoughtfulness front. It just wants to be fast and furious... and is it ever!

In a sentence:

Vivid colours, over the top acting, exotic cars and women, endless action scenes and colourful stereotypes as characters make this very entertaining, and entirely shallow.

Read More 0 comments |

A Clockwork Orange

Unfortunately, I saw this in a horribly translated french, but after watching a few clips on YouTube I managed to get a feel for what the movie should have been like originally. The strengths of this movie lie in its style and its philosophical and moral dilemmas. Stuff like this can only really come from the 70s and 60s, what with seemingly crazy and random objects actually having a rather profound significance (like the characters all drinking milk to hypnotic music, for example). As for the morality, I saw this in Philosophy class for a good reason: you've got enough stuff here to fuel a debate for hours, days, even years and decades.

What I didn't like was that the gratuitous nudity and violence haven't aged well over the years. What was once used to shock audiences into understanding how violent Alex really is now just seems inelegant, as if the director was some crazed pedophile putting wobbling breasts onscreen for as long as he can. It just seemed to me like the effect could be done much more effectively and in a more nuanced way through other means.

In a sentence:

Morally deep and stylishly unique, this is a classic that must be watched. However, the crudeness of the violent and sexual subject matter hasn't aged well and now just seems sloppy.

Read More 0 comments |

Fast & Furious

Cars, women, action, a one-dimensional plot but plenty of fun. Thus have gone all Fast and Furious movies so far, and this one is no different in that regard. What is different is that instead of focusing on cars or relashionships, it focuses on a horribly, horribly predictable story of revenge and drug dealing. And when I say predictable, I mean it: I saw every twist coming, could guess exactly what characters were going to say or do, and saw the ending coming from a mile away.

The cars and numerous races/chases simply serve to add the required "Bang", which somewhat hurts the franchise (seeing as car porn was one of the few things it actually had going for it). This would've been a welcome change if the story had had a particular point other than "we need to make another F&F movie!". All the plot ideas are recycled or go nowhere, and the screenwriters seemed to get a little confused by the end. It sort of felt like they cut out a third of the story to make space for Vin Diesel blowing up cars with a shotgun.

Still, it remains entertaining, which, I know, is really the only point of the movie. It's a bit disappointing that they didn't go back to the first one's relative relevance, but then, what did I expect?

In a sentence:

Fans of the franchise will enjoy this, and others will be entertained, but it is extremely shallow and is nowhere near as good as the first or second one.

*Revised after seeing 2Fast 2Furious, April 16th.

Read More 0 comments |

Matchstick Men

I'd heard this movie was good, but I never expected it to be quite this good. The acting is the first thing that stands out, notably Cage's portrayal of a tic-ridden con man who suffers from OCD. His acting was vastly superior to anything I've seen him do before, so don't let previous ideas of him cloud your judgement here. The other characters were also all perfect in their roles. The cinematography and editing are also excellent.

What is really great about this movie is the story and pacing. I never lost interest (even for a second) despite the two hour running time, and everything was tightly knit and handled elegantly. It took me a few minutes to figure out the brilliance of the ending.

In a sentence:

All in all, a great and clever story coupled with great acting and cinematography make this a surprisingly good watch.

Read More 0 comments |

Monsters vs. Aliens

Good premise, brilliant cast, some funny jokes, but disappointing execution. The movie is only 1 hour and 20 minutes long, but for some reason I felt it dragged on. You get introduced to all of the monsters and set pieces by the 20 minute mark, but then the rest feels like they're just trying to lengthen it. It doesn't feel like it's going anywhere, and the movie lacks any sort of message other than "selfish people are bad". Still, that doesn't mean it's a bad movie; it's actually quite entertaining and original, and some of the jokes did make me chuckle out loud because of the great timing and delivery.

In a sentence:

Great cast, funny jokes, original, but lacking any sort of depth and feels a bit empty and long. Worth watching for entertainment, but I'd wait until you can rent it.

Read More 0 comments |

Bolt

Aww. Cute, albeit extremely formulaic movie. You've got your rodent, who is awesome and serves as comic relief. Then you've got the brave and noble character that never gives up and is super cute. Finally, you've got the smart one who starts out selfish and eventually learns to love. And they travel cross-country, and everything ties itself up happily in the end.

Still, it serves its purpose of being entertaining and amusing, so it's worth a watch with others as a light, happy, simple movie.

Read More 0 comments |

Blade Runner

I watched the "Final Cut" version (the best one). What's amazing about this film is the atmosphere, the visuals and the sound. Even 27 years later, it's quite stunning to look at, and the hypnotic 80s music juxtaposed with audio editing that isn't geared to be loud and in your face greatly adds to the effect and makes this quite unique. It's essentially a futuristic noir movie, which is at first glance action, but at second glance poetic. The last few minutes include a scene that manages to be calmly epic, and it is one of the best scenes of all time if you judge it from that era's perspective.

However, I'm rating this from a 2009 point of view. I'm not giving this five stars because it has some classic 80s silliness in it, and sometimes ends up feeling a bit too weird. It's a great movie, but somehow it didn't blow me away like a five star movie would. Instead, it slowly creeps its way into your head afterward, silently cementing its status as an absolute classic of science fiction.

In a sentence:

Watch this if you've read the book, if you like the 80s, or if you like science fiction. Otherwise, it might be a bit too much for some people.

Read More 0 comments |

Knowing

This is a hard one to rate. I'm still not actually sure whether I liked it or not. What I can say is that the first half is great, and the disaster scenes are amazing, albeit unrealistic. At some point, though, it goes absolutely insane. Mysterious plot elements that appeared frequently throughout the film are left unexplained, and the very premise of the movie itself becomes pointless when faced with the conclusion. It's essentially like the end is another movie entirely, which is a shame, because the beginning showed a lot of promise.

In a sentence:

If you're going to watch this, wait until you can rent it, and even then, only the first part is worth it.

Read More 0 comments |

Better Off Ted, Ep. 1 to 3

This plays right after Scrubs, which is how I ended up watching it. From what I've seen three episodes in, this has the potential to become one of the greats along with Arrested Development and co. That's probably the show that it most reminds me of, except this is more upbeat and silly. Definitely a show to watch out for!

Read More 0 comments |

Eric's Reviews

About

Search