Despicable Me

Despicable Me

Year: 2010

Starring: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand

Directed By: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud

Rating: PG

Run Time: 95 Minutes

     First off, let me apologize to my 5 readers since I have not posted a review since I saw Harry Potter.  I was in the middle of school wrapping up for the semester and fantasy football takes up more time than it really should.  Yet I still have managed to probably watch over 50 movies and haven't written a review.  I have also been a a TV show kick that happens time to time throughout the year, so unless you want me to review TV series....well you can let me know on that one.  BUT, I am back, and starting off with a movie that I recently got and have not been able to stop watching!

     As I have mentioned before, I am a Steve Carell fan and wanted to see this in the theatre.  However, I did not want to pay $10 to go see this and get to listen to little kids talk during the entire movie, so I decided to wait and it was worth the wait.  Steve Carell plays a "super villain" named Gru who is evil but in a comical and very likable way.  It is weird because you are more attuned to his compassion in the movie than his actual villainy.  It is more like he is a funny sarcastic mean, but really he is just a thief.  His voice is what really makes this movie enjoyable, at least for me anyway, the Russian accent that Carell uses is quite hysterical in certain sequences of the movie.  Gru (which I am wonder is short for Gru-some?) is out shined by a younger thief named Vector, played by Jason Segel, and Gru has a plan to bring glory to his name.  There is a good supporting cast as well including Russel Brand playing Dr. Nefario and Julie Andrews as Gru's mom.  There are also cameo voices by Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig and Jack McBrayer (No! No! God put our mouths on our head for a reason! No!)

     Gru is trying to get his hands on a device, and adopts three girls in order to help him get it.  Push come to shove and as predictable as it sounds, he seems to gain a soft spot in his evil heart for these girls, and the rest you can see when you watch it!  I really enjoyed this movie.  So much that I have watched it or had it on in the background everyday since I bought it.  Yes it is a kids movie, but like most kid movies, there are certain jokes that are aimed at adults, because who are we kidding, adults take kids to see this movie and production companies know it.  Therefore they insert a joke or two for the adults, so they aren't sitting there bored to tears.  The movie flowed together really well, and the animation was really good.  Pixar seemed to have a monopoly there for a while, but it seems that Dreamworks and Universal are starting to get their paws on successful animated movies.  Despicable Me cost 69 million to make and grossed 56 Million on opening weekend.  Not bad to almost pay back what it cost to make!  Along with the supporting cast and the great story line, that had a few questionable holes (email me more if you want to know what I am referring to), Despicable Me 2 should be out in 2013.  I will gladly see the sequel, and there is no reason it shouldn't have one really.

     I will give this movie 4 out of 5 minions.   I liked it, plain and simple.  It was enjoyable, comical, and held my attention well with the plot.  This movie was shot in 3D and meant to be presented in such a way, therefore all of us who are still in our 2D world, there will be those weird scenes where you will question the filming technique.  Other than that and the minor plot holes, it was a great movie, and one I highly recommend you watch.  If you liked Toy Story, or any of those movies, you will enjoy this one as well.

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Remember: It never hurts to be a kid once in a while!  And leave comments!

     

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

Year: 2010

Starring: Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Directed By: David Yates

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 146 Minutes

     I am not sure if there are many people out there that are thinking they aren't going to go see this movie.  Actually I know who those people are, and they are the ones who refuse to read the books and think it is stupid.  For those people I say to you, "Stop being lazy and read them."  Here is the thing, for generations books have come and gone, but only a select few really remain and continue to flourish throughout the decades.  We are living in that moment with these books.  In 50 years, these books will still be getting the hype that they should.  Twilight will not...there I said it.  But for those of you who still won't read the books, but have seen all the movies, you will not be disappointed.  Those of us who did read the books, you really won't be disappointed either, thankfully they broke this movie up into two parts, which I believe should have happened with more than just this movie.

     It starts off in the same manner as many of the Harry Potter books.  And like the books, this one is increasingly more dark than the others.  These really aren't kids movies anymore, so if that is your excuse, you are wrong.  And unlike the other films, this movie focuses primarily on Harry, Ron, and Hermione, with little involvement from the supporting characters (expect Part II to be heavy with supporting characters).  Harry has to leave his house, and get to safety.  Really well done sequence in the beginning, and really it is going to be hard to talk about it in this blog because for those of you who have not read the books, I don't want to ruin anything.  In this movie, it is Harry, Ron, and Hermione searching for horcruxes that will help them in the battle with Lord Voldemort.  We learned about this in the previous book/movie and learned that Dumbledore has figured out what some of them are and tasks Harry to find and destroy them all.  As you can see from the title, this is only part one, and will end with no real resolution, so don't be confused when you walk out of the theatre.  While I will not go into it much, I will give you my opinion on book to movie adaptation for this film.

     The movie starts out fairly good to the book, there were some added scenes, but nothing that really made me question "why would they do that?"  The movie follows the book very well, but does change some parts that I felt were unnecessary.  For instance, the book used Polyjuice potion a lot, but the movie really limited it.  It made some parts in the book more intriguing because Harry was someone else.  They shortened some scenes and I feel added more jokes, but I could be wrong.  I even thought there was a Twilight joke in the movie, but I can't remember if it was in the book or not.  Maybe they did it for the screen, but you never know until you see an extended or deleted scene and see maybe it was a little too long.  I can imagine though, the DVD/Blu Ray release will include an extended edition.

     Overall, I give this movie 3.5 of 5 broken wands.   Why broken wands?  Go see the movie or read the book.  It was a great movie, and I subtracted a half point solely because it is part one and leave you with a huge cliff hanger.  I will be excited to see the next movie, but it is different to go into a movie knowing the ending.  Really when I saw it, it was putting a picture to what I saw in my head when I read it.  It was funny to  hear people reacting in the movie as if they didn't know what was going on, but I count that to people who are unfamiliar with the books.  

     In case you missed my overall theme of this blog, read the books, you will be pleasantly surprised, and it always makes for great movie watching when you are comparing book to film adaptations.  Trust me, they are great books.

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November Newsletter

Hey All!

Sorry to all my readers for not having posted anything for the last couple weeks.  I have been watching a lot of movies recently, but have been getting that writers block.  I had a good time reviewing the horror genre for you guys during Halloween, even though I didn't get to watch many (blame Netflix for that), but I would like to extend my offer to you all about what I should do next.

I was thinking about doing a military themed couple weeks, followed by holiday movies, to honor Veteran's Day, the Marine Corps Birthday, and major holidays of the season.  Let me know what you guys think.  I have a lot of school work in the coming weeks, but will try to get a review up this week, and will for surely get some up during my Thanksgiving break.

Again sorry to all my readers, I will get going again soon.  In the mean time, shoot me your ideas for movies to review.

Thanks

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Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity

Year: 2007

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

Directed By: Oren Peli

Rating: R

Run Time: 86 Minutes

     So thank you to my followers who all suggested that I watch this movie.  I am not a fan of movies like this, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised.  Although this type of movie had been done before, it still gave the audience a boost of fear that everyone thinks about, and no one can deny.  I have read a lot of negative reviews of this movie, and really, it is surprising to me to read people and their saying "it was boring," "all talk and no action," and really it made me feel sad for those people.  They either have no feelings or they are just scared sh**less, and refuse to admit that it scared them.  Honestly, I can admit that I don't really believe in ghosts, but this movie did give me the creeps because I do believe in demons.  There are too many actual accounts out there of people being possessed and having the church perform exorcisms to kind of ignore ya know?

    This movie was about a couple that is moving in with each other in San Diego, CA, when they start to experience strange things happening at night.  The man, Micah set up a lot of video equipment and starts to video tape their room at night.  This movie is a documentary style, very similar to The Blair Witch Project.  In this movie, however, certain things happen at night, as a entity seems to be haunting their home.  You learn that it is not house, but the girl, Katie, who has something following her, and has had it for a long time.  This movie also bring back the idiot plot, where Micah plays the antagonist, always suggesting that it is nothing, going and checking out strange noises.  Here is my problem with these instances:

1.  If it was someone breaking into your house, why would you just walk around with no type of weapon?  I mean really, if someone broke in, do you really think they are unarmed, especially in California?  Maybe this guy thought he was a bad ass, but judging by all his sound and video equipment, he would be quite the computer nerd, and not a martial arts expert.

2. At some point, the stuff they hear is beyond rational occurrences, and yet the guy still thinks it is something else, and constantly give his girl crap for it.  I feel like if that happened to anyone in real life, after the footsteps, you would probably call for some help or at least get the hell out of there for a night.  The guy got on my nerves and honestly, I was happy he died, because we don't need idiots like that in the world!

     I will give this movie 3 of 5 crazy night occurrences.  Although I did like it, and it was thrilling, it is not something I would give an Oscar for.  It has been done before, and will be done again.  It was a clever though, but done in Japan many times, before brought to America.  That is the other problem, the idea is not original.  Granted, not many American people will see the versions made in other countries, so bringing it to America is a great business decision.  It also grossed a fair amount of money, since it took $11,000 to make, and grossed over $107 Million! That is crazy.  I think this movie will spark a fear in people that will keep them thinking at night what those noises are.  For that reason, I liked it, and recommend watching it.  Probably watch during the day though if you are scared easily, because I watched it at about 1 AM, and was not as fun going to bed.

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Notice in this movie, most things happen around the 3AM mark.  There is a theory that 3AM is the devils hour.  Since 3pm is considered the holy hour.  Whether or not this is a real thing in the religious community, the movie at least stuck with it, to make it a little more believable.

Jaws

Jaws

Year: 1975

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Rating PG

Run Time: 124 Minutes

     Ok maybe this shouldn't be on the horror movie blogs, but I don't care, this movie was going to be reviewed sooner or later.  Jaws was really the movie that shot Spielberg into stardom.  From Jaws, he went on to direct the movies that we all know and love.  Prior to Jaws, can anyone really tell me what he directed? Don't cheat and look on IMDb!  Roy Scheider was also in this movie, and really I don't recall seeing him in many things since then.  Oh wait, Jaws 2.  Richard Dreyfuss costars as well, and we all know that his career also went well, and also starring in the next Spielberg movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

   Jaws takes place in Amity (not a play on the Amityville movie, since it doesn't release until 1979) a small town on the east coast, on the shore.  It's primary source of revenue is obviously it's beach and summer time fun.  The movie starts with an attack, and the town Chief of Police Brody (Roy Scheider) is suspected of a shark attack.  Of course you have the town mayor who is in denial, but has right to be, since a shark attack is rare in these waters.  When they capture a shark that they think is the causer of these attacks, everything seems fine and dandy until another attack.  Of course the viewer knows that Chief Brody is innocent, and the mayor is the one who wouldn't close the beaches, but everyone in the movie hates the Chief and blames him.  The movie really brings to life what a lot of movies did in this time, which is accompany a brilliant soundtrack, one that will live on forever, and everyone knows, no matter if you haven't even seen it, the song will be known.  Chief Brody then sets out to hunt the shark and kill it (animal rights people would be so pissed now-a-days) with costar Robert Shaw playing the crazy captain, and Richard Dreyfuss playing the shark expert.

    This movie really instills fear of the open water.  It also opened the mind to many viewers that a great white shark is a man eater.  While this has happened in real life, it is however not a true that great whites will just attack people when they are hungry.  I for one am not afraid of sharks and find them magnificent, but put me in the ocean, and the thought of Jaws will come into my mind.  Honestly, who wouldn't??  I have been on the set that they filmed this movie, and it is interesting to watch it after you see the set, and you learn how movie magic is made.  In 1975, they really did it right, no effects, a huge mechanical shark, and a movie that will scare audiences for years to come.

     I will give this movie 4 our of 5 Great White shark tooths.  The acting is very good, the plot is very good.  The shark is good, really what could be wrong with this movie?  There is really now idiot plot, as has been the theme this month, but it is an all around good thriller.  Is it as good the second time?  Probably not, because now you know what is coming, but watch it every couple of years, it is a good one to revamp your mind, and take you back to an era of movies that was brilliant.

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Show me the way to go home, I'm tired and I wanna go to bed....

Child's Play

Child's Play

Year: 1988

Starring: Brad Dourif, Alex Vincent

Directed By: Tom Holland

Rating: R

Run Time: 87 Minutes

     Call me crazy, but these movies in my eyes are entertaining, more so because they are funny.  I have a lot of problems with these movies, but it is still entertaining none the less.  The premise is unusual, a serial killer, Charles Lee Ray "Chucky" (Brad Dourif) is being chased by the cops, and does some voodoo and puts his soul into a Good Guy doll (Voldemort??)  He is then purchased by Karen Barclay, played by actress Catherine Hicks, who would play the mom in 7th Heaven.  She brings the possessed doll back to her son, and that is when the fun starts.  The little boy gets blamed for the killings, since who is going to believe a doll is killing people?  Anyway, it is still entertaining, especially when Chucky (the doll) comes to life and just insults the people he is trying to kill.  Chucky learns in order to live again, he has to perform the same ritual to put his soul into the boy.

     This movie does well in that it keep the person guessing, is the doll really alive, or is it the boy?  Obviously if you know anything about this series, you know there is a doll involved.  The problem I have with this movie is that it seems a plastic doll can over power an adult.  In the movie, the voodoo guys explains that if his soul is in the doll for too long, he will become one with the doll.  Therefore he will grow a heart and a brain, and by all logic, muscles.  So maybe a doll could over power an adult, but really, really, a doll?  I feel like you could over power a doll, but maybe I am succumbing to the idiot plot questions.  It is just hard for me to believe, plus I have never had a fear of dolls, so this movie doesn't get to me.

     I will give this movie 3 of 5 Good Guy dolls, batteries included!  As does "A Nightmare on Elm Street", as the sequels continue to come, the humor comes with them, and the scary goes away.  Although it is still gruesome, they just make them a dark comedy, and it is hard not to chuckle (not a play on words) at them.  This movie isn't a laugh movie, but still....a doll overpowering a adult?!  Worth seeing?  Well they aren't bad, and they are classics, everyone knows who Chucky is, right? So maybe watch it once, and you decide if seeing it again is worth your time!

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Halloween II

Halloween II

Year: 1981
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis
Directed By: Rick Rosenthal
Run Time: 92 Minutes
Rating: R

     There is nothing quite like the original, and they never even thought they would be making a sequel to the first movie.  This was also supposed to be the final in the set, but due to the horrific movie that was Halloween III: Season of the Witches, they decided revamp the series, but that is not what this post is about.  Halloween II is one of the better sequels in all of them that are made, but there has still not been a sequel or remake that really can match what the first one created.
     Halloween II starts off where the first one ended, Jamie Lee Curtis returns to reprise her role as Laurie Strode and Donald Pleasence also returns as Michael Myers doctor.  Michael Myers continues to stalk Laurie Strode who is taken to the hospital.  A difference with this movie to the last is that Michael starts off the movie by killing random people, which strays from what he was doing in the first movie.  Also, and something that will be a problem until Halloween H20 comes out, is Michael's mask will never be the same.  The one thing that they should have repeated, was the man who played the Shape in the first movie.  Again, Michael Myers will never move the same way again.  Really, A Nightmare on Elm Street did it right, by having Robert Englund in all 8 sequels, until the reboot.
     The story follows Michael in the hospital stalking his prey yet again.  It has a similar feel, except there is way more "jump out" scenes in order to try to make the audience jump in their chairs.  Again, this does contain the idiot plot, that slasher films love, so I am sure people are still going to be saying, "Why doesn't she just do this, or that...etc."  Like why the hell was the hospital so empty?  But again, if those didn't exist, slasher films also wouldn't exist.  The great thing about this movie, is that it answers all your questions about why he is stalking Laurie Strode.  I don't want to give that away here, but if you know anything about the movies, you already know.  In the end, this was again meant to be the last of the Michael Myers series, but that is not the case.  Jamie Lee Curtis would not return to reprise her role as Laurie Strode until Halloween H20 in 1998.
     I will give this one 3 of 5 over-sized butcher knives, where as it is not as good as the first, but better then the rest.  I would go on a limb and give it 3 1/2, but that would be like 3 over-sized butcher knives and a paring knife.  I guess that is another different in this movie, Michael strays away from his butcher knife, and uses a variety of weapons, which kind of takes away from his signature weapon, but he will eventually get back to his use.  In comparison to other iconic horror movie figures, Michael uses the most of different weapons, so maybe it isn't such a stretch.  Definitely see this, after you see the first, so your questions will be answered.

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Halloween

Halloween

Year: 1978

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis

Directed By: John Carpenter

Rating: R

Run Time: 91 Minutes

     Halloween is probably my all time favorite horror movie in the original slasher genre.  I will be the first to admit that Michael Myers still haunts my dreams to this day.  I did a new thing with this movie, I watched it with people who have never seen it before.  In my eyes, this is a movie everyone should see.  It is the movie that started the chain reaction of horror movie slasher flicks (Psycho helped too).
     Haddonfield, IL is the setting for this low budget, massive grossing picture.  This movie was filmed in a matter of days, for the low budget of $300,000 and grossed over $40,000,000 in the US alone.  Talk about a great business decision to roll with this movie.  It is about a man, known simply in the credits as "The Shape" but we later find out his name is Michael Myers, who murders his sister when he is a kid.  After 15 years in a mental institution he escapes, and heads back home to wreak havoc on Haddonfield.  This movie is left with very little explanation of why this is happening, and why The Shape is targeting the people he is targeting.  Not until 1981, when the sequel was released would any of your questions be answered.  This is Jamie Lee Curtis' first film and really jump started her career in Hollywood.  The Shape will become one of the most iconic characters in movie horror, and Halloween would spawn 8 sequels, including one that had nothing to do with The Shape.  It was remade by director Rob Zombie, and I will review those later.  There is talks of a third installment to these remakes, but will not be done by Rob Zombie thank goodness.  In my opinion, John Carpenter needs to take back his glory.
     I watched this movie with two of my friends, and I am proclaiming to them it is great and scary.  However, after the end of the movie, they were saying, that wasn't scary, that was stupid, blah blah blah.  Here is my advice to you.

1. Don't watch this movie and be doing something at the same time.  It takes away from the whole vibe of the movie.

2. Let all logic go out the door, because all slasher pictures are based around the idiot plot.  Idiot plot is where all logic and common sense are gone, because if it was there, all the problems and situations wouldn't exist.

3.  Watch this movie in the dark.  It is a very dark movie, taking place mostly at night, so it will help you see the screen better.

4.  Have the volume up more then you usually would because the music is what makes this movie even more suspenseful

     The reason you have to do these things are because think about the time this movie was made.  The audience was different, and they don't have to do what they do now, i.e. constant gore and blood everywhere, followed by a terrible plot (Saw 2-7).
     I am giving this movie 4 out of 5 over-sized butcher knives.  Again, getting a 5 out of 5 is going to be tough with me because that would be the perfect movie, and there are very few that I give to that.  I love this movie and really liked what was going on and the way it was filmed.  Every sequel had a new person playing Michael Myers, and would never really be as good as The Shape in this movie.  Who knew that walking slowly would be so hard.

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Fun Fact:  The Shape's mask in this movie, is a William Shatner Halloween mask painted white.  There were two masks being considered for this role, and when the actor came out in the Shatner mask, the crew was in shock, and they knew the hit the jackpot.  Who knew a Star Trek mask would be so influential?

Thank you all for your comments, and I will look to add them to my list of movies to watch.  I apologize for not posting more, I have watched 4 already and just need to get those posted to you guys!  Thanks.

October Newsletter: Halloween Edition

Hey Everyone

So far I have reviewed a few movies and have received only one comment!  I guess that is better then nothing.  Anyway, I think that I will be starting a classic horror movie review.  What I would really like is if you guys would send me some suggestions of what you want to me to review.  Keep in mind I mean horror CLASSICS!

I will start off with some of the greats:

Halloween I & II
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Friday the 13th
Hellraiser
Child's Play
Carrie
The Evil Dead
Scream

I will also probably review the remakes of the greats, because that has been a recent trend to remake the originals with a new view of horror.  Those will include Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th .

Please, please send me your suggestions and I will get them reviewed for you!

Thanks everyone!

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Share my site with your friends!  Lets try to get a big following on this site!

The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid

Year: 2010
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith
Directed By: Harald Zwart
Run Time: 140 Minutes
Rating: PG

     I am just going to start of the bat here and say that this is how the first Karate Kid should have been; the plot line was so much more realistic and made more sense.  Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is the new hero in this movie and is a 12 year old kid who is forced (in some respect) to move to China with his mother for her job.  The plot is almost identical to the original movie, thus making this clearly a remake, but they tied up some loose ends that made the original film a little unrealistic.  Dre is thrown into a culture and is the outcast, which makes more sense why he would get picked on.   A child moving to a country where martial arts is a cultural aspect, and not how it was in the original Karate Kid, just some kid moving to California helped this movie be more believable.  But the story was still the same, Mr. Han (Jakie Chan) is the mysterious maintenance man who is the kung fu master.  Similar situations occur leading up to the main event which has same result as the original.
     I want to go over some things I liked so much better about this movie.  First, the introduction of Jackie Chan is brilliant.  Although Miyagi will forever be a memorable character, the actor was not a martial arts expert.  Jackie Chan as we all know is a master of many forms of kung fu.  Secondly, they replace karate with Kung Fu.  Karate in comparison to many martial arts is lame.  Kung Fu, however, has so many forms, which makes more sense for this movie to introduce the young hero with a martial art that is worth learning.  Thirdly, the movie had a better message then the others did.  While it still had some negative messages, it also had a message that martial arts is about discipline and not about beating people up.  Fourth, the new crane kick at the end was way cooler, and made more sense that the opponent could not block the kick.  Unlike the original crane kick, it seemed so easy to block, and useless (which was blocked in both Part II and III).  Watch this movie and you will see what I am talking about; that kick is possible as well.
     Don't watch this movie expecting a fight sequence with Jackie Chan.  They filmed an alternate ending with Mr. Han fighting the dojo leader, Master Li (Rongguang Yu) but it was ultimately cut from the script. I think it was a great call because it would have ruined the movie and all events leading up to the climax.  In the original movie, Miyagi beat up five 18 year old kids, and it was kind of weird.  In this movie, Mr. Han defends a beaten Dre against six twelve year olds, by using what they are doing against them.  Mr. Han does not throw a punch, and it is just way better when showing that he is a master in kung fu.  This is where the skill of Jackie Chan is seen in this movie, and can again be admired.
     I will give this movie 4 out of 5 crane kicks.  I want to give this movie 5 out of 5 because in all honesty, I really enjoyed this movie, and it sucked me in easier then the original Karate Kid.  Plus, not having to listen to Ralph Macchio's voice made it so much more bearable.  And you can not denounce the fact that Jackie Chan would be a hell of kung fu teacher to have.  He really played his role well, and proving he is a great actor.  The reason I am not giving it a perfect score is because well, not many movies deserve that perfect score.  There is some things not good about this movie, but here is my final word: If you never have seen a Karate Kid movie, and are skeptical, watch this one at the very least.  If you have seen all the Karate Kid movies, this one will at least fill up the void in your life that the other three created!

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There are some good references to the original movie for those of us who have seen the original, which give you that single "ha" moment that remakes are fond of including in their script.  And yes, this is Will Smith's son.

The Karate Kid, Part III

The Karate Kid, Part III

Year: 1989

Starring: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita

Directed By: John G. Avildsen

Run Time: 112 Minutes

Rating: PG

     For the third installment of the series, the director takes it back to the original story line.  The movie begins much in the same way as the others, a montage of the events leading up to this movie.  However, this one kind of skips the second movie and focuses more on the first movie, and the downfall of the Cobra Kai dojo.  This movie completely skips the second movie plot all together and gets back to more of a reemergence of the Karate Kid main plot.

     First and for most, apparently in California, there are people that are so into Karate, that Daniel winning the tournament a year earlier meant the Cobra Kai went out of business.  So the plot is to bring down Daniel in the tournament, by bringing in a Karate champion, who is pretty much a big tool in this movie.  Daniel also gets introduced to a teacher who at first appears to be his friend, but the audience knows that he is evil.  Trying to teach him that Karate is about injury the opponent, while Miyagi insists that it is for defense only, and that defending his title at the tournament is not the true meaning of Karate.  And just as there is in every Karate kid movie, Miyagi comes to save the day, and then agrees to train Daniel.  Anyway, the ending is pretty predictable.

     I will give this movie 3 out of 5 Crane Kicks, because it at least got back onto the original story line, and the build up to the tournament was better.  The underlying messages in this movie?  Don't go to college, open up a store with your Karate teacher selling Bonsai trees, and center your life around karate.  I think if anyone in China or Japan saw these movies in the 80's, they had to be saying "America just destroyed martial arts."  It was more entertaining then Part II, but really, thank goodness for Jet Li, Jackie Chan and any martial arts actor who made the art of martial arts cool again.

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The Karate Kid, Part II

The Karate Kid, Part II

Year: 1986

Starring: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita

Directed By: John G. Avildsen

Run Time:  113 Minutes

Rating: PG

     Part II is a continuation of the first movie, which continues the story, but focuses more on Miyagi's character and his background.  This movie strays away from the original in which was about learning karate and the journey of learning from teacher to student.  This movie really takes on more of a plot line then the first in which it focuses more on the characters back story, and not as much as on the fighting.  It is more of a dramatic movie in which you are not as drawn to the conclusion, and it changes from scene to scene as what could happen.  I will say that the end of this movie was pretty random, and came out of no where since events leading up to it did not suggest it would happen.

     You start with a montage of the previous movie to give the audience a run down of what happened in the first, so you are all ready to go for part II.  Daniel and Miyagi start the movie with building a room, which begins to be a part of what we may think is training for the final scene.  In actuality we find out that Daniel's mother is moving again and Mr. Miyagi has graciously offered his housing so Daniel-san can stay and finish school.  We get a letter in the mail and Bam!, all of a sudden we are off to Okinawa.  Here is where we get into Miyagi's back story with his father and best friend.  His father is dying, and his best friend hates him for taking his girl when they were 18.  They challenge to a fight, and from there on, the movie moves in unexpected ways.  In my eyes, it didn't flow very well, and the whole time I am waiting for the action to take place, which happens from time to time, but it is leading toward nothing really.  Without giving much away, the last scene is everyone happy at a party, then all of a sudden, the cousin attacks Daniel, and from there it was just, well not a great sequel to the movie.

     I will have to give this movie 2 out of 5 crane kicks.  You watch the first one, and it kept you entertained to a point, and had a climax that made sense.  This movie, draws you in on the basis that you think it will flow the same way as the first, but then you are sadly disappointed because there is no real lead up to the climax, and the events were just weird.  Again the director kind of messed up his career after Rocky.  Maybe not worth the time, but if you want to watch in order to continue on to Part III, I will never recommend you to skip a part of the saga, NEVER.

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Tutorial

Alright everyone, a little tutorial for you.  I make this easy for you so once this site gets a lot more posts, it should be easier to help you find what you are looking for.  I label each of my posts so that you can search for things within the blog, whether it be an actor, or a title, etc.  If you search for something in the top left search box when you are on my blog, it will bring up what you are looking for.  If for some reason it is not working correctly, please let me know!

Under each movie poster, the title of the movie is listed above the starring cast.  This is actually a link to the Internet Movie Database page in association with the film.  I was going to link actor names as well, but this proved very time consuming when you can just go to the movie page and browse from there.  Isn't technology just so great?  Also if you want me to add a sub-topic underneath the movie poster, please let me know.  I will be adding year in a few days.

Also, you can comment after each blog, and I encourage all of you to do so!  I love to hear feedback and want to know what you think, whether you agree or disagree.  I know my movie taste is very different from most people, but please, please have no worries, and leave your comments!

Thanks To you All!

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The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid

Year: 1984

Starring: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita

Directed By: John G. Avildsen

Run Time: 126 Minutes

Rating: PG

     A classic movie, that anyone who is ever lived has seen.  If you tell me that you have not seen this movie, either you are a liar, or just flat out crazy.  If you don't know who Miyagi is, then you need a lesson!  For most boys, this movie in our youth led us to the belief that Karate would be the answer to problems.  However, after watching this movie recently, I learned a few things from it that aren't necessarily a great message to pass onto children.  More on that later.

     This is a story about a boy who moves to California and is a New Jersey native in a new world, and is subject to be bullied.  The new place where he lives, the maintenance man, is the famous Mr. Miyagi, played by Pat Morita.  Interesting fact about him is that he started as a comedian, and has no Japanese accent.  So when you watch it, you are watching a Japanese-American faking a Japanese accent.  Regardless, you will not even know he is faking it, and he plays the famous teacher to Daniel-san (Ralph Macchio).  Throughout the first part of the movie, Daniel is getting into fights, in which case I believe he jumped the gun to throw his fists.  The fight before Miyagi steps in, he really caused the Cobra Kai clan to come after him.  Miyagi tells Daniel-san in the movie that Karate is not for beating people up, but rather for defense.  He then agrees to train Daniel, in order to earn respect.  They become friends, and Miyagi plays a surrogate father to Daniel-san which produces three sequels. (Five if you count the one with Hilary Swank and the remake).

     I liked this movie, however, it is funny to watch an 80's movie in 2010.  I thought the movie didn't quite flow well and the story could have used some work.  The overall message here is that learning karate and fighting your opponent in competition is okay, as long as you earn their respect.  Not the best message in the world, but could be worse.  They could have done a lot more with the story to make the whole "impossible feat" more honorable at the end.  It is still a classic, and who wouldn't wish for a Miyagi in their own life to teach them martial arts?  I know I would.

     I give this movie 3 out of 5 crane kicks.  It is still a classic and I advise everyone to see it, but based on the story and the underlying theme, it isn't that great.  When I review the remake, you will see why I rate the movie lower.

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PS: The director also directed Rocky.  But he also did Rocky V... so since Rocky, his directing has been, well, a bit rocky.

Get Him to the Greek

Get Him to the Greek
Year: 2010

Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand

Directed by: Nicholas Stoller

Run Time: 109 Min

Rating: R

     First off, a lot of people will say they wont enjoy this type of movie just because of the sheer inappropriate humor that is a part of the newer style of comedy.  But honestly, this movie isn't that bad, unless you are a Mormon (no offense, I just know what they can and cannot watch).  This movie has a lot of funny things in it to that aren't so inappropriate.  P Diddy, or Diddy, or whatever he goes by now a days, made this movie even more enjoyable with his very stereotypically black rapper attitude.  No offense, but it is pretty enjoyable to watch.
     Russell Brand is also an excellent character in this as well.  He reprises his role as Aldous Snow, a rock star, who can be linked to various real rock stars with the same drug and alcohol problem that Aldous has.  Jonah Hill plays a record label employee charged with picking up Aldous in London, and getting him to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles (hence the movie title).  Along the way they encounter a wide variety of funny situations as well as many awkward ones.
     I give this movie 4 out of 5 rock songs.  Not only is the movie entertaining, but the music is also really good as well.  The entire soundtrack is done by the made up band "Infant Sorrow" which Aldous Snow sings for.  Russell Brand did all the songs, and it is a good addition to the movie to have the actual band in an album, so it makes it feel a little more realistic.  You are left wanting to hear the concert, and with the soundtrack, you can (kind of).
     Give the movie a chance.  This is one of those that I will probably watch over and over because I find it funny and along with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, this movie is just enjoyable.  It is hard not to laugh at at least one thing in this movie.  For those of you who think that you won't laugh at anything, then you are sheltered and need to broaden your horizons, because movies aren't fun if you take life to seriously.  Remember that!

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"Movies aren't fun if you take life to seriously"

Twelve Monkeys

12 Monkeys

Year: 1995

Starring: Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

Run Time: 129 Min

Rating: R

     What would you think if I said Monty Python and the Holy Grail in relation to this movie?  I'll get back to that later.  Just some food for thought.  12 Monkeys is what I call an apocalyptic film; in which it shows what our future could be like if certain events were to occur.  I am a big fan of these films for some reason; I like to concept and the creativity that people come up with to how the world will end.  I am not a pessimist nor do I believe any of them could happen (more on that in later posts) but this falls into that category. 

     Bruce Willis plays a character who seems to be in some sort of prison, and has committed a crime that we know nothing about.  Prisoners are chosen at random to go up the the surface of the Earth and to collect data to see if humans can go back to the surface.  A deadly virus was released in 1997, and caused humans to have to go under ground.  5 billion (5,000,000,000) people were killed; and the quest for retaking the planet from the animals is upon the future race of man.  This movie is a little unique in which it seems in the near future (from today) we will have an understanding of time travel, and have the capability to send someone through time, and retrieve them, but without very great accuracy.

     I liked this movie because it took a lot of different aspects and molded it into one.  Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Reality and absolute fantasy.  I touched on a couple of those, but lets look at the reality.  To think that one day in the future, and deranged lunatic animal lover could release a toxic chemical in the air that kills a lot of humans, isn't really all that far fetched.  Think about it... People are already crazed about animal rights and not eating anything that casts a shadow (name that quote) so is it really hard to believe that someone would do that?  In my eyes, no.  But lets be honest, it is completely improbably, but not impossible.  Back to the movie, Brad Pitt costars, as a crazed wild man who is the Creator of the 12 Monkeys group in which Bruce Willis is sent back in time to stop.  I will not give away the film like most critics do, but it does have a twist ending, and does give you a sense that Brad Pitt isn't that bad of an actor.

     All in all, I would give this movie maybe 6 to 7 monkeys (out of 12), possibly 8.  It was creative, and well made, but not really a movie that you would watch over and over again.  Surprisingly it is ranked on the IMDb top 250 at #175, right after "The Grapes of Wrath" and before "Casino".  Not a bad one to maybe rent one night if you are into a different Sci-Fi movie for the night.  Bruce Willis performance is worth the rent, as well as Pitt's.

     Back to my first question, watch this movie, then tell me if you really think that this director is the same as the guy who directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  You don't see many directors jump around in genre that much do you?

Again, feel free to post comment and let me know what you thought of the movie!

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Dan In Real Life

Dan in Real Life

Year: 2007

Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche

Directed By: Peter Hedges

Run Time: 98 Min

Rating: PG-13

      My original plan was to go through my movie collection in order starting with numbers.  So that didn't work, but recently I have been watching Dan in Real Life almost every night.  "Why?" you might ask?  Because it is a great night time movie, if you like to listen to movies or music while you sleep, this movie is one that I will rate up there.

     The story is centered around Dan (Carell) who is a writer of a column in which he answers questions about parenting.  He is the father of three daughter, wife had died, leaving him with raising his daughters.  He has a 17 year old daughter, a 14-15 year old daughter we can assume, and a younger daughter who is in the 4th grade.  It is clear within the opening credits that he is a protective father and is a very conservative parent. For any man out there that watches this movie, we can all relate if we have a daughter (ever).

     The story follows the life of Dan, a man in struggles with his life since the passing of his wife.  He has given up on love and has only cared for his daughters.  He is going on a weekend trip up to Rhode Island, where he meets his family.  He meets a lovely lady (Binoche) and finds what he has given up on for so long.  In a twist we find out that she is his brother's (Dane Cook) new prize girlfriend.  The entire movie is about the awkward situation and tension between Dan and Marie.  Without revealing to much, in the end, Dan contradicts his teaching to his daughters, and goes after the girl.  Happily ever after.

     I liked this movie, not just because it is great for at night, but because it has subtle humor and situation that will make you laugh.  The underlying message, love will find you.  There are other messages that we should ignore like stealing your brothers girl friend, and teaching your daughter it is okay to love after knowing someone for three days.  Regardless, this movie is very enjoyable and has a great, great soundtrack.  All songs are recorded by singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche.  If you don't like anything about this movie, you should at least enjoy the soundtrack.

      Overall, I give this movie a 4 out of 5 stars.  Considering I have not yet determined my rating system, I will go with stars for now.  Carell is great in this role and plays the moderately depressed, highly protective, subtle comedian that we can all get behind and laugh with, not at.  Along with his supporting cast, this movie is a good one, give it a chance.

Enjoy the movie!

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Introduction

Hey Friends

Today will be the first post for my site, "The Movie Bro" which will eventually move out of blog world and into its own domain.  Here, I will start my process of reviewing my entire movie collection.  This will include every thing I own, and those that I rent on Netflix.  Most of my movies most of you have seen, and I am sure most of you will not read reviews for older movies, but my intent is to give you a new perspective and critic review of movies.  I hope that in time, you will come to read my posts daily, and to comment about them, and leave your own input.  I will be more then happy to reply to your comments.

Here is my first question for all you:

What rating system should use?  Stars seem a bit out dated and over used, what do you guys think I should use?

Kevin D.
The Movie Bro