Kevin's Review of This is the End

I was surprised to see This is the End get good reviews as the premiere was approaching.  By the look of the trailers, it seemed like it was going to be a very jarring blend of sci-fi and comedy that wasn't going to work.  It was staying strong around 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, though, so I decided to check it out.  This is a few days late, but better late than never I guess.

Much to my surprise, this is a very solid comedy that stands as one of the best films I've seen this year (The Place Beyond the Pines is probably sitting at number one).  What really made this film work was the all-star cast.  It's not often you come across a film like this that is filled to the brim with big name actors.  I am a huge fan of Seth Rogen and I will watch just about anything that he's in.  James Franco is also great and seeing these two actors reunite after Pineapple Express (another favorite of mine) was a real treat.  At the beginning of the film, even more famous actors are at James Franco's house, and that was also cool to see how one movie brought together so many comedic actors.  What I really liked about this film is how these actors play themselves.  It was an original concept and rather than being full of cliches and empty jokes, this film makes you laugh hysterically while giving you something to think about.  After the whole end of the world thing back in December, you'd have to expect a movie to be made playing off of that, and this is just that.

Some of the CGI in this film is pretty cheesy, particularly in the scene when all the celebrities fall into the hole in the ground.  I honestly could place the budget for that scene at 500 dollars.  It reminded me of a straight-to-DVD movie scene.  Also, some of the monsters and some of the computer generated lights are very gimmicky, but it's serviceable since this is a comedy.

This is the End is one of the surprise films of the year.  I would rank it up with Superbad, Knocked Up, and Pineapple Express.  It's certainly not a profound film that will win any Oscars but it made me laugh consistently.  If you are a fan of Judd Apatow-type films, you will surely enjoy this.

MY RATING:

4 out of 5

-Kevin Millward-

Chris Reviews Man of Steel

Superman has always been one of my favorites if not my actual favorite super hero. I have always found him very relate-able, sure he is an alien but he was also raised in a mid-western farm town and almost defines what it means to be American. Not only do I like Superman for that, but I also love the more Sci-fi aspects of his story. So all in all Superman is probably my favorite super hero and thus I had high expectations coming into Man of Steel. Did it live up to my hopes and dreams or is this the next Green Lantern? As usual read below to find out...

THE GOOD-

Let me start of by saying that I had a blast with this movie! I think they finally have the ability to do Superman fights the right way. Many of the previous Superman films have been hampered by technology not allowing them to do the character justice but that is no longer a problem. I know some people were upset by the shaky cam fights but I think it gets less and less noticeable throughout the film. The overall visual style of this film is fantastic as well. I love what they did with Krypton and wish I could have spent more time there as it was a visually impressive and unique looking planet. The production design in general was very good and I actually really like the new suite. Now from an acting standpoint there was also a lot to like. The performance everyone is talking about is Michael Shannon as General Zod and he is pretty damn good. There is a certain thing that they put in the plot so that you always know his motivations and I think that was a great idea. Henry Cavill is a strong Superman, he definitely looks the part and while some of the lines are dorky his performance is solid. I also loved the flashbacks to Clark's childhood and thought Kevin Costner was the perfect Jonathan Kent. So overall there really is not a bad performance in this film at all.  

The Bad-

This was a very inconsistent film for me. There were parts of it that I was completely engrossed and loved but other times that it lost me. It did this in a variety of ways. As I said before the shaky cam is a bit distracting, especially in the opening scene where it is happening in every single shot. I was very worried about the rest of the film because of that but it did seem to get better. Another issue I had is with the action, while the sequences were spectacular they tended to go on a bit long and went a little overboard with the destruction. I know the end fight has caused a lot of controversy because people think that Superman probably accidentally killed hundreds of thousands of people in collateral damage during it. While this did not make me hate the film, it did take me out of it from time to time. Then of course there is always the minor plot holes and weird science that does not make sense but those are just minor quibbles that I can forgive.

Summary-

So overall this is a pretty strong movie that has just enough problems to prevent it from becoming a great one. I would probably put this slightly above Iron Man 3 and say that this is the best super hero movie of the year. While it may not have quite lived  up to what I wanted it to be, this is still a great start to a hopefully long new Superman Franchise (It is doing very well in the box office so a sequel is probably a lock).

MY RATING

3.5 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart

Movie Posters Weekly

This is a new segment I would like to do on the blog that looks at cool new movie posters that have been released. If you cannot tell by simply looking at the wallpaper of this blog, I really love movie posters. Although most modern movie posters are just crappy Photoshop jobs there is still the occasional cool poster. There is also Mondo which is associated with the Alamo Drafthouse (coolest movie theater chain in the country!) that makes fantastic limited print posters (usually around 300 are made of each one) of all kinds of films. They are about to release their Man of Steel posters which are only $50 (the value skyrockets on ebay) and that I am definitely going to buy. Take a look at these fantastic posters!

These first two are by Ken Taylor and will cost $50 and $75 respectively. That is because they are only going to be releasing 300 of the regular poster and 150 of the variant.

This is my favorite of the posters which is made by Martin Ansin. There is a metal variant as well but that one will run you about $300. The above poster will not have a quantity limit but there will only be a 3 day window to purchase it. So I highly recommend you check out Mondo at http://www.mondotees.com/.
Check out their archive of there previous posters as well because there are some really freaking cool ones, although if you want to buy one on ebay it will probably cost you a few hundred dollars. Now lets take a look at some new posters for upcoming releases. (click to enlarge)

 

So on top we have the first poster for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Probably the best of these three posters as we at least get some cool landscape but still just an average poster. The second posters is for the new 300 movie. Nothing to exciting there just a dude Photoshopped in front of a wave of blood. The third poster is for the new Riddick movie and is pretty boring overall. That is it for this week. Lets hope I can keep this post going for a little bit so hopefully we will be looking at some more posters next week. 

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart 

Chris Reviews Oblivion

I know I am a little late on getting a review up on this movie but I just now got a chance to see it. I had really wanted to see it when it came out but when mediocre reviews came in it got put on the back burner until it came to the cheap theaters. Was this just another run of the mill Sci-fi/Action Blockbuster or something more impressive? Read below to find out....

The Good-

This is a very visually impressive film. Maybe not on the same level as Prometheus but a good looking film in its own right. Director Joseph Kosinski's strength seems to be creating visually stunning films that have a unique atmosphere as he also directed Tron Legacy which was equally if not more visually impressive. I also enjoyed the score to the film which I am currently listening to while I write this review. Tom Cruise also gives his usual solid performance in a very typical heroes journey story arc.

The Bad-

  There are some major writing issues with the film. It feels like the writers tried to cram in as may Sci-fi movie cliches as they possibly could which begins to get tiresome by the time the third act roles along. There are also numerous plot holes as the writers fail to tie up many loose ends from the first act. Not only is the story very derivative and features numerous plot holes but every character with the exception of Tom Cruise's is paper thin at best. Morgan Freeman gives a 15 second monologue that essentially tells his whole life story, and after that we are supposed to know him? The actors all give solid performances but outside of Tom Cruise they just have nothing to work with.

Summary-

Oblivion is an entertaining and visually intriguing big budget Sci-fi film that is worth watching. Is it the high-brow, big concept Sci-fi film that it wants to be? Unfortunately no but as a Sci-fi/Action film with some substance it succeeds. Check it out in the cheap theaters while you can or else pick this one up at red box because it is worth a watch.

MY RATING-

3 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart   

5 Films I Love That Bombed

Yesterday I decided to try and piss everyone off by listing my five films that I hate that everyone loves. It was not as controversial of a list as I was hoping but I think that is because the films I choose don't hold up particularly well. Today I want to do something a little bit different and make myself look even more stupid. I want to choose movies that I liked that bombed in the theaters and did not do well critically either. Most of these came out when I was in Elementary School and Middle School so some of my love for them is probably nostalgia but it is love none the less. 

5. Planet of the Apes (2001)

 I was 9 years old when this came out and I remember instantly enjoying it. Having seen and loved the original 5 films in the franchise as well as the latest film Rise of the Planet of the Apes this does not hold up quite as well, but it still has a sort of B movie charm. While it did fairly well at the Box Office making over $379 million worldwide with a $130 million budget it did not do as well with the critics. It received a 45 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a 50/100 metascore, and a 5.6 on IMDB to go along with a couple of Razzies. 




4. The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)


 For those of you that don't know, this was the big budget sequel to a very good low budget sci-fi film Pitch Black. When I first saw this in theaters I had not seen the first film though. While this is a pretty poorly written film it is very ambitious. While Pitch Black was more in the vein of the Alien franchise this is is an adventure film that spans across the galaxy. The visuals were pretty awesome and Riddick is a pretty bad ass character. Critics and Audiences seemed to disagree as it only made a little over $115 million worldwide despite an $105 million budget. Not to mention its 29 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, 38/100 metascore and 6.6 on IMDB and a worst actor Razzie nomination for Vin Diesel. We are getting another sequel soon though!

 3. The Core (2003)

 My Dad and I are both Disaster film enthusiasts and I vividly remember loving this film in the theaters. Yes it has a ridiculous premise, hilariously bad moments and some very poor acting but those are all trademarks of the genre. You watch these films to see people get killed in interesting and horrific ways, see cities get destroyed and just to have fun. It did not gain a wide audience though as it only made $73 million worldwide with a $60 million budget. Critically it received a 41 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a 48/100 metascore and a 5.3 on IMDB.  




2. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

 This would become the final dagger in the Star Trek franchise that would lead to a reboot 6 years later. While many critics found the film very cold, the acting stiff and an overall tired feeling, I had a blast. This featured arguably the best and most exhilarating space battles of the franchise (better than the new films despite a substantially smaller budget) and a pretty cool premise. Unfortunatly nobody came to see the film though as it only grossed $67million worldwide with a $60 million budget. The critics hated this one too as it received a 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, 51/100 metascore and a 6.3 on IMDB. Watch out for a very skinny Tom Hardy's U.S. debut in this as well! 



1. Reign of Fire (2002)

 While the film may not quite live up to its fantastic premise (Dragon Apocalypse!) it still is a thoroughly enjoyable film that has some pretty good effects, a good cast (Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale, Gerard Butler and Izabella Scorupco) and just feels very fresh and original. It did not do that well at the box office though as it only grossed $82 million worldwide with a $60 million budget. The critics panned it as well as it received a 40 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a 39/100 metascore and a 6.1 on IMDB. 





Summary-

Again this is not the most comprehensive list as I am sure there are numerous other films that I have enjoyed that did not do well with audiences or critics but these were the ones that I felt the strongest about. Let me know what your favorite films that bombed where in the comments.

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart

5 Films I Hate That Everyone Loves

After suffering through Star Trek Into Darkness twice I realized that I truly hate that movie. I have made my feelings pretty clear in my review of the film so I won't retread those thoughts here but simply put it is arguably my least favorite Star Trek film (I think I like Star Trek V better....yikes!). Unfortunately for me I appear to be in the minority as it has grossed well over $200 mill worldwide and is at 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and has made it into the IMDB top 250. This made me wonder what where some other films that alienated me from the rest of the movie watching public? So here is a countdown of the top 5 films that were successful both commercially ($200 mill+) and critically (Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) that I did not like (excluding Star Trek Into Darkness). 

5. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

When this came out I wrote a review on this blog that pretty much ripped the film to shreds. I thought it was an unnecessary, unoriginal and poorly written film that had only mediocre effects. Critically it did pretty well although not spectacular with a 66/100 metascore, 73 percent and certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.2 on IMDB. It did extremely well in the box office grossing over $260 million domestically and over $700 million worldwide.





4. Live Free Or Die Hard  (2007)

This one might surprise people because I am a huge fan of the Die Hard Franchise and a fan of these type of action films but I hated this one. I felt that they turned John McClane into a superhero in contrast to him as the average Joe who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time that he was in the previous films. It made the character a lot less relatable and I just could not get into the film. Clearly I was in the minority in my opinion though as it scored a 69/100 metascore, and 81 percent and certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.3 on IMDB. It also grossed over $134 million domestically and over $380 million worldwide. The next film in the franchise did not do quite as well though.....


3. Lincoln (2012)

I really do not get the mass critical praise for this film. I am not someone who gets bored easily by films but man this made me want to fall asleep. This coming from a history major and hopeful history graduate student who loves films like Gods and Generals. Daniel Day Lewis gives a good performance but its basically him hunched over in dark rooms and features a lot of exposition. This definitely felt like a movie that everyone wanted to say they liked just to seem cultured and smart. It received an 86/100 metascore, 89 percent and certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.6 on IMDB not to mention winning 2 Oscars. It also made over $180 million domestically and $274 million worldwide.

 2. Avatar (2009)

This is the most interesting film on the list because when I initially saw it I enjoyed it. Unfortunately upon multiple viewings my opinion of the film got worse and worse. I can understand enjoying it as big budget escapist entertainment but the plot is way too thin and the acting too poor to be considered an all time classic. Most of the world seems to disagree with me as it received an 83/100 metascore, an 83 percent and certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.0 on IMDB not to mention winning 3 Oscars. The critical response was strong but the audience response was even greater as it became the #1 all time highest grossing film as it made over $760 million domestically and over $2.7 billion worldwide.


1. Titanic (1997)

Another James Cameron film makes the list but many of my problems with this film are similar to Avatar. I have tried to get into this film multiple times but I always end up skipping to the end of the movie so I can see the ship sink, which is a pretty cool scene. I think part of my dislike for this movie has to do with the fact that I am not the target demographic but I still do not think this is a good film. The critics disagreed though as it garnered a 74/100 metascore, an 88 percent and certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.6 on IMDB not to mention the 11 Oscars it won. It did even better at the box office as it was the #1 all time highest grossing film till Avatar beat it. It made over $650 million domestically and $2.1 billion worldwide.

Summary-

This is by no means an exhaustive list of popular films that I hate but merely what I could come up with after reading over all of my old reviews today. There were a number of films that almost made the list (The Hangover for example) but these stood out the most. What are some your least favorite films that everyone seems to love? Share your thought by commenting below. I am also working on a list of films that are highly praised by critics that I hate and another list of films that are considered failures that I love. So look out for those soon!

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart