Chris Reviews Argo

I have to admit that being a History Buff, films such as Argo tend to be the ones that get me the most excited. That being said if they are bad I will ream them but if they are good I will love them more than most people. So the question is did Argo tickle my history nerve or stab it? Read below to find out.

The Good-

Ben Affleck has cemented himself as one of the best directors out there. With his first 2 films he established that he had the Crime Drama down, but with Argo he has shown that he can make Oscar Winners. He fantastically weaves drama and tension with light hearted humor. The opening sequence alone (the storming of the US Embasy in Iran) makes this film a necessary watch because of the relevance of it. Argo is also a very accesible film, often times Historical Dramas become history lessons and take themselves way to seriously. Argo does not do any of that, it manages to tell a very interesting historical story while at the same time make it interesting and exciting to the average audience member.

The Bad-

There is not anything blatently bad about this film. That being said I think many of the characters were not fleshed out enough and while the performances were solid there was nothing spectacular about them. Other than the lack of notable performances there really is not much to complain about.

Summary-

Ben Affleck is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors and I can not wait to see what he does next. Argo is a fascinating Historical Drama that combines masterful tension with good comedy to create not only the best Drama of the Year but arguably the best film of the year. I would not be suprised if this does very well at the Oscars.

MY RATING

4.5 out of 5

Chris "Da Franchize" Hart

Chris Reviews Seven Psycopaths

I really came into this movie without any kind of expectations. The trailers looked OK (but its always hard to tell the quality of a film from a trailer) but the reviews were pretty good. So I sat down and watched the film without any bias for the first time in a long time. Was it good, was it bad? Read below to find out.

The Good-

If you saw Martin McDonagh's previous film "In Bruges", then you know what to expect from this. It's quirky, satirically violent, and filled with interesting and flawed characters. At times this film is fantastically fun with genuine laugh out loud moments. The commentary about the art of storytelling in films is fascinating which makes me want to watch this again just to pick up on all of it. This is a film that has a lot going for it but there really is one fatal flaw that prevents this from being a great film.

The Bad-

The biggest problem with Seven Psychopaths is the chaotic pacing. It is all over the place, and ironically despite it being a film about the art of storytelling it struggles to actually tell a coherent story at times. I think this is just McDonagh's style but that still doesn't excuse it.

Summary-

Seven Psychopaths is fascinating but flawed film that is well worth a watch. I have a feeling it will grow on me with time as I think about the commentary imbedded in the story, but the pacing is still somewhat of putting. Some will love it, some may hate it but it is undeniably an intriguing film.

MY RATING

3.5 out of 5

Chris "Da Franchize" Hart          

Taken 2: Possibly the Worst Film of the Year

Fans of "Taken" will probably enjoy Taken 2. But for me, the guy who sees the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to action movies, was unable to enjoy this film. This was an ugly film. Keep reading to see why.

Taken 2 is nowhere near as good as Taken. While Taken isn't the most inventive action film, it was very enjoyable and had some genuine excitement. This is not the case for Taken 2. Taken 2 takes the "Bourne" approach even more than the first, utilizing the very cliched shaky cam and quick cuts. Quick cuts are even used in slow dialogue scenes, and for no obvious reason. As an editor myself, I believe cuts should be precise, intentional, and purposeful. As I was studying some of the shots in this film, I came to the conclusion that the editors didn't really put much thought into WHY the cuts were being made, other than to make the film faster-paced, and it didn't work. Also, the director overused high-shutter speed cameras to "intensify" fight scenes. This made me dislike the film even more, as this is an extremely overused technique. This film wasn't just bad technically. The writing was poor. A friend I was with even pointed out some contradictions in the dialogue, causing some serious continuity issues. The writers were very sloppy and it is clear the focus of this film was not on the story or the writing, but the action, which is something a film should NEVER do.

I apologize for not being able to find anything good with this film. Taken 2 is a prime example of what I dislike about action films: fast cuts, shaky cam, and high shutter speeds, not to mention, poor writing and dry acting. This film was obviously action-based with weak characters and a very flimsy script. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to go to the movies and literally be in a coma and not use their brain whatsoever. This is easily a candidate for the worst film of the year.

MY RATING:

1 out of 5

-Kevin A. Millward

Chris Reviews Looper

I'm sure you have already read Kevin's review of Looper. He had been talking non stop about this film for a long time and it seemed like it had become his favorite movie before it even came out. Now I was excited to see this movie but no where near the extent he was. So was this movie another "Amazing Spiderman" situation where we have two contrasting opinions? Read below to find out........

The Good-

Well let me first start of by saying that Kevin and I are both in agreement on this, Looper is a fantastic film! I do not think I have ever seen a movie quite like this and I mean that in a very good way. Rian Johnson has created a truly unique film that is extremely engaging. I could not take my eyes off the screen, The story is interesting, the casting is perfect, the acting is great, the makeup work on JGL is awesome and the score is cool.

The Bad-

I really cannot think of anything blatantly bad in this film. Like Kevin said the film was marketed as more of an action film and there really is not much in here so some people might be disappointed. But other than
idiots who only like Michael Bay movies, everyone should like this movie.

Summary-

This is a film that establishes Rian Johnson as the next big Sci-fi director in the same vein as Duncan Jones. Although I think this is stronger than either Moon or Source Code. Looper does everything so well that I am putting it up for consideration as my top movie of the year. I legitimately feel that this should be an Oscar contender for Best Picture. So as you can guess I Highly Recommend this film! Although I could not quite give it a 5 due mostly to a rude a-hole who essentially shushed me and Kevin during the trailers before the movie even started.
   
MY RATING

4.5 out of 5

Chris "Da Franchize" Hart    

Looper: A Groundbreaking Time Travel Film

I went in with high expectations for this film. Ever since I saw the trailer, I have been super excited for Looper. I have never been so excited to see a film, and Looper grabbed my attention for a lot of reasons. I was thrilled when I saw it was getting good reviews, and after I watched it, my mind was blown.

I will start off with what I liked most about this film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance as the younger Bruce Willis is nothing short of spectacular. In fact, his performance really sold the film and made it believable. Yeah, the makeup really helped, too, but JGL's sharp talent for transforming into another role (rather than mimicking it) completely changed the tone of the film. Looper easily could have been JGL chasing down Bruce Willis, but that was not the case. This was a young Bruce Willis chasing down an older Bruce Willis. Rather than the traditional man vs. man theme, this film effectively and creatively utilized the man vs. self theme, which I enjoyed.

I also liked the visuals of this film. The futuristic world in this film is very feasible. I look at this world and think that it could actually exist someday. Rian Johnson clearly put a lot of thought into the setting. From a technical standpoint, the cinematography and editing was beautiful. This film distinguishes itself with its unique text, narration, and, most of all, fantastic camerawork. I wish I could describe the visual style of this film, but it is so unique and unlike anything I have ever seen before.

As far as the acting goes, I really have no complaints. As I said before, JGL was brilliant. I'd say this is Bruce Willis' best film in years. I was skeptical about Emily Blunt's character, but I came to like her and was sold on the idea of her being a country girl. Even her kid was great. Usually, I hate little kids in movies. They are almost always obnoxious and are usually used for low-grade humor. This wasn't the case in Looper. I can't say much without giving away key plot points, but the boy's performance and role in the film is amazing.

I really have no complaints about this film, other than how slow it can be. The trailer makes you think this will be a fast-paced action film, but much of the action in the trailer plays out as quick montages in the film, which was a little disappointing. I think I would have liked just a little more action, and with this film being just under two hours, it could have spared a few more minutes of that.

Looper is a groundbreaking film on so many levels. It is well-written and thought-out, visually striking, and expertly acted. This film lived up to my high expectations, which is a rarity. Looper will definitely be added to my Blu-Ray collection. Highly recommended for Sci-Fi and Action fanatics, and anyone who wants to experience a mind-bending thriller.

MY RATING:

5 out of 5

-Kevin A. Millward

Chris Reviews Dredd

When it was first announced that they were gonna take another stab at bringing Judge Dredd to film I was very much against it. I really have not had a chance to read the graphic novels and the last film while hilariously bad, did not leave me thinking they should try to make another film. That being said once I started hearing the details and saw the trailer I jumped on board and got excited. So was that excitement warranted or did I leave the theater wanting to kill myself? Read below to find out..... 

The Good-

There are several aspects of this movie that I loved. The first being Karl Urban as Dredd, he made the character much more believable and realistic while maintaining a certain level of humor. This movie definitely had a unique tone and style to it as well, which I really liked. It gave you a feeling that If this movie does well, some even cooler adventures could take place in this environment.  The action while not spectacular was pretty gory and helped give the film the gritty tone they were looking for and the SLO-MO sequences were actually pretty cool as well and probably looked awesome in 3D.

The Bad-

The main issue I had with this film was the story and how much it was ripped from The Raid. Not only did they rip the premise off from it, but they didn't even do it as well. The action sequences were fairly unspectacular and didn't really stand out, yes there was a lot of gore but mostly of the CGI variety. This film also felted very restrained to me as well, it felt like they wanted to do more but couldn't because of budget restrictions.

Summary-

There is not really anything blatantly bad and if you have not seen The Raid you will probably love this film. I just wish it had hit a little harder with some better choreographed fights but outside of that I really liked this film. I came out of it wanting to see a bigger budget, more epic sequel but I'm not sure its going to happen if it continues to flounder at the Box Office. All in all this is a solid end of summer action flick that is worth checking out.

MY RATING-

3.5 out of 5

Chris "Da Franchise" Hart           

End of Watch: Decent, not Great Buddy-Cop Film with Aesthetic Issues

I have to admit: I expected this movie to be pretty bad. I'm very opposed to the seemingly trending visual style of "found footage", and by the trailer, it was more than clear that this was the approach End of Watch was taking. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised with the film, but is it worth a watch?

Let me start by saying I completely changed my opinion of this film by the end of it. About 3 quarters of the way through, I was around a 2.5, but things really pick up in the film toward the end: emotionally and dramatically. There are a few things I really liked about this film, the biggest being the partnership of Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena's characters. Fantastic chemistry here. There's a perfect balance of arguments, ball-busting, and serious conversation to be had here. I feel safe saying this is one of the best buddy-cop match ups EVER. There are quite a few laughs in this movie, which is rare in such a dark film. I liked Anna Kendrick in this (mostly because she is my current Hollywood crush). There was also a healthy balance of work and personal life, which in turn contributed to the great character development in this film. I felt myself REALLY caring about what happens to these characters, which is a rare feeling when you watch as many movies as I do. I was also pleasantly surprised with how emotionally charged this film was, especially at the end. Great performances from Gyllenhaal and Pena make this film good.

I won't elaborate on the many reasons why I am so opposed to the "found footage" approach, but I will say that one of those reasons is that it is so overused. Project X, Cloverfield, and Paranormal Activity are three films in recent memory that try and fail using this method. This film did a slightly better job at using this technique, but like all "found footage" films, I was left feeling dizzy nauseous. That is my biggest issue with this film. This easily could have been one of my favorite films of the year, but the use of this choppy, shaky shooting style takes away from the sophistication of the story. I can see how they were going for the "Cops" look, which could've been done better as TV show, but for film, this is a style that shouldn't be used. This also caused issues throughout the film because we were being beat over the head about where cameras were, and there were one too many "get that camera out of my face" moments. The documentary style seemed forced, and that definitely hurt the score for this film.

In conclusion, if the shaky-cam doesn't bother you, this is a good buddy-cop film that has a serious take on the drug war and is very emotional. Great performances from the leads helps distract you from the aesthetic problems in this film, but you will still leave the theater wishing you watched a "film" rather than a bunch of splices of footage. Recommended for buddy-cop and crime fans.

MY RATING:

3 out of 5

-Kevin A. Millward