Chris Reviews The Worlds End

I apologize for taking so long to get this review up because I did see this film opening night. In fact I went to see the entire Cornetto Trilogy at AMC Theaters. It was a hell of a good time because I love Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and after watching both of those films the bar was set pretty high for The Worlds End. Was It able to top both of those excellent films or is it simply the 3rd best film in a great series? Obviously you should read below to find out.....

The Good-

If you love Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead then you will not be disappointed. The humor is right in line with the previous entries in the Cornetto Trilogy. This time they tackle the Sci-fi/Alien Invasion genre and despite some cliché moments they do a fairly good job at creating a film that works both as a comedy and as a film that fits in the Sci-fi genre perfectly. Another fascinating element of this movie is that it works as a critique on modern society. The prologue of the film really takes a twist on the genre and makes a depressing statement about human nature. So this film not only is enjoyable on a basic entertainment level but on an intellectual level as well.

The Bad-

There was not much that I disliked about this film. The only major issue that people seem to have is with the third act. It definitely is the weakest part of the film as it really is just one jumbled action scene after another. That being said I think the mistakes of the third act get redeemed at the very end of the film. Other than that I did not have any major complaints.

Summary-

All in all this is not only an excellent Comedy but a pretty damn good Sci-fi film. Is it the best in the Trilogy? I think that really depends on your personal opinion but for me it is a close 2nd behind Hot Fuzz and my favorite film of 2013! I highly recommend this film to everyone!

MY RATING-

4.5 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart

Chris Reviews The Heat

I'm going to be honest, I really had no desire to see this film. I have never been a fan of Melissa McCarthy because she uses the fat/gross out humor in every role she plays, the story looked generic as hell and Sandra Bullock has never been an actress that I particularly liked. Despite all of that I went because my Grandma really wanted to see it and that's what good Grandsons do. Did this film play out exactly as I expected or was it a pleasant surprise? As usual you should read below to find out....

The Good-

This was a competently made action/comedy film that was solidly entertaining throughout. There were several jokes that worked well and had me laughing out loud. I actually liked Sandra Bullock in this as well which is probably a first. My favorite part of the film were the usual comedy film cameos, specifically Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as a Eastern European hooker/drug dealer and Thomas F. Wilson (Back to the Future) as the police chief.

The Bad-

This is about as formulaic as a buddy cop film can get. It really does not break any new ground with the exception of the struggles of women in the police force story line. It telegraphs every plot line so badly that there really is no suspense throughout. There are also a number of bad jokes that just annoyed me (The Albino guy in particular) and Melissa McCarthy is still one of my least favorite actresses in Hollywood. She plays the exact same character you have ever seen her in and it is not one that I like.

Summary-

This film was much better than I expected but It also had every problem that I expected it would have. Is it the worst movie I have seen this year? No, but it is yet another mediocre film that 2013 has been so generous in giving us. I would only recommend this if you are seeing it at the cheap theater or getting it at Red Box.

MY RATING-

3 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart
 

Chris Reviews 2 Guns

I was not expecting much of this movie going in. The trailers made it look like just another generic summer action film, but it did have an interesting cast. I mainly went to go see it though, because I decided I need to force myself to see more movies this year even if they are mostly crap. So did this film exceed my expectations or become yet another bland summer action film? Obviously you should continue reading to find out.

THE GOOD-

The chemistry and performances are the selling point of the movie. I like both of these actors and they work well together and provide some good humor. I also enjoyed seeing Edward James Olmos as a Mexican Drug Cartel leader. The action sequences are solid although nothing spectacular.

THE BAD-

This was yet another terribly written action film. While there was a mildly intriguing premise it was so mishandled that it made it borderline unwatchable. It attempted to be an overly complex crime film about a DEA Agent and a Naval Intelligence Agent who accidentally rob a CIA slush fund bank and the CIA wants their money back. I was not sure if this was supposed to be a criticism of government corruption or if it was just supposed to be a ridiculous over the top action film. That was one of the main problems is that it struggled balancing comedy and seriousness which is a key element of a good buddy cop film. None of the action scenes had much weight because it seemed like it was all just a big joke. There were also numerous plot holes and random things that would happen that were never addressed. Outside of the lead actors there really was not much to like from the performances either (Paula Patton was pretty terrible). Essentially this movie contains almost every problem that a bad summer action film features.

Summary-

This is just another poorly written summer action film that you watch and forget 10 minutes after you walk out of the theater. Sure the lead actors give solid performances and provide enough charisma to make the film watchable but that's about it.

MY RATING-

2.5 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart

Chris Reviews The Wolverine

X-Men has always been one of my favorite super hero franchises. I have seen every film in the theaters, watched the cartoons, have read some of the comics and have a general knowledge of the major story arcs and characters from the comics. Obviously I was going to see this but having been really disappointed in Wolverines last solo outing, I came into this with a fair amount of skepticism. Was that skepticism warranted? Read below to find out......

The Good-

This is one of the more interesting story arcs for Wolverine. He is brought to Japan to say goodbye to a dying powerful Japanese business man who he saved from the nuclear blast at Nagasaki during World War 2. The man offers him a chance to end his immortality by transferring it to him. This comes at the same time that Wolverine is struggling with the aftermath of the events of X-Men: The Last Stand in which he had to kill the love of his life Jean Grey. There are some very interesting dream sequences he has where he is talking to her throughout the film that ground the character and make him human. Despite wanting to join her in heaven (or whatever afterlife you believe in) he turns down the offer and the man dies. The Granddaughter of the man is now set to takeover the business instead of her father. Thus a story of a family feud/power struggle over the business ensues and Wolverine attempts to protect the girl despite somehow losing his powers. There are some pretty awesome action sequences as the addition of Samurai/Ninja fighting is a nice change of pace to the usual superhero fights. Hugh Jackman gives another good performance as Wolverine, providing enough charisma and comedy with his fighting skills to keep audiences entertained. The direction by James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) is pretty good and he is able to create one of the more visually interesting super hero films.

The Bad-

While there is a lot of things I liked about this film there is an equal amount of problems I had with it. The primary issue being that the plot is extremely over complicated. There are numerous side stories that are easy to get lost in and it all comes crashing down in the third act. I was completely lost and confused for the final 30 minutes of the film as it tries to set up a typical "final battle" sequence that makes no sense. The film also tries to do a big villain reveal at the end but it is telegraphed so bad that there is no impact. That is indicative of a larger problem with the film in that the villains are VERY weak. The character motivations are so confused and flip flop often, some of the secondary villains are unnecessary (Viper is probably the worst Marvel movie villain ever) and they are all very incompetent. This is probably one of the worst third acts of a movie I have seen in years and it kills the many positives this movie had.

Summary-

After a promising first 2 acts the film completely collapses on itself and makes what could have been an above average super hero film simply mediocre. That being said it is a vast improvement from X-Men Origins: Wolverine and is an adequate filler movie until we get X-Men: Days of Future Past next year.

MY RATING-

3 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart  

Star Wars Prequels: A Retrospective

Like any kid born post 1977 I grew up a huge Star Wars fan. I remember getting the VHS box set, seeing them re-released in theaters in the 90's and owning tons of action figures. So in 1999 when The Phantom Menace came out I was beyond excited. I was 7 years old at the time so if you have seen the film you should know that I was the target audience. At the time I loved the film, I bought the collectors edition VHS, acquired as many action figures as possible and had lightsaber fights in my friend Danny's basement while listening to "Duel of Fates" from the soundtrack. Then when I was 10 years old Attack of the Clones came out and once again I was the target audience. I was equally excited for its release and while I did not enjoy it quite as much as the first I still had a great time. Then when I was 13 Revenge of the Sith came out and that became my favorite of the prequel trilogy. I periodically have revisited the films but never really looking at them critically. So I thought I would go back and watch them from a critical perspective and see what I thought. So lets get to it!

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999)

I know that adult fans of Star Wars at the time this was released had a very negative reaction to the film. I was only 7 when it came out so I was the target demographic and thus really enjoyed it. It was a smart marketing strategy by the executives because they knew the Star Wars fans would see it but they wanted to lock in another whole generation of fans at a young age. Clearly it worked as the film grossed over 1 billion dollars worldwide and 2 more films were made. So the question is, do I still enjoy it or are fans of the franchise justified in their dislike for it?

The Good-

The big selling point of this movie has to be the visual effects. There are some truly exhilarating action sequences that look great. The entire end action sequence is very enjoyable as we get a large land battle, a space battle and a memorable lightsaber battle against fan favorite villain Darth Maul. The Pod Racing sequence I remember was a big selling point at the time (I remember there being a video game) and it still holds up pretty well. There are a lot of interesting characters that are introduced as well such as Darth Maul, Mace Windu and Captain Panaka although they are not used enough. This also features a fantastic score by John Williams that I remember buying right after the film came out.

The Bad-

The premise of the film is really bland as it essentially boils down to a dispute over the taxation of trade routes that escalates to war. I understand that in the larger context of the trilogy this is just a part of the Palpatine's master plan but this is the least interesting part of it. The lack of a central character to follow is another stumbling point and makes it hard to get invested in the story. There are also a lot of terribly written characters, Anakin is an annoying brat and the actor playing him is awful, Jar Jar Binks may be the most irritating character ever conceived in the history of cinema and Qui-Gon Jinn is a surprisingly incompetent Jedi despite being played by Liam Neeson. All of the kid humor in the film is really irritating and makes it tough to watch at times. This is also where George Lucas's poor story decisions really become problematical as he diminishes "the force" to simply being a something that lives in our cells (wtf?) and he completely misuses Darth Maul and kills him off too quickly.

Summary-

This is a film that is full of poor writing, plotting decisions and acting that feels directionless at times. That being said it has just enough entertainment value from the action sequences and John Williams score to keep me interested and thus I can't hate it. It is more of a disappointment than anything else as I feel that there was probably a better story they could have done. All in all this is a very mediocre entry in the franchise.

MY RATING- 

3 out of 5         

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

I have very mixed memories about this film. I remember thinking that the action scenes were pretty cool with some bad ass moments for cool characters (Mace Windu, Jango Fett etc.) but I also remember being bored by the romance aspect of the story. I was never as excited about this film as I was about Episode I though. Its Box Office success would seem to reflect that as it "only" made $649 million worldwide while Episode 1 grossed over $1 billion. Is this the inconsistently entertaining entry in the series that I remember? You are about to find out.

The Good-

The action sequences are much improved from the first film. I particularly enjoyed the speeder chase on Coruscant, the Obi-wan Jango Fett fight and the big final battle. These action sequences seem much more polished than what we saw in Episode I with much improved visual effects. The film feels much more mature and does not feel like it is targeted towards kids as much. The characters are much more compelling this time around and there continues to be very intriguing secondary characters (ex. Jango Fett). The main reason I found this a more interesting film to watch is that the story was much more interesting. It is all about the buildup to the start of the Clone Wars, Anakin growing into a powerful Jedi but also the warning signs of what is to come and the beginning of the Emperors plans to take over the Republic finally coming to fruition.

The Bad-

George Lucas just sucks at writing dialogue! For every moment of fun, there is an equally horrendous amount of bad romance dialogue between Padme and Anakin. That entire story arc just takes you out of the movie because it is so cheesy and annoying but at the same time taking itself way to seriously. I also just did not like the actor playing Anakin (Hayden Christensen) in the first place and it really took away from my interest in the character. Natalie Portman was not particularly good in this either but I think there is only so much she could have done because her character was so poorly written. The film also lacks a good lightsaber fight which I think is necessary for a good Star Wars film. There are a number of good action sequences but the only lengthy lightsaber fight is at the end where Count Dooku cuts off Anakins arm, wounds Obi-wan and then fights Yoda and flees. It was cool to see Yoda fight for a few minutes but watching his CGI character constantly flipping around got annoying after a while. It seems like one of those ideas that sounded really cool when they were writing it but just flops in actuality.

Summary-

This is such a frustrating film, at times it is exciting and entertaining and at other times irritating and borderline unwatchable. I think the story was heading in the right direction as some of the casting was spot on and it features another fantastic score by John Williams. Where the film really falls apart though is Anakin's story arc which is unfortunate because the entire purpose of the prequel trilogy is to tell his story. Lucas miscast the character yet again and never seemed to have a good grasp on how to write him. So while this movie has its moments I'm not sure I can rate it any higher than Episode 1.

MY RATING-

3 out of 5

 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

This seems to be the only film of the prequels that people respected. I remember this being the first film of the prequels to have that "epic" feel that the original Star Wars films had and the critics would seem to agree. While it still did not top Episode 1 in the box office, it still did quite well raking in over $848 million worldwide. Was this as good as I remember it? Obviously you should continue reading to find out.

The Good-

As I mentioned above, for the first time in the trilogy there is an "epic" feel to the story. From the opening scene you are instantly hooked, as we see an epic space battle occuring over Coruscant and Obi-wan and Anakin attempting to rescue Chancellor Palpatine. This was probably the most exhilarating sequence of the prequels although there are other moments that come close in this film. There are also a number of good lightsaber fights (Anakin killing Count Dooku, Mace Windu against the Emperor, Yoda against the Emperor) but none come close to the big one between Anakin and Obi-wan. I think it is the best lightsaber fight of the prequels and is in the discussion with the ones from the original trilogy. The pacing of the action sequences is spot on and the visual effects are the best of the series. I also enjoy this film a lot because the Emperor gets a lot of screen time and he just has such a commanding presence (not to mention he is my favorite character in the series). So this film clearly features the best action sequences and plot of the prequels but it also finally is able to connect on an emotional level that they had been unable to do in the previous 2 films. The movie just has a lot more weight to it and thus the viewer is much more involved in the story.    

The Bad-

There are still a lot of dialogue issues that bother me but significantly less than Episode II. While I don't particularly like Hayden Christensen as Anakin, he definitely turns in a better performance. There are a some minor nitpicks of things that happen in particular scenes or plot continuity issues with the original trilogy but nothing that detracted from the experience to much.

Summary-

I really enjoyed this film and it is clearly a vast improvement from the previous films in the series. Sure there are still things I don't like about it but in comparison to Episodes I and II this is a freaking masterpiece.

MY RATING-

4 out of 5

OVERALL SUMMARY-

So are the prequels worth going back and watching? I think they are but only if you are going to watch them with the Original Trilogy as well. I don't think they hold up well as a standalone series but rather as additional content to watch if you are in the mood for Star Wars. What do you guys think? I would love to hear your thoughts on the Star Wars prequels in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart

Chris Reviews Pacific Rim

So this was probably my most anticipated movie of the year. I have always been a fan of monster movies such as Godzilla, Rodan, Reign of Fire (Dragons count) and even Cloverfield so this was something I was going to see no matter what. Did this manage to meet my expectations as a bad ass monster movie or is this just another disappointing Summer Blockbuster that have been so typical of 2013? As usual read below to find out....

The Good-

Oh yeah this is a hell of a lot of fun! This is a film that does exactly what it promises which is huge scale, bad ass Mechs vs. Monsters mayhem! I love the fascinating and unique universe that Del Toro has created with this and as with any Del Toro film it has some fantastic production design that will blow you away! This is a film that the bigger of screen you see it on, the better the experience. That is because when the fights between the Jaegars (Robots controlled by people) fight the Kaiju (monsters) the scale is so huge that you have to watch it on a big screen to really appreciate it. Unlike the Transformer films fight sequences which I thought were boring and confusing, these big fights are spectacular, engrossing and easy to understand.

The Bad-

Notice I did not mention anything positive about the writing or acting? That is because those two things are what hold this film back from being so much more. I think the premise is fascinating and unique (although there is one aspect that is extremely derivative of every Alien Invasion movie) but the characters are very flat, and the story arc is pretty basic. Most of the movie this works okay because you are watching some bad ass Robots fight Monsters but when people die there is just no emotion behind it. Part of the problem is that the story and universe is just so huge that it is damn near impossible to develop every character. I just can't help thinking that this could have spectacular had it not been for weak character development.

Summary-

This is the type of film that would have blown me away as a kid. Considering that I thought Reign of Fire was the shit growing up, I can't imagine how much I would have loved this film then. Now that I am a lot older and much more critical of films it is harder for me to look past the flaws of a film like this. That being said I still had a great time and this was probably the first film this year that I really got sucked into and just went along for the ride. This is the type of Summer Blockbuster I wish we got more often instead of bullshit like Grown Ups 2 and The Internship.

MY RATING-

4 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart

Kevin's List of 10 Awful Movies

I go out of my way to watch bad movies. For every good movie I watch, I try to watch at least one or two bad ones. It is important to do so when studying film so you can notice the difference between a good film and a bad film. I rarely come across a movie that I absolutely hate, but it happens from time to time. Below, I've made a list of the movies that I wouldn't watch again if you paid me. Unlike my list of favorite films, these are on a pretty exact ranking system. These movies
are so bad, they are painful to watch. Do not watch these movies!



10. Max Payne

This is at the bottom of the list because I've tried watching it at least three times, and I have come to dislike it more each time. I am a fan of the video game, but the movie is terrible. I've tried to like it, but it's just not happening, folks. It is way different than the game. It is bizarre and muddled, and makes almost zero sense. Ludacris stars in this movie, if that tells you anything. This is a MAX PAYNE to sit through.

9. The Spirit

 I watched this recently and I went into it knowing it was going to be bad. The writing, action, and storyline is terrible and just comes across as laziness from the creative team. For instance, there is a scene where Samuel L. Jackson breaks a toilet over a guy's head and laughs hysterically, then says "Toilets are always funny!" Yes, it's a bit campy but it's not enough to make it worth sitting through. Avoid at all costs.

8. The Strangers

The Strangers is a dark, gruesome and pointless horror film that leaves you scratching your head at the end wondering why you wasted your time watching it. There is very little dialogue in the film and the characters are as flat as they come. Not to mention, the film has countless jump scares which are the bowels of horror films. I would tell you to watch this film to understand what I mean, but you would be wasting 90 minutes of your life doing so.



7. Hard Candy

Hard Candy scored well with critics but there is a major flaw with it. Ellen Page (can't stand her) tortures a "pedophile" until (spoiler alert) she convinces him to kill himself. The writers did not put enough effort into making the victim seem like a bad guy. I was honestly hoping he made it out alive. I could tell they were trying to make him seem like a perverted sicko that needed to die, but it just wasn't working. Disturbing, to say the least.

6. Natural Born Killers

I'm not a fan of Oliver Stone as a filmmaker or a person, but I've seen some of his films and this is certainly his worst. A weird spinoff of Bonnie and Clyde, this film is over the top and luridly violent in a way that is just off-putting. I can't stand Woody Harrelson, which makes this film even more of a painful ordeal. There are also some weird lighting issues in the third act of the film that hurt your eyes. Stay away from this garbage.

5. Snow White and the Huntsman

Of course, a girl dragged me to the theater to see this one. Snow White and the Huntsman, starring the talentless Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth, is more of an endurance test than a film. How long can you sit in your chair and bear this awful crap? This film is unexciting, terribly acted, and slow-paced. The worst part is there are rumors going around that there will be a sequel. For the love of God, no.

4. Project X

The only thing this movie has going for it is the boobs. Project X is shot using the mockumentary film style which as most of you know, I hate. The worst part is, it doesn't seem to serve any purpose to the story. It's as if the director was like "Okay, we're filming this with a webcam because it'll look like it actually happened." The actors have a lot of fun with the film, but as a viewer, you will not.

3. Clerks

As a filmmaker, it is important to make aesthetic decisions with your work based on the effect or mood you want to invoke on the viewers. I was wondering why the filmmakers decided to make this entire film in black and white and came up with nothing. I even Googled it and looked through several websites and found nothing. Pointless. Additionally, the dialogue is sloppy and the acting is poor. This is considered a cult film but I am clearly not part of that cult.



2. The Last House on the Left

This movie is just flat out disturbing. I felt uncomfortable throughout the entire film. It's a twisted revenge film that has the parents of two murdered teens taking revenge on their captors. I don't have a whole lot to say about this film other than it really turned my stomach and wasn't enjoyable to watch, enough to the point where it is the second worst film I've ever seen.

1. Taken 2

Taken 2 is the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. You are probably wondering why. Yes, it's a generic, typical modern action film and it's not good, but how is it the worst? Look at the first Taken. It wasn't good but it wasn't bad, either. This film is a prime example of Hollywood bending over backwards to make money from a cheap ass sequel. The story is crap. The action sequences are crap. The acting is crap. I could have made a better film. So, not only do I hate this film but I also hate the reason why it was made. I can talk about this movie all day but I'm getting worked up just typing this. Save your time and skip this piece of trash.