May I have you're attention please!
It's the return of the, oh wait, no wait, you're kidding... he isn't gonna say what I think he is, is he?
Not likely. It's been a while since I've given you my two cents regarding movies, but now that life has subsided for the time being, I present you the following reviews to help you as you choose which movies from 2011 to take a look at. I've seen 34 movies now this year, I've split this review into two groups of 5 movies. The first group is comprised of 5 movies that, while not at the top of my list, are movies that are worth taking a look at because of their innovative nature, dark humour or sheer enjoyment... the second group is a quick look at my current top 5 for the year, by no means are these going to be seen by everyone as the top 5 movies of the year, but that's why this my blog... I'd love to hear what your top 5 looks like, here we go...
(If you don't know my criteria, please take a look at the first post on this blog)
---------------------------------------------------------
Hanna - A
It's been a couple of months since I've seen this movie but it still stands the test of time as one of the more interesting movies of the year for me. Keep in mind that Black Swan was my favourite movie from last year and I tend to have a penchant for movies that play with my head. Hanna is a cross between The Bourne Trilogy and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Saoirse Ronan plays a young girl bred as a test subject for an operation that is seeking to create superior beings for super armies. She has the ability to fight even the strongest counterparts, learn numerous languages, remember every detail... essentially she's a super human being. But as she is sent out on a mission from her father who has gone rogue from the organization that created her, she soon finds that no amount of training can prepare a young girl for the rigours of life as a teenager. Her emotions turn into her biggest obstacle as she seeks to complete her mission. It's a crazy movie with a whole lot of action and a whole lot of heart... not to mention a wicked soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers.
Story (10) - 8.5
Genre (10) - 8.5
Characters (5) - 4
Believability (5) - 3.5
Filmmaking (10) - 9
Enjoyment (10) - 8
Hanna - 4.15 out of 5 yukes
--------------------------------------------------------
Gnomeo & Juliet - B
I think this movie may have succeeded because of lowered expectations going into it, the story is a well adapted script based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and however cheesy this spin may sound, it entertains. Two neighbouring lawn gnome families are caught in a feud that makes it impossible for star-crossed lovers Gnomeo (voiced by James McAvoy) and Juliet (voiced by Emily Blunt) to carry on their love story. There's not much to say about the movie because it follows the plotline fairly well, but it's worth a rental for sure.
Story (10) - 8
Genre (10) - 8
Characters (5) - 4
Believability (5) - 3
Filmmaking (10) - 7.5
Enjoyment (10) - 8.5
Gnomeo & Juliet - 3.9 out of 5 yukes
------------------------------------------------------
The Beaver - A
Jodie Foster as an actress = bad. Jodie Foster as a director = great. This is Foster's first real impressive stab at directing, a movie that takes an in-depth look at depression and the effect it has on the individual as well as the people that surround them. Mel Gibson, Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence give standout performances that drive this movie about a man stuck in a deep depression. It's not until Walter Black (Gibson) finds a hand-puppet that he starts to ease his way out of his darkness. While 'the beaver' helps him finally find a place of happiness, it begins to take over his sanity and soon becomes too much for his family to take. The movie portrays the bouts of depression more true than people might realize, a beautiful story that may open the eyes of those who watch it
Story (10) - 8
Genre (10) - 9
Characters (5) - 4.5
Believability (5) - 5
Filmmaking (10) - 8.5
Enjoyment (10) - 8
The Beaver - 4.3 out of 5 yukes
---------------------------------------------------
Attack the Block -
Attack the Block -
A British comedy about aliens, weed, friendship and sacrifice. As a teenage gang holds up a young woman, they witness something fall from the sky. As they turn their attention to the suspected firework, they are surprised to find that it was not some random firework, but rather an alien life form that awakes from hibernation to attack them. In self defence they kill the alien, which turns out to be the worst thing they could have done, leading to an all out alien invasion of their block apartments. The 5 young teenagers turn from delinquents to heroes as they defend their home territory. Nick Frost stars in this one, but the majority of the screen time is given to the teenage gang and their mugging victim (played by Jodie Whittaker).
Story (10) - 8
Genre (10) - 8
Characters (5) - 4
Believability (5) - 2.5
Filmmaking (10) - 8
Enjoyment (10) - 8.5
Enjoyment (10) - 8.5
Attack the Block - 3.9 out of 5 yukes
----------------------------------------------------
Rubber - B
An indie film if I ever saw one. A tire with tele-kinetic powers witnesses a tire fire in the desert, and seemingly vows to wreak havoc on a small town because of the atrocities done to his family. Meanwhile, an unnamed corporation has sent a test audience to watch the whole thing, in what they believe to be a live movie of sorts. It's meta. It's weird. It's exploding heads. It's awesome.
Story (10) - 7.5
Genre (10) - 7
Characters (5) - 3.5
Believability (5) - 1.5
Filmmaking (10) - 8
Enjoyment (10) - 7.5
Rubber - 3.5 out of 5 yukes
------------------------------------------------------
(part 2 coming soon)
No comments:
Post a Comment