The Green Hornet Movie Review (possible spoilers)

I'm not a fan of the series but I saw a handful of episodes when I was really young [due to my Dad's Bruce Lee fandom]. I even thought the white dude was the sidekick!

Anyways... I wasn't interested before, but I heard from friends that it was awesome, so I watched it.
Yeah, I trusted them on this... even though, I think it's best to follow my instincts.

 I was curious about Jay Chou's acting skills. I didn't know him before the casting news. Oh! speaking of casting, I really don't wanna rant but I just have to complain. Yes, it's about Seth Rogen. I'll just compress my rant in two big words: WHY HIM!? Certainly there are other better actors

Ok now, back to business.

(from http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-content/uploads/green_hornet_poster17.jpg)

This poster was epic, but I'm not sure if I'll say the same about the movie itself. 

It's starts with the usual hero introduction. No, not the cheesy type. It's a flashback when Britt was young and his father was sort of telling him to "man up". My initial reaction was "OK... looks promising so far". I continued to watch. The Next part was Britt partying... which reminded me of one Adam Sandler film for some reason. Now, I realized that it's gonna be Knocked Up again or at least near to that level.

Kato's introduction was much more decent. He was the humble coffee maker but deep inside he's the coolest person to hang with. I already know about martial arts thing, but gadget making and and car designing!? He's pulling a Tony Stark vibe with all those "talents". Makes me envious. Judging from the acting, it's obvious that he's a novice, but being an acting gem is not really required in his character. In the original series, Kato had like two words for lines per episode. It's expected that Kato will be well versed and more expressive in this version, but of course the silent element should remain. The movie didn't fail to show that, but I was hoping for Jay Chou to step it up a little.

The villain was the best character I ever saw since the start of the film. Chudnofsky is a serious villain with cheesy tastes. He changed his name into "Bloodnofsky" which made him hilarious at some point. He wasn't the best villain for me but he was a FUN villain.

Cameron Diaz's character was forgettable. I don't even remember her name. As a love interest for both Britt and Kato, she had a good start, but my interest on the character didn't last. The supposed love triangle was barely executed. There was some jealousy but it was too petty. 

"I don't want make coffee again!" [or something like that]
(from http://www.daemonsmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/green-hornet-movie-photo-07-550x365.jpg)

The duo didn't feel right. It was no Mel Gibson and Danny Glover tandem in the Lethal Weapon movies. It didn't even came close to the Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the Rush Hour movies. Then again, I shouldn't compare Britt and Kato to buddy cops, but I just can't help myself expecting the same effect. After all,  It is a tandem. Clearly, it was like Britt using Kato to gain success. And it really showed in some of the scenes in the middle of the film. In fact most of those scenes where kind of useless and boring. Just like watching two big kids masquerading like cosplayers, pretending to have superpowers. Of course, there were some hints of developing [friendly] relationship between the two, but Rogen turned Britt into a prick-to-be character (I can't help it feel like he was gonna be jerk to Kato).

Now it gets a bit exciting... yeah, only a bit..

"Look Ma! Two barrels!"
(from http://www.daemonsmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/green-hornet-movie-photo-11.jpg)

I have to point out that the best part of the movie was the last 30 mins or so, because it almost saved the movie for me. The chase scenes, the fights... the things I've been longing since the beginning of the film. The entertainment factor was back and I was all geared up to finish this movie. I don't want to get into the details because I don't want to spoil you.

The action sufficed but the story was 2 points below mediocrity. The character development for each character were different but it was vague. The only person I REALLY have to blame is Seth Rogen.

Rating:
6.5/10
I'm not really sure if I'll watch it again.

Knight and Day movie review

Somehow, Tom Cruise's movies always entice me. I always anticipate a blockbuster, knowing that he's one of the most famous people in the world. He always did brooding characters... and that's what I'm used to whenever he's on screen. Unfortunately, I foolishly expected the same thing.

(from http://blog.80millionmoviesfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/watch-knight-and-day-online1.jpg)

Yeah, it's obviously an action movie, but not quite I expected. It's also a comedy -- an info that failed to register into my brain as I watch it. Maybe that's one reason why I feel like the movie was inconsistent in some parts and the excitement for the scenes were barely there. And yes, this maybe why some comments from the internet weren't really kind; they didn't get it that this was supposed to be an action-comedy, but's not their fault, the movie failed to emphasize it. The action scenes were exhilarating enough for entertainment. The comedy was definitely there but couldn't pass its mediocrity. The first parts were a bit boring, the middle was just ok, the end was at times confusing but a little over the top. Although I gotta hand it to Tom, he looked really young and the hair cut made him a little swoon-able for the ladies. Cameron..well, she's just Ok but I can't help it stare at her wrinkles (oh man! I'm a meanie! >_<)

Rating:

6.8/10 

Probably wouldn't watch it again for a long time.

Tom did better comedy in Tropic Thunder.

I'm Speechless... (some minor spoilers)

As typical action-loving viewer, I normal would pass up a chance to watch a dreary looking movie. But in my very most meaningful moment, there is a rare chance that I would bite what that movie's trailer has offered because it shook my mind to the point that I will be hyped to see it like I would when I come across a potential, action-filled blockbuster. I don't why these rare moments happen to li'l o' me, but I will gladly choose to embrace it because it hasn't let me down yet. As you would notice, this is not the typical nonsense that I always write, but like I said, this is a rare moment.

My other chances of ignoring my usual tastes were the opportunity of watching Becoming Jane, Juno, Doubt, Valkyrie and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I didn't make a review about them because my interests for them [or rants] didn't last long. Now I'm reviewing this one because, I feel that it aroused me enough for it to be engraved in my mind.

I'm not gonna tease you anymore. The movie I'm talking about is The King's Speech.

 

(poster from http://www.latinoreview.com/images/stories/the_kings_speech_movie_poster.jpg)

The story is about King George VI and his struggle to speak publicly. Now this guy is had it really bad when it comes to public speeches. In every speech that he was obligated to do, he stuttered, and it was far for what I expected from royal prince. I realized that stuttering can be the worse royal problem. To solve his problems, Prince Albert (future King George, a.k.a. "Bertie" for short), hired an unlikely speech therapist... well, i think not really licensed as a therapist. They were off with a rocky start, but as they work together to eliminate his worst fears, their relationship turned from pure professional to a long-lasting friendship.

(from http://www.hollywoodnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/the-kings-speech-colin-firth-600x250-wd1.jpg)

I first saw Colin Firth (who played King George VI/ Prince Albert) in the Bridget Jones' Diary movies and he didn't gave me a good impression back them. I heard he was "dreamy" when he did Pride and Prejudice , but I still ignored him because, he didn't look dreamy for me in the first place [haha! sorry Mr.Darcy]. When I saw him in Mama Mia, I was thinking "Hmm... there's something very intriguing about this guy." In this biopic flick, he's quite different from what I expected. He showed an impressive range of emotions that most actors would have trouble to express in front of the camera. But in every emotion, you can still see his character's pain, shame and frustration underneath, which was, at times, adorable. He impressed me this time and I will certainly be cheering for him in the Oscar Awards. 

(from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OqjkMaPfgxM-xMUfHK6WRLfD1K_kHUq4QclDYCq5_opkVFwgfmPLKpCDYi-Ok5DHZHD_3fVwAQ3-Gik2MeO7O7ylyNcK-Ky3mBl-R_uISEm15ZwmW4oWEbQmBkw_aEqgW8FbBA7GAUyR/s1600/kingsspeech-geoffrey-rush-450x182.jpg)

Now, Geoffrey Rush (who played Lionel Logue, the speech therapist)... I always see him as Capt. Barbosa from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies, whenever I see him on screen. It's good for me to see him to play this kind of character 'cause I haven't see him in movies other than POTC and  Taylor of Panama. In this one, he was very witty but not so over the top. Both Firth and Rush work really well on the screen. They were pretty believable. 

(from http://i.indiewire.com/images/uploads/i/KingsSpeech.jpg)

Helena Bonham Carter (who played Queen Elizabeth, King George VI's wife) was acting queen-ish like what you'd expect for royals, but never fell short of anything. She delivered the lines perfectly and she was in her most gentle manner as the queen. 

(from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3EhMiqGbVY3C9c99bGWEK8ay_gM0K-Um14HnaMDcd0L-DRXkpLaWm6-p0XofoVbq0ZfE2DErV2x5bFjBevOiUeP_WssWkpkoQ9UV1YHZarNFyz0jt6AiGYBFzlLcLZtkMrkUxoqmsIsX/s1600/kings-speech-guy+pierce.jpg)

Somehow, Guy Pierce (who played Edward VIII, George VI's older brother) annoyed me. His acting was very much like what he did in The Count of Monte Cristo. He was a brat! I really wanted to punch him when he teased Firth's character by mimicing the stammer. But I guess, that means the acting was effective. I can see that he was a little bit on the antagonist side, but never quite reached villainy. The only thing that bugs me was that Pierce looked younger than Firth which was contrary their charater's age.

Now the story telling was superb. I couldn't describe it in any other way. The scenes were simple and yet they show some of the most important people in the history of the UK.Supprisingly, there were some humor in the scenes, specially at the beginning parts.

Another great thing about this film is that it showed the world and pressures of a person who stammers. Mostly ridiculed by peers, people who stutter don't get heard a lot. The King's Speech is an opportunity to show the world that stuttering ain't an easy problem. It can haunt a person for the rest of their lives.

(from http://www.getthebigpicture.net/storage/pics/09/kinggeorge6.jpg)

The real King George VI

I really like this movie, and I hope to watch it again with a movie buddy. I liked it maybe because I can relate to the king. I never stammer when I talk normally but I have great fear of speaking in front of the public and therefore have tendencies to create something close to "2 minutes of silence" in between paragraphs or words.  I would never volunteer to do it and I would most likely to try to avoid it. Whenever I was forced to do it, I was always shaking, worrying about the outcome or my mistakes. Watching this film really inspired me to build myself up and to be confident in front of people. 

Warning!: There were some tear-jerker scenes that really hit me... really deep, so you might as well have some tissues with you (you'll never know whether it will make you shed some tears or not) lol!.

Even though it was just a movie about a man and his speech problems, it was one of the best I've ever seen. I definitely recommend it.

9.5/10

No extensive CGI

No explosions.

No love scenes.

Just a beautiful story.

Simple does really mean better, cause it's nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

2011's Oscars... I can't wait!!!

Quick reviews... I watched TOO MANY

Ok... I just like to finish all my reviews TODAY.. so I'm keeping it short.

Let's warm up with an animated movie that I happen to watch on TV.

(from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51w6IKygGEL._SL500_.jpg)

Based on a book of the same name.

Judging by the poster, you can tell it's a creepy movie... guess what.. IT IS CREEPY.  And it was perfect timing when I watched it -  almost midnight. Well, it didn't gave me nightmares, but some scenes are somewhat disturbing for a kid to watch [dunno.. maybe your kid is tough, if he went through this without any scary thought from him] 

Characters - just OK (well developed and designed)

Story - excellent (despite being scary)

Overall:

7.8/10

NEXT!!!! --------------------------

(from http://gossipteen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Zac-Efron-Chalie-St.-Cloud-Movie-Poster-PHOTOS.jpg)

 Also based from a book. (saw numerous times in a bookstore hehe... but I'd rather watch the movie)

Hmmmm... this is a hard one to judge (dunno why).

The story kinda fell a little short; there were aspects of the story that weren't explained enough. The characters are satisfactory, I wouldn't complain about them. The Acting is good; Zac Efron did a good job, but there were times that he almost acted over the top, but good thing he kinda controlled it. The scene near the ending was a bit cheesy... something you would expect from a drama involving ghosts.. haha. Just like the feeling it left me when I watched the ending of Ghost (patrick Swayze and Demi Moore movie) - too mushy.

Overall:

7.5/10

NEXT!!!!!!!! ------------- imagine I'm screaming with a screachy voice HAHA!

(from http://www.moviepostershop.com/equilibrium-movie-poster-1020192806.jpg)

A friend recomended me this one. (she's a Bale head.. hehe)

This movie shows a promising concept and imagination BUT, you can tell that it had very short budget. Thus, crappy setting design and crappy script (well only a little bit). BUT the style and action scenes are watch-worthy. At least I enjoyed it. The gunkata was close to epic but it wasn't realistic enough. Martial arts with guns sounds cool but the makers didn't make it look cool enough to have a great reaction similar to the Matirx movies.

Overall:

6.9/10 The action scenes saved this movie from having a 5 from me.

NEXXXT!!!! ---------------- wow.. I can really scream with words...

(from http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID9207/images/Kick-Ass_movie_poster.jpg)

It was on my list to watch.

This one REALLY disappoint me. At first it was fun, but it got a little gross and boring. The "boss fight" was just OK, but KickAss' entrance was a little lame and corny (Only a LITTLE). The only good thing about this movie is Hit Girl - she's awesome, but her profanity was a little disturbing (I was wondering how the actress' parents approve of this). and of course Big Daddy was good too, although he did look a lot like Batman there.

Overall: 

5.4/10

Next!!!!! -------------- getting tired of screaming here

(from http://www.moviepostershop.com/grown-ups-movie-poster-1020538943.jpg)

Been wanting to watch this for months.

This movie had no story but was TONS of FUN! I've always expected less when it comes to Adam Sandler movies. Let's face it, most of them felt like "it was just for fun." I felt the same way here too, but a little different. To make things clearer, it felt exactly like this -- Adam Sandler's family (with friends) vacation video. The jokes were good. It was definitely good entertainment.

Overall:

7/10 I had to base it on the comedy.

next.... ------------------------- getting pretty lazy here haha

(from http://media.daemonsmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/YOU-AGAIN-Movie.jpg)

My movie buddy wanted to watch this.. I gave it a try.

Story - very underdeveloped... I think the writers got lazy and focused on the actresses' dynamics and chemistry.

Acting - Good.. Kristen Bell surprised me (I didn't know she can do good comedy)

I was really glad I got to see Odette Yustman again on a movie. I've been wanting to see her acting on a different genre. She did OK; she can land more roles in the future. Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver were fun to watch, but I wanted more "fight" between them. 

Overall:

7.1/10

LAST!!!!!! -------------- finally!.. I'm tired

(from http://photogallery.filmofilia.com/data/media/873/unstoppable_poster_01.jpg)

Out of movies in this post, this is the best one!

Story - Simple but very engaging to watch. 

Acting - Superb.. Denzel Washington HE-LLO!!!

This was very realistic. So realistic that it proved that Tom Cruise's Helicopter stunt in Mission Impossible was truly impossible LOL! Now I'm scared of trains... maybe watching thins isn't a good idea for my fears.

Overall:

8.7/ 10

NOTE: all my reviews are based on my opinion.. so DON'T JUDGE MEHH!!!