What I will first say about The Lego Movie is the fact that it did live up to the hype and good reviews that it was given. The animation was really cool and interesting because it really matched with how Legos are assembled in reality and the plot really does appeal to both kids and adults.
While this film is mostly geared towards children, there are messages and satire in this film that adults can take away from it too. Though the some of the messages in this movie are a bit cliched, the movie times them well enough where they fit right in with the story and adds a sort of powerful effect to what is going on in the film. There is also a large amount of satire and messages that poke fun on American society as a whole, whether it be from the quick scenes of overpriced coffee or the larger message of conformity and control that stand out in the beginning of the film but also plays out throughout the entire plot. This movie can be read on many levels, which is what sticks with me still to this day.
The plot as a whole is interesting, following an ordinary guy named Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) who suddenly discovers that he is the central figure in a prophecy to stop the evil Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell). The humor and jokes throughout the film can be found as funny to both kids and adults and the characters in the film are all unique and very fleshed-out.
My only critique is the sometimes dizzying animation. I did go see this in 3D, and the effects weren't anything special. I really liked how the animation was a form of stop-motion, fitting really well with how Legos can be assembled or taken apart. There are points though, when this animation can get a bit nauseating, especially in 3D. There is one scene that takes place on open ocean, were it did at a point did make me feel like the animation was a bit too much for my eyes to take in.
Overall, I really enjoyed this film. The plot, though it was a bit cliched at times, was really fun and it was really interesting to be able to view the plot on so many different levels. The animation, though it was a bit dizzying at certain points in the movie, was really cool and matched really well with the idea of how Legos are used. I would really recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good movie to see with kids or something that is unique from most movies currently out there.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj4GeCk5SBk
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Captain Phillips
The trailer for this movie makes the film look really intense, so I was a little skeptical in how suspenseful this movie could be before watching it the other day. This film is based on a true story that happened in 2009, but I did not recall much of the details from when it actually happened, so I didn't really have an idea of how it would end going into it.
This movie did a really good job of creating and keeping tension throughout. I found myself getting really nervous and tense for certain scenes, not knowing what would be the outcome. By the time the movie ended, I let out a sigh of relief, not because the movie was bad, but because I had tensed up so much because of what went on during the movie that I was finally able to relax. Tom Hanks does a really good job of portraying a person who is trying to stay strong while experiencing a dangerous situation. Barkhad Abdi (who plays the leader of the Somali pirates who hijack the ship) does a great job of creating a character who can be threatening but also adds a layer of desperation and sympathy to his character as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. It did a good job of being very suspenseful yet grounded and realistic. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a movie that is based on current events and is looking for a good and suspenseful movie to watch.
Oscar nominee: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Barkhad Abdi), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp6jpeDeQmE
This movie did a really good job of creating and keeping tension throughout. I found myself getting really nervous and tense for certain scenes, not knowing what would be the outcome. By the time the movie ended, I let out a sigh of relief, not because the movie was bad, but because I had tensed up so much because of what went on during the movie that I was finally able to relax. Tom Hanks does a really good job of portraying a person who is trying to stay strong while experiencing a dangerous situation. Barkhad Abdi (who plays the leader of the Somali pirates who hijack the ship) does a great job of creating a character who can be threatening but also adds a layer of desperation and sympathy to his character as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. It did a good job of being very suspenseful yet grounded and realistic. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a movie that is based on current events and is looking for a good and suspenseful movie to watch.
Oscar nominee: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Barkhad Abdi), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp6jpeDeQmE
Friday, January 31, 2014
The Avengers
I just watched this recently with my sister because she had never
seen it before. This is probably the 6th time I've seen this movie, and I
still enjoy it.
The first time I saw this movie, I had not seen every movie that was made setting up for The Avengers.The movie does a good job of making sure that everything is pretty easy to understand, highlighting what moves the plot and having a clear-cut hero versus villain scenario. If you have not seen the movies that set up The Avengers, I would recommend watching Thor in order to understand the origin of Loki, who is the villain in The Avengers.
The plot of this movie is really well-done and entertaining. Each character stood out, and there was a lot of action to keep the plot moving.The villain was also well-played (portrayed by Tom Hiddleston), and it is easy to understand his motives in the movie.
Overall, I still really enjoy this movie. Each character is well-acted and stand out well as individual characters. The plot is pretty to understand and is well-paced. It's filled with a good amount of action that is fun to watch. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys superhero movies and is looking for a good action movie to watch.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIR8Ar-Z4hw
The first time I saw this movie, I had not seen every movie that was made setting up for The Avengers.The movie does a good job of making sure that everything is pretty easy to understand, highlighting what moves the plot and having a clear-cut hero versus villain scenario. If you have not seen the movies that set up The Avengers, I would recommend watching Thor in order to understand the origin of Loki, who is the villain in The Avengers.
The plot of this movie is really well-done and entertaining. Each character stood out, and there was a lot of action to keep the plot moving.The villain was also well-played (portrayed by Tom Hiddleston), and it is easy to understand his motives in the movie.
Overall, I still really enjoy this movie. Each character is well-acted and stand out well as individual characters. The plot is pretty to understand and is well-paced. It's filled with a good amount of action that is fun to watch. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys superhero movies and is looking for a good action movie to watch.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIR8Ar-Z4hw
Monday, December 30, 2013
Warm Bodies
My sister and I watched this recently as just something to do. We had both seen this movie before and enjoyed it, so we decided to watch it again.
I am not a big fan of horror movies, but I wouldn't really classify this one as part of that genre. Yes there is a bit of horror movie violence but it's not over the top. This movie is really much more of an unconventional love story, and though I'm not the biggest fan of chick flicks/romance movies, the storyline was really unique. It follows the tale of a zombie named R (played by Nicholas Hoult) who falls in love with a human girl (played by Teresa Palmer).
What I enjoyed about this movie was how the movie was narrated. Because R can't speak, the audience goes through the movie with R's internal point of view. His thoughts are easy to connect to and his point of view adds to the comedic parts of the movie. The movie has it's funny moments and it tends to stay on the lighter side of things. I also really liked how the movie was an interesting take on Romeo and Juliet, which can be seen through the characters names and certain events that occur throughout the movie.
Overall, I liked this movie and thought it was really interesting. While it was a romance movie and once and a while tended to have those usual cliches found in those kinds of movies, I liked how it was a different spin on that genre. I enjoyed the internal narration of R and how it really kept the plot moving. I thought this film was a unique one and I recommend it to anyone looking for a romance movie, a comedy, or just something interesting.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM
I am not a big fan of horror movies, but I wouldn't really classify this one as part of that genre. Yes there is a bit of horror movie violence but it's not over the top. This movie is really much more of an unconventional love story, and though I'm not the biggest fan of chick flicks/romance movies, the storyline was really unique. It follows the tale of a zombie named R (played by Nicholas Hoult) who falls in love with a human girl (played by Teresa Palmer).
What I enjoyed about this movie was how the movie was narrated. Because R can't speak, the audience goes through the movie with R's internal point of view. His thoughts are easy to connect to and his point of view adds to the comedic parts of the movie. The movie has it's funny moments and it tends to stay on the lighter side of things. I also really liked how the movie was an interesting take on Romeo and Juliet, which can be seen through the characters names and certain events that occur throughout the movie.
Overall, I liked this movie and thought it was really interesting. While it was a romance movie and once and a while tended to have those usual cliches found in those kinds of movies, I liked how it was a different spin on that genre. I enjoyed the internal narration of R and how it really kept the plot moving. I thought this film was a unique one and I recommend it to anyone looking for a romance movie, a comedy, or just something interesting.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
I saw this at midnight with a few of my good friends as a great way to end my birthday and because my friends and I are big fans of The Hobbit. Just a heads up though, this film picks up right where An Unexpected Journey ends, so I would highly recommend watching the first Hobbit movie before going to see this.
This movie was a great second part to The Hobbit trilogy. While the first film was light and on the happy side, this film goes darker. It explores the evil that was discovered in the first as well as explores the darkness that appears to be developing within each character. It was interesting to see how this contributed to the plot as a whole, and how you can see it affecting each character differently. I was especially impressed with the transition of Bilbo's character, going from the light and cheery hobbit and the growth he has in this film.
What was also great about this film was the action sequences and the new locations that appeared. The sequence in which the dwarves are floating in barrel is one of the best parts of the movie. A lot goes on during this, but the spectacle and the constant action kept me thrilled and on the edge of my seat. The locations of Lake Town and Mirkwood are standouts amongst the many locations that were studding and really added to the narrative. One of the other cool parts of this movie is the appearance of Smaug (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). The trailers of this film did a really good job of hiding Smaug's appearance, and when he finally appears in the movie, it is a sight to see. The entire sequence inside the mountain is really well done, and this in turn leads to a great conclusion of the film that makes you want to see the third film in the trilogy.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. It was a great sequel that had really cool action sequences and was all together a well-made movie. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first film, anyone who liked the LOTR trilogy, and anyone who is looking to watch a good fantasy movie.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfflhfn1W-o
This movie was a great second part to The Hobbit trilogy. While the first film was light and on the happy side, this film goes darker. It explores the evil that was discovered in the first as well as explores the darkness that appears to be developing within each character. It was interesting to see how this contributed to the plot as a whole, and how you can see it affecting each character differently. I was especially impressed with the transition of Bilbo's character, going from the light and cheery hobbit and the growth he has in this film.
What was also great about this film was the action sequences and the new locations that appeared. The sequence in which the dwarves are floating in barrel is one of the best parts of the movie. A lot goes on during this, but the spectacle and the constant action kept me thrilled and on the edge of my seat. The locations of Lake Town and Mirkwood are standouts amongst the many locations that were studding and really added to the narrative. One of the other cool parts of this movie is the appearance of Smaug (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). The trailers of this film did a really good job of hiding Smaug's appearance, and when he finally appears in the movie, it is a sight to see. The entire sequence inside the mountain is really well done, and this in turn leads to a great conclusion of the film that makes you want to see the third film in the trilogy.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. It was a great sequel that had really cool action sequences and was all together a well-made movie. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first film, anyone who liked the LOTR trilogy, and anyone who is looking to watch a good fantasy movie.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfflhfn1W-o
Monday, December 23, 2013
Contagion
My mom and I just watched this film just to pass the time. I noticed this at my local library, so I checked it out because it sounded interesting.
This movie was really interesting. It was intriguing to see the spreading of the disease and the panic that comes with it. It reminds you of the national panics of H1N1 and the Bird Flu and the widespread panic that these outbreaks caused. This film, while it shows the attempts and mission to find the cause and cure for the disease, mainly tracks the panic and fear that spreads throughout the American population.
There are a lot of characters in this movie. The film does a good job of making sure that the characters don't get confused, but if you aren't paying attention (as what happened to my mom when she fell asleep for 10 minutes or so) you can miss a new character that is introduced and/or miss something important that involves many characters. On the positive side, it was interesting to see the subplots that each character had and how each one contributed to the plot as a whole.
Overall, this movie was well done. The plot and narrative of the film did a good job of keeping me interested and the ending really leaves you with something to think about. The film does at points show how the disease spreads, so if you are any bit of a germaphobe, this movie could freak you out a bit. Even if you aren't germaphobic, this film does a good job of making you feel like you should wash your hands right after the credits roll. I really enjoyed this movie and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a dramatic and suspenseful movie.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sYSyuuLk5g
This movie was really interesting. It was intriguing to see the spreading of the disease and the panic that comes with it. It reminds you of the national panics of H1N1 and the Bird Flu and the widespread panic that these outbreaks caused. This film, while it shows the attempts and mission to find the cause and cure for the disease, mainly tracks the panic and fear that spreads throughout the American population.
There are a lot of characters in this movie. The film does a good job of making sure that the characters don't get confused, but if you aren't paying attention (as what happened to my mom when she fell asleep for 10 minutes or so) you can miss a new character that is introduced and/or miss something important that involves many characters. On the positive side, it was interesting to see the subplots that each character had and how each one contributed to the plot as a whole.
Overall, this movie was well done. The plot and narrative of the film did a good job of keeping me interested and the ending really leaves you with something to think about. The film does at points show how the disease spreads, so if you are any bit of a germaphobe, this movie could freak you out a bit. Even if you aren't germaphobic, this film does a good job of making you feel like you should wash your hands right after the credits roll. I really enjoyed this movie and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a dramatic and suspenseful movie.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sYSyuuLk5g
Saturday, December 21, 2013
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
I just watched this a couple days ago as something to do and as an attempt to get someone to watch these movies with me. Out of my whole family, I'm the only one who really likes the Lord of the Rings. I'm not a big fan of hardcore fantasy films, but these films are few of the exceptions.
I thought this film was a much lighter and happier film in comparison to the LOTR trilogy. There were lots of comedic moments, mostly coming from the dwarves, that lightened the mood. One would think it would be really hard to keep track who's who in the 13 dwarves, but they were all very unique which made them easy to separate from one another.While I most likely couldn't name all 13 (even though most of them rhyme with others and such) for you right now, the film gravitates to showing the ones you need to pay most attention to or draws focus to ones that say important lines. The other characters in this film are also well-acted, I especially enjoyed the characters of Bilbo (played by Martin Freeman) and Radagast (played by Sylvester McCoy).
The action in this movie was also really well-done. While my favorite scene is the dinner scene when you meet all of the dwarves, my favorite action sequences would have to be the major chase between the main characters and an Orc pack as well as the scene with the goblins. I wish I saw it in 3D to truly appreciate the hard work that went into these sequences, but they are still really great to watch in 2D.
If you are a fan of the LOTR trilogy and/or a fan of the books, this movie fits right in. It's great to see some characters from the trilogy appear in this film, but it is also great to see new characters that are well-portrayed. I will say though, if you have never seen the LOTR trilogy, do not feel like you have to watch those in order to understand this film. This film (and the next two that will follow) is a prequel to what happens in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. My mom has never seen the LOTR trilogy, so references and characters that are made and seen in this one did not resonate with her but also did not confuse her when watching this film. I do recommend watching the original trilogy if you are interested in them, though, because they are really good films and you appreciate the references that are made in this movie.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the LOTR trilogy and fantasy films.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDnYMbYB-nU
I thought this film was a much lighter and happier film in comparison to the LOTR trilogy. There were lots of comedic moments, mostly coming from the dwarves, that lightened the mood. One would think it would be really hard to keep track who's who in the 13 dwarves, but they were all very unique which made them easy to separate from one another.While I most likely couldn't name all 13 (even though most of them rhyme with others and such) for you right now, the film gravitates to showing the ones you need to pay most attention to or draws focus to ones that say important lines. The other characters in this film are also well-acted, I especially enjoyed the characters of Bilbo (played by Martin Freeman) and Radagast (played by Sylvester McCoy).
The action in this movie was also really well-done. While my favorite scene is the dinner scene when you meet all of the dwarves, my favorite action sequences would have to be the major chase between the main characters and an Orc pack as well as the scene with the goblins. I wish I saw it in 3D to truly appreciate the hard work that went into these sequences, but they are still really great to watch in 2D.
If you are a fan of the LOTR trilogy and/or a fan of the books, this movie fits right in. It's great to see some characters from the trilogy appear in this film, but it is also great to see new characters that are well-portrayed. I will say though, if you have never seen the LOTR trilogy, do not feel like you have to watch those in order to understand this film. This film (and the next two that will follow) is a prequel to what happens in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. My mom has never seen the LOTR trilogy, so references and characters that are made and seen in this one did not resonate with her but also did not confuse her when watching this film. I do recommend watching the original trilogy if you are interested in them, though, because they are really good films and you appreciate the references that are made in this movie.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the LOTR trilogy and fantasy films.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDnYMbYB-nU
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