Review - "The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey"

I came into this movie never having read the novel, so keep that in mind. I will start with the running time....2hrs 45 mins. Didn't need to be that long. Director Peter Jackson has a tendency to draw things out, sometimes longer than they need to be (“King Kong” anyone? Even though I liked his take on it, was too long) and in this case, it wasn't needed, in my opinion. Now let me clarify that statement by saying I was never bored the entire run of the movie, it just felt like things could have been tightened up a bit.

On to the actual movie....highly entertaining. Like most, I couldn't remember the names of all 13 of the Dwarves, but I didn't need to , they were all distinct enough that I could always tell who was who. Obviously the focus was only going to be on a few of the Dwarves, and it seems like a few kinda got lost in the shuffle. But with that many characters to juggle, it's bound to happen. It was a slow build up to things actually getting moving, but it kept my attention, which is most important. There was a lot of humor, the action was fun and easy to follow, thanks for no shaky cam Mr Jackson.

From what I understand, the Radghast The Brown character was made for the movie and not part of the original story. While I didn't mind the character, and thought he was well done, I haven't decided if he was actually necessary to add to the movie.I felt that his whole purpose was to introduce this Necromancer character, which we never see, and I felt like they could have at least given us a glimpse of the character. I was also a little disappointed we didn't get to see more of Smaug the Dragon, we barely see him in the beginning and a tiny glimpse later on. It feels like they are saving things for the next two movies. I feel like they could have taken the material from three movies to make two leaner movies.

Despite my criticisms, I overall enjoyed the movie very much, heck I even teared up at one point thanks to a very touching scene. The visual effects were well done. I loved the Goblin city sequence, and the stone giant scene was also very good, and the Trolls were really funny, I loved that scene as well. The ending was tense and exciting. The musical score was also excellent. Performances were good all around...Martin Freeman as Bilbo was just great, he had the presence that the character demanded. Ian McKellen was his usual great self, and Andy Serkis brings Gollum to glorious life again, save for some unintelligible dialogue. Nice to see Hugo Weaving and Christopher Lee in there as well. I definitely want to see the next two movies, I just wish they hadn't felt the need to stretch this tale out over three movies. Regardless, a solid effort all around.

Review - "Zero Dark Thirty"

Well it's been a long time since I did anything on this blog, (almost 3 years? Wth!) but I decided to get it going again, and I am gonna start off with a few short reviews of some movies I have recently seen. I will also be posting my Best of 2012, once I decide what exactly they are, So until then, here we go...


In a word....excellent. Director Kathryn Bigelow manages to create tension in a situation where you know the eventual outcome. Especially during the raid on Bin Laden's compound at the end. Performances were solid all around, Jessica Chastain was excellent as the agent determined to see this thru no matter what. While there are not many likable characters in the movie, you can see why they are the way they are from all they have gone thru to complete the difficult task they set out on. Jason Clarke was also excellent, as he is able to show the toll it takes on a person who is frustrated and tired, it was obvious that torturing suspects was getting to him, and it made me understand more about what it does to not only the one getting tortured, but the one giving it.


The action was tense and not stylized, not made to be the usual overblown Hollywood action sequences, they were realistic and well played out, the end raid really felt like you were following real soldiers into the situation....even though I have never done that, I got the sense from the sequence that it would be just like that.

There has been talk about if this was a true accurate account of what happened, but when the movie starts off with "Based on a true story" You KNOW it's probably not going to be 100% accurate. It's doesn't matter in this case, from what I know it is fairly accurate, and even if it isn't as factual as it claims, it is one hell of an entertaining movie, one I recommend highly.

Review - Tron Legacy

----Begin Transmission----

Greetings Programs...

So I can absolutely say that Tron Legacy is a great movie.

The critics? Useless, they didn't get it.

Lack of action? I don't know what they are talking about. The action was there, and it was good.

Bad acting? (other than Jeff) Wrong. Sam was fine, was he oscar worthy? Of course not but I had no problem with his performance.

Clu takes you out of the movie? Nope, at least he didn't have that effect on me. Could you tell he was digital? In some parts yes, in others it was more difficult to tell, but as I have said before, he is a computer program, so I can allow for some kind of artificial feel to him. Overall, I bought it.

Bad/lacking story? Wrong, if you can accept Avatar's story, you won't have a problem with this, as I felt it was better than Avatar's story. Not what you would call deep and meaningful, but it moved things along at a nice pace

Speaking of which, I felt there was virtually no filler, I never once sat there and was like "Ok we get it, move on". For me there are two things that speak well of a film. One is looking at my watch. Never once did I look at it. That's not to say that if I look at my watch it's a bad movie, it speaks more about how good a movie is if I never think to look. Second, did not take a bathroom break at all, and trust me I had to.

Those are the main complaints I heard about the movie, and like I said, they are wrong. As far as making another should this one be a hit...yea I think they could do it, but part of me feels like they they shouldn't, the story arc feels complete.

Either way, the movie was great. For those who never saw the original, it is not a requirement to enjoy this film. It will help you get the nods to the original, and some of the inside jokes, but it is in no way a prerequisite, this film stands on its own as much as it is a continuation of the first.

My only real complaint is with the 3D, it wasn't bad in any way, but it wasn't great either. At some points I almost didn't notice it, it was very subtle. Did not in any way take away from the movie, I guess I feel it could have been a bit better. But in IMAX? Amazing,

So that's the deal gang, critics be damned, Tron Legacy is fantastic.

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Review - "Iron Man 2"

In 2008, "Iron Man" came out of nowhere to be one of the biggest films of that year. Naturally, as with all hits in Hollywood, a sequel was immediately planned for 2010. Some felt the pressure of releasing a follow up so soon after the first film would result in a rushed, less than stellar film. Well I can honestly say that did not happen in this case. "Iron Man 2" takes all the stuff that made the first film so enjoyable, and made what is, in my opinion, a sequel that is just a bit better than the original.

There is a lot going on in this movie. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces his own mortality. A Russian physicist (Mickey Rourke) seeks revenge on Stark for his fathers death, which he blames on Tony's deceased father, Howard (seen in this film through "old" film footage) and uses Tony's technology to achieve it. The Government is putting pressure on Stark to hand over his Iron Man technology for military use. Stark's competitor Justin Hammer (a great Sam Rockwell) is working with the government to develop Iron Man type equipment. S.H.I.E.L.D, the covert agency seen briefly in the first film, is pressuring Stark to join their "Avengers Initiative" aka Superhero team. Whew i got tired just writing all of that.

But it all works, and all comes together coherently. Robert Downey Jr. gives another great performance as Stark, a guy who has taken the weight of protecting the world on his shoulders and it is starting to take its toll on him. Mickey Rourke chews up each scene he is in, he lays the Russian accent on a bit thick at times but that really wasn't an issue for me. Don Cheadle steps into the role of Rhodey with total ease, I didn't even miss Terrance Howard. Sam Rockwell is hilarious as Starks wannabe rival. Everyone involved in this film had a blast and it shows on screen. One of my few complaints with the first Iron Man movie was that although the action was good, there was not quite enough of it. Definitely not a problem this time around.

This movie, just like the first, never takes itself too seriously, nor does it come across as too lighthearted. It strikes a good balance between the two. It's smart but doesn't hold back on the fun. The visual effects are well done like they were in the last film, and director Jon Faverau resists the latest gimmicks of modern film making ("shaky" cam, super quick cuts) and stays true to the world he established in the first film. I, for one am looking forward to another Iron Man film, as well as the upcoming "Avengers" movie, which Marvel studios is moving towards with each new super hero film ("Thor" and "Captain America" are filming now). Stay til the credits end and you will get another cool treat like at the end of the first Iron Man film.

Four out of Five stars.

Summer 2010

Editor's Note: Well it has been over a year since I have updated this blog. Unfortunately life interfered and I just was not able to dedicate anytime to it. Well thankfully things have settled down to the point where I can actually get back into it to talk about one of my passions, Movies. So here we go!! As always, feel free to leave comments, all I ask is that you stay on topic. If you like what you read, please become a follower! Enjoy and it's great to be back!

So begins another summer movie season, the time of year when the studios pull out the big guns, the "event" movies, the continuing and potential franchises. Every year Summer movies bring surprises, both good and bad. What will the summer of 2010 be like? No doubt it will be like most summers, there will be unexpected hits, unexpected flops, guaranteed hits, & pleasant surprises. The question is.....which movies will fall into which category? Let's take a look at some of the more high profile releases for the 2010 season.

"Iron Man 2" - May 7th. A sure thing if there ever was one. It crushed the competition with a first weekend gross of $128 million, $30 million more than "Iron Man". It looks to follow in the footsteps of both "Spider Man 2" and "X2:X Men United" as sequels that out do the originals, partly because they can jump right into the story without having to tell the origin story. All of the things that made the first movie so good seem to be returning, and the action is definitely being pumped up in this one, which is a good thing because my only real complaint about the first movie was that there actually could have been a bit more action. I will be seeing this tonight so I will post a review this week.

Predicted gross: $350 million


"Toy Story 3" - June 18. Pixar. Toy Story. Enough said. Toy Story is the only Pixar movie that has had sequels, (soon to change with "Cars 2" being made) and with good reason. Great characters. That's what makes us want sequels. They may be toys, but man do they have personality. That's why "Toy Story" was a hit, and why "Toy Story 2" was an even bigger hit. Judging by Pixar's track record, I have no reason to think this film will be nothing less than great. Even mediocre Pixar movies ("Cars" has always been though of as Pixar's weakest film) are better than half of the nonsense released into theaters. With the entire cast returning, (with the exception of the late Jim Varney), and some new voices - Michael Keaton, Timothy Dalton, Whoopi Goldberg and Bonnie Hunt, I can say that this is a movie I would go to see with OR without my kids. Then again, I can say that about any Pixar movie.

Predicted Gross - $300 million

"The A Team" - June 11. Movies made from TV shows have been hit and miss. Being a big fan of the classic 80's TV show, I was of course very skeptical about this being made into a movie. Then I saw the casting and became very hopeful. Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Face, Sharlto Copey ("District 9") as Murdock. The only question mark for me was Rampage Jackson as B.A., because he is not an actor by trade, I believe he is from Ultimate Fighting. But then I thought, well, Mr. T was not a good actor so as long as he looks the part and is intimidating, then it should work. Still cautious, I was at least hopeful. Then I saw the trailer and my fears were put to rest. Now I know that a good trailer does not guarantee a good movie, but knowing the show, I can pretty much conclude that the movie is going to be fun. All the actors look their parts. The action looks, at times, over the top, which is a good thing. The film makers seem to be taking a bit more of a serious approach, while at the same time keeping the spirit of the show intact. Director Joe Carnahan ("Smokin' Aces") is capable of directing good action, although "Smokin Aces" was a disappointment because of the muddled ending, the movie was about 10 minutes too long. So I'm holding out hope it's gonna be good.

Predicted Gross - $160 million

"Inception" - July 16. Ok I will admit, I don't know much about this movie. Then again, neither do too many other people. What we do know is this - It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine. It is directed by Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight", "Batman Begins", "The Prestige"), and it has something to do with a technology that allows a person to invade another person's dreams, and some sort of plan to implant, not steal information from someone. Sounds a bit like a combination of "Dreamscape", "The Matrix" and a good old heist movie. An odd combination to be sure, but if anyone can pull this off it's Christopher Nolan. With two great Batman movies under him, as well as "The Prestige" and "Memento", Nolan is a director who consistently delivers quality films and there is no reason not to believe "Inception" will be any different. Not knowing much about the movie's story usually proves to be an advantage with Nolan's films, so I will definitely make sure I know as little as possible going into this one. Nolan has not disappointed yet.

Predicted gross - $200 million

"The Expendables" - August 22. Sylvester Stallone surprised us with two sequels no one really thought would be as good as they were in "Rocky Balboa" and "Rambo". Both movies closed out their characters nicely, and word is Stallone is finally done with those characters. Not one to sit back and do nothing, Stallone has assembled a team of action stars unlike any we have seen before....Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lungren, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, with cameos from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a story about a team of mercenaries heading to South America to overthrow a ruthless dictator only to find that nothing is as it seems. That is a set up for some potentially awesome action sequences. It's nice to see Stallone making an attempt at creating a new franchise, and seeing the trailers, this has potential. Being super violent and rated R, I don't think it is going to be a blockbuster, but it will make enough that it will be considered a hit and give Stallone the chance to make a sequel. Cant wait to see it.

Predicted gross - $100 million


Well that's it for now, what are your opinions on the movies I just talked about? What movies are you looking forward to this summer? Check out my review of "Iron Man2" in my next entry sometime this week.

The Rant

Hey all, time once again for me to rant about random things, good, bad, indifferent, with no particular rhyme or reason, so here we go.

So Heath Ledger was nominated for an Oscar, should he get it? Only if he truly deserves it, not just because he died, his performance should be awarded, not his life, that is up to those who loved him....This summer is shaping up to be pretty good as far as movies are concerned, what will be the biggest hits? I will say Transformers and Terminator will be among the big draws......After all the nonsense concerning "Watchmen" will the movie be the big hit that WB & Fox hope it will be? I will say yes......Mike Meyers, oh what has happened to you, first it was "Wayne's World" and the "Austin Powers" movies, then we get "The Love Guru" which seemed to be like Mike Meyers badly imitating himself. Mike, wake up, you cannot ride on your name anymore, and your reputation? Badly damaged dude, badly.......Was it right for the Academy to snub "The Dark Knight" for best picture? Yea, as good as it was, I am sure there were better movies out there last year. I didn't see any of them, but I am sure there was........Will 2009 be the year that "Star Trek" is resurrected? Hell yes........George Lucas, please, I beg you, let someone else make new "Star Wars" movies. Write them, supervise them, give them your seal of approval, whatever you like, but please let us see some more SW adventures, just because you are done telling the stories you wanted to tell doesn't mean someone else cant tell us more stories and trust me, we want to see more.....James Cameron is finally making a new movie, titled "Avatar", claiming to be using new state of the art special effects. Will it be good? I hope so, because a whole bunch of fanboys will probably commit group suicide if it isn't, because all the talk on movie forums and talkbacks have "Avatar" already anointed as the crown jewel film of the 21st century, and we have seen just two, yes, TWO stills from the movie so far, one of Cameron and an actor on a generic looking sci-fi set, and a futuristic bed, yes, a bed.......Word out of Hollywood says they are making a live action movie of "The Jetsons" and all I have to ask is, why? why? why? The first "Flintstones" movie was ok fun, the second one I have never and will never see (see my first "Rant" to understand why), and overall cartoons don't really translate well to live action, so why desecrate another cherished (well cherished to me) cartoon?.......Have I mentioned that I am SICK of Hollywood remaking everything under the sun? I know I have but I just had to say it again.......So "Paul Blart Mall Cop" was #1 at the box office in its first week. Is Armageddon truly coming or could Kevin James actually become a bona fide box office draw? Seeing as this is only the first film he has had to carry as a leading actor, his next few films will actually be the judge of that.....How can you not love Clint Eastwood? The guy is almost 80 and still making movies, acting in them and kicking butt. A lot of wanna be stars could learn a thing or two from Clint. Heck real stars could learn something from him.....Is it me or do the action stars of today pale in comparison to the action stars of the 80's? I don't feel much intimidation from today's action stars. Whenever Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Segal, Van Damme, Chuck Norris, any of those guys came across some bad guys, you knew, and so did the bad guys, that they were gonna be in a world of hurt. I just don't feel that from today's action stars......So the remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" did not fare well at the box office, or in the opinions of audiences. Is that really a big surprise? How can you remake a sci-fi classic like that and expect it to come close to measuring up to the original. Another case where Hollywood should have just left well enough alone. They won't ever learn.

Well, that's all for now, stay tuned for more rants here on Movie Talk, and keep coming back for more commentary and insight on the world of movies. As always, feel free to leave your comments, I welcome them.

Push - Video Clip

On Feb. 6th the Action/Thriller "Push" comes out. now I have not heard too much about this movie but what I have seen of it so far looks pretty cool. It is about a government agency that is creating an army of psychic soldiers, and a small group of young people who are against joining the agency. It stars Dakota Fanning, and Chris Evans (the human torch in the "Fantastic Four" movies). I try not to get too excited about movies like this from the previews, because I thought "Jumper" looked great in the trailers, and it was a major disappointment because it turned out to be basically a 90 minute trailer, it just didn't feel like a complete movie. Anyways, I hope that "Push" lives up to the promise it shows in the trailers and in this clip here, provided for us by IGN.



Pretty cool huh? What do you think, does this look good?