Director: J.P. Schaefer
Writer: J.P. Schaefer and Jack Jones (book)
Genre: Crime/Drama
Chapter 27 was an impulse pick up at the Blockbuster. I really only picked it up because of Jared Leto on the front cover (sometimes you can judge a movie by its cover). Jared Leto looked huge so I thought for sure it had to be a great performance if he was willing to gain the weight for it. It turned out I was right. This was one of Jared Leto’s best performances and thankfully that truly means a lot. In fact I just looked up how much weight he gained for the part and it is just shy of Vincent D’Onofrio’s weight gain record of 70 pounds for Full Metal Jacket. Jared gained 67 pounds for his role as Mark David Chapman, the man who shot and killed John Lennon.
This movie was well directed, but the true star of the show is Leto. Leto proves he is not just a cool actor that lands roles in interesting movies, but a very serious man dedicated to his art. I would have to say this performance made me believe Leto has a very bright and promising future as an actor. The story in Chapter 27 was certainly good, but since this was all a true story it really can only be called good or bad according to how accurately it represented the actual event. Unfortunately I really didn’t know the story so it is impossible for me to talk about how accurately the film presents the actual events. There is some brief sexual content and plenty of language, but the violence is minimal even with the killing. I recommend Chapter 27 for fans of Leto, fans of crime dramas, and of course anyone who is looking for a less well-known movie that is really good.
The Even Shorter Version
Raw Score: 834,332
Sharon Movie? No
7/21/2008
Chapter 27 (2007)
7/20/2008
Chaos Theory (2007)
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Daniel Taplitz
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Chaos Theory was one of a many movies I saw recently that I really liked. Ryan Reynolds has really started to break out into a well-rounded actor and is actually proving he has what it takes. In Chaos Theory he plays the part of Frank Allen, a man that has to make a to do list for everything. When his life starts to fall apart, the to do lists start to become more and more wild and he finds himself acting like a crazy man.
Emily Mortimer is Susan Allen (Frank’s wife) and she has been in a couple of really good movies lately with Lars and the Real Girl and then this one. I wouldn’t necessarily say she had a great performance, but it worked well and displayed a good range for her talent. All in all the acting was quite good, but Reynolds really stole the show as he is the main character.
The directing was interesting in Chaos Theory; it was a great mixture of comedy and drama. The movie was serious enough to make you really think about it, but at the same time you had to laugh a lot. There is mostly only language and some sex scenes to turn people away, but there is a true gem in Chaos Theory that many people will likely miss. If you get a chance be sure to pick this one up.
The Even Shorter Version
Raw Score: 864,110
Sharon Movie? Yes
7/15/2008
Cassandra’s Dream (2007)
As I find myself in a time crunch, more reviews may be short like this one. I could just as easily have put this one in a blitz, but I have all these pictures already so it seems a shame to put them to waste.
Cassandra’s Dream (2007)
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Cassandra’s Dream is probably my second favorite Woody Allen movie behind Match Point. This one does not really come close to Match Point in terms of being a solid drama, but it is certainly better than most of Allen’s hit or miss comedies. Since most of Allen’s efforts have left me with a bad taste in my mouth, I think Cassandra’s Dream is well worth the watch even for fans or not so much of Allen’s work.
The acting is superb on all accounts and along with In Bruges I have really started to have a greater appreciation for Colin Farrell. I always like Ewan McGregor and Tom Wilkinson so that was not a surprise. This movie was a lot of fun in the sense that it had some humor built into a serious crime thriller type feel. I highly recommend this one. The only harshness to it is really language and subject matter.
The Even Shorter Version
Raw Score: 806,393
Sharon Movie? No
7/08/2008
The Orphanage (2007)
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Writer: Sergio G. Sánchez
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Horror/Thriller
Story
Laura (Belen Rueda) and her family move to a home that was once an orphanage which she grew up in. Her son Simon (Roger Princep) has AIDS and has to take special medicine to keep his immune system as healthy as possible. Laura and her husband want to build a place for other children with special needs to learn and grow at the house. Simon keeps talking about his friends that he is playing with, but his parents just play along as they think he is just making imaginary friends to cope with being lonely. As more and more strange things begin happening and Simon turns up missing, Laura has to search for her son.
Everything Else
The directing of the Orphanage is excellent. Most of the time horror films do not have much of a plot or much in the way of character development and acting, but The Orphanage proves that it can be done. The story is somewhat simple, but the suspense that it builds towards the end is great. You want to know what happened to the little boy and if Laura will find him. This was all expertly directed to build the suspense and give the jumping moments along with enough good character interactions and story to compare this horror film with well made dramas.
The acting added plenty to the film with Rueda and Princep especially. Princep just had to be believable as a child, but Rueda had to be convincing as a mother who has lost their child. Rueda’s range of emotion is excellent and adds the emotion and reality that the film needs to seem that much more terrifying. The sounds and overall soundtrack complete out the dark film making it a horrifying masterpiece.
The Real Deal
Mike recommended this film and I am glad that he did. I actually had it on my list of movies to watch since it got such good reviews, but it exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the fact that it was so well made and scary at the same time. All too often, a horror film is just a comedy really. This is a great example of how to make not only an excellent and chilling horror film, but also a powerful drama.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 867,542
Sharon Movie? No
6/29/2008
Remake: 3:10 To Yuma (2007)
Here is another one that I am revisiting in light of the Remake Movie Month. I really enjoyed this one the first time around, but I think I even liked it better after seeing the original; this month has been a real eye opener for remakes.
Director: James Mangold
Writer: Halsted Welles and Michael Brandt
Genre: Western/Action/Drama/Crime
Story
3:10 To Yuma is a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. The new movie has a higher rating on imdb.com and was rated by more people. I would like to do a comparison of older movies to their newer counterparts at some point, but I will save that for a later date (update: it would seem that this was that later date; I had actually forgotten all about this comment even). The basic storyline of the movie is that Dan Evans, an honest and poor man, is looking for the respect of his family and a way to get through hard times. Another man named Ben Wade is a gang leader who finally gets caught in the midst of Dan Evans and Dan Evans sees an opportunity to make some money by helping to transport Ben Wade to the 3:10 train to Yuma. All the while Ben Wade’s gang is trying to get him back and Dan Evans is trying to make sure that Wade is on that train so that he gets his payment.
Everything Else
Christian Bale is one of my favorites and does not disappoint in his portrayal of Dan Evans. Not only does Dan Evans look dirty and jaded, but also he has lost his leg and the respect of his family. Christian Bale didn’t lose 63lbs. for this film like he did for The Machinist, but he does look the look. The dialogue is delivered with confidence and the emotion is often felt from Bale’s character. Russell Crowe plays the part of Ben Wade. Russell Crowe does well in this film even though it seems like he is on cruise control. He doesn’t truly get into the part like he did for The Insider, Gladiator, or Romper Stomper. Maybe we should reflect a moment on how well Crowe actually has done in the past and forget some of his less poignant performances. I do like his acting in this film, but I could have asked for a more vivid performance or one with a more emotion or edge. It is hard to say exactly what is missing, but something is.
James Mangold has a great track record with such films as Girl, Interrupted, Walk The Line, Identity, and Kate & Leopold. I guess you could say he has a pretty well rounded repertoire. He does a great job here even if some of the scenes and situations seem a little cheesy or nonsensical. I felt entertained the whole time, and I believe this is what he was going for. You have to respect him for the great western feel. There was a lot of shooting, but the guns were fairly true to the times. They even had a hard time shooting from far distances. There were a few things like the quick draws and the occasional long range shot that seemed a little over the top, but it fit in with the semi-real feel of the whole movie. The movie is therefore very uniform which leads me to believe that he had intended for it to be the way it was.
The Real Deal
I paid $8.50 for the student ticket, and I would definitely do it again even though I am sure that the movie will be on DVD very soon. There is something about going to the movies that is a lot more fun than the screen at home. Now that I just got through watching this one again for Remake Movie Month, I can honestly say that this is a really good movie. I liked it even better the second time. Possibly it is the new found appreciation for what they were able to do with a remake, or maybe it is just that it was good; either way it was fun. It looked great on Blu-ray too.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 816,871
Sharon Movie? No
6/27/2008
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Writer: Kelly Masterson
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Story
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a harsh look at two brothers and how they plan to get free from the life they know. Andrew ‘Andy’ Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) comes up with a plan to rob his parents jewelry store make out with plenty of cash to start a new life. He has his brother Henry ‘Hank’ Hanson (Ethan Hawke) actually commit the crime so that he does not have to get his hands dirty. When the burglary goes awry and the family starts to fall apart, the father Charles Hanson (Albert Finney) has to seek vengeance on the perpetrator even if it turns out t be his own sons.
Everything Else
Before the Devil runs in a nonlinear format for at least the first half of the movie and then slowing settles into a linear story. This seems to be a very popular form for psychological thrillers after such movies as Memento, but it works well and provides enough excitement to get you interested from the start. The story pans out and flows well even though it seems a little confusing at times with all of the cutting back and forth. Character interactions felt great and added to the natural and eerie real feel of the film.
The acting on all parts was quite good. We have come to expect great performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman these days, but he certainly does not disappoint with this one. He yet again provides an incredible performance in a dark and troubled character. Ethan Hawke is more of an on again off again sort of actor; although he usually does a good job, he does not make the stand out performances like Hoffman. He did quite well in Before the Devil though. Albert Finney plays the father who is faced with a terrible realization and is forced to make some tough decisions because of his son’s actions. Finney is a strong supporting actor in this. Marisa Tomei (Andy’s wife Gina Hanson) is the only star actress that does not seem to add a whole lot to the film. Although the conflict between her, her husband Andy, and brother in-law Hank is essential to heightening the tension in the film, Tomei does not get the screen time or provide the performance to really produce anything remarkable.
The Real Deal
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead ended up being better than I thought it was going to be and made notice the director (Sidney Lumet) a little more. In fact I was so impressed with the film that I decided almost immediately after looking up Sidney Lumet on imdb that it would be great to have a Sidney Lumet Movie Month. Before the Devil is not for everyone I am sure (especially with its rough around the edges style), but the talent of all of those involved made this one standout as a great film that has not gotten the attention it deserves. It seems this is how a lot of Sidney Lumet’s films are, but we will find out in July how good they really are.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 807,923
Sharon Movie? No
6/25/2008
Across The Universe (2007)
Across The Universe (2007)
Director: Julie Taymor
Writers: Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais
Genre: Drama/Musical/Romance
Story
There are a few stories being intermingled here, but the main one seems to be the love story between Lucy Carrigan (Evan Rachel Wood) and Jude (Jim Sturgess). Living in the time of the Vietnam War, the draft, and hippies completes this musical out as a strange love story with plenty of political views and upsets. Jude comes to America from Liverpool to find his father and ends up making some friends and meeting Lucy while he is there. They fall in love, but there is conflict and thy seemingly break up. The rest of the movie is the struggle they each have dealing without the strongest love they have ever know and both deciding they wanted to find each other again.
Everything Else
The directing of Across the Universe was fresh and compelling. Not your typical musical, although many of the musicals of the last couple decades have been going this sort of wild and bizarre route. The colors in the movie are tremendous and the camera flows from scene to scene with a very confident yet smooth transition. The movie reads like a string of music videos with the craziest scenes they could come up with.
The acting was superb with most of it being the singing, but the characters were also brought to life with the emotion of the dialogue not formed into a song. Evan Rachel Wood has been better, but carries her own and Jim Sturgess proves his talent in a lead role. The story felt original and kept my interest throughout the film by having many side stories going on at the same time. It almost seemed like there was too much going on, but the only story that really sucks you in is the love story between Jude and Lucy.
The songs were a perfect fit for the movie with all of the Beatles songs and psychedelic choreography. There was never a dull moment in Across the Universe and the scenery kept changing, making the film feel fresh throughout its entirety.
The Real Deal
I have lately been saying that I do not like musicals, but it seems the more and more I see the more I like them. I like the newer ones much better than the older ones because of the wild music video type style, but it is always interesting to see how the songs fit into or tell the story. Across the Universe told a coherent love story with almost nothing but music. I really enjoyed Across the Universe for its ability to make me forget about everything else going on in my life and just enjoy the show for a while. There wasn’t too much in the way of offensive material, but there were enough disturbing images to warrant the PG-13 rating. I would recommend this one even if you are not necessarily a fan of musicals.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 811,223
Sharon Movie? Yes
6/12/2008
Superbad (2007)
Superbad (2007)
Director: Greg Mottola
Writers: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Story
Superbad follows the lives of three immature students who are about to graduate high school. All Seth (Jonah Hill), Evan (Michael Cera), and Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) care about is alcohol and girls. Seth and Evan have a plan to get the girls by providing the alcohol for the party they are all going to. Now they just have to get the alcohol, but that is not very easy since they are only 18. Fogell has a fake ID and thinks he can get the alcohol, but when the cops show up things get out of hand. The rest of the film follows the three as they continue their journey to the party and try to keep from getting arrested while still getting the alcohol.
Everything Else
Greg Mottola does a typical dirty teenage movie directing job here. There is nothing more disappointing than a movie which has so much potential and yet falls flat on its face because of having obscene content which is completely unnecessary. There were plenty of parts of Superbad that were funny, but there were also so many scenes that were not funny and just downright offensive that the movie ends up being just ok. This is a shame considering how funny it could have been if they had only left out a few choice words and unnecessary parts.
The movie seems very realistic in some regards though. The teenagers act just like some teenagers did in high school. The only problem is that only about 5% of high schoolers act like that, but Superbad would have you believe that all high schoolers are like that. Aside from the obvious problems, the concept is overused in comedies today. Even if the gross humor and profanity are what seems to be popular today, I can’t help but think I have already seen this movie and it just looks ridiculous compared to more original comedies such as Juno.
The acting in Superbad was decent. The star here is really Michael Cera even though Jonah Hill has the more overbearing role. Hill doesn’t even come close to providing the humor which Cera is able to provide, but they would likely both be out of place if they had not been together. The two work well together with the opposing comedic styles.
The Real Deal
I would have liked to see a Superbad without all of the dirty jokes and foul language. It could have been as good as Juno possibly if they had added good dialog. This is the biggest problem when making a gross humor comedy these days. There is just no original dialog so the movie feels like dirty laundry from the start. This is exactly why I compared Superbad to Juno. Juno was just as popular, but actually created something unique at the same time. Sure Cera was almost the same character in both, but Juno can be liked by such a wider audience that the gross humor of Superbad can not be justified. I still found Superbad funny, but sadly because of its crudeness and unoriginality I can not recommend it to anyone.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 732,483
Sharon Movie? No
5/20/2008
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Director: Julian Schnabel
Writer: Ronald Harwood (screenplay) and Jean-Dominique Bauby (novel)
Genre: Biography/Drama
Story
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the painfully true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby and his sudden coma. Jean-Do (Mathieu Amalric), as they call him in the hospital, had plenty going for him even though his life was not ideal socially. He had an ex-wife and kids and a girlfriend, but at least he had a great job. His relationships even with his kids were not going well and then one day he suddenly had spasms and went into a coma. When he wakes from his coma he is paralyzed completely. The doctors inform him it is a very rare physical condition which he is unlikely to recover from. The rest of the movie follows Jean-Do and how he tries to deal with the life he has had to leave behind and the new people he meets that take care of him.
Everything Else
The directing by Julian Schnabel was some of the best I have seen in a good while. The way the film brings its audience into Jean-Do’s world and lets them see things from his point of view was amazing. The film starts from Jean-Do’s point of view and slowly goes to a third person view of the story. Many blurry, out of focus, and color changing sequences filled the screen, making the viewer feel more related to the main character. Schnabel makes it very easy for the viewer to get emotional about Jean-Do’s situation.
The character interactions worked great even with sometimes being quite awkward. The nurses and therapists would get frustrated and cause awkward situations, but these situations felt as real and sincere as could be. The acting on all parts was great including the especially good performance by Mathieu Amalric. The soundtrack for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was also very fitting. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly excels in almost every department, but it is the engrossing emotion which catapults this film to award winning levels.
The Real Deal
Megan picked this one out at Blockbuster and we enjoyed an unexpected treat. This film was far better than I thought it was going to be by looking at the cover. The cover was filled with awards and nominations, but that doesn’t always mean much. In the case of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly though, it meant a lot. This film is certainly not for those looking for a lighthearted and happy film, but if you are looking for a truly great film this is it. From the beginning of the film you are plunged into the sad story, but much like the main character you begin to have hope. Don’t miss this great foreign film.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 904,123
Sharon Movie? No
5/06/2008
The Savages
The Savages (2007)
Director: Tamara Jenkins
Writer: Tamara Jenkins
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Story
Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) is getting too old to be able to take care of himself so his children Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) have to come to help him transition into a nursing home. Jon and Wendy get along about as good as your typical siblings and neither has a good relationship with their father Lenny who was never there for them when they were growing up. The story surrounds the things Jon and Wendy have to do to get Lenny moved into the nursing home and the difficulties the family has getting along with each other.
Everything Else
The Savages was a movie I knew was going to be good just from watching the trailer. There is always the possibility the trailer could be deceiving, but in this case the movie looked good and was even better than I thought it would be. It is another off beat comedy with dry humor and witty jokes throughout.
The directing is somewhat rough, which is clearly the way it is supposed to be. By rough I mean the quality is dark and grainy and looks very down to earth and realistic. It reminds me of Margot at the Wedding in fact with its quick push into the harsh realities of life. Where as with Margot at the Wedding I could not relate to how people acted in it, The Savages seems to truly hit home and comes across as a movie which could easily relate to almost anyone. It is not the wacky over the top characters that provide the comedy as much as it is the situations they find themselves in.
I did find the acting to be perfectly in tune with the mood of the film though. I haven’t seen Laura Linney provide a better performance than this one (also her hair color looks so much more natural in The Savages than other movies like The Truman Show). Linney is emotional and forceful with her delivery of lines and keeps the dialogue moving with Hoffman. Philip Seymour Hoffman of course provides yet another excellent performance and I saw this one right after watching Charlie Wilson’s war where he delivered a great performance as a rather different character. Hoffman is clearly on my list of favorite actors at this point.
The Real Deal
The Savages was a movie much like Wristcutters for me; funny in an offbeat and not so mainstream kind of way. I guess this is why I had not heard about it earlier. The humor in The Savages is similar to the humor you would find in Seinfeld with more of a dark real life tone to it. If you are not in the right mood, The Savages could be a very dreary film about a family that doesn’t get along. Hopefully when you watch it you will be in the right mood for it and enjoy it for all of its comic genius; I know I was.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 834,389
Sharon Movie? No
8/12/2007
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writer: Tony Gilroy and Scott Z. Burns
Genre: Action/Adventure/Mystery/Thriller
What's It About
This is the final part of the Bourne Trilogy. Finally we get the end of the story. Jason Bourne struggles to find out what his true identity is while trying to stay alive and protect the people around him. Paul Greengrass keeps us on our toes the whole time in this grand finale to the series. Fans of the first two movies will be disappointed because of only one thing; it is over. I really want a fourth movie too, but the story is over. Besides, all three were great so it would be a shame if they messed up on the fourth.
How'd They Act
The acting was great from almost everyone. The only people that really stood out as kind of dull were the other "assets" as they call them that are always sent out to kill Bourne. They are supposed to be dull though, so I guess they did a good job. Matt Damon proves himself again and shows that he is a great actor. I have seen him in some very different roles and he has pulled them all off quite well as far as I am concerned. He does not disappoint in The Bourne Ultimatum. Julia Stiles is back in the third film and does a great job as usual. This role doesn't seem to challenge her like Traffic, but she does a great job at complimenting Matt Damon's acting. Paddy Considine plays Simon Ross a reporter writing a story on Bourne. He does a good job here. I like how he adds some cheer to the films that he is in. Just the way that he carries himself makes the movie seem a little more happy. Sorry, I have no other way of describing it. Joan Allen plays Pamela Landy and does a good job, but I am not a fan of her. She just doesn't seem that believable to me. I don't know what it is. Overall the acting was great with very little complaint from me.
Delivery
I am definitely a fan of Paul Greengrass. He does a wonderful job of keeping you focused on the movie. It is hard for you to look away or zone out because he has created an exciting world that you want to be a part of and often feel like you are. This movie is none stop action with story building throughout. One of my complaints would have to be that he put too many flashbacks to previous films to back load the story for us. I know it is necessary for the mainstream audience, but I got a little annoyed with it at times. We know what happened already, and if we don't, then we should watch the other two films. However, now you can watch it even if you do not know the story already. The movie has a certain level of realism that Greengrass obviously gets from his previous films United 93 and Bloody Sunday. These are also great movies that should be seen if you like movies that are real time reenactments of tragic real life events. Although there is a feeling of realism in this movie, Greengrass keeps it flowing with imagination and creates his own sort of world that is interesting to watch. Great directing from a great director.
The Real Deal
I paid $19 to see this movie, and I would do it again. Everyone I was with loved it, and I do not know anyone that does not like this movie. It is pretty simple, if you like the other two, then you need to see this one. If you did not like the other two, then something is wrong with you. This is a movie that appeals to a very large audience (notice that it is a Sharon movie). The way it was made actually keeps it from being a truly great film, but it was a very good film none the less. It is very hard to make a magnificent movie while appealing to such a large audience, but I think Paul Greengrass has come very close with this film.
The Skinny Version
Raw Score: 820,006
Sharon Movie? Yes
8/01/2007
Transformers
Transformers (2007)
Director: Michael Bay
Writer: Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller
What's It About
Obviously this movie is about robots that transform. Come on, everyone knws about Transformers. Well this movie explains (sort of) how the Transformers came into being on earth and why they are doing what they are doing. There are good Transformers and bad ones, but the classics are all there. I used to watch Transformers when I was a kid and it seemed to live up to the original cartoon pretty well. It is hard to make sense of the story in only two hours, but Micheal Bay did a good job even still.
How'd They Act
Shia LaBeouf plays Sam Witwicky. Such an interesting name; I wonder why it sounds so weird. Oh yeah, it must have been a name that was funny sounding so that we could say it over and over again and laugh. Well, they may have over done this character's name, but the acting was probably the same either way. Shia has done a few other things and is starting to show more of his acting ability. I would not say that this was a good performance, but maybe that is just the way the Micheal Bay intended for it to be. This is one of those movies where it is hard to tell how good the acting really is because they make the lines so cheesy. Lets face it, this movie was all about the action and special effects. There was not much room for good acting and plot. Megan Fox plays Mikaela Banes who is your classic hard to get "Hot Girl" that seems like a jerk in the beginning and then you are supposed to feel sorry for her and think she is just an innocent girl by the end of the movie. She did well making herself seem very standoffish in the beginning and then ease up later. It almost seemed believable at some points. This is a role that can be made or broken by the directing. Again, the directing gets in the way of the actors actual performance, so she probably did a pretty good job considering the role. I always like to see Jon Voight and John Turturro in movies. Turturro has quite an offbeat character in this and provides some embarrassing movie moments. This was obviously what the director had intended, and so I will say that Turturro did a good job as usual. Jon Voight played a large role, but was more subdued that his characters normally are. He did not get very intense any time during the movie in my opinion. Those are the acting performances; take it or leave it.
Delivery
This was a great looking film. This is the kind of movie that CG was made for. We do not need for things to look real for them to look cool. The problem is that most movies these days use too much CG when things are supposed to look real. That often ruins it for me. I would rather then go back to the claymation at times. Transformers proves the opposite however. The Transformers themselves looked great and moved very gracefully. The people really seemed like they were interacting with the robots as well. Everything was on a very large scale and it worked. Micheal Bay is not much on plot and acting, but he sure knows how to make a movie entertaining; and thats what most people want these days anyway isn't it. It really works here though. He makes you forget about about the average acting and the barely pieced together plot and just say "wow, look at that!" I enjoyed myself throughout the movie and it seemed to go along quickly even being over 2 hours. This movie is all about the actual look and feel of the movie. Micheal Bay makes you feel like the Transformers are really there.
The Real Deal
What do I really think about the movie then? Well, this is not a great movie, but definitely a great la la movie. This will entertain the most boring of people (take me for example). I usually enjoy Micheal Bay films and this one does not disappoint. Also, don't forget that this is Transformers. You have to see it just because of that. Lets not get crazy and call this the best movie ever made though. People that think Fast and the Furious is one of the best movies ever made might think this movie ranks up there, but I assure you that it does not.
The Skinny Version
Raw Score: 811,243
Sharon Movie? No
6/30/2007
Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Director: Len Wiseman
Writer: Mark Bomback
Genre: Action/Adventure/Crime/Thriller
What's It About
This part should be obvious, it's Die Hard. There is a conflict and John McClane is there to save the day. This time it is on a national scale. Each Die Hard seems to be a bigger and bigger scope. The first one was in a building and only a few people were involved, the second one had lots of people on planes involved, and the third one had a whole city involved. Now, John McClane (Bruce Willis) has to save the entire country from the villian. May the whole country is not involved, but most of it is. It is always about the bad guy wanting money and the good guy saving everyone and killing the bad guy. Standard Die Hard glory.
How'd They Act
Let's save Bruce for last since he is the major actor. Timothy Olyphant plays Thomas Gabriel, the villain in this Die Hard romp. At first, it seemed as though he was not going to be a very good villain because of two things. First, his age is not where the previous villains were at. He almost seemed too young to be the bad guy, but they were able to make some history for him and make him seem a bit more established which made it ok that he was young I guess. He still could have been a little older in my opinion though. Secondly, he almost seemed too weak. In hand to hand combat, there was no doubt who would win between John McClane and Thomas Gabriel, but this is similar to the original. However, Gabriel did seem somewhat geeky. This of course goes along with the plot that involves mainly computer hacking. Olyphant overall did a great job as a villain. The role was an interesting one to play for a Die Hard villain, but Olyphant does a good job with what he was given. Don't expect a performance like Alan Rickman in Die Hard, or Jeremy Irons in Die Hard with a vengeance. They were both excellent villain and truly lived up to the Die Hard villain. Justin Long play Matt Farrell, a geek that helps start the chaos that ensues unintentionally. He is one of the good guys and the only hope besides McClane for saving the U.S. Justin Long may be a MAC, but he can act too. He does a real good job here, even though he does not step out of his comfort zone too much. He plays a nerdy tech geek that knows way too much about computers and is physically weak. He is the brains for McClane even. However, it is still obvious that McClane could save the day without Farrell since he is of course John McClane. Live Free or Die Hard is going to be the gig Justin Long needed to really come out of his shell and into the mainstream. This brings us to Bruce Willis himself. The only consistent actor throughout all of the Die Hards has been Bruce Willis. Obviously it would not be Die Hard without him, but he has always stayed the John McClane that we knew from the first movie. The only difference in this one is the PG-13 rating. He is not able to be quite as dark as he would normally be, but he still does a great job in the character. Willis is still good at the classic one liners and laughs. My favorite part is his reactions to each person's death. Bruce Willis will always be John McClane to me.
Delivery
How spectacular was this movie you ask. Well, they went over the top a few times, but it is still Die Hard. In most action movies, you have to have parts that are not only impossible, but simply rediculous just for entertainments sake. Live Free or Die Hard definitely lives up to this. There are times that you are watching, and you think to yourself "give me a break," but it is great anyway. It was an interesting choice to go with a PG-13 rating. The series has always been R rated, but this one was obviously meant to win over more people in the box office because of its rating. I think that they must have made this decision very late in the process however, since I actually saw parts where it looked like they had dubbed over what Justin Long and Bruce Willis were actually saying. You could also tell that they tried not to have too much blood in the regular Die Hard fashion. This upset me at first, but it worked out well in the end. The biggest problem with PG-13 movies, is the teenagers in the theaters. It is often harder for them to get into the R-rated films and if they are there, they usually keep quite since they do not want ot get kicked out. Luckily there were not too many youngins in the theater so it was a pleasent Die Hard experience. The directing itself is basically what I would call "Die Hard directing." Everything was pretty standard, but there was a lot of action and just a little bit of story line. Things did not always make since, but if you love Die Hard, you really don't care at this point. It is just awesome anyway.
The Real Deal
I paid $10 for this movie to see it with teenagers and crazy Die Hard fans on opening night. I am going to see it again next week in the theaters for another $10 and I would probably see it again in the theaters. So I guess that explains whether or not I liked it. If you are a Die Hard fan you have to see this movie, but even people who are not familiar with the series could enjoy this film. Say it with me now, "please, please, please, give us a Die Hard 5!!!!"
The Skinny Version
Raw Score: 797,013
Sharon Movie? No
