Author: Darren Lucas

Big Film fan and general entertainment fan

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Movie Review

Red Eye (2005)

Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays, Jack Scalia

Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) a manager at a hotel in Miami is travelling back home from her grandmothers funeral. Having a big fear of flying doesn’t help her having to catch the red eye flight. We see what customer skills she has when has to deal with a phone call from one of her receptionist Cynthia (Jayma Mays) who made a mistake to one of the loyal customers that she goes on to fix.

Upon arriving at the airport she meets a charming man Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) who befriends her in the terminal, while in the terminal a clumsy woman spills a drink on Lisa prompting her to have to change her top revealing a scar from a past event.

On arriving at her seat on the plane Lisa finds herself sat next to Jackson. Lisa thinks this might be a good flight as Jackson helps her relax on the take off. Things soon change when Jackson reveals a plan to Lisa. If Lisa doesn’t move Charles Keefe (Jac Scalia) to a different room he will kill her father Joe (Brian Cox).

Lisa is now left with her fear of flying and the terror on the plane will Lisa do as Jackson says who and save her father or not?

The suspense is nicely built in this thriller. Not giving names to any other adult on the plane adds to the realism of a flight where you don’t know the people you are on the plane with just a description. Cillian Murphy shines as the villainous Jackson Rippner while Rachel McAdams does a very good job as the career woman who had a big question to ask.

The story is pretty much a routine one with little twists so your are never really left guessing what will happen next but with lots of tension you will be left on the edge of your seat through out. It is also a pretty short movie only just over 80 minutes but still well worth a watch

My rating 82%

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Movie Review

Independence Day (1996)

Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quiad, Margaret Colin, Vivica A. Fox, James Rebhorn, Adam Baldwin, Brent Spiner, James Duval, Lisa Jakub, Giuseppe Andrews, Harvey Fierstein

First of lets go through the characters starting with David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) a separated cable repair guy in a television company, David has a very religions father Julius (Judd Hirsch) who is a long suffering chess loser to David who simple keep a few steps ahead of everything based in New York. President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) a young ex fighter pilot who critics slam because of his age. His wife First Lady Marilyn Whitmore (Mary McDonnell) who is on a visit elsewhere in America. On the President’s staff are Constance Spano (Margaret Colin) David’s separated wife, General William Grey (Robert Loggia) a general who believes in peace and Albert Nimzicki (James Rebhorn). We have a small travelling family the Casse’s father Russell (Randy Quaid) who believes he was abducted and a war veteran and his children Migeul (James Duval), Alicia (Lisa Jakub) and Troy (Giuseppe Andrews). Finally we have Captain Steve Hiller (Will Smith) an wanna be astronaut and top fighter pilot who girlfriend is exotic dancer Jasmine (Vivica A. Fox) she also has a son Dylan.

On July 2ND alien spaceships enter the Earth’s atmosphere locating themselves in the world biggest cities. President Whitmore sets up an operation to communicate with the spaceship. While in New York David finds a code in the satellites that shows that in fact the spaceship are lining up like chess pieces for an attack on these cities. David rushes down to Washington to convince the President what is happening. David convinces the President and along with his staff escape seconds before the alien attack.

After the first attack the President relocates to Area 51 learning about a previous alien crash. Major Mitchell (Adam Baldwin) is the man in charge with Dr Brackish Okun (Brent Spiner) leading the research projects on the aliens. President Whitmore arranges to a counter strike a lead pilot Captain Hiller leads his team in battle with little effect. Captain Hiller has a race through a canyon crashing one the the small space crafts and kidnapping one of the aliens.

We are not left to wonder how humanity will survive this attack? Will this mix bunch of characters be able to unite to defeat Earth new common enemy?

Roland Emmerich gives us his first major action picture with plenty of destruction too. With Will Smith doing one of his first lead role as Captain Hiller shines giving one of his best non dramatic performances. The Americas get a chance to be a heroes again in a true action blockbuster that all should see.

The Story is always going to be predictable but it is also very easy to follow, you can also pick up the movie from most points and not feel like you missed too much. This was the top grossing film of 1996 with $306million. With talk of two potential sequels you are left wondering how those could come about tho.

My rating 92%

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Movie Review

Scream (1996)

Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore, Skeet Ulrich, Courteney Cox, W. Earl Brown, Rose McGowen, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber,

Starting with Casey (Drew Barrymore) home with her boyfriend Steve, Thinking their are alone Casey starts making popcorn when she gets a phone call. The voices on the other end starts asking film related questions being told if she is wrong she will die. She got the question wrong and Ghost Face starts trying to chase and kill her after already disposing of Steve.

The Next day we meet out heroine Sidney (Neve Campbell) a school friend of Casey and her group of friends. The friends are her sex deprived boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich) best friend Tatum (Rose McGowen) and her boyfriend Stuart (Matthew Lillard) and horror fan Randy (Jamie Kennedy). The group learn about the murders the night before and as Sidney is home alone she arranges for Tatum to stay with her.

While waiting for Tatum Sidney gets her first visit from Ghost Face escaping once Billy sneaks in her window and drops a phone. Sidney thinks Billy is the killer and runs into the Ghost Face mask being held by Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) who is also Tatum brother.

Add into the mix a hungry report who already cashed in on the death of Sidney’s mother a year early. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and her cameraman Kenny (W.Earl Brown) try to keep onto of all which is going on and defending the man found guilty of Sidney’s mother murder Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber). We are now left to figure out who the killer is?

This is Wes Cravens version of a tongue in cheek look at horror slasher movies. Never taking itself too serious but keeping tension high through out the story. With endless movie references from Friday the 13Th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and many other horror movies.

The story has twists keeping you guessing on who the killer is giving very few clues to who is actually is and question every characters motives. this is a must watch for any fans of the slasher genre giving a fresh take on what we have seen before.

My rating 83%

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Movie Review

Knowing (2009)

Director: Alex Proyas
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, Lara Robinson, D.G. Maloney, Nadia Townsend, Alan Hopgood, Adrienne Pickering, Danielle Carter, Tamara Donnellan, Ben Mendelsohn

Starting in 1959 a new school decided to make a time capsule to be opened fifty years in the future. One class is asked to draw picture of things they imagine the future to be like. One child Lucinda (Lara Robinson) starts hearing voices and her message for the time capsule comprises of a set of numbers. Teacher Miss Taylor (Danielle Carter) is worried about Lucinda and when she goes missing a search finds her in a closest with her hands covered in blood.

Fast forward fifty years to the year 2009 John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) an astrophysicist and single father of Caleb (Chandler Canterbury). Caleb is partial deaf and as soon as the time capsule opens starts hearing similar voices. Caleb gets the letter that Lucinda wrote assuming its nothing he keeps it. Caleb uses videos of his late mother to help him fall asleep at night.

John having a drink and watching television and spills some and accidentally puts the glass on the letter unwilling circling some numbers. These numbers surprise him and he sets out on some research discovering that every disaster date and number of deaths on in a series. The morning after John discusses his findings with a fellow scientist and friend Phil (Ben Mendelsohn). Knowing there are three disasters yet to happen John sets out on his plan to find out how true these numbers are.

Meeting Diana Wavland (Rose Byrne) who is the daughter of Lucinda and her daughter Abby (Lara Robinson). John and Caleb start to get to know and start working together to stop a disaster happening. Caleb get haunted by The Stranger (D.G. Maloney) a man who keeps to the shadows and knows things which will be happening. We are left to wonder what disasters will be occurring in the next few months and who is the stranger.

Putting this against other disaster movies this can stand out being as its something different something we didn’t see coming. The action scenes are well constructed from plane crash to the train wreck. Not one of Nicolas Cage’s best performances but he doesn’t need to deliver to the high standards some other action movies he has starred in have asked for. The overall story will keep you guessing right up to the shock ending and must watch.

My rating 91%

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Movie Review

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Gabriel Mann, Julia Stiles, Tim Dutton, Nicky Naude
 
Starting off when a mysterious man (Matt Damon) if found by fisherman almost dead in the ocean. The fisherman nurse the man back to health, Finding a L.E.D with a bank number in Zurich the man head for the bank.
 
Upon arriving at the bank and going to get the box that is filled with money currency from all over the world and several passports revealing his name Jason Bourne. Going onto the Embassy the authorities try to capture Jason only for Jason to escape using Marie (Franke Potente) to help him get to Paris.
 
While Jason is trying to figure out who he is the American government are trying to locate him. Conklin (Chris Cooper) is heading the team under Ward Abbott’s (Brian Cox) order to cover up their assassination attempt on Wombosi (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Conklin orders Nicolette (Julia Syiles) to arrange hit men to complete the job and take out Bourne. The Hit man include The Professional (Clive Owen) and Castel (Nicky Naude).

Having some close combat fight scenes and a high speed chase in an old school mini around Paris. Jason always keeps calm through out the story what ever the situation he finds himself in,

This edge of your seat action thriller shows how a covert agent can be disposed off so easily by their government. Jason keeps one step ahead through out the film seemly knowing every trick that will be pulled off. Add in the conspiracy theory giving this movie more tension.

A great action thriller 89%

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Movie Review

She’s Out of My League (2010)

She’s Out of My League: A Review of the Director Jim Field Smith

She's Out of My League: A Review of the Director Jim Field Smith

Director: Jim Field Smith
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, T.J. Miller, Mike Vogel, Nate Torrence, Lindsay Sloane, Kyle Bornheimer, Jessica St. Clair, Krysten Ritter, Debra Jo Rupp, Adam LeFevre, Kim Shaw, Jasika Nicole, Geiff Stults, Hayes MacArthur

Starting with a genuine nice guy Kirk (Jay Baruchel, In the End) who gets put down by his family Dylan (Kyle Bornheimer) Debbie (Jessica St.Clair) and his parents (Debra Jo Rupp, Adam LaFevre) and his ex girlfriend Marnie (Lindsay Sloane) and her boyfriend Ron (Hayes MacArthur). While Kirk just gets on with his life.

Kirk works at the airport with his best friends Stainer (T.J. Miller), Jack (Mike Vogel) and Devon (Nate Torrence) when he meets Molly (Alive Eve) a beautiful woman and with this chance meeting he starts a relationship neither of them are ready for.

Using the idea that everyone has a rating out of ten and we are in a league system we see how Kirk who believe he is a five starts seeing Molly a ten with both friends and family and even Molly’s ex boyfriend Cam (Geoff Stults) making Kirk question how and why Molly is seeing him, We see how Kirk grow into the person who doesn’t need to see a rating system, But the question remains will he learn in time?

This is a nice little rom-com not full on laugh out funny but a nice tale told of being able to judge people not only on looks but personalities. With a great chemistry in the four friends with all different opinions on how relationships could work out.

Having a good soundtrack for all the montage scenes all tunes are catchy and sum up what is going on during the scenes. Having Stainer being in a cover band for Hall & Oats give it an added comic value

My Rating 75%

Categories
Movie Review

Don’t Say A Word (2001)

Don’t Say a Word: Michael Douglas, Sean Bean, and More

Don't Say a Word: Michael Douglas, Sean Bean, and More

Director: Gary Fleder
Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Bean, Brittany Murphy, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Guy Torry, Jennifer Esposito, Shawn Doyle, Victor Argo, Conrad Goode, Paul Schulze, Lance Reddick, Famke Janssen, Oliver Platt

Starting off with a robbery of a rare gem by Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his group of thieves Dolen (Guy Torry), Max (Conrad Goode) and Russel Maddox (Shawn Doyle). Only for for Patrick to be double crossed by one of his crew. Ten years later Patrick wants his gem back and he sets out his plan to get it.

Prominent Psychiatrist Nathan Conrad (Michael Douglas) gets a call from his friend Dr Louis Sache (Oliver Platt) asking for him to see a young patient Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy). Finding out Elisabeth is a very disturbed woman who keeps talking about ‘They wanting something’. giving Louis is opinion on Elisabeth he leaves and returns to his family.

Returning home to his daughter Jessie Conrad (Skye McCole Bartusiak) and wife Aggie Conrad (Famke Janssen) who is stuck in bed with a broken leg. Looking forward to the Thanksgiving Parade the next day they think they are safe in their home and head to sleep. The morning comes and Nathan starts looking for his daughter only to find out she is missing. Upon trying to the police Patrick is on the end of the line forcing Nathan to get a number out of Elisabeth by the end of the day or they will kill his daughter.

Having Detective Sandra Cassidy (Jennifer Esposito) on the tails of Patrick and his crew the race hots up. Can Nathan get the number before time runs out?

This is a good action thriller filled with twists in the story keeping audience on the edge of their seats from the moment the call is made to the very tense climax. Giving that Nathan is pushed to a time limit he manages to keep calm for most of the story knowing that panicking would only get his daughter killed. Sean Bean does work to his strength as a villain who will do anything for his prize. This would be worth a watch for most action fans.

My rating is 76%

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Movie Review

The Next Three Days (2010)

Director: Paul Haggis
Starring: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Ty Simpkins, Jason Beghe, Aisha hinds, Olivia Wilde, Helen Carey, Brian Dennehy, Liam Neeson, Jonathan Tucker, Lennie James

John Brennan (Russel Crowe) and his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks) have a normal life, but one morning there is a knock at the door. Detective Quinn (Jason Beghe) and Detective Collero (Aisha Hinds) are there to arrest Lara for the murder of her boss. With evidence against her including finger prints on the murder weapon, a co worker seeing her leave the scene and an argument that day at work. John is left with his son Luke (Ty Simpkins) he tries to find all the legal ways to prove her innocence.

Having failed to find any way to get Lara out legally, John arranges to meet one man who has escaped from jail before Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson). Damon explains all the thing John must do if he goes through with this escape plan. With help from Grace and George Brennan (Helen Carey and Brian Dennehy) John’s parents on raising his son. John keeps the plan very secret with his casual spying on his everyday routine. Meeting Nicole (Olivia Wilde) a parent of a child the same age as Luke he starts to see how things in his life could be by opening up to her about his Wife’s situation.Check Spelling

We are left now with the questions of What is John’s plan? How far will John go? Was Lara innocent? with this adrenaline ride we set out on a great view for all action thriller fans.

Paul Haggis director of Crash really gives us a tension built action film which never really goes all over the top action focusing more on the thriller side which keeps the audience interested from the start to the finish. Even tho i am not a fan of Russel Crowe i found that this performance of an average guy pushed to limits for love but still keep a calm composure about himself one of his best to date.

One other thing you will notice is an excellent sound track perfectly fitting every scene adding to the tension moving you closer to the edge of your seat wait for the story to unfold and build up to its big climax.

My rating is 91%

Categories
Movie Review

Black Swan (2010)

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, Benjamin Milepied, Ksenia Solo, Kristina Anapau, Janet Montgomery, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway

A Young ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman) who has spent years under the tutelage of her over obsessive mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) gets a shot to play the lead role in a new Swan Lake. Nina Portrays the white queen perfectly with her innocents and grace but lacks the ability to play the Black Swan. Nina has a rival for the part in Lily (Mila Kunis) who is the opposite to her being able to play the Black Swan well but lacks the innocence’s to play the white swan.

With an angry ex lead dancer Beth (Winona Ryder) who can not accept she has been replaced by a new dancer and one she feels is a lot worse than her confronting at her grand announcement by the director of the show Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel). Thomas sets out to force Nina into turning into the Black Swan by pushing her into a rebellious way and driving her sexual desires. Lily uses her style of life to befriend Nina and try and push her into the Black Swan.

Having Thomas and Lily pushing her Nina mind starts to unravel she is left to question her own sanity. Nina is left wondering how badly she wants the lead role giving her ever changing mental state.

Natalie Portman Oscar is very well deserved with this outstanding performance as the ballerina pushed to the limit, with great supporting roles from Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey and Vincent Cassel. Adding the great direction from Darren Aronofsky who follows up ‘The Wrestler’ and ‘Requiem for a Dream’.

Giving that i know nothing about ballet i found this young woman quest to find herself and deliver the best role a truly brilliant piece of cinema with great story that keeps you guessing what will happen next and what has really happened in the psychological thriller. The tension grows through out the film giving an excellent climax that will shock all viewers.

My overall rating would be a stunning 97%