Tag: 2009

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Movie Review

Watchmen (2009)

Director: Zack Synder

Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer, Stephen McHattie,

The year is 1985 but this isn’t the world we lived through. Costume Vigilantes have been closed down by the government, but after the death of the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) the team is reunited trying to solve the murder of their former partner. As the plot thickens a bigger and more shocking plan is underway.

Told from Rorcshach (Jackie Earle Haley) diaries looking back at how the team was and looking at the new team learning origins and specialist abilities of all members. The original team included The Comedian, Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino), Night Owl (Stephen McHattie), Moloch (Matt Frewer) and Dr Manhattan (Billy Crudup). While the new team include the original names of Silk Spectre ll (Malin Akerman) Night Owl ll (Patrick Wilson), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) and still Dr Manhattan.

Rorcshach is the main investigator believing there is a bigger plot and that someone really is out to kill the original Watchmen each twist and turn keeps you guessing on what really is happening and the love triangle between Dr Manhatten, Night Owl ll and Silk Spectre ll shows how human this heroes are too.

Based on a graphic novel and one the most popular at that director Zack Snyder delivers an absolute masterpiece that will keep you coming back to watch again and again. Visually this movie delivers whether its the alternate New York, Mars or whether the next scene takes you. the storyline is brilliant and goes against ever superhero movie you may have seen before. Each over the top fight sequences doesn’t shy away from any limits be it taken on run of the mill criminals or fighting the enemy.

Overall i would say this is the best graphic novel to movie adaptations and a must see 94%

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Movie Review

2012 (2009)

Director:  Roland Emmerich

Starring:John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Thomas McCarthy, Woody Harrleson, Danny Glover, Liam James, Stephen McHattie

Based on Mayan superstition this is the end of the world, now how do man survive this?

First off Dr Adrien Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and one of his associates discover the world is overheating from the inside due to solar flares. so he gets a solution to the end of the world started up with governments all around the world. Now in 2012 things start to accelerate and time is running out.

Meanwhile a struggling divorced writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) gets a weekend camping with his two children. He takes them down to Yellowstone only to find out the Lake has nearly all gone and after approaching the army take them back to a base. Here he meets Dr Helmsley a fan and sounding like his only fan of his book. After the chatty chatty big fan speech the family get escorted of the land back tot he camp area. After arriving conspiracy nut Charlie Frost (Woody Harrleson) asks what is there and tells Jackson what he believes to be happening, Jackson just assumes he is crazy and ignores his warnings.

After dropping his kids back home he goes to his day job as a limo driver only to discover that Charlie might be making some sense, he rushes back to the house and get his kids ex wife and boyfriend. now we have one of the most amazing over the top car chase action sequences ever with a limo driving through town avoiding everything possible making it to an airport and fly away to safety for now.

After flying to the Yellowstone abandoned army base to refuel Jackson goes in search of Charlie. After finding him on top of a mountain over looking Yellowstone he learns of the crafts for safety or future of mankind, now for the next chase against nature this time in a camper van with a volcanic cloud after them,

Flying of to the next airport Jackson meets his employer who needs an extra pilot for the trip to China where the vessels are kept, after yet another over the top action sequence they are left to fend for themselves in the middle of the mountains of China, meeting a family who has worked on vessels and created a plan to sneak on a vessel.

Roland Emmerich follows up action blockbuster like Independence day, Godzilla and Day after tomorrow with another action blockbuster and he sure dose like destroying America in his movies.

This is a truly epic survival adventure if not very hard to believe it is full of cliche and cheesy one liners and overall just a good fun movie to watch, he throws up the question ‘what would we do in this situation?’ and puts out how money can buy you safety.

Overall i would give it an 82% as it keeps you holing onto what will happen next.

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Movie Review

G.I Joe The rise of Cobra (2009)

Director:Stephen Sommers

Starring: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Byung-hun Lee, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rachel Nicholls, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid

From the director of ‘the mummy’, ‘the mummy returns’ and ‘van helsing’ Stephen Sommers brings us G.I Joe the rise of cobra. first of i have no idea any back story of an G.I Joe so all the characters i talk about are new to me.

We start of learning how Mccullen family traded weapons to both sides on war and getting caught and having to wear a mask for the rest of his life. fast forward to ‘the near future’ we see James MCcullen (Christopher Eccleston) owner of MCcullen Enterprise who develop weapons and they have now created a nano byte weapon capable of eating through metal. Leaving his weapons in the hands of a team of elite marines to deliver lead by Captain Duke Hause (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans). The convoy comes under attacking by a team lead by The Baroness (Sienna Miller) using weapons they are unfamiliar with, Duke and Ripcord try to fight back only to be saved by the Joes Heavy Duty, Scarlett, Breaker and Snake Eyes.

After returning with the Joes to the base meeting General Abernathy (Dennis Quaid) the pass over the weapons after communication with MCcullen. Duke and Ripcord request to join the Joes and they were once scouted before they give them a chance cue the montage of the training program.

On the other side of the fence we learn that MCcullen actually organised the attack on the convoy. He and the mysterious Doctor (Joseph Gordon Levitt) have created super soldiers who know no fear. Along with the Baroness he has Storm Shadow and Zartan in his villain squad. The team attacks the Joes base stealing the weapons.

In there investigation into the Baroness who also happens to be Duke ex-fiancee the Joes stumble upon the team and of we go with a high speed chase through Paris.

overall this is a fun movie with some very well used flashbacks connection between Duke and Baroness also Storm Shadow and Snake eyes. yes this is an over the top action movie but it also doesn’t lose the viewer due to something always going on. filled with simple one liners you get the Stephen Sommers feel from start to finish.

My score will be 93%

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Movie Review

Star Trek (2009)

Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana and Simon Pegg

In this re launch of a franchise we learn how the team meet. After a mission looking for a ‘lightening storm’ in space kirks father sacrifices himself to save the crew of the Enterprise. We find out that this attack was by a Romulan mining ship lead by Captain nero. After hearing a distress call from Vulcan the Enterprise heads of to investergate and this is where the action starts.
 
Violence 5 out of 10 mainly space peril  

Story 9 out of 10 very well made story to recreate the story for the new generation

Special effects 10 out of 10 just brilliant

Acting 9 out of 10 strong cast of lesser-known stars stands out as one of the best this year

Stand out Performance Zachary Quinto play the young spook very well and has the looks to match what you would think a young spook would look like

Overall Movie Rating 10 out of 10 great sci-fi action thriller nearly everyone will enjoy this movie has something for everyone. A Must See

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Movie Review

500 Days of Summer (2009)

Directed by Marc Webb
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray-Gubler, Clark Gregg, Patricia Belcher, Rachel Boston 

This is not a love story. This is a story about love. The tag line sums of this movie perfectly. It’s a story of a boy Tom who meets a girl at work called Summer, He thinks she is ‘The One’ and after a little bit of a fling. Until Summer decides she doesn’t want anything serious, Tom goes on the roller coaster of emotions and we get to see how he gets though the 500 days of Summer. Tom gets help from his two best friends McKenzie, Paul and even his little sister Rachel who is surprisingly more adult than her age would show.

The Story is something a lot of people can relate to as it’s a dead-end job that Tom just filled even tho he dreamed of being something better. Can this doomed relationship give him the confidence to take the next step in his career? With some great chemistry between Tom and Summer that sparkles at the start but fizzles out as the relationship grew. Having great locations from an Ikea store to a hill-side park in the middle of the busy city. The music through out the movie are great classics from The Smiths, Morrissey and Beatles conversation keep the music lovers interested in the storyline.

Overall Movie Rating 93% it’s a rom-com that everyone will enjoy as it is a position everyone would have been in some when during their love life. Action junkies will not be interested that much but overall a very good romantic comedy that all will enjoy