John's Reviews

Yea, it only took about 9 months. No pun intended. Lol. Was it worth the wait?

__________________
"This is that human freedom, which all boast that they possess, and which consists solely in the fact, that men are conscious of their own desire, but are ignorant of the causes whereby that desire has been determined." -Baruch Spinoza

Great review Johnny O. I have this movie in my Netflix queue. Can't wait to see it!

__________________
Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons.....for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

Zodiac

“There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer.”

Movie: Zodiac

Rank:

Rating:

Director: David Fincher

Release Date: March 2, 2007

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Edwards

The director of Se7en, Fight Club and Panic Room, hits the screen again with the criminal thriller Zodiac. Fincher goes in a different direction from his usual stories, however, but still gives you an intriguing film that is a hell of a lot better then most.

Zodiac tells the story of the famous investigation of the “Zodiac Killer” that terrorized the San Francisco area during the late 60s and early 70s. This murderer was credited with seven victims, two of which survived. Several more crimes were believed to be committed by this man, but evidence was lacking on those cases and could not be connected.

The first portion of this film focuses around the active investigation of Inspector David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), while the second part follows the obsession of a San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist named Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal). While both parts were well done, and convincing, my favorite of the two would have to be the obsession of Robert. I feel this is where the heart of the movie lies, in the extreme nature of Robert’s quest for the truth.

Jake Gyllenhaal did a wonderful job of conveying Robert’s obsession of the “Zodiac Killer.” We first see his character as a bystander that takes an interest in the mayhem and eventually forms a nervous concern for his children’s safety. When Robert becomes more intertwined with the case, the real beauty of the film shines. His commitment to solving the crime is eerie, convincing, and downright understandable. The scene where Robert tells his wife that he just “has to know,” gave me a serious case of goose flesh. It showed that there is more then one way to lose your life to a murderer and Robert is a fine example. Throughout the last half of the film, I totally sympathized with his dire need to solve the crime and put the case to rest.

My favorite character, however, was the San Francisco Chronicle journalist named Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.). He plays a minor role in the first part of the film but, I loved every second that Robert was on-screen. He did a wonderful job of making his character hilarious, cocky and eventually, desperate.

As for Fincher, he is a directing god and it shows. He is known for his amazing talent and this is no exception. The atmosphere of the film is a perfect recreation of the time period and it feels like you are actually there trying to solve the murder. His method of directing was different from his past motion pictures because he made this one straight forward and simple. Thankfully, it doesn’t take away from the movie at all.

Zodiac is an unconventional thriller because not only do we know the outcome, but it does not rack our nerves with gruesome scenes or scary twists. The director and cast keep us on the edge of our seat with a story of facts and reality which might very well bore some fans of the genre. The movie is still an amazing piece of cinema and should be seen by extreme movie buffs and casual people alike. It is exciting to see that Fincher is still making amazing features to satisfy our eyes and movie taste buds.

Excellent work, Matt. Your best yet. What a difference from the first review you ever posted. I applaud your progress.

__________________

Great review Matt… thanks for sharing. I hope I can catch this one sometime this week….

__________________

Black Snake Moan

“Everything Is Hotter Down South.”

Rank:

Rating:

Director: Craig Brewer

Release Date: March 2, 2007

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake

Black Snake Moan tells the story that redemption is always achievable, even in the darkest of hours. All that’s needed is a God-fearing bluesman, a swinging soundtrack, and a really long chain.

Craig Brewer, the maker of Hustle & Flow, brings us the story of an unlikely companionship between a girl named Rae (Christina Ricci), who suffers from nymphomania, and a recently divorced African-American man named Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson). Through this relationship, they both learn how to fight the evil in their hearts and confront their lives head-on.

Rae has the most difficulty because she's trying to fight the nymphomania that controls her actions and spins her life into unimaginable trouble. It is so horrendous, in fact, that she alone cannot conquer it. Times like these call for drastic measures, and that is precisely what happens.

Lazarus sees it fit to try and cure Rae of her wicked ways, and how does he plan on doing this? Well, chaining her to the furnace of his southern home might be one way to accomplish it. Of course, she does not take to the idea of receiving assistance too well and she certainly does not agree with being chained up. From this unusual method of treatment, comes an unusual friendship.

Black Snake Moan is not likely to top many favorite film charts but, it is a delightful film nonetheless. The acting is well done by both Jackson and Ricci, and the soundtrack is very engaging. The plot unfolds nicely in the 2 hours it’s given and there are several instances of mild humor to boot. Best of all, Justin Timberlake doesn’t suck up the screen with bad acting or useless drivel. Whether it’s the acting, plot, or soundtrack, you’re bound to find something enjoyable about this movie.

Great review, John! I'm planning on seeing watching this this weekend!

Another great review.... Thanks!

300

“Prepare for glory!”

Rank:

Rating:

Director: Zack Snyder

Release Date: March 9, 2007

Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham and Vincent Regan

Spartans were the greatest warriors to ever walk the face of the Earth. They never surrendered, never retreated. These men were taught to defend freedom from the very moment they could hold a sword. Frank Miller’s 300 tells the story of one of their greatest battles, the Battle of Thermopylae.

300 is hands-down, a visual masterpiece. From start to finish, our eyes get to feast on one of the greatest looking pieces of film I have ever seen. This is the strongest thing the movie has going for it, and the creators know it. The blood effects are magnificently done and even top those of Frank Miller's last adaptation, Sin City. Limb removal, decapitation, gut stabs, they all have the feel of comic book violence. For 2 hours, you are put in this fantasy world, and believe me; the effects do not get old.

Dilios (David Wenham), one of the fearless 300 Spartans who stand against a million Persians, narrates their tale of glory and honor. This character is given the sole task of reciting to the world what happens to these majestic warriors. As such, this leaves little room for development, but Wenham does wonderful in the role.

King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) is the commander, and a war brother, of the 300 noble Spartans. He is a callous and calculating man, a man that does not see it fit to submit to an enemy’s will or surrender the freedoms of his fore fathers. Once again, there is very little room for development. It might very well be that the characters were meant to undergo little or no change, and this one small problem is counter weighted by the breathtaking visuals and storytelling technique.

Frank Miller’s 300 is sure to satisfy die-hard fans of the action genre. It is also likely to make some viewers squeamish and uncomfortable. If you are not fond of violence, blood and guts, stay clear of this feature.

There are few better ways to start off your spring then the viewing of a gory piece of moving visual art. 300 will shock, disturb, and excite millions of people in the coming days. The further into the 21st century we progress, the more difficult it becomes to create CGI effects that bring a wave of awe over the audience. If this is just a small sign of what’s to come, our future looks very bright indeed.

I can't agree more with your review.

Good job.

__________________
"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

Great job again Matt.... I'm thinking about seeing this later today....

Yea, 300 is one of those films that you can watch more then once and still retain the awe factor. Matter of fact, I'm going again today. First time was by myself to soak up the film and analyze it. This second time around is going to be nothing but sheer kickass fun.

Awesome work.

__________________
http://www.last.fm/user/diezelpower/

My next review should hopefully be TMNT. I can't wait until it comes out, I'm a huge fan of the series. And finally, we can get rid of those pathetic shell suits. Of course, those movies are still fun.

I really enjoyed the Zodiac review. I was planning to see it, but now I want to even more!

I really enjoy reading your reviews. Nice work.

Live Free or Die Hard

“Yippee Ki Yay Mo - John 6:27”

Rank:

Rating:

Director: Len Wiseman

Release Date: June 27, 2007

Cast: Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Maggie Q and Cliff Curtis

John McClane is back; well, not exactly.

Live Free or Die Hard is the 4th installment of Bruce Willis' adrenaline packed series. Now to be honest, the track record on these films has been a little weird. In Die Hard we got to see the human and flawed German terrorist ass kicker. One of the greatest action films of all time, it was fully loaded with the goods. An intelligent and well acted villain, a hero that over comes impossible odds, humor, snazzy one liners you could use in real life. This first movie set about a whole new era for action films.

Then along came Die Hard 2 and the franchise seemed to stall a bit, but it was able to keep standing. What with another excellent villain and being able to see the humor in perfecting the "wrong guy, in the wrong place, at the wrong time" motto was enough for the film to limp itself into the John McClane library. So far, so good.

Then we came full circle and were hit with yet another great action movie. The wise ass, and now hung over, McClane was back. And better yet, he went up against another intelligent/well acted villain. This series should really be known for only 3 reasons; McClane's attitude, one liners, and villains. So here we are with Live Free or Die Hard, it's brought us back to the low point in the series. Only this time, it went even lower.

In the first 25-30 minutes of Live Free or Die Hard, there's some promise shown. It looks as if this film might actually pull itself up to the standard of the last three. Well my friends, looks are very deceiving. The action is pretty intense but, it's totally unrealistic; that's asking a lot, considering the last three were pretty close to believable. The part where he's fighting a F-35 sent the movie to hell in a hand basket. Honestly, the best way to describe John McClane in this movie is a cop jacked up on Red Bull. Our friends at 20th Century Fox did an excellent job of advertising it that way.

Another gripe, besides the action, was the one liners. They were either cheesy, because of the PG-13 rating, or weren't given enough time to sink in. And frankly, the delivery of the "highlight" one liner was just horrendous. Hearing "Yippee Kiya Muthaf***er" in the last three films brought this over whelming desire to cheer and say "Hell yea, McClane!!" I didn't even get goose bumps when he addressed his villain for the last time. That part right there just sealed the envelope for the award of "Worst Die Hard Movie" ever.

Sure there's some good things in the movie, but they just can't outweigh the serious flaws that went into the making of this movie. This final, hopefully, Die Hard movie now makes watching the second one just plain enjoyable. Oh yea, the movie has action, but it just doesn't give you the same feeling as the last three did. If you want my advice, stay clear of this movie until it's on DVD. Even then, proceed with caution. All in all, I'm giving it two popcorn buckets merely because the villain was intelligent/well acted and come on, it's John McClane we're talking about here.

Wow, I'm upset to hear that. Now my hopes are low. Thanks for the warning anyway.

__________________

Yes the action was fantastic. The original is one of the greatest action films of all time no doubt, but I still think the recent one is just a little better. They come really close to each other actually.

As for the rating and stuff, the director has plan on re-editing it and forming a Special Director's Cut version of Live Free or Die Hard.

Not even lots of blood and curse words can fix this mess. It'd need a serious overhaul to get my rating to change. BTW, I noticed the "ultimate" one liner was completely different from the trailer. Heck, the trailer didn't even say the entire thing and it gave me more of a "kickass cheer" feeling. Yeesh!