John's Reviews

Well it was exciting and fun but hey....all things do 'Die Hard'

Thanks for your review Johnny I will give it a miss at the movies, I will wait for it to come out on DVD

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
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“If the sun dies, so do we.”

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Director: Danny Boyle

Release Date: July 20, 2007

Cast: Cliff Curtis, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rose Byrne, Benedict Wong, Chris Evans, Troy Garity

Every now and then, a film slips into theaters with little regard to charm and delight it's audience; Sunshine is, indeed, one of those films.

In the near future, Earth's closest star and source of energy is dieing. Without this vital organ, the Solar System cannot survive; it is a slowly clotting heart. In hopes of saving themselves, mankind sends a ship, the Icarus I, attached to a stellar bomb to try and create a new star inside of the current one. In the face of tremendous odds, this first mission fails unexplainable. So what does mankind do? They try again with the Icarus II. On a ship with a doomed name, there lies the entire hope of mankind and their last chance at survival. Sunshine picks up here, and tells their story.

Simply put, this movie is stunning. From opening to finish, I found myself repeating the typical "aspirations" that a sci-fi film can induce. The CGI is breath taking and the story delivers tremendously on the deep space travel premise. Sunshine raises several questions throughout the film, most of which they leave for the viewer to decide for themselves. Is it man's place to question their demise? Should logic define all our decisions? Where is the edge of the cliff during deep space travel? These are just some of the questions posed to the audience, and they entirely left up to you to answer/discuss.

The cast is made up of some well known faces, but no one really takes the spotlight and this just enhances the film. The bonds between the characters are tried and tested, putting you through an ocean of emotion and terror. The sheer beauty and brilliance of the CGI is just overwhelming; so powerful, in fact, you can lose yourself in it. The sci-fi/deep space genre has not had a film of this quality for a long while, and I'm glad to see the cinema can still capture our imagination and retinas with films that involve the extreme dangers of space.

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"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

Sunshine is not a low budget flick. The thing cost over $40 million to produce.

It would certainly be fair to call it a completely under-the-radar flick. Unless you've been anticipating it for a while, chances are you're not even going to have a clue it exists. Case and point the dozen or so people at work who said, "Sunshine?"

Low budget though...not even close.

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Horror's Not Dead
Latest Movie Review(s): Too lazy to keep this up to date. New reviews every week.

Woah, bad source on my part. Sorry, folks.

Nice review, Sunshine is my favourite Danny Boyle film yet and it's criminally underrated. Saw it three times at the cinema here in the UK before they stopped showing it and enjoyed it more each time. I can't believe it's not been more popular, a lot of my mates haven't even heard of it (but the ones that I took to saw it loved it)

Gripping, thought-provoking and breathtaking.

Great review Johnny, i love SiFi so will see this when it gets here

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Director: Ang Lee

Release Date: November 5th, 2007

Cast: Tony Leung, Wei Tang, Joan Chen and Lee-Hom Wang

Lust, Caution is an intense erotic espionage thriller that takes place over a span of 4 years, and it hooks its viewers and doesn’t let go until the dramatic conclusion.

The film starts off in occupied Shanghai during the year 1942 and Wang Jiazhi (Wei Tang), a beautiful and confident woman, enters a café where she ultimately begins reflecting on the past. We are then thrown 4 years into the past where we discover Wang Jiazhi is a shy and innocent girl at a small university. From here we watch the past unravel and witness Wang Jizahi transform before our very eyes into a dangerous mistress whose very life and heart are placed in grave threat in the lion’s den.

This movie is as much raw and passionate as it is thrilling and suspenseful. So raw, in fact, that it was given a NC-17 rating for several explicit sex scenes. Not only are these scenes breathtaking, but the moments leading up to them are pure genius; the film, at its core, is essentially one large sexual encounter. One moment you’re being enticed with the back and forth between Wang Jiazhi and her target, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), and then you’re thrown straight into a steamy sex scene between the two. It’s absolutely brilliant and mind boggling.

The acting from new comer Wei Tang can only bring one word to mind: spectacular. Her abilities are stunning and they show in the film’s most powerful scenes. She and Tony Leung both deliver admirably and compliment each other wonderfully. Toss in Ang Lee’s developed directing skills and you have the formula for an excellent flick.

Lee is best known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain; the latter was highly controversial and Lust, Caution is sure to stir up controversy for itself. Lee even went on record saying it wasn’t a film for the American market, and while he might be right to some degree this film is a must see as it is one of the best movies of the year. Passion, betrayal, heartbreak; they all tie together to make this the best movie of the year, in my opinion.

Even though I highly recommend everyone see Lust, Caution, it is most definitely too explicit for some viewers; hence the NC-17 rating. Do not take the rating lightly, or you will be shocked. With that said, this film is sure to enter the books as an excellent crafted piece of art to be viewed and studied for many years to come. And if you’re looking for a spine tingling masterpiece, this movie will surely please those with even the hungriest of cravings.

Great review John, Thanks

I am definitely looking forward to Lust, Caution. Ang Lee is a very interesting director, everything he does is different from his last film.

Yea, I can't wait to pick it up on DVD. It was only in theaters here for a short while and I didn't get a second chance to see it.

Smart People -

There is only one thing more interesting than stupid people, and that's Smart People.

Smart People is a delightful film that's funny, heart warming and lovely. It will most likely not receive a grand swarm of audiences around the country this weekend, and however sad that might be, at least the small percentage of viewers that do decide to see it will be in for a real treat. The film does have some weak points, but overall the entire experience is quite enjoyable.

In short, Smart People follows the life of a widowed, pretentious college professor that has little desire to mingle with his students, or attempt to understand his children. It takes an ER doctor and his adoptive brother, who's free from the intelligent gene of the family, to bring some change to the entire family. The rest of the film follows along this line and it generally suffers from predictability. However, in spite of the weak script, the actors manage to turn the film around and combat the clichés with excellent character growth.

Dennis Quaid does a magnificent job assuming the role of Lawrence Wetherhold, the college professor. In fact, I believe this work to be one of his greatest roles. It throws him outside of his typical acting area and he does a magnificent job, but he's not the only one to stand out.

Ellen Page, the intelligent daughter, and Thomas Hayden Church, the whimsical and adoptive brother, give equally strong roles that provide even more depth to the shallow script. Church's character shines through as the funniest part of the film, and it's probably because he's given a majority of the best lines. Fans of Church will be delighted with his part in this story, and they should not miss it.

Besides the weak script and a rather abrupt ending, this is an overall decent film. If you can just look past the script and focus on the characters you'll be sure to find Smart People very enjoyable.

Jackie Chan's First Strike -

Jackie Chan's First Strike, also know as Police Story 4: First Strike, is a typical action film of Jackie's. With the exception of a few of his earlier films, his work mostly consists of predictable action and high octane fun. Take the film for what it is, a showcase of top notch stunt work, and you'll enjoy the hell out of it. If you're expecting something more you will be sadly disappointed.

In First Strike, Jackie is a Hong Kong police officer that catches the attention of foreign law enforcement agencies; the CIA and new KGB. After doing so he's sent on a relatively simple assignment, or so it seems. As usual, he finds himself in a situation that requires a hero.

I am a huge fan of Jackie's work and highly recommend that people make an attempt to see at least one of his films. While they clearly lack character development and plots, the original art form of Jackie's stunts are the real gold in his movies. His character generally doesn't use guns. Instead, he uses household items and other articles to incapacitate, not kill, his enemies. Full of action and danger, but lacking in plot, his movies are an acquired taste.

If you're looking for a fun film, Jackie Chan's First Strike is sure to meet the bill. Don't take it too seriously or you'll miss Jackie's daring stunts. Just sit back, relax, and have a good laugh at how crazy the man can get.

So are there some reviews missing? Or did you just delete a few? Or are they somewhere else, like in the movie tab or something?

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We are both the source of the problem and the solution, yet we do not see ourselves in this light...

Nope, all my reviews are in this thread.

And no, I haven't seen the unrated version of Live Free or Die Hard. I saw the piece of crap once more than needed, and I've done everything possible to forgot it.

As for King Arthur, it's been awhile since I've seen it a second time, and it was the unrated version. It was alright; .

Okey Dokey Smokey! I thought I saw a few references to a couple of other flicks that you were going to review, you must of just not gotten around to them. Nice job overall! Keep them coming.

HOLY BEJEBUS!?!!! did Holden make a spelling error!? I can die now...

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I used to be addicted to crystal meth, now I'm just addicted to Breaking Bad.

Ratatouille -

What can one expect from a Pixar film? I can answer that question with one word; excellence. Ratatouille is no exception to this rule and is definitely a return to their best work, such as the smashing hit Finding Nemo and Toy Story.

Ratatouille is about, you guessed it, the life of a rat named Remy. However, this rat is special because he has the extraordinary ability of superb cooking. We see him struggle to be accepted by his fellow rats, team up with a human to hold a cooking position, and eventually befriend this unlikely partner in food named Linguini.

First off, the voice acting is always top notch in Pixar films, and this comes partnered with a graphical superiority we undoubtedly expect. Both are staples of this company's talent, and this film doesn't let down on either. Secondly, the story is one their finest works and easily takes, at least, its place in the top 3 Pixar films; the film is easily accessible for anyone and everyone. Lastly, the film and its characters stick with you leaving an emotional connection for, at the shortest period, a week. A rare feat for many film makers, yet a breeze for Pixar.

In short, you must see Ratatouille. If you've seen any other Pixar film, and enjoyed it, then watching this flick is the next logical step for cinema pleasure. Fun for the whole family, or just yourself; this movie will not disappoint.

I have it here I have lost count how many times me and the 4yr old have watched it, it is our favourite at the moment

I cringe whenever I read the first page of this thread. Seriously, my back seizes up and I can't move.