Fabulous Movies

#3 Life of Pi 2012





A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.

Director
Ang Lee

Writer
David Magee

Starring
Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain

When I walked into the cinema to watch Life of Pi, I really wasn't sure about it. I knew next to nothing about it and was worried that it would be a big snooze. I ended up being pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this movie.

First off, the visuals were spectacular. I've heard some people complain or bash them, but I don't care. This had arguably some of the nicest CGI I have ever seen. Watching it in 3D only boosted the experience, I felt. Some people purposely avoid 3D because they say it takes them out of the experience, that it's more of a gimmick. While this is definitely the case for most movies, it wasn't for this one. The 3D was just the icing on the cake.

The movie kicks following our young lead character as he grows up. This lead up was way too stretched out, I feel. At the time, I didn't really pay much attention to it. Now in retrospect, I really wish they would've cut out some of the early scenes. Some of scenes later have a deep impact on Pi when he is stranded, but more than a few were quite tedious.

I have had people argue the opposite, that the stranded at sea portion was too stretched out, but I respectfully disagree. I thought the scenes of Pi trying to tame the Bengal tiger while trying to survive himself were riveting. When things were wrapped up, I was quite sad that I wasn't able to see more of Pi's struggle at sea.

Now, I know the ending caused a stir with some people; angry that they didn't get a definitive answer. I would usually side with you, but not for this movie. You see, it doesn't matter which story is true, it only matters which one you choose to believe. There is no right or wrong answer, just an opportunity for introspection.

#4 A Few Good Men 1992





Neo military lawyer Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder; they contend they were acting under orders.

Director
Rob Reiner

Writer
Aaron Sorkin

Starring
Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore

Rob Reiner puts together a pretty nice cast for the military courtroom drama, A Few Good Men. We begin down in Cuba, at the scene of the crime. Two soldiers are accused of murdering a colleague. The two soldiers claim that they were acting under orders, and never meant to kill their colleague. Enter Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise), the laid back Navy lawyer who has yet to work inside an actual courtroom. Joining his side are Lt. Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollack), and Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore).

I've never really noticed Demi Moore before, so this was the first time I really was able to pay attention to her acting. I thought she did well with some pretty talented support. Pollack was a nice little sidekick to Cruise, too. There is just something about his voice and demeanour that I find fascinating. It sometimes feels like he isn't even trying to act; he seems to effortlessly pull off his scenes, and it works well. I'm a pretty big Tom Cruise fan, and I found him so enjoyable to watch in this movie. His cool, laid back attitude made me feel like he would be invincible; until we see him start to breakdown under pressure and fear of failure. Overall, a pretty nice character arc.



In much of the early stages of the defense, Kaffee & Co. don't believe they have any real chance. Galloway tries to bring the moral up, but often fails or is put down by Kaffee. Although Kaffee seems to be holding his own against prosecutor Capt. Jack Ross (Kevin Bacon), we still feel that he's fighting an uphill battle. It is not until Kaffee, in a moment of clarity, makes a connection to a possible cover-up orchestrated by Col. Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson). This blows the case wide open and gives Kaffee that boost he so desperately needed to follow up on his initial suspicions.

Jessup repeatedly outsmarts Kaffee while on the stand. He then goes on to express his disdain Kaffee, as well as the court proceedings. I'm not experienced in courtroom etiquette, but after some surely unrealistic back and forth between Kaffee and Jessup, we finally get to the climax that we had been anticipating.

Excellent acting in the final act by Cruise and Nicholson made for a very entertaining duel. Being a fan of courtroom dramas, I found this to be right up my alley. A very entertaining movie with a solid cast; I recommend this to everyone.

#5 Unbroken 2014





After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

Director
Angelina Jolie

Writer
Joel & Ethan Coen

Starring
Jack O'Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson

Being very much a fan of the War genre, I headed into this fairly excited. I had my reservations about Angelina Jolie directing, but she didn't do too bad a job. Other than Jack O'Connell, I thought the rest of the cast was rather average. No one really stood out to me; the only possible exception being Domhnall Gleeson.

In many parts of the movie, but most noticeably in the first act, I found the movie trying to play on the audiences emotions. The music started to swell up and little instances became exploited into huge deals for everyone involved. It just felt like too much for me, especially right at the start of the movie. I would've much rather they slowly work the audience in so when Louis Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) does get shot down, we actually feel for him and are devoted to his journey. I found myself not really carrying too much for any of the soldiers at sea because I felt like i didn't really know them well enough.

Next, we follow Zamperini and two fellow soldiers stranded at sea in what feels like forever. I'm not sure if it only felt long or if it actually was long, but either way I felt that whole sequence was far too tedious for my liking. When Zamperini finally gets to the POW Camp, I finally thought that the movie would pick itself up and really start to shine. I was wrong. Jolie really doesn't have much interest in introducing the other POW's to us, so they feel very expendable. In certain scenes when punishment was carried it, the audience again had no connection or investment in them.

For the role of the harsh Japanese corporal "The Bird", was Takamasa Ishihara. Apparently this guy is in a Japanese rock band or something, which makes it kind of an odd casting choice to start off with. To be honest though, I just didn't buy him. He didn't intimidate me, or scare me, or made me think "Wow, I really wouldn't want to piss this guy off!"

Despite its shortcomings, it's not entirely bad. About average would be a fair assessment. Perhaps due to my love of war movies my expectations are too high; but I don't suspect this to be the case. Unbroken is just an average movie that has some nice scenes, but overall doesn't cut it.

#6 Top Five 2014





A comedian tries to make it as a serious actor when his reality-TV star fiancée talks him into broadcasting their wedding on her TV show.

Director
Chris Rock

Writer
Chris Rock

Starring
Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union

I'm a huge Chris Rock fan. I think his stand up is great, but I've never seen him really shine in a movie. Top Five changes that. Chris Rock was the brains behind this whole thing. He wrote, directed, sand starred in this movie, and he asked all of his buddies to make some appearances.

Andre Allen (Chris Rock) is a sober comedian who is struggling to make a name for himself after he quit comedy. He's planning to get married to a reality star on her TV show, but we get the early impression that Allen isn't too fond of this scenario at all. In an effort to promote his upcoming film that he hopes will bring him critical acclaim, he schedules an interview with columnist, Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson).

Throughout much of the day, Allen is very defensive and guarded. He has had many experiences in the past where reviewers and columnists have teared him apart in magazines and newspapers, but he is determined to not let that happen this time. Andre and Chelsea continue to bond and before you know it, have become really close. Then, Allen reads something which turns the whole day upside down. How will they get on now?

The acting is pretty good. Rock and Dawson were buyable as their characters. Many of Rock's buddies appear in a some scenes here and there. The highlight is probably Tracy Morgan, who was acting as his usual obnoxious self. There was also another funny scene involving Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler at a night club. The rest of the actors were just okay; no one stood out to me.

The script itself was apparently all written by Rock in his trailer during the filming of Grown Ups 2. It's not an overly complicated story, but rather straightforward. This is okay, because we don't need anything too complex to get the message of the story. Rock quickly and neatly guides us through the day with only only occasional side stories.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't think I'd like it too much, but that didn't end up being the case. If you want a good romantic-comedy with a ton of cameos, but also a feel good story, then I suggest you check this movie out.

#7 The Maze Runner 2014





Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.

Director
Wes Ball

Writer
Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, T.S. Nowlin

Starring
Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter

The concept of The Maze Runner looked intriguing, so I gave it a shot. The movie does seem to target a younger demographic, as displayed in many scenes throughout the movie. However, this didn't really hinder my thoughts and rating too much.

We are quickly thrown into a large grassy field, surrounded by enormous stone walls. After some introductions and exposition, we learn that the boys are trapped in a maze. Every month, a new boy is sent into the maze. Every day, a door opens for a limited amount of time. Each day a group of runners are sent out to scout and map the maze, looking for a way out. The problem? The maze changes its shape every night.

The acting is nothing great, but passable nonetheless. No one seems to be forcing emotions or overacting. To be honest, I found the plot and the day to day scouting of the maze to be very exciting. One real issue I had was the ending that set itself up for the sequel, which is due to release in September. I get that they wanted to leave the audience with a cliffhanger, but I would've preferred a tidy wrap up to the events that unfolded.

With that said, I will still watch the sequel. I'm just not sure if it will be as exciting or creative as this instalment is. Either way, I suspect it would be a box office success that will allow the studio to go ahead and finish the franchise off with its third movie, mirroring the books it is based on. I just hope that the next two give me that same sense of mystery and excitement. I guess time will tell.

#8 Lucy 2014





A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

Director
Luc Besson

Writer
Luc Besson

Starring
Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi

I'm a pretty big Scarlett Johansson fan; probably for her looks more than her acting chops. Lucy is a movie that perfectly sums my view on her up. The whole plot is just way too out there for me to buy. The idea that she can go from being a helpless victim to striking fear and pain into her opponents in an instant only worsens the experience.

As I said, the acting is not very good. Scarlett has a few odd scenes where she's alright, but the rest is easily forgettable. The supporting cast is just there, unable to spark any interest or connection. The only thing that the movie has going for it are the visuals. Not the best, but enough to keep me somewhat satisfied.



One of the things that make this movie so poor is that it tries to make a serious statement, but ends up just being completely void of any substance. Lucy continues to gain power, and she continues to kill for the sake of killing. There never seems to be any threat or conflict to make sense of all the damage she is doing. What will happen to her if she doesn't download her brain? There doesn't seem to be any reason except because Morgan Freeman says so.

This movie had a chance at becoming a pretty good action flick with some thought provoking elements. Instead, it is just a bunch of gunfights with no real purpose.

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"Banshee is the greatest thing ever. "

#9 The Bourne Identity 2002





A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and regain his memory.

Director
Doug Liman

Writer
Tony Gilroy & William Blake Herron

Starring
Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper

I was never thought I would be a fan of the Bourne trilogy. I only recently decided to watch all 3 movies to see what it was all about. The movies did get generally better leading to the third one. I'm not really interested in Jeremy Renner's Bourne so I won't comment on that.

Unlike the next two, the first Bourne is directed by Doug Liman. I think Paul Greengrass is the better director and improved the series, but Liman wasn't bad. I think the choice of Matt Damon to headline this was a great choice. I think Damon is a great actor and he really owns the part of Jason Bourne and more importantly, he has you rooting for him all the way through.

The premise of the movie is very thrilling. We know nothing about this man, who's name we later find out to be Jason Bourne. The only thing we know for certain is that somebody wants him dead. While trying to elude his enemies, he begins to piece together his memories as best he can. A nice sidekick named Marie (Franka Potente), turns out to be a nice change of pace and a pretty good dynamic to Bourne. I grew to like her character as the movie went on.

The action scenes are very nice to watch. Well choreographed and very intense, all of them seemed to fit nicely within the story. One complaint I have is about one of the assassins sent to hunt Bourne, The Professor (Clive Owen). I'm a massive Clive Owen fan and I was hoping he'd have a much bigger role than what he ended up having. I think, just by judging by his character's name, his look, and his demeanour, that The Professor had so much potential to be an ultimate enemy for Bourne.

One major bonus that I find to be very refreshing is how "normal" and realistic the movie tries to be. Jason Bourne is a just a normal guy (with a very nice set of skills) searching for the answers that he somehow has forgotten. There is no high gadget weapons or any major stunts that just seem ridiculous. Everything feels a lot more down to Earth, and I like that a lot. I wish more action movies nowadays use this method.

With that being said, this first instalment just didn't stack up well when compared to the other two. It's a very worthy start to the trilogy and I recommend it to everyone.

#10 Ted 2012





As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett's teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John's side ever since - a friendship that's tested when Lori, John's girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship.

Director
Seth MacFarlane

Writer
Seth MacFarlane

Starring
Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

John Bennett is a lonely kid that is not popular with his classmates. On Christmas one year, in hopes of making a friend, John wishes that his stuffed teddy bear would come to life. When he wakes up in the morning, his wish has come true. Many years later, John (Mark Wahlberg) has moved in with his girlfriend, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis), and his now grown up stuffed bear, Ted. Ted has become a common sight in the world. There is no more mystery and awe surrounding his circumstances anymore; he's just another guy.

Ted is a thoroughly funny movie, perhaps the funniest I've seen in a long time. If you're a fan of Family Guy and MacFarlane's common pop culture references, then this is the movie for you. I originally saw this at the cinema with a full crowd, and the atmosphere was phenomenal.

Some may say that Ted's voice sounds all too familiar. While I can hear the voice of Peter Griffin a lot of the times, it doesn't bother or hinder the movie experience to me. The genius about this movie is its simplicity. There is nothing special or awe inspiring about a talking teddy bear; but when MacFarlane puts Ted in certain real life situations, he strikes gold.

Ted is a true buddy movie. While the laughs strike hard and often in the first two acts, the story does slow down as it reaches the latter stages. I don't mind because we get an actual storyline that's been quietly brewing throughout the movie. The movie must slow down and take a step back to tell the story and make sure it leaves the impression that it's more than just an obnoxious comedy with no plot or direction.

You can pretty much guarantee that I'll be seeing Ted 2 when it hits theatres. I suggest you do too.

#11 Slap Shot 1977





A failing ice hockey team finds success using constant fighting and violence during games.

Director
George Roy Hill

Writer
Nancy Dowd

Starring
Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Strother Martin

As a life long hockey fan, Slap Shot is considered a gem of a movie. Growing up playing hockey, this was the one movie that every hockey player had watched. Everyone knew every line, everyone could predict the next scene. People would, and still do, dress up as the legendary Hanson brothers for Halloween. This movie mixes comedy and sport just right and ends up getting a top class movie.

The Charleston Chiefs are a failing Federal Hockey League team whose games are poorly attended. As rumours of the team folding begin to swirl, the teams player & coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman), devises a plan to get the team interested again in order to possibly sell the team at the end of the season. Dunlop tells the team that a possible buyer in Florida will be keeping an eye on the team, monitoring whether or not he will buy the team so the players can keep playing hockey. This is all a lie, of course.

One of the features that Reggie wants to change is the atmosphere and style of play of his team. He signs three brothers, the Hanson's, to strictly start fights and strike fear into the opposition. This method soon begins to pay off as the Hanson's style of play attracts many more fans to the game, as well as success on the ice.

The acting of the Hanson brothers is nothing spectacular, but it's the subtle things that make me laugh like crazy. Whether it be them playing with toys and cars in their hotel rooms, or always sitting together on the bench with a stone cold look on their face. When Reggie calls on the guys to do something, the Hanson's are always echoing his thoughts in a way that only confuses him. Their constant off beat cracks and cheers mixed in with their fearless goon like nature on the ice makes for a hilarious sport comedy.

Even if you don't like hockey, this is a sport movie that everyone should see at least once.

#12 The Dictator 2012





The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

Director
Larry Charles

Writer
Sacha Baron Cohen

Starring
Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, John C. Reilly

In Cohen's most recent starring role, he assumes the character of Aladeen, dictator of the fictional country Wadiya. When Aladeen visits New York to attend a UN meeting, things go wrong and Aladeen ends up being mistaken for an Aladeen imposter instead of the real thing.

Being a massive fan of Cohen's work, I was cautiously optimistic when watching The Dictator. Safe to say, it was the right call. While I laughed and enjoyed some scenes, I felt that there was something missing. I quickly realized that the main reason this movie didn't stick out to me was because everyone in it was acting. Unlike Cohen's previous characters of Ali G, Borat, and Brüno; Aladeen doesn't have the same sense of realism the others had.

At this stage of his career, Cohen himself has admitted that the undercover stuff is almost impossible to pull off. Due to this, he wasn't able to use Aladeen in real situations with unsuspecting people. Cohen's sense of humour is still present in the movie, but the thing that made him so unique and special was gone. It's hardly his fault; it just shows the massive success he has achieved so far in his career that he is so well known.

The supporting cast is pretty poor, which doesn't help matters. Also, it's surprisingly short runtime is also a weird choice. Cohen went on to do his press tours in character, but there was really no point. Everyone knew the act and what was to come. In The Dictator, Cohen tries to channel his previous work but unfortunately his circumstances prevented, and will continue to prevent, him from pulling off another character that I, along with many others, so desperately want.

If you enjoy Cohen's style of comedy, then you'll have a decent enough time watching this movie. If you're not a fan, I wouldn't expect you to think too highly of it.