13 Going On 30 (2004)

Posted on by

“13 Going on 30” is fluff, and it knows it’s fluff, it’s embedded within the screenplay, and what makes this such a surprisingly enjoyable movie, is that the writer’s do not try to deny it and approach the situations with a humorless approach, but instead take it simply for what it is, and it works here. For a film basically compared to “Big”, being a basic remake and or sequel, it was marketed more for the female crowd along with a bit of a bittersweet approach to it that’s hard to find but is nonetheless fun once you get down to the seams.

Continue reading →

Oldboy (2003)

Posted on by

This is a revenge flick. But it isn’t your typical revenge flick. If you think you’ll know how the plot will turn out and how the characters will eventually fare, you’re basically wrong in every aspect as I was. “Oldboy” is and should be the demonstration of how to take such a tired genre and twist it and turn it until you have this freaky amalgam of this insane film. Garnering rave reviews at film festivals and attention from master Quentin Tarantino, “Oldboy” is that type of movie where you’ll ask yourself, “Are you sure this isn’t Tarantino?” because this has the look and feel of films like “Kill Bill” and “Pulp Fiction” but it’s a lot more twisted. If that’s possible.

Continue reading →

Porco Rosso (Kurenai no buta) (1992)

Posted on by

porco-rosso-1When the hacks at Disney decided to release Hiyao Miyazaki’s works on DVD, I was intrigued. I admit I’ve heard very little about Miyazaki and his works, but I was intrigued nonetheless. I’ve seen both “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, and “Princess Mononoke”, but little did I know with these movies were an actual legacy and fan following, so when I heard his films were being released on DVD, I stopped at the store and stocked up on a few of his films. The one I did hear most about though was this, and I was once again intrigued and very fascinated with what the cartoon looked like, and it’s a truly good film.

Continue reading →

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Posted on by

i6kXMnzI believe that the intention of Mel Gibson and this entire production was noble. The idea, that of bringing the relevance of Christ’s sacrifice to the forefront, is something that a lot of people love and identify with. I am an atheist myself, but I believe in many of the philosophies Christ espoused, and I pattern a lot of my life on his tactics and thought. I believe in honesty, truth, martyrdom for good causes, beauty, and most of all, I search for a God with all of my heart and want to find some kind of supernatural existence for us all through writing. That’s the intent of these creators, I am assured. Unfortunately, the best laid plans.

Continue reading →

Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)

Posted on by

barbershop2“Barbershop 2” is really disappointing with the gloss of a bigger budget and less heart, less character emphasis, and a plot that is so hokey, I could barely get over how I would have rather been watching the first film than this. Like right out of an old fashioned sitcom, Calvin’s barbershop is met with new competition from Nappy Cutz, a larger chain of barbershops that just moved in from across the street. Now, the writers could have gone for the more conventional and cliche and have them compete with the beauty shop, but then that would be a battle of the sexes and we wouldn’t want to get all predictable, now would we? Now as you can guess, Nappy Cutz is a better barbershop with a fancier design and Calvin is looking for a way to compete with their growing number of customers.

Continue reading →

Open Water (2004)

Posted on by

Picture this if you will: you’re going scuba diving, and your boat leaves you behind. In the middle of the ocean. No food, no water, hunger and dehydration are starting to set in, hypothermia is on its way, sharks are starting to nibble at you, you’re being stung by jellyfish and you’re not sure whether you’re two or two-hundred miles from land. And to make it worse: No one knows you’re even missing. That’s gotta suck, right? Well, it’s happened in real life, and to the two people who are the subject of “Open Water”.

Continue reading →

Bad Santa (2003)

Posted on by

bad-santa-2003--02“Bad Santa” is crude, disgusting, violent, graphic, and has a lot of unsuitable content I wouldn’t recommend for a family out on Christmas, but it’s a great piece of comedy filmmaking by director Terry Zwigoff. There is a lot to like in this excellent character study, especially the two main characters Thurman and Willie, both of whom are opposites in every form of the word. Though their dichotomous relationship becomes something to watch with the highest regard allowing for comedy and warm moments.

Continue reading →