Prisoners

Someone has to make him talk or they're gonna die!

There's something to say about a movie that is so intense, that it leaves you emotionally and mentally drained at the end.  It's the type of movie that draws you in so much, you have to just sit and think for a moment.

These kinds of movies are not bad movies, but rather brilliantly executed because the movie becomes much more than just a visually entertaining masterpiece. It's a story, that reaches deep down inside of you.

Prisoners is one of those movies.

This is the story of two very different fathers, whose daughters are stolen in broad daylight right from under them.  I knew going in this would be an intense movie, after all any movie involving child kidnappings usually is in what I call the "free for all" category. Meaning, if a child's life is at risk, well even the animals don't stand a chance (and those who know me, know just how difficult that can be for me to handle).

The full story of this movie is more than just about finding the kidnapper or possibly killer of these two girls.  

Hugh Jackman takes on the lead role as one of the father's. A man with his own demons, who takes matters into his own hands when the Police fail to keep the main suspect in custody.  In fact, the most stressful scenes in this movie are based on these events.  Paul Dano (Sunshine, There Will be Blood) plays the awkward, and strange young man arrested, and then kidnapped by Jackman's character and then tortured. We are also introduced to Jake Gyllenhaal's dective, who comes across as angry, and almost emotionless determined to catch the kidnapper. But whether for keeping his solving crimes rate up or because he cares is hard to tell.  

The supporting roles are also wrought with emotion, Terrance Howard  plays the other father, and friend to Jackman's. But how he reacts to the kidnapping is much different and emotional, is role stood out to me in just how different they were. To Maria Bello who spent the movie drugged in bed, because she couldn't handle her daughters disappearance.

The entire movie pulls at you from different directions, not giving you much to go on that the characters don't know. It's more intense as you try and solve the mystery, try and figure out who in fact took the children. Director Villenveuve uses great story telling techniques to draw you in, using his directing skills well. The muted winter tones underline the darkness of the story, how cold everything is.

Given the fact this movie is 2 and half hours long, you could expect it feel like it is dragging. But I did not find that. It uses the full time of the movie to draw you in, and that is part of the intense factor. The will they, won't they factor as well.  

Given the nature and rating of this movie I can't recommend it to everyone. With some explicit language, and torture scenes, it can be a difficult movie to sit through.   But it is also a brilliantly done story, and gives a glimpse at how twisted of a world we live in.  I do recommend this movie, to those who are interested in following possible Oscar films. As this has huge potential. And for some, this movie might be better handled in your own home then in the theatre.

I give this 4.5 Icecream Scoops out of 5

Rated R for disturbing violent content including torture, and language throughout

Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

In any war, there are calms between storms. There will be days when we lose faith. Days when our allies turn against us. But the day will never come, that we forsake this planet, and its people.

I'm on my 3rd repeat of the instrumental score soundtrack for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and as I listen to the music, it brings back the feelings, and emotions (Bumblebee you always succeed in making me cry) from when I watched the movie.  The anticipation I felt at each new scene, and the excitement waiting to see the movie.

Having already seen the first 2 and loving them both, I'm not sure what drew me more to the film. The action and explosions or the number cars I would be staring at for 2.5 hours, and not only that. But cars that transformed. 

Like the previous 2 movies, the general premise of the movie remains the same. Autobots trying to protect themselves and their new home Earth from the Deceptacons. This one also gave us some more history surrounding the autobots on earth and their early discovery. Most specifically, the real reason for the Man on the Moon mission. (But I won't give away those details)

The main difference between this movie and the previous ones, is that Meghan Fox was replaced by Victoria Secret Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as Sam's new love interest. There's no point in needing to guess the reason for this role, as her first shot is of her behind in a mens button down shirt as she walks up a staircase before leaping on to a just waking Sam. Plain and simple, She's the eye candy for men. Why else would she be running around an exploding Chicago in high heels.

Back on point. The film this time round had an exceptional story line, and included at least one draw dropping moment, (in which I sat with my mouth hanging open from the mere shock for at least 5 minutes) and that adds to the intense draw of this movie.  It's not your Academy Award winning drama, but the special effects extraordinarily well done, with every attention to detail. With this type of movie, that is primarily full of car chases and explosions, dialogue is not gonna be strongest suit. Aside from some of the cheesy lines heard through- out the film. It keeps to tradition, Bumblebee still speaks through his radio, Which I think adds some originality to the character. A combination of different sources making up a sentence. 

The one thing that sticks in my mind is the incredible bond shared between Sam and Bumblebee, its more than just a car and his owner, it's his best friend.

Dark of the Moon also features a much more darker story line than the previous films, this one becomes more than just a battle between machines, but a battle to protect the human race. It's war fare in its simplest (and yet most modern) form. Its down to good vs evil, and what each race or side views what is best. The line "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"  is really what it comes down to.

One thing that stuck out in my mind, is that when I saw this movie, more than one parent had brought their child to the movie. With the sexual content in this movie, the graphic footage, it is not an appropriate movie to bring a child to. There's a reason it's PG -13 

That aside, it is an excellent film and one I recommend you see. It's a perfect date night, or saturday after movie. Its fast paced and will keep you glued to the screen. I also suggest listening to the excellent score provided by Steve Jablonsky

I give it 4 Icecream Scoops out of 5

Rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo.

Tangled

Rapunzel: I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?
Flynn Rider: It will be.
Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then?
Flynn Rider: Well,that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.  

When you hear the words "Fairy Tale" and "Disney" in the same sentence it's something you just know is meant to be together. In fact, any person old enough to know any better, knows that there is something classic or as I like to call it  the warm and fuzzies about Disney films. But at the same time, there's the over abundance sequels and straight to dvd's that have slightly tarnished what Disney used to be. Except in their joint efforts with Pixar, just like "Disney and Fairy tale" go together, so does "Disney and Pixar."

So When I first heard about Tangled, it brought back those favourite childhood memories of magic and happily ever afters and musical numbers. When I saw my first preview for Tangled, I was excited like a little kid again. But at the same time, something felt like it was missing. I knew enough it was the first non Pixar CGI film, in what I like to call the "fairy tale/ Princess Collection" (I even include Lion King in this Collection).

I don't think I was truly excited for this film, until I read that Alan Menken was doing the movie. And I discovered what I thought was missing. It was indeed a musical, they just weren't advertising that in the trailers for it so as to get more people to see it, which by the way I totally get considering the term "musical" means people avoid it like the plague (something I'll never understand.) But back on point, finding out AM was doing the film made me leap for joy, anyone who doesn't know who he is let me fill you in. He is the musical genius behind, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Little Shop of Horrors.. and so forth. And those are songs that no matter how you get, you never forget.

Now to get back on track. Tangled is that feel good family/ date/ girl's night film. It works if you're 8 or 88 and everywhere in between.

The story starts off with Rapunzel being kidnapped from the kingdom after she is born by this old lady who raises Rapunzel as her own daughter. Why? you ask, due to events at the beginning of the movie Rapunzel's hair has the ability to heal and make people younger (which is why old lady stole her) as long as the hair is never cut. Which explains why Rapunzel's hair is so long.  Although it does make you wonder how her hair grew so fast, is it because it's magical that it grows 10x faster than anyone elses? Or can hair really be that long if it isn't cut for 18 years. 

So every year on Rapunzel's birthday she see's in the night sky what she calls "floating lights", which in fact are floating lanterns the king and queen release every year for their missing daughter. Rapunzel meets Flynn Ryder who is the Hero/ thief  guy when he stumbles into her tower, and by stumbles I mean climbed up it to avoid getting captured only to be knocked out by a frying pan. Which in case your wondering work almost better than a sword as weapon. A deal is reached and Flynn takes Rapunzel on an adventure to see the floating lanterns, along with Rapunzel's trusty and adorable chameleon, Pascal. 

This is one of those movies you can't help, but love when you see it. It makes you want to believe in happily ever afters, and to believe in your dreams. 

I give it 5 Icecream Scoop's out of 5. And a cherry for excellence in CGI

Rated PG for brief mild violence

TiMER

Sometimes a movie will catch me off guard, in how good the movie is, or sometimes even how bad (a special award goes to GI Joe for being absolutely awful.) I much prefer when the movie is better then I was expecting, like Timer. I rented the movie, figuring I'd enjoy it as much as any other chick flick out there if I was lucky, considering it was a smaller non main stream film.

What if there was a Timer you could have implanted into your skin that would count down to when you are expected to meet your true love, and it only works when that person also has a timer.  It brings into play some really big questions, like do you really have only one true love?  What if your timer never starts to count down, and what if you're in love with somebody and your timer is counting down to someone else.

I often like a movie for a lot of different reasons, just like those reasons could mean me not liking the movie.  The reason I liked this movie doesn't fall under the traditional reasons of liking a film. I like it because it raises those questions.


To get back on to point, this movie is about a girl who has a timer, but it hasn't started counting down and she fears she'll be alone forever until she meets a much younger grocery store clerk and decides to have a relationship with him.


I really quite enjoyed this movie, it made me laugh and sad. And it really got me thinking.


I give it 4 Icecream Scoops out 5
Rated R for language

Peacock

When a movie gets put in the preverbeal "straight to dvd" list, its automatically considered a waste of time and not worth the money to see. Thanks to the countless sequels that have been made to just bring in more money with bad acting and cheesey story lines, we've come to believe that if it doesn't make it to the theatres then we automatically assume that it would be a complete crap fest.

The problem with this is, many smaller films and mostly independent films don't have the budget for the big screen unless they get lucky and picked up at a film festival will wind up on the DVD shelves collecting dust.

And that's where I come in, I want to share with you, that even though you didn't see it in theatres doesn't mean its a bad film. Case in Point "The Fall" you can probably find it at your local blockbuster (or in my dvd collection)

I could go on about all these - as Blockbuster calls them - "Hidden Gems" for a long time. There are a lot of them. But this review is for the movie PEACOCK.

It takes a lot to pull off a film like this, with such a twisted story line. I feel like a little Norman Bates was called on for this movie. The story is about John Skillpa a highly introverted individual who works at the local bank, when his life is turned upside down when a train goes off it's tracks and into his backyard. Where they discover a woman, Emma Skillpa, who they believe is his wife. But this is not just a woman, this is another personality of John Skillpa and what happens from then on is a whole bowl of pyscological madness.

When you pick a cast for a movie, sometimes that cast can either make or break a film. Finding the right fit for a character can be an extremely difficult task, especially when it requires so serious acting. This movie made an exceptional choice for it's roles. From Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page (who currently star in Inception together) to Susan Sarandon, Josh Lucas & Bill Pullman. This film pulls from each charactor and fantastic acting on all parts.

At this point I'd like to focus on Cillian Murphy who took on the difficult roles of both John & Emma Skillpa. It's not easy to portray a woman especially when it's a man's second personality. Murphy is one of those actors that goes un noticed by many yet his talent ranks as some of the best I've ever seen. He's as versatile and believable as they come. He becomes the parts he plays no matter how small and you become drawn into the film.

If you are familiar with Murphy's work, then you know this is not the first time he has portrayed a woman. In 2005 he starred in a European film called Breakfast on Pluto, which is about a Transvestite named Kitty. Which is highly different then his role in Pluto.

If you enjoyed Murphy's portral of a woman in this film I will list at the bottom of this review several other films I reccomend of his you see.

I would reccommend this movie to anyone and everyone, excluding children. It is a highly psycological film that will keep you wondering what will happen next while also breaking your heart.

I give it 5 Icecream Scoops out of 5
Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material and a scene of violence

Films I Reccomend

Watching the Detectives

Sunshine

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Breakfast on Pluto

Avatar

It's like anything new and state of the art. Everyone wants a piece of it, they wanna see it and tell others about and Avatar is no exception. Even before the movie came out the talk about it was everywhere, with its extremely advanced CGI it set a new level of graphics for films out there. Which means if you want really good graphics, you better be willing to shell out some big money for it.

I admit I was in on the hype of Avatar and really didn't plan on seeing the film unless it received a nomination for the 2010 Acadamy Awards. (I will be seeing all films in the Best Picture Catagory). But the constant telling of me to see the film I decided to go and see what all the fuss was about.

I want to say I was blown away by how amazing the graphics were. But going into the film I knew that they would be beyond anything seen in film before. I think what captured my attention most about it was the use of colour in the world of the Na'vi, bright beautiful colours and the glow in the dark effect used was just awe inspiring.

This film is by far one of the most visual stimulating movies I've ever seen... It was like a rainbow exploded in front of my eyes. But so much of this film was devoted to the special effects that the storyline took a big blow. It was your basic so-so story line. A cross between Pocahontas and (as I noticed after my friend mentioned it) FernGully. It was such a disappoinment that if you took away the immensity of the graphics, you'd have "disney" film that could be told in less than, an hour and half.

It is for that reason that I did find the film slightly less then what others may have seen it as. I find a story line to extremely important in film and if you're using graphics or some else to try and cover that, then it's just not as amazing for me.

Be that it may, I do recommend this movie for anyone who is at least 13, not for younger children due to some of the violence and profanity used. If you want to see some a movie that is more visually stimulating then even Transformers or Star Treck, or if your a sci-fi fantasy fan, even if your a romantic sorta person this movie covers it all.

I give it 4 IceCream Scoops out of 5

Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking

Law Abiding Citizen

It's not what you know . . . it's what you can prove in court."

Anytime I see a Gerard Butler film I go in with the mantra that I’ll be cheering for him the whole. I mean, its not often he pulls out the villain card and when he does its not that terrible guy you really hate, and usually I still can’t help but love him (see Tomb Raider and Phantom for Examples).

Going into Citizen and having seen a trailer for it, I thought I had it figured out. A mans wife and child are murdered in front of him, I mean who wouldn’t want revenge on the guy who got away with it. If one thing I have discovered its expect the un-expected, you may go in with a determined mind set, but expect to come out unsure of who you’re rooting for.

This movie is about a man who, decides to take justice into his own hands to prove a point at how corrupt it really is. Gerard takes the role of psychological killer to a new depth, Including early on in the film the dismemberment of the murderer. I mean there’s something terrifying about being chopped up into over 25 pieces, He uses a box cutter to remove one certain appendage.

I loved this movie, not only for its non stop heart racing what’s going to happen next sense, but because it was more than action it was a psychological thriller as well.

A lot of reviews are unfortunately looking at this movie as realistic or putting down the ending. For me it’s the complete opposite, the ending was brilliant and smartly done.
It had great acting and the story line is there to make you think.

Just like me, I’m sure when you leave the theatre you won’t know who to be rooting for.

I reccommend this movie to anyone who is a Gerard fan, or someone who wants to see a really good psychological film, don't expect to be bored at all.

I give it 5 IceCream Scoops out of 5

Rated R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language