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Ex Machina (2014)
The Dangers of Humans and Stupidity
Main character is a coder/programmer, lives alone, and surprisingly not in any serious relationship. Wins a chance to test an AI, that happens to be beautiful, but loses his chance at finding true love because he's not only an unattractive nerd, he's stupidly naive. No matter how intelligent you think you may be, just wait until you let your emotions get the better of you.
Turns out to be a fun sci-fi thriller. Overall, it got me by surprise and reminded me that the world is not all sunshine and rainbows spewing mickeys and mice. This isn't the first movie out about AI and the consequences of such a discovery, but a good refreshing take. Makes you want to watch earlier films all over again. Plugging back into the Matrix...
I Origins (2014)
Beautifully done
(I review movies for myself) Loved this movie. A bit predictable, but the impact of the reveal was still strong. The characters felt real, wasn't forced. Would watch again. Raised a Catholic, I'm surrounded by people of this faith but I grew up enjoying science as well and found it very difficult to believe in both at the same time. Science won me over and now I'm an agnostic. Sometimes I'm full atheist, but this movie just settled it for me. With current science, I cannot completely prove or disprove the existence of a higher being, an afterlife, or reincarnation. I do not believe in any one religion. I have my own and it incorporates all the good aspects of several religions. I Origins does not fight strongly for religion or for science. It just gets you thinking. Keep an open mind about life, love, and faith.
Lucy (2014)
Average entertainment
It is (science) fiction. People who complain about the 10% myth probably complain about how impossible it is for Godzilla to breathe fire. I was entertained by this movie because it had action, some sci- fi, and definitely loved the visuals. In the beginning, I thought this movie was going to be another Limitless, but fortunately it was not.
I feel like it could have done more because I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. What kept me watching was the desire to find out what happens when Lucy reaches 100%. The film doesn't have any replay value, but it wasn't a total waste of time. It's a refreshingly new kind of action film that gets you thinking a little about life's purpose.
Braveheart (1995)
This movie is the g.o.a.t.
One of the best movies I have ever seen. Pace was just right, and the story was so captivating that I didn't care about the length. I actually wish that more movies were longer so they could show character development as well as this. It was a beautiful portrayal of patriotism and love, and revenge. I'm glad I didn't see this when I was younger because I wouldn't have understood it. I would've just thought "oh, cool war movie." I also don't care about it being historically inaccurate. Why do all movies representing a historical figure have to be completely accurate? Casting was great, Mel Gibson did a wonderful job, and am glad he did it. I don't want to know what it would have been like if he wasn't forced to play that role. Definitely would watch again if I ever need some feels.
300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
Enjoyed it, especially Eva's performance
If Artemisia ruled instead of Xerxes, I'd be cheering her on. Her character really had that frighteningly powerful leadership quality, something that was missing from Themistocles. Sullivan Stapleton did great as Themistocles. I like his work in Strike Back the TV series. He was somewhat inspiring, but couldn't compare to Leonidas who made me want join him and make it 301.
The movie overall was entertaining and enjoyed the naval combat, which is a bit refreshing compared to all the massive land battles in LotR. Did not like the dark murkiness of the whole picture, even the blood was muddy. Sure it was mostly evening battles, but I got tired of seeing only blue and black. Did not like the overuse of slow-motion in the beginning, which felt like 30 solid minutes of complete slow-motion footage. I don't mind the whole story and how it's not historically accurate. If I wanted a history lesson, I'd read a book or watch the History Channel. spoiler? ahead) What I really don't understand is why Queen Gorgo needed coaxing to send aid. I may have to watch 300 again, but I thought she wanted to send all of Sparta's troops to wage war against Xerxes. Or was it just to help Leonidas, and when Leonidas lost, she thought it was useless to send troops to defend Sparta? Or she only wanted to use her warriors to defend only Sparta and instead of the entirety of Greece?
Troy (2004)
Whom to love, Whom to hate
It's all about prince Hector. I did not want him to die, while I hated everyone else. Hated Paris, hated Achilles, hated the power hungry rulers Agamemnon and Menelaus. Couldn't hate Helen though, because she's just too beautiful. Even though I hate how our society values physically attractive men & women more... Loved that it was mostly accurate. Enjoyed learning that Trojans got beat by the Greeks/Spartans through a wise ruse with the wooden horse(take that USC). And it's always great to see people you just found out about in older movies, like Patroclus is the Sam Flynn from Tron: Legacy. Now that I think about it, I didn't know Orlando Bloom until I saw Lord of the Rings. Really great story, great characters and acting. Got me all riled up emotionally and there's very few movies these days (2013) that can do that to an audience. I still haven't seen a lot of the great classics or good oldies, and this is one of the first movies on my journey.
Ninja Assassin (2009)
Saw it in college
Watched this film with an auditorium full of college peeps and the majority seemed to enjoy it, maybe a little too much. At times, they all laughed while I sat there thinking I must have missed something because there was nothing funny about what just happened. They must have all been high, but I didn't mind because it made the movie more enjoyable. Overall, it's an easy to watch action flick to get your mind off of the daily stresses in life. Definitely a lot of blood, Kill Bill status. I watched it with a friend, and he didn't like it because he thought it would be about real ninjas doing possible things. This was more of a fantasy with ninjas accomplishing impossible feats/assassinations, and literally vanishing into the shadows.
The Artist (2011)
Loved it
Not knowing much besides the good rating on IMDb, I decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did. This film is so different from the crap that rolls through Hollywood these days. Even without words, I connected with George Valentin throughout his fall from grace and his redemption. Refreshing film overall. The Artist is funny and dark, and everyone included, even his dog, played such pivotal roles. Who needs movies with a dozen stars with zero plot when there's gems like this.
George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is the king of silent movies in Hollywood in 1927 and he knows it. Audiences just adore everything George is a part of. Along comes Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) who you just know is going to be a huge star some day. George and Peppy work together on one film as George not only takes her under his wing, but an undeniable spark develops between the two. Silent movies cease to exist as talking pictures takes its place. George finds himself struggling for a purpose to live as his identity as a silent movie star fades into obscurity.
Pacific Rim (2013)
I blame myself...
I blame myself for being sucked in by the good ratings/reviews. I always refer to IMDb to make sure a movie has a rating of at least 7 before watching. This is the first time IMDb has failed me and I cannot believe it. Am I finally growing up or has the majority become content with dumb movies? Great intro, got me interested. Huge robots fighting ginormous monstrous aliens. What could go wrong? Nothing, unless you enjoy a more exciting and intriguing story line. Huge tragedy for main character Raleigh Becket, cool... Already goes downhill from there. After the first fight, I asked myself, "Can they really not find any better way to counter the monsters than punching it with oversized fists?" Surely humanity isn't that retarded... but it is. Another fight included using a ship as a baseball bat, and crates as boxing gloves. 3/4 of the movie later, they used swords as a last resort that they had hidden away from the very beginning, and turned out to be the most effective weapon. As for character development, how did Raleigh Becket get Mako Mori to swoon over him? By simply existing? They barely exchanged any words and the broad be peeping through her door to stare at him like a little fan girl. Thanks for portraying an Asian woman in the military in such a pitiful way. The last Jaeger pilots that are supposed to be the best of the best included two American teams, one Russian duo, and one Asian trio. What a surprise it was when both the Russians and Asians went down with ease. I'm all for America, but seriously pointing out how great they are and then killing them off within seconds is pathetic. The high rating would be fine if Pacific Rim was an action/comedy... I give it a 3 purely for the awesome visuals. This is a film for my dad, the action junkie.
The Bourne Legacy (2012)
The lengths a man would go
The lengths a man would go to get his drugs. Movie started out great, similar to the original Bourne trilogy. Good action and chase scenes. Casting of Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz were spot on. I'm a fan of Rachel Weisz and plan on watching most of her films. Only gripe I have with this film is the storyline. Renner's character, Aaron Cross, wants to stay alive and tracks down Weisz just to save his own behind. But he doesn't want to just live, he wants to live with all of his enhancements by way of his medications. It's best explained with the backstory of Aaron Cross. Before the super-soldier Outcome program, he had an IQ of like 5 and as a result of the program and the medication he takes, his IQ is significantly better. He runs out of his medication while he's out in the field training and to prevent himself from becoming stupid again, he goes to great lengths to track down more meds. In the process, he saves Weisz' life. The end. Great story... Good action flick for my dad who doesn't really understand complex plot lines and enjoys pure action.
Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)
Darn James Cameron had to rip this movie off
So many similarities to Avatar, but then again, there's a lot of similar movies. Saving the planet by becoming one with nature is one of my favorite themes. I'll never get tired of it because we need more people to think the same way. I absolutely despise nature killers. All this humans are the top of the food chain so we could do whatever we please is utter BS.
Anyways... I watched this in Japanese w/English subs. Incredible animation. Stunning how they can do all this with, I'm assuming, little to no computer assistance. Why does there always have to be a chosen NEO to save the planet? It's like saying we're always going to need a certain savior, we can never save ourselves. Oh well. It's late and I'm rambling... Excellent film!
Tonari no Totoro (1988)
Lovely
Definitely liked this one, especially Mei, such an adorable bundle of joy (reminds me of my niece). I'm on a mission to watch all of Miyazaki's works, and he has yet to disappoint. So far I've seen Spirited Away and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (skipped Castle in the Sky, that will be next). Definitely not my average film where I have to think about all the themes in the movie. I'm always having to look them up because I don't actively analyze what each character/scene represents. I enjoy how Miyazaki makes me think about what each film of his represents.
I watched it with English dub (starring the Fanning sisters) and it was superb. They really made their characters to life. Enjoyed hearing Superman's voice as well (Tim Daly as Tatsuo). Was a little upset at first because I wanted to watch it in the original Japanese dub, but I watched it with my sister and she doesn't do subtitles. Time to watch it again.
Shanghai Knights (2003)
Same as the first film...
Enjoyed this equally as much as Shanghai Noon. Seen it as a kid, watched it again, this time understanding all the cultural references which made it even more enjoyable. Charlie Chaplin, Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle, etc.
Flaws, of course there were (machine gun hitting absolutely nobody, okay, maybe just 1 person). Same as the first, I didn't enjoy the stereotypes. Sure it makes it fun sometimes, but I'm just tired of them. Definitely enjoyed the "Singin in the Rain" fight scene, one of my Jackie favorites of all time. I wonder where they'll go next (sequel pending).
Shanghai Noon (2000)
Tired of the stereotypes...
Watched this as a kid, and watched it again to really enjoy all the little details. I enjoyed it then and I still enjoy it now, but I'm just at that point where I'm tired of all the stereotyping in films. White man gets all the credit, looks like the cool guy/playboy, while the Chinaman is played for a fool and deemed the sidekick even though he does all the work/fighting. How about we reverse the roles... Make Jackie the ass- kicking playboy. Nope. Of course we will see him play a similar role in the sequel, as well as Rush Hour 1, 2, and 3. I would give it a 5, but I give it a higher rating mainly because I support Jackie for being one of the few successful Asians in Hollywood films, even though it's mainly due to his martial arts skills. I'm still waiting for an Asian actor/actress who becomes a major star for their acting skills and not because they can do their own stunts.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
I didn't really understand it at first....
I watched the movie in Japanese with English subtitles. At the end, I was a bit confused, asking myself if that really was the end or if I missed some crucial dialogue. I don't speak Japanese so maybe the subtitles I got were inaccurate or too literal that only a Japanese speaker would comprehend the real meaning behind what was said. Most of my confusion stemmed from the high ratings it received, which I looked up beforehand. So I just had to look up the themes involved in the film and now it all makes sense. I enjoyed the film despite the confusion, and I'm sure after giving it another go, maybe with English audio this time, I'll enjoy it even more.
After more thought, maybe I'm not cut out to watch movies with themes that aren't blatantly fed to me through the dialogue and that I should stick to movies similar to The Hangover.
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Kristen Stewart kills again
Kristen Stewart murdered this flick, literally... And it should be buried six feet under if it weren't for Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron (she was a really believable evil bi... I mean witch). I actually enjoyed the beginning and it got me intrigued because I thought this movie was going to suck to begin with due to Kristen Stewart. But of course, my initial thoughts were correct and the movie indeed sucked because of her (and the script to a small degree).
Side note: The only movies I've seen where her acting was believable are Speak (playing a high school freshman who practically stops talking after being raped) and The Cake Eaters (playing a young girl with the rare incurable disease Friedreich's ataxia).
If you do watch this out of curiosity... when Snow White grows up, stop the movie. If you continue past that point, think about the movie as if it were supposed to be a comedy, because I sure did get some good laughs at all of Kristen Stewart's parts (count how many scenes where her lines were just gasps or plain breathing).
We Bought a Zoo (2011)
Good, but not what I expected
I don't know if this is a spoiler, but for the parents out there thinking this is a good movie for the kids, keep looking. I thought it was a zoo movie myself, but was disappointed when it's all about loving people and only "liking" animals. I'm more of a "I love animals, I like people who love animals" type of person. There were some beautiful scenes of the animals, but the majority focused on the tiger and bear out of how many species in that zoo. The title of the movie should be "We Bought a Zoo, Just Because."
I gave it a 5/10 because there was good acting from the Mee family. I didn't like that the movie was choppy at times, and I'm not a big fan of Scarlett Johansson (both her beauty and acting are overrated). I'm sure it's a great movie for other people, but it's not my cup of tea.