Change Your Image
jlauro9
Reviews
The Dark Knight (2008)
Simply Astonishing !!!!!!!!!!
I am a big "V For Vendetta" fan and it is my favorite adaptation from a graphic novel or comic book. That is until now. I was pleasantly surprised with this movie because it lived up to the hype and more. This movie has it all, dialogue, acting, action, and an emotional depth that is usually lacking in comic book movies. Of course as everybody has heard by now Heath Ledger's performance as the "Joker" steals the show. I couldn't wait to see what he would do next. I was actually wondering how they would set up the next movie and I think they achieved that quite well. I had a good feeling when Christopher Nolan signed on to direct these new Batman movies because I thought he would give it the extra edge that the "Dark Knight" deserves. Mission accomplished so far. I'll spare you the details. You know by now that it's good. Go see it !
Superbad (2007)
Superbad is Super Hilarious !
I was pretty skeptical going into this movie as I always am with movies like this but I must admit this movie had me laughing from beginning to end. My only rule for a comedy is that if it makes me laugh it's good no matter how stupid it is. You can see the obvious influences of this movie are movies like Dazed and Confused, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Can't Hardly Wait, and American Pie. In terms of laughs this movie hangs with and probably exceeds them all. I can not look at Jonah Hill and keep a straight face, that guy should be a star for years to come. Every generation has a few movies that are quoted and quoted over again and I believe this will be one of those movies much like "Dazed and Confused" was for me. A great time at the movies.
Transformers (2007)
An incredible visual display but it could have been much better
Growing up on the "Transformers" I knew I would see this movie and I pretty much got what I thought I would get. The thing about a movie directed by Michael Bay is you know what your going to get just like you know what your going to get when you see a movie directed by Martin Scorsese or Tarantino. First off, even though I am not a huge fan of big Summer blockbusters and movies loaded with CGI, I must admit that this movie has some of the most awe inspiring action sequences I have ever seen on film. I must hand it to Michael Bay for being a master of the visual but god is his storytelling really bad. I just could care less if the characters in all of his movies died. The writing is so corny with all the usual lame one liners and cameos by the usual suspects like Bernie Mac. Even with all the flaws I looked the other way because the robots looked so great. My main problem with the film was that they could have made it so much more authentic to the cartoon. Basically taking the best elements of each. For example, in the original show the transformers get most of the dialogue. In the movie the Decepticons barely talk to each other at all. What the hell is that ? Starscream and Megatron don't even resemble the original characters at all but I must admit Optimus Prime is very cool except for him having lips. They even got the original voice which was a nice touch. I am actually hoping for a sequel because I am hoping they will fix some of the problems that kept this from being one of my favorite action movies ever. To capture the true flavor of the original the movie must be a little darker at least for me. It's about a civil war for god sakes ! Of course I know that Hollywood will always compromise quality for money. I know they have to sell toys and market to kids and adults. Overall, I got what I expected and the action scenes made up for the lame dialogue and story. I finally found a Michael Bay movie that I can watch. It's a miracle.
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
A Great, Under Rated Movie
If you listen to a lot of the comments on this site you will probably never want to see this movie and that would be a shame because it is probably one of the best movies of the last couple of years. The thing I like most about this movie is that it transports you back to that glorious time in 70's Venice and that's what a good movie does. Granted, if I were to dig deeper into the facts of the Zephyr team I probably wouldn't like the movie as much because it wouldn't be "factual." What I have come to find out is that most movies that are based on a true story always distort the facts but that is irrelevant. This is still a movie, not a documentary. The purpose here is to entertain. I remember Roger Ebert gave "JFK" a great review and Walter Konkrite ripped him for it saying the events depicted were not fact based. Ebert responded by saying that the movie captured the nation's collective fears, paranoia, and cynicism about the government since the assassination and that's what a movie is supposed to do. I love the use of music in this movie and how the character's all have to come to grips in their own ways with their new found stardom. The ending is also very emotional and almost poetic. Overall, a fun, nostalgic glimpse into some of the skater's lives and what they did for their sport.
Grindhouse (2007)
One Hell of A Fun Ride !
Now I am a big Tarantino fan so this will be a bit biased. I can see how some people will go see this movie and absolutely hate it. I heard several people in the theater saying "what the hell is this." But that only added to my enjoyment of the movies because this is the most fun I have had at the movies maybe in my life. You definitely get your money's worth here. Not only do you get the two feature films but also some hilarious fake trailers. Because I grew up on some of these movies I felt like I was watching a Saturday Night Live skit at times but I loved it. Both of these movies are so over the top, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. The car chases at the end of "Death Proof" are worth the price of admission along with a great performance by Kurt Russel. I will warn that you will be in the theater for about three and a half hours including the real trailers. When your having this much fun though, it goes by quick.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
A Crime Fairy Tale
The Usual Suspects is one of those movies that will still be talked about fifty years from now when it airs on a classic movie channel. The thing I like most about this movie is that once you know the ending, every time you watch it thereafter you notice something new about it. It took me about 3 viewings to completely grasp the point of the whole thing. What's not to like here ? The screenplay is terrific, the performances are excellent, the musical score is brilliantly foreboding , and the ending is one of the best ever.
The story starts when "The Usual Suspects" are brought in for a police lineup that sets the stage for the rest of the film. Partly told through the narration of Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) as he is being interrogated by customs agent David Kujuan (Chazz Palminteri) there is more than meets the eye here. After a little bonding experience in the jail, the 5 suspects set out on a crime spree with disastrous results not knowing that they are but pawns in someone else's master plot. As the plot begins to thicken the suspects realize they have unknowingly made it onto the hit list of the iconic crime figure Keyser Soze. Having stolen from Soze, he blackmails all of them into doing one last suicide mission, the purpose of which is the point of the whole movie. What I realized after several viewings is that this movie is not as complex as it seems. The director toys with the audience and makes them look one way and then sucker punches them, while the truth is staring them right in the face the whole time.
I will not give away too much for people who haven't seen this wonderful film, but I will say that the whole point of the movie boils down to two questions. Does Keyser Soze exist and who is he ? Over the years this film has become possibly my favorite of all time. It just seems to get more brilliant with age and it reminds me of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller. By now, you probably already know the ending but if you really haven't heard anything about this movie, go rent it now. Heck, go buy it, it's that good.