Tuesday, August 16, 2011

13 Assassins

Samurai films have been some of my favorites after being spoiled by Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Unfortunately there are not many great samurai here at the states so it had been a while since I had seen a solid samurai flick, but as soon as I saw this flick on Netflix I immediately played it. This was also my second foray into director Takashi Miike. I had previously seen Audition and was highly impressed so I had high expectations and knew that I was in for a ride. So would this film be able to meet my expectations? Did Miike continue his solid streak of films? Read on to find out my thoughts...

13 Assassins is about the evil and heartless Lord Naritsugu who is rampaging the land and taking advantage of his power. When news comes out that he might rise to considerable power in the government, a group of samurai decide that he must be stopped. Samurai Shinzaemon forms a team of 12 samurai and one hunter to trap the lord in a nearby town and to end his evil reign.


Friday, August 12, 2011

30 Minutes Or Less

I haven't reviewed many comedies on this blog so far. It is not that I don't enjoy them, it's just that a movie has to give me something good in the trailer to get me to the theater with the high prices of tickets. So how did this flick get me off my ass and into the theater? Well I first saw that cast and thought that it had some awesome potential. Plus I am a HUGE Aziz Ansari so hopefully he would bring his unique style of comedy to the big screen. Then I saw that Ruben Fleischer was directing, the same man who did Zombieland. That was enough for me and I was confident going in that it would be worth the $10 ticket. So was 30 Minutes or Less good? Did I enjoy it? Read on to find out...

30 Minutes Or Less stars Jesse Eisenberg as Nick, a pizza delivery boy who gets a bomb strapped on him by two fugitives (Danny McBride, Nick Swardson) who are trying to score some cash. Nick comes to his friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) to help him rob a bank and hopefully get the bomb off of him. Nick must try to survive the bomb, and learn a little bit on the way to not be selfish anymore.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Welcome Back...A quick wrap up of the past few films I have seen

Hey Readers! It feels like forever since I have written but as Summer rolls on I get more lazy. Luckily I can stop being lazy for a few moments and catch you up on my thoughts for the past few films I have seen. Theses won't be in depth reviews but short paragraphs just giving my brief thoughts on the film plus whether I think you should spend your money on them.  So read on if you are interested in any of these films to get my thoughts and to leave your own thoughts! Read, watch movies, and Enjoy!

Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America is the second of two Marvel movies this summer and what feels like the 5th of comic book films. Needless to say this summer has had lots of Superheros and not all of them have been great. Nevertheless, Captain America triumphs and is able to stand on its on as a great film. Joe Johnston creates a nice period piece that compliments that character and storyline well. The best part of the film is Chris Evans who is able to become Steve Rogers beyond my expectations. He captures the "stay true to yourself" message in a strong way that hold the film. Luckily, Evans has a strong supporting cast behind him to help make the film more than an average comic book film. Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci were some of my favorites because they were hilarious with a scent of truth behind them. Tucci especially brings the message of the film to the audience by reminding us that power must be given to those who can handle it and not abuse it. Hugo Weaving, whose performance is not as strong as some of his previous roles, gives Red Skull a nice spice that would otherwise be missing. While the love story between Rogers and Peggy is corny throughout, it comes through in the end with a powerful scene between the two. Overall this was obviously the best comic book movie of the summer and a must see for fans of the genre. My suggestion is if you liked Thor or X-Men First Class then you will really like this one. Some may find it boring and repetitive of previous comic book films but I would disagree. The action is fun and enjoyable and Captain America is a great ride. Also stay after the credits, trust me. 4 out of 5 stars.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.
I won't lie, I am a big sucker for romantic comedies. Some of my favorites include Definitely, Maybe, 10 Things I Hate About You, and (500) Days Of Summer. So when I saw the trailer for this movie I was excited. A great cast with what looked like a nice insight into love that while other movies have explored seemed to feel new and refreshing. Indeed, this movie met my expectations and went beyond even. The cast makes this movie awesome without a doubt. Steve Carell plays a down on his luck husband/father of two when his wife decides to get a divorce. He meets Ryan Gosling, a player who shows him the ropes of the dating fame, who eventually and unexpectedly falls in love himself. Gosling is the best part of the movie being hilarious and has some of the best quotes from the smart script. Emma Stone, a personal favorite, also shines in this film along with Julianne Moore and Analeigh Tipton. What really surprised me was how much I laughed throughout this film. In one scene in particular near the end, I couldn't stop laughing for about 2 minutes. In the end, I think you know whether or not your going to see this already but I highly recommend it. It is funny, lovable, and in the end one of the best romantic comedies I have seen in a long time. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Cowboys and Aliens
I have been a Jon Favreau fan since Swingers, Elf, and especially Iron Man. So when I heard this movie was in the works I thought it had great potential. Blending two genres together along with Craig and Ford, how could you go wrong? Unfortunately a lot can go wrong. The biggest problem with this movie is the script, which went through 5 people before getting to the big screen. The story is bad and uninteresting and the script feels like a 5 year old wrote it. I don't know who told Harrison Ford to use the voice he did in this flick but it was damn annoying and felt very unrealistic. That said there are some cool things about this movie. I enjoyed Daniel Craig's action sequences and most of the time he was on film. There were some funny moments and nice allusions that combined Western with some Sci-Fi. Overall though this film was plainly a waste of my money. Favreau didn't use Sam Rockwell to any of his potential plus I question why Noah Ringer was in this movie at all. Ringer was awful every time he as on screen and an epic waste of time. Don't waste you money here, rather spend your money elsewhere. 2 out of 5 stars.

Audition
The best out of this list without a doubt! I was worried to watch this movie because of the rumors of its disturbing nature. While I won't try to say its not disturbing, Audition is one hell of a cinematic journey that will make you want to look away but you won't be able to. This was my first Takashi Miike film and I definitely want to watch more. This movie starts out as a slow look into a man trying to find a new wife. Slowly it turns into a psychological horror that will scar most men for life. The thing that gives this movie its power is that while it is also visually disturbing, it also messes with your mind. As a guy I learned that I will never mess with a girl because next thing I know she will be trying to kill me with piano wire. Horror fans will love this film and find it entertaining. I certainly loved it and thought it was an incredible film. Fair warning though, this movie is not for the weak of heart, there are disturbing images and stuff you won't be able to forget. Still, this is a powerful film that is worth a watch for any movie lover. You will be unprepared thought. 5 out of 5 stars.