2005 - A Reflection

[ZapRowsdower]

Just added:

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

For a long time, I have stressed the importance of screenwriting in the art of filmmaking. Unfortunately, this was the one aspect of the movie that keeps it from being on par with the original trilogy.

This is the only movie I had ever seen that has ever defied my criteria; the only movie that has forced me to make an exception. It's such a great improvement over Episodes I and II (in terms of acting and atmosphere), that the writing almost doesn't seem to matter... almost.

I'll admit Padmé's part was especially underwritten. Natalie Portman really didn't know what to do with that character, but the poor girl tried her best. Hayden Christensen on the other hand, was EXCELLENT. This is an improvement over his MEDIOCRE performance in Episode II.

Oh, and Lucas overdid it with his classic transitions.

However, unlike its predecessors, Revenge of the Sith delivers that feeling you got from the original trilogy, and that can't be ignored. Imperfections aside, this is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen.

One more thing: It really put me in the mood to watch the original trilogy again. God, I love Star Wars.

[ZapRowsdower]

Just added (a little late, but better than never)

Kicking & Screaming - 6/10
Unleashed - 8.6/10
Monster-in-Law - 6.2/10

Be sure to check out the mini-reviews on my website:

fracturedmovies.tripod.com/051305.html

[ZapRowsdower]

Just added:

Cinderella Man - I saw this today at a special sneak preview (missed the first half hour or so thanks to an awkward work schedule, but this wouldn't be the first movie I missed the beginning of).

I never saw what the big deal was with A Beautiful Mind. I disagree with its win at the Oscars, not because there was more than one movie that was more deserving (some of which weren't even nominated), but because no Oscar-winner should have been that forgettable. And among everyone I've talked to and myself, there was a general consensus of two sentiments: "good, but not great" and "THAT won the Oscar?"

Now Ron Howard, Akiva Goldsmith, Brian Grazer and Russell Crowe team up again, and let me just say that not only is this Ron Howard's best movie, but it's one of the greatest boxing movies ever made. Up there with Rocky, Million Dollar Baby, and probably Raging Bull (although I have yet to see that). There is just so much life in this movie; the drama was intense. I knew how the movie ended (because I knew the story), but that didn't keep me from being at the edge of my seat. I swear, at one point I almost stood up and cheered for Braddock!

I got so caught up in this movie, and I even got a little emotional, and I'm really not one who does that too often; especially if the movie is not a sad one. VERY superior direction to A Beautiful Mind, quite possibly Russell Crowe's best performance yet (and Renee Zellweger... and Paul Giamatti).

Q4 2005 is certainly going to have some competition this year. Thus far, it looks like Cinderella Man is going to take the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Probably Best Director too, but I felt Paul Haggis was the better director this year (Crash).

10/10

P.S. This is not my official review, btw. Just my own ramblings. My review will be up shortly. And I still need to see Madagascar and the Longest Yard in full, so expect those reviews sometime this week.

[ZapRowsdower]

Sorry, haven't been keeping up and my site is long overdue for an update.

Just added:

The Longest Yard - I expected shit, but this was actually funnier than shit. I'm sad to say this, but I loved this movie. 7.25/10

Madagascar - Better than Shark Tale, not as good as Shrek. But still a good time-passer and a nice kid's movie. And between the lemurs and the penguins, I don't know which side-characters made the movie for me, but believe me they did. 8.6/10

Lords of Dogtown - Some of the acting was bad, some of it was really good. But in all, this was one awesome movie and I'm not even into skating. Good direction, good writing, and good performances by Heath Ledger and Emile Hirsch. 8.75/10

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - If you have a girlfriend, this is the movie you will be dreading because I swear to you, you WILL see this movie if you have a girlfriend. I am very tolerant when it comes to "chick flicks", but THIS is a chick flick in a sense where you'd HAVE to be a chick to like it. I'll give it to the actors, who did a fine job. America Ferrera in particular was very good. But the movie itself, I'm just not very fond of. 5.75/10

[ZapRowsdower]

Just added:

Haute Tension - If horror is your favorite genre, you may enjoy this movie a little more than I did, but I don't know. Some critics need to understand that just because a movie is from France doesn't mean it's good. The fact that it was dubbed over pissed me off a bit, but worse than that, THE ENDING. I hate that ending. That ending literally killed the movie for me. What is wrong with Horror writers these days, can't they come up with an original ending anymore? Argh!

Not the worst Horror movie ever (House of 1000 Corpses was far worse IMO), but by no means was it great.

5.2/10

[ZapRowsdower]

Just added:

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Not much I can say, except this movie was a blast. I saw this a couple months ago; there was an advanced screening at a nearby theater. They wouldn't tell us what the movie was before we went in; all they would tell us was that it had two of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Long story short, I saw this a couple months before almost everyone else, so that was cool. Anyway, G-R-E-A-T chemistry (and yes, great enough to have hyphens between the letters in order to accentuate it) between Pitt and Jolie. Awesome action sequences, and plenty of wit to go around. A good, solid action flick.

9.2/10

[Pulpmariachi]

Mr. and Mrs. Smith--basically Doug Liman's Bourne Identity combined with Go or maybe Swingers. Action and humor. I liked it a lot. ***1/2 /****

[Termination]

Didn't do that bad either its first day at the box office - $18,000,000

I'll wait for a dvd release & buy it blind of course ;D

[ZapRowsdower]

Just added:

Batman Begins - Thank you, Christopher Nolan. Thank you so much for giving us a Batman movie worthy of everyone's time. Not since the time of Tim Burton has Batman been so damn good.

First things first, don't expect lots of action. That is not what this is all about. Batman Begins is about story, and it is indeed an excellent story with some great screenwriting for a change. Lucky for us, they left out such "classic" puns and catch phrases such as "FREEZE IN HELL BATMAN!!!" Yes, this is dark, dark, DARK.

Gotta hand it to the cast. Not like it needed to be said, but this was one Hell of a cast. Great movie overall. Can't say I like it better than the Burton flicks (I grew up with those, they'll NEVER make a better Batman movie in my eyes), but this movie is pretty damn close.

10/10

[ZapRowsdower]

Land of the Dead

What I DID like:

-The campiness
-Dennis Hopper's character
-The wonderful, wonderful gore


What I DIDN'T like:

-This was kind of a Day of the Dead rehash.
-Looked too high-budget (or maybe it was just me)
-The lead zombie REALLY annoyed the Hell out of me.

Overall, an enjoyable movie. Only watch it if you like Romero or if you like zombie movies in general.

7.2/10

Herbie: Fully Loaded

What I DID like:

-Lindsay Lohan. I just like her.
-Herbie. I've grown up with the Love Bug movies and gotta say Herbie hasn't lost his charm.
-Kids will love it.
-A nice heartfelt story with positive values, and ISN'T vomit-inducing (at least I didn't think so)

What I DIDN'T like:

-Visual effects. They were better in the 60's.
-Some soundtrack selections - Herbie never had any pop tunes in the background, why start now?
-Why does Michael Keaton seem to have such a pointless role?
-If you DIDN'T grow up with Herbie, you probably will NOT find the movie to your liking.

6.2/10

Bewitched

What I DID like:

-Will Ferrell was funny as usual.
-Nicole Kidman was WONDERFUL.
-Michael Caine was a nice addition.
-Certain scenes in the movie used the same type of comedy that the original series used, and I liked that.

What I DIDN'T like:

-A ROMANTIC COMEDY?!?!?!?!
-For what it was, this movie was too long. It would have been better received if it were a half hour shorter.
-Will Ferrell seemed a bit underused here. He was funny, but Jim Carrey would have probably been better suited for the role.
-A ROMANTIC COMEDY?!?!?!?!

7.6/10

[ZapRowsdower]

I'm actually going to be quitting my job at the movies real soon. I have grown to dislike Regal Cinemas (work for them two years, you'll see what I mean).

Point being, I'm not going to be seeing too many crappy movies anymore, so don't expect too many bad reviews anymore.

[ZapRowsdower]

Howl's Moving Castle

Miyazaki does it again! The most imaginative anime creator of all-time has concocted yet another masterpiece.

What I DID like:

-Beautiful animation
-Dubbed over with GOOD voice acting (finally)
-Imaginative story surpassed only by that of Spirited Away
-Great characters. Even the stupid-looking ones are loveable.
-It's Hiyao Miyazaki!

What I DIDN'T like:

-The ending gets a little too "anime" for my taste. but hey, the movie's an anime, so what're you gonna do?

Go see this movie. If you appreciate cinema as an art like I do, and especially if you like movies like Spirited Away, be sure to check this one out. It's one of the most beautiful movies I've seen all year.

10/10

[Phoenix]

iamthesmitty said:

I'm actually going to be quitting my job at the movies real soon. I have grown to dislike Regal Cinemas (work for them two years, you'll see what I mean).

Point being, I'm not going to be seeing too many crappy movies anymore, so don't expect too many bad reviews anymore.

Oh no! I enjoyed all your bad movie reviews. It will probably be better for you to get out of there though - perhaps better for your brain too to avoid all those mind-numbing craptastic films.

[ZapRowsdower]

to be fair, a good number of the bad reviews I write are from movies I expect to be good, such as Van Helsing, Open Water, and the Ring Two. You know, movies that I'd actually pay for if I wasn't working there at the time.

[ZapRowsdower]

War of the Worlds - Saw it once before work, then I went in and watched the second half of it AGAIN after work. It's that good.

What I DID like:

-The actors were phenomenal. All of them.
-Spielberg is great with sci-fi.
-Haunting original score
-Haunting scenes
-The movie never gives you room to breathe. When the characters escape one situation, they walk right into another. This really leaves you at the edge of your seat.
-Visual effects: stunning.
-Even though it's a sci-fi blockbuster, certain scenes DO tug at your emotions.

What I DIDN'T like:
-With a two hour running time, the movie still felt too short.
-The ending was a bit abrupt and a little too convenient... a Hollywood ending if you will.

Enough of that. The last time Spielberg made a movie like this, it was called "Jurassic Park". This movie is any sci-fi fan's dream.

10/10