Men in Black II

Caution: This Might Contain Spoilers!

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This film is the sequel to Men in Black I, and is based off the Malibu/Marvel comics, of the same name, written by Lowell Cunningham. This film follows Agent J who is continuing on his work at MiB, and having trouble keeping a partner. When Serleena arrives to retrieve the Light of Zartha, J finds himself forced to bring back agent K. 

This film was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. This film carried on after the popularity of its first film. However, this film failed to receive the full success that the first one had. This went more for a comical kind of cheesiness feel. The story was a great. It had a deep emotional story that was full of comedy. It was great seeing more of the Pug alien, and the worms, in this film. It was also nice knowing that most of them was puppetry work. They added a lot of personality to the film. The other aliens were done amazingly well. The animation done for Serleena's alien form was great. It made her appear highly menacing. The special effects were good, but failed to compare to the first film. This is a film that you'll enjoy seeing once in a while, but not an cult classic. 

Most of the actors were good. It was great seeing the two leading actors return for this film. Will Smith played the role of Agent J. He was great in this film keeping true to his established character from the first film. Tommy Lee Jones played the role of Agent K. He was great playing the stoic opposite to Will Smith. The two together provide great sarcastic humour that makes them great to watch. Lara Flynn Boyle played the role of Serleena. She was okay, but she was the general cheesy villain. Johnny Knoxville played the role of Scrad/Charlie. He went way too over the top cheesy with his two characters. Rosario Dawson played the role of Laura Vasquez. She was good at being the general heroine.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It had plenty of potential, but it fail short a lot of the time. It felt like a film made more children. A lot of it stemmed from its cheesiness.

Answer to last blog: Actress Fernanda Andrade and Actor Evan Helmuth both stared in the television series CSI: NY.

Que: What other film has actress Rosario Dawson and actor Will Smith both star in?

The Adventures of Pluto Nash
I Am Legend
Man of the House
Seven Pounds

The Devil Inside

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This film is follows the story of Isabella Rossi, years after her mother's, Maria Rossi's, exorcism turned into the murder of three people. The church has refused to admit that the exorcism was sanctioned, and the Roman asylum that holds her believes its nothing more than a mental illness. Isabella allows herself to be documented by Michael Schaefer as she travels to Rome to try and learn more about her mother. During her visit, she begins to believe that her mother is truly possessed by multiple demons. 

This film was directed by William Brent Bell, and was a low budget film. This was Bell's first major horror film to be released to theaters. It was expected to be the next Paranormal Activity which is why there was so much advertisement for the film. However, this film failed to provide any true horror. It offered several chilling sequences, but it stopped short before any real payoff occurs. The story is told through found footage-which is officially a genre style now. The story begins with a great opening, but then it drops the ball after they try to decide if Maria Rossi is really possessed or not. After that scene, the film goes in a different direction. This makes it uneven with its anticlimactic ending. It doesn't need to be some big pay-off, but there needs to be something. (Paranormal Activity didn't have much, but it left audiences terrified.) Before the ending credits start there is a website mentioned, www.therossifiles.com. The website does exist, and it provides clips that weren't fully shown in the film. This was an attempt to gain the favor of horror movie audiences, but that's the main reason it failed. Good horror just happens-it's not something that comes from marketing unfortunately. The few special effects used in this film were good. It was great watching how many ways a body can be contorted. 

The story might've failed, but the acting was actually good. It was unfortunate that the story didn't allow any more depth to the characters. They used unknown actors for this film. Fernanda Andrade played the leading role of Isabella Rossi. She was good in her role creating the woman caught in the middle of this demonic world. Evan Helmuth played the role of Father David Keane. He was good for his role. His role was very limited, but he managed to make it stand out. Simon Quarterman played the role of Father Ben Rawlings. His role was a general exorcist priest who is caught unprepared. Ionut Grama played the role of Michael Schaefer. He was good in his limited general role of camera man. Every "found footage" has one. Suzan Crowley played the role of Maria Rossi. She was great playing the role of the possessed. She gave the film its horror appeal, and it made her worth watching. 

I give this film 2 out of 5 stars! The film had several chilling moments. It just failed with a confusing story and lack of general ending. 

Answer to last blog: Actor Idris Elda also starred in the role of Heirmdall (Thor), as well Janek (Prometheus). 

Que: What television have actors Fernanda Andrade and Evan Helmuth both starred in?

NCIS

CSI: Miami

CSI: NY

Law and Order: LA

Prometheus

Caution: This Might Contain Spoilers!

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This film is a prequel to the Alien franchise. Two scientists, Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway, discover similar drawings all over the Earth. This pulls them to follow suit, with the help of Weyland Corporations, and try to discover an alien race that may have possibly created humanity. This leads them to some of the darkest discoveries of mankind.

This film was directed by Ridley Scott, the first director for the Alien film. The opening sequence, an advertisement, for The Secret Life of Pi, was way too unexpected. This film is a prequel to the Alien franchise attempting to answer the question of who the traveller was in the first film. It differentiates itself from the Alien franchise with its story, screenshots, and various alien life. The story remains predictable, because everything is revealed too early. Since it is revealed too early, it leaves the remainder of the film to show unnecessary things. There was so much various mutations happening that it defeated the meaning behind the story. The story also created several more questions instead of attempting to answer the highlight of the film. There should have been more than five minutes of the scientists discovering the alien maps that could've helped to build more suspense to the story. Although, it was great to see the Xenomorph alien appear in the ending of the film! ^_^ The special effects for all the mutations, new technology, and the planet was done amazingly well. The affects gave the film a grandiose look. There was some fear, but not enough to make it a horror/science fiction film. There was enough gore to keep it from being small child friendly.

There is a lot of passionless acting, or limited passion acting. It makes sense for an android to be void of emotion, but that doesn't mean he should be out shadowing the humans. Noomi Rapace played the role of Elizabeth Shaw. She was good at not being another Weaver. However, she didn't create a strong vulnerable character. The most intensity she presents is when she is screaming her lungs out. Michael Fassbender played the role of David. He was great in his role of the android. He conveyed a deep longing for information, and a fascination with life. Charlize Theron played the role of Meredith Vickers. She was good in this role. She played the hard ass protector of the ship for a while. Her character tended to change way too often that their was no real connection or continuity. Logan Marshall-Green played the role of Charlie Holloway. He was good in his role. He was limited to what his character was and became. Idris Elba played the role of Janek. He was great at making his character stand out among the other cast as the Prometheus' captain (the ship).

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It has a lot of great potential, but the film needed better focus. It needed character focus and story focus. It had a lot of great special effects and alien creations.

Answer to last blog: Voice actress Adriana Casselotti voice acted the character Snow White in the Disney animated version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Que: What other popular role has actor Idris Elda starred in?

Rhodey
Hock
Heirmdall
Bo'sun

Snow White and the Huntsman

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This is a British-American film based off the Brothers Grimm story entitled "Snow White". Snow White is a young princess who tragically loses her mother. A war is fought against her father, the king, and after a victory he comes across a beautiful maiden that he marries. She murders him and claims his kingdom and imprisons Snow White in a tower. When she comes of age, the evil queen (Ravenna), is told that she could have immortality by taking Snow White's heart. Snow White manages to escape and runs into the Dark Forest. Ravenna hires a Huntsman to go a fetch Snow White in exchange for having his deceased wife returned to him. This sets them on an adventure that will pin them against evil. This film is very different from the happy film of Mirror Mirror, and the animated version of the film Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. I'm still waiting for a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, because I want to see a dragon.

This film was directed by Robert Sanders (first film to direct), and was produced from the producers of Alice in Wonderland. Unfortunately, this film failed to receive the critical appraise that Alice in Wonderland did. Despite this film being based off a children's fairytale, this film is not made for small children. If your child had nightmares watching Alice in Wonderland then they will have nightmares watching this film. Okay, this film has an amazing story that does lack any true romance. There was plenty of possibility for romance, but it failed to bring it forth during the course of the film. The classic ideal of good verses evil was great. The story was great for creating an urgency of an uprising, but failed to present any depth to the characters. The special effects for the film were amazing. The film created a new world full of mysticism and darkness. There was a hint of Snow White's mystical power of creatures. The creatures were well done, but weren't overplayed. What shouldn't have been done was the CGI of placing different actor's faces onto different bodies. It looked unusual. This also created controversy among little people (not too surprising). The fighting sequences were great to watch. The costumes were amazingly well done that gave the film its fairytale look. 

Now, this film drives a stake between film goers. Fans of Kristen Stewart will like this film, and see the other actors as going over the top in their acting. Those who aren't will say the Stewart hurt the film. Kristen Stewart played the leading role of Snow White. Granted she had the look of Snow White, she just failed to present any of Snow White's inner emotions appropriately. Charlize Theron played the Evil Queen/Ravenna. She was amazing in this film. She showed the evil anger that the queen needed to have. Chris Hemsworth played the role of the Huntsman. He was great in giving his character depth, and created a new image for the Huntsman. Sam Spruell played the role of Finn, Ravenna's brother. He was great in his role just creating this slimy character. Sam Claflin played the role of William, the Duke's son. He was good, but he didn't make his character stand out in anyway. Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris, and Brian Gleeson played the roles of Beith, Muir, Gort, Nion, Duir, Coll, Quert, and Gus (the Seven/Eight Dwarves). Sadly, the dwarves have become an small part of this film only. Bob Hoskins did a great job in providing the film with a sense of magic and power. The others were given humorous moments, but didn't stand out in any other way. 

I give this film 3 out of 3 stars! It had all the potential to create an epic fairytale retelling, but it failed to work with its potential. This film is worth seeing once for the special effects, but thats it. 

Answer to last blog: Actress Kathy Bates also starred in the film Fried Green Tomatoes, as well as Midnight in Paris. 

Que: Who voiced Snow White in the animated Disney version?

Adriana Caselotti

Lily Collins

Ilene Woods

Mary Costa

Look for the review of promethius to come soon

Look for the review of snow white and the huntsmen to come sooo

Midnight in Paris

Caution: This Might Contain Spoilers!

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A modern American film screenwriter (Gil Pender) goes on a trip to Paris, France with his fiancee Inez and her parents (John and Helen).  Pender believes that 1920's Paris would be the center of his artistic creation. While walking through the streets of Paris he becomes lost, and at the strike of midnight is transported to the 1920's without any explanation. While there he meets and see's the great artists that he admires; such as Alice B. Toklas, Cole Porter, Josephine Baker, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Salvador Dali, Man Ray, Luis Bunel, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein (the Lost Generation). Pender also meets Picasso's mistress, Adriana, and begins to fall in love with her beauty. Pender discovers his artistic self in the 1920's. 

This film was written and directed by Woody Allen.  This film harkens back to Allen's older work stylings. That being said, this film is amazing for fans of Allen's films. However, this film is an either you'll love it, or you'll hate kind of film. This film's genre is romantic comedy, but it also mixes in a little science fiction using the 1920's art culture, in Paris, as its centerpiece. Granted a lot of the humor is more satirical humour than outright comedic. The romance in this film is more based around passion, and it doesn't fall into the stereotypical genre of romance. The science fiction aspect remains vague leaving the films its mystery. The script uses a lot of single liners to explain a lot of the film's characters. The story also manages to explain a lot of what is happening to the characters while leaving a lot of mystery. The story is character driven, and contains a lot of sharp humor, wit, and has a sharp look on society (upper class and artists). The film styling help to support the contrast between the characters during their brief interactions. It doesn't have the quickness that modern films have, and instead builds up to a slow deep meaning. It also speaks to an age of people who would rather live in a different era than the current one. 

This film features a lot of big name actors, and it works for this film. None of the actors overpower one another, but they compliment each other. Owen Wilson plays the role of Gil Pender. He manages to portray the stereotypical character type seen in Woody Allen films. He's critical on himself, and the world around him, without being too overpowering. Rachel McAdams plays the role of Inez. She was good in this role playing a general role of an upper class woman who doesn't see the passion in world. Marion Cotillard played the role of Adriana. She was great in this role. She brought the romantic passion to the film. Cotillard and McAdams represented two very different women in two different eras. It made the film believable. Corey Stoll played the role of Ernest Hemingway, and Kathy Bates played the role of Gertrude Stein. They brought a lot of power to the film. They gave the film its artistic feel. Alison Pill and Tom Hiddleston played the roles of Zela and F. Scott Fitzgerald. They were good in their small roles. 

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! I greatly enjoyed watching this film. It has a lot of story and heart. Even if it isn't whimsical humour, it still carries plenty of romance. It also brings to light a dying artistic culture. 

Answer to last blog: Actor/singer Will Smith and director Barry Sonnenfield worked together on the film Wild Wild West, along with the Men in Black films. 

Que: What other film has Kathy Bates starred in?

The Darjeeling Limited

Fried Green Tomatoes

The Lucky Ones

La vie en rose