Online Movie Reviews

Looking Back at 2012

2010-01-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

Funny how the title sounds like the year 2012 has already passed and we're actually looking back at it.

I just thought it would be nice to write about 2012, one of 2009's most anticipated end of days movie, considering that there seems to be a lot of natural disasters happening in different parts of the world these days.

There's the unexpected flood in the Philippines, the unusually heavy snowfall in certain parts of the United States, and the recent super earthquake in Haiti. Add these things up and you start thinking that what happened in 2012 may not be that far from becoming a reality after all.

Anyway, let's just hope we get to be as lucky as John Cusack's character. He seemed to be able to dodge anything that mother nature threw his way. He even managed to get into those expensive boats without so much as paying a dime.

By: Abbey Grace Yap

Robert Downey Jr. Takes On Sherlock Holmes

2010-01-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

Is there anybody here who didn't get to read the popular detective novel Sherlock Holmes for their literature class? I seriously doubt that. Even before it was given to us as required reading for class, I've already gone down the path of adventure with the calculating detective and his witty companion/sidekick, Dr. John Watson.

The movie took on a different approach from the book, if I may say so myself. Instead of the composed, well-dressed Holmes, Downey's attack on the popular detective was a bit scruffy and rugged. The same can be said with Jude Law being casted as the faithful sidekick, Watson. Watson has always been depicted as a tubby, monocle-wearing doctor.

Nonetheless, the two's on-screen chemistry was able to pull it off. Although there are scenes where you'd just think that Holmes and Watson seemed like they were having too much bromance, it's hilarious.

Guy Ritchie's interpretation of Sherlock Holmes was definitely a joy to watch. His gritty and quite misanthropic take on the famous detective definitely caught my attention. I'd recommend that you do take the time to watch it in the big screen.

By: Abbey Grace Yap

Of Avatars and Men

2010-01-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

The last movie I watched for 2009 was James Cameron's Avatar. If you ask me, there's nothing like a good science fiction movie to give 2009 the great send-off it deserves. Avatar combines the best in computer graphics animation with a unique and exciting approach at story telling, making one of the year's top grossing movies.

Story-wise, most people thought that it wasn't that original. The classic story of a conqueror that had a change of heart and decided to protect the people (or race) that he originally wanted to bring down, that's what Avatar is all about. But even if the concept wasn't original, the way it was told definitely invoked a sense of excitement and compassion in me.

Effects-wise, Avatar used state-of-the-art CG animation techniques to put together human actors with the computer generated characters in a seamless, almost realistic manner. The mecha suits, the background, the animals, pretty much everything that were rendered by the computer were masterfully done.

If you're a big sci-fi geek and would like a great movie to watch, I'd definitely recommend watching Avatar in the big screen.

New Moon "Twilight Saga"

2009-12-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

New Moon: Twilight Saga is a revolutionary book of Stephanie Meyer that tend to touch our hearts by the first book and movie "Twilight". The popularity of twilight is enormously grew last summer of 2008 and people start to talk about it continuously until the second movie was shown on the third week of November 2009.

The new moon is the the continuation of the twilight and focused more about Jacob's evolution and at the same time Edward and Bella's sufferings and separation. The the 18th birthday of Bella , the collins family prepared a wonderful celebration that went to a disaster when jasper tried to attack Bella when he smell her blood coming out from her fingers. And from that day after, Edward realizes that Bella is not safe with him even with his own family. And he decided to break up with Bella and the suffering's and nightmare's of Bella started.Bella started to spend time with Jacob so she will not think about Edward anymore.

The evolution of Jacob from a young native indian and became a werewolf, one of the protectors of the jungle from vampires who will break the rules and boundaries. At first, Jacob's body is constantly changing from a petite type evolving to a muscular one. He felt that every morning when he awakes his body is produces to much heat and he don't even know why? One night when he is with Bella, his body became more heater than usual and he is forced to go home. After that night He never wants to see Bella again, that added on the sufferings of Bella that she thought, everyone he loves are leaving her.

Go Watch Iron Man. Now!

2008-05-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

For those among you who dislike comic books and superhero movies, but want to see one thing to try and change your mind, go watch Iron Man. Sure, on the surface it might look like a shinier, more machine-influenced version of something like Batman, but the similarities are merely on the surface.

The lead character of the film, Tony Stark, is everything you wouldn't expect of a superhero. He's vain, he's slightly misogynistic, he's arrogant, he's just this side of crazy, and he's showing signs of being an alcoholic. Yes, this all ties to his persona in the comic books, where he's every bit as unheroic in his public persona as he is in the movie. He's also insanely rich and works, owns, and operates a company that you would not really expect the superhero type to emerge from: a weapons developer for the military. Toss in the fact that he firmly believes his weapons are being used as deterrents – as opposed to being actual weapons being used on the battlefield – and you've got a recipe for someone who's not quite what you'd expect.

The writers behind the movie have come to understand that, once the armor comes on, there's really very little point to adding character depth. So they decided to do something different – they have the character depth outside of the armor, like they did in the comics. This comes through in the relationships he has with his best friend, James Rhodes, and his assistant, Pepper Potts. The fact that he inspires such devotion in them, even after his disappearance in Afghanistan (where he develops the first version of the famed Iron Man armor), and even after discovering his rather unusual new hobby. I think this devotion and faith in him, along with just how much of the good and bad they've seen of him, is best summed up in the following line:

“Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing.”

The movie stretches logic a little in a few parts, but the most glaring one is Stark's captivity in Afghanistan. One designing genius and an assistant can create a nuclear weapon capable of threatening the US military while in some rocky cave with only the barest of tools? One might also want to question how stupid the average goons of the movie's villains are, considering that they had no idea what in the world Stark was planning on building instead of a missile. This is even after they see him putting on the metallic legs of what would be his first suit of armor. Some of the weapons technology in the armor seems strange too, but these flaws are all forgivable when you consider that, at the heart of it, Iron Man is a superhero movie. Stretching logic here and there is to be expected.

The movie has a clever twist, which manages to offset the predictability of the well-done “suit of armor versus suit of armor” battle at the climax of things. Some comic book fans may be disappointed that Stark's longtime nemesis, The Mandarin, does not make for a more prominent presence in the movie, but they likely won't find too much to complain about apart from that.