RANGO REVIEW



I think I know you?

THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

When I heard this film was being made I thought "Another dumb movie about a talking animal." Then I saw the previews and thought "A decent dumb movie with a talking animal." When I found out that Johnny depp was in it my eyebrow rose to a curiosity. The other cast members I didn't care about so much but when I got a pass for the movie screening I thought why not. It can't hurt to watch this movie and broaden my horizons. Good thing I did because this film turned out to be better than I ever imagined and made me a fan out of Johnny Depp.

STORY

                              WHO AM I

That's the mood of the film that displays through out. Rango was a lonely house pet that was lost on a trip to one of the best places in the world. He quickly learns the dangers of living in the desert once he hits the ground. He meets a friend that tells him where to go for water and where to meet people. Rango has been alone all his life and wants to make new friends. This excites him but the journey was harsh. He encounters a hawk who's hungry for lizard, wisecracking peers, and delusional fantasies. Luckily it leads him to a woman that could help him get to town but his new friend has some problems of her own.

Aw crap

The town is facing a harsh water drought making residents pack up and leave. Hope is very little during this time but when Rango proved himself worthy the residents found the hope they needed and Rango found his purpose. That was until they learned that there was very little water left stored in their bank. This sent them into a frenzy making Rango make a vow that he couldn't keep. Meanwhile, he's trying to win the heart of his friend. She doesn't like him because she thinks he's stupid and she is dealing with her own problems. The mayor is trying to buy her land but she refuses because thats the land her dad left her. It didn't help matters when the town folks learned that their water have also been stolen!

Bug eyed

This starts up an everlasting adventure that tested the brain and brawn of Rango. He encounter a foe so scary that his words were tough enough to break the spirit of Rango. After doing some soul searching he finally found who he was. He returned to the town to face his most deadliest foe and to tell the town folks the mystery behind the depleted water. What that mystery was I can't tell now. You have to run to the theaters to find your answer but don't worry... it's worth the trip.

Talk about bad ass

ACTING

This movie had its funny moments but its the story that proved to hold this movie together. The chemistry with the actors were good enough for a kids movie but I couldn't help but think that the villains outshined the heroes. They gave off the best work and put fear in the characters hearts. Johnny Depp did a great job with Rango. He's funny all the time and I loved how he was able to throw his voice. Some of the characters did great while the others flopped. This movie could have been better if they just made a few casting changes. Not everyone was able to flow together.

Mommyyyyyyy!

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The effects are phenomenal here. So far the best animated movie in 2011. These characters looked crisp and bright. Their facial expressions and body language mimicked real people with real emotions. I was taken back by some of the special effects during the action scenes. It keeps your eyes on the screen and popped out of your sockets. I saw this in 2D so if the effects was this good then you know 3D will blow your mind.

WRITING AND DIRECTING

I loved how the story flowed. The story was written by John Logan and he did a great job with the pacing and dialog. Nothing felt rushed and he kept true to the characters traits. It was directed by Gore Verbinski, the director of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. I loved how he filmed the action scenes and the look and feel of the town. I didn't like all those close-ups and some of the film is bunched up together. I felt like I was watching a full screen version of the film instead of the full format. Despite this the picture looked good enough to keep me interested.

You don't scare me!

THE END

                                                                   WHO AM I

Well you're a winner in my book. A must see for next weekend. A great film to take the kids to see and a film that a grandpa would like. It also houses a nice cameo from a legend and some singing rodents along the way. This film will surprise you. It did me!



STORY 7 out of 10
ACTING 5 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS 9 out of 10
WRITING 8 out of 10
DIRECTING 8 out of 10

OVERALL 8 (WORTH A WATCH)
 

WIN WIN MOVIE REVIEW

SPECIAL EFFECTS

What special effects? There was none other than the perfect lighting and bright colors. This is a low budget film so nothing special happened here but if you're into the lighting and photography of the business give this movie a view. You might learn something.

WRITING AND DIRECTING

The movie was written and directed by Thomas McCarthy. The dialog here was pretty decent. There were some natural funny one liners by the experienced cast but I felt that the younger ones couldn't keep pace. The writing was meant to be dramatic but It felt rushed. He may need work in this department but his directing was acceptable. You won't notice much of his mistakes but some shots were out of focus and his timing was off. This movie suffered from awkward jump points that made this film seem unfinished. He did a good job but you can tell it needs more work.



I'm on top of the world!


THE END

I would say give it a view. It made me laugh at points and I thought the story was pretty believable. If you're a fan of Paul then watch it. He gives the best performance out of all of them. This movie is up there with Juno and I think it will get it's just do. Remember this film is suppose to be based on reality so forgive some of the flat performances. That's how they are suppose to act.


STORY 7 out of 10
ACTING 6 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS 8 out of 10 (cinematography)
WRITING 7 out of 10
DIRECTING 6 out of 10

OVERALL 7 (WORTH A WATCH)

Why does this picture look so wrong?

THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

I was originally suppose to review the movie screening of Unknown. Well to make a long story short... it didn't happen. But this was a blessing in disguise. Not only did I get to see a very good movie but got to meet a very cool person. The movie Win Win I never heard of let alone cared about it. It won at the Sundance Film Festival and is rumored to be a future Oscar contender. When I heard that I was all for this movie. I'm so glad that I did because this film was better than I ever hoped for.

STORY

The movie begins with Mike, played by Paul Giamatti, jogging in what looks like hell. You see he's a broke lawyer trying to make ends meet so his family doesn't look at him as a disgrace. He sees an opportunity to make things easier for his family but it means he has no choice but to use an old man named Leo, played by Burt Young, for his money. Luckily his grandson Kyle, played by Alex Shaffer changed Mike's point of view.

Father son relationship?

You see Alex isn't just his grandson but a very good wrestler. Mike is a wrestling coach and uses Kyle's ability to better himself and his team. His wife, played by Amy Ryan, thinks that he's a weirdo and rightfully so. They begin to bond in the movie that I couldn't help but smile at. It was like she got a son that she never had.

He's my son now!

 
He kicks everyone's butt until the dreaded mother returns. She is a recovering drug addict who wants her son back and her granddad's love... or money. The son knows what she is up to and is very reluctant on living with her again. Mike and his friends come up with a solution that will solve everyone's problem. One problem though... None of them actually wants what's on the table. As I thought about the story and it's characters I can understand why everyone was at a stand still. Sense this movie has yet to find a wide release I won't give away spoilers but this film is worth the extra bucks.

ACTING

The chemistry here was very good. Everyone played there part well. At first I thought Alex and Bobby's character were a little flat but as the movie goes on you realize that's part of their character. Alex is portraying a disturbed little boy so you can't help but feel for him. Bobby's character  you can't help but laugh at him. Overall the performances were solid, that made this film well worth the watch.

This isn't what it looks like

Let Me In Review (Spoilers)

Now children play nice

THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

When I heard they were remaking Let The Right One In I was very excited hoping for good things. Let The Right One In was shockingly good. It had a unique story that trounced the Twilight saga ten times over. This movie was about friendship more than vamperism. I expected this remake to be just about the same. They did not disappoint.




STORY

The story takes place in 1983 where the big haired rock bands ruled the earth. It begins with a little boy named Owen, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, acting out one of his sick fantasies. Owen is being abused by his peers at school. They beat him senseless and perform gruesome acts of humiliation upon him. He has no friends and keeps to himself most of the time. He meets a girl named Abby, played by Chloe Moretz. She's the typical young girl, wearing no shoes and smells funny. She tells Owen that she doesn't want to be friends and at first Owen obliges. Eventually they get closer when Abby helps Owen with one of his problems... completing his rubric cube. Too bad she turns out to be a Vampire.

I need blood to live.

Soon they start hanging out and becoming good friends. Owen starts to like Abby a little too much. He takes her to his favorite places and starts showing her what she's been missing as a child. Abby shows her affection for him by giving him advice on his bullies and eating one of his favorite foods, knowing it can make her sick. After their first date she returns home to her guardian, played by Richard Jenkins. He asks her not to see the boy again out of fear that something terrible might happen. He goes out one night to bring her back some blood when some unexpected events occurred. He drowned himself with acid to hide his face from the police. When in the hospital she pays him a visit to perform one last act of love and compassion. She puts him out of his misery.

Baby I'm sorry. I was just hungry. Can we still play?

Now with her guardian dead she goes to Owen and tells him mostly everything about her and her guardian. Owen asks her to be his girlfriend which at first shocked her but later agreed. When his bullies tried picking on him again he takes Abby's advice and hits one of them hard. Maybe a little too hard because one of the bullies' ear gets split in two. During the same day they found a dead body buried in the ice. Soon all of Abby's secrets begin to surface which puts her on edge.

This looks like fun.

Owen invites her out to celebrate his victory against his bullies. He ends up cutting himself and Abby's true form surfaces. In order to restrain herself she runs away and begins to feed on the closest victim. He goes over her place to get some answers and finds out that her guardian happened to be her brother and she's been alive for a very long time. This freaks him out and decides not to be friends anymore but Abby has a different point of view. She proves to him that she cares a great deal by entering his home without permission. Turns out if a vamp does that it can bleed to death!

Owen goes to her apartment and pays her a visit, unknowingly that a detective was hot on her trail. He tries to kill her but Owen comes to her aid and allows her to kill him. In return she helps him with his bullies once and for all. Despite the gruesome act of the ending you can't help but feel the connection of these two children. It's truly a violent and beautiful story about love and friendship.

Friends forever

ACTING

This has to be the best acting for a horror film that I've ever seen. Chole and Kodi both did wonderful jobs with their characters. They had excellent chemistry that drew you into the film. Not once did I think any of these actors were faking it. Richard played the tortured and confused brother very well. You can almost feel his pain through his face and eyes. At a matter of fact you'll be able to feel many emotions that these actors displayed on film.

I am what I am

SPECIAL EFFECTS

This movie didn't rely on its special effects to tell the story, which is a very good thing. The blood and gore was there when needed. They didn't go overboard with the effects, however, I did see a hint of cheesiness. I thought seeing Abby bounce around her victims was funny and reminded me of Gollum. Despite this flaw the special effects aren't daunting and can be seen with a gleeful eye.

WRITING AND DIRECTING

It's not often that a remake can surpass the original but this does just that. The movie was written and directed by Matt Reeves. He did a fine job keeping the feel of the original and staying true to the book. The dialog flows naturally from page to screen and the pace of the film is right on track. He directed it beautifully despite it being mostly shot in the dark. You can almost feel the cold blow into your living room as soon as the picture hits the screen. Despite the grittiness everything is sharp, dark, and crisp. All the ingredients for a great horror film turned into a love story.

I love my job

THE END

I love this movie and I think you will too. If you're not a fan of gore just press the fast forward button but try not to miss anything. It's not a waste of your time or money. You can pick the DVD up at any major store or market. Don't compare this to Twilight. Those movies don't even come close to what this movie brings. It's a lot better than anyone ever expected.

STORY 8 out of 10
ACTING 9 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS 6 out of 10
WRITING 8 out of 10
DIRECTING 8 out of 10

OVERALL 8 (MUST SEE)