The Raven Review (Minor Spoilers)

Really? REALLY!

THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

Why in the blue hell would they make a film about Edgar Allen Poe as a fake ass Sherlock Holmes? Why in the hell is John Cusack still acting? The trailer itself didn't help matters. It looked like a cheap ripoff of Seven and the bastard child of Saw. None the less I was willing to give this film a chance. I'm glad I did because it proved my fears right. It's a waste of time that should be avoided by any horror or thriller fan. We can watch better.

STORY 


This story takes place at a time where Mr. Poe is no longer the famous poet and author. He is an outcast in the literacy genre and no publisher is willing to touch his work. He is in debt struggling to make ends meet. He has filtered away as a drunk and it looks as if he has lost faith in himself but someone hasn't. A huge obsessive fan challenges Poe to a game of wits when he starts using his stories as an inspiration to his killing spree. He literally asks Poe to join in on the fun but Poe doesn't want to play the SAW game. That is until the killer kidnaps his girlfriend and gives Poe something to fight for. Can he pull it off or will this be the last story that Edgar will ever write?

O shit!

 ACTING


Yeah OK. More like forcibly acting. I couldn't feel any chemistry between John and Luke Evans. It seems as though these two guys don't mesh well. Everyone else were just playing their roles the best they could. I couldn't feel anything real from the characters except for Alice Eve. She seemed to be the only one that enjoyed herself.  Everyone else seemed as if they just came for the pay check.

Yucks!

SPECIAL EFFECTS


This movie is bloodier than I thought. It reminded me a lot of Seven. One of the scenes made me gag when I saw the killer stuff a little girl in the chimney. The gore is a little too excessive in some scenes. I did enjoy the scenery and how dark they made everything look. Watching as people were tortured and mutilated wasn't something I was expecting. Overall the team did it's job to make the movie better than it should be.

HELPPPPPPP!

WRITING AND DIRECTING


The film was written by Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare. They put together a decent enough story that failed miserably. It started out as a promising movie but failed as the film went on. It was like the writers gave up on trying to be original and used left over plots from movies like Seven. The directing, however, wasn't bad. James McTeigue was able to capture the dread of the victims without making it too over the top. It's a shame that he had no choice but to fall in line with the Saw films. You will notice similar directing styles from the film. It's pretty much a ripoff of several films that did it better.

THE END 


Don't bother. Don't waste your money. Just leave it alone and maybe you will forget about it. The movie isn't that great and drags on too long. Maybe with a better cast this movie would have turned out alright. They should have hired people that gave a damn!

Shame on you!

OVERALL


STORY 4 out of 10
ACTING 5 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS 7 out of 10
WRITING 4 out of 10
DIRECTING 6 out of 10


OVERALL 5 out of 10 (SKIP IT)

Cabin In the Woods Review (Minor Spoilers)



Funny and Campy

THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

When I first saw the trailer I thought I was going to watch a horror movie. Then I saw who co wrote the film, Joss Whedon. I love this guy. He is able to take things with a serious tone and make it funny. I knew then that this film will be witty, funny, sometimes scary, and a thrill ride. After the movie I felt satisfied with what I saw. Others did not. I understand why though, since the trailer does deceive you but how else could you market this movie? You can't so they lied. It's still a fun film though.

STORY

A group of five friends are spending a weekend at a friends cousin's cabin deep in the woods. Dana, played by Kristen Connolly, is joining her best friend Jules, played by Anna Hutchison, and her boyfriend Curt, played by Chris Hemsworth, for a weekend get away. They are hooking her up with a cute friend of Curt's. They are hoping this will help her to get over her passed relationship with her professor. Marty, played by Fran Kranz, tags along to supply the weed and fun. As they leave we learn they are being monitored by an organization that is prepping them for something big.

Assholes with a hottie!

This company specializes in kissing the ancient gods' asses. They need to perform rituals all over the world so the ancient gods don't return and make everyone suffer. It's quite simple as long as the victims unknowingly play their part. Once everyone is acquainted the party begins. They let open the cellar door so the victims can choose their fate. There's a bunch of old stuff down there that if played with or opened can release a certain demon or monster. Lucky for them Dana read from a book that awakened a zombie family. A family that has a 100 percent clearance rate. In other words, they're fucked!

Like her!

 They weren't the only ones that was fucked though. The company itself is having a bad night. It seems that all the other rituals has failed and it's up to the Americans to pull it off. While one side is trying to get the friends killed, the friends themselves are fighting for their lives. It's a struggle that both sides won't give up. The ending was a breath of fresh air and gives you something to think about. The film itself was just plain fun.

See... monster fun!

ACTING

The acting seemed pretty good for a film like this. I preferred the scientists more than I did the actual college students. They showed more personality and were fun to watch on screen. The chemistry for the most part wasn't sparking but I did enjoy Fran's role. He brought humor and some pretty good one liners to the mix. It's the people behind the scenes that you're probably like the most. They had chemistry. The others were still looking for theirs'. 

I should have stayed my ass home.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The overall effects were good. It didn't look like a low budget film until the CGI came in. I feel as though they could have done without all the silly monsters. When they were attacking I couldn't help but laugh and cringe. The gore is there when needed and it doesn't go too over the top. 

Well almost everything

WRITING AND DIRECTING

The film was written but Joss Whedon and Drew Goodard. They put together a neat story with multidimensional characters. They managed to juggle multiple story lines without it getting too messy. The dialog is a bit cheesy but it can be forgiven. Drew also directed the movie. It has a dark feel to it but he was able to mix it up with laughter and sarcasm. The environments are intriguing and everything is in full view. A great job by a great team. 

THE END

It's a must see, just not at the theaters. You should wait for DVD and watch it around Halloween. You'll enjoy it more. This movie is not a complete horror film. It actually makes fun of the genre while giving nods to fan favorites. It's a film that I think most of you will enjoy if you know what you're getting yourself into.

OVERALL

STORY 7 out of 10

ACTING 7 out of 10

SPECIAL EFFECTS 6 out of 10

WRITING 6 out of 10

DIRECTING 7 out of 10

OVERALL 7 out of 10 (WAIT FOR DVD)

Wrath Of The Titans Review (Minor Spoilers)



Not this crap again!

 THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

Why in the blue hell did they make a sequel? Didn't 20th Century Fox get the memo about how bad the first one was? Yeah the special effects were hot but that really was it. Well Alexa was pretty hot too but that's for another subject. Despite all its flaws the producers thought they could make more money with a bigger budget and less of the bullshit. They were wrong. The movie didn't draw well and has no sign of picking up steam. It's a shame because this movie is an improvement and out performed the first film in all accounts but that doesn't say much.

STORY

It has been quite awhile since the events in clash. Perseus, played by Sam Worthington, now has a son. He wants to live a normal life as a fisherman and neglects his godly relatives. Zeus, played by Liam Neeson, needs his help again. He tells him that the gods are losing their immortality due to people losing their faith in them. He tells them that the titans and other evil things will be unleashed on the world if he doesn't help him stop it. Perseus nicely tells his father to fuck off. Disappointed Zeus gathers his brothers to stop Kratos from being unleased. He is betrayed by Hedas and Ares. They made a deal with Kratos to capture Zeus in exchange that he lets them live. Zeus was having a shitty day.

Fuck you guys!

Perseus's village was attacked by a monster that almost had his son for lunch. This kicks him back into gear and decides to join the war. Apollo gives him his weapon to give to his bastard son Agenor, played by Toby Kebbell. Agenor is a thief and may by unworthy of such godly power. At least that's what Andromeda thinks. Now played by, Rosamund Pike, she joins them both on a quest to save the gods from the titans. This leads to one adventure that didn't disappoint with the action. Everything else well... that's why it's not doing so well.

Yeah it sucked!

ACTING

The acting here was better than the first. I saw chemistry between Rosamund and Sam that lacked with Alexa. It did feel like they wanted each other but I couldn't buy Rosamund as a warrior. Toby tried to be the comic relief but I found myself not laughing. He tried too hard and it came off on screen. I liked that the gods had more screen time but their performances felt wooden and stale. All their emotions felt forced. These guys are better actors than this and glad that this film won't be the only stand out on their resume.

Love birds!

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Once again this department rules. It's a true balls to the wall action film. I liked how they made Kratos look and the powers that he used. I thought it was a nice touch, having the gods fade away into nothing when killed. I would have let them explode with great power instead but you can't always get what you want. The special effects did not disappoint.

Eat me!

WRITING AND DIRECTING

This movie is written by too many writers to care for and directed by Jonathan Liebesman. The film actually made more sense than the first one. The story was straight forward and easy to follow. The characters were dull and I couldn't get invested in them. The directing wasn't bad though. It's an action movie so you know what to expect; Wide screen shots of the mayhem, fight scenes, comical reactions. It's all there. It brings nothing new to the table other than show how good the special effects team are at their job.

THE END

Skip it! This movie isn't great. If you like action then I recommend seeing it. Other than that it's a waste of time and money. I'm just hoping Warner Bros gets the memo. Probably not!

OVERALL


STORY 5 out of 10
ACTING 5 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS 8 out of 10
WRITING 4 out of 10
DIRECTING 8 out of 10


OVERALL 6 out of 10 (DON"T WASTE YOUR TIME)