winged_loner Reviews

The Bourne Identity (2002)

What's missing in modern action films? Moral, Conscience, Character.

[9/10 · 10 July 2008]

I think 2002 was a year for great action films. Spider-Man, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and of course, The Bourne Identity.

It's one of the few action films in the last decade or so to really make you think. It's got twists. It's got turns. It's got Matt Damon. What it doesn't have is a shaky camera.

Now, bare with me. I'm saying that in a more scornful tone than you might imagine. A lot of people don't like Supremacy or Ultimatum because of the shaky camera work. I, however, like to down Identity for NOT having shaky camera work. Why? There are several reasons.

First, The Bourne series is one that should make you think while having your heart pounding to near-explosion at the same time. It should push both of your most valuable organs to boiling-point. Without a camera that moves around as if you were struggling to run just like the characters, I doubt your heart will race very far.

Second, Bourne is like an animal. He moves on instinct alone, because that's all he was left with. Now, I don't know about you, but the normal camera work in Identity makes the film and the character seem too... tame. Too solitary, despite the violence. A camera can change more than most people realize in a film.

Thirdly, the shaky cam is definitive of the Bourne series, at least in the last two. Every action series has something another doesn't. And what the Bourne series has is A) an excellent storyline, B) realistic character development, C) believable government action, and D) shaky camera work.

So in that, I find that Identity is just too tame to really capture the true Bourne. In other words, the Identity is lost until it is found in Supremacy. It feels just like 'The Italian Job' with the 'tame' camera. Maybe it's because Bourne is still a white-knight good guy in this one. He wants to be tame.

Otherwise, The Bourne Identity is the fantastic beginning to an excellent and enthralling trilogy. It's got the best romance story in any of them, and quite possibly the most believable characters in any action film. I'm glad the helm was passed to Paul Greengrass from Doug Liman, who went on to do decent work with 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' and 'Jumper'.

It's fantastic, and that ending song, 'Extreme ways' by Moby is just too damn catchy to miss.

Shadow of the Colossus (2005 Video Game)

Zelda Clone?... I think NOT!

[10/10 · 25 November 2006]

Shadow of the Colossus is one of those games where you can just watch someone else play and have a good time. The person playing will have a good time as well.

As 'Wander', you ride to a forbidden land (with warnings that it is forbidden) and try to save a pretty, dead, brunette girl who is your love. Now, before you all go and say 'Awwwww' I have to say that the story is dark and very gritty. When he gets the hint that he has to defeat 16 giants (the smallest being about the size of a van) to do this, he sets off on this great adventure to slay the beasts.

Seriously, Peter Jackson, we need you to make a movie of this. Itd be awesome.

Slaying these beasts is no cakewalk either... they're all distinct and it takes a fair amount of brainpower to figure them out. Climbing them and slaying them is a whole different story than finding them. It takes about 30 minutes sometimes to roam the landscape to find the next Colossi. So, constant action is a nono here.

It's not for everyone, but a true gamer would really appreciate it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Wow... thats all I have to say

[10/10 · 11 August 2006]

Ah, Lord of the Rings... that breath of fresh air that totally clenses the soul of bad book-to-film movies that plague cinema... the refreshing, cool drink of ice-cold-water in a dry desert of mediocrely directed bore-fests of fantasy... the massive intake of breath after a long and suffering plunge of *arrow flies by my head* WHAT THE Christ WAS THAT?!?!? Yes... Lord of the Rings is a story about long and taken-for-granted peace... then thrown into this awful world of total HOLY SH** moments that steal the show in a mad rush of battles and torment. And it rocks... all the way from dramatic beginning, to multiple end.... Its an incredible 9 to 11 and a half hours of pure bliss and wonder. A masterful achievement of modern cinima and a blast for everyone; Lord of the Rings has captured the souls of many people... and, judging from how good the movies are... the numbers are just gonna keep growing. Long live Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, The Weta Workshop Team, the cast of unbelievably awesome actors, and of course... Andy Serkis (WHO DESERVED THAT F***IN Oscar!!!!). Best movie of the 21st century... and one of the best movies of all time.... And its official... anyone who didn't like this movie is going to hell.... Just kidding. Thats for those guys at the Oscars who didn't nominate Andy Serkis.

V for Vendetta (2005)

V for Victorious

[10/10 · 6 August 2006]

OK... lets take a look at the list of Wachowski Bros. movies over the years....

The Matrix: Flippin awesome, great camera-work, amazing and slightly eery story. 10/10

The Matrix Reloaded: More great action and camera-work, more characters, and a decently built up story. 9/10

The Matrix Revolutions: Still some cool camera-work, 'wtf' story-ark, horrible and predictable ending... definitely not the ending of an otherwise awesome trilogy that I was expecting... they should remake this. 5/10

Now, after the horrible disappointment of 'Matrix: Revo.', I would like to take a few moments to calmly explain the predictions I had of 'V'.....

SUCKAGE!!!!!!!! CRAPTASTIC!!!!!!! UTTERLY VOMIT-ENDUCING (and not in the way that most R-rated moviegoers would expect)

However... after the film scraped its way across my pouting irises... I was shocked and left utterly speechless at this. This is Peter Jackson quality stuff right here. Great and cleverly convulted story, tons of mystery, awesome action scenes (surprisingly few and far-between), INCREDIBLE acting (Hugo Weaving actually made me think that the mask was moving), totally bizarre and head-turning scenes, a beautiful soundtrack, equally eye-popping camera-work and quality, amazing script (a whole freekin 'War and Peace'-sized explanation of how screwed up a country is with using 'V' words primarily...GENIUS!), and beautiful drama all packed into this Oscar-worthy masterpiece of a movie. THIS is how 'The Matrix: Revolutions' should have been... Valiant, Victorious... erm.... Vawesome.... Shut up, I'm not as cunning as these writers. So....

V for Vendetta:... you just read the review.... 10/10

Jackass: The Movie (2002)

Jackass, maybe.... Hilarious, YES!

[10/10 · 3 August 2006]

When Jackass scraped across the screens of MTV viewers, people were both disgusted and left rolling on the floor laughing... at the same time. Never before has a show gone so far to make us laugh with experimental slapstick comedy that goes there. Then the film came out... and its non-stop, laugh-till-your-throat-hurts, vomit-till-your-stomach's-dry comedy. There are no stunt-men, no stand-ins... not even a high-tech camera... THIS is Jackass, and it still manages to make us 'ooh' and 'oh my god' plus 'HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!' without tire or wear.... Cheers, you Jackass... you earned it.

Alien (1979)

Alien(as in: totally strange) to many... total invader of safety to all

[10/10 · 15 June 2006]

Alien is quite possibly the most terrifying film to come out in the twentieth century, hands down. The most bizarre part of the film is also its most horrifying elliment; the chestburster scene. No one in 1979 expected that scene, and few ever predict it today. Rarely has a movie stretched beyond its original generation in this way. It is a very strange movie indeed. The plot itself is original in its own regard as a sci-fi. Then we get to the script (which is excellently paced and drawn-out), the characters (all having their own problems and weeknesses), and of course, the creature. Alien's creature is so memorable in so many ways that it is impossible for me to sleep without feeling a slight pain in my chest. Never before (and probably never again) has a movie ever made a person afraid of their own insides like Alien. Other films try to use outward scares... but Alien uses the imagination as its vecter... and it works flawlessly.

Sonic X (2003–2006)

Meh...

[7/10 · 7 June 2006]

Sonic has seen many a cartoon adaption, but none look quite as beautiful as Sonic X does. The colorful characters (both literally and personality) are really captured well, and the animation delivered to them is second to none. The cute characters look and act cute, the serious characters look and act serious, the comical characters look and act comical. Its the most accurate a Sonic series has gotten. But the story and voice acting is so God-awful that it totally ruins the experience for fans(including myself). Besides the hugely heartbreaking ending, there really is no reason to bother with the story at all. However good the script writing was, the English voice-acting just doesn't cut it. Its alright, but its not the best Sonic series out there. Stick with the Japanese voice acting with subtitles, it teaches kids to read and learn a new language.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993)

AoStH

[6/10 · 6 June 2006]

Its pretty easy to see why they changed this show with the larger cast and much darker and continuing story of the SatAM series. This show was far too comical to deal with the very real motive that Sonic the Hedgehog has on people. And that is freedom and what people are willing to do to get it. It was funny, I'll give it that, but Sonic's WHOLE attitude wasn't fully realized here. The characters were given an overhaul with this one and it was welcomed, but I don't ever believe that Sonic thought that Tails was an annoying nuisence. Robotnik's 'Master plans' in this one truly poke fun at his immaturity, but he really is a very clever planner. In SatAM, this was fully realized and captured, actually making him a major threat rather than a walking joke.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1993–1994)

Probably the best Sonic animated series out there.

[9/10 · 6 June 2006]

I used to watch this show all the time as a kid and always wondered where the story was going to go next. Now, looking back, I can see why I did so. While it only had three of the main characters (which were redesigned significantly), the other characters in the story had a very supportive and meaningful role (Sally Acorn played a perfect motherly role for Tails). Most of the time the dark tone of the series really dragged me in, and its actually more realistic plot line really seemed to appeal to many watchers of the series. The voice-acting was the best in any Sonic the Hedgehog animated series, and its impossible to deny that fact. Overall, the Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM series really holds a place in a faithful fans heart. It's not perfect (some of the animation was terrible), but its as close as a Sonic series is going to get to perfect.

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996)

Decent, if not great

[7/10 · 6 June 2006]

I saw this movie when I was ten years old and fully into the whole American Anime craze. I was watching DBZ and Pokemon when I saw this film. I haven't seen it since, but for some reason I cant describe, it held a place in my heart. I never forgot that first scene where Sonic is laying on the beach, enjoying a sunbathe and Tails comes up with a jet-propelled body-board and annoys Sonic by blocking his rays. I remembered the first time Knuckles appeared, flying in front of the city with that hat. The character design is inaccurate to the games design, but the animation really makes up for it with beautifully done action pieces that truly defined Sonics sense of speed in the games and integrated into the film. The story is decent and has its fair share of moderately clever twists, but nothing thats going to turn the heads of many critics anytime soon. Sonic has seen rise and fall, but this film was nowhere near his fall.

Halo 2 (2004 Video Game)

Awesome

[10/10 · 5 June 2006]

Halo is probably one of the hardest games in history to follow-up. But alas, after three years of waiting, the fans are finally served a huge amount of 'Flippin sweet' in this incredible masterpiece that shouldn't be even considered a game. Halo 2 creates a genre of its own. It's still a first person shooter, but there are so many things about this game that put it into this 'own genre' I like to call: Impossibly good. Its so awesome that it is nearly inevitable to play for hours on end just to beat your friend down for that one-millionth time in a multiplayer game. So what if the ending is a huge cliffhanger? The games story is so excellent and mezmorizing, its easy to forget about it. Awesome doesn't even kiss the feet of Halo 2.