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Reviews
From Paris with Love (2010)
A WiseGuy's Review: Fun Film that Delivers Solid Violence, Action, Humor & Absurdity (26/M/Detroit)
This movie was very fun to watch. I'm a big fan of John Travolta and it kills me how the critics say "oh this is his worst movie in years". I think the opposite is the case. This is the most enjoyable Travolta film to come out in some time. His character is vulgar, obnoxious, and over-the-top which I know many people will find silly or offensive but I personally thought it was hilarious. I also thought newcomer Jonathan Rhys Meyers was pretty good in his role and not a total tool like I first thought. The story is well paced and there is plenty of action. If you're looking for a serious film, this is probably not for you. If you're looking to have some laughs and be entertained by some senseless violence and action, then I highly recommend this movie. 6.5/10
The Wolfman (2010)
A WiseGuy's Review: Great Werewolf Sequences Wounded by Uneventful Story (26/M/Detroit)
A WiseGuy's Review: Great Werewolf Sequences Wounded by Uneventful Story (26/M/Detroit) I suppose I got what I had hoped for out of this movie. The special effects and the werewolf sequences were good. The transformation scenes were especially cool to watch. I was surprised to see the Wolfman having an old school look which was pretty cool yet kinda cheesy at the same time. The thing that kills this movie is the pacing. The story is only tolerable for so long until finally you're dying for the next werewolf mash-up to happen. I imagine some people may enjoy the storyline, but it was just too slow paced for me. However, when the wolf scenes finally come along it makes it all worth it, so this movie is definitely worth seeing just for that. 6.8/10
The Crazies (2010)
A WiseGuy's Review: Everything I Hoped It Would Be and More! (26/M/Detroit)
As I was being thoroughly entertained by this movie I kept thinking to myself that something bad is going to happen and this movie will take a turn for the worse or get boring or stupid or something. Luckily for me, it didn't, and the result is one of the best horror movies I've seen in quite some time. The Crazies has the perfect blend of horror and humor. It takes off right from the very beginning and never lets up. It's scary, violent, and very fun.
Normally I'm a huge gore fanatic. The more gore, the happier I am (as in Wrong Turn 2). While this movie does have its share of gore, it's not excessive and, in my opinion, is just enough to satisfy even my greedy needs. The highlight of this film is its pacing. Scene after intense scene you are never left waiting for something to happen. The film comes at you full speed and is very gripping. One moment I was tense and on the edge of my seat, the next I was laughing, but never once was I bored or left wanting more. When I can say that about a horror movie (my favorite genre), it's always going to be high on my list. Absolutely see this movie! 9.4/10
The Fly II (1989)
A WiseGuy's Review: Rock Bottom Expectations Greatly Exceeded! (26/M/Detroit)
In many ways I found The Fly 2 to be more entertaining than the first film. This movie is much cheaper looking and cheesier than the first but that's one of the reasons it was more fun to watch. Not the biggest fan of Eric Stoltz but I liked him in this movie and it was refreshing to go back and see "Princess Vespa" in another role during that period (Spaceballs is an all-time favorite of mine).
While I thought the storyline was pretty decent throughout, the final 30 minutes of the film was what I found to be the most exciting to watch. There were several good gore moments which is always a huge plus for me. I felt this movie also had a much better ending than the first. All in all much better than I would've guessed and not the giant waste of time I expected it to be. Definitely worth checking out. 5.7/10
Halloween II (2009)
A WiseGuy's Review: Shockingly Bad - Please bring back Carpenter's original score
I believe H2 fails for three major reasons including the severe lack of John Carpenter's original score, drastic change to Michael Myers and the story itself, and lack of character strength from the two main characters, Dr. Loomis and Laurie Strode. I just want to say first off I have lived and breathed the Halloween series my entire life after seeing the first movie when I was just a kid to seeing H2 now that I'm 26 years old. It's by far my favorite franchise and horror icon. That said I believe this film to easily be the worst in the series since Halloween 3: Season of the Witch.
The Halloween movies succeed in scaring us because of John Carpenter's brilliant and haunting original score. This movie plays the original theme once (compared to three times in the 2007 remake). The soundtrack builds no tension whatsoever and that is the key to this series. Also, Michael Myers is dramatically changed. Many scenes of the movie he's not wearing his mask and only puts it on to kill someone. He's got long hair and a giant grisly beard, completely uncharacteristic of past Michael Myers. He grunts and growls as he kills, he wears a ridiculous over-sized hooded coat, and in many scenes wanders aimlessly killing victims that have nothing to do with the story. Being a horror fan I love mindless violence and gore, but I just didn't FEEL it with this movie. Finally, Dr. Loomis was a huge part of the original series. In this film he's reduced to a insignificant subplot, a frustrating mistake. The visions of white horses and Michael's mother seemed ridiculous. Loomis always was the one providing the insight into Michael's madness, and in my opinion that should've stayed the same. In addition, I wasn't too thrilled with Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie Strode in the 2007 remake but I was able to deal with her. In this film she's just an unbearably annoying psycho who spends most of the movie screaming and crying from bad dreams. By the end of the movie I was just hoping Michael would kill her already and put an end to this nightmare of an entry in an otherwise legend horror franchise.
I enjoyed Rob Zombie's 2007 remake. It was better than some of the later Halloween films. It was a fresh take and a solid effort to revitalize the Halloween franchise. How he could've fallen so far from the first movie to H2 is beyond my comprehension. There was so much to dislike about this movie I didn't even get to cover everything. I am thrilled to hear that 2010's Halloween 3-D will feature a new director. Hopefully someone can get this derailed freight train back on track. And for the sake of my all-time favorite horror movie hero Michael Myers, please bring back the original freakin music!!!
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
A WiseGuy's Review: Ending saves the day for this good but ultimately disappointing Tarantino film
This being what I believe to be Quentin Tarantino's first writing/directing work since the Kill Bill movies my expectations were certainly high for this movie. I was discouraged to read so many mixed reviews so I went into see the movie with an open mind. Overall I enjoyed it. After the second chapter the film slows down and gets pretty boring until the thrilling and violent final chapter really saves the day. Brad Pitt is by far the most entertaining presence in the film but Christoph Waltz really steals the show with his acting performance. I felt there was not enough time devoted to the Basterds themselves and the excitement factor really suffered as a result. All in all though great acting performances and an acceptable amount of action and violence.
I am a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino. Pulp Fiction is one of my all time favorite movies and I've loved just about everything he's done. While I enjoyed this film, there were too many slow portions and it was pretty hard to watch for a while until the amazing final chapter. As always though with Tarantino it's definitely worth a look see.
26/Male/Detroit
District 9 (2009)
A WiseGuy's Review: Best Sci-Fi/Action in some time...already saw it twice!
District 9 is a thrill ride from beginning to end featuring a brilliant blend of emotional scenes, laughs, violence and action. Its by far the best science fiction movie to come out in some time. The storyline is fast paced, dramatic, thought provoking, and highly entertaining. Sharlto Copley does a superb job playing the geekish lead role and providing most of the endless laughs throughout the film. The aliens play a big part of the movie which was a pleasant surprise. Director Neill Blomkamp did an amazing job creating this alternate reality and made it seem truly genuine and authentic. Definitely a must see for any movie goer and we can only hope District 10 is on the way.
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
A WiseGuy's Review: The Best PG-13 Horror Movie I've Ever Seen
25yr Male from Detroit, MI --- Based on pure scares, lead performances and overall movie experience, Drag Me To Hell is by far the best PG-13 horror movie I've ever seen. Wasn't sure what to expect out of this film but love Raimi's Army of Darkness and this movie far exceeded all of my expectations. There were so many tense scenes, random scares that made me jump, and hilarious over the top campy gore scenes. This movie is an absolute thrill-ride from beginning to end. Don't be swayed by the comedic aspect of this movie everyone keeps talking about. Yes, there are some laughs but this is a horror picture and I thought the comedy was very skillfully placed. I absolutely loved Alison Lohman in the lead role she seemed to really give this performance her all. The witch villain is disgusting and terrifying and awesome. The only PG-13 horror movie I could even begin to compare with this is the Ring which is an entirely different type of horror movie and really can't be compared. I had a great time seeing this movie it is faced paced, highly entertaining, very scary, visually stimulating, and certainly one of the best horror movies to come out in quite some time.
Up (2009)
A WiseGuy's Review: Talking Dogs steal the show in a movie anyone with a heart will love
25yr Male from Detroit, MI Up is a hugely entertaining, hilarious, and touching family movie that adults and kids can thoroughly enjoy. I was a big fan of the Toy Story movies growing up so was intrigued to see Pixar's first 3D outing. The movie far exceeded my expectations. Great animation, characters and story that almost reminded me of James and the Giant Peach in a way. I was a bit disappointed in the 3D effects, they certainly did not stretch the limits as far as things jumping out at you, etc. The movie was just kind of "in 3D". As far as the story, I am a big time dog lover so especially loved the canine aspect of the movie. Talking dogs were much more prominent in the storyline than I expected which was very entertaining to see. The "adult" themes some people are complaining about are incredibly subtle and bordering on non-existent. The whole theater was laughing and enjoying this movie from start to finish and it joins Night At The Museum 2 as two terrific family movies to check out right now.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
I Laughed the Whole Way Thru - Smith/Rogens Best Work
25 yrs/Male/Detroit --- Don't let the ridiculous negative reviews sway you from seeing this movie. In fact, they should more entice you to see it. If you are in the demographic this movie is going for, I'd say 16-any age with a sense of humor, you like Kevin Smith and/or Knocked Up...there is NO WAY you won't like this movie. Miri is such a smokin hot pleasure to see on screen, Seth Rogen's hilarious cuddly dude humor is in full effect, and the supporting cast is absolutely awesome. Jason Mewes, the black guy from The Office, and Brandon Routh as one of the gay couple + many more, all great. It is the ultimate romantic comedy that guys will probably like more than girlfriends....and by the way my girlfriend loved it as well. (I USUALLY HATE ROMANTIC COMEDIES)Funny, edgy, sick, profane, balls out full frontal (male and female) nudity......this should've been # 1 box office for sure. I definitely can't see any comedy surpassing this at least for this year. BEST COMEDY OF THE YEAR YOU HAVE TO SEE IT!!!!
The Rocker (2008)
Genre-familiar but NOT a rip-off, this movie is hilarious!!
M/25/Detroit This is a funny and thoroughly entertaining movie, period. The biggest complaint I've read so far is that is too close to School of Rock. (And on that note, how would that be a bad thing?) I will admit some scenes did seem SchoolofRockish, however, this is an entirely different story and totally stands on its own. The fact that it is being compared to School of Rock goes aways to describing how entertaining this film is.
Rainn Wilson plays a perfect over-the-top wannabe Rockstar who should've made it big but never did. He is awesome on The Office and I was very happy to see him deliver so huge in his first starring role. This movie is chalked full of laugh out loud scenes, witty one-liners, charming but not over the top feel-good moments, and every once in a while a scene that makes you wanna puke. :) By the way, haven't heard anyone mention Jason Sudeikis, who i'd never heard of before this movie. This guy was absolutely hilarious as ADD's band manager. Many gut busting scenes with this guy.
Quite simply, if you like Rainn Wilson, there is no way in Earth you won't like this movie. And chances are, if you have no opinion yet, you will still like him. Wilson, along with a terrific supporting cast, very clever (if predictable) writing make this one hell of a fun show to watch, even if it's a genre we are pretty familiar with.
Death Race (2008)
A WiseGuy's Review: Fast-paced, action/violence filled, non-stop high-adrenaline extravaganza
M/25/Detroit - I knew exactly what to expect when going into this movie: lots of mindless action, and that's what I wanted. But this movie went way beyond those expectations. I'm no paid movie critic and I know this is not Oscar material, but I thought this flick had a terrific story behind it. You figure there's going to be many repetitive car scenes and it will get boring after awhile. Not the case at all. There's a specific energy that precedes each race, something new to root for and see in each battle.
If anything I wish there had been a little more gore, but don't get me wrong there's enough to go around, as well as tons of violence. I don't know why everyone keeps exploiting the erotic side of the movie. There's no nudity, the women get a nice music video-type entrance and that's it for the sexual side of it.
Death Race is simply a face-paced, action/violence filled, decently storied, non-stop high-adrenaline extravaganza. When you throw in an action star like Jason Statham into a recipe like this, you know you are going to get some exciting fireworks. I don't know if my expectations were too low or not but this movie, at least for a huge movie goer like me who loves action, horror, gore and comedy, this flick delivered in a big way.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Great story, intriguing characters, and excellent special effects!!
M/24/Detroit - This was a very entertaining movie. I don't remember much about the first movie so I can't make a comparison but I was thoroughly entertained. Hellboy's character is a witty bad ass which goes well with all of the action and terrific visual effects. The monster scene was my personal favorite.
The story is interesting, the characters intriguing, the action is constant and again the visual effects are sense tingling. The best way for me to describe it would be Men in Black meets Cloverfield meets X-Men. It was a hard-hitting and funny feast for the eyes. I highly recommend this movie.
Iron Man (2008)
The Total Package - Downey is Perfect - Can't Wait For Sequel
24/M/Detroit - This movie was spectacular. I've never been too familiar with Iron Man but Tony Stark's character is awesome and it's a much different kind of super hero movie. A manned super hero, gotta love that. The special effects were sense tickling, the action well spread throughout the movie, and the funny spots had the whole theater erupting. Robert Downey Jr was perfect for this role, I can't believe the directors originally wanted a 20 something for the part. All in all very entertaining to watch and when the credits rolled I couldn't help but think "man I wanna see the sequel right now". Very good please keep these movies coming...CAN'T WAIT for the Incredible Hulk!!!
Rambo (2008)
Rambo delivers the goods: Tons of blood, action, violence, nostalgia
Male/24/Detroit, MI --- I saw the Rambo movies growing up and obviously saw John Rambo as an iconic figure. I recently re-watched the trilogy and obviously was most impressed with the first movie. The 2nd and 3rd were pretty cheesy but still great fun to watch because of the mindless violence and action. THAT'S RAMBO!!
I went into this movie expecting nothing less than what I got. A ton of blood, violence, and good ol' Rambo kickin' some foreign wrong-doer's asses. The beginning of the movie actually gives us a peak into the real travesties occurring in Burma, but after that it's straight fiction at it's best. I also loved all the new ways you see people getting killed in this movie. I think I muttered HOLY S**T about 15 different times. If the theater had been at least half full, I know we would've heard some cheers, rather than the occasional "ooh" and "aahs".
I really enjoyed the flashbacks to the old movies although I did think they were a bit oddly-timed and not used enough. I think Rambo's past should've been utilized much more. Other than that the consistent action and not-so-bad storyline (minus the religious group being total idiots) made this movie very enjoyable to watch.
For those who love relentless violence and action, which is the essence of the Rambo flicks (aside from the first, I suppose), you will absolutely love this movie. For those expecting anything else, go see # 1 Meet the Spartans which doesn't deserve to grace the big screen alongside Rambo.
Cloverfield (2008)
This movie was incredible - The best monster movie ever in my opinion
Male/24 yrs old/Detroit, MI This movie has it all. Comedy, suspense, horror, and tons of action. My expectations were very high and this movie definitely exceeded them. I was weary of the whole "Blair Witch" aspect with the hand-held camera documenting the whole movie, however, it works VERY well. This movie feels very real, the characters are great and it is pretty funny in many parts as well.
Fans who can't wait to see the monster don't worry because you see plenty of it in the film, much more than you would expect watching the previews. I don't want to describe it, but trust me, you aren't left guessing what it looks like.
This movie had some of the most intense scenes I have ever watched, and I don't think I have ever left a movie thinking "wow, that was an incredible movie". But I did today.
Do not cheat yourself out of an amazing experience, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!
Hot Pursuit (1987)
Comedy, Drama, Action, and Adventure wrapped in a charming love story - Don't Skip This One!!
Male/Born 1983/Detroit, Mi.
I am very disappointed with the lack of support on IMDb for this movie. I will admit I was very young when I first saw Hot Pursuit, but I recently watched it for the first time in many years and loved it all over again. It's a non-stop adventure with a ton of laughs, great characters, and an interesting story. It features Cusack in the prime of his young career and Ben Stiller before he was Ben Stiller.
I described the movie to a friend of mine as a comedy/adventure that kinda turns into a watered down Rambo flick...but in my opinion it works really well and is probably my favorite Cusack flick. I recently saw Better Off Dead for the first time and thought it was pretty good, but it's amazing to me that this Cusack movie doesn't carry more of a fan base.
Unfortunately, you may have a hard time finding this flick in the rental stores. I think I paid $8 for a new copy on Amazon, but this movie is definitely worth the buy. It will be one that you can watch over and over!!
Halloween (2007)
A WiseGuy's Review: Fans of the original will LOVE this movie - A MUST SEE!!
I'm a 24 year-old die hard fan of the Halloween franchise, and was amped about this movie ever since I first heard about it. My expectations were pretty high since this is pretty much a remake and it looked great from the previews. Man, I was not disappointed!!! The beginning parts of the movie with young Myers are excellent, definitely what the original was lacking. It didn't drag on to me at all and was very interesting to watch. The second half of the movie is basically a remake of the original with a bunch of new twists and deaths.
All in all it was an awesome flick with WAY more deaths and gore than the original. (I seriously think the death total is up around 15+) My only complaints are the 3 girls including Laurie. All 3 of the actresses were slutty and annoying. But casting the niece from Halloween 4 + 5 was definitely a nice touch. Original music, Loomis was great, and Myers was great too. It really did the original justice, and in some ways was even better. My only complaint was that there was not nearly enough of the theme songs used which is the main reason these movies are scary.
Anyone who didn't like this movie obviously didn't like the Halloween series to begin with. I hope they make a 100 more of these movies, I will always go see them!! Definitely worth the price of admission!