Blazing Saddles
Release Date: 1974
Director: Mel Brooks
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Cleavon Little (as Sheriff Bart) Gene Wilder (as Jim, aka "The Waco Kid") Harvey Korman (as Hedley Lamarr) and Slim Pickens (as Taggart)
IMDB Rating: 7.7
My Rating: 6.7
Length: 93 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $3 million/$126 million
A rather outrageous film that is pretty comparable to the Monty Python series, Blazing Saddles does a good job both generalizing the comedy and making it seem applicable to multiple parties. Rather funny for its time of release, it followed the rise of an African-American sheriff in the middle of the white-dominated west of the 1870's. Due to that theme, racism was rampant throughout the film, insulting all sides, part of what makes the film comical. The soundtrack is almost always the worst part of most most films prior to the '90's in my opinion, and this film is not an exception It does get corny at times, as what Monty has major issues with throughout its entirety. But definitely one of the better outrageous comedies of its generation.
A rather outrageous film that is pretty comparable to the Monty Python series, Blazing Saddles does a good job both generalizing the comedy and making it seem applicable to multiple parties. Rather funny for its time of release, it followed the rise of an African-American sheriff in the middle of the white-dominated west of the 1870's. Due to that theme, racism was rampant throughout the film, insulting all sides, part of what makes the film comical. The soundtrack is almost always the worst part of most most films prior to the '90's in my opinion, and this film is not an exception It does get corny at times, as what Monty has major issues with throughout its entirety. But definitely one of the better outrageous comedies of its generation.
Catwoman
Release Date: 2004
Director: Pitoff
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Halle Berry (as Patience Phillips/Catwoman) and Benjamin Bratt (as Detective Tom Lone)
Based On: Catwoman by Bob Kane
IMDB Rating: 3.2
My Rating: 4.1
Length: 104 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $100 million/$82 million
I was really surprised that this awful film made even half he gross it did, what it did make was most likely due to the Catwoman character having a past role in the ever-popular Batman films. This film was just bad all-around, with a horrible mythical-legend-becoming-a-superhero background and poppy '90's music being the biggest downfalls. Little-to-no running plot nor character development also aided in making it bad. The only positive being some ok action sequences, which should be expected given its genre, but not enough to salvage this poor attempt of a movie.
Due Date
Release Date: 2010
Director: Todd Phillips
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Robert Downey, Jr. (as Peter Highman) and Zach Galifianakis (as Ethan Tremblay/Chase)
IMDB Rating: 6.7
My Rating: 6.6
Length: 95 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $65 million/ $210 million
Another typical outrageous anything-that-can-go-wrong-does comedies, Downey gets stuck with Galifianakis on a cross-country road trip to make Downey's character's birth of his child. A good story of acquired friendships by opposite personalities, the plot stays decently on track throughout for a comedy. I have never been impressed by Downey's few comedic roles, I prefer him to stick to action/drama where he excels. I did think that Galifianakis put forth a solid comedic performance, on the contrary. The film's best asset was its ending/closure in which they did a good job of clarifying and closing the situations, while continuing the comedy through the last seconds.
Release Date: 2010
Director: Tony Scott
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Denzel Washington (as Frank Barnes) Chris Pine (as Will Colson) Rosario Dawson (as Connie Hooper)
IMDB Rating: 6.9
My Rating: 5.7
Length: 98 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $90 million/$166 million
Budget/Gross Revenue: $90 million/$166 million
My prediction before watching the movie or reading its plot: they will stop the train. Pretty predictable plot and ending when the entire film is based on a train that cannot leave its immovable tracks. The extremely simple plot was saved in part by good performances of the veteran Washington and Chris Pine of Star Trek fame. Dawson was flawless as well, although she seemed slightly out of place in a train yard. The thriller-aspect was decent, but again, it was hard for me to get into a film about a train being the antagonist. The resolution to me was simple enough: Keep people out of the way, stop the train, and pay for the damages. End of story.
Release Date: 2007
Director: Gavin Hood
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Omar Metwally (as Anwar El-Ibrahimi) Reese Witherspoon (as Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi) and Jake Gyllenhaal (as Douglas Freeman)
Based On: the true story of Khalid El-Masri who was mistaken for Khalid al-Masri
IMDB Rating: 6.9
My Rating: 7.0
Length: 122 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: Unknown/$27 million
Based during the recent times of terrorism and power struggle in the Middle East, Rendition gives a good representation of the problems that take place with stereotypes and terrorism in foreign relations. Think kind of a The Kingdom and a movie soon to be mentioned combination, Traitor. Decent acting by most throughout, despite relatively unknown cast beyond the big names of Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal. The subplots of the film were what made it more than just an average one, with an interesting Romeo and Juliet theme from the daughter of the police sargent and a rebel muslim terrorist, which ends up happening before the current time of the film, an excellent twist explained at the end of the film. One of those films that was saved by a little segment, but even that can make a movie great in some cases, just not totally here.Million Dollar Baby
Release Date: 2004
Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Clint Eastwood (as Frankie Dunn) Hilary Swank (as Maggie Fitzgerald) and Morgan Freeman (as Eddie Dupris)
IMDB Rating: 8.2
My Rating: 8.9
Length: 132 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $30 million/$217 million
This film and one of next's weeks superb films, Gran Torino, are the main reasons why I have recently become a huge fan of Clint Eastwood, not just the great films he directs (Invictus, Changeling, Letters from Iwo Jima) but especially the ones he also acts in. Million Dollar Baby's excellence was also greatly aided by two extremely good supporting performances in Freeman and Swank, both of which won Oscars, Best Supporting Actor and Best Leading Actress respectively. The sincerity of Eastwood is so amazing towards the end of the film as Swank's character attempts to survive through her paralyzing injury. Eastwood truly has a gift of combining his ever-hardass mentality with that spotty sincerity that forces the audience to sympathize with his character. I don't want to go anymore in depth, as I plan on doing a big special on Eastwood and his major releases. But this film is a for sure must-see, regardless of your premonitions, as with any film Mr. Eastwood has a hand in.
Release Date: 1997
Director: Tom Shadyac
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Jim Carrey (as Fletcher Reede) Maura Tierney (as Audrey Reede) and Justin Cooper (as Max Reede)
IMDB Rating: 6.7
My Rating: 7.4
Length: 86 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $45 million/$302 million
A Jim Carrey-typical comedy that exercises good closure along with a good theme and moral throughout. The films stays funny without trying too hard as it relates lying-savvy Carrey's life that starts to fall apart. As his wife and child plan on moving away, his skills of representing people in court likewise diminish. Only by telling the truth does he regain his former life. A good-feeling story that lacks some amount of depth overall but gets laughs from Carrey's uproarious behaviors.
Release Date: 2008
Director: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Don Cheadle (as Samir Horn) Guy Pearce (as Agent Roy Clayton) and Saïd Taghmaoui (as Omar)
IMDB Rating: 7.1
My Rating: 7.1
Length: 114 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $22 million/$28 million
As previously mentioned, as the plot of this movie progressed I found it eerily similar to that of a previously watched film ealier ths week, Rendition, which was coincidental as I had no intention of watching these together nor did they have similar production members. Both had heavy influences of terrorism, stereotypes, spies, and counter-terrorism by government agencies, though Cheadle's role in the film is actually the opposite of that of Omar Metwally in Rendition. Cheadle does a great job of showing conviction throughout the film as the film's protagonist who attempts to bring down terrorist organizations by posing as one of their own. The film also does a good job of twisting the plot at the end to fix Cheadle's situation, but I had a hard time relating to Cheadle's character's extreme remorse for the accidental deaths he caused that concluded the film.
Release Date: 2011
Director: Dennis Dugan
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Adam Sandler (as Dr. Daniel Maccabee) Jennifer Aniston (as Katherine Murphy) Brooklyn Decker (as Palmer Dodge)
Based On: the 1969 film, Cactus Flower, which was adapted from an earlier Broadway stage play, written by Abe Burrows, which in turn was based upon the French play Fleur de cactus.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
My Rating: 8.7
Length: 117 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $80 million/$123 million
As some may have been noticed, I have kind of been in a Clint Eastwood and Adam Sandler fix within Weeks 7-9. I have been very impressed with nearly all the films that those two big names have been in, especially this one. Just Go With It was easily one of the most funny films of any genre I have seen, the theatre I was in rarely had a pause between outbursts of laughter more than 5 minutes apart. Decker played a great part in her film debut, as well as kept the plot meaningful and youthfully innocent. Sandler also played an excellent father figure to Anniston's character's children which game the film a good family theme. I really loved this film, evident by its appearance as one of my favorite comedies to date.
Release Date: 2011
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Liam Neeson (as Dr. Martin Harris) Diane Kruger (as Gina) and January Jones (as Elizabeth Harris)
Based On: Out of My Head by Didier van Cauwelaert
IMDB Rating: 7.3
My Rating: 6.6
Length: 113 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$78 million
An actionless disappointment and a plot that, once revealed, was too simplistic and contradictory to a hitman action film. For those hoping for a Taken-similar shoot-'em-up like me, this was the main cause of disappointment, as Neeson does little more throughout the film than attempt to discover his true identity and ruin that former identity's assignments once he realizes that truth. Essentially, the hypocrisy that Neeson presents stems solely from a car accident and makes the plot average at best. The performances of action-savy Neeson and Kruger saved the film from being a disaster, although Jones did not help the film or her reputation as a sub-par actress by acting a rigid performance that gave her the reputation. Again, a serious disappointment after the hype I put up for it in my Upcoming Films Premiers review.
Release Date: 2010
Director: David O. Russell
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Mark Wahlberg (as Micky Ward) Christian Bale (as Dicky Eklund) and Amy Adams (as Charlene Fleming)
Based On: the life of professional boxer Micky Ward and his older half-brother Dicky Eklund
IMDB Rating: 8.1
My Rating: 7.5
Length: 115 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $25 million/$117 million
I was uncertain as to to what I was going to get from this film, although most every boxing/fighting film I have seen to date has been above average or higher (Cinderella Man, Never Back Down, Rocky series), so the chances were good for this film that had done well already critically. I really enjoyed the connection and brotherhood between Wahlberg and Bale, as well as how it correlated between Bale's past fighting and Wahlberg's current. Bale's reoccuring cocaine problem as well as the brother's over-involved rather white-trash family are both annoying and frequently causing problems in Wahlberg's career and personal life until both are resolved in good fashion towards the end of the film. Both Bale's return to and rejection of his cocaine-smoking friends and Wahlberg's winning title bout where he knock's the defender out in one late round were equally powerful scenes that made the film the Oscar-nominee Best Picture it was. A well done film that does a good job of employing powerful scenes to cover up the dryness within the middle of its storyline.
Release Date: 1991
Director:Jonathan Demme
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Jodie Foster (as Clarice Starling) Anthony Hopkins (as Dr. Hannibal Lecter) and Scott Glenn (as Jack Crawford)
Based On: The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
IMDB Rating: 8.7
My Rating: 7.1
Length: 118 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $19 million/$273 million
One of only 3 films in history to win all five major Oscar awards (Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing from Another Medium), Silence is the second part to the popular 4 book series that has been since turned into a production on the screen. The accolades of this film are well-founded for the most part, as the overall composition of the film's acting and plotline was excellent. Hopkins' role as Hannibal Lector really freaked me out, his psychologist occupation really fits well with his intricate personality and psychotic murderous intentions. I did like this move for the most part, but didn't love it due to its slight lack of purpose and/or meaning, mainly due to it being a part of series and in the thriller/horror genre.
One of only 3 films in history to win all five major Oscar awards (Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing from Another Medium), Silence is the second part to the popular 4 book series that has been since turned into a production on the screen. The accolades of this film are well-founded for the most part, as the overall composition of the film's acting and plotline was excellent. Hopkins' role as Hannibal Lector really freaked me out, his psychologist occupation really fits well with his intricate personality and psychotic murderous intentions. I did like this move for the most part, but didn't love it due to its slight lack of purpose and/or meaning, mainly due to it being a part of series and in the thriller/horror genre.
Release Date: 2008
Director: Louis Leterrier
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Edward Norton (as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk) Liv Tyler (as Dr. Elizabeth Ross) Tim Roth (as Emil Blonsky / Abomination) and William Hurt (as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross)
Based On: The Incredible Hulk by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Rating: 7.1
My Rating: 6.9
Length: 112 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $150 million/$263 million
Really one of the most disappointing superhero/comic book films I have seen to date, even worse than the averageness of Kick-Ass. Hulk had a decent theme, plotline, and acting, but the background of the characters flew by in a quick slide-show at the beginning as well as the film also did a terrible job of hooking the audience in and truly relating with the main characters within the plotline. The film could have done so much more with building the characters, where they came from and why they were apart of what they were instead of plotting solely upon Norton evading Abomination and attempting to get rid of his powers. I did like how the film did connect with the Avengers storyline that is upcoming, similar to the previous Iron Man parts and the upcoming Thor and Captain America productions. I did give this film some overall credit due to it being in my preferred genre of action and superhero, but not the credit most others in that genre would receive.
Funny People 5.4
Release Date: 2009
Director: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Adam Sandler (as George Simmons) Seth Rogen (as Ira Wright) and Leslie Mann (as Laura)
IMDB Rating: 6.8
My Rating: 5.4
Length: 146 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $75 million/$72 million
Having potential throughout the first half the of this comedy to be a solid film overall, this took a turn for the worse as the film lost its comedic and sensitive effect when Sandler's character both is cured of his form of leukemia as well as intrudes in his x-wife's family. I have been a big fan of Sandler's films and acting lately, however, this film ruined that streak of quality started by 50 First Dates and Just Go With It. Better writing and directing could have solved this film's problems with seriously altering the storyline mid-way through and ending with little-to-no closure.
A very long list of reviews this past week, but some excellent films watched among those reviewed. I hope that by scratching the surface of some films worth watching, what is revealed underneath can only aid in helping you realize the beauty in what your eyes present to your mind.
-Jarid Holliday
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