Zombieland
Release Date: 2009
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Jesse Eisenberg (as Columbus) Woody Harrelson (as Tallahassee) Emma Stone (as Wichita) and Abigail Breslin (as Little Rock)
Based On:
IMDB Rating: 7.8
My Rating: 8.9
Length: 88 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $24 million/$102 million
Since viewing this film, I have really sort of gotten into a zombie film fix, although none that I have seen (The Crazies, 28 Days Later..., Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead) have not come close in both comedy and action, two attributes I expect in similar movies. Zombieland did an excellent job adding text graphics, while keeping the apocalyptic theme of survival and big guns. Acting all-around was solid, a given with Harrelson, but the film was really sold by its action comedy that did not cease throughout. The concept of being some of the last people on earth attempting to survive (the I am Legend theme as I call it) was more than enough to keep me entranced and cover up the films shortened time (88 minutes). I anxiously await a sequel for this gem.
Hulk
Release Date: 2003
Director: Ang Lee
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Eric Bana (as Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk) Jennifer Connelly (as Betty Ross) Sam Elliott (as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross) and Nick Nolte (as David Banner / The Absorbing Man)
IMDB Rating: 5.7
My Rating: 7.2
Length: 138 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $137 million/$245 million
Having been moderately disappointed in the newest Hulk issue of the comic series, 2007's The Incredible Hulk, I didn't have a whole lot of faith in this older, more-animated version. However, despite it's animation-heavy graphics, I felt that this version, unlike the new one, actually had a glimpse of a plot and gave a decent representation of the origin of the superhero, per say. Acting was similar to the 2007 version, with Bana and Norton and Connelly and Liv Tyler all playing similar roles. An all around decent film, but I expect a lot more from the superhero/comic book genre.
Michael Clayton
Release Date: 2007
Director: Tony Gilroy
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: George Clooney (as Michael Clayton) Tom Wilkinson (as Arthur Edens) Tilda Swinton (as Karen Crowder)
IMDB Rating: 7.4
My Rating: 6.6
Length: 119 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $25 million/$93 million
Another pattern I have been into in previous weeks has been seeing a lot of George Clooney films, which really hasn't been on purpose. I am not a huge fan of him in general, but I do feel he does a solid job overall, and I give him respect for that. He plays quite a few different roles in films, which a lot of performers don't do these days, but he always retains his common deviant attitude throughout all of them, essentially he rarely plays by the book. Michael Clayton is exactly that. Clayton is the fixer who takes care of problems within his company's departments, however, when Clooney is sick of the corruption that surrounds him, he stops putting up with it and causes changes to happen. A decent political film with a good flashback/tie-in that kept me interested, though not entranced.
Jackass 3
Release Date: 2010
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Genre: Documentary
Main Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and Ryan Dunn (as themselves)
IMDB Rating: 7.1
My Rating: 6.4
Length: 94 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $20 million/$170 million
This movie is pretty self-explanatory since it is nearly identical to it's 2 (and a half) predecessors. Numerous men of low common sense and high pain tolerance perform stunts, often extremely perverted, for the entirety of 94 minutes. While this can be extremely comical at times (and make the male gender feel sick to their stomach due to specific injuries), I get tired of it after a limited amount of them eating dirt. Some of their stunts are actually interesting in the Myth-Buster sort of away (namely the small-engine airplane air force), but are best suited, in my opinion, in the television series it was initially designed for.
This movie is pretty self-explanatory since it is nearly identical to it's 2 (and a half) predecessors. Numerous men of low common sense and high pain tolerance perform stunts, often extremely perverted, for the entirety of 94 minutes. While this can be extremely comical at times (and make the male gender feel sick to their stomach due to specific injuries), I get tired of it after a limited amount of them eating dirt. Some of their stunts are actually interesting in the Myth-Buster sort of away (namely the small-engine airplane air force), but are best suited, in my opinion, in the television series it was initially designed for.
The American
Release Date: 2010
Director: Anton Corbijn
Genre: Action
Main Cast: George Clooney (as Jack/Edward) Violante Placido (as Clara) and Thekla Reuten (as Mathilde)
Based On:
IMDB Rating: 6.5
My Rating: 6.3
Length: 105 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $20 million/$68 million
The gunsmithing/hitman theme of this film proved to be about the only interesting part of the film to me, as it resulted in beeing an extremely slow and unproductive romance drama lacking the necessary action. By unproductive I mean that literally nothing of value within the plot took place throughout the entire film. In fact, the conclusion doesn't even make a conclusive decision as to whether or not Clooney survived to change his murderous ways to escape with his newest girlfriend. I was not impressed with this film in the least.
Babel
Release Date: 2006
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: An ensemble cast
IMDB Rating: 7.6
My Rating: 5.1
Length: 143 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $25 million/$135 million
Babel is the only Brad Pitt and/or Cate Blanchett film that I have thoroughly disliked. This murder mystery-type film did a decent job of tying in the plot throughout the multiple storylines, other than that there was really no positives that I could take from the 2+ hours of filming. I really despised the immensely insecure Japanese girl sideplot, as it really disgusted me and caused the film to go from bad to much worse. Also the depressing themes of death, depression, being stranded, and losing loved ones really didn't get me into the film whatsoever. I would not suggest this film to anyone.
Blow
Release Date: 2001
Director: Ted Demme
Genre: Biography
Main Cast: Johnny Depp (as George Jung) Jordi Mollà (as Diego Delgado) Penélope Cruz (as Mirtha Jung) and Ray Liotta (as Fred Jung)
Based On:
IMDB Rating: 7.4
My Rating: 7.5
Length: 124 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $53 million/$83 million
I was really impressed with the overall themes and plotline that this American Gangster twin presented. Depp was absolutely superb throughout, the norm for any of his roles. The story of drugs, money, greed, love, and fall from grace hits its low when the true account of Jung getting caught for the last time and losing his relationship with his daughter in the finale. The whole plot of the drug mogul elevating from being a simple pot dealer to prominent cocaine lord keeps the audience riveted while still understanding the inevitable end.
I was really impressed with the overall themes and plotline that this American Gangster twin presented. Depp was absolutely superb throughout, the norm for any of his roles. The story of drugs, money, greed, love, and fall from grace hits its low when the true account of Jung getting caught for the last time and losing his relationship with his daughter in the finale. The whole plot of the drug mogul elevating from being a simple pot dealer to prominent cocaine lord keeps the audience riveted while still understanding the inevitable end.
Grandma's Boy
Release Date: 2006
Director: Nicholaus Goossen
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Allen Covert (as Alex) Linda Cardellini (as Samantha) Peter Dante (as Dante) and Doris Roberts (as Grandma Lilly)
IMDB Rating: 6.9
My Rating: 5.6
Length: 96 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $5 million/$38 million
Grandma's Boy was the usual cheap stoner comedy that provided some laughs and had a heavy video-game emphasis. There was really no true meaning or moral throughout, accept that Alex needed to grow up. The usual type of film provider of quick laughs, not a film that I will need nor want to be seeing for a second time in the near future.
Big Daddy
Release Date: 1999
Director: Dennis Dugan
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Adam Sandler (as Sonny Kaufax) Dylan and Cole Sprouse (as Julian) and Joey Lauren Adams (as Layla)
IMDB Rating: 6.1
My Rating: 6.7
Length: 93 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $34 million/$235 million
I really thought Big Daddy proved to be a solid watch for my first time viewing it in its entirety, the plot easily followed by those of all ages. Sandler did an above-average role as an irresponsible man living on pension from a automobile accident that falls into being the caretaker of a young boy. The two's bonding throughout the film seems realistic and heartfelt, as does the father-son bonding between Sandler and his father in the court scene finale. The Sprouse twins (all over the Disney channel today) also do an excellent job combining their talents to make a funny orphaned youngster. This is a very good comedy that both serves a purpose and contains meaning.
A decent week of films that had it positives and negatives, while a host of average films that aren't anything to go out of your way to watch. Here's to getting caught back up on my reviews...
-Jarid Holliday
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