Forrest Gump (1994) review

(10/10)

     Forrest Gump falls nothing short of the classic it wants to be. With an iconic performance by Tom Hanks, a story full of history, and an inspiring message behind it all, this film lives on as one of the most popular of its time and well-deserving of its many Academy Awards.

PLOT: Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is a simple man from Alabama with a small IQ and a big heart. Since he was little, Forrest had always dealt with problems from bullies to his scoliosis. However, things start to change for Forrest when he meets a young girl named Jenny (Robin Wright) and becomes best friends with her. Their relationship grows strong throughout history and the many events Forrest attends, but both eventually go their own ways. Forrest joins the military where he meets shrimp-enthusiast Bubba (Mykelti Williamson) and harsh Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise), whereas Jenny joins the hippie movement and travels the country freely. Throughout their time apart, each starts to realize how much they care for each other. For the rest of the film, we're guided through Forrest's life and roles in history as he goes with his intuition and realizes he eventually has to stop running. The plot is very well written and executed. All of Forrest's roles in important historical events make this feel both like lesson and a treat for history enthusiasts. Seeing how everything is connected and tied back to the meaning is simply amazing to watch.

ACTING: All of the performances in this film are perfect. Every performer acts to fit his or her character in such an accurate way. I couldn't picture anyone else playing any other character in this film, especially with Tom Hanks in his iconic role of the titular character, Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks almost acts as if he had really been Forrest his whole life. No role could have said any of his iconic lines better. Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson, and Gary Sinise all played their roles just as excellently. Every performer in this film is fully-deserving of respect after each's consecutive roles in this film.

SCORE: The score for Forrest Gump is just as inspirational and uplifting as the overall film is. Talented composer Alan Silvestri takes the reigns in writing the background score for the film and does so in a simplistically fitting way. The soundtrack is also one of the best soundtracks in film history, with each addition fitting the decade it arose from in the film. From classics like "Hound Dog" from Elvis and "Can't Help Myself" from The Four Tops to classic rock hits like "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival and "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield, Forrest Gump's soundtrack feels much like radio station made only for the classic rock generation.

EFFECTS: There aren't many special effects to focus on in Forrest Gump aside from the Vietnam sequences. The explosions are very realistically done with an impressive "wow" factor upon first viewing. Everything done effect wise in the Vietnam sequence is amazing. They aren't the best, but they definitely succeed in the entertainment factor.

OTHER CONTENT: Forrest Gump is truly a film with both a brain and a heart behind it. Through the many inclusions of the simple-minded titular character in history, the film slyly teaches a lesson on how no matter how small someone thinks he or she is, he or she has probably made a huge impact on one's life. Prestigious director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Cast Away, Romancing the Stone) shows his skills in making the film with a clean, unique understanding of  the points he wants to get across. This is also evident from the symbolic focus on the feather, which stands for the ups and downs life can take a person through. Everything in this film, from the screenplay to the specific script is well-crafted and aimed for cogent perfection.

     Forrest Gump is an iconic, memorable film for obvious reasons. There isn't a question about why it became as popular and award-winning as it did. Perfect performances, solid direction, a great soundtrack, and a clear expression of meaning lead this film into a sort of safe zone. Almost everyone enjoys it and can relate to it, critics and the general public alike. I'm not saying people can't hate the film, but if one looks at the big picture, one can't help but to enjoy it. Forrest Gump itself is like a "box of chocolates"; when watching it, you never know what you can get out of it.

Argo (2012) review

(9/10)

This Oscar-winning film of 2012 was a pretty cool and accurate thrill ride through an important event of the Iranian revolution.

PLOT:During the Iranian revolution in the 1970s, the people of Iran break into the U.S. embassy in Tehran and take 52 Americans hostage. However, six of the hostages are able to slip away and reside with the Canadian ambassador's house. No one has any idea what to do until Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with the absurd idea of making a fake movie set in Iran, entitled Argo, to sneak beyond Iran's border and rescue the six hostages. With the help of director John Chambers (John Goodman) and Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), he attempts to sell his idea of the fake sci-fi and make his way into Iran. It's a great plot executed very well.



ACTING:The acting in here was pretty good. I don't think it was truly exceptional, but it was still really good. Ben Affleck played a pretty good part as the clever Tony Mendez. John Goodman and Alan Arkin were pretty outstanding as John Chambers and Lester Siegel, however. There were really no bad performances in the film, but aside from these guys, no one really stood out.

SCORE:The score in here was pretty good. I didn't think it ultimately stood out, but it got the movie along well.



OTHER CONTENT:This film was pretty cool. I like how it was based on a true story. Aside from the lead performances and good execution, this film seemed very accurate. From what I've learned about the Iranian revolution and the time period, this seemed very much accurate, along with the pictures showed at the end to clarify. However, I didn't like how it lagged in the middle and then suddenly picked up at the end. It makes it seem a little unbalanced. Do I think it deserved it's Best Picture award? Yes, I do. It's still a finely-done, accurate, thrilling for the most part, darkly-humored film that reminds me a lot of The King's Speech in structure.

OVERALL,an awesome film with a great plot, pretty good acting, pretty good score, strong accuracy, dark humor, and thrills, but it felt uneven due to a lag in the middle.

Persepolis (2007) review

(8/10)

This animated biography about this girl's life explores the culture of an oppressive government in a touching and accurate way.

PLOT:Marjane Satrapi (Chiara Mastroianni) is an Iranian girl who constantly speaks out against the oppressive government she lives in. She loves music, rebels, and her family. This film chronicles her life from her childhood to her early adulthood through the Islamic revolution and covers most every rule from the dark veil she must wear everywhere to the restriction of media interference. It's a good plot executed brilliantly.



VOICES:The voice acting in here was pretty good. Even though I watched the French version and couldn't understand the language (I used subtitles), I still found the voices very well done. Chiara Mastroianni played a great part as Marjane Satrapi, speaking out emotionally, as if she was Marjane. The other shiners would be Catherine Deneuve as Tadji, Simon Abkarian as Ebi, Francois Jerosme as Uncle Anouch, and Danielle Darrieux as Marjane's grandmother. Danielle specifically did a great job among this bunch, due to the script she was given.

SCORE:The background score in this film was very touching and soft, matching the exact mood of the film. This also contained a rather comedic appearance of Iron Maiden and rendition of "Eye of the Tiger". I enjoyed it.

ANIMATION:The animation in here is unique and very accurate emotionally to the film. Though it was very detailed, it didn't cover some scenes as well as I believe a live-action film could've done.



OTHER CONTENT:For the most part, this film was emotionally and factually accurate. It left a fairly good emotional impact on me and made me thankful for the freedoms I have. However, I think a few of the things in the film were exaggerated outside the facts, and I didn't understand this as much as I think I should've. I think this film was mainly made for a certain crowd, and a bit of it didn't catch my attention. It did leave a big emotional impact and had a lot of good parts to it, but I feel that it had just these couple of mistakes.

OVERALL,a great animated film with a brilliant plot, pretty good voice acting, touching score, unique animation, a good emotional impact, and a lot of good parts, but I think some things are exaggerated, and I don't understand it as well as I thought I should've

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) review

(10/10)

I've been waiting to see this acclaimed work of Del Toro for a long time, and now that I have seen it, I have to say that it's definitely like nothing I've seen.

PLOT:During the Spanish Civil War around 1944, 10-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) has traveled with her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to live with her tyrannical stepfather, the Captain (Sergi Lopez). Ofelia has always been a heavy bookworm, but her parents haven't been real appreciative of it lately. They think she should grow up. However, this storybook world Ofelia has created influences her future. She finds her way down to the labyrinth outside her quarters and meets a mysterious creature known as the Pan (Doug Jones), a faun. This creature tells her that she used to be princess of the underworld in a past life, and that she can regain her place on the throne if she completes three perilious tasks. It seems decently easy, but her mother's getting violently ill from the baby, the war outside is getting rough (especially with secret spies running around), and the Captain is getting rougher. Even more complicated, what if this world's just a fantasy inside her head? It's a great plot executed brilliantly.



ACTING:The performances in this film are done very well. I think Ivana Baquero played a pretty respectable part as Ofelia. She played childlike emotions in such a way that it fit in with the whole feeling of the film. The other shiners would be Sergi Lopez as Captain Videl, Maribel Verdu as Mercedes, Doug Jones as Pan and the Pale Man, and Alex Angulo as the Doctor.

SCORE:The score was very well done as it was composed of various themes and lullabies put together by Javier Navarette.

EFFECTS:One thing I really liked about the effects for this film is that for the most part, they looked real. The bugs, giant toad, pale man, and even Pan himself all looked mind-boggingly real. Needless to say, they are very well done.



OTHER CONTENT:This film is truly a work of art on Del Toro's part. It's a beautiful, emotionally-packed, well-edited allegory to war through the eyes of a minor. The film is shot in such a way that it comes off as a work of art. It's packed with a whole tangle of different emotions felt throughout the entire film: sadness, wonder, mystery, anticipation, terror, etc. It's truly an emotional film on its own. Guillermo del Toro definitely put a touch upon editing the film, for each scene is shot with as much precision as Speilberg does in America. The main thing that makes this film great is the meaning. It's a tale of war taught through a child's eyes. All the violence and trauma the war has caused has even caused the fantasy-land in her head to turn dark. Each event in her life draws a different event in her fantasy whatever it may be. If you guess right, you can infer the only way for her to find peace. However, the audience is never quite sure if the magic existed or if it really was all inside her head. Either way, it's a very touching comparison to the war. There are a few moments where it can become predictable, but everything else overall makes up for it. This truly is a horrific fantasy for adults.

OVERALL,an epic dark fantasy with a brilliant plot, very well done performances, very well done score, realistic effects, the effect of real art, emotional variety, precision editing, and a touching comparison to war, even if it can get predictable.

No Time for Sergeants (1958) review

(8/10)

Aside from the series, this is the first Andy Griffith work I've seen, and it was pretty funny for its time.

PLOT:Will Stockdale (Andy Griffith) is a simple-minded, country bumpkin that lives with his pa near Tobacco Road in Georgia. When he's picked for the draft and nearly arrested (thanks to his pa tearing up his draft letters), he's shipped out to the Air Force barracks, where he befriends the small and jumpy Ben Whitledge (Nick Adams). They both realize later on in the movie that they both want to be transferred to the infantry, where the real heroes are. When Stockdale asks his sergeant, Sergeant King (Myron McCormick), King puts him on latrine duty and makes him PLO (Permanent Latrine Orderly). However, when the colonel find out, King has to get Stockdale classified or lose his job.  So now, Stockdale must find a way to get classified fast and also be put in infantry with Ben. If you know Andy Griffith by now, you know this isn't going to work out well. It's a simple plot executed pretty well for its time.



ACTING:The acting is actually pretty great. There really isn't a bad performance in this movie. Griffith, Adams, and McCormick come out to be a different type of three stooges; a screwball trio, if you will. They all play their parts well and to the best. The other shiners are Don Knotts as Corporal Brown, James Millhollin as the psychiatrist, and William Fawcet as Pa Stockdale. The only performance that I felt fall a smidgeon short of great was Murray Hamilton as Irvin Blanchard.

SCORE:The score was mainly made up of big band music and military themes such as "Taps", "The Star-Spangled Banner", and "When the Saints Go Marchin' In". It was pretty standard, but not bad.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie was pretty great considering how the times were in comedy and such. It was a pretty funny film all around. However, I felt that it fell a little in humor from its time of release. It is just a simple screwball comedy set in the military, but I think that kind of helps its fall a bit, for the jokes don't live funny as long as the more clever laughs. Some scenes still did come off as clever and stole the humor away from some of the simple stuff, however. I also felt that the first half of the movie succeeded way over the second half from when they leave the barracks. It's still a pretty funny little movie even now.

OVERALL,a great screwball comedy with a simple plot, great acting, typical-yet-good score, some clever scenes, a great first half, and great humor for its time, but it's a little too simple which causes it to fall in funniness from its time.

Apocalypse Now (1979) review

(10/10)

I'm not one for war films, but this had me hooked from the start.

PLOT:In this Vietnam War epic, we follow Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) as he's assigned to a mission to hunt down and kill a rogue colonel who went insane and took his troops with him, Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Capt. Willard boards a boat with a group of guys who agree to take him to this location. This film is his descent into the deep trenches of the 'Nam war. The plot is pretty basic, but executed brilliantly.



ACTING:The acting was great. Sheen did a brilliant job, as did Brando. I saw the toughness and insanity in each ones story through their acting. Besides these two stars of the show, the other shiners were Fredric Forrest as Chef, Albert Hall as Chief, and Dennis Hopper as the photo journalist with honorable mentions to Harrison Ford as the colonel, Laurence Fishbourne as Clean, and the camoes of Francis Ford Coppola as the director and the Playmates.

SCORE:The score is mixed up of several types of themes, from The Doors, to creepy horror score, to intense 80s-sounding score. They all mixed in to make fitting moods either way.

CAMERAWORK:This earned an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and it shows. The shots captured by Coppola and his camera crew are harrowing and unique, as that of Kubrick. This is my first Coppola film other than The Outsiders, which I also enjoyed, and this has already gotten me hooked to him. Well played, Francis, well played.



OTHER CONTENT:People say this is the greatest war film ever created. Even though I haven't seen many, I would agree so far. The Vietnam War was a haunting, disturbing, scary war, and this captured everything and then some. It was brutal. It was twisted. It was all made in a brilliant way. This movie was memorable from its disturbing situations all the way down to its unique quotes. This is truly a brilliant film.

OVERALL,an epic war film with a brilliantly executed plot, great acting, mixed score, harrowing camerawork, and everything needed to make an accurate Vietnam War film.

Inglourious Basterds (2009) review

(9/10)

I have finally seen it. The wait is over for me, and passed on to another unlucky cinephile.

PLOT:There are two separate storylines in this anti-Holocaust film. The first is led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), leader of the notorious Nazi killing group, The Basterds. They have grouped everyone from the ferocious Donnie "The Bear Jew" Donowitz (Eli Roth) to the notorious Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger). They formulate a plan to ambush the local theater they're showing the Nazi film, "Nation's Pride" in and blow it up, for the four highest ranks in the war (including Hitler) are attending. The second storyline is following Shoshanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), an escaped, incognito Jew, who now runs a theater with her partner in France. When she meets a Nazi war hero that falls for her (Daniel Bruhl), he pulls a few strings and has the premiere of his film, "Nation's Pride", shown at her theatre; the same Col. Landa (Christopher Waltz) that killed her family is even going to be there. To get her revenge, Shoshanna comes up with the idea to lock all of the Nazis inside of her theatre and burn it down. If you haven't noticed already, the two storylines seem to run into each other to where the climax sycnhronizes. As you can guess, things don't go directly according to plan. It's a well-thought out plot based on the Holocaust executed to the true Tarentino factor.



ACTING:The acting in here was brilliant. Pitt shined indefinitely in this role as Aldo Raine. He added a certain flair and charm to the role that I don't think could have been pulled off quite by anyone else. Every actor did a fine job, but he definitely stole the show. Other shiners or honorable mentions are Laurent as Shoshanna, Waltz as Col. Landa, Eli Roth as Donny, Michael Fassbender as Archie Hilcox, Martin Wuttke as Hitler, Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark, and the brief cameo of Rod Taylor as Winston Churchill.

SCORE:The soundtrack is one of the finest parts of the film; my dad even had to buy it and he isn't a cinephile or score fan! The score consists of old, vinyl-sounding tunes, marching string tracks, haunting piano themes, and in your face rock songs. This is definitely one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a while.



OTHER CONTENT:This is indeed a Quentin Tarentino film. His direction shows, from cut scene to calm-then-violent cutscene. He definitely has a clean cut vision for direction, and it showed in here. I admire his directing. This film was a thrilling, fun, violent, interesting ride through a historic fiction idea. Just as Tarentino likes, he separated the movie into sections, or chapters, for better effect. Like the films he does that in, you find yourself somewhat confused until the finale. It follows classic Tarentino formula, and follows it well. The film would have gotten a lower rating from me if it had not been for the shocking and pleasing ending. The finale ties the whole film together and gives us what we have been waiting for. My only problem with the film is I feel it's a slight bit predictable,  though satisfying, and that it lags a bit in the middle. It's just a few small flaws to such a great masterpiece.

OVERALL,an awesome Tarentino film with a well-thought out plot, brilliant acting, a great soundtrack, a fun and interesting ride of thrills, classic Tarentino formula, and a finale that ties the whole film together, but with all these flaws comes one small problem; it lags a bit in the middle.

Full Metal Jacket (1987) review

 
(8/10)

WAR-The eighth of Kubrick's favorite subjects as foretold by the DVD booklet.

PLOT:This takes place during the drafts of the Vietnamese War. We see the conditions troops are faced with in boot camp and on the battlefield and how war turns into hell, but mainly we follow the squadron of Private Joker (Matthew Modine) and how he tries to keep his buddy Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio) alive in boot camp, and then serving his duty as journalist in the war. The plot is pretty basic for a war film, but it's executed greatly, though the first half is way better.


ACTING:The acting is awesome. Modine does a great job as Joker and D'Onofrio does a brilliant job of Pyle. I can feel the change that takes place in Pyle during his boot camp days. Other great performances were R. Lee Ermey as Sgt. Hartman, Adam Baldwin as Animal Mother, and Kevin Howard as Rafterman.
SCORE:The score was mainly cheesy 80s music and military songs, but they seemed to fit the moods just well.


CAMERAWORK:This had some of Kubrick's famous camerawork in it, but not much.

OTHER CONTENT:This had most of Kubrick's best perks and feels in it, but I can tell what people mean when they say that it's overrated. You can't feel Kubrick's presence in here as much as some of his other works; in fact, if not for the first half of the film, it would have been just another war movie that no one would've acknowledged as anything more than generic, Oscar-bait. It's still a great film, but it just doesn't live up to the potential Kubrick had.

OVERALL,a great Kubrick film with a greatly executed plot, awesome acting, fitting score, classic Kubrick camerawork, and a great first half, but without the first half, the movie would've been pretty bland.