Moonrise Kingdom (2012) review [Revisited]

(10/10)

     Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom is whimsical, awkward, and nostalgic enough to create a warm, childlike love story driven by adolescent fantasy. The many skilled performances and distinct characters suck the audience in and takes them on journey through waves of charming, childlike wonder. Anderson personifies the emotional impact of the nostalgic charm of a young adolescent love story.

PLOT: On a peaceful, suburban island in 1965, two twelve-year-olds fall in love and become pen pals. Eventually, Sam (Jared Gilman), the unpopular, orphan boy scout, and Suzy (Kara Hayward), the neglected child looking for an escape, meet up in the wilderness and run off on an adventure all their own. The two lovebirds travel all over the island, finding out new things about life, the world, and each other, all the while being tracked by several parties. Scoutmaster Ward (Edward Norton) and the rest of his scouts have set out to find Sam and bring him back, while Suzy's father, Walt (Bill Murray) and Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) search for Suzy. The two have the time of their young lives as they flee the island from adulthood and responsibility. The plot is very well thought-out yet basic at the same time. The plot is mainly an awkward, childlike love story, but the several twists and turns as well as the moments of intimacy between the two adolescents make it work. The audience is left intrigued yet surprised and cheerful yet awkward - just as the spirit of this film suggests.

ACTING: One aspect that kept the audience hooked deeply into the story is the expert performances from the all-star cast as well as the young leads. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward did fantastic jobs as the infatuated main characters, Sam and Suzy. I believe no young actors could have portrayed these two adolescents as solidly and fittingly as these two. Aside from the young leads, the all-star cast was pretty fantastic. Bruce Willis did a great job at his calmer role of island cop, Captain Sharp, and Bill Murray played his part excellently as the cranky, disappointed father, Walt Bishop. These two in addition to the quirky Edward Norton as Scoutmaster Ward did fantastic jobs with their unique and more serious and subdued roles. Other shining performances also come from Tilda Swinton as the Social Services worker, Frances McDormand as Mrs. Bishop, Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben, Harvey Keitel as Commander Pierce, and Bob Balaban as the Narrator. Every big name actor and actress in this film plays a more obscure and subdued role, almost to ironic conditions for some roles.

SCORE/SOUNDTRACK: The soundtrack and score behind Moonrise Kingdom is just as elegant and flowing as the film presents itself. A collection of classical and quirky compositions make up the majority of the soundtrack, adding a touch of elegance and whimsy throughout the film. The soundtrack also makes the use of some well known artists, like country master, Hank Williams, and elegant composer, Alexandre Desplat.

OTHER CONTENT: The elegance and whimsy through which Wes Anderson crafted this masterpiece is a fleeting emotion not often accurately captured through the movie medium. This film represents the lovesick romances each of us has probably experienced with someone in our childhood. The human race's perception of relationships in an adolescent mind is the subject matter of this film, and Anderson captures that fleeting, nostalgic emotion as tangibly as a butterfly in a net. There's just the right amount of charm, awkwardness, innocence, and nostalgia to bring a wise mind to tears. Anderson captures this accurately from proper casting and script-writing to the elegant score and smooth cinematography. Each shot has a clear, colorful focal point and is smooth and almost Kubrickian in its favor of long, clean shots. Ultimately, Moonrise Kingdom is an anthem for the spirit of adolescent fantasy and relationships, told in an elegant yet basic way.

     Some films attempt to go beyond expectations and catch an entirely abstract emotion on film. Not many filmmakers succeed, and those that do are truly skilled. None other than the quirky Wes Anderson achieve the capture of the fleeting spirit of inexperienced youth, especially in such a smooth and personal manner. An enthralling cast of characters help in capturing the audience's attention and the quirkiness of the junior love story anchor them to the screen, filling them with both joy and awkward intrigue. Moonrise Kingdom is as full of whimsical spirit as light- pleasantly warm but passing much too fast, leaving little trace that it ever existed in the first place.

Fever Pitch (2005) review

(7/10)

This cute romantic comedy actually wasn't that bad. The chemistry between the two leads pretty much kept the movie going and made it worth watching, as well as a few small, good laughs.

PLOT:Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon) has been obsessed with baseball his whole life, specifically the Boston Red Sox. He's been to every game since his uncle took him to his first when he was a child. However, Ben's attention starts to be swayed by a new love interest, Lindsey (Drew Barrymore). Ben met Lindsey on a school field trip with some of the kids he teaches and has been in love since. The couple seems to only rise higher until Lindsey finds out just how obsessed Ben is with the Red Sox. He wouldn't miss a game for anything. This obsession with the game worries Lindsey and threatens their relationship. It's a good plot executed very well.



ACTING:The acting in this movie is really good. Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon play a very romantic and realistic couple as the sensitive Lindsey and the obsessed Ben. The chemistry these two had in this movie is what kept it going. Without these two, it wouldn't be worth much. Though most of the other performances were fairly forgettable, the other shiners would be Jack Kehler as Al, Lenny Clarke as Uncle Carl, and Ione Skye as Molly.

SCORE:The score is mainly made up of randomly recorded songs, some good classics, and some background score. It was pretty good.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie was just a fun, cute little romantic comedy. I enjoyed the story and chemistry between the two leads. It was just very entertaining overall. I don't think it was anything spectacular or outstanding, but it was still good enough to be considered worth a watch.

OVERALL, a good romantic comedy with a good plot, really good acting, pretty good score, great chemistry between the leads, an interesting story, and just cute entertainment.

Me, Myself, and Irene (2000) review

(5/10)

Jim Carrey has a very good comedic performance in here, but a lot of the jokes in the script just seem to fall flat on their faces.

PLOT:Charlie (Jim Carrey) is a state trooper for the Rhode Island police with three black sons and a fairly good temper. However, after too much abuse from the people around him, something in him snaps, and he takes on a double personality. This personality, named Hank, is mean, dirty, and overall insane, but is contained by medication. The force starts to worry about him and considers kicking him out, but they give him one last job of escorting a young lady named Irene (Renee Zellweger) to New York for questioning. However, there is some underground crime going on that could get them both killed; not to mention, Charlie leaves his medication in a hotel room. So, now Charlie must protect Irene from danger while trying to keep is alter-ego at bay. It's a good plot executed fairly well.



ACTING:The performances in this movie were pretty good. Jim Carrey played a great part as the well-tempered Charlie and the mean-and-abusive Hank. It wasn't by far his best role, but he played it in a very unique way. Renne Zellweger played a decent part as the love interest, Irene, but she wasn't all that good. The other shiners would have to be the three black sons, Jamaal, Lee Harvey, and Shonte Jr., played by Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee, and Jerod Mixen.

SCORE:The score and sountrack was pretty good. There were a few pretty cool alt-rock sounding songs.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie wasn't too bad, but it wasn't really too good either. It had some pretty funny parts with a good romance behind it and a somewhat-fresh idea to experiment around with. However, the Farrelly brothers usual style is here, and it shows by a lot of the jokes that are taken too far and are just not funny. They're famous for gross-out gags and crude jokes, and some of them in here work, but a lot of them just fall flat.

OVERALL,a neutral comedy with a good plot, pretty good acting, pretty good score, a few pretty funny parts, a good romance story, and a good idea to play around with, but a lot of the jokes go too far and aren't funny.

Romeo and Juliet (1968) review

(9/10)

I've always loved the tragic, romantic story of Romeo and Juliet, and this film personifies it in such a way that it nearly outdoes the original play.

PLOT:In Verona, there are two families that hate each other with a passion that always end up disturbing the peace with their fights: the Montagues and the Capulets. One day, young Romeo Montague (Leonard Whiting) is invited to a feast held by the family of Capulet. While there, he meets the beautiful young Juliet Capulet (Olivia Hussey) and they basically fall in love at first sight. From here, they decide to get married and be together forever; however, their families are enemies. They have to keep their partnership a secret and get around their family feud along with other new twists. It's a really good plot executed brilliantly.



ACTING:The acting in here was excellent. Everyone did an awesome job! The two leads, Leonard Whiting as Romeo and Olivia Hussey as Juliet, played the roles respectively and had great chemistry as the star-crossed lovers. Other shining roles would be Milo O'Shea as Friar Lawrence, Michael York as Tybalt, John McEnery as Mercutio, Pat Heywood as the Nurse, Natasha Perry as Lady Capulet, Paul Hardwick as Lord Capulet, and Laurence Olivier as the Narrator. There really wasn't a bad performane in the film, but these in particular stood out.

SCORE:The score in here was wonderful. The score was made up of several love themes and a beautiful rendition of "What Is A Youth?" that could send chills down your spine. It really added to the romantic feeling of the film.



OTHER CONTENT:This film is pleasing to all lovers of the play/story. It keeps the original dialogue and uses it in a way to help others understand better, The visuals fit the time period greatly and are pleasing to those who look out for it. The dialogue and situations follow the play almost all the way except for a couple parts. However, the parts it leaves out are vital battles and situations that made the play even better. It's still, overall, a really great film adaption of the play and I loved it.

OVERALL,an awesome film with a brilliantly-executed plot, excellent acting, wonderful score, original dialogue, fitting visuals, and lots of accuracy to the original play, but it leaves out some important parts that would have made it better.

Romeo + Juliet (1996) review

(8/10)

This upbeat update to the age-old Shakespeare play is fresh and inventive, but also lacking in accuracy and putting the pieces together.

PLOT:In the big city of Verona, two families live in hate of each other: the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo Montague (Leonardo DiCaprio), being depressed about his ex Rosaline, is invited to a party held by the Capulets. There, he meets the beautiful Capulet daughter, Juliet (Claire Danes). They fall in love at first sight and agree to be together in secret. However, new obstacles arrive with the rivalry and make things all the more complicated. This version of the popular play is modernized to the max with fast cars, expensive guns, explosive action, and big trips. It's a great plot executed fairly well.



ACTING:The acting in this film was pretty good. It isn't worthy of an award, but it's pretty good still. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes both played fair parts as Romeo and Juliet, but it could have been done so much better. The other shining performances were John Leguizamo as Tybalt, Harold Perrineau Jr. as Mercutio, Pete Postlethwaite as Father Laurence, Paul Sorvino as Fulgencio Capulet, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Captain Prince, Miriam Margolyes as the Nurse, Christina Pickles as Caroline Montague, Paul Rudd as Paris, and Dash Mihok as Benvolio. The best of these performances had to have been Harold Perrineau Jr. as Mercutio. He almost stole the show with his great supporting role, as well as John Leguizamo or Dash Mihok.

SCORE:The score and soundtrack are both pretty great. Considering the director over this version, you can expect there to be a lot of music in it. The soundtrack to this is very romantic and detailed made up of re-recorded songs and other themes.



OTHER CONTENT:This version of Shakespeare's famous play is very unique and inventive. It's trippy, modernized, clever, and all in the vision of Baz Luhrman. One significant thing I can say about this film is that the emotional impact seems to hit harder at the end of this one than it did in the older version I've seen. It made me really cry because it seemed more real. However, one thing about this film brought it both praise and dislike from me, and that's the fact that it kept the original dialogue. It pleased the Shakespeare fan in me, but it really didn't fit the time period it was set in. It just seemed so out-of-place. Also, this version lost so much and moved around so much that it doesn't hit the same dramatic impact that it did before. It's still very good with emotions, but a little lost in itself.

OVERALL,a great film with a well-executed plot, good acting, romantic Luhrman soundtrack, a bigger emotional impact, inventiveness, and original dialogue, but it all seems so out-of-place and lost a few important story elements in itself.

American Beauty (1999) review

(10/10)

I consider this to be one of the best movies I have ever seen. It entertains on both a comedic and dramatic level with flawless acting and execution.

PLOT:Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a depressed, old man. He has a negligent wife named Caroline (Annette Bening) and a teenage daughter named Jane (Thora Birch) that pretty much hates him. Things are going horrible for Lester until he meets one of Jane's best friends, Angela (Mena Suvari), and immediately falls in love with her, sending him into a mid-life crisis in which he takes up several new hobbies and a new attitude on life. Meanwhile, Caroline is starting to have frequent lunches with her rival in the real estate business, Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher) and Jane is developing a crush on the weird neighbor, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), who has an abusive veteran father (Chris Cooper). It's a very unqiue plot executed excellently.



ACTING:The acting in here was brilliant. Kevin Spacey performs brilliantly as the confused Lester Burnham, including his narration as well as his on-screen moments. Annette Bening also plays well off of Spacey as Caroline, the controlling wife. All performances were really good. The other shiners would be Thora Birch as Jane, Mena Suvari as Angela, Peter Gallagher as Buddy Kane, Wes Bentley as Ricky Fitts, and Chris Cooper as Colonel Fitts. The ones that stand out in this bunch would be Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, and Wes Bentley; Bentley plays a very memorable and rather likeable part.

SCORE:The score was pretty cool. It wasn't extremely unique or prominent like some film scores, but it was fitting and well done by Thomas Newman. Other than that, the soundtrack was made up of several classic rock songs (The Who, Annie Lennox, etc.) and showtune crooners.



OTHER CONTENT:This film was brilliant. Aside from the acting and execution, this film had a lot of deep meaning embedded within it on the hidden beauties of life you have to realize exist. This film opened my eyes the first time I saw it how beautiful and meaningful the world can be in the slightest things. This film is deep and dramatic, but also funny and comedic at some times. I don't believe it's an uneven mix, but that it all balances out in the end. For being his first film, I believe the director, Sam Mendes, has a lot of potential in him.

OVERALL,an epic film with an excellent plot, brilliant acting, cool soundtrack, lots of deep meaning, and a good balance of comedy and drama.

French Kiss (1995) review

(5/10)

It's actually a pretty interesting love story with some decent acting, but it fails to do anything truly spectacular for me.

PLOT:Kate (Meg Ryan) has been engaged with a guy named Charlie (Timothy Hulton) for a long time. He takes a trip to Paris without her, because she's afraid of flying, and ends up falling for another French girl. Kate then decides to fly to Paris to try to steal him back. However, while on the plane, she meets an interesting Frenchman named Luc Teyssier (Kevin Kline), who helps conquer her fear of flying. However, Kate doesn't know about Luc's troublesome past and what he's done. In a strange turn-of-events, they end up following each other and get advice for each other's lives. It's a decent plot executed pretty mediocrely.



ACTING:The acting wasn't too bad, I'd say. Meg Ryan played a pretty good part as heartbroken Kate and Kevin Kline played a pretty decent part as wannabe-smooth Luc. However, neither of them was really outstanding I'd say. It was a typical romantic comedy. The other shiner would have been Jean Reno as Jean-Paul. He was alright.

SCORE:The score wasn't really important. It was made up of some mood-fitting score and a cheesy arrangement of French songs.



OTHER CONTENT:This wouldn't have been that bad if it had been executed right, I believe. It was just bland overall. The jokes fell pretty flat, the drama and romance didn't leave a huge mark, and it followed the rom-com formula pretty straight. I did see a bit of potential in it, and the performances weren't too bad, it just didn't end up to be anything more than bland.

OVERALL,a neutral movie with a mediocre-executed plot, decent acting, unimportant score, flat jokes, somewhat dull romance, and a too-familiar formula, but it did have some potential and it's not bad-it's just bland.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) review

(10/10)

I've been waiting to see this film for what I've heard about it, though I haven't seen any of Wes Anderson's work. However, I believe this was a good introduction to his direction style, because I almost immediately fell in love with it.

PLOT:Sam (Jared Gilman) is a boy scout who is an orphan that nobody really likes. Suzy (Kara Haywood) is a weird girl with several brothers and is known to her parents as the problem child. These two meet curiously one night at a play and fall in love at first sight. They start to write to each other and about a year later, they devise a secret plan to meet up and run away with each other. Sam resigns from his troop and sneaks away, and Suzy packs her stuff and runs away from her home. After they meet up and run away, a search party is formed between policeman Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), Suzy's dad, Mr. Bishop (Bill Murray), Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton), Mrs. Bishop (Frances McDormand), and the other scouts. Will the two twelve-year-olds get away with their loving escape in this September of 1965? I'll leave you there. It's a great plot executed brilliantly.



ACTING:The acting in here was excellent. Each performance was unique and carefully staged. Jared Gilman and Kara Haywood as Sam and Suzy had to be a couple of the best child actors I've seen lately. They performed very well. The film revolves more around them than the talented adult actors. The other shiners would be Bruce Willis as Captain Sharp, Bill Murray as Mr. Bishop, Frances McDormand as Mrs. Bishop, Edward Norton as Scout Master Ward, Tilda Swinton as Social Services, Harvey Keitel as Commander Pierce, Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben, Bob Balaban as the narrator, and  Gabriel Rush as Skotak. There really wasn't a bad performance in this film.

SCORE:The score was fun and quirky and really helped the film flow better with its overall feeling.



CAMERAWORK:I can see the direction of Wes Anderson has a lot in store just due to the camerawork in this film. The camerawork in this film is clean cut and unique both at the same time, giving Anderson the better hand as a director.

EFFECTS:There weren't that many effects, but they were fairly realistic of what I saw. They were realistic and vivid, from the blood to the fire to the lightning.



OTHER CONTENT:This film evoked so many feelings and emotional stirs in me that I didn't expect it to find. The film is quirky, fun, sad, and romantic. The feeling of teenage adolescense between the two main characters, their dream of being able to run away, and the love they had for each other in the few hours they had all found my sense of passion and hit a hidden emotion of wanting a simple relationship as they had. You will too, if you have the right mindset. The adventure, romance, and wacky quirks of the film all draw together to make a truly compelling teenage dream of a simple relationship.

OVERALL,an epic film with a brilliant plot, excellent performance, quirky score, clean cut camerawork, realistic effects, romance, a passion for a simple relationship, and a sense of quirky adventure.

The Hunger Games (2012) review

(8/10)

I've read the book in the past, and this is a pretty decent film adaptation. It misses some of the story's best moments and points and has some editing problems though.

PLOT:In the future dystopia of Panem, a competition is held each year with two teens from each of the twelve districts. These randomly-chosen teens must compete in a battle to the death known as the Hunger Games. This year, young hunter Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), volunteers herself to take her sister, Prim's, place. Along with her, the baker's son, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). They go through training with the help of the previous winner, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), the uptight Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), and the fashion stylist, Cinna (Lenny Kravitz). Katniss must win over sponsors and keep herself alive in the games all while looking out for Peeta. It's a good plot executed fairly well.



ACTING:The performances are mainly what carried this movie along. Jennifer Lawrence played a great part as Katniss. Her performance carried the movie, along with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. I'd say he's improved from his past works. The cast is all-star, so there are a lot of great performances. The other shiners would be Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Elizabth Banks as Effie Trinket, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Stanely Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Donald Sutherland as President Snow, Wes Bentley as Seneca, Amandla Stenberg as Rue, and Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove.

SCORE:The score was pretty good as well. It was dramatic and kept the feeling of intensity going throughout the movie. The soundtrack was also pretty good, for it had at least one good song on it.



EFFECTS:The effects in this weren't actually that bad. The effects had their good and bad moments, but it was pretty great for the most part. The bloody moments didn't happen to much on screen, but what was there looked pretty realistic. The effects used on the tracker jackers didn't looke extravagant, but also realistic. The stand-out effects would have to be the monster dogs near the end of the movie; they were very well animated. I expected them to look more wicked, but they still looked pretty cool. I liked the fire effects too.

CAMERAWORK:This is what I was referring to in "editing problems". The camera in here is so shaky that you can barely see the action go down. That bugs me for the most of the movie, so I hope the second one has better.



OTHER CONTENT:For the most part, this followed the book pretty well among main plot twists. From the arrow-in-the-apple, to the tracker jackers, and even to the dog monsters, it stayed pretty reliable. However, it had a few backstory and character development problems. It tried to make up for lost time in minor flashbacks throughout the movie, but everything just ends up getting jumbled up. For this reason, the movie loses some of its meaning of why this is happening and what is being symbolized. It's really pretty sad. Otherwise, the movie was action-packed, reliable, and well-acted.

OVERALL,a great movie with a good plot, great acting, intense score and a good soundtrack, great effects, main reliability to the book,and lots of action, but it lost some of its meaning and backstory in the screen production.

The War of the Roses (1989) review

(9/10)

DeVito has done it again with his usual dark style of direction with abundant dark humor and a meaningful moral.

PLOT:Young businessman Oliver (Michael Douglas) finds it as love as first sight when he runs into a pretty young woman named Barbara (Kathleen Turner). They immediately hit it off and start to build their lives together, buying cars, having kids, and buying a huge, beautiful house to fill with expensive artifacts and work. However, the love begins to die between the two as they begin to see the real person in each other. When the file for divorce, they end up in a battle between each other over who would keep the house. This is no regular battle, however; these two go tooth-and-nail crazy in a war to see who can keep the house. With the help of their associate, Gavin (Danny DeVito, who's also the narrator), they try to pull through. It's a good plot idea executed creatively.



ACTING:The performances in here were pretty great. Douglas and Turner stole the show, as each played off each other perfectly. There were some scenes I could truly see their best moments in. Danny DeVito also played a pretty respectable part as Gavin/the narrator. He told the story with a unique sense of wisdom and philosophy. He made the end of the movie all worthwhile. There weren't very many other performances in this movie aside from these three, but the ones I can honorably mention would be Marianne Sagebrecht as Susan, Sean Astin as Josh, Heather Fairfield as Carolyn, and Rika Hofmann as Elke.

SCORE:There really isn't that much to say about the score, but it was pretty well done to fit the mood.

CAMERAWORK:DeVito, like Kubrick, has a certain vision for capturing things just right. I like his style of camerawork, for he always gets good, quirky, and unique shots.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie is one that can be quite overlooked sometimes. It's unique with its execution, darkly hilarious, and with a meaningful moral at the end. The moral of this story would be to cherish who you have while you have them so you don't end up in an all-out war with each other, over anything. The ending made the whole movie worthwhile, aside from everything else. However, I could see a few ways it could be better. The whole movie up to the divorce war is moving in fast-forward, so to speak, so you miss out on some possible character situations to help you better know their personalities. I understand if they stretched it out that way, it would be long, but I'd risk it for better development.

OVERALL,an awesome comedy with a creatively executed plot, great acting, well done score, DeVito style camerawork, abundant dark humor, and a great moral that fills the movie, but there are a few ways this could be made better.

Moulin Rouge (2001) review

(8/10)

Everybody has been trying to get me to see this, and now I now why. It's creative, odd, unique, and overall spectacular.

PLOT:In the old days of the 1890s, young Christian (Ewan McGregor) leaves his father and his teachings to move to France and become a writer. While there, he meets and bunks with a man with a passion for the theatre, Toulouse (John Leguizamo). Toulouse shows him around to all the sights, from drinking abstinthe to a world of sex only found at the local club, the Moulin Rouge. This club is founded by an eccentric businessman named Harold Zilder (Jim Broadbent), who puts his prize girl, Satine (Nicole Kidman), up to sleep with the Duke of Worcester (Richard Roxburgh) so he can get an investment in some way. However, in a twist of events, our young writer is accidentally taken as the Duke and is taken to her room later that night. Later that night when she finds out it was a mistake, Satine has to cover up their newly-formed love story (he pours his heart out about his poetry and sings to her) by getting everybody involved in the play Christian's writing. Things start to go downhill when the Duke is signed over the play rights, as well as Christian and Satine trying to keep thier love story secret. Also, something seems to be up with Satine's health that may not be good at all. It's a great plot idea executed uniquely.



ACTING:The acting in here was brilliant! McGregor and Kidman stole the show as Christian and Satine. I could feel thier emotional turns and sadness with real tears. I believe this is one love story that will live for a while. The other shiners would be Jim Broadbent as Zilder, John Leguizamo as Toulouse, Jacek Koman as the Unconscious Argentinian, and the cameo of Kylie Minogue as the Green Fairy.

SCORE:The soundtrack is one of the best and most memorable parts about this movie. The soundtrack is mainly made up of several love songs and period-accurate adaptations of more modern songs. Some of the songs covered include songs by the Beatles, KISS, Nirvana, The Police, Madonna, and many others. Overall I'd say the soundtrack kicked some tail.



OTHER CONTENT:This was a very different movie for me. Everything about it had a certain kind of style that reminded me much of how a stage play would be executed. It was literally like I was inside a huge trip. One thing I really liked about this movie was the editing. Like Aronofsky in Requiem, this director (Baz Luhrmann) has a certain style of editing that makes this movie very unique and way different from everything else. However, this type of editing and direction also posed a problem; the plot execution suffered from being a bit uneven. I know it's a love story, but the fact that it can be goofy one moment and sad the next just doesn't agree with me, as that of the Lovely Bones. I will say though that I did cry at the end, and this movie also reminded me a lot of other musicals (Rocky Horror) along the way.

OVERALL,a great musical romance with a great plot, brilliant acting, butt-kicking score, a different style as that of a play, a trippy effect, a unique type of editing and direction, a sad ending, and reminiscence of other musicals, but the unique style of direction made it seem a little bit too uneven for me to fully enjoy.

Friends With Benefits (2011) review

(7/10)

Why can't there be friends and relationships like this anymore? Though it adds nothing much new to the same rom-com formula, it's still a pleasure to watch.

PLOT:Dylan (Justin Timberlake) is from L. A. and has just been through a rough break-up that leaves him emotionally damaged. Jamie (Mila Kunis) is from New York and has also just been through a break-up and has given up on relationships and the whole deal. However, when these two meet due to Dylan moving jobs from his popular blog page to a spot in G.Q., they instantly click. They only become friends and agree to stay that as well, until they come up with this crazy idea to have sex with each other with no emotional impact whatsoever. Needless to say, things don't work out well for our two "friends with benefits". It's a simple plot executed actually pretty well.


ACTING:The performances in here were pretty standard aside from our two leads: Justin Timberlake as Dylan and Mila Kunis as Jamie. The chemistry these two develop throughout the movie is almost magical. They truly keep the movie going with each line and joke. The other ones I'd count as shiners would be Patrica Clarkson as Lorna, Jenna Elfman as Annie, and Woody Harrelson as Tommy with an honorable mention to Shaun White as himself.
SCORE:The soundtrack is mainly made up of a few well-placed pop and rock songs, such as "Closing Time", "Pumped Up Kicks", "Magic Carpet Ride", "Hey Soul Sister", and many others. The soundtrack was actually pretty well put together in my opinion.


OTHER CONTENT:This movie really adds nothing new to the worn-out, rom-com idea of two friends agreeing to have sex but wanting to stay friends (When Harry Met Sally, No Strings Attached), but this one is actually entertaining and funny. The script is pretty cleverly written and the chemistry between the two leads is what keeps the movie moving in full speed toward the good end of the rating meter. This is just one of those movies that is not new and nothing special, but is actually fun and entertaining to watch. It's just an ordinary movie.
OVERALL,a good comedy with a simple plot, standard acting aside from the leads, a well put-together soundtrack, a cleverly-written script, and great chemistry between the two leads that nearly carries the movie on its own, but it's really nothing new and is just an ordinary movie.

Dirty Dancing (1987) review

(7/10)

It's not really that bad, but it is pretty standard for the '80s.

PLOT:It's summer 1963 and Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Gray) and her family are taking a trip to Kesserman's summer resort. She's supposed to go to college after this, for her parents, her doctor dad (Jerry Orbach) especially, expect great things out of her. While there, Baby decides to take dance lessons with greaser and lead instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). When his female partner gets pregnant, Baby decides to step in and learn all the moves in time for the big show at the neighboring resort, but can she do it? Will her father be proud of her hanging around with this guy? Will they even fall in love? I'll leave you there. It's a decent plot executed pretty well.



ACTING:The acting in here was better than I expected, but still not top of the line. Jennifer Gray as Baby and Patrick Swayze as Johnny steal the show with their great chemistry. I believe they each played a great performance. The other shiners are Jerry Orbach as Dr. Jake Houseman and Cynthia Rhodes as Penny Johnson. I don't think Rhodes that great of a job playing regular parts, but when it comes to putting out a certain emotion, she does pretty well. It kind of gets on my nerves.

SCORE:The soundtrack is one of the best parts about the movie. The soundtrack includes a bunch of oldies and a few new themes. It matches the decade almost correctly, subtract the newer themes, the main theme especially ("(I've Had) the Time of My Life").



OTHER CONTENT:This movie actually isn't that bad. It's romantic, passionate, dramatic, and even somewhat fun. I don't know why it's that hated for being a chick flick. It does have a few major telltale flaws though. The whole movie seems like a fantasy story written by a teenage girl about her and a guy she likes. It just seems so typical: love on vacation, bad boy meets good girl, forbidden love. That all brings along its second flaw: it's extremely cheesy. That's kind of easy to tell anyway since it's an '80s romance, but that doesn't change the fact of the matter. The last flaw I was readily able to spot was that it was supposed to take place in the 1960s, but it contains enough of the '80s music, wardrobe, and formula that it forgets itself for a while. It gets on most people's nerves, mine included. This is just another cheesy '80s romance, but it's not the worst.

OVERALL,a good '80s romance with a pretty well executed plot, decent acting, a great soundtrack, romance, passion, drama, and even a bit of fun, but it seems like it was written by a lovestruck teenage girl, it's the same flavor of '80s cheese, and it doesn't match the decade it is set in 100% of the time.