Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) review

(4/10)

With this being one of Jim Carrey's titular roles, you would expet this to be pretty funny. However, this was actually fairly a dumb movie.

PLOT:Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) is a local, well-know pet detective that is said to catch any lost animal. The test of his abilities comes when Snowflake, he mascot of the Miami Dolphins, goes missing. The team representative, Melissa (Courtney Cox), puts Ace on te case of finding him. Things get more fishy, though, when other key players on the team start to go missing as well. It's an okay plot executed near-decently.



ACTING:The acting in here was okay. Jim Carrey played a fairly good role as the goofy detective, Ace Ventura. He had some good moments and some bad moments. Courtney Cox played a decent part as Melissa. The only other roles I can really mention are Dan Morino as himself, Sean Young as Lois Einhorn, and Tone-Loc as Emilio. Except for Carrey and Cox, no performance was truly good.

SCORE:The score in here wasn't anything special. It got the job done.



OTHER CONTENT:This is a weird movie. I love Jim Carrey, but this movie was just pretty stupid. Though Carrey used his typical over-acting plan to get by, some moments just didn't work for him. I had moments where I laughed out loud and I had moments that I shook my head. This movie really isn't anything special unless you really like Jim Carrey.

OVERALL,a mediocre comedy with a near-decent plot, okay acting, unimportant score, and a lot of stupidity, but some scenes made me laugh, and I love Jim Carrey.

Ted (2012) review

(7/10)

I finally decided to check out this movie from all the hype I've heard about it, but I realized that it was moslty just hype. This movie is pretty funny and cool, but it isn't as fresh as it wants to be.

PLOT:When he was a little boy, John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) wished that his teddy bear could talk. That next morning, John woke up to find out that his wish came true. Fast forward to 27 years later, and we see that John and Ted (Seth MacFarlene) are still the best of friends. However, things start getting complicated when John's girlfriend of four years, Lori (Mila Kunis), starts wanting John to grow up and move away from Ted. Ted must now get a job and find his own place or sacrifice John and Lori's relationship for his friendship. It's a good plot executed very well.



ACTING:The acting in here is alright. The performances weren't excellent, but they got the job done failry well. Mark Wahlberg played a respectable part as John Bennett, but it wasn't terribly good. Mila Kunis played a pretty good part as Lori as well; however, the best performance would have to be of Seth MacFarlene as Ted. He uses a familiar voice to play the part of the trash-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear in a very funny and comedic way. The other shiners would be Patrick Warburton as Guy, Patrick Stewart as the narrator, Alex Borstein as John's mom, and Giovanni Ribisi as Donny.

SCORE:The score was okay and used in a comedic tone, but it wasn't the best and it didn't fit a whole lot.

EFFECTS:The effects in here were pretty good and pretty cool. The effects used to make the live, moving teddy bear were cool and fairly realistic. The scene that really wowed me in here was the part where Ted and John started fighting. That was pretty awesome effects-wise.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie wasn't as good as some people make it out to be, but it was pretty cool. This movie was funny with a unique twist and an entertaining storyline, but it had several problems. The main idea of this movie (romance or bromance) has been overdone and is a bit generic, some of the jokes are hit-and-miss, and the tonal shifts often throw everything off balance. It is supposed to be a rowdy comedy, but it could have been much better than it really was if it wanted to.

OVERALL,a good comedy with a good plot, alright acting, comedic score, cool effects, lots of funny humor, a unique twist, and an entertaining storyline, but the main idea is generic, some of the jokes don't hit right, and the tone shifts too much to feel comfortable.

Wages of Sin (2006) review

(1/10)

Why I even bothered with this puzzles me. This is like one of the worst horror movies out there, but I just love to hate it.

PLOT:Sue Walker (Ashlie Clark) inherits a house deep in the country which her family used to own. She has no memory of the place after the time she spent in therapy. So, to check out the house, she takes her boyfriend, Ron (Brandon Michael), and a couple other friends of hers for the weekend. However, this house seems to have a bad reputation in the town she's in. When they arrive at the old house, memories start slowly coming back to Sue about what happened there: memories of a mentally-disturbed priest she used to be related to. Strange things happen to accompany that and disturb her and her friends. It's a decent plot executed horribly.



ACTING:The performances in this movie suck pretty horribly. No one really did a good job, but Ashlie Clark and Brandon Michael did a nearly-decent job of Sue and Ron. The other two sucked, especially Prentice Reedy. He was the worst actor in the whole movie. Billy St. John tried to play a reasonable part as the evil priest, but it ended up falling flat after a while.

SCORE:The score was interesting. It was repetative, but it wasn't horrible and fit the mood half of the time.

EFFECTS:The effects in here were terrible. They would have been better off with a tube of fake blood and Halloween decorations, which they may have used anyway.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie I only watched because it was given to me in a 4-pack as a gift. I didn't like it at all. The execution is lame along with everything else and the ending is terrible, too. However, I love to hate it. I can sit back and laugh at all of the flaws and treat it more as a comedy instead of a horror. It's like a Troll 2 or Plan 9 type of movie, where it's loved to be hated. I laugh at it rather than get scared.

OVERALL,a horrible horror movie with a horribly executed plot, sucky performances, interesting score, terrible effects, lame execution, and a terrible ending, but I love to hate it so much that I laugh at it.

Constantine (2005) review

(6/10)

This one always has intrigued me, but I never really took any liking to it until recently. It's actually not too bad, but very much strange and gimmick-like.

PLOT:Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a priest like no other. He was born with the power to see spirits of both good and evil on earth and tried to kill himself because of it. Now, he's trying to buy himself into Heaven by exorcising as many demons from people as he can. However, things get interesting when a cop, Angela (Rachel Weisz), visits him telling about how her twin sister unexpectedly committed suicide. Little does Constantine know that this little issue may lead to him having to save the world from Satan's son. It's a great and interesting plot executed fairly well.



ACTING:The performances in here are okay. None of them are particularly excellent, but they get the job done well. Keanu Reeves plays the role of exorcist Constantine fairly well, as Rachel Weisz does as Angela and Isabelle. Theo ther shiners are Shia LeBouf as Chas, Djimon Hounsou as Midnite, Gavin Rossdale as Balthazar, Tilda Swinton as Gabriel, and Peter Stormare as Satan. It's a pretty star-studded cast, but you can tell that the actors aren't putting their full potential into their characters.

SCORE:The score in here is pretty well done. It fits the mood rather well, but isn't anything too special.

EFFECTS:The effects in here are really good. They're early CG, but they look rather cool. The effects used to make Hell, Heaven, the demons, and the possessions are really cool and wild. They could freak somebody out, not to mention the effects of Heaven and Hell look reasonabley surreal.



OTHER CONTENT:This is an interesting movie. I don't really know where to start. The whole idea behind this movie is just interesting and unique, but it is more of a paranormal action than just a horror. A lot of parts can scare, but it has more of an action feel. This movie could anger some people and entertain others; some Christians could hate the film while some horror buffs could love it. I'm caught in the middle because I liked the horror of it, but I don't necessarily agree with the idea of another angel turning against God to release the son of the Devil. It's too out there for me. This also seems very gimmicky and complicated to the point that it could gain followers or spin off into a cheesy series. It's an okay movie, but it's nothing to freak out about really.

OVERALL,an ok movie with an interesting plot, okay acting, well done score, really good CG effects, unique ideas, and good horror parts, but the actors don't live up to their potential, some anger for my belief, a cheesy and gimmicky feel to it, and complicated plot twists.

Explorers (1985) review

(9/10)

I have watched this multiple times as a child, but not even age has taken away the magic I've felt from this film in the past. It's so out-of-this world that I just love it, despite all its flaws.

PLOT:Young Ben Crandall (Ethan Hawke) is a little strange of a kid because he always watches sci-fi movies and is into all stuff outer space. His best friend, Wolfgang (River Pheonix), is a smart, geeky scientist working on an experiment. One day, after bad boy, Darren (Jason Presson), saves Ben from a bully, the two stop by Wolfgang's house and discoveres the experiment of a lifetime. Wolfgang has come up with a computer that will make a spherical force field of any size that can go anywhere at any speed with no travel inertia. They come up with an idea to use this to their advantage; they want to fly high and maybe even to outer space! They gather the supplies and put a craft worthy of flight in the sphere together, hoping to leave Earth, but something always goes screwy. Each has strange dreams at night, and the coordinates mess up when they travel, so they may thing that some extra-terrestrial force is trying to make contact with them. It's a really good plot executed greatly.



ACTING:The acting in here is pretty great, even for the child actors! Ethan Hawke, River Pheonix, and Jason Presson all three play great parts as Ben, Wolfgang, and Darren. Each enhances his personality in the movie very well. The better performances were from Robert Picardo and Leslie Rickert as Wak and Neek., whom are very important characters in the movie. Their voices fit the part very well. The other shiners would be Amanda Peterson as Lori Swenson and Dick Miller as Charles Drake.

SCORE:The score is very inspirational and far-out. It enhances the relaxed sci-fi feel of the movie. I really like it.

EFFECTS:The effects in here are brilliant for their time. The realistic effects used to make the aliens and the robots are interesting and very fun to look at. They look more real than most CG stuff these days. The computer effects for the dreams, force field, and flight are pretty cool too. For CG in the 1980s, this actually looked pretty cool and nostalgic.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie has always brought wonder and comfort to me ever since I was a younger child. The idea is just a good idea and so out-of-this-world that I felt I wanted to be there. The random humor and scattered wonder just all go together and make this a fun movie. They say its a lot carried on to be nothing, but I see some worth in all of it for the feeling of wonder I get from it. This is just one of those movies that is fairly interesting somehow to everyone because of the wonder and effect. However, this does have a couple flaws; the end product is very cheesy and there are some small plot holes that just make little sense to me. They can't completely mask how I feel for this movie, but they exist to me regardless.

OVERALL,an awesome sci-fi with a great plot, pretty great acting, inspirational and far-out score, realistic and cool effects for their time, a feeling of wonder and comfort from being so out there, and a great span of interest, but the ending is very cheesy and there are a couple of small plot holes.

Frankenweenie (2012) review

(8/10)

Tim Burton has done it again in this charming tale based on his live-action short film from the 80s.

PLOT:In the strange little town of New Holland, Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) abides with his parents (Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short) and his beloved dog, Sparky. Sparky is pretty much Vic's best friend and they act very inseparable. However, Sparky is hit by a car and killed one tragic day, leaving Victor in his despair. Inspired by the new science teacher (Martin Landau), Victor pulls a classic move and brings his beloved dog back to life with wind and lightning. Now, Victor must try to keep this big breakthrough a secret from his peers and parents. It's a good plot executed greatly.



VOICES:The voice acting in here is pretty good. Charlie Tahan is fairly okay as young Victor Frankenstein, but he doesn't really steal the show. The voice that stole the show belongs to Martin Landau as Mr. Ryzkruski. He did a truly chilling performance of the creepy new science teacher. The other shiners would be Catherine O'Hara as Mrs. Frankenstein, the weird girl, and the gym teacher, Martin Short as Mr. Frankenstein and Mr. Burgemeister, and Winona Ryder as Elsa Van Helsing. A lot of the Tim Burton usuals are in here.

SCORE:The score in here is very charming and done well by the great, Burton favorite, Danny Elfman. The themes are very soft, fitting, and clean.

ANIMATION:The animation in here is one of the best things about this movie. The animation in here is of Burton's usual brand and is done beautifully. The movements are smooth and the design is unique and artful. I appreciate Burton for this.



OTHER CONTENT:Tim Burton revitalized his animation skill in this little movie. This movie is mainly built on charm and entertaining twists, which get it by fine, but it's actually quite scary. It's scarier than I imagined it being. There are jumps and creepy visuals to give you scares. Burton takes the classic Frankenstein story and adds a bunch to it to make it a quirky adventure for kids and family alike. However, there are few points for originality. Though class shows through the way it's shot, the Frankenstein genre has nearly been done to death; not to mention that there are several cliches located throughout the movie.

OVERALL,a great movie with a good plot, pretty good voice acting, charming Elfman score, beautiful animation, lots of charm, entertaining twists, a good bit of scares, and class, but it's not that original and fairly cliched.

Brave (2012) review

(9/10)

I didn't expect this to be as good as it really was. Pixar has caught back up with themselves with this film, for it's fantastic, emotional journey through family and fantasy.

PLOT:Young Merida (Kelly MacDonald) is a princess in her clan in Scotland. She hasn't really followed tradition completely, however, and acts more like her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), instead of her saintly mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Merida likes to ride her horse out into the wilderness and shoot her bow. However, things are about to change thanks to the Queen, for the time has come around for Merida's betrothal date, and she must decide out of a competition which son of the three other clans to choose. Merida doesn't want to get married yet and just wants to be free, but her mother won't understand her. So, Merida stands up for herself and runs away, meeting an woodcarving witch along the way, who gives Merida a cake with a spell to make her mother change. The bad thing is that Merida's mother changes in a different and more fatal way than she imagined. It's a great plot executed brilliantly.



VOICES:The voice acting for this film is really, really good. Everyone has to enhance their usual voices by speaking in a Scottish accent, which is hard to do sometimes. The best performance has to go to Kelly MacDonald as Merida, for her voice acting as the main character took the show just as it should have. Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson also did a really good job as King Fergus and Queen Elinor.  The other shiners would be Julie Walters as the wise woman, Robbie Coltrane as Lord Dingwall, and Craig Ferguson as Lord Macintosh.

SCORE:The score in here was also very good. It was done in a Celtic mood to match the Scottish mood of the film with a very contagious couple of songs from Julie Fowlis.

ANIMATION:The animation in here was one of the best aspects of the film itself. This is one thing Pixar has never faltered at in any of their recent films. The animation in here is greatly detailed and very well done. I was impressed, as usual, with the lifelike quality of the animation.



OTHER CONTENT:This film was a really good one. Unlike Pixar's last attempt to move on without Steve Jobs leading (Cars 2), this film actually hit the mark and earned its Oscar for Best Animated Film of 2013 very well. This takes a simple idea for a fairy tale, adds a twist or two, and comes out with an emotional masterpiece with beautiful visuals and a fun trip for the whole family. The jokes and humor, however, seem to fall flat on their face sometimes and seem very directed to the younger age. It picks up near the middle though, when the main twist occurs. I always believed that Pixar never lost its charm, and now I know that it hasn't.

OVERALL,an awesome Pixar film with a great plot, really good voice acting, very good Celtic score, beautiful and detailed animation, and a charming and emotional trip for the family, but some of the humor falters a bit until the middle.