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

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.

Little Monsters (1989) review

(5/10)

This one was one I always wanted to watch when I was a child, but after seeing it, I realize that it's really nothing special.

PLOT:Brian (Fred Savage) is just a little kid. His family just moved into a new house and things aren't going so great. Brian's parents are fighting, mysterious pranks are being pulled with no one knowing, and Brian's little brother is waking up at night claiming there's a monster under is bed. Brian doesn't believe him, so they trade rooms for a night. However, Brian traps Maurice (Howie Mandel), a dim-witted but fun prankster of a monster whom he befriends. Maurice and Brian become great friends and make frequent visits from the human world to the monster world. However, things don't seem right in the monster world with Brian there. It's a good plot executed rather decently.



ACTING:The acting in here is pretty good. Fred Savage wasn't spectacular as young Brian, but he got the job done. The best performance in here would have to have been from Howie Mandel as the mischievious Maurice. He really played a good part, though more spontaneous than emotional. The other shiners would be Rick Ducommun as Snik, Daniel Stern as Glen Stevenson, and Frank Whaley as Boy.

SCORE:The score wasn't really anything too special. It was pretty uplifting at times with a few good songs laid throughout.

EFFECTS:The effects in here are pretty neat. The make-up effects for Maurice and the other monsters were fairly realistic, though cheesy. I liked some of the ways they played around with the visual effects. The effects of the moving clothes were pretty cheesy as well, but interesting. The effects for the end battle were pretty cool to me, however.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie was pretty decent. It wasn't anything too special. The effects were something interesting, and Howie Mandel's performance was great, but it can't live on these alone. The movie overall was pretty bland and cheesy, but it had some good moments. I think they could have done a lot more with it.

OVERALL,a neutral movie with a good plot, pretty good acting, nothing special score, and neat but cheesy effects, but the movie itself was pretty bland and cheesy with more unexplored possibilities.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) review

(10/10)

"There's no place like home." Do I even need to say anymore? This classic film is iconic in every way and a family favorite in nearly every household.

PLOT:Young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) is a farm girl living in the grey plains of Kansas with her Aunt Em (Clara Blandick) and Uncle Henry (Charles Grapewin). Even though she's a young girl, she dreams big of traveling the lands before her. However, a tornado comes along and sweeps her house up with her and Toto, her little dog, inside. The house comes down in the town of Munchkinland in the wonderful land of Oz. To find her way back home, she has to find the wizard in the Emerald City while avoiding the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), who's out to get her for dropping a house on her sister. On the way, she meets a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Woodsman (Jack Haley), and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), who choose to accompany her on her journey to see the wizard, wanting a brain, a heart, and courage in return. It's a great plot executed brilliantly.



ACTING:The performances in here were really good. Judy Garland played an innocent and iconic role as the young farm girl, Dorothy. Playing well off her and each other, Jack Haley, Ray Bolger, and Bert Lahr performed excellent, iconic roles as the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Cowardly Lion. I favored Bert Lahr out of the trio, for his performance doubled comedically as it did iconically. Margaret Hamilton also played a great part as the Wicked Witch of the West. She still seems menacing today. The other shiners would be Clara Blandick as Aunt Em, Charles Grapewin as Uncle Henry, Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch, Frank Morgan as The Wizard of Oz, and all of the munchkins. There really wasn't a bad performance in here.

SCORE:The musical score and soundtrack for this film are iconic, memorable, and catchy to sing as well as to hear. Everybody knows a song from it, whether it's "We're Off to See the Wizard", "Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead", or even "If I Only Had a Brain." Everybody knows the catchy soundtrack to this film.

EFFECTS:The effects were astounding back in their time and are still very colorful today. The best effect at the time would have to have been the dramatic and iconic change from sepia/grayscale to Technicolor. That was a dazzling change for people back then and is still a prominent mark in film history. The prop effects were pretty colorful, and the more digital effects (such as the fireballs and the bubbles) were pretty interesting. The effects overall back then were pretty top-notch, but they still stand as interesting to watch now.



OTHER CONTENT:This film is iconic on so many levels. Everybody has either seen or heard of the Wizard of Oz, and it's a family favorite for the young children and the older adults. Comparing it to the original book, the film seems to be based only loosely on it. However, this film adaptation improved it from its book form. Everything about this film is really perfect for its time and loveable even today.

OVERALL,an epic film with a brilliant plot, really good performances, catchy score and soundtrack, colorful effects, and an iconic legacy left for filmgoers everywhere.

Flight of the Navigator (1986) review

(6/10)

I used to love this movie in my childhood, but now that I'm older, I notice how cheesy it really is at
times. It still fills me with wonder, but some of the respect I had for it is lost.

PLOT:12-year old David Freeman (Joey Cramer) is just a normal kid. He has a mom (Veronica
Cartwright), a dad (Cliff De Young), and a younger brother. One July 4th, 1978, he goes out to find his brother in the woods. However, he falls in a ditch and passes out. He doesn't realize it, but he doesn't wake up until eight years later. The weirdest part about it is that he's still 12-years old. After a big confusion, he's reunited with his family but taken to an institution for study. After a bit of experiments, the scientists find out he has more unknown knowledge stored in his head, such as star charts from an undiscovered galaxy! Not to mention, David is hearing voices. One night, these voices call him to go somewhere, and he finds himself in a strange flying saucer with a robot named Max (Paul Reubens), who may have details on his long journey. It's a great plot executed decently.



ACTING:The acting in here is okay. The performances overall are hit-or-miss. Joey Cramer did a pretty sucky job as the young David Freeman, but I believe it was due to his age. Paul Reubens does a pretty good job as Max, putting his usual style into the voice. The other shiners would be Cliff De Young as Bill Freeman, Veronica Cartwright as Helen Freeman, Matt Adler as older Jeff Freeman, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Carolyn McAdams.

SCORE:The score in this movie is pretty cool. It's mysterious and has a kind of wonder, conducted by the well-known Alan Silvestri. It was pretty cool

EFFECTS:The effects were pretty great for their time. I still like them. The computer effects used for the spaceships many perks are still pretty cool, and the puppetry effects for the creatures are pretty neat. These effects have aged over time, but they still are neat to look at nowadays.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie has its fair share of pros and cons. This used to be one of my favorites when I was real young, but it's kind of lost its luster to me now. It still fills me with a bit of wonder and nostalgia from the old days, plus it has charm and some good humor to boot. However, this movie is terribly cheesy and has some major problems with plot execution. The problem I mainly have with it is that when David passes out, he doesn't really just pass out. He falls off into the ditch, and he gets right back up. He doesn't lay there for a minute or anything; he just gets back up in 5 seconds. That makes everything a little jumbled and hard-to-follow. This added to the cheesiness and the hit-or-miss acting bring the good idea down.

OVERALL,an okay movie with a great plot, okay performances, cool Silvestri score, great effects for the time period, a feeliing of wonder, nostalgia, charm, and some good humor, but it's cheesy with some hit-or-miss acting and major execution problems.

Sinister (2012) review

(7/10)

This modern horror movie actually wasn't too bad! It was shocking with a fresh idea and actually scary.

PLOT:Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is a best-selling author of true crime novels. So he can start his new crime novel, he moves with his family to a strange house in a small town with a bad past behind it. Shortly after everyone moves in, he goes up to the attic and finds an old Super 8 camera and film with recordings of several grisly murders. As Ellison investigates further into these tapes, his life is plunged deep into a malevolent darkness that could destroy his family. It's a great plot executed very well.



ACTING:The performances in here are actually very great. Ethan Hawke plays a very great part as the haunted author, Ellison Oswalt. He isn't the best horror movie actor, but he got the job done rather well. There was also a great performance by Juliet Rylance as Tracy, his wife. The played off each other very well. The child actors weren't so bad either. The other shiners I'd like to mention would be James Ransone as the deputy and Nick King as Mr. Boogie.

SCORE:The score in here wasn't anything spectacular, but it was fairly unique. It was jumpy at some times and just a creepy theme at others.

EFFECTS:The effects in here were pretty creepy. The blood effects weren't anything special, but the digital effects were pretty creepy. The effects used for the murders were pretty scary.



OTHER CONTENT:This horror stands out in modern times; it's actually good and not just a cheap way to make money. The plot and its twists are rather new and shocking. It uses some generic horror movie cliches, such as jump scares and fake jumps, but the twists make up for it. It's actually really clever and scary, but it's nothing truly spectacular. It's just actually good.

OVERALL,a good horror movie with a great plot, very great acting, unique score, creepy effects, clever twists, and some actual scares, but does have some generic horror cliches.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) review

(8/10)

(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

Though the effects are dazzling and the performances are strong, this is a living definition of the phrase all flash, little-to-no substance. Still, Raimi did a pretty good job of this.

PLOT:Oz (James Franco) is a conman, player, and carnival magician in Kansas. After a bad show, he steals a hot air balloon and flies away, running straight into a tornado. This tornado spirals him into the land of Oz, where he meets two witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis) and Evanora (Rachel Weisz). They currently rule over the Emerald City and tell him that he must slay the Wicked Witch to rule over Oz and all of it's riches. So, he sets out on a journey with his new monkey-assistant, Finley (Zach Braff), to kill the Wicked Witch. However, he runs into Glinda the Good (Michelle Williams) and finds out that things aren't always as they seem. He must now figure out which witch is the Wicked Witch and save Oz. It's a good plot executed greatly.



ACTING:The acting in this movie is very great. James Franco plays a great part as Oz, as did Mila Kunis as Theodora/The Wicked Witch of the West. She played a very interesting part as the Wicked Witch. There really wasn't a bad performance in this movie. The other shiners would be Rachel Weisz as Evanora, Michelle Williams as Glinda, Zach Braff as Finley, Bill Cobbs as the Master Tinker, Joey King as the China Girl, and Tony Cox as Knuck, with special cameos by Bruce Campbell, Theresa Tilly, Betsy Baker, and Ellen Sandweiss (All four were the main characters in Rami's original Evil Dead).

SCORE:The score in here is very detailed and magical. The great Danny Elfman supplies his unique sound to the movie, and it sounds just as good.

EFFECTS:The effects in here are dazzling and very detailed. You can see the details from the flying babboons to the emerald flowers. This movie is mainly composed of special effects, but they're really good.



OTHER CONTENT:This was actually pretty great. This was a special prequel to the original. Director Sam Raimi actually attempted his best to keep everything as magical as the original, from the color-changing horses to Kansas being depicted as black-and-white. However, all of these effects and good acting don't make up for the magic lost. This doesn't contain as much free wonder and such as the original does, and a lot of the true cinephile's will dislike it. I, however, think it's a pretty fair attempt at prequeling the original.

OVERALL,a great fantasy with a great plot, very great acting, magical Elfman score, dazzling effects, and a good attempt to keep things even, but it's missing a lot of the old wonder the original had.