Pet Sematary (1989) Review:

Cats, dogs, gerbils, hamsters, fish etcetera…pets are a normal thing for most families. Rarely is there a family without some kind of animal inhabiting the household. For those who are good families, the memories of a pet will last for years and be a reason for keeping pets around once they pass on. Unfortunately, as with the highs come the lows – the passing of family members including pets are hard to deal with sometimes. It also can be a child’s first exposure to what the concept of death is in general. As like other topics such as Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny, having children come to this realization can be hard to comprehend. Losing a pet is hard but the thought of bringing them back is not an option. At least, in the real world. This movie though gives a reason as to why it shouldn’t be a thing.
 
Based on the novel and adapted for film by Stephen King, this movie is about the Creed family that recently moves into their new home only to realize there’s a mysterious grave site not far off from their property. At first Rachel (Denise Crosby), her children Ellie (Blaze Berdahl) and Gage (Miko Hughes) are a bit hesitant to understand the significance of it. However, Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne) who is their neighbor across the road convinces Louis (Dale Midkiff) and his family to visit the area. Turns out the place is a graveyard called the “Pet Sematary” spelt incorrectly for a reason never explained. The reason for all the pet tombstones is due to the carelessness of all the truck drivers speeding through the road right off the Creed’s driveway. What’s more important is the area beyond the graves that is not the place for those looking for something that’ll benefit them.
 
Further out is an ancient burial ground that has “soured” for anything laid to rest there will come back reanimated, but not the same way. The film was directed by Mary Lambert who in her previous credits directed music videos to Madonna. For writing since King as the author had full access to his self-adapted screenplay, the narrative is curiously odd to watch. Everything is interesting except how some characters behave which drives the whole story. Some characters make really idiotic decisions that don’t make any sense. All it does is lead down the path of a significantly worse outcome than before. And yet the reason behind making these decisions goes unexplained. What purpose did it serve? It’s even worse when the characters don’t act evil or have bad intentions. They just seem brainless and in the long run, it can make characters less likable.

Besides this though, because it is a Stephen King novel based movie it still is a creepy watch. Seeing that King is known for mainly his good horror stories, this is one of them. All the actors effectively perform their roles in this movie. Dale Midkiff although not the most recognizable lead, does a good job as the dad. The most seasoned of thespians in this film goes to Fred Gwynne as Jud. Better known for his comedic chops in shows like Car 54 and The Munsters, seeing Gwynne in a role that is more serious and horrific is different as well. Gywnne is believable as the old neighbor next door. Brad Greenquist plays a dead person who warns characters of impending doom. This movie serves as Miko Hughes’ debut in film. He would later go on to starring in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) and even Spawn (1997). Even the cat who plays Church is a good animal actor too.
 
From a visual standpoint, the movie is well shot. Handling the cinematography was Peter Stein, a familiar to the horror genre. Early on in his career he worked as a camera second unit for the original Friday the 13^th (1980) and then as director of photography for the sequel Friday the 13^th Part 2 (1981) and Graveyard Shift (1990). The special and practical effects all look good too despite it being 1989. There are several early digital enhancements and makeup effects that still feel real watching now. Lastly the film score was composed by Elliot Goldenthal which at the time would be his first work in the horror genre. Thankfully his work has seen an extended release which allows the viewer to appreciate the vocals, strings and piano being used. The main theme itself sounds sad but creepy at the same time.
 
This is a good movie to watch as it is unsettling. The music and atmosphere bring that out and the acting is all done professionally. It’s the choices certain characters make that’ll make the audience question the common sense behind them. Because it really just is dumb.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Ella Enchanted (2004) Review:

Anne Hathaway is an actress many people will remember her face just for her initial break out in film alone. She wasn’t even twenty when she starred in The Princess Diaries (2001) and that is what many will think of first the name is mentioned. Prior to the sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), she would only take a couple more roles like The Cat Returns (2002) and Nicholas Nickleby (2002), both of which were thought to be well made films. However the same year of the sequel, she played in this movie which is in a way, is Hathaway trying to break off from being type casted without completely flipping off the audience that loved her in that kind of movie. It’s interesting that she played in two princess-like movies the same year – just one is more of a play on the concept than the other.

The story is about a girl named Ella (Anne Hathaway) who has a cursed placed on her by a fairy godmother Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox), where she must be obedient when it comes to anyone telling her what to do. Her mother (Donna Dent) and house fairy Mandy (Minnie Driver) object to this but Lucinda goes through with it anyway. Years later after her mother passes away, her father (Patrick Bergin) marries Dame Olga (Joanna Lumley) with her own two daughters Olive (Jennifer Higham) and Hattie (Lucy Punch). Meanwhile, Prince Char (Hugh Dancy) will be coronated with the help from his uncle Edgar (Cary Elwes). Directed by Tommy O'Haver the path this narrative takes items from various prince/princess genre films and puts them together. That’s not the surprising bit though – this film had five writers.

Michele J. Wolff, Jennifer Heath, and Jennifer Heath have all worked on productions before but none that are fully well known. While the others Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith are the two responsible for 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and Legally Blonde (2001). The premise behind this movie and the other execution is just weird most of the time. For a character to have to do every single little thing someone says it just annoying. Rightfully so, that’s the point but it doesn’t really make for good comedy. It’s just predictable and gets tiring. Besides, what fairy godmother in their right mind would give this curse as a “gift” as they so call it? It makes no sense. Adding to that are the clichés used for other characters like Prince Char’s uncle. The pet uncle Edgar carries around is a snake named Heston (Steve Coogan), it can’t be any more obvious – other than the mustache Cary Elwes wears.

The setting is also hard to figure out. It’s narrated as a fairy tale from Eric Idle and looks like it takes place in medival times which includes Ogres like Nish (Jim Carter) and Elves like Slannen (Aidan McArdle). Yet at the same time contemporary music numbers are sung which characters are familiar with. So what era does this story actually take place again? Even Slannen wants to become a lawyer. Did those jobs even exist back in ye olden times? There are some moments that are funny but there aren’t enough to sustain a lot of charm. All the actors perform well in their roles but because of how repetitive the main gag is it gets old quickly. The actor who looked like he had the most fun was Cary Elwes for just being the plain as day character that he plays.

The visuals used in this movie were a mixed bag too. John de Borman as the director of photography did a nice job capturing the European landscapes. Audiences familiar with these types of backdrops should be able to pick them out easily. Unfortunately, these backgrounds are ruined by some really bad early CGI effects. It’s sad too because Borman also worked on Death Machine (1994) a decade before was able to conceal much cheaper effects and make it look good. Music was sadly not much better either as there wasn’t much really to recall about it. Composed by Nick Glennie-Smith, the film score suits the scenes filmed but none of the actual themes shine through. It’s also a shame because Glennie-Smith scored the music to We Were Soldiers (2002) which was a decent album and Highlander: Endgame (2000).

Overall the movie is kind of strange. The premise gets redundant quickly with a setting that can’t figure out what era it wants to stick with. The music is also forgettable. Acting works and can be funny sometimes but the overall idea is short lived. The camerawork looks good until special effects are seen too.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) Review:

In some cases, it has held true that some franchises just don’t die despite how negative reviews are. The Friday the 13^th franchise is one that has stood the test of time very much for the entire decade of the 1980s with consistent entries on practically an annual basis. As a hexology of films now entering the middle of its third trilogy, it is safe to say nothing was left to do in Camp Crystal Lake. Jason Vorhees stormed, slashed and maimed his way through his home camp grounds for years. So with that said, it seems if the story can’t be new and different, maybe Vorhees should at least be in a different setting. Which is just a guess as to why this entry exists in the most basic sense. Even then, it’s not even completely accurate.

Written and directed by Rob Hedden in his first theatrical debut, the story follows a new group of teenagers setting out on a trip to New York City from Camp Crystal Lake for their graduation. It just so happens that some high voltage electrical line defibrillates Jason Vorhees (Kane Hodder) back to life and the rest doesn’t even need to be said. First and biggest issue with this entry, the story. Audiences’ new heroine now circles around Rennie (Jensen Daggett in her first film), who has a phobia of water. Her father Charles McCulloch (Peter Mark Richman) doesn’t feel she belongs on this trip, while her teacher Colleen Van Deusen (Barbara Bingham) feels the opposite. These two varying opinions have nothing to do with anything. There’s nothing to really talk about here. The rest of the cast is more or less fodder for Jason.

There’s only a handful of actors audiences may recognize, starting with Richman known for his TV roles in all kinds of shows. Saffron Henderson who plays J.J. was Gohan and Goku in a couple of Dragonball Z Ocean dub projects. The other being Kelly Hu who people remember from The Scorpion King (2002) and X2: X-Men United (2003). As for the rest of the cast, some of their credits span over several decades while some didn’t last long. None though that have stood out since then. To their credit, they play believable characters just not ones viewers are going to care about. The only other actor to come out fine was Kane Hodder for obvious reasons of playing Jason. Hodder still plays Jason with heaving shoulders and a large height, which is still intimidating. That’s it though because there’s only so much slack Hodder can make up for.

It’s really difficult to say how even with a new setting things are still boring. Pacing is just not in this film’s favor. Despite the run time being only an hour and a half, the execution feels like the story is slogging through things. Perhaps this is also because there really isn’t a story. Yes, Jason is no longer on familiar grounds of the camp but for a while its’ Jason on a boat and later New York City. It’s well known now that part of the film’s performance is due to studio interference but it’s still disappointing. Not even Jason’s kills are that entertaining, which is something horror fans rely on at bare minimum to keep their attention. Some of this lack of interesting kills are likely due to again studio interference but also just lack of creativity. Jason is in a completely different place, there’s got to be other ways people die without looking so ho-hum.

The final good parts that still remain though are the special effects. The practical aspects and makeup all are convincing and do not look fake. The set design for New York is great making the city look like it hasn’t ever been cleaned. The camerawork from Bryan England looks good. England may not have any other mainstream film credits to his name but the shots filmed are convincing and definitely change the view from all the other 13^th films in this franchise. Lastly, the film score again composed by Fred Mollin does a fairly decent job with the material he had to work with. Much of the music still sounds like Mollin’s style like the previous but there are still smatterings of the original theme appearing from time to time. It’s also nice that Mollin’s work has received a full album after a long time being forgotten.

This is not an improvement or a downgrade. This is more or less the same negatives and positives with minor differences. Hodder as Jason still works, visuals and music are still well done. However even though the setting changes, it doesn’t allow for unique deaths, an interesting new story with its cast and pacing is just slower than slow.

Points Earned --> 4:10

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie - Pyramid of Light (2004) Review:

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the 4Kids production company was on a roll with cranking out anime to US masses. Of course there were other companies dubbing anime as well but 4Kids had the most success with this despite some of the censoring issues. Pokemon was their top money maker but not far behind it was Kazuki Takahashi’s Yu-Gi-Oh!. Although the original first season was never aired in the United States, the following seasons were and it got many people’s attention. Majority of the interest was in the trading cards and game mechanics, but a lot of people enjoyed the storyline and characters that kicked off the whole craze. It’s a little strange but for most successful animes in Japan, a movie is created shortly after. However for this show, a movie wasn’t released until a few seasons in.

The story is about Seto Kaiba (Eric Stuart) still frustrated with not being able to defeat Yugi Moto and his alter ego Yami (Dan Green) in a duel monsters card game. Wanting to know of another way to become the top duelist, Kaiba resorts to his past enemy Max-A-Million Pegasus (Darren Dunstan) as he has some cards that’ll help make that happen. Little does Kaiba know that the cards Pegasus has are even more dangerous that he realizes, holding the ancient evil Egyptian God Anubis (Scott Rayow) waiting to be unlocked. Right off the bat, like many other anime series i.e. Pokemon – if the viewer hasn’t been watching the show from the beginning, this will already be a problem. In some ways this film plays like an extended episode. If the viewer came just to see a movie version of one card game, this might work for them.

The writers Matthew Drdek, Lloyd Goldfine, Norman J. Grossfeld and Michael Pecoriello all worked on the show so the consistency is there. That’s one of the good aspects to this. From a continuity standpoint, the story plays right into what happened after the Battle City Finals. Again though, only fans of the show would understand and get that when watching this. Otherwise any newbie will be completely lost and it would be difficult for them to become invested in anything else from that point on. It is still quite hilarious though when thinking about it. Seto Kaiba, a millionaire,…billionaire…maybe…is so dead set on beating someone else in a children’s card game. Spending thousands of dollars on electronic equipment and personnel just to be named the world’s best duelist. If only life was like that where that was the major issue in the world.

Kaiba could spend some of his time doing good for others,…but no. He’s just got to be number one in a card game. Directing was Hatsuki Tsuji who would later direct the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX series. That doesn’t mean the characters are changed in any way, and that’s because the voice cast remains exactly as they are for this film. All the regular characters return from the TV show who are usually seen. That even includes some of the minor ones too. That means Tristan (Gregory Abbey), Tea (Amy Birnbaum), Solomon Moto (Madeleine Blaustein), Joey (Wayne Grayson), Mokuba (Tara Sands) return, as well as Ted Lewis, Lisa Ortiz, Mike Pollock and Charles Rocket take part in voicing some characters too. These are seasoned voice actors who have taken part in and crossed over with each other in multiple shows produced by the same company so it’s no surprise they are all here.

From a visual perspective the movie looks good. Animation is crisp and has vibrant colors to it. Surprisingly there were four directors of photography on this project - Kang-Ok Kim, Tae Hee Heo, Hiroaki Edamitsu and Duk Gyu Choi. Absolutely no idea what they did that contributed to the film. Not even animation directors Hee Nam Cho or Koung Tae Kim have prior credits. They’re lucky everything turned out looking fine. Lastly the music was disappointing too unfortunately. For whatever reason, the production decided to incorporate a soundtrack and completely omit the film score composed by Elik Alvarez, Joel Douek, Freddy Sheinfeld and Shinkichi Mitsumune. The soundtrack is okay…sort of but it just dates the movie more than it already is. The fact that there is no film score release for the North American or Japanese markets is shocking and sad that that’s the case.

Like other films connected to anime series, the film’s story will only make sense to those who enjoy the property and are familiar with the show. The continuity is definitely kept in place. The animation and voice acting is great too. Don’t expect much for memorable music though, just a generic mid-2000s soundtrack.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Magic Mike XXL (2015) Review:

As the usual trend goes, most sequels perform just as well or better financially than their predecessor. However, that doesn’t mean they receive better reviews than the original, which leads to the inevitable downfall of a tent pole franchise. Sometimes though, production crews and the people behind it can be more careful how they prepare the next chapter in the story. Has it always proven to be successful? Most likely not because there is also a fine line between taking the time to prepare a story of equal or better quality and taking too much time. For the Magic Mike (2012) series, it seems like the film crew wanted to make this one different from the past entry. Despite the cast mostly remaining the same, the production was able to keep things feeling new.

The sequel starts with Mike (Channing Tatum) returning to his original dance crew after he received news that Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) and original trainee Adam (Alex Pettyfer) went off to perform in China. On top of that Brooke (Cody Horn) has left Mike as his lifestyle was not for her after all. So with that all said, Mike joins Rich (Joe Manganiello), Tarzan (Kevin Nash), Ken (Matt Bomer), Tito (Adam Rodriguez) and Tobias (Gabriel Iglesias) on a ride to basically find their next place to perform. The script was once again written by Reid Carolin as like the last film. This time, instead of being focused more on Mike and Adam and his intimate relationships, the attention is now on Mike and the bromance he has with his buddies. In a way, it became more of a road trip film than strictly just an adult entertainer and dance film.

Directing the feature this time was Gregory Jacobs, who has served as a first assistant to most films. One of his earlier film credits was a second assistant to Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991). The execution to the narrative is on point with its predecessor. Since things didn’t turn out as planned where the original movie had ended, it was time for Mike to get back to basics. This allows for more development between the character and other supporting characters that only got a little exposure in the prior entry. Now, this allows Rich, Tarzan, Ken and Tito to shine more in their own way. This also allows for more comedic moments to come through for the guys too. For example, Rich (Joe Manganiello) feels like he’s getting to old and is concerned his days are numbered in his career.

Mike has the same concern but is again, looking for a romantic interest. The part of the screenplay that doesn’t add up are some character connections. Like why is Tobias still hanging with the guys if his connections were the cause of some of the plot turmoil from the prior film? There’s also some minor characters that show up played by Jada Pinkett Smith and Elizabeth Banks who don’t really add much to the plot. There’s even appearances from Amber Heard, Andie MacDowell and Donald Glover. The interactions most of these characters have between each other feel genuine and the comedic elements definitely help solidify that. Again though, the series is still not directed towards a straight male audience so in general, it still may not be appealing to all of the masses.

Visually speaking the sequel is just as strong in that department. Returning to shoot for this entry is Steven Soderbergh as the director of cinematography. Despite a lot of the scenes now being on the road, the shots are well lit and work within the narrative’s structure. The dance choreography was again top tier considering the type of movie genre that it is. For the ears, music was also kept consistent although not preferred. Again there was no film score as the soundtrack was the source that dictated what the audience would hear in specific scenes. It’s not bad or inappropriate for the type of movie that it is but a competent film score certainly helps give a movie more dramatic impact when needed.

The sequel is surprisingly a little more entertaining to watch even if the premise is not so much. There is still only a soundtrack to hear and some characters seem sort of unnecessary to keep. However, the acting is still solid, comedy is a bit stronger among the main cast and the dancing is obviously just notable as it was before.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Magic Mike (2012) Review:

Dance films are not usually the strongest of performing movies. Musicals tend to fair better with audiences but that’s because it has songs people can sing along to. Dance films that focus solely on the moves used to create a dance number are not as highly regarded. For some reason there tends to be less investment in the story or they are less unique. Honey (2003) was an okay film but wasn’t propped up and praised for its storytelling. A few years later, Step Up (2006) would arrive starring someone unknown at the time that would end up being revered for this particular feature shortly after. It’s kind of surprising but sometimes it takes time for the appreciation to be given. After all, although not all dance movies are seen as great cinema, hard work still goes into it.

The star being referenced here is none other than Channing Tatum. The plot here is about Magic Mike (Tatum), an up and coming entrepreneur hoping to make his mark on the world. One day on his side job he meets Adam (Alex Pettyfer) who gets taken under his wing at another one of his side gigs. This separate side gig is where he got his alternative stage name i.e. Magic Mike, as a male stripper. Initially hesitant, Adam becomes entangled with the profession and starts working with Mike and his partners Dallas (Matthew McConaughey), Richie (Joe Manganiello), Ken (Matt Bomer), Tito (Adam Rodriguez) and Tarzan (Kevin Nash). Reid Carolin who had one credit before this but is best known for starting this franchise, wrote the script. The film was also directed by Steven Soderbergh who directed the original Gray’s Anatomy (1996) and Erin Brockovich (2000).

The narrative itself definitely is more developed than other dance movies. Additionally, there’s a personal connection to it. This film could in other words be called a loose adaptation of Channing Tatum’s life in some ways as he too used to be male stripper. So to that, there’s some relatability to the story. There only seems to be two hang ups on the screenplay and it is an unresolved subplot involving Mike trying to obtain a loan. The other being the audience demographic. In this day and age, sexuality is no longer seen as something taboo as it used to be. However, the idea of straight men going to see this may not be as intrigued. To confirm the male stripping isn’t on screen the entire film, but it’s also not something every moviegoer might want to see. Overall though the characters are fleshed out pretty well for the story.

Magic Mike although maybe seen as crude to some because of his dance profession, is a solid person with a decent conscience. The character really does try his best to do the right thing and take care of Adam at the same time. Of course with that though, Mike has his own vices to figure out – like does he really like Joanna (Olivia Munn) or is he really attracted to Adam’s sister Brooke (Cody Horn). He also has to contend with how his partner Dallas does some of his business dealings – like involving hustler Tobias (Gabriel Iglesias) and his unknown shady connections. They are situations one can get involved with of which can complicate one’s life. All around the acting is done well from all actors cast within the feature. Those who enjoy McConaughey will obviously get their fill of his southern drawl.

From a visual perspective, this is one of the few times the director is also the cinematographer. Soderbergh also took care of the camerawork which in all honesty makes his life easier as he doesn’t need to tell someone how to take the shot, he just does it himself. The dance choreography and sequences are all done well too, partially thanks to Tatum having the experience already and not having to have someone do his own stunts. All of it is well put together and flows nicely. The only component that is nonexistent in this movie is the musical score. There was no composer to the film as the tracks are applied to the dance numbers. Could music be played in other scenes? Yes, but it seems for this case that was omitted.

The target audience may be questioned by some and film score enthusiasts will be disappointed. This also doesn’t hurt the films ability to entertain. The dance sequences are well shot with good cinematography, the acting works and the story is interesting for its loose adaptation of the main star.

Points Earned --> 6:10