Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Review:

In the last half of the 1980s, comic book readers were introduced to the Ninja Turtles created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. As over the top and ludicrous as it sounded, it captivated many people and soon the 1987 cartoon was produced thus spreading the enthusiasm all over the place - soon after making movies about the famous characters in the 1990s and late 2000s. In light of today being the day Mr. Michael Bay releases his reboot trailer of his TMNT franchise, I thought it was a good idea to view the first theatrically released film of the TMNT back in 1990. There's good reason to see it too before the reboot. It's not by any means a highly developed piece of cinema but it definitely has a lot going for it.

High three? 

The story begins with reporter April O'Neil (Judith Hoag) who is covering an important story dealing with the city's crime rate sky rocketing and no one has any idea why. On her way home, some robbers almost mug her, if it weren't for a humanoid ninja turtle quartet. With them, O'Neil also meets Master Splinter, an old humanoid rat who is the trainer and caretaker of the TMNT group. Upon this journey they also make headway with self-proclaimed amateur vigilante named Casey Jones (Elias Koteas). Lastly, the leader behind the enormous crime spree is The Shredder, a mysterious villain who is proficient in martial arts as well.

For all of these characters, their development is even for the most part. The only thing that really had me thinking was how was The Shredder was able to persuade all of the youth in the city to rebel. How did he do this to begin with? Also, what exactly is his motive? What did he plan on doing once everything had been stolen? He obviously wanted to get rid of O'Neil for spreading the word about his operations, and he wanted to take out the ninja turtles but what was his overall intent? It never was expanded upon. Other than that though, the story has flow and doesn't bore.

The first time writers behind this movie created a decent script for the characters. All of the ninja turtles have their respective Italian Renaissance names and their own personality, which gives them a considerable amount of charm. Master Splinter is portrayed as a genuinely father like character with all the traits a good father should have. Casey Jones is probably one of the more underrated characters because of his spontaneity and improvising behavior. Even, O'Neil as a character develops in some ways. Maybe Hoag was a perfect choice to play April, but she has her moments. Even The Shredder is cool to watch in some scenes.

Casey Jones

Perhaps the most interesting element this film has to offer is the action material and practical effects. For 1990, the ninja turtle costumes are done extremely well. The facial expressions are accurate and are fairly consistent with voice and mouth coordination. Also, the use of costumes help make the film feel more realistic, instead of trying to make CGI look real altogether. The action scenes though are by far the most fun to watch. Martial arts are always entertaining, but how do you get the sequences done right with people in bulky costumes? Well I'm not sure, but it looks good. The actors seem to have no trouble moving, hopping, kicking or rolling around in the costumes. Jim Henson's production crew is something else.

Besides The Shredder being a slight bit under developed, there are a couple of other things that could've been tweaked. John Du Prez's music captured all the right emotions for each scene and overall tone, but didn't create a main theme which is kind of silly since it would help viewers identify with what theme it belonged to. Also, the idea of adding music that involves pop dates the movie severely. It does create a nostalgic feeling, but the film itself does that already - music doesn't need to added. Lastly, would be the settings. Much of the setting of the movie is in the city, which is fine, but it seems to be always at nighttime. I'm sure other people wouldn't mind a few day scenes or so. Eh...what can you do?

An old, yet still an enjoyable family action film that has charming characters and remarkable practical effects. Character development isn't too bad either, although some explanations are needed.

Points Earned --> 7:10

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) Review:

Stephen Sommers' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) was not an amazing film but it was a fun one. With a lighthearted tone, energetic action sequences and different characters, it was a summer movie most people ended up watching. Surprisingly, it took four years for the next chapter of the Joe's to be told. Even if movies don't fair well with critics (like this one did), if it earned enough money, a sequel will most likely be produced. With all this time one would think that the crew had enough time to perfect this project so it connected with its parent well. Eh....it kind of does....and doesn't.

Snake Eyes, Roadblock & Joe Colton

Starting off pretty much where the first ended, the Joe's are still among the highest regarded force in the
world. They are also still on red alert for losing Cobra Commander and Zartan (who is now disguised as the American president). Audiences are then brought back to Duke (Channing Tatum) where we see that he is well integrated in the Joe system and has new friends - Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki). That's not all though, Cobra Commander has also added a new team member - Firefly (Ray Stevenson). Thus bringing up the first flaw, character continuity. Where is it?

Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick must not know what a sequel script to a movie entails if a story is being continued. Though they have proven they can write; Zombieland (2009) is the prime example. Here, Reese and Wernick return, exclude and eliminate various characters as if they weren't an integral part of what made the first movie work. What happened to Ripcord, Breaker, Scarlett, Baroness and Heavy Duty? A visual appearance isn't even needed, the writers could just have included a verbal cameo about them mentioning what happened to them. Is it too hard to include? It shouldn't be. Also the return of Storm Shadow is questionable. The first movie he was killed,.......so how did he survive? No explanation.

Explaining things seems to be an issue for this movie. Not only for the old but the new. For example, when did Duke meet Roadblock and the rest of his new found buddies? Who is Firefly? Where did he come from and why does he have an obsession with exploding mechanical fireflies? It's frustrating because these characters have respectable personalities but very little of it is looked at. The only new characters that are really given any kind of a back-story are Jaye and Roadblock. But even then, their stories sound unfinished and slim. One thing that surprised me was that a question of mine from the first movie was answered here. Who is the real G.I. Joe? Well I got it - it's Bruce Willis, what a shock. Even Willis' background is brushed over, which fans may feel like they were given the slip.

However, the acting isn't bad. Dwayne Johnson and his Joe counterparts work effectively together. The Cobra Commander is still a faceless enemy (which they actually got the correct look for this movie), but his voice should've been higher pitched and not so deep. Cobra Commander was never supposed to sound demonic, he was kind of like a new age Skeletor. With the commander comes Firefly (Ray Stevenson), a snarky southern man with a nasty scar on his face who can actually hold his own against Dwayne Johnson. Why doesn't Hollywood see the opportunities in this man? Stevenson is about as underrated as his other Punisher counterpart Thomas Jane. Both are immensely capable of action movies and no one bothers to hire them.

Cobra Commander & Firefly (Ray Stevenson)

Directing this sequel is Jon M. Chu who is better known for directing the "Step Up" sequels (which is where Tatum started surprisingly) and the first two Justin Bieber documentaries. Mr. Chu doesn't have a track record with action films and for his first time, he did well. Much of the action sequences were executed professionally. Then again, that could be the work of Jim May and Roger Barton's editing skills. The cinematography is good thanks to Stephen F. Windon. Lastly, Henry Jackman's score was executed nicely too. He had the right emotion and tone set for each scene but what did surprise me is that he didn't include a theme like Alan Silvestri did for the first movie. A franchise like this has to have a main theme. It is still entertaining but it has big loopholes.

It's not bad sequel at all to the first movie, but its continuity is all over the place. Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis with big explosions only goes so far. Without accounting for the new and old parts in plot, the story begins to have a disconnect.

Points Earned --> 6:10

The Transporter (2002) Review:

Jason Statham is popular for obvious reasons. Most audiences enjoy Statham just for his sharp British accent and his athletic action chops. Of course, there is more to that when telling a story in film because that can't be the only thing the plot centers on. It just has to placed in the correct moments for the storyboard to move with flow. For this film, it definitely can be said for sure, that the flow of this movie is even. Yes, there are other things to address but those things will come. This is perhaps one of the few films people can enjoy that deals with consistent movement (like the The Fast and the Furious (2001) franchise in a way).

Transporting is the job (but not like this)

The story is about an ex-military man, Frank Martin (Statham), who is covertly working as a transporter for hire - a man who basically moves things from one place to another. No questions are asked about what he's transporting; that's not apart of his deal. If the deal is broken, so are the rules and that's basically how things unfold. Upon taking what seems to be a routine job of "transporting", Martin discovers there may be more at stake and breaks his code of the deal. Thus ensuing him in a load of trouble. Of course, nothing he couldn't handle though and that's actually the surprising part of this movie.

The screenwriters behind this movie are Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. Before this time, Besson was best known for writing Léon: The Professional (1994) and Kamen had written for The Karate Kid (1984). To many, those are extremely well written works. In six years they would write for Liam Neeson's Taken (2008). I guess they're writing slipped a little in quality around this time. That's not to say their writing is bad, it's just predictably cliched. There are only a few areas that stand out. The areas that are cliched are the one's dealing with character development in the protagonists and the knowledge of the antagonists.

Statham playing an ex-militant is pretty much the same as how most ex-militant characters are written. They like working alone, but yet end up finding a love interest. They also have retained their martial arts and survival skills since their retirement, which allows them to fight their opponents with ease. It was actually more interesting in the beginning of the movie because it wasn't all about taking on 5 times as many opponents as it was getting the job of "transporting" done. Before the action finale to the film, Statham played a much slicker character - almost like a cheaper version of a James Bond. It was cool to watch him be clever and evade authorities by his driving skills or name changing license plates.

Accompanying Mr. Martin in his travels is the thing that makes him break his rules; a girl named Lai (Qi Shu). Here, she explains to Martin in her best English about a crate shipment of people that are being given to some wealthy guy. It's actually not clearly stated what is purpose of this. Illegal immigration? Slave labor? What? Matt Schulze plays the wealthy bad guy and he doesn't play badly at it either. In fact, viewers may find his performance a little more energetic than Statham's. Not sure if it was meant to be that way, but Statham pretty much plays it straight faced. I would like to know how Schulze's character was able to track Martin whereever he went though. It's a little preposterous since there was no clear indication on how Martin's place of living was discovered.

Matt Shulze's evil face

When it comes to action sequences however, that's a different matter. Since Statham is well equipped for this type of genre, there is no doubt Statham knows what he's doing, and those scenes filmed will be entertaining. Which leads to a very specific moment that must be pointed out - the oil slick fight. This particular scene isn't something action fans may see every day. It's a very unique action sequence and it's quite baffling to know how it could've been executed. The music provided by Stanley Clarke was an interesting take too. The sound mix contained some orchestra but mostly jazz work tones that actually meshed well with the scenes that were filmed. It surprised me. Overall, it's your standard Statham film. Nothing far from what's already been made.

The Transporter had a good premise and started out with class (thanks to the music). By the end though, it's a standard Jason Statham action movie that has consistent flow and doesn't have bad pacing.

Point Earned --> 6:10

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Review:

There's something about the title of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and how people think of it. Many just think of it of being about a chain saw wielding killer who stalks people and cuts them up for fun. However, that is just skimming the surface of this particular horror franchise. What some may not realize about this story is that there is more than one could expect to see - and that doesn't include scares. There's another aspect about this movie that first time director Tobe Hooper included that will have the audiences baffled, stunned and amazed. That aspect is the sheer bizarre atmosphere that is this film.

5 friends on the road,...end up meeting

Viewers will follow the path of five friends who are on the road, heading toward a relative's house. On their way, they run low on fuel and look for a place to rest for the night. What they don't know, is that they're not going to see the light of day. Unbeknownst to them, something, a danger so unspeakable is headed their way that quite frankly if anyone ran into, should high tail it out of there. This danger is a family of psychotically deranged cannibals that have no conceivable conscience. But, the most deadly individual is the man (if he is one) known as "Leatherface".

This guy is not to be messed with. He is the towering, chain saw wielding killer and can this beast run! Strangely enough, he and the rest of his cohorts were the ones who were given the most attention to when it came to character development. The audience actually gets to understand his place in the family and how the overall family acts. This is also a major flaw. With the antagonists more developed, this left our main characters on the sidelines and are basically only fodder for Leatherface. Sure, audiences' will understand that they're friends but what else is there to learn? Not much else - or at least from what's given to us. Along with that is a rather underwelming plot. There really isn't much of a plot at all. Friends travel and end up running into the goons. Not much else. There are a few twists but nothing that wasn't too oddball or unpredictable.

THIS GUY O_O

However, in place of this is the bizarre aspect that was mentioned earlier, credited to Tobe Hooper. The way of life that takes place with these killers are something to behold. It will make the viewer question to themselves, "Who enjoys this kind of thing?". It's that bizarre. Another element that viewers should enjoy is how the movie pushes the endurance meter. To see how long one can watch the screen without turning away or closing their eyes is a serious plus. Adding to this is how little music is in the running time. It is almost to the point of completely absent, yet when it is heard, it's distinct. Still, it should've been more prevalent because there were areas that could've used the emphasis of terror. With all this, it still amounts to a decent horror film.

It's surprising that with uneven character development, lackluster music and a very thin plot, that this movie made the impact it did and will for future viewers. With an atmosphere and characters so bizarre, it's hard not to sit down and wonder how things will turn out.

Points Earned --> 7:10

He Said, She Said (1991) Review:

Remembering what happened in a relationship is tough for some people. Majority of the time it comes down to only the guys because most of the time, women remember things better. But it has to be understood that the truth is frequently stretched in both directions to help prove the testifier is in the right. Men and women see things differently on a lot of topics and the most debated about subject are relationships. He said "this" and she said "that". Whose memory or interpretation is more accurate in telling the truth? That's the kind of story audiences’ get here.

Kevin Bacon and Sharon Stone

The plot revolves around a couple Dan Hansen (Kevin Bacon) and Lorie Bryer (Elizabeth Perkins) who see their way of living quite differently. Hansen feels that he wants to live his life as a lone wolf and doesn't want to settle down any time soon. Bryer on the other hand is looking for that guy in her life who is like a wolf but would like to settle down at some point. To think that their eventual meeting would happen so coincidentally was far from their thoughts. When in fact, that's what happened. Unfortunately, the ride is very bumpy and soon there's a point to where they need a break from each other. But to understand why they need this break is where things can get tiresome.

The explanation behind this break is displayed through flashback sequences. The flashbacks are done in two segments. The first segment is told through the eyes of Dan and the second segment is told through the eyes of Lorie. Flashbacks are an ok method of explanation, but the idea that this movie consistently relies on it can get tiresome and feel long, considering that the running time itself is close to two hours total. Plus, with these two segments the viewer will be watching what they saw from the first half of the film again. The feeling will get repetitive and too familiar for the audience to want to see more of almost the exact same scene. The exchanges are varied because of the point of view, but some it isn't as different as one might expect.

Elizabeth Perkins and Nathan Lane

With this, leads to some comical exchanges but not anything that'll have people rolling on the floors. Kevin Bacon has a few good moments as well as Elizabeth Perkins, but the laughs are too few short. Perhaps the one actor who stole each scene he was in was Nathan Lane's. For most, it's because of his voice and how he reminds every viewer that he IS Timon from the Lion King (1994), even though at the time of 1991 no one saw it coming. Along with him, was upcoming star Sharon Stone (who plays Dan Hansen's ex-girlfriend), Stanley Anderson (who later plays in RoboCop 3 (1993)), and veteran actor Phil Leeds (who plays an old tenant  where Dan Hansen lives).

As for anything else, props should still be given to the directors for at least carrying out the concept of this point of view movie. It at least gives insight to how the mechanisms of the male and female minds work. Thus maybe giving us (the viewers) a better idea of what the opposite sex expects from us in a relationship. Adding a little bit to the emotion is Miles Goodman's score to the film. This is also the composer to the popular film Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and a year later, the beloved  Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). It is a slightly above average rom-com.

Its actors are well chosen and the concept is very intellectual but its direction can be long and monotonous, while the comedy is a hit or miss leaving the story itself carrying the emotion.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Terror Toons (2002) Review:

It's one thing to make a bad movie. There's also the concept of creating a movie so bad that it's good. Lastly, there's that movie that accomplishes none of that and ends up just being really bad. When it comes to these movies, it can be hard to say what the determining factor is that threw the production of film off course. As for this movie though, it is blatantly obvious to why it falls completely flat and should not be even bothered to be seen. At points it brings up the idea that it could be a guilty pleasure movie but it all depends on how the viewer sees the situation.

Dr. Carnage & Max Assassin

The story is about two sisters who are left by themselves in their house with a duo of goofy terror (as one could only put it). The terror is brought on by packaged DVD called Terror Toons. Upon visiting this film (within this film), the credits read that it was produced by THE Devil, you know, the devil himself. Yet, (if this were to be real) no one pays attention to this and passes it off as minor detail and doesn't consider  the possibility that it could be real. When in fact, this is the exact case. Inside this product are the main antagonists - Dr. Carnage and Max Assassin. The weird thing is, these are the only two toon like characters in existence.

The reasoning behind this is because they are the only characters with exaggerated faces and google eyes. There is a segment at the beginning of the video, which runs like a cartoon, but even the characters that take part in it are a combination of live-action and animated humans. It's not all cartoons as it says it's based upon. It's like a cheap trick, either that or a really bad knock off of a Richard Band production. Adding to the frustration are the poorly developed characters and villains. The Doctor and Max do not say barely a thing. The dialog that was worked out for the actors are not passable either. Much of it is either awkward exchanges or scenes that are supposed to contain emotion and have nothing close to it.

The Devil

Special effects and sounds are another thing. For the budget that this movie had, it does demonstrate some good practical gore effects, but when it comes CGI related scenes, they're just flat, boring and not believable. Even when characters are running it doesn't look real. The feet don't match the pacing - wouldn't it be easier to just film them running instead of moving the character while they're running? What's the point? Along with these bad green screen effects are the horrendous repetitive sound effects. It is appropriate that the characters make cartoon noises but the fact that the sounds are heard every 10 seconds doesn't make it funny. Even the music wasn't helpful, it was appropriately matched to the goofy homicidal cartoons but it didn't increase the entertainment level any bit. Just a poor poor attempt.

With characters that barely look like cartoons, acting that is not good at all, and cheap special effects, the idea of terror only comes to mind when watching this movie because of how terrifyingly bad it truly is.

Points Earned --> 1:10

Dawn of the Dead (1978) Review:

George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) was as much a critically successful movie as it was a controversial one. With very few films pushing the boundaries of realistic horror and gore, Romero not only created a universal icon but brought upon a wave of new horror films to come. Who knew he would even make a sequel 10 years down the road from his original masterpiece. Nor is any less of greatness expected. Here is another example of a highly defined sequel that matches its parent very closely. Some may even consider it better than the first.

The group of regular people

This second "dead" sequel  starts a story about a group of strangers who come together under a common roof and try to survive against the ongoing zombie invasion. Upon their travels, they'll come across many obstacles and end up taking refuge in a shopping mall inhabited by zombies. It may not seem like much of a plot, but in fact it still packs in quite a lot of material into the running time - considering the time is now almost up to two and half hours. Out of the four people, two of them are military buddies and the other two are a couple.

Interestingly enough, George A. Romero, who wrote the screenplay did another great job at giving depth to these characters. The more and more these characters spend time with each other, the more of a bond a viewer will begin to see between them. This allows for character development and the ability for the audience to actually feel invested in the story that they are watching. Witnessing how this group of regular people fight to survive the every day occurrence of running into a zombie is a mixed bag of emotions. Why? According to what these characters do, you can still have fun during a zombie apocalypse, you can tease them, you can throw pies in their faces, and you can even run over them with vehicles.

They just don't quit!

The thing is, you'd also learn not to let your guard down. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt unfortunately. When incidences like these, happen, you (the viewer) will feel the loss of that investment that was put into those believable characters. Helping make these losses feel realistic are the groundbreaking special effects for the gore scenes handled by Tom Savini. It is still not a frequent event but there is plenty of blood and a few disgusting moments. Perhaps the only thing that didn't feel in place was the soundtrack. In various scenes it does work but in others it doesn't at all like the memorable but goofy end credit song to the film. Other than that it’s hard to debate about things that could've been improved because there's not much to not enjoy.

George A. Romero produced a sequel that not only has better production quality but still maintains the ability to capture its audience with a story that compels with such a small cast.

Points Earned --> 9:10

Red Scorpion (1988) Review:

Once Mr. Dolph Lundgren began pursuing an acting career, it wasn't until he played He-Man in The Masters of the Universe (1987) that he began approximately putting out a movie per year. Next in that line up was this action film. It's also probably the last time Dolph Lundgren ever played a Russian character. Good thing too because being typecast as a certain character frequently doesn't give the viewer something more to look forward too. Here, he plays a devoted Russian soldier who is trained and highly skilled in the art of killing. But as the story continues, he realizes maybe he's not seeing the whole picture.

Mr. Red Scorpion

With a screenplay written by first timer Arne Olsen, it isn't great nor is it terrible. The story does contain some meaningful moments, but most of them are frequently overshadowed by scenes that are predictable enough that regular viewers could see it coming a mile away. There are also some points in the film that would make the viewer question "How does this pertain to the development of the character?". It can be far fetched at times. Like how is learning the way of a hunter open one’s eyes to reality? Is it really that powerful of a activity?

That's not to say the actors perform badly though. Dolph Lundgren portraying a Russian is accurate. He’s a blonde, large, hulking mass of muscle and can speak with the basic accent. Al White plays an African  rebel leader who is also legitimate in his role. M. Emmet Walsh plays a an American reporter who accompanies Al White's character. My question is though, how did an American reporter get caught in the middle of this? Lastly, Brion James makes an appearance too, who would play the British character, Requin in Tango & Cash (1989) a year later. It's an alright cast for this movie.

However, the way the action is executed reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando (1985). There's lots of explosions and plenty of shootings. Just like Schwarzenegger, Lundgren runs around in war paint firing his machine gun without getting a scratch. But perhaps what helped this movie to excel further than Commando (1985) was the human aspect of it. Al White's character leads a bunch of poor followers who seek freedom from the Russian oppression. And when the audience sees them fall, it's hard to watch. Assisting those particular segments was Jay Chattaway's music to the film. In some places it worked but the rest didn't. It was an average listening experience.

M. Emmet Walsh & Al White

At least, the film was directed by a competent person. Joseph Zito, the man behind Chuck Norris' Missing in Action (1984), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) and The Prowler (1981) knew what he was doing. Also accompanying him is cinematographer João Fernandes who has also worked with Zito in the past. Fernandes was able to get nice shots of the arid terrain, which at least allows the audience to believe the place Lundgren was set in wasn't forgiving. In the end, it's not great or terrible. It's just average film making.

As Dolph Lundgren's last film to play a Russian character, it comes off as a better rip-off of Commando (1985) but doesn't take the story in any direction that hasn't been explored. Just average on the whole.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Killer Elite (2011) Review:

Jason Statham and Robert De Niro both have their respective fan bases. They both have made films that have defined their career. Did anyone ever expect to see these two pair up in an action spy thriller? Mmmmm, hard to say. It's also hard to say what convinced both of these actors to even consider playing a role in this story. It's questionable to what really works in this film. There are pluses but in the end, it doesn't satisfy like the trailer originally promoted.

Jason Statham and Robert De Niro

The story is based off of a book written by Ranulph Fiennes - claiming about a secret agency of highly trained killers set out to right the wrong of someone else's trouble. At least, that's what could be understood, and this is where the movie just doesn't work. The story is very messy, convoluted and long. Both writing and directing positions were given to first timers. Matt Sherring's screenplay of the book is very disoriented. For the first quarter of the film, the setting consistently changes from country to country no more than a minute each. The audience will feel like there isn't a real footing in where the story takes place.  Adding to that is Gary McKendry's direction which follows Sherring's hopscotch writing.

Along with that comes some weak character development. Stathom and De Niro play a duo who have a history together in the business of killing others but not enough information is truly given on either character. De Niro's character states he has a family and children but is never explained to how his family deals with what he does. Same goes for Statham - his wife, girlfriend (she was never labeled), originally there was friction between them about not being fully open about one’s life but then by the 3/4 mark, the topic was just dropped. Ummm, ok. Also, there really wasn't much chemistry between the actors. A big reason for this was that De Niro was barely on screen. His presence was only about a fifth of the running time.

Also Statham's character has other connections that he uses throughout the plot which aren't given much of a background either. It's kind of strange that advertising it as a De Niro and Statham film, you'd expect to see them quite frequently. But no. What was interesting to watch in this film was the overall area that the story finally took place in as the plot finally settled. This movie comes off more as a British made film than American. Kind of like Stand-Off (2013) where the majority of actors were Irish. For here, the majority of actors are British. It's a different listening experience, especially when various American words are replaced with British jargon. It gives the audience something to pay attention too.

Clive Owen

Along with that, leads to Clive Owen, who isn't anymore defined as a character as to Statham or De Niro, yet Owen's character is perhaps more fun to watch because of his stiff upper lip, discolored eyes, bushy mustache and British accent. Owen also gets into multiple scuffles with Statham because, well that's the action oriented part of the movie. To say the action is bad wouldn't be appropriate. The action scenes are well executed and somewhat inventive but since the characters aren't defined well enough, it can be hard for a viewer to really appreciate who the protagonist is fighting. Attempting to help elevate the entertainment is Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek's score to the film. Their music does contain some pieces that are relative to the scene at hand but also contain frequent screeching violins and that may annoy listeners. It's not poorly made but it could use improvement. All of it is just average.

The entire crew to this film tries, from the actors to music department but the inconsistent plot lacks control and focus to what little it had to begin with - making just an average action film.

Points Earned -- > 5:10

Cop Land (1997) Review:

It is rare for people to step out of their comfort bubble. Even actors, for as successful as they are, they too suffer from breaking what they are comfortable at performing in. Here's a film that not every Stallone fan might see everyday - similarly to that of The Truman Show (1998) a year later with Jim Carrey. This particular role is so far in left field for Sylvester Stallone that it almost seems like the wrong choice. When in fact, it proves that Stallone by far can still back a punch even when he's not pulling a trigger every five minutes.

De Niro, Stallone and Keitel

Stallone plays Freddy Heflin, the Sheriff of a small town in New Jersey called Garrison. All seems fine and well with the town and Freddy himself until an incident occurs on the George Washington bridge that connects the New York and New Jersey police departments. After the problems arise, Freddy is challenged on his thoughts and beliefs that he had never considered before. This is where things get interesting and dangerous simultaneously. As time goes on, Heflin begins to dig and as he digs, he discovers that everything is not as he thought.

The writing is something to behold here. Directed and written by James Mangold, the same man behind Walk the Line (2005), 3:10 to Yuma (2007) and most recently The Wolverine (2013), created a screenplay that not only defies the normal typecasts that most actors have, but also adds depth to the main character of Freddy Helfin. If it weren't for any of the background given to Stallone's character, the audience would have no idea about Heflin's past and why he acts the way he is in the movie. When it is revealed though, it's a heartfelt story that contains a lot of emotion. Even more interesting is how little Stallone uses a gun. Not only is Stallone overweight but he barely even raises his voice - which is rare. The character of Heflin is very self contained and covers it up well.

Also playing a role that is out his usual casting role is Ray Liotta. For anyone who's not familiar, Liotta frequently plays scumbags and creeps. A good example of this is from Unlawful Entry (1992) and a bad example is from Turbulence (1997). But what wasn't seen coming was Liotta playing not only a supporting character but also a tactical one. There is one scene where he explains to Stallone's character how he should take on convicted felons and the advice he gives is extremely noteworthy. Liotta, you should be doing this more often my friend. Along with him are Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, future director Peter Berg, Robert Patrick, Noah Emmerich from The Truman Show (1998) (how coincidental!), and just for laughs Mr. RoboCop 3 (1993) himself, Robert John Burke. All the actors, even the ones not mentioned do a fine job.

Ray Liotta

What also makes this movie a fish out of water role for Sylvester Stallone is how human the story makes him look. This isn't a movie where Stallone mows down villains with a rapid-fire gun without taking any hits. Stallone's character is flawed and limited, humanizing him for the entire running time. That's something serious. Adding to the realism of the story is the cinematography where most scenes take place in the suburbs or along the shore outside the city. Finally what helps complete this feeling is Howard Shore's score to the film. It isn't the strongest of film music but it does contain some very simple themes that help bring out the emotion of various scenes. Overall a very strong drama / thriller.

It's not your regular Stallone shoot 'em up and that's fine. The entire cast in the movie performs great. The music isn't complex but is well supported by a strong cast and character driven story.

Points Earned --> 9:10

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Review:

With the help of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel's chemistry and some intense racing scenes, Rob Cohen's The Fast and the Furious (2001) was an instant hit among racing fans. And like most franchises with critical financial success, a sequel started to be put into the works. Similar to many other sequels, it was distributed two years later and it's difficult to say whether it pleased fans as much as the first one did. According to this site, this is lowest score the franchise has. It wasn't bad at all but it was missing a few elements of the first movie, which left a more entertaining feeling.

Paul Walker & his gang

The story follows ex-cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) back to Miami from Los Angeles where he's enjoying his time racing street cars only to be pulled back by the authorities that he dropped. Heading the authorities is Agent Bilkins (Thom Barry) from the first installment and this time he wants O'Conner back one more time to take down a drug lord. And O'Conner can't refuse because he'd go to jail if he didn't accept. Plus, if the drug lord is turned in, all of his criminal charges will disappear. Why does this plot sound like Vin Diesel's xXx (2002) plot line (except it doesn't deal with a drug lord)? Speaking of which, why didn't Vin Diesel return? That's one thing that this franchise consistently needs. Paul Walker is the central character but Vin Diesel's presence was the icing on the cake.

Is was nice though that the writers kept the continuity together. The characters do reference material from the first film which shows the producers want to keep the story going and not divert completely from the original. But if there's one thing that comes into question, it is the concept of getting caught having a love interest in the business. This happened in the first movie and it blew O'Conners cover. Here the same thing happens in a similar way. You'd think the lesson was learned. Sigh. The new interest is Eva Mendes and she plays her character well enough. Accompanying O'Conner is Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) an old friend who originally has a grudge for some of his own issues. Even with this though, their chemistry works well.

Cole Hauser

Playing the drug lord is another interesting actor - Cole Hauser. He has a very smooth deep voice and resembles a very young Tom Berenger. He's also able to make his character seem dangerous enough to hurt someone. That's it for characters. The music produced by David Arnold of Stargate (1994) sounded better than BT's score from the first film but it wasn't evident enough. Barely heard a thing. As for action scenes, the racing is still fast paced and contains much of the same film making as the first, which kept the feeling the same. Other than that, the story feels the same as before but without Vin Diesel.

It's not a bad follow up to the first movie, but not casting Vin Diesel wasn't smart - it's like missing a piece to a puzzle. Other than that, it's still a decent watch with better music and well-staged action sequences.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Duplex (2003) Review:

Ben Stiller is one of Hollywood's most talented comedic actors and has proven in other films that he has the ability to make some really great and funny films. But I am extremely confused to how this idea for a story ever sounded hilarious. Never have I witnessed such mean spiritedness to such likeable characters, and to make matters worse have those likeable characters stoop to a level that is degrading enough that it crosses the line between what is funny and what borders on the edge of lunacy. And to top it off, Danny DeVito directed it; this comedy should've worked.

The couple and the old woman

The story is about a young happy couple (Ben Stiller & Drew Barrymore) who decide to buy a bottom floor to a duplex. While on the top floor is an elderly woman who seems fine enough to live with. Hah! It's  a shame to see this movie come to full circle, it's so sad to the point where you regret knowing how things will turn out in the future. Just why? How is it funny? What were they thinking? The only credit I'll give to this movie is for the actors attempting to make the movie funny. That's it. The main actors try and so do some other less important actors but it feels so difficult to accept how low brow the comedy became.

The problem is once the couple has moved in, the old woman on the top floor is everything nobody wanted in their life,...EVER. She consistently asks for help on impossible tasks, forgetting names, playing the television during all hours of the night. You know, something every old person does? It's understandable that stereotypes can be funny but it doesn't work here. All this will do is annoy viewers and feel just as restless as the couple on screen dealing with the same senselessness. And it doesn't get any better. In fact, the comedic elements become so derivative, that at a point in the movie it qualifies the subject of MURDER as an ok thing to do. What? Even Ben Stiller's directed film, The Cable Guy (1996) didn't drop to those immoral levels.

This cop is so gullible!

And with all the time and money spent on trying to rid the duplex of this old woman, the couple could've moved out a long time ago and found a much more suitable place to live. Instead, things become so out of control that it would make the viewer question, "Who in the world would want to live here now?". It's baffling. Also, even though the actors play their characters the best they can, the logic and reasoning behind some of the situations are absolutely absurd - especially if one person is making an accusation against two people and they both witnessed what happened and the situation being described is nothing like the one they took part in. Who is this thickheaded to be convinced of it? How is it believable? How? How? How? Other than this, the production is fine and David Newman's score is ok although it's just another unreleased set of music. It tries but fails badly.

What seems to be a decent comedy turns out to be an extremely incompetent mean spirited story. It also could send out the wrong message about senior citizens.

Points Earned --> 2:10

RoboCop (2014) Review:

RoboCop is a timeless character. His image is a staple in the 1980's sci-fi decade. The first, directed by Paul Verhoeven in 1987 was a smash hit. It's sequel in 1990 followed up with lackluster reviews but still maintained the majority of traits that made the first one a hit. The third one in 1993 fell flat for everyone except for the few forgiving. Once that was over, fans and people in Hollywood alike were curious to when and if the beloved franchise would return. Well here it is and while it isn't bad, it does require some addressing on various elements.

Waking up for the first time.....

The basic plot is similar to the set up of 1987 version but instead of Alex J. Murphy just joining the police dept of Detroit, the audience will be brought in where he's been on the force for quite some time. After being almost killed from an explosion, Alex Murphy is reassembled as the future of law enforcement. But as Murphy soon finds out, things are not all that good. The backbone of this movie and the story is about corruption and how people can not be trusted no matter how nice they come across as. If there's one thing that fans will enjoy is all the tidbits that first time writer Joshua Zetumer included in the screenplay.

The homage is definitely there. You want to see ED-209s? They're in there. You want to see that gun leg attachment RoboCop has? That's in there. You want to hear some of the memorable dialog from the first film? That's also sprinkled across the whole hour and forty-eight minutes too. But one of the things that fans may not agree with is the direction that the story took. Instead of RoboCop actually cleaning up crime in the city, there's lots of scenes dealing with getting used to the new Robo suite, training and setting out on a personal vendetta to find who brought him to near death. The issue of ridding crime is touched upon and a few arrests are made but that isn't the main focus of it. The Murphy family is what has the priority in this film and unfortunately it doesn't feel totally like a RoboCop movie. It should be noted that although it isn't the best decision, it is a direction that was at least fully addressed. Unlike before when it was lightly grazed upon in the first and half finished in the second film.

For characters, the casted actors play the parts well, but I am getting tired of some of them. For example, I understand that Samuel L. Jackson is a very sought out actor, but to see him in almost every popular franchise gets obnoxious. He's not even a main character and he is seen way too much in this movie. Sam Jackson does not need to be in every movie to make it good - it's not necessary. Same goes for Gary Oldman, his character is particularly more significant and gives a more interesting performance even though his presence could've been covered by another actor. However, it was great to see Michael Keaton come back for big role. The last time Keaton was in a theatrically released film was The Other Guys (2010). Wow.

For the most important part, Joel Kinnaman as RoboCop was good. He was able to portray the emotion required to show what a trouble individual he had become. But it was his take on Alex Murphy that had me rather disgusted with. The way Kinnaman portrayed Murphy was more like a cocky hardheaded punk, it just didn't feel right. Peter Weller's interpretation of the character was more soft spoken but still serious. Here, Kinnaman just gets angry and yells consistently. Speaking of which, there are a number of scenes where all the actors are just yelling. Could we stop that please?

Yeah no.....find another movie -___-

Lastly, the action, special effects and score were all integrated. The Robo suit looks great and the dark tactical design was a nice upgrade for the current day appeal. The action sequences were well staged too but I didn't find them anything truly unique. The rating also should have been given an R, not a PG-13. As stated for RoboCop 3 (1993), the world RoboCop lives in is very violent, blood is needed, otherwise, the content and tone is lost. As for music, Pedro Bromfman's score had a Steve Jablonsky / Hans Zimmer -ish feel, which was respectable. Bromfman even briefly plays the original RoboCop theme (which he should have continued). One thing I didn't like was the random insertion of contemporary music. Not needed, especially the end credits. It just shouldn't be for a film like this. Altogether, it plays out well but it has very different feel.

The properties may resemble that of the original but the feeling is different. The actors, music, action and special effects are commendable - the story is where the essence of locking up crime gets corrupted.

Points Earned --> 7:10

The Lego Movie (2014) Review:

The Lego company is a toy company that has truly stood the test of time. Not only by staying ahead of its competition, but by also being able to adapt and stretch itself across the entire board of the toy-making domain. Think about it, how many franchises are out there that the Lego company has fed off of and co-produced a series of toys after? Numerous, too many to count. Anyone who's a Lego fan will enjoy this movie. There are lots to find entertaining from its design, creative story, action and characters.

Emmet & Batman (stealing the show)

The story is about the everyday Lego man named Emmet Brickowoski (Chris Pratt). A construction worker who lives his life by the book. Literally, a Lego construction book. And like any other day, his day goes just fine until he makes a discovery that turns his life upside down. The discovery involves a special fragment that could save the Lego universe. Little does Emmet realize is that the world he lives in is a set-up (no pun intended), where a ruler called President Business (Will Ferrell) is a chronic perfectionist who longs to hold a structured order to the Lego universe. And the story only gets more creative from there, partially because of the characters involved. Accompanying Emmet in his journeys is Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), who makes sure Emmet doesn't lose his head and saves him whenever possible. Then there's also the head master known as Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) who gives some very funny scenes.

But the one character who steals the screen the most is Batman (Will Arnett). There are just too many scenes to count where Batman has a line that makes every intended funny scene even more genuinely funny. There's even a Lego spaceman that I can only imagine any person who played with Legos must have had at one point in their life. But that's not all, there are even more cameos than one could count, most of which viewers saw in the upcoming trailers to this movie. They all have their own special parts. Even the bad guys are memorable. President Business had good scenes and his henchman labeled as Bad Cop / Good Cop (Liam Neeson) is one heck of a character. In a way, the character reminded me of Man-E-Faces from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983).

Bad Cop & President Business

What really helps make this movie funny though is the mix of a clever, imaginative story that blends in great with its respective animation. The story was created by Kevin and Dan Hagemen who also worked as writers for the Lego TV series Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu (2011) and Hotel Transylvania (2012) which also was a very entertaining animated family feature. But the reason why their writing works so well is because of the animation. Kudos to the animation department because they did an amazing job by sticking to what Ray Harryhausen would do - stop motion animation. By using the physical Lego pieces and not CGI, helped limit the characters movements making them funnier to watch. Yes it is apparent when the CGI kicks in but boy oh boy do the animators get creative with how the Lego pieces make up every single thing you could imagine of. Plus, isn't that kind of the whole thing behind Legos? It’s also the moral to the story, where Legos were created for people to get creative with.

Finally let's not forget action and music, it is one sweet ride. Much of the action scenes are fast paced, include quick wit dialog and some intense scenes as well. Helping that of course is composer Mark Mothersbaugh's score. It has every single kind of the emotion you would want. Hopefully it will be released for the film score collectors to enjoy too. There's even a theme for the movie even though it's not from the score, that is the song "Everything Is Awesome". It's a very catchy and bumpy song that'll want to make one get up and dance. I did not see one thing to pick about which is rare.

This is one epic Lego film. Every element to the film works great, thanks to its well written screenplay, comic relief given by its voice actors, entertaining action sequences, memorable characters and old fashioned animation.

Points Earned --> 10:10

Stand Off (2013) Review:

If there's one actor that barely anyone hears about anymore it's actor Brendan Fraser. What now seems eons ago, Fraser was the top man after the hit action movie The Mummy (1999) was released. Not only did it showcase Fraser as a worthy candidate for action movies but it also made him very popular. Then about a decade later, he dropped off the face of the earth. As stated in his filmography, he's still making movies but for the most part it's voice work or live action films but with very limited releases. It's sad because Fraser is a very talented actor. Making things even more melodramatic is this small budget thriller that has trouble keeping everything together.

Brendan Fraser (the baby) & Yaya DeCosta

The story is about a struggling father (Martin McCann) who is looking to pay back a crime boss who lent him money. And like most situations that end up like this, they can't make the payment and are threatened by the boss to pay up or suffer dire consequences. In this case, the threat is the boss taking his son away. This particular plot isn't anything new but it works. And this movie would work out totally fine if that's the only plot that it stuck to. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Terry George the director and writer, along with Thomas Gallagher (another writer who only has one other credit) included a number of other subplots that were not necessary to have. And it's not like Terry George is a bad director, he also headed Hotel Rwanda (2004) which many people favor.

But it's the writing that really takes away the possibilities to this movie. Along with the crime boss plot, there's a subplot about a character being a father and not knowing about it (and in the end that isn't clearly resolved), a character has relations to a mob and tries to flee from their troubles (and that isn't clearly resolved either), and there's also subplot dealing with having to keep a secret from a person they care about. It's just too many stories in one situation and this makes this hour and a half minute thriller feel longer than it's supposed to be. What may confuse viewers though is the genre that this movie is putting itself into.

Here, it is labeled as a comedy and drama. But after viewing it, the audience may consider it more of a thriller and drama. There are a couple of scenes that may have people chuckle but it's questionable whether those moments were intentional or not. I didn't laugh very often because there didn't seem to be anything too funny to laugh at. I can certainly look back and recall the scenes that were supposed to be funny but they didn't carry much charm to them to make the audience laugh. They were very weak attempts. There was definitely drama though, because of all the subplots. And although the subplots were jumbled together, the story line did have some interesting character development. Of course, the effectiveness dropped when the subplots weren't resolved however. The movie may also feel long because the title accurately portrays the majority of the running time. The conflict is presented as a stand off hostage situation.

Colm Meaney

With this kept in mind, it will be obvious to viewers that Mr. Fraser will not be doing much of his action work he did in the past. The main plot doesn't even focus on him which is kind of sad considering he is what would grab people to see this film. As for acting goes, it's alright. Fraser does his best but again because he's not the character of main focus, the audience may feel cheated leaving a disappointed feeling. What was different to experience though was the slew of Irish actors in the cast. Colm Meaney (Law Abiding Citizen (2009) as the detective did have some charm. Also actors Martin McCann (Clash of the Titans (2010)) and David O'Hara (Hotel Rwanda (2004)) were interesting to listen too as well. Even Yaya DeCosta (a Siren from Tron: Legacy (2010)) gave a unique performance as an African refugee.

Every other element to the story was decent too. Because the setting takes place in Ireland, it's nice to see a different set of scenery than always in New York or some other American city. That's credit to Mr. Des Whelan. He also works the camera for many other films recently such as Thor: The Dark World (2013) and The Expendables 2 (2012). Foy Vance's musical composition to the film was ok. Nothing that stands out, considering much of the time it was absent or replaced by what seemed to be Irish folk music. This seemed out of place for the scenes they were inserted into. But there were also some dramatic scenes that did work with his music. That's why my opinion is on the fence for his score. Overall, it's watchable but it can feel cluttered.

Although it includes Fraser in the cast list, his presence feels wasted, even though all the actors have less star power. Along with a script stuffed with numerous subplots, the film may feel longer than it’s supposed to.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust (2008) Review:

The first Gingerdead man film from 2005 wasn't a good movie. With elements that were barely passable, it was hard to like anything about it. The acting wasn't believable, the special effects were cheap and the villain was wasted. Plus, the only main attraction for watching the movie was to see Gary Busey act as himself and voice the chunky funny gingerdead cookie man. But apparently, either there was a small fan base that demanded a sequel or the release of the 60-minute film gained enough money to render a sequel. Not sure which is the case but here we are the next installment - and it doesn't improve much at all.

Kelvin Cheatum (Kevan Moezzi) & his poorly
developed character written girlfriend

This next chapter of the wisecracking serial killer cookie brings us to a troubled film studio that can't cut a break in problems. Its whole crew is a bunch of misfits that don't cooperate and could care less who they're working with. Leading this poor operation is director Kelvin Cheatum (Kevan Moezzi), who smiles like he's never heard of bankruptcy being a bad thing. However, it's not until a package of baked goods come on set and inside lies the dangerous gingerdead man. So my question is, how did he come back to life? How did he get all the way to this set? It was clear to why the gingerdead man needed victims, but why was it necessary to get his victims from this specific studio set? Viewers won't understand.

As for acting goes, Moezzi isn't a good actor at all and perhaps that's how his character was supposed to be written, but I found the first movie better because at least the actors tried to make their characters seem real. And they knew fear when problems arose, but here Kelvin is just a grinning emotionless shell of a character. The new voice actor behind the gingerdead man is okay but Gary Busey at least would've still been more appreciated. However, viewers may enjoy Joseph Porter's performance as Tommy. He gives his character a unique spin that even I was not expecting. That is one plus.

The new gingerdead man

And the last two pluses are the special effects and violence. Considering the first film had bad special effects and a very small amount of violence, the improvement is noticed and it looks better to be honest. Sadly this doesn't help improve its overall score. The overall writing isn't good either. In fact, the title to the film only ties into the story at the very end. It's cheap, lazy and insulting to think that's how a story is told. There has to be a lead up to this kind of result, but instead it's just inserted last minute to stay true to the title. Not even the music helped this time around. Just another cash in is all it is.

This sequel has extremely loose continuity and bad acting. Even with improved special and practical effects, the character development is feeble and its plot is hardly even there.

Points Earned --> 3:10

The Last House on the Left (1972) Review:

Mr. Wes Craven is known for making a lot of controversial and inventive films. His most popular is A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). And of course, like most famous directors, they start out somewhere. Majority of the time, their first attempt is either considered their best and most popular. Here, I don't know why or even how this film gained a remote following. There's nothing artful about this piece. It has no style or class and it makes you wonder how would this ever be considered entertainment.

The two innocent girls

The story is about two girls who head out to celebrate one of their birthdays at a live concert. Little do they realize that along their journey they'll run into some very bad people. These people are described as jail breakers who have no sympathy for anyone. Unfortunately, when these two girls have their run in with these crooks, everything heads south from there. And that's for every aspect of the film too. First and foremost the actors who play the crooks in this movie are extremely frustrating to enjoy. They give no charm to their roles, but I will give credit where it's needed, audiences will hate these villains. That's not to say they were likable though - far from it.

The actors who plays the girls and parents of one of the girl's are ok and will make the audience feel bad for them but that's it. They too don't give their respective characters something to really enjoy about. Perhaps by the final act some viewers may like how the characters react to various situations but by then it's too late. By the way, the actor who plays Junior Stillo (Marc Sheffler) looks like a 70s afro Shia LaBeouf. What similarities - not that I truly care for either actor.

Then there's the whole violent element to the film. Is it full of gore? No. Is it heavy? Yes. Are the scenes kept classy? Absolutely not. In fact, many of the scenes are to the point of complete and utter filth. The main cause for this specific description is for the rape scene. Anything involving the action of rape is a serious downgrade in cinematic entertainment. It's one thing to imply it off screen or cutting to another scene, but it's crossing the line to show the action. It wasn't graphic but it's still wrong. Acting or not - that's not entertainment. I made this statement for both Evil Dead (1981) and its remake of 2013. It's not necessary. To see scumbags have their way with a girl will make audiences hate the movie more. Not appreciate it.

The scumbag >______<

Also, the cops in this film are lame. They show no wit or integrity either. Their job as officers are as lazy as their characterizations. Even stranger is how the title has nothing to do with anything. The title to this sounds like the story revolves around something inside the last house on the left. Not even, it's just the setting of where the final act takes place. Dumb. Lastly, the music is awful. David Hess the composer (also the scumbag rapist) couldn't even create one memorable tune. Most of the time, the music sounded like a video game. This made Joseph LoDuca's score to the original Evil Dead (1981) sound like a masterpiece. Along with that were horribly insertions of other songs from the time that sounded like hillbilly redneck music. It nowhere matched the tone of anything. Not even the trailer to the movie. Just terrible.

The characters are not likable or intelligent, complete with a terrible story, trashy perverted violence and incomprehensible music. Avoid.

Points Earned --> 1:10

Prince of the City (1981) Review:

Everybody has something to hide. We all have secrets we don't want anyone to know about. Its personal information that is only given out to the most trusted of people - mainly close family and friends. But there's a difference when that secret crosses the line on ethics and morals. When it comes to this, people lie, and lying is never a good thing. The act of lying will always catch up somewhere and somehow. Everyone has a conscious, it's the device that let's the person know what they're doing wrong. And if the individual cannot justify to themselves why the secret they're keeping is for the right reason, their conscious will eat them alive. Almost like a self-destruct button. Some can repress this feeling while many others crack under pressure.

Danny Ciello (Treat Williams)

This reflects on the story of Danny Ciello (Treat Williams), a New York cop who joined the force to make a difference and be a good person for society. However, it's not until he’s is asked by a commission of investigators to spy on the system that he works at for possible corruption. Originally, Ciello is skeptical about the matter because he doesn't want to stab his fellow cops in the back, but he is convinced otherwise. And to his dismay, the longer he stayed in the business, the scarier the information became. Thus leading to an investigation brought onto himself.

This kind of plot is very serious in nature because of how it focuses on morals and how people with even the kindest of hearts can fall. This is also the kind of drama that audiences should have the patience to sit through. The running time is almost three hours long because it carefully follows the path of the human struggle between knowing what is the right and wrong thing to do when it comes to telling the truth. The length may annoy some but the story should be powerful enough to keep people focused. And the writing not only covers the story of one man, but several people involved with the lies and how they deal with the stress they induce on themselves. Family life is also included although by the finale the closure isn't as strong as the rest. That also may upset some.

The cast is very large in this movie. Treat Williams as the main character gives a memorable performance as the troubled cop. His reactions to many situations closely resemble to how anyone would react if they were in his shoes. It’s a very human performance. Even a very young Lance Henriksen has a number of his own scenes. There's also a character named Gus Levy played by Jerry Obach, he would later voice Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast (1991) ten years later. Cool. Although the rating is R, it's more for language and a few beatings nothing gruesome or over the top.

Starting to be investigated

The music composed by Paul Chihara is unique too. It’s certainly one the most absent of scores I’ve ever heard but it also helps make the story feel more realistic. This is one of the few times where the music doesn't need to be present to give emotion because the actors themselves give a lot as it is already. There is also a main theme, which is carried out by a saxophone that is good. But the one thing I liked most about this movie was how audience should feel at the end credits. In a court trial, no matter if one walks away guilty or innocent, the past will always be there to haunt them. People will always remember the bad and never your good deeds. And from that day on, the individual must constantly fight to uphold the respect they lost. That's the human struggle and it can be so terrifying. It's a movie that should been seen and understood at least once.

The acting led by Treat Williams is very good. Its running time may be lengthy but its story richly consists of powerful emotions and life lessons that demand to be seen just for that.

Points Earned --> 8:10

The Conjuring (2013) Review:

Demonic possessions and hauntings are real and happen all the time – at least that's what the Warren family says. Here's the strange thing, it's not clear to whether the purpose of this movie was to terrify / entertain us or to make us believe that ghosts are real. Majority would say that the intention was for both reasons but that depends on one's experiences now doesn't it? Bring in someone who's not used to the horror genre and they'll believe anything you say,....but bring in regular gore hounds and nothing will phase them. I guess the whole concept is what you (the viewer) make it out to be.

Nothing is safe to look at......

Anyway, this is the story of two famous paranormal investigators of the last quarter of the 20th century, Lorraine and Ed Warren. When a family named the Perrons' move into a farmhouse, they begin to experience some very strange things about the house. Once noticed, they become terrified and call on the Warrens to help them find out if there really are ghosts in their house. That's where things become high strung. And in some cases too much for even the Warrens. Unfortunately that's because they took on a case they didn't see coming. Yes, even ghost hunters have their off days.

Acting wise, all the characterizations are believable; even for the no name actors who play the Perron family. But the two actors who do show that they were the right actors for the job was Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warren couple respectively. It's not that they gave their characters charm, but more on a human characteristic level. Although they could communicate with spirits, audiences will be able to feel that even with their special abilities, the risk is still high. That's the scary part that’s what makes it dangerous. Both of their performances were the most memorable.

What may surprise viewers and fans alike is how little the violence appears throughout the running time. And although it's directed by James Wan, the guy behind the brutal Saw (2004) franchise, the basis of this movie's horror is in the suspense - not gore. That's the goal; suspense equals terror. This is how one makes a scary horror film. But, that doesn't mean the scenes that were set up to be terrifying, were as terrifying as it was said to be. A lot the scare scenes involve the derivative action of sudden loud noises and long pauses of silence that lead up to the sudden loud noises. The typical scream tactic. It does work in some areas though but most events are predictable. I only jumped twice and I honestly was expecting a much stronger, scarier presentation.

Don't even turn around.......O___O

However, the scenes although typical in scares, did manage to pull off some very creepy imagery. Some of the sounds are really skin crawling - like old rickety wood cracking because it hasn't been moved in years. Or a door slowly opening with a very light creaking noise - oooh boy. The makeup looked good too. It some ways it resembled that of the Evil Dead (2013) possessed victims. The location of filming also helped with the imagery element. The house looked worn and petrified of dead souls to begin with. And lastly, Joseph Bishara's score to the film has a middling to effective listening experience. He definitely creates a dreaded theme with elongated counter string chords but it lacks the polish of other accomplished horror scores. Bishara's score is more bare bones than it is filling. It is an effective horror film but it's not as terrifying as it is said to be.

The musical score and scares lack the terrifying trait that fans may want, but the acting by the main leads are solid and the imagery is downright cringe worthy.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Knowing (2009) Review:

There are people who believe that things happen for a reason and then there are people who believe things happen out of randomness. As if there is no order to how the universe works - it just happens by chance. But what if there was an actual systematic method to knowing (ergo the title) when such major tragic events would occur? This is what happens when John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) gets his hands on a note that was put into a time capsule fifty years in the past. The note contains a map of numbers that specifically says when the next tragic disaster will be. That's some premise.

The list of numbers

In some ways, it mixes the ideas of The Number 23 (2007), 2012 (2009) and Final Destination (2000) all into one big question. What is the purpose of this list of numbers? Why was it written and who knew of such dates? It really is an interesting premise. The idea digs into the psyche of the human mind and makes viewers wonder if things do happen just randomly or calculated already or brought on by belief. But that is one of the far few things that make this movie any good. In fact the only other commendable components about this movie are its special effects and realistic images. The acting isn't bad but that's a must anyway because that's what a movie should have, decent acting.

Back to writing. First is the idea of making this a supernatural genre film. It wasn't needed nor was it a smart move. By doing this, it takes away the whole mystery of where the paper with all the numbers came from. Why ruin that? The script also contains little to no explanation about anything besides what is currently happening . It's not even funny. For example, there is a character that doesn't speak in this film and it is never explained to why this is. Another moment is when the same character gives out these black smooth rocks to one of the main characters. Even by the end, it is never explained to what the significance of these rocks were for. It's just baffling to why these kinds of things aren't explained.

When disaster hits

Glad to know the guy behind this story, Ryne Douglas Pearson isn't doing any future projects yet. His writing needs more work. Amazing as this is though, the film was directed by Alex Proyas. The man behind The Crow (1994), Dark City (1998) and I, Robot (2004). Why couldn't Mr. Proyas see the flaws in the script? Lastly, of all things to look forward to, not even composer Marco Beltrami's score to the film truly helped. It did contain the creepy feel and even some emotional tunes but there were some scenes even then that didn't match the mood. There was no theme either making it stuck just to the background.

Some scenes were helped by CGI in the film though. That at least was a positive although audiences may be surprised by the realistic nature of the film. In fact, it may be too graphic for the MPAA to call it PG-13. Some of the disaster scenes were very intense. There's no guts but there is blood. I was shocked to see how one scene was treated though. It was a scene where some person was hit and the audience will here a WILHELM SCREAM. It's even stated in the trivia! Was that supposed to be taken seriously or comically? But who would want to take that kind of situation comical? I don't understand. It's not worth the time to try and figure out.

The special effects are decent as well as the mysterious plot but they can't overcome the bad story telling along with unexplained subplots. A very frustrating sit.

Points Earned --> 3:10