Category Archives: Three Stars

The Last Mimzy (DVD)

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last_mimzy_ver2The concept for The Last Mimzy was pretty original. I heard the film was based on a children’s short story, but I’ve never actually seen or read the book. My interest in the movie was based solely on the trailers I’d watched over on YouTube several months ago.

I think the greatest assets in the film were its special effects and cast. The limited use of special effects in the movie made it much more realistic. The producers could have easily made it into a CGI extravaganza, but I think it would have taken away from the story. The use of special effects in target areas of the film really pushed your imagination and helped maintain the interest of the audience.

I also thought that the casting was excellent. Everyone fit the role they were chosen for entirely, and Emma, played by Rhiannon Leigh Wryn was particularly good in her portrayal as the youngest daughter. Her demeanor and presence in the film made it more heartwarming and personal which was what kept me involved in the film.

The only thing that kept me from truly enjoying this movie was the lack of a complete story and a very mediocre ending. I thought that they rushed through the movie without really explaining the phenomena occurring in the Wilder household, and ruined the ending by giving no details as to what happened to Wilder children after they completed their task.

At best, this film is a good one time rental for the family if nothing more than that.

Synopsis:

An intergalactic package discovered on the beach holds a myriad of fantastic discoveries for siblings Noah and Emma Wilder, in The Last Mimzy, studio head-turned-director Bob Shaye’s wondrous sci-fi-fantasy parable. The children stumble onto their discovery amid a trip to the family beach house, and find inside of the crate strange crystals that Emma levitates with her mind, as well as the Mimzy – a stuffed bunny with a built-in supercomputer that advances its possessor’s brain by great leaps and bounds by whispering into the person’s ear. Meanwhile, via interaction with the box and its contents, Noah gains the ability to converse with spiders and instructs them to build miniature bridges. He also etches complex Tibetan mandalas, and somehow manages to black out half of Seattle. The children naturally keep these happenings from their mom and dad, but in time the kids set their sights higher and embark on correcting huge problems that cannot be missed.

Pathfinder (DVD)

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pathfinderIf your into hack and slash films with lots of gore and guts you might enjoy this movie. I am pretty biased when it comes to films such as these and I do own most of the B-rated films of this genre.

Visually, Pathfinder is an excellent film. Although the Viking costumes were completely inaccurate, they were very elaborate and detailed. The scenes of the film captured the rustic beauty of old America and the battles were thick with decapitations and splatted CGI blood.

The rest of the film is quite a different story. The plot was very weak, the acting was pretty horrible, and the dialogue was definitely the worst part of the entire experience. I honestly think that some of my 5th graders could probably come up with better dialogue than what was used in this film.

My verdict? I enjoyed this film for what it was. As I mentioned earlier, I’m pretty biased when it comes to these types of movies and this one will definitely be added to my growing DVD library. If your looking for great acting and a solid storyline, I suggest you rent something else. Pathfinder will just lead you to disappointment.

Synopsis:

It is America, circa 1000 AD. A Native American woman finds a lone living boy on board of an abandoned ship, filled with frozen dead bodies. She takes him back to the village to allow the chief to decide on the child’s future. Cut to 15 years later, the boy is now a 25-year old man, embraced by the Native Americans who raised him as one of their own. On one ordinary day, while he is away on a hunt, his tribe is attacked and almost entirely wiped out by those who had left him behind, the Vikings. Upon his return, the ferocious Nordic warriors capture him and force him to guide them to the other Indian villages. Feeling a profound connection to his Native American tribesmen, the young hero vows revenge against the Norsemen, going against his own origins. His tremendous fighting skills combined with a detailed knowledge of the surrounding terrain, aid him in his struggle against the odds. He becomes a savior for his people and falls in love with the Native American chief’s beautiful daughter in the process.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Theaters)

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harry_potter_and_the_order_of_the_phoenix_ver10I still have not picked up any of the Harry Potter books so this review is solely on what I’ve watched in the theaters.

The cast and CGI continued to impress me with this film. With the addition of Dolores Umbridge as the new dark arts instructor, an older and much more mature trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, plus more of the Deatheaters and Lord Voldemort, The Order of the Phoenix definitely had me more involved with the character development and overall growth and changes in Harry Potter. The CGI was up to par with all the rest of the films, and I thought they did an excellent job with all the new creatures that were introduced.

The only part in the movie that actually disappointed me was the plot. Although I watched all three films prior to this, the plot still lost me at times, and from what I was told, it was due to the fact that much was left out from the book itself. I can’t really complain much more than this, and I guess not reading the books could have been a blessing in disguise because I’m pretty critical about IMPORTANT missing elements from story to screenplay.

Not anywhere close to my favorite movie of the summer (Transformers), Harry Potter is still a film worth looking at in theaters. The fact that “The Order of the Phoenix” is a little darker and more mature is definitely the reason it appealed to me more than its predecessors.

Synopsis:

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. He is desperate to get back to school to find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down…

When a malicious Ministry of Magic employee takes the “cursed” Defense Against the Dark Arts position, she uses it as a point from which to usurp power away from Dumbledore. Harry engages in a personal battle with her while dreaming of a strange door at the end of a corridor which hides something that Voldemort wants desperately. To top it all off, Harry and friends must take their very difficult, very life-changing fifth-year tests: the OWL exams.