Category Archives: Three Stars

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Theaters)

Posted on by
13

WARNING!! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!

Let me start by saying that I loved the first Transformers movie. In all honesty, if I were to make a list of pros and cons about the movie, I think the list would be pretty even. But if you look at the weight of each item, the positive far outweighs the negative. Optimus Prime producing a sword from his hand and decapitating Bonecrusher under the freeway definitely makes up for John Turturro in his Sector 7 underwear getting peed on by Bumblebee.  Likewise, Jazz’s annoying ebonics and breakdancing are more than made up for by seeing his body ripped in half by Megatron’s bare hands while perched atop a skyscraper. The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is that every annoyance in the first film is easily washed away by the sheer badassery of other elements of the film.

Unfortunately, after watching T:ROF, the negative outweighs the positive. It reminded me of a fighter who is being paid to throw a fight. They do just enough to look like they’re trying to win, while the whole time they are setting themselves up to lose.  One of the gripes from the first film was that there weren’t enough robot battles and that the ones that were featured were almost too clunky and awkward to clearly determine who was who.  Director Michael Bay really does a great job of not only throwing in more incredible action scenes, but also in cleaning them up so that they are easier to follow. The action scenes are just awesome and Bay has really upped the brutality level in all of the fights. Watching the Transformers battle it out is what audiences pay to see, and in that respect the flick more than delivers.

Sadly, almost everything between these battles is excruciatingly painful to watch. I can accept the Transformers movie having minimal character development and plot holes big enough to drive Optimus Prime through. However, what kills me is the fact that Bay felt the need to include humor that seemed like it was written by the writers of ‘Meet the Spartans’ and ‘Disaster Movie.’ Robots farting, robot balls dangling, Old Robot with a cane, and a robot leg humping a human are all featured in this film. Are these the elements this incredible franchise is reduced to? Apparently so.

As far as characters, Bay introduces so many meaningless additional characters while at the same time ruining existing characters. There is a Decepticon who can transform into a hot college coed. Her transformation amounts to nothing more than a metallic looking ‘Species’ rip off and her inclusion in the movie is highly unnecessary.  Then there are Sam’s new sidekicks and protectors who have earned the nickname ‘Car Car Binks’ from various other reviews due to their irritating nature and the stereotype they personify. These twins speak in full ebonics, have gold teeth, and are dumb as a box of rocks. While I wasn’t anywhere near as irritated by them as a lot of other people (I actually found them kind of funny in a ‘I can’t beileve I’m laughing at something this stupid’ kind of way) I did feel that their inclusion was also very unnecessary.

Then there are the existing characters. In this film, the almighty Megatron is reduced to, for lack of a better term, a little bitch. In the first film, he was an unstoppable monster who nearly killed Optimus Prime. Here, he is reduced to the role of subservient errand boy. Then there is Soundwave, who is nothing more than a glorified talking sattelite in space. Don’t even get me started on Bay’s treatment of Devastator or Jetfire. One thing is clear, the threat of the Decepticons is considerably less menacing than in the first film.

There are numerous other problems that I had with the film, but these are the more major ones that I can think of right now. Is it a good movie? yes, but by no means is it great. There are quite a few elements that make it worth watching. The previously mentioned action scenes are top notch. While the physicality of the Transformers seems to have lost a bit of freshness from the first movie, it is still a blast to watch them throw down on screen.  Sam’s interaction with his parents is still pretty damn funny. Surprisingly, John Turturro is less annoying in this film and is actually one of the funnier, more entertaining characters. Believe it or not, Megan Fox actually got a bit hotter in this film also.

So while the movie didn’t quite live up to the hype and promise of the original, it is still very entertaining despite all of its flaws. I’ll be watching it again since i have to take my son to go see it. Who knows, maybe my opinion of the film will change after another look.  As it stands in my mind right now, it’s a good and entertaining flick that is definitely worth watching at least once.

Year One (Theaters)

Posted on by
6

When I first saw the trailers for this movie, it looked flat out hilarious. In fact, it was one of the summer comedies I was really looking forward to. I like Michael Cera’s humor, and Jack Black, when funny, is a straight up riot. The premise of the film, while similar to other flicks before it, looked to give a unique take on a familiar idea.

Year One stars Michael Cera and Jack Black as two hunter/gatherers who are exiled from their tribe and wind up going off to discover the world.  The film has some solid laughs, but by the end of the movie it unravels into plain silliness with a lot of the humor losing steam by the final act. It is a pretty entertaining movie, but it has difficulty keeping its premise amusing for the duration of the film. From the start of the movie, the cavemanish setting is funny, with the two leads exchanging one liners and jokes. Despite the fact that there is NO historical accuracy to this movie whatsoever, the humor and setting held up resonably well at first. By the time the ending rolls around, neither Black’s nor Cera’s humor is strong enough to keep the movie afloat.

Year One is not a bad flick by any means. It is an entertaining comedy that will definitely have people busting up. The problem is that there isn’t really enough material to keep the laughs consistent up until the film’s conclusion. By the end of the movie everything kind of devolves into a silly farce.  There are people who will find the movie amusing from start to finish, however with the caliber of comedies these days, the film leaves the audience wishing for a bit more than what they are left with. Unless you are a huge fan of Jack Black or Michael Cera, I would recommend waiting for video.  There are better movies out at theaters that are well worth the price of admission.

Terminator Salvation (Theaters)

Posted on by
6

I was actually quite disappointed when I initially heard that Fox decided to cancel the sci-fi series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I felt there was alot going for it, yet there was a part of me which understood that the story could only be taken so far. After watching Terminator Salvation, it just reaffirmed that understanding.

After the huge success of both The Terminator and T2, the storyline of the Connors versus Skynet becomes overused and all too familiar. Without much room to deviate from its theme, the franchise inevitably loses its mystique and becomes dull and overplayed. To cope with this, Terminator Salvation attempts to draw its audience in with a terrific action spectacle filled with explosions, car chases, and excessive gunfire. This initially works, but without any real story going for it, the movie itself becomes a mindless and pointless mess. The only real treat for moviegoers would be the new types of machines used in the film, but beyond the special effects, the film is quite hollow.

Christian Bale does try his best to keep this film afloat, but with such a limited dialogue to work with and a subpar plot, he is in no position to do that. It’s quite appalling really, when you consider how successful his previous role as the “Cape Crusader” was. I’m sure this film wont slow him down however, and he’ll do quite well when the next installment of Batman hits the cinema.

Entertainment wise, this film should appease those who are fans of hardcore action and violence. I’d skip this one completely if you need a storyline to keep you entertained. This film has none of it.

Synopsis:

In the highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind. (Rotten Tomatoes)