The found footage technique of telling a movie’s story has
become an overdone and cheesy way of movie making.As a result, I wasn’t sure of what to expect
from Chronicle, since it is also told like that.But, I reluctantly went and what I saw really
surprised me.
The movie begins with a socially awkward teenager named
Andrew (Dane DeHaan).He decides to
document his hard life of abuse from his alcoholic father and his struggle to
keep his dying mother alive with a video camera.One night, Andrew, his cousin, Matt (Alex
Russell), and best friend Steve (Michael B. Jordan) come across a mysterious rock,
that when touched, gives them telekinesis.However, Andrew begins using his powers for darker purposes.There is more to the story but it would be
better if I didn’t spoil it.
My only problem with this film is that Matt’s love interest
(Ashley Hinshaw) was a pointless character.What I mean is that her only purpose is to serve as an extra camera for
scenes that Andrew wasn’t in.As a
result, her character isn’t developed at all and you don’t care about the
character.
Other than that, this film is amazing.The editing was fantastic, especially in the
final act of the movie.Also, the film
uses really interesting camera angles whenever Andrew is using his telekinesis
to direct the camera.Another thing I
liked was the length of the film.While
this movie is a bit shorter than most (84 minutes), I thought it was the
perfect runtime as the pace wasn’t slow.Lastly, I appreciate that the filmmakers didn’t shake the camera like
crazy, like in other found footage movies.
Overall, this film is a great way to start the 2012 season
of movies.If you are looking for a fun,
but dark action or superhero film, you can’t go wrong with Chronicle.Final Rating: 4.5/5
Written by Daniel Baker
Cast: Dane DeHaan- Andrew DetmerAlex Russell- Matt GarettyMichael B. Jordan- Steve MontgomeryMichael Kelly- Richard DetmerAshley Hinshaw- Casey Letter
When the debate of “what is the best movie of all time” comes up anywhere, many of the works of cinema brought up would include Citizen Kane, Gone with The Wind, and Casablanca.However, for my money, one of the greatest films ever made would be the one about which I am going to speak.I am of course referring to the classic from 1972 that won three Oscars and four Golden Globes; the Godfather.This movie is truly one of the best, and it deserves all the praise it gets.
If you don’t know what this movie is about, your must be deprived, but I’ll fill you in.It takes place in the 1940’s, during the true rein of gangster tyranny.Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando) is the Godfather, the leader and head of the Corleone family.Two of his sons, one adopted and played by Robert Duvall and the other played by James Caan, work under him in his gangster deals.His other son, Michael (played by Al Pacino), doesn’t really want anything to do with the family business.Eventually, however, Michael is forced into the business, and made the new Godfather.
It’s true.It is one of the greatest movies ever made.I’m dead serious.It may be my favorite movie of all time.I usually start my review by saying what I don’t like about the movie, but with Godfather, it’s almost impossible.I have one, single, solitary issue; the occasional problems with pace.This movie is very long, about three hours, and sometimes, you really do feel it.Like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, it does drag at times, and takes a little effort to stay roped in.It can also occasionally be a little hard to follow, as the movie does have a lot of characters whose names can be tough to keep track of.
Other than that, there are no problems with this movie.The acting is some of the best of all time.Robert Duvall, James Caan, Al Pacino, and Marlon Brando are now solidified as some of the best actors all time because if this movie.They portray the characters amazingly; the subtle Michael, angry Sonny and deceptive Godfather are everlasting characters.The story is driven and brilliant, roping you in most of the time (see above) with its great writing and direction.The editing is also awesome, and it keeps you in suspense the entire time.This movie also has something that most movies today don’t, TONS of atmosphere.The wedding scene at the beginning alone lasts over a half an hour, slowly developing the characters and the relationships between them.Other additions to the great atmosphere are the lighting and the music.This lets you know that you are in a gangster movie, with trumpet filled jazz and dark lighting.It seems to serenade the eyes and always keep you watching.
So, after all my praise, is it truly one of the best ever?Yes, it is honestly one of the (if not THE) best movies ever made.The stylish cinematography, great story, developed characters, dark atmosphere, superb dialogue, and more constantly keep you intrigued and hooked.It perfectly portrays the kind of violence that went on in the United States at that time, and makes you really wonder if the events portrayed in this movie happened.I give it a perfect 5 out of 5.
Written by Alexander Martin
Cast: Marlon Brando- Don Vito CorleoneAl Pacino- Michael Corleone James Caan- Sonny CorleoneRobert Duvall- Tom HagenSterling Hayden- Captain McCluskey
The stories of many bands of the past, such as the Who, have been filled with strange and sometimes surreal events.No band, however, has had such a strange but hilarious history as the non-existent rock travesty known as Spinal Tap.This short documentary about the band took audiences by surprise in 1984, with its extremely funny dialogue and witty characters.But is that enough to hold a movie up over two decades?Is the movie still as funny as it was in the 80’s, or has it grown dated like a carton of milk left out in the sun for too long?
This mock documentary about a rock band (would that be just a rock mockumentary or a mrockumentary) follows the band known as Spinal Tap in their current tour through the US.On their tour, they have to confront basically every problem a band can have, including in-fighting and loss of a fan base.
This movie has truly morphed into a classic, and is widely considered to be an amazingly funny piece.That doesn’t mean there aren’t problems with it.Though the movie is very short, it does seem to drag on at times.There are a few scenes that are bland and, dare I say, not funny.While the majority of the scenes keep you hooked, there are some parts, like the very beginning, that are kind of dull and slow.The pacing was also a little weird, as there wasn’t really any segway from scene to scene.I know that this was supposed to be a documentary, so segways would be a bit odd, but having nothing is just strange.
So, though this movie can be a bit slow, it is also very, VERY, funny.Scenes like the “album cover is too black”, “Stonehenge is too small”, and “they go to eleven” are extremely quotable.The writing in this movie is top notch, and the dialogue will keep you laughing almost the entire time.The acting is also great from Michael McKean (playing the lead singer David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (playing guitar player Nigel Tufnel), and Harry Shearer (who plays bassist Derek Smalls).The characters these actors portray are very strange and odd, but also believable and fun, and they make you feel sorry for them and all they have been through.The cinematography of this movie was good, and it makes you feel like you’re watching a real rockumentary about a real band.The music (by that I mean the music Spinal Tap sings) is your generic rock stuff, which is great.Finally, the plot is funny and driven, showing the hilarious tragedy of the downfall of Spinal Tap.
This movie was indeed very entertaining, but I’m honestly a little mixed about it.While the fun characters, good jokes, and overall story held me in, I felt myself constantly being dragged back by moments of boredom.While the overwhelming majority of the movie is extremely funny and entertaining, there are just those moments that truly hold the movie back.Don’t get me wrong, the movie is very good and worth watching, but I have the feeling it could have been much better.I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.
Written by Alexander Martin
Cast: Michael McKean- David St. Hubbins Christopher Guest- Nigel Tufnel
Harry Shearer- Derek Smalls Tony Hendra- Ian Faith Rob Reiner- Marty DiBergi
R.J. Parnell- Mick Shrimpton
“Why Lucas?Why taunt us?What did we do to deserve this?”That’s what many critics and Star Wars fans around the world said in 1999, when the abomination known as Phantom Menace came out in theaters.This highly anticipated prequel to the classic Star Wars trilogy let down millions.But, that wasn’t enough.Oh no, not enough at all.Then, very recently, it was announced that the Star Wars movies were going to be re-released in eye-popping, headache-producing, money-wasting 3D.We were happy, for a few minutes, until we realized Phantom Menace would be the first to arrive.So, I swallowed my fear, hatred, and frustration, and watched the movie again.And guess what?It’s still bad.
Let me try to explain this movie’s plot.A long time ago in a galaxy far away, there is a problem with the planet of Naboo.The Trade Federation (a bunch of aliens) refuses to leave the planet’s border unless they sign a peace treaty that is never fully explained.So, two Jedi Knights are sent to settle the matter, which eventually turns to a bigger conflict.On their journey, they pick up a young boy and really annoying alien, and have to fight the evil Sith Darth Maul (played by Ray Park).
<>
Oh no, not Phantom Menace.
So, I have an honest confession to make.I didn’t go seed this movie in 3D.I simply watched my DVD copy I have, in the comfort of my own home.So, I don’t know how good or bad the 3D is, though I will say, I’ve heard it’s not good.The movie itself, however, is still very bad.The most annoying problem that I have with this movie is the plot.It is nothing like any other Star Wars movie before it.Gone is the sense of adventure, suspense, or mystery.The plot revolves around the government, which is the most boring addition to any Star Wars movie since the Christmas Special (Oh yeah, there was a Christmas Special).These scenes drag the movie, and make any sense of flow lost.Another plot problem is the strange handling of the “negotiations”.The Trade Federation basically invades Naboo, and no one tries to put up any kind of fight.They all just sit there and hope some kind of plot convenience will come by to save them.
My second glaring problem with the movie is the acting.It is pitiful.This mostly comes from Padme (played by Natalie Portman) and Anakin (played by Jake Llyod).These two actors play there parts terribly, so bland and lifeless that it makes Liam Neeson, who plays Qui Gon Jin, seem emotional.It doesn’t help, however, that the dialogue in this movie is bad too.Lines like “Are you an angel?”, “You-sa in big doo-doo”, and “There’s always a bigger fish” really make me question whether or not George Lucas was asleep when we wrote this.These two actors are brilliant, though compared to the King of Bad Slapstick, the one that even the infamous Kevin James must look to for advice.I am of course referring to the CGI mess known as Jar Jar Binks (played by Ahmed Best), the Gungan that sounds and acts just like Chris Tucker.I mean it, every terrible piece of dialogue, bad piece of slapstick, and awful motion this character makes causes me to gag.It is pitiful.There are other problems with this movie as well such as poor special effects and weird things only to be used for plot convenience, but these two problems are the most glaring.
Now, there are a few things I like about this movie. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor (who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi) are not bad, though you can easily tell they want out of this film ASAP.There are a few action scenes that are good, like the pod-race (for about a minute, then it gets kind-of boring) and the fight at the end, which has both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fighting Darth Maul.The cinematography can be good, as well, showcasing some good shots of different planets.As always, the music by John Williams is spectacular, both thrilling and exhilarating.
I’m expecting that if you even read a sentence of this review, you can tell I don’t enjoy this flick.The terrible acting, horrendous plot, awful characters, mediocre-at-best special effects, weird plot devices and terrible attempts at comedy bring this movie to the bottom of the barrel.And not a nice sparkly clean barrel, a barrel full of toxic waste and garbage.While the occasional aspect can be okay, the movie is way too bad to be worth it.I give it 1 star out of 5.
Review by Alexander Martin
Cast: Liam Neeson- Qui Gon Jinn Ewan McGregor- Obi-Wan Kenobi Natalie Portman- Padme Amidala Jake Lloyd- Anakin Skywalker Ahmed Best- Jar Jar Binks Ray Park- Darth Maul
The movie begins with a socially awkward teenager named
Andrew (Dane DeHaan). He decides to
document his hard life of abuse from his alcoholic father and his struggle to
keep his dying mother alive with a video camera. One night, Andrew, his cousin, Matt (Alex
Russell), and best friend Steve (Michael B. Jordan) come across a mysterious rock,
that when touched, gives them telekinesis.
However, Andrew begins using his powers for darker purposes. There is more to the story but it would be
better if I didn’t spoil it.
