ARTHUR'S MOVIE RATINGS

I don't presume to tell you whether or not you're going to like a movie or not--people have different tastes and like different things. The main purpose with the ratings given for movies here is to give you an idea of whether or not you should see it in the theater, wait for it to hit DVD, or skip it altogether. So if you want to break it down...

*****: AMAZING! Everyone should see this as soon as they possibly can!
****: GREAT! Worth every cent to go see it in the theater.
***: GOOD! May or may not be worth seeing in the theater, but definitely a solid choice for a rental.
**: DECENT. Not a horrible movie, but it's not a bad choice for a rental.
*: BAD. Do not watch this movie. Well, you could, but I wouldn't advise it.

19 September 2010

The Town (2010)

RATING:*** (3 stars)

As he plans another job, a long-time thief runs into a serious conflict of interest when he falls in love with the bank manager of his last heist--and the only person who could possibly give him away to the FBI.

In Ben Affleck's directoral debut, we get an edgy drama centered on Boston. For a film that has numerous opportunities to bog itself down, I was rather impressed at the pacing of the film. It's not going to keep you on the edge of your seat, but it shouldn't put you to sleep either. Some people might critique my use of the word "edgy" to describe it, but I do so because in contrast to the rest of the film, the violence that you do see is startling and almost seems out of place.

One concern that always seems to come up among the public is sympathyzing with criminals, particularly when the main character is one himself. I can safely tell you that that is not going to be an issue in this film. In fact, aside from Doug Macray (Ben Affleck) and Claire (Rebecca Hall), you probably are not going to particularly like any of the other characters in The Town. So do not go into the film with the assumption--which is safe in most films--that there will be a character for you to associate with and empathize with because even for these two characters that can be a bit of a stretch. I very much felt like a relatively impartial third-party watching events unfold than someone who felt invested in the story I was being told.

Perhaps the most influential part of the film is the way it ends, and let me explain why. As the film plays on and we begin to put together pieces and learn things about our characters and their past, the plot builds and builds to a point where as an educated audience we realize that there are only a couple of different ways that things can end. Now the ending is not a bad ending, and personally I thought rather well done, but something feels... off. I still haven't been able to put my finger on why, but I feel like there must have been some better way to approach it and I do not know what exactly that is at the time of this writing. Still, a good film that is worth a look.

Trailer

13 September 2010

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

RATING:*** (3 stars)
 
A few months after helping some survivors escape to Alaska, where there are rumors of a city untouched by the T-virus, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues her vengeance against the Umbrella Corporation--the ones responsible for the biological weapon that turns people into zombies and has all but destroyed the human race in the process.

Resident Evil: Afterlife picks up pretty much right where Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) left off.  The film starts then with a small army of Alices assaulting an Umbrella facility in Tokyo which also leads to her being injected with a kind of T-virus antibody that strips her of the strange psychic powers she had developed in the last film.  This really pays off overall because it lets the film set the pace at a more traditional pacing for a zombie/action film instead of the incredibly fast-paced opening sequence that shows off said psychic powers.  Eventually Alice finds Claire Redfield (Ali Larter), presumably the only survivor of the survivors she helped, alone in Alaska and having lost her memory.  Together they make their way down to Los Angeles where they find some survivors who have been holed up in an abandoned prison--the main location for the story this time around.

The big buzz with RE:Afterlife has been that contrary to many 3D films this summer, this one was shot with the Fusion camera system pioneered by James Cameron in Avatar.  And it really pays off.  Just like in the sci-fi film, there is much less of random things jumping out of the screen and more of a feeling of immersion in the film--as if you were actually the person holding the camera and actually in the middle of the action.  Another way to think of it would be to take the high quality of a Blu-Ray DVD and watch it on the big screen.  It also works very well for the high-intensity action sequences peppered throughout the film, which seemed reminiscent of earlier Resident Evil films with a mix of the different but equally intense action sequences in The Matrix and Blade.  Overall a solid addition to the series and one that shouldn't disappoint.

However, where this film really falls short is on the storytelling.  Plenty of action to keep you glued to the seat and well-shot, but there is surprisingly little in terms of explaining the various homages to the video games that the movie crowd will not understand.  This can really be broken down into two areas: characters and zombies.  In terms of characters, the most notable is Chris Redfield, brother to Claire.  We get a little of his backstory when he is first introduced, but we are given zero information on how the two of them were separated at the beginning of the crisis or why they happen to fight so surprising well together.  There are two notable zombies in this film that are given absolutely no explanation at all.  The first is one that appears to be able to burrow through the ground and whose entire face splits to reveal a huge mouth.  The other is a GIANT zombie with a massive axe.  No explanation, even suggestive by the characters, is given for how or why these two zombies exist.  Really just boils down to a script that feels a little rushed in order to focus more on the action sequences (which are quite well done).

Most certainly a fun film, but not one to worry too much about seeing in the theater unless you either (A) really want to see it in 3D, or (B) do not have the convenience of watching films on Blu-Ray at home.

Trailer

04 September 2010

Machete (2010)

RATING:*** (3 stars)

An ex-federale who is betrayed stops at nothing to hunt down the people who set him up and uncovers a web of dirty dealings.

Machete is an action movie targeted at a very specific segment of the action film crowd--particularly those who like over-the-top violence (the kind that is just as likely to make you laugh) a la Kill Bill (2003/2004) and Grindhouse (2007).  In fact, some people might remember that Machete was originally one of the fake trailers shown during Grindhouse

There really is not a whole lot to say about the film.  Based on the above and the cast (Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin) you already have a pretty fair idea of whether you are going to see the film or not.  I can say with confidence that if you have plans to see Machete you will not be disappointed in either the amount of action or the sheer amount of hilarity present.

Trailer