The Film Chronicles

Tonight, me and my brother decided to hit the local cinema and catch a double feature. It was nice, I must say.

Super 8, 2011, Sci-Fi
Plot: A group of middle school kids in 1970s America are in the process of making a movie when a catastrophic train wreck occurs and mysterious things begin to happen in their small town.

Thoughts: This was a phenomenal film. It really captured the essence of what it means to be a kid (at least what I can remember of it). The movie was like E.T. but better (I’ve never liked that movie). It’s the story of something fantastic being dropped in the lap of an ordinary person. The characters were believable and it was nice to see Kyle Chandler (one of my favorite actors) in the film. The suspense was similar to Jaws but it also was used a little too much. Films like these make me realize why I want to be a filmmaker.

4.2/5

Green Lantern, 2011, Action
Plot: This movie follows the story of DC’s superhero the Green Lantern (in this case Hal Jordan) as he fights off the villain Parallax.

Thoughts: When I first heard that Ryan Reynolds was cast as Hal, I was a bit surprised. But his performance was by far the best part of the film. That was the film’s biggest strength and at the same time it’s biggest flaw. The movie seemed as if it were written just for Reynolds and that every other aspect of filmmaking was thrown out of the window. The film should have been based more on OA and Mark Strong should have been a more prominent character (he was by far the best actor in the movie).

I was also disappointed in the lack of motivation for any of the characters. Sinestro goes from talking about how the Corps have never been defeated to jumping ship within 10 minutes. This  movie was very disappointing and DC continues to drop off in the quality of their feature non-animated films.

2/5

Today my girlfriend and I took a trip to Houston’s Museum District. One of the stops we made was to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and we went to the IMAX and Planetarium to see 2 movies.

Born to Be Wild, 2011, Documentary
Plot: A look at how 2 conservationist seek to take care of orphaned elephants in Kenya and cast-awayed orangutans in Borneo.

Thoughts: We both often watch documentary shows about animal rehabilitation so this concept was a familiar one.  One of our favorite shows it called “Orangutan Island” (you should check it out). The film was in 3-D so I was a little skeptical. This time the 3 dimensions were well done. I felt like I was actually there in some instances instead of just looking at something from a distance. Helping animals that our fellow humans are killing is really a noble thing to do and I would not mind doing that as a career.

4.6/5

Starry Night, 2011, Documentary
Plot: A look at the constellations and our place in the universe.

Thoughts: Space is always a favorite topic of mine and this documentary reminded me why. It is wild to think about how insignificant you are in terms of matter and space you take up in the known universe. I am amazed at how big everything is and how little problems really matter. Our life is just a vapor…

3.8/5

The Human Body, 2002, Documentary
Plot: A look at how the body functions by taking a woman who is struggling to become pregnant, a man with a brain tumor, and a look at stem cells.

Thoughts: This film, while decent, was falsely advertised. It was more about talking about things other than bodily functions and “The Human Body”. A disappointment nonetheless.

2.1/5

City Slickers, 1991, Comedy
Plot: A coming of age story about three middle-aged men from New York who decide to herd cattle from one state to the next as a celebration.

Above the Law, 1988, Action
Plot: Steven Seagal’s first film; in this movie he plays the new cop on the block Nico Toscani, who stops crime with the help of his partner Pam Grier.

Thoughts: I have to say that this is one of the better ones in terms of actual film quality. Seagal was young(er) and willing to actually do his own stunts that don’t involve lifting donuts up to his face. The action was actually pretty good and the story wasn’t utter crap.

2.3/5

Pistol Whipped, 2008, Action
Plot: Seagal is back as an  alcoholic with government ties as he attempts to defeat bad guys with his martial arts skills.

Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out, 2001, Animated
Plot: Wallace & Gromit want crackers but have noticed that they are out of cheese. They decide to go to the moon to get some.

Thoughts: This was Nick Park’s first attempt at the characters and it’s genuineness was really apparent. I wish he would create stories instead of some of these Americans. He makes you sympathize with a robot and a dog and that isn’t easy. I enjoy the light humor and also the fact that he does everything 100%.

3.9/5 

Driven to Kill, 2009, Action
Plot: An ex-Russian mobster turned novelist’s ex-wife is killed and daughter is beaten to near death. He seeks revenge on some of his old comrades.

Seagal never ceases to amaze me. He’s back in this film and this time he has a terrible Russian accent to go along with it. The entire film is full of people with bad Russian accents and scenes where Russian is spoken but there are no subtitles.

The best part of this movie by far is when Seagal is having a heart-to-heart with his son-in-law in a strip club champagne room while a topless woman dances on him. The scene is chock full of discomfort and it shows all on Stevie’s face.

When he sees his ex-wife’s dead body, there is almost no emotion. One reviewer put it best when they said that this movie should have been titled “Driven to Boredom”. I may check this one out again just to get a really good laugh.

1.7/5
Seagal Rating: 4.6/5

Reservoir Dogs, 1992, Thriller
Plot: A diamond heist goes wrong when a group of men are set up by a member of their crew.

Thoughts: Filmed and written by Quentin Tarantino, one of the most unique contemporary filmmakers, this movie was really well put together and allowed for a wide array of talent to be showcased equally. The story was interesting and blatantly obvious, but Tarantino’s craftiness at telling the tale is really captivating. I really liked the “real” feel of the film.

The group of actors were varied and all of them had specific talents that really made this film what it was. Steve Buscemi’s soliloquy at the beginning raised questions of philosophy and moral obligation and presented it with a smooth style that only few others but Tarantino can write.

4.6/5

Today You Die, 2005, Action
Plot: Seagal plays the role of a Robin Hood type of thief who attempts to go legit but ends up in a web of trouble after he’s thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

Thoughts: This movie was dirt and borderline racist (had it not been for Seagal playing the lead role). The entire movie felt like he was trying to make up for leaving his black friends behind and he wanted to get back in touch with his roots. He talked with an accent that was a mixture of broken English and random slang.

Besides that the movie was just as random as the rest. People are killed when they can be easily detained and Seagal shows off his skills (while he still has them). Bad movie. Good laughs.

1.6/5