The Film Chronicles

Black Death

Black Death, 2010, Drama/ Action/ Horror
Plot: During the first sweep of the 14th century’s Black Plague, a young monk joins a Knight Templar and his band of witch hunters to find a woman accused of necromancy in a remote village.

Thoughts: Great story and execution. I never really felt the “horror” aspect but could see traces of it every now and then. The story greatly reminded me of Valhalla Rising when the men came to destroy the heathens. It was also awesome that Boromir (Sean Bean) was in the film, he really nailed his role and gave the film a sense of the times.

At its heart, the film was a story of temptation and the climax, while sad, is a great completion to the narrative. The questions regarding faith and the desperation and despair of the people during that time were accurately portrayed and believable. THis was just a good movie. I liked the grainy look the film had to it as well.

4.6/5

Step Brothers

Step Brothers, 2008, Comedy
Plot: A pair of middle-aged, jobless men are forced to live together when their parents marry.

Thoughts: This movie had a lot of hit-or-miss comedy. I thought that after Talladega Nights the combo of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly would be a hit. Unfortunately, this movie failed to revive the magic that Ricky Bobby brought to the screen. The writing was alright and the plot was semi-original. I liked the twist to the standard “we’re forced to live together” comedies.

I wanted more but I’m not sure what of. Decent film.

2.7/5

Flight of Fury

Flight of Fury, 2006, Action
Plot: A $75 million US fighter jet is stolen and the only person that has the ability to get it back is former US pilot John Sands (Seagal).

Thoughts: This movie was much better than the previous movie, Attack Force, but it still sucked. There was a bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo said that didn’t make any sense, people changed their minds about life altering decisions in the span of three seconds, and there was a random lesbian scene that featured Seagal watching in the shadows and really had no place in this movie. The acting still sucked, but at least they didn’t have to call in Martin Sheen to do any badly dubbed voice-overs.

Really great movie to watch if you want a good laugh.

1.6/5

Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers

Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, 2001, Animated
Plot: A very creepy penguin decides to rent a room in Wallace and Gromit’s home; it ends up that this penguin is a thief who disguises himself as a chicken and is currently after a diamond.

Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures

Thoughts: This was another great movie. You can’t beat the formula of an oblivious man and his loyal dog trying to maintain the stability of their lives. The character of the penguin and the feel of the movie was very reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. There wasn’t too much mystery but it was chock full of suspense and great story-telling.

4.2/5

Ip Man

Ip Man, 2008, Action
Plot: A privileged Kung Fu master from China is forced to live in poverty during the Japanese occupation of China in the 1940s.

Thoughts: GREAT movie!!! This wasn’t just a movie that used Kung Fu as eye candy like many films tend to do. Kung Fu is actually a character in the film, used to drive the plot and understand the various themes of the film. This was less like “Enter the Dragon” and more like “Schindler’s List” to me, showing the hard times of individuals and the rise against oppression. Everything was on point with this film: the cinematography (with the gritty blue hue), the direction, the script, and the fight choreography. I really plan on watching this film again, very soon.

4.8/5

Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda, 2008, Animated
Plot: A goofy panda is chosen to become “the Dragon Warrior” just before one of the most villainous criminals breaks free from prison.

Thoughts: While Dreamworks doesn’t spew out as many animated movies as it’s rival Pixar, it does produce quality with every one released. Kung Fu Panda was a winner in that it had a truly all-star cast and packed great direction with an excellent script. The story was the standard “underdog that must prove everyone wrong” but took another turn and Jack Black really defined his character. Black continues to be one of the most underrated entertainers of this era.

I still haven’t seen the second installment, but I plan on seeing it pretty soon.

4.5/5

Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle, 2004, Sci-Fi

Plot: A young woman gets turned into an old lady by an evil witch. She attempts to find a cure and runs to Howl, one of the world’s best magicians/ wizards. They begin to build a relationship akin to a family.

Thoughts: This was a really interesting story. It kind of lost me during the last 25 minutes but overall it was compelling and fun to watch. It was produced by Studio Ghibli (Japan’s version of Disney as my girlfriend always finds a way to note). The thing that I noticed most was the detail to the animation. The animators really took their time and were patient in painstakingly making the movements of the characters as naturalistic and practical as possible. Great film.

4.2/5

Chicken Run

Chicken Run, 2004, Comedy
Plot: A group of chickens held captive on a chicken farm attempt to escape their ultimate fate of being killed and turned into pot-pies.

Thoughts: This was a good movie that had a lot of quick comedy. Mel Gibson was perfect in the co-starring role and really gave a Nick Park film some American flavor. I enjoyed that most of the film consisted of women which is pretty uncommon for a comedy. I still stand by Nick Park (who was accompanied by Peter Lord) as one of the premier story-tellers of our time. It would be awesome if he so happened to team up with the overlords at Pixar…but alas, just a dream.

4.3/5

Forget Paris

Forget Paris, Romantic Comedy, 1995
Plot: A series of flashbacks shows the beginning of a relationship between an NBA referee and an airline representative and the subsequent ups and downs.

Thoughts: The story wasn’t original but it was done in another angle that increased the value. I think that it really lacked in story telling and also with the casting (everyone in the film had the most annoying voices). Billy Crystal was really the only funny person in the movie, everyone else tried too hard. They could have gone without the dinner party (it is played and was very annoying because I wanted to hear more of the story and less of the talking). The movie seemed to drag and the middle and was too long for what it was worth.

2.9/5

Animals Are Beautiful People

Animals Are Beautiful People, Documentary, 1975
Plot: A look at the flora and fauna in an often not talked about portion of southwestern Africa (particularly in the Namib and Kalahari deserts and the Okavango Delta region).

Thoughts: This was a great documentary simply because it covered a region that I wasn’t too familiar with. I know much about lions, hyenas, elephants, etc. but it was interesting to see the diverse group of animals that live in the desert. It was pretty cool to see birds actually design their homes and structurally build them in the form of condos, apartments, etc. Good movie with interesting information.

3.7/5